Happy 2013!!!

Time to ring in the new year!  I hope you've had wonderful holidays celebrating with friends, and that this first morning of 2013 finds you well.  I'm finishing up a few projects (like holiday cards that became New Year cards) and looking forward to an exciting 2013.  Hopefully it will find me checking in here more often...

Today's card, which is in the mail to many, many friends, has a few color variations that I'll share over the coming days.  I wanted something fresh and graphic, and found my answer in the designer series paper Sycamore Street that's available for free during Sale-a-Bration (stay tuned, it's coming quickly!).

TIP: Not sure how to glue down those little die cut pieces?  Me either.  I fiddled around with all sorts of different glues until I remembered that I have adhesive sheets for the Big Shot, and they work like a charm.  For ease and speed, they get two thumbs up!

Wishing you a bright and wonderful new year!
Melanie

Stamps: Perfectly Penned
Ink: Island Indigo
Paper: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Rich Razzleberry, Sycamore Street DSP
Extras: Big Shot, Timeless Type sizzlets (retired), Apothecary Accents

Sweet & Simple

Simple can also be stunning, which was my reaction to this birthday card when I finished making it.  I just love this big burst of a flower from Betsy's Blossoms; it's a definite pop of fun.

I used some of the new In-Colors here: Primrose Petals, Midnight Muse, and Gumball Green.  And I still love the banners for just about anything--thank you, Framelits, for making it easy!  I may have to mass produce this card, so that I'll have some on hand for a change...

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Betsy's Blossoms, Itty Bitty Banners
Ink: Primrose Petals, Gumball Green, Midnight Muse
Paper: Primrose Petals, Midnight Muse, Whisper White, Pool Party
Extras: Bitty Banners framelits, Big Shot, Scallop Trim Border punch, Scallop Trim Corner punch

Floral Fun

This fun and bright card is just right for summer, and I got my inspiration from Stampin' Success, a magazine full of great ideas for stamping and for your business that all demonstrators receive.  It's another great perk!

This card features Bright Blossoms front and center, with a few embellishments from the Designer Buttons, Hemp Twine, Adorning Accents dies, and Adorning Accents embossing folders.  The sentiment, which is from Fabulous Florets, perfectly tied things together for this happy anytime card.

Don't forget!  You have until this Friday, June 29 to enter our blog candy contest by leaving a post on last Friday's post.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Bright Blossoms, Fabulous Florets
Ink: Gumball Green, Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise
Extras: Big Shot, Brights Designer Buttons, Hemp Twine, Adorning Accents die, Adorning Accents embossing folders

Medallion Fun

Ah, with my new box of goodies from the 2012-13 Stampin' Up! catalog, the biggest question is what to play with next...because I want to play with everything, of course.  This card marries many new items, and I'm really happy both with how it turned out and all the ideas I have for my next projects.  But most of all, I love all that embossing--heat embossing with color, and textured embossing courtesy of the Big Shot.

I'm also a fan of the many shapes at my disposal--no scissors required.  The bird and branch popped out easily with a punch, and the large flower and banner were oh-so-easy with SU's ever growing collection of Framelits.  Who am I kidding, it's my ever-growing collection of Framelits now!

I'm about to put this card in the mail to Kiran, which brings me to the next part of our BIG NEWS--we're on the move!  Kiran has already relocated to the DC-Metro area, and I'll be packing up my creative corner very soon to head to the New River Valley of VA.  Will you be our new neighbors?  Leave a comment to let us know; we'd love to stamp with you.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Language of Friendship, Daydream Medallions, Betsy's Blossoms, Itty Bitty Banners, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Versamark, Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, Gumball Green
Paper: Pool Party, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Regal Rose, Gumball Green
Extras: Big Shot, Floral Framelits, Chevron embossing folder, Two-Step Bird punch, Bitty Banner Framelits, Circle Scissors Plus, Melon Mambo embossing powder, Many Marvelous Markers

Is Santa Headed Your Way?

Tonight's the night!  Just a quick post with one of my favorite stamp sets from last year...I love this big guy.  And today's bingo piece is the mittens.  Good luck, and wishing you all visions of sugar plums!

Happy Holidays!
~Melanie

Stamps: Jolly Old Saint Nick
Ink: cherry Cobbler
Paper: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Extras: Big Shot, Top Note die, Basic Rhinestones

Favor Boxes For Your Holiday Dinner

Today's Bingo piece is.............................................. the  jingle bell !

No doubt whatever holiday you celebrate or feast you host, there will be some sort of favor for your guests.  How about these cuties?

They are as simple as 1-2-3 with Stampin Up's fantastically easy dies.  (1) Just pick your card stock colors to match your holiday/dinner theme & die cut using the Big Shot.  Then, (2) use your bone folder to sharpen the folded edges so they're nice & crisp before gluing everything together using the super-duper sticky strip to ensure everything stays together.  (3) The best part is last--decorating and embellishing!  You can have fun with all that SU offers: brads, buttons & glitter (oh my!).

I think it's little accents and details like this that will surely make your holiday (or any dinner party) memorable.  And, during the holidays, it's all about making friends & family feel special so what's more special than a little box as a place card, in a bowl as a centerpiece or a 'thank you for coming' parting gift?  Tis the season to stuff these with homemade chocolate goodies, mini candy canes or red, green & white m&ms!  I hope this gets you crafting on a Sunday!

Happy Stamping (& favor box-making!)
~Kiran

Other: Bitty Box & Envelope Bigz XL Die, Box #2 Bigz XL Die, Matchbox Bigz XL Die

Say it in Lights

Alright everyone, it's already happened--Jenny has BINGO!!!  That means it's time to reset your cards. (Have you been using blue ink?  Switch to red)  I put all the pieces back into the bowl, and the first piece for this new round of bingo is Santa's hat.  Mark your cards...and cross your fingers.  :)

On to today's card.  This one is really simple, and though I didn't think too much of it, it's been a big hit on Stampin' Connection, the demonstrator-only website where demos share creative and business ideas.  The beauty to this card is that it's really simple to make and to mass produce--I'd love to show you how.

All you need is paper, a Big Shot with the Stocking Accessories die, a Basic Black marker and then whatever stamp you'd like to use.  For this card, I used Perfect Plum, Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight and--my personal favorite--Red Glimmer paper and, with just a few cranks of the handle, had four Christmas tree lights.  I used my Basic Black marker to put a band across each of the lights.

Next up, I adhered the lights to my card and used the Basic Black marker again to string my lights on wire.  The final touch was my merry and bright holiday sentiment from Merry & Type, inked in Island Indigo and stamped in the corner.

It takes longer to write this out than it does to make the card!  You should try one for yourself.  :)

Happy Holidays!
~Melanie

Stamps: Merry & Type
Ink: Island Indigo, Basic Black
Paper: White Naturals, Perfect Plum, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Red Glimmer Paper
Extras: Big Shot, Stockings Accents die

Celebrate Any Day

You may not know this about me, but I love a great geometric pattern.  In fact, that's usually my favorite thing about Stampin' Up!'s designer series paper, the focal point of today's card, but it's something that's easy to overlook in the catalog.  Why?  Well, small geometric patterns like this one don't show up very well when shown at 25%.  In fact, I entirely missed this pattern, and wouldn't have caught it if another stamper hadn't used the paper for a card on her blog.  I'm so grateful, because I do love this cheery and bright pattern.

The paper is Pocketful of Posies, and it offers a great set of geometric delights to yours truly, so I can promise that you'll be seeing more of this one.  I was also inspired by the great layout FTL167 over at Clean & Simple Stamping--there's nothing like a great layout to get my creative juices flowing, and the sample card for 167 was a huge inspiration.  

To make this card happen, I used my Circle Scissors Plus--one of my favorite tools which has been terribly underused of late.  I love how easy it is to cut circles of all sizes with only one tool, and I've used it time and time again.  I love geometric shapes as well as patterns, but often need some curved edges to offset all the squares and rectangles of my cards.  I cut out a 2.75" circle of the designer series paper (DSP) and a 3" circle of Pear Pizzazz.  

Next up, I stamped my Whisper White with the sentiment from Perfectly Penned in Pear Pizzazz BEFORE embossing the paper with my trusty Big Shot and the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  I've learned from experience that the stamping is much easier to do before embossing.  Then it was simple layering and glueing, and this card is now ready to go to absolutely anyone for a fun and bright pick me up...it will probably get good use on a gray January day.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves!  After all, it's barely December and you're wondering what today's bingo piece is.  Get your cards ready, and mark off the Christmas tree.  

Happy Holidays!

~Melanie

Stamps: Perfectly Penned

Ink: Pear Pizzazz

Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Pocketful of Posies

Extras: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Circle Scissors Plus

Why Hello There Holidays

These ornaments just put me in the holiday spirit, and I'm loving the bold typeface of "Deck The Halls."  Even though I still have a stack of holiday cards that I never sent to my friends and family last year (how did that happen?!), I think this is going to be my holiday card this year.  I just love it too much to not mass produce it.  What do you think?

I'll give more details on how to make today's card down below, but there's extra excitement starting on our blog today--HOLIDAY BINGO!  I'm happy to say that the fun is back by popular demand, since I've been hearing from many of you, itching to get your hands on this year's bingo cards...and I imagine, this year's prizes!  You're in luck, because Kiran and I are happy to oblige.  (Wondering where your card is?  Check your mail...the last batch went out yesterday.)

Here's how it works.  Every day, check our blog for another great project from Stampin' Up!, and another bingo piece.  When you get five in a row (diagonal, horizontal or vertical), leave a comment saying "BINGO" (what else?) and we'll be in touch so you can claim your prize.  And then, the game starts right over again--and we'll keep on going until the new year rolls around.  This means that you should strategize how you'll mark your bingo card, since you'll be using it more than once.  (Maybe x's in the corner?  I recommend using different colored ink for each round)

Are you ready?  Today's bingo piece is the candle.  Mark your cards!

For today's holiday card, I started with Merry & Type (my #1 gotta-have-it set from the 2011-12 Idea Book and Catalog) and Cherry Cobbler embossing powder.  I knew that I wanted to make some magic with these two!  Since the woodcut/letterpress look of the ornaments and fonts made me think of Sherlock Holmes and those old newspapers, I decided to keep the base colors muted with a base piece of Crumb Cake that I die cut using my trusty Big Shot and the Top Note die.  I decided I loved the look of the embossing, so that was good to go.

Next, I needed a card base, and decided to go traditional for this card--red and green it is, in shades of Cherry Cobbler (that fantastic embossing powder) and Garden Green.  I stamped the sentiment in Garden Green ink on the Garden Greek paper for a tone on tone look, in keeping with my toned down idea for this holiday card.  The Stamp-a-majig helped me achieve perfect alignment for decking the halls four times.  I trimmed down the top note piece with my paper trimmer, and sponged the edges with Early Espresso ink for a little extra texture.

Now it's your turn to weigh in--should I send today's card as my holiday card this year, or a version of the sparkly medallion from last December?  Leave a comment with your vote and help me decide.  Thanks!

Happy Holidays!
~Melanie

Stamps: Merry & Type
Ink: VersaMark, Garden Green, Early Espresso (sponging)
Paper: Garden Green, Crumb Cake
Extras: Big Shot, Top Note die, Cherry Cobbler embossing powder

Welcome Baby with the Big Shot

For a friend's baby shower, I recently made my first pennant banner--and I see why everyone loves them so much!  This project was simple, really fun, and I was beyond pleased with the results.  I used my trusty Big Shot and the Perfect Pennants die to cut out the ten flags with coordinating medallions.  I then used the Timeless Type Sizzlets to cut out the letters for the "Hello Baby" message.  TIP: For easy glueing, adhere Adhesive Sheets to the back of your paper before running it through the big shot--then just peel your letters away from the backing, because they're instant stickers with some serious sticking power!

I wanted the banner to be something that could be useful after the shower too, so I decided to decorate the back side as well.  For this, I used the medallions I'd already cut out and my favorite animal stamps from Fox and Friends.  I stamped on Whisper White, then popped out the circles with my 2" circle punch and they fit perfectly on the medallions.  The parents-to-be really liked the banner, and plan to hang it in their nursery.

Stringing the pennants was also really easy--I used my Crop-o-dile to punch small holes in the top corners of each flag.  The Crop-o-dile was great for this, because I could set my depth and have even placement.  Then I strung the flags on a piece of retired ribbon from Masterpiece Originals and tied two knots to space out the middle.  Done, and super cute.

SPECIAL OFFER:  If you sign up to be a demonstrator before the end of October, you'll get a Big Shot for free!!!  I am a huge fan of my big shot, and of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator--and I'd love to tell you more.  Feel free to email me, or follow the "shop now" link to my business website, where you can sign up directly.  Don't miss out on this great deal!! 

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Fox and Friends
Ink: Basic Gray, Not Quite Navy, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Cajun Craze
Paper: So Saffron, Pool Party, Blushing Bride, Green Galore (retired), Lovely Lilac (retired), Basic Gray
Extras: Big Shot, Perfect Pennants die, 2" Circle punch, Adhesive Sheets, Crop-o-Dile, Masterpiece Originals ribbon (retired)

A Friendly Bird

Oh, two-step bird punch, how I love thee!  I was really excited when the new Idea Book & Catalog came out, and it included a stamp set to coordinate with this great punch.  Language of Friendship is the perfect way to take this old favorite to a new level.  I stamped it in Basic Black on Not Quite Navy and again on Garden Green, then punched out my pieces.  TIP: You can do this with the new style punch and still have the punch on the table, which is the easiest way to make them work.  Just flip the punch over--both sides are flat, and it works like a charm.

Since I made this card at the Loft, I was able to take advantage of some supplies that I don't own (yet!) like the great frame my bird is perched in.  The rectangular frame is part of a two-pack of embossing folders (the other is a lovely oval frame) that are in the Idea Book & Catalog--Designer Frames.  I used it with the Big Shot, then sponged over the embossing to make the frame stand out more.

The sentiment is also from Language of Friendship, which makes things easy.  I'm also a fan of its meaning, so this card is ready for the mail.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Language of Friendship
Ink: Basic Black, Not Quite Navy, Soft Suede (sponging)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Not Quite Navy, Garden Green
Extras: Big Shot, Designer Frames, Two-Step Bird Punch

Inspired by the Idea Book

Greetings!  I'm away from home this week, so I only have a few things to share that I made before I left.  I felt like I was in a slump with my stamping, so I turned to the Idea Book and Catalog for inspiration, and wow did I find it!  There are so many great layouts, color combinations, and ideas--you should check it out for yourself.  It's on my sidebar and waiting for you.

If you flip to page 166, you'll find my starting point for this card on the bottom of the page.  I just loved the look of color on color with embossing to create a frame, and decided I could definitely recreate that look on my own, even if I didn't have the same stamps as the card in the book.  So I got out some Perfect Plum, cut a card base and a second piece for layering, then embossed that piece using the Big Shot and the Vintage Wallpaper folder.  I already loved the look, and knew I was on my way to a great card.

Next I cut another layer in White Naturals, and choose my sentiment from Happy Everything.  I wanted to use a green with the purple, but which one?  Time to consult the Color Coach, where I found that Lucky Limeade and Riding Hood Red are well suited to Perfect Plum.  I used the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch to create a cotrast line of Lucky Limeade, and then got out my barely used Aviary stamp set for the fun bit.  I lined the birds up along the bottom, so they'd be evenly spaced, and then pressed one of my clear mount blocks over them to keep the placement I wanted.  I inked the birds in Riding Hood Red, and was very pleased with myself.

I still felt like the card needed something, but what?  My finishing touch is three Bitty Buttons with Pink Pirouette punches below them--I love how the Itty Bitty Shapes Punches coordinate with the Bitty Buttons, and now my card is ready to mail.  Or hand deliver, since I'm on the road myself. 

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Happy Everything, Aviary

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Lucky Limeade

Paper: Perfect Plum, White Naturals, Lucky Limeade

Extras: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Bitty Buttons, Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder

Elegant Stocking

I'm still on my stocking kick--but I promise this is the last one I'll show you this week!  I just want to share how much you can change your product just by changing the colors.  For this stocking, I used Naturals White and Baja Breeze.  I embossed the stocking with the great new Snow Burst embossing folder--it's another sneak peek from the Holiday Mini!  Then I decided I wanted to add a little more sparkle, because you can't have enough sparkle at the holidays, so I sprayed it liberally with Vanilla Smooch Spritz, and it really shines in person.

For the stocking cuff, I used the Pewter embossing powder again (I'm still in love) with the Gifts of Christmas stamp.  I hope you'll like this as much as I do; leave a comment to let me know.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Gifts of Christmas
Ink: VersaMark
Paper: White Naturals, Baja Breeze
Extras: Big Shot, Holiday Stocking die, Pewter embossing powder, Vanilla Smooch Spritz

What's in your Stocking?

I'm checking in with a big Holiday Mini sneak peek today, and I hope you'll love it as much as I do.  Stampin' Up! is all about stockings this year, and I couldn't be happier, since stockings feature prominently in my Christmas celebrations.  When I was little, I had stockings at both of my grandparents' houses for Christmas--lined up on a couch (and overflowing) at Grandma Esther's, and hanging from a fireplace that magically appeared only at Christmas, so Santa could get into Grandma Helen's house.  And they always, always, always had at least one candy cane peeking out the edge--just like the one I made for today.  So how could I not love this great Holiday Stocking die and coordinating Stocking Accents die for the Big Shot?

Now that we're older, Christmas has changed, but the stockings remain.  A few years ago, we changed format so that stockings are the main event, and we don't pile presents under the tree.  It was supposed to be a trimming back of the holidays, but as piles appeared under everyone's stocking, a third way was found--and we've traded our simple stockings from long ago for jumbo versions that are nearly as tall as we are.  Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but the point is that stockings loom large in my holiday celebrations, and they easily can in yours too!  Sneak peek number two is this great new embossing powder in Pewter, which is available in the Holiday Mini.  It's a little richer and more golden than silver and I am IN LOVE.  Who knew that I could prefer another over silver embossing, my old standby?

Finally, you might remember the flowerpot cards that Kiran and I had so much fun with a few years (!) ago--so long ago that I can't even find them on this blog.  As soon as I saw these dies, I knew that I wanted to "stuff" my stocking with a holiday card, the way we had "planted" a flower card in the pots.  So I adhered two stocking dies together on the sides, and if you pull the candy cane out of the stocking, you'll also get this card that's ready for a holiday message.  I won't be writing those messages for a few months still, but I can start getting them ready now.

I have more great ideas for these stockings, so keep coming back for more.  How would you incorporate the stockings into your holiday celebrations?

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Four the Holidays
Ink: VersaMark
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, White Naturals
Extras: Holiday Stocking die, Stocking Accents die, Big Shot, Pewter embossing powder

Simple Fall Thank You

Both yesterday's card and today's are designs for the fall wedding I've been working on--this is my last project, which means I have room to take on new things.  Are you planning a special event that you'd like invitations, favors, or stationery for?  Contact me now; I'd be happy to design something just for you!

I suspected that the couple would choose this card, since it has the monograms and die cut leaves that also were on their invitations and will be on their favors...and I was right!  Though I must admit, I'm still partial to yesterday's Trendy Trees thank you.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Monogram Sweet, Thank You Kindly
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Cajun Craze
Paper: Naturals Ivory, Chocolate Chip, Cajun Craze
Extras: Big Shot, Leaves #2 die, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder

Something Old, Something New

Here's one of the projects I was working on last week for Kiran's bridal shower--favor tags.  In keeping with the paisley theme, I used Paisley Prints (from the Holiday 2010 Mini)...which I had to borrow from Kiran.  That's my something old; the something new is the medallion I mounted the heart on, which I cut out using the NEW die Perfect Pennants which will be available on Friday when the new Idea Book and Catalog goes live.  I hope you're ready!!

While this was a simple project, made even easier by the Big Shot, I did have to make quite a few.  I think they look great all lined up together, don't you?  And they were perfect coordination for Kiran's shower invitations.  It's so fun and easy to have a coherent look when you make the details yourself!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Paisley Prints
Ink: Cherry Cobbler
Paper: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler
Extras: Full Heart punch, Big Shot, Perfect Pennants die, Basic Black Marvelous Marker

Tart, Tangy, and a Thirst Quencher

I am so sorry to see Tart and Tangy go.  This is a great, fun set that is perfect for summer...and almost any other time.  I've had this project in mind for a long time, and just had to sit down and put it together now that my time is limited.  I think jelly beans or runts are the perfect filling for these mini milk cartons, which would be a great party favor for a fun summer event.  Do you have any planned?

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Tart and Tangy

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Cherry Cobbler

Paper: Whisper White, Real Red

Extras: Big Shot, Mini Milk Carton die, Mini Library Clips

Paisley Bridal Shower for Kiran

If you've learned one thing about Kiran by now, it's that she LOVES her paisleys!  Her decor radiates between paisleys and peacocks, and is quite a thing to behold--just beautiful.  So when it came time to make her shower invitations, there was only one place for me to go--For the Bride.  Kiran has been saving this stamp set and planning its deployment long before her lucky groom popped the question, and I was both excited and nervous to finally make her vision a reality.

The good news is that Kiran LOVES the invitations, so I did something right.  I went with a color combination of Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla because Hindu brides wear red on their wedding day.  I used my trusty Big Shot and the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder to create the textured edge.  I stamped the "paisley bride" (Kiran's name for the stamp set) on Very Vanilla with the matching Cherry Cobbler ink, and added the invitation sentiment in Early Espresso.

The back has all the details for the shower...and there is loads of fun in store for Kiran at the end of June.  I hope she's ready!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: For the Bride
Ink: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler
Paper: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler
Extras: Big Shot, Framed Tulips embossing folder

Sale-A-Brate Birthdays!

It's the last day of February, and that means that there is only one month left for Sale-A-Bration.  What are you waiting for?  With every $50 you spend, you can get fantastic stamps and accessories FOR FREE!

For today's card, I used the first set I wanted for sale-a-bration, Engraved Greetings.  I loved this set when I first saw it in the Idea Book and Catalog last summer, but thought "I have enough birthday sentiments."  Free always trumps enough!  For this card, I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment in Rich Razzleberry onto Very Vanilla, then used the Ticket Corner punch before mounting that onto a piece of Rich Razzleberry.  I wanted to have perfect corners for a little birthday bling, thanks to Basic Rhinestones.

The base of the card is Melon Mambo.  To have a full trio of rich, bright colors, I used my Circle Scissors Plus and Glass Mat to cut a 3" circle of Pacific Point, then embossed that using the Big Shot and the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder.  I thought my card needed just a little something more, so my final touch is a strip of Basic Grey that I punched with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch.  I'm ready to sale-a-brate some birthdays now.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Engraved Greetings
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Paper: Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, Rich Razzleberry, Very Vanilla, Basic Gray
Extras: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Ticket Corner punch, Basic Rhinestones

Remember When...

I think I'll send this card to my mother, because it reminds me of when she taught my sister and I to sew. I combined two challenges on this--Mojo Monday sketch 176 and Stampin' Royalty Challenge #57, to use the colors Soft Suede, Not Quite Navy, and Baja Breeze.  As soon as I saw the sketch, I thought of buttons from the Sweet Buttons Embosslit for that fun border.

Once I had those, I wanted to use the coordinating Sweet Stitches rub-ons, since I love the patterned girl.  I added the ruffled Baja Breeze seam binding ribbon at the top of the card just for fun...but then had no idea what sentiment to use.  Kiran came to my rescue when she brought over Word Play, which is a fantastic set of big and bold sentiments for all occasions.

I added Crumb Cake and Whisper White to the three colors from the challenge, and I like this color combination so much that I've already used it for some non-traditional (that is, non-pink-and-frilly) Valentines.  Stay tuned for those!

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Word Play

Ink: Soft Suede

Paper: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze

Extras: Big Shot, Sweet Buttons Embosslit, Sweet Stitches Rub-Ons, Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon