Library Starter Kit

All of a sudden, it seems like everyone--but me--is having babies.  And I'm just fine with that, but since I lack firsthand experience, I've been at a bit of a loss when it comes to baby gifts.  I don't know what you really need, and I'm terrible at shopping off a registry (which I realize is silly, since registries make things easier).  The problem is, I want to give something that's personal.

I love to read, and I think it's pretty important for kids.  Books almost never appear on baby registries, but I always pick up board books for gifts.  So when I found this poem by Jane Yolen, one of my favorite authors from growing up, I had an AHA! moment.  From now on, I'm giving all new babies a library starter kit.

This one goes in the mail tomorrow, and hopefully my friend will be too busy with her new baby to check out my blog before she opens the gift.  I used the Storytime Kit for My Digital Studio to illustrate the poem, and have it all packaged up with a stack of books so that parents and their wee one can spend some time bonding and expanding their imaginations.  I hope it's a gift that will grow as they do.

Cheers!
~Melanie

My Digital Studio: Storytime Ensemble

Flashback Friday

Time to use my scraps!  I love designer series paper, but never use it up before I fall in love with the new patterns. So I've challenged myself to use up what I have on hand...and I have a LOT on hand, so this might be a regular feature. 

First up is Orchard Harvest from last year's holiday catalog.  I did a quick search on Pinterest for some inspiration, and found this great card that Mary Fish made.  I just love the layout, and am likely to use it again many times.

But I don't have the Autumn Accents Bigz die. I was disappointed...until I realized that I had the digital files in My Digital Studio, and I could use them with my ecutter.  Score!

And then I had lots of pretty patterned leaves, so I also made these cards. Not bad for forcing myself to use my stash, right?

What will you do with your paper stash?  Have some fun and enjoy autumn this weekend!

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Four You

Ink: Early Espresso, Island Indigo

Paper: Orchard Harvest DSP (retired), Island Indigo, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Raspberry Ripple (retired)

Extras: My Digital Studio

Jazzing Up Jam

If anything, this has been the summer of canning, and specifically of making jam.  I've seen great things on all sorts of blogs, and read lots of magazine articles, about how easy and flavorful it is to preserve your own food...but I'd been reluctant.  My husband pushed me though, because he really wanted to try making jam and save/savor the summer.  So we made our first jam, a vanilla rhubarb in early June and there's been no stopping me since!  (The link will take you to the recipe, and to my favorite canning site thus far, Food in Jars).

Of course, as I was assembling all those mason jars and making sure they sealed (they did!), I was thinking about the really cute but now retired Perfectly Preserved and matching framelits.  I let mine go last summer, thinking it was cute but that I didn't really use it.  Alas!  And then...My Digital Studio to the rescue!

You can get the stamp images as a download in MDS...which I had already done, because I do think the jars are super cute, and so I decided to make custom labels for my jars.  I sized them and tried to get as many on the page as possible in MDS, where I also gave them some of my favorite colors for the fabric lids: Real Red, Pacific Point, Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive.  Then I exported the file to my ecutter software, printed them on sticker paper, cut around the jars and I was ready to label!  The image above is of a full sheet...minus a few labels.

Here's another shot of my finished product.  And there are lots more labeled jars in the cupboard, just waiting for winter days.  I can't tell you how exciting this whole process has been, from trying my hand at jam making (there are a few "peach paste" jars that we don't need to talk about...) to creating my very own labels for them.  One hint though: write on your labels before putting them on the jars.  It's much easier that way!

And if you're wondering about that tomato jam, it's divine.  Here's the recipe, and I recommend that you try some on meatloaf, or with eggs if that's your thing.  Yum!

Cheers!

~Melanie

My Digital Studio: Perfectly Preserved

New Address Cards

I've moved too often for this to still be exciting, but it is.  I just love designing and sending out new address cards.  The links in that sentence will take you to the previous versions, and here is the one we just mailed.  As always, this was so easy to make in My Digital Studio--which you should totally download, if you haven't already.

The Fifty Nifty kit comes with outlines and punches for all the states, as well as this card almost all designed.  The original design uses the state of Texas, which takes up a lot of card space, but we didn't move to Texas.  So I deleted the things I didn't want and made Massachusetts a lot bigger (Note: you can do this with SVG files with no pixelation worries.  So glad MDS has switched to SVGs now!  The older files aren't all switched over, so be sure you check the format.)

I picked a favorite patterned paper to fill the state, put our address on the back, and then ordered a lot of these from the new printing service.  They arrived quickly, with envelopes, and I was ready to go.  By far the longest part of this process was getting the cards in the mail, but I *think* everyone whose address I had should have one now.  I hope they'll visit!

Cheers!
~Melanie

My Digital Studio: Nifty Fifty, Sycamore Street

I still love MDS

Kiran and I have mentioned this before--MANY times, to be exact--but we just love My Digital Studio!  In case you haven't checked it out lately, you definitely should.  In the past 6 months, Stampin' Up! has rolled out MDS2, which is packed with great new features that we're putting to good use, and dropped the price of professionally printed products.  I've ordered a few different things for different occasions, and I do love the professional printing--especially because it includes perfectly sized envelopes!

But today's post is to tell you that the digital downloads for MDS, which feature Stampin' Up!'s exclusive artwork, are also fantastic.  I'm putting them to extra use with my digital cutter, and just love everything about the collaboration.

Today I'm featuring some vinyl wall art I made to aid in my holiday decorations.  I was really bummed when SU ended their decor elements line, so the ability to use cut digital downloads from vinyl has been a huge plus for me.  I used the Shine Bright designer template and just cut all the pieces out from red vinyl to transfer to my wall.  So quick, easy, and fantastic.  (Like most things, it looked even better in person)

I was truly bummed to have to take it down now that the holidays are over, but I can always make another one for next year!

What can you do with MDS2?
Melanie

We Have a Winner!

Seriously, this time.  Congratulations Kiki--send us an email to collect your prize.

That means it's time for Round 3--so clear your cards, change your pencil color, whatever you have to do.  The first piece for this round is Santa.  Good luck!

Today's project is very quick--I want to give some customized recipe books this Christmas, so I made binder covers for them in My Digital Studio.  I love the fun and funky retro design of the pears, and the fact that I can just print this off at home...which is what I need since it feels last minute already.  I even went the extra mile to design the binder spine.

Happy Holidays!
~Melanie

My Digital Studio: Sunny Day, Now You're Cooking

Holiday Bingo is Back!

And so are we, just in time to share some holiday cheer and inspiration!  I hope you'll join us for a fun month of playing bingo, winning prizes, and trying your hand at some new holiday projects.  Kiran and I have lots in store for you, so check your mailbox--all the bingo cards have gone out and should be in your hands this week.

Of course, the Bingo cards themselves are a Stampin' Up! project, and so much fun for holiday parties and/or children--that includes the young at heart!  You can make these by hand stamping, or with My Digital Studio.  The cards above (all unique, mind you) are a hybrid of the two--I printed off the Bingo card from My Digital Studio, then did all the stamping by hand with Jolly Bingo Bits and an assortment of bright and cheery colors.  After all, what are the holidays if not bright and cheery?

Tune in tomorrow for the official kick-off, and be sure to keep coming back for more.  It's my favorite time of year!!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Jolly Bingo Bits
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Tempting Turquoise, Basic Black, Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight, Perfect Plum, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz, Tangerine Tango, Garden Green, Melon Mambo
Paper: White Naturals
Extras: My Digital Studio

Fresh Look for June

Happy sultry summer everyone!  It is definitely hot here--more than hot enough for me.  So I went with a cool and crisp look for June's blog, courtesy of the brand new My Digital Studio Download, Hello Baby.  This went live yesterday, and if you haven't read about it yet, you MUST check it out, so click here to read all about the download and see samples on My Digital Studio.  If you're planning any showers or parties this summer, this download is for you!  I've already marked out a few different color schemes that I'll be using it for, and I promise to share pictures.  :)

As I mentioned yesterday, I got my first sneak peek at the new catalog's offerings this morning, and I am BEYOND excited!  I can't wait to share the catalog with you July 1...but in the meantime, we are bidding farewell to a number of well-loved and well-used stamps, accessories, and definitely decorative items.  The lists are all available below, and these are available in limited quantities this month only.  If there's something you'd like to get, let me know ASAP and I'll do my best to hook you up.

Retiring stamps:  Clear Mount, Wood Mount

Retiring accessories

Retiring Definitely Decorative

Next up--Kiran's shower invitation.  Stay tuned!
Cheers!
~Melanie

My Digital Studio: Hello Baby

Ending May on a High Note

I finally did it!  Yesterday, I sat down and created a scrapbook in My Digital Studio.  That's right, in one day I created a 28-page scrapbook from scratch, and ordered it just in time to take advantage of Stampin' Up!'s 30% off promotion for National Scrapbooking Month.  I'd say that's a win all around.

I am now in love with MDS again.  I have never been able to complete a scrapbook so quickly, and certainly not with such a coherent look.  I'm sharing some of my favorite pages with you, and I'll also share the super tip that helped me out.  On MyDigitalStudio.net, there recently was a blog post about how to use the designer templates that come in MDS and adapt them to your project.  I had never thought to do this, and it made everything so easy!  I had a number of premade layouts at my disposal (too many, in fact), and just swapped out the colors, designer series paper, and elements to match my travel theme.

I made my own "bundle" of MDS downloads to work with, which included Tickets & Tokens II, Travel Log Kit, and Hip & Handsome Overlays.  Between the two travel themed kits, I had a ready-made color scheme of Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, and Very Vanilla.  By using text boxes, I was able to "write" directly onto the embellishments from Tickets & Tokens and Travel Log--how cool is that?

Hip & Handsome Overlays is my favorite new thing to play with.  You can make you're own designer series paper and mod backgrounds in a snap, just by choosing the background color and stamp colors as you choose.  MOST of the patterned papers on these pages are my creation, and this last page is my favorite.

So in case you've been wondering, I was on vacation for part of May--and Kiran is obviously planning a wedding.  But now I'm back and ready to go, just in time for the retiring lists and my first look at the 2011-12 Idea Book and Catalog tomorrow.  I hope you'll come back for more.  And if you are curious about MDS, or would like a one-on-one tutorial, just let me know.  It's even easier than I had thought!

Cheers!
~Melanie

My Digital Studio: Travel Log Kit, Tickets & Tokens II, Hip & Handsome Overlays

CRAZY for My Digital Studio!!!

I promise to have a Summer Mini sneak peek project to share tomorrow (no time to photograph it yet), but for today, I just want to share some of my super enthusiasm for My Digital Studio.  A recent program update added some fantastic new layouts, including a tri-fold card that I'm planning to make lots.  And this week's digital downloads include one of my favorite, FAVORITE stamp sets--Compliments to the Chef, which includes the fantastic silverware and border images I stamped on this sample menu card for an upcoming wedding.

I can't wait to use the digital file, and I have great plans for it.  Stay tuned!  And in the meantime, check out these newest digital releases to fire up your creative energy.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Compliments to the Chef
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Cajun Craze
Paper: Naturals Ivory

New Look For February...And We've Gone Viral!

After I made the robin card, I promised that I would be getting the corresponding downloads from My Digital Studio...and I did, just in time to create our new look for February.  While I seem to be a bird kick, this is a far cry from January's whimsical look.

Also, check out Sarah Postma Photography for a sneak peek of a Save-the-Date that Kiran designed with My Digital Studio (I helped!)--it's the square photo collage for Jenn and Phil that's propped up in the left corner.  The fun, and the options, are endless.  Hopefully Kiran will share her tips and tricks very soon.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Go Digital!

As part of my New Year reorganization, I've decided to take weekends off from blogging projects--but that doesn't mean I can't tell you about some great offers from Stampin' Up!  Today is all about My Digital Studio (MDS), which offers a variety of crafting opportunities.  It seems that one of Stampin' Up!'s goals for the new year is to make MDS as versatile and up-to-date as the rest of their crafting line up.  There have been new digital downloads released each week, and this week's release includes a stamp you now know I love, Valentine Defined:

124026  Valentine Defined Stamp Brush Set    $5.95 Check out the rest of this week's downloads, as well as their great prices, and start thinking about the fun YOU could be having with your computer.  "Lots of Love" is a personal favorite of mine, so look for some projects featuring that VERY soon. Item  Description  Image  Price  124034  Pink Pirouette Patterns Designer Series Paper    $1.95  124032  Rose Red Patterns Designer Series Paper     $1.95   124037  Wild Wasabi Patterns Designer Series Paper    $1.95   124035  So Saffron Patterns Designer Series Paper    $1.95   124024  Letterpress Alphabet Stamp Brush    $1.95    124025  Lots of Love Stamp Brush    $1.95  124026  Valentine Defined Stamp Brush Set    $5.95   124029  Be My Valentine Stamp Brush    $1.95   124020  Seam Binding II Ribbon Pack   $3.95   124488  Extra Postage Stamp Brush Set    $3.95   124491  Motorcycle Stamp Brush    $1.95   124492  Printed Petals Stamp Brush Set    $3.95   125157  Chat Room Good Thoughts Stamp Brush Set    $5.95  124541  Chat Room Celebrate Stamp Brush Set     $5.95 Cheers! ~Melanie

New Look for a New Month and a New Year!

As always, our blog has a new look for January--hop on over from your reader to check it out.  Once again, we made both the background and header with My Digital Studio.

The background was really easy--it's a background paper, Wild Wasabi Polka Dots.

The header started with a square punch (elongated to a rectangle) of Pacific Point, with a slightly smaller punch of Whisper White on top.  All the images are from Cheep Talk, and the colors are Wild Wasabi and Soft Suede (pears), Concord Crush (little bird) and Melon Mambo (bigger bird).

Stay tuned for fun projects and a new mini catalog starting on January 4th.  We are excited to share more with you.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Digital Snow

The holiday festivities took hold yesterday, and left me without any time to post the bingo piece!  So it's double or nothing today: I'm posting this morning, and again in the afternoon.  Be sure to keep checking!

This morning's bingo piece is the jingle bell.

This morning's card is another My Digital Studio creation.  I saw this quote in a magazine, and thought it would be perfect for a winter card.  It's exactly how I feel when it snows...though I've had no luck yet.  Rain today--blech.

This is the perfect time of year to use My Digital Studio...especially if you're behind on making your holiday cards!  In just a few minutes, you can put together a beautiful card that's easily personalized to your taste and style, and can even feature your own pictures...like this one from a snowy winter gone by.

Stampin' Up! just released new downloads with holiday layouts and elements for your cards.  Let me know if you need to get some.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Ingredients: My Digital Studio, holiday cheer

The Game is On!

Welcome to Holiday Bingo!  I hope you have your cards in hand, and that you'll check daily to see what bingo piece to mark off next.  Since everything kicks off today, I thought we should begin with some ground rules or guide lines for how this will work.

• 5 in a row, in any direction (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) counts as BINGO!  When you get 5 in a row, leave us a comment to shout out BINGO and we'll send you an email so you can claim your prize.
• There are prizes!  You'll see these interspersed with other holiday projects, so it's another great reason to check in daily.
• Bingo is continuous until Dec 25, which means we'll start a new round as soon as one ends.  When we have a bingo winner, I'll announce at the top of the post and tell everyone to "reset your cards."  This means you should find a way to keep track of your bingo squares without crossing the whole thing off--maybe hash marks in the corner.  I recommend using different colors of ink for each round, just to make things easier.

If you have questions, just let us know.  The main goal is to have fun, and share some holiday warm-up excitement with each other.  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Drumroll please...today's bingo piece is...the penguin!

Today's featured project is our blog's new look for December.  I whipped this up last night in My Digital Studio, using a combination of the newest downloads available and stamps that come with the software program.  I love the ornaments of the Tree Trimmings set, which you see on the sides of the blog (and saw on my holiday cards last year), and thought it was the perfect match for the tree decorating silhouette from Welcome Christmas, one of Stampin' Up!'s new stamp sets and digital downloads.  Trust me, I'll be doing more with that stamp!  The snowflakes blowing across our blog header also were included with My Digital Studio...and they're my wishful thinking on this gray, rainy day for some prettier winter weather.

Cheers!
~Melanie

My Digital Studio: Tree Trimmings, Welcome Christmas, Snow Burst, Old Saint Nick

Holiday Bingo is Coming!

It's hard to believe that it's already the end of November!  But 'tis true...I've had lots of turkey and stuffing and now it's time to get ready for the holidays.  This is my favorite time of year because there are so many great things--parties and family and friends.  But it's also incredibly busy, and so many of the people I want to see are far away and hard to get to.  So this year, I decided to do something new and fun, so I can share the holiday excitement with everyone regardless of where they are.  

I used some of my initial favorites from the Holiday Mini to put this plan in action.  I made Holiday Bingo cards using Jolly Bingo Bits and the Bingo Card stamp.  However, there are some modifications here, and the most important is that this is a hybrid card--which means it's part My Digital Studio, and part hand stamping.

While I normally love background stamps, the Bingo Card background stamp is just too big for a normal card front.  That put a serious crimp in my plans, because how would I mail cards that are too big for the envelopes?  I had my fingers crossed that Stampin' Up! would release the bingo card as a digital download...and SU came through for me.  :)  I bought the file, installed it into My Digital Studio, and I was all set.  After some resizing and test printing on scrap paper, I had a bingo card that was just big enough for the bingo bits to fit in the boxes, but still small enough to mount on a piece of 4.25" x 5.5" paper.

I stamped a stack of bingo cards over the break, and put them in the mail yesterday.  The cards are on their way to customers, friends and family.  Starting tomorrow, I'll be posting a bingo piece a day--in addition to our usual projects--and there will be prizes!  Stay tuned, and be sure to check out our December blog look starting tomorrow as well.

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Jolly Bingo Bits

Ink: Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, Cherry Cobbler, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Perfect Plum, Daffodil Delight

Paper: White Naturals, Ruby Red (retired)

Extras: My Digital Studio

And We're Back!

It's the morning of our stamping sleepover, and we have big plans for today!  But first, we collaborated last night to create our November look for the blog--be sure to hop on over from your Reader and check it out!  And we should have plenty of posts to share...this week at least.  Stay tuned!

Back to the blog's new look.  This month we're featuring the Digital Download--Autumn Spice Digital Kit.  Have you seen this?  It is a fantastic deal!  For $9.95, you get the Autumn Spice Speciality Designer Series Paper, and the images from the stamp sets French Foliage and Day of Gratitude.  If you bought all of these things from the Holiday Mini, it would cost either $45.85 for clear mount or $58.85 for wood mount (before shipping and tax--neither of which apply to the digital downloads!).  

TIP: You'll never run out of the paper when it's digital.

Even if you don't have My Digital Studio, you can get this kit for the same amount to use with whatever graphics program you like.  At this price, why not try it out?

Cheers!

~Melanie

New Month, New Look, Big News!

I hope you've been enjoying our new look--another of Kiran's fabulous creations with My Digital Studio.  You'll see these owls all through October...and then it will be on to something new.  If you have any questions about how Kiran created this banner, just let us know.

On to our big news!  As you know, Kiran and I attended our first-ever Stampin' Up! Regional Seminar in Baltimore last week.  We started the day as always, as fabulous friends and a demonstrator-customer team.  But we ended the day as a dynamic demonstrating duo!!  Kiran decided to take the plunge, and signed up as a new demonstrator.  This is our just-after-signing picture--look at those huge smiles.  Clearly we were both very happy...and we still are, even though we've been too busy to blog about it.

What's that in our hands?  Well, it's a new demonstrator bonus--an earn-it-before-you-can-buy-it stamp set from the upcoming Occasions Mini catalog, which hasn't even been released for demonstrators to drool over yet.  This set, "Eat Chocolate" is bound to be a favorite of everyone who's ever savored a piece of chocolate (and really, who hasn't?)

You can have this stamp set now too--sign up as a demonstrator with me by October 17, and you'll have this fun bonus to all the excitement of your starter package (stamps, ink, paper--it has it all!).  You can do this if you are a hobby-ist and just want a great discount, or if you've been looking for a new opportunity to earn some cash.  Stampin' Up! offers both.  Just send me an email, and I'll be happy to tell you more.

Cheers!
~Melanie

New Month, New Look, New Mini Catalog

For once, we're right on schedule!  As promised, our blog has a new look to greet the new month (if you're reading this post in a reader, be sure to hop on over to the blog and check it out).  Once again, this was all done in My Digital Studio--even the background!  We can share tips if you'd like to know how to do this yourself; just leave a comment to let us know.  While you're at it, let us know what you think of the new look.

Be sure to check the sidebar for the new mini, which you can download now.  You're going to love it!

Cheers!

~Melanie & Kiran

My Digital Studio: Ways to Use It 2

I'll admit it--I'm itching to have ink, paper, and stamps in my hands.  Though My Digital Studio is less messy and a lot easier to travel with, it just doesn't give me the same satisfaction as a true paper card does.  Of course, if I were printing these off, maybe I would feel differently!

Since I'm heading back to my creative corner tomorrow, today's way to use My Digital Studio is for planning purposes.  I own Vintage Vogue, but haven't used it very often.  So I decided to plan a card that I can make in real life when I get back home.

My plan is to use the Top Note Die--to do this digitally, I had to stretch out the Curly Label punch until it is *almost* the size of the Top Note.  My background here is Baja Breeze, and I plan to stamp the border image in Marina Mist.  The flowers and leaves will be trickier--I'm going to use masking, and stamp them on Whisper White (in Regal Rose, Rose Red, and Old Olive), and then probably cut the whole thing out so it can hang over the edge of the Top Note Die.  This was certainly simpler digitally!

Finally, My Digital Studio didn't have everything I wanted.  I think it would look really nice if the Top Note has a subtle background of French Script to it...but I don't have a digital version of that stamp.  So I'm just going to note my plan here, and urge you to keep tuned for the paper card so you can compare.  I'm thinking this might make a great wedding card?

Cheers!
~Melanie

Extras: My Digital Studio