Festive Pine

Here's another swap card from the Baltimore Regional--this one was made by Kelli Lichtenberg, and it's a monochromatic beauty!  And do you see that sparkle on the tree?  Kelli used something I haven't had the courage to try yet--Dazzling Diamands--and it really paid off!

This simple card uses Old Olive and Whisper White paper, three stamp sets (Serene Snowflakes, Lovely as a Tree, Sincere Salutations) and embossing with the Big Shot and square lattice folder for the textured snowflake base--I just love how this makes the white layers look different.  She punched her greeting with the wide oval punch, and those are all the secrets.

Who's been saying "c'mon figure skate"?  Today's your lucky day--our next bingo piece is the figure skate.  Good luck!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Serene Snowflakes, Lovely as a Tree, Sincere Salutations
Ink: Old Olive
Paper: Old Olive, Whisper White,
Extras: Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, Heat and Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds, heat tool, Wide Oval punch

Ornamental Holiday Greetings

Since we watched Gremlins to get in the holiday spirit last night (yes, take that in), I didn't have any time to stamp.  This clean and simple card was made by fellow demonstrator Rae Richardson, and I received it in the swap at the Baltimore Regional.  Kiran and I got lots of great cards--and great ideas!--that day.

Today's bingo piece is the candy cane.  Yum!

Now that you've been playing along for a while, I want to take a few minutes to explain what this stamping thing is all about.  First and foremost, this is my hobby and I love it!  Unlike my work, I can sit down and do something from start to finish in under 15 minutes.  That alone is very satisfying.  This also lets me be a little more creative than I am normally...I was one of those kids who always wanted a big art kit for Christmas, but let's face it, I can't draw.  Stamping is a nice middle ground, and it's also a great way to keep in touch with my friends without raiding Hallmark (as I used to).

As much fun as I have creating on my own, it's always more fun to make cards with others.  Kiran and I have spent many fantastic hours together, chatting and stamping and comparing new ideas.  Sadly, those hours are few and far between now.  Sigh.  But I've also met lots of new people through stamping, every time someone has hosted a card party in their home or with their friends.  I'd love to meet some new people in Philly, and Kiran is hoping to make more friends in Jersey.  Would you be interested in hosting a workshop?

How does a workshop work?  Well, it's really simple and really fun.  As the hostess, you gather together a group of friends for a few hours of crafty fun and you provide the snacks.  You and I work together to decide what project you'd like to do with your friends--it could be a card, or decor elements, or a scrapbook page, or a 3-D object; there are plenty of options.  Then I bring everything we need to get started, and help everyone along the way.  Each of your guests makes their own project, and keeps it at the end of the workshop.  Everyone has a chance to order stamp, inks and paper of their own, but there's no obligation to do that.  The main goal is to have fun and unleash a little creative energy.  Even if you never wanted an art kit, you'd be surprised what you can make and how much fun you'll have!  If you're at all interested, send us an email to set up a workshop for after the holidays, when our focus will be thank you, valentine, and birthday cards.

The other thing that Kiran and I do, and are doing lots more of this year, is design and make wedding, shower, and general party invitations.  This is also great fun, but I'll talk about that another time.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Sincere Salutations
Ink: Cherry Cobbler
Paper: Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Jolly Holiday DSP
Extras: Old Olive Taffeta ribbon, Ornament Punch, Big Shot, Perfect Details Texture Plates

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

Sometimes life is just crazy...like right now.  Everything seems to be going at top speed, and I can barely keep up, let alone get ahead!  But stamping is my relaxation, so I'm just going to leave all that stuff behind...except that this card should have gone into the mail last week.  Oops!

I actually made this card last Monday night, for the ColorQ challenge #51, which provided the great line-up of Poppy Parade, Old Olive, Peach Parfait, So Saffron, and Whisper White.  I really like these colors, which are so fresh and fall-like, and the inspiration cards were great!  I sat down with images of leaves in my head...and ended up with daisies.  This wasn't at all what I was planning, but I really like it.

Obviously I'm still pleased that I traded for Upsy Daisy--I inked that up in Poppy Parade to get started.  I'm also still working on incorporating more ribbon, which is where my peach "stripe" came from...though it's actually Pumpkin Pie.  Could you tell?  I wasn't sure how to incorporate the So Saffron, until I realized that Designer Label punch would fit around that "Happy Birthday" sentiment, which is stamped in Old Olive.

I love all the white space on this card, and hope to make more cards that use so much white.  The finishing touch for this card is the half pearls, which I spaced out along the ribbon.  I wanted just a little extra something, and these really hit the spot!  I used the medium and small size, and just eyeballed their placement (so don't look too closely!).  Now it's time for this to go in the mail, finally--which leads me to my TIP: When you use hard embellishments like brads, buttons, rhinestones or these pearls, you should include an extra sheet of paper in the envelope to cover and protect the embellishments in the mail.  Otherwise the postal machines could tear them off, and that is no fun.


Cheers!
~Melanie


Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Sincere Salutations
Ink: Poppy Parade, Old Olive
Paper: Peach Parfait, Old Olive, Whisper White, So Saffron
Extras: Pumpkin Pie 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Basic Pearls, Designer Label Punch, dimmensionals