The Open House is Coming...Are You?

No matter how many times I've used it, I still love Trendy Trees.  I've paired it here with Curly Cute for a quick and easy thank you card...though really, those trees can say anything you want them to!

On to the exciting stuff--next Sunday, July 17th, I'll be hosting an open house from 2 to 5 PM.  Come on over to check out the new catalog, make some cards, enjoy tasty treats and win door prizes.  It will be lots of fun, and I'm looking forward to seeing you.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Trendy Trees, Curly Cute
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, Riding Hood Red
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Naturals Ivory
Extras: Corner Rounder punch

Even Trendier Trees!

Update!  After posting one of my favorite cards, with all retired colors and papers, I decided it was time for trendy trees to move forward and embrace Stampin' Up!'s new color palate.  So here is an all-current version of last Wednesday's card.

The cardstock are all new in-color shades: Concord Crush, Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, and Pear Pizzazz.  I broke out an all-new level 3 hostess set, Playful Pieces, to create the pattern on the layer of Peach Parfait.  TIP: If you haven't had time or money to buy the fabulous new designer series paper, this is an excellent way to create your own!

My trusty Stamp-a-majig came to my aid, lining up the leaves with tree trunks.  Vintage Vogue contributed the perfect sentiment.  Two final touches came from the Ticket Corner Punch and two lines of paper piercing, perfectly aligned thanks to the Mat Pack and Paper Piercing tool.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Trendy Trees, Playful Pieces, Vintage Vogue
Ink: Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, Garden Green
Paper: Concord Crush, Popply Parade, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz, Very Vanilla
Extras: Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Ticket Corner Punch

Trendy Trees Flashback

Every once in a while, there's a card that you love too much to let it go.  Here's mine!  Almost everything  I used here is retired, but Trendy Trees is still available for you to buy and love.  After this stroll down memory lane, I'm sure I'll have to make an updated version of this card!

To get the two-tone look my trees have, you'll want to use the rock-n-roll technique.  Ink your stamp in your lighter color first, then roll the edges in the darker color you want to use.  Remember!  You always want to go lighter to darker ink, so that you don't "contaminate" your ink pads.

I also used my trusty Stamp-a-majig to line those leaves up perfectly with the tree trunks, as well as to make sure that my sentiment was straight and centered.  The final touches on this card came from the Ticket Corner punch (another favorite) and from using my Paper Piercer with the Mat Pack--that's how I got the straight lines of holes on the edges of the DSP.

I hope you've enjoyed this blast from the past, and that it inspires some future creativity.
Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Trendy Trees, Sweet Little Sentiments (retired)
Ink: Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, Yoyo Yellow (retired), Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Green Galore (retired), Glorious Green (retired)
Paper: Textured Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie, Washington Apple DSP (retired), Green Galore (retired), Whisper White
Extras: Ticket Corner Punch, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack, Stamp-a-majig

Thinking of You--ROAR!

I usually don't go in for the "cute" sets, but I am absolutely in love with the new Fox and Friends in the Occasions mini. I usually wouldn't get this since I don't have many kids to send cards to (though a little girl with a lion costume springs immediately to mind). All the same, I just love how this notecard turned out--I can easily see myself using it, and just switching the sentiment up for different occasions. This really is clean and simple, and there are more to come!

Stamps: Fox and Friends, Trendy Trees

Ink: Really Rust, Real Red

Paper: Whisper White