Embossed Doilies that Dazzle

Ok, so before I start posting some fun MDS cards (I just purchased 5 digital downloads during the AMAZING sale last month), I wanted to share these samples I made for a friend's wedding invitations.

I had an October post with her sample Save-The-Date as well.  Her colors are Blushing Bride, Basic Black and Whisper White and I made two versions of this very simple envelope card.  The card was the same template Melanie used for another wedding order and was simple to copy.  It's nice because it uses the entire sheet of 8.5" x 11" cardstock so there is no waste.  =)

No matter how much I stamp that doily, I'm always struck by it's beauty.  The addition of matching punches along the pocket edge just add to the doily/lace theme.  The bride ended up liking the contrast of the pink with the black embossing.  Which one is your favorite?

Stamps: Hello Doily

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Basic Black, Blushing Bride

Extras: Scallop trim border punch, non-SU punch, black embossing powder

Happy Stamping!

~Kiran

PS - today's bingo piece is the figure skate.  Good luck!

A Beachy Invite...

What I love most about these invites is the unique use of "beachy" colors. Cameo Coral (retired), Old Olive, and Basic Grey (retired) all combine so beautifully in this card. Jennifer, the bride, did such a good (and very thorough) job researching unique color combinations that weren't "typical." Don't you think? The SU Color Coach certainly came in handy here! This palette remind me of seashells, seaweed and sand. Jennifer also opted for the square shape...though they cost a little more to ship...they certainly stand out! We added a subtle textural element with the clear heat embossed peony (after two-step stamping it) which shimmered ever so slightly in the light and also gave guests something smooth to touch. The multiple layers, the belly band and the 1/8" border all add the elegance of this invite. They were the perfect introduction to a perfect beach wedding...Enjoy!

Stamps: Pretty Peony, Baroque Motifs, Lovely Letters (retired)
Ink: Cameo Coral, Old Olive, Basic Black
Paper: Cameo Coral (retired), Old Olive, Basic Grey (retired), Very Vanilla
Extras: curly label punch, clear embossing powder, heat embossing tool, 

Sharp and Soft: Doily Save the Dates

It sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it?  But that's exactly how I'd describe the look of these save the date cards for Arpita and Viral.  Kiran is making these beauties for the happy couple, and they couldn't be happier with the first impression these cards are going to give for their wedding.

The card is Whisper White mounted on a piece of Basic Black that has been edged with a non-SU punch that keeps the doily idea going.   The main feature is both simple and stunning: Hello, Doily stamped with VersaMark and embossed in Basic Black.  TIP: Don't forget to use your Embossing Buddy before embossing! Otherwise the white card stock might have black speckles.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Hello, Doily,
Ink: VersaMark
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White
Extras: Basic Black embossing powder, non-SU border punch

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

Wedding Cake Surprise

With all the weddings this year, it makes sense that I also need to make some cards to give to the happy couples!  First up is my cousin, who ties the knot today with her high school sweetheart.  Their wedding colors are a bright blue and a bright green, so I immediately went to Pacific Point and Wild Wasabi for this card.

I'm using some favorites here.  First up, this cake is from For The Bride which I embossed with Wild Wasabi embossing powder.  That's right, colored embossing powder!  That's your second sneak peek from the Summer Mini, and I love it.  Check out the extra shine and texture it gives to the card.

I can't wait to show it to you in person--book your parties now!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: For The Bride
Ink: Basic Black, VersaMark
Paper: Pacific Point, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White
Extras: Wild Wasabi embossing powder, Embossing Buddy, Heat Tool, Scallop Edge punch, Basic Rhinestones, Corner Rounder punch

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

A GrIndian Save The Date!

What better way to blend cultures and cultural imagery than on a card...especially for an upcoming wedding!  These happen to be very special to me because they are my own wedding save the dates.  Yup, that's partially the reason for my sporadic blog posts (I promise to be much better after July).

These stamps are not from SU but I wanted to share some of the great things about this card anyway.  The paper and embossing powder are SU (though retired) but the look is fantastic (I think, but I am a bit biased, haha).  I've gotten so many compliments on this card and though there were a few steps that made it tedious, it was pretty easy overall.

I knew I wanted a different shape and size so I planned that out first, checking out the various sizes of envelopes to make sure I had something to mail them out in.  =)  Then, I planned out the size of the text box and worked some MDS magic downloading both Indian + Greek-inspired fonts.  After cutting these out and mounting them on Razzleberry paper, I worked on the teal card backs.  As always I do everything as an assembly line: working on each element at a time and doing all 100 of them before moving on to another element.  The embossing was the time-consuming part.  The 'embossing buddy' is your best friend when emobssing...DO NOT skip this step...it will definitely make the difference between an "amateur" job and a "professional" looking job.  I stamped sets of 10 cards at a time with Versa and then would cover with the embossing powder & heat before moving on to the next set of 10.  Doing things in steps like this made the work easier and manageable.  I stamped all the envelopes with half the elephant as well in matching Taken with Teal ink.

The last step was of course my "hand stamped by Kiran" stamp on the back and a magnet so these beauties could be enjoyed by all!

Happy Stamping!
~Kiran

Stamps: non-SU Indian elephant, non-SU Greek Key Border
Ink: Taken with Teal (retired), Versamark
Paper: Taken with Teal (retired), Crumb Cake, Elegant Eggplant
Extras: bronze embossing powder (retired)

A "Shower" of Wishes

This was a shower invite I just did for a friend of mine.  While the design was a surprise to her, the idea came simply, and I think they look fantastic!  Elegant design + beautiful elements = 65 cards in a cinch!  I cut the vanilla paper a 1/4" smaller on all four sides, rounded all the corners and punched the top corners with a fancy punch (this one is a non-Stampin' Up! punch but you can use any decorative corner punch you like).  Though the blue cardstock color is retired, the same look can be achieved with any subtle color tones.  MDS made laying out the text easy and I love how the name is highlighted in a larger and script font.  The umbrella punch (non-SU) is a fun accent too, popped up with a dimensional on the back.

I hope you enjoyed this look and can use it as an inspiration for laying out your next project!
Happy Stamping,
Kiran

Paper: Ballet Blue, Very Vanilla, Certainly Celery
Extras: Non-SU umbrella punch, Non-SU corner punch

Western Wedding 2

And we have a winner!  Heather and Jeremy decided that this invitation, which is elegant and has all their favorite elements but also is eco-friendly because it uses minimal paper.  This invitation is 8.5 x 3.5, which is a nice large size that has plenty of room for scripted lettering and some fun stamping.

I used the Tetons stamp, which Heather special ordered for these invitations, to make a medallion belly band with the Wide Oval punch.  The stand of three pine trees, which I love, is from Plant Hope.  I plan to use this stamp set much more, so stay tuned for that.

The invitation looks nice without the belly band as well--and that can be slid anywhere you like along the invitation.  The belly band will hold everything together--invitation, RSVP postcard, map, and website information.  I'm ready to mass produce!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Plant Hope
Ink: Pear Pizazz, Perfect Plum, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Ivory Naturals, Perfect Plum, Pear Pizazz

Western Wedding 1

More wedding invitations!  I've been busy again, working on some Western wedding invitation ideas for my good friend, Heather.  She and Jeremy met in Jackson Hole, WY and share a true love of the outdoors.  As I mentioned when I shared her bison thank you cards, this isn't my usual style so I've been doing a LOT of thinking outside the box.

The first option I'm sharing is this compact 4x6 invitation with a belly band.  Stampin' Up! doesn't have any mountain stamps in their current line-up, so Heather special ordered this stamp of the Tetons.  I also used a non-SU embossing folder to get that wood grain textured look on the top flap.  The bottom flap has "You're Invited" from Wedding Sweet embossed in gold, though it's hard to see because it was so sunny when I took these pictures.

When you open the invitation, you still see "you're invited," which I think is a nice way to tie the front and inside together.  Underneath the text are three pines from Plant Hope, and the edges are sponged with the corresponding ink.

While I like this option, it isn't my favorite...and I still haven't heard from Heather to know what she thinks.  So stay tuned!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Plant Hope, Wedding Sweet
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizazz, Versamark
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizazz, Naturals Ivory
Extras: Corner Rounder punch, Big Shot, Gold embossing powder, Heat Tool

Sweet and Simple Wedding Invite

Today's Bingo piece is the snowman!  Did I mention that I love that guy?  I do.

Today's project is not for the holidays, but I needed a break.  This is by far the simplest wedding invitation that I've designed--and that works for me, since I'll be making lots of these!  A. and V. are planning a small, simple garden wedding and wanted invitations to match, but in bright colors that would match their spirits.  I made this demo just because I wanted to play with the Wedding Sweet set, but they loved it.  And why wouldn't they?  It's hard not to love silver heat embossing.

The invitation is flat, so this is the back.  The belly band holds together any inserts that they may want, like RSVP cards or directions.  It also makes it feel like you're "opening" the invitation, even though there's nothing to unfold.  The initials are from Monogram Sweet, and stamped in Night of Navy on White Naturals.  I used the Wide Oval punch to pop the initials, and mounted that on the Decorative Label punch from the holiday mini.

This is the back of the invitation, where the actual text will go.  Since this is a flat invite, I opted for three layers to make it feel more sturdy, and used my Corner Rounder punch on each layer for an easy, polished look.  What do you think?

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Wedding Sweet, Monogram Sweet
Ink: VersaMark, Night of Navy
Paper: Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, White Naturals
Extras: Decorative Label punch, Wide Oval punch, Corner Rounder punch, Silver embossing powder, heat tool

Fall Wedding Invite #2

Here's the second fall wedding invitation sample I came up with.  I got my colors from the Autumn Spice Speciality Designer Series Paper, which currently graces our blog header and background--I love using Designer Series Paper (DSP) for new and different color combinations.  I'm doing a similar borrowing for my Christmas cards!

Other than the colors, this is very similar to yesterday's invitation--except for its size.  The invitation I shared yesterday was quite large, but this uses half sheets of paper for each side of the cross over pocket, so the finished product is the same size as my normal card, approximately 4.25 x 5.5 inches.  

I used the same With Gratitude (retired) stamp set for the leaf images, and stamped them in matching colors to the paper (so Old Olive on Old Olive and Early Espresso on Early Espresso) to have a sharp tone on tone look.  With darker colors of paper, I find that stamping tone on tone is more visible than using VersaMark ink.

I wasn't sure how I felt about More Mustard as the background for the invitation text, so I also made an insert with Naturals Ivory.  I think that small change tones down the entire palette, and gives this invitation a more refined look.  And this is very close (but not quite!) to the invitation that the couple choose.  Stay tuned for more!

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: With Gratitude (retired)

Ink: Old Olive, Early Espresso

Paper: Old Olive, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Naturals Ivory

Fall Wedding Invitation #1

Recently, I've been very busy with wedding invitations, so you can expect to see lots more of these in the coming weeks/months.  I have three samples for a wedding next fall that I'll be sharing first.  The couple is planning to take advantage of all the fall color, and wanted to carry that theme over to their invitations.  I can do that!!

You'll recognize this criss-cross pocket style from Hitty's and Steve's bold and bright summer wedding.  With just a quick change of the colors and stamps, this is ready for fall.  I used Chocolate Chip and Tangerine Tango (which has suddenly replaced Pumpkin Pie for my go-to fall shade of orange) for the folder, and stamped images from With Gratitude (retired) in Cajun Craze.  I'm so glad I got that stamp set!

For the cluster of falling leaves, I used my Big Shot and the Leaves #2 die to cut out Cajun Craze, So Saffron, and Old Olive, then embossed the couples' initials in gold using the Lovely Letters stamp set.  The amphersand is inked in Chocolate Chip, and all the leaves are popped with the dimmensionals for a little extra interest.

The insert card you see, which is where the invitation text will go, is Naturals Ivory mounted on Cajun Craze, and I rounded all the corners with the Corner Rounder Punch.

This is a large format invitation, 5.5 x 8.5 inches, which means that I need full sheets of each Chocolate Chip and Tangerine Tango to make the pocket.  The couple decided they want something smaller...so this invitation is up for grabs.  Are you planning a fall wedding?

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: With Gratitude, Lovely Letters

Ink: Cajun Craze, VersaMark, Chocolate Chip

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Cajun Craze, Naturals Ivory, So Saffron, Old Olive

Extras: Big Shot, Leaves #2 die, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, dimmensionals

Have a Seat and Celebrate!

This is my favorite card made with Have a Seat--something about these chairs just works perfectly for an engagement (or a party, as in yesterday's post).  Maybe an engagement party?  I don't have anyone lined up for this YET, but I'm sure that someone will snatch these up very soon.

TIP: For an easy, refined look, put an 1/8" border in a neutral color around your layers.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Have a Seat, Together Forever (retired)
Ink: Early Espresso, Basic Black
Paper: White Naturals, Blushing Bride, Basic Black

Thank You from the Bride

Ah, summer.  The season of sun, beaches, and WEDDINGS!  So far, I'm dodging the wedding bullet this summer, but next summer is a very different story.  Three of my best friends got engaged IN THE SAME WEEK (um, what were they drinking?) and so I know I've got quite a few celebrations in store for me.

I got to visit one of these brides-to-be a few weeks ago, and we found the dress.  You know the one--it's perfect in every way, makes all your friends gasp, and even inspires a woman walking into the room to spontaneous tears.  I kid you not; it is that one.  Too bad you only get to wear it once; a little everyday glamor of that sort could be nice.

On the other hand, the dress on this card can be used over and over again.  How perfect!  The bride asked me to make some cards for her to send to her bridesmaids, thanking them for joining her in all the planning and festivities, and this is what I came up with.  Her wedding colors are cornflower and sunflower, which I converted to Marina Mist and Daffodil Delight.  I'll wait until I hear back from her to know for sure, but I think these colors are PERFECT for what she has in mind. 

It's also a very simple card.  I borrowed For the Bride from Kiran, who keeps this set in her perfect paisley stash.  You can't find it in the current catalog, but it is still available!  Get in touch if you'd like to have one of your very own.  The sentiment, in my favorite script, is from Thank You Kindly, and I used the Stamp-a-majig for perfect placement.  The final touches came from the Scallop Edge punch and the Corner Rounder.  I hope these cards will bring a smile and some excitement both to the bride and her wedding party.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: For the Bride, Thank You Kindly
Ink: Marina Mist, Basic Black
Paper: Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Extras: Scallop Edge Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Stamp-a-majig

Mark Your Calendar for a Fall Fleur Wedding

On to the next wedding--Joanna and Josh are getting married in the fall, and Joanna loves Loves LOVES the fleur-de-lis.  She chose Night of Navy and So Saffron for two of her fall wedding colors, and then we went to work to design a save-the-date that would incorporate her favorite symbol.

What do you think?  These are sweet and simple at 4.25x5.5, and have magnets on the back so that the recipients can keep the date in mind.  Once again, My Digital Studio made it easy to combine the text and images, and we love that we can print directly to card stock.  Our favorite touch (in case you haven't already noticed this theme) is matching envelopes, and the fleur-de-lis from Extreme Elements fits perfectly in the corner.

Invitations to follow later this summer.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Extreme Elements
Ink: Basic Black
Paper: So Saffron, Night of Navy
Extras: My Digital Studio

Table Numbers

With weddings, it's all about the little touches.  The last thing Kiran worked on for Hitty and Steve's wedding was the table numbers, and she made these from the invitation scraps.  The numbers themselves, as well as the scroll image from Baroque Motifs, were created in My Digital Studio.  After printing, Kiran glued the numbers to squares she made from the left-over triangles of Tempting Turquoise and Green Galore from the criss-cross invitation pocket shown here.  What a simple and lovely way to tie it all together on the big day!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Paper: Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White
Extras: My Digital Studio

Bold Bright Wedding Invite

A while ago, I showed you the save the dates for Hitty and Steve's wedding--remember that bright blue and green?  Well, now that their big day has come and gone, I want to share with you the invitations that Kiran and I came up with.

To start, Hitty and Steve were both very concerned about having invitations that were both lovely and earth-friendly.  That means less paper, so we went for a criss-cross pocket rather than an elaborate folder for the invitations.  While this still gave the invites weight and a place to include all the little extras (RSVP card, directions, etc.), it used far less paper than a more traditional folder with pocket would have.

In keeping with the organic motif of their wedding, we use two different images for the invitations.  The first is visible on the Tempting Turquoise side of the criss-cross pocket.  That embossing was easily done (even for 230 invites!) with the Big Shot and the Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder.  On the invitation itself, the RSVP card, and on the envelopes, we used the main scroll image from Baroque Motifs in Tempting Turquoise and Green Galore--but only one of those is stamped!  I bet you can't tell which one...so I'll tell you.  We hand stamped the envelopes and did the invitations, including the scroll image, with My Digital Studio.  That's a huge time-saver!  Which means it was also a money-saver for the couple.

Next up, I'll be showing you what Kiran did with the scraps left over from the criss-cross pockets.  Waste not, want not for an earth-friendly celebration.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Ink: Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise
Paper: Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White
Extras: My Digital Studio, Big Shot, Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder

Save That Date

Ok, so on to the big ticket item for invitations--weddings.  I sometimes think that weddings are single-handedly keeping the stationery business afloat, with all their little touches from the first announcement to the table favors to the thank you after the fact.  Almost without exception, when people asked, "do you do invitations?" what they really meant was, "Do you do wedding invitations?"

Well, yes we do.  But wedding invitations are more than just the invitation, so we have to start at the beginning.  Here is a simple save the date for some good friends who have a brilliant color combination for their celebration.  We did a number of sample layouts for this, to try out different colors and fonts and stamps, but this was the winning number.

On the Tempting Turquoise base, we stamped the bride and groom's initials in Basic Black using Lovely Letters, and united the two with our favorite ampersand from Together Forever (a lovely set for your own wedding invitations, in case you're wondering).

For Green Galore, the fonts and printing were again done on a computer and then printed directly onto cardstock.  The watermark you see is done in Versamark with the large flourish from Brocade Basics (now retired).  The great thing about this is that you can stamp it AFTER printing, to make sure that the watermark is centered under the text.  It doesn't show up over the printing, so the effect is perfect.  Everyone should have some Versamark ink--it's so versatile!

The final touch was punching each corner with the ticket corner punch, just to give the text a little more pop.  And the final touch you can't see is pretty important--a magnet on the back so that this save the date can draw attention for a few months on refrigerators across the land.  Nothing like building the excitement for Hitaishi and Stephen's big day!

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Lovely Letters, Together Forever, Brocade Basics (retired)

Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore

Ink: Basic Black, Versamark

Extras: Ticket Corner Punch

Beautiful Blue Birds

I still need to get ready for all the babies that are on the way...but first, here is a card for two friends that recently got engaged.  I've seen these "love birds" cards in a few places, but the first was Kristin Moore's blog and she's the one who inspired me.

For this card, I used my Extra-Large Two-Step Bird Punch on Very Vanilla paper.  I sponged the birds and wings with Ballet Blue ink, so that they would coordinate with the heart of Bella Bleu DSP, and made them "pop" with dimensionals.  Thank the Full Heart punch for that heart.  Underneath that is a Very Vanilla rectangle, edged with the Scallop Trim Border and Scallop Trim Corner punches.  The final touch is my current favorite stamp set, Well Scripted, which just adds a touch of elegance to any card.  Can't wait to put this on in the mail!

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Well Scripted

Paper: Bella Bleu DSP, Very Vanilla, Brocade Blue

Ink: Basic Black, Ballet Blue

Extras: Dimensionals, Extra Large Two-Step Bird punch, Full Heart punch, Scallop Trim Border punch, Scallop Trim Corner punch, sponges