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

DSP + Ribbon = Wreath Magic!

Do you have a bin of old Designer Series Paper like I do?  Even if it's not old, use that DSP!  Now, whenever I go to someone's home for dinner or a party, I bring homemade paper craft.  What a great way to keep your creative juices flowing, to try new projects and to use your stamps and paper.  And, what a great house warming or hostess gift.  A thoughtful wreath that can be displayed is brings cheer right from the front door step.  They're usually so expensive at the stores, it's not only fun but economical to make one at home.  Try it!

Here's a summer wreath I made for Melanie's sister, Jackie, when we went up to visit her.  I can't believe I forgot to post it!  Looking at it now though makes me realize it could also work for fall.  Why not dip into some of your scrapbook/DSP paper to make a wreath for Halloween with non-traditional colors like purples/greens or purples/black.  Or, how about a Thanksgiving/Fall-themed wreath with browns/tans or browns/organges?  And of course, there are a ton of options for winter/holidays/Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, etc.  Hope my easy-to-follow pics get you into wreath-makin-mode!

Styrofoam craft ring covered in ribbon...

  

DSP gets scored at 1/4" increments...

Scored DSP cut at different widths for various size flowers...

[use front+back of DSP for different patterned flowers]

Strips gets folded, fanned out and hot glued at the center to make a circle.

add a circle of card stock to the back for stability + hot glue...

 Add buttons/sequins to the center of the flowers.  I even did half circles for a different look...

[First place everything until you like the pattern/design, then hot glue each flower down permanently]

Close-up of accordion flower...

 Ribbon "leaves" put in place with straight pins...

All the flowers + leaves in place.  Add loop in back of wreath to hang...

We'd love to see some of your creations.  Leave a comment + post a pic of your fabulous new wreath.  Happy Wreath Making!

~Kiran

A Christmas Jingle

Christmas countdown: only 4 days left!  This is another example of what My Digital Studio can do in a matter of....minutes.  Yup, took me all of 10 minutes to "make" this card.  All I have left to do is print this out.  Have holiday or Christmas cards yet to be made & mailed?  Why not try this?  Easy, breezy, beautiful, card-making.  =)

The base was the designer template from 'Christmas Jingle' and I just changed the background paper, added the white grosgrain ribbon and the chocolate chip stitching.  Done & done!

Today's bingo piece is the Christmas tree light.  Good luck!

Happy (digital) Stamping!
~Kiran

A Little Holiday Sparkle

There's nothing like a bit of sparkle--or a lot of glitter--to say happy holidays.  This card goes out to all my friends who love a little bling, whether that's for the holidays or in general.  You know who you are.  ;)

I got the idea for this modern rendition of a Christmas tree from Judy May's fantastic holiday card, which caught my eye a few weeks ago when it was featured in Nancy Riley's iPicks #157--a weekly roundup of fantastic inspiration from around the web.  Why oh why didn't I buy any of the silver glimmer paper?  Then I realized that I can make glimmer paper in any color using heat & stick powder and dazzling diamonds (one of the best techniques I learned last year)

So I got to work, using punches to cut out different size circles from Red Glimmer Paper, Pear Pizzazz, and Baja Breeze.  I then inked my larger Pear Pizzazz and Baja Breeze circles in VersaMark--I just pressed the whole circle into the pad--and put them in my Powder Pals tray to catch the stray powder.  I dumped Heat & Stick powder over all of them, then moved the circles to a different spot on the table to apply some heat.  As soon as the powder started to flow, I moved the circles into a different Paper Pals tray where I dumped Dazzling Diamonds glitter all over them (and glitter went everywhere, like snow inside!  Pretty...and I vacuumed after card making.)  I applied some more heat, to make sure the Dazzling Diamonds were set in the Heat & Stick powder, and then I had glimmer paper in two new colors.  Success!

I laid out the circles to create my tree first, moving them back and forth before deciding I was ready to glue them down.  I used a combination of dimensionals, to hold the larger circles off the page, and mini glue dots for the littlest ones.  My finishing touch was the sentiment, inked in Baja Breeze from Four the Holidays.

BINGO ALERT!  We've had another winner, so it's time for round three.  Audrey, send us an email to collect your prize (and Jenny, we still haven't heard from you for your round 1 winnings--email us!).  Everyone else, reset your cards...but since the winner was on Sunday's post, you can keep yesterday's poinsettia for this round, and add the snowman as today's pick.  Good luck!

Happy Holidays!
~Melanie

Stamps: Four the Holidays
Ink: Baja Breeze, VersaMark
Paper: Whisper White, Red Glimmer, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz
Extras: Heat & Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds, 1" Circle punch, 3/4" Circle punch, Itty Bitty Punch Pack

A Holiday Favorite

"And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Niklaus soon would be there..."  I absolutely loved to recite 'Twas the Night Before Christmas as a child, and think I still remember most of the lines.  Stockings are a big part of my family's holiday traditions (read about that here), so the Stocking Builder punch and coordinating stamp set were obvious purchases for me when I got the holiday mini.  I just hadn't gotten around to using them until now...and I have no idea what I was waiting for!!

I'll try to spare you my ode to punches, one of my absolute favorite card making tools, but I'll remind you that there's nothing better, in my book, than punches that coordinate with a stamp set, because you can instantly and easily punch out your image.  No painstaking hand-trimming, because I certainly don't have time for that!  (Did you notice that today's post is going up late...the holidays are fast approaching!)

I was inspired to try out my punch and stamp set because of FTL170, the most recent card layout over at Clean & Simple Stamping.  I could easily see making lots of this cards, or more variations on the theme with snowflakes.  But for this card, I started with a base of Crumb Cake, to which I adhered the plaid from Frostwood Lodge DSP for an eye-catching background.  Next up, I cut a piece of Early Espresso and layered another piece of Crumb Cake on top of that, so I'd have a crisp and sharp border.  I stamped Happy Holidays (from Four the Holidays) in Old Olive, and mounted this piece on my card base.  I cut a strip of Cherry Cobbler ribbon, to "hang" my stockings on, and then got to work on the stockings themselves.

That part was really easy--I just chose my ink colors (Riding Hood Red, Old Olive and Island Indigo), stamped and punched.  Then I attached my super cute stockings to the card, and added mini jingle bells as my finishing touch, creating a card that announces its good cheer.  

Today's piece is the poinsettia.

Happy Holidays!

~Melanie

Stamps: Four the Holidays, Stitched Stockings

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, Island Indigo

Paper: Frostwood Lodge DSP, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso

Extras: Stocking Builder punch, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding ribbon, Mini Jingle Bells

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

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

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

Christmas Lodge

Now that you can see the Holiday Mini, I have a very strong temptation to share holiday cards with you every day.  I will do my best to resist the temptation, but it's hard with all these fantastic options!  Also, it's a good idea to get started early on holiday projects--or any project, for that matter.  So there will be lots of holiday items sprinkled in over the next few months.  Stay tuned!

Today's card is a CASE from page 28 of the mini.  I absolutely adore the Frostwood Lodge suite of products, and this lodge image is my favorite of the Christmas Lodge set.  While I was at the Loft, we tried to replicate the great card on page 28 that uses the lodge and some other fun pieces...but mine came out a little large.  It looks like the card in the catty is 3x3, but my version is 4x4.  More room to write!

There are lots of gems from the Mini on this card.  Do you see the jingle bell on the side?  That's one of the Mini Jingle Bells (pg 30), and these are going to be so much fun to use.  I'd love to get a little jingle in the mail, wouldn't you?  This card also features the new Quilted Satin ribbon (pg. 30), and this is one of those products that you have to see and touch to really appreciate.  It's just wonderful, and perfect to add a little extra warm feel to this card, along with that chocolate woodgrain pattern from the Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper (pg. 28).  I love all those plaids, and the woodgrain has a nice wintry feel to it.  (Not that we need to hurry winter, mind you!)

Finally, check out all that sparkle on the snowy roof.  It's the first time that I think any sparkle has really shown up in a picture, and I love it!  This was absolutely the easiest thing to do with the new Dazzling Details (pg. 41), at at $2.50 per bottle you definitely get some bling for your buck!  The fine time gives you precision application, and just a little bit gives a lot of sparkle.  Have fun that what!

Whew!  That's a lot for one card.  What are your favorites in the Holiday Mini?  Check back tomorrow for my top ten gotta have it list.  Let's compare notes!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Christmas Lodge
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso
Paper: Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, White Naturals
Extras: Early Espresso Quilted Satin Ribbon, Mini Jingle Bells, Hemp Twine, Dazzling Details, Frostwood Lodge DSP

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

Sparkly Pine Redux

Here is my CASE of Kelli Lichentenberg's Regionals swap card, which I absolutely love.  Now that I know how to use Dazzling Diamonds, I thought I should try my hand at making my own.  How do they compare?

For this, I used Old Olive Craft ink, which is much thicker and stickier than the Classic ink pads, so I didn't need Versamark at all.  I dusted the Heat and Stick powder over the Old Olive tree, heated it, dusted everything with Dazzling Diamonds, and heated it again for a shine that won't rub off.  After I finished that, I realized that Kelli must have used a different adhesive on her card, since the color of the tree shines through more brightly in her version.  All the same, I really like how this turned out, and it was very simple to do!

The finishing touches are nearly the same as Kelli's--Serene Snowflakes in Old Olive on Whisper White, then embossed using the Big Shot and Square Lattice embossing folder.  The only alteration to her great layout that I made was to inch the tree a little higher, and use the Modern Label punch to pop out my sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

I hope you're ready for Christmas!  Today's bingo piece is the yellow bell.  Good luck!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Lovely As A Tree, Serene Snowflakes, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Old Olive, Old Olive Craft
Paper: Old Olive, Whisper White
Extras: Heat and Stick Powder, Dazzling Diamonds, heat tool, Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, Modern Label punch

Sparkles from the Loft

I spent a few hours today at the Loft, and they were jam-packed with stamping fun!  Every time I visit, I come armed with a list of new things I want to see, try, and learn.  At the top of my list this time was Dazzling Diamonds, because I so loved the look of the fabulous sparkling pine card from regionals.

Check out that sparkle!!  Dazzling Diamonds really delivers the bling, and it is very easy to do.  For this card, we first stamped the focal piece with Serene Snowflakes in Pink Pirouette, Rose Red, and Basic Grey, then inked the entire piece with Versamark.  Next, we coated the piece with Heat and Stick powder (another great adhesive option), and used the heat tool to warm it.  TIP: You just need it warm enough that the colors look bright--don't go too far or you'll singe the paper!

Next, we coated the paper with Dazzling Diamonds and used the heat tool to reheat the Heat and Stick powder and adhere the diamonds to the paper.  That's all!  Unlike using glue and glitter, this won't come off your card...but it sure does shine!

Today's Bingo piece is the spearmint.  Good luck!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Serene Snowflakes
Ink: Rose Red, Pink Pirouette, Basic Grey, Versamark
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Basic Grey, Whisper White
Extras: Heat and Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds, heat tool, Pink Pirouette taffeta ribbon

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

Sparkly Medallion

This is just one of those cards that wows in person, and my inspiration comes directly from the winners of the Paper Pal Arts challenge for white on white announced yesterday--this card, made by Andrea Ewen, jumped up and begged to be CASEd.

This also gave me an excuse to break out some of my favorite things--the Medallion stamp, Basic Rhinestones and Pearls, Snow Swirled (which had yet to see ink this year!), and silver embossing powder.  Kiran used the Medallion for her holiday cards last year, but I had yet to do so.  I don't know why I waited so long--it's the perfect giant snowflake.

For the step-by-step, here's how I made this card.  Don't be deceived by the bling; it's really very simple!

--Stamp Medallion in VersaMark on Baja Breeze card base.  Then coat in Silver embossing powder, tap off the excess, and set using the heat tool.
--On a 1-3/4" circle of White Naturals, stamp the large snowflake from Snow Swirled in Baja Breeze.  Then ink "celebrate" in Baroque Burgundy and center it over the snowflake.
--Apply Basic Rhinestones and Basic Pearls liberally--use the dots of the Medallion and snowflake as your guide.
--Use dimensionals to pop the snowflake on the center of the Medallion.
--Need another sentiment?  I'm not sure I did, but I still inked "Peace on Earth" (from Four the Holidays) in Marina Mist, and embellished that with a line of Basic Pearls.

That's it!  Though this isn't the card I'll be sending this year, I think this is ripe for mass production.  Perhaps next year...

Today's bingo piece is the mittens.  Good luck!
Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Medallion, Snow Swirled, Fabulous Phrases, Four the Holidays
Ink: VersaMark, Baja Breeze, Marina Mist
Paper: Baja Breeze, White Naturals
Extras: Circle Scissors Plus, Glass Mat, Silver embossing powder, heat tool, Basic Pearls, Basic Rhinestones, dimmensionals

Scenic Season

You saw Dasher earlier on Kiran's holiday card for this year, but I wanted to play with this great single stamp as well (it costs less than $10, and gets lots of mileage).  For this card, I paired Dasher with a stand of three pines from Plant Hope, a nice set for tree lovers.  I embossed Dasher in gold, which entirely covers the stamping underneath and eliminates the need for masking.  The finishing touch to this simple card is the holiday greeting from Four the Holidays.

This evening's bingo piece is the holly.  In case you missed my earlier post, there were two bingo pieces today--be sure to scroll down so you mark them all.

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Four the Holidays, Plant Hope, Dasher

Ink: Early Espresso, Garden Green, VersaMark

Paper: Crumb Cake

Extras: Gold embossing powder, heat tool

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

Holiday Gratitude

This is another card I received as a swap, but sadly I don't know who made it because there's no name on the back.  I want to share it with you though, because I think this is so clever--taking a fall/Thanksgiving stamp and remaking it for the holidays with those classic colors red and green.  Simple and easy!  It's inspired me to give this a try, and re-think a number of my stamp sets.  Stay tuned!

Today's bingo piece is....the present.  Hope you're getting close!  And stay tuned for holiday present ideas--I have a busy weekend ahead.

Cheers!
Melanie

Stamps: Day of Gratitude, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Real Red, Garden Green
Paper: Real Red, Garden Green, Whisper White, Shimmer White
Extras: Big Shot, Polka Dots embossing folder, Scallop Square die, Paper Snips, Basic Rhinestone

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

Snowman Mojo

As I mentioned, I love snowmen.  I also prefer snow, especially if it's going to be this cold, but no luck yet.  The good news is that I head North for Christmas, and you can always count on a white blanket in the snow belt.  Whew!

This card uses the same sketch as yesterday's winking Santa--can you tell?  I used the Mojo Monday sketch 168, and my interpretation is a bit more literal this time...though it's still not an exact match.  But that's ok; sketches are for inspiration and this one has my creative juices flowing!  I stamped the snowman from Jolly Old Saint Nick in Pacific Point (my favorite shade of blue) on White Naturals, then inked the snowflakes from the same set in Bashful Blue for the background base of the card.  My sentiment is from Snow Swirled, a long time favorite, and the fun finishing pieces are the Bashful Blue ribbon (retired, sorry), Whisper White snowflakes cut out using the Big Shot and Northern Flurry decorative strip, and five Basic Rhinestones that I lined up with the Mat Pack guide.

A quick note about adhesives--you might have overlooked it, but there's a fantastic new addition to Stampin' Up!'s line-up on page 17 of the Holiday Mini.  Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets are just the thing for adhering oddly shaped pieces to your cards and scrapbook pages.  You can either adhere the entire sheet to your paper before running it through the Big Shot, or press a cut piece (as I did with these snowflakes) between the backing paper and the glue to get them nice and sticky.  This is the perfect alternative to snail for die cuts and paper strips that are too thin.  It makes things much easier, and really cuts down on the use of the adhesive eraser!  Be sure to give these a try; you're bound to love them!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for.  Today's bingo piece is...the ornament.  Good luck!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Jolly Old Saint Nick, Snow Swirled
Ink: Pacific Point, Bashful Blue
Paper: Pacific Point, White Naturals, Whisper White
Extras: Big Shot, Northern Flurry decorative strip die, Basic Rhinestones, Mat Pack, Bashful Blue Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)