Sewing Friends

I traded one of the sets I use less for a set I've been wanting for a while...and I have to say, I love trades!  What a great way to save some money and still get what you'd like.  So here is my first card with Puns from the Past.

Also, Stampin' Up! is going through a color renovation--out with the old, in with the new--so I'm trying to use up some of my "old" colors.  It took me a long time to warm up to Sage Shadow, but once I did I went all in...which means that I have lots to use up now.  So Sage Shadow forms the base of this card, stamped with En Francais in Sage Shadow Ink.

The next piece is a color that will be staying, Sahara Sand.  And it is obviously the focal point, with the sewing machine inked in Chocolate Chip, and the sentiment in Brilliant Blue...another of those colors that will disappear come July 1.  Since it is about to go, I decided to use it for some sponging as well.  And then, my stroke of genius (in my opinion) was to use the Masterpiece Ribbon Originals for a little "stitching" to tie the whole card together.

And that's all.  Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Puns From the Past, En Francais
Ink: Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip, Brilliant Blue
Paper: Sage Shadow, Sahara Sand
Extras: Corner Rounder punch, sponge, Masterpiece Originals ribbon

Welcome Baby

This is perfect timing, because I just learned today about the arrival of the first of my friends' expected spring babies.  This means that Bambi and Thumper are going in the mail very soon (I don't think they're supposed to be Disney characters, but doesn't it look like them?)

The only "fancy" thing on this card is the tree--I inked it in Gable Green, then used my Chocolate Chip marker to color in the trunk and branches before stamping.  The deer is Close to Cocoa and the bunny is in Basic Grey, stamped off once.

I mounted the stamped piece of Whisper White onto Close to Coca, then used the corner rounder punch on its corners.  I chose Gable Green for the card base, so it would bring out those spring green leaves, and edged a piece of Brilliant Blue with the Scallop Trim Edge Punch.  The final touch is the sentiment, which was an easy addition from Chit Chat rub-ons.  As luck would have it, there are a number of "welcome baby" sentiments in that pack, and I'll be using those soon.

Happy Friday!
~Melanie

Stamps: Forest Friends
Ink: Gable Green, Chocolate Chip, Basic Grey, Close to Cocoa
Paper: Gable Green, Brilliant Blue, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White
Extras: Scallop Trim Edge Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Chit Chat Rub-Ons

Crazy Circle Circus

Ok, so maybe it isn't crazy, but I have a serious love-hate relationship with this stamp set.  I really liked it when I first got it, and had so many ideas for those different circles and whimsical cards.  But then I never quite liked how the cards turned out.

I've come back around to liking this set, and I think the right color combination makes all the difference.  Give it up once again for Summer Sun and Basic Grey!  (Note: apparently this color combo is HOT right now.  I don't think I could ever wear it, so it's strictly card colors for me.)  The beauty of a card like this is that you really can't go wrong, just stamp away and overlap the images and have fun.

To get a lighter shade of grey for the sentiment, I stamped it on scrap paper once before putting it on the card stock.  The little dots of solid grey and yellow are left over daisy centers from yesterday's card.  It's that easy!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Circle Circus, Thank You Kindly
Ink: Basic Grey, Summer Sun
Paper: Very Vanilla, Basic Grey, Summer Sun

Hello Daisy

A color combination recently caught my eye on a quick shopping trip, and I had to try it for myself.  Bright yellow and deep grey became Summer Sun and Basic Grey...but there's no way to stamp Summer Sun onto Basic Grey.  Big Shot to the rescue!

With my Daisies #2 die (which must have been hibernating for the winter), I cut out three each of both the grey and yellow, so I'd be able to layer with abandon.  Using Dotto to hold everything together, and I offset the daisies slightly to get this very full petal look.  Then I grabbed a coordinating corduroy button in Basic Grey for the center, and my daisy was ready for a card.

This is a pretty large card: 5-1/4 by 5-1/4.  There's so much room to write!  I grabbed some designer series paper in Basic Grey (from a retired set) and mounted that on summer sun for the thinnest of borders.  However, I was then at a loss for a greeting--especially because you can't stamp onto such a dark color.  I also wanted a greeting that would be as bold as the daisy, so I turned again to the Big Shot.  With my Timeless Type sizzlits, I cut out a very bright hello...and added an exclamation point (a) for emphasis (b) because my word wasn't centered.  Which do you think is the right answer?

TIP: To save paper/reduce oddly shaped scraps when using the Timeless Type dies, punch out your paper with the 1-1/4" square punch first.  That way you get only the letter you want, and I was able to use my scraps from the daisies.

This card is ready to go in the mail, but it's more likely that I'll hand-deliver this one or stick it in a package.  The size and shape mean that this card requires extra postage, and that's an important detail!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Paper: Summer Sun, Basic Grey, Whisper White, Urban Oasis (retired)
Extras: Big Shot, Daisies #2, Timeless Type, Basic Grey Corduroy Buttons

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

You're Invited

Next up in our featured invitation week are invitations for a party I hosted back in October.  I got the idea for a "fall feast" from a former roommate and her college friends, and it was a success.  But this is just about the invitation.

When the 09-10 Idea Book and Catalog came out, I was immediately drawn to the set Compliments to the Chef.  Kiran, however, raised the practical question--when in the world would I use a silverware stamp?  Yes, it looks nifty, but silverware isn't exactly a greeting card staple.  How did I convince Kiran that this was a good way to use my stamping dollars?  Two words.

Silver embossing.

Kiran's eyes lit up, and she abandoned all resistance.  Why?  Because sometimes you have to see things differently than they initially appear...and as elegant as the silverware sample looked in the catalog (a menu with the silverware stamped in Soft Suede), it didn't fit the "I can use that more than once" bill.  But silver embossing is a whole different story.  Combined with one of my favorite Big Shot dies--Leaves #2--this was the perfect combination of fancy and fun for a Fall Feast Invite.  Especially once I discovered that "you're invited" and "bon appetit" fit on those leaves.  The final touch was sponging around the edges to make the leaves look real

The script on this invite--as with all of those we've made--was done in a word processing program and then printed directly onto colored cardstock.  I wasn't doing a lot of invitations, so I didn't worry about using up a ton of my printing ink (but you can get things printed cheaply at any office store, in case you're having a big bash).  To make the Pumpkin Pie side match the fun reverse, I borrowed the retired set With Gratitude from Kiran, and stamped the small leaf in Versamark for a watermark effect.

So there are two lessons here.
1. Think outside the box and you'll find any number of ways to use a stamp set you like.
2. When you like--really, really like--a stamp set that is retiring, you should get it!  I keep kicking myself that the lovely leaves of With Gratitude are not in my collection.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Compliments to the Chef, With Gratitude (retired)
Ink: Versamark, Really Rust
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun
Extras: Big Shot, Leaves #2 Die, Sponges, Silver Embossing Powder

Yes, We Do Invitations...

When I first started sharing my cards, the one question that I got most often--and that most surprised me--was if I made invitations.  Of course I could, but I certainly hadn't tried my hand at it.

No more, I'm proud to share.  Kiran and I have been making a number of invitations for a variety of events, and since we're *not* stamping this week, it seems like a great time to share these invitations with you.

First up is a baby shower we did recently--invitations for a friend of a friend.  It was the perfect chance to use Fox and Friends, and these sweet and simple cards were pretty easy to put together.  And check it out, we used RIBBON!  I rarely use ribbon on cards because I'm not great at tying bows--but thanks to my aunt and upline, I learned this great, no-tying ribbon trick.  Just use the double rectangle punch to make holes wide enough for your ribbon, then thread the ribbon from front to back to front to back to front again.  Obviously this isn't so simple to explain, but what it means is that you loop the ribbon around the middle cardstock, then trim the ends so it looks like a bow...and that takes care of any ribbon tying worries.  Whew!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Fox and Friends
Paper: Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel Marker
Extras: Double Rectangle Punch, Bashful Blue 1/2" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Scallop Square Punch, 1-1/4" Square Punch