Plump Little Piggy

Here's another quick and easy card made with Button Buddies and perfect for any occasion.  Wouldn't it be great with a piggy bank for a new baby?  I say yes!

Have a great Monday!
~Melanie

Stamps: Button Buddies, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso
Paper: Whisper White
Extras: Brights Designer Buttons, Linen Thread

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

These snails are just adorable.  Normally I'm not a fan of slimy things (you should have seen me with the tree frog that followed us in the house the other night!), but these little guys are just too cute to be gross--even without the buttons!

As promised, here's a piece of our BIG NEWS:  Kiran is now a certified wedding planner, and working with two friends in the planning company Pretty Little Details.  I'm thrilled for Kiran, and we're both excited that we have an extra excuse to work on more wedding stationary...stay tuned for more on that front.  

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Button Buddies, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie, Marina Mist

Paper: Whisper White

Extras: Brights Designer Buttons, Linen Thread

Button Birthday

Here's a bright and sunny birthday card for your Wednesday.  It's another CASE from the 11-12 Idea Book and Catalog (the catalogs are full of great ideas that will always be current, even when the stamps retire).  I'm behind on a few birthdays, so I have more than a few of these to get in the mail.

Surprise!  Looking at the samples in the catalog, I thought these cards were 3x3--but they're 4x4, which means there is plenty of room to write something special inside.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Button Buddies, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Whisper White
Extras: Brights & Subtles Designer Buttons, Linen Thread

What's on Your List?

Now that you've had the weekend to check out the new 2012-13 Stampin' Up! Catalog, what are your favorites?  I'm going to share my Top Ten Gotta-Have-'Em--which means you'll have an idea of what I'm using on my next great projects.  I'm looking forward to seeing your favorites as well, so let me know by leaving a comment!

1.  For the Holidays--or all winter long--my pick is Stylin' Snowfolk on page 16.  Adorable!  And the best part is I can make endless snow-people for any occasion, all winter long.  It's like a Potato Head but in stamps!  Bonus: this stamp will be great fun to share with kids....

2.  For anytime--Betsy's Blossoms on page 72.  You may have seen lots of this set already, since it was available for demonstrator preorder, and you're bound to see many many more samples.  This set is great, and offers endless possibilities.  Plus I love it's bright and cheery only slightly retro vibe!

3.  For fun flowers--it's a tie!  I love both Bright Blossoms and Summer Silhouettes on page 82.  Bright Blossoms is fun and funky with a modern vibe, and I'm loving the two-step-ness of the dandelion in Summer Silhouettes.

4.  Coordination!  If you also love Bright Blossoms, be sure to check out the coordinating Summer Smooches DSP on page 165.  Give me bold colors any day!

5.  This one is for Kiran...World Treasures on page 98.  Wowzers!  That peacock is fabulous, the triple flower is great, and I couldn't agree with that sentiment more.  This beautiful stamp set is bound to make stunning cards...and I just can't wait to emboss that peacock.

6.  Simply stunning--check out Daydream Medallions on page 117, and be sure to catch the matching Floral Frames Framelits on page 191.  Wow!!  And wouldn't photographs look great inside those medallions?  I think yes.

7.  Feeling sentimental?  Then you must get From My Heart on page 139.  These sentiments with their beautiful embellishment are enough for a card on their own, and will be delightful in multiple shades provided by Many Marvelous Markers.

8.  For delicious detail, the new Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack is fantastic, and be sure to get the new Stampin' Pierce Mat and new Paper-Piercing Tool (all on page 181).  These will be a great step up for all kinds of projects, and my favorite new pick for the Big Shot...

9.  ....Apothecary Accents Framelits on page 191.  Oh my, aren't the new framelits offerings fantastic?  They will make delightful embellishments and accents for every project.

10.  Finally, how can I choose among the new embossing folders (page 189)?!  They are outstanding.  In keeping with recent trends though, the Chevron Folder is my #1 choice for everything, especially when paired with my choice of the hostess sets.

If you host a party (or place an order) that totals $150, you're eligible for hostess dollars that you can use for Carry On (page 203), which is headed my way as you read.

So, what did I miss?  What are you itching to play with and see samples from?  Leave a comment to let me know, and give some inspiration for both me and Kiran.

~Melanie

Get Your Wish Lists Ready!

The new catalog is here!!!!  There are so many great things for you to check out, so don't delay.  Leave a comment to let us know what's at the top of your wish list, and I'll share my Top Ten Can't Miss 'Em (aka--first things I'm ordering) in just a few days.

By clicking on the cover above, you'll open the catalog in Flash.  For dedicated browsing, you can download the catalog PDF from the sidebar.

Happy browsing!
~Melanie

And We're Back!!!

Hello everyone!

So, it's been quite a while since we've been here, and as a result we have LOTS of news to share--its been a busy five months!  We don't want to overwhelm you, so we'll be sharing all of our news in bits and pieces over the next week or so...along with these great cards made with the Button Buddies stamp set.  Entirely inspired by the Idea Book & Catalog--last year's Idea Book & Catalog, because today is the big day when the new catalog for 2012-13 goes live.

Keep checking the sidebar for the new catalog, which I'll link as soon as it's available, And keep coming back for more news and more creativity from us.  After our LONG absence, we're excited to share again.

Cheers!
~Melanie & Kiran

Stamps: Button Buddies, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Marina Mist, Old Olive, Early Espresso
Paper: Whisper White
Extras: Bright Buttons

Last Day for the Holiday Mini!

Happy 2012!  We hope you all survived the holidays and are off to a great start with this new year.  Obviously the end of 2011 went very quickly, and got away from us.  A goal for this year might be more consistent blogging...but this blog is supposed to be fun, so we hate to make a chore of it.  We can promise some exciting new things though, including that we'll be opening an Etsy store later this month, so be sure to check in for that.

Today is the last day to order from the Holiday Mini, so I want to remind you of some of the great items you should get your hands on before they're gone--starting with the Stocking Builder Punch, which Stampin' Up! has announced will not be carried over into next year's catalog.  And it was so cute!

Other favorites include the Frostwood Lodge DSP, which provided the plaid background for the above card, and the Spice Cake DSP which I featured below.  I'm still loving the idea of pale blue in a fall palette.

Don't forget about the Frostwood Lodge stamp set.  Though you can still buy that for My Digital Studio!

And the Dazzling Details that I used to make the snow shine on that roof.  Also, the Holiday Stocking die and Stocking Accents die--both great fun and now a staple of my holiday craft rotation.

My fingers are crossed that the Pewter Embossing Powder will stick around (no pun intended)--I just love that stuff.  And all of this means that you should check in tomorrow for your first look at the new mini catalog.  There are some very exciting new products in store!

Cheers!
~Melanie & Kiran