InKollage

Raindrops and Posies

2012-02-21T22:34:54-08:00

Big Thanks to everyone who took the Fun, Fab Flowers class at Impress on Sunday! Hope you enjoyed it and will soon have a colorful stash of flower tags to add to gifts, plants and bouquets.

The cold, rainy weather was the inspiration for today's card featuring the new Viola 6x6 Set and three dies - Orchard Tree Frame 98300, Debutante Frame 98297 and Petite Umbrella 98296. I used the Memory Box Metal Adapter Plate (without additional tape or cardstock shims!) to diecut this classic, timeless tree, then layered it over the Debutante Frame background.

The Petite Umbrella has two curvey slashes to add dimension to the diecut. Inking just along the slashes defines the shape even more - and attaching it with foam dots really makes it pop off the background. Little details like this make Memory Box Dies unique and very special.

See the entire What's in the Box Collection of new stamps, papers and dies here.

Have fun making this card - it's quick, easy and perfect to send to or from Seattle!

First Bloom of Spring

2012-02-18T16:03:01-08:00

Water-coloring, color-pencilling or other skill-required coloring techniques are a bit beyond my reach. Luckily, Dave, Theresa and the other Design Teamers are great at that! Here's another version of my favorite quick, easy and always unpredictable spritzy background technique.

Vintage Dreams G1838, Dogwood Branch F1848, Distressed Garden Record G1848 and Wishing You Combo B1853 are the stamps featured here. The delicate accent is cut with the Valencia Border Die 98290. View the 2012 What's in the Box Collection here.

Several people have asked about Cuttlebugging with our intricate, detailed dies. I've removed my painters tape spot-shims from the dies and use the Memory Box Metal Adapter Plate instead - without any paper or cardstock shims either. Remember to place the Adapter Plate, die and cardstock behind the printed instructions on the A, B, and C plates - not flush w/ the edge that enters the machine. This allows the stack (others call it a sandwich, but that makes me hungry!) to feed into the machine easily, without using excessive force.

Just finished a huge stack of diecutting - prepping for tomorrow's Fun Fab Flowers class at the Tukwila Impress. We're making 7 tags with big poufy, loopy, scrunchy or layered flowers on them - perfect for any occasion.

Note from the Garden

2012-02-09T23:48:25-08:00

Hope you're enjoying our What's in the Box Design Team blitz this week. Visit the Outside the Box Blog and add your comments to each designer's post again tomorrow to enter our contest to win great new Memory Box products. Upload your Memory Box projects to the Memory Box Flickr page too - for another chance to win the new items. Details are on the OTB blog sidebar.

I love greens, purples, and grays...and combining them with our newest dies, stamps and notecards. Shown here are Distressed Garden Record G 1848, just a note to say hello B1852, Fuchsia Sprig Die 98303 and Valencia Border Die 98290. The new Metal Adapter Plate was used too - and created these great results with the detailed dies. I didn't even need my painters tape spot-shims!

We're moving quickly from Valentine classes into spring now - here are some projects from this weekend's classes at Impress. It's Fun, Fab Flowers at Bellevue Square (425 453.2748) on Saturday - big poufy, loopy, scrunchy, fringe-y, layered flowers on 6 colorful tags for any occasion.

Then it's Memory Box 2012 on Sunday at the University Village Impress (206 526.5818) - 5 cards featuring Dave's latest, greatest stamps, dies and papers.

Lovebirds in Red

2012-02-03T15:37:19-08:00

It seems like an odd combination - but I love using gray and brown together, especially with a bright pop of metallic red. Here's an idea featuring four dies - Grand Heart 98254, LaRue Heart 98255, Pastry Labels 98107 and Poppystamps Nestled Bird 817.

The Grand Heart and LaRue Heart are cut from prints in the Pixie 6x6 Set. The label is cut from Kraft Cardstock, stamped with Love and Hearts B1423 (hearts are attached to the side of the stamp) in Cranberry ColorBox Pigment Ink and embossed with detail clear powder.

Attach Scor-Tape to scrap red cardstock and diecut Nestled Bird twice - once with the lined tape on the top, and again with the lined tape on the backside. Burnish Clearsnap Cherry Pie Designer Foils onto the adhesive on the right bird - red-foil side up. (Impress sells Designer Foils.) Brush Clearsnap Ruby Slippers onto the adhesive on the left bird.

Layer the heart over strips of Vanilla Bean Distressed Dots and Gingham Cardstock. Attach everything to a Mars Shimmer A2 Card. Attach the greeting strip with antique copper mini-brads. Coordinate the card with a matching Mars Shimmer A2 Envelope.

Stamps, dies and papers from the beautiful 2012 What's in the Box? release will be featured in the Memory Box 2012 classes at the Belleuve (Saturday) and Tukwila (Sunday) Impress stores this weekend. Dave and Monica and their entire team have created their best-ever collection. I know I say this about every release - but you really need to stop by the Impress stores to see what everyone's been talking about. Really.

We're having a Design Team Blitz next week - on the Outside the Box Blog - showcasing the new products in great designs for every occasion. There'll be contests and prizes too - with designer posts several times a day...join us!

Heart Collage

2012-01-21T14:20:54-08:00

Pinks, grays, a dash of lime and the sparkle of amethyst create a collagey Valentine here. Or - after the 14th of February - it could be a birthday, Mother's Day, wedding or anniversary card too.

I love how Dave's designs work not just for holidays throughout the year, but for so many other occasions. The Quinn Flourish Die 98267 - with its heartlike "petals" could also be a pretty flower, or an artsy medallion. The Heart Chain 98277 Border is also great for diecutting felt for an instant accent in red, fuchsia or pink. The Chrysanthemum Frame G1857 pairs well with Vintage Notes E1329...like they were made for each other!

Here are some other ways to use the new Love and Kindness Collection Dies. Cards from the Valentines by Design class at the Bellevue Square Impress (425 453.2748) on January 28th feature twelve dies, including some from previous releases and Poppystamps. If you don't diecut - and wonder what all the fuss is about - join us, and you'll see why we all love them!

Bold, Bright Heart

2012-01-10T11:54:23-08:00

Here's a bold, bright Valentine for your special guy. The great new Classic Heart G1856 stamp and matching Cupid Heart 98281 die make it a quick and easy card. The Heart Chain Border 98277 diecuts and embosses the ten little hearts for a perfect accent.

The Classic Heart is one of three great new Valentine stamps in the Love and Kindness Collection - view the entire collection here. Cupid Heart Die matches both the Classic Heart stamp, and the beautifully-detailed Serafina Heart 98278 die shown above.

We'll be playing with an array of the newest items - and some classic favorites too - in Saturday January 14th's LoveNotes class at the Belleuve Square Impress. You can chose to make 8 cards for the special people in your life - or a chipboard book to store and organize your designs (above). It's an added class (not shown on the online schedule) from 11:30-2:30. Please call Impress (425 453.2748) if you can join us.

Then, on Sunday January 15th at the Tukwila Impress, it's Valentines by Design. We'll make four collagey, artsy cards featuring a variety of techniques and little tricks to add texture and dimension to cards of distinction. If you can join us - Tukwila's phone number is 206 901.9101.

LOVE...Simply Stated

2011-12-29T15:05:13-08:00

Pink, pink and more pink - Valentine's Day reminds me of what a special color it is. Memory Box pinks include Begonia, Taffy, Cherry Blossom, Cotton Candy, Bubblegum and Sugar Plum - perfect for your Valentine greetings, tags, banners and layouts.

This design features four dies...Index Card 98214 (there's also a matching Index Card G1781 stamp, not shown here), Double Ticket 98104 - and the brand new intricate LaRue Heart 98255 and outline Grand Heart 98254. The Grand Heart is gridded for accurate alignment - so it's perfect for diecutting the beautiful new Damask Heart G1855 stamp.

Dave's new multi-tasking dies are great alone, with other dies and with specially-designed stamps. The heart dies and Damask Heart stamp are from the just-released Love and Kindness Collection - you'll love everything in it!

Sweet Treats

2011-12-21T06:00:00-08:00

Cards sent, gifts under the tree, lights up, and cookies baked...right? Now it's time to get the dies out and make little treat jars for the holidays. Arrange them on your prettiest cake plate or cupcake tower as a centerpiece - or add guests' names to create placecards and party favors. A set of them would also be a sweet surprise for a gift exchange. Co-workers or carpoolers would love them too!

Here are just a few ideas - featuring Memory Box and Poppystamps Dies - with felt, cardstock and printed papers. I had such a great time designing these - hope you like them!

The dies, left-to-right and top-to-bottom, are:

Poppystamps Tilda Swirl 804, Small Scalloped Circle 98204, Whimsy Circle 98154, Bianca Snowflake 98193, La Rue Flourish 98218, Tivoli Snowflake 98163, Classic Tags 98105, Amana Circle 98215, Poppystamps Small Tilda Swirl 808, Poppystamps Anna Snowflake 811, Simple Buckles 98185, Poppystamps Meadow Leaf 806, Blooming Rosette and Center 98121. (I just used the rosette center - but rosettes are great jar toppers too!)

Memory Box Supplies in addition to the dies:

Yuletide and Tinsel 6x6 Sets
Grass Shimmer Cardstock
Cranberry Gingham Cardstock
Cranberry Distressed Dots Cardstock
Key Lime Distressed Dots Cardstock
Lagoon Cardstock
To and From B1826

Other Supplies

Clearsnap Top Boss Clear Embossing Stamp Pad
ColorBox Peppermint Scentz Scented Embossing Powder
Clearsnap Ruby Slippers, Peridot and Twinkling Turquoise Glitter
Red, White and Baby Blue Felt
Diecut Machine and Plates
Sitcker Sheets
Canning Jars
5/8",3/4" and 1-1/4" Circle Punches
Screw Punch (for tags)
Ribbons - Lemongrass 1/4", Turquoise 1/4" Featheredge, Red 1/4" Grosgrain, Red 1/3" Sheer, 1/2" wide strip of Baby Blue Felt
May Arts Gold Cord
Crafters Pick Ultimate Adhesive
Candies and Yogurt-covered Pretzels

Basic Directions

Cut, layer and attach diecuts with Crafters Pick Adhesive
Attach adhesive paper (sticker or label sheets) to the felt before diecutting the Small Scalloped Circles and Simple Buckles
Glittered circles - attach Scor-Tape to turquoise, chartreuse and red cardstock and press glitter onto the tape - then punch the circles using 5/8" or 3/4" punches
Diecut two each of the Whimsy Circle and Tilda Swirl, then offset and layer them
Attach the ribbons to the jar rims in two or three areas to keep them from slipping

Have fun with these jars - your guests will love them. Merry Christmas!

Holiday Rosette

2011-12-15T10:49:24-08:00

I love the Blooming Rosette and Center Die Set 98121 - and use it as often as I can! Here's another example, using it with the sheet music print from the Yuletide papers. The Christmas Carols 12x12 sheet was used here, but if it's not available, you can cut and attach two strips of the print from the 6x6 Yuletide Set.

Hope you're just about ready for Christmas. Our Design Team is already starting to think about Valentine's Day - and we can't wait to see the new products Dave's designed for 2012. I'll be posting the schedule for new classes that Theresa Laurent, Design Editor at Memory Box, and I will be teaching soon. More ideas, techniques and great new products.

Be sure to visit the Poppystamps Blog too - for projects featuring more great stamps and dies. Here's an example:

BIG thanks to everyone who took the BIG Winter Bliss class at the Tukwila Impress - hope it provided a lot of ideas for un-holiday cards you can use throughout the year. Special thanks also, to everyone who took my classes in 2012 - and to the team at Impress for your help in registering students, ordering the products and setting up the classroom!

The Meaning of Christmas

2011-11-28T13:20:56-08:00

Vintage Christmas Words G1797 is a versatile stamp for backgrounds - or, deconstructed, a collage-y tree. The magnetic poetry version of your typical evergreen.

Add some bright diecut accents of Retro Border 98170 and Perched Reedbird 98160 - in red flocked ribbon and Ruby Slippers Glitter - to create a unique card of holiday words and phrases. It's about the time of the year when I start looking for different ways to use the great stamps, papers and dies from our holiday collection. Hope you're enjoying - and being inspired by - the projects Dave and the entire Design Team have created for you.

Here's another version of this basic design - details and directions are on the Clearsnap Blog: