Monday, October 26, 2009

Sneak Peek: Festive Frame

It has been as hard waiting to reveal my holiday set to you as it is to wait for someone to unwrap a gift you think is just perfect for them! I've only been stamping with "Festive Frame" for about a week now, and it is already one of my favorite sets! You will love being able to create elegant layouts for all your holiday projects in no time with this double bordered stamp and its many coordinating sentiments. The oval window was designed for framing your favorite photos, images, and greetings. Here is my first project, I love sending out photos to family and friends at Christmas but I want to make a handmade card, too. This uses a favorite of me and my oldest son from five Christmases ago as the focal point: all the flowers, greenery, and borders you see surrounding it is ONE stamp! :)
I stamped the frame in Memento Tuxedo Black onto Pure Luxury White and colored with Copics. Recognize that poinsettia? It matches the one in "A Year of Flowers" and looks gorgeous popped up over this frame!) My very favorite color combo for these uses Copics Strong Red and Cardinal, shown here. After I finished coloring the images, I colored in the oval and rectangle borders with Pale Olive to match the Fresh Asparagus card base. Don't you love how many layers it looks like that adds?! I cut out the window (or to save time cutting around the edges of the overlapping piece you could just a cut photo over it) and adhered my pic (3x5 is perfect!) behind it. I punched out the little "Joy" greeting from White and Good as Gold Pure Luxury CS and popped it up in the bottom corner, then finished it off with some adhesive nail heads and a large flourish punch.

But how about putting it in a real frame instead of on a card? This is a 5x7 frame I bought for $2 from Wal-mart, I cut the Fresh Asparagus CS to fit and adhere the stamped frame and photo to the middle (removed the glass so you wouldn't see a glare in this pic) Not only is this beautiful for decorating the house, but makes a lovely, personal holiday gift, that's doesn't cost a lot but your recipient is sure to treasure!


My next card shows how wonderfully the new frame works with so many of our other Gina K sets, here I've popped up some pine cones the corners from Gina's "Winter Foliage", and stamped a simple scene inside the window using the mountain image from Theresa's "Happy Camper". This time I colored the two borders with Cardinal to match the Cranberry Tart base, and the poinsettias are left white with a bit of Mignonette and Yellow Green Copics at the centers.
The mountain is stamped in Antique Linen Distressing Ink, which I also sponged into the oval space to really contrast the snow white of the mat around it. I made a mask of the frame on scratch paper first , cut out the oval center, placed it over my stamped frame and sponged the ink around the edges before pulling the mask away. The trick to making it look even more dimensional is to trace around the underside of the petals, greenery and oval border with a pale marker (here I used W-1 Warm Grey) Isn't that a cool effect?! Not counting the cut out pine cones, this is also a two layer card, but shading, sponging and coloring the two borders, it looks like you have six! This took me SO much less time not having to do all that cutting, layering, extra adhesive and I don't have a bulky card to mail, I love it!

This is one of several greetings in the set. When you keep your stamped images very muted like this, stamping your sentiment over them in a contrasting color will allow the scene to show through but still keep the greeting easy to read.


Last, I wanted to share how you can cover the poinsettias and make it a more year-round nature themed or masculine project, here I used an image from "A Year of Leaves", colored with Copics and cut out to make a card perfect for autumn. You can see how complete the oval window looks with nothing but a sentiment inside it: "Celebrate the beauty of the season" is included in the new set and fits in window whether you position it horizontally or vertically, you will love the versatility the oval layout gives you with your wider or taller sentiments! This sentiment will take you well past the fall and winter, and would be beautiful by itself on your springtime cards.

I stamped the frame in Vivid Coffee Bean on this new Pure Luxury Caramel Leather cardstock, I wish my photo captured the texture of this gorgeous paper, you have to see it to believe it! With the frame in brown ink, it looks like tooled leather. (The back side has a smooth texture so you can get another look from this paper if you desire.) I colored the borders orange and yellow and cut out the middle of the window so I could sponge my inks inside over the greeting. These beautiful amber colored drops are part of the new Gina K Neutral button assortment, these particular buttons have no holes and are flat on the back so I attached them with glue dots. Not couting the leaves and flourishes, this is also two layers. I like how this sample also shows you don't have to do a lot of coloring with this set to get great results! :)
And here is the inside. Swap out the greetings inside and out, and this design would make a fabulous birthday or Father's Day card. :)


For even more inspiration tonight, check in on our CenterStage Spotlight Designer, Diana Queen who has prepared a project for us,
and then our GinaK Designer's joining in on the Preview blog hop:
Gina Krupsky
Cathy Tidwell
Cindy Lawrence
Erika Martin
Emily Giovanni
Jessica Fick
Kurtis Amundson
Lee Murphy
Lynn Mercurio
Nina Brackett
Theresa Momber
Thank you for stopping by!

59 comments:

  1. What a beautiful frame. I just saw it on Gina's blog and thought it would be great for a photo. And then that is what you are showing. Again I say, "Beautiful!"

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  2. Bravo, bravo! This is gorgeous. I love how you showed the versatility of this stamp set.

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  3. Eeeeek!!!! OMGosh ALL your cards are gorgeous!!!!! I LOVE LOVE IT!!!! Must have!!

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  4. Wow, wow, wow Melanie!! This is wonderful!! Loveit very much!! I need to have this set for my Christmas cards.
    God bless
    Giovana

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  5. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I REALLY love this stamp Melanie. Your cards are beautiful. Must go see what the other designers have done with it.

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  6. Pur-t-ful!!! Your cards are amazing Melanie! I love this set and can't wait to get inky w/it!

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  7. it really does make a beautiful frame! love the versatility..!!!

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  8. Wowsa--just stunning. All your projects were wonderful.

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  9. just beautiful! The framed photo is precious!

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  10. Holy moley woman...you have some fantastic ideas for this set. Truly jaw dropping!

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  11. GET OUT, THIS IS AMAZING! I LOVE IT! Your samples are beyond stunning, love how you used it in the frame and for a fall card. PERFECTION!

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  12. OH MY GOSH Mel.... this is just such a stand out! Gorgeous job!!!! You are so stinkin' talented! ;-)

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  13. Wow!! Absolutely Beautiful cards!! Love them!!

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  14. GORGEOUS GORGEOUS creations! love this set---it is stunning as are your cards and frame!

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  15. Wow! Melanie...your projects are amazing!....This set is so wonderful...I enjoyed playing with it so very much! ;D Diana

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  16. Oh
    My
    Goodness, Melanie!
    This one is cream of the crop! You've outdone yourself with this beautiful set! I'm thinking of very special Christmas photo gifts!

    ~Bev

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  17. Mel, all I can say is *thud*!!!

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  18. Melanie- this is a fabulous frame and beautiful cards, as always!

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  19. Oh Mel these are all just fabulous.........that PHOTO FRAME...............OH MY LANDS!!!! StunnnnnnnnnnningNESS!!!!!!!!!!!

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  20. beautiful job on all of your projects .... love them!
    Sandra

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  21. OMG - The flowers and pinecones are so beautifully colored, and so realistic looking. Wow. Just beautiful.

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  22. Melanie, Gorgeous! I love this frame!

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  23. Beautiful poinsettias! Love the large oval - this stamp set I could do a lot with!

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  24. Wow! Your projects and stamps are amazing.

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  25. Gorgeous set, and your cards are simply wonderful!

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  26. Gorgeous...love the framed piece! This has so much detail....another "must have"!

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  27. These stamps are absolutely beautiful. I love the virsility of these stamps. Beautiful with words or pictures. Must have.

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  28. Each one is beautiful, Melanie. I esp love the one with your sweet picture. What a great idea for Christmas gifts!

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  29. Melanie, you always amaze me! I love seeing all of your alternative ideas! Your coloring is always spectacular! I learn so much when I visit your blog!

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  30. Can see so many wonderful possibilities with this set. Thank you for sharing your wonderful designs.
    Pat Johnson

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  31. WOW that is beautiful and so very versatile.

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  32. Beautiful frame, Melanie! Perfect for so many projects! Your creations are all awesome! Can't wait to see more!

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  33. All of these are so awesome Mel, but the one with you and your son framed, just breath taking! i LOVE that! you are so awesome!

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  34. Mel,

    These are so beautiful! You did an amazing job on them. Stunning coloring too!

    Mishy

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  35. Kudo's for another beautiful set, Melanie! Your work is absolutely wonderful. Great job!

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  36. You hit it out of the ball park, Mel! You always bring us such useful, creative sets!

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  37. Stunning, Melanie! This set is amazing!!

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  38. Wow, these are gorgeous. Love the way you have used them.
    JoAnn

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  39. I simply love the way you use it as a frame!

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  40. OMG, Melanie...your new frame set is gorgeous...I love the projects you have created, too!!! Your picture frame is lovely and how clever to add the pine cones...they are both sooo beautiful and how cool to add the leaves for a fall look....you are such an amazing artist!!!!

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  41. Absolutely GORGEOUS Melanie! I agree - I love the faux layering this set lends itself too - no bulky cards to mail! Woohoo! And I must say I adore the idea to do all that beautiful work as a photo mat and then frame it! Thanks so much for sharing your creativity with us. God's beauty shines through your talent spectacularly!

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  42. Oh Melanie this is Gorgeous!!!! I love it!!

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  43. What an amazing stamp! It is absolutely GORGEOUS! I can't wait to get it!

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  44. Looks like another stamp set that I cannot live without. Way to go! It is beautiful!

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  45. Gorgeous, gorgeous cards! I LOVE this set already and I've only seen the sneak peeks. I'll definitely be getting this one!

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  46. Oh, my,,,,how wonderful. This looks like a "must have" set and your cards are so wonderfully done.

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  47. What beautiful projects! I especially love that framed picture. Who wouldn't love a keepsake like that! You never cease to amaze me with your creativity! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  48. What beautiful cards! Such wonderful work.

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  49. Wow! So many possibilities with this set, and it coordinates beautifully with past sets too! Home run!
    ~ky

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  50. oh these are GORGEOUS!!!! I love your frame idea!!

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  51. So beautiful......I can't afford it right now but after Christmas, this is on my list. I want your talent! You make the most stunning cards.

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  52. This is so beautiful! I love love love it!!! I can see now I must have!! LOL

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  53. The picture of you and William is precious and the card/frame you made with it is beautiful!

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  54. Oh, wow! Melanie, your cards and the photo frame are absolutely gorgeous!!! I am so excited about your new stamp set! It looks amazing!!!

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  55. Oh Melanie your cards are so beautiful!!! I so love the one with the photo of you and your son, what a great photo to start with and then a fabulous stamp to accent it! Congrats on what is going to be another wonderful stamp set.

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  56. Beautiful cards -- again you have created another winner in the Festive Frame!

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  57. Simply stunning samples! What a great new set. It's fantastic! Love everything about it.

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Your generous feedback helps make my work and this blog better! Thanks for inspiring and motivating me! :)