Sunday, August 1, 2010

Blast from the Past Day 1

This week the Gina K Designs team is pulling out some of our favorite sets of the past from every illustrator, which promises to be a week long celebration of "greatest hits"! First up, I chose to use my "A Year of Leaves" set. Although I use these leaves and sentiments year round on masculine and sympathy cards, this set really works overtime when Fall comes, there's nothing I like to stamp and embellish my cards with in late Summer and Autumn than beautifully colored leaves!
Here I just used one leaf image from the set and the simple greeting "Thanks", in one of my favorite fonts of all time! These small greetings are perfect for making tags, and I love how this one turned out, using a Labels Eight die on Pure Luxury Ivory, then punching a border punch on all four sides and stamping the word in the middle! I scored the background in a diamond pattern for more interest and texture and added some stitched ribbon and brads. Base is Wild Dandelion. Popped up, these leaves look like they are gently drifting to the ground...

I also like using them with favorite floral sets, here the same leaves and another greeting take the set "A Beautiful Life" from Spring to Fall...
Drawn in the same style and scale as "A Year for Flowers", these sets are just perfect for mixing and matching!

And just to revisit a few of my faves I've made with the set (which are now coming back around, so to speak!), here is a card and matching acorn and leaf earrings I created that are currently featured in the "Stamping Savvy" section of the newest issue of CardMaker Magazine (p.28-29) These are definitely some of my favorite images for Polyshrink!
"A Year of Leaves" was also featured in the recently released book "Interactive Cards". This is probably one of my favorite projects ever! The little caterpillar image from the set morphs into a pop up butterfly (this butterfly is from "Take Flight", a favorite Gina K set from the past!).

I've also had several designing friends offer to share new samples they've created with some of their past favorite sets of mine, thank you SO much ladies for sharing your talent again with us today!

Brenda Turner

Carla Suto

Carolina Buchting

Geri Utterback

Karen Knegten

Libby Hickson

Linda Payne

Melissa Shultz

Selma Stevenson

Sharri Seffens

Sue Van DeVusse

Tina Gilliland

Next, we have one of my favorites from Nina from last year: "Lord of the Season". I stamped this fall topiary in Vivid Coffee Bean and colored it with with earthy Copic colors inspired by this beautiful Basic Grey Indian Summer print. Those little spots are color are perfect with the tiny details of the fruits, flowers and leaves in the wreath. TIP: when coloring a wreath, select several colors but just use one at a time, putting that color in several different places to balance it out and draw your eye around, so you won't have lots of clumping in just one area, before moving to the next.
Cardstock is Pure Luxury Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate Brown and White, which is sponged around the edges with Wild Honey Distressing Ink. I used a Nestabilities border die and some Pure Luxury ribbon for the bottom. I would have liked to match it to the pink I colored the ribbon in the image but didn't have anything like I thought! good thing there were lots of other colors to choose from LOL! I just love breaking out all these fall colors! It's been a long, hot summer!


And finally more 'Blast from the Past' Gina K Designs stamp sets, check out these participating designer's blogs:


The entire GinaK Designs team would like to invite you to the virtual Release party we'll be having this Thursday, August 5th on StampTV. It will be a bit different than our usual release party, but we'll still have challenges, contest questions, and designer samples that you won't want to miss out on! More information on that event will be shared by GinaK soon, so stay tuned to her blog for all the details this week!

20 comments:

  1. LOVE the leaves as well Melanie. So hard to chose a favorite set of yours!! GREAT cards.. all of them!! Thank you for asking me to join in on the fun!! *HUGS*

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  2. Gorgeous, gorgeous projects!!! That magazine layout looks amazing. I love your leaves!!!

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  3. Gorgeous projects!! Love the leaves!!!!

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  4. What absolutely beautiful cards Melanie! You are the reason I found out about Gina K. stamps and with each release you continue to delight me...thanks sharing your amazing talent with all of us! Hugs & Smiles!!!

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  5. FANTASTIC, Melanie. Each project is full of color dimension and stunning design elements. Love the way you threaded your ribbon through your border trim.

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  6. Oh I love those leaves! The cards are fantastic!

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  7. Melanie, this year of leaves was one of the first sets that I got from Gina and I love it so much. Fall is my favorite time of year and I love all the colors and leaves. Your coloring on your leaves is perfection...wish that mine would look half as good. Thanks for sharing today. Looking forward to this week.

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  8. Gorgeous projects, Melanie! I love the leaf cards - your coloring is so rich and vibrant! Beautiful details! Love the Lord of the Season card, too!

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  9. Your cards are all so gorgeous!!!! I love the Tulips and the leaves and oh the earrings are just over the top!!!Hugs

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  10. Wow-gorgeous fall inspired creations! Brace yourself, we have 4 days straight temps over 100 starting today!

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  11. Melanie, I love the way you color! Your designs are great for coloring.
    Great pop up card idea! Congrats on the article in the book!
    Donna

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  12. Theres my earrings!! LOL! I LOVES em!! Your creations are so gorgeous, and so are your stamps!

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  13. I absolutely love the way you punched the die on the first card. What a great idea. The tulips colored in a rich fall reddish-orange is just gorgeous. Congrats in having this set featured in the magazine - it's all so incredible.

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  14. lovin these!! magazine article is amazing..thanks so much for including me in the hop (and your sweet comment LOL)...you know I love your "stuff" (-:
    have a blast at Disney,
    hugs
    Linda

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  15. Melanie your cards are gorgeous!!! Wow and what fabulous coloring. You are a true inspiration.

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  16. Wow!!! I've never seen that magazine spread...how amazing!! You know I can't get enough of your amazing designs!!

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  17. beatiful cards - I LOVE the border punches and congrats again on the pubs!

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  18. gorgeous, Melanie!! Love your leaf projects - all of them are gorgeous!

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