Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Sneak Peek: Warm Winter Wishes and Holiday Hospitality

Today we have two sneak peeks for you, the first is Carolyn King's highly anticipated set, and her second to benefit the Alzheimer's Association: "Warm Winter Wishes".

This card uses Pure Luxury White for the adorable snowman image and the new Cranberry Tart for the base. Background DP is from the Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly pack, isn't that cute like a festive front yard?? I cut the Copic colored snowman out and made a sloping bank of snow using a rotary cutter to make a curvy cut and running a black marker along the edge to match the line art snowman. Then I made a popped up little "thought balloon" for his greeting (because only Frosty can talk, you know!) made from a Petite Scalloped Oval Nestabilitie, an oval and Cropodile punch! I loved the scene just the way it was, so decided not to add any more to it.But I had to make a little coffee sleeve with another sheet from the pack so I could use the little coffee cup from the set! TIP: if you save a cardboard sleeve from a coffee purchase, you can easily wrap it with your DP without needing to measure or make a template by putting Scor-Tape along each side and then pressing to the back of your DP and cutting around it. This DP has little cups and snowmen on it anyway, then I made a little medallion by masking the cup and stamping this fun "Love" word background (also from the set!) over it, then die cut with my Classic and Scalloped Circle Nestabilities. Be sure to attach the medallion with Scor-Tape as well, to keep it from popping off. Now you or your recipient will have a cute coffee wrap they can use all season! Deliver the hot drink with the card or fill the empty cup with candy!
The next card uses the Free with Three "Holiday Hospitality" set, one of the main images is this large ornament, but today I did something a little different with it. I have to give credit to my 4 yr old William for this idea, who was checking out the new un-inked rubber on my desk. "What's that?" he asked pointing. I held it up by the top to look like it was hanging and replied, "See?" thinking he would figure it out on his own looking at it that way. "Oh! a candle!" he said immediately. Well, I thought that was pretty cool, it does look like like one of those little ball oil lamps! (That's m'boy, out of the box, at age 4 LOL! it's a family thing... ;)* So I colored the hanging loop to look like a little flame and covered it with Stardust Stickles.
I colored the different sections and added these 2 mm adhesive rhinestones strips to the spaces in between, these will be fun to bling up with your different embellishments! Card base is the new Pure Luxury Vibrant Violet. The "Hip to Be Square" background border is colored with red to make the focal point look like it's triple matted, I love that! I popped up the "candle" and colored made a little shadow underneath. TIP: I used the lines of the square frame image for placing my focal point, with the vertical running through the middle of the flame and the horizontal going through the rhinestones, really pulls your focus to the bling and greeting.

Head over to GinaK's blog to add your comment to her blog entry for a chance to win the stamp sets being previewed tonight our blogs! Then, check in on Carolyn King's blog - the Illustrator of Warm Winter Wishes.
Here are the rest of the links to the Design Team Members participating in the hop tonight:


CenterStage Spotlight Designers:

Joy Hadden
Lori McAree


We'd love to have you join us at our Release party Thursday over on SCS starting at 7pm CST. There will be lots of chatter, samples, contest questions, and challenges - you won't want to miss it! Check out Theresa's discussion if you're new to our Release parties for some helpful information to get you started.



* and after he said candle, he thought of one other clever thing you can make with the image, not an ornament, can you guess? :)

20 comments:

  1. I love your fabulous set Mel ! The snowman does have a rockin yard...lol! Great tip about the coffee sleeve and wtg william on the candle--I totally see that!!! Awesome job!

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  2. Ohhhh how awesome....that candle is spectacular!!!! Cuuuuute snowman scene too!!!!

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  3. So cute Melanie and the coffee sleeve is perfect! I know what I am saving next time I go to Starbucks and now my dd gets a Chai Latte so I will get two :o)

    Your son William is right on...it does look like that! I am thinking something else he might have said is a fishing bobber? Possibly?

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  4. OHHHH your cards are so sweet!! Love them!

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  5. Love your snowman and the ornament is wonderful. Way to go William!

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  6. Fantastic card set, Mel, as always. Wow. The coffee sleeve tip will realllly help out ;), and that ornament is fantastic!

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  7. what a cute scene and the candle is so creative.

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  8. Your son definitely takes after you!!!

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  9. Melanie - your snowman coloring is stunning! I'd love to see a close up of him!!! And, the ornament - well, that is just TOO perfect!

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  10. Wow. Great job on these Mel!!
    When I saw that ornament I thought ooohh... maracas!!! How fun for a winter stamp to double as a sunny vacation or party stamp!!!! (...but I suppose it could be a candle too... hahaha)

    Thanks Mel!
    Darla

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  11. Oooh, these are so cool! I always love your out of the box ideas! So clever.

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  12. Your coloring is perfect! Love your samples

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  13. Awesome samples, Melanie! I love the snowman card with the cool DP! The coffee cup sleeve is brilliant! Great coloring and sparkle on the ornament candle! It looks terrific with Hip To Be Square!

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  14. Oh that snowman is soo awesome Mel! Love the little scene you created with him! And LOVE that candle! William seems to be like his Mama!! (my 49 yr. old thought it was a fishing bobber, rofl)

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  15. OMGosh.. your snowman rocks!!! His heart is BEAUTIFULLYYYYYY colored!!! I am lovin that DP!!! What a smart smart boy that William is!!! And indeed I can see how he got that. Must be a bit of mom's artistry coming out in him. Beautiful colors on that card!!

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  16. The depth of your coloring is amazing! The tip on the coffee sleeve is super duper!!! Thanks

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  17. Great cards and cup! Your son is to sweet, like mom.

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  18. Knowing how children think, I can't begin to imagine but would say some kind of lantern. It really is neat just the way you did it!

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