Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Becky and Melanie's Holiday Hop!

This blog candy giveaway is now closed. See post above for the winner.
  
Good morning!  Becky and I thought it would be great fun to team up for a little Holiday Hop today! We are showcasing Becky's new set, "Warm Woolen Mittens" along with Becky's new cut file "Grand Banners" and "Grand Banners - Winter Sentiments" and my newest set, "Lots of Letters" (clear  and rubber) today, along with a few of my designing friends' recent faves from me! Joining us are some dynamic designers that will knock your socks off with their beautiful work today!  Make sure you visit everyone's blog to leave a comment and be entered to win a clear "I do!" and "Beyond Baskets" stamp set! We will draw a winner randomly and announce Thursday morning!
Now on to today's projects!

 Today I have a sample using both Becky and my newest sets, Warm Woolen Mittens and Lots of Letters! I love how this design turned out and hope it gives you lots of ideas for other ways to frame the letters than the ones I included in the set, like, mittens, for instance! I stamped the outlines of the mittens in Memento Espresso Truffle, and because I didn't have any masks ready, I just went ahead and made them overlap, and colored in the little areas with a Blue Copic, just like the loops in the scripty greeting (and over parts of the knit pattern for accents), isn't that fun?! Then I centered a letter on each mitten to start my greeting, cut them out and popped them up, and added Becky's cute sentiment below. 

TIP:  Stamping out the Lots of Letters alphabet to create just shorter, large words on a card is a *great* way to incorporate them with part of another greeting, rather than spelling out a long one. Mixing fonts and letters sizes this way gives you cards and sentiments such a fresh feel.  I used a Spellbinders Matting Basics B die to trace a border with a marker and then added the little faux stitch detail to connect the greeting to it.  Card base is the beautiful new Powder Blue Pure Luxury!

 Next, I have a very simple card with Lots of Letters and the coordinating Pretty Patterns set (clear or rubber). This fun circles border looks terrific with circle framed letters (punched with a 3/4" circle and popped up), and I will be making some personalized cards and gift sets for the holidays.  Inks are Memento Teal Zeal, Summer Sky, Sweet Plum, Bahama Blue and cardstock is Powder Blue and Pure Luxury White.

 Finally, I had to share this card (because I love it so!) using the magnolia from Stately Flowers 3. It's one of my favorite images in the series, and I made it for a movie inspired challenge (favorite films, can you guess?*)  This is like the triple panel stamping technique, but way easier if you have Spellbinder Matting Basics dies!  Stamp just one piece of CS with the magnolia in hot pink.  Now place three nested rectangle dies from the set on top, centering each and run through your cutting machine. Leave the dies in place and sponge peach ink on top with a sponge dauber. Remove dies and cut two mats 1/8" larger from Passionate Pink to layer under smaller stamped mats.  
  Adhere to a Just Peachy Pure Luxury base.  I used one of the smallest dies in the set for the greeting and stamped the flower again on Ivory (in that same pink) and added just hints of color with Copics (E93, YG00, YG63) and cut out.  I stamped it one more time on Fresh Asparagus cardstock in Bamboo Leaves and cut them out to layer underneath the flower.

Here are the sets I used today:


 Happy holidays and happy hopping!  Don't forget to leave comments for more chances to win some stamps!
Designer Hop-
Becky Oehlers (Illustrator of Warm Woolen Mittens)  
Thanks for visiting today! And thanks to my fabulous guests!

*Steel Magnolias, using Shelby's wedding colors "Blush" and "Bashful"

78 comments:

  1. Gorgeous cards, Melanie. Thanks for letting me hop along.
    Hugs and smiles

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  2. Melanie these cards are gorgeous!!! I love the variety of them. Lots of Letters is on my Christmas wish list. Thank you for the inspiration.

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  3. Every card turned out beautiful

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  4. What a great collection of cards! I recently got my Lots of Letters set and I can't wait to ink it up!

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  5. These are gorgeous! These letters are the BOMB! I can't wait to get some really fun looks with the pretty patterns set.

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  6. Wow I love the combo of warm woolen mittens with lots of letters! all the cards are beautiful as usual. will be casing the patterns with the name spelled out!

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  7. Great cards! I "need" all of these sets under my Christmas tree.

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  8. lovin these Mel. Glad you showed the flower card and I bet I know who that second card is for..hee! Awesome job!

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  9. Great cards and greatideas! Thanks Melanie!

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  10. Love these cards!! Great inspiration!

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  11. Thanks for the inspiration. You always give me great ideas.

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  12. WOW.WOW.WOW! Melaine, your cards are stunning. Steel Magnolias is one of my favorite movies and this card popped! Thanks for the tip on the triple stamping technique... I can't wait to try it out!

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  13. I really like your cards. I am new to stamping and anxious to get stamps so I can follow along.

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  14. You never cease to amaze me. Just when I think I've seen it all, you come up with something new. I wish I had your creativity. Great cards! Thanks for sharing.

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  15. More great ideas. I have been resisting getting these but you make it so hard. Thanks

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  16. wow, the cards are amazing! I love especially th eone with flower! So tender!

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  17. The magnolia card is over-the-top beautiful.

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  18. Beautiful work ladies!!! I love the inspiration you've shared! Merry Christmas!!!

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  19. Great cards! My favorite is that first one. I love how you colored in the overlapping parts of the mittens!

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  20. Beautiful cards Melanie! Your magnolia card blows me a way. What a stunner!

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  21. Gorgeous cards - my favorite is the magnolia one. Thanks for the tip on using the dies.

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  22. Pretty and fun cards...love the mitten stamp set that you can change it up...awesome sets!!

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  23. Wow! What beautiful and fun cards. I am enabled AND inspired! Thank you very much! :-)

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  24. Beautiful cards, as usual. I love that you combined your set with Becky's. They work so well together!

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  25. Gorgeous cards! The Magnolia is my Favorite!

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  26. Magnoila is my fav except the rose flower you have I love all your stamps its hard to buy after the retiredment thing so ladies if you are going to retire get the stamps before ....

    MaryRedford

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  27. Gorgeous cards! Thx for sharing :)

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  28. I love the mitten greeting and the triple matted magnolia card the best but all of them are great thanks for the inspiration.

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  29. Gorgeous cards! That magnolia card is especially lovely.

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  30. Absolutely love the magnolia card. I would love to make it. Louise

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  31. Thanks so much for sharing your God given talent with so many stampers & scrapbookers. I am new to this beautiful activity and so appreciate the inspiration you give. Wishing you and your family a Joyous and Blessed Merry Christmas.
    Sharron

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  32. beautiful card! Thanks for the inspiration and the tips

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  33. Love them. The flower is my favorite.

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  34. Beautiful cards and such a variety.

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  35. Gorgeous Mel! I love the variety! Always inspiring!

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  36. Such a wide variety of beautiful cards, loved the woolen mittens one...Happy Holidays..
    hugz Kath...xx... fae Bonny Scotland

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  37. Breathtaking cards, Melanie - I love your stamps and creations!

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  38. What wonderful cards! Love all the stamps!
    Cheers,
    Val.S

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  39. These are beautiful cards! Love all the stamps.

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  40. What a fantastic trio of cards!! Love the clever mittens and the graphic circles!! Your flower card is beautiful with all the layers!! Wow!! Thanks for letting me hop with ya'll too!!

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  41. Wow these are just gorgeous love the magnolia one and love how you matted it thanks for the tutorial

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  42. Beautiful cards! Love the warm woolen mittens stamp set!

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  43. These are all so cute! I really like how you have spelled out warm on the mittens!

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  44. Great cards! Especially the magnolias - that one is beautiful.

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  45. I live in Magnolia, DE so that is my favorite but all the cards are lovely.

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  46. Wow these are absolutely awesome

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  47. Your cards are stunning!
    The card using the stately flowers is "over the top".

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  48. Precious mittens! And I'm loving that triple stamping technique! Gorgeous cards!

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  49. Wow Melanie I love that magnolia I may just have to put that on my wish list for Christmas. I am indeed a flower lover and have a magnolia tree in my back yard. The colors you chose were out of this world beautiful. Thanks so much for the tip of tripling it. Happy Crafting

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  50. Melanie, I have always admired your cards. I absolutely love the magnolia card with the layers and the colors you used are so beautiful.

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  51. Wonderful cards--I really like the magnolia card.

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  52. Great cards! Love all your variety of styles!

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  53. Love love love them all and thanks for sharing these lovely ways to making cards:)))))

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  54. Beautiful Work! I love the warm woolen mittens set.

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  55. Beautiful cards. Got a late start but glad to be hopping along now. Very inspiring indeed!

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  56. Gorgeous cards, Melanie, I fell in love with your Brooke card because that's my grandbaby's name.

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  57. Beautiful...especially the magnolia card!

    Nanette

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  58. They're all great cards, but that magnolia is just jaw droppin, eye poppin GOR-JUS!!! That set is on my wish list.

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  59. These cards are great. My favorite is warm woolen mittens. I am partial to mittens this year. Could be because I live in FL and it is still hot down here. Send me some cold weather. I am going to make the mitten card tomorrow. I have some mitten dies.

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  60. such a fun hop...your cards are awesome! I love the card with the Lots of Letters & Pretty patterns!! I think I need the pretty patterns stamp set now lol

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  61. Awesome cards! My favourite is the one with the flower, thanks for the tip which would make it more "post office friendly" and hanks for the chance to win.

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  62. Wow! Your magnolias took my breath away!

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  63. I love that magnolia card. So beautiful.

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  64. Your cards are beautiful but I especialy like the Magnolia card. It is gorgeous.

    Blessings,
    Kat

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  65. wow what fabulous cards...love the graphic card using the pretty patterns stamps.

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  66. Love the warm winter mittens, they are all pretty. TFS.

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  67. Awesome cards, Melanie! LOVE that magnolia card - super gorgeous!

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  68. Thank you for the neat ideas. I especially appreciate your trick for the triple layered card. That's a wonderful idea!

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  69. Thanks for the hop. My favorite of your cards is the magnolia one. It is gorgeous.

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