Pages

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

    ReplyDelete
  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.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Every card turned out beautiful

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

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

    ReplyDelete
  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!

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

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

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great cards and greatideas! Thanks Melanie!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love these cards!! Great inspiration!

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

    ReplyDelete
  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!

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

    ReplyDelete
  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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    ReplyDelete
  25. Gorgeous cards! The Magnolia is my Favorite!

    ReplyDelete
  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

    ReplyDelete
  27. Gorgeous cards! Thx for sharing :)

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

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

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

    ReplyDelete
  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

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

    ReplyDelete
  33. Love them. The flower is my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Beautiful cards and such a variety.

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

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

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

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

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

    ReplyDelete
  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!!

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

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

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

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

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

    ReplyDelete
  46. Wow these are absolutely awesome

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

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

    ReplyDelete
  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

    ReplyDelete
  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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    ReplyDelete
  57. Beautiful...especially the magnolia card!

    Nanette

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

    ReplyDelete
  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.

    ReplyDelete
  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

    ReplyDelete
  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.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Wow! Your magnolias took my breath away!

    ReplyDelete
  63. I love that magnolia card. So beautiful.

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

    Blessings,
    Kat

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

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

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

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

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

    ReplyDelete

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