davebrethauer

New Paper Displays

We are pleased to announce the unveiling of our latest project here at Memory Box. 

We have partnered with select stores across the United States, from Anchorage to Boston, to create mini-concept Memory Box Store displays. We created custom fixtures to show off our basic notecards, as well as our Soiree (say swah-ray) notecard and envelope line - and the fixtures have arrived in stores today! 

We feel lucky to have such a great relationship with our stores, who agreed to help us display a wall of stationery for customers to enjoy. Stampers have enjoyed our basic cards for years, beginning with just three colors (12 years ago!) and now we stock 50 gorgeous colors (and matching A2 sized envelopes). Our Soiree stationery is perfect for wedding invitations, birth announcements or party invites - with sizes ranging from tiny 4 bar cards and envelopes all the way up to A9 envelopes! If you are putting together a wedding invitation for example, you could coordinate your invitation, reply card, table card, menu card, program and thank you notes - matching all of the envelopes and paper colors together! The colors are fun and trendy - and we've sent some beautiful wedding displays with the fixtures, to inspire customers who want to make their own invitations, or shower invites, or whatever! My favorite envelope from the Soiree line is the Policy envelope - which looks like a #10 business envelope, except that it opens on the short side - so fun!

Most of the stores that Memory Box sells to stock the Soiree stationery and/or our Notecards. If you haven't tried our paper yet, please do! You will find yourself wanting to collect all of the colors. 

For those of you who are interested in seeing the new Memory Box paper displays, you can visit the following stores! They will be happy to assist you with your paper project - whether it's a few thank you cards or 250 wedding invitations!

Scarlet Empress

La Carta Bella

Impress Rubber Stamps

Ink About It

Simple Pleasures

Stamp On Over

Stampin' in the Rain

The Queen's Ink

Stamp and Scrap Nest

The Stamp Attic

Rock, Paper, Scissors

A Room With A View

 

When I started to create my project for this week, I had an idea to make something different than what I ended up with. When I got part way into the project, I realized what I was envisioning wasn't going to work as I had originally thought, so instead of ditching the whole thing, I worked with the elements I already had started. Does that ever happen to you??

I used the new "Artsy Owl" (F1258) from the Sparkly Bird Bonanza release. The fun thing about this owl is, I really don't think there is any wrong way you could color it. It is larger size, so it is super easy to color & cut out, the possibilities are endless!! I am looking forward to trying out many color combinations! My original thought for this card was to have on owl peeking out of his "home". I wanted to showcase the owl & surroundings on the inside of the card. The Iris note card has actually been cut down to a smaller size, only because I was cutting it down for my original project. The size still works well for this project, but it could easily be made with the standard size note card as well. I used Mocha Biscotti paper on the front and cut a window using a 1 1/2" circle punch. That seemed to be about the right size for just showing the amount of the owl's face that I wanted. I created a border for the window by punching a Vanilla Bean piece of card stock with a circle window using the 1 1/2" circle punch again, then punching around that circle with the Marvy Mega Scalloped Circle (pink) punch. I added some Frost (15517)colored pearls & Diamond jewels (15501) randomly around the edge of the scallop. I needed a little help holding my card in the wind & this clip covered in paper from the Sweetbay paper pack did the trick.

 

This photo below is of the inside of the card. I used some paper from the Poppyfinch paper pack as a background. I don't think the "Spriggle" (C1259) image is really intended to be used as a branch, but I thought it could be a fun little perch for the owl. I stamped it with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate ink then heat embossed it.  The owl is popped up with dimensionals (hard to see in this photo).

 

Below is a close up of the owl. It is stamped onto white card stock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. Memento ink is great when using Copics to color your image. The nice thing about Copics is they blend beautifully, and if you don't have the exact color you are looking for, you can often achieve it by combining colors (I combined YG00 & G40 to create the lighter green color I wanted on the owl). I colored with Copics (YR21, YR24, Y000, B21, B95, YG00, G40, & YG95) & cut the image out. The size of this owl make cutting a breeze. I covered the owl with Skyblue (15508) jewels to really add some sparkle!! Oh, I almost forgot, I used the Perfect Positioner (used for positioning jewels & pearls) that Dave "twittered" about & it works great!!

 

Have you grabbed your Memory Box blinkie yet?? I've had mine posted for a couple weeks (had to grab it the second I saw it!) & it looks so cute on my blog. It's a fun way for me to share my ♥♥♥ for Memory Box!!  If you haven't seen Dave's post below, be sure to check it out, you don't want to miss it!!  

Blinkie Contest

It's take your puppy to work day! Well, not really, but we did anyway.

Kip really wasn't much help - he promptly curled up on the order shelf and went to sleep - what a slacker!

Have you seen our new Memory Box blinkie?  If not, look on the left-hand side of my blog.  Do you see it just below where it says “Grab Your Blinkie”?  Well, we are having a little Memory Box Blinkie Contest!  Copy and paste the code below the blinkie to your blog so that you too can display our blinkie.  Here are instructions for Blogger and Typepad users:

For Blogger users you will:

• Select and copy the code below the Memory Box blinkie.
• Go to “layout” on your blog.
• Select “add a new gadget”.
• Select “HTML/Java Script”.
• Paste the code in the content section and select save.
• It will now “blink” on your personal blog.

Typepad users will:

• Select and copy the code below the Memory Box blinkie.
• Go to your Typepad dashboard and create a new TypeList (link list).
• Paste the code in the note section.
• Then go to your blog design page and select content.
• Add your new module and select save.
• It will now “blink” on your personal blog.

Then come back to this post and leave a comment with a link to your blog where you posted the blinkie.  Comments and links must be left here by Sunday, May 3rd, at 11:59 p.m. CST.  A random winner will be picked Monday, May 4th.  The winner will receive a fun Memory Box prize.  Please note, you can only enter ONE blinkie contest.  All Memory Box blogs are running the same contest; however, you can only leave your comment and link on ONE of these blogs.  One entry per person.  So, get posting and blinking!  Good luck to everyone!

Chickadees and Tweet Birds

I was thinking today about my kids. 

Having a daughter who has the highest GPA in her class and a son who wins 2nd place on a gymnastics event in a 5 state region is pretty amazing. So I was thinking, what made this all happen?

I was a good student but I don't ever recall having the highest grade in class - and I wasn't particularly athletic. The same could be said for my wife Monica - a good student, who played basketball a bit - but again, nothing that we could pass down genetically.

So what was it exactly?

The organic food we buy?

Vitamins?

No, I am guessing it's probably stamping - I can't really prove it but there is something about just being around the creative process of making everyday greeting cards that seems to make people better.

I am sharing today a few more ideas from our Sparkly Bird Bonanza release. The card above uses our new scalloped A2 size postcards and a piece of patterned Biscotti paper. The scalloped card (Aqua colored) is such a classic shape - and it fits just right inside of a matching Aqua A2 sized envelope.

The Chickadee (F1257) is colored with Copic markers and the background is stamped with our new Seedburst (E1265) image. Of course, a generous application of jewels makes the whole thing sparkle.

An Azalea pink jewel in the center of the flowers and some Lagoon Jewels scattered on the bursts is just enough dimension.

This little notecard (actually a Truffle A2 card cut down to square size) is a wonderful "just a note" card. The Tweet Bird (E1263) is centered between the new Cappa Flourish (B1264), which is stamped top and bottom to give the card a formal feel.

Make this card and send it off a s a "just because" greeting - and make the world smarter, and more athletic.

A Card for Earth Day

 

This week, I wanted to make a card in honor of Earth Day which is Wednesday April 22nd. I had an idea in my head for how I wanted this card to turn out, not sure it's exactly what I was going for, but I decided to stick with it anyway. I wanted to ink up a stamp from the new Sparkly Bird Bonanza collection & thought the Leafy Tree (E1266) would be appropriate for the occasion. This is such a pretty tree image, you really need to see it IRL! I really wanted to make it sparkle, so I decidedto use my Twinkling H2O's. I don't use them enough, but they are absolutely gorgeous on this tree! I used two different colors of Twinkling H20's, and one color from this Shimmer Paint set I picked up while visiting Impress last year. I do prefer the quality of the Twinkling H20's, but the Shimmer paint set is a great price & offers a good variety of colors. I also added some Juicy Plum Jewels(15504) to add even more sparkle and a nice contrast. I have included a close up photo below so you can see how they shimmer & sparkle a little better. I have the "Perfect Positioner" on order that Dave "twittered" about (thanks for the tip Dave) for applying jewels, but I haven't received it yet. I'm anxious to try it out. I hoping it will make placement of jewels quicker for me. There is a "wood grain texture on the Key Lime band, although it doesn't show well in the photo. I created my sentiment by cutting out alphabet letters stamped onto kraft card stock. I had some re-purposed buttons & twine I was going to add as well, but it seemed a little much after I added the cut out letters.

Here's the close up...

 

There is little measuring needed for this card, so I compiled a list of supplies used below. Please let me know if I have left anything out or if you have any questions & will leave an answer with a reply to this post.

Supplies used: Memory Box Lagoon note card; Memory Box Key Lime cut to 4 1/4" x 3/4"; Memory Box Leafy Tree (E1266), Memento Rich Cocoa, VersaMagic Key Lime, & Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate Ink; Spellbinders Labels One Die (used 2nd to largest die), Twinkling H20's in Lemongrass & Teal Zircon; Shimmer Paints (see link above); Brown Pencil (for trunk & branches); Memory Box Juicy Plum Jewels; kraft & white card stock. 

I hope everyone will find a way to give the earth a little love tomorrow (and everyday)! :) See you next Tuesday!

Is it a cardinal or a blue jay?

It's up to you!

I knew I wanted another crested bird to use for stamping out greeting cards so I was thinking I'd use it as a cardinal. But while designing the Sparkly Bird program, it just didn't look quite right having a red bird with all of the blues and aquas we were using. So after some thought, we gave the bird a blue body and green feathers. We are allowed to use artistic license as stampers right? This is the Crested Bird (F1260) - and you can make it whatever color you want!

We stamped the Parsley Sprig (C1262) on the left and right side and added a few Hot Pink Pearls.

Continuing with the theme of birds on branches, I designed the Espalier Birds E1261. This is a simple, easy image that we embellished with Cherry Red and Azalea Pink Jewels. The leaves on the branches are quick to color in and the simple bird shapes look good in any color. We thought we'd make bluebirds here.

You can see how our jewels sparkle when you see them close up - aren't they beautiful? They catch the light and really make the whole card just pop. This image reminds me of a nursery here in the Northwest, Heronswood Nursery, that has espaliered trees in one of their formal courtyards. If you are a gardener, this is an inspiring place - it was the first time I ever saw 12 foot lilies!

I will share some more samples with you on Monday - the Sparkly Birds program seems to be ushering some warm weather into the Pacific Northwest. I can't wait to do some gardening, and bird watching, this weekend!

Sparkly Bird Cards

By now, lots of stores are getting the new Sparkly Bird Bonanza stamps in and I wanted to share a few details, today and tomorrow, about the sample cards. If you'd like to download a pdf of the new stamps click here - or visit our site to see the collection.

I specifically proportioned these images bigger, so that they were easier to color (with copic markers and watercolor) - and also, just to be able to use some larger sized images for a change! All of the samples use notecards from our Soiree line (say swah-ray) - in Aqua and Truffle. All of the cards also use some of our Biscotti patterned papers for their backgrounds. The Biscotti papers all come in an 8 1/2 x 11 size, which we cut down and use as layers - the great thing about them is that they match many of our notecard colors!

On the Artsy Owl (F1258) card above, we colored the owl with Copic markers and really layered on the jewels!

We mixed Azalea Pink jewels and Hot Pink pearls on the little stem image (which we call Spriggle C1259). Lots of jewels on the owl as well, so that everything really sparkles. This collection is all about flash, bling and pattern - so that the end result is really eyecatching!

This tree (our new Leafy Tree E1266) can be decorated with all sorts of little images - birds, flowers,etc. - but we thought a tree full of "berries" would look great.

Some Berry Pearl stickers and Deep Lagoon Jewel stickers look fantastic with the greens and blues. The dimension that the Jewels and Pearls is so fun. You'll find you want to add a few more, and a few more, and...a few more!

Theresa Goes to Texas

One of our instructors, Theresa Laurent, made a trip to San Antonio, Texas to teach at Stamp Antonio, a wonderful rubber stamp and arts store that we sell to. Theresa taught a Colored Pencil techniques class as well as a spring class on Saturday and Sunday in this spacious store with beautiful fixtures.

Here is the store's demo area - where customers can learn about all of the latest techniques and new products.

Owners Amy (left) and Carol (middle, left) were terrific hosts for Theresa for the entire weekend. Mindy (middle, right) who does the Stamp Antonio blog was also on hand to help out and attend Theresa technique classes - the store dog Duncan (left) was joined by his friend (not sure what his name was!) and Theresa said they were adorable. Don't you just love store dogs? Duncan reminds me of my Cairn terriers - Biscuit and Kip!

After returning from a successful weekend of classes, Carol wrote Theresa a wonderful thank you letter, and here is an excerpt:

March 27, 2009

Hi Theresa!

We enjoyed your visit sooooo much! I'm not sure if I adequately expressed to you how many people came out of the classroom saying, "I enjoyed the class!" AND "She has such a good teaching style." Thank you for making it such a successful weekend!

Theresa has been teaching classes for almost 8 years - and definitely has a beautiful teaching style and way about her. We are so lucky to have such a talented person on the Memory Box team!

Guest Blog with Nancy: Sunny Panda with a Touch of Sparkle

I hope everyone is having a great start to their week!! Have you checked out the new images in the "Sparkly Bird Bonanza" release yet?? If not, see Dave's post below. Such a cute name for the release too! I can see why so many stores have already signed up for this release. So many  beautiful images, WOW!! Do you have any favorites yet? I love them all, but I have to say Chickadee, Cappa Flourish, Tweet Bird & Seedburst really caught my eye. I think the Parsley Sprig & Spriggle definitely have some fresh possibilities as well. What about that Artsy Owl & Crested Bird? I'm sure many of you will find some fun ways to color those images. It's hard to pick your favorites, huh? Oh what the heck, you need them all right? I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone creates with the new images!! 

For this weeks project, I wanted to create a whimsical card using the "Sunny Panda" image. All of the 6x6 paper packs make it so easy to add beautiful backgrounds to your card with little effort. I used the 3 different papers from the Sweetbay paper pack for this card.  I used two in the background & one that I paper pieced onto the dress, hat & umbrella of the panda. This card really came together fairly quickly & I am pleased with the final result. Thank you for stopping by!

 

I added a touch of sparkle to some of the leaves. More of the leaves have sparkle, I just struggled with capturing it in the photo. 

To make this card, I started with a Sunflower note card. I cut a piece of patterned paper from the Sweet Bay paper pack to 4" x 5 1/4". I then cut another piece apx. 4" x 1 1/2" and punched one edge with a decorative edge punch. I adhered that piece to the bottom part of the other patterned piece. I adhered that piece to a slightly larger piece of white card stock. I stamped the "Sunny Panda" (C1212) with VersaFine Black Ink. Using the same ink, I stamped the panda two more times, once onto white card stock & once onto another patterned piece from the Sweetbay paper pack. I gave the panda a little color on her cheeks & eyes using colored pencils. I also added some shading to the patterned piece using colored pencils.I cut the panda out of the white card stock piece & her attire out of the patterned piece. I glued them down to the card over the original stamped panda. I added some pop dots to her umbrella. I added some sparkle to some of the leaves on the background paper using a clear spica glitter pen. I had a hard time getting a great photo of this, but you can get the idea in the second photo. I just wanted a subtle sparkle. I added a button tied with scrappers floss for embellishment to the lower corner.

I hope you have enjoyed the card this week. :)

~Nancy~

Sparkly Bird Bonanza

We have a brand new release going out this week - full of bird images! The concept name changed three times before the release and after a severe creative block I had almost decided to just call it "Birds and Berries". Fortunately, my kids were available for some input (they are currently on spring break) so I asked Emma if she could think of any good names for a bird stamp release.

"Sure I can!," she said enthusiastically, "how 'bout Sparkly Bird Bonanza?"

This was a little out of the norm for a Memory Box title but what the heck, the staff all warmed to the title immediately! It certainly is MEMORABLE! And, just try saying it three times fast!

So, we are releasing 10 new wood mounted stamps, which you can view here Download Newstamps .