InKollage

Nightowl

It's starting to feel like Animal Planet here...owls, pandas, and penguins too cute (cool-cute, not cutesy-cute) to resist!

This card seems like wishful thinking for a Wednesday, as we move through a busy workweek.  The 

soft blues, greens and purples of the Poppyfinch Collection are a breeze to work with.  They're great for making a stash of "everyday cards" to keep on  hand for just about any occasion with a simple switch to another greeting stamp.  

If you like these colors as much as I do, you'll love the Sweet Bay Collection too.  Lemony-yellow, taupey gray and citron add a refreshing splash of color.  We'll be using both Poppyfinch and Sweet Bay - and some new stamps too - in the Seeking Closure classes at Impress on the 16th (it's a holiday!) and 22nd.  Sounds like a pretty heavy title for a class - but it's really just about cards w/ flowery closures, pockets, pull-outs and hidden messages.  (And Jewel and Pearl Stickers too - we need bling, even with closure.)

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Workout

Here's a timely Panda card reminder of that annual eat less/exercise more New Year's resolution.  The Glitterari 6x6 set and Exercise Panda may make it a little easier to adhere to that resolution - if not, we can still have fun with this colorful card.

Only Dave would have cleverly designed the weights to be the perfect size for the Pearl Stickers. Just for fun, they'd also be great in the center of the three Sparkle circles.  If you're great with color pencils like  Dave and Laura are, you can just color the image.  If not, a bit of stamping, Glitterati papers  and a few scissor snips will create bright cutouts to fill the spaces.  

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Thanks to You

Confession and after-thought...

I've never been an owl person, not even for Halloween cards - but Clever Owl is so friendly and easy to stamp, color and cut out. He'll be accenting many more cards - you'll see a lot of him. 

Now for the after-thought...I wish I had attached some Jewel Stickers to the three punched circles. They'd fit perfectly into the tiniest circles - Grass Green would be the ideal color.

While we're on the subject of Memory Box Stickers - the Pearl Stickers are the perfect accent on Asian-themed cards.  We're using beautiful silk-screened Washi papers in my classes at Impress (Feb. 8 + 15) and Stampin-in-the-Rain (Feb. 7) -  and the Pearls add subtle "Asian-bling" to the cards.  Daffodil, 24-Karat and  Baby Pink are perfect for the flowery-prints.  White would be elegant on wedding cards. Berry would pop on contemporary red-and-black papers.

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New Kid in Town

Things are a little out-of-sequence here, but that's OK.  Here's The Penguin, introducing his new Memory Box buddy, The Panda.  With capital letters - because they're VIP's.  The Glitterati Set and Sheets are the perfect choice for these two fellows - wild, bright and splashy, with eye-popping colors.

When the new 6x6" Sets  first arrived, I decided to stack them by priority - with my favorites on top, so I could start working with them first.  That didn't work because there were too many "favorites" and I was overwhelmed - but I had to plunge right in and  get started because I had deadlines to meet and needed to get my samples to Dave.   I'm still working my way through the papers and stamps  - and loving every minute of it.  My instant  favorites were Poppyfinch and Sweet Bay - but I think I'm getting addicted to Glitterati.  Maybe it's because it's so wild and crazy -  and I'm not.  Opposites attract!

What are your favorites?

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Petalburst Calendar Page

The new 12x12 sheets are just too beautiful to stack on a shelf or stash away.  There's a perfect design for each month - so I'm using them for monthly calendar pages.  They're easy to display - in acrylic frames, on easels or bulletin boards - and you can see them each day!

Download (or create) and print out a calendar page and cut it to approximately 7.25x5.75".   Use a Tonic dual punch to trim the corners.   Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate is the inkpad we'll be using for this project.    Daub Pearlescent Chocolate along the edges,  then attach it to a mat of Sugarplum Cardstock.  Daub more ink along the edge of the mat, then attach it to a 12x12" Petalburst Sheet.  

Stamp Script Block (E453) twice on a sheet from the Sugardrop 6x6" set and cut the images into 1.25x 2.25" rectangles.  Punch a hole at the top, then ink the edges and the holes with Pearlescent Chocolate. Punch four large hearts from Sugardrop sheets and daub ink along the edges.  Attach two hearts and a gold cord to each tag,  then use foam tape to attach the tags to the sheet.  Punch seven brown-patterned 1/2" circles from a Sugardrop sheet and attach them.  

Punch a small heart from Sugarplum Cardstock, adhere it to the "14th" block and add two Petal Jewel Stickers.  Add a Petal Jewel Sticker to each of the corners of the calendar.  

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Words of Advice

Lagoon, Toffee, Habanero and Antique Gold - sounds like an odd assortment of  colors -  but they somehow work together on this any-occasion card.  It looks like the adult bird is giving a lot of advice to the baby bird,  who might be listening carefully.  Or maybe the words are just going in one ear, and out the other.  You decide!

Either way, it's a design that works for thank-you or thinking-of-you cards.  It can also convey a note of appreciation to a special teacher or mentor. 

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Groovy Kind of Love

The Panda has arrived - and he headed straight to the club for this fun Valentine card.  Stamp Club Panda (C1222) on  textured Soiree White Cardstock with VersaFine Onyx Black and emboss it with clear powder. Stamp the shirt section with Onyx Black on Cranberry Cardstock, then stamp Stipple Dots (B1157) twice with VersaFine Smoky Gray.  Emboss the combined images with clear powder, cut the shirt out and glue it over the white shirt.  Stamp you're groovy baby (B1218) and Heart Notes (A1171) on Cranberry Cardstock with Onyx Black and emboss them with clear powder.  

Stamp Disco Ball (B1207) and Sparkle (A1208) on Soiree Silver Cardstock with Onyx Black and emboss them with clear powder.  Use a 7/8" EK Success Circle Punch to punch the ball out.  Daub Brilliance Graphite Black along the edges of the panda block, the Cranberry background and the ball.  Attach a background of Black Cardstock to the panda piece.  Cut and fold a sheet of Cranberry Biscotti into an A2 Card.  Assemble the card and attach a Canary Yellow Jewel Sticker to the panda to resemble a gold pendant.  Attach three Cherry Jewel Stickers to the disco ball. 

You can't help but smile when you see the Memory Box Pandas.  His sister - in her little dress - is ever so sweet too.  We'll be doing a lot of panda cards - maybe even a panda calendar for 2010.