InKollage

A Note of Thanks

Here's another card using a border of the Dress Form Clear Set's decorative elements.  Sheets from the Brandywine 6x6 Set create a nice backdrop for the swirls and flourishes.  I wanted the dress form to look like a part of the Brandywine print - and the Sweet Plum inkpad was perfect for that.  

It's a card that spans three "generations" of my Memory Box stamp stash...I've had Script Block for many, many years (and probably use it at least once a week!), "thank you" is probably about 2 years old now, and the Dress Form Clear Set was introduced this spring.  Mixing the old and the new is always fun and I like the challenge of finding yet another way to use an old favorite.

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There's a Lion Out There

A friendly lion strolling through the garden would bring a smile to anyone's face.  Two Clear Sets - Hear Me Roar and Seed Stems - are combined here, on a card cut from a sheet of Mango Cardstock.  I love circles and square cards and this was a great excuse to combine both elements.

My summer class schedules for Impress and Stampin' in the Rain are set, and I'll be adding them to the InKollage sidebar this weekend. Thanks to Ann, Cindi, Lara and Kim - for allowing me to teach at your stores!  We'll be using great Memory Box stamps and papers (old favorites and new ones that'll soon become favorites) right up through the holidays.

And of course, this wouldn't be complete without another reminder to enter Laura's contest - entries must be emailed, posted or mailed by June 30th. 

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Summer Wedding Card

Pearls, roses and a deep red heart create an easy card for summer weddings or anniversary celebrations. The Rhubarb Tart 6x6 Set  - and my "most-often-used" Memory Box stamp, E453-Script Block - team up on a card that combines vintage motifs with crisp, contemporary colors.

The deep shimmer of the heart,  punched from the Soiree Collection's Mars Cardstock, sets off the trio of White Pearl Stickers.  It's fun to combine a softly distressed look like the rose background with something rich and pearly. 

Here's another InKollage Idea...instead of just layering several punched pieces for dimension, use darker cardstock for the layers to create a "faux-shadow" effect for greater contrast against a light background, like the heart.

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Senior Moment

Senior moments - 24/7 - can you relate to that too?  If you can, have fun making this card, then send it to someone else who's in the same boat.

The big elephant from the All Ears Clear Set is sure to bring a smile to anyone who sees her.  Her Petal Pink pedicure (paw-dicure...do elephants have paws?) dresses her up a bit - and gives us an excuse to bling it up.

Have a great week...and be sure to enter Laura's contest too!

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Birthday Dress

Color inspiration for this card came from the tomato red patio umbrella in my neighbor's backyard. The dress form was stamped in soft Smokey Gray so that it appears muted, as though the red Fernbrae print is a layer of sheer fabric tossed over the form.

The border is composed of all of the embellishments included in the Dress Form Clear Set - except the two that are used to create a dress stand, stamped in Onyx Black.  Assemble a border on a rectangular acrylic block, stamp it on scrap paper to see if you like the pattern, then stamp it on Red Pepper Cardstock.  Trust me, it's a lot easier than stamping each image individually!

InKollage Idea

If you plan to stamp the border again in the future, stamp it again on scrap cardstock so you'll have the layout for future use.

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Surfer Girl

The Summer Penguin meets bright summer colors from the Glitterati 6x6 Set today.  Sometimes I spend a lot of time obsessing about the perfect colors for a card.  Not this time!

This would be fun for a summer birthday - or to celebrate the beginning of summer vacation.  It could also be a bon voyage card for someone flying off to a tropical getaway. 

And here's a little tip to prevent a "wardrobe malfunction" ...

InKollage Idea

Attach a piece of tape behind the top edge of the swimsuit before you cut it out.  This helps keep the straps attached if the scissors get too close to the bottom edge of the straps.

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Take time to smell the roses...

Big, fancy parties for special occasions are fun - event planners, celebrity chefs, valet parking, musicians, whatever.  Sometimes a simple, "hey, come over and relax" party is even better.  That's what this is all about - taking a moment to slow down, relax - and have a great time.

If you're in the Seattle area and want some great ideas for summer fun - Impress is having a series of Stampers' Drop-In Parties  tonight and tomorrow.  Here's where it's happening:  Bellevue Square (June 16 - 6:30-8:00 PM), University Village (June 17 - 6:30-8:00 PM)  and Tukwila (June 17 - 11:00AM-1:00PM and 6:00-8:00 PM).

As Ann,  one of Impress' owners, says... "you don't need to have a special occasion to celebrate - good friends and having fun are reasons enough to host a summer party."  That's why she and her team have created special samples and displays of summer celebration ideas.  Take a friend who's never been to an Impress Stampers' Drop-In with you - and you both get a coupon for a 25% discount on one item.

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Bird with a Note

A long-legged blue bird on a Fernbrae background delivers a cheery little note here.  I love adding word bubbles and word blocks to cards - and the little phrases and words from all of our new Clear Sets are just the right size to make a real statement.

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Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weeny

This bikini-ed penguin didn't start out this way.  She was actually wearing the bathing suit from the Summer Penguins Clear Set - but decided to change into something a little briefer.  A bit of trimming did the trick - and adding Canary Yellow Jewel Stickers finished it off.  

Tropical cocktails keep everyone refreshed - and you could add Cherry Red Jewel Stickers to the drinks too - but I decided to keep the emphasis on the yellow polka-dotted bikini.

This weekend's classes at Stampin' in the Rain and Impress  wrap up the spring schedule...can't wait to get started on the summer classes in a few weeks.  We'll start using our new What's in the Box top-secret stamps and papers soon too.  Be sure your Retailer has ordered the entire program.

Have a great weekend - and don't forget to enter Laura's contest!

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Sharing another entry...

Here's another entry I wanted to share with you. It's by Mary C. Anderson, featuring a beautiful Crested Bird (F1260) from the Sparkly Bird Bonanza Collection,  perched on a branch blinged with Cherry Red Jewel Stickers.  No, Mary's entry was not late - it just took me a while to post it.  Let's just say I had some "technical difficulties" - and Patter came to my rescue and helped me out.  Thanks Mary, for your great card - and Thanks Patter, for your expertise!

We're wrapping up our Spring Classes this weekend.  We're "Going Green" at Impress - with cards designed to recycle, re-use and re-purpose catalogs, junkmail and forgotten supplies that are gathering dust. To balance the old with the new... we'll use the new Dress Form, Little Birdie and Seed Stems Clear Sets and the Playground Panda flying paper airplanes made of old newspapers.