InKollage

Get Ready for Spring

Here are some of the cards I've designed recently - this one is from the Poppystamps Blog.  It combines dies from Poppystamps and Memory Box.  They are perfect together, and the Memory Box cardstock in shades of Wisteria, Aloe, Violet and Thistle make it oh-so-easy to create a spring card.  

Memory Box and Poppystamps dies are great for cutting felt too - like these flowers, cut with the Memory Box Fabulous Phlox Die 98511.  The card is posted on our Design Team Blog - view the details here.

Here's a design that was embossed instead of diecut - for a crisp white-on-white look.  Details are posted here on Outside the Box.

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LoveNote from the Heart

Embossing With Memory Box Dies

Backyard Valentine

Hi - hope you enjoyed our blog blitz on Outside the Box this week - and that you commented on each designer's post to enter the daily drawings for the new Memory Box Dies. Here's a Valentine card I did for the blitz.  View the 2013 Collection here.

Here's a design that combines something(s) old with something(s) new.  The new dies are the Grand Oak Tree 98462 and Set of Swings 98463. The hearts are cut from red felt with the classic Heart Delights 98260 from the 2012 Collection.  The assorted 'x' and 'o' pieces are cut with the Parker Upper Alphabet 98364 and Parker Lower Alphabet 98363.

Big thanks to everyone who took today's Valentines by Design class at the Bellevue Impress - it was great seeing you again and catching up on everything you've been doing

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LoveNote from the Heart

Sweets for the Sweet

Three Ghosties

A Black Velvet Smooch-Spritzed Mango background and the Moonlight Woods F1885 stamp create a quick backdrop for some new Memory Box dies.  Ghost Trio 98376 is cut from glossy white cardstock and Swooping Bats 98409 look great in black felt.  

There are so many great Halloween and Fall stamps and dies in the Holiday 2012 release - get an early start on your projects and make a variety of cards. There's no rule requiring the same card for everyone - so be creative and have fun!

Everyone has quite a stash of dies now.  If you're looking for more ways to use enjoy them throughout the year (like 365 days!) - join us for the Memory Box Calendar class at the Tukwila Impress on Monday September 3rd.  I'll diecut everything ahead of time - so all you'll have to do is assemble a simple easel, stamp quickly, and play with paper and diecuts!  Please call the the store to pre-register (206 901.9101) - the class requires a lot of prep and I want to be sure to have kits for everyone who loves Memory Box.  

It's a great way to celebrate Labor Day with dies, stamps and papers proudly made in the USA.  Here are some  class designs - we'll make a seasonal or holiday frame for each month...

And here's a link to a Poppystamps project - a veggie garden card:  

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Smiling Thoughts

The Orchard Tree Frame Die 98300 is a great backdrop for every season.  Layer it with the Debutante Frame Die 98297 and Fresh Fruit 12x12 print for a sun-splashed summer background.  Add the Hanging Monkey C1753 diecut with one of the Monkey Mania Dies 98112- and your card will make anyone smile!

Add a bit of dimension to an otherwise flat card by diecutting an extra monkey from scrap cardboard and layering it behind the stamped monkey.  Thick (1/8") foam squares on the ends of the greeting strip make it look like the monkey is holding a sign.  Just a few tricks to add some interest to your card.

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Make It a Happy Day!

Memory Box Dies are very versatile...use them as Dave designed them to be used, or experiment and alter the diecuts for a different look.  I used the Metal Adapter Plate for this project - it's great with the intricate dies, and helps cut through heavy materials like felt.

Leaf Swirl 98345 was first cut as usual, then cut with Scalloped Circle 98109 as a poufy treetop.  Tall Birch 98336 was cut, trimmed and limbed to create a new trunk for the treetop.

Perched Reedbird 98160, a favorite from an earlier release, was cut from felt and cardstock (punch a hole for the eye) and layered so the Vanilla Bean cardstock shows up as his feet and eye.

View our newest release here - you'll love the great designs!

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Birthday Superstar

Here's a fun birthday card for your favorite guy - Bitsy Truck A1730 carrying a big "star" cut from felt with the Cherry Blossom Die 98316.  It's one of the three shapes you can cut with this versatile die - I think it looks like a star - hope you agree.   

The Modern Landscape Border Die 98257 is as versatile as it is cool.  We tucked a heart into the Bitsy Truck on a Valentine card a few months ago.  Add some pumpkins and ink the trees in fall colors for a Halloween or Thanksgiving card.  Color the trees a sparkly, snowy white and toss a Christmas tree into the back of the truck for a holiday card.

The Puffy Clouds Die 98172 would be fun on a summer card with a beach, bar-b-que or vacation theme. There are so many ways to use the dies for stenciling and dry-embossing too.  Be sure to visit our Design Team's Outside the Box blog next week - we'll be introducing our newest dies, with projects and prizes too.   Add your Memory Box die project to our Flickr page and enter our contest there.

Join us at the Tukwila Impress on Sunday June 3 for the Guy Cards class and be among the first to make cards featuring those great new dies!

Here's another card with a diecut felt accent -  our popular Perched Reedbird 98160, in bright turquoise felt:

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Peep!

 

The months - and holidays - are flying by this year!  Here's a colorful Easter card that's quick and easy to make.  

Dancing Tulips 98295 are accented with an extra layer of glittered Tulip Petals 98317.  And the little chick?  He's our favorite Perched Reedbird 98160, diecut from bright yellow felt - then trimmed a bit for spring.  Distressed Garden Record G1848 is simply stamped with ColorBox Grasshopper Archival Dye Ink, then diecut with Index Card 98214.

I enjoy re-purposing Memory Box Dies and finding new ways to use them.  That's exactly what we'll be doing in this Saturday's Beyond the Box class at the University Village Impress.  Join us if you can - you'll be inspired by the great new samples in the store and the fresh spring products Ann has selected just for you.  U Village's lovely landscaping and spring plantings will be an added treat!

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Garden Gift Tags

Memory Box stamps and dies, ColorBox inkpads -  and the promise of Spring -  inspired me to create a set of garden gift tags to tuck into a handy little tin from Basic Necessities by Clearsnap.  Hop over to the Clearsnap Altered Basics Blog Hop on March 7th and 8th for great designer projects featuring the new line of fun, functional, alter-able items - and a chance to win great prizes!

The new Memory Box stamps and dies, and a few old favorites, teamed up with ColorBox pigment, dye and chalk inkpads to create dreamy little tags in shades of green, violet and purple. Notecards in Violet (which look blue here, but are a beautiful rich bluish-purple in real life), Wisteria and Parsley were simply cut in half to create the tags, which fit perfectly in the tin.  

Attach a 3.5" square of Scor-Tape to a scrap of green cardstock and diecut Floral Square using the Metal Adapter Plate along with the plates used for thin metal dies.  Carefully remove the liner.

Spread a thin layer of Peridot Glitter on a non-stick surface (I used a cutting mat) and press the adhesive side onto the glitter.

Using a soft rubber brayer (and cleaning the brayer with a damp washcloth between inks),  layer Heliotrope, Citrine, Lilac and Lavender inks onto an 8.5" x 11" sheet white cardstock.  (Yes, the combination of colors unexpectedly created some orangey sections - but I liked it!)  Heat-set the inks with a dry iron on the cotton setting.  Cut one 3-1/8" square of the inked cardstock and round the corners. Attach it to the tin, then attach the glittered diecut. Cut the remaining cardstock into 2-1/2" x 3" pieces and set them aside.

Diecut Fringe Border, Small Pinwheel Posie and Fancy Blossoms from purple felt.  Using tweezers or a chalking tool, roll the Fringe Border into a flower, secure the end, and glue it to the tin. Starting from the outer edge, loosely roll the Small Pinwheel Posie into a flower and attach it to the tin. Layer the three Fancy Blossoms. Attach Scor-Tape to a scrap of purple cardstock and brush Grape Fizz Glitter onto the adhesive.  Punch it into 1/4" circles and attach the circles to the flowers.

Stamp the inked cardstock rectangles with the following stamp and ink combinations and emboss them with detail clear powder:

• Vintage Record Sheet+Violet, Drift Flowers+Moss Green
• Distressed Garden Record+Moss Green, Reverse Allium+Lavender
• Mercer Rose Background+Violet
• Adore Peony Collage+Guacamole
• Vintage Dreams+Guacamole, Gorgeous Mini-Bloom+Grape Slushy
• Vintage Dreams+Guacamole, Dogwood Bloom+Grape Slushy

Trim the stamped cardstock and ink the edges using the Stylus, Tip and Grape Slushy.  Cut Violet, Wisteria and Parsley Notecards into 2-3/4" x 3" folded tags. Attach the stamped pieces to the tags. Attach green, purple and light violet cords to the tags.

SUPPLIES:

Memory Box

• Violet, Wisteria and Parsley Notecards
• Vintage Record Sheet G1712
• Drift Flowers D1841
• Distressed Garden Record G1848
• Reverse Allium E1834
• Mercer Rose Background G1842
• Adore Peony Collage G1433
• Vintage Dreams G1838
• Gorgeous Mini Bloom B1761
• Dogwood Bloom C1846
• Metal Adapter Plate
• Fringe Border Die 98266
• Small Pinwheel Posie Die 98271
• Fancy Blossoms Die 98312
• Floral Square Die 98284

Clearsnap 

• Basic Necessities Square Tin
• ColorBox Classic Pigment Inkpads - Lavender, Moss Green, Citrine, Violet, Heliotrope and Lilac
• ColorBox Fluid Chalk Limited Edition Inkpad - Guacamole
• ColorBox Archival Dye Inkpad - Grape Slushy
• Glitter - Peridot and Grape Fizz
• ColorBox Stylus and White Blending Tip

Other Supplies

• Diecut Machine and Plates
• Scor-Tape
• 4" Soft Rubber Brayer
• Damp Washcloth
• Non-stick Mat
• Corner Rounder Punch
• Screw Punch
• Green, Purple and Light Violet Cords

Hope you liked the project - make a set of tags for yourself, and a few extras to share!  Here's another Basic Necessities Tin project you might like..  And remember to hop over to Daniela's blog for another altered tin project, and an altered salt shaker idea too!

First Bloom of Spring

Water-coloring, color-pencilling or other skill-required coloring techniques are a bit beyond my reach. Luckily, Dave, Theresa and the other Design Teamers are great at that!  Here's another version of my favorite quick, easy and always unpredictable spritzy background technique.

Vintage Dreams G1838, Dogwood Branch F1848, Distressed Garden Record G1848 and Wishing You Combo B1853 are the stamps featured here.  The delicate accent is cut with the Valencia Border Die 98290.  View the 2012 What's in the Box Collection here.

Several people have asked about Cuttlebugging with our intricate, detailed dies.  I've removed my painters tape spot-shims from the dies and use the Memory Box Metal Adapter Plate instead - without any paper or cardstock shims either.  Remember to place the Adapter Plate, die and cardstock behind the printed instructions on the A, B, and C plates - not flush w/ the edge that enters the machine.   This allows the stack (others call it a sandwich, but that makes me hungry!) to feed into the machine easily, without using excessive force. 

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