InKollage

Greens from the Garden

Here's another new die from the Summer Collection - it's Cottage Leaf 98342, about 1.6" x 5" - and perfect for any summer card.  I've trimmed the top a bit, to create a curvy stem for my sort-of-sunflower here.  

Fringe Circle 98268 and the center from the Gothic Rosette Set 98249 are some favorites from previous collections - just used in new ways.  Select some designs from each collection - and discover unique ways to feature them in your projects.

Memory Box Dies are great...temporarily misplacing them during that elusive moment of inspiration is not.  I've attached magnetic bars to the shelves around my diecutting area and use them to hold the dies I'm working with at the moment (OK...many moments).  After some training, I've learned to attach the dies to the bars instead of setting them down amidst the paper chaos on my worktop.

Buy the bars from hardware or kitchen stores where they're sold to hold shop tools or knives.  They're very strong - maybe a little too strong for some of our delicate dies - use metal rulers as a buffer zone between the magnets and the delicate dies.  Peel off any cork backing that might be on the back of the rulers. Attach the bars (they should have holes at each end) to your shelves with binder rings - or to pegboards.  Leave a few inches of space at the ends for pins to push the little bits of cardstock out of the dies.

It's just for short-term storage while you're working w/ the dies.  Actually organizing/storing them is another project, later.

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Journey of the Wildflowers

I love purples, greens, wildflowers and collage stamps - it was a pleasure gathering these supplies to create this card for you!  The intricate new Honeyblossom Spring Die 98333 and Crisp Bows Die Set 98197 (a favorite from an earlier holiday release)were cut using the Metal Adapter Plate along with the other plates used for thin metal dies. You don't need those fussy paper or cardstock shims anymore.

It's easy to see that my Journey Collage G1733 stamp has been on a quite a few journeys.  I used to be able to artfully arrange my supplies to hide the ink smudges covering my stamp - not anymore!   The prints from the Viola 6x6 Set are perfect for the flowers and accent strips.

Don't you just love it when everything comes together so easily?  View the Summer Collection here.

Impress' new summer class schedule is on their website right now - Theresa Laurent, Memory Box Design Editor, and I can't wait to start our new classes.  Here are a few of mine...Birthdays Happen!, Tags in a Tin, Holiday Headstart, Monoprints and More, Just a Thought, Merry Merry Memory Box 2012 and Memory Box Calendar.  I'll be posting the details on our Design Team Classes blog soon.  

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Whisper Daisy Birthday Wishes

Whisper Print Daisy F1863 is one of four just-released botanical stamps from the Memory Box Summer Collection. Use it in a number of ways - it can be bold, subtle, contemporary, or vintage, and great for any occasion. Vintage Dreams G1838 creates the perfect background and Happiest Birthday B1354 adds the finishing touch.

The entire card takes about 10 minutes, using fast-drying ColorBox Grasshopper, Frosted Plum and Tree Frog Archival Dye Inkpads for the background, flower and greeting.  The stamped pieces were edged with Grasshopper and foam dots were brushed with Clearsnap's Sparkling Amethyst Glitter. 

The Mini Picket Fence Die 838 from Poppystamps creates a quick border from Parsley Cardstock - like those little wire edgers designed to keep dogs out of the flower beds.  It's about 5-1/2" long, and diecutting it was a breeze with the Metal Adapter Plate and the other plates used for thin dies.

A 2-3/8" x 5" strip of the dotted print from the Viola 6x6 Collection adds a contrasting pop of color.  The A6 card (4-5/8" x 6-1/4") is cut and folded from Juicy Cardstock.  

See the other Whisper Print stamps and new Memory Box Dies here.  View the new Poppystamps Dies too.  There are so many great new items - to feature as the main design element, or mix with classic favorites from previous releases.  I'll be using them in my new classes this summer.

 

Journey of Flight

Let your favorite Memory Box Dies do the work for you - like I did on this simple card.  Just diecut the Selena and Maribelle Butterflies, saving some of the little pieces to attach to the background.  

The classic Journey Collage G1733 creates a quick background.   Add a trio of mini-brads glittered with Silver Lining Glitter from Clearsnap for some sparkle...and your card is ready for a grad, new hire or world traveller.

And here's another design created around our dies - Whimsy Circle and Delicate Vine - on the Design Team's Outside the Box blog.

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Luck of the Irish

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with some easy diecutting - and a splash of bright Emerald Eyes Glitter.  I love how the rich tones of the Violet Notecard and Wildbloom background make the Lucky Leaves Die shamrock sparkle even more. 

The grassy border is diecut with the new Poppystamps Grassland Border - see the new dies here.  It's a must-have for Spring and Easter cards.  The Debutante Frame Die created the soft curves along the bottom of the border.  

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Blossoms on a Branch

 


Papers and inks in shades of purple, chartreuse and gray - combined with Memory Box's 2012 Viola 6x6, dies and stamps...well, life can't get much better than that in my little color-centric world!  

Here's another way to mix and and layer some of the 2012 What's in the Box products. I love how Dave designs complementary products to create cards, layouts and mixed media projects that come together quickly. 

Colors match, diecuts are proportional to each other, stamps and printed papers are easy to coordinate. In a few months, seasonal color changes and new 6x6 papers can easily transform this design into cards for summer or early fall. That's the beauty of Memory Box!

Theresa Laurent, Design Editor at Memory Box, and I have sent our Spring class ideas to Impress. I'll post our new schedules as soon as we hear from Carla, who coordinates all of the classes there.

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Raindrops and Posies

Big Thanks to everyone who took the Fun, Fab Flowers class at Impress on Sunday!  Hope you enjoyed it and will soon have a colorful stash of flower tags to add to gifts, plants and bouquets.

The cold, rainy weather was the inspiration for today's card featuring the new Viola 6x6 Set and three dies - Orchard Tree Frame 98300, Debutante Frame 98297 and Petite Umbrella 98296.  I used the Memory Box Metal Adapter Plate (without additional tape or cardstock shims!)  to diecut this classic, timeless tree, then layered it over the Debutante Frame background.  

The Petite Umbrella has two curvey slashes to add dimension to the diecut.  Inking just along the slashes defines the shape even more - and attaching it with foam dots really makes it pop off the background. Little details like this make Memory Box Dies unique and very special.

See the entire What's in the Box Collection of new stamps, papers and dies here.

Have fun making this card - it's quick, easy and perfect to send to or from Seattle!  

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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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