Wings of Love

 

Hello!  My name is Suzanne Czosek and I teach at Stamp Scrap N More  in Mundelein, IL.  I will be contributing to the Outside the Box  blog and teaching Memory Box Classes.  I am very excited about joining this wonderful group of designers and instructors.  I love using new techniques, inks, colors, stamps and more stamps.  I am looking forward to sharing with you some of the wonderful Memory Box products.

This card uses the beautiful paper from the Gossamer 6 x 6 collection and it is so lovely that I used the paper for my main image on my Soiree card..

I used the Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 4 and die cut from brown card stock and the gorgeous gossamer paper. I then turned the die over and traced on the gossamer and hand-cut the shape to allow for a frame in brown. 

I then used the Periwinkle B1181 Butterfly on another sheet from the Gossamer collection and stamped it four times using my Versafine - Vintage Sepia ink.  I shaded the butterflies with my Prismacolor pencils using pink and brown. 

I added some lovely Memory Box pearls as the body and a little Fruit Punch Stickles around the edges for some glimmer. 

The border along the bottom is the same paper from the butterflies and the edge is created using a  Martha Stewart Edger.

Products:

_{Memory Box - Gossamer 6x6 Paper
Memory Box - Periwinkle B1181
Memory Box - Pearls
Memory Box - Raspberry Soiree
Versafine - Vintage Sepia
Spellbinders - Nestabilities Labels 4
Martha Stewart Edger
Prismacolor - Pink / Brown
Ranger Stickles - Fruit Punch}

I look forward to sharing many more fun projects!

Suzz

Greetings from Anne, Your Maine Stamper

I am so excited to be on the Memory Box Design team, and I'm just a little bit nervous writing my first post to our new blog.  When the first box from Dave arrived, I couldn't wait to get inside to examine the stamps, papers, cards, envelopes, and jewels.  But the real fun for me began outside the box as I inked up stamps, punched papers, selected embellishments, and created my first project.  I teach regularly at Your Maine Stamper in Winthrop, Maine; and I have classes planned for every Monday afternoon in January.  This bag and tag book is one of the projects we will complete during the Gifts From the Heart class on January 11th.  

For this book I punched jumbo scalloped squares (Marvy punch) and small hearts (Martha Stewart punch) from four of the Gossamer 6X6 Collection papers, smaller scalloped circles (Marvy punch) from Petal cardstock, and layered them up with white pearls onto the dozen mini white bags (Michaels Celebrate It paper sacks).  I made the covers from a cereal box, tracing the outline of the paper bag, covering the outsides with the packaging sample page from the Gossamer 6X6 Collection and the insides with Petal cardstock.  I punched two holes in the closed ends of each bag and the covers and bound them with two small book rings.  I added hot pink, pale pink, and lavender dot ribbons and a purple swirl ribbon (May Arts; Michaels) to the rings.  I stamped the cover "valentine greetings" and the hearts from the Tree of Love in Memories Ruby.  For the tags I used these stamps:  Tree of Love, Sonoma Print, Owl Always, Nesting Birds, and Batik Birds from Valentine's Studio.  I also used these other Memory Box stamps: valentine greetings, car and heart,leaping squirrel, nuts about you, and the big heart .  I stamped the images and inked the edges of the tags with Memories ArtPrint Brown, Adirondack Shell Pink, and Ancient Page Foxglove inks.  I added ribbons to each tag before tucking them into the bags.  There's room on the back of each tag for a valentine message and enough space in each bag to tuck in a love note, a coupon or gift card, candy, or other small treat.  

Happy stamping!

Anne

  

Love is in the Air

Hello Everyone! My name is Patricia Thorpe and I live in the historic village of Barnegat on the Jersey Shore with my husband, Lee, and our three furry friends Spike, Buddy and Phoebe.  We own One Little Spark, a rubber stamp and papercrafting shop in Tuckerton, NJ., where I also teach.  

My stamping style tends to be what I call "clean" - I enjoy creating cards with simple, classic lines and few embellishments.  I mostly color with Copics art markers but ever now and then I will use Prismacolor or watercolor pencils.  And, as anyone who has ever taken one of my classes will tell you, I love glitter and Spica Pens!

This card is one of four that will be featured in my January "Love is in the Air" class at One Little Spark...

 

The Branch Heart (E1310) and Valentine Greetings (B1175) were stamped with Memento Cocoa Brown ink on white Neenah paper.  Tiny pink hearts from the Tree of Love (D1312)  were randomly stamped on the wreath using Memento Angel Pink.  This layer was adhered to a patterned paper from the Gossamer 6" x 6" paper pack and this layer was then adhered to a Cherry Blossom note card.  A simple sheer pink ribbon adds the final touch.

Hope your Christmas was wonderful and that you all have a happy, healthy New Year! I look forward to sharing more cards and projects with you over the coming months!

 
  

Nice to meet you!

What can I say…. I've always had a "Susie Homemaker" side so I love to bake, decorate and create-especially with paper crafts.

 I’m Jenny Griffiths – married mother of two and grandmother of three, living in beautiful San Diego, California – and glad to be a part of the Memory Box Design Team.

 I began rubber stamping more than 20 years ago when I attended a rubber stamp home party.  It was love at first "ink-up" and I found every opportunity to create with rubber stamps, glitter, accessories – you name it!  Nothing was safe from my new obsession--I even dabbled in wall decor!

   A few years later I opened my first of 2 retail stamp stores called Stamp Diego.  It was then that I discovered Memory Box and their delightful designs.  Again, love at first "ink up".  Although I sold my stores, paper crafting was in my blood for good so I continue to create and teach classes.   

 Memory Box has given me a wonderful opportunity to express my creativity and imagination – thank you for letting me share it with you!

 I can’t wait for 2010!  There’s nothing like a new year to start fresh again-AND there’s always new stamp designs in the making.  Here’s one card I made with the new Valentine Studio designs and Gossamer papers---Love them!

I teach at various stores in the San Diego area…next up, Stamp Delights in La Mesa on January 13th.  Hope you can join us!

Here’s one of the cards in that class:

I started off on a matte natural note card and added 2 different Gossamer papers cut into small rectangles and stamped  E1312 Tree of Love in Versafine Vintage Sepia.

 Colorbox Orchid Pastel ink was used to stamp the small hearts (also E1312-mounted on the side) and on the deckle edge of the card. 

Pretty baby pink pearl stickers and petal pink jewels were added along with beautiful silk ribbon tied into the folded card to finish this easy and elegant Valentine card.  Enjoy!  

Hello from Dave

Hello to everyone. I am excited to be sharing with you a brand new creative team at Memory Box for 2010. The Memory Box Design Team instructors were chosen from a huge number of applicants and I feel very fortunate to have them join our company.

In the coming months, they will be sharing techniques, teaching and inspiring paper artists to be creative. We have plenty of wonderful new products to play with in 2010 - and it will be so fun as the team puts their own spin on things and helps all of you look at our line of stamps and papers in new ways.

All members of the team will be teaching classes this year - so if you are near any of their teaching locations, consider taking a class from them! We know you'll love their style just as much as we do!

My company, Memory Box, which I own with my wife Monica, has been going strong for 14 years. We are based in Seattle, WA but I am fortunate to be able to travel to different stores during the summer months when my kids are out of school (I made it from Boston to Atlanta this year!). I spend the rest of the year designing the stamps and papers for Memory Box - and Seattle has provided a lot of nature-inspired creativity for me.

What drew me to stamping (and led me to give up my Mechanical Engineering career) was how accessible the process of stamping is. Even without drawing skills, I could compose beautiful little works of art in a greeting card sized space. Over time, I have developed drawing skills, which I have use to create thousands of stamp images and hundreds of paper patterns. Sometimes it comes easy - and sometimes I fidget with the wing of a bird or the number of petals on a flower for days. The creative process has it's own schedule I have learned. 

Stamping has opened up my appreciation of so many other things - I truly appreciate beautiful design now. Whether it's a scrapbook paper, or a stamp, or a fabric on a chair or pottery. I think focusing on "good design" day after day, when you make cards or scrapbook pages, trains you to look at the world a little different.

I can't really say if I would be able to go back to Engineering - either because I have forgotten so much of it or that I would be more concerned about the colors of the seats than fuel consumption. I feel that stamping has become a better fit for me anyway - and I look forward to sharing more of it with you in the years to come.

PS The card at the top is a look at the new Valentine's release! The image is the Branch Heart E1310 - doesn't it look amazing with Pink Flower Soft? It is stamped on a piece of our new Gossamer 6x6 paper.

Outside the Box - and More!

Welcome to our new blog!  Visit us  - outside the box -  and discover ideas, techniques and creative inspiration from everyone at Memory Box. 

As an introduction...I'm Jean Okimoto, also from the InKollage blog.   Dave and Monica, and their wonderful Memory Box products, have been an integral part of my classes and projects for many, many years.  I teach in Washington - at the Tukwila, Bellevue and University Village Impress Stores, at Stampin' in the Rain and at Trilogy, a residential community.  Stamps, colors and papers - mixed, matched and layered - are my tools of choice.

We're also welcoming our new Design Team - ten wonderful, talented instructors  - who will help us spread the magic of Memory Box.  You'll love their styles, designs and ideas - meet them here on outside the box.  Register for their classes if you're lucky enough to be in their communities, and visit the stores they teach at.  

My first 2010 Memory Box class is "LoveNotes - A Keepsake Book of Greetings from the Heart" at the Tukwila Impress on Saturday, January 9th.  It's a collection of twelve designs for Valentine's Day and romantic occasions throughout the year - highlighted by stamps and Gossamer prints from the Valentine's Studio Collection, quotes and an origami heart.

Then - on January 16th - the Valentine's Studio Collection is featured in  "A Little Romance" at Stampin' in the Rain.  We'll also be playing with Smooch Accent Inks, glitter and Sparkle Fibers from Clearsnap.

Join us when you have a few minutes,  enjoy the Ideas Gallery on our website, www.memoryboxco.com - and let your creativity soar beyond the box.

Read more...

Outside the Box

Welcome to Outside the Box, a Memory Box blog that will feature work by the Memory Box Design Team.  I hope you will be inspired by the cards and other projects!  The team consists of card designers and store owners who will be teaching Memory Box classes around the country.

In order to keep us all of the design team straight, we will be posting and introducing ourselves over the next month or so.  I have been privileged enough to have seen a sneak peak of some of the work the other designers have created using the new Valentine images, so I can honestly say you are in for a treat!

My name is Laura Fulcher, and I have been working with Memory Box for almost a year.  I run one of the Memory Box blogs called Color Whimsy and teach classes at a store called Angela's Happy Stamper in Reston, VA (just outside of DC).  I tend to do a lot of coloring in my cards and love to play with Copics, Twinkling H2Os, Prismacolor pencils, and watercolor pencils.  That being said, the card I posted uses none of those mediums.  :)

For today's card, I stamped the Lovey Dovey Tree image (E1308) onto a Cherry Blossom notecard using Vintage Sepia Versafine ink.  I stamped the tree again onto some patterned paper from the 6" x 6" Goassamer paper pack and paper-pieced the hearts onto my tree.  To finish the card, I added a different patterned paper to make the hill, added some petal pink jewels, and stamped Valentine Greetings (B1175) using the same brown ink.