A Simple Merry Christmas!

And, to all a good night. Yes, this is my final post on the Inspiration/Design Team Blog. With that in mind, I thought I would make it short and sweet, as they say. I created a couple of greeting cards using the Brutus Monroe Holiday Sentiment Stamp Set and bits and bobs of scraps I had just waiting in my paper drawer.

Wise Litte Owl & Coloring 101

Truth be told…when I received the Owl stamp from Brutus Monroe my first thought was “so so cute but I will never use it.” What? Yes, in my mind I thought the owl would take a lot of time for coloring. While I can always make the time…my coloring skills need a lot of work. So I pretty much set the stamp aside and moved on to the other stamps that really appealed to me — victorian birdcages and feathers, fall-inspired layering elements (stay tuned) and tall stacks of wrapped packages and ice cream cones. Poor little owl sat in the August Release folder. He wasn’t alone…in with him were some other stamps I hadn’t fiddled with yet. So, not to worry, owl was in good company.

Chuck Carson Scary Scarecrow Comes to Stay

Imagine my surprise! When I first saw the new fabulous Halloween stamps from Brutus Monroe, while I loved them, I was a bit skeptical about making them work with my “design sensibility.” Talk about honesty! So I took that as my challenge. Thinking a card or a tag as the end result, I started by using Brutus Monroe Detail Ink in Raven to stamp the scary scarecrow on a heavy white cardstock. Wow — beautiful detail with every impression I made. I am having so much fun coloring these days, I used my colored pencils and colored away. It didn’t take much work to get great color in the smaller details & I was happy with it…so far!

Banner or Bunting? Holiday or Birthday?

Yes, the holiday season seems to be in full swing! That means holiday cards along with birthday cards for my fellow pals with December birthdays. As a December baby, I was never the fan of the combined Christmas/Birthday card so I make a point to give both birthday cards and holiday cards to my December friends. Never one for a Hallmark, I like to make holiday cards that are a bit unexpected, this year I thought it would be fun to make banner styled cards that double as decorations. Stay tuned…I did a birthday version, too. I started it all with the Sketched Holiday Stamp Set from Brutus Monroe. You may have seen my post a few weeks past where I used this set for cards and a really festive planner clip. I just love the detail in the artwork and with the Detail Ink in Raven that detail doesn't get lost in the stamping or the watercoloring. This stamp is included in the Sketched Holiday Card Set and it is available individually in the Brutus Monroe store.

A Stack of Presents Marks the Spot!

I totally forgot a friend’s birthday last week. I know…it happens! She’s a long time planner girl and my first thought was to give her some stickers from my etsy shop but quickly remembered she has all my stickers and more. Better idea…a bookmark for her current book or one of her planners. The tall gifts stamp from Brutus Monroe was just the thing. Good deal…I could spend time coloring (again) and make a gift for her at the same time.