Love is in the Air..New MDS Downloads

Wow!  There are a ton of My Digital Studio downloads this week!  My favorites are Box of Chocolates kit and wallpaper, and paper doilies.  Box of Chocolates is such a charming color combo and kits are always a good idea - you get oodles of content for an affordable price. (Oh and did I mention that the Box of Chocolates wallpaper is FREE!)
Paper doilies - I have loved crafting hands on with them and have been waiting patiently for the digital version.  Hooray!

 







 

New My Digital Studio Downloads

Check out these awesome new downloads for My Digital Studio this week!  My favorites are Label this Kitchen (if you have an e-cutter this one is a dream come true - you can import these files to your e-cutter software and vinyl your entire kitchen!) and Nobody's Business Designer Photobook Template (photobook templates are always fantastic - you get so much content!)

Clockworks: Download includes:
* 8-piece stamp brush set


Label this Kitchen:  Download includes:
* 2-page label designer template (8-1/2" x 11")
* 142-piece stamp brush set

Features:
* Digital-exclusive
* Organization help for your kitchen pantry with labels and tags so everyone knows exactly where everything goes

Colors:
Baja Breeze, Basic Gray

Nobody's Business Designer Photobook Template:  Download includes:
* 24-page photobook designer template (12 x 12)
* 27-piece SVG stamp brush set*
* 12 Designer Series Papers
* 49 embellishments
* 3 punches

Features:
* Digital-exclusive
* Neon meets grunge in this trendy and eclectic photobook template

Colors:
Going Gray, Neon Blue, Neon, Green, Neon Orange, Neon Pink, Neon Yellow, Whisper White


Shaped Clips:  Download includes:
* 6 embellishments

Features:
* Choose from an arrow, bike, airplane, thought bubble, hanger, and heart
* Great for embellishing your projects with that little extra something

Creative Journal

The latest design challenge for My Digital Studio is to design a creative journal.  One of my New Year's goals was to spend more time away from my computer and more time writing (a hobby of mine), so I was excited to add a little extra motivation with this challenge.

My journal cover was created entirely using My Digital Studio.  I selected the "journal" size option, which is 6 1/4" x 8 1/4."  When you're finished with your design you can order a hardcover, bound journal for only $19.95 US which comes with double-sided lined journal pages, customizable spine, and front and back covers in a matte finish. Choose from chocolate polka dot, black, or red polka dot for the end sheets when you upload your customized journal covers.

 

Techniques:

To get the look of a wrapped journal, I layered a square punch shape with the Convention 2012 Curvy Frame Punch and filled the punches with designer series paper from the Attic Boutique designer kit. I used the drop shadow on the Curvy Frame Punch and increased its opacity to about 75%.

To get the look of string wrapped around the journal, I layered the Baker's Twine several times and then adjusted some of the strands diagonally.

Downloads used:  I used primarly three of the designer kits to create this cover.  Attic Boutique, Afternoon Daydream, and Fan Fair.  Click on the images below for details of all the wonderful bits included in these kits:

 

 

 

Upcycled etched glass vase

We love to make pizza and consequently I have a lot of empty pizza sauce jars on my hands.  They are a great size a shape for vases, so I love to think of new ideas to "prettify" them.

For a sweet Valentine vase:

• I use My Digital Studio's Full Heart Punch and imported it to my e-cutter software (Did you know that the .svg files in My Digital Studio 2 can be imported and used with your e-cutter?!  They can!) 
• I used my e-cutter to then cut the heart shape out of self-adhesive vinyl.  
• I applied the vinyl to my jar and then applied etching cream* over the stencil.  *Follow the instructions on the etching cream and be extra cautious as this is a highly caustic chemical.

If you don't have My Digital Studio (why don't you?!) or an e-cutter you can still do this project easily - here's how:

• Cut a piece of adhesive vinyl sized to wrap around the jar
• Use the Small Heart punch (117193) and punch the shape into self-adhesive vinyl in a random pattern
• adhere the vinyl to your jar
• use etching creme as directed on package

Check out these amazingly cute Valentine's kits, too!  Only available through January 21, 2013.

Made with Love

Have a friend in need?  Make them a meal or two (using your kitchen :)) and a quick label with instructions for heating (using My Digital Studio).  You could even include a recipe card.  Tie it up with some baker's twine and you've made life a little easier and a little prettier for someone!

• I made these tags using elements from the "Made From Scratch" designer template.  
• Using the "Labels Collection 1" punch will coordinate perfectly with the largest framelit in the "Labels Framelits" collection - so you can cut it out perfectly with your Big Shot
• This kit has an adorable retro style and a great recipe book template.  Here's the official list of all the great elements included in this very versatile kit:

Download includes:
* 26-page 5-1/2" x 6-1/2" recipe template
* 25-piece stamp brush set
* 5 Designer Series Paper patterns
* 57 embellishments
* One-page 8-1/2" x 11" designer template

Features:
* Digital-exclusive
* Just add photos and recipes for a quick giftable easel recipe book.
* Create in software as an easel calendar project.
* Use our traditional Spiral Border Punch to add additional recipes.
* Contents work well to create recipe books, cards, or any cooking-themed projects.
* Bonus 8-1/2" x 11" designer template includes category tabs to print and adhere to recipe book. Also includes extra pieces to create a cute tag to gift the recipe book, or design additional pieces.

Coordinating colors:
Blushing Bride, Early Espresso, Garden Green, Going Gray, Lucky Limeade, Peach Parfait, Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Poppy Parade, Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango

DID YOU KNOW?  MDS IS 50% OFF UNTIL TOMORROW ONLY!  And you can get this cute download FREE today!  Click the tag to get MDS today!

Cerberus

I'm a Weimaraner person.  I started with one: Greta, a beautiful blue 8 week old bundle of total wild craziness.  I then rescued 2 more in order to surround myself with more chaos.  I was always well-protected.  You cannot imagine the cacaphony that occurred when someone came to the door - which included not only barking, but since my home has mostly tile and hardwood floors, a sound not unlike a herd of rampaging elephants.  Our poor postal worker was terrified to leave packages at the door.

I dubbed them "Cerberus" - the three headed hound of Hades.

Now, sadly, I am down to just one Weimaraner (also a rescue).  The beautiful triumvirate in these photos have all passed on. 

This is also my entry in the IBN DigiChallenge - a color challenge this week, using Wild Wasabi, More Mustard, and Baja Breeze.



Tips for creating this page:

• Recoloring Embellishments.  The lighter the embellishment is to start with, the better your color results will be.  I recolored the "baja breeze" embellishments - which were originally Island Indigo
• Using Embellishments.  Knock yourself out.  There are so many fun little bits to add:  digi-tape, staples, saftey pins, borders, banners, brads, journaling scraps, stitching, etc.

Digital Content Used to Create this Page:

Natural Composition Overlays


Fan Fair Designer Photobook Template 

 

Gray Gables - A Digital "Old House" Journal

I'm so pleased and honored to be the guest "stamper" of Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty today!  Mary is such an inspiration to me with her impeccable style and she's also just the sweetest person you could ever meet!  I love that I signed up to this Stampin' Up! adventure with her as my "fearless leader."  She's the best!

Mary asked me to feature a My Digital Studio project - which I am all over because I am huge fan and avid user of My Digital Studio.

This is an "Old House Journal" to catalog and record the love affair I have with my house.  It was built in 1891 and is probably one the oldest houses in the little Michigan town where I live.  This is the cover page for my journal.

In the video I show you some great tricks and techniques to give your projects more of a "wow" factor.  The first photo is the "before" and the second photo shows the completed page, employing the techniques I demonstrate in the video.

Click the photos for a closer look!

This project will be a long one - and may never be complete, but that is one of the coolest things about MDS: I can make these pages one by one as we renovate, live, move, and enjoy our life in this sweet place that I'm blessed to call my home.  (It also means that I don't have to pull out a bunch of supplies and then clean up the mess after making these pages).

I'll be making a category page on my blog to add journal pages as I complete them.  I hope you'll keep checking back for progress on my home as we update & renovate!

MDS Downloads used in this project:
Convention 2012 Photo Book Template (130971)
Sunset Serenade Digital Kit (124229)
Get it Done Digital Kit (129924)
Urban Garden Designer Series Paper (125780)

Are you on the fence about MDS? Do you have questions?  Please, contact me - leave a comment or email me and I would be delighted to talk to you about it!

If you're ready to give it a try - try it free!  Click the button below to start a free 30 day trial.

Evil Flying Monkeys

One of my favorite new downloads for MDS2 is the Frightening Feline stamp.  It comes with an 8x8 designer template plus, of course, the super cute kitty. 

I love to make my son's Halloween costumes and I've been looking for the perfect scrapbook layout to show off my all time favorites - the Evil Flying Monkey.  I made this when he was about two and half for his first ever trick or treating adventure.  He got lots of laughs and lots of candy.

• This is a pre-made template.  Easy.
• It allows you to customize it.  Cool.
• I changed the single photo box to 3 smaller photo boxes.  Done!
• Layers are easy to change and manipulate in MDS2, so editing is so easy, much easier than making an evil flying monkey costume.
• Evil flying monkeys are easily pacified with suckers.  Who knew?

The Frightening Feline stamp brush download is only $1.95!  Click below for details.

 

You are my Sunshine

So, yes, I'm obsessed with the Spring Break II Digital Kit.  It is so versatile and beautiful and suits so many of my summer themed projects.  This page I created was from a weekend family trip to Mackinaw Island, Michigan (if you've never been, this is a bucket list visit for certain).

I've showcased here, how to re-color embellishments, align objects (the hexagon punch), and crop embellishments.  I've made a video for each technique - you can find them by visiting the MDS Tutorial page on my blog.

The elements I used creating this page are:

- Spring Break II Digital Kit.  I LOVE this kit.  It's gorgeous and you should absolutely have it in your MDS arsenal.
-  More Candid Frames.  Why wouldn't you want these super cute frames?  Framing photos is trendy and adds just the little bit "more" that your scrapbook page needs.
-  Mis-stitched.  Adding a little homespun charm never hurts.  Some people think "did you make that?" is an insult.  I say, "bring it."



 

My Digital Studio - Text Shaping & Watermarks

The digital kit for the Stampin' Up! Convention 2012 is gorgeous and so fun.  It has beautiful chalkboard backgrounds and pretty frames and text.  I used it to create this card for one of my best friends on her birthday.

It highlights two of the many cool new features of MDS 2:  Text Shaping and Watermarks.  In the video below, I show you how to do both.

To see the details of what's included in the Convention 2012 digital download click on the image below.

To Download a FREE 30 day trial of My Digital Studio 2 Click the image below:

It's like Christmas in August!

Wow!  Today is an amazing day for getting your Stampin' Up! fixes.  I've got the new Holiday Mini Catalog to show you....




MDS 2 is released today!


And if that's not sweet enough, there's a special 31% off sale on select MDS download AND print products!  yes - that's right - the print products!  Now's your chance to see the amazing quality of those board books and bound scrapbooks you've been wanting - at 31% off, now through the end of August.  What better way to touch and feel all the cool stuff that I know you'll be creating with MDS 2!


And, if you want everything you see, there's an amazing offer for you if decide to take being a demonstrator for test drive...













Purchase the Stampin' Up! $99 Starter Kit and receive everything you need to complete the Howl-O-Ween Printer's Tray Project Kit featured above as a FREE product bonus! 

The Howl-O-Ween Printer's Tray Project Kit includes:

• Products (shown on the right in photo above) needed to create the adorable project (on the left).  Ink and clear blocks not included.
• You will receive the Stampin' Up! Toxic Treats stamp set (Holiday Catalog) in your choice of wood or clear-mount.   
• Also included is a full pack of Rhinestone Basic Jewels, full Baker's Twine and partial products (enough to create the project) of the ribbon and buttons shown.
• The Howl-O-Ween project kit isn't offered anywhere else.  Be sure to take advantage of this special offer in August!