Supplies: MDS software digital download (130646), MDS software disc (130647), or 30-day Free Trial of MDS (130910), My Digital Class Mailbox Love Notes (136780)

My business coach challenged us to write a post about our favorite Valentine saying or verse. This is my all time favorite. There is a story behind it.

Years ago, we lived in a small town in Western Montana. I picked out a Valentine with this saying on it to give my husband on my way home from work in a neighboring town. On Valentine’s Day he handed me the card he picked out for me. When I opened it, I started laughing. It was the exact same card I had picked but he had bought his in the town we lived in. Obviously we have a similar sense of humor. I guess that is why we will be happily celebrating our 50th anniversary this year.

I am sure I have that card in my ‘Memories’ file at home but did not think in advance of finding it, scanning it and sharing the card with you before we left home to come back to Craig, Alaska, for a visit.

So….I used my trusty MDS program on my computer to create a digital card that is similar to the original card. I searched the available downloads in my online store and in my download library and did not find a stamp brush set or embellishment that was a pair of lips.

I used the ‘Add Line‘ tool under the ‘freeform’ button to add two circles and the creases on the sides of the mouth. I pulled and pushed the handles on the circles to make the lips shape and the puckered opening. Then I colored the lips Real Red with the freeform brush. I created the message with a series of text boxes. The background is design 3 of the Mailbox Love Notes Designer Series Paper found in the My Digital Class Mailbox Love Notes (136780). I have included below, images of what is included in this digital download. Click here to place your order for the class. Even if you are a seasoned designer, the content files in the class are worth the price of admission.

Did you know you can create your own designer series paper and fill a punch with it? For the MDS Monday Challenge 52, we were to use music somewhere on our card. Since Valentine’s Day is this week, I wanted to create a valentine to meet this challenge. Every time I have been separated from my husband and he comes back, my heart sings for joy at his return, even after 50 years of life together. I wanted to express this to him through this valentine.

In keeping with the challenge, I wanted to fill the heart punch with music. I could not find any designer series paper in MDS that was music so I created a sheet myself by repeatedly copying and pasting the Music Notes stamp brush set (125765) down the second page of my card with a Regal Rose background. I then saved just the second page as a jpeg to my desktop. I went back to the front page of the card where I had added the Full Hearts Punch and filled it with the ‘photo’ I had created when I saved page two as a jpeg. Now I had the music notes in the heart. To get the music to rotate with the heart shape I had to be sure to click the box that allows this to happen. (The box is found when you double click on the punch.)

As you go through the supply list below, you will see I added Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon recolored with Regal Rose. Today I  was mystified why I would do that. So I went back to the project, added another Regal Rose ribbon and found it is darker than what I wanted. For some strange reason, when I recolored it with Regal Rose, the result was a lighter shade of Regal Rose. It created just the color to match the Pinking Hearts border punches (122134) which had been colored using the picker to get one of the colors of the Mailbox Love Notes designer series paper. It pays to experiment!

I am going to print out this card front and make a hybrid card to give my honey. I know he will love it. Send me a picture of a project where you add your own designer series paper to a punch and I will share it on my blog.

Supplies:MDS software digital download (130646), MDS software disc (130647), or 30-day Free Trial of MDS (130910)
Background – Card Stock/Rose Red
Embellishments
Regal Rose Grosgrain Ribbon (118851) (re-colored) Color = REGAL ROSE
Punches
Basics/1.25 Square Punch,  Filled with: Mailbox Love Notes – 5 from My Digital Class Mailbox Love Notes (136780)
Borders/Pinking Hearts Border Punch (122134), Fill Color = 244,191,204
Hearts/Full Heart Punch (comes with basic program), Filled with photo of pg 2
Stamps
Music Notes (125765)

Whoohoo! I have seen so many sweet birthday cards created traditionally with the hands-on Sketched Birthday stamp set that I almost added it to my collection. But…now I don’t have to because Sketched Birthday is one of the wonderful digital downloads today. You can check out the rest of them and order here.

I really love the soft spring-like colors in the Be Yourself May Digital Kit and used two of the beautiful designer series paper patterns from that kit on this card. The background is one pattern and the layer that is stamped on is another.

I added the little grosgrain bow in the upper left corner for an accent. The download does not have any of the colors in the designer series paper so I recolored it. I started with a white bow but could not come up with a color that coordinated well with the paper. When I used Pool Party or Soft Sky to recolor, you could barely see any color. So I chose a River Rock bow because I knew my desired color would have a green tint to it and River Rock has a hint of green. I used Coastal Cabana to recolor and am delighted with the result. So…when recoloring an embellishment, choose a darker colored embellishment and then recolor it.

Now, Tuesday is also when Stampin’ Up! announces the new Weekly Deals. Check them out! For more information about them and to order them, click on the photo.

Have you seen the new Occasions catalog? There are so many great items in there that I can’t say for sure what is my favorite. I think it is the Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper but then it might be the Petite Petals Punch and stamp set or….? I’d love to send you a catalog so you can pour over it and choose your favorite things. Send me an email with your phone number and best time to call you so I can tell you how to get the catalog for free. Or you can just give me a call.

Don’t forget that Sale-a-bration starts January 28 and runs through March 31. This is a perfect time to host a workshop, stock up on supplies, or start your own paper crafting business as a member of my team and get free product. Contact me to schedule a workshop or for more information about owning your own business. Furthermore, if you become a demonstrator before July 1, your registration fee for convention will be waived. That is right, you won’t have to pay a registration fee!