Four Ways Friday #9 - Contempo Alphabet

Thanks for your patience in awaiting this week's Four Ways Friday!  This Four Ways Friday focuses on how to use your alphabet sets!  It was hard to not turn this into an Eight Ways Friday since there are so many ways to use your letters!  I used the Contempo Alphabet set, but you could use these ideas for any alphabet set that you have.

Alphabet sets lend themselves perfectly to making anything with a monogram!  For this first project I decided to make a monogrammed card.  I first stamped the floral image from the Charming stamp set at 1/3 strength in Ruby Red ink onto Very Vanilla card stock and followed that by stamping the "M" in full strength right over it.  I punched it out and layered it onto the scallop circle punch and a larger circle that I cut from my Big Shot and the Circles #2 die.  Of course, I sponged the edges of both the circle and the card.  I stamped the floral image on the card at both 1/3 and 1/2 strength to create the floral background.  The Very Vanilla satin ribbon finishes the look.

You can also use your alphabet letters to create great backgrounds for your cards and paper projects.  Who doesn't love receiving hugs and kisses?! :)  I stamped the "x" and "o" stamp numerous times in Pink Pirouette all over the card.  The edges were sponged with Chocolate Chip.  I sponged the chipboard frame with Chocolate Chip ink as well.  The heart was punched using the Full Heart punch.  I punched both a piece of card stock and a piece of sticky sheet.  I sprinkled chunky glitter and fine glitter over the heart to make it sparkly!  Using the Sticky Sheets is a great way to adhere glitter without making a huge glue mess!  I adhered a piece of sticky strip directly to the card and ruffled the organza ribbon by adhering it down to the sticky strip.  Finally the tag was made using the Tiny Tag punch along with the Tiny Tags stamp set and attaching it with linen thread.

This clean and oh-so-simple card is another demonstration of an easy way to use your alphabet letters to spell words.  If you look closely you'll notice I used the Contempo Alphabet set to spell "oops" and also used the Rough Type set to spell "belated!"  This card is simply stamp, paper and ink...with a few punched shapes and dimensionals thrown in!  I LOVE the Happy Everything stamp set and am sad that it will be retiring at the end of the month :(  Don't forget to get the set for yourself or a friend while supplies last!

As you know, I've been traveling quite a bit lately, so I decided to make my last project something I can use on the road!  A great way to use your alphabet sets is to incorporate them into other word/greeting stamps.  I took the journey image from the In A Word stamp set and decided to highlight the "J" by using the "j" from the Contempo Alphabet stamp set, punching it out and adhering it to the beginning of the word.  The Kraft card stock was stamped with images from the Sentimental Journey stamp set, using Soft Suede ink at 1/3 strength (I stamped the image twice on a scrap piece of paper before stamping it onto my tag).  I also cut out words from an old book - I thought they worked really well with this theme.  On the back of the tag I stamped the compass image a number of times and then used the Soft Suede marker to write my contact information.  I ran the tag through a laminating machine.

I hope you like these fun projects!  How else can you use your alphabet sets?  I already have more ideas...maybe we'll have to revisit alphabets in a future Four Ways Friday! :)