Friends

It's been a while since I posted a card for the The Town Scrapper! Phebe gave us all a very light December, so that we could really enjoy the holidays with our families, and not worry so much about deadlines...what a sweetie! Phebe carries so many great stamp lines...pretty much all of my favourites! Whenever I take a trip out to her store, I always leave with a bunch of goodies...you CANNOT go into her store without finding something on your "must-have" list. Phebe has been running some fantastic SALES! All Christmas items are 35% off, all paper packs and Cuttlebug items are 50% off and if you mention her blog, Phebe will be offering a special on her listed "Hot Sellers"!! Her information is on her blog, and you can contact her for more information!

The last time I was out to visit, Phebe asked me to make a card with this great stamp from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. It is called "Roxy and Bernice" (illustrated by Crissy Armstrong). How cute are these two friends?? The sentiment "Furever Friends" comes with the stamp!

I stamped "Roxy and Bernice" on Neenah with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and coloured with Copics. The sky was sponged in with a cloud template in Memento Summer Sky ink. The DP is My Mind's Eye and the flowers are Primas...both of which are available at The Town Scrapper! I cut out the focal image with Nesties, and hey...guess what?? Phebe carries Spellbinders too!

Thanks for taking the time to visit! Let me know you were here, and leave a comment!

Hope you all have a fabulous day!

Blessings,

Melanie

A Little Old, A Little New!

How many are still recovering from the Christmas holidays?? Don't get me wrong, I truly love this season, and celebrating the birth of Jesus! But, it is a busy time with all the baking, hosting, shopping...phew! I made my first turkey this year...a 25 lb beast it was! I am happy to report that it turned out pretty good. I have to admit though, I was nervous about it!

Now before I get to my Sweet 'n Sassy post for this week, I believe I promised to reveal one of my secrets today! If you have been visiting the Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Blog, you may have noticed that they have announced their Digi Design Team. Now, I was asked to step in as a guest designer for December, but I had also been asked to be a member of the DT as of January 2010!! I am so excited to work with this great team, and to welcome in some new guest designers for this coming month! Be sure to stay tuned, and I will keep you up to date on all the happenings over at Sweet 'n Sassy!! I would just like to say thank you to Korin and Sandy for giving me this opportunity, and also say a big congrats to all the other DT members (who will be listed on the left side of my blog)!

So, the title of my post talks about the old and the new. I thought that along with a card featuring the new digi release for this week, I would also post a card with an "older" image. First up, we'll have "Be Mine Cocoa". I get so excited each time I see a new Cocoa image! Please keep them coming Korin!!

Can you believe it's already time to start thinking about Valentine's Day? I decided to make a smaller card this week, and used my scalloped Nestabilities to make a shaped card. I paper pieced the envelope, which had to be done a little differently with a digital stamp! I printed out a copy of the image on plain paper and used it as a template to trace on the DP I planned to use. I popped up Cocoa's head, as well as the little heart on the envelope. The "XOXO" sentiment is part of the Valentine Sentiments, which was also released this week.



Up next, we have Feel Better Paulie. This digi was released back in November. I also used a sentiment from Get Well Wishes. I couldn't help myself...I HAD to use some real tissue in poor Paulie's box! I just poked a little hole, and pushed some tissue up from behind. I also coated his water bottle and thermometer with Glossy Accents.


Here's a closeup of Paulie (you can see the tissue better in this pic!):


Have a blessed day!

Melanie

Be Mine Cocoa

Digi Stamp: Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Stamps

Ink: Copic markers

Paper: Bazzill, Neenah, Bo Bunny

Embellishments: Ribbon, Stickles

Tools: Spellbinders

Feel Better Paulie

Digi Stamp: Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Stamps

Ink: Copic Markers

Paper: K&K Company, Bazzill, Neenah

Embellishments: Ribbon, Glossy Accents (lol...Kleenex!)

SALES!!! (and a teaser!)

Hello all!! Hope you all have a marvelous Christmas season! I love this time of year, but boy, is it ever exhausting! I am more than ready to settle back into a normal schedule...and to get colouring again! lol

So, no card today (come back tomorrow morning for that!), but I did want to let you all in on some great sales going on:

The Town Scrapper: Phebe still has that super buy one, get one at 50% off sale! You really must get yourself out to her store to check out all the fabulous lines she carries. Trust me...you will find MANY things you must have!! Some of the stamp lines she carries are Magnolia, CC Designs, High Hopes, Whiff of Joy, Kraftin' Kimmie, Motivet...and more! She also has great papers, embellishments and Spellbinders. Too many things to name here! If you don't live close by, you will find Phebe's contact info on her blog!

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps: Even though Korin has taken holidays, you can still place online orders!! They will begin shipping out on January 4, 2010. There is a Discontinued Set Sale as well as Digi Bundle Sets!! Take a look around the store. She has a great selection of clear stamps, as well as digital stamps.

Skribbles and Scraps: Bob and Jennie are running a pre-inventory sale!! Bob tells me he'd rather sell it than count it! (I might have been in there today...spending a gift certificate my father-in-law gave me!) Lot's of bargains to be found...so go and check them out!!

Ok, before you rush out to shop...let me give you a bit of a teaser! I have some BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS coming up this week!! And before any of you get smart...no I am not pregnant!!! lol Seriously though...these are secrets I've been sitting on for a very long time! (one since September!! can you believe I have had to keep quiet this long?). So stay tuned to find out what they are...one will be announced tomorrow! (however, if you have been looking around my blog and perhaps another I am tied to, you just may already know this one!).

Hope to see you back tomorrow...and later this week too!!

Blessings stampers!!

Melanie

Gone Fishing (Sweet 'n Sassy)

Hello Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Stampers!! I hope you all are ready for Christmas. Can you believe it's only a few days away! Ladies, if your hubby has left his Christmas shopping until the last minute, let him know about the Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Bundles on sale now!! These are a fabulous bargain. You will get over $30.00 (USD) worth of images for only $25.00 (USD)!! Easy shopping for the men, great images for you to create with...what could be better?! Don't miss out on these bundles.

So, my card today features the image "Gone Fishing". I just LOVE this image by Korin Sutherland!! This bear and penguin are so cute together. This image is so versatile. I love that it can make a great masculine card...which I have to admit, I struggle with. Does anybody else have a hard time with these? You could also use this one for a friendship card, birthday card, winter card...the possibilities are endless! Have a look:

Now, when I saw this image my wheels started turning. I was thinking how funny it would be for this pair to be ice fishing in a teeny tiny hole...but they have no idea what they are about to catch! So, I drew in this killer whale...or orca...whatever you prefer! Just imagine the look on their faces when they try to reel in their catch! (you might need a bigger bucket boys!). I tried to capture the same feel that Korin creates with her adorable characters...her illustrations are so cute! The image was coloured with Copic markers. I also broke out the Polar White Flower soft for the snow on this image. The sky was created with a cloud mask and Memento Summer Sky ink. Finally, I coated the underwater scene with Glossy Accents.

So, hop on over to the Sweet 'n Sassy store to check out the incredible prices on not only single images, but the Digi Bundles I mentioned earlier! There are so many images you will fall in love with!
I would just like to take this chance to wish you all a Christmas season full of wonderful moments you will treasure for years to come! God bless you and your family as we celebrate the birth of His son!

Melanie

Tip: If you plan to draw any of your own images to colour with Copic markers, make sure to invest in a Copic multiliner so you will not end up with a smudgy line!!

Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy "Gone Fishing" Digi stamp (the whale is a "Melanie" original)

Paper: Bazzil, Neenah, Fancy Papers

Ink: Memento, Copic

Embellishments: Ribbon, Bo Bunny Brads

Princes Come in All Shapes and Sizes!!

Saturday is finally here! It has been one long week in our household. There is so much going on! We of course have all the normal hustle and bustle of the season, but added to that are youth events for our son, a ballet demonstration on Saturday for our daughter and then she is also in a production of the Nutcracker on Sunday (put on by Ballet Jorgen), a church Christmas recital...oh the list goes on and on! On a serious note though, my mother was admitted to the hospital this week with pneumonia. She is doing okay, all things considered, and she is one tough gal! But, it is a difficult time of year to be sick, and she is quite annoyed that she cannot carry on with her Christmas preparations. I have been in prayer for a speedy recovery for her. I am also praying that God gives her the patience needed to take it easy so she can recover fully...pneumonia is pretty serious, and she needs to give herself time to heal.

So, I thought that maybe a card with a bit of humour would be just what we need! I love this image from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!! Her name is Lillith, and I think the expression on her face is priceless! Incidentally, one of my daughter's favourite books when she was little was The Princess and the Frog, which is probably one of the reasons I adore this stamp so much! I made another easel card, since the last one was so much fun to make! I decided to add my own sentiment, and have a little fun with this stamp. It reads: "Sadly, Lillith's Fairy Godmother had become quite hard of hearing. She was certain the poor child had wished for a "hoppily" every after." Cheesy...yes, but so fun! (well, I amused myself anyways!!) See...no handsome prince for Lillith today...just little froggy! Hmmm, wonder if Lillith requested to be reassigned?!

Ok...on to the details! As always, I stamped the image on Neenah and coloured with Copics. I decided to put Lillith outdoors, so I added in a sky and grass for a background. The frogs were given a coat of Glossy Accents. I also added in some Dew Drops. The sentiment is matted on a Spellbinders Fancy Tag. I added a tag for a place to write my message, and tucked it in behind the image. Papers are Bazzill, and assorted scraps!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings!

Melanie

P.S. Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps has put together a fantastic Christmas Bundle...so many great images/sentiment sets! 13 to be exact, and all for $25.00 USD. You will want to head over to their store and check it out. You can also visit the Digi Blog to see some examples made with these images. Happy shopping!

Humble Pie Tag or Bookmark Challenge

Oh, we are so close to Christmas! Why does December fly by so quickly?? Hope you all are ready. I know that the stores are NOT a place I want to be right now! Too hectic.

So, this will be our final challenge over at Humble Pie before Christmas. So make sure to join in...you could be our winner! How merry!

We are asking you to make a tag or a bookmark. I loved this challenge! It was a lot of fun to work on a smaller scale. I picked up some wooden tags at Michaels, and adhered the DP with Glossy Accents. I then sanded the edges, and got to work on the designs!

For my first tag, I wanted to go for a vintage feel. I stamped Maggie on Neenah and coloured her with Copics (as I did for the image on the next tag too). The DP with the ornaments is DCWV, but unfortunately I forgot to record the company of the green plaid DP. I really have to stop doing that!! I sanded these papers...A LOT! I then attached Maggie, and gave her a good sanding too. Now, this did stress me out a bit to scratch up an image I had just worked on for a while...but I HOPED the end result would be worth it! I really wanted this to appear old. After sanding, I applied Distress Ink in Antique Linen to the edges of the tag, and then all over the entire project. I just kept layering the ink until I was happy with it. Maggie is now quite muted, and hopefully looks as though she is from a very old children's storybook. I also applied Distress Ink to my ribbon to coordinate with the now antiqued papers. Finally, I added some rub-ons that say "Ho Ho Ho"...however, they are not showing up well in the photograph!

For my second tag, I wanted something brighter. I pulled out this cute Humble Pie snowman for this tag. The DP is DCWV, and the white cardstock is Bazzill. The "snow" layer was coated with Polar White Flower Soft. The sentiment is made from a rub-on alphabet from the dollar store. Oh, that ribbon is a dollar store find too! I finished it off with a few snowflakes punched from glittery cardstock.

Each of these tags only took me about fifteen to twenty minutes to assemble...not including colouring time! However, if you have a bunch of pre-coloured images, then this could be a great challenge to help use them up! Hop on over to the Humble Pie blog to play along. Remember, you do not have to use a Humble Pie image, but we do love to see them if you have them!!

Don't forget about Phebe's sale out at the Town Scrapper...buy one, get one of equal or lesser value for 50% off!! Hmmm....how I would love a Town Scrapper stocking! lol. Phebe carries terrific products, so make sure you give her a call, or send her an email!

Blessings,

Melanie

S&S Digi Day at Paper Craft Planet!

Hello folks!! I had intended to post this first thing this morning...but my day has gone a little haywire!!

Grab a cup of coffee, tea or hot cocoa ;), and join the Sweet 'n Sassy team over at our group on Paper Craft Planet for our Digi Day!! This is the card I made to fit in with our challenge...use snowflakes on your project! The snowflakes can be in your image, on your paper, part of your embellishments...let your creativity loose! Korin will be offering up a FREE DIGI for anyone who plays along with the challenge before Monday morning, as well as an earlybird digi for those entering the challenge before 10:00 pm EST tonight!!


The digi I chose to use is Sweet Cocoa. Honestly, how adorable is this little mouse? This was just the perfect image to use, since Cocoa's mug has snowflakes all over it! After colouring with Copic markers, I gave the snowflakes a coat of Stardust Stickles and added Glossy Accents to the candy cane. I really found myself wishing I had some liquid applique for those marshmallows, but alas...I have none!! So just pretend with me that the marshmallows are all fluffy!

I had a few patterned papers with snowflakes in my stash, but I wanted to go with something other than Christmas papers. I love the patchwork pattern of this paper, and the muted colours. I decided to run my burgundy cardstock through the Cuttlebug with some Snowflake Spellbinders...however, I only embossed this time. I highlighted the embossed background with white ink, and followed with more Stardust Stickles. The sentiment from Hot Cocoa Sentiments.

So what are you waiting for?! Get yourself over to the Sweet 'n Sassy group at PCP to join in the fun!!

Blessings!

Melanie

The Cat's Meow

Good morning! Hope you are all having a fabulous week! Today is Sweet 'n Sassy Digi day here on my blog, and I'm showing you a card I made with one of the great images released last week called Sleepy Kitty, illustrated by the talented Leah Cornelius. What a cute image! I have three cats ...most of the time they can be found right smack in the middle of whatever I'm trying to get done! Gotta love them though! I always think they are so cute when trying to curl up in a box or basket, just like in this digi image.

The image was printed off on Neehah cardstock and coloured with Copic markers. I used lots of layers on this card, topped off with a bit of machine stitching. The sentiment is actually just part of the DP. Hmmm...does "meow" count as a sentiment?? lol. Since Sleepy Kitty is snoozing in a basket of knitting, I thought it appropriate to use balls of yarn as embellishments. I pulled out my stash of embroidery floss, chose coordinating colours and wrapped it around little cardstock circles.

As I am typing this post, I'm looking at all three of my kitties snoozing away on the couch. Must be nice!! I've always got a "to-do" list a mile long, so no cat naps for this stamper!

If you haven't been over to Sweet 'n Sassy, you MUST!!! There is a fantastic sale going on right now. Trust me, you will not want to miss out! This image is on sale for 25% off...that's only $2.25 (USD). Remember, with digi images you can shop without even leaving your house...and be printing off images in no time! Take some time to look around the store. Korin has a great selection of Digital Stamps, as well as clear sets too! (some discontinued sets are on at a whopping 70% off!! But, only while supplies last.)

Blessings ladies (and maybe gents?? sorry, didn't mean to be exclusive. lol)!!

Melanie

Image: Sleepy Kitty(Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Stamp)

Paper/Cardstock: Neenah, Bazzill, Rhonna Farrer

Ink: Memento, Copic markers

Tools: Spellbinders

Embellishments: Ribbon from Walmart (yup, I'm a big spender!!), DMC embroidery Floss

Mmmm...cupcakes!

I have been making so many Christmas cards lately, that I decided to shake things up a bit! I have been itching to get this image inked up and finally got the chance. This fabulous girl is named Francesca, and she is from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. Have you seen the images from this line yet?? You MUST hop on over and check them out! You will buy some...trust me. Francesca is from Kimmie's first release, but she has added many new stamps since.

So, I went with the obvious, and made a birthday card with Francesca. I love her teetering tower of cupcakes...so much fun! I decided to try my hand at an easel card. I love this type of card, and will definitely be making more! (You can find many tutorials for these online.) I have had this great DP (I think it's from Sassafrass Lass) for quite sometime, just waiting for the perfect project. Admit it...you have a stash like that too. That "great" paper that you never use because you love it soooo much, and don't want to waste it??!! Well, this was the card to use this on! I love combos of brown, green and pink...so fresh and cheery. This paper was paired up with cardstock from Bazzill and SU. I stamped Francesca on Neenah cardstock and coloured her with Copics to match the DP. Her tower of cupcakes were given a coat of Frosted Lace Stickles for icing.

On the interior of the card, I added a strip of layered cardstock which was popped up on foam squares. This serves as a prop to hold up the front panel of the card for display. It was also the perfect place to put a sentiment (from Bella Stamps) mounted on a Spellbinders Fancy Tag.

So I did have one issue with this card...I had no place to write a message!! I certainly was NOT going to scribble all over that DP that I so lovingly hoarded for so long! gasp! So, I made a little tag to slip under the image. The recipient can read my happy birthday note, and then tuck it back in...neat and tidy! (I had forgotten to take this picture with the first two, and slipped in a black backgound instead of white! lol...can we say blooper!)

Hope you all have a wonderful day, and thanks for stopping in! I do love to see who's been visiting, so please leave me a comment. That way, I can stop by your blog and see what you've been busy creating!

Blessings,

Melanie

Humble Pie Challenge : Dry Embossing Post #2 for today!! (Don't forget to keep scrolling down for the 1st!!)

My goodness, can you believe it is December 11 already?? Only two weeks until Christmas...are you ready? If not, you should probably kick it into high gear!

I've been busy with so many projects lately, that I was able to post TWICE today! Under this post, you will find some cards and information on a fundraiser we've been holding at our church. Feel free to take a gander at that post while you are here! (although, maybe grab a coffee first!)

Well, with another Friday comes another Humble Pie challenge! This week we are looking for projects featuring dry embossing. For this, I pulled out my trusty Cuttlebug. This is a tool I highly recommend adding to your crafting room. I chose this cute little snowman from the latest Humble Pie release. Remember, the only place you can find Humble Pie stamps in at The Town Scrapper.




I stamped the snowman...or perhaps it's a snowgirl in this case!...on Neenah cardstock and coloured her with Copic markers. The background was embossed with the Swiss Dots folder and highlighted with blue ink. That Polar White Flower Soft somehow found it's way onto this card too! lol I also used some Spellbinders Labels to cut out my focal mats. Spellbinders are another of my favourites! Not only do they cut, but they also emboss your paper and can act as a stencil too. The purple strip of Bazzil Bling (which was also used as the card base) was embossed with the Swirls folder. The DP is from a Christmas DCWV stack. The sentiment was printed off my computer. As a finishing touch, I added some flat-backed rhinestones for a bit of bling.



So, hop on over to Humble Pie and link up your project for a chance to win a great prize. You do not have to use a Humble Pie image, but if you do have them then we'd love to see them!

Have a fantastic Friday!

Melanie

Miracle on Maxwell

Last year, our church started a Christmas fundraiser for some local charities. We proposed that people might opt to donate to a charity in lieu of giving a gift to some of the people on their Christmas lists. In exchange, they would receive a handmade card to give to that person detailing which charity received a donation. This was my first introduction to cardmaking...and it consisted of matching up some stickers to papers! I was hooked. Although my first attempts at cardmaking were all on the "scrappy" side, I quickly learned about the world of stamping...and there was no turning back!

I'm showing you a sample of some cards I made for Miracle on Maxwell this year (our church is located on Maxwell...clever, no??). I needed images that would work up quickly, which is quite a feat for me, as I take FOREVER to colour images!! I bought this beautiful set from Flourishes (All that Glitters). I am in love with these ornament images...so beautiful! I stamped them on some leftover Prism Simply Smooth (which I never seem to use anymore), and coloured with Copics. I kept these very simple, as I needed quite a few. They were paired up with papers from DCWV, and satin ribbon from Walmart.

Here is a closeup of one of the cards. I added some Martha Stewart glitter to the ornaments on this one:



Here are a couple made with one of the new Christmas sets from CC Designs. I had bought this set, and almost didn't ink it up this year! I think they are perfect for our program! These too worked up very quickly, and I love that they focus on the "reason for the season"!!

Giving to those less fortunate is just one way that we can show others the love of God. During this beautiful season, it is easy to get caught up in all the hustle, bustle and materialism. It is important to remember to slow down, and take time to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. So, while out shopping for our loved ones, let's try to remember to drop our change in the Kettles, or pick up an extra bag of groceries for your local food bank. How about that "mitten tree" at the mall? There are so many ways to show our love for others...think about how you can bless another person today!

Hope you all have a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to be back soon with a new post...I've been a busy stamper lately!!

Blessings,

Melanie

Poinsettia Princess

Just a head's up to my readers...from now on, Tuesdays will be my scheduled day for posting on the Sweet 'n Sassy Digi blog (at least for the duration of my term! lol). However, this week I am switching days with Nicole, so Monday it is for this week! I'll always post my project here as well, but you should hop on over to our Digi Blog for all the latest happenings, links to the Sweet 'n Sassy store and fabulous projects made by the very talented team! I feel very blessed to be working alongside these ladies!

I thought I'd try a new type of card today...I've seldom ventured outside of the 6x6 template! I'm sure you've seen some of these fabulous snow globe cards around blog land. I've been wanting to try this out, and when I received the new digis released last Thursday, I knew this image would be perfect! This is Poinsettia Princess. She's so cute...kind of reminds me of a winter bride. Now, with all the reflective surfaces on this card, getting an accurate photo was a bit tricky! Reflections kept showing up on the acetate, and the white areas were sometimes picking up hues from other areas on the card!

I didn't follow any pre-made template...just fiddled around until I was happy. The acetate was cut out with Spellbinders, as was the back DP panel. I cut out two of the gold bases so that I could sandwich them and hide the adhesive on the acetate (nobody wants to see messy adhesive!). I also traced the back panel (once I had it assembled) so as to sandwich that too, again to hide any trace of adhesive from joining the front and back. I like things neat and tidy!

As always, I printed the image on Neenah cardstock and coloured with Copics. I felt this image deserved LOTS of glitter, so I coated her entire white gown with Frosted Lace Stickles. I also used a Copic Spica clear pen on all the flowers, and the ribbon in the wreath. This shows up a bit more in the next photo. Being a snow globe card, I needed some snow! So enter Polar White Flower Soft! I also used some snowflakes punched out from glittery cardstock. These were used both inside the "globe" and outside. (Again, I sandwiched these on the acetate.) The sentiment was just printed off the computer, and mounted on a Fancy Tag from Spellbinders. Finally, I added a bit of "snow" on the top of the globe...Bazzill Bling with a coat of Star Dust Stickles. Oh, and I "antiqued" the edges with distress ink.

Like this image? Hope on over to Sweet 'n Sassy to purchase it. You can check out all the other digis as well...at awesome prices! Sweet 'n Sassy also has clear stamp sets.

Hope you have a wonderful day, and thanks for looking in!

Blessings,

Melanie

Another quick post for The Town Scrapper and Humble Pie

Happy Friday! I hope you all find a bit of time to kick back and relax (and maybe stamp??) this weekend. I'm hoping to find a little pocket of time for that, but our schedule is pretty full.

Just wanted to remind you all that Friday is challenge day over at Humble Pie. Today's challenge is to lift one of Baker Kim B's cards. Hop on over there for the details, to see who won last week's challenge and to see the prize up for grabs this week.

Also, Phebe at the Town Scrapper is still running her sale of buy 1 get the 2cnd of equal or lesser value for 50% off!! Awesome sale Phebe. Hurry in stampers, because stock is flying off the shelves with amazing prices like these. Phebe not only carries Humble Pie stamps. She carries CC Designs, Motivet, Greeting Farm, Whiff of Joy, Magnolia, Kraftin' Kimmie and more! (so many of my favourites!) She also has a beautiful selection of design papers, cardstock, flowers, embellishments...oh the list can go on and on! Don't miss your chance, because trust me...you will regret it! Hey ladies...why not give your husband a detailed shopping list. Send him over to Phebe and I'm sure she will be happy to help him out!

Melanie

Digi Day at SNR

Hey ladies! Just a quick post to let you know about some fun happening over at the Sweet 'n Sassy group at SNR.

It's Digi Day! Drop in anytime between 10 am and 10 pm EST. There will be a challenge, a free digi for playing along and sneak peaks of upcoming digis! There will be an earlybird freebie as well for those playing by 10 pm EST. Not only that, but if the group reaches 200 members, there will be a bonus free digi!!

So don't wait! Hop on over to SNR to play along!

Melanie

A Card for Cory

Wednesday....half-way through the workweek!! I'm already planning my weekend, as there is always so much to do at this time of year! Our Santa Claus parade is this Saturday, and I FINALLY do not have to sit on a float!! Oh the hours of being freezing while waiting for the parade to start (guess I should have used some of the hand-warmers from yesterday's post! I do love to watch the parade though...don't take me for a Scrooge! We will be going down to see all the beautiful floats...including our church's. My husband has been heading up the church float for several years now. He'll be playing in a band up there on that float, providing the onlookers with a bit of a "rock" twist on some traditional carols...I think he mentioned Trans Siberian Orchestra! Have you heard that version of Carol of the Bells. It's awesome!!

Ok, on to my card. My nephew Cory requested an "Aunty Mel" card this year, so I made this one for him. I used this adorable Santa from High Hopes. You know, it's tough not making a "girly" card...all those ribbons and glittery things just call to me! I fought the temptation, and stuck to traditional red and green colours. I kept the glitter to a minimum, and just used some Stickles on his white trim...oh, and maybe a few rhinestones! All cardstock is Bazzil, and the DP is DCWV. I used Black Soot Distress Ink around all the edges. I used my Scorpal to create that embossed pattern on the green layer. The sentiment is also from High Hopes, and the brad is Karen Foster. Hmm, ok some Christmas Red Stickles MAY have found their way around the sentiment!

I also gave Santa's boots a coat of Glossy Accents...oh, and his belt buckle too. He was, of course, coloured with Copic markers on Neenah Cardstock.

I will be entering this card in Cute Card Thursday this week, as they are asking for cards made for boys.

Gee, hopefully Cory does not find his way onto my blog and get a sneak peak at his card that will be arriving in the mail shortly!!

Hope you all have a great day.

Blessings!

Melanie

p.s. I apologize for all the spacing issues...sometimes Blogger does not publish posts the same as they appear when I type them! Honestly, I do use paragraphs! lol If any of you know how to fix this silly problem, I would LOVE to hear how!

Sweet 'N Sassy Digis

Good morning! I have some very happy news to share with you all today...I have been invited to be a guest designer for Sweet 'N Sassy Digi Stamps!! You can visit the blog here. Every Thursday, one to two new images are released for purchase on the Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps website, and a FREE digi will be available on the Digi blog!! There are some absolutely adorable digital images available...and at very affordable prices! As an added bonus, you can do your shopping right from your computer...in your jammies even...with no makeup!! lol That's my kind of shopping!! Seriously, if you have not tried using digital images you must give it a go. Most printer inks are Copic compatible, and for you watercolour artists, I'm told that you can heat set the images to prevent smearing. Remember, there is a free image up for grabs on Thursday...so you can try before buying! Sweet 'N Sassy also has a page with tutorials and helpful hints for using digis which can be found here. Sweet 'N Sassy's other guest designer for this month is none other than...Mary Giles! Check out her blog here. (She is one talented lady!)

This morning, I'm sharing my very first Sweet 'N Sassy Digi project...well actually there are two projects. This adorable little mouse is called Cocoa's Mittens. How cute is he?? One of the great features of digital images is their ability to be resized according to your project. I have used the same image, just printed off in different sizes for my projects today. There is a set of three sentiments that coordinates with this cute little mouse called Mitten Sentiments, and I have used two of them today.

(For a list of material, scroll to the bottom of my post to see the "recipe"!)

First up is a card. I printed all images off the computer onto Neenah cardstock, and coloured with my trusted Copic markers. For this card, I printed a few copies of the image in this size and popped up Cocoa's head and the top mitten for dimension. I just love that sentiment, part of the digi set "Mitten Sentiments".

Ready for your closeup, Cocoa?

I don't know about the rest of you...but I am ALWAYS cold! Looking at this cute little mouse with his mittens inspired me to make a gift holder to keep your hands toasty. I've never made one of these before...but it was quite easy! This time, I printed Cocoa off a little smaller. Just make sure to check off the option on your computer program to keep the image proportions the same before resizing. Inside this card, you will find some of those hand-warmers that you can keep inside your mittens. I love these things! (used them when i was on a float in our Santa Claus parade last year...they are great!) Again, I used one of the Mitten Sentiments.

Here is a shot of the inside showing the hand warmers:

So what are you waiting for? Hop on over to the Sweet 'N Sassy store to purchase some of your very own digi images. You can be colouring and creating in no time!

I just want to say a big THANK YOU to the owner of Sweet 'N Sassy, Korin Sutherland , and to the Digi DT Coordinator, Sandy Domelle, for the opportunity to work with such a talented group of ladies. I am very excited, and look forward to sharing these great digi stamps with you!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Sweet 'N Sassy Digi Stamps, Cocoa's Mittens and Mitten Sentiments

Paper/Cardstock: Neenah, Bazzill, Bazzill Bling and I THINK Karen Foster (but I threw out the name of the company before taking note! sorry)

Tools: Spellbinders Cirlces, Scalloped Circles and Fancy Tags, Martha Sterwart punch

Ink: Memento, Copic markers

Embellishments: Ribbon from Walmart

Merry Christmas Little One

It's the weekend! We have a very busy weekend here, as we have company down. We will be having "Christmas" with our nephew tonight, as we will not see him again until the new year. I've started decorating the house, and am about half-way done. Lots to do!!

I had bought this Popcorn the Bear stamp set a few weeks back, and decided to finally make a card with him. This is the first stamp set I saw featuring Popcorn, and immediately fell in love with this cute little bear.

I stamped Popcorn on Neenah cardstock and coloured with Copics. I wanted to give Popcorn a 3D effect, so I stamped his head, hands and feet a second time and pop dotted them. The berries on his wreath are done with Christmas Red Stickles, and the ribbon received a top coat with a clear Spica pen. Here's an angled shot to show the dimension.

These Popcorn stamps are so big, that there isn't much room for a fussy layout, so I kept it simple. All the DP is Basic Gray Wassail (love, love, LOVE this paper...as I'm sure you've seen!). The cardstock is Bazzill. I ran out of room for a sentiment, which I had planned to say "Merry Christmas Little One", so I decided to use this metal embellishment from the dollar store. Actually, I really like it on this card...I think the whole piece has a kind of "vintage" feel.

Here's the closeup:

I wasn't sure why this stamp appealed to me as much as it did, until we put up our tree this year! For my daughter's first Christmas (she's 9 now!), we bought her this ornament...look familiar?!

I'll be entering this card into two challenges:

1. A Spoonful of Sugar as they are asking for cards for baby's first Christmas, or a card for a toddler.

2. Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge, who is also asking for Christmas or Winter themed projects.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

Melanie

Humble Pie Challenge and a SALE!!!

Happy Friday! No card in this post...just a quick note! (I hope to be back soon with something I've been working on!)

Hop on over the the Humble Pie blog for the new challenge, and to find out if you won last week! This week, we are calling for altered items. Remember, you DO NOT need to use a Humble Pie image, but if you have them, by all means ink those babies up!!

You will only find the Humble Pie line at The Town Scrapper. Give Phebe a call. She also has a great SALE going on: Buy one item, get the second of equal or lesser value for 50% off!!! Time to stock up stampers! Phebe will be running this sale until the middle of January 2010! As a note, The Town Scrapper will be close from December 11 to December 21, 2009. Happy shopping!

Melanie

A Cow Says....Thank-you???

Good morning, and welcome to Wednesday! Boy, do I wish the days would slow down...I have so much to do! I'm looking forward to this weekend, as we will be setting up our Christmas tree. I just love this time of year. My husband is convinced that he motivated others on our street to turn on their lights, as he put ours on last week. lol I came home from volleyball last week to see our house shining like a beacon...the only beacon!

So, this morning I've got a card that I made for the High Hopes Challenge this week. It's a recipe challenge 3-2-1...3 flowers, 2 brads and 1 sentiment! I inked up my brand new Party Cow...love this stamp! I have a few other items she can be holding too, but thought it would be fun to have her presenting some flowers as a thank you gift. The flower stamp is also from High Hopes. I wanted to keep this card fairly simple. I also stretched myself on this one...I don't usually do such bright colour combos! But this cow is just so happy, that she needed a bright and cheery background. These papers are from a small pack I picked up at Winners...seriously, you need to keep an eye on their scrapbooking section because sometimes they get great items in there! Unfortunately, I cannot remember the company name!

I wasn't sure that my stamped flowers would count for the recipe, so I layered three flowers and added a little rhinestone centre. The two brads are holding my sentiment, which is from a Popcorn the Bear stamp set. Check it out...that sentiment is cut out with my brand new Labels 8!!! I have been wanting this set for so long, and finally picked it up from Skribbles n Scraps in Sarnia. This is such a simple recipe to follow that you have no excuse! If you have a High Hopes image, then hop on over there and play along! As always, I stamped my images on Neenah Cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and coloured with Copics.

Thanks for stopping by! Let me know you were here so I can pop by your blog and see what you've been up to!

Blessings!

Melanie

Christmas Temptation

Well folks, we have made it to another Friday! This week has been such a whirlwind around here, and as a result I have been absent from blogland...but I'm back! Today I have yet another Christmas card...go figure! lol Whatever will I do when Christmas has come and gone for the year??

I inked up this cute Callie Christmas Kitty from High Hopes stamps. I love this image! My in-laws have a cat named Callie, and when she was a kitten she managed to pull down their ENTIRE Christmas tree...a couple of times! She was a bit of a trouble maker to say the least! So, when I saw this stamp it reminded me of their Callie! How perfect! So, I had to colour her gray just like the kitty we know and love so well! Look at her little face....totally busted, caught in the act! Ha...I've seen that look on my kids' faces many times! lol

As always, I coloured the image with my Copic markers. The background is sponged in with Distress Ink, as are all the edges of the layers. The paper is all Bazzill and DCWV. Those gorgeous Primas are available at The Town Scrapper. The ornaments were coated with Glossy Accents, and then given a coat of Star Dust Stickles. The candy canes got a coat of Glossy Accents too.

This card fits in with two challenges this week:

1. High Hopes' Diva Lacey came up with this great sketch challenge.

2. Cute Card Thursday is calling for cards with glitter. Unfortunately, it is really hard to capture the sparkle in cards! Trust me, this one has plenty of glitter in real life!! Both layers of DP have a beautiful sparkle to them. The ornaments catch the light with their Star Dust Stickles. I also gave the Primas a touch of Stickles too. The three buttons at the bottom were also Stickled up!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'm hoping to find some time to create, and perhaps get a few Christmas gifts done!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,

Melanie

p.s. Friday is the day when Humble Pie posts their new challenge! This week is a sketch challenge. There is always a prize up for grabs...so hop on over and play along! You do not have to use a Humble Pie image to play along, but use them if you've got them! The new Humble Pie Christmas stamps will be in soon at The Town Scrapper, the only place you can get them! Give Phebe a call to place an order!

Pixie with a Twist!

Well, it's Sunday evening already! How is it that the weekend goes by so quickly? We had a great weekend here. I was able to spend a good part of Saturday stamping and scrapbooking with a couple of friends. What a treat!

I decided to work on a card for the All That Scraps challenge this week. They are asking us to use an "older" stamp. I pulled out Heidi, the first Swiss Pixie I bought. I love these little Pixies...they are so cute! I gave Heidi a little twist. I added some stripes to her stockings, and drew a little Santa hat for her to wear. I cut around her bangs with a craft knife so I could tuck the hat in behind them. So now, Heidi looks like a cute little Christmas elf! It's fun to see how you can stretch the possibilities of your stamps...give it a try!

Heidi was coloured with Copics, and glitzed up with some Frosted Lace, Stardust and Christmas Red Stickles. The sentiment (from the Cookie Crumbs Reason for the Season set from CC Designs) was mounted on one of the Spellbinders Fancy Tags. Heidi was cut out with one of the Spellbinders Labels. I masked her and sponged around the image while it was still in the die. The cardstock is Bazzill, and the DP is from both Basic Gray and DCWV.

Thanks for looking in!

Blessings,

Melanie

How Do You Fit a Hippo in a Box??: HH Challenge #51(Post #2 for today....scroll down for the Humble Pie Challenge)

Wow...two posts in one day?? Impressive no? Well, I thought so!

Do you ever have an idea in your head for a card that just makes you giggle? My husband always finds it amusing that I crack myself up. Well, this Hippo stamp from High Hopes made me laugh out loud when I first saw it! He is so cute. There is a fabulous sentiment you can purchase as well quoting the famous (and somewhat annoying!) Christmas song. However, I thought it would be fun to create my own "Dear Santa" letter to go along with it! I tried my best to do "kids" printing, but let me tell you...it's hard to print messy! Poor little Sam wants this hippo so badly, and he can't help but be honest about his behaviour this past year! lol See how he kept changing what he wrote about being "good"?? hee hee Of course, you cannot expect a five year old to spell everything correctly either!!

The challenge this week calls for snowflakes. I decided to go with a non-traditional snowflake look. This fabulous Christmas paper was the colour inspiration...I believe it might be from a DCWV Christmas stack. The cardstock is Bazzill. Once again, I pulled out my new Snowflake Spellbinders to create that fun red and green snowflake embellishment. Add a couple of brads, and done!

The hippo was stamped on Neenah with Memento ink and coloured with Copics. Parts of the ribbon were pop dotted for dimension. I love how he has exploded out of this box! Ta Da! The ribbon was given a coat of Star Dust Stickles for shimmer.

Hop on over to the High Hopes blog to join in the fun...they always have fantastic stamps up for grabs!

Have a great Friday!

Melanie

Snowflake Medallion: Humble Pie Challenge

Happy Friday!! Hope your week was great. Friday brings about another challenge over at the Humble Pie blog. This week, Baker Maria has challenged us to make a circle card. For my card, I have used one of the brand new Christmas images from the Sweetie Pie line, exclusively available at The Town Scrapper. I love snowmen, so I was excited to colour this friendly snow gent up! I love how he has a strand of Christmas lights wrapped around him!

So, I used my scalloped circle Nesties to make the card base with Coordination cardstock. The design paper behind the snowman is from my Christmas stash (I have so many papers in this stash!). I decided to recycle an empty ribbon spool for the top layer. With this added dimension, I was able to tuck in some of my new Spellbinders Snowflakes to make a medallion. This was my first go at making one of these, and I have to admit, I didn't get the spacing quite right! So insert a bow and an extra snowflake and voila! No empty spaces! (hee hee). I've had fellow cardmakers tell me that the tiny imperfections we see in our creations show that they are actually handmade! I think that's a great way to look at things!

Snowmen are so easy to colour! Just a little shading, and you're done. I used my Copics. Now, what is a Christmas card without sparkle?? I added Polar White Flower Soft for snow, Frosted Lace Stickles to the snowflakes and Start Dust Stickles to the light bulbs. The snowman's hat also received a coat of Glossy Accents. The little brad on the snowflake is from Bo Bunny. That bow was tied with my Bow Easy. Funny story, the first time I used this fabulous little creation I was so confused! It was definitely the Bow-Not-So-Easy! I had two friends over stamping at the time, and we were not able to figure this gadget out! There are some fabulous tutorials on-line (You-Tube) which will clarify the instructions for you! Now, I definitely recommend this tool...you will love it once you learn how to use it!

Here is a side shot of the card, so you can see how it was assembled:

Now hop on over to Humble Pie to play along this week. You DO NOT need to have a Humble Pie image to play...but if you have one, go on and ink it up! There is always a great prize to win from The Town Scrapper, home of the Humble Pie stamp line. While there, why not become a follower so you will not miss out on any news from the Humble Pie Kitchen!

What are your plans for the weekend? Not that much time until Christmas folks, so best to start that shopping now! I always hope to have things done by the end of November so that I can just sit back and enjoy December. So far, I have not yet reached that goal...so maybe this year!

Blessings!

Melanie

Humble Pie Christmas Release Blog Hop!

Good morning fellow stampers! Humble Pie is excited to announce a brand new release of the Sweetie Pie line just in time for Christmas! These stamps will be available exclusively at The Town Scrapper. To kick off this new release, we are having a fun blog hop. Along the way, you will meet the newest members of The Bakers! Some of the Bakers have blog candy up for grabs. There is also a grand prize of two new Humble Pie Christmas stamps donated by Phebe at The Town Scrapper!! Rumour has it, that there might even be a few surprise goodies!

If you arrived here from Shelly's blog, then you are on the right track! If not, hop over to Kim's place to start your adventure!

To be eligible for the grand prize, you must visit every Baker on the list, and leave a comment to let us know you were there. Make sure to take some time to look at these blogs...there are some wonderfully talented ladies on this team! Hey...why not become a follower of the Humble Pie blog?? We have weekly challenges with great prizes up for grabs!

So here is my card for the hop! This is Maggie, all ready to decorate her tree! Both Maggie and the tree are part of the new release. I love this Christmas tree...it's so much fun! Maggie's pretty cute too in her Santa jammies. These papers are from my stash...unfortunately I do not remember the company name! Maggie was pop-dotted on some Nesties Labels.

As always, I coloured the image with Copic markers. I also added some Frosted Lace Stickles to her trim, the lights and the tree decorations. Christmas cards are perfect for adding lots of glitter! The ribbon is American Crafts. The poinsettia...from my stash! That great brad in the centre of the flower is also available at Phebe's store.

So, grab a cup of coffee or tea and off you go now on the hop. Here is a list of all the Bakers participating today.

1. Kim

2. Tricia

3. Phebe

4. Ann

5. Katie

6. Kim S.

7. Leah

8. Lisa

9. Maria

10. Shelly

11. Melanie (You are here!)

12. Humble Pie Stamps

Remember to comment at all of the Baker's blogs so you have a chance to win the grand prize! Check in at the Humble Pie blog to play along with our current challenge. A new one will be posted on Friday!

While you are here, feel free to stay a while and have a peek around my blog. I love visitors!

Blessings!

Melanie

(p.s. Is anybody else having issues with the spacing on Blogger?? Know how to fix it?? Let me know please! I honestly did have separate paragraphs in this post...not just one big one! lol)