Monday Morning Greetings!!

Well, good morning friends! Welcome to another Monday, which means the start to another work week. (insert sigh here, lol) We're heading for a long weekend though, so that's good news! Oh, and the kiddies are back to school next week too...how on earth did the summer go so quickly?? I don't have a card to show you today, but just wanted to pop on to share a few things with you.

Did you enter my current BLOG CANDY?? Check out THIS post for a chance to win some Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!

Ok, I have to apologize as I'm a little late in posting a lovely blog award that I received from two very thoughtful stamping friends! I am so grateful to both Mary Lou and to Robin for thinking of me. I was so touched...thanks so much ladies! Take a look:

There are a few rules that go along with this blog award:

1. Thank the person (or in my case "people") who sent you this award.

To both Mary Lou and Robin....THANK YOU LADIES!!!! You have just brightened my day, and I truly appreciate you both...not just because you thought to send this along my way, but for your continued encouragement and support through all your lovely comments.

2. Post the award on your blog.

Done. :)

3. List three things about yourself:

• I love to read.
• I love to draw, although seldom find the time for it.
• I treasure my family...my supportive and loving husband Dean, our 17 year old son Nathan and our 10 year old daughter Ainsleigh.

4. Post a picture you love.

Thought I would share a picture that Dean took of our daughter Ainsleigh from her ballet recital this past June. Ainsleigh is often a "guest" on my blog, as she is one of the Junior Krafty Girls for Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. She always joins us with a lovely creation on our release day blog hops. She loves anything art-related, but dance has been a passion for her since she could walk. We just love to see her up on stage...even her 17 year old brother comes out to support her! (I love that Nathan will sit through recitals to shows his sister he cares...even though we know it's not his "cup of tea", lol.) He always greets her with a hug and words of encouragement after a performance...and sometimes even a rose. Love my kids!!

5. Pass this award on to five friends.

Oh, it's so hard to narrow it down, as I can think of so many deserving stampers (and I hate to leave anybody out), but here you go:

• Amanda
• Krista
• Maria
• Rach
• Sharon

Oh, and Mary Lou currently has some fabulous Blog Candy...check it out on this post HERE!! I'll also be putting up a link to her candy in my sidebar.

Well, that's about if from me today! I hope you have a wonderful Monday, and I hope to see you back this Friday for a brand new challenge from Wags 'n Whiskers Stamps!

Blessing friends, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Melanie

Pearly Whites (oh, and I've got CANDY!!)

What a week! We have been so incredibly busy at work. Let me just say that I am thrilled it's the weekend at last! (although, our family has a lot on the agenda for the weekend, so it's bound to be busy too.) Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of spending most of the day stamping and colouring with some lovely gals. Kimmie, Andrea, Angie, Amanda and I were all invited over to Amy's brand new studio. What a fantastic space Amy has...I was just a tad jealous! lol My stamping space is my kitchen table! We all coloured to our hearts' content, and shared more than a few laughs! It was a great day, and we hope to do it again sometime soon.

Make sure to read to the end of my post, as I've got some CANDY to give away to one lucky stamper!!

One of the images I worked on last Sunday was for this week's challenge at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog! The lovely Jeanne Streiff is your hostess this week, and her challenge is called "Pearly Whites"...so make sure to include the colour white and some pearls on your creation this week!

I pulled out one of my favourite Annie Rodrigue stamps, "Marie Antionette". I LOVE colouring this image! Just look at that skirt...I bet she has to turn sideways to fit though doors! lol In keeping with that vintage feel that I love, I decided to go with a creamier white for the accents on her dress. I also sponged all white cardstock with Antique Linen Distress Ink. That pretty punched border was cut with Spellbinders Classic Lace Borders Grand...I've been after this die for a LONG time, and picked it up last weekend at one of my favourite local stores, Skribbles and Scraps. The papers on this card are all from the Basic Grey Capella collection...I absolutely love these papers. I used some flat backed pearls from the dollar store.


The image was stamped on Neenah cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured with Copic markers. She was cut out and popped up on foam squares. Now, I believe Marie's little birdie friend is a raven...but I needed a bit more white on my card to fit in with Jeanne's challenge. So, I attempted to make him look more like a white pigeon...just pretend with me, ok? lol Oh, you'll notice that Marie also has some pretty pearls in her hair...just perfect for the challenge.

Copics: Skin E0000, E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E35, E37, E59 Dress: B91, B93, B95, B97, B99, E50, E41, E43, E47

We'd love to have you join in with Jeanne's challenge this week. Make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie stamp (find them HERE) on your project, and you could be the lucky winner of the stamp Jeanne used on her card this week! For some inspiration, go check out the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to see the gorgeous projects by the rest of the Krafty Girls and our lovely Krafty Guests!

Just a quick reminder to register soon for the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Event on September 25, 2010...space is limited and tickets are going fast! Check out THIS post for details. I sure hope to see you there!

Ok, are you interested in some BLOG CANDY??? I have been offering blog candy throughout the month of August as an expression of thanks to all the lovely folks who stop by my blog and leave such sweet comments. I appreciate each and every one of you! So, how would you like to get your hands on a couple of gorgeous Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps? Take a look:

If you would like to be the very happy winner of "Nerissa" and "Snow White", then just leave a comment on this post by September 3, 2010 at 11:59 EST. I will announce the winner next Saturday along with our next Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge. I'd like to say a great big THANKS to KIMMIE for generously donating these stamps! Good luck stampers!

Thank you so much for stopping by today. Have a wonderful Saturday, and I hope you find some time to get inky this weekend!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Marie Antoinette"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Basic Grey Capella

Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Ink (Antique Linen and Stormy Sky)

Embellishments: Pearls

Tools: Spellbinders Classic Lace Borders Grand

And the Winner Is...

Good morning folks! I hope your Sunday is off to a fantastic start! I'm sure you're longing to find out who won my blog candy donated by the lovely Crissy Armstrong. Well, without further ado the winner is...

FIONALAWLOR

Congrats!! I know you will have a lot of creative fun with your three Crissy Armstrong digital stamps! I'll be contacting you soon with more information on choosing your three images!

Keep your eyes peeled as I'll have another giveaway very soon...and I know you'll love it!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope to see you back soon!

Blessings,

Melanie

Mermaid Music

Welcome to another challenge at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps! Your hostess for this week's "Stars" Challenge is the very sweet Diana who wants to see you incorporating stars into your project. There are so many possibilities here: buttons, papers, stamps, die cuts...take your pick! Just make sure we can see those stars somewhere on your project!

Now at first, I was in a bit of a pickle with this challenge. I went digging through my craft supplies and realized that I have NOTHING with stars on it. I thought a shopping trip might be in order, until I remembered that the lovely Aurora has stars in her hair...perfect! I inked up Aurora, stamped her on Neenah cardstock and coloured her up with my Copic markers. I also used the little starfish accessory stamp that comes with Calliope.

After colouring the image, I glammed up Aurora's tail with Stardust Stickles. (LOL, I initially thought about having the Stardust Stickles as my "star" component for this challenge, but thought I might get in a wee bit of trouble for pushing the envelope! hehe Diana actually wants to see star shapes on your project!) The background was done with various markers and the blender. all the paper edges were sponged with Bundled Sage and Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks. The flourishes were cut with Spellbinders Doodle Parts.

Copics: Skin: E0000, E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E35, E37, E59 Tail: YG00, YG11, YG63, YG67, G99 Starfish: Y17, Y21, YR31, E35, E47

We'd love to have you join in with the challenge this week! If you make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie stamp (you can find them HERE) on your project, you could be the lucky winner of Halloween Miles and Maisie as seen on Diana's fantastic card this week! Hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to see the incredible projects by the other Krafty Girls and Krafty Guests...what an amazingly talented group of stampers!!

How would you like to increase your chances of winning some Kraftin' Kimmie goodness? Kimmie is sponsoring Cute Card Thursday's sketch challenge this week. I used the great sketch on my challenge card today. Why not combine the Star Challenge and Sketch Challenge to increase your odds of winning? (take at look at Kimmie's post HERE!)

(Have you registered for the upcoming First Annual Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Krafty Day?? Check out THIS post for details!)

Thanks so much for stopping by friends, and have a fantastic day!

Blessings,

Melanie

ps...You have until 11:59 pm EST tonight to enter my current BLOG CANDY on THIS post!!

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Aurora" and starfish accessory stamp for "Calliope"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Crate Paper, KaiserCraft

Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Ink

Embellishments: Stardust Stickles

Tools: Spellbinders Doodle Parts, Martha Stewart punch

A Fairy Blog Hop at Wags 'n Whiskers Stamps!

Welcome to release day at Wags 'n Whiskers Stamps!! We have a brand new set of rubber stamps by artist Cris De Lara featuring some gorgeous fairies...did you see the sneak peeks over the last two days?? I know you will fall in love with the beautiful new images, just as the entire DT has. To celebrate the release, we are having a blog hop today!

The hop begins over at the Wags 'n Whiskers Blog, where you will find a list of all the particpants. As you hop from blog to blog, make sure to leave comments as there will be three lucky winners drawn from those names who will each win two stamps from the new release! When you are done, make sure to head back to the Wags 'n Whiskers blog to comment on your favourite design...and then go shopping! The hop will remain open until Monday August 23, 2010 at 5:01 am GMT/12:01 am EST.

If you have arrived here from the lovely Mag's blog, then you are on the right track...aren't her creations just beautiful?! If not, just head on over to the beginning of the hop at the WnW blog and make your way through the list.

One of the things I love about these fairies is their versatility. Depending on what colour scheme you use, they are perfect for any season or occasion. So many blogs are featuring Christmas projects lately, that I've been in the mood to make something festive...although I suppose this could be a gift for other occasions too. I saw a video tutorial (found HERE) a while back by Becca Feeken that shows how to create a pretty ornament out of Spellbinders Fleur De Lis pendant. I followed her directions for folding the pendants and made an ornament to feature one of the Wags 'n Whiskers Fairies...allow me to introduce "Lacey"!



I stamped Lacey on Neenah cardstock and coloured her with Copics. I added sparkle to her wings with Stardust Stickles. I added additional shimmer to her dress with Smooch Illuminate.

Copics: Skin: E0000, E000, E00, E11 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59 Clothes: BG000, BG10, BG11, BG72, BG75, E50, E41, E43, blender Wings: B93, B21, B000 and RV000

Time for you to visit the sweet and very talented Debbie who I know has a gorgeous project to show you! Remember, if at any time on the hop you get a little lost, just return to the Wags 'n Whiskers Blog for the hop list. Don't forget to leave those comments for your chance to win some new stamps!

When you are done hopping, it's time to get shopping! (lol...didn't know I had poetry skills, huh??) You can find the brand new Wags 'n Whiskers Fairies HERE.

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Wags 'n Whiskers "Lacey"
Ink: Memento, Copic markers, Distress Ink
Paper: Neenah, My Mind's Eye
Embellishments: Rhinestones, crocheted trim, ribbon
Tools: Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Pendant

Wags 'n Whiskers Fairy Sneak Peeks-Day Two!

Have you heard the news? There is a brand new release at Wags 'n Whiskers Stamps this Friday! We started the sneak peeks for these stamps yesterday, and we're back with another round today. The August release features some gorgeous new fairies by artist Cris De Lara.

Today, I have a card featuring "Nichola". I just love how elegant these pretty fairies are and they are so much fun to colour! I decided to colour Nichola in autumn colours and paired her up with some pretty papers from Daisy Buckets. After colouring her wings, I coated them with Stardust Stickles...because every fairy needs just a little bling!

Copics used: Skin E0000, E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59 Clothing: YR00, YR02, YR04, YR07, YR08, YG00, YG91, YG95, G99 Wings: BG93, BG96, YG91, Y17, Y23, YR31, E50 and RV000

Hop on over to the Wags 'n Whiskers Blog where you will find links to the rest of the DT who have some beautiful previews to show you featuring the new WnW fairies! You can also check out THIS post to find out how you could win the entire new release!

Don't forget to join us tomorrow for the release day Blog Hop!

Blessings,

Melanie

ps...Have you entered my current BLOG CANDY?? Check out THIS post for all the details!

Stamps: Wags 'n Whiskers "Nicola"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Daisy Buckets

Ink: Memento, Copic markers, Distress Inks

Embellishments: Prima flowers, buttons, ribbon(coloured with Copic marker G94), dollar store charm and twine

August Sneak Peeks at Wags 'n Whiskers!

Good morning friends! It's time for another new release at Wags 'n Whiskers stamps!! Just wait until you see the beautiful new images that will be available for purchase this Friday...and you can see some sneak peeks starting today! You can check over at the Wags 'n Whiskers Blog to see a list of designers participating in the previews each day. To celebrate the release, we have a fantastic blog hop planned on Friday...I sure hope you plan to join in the fun!

This new release features some beautiful fairies. The images are very versatile, and can be used for so many different occasions and seasons. Today, I'm showing you a card featuring "Angelica". I paired her up with some pretty paper from the Basic Grey Capella collection...I really love the colours and designs of these papers. The sentiment is from JustRite and the little brown pearls are from the dollar store.





"Angelica" was stamped on Neenah cardstock and coloured with Copic markers. I used the colourless blender on her wings to fade the colours into each other and then coated them with Stardust Stickles. The background was done by sponging in Bundled Sage and Antique Linen Distress Inks while the image was still in a Spellbinders Die. (The edges were all sponged with the same inks.)

Copics: As I didn't actually record all the colours, I'm going by memory here! lol Skin: E0000, E000, E00, E11,R20 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59 Skirt: E50, E41, E42, E43, E47 Bodice: BG000, BG10, BG11, BG75, G00, B99 and YG91 (the G00 and YG91 were used very sparingly to tone down the blue in order to match the paper better)

Would you like to see more? Head on over to the Wags 'n Whiskers Blog for links to the other sneak peeks. The Diva's have been busy preparing some gorgeous projects! I know you will fall in love with these new fairies, just as we all have!

While you are at the WnW blog, check out THIS post to find out how you could win the entire new release!

I hope to see you back for another sneak peek tomorrow!

Blessings,

Melanie

ps...Don't forget about my current blog candy...you can read all about it HERE!

Stamps: Wags 'n Whiskers "Angelica", JustRite stamps (sentiment)
Ink: Memento, Copic markers, Distress Inks
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Basic Grey
Embellishments: Dollar store Pearls
Tools: Spellbinders

Some Monday News

Good morning! I hope your week is off to a great start. I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation to all of you who stopped by my blog this weekend for a visit. Your sweet comments mean so much me! During the Kraftin' Kimmie Blog Hop yesterday, I had posted a card made by my daughter Ainsleigh. She always has such fun preparing cards for the hops, and she puts so much work into them. I thought you might like to know a little about my daughter since she is sometimes a"special guest" here on my blog. Ainsleigh is ten years old and will be going into Grade 5 this September. She is very passionate about dance, and studies both ballet (currently grade III Cecchetti) and highland dancing. She also absolutely LOVES anything to do with art. This summer she has spent a lot of her free time with a sketchbook in hand. My husband and I have been amazed by the progress in her skill level!! She is becoming quite the artist...perhaps I'll post one of her drawings sometime soon. Most of the drawings she works on are in the Manga style. The comments you all left for her put such a big smile on her face. Thank you so very much!

I wanted to remind you of some BLOG CANDY that I currently have open. You can read THIS post for the details...the prize is three Crissy Armstrong digital images of your choice!! Thanks again to Crissy for donating this wonderful candy!

There are still some spots open for the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Krafty Day on September 25, 2010 in London, Ontario...but they are going fast! If you were thinking of attending, make sure to register soon! I have a link in my sidebar for this event...or you can click HERE for more details! I am so excited for this event and look forward to meeting everybody!

We have a fantastic release coming up this week at Wags 'n Whiskers Stamps...I'm so excited for these new images as they are so gorgeous!!! The sneak peeks begin this Wednesday and the stamps will officially be available for purchase on Friday...we're also planning a great blog hop for that day, so mark your calenders! How would you like to win yourself the entire new release??? Read THIS post to find out how!



I hope you all have a fantastic Monday, and I hope to see you on Wednesday morning with my first Wags 'n Whiskers sneak peek!!

Blessings,

Melanie

My Favourite Time of Year...plus a little CANDY!!!

(This is my second post for today. Please scroll down or click HERE for the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps August Release Blog Hop!)

Welcome to another brand new challenge at Sundays With Crissy! We were all thrilled to see your gorgeous "Christmas in July" submissions for our last challenge...thanks so much for playing along! This time around, Crissy would like to see projects relfecting "Your Favourite Time of Year"! She is leaving it up to your interpretation...perhaps a favourite season or holiday?

I'm also offering a bit of blog candy today, but you'll have to read all the way through my post to find out how to win!

I chose to go with my favourite season, winter!! (although fall is a VERY close second) I know many of you are hot weather fans...but I am not. The hot humid weather of summer causes me to retreat to my central air conditioned house, lol. Being a redhead, I burn easily...and my allergies are always worse in the summer months. So, I look forward to the cooler weather...and I love when the snow starts falling. It's always so beautiful right after a fresh snowfall...when the snow is still clinging to the trees and everything sparkles in the sunlight.

Earlier this week, I showed you a Halloween themed wall hanging. Well, it put me in the mood to create one for the winter months. I chose to work with "Zoe and Gemma's Snow Fun" which is one of Crissy Armstrong's digital images available at Wags 'n Whiskers Stamps. The shadow box (from the dollar store) was painted with a base coat of blue followed by a glittery dimensional "snow" paint.

This pretty image was printed on Neenah Cardstock and coloured with Copic markers. I ripped the edges of a few strips of cardstock for the snowy hills, and adhered them at different depths within the recessed window. I used Polar White Flower Soft on the "ground" and the snowman. The sentiment is chipboard letters covered with the snowy paint and then sprinkled with Flower Soft. Finally, I added a cluster of snowflakes and flourishes made with Spellbinders dies. I sponged them with blue ink while still in the dies and then coated them with Stardust Stickles. (the little punched snowflakes in the background were also "Stickled" up!)

Need a little inspiration? Why not hop on over to Sunday's With Crissy? My fellow Crissy's Crew members have just outdone themselves once again with with some stunning creations. We'd love to have you participate in our challenge...you will have lots of time to complete your project, as this is yet another extended challenge. Just make sure to use one of Crissy's digital images to be elligable for a fantastic prize! (Crissy has put together a great package of some digital stamps and a pad of paper for one lucky participant!)

You can find Crissy's images at Wags 'n Whiskers, Squigglefly and Whimsy Stamps.

I really appreciate all the support and encouragement I have received from all of you over the past year. It means so much to me that you all stop by and leave such lovely comments, so I thought I would try to do a little something in return. I will be offering a few different blog candies throughout the month of August. For today's prize, Crissy Armstrong has very kindly (and generously) donated this wonderful prize package...your choice of three of her gorgeous digital stamps!! Crissy's images are always such a joy to colour, and I have felt so blessed to be a part of her very talented team. Would you like to be the lucky winner of this blog candy? Just leave me a comment on this post by August 21, 2010 (by 11:59 pm EST). I will announce the lucky winner (chosen by random.org) on August 22, 2010. Good luck!

Have a blessed Sunday stampers!

Melanie

Digital Stamps: "Zoe and Gemma's Snow Fun" by Crissy Armstrong available at Wags 'n Whiskers Stamps

Paper: Neenah

Ink: Copic markers, Memento

Embellishments: Polar White Flower Soft, Stardust Stickles, Spare Parts brads, chipboard letters

Tools: Spellbinders Snowflakes and Doodle Parts,

Other: Snow paint, blue craft paint

August Release Blog Hop at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!

(This is one of two posts today. Please check back around 12:00 pm EST for a brand new Sundays With Crissy challenge!)

Welcome to the spooktacular Kraftin' Kimmie August Release Blog Hop! If you have joined in with the sneak peeks over the last few days, you will already know that this release is full of fantastically creepy Halloween images and a great sentiment set to match. There are so many spooky images from the pens of artists Annie Rodrigue and Stephen Leary. You will have a chance to see these great stamps in our blog hop today!

We have an amazing lineup for you today...joining Kimmie and the Krafty Girls are several Krafty Guests and our Junior Krafty Girls. You are in for quite the treat, as there are so many amazing projects for you to see! Make sure to start the hop at the Challenge Blog, as you will not want to miss any stop along the way. While you are hopping, make sure to leave comments at each and every blog because Kimmie will be drawing a few winners from those names...those lucky stampers will be the very happy recipients of some brand new August stamps!

Here's the hop list:

1. Challenge blog
2. Melanie and Ainsleigh
3. Krista
4. Kerry

5. Jeanne
6. Colleen
7. Donna
8. Annie

9. Elaine
10. Paula
11. Vicki
12. Andrea and Kaitlyn
13. Jessica
14. Kellie Winnell

15. Diana
16. Michele
17. Kimmie

Just to make sure you are on the right track, you should have arrived here from the Challenge Blog.

I chose to work with "Batty Princess" by Annie Rodrigue. This stamp is based on an original piece by Annie, and I just love her to bits! Big surprise here...I went with a vintage feel for this card, which is probably my favourite style. When I go into stores, I am always drawn to papers and embellishments with a vintage flair. When I went digging for the perfect paper for Batty Princess, my eyes fell on this sheet of gorgeous damask paper that I had stashed away...I may even have been hoarding it, lol. (unfortunately, I had cut off the company's name so I'm not sure where it's from. Sorry folks.)

I wanted this card to look like an old framed photograph, perhaps on the wall of a creepy old mansion (doesn't that damask pattern look like old wallpaper?). I used my Spellbinders Labels 10 and Doodle Parts to create a frame from metallic silver cardstock. As I needed matching flourishes for each side of the frame, I choose not to emboss these pieces. At first it was WAY to clean and shiny for my liking...I wanted it to look like antique pewter. So, out came the Black Soot Distress Ink...perfect for aging the silver cardstock. I also added a some rhinestones to the frame, which were then touched up with a bit of Distress Ink. The paper inside the frame is from Basic Grey Capella collection...boy, do I LOVE those papers!

Annie's images this month have lent themselves beautifully to experimentation with different skin undertones. I wanted to give Batty Princess some dramatic shading around her eyes...perhaps even a little "goth", lol. I used a lot of purple shadows in her skin, especially around her eyes. When I was finished colouring, I used my black Conte crayons and a paper blending stump to achieve a smokey look.

Copics: E0000, E000, E00, BV00, BV02,R20, E31, E33, E37, E59, E50, E41, E42, E43, E47, 100, C7, C5, C3, C1 (and black Conte crayon)

I have a treat for you today...after all, what's a Halloween themed blog hop without treats?? My lovely daughter and Junior Krafty Girl Ainsleigh has also created a card for the blog hop today! She loved all the Halloween images this month, but chose to work with "Witchypoo". "Flying By To Say Hi" is part of the brand new "Halloween Sentiments" set. She did such an amazing job colouring up this cute image, and I just love her choice of "magical" papers (from KaiserCraft). Ainsleigh also used a couple of great Halloween buttons that I had picked up a while back at a local fabric store. As a finishing touch, Ainsleigh pulled out my favourite Stardust Stickles and went to town glammin' up this cute witch...that's my girl!!

Your next stop on the hop is my very good friend (and amazingly talented!!) Krista! Make sure to be leaving comments along the way to get your name in the drawing for the blog hop prizes!

Speaking of prizes, all orders placed at Kimmie's Online Store this week will be put in a draw to win a 5x7 print of Annie Rodrigue's original artwork "Batty Princess"! So when you are done hopping, make sure to head on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store to place your order! Oh, and Kimmie has a brand new feature this month...look for the "Gimmie Kimmie Stamps" option when placing your order. Click on this feature and you will be able to order the entire August release as a package at discounted price!! This will only be available for a limited time, so make sure to act fast to take advantage of the savings!

Happy hopping stampers!

Blessings,

Melanie

Materials:

Melanie's Card

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Batty Princess"

Paper: Neenah, Basic Grey, Bazzill, damask paper (unknown company)

Ink: Memento, Distress Ink, Copic markers

Embellishments: Rhinestones, machine stitching

Tools: Spellbinders Labels 10 and Doodle Parts

Ainsleigh's Card

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Witchy Poo" and "Halloween Sentiments"

Paper: Neenah, KaiserCraft, Bazzill

Ink: Memento, Copic makers

Embellishments: Fancy Buttons, Stardust Stickles, purple rhinestones

Old School Vampires (you know...before they sparkled?!)

Good morning and welcome back! Have you been enjoying all the spooky Kraftin' Kimmie sneak peeks by the Krafty Girls and our fantastic Krafty Guests?? ( Our August guests are none other than Colleen Schaan, Jessica Diedrich, Kerry Johnson and Paula Williamson!!!) Tomorrow is the big release day, and Kimmie has planned a fun-filled creepy blog hop to celebrate! Just wait until you see what the Krafty Girls have been brewing up in their studios...I have seen them, and they are AMAZING! We will be joined by our August Krafty Guests, Kimmie's artists and of course our Junior Krafty Girls.

In the meantime, we have another new Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge along with more previews...are you game?? Your very talented hostess this week is the lovely Krista...she has come up with a great recipe for you this week. She would like to see you using Scallops, Buttons and Bling on your project.

Have you been caught up in this whole vampire craze?? Lol...I'm guessing that as soon as you read the word "vampire", you thought of Edward and Bella??? Confession time....I'm a Twilight fan too. Well, for all you fang fans out there, Kimmie has a great new vampire stamp that will be available for purchase tomorrow! Allow me to introduce you to the new "it" couple...."Fred and Ginger"! The "Love Bites" sentiment comes with this great stamp...however, the little fang marks and blood are my own addition, lol.

When I sat down to colour this image, my first inclination was to have Fred sparkle...I was all set to pull out my Smooch Illuminate and Stardust Stickles to make him look like Edward in the sunlight. As I was colouring his cape, I got to thinking that Fred reminded me more of the "old school" vampires...remember when vampires didn't "dazzle" us in the sun?? Actually, they couldn't go out in the sun at all! So, I shaded his very pale face with greys and purples. I went back to blend them out with the colourless blender. Then, out came my Conte crayons, and I got busy giving him deeper shadows around his eyes. In stark contrast, Ginger's skin is still very alive and warm. This gal has definitely not been "changed"....yet! Looks like Fred's going in for the bite, and Ginger's really not putting up much resistance! The poor gal has totally fainted (or maybe just swooned)...but doesn't she look glamorous in her red dress?? (Again, I was going for strong contrast with this rich red against the black and white used on Fred) .



If you plan to add additional shading with a different medium, please remember to do this after you have finished colouring with your markers. If not, you run the risk of ruining your marker nibs. However, if this should happen it's not the end of your marker as the nibs are replaceable. I used a blending stump to pick up pigment from my Conte crayons and then applied it to my image. I tend to work in little circles to achieve a smooth blend. I guess it's the same technique you would use with pencils and OMS, but I'm working with a dry paper stump here. I also added some black Conte crayon to Fred's cape. It kind of softens the look of the ink. Oh, one other note...Conte crayons are messy. (kind of a hybrid between chalk and pastels) Your fingers will get messy (which will easily transfer to other areas of your image), and small particles of pigment will likely land all over your paper...don't try to brush these off as you'll get smears of colour across your lovely image...don't ask me how I know. lol (I turn my paper on end and tap it off, or just lightly blow on the image)

Well, that was a long post! Are you still with me?? (I'll warn you next time, so you can grab a fresh cup of coffee or tea before settling in!)

We would LOVE to have you join in the challenge this week! Just follow along with Krista's recipe and make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie image on your creation (you can find them HERE)...then you could be the lucky winner of the stamp Krista used on her amazing card this week. Hop on over the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to check out all the projects by the Krafty Girls and Krafty Guests!

Before you go, I also want to remind you about the First Annual Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Krafty Day on September 25, 2010! Check out this POST for details about the event and registration. We sure hope to see you there!

Ok, see you back tomorrow for the RELEASE DAY BLOG HOP!!!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Fred and Ginger" with included sentiment

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Daisy Buckets, Best Creation Inc., Karen Foster

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Black Soot Distress Ink, Copic markers

Other mediums: Conte crayons

Embellishments: Ribbon, button, Onyx Martha Stewar glitter, rhinestones, StarDust Stickles, Christmas Red Stickles

Tools: Spellbinders Fancy Tags, paper blending stump

Kraftin' Kimmie August Previews: Day 2

Welcome back! My word, it seems you all are big Halloween fans...we've had such a great response after just one day of sneak peeks. I would like to say a heartfelt THANKS for all the lovely comments left on my blog yesterday...you are all so sweet!

Are you ready for more previews of the brand new August release for Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps?? The stamps will be available for purchase on Sunday, and we're planning a blog hop that day to celebrate! Meanwhile, you can be checking out previews of these fantastic stamps each day with the Krafty Girls!


Once again, I'm combining stamps from two of Kimmie's artists on my card. This awesome "Haunted House" by Annie Rodrigue is the perfect backdrop for "Halloween Miles and Maisie" by Stephen Leary! (aren't they cute in their costumes??) The flocked spider web paper is from Making Memories, but I can't remember what company the other Halloween paper is from. The edges were all sponged with Black Soot Distress Ink and I glammed up the button with some Onyx Martha Stewart glitter.




Sorry folks...I didn't record the colours for this card as I ended up with an enormous mountain of markers on my table by the time I was done. I did add some extra shading with my Conte crayons.



Kimmie has packed so many great Halloween stamps into this release! To see more previews, hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to see what the rest of the amazing Krafty Girls have been up to!

See you back tomorrow for our weekly challenge and another round of previews!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Haunted House" and "Halloween Miles and Maisie"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Making Memories and ??

Ink: Memento, Copic Markers, Distress Ink

Embellishments: MS glitter, button, twine, ribbon

Previews Begin Today at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!

I love release week at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps...it's always jam packed full of fun! This month is no exception. Kimmie has a fantastic line-up of Halloween themed stamps from two of her artists, Annie Rodrigue and Stephen Leary! She also has a great set of Halloween sentiments to go with the new images. Starting today, the Krafty Girls will be bringing you previews of the August stamps right through to the release day this Sunday, when we will be celebrating with a blog hop! Make sure to check out the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog each day for a list of the participating Krafty Girls!

For my first preview, I made a Halloween wall hanging with two of the August stamps...and they are by two different artists! Introducing "Witchypoo" by Annie Rodrigue and "Pumpkin Miles" by Stephen Leary. I love how well these images work with each other for creating great scenes! The "Happy Halloween" tag was made with Spellbinders Fancy Tags and the great "Halloween Sentiments" set that Kimmie will also be releasing this Sunday...this is yet another set full of great themed sentiments sure to suit all your spooky projects!

Some of you may be aware that I am a bargain junkie. I love dollar stores and clearance bins...you can find some fantastic treasures! I recently picked up several of these great wooden shadow boxes for a dollar a piece! I painted the entire surface with some black craft paint. After creating my little scene, I got busy "jazzing" up the frame. I used some chipboard flourishes as a stencil and traced around them to create a pattern, added glue and then sprinkled it with some black Martha Stewart glitter. The little orange gems are yet another dollar store item.

Witchypoo needed a bit of bling too, so I sparkled her up with Stardust Stickles. Her boots also got a coat of Glossy Accents. Copics used: E000, E00, E11, E31, E33, E37, E50, E59, RVooo, V09, V12, V15, G11, YG63, YG67, 100, C1, C3, C5, C7, YR00, YR02, YR04, YR07, E08, BV31

After stamping Pumpkin Miles, I added in a couple of extra pumpkins and vines to make it look like he was in the middle of a pumpkin patch. Copics: C1, C3, C5, C7, YR00, YR02, YR07, E08, E25, E31, E33, E49, E50, YG00, YG11, YG63, YG67, Y38.

Want to see more? Well, hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to visit the rest of the Krafty Girls for their previews. Oh, and Kimmie has some amazingly talented super-star guests joining us this month...you'll find out who they are when you visit the blog! Make sure to check back with us tomorrow, as we have more sneak peeks planned for you!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Witchypoo", "Pumpkin Miles" and "Halloween Sentiments"
Paper: DCWV, Bazzill, Neenah
Ink: Memento, Copics, Bundled Sage and Black Soot Distress Inks
Embellishments: Martha Stewart Glitter in Onyx, Glossy Accents, Stardust Stickles, orange rhinestones
Tools: Spellinbinders Fancy Tags

Blog Candy Winner!!

Good morning folks! As promised, I'm back with the winner of my Wags 'n Whiskers Blog Candy!! I used random.org to choose a number, and you winner is...

MARGO!!!

Congrats Margo and I hope you have lots of fun playing with these great stamps! Thank you to all who joined in and left such lovely comments. I'm planning to post another blog candy giveaway from another wonderful sponsor later this weekend, so make sure to stay tuned friends!

Blessings,

Melanie

For the Teens

Happy Saturday!!! It's time for a brand new challenge at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. Did you miss us last week?? Our last challenge ran for two weeks, as Kimmie and Andrea headed out to CHA where they met up with Jeanne, and many other crafty friends! They had a fantastic time, and I loved seeing all the pictures they posted. But now, it's time to get back to business and get stampin'!

This week, our hostess is the lovely Vicki Garrett!! Her challenge to you is to make a birthday card for a teenage boy. Hmmm. Tricky. I sat pondering, and pondering, and pondering, and....well, you get the point! It took me a lot of thinking to come up with something for a teen! (which is pretty sad, since my son is 17...you'd think this would come easy to me. Nope.) While looking through my ever-expanding collection of Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, my eyes landed on Bartholomew the Bard and Princess Petunia. Hmmmm. Bartholomew looks like he's got some pretty mad guitar skills...and Petunia has such an adoring look in her eyes. What teenage guy doesn't dream of having the girls look at him like that?? Perfect!

Welcome to Medieval Idol. It's Bartholomew's turn to rock the court, and there to cheer him on is the lovely Petunia. Girls have always gone nuts for rockers, even way back in the middle ages! I stamped both Bartholomew and Petunia on Neenah cardstock (except the pupils in her eyes...I drew them in after, so she would be staring at bad-boy rocker Barty), and then drew in the background with a Copic multiliner. The sentiment is something I came up with on my own. On the outside it reads: "Chicks dig guys with mad guitar skills..." and then on the inside, "...but dude, next time leave the tights at home. Happy Birthday!" (ugh...I was frustrated with the inside of the card. I accidentally smeared some black ink from my finger on the white paper while adhering it...which is why I had to sponge around the edge with more black ink to cover up my error. sigh. )

Copics used: E000, E00, E11, R20, BG000, BG10, BG11, BG72, BG75, RV000, R83, R85, R89,C7, C5, C3, C1, R17, R35, R46, R59, E25, E 31, E33, E37, E99, E50, E59, YG00, YG11, YG63, YG67, G14, G21, G99, Y11, Y21, Y17, colourless blender

This main image panel ended up being huge (this is a 6x6 card base), so it left very little room for a fussy layout which is just fine for a "guy" card.

I hope you'll join in on the challenge this week. If you do, you could win the stamp Vicki used on her awesome card this week! Just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie stamp on your project to be eligible, and then link it up on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog! While you are there, check out what the rest of the Krafty Girls have been creating this week...can I just say, AMAZING!!

I also wanted to remind you about the First Annual Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Krafty Day scheduled for September 25, 2010 in London, Ontario!!! Read this post HERE for more information. If you're thinking about attending, you'd best register quickly, as Kimmie has already been flooded with registrations...over half the spots are sold already! Act fast stampers...we'd love for you to join us.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend, and try to find a little time to get inky!

Blessings,

Melanie

(ps...I've got a bit of blog candy up for grabs...read this post HERE to find out the details! I have more stampin' goodies to give away this month too, so make sure to check back in with me frequently so you don't miss out!)

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Princess Petunia" and "Bartholomew the Bard"

Ink: Memento, Copic markers, Copic multiliner

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Basic Grey

Embellishments: Dollar store metal corners, Stardust Stickles

He Loves Me (and a little CANDY!!)

Good morning friends!! Make sure to read all the way through my post today, as I've got a bit of CANDY to give away to one lucky stamper!!

Are you all ready for another new challenge at Wags 'n Whiskers? Your hostess today is the lovely and amazingly talented Chris Olsen. Her challenge is called "Triple Play"...use any element in groups of three! Chris has left this up to your interpretation, and the possibilities are endless! You could use 3 stamps, 3 papers, 3 flowers, 3 ribbons or even 3 techniques (ie embossing, die cutting, distressing)...the list goes on and on!

We would also like to welcome some brand new members to the Wags 'n Whiskers Design Team. Our new permanent member are Tracy, Debbie, and Angelique!! Joining us as guest designers for August and September are Emma and Louise!! We are so thrilled to have you on the team ladies and look forward to seeing your gorgeous creations!

For my project today, I used "He Loves Me", one of the gorgeous WnW stamps by Crissy Armstrong. I've used "3's" in several ways on this card. There are three different patterned paper layers (Basic Grey Porcelain), a little group of three flowers in the bottom right hand corner of the stamped image, a cluster of three Prima Hydrangeas (LOVE these flowers) in the lower left hand corner of the card (plus, the centre flower is made with three different sizes of these gorgeous flowers), three rhinestones in the flower centres and groups of three pearls in various spots on the card.

Oh, and see that pretty punched edge?? That's one of my brand new MS punches that I got this past weekend! I've been wanting this Arched Lattice punch for so long. Let me tell you...I really lucked out! I took a trip to London for a bit of back-to-school clothes shopping for the kids, and made a couple of crafty stops along the way. I went into Michaels with my 40% off coupon in hand for this exact punch...but when I got to the aisle, it was no where to be seen. So I picked out another punch I liked. Then, I spied a clearance rack...with a few MS punches on for amazing prices!! Here is where I found my long awaited Arched Lattice punch, for $9.99!! I also scooped up two other border punches (one priced at $12.99 and one at $6.99) and one co-ordinating corner punch (priced at $6.99)! Gee...almost felt like Christmas! lol




I coloured the sweet image with Copic markers, but I decided to use some of the Porcelain BG papers to paper-piece the dress and the flowers. I added some shading to the paper-pieced areas to create depth.

We'd love to have you participate in our challenge this week! Remember, you will have two weeks to enter! There is always a great prize up for grabs, but you are only eligible if you use a Wags 'n Whiskers stamp...either rubber or digital! In need (or want! lol) of a new stamp?? Click HERE to go shopping!

Ok, so I promised some BLOG CANDY...are you interested?? I've decided to celebrate this month! I've got so many reasons to celebrate...my birthday is very soon (trying to ignore that the numbers are creeping up), I've had the opportunity to work with some amazing stamp companies, I've made so many lovely friends through blogging over the past year and I've now reached over 200 followers on my blog...although I prefer to say "friends"! I'm so grateful to all of you who stop by my blog to see what I've been up to. I know we're all busy, so it really means a lot to me that you take the time out of your day to stop by for a little visit. So, I'd love to thank you (with the help and generosity of some fantastic companies) by offering up some candy throughout the month!!

Today, I have two beautiful stamps donated by Wags 'n Whiskers that are just waiting to find a new home!! These stamps are high quality deeply etched red rubber that give a clean, crisp image every time.

These lovely stamps are called "Millie With Cupcake"and "Magical Friends". Wondering how to get your inky fingers on these gems?? Just leave me a comment on this post, and make sure that I have some way to contact you (either through your blog or by email). This candy will remain open until Monday August 9, 2010 at 11:59 pm (EST). The winner will be announced on August 10, 2010!! Easy peasy. If you would like to spread the word, please feel free too! (but I won't insist, lol) Good luck stampers!!

Blessings friends, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Melanie

(ps...keep checking back with me, as I'll be posting more blog candy soon!!)

Stamps: Wags 'n Whiskers "He Loves Me"
Ink: Memento, Copics, Bundled Sage Distress Ink
Paper: Neenah, Basic Grey, Bazzill
Embellishments: Prima flowers, pearls, rhinestones
Tools: Martha Stewart border punch

Sweet 16

Good morning folks! So umm, remember last week when I posted my "last" project for Paper Romance??? LOL...I may have unintentionally fibbed a little! I forgot that Amy had invited me to play along for one last challenge. So this is officially my last contribution to the Paper Romance Team as a guest designer.

This week's challenge is brought to you by the incredibly talented Vicki Garrett!! She is asking to see projects with a "Teen" theme this week. I decided to pull out this adorable Popcorn the Bear set called "Someone Special", available at Paper Romance. I decided to make this into a "Sweet 16" card. The pretty papers are from Cloud 9 and KaiserCraft...I really love yellow, pink and green together! I layered two Fancy Tags from Spellbinders for the sentiment which was done on my computer. Add a little machine stitching and a few pearls, and voila! Happy Sweet 16th!

Copics used on Popcorn: E50, E31, E33, E37, E25, E47, E59 (sorry...forgot to record my colours for the grass and flowers :( )

My good friend Krista gave me some Beckett Expression paper to experiment with, so thought I should try it out! It's quite different from my regular Neenah...it actually reminds me a bit of Prism Simply Smooth which is what I used when I first started colouring. I do like it, but I think that Neenah is still my favourite. I really would like to get my hands on a new paper called X-Press It Blending Card, but I think it's only now coming to the USA...hope it will be in Canada soon! It's supposed to be "the best of both worlds"...the blending abilities of Neenah, but with very little bleeding as when using the Prism. When colouring Popcorn stamps, I always use tiny "flicking" motions to create the texture of fur. Be careful not to overblend when using this technique...you want to see your marker strokes! Try to keep light-handed with your markers as well, to avoid "blobs" of ink.

Hop on over to the Paper Romance Challenge Blog to see the beautiful cards made by the rest of Amy's DT. You will also spy cards by her new August Guest Designers! Join in the fun for your chance to win a great prize from Paper Romance!

Once again, my thanks to Amy and her lovely DT for allowing me to play along over the last several weeks. You ladies rock!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Popcorn the Bear "Someone Special"

Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Ink in Bundled Sage

Embellishments: Crochet trim, pearls, Glossy Accents

Tools: Spellbinders Fancy Tags