Primarily Purple...and a little stamp altering!

Good morning folks! There's a brand new challenge today on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog. Our fantabulous hostess this week is the one and only Andrea Murdock!!! Andrea's challenge is called "Primarily Purple"....um, guess that one is pretty self-explanatory!

(Fair warning....this is a LONG post today!! So if you plan to stick around until the very end, you may wish to get comfy with a cup of your favourite bevy. Not only do I have my Kraftin' Kimmie card to share, but I also have some pics of the Halloween costumes that my mom and I have been busy sewing!)

Now, when I first saw Andrea's challenge topic I knew I would have to do a little paper shopping as I really didn't have much purple in my paper collection. Lucky for me, some of the Krafty Gals met up in early September at Scrappin' Great Deals to work on preparations for Krafty Day...we also managed to squeeze in a little retail therapy! lol I found this awesome paper from Graphic 45...it's from the "Halloween in Wonderland" collection. I'm quite fond of Alice in Wonderland, and I absolutely loved Johnny Depp's portrayal of the Mad Hatter...he's one of my favourite actors! Well, as soon as I saw this paper, the wheels started turning. I thought to myself that I knew of a particular Kraftin' Kimmie stamp that featured a gent just perfect for this paper...well, he would need a little "tweaking" first. :)

Soooo, I soon set to work on transforming"Chester" into my Mad Hatter. When I inked him up, I used a wipe to remove the ink from his hair. I stamped him onto Neenah smooth paper, and then started drawing him a new "do" a la Mad Hatter-style with my Copic multiliner. I drew in the little tag tucked into the band around his top hat, a few hat pins (the gems were coated in Stardust Stickles) and the iris around his eye. (gotta love the vivid green of those Mad Hatter eyes!!) Oh, and have you ever wondered what the 10/6 meant on the Hatter's tag? Curious and curiouser I was :)....so I googled it, and found out that it denotes the price of 10 shillings and a sixpence. Huh. Learn something new every day.




I also wanted to attempt to re-create the amazing make-up job that Johnny Depp sported in the movie, so I pulled out the DVD case for a bit of inspiration. I was a little annoyed with myself at one point...I wanted to add in some eyelashes, so I pulled out my white gel pen. Now, I'm not sure why I went ahead with this, because as I sat with pen in hand I questioned whether it was a good idea. (I actually do no like my white gel pen...I am NEVER happy with the results when I try to use it.) But, proceed I did and then immediately regretted it. The nib on the pen is way to thick...I really need something with an ultra-fine tip. Well, his eyelashes were now concealing a lot of that eye-makeup I had spent a while on, but I was certainly not about to start over after all that work! I also added a little Sakura glitter pen....should have probably left that out too, lol. Lesson learned??? Not everything is going to work out perfectly, but sometimes you just have to "go with the flow"...never be afraid to experiment!! (Alice says to believe in impossible things, right?? So go ahead, and try something new...sometimes it may be successful, and other times you can chalk it up to a learning experience. However, you never know what the outcome may be unless you try!) I also experimented a bit with some hat pins for the first time...I thought they were quite fitting for the Mad Hatter (I was inspired by my very talented friend Maria who has used some gorgeous hat pins on her cards. She was also kind enough to give me some advice on where to go shopping for them!). After printing out my Alice-inspired sentiment..."Never lose your "muchness"!... I used my oval Spellbinders for cutting and matting.

Copics: Skin: E0000, E000, E00, E11, RV000, RV21, RV23, RV95 Hair: Suit and Hat: V000, V01, V12, V15, V09, C5, RV000 Vest: RV000, RV34, C1, C3

Ok...so admittedly, "Chester" is not a bang-on replication of the Mad Hatter, but I think he's passable. lol Sometimes it's kind of fun to stretch the possibilities of your stamps. :)

You must go visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge Blog...the Krafty Girls and Krafty Guests have made some incredible purple creations to help get you inspired! Make sure to take note of Andrea's awesome card this week, because that's the stamp you could win if you play along with our "Primarily Purple" challenge...just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your project and you'll be eligible to win!! (you can link up your project at the Challenge Blog)

Well, one more day until Halloween...I've been super busy sewing up costumes these past couple of weeks. Interested in seeing some pics?? Today I'll show you the costumes my wonderful mom and I made for my son Nathan and his three friends. I had hoped to have some of Ainsleigh in her costume to share as well, but we will have to snap some pictures of her tomorrow...I'll post them later in the week.

Some of you might remember that I shared on a past post how my 17 year old son decided that he and his friends should be the Teletubbies for Halloween. LOL...my mom and I actually had quite a bit of fun making their costumes. The boys look ridiculous...but I think it's so fun!! Although, I told Nathan that he really should shave because Tinky Winky did NOT have facial hair, lol. He refused. :) We had to get a little creative for some of their costume...I cut their "antennae" out of thick upholstery foam to make sure they would stand up. We had such a riot when the boys all came over to put their costumes on...they totally got into character! We even put on Teletubbies videos from Youtube because they actually wanted to learn the dance...kinda creepy, but oh so funny!

From left to right we have Dipsy (Trevor), Po (Nathan M....not my Nathan), LaLa (Nick) and Tinky Winky (my Nathan...what a proud moment. haha)

Here's their attempt at being "cute" and innocent...right. lol

And this is just classic Nathan...total goof.

Oh, and the boys won by a landslide for favourite costumes at school. I'm sure it's the highlight of their high school years, lol. Do you think they know that these pictures will definitely be making appearances at all their weddings??? mwahahaha (poor future wives)

I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday, and a very safe Halloween tomorrow! Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Chester"

Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Inks (Black Soot, Antique Linen, Bundled Sage)

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Graphic 45 "Halloween in Wonderland"

Embellishments: Ribbon, hat pins, beads, Stardust Stickles

Tools: Spellbinders Ovals

Jack-O-Lantern Mini Note Cards

It's time for a brand new challenge over at The Town Scrapper, and this week our theme is "Buttons"!! As always, if you participate in our challenge you will have the chance to win a great stamp from The Town Scrapper.

My little note cards today feature a trio of fun Jack-O-Lanterns from The Town Scrapper's Humble Pie line. I'll let you in on a little secret...these are images that I coloured up last Halloween, but never got around to putting on a card. What a blessing it was to find these little guys just waiting to be put to use, as my crafting time this week has been extremely tight...I've been a busy bee sewing up Halloween costumes. (I'll be sharing pics on my post tomorrow!) I think I need to start a little collection of coloured images, as they come in so handy for making up quick cards! The design paper is from Graphic 45. I used some little snippets of ribbon and tied my buttons with a bit of twine. The fun sentiments are from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Halloween Sentiments".

The Jack-O-Lanterns were stamped on Neenah cardstock and coloured with Copic markers. I must apologize for not having a colour list for you today...there's no way my brain can remember colours from last year! lol

Hop on over to The Town Scrapper Challenge Blog to check out the projects by the rest of the Scrapettes, then grab those buttons and go get inky! Just link up your project on the Town Scrapper Blog for your chance to win a great prize.

To arrange a visit to the Town Scrapper, or to place an order you can contact Phebe by phone at 519-882-0623 or by email at info@townscrapper.com.

Have a wonderful Friday friends, and thanks so much for stopping by today.

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Humble Pie Jack-O-Lanters, Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Halloween Sentiments"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Graphic 45

Ink: Memento, Copics, Walnut Stain Distress Ink

Embellishments: Ribbon, buttons, twine

Buttons and Bows at Sundays With Crissy

Good morning friends, and happy Friday to you all! It's my turn to share a card with you for Sundays With Crissy. Our current challenge is "Buttons and Bows"...have you been keeping up with the posts by my fellow Crissy's Crew members? Each lovely gal has a designated day to post each month...that way, we hope to keep the inspiration flowing throughout the entire month!

This month, our wonderful sponsor is Stitchy Bear Stamps and they have very generously offered five digital images as a prize...this is in combination with Crissy's prize of three of her digital images! Somebody is going to be a very happy digital stamper this month. :)

For my card this month, I chose to work with two of Crissy's newest digital images available from Whimsy Stamps. These two adorable little tykes are "Anna's Halloween" and " Bobby's Halloween". Crissy captures kids so beautifully...I just adore her artwork. These two remind me of my kids in their Halloween costumes when they were little. Nathan was a big orange dragon Pokemon (Charzard) when he was in grade one, and Ainsleigh was several different princesses over the years when she was younger. Since I wanted these images to reflect my own kids, I resized "Anna" to be much smaller than "Bobby"...Nathan is almost seven years older than Ainsleigh. The design paper is from Graphic 45 (love this paper). To fit in with our challenge, I added some black satin ribbon and tied two layered buttons to the middle of the bow with twine. The little "Trick or Treat" sentiment is from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Halloween Sentiments".

Anna and Bobby (or Ainsleigh and Nathan, lol) were printed on Neenah cardstock and coloured with Copic markers. Before printing them, I measured the Spellbinders die that I wanted to use and tweaked the size of the images until they would fit nicely inside the die. This ability to resize and flip your images to suit your specific project is one of the best things about digital stamps! While the image was still in the die, I used my Inkssentials Blending Tool to apply Distress Inks in Antique Linen and Bundled Sage. Finally, I added some Stardust Stickles to parts of the image.

Copics: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59 Orange Dragon: E50, YR00, YR02, YR07, E08, E59, Y21, Y23, Y26, E33, E37 Princess Dress: BG75, BG72, BG11, Bg10, BG000, BG0000, B60, C00, C1, C3, R30, R32, R37 Hair: E50, E30, E31, E33, E37, E59 Pumpkins: E50, YR31, YR07, YR16, Y17, E33, E37, E99

We'd love to have you join in with our Buttons and Bows challenge this month. You can link up your project on Crissy's post from October 1...you can find that HERE (just look for the little blue froggy at the end of her post).If you would like the chance to win the fantastic prize this month, then please make sure that your project features a digital stamp from either Crissy Armstrong (available at Whimsy Stamps, Squigglefly or Wags 'n Whiskers) or from our sponsor Stitchy Bear. You have until midnight on October 30, 2010 to play along!

If you have not yet become a follower over at Sundays With Crissy, then make sure to sign up! That way, you can keep up to date with the posts by each member of Crissy's Crew...these ladies are so talented and I know that you will not want to miss a single project.

I thought I would share a few pics of the kids from past Halloweens (back when I used to have time to make more elaborate costumes!). Here's Ainsleigh as Belle...I think she was about four years old.

Next we have Nathan in the Pokemon costume that inspired me to colour the dragon orange on my card today...oh, and the cute little Pikachu is my cousin Derek..who I'm sure is thrilled that I'm sharing this pic. :) Nathan was about six in this picture:

And how about one more from two years ago (when costumes were not quite so "home-made", lol)...

(hmmm...Ainsleigh had a cute little black beret she wore with her mime costume, but I think it had fallen off during some pics where Nathan, with his "Superman" strength, was picking her up over his head, lol. My kids are goofs when they see a camera...this is actually a very rare picture where they are both smiling nicely!)

Have a wonderful day, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Whimsy Stamps (digital) "Anna's Halloween" and "Bobby's Halloween" by artist Crissy Armstrong, "Halloween Sentiments" from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps
Paper:Neenah, Bazzill, Graphic 45
Ink: Copic markers, Distress Ink (Bundled Sage and Antique Linen)
Embellishments: Ribbon, buttons, twine, Stardust Stickles
Tools: Spellbinders Labels 8, Bow Easy

A Festive Blog Hop at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!

Woo Hoo...it's RELEASE DAY at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!! This month's brand new stamps feature six characters by artist Annie Rodrigue (each one comes with an accessory stamp and a coordinating sentiment) and five new images from artist Steven Leary featuring Miles the mouse and his furry friends. All the new stamps this month are holiday themed...perfect for getting a jump start on your Christmas crafting this year. You will be able to see all these fantastic festive stamps on our blog hop today!! Just wait until you see all the amazing holiday projects by the Krafty Girls, Krafty Guests and our wonderful Junior Krafty Girls...they are sure to inspire you!

The hop begins over on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog, where you will find the list of blogs on the hop today. While you are hopping, make sure to leave a comment on each and every stop, and you just may be one of the very lucky winners of some brand new October stamps!

Now, you should have arrived here after visiting our very lovely Krafty Guest Angie. If not, then just start over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog, and follow along the hop until you end up back here.

My card today features one of Annie's new Christmas characters...this is "Noelle". I just love her candy cane dress! I used some great Bo Bunny Christmas papers, and pulled the colours for her dress from there. The bows and trim on Noelle's dress were coated with Stardust Stickles. My card base is 6x6, so you can see that Noelle is quite a large stamp. "Sweet Holiday Wishes" is the sentiment that comes with Noelle...you will also receive a candy cane accessory stamp with her. I kept the layout clean and simple on this card as I didn't want to cover up that gorgeous paper. I finished it up with some machine stitching, crocheted trim and pearls from the dollar store.

Noelle was stamped on Neenah smooth cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured with Copic markers.

Copics: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59 Clothes: V00, V01, V12, V15, V09, BG000, BG10, BG11, BG72, BG75, B99

My daughter and Junior Krafty Girl Ainsleigh has also created a card for the blog hop today! She decided to work with her favourite stamp from the October release, "Christmas Clara". She picked out some pretty Christmas paper that I've had in my stash for quite some time. Ainsleigh used my Copic markers to colour Clara and her Nutcracker. She also used the sentiment that comes with another new October stamp, Merry.

Great job sweetie...I'm loving the multi-coloured highlights in her hair!

It's time for me to send you off to visit another of our very talented Krafty Guests this month, Pam!! I know you will love what she has to show you today.

When you are done the hop, make sure to pop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store because all the new holiday images are now available!! Oh, and we know you've all been loving the Gimmie Kimmie's Kits, so they are available again this month! If you want to pick up all the new images as a package at a discounted price, just click on the Gimmie Kimmie's option! How's that for easy shopping?!

Have fun hopping stampers!

Blessings,

Melanie

Melanie's Card:

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Noelle" and coordinating sentiment

Paper: Neenah, Bo Bunny, Bazzill

Ink: Memento, Copics

Embellishments: Stitching, Pearls, crocheted trim, Stickles

Ainsleigh's Card:

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Christmas Clara" and sentiment from "Merry"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill (not sure what company the DP is from)

Embellishments: Dollar store wooden shapes, Smooch Illuminate

A Little Christmas "Joy"...Day 3 of the Kraftin' Kimmie Previews!!

Happy Monday everybody!!! I know you're all bright-eyed, chipper and ready to start of another work week...right??? lol

While we may not all be super excited about heading off to work this morning, we do have a little somethin' that will put a smile on your face...how about some more sneak peeks of the brand new October Kraftin' Kimmie stamps?

This is "Virginia" and she will be available for purchase at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps tomorrow! She is one of six new Christmas characters by artist Annie Rodrigue. What a cutie-patootie...and look at all those presents she's carrying! I used some Christmas paper by My Mind's Eye on this card...I also used it to paper-piece the wrapping paper. The "JOY" sentiment comes with Virginia. (You'll also get a stocking accessory stamp!)

Virginia was stamped on Neenah cardstock and coloured with Copic markers...except the presents, which were paper-pieced.

Copics: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, Y21, Y23, Y17, E31, E33, E37, E59 Dress: R22, R27, R46, R59, G20, G21, G82, G85, G99

Make sure to check out today's sneak peeks by the rest of the Krafty Girls and Krafty Guests...you'll find links to their blogs at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog.

One more sleep until Release Day!!! Make sure to join us tomorrow for the blog hop, prizes and some Krafty Shopping at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today friends. I also wanted to express my heartfelt thanks for all the sweet comments left. You all just brighten my day, and I appreciate you so much!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Virginia" and coordinating sentiment

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, MME

Ink: Memento, Copics

Embellishments: Stitching, ribbon, pearls, jewelry spacer, foam squares, Stickles

October Kraftin' Kimmie Previews...Round Two!!

Good morning folks! I'm planning to kick back and take it easy today...gotta recover from Scrapfest, lol!! What a fantastic event. I spent both days "working" (more like "playing"!!) at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps booth along with Kimmie, her hubby Al, her daughter Emileigh and some fabulous Krafty friends Krista, Vicki and Tara. We were busy hosting make and takes on Friday, and doing colouring demos on Saturday while Kimmie's stamps were flying off the racks...even Al and Emileigh got in on the colouring fun! We had an absolute blast, and were thrilled to meet everybody who came out to the event. Not only did we see some familiar faces, but we met so many new people! We were also able to meet up with some friends who we had only known "online"...it's always so nice to be able to meet in person! Thanks so much for making Kraftin' Kimmie's very first experience at Scrapfest such a wonderful success!

We're also gearing up for the October release this Tuesday! The sneak peeks started yesterday during our weekly challenge. We have another round of previews to bring you today. Make sure to pop over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog for links to all the Krafty Girls and Krafty Guests who have sneak peeks to show you today.

This gent is "Nick" one of six brand new stamps by Krafty artist Annie Rodrigue. I'm loving his super cool pose...and how he's just waiting for some lovely gal to join him under the mistletoe! I used some great Christmas papers from My Mind's Eye on this clean and simple card. The sentiment seen here actually comes with one of our other new October stamps (Christmas Clara...I used her on my card yesterday).

Nick was stamped on Neenah smooth cardstock with Memento ink and coloured with Copic markers.

Copics: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59 Pants: E50, E41, E42, E43, E47 Shoes: C9, C7, C5 Jacket: C9, C7, C5, C3 Shirt: R22, R27, R46, R59 Tie: G20, G82, G85

We will have one more round of sneak peeks to show you tomorrow...as always, you will find a list of the sneak peeks on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog. The official release day is Tuesday...and we will be having our usual release day blog hop to celebrate!!

Thanks so much for stopping by friends! I hope you enjoy today's sneak peeks, and I hope to see you back tomorrow!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Nick", sentiment from "Christmas Clara"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, MME

Ink: Memento, Copics

Non-traditional Christmas Colours!! (oh, and how about a sneak peek??!!)

Good morning stampers! I've got my post for today scheduled as I'm currently at Scrapfest with Kimmie, her hubby Al, her daughter Emileigh and some of the other Krafty Girls (Krista, Vicki and Tara)!! If you're attending, make sure to stop by the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps booth to say hello and to do some Krafty shopping!

We've got a great challenge today at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog... "Non-traditional Christmas Colours"! So, resist the urge to reach for your red and green supplies, and let's get creative using something unexpected!

As an extra treat, the Krafty Girls have all used stamps from the upcoming October release!! We all fell in love with these stamps as soon as Kimmie showed them to us, and we've had a great time creating with them! The official release day is set for this Tuesday, October 19th, and we'll of course be having a Blog Hop that day to celebrate! In the meantime, you will be able to see sneak peeks each day by the Krafty Girls and Krafty Guests leading up to the release...just make sure to check out the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog for a list of all the participants in the previews each day!

For my card today, I used the adorable "Christmas Clara" by artist Annie Rodrigue. I was thrilled to see this stamp, as The Nutcracker Ballet holds a special spot in my heart. For two years, my daughter Ainsleigh performed in a local production of the ballet. Both those years, intense rehearsals began in August. It was such a high quality production...we even had two professional dancers from the National Ballet of Canada come to dance the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier. What a fantastic opportunity for our girls to meet and dance with professionals. Actually, I got to play the role of the maid during Ainsleigh's second year. It was so much fun! Now, Ainsleigh did not actually play the role of Clara, but one of the roles she played both years was a "party girl"...all dolled up in a Victorian gown, with lots of ringlets in her hair (well, that was really courtesy of a hair piece worn over her bun, lol) and beautiful bows. So, my heart melts just a little when I look at this stamp!

Ok, back to the card! Christmas Clara was stamped with Memento Ink on Neenah smooth cardstock and then coloured with Copic markers. These gorgeous papers are from Bo Bunny...definitely not "traditional" Christmas colours. Ok, well, there is green on them, but not the same dark shade of green that we usually think of at Christmas. I love these papers...think I'm going to buy a few more sheets! I used a Martha Stewart border punch on the white layer, just to add a little visual interest. The bow was tied with my Bow-Easy and I of course had to add some Stardust Stickles to the Nutcracker's attire. The sentiment I used comes with Christmas Clara, and I think it's just perfect for her.

Copics: Skin: E0000, E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E31, E33, E35, E37, E50, E59 Dress: BG000, BG10, BG11, BG72, BG75, BG99 Nutcracker: YG00, YG11, YG67, YG99, RV000, V01, V12, V09, E50, E41, E42, E43 (the colours for the Nutcracker are from memory as I forgot to record them, so chances are I left a few out...sorry about that)

We'd love to have you join in with our Non-Traditional Christmas Colours Challenge this week...just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your project (find them HERE) and you just may be the lucky winner of one of the fabulous brand new October stamps! For some great inspiration, head on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to check out the fabulous projects by the Krafty Girls and Krafty Guests...you can also link up your entry there.

Don't forget to visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog over the next few days to see more sneak peeks...and the official release day is Tuesday!! You know what that means, right?? Blog hop time!

Have a wonderful day stampers!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Christmas Clara"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Bo Bunny

Ink: Memento, Copic markers

Embellishments: Martha Stewart Punch, Stardust Stickles, ribbon

Calling All Kraftin' Kimmie Fans...Who's Going To Scrapfest???

Good morning friends!! Do you have plans this Friday and Saturday?? If not, then I think a road trip may be in order...rally up your friends, and come on out to Scrapfest in Oshawa, Ontario! I've attended before as a "shopper", but this time I'm going to help out at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Booth along with Kimmie, her family and some of my fellow Krafty Girls! Kimmie has all sorts of fun and surprises in store for all the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps fans, so don't miss out! Here's what Kimmie posted about Scrapfest:

We're totally stoked at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps because this weekend is Scrapfest in Oshawa!! This will be our very FIRST consumer craft show and we can't wait!!

We've been working like busy little beavers to prepare for this busy weekend....cutting and packaging and stamping!! And we have a SUPER exciting surprise for all the Scrapfest attendees! Wanna know what it is??? Well, as you probably know, if you are a KKStamps fan, we usually have a new release each month. And our October stamps haven't been released yet.....well, we just HAPPEN to have them all packaged up and ready to bring to Scrapfest to release THIS WEEKEND!!! Yep, yep!! Scrapfest attendees can purchase the soon to be released October Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!!

Our October release images are ready to help you make all those Christmas cards and holiday projects!! There are FIVE new adorable stamps from Steven Leary, featuring Miles and Mouse and all his friends! They are having some winter fun!! And of course we have SIX fantastic new Christmas themed stamps from Annie Rodrigue, each one comes with a bonus accessory stamp AND sentiment!! Can't beat that! And if you're going to be at Scrapfest, you get the first opportunity to get your inky little fingers on them. They aren't going to be released anywhere else until next Tuesday, October 19th!!! Heehee!

We've got a cute little tag for our make and take featuring a couple of the new Miles the Mouse stamps, so stop by and make one! You'll get to colour with some of the Krafty Girls from our amazing design team! You'll get to meet Tara Godfrey, Melanie Holtz, Krista Van Tol and Vicki Garrett!

Now just a reminder, this will be a CASH ONLY event for us, so be sure to stop at a bank machine on your way over. We've got lots of new goodies for you to see, plus you can pick up lots of other fun stamps from our previous releases to add to your collection! We'll have lots of past themes including: Halloween, Pinup Girls, Fairytales, Mermaids etc.....all ready to help you make fun cards and scrapbook pages!!

OH! And we'll also have our new Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps TOTE BAGS!! Have you seen them yet?? Super stylish and sturdy....perfect for carrying all your purchases!

Okay, it's back to work for us! We've got lots to do to get ready.....be sure to come see us at Booth #425 on Friday and Saturday!! We'll be at Durham College in Oshawa in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre! See you there!!

Sooo?? Are you coming? Remember, Kimmie's booth will be CASH ONLY, so make sure to stash some $$$ in your wallet...I'm such a "debit" gal, that I don't always remember to stop by the ATM, lol. Don't miss out on your chance to buy the new October stamps before the official release...I've already been busy creating with them, and I know you will love them! I am excited to have another chance to hang out with the Kraftin' Kimmie team...actually, this will be the first time I've ever met Tara and Vicki in person!!

If you're planning to come, let me know by leaving a comment...we cannot wait to meet you all!!

Blessings,

Melanie

A Little Monday Morning Pixie

Good morning stampers! I hope you've all had a fantastic weekend...we enjoyed one Thanksgiving dinner with my side of the family last night, and we've got another dinner planned tonight with Dean's family. (I'm thinking elastic pants might be in order, lol) We're also heading out to the Brigden Fair today. Ainsleigh has a Highland Dancing demonstration, and then we'll be hitting the midway, barns and exhibits.

We've got another Showcase Monday for you today at The Town Scrapper Blog. I decided to pull out one of my cute Swiss Pixies this week...this is "Heidi". The Town Scrapper has a great selection of CC Designs Stamps. The pretty green paper is from Pink Paislee. The floral paper is from October Afternoon (so is the red polka-dotted paper used on her dress). The paper edges were all sponged with Bundled Sage Distress Ink. All of the above product lines as well as the cute little charm are available at The Town Scrapper.

Heidi was stamped on Neenah smooth cardstock and coloured with Copic markers. I paper-pieced her dress with some October Afternoon paper. Don't forget to add shading to your paper-pieced areas so they don't appear flat. I also added some Stardust Stickles to her wings.

Copics: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, Y21, Y23, Y17, E31, E33, E37 Shading on dress: R59, R32, R00 Boots: G20, G82, G85, G99 Wings: E41, E42, E43, E50

Make sure to check out The Town Scrapper Blog to see what my fellow Scrapettes have created today using some of the great product lines that you can find at The Town Scrapper. Don't forget about our current challenge...the theme is "Distressing". You can read the details and then link up your project on THIS post.

To plan a visit to The Town Scrapper or to place an order, Phebe can be contacted by phone at 519-882-0623 or by email at info@townscrapper.com.

Have a wonderful day friends, and thanks so much for stopping by.

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: CC Designs "Heidi"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, October Afternoon, Pink Paislee

Ink: Memento, Distress Ink, Copics

Embellisments: Metal Charm, jump rings, self adhesive pearl, jewelry spacers, assorted flowers, ribbon. Stickles

Get Your "Spook" On!

Can you believe it's already October 9??!! I have SO much to do this month, and I'm not quite sure where to fit it all in! Let's talk Halloween costumes. My daughter Ainsleigh has decided to be Mario...quick and simple! (thanks hun...you've saved me a ton of work here!) We found some old jean overalls and I bought a red long-sleeved shirt to go with them. I've picked up some fleece to make the hat and all that's left are the white gloves and a moustache. My son Nathan is another story altogether. He's in grade 12 this year, and has decided that he and his three friends should "go out with a bang". Let me first tell you that Nathan is a big goof...which he totally gets from me. :) He has decided that they should go as the Teletubbies this year. SERIOUSLY?? Yup, as if I didn't get enough of that dumb show when the kids were little, lol. So, out to the fabric store I went with my mom in tow (who has kindly offered to help make the costumes) to buy metres of fleece in purple, red, green and yellow. Sigh...I guess it's probably a good thing to use my sewing machine for something other than cards once in a while, lol. I will be sure to post pics of the kids this year, because I'm sure you're all anxious to see a group of 17 year old boys struttin' their stuff as the Teletubbies!

We have a new challenge up at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog today. The fantabulous Andrea has challenged us all to make a "SPOOOOKY" project...just perfect Halloween! (if I already had the costumes done I'd be tempted to scrapbook a page of my 17 year old boy as Tinky Winky...not much is scarier than that! :s ) I decided to ink up a couple of Kimmie's Halloween stamps that I haven't had the chance to play with yet. This ghoulish duo is Hattie and Horace...I love the spider webs that artist Annie Rodrigue included on these stamps! That fabulous paper is from the My Mind's Eye "Haunted" collection. I LOVE this paper...what you can't tell from the picture is that the black chandeliers are flocked! I thought the chandeliers suited Hattie and Horace's formal attire quite nicely...can't you see them haunting an old Victorian mansion?? I'm thinking of Sirius Black's house in the Harry Potter series...and old dusty mansion that belonged to a well-to-do old family. A house full of rich history, creepy old paintings, ornate decor, antiques, thick velvety draperies...can you imagine it? Perhaps Hattie and Horace were former residents of this house who just don't want to leave, destined to haunt the halls in their gown and top hat for eternity. (Umm...for the record, I do not believe in ghosts. But creating a story behind your cards is always fun!)

Hattie and Horace were stamped on Neenah Smooth cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured with a rather large assortment of Copic markers. After I was done colouring with the markers, I used a paper blending stump and a black Conte crayon to deepen the shading...and it also adds a "smokier" effect to the shading. The background was created with Distress Inks in Black Soot and Antique Linen applied with an Inkssentials Blending Tool and a make-up sponge. The black ribbon was tied with my Bow Easy.

Copics: Skin: C1, C3, BV00, BV23, BV31, BV17, colourless blender Hair: C7, C5, C3, C1, B60 Hattie's Dress and Horace's Pants( er, tail???): B99, B97, B95, B93, B91, C5, E50, E47, E43, E42, E41 Horace's Vest and Hattie's Flower: R59, R46, R22, C5 Horace's shirt: E50, E47, E42 Horace's Tie and Hattie's Leaf: G20, G82, G99 (Black Conte Crayon was applied with a paper blending stump throughout the entire image)

Now, if you're not a big scaredy-cat (which I totally am, lol...no scary movies for me!), then head on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog to check out the spooky creations by the Krafty Girls and our fabulous Krafty Guests! If you play along with the challenge this week, you could be the lucky winner of the the stamp featured on Andrea's freakishly fantastic card...but you must make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie stamp on your project to be eligible. In need of a new stamp?? Go shopping at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store!

Anybody planning on going to Scrapfest next weekend in Oshawa? A few of us Krafty Girls are heading down with Kimmie to help out...if you're going, make sure to stop by the Kraftin' Kimmie booth and say hi!

Thanks so much for stopping by friends, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Blessings,

Melanie



Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Hattie" and "Horace"
Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Ink
Paper: MME, Neenah, Bazzill
Embellishments: Ribbon
Tools: Bow Easy

A Wags 'n Whiskers Fairy Blog Hop!

Good morning friends! It's release day at Wags 'n Whiskers, and we've got a great Blog Hop planned for you today. Not only are we celebrating the release of four brand new Fairy stamps, but it's also Wags 'n Whiskers Birthday!!! What a great first year it has been, and I know Nikki and Lacey are excited to see what their next year has in store! Many of the projects you will see on the hop today are birthday themed in honour of this big day.

The hop begins over at the Wags 'n Whiskers Blog, where you will find a complete list of links to the hop participants. Make sure to leave a comment at each and every stop on the way, and you just may find yourself the lucky winner of some new stamps! The hop closes on Monday October 11, 2010 at 12:01 EST/5:01 GMT.

You should have arrived here after visiting the lovely Debs. If not, just start over at the WnW blog and follow the links along the way.

This lovely new fairy is "Iris". I paired her up with some pretty K&Company papers. The edges were all sponged with Stormy Sky Distress Ink. The layered flowers are all from Prima. The pearls and crocheted trim are dollar store treasures, and I finished off the edges with some machine stitching. The sentiment is from a clear set I picked up in a dollar bin at Michaels.


Iris' wings needed a bit of sparkle, so they were coated with Stardust Stickles...these are my all-time favourite Stickles, and they somehow seem to find their way onto most of my cards, lol.


I have to apologize, as I do not have a list of colours for you today. :( I've been trying so hard to record my markers, but I coloured this image up quite some time ago and I completely forgot to jot down the colours.


The new Wags 'n Whiskers Fairies are being released in rubber only, and they will be available for purchase today at 7:00 am EST/12:00 pm GMT...you can find them HERE!

Next on the hop is the super-sweet and oh-so-talented Sharon , and I know she has an absolutely gorgeous project to show you! Don't forget to be leaving those comments as you hop along...you just may be the lucky winner of some brand new Wags 'n Whiskers stamps!!

Happy hopping stampers, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Wags 'n Whiskers "Iris", clear stamp for sentiment
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, K&Company
Ink: Memento, Distress Ink, Copics
Embellishments: Pearls, crocheted trim, machine stitching, Prima flowers
Tools: Spellbinders

Another Fairy Sneak Peek!

Good morning friends! We have another round of sneak peeks over at the Wags 'n Whiskers Blog today...and another round of gorgeous projects created by the lovely ladies on the WnW DT! These brand new fairies will be available for purchase tomorrow. We also have a Blog Hop planned for the official release tomorrow, so make sure to stop by!

I'd like to introduce you to "Rhiannon". I decided to use my Spellbinders to make a shaped card. The pretty brown and teal paper is from TPC. I used Scor-Tape to create a ruffled border with crocheted trim and tied the green ribbon with my Bow-Easy. For a little extra"bling", I added some flat-backed rhinestones.

Rhiannon was stamped on Neenah cardstock and coloured with my Copic markers. Her wings were given a generous coat of Stardust Stickles.

Copics: Hair: E50, E33, E37, E59, Y21, Y23, Y17 Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Dress: E 25, E29, E59, E41, E42, EE43, E47, BG000, BG11, BG72, BG75, B99 Wings: E50, E41, E42, BG72, BG000 Leaves: G20, G82, G85, G99

For more sneak peeks of these beautiful new fairies, please visit the Wags 'n Whiskers blog for links to the rest of the DT's blogs...the ladies have been very busy creating some stunning previews!

See you back tomorrow for the Release Day Blog Hop!

Thanks so much for stopping by today friends, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Wags 'n Whiskers "Rhiannon", clear stamp sentiment

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, TPC

Ink: Memento, Copics

Embellishments: Rhinestones, crocheted trim, ribbon

Let the Wags 'n Whiskers Previews Begin!

Wags 'n Whiskers is gearing up for another fantastic release this Friday, and the sneak peeks start today! You can check out all the previews each day by visiting the Wags 'n Whiskers Blog where you will find a list of all the DT members participating that day. Mark your calendars because we will be celebrating the official release of these gorgeous new stamps on Friday October 8, 2010...and of course, there will be prizes!

For my first preview, I have use "Laila". I know you all loved the first set of fairies, so you are bound to love these beautiful new stamps as well! The pink ribbon is May Arts silk ribbon...it makes the most gorgeous bows! (with the help of my Bow-Easy, of course) I absolutely love working with this ribbon. You can find it HERE at Lacey's store Stamp and Create.



I stamped Laila on Neenah with Memento Ink and coloured her with Copic markers. The paper is K&Company. The pink part of her dress was paper-pieced, but I added shading to the patterned paper with some Copic markers. The butterfly, her shoes and wings were all coated with Stardust Stickles. After using Spellbinders to cut her out, I sponged around the the image with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. Bundled Sage Distress Ink was used around the distressed paper edges. The little "Soar" ticket is from Tim Holtz.



Copics: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59, Y21 Dress: G20, G82, G85, G99 Shading on dress: R59, R85, R82

Make sure to check out all the other sneak peeks for today by visiting the Wags 'n Whiskers Blog...the ladies have made some stunning cards with this new release!!

The new Fairies will be available for purchase on Friday October 8, 2010...don't miss our blog hop that day for your chance to win some great prizes!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Wags 'n Whiskers "Laila"
Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Inks
Paper: Neenah, K&Company, Bazzill
Embellishments: Pearls, Tim Holtz ticket, Stickles, May Arts silk ribbon
Tools: Spellbinders, dull scissors for distressing

Whimsy Stamps Holiday Release Blog Hop!

Good morning friends! I've got some exciting news to share with you...I was contacted by Denise, the very sweet owner of Whimsy Stamps, who invited me to be a guest for the Whimsy Stamps Holiday Release Blog Hop! May I just say how blessed and honoured I am to have the opportunity to join in with the fantastic Whimsy Stamps design team, as well as all the other lovely guests on the hop today. Thank you so much Denise!

Whimsy Stamps is releasing a lovely collection of rubber stamps to suit all your crafty needs this upcoming holiday season...and they are available for purchase today! To celebrate this release, Denise has put together a blog hop jam packed with gorgeous projects by some amazingly talented designers! So grab a cup of coffee or tea, put on some Christmas tunes and let's get this holiday hop started!

Did you arrive here after visiting the lovely Ann Vento? If not, then you will want to start the hop right from the beginning with Bev Rochester...then just follow the links along the way to visit the next participant in the hop! Oh, and you will want to make sure to leave comments along the way, as there will be some hidden prizes! (You can find a complete list of the blog hop participants at the Whimsy Inspirations Blog HERE.)

I had the opportunity to work with "Jingle Bell Ride" illustrated by the very talented artist Crissy Armstrong. I absolutely love the line of Carousel horses that Crissy has designed for Whimsy Stamps...they are gorgeous! I have a sweet spot for stamps featuring horses, as they have always been my favourite animal. (yes...I was your typical horse-crazy little girl!) I rode a lot as a teenager, worked at a barn and spent countless hours drawing horses...used to drive my art teacher nuts, as most of my projects featured them! lol The pretty vintage papers are from My Mind's Eye. The "frame" was cut out of metallic gold cardstock using Spellbinders Labels 10 . All papers were sponged with Black Soot Distress Ink. The Jingle Bell Ride stamp set comes with some fantastic accessory stamps and a few sentiments..."Merry Christmas" is one of them. What a gorgeous font! I used Spellbinders Fancy Tags and Petite Ovals Small for the sentiment. The gold scrolls behind the sentiment were cut using Spellbinders Doodle Parts.

"Jingle Bell Ride" was stamped on Neenah with Memento Ink and coloured with Copic markers. I also added additional shading with a black Conte crayon and paper blending stump. This helped to soften the look of the ink, as well as accentuate the "dappled" look that I first layed down with the markers. The furry collar, booties and poinsettias were given a coat of Stardust Stickles. The candy canes and bells were coated with Glossy Accents.

Copics: Horse: W1, W3, W5, W7 Mane, Tail and Hooves: C100, C7, C5, C3, B60 Pole and Bells: Y11, Y21, Y17, YR31, E33 Reds: R37, R46, R59, C5 Greens: G20, G82, G85, G99, C5 (YG00 and YG11 were also used on the leaves) Furry cuff: C1, C3, B60, colourless blender

You can see the glimmer from both the Stickles and metallic cardstock, as well as the shine from the Glossy Accents in this angled shot:

Remember that all the brand new stamps you will see on the hop today are now available for purchase at Whimsy Stamps! The hop will remain open until Thursday October 7, 2010 at 12:00 pm EST. All prize winners will be announced on October 7, 2010 after the hop closes.

Your next stop on the holiday hop is Debbie Eastman, who I know will have something stunning to share with you! Don't forget to leave those comments!

Have wonderful time on the hop today Whimsy fans, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Whimsy Stamps "Jingle Bell Ride"

Ink: Memento, Copic markers, Black Soot Distress Ink (also black Conte crayon)

Paper: My Mind's Eye (Holly Jolly), Bazzill, Neenah

Embellishments: Stardust Stickles, dollar store pearls, machine stitching

Tools: Spellbinders Labels 10, Fancy Tags, Petite Ovals Small, Doodle Parts

Happy Birthday to Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!!

That's right friends...Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps is celebrating their One Year Anniversary!!! Now, you cannot have a birthday without a celebration right? (you know we LOVE a good party!)

We are celebrating in several ways….first of all, our challenge this week is to create a Celebration Card! What do you feel like celebrating?? A birthday? An anniversary? Friendship? New home? New job? Join us this in this week's challenge by making a project to celebrate anything your heart desires, and ONE lucky stamper will win stamps from our OCTOBER release!! Yep!! That’s right….these images haven’t even been released yet and YOU could win some, so be sure to join in!! You have a week to play along! (Trust me, you are going to love them!) As always, you can link up your project on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog.

Also, the Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps Shop is having a SALE!! Assorted images from all of our four lines of stamps are on sale from now until Monday, October 4th, so scoop up some for yourself or for gifts!!

Lastly, we're having an ANNIVERSARY BLOG HOP in conjunction with our weekly challenge! Be sure to leave a comment on each and every stop along the hop because some lucky stampers will win some stamps!!

Let's get this party started!! Well, actually the hop officially begins over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog, so please make sure to start there...that way, you won't miss any of the blogs along the way. You should have arrived here after visiting with the lovely Diana...didn't she have a gorgeous project to show you??

I decided to make a card that celebrates friendship. Friends are such a blessing...they see us through victories and struggles. They encourage us, support us and help keep us balanced. Friendship truly is a gift that should be treasured. I chose to use "Bird Fairy" on my card. I adore this stamp, and I love how she is cradling this little bird in her hands.

I stamped Bird Fairy on Neenah with Memento Ink and coloured her with Copic markers. Her wings were coated with Stardust Stickles. I attempted to create a background with my Inkssentials Blending Tool and Distress Inks. I used Milled Lavender, Victorian Velvet and Stormy Sky...and a touch of Black Soot to deepen the shadow underneath her. I got a little heavy handed in a few spots...I will need to practise this technique a bit more. The metal corner embellishments are from the dollar store and the sentiment was done on my computer. Oh, and that pretty piece of green paper was from my daughter and Junior Krafty Girl Ainsleigh...she pulled it out of her own stash of papers and offered it to me since it went so nicely with the blue KaiserCraft paper. Thanks hun...great eye for picking out the perfect accent paper!

Copics: Skin: E0000, E000, E00, R20 Wings: V01, RV000, B91, G20, G28 (and the blender) Hair: E31, E33, E37, E50, E59 Dress: B91, B93, B95, B97, B99, C5, R59, R83, R85, V01, V12, V15 Bird: B32, B23, B97, B99

It is now my pleasure to send you off to visit one of our very talented October Krafty Guests...Angie!!! (I've had the opportunity to hang out with Angie a few times, and she is so sweet!) Angie has recently made the jump from Typepad to Blogger...make sure to sign up as a follower so you can be sure to keep up with all her craftiness!

Have fun hopping friends, and don't forget to leave those comments for your chance to win!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Bird Fairy"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, KaiserCraft, green paper was donated by Ainsleigh (not sure of the company)

Ink: Copics, Memento, Distress Inks

Embellishments: Dollar store metal photo corners

Fairy Wishes

Good morning, and happy Friday to everybody! It's time for another new challenge over at Wags 'n Whiskers. Our hostess for this week's Vintage/Shabby Chic challenge is the lovely Michele!

I love vintage style cards...I have so many papers in my collection that fit this style. I pulled out some pretty turquoise and brown papers from both KaiserCraft and TPC to go along with "Lacey", one of Wags 'n Whiskers gorgeous fairies. All paper edges were "aged" with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink (applied with an Inkssentials Blending Tool...a must have!). The crocheted trim and brown pearls are dollar store treasures and the flowers are Prima Hydrangeas. Have you ever finished a card and realized you completely forgot to add something you had planned out? Well, I had intended to add some machine stitching, as I feel it really adds to the vintage style. I also meant to distress the paper edges. However, I was distracted by something on TV (I'm thinking it may have been Dancing With The Stars) and happily went about assembling my card. It wasn't until after everything was adhered that I realized I had not pulled out my machine, nor roughed up the paper edges. This is what you call a major "DUH" moment. Oh well...next time, lol. So unfortunately, this didn't end up looking quite as "vintage" as I had planned.

Lacey was stamped with Memento Ink and coloured with Copic markers. Her wings were adorned with some Stardust Stickles, and she was adhered to the layered ovals cut with Spellbinders. (For the brown matting oval, I cut around the outside edge of the die with a craft knife....this gives a "tighter" mat than just cutting out the next size in the Spellbinders set. If you try this out, make sure to sand your paper edges down when you are done as it is near impossible to achieve the perfectly clean cut you get when putting the die through your machine.)

Copics: Here's where I dropped the ball this week! I have been trying to record my colours to include them in my blog posts, but I forgot to do that..."DUH" moment number two for this week. :) I will give you a list of the colours I remember using, but I know that it is not a complete list. Sorry folks.

Skin: E0000, E000, E00, E11, R20 Dress: E41, E42, E43, E47, E50, BG75, BG72, BG10, BG11, BG000, B99 Wings: E50, BG000 Hair: E50, E33, E31, Y21, Y23, Y17

We'd love to have you join in our challenge this week...if you make sure to use a Wags 'n Whiskers stamp on your project, then you will be eligible to win our weekly prize! You can link up your project at the WnW Blog. If you are in need of some Wags 'n Whiskers stamps, you can find them HERE.

We've also got some new guests joining us for the next term, so please make sure to extend Barbara, Mariska and Carolina a warm welcome!

Thanks for stopping by today friends!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Wags 'n Whiskers "Lacey"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, KaiserCraft, TPC

Ink: Memento, Distress Inks, Copic markers

Embellishments: Crocheted trim, pearls, Prima Hydrangeas