Hi folks!
Just popping on to announce the winner of my copy of the Copic Coloring Guide 3 from our blog hop a couple of weeks ago.
The lucky winner is:
Congrats Donna!! Thanks to all who participated in the hop and for all the lovely comments left. :)
Belssings,
Melanie
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The Travellers Tag
Good morning crafty friends!
Today I'm sharing a tag featuring one of my favourite SCACD exclusive stamps. This is The Travelers by Carmen Medlin for SCACD. I used an Inkssentials Kraft tag as my base and some Bo Bunny Christmas paper from last year. You can check out the vast selection of 6x6 paper pads at SCACD HERE, including some great holiday collections. The corner embellishment hidden slightly by the bow was cut with Classic Corner Dies by SCACD. The vine embellishment was cut with a Memory Box Die. I added some rhinestones for a finishing touch.
I absolutely adore The Travelers. It is such a beautifully drawn image. I love the detailing on the gypsy's clothing and the wolf's fur provides a great opportunity to work on creating texture with your colouring. Unfortunately, I do not have a list of colours today as I forgot to record them. My apologies!
Susana is always adding fantastic products to the store site. Here are just a few of the newest items that you might want to check out!
Today I'm sharing a tag featuring one of my favourite SCACD exclusive stamps. This is The Travelers by Carmen Medlin for SCACD. I used an Inkssentials Kraft tag as my base and some Bo Bunny Christmas paper from last year. You can check out the vast selection of 6x6 paper pads at SCACD HERE, including some great holiday collections. The corner embellishment hidden slightly by the bow was cut with Classic Corner Dies by SCACD. The vine embellishment was cut with a Memory Box Die. I added some rhinestones for a finishing touch.
I absolutely adore The Travelers. It is such a beautifully drawn image. I love the detailing on the gypsy's clothing and the wolf's fur provides a great opportunity to work on creating texture with your colouring. Unfortunately, I do not have a list of colours today as I forgot to record them. My apologies!
Susana is always adding fantastic products to the store site. Here are just a few of the newest items that you might want to check out!
- New Make it Crafty Chipboard
- New Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps
- New 6x6 paper pads (including American Crafts and Bazzill)
- Bo Bunny Clear Stamps
You can keep up to date with all the new products at the store and projects by the design team by following the Store Blog.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Blessings,
Melanie
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Inspired by Music at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps
Hi Krafty friends!! We've got a fun Kraftin' Kimmie challenge for you today brought to us by our lovely hostess, the incredibly talented Elaine Hughes. She wants to see projects Inspired by Music.
I decided to make a Christmas tag inspired by the carol, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I stamped "Elysia Angel" on Kraft carstock in Memento Rich Cocoa Ink and added some monochromatic shading in various browns with my Copics (except for a bit of pink on her cheeks and the yellow in her horn). Her wings and the trumpet were given a bit of shimmer with a light coat of Stardust Stickles. I sponged around the image with Bundled Sage and Walnut Stain Distress Inks. The patterned paper is MME Lost and Found Christmas. All paper edges were distressed and inked in Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I stamped one of the Holiday Trinkets on Neenah in the brown ink and coloured the details with my YG91 and R59 Copics. The flourish was cut with an MFT die. I added a bow tied with some red satin wired ribbon and a Maya Road Trinket Pin. The acrylic snowflake is a dollar store find that was coated with Glossy Accents, sprinkled with Glamour Dust and centered with a rhinestone.
Skin: E40, E41, E43, R22 Hair: E30, E31, E35, E37, E59, Y21 Dress: E21, E24, E29, E59, colourless blender Trumpet: Y21, E50, E31, E33
Make sure to check out what the rest of the Krafty Girls have created this week over at the KKS blog. We'd love to have you play along with the challenge. If you use a KKS image on your project, you will be eligible to win the stamp seen on Elaine's fabulous card.
You can also find this week's Frugal Friday specials HERE. Each Friday, Kimmie selects several stamps to put on sale for a great discount until Sunday evening...perfect for some Krafty Christmas gifts for friends or even yourself. :)
Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Melanie
I decided to make a Christmas tag inspired by the carol, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I stamped "Elysia Angel" on Kraft carstock in Memento Rich Cocoa Ink and added some monochromatic shading in various browns with my Copics (except for a bit of pink on her cheeks and the yellow in her horn). Her wings and the trumpet were given a bit of shimmer with a light coat of Stardust Stickles. I sponged around the image with Bundled Sage and Walnut Stain Distress Inks. The patterned paper is MME Lost and Found Christmas. All paper edges were distressed and inked in Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I stamped one of the Holiday Trinkets on Neenah in the brown ink and coloured the details with my YG91 and R59 Copics. The flourish was cut with an MFT die. I added a bow tied with some red satin wired ribbon and a Maya Road Trinket Pin. The acrylic snowflake is a dollar store find that was coated with Glossy Accents, sprinkled with Glamour Dust and centered with a rhinestone.
Skin: E40, E41, E43, R22 Hair: E30, E31, E35, E37, E59, Y21 Dress: E21, E24, E29, E59, colourless blender Trumpet: Y21, E50, E31, E33
Make sure to check out what the rest of the Krafty Girls have created this week over at the KKS blog. We'd love to have you play along with the challenge. If you use a KKS image on your project, you will be eligible to win the stamp seen on Elaine's fabulous card.
You can also find this week's Frugal Friday specials HERE. Each Friday, Kimmie selects several stamps to put on sale for a great discount until Sunday evening...perfect for some Krafty Christmas gifts for friends or even yourself. :)
Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Melanie
Friday, October 26, 2012
Steampunk With a Goth Flair
Hi folks!!
The SCACD design team is having a bit of creepy fun with a Spook-A-Licious blog hop today with stamps and dies by SCACD. :) Each designer has worked their creative magic to give these images and dies a creepy makeover. Through the strategic use of colour selection, paper and embellishment choices and perhaps even a slight tinkering to the stamped image, we have all stretched the versatility of these stamps to work for Halloween projects...just wait until you see what the DT has come up with! If you have been hopping along in order, you should have arrived here after visiting with the lovely Chris. If not, you can find the entire hop list over at the Store Blog.
So many choices to go with here! Zombies, vampires, witches, ghouls, ghosts....what's a girl to choose?? I selected to work with "Steampunk Eyes". My first inclination was to make her a vampire or witch but as I started colouring, I changed my mind and decided to go with a "goth" vibe instead. I pulled out an Inkssentials tag and began to create a background by first stamping the word "Halloween" and the chandelier in Archival Ink. Both these images and the skull in the bottom corner are from an older Teresa Collins set, but Susana similar Halloween stamp sets in stock HERE and HERE. I also used the Steampunk Clock from the Susana Loves Stamps Mixed Media collection. However, instead of using the entire image, I just selectively inked up the gear portions of the stamp and used those on the tag. I grabbed my palette and mixed some green and orange acrylic craft paint with Matte Medium to make them translucent. These were applied in random patches over the tag. I applied a few layers, not worrying if the application was even...in fact, I actually wanted some darker lines in the background, so I applied some "marble" like lines with the very edge of my flat paintbrush and very lightly blended them out just to slightly soften the effect. I then picked up some black ink on the edge of my brush and used it to emphasize or shadow those lines. This resulted in creating a creased or distressed look...almost like the tag had been crumpled up. To finish off the background, I added a hint of silver paint to the edges and then heavily inked the edges in black. I also used the fabulous Alice's Clock Statement Corner from Dies by SCACD. I cut it out in a dark cardstock, applied silver paint and then sponged it with black ink...everything about this tag is dark and grungy. :)
Let's talk a bit about "Steampunk Eyes". :) To "goth" her up, I used a lot of warm greys to shade her skin and clothing. I really went to town shading around her eyes with my W5, W7 and W9. I also pulled out my black conte crayon and paper blending stump to add further smokey shading to her eyes and clothing. Rather than going with a traditional eye colour, I chose to go with violet because I felt it kicked the creepy factor up a notch.
Skin: E000, E00, E11, RV95, G20, W3, W5, W7, W9 Hair: C3, C5, C7, C9, 100, V12, V15, V09 Purple collar and other accents: V12, V15, V09, W3, W5, W7 Coat and boots: C3, C5, C7, C9, 100, BV29 Shirt: YR04, E08, W5, W7 Shorts: G82, G85, G99, YG91, W3, W5, W7 Goggles: C00, C1, C3, C5, Y17, E18, E59 Eyes: R59, V09, V06, V00 Gears: C3, C5, C7
So what do you think?? It was a lot of fun to play with a "cute" image and give her a totally different creepy look. I know the other design team members had a blast with this theme as well. :)
BLOG CANDY ALERT: What's a Halloween Hop without a little candy??!! Make sure to do a little trick or treating at the SCACD store blog for your chance to win 2 FUN prizes. There is also another different Blog Candy at the Quixotic Paperie store blog! When you are done hopping along be sure to visit both the SCACD store blog and Quixotic Paperie store blog for details on how to enter for your chance to WIN! You can find all the stamps HERE--if you are in the USA, and HERE- for our International friends. The Dies by SCACD can be found HERE--if you are in the USA and HERE-for our International friends!! Happy hopping and shopping!!
SCACD is your one stop shop for all your crafty needs. Susana has a ton of products perfect for any project you are working on. From cardmakers, to scrapbookers, to mixed media artists...she's got you covered! She is always adding fantastic new products to the store, so check in often. Of note, she just recently added some great new 6x6 paper pads...you can check those out HERE. Service is always fast and friendly, and her prices are fantastic. :)
It is now my pleasure to send you off to the next designer on today's hop, Lori...just wait until you see what she has to share with you!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Melanie
The SCACD design team is having a bit of creepy fun with a Spook-A-Licious blog hop today with stamps and dies by SCACD. :) Each designer has worked their creative magic to give these images and dies a creepy makeover. Through the strategic use of colour selection, paper and embellishment choices and perhaps even a slight tinkering to the stamped image, we have all stretched the versatility of these stamps to work for Halloween projects...just wait until you see what the DT has come up with! If you have been hopping along in order, you should have arrived here after visiting with the lovely Chris. If not, you can find the entire hop list over at the Store Blog.
So many choices to go with here! Zombies, vampires, witches, ghouls, ghosts....what's a girl to choose?? I selected to work with "Steampunk Eyes". My first inclination was to make her a vampire or witch but as I started colouring, I changed my mind and decided to go with a "goth" vibe instead. I pulled out an Inkssentials tag and began to create a background by first stamping the word "Halloween" and the chandelier in Archival Ink. Both these images and the skull in the bottom corner are from an older Teresa Collins set, but Susana similar Halloween stamp sets in stock HERE and HERE. I also used the Steampunk Clock from the Susana Loves Stamps Mixed Media collection. However, instead of using the entire image, I just selectively inked up the gear portions of the stamp and used those on the tag. I grabbed my palette and mixed some green and orange acrylic craft paint with Matte Medium to make them translucent. These were applied in random patches over the tag. I applied a few layers, not worrying if the application was even...in fact, I actually wanted some darker lines in the background, so I applied some "marble" like lines with the very edge of my flat paintbrush and very lightly blended them out just to slightly soften the effect. I then picked up some black ink on the edge of my brush and used it to emphasize or shadow those lines. This resulted in creating a creased or distressed look...almost like the tag had been crumpled up. To finish off the background, I added a hint of silver paint to the edges and then heavily inked the edges in black. I also used the fabulous Alice's Clock Statement Corner from Dies by SCACD. I cut it out in a dark cardstock, applied silver paint and then sponged it with black ink...everything about this tag is dark and grungy. :)
Let's talk a bit about "Steampunk Eyes". :) To "goth" her up, I used a lot of warm greys to shade her skin and clothing. I really went to town shading around her eyes with my W5, W7 and W9. I also pulled out my black conte crayon and paper blending stump to add further smokey shading to her eyes and clothing. Rather than going with a traditional eye colour, I chose to go with violet because I felt it kicked the creepy factor up a notch.
Skin: E000, E00, E11, RV95, G20, W3, W5, W7, W9 Hair: C3, C5, C7, C9, 100, V12, V15, V09 Purple collar and other accents: V12, V15, V09, W3, W5, W7 Coat and boots: C3, C5, C7, C9, 100, BV29 Shirt: YR04, E08, W5, W7 Shorts: G82, G85, G99, YG91, W3, W5, W7 Goggles: C00, C1, C3, C5, Y17, E18, E59 Eyes: R59, V09, V06, V00 Gears: C3, C5, C7
So what do you think?? It was a lot of fun to play with a "cute" image and give her a totally different creepy look. I know the other design team members had a blast with this theme as well. :)
BLOG CANDY ALERT: What's a Halloween Hop without a little candy??!! Make sure to do a little trick or treating at the SCACD store blog for your chance to win 2 FUN prizes. There is also another different Blog Candy at the Quixotic Paperie store blog! When you are done hopping along be sure to visit both the SCACD store blog and Quixotic Paperie store blog for details on how to enter for your chance to WIN! You can find all the stamps HERE--if you are in the USA, and HERE- for our International friends. The Dies by SCACD can be found HERE--if you are in the USA and HERE-for our International friends!! Happy hopping and shopping!!
SCACD is your one stop shop for all your crafty needs. Susana has a ton of products perfect for any project you are working on. From cardmakers, to scrapbookers, to mixed media artists...she's got you covered! She is always adding fantastic new products to the store, so check in often. Of note, she just recently added some great new 6x6 paper pads...you can check those out HERE. Service is always fast and friendly, and her prices are fantastic. :)
It is now my pleasure to send you off to the next designer on today's hop, Lori...just wait until you see what she has to share with you!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Melanie
Sunday, October 21, 2012
October Release Day at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!
(If you are looking for the Copic Coloring Guide 3 Blog Hop, just click HERE! Make sure you visit all the designers because everybody is giving away one copy of the new book!!)
Oh, and there is a SPECIAL image we are releasing to you today and we haven't shared it with you yet! See if you can find it along the hop! It's the awesome new stamp that the participants at yesterday's Krafty Day received in their goodie bags!! It's called KRAFTY KATASTROPHE and we know you'll love it!!
You will get to see most of the new images today as you sit back and enjoy our October Krafty Hop! As you hop from blog to blog, be sure to leave a comment at each and every stop because some lucky stampers will win packages of these incredible stamps from the new release!! And when you’re done hoppin’, be sure to head over to the Kraftin’Kimmie shop, because ALL the new images are NOW available!
And of course, as always, we have our Gimme Kimmies Kits available for those of you who ‘need it all’!! The stamps are grouped together by artist and are available at a discount, but only for a limited time! (Look for these under the "Categories" on the left hand side of the KKS Store website)
My card today features one of the new Dancers by Annie Rodrigue...this is Trixie Tapper! I LOVE her. :) I've always thought it would be fun to learn to tap dance! My card layout is pretty simple to allow Trixie to take centre stage. I used silver and black metallic cardstock matted with red to pick up the accents of red in the coloured image. The silver oval was stamped with flourishes for a bit of visual interest, and I used Classic Corner Dies by SCACD to frame the image. The silver and red cardstock was sponged with black ink, and I added some rhinestones as a final touch.
Trixie Tapper was stamped on Neenah with Memento Ink and coloured with Copics. A bit of Stardust Stickles was applied to all the red accents for a bit of pizzazz. :)
Remember, you can find all the new stamps at the KKS Store !!
Just wanted to give a shout out to all the ladies who attended Krafty Day yesterday...what a FANTASTIC day!! Hope you all had a blast. :D
Thanks for joining us today!
Blessings,
Melanie
Welcome to the release day blog hop at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!
Over the last few days in our Krafty Peeks, we have shared lots of amazing new stamps from all our artists. We’ve got something for everyone!! We've got two new characters from Cheryl Alger........it's LEXI'S WINTER FUN and SNOW DAY LUCAS!! We also have an adorable set from Emilie Goulet called OH BABY!! And of course we have an amazing new set of SIX elegant DASHING DANCERS from Annie Rodrigue that are simply stunning! OH and don’t forget the exclusive line of sentiment stamps that will coordinate with ALL your images this season.... called WINTER TRINKETS by the lovely Nicole Aspinall!!!
Over the last few days in our Krafty Peeks, we have shared lots of amazing new stamps from all our artists. We’ve got something for everyone!! We've got two new characters from Cheryl Alger........it's LEXI'S WINTER FUN and SNOW DAY LUCAS!! We also have an adorable set from Emilie Goulet called OH BABY!! And of course we have an amazing new set of SIX elegant DASHING DANCERS from Annie Rodrigue that are simply stunning! OH and don’t forget the exclusive line of sentiment stamps that will coordinate with ALL your images this season.... called WINTER TRINKETS by the lovely Nicole Aspinall!!!
Oh, and there is a SPECIAL image we are releasing to you today and we haven't shared it with you yet! See if you can find it along the hop! It's the awesome new stamp that the participants at yesterday's Krafty Day received in their goodie bags!! It's called KRAFTY KATASTROPHE and we know you'll love it!!
You will get to see most of the new images today as you sit back and enjoy our October Krafty Hop! As you hop from blog to blog, be sure to leave a comment at each and every stop because some lucky stampers will win packages of these incredible stamps from the new release!! And when you’re done hoppin’, be sure to head over to the Kraftin’Kimmie shop, because ALL the new images are NOW available!
And of course, as always, we have our Gimme Kimmies Kits available for those of you who ‘need it all’!! The stamps are grouped together by artist and are available at a discount, but only for a limited time! (Look for these under the "Categories" on the left hand side of the KKS Store website)
My card today features one of the new Dancers by Annie Rodrigue...this is Trixie Tapper! I LOVE her. :) I've always thought it would be fun to learn to tap dance! My card layout is pretty simple to allow Trixie to take centre stage. I used silver and black metallic cardstock matted with red to pick up the accents of red in the coloured image. The silver oval was stamped with flourishes for a bit of visual interest, and I used Classic Corner Dies by SCACD to frame the image. The silver and red cardstock was sponged with black ink, and I added some rhinestones as a final touch.
Skin: E000, E00, E11 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59, BV27 Shirt: C00, C1, C3 Suit: C3m C5, C7, C9, 100 Vest, bowtie and hatband: R22, R27, R46, R59
Just wanted to give a shout out to all the ladies who attended Krafty Day yesterday...what a FANTASTIC day!! Hope you all had a blast. :D
Thanks for joining us today!
Blessings,
Melanie
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Ainsleigh Arabesque
(If you are looking for the Copic Coloring Guide 3 Blog Hop, just click HERE! Make sure you visit all the designers because everybody is giving away one copy of the new book!!)
Good morning and Happy Saturday to you all!! We've got another round of Kraftin' Kimmie October sneak peeks to share with you today in combination with our weekly challenge. The sneak peeks today feature six brand new Dashing Dancers by Annie Rodrigue...just wait until you see them, because they are FANTASTIC. :)
Our challenge this week is a Sketch designed by our lovely hostess, the very talented Pam.
My card today features a stamp very near and dear to my heart. This gorgeous young ballerina is Ainsleigh Arabesque. Now those of you who are frequent visitors to my blog might know that I have a twelve year old daughter Ainsleigh who has been taking ballet since four years of age. Ballet is her passion. When Kimmie showed me this image and told me she was naming it after my own Ainsleigh, my entire family was so touched. I can't tell you how excited Ainsleigh is to have a stamp named after her, and especially once that is a ballerina. So a HUGE thank you to Kimmie for this sweet gesture!! The papers are from Authentique. The decorative trim was cut with an element from Spellbinders Parisian Accents. The flourishes are an MFT die and the flower is from Prima. I scored the pretty crochet trim at my local fabric store.
Ainsleigh Arabesque was stamped in Memento Ink and coloured with Copics. I really struggled trying to duplicate the "ballet pink" tights that most dancers wear...I didn't even come close, lol. They were originally way too pink, so I had to tone them down by going over them with my skin colours. I also add a coat of Stardust Stickles to the white part of the tutu.
Skin: E000, E00, E11, RV95 Hair: E31, E33, E37, E59 Blue and pink parts of Tutu: B32, B34, B37, B39, BV20, C7, C9, R81, R83, R89 White part of Tutu: C00, C1, C3, C7 Tights: R30, R32, RV95 E000, E00 Pointe Shoes: R81, R83, R85
Just wanted to share a picture of my Ainsleigh in arabesque. This was taken during dress rehearsal last June for the year end recital. I tried to find a picture similar to the stamp:
We'd love to have you play along with our Sketch Challenge. If you use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your project, you could be the lucky winner of Holly Hip Hop, the stamp seen on Pam's gorgeous card this week. Check out what all the other Krafty Girls have created over at the KKS blog.
BLOG CANDY: Make sure to hop around and visit each of the Krafty Girls participating in today's sneak peeks and leave comments as you go because Kimmie will be choosing two lucky winners who will each receive three of the new Dancers by Annie!!
Hope you all have a fantastic Saturday! I'll be hanging out all day in London, Ontario for Krafty Day 2012 with Kimmie, her family, some fellow Krafty Girls, Annie Rodrigue and a bunch of KKS fans!! I know we are going to have a blast and I'm looking forward to seeing everybody who is able to attend!
Make sure to join us tomorrow for our release day blog hop!!Oh and P.S. There will be a SPECIAL stamp that you haven't seen yet, being released tomorrow as well, so be sure to check out tomorrow's Krafty Hop to see if you can find it!!!
Thanks for stopping by. :)
Blessings,
Melanie
Good morning and Happy Saturday to you all!! We've got another round of Kraftin' Kimmie October sneak peeks to share with you today in combination with our weekly challenge. The sneak peeks today feature six brand new Dashing Dancers by Annie Rodrigue...just wait until you see them, because they are FANTASTIC. :)
Our challenge this week is a Sketch designed by our lovely hostess, the very talented Pam.
My card today features a stamp very near and dear to my heart. This gorgeous young ballerina is Ainsleigh Arabesque. Now those of you who are frequent visitors to my blog might know that I have a twelve year old daughter Ainsleigh who has been taking ballet since four years of age. Ballet is her passion. When Kimmie showed me this image and told me she was naming it after my own Ainsleigh, my entire family was so touched. I can't tell you how excited Ainsleigh is to have a stamp named after her, and especially once that is a ballerina. So a HUGE thank you to Kimmie for this sweet gesture!! The papers are from Authentique. The decorative trim was cut with an element from Spellbinders Parisian Accents. The flourishes are an MFT die and the flower is from Prima. I scored the pretty crochet trim at my local fabric store.
Ainsleigh Arabesque was stamped in Memento Ink and coloured with Copics. I really struggled trying to duplicate the "ballet pink" tights that most dancers wear...I didn't even come close, lol. They were originally way too pink, so I had to tone them down by going over them with my skin colours. I also add a coat of Stardust Stickles to the white part of the tutu.
Skin: E000, E00, E11, RV95 Hair: E31, E33, E37, E59 Blue and pink parts of Tutu: B32, B34, B37, B39, BV20, C7, C9, R81, R83, R89 White part of Tutu: C00, C1, C3, C7 Tights: R30, R32, RV95 E000, E00 Pointe Shoes: R81, R83, R85
Just wanted to share a picture of my Ainsleigh in arabesque. This was taken during dress rehearsal last June for the year end recital. I tried to find a picture similar to the stamp:
We'd love to have you play along with our Sketch Challenge. If you use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your project, you could be the lucky winner of Holly Hip Hop, the stamp seen on Pam's gorgeous card this week. Check out what all the other Krafty Girls have created over at the KKS blog.
BLOG CANDY: Make sure to hop around and visit each of the Krafty Girls participating in today's sneak peeks and leave comments as you go because Kimmie will be choosing two lucky winners who will each receive three of the new Dancers by Annie!!
Hope you all have a fantastic Saturday! I'll be hanging out all day in London, Ontario for Krafty Day 2012 with Kimmie, her family, some fellow Krafty Girls, Annie Rodrigue and a bunch of KKS fans!! I know we are going to have a blast and I'm looking forward to seeing everybody who is able to attend!
Make sure to join us tomorrow for our release day blog hop!!Oh and P.S. There will be a SPECIAL stamp that you haven't seen yet, being released tomorrow as well, so be sure to check out tomorrow's Krafty Hop to see if you can find it!!!
Thanks for stopping by. :)
Blessings,
Melanie
Friday, October 19, 2012
Copic Coloring Guide, Level 3: People Blog Hop!!!
Good morning and welcome to a very special blog hop! I am excited to announce my participation and publication in the new Copic Coloring Guide, Level 3: People! I consider it such an honour to be included in this book along with so many other talented ladies. :) This is definitely going to be a book that you will want to add to your crafting resources.
Authors Colleen Schaan and Marianne Walker have partnered up again with the team at Annie’s and some of the most talented artists and designers in the industry to bring you a quality publication packed full of techniques, theory, tutorials, and inspiration. The 64-page book is the next step in the Coloring Guide series, offering information and educational material for crafters of all skill levels.
From the how and why behind picking colors and coloring skin to the tips and techniques for coloring hair to the helpful hints on how to create realistic looking clothing and fabric, this book presents information in an easy-to-follow format.
An included CD contains all of the hand-drawn images used in the tutorial section of the book, along with the assembly instructions for all of the projects, and a number of blank reference charts.
Each participating designer is hopping today to give you a peak at their favorite project from the book - and a chance to WIN your own autographed copy!
This is the card I have in the book, "Curiouser and Curiouser". It features two of my favourite Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Mad Hatter"...I absolutely LOVE colouring these images!! Alice's hair is a dream to colour with those long flowing locks...perfect for working on your highlights and texture. Both she and the Hatter have amazingly detailed clothes as well. There are some great folds drawn into the fabrics and you can of course add more through use of shading and highlighting.
To help kick off the celebration of the new book... each designer on the hop is giving away an autographed copy of the book...signed not only by Colleen and Marianne, but by the individual designer too! Please comment on my post for your chance to win your copy of mine! Commenting will be closed at midnight on Friday, October 26th. Winners will be announced on the individual designer's blog. If you've been following along, your next stop will be the very talented Michelle Houghton. If you just happened to pop in at my blog for a visit, make sure to visit all the other designers on the hop to see their gorgeous projects and to get your name in for their book draws as well! Here's the full list:
Jane Allen
Jane Allen
Michele Boyer
Jennifer Dove
Beate Johns
Sharon Harnist
Melanie Holtz (You are here!!)
Michelle Houghton
Debbie Olson
Claudia Rosa
Colleen Schaan
Marianne Walker
Jennifer Dove
Beate Johns
Sharon Harnist
Melanie Holtz (You are here!!)
Michelle Houghton
Debbie Olson
Claudia Rosa
Colleen Schaan
Marianne Walker
I just wanted to say thanks again to both Colleen and Marianne for inviting me to be a part of this new installment in their Copic Coloring Guide series. The previous books have been such a huge success, as I know this one will be as well. So make sure to get your copy soon!!
Enjoy the hop! :)
Blessings,
Melanie
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Halloween Medallion
Hi there folks! Hope you all have been having a great week. :)
I've got a Halloween card to share with you today featuring the Ornate Hinge from Dies by SCACD. I created an intricate medallion by cutting out twelve hinges. I trimmed the panel off the bottom of the die (where there are three little holes for brads) and glued them in place behind a black cardstock circle. The papers are from last year, but you can check out Susana's entire stock of paper HERE where you will also find lots of holiday themed paper pads. The image is from a Teresa Collins stamp set that is no longer in stock, but Susana has some fantastic new Halloween stamp sets that have great images! For example there is the amazing Tim Holtz Mini Halloween #3, Trick or Treat, or MME Lost and Found Halloween ...so many fantastically creepy stamps perfect for your Halloween themed projects!! See the little bits of gold around the edges of the papers?? That is the fantastic Viva Decor 3D Stamp Paint in Gold. I just used my finger to pick up a bit of product, apply it to the paper edges and lightly blend it out. I followed that with some black ink to "grunge" everything up a bit.
The Ornate Hinge Die is so versatile! You can of course, use it as an actual hinge, lol. But it can also be used as a medallion as seen here, as a border, or in any other way you can come up with! I love stretching the possibilities of dies. They are some of my favourite crafting tools. :) You can find the entire stock of Dies by SCACD HERE.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Blessings,
Melanie
I've got a Halloween card to share with you today featuring the Ornate Hinge from Dies by SCACD. I created an intricate medallion by cutting out twelve hinges. I trimmed the panel off the bottom of the die (where there are three little holes for brads) and glued them in place behind a black cardstock circle. The papers are from last year, but you can check out Susana's entire stock of paper HERE where you will also find lots of holiday themed paper pads. The image is from a Teresa Collins stamp set that is no longer in stock, but Susana has some fantastic new Halloween stamp sets that have great images! For example there is the amazing Tim Holtz Mini Halloween #3, Trick or Treat, or MME Lost and Found Halloween ...so many fantastically creepy stamps perfect for your Halloween themed projects!! See the little bits of gold around the edges of the papers?? That is the fantastic Viva Decor 3D Stamp Paint in Gold. I just used my finger to pick up a bit of product, apply it to the paper edges and lightly blend it out. I followed that with some black ink to "grunge" everything up a bit.
The Ornate Hinge Die is so versatile! You can of course, use it as an actual hinge, lol. But it can also be used as a medallion as seen here, as a border, or in any other way you can come up with! I love stretching the possibilities of dies. They are some of my favourite crafting tools. :) You can find the entire stock of Dies by SCACD HERE.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Blessings,
Melanie
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Holiday Trinkets...Kicking off the October Kraftin' Kimmie Sneak Peeks!
Hi folks! We are kicking off the *New* OCTOBER Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps previews today and first off, we’d like to introduce you to a beautiful new set of Trinkets!!! We are very excited to share with you our….WINTER TRINKETS!!!
These circular sentiment stamps have been created and designed by the totally talented Krafty Girl, Nicole Aspinall!! They are made especially to fit in your 1 3/8ths and 1 ¾ inch punches for quick and easy cutting!!! This month we are releasing the WINTER Trinkets set which includes eight trinkets in each set with four of each size and they come as both positive and negative images, so you can use your black or brown ink with the positive stamps and use your coloured inks with the negative ones!! You will get the set as a completely unmounted full sheet of deeply etched grey rubber.
All of the Krafty Girls are primarily cardmakers and we have found these to be such a quick and easy way to add a sentiment to our creations or to use as the focal point on our cards! They are also perfect for your Smashbook pages and your scrapbook pages, not to mention your altered items and tags!! No stamper's stash is complete without them. :)
Here's my card featuring one of the new Winter Trinkets. I used some Bo Bunny paper from last year. I stamped the Trinket in Memento Rich Cocoa and then coloured it with my B93 Copic marker followed by E42 to match the paper. The Trinket was mounted with foam dimensionals on a snowflake ornament that I picked up at the dollar store. The bow was centered with a Prima Flower Centre. I also added a few rhinestones for a bit of added sparkle.
All of the Krafty Girls are primarily cardmakers and we have found these to be such a quick and easy way to add a sentiment to our creations or to use as the focal point on our cards! They are also perfect for your Smashbook pages and your scrapbook pages, not to mention your altered items and tags!! No stamper's stash is complete without them. :)
Here's my card featuring one of the new Winter Trinkets. I used some Bo Bunny paper from last year. I stamped the Trinket in Memento Rich Cocoa and then coloured it with my B93 Copic marker followed by E42 to match the paper. The Trinket was mounted with foam dimensionals on a snowflake ornament that I picked up at the dollar store. The bow was centered with a Prima Flower Centre. I also added a few rhinestones for a bit of added sparkle.
BLOG CANDY: Make sure to check out what the Krafty Girls have created and be sure to comment on each and every stop because one lucky stamper is going to WIN the new WINTER TRINKETS set!!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Melanie
Saturday, October 13, 2012
"What Big Eyes"
Hi crafty friends!!
I have a card to share with you featuring "What Big Eyes", one of the recently released Eyes of Fables collection at SCACD. The sentiment on my card comes with the stamp. I used some older MME paper, but make sure to check out the paper section at SCACD HERE...Susana has an incredible selection of papers in stock, and she is always adding new pads! That fabulous corner embellishment was created with one of the newest exclusive Dies by SCACD. This die is one of two sold as a set called Fancy Flower and Key Corners. I also added some pearls made with a Viva Decor Pearl Pen, a flourish made with the Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork die, a bit of crochet trim and a Petaloo flower.
What Big Eyes was stamped on Neenah with Memento Ink and coloured with Copics.
Skin: E000, E00, E11, RV95, R20 Hair: E50, E21, E25, E29, E59, BV29 Dress: BG000, BG11, BG70, BG72, BG75, C5, R81, R83, R85, YG02, G81, G85
Here's just a little taste of some of the newest products at SCACD:
Susana is always adding the latest and greatest products to the store, so make sure to check back frequently. You can also keep up to date with all the happenings at SCACD via the Store Blog.
Hope you all have a great day, and thanks so much for stopping by. :)
Blessings,
Melanie
I have a card to share with you featuring "What Big Eyes", one of the recently released Eyes of Fables collection at SCACD. The sentiment on my card comes with the stamp. I used some older MME paper, but make sure to check out the paper section at SCACD HERE...Susana has an incredible selection of papers in stock, and she is always adding new pads! That fabulous corner embellishment was created with one of the newest exclusive Dies by SCACD. This die is one of two sold as a set called Fancy Flower and Key Corners. I also added some pearls made with a Viva Decor Pearl Pen, a flourish made with the Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork die, a bit of crochet trim and a Petaloo flower.
What Big Eyes was stamped on Neenah with Memento Ink and coloured with Copics.
Skin: E000, E00, E11, RV95, R20 Hair: E50, E21, E25, E29, E59, BV29 Dress: BG000, BG11, BG70, BG72, BG75, C5, R81, R83, R85, YG02, G81, G85
Here's just a little taste of some of the newest products at SCACD:
Susana is always adding the latest and greatest products to the store, so make sure to check back frequently. You can also keep up to date with all the happenings at SCACD via the Store Blog.
Hope you all have a great day, and thanks so much for stopping by. :)
Blessings,
Melanie
Saturday, October 6, 2012
"Skulltastic Challenge", Anniversary Celebration and World Cardmaking Day Fun at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!
Hi folks! There's so much fun happening with Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps this weekend!! Just to give you all a bit of warning, this is going to be a lengthy post! But trust me, you will want to make sure to read the entire post thoroughly so you don't miss out on anything. ;) So go grab yourself a cup of coffee or tea and let's get this party started!
1. Happy Anniversary to Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!! Kimmie has been in the business of bringing us amazingly fun stamps to colour and create with for THREE years! To celebrate, she is running a HUGE sale this weekend. You can find all the stamps on sale HERE.
2. World Cardmaking Day!! Kimmie is running some fun challenges at the KKS Blog and on the Facebook Fan Page. Make sure to stay tuned throughout the weekend for your chance to WIN! (psst...for those of you interested, there will be a chance to win a guest designer spot for the month of December!!) There are of course some krafty challenges that will require you to get into your studios and get busy...we can't wait to see what you create! There will also be some fun trivia challenges to join in as well. It's going to be a really fun weekend and I hope you can join us!
3. Our weekly challenge at the KKS Blog!! As always, Saturday is the day for us to post a new challenge for all you Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps fans to play along with! This week our lovely hostess is the very talented Cheryl whose challenge is called "Skulltastic!"...quite a fitting challenge for the month of October! It's pretty simple...just make sure there is at least one skull somewhere on your project. It could be part of your image, in your design paper or an embellishment. It's totally up to you!
For my card this week, I inked up an oldie but a goodie. This young swashbuckler is Billy Blyth. Isn't he awesome?! And of course, he fits in perfectly with the Skulltastic challenge thanks to his little footrest. The DCWV Once Upon A Time papers were distressed, inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and treated to a little machine stitching for a finishing touch. I FINALLY remembered to stop by the fabric store and pick up more thread. It was driving me nuts to not have it. I absolutely love to add stitching to my cards and often feel they look a bit naked without it. lol I did sponge over the thread with a bit of brown ink, but I should have been a bit more generous with my application as the thread it a bit too stark for the earthy tones of this card. That decorative border was made with one of my awesome new Dies by SCACD...this one is called Ornate Hinge. I absolutely love the intricacy of this die. It has a little panel across the bottom with three holes for brads or pearls so it will look like a hinge, but I trimmed it off and overlapped three of the hinges to create a continuous border.
And here's your closeup of young Billy. He was stamped on Neenah with Memento Ink and coloured with Copics. Pirates are just awesome! I'm a big fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. How much fun would it have been to be involved in those movies?? And can I just say that Captain Jack Sparrow has got to be the best pirate ever! He's awesome...mostly due to the fact that he was played by one of my favourite actors, Johnny Depp. The man is absolutely brilliant...especially when playing eccentric characters. He truly shines in those roles. From the Mad Hatter to Sweeney Todd to Sam in Benny & Joon...each character was played to perfection. (incidentally, has anybody ever tried making grilled cheese with an iron??? I've always wanted to try...) It's a tough call as I really love so many of his movies, but I think my favourite has got to be Edward Scissorhands. I LOVE that movie. I can't even remember how many times I've seen it. I adore the character of Edward, poor guy. Breaks my heart when his maker dies in front of him as his scissors slip through the hands that were meant to be his....so sad. :( I haven't seen Dark Shadows yet, but I am definitely looking forward to rectifying that soon!
Lol...got off on a bit of tangent there! But for those interested, here are the colours used for colouring Billy:
Skin: E000, E00, E11, E21, RV95 Hair: E21, E25, E59 Coat: G20, G21, G24, G85, G99, C5, C7, C9 Shirt and head scarf: B91, B93, B95, B97, C5, C7 Pants: E11, E13, E17, E18, E59, W7 Treasure Chest: E50, E21, E25, E31, E29, E59, Y21, Y17 Skull: W1, W3, W5, W7, W9
Make sure to stop by the KKS Blog to check out what the rest of the Krafty Girls have created for the Skulltastic Challenge. If you play along, you could be the lucky winner of "Perfect Poison", the stamp used on Cheryl's awesome card! (Perfect Poison happens to be one of my favourite images!!) Just make sure to use a KKS to be eligible for the prize. :)
So there you have it folks! You've got so many opportunities to win with KKS!! So don't forget to check out the KKS Blog and FB page for all the challenges and trivia opportunities as well as our weekly challenge. Hope you get a chance to hang out with us a bit this weekend!
Oh, one last thing...have you registered yet for Krafty Day 2012??!! Spaces are limited, so register soon! This is a fantastic event that we always look forward to. Come on out and hang out with us for the day. We'll colour, create, eat and laugh together. Annie Rodrigue will also be there and you'll have the chance to watch her in action. You can find all the details HERE...I sure hop to see you there!
And HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my fellow Canadians!!
Blessings,
Melanie
1. Happy Anniversary to Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!! Kimmie has been in the business of bringing us amazingly fun stamps to colour and create with for THREE years! To celebrate, she is running a HUGE sale this weekend. You can find all the stamps on sale HERE.
2. World Cardmaking Day!! Kimmie is running some fun challenges at the KKS Blog and on the Facebook Fan Page. Make sure to stay tuned throughout the weekend for your chance to WIN! (psst...for those of you interested, there will be a chance to win a guest designer spot for the month of December!!) There are of course some krafty challenges that will require you to get into your studios and get busy...we can't wait to see what you create! There will also be some fun trivia challenges to join in as well. It's going to be a really fun weekend and I hope you can join us!
3. Our weekly challenge at the KKS Blog!! As always, Saturday is the day for us to post a new challenge for all you Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps fans to play along with! This week our lovely hostess is the very talented Cheryl whose challenge is called "Skulltastic!"...quite a fitting challenge for the month of October! It's pretty simple...just make sure there is at least one skull somewhere on your project. It could be part of your image, in your design paper or an embellishment. It's totally up to you!
For my card this week, I inked up an oldie but a goodie. This young swashbuckler is Billy Blyth. Isn't he awesome?! And of course, he fits in perfectly with the Skulltastic challenge thanks to his little footrest. The DCWV Once Upon A Time papers were distressed, inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and treated to a little machine stitching for a finishing touch. I FINALLY remembered to stop by the fabric store and pick up more thread. It was driving me nuts to not have it. I absolutely love to add stitching to my cards and often feel they look a bit naked without it. lol I did sponge over the thread with a bit of brown ink, but I should have been a bit more generous with my application as the thread it a bit too stark for the earthy tones of this card. That decorative border was made with one of my awesome new Dies by SCACD...this one is called Ornate Hinge. I absolutely love the intricacy of this die. It has a little panel across the bottom with three holes for brads or pearls so it will look like a hinge, but I trimmed it off and overlapped three of the hinges to create a continuous border.
And here's your closeup of young Billy. He was stamped on Neenah with Memento Ink and coloured with Copics. Pirates are just awesome! I'm a big fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. How much fun would it have been to be involved in those movies?? And can I just say that Captain Jack Sparrow has got to be the best pirate ever! He's awesome...mostly due to the fact that he was played by one of my favourite actors, Johnny Depp. The man is absolutely brilliant...especially when playing eccentric characters. He truly shines in those roles. From the Mad Hatter to Sweeney Todd to Sam in Benny & Joon...each character was played to perfection. (incidentally, has anybody ever tried making grilled cheese with an iron??? I've always wanted to try...) It's a tough call as I really love so many of his movies, but I think my favourite has got to be Edward Scissorhands. I LOVE that movie. I can't even remember how many times I've seen it. I adore the character of Edward, poor guy. Breaks my heart when his maker dies in front of him as his scissors slip through the hands that were meant to be his....so sad. :( I haven't seen Dark Shadows yet, but I am definitely looking forward to rectifying that soon!
Lol...got off on a bit of tangent there! But for those interested, here are the colours used for colouring Billy:
Skin: E000, E00, E11, E21, RV95 Hair: E21, E25, E59 Coat: G20, G21, G24, G85, G99, C5, C7, C9 Shirt and head scarf: B91, B93, B95, B97, C5, C7 Pants: E11, E13, E17, E18, E59, W7 Treasure Chest: E50, E21, E25, E31, E29, E59, Y21, Y17 Skull: W1, W3, W5, W7, W9
Make sure to stop by the KKS Blog to check out what the rest of the Krafty Girls have created for the Skulltastic Challenge. If you play along, you could be the lucky winner of "Perfect Poison", the stamp used on Cheryl's awesome card! (Perfect Poison happens to be one of my favourite images!!) Just make sure to use a KKS to be eligible for the prize. :)
So there you have it folks! You've got so many opportunities to win with KKS!! So don't forget to check out the KKS Blog and FB page for all the challenges and trivia opportunities as well as our weekly challenge. Hope you get a chance to hang out with us a bit this weekend!
Oh, one last thing...have you registered yet for Krafty Day 2012??!! Spaces are limited, so register soon! This is a fantastic event that we always look forward to. Come on out and hang out with us for the day. We'll colour, create, eat and laugh together. Annie Rodrigue will also be there and you'll have the chance to watch her in action. You can find all the details HERE...I sure hop to see you there!
And HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my fellow Canadians!!
Blessings,
Melanie
Friday, October 5, 2012
Let the Celebration Begin with Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!
As you may have read on the Kraftin' Kimmie Facebook fan page, we are having a little online party to celebrate our THIRD Anniversary AND World Cardmaking Day, which both happen to be this weekend!
The first part of our celebration has already begun!! We've got over 140 of our most popular stamps on SALE 20-75% OFF, but only while supplies last! So hop on over to the Online Store and scoop up some inky savings!!
...
Next up, we will be posting TWO extra special Challenges today!!! We've got some prizes here to give away, so play along with as many of our Anniversary challenges as possible! Not only will you have a chance to WIN, but you may be asked to join the Krafty Girls as a Krafty Guest for the month of December!!!
Then we'll post TWO MORE extra Challenges tomorrow for more chances to WIN! AND we always have our regular weekly challenge on Saturday with lots of awesome samples from the Krafty Girls!
Also we'll be having some random trivia questions and games posted at the KKS Blog and on our Facebook page, so be sure to stop in often to join in the fun and even WIN some rubber goodness!!!
The first part of our celebration has already begun!! We've got over 140 of our most popular stamps on SALE 20-75% OFF, but only while supplies last! So hop on over to the Online Store and scoop up some inky savings!!
...
Next up, we will be posting TWO extra special Challenges today!!! We've got some prizes here to give away, so play along with as many of our Anniversary challenges as possible! Not only will you have a chance to WIN, but you may be asked to join the Krafty Girls as a Krafty Guest for the month of December!!!
Then we'll post TWO MORE extra Challenges tomorrow for more chances to WIN! AND we always have our regular weekly challenge on Saturday with lots of awesome samples from the Krafty Girls!
Also we'll be having some random trivia questions and games posted at the KKS Blog and on our Facebook page, so be sure to stop in often to join in the fun and even WIN some rubber goodness!!!
Have fun, and hope to see you back tomorrow! :)
Blessings,
Melanie
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