Dances With Dragonflies

Good morning my crafty friends!! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Today, I have a card to share with you featuring one of the stamps from the recently released "Natural Beauty" collection (by artist Carmen Medlin) exclusive to Susana's Custom Art and Card Design. These images are so gorgeous, and the design team has been busy creating some beautiful projects with them. If you sign up as a follower over at the store blog, Follow Your Heart, you'll be able to keep up to date with all the posts by my fellow design team members...they are such lovely talented women, and their projects are always inspiring.

This pretty fairy is "Dances With Dragonflies". The "Natural Beauty" images are so elegant, and they are an absolute dream to colour. :) The design paper is Bo Bunny "Gabrielle". I used Spellbinders Ovals to cut out the image and sponged around it with a combination of Antique Linen, Victorian Velvet and Walnut Stain Distress Inks. The edges of the paper were all distressed and finished off with some machine stitching. The gorgeous glittery rose is from Prima (Arcadian Collection-Rosy) and it comes in a package of six. It was sponged with a bit of Victorian Velvet and Walnut Stain Distress Ink to create a closer colour match to the papers. I tucked in some cardstock flourishes cut out with Spellbinders Doodle Parts and adorned them with some brown pearls created with a Viva Decor Pearl Pen.


"Dances With Dragonflies" was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on Neenah cardstock and coloured with Copic markers. Some of you are aware of the fact that I'm not really fond of colouring with my pink markers...pink and I don't seem to get along very well, lol. Rather than struggle with pinks on this image, I decided to paper piece part of her dress....the pink portion of her gown is actually a piece of paper from the Bo Bunny "Gabrielle" pad that I used on the rest of the card. I stamped part of image onto the pink paper and then chose a few markers to add some shading. (I think I ended up using RV42, R11, R59, E17 and E18) The piece was then adhered with a Quickie Glue Pen...this is such a fantastic glue pen for adding tiny elements, as you can acheive quite a precise line of glue. I added some Stardust Stickles to the wings.


Copics: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Dress: E40, E41, E43, E47, E50, BG (Pinks used for shading listed above) Wings: RVOOO, RV42, R11, BG72, BG10, BG0000, E17, E50

The "Natural Beauty" collection is available exclusively at SCACD (or at Quixotic Paperie if you live over in the UK). Make sure to take a gander at all the crafty goodies Susana has at SCACD. Not only are her prices amazing, but her service is friendly and prompt. Her selection is fantastic and she is always adding great new products. :)

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. :)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: SCACD's Dances With Dragonflies (Natural Beauty Collection)
Ink: Memento, Distress Ink, Copics
Paper: Bazzill, Neenah, Bo Bunny
Embellishments: Prima flower, crocheted trim, Viva Decor Pearl Pen, sewing machine
Tools: Spellbinders

Hand Stitching

Happy Saturday folks!!! Are you all ready for another Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge? The very witty and very talented Carole Burrage has challenged us this week to add some "Hand Stitching" to our projects. I absolutely love the look of stitching on cards and although I tend to pull out my sewing machine for this task, I was excited to venture out of my comfort zone. :)

I had yet to ink up the adorable "Agnes"...I just love her! One of my latest obsessions is the MME Stella and Rose 6x6 pads...I am in love with the colour combinations and fun patterns in these paper collections. Years ago, another obsession of mine was cross stitching and I still have a ton of floss and aida cloth kicking around. I stamped the "Life is how you bake it!" sentiment that comes with Agnes on some aida cloth with Versafine Ink, created a little cross stitched border with teal floss and then frayed the edges. Agnes also comes with another sentiment that says "What's cookin'?". The little measuring spoons charm is actually a button I picked up at my local fabric store. The bow was tied with the aide of my Bow Easy.


Agnes was stamped in Memento Ink on Neenah cardstock and coloured with Copics. I cut her out with my Spellbinders Labels 8. While she was still in the die, I used a paper piercer to make some holes around the border and then sponged the paper with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. I used the same teal floss to backstitch around the holes. This was actually a really great technique for sewing around irregular shapes. I can sew in a straight line easy enough, but circles and other shapes are a nightmare for me. By using the edge of the die as a guide, you can make sure your holes are all in alignment. I just eyeballed the distance between the holes...I figured a bit of uneven stitching adds to the whole charm of the "hand stitched" challenge. :)


Copics: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E30, E31, E33, E37, E59 Clothes: BG10, BG11, BG72, BG75, BG78, C5, C9, R81, R85, R89, RV000 Apron, E40, E41, E43, E47 Bowl: C7, C5, C3, B60

If you play along with Carole's "Hand Stitched" challenge this week, you could be the lucky winner of "Roxy", the stamp seen on Carole's awesome card!Just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your project to be eligible...you can go shopping at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store. For a bit of Krafty inspiration, please hop on over the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to see the gorgeous samples by my fellow Krafty Girls. :)

Oh, and if you haven't scooped up your Gimmie Kimmie Kits from the May release yet, this will be your last weekend to do so!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and thanks so much for dropping by today. :)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Agnes" and coordinating sentiment
Ink: Memento, Versafine, Distress Ink, Copics
Papers: Bazzill, Neenah, MME Stella and Rose
Embellishments: Offray ribbon, spoon button, aida cloth, embroidery floss
Tools: Spellbinders Labels 8, Bow easy, paper piercer

Text Me!

Hello and happy Saturday to you all! It's time for another challenge over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog. Your lovely hostess this week is the very sweet Tara Godfrey and her challenge is called "Text Me!"...so make sure to include text somewhere on your project.

I decided to use one of the verses from the newly released "Scripture Quotes" for Tara's challenge. I was really under the wire with this card, as I remembered at the last moment about my inlaw's anniversary earlier this week! We needed a card to slip a gift card into and I had about an hour to put this together. This was a HUGE challenge for me, as I am probably the world's slowest cardmaker. I often spend hours on a card between colouring an image, picking out paper, figuring out a layout and fussing over which embellishments to use. I used 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and stamped it on white cardstock with Versafine ink. I cut it out with Spellbinders Labels 2 and matted it on some Melissa Frances paper cut with Spellbinders Labels 8. The bits of scroll work bordering the sentiment are Spellbinders Fancy Tags. The black trim at the bottom is Spellbinders Classic Lace Border Grand. I also trimmed two sections of the Lace Border to place on the sides of the Labels 8 layer. (SCACD has a fantastic selection of Spellbinders at incredible prices!) The base layer of white cardstock was embossed with a CuttleBug folder. I distressed the edges and sponged everything with a bit of Black Soot Distress Ink. The bow was tied with the aide of my Bow Easy. The little key is from a company called Colorbok, and I finished everything off with a few dollar store pearls. Did I accomplish all this within the hour deadline?? Well, no. lol It took me about an hour and a half because I fussed around with a few of the elements, considered using some flowers (an idea I eventually abandoned) and decided at the last minute to add the bow and key. Still, not too bad considering how long things usually take me. :) I've been on a bit of a black and white kick lately, as I really like the visual effect. The font of this Scripture Quote is so elegant...love this set!!


Hop on over the the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to check out the gorgeous projects made by the lovely Krafty Girls and Krafty Guests. Take note of the stamp Tara used on her card, because if you choose to play along then you could be the lucky winner of the stamp she used! (Just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp to be eligible. The May Gimmie Kimmie Kits are still available. There are three kits this month, and when you buy the stamps as a kit you are able to take advantage of a 15% discount! Make sure to scoop your's up soon before they are gone.)

That's it for me folks! It's a long weekend here, so I'm looking forward to having Monday off!! Perhaps a little stamping time might be in order. :)

Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks so much for stopping by today. :)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Scripture Quotes"
Ink: Versafine, Black Soot Distress Ink
Paper: Bazzill, Melissa Frances
Tools: Spellbinders Classic Lace Border Grand, Labels 8, Labels 2 and Fancy Tags, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Bow Easy
Embellishments: Offray ribbon, pearls, metal key

Natural Beauty Release Blog Hop For SCACD!!

Good morning friends and welcome to the Blog Hop for the Natural Beauty Release at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design!! The Natural Beauty release is a collection of gorgeous stamps from the pen of artist Carmen Medlin (for SCACD). These images are so elegant. I LOVE them, and I know you are going to as well. :)

Susana has put together an amazing blog hop full of very talented designers...you are in for quite a treat as you hop along to visit each blog! You will find the complete list of blogs on the SCACD store blog, Follow Your Heart and then the hop begins with Elaine. If you've been tracking along, you should have arrived her after visiting with the lovely Kim Dellow. :)

I'm just a tad excited today, as this is my very first time sharing a project as part of the lovely SCACD design team!! My card features "The Travelers". Again, these new images from Carmen are so beautiful...I fell in love with this image the moment I saw it. I love all the intricate details...the folds of the fabric, the tilt of her chin, the waves in her hair and of course the wolf! I drew my colour inspiration from this gorgeous Bo Bunny paper, "Timepiece". I love the vintage feel of this paper. One of the sheets in this 6x6 pad has this fantastic image of a doorway. Rather than taking the time to create my own background for "The Travelers", I thought I'd make use of the graphic on the paper. The brown pearls on my card were made with the Viva Decor Pearl Pen in Dark Brown. If you have never tried these pens, you really must get your creative fingers on one!! The medium flows beautifully out of the tube with minimal effort. The best thing about this product is that the "pearls" round out beautifully. I also had a chance to break in my newest toy, the Sew Easy! If you are a fan of adding hand stitching on your cards, this is a very handy tool to have in your arsenal. You just choose what pattern of stitching you want to add, pop on the appropriate head, place your paper on the Sew Easy foam mat and roll the tool along your paper. Voila...perfect evenly spaced holes. Then, just thread up your needle with coloured floss and start stitching! (I used this along the horizontal red panel of paper.) Susana carries this tool, along with all the accessories...the various heads, the Piercing Mat and a variety of Sew Easy Floss...you can find them all HERE. I distressed the papers quite heavily with my scissors and then sponged all the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.


"The Travelers" were stamped on Neenah Cardstock with Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black and then coloured with Copic markers. Before starting to colour the wolf, I studied several pictures for colour reference. I also took a good look at my own dog...he's a Siberian Husky and the texture of his fur is quite similar to a wolf. I played around for quite a while on a scrap piece of Neenah until I felt I had a passable colour palate. The marker ink was all laid down in tiny "flicking" motions. For those of you who just love to colour, these images will be pure bliss! I had so much fun playing with the shading of the fabric folds and the fur on the wolf. :)


Gypsy: Skin: E0000, E000, E00, E11, R20 Eyes: B32, B37, B39 Hair: E50, E30, E31, E33, E37, E59 Clothing: R22, R27, R46, R59, C1, C3, C5, C7, B91, BG0000, B91, B93, B95, B97, C7, E50, E40, E41, E43, E47, Wolf: W00, W1, W3, W5, W7, E30, E31, E40, E41, E43, E47, E50

The exclusive "Natural Beauty" collection is now available for purchase at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design!! For UK/European International orders, you can purchase them at Quixotic Paperie...Elaine is the exclusive SCACD dealer for our friends across the pond. :)

**SCACD BONUS OFFER**: With every Natural Beauty Collection (7 image) set purchased Susana is giving away for FREE 1 tooled rose set from Prima (contains 9 roses - Approx 1" each). Susana will pick the color. This bonus offer is only good for the 1st week of the release, and ends May 29th. (Note that this offer is only available when ordering directly from SCACD)

It is now my pleasure to send you off to visit with the very talented Carolyn, your next stop on the hop.

I'm entering this card into the following challenge:

A Spoon Full of Sugar: Anything Goes


Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: SCACD's "The Travellers" from the Natural Beauty release
Ink: Memento, Copics, Walnut Stain Distress Ink
Paper: Bazzill, Neenah, Bo Bunny "Timepiece"
Embellishments: Viva Decor Pearl Pen in Dark Brown

Tools: Sew Easy (pink piercing head for straight stitching), Sew Easy Floss in brown

One Final SCACD Sneak Peek Before the Big Release Tomorrow!

Good morning friends!! Tomorrow is the BIG DAY at SCACD!! The "Natural Beauty" release by Carmen Medlin for SCACD will be available for purchase tomorrow, and Susanna has a wonderful blog hop planned for your viewing enjoyment! Just wait until you see what these talented designers have created with these gorgeous new stamps. I am completely smitten with the "Natural Beauty" stamps...they are so elegant, and I know you will love them too.

Today, Carolyn has one final sneak peek to share with us. Here's a little teaser of what she has created...you can visit her personal BLOG to see the full project, and of course to leave her some love!



SCACD BLOG CANDY: Susana is offering some "Natural Beauty" blog candy...interested?? Well of course you are??!! Just head on over to the SCACD store blog Follow Your Heart to read all the details on how to enter. Please make sure to read carefully so you know exactly where your comments must be left in order to be eligible. :)

I hope you join us tomorrow for the "Natural Beauty" release day blog hop...I know there will be a ton of creative inspiration from all the very talented designers participating in the hop.

Blessings,

Melanie

"Natural Beauty" sneak peek #4 for SCACD!!

Mornin' folks!! Just a quick post with a teaser for today's sneak peek of the upcoming "Natural Beauty" by Carmen Medlin for SCACD. The stamps will be available this Friday...and they are stunning!! This is an exclusive stamp line for SCACD, and we'll be celebrating the release with a blog hop on Friday...which will also be my first time posting a project for SCACD!! (I'm just a wee bit excited, lol) In the meantime, a different DT member will be hosting a sneak peek each day leading up to the release featuring one of the new "Natural Beauty" stamps. (If you missed any of the previous sneak peeks you can still visit the following DT member's blogs to catch up: Elaine, Lori and Dianne)

Here's your little teaser of Danni's gorgeous preview. You'll have to visit her personal BLOG today to see the full project. :) (If you've been keeping up to date on the SCACD Store Blog, you will know that there is blog candy up for grabs this week...and you will also know that you need to leave a comment on Danni's blog today, along with the blogs of all the other ladies who have shared previews this week. If not, please read on for a link to the Blog Candy rules!)


Don't forget to check out THIS post on the SCACD Store Blog to find out how you can win Susana's amazing BLOG CANDY!! (make sure to read the details in FULL so that you can get your name in the running for this fantastic giveaway!)

Release day is almost here! One more lovely member of the DT has a sneak peek to share with you tomorrow, so make sure to check in with us! Then mark your calenders to join us for the release day blog hop this Friday, when the stamps will be available for purchase. :)

Blessings,

Melanie

SCACD Sneak Peeks...Round Three!!

Good morning crafty friends!! Have you been keeping up to date with the sneak peeks for the upcoming "Natural Beauty" release at SCACD?? These gorgeous new stamps by artist Carmen Medlin will be available on Friday...and they are exclusive to SCACD, so you won't find them anywhere else! Each day leading up to the release, one of the lovely talented members of our DT will be sharing a preview. (In case you missed the first two days, please make sure to visit Elaine and Lori to see what they had to show you!) Today, our sneak peek is being brought to you by Dianne...here's a little teaser:

To see Dianne's project, please make sure to visit her blog.

Just a reminder, Susana is offering some BLOG CANDY...want to know how to win?? Then head on over to the SCACD Store Blog to read the rules/details on THIS post. :)

***NEW PRODUCTS AT SCACD!!!***

Viva Decor Magic Pearl Pens

Glubers (perfect for making flowers!)

Epiphany Charms

Memory Box Valise Kraft 6x6 Paper Pad

Memory Box Dies

Happy shopping, and hope to see you back here for tomorrow's sneak peek!

Blessings,

Melanie