Engineer Ethan...another Kraftin' Kimmie Sneak Peek!

Good afternoon folks! Today, the Krafty Girls are sharing sneak peeks featuring a new set of cute little tykes by Krafty artist Steven Leary. Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps will be releasing all the new May stamps this Sunday!

This cute young lad is "Engineer Ethan". I paired him up with this fantastic plaid paper from October Afternoon...I've been hoarding this piece of paper for quite a while! The green patterned paper is from Crate Paper (the light blue horizontal strip is the reverse side of the same sheet). I distressed the paper edges and applied Distress Inks with a makeup sponge. (Stormy Sky and Walnut Stain.) The "Play" ticket is from Tim Holtz. I crumpled the ticket up and treated it to some Distress Ink as well.

"Engineer Ethan" was stamped on Neenah cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured with Copic markers.

Copics: Skin: E000, E00, E11, E21, RV42 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59 Overalls and hat: B91, B93, B95, B97, C9 Shirt: R27, R29, R46, R59 Tunnel: E50, E30, E31, E25, E29 Train: R27, R29, R46, R59, G14, G17, G20, G20, C3, C5, C9

For a complete list of links to the Krafty Girls who have previews to share with you today, please visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog.

SNEAK PEEK CANDY!!! Kimmie is giving away two sets of Steven's new stamps!! Just make sure to leave comments on all the Krafty Girls' blogs who have previews to share, and Kimmie will announce the winners on the KKS Blog tomorrow. Good luck! :)

I hope to see you back tomorrow for our weekly challenge when the Krafty Girls will be showcasing more new stamps by another one of our talented Krafty Artists!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Engineer Ethan"
Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Inks (Stormy Sky and Walnut Stain)
Paper: October Afternoon, Crate Paper, Neenah, Bazzill
Embellishments: Tim Holtz Tag

Day Two of Kraftin' Kimmie Sneak Peeks...How about some new Krafty Quotes??

Good morning! Yesterday, we kicked off the sneak peeks for the upcoming May release at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps by introducing you to a new artist. Today, we are continuing the previews by showing you the brand new Krafty Quotes #4 set featuring four Scripture Verses. I absolutely love this set. :)

I chose to work with Proverbs 3:5..."Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."

I decided to go with a black and white colour scheme for today's card. The white flourished paper is from Karen Foster and the black striped paper is from MME. All papers were heavily distressed with scissor edges and then sponged with Black Soot Distress Ink. The Krafty Quote was stamped in Versafine Ink and cut out with Spellbinders Labels 8. I covered two wooden hearts (from the dollar store) with the Melissa Frances paper, sanded the edges and then sponged them with the Distress Ink as well. The two accordion-fold flowers were made by punching the edge of a strip of the design paper with a Martha Stewart border punch, scoring at evenly spaced intervals and then folding the paper accordion-style. The edges were joined with Scor Tape to form a circle and the flower was adhered to a small cardstock base. (I saw these "Ruffled Flowers" over on Amazing Paper Grace...Becca is such a paper crafting genius! Her blog is a constant source of inspiration, and her work is always stunning.If you click on the above link, you will be taken to her post including a video tutorial for making these flowers.) The flower centres are Prima rhinestones and the flourishes are dollar store finds. I wanted to include the wooden heart, as I felt it would go with the verse. However, now I'm questioning my decision to use two hearts...at first glance, my card looks like it may be a Valentines card. Hmmmm. Yup, probably should have just used one...it's that old "hindsight" thing. :)



Krafty Quotes #4 is a beautiful set, and I know I will be reaching for it often. To see the gorgeous projects that the rest of the Krafty Girls created with this new set that will be available for purchase on Sunday, please visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog for links to their blogs.

We'll be back tomorrow with another round of sneak peeks...hope to see you then!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin Kimmie Stamps "Krafty Quotes Set 4-Scripture verses"
Paper: Bazzill, Melissa Frances, MME
Ink: Versafine, Black Soot Distress Ink
Embellishments: Prima rhinestones, dollar store rhinestone swirls
Tools: Martha Stewart Border Punch, Spellbinders Lables 8, Scor-Pal

Who's ready for some new Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps??!!

This Sunday will be another release day at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps and as always, Kimmie has put together an amazing selection of stamps! Today we are kicking off the sneak peeks with images by a brand new Krafty Artist!

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps is thrilled to introduce a new artist to the mix....her name is Cheryl Alger! You may recognize her name from Sassy Cheryl's where she creates digital art. Cheryl is creating a brand NEW line of images, specifically for Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps! These stamps will ONLY be available at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps and ONLY as unmounted rubber stamps! Now here's a bit about Cheryl!

I grew up outside of Staunton, Virginia, but now live in the Richmond, Virginia. I absolutely LOVE to draw and always carry a small sketchbook with me in case inspiration strikes me while I'm out and about.

I have been creating digital art now for about 12 years now and have licensed my work to companies such as Kohl's, Hobby Lobby and Shopko, among others, for over eight years. I started creating digital images about two years ago. It's been a lifelong dream to become a working artist, and besides deadlines, I LOVE everything about what I do! It really helps that I have a very supportive husband and son (they also can be my biggest critics! I have to admit, I LOVE my job!

This is "Little Summer Girl". How fun is she with her little ducky floatie?! I paired her up with some fun bright patterned paper from Echo Park. The "Make a Splash" sentiment on my card is from Kimmie's "Mermaid Sentiments". The little water droplets are Jolee's Stickers...I still had the sticker pack out from the card I made for our current "Krafty" challenge. Lol, how's that for lazy crafting...just grab whatever is already out on your table! :)

Copics: Hair: Y21, Y23, E31, E33, E37, E50, E59 Skin: E000, E00, E11, RV42 Bathing suit: R27, R29, R46, E59, C9 Flippers: Duck Floatie: Y00, Y11, Y17, Y21, Y28, E35, R27, R46, YR00, YR02, YR04, YR07, E08

Please make sure to stop by the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog today for links to all the Krafty Girls who have sneak peeks to share with you. The sneak peeks will continue right through until the release day this Sunday when we'll have a fun blog hop to celebrate!

CANDY ALERT!!!!: Kimmie has decided to give away a whole set of Cheryl's new stamps today! Make sure to leave comments on all the Krafty Girls blogs because one lucky winner will receive the whole set of Cheryl's new stamps and she'll announce the winner in Thursday's post. (visit the challenge blog for links to their blogs!!)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Little Summer Girl" and "Summer Sentiments"
Ink: Memento, Versafine, Copics
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Echo Park
Embellishments: Jolee's Stickers

Surf's Up!

Hello and happy Saturday to you all! The lovely Miss Tracy Cornhill is our hostess this week at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog and her challenge is to use Kraft Paper on your project!

I decided to pull out the ever adorable Surfing Miles for my card this week. To create the little beach scene, I sponged in the sky and used a wave sticker (Jolee's Stickers bought at Walmart). The "sand" was created by crumpling up pieces of Kraft cardstock and then pulling apart the outer layers. This exposes the core of the cardstock which has a bit of a "fuzzy" texture. I crumpled it up a bit more, tore the edges and brushed them various inks to highlight the texture. The fun surfboard paper is from Fancy Pants.


Miles was stamped in Memento ink and coloured with Copics.

Miles: W1, W3, W5, W7, C1, C3, C5 C7 Shorts: BG000, BG10, BG11, BG72, BG75, R17, R27, R29, R59, G7 Surfboard: B91, B93, B95, B97, YR00, YR02, YR04, YR07, E08, YG00, YG11, YG23, YG25, G7

The lucky winner of the Kraft Paper challenge this week will get to choose one image stamp as their prize!! Just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your project...you can go shopping at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store. For some inspiration, hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to see what the Krafty Girls have created this week.

OK...now for some Kraftin' Kimmie News Tidbits!! There are several exciting things you will want to know about, so make sure to read thoroughly. :)

1. Did you see the newest items available at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store??? Kimmie is now carrying keychains, magnets and 5x7 prints of some of Krafty Artist Annie Rodrigue's work!!! Make sure to scoop yours up when you place your next order! (I grabbed myself a "Perfect Poison" keychain, and an "Angry Ballerina" keychain for my daughter Ainsleigh. LOVE them!!) You can find them under the "Annie's Artwork" category at the store.



2. Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps is celebrating National Scrapbooking Day and Mother's Day by having a big ol' SALE!!! There are over 100 stamps from all of our lines on sale 25-75% off! Yes, you read that right! This sale will run from Friday May 6th-Tuesday May 10th! And some of these images will be retiring shortly, so get them before they are GONE!! (Cannot be combined with other coupons/discounts!)



3. Please join us in welcoming a brand new full-time Krafty Girl to the team...Carole Burrage!!! We are absolutely thrilled to have her joining us. Not only is she an amazingly talented stamper, but a visit to her blog is bound to leave you in stitches with her witty humour. Welcome aboard Carole!! :)



4. And finally, we'd like to welcome our lovely guest designers for the month of May: Kerry Johnson, Taylor Usry and Inge Groot! Can't wait to see what these ladies have up their Krafty sleeves. :)

I will leave you with one final "head's up"...sneak peeks for the May release will being this Wednesday!! So make sure to stop by the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog each day to see who has sneak peeks to share with you...you will love the May stamps!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I hope you enjoy your weekend. :)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Surfing Miles"

Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Inks (Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Walnut Stain)

Paper: Bazzill, Neenah, Fancy Pants
Embellishments: Jolee wave sticker

New Items in the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store (for all the Annie Rodrigue fans!!)

Good morning friends! Just a quick post today to let you know about some exciting new items in the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store! For those of you who just can't get enough of Annie Rodrigue's amazing artwork, Kimmie is now carrying an assortment of 5x7 prints, keychains and magnets featuring several of Annie's original works. (I've already scooped up two keychains...Perfect Poison for myself and Angry Ballerina for my daughter Ainsleigh, and they are fabulous!) Just click on the "Annie's Artwork" tab at the store to check them out. There is even a Special Edition keychain of Rebecca Raspberry created especially for Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!

Oh, and if you've been thinking about ordering the April Gimmie Kimmie Kits, you'd best get your order placed ASAP!! Today is the last day they'll be available...and remember, the stamp collections in the Gimmie Kimmie Kits are always offered at a great discount!

Happy shopping. :)

Blessings,

Melanie

April Showers Bring May Flowers

I certainly hope that's true! We've been getting our fair share of rain this week, but as a result our grass is looking lovely and green and the leaves are opening on the trees. We don't have any spring annuals in our garden though...I keep forgetting to plant bulbs in the fall, lol. However, I had fun pulling out some krafty flowers this week...our lovely hostess for the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps challenge is Andrea Murdock, and she'd like to see FLOWERS on your projects!

My card today features a quote from the Krafty Quotes #2 Set. I cheated a bit, and started with an unadorned patterned card from The Paper Studio...my best friend Amanda gave me a box of these cards. They have many of my favourite earthy colour combinations in gorgeous patterns and textures...all they need is a little embellishing, and they're good to go! I hunted through my, er, collection (aka my "hoard", lol) for some papers that would coordinate, and settled on using this striped paper from Basic Grey (Capella). It was cut out with my Spellbinders Labels 10. I traced around the outside edge of the die and hand cut a tight-mat out of brown cardstock. The crocheted trim is from the dollar store, and the flower are from Prima. Pretty much everything on my card was distressed...the paper edges were roughed up with a pair of scissors and several inks were applied with sponges. Even the flowers failed to escape my Distress Inks. :) I finished it off with a few dollar store pearls.



The Krafty Quote (Set #2) was stamped with Versafine Ink on Wassau cardstock. (When stamping, I separated the Quote to make it fit within the Spellbinders Fancy Tag I planned to use...thanks to my inability to stamp anything straight, this took me a few tries until I got it right. lol) I always keep a stack of this cardstock in my crafty stash...it comes in handy for sentiments, matting, interior of cards and various other uses. In keeping with my colour scheme, the white cardstock needed some extra attention to make it coordinate with the rest of the card. Before cutting it out, I applied Antique Linen and Walnut Stain Distress Inks with makeup sponges. I then used my Mini-Mister to apply water and dried it with my hair dryer (yes, I know...I need to get a heat tool! lol) I also added some Aspen Mist Chalk Ink, and played around with the ink layers until I was happy. The corners were rounded and the edges were distressed with scissors before adhering it to the brown cardstock cut with Spellbinders Fancy Tags.


If you play along with Andrea's "May Flowers" challenge this week, you could be the lucky winner of the stamp Andrea used on her gorgeous card...just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your project to be eligible. For some flowery inspiration, hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to check out the beautiful projects by the Krafty Girls and our Krafty Guests.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge THANK YOU to the five lovely ladies who were our Krafty Guests this month...Deborah, Tanjii, Krista, Jenny and Amanda. You ladies did an AMAZING job!! It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside all of you throughout the month of April. :)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and thanks so much for stopping by today!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Krafty Quotes #2"
Ink: Versafine, Distress Ink (Antique Linen, Walnut Stain), Chalk Ink (Aspen Mist)
Paper: Cardbase from The Paper Studio, Basic Grey Capella, Wassau, Bazzill
Embellishments: Prima flowers, crocheted trim, pearls
Tools: Spellbinders Fancy Tags and Labels 10

Clarabelle

Good morning...and happy Easter weekend to all! Are you all ready for another challenge over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog?? Your lovely hostess this weekend is my very good friend Krista Vantol...Krista's colouring is always jaw-dropping gorgeous. :) Her challenge this week is to get "Frilly"!! So break out your lace, ribbon or whatever frilly things you might have in your Krafty arsenal and get stamping!

I still had one fairy left to ink up from this month's new release...this is the very, ahem, cheeky "Clarabelle"! lol I decided to use some pretty DCWV paper from the Once Upon A Time stack. I really love that paper collection! All papers were sponged with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. After cutting out a circle with my Spellbinders, I applied Scor Tape to the back edge and hand gathered some crocheted trim to make it "frilly". This layer was then adhered with pop dots to a layer of cardstock cut with the Spellbinders Lacey Circles. I added some machine stitching and pearls as finishing touches. (The ivory pearls were coloured with my E42 marker to coordinate with the colour scheme.)



Clarabelle was stamped on Neenah cardstock and coloured with Copics. After colouring, I realized the wings were too intense in colour for the papers so I sponged them with Antique Linen Distress Ink to create more of a muted look. Her wings were then given a coat of Stardust Stickles.

Colours: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E30, E31, E33, E35, E37, E59 Clothes: B91, B93, B95, B97, B99, C9, R30, R32, R35, R37, R59 Wings: RV000, RV02, R35, R37, R59, BG0000, B91, B93, B95, B97, C9

If you play along this week, you could be the lucky winner of the stamp seen on Krista's beautiful card...just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your card to be eligible for the prize. Looking for some inspiration? Just hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to see all the gorgeous "Frilly" projects by the Krafty Girls and Krafty Guests.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend. :)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Clarabelle"
Ink: Copics, Memento, Distress Ink
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, DCWV
Embellishments: Pearls, stitching, crocheted trim from Webster's Pages
Tools: Spellbinders