Naturally Styled

Good morning to all my crafty friends out there!! Hope you're all having a fabulous week so far. :)

I've got a card to share with you today featuring one of the exclusive SCACD stamps from the Natural Beauty collection...this is "Naturally Styled". How gorgeous is this dressform?? I think it's such an elegant image, and I love the pretty vines entwined around the image. The papers are from an MME Stella and Rose pad (Hazel). Susana has an incredible selection of 6x6 paper pads, and her prices are amazing...you can check them out HERE.



"Naturally Styled" was stamped on Neenah cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured with Copic makers. The image was cut out with my oval Spellbinders. I sponged around the image with a combination of Antique Linen, Bundled Sage, Victorian Velvet and Walnut Stain Distress Inks while it was still in the die. I wasn't quite happy with the depth of shading on the dress, so I pulled out my Conte crayons and paper blending stump to add some more dimension. The pearls were created with a Viva Decor Pearl Pen in "Cream". The decorative "frame" around the image was created with a Martha Steward border punch. This is by no means my own idea. I've seen this technique used by many very talented papercrafters on my travels around blogland, and think it's a wonderful way to stretch the possibilities of your punches. After punching a strip of cardstock, you simply cut some "V" shaped notches in your carstock so that you can curve the cardstock to the shape of your image panel. In the close up below, you can see the small "gathers" or folds in the punched cardstock ...I used Scor Tape to attach the "frame" to the image.



Copics: Dress: BG0000, BG10, BG11, BG72, BG75, C5, C7, RV000, R81, R83, R85, R89, E40, E41, E43, E49, E50, E59 Vines: YG00, YG03, G28, G99, B31, B34, B37, C5, C7 Mannequin: E50, E31, E25, E29, E59 Bird: B000, B60, C00, C3, C5 Additional shading added with black and brown Conte crayons

The "Natural Beauty" collection of stamps is available exclusively at SCACD. (For our UK friends, you can purchase exclusive SCACD stamps at Quixotic Paperie.)

Make sure to take a bit of time to browse around SCACD, as Susuna is always adding fabulous new products. Take a look at some of the new arrivals at the store:

New Stamps from: Kraftin' Kimmie and Emerald Faerie Garden

Viva Decor Gel and Molds

Make It Crafty Stamps and Chipboard Embellishments

***CANADIAN POSTAL STRIKE*** Ok, so the latest news update this morning is that the strike has escalated to a full shut down of postal services. I encourage my fellow Canadians to check with the businesses they are ordering from for shipping options before placing your orders. Hopefully, this strike will be resolved quickly, but in the meantime we do appreciate your patience and understanding as all businesses are dealing with the complications of this postal strike. Most importantly, I want to encourage you to continue to look to SCACD for all your crafty needs! :)

I hope you all have a fantastic week. I'll be back on Friday with a another fun post for SCACD...just wait until you see what the design team has been up to!! ;)


Blessings

Melanie

Stamps: SCACD's "Naturally Styled" (from the Natural Beauty Collection)
Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Ink
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, MME (Stella and Rose, Hazel)
Embellishments: Viva Decor Pearl Pen in Cream, machine stitching
Tools: Spellbinders

June Release Blog Hop for Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!

Good morning and welcome to the Release Day Blog Hop for Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!! This month's release brings us a set of fun summer-loving animals from our newest Krafty Artist Emilie Goulet, some adorable new spring girls from Cheryl Alger and the gorgeous Asian themed girls from Annie Rodrigue. Kimmie has assembled an amazing blog hop for your viewing pleasure today...and she may just have some CANDY up for grabs too! Kimmie is asking you to leave comments at each blog on the hop to be eligible for the candy. Two lucky stampers will win packages of some of the new release stamps!

If you have been tracking along the hop, you should have arrived here after visiting with our lovely and very talented new Krafty Artist Emilie Goulet. If not, just pop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog where the hop begins...you will also find a complete list of the hop participants there. :)

My card today features one of Annie's gorgeous new stamps, "Mizuki"...which means "Beautiful Moon". She comes with a sentiment that reads "Everything has it's beauty but not everyone sees it." Once again, I've used a dollar store treasure...the black background panel with the red embroidered flowers began it's life as a fabric wall hanging. I dismantled it and set aside the wooden frame for a future purpose. :) I used black and red cardstock to create a frame for the fabric panel and embellished it with some flourishes cut with Spellbinders Doodle Parts. The oval frame was cut with Spellbinders Labels 10 from silver cardstock. The red cardstock insert for the silver frame was embossed with a fantastic Couture Creations embossing folder from SCACD...this one is called "Drifting Endless". They measure 5x7 and the patterns are so pretty. I sponged some Black Soot distress Ink over the embossed surface...I also sponged some on the silver frame and the red flourishes.

Mizuki was stamped on Neenah carstock with Memento Ink and coloured with Copic markers. I love the bottom of Mizuki's kimono, and wanted those tendrils of fabric to really "pop". I used a combination of yellows, oranges and reds to create a flame effect, and then coloured the rest of her kimono black.


Copics: Hair: 100, C9, C7, C5, C3, B60 Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Kimono: R59, R46, R27, R17, YR31, YRo4, Y21, Y17, Y15, Y11, Y00, 100, C7, C5, C3 Skulls: B60, BV23, C7, colourless blender

All the stamps you will see on today's hop are now available for purchase at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. If you would prefer to purchase your stamps as complete collections by artist, then you can look for the Gimmie Kimmies Kits option on the left hand sidebar of the store...when purchasing the stamps as complete sets, you get to take advantage of an amazing 15% discount! Or perhaps your crafty little heart desires to take home each and every stamp being released today...well Miss Kimmie has the perfect deal for you! Introducing the "Gimmie Kimmies Komplete Kit"...this kit includes the ENTIRE June release, and to sweeten the deal this kit comes at a 20% discount!!

It is now my pleasure to send you off to visit with my very dear friend and very talented stamper, Krista VanTol...and don't forget to leave those comments for your chance to win some of the new June stamps!!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Mizuki"
Paper: Bazzill, Neenah (and fabric!)
Ink: Memento, Copic markers, Distress Ink
Tools: Spellbinders Labels 10 and Doodle Parts

"24 Krafty Karats!"

Good morning to all my crafty friends!! It's time for another challenge at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog. To add to the fun, the Krafty Girls' projects all feature brand new stamps by Krafty Artist Annie Rodrigue...and they will be available for purchase tomorrow! Annie has created an amazing Asian themed release this month...the images are gorgeous!

Our hostess for this week's 24 Krafty Karats challenge is the lovely Angie Baker, and she wants to see gold on your projects!

My card today features the beautiful "Takara"...her name means "Treasure". I'm totally loving the dragon in this image!! I was at the dollar store recently and found some gorgeous fabric drawstring gift bags with patterns that I thought would work beautifully with this release. I carefully dismantled the bag and adhered some of the fabric to a panel of cardstock. I matted it on gold cardstock and created a black cardstock frame. The gold and black cardstock flourishes were created with Spellbinders Doodle parts and adorned with some Viva Decor Pearls (Pearl Pen in "Cream"). What do you think of the organza ribbon flower?? The organza was actually the lining of the fabric bag, so it is a perfect colour match. To create the flower I cut a portion of the organza, gathered it with a basting stitch, twisted and adjusted it until it resembled a rough flower shape and then hand stitched the centre to hold it in place. I adhered it to the card base with Scor-Tape and finished the flower off with a Prima Say It in Studs flower centre...LOVE these. :) You'll get an assortment of intricate, beautiful flower centres in these packs...all you need to do is peel the entire centre off in one piece and stick in place. To create the paper fan behind my image, I cut two 3x6 strips of this beautiful patterned paper from an SEI paper pad ("Moonrise"...this is a gorgeous collection with some sheets having beautiful metallic accents), punched along one edge with a Martha Stewart punch, scored every 1/4", folded it accordion style and adhered it along a cardstock base. Unfortunately, the "seam" where I joined the two pieces is not quite as invisible as I had hoped, but it adds some fun texture and dimension.



"Takara" was stamped on Neenah cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured with Copic markers. Her dragon friend was given a coat of Stardust Stickles...I usually apply just a bit of the product and use my finger or a small brush to spread it around. Although I did not use it on the exterior of my card, "Takara" comes with a co-ordinating sentiment that says "Missing You, My Friend!".


Colours: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: B60, C3, C5, C7, C9, 100 Kimono: YR20, YR23, YR31, Y17, Y21, E08, E33, E37, R81, R22, R35, R59, C5 Dragon: YG00, YG03, YG11, YG67, G99, C7, Y00, Y11, Y17, Y21, E35, E37

For some "Golden" inspiration, please visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to see the gorgeous projects by the rest of the Krafty Girls. While you are there, make sure to check out Angie's card because if you play along this week, you could win the stamps featured on her card!! (to be eligible for the prize, you must use a Kraftin' Kimmie stamp on your submission)

***BLOG CANDY ALERT***: How would you like to win some of Annie's new June stamps?? All you need to do is hop around to each of the Krafty Girls blogs and leave comments on their posts today! Kimmie will be drawing two lucky names who will each win THREE of Annie's new stamps!!! You can find links to their personal blogs over on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog...and that is where Kimmie will announce the winners tomorrow!

The new June stamps will be available for purchase tomorrow!! We hope to see you then for our release day blog hop. :)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Takara"
Ink:Memento, Copics
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, SEI
Embellishments: Fabric, organza, Prima embellishment, Viva Decor
Tools: Spellbinders Doodle Parts

Friends are For Hugging...Day Two of the June Sneak Peeks for Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!

(This is my second post for the day...please scroll back to check out a little teaser about a fantastic new product at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design!!)

Good morning folks!! Welcome to another round of sneak peeks for the June Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Release this Sunday. Today the Krafty Girls are sharing projects featuring the newest stamps by Krafty Artist Cheryl Alger.

This is "Friends are For Hugging"...what a sweet image! It comes with the co-ordinating sentiment seen on my card, which was stamped in Versafine Ink. How many of you had that special stuffed animal friend who went with you everywhere when you were a kid? I did...her name was Cuddles. :) Unfortunately, I think she accidentally made her way into a goodwill donation bag when I was a teenager...I'm still a little bitter over that, lol. She was well-worn and well-loved...a treasured childhood "friend". :) This adorable image reminds me of her...I always smile when I see children clutching their special "stuffy". The papers are all from MME Stella and Rose(Hattie). The bow was tied with the aide of my handy-dandy Bow Easy. All papers and the ribbon were sponged with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.


"Friends are for Hugging" was stamped on Neenah cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured with Copic markers. The sky was created with Memento Summer Sky, a makeup sponge and a hand-cut cloud template.



Copics: Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E31, E33, E37, E59, Y21, Y26, E50 Dress: B91, B93, B96, B97, B99, C5, C7, Y26 Shoes: E50, E25 Bear: E30, E31, E33, E37, E50, E59, C7 Grass: YG00, YG03, YG11, YG63, YG67, G99, C9

Can we interest you in some BLOG CANDY??? Yup, Miss Kimmie is in the giving mood again today, and is offering up one complete set of Cheryl's brand new June stamps!! All you need to do is hop around and leave a comment at each Krafty Girl's blog who has a sneak peek to share today. You'll find a complete list of links to their blogs over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog...and that's where Kimmie will post the lucky winner's name tomorrow morning!

We'll see you back again tomorrow for our weekly challenge and another round of sneak peeks!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Friends are for Hugging" and co-ordinating sentiment
Ink: Memento, Distress Ink, Copics
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, MME Stella and Rose "Hattie"
Embellishments: Ribbon
Tools: Bow Easy

New Product Alert for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design!!

(Please check back at 7:00 am EST for my second post of the day...another Kraftin' Kimmie Sneak Peek!!)

Ok my crafty friends...I'm here to pique your creative curiosity!!! Susana is bringing in an amazing new product, and some of her very talented team members have been busy creating some fabulous projects with it! I'm not going to tell you much about it...because it's still a bit of a mystery to me too!! lol But after hearing my fellow DT members talking about what they've been creating with it, I can't wait to find out more about it! I do believe it is going to be one of those "must have" products. :)

So hurry...pop on over to the SCACD store blog Follow Your Heart to find out what all the buzz is about, and to see what these talented ladies have been up to in their studios!!!

I hope to see you all back in a little bit for another sneak peek for Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!

Blessings,

Melanie

The June Kraftin' Kimmie Sneak Peeks Start Today...introducing "Stanley the Snail"!!

This Sunday will be another release day at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!! The fun starts today with the first round of sneak peeks from the fun and fabulous Krafty Girls. You can visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog each day leading up to the release to see who has previews to share.

We have some very exciting news to share today...Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps is introducing another fabulous Krafty Artist!!! The Krafty Girls are all showcasing stamps by the very talented Emilie Goulet!!! I am already in love with Emilie's sweet style...you are going to adore her images!

This is "Stanley the Snail"...how cute is this??!! Quite the life our Stanley leads...look at him just chillin' on the beach! This image is so much fun to colour up. The patterned paper was in my scrap bin, but I'm pretty sure it's from Fancy Pants. The "Fun in the Sun" sentiment is part of Kimmie's "Mermaid Sentiments Set", and was stamped in Versafine Ink. The orange ribbon wasn't quite the right shade, so I went over it with my YG04 marker to create a better match.



I started by stamping Stanley on Neenah paper in Memento Ink. I coloured Stanley and his chair with Copic markers, but then had a bit of colouring mishap when I was working on the umbrella. I had used some very juicy BG's which ended up bleeding something terrible. Ugh. I decided to stamp the image again on some X-Press It Blending Card and had another go with different colours. I have tried this paper before, and haven't been overly fond of it. However, I'm thinking that I perhaps need to experiment a bit more with it as I was much happier with the result this time. Rather than re-colouring Stanley, I cut my "Neenah" Stanley out and and then paper-pieced him onto the image stamped on X-Press It with a Quickie Glue Pen.

Colours: Stanley: E31, E31, E25, E29, E59, E50 Shell: Chair: R22, R27, R46, R59, C5, C7 Umbrella: YG04, YG07, YR31, E08, B02, B12, B14, B23, B24, B99, C3, C5, C7 Stereo: C1, C3, C5, C7 Sand: E30, E31, E33, E37, E40, E41, E50, E59 Table: E18, E13, E50

To see more of this amazing new collection of stamps, please hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog! Oh, and might you be interested in a bit of BLOG CANDY?? Kimmie is giving away one complete set of Emilie's new collection...all you need to do is hop around and leave comments on all the Krafty Girls' blogs who have sneak peeks today, and Kimmie will announce the winner on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog tomorrow. :)

Hope to see you back tomorrow for round two of the June sneak peeks!!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Stanley", "Beachy Sentiments"
Ink: Memento, Copics, Versafine
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Fancy Pants
Embellishments: Ribbon, twine, button

Make it Crafty is now available at SCACD!!!!

Yes, you read that right!! Make It Crafty is now in stock and available at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design...but I'm thinking that these amazing stamps and incredible chipboard embellishments will be flying off Susana's shelves, so you should place your order ASAP!!! I've used some of the Make It Crafty lasercut chipboard embellishments before, and they really are gorgeous. They are intricately detailed and so versatile...just a perfect finishing touch to your paper crafting projects. Oh, and the stamps???!!! They are awesome, and I cannot wait to get colouring!!!

So don't delay... click HERE to hop on over to Susana's Custom Art and Card Design to check out the Make It Crafty products!!!

Also new in the store:

Bo Bunny 6x6 Paper Pads
Trinkets
Provocraft Embossing Folders

***A little reminder to my fellow Canadians*** By now, we all know that Canada Post has some rotating strikes in effect. Susana will still be shipping all Canadian orders promptly. However, we kindly request your patience for any possible delays in delivery time due to the Canada Post strikes. I know how much fun it is to receive crafty goodies in the mail, as I love finding parcels in my mailbox so we truly appreciate your patience and continued patronage. :)

Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Blessings,

Melanie