Kraftin' Kimmie Gnomes!! (Day Two of the March Sneak Peeks!)

Hi krafty friends!! We've got another round of Kraftin' Kimmie sneak peeks to share with you today featuring two brand new sets of gnomes by Krafty Artist Emilie Goulet!! The sets are called "Hangin' With My Gnomies" and "What's Up, Gnomie?". Each includes three main image stamps and an assortment of coordinating sentiments.

I've used this adorable knitting gnome from the Hangin' With My Gnomies Set...isn't she cute?! :)  I reached for the same MME papers (Gertie) that were on my card from yesterday, partly because I love them and partly because they were within arm's reach. lol  I cut her out and framed her with Spellbinders Labels 8 and used Spellbinders Fancy Tags for the sentiment, which is one you'll receive in the set. I also added some faux stitching with the In Stitches Set...love this handy set! The stitches were stamped with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. To finish it off, I added some pearls made with my Viva Decor Pearl Pen.

She was stamped on Neenah paper in Memento Ink and coloured with Copics. Guess I've been in a bit of paper-piecing mood. :)  Her hat, vest and skirt were all pieced with different patterns of the MME paper, and shading was added with my Copics.

***SNEAK PEEK BLOG CANDY*** 

How would you like to win one of the brand new gnome sets??? All you need to do is visit all the Krafty Girls sharing sneak peeks today and leave comments on their personal blogs. Kimmie will draw two lucky winner...one will win the "Hangin' With My Gnomies Set" and the other will win the "What's Up Gnomie Set"! You can find links to all the Krafty Girls participating today over at the KKS Blog, which is also where Kimmie will announce the winners tomorrow. Good luck!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you are able to join us tomorrow for our weekly challenge and another round of sneak peeks featuring the March 2012 stamps by another one of our talented Krafty Artists!!


Blessings,


Melanie

"Springtime Lulu" Kicks Off the March Kraftin' Kimmie Sneak Peeks!

Welcome to the first round of the March 2012 Kraftin' Kimmie sneak peeks...release day is this Sunday!! We're kicking off the previews today with another adorable Lulu set by Krafty Artist Cheryl Alger called "Springtime Lulu"! This new set will again feature three main image stamps. It also includes six coordinating sentiments.

This sweet image is one of the three main images you will receive in the Springtime Lulu Set. I stamped her on Neenah cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured her with Copics. I paper-pieced her shirt with a snippet of the My Mind's Eye patterned paper I used on the rest of the card. The clouds were sponged in with Memento Summer Sky. Both Lulu and the sentiment (which comes in the set) were cut out and matted with Spellbinders Labels 9. The pearls were all made with a Viva Decor Pearl Pen.

Skin: E000, E00, E11, R02  Hair: E50, YR31, E13, E17, E18, E35  Skirt: B12, B14, B39, C3 Shoe: E13, E17, E18, E59 (I added a bit of shading to the paper pieced shirt with a few green and grey markers)

***SNEAK PEEK BLOG CANDY*** 

How would you like to win the "Springtime Lulu" set??? All you need to do is visit all the Krafty Girls sharing sneak peeks today and leave comments on their personal blogs. Kimmie will draw one lucky winner who will win the Springtime Lulu set! You can find links to all the Krafty Girls participating today over at the KKS Blog, which is also where Kimmie will announce the winner tomorrow. Good luck!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you are able to join us tomorrow for another round of sneak peeks featuring the March 2012 stamps by another one of our talented Krafty Artists!!

Blessings,

Melanie

Elven Ardella...Guest Designer for Make It Colourful!

(Looking for the Copic Coloring Guide Blog Hop?? Just click HERE...you have until midnight to enter for your chance to win the autographed copy of the book from my blog!) 

Hey crafty friends!! I'm honoured to be one of the guest designers for the new challenge over at Make It Colourful ...Zoe, the owner of Make It Crafty, and all the ladies on the design team are insanely talented colourists! They never fail to make my jaw drop when they post their challenge projects. If you are a colouring enthusiast, I strongly encourage you to become a frequent visitor and participant at the Make it Colourful Challenges. As these are colouring challenges, you will find yourself stretched to work on various aspects of your colouring. The challenges might be on shading, use of specific colours, capturing reflected light sources, creating backgrounds...these ladies tackle all sorts of challenges that are sure to inspire you to try your hand at something new, and perhaps even out of your comfort zone. :)  They also provide fantastic tips and tutorials to assist you in the challenges.

This challenge is Colouring Green...your choice of medium of course! So you can feel free to use markers, watercolours, pencils, pastels, or whatever medium tickles your artistic fancy. :)

I reached for my trusted Copic markers to colour this gorgeous digital image from Make It Crafty...this is Elven Ardella. I have to say that ever since Zoe released this stamp, I have been itching to colour her up. :)  She is available as a digital stamp or in red rubber for those who prefer traditional stamps. The greens used to colour her were all pulled from this fantastic KaiserCraft paper (Blae and Ivy). For embellishments, I used a Martha Stewart border punch, a flourish cut with an MFT die, a small Prima rose, a couple of leaves, pearl sprays and machine stitching to finish it off. All paper edges were sponged with Bundled Sage and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.

Elven Ardella was printed on Neenah cardstock. The beauty of digital images of course, is that you can resize them to suit your specific project. I chose the circle Spellbinders die I wanted to use, measured the opening and then resized Elven Ardella on my computer so that she would be a bit larger than the die. I like having my images "pop" outside of the borders. The background was sponged with Antique Line and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.

I wanted to create a very  natural "earthy" look for Ardella, so I chose to not add any glitter to her wings. The veining in her wings was created by lightly drawing the lines in with YG95. I then coloured the wings in sections beginning with a base coat of G20 followed by YG91, YG95 and G99. I used the veins as a guideline for where I wanted shadows and highlights to fall to create some dimension. Although I used the same greens that were used for her dress, I wanted the wings to have a slightly different tone so I went over them with some browns in the E40 range. The addition of these browns toned down the intensity of the greens. For the very deepest shadows, I added some C10. (applied sparingly with tip-to-tip blending)

Hmmm...noticed now that I forgot one very important step. I should have ran a black marker around the edges of the portions of her wings sticking out from the paper...totally forgot!! This is something I always do when cutting images out because it conceals the white paper core...it just gives a nice finishing touch to your projects. 

Skin: E000, E00, E11, RV95  Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59  Dress: YG00, YG91, YG95, G99, C7, C9  Wings: G20, YG91, YG95, G99, E40, E41, E43, C10

Would you like to play along with the Make It Colourful girls?? Make sure to pop on over to the BLOG where you will find all the rules and a link to the gallery where you can see what the MIC team has created for this challenge.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Zoe and her team for inviting me to play along for this challenge!!

Enjoy your Friday!

Blessings,

Melanie

Copic Coloring Guide 2 Blog Hop!!

Good morning and welcome to a very special blog hop celebrating the release of the brand new Copic Coloring Guide, Level 2: Nature! 

Authors Colleen Schaan and Marianne Walker have partnered up again with the team at Annie’s Attic 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 introductory suggestions for creating a Copic journal and tips for working with digital images, to explanations of advanced blending techniques and detailed tutorials for coloring specific objects, the book presents useful information in an easy-to-follow format. 

A bonus CD comes with the book that 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.

Each participating designer in the hop today will give you a peak at their favorite project from the book - and a chance to WIN your own autographed copy! 

If you've been hopping along in order, you should have arrived here after visiting with the lovely Tammy Hershberger. If not, make sure to start the hop with Michele Boyer so you won't miss any blogs along the way. 

For those of you who saw my post announcing that I have a project published in this book, you will all know how incredibly excited I am!! I feel so honoured to have been involved in this book...still pinching myself actually as it still seems surreal! lol These designers and artists are all so very talented and I know you will love the projects they have created. 

My card features "Sunny the Turtle" from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps...I absolutely love this fun turtle out enjoying the rays. :)  In the Copic Colouring Guide 2, you will receive instructions on specific Copic colours used, the techniques used to create the shading and the appearance of the water, and of course full assembly and product information! 

Would you like to win a copy of the book??!!

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 this post for your chance to win your copy of mine!  Commenting on my blog will be closed on Friday March 9, 2012 at midnight EST. Winners will all be announced on the individual designers' blogs, so make sure to stay tuned to everybody's blog to see if you were a lucky winner!  

Here's a list of all the designer's featured on today's hop: 

• Michele Boyer
• Lori Craig
• Jennifer Dove-Bonner
• Sharon Harnist
• Tammy Hershberger
• Melanie Holtz  (you are here!!)
• Michele Houghton
• Debbie Olson
• Claudia Rosa
• Colleen Schaan
• Marianne Walker

Can't wait for your copy?  The Copic Coloring Guide Level 2: Nature is now available at many stamping and scrapbooking stores. Visit your local store today and ask about availability.  It is also sold through the Annie’s Attic catalog, accessible online at AnniesAttic.com.

Once again, I would like to say a huge thank you to both Colleen and  Marianne for inviting me to participate in this publication. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to be included with all these lovely and talented designers. :)  This book will be a fantastic addition to everybody's artsy library, so make sure to order your's soon! 

It is now my pleasure to send you off to visit the talented Michele Houghton!

Have fun hopping, and good luck in winning one of the signed books!!

Blessings, 

Melanie

Elania

Good afternoon! I have a card to share with you today featuring one of the recently released stamps from the "New Adventures of Loli and Poppy" collection by Sylvia Zet available exclusively at SCACD. This is Elania. I love mermaids, and have been looking forward to colouring this image up since I first saw her! She was stamped on Neenah cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured with my Copics. I used some older Prima papers for this card, but you can check out the fabulous selection of paper available at SCACD HERE. A border punch was used to create the decorative edge. The flourish was created with the Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork die. The bow was tied with my Bow Easy and I added a little seashell charm. Susana has some fabulous charms HERE.

The image was cut out and matted with oval and scalloped oval Spellbinders. After colouring her tail, I coated it with Smooch Illuminate and added a very thin layer of Stardust Stickles which I spread with my finger.

Skin: E000, E00, E11, RV95, R02  Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59  Tail: YG00, YG03, YG11, BG01, BG05, BG09, C7  Shells: R30, R32, R35, E17, E18  Snail: E13, E17, E18  Water: Colourless Blender, BG0000, BG000, BG01, BG05

Wondering what's new at SCACD this week?? Take a peek:

• New 6x6 paper pads from Echo Park and Best Creations HERE
• LaBlanche Silicon Stamps 
• Claudine Hellmuth Studio Set 
• FaberCastell Gelatos (you'll have to scroll down the page a bit)

SCACD carries a wonderful variety of products for stampers and scrapbookers, but Susana also has many products perfect for those of you interested in mixed media and other artistic mediums. Make sure to grab a cup of coffee or tea and settle in to take a good look around the store to see what treasures will be on your wish list...or in your shopping cart.  :)  

Oh, and coming very soon to SCACD are the ShinHan Touch Twin Markers!! Stay tuned to the Store Blog to keep up to date with all the new arrivals at SCACD. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!!

Blessings, 

Melanie

Bear Hugs

Good morning friends! I am finally starting to notice some significant improvements in the injury from volleyball three weeks ago. For those of you who don't know, I sustained a tear to my left calf during a game. One week later, the pain and swelling were getting worse so I went up to emerg where they gave me something stronger for the pain (thank goodness!) and they also booked a venous doppler. Good news was that there were no blood clots, but the bad news was that I apparently had a Baker's cyst that ruptured which was contributing to the pain and swelling. Nice. I ended up on crutches for a several days to try to help me get around a bit. For two weeks, I could hardly walk...it was ridiculous. The swelling finally subsided about sixteen days after the initial injury and since then, I have continued to notice daily improvements. I am still walking with a bit of a limp and there is still some localized swelling around the calf muscle itself...but I no longer have a tree trunk for a lower leg! Lol...seriously, it was like one big cankle from the knee down to my toes. Oh, and the bruising?? It was NOT pretty. I still have several weeks to go for a full recovery. The back of my leg is really tight and uncomfortable still while walking, and periodically it spasms which is not much fun at all, but I am definitely on the mend! Not sure yet if I will make it back on the volleyball court this season, but I am keeping my fingers crossed! To be honest, it is the first time I've been kind of scared to set foot back on the court after an injury. This was a doozy, and I do NOT want it to happen ever again. I do have to say that I am incredibly grateful for a wonderful family who has taken such good care of me while I have been limited in my activity. My husband already does his fair share of the household duties, but during this time he has also picked up my slack without complaint. He and the kids have been so sweet and attentive, always asking if I need help with anything. My mom and my in laws have also been ready to lend a hand whenever needed. My best friend Amanda treated us to a lasagna for dinner one evening...so sweet of her. What a huge blessing my family and friends have been. I thank God for the amazing people he has put in my life. :)

Well, it's time for another weekly challenge at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp Blog! Our hostess this week is the lovely Pam Varnell who has created a fantastic sketch for us to play along with.

I inked up one of the stamps from the "Lulu and Friends" set that was released last weekend. Cheryl Alger has done such a fantastic job with this line of stamps. Lulu is absolutely adorable and so much fun to colour up. :)  This is probably my favourite image from this set. I paired her up with some papers from MME. The fun flower and flourish were created with some MFT dies. ( The flower die was a gift from a Krafty friends..a huge THANK YOU to Kerry Johnson for the flower die!! I love it!) I also used a Martha Stewart border punch, a bit of ribbon, a flat backed pearl to centre the flower and a Viva Decor Pearl Pen to create the tiny pearls. Oh, and the edges of the papers were all sponged with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

The image was stamped on Neenah cardstock and coloured with Copics. To create the furry texture on the bear, I laid down my ink layers in little "squiggles". I used my lightest colour (E50) to blend the layers by "pouncing" my marker over the ink. I didn't want to blend out the strokes, but I did want to soften them ever so slightly. I also totally picked the wrong blue combo for these papers. sigh. It's way too vibrant. I thought it looked ok until I saw the picture on my computer screen. And I probably should have made the bunny slippers creamy instead of white. Oh well, hindsight is always 20/20, right?? lol

Skin: E000, E00, E11, R02  Hair: E50, YR31,  E19, E35, E37, E59, E97, E99 PJ's: BG0000, BG000, B91, B97, C5, C7, YG91, BG93, BG96, G99 Slippers: C00, C1, C3, C5, B60  Bear: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59

Have you stopped by the KKS Blog to see what the other Krafty Girls have created this week? Make sure to take note of the stamp Pam used on her gorgeous card because that's the stamp one lucky participant will win this week! Just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your project to be eligible.

The February Gimmie Kimmie Kits are still available, but only for a limited time! Make sure to order yours before they disappear.

Oh, and don't forget to check out this week's Frugal Friday sale! This week's selected 40% off stamps will be on sale until Sunday night, so make sure to order quickly!

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

Blessings,

Melanie

Kraftin' Kimmie Release Day...."Tweets and Twitters"

Good morning and welcome to release day at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!! As always, we are celebrating release day with a fun blog hop. Available for purchase today are the In Stitches Set, the Lulu and Friends Set by Cheryl Alger, two Tweets and Twitters sets by Emilie Goulet and six new Superheroes by Annie Rodrigue!

The hop starts at the KKS Blog where you will find a complete list of links to all the blogs on today's hop. As you hop along,  make sure to leave comments at each blog as Kimmie will be drawing some lucky winners who will receive packages of some of the new stamps!

If you have been following along the hop, you should have arrived here after visiting with one of our very talented Krafty Artists, Emilie Goulet. :)

Speaking of Emilie and her artistic talents, I have used one of her brand new stamps from the Tweets and Twitters 2 set on my card today. Isn't this peacock gorgeous??? This set includes three bird stamps and six coordinating sentiments. I decided to stamp the image on kraft cardstock and coloured it with my Copics. The papers are Prima's Printery. I also added some pretty ribbon, centred the bow with a dollar store earring and a few rhinestones. All of the brown stitching on my card was created with the new In Stitches set! This is such a fantastic set to reach for to add that finishing touch to your projects. I love adding stitching to my cards and this offers a very nice alternative to pulling out a bulky machine. :) The set includes a zig zag stitch, a straight stitch and a cross stitch, and each comes in two sizes for a total of six stitches! It also includes four sewing themed sentiments.

Here's a shot of the inside where I used one of the sentiment included in the Tweets and Twitters 2 set. I also added more faux stitching with the In Stitches set.

When you are done hopping today, make sure to visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store as all the new February stamps are now available for purchase!! As always, Kimmie will have the Gimmie Kimmie Kits available for a limited time. These kits are grouped together by artist and are offered at a discount for those stampers who just have to have it all. ;)

It is now my pleasure to send you off to visit with the lovely and talented Kerry Johnson...I know she has something gorgeous to share with you! Oh, and don't forget to leave those comments for your chance to win some new February stamps!

Thanks for joining us, and I hope you have a wonderful day. :)

Blessings,

Melanie