Celebrate...Elephant Style!

We've got another challenge for you today at the Paper Romance Challenge Blog! Your hostess is the lovely Angela Wood, and she has challenged us to make Birthday themed projects this week!

Amy has so many great birthday stamps at Paper Romance...you're sure to find something to suit everybody's taste! I decided to pull out another cute High Hopes Stamp from the latest Dustin Pike release...this is "Ele-fun"!! My Copics of choice for colouring elephants lately are the warm grays. I also added some Smooch Illuminate and Stardust Stickles to the party hat, cupcake and parts of the design paper.

How would you like to win a great prize from Paper Romance this week? All you have to do is hop on over to the Paper Romance Challenge Blog and link up your birthday creation for the chance to win! You will also be able to see all the wonderful projects by the rest of Amy's very talented design team.

This is my last week as a guest designer for Paper Romance. I just wanted to say a big thank you to my good friend Amy for inviting me on board this month...I've had so much fun playing alongside the entire Paper Romance design team! (You can always find a link to Paper Romance in my side bar, along with a link to Amy's Challenge Blog.)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: High Hopes Stamps "Ele-fun"

Ink: Memento, Copic markers

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, birthday paper (unknown company...sorry)

Embellishments: Ribbon

Calling All Kraftin' Kimmie Fans!!!

Did you see the big news Kimmie posted the other day??? She's cooking up something exciting in the month of September that I'm sure you'll want to be a part of. Take a look:


First Annual Krafty Day with Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps!!

Saturday, September 25th, 2010 9am-5pm
in London, Ontario
at the FCCChurch 3725 Bostwick Road
Cost: $55

- join us for a whole day of Krafty fun!!
-each participant will receive an exclusive Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps Tote Bag filled with stampin’ goodies!
- a special edition Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamp to commemorate the occasion!
- a lovely catered lunch, snacks and refreshments!
- make and takes, demonstrations, etc.
- meet some of the Krafty Girls Design Team!!
- enjoy lots of kroppin’ and kraftin’ space!
- Door Prizes!!
- Scrappin’ Great Deals on site for all your Copic needs!
- And of course, lots of Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps on hand for all your stampin’ needs!

This will be a Krafty event that you won’t want to miss! It is being held at a gorgeous location that is easily accessible and near to hotels

Space is limited, so please contact Kimmie directly to reserve your spot (kraftinkimmiestamps@gmail.com)
OR tickets will soon be available at Scrappin’ Great Deals (519) 473-5751

So, what do you think?? Are you in? I sure am! The countdown is on...I am so excited to meet all the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps enthusiasts who are able to attend....not to mention hanging out with Kimmie and some of my fellow Krafty Girls! Make sure to register soon, as I'm sure spots will fill up fast.

Don't forget to check out our current "Mostly Monochromatic" challenge over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog...did you see the AMAZING cards by the Krafty Girls?? (Wow!) Remember, you've got two weeks to enter the challenge this time...plenty of time to ink up those KK stamps!


Blessings,


Melanie

An Enchanted Evening

Happy Saturday!! Did you all have fun during Kraftin' Kimmie's blog hop last week? I would just like to say THANK YOU for all your kind comments. My daughter Ainsleigh and I were so touched by all your sweet words about our cards. Ainsleigh wanted me to express her thanks as well...you all put a big smile on her face!

Did you order your July stamps yet? There are so many fantastic new images featuring Miles the mouse, his girlfriend Maisie and six new fairy tale characters from the Moonlight Whispers line! We cannot wait to start seeing your projects with this month's new stamps!

Are you ready for this week's Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge? Your lovely hostess this week is the amazing Michele Boyer...her challenge is "Mostly Monochromatic"! Michele has said that we're allowed to add a little bit of one extra colour in our projects...just as long as it's mostly one colour. This seems to be a pretty hot theme right now, and I have to admit that I love the effect!

For my monochromatic creation this week, I decided to pull out Cinderella and colour her as a black and white image. I was quite happy with the dress, but I kind of lost some of the highlights in her hair...guess I got a little heavy-handed. I decided to add a hint of blue with the matting and the flowers. The bow was tied with my Bow-Easy, and I added in some dollar store rhinestone swirls.





Normally when I colour an image, I start with my lightest shades. However, this time I started blocking in my deepest shadows with 100 and worked backwards. The Copic markers used on Cinderella were 100, C7, C5, C3 and C1. I did not use any blender on her dress, as I wanted to ensure that the blending was as seamless as possible. The only place I used the blender was on her skin. I added the shadows to her face with C1, and then used the tip-to-tip blending method with the colourless blender to fade it out towards the centre. I went back with the C1 to add a bit more depth in certain areas. When colouring something monochromatic, you want to make sure to maintain a high level of contrast...you still want to create that visual "pop". Without contrast, everything in your image will just kind of blend together.

Need a bit of inspiration? Hop on over the the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to see the GORGEOUS monochromatic creations by the rest of the Krafty Girls...be prepared to drool a little! lol If you participate this week, you could be the lucky winner of the stamp Michele used on her stunning card! To be eligible for the prize, you must use a Kraftin' Kimmie image...you can find them HERE at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online store. Oh, and a special note on this week's challenge...it will remain open for two weeks!! So, feel free to enter as many times as you like!

How would you like to double your chances of winning some Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps? Well then, head on over to Cute Card Thursday because Kraftin' Kimmie is their sponsor this week! It's a fantastic sketch challenge...actually I used the sketch on my Cinderella card today!

One last note...I decided to enter this card into the Colour Me Copic Challenge...they're asking for Black and White creations!

Have a wonderful Saturday friends, and thank you so much for stopping by today!

Blessings,

Melanie

ps...I'm cooking up a little something special for the month of August on my blog! I have a few reasons to celebrate...my birthday is in August, I'm close to 200 followers on my little blog (thank you to each and every one who takes the time to visit me!!) and I realized that I've been blogging for just over one year now. What a journey it has been! I have had the chance to work with some amazingly talented and sweet people over this past year, and have made several friends through the world of blogging. Hmmmm....not to give anything away, but perhaps a little candy may be in order?? Stay tuned!

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Cinderella"
Ink: Memento, Copics
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Karen Foster, Daisy Buckets
Embellishments:Ribbon, rhinestones, Spare Parts brads, Prima flowers

Stitching at Wags 'n Whiskers

Good morning stampers! It's my turn to play hostess for the challenge at Wags 'n Whiskers this week, and I'd like to see you add STITCHING to your project...something I LOVE to use on my cards! I always pull out my trusty sewing machine for this task, but you can feel free to add hand stitching or even faux stitching if you prefer!

For my card this week, I used "Buddy's Balloon". one of the adorable WnW stamps by artist Emma Metcalf. I've been working on a set of 5x5 cards with stamps from this line of stamps from Wags 'n Whiskers. I'm trying to keep the layouts fuss-free and use minimal embellishments to keep them "low profile", as I plan to create a hand-made gift package for them. (thinking ahead to Christmas gifts! lol) I'd also like them to be versatile enough for either boys or girls. I've pulled out some more October Afternoon paper for this card, and added zig-zag stitching to the different layers. The image was of course coloured with my Copic markers.





Copics used: E31, E33, E37, E47, E50, E59, 100, C7, C5, C3, C1, YR00, YR02, YR04, YR07, E08, B000, B00, B02, B05, B24, YG11, G14, G28

We'd love to have you join us for this challenge...remember that throughout the summer, the Wags 'n Whiskers challenges will be posted every two weeks, so you have lots of time to enter! Nikki and Lacey always have a fantastic prize up for grabs, but you must use a Wags 'n Whiskers stamp on your project to be elligable. (you can find both the rubber and digital WnW stamps HERE) Make sure to stop by the WnW blog for inspiration from all the very talented Divas, and then link up your project for the chance to win!

Have a wonderful day and I hope to see you all back tomorrow!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Wags 'n Whiskers "Buddy's Balloon"
Ink: Memento, Copic markers, Distress Ink in Bundled Sage
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, October Afternoon
Embellishments: Machine stitching

A Paper Romance Colour Challenge

Time for another Paper Romance Challenge! Your hostess is the Amazing Andrea, and she has a fantastic colour challenge for you: Chocolate, Teal and White! Hmmm...wonder if Andrea knows that she picked one my all time FAVOURITE colour combos?!!

This stamp is yet another new release from the High Hopes Melissa Jenkins line. It's called "Puppy Love Frame"...how cute is that little dog?? I just love the style of High Hope's newest artist! That little panel of teal design paper with the brown and green branches is the last scrap of some WRMK paper that I LOVE. I'm kicking myself for not picking up several sheets when I bought it. (I've since learned my lesson, and pick up at least two sheets when I see a paper I fall in love with.) It was just perfect for Andrea's colour challenge though, and I paired it up with some fun polka-dotted paper from October Afternoon.

We'd love to have you join us in Andrea's colour challenge this week! Amy always offers up a great prize from Paper Romance, so head on over to the Challenge Blog to see the projects that the very talented design team made! (they are STUNNING!!) Then, you can link up your project for the chance to win!

Did you know that Amy has all the newest High Hopes Stamps in stock at Paper Romance?? She also has many other stamps in stock including older High Hopes stamps, Popcorn the Bear, Cute Companions, Your Next Stamp and Bildmalarna. Grab yourself a tea or coffee and head on over to Paper Romance to do some crafty shopping!

Have a wonderful day, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamp: High Hopes "Puppy Love Frame"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, WRMK, October Afternoon

Ink: Memento, Copics

Embellishments: Crochet Trim

Tools: Martha Stewart border punch

'Tis the Season to Be Jolly...really???

(This is my second post today...please scroll back for the Kraftin' Kimmie July Release Blog Hop!!)

You know, in the midst of all this heat we've been getting here in Southwestern Ontario, I'd be thrilled to see a little of the white stuff! I am not a fan of this hot humid weather. If you are wishing for some relief from this hot weather, then our new challenge at Sundays With Crissy will have you thinking of winter in no time! Our very own and very talented Crissy's Crew member Sarah is asking us to help her celebrate"Christmas in July"! What a fantastic time to start on all those Christmas cards. You know that come November most of us are swamped with all the other preparations for Christmas, so why not join us this challenge and get ahead on your cards?

The sponsor for Sundays With Crissy this time around is Whimsy Stamps! If you would like the chance to win the fantastic prize Crissy is offering, then remember you must use one of her digital images in your project. Then just link it up on Sundays With Crissy. This is yet another extended challenge, so you will have lots of time to create something "Christmas-y".

We would also like to extend a warm welcome to a special guest joining us this month...Michele Spera! Make sure to stop by Michele's blog to have a look at her gorgeous work!

The image I used on my card is "Mudzie Plays Christmas Tree" available at Squigglefly Stamps. I printed him on Neenah cardstock and paired him up with some fun Christmas paper. Lots and lots of layers for matting on this card! (sentiment is from High Hopes Stamps)





I love sweet Mudzie...how cute is he all decorated up?? I added in some Glossy Accents on the candy canes and light bulbs. The star and bulbs were also coated with Stickles. Oh...and that fabulous garland Mudzie is modelling was jazzed up with some Martha Stewart Glitter.



Are you in need of a Crissy Armstrong digital stamp? You can find Crissy's images at Wags 'n Whiskers Stamps, Squigglefly Stamps and Whimsy Stamps. (Actually, Whimsy has just released some brand new Crissy Armstrong Digital Stamps which are PERFECT for our Christmas in July challenge!)

Have a blessed Sunday stampers, and we look forward to seeing your Christmas in July projects at Sundays With Crissy!

Melanie

Stamps: Crissy Armstrong's "Mudzie Plays Christmas Tree" from Squigglefly Stamps, sentiment High Hopes Stamps
Ink: Copic markers
Paper: Neenah, SU, Bazzill, DP is from a big stack I picked up last year
Embellishments: Stickles, MS Glitter, Glossy Accents, metal corners from the dollar store

It's Release Day at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!

(This is one of two posts today...please check in around 12:00 pm EST for a new Sundays With Crissy challenge!)

The wait is over...the July stamps are now available for purchase at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps! If you have been following Kimmie and the Krafty Girls over the last few days, you will have seen the sneak peeks for this month's fabulous stamps. Kimmie has packed a lot of fun into July's release...there are three new Miles the Mouse stamps by artist Steven Leary and six Fairy Tale characters by artist Annie Rodrigue! (and of course there are some great accessory stamps and sentiments to go along with the main images!) As always, we're having a BLOG HOP today to celebrate the release, and Kimmie has some amazingly talented guests joining in with the Krafty Girls this month!

First, let's cover the details. The hop begins over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge Blog (where you will find a list of all the blogs). You will want to make sure to visit every blog on the list and don't forget to leave comments along the way, as Kimmie will be drawing some winners from the hop participants. These lucky stampers will win packages of some of the new stamps. Here's the blog hop list again:

1. Challenge Blog

2. Donna

3. Diana

4. Krista

5. Melanie and Ainsleigh (you're here!)

6. Andrea and Kaitlyn

7. Michele

8. Steven Leary

9. Jeanne

10. Elaine

11. Annie

12. Vicki

13. Kellie Winnell

14. Kimmie

So, if you did not arrive here after visiting the lovely Krista, then you should head on over to the Challenge Blog to start the hop.

Today, I'll be showing you the adorable "Goldilocks" by artist Annie Rodrigue...take a look at those ringlets!! Oh my goodness, was her hair ever fun to colour! Goldilocks comes with a little teddy bear accessory stamp, the sentiment you see on my card "You're Just Right!" and an extra sentiment "Bear Hugs". I decided to go with a fairly simply layout so that nothing took away from those gorgeous gold locks! They certainly deserve to take centre stage, don't you think? Annie did such a fantastic job bringing this curious little fairy tale girl to life.

My ever-so-talented daughter, and Junior Krafty Girl, Ainsleigh also has a card to share with you today! She chose to work with "Little Red", a stamp based on Annie Rodrigue's orginal artwork. Ainsleigh coloured the image with Copic markers, and used this pretty paper (I think it's from Daisy Buckets) on her card. Ainsleigh adhered some dollar store metal flowers to some Primas, and glitter everything up with Stickles!

Didn't she do a fantastic job??

Your next stop is the Amazing Andrea and her lovely daughter Kaitlyn...let me tell you that they have something FABULOUS to share!

After completing the hop, head on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Online Store to order these gorgeous new stamps. If you place an order this week, you will have the chance to win a 5x7 print of Annie Rodrigue's "Little Red"!

Happy hopping friends!

Blessings,

Melanie

Supplies:

Melanie's Card

Stamp: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Goldilocks" with matching sentiment

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, KaiserCraft

Embellishments: Machine stitching, dollar store pearls

Tools: Spellbinders

Ainsleigh's Card

Stamp: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Little Red"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Daisy Buckets

Embellishments: Various flowers and Stickles

Beautiful Bows...and another Kraftin' Kimmie July Preview!!

Gotta love Saturdays...we've got double the fun over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog today. Not only is it time for a brand new challenge, but the Krafty Girls have all used stamps from the July Release! There's only one more sleep until you can get your inky paws on these fabulous stamps...tomorrow is our July Release Day Blog Hop!

Before I show you my challenge card for today, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation to all of you!! It means so much to me that you take the time out of your busy lives to stop by my little blog. Your sweet comments just make my day...THANK YOU so very much!

Your lovely hostess this week is the incredibly talented Krista...her challenge is "Beautiful Bows". This a great chance to use up some of the abundance of ribbon we all have in our craft stash.

For my card today, I'm bringing you a sneak peak at another beautiful fairy tale princess by artist Annie Rodrigue...introducing "Rapunzel"! Just look at those tresses. Gorgeous! I paired Rapunzel up with some pretty paper from both DCWV's "Once Upon a Time" and My Mind's Eye (sorry...this was from my stash, so I'm not sure of the collection name). I made a medallion with various Spellbinders (Fleur De Lis, Ovals and Scalloped Ovals) and then popped Rapunzel up on foam squares. The bow was tied with the assistance of my Bow-Easy...a tool no cardmaker should be without!

Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: E50, E31, E33, E35, E37, E59 Clothes: RV000, RV95, V91, V95, C7 Crown: E50, Y11, Y21, Y17

Hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to see the STUNNING projects made by the Krafty Girls this week. Then break out your ribbon and get tying some bows to enter in the challenge this week. If you use a Kraftin' Kimmie stamp, you will have the chance to win Snow White, the stamp Krista used on her beautiful card this week.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the July Release Blog Hop! All the fantastic stamps you've been seeing during the previews will be available for purchase tomorrow...oh, and I'm pretty sure Kimmie will have some prizes up for grabs too!

See you tomorrow friends, and thanks for stopping by today!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Rapunzel" with accessory stamp and sentiment

Ink:Memento, Copic markers, Distress Ink

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, My Mind's Eye, DCWV

Embellishments: Dollar store metal corners and pearls, Prima hydrangeas, jewelry spacers, ribbon, Sakura glitter pen

Tools: Spellbinders, Bow-Easy

Kraftin' Kimmie June Previews Round 2!

(This is post #2 today on my blog...please scroll down to see my post for The Town Scrapper!)

Happy Friday!! Are you ready to see more previews for the Kraftin' Kimmie June Release?? If you missed out yesterday, just hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog where you will find links to of all the Krafty Girls participating in the previews each day. Kimmie is bringing you another jam packed release full of mice and fairy tale characters. Sunday is the official release day, and you should really mark your calendars as Kimmie is planning a big BLOG HOP to celebrate!

I've got another fairy tale princess to share with you today...introducing the "Swan Princess". Isn't she gorgeous?? The design paper is all from Crate Paper. The sentiment comes with the Swan Princess stamp and was mounted on a Spellbinders Fancy Tag. (She also comes with a small swan as an accessory stamp.) I just love the flowing lines of this image...artist Annie Rodrigue really created some great movement in her hair and dress. Oh...and those beautifully detailed wings!! I used a little Smooch Illuminate and Stardust Stickles to highlight her wings and part of her dress. Her lovely little tiara was also given a coat of Smooch Illuminate.

Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Clothes: BG10, BG72, BG75, RV000, B000 Wings: BG10, BG01, B000, RV000 Crown: Y11, Y21, Y17, YR31

Have you visited the rest of the Krafty Girls today?? You're in for quite a treat as they have once again outdone themselves with the previews today...what a talented bunch of ladies! Hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog for links to their sneak peeks.

See you back tomorrow for our weekly challenge and another day of previews!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Swan Princess" and accessory sentiment

Ink: Memento, Copics

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Crate Paper

Embellishments: Ribbon, pearls, Stardust Stickles, Smooch Illuminate

Tools: Spellbinders

"Anything Goes" at The Town Scrapper

(This is one of two posts today...I'll have another sneak peek later this morning for the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps June Release, so I hope you check back in with me later...say around 7:00 am EST!!)

Yay...it's Friday! Now, you might be thinking that it's about time for another new challenge over at the The Town Scrapper...but you'd be wrong!! lol Actually, Phebe is sending the Scrapettes on a summer hiatus...THANKS PHEBE! So, as a summer send-off many of the Scrapettes created a final project featuring various stamp and product lines available at The Town Scrapper. Don't despair though...we still have a fantastic PRIZE up for grabs this week...and you don't even have to do any work for the chance to win! Well, ok maybe a little bit of work, lol. All you need to do is create a post on your personal blog advertising The Town Scrapper and link it back to The Town Scrapper Blog...yes it's that easy!

I pulled out one of The Town Scrapper's exclusive Victoria Case stamps "Rock Star Zeke". I had this fantastic paper from Imaginesce that I picked up at The Town Scrapper...what a perfect match for this rockin' guy. Oh, and that little guitar charm? Phebe carries those too, along with a great selection of other charms.

Hop on over the The Town Scrapper Blog to see what the rest of the Scrapettes have made this week! You can read all the details of our candy this week and how to win it! Remember to include a link back to The Town Scrapper Blog on your post.

Even though Phebe has given her DT some time off, her store will still be OPEN for business! You can contact her via telephone at 519-882-0623 or by email at info@townscrapper.com to either arrange a visit to The Town Scrapper or to place an order. The Scrapettes will be back in full swing with brand new challenges in September!

Blessings...and good luck winning the candy!

Melanie

Stamps: "Rock Star Zeke" exclusive to The Town Scrapper

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Imaginesce

Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Ink (Stormy Sky)

Embellishments: Guitar charm available from The Town Scrapper, ribbon

Ready for some Kraftin' Kimmie Previews??

(This is my second post today...just scroll back to see the weekly Paper Romance Challenge!)

It's that time again stampers...it's RELEASE WEEK at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!! The previews begin today and will continue through to Sunday when we will have a fantastic BLOG HOP to celebrate the official release day. As always, you will find a list of the Krafty Girls participating in the daily sneak peeks over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog.

So, what does Kimmie have in store for you this month?? How about some new stamps featuring Miles the Mouse? Oh, and for all the Moonlight Whispers fans out there, Kimmie is bringing you stamps featuring some of your favourite Fairy Tale characters!! We've had so much fun playing with these images, and I know the Krafty Girls are just thrilled to finally share them with you.

For today's preview, I chose to work with the lovely "Snow White". I decided to use the typical "Disney" colours of blue, yellow and red for Snow White's attire, but I went with less intense hues...a little more on the "vintage" side. I also wanted to incorporate the concept of the evil queen's magic mirror which always shows who is"the fairest one of all", so I used my Spellbinders Labels 10 and Ovals to make a mirror frame from gold metallic cardstock. I also used the Oval Spellbinders to cut a window in the front of the card to frame Snow White, who is adhered to the interior of the card. The paper is from DCWV "Once Upon a Time" (quite fitting I think!). The pearls and metal corner embellishments are from the dollar store, and I used various Distress Inks to antique the papers.

Snow White was stamped on Neenah cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured with my Copics. She also comes with an apple as an accessory stamp, and the sentiment "You are the apple of my eye".


Copic colours used:

Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20 Hair: 100, C7, C5, C3, B60 Clothes: B93, B95, B97, B39, R22, R46, R59, Y11, Y17, Y21, YR23, YR31, E35, E50

Ok, off you go to visit the other Krafty Girls for more sneak peeks! Remember, we'll have previews over the next couple of days...including during our weekly challenge on Saturday. Sunday is the official release day when the stamps will be available for purchase...oh, and did I mention the BLOG HOP!!

Have fun stampers!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Snow White"

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, DCWV

Ink: Memento, Copic markers, Distress Ink

Embellishments: Dollar store metal embellishments, pearls

Tools: Spellbinders Labels 10 and Ovals

Stitching it up at Paper Romance

(This is one of two posts....the Kraftin' Kimmie June Previews start today! Check back for that post at 7:00 am EST!)

Time for another challenge over at Paper Romance, and this week your hostess is the lovely Cindy Haffner. She would like to see some STITCHING on your project. I have to admit that I was thrilled when I saw this challenge as I LOVE to use stitching on my cards. Your stitching can be done by hand or by machine...or it could even be faux stitching!

I pulled out another High Hopes stamp for this week's challenge. This is "Hangin' Around", one of the newest Dustin Pike images. Now, the actual image is not exactly as it appears on my card. I altered it slightly. This little frog makes me smile...I love how he's just hanging out on the bull reed. He strikes me a chap with personality plus, who is perhaps inclined to do things a little differently from the other frogs. We all know somebody like that, right? Who likes to march to the beat of his/her own drum? lol I decided that he should be celebrating his birthday, and enjoying every minute of it! So, I pulled out one of the High Hopes accessory stamps "Party Hat Two" and plunked it on Mr. Froggy's head...voila! He's all ready to PARTY! I did cut the trim off the party hat so that it fit his head a little better, although, it's still a bit too big...but I think it adds charm! I also drew in the bank with grass, extra reeds and a rock. The sentiment is my own, printed on the computer. It reads: "It's your birthday. Go ahead...get a little crazy!"

We'd love to have you join us for this week's Paper Romance Challenge! Amy always offers up a fantastic prize from her online store to one randomly selected participant. Hop on over to the Paper Romance Challenge Blog for some inspiration from Amy's very talented DT. You can link up your project there...we can't wait to see what you stitch up!

Amy has a TON of great stamps in stock including all the new High Hopes release by artists Dustin Pike and Melissa Jenkins. Amy will also do custom High Hopes order, so don't despair if she does not have the exact stamp you are looking for...she can always order it in for you! Paper Romance is your one-stop shop with several popular stamp lines, inks, paper, envelopes, adhesives, embellishments...so many fantastic products!

Hope you have a wonderful Thursday!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: High Hopes "Hangin' Around", sentiment by Melanie :)

Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Ink Bundled Sage, Copic multiliner

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Fancy Pants, October Afternoon

A Card With "Punch" (and a DT CALL!!!)

Good morning, and happy Friday to you stampers!! Today marks another Digital Release at Wags 'n Whiskers!! That's right, your favourite images from both the "Sports" and "Fun in the Sun" releases are now available as digital stamps! To add to the excitement, we also have a brand new challenge for you today and your lovely hostess is the amazingly talented Karen...honestly, she works magic with her Tombow markers! Karen's challenge is called "Punch It'...so break out all those punches and get crafty with us this week!

I used the digital version of "Tiny Dancer" for my card this week. As always, I stamped on Neenah cardstock and coloured with my Copic markers. I have to confess...I only own three Martha Stewart border punches. GASP! I know...crazy, huh? Honestly, there are a ton that I would love to have, but punches are on the pricey side, so I try to make sure it's a punch that will be quite versatile before I invest. I have two or three that are on my wish list...and I just so happen to have a birthday coming up fairly soon! :) I also pulled out some rhinestones, Prima flowers and Stickles as finishing touches. The sentiment is from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps.

We'd love for you to participate in our challenge! Nikki and Lacey have slowed things down a bit at the Wags 'n Whiskers blog over the summer...we'll be posting a new challenge every other week, which means you have TONS of time to complete a project. As always, there will be a fantastic prize up for grabs however, you MUST use a WnW image if you want to be eligible to win. You can purchase either the rubber or digital stamps HERE.

So hop on over to the Wags 'n Whiskers Blog to see what the rest of the Divas have made this week...then link up your project for the chance to win!

Oh, and while you are there make sure to check out THIS post, because Nikki and Lacey are holding a Wags 'n Whiskers DT CALL! They are looking for two permanent DT members, as well as guests designers (these will be two-month terms). You will find all the details and instructions for submission on that post.

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Wags 'n Whiskers "Tiny Dancer" Digital stamp, sentiment from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps (comes with "Dance Recital")

Ink: Copic markers
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, KaiserCraft

Embellishments: Prima flowers, Stickles, rhinestones

Tools: MS punch

Paper Romance

Today I get to share some happy news with you! My good friend Amy, owner of Paper Romance online store (and who was the very first follower on my blog!!), has asked me to be a guest designer for the month of July!! (I've had a link to Amy's store for quite some time in my sidebar) Amy is a busy gal...not only does she carry a great variety of rubber stamping supplies, but she also has a wedding stationary business. She has assembled a very talented group of stampers on her design team, and I feel so very blessed to be working alongside these lovely ladies.

Amy has also started a weekly challenge blog which can be found HERE. Each week, one of her talented design team members will set a new challenge...if you participate, you will have the chance to win a great Paper Romance prize! This week your hostess is another stamping pal of mine, the fantabulous Andrea!! Her challenge this week is "Let's Get Your Glitter On!"

For my very first Paper Romance project, I used a gorgeous stamp from High Hopes. This is Fancy Flower Pony...one of the recently released images by High Hope's newest artist Melissa Jenkins! I just love High Hopes stamps...I had the privilege of being a guest designer for them earlier this year. I fell in love with this stamp as soon as I saw it, and told Amy that I NEEDED it.

I stamped the image on Neenah cardstock and coloured with my Copic markers. I paired her up with some pretty vintage paper from KaiserCraft, and just a touch of glitter paper from My Mind's Eye. I coloured the pony in warm greys and browns to keep with the vintage feel of the papers. The Distress Inks came out once again to age the paper panels, and I used little touches of Stardust Stickles in keeping with Andrea's glitter challenge. Those gorgeous flowers are Prima hydrangeas with jewelry spacers as centres...jazzed up with some more Stickles.

Will you join us this week at the Paper Romance Challenge Blog?? I'm pretty sure we all have glitter in one form or another in our stash of stamping goodies.

Click HERE to go shopping at Paper Romance. If you liked the image I used on my card today, you can pick it up at Amy's store...she has the entire High Hopes new release in stock!

Thanks for having me on board this month Amy!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: High Hopes Fancy Flower Pony

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, KaiserCraft, MME

Ink: Copic markers, Memento, Distress Inks

Embellisments: Ribbon, Prima flowers, Stickles, jewelry spacers

Jack and Ginger

Happy Monday!! I know we're not usually excited when another work week kicks off, but the Scrapettes are always ready to help bring you some sunshine with The Town Scrapper Showcase Monday! This is the day that you can look forward to seeing some of the fantastic product lines that Phebe carries out at The Town Scrapper.

Phebe has so many beautiful stamps in stock right now, and I am THRILLED this week to be working with a Mo Manning stamp called "Jack and Ginger" from Stampavie! This particular image is a favourite of mine...although, it's kind of hard to narrow down a favourite when it comes to Mo Manning...her artwork is INCREDIBLE! Her images never cease to bring a smile to my face...whether it's because of a chuckle or because it just warms my heart. "Jack and Ginger" fall into the latter category...I think this image is just beautiful. To be together for so many years and have shared memories, joys, heartaches, victories and struggles...yet still be so in love that you can take a stroll hand-in-hand. Sigh. Love this stamp!

"Jack and Ginger" were stamped on Neenah and coloured with my Copics. I used my Spellbinders Labels 8 and the "out of the box" technique to cut them out. I matted this layer with two Spellbinders Fleur De Lis pendants. (design paper is from both Pink Paislee and TPC...both are lines Phebe carries!) I sponged all paper layers with various Distress Inks to add to the vintage feel of this card. (Oh...you should see the display of Distress Inks Phebe currently has at the store...I think I'd like one of each please! lol Well, eventually anyways...a girl has to stick to her budget you know!)



I just love all the details Mo puts into her artwork...right down to the bit of slip peeking from under Ginger's skirt!

Are you also on a stamping budget?? Good news...Phebe is always running fantastic sales at The Town Scrapper! Her current sales are always listed in my sidebar, right under The Town Scrapper picture (which will also link you up to her blog).

You can contact Phebe at The Town Scrapper by telephone at 519-882-0623 or by email at info@townscrapper.com . (Phebe also has a great selection of Spellbinders...if she doesn't have the one you're looking for currently in stock, chances are she can order it in for you!)

Ok friends, I'm sending you off to The Town Scrapper Blog to see what some of the other lovely Scrapettes have made for your viewing pleasure this week! You can click on the links to go the Scrapette's personal blogs for more information on the products and techniques used on their cards.

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Mo Manning's "Jack and Ginger" by Stampavie

Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Inks

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, TPC, Pink Paislee

Embellishments: Dollar store crocheted trim, pearls and metal embellishment, Daisy Buckets ribbon

Tools: Spellbinders,Scorpal

Do Mice Scuba Dive??

Good morning, and welcome to another weekend! We've got a new challenge for you today at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. The fabulous Donna has created a great sketch for us to play along with this week...gotta love sketch challenges!! I decided to pull out cutie patootie "Tubing Miles" for my card this week. This little mouse just makes me smile with his "floatie" and scuba mask.

Here's Donna's great sketch:

So, are you game?? If you participate in our challenge, you will have the chance to win "Mae", the stamp Donna used on her gorgeous card this week....but ONLY if you use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your project. (go shopping HERE!)

Have a fantastic Saturday friends!

Blessings,

Melanie

(psst...If you missed out on the Summer Mermaid Stamp Kit, don't despair! Kimmie is releasing them as individual stamps, so you can now pick up your favourites!)

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Tubing Miles"

Ink: Memento, Copic markers

Paper: Neenah, Fancy Pants, Bazzill

Tent Cards at The Town Scrapper!

This week, the lovely Maria has challenged us to make a Tent Card at The Town Scrapper. Hmmm...tent card?? And you make one how?? Lol...I honestly didn't know what a tent card was! Lucky for me, Maria did an amazing tutorial this week on how to make one of these fun cards...you can see that post HERE.

I pulled out "Lela" one of The Town Scrapper's exclusive Victoria Case collection. I used some pretty Pink Paislee paper, which is also available at The Town Scrapper...Phebe has some gorgeous new paper packs in stock! I used my oval Spellbinders to cut out the window, and paired it with Spellbinders Labels 8 to make the frame. After stamping and colouring Lela, I pierced holes in the image and in the top of the card to allow for the insertion of some jump rings. The flowers are from Prima...gosh I love these flowers! I couldn't resist adding a few rhinestone swirls, just to jazz it up a bit.




I hope you play along with us this week! You could be the lucky winner of a fantastic prize from The Town Scrapper! Hop on over to The Town Scrapper blog to see what the rest of the Scrapettes have made!

You can also check out Phebe's current sales on my side-bar. Contact her by phone at 519-882-0623 or by email at info@townscrapper.com to place an order, or to arrange a visit out to The Town Scrapper in Petrolia, Ontario.

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: "Lela" exclusive Victoria Case image for The Town Scrapper

Ink: Memento, Copic markers

Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Pink Paislee

Tools: Spellbinders

Embellishments: Prima flowers, crocheted trim, rhinestone swirls, mini brads, jump rings, ribbon