Saturday, October 29, 2011

Batty and Catty in Black and White

Good morning and a very happy Saturday to everybody! Our Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge this week is brought to us by our lovely hostess, the lovely and talented Donna Wardle. She wants to see "Monochromatic" projects this week!

I still had a couple of stamps from this year's Halloween release that hadn't seen ink yet, and since the big day is on Monday I thought I'd best put them to use! The image on the front of my card is "Batty and Catty " by Annie Rodrigue.  I chose to go with a black and white monochromatic scheme to coordinate with these great papers from the Echo Park Apothecary Emporium collection. I kept the layout really simple and inked the paper edges with Black Soot Distress Ink. The "Happy Halloween" sentiment is from the "Halloween Sentiments" set, a fantastic collection of sentiments just perfect for finishing off all your spooky projects.


Batty and Catty were stamped on Neenah with Memento Ink and coloured with Copics. Can you spot the glaring error??!! I had these papers in mind when I started colouring the image, so I knew I wanted to go with a black and white monochromatic scheme. I reached for my C's and started merrily colouring up Batty and her feline friend. After colouring, I cut my images out and placed them on the design paper. That is when I realized that the greys in the papers had much more of a warm undertone than I remembered. Sigh. Why I continue to rely on this memory of mine is beyond me...it seems to fail me frequently these days! lol  I should have pulled the paper out first and then I would have known to use my W's instead. So in an attempt to try to make the image coordinate better with the paper,  I pulled out my W00 and went over Batty's face and some of the highlights to try to warm the tones up a bit. Well, it was marginally better, but not quite what I'd call "successful". I stuck her on anyways to serve as a reminder that I really should pull my papers out BEFORE colouring! lol


Copics: C00, C1, C3, C5, C7, 100, BV31, BV23, W00

I also included an uncoloured (gasp!! lol) stamped image on the inside of my card. This is "Kreepy Kitty" by Emilie Goulet. That great sentiment come with Kreepy Kitty...I thought it kind of tied in with "Catty" on the front of the card.



If you play along with our challenge this week, you could be the lucky winner of the stamp seen on Donna's beautiful card. Just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp to be eligible for the prize. In need of some inspiration? Make sure to hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to check out the gorgeous monochromatic creations by the very talented Krafty Girls!

***KRAFTIN' KIMMIE NEWS FLASHES***

  • Krafty Girl Guest Designer Contest: This closes on October 31, 2011, so if you haven't submitted yet then you'd best get crackin'!! For full details, you can read THIS POST.
  • October 2011 Release: The newest stamps were all availabe for purchase as of last week! You can get them at the KKS Online Store. For those of you who "want it all", you can still scoop up your Gimmie Kimmie Kits, but only for a limited time!
  • Retirement Sale on Select Stamps: Kimmie is retiring some of the "oldies but goodies" to make room for upcoming releases. These retiring stamps are on sale for amazing prices right now, so make sure to take a look in the "Deals Deals Deals" section of the store to scoop up these wonderful stamps before they're gone. (some have already sold out!!)
  • Frugal Friday Specials are up until Sunday night...this week some of the sentiment sets are on sale!! (sale stamps are on for 40-50% off!)
Thanks so much for your visit today. :)

Have a wonderful weekend my friends, and safe Trick or Treating for those of you going out Monday evening.

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: KKS "Batty and Catty", "Kreepy Kitty" (and coordinating sentiment), "Halloween Sentiments"
Ink: Memento, Copics
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Echo Park
Embellishments: machine stitching

Friday, October 28, 2011

It's Release Day at SCACD!!!

Hi folks! Welcome to today's blog hop celebrating the release of some fantastic new exclusive stamps by Victoria Case for SCACD. Susana is releasing two great sets, "Street Views" and the "Classic Retro Divas". They can be found exclusively at SCACD and at Quixotic Paperie.

You can find a complete list for the blog hop over at the SCACD Store Blog.
If you've been following along in order, you should have arrived here after vising with Lorraine...I know she had something gorgeous to share with you!

This spellbinding diva is "Witchy Woman"...isn't she fantastic? Most of the paper on my card is from the Apothecary Emporium collection from Echo Park. However, the black rectangular centre panel is from the Nightfall Collection by Memory Box. (Did you know Susana has all her Halloween and Fall papers on sale right now?? This is a great time to stock up for next year!! FYI, when I did up this post there was only 1 of the Nightfall pads left, so if you want it go claim it quick!! You'll find all the Halloween and Fall paper HERE.) I cut my image out with my oval Spellbinders and used my Elegant Scrollwork Memory Box Die to create the little flourishes. (I just snipped the pieces apart to arrange them around the image.) The paper edges were all distressed with my scissor edges and sponged with black ink.


Witchy Woman was stamped on Neenah cardtock with Memento Ink and coloured with Copics. I used some of the black Nightfall paper to paper-piece part of her dress. The background was sponged with with Antique Linen and Black Soot Distress Inks.


(not sure what happened with her cheeks in the picture...they don't look that blotchy in real life...promise!! lol sometimes my lighting does funky things to my images...just wondering, does anybody else ever have that problem??)

Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20, BV31, BV23  Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59  Dress (orange parts): YR16, YR07, E08, E13, E17, E18  Cat: W00, W1, W3, W5, W7

The "Classic Retro Divas" and "Street Views" by Victoria Case are available exclusively at SCACD and at Quixotic Paperie for those in the UK. You have the option to buy them individually or as sets. (the sets are available at a discounted price and will also include a bonus accessory stamp!)

Time for me to send you off to visit with the next talented designer on today's hop! I know you will love what Lori has to share with you. Her work is always beautiful. :)

Happy hopping and happy shopping friends!!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: "Witchy Woman" from SCACD
Paper: Echo Park, Memory Box, Bazzill, Neenah
Ink: Memento, Distress Inks, Copics
Embellishments: machine stitching, Stardust Stickles
Tools: Spellbinders, Memory Box Die

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

"Couture Avenue"...an SCACD Sneak Peek!!

We're gearing up for a release this Friday at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design!! (This release will also be available at Quixotic Paperie for those of you living in the UK.) There will be two new stamp collections by artist Victoria Case for SCACD..."Street Views" and "Classic Retro Divas". There are a total of four great stamps in each collection. The stamps will be available for individual purchase or as complete sets. If bought as sets, you will get to take advantage of a discounted price and will also receive a bonus accessory stamp.

Now, we didn't want to keep you in complete suspense until Friday so we thought it would be fun to share a few sneak peeks featuring the "Street Views". :)  Danni shared a fantastic sneak peek yesterday, I'm up for today and tomorrow will be Kim's turn! The best way to keep up to date with all the happenings at SCACD is of course to become a follower over at the SCACD Store Blog (Follow Your Heart). You will most definitely want to pay a visit to the Store Blog as there is some Sneak Peek Blog Candy being offered this week...but more on that later. ;) For now, let's take a peek at one of the new release stamps!  

This is "Couture Avenue", one of the new stamps from the soon-to-be released "Street Views".  I thought that this stamp featuring some fun stores would be perfect for housing a gift card to send a friend on a little shopping spree. I used a Kraft card base and some pretty papers from the MME "Blink of an Eye" 6x6 pad. The image was cut and matted with Spellbinders Labels 8. I sponged the edges with some brown ink, added machine stitching and some pearls for finishing touches.  The image was stamped on Neenah with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and coloured with Copic markers. (I have to apologize for not having a colour list for you today.) The sky was sponged in with blue ink and a hand-cut cloud template.


I had intended to cover the glass window with some Glossy Accents, but didn't remember until I went to snap the photo. My shadows could have been developed a bit more as well. There are a few placed that I actually shifted the location light source a bit...apparently I must have had a short attention span while colouring that evening. lol Let's call it "artistic license". ;)

Here's a shot of the inside of my card. I included a pocket to hold a gift card. Oh, and here's another example of my "short attention span".  My computer generated sentiment is not centred at all!! lol All papers are from MME "Blink of an Eye".


***Sneak Peek Blog Candy***

Make sure to visit the SCACD Store Blog and read THIS post for details on the blog candy Susana is offering during the sneak peeks!! You can also check out Danni's sneak peek from yesterday and then Kim's preview tomorrow.

Mark your calenders for our Release Day Blog Hop this Friday!! Remember, we are only showing previews of three of the new stamps by Victoria Case for SCACD...there is still one "Street View" stamp and all four of the "Classic Retro Crew" stamps that will be staying under lock and key until this Friday. :)

Thank you so much for stopping by today. Your visit is much appreciated!!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: SCACD's "Couture Ave"
Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Ink
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, MME
Embellishments: Machine stitching and pearls
Tools: Spellbinders Labels 8

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Retail Therapy (Kraftin' Kimmie Release Day Blog Hop!)

Hi folks! It's release day at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!! October brings us yet another fantastic selection of stamps from our three Krafty Artists; Cheryl Alger, Emilie Goulet and Annie Rodrigue! The stamps that you've seen over the last few days (and perhaps a few that you haven't!) are now available to purchase! To celebrate, we are of course having a fun release day blog hop. :)

The hop begins over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog where you will also find a complete list of all the participants 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! So if you've been tracking along, you should have arrived here after visiting with the lovely Diana.

For my card today, I inked up one of the gorgeous October girls by artist Annie Rodrigue. This is "Sarah Shopper"...isn't she fun! Now I have to confess, I'm actually not much of a shopper...unless it's for stamping or art supplies, lol. I'm not one to go on those marathon shopping weekends. I'm usually "done" after the first couple of hours. But with the holidays just around the corner, I'm sure we'll all be out in the malls trying to get our shopping done. I also have to admit that I never look this snazzy when I'm out shopping! I love Sarah's cute outfit. :)  I used some great papers from My Mind's Eye "Everyday Flair". Her shopping bags and boxes were all paper-pieced with various sheets of the MME paper. Oh, and that wonderful Elegant Scrollwork Memory Box die seemed to find it's way into my hands again. I can't help myself. I love it. :)


Sarah Shopper was stamped on Neenah in Memento Ink and coloured with Copics. I also shaded the paper-pieced bags and boxes to help them blend in with the rest of the image. Otherwise, these bags may have appeared quite flat in comparison to the rest of the image. I cut Sarah out with my oval Spellbinders and sponged around her with Antique Linen and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.


Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20  Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59  Jacket: R22, R24, R46, R59, C5  Skirt: W00, W1, W3, W5, W7  (I also used a variety of markers to add shading to the paper-pieced shopping bags)

On the inside of my card, I used this great sentiment that comes with Sarah Shopper:


After you are done hopping, make sure to head on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store where all the new October stamps are available for purchase. You will of course have the option to order your stamps individually or as complete sets with the Gimmie Kimmie Kits. These kits are divided by artist, and are offered at a great discount. However, they will only be available for a limited time so order yours quickly before they are gone!

It is now my pleasure to send you off to visit with the very talented artist of Kimmie's Moonlight Whispers stamp line, Annie Rodrigue!

Thank you so much for joining us for today's release day blog hop. Happy hopping, happy shopping and don't forget to leave comments for your chance to win some of these great new stamps!! :)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: KKS "Sarah Shopper" and coordinating sentiment
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, MME "Everyday Flair" 
Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Inks, Versafine
Embellishments: machine stitching, crocheted trim
Tools: Memory Box die

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Sophia (Day Three of the Kraftin' Kimmie October Sneak Peeks)

Good morning and happy Saturday to everybody!! We have a fantastic new Sketch Challenge over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog courtesy of Krafty Girl Pam Varnell this week! We also have another round of sneak peeks today featuring the newest Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps by Annie Rodrigue!!

I've inked up the very chic and svelte "Sophia" by Annie Rodrigue. I love her. :)  She's so glamorous in her little cocktail dress. I also love her hair. I often wish I could pull off a sassy little bob like this, but I look TERRIBLE with short hair. (yes I tried it once, and no I don't want to talk about it, lol! suffice to say, it was awful! ) I just had to give her the "little black dress" that is apparently supposed to be a staple in every women's wardrobe. Not mine though, lol. I'm much more comfortable in a pair of pants. However, if I had a cute little figure like Sophia I might be a little more inclined to wear something like this! It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but I covered her dress and shoes with a very thin coat of Stardust Stickles. (It really is quite glittery in real life!) I should also let you know that I enlarged her pupils a bit with my Copic Multiliner and added in those green irises with my markers.  The paper is all from the Echo Park "Season's Greetings" collection. The circular element was cut with my Spelbinders Lacey Circles and I embellished it with some flat backed rhinestones from Walmart.


Here's a closer look at Sophia. I used Christmas papers to make a holiday card, but she could easily be used throughout the year for many different occasions. Sophia also comes with the two coordinating sentiments "I'll Drink To That!" and "Cheers To You!".


Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20  Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59  Dress: C7, C5, C3  Drape and shoes: R22, R27, R46, R59

Oh, and here's a look at Pam's fantastic Sketch:


If you play along with the Sketch Challenge this week, you could be the lucky winner of "Julie", the brand new stamp Pam used on her gorgeous card. Just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp to be eligible for the prize.

***SNEAK PEEK BLOG CANDY***

Have you visited the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog today?? Please hop on over there to see the beautiful challenge/sneak peek projects by my fellow Krafty Girls and our lovely Krafty Guests. Make sure to visit all their personal blogs today and leave comments along the way as Kimmie will be drawing two winners whose names will be announced tomorrow morning at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog! (each winner will recieve three of Annie's new October stamps!)

Thanks so much for your visit today! I hope to see you tomorrow for our release day blog hop. :)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: KKS "Sophia"
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill
Ink: Memento, Copics
Embellishments: Rhinestones, Stickles
Tools: Spellbinders

Friday, October 21, 2011

Chillin' With My Friends...Day Two of the October Kraftin' Kimmie Sneak Peeks!!

Good morning everybody! Welcome to another round of sneak peeks for the upcoming Kraftin' Kimmie release this Sunday. Today the Krafty Girls are sharing projects featuring the October stamps by Krafty Artist Emilie Goulet!

For my card today, I inked up the adorable "Chillin' With My Friends". I mentioned  yesterday that I love snowmen, so I've just been tickled pink to have the opportunity to ink up another snowy gent! I used some fun papers from My Mind's Eye 12 Days of Christmas. And yes, I gave in to my latest obsession again by using that fantastic MFT Fancy Flourish Die. :)  I also tucked in a Stickle-coated punched snowflake and added a pearl coloured with my R59 Copic marker.


I love how the little birds have perched themselves all over this friendly snowman...and how much fun is that long scarf?! After colouring him with Copic markers, I highlighted areas of the snow with a thin coat of Stardust Stickles. The image was cut out  and matted with my circle Spellbinders.


Snow: BG70, B60, B91, C00, blender Scarf and Hat: B32, B34, B37, R22, R27, R46, R59, G05, G07, G28, C5, C7  Buttons: YG00, YG03, YG63, G99  Branches: E50, E25, E97, E99  Carrot: YR04, YR07, YR16, E08

Several of the Krafty Girls have also created some fantastic projects featuring the new stamps by Emilie Goulet...hop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to see who has sneak peeks to share today.

BLOG CANDY: While you're visiting the Krafty Girls to check out these great sneak peeks, make sure to leave comments on each of their blogs for the chance to win all five of Emilie's new October stamps!! Kimmie will draw one lucky winner who's name will be announced tomorrow on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog!

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I really appreciate your visit! Hope to see you tomorrow. ;)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: KKS "Chillin' With My Friends"
Ink: Memento, Copics
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, MME
Embellishments: Stickles, pearl
Tools: MFT die, Spellbinders, Martha Stewart Punch

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Frosty Fun...October Kraftin' Kimmie Sneak Peeks!!

Good morning folks. We're kicking off the October sneak peeks at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps today! But  before getting to today's project, I just wanted to share a bit about Krafty Day 2011 that was held this past Saturday near London, Ontario. What an amazing day! The doors opened at 9:00 am for attendees to come in, claim their seats and set up their krafty stations. Tables were piled high with Copic markers, Cuttlebugs, stamps, ink, dies and paper cutters. Kimmie opened the morning with announcements and everybody spent a bit of time enjoying refreshments and shopping both at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps display and at Scrappin' Great Deals who joined us for the day. :)  Oh my goodness, you should have seen the wall behind the stamp displays...it was COVERED with gorgeous cards made by the Krafty Girls!! It was quite the sight to behold. :)  Two make and takes were run in the morning by Krista VanTol and Kerry Johnson, and two more were run in the afternoon by myself and Tara Godfrey (with the assistance of her lovely daughter Hannah!). Door prizes were awarded throughout the day and we raffled off four packages of cards made by the Krafty Girls with all proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society. One of the highlights of the day was of course having Krafty Artist Annie Rodrigue at our event!! Annie had her own table set up with sketchbooks for us to peek though (they were absolutely incredible!), watercolours, inks and samples of her work. She created a GORGEOUS inked piece featuring Batty and Catty that was also raffled off for charity...she certainly made one of our attendees a very happy lady!! I had a wonderful time connecting with fellow Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp fans and colouring enthusiasts. I'd like to say hello to all the wonderful ladies who attended...it was great to see some familiar faces from last year and to have the opportunity to meet some new friends as well. Thank you to all who helped make this a great event...I'm already looking forward to next year!

The excitement continues this week with our October sneak peeks!! We will be sharing previews of the new stamps each day leading up to the release day this Sunday. Today, the Krafty Girls are sharing projects featuring the newest stamps by Krafty Artist Cheryl Alger.

My project today features "Sending Winter Hugs". I absolutely adore snowmen and I think this little guy is so cute. :) I was recently in Michaels and found some great wooden tags that I thought would be fun to play with. I painted the tag with white acrylic paint and covered it with some paper from the Bo Bunny Blitzen collection. I first stamped the image on Neenah, coloured it with Copic makers and then cut it out. As the stick arms are much too delicate to cut out, I also stamped the image directly on the design paper so that I could basically paper-piece the snowman's body and still include those cute stick arms. I applied white acrylic craft paint to the tag and sprinkled it generously with Glamour Dust. I also mixed some Glamour Dust into a thin wash of acrylic paint and painted over the snowman's body. (which basically covered up any shading I had created with my Copics, lol. But he is cute and glittery now!) The little "Fun and Frosty" tag is from the Blitzen paper pad. I added a bit of ribbon and an acrylic snowflake from the dollar store that I coated with Stickles.  This was a really easy and fun project to put together...it would also be a great project to work on with your kids. :)


(Unfortunately the glitter-factor of this tag didn't show up in the photograph, but it really is super sparkly with all the Glamour Dust and Stickles...and I was pretty glittery myself by the time I was done! lol)

To see more projects featuring the soon-to-be-released October Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps by Cheryl Alger, please visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog for links to the Krafty Girls sharing previews today.

Oh, and can we interest you in a little BLOG CANDY??!! All you need to do is leave a comment for each Krafty Girl sharing a sneak peek today and Kimmie will draw a winner who will be announced on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog tomorrow. You could be the very lucky winner of all three of Cheryl's new October stamps! :)

Thanks for stopping by for a peek today, and I hope you plan to join us tomorrow when we'll be sharing projects featuring stamps by yet another Krafty Artist!!

Have a wonderful day my friends. :)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: KKS "Sending Winter Hugs"
Ink: Memento, Copics
Paper: Bo Bunny Blitzen
Embellishments: Glamour Dust, Stickles, Ribbon, acrylic snowflake, machine stitching
Other: White acrylic craft paint

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Sitting Pretty...in the Pumpkin Patch

Hi folks!! Can you believe it's already October 19th?? This month is flying by and Halloween is creeping up really quickly. I need to get crackin' because I still have some great new Halloween papers, stamps and supplies that I need to use before the end of the month!

So with that in mind, I decided to pull out some of my SCACD goodies and get to work! I was looking through my ever growing collection of SCACD exclusive stamps, waiting for some spooky inspiration to hit and decided to pull out "Sitting Pretty" by Carmen Medlin from the Natural Beauty Collection. I figured with the right colour combination, she could work very nicely on a Halloween card. I used some beautiful papers from the Authentique "Glowing" collection, which just happens to be on sale right now at SCACD for 25% off! The paper edges were all distressed and sponged with Black Soot Distress Ink. I also used some chipboard pumpkins from the Maya Road "Autumn" pack and covered them with some orange paper from the Echo Park "Apothecary Emporium" paper pad (also on sale!!). After adhering the paper, I sanded the edges down and got to work with my Copic markers to create some shading and dimension. The bow was tied with my Bow Easy.


"Sitting Pretty" was stamped on Neenah cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured with Copic markers. She really is so dainty and sweet...I kind of felt bad "grunging" her up a bit for Halloween!! But, I also love that these stamps are so versatile. You can really get such a different effect by just switching up your colour scheme...coloured in pastels, "Sitting Pretty" is gorgeous for a very soft and feminine card.


Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20  Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59  Dress: C1, C3, C5, C7, YR07, YR16, E08, E13, E17, E18, V17, YG63 (and black Conte crayon on her skirt)  Chair: YG00, G20, YG91, YG97, W1, W3, W5, W7  Pumpkins: Patterned paper, YR61, YR16, E13, E17, E18, E25, E59

I finished off the inside of the card with a bit of the Authentique design paper and some stamped images from the Teresa Collins Happy Hallows clear stamp set. (They were stamped with Black Soot Distress Ink. I didn't worry about getting a perfect impression as I think it added to the distressed feel of this card.) This Teresa Collins set is on sale for 20% off right now. It includes several images just perfect for finishing off your spooky creations.


Don't forget to pop by Susana's Custom Art and Card Design to check out all the great products in stock.  Remember, all Halloween/fall paper pads are on sale for 25%, but only while supplies last!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: SCACD's "Sitting Pretty" and Teresa Collins "Happy Hallows"
Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Ink
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Echo Park "Apothecary Emporium" and Authentique "Glowing"
Embellishments: Maya Road Chipboard
Tools: Bow Easy, sanding block

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Krafty Day 2011 Commemorative Stamp!! (a special limited time online offer!)

KRAFTY DAY is finally  here!!


As many of you probably know, Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps is putting on a fantastic event today with all the local stampers and scrappers!! Since most of our online friends aren't able to join us, except in spirit, we thought we'd do something special!!

The attendees of Krafty Day will enjoy a lovely KKS tote bag filled with goodies and one of those goodies is a special commemorative stamp, created especially for the event!! It's called "Best Friends"! Well, how would YOU like to get one too?!! Beginning today and running only until Friday, October 21st, each and every order over $75 before shipping and taxes will receive this stamp for FREE!! So pop on over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Online Store for a little retail therapy. :)


Here's a card I made with the "Best Friends" stamp...and that great sentiment courtesy of The Beatles comes with it. :) 




And the close up:






Please visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog to see what some of my fellow Krafty Girls have created with the "Best Friends" stamps.


***Krafty Girl Guest Designer Contest***

Did you see the Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge post yesterday?? Yesterday marked our 100th KKS Challenge!!! This month also marks Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps' SECOND BIRTHDAY!!! Can you believe it?? So we're doing something special to mark the occasion!
Have you ever wanted to be a Krafty Girl?? Well, here's your chance to show it!! Our challenge for this week is to USE YOUR FAVOURITE KRAFTIN' KIMMIE STAMP! Just make a creation featuring one of your fave KKStamps and link it up on the KKStamps blog. Then, leave a message in the comment section telling us that you're applying for the job! The winner will receive a package of new release stamps and will be joining us for the challenges and krafty peeks for the month of December!! (You can still play along if you're not applying to be a Krafty Girl and we'll have our regular weekly winner.) This guest designer contest will be open until October 31, 2011 so you have lots of time to get inky and submit those Krafty projects! 

Well that's it for me today folks...I'm off to Krafty Day!! 

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps "Best Friends" and sentiment
Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Ink
Embellishments: Ribbon
Tools: MFT die

Friday, October 14, 2011

Cherish

Hi friends! Hope you're all having a fantastic week. :)  I have been colouring, cutting and assembling like a mad woman this week! This month is a busy one for my family and so I thought it would be good idea to try and get ahead of the game with my projects.

One of the stamp companies available at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design is the "Emerald Faerie Garden". This stamp is called "Kenz and Tilly"...isn't this image precious? I think it's so tender and sweet. This is my first time ever working with one of these images, and I thoroughly enjoyed colouring it. The gorgeous papers are from the Kaisercraft "Blae and Ivy" 6x6 pad. That pretty scalloped border is also from the Kaisercraft paper pad. It has several "specialty" sheets that include coordinating die cut borders and tags, some of which include sentiments like the little "Cherish" tag on my card. (Susana currently has this paper pad on sale for 15% off!)  The flourishes were created with my Memory Box "Elegant Scrollwork" Die. Oh, and see those cute little dragonflies nestled amongst the swirls? Those are Make It Crafty "Mini Dragonflies" Chipboard available at SCACD...I just coloured them with my G99 Copic marker before adhering them to my card. The paper edges were distressed with my scissors and sponged with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. For finishing touches I added a bit of machine stitching. I also used some pretty crocheted trim and a great vintage brad that were a gifts from my very good friend Krista. :)  (she knows my style, and gave me a wonderful goodie bag of beautiful vintage trinkets and trim a few months ago for my birthday...thanks so much Krista!!)


"Kenz and Tilly" was stamped on Neenah cardstock with Rich Cocoa Memento Ink and coloured with Copics. I wanted everthing about this card to be soft and pretty to reflect the tenderness of this image. This is why I did not want a harsh black outline. As the ink still shows, it's not quite the "no-line" technique that many stampers are using, but it does give a lovely muted effect. I experimented with some different tones in the skin and added some additional shading to the clothing with my Conte crayons. The Conte crayons produce a very soft, almost smokey shading effect. It was applied with a paper blending stump. The image was cut out and matted with Oval Spellbinders. The mat was created by tracing around the outer of edge of the die and cutting it out by hand. The distressing helped conceal the less-than-perfect cut. The background was sponged with Antique Linen and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.


Skin: E0000, E000, E00, E02, E11, YR00, RV42, RV95  Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37  Clothing: G20, YG91, YG95, G99, W5, W7, R22, R29, R46, R59, C5, C7, E41, E42, E43, E47, E50

I'm going to be a total enabler. ;)  Here are links to just a few of the great deals and products at SCACD!!
The SCACD store blog is a great place to visit to see what Susana's lovely design team has been busy creating with the fabulous stamps and products available at SCACD. If you have not already signed up as a follower, I encourage you to do so! 

Thank you so much for your visit today. I truly appreciate that you take the time out of your day to pop by my blog to see what I've been up to. :)

Blessings, 

Melanie

Stamps: Emerald Faerie Garden "Kenz and Tilly"
Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Inks
Paper: Neenah, Bazzill, Kaisercraft
Embellishments: MIC chipboard, machine stitching, metal brad, crocheted trim
Tools: Spellbinders, Memory Box Die

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Trick or Treat Fairy

Good morning! I hope you've all had a fantastic weekend...and I hope my fellow Canadians had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It's always a treat to have an extra day off work to spend relaxing. :) 

The lovely little Halloween fairy on my card today is actually one of the Fall Flora Fairies ("Tulipa") exclusively available at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design. I just gave her a bit of a Halloween tweak by pairing her with papers from the Nightfall collection by Memory Box. While these papers are great for Halloween projects, they will also work well with fall-themed projects. They have a wonderful vintage feel to them...and I adore papers with a vintage flair! Actually this paper pad is currently on sale at SCACD for 25% off of Susana's already low prices...but there are only a few left, so if you like them you'd best scoop up yours before they are all gone! The "Trick or Treat" sentiment is from the Teresa Collins "Happy Hallows" acrylic stamp set, which is also on right now. :)  This set also has several fantastic images just perfect for embellishing all your spooky projects...I also used one of the stamps on the inside of my card. The black pearls were all created with a Viva Decor Pearl Pen.


Tulipa's dress was paper-pieced with the Nightfall papers. All the pieces were adhered with my Quickie Glue Pen. Shading was added with Copic makers and Conte crayons. Her wings and shoes were given a bit of sparkle with Stardust Stickles.


Here's a shot of the inside where I used this fun row of pumpkins from the Teresa Collins "Happy Hallows" set.



***SALE ALERT***

Susana is running an amazing sale... all Fall and Halloween style 6x6 paper pads are 25% off!! But stock is limited, so shop quickly before your favourite paper pads are gone. There are also several other items on sale, so make sure to take a good look around SCACD to see what deals you can score on your favourite paper-crafting products. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Blessings, 

Melanie

Stamps: SCACD's "Tulipa" and Teresa Collins Happy Hallows
Paper: Neenah, Bazzil, Memory Box
Ink: Memento, Copics
Embellishments: Stickles, Viva Decor Pearl Pen in Black

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Seraphina

Good morning stamping friends!! I trust you all had a wonderful week. :) We've got a fantastic Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge this week courtesy of Krafty Girl Michele Boyer...I am such a fan of Michele's work! Her challenge is "Sparkle and Shine"...who doesn't love to add a little bling to their paper crafting projects?! There are so many fun products out there perfect for making your Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps sparkle and shine. :)

For my card today, I inked up "Seraphina" one of the new angels by Krafty Artist Annie Rodrigue. (she also comes with a halo accessory stamp and the sentiment "Friends are kisses blown to us by angels!")The papers are all from one of my favourite Christmas collections this year My Mind's Eye "Lost and Found Christmas". I used my Spellbinders (Labels 10 and Ovals) to cut a frame out of gold cardstock. As the gold was just a bit too "shiny" for my liking, I sponged it with Walnut Stain Distress Ink to coordinate better with the vintage feel of the MME papers. The decorative ends were cut with an element from the Spellbinders Parisian Accents set. The pretty delicate flourishes are from another newly acquired die, "Fancy Flourishes" from My Favourite Things...a huge thank you to my good friend who recently ordered this for me as she knew it was something I would absolutely LOVE. :) After cutting two flourishes, I just snipped them in a few different places and nestled the pieces around the frame. (I'm ranking this MFT die at the top of my favourite new toys along with another new  die that you may have seen on my blog recently, "Elegant Scrollwork" from Memory Box. Both produce such intricate and elegant embellishments for your paper crafting projects.) For a little extra "sparkle", I added in a few flat backed rhinestones as accents.


Seraphina was stamped on Neenah cardstock with Memento Ink and coloured with Copic markers. After colouring her wings, I covered them with a thin coat of adhesive and sprinkled them with a little Glamour Dust.



Skin: Eooo, Eoo, E11, R20  Hair: E50, E31, E33, E37, E59  Dress: R22, R27, R46, R59, C5, G82  Wings: E40, E41, E43, RV00, R22  (sorry, I forgot to record the colours for the birds.)

I finished off the inside of the card with one of the "Christmas Interior Sentiments"...this is a fantastic set to have for all your holiday crafty projects. These sentiments can just as easily be used on the fronts of cards, tags, wall art, gift card holders, treat bag toppers...so many great possibilities. :)



If you play along with the "Sparkle and Shine" challenge this week, you could be the lucky winner of the stamp Michele used on her gorgeous card this week. (as the stamp Michele used is actually part of the "O Holy Night Nativity Set", the winner will receive the single image stamp of the Holy Family that Michele used and one randomly chosen sentiment from the same set) To be eligible, just make sure to use a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp on your project!

If you have not yet visited the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge Blog, make sure to pop on by to see the gorgeous "Sparkle and Shine" projects made by my fellow Krafty Girls. :)

Krafty Day 2011:  One week to go friends!! If you have not yet registered, please visit the KKS Online Store HERE for all the details! We'd love to spend the day colouring and creating with you. :)  (Oh, and Krafty Artist Annie Rodrigue will also be joining us!!)

Frugal Fridays: Click HERE to check out what stamps on are sale for 40-50% off this weekend! Since it's a long weekend here in Canada, the sale is running until Monday night instead of Sunday. :)

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

(And a very Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians!)

Blessings,

Melanie

Stamps: KKS "Seraphina" and "Christmas Interior Sentiments"
Ink: Memento, Copics, Distress Ink
Paper: MME Lost and Found Christmas, Neenah, Bazzill
Embellishments: Glamour Dust, rhinestones
Tools: Spellbinders, MFT die

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Calling All Kraftin' Kimmie Fans...Are You Coming To Krafty Day 2011??!!

The excitement is building!! We are less than two weeks away from the BIG day!!! KRAFTY DAY!! Some of the local Krafty Girls were prepping supplies for the make and takes this past weekend. Oh and door prizes and goodies for your tote bags have been arriving...you're going to LOVE them!!

Are you coming??? You don't want to miss the awesome day we have prepared for you! We've also got a few surprises up our sleeves! We keep coming up with cool new ideas that we KNOW you'll enjoy! How about a shot at a Krafty Girl Guest Spot??? Would YOU be interested?? How about winning a project that our own Annie Rodrigue has been working on that day??? How about a raffle with packages of gorgeous cards created by our Krafty Girls, with all proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society?? It's going to be a fantastic day, so get your girlfriends together and make it a Girl's Day Out with Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!!
Take a look at some of the details for the 2nd Annual Krafty Day with Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!

Sunday, October 16th, 2011 from 9am-9pm Best Western Stoneridge Inn in Lambeth, Ontario


- 12 hours of Krafty Fun!
- lots of kroppin' and kraftin' space!
- exclusive KKS tote bag with stampin' goodies!
- special edition KKS stamp to commemorate the occasion!
- coffee, tea, juice, breakfast pastries and cookies for snack times!
(you will be on your own for lunch/supper,
restaurant on site or bring your own)
- four awesome make and takes featuring KKS!
- meet several of our talented Krafty Girls!
- Draws and Door Prizes!
- Scrappin Great Deals store on site for all your Copic needs!
- and of course, Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps including
our NEW October 2011 release stamps, just for YOU!
$60

**Spaces are LIMITED**
Don't forget about our SPECIAL GUEST!!!! It's the incredible artist behind our signature line of Moonlight Whispers stamps!! You will get to meet ANNIE RODRIGUE!!!! Can you imagine spending the day with Annie, talking to her about her stamps, chatting about her art and perhaps even watching her create???? I can't even tell you how unbelievably excited we are about having Annie join us for Krafty Day!!!


Now if you have already registered, then you're all set!!! But if you haven't registered yet, you're going to want to right away because space is limited! There's less than two weeks to the event, so hurry!! You can register directly on our WEBSITE or locally at the Scrappin' Great Deals store.

We hope to see you there!

Blessings,

Melanie