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