... mojobella #5

Hello again.

I recently "rediscovered" a stamp company that I knew about some time ago.... Stampingbella. Emily at one time had a store at the north end of Toronto (Ontario, Canada) and that was my first introduction to "bella" when some friends took me there. 

Just lately I stumbled upon the Stampingbella website and rediscovered Emily's bellabeautiful stamps. I have just received my first Stampingbella stamp and had to use it immediately. It is utterly adorable. I encourage you to check out her website... www.stampingbella.com to have a look. All her stamps are stunners but my heart went out to the "stuffies". This is what I purchased, they are simply too cute for words.

Now that I have blathered on long enough, I have made a card for my first ever bella challenge which is based on a sketch which you can see here.

I started with a white card base over which I have layered some adorable pink gingham pattern paper. 

I stamped my bella beautiful beasties from the Stampingbella set Ellie loves Phant Stuffies with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and I watercoloured them. I simply cannot get over that sweet expression on their wee little faces.  :)

I trimmed out the image and then used a My Favorite Things Basic Stitch Lines die to add some detail around the edges.

The wee banner at the bottom was cut with Spellbinders Baby Buntings die from paper from my stash bucket and topped up with three pale pink pearls.

I cut the circle at the top with Spellbinders Picot Edge Circles die from a basic pink cardstock. I have used the sentiment from the same stamp set and added one of the tiny hearts from the main image.

A soft green polka dot ribbon finishes things off.

Thank you so much coming back to visit again today and I love it when you leave me your comments. Have a wonderful Sunday. Cheers.

  ~ Melanie ~

... PapertreyInk Make it Monday #239

Hello again,

I am back with a card for the PapertreyInk Make it Monday #239. The idea was to decorate pattern paper using stamps and then, of course, make a card.

I found this to be extremely difficult. It looked so easy in the video. Well, I do not have any lovely big dot paper. I hunted around through all of my stuff and finally settled on this tealish lined paper. Not happy.

I chose the Ruby Reprise stamp set and scattered the two smallest blossoms around the paper using Memento Teal Zeal and Love Letter inks.

Wanting to keep this as simple as possible I decided to die cut out the word Birthday from the PapertreyInk Birthday Trio die set in black cardstock and then added the word Hugs cut from Lawn Fawn Hugs die. I chose to use the same colour blending idea on the word hugs as was shown in the video.

So there you have it. Very simple card. 

Thanks so much for stopping by again. I love to read your comments so please do leave them for me. Cheers.

 ~ Melanie ~

... MFT Sketch Challenge #268

Hello everybody,

I have a card today, well, actually a few cards today that I made for the My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge #268 which you can see here.

This was an incredibly simple card to make.

I began with an ivory card base on which I added two different pattern papers from my stash. A simple piece of ribbon was added across the card. 

I then cut out the My Favorite Things Baby's Bib and the zebra from the Sweet Safari die set. I ran the zebra through a Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder. Both were added with foam tape for dimension.

The sentiment at the top is actually from the Papertrey Ink set Think Big Favorites #16. I stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and also Teal Zeal ink.

This shows that with such wonderful dies that My Favorite Things has to offer it is easy to create a cute card without actually stamping the focal image. 

Here are the other two cards that I made. The same, but just a different colour scheme. One for a little girl, the other for a little boy.

Thanks so much for visiting with me today. I appreciate you leaving me your comments and I read all of them. Cheers.

  ~ Melanie ~

... Taylored Expressions Challenge #23 Take Two

Hello again,

I am back with another card for the Taylored Expressions Challenge #23 which you can see here. I decided to base my card loosely upon the sketch but to also use the Tic-Tac-Toe straight up the middle - Ribbon, Flowers and Embossing. 

If you follow my blog it will certainly come as no surprise that I love floral images. My second card uses the beautiful Calla Lily stamp set from Taylored Expressions. 

I began by stamping out the Taylored Expressions Apothecary Shelf and the Calla Lily images using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I then cut them out with the coordinating dies.

After contemplating various different ways to colour the images I settled on watercolour as I like the fluid look and I find it is a much "freer" way to colour.
I used a Pilot gold pen on the drawer pulls on the shelf.

My card starts with a white 5 x 7 base over which I have added another layer of white run through the Anna Griffin Circular Grid embossing folder. I have added a strip of embossed card from the coordinating border folder that comes with it. Beside that is a strip of ribbon. I adhered this panel to the base with foam tape. I love that look of giving the card some extra dimension.

I used the same foam tape to attach both the Apothecary Shelf and the vase of Calla Lilies which appears to be sitting upon it.

I used a Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags die to cut out the wee tag and used a sentiment from the Calla Lily set, again stamped in Tuxedo Black ink. To soften the edges a bit I sponged on a wee bit of Memento Angel Pink ink and then tied it to the vase of flowers using some pink and white twine.

I must say that I do love the floral stamps from Taylored Expressions. I have a couple more of them ordered and cannot wait until they arrive so I can start to use them.

Thanks for stopping by again. I cannot wait to see the comments you will all leave this time.  Cheers.

   ~  Melanie  ~

... Taylored Expressions Challenge # 23

Hello everybody,

I am sorry it has been a while since I posted anything but we have been dealing with an incredible amount of snow (about 18" or so) and a very sick dog. :(   Fortunately my DH does most of the work taking care of the snow. However yesterday I did get stuck at the end of my driveway when the plow came by. I was late for an appointment and had to get the shovel and try to dig myself out. Thankfully a neighbour heard my wheels spinning (in more ways than one!) and came by to pull me out. The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze. I barely know this man but he drove over just to help me out, bless him. 

The sick dog is another matter altogether. It is my female yellow Lab Amber. She has been diagnosed with Acid Reflux and hiatus hernia and she is on meds. Unfortunately she is in a lot of discomfort and her only solution to this problem is to lick all the hair from her bed to try to make herself sick. I will not go into all the nasty details of what that means. :(  Suffice it to say, it has been most unpleasant around here lately.

Anyway, today I finally managed a few minutes to myself and made a quick card for the Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #23. You can see the sketch and details here.

I used this cutie patootie puppy for a birthday card that will eventually be sent to my niece who is a serious dog lover.

I am using the Taylored Expressions stamp set Paw-some. I cut out the image using the coordinating die and then stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I decided to colour him with watercolours. He has such a sweet expression on his little face!

For the card I began with an A2 pink card base over which I layered a bright green which had been partially put through a Cuttlebug Swiss dot embossing folder. I added a strip of green ribbon along the edge.

The puppy and friends are popped up on a bright pink circle cut from Spellbinders Lacey Circles die. The colour of the card and the circle are matched by the colours in the party hats.

I added two pieced of gingham ribbon as banners and then stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set at the top, also in Tuxedo Black ink.

I added some Stickles in Crystal to the hats and to the dog tag.

I have added another of the sentiments from the set inside and because we ALL make boo-boos sometimes and I put my sentiment too far to the left, I added a little heart beside it for balance. By this time the card was done and that was my solution to fix the problem. :)  Note to self: ALWAYS stamp the sentiments first!

Thanks so very much for visiting with me today and leaving me your comments. They make me smile every time I read them. Cheers.

 ~ Melanie ~ 

... Power Poppy Challenge

Hello again,

I am back with a second card for this month's Power Poppy Challenge which is to use a different sort of colouring medium from what one would normally use as shown here.

The first card I did for this challenge used a technique of using water to remove distress ink from an image. This time I have opted to use Tombow markers on vellum. I like this technique although I do not use it very often.

I began by stamping that beautiful large image from the Power Poppy Olive & Oak stamp set with Versamark ink on cream coloured vellum. I embossed with black detail powder.

Then I coloured up the image using the Tombow colours that you see below. I use the markers on both the front and the back of the image. I try to stay away from the embossing. I truthfully do not know if the embossing damages the point of water based markers the way it does Copics but I do not like the take the chance so I try to be very careful.

After I finished the colouring I got myself a cup of coffee and sat down to fussy cut out the image. I actually enjoy doing fussy cutting. I must say that I know that it is a task that not everyone enjoys. :)

To assemble my card I began with an ivory card base and found this great piece of brown embossed paper in my stash. I have absolutely no idea where it came from but it was perfect for what I wanted. I cut a creamy speckled piece of pattern paper with Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Rectangles.

Along the left edge of the card I have added some gold ribbon tied with a very simple knot and tucked in a small tag cut with Papertrey Ink's Tiny Tags die. I chose the sentiment from the Power Poppy Geraniums Take Two stamp set and stamped it with Memento Espresso Truffle ink and then distressed around the edges with Memento Rich Cocoa ink. I simply tucked the end of the tag under the ribbon.

The large Spellbinders die is adhered with foam tape. I then added the fussy cut focal image with tiny little shreds of foam squares placed strategically all over the image to hold down all the little bits and pieces.

In actual fact, the card is simplicity itself, if you do not count all that cutting. That gorgeous focal image carries the who thing.

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit with me today. I hope you will leave me your comments as I love to read them. Cheers.

 ~ Melanie ~

... Taylored Expressions Challenge #22

Greetings everyone,

It is a glacially cold day here in Ontario with temperatures sitting at -29C, or about -35C with the wind chill. And I tell you, it is a blowin' out there today! For you folks in the US, that is about -8F, plus the wind chill.

It is a perfect day NOT to go outside but rather stay in and be cozy in my craft room making cards. :)

I have one today that I have made for the Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #22. You can see the details and the sketch here.

I started with a white card over which I have added a strip of pattern paper down the left side. For the remainder of the card I used white cardstock run through the Anna Griffin embossing folder called Circular Grid. I love using embossing folders and I have a real beauty on order from Taylored Expressions that I cannot wait to get my hands on! But I digress.... :)

The focal image is from the Taylored Expressions stamp set called In Other Words ~ Tea. I just love it. I stamped out the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then pondered how to colour it. I wanted to keep the image very soft. I finally decided upon using chalk and a Dove Blender. I have not used that medium in ages but after filling up the little pen, it worked like a charm. 

I have cut out the focal image with a Spellbinders Lacey Ovals die. I sponged on a little bit of Memento Angel Pink ink while the image was still in the die.

For my tag I hauled out a very old Sizzix die called Super Scallop Tag and used some paper from my stash. Some pink gingham ribbon knotted on the top finishes off the tag nicely.

I have used the Spellbinders die called Petite Labels One for the sentiment at the bottom of the card. I absolutely adore this sentiment because it makes me think of a wonderful friend of mine as we sat at her kitchen table for hours, drinking tea and talking endlessly. We live many miles apart now but this brings back wonderful memories and I do miss her greatly. I have stamped the sentiment with Memento Paris Dusk ink and then sponged on a bit of the same pink ink again. Finished off with a twine tied pink button.

Thanks so much for visiting on such a blustery day. I hope to be back if the creative juices are flowing. Please do leave me your comments as they make my day to read them. Cheers.

  ~ Melanie ~

... MFT Challenge #267

Hello again,

I am back with a card for the My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge #267. Here is the sketch.

 I decided to use the Pure Innocence Purrfect stamp set from MFT. I stamped out the image of the girl holding the kitty with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured her with the Copics shown below.

 I used an ivory card base and stenciled it completely with the MFT stencil Staggered Paw Prints using Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Wild Honey. Those little paws are just so cute. :)

I used an old MFT die to cut out the tag. I chose to use this particular sentiment from the same stamp set as I think it makes this card much more versatile. It is stamped with Memento Espresso Truffle ink. I popped up the focal image on some foam tape as well as the sentiment banner.

Ribbon and a button at the top of the tag and a die cut from MFT Pet Accents on the bottom held to the sentiment banner with a gold brad finishes off the card.

Lots of fun to make. If you follow my blog you will have realized by now that I am truly a sucker for kittens and puppies. Just love using them on cards. Almost as much as flowers. Almost, but not quite. :)

Thanks a lot for stopping by today. Please leave me your comments as I love to read all of them. You can make my day even better if you decide to follow my blog as well! Have a tremendous day! Cheers.

   ~ Melanie ~

... SSS Wednesday Challenge - One Layer

Hello everyone,

I am participating in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge. The theme is a One Layer Card, preferably with Paper Smooches stamps.

This really is a challenge for me. I rarely, if ever, make a one layer card.

After giving this a great deal of thought I got out my one and only Paper Smooches stamp set and decided to have a go. I decided to keep it as simple as possible.

I used an ivory card and stamped one of the floral images from the stamp set which is called Blossoming Buds with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

I decided to keep the colouring very simple indeed. No shading, nothing fancy. Just plain and simple colouring with Tombow markers in the colours shown below.

I then stamped the sentiment "Grateful" with Memento Grape Jelly ink and the "for you" in Tuxedo Black.

After staring at it for a while I realized that I simply could not be satisfied with that and got out my ScorPal and did some scoring lines all the way round.

I do not make many of these style of cards and I know why. I like to have a bit more going on in my cards... you know, dimension, die cuts, pearls, ribbons, etc. However I think that doing these one layer cards is probably a good idea once in a while to force oneself to try something new and, in my case, very challenging indeed.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful day. Cheers.

   ~ Melanie ~

... happy anniversary to dear friends

Hello again...

Well I did warn you that I was making cards today!  :)

This card is not for any challenges, it is simply an anniversary card for some dear friends.

White card base over which I have layered a white card panel. I have stamped the flourishes along the bottom from the JustRite stamp set Elegant Celebrations in Memento Rhubarb Stalk. Right above that I have stamped one of the sentiments from the same set in Memento Tuxedo Black. I absolutely adore that sentiment for an anniversary card. Then I ran it through an Anna Griffin embossing folder called Eyelet Stripe being careful not to emboss the stamped images.

I trimmed it to size and mounted it on the card base with foam tape.

The focal image, stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black in is from the Joanna Sheen Silhouette stamp set Anniversary. Seemed very appropriate to me. :)

I had to hand cut out the image as none of my dies was just exactly the right size. I layered it on top of a rhubarb coloured cardstock cut with Spellbinders Lacey Circles die and popped this up.

Very simple and, I hope, elegant card.

I added a sentiment inside from PapertreyInk Think Big Favorites #16, again stamped in Tuxedo Black and a small Flourish from the same JustRite set and that is again stamped in Rhubarb Stalk.

I think this will likely be it for me for today. The snow continues to fall here and I suppose I really ought to go out and do a bit of shoveling. Have a wonderful day. Cheers.

   ~ Melanie ~ 

... Power Poppy February Challenge

Hello again everyone,


It is a snowy blustery day here in eastern Ontario so I have squirreled myself away in my craft room making cards.

I have a card here for the Power Poppy February Challenge.

The challenge is to use some sort of colouring medium that is not what you would normally use. I usually use Copics to colour Marcy's fantastic images. I use watercolours sometimes, pencil crayons sometimes and other markers but for some reason none of those really appealed to me this time.

Then I happened to receive an email from Jennifer McGuire about a new post on her blog. She is one very creative cookie, let me tell you.

The technique she used is one whereby you lift colour from a stamped image. Let me explain as I show you my card.

I started by deciding to use the stunning stamp from the Potted Primroses stamp set. I inked it up with Versamark and stamped out on heavy white cardstock. I heat embossed with Detail White embossing powder.

Then I very liberally rubbed Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Festive Berries all over the piece of cardstock, being sure to get into all the little nooks and crannies of the image.

At this point you simply take a paintbrush and a bit of water and dab it on the image. The colour simply lifts away leaving a much lighter image behind. I did this to the entire image. 

Then I went back in with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters and painted some colour back onto the leaves. I left the flowers alone.

I cut out the focal image with Spellbinders Labels Twenty-Eight second largest die and an additional piece of white cardstock from the largest die of the same set.

I then cut out the 5 x 7 Enchanted Labels 28 also from white cardstock.

I am using a 5 x 7 white cardbase but I did not want all the rest of the card to be white as then the focal image would look out of place. I searched high and low through all my cardstock and could not find a piece that matched the ink colour. Easy to remedy. I cut a piece of white cardstock the required size and merely rubbed the same ink all around the perimeter. 

I them assembled the card with all the layers and only added a few pearls for additional interest. I did not even add a sentiment as I really want those beautiful primroses to carry all the attention on the card. Now that I have it all done in red and white I realize that it would be great for Valentines Day! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by. I do hope that you will leave me your comments and do consider following my blog so we can keep in touch. Have a wonderful day. Cheers.

   ~ Melanie ~

... Taylored Expressions challenge #21

Hello there everyone,

I have made a card today for the  Expressions challenge #21 and you can see the sketch here.

Sometimes I find when I look at these sketches that a specific stamp image pops into my head instantly. That was the case with this one.

Taylor has such wonderful floral images. I LOVE floral images! :) One of my favourites is the Calla Lily. It is so elegant and beautiful and an absolute dream to colour. I searched through one of my favourite gardening catalogs and found a very brilliantly coloured lily to use as my inspiration.

My card starts with an ivory base. I used some pattern paper in a soft green and cut it with the largest die from the Spellbinders Romantic Rose set. 

Over that I have layered a dark green cardstock cut with the second die from the same set. It is so detailed and just beautiful.

I cut out the Calla Lily from the same ivory cardstock using the coordinating die set to match the stamp. I then stamped the lily image using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  I coloured it up with Copics. I am SO sorry that I did not keep track of which colours I used. I usually do.

I used the sentiment from the same set and also stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I then cut it out using Spellbinders Ribbon Banners die set.
After I was sure the ink was dry I sponged on a wee bit of Memento New Sprout ink for a hint of colour. The lily and the sentiment banner are both popped up on dimensional squares.

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit today. Please do leave me your comments as it does my heart good! Cheers.

   ~Melanie~

... so many challenges!!

Hello everybody,

Thank so much for stopping by to visit today. I have made a very simple card today which I am using for a number of different challenges. I do not do that very often but it just happens that they all share a similar theme so here goes.

I am using the Mojo Monday sketch #435 which you can see here.

I am using this card for the following challenges, in addition to the Mojo Monday. Pink & Main Challenge #6, One Crazy Stamper February challenge and Simon Says Stamp Love and Hearts theme. Whew! That is a lot of challenges!

My card starts with an ivory card base over which I have added a piece of pattern paper from my overflowing stash. You would think that it would have begun to diminish by now, but alas, no! I have run this paper through an embossing folder with paw prints and bones on it. I am sorry but I have no idea who made it as there is no name on it and I have had it for ages.

I have used the Pink & Main stamp set Hot Dog for my focal image and the sentiments. I stamped the little cutie with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then coloured him with Watercolour pencils. I added a dot of silver Sharpie marker for the dog tag. I then fussy cut him out.

He is matted on a beautiful heart cut with Spellbinders Lace Hearts die. I have popped up both the heart and the puppy. 

The wee bone at the bottom is cut from My Favorite Things die set Pet Accents.

Super easy card and this is going to be the Valentines card for my DH. I tell you, I am a sucker for a cute puppy stamp as I have two of the live versions myself, my two yellow Labrador Retrievers.

Thanks again for taking the time to visit my blog and leaving me your comments. I appreciate each and every one of them. Have a terrific day.

   ~Melanie~