... Curtain Call Challenge - Frozen / OCS Challenge

Hello again everyone,

I am back once again with a card for the Curtain Call Challenge - Frozen. This is my first time participating in this challenge. I am also entering this card for the One Crazy Stamper January challenge.

Here is the inspiration for the challenge.

For my card I began with a white card base. I partially die cut the snowflakes off the side of the card and then cut the remaining snowflakes from Spellbinders 2013 Snowflake Pendant and Spellbinders Create-a-Flake-Five.

You can see how they stick out the side of the card. I have popped up a couple of them on the front for a bit of dimension. I covered the inside of the card with some blue/green paper with "luckily" snowflakes on it that I found in my stash.

I dabbled all the snowflakes with Stickles in Crystal. I love the sparkle that it give all the snowflakes.

The sentiment, which I stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, is from the Power Poppy stamp set Poinsettia.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I do hope you will leave me your comments as I love to read them. I would also love it if you would choose to follow my blog. Easily done either by email or with Google.

Thanks again. Have a wonderful day. Cheers.

      Melanie

... more of the same ... only different

Hello there everyone,

After I made that card yesterday for the Taylored Expressions challenge I realized just how much I loved that sketch. Clean and simple is not really something I do all that often but it really appealed to me.

I also realized that I have somehow acquired many, many little packages of die cuts. Now this is odd as I do not really use them all that often. 

BUT I SHOULD! 

And I did ... in a collection of cards I did using the same sketch, but no stamping, just die cuts. OK, I did stamp the sentiments.  :)

First of all, the sentiments are all from Power Poppy, from various different sets.  They are all stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

The white die cuts are all from Spellbinders or JustRite.

Lastly, the beautiful coloured images are from  K & Company and Creative Imaginations.

And finally, here are the cards....

I have raised up the back panel on each of the cards using foam tape. I did this for all of them. I like that extra bit of dimension that it gives.

The most time consuming part of all of this was gluing on the white die cuts, especially this bird cage! But is it not stunning! I just love it.

I did a wee bit of fussy cutting around the birds legs as they were not quite clean enough and I wanted to be able to see the cage really well behind the little guy. Small thing yes, but I think the results are worth it.

Now how many of us have tools from WAY BACK, languishing in our craft drawers that never see the light of day. Be honest... we all do!

I thought these last few cards needed just a little something so I grabbed a paid of Fiskars decorative scissors in the Provincial style and cut the edge. It is just a small thing but I think it adds something subtle without taking away from all the beauty going on with the card front.

The white die cut used here was actually a tag. I loved the detail on the ends but it was not long enough so I cut it in half and spread it out. You cannot see that because of the focal image. Shhh... don't tell!

This is a wonderful sentiment, don't you think? It can be used for so many different kinds of cards.

My last card uses a beautiful angel image on top of a snowflake. I was tempted to add a bit of glittery sparkle to the snowflake but in the end I opted for restraint. That can be a bit of a challenge for me at time. :)

I think this sentiment is simply perfect for this card. I absolutely adore the font that Marcy has used on this. So elegant.

Thanks so very much for visiting with me today. It is a snowy blowy day here in Ontario so it is a great day to get myself a hot cuppa and get out some stamps.

Do please leave me your comments as I love to read them. AND, please consider following my blog so we can stay in touch.

Have a wonderful day. Cheers.

      Melanie

      

... Taylored Expressions Share Joy 16

Hello everyone,

First of all .... A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY!!!!

I am participating in the Share Joy challenge today at the Taylored Expressions website.

These are new stamps to me as I discovered them from reading another blog that I follow.

I do not own any of Taylor's charming stamps, YET! Fortunately I am able to play along using other stamps that I currently own which is a great. It gives you a chance to play now while waiting until you get some new stamps to use.

So, here is the Sketch and the style of the project. I really like this sketch. I think that it can go so many different ways. I have chosen to keep my card classic, feminine and white.

I started with a basic white card base and then added a panel, also in white from Spellbinders 5 x 7 Matting Basics B in the largest size. Over this in the top left corner I used the JustRite Filigree Corners die, again in white. I adore the look of white cards. They seem to just look really crisp and clean, like a starched white shirt.  :)

I have popped up this main panel with dimensional tape.

My focal image is from the Power Poppy stamp set Potted Primroses. I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and VERY subtly coloured it up in the Copic colours shown below. I really wanted to keep this card very white but I wanted just a hint of colour. Sometimes I think that it is harder to be restrained when colouring. I fussy cut the image and popped it up on pop dots.

The sentiment is from the PapertreyInk stamp set Heart-2-Heart #2. Again it is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

So there you have it. My first card for the Taylored Expressions Share Joy challenge. I hope it is the first of many as I really like her stamps and cannot wait to get my hands on a few. :)

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit with me today. I would love it if you would leave me your comments as it would mean so much. Have a lovely day!

... My Favorite Things Challenge 261

Hello everyone,

I have a card today which I made for the My Favorite Things Weekly Sketch Challenge #261. Here is the sketch.

I started with a white card base over which I added a panel of pattern paper from my stash. I added a white panel which I ran through an embossing folder from Darice. I am sorry it does not have a name on it but I think it is pretty obvious that it is lots of little paws! :)

 The focal image at the top is just too cute, don't you think? It is from the My Favorite Things stamp set I Knead You and cut with the coordinating die set.

I used the little thought bubble as my corner accent, again using a part of the sentiment used on the banner.  

I stamped the images in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured up this little cutie with Copics as shown here. 

Over that a strip of ribbon and the banner with the sentiment on it which is from the My Favorite Things stamp set Purrfect. 

The bottom corner seemed a little bare so I added some balls of yarn from the I Knead You stamp set.

The sentiment used inside the card are from My Favorite Things stamp set Happy Banner  and I added a ball of yarn as well.

Well there you have it my friends. This card will be destined for a good pal of mine who will be celebrating her birthday soon. She has a kitty so it is very appropriate.

Please do leave me your comments as it would mean so much. Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day. Cheers.

... Power Poppy Rewind Challenge

Hello everyone,

Here in eastern Ontario we are finally getting winter weather. It started to snow last night and we have quite an accumulation out there now. And it is still snowing. My DH who adores to ski is simply in heaven.

I would normally be the one out there manning the snow blower to deal with all this but, alas, I am recovering from surgery I had just before Christmas. So instead, I get to be snug and cozy in my studio and get my fingers inky!  :)

I have a card today which I did for the Power Poppy Rewind challenge. I have chosen the Shabby Chic category. This will also be a birthday card for a dear friend's mother who just happens to have the same birthday as my own mother.

Here is my card.

I have used a white card base over which I added a panel cut out using Fiskars Deckle scissors. I distressed the edges using Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Antique Linen. I added a strip of wide gros grain ribbon with a piece of lace on top along the bottom and then added my focal image over that.

I chose to use the Power Poppy Simply Camellias stamp set. I just adore these images. They are just so elegant and feminine. I stamped the largest image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then barely added colour with Tim Holtz Distess Markers in Antique Linen and Brushed Corduroy. I wanted the colouring to be very subtle. I cut out the image using Spellbinders Elegant Ovals die and added some colour before I removed the die, again using the Antique Linen Distress Ink.

I have used the sentiment from the Power Poppy stamp set Go Wild and this was also cut out with the same Spellbinders die set and also distressed. I added pearls to the four points of the focal image and then felt it just needed a little something so cut butterflies from creamy vellum using the PapertreyInk Heart-2-Heart #10 die. I layered two of them to give some depth and adhered them with Tombow Vellum adhesive.

 Another smaller butterfly adorns the bottom of the image near the ribbon and I added three graduated sized pearls along the bottom for balance.

Thank you so very much for visiting with me today. I do hope you will leave your comments as it would mean so much. Have a wonderful day. Cheers.

...PapertreyInk Make It Monday 235

Hello everybody,

I had been hoping to be back in my craft room full force but, alas, I have just returned from surgery in the hospital. So now I am at home recovering for a few weeks. I am slow moving but I can putter around my studio and take as long as I want to make a card. :)

A very dear friend of mine had asked me to make a card for her mother's birthday. It is a special one as she is turning 75. Well, surgery or not, I was up for the challenge. And speaking of challenges.... I decided to use the technique from the PapertreyInk Make it Monday #235 challenge for my card. 

So here it is. 

I started with a base of buttery cream card stock over which I layered white card stock which I had randomly stamped with PapertreyInk stamp sets Beautiful Butterflies and Ruby Reprise using Memento inks in Angel Pink, Cantaloupe and Desert Sand. I cut the bottom edge with Spellbinders Curved Borders One die.

I used the PapertreyInk die Tag Sale #4 and cut a layer from pattern paper and also vellum. On top of this I used PapertreyInk stamp set and matching dies Mum's The Word for the focal images. They are stamped in Memento Cantaloupe and  New Sprout ink. Now the part of the challenge which was to add additional colour to an inked image. I chose to use Tim Holtz Distress Marker in Dried Marigold on the flower petals and Tombow #133 on the leaves. I have just barely flicked in a hint of colour to the flower petals to give it some depth and created some veins in the leaves.

I used PapertreyInk stamp set and dies Tiny Tags to add a tiny heart with hugs and kisses at the bottom and another with the word Mom at the top. These are stamped with Memento Angel Pink and Tuxedo Black ink. A very simple bow in a pretty pink ribbon is at the top of the tag.

As I wanted to repeat the butterfly theme that I had used in my random stamping I cut out butterflies using PapertreyInk Beautiful Butterflies die, in a pink check paper then an over layer of vellum. I added a pretty pink pearl to the center of each butterfly. 

I stamped the sentiment using a combination of stamps from  PapertreyInk stamp sets Think Big Favorites #12 in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

The numbers were cut out using Cricut cartridge Songbird.

So there is my birthday card for a real sweetie of a person. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit. Do leave me your comments as I really love to read them. Have a wonderful day. Cheers.

... mojo monday 427 challenge

Good morning my friends,

I am back with a card for the Mojo Monday #427 challenge. You can see the card layout here in this photo.

I decided to use the squares as cut out windows to see into a snowy winter landscape outside.

My card is basic white cardstock. I sponged on some pale blue ink to create the sky and then stamped the deer and rabbit images with PapertreyInk stamp set "In the Meadow" using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

The round focal image is from PapertreyInk stamp set "2011 Holiday Tags" and it is stamped in Memento Danube Blue ink. I popped it up on a piece of silver card stock on top of a blue and silver ribbon.

I stamped a few small snowflakes around the cut out squares using the same In the Meadow set in ColorBox Silver ink and then added some Stickles in Crystal to add some sparkle and shimmer.

Thank you so much for visiting. Do please leave me your comments as I love to read them. Have a wonderful day. Cheers.