Thursday, December 30, 2010

Wintery Note - Meljen's Challenge


Hi Ya Everyone!
  This week at Meljen's Designs the challenge is to make a project that's Cold or Snowy!  Perfect sort of card for this time of year.  The new release is super cute too (click here):

I needed to make a few thank you notes and thought that these images would be perfect for just that.  I took my three favorites, Yeti Cocoa, Snow Bunny, and Cozy Winter Owl and colored them with my Copics. 

Next, I cut them out with my paper trimmer into 3 x 3.5 squares and used my corner round on the A2 cards and the images.  I had some navy blue ribbon that I wrapped and tied. 

I then used my cuddlebug and a snowflake diecut.  I topped the card off with my iRock and placed a few gems in the center of the added snowflakes. 

On the inside I stamped Thank You.  Easy cute cards!  Make sure to check out Whimsy for the new release and please play along in the challenge!  You have a chance to win some awesome digital stamps!
Hugs

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Crafty Creations 100th Post Blog Hop and Challenge!!

Hi ya everyone!  So excited to be in a blog hop for Crafty Creations - it's our 100th post!!! WOO HOO!  So for lots of fun we have decided to have hop with lots of prizes along the way and lots of prizes at the main blog too!  There is a challenge that's very involved - three elements to qualify but it's loads of fun and the prizes are well worth the effort!!!  The rule elements are as follows:
Follow this sketch: I flipped it to the side

Follow these colors:

Add a recycled element: Mine is a silver stretchy bow that came from a Candy Box a few weeks back!
Now you should have arrived here from Jenni's blog.  If you just came by chance head over to the Crafty Creations Challeng blog and read through all the exciting prizes and please visit our sponsors and start at the beginning of the hop.  I'm SUPER excited to have Christy Croll of Tiddly Inks sponsoring my blog today with a $10 gift certificate to Tiddly Inks
TiddlyInks
For this card I used the ever so cute image called Inking of You

She was SO much fun to color and if your puchase her in the shop she comes with an adorable ink bottle too!  All you have to do to win the $10 gift certificate to Tiddly Inks is leave a comment telling me which image from Christy's store (click here) is your favorite. 

At the end of the hop I will be announcing my winner.  So please check back then!!  Now, you are off to Saskia's blog.  Enjoy the fun and prizes along the way and make sure to enter the challenge.  Also, visit the Challenge blog even if you aren't going to enter the challenge and visit our amazing sponsors!!!

Here's the blog hop order with links for your convenience!
Melissa - You are here!!

Hugs!

Not A Stamper - You can be - Part 2

Hi Ya Everyone!
  I'm so excited to be doing an extra spot at She's A Sassy Lady to provide you with more inspiration for using stamps even if you don't like to color.  Last time I taught you how to paper piece.  Today, I will teach you how to make your own paper using digital stamps.  I use a program from Microsoft Office called PowerPoint which is a presentation program.  You can use any program that will allow you to use and manipulate pictures.  I will show you with PowerPoint but you can adjust for your own needs.  First, I insert a picture and here I'm using a digital stamp from Christy Croll at Tiddly Inks called Schoolgirl and she comes with a number of books which I use for both images:
Next, I adjust the size of  the book. 

Then I insert another image from Tiddly Inks

These two images will form the images for my digital paper.  Next, I copy the images repeatedly to allow a whole row of images and paste them twice.  In order to line up the images I use the line tool and draw a straight line and place it under the images and adjust them to line up. 

At this point I select all the images at once - you can either hold down Control and the letter A at the same time or you can hold the control button down and select each image.  Once all the images are selected right click and group the images together. 

When they are grouped you can copy and paste them down the paper.  I like a bit of a staggered look so I staggered mine and added an extra image to the side and alternated each row.

I repeated this process until I had a whole page filled with these images.

 Next, I took a piece of paper from my Tim Holtz Ideology stack and cut it down to an 8.5 x 11 sheet.  I put it in my printer and printed my page.

I needed to add some masculine cards to my stash and thought a birthday card and matching bookmark would be appropriate.  I used the paper for both! 

This is a very short tutorial but one I love because you can have any type of paper you need.  You can also match digital images with background paper like I did for this card. 


Have a wonderful day and if you have any questions please do so in the comments.  Thank you so much for stopping by today and remember that I love comments!
Hugs,
Melissa

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Oh Joy - Meljen's Release

Hi ya everyone!
  Well Christmas is coming fast and I had a few more cards to make.  I made these last two using two sweet images from the new release at Meljen's Design that can be found at Whimsy Stamps (there is no challenge at Meljen's Design Challenge blog this week because of Christmas - but stop by for some inspiration from the Design Team anyway and THERE IS A CHANCE TO WIN TWO FREE IMAGES!!!).

I colored them up with my Copics and used a sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday.  I didn't enter the challenge and loosly followed the sketch - but I love sketches as they give me a layout which is often the hardest part for me!
 I used a number of papers from my Cricut paper stacks - Doodlecharms and Christmas stack. 
Here is a quick view of the insides - I used a few $1 stamps from Studio G!

This will be my last post for a bit of time with Christmas coming!  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.  I am very blessed with a number of wonderful people - my family for starters (my husband is just the most wonderful man I've ever know and I have two of the sweetest girls on the planet!), my new friends in the crafting world whom I love dearly, and my health...I miss my family this time of year that is still in Ohio - but my love is with them anyhow!  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!  I'll be back before the New Year!!
Hugs!!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Enjoy Everything - Crafty Creations Challenge

Hi ya everyone - just a really quick post as I have too much to do right now!!!  Crafty Creations challenge is being sponsored by the wonderful Melanie at *Wink *Wink Ink.  The digital images she has are just too sweet!!!  I love them and they work perfect for our challenge - Angels - we want to see angels on your project...so head over and play...here's my card and I used a pre-colored image b/c of time sakes.  Enjoy and please join us if you have time you could win a $15 gift certificate to *Wink *Wink Ink.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Hi Ya Everyone - Tiddly Tuesday

So, the ever so sweet Christy is giving the Tiddly Inkers a break these next two weeks - but of course she is still diligently drawing away and has placed some new very beautiful stamps in the Tiddly Inks store for New Years... here's a peek!

I love these new images and did I mention they are only $2 right now!  - OH, and head to Christy's blog for some freebies too!
Hugs

Monday, December 20, 2010

Paper Piecing - A Tutorial


Hi ya everyone - Now, I know that some of you don't like to stamp because coloring can be intimidating.  Or maybe you just don't like to color - it can be a bit time consuming and expensive and if you don't have an eye for shading you might think your images look flat.  So today over at Sheila's blog - She's A Sassy Lady I am going to show you that you never have to color a digital or stamped image - you can paper piece the image.  Paper piecing is just what it sounds like cutting images out from your paper and simply piecing them together to form your image.  Today, over at Sheila's I'm going to share with you a project I've done with a cute Tiddly Inks digital stamp called Donna - isn't she just too cute!! 
The awesome thing about digital stamps is you can resize them and this is perfect for paper piecing because the larger your image the easier to cut around the lines and piece together.  Now, if you want to learn more about how I made this cute card - head over to She's A Sassy Lady.  I did a full tutorial.  Thanks for stopping by!  Have a Happy Holidays!!!
Hugs

Friday, December 17, 2010

Happy New Year - Paper Cutz Challenge

Hi ya everyone!
  This week the fabulous Mary of Cardz TV has asked her Design Team at Paper Cutz to create a New Years themed project that includes a banner!  I have been really short on time so I got my project done in the nick of time!  I used a fantastic stamp from Bugaboo Stamps called Scarlette Party!  Isn't she classy?? 

I love her long elegant dress and it was so fun to color.  I used From My Kitchen cartridge to cut out the martini glass in acetate and a shadow in a DCWV paper.  I adhered all the pieces and colored my stamp with my Copics.  I made a little banner from my Give A Hoot cartridge and cut a computer generated sentiment with my nestables. 

Finally, I added a few stickles here and there. Oh yeah, the background paper is from my Christmas stack from Cricut!
Hugs

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Candy Cane Gifts - Meljen's Challenge

Hi ya everyone!
  These last few weeks have been a blur and in an effort to make some quick and inexpensive Christmas gifts for coworkers I used the new Meljen's Design Challenge - Sweet Like Candy.  I really wanted to use a new release image:


but alas, I was giving candy canes so I thought a little Candy Cane set would be more appropriate.  So I used this cute Candy Cane FREEBIE from Meljen's. 

All you have to do to get it is become a member of Paper Craft Planet!  Now for these quick simple tags.  I colored all my Candy Canes and cut them using my nestables. 

I also used a larger nestable and cut in red.  Punched a whole in the top - and tied them to Candy Canes with ribbons...all done! 

Quick and easy!  So join in the challenge this week at Meljen's and head over to Whimsy to pick up some of the new release images!
Hugs

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Winter Wonderland - Crafty Creations Challenge


Hi ya everyone,
  This week at Crafty Creations the ever so lovely Bernie set the challenge.  I have to say, I LOVED this challenge and this is actually the first time I've ever used a photo for inspiration in a challenge.  Here is the photo:
Pretty right!  I instantly thought of my beautiful stack from Tim Holtz called Vintage Shabby stack.  This is the quilted background paper on my card that is cut at 4.75 x 6.75 for a 5x7 card.  I then used my sewing machine and made a stitched border around the whole card with a white thread.  I used the Winter Wonderland cartridge for the trees and sentiments.  I glittered the background with my crystal fine glitter on white paper.

 I used more of the Vintage shabby stack for the trees and sentiments.  I also used my divine swirls and dots cuttlebug folders on the trees.  Finally, I used my iRock to add some embellishment.  I love how this card turned out and it was pretty quick and easy! 
(inside)
Make sure to head over to the Crafty Creations Challenge blog and join in the fun this week - use the photo for inspiration and you could win an adorable pack of stamps from the sweet Bernie!!
Hugs!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Snow Place Like Home - Tiddly Inks Challenge

Hi ya everyone!!
  It's Tuesday - one of my new favorite days of the week - because that means it's Tiddly Tuesday!!!  A new challenge at the Tiddly Inks Challenge blog and new freebies from the amazingly fabulous artist Christy Croll!  This weeks challenge is to "Create a card fit for a blizzard" per Christy! 

So, get out those snowflakes and create a perfectly snowy scene.  I chose three of the sweetest snowmen around; Frosty, Something Warm, and Snowman's Friends.  Each one can be found in Christy's Tiddly Ink store!  I only used a portion of each snowman because I wanted enough room for all of them and the big glittery snowflakes.  I colored each snowman with my Copics (I tried coloring outside the lines this week) and cut them out.

 I then adhered them to this white polka dot paper from my DCWV stack.  I then used my nestable to cut out the circles and adhered them all together.  I cut these snowflakes on my cricut using the Christmas cartridge. Ran them through the Xyron and added this fine crystal glitter.

 I took a piece of Bazzil card stock that has a slight glimmer to is and used the Sizzix snowflake folder and embossed the background.  Lastly, I added glitter to the snowmen and the dots around them and used my new iRock to add some bling to the snowflakes! 

Hope you enjoy this card - There's Snow Place Like Home For The Holidays!  Stop by the Tiddly Inks store pick up a few of your own and join the fun at the Tiddly Inks Challenge blog!
Hugs!