Inspired by Kristina Werner :0)

This layout was inspired by Kristina Werner @ K. Werner Design Blog. Check out that link for the inspiration card. I'm a couple of "SplitCoastStampers featured stampers" behind. I love Kristina's clean style. She always seems to have just the right amount of detail to make simple-looking cards work gorgeously. That was super hard for me to emulate. (I still want to add something to this card, but then it wouldn't be simple...) Charles is stressed out by the staples and the edge of the ribbon showing, lol.

Schtuff used:
Stamps are (retired) "Delight in Life" and "Paisley" background. Cardstock is "Blue Bayou," "Cool Caribbean," and "Soft Sky" (both with "Cool Caribbean" classic ink.) There's a mat of "Not Quite Navy" under both the main image and the aluminum DYMO sentiment. The flower is embossed on "Naturals White" in "Not Quite Navy" craft ink with clear embossing powder, then water-coloured with an aqua painter in "Blue Bayou" and "Tempting Turquoise." The center is washed with "Soft Sky." The beads are from Dressew and the ribbon is current S.U. "Blue Bayou" double-stitched. I stitched the stem by punching the holes with a paper piercer first and sewing with thread that I dyed by sponging on "Not Quite Navy" craft ink.

Thanks for lookin'
:0) Mel

All Christmased Out: a springy kinda card

I need to distract myself by blogging. Charles and I have some kind of bug: food-poisoning or the flu... He's asleep on the bathroom floor, poor angel. I don't have it nearly as bad. It's frustrating to not be able to help him feel better.

This card is to protest Winter. Heehee. Actually, I really enjoy Winter(and Fall too.) I don't even mind the copious amount of rain we get here in the Lower Mainland of BC. We don't get enough thunderstorms for my liking, though. We did get one a couple of weeks back (complete with some mild flash flooding at B.C.I.T.) Funniest thing happened during that storm. I was working at the computer, Charles was watching t.v. and I heard some heavy panting (like a dog.) Only we don't have a dog. It sounded like it was on the t.v., so I asked Charles... Nope, no dog on t.v. Then I went and opened the door (Big bad wolf, is that you?)

In comes a beautiful, but very wet and stinky retriever. She was so afraid of the thunder that she was hiding in our little stairwell under our Bar.B.Q. shelf! Our entrance is all the way around the back of the house, so she had to work to find that spot!

Long story short I just dried her off and went to the neighbour's to ask about her. Our next-door-neighbour told me where she lives, so I left a note for them (nobody was home.) So, I had a dog for the day; I gave her water and petted her for a couple of hours; she wouldn't let me stop, lol. She even let me brush some of the knots out of her tummy and clean her little ears (I suspect that she doesn't get much of this at home. Apparently--the neighbours tell me--she's an under-walked outdoor dog) :0( Made me miss my "Mog" my dog (or first-born, lol) whom I lost in the divorce (he needed a yard, sigh...)

Anywho, rant over. The dog (named Whiskey, after her colouring I take it) went home, and the owners were happy to have her home (Lucky for them Charles didn't fall for the "Can we keep her?" line.) ;0)

Ingredients for this card. (A whack of retired stuff.) "The World Over" hostess set. (Retired) "Delight in Life" set. (Retired) "Cool Caribbean" card stock. Also some current stuff: "Tempting Turquoise" and "Certain Celery" mats with a "Ruby Red" embossed and washed flower. The other flowers are embossed on "Naturals White" cardstock with "Not Quite Navy" craft ink and clear e.p. then they're coloured with "Tempting Turquoise," "Ruby Red," "Certain Celery," and "YoYo Yellow" reinkers on a blender pen. (and why is it that I made ten images, but picked the one with the painting slip up to photograph? lol.) The two sizes of S.U. circle punches made it easy to punch the circle mats out of the rectangular ones. The background is current S.U. "Print Pattern" with white Signo Gel Pen dots drawn in. The beads in the center of the flower are from Michael's and have a nice little sparkle to them.

Well, Charles is tucked back into bed with a bowl (too much info, sorry!) ;0)

Thanks for looking,
Mel

Christmas Card with Sparkly Pink

I wanted to do something outside of my comfort zone (How tame am I!) So, here is a card with some sparkly pink. "Purely Pomegranate" is so rich enough colour that it's not all that brave though. The snowflake is inspired by the Marvelous Kimmy.

I embossed the "Snowflake Spot" snowflake with a mix of silver embossing powder, dazzling diamonds & Pearlex powder, but it just looks like silver e.p. unless you turn it on an angle--then it's slightly holographic, so you could certainly save yourself some time and don't worry about mixing! ;0) The mat is just "Purely Pomegranate" cardstock with Versamark on the edges (to save embossing powder) dipped in a mix of clear embossing powder and dazzling diamonds. That is worth mixing since it saves you having to use Heat'n'Stick powder (which is a fabulous invention for sometimes, but is also a royal pain in the tushy!) I just save my empty e.p. containers to mix in (which I have lots of 'cause I'm an embossing freakazoid) then I write the ingredients of the mix on the lid.

The silver flourishes on the "Sage Shadow" card are from the "Baroque Motifs" set. I use that stamp SO much, but I thik it has such versatility that it looks different on a variety of cards. (It is my favourite (even over the amazing "Paisley" background.) The Baroque flourishes are embossed with Silver "Encore" ink pad and that clear e.p. with dazzling diamonds mix. The ribbon is not retired (miracle of miracles) double-stitched "Purely Pomegranate." The phrase is printed in Word on "Whisper White" cardstock in Edwardian Script ITC size 26, done in a custom font colour (Colour model RGB Red:186, Green:32, Blue:102) How cool is it that you can perfect colour mixes and save the numbers of the different shades that make them? You can even adjust one colour at a time. (Yes, I am a big geek!) :0)

Thanks for checkin' this out,
:0) Mel

Another Version of the "Happy Holidays" Card

I wanted to play around with Christmasy colours & I came up with this. Not sure if it looks too much like camouflage, LoL. Why is it that photos never do justice to cards. They always look that little bit better in 'real life' (In my case it could be the fault of the photographer: Man! I hate taking pictures--'cause I suck, haha...) . I will tell you a little about how this looks in real life. The white dotted snowflakes are more subtle. The beaded area looks less black and has a lot of sparkle and the embossing is less shiny. Too funny! :0) Can you tell I'm in a "MOOD!?" ;0)

Ingredients for this card: "Mellow Moss" card, with "Always Artichoke" and (retired) "Cranberry Crisp." The image is embossed with "Always Artichoke" craft ink and clear embossing powder. Then, I blender penned it with "Cranberry Crisp" reinker, I scallop punched it first and finally glued beads on with Crystal Effects. The circle mats are cut with the Creative Memories cutter and the ribbon is (retired) "Cranberry Crisp" double-stitched. The flourishes are from the "Baroque Motifs" set embossed with a Versamark pad and clear embossing powder.
The "Happy Holidays" is from the (retired) hostess set "Warmest Regards" and I've embossed it with "Always Artichoke" craft ink and clear embossing powder.

I cut the cranberry circle out of the cranberry mat (after I cute it to size) and did that ever make me feel resourceful, heehee! ;0)

Have a fantastic day,
Mel

Storing Stamps for Temporary Mounting

EDITED TO ADD: Not to be critical, but now that I know better I would never ever recommend the Alene's for mounting stamps. It was a pain. Alene's is an amazing product for lots of uses, but in my humble opinion, NOT for this. EZmount is amazing!!!

I have bought loads of stamps that were unmounted. I love the cost savings and some great stamps are only available unmounted. However, it took me a while to figure out how to best mount them. I decided on a system that involves acrylic blocks (love that this saves trees.) The stamps themselves are adhered to foam with rubber cement; then, the back of the foam has 'Alene's Tack it Over and Over' on it, so they'll stick to the acrylic block--"over and over"--;0P Then they can be removed, so I only need a few acrylic blocks. (I got a wicked sweet collection from Esther & Jay for Christmas, but be wary where you buy them from, 'cuz Esther got badly ripped off by an online company!)

My major difficulty though was how to store these sticky little devils; I didn't want to buy a million dollars worth of plastic containers (as nice as that would be.) So, I was racking my brains until I remembered these Ikea office organizers that I had:


I put the stamps on overhead sheets, since I had a lot of them--but they're floppy so I need to stick 'em to cardboard. I read a great pointer about using heavy-duty page protectors with cardboard inside; the stamps get stuck on the outside of the protectors. Handy because you can print the jpeg of sets (off of the site you buy them from) to use as registration. I might invest in those later!

If anyone wants a tutorial on mounting your own stamps, just let me know and I'll happily put one together; I took some pics of the process when I mounted about 200 hundred stamps. (Man that was an ordeal!)

:0) Mel

EDITED TO ADD:
I used to use foam & Alene's Tack it Over & Over, but thanks to Tracy I'm switching to EZ mount.

Beaded Frost

Another Christmas card, but I was hoping this one was kind of generic enough to do for any greeting. The beads on this little branch remind me of the heavy frost that used to crystalize all of the plants on the farm where I spent much of my childhood in Ontario.

This card was feeling rather boring, but I didn't want the design to get heavy looking, so I just added some dry-embossed squares off to the right. Amazing how dry-embossing can make a card feel a little more finished somehow. I have the S.U. light table and both kinds of stylus (I prefer the cheap little one actually.) You can do dry embossing on the window though, just tape your work up on a window (with some low-tack painter's masking-tape so it doesn't ruin your card maybe.) Have the template underneath and use your stylus to press the image into your cardstock. After the initial investment, it's a great way to embellish for free (embellishments can cost a small fortune, so I love these cheap tricks!) :0)

Card Supplies: Cardstock: "Soft Sky," "Blue Bayou," "Not Quite Navy," and "Naturals White." The blue bayou is stamped with a rose vines and thorns stamp in "Blue Bayou" ink (sorry I can't for the life of me remember where I got that stamp! I had to use it though because of the subtle religious imagery; I'm not overly religious myself: more "spiritual" actually. However, being an English major, I just love symbolism...blah,blah,blah...) ;0)

The "Soft Sky" card is rolled with the "Leaves a la Carte" (wheel current S.U.) in versamark ink. The main image is embossed with "Chocolate Chip" craft ink and clear embossing powder, then doodled on with a blender pen (dipped in "Blue Bayou" reinker.) The beads are adhered over top of that with Crystal Effects (best adhesive EVER!) The edges are distressed with the Distressing Tool (fancy that!) ;0)

Thanks for lookin'
Mel

P.S. The patterned paper, that's the backdrop for this picture, is by Basic Grey(from their fruitcake collection); it's called pine bough (FRU-595) Just in case you're curious.

Wishes Are Kisses...Under the Mistletoe!

I think this sentiment makes sense (maybe?) I had originally written "May the one You Wish Give You a Kiss... Under the Mistletoe!" But I quickly decided that it made zero sense (and couldn't have been grammatically correct.) :0) This has been one of those weeks where things almost fall into place, but something is off or missing. I am not pleased with these brads, but the layout needed something and they were all I had. The little suckers are cantankerously difficult to set straight. I put 'em on there anyhow, since this is a practice card. I need to go get more appropriate (round and darker?) ones at Michael's.

I love this "Oh so Lovely" hostess set and thought to myself why not make the berry stamp into mistletoe by putting it upside down. Of course, I didn't have the right coloured ribbon, but I did make a happy discovery that the satin ribbon from Michael's (the uber-cheap stuff) dies really easily. Now I can make custom satin ribbon in S.U. colours for cheap cheap cheap!

Other ingredients in this card: Background Stamp: "The Snowflake Spot" (current S.U. set) stamped onto the "Sage Shadow" card in in "Whisper White" craft ink. The berries are embossed using "Chocolate Chip" craft ink with clear embossing powder. Then I mixed reinkers to create custom greens: The berries are just barely tinted with a blend of "Blue Bayou" and a hint of "Certain Celery" reinkers (very well-watered down.) I used a concentrated mix of "Blue Bayou" and "Mellow Moss" for the leaves (varying the concentration of colour for shading.) After the leaves were dry, I put crystal effects on them to make 'em look glossy. The wash that I painted around the stem etc... with is that mix of "Blue Bayou" and "Mellow Moss" that I used on the leaves but well-diluted.

The red paper is just S.U.'s "Paisley" background stamp (a current stamp that's my absolute fave!!!) I just used classic ink in "real Red" onto "Bravo Burgundy;" How bad am I using retired colours? I stocked up big time. The sentiment is printed on "Naturals White" cardstock from a word document (in "Garamond" font 18 point italics--a custom dark brown.) Wish I had more variety of font styles and colours!

Have a great day,
:0) Mel

I'm Not Sure About This Sentiment...

...but it came to mind, so here it is. I haven't finished the set of these cards, though so I'd honestly love to know if it's not working for you guys. I printed it on the computer, so it's easy to change.

I had fun with the heat'n'stick powder and dazzling diamonds on this one; the sparkle reminds me of snow under street lamps at night. The paper is by Basic Grey from the Blitzen Collection (BLI-337 Jack Frost); You can't really tell with a piece this small, but it has gorgeous snowflakes.
The circles are cut with the Creative Memories custom cutting system. Love that thing! It makes circles super easy to cut.

Other supplies for this card: By Stampin' Up: scallop punch, Cardstock: "Soft Sky," "Chocolate Chip," "Naturals White,"and "Blue Bayou." The ribbon, sadly, is discontinued "Chocolate Chip" grossgrain. (They have the wider stuff in that colour though.) Stamps used: for the background I used "The Snoflake Spot" (current S.U.) in "Whisper White" craft ink and for the central image I used "Snowflakes" (retired S.U.) in blue bayou with Heat'n'Stick Powder and Dazzling Diamonds.

Thanks for Lookin'
Mel

"Happy Holidays" card

I'm trying to get together some cards to sell. This photo might be a little washed out from the flash, but I couldn't wait to finally put a Christmas card on here. It's a simple design, but exciting for me, 'cause I finally got enough bravery up to make a card with circles. Big whoop, hey? I was trying for a less boring layout. I used the punch with this set before and liked the results. I always forget that the whole stamped image doesn;t have to show, lol. AND belive it or not it's not my usual monochromatic (blue) colour scheme: three whole colours not including the neutral, muhahahaha!?! ("Small things amuse Small minds") hehehe ;0) Perhaps I have breathed in too many 'Crystal Effects' fumes...?

Supplies for this card: main card is "Blue Bayou" Cardstock; with Chocolate Chip cardstock embossed with chocolate chip craft ink and clear e.p.; "River Rock" circle and "Naturals Ivory;" Chocolate chip taffeta ribbon; white signo gel pen(dots around circular mat); Main white scalloped image embossed chocolate chip bloom from the "Oh So Lovely" current hostess set--coloured in with blue bayou ink on a blender pen, beaded with crystal effects and clear beads (from Dressew.) The phrase is from a retired hostess set called warmest regards.

I think I might make a few that have just generic phrases, or does it look too Christmasy? What kind of Christmas colour is brown, huh?

Thanks for Checkin' this out,
:0) Mel

Coffin Box

Lots more coffin templates here
(over 26 of them)

Template for this one here :0)

amyz2988 on SplitCoastStampers inspired me to finally start a Halloween project. This 3D coffin box is from the Stampin' up demonstrators' website. It opens at the bottom and fits little wee chocolate bars or other treats. (Assuming I've put it together the way it's meant to be!)

This project falls into the "Why the heck didn't I think of that before???" category. I've just recently started making 3D projects, and I usually cut out a paper template, then trace it out, then cut it out. Well I thought to myself this time that I could just print the template out onto the cardstock directly. "No Duh!" you say?... I'm sure every other crafter on the planet knows to do this, but I thought I'd post just in case someone else was thinking of taking the hard route.

Supplies to make this super simple little sucker: 'BasicGray' cardstock, 'Whisper White' cardstock, a background stamp (I've used "Sanded" but "Weathered" or other textures are great). The mummy is from the "Booglie Eyes" set (it's just too cute!). The characters in it look great with googlie eyeballs glued on. You can't see it in this photo, but the mummy has a 'pop up glue dot' under his head to make him look like he's coming at you. The little hinges are from a retired set called "Finials and Frames" but you could totally just doodle some & cut them out (or draw them right onto your coffin.)

Pointers: use a scoring tool and ruler to go along the dotted fold lines (which stay on the inside of the box) too basic, I know, but somebody out there might be as 3D challenged as me. USe double-sided tape so it stays together well, and leave the bottom flaps (3 of them: 2 little ones and 1 big one) unglued.


Thanks for looking,
Mel

Casey & Beebo go down the runway! an eat cake stamp

Casey & Beebo can be found here & The cute little dragonfly can be found here. I just love the fine detail in Holly's designs; the characters feel like real little personalities. Did you ever build things to play in out of cardboard boxes when you were a kid?

Oddly enough, I've had an intimate relationship with cardboard boxes over the years. When my uncle Mike was born, my family was struggling at farming and so his crib was a banana box! :0)
I used to make boats out of egg cartons (complete with little people and chairs.) I fondly remember the day the refrigerator box arrived, though I don't remember what it turned into. (I just have a vague olfactory recollection of magic markers.) As an adult, I helped my friends child make a cardboard pickle car (from Richard Scary) and we drove around in it for weeks. My family flew me home to Ontario (from BC where I live now) to surprise my Mom for her 5oth birthday. They put me in a giant gift box in my aunt Maggie's backyard. My "Bam Bam" (grandma) built the box out of two cardboard boxes, so I'd fit. It was July so it was HOT in that box. When I jumped out, my Mom almost choked on a piece of cauliflower! Thankfully she made it. :0)

Well enough of my rambling down memory lane... This card is coloured with watercolour pencil crayons; if you haven't tried them yet, then what are you waitin' for? They are amazing. SO easy to use. I go over mine with aqua painter, because I love never having to dip a brush in water. Princess Matilda has a great technique she invented with a blender stub that you can find here.

Cardstock used: 'Taken with Teal,' 'Only Orange', textured White & Craft. The tab is on the Craft cardsock and features a stamp from the "Define Your Life Set" The 'Round Tab' punch makes it a breeze to create the tab. The corners on the main image are done with a retied S.U. corner punch. The brads are by Queen & co. (All other supplies are Stampin' Up)

Thanks for looking,
Mel

Gorgeous Mail! A Card from Allison

I was so thrilled to get this beautiful card from Allison in the mail. It's my first RAK. (and now I know what that means, haha: Random Act of Kindness--I googled it) ;0)

I love this card. My photo doesn't do it justice...The papers are gorgeous and the layout is wicked. I was drooling over the way she's done the scalloped circle (I HAVE to get one of those big lovely scallop punches!) Those flowers are too cute and the phrase makes me wish for spring. Of course the ribbon and pretty pin are fantastic too. Inside there's the nicest letter!

Thanks Allison; you're so thoughtful!
:0) Mel

Tag You're It: what are YOUR crazy names?

I’ve never been tagged before. Thanks “Princess Matilda!” and Tracy too! :0) This is fun:

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) –Socksy Honda

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Vanilla Digestive (How sad is THAT???)

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) -Mmac

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) - Blue Possum

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)-Margaret Newmarket

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) -Macme

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put “The”) The Orange Cider!

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)- Mike Bob

9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy) Jaipur Sour Gummy (Oh ya, like that’s sexy)

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Rose Edward

I don’t have five people to tag, so I’m taggin’ two: Kim and Maggie; have fun! :0) Mel

This card is for this week's splitcoaststampers' colour challenge. And using pink is a major challenge for me, lol. It's going in the mail to my cousin Marissa (Rissa-Bean.) Her favourite colour is pink. She lives in Ontario, and I miss her madly!

The flower is done using emboss resist and shadowed with a Stamp'n'Write marker & a blender pen; want more details? See my splitcoaststampers gallery.

:0) Have a great Day,
Mel

The big 'eat cake' cake

Another eat cake graphics stamp (one that's really true to its name!) The cake is done in layers I water-coloured first on the textured white cardstock, dried it with my heat gun, and then stamped the image (colouring it with markers.) I tried it the other way 'round, but it blurred like crazy--of course. I think I need a million colours of stazon! ;0)

The ink I used to "paint" the cake was mixed to match the background paper: 'Always Artichoke' with a little 'Cool Caribbean' reinker. The background paper is Basic Grey ACS-047 Sublime Collection "Raspberry Blue."

After I had the cake put together (3 pieces) stuck on each other with dimensionals, I put some crystal effects on the "icing" so I could add some dazzling diamonds. Other cardstock colours for this card include "Ruby Red & 'Not Quite Navy.' The ribbon is the new S.U. 'in colour' double-stitched ribbon in "Blue Bayou."

Thanks for looking,
Mel

Smooth Sailing: little notecard

This is a practice card (like a little maquette for a bigger better version.) It wants to be a real card when it grows up. ;0)

This tiny little sailboat (which can be found here) captivates me so much that I wanted to have to stand alone. The water stamps offer a really easy way to add fine detail. The boat was stamped in black Stazon so it didn't bleed when water-coloured. (Gotta get me some watercolour paper, though, 'cause plain cardstock buckles/bubbles and drives me bonkers!)

I'm not too pleased with the phrase (it stands out too much and becomes the focal point.) I think I might use my tiny rough edges alphabet to stamp out the "Smooth..." of 'smooth sailing' so it's more subtle and looks like newsprint. Also, next time I'll be fussier about what the newspaper says. This one talks abut "weeks in the lead up to the Fall TV season" BLAH! Nothing relaxing about that!

Stuart & Scooter go for a Ride: Hairless Pig-Dog???

I just LOVE this stamp! (Stuart & Scooter can be found hangin' out at the bottom of this page.)

It's the perfect stamp BUT I don't know how to colour it, so I had to add this question (it's killing me!?!) Is Scooter (the little animal guy in the back here) a pig or a dog? Charles says "Dog;" I say "Pig" and Charles says "He's open to interpretation." So is he a Pig-Dog??? If he is a dog I've coloured him wrong, so in this card he would have to be a hairless breed! Hehehe.

This is the first time I've tried masking. It was way easier than I thought it would be...I did it in 3 layers or 3 main steps: first, I stamped the whole image on S.U. "Craft" cardstock, cut out the box shape, and used my Hobby Blade (exacto) to cut a slit in the box, so I could slide those guys in; second, I stamped the top of the image onto "whisper White" cardstock, water-coloured them and cut them out (leaving a tab on the bottom of 'em so I could insert them and adhere 'em into the slot); third, I stamped the box wheels onto a piece of "Whisper White" cardstock and coloured them in with a black ink wash and silver zigpainty pen. I also masked the box off and stamped the grass in. Then I water-coloured the sky and the ground.

The dragonfly was added last (Man, was I paranoid that I'd stamp him wrong!) Thankfully, I was using the stamps on an acrylic block, so I could position him (This is also the only reason that I could get the grass at the right angle.) I have to say that I am rapidly becoming a fan of purchasing unmounted stamps so that I can work with more precision (or less muckin' up!)

I realized with this card that I like to do the painting first and then cut out the rectangle (or square...) of the main scene after, because I don't want the size to limit my design. This means I have to adhere the image onto each mat layer and then cut away the excess. (Does that make any sense at all?) ;0) What I mean is that I start the image on a big piece of white cardstock and cut away the outside... (same with the layers of colour that go behind it: textured "Blue Bayou," "Cool Caribbean," and "Not Quite Navy.")

I think I like this method because I hate measuring/marking and I just eyeball all my cuts, haha. In this case, building the image from the scene meant that I could mark the exact line of the hill onto the green "Certain Celery" card (with a pencil) and then add the tone-on-tone grass stamping to follow that slope. [You can just barely see it on the left and right.]

Thanks for having a peek & hope you have a great weekend,
Mel

Itsy Bitsy Bear Lonely in the Chair

Another armchair card; I'll probably do a million of 'em before I get tired of this stamp (or you do!) :0) I tried adding baseboard; it looked too stark and took the focus away from this teensy weensy itsy bitsy bear. ["Isty Bitsy Bear" can be found here; the armchair can be found here; Eat Cake Graphics, of course.]

The paper used on the chair is retired S.U. designer series, though the pattern "Le Jardin" (page 171) is still available in different colours. The chair's legs are water-coloured with classic chocolate chip ink. The wallpaper is Basic Grey (Pre-169 Phlordilee aged & confused Phresh & Phunky) again.

The phrase is just hand-scrawled with a black stamp'n'write marker, not sure that I'm happy with my handwriting, but what'ya'do? The wood texture is printed from a download on white cardstock (from this super-duper website.)

Thanks for lookin'
:0) Mel

Cozy Puppy. Phrase Inside: "How You Doin'?"

Had too much fun with this one. The armchair and puppy are from Eat Cake Graphics. The paper for the armchair is Stampin Up (page 172 & 173) Designer Series paper in 'Blue Bayou.' The legs on the chair are water-coloured with chocolate chip ink. The craft ink is the best for this since the classic ink is too translucent to hide the white dots on the paper. The puppy is water-coloured with a mix of 'Chocolate Chip' & 'Apricot Appeal' classic ink.

The wall paper is paper by Basic Grey (Pre-169 Phlordilee aged & confused Phresh & Phunky). I'm super excited about the floor, because it's printed on whisper white cardstock from this amazing reference site under "wood" from Mayang's free textures & backgrounds website.

There are pictures of every surface you could need for cards or collages and you can download up to 20 per day. I was originally looking for wallpaper for my collage website (still haven't figured out how to do that, but I love the page for printing funky textures.

I think next time I make this card I'll add baseboard; what do you think? :0) Mel

Eat Cake Grapics Flying Fish

Playing with those eat cake stamps. I've had this design in mind since I ordered these stamps. Still needs some tweaking, but I find it so fun to do these bright colours.

This looks kinda neon, but it's really just normal colours (The orange is really "Pumpkin Pie"). (Darned camera!) I did the water-colouring of the sky with my aqua painter (watered-down "Tempting Turquoise") and the the fish and ship were done with a fine tipped "round" paint brush. The main image is cut out, and the ship is embossed with clear embossing powder. I used up the last of my silver zig-painty pen on the fishicopter blades, and "Penelope's" glasses have crystal effects on them to make them shine like glass.

Paper colours: Cool Caribbean,Pumpkin Pie, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White (with water-colouring.)

Thanks for looking!
:0) Mel

Polar Bear by Eat Cake Graphics

This one's inspired by you Ijsbeer. :0) Love this little guy, BUT I figured out why I don't make lots of Christmas cards early. Because then I get Christmas carols stuck in my head forever! Inside the card says "Wishing You a White Christmas!"

Mel

Ingredients/Supplies:

Whisper White card stock with Cool Caribbean. Paisley background & Snowflake stamps. Eat Cake Graphics Polar Bear. Custom spectrum pad: in turquoises. Crystal effects on the large snowflake with Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

Excitment is Mounting! eat cake graphics

Admittedly. I'm the only one excited about this, but I hadda share. My big 100.00 order of eat cake graphics stamps arrived today. Holly is super quick with shipping, even though it took a short lifetime for my paypal echeque to clear. Here they are in all their glorious rubber splendiferousness, sighhhhhhhhhhh of joy.

Mel

P.s. The red rubber (non adhesive amazing quality) is available at Above the Mark Stamps; if you order more than six you pay only exact shipping.

P.s.s. side-note of "how stupid am I?" humour: I accidentally flagged my own artsy-fartsy (other) new blog (of nude figure study collages) as having objectionable content, duh! (And I haven't even started yet with the really objectionable stuff?!? Apparently, many have gone before me and I don't have to worry, but if I disappear look for me in blogger prison. ;0)

Linoeum Carving: a quasi-tutorial

Okay, I don't have any pictures of me carving (to show execution) 'cause I was all by myself when I was carving, but I'll try and write out some pointers that might help you carve your own lino stamps. (I am by no means an expert; I just like doing it.) :0)

Supplies: lino block of your choice, carving handle & lino cutters (They are available at art supply stores in kits.) Pencil, medium-fine dark black marker, washable ink pad, (Stazon for mirror image carving), scrap paper, exacto blade, brayer (for large lino blocks). Optional: carbon paper.

First, you'll want to create an image. I browsed the internet looking for crow images for inspiration. I found this (and I would have bought it, but they're out of stock.) So, I simplified the image to carve. I wish I could carve that one exactly but I'll need a lot more practice...

When you're picking your image, you might want to start simply. Keep in mind that whatever you carve away will not pick up ink and will not transfer onto your paper. (Of course your image will stamp in reverse.) Have a look at your favourite stamps and consider what it would be like to carve them. Where would you leave material where would you carve away? Lino is capable of holding fine detail which is nice, but it also means every nick will show.

I drew my crow in pencil until I had something workable then I went over him with a medium-fine black marker (stamp'n'write marker). That allowed me to turn the image over and trace the dark lines with pencil (the softer the pencil the better it will transfer (I think a 3B would be ideal, but I just used a standard HB pencil.)

You can print your image out if it is simple enough and trace it on the back with pencil--put it on a light table or tape it on a bright window for maximum traceability. Or use tracing/carbon paper over it. First I check to see if my lino block is free of imperfections. If there's a nick, turn it over or use a fresh piece.

Then you put the tracing onto the lino (pencil side down against the lino block) and rub the back (either with an eraser or by scratching pencil lines on it.) If you have carbon paper it's easier, but I've never used it... You can also draw straight onto the lino if you're very confident. (which I am NOT) ;0). I'm sure I've made this sound much more complicated than it is in practice, but I wanted to include as many pointers as possible. It really is intimidation free, since you can erase and start over again or pick the supplies that will make it a breeze.

It's also exciting that you can make inverted images, or mirror images, of stamps you already have. You can do this with the lino stamp you carve--as I have in this picture:

or you can stamp a stamp you already have onto the lino. I suggest Stazon ink, since it won't smudge very much when you carve. Just stamp it onto your piece of lino, let it dry, then carve away! If you sell your cards/projects you may want to consider the copyright of some images, but I'll leave your ethics up to you ;0)

Once you've transfered your image, you can begin to carve. As you can see in this picture of the partway carved crow below, I start with a fine cutter (No.1 V-shaped fine-line cutter.) Click on the pic for a detailed look:

Go around your lines and try to keep even pressure for a steady line. What works for me is to think a little ahead (sounds weird, but if I am doing a curved line I try to feel in my mind what the curve will feel like as I execute it and then I carve). Kind of like a tennis swing or batting in baseball (though I suck at sports, haha). Imagine the feeling of the 'follow through' and carve.

You'll want to carve away from yourself (for instance away from your hand that's holding the lino) for two reasons: first, it's easier to get the right pressure and to follow through with your lines; second: you aren't going to cut your self if you slip (Those blades are sharp!).

You'll also want to carve away from your image, so you don't slip and cut into it. Using the fine cutter around your image leaves you a little leeway to work away from so you don't end up with stuttered edges.

I hold the blade at what I would say is a 45% angle, but you'll find what feels right for you...You can use the blades on their sides too (so instead of cutting a "u" groove you leave a flatter surface.)

After I'm done carving (and during), I blow the bits away to make it easier to carve and to make the image stamp more clearly. To make sure I have a good clean image, I stamp it out and then go back and carve away whatever has registered that I don't want to show (bits I missed). I suggest inking it quickly (as you would with repeated normal use) to see which bits are too high.

Which linoleum to use & storing your lino stamps:

Here is a good tutorial that might pick up some of the things I left out. I want to try the lino with the wooden block . (Seems like it's be more durable.) However, I love the butter-like quality of the "Speedy cut" lino. I'm torn about which one to recommend: I imagine if you're just starting out, that you might want a lino that is super easy to carve into, but it has it's drawbacks: it's easy to nick it (even your fingernail can put a mark where you didn't want one) and it's less durable. As you can see in the photo above, I've stored my stamps with caution. There's carpet tape (or heavy-duty double-sided tape) under the stamps to keep them from shifting and damaging.

Here are some links to tools & other tutorials on lino carving:

Tools for carving

Here's some linoleum types that I want to experiment with

Carving for kids (I like the simple approach of this)

An easy tutorial that is a whole lot simpler than mine, hehehe.

Another awesome tutorial with clearly defined (numbered steps.)

A detailed and professional tutorial with easy transfer methods.

Another funky tutorial.

ETA: An amazing tutorial by Geninne on Geninne's Art Blog

Hope this is useful to anyone who wants to try carving their own lino stamps. It really is easier than I make it sound. :0)

Mel

EDITED TO ADD: Here's a great Quick Lino Stamp YouTube Video by Nielle

Crows: Home-made Lino Stamps

These are the finished crow stamps. I kept at it until I had one I was happy with, but then I thought maybe I'd stamp them together for a murder! :0) So here's what I came up with:

I wanted to make a special card for our amazing friend Matt's birthday, and he loves crows/ravens as much as I do! I stamped the three crows together with craft ink & black embossing powder. At first it bothered me that the tails were overlapping, but then I thought it was kinda cute. I added the fine swirls with a pen and nib dipped in "Black Magic" waterproof drawing ink (also available at art supply stores.) The papers are naturals ivory for the main image and textured for the rest. The large black piece has a bit of sparkle to it (Thanks Esther for gifting them to me from your trip to Victoria!) The metal phrase is an aluminum dymo tag 'cause guys like the "industrial" look and crows like shiny stuff! (and so do I) :0)

Mel

If you would like more details about these crow stamps, you can find them here.

Lino Carving Your Own Stamps: my crow

I've always wanted a crow stamp, but somehow have never found one that feels 'crowish' enough to me. I really love crows and ravens. So, I decided to resurrect my old elementary school pastime: lino carving (Lino carving is traditionally used for print making, so it's a natural adaptation to use it for stamping.) It was taught to me by Mrs. Diane Neal my favourite teacher of all time, then and still.)

These are the tools you need if you want to carve lino block: first, you need lino block :0) (I got a piece approximately 5 x 1o inches for just under 20 bucks.) You also need a "lino cutter assortment (handle and various blades). These are found in any arts supply store, and are rather reasonably priced. (Mine was $14.95 two years ago--sticker's still on the box--my memory is not that good!) You'll also want a pencil and paper (to design and transfer your image) and ink (to check your progress by stamping when you think you've removed all of the material you need to.)

This is a close up of the lino block in progress. The fine lines use a No.1 V-shaped cutter. The deeper lines are made with a No.5 U-shaped large gouge cutter. :0)

Thanks for checkin' this out,
Mel

Little Pink Purse: inspired by the Kim the Magnificent

I am now thrilled to say that I am not too chicken to try 3-D stuff. It's really easy. (I still need to polish my skills, but it's too much fun to resist). This "Purely Pomegranate" purse was inspired by Kim's tote and card here, though comparatively this is super basic. (In hindsight--after using the double-sided tape to stick this all together--I realized that I should have stamped on this--The flourish from the "Baroque Motifs" set would have look snookum embossed on here, I think. In black even?) Oh well, next one...

This version uses a template from S.U.'s demo website (I'm going to post projects on here, so if you'd like a template, just post a comment and I'll email you.)

I just doodled on little dots, added some faux-stitching, and used the pliers from my handy dandy tool kit to remove a section of beading from a boho lookin' necklace that I'll never wear (Sorry Mom--She'll be ticked when she sees this!) All I did to hold the embellishment on is punch a hole with my paper piercer & put a brad through it. Then I added the ribbon for the handle.
Easy Peasy!

My favourtie thing about this template size is that it's perfect for holding mini gift cards or S.U.'s embellishment containers (for those crafty people on your gift list.) The old cliche rings true: Good things some in small packages!

:0)

I made Kim start Blogging!

I'm feeling guilty for not putting Kim's name in the draw. I'm positive she'd agree that best-friends just can't count in blog candy... So, I'm by floggin' her blog instead. :0) We started it last night (I was just meager technical support...). She's already got 5 great posts. Hah! Take that Ms. Modest! (She's super modest, and won't believe that she's super awesome crafty.)

Here's Proof! A blue card that she made. For more bellas go see her blog:

Kim's Kards

Leave her a comment, if you're so inclined... :0)

Mel

Allison Won!

I drew Allison's name out of my mixing bowl. Charles is off fishing, so what's a girl to do? Wait? I don't think so?!?

Here's her lovely blue card

It has loads of gorgeous details and of course a bold beautiful blue! Allison's inspired me to actually start on some Christmas cards. And that is saying something since I reign supreme as the queen of procrastinators (proudly, haha). Guess what colour they'll be...

Glad I didn't have to pick without the help of chance. They were all so good! Thanks so much for posting and I can't wait to do blog candy again. (Next time I'll do a stamp set). Wish I was rolling in green, then I'd do blog candy every day! :0)

Have a great day,
Mel

Blog Candy: PLEASE make sure I have your contact info!!!

I am having so much fun reading everyone's comments, but I have two dilemmas:

First, some people have left great responses with no contact information (I clicked on your names and no blog is listed--WEEP!) :0(
Second, for some weird reason the links in comments get cut off by some formatting and don't work. I'm not sure how to fix this in the comments section, but I think I thought of a way to circumvent frustration for anyone who is curious to see the neat things people have shared.

Here's a list of the links people have left so far:

Tracy's gorgeous garden visitor & sumptuous wrap.
(you gotta see this!)

Donna's blue ribbon card:
Love the pearlized paper.

Libby's Lake Huron post:
Lovely! Makes me miss the lakes of Ontario where I was born.

Allison's beauty of a blue card:
Love the scallops and the doodled dots.

Michelle's blue blanket:
(gorgeous and cuddly)

Carol's blog:
with a beauteous blue ocean banner

ikkinlala loves this awesome quilt:
Me too!

Ijsbeer's
beautiful blue beads

Kim's blue bath bella:
Gotta love how she sparkles (especially when she's squeaky clean!)

Pat's inspiration from Michele's blue Christmas card

Laura's christmas card:
makes me want to pull out that 'Flaky Friends' set!

Ros's blog (stamp and scrape):
I picked a subtly blue card that's just stunning

Betty's blue project:
Too adorable. Love it!

Thanks for all the awesome posts! Hope I did miss anyone's link. I'll add more to the list when I'm not so bagged. I figure I'll hit 30 posts, then call it done, draw for a winner, and mail out the candy :0). So, who says you shouldn't take candy from "strangers"?!?

Mel

P.S. don't forget to check out the comments section for posts that are sans links (there's some really good ones! With baby makin' and men in uniform; who can resist?)
P.S.S. Leave contact info please! :0) Mel

Everything Blue & Some Metal Too: BLOG CANDY!

All Done!Thanks for Posting! :0) Mel

If you like blue, this is for you:

I've been inspired "Princess Matilda" (who came up with this question on her blog--with the colour red). I hope she doesn't mind! Though my contest is not so original, it is in honour of the colour I personally obsess about: blue (and all its monochromatic hues).

This blog candy includes:
Two super-soft reams of fiber, some double-stitched ribbon in the new S.U. "in colour" blues: Soft Sky and Blue Bayou... A mix of silk flowers died in those colours...some photo corners, punched tags, & scalloped circles (also in those two blues)...Some homemade primas (watercoloured cardstock)...One of my cards--with loads of blue...A dozen Cool Caribbean cards (blank), half a dozen book marks & some vials of blue beads...a little blue notebook...and a tin (for altering?) with a dozen soft sky gemstones (circle), some metal frames, vellum metal-edged tags, and finally, two bobbins of Blue Bayou thread. [fine print: tray not included, lol.]

So what do I want you to do? Please leave a comment about your favourite blue thing(s) with a link to something blue you've made or something blue that thrills you. (Your odds of winning are high, since I've just starting to get my blog out there.) :0)

[Please, be sure to include your first name & contact info (blog or email) so I can email the winner for a mailing address. Don't worry, I don't share eddresses or send unsolicited emails.]

Thanks!
Mel

"How Cheap Am I?": photo corners

Now that I've dipped into my patterned paper stash I just can't stop myself. This is one of my favourite patterns by Basic Grey (Pre-169 Phlordilee aged & confused Phresh & Phunky).

The middle (more brown strip) is just a piece I brayered with Basic Brown classic ink. The bloom is embossed with Not Quite Navy craft ink and chocolate chip (center). Then watercoloured with the matching classic reinkers. The middle has beads from dressew. Stamps: "Delight in Life" & "A Greeting for All Reasons."

This is the "How Cheap Am I?" part; I used Not Quite Navy card stock to make a thin matt in behind the plordilee paper, but it always feels like such a waste of all that cardstock! So, I just punched my photo corners out of the center (LOVE this punch.)

The card stock is stamped with Not Quite Navy using the "Well Worn Words" background stamp for some visual texture.

If you don't have a photo corner punch, but you do have square punches then check out Libby's awesome photo corner tutorial!

Bubble Paper: my first tutorial

A few people have been asking me to explain how I make my bubble paper. So, I thought I'd try my hand at a tutorial. I picked the right technique to start with, I think, because it couldn't be easier.

These cards both have bubble paper on them. My favourite way to use it is with fish, of course. (Click on the pic to get a fish-eye view!) :0)

CARD INGREDIENTS: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou paper, designer series paper; stamps: "Baroque motifs," "Alphabits," "Beyond the Basics," & "Very Punny;" Not Quite Navy craft ink & clear embossing powder.


Here's a variety of papers you can make with this
technique. From left to right they are done with:
1. Soft Sky reinker leaving no white space.
2. Blue Bayou reinker background leaving no white space then adding drops of reinker direct to wet page and sprinkling salt.
3. Tempting Turquoise reinker (no white space.)
4. Blue Bayou & Soft Sky reinkers mixed and watered down (no white.)
5. Blue Bayou full-strength (with frequent loading of reinker on brush.)
6. Blue Bayou watered (with white space left.)



INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING BUBBLE PAPER:

1. Glossy card stock,
2. Reinker
3. Aqua painter

You definitely need glossy cardstock for this. (Start by cutting small pieces if you like, so you can get comfortable with the technique.)

It's fun to mix reinkers of similar hues--like Blue Bayou & Tempting Turquoise, for instance. They dry sort of separately (with a ring of subtle turquoise in this case.)
However, you'll want to test out a patch to be sure that the mix won't look muddy.

Fill your aqua painter with water & you're set to go. No need to squeeze the aqua painter (unless you want a wash look)


This is what the bubble paper looks like while you're making it. So, How do you make it? Just pounce the brush on the paper. You can hold your
brush straight up and down (at a 90% angle) or another angle to get a variety of looks.

This example [above] was straight up and down. If you click on the picture it will enlarge & you can see the detail. When the bubbles pop, they dry leaving darker concentrations of the pigment. (And they blur a little giving a softer look.)
The bubble paper with white spaces [below] was done at more of a 45% angle and spaces were left.

I did it at an angle. I've yet to use it on a project, since I think I'll need a beach stamp set. (It reminds me of waves washing up on the sand.)

Hope you try making bubble paper; it takes no time to whip together (just takes a while to dry). If you do try it, I'd love to see any variations that you make or projects using it. Please leave me a link! :0)

Thanks for checkin' this out,
Mel

Check out my UPDATED :0) Slide Show!

Starving Artistamps & a little personal nostalgia

Ever wanted to join a design team? Then check this out!
Starving Artistamps Design Team Info

If you just want funky new stamps then keep reading.
Don't miss: the Artful Inkables Blossoms and Petals (right); the uber-fun Doodle Factory Halloween stamps; their awesomely priced "Positive words"; their stitch stamps: Trimmings
and some funky Creatures.

Their Seed Series I and Seed Series II struck the most personal/emotional chord with me. My "Bam Bam" (nick name for my Grandma that has stuck through 10 grandkids, 2 great-grand-kids and counting...) will LOVE these (when I make her the Christmas card series, teehee). She has collected over 8000 varieties of seeds in film containers. When I was young, she helped me do a science project on seeds, and she brought her collection--when it was only 4000-- :-) to my elementary school. She was featured in the local newspaper. It is beyond description when art-stamps move you like that, but I'll try: it's that shiver of the quick breath of your youth. It smells of playing outside and feels like the familial attention we all vied for: "Looook what I can do!" :-)

To find your own uncanny inspiration, here's Starving Artistamps home page:
http://www.starvingartistamps.com/
and Gallery link:
http://www.picturetrail.com/starvingartistamps

Please note: all images in this post are property of Starving Artistamps Inc.

Aerospace Ephemera: aluminum dymo tags

I had a million cups of tea today, so I am up late crafting & posting (again) :0). This card is as far away from blue as I could get today, lol. Though Kim has me intrigued with the new "pink:" purely pomegranate.

I'm so excited (!!!!!) about the metal accent on this card (my weird take on ephemera: the aluminum phrase tags.) Here's why I'm unnaturally thrilled:

I bought a dymo label maker that takes aluminum rolls. (Gotta play the how much game: I got it on ebay for a steal--regularly $300.00 plus tax I got it for $58.00 +shipping). However, the aluminum tape that came with it was too hard, and I was heartbroken that it wouldn't take the letters (and believe me I TRIED!). So, I emailed the only company I could find that sells the tape online to ask how to purchase their aluminum tape, but they never got back to me (GRRRRR!). A year later and I've just recently found the softer tape and can finally punch phrases out. Now I just have to think of something clever to say!

I had been thinking about this type of label maker for a long time, because I'd used one, when I worked in aerospace, to tag airplane parts that I deburred (took the sharp edges off). Now, I am much happier to be deburring ephemera! (The raw edges of the tags just need a little sanding so no one gets cut on them.)

CARD INGREDIENTS: This is done with 'Sahara sand' card stock, 'always artichoke' ink and 'not quite navy' accent cardstock, the ribbon is the new double-stitched "in colour ribbon" from Stampin Up (blue bayou--of course.) The stamp sets used are "Artfully Asian" and "Basket full of Fun" (The latter is a retired hostess set.) This little pail is embossed with silver e.p. and the flowers are embossed in chocolate chip. There's crystals effects on some of them for shine.

Here's a pic of my beloved label maker in case you're curious: