Thursday, August 16, 2012

Pink Persimmon Card and Artist Trading Card



On the card above I used "Sweetheart Silk Card" with "Vintage Greetings".  Combine these great vintage images with a few dies and you can put this card together quick.  The dies are Quickutz (buttons / flowers on dress form), Cheery Lynn (doily) and Spellbinders (dress form).  

All of these newly released images are all about 2.5 x 3.5.  Perfect for ATC's as long as you don't want a border.  The edges of the of the Baby Pearls measures 2.5" x 3.5".  There is a small amount of space around  the edges of  the images for Men's Buttons, Mermaid Pearls, Sweetheart Silk Card, and Happy Girl.  The Mini Bingo Card measure 2 5/8" x 3 5/8".  So if you used it for an ATC, you would trim away some of the solid border.   And of course the are perfect size for cardmaking and scrapbooking.  I love how Mermaid Pearls, Baby Pearls, and Happy Girl have those little boxes perfect for journaling, well at least for those of you who like your own handwriting.  I can tell you I don't like mine and what I would do is type it up, then cut the center of the boxes out creating a little window and then lay the image over my typed journaling.

So what do you think??  
When you look at the images, what type projects do you start dreaming up??

Speaking of ATC's ...

2.5" x 3.5" Artist Trading Card


Not really an ATC person??   
Well, do what I"m going to do with this one .....  put it on the front of a card.  I will share it again later when it's all done.  I couldn't resist creating it when I seen the banner challenge over at "Fun with ATC's".  They post challenges every 2 weeks so you still have time to enter if you like creating ATC's.  I used "Small Banner Set" and the birds and sentiments from "Singing Birds".

Well that's it for today.  Hopefully very soon I will be finishing up some more Mixed Media projects and scrapbook layouts to share!

Check out Pink Persimmon stamps HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Melisa


Need more inspiration for using your Pink Persimmon stamps??
You can check out all my Pink Persimmon projects HERE.

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Woowhoo!!  My card was featured as a Top 3 at Paper and Such!





Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Digital Two For Tuesday


Good afternoon friends!  I don't usually post twice in one day, but I wanted to share with you a call for guest designers over at "Digital Two for Tuesday".  You can read more about it HERE.  

**** Update ****
Cora says she has filled all the guest designer positions for 2012

The blog is ran by Cora Hawkins and she is very talented at taking old images from vintage magazines and books and turning them into digital stamps that the rest of us can design with.  And all the images are FREE!  I can only imagine how much time Cora spends sharing these images on here "Digital Two for Tuesday" challenge blog and on her personal blog "Clearly Vintage" for the rest of us to use.  The only thing she ask is that you not share the actual image anywhere else and that if you post it somewhere, link to her blog.   If you get a minute, hop on over and check out the blog.




Aren't these some of the sweetest images ????  Doesn't it make you want to stop what your doing  and sit down and color???   Well ..... I guess that depends on what your doing, teehee.  I'm cooking dinner and doing some ironing.


Today I am sharing cards I created in the past using some of Cora's images.


 I don't have time to look up all the individual links for each specific image, however you can check out the previous post for these and should find the links there.  HERE.


The post for this floral card comes with a step by step tutorial on how to print the image directly on the front of a card, no cutting or adhering.  You just print, fold, color, punch the border if you like and add a bow!
Clean and Simple!



Had to get up at 4am for CPR class this morning and back to work tomorrow and friday.  So I better get off here and finish up my day.  My Tempur-Pedic mattress is calling my name!  I LOVE my mattress!

I hope you all have a wonderful night!
Hugs,  Melisa

Scrapbooking with Papertrey Ink's "Star Prints"



I've been trying to work some scrapbooking in between my card making and mixed media / altered projects. I have soooooo many old photo's that I want to get done.  This one brings back so many memories.  My little guy is 24 now.  He was a tough little guy.  He loved basketball and baseball and would have played football if we would have let him.  He was often the smallest on the team, but tough and determined.


I have a lot of old 12 x 12 scrapbook paper to use up.  This set is from 2007 ( My Mind's Eye  "Confetti" ).  It would be easier to just run out and buy new stuff with all the cool coordinating embellishments they make these days.  But I knew with the combination of some of my newer tools I could pull it all together.  At least for this layout.


Papertrey Ink's "Star Prints"  and Sweet n' Sassy scalloped star border die ( Hearts and Stars Scalloped Border Die Set )coordinated perfectly.

Thanks for stopping by!
Melisa


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Challenges

Over the weekend I started searching for scrapbook challenges to play along with.  Hopefully it will keep me  motivated and on track with Scrapbooking along with all my other crafty stuff.
So if your a scrapbooker, check these out.  I think most of them have monthly deadlines, so there should be plenty of time for you to join in on the fun as well!!
And here is a site that list challenges for you :
http://scrapchallenge.com/
just scroll down to see a list


Top 5

Woowhoooo!!!  This project was featured as a Top5 over at Crafty Cardmakers!

iClassygirl.com - Paint (splattered on the background patterned (deadline Aug19)
paper and around edges of the photo's)
True XoXo Scrapbooking - Olympics (sports photo's)
Scrap It Girl - Numbers (title and 2 of the stars)
Kaboodle - friendship
Crafty Cardmakers - sports
Papertake Weekly - Spots and stripes

Monday, August 13, 2012

Sweet 'n Sassy Cards


Yellow has never been one of my favorite colors, but as soon as I seen this paper pad at Hobby Lobby last week I had to have it.  It's by Authentique.   "Everyday Miracles" is a wonderful encouragment stamp set.  And you know I love those butterflies!


This card was featured as a top 3 at Sentimental Sundays!!


Have you seen the August new releases over at Sweet n' Sassy??  I'm in LOVE with the Autumn Collage!!


So I grabbed a couple of my Sweet n' Sassy stamp sets and these are the results!  These are pretty clean and simple.  The coloring took the most time.

I love the "Praising the Lord" set because of the wonderful sentiments in it.  This week I am praising the Lord for a new job opportunity and for my sweet husband who I love so much!  How is God blessing you in your life??

You can view all of my Sweet n' Sassy projects HERE.


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Project Details 

Card #1

Stamps : Sweet 'n Sassy - "Everyday Miracles"
Patterned Paper : Authentique 6 x 6 paper pad (Hobby Lobby)
Copic Markers
Deckled Scissors - Fiskars  Border     Punch :EK Success
Spellbinders Labels Fourteen Nesitblities
Trim : Hobby Lobby

Trim patterned paper 3 3/8" x 5 1/2".  Punch scalloped border and adhere along bottom edge of panel.  Adhere yellow cardstock to top edge and then trim with deckled scissors.  Adhere panel to card front.  Adhere trim.  Cut white cardstock with Spellbinders Nestibilities and stamp sentiment.  Stamp butterfly antenna's on label and butterfly on white cardstock.  Color butterfly, trim and adhere to label.  Adhere label to card front.


Card #2

Stamps : Sweet n' Sassy "Praise the Lord"
Patterned Paper : Authentique 6 x 6" paper pad (Hobby Lobby)
Copic Markers
Spellbinders Labels Two Nestibilities

Trim patterned paper 4 1/4" x 4 1/2" and adhere to card front.  Stamp image and sentiment on white cardstock color, and adhere to card front.  Adhere trim.

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Challenges

Card #1
Craft Your Passion - bugs (butterfly)
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
Sentimental Sundays - Clean and Simple with a sentiment

Card #2
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Home (a bird's home is in a tree)
Charisma Cards - flowers and an animal
Skipping Stone - sketch
Word Art Wednesday - scripture challenge
"Rejoice in the Lord O ye righteous, for praise is comely for the upright" Ps 33:1

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Mixed Media : Altered Stamp Blocks



3 Houses
Last post I shared with you that I remove the rubber images from the wooden stamp blocks and remount them on cling so I can organize all my stamps in notebooks by catagory.  Well over the years I have saved up various sizes of the wooden blocks with the plan to re-purpose them into little works of art.  This is my fourth altered stamp block project.  There is a link at the bottom of the post, if you would like to check out the other 3.


I started with 6 rectangular stamp blocks.  3 for the bases and 3 for the roofs.  I had my husband cut 3 of the rectangular blocks into triangles to create my roofs.  Next I  spray painted the blocks.  I adhered the roofs on with Aleene's Tachy Glue.  The flower centers were made with clay and tissue paper.  I shaped a round disc with a dip in the middle from air-dry paper clay.  After dried, I wrapped it with tissue paper.



If you are interested in buying a set like this, email me.  (luv_2_stamp@yahoo.com) .



I couldn't find enough coordinating pattern paper in my stash, so I decided to create my own "text" patterned paper using a font that looks like it came from a typewriter.  Read more about how I created my "text" patterned paper below.  I used a free download from dafont.com called "Mom's Typewriter".








Creating your own text patterned paper
I had saved a list of quotes I found here and there that I thought would look good on ATC's or other Mixed Media projects and I just typed those up and then repeated them.  After printing my "text" patterned paper, I sprayed it with Krylon's Matte Finish "Workable Fixative".  Not sure I even needed it.  Heat setting with my heat tool may have been enough, but I was in a hurry and didn't want to risk the ink smearing.  I use Epson ink.    I used as little water as possible to add color.  I used Neocolor Watercolor Crayons for the pink and blue, and some Loew-Cornell watercolor paint for the yellow.  Doesn't matter what you use, those just happened to be the water color mediums that coordinated with the other ink / patterned paper colors I was using.  After the paper was dry, I cut pieces to fit my roofs.  I punched some circles from a sheet that was not colored, positioning the punch to focus on specific words.  Then I colored around the words and doodled.

You can view all of my Altered Projects HERE.
You can check out all of my Altered Stamp Block projects HERE.
You can check out all my Mixed Media style projects HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you are inspired to alter some stamp blocks of your own!
hugs, Melisa

This project was select as a trigger target over at Moxie Fab!!

Preview

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CHALLENGES

Moxie Fab - Hope this one is ok Cath.  I used a typewriter font to create my own patterned paper.





Link Parties :





Dear Creatives


SixSistersStuff.com
Come "Strut Your Stuff" with us


Feather Your Nest Friday



Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home






Katie's Nesting Spot


It's Overflowing


I Heart Nap Time

Ladybird Ln

Saturday Spotlight @ Craft Envy

 

Lovely Crafty Home




What I Whipped up Wednesday @ Sugar and Dots


Make it Monday 



Making Monday Marvelous
HERE



HERE

A Marvelous Mess
HERE



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Stamp Credits

House #1
Doily's - My Mind's Eyes
Butterflies on roof  - Hampton Arts
2 blue butterflies - Cornish Heritage Farms

House #2
Collage with butterfly - Hampton Arts
Key - Lost Coast Designs
Measuring Tape - Paper Artsy

House #3
Lock - Lost Coast Designs
Butterfly - Layers of Color

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

4 Ways to use masking with your stamps


Hello Stampers.  I haven't blogged in several month's and I'm trying to get back into the swing of it.  Today I'm sharing some cards I whipped up using some of my newest stamps.  I love the vintage / collage look of these images.  They are from Red Rubber Designs.  Red Rubber Designs is owned by a very sweet lady I met when I was a The Angel Company Demonstrator.  After I heard that The Angel Company had closed it's doors I was so excited to here that Pam had decided to continue sharing some of there wonderful images but in the retail market now.  You can read more about Pam HERE.  The stamps are sold as rubber sheets, so don't forget to purchase a sheet of cling mount with your order.

You can read more about mounting your rubber stamps using cling mount a hot knife / scissors at the bottom of the post.

I used 2 sets, "Just Bee-Cuz" and "Background Soup".  My favorite section is the "Vintage" sets.  LOVE the collage look and these images make it so easy to whip up a quick collage looking card.  The first card was designed using "masking".  You can read more about "masking" at the bottom of the post.

I used several very basic stamp techniques on the following.


On this one I stamped the image repeatedly to create a background.


On this one I stamped the image twice.  Once on the patterned paper (because I didn't want to try and trim all the little fuzzy details or antennas.  I stamped the image again on cream cardstock, trimmed and then adhered over the image stamped on the patterned paper.


On this one I stamped directly on the patterned paper.

You can view all my Red Rubber Designs projects HERE.

More about masking :
1.  The polka dot stamp image was a little longer than I needed, so I used a post-it note to mask off the left side of the card on this one and the lower part of the card on the 2nd one.  You can just use a regular piece of paper if you don't have a post-it.  The post-it works great because it has just enough adhesive to hold it in place.

2.  On card #1, I cut a window (2.5" x 3") out of a piece of light weight cardstock.   Regular paper works fine, but the light weight cardstock will hold up better and now I can use it repeatedly.  I placed the window over the front of the card.

3.  I stamped the baby carriage once in the center of the window and again on Eclipse Masking tape.  I cut the image from the masking paper and covered the image on the front of the card.

With the window mask still in place, I started stamping from right to left, the alphabet image, and then the polka dots x2.

4.  Masking Fluid -  Brush it over the area you want to mask.  After you are finished with your technique, peel the mask off by gently rubbing with your finger.



More about mounting your stamps :
I love to purchase my stamps as plain red rubber if they are not available already mounted on cling.  That's because store all my stamps in notebooks by either manufacturer or catagory.  So, if my stamps are own blocks, I have to remove the rubber, put them on cling mount and then cut them out with my hot knife / or rubber cutting scissors.  So I love buying just the red rubber, it saves me a step.  The hardest part of converting from wood to cling is sometimes getting them off the block.  If they are resistant, I put them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften the adhesive.  Most of them come off pretty easily after that, but then I sometimes have to rub my thumb back and forth over the back of them to remove some of the adhesive.  You can view a video on how to mount your rubber stamps using "Easy Mount and a Hot Knife"  HERE.  I purchased my hot knife years ago in the woodburning section at Joann's Crafts.  If you have a pair of the Tonic Scissors, then just lay the "full" sheet of rubber over a sheet of cling mount.  Then just cut through the rubber and cling all at once and your scissors stay pretty clean.  If the stamps do not have any rubber space around them or are already trimmed close to the image, then you place it on the cling mount and use a hot knife.  You do not want to use your scissors to trim in this instance because the adhesive is going to stick to the scissors as you cut through the cling mount.  In the video she demonstrates how to use the hot knife with a glass mat.  I have never done it this way.  The knife is really hot and cuts through the cling mount like butter.  I just hold the stamp / cling mount up in the air / off the table and glide the hot knife blade around the edge of the rubber.  I have never had any burning accidents doing it that way, but of course you should do whatever is safest for you.  This is the way I do it most of the time instead of the scissors.  Why?? I'm cheap and I don't want to waste any of the cling mount.  So I cut the images out first, as close to the image as I can, and the place it on the cling mount.  Then trim with the hot knife.

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Challenges


Woowhoooo!!!  I won $30 free Denami stamps for playing along with the SSIC challenge!!


Card #1
CPS - Sketch
SSIC - baby or pastels
The Crazy Challenge - Black and White plus one other color
The Ribbon Carousel - stitching
Crafty Catz - pink

Card #2
Creative Inspirations - anything goes
Simon Says - BINGO (ribbon, free, blooms(patterned paper)
Fussy and Fancy  - Vintage distressing (torn paper) and lace

Card #3
 CAS-ual Fridays - things you would see in the sky (bee)
Sweet Stampin' - book or book text

Card #4
Tuesday Throwdown - on the move
No Matter Which - anything goes

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Project Details

You're the best
Stamps : Red Rubber Designs "Just Bee-Cuz" and "Background Soup"
Patterned Paper : Colorbok (yellow), Jennie Bowlin (book paper)
Ink : Tsukineko VersaFine Onyx Black

Mask off left side of card and stamp polka dot strip twice.  Adhere torn book paper.  Adhere patterned paper strip.  Stamp sentiment and car.  Embellish with lace scrap.

Just Bee-cuz #1

Stamps : Red Rubber Designs "Just Bee-Cuz"
Patterned Paper and tag : Colorbok "Antique Paperie"
Ink : Tsukineko VersaFine Onyz Black

Stamp bee repeatedly on top 1/2 of cream card.  Cover lower 1/2 with patterned paper.  Adhere lace across seam.  Adhere paper tag, stamp sentiment and bee on tag.  Stamp bee again on cream cardstock, trim and adhere over bee on tag.  Embellish with ribbon / bow.

Just Bee-cuz #2
Stamps : Red Rubber Designs "Just Bee-Cuz" and "Background Soup"
Patterned Paper : Colorbok (yellow), Jennie Bowlin (book paper)
Ink : Tsukineko VersaFine Onyz Black

Mask off lower part of card and stamp polka dot strip twice.  Adhere torn book paper.  Adhere patterned paper strip.  Stamp bee and sentiment.  Stamp bee on cream cardstock, trim and adhere over bee on patterned paper.  Embellish with lace scrap.



Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Seize the Cupcake by Hero Arts



Hello Stampers!  Today I'm sharing another card I created for the Hero Arts monthly challenge.  If you want to join my, the deadline is 4/26 and you can read all the details HERE.  There are 3 sketches to choose from and a couple of other catagories as well.  I used "Seize the Cupcake" stamp set for this one.  You have to have a Flickr account to play along. 

ha-april2012-sketches

thanks for stopping by!
hugs, Melisa


You can view all of my Hero Arts projects HERE.


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Projects Details
Stamps : Hero Arts
Patterned Paper : ColorBok (yellow), MME Sunshine (blue polka dots), MME Portobello Road (blue floral), MME Madison Ave (pink for scalloped circle)
Deckled Scissors
Spellbinders : Lacey Circles, classic circles
Ribbon MME

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Challenges

Stampin' Sisters in Christ (sun) - soft pastels
Love to Create  (mon) - anything goes
Creative Card Crew (tues) - ribbon
Flourishes (tues) - ribbon, diecut, pink BINGO
Fussy and Fancy - dies and punches
Mark's Finest Papers (sat) - stitching





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