Another Thank You

Here's my new favorite way to use Dotty Angles!  The only thing better than confetti is confetti moving in two directions, and this offers endless color combinations.

Happy Friday!
~Melanie

Stamps: Dotty Angles, Another Thank You
Ink: Strawberry Slush, Lost Lagoon, Blackberry Bliss
Paper: Whisper White

Thanks to Mail

Now that it's February, it's high time I send my thank you cards.  The {extreme} delay was because I didn't have any on hand, so I updated this card with some happy spring colors (wishful thinking!) and made many.  It's very quick and easy with Dotty Angles, which is a go-to stamp set for me.  Check back on Monday to see an entirely different look using the same stamps!

Happy Friday!
~Melanie

Stamps: Dotty Angles, Another Thank You
Ink: Smoky Slate, Cantaloupe Crisp, Pistachio Pudding, Coastal Cabana
Paper: Whisper White

More Hearts

Once I got started, it was quick and easy to put together some more Valentines with these great stamps from January's My Paper Pumpkin!  I used the Hearts & Stars decorative overlays again, and sponged in two colors--Crisp Cantaloupe and Calypso Coral--for a fun background, and then added the two heart stamps from My Paper Pumpkin in a random pattern.  The sentiment is also from My Paper Pumpkin, and the card is just that easy.  And happy!

Cheers,
~Melanie

Stamps: Filled With Love (Jan 2015 My Paper Pumpkin)
Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral, Basic Gray, Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Very Vanilla, Smoky Slate
Extras: Hearts & Stars decorative overlays

Happy February!

Time flies when you're having fun, and that's just what I've been doing for the past few months--holidays and secret crafting for gifts, travel to see family, plus lots of work has made me very busy!  But I'm back now, and have a cute Valentine to share to get you in the February spirit.

Huge props to the January Paper Pumpkin kit--it is just fantastic, and I love, love, LOVE the stamps that came with it!  Those stamps were my starting point for this card.  It turns out, my stamp collection is entirely devoid of hearts--it's a shape I never reach for, so I often go "nontraditional" when it comes time for lovey-dovey events.  But I do have the Hearts & Stars decorative masks, so I sponged in a cluster of hearts in the lower right-hand corner, then added the open heart and sentiment from Paper Pumpkin.

There are more Valentines where this came from, so stay tuned!
Cheers,
~Melanie

Stamps: Filled with Love (January 2015 Paper Pumpkin)
Ink: Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe, Basic Gray
Paper: Going Gray, Very Vanilla
Extras: Hearts & Stars decorative overlays

Home for the Holidays

This is the time of year when holiday travel looms, schedules overflow and stress levels are a little too high.  Which is a shame, since that makes it hard to enjoy the best thing--being home for the holidays, with family and friends whom you don't see enough.

I'm staring at a lot of travel and unusual schedules over the next month, but I can't wait.  Just like I couldn't wait to CASE this card when I saw it on Connie Babbert's blog.  It's just so perfect!  I love the glowing windows, the sparkly frame, and of course, the promise of Santa landing on the roof.

I had everything cut to make two of these at once...but then I couldn't stamp the sentiment straight--even though I tried twice and photopolymer is see through!--so I had to improvise.  I like this version as well, and was happy to use that script sentiment from Greetings of the Season.  In fact, I can't say which card I like more, so both are headed into my growing pile of cards to mail.  Another thing that makes this time of year hectic, but so much fun.

Cheers, and safe travels!
~Melanie

Stamps: Holiday Home, Greetings of the Season
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Bermuda Bay, Cherry Cobbler, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Garden Green
Paper: Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer, All is Calm DSP
Extras: Big Shot, Homemade Holiday frailest, dimensional

Simple Snowflake Greetings

This week's sketch at Clean and Simple Stamping is just fantastic, and called for me to use more of my DSP.  Out came my All is Calm DSP, and the circles framelits to crop the snowflakes out of the foil sheet.  I also used my favorite retired sentiment, from Greetings of the Season.  And that's it!  Which is why I love Clean and Simple sketches--go check them out.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Greetings of the Season
Ink: Lost Lagoon
Paper: Lost Lagoon, All is Calm DSP, Whisper White
Extras: Circles framelits, Big Shot, Corner Rounder punch

Project Winter Card

I entirely forgot to post this yesterday, but it's even more appropriate today because baby, it's cold AND windy outside!  I love that song, and had fun assembling this card from some Project Life supplies.

Everyone has been buzzing about Stampin' Up! carrying Project Life, and it looks like a great way to scrapbook to me...except that I now do my scrapbooking exclusively with My Digital Studio.  So I haven't purchased any of the cards, and saw them in person for the first time when I was at my aunt/upline's Stampin' Loft.

Stampin' Up!'s Project Life cards are just lovely, and make holiday (or anytime) card making quick and easy.  I picked out this "baby it's cold outside" card, choose to pair it with Crumb Cake and Coastal Cabana, and quickly had a card to mail.

That said, I hope it's warmer where you are.
Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Holiday Home
Ink: Silver Encore, Coastal Cabana blendabilities
Paper: Crumb Cake, Coastal Cabana, Seasonal Snapshot Card Collection
Extras: Frosted Sequins

Sparkly Stars

Since it seems I've had a theme going this week, I decided to round it out with some sparkle for your Friday too.  This is another of the card's I made in my aunt and upline's Stampin' Loft, just so I could play around with this great stars set from the Holiday Supplement.

I didn't have a plan, but can't complain about how this card turned out.  My favorite thing is how well the stamps layer--each of the stamps on the big star is separate, so you can use them together or individually as you like.  Those dots and lines have lots of uses after Christmas is over (and snowflakes are good for at least half of the year in Massachusetts!), so I've ordered Many Merry Stars for my collection.

My other excitement was the extra sparkle provided by those silver sequins.  Did you notice them in the Holiday Catalog?  You get a variety of sizes and some snowflakes, and they're so fun to scatter over your cards, plus flat for your mailing pleasure.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Many Merry Stars
Ink: Silver Encore, Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate
Paper: Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate, Silver Glimmer, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer
Extras: Stars framelits, Big Shot, Itty Bitty punch pack, Frosted Sequins

Sparkly Trees

I really loved the Freshly Made Sketches layout last week (#160), and so I had to make a current version.  This card came together so easily and I just love it!  My favorite aspect is those decorations on the tree--I colored my rhinestone embellishments with the medium shade of the Coastal Cabana blendabilites...you can color anything with those, and I intend to!

See how they shine?  Everything else for this card was really straightforward and simple, especially with the magnetic platform for the Big Shot.  You get perfect framelit placement that way, and what could be better?

I wasn't planning to design a single Christmas card for everyone this year, but this might be it.
Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Good Greetings, Festival of Trees
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Pear Pizzazz
Paper: All is Calm DSP, Pool Party, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White
Extras: Rhinestone Embellishments, Tree Punch, Bitty Banners framelits, Banners framelits

Sparkly Santa

I had to do some traveling last week, and only part of it was planned, so everything has been up in the air.  But a great thing was that I visited my aunt and upline in her Stampin' Loft (aka, my stamping heaven!) and got to play with some fantastic stamps that I don't have.  I also got oodles of inspiration from all the things she's been doing to get ready for the holidays, so stay tuned.

I just love this fun card that we made.  More fun with blendabilities!  Santa looks so real, and so cheery with his rosy cheeks, not to mention all that snow in his beard.  It's a pretty simple card to make, and I'm sure it will be lots of fun to receive.

Two quick notes before you make your own:

• Remember that Dazzling Details needs time to dry!  I didn't have a lot of time, since I had to get back on the road, and his beard is a little smeared.  Still cute, but not as perfect as when I made it.
• To only use the borders from Just Sayin', you'll want to put a piece of scotch (or wash) tape over the sentiment and use markers to do the inking.  That way you won't get any shadow stamping from leftover ink, and have the perfect space to insert your own greeting.  

That's all you need to know.  Go have some fun with your own Christmas card making!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Santa Stache, Just Sayin', Good Greetings
Ink: Memento Black, Blendabilities in Cherry Cobbler, Skin Tones, and Calypso Coral
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Glimmer White, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer
Extras: Mustache Framelits, Word Bubbles Framelits, Silver Sparkle Dazzling Details, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack

Freshly Made Snowy Flashback

It's another Flashback Friday!  And I have a confession...of all the paper I don't use in time, the worst offender is anything from the Holiday Catalog.  I always love everything and try to use restraint, but by the time the catalog ends, I've seen so many great ideas and have so many more of my own that I've gone overboard, AGAIN, even though I still have a stash of stamps and paper that I didn't use from last year.

And so here we are.  I love the Festive Flurry stamp set and matching framelits, even though I've barely used them.  So when I saw this week's sketch on Freshly Made Sketches, all I could see was snowflakes, and it gave me an excuse to bust out the nearly full pack of last year's Winter Frost DSP.  I'm a sucker for bold geometric patterns, and surprised I didn't use more of that pattern last year...though maybe it's because I was so behind that I didn't get all my Christmas cards sent!

I'm trying hard not to repeat that lapse this year, and pleased with this sparkly creation.  It's mailable!
Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Festive Flurry
Ink: Silver Encore
Paper: Bermuda Bay, Island Indigo, Winter Frost DSP, Silver Glimmer
Extras: Banner framelits, Festive Flurry framelits, Northern Frost decorative strip die

Haunted Houses

Though I've been stamping for years, I've never made a Halloween card.  So this is my first, and I rather love it.  The Holiday Home stamp set is primed for every holiday, and was so much fun to play with.  I wasn't planning to make a Halloween card, but once I got done coloring and cutting out my houses, I really wanted to use that ghost to pop out of the chimney...and things just went from there.

Some of my favorite things here are how bright the houses are--thanks to Blendabilities!  I didn't do much shading, since the spaces are so small, but these markers are also fantastic for loading up with vivid color.  They remind me of cartoon houses.

I'm also in love with the little details: the spider on the door of the middle house (yuck!), the bats winging back and forth, and that perfect little jack-o-lantern that shows on the inside of the card as well.  Too cute!

So, I hope you're ready for Halloween and that, even if things are spooky, they are also so much fun.
Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Holiday Home
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Basic Grey, Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie, Blendabilities in Calypso Coral, Rich Razzleberry, Cherry Cobbler, Coastal Cabana, White Stampin' Chalk Marker
Paper: Whisper White, Smoky Slate
Extras: Homemade Holiday framelits

A Sneak Peek

...at what's in progress. Stay tuned!

Cheers!

~Melanie

Baby Smiles

Of course, I had to make a baby card to go along with the library starter pack I shared on Wednesday. But, since I don't have kids or many baby stamps, I wasn't sure what I would have to work with.  A quick look at my stamp shelves and I knew I was in luck, thanks to one of Stampin' Up!'s many all-purpose stamp sets.  This little ducky is from Embellished Events, and it was fun to ink up with my markers for a bright image.

I also love the sentiment, which isn't a traditional baby sentiment but fits just perfectly: "So many smiles...begin with you."  How true!  Once I found that couplet in Petite Pairs, this card came together really quickly and I got my package out on time.  That's a personal win-win.

This card also fits my "flashback friday" goal, since I used some retired DSP for the front, inside and coordinating envelope.  I just love how quick it is to make a "fancy" envelope with the Envelope Punch Board.  If you don't have one...well, what are you waiting for?

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, full of smiles!
~Melanie

Stamps: Embellished Events, Petite Pairs
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Marvelous Markers in Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Real Red, and Pacific Point
Paper: Pacific Point, Polka Dot Parade, Tangelo Twist, Gumball Green, Whisper White
Extras: Chalk Talk framelits, Bitty Banners framelits, Envelope Punch Board

Library Starter Kit

All of a sudden, it seems like everyone--but me--is having babies.  And I'm just fine with that, but since I lack firsthand experience, I've been at a bit of a loss when it comes to baby gifts.  I don't know what you really need, and I'm terrible at shopping off a registry (which I realize is silly, since registries make things easier).  The problem is, I want to give something that's personal.

I love to read, and I think it's pretty important for kids.  Books almost never appear on baby registries, but I always pick up board books for gifts.  So when I found this poem by Jane Yolen, one of my favorite authors from growing up, I had an AHA! moment.  From now on, I'm giving all new babies a library starter kit.

This one goes in the mail tomorrow, and hopefully my friend will be too busy with her new baby to check out my blog before she opens the gift.  I used the Storytime Kit for My Digital Studio to illustrate the poem, and have it all packaged up with a stack of books so that parents and their wee one can spend some time bonding and expanding their imaginations.  I hope it's a gift that will grow as they do.

Cheers!
~Melanie

My Digital Studio: Storytime Ensemble

Hello Fall

Fall is definitely in full bloom here in MA, and the colors are just fantastic!  I've seen lots of fall wreaths using the Wondrous Wreath stamps and matching framelits, and inspired by more cards than I can count, I decided to make this one.  Actually, I made multiples of this one because I love it so.

Photopolymer stamps make two-step stamping soooo easy, and the addition of tabs for lining up everything--from your stamps to your framelits--makes this card a snap to make.  Honestly, the hardest part was choosing my colors.

Because I wanted to use that bold Blackberry Bliss as the card base, I decided to add some Crushed Curry embossing for a sentiment that pops.  I hope you love it as much as I do.

Happy fall, y'all!
~Melanie

Stamps: Wondrous Wreath, For All Things
Ink: Hello Honey, Tangelo Twist, Perfect Plum, Versamark
Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Mossy Meadow, Whisper White, Tangelo Twist
Extras: Crushed Curry embossing powder, Woodgrain embossing folder, Wonderful Wreath framelits

Hello Polka Dots

After making and falling in love with Wednesday's card, I wondered what else I could create using the same techniques.  So I started with the Dots decorative mask, a sponge dauber, and Island Indigo ink.  When I pulled the mask away, I was in awe of the lovely watercolor look that I had created by not inking each circle fully...and I didn't want to cover that up!

So I flipped through my framelits, and found this script hi in the Circle Card set.  I cut that out of Silver Glimmer paper--with adhesive sheets underneath it, of course, for easy glueing and cropped a word bubble from Calypso Coral using the Word Bubbles framelits.

I think this makes a great anytime card, and I'm going to have to make a lot more because I don't think I can bear to part with this one!

Cheers!
~Melanie

Ink: Island Indigo
Paper: Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Silver Glimmer Paper
Extras: Dots and Stripes Decorative Masks, Word Bubbles framelits, Circle Card framelits, sponge daubers, dimensionals

Golden Joy

Another from my long crafting weekend.  I first saw this technique and this card on Mary Fish's blog, and I immediately knew I had to make it for myself.

First of all, I thought layering and building up the "Joy" cut out was genius, and I love how it gives the card easy dimension as well as instant interest--in person, you can see that the layers below the gold foil are Island Indigo.

Secondly, while I might have used the Stripes decorative mask diagonally, I would have never thought to use only partially color it in.  I also love how the smears of ink give the card a clean and abstract look.

It's so simple, and so pretty!  If you want to make one of these yourself--and you should--check out Mary Fish's video on how to use Adhesive Sheets before you use your framelits.  It makes this gorgeous card much easier than it looks.


Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Endless Birthday Wishes
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Island Indigo
Paper: Gold Foil, Island Indigo, Whisper White
Extras: Wonderful Wreath framelits, Dots and Stripes Decorative Masks, Sponge Daubers

All In on Blendabilities

I hope you had a lovely long weekend!  Mine was great--it was the first time in quite a few weeks that we stayed at home, which meant that I had lots of time to play with my newest Stampin' Up! goodies, as well as some old favorites.  Creating is relaxing and so much fun!

I'm sharing this card first because I think that Blendabilities are my new favorite thing.  Blendabilities are alcohol markers that come in sets of three shades of the same color, so you can shade and blend (hence the name) to give your coloring dimension.  Stampin' Up! first introduced them over the summer, and I wasn't sure that they would be for me.  I thought they'd be too fussy and, as much as I love the SU's regular markers, I rarely color with them.  (I use them to ink parts of stamps.)

After playing with Blendabilities for the first time on Sunday, I can say that I was wrong and these are definitely for me and for everyone else!  You start with the darkest shade and overlap the medium and then the lightest, which gave an old favorite--Pleasant Poppies--a whole new way to pop off the card stock.  I just love how much these look like real flowers or printed paper, and can't wait to get more colors in Blendabilities and try them on everything.

This was super easy, lots of fun, and is just gorgeous.  I can't wait to get this card in the mail.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Pleasant Poppies
Ink: Memento Black, Pear Pizzazz
Paper: Whisper White, Canteloupe Crisp
Blendabilities: Cherry Cobber, Pumpkin Pie, Coastal Cabana, Rich Razzleberry, Calypso Coral

Flashback Friday

Time to use my scraps!  I love designer series paper, but never use it up before I fall in love with the new patterns. So I've challenged myself to use up what I have on hand...and I have a LOT on hand, so this might be a regular feature. 

First up is Orchard Harvest from last year's holiday catalog.  I did a quick search on Pinterest for some inspiration, and found this great card that Mary Fish made.  I just love the layout, and am likely to use it again many times.

But I don't have the Autumn Accents Bigz die. I was disappointed...until I realized that I had the digital files in My Digital Studio, and I could use them with my ecutter.  Score!

And then I had lots of pretty patterned leaves, so I also made these cards. Not bad for forcing myself to use my stash, right?

What will you do with your paper stash?  Have some fun and enjoy autumn this weekend!

Cheers!

~Melanie

Stamps: Four You

Ink: Early Espresso, Island Indigo

Paper: Orchard Harvest DSP (retired), Island Indigo, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Raspberry Ripple (retired)

Extras: My Digital Studio