monday monday again

It's Monday (again!). How come it always seems to come so quick? ;)

I just have one card today. I made it for the Hero Arts blog January Contest they have going on this month.





Papers are from Basic Grey Bittersweet (6x6 pad) and stamps are Hero Arts. I used chalk to color my images.

I also have some sad news. Many of you fellow papercrafters know Sonda Tadlock. We just got word that her beautiful daughter, Baylee, passed away Saturday. If you haven't already, stop by Sonda's Blog and leave a message for her and Duane. Most of all, please lift them up in your prayers during this difficult time for them.

thanks for stopping by.
~melanie~

Tuesday Trigger Inspiration

Just trying to stay warm on this cold day in the south. Brrrrrrr!!!!

I've been trying to stretch myself in 2010. One area is to try more challenges and get out of the box. I decided to create something with this week's Tuesday Trigger from the Moxie Fab World blog. The challenge for me (who likes color and lots of it) was to pull from the color scheme and create something I'm happy with. I really enjoyed doing this and, even tho it took me a bit longer than normal because I had to find just the right elements.... I love the outcome.

Here is the trigger:


And here is my creation:



I used Basic Grey's Wassail paper "Sleigh Ride". (it's not just for Christmas!), Butterfly stamp from My Mind's Eye, Sentiment from Stampin Up, flowers, trim and other vintage finds to finish it.

It's not too late to play. Hop on over to the Moxie Fab World blog and stretch!


~melanie~

This blog post belongs to....

This blog post is for my daughter. She loves to create things. Gee wonder where she gets that from. She loves stamps. She boldly walked into my scrap pile (room) Friday night and said she wanted to make her pastor a Christmas card. I said "Okay!" and asked what she would like to put on it. With her eye quickly looking around and spying some vintage Christmas stamps, she started naming things she saw. I said - "Oh, so you don't want to use the penguins, reindeer and Christmas tree stamps"? "Oh... well... I didn't know you had those kind of stamps". and when she saw them her eyes got big. So, instead of a one card night, it was a three-card night. And since I knew that Cath at the Moxie Fab blog had a challenge for "creatures", I asked her permission if I could take a photo of her cards. Oh, and in case you are wondering... the Penguin card isn't shown because it went straight to her children's pastor a few hours after making it.
So.... presenting Miss Arielle's Moxie Fab challenge Christmas cards, featuring "all creatures great and small".











Stamps are "Penguin Holiday" and "Beauty of the Season" from Hampton Art. And a little disclaimer here - my daughter did all the stamping, stamp placement and marker coloring. I DID, however, let her use my "good" markers for the coloring. I also tied the ribbon and sewed on the button. She's only in 2nd grade. Maybe I'll teach her to sew next year.(wink)

Thanks for stopping by!
~melanie~

So...I created this card last night and...

So, I created this card last night in my attempt to try to participate in Hero Arts Blog contest...only to realize I missed the deadline. Insert waa-waa sound effect here. Nevertheless, I was inspired to create, and rose to the challenge.

Since I can't upload it to their site since I missed the deadline, remember... I thought I'd load it here. I actually made two. Why not, after all I had all the supplies all over my table. Just posting here so they will get some luvin'. (wink)




I used the "Happy Hello" clear snap set, Clearsnap "Vivid" ink, cardstock and patterned paper from Stampin Up!

Here's the 2nd card.




I used the same stamps as above with pink, white and kraft cardstock. The ink is Whisper White craft ink from Stampin up! stamped on the kraft cardstock.

That's all I have for now. Sooo many things to do this time of December, as we all know! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!
~melanie~

Deck the Halls!

I think we are finally finished with all of our Christmas decorating. Hubby put up the lights while I was out grocery shopping so I was surprised when I drove up and the house was aglow!

Here's a little fa-la-la card I made using non-traditional papers. I used Dream Street's Clubhouse papers on this card, along with some stamps from Paper Salon. I just love the vintage feel these otherwise masculine papers give. I used the Cricut Expression (Mini Monograms Cartridge) to cut the scalloped square.





Check out more Christmas cards today and during the next few weeks at the Dream Street Papers Blog.

Today is going to be fun. I'm having some non-paper crafting girls over to stamp and make goodie bags. We'll see if they cross over to the dark side after they see how much fun they have. Have a great day!

Tis the Season

Attention shoppers. There are only 24 shopping days until Christmas!

Did that set off the panic alarm in your brain? Just curious.

The card at the top was made with some of my Just Johanna Odd Bird Planet stamps.(sorry about the cruddy photo...) It's one of several cards I made for the "Holiday Mail for Heroes". There's still time for you to participate if you want to make some Christmas cards. Click the link to read about it.

Meanwhile, I'm waiting for the brown delivery truck to bring me this stamp set

to finish some of my Christmas cards. It's on sale right now and you can order it right here.

Tomorrow is a busy day. Lots of preparations for my crafty food day with friends on Tuesday. We are going to stamp some tags, make some treat bags, then make treats to go in them. Oh - then that night some of us are going to see Australia.

Have a great Monday - and oh yeah - don't forget to finish your Christmas shopping.

Cricut, Stamping and Punches

I've just been playing around a bit with my Cricut and a new punch. I was browsing thru Michael's this week and saw a beautiful lace border punch. I had to have it. If you read one of my previous posts, you saw where I was doing some "fall" cleaning and trying to use up some of my older papers on cards. What fun that can be!


Papers are from Fancy Pants and Basic Grey. I used the Home Accents Cricut Cartridge for the apple. I love this apple! I especially love it because it makes great cards for teachers as well as for other things. The stamps are from Odd Bird Planet.

This card uses my fancy smancy lacy border punch from Martha Stewart. Isn't it just FUN! I did two layers of border in different papers. Papers are Basic Grey and KI Memories. Apple from Home Accents (Cricut) and stamp is from Odd Bird Planet. (Oh - I found the border punch online. It's called the Doily Lace Edger Punch and you can get it at Emma's Paperie at the moment)


Last card for today. I used more Basic Grey papers, Martha Stewart lacey border punch, stamp from Odd Bird Planet and the flowers were cut from the Cricut Plantin Schoolbook cartridge. I used a gel pen on the stamped letters.

I'm having a blast trying to get some cards done with my pre-cut papers AND I'm finally using up those papers that I just "had" to save for something special. Yeah - I know you know what I'm talking about. hmmmmmmmmm. I'll leave you with that thought. :)

Oh - and one more thing. Don't you love peeks!!! Here's a peek of the Lime Tart November Full Tart. Doesn't that just look yummy!!


Thanks for stopping by and happy creating!

Well, it's about time..

...to show some layouts, right? I was guest designer for Paper Posies Kit Club this month. Their idea gallery went live this weekend, so I can share some of my pages now. The kit this month featured KI Bloom - so bright and fun for happy summer pages.




I used the Cricut Home Essentials cartridge to make the flourishes on the page.



And here are a couple of older cards. The first one uses Basic Grey Sugared papers and the bird stamp from Hampton Art Stamps (Marah Johnson collection).





This summery card is in the July issue of Cards Magazine. The papers are from Dream Street and the stamps are Hampton Art (Marah Johnson). That's all for now. Busy week coming up. Have a great Monday!

little ones...

I got the sweetest birth announcement in the mail this week from someone me and my husband mentored in our church youth group - this young man is all grown up now, with a wife and brand new baby. Takes me back to our early baby days. :)

One thing you will always need are baby cards and birthday cards. Here are a couple cards for the little ones.



This card uses making memories papers. The heart is from Fancy Pants and the stamps are from Paper Salon.


The papers, rub ons and ribbon are from Piggy Tales.

Off to tend to the flower garden before the heat cranks up. Have a good day!

Just for the Weenie Dog

I did it just for the weenie dog. I bought a stamp set just because it had a cute weenie dog on it. It's not the focal of the image, but nevertheless I caved. I found this cute stamp at Emma's Paperie (thanks, Cindy). They are by My Favorite Things. Come on, admit it - you have bought something just because it had a cute ____(I know you can fill in this blank) on it. Leave a comment and let me know what one of your similar indulgences has been. It doesn't have to be scrap related. I'd love to know I'm not alone in this. Even though I know I'm not.

The papers are Fancy Pants. I stamped on the patterned papers and cut the images (dress and doggie shirt) and adhered them, colored in other places with Prismacolor pencils, and used stickles and Stardust glitter pen for some bling. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.
P.S. Don't forget the card challenge (see yesterday's post).

"You are worthy, our Lord and God,to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Rev. 4:11