Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Countdown to Holiday Catalog

The Holiday catalog will go live in just a few hours and I'm so excited for you to see it!  There are just so many fun, new products and the updated layout features tons of inspiring samples.  I've only had a little bit of time to play, but I wanted to share a very quick & easy holiday card with you.



Calmchristmas
The image and greeting are from the Calm Christmas stamp set.  The dove image was heat embossed in Silver to give this card an elegant look.  The cute striped paper is from the Winter Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper pack.  This design features silver foil accents that coordinate nicely with the embossed image.


In addition to the Holiday Catalog starting tomorrow, there are some additional new products that will be available.  I also suspect there will be some surprises.  If you want to stay in the know, be sure to LIKE my Facebook page and sign up for my newsletter using the box on the right.


Thanks for stopping by!



MelissaSignature



Saturday, July 27, 2013

Halloween Happiness

Okay, I know......yesterday it was Christmas and today it's Halloween.  But I'm starting to receive some goodies from the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog and these stamps are just too hard to resist! 



Halloweenhappiness


For this card, I used a sketch from Freshly Made Sketches. The image is from a single stamp called Halloween Happiness and it will be available August 1st.



Halloweencu


I used a lot of dimensionals between the tags and to pop up one of the pumpkins.


If you need a Holiday catalog (who doesn't?) and you don't currently have a demonstrator, I would be happy to send one to you.  Just email me at melissa@thestampdoc.com with your information (US customers only).


As an FYI, I have uploaded all of the Artisan Swaps to my Facebook page.  Be sure to like my page while you are there!




2013 07 25


Thanks for stopping by!



MelissaSignature



Thursday, July 25, 2013

Christmas in July

The radio station that we listen to at work was playing Christmas music yesterday, so it put me in the mood to play around with one of my new Christmas stamp sets.  I used a sketch from The Paper Players to quickly pull this card together.



Snowyday


Isn't this little guy the cutest thing?  All of the stamps (and more) are in the Snowy Day stamp set which will be available August 1st in the Holiday Mini catalog.



Snowydaycu


I used just a bit of Dazzling Details to the edge of the snowman to make him sparkle & shine.


Now, a question for you:  How early is too early for Christmas?  Are you already planning your holiday cards or are you the last-minute type?


Leave me a comment and I'll select one lucky person to receive this card.


Happy Stampin'



MelissaSignature


 


 



Artisan Swap

One of the highlights from convention is swapping cards with other demonstrators.  It is so much fun to get new ideas and then have a variety of cards that I can share with my customers. As thrilling as it was to be chosen as an artisan finalist, it was even more exciting to swap with the other 19 finalists!  It's also a little nerve-racking trying to create a card that was up to their standards.  So, here is my swap card.....



Artisanswap
Yes, that is Baker's Twine fringe.  And yes, I did it the way you think I did it......crazy, right?



Artisanswap1
And here is a real shocker.....I used my sewing machine!  I certainly don't consider myself competent at sewing, but I love the look of it on my projects and I know I'll only get better with practice.



Artisanswap2


All of the stamps are from the Zoo Babies stamp set.  I think these images are so cute!


I'm currently working on taking photos of the other cards from this swap.  I'll be sharing these on my Facebook page, so if you haven't LIKED it yet.....Go there now!  I should have them up over the weekend.


Thank you for stopping by!



MelissaSignature


 



Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Back from Convention

Wow!  I can't believe how quickly convention came and went.  My head is still spinning!


I got back home very late on Sunday and figured I would hit the ground running on Monday.  Well, that's not what happened.


Bella wanted to have a "girls day", so on Monday we had a tea party, got our nails done, and took daddy out to lunch.  It was so much more fun than doing laundry, unpacking, or grocery shopping. 


Besides, I came home to a very full refrigerator.  Apparently my husband was paid in produce last week while I was gone----cucumbers, blueberries, zuchini, green beans, cherries, cabbage, and more!  I love it when our patients and neighbors share their gardens with us.


I returned to work on Tuesday and life is slowly starting to feel normal again.  There are piles of laundry giving me dirty looks and new stamps begging to be played with.  Guess which one I'll tackle first?


I've had a few emails asking me about the Artisan Award.  Well, I wasn't selected for the Design Team.....again.  Apparently, I'm on a roll.  I'll just be the Susan Lucci of the Artisan Award.  ;0)


For those that don't know, to enter the contest you must submit 5 cards, 3 scrapbook pages, and 2 3-d items.  Stampin' Up receives hundreds of entries, then narrows the finalists down to 20.  At convention, the top 10 are announced and will be the company's design team for the next year.  I have been a finalist the last 2 years which is a huge honor.



Photo 1



Photo 2


This is me, standing as my name was announced.  You can also see Mercedes Weber standing just below my left shoulder.  :0) 



Photo 3


Below is a group shot of the finalists (minus 2) that we took right after our group swap.  That's me in the bottom row, far right.



2013finalists


At convention, we each had our entries on display.  Here is a picture of most of my entries....



Artisandisplay


You probably can't tell a whole lot about the individual projects, but don't worry!  We've got you covered!  All 20 finalists will be participating in a blog hop in a few weeks and we'll be sharing ALL of our projects with you.


Check back tomorrow and I'll share my Artisan swap.


Thanks so much for stopping by!



MelissaSignature



Saturday, July 20, 2013

Flower Shop


Flowershop
I'm still at convention in Salt Lake City, but I wanted to pop in to share one of my swap cards with you. 


This card features the Soho Subway Designer Series Paper, Four You Stamp Set, and the Flower Shop bundle (stamp set & coordinating punch).  You can purchase all of these items in my Online Store.



Flowershopcu
Thanks for stopping by!



MelissaSignature



Monday, July 15, 2013

Mojo Monday 302

I'm in the final stages of packing for convention, but I wanted to share a quick card with you that I made for the Mojo Monday sketch challenge.




Venetianmojo
Don't you just love the colors on this card?  I picked them to coordinate with the Venetian Romance Designer Series Paper:  Soft Suede, Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Canteloupe, and Very Vanilla.



Copy (1 ) of MelissaRecipeGraphic


STAMP SETS:  Flower Shop, Really Good Greetings


INK:  Crisp Canteloupe, Soft Suede


PAPER:  Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Pistachio Pudding, Venetian Romance Designer Series Paper


ACCESSORIES:  Crisp Canteloupe 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim, In Color Boutique Details, Pansy Punch



Venetiancu



Tuesday, July 9, 2013

2 More UStamp Projects to Share

My final 2 project suites have posted over at UStamp with Dawn & Friends Cards with Cool Moves 2013.  (Boy!  That is a mouthful!)  You should really go check it out.  There are over 40 project suites with complete tutorials.  These are some fun cards and all of them feature some type of movement.


My first project suite focused on the Giggle Greetings stamp set.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but the cat and dog image tilt and turn.  The dog can actually chase it's tail!



Tiltcards


And my final project suite features the Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper and Hello, Lovely stamp set.  These cards are called wiper cards because they have a little wiper piece that pops up when you move the card.


 


Wipercards


I'm busy getting ready for convention next week in Salt Lake City.  My swaps are done, but I'm still working on a few gift items for some special people.


After convention, I'll have so much to share with you.....it's a bit overwhelming!  I did 24 projects for the display boards, 10 projects for the Artisan Design Team, and of course, my swaps & gifts.


Thanks for stopping by today!



MelissaSignature


 



Thursday, July 4, 2013

Guess who's back?

Well, maybe I'm back.  The hard drive on my computer crashed 3 weeks ago.  My computer guy was able to recover *most* of my data and rebuild the computer.  I'm still trying to reload all of my essential programs. Unfortunately, I've found a little problem with my computer and I'm not sure if it is a major issue or not.  I'll be contacting my guy again, so hopefully it is an easy fix.  Fingers crossed.


Anyway, a lot has happened in the past 3 weeks.  I was notified last week that I am a finalist for the Stampin' Up! Artisan Design team.  Each year, Stampin' Up! holds a creative contest for its demonstrators.  To enter, you must submit 5 card samples, 3 scrapbook pages, and 2 3D items.  Stampin' UP selects 20 finalists from all of the entries and those finalists will have their work on display at our annual convention.  On awards night at convention, Stampin' Up narrows the field to 10 demonstrators who are then part of the Design Team for the next year.  It is such an honor to be in the top 20 again this year.  So many creative demonstrators enter this contest and I can't imagine how difficult it must be to narrow it down to 20, or even 10. 



Ustampcoolmoves13final450


I've been very busy working on project suites for the latest round of UStamp--Cards with Cool Moves.  There are some fabulous ideas and anyone can join.  Check it out here.  Here is a peek at my first project suite:



Darlingdioramas


 


Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope to be completely up & running by next week with more creative inspiration for you.


Happy Stampin'



MelissaSignature