Sunday, September 22, 2013

Monday Montage

 




Mondaymontage5


Welcome to the Monday Montage Blog Hop!  We've got some great projects to share with you today, so make sure you take the time to visit all 10 blogs.  You can navigate through the hop by clicking on the Back and Next buttons at the bottom of this post.


September is a CRAZY month of birthdays!  Many of my friends & family have birthdays this month, plus both of my kids!  Their birthdays are only 6 days apart.  That might explain the lack of posts in the last 2 weeks, huh?


This is the card that I made for my oldest, Chandler.  He is now 16 years old.  Thankfully, he has to wait 6 more months to get his driver's license, but I know that will be here soon enough.



ChandlerI used the Gorgeous Grunge Stamp Set (again) to create the background and incorporated his school colors.  The numbers are from the Timeless Type Bigz Die.  I cut red & black numbers, then layered them together. 


Now, I can't take all the credit for this card.  My good friend, Kathy Alt, made a birthday card for her son and that was my inspiration.  I simply change the colors, orientation, and numbers.  You can see her version here.



Chandler6
And I have a tip for you:  if you don't want your card to look like a crime scene, don't stamp the large splatter image in red.  Trust me!  My first attempt at this card was not a success.


Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the hop!  I'm sure Wendy has something very special in store for you!


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Back to Kaitlyn Zumbach

                                                



Monday, September 9, 2013

Another Real Life Card

Judging from the response, the Real Life Card is a hit.  I think I will start up a 12-week series featuring this type of card.  So, this week will be for a 2 for 1.


Today's card features the Magnificent Maple single stamp, Gorgeous Grunge, and A Dozen Thoughts.



Leafcard


To create the block image, I simply inked up one of my clear blocks with Crushed Curry ink and stamped it onto the Very Vanilla card base.  The leaf and greeting were stamped with Early Espresso ink.  As a finishing touch, I used the splatter stamp from Gorgeous Grunge with Cajun Craze ink.



Leafcu


This card is absolutely perfect for this time of year.  You could easily change the greeting to fit a variety of occasions.


All of the products shown are available in my online store.


There are still a few days left to join my Virtual Stamp Club this month.  Club members enjoy an online class featuring exclusive projects.  Contact me at melissa@thestampdoc.com if you would like more information.


Thanks for stopping by!



MelissaSignature


 



Sunday, September 8, 2013

Monday Montage



Mondaymontage5


Welcome to the Monday Montage Blog Hop!  We've got some great projects to share with you today, so make sure you take the time to visit all 10 blogs.  You can navigate through the hop by clicking on the Back and Next buttons at the bottom of this post.


If you follow my blog, you know that the last few projects that I've shared have been Over-the-Top and very involved.  As nice as it would be to create projects like that all the time, I actually have a life, too.  A life that involves a husband, 2 kids, 3 dogs, a full-time job, a part-time job, and volunteer positions.  So, today I am going to share with you something that I call "REAL LIFE CARDS".


When I need a card, I usually need it right away.  It's hard to believe that after all these years, I don't have a stash of ready to go cards for all occasions.  I also don't generally have an hour or two to put together a perfect, WOW card.


A REAL LIFE CARD is one that I can whip up in a matter of minutes with just a few supplies.  It still has to look good, though.  I want the recipient to feel like I cared enough to make them a decent card after all.


The card I am sharing today uses the Gorgeous Grunge Stamp Set and the A Dozen Thoughts Stamp Set.  I selected 3 ink colors to keep it simple.



Butterflycard


 The card base is a half-sheet of Whisper White card stock featuring the colors of Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, and Island Indigo.  The butterfly is from the Butterfly Bundle which includes the Papillion Potpourri stamp set and the coordinating punch.  I added a simple Candy Dot to the center of the butterfly.



Justbecausecu


Tomorrow, I'll be sharing another REAL LIFE CARD with a Fall theme using the same basic stamp sets.  If you don't want to miss it, be sure to subscribe to my blog.


Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the hop!  I'm sure Wendy has something very special in store for you!


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Next to Wendy Weixler






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Back to Kaitlyn Zumbach

                                                



Spread the Joy

Today, I've got 2 cards to share with you that I made for challenges using the Spread the Joy Stamp Set.  You won't find this stamp set in any catalog.  It was created by Stampin' Up! employee, Emily Montoya, for a new design program. In
April, Stampin' Up! employees were given the challenge to create a
"bucket list" stamp set. Emily "wanted to make a set that could be
versatile and usable for lots of different things." Employees fell in
love with her design and voted the set to victory!



Spreadthejoy
Item #134784 $18.95



 


For Freshly Made Sketches, I created this card using the largest image.  Unfortunately, there isn't a die that will cut this image so I had to do it by hand.  I wanted a layer behind it so I used one of the Window Frames Collection die and trimmed the sides to make it fit.



Spreadthejoy1
For the bow, I wrapped a Candy Dot Brad Base around the Crushed Curry Chevron ribbon and topped it with a Crushed Curry Candy Dot.  You can see it a little better in the picture below.  I also colored in the small heart with a Real Red marker.



Spreadthejoy2
For Mojo Monday, I decided to go with a Peanut Butter & Jelly theme.  I used the colors of Rich Razzleberry and Soft Suede on a card base of Crumb Cake.  The card is a smaller size (3-1/2" x 5") to fit the Note Card Envelopes.



Spreadthejoy3
I pieced the bread image together--I stamped directly onto the Whisper White with Soft Suede.  Then I stamped onto a scrap of Soft Suede card stock with Soft Suede ink and cut that out.  I also stamped with Rich Razzleberry ink onto Whisper White card stock and cut that out, too.



Spreadthejoy4
The patterned paper used on both cards is from the Neutrals and Regals Color Collection Designer Series Paper Stacks.  I love having this paper on hand because I always have a coordinating patterned paper for any project.


All of the items shown may be purchased in my online store.


Thanks for stopping by!



MelissaSignature


 



Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Q&A - GLITTER

















  Stampin' Up! Glitter OptionsQ&A


Q: I love glitter but I'm not always certain of the different ways to use it. What do you suggest?

A: Glitter is a stamping girl’s best friend! There are many ways to apply glitter to your project. Liquid adhesives, Heat & Stick Powder, Sticky Strip, Shaker Frames, and Adhesive Sheets are some of my favorites. Read on to find out more about using each! 

Liquid Adhesives
Tombow Multi-Purpose AdhesiveCrystal Effects2-Way Glue Pen

Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Crystal Effects, and the 2-Way Glue Pen are the go-to methods of adding glitter highlights and details to your projects. They are all great for our ultra-fine Stampin’ Glitters like Dazzling Details (#102023). Crystal Effects gives the extra hold needed for chunky glitter like our Glass Stampin’ Glitter (#120997 Champagne, #120995 Silver).  You simply apply the adhesive in the form you want and then sprinkle the glitter on top.  Let dry before you tap off the excess.

Heat & Stick Powder
Heat & Stick PowderVersamark Pad
This ingenious adhesive masquerades as embossing powder. You’ll want to use Heat & Stick Powder (#100625) when you want to make a glittery stamped image. Simply stamp the image with VersaMark Ink, apply Heat & Stick Powder and heat set like you would if you were heat embossing. Cover the Heat & Stick Powder with glitter while it is still hot and sticky. Tap off the excess and heat again to set the glitter in the Heat & Stick.

Sticky Strip
Sticky Strip Champagne Glass Glitter
Silver Glass Glitter

When you want to add a nice, even strip of glitter, Sticky Strip (#104294) is the answer. Place Sticky Strip across your project, around the rim of a jar, or a picture frame. Press it down firmly and then pull off the red backing. Cover with glitter - even Glass Stampin’ Glitter works well. Continue to cover with the glitter until no more will stick.  Use a scrap piece of paper to press the glitter firmly onto the tape. Glass Stampin’ Glitter is glass so be careful when pressing. Tap off excess and you are done!  I've seen wonderful rainbows of
color using this technique.  You simply remove one row of tape, apply glitter before moving on to the next row ad a different shade of glitter.

Shaker Frames
Shaker Frames

When you want a real “wow”, add glitter to a Shaker Frame (#124155) to create a sparkly effect inside a 3-Dimensional window. Adhere a Shaker Frame around a stamped image then add glitter. Remove the backing from the Shaker Frame and cover with a piece of Window Sheet (#114323). Your image will peek out from the sparkly window. Shaker Frames and glitter create a snow-like effect and are also fun for special occasions like birthdays and weddings.

Adhesive Sheets
Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets

Think of Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets (#120805) as really big, double-sided tape with protective backing on both sides. You can apply a piece of Adhesive Sheet to Designer Series Paper or cardstock, and then die-cut it into an assortment of shapes with the Big Shot. Basically, you’ve created a shaped sticker in the
colors of your choice. Peel off the backing and cover with glitter. Press in the glitter and tap off excess and you have a beautiful, sparkly embellishment for your project.

Never Enough Bling


If you still need more sparkle, you’ll also love Glimmer Paper and Dazzling Details glitter adhesive, both available in an assortment of
colors.  This home décor project is full of inspiration.  The heart was embossed with VersaMark ink and Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder on the Silver Glimmer Paper.

Add Sparkle

Black & Orange Stampin' GlitterGold & Silver Stampin' Glitter

Now you’ve seen a whole list of ways to add glitter to your projects. Go add some sparkle to your projects and make someone’s day even brighter when you share with them! Questions? Contact me, I’m always happy to help.
 
 
© CraftyPerson Production. 2013 Images © Stampin' Up!