Use Dies/Die Cutting for Sparkles Monthly

  I love to stamp! But even more so, I love Die Cutting. I guess I like the intricate details, shapes and dimension dies can give to a project and sometimes with very little effort. I am the challenge hostess this round and I chose Use Dies /Die Cutting for the new challenge over at Sparkles Monthy

My card is a combo of different company dies that are a few years old but I like to select designs and elements that are not really fadish so in a few years they still have a current look. I did a tone on tone for the base of my card and chose a lovely Aqua color to highlight the crisp whiteness of the flowers. 

 I also wanted to die cut the sentiment to add to the DC theme and that is the only area of the card that is stamped. I love the impact die cutting brings to cardmaking. Stay tuned to my blog and check back here or on my Instagram account to see some upcoming cut out cards I will be featuring. See you later...

Melissa

Fall for Make My Monday

  The things I love about Fall are first, the change in physical temperature. Then, the warm cozy colors of the season, football, baking and knowing the holidays are just around the corner. The new theme at Make My Monday is Autumn/Fall and I am thrilled! In a previous post I mentioned another 5 layer stencil I was going to feature in an upcoming challenge and here it is, a beautiful Fall scene.

For this card, I started with a sand colored cardstock base instead of white. I thought it softened stronger colors ans blended better.

 The stencil is from the Spellbinders September 2026 Stencil of the Month. As I have said in previous blogs, I am looking to downsize and simplify creating/crafting time and I find stencils give a nice presentation with not taking too much time and if you need to whip up a last minute card, stencils can help with that!

I added a fall leaf from an older Stampin Up set as the background for my sentiment(also SU!) just for a little added dimension and this card is done!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and I am hoping you feel ispired to join us this challenge!

 Melissa

Use Colors Red & Green

  I have experimented over the years with differnet colors when decorating for Christmas but I still go back to the traditional colors of RED & GREEN. There is something comforting, cozy and familiar with the colors that I hardly vary from. That is the challenge focus this month at Sparkles Christmas Challenge and I am the challenge hostess. 

My jolly snowman was done with a 5 layer stencil. Have you tried the layered stencils? I am now offically hooked! I had purchased a few but just put them in my stash of stencils and didn't bother playing around at first. I needed a specific theme for a card challenge and rememebered I had one that would fit the bill and wonderd why I waited so long to try them! Now there are layered stencils with matching dies for a more 3D/Layered look but I haven't gone there yet!

Here you can see the 5 different stencils and the colors I choose and also the different intensity of colors of how I applied the colors. I didn't have a color blending brush in black, so I used a navy blue ink I have because It's so dark that it looks black when applied with a heavy hand.

So much fun! I really enjoy using these stencils and I received a new one and will be posting for our sister challenge Make My Monday for the October 5th challenge. 

You have a whole month to think about an decide how you are going to use colors RED & GREEN, looking forward to seeing to seeing what you come up with! See you later..

Melissa 

Pink & Pink Ribbon

 

Hello there! Well time is marching on and here we are heading into Autumn, one of my favorite color seasons. Florida is hot most of the time but we do enjoy cooler weather towards the end of the year into the spring and we are looking forward to the break!  

For the current challenge over at Make My Monday, we are remembering Breast Cancer awareness month coming up in October. We are asking you use Pink & a Pink ribbon on your creation.

  

 I kept my card simple and feminine. The Pray without Ceasing is the hope to never give up! Keep asking, keep seeking. 

I hope you will join us for this challenge and also join in with us to pray for, support and encourage those who are still fighting and those who have survived.

Melissa

Favorite Technique for Sparkles Monthy

 Hello there! Welcome to my little crafting blog! If you  have been here before, welcome back! When I saw the theme for our next challenge over at Sparkles Monthly, I was excited! This month, it's use your Favorite Technique! Great idea I thought and I like lots of techniques but Die Cutting would be my fav! See my card below...

Why do I like die cutting? LOOK at all those layers!! I don't color well but I can use tweezers and place teen tiny pieces together no problem! 

I shaded the center of the flowers with a blender brush to give dimension and cut lots of foliage pieces give it a full lush look. I decided to heat emboss the sentiment in metallic gold and then cut gold glitter paper leaves so the shiny gold was spread evenly across the card.

Here's a close up of all the detail. I had even though at one time to just use dies and stamp on sentiment...still might one day...bye for now...

Melissa  

 

Apples for Make My Monday

  Hello there! I just like a good challenge don't you? So when I saw the theme for the DT project for the Make My Monday challenge I was definitely up for the challenge. 

This round is use APPLES.

Well, in my well stocked items of crafting goods, I have nothing apples! So I reached out to local fellow crafters to borrow stamps, dies, punches, anything apple. Nothing. No one had apples so my next idea was to print out an apple image. But, not in typical apple colors but to bring a vintage feel to it and that's what I did. 

I am planning a retirement party for husband so my crafting time has been limited for the past several weeks so when I initially made the card to get it posted it on time, it was a little more simpler. When I went back to look at the photos, I felt I need to add a little something...anyone ever go back and add to a card, take away, add back and so on and so on???

So, I cut out an the apple image to layer on the original I just cut with a square shaped die. Than I bumped up the GWS sentiment. I aged & blended the edges of the card base to add more vintage and I splattered in copper. The same card, just a little more improved!

So don't let what you don't initially have stop you from creating...use your imagination! and most importnatly, HAVE FUN!!

Thanks so much for stopping by and having a look! I hope you will join in with us for our use APPLES challenge!

Bye for now...

Melissa

For Make My Monday Challenge 285

  Hello again! I am here with a fun new project for the Make My Monday blog. The challenge this time a round is use YELLOW, WHITE AND ANOTHER COLOR. So I chose yellow, white & gray and made my DT project a collection tag.

My tag is 2  1/2" wide by 5" long with a vellum pocket stuffed with some ephemera goodies!

I chose gray to go with the yellow and white. I do like gray with yellow. I think it's a good balance like sweet & salty treats!

I stenciled, stamped & blended the edges for the tag base. I stuffed with some goodies that can be removed for a collection style. Stay tuned to my blog as I will shifting a little away from card making to more Art/Junk art journal creations and using more of what I have like paper emphemera, magazines etc. I am not giving up cardmaking, just expanding...

Whatever type of paper art you plan on making, I hope you will join in with us so I can see how you used the colors!

Bye for now...

Melissa