Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Hi All,
Here is yet another design team project for The Stampsmith.  These cards were created after Christmas but the images were just too cute not to use this season.  The Stampsmith image is actually the sentiment that uses the last of the Twas the Night before Christmas. The image is from Estelle's holiday plate of rubber called Christmas Greetings Art Rubber Stamps.  I used Chocolate Archival Ink to stamp out the image.  The reindeer in the back ground is from a Tim Holtz, Collection called Merry Christmas.  I used the same chocolate ink to create the background paper on Kraft card stock.  Once all the deer were dry, I sprayed the card front with Sheer Shimmer Spritz by Tsukineko.  I adhered some Recollections Holiday ribbon to the card front and added the sentiment.  The bling is from Recollections and the poinsettias are from a Martha Stewart Crafts.  I inked all the edges with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  The inside of the card was using up scarps of the card stock (all Recollections) I used for the card front.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Dear Santa...

Hello All,
I was so busy the last several weeks that I haven't been able to work on some of my Stampsmith Christmas stamps.  I love the Christmas Cards # 2 Art Rubber Stamps from Estelle.  It was the first plate of StampSmith stamps that I ever owned.  I LOVE this Santa image.  He is so jolly and kind looking.  This stamp is so clear that you can almost see the twinkle in his eye.
I stamped this image using Sepia Ancient Page ink on Ranger Glossy card stock. I used my watercolor crayons and a water brush on the image.  I added some red to his lips and rouge to his cheeks and a bit of blue to his eyes to make them twinkle just a bit more.  I really LOVE this image.  The Kraft and red card stock that I used was from Recollections.  I used a piece of patterned paper from the Christmas Combo paper pack from DCWV (Last years collection).  I inked all of the paper with the new Distress Ink color of Gathered Twigs.  I think this is my new favorite color of distress ink.  My fingers are crossed that Ranger will eventually release the re-inker for these seasonal colors that they have released in the last few months.  The ribbon I used was from Recollections as well (Their Christmas collections).  I punched the poinsettia's from card stock scraps using my Martha Stewart punch and added some bling to the flower centres.  The stamp has Ho Ho Ho on it originally but I stamped out a sentiment from my stash.  The inside of the card is finished with scrap patterned paper and card stock along with another poinsettia.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

A Christmas Card for my Husband!!!

Hi All,
Here is the card I made for my husband for Christmas.  I used one of my Magnolia Stamps.  I inked it up with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink.  I colored the image with my water color crayons and a water brush.  I made the felt flowers with my MFT dies and the leaves are from Cheery Lynn Designs die.  I used a paper doily that I inked with Evergreen Bough distress Ink.  The paper is from the Dear Mr. Claus mini deck from Cosmo Cricut.  The lace on the card was from a grab bag I bought at Value Village.  The banner at the top is from a punch from Stampin Up.  The letters were from a set from Michael's 1.50$ bin.  I used my Sew Easy and stitched the paper together and used some Cross stitch floss from my stash.  The inside of the card is paper from the collection and coordinating card stock.  I punched the flowers out with my Martha Stewart Poinsettia punch and added some bling from Recollections.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Another Passion of Mine!

Hi All,
When I am not paper crafting I have another love, cross stitching and knitting! I always seem to have something on the go.  A few years ago, I was diagnosed with MS and it has affected my eyes! So needless to say, my cross stitching abilities are very S-L-O-W.  I created these two simple cross stitches over the past year out of a magazine that someone gave me when I got sick.  I usually do one per season for the house and it took me twice the time to do any of these.  the 'hugging snowmen' ended up being a gift for my sister-in-law for Christmas and the little one on the right is for our collection!

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

You Rock, Old School!!!

Hello All,
Here was a card that I made for my hubby for work.  I was approached by one of his co-workers that he was being recognized at his December staff meeting.  He has recently been transferred to work with At-Risk females at his job and up until this point, he has always worked with males.  Needless to say, he was nervous and wondering how was he going to 'connect' with the girls.  He lucked out.  One of the young girls was into metal music and they all were interested in 80s music and movies.  Well, Jim was all over that being he was a teenager in that era.  He brought in 80s movies in to watch with them that they could still relate to (really, who can't relate to 16 Candles or Pretty in Pink) and introduced them to his 'Atari'.  The girls were really drawn to all these retro items. His new team wanted to recognized his efforts.  I picked up a cartridge at Michael's called 'Feeling Groovy" and it was perfect! I cut the guy and his clothes out with Paper Doll Dress up. I hand cut out the B's on his shirt and clothes to represent the Red Sox (his FAVORITE team) and used one of my Peachy Keen stamp sets to stamp his face.  The cassette and game controller out from the Groovy cartridge and used a piece of paper that looks like a vinyl record that I got from the Mod Retro stack from DCWV.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~
PS: He was very surprized at the meeting and shocked that I was able to do this under his nose...lol... ;)

Another Christmas Card!

Hello All,
Happy Holidays and for those who celebrate, I hope Santa found you!
Here is a card I made for a few friends this holiday season.  The Stamped image is from Stampin Up and I used Tuxedo Black Memento ink.  I colored the image with inks and a water brush.  The edge punch on the side with the coordinating card stock in it is also from Stampin Up.  Sorry, I don't know the name of the stamp set or punch as I borrowed them from a friend.  The card stock is from Bazzil and the bling is from Recollections.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Wonderful You!!!

Happy Holidays all,
When I should be preparing for Christmas (which is tomorrow) I am doing up a post for my blog...lol.  This is a design team project for Estelle, The Stampsmith.  I used her stamp called, Holly Christmas Art Rubber Stamp.  The paper line is the Bittersweet line from Basic Grey.  It is an older collection, one that I love.  The bling, ribbon and flowers are all from Recollections.  Sorry for the quick post but Christmas prep is calling me (literally, hubby is yelling to me from the kitchen :) )
I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Christmas cards for my friends

Hello there,
Here are some Christmas cards that I created this season that I sent home to some friends.  The images are from The Greeting Farm.  I stamped them in Tuxedo black Memento ink, I used colored pencils and Gamsol to color the images.  I used a Copic Marker to color the flesh tones of the images.  I paper pieced the outfits of the kids using 'velvet paper'.  The Christmas paper was from my stash and the card stock was from Recollections.  The flowers and flat back pearls were from my stash.  I used bakers twine to add some more texture to the card.  The snowflakes were punched out using a Martha Stewart punch and the bling was from my local Dollar Store.  The sentiments was from a holiday set from Hampton Arts from a few years ago.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Ahoy There!

Another quick post tonight.  I was in a  craft fair a few weeks ago that was hosted by a  local yacht club.  It had been suggested to create some 'Nautical' cards.  I borrowed a Stampin Up set from a friend and created these cards along with the sail boat stamp that was from Stampendous.  The patterned paper was from Tim Holtz and all the card stock was from Recollections.  I made the ribbon Rosette by hand scoring the paper and added bakers twine,brad, and buttons from my stash.  The embossing folder on the top card is the 'Lattice Work's folder from Stampin up. The sentiments were from a stamp set from Inkadinkado.

Thanks for peeking in!

~Mel~

Snowman Cards!

Hi All,
I just wanted to show you a card that I did for some of my Christmas cards this year.  I saw something similar to this at a Stamp a Stack this fall in Windsor.  I used white and blue card stock from Recollections.  I embossed the centre 'snowball' with the 'swirls' embossing folder from Cuttlebug.  I actually cut the circles and scallop circles out on my cricut.  The snowman face is a stamp that I bought last year at Michael's.  the stamped snowflake on the bottom part of the snowman was a Marta Stewart collection from last year, and the sentiment was from PSX.  I used colored pencils and Gamsol on the image to color it in.  I attached the  snowballs together with Recollection brads and the ribbon on top was from my stash.  The card will neatly close to fit in an A2 envelope but then can stretch out to be hung on display.  I LOVE snowmen and actually noticed that most of my decorations for my house and tree are snowmen.  Hubby was shocked that I had never noticed before...lol.  I guess my collection is a bit out of hand.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Good Soldier!

Hey There, So here I am with another post tonight when I am supposed to be cleaning the house and packing as we are traveling to see my family for a few days before the holidays....you know where my priorities are...lol.  I made this card a few weeks ago for a gentleman that works with my husband.  He spent the entire month of November educating the youth they work with about veterans, soldiers and peace keepers.  I cut the little 'soldier' out on my cricut with Every Day Paper Dolls.  The papers were from my stash of Tim Holtz papers.  I used one of Tim's Texture fades (the brick) on black paper and inked it with white craft ink once it was adhered.  The gears were a Stampin Up punch that I used with pewter colored shimmer card stock.  The 'Good Work' was done with an alpha set from PSX.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Look Who's Here!

Hey All,
Here is another card that I made in this past month.  One of my husband's co-workers had a baby (Yes, another one) and I made this card up for him.  The stamp is from the Stampsmith.  The image is from Estelle's plate of stamps called, Darling Boys Art Rubber Stamps. I used a lace doily was from my stash and the stick pin I made last winter with a stick pin from Walmart and beads from Michael's.  The flower is made from some paper flowers purchased at Michael's in their scrapbooking section.  The sentiment was from a Hampton Arts set that I bought last year. I stamped the image with Ancient Page ink in Sepia on glossy card stock from Ranger.  I used from Stampin Up markers on the image with a water brush to add some color to the image. The card was inked in Tea Dye Distress Ink from Tim Holtz.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Shimmer, Shine and Sparkle Challenge on the Stampsmith Challenge Blog

Hi All, Sorry it has been so long since I have posted but saying life has been busy in an understatement! With Christmas quickly approaching I have been trying to get ready for that, prepare for a few craft fairs that I participated in locally, and my most recent undertaking, helping my friend, Kim Blanchette out with the relocation/opening of her paper crafting studio, The Cutting Garden.  I have also, in between this been trying to keep myself healthy and my MS in check, which is no small feat!!! I have been crafting and snapping pictures of my projects with hopes to have some spare time to post these items.  I thought that I would start with this post.  This card if for the Stmapsmith Challenge Blog.  The challenge for this month which is Shimmer, Shine and Sparkle!
I used some sparkly paper from Recollections and foil paper from our local Dollar store.  The punch for the photo corners is from Stampin Up.  The stamps is from the Stampsmith's plate of stamps called: Christmas Cards #2 Art Rubber Stamps. I stamped the image using Ancient Page ink in black on glossy card stock from Ranger.  I used my Stampin Up markers and a water brush on the stamped image to add some color.  the bling was from a pack that I bought at Michael's last year after Christmas on clearance.  The sentiment is from a set of acrylic stamps I bought at Michael's.  It is die cut with a label set from Spellbinders.
Stop by the Challenge Blog and Estelle's Site and take a peek around.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

You Rock!

Hi All,
I wanted to say hi to all my American friends tonight and take this opportunity to wish them a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday! To my maritime friends, I hope you are staying warm, safe, and dry on this, our first snow storm of the season!
Here is a post on a card that I have been commissioned to make...lol....it is from a friend of my husbands.  She was specific with the color, what it was to have on the card, the sentiment, and what to be put inside.  I used Every Day Paper Dolls on my cricut for the Dr on the front.  The sentiment is from Inkadinkado.  The paper was from my stash and the bling (metal studs) are from k&Company. I Glossy Accented the light on his head and cut a circle of silver card stock out for his stethoscope.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Baby Shower Gift!

Hi All,
Here is a very quick post with the picture of a mini album that I made for a friend who is having a baby at the end of December.  She and here husband are not going to find out the sex of the little one so the only thing I had to go by is that they were decorating the nursery in jungle theme.  I cut the mini itself from my cricut and most of the images cut from several cartridges.  I enjoyed making this despite not knowing the gender.  I was unable to attend the shower as I was not feeling well but am hoping to see her this week so I can give her my little surprise!

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Something just for Me!

Hi All,
I just wanted to post this card that I made this afternoon.  I am home alone, and SHOULD be doing my house work but I sat down to make a card just for me.  I have been so busy lately, craft fair stuff, design team stuff, and other obligations that this afternoon while hubby is out doing errands (that he wanted me to do with him but I declined) I made something just for me.  This is am image from the Stampsmith, called Butterfly Kisses.  I love this stamp.  I used Ancient Page ink and colored the image with water based markers and my water pen.  I used a paper doily from my stash and the lace trim is from my stash as well.  the paper was scraps in my scrap bin that appeared to 'flow' well together.  The flower is from Recollections and the stick pin is one that I had made in the past.  I used Vintage Photo Distress Ink dull down the lace color and the paper doily.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

What are Little Girls Made of?

Hi There,
Sorry it has been so long, my computer crashed and I haven't been able to upload any pictures.  Here is the second of these cards for my friend's gender reveal party that she is throwing for her daughter.
I used a stamp from the http://www.stampsmith.net/ecommerce/unmounted-rubber-stamp-sheets/children/thank-heaven2-art-rubber-stamps.html stamp plate from http://www.stampsmith.net/.  I thought that it was a perfect match for what she was looking for.
The background paper is from Tim Holtz and the die cut behind the image is from Spellbinders (Lace Doily Motif).  The lace, flower, and brad were from my stash.  the stick pin I found at a yard sale this summer and it fit this project perfectly! I used Tea Dye Distress Ink for the entire card.

Happy Stamping!

~Mel~

What are Little Boys Made of?

Hi All,
I have had some computer issues and until this morning, I was unable to upload any pictures. I am hoping it is fixed, fingers crossed!
Here is a design team project.  I made this card for a friend who is having a gender reveal party for her daughter this weekend.
I used the Darling Little Boys Art Rubber Stamp plate from StampSmith. 
I used Portebello Road paper from Recollections for the back ground.  I used Tea Dye Distress Ink to ink the entire card.  The sentiment was one that my friend requested and I simply typed it out on my computer.  the flower, lace, and brad were from my stash.

Happy Stamping!

~Mel~

Babies Everywhere!

Hi All,
I am glad that I am able to pop in today to make this blog post! My laptop crashed a few weeks agao and I haven't been able to upload any pics until I figured out how to band-aid it until I can get a new one (hoping soon)! I was distressed the last two nights trying everything that I know to get onto it with no luck! I am NOT proficient on a computer and my friend who is, is away on vacation.  So this morning after taking hubby to work I came home and tried shutting off my firewall long enough to access it and put it up as one of my favorites....and...IT WORKED!!!!
So, on to the card.  Two of my husbands co-workers had babies the last few weeks and I was asked to make cards for them.  I designed these cards with Cricut Cartridges, 9 Months and Paper Doll Dress up.  I used paper from a Martha Stewart paper pack that I found at Michael's on clearance.  I used some Glitter Glue on the stamped words, 'Sweet Girl'.  I blinged up the little ones bonnet and wheels on her pram.  Inside I used a ticket punch to punch the corners and the stamps inside are from a Hampton Arts set that I found at Big Lots when I was in the States during the summer.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

TSC24 Ribbons and Lace

Hi All,

Here is my blog hop entry for our Challenge Blog celebration.  The Theme is Ribbons and Lace and when I think of that, I really do think about Marilyn Munroe.  She was the best iconic symbol of femininity that I can think of. I used a piece of lace patterned paper from Melissa Frances and the die cut is from the Lacey Circle Spellbinders and removed the centre with my circle die from Spellbinders.  I used a piece of white lace to back the circle that I die cut.  I fussy cut Marylin and popped her up on dimensionals. 

Last month, we celebrated the grand opening of the new Stampsmith Online Store - we're still jittering with excitement - it's so amazing!! This month we are celebrating The Stampsmith Challenge's one year anniversary and we couldn't be more excited to give you some extra chances to win... read on!!

This month's lovely theme of Ribbons and Lace was suggested by Lynne . Create a project that includes some ribbon and lace and link up your project! All projects will be entered in a random draw for your choice of a full sheet of Stampsmith rubber valued at $21!

In addition, at the end of this month, we will be entering ALL of the comments from this blog and each of the designers' blogs into a hat for an additional full sheet of Stampsmith rubber - also valued at $21!!! The more love you leave, the more chances you'll have to win!!

If you arrived here fromThe Stampsmith Challenge designer/blog then you are in the right place! From here, Karen McAlpine invites you to visit! Below is a complete list of the blogs in this hop in case you have missed any! Be sure to leave a comment at each stop for more chances to win! Have fun hopping and best of luck in the draw!!

The Stampsmith Challenge

Melanie Bennett

Karen McAlpine

Lynne Moncrieff

Julie Mutch

Debbie Reid

Valerie Wilson

Thanks for peeking in!

~Mel~

I "Heart" the USA

Hi All,
Here is a cute card made for my design team work for The Stampsmith stamp company.  Estelle, The Stampsmith sent this little kitty for me to do a project up with. This stamp comes from the USA Patriotice Art Rubber Stamp Plate. I was a bit stumped as I am from Canada and this is a very American stamp with the Uncle Sam hat. I stamped him out on glossy paper and inked the image with Tea Dye Distress ink and fussy cut it out.  I used some acrylic stamps that I had in my stash and colored them in with some patriotic colors. I Used Barn Door Distress Ink to ink up the edges and background paper.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Just Because Cards!

Hi All,
Here are a trio of cards that I was asked to make.  The individual that was looking for them, was specific in her sentiment (Just Because...) and what is written inside (You don't get on my nerves) and wanted the cards to be 'funky'....lol...tall order for someone that I have never met.  These three images are from the Greeting Farm, Rock and Roll Crew.  I stamped the images out in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and I colored them with mineral spirits and colored pencils.  Again my paper choices were from my scrap bin.  The metal stud on the black card was from K& Company and the bling on the other cards were from the 1.50 bin at Michael's.  I used my Bic Market marker in orange to color the orange bling in so that it would match the card.  The cover sentiment is from Hero Arts and I typed the inside message on my computer.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Sympathy Card

Hi Everyone,
Just a quick card that I made for one of my husband's co-workers that recently lost a family member.  It was a simple flower stamp from Stampendous.  I stamped it with white craft ink on black card stock.  I colored the image with colored pencils and used a white poster marker from Sharpie. I used an embossing folder from Sizzix, I can't remember the name and die cut the image out on my Labels Eight Spellbinders.  I added a bow made with some ribbon from Michael's.

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Happy HalloScream!!!

Hi All,
Just a quick post on a card I did for a crafty card exchange with my girl friends.  I LOVE Halloween!!!! I love everything about it so given the chance to create for it, I really have fun.  I saw a card on the Prairie Paper & Ink blog.  I loved the card and the simple coloring of it.  The three images are from 1.50$ stamps from Michaels.  I colored them with odorless mineral spirits and colored pencils.  I used my scrap Halloween paper for the card and my Martha Stewart spider web punch for the front.
It is simple but I love it!

Thanks for peeking in!
~Mel~

Dog Lover!

Hi All,
Here is another design team post for the Stampsmith Stamp Rubber Stamp Company.  Estelle sent me a few stamps in my design team package to do up a few samples for.  One of them being the stamp on this card.  You can find this stamp at her shop.  It is called Puppy Dog Art Rubber Stamps.  It is a wonderful plate of stamps of different puppy dogs.  I showed my husband this card that I made and stated in a very serious voice that I am NOT an dog lover.  It struck me as funny, as he was laying there reading with my two cats cuddled up with him. 
I used the Pet Stack for DCWV.  I stamped the image with black Ancient Page ink.  I used a postage stamp frame die from Sizzix and die cut it using chipboard and back card stock.  The dog bone paper clip came from Big Lots when we were there a few years ago. I used the Martha Stewart heart punches on the front of the card.  The bakers twine that I used was from The Twinery.com, from one of their sample packs.  The sentiment was one that I printed off on my computer.
I hope you all like this card.
Thanks for peeking in!

~Mel~

Babies Everywhere!

Hi All,
Another post for you today.  My dear husband again accessed my crafting abilities for a co-worker.  Apparently she saw the baby onsie cards that he brought into his staff meeting earlier in the week and she requested for one to be made for her, but this one was for a little girl.  I cut the onsie with my 9 Months Cricut Cartridge.  I used 'girlie' paper from a Recollections paper pack that I picked up at Michael's.  I cut "It's a Girl" on the same cartridge.  The charms are from the baby shower section at Michael's and the baby in the sling  and the bottle on the inside are chipboard stickers from Dollarama.  I used some pink lace from my stash to 'girl it up'. The princess sticker was from K&C. The punch used on the inside is from Martha Stewart and the sentiment on the inside is from a Recollections set from Michael's.
I hope everyone is having a great long weekend!
Thanks for peeking in!

~Mel~

A Proud Auntie!

Hi All,
Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends.  I hope everyone is taking the opportunity to remember and give thanks for all that we have...and to have a wonderful dinner...lol.
I wanted to come on and post a picture of a card I made my nephew last evening.  Ryan is off to university this year and I am so proud that he is pursuing his education.  When I was in school, my Mother used to send me care packages from home with some treats and letters from home.  I wanted to do the same for him as this is his first holiday away and he is unable to get home for Thanksgiving.  But, given the cost of postage here in Canada, I opted for a gift card and homemade card for him.  Apparently he saves my cards in a box that I make him...what a cutie...lol.
The image and sentiment are from a Recollections stamp set that I picked up at Michael's.  I used my colored pencils and mineral spirits on the image.  I cut it out with my Martha Stewart Circle cutter.  The paper that I used was from a paper pack I got last year at Joann's when we were on our honeymoon in Maine.  I added some spiderweb ribbon from our local Dollarama.  I wrapped some orange bakers twine around the card and tied it in a bow.  The little black spider was something that I too picked up at Dollarama.The spiderweb edge punch is from Martha Stewart's Halloween collection last year as was the bats punch that I used to punch some out in  black cardstock.
I hope everyone is happy and safe!
Thanks for peeking in!

~Mel~

Much Thanks to You Both!

Hi All,
My hubby asked me to make up a few cards the other day for a couple of his co-workers who had done up a scrapbook for a retiring co-worker.  His team wanted to thank them for the job they did.
These cards were made with some House Mouse stamps that I had.  The sentiments were 1.50$ stamps from Michaels.  I die cut them using a Spellbinder in my collection. I used my chalks to color them.  The paper I used was scraps from my stash, I LOVE to use it all up, never waste anything...lol.
I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend.
Thanks for peeking in!

~Mel~

A Day At My Favorite Place!

Hello everyone,
This is my first official blog post for the Stampsmith Design team! I am terribly nervous about it and excited at the same time. This post is in conjunction with the celebration over Estelle's new site. It is wonderful and you should all take the time to drop over and check it out!
As part of her celebration, Estelle is offering a 10% discount on an order beginning Saturday October 8, 2011 and ending Sunday October 9, 2011. The discount code is TENOFF and you add that during check out.
I really enjoy the beach and it made me a little sad to create with this as it has turned terribly cold here in Nova Scotia and I think that my beach days for the year are done.
Thanks for peeking in!

~Mel~

Oh Baby!!!!

Hi All,
A second post for today....though the truth be known, the first one tonight was supposed to be posted on Saturday but I am a little bit tardy.
Jim has two of his co-workers that have recently had babies, and two boys!!! Both Moms and babies are doing well.  I was asked to make a couple of baby cards for the new Mothers.  They were big enough to hold gift cards so they can pick up what they want for their little men.
I cut the onesie cards  and the "It's a Boy"out on my cricut using 9 Months, a Lite cartridge sold at Walmart.  There are lots of cute cuts on it for the entire pregnancy.  The charms on the "It's a Boy" are from the baby shower section of Michaels.  The patterned paper is from a Recollections paper pack geared towards little boys.....The chipboard stickers were from our local Dollar store.  They were quick and easy once I cut out the cards.
I hope they like them.
Thanks for peeking in!

~Mel~

TSC23: Halloween Using At Least One Stampsmith Stamp!

Hi All,
Happy World Card Making Day everyone!!

Today brings a new Stampsmith Challenge theme of Halloween! Starting today, you will now have an entire month to join The Stampsmith Challenge by creating a project featuring at least one Stampsmith stamp! One random winner will select their favorite full sheet of Stampsmith rubber valued at $21 at the end of every month!

Congratulations to Estelle on her new Stampsmith On-Line Store - there's so much new to see - an interactive catalog with online ordering, tips and tricks, a beautiful gallery and much more!!

Again, I would like to say how honored I am to be given this opportunity to be part of this talented team.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful creative week!
Thanks for peeking in!

~Mel~

I am honored!

A few weeks back, a good friend of mine approached me to be on the design team for Stampsmith Rubber Stamps, (Thanks Kim!) I was shocked to say the least. I am VERY new to the posting world and am a bit shy so having my stuff on display is taking me out of my comfort zone to say the least. The theme for my first post for them was Autumn or Fall either in colors or the stamps that I used. I opted to use my new Lucy plate from Stampsmith. I LOVE Lucy (no pun intended...lol). I used some fall themed paper from Making Memories (at least two years old in my stash). I stamped Lucy with some Ancient Page ink in Sienna. I then distressed the paper and used Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Tea Dye all over the card. I typed out on my computer the sentiment....'fall's here...there goes my tan lines'....and adhered it with some bling brads from Recollections. I used some chocolate colored seam binding to finish it off. My camera is not the best (may need to look into investing in a new one) so I took some pics with my phone.
Thanks for peeking in and a special thanks to Kim Prince who had confidence in me and my work!

~Mel~

Happy Birthday to a Mouse lover-NOT!!!

Hi All,
My Mother-in-Law's birthday is this week and I wanted to send her a card as we won't be seeing her.  She is terribly afraid of mice, comes from growing up on a farm (or so she says....lol).  My friend, Leda stamped me off some images and sent them to me as I am in love with House Mouse stamps and have only started collecting them.  She even die-cut this one for me.  I water colored the image and used iridescent glitter glue on them (my favorite).  I inked the image with Dusty Concord Distress Ink from Ranger.  The sentiment is from Inkadinkado and that too was stamped and inked in Dusty Concord.  I punched the sentiment out with a SU punch.  The purple card stock in from Recollections and the embossed paper is from my stash.
I hope she gets the humour in this card (the mouse) and she doesn't stamp on it and scream as she does when she sees any form of mouse....lol
Thanks for peeking in!

~Mel~

Birthday cards for a friend

Here are two cards that I made for a friend.  She ordered a few cards from me for up coming family member's birthdays.  They are both Magnolia Stamped images that I water colored and used iridescent glitter glue on the hair.  The lace in the blue card was from my stash and the lollipop flower is something I made several months ago.  The pearl bling is from the Recollections line at Michael's.  The paper is from my scrap bin, unsure of the company name.  I bought a bag of shells from Dollarama and that is what I used on the orange card.  The burlap was from the Floral department at Michael's and again, the patterned paper was from my scrap bin. The sentiment was from the 1.50 bin at Michael's.
I hope she liked the cards as did the recipients!
Thanks for peeking in!

~Mel~