Time For Spring Challenge

Welcome to a new challenge at Melonheadz Friends. Our focus this time is spring. Oh, lovely spring! Seems like it took FOREVER to get here this year, didn't it?? I'm happy to make spring cards anytime, really. They are so cheerful and colorful and....well.... springy! Here is my card for this challenge.

I used the Background Pieces set to create my scene. The birdhouse, flower box, and grass are from this adorable bundle. First inked my card base with very light blue and light green inks for grass and sky. My clouds are a simple die cut which I embellished with a little pen work and this sweet sentiment. The tiny sun is a stamp, the tiny butterfly is a punch, and the tiny bird is a wood veneer that fit perfectly onto the perch.

Here you can see the added dimension I created with foam tape and a few layered leaves, in addition to the wood bird. This background pieces set is a must have. Check out all the other elements included here.

Also, be sure to link up on the Melonheads Friends blog your Time For Spring project for your chance to win sweet goodness! :) Thanks for coming by, and as always, thank you for your sweet comments. ♥

Other products used:
Martha Stewart butterfly punch
Paper Trey Ink cloud dies
Copic markers
Foam tape
Blue and green inks

Made in Minutes

Happy Monday once again and welcome to made in minutes. I love this segment and hope you do too. Today's card is super simple. Flags in a pocket! As easy as that.....! Add layers if you like, and if you don't have time, don't, it's just as cute.

For the flags I used the vintage label banner die and adhered to toothpicks. Couldn't be simpler. Use the gift card pocket die, or make your own pocket, add a sentiment - or not - and embellish with a button and twine if you are so inclined!

Today's product list:
My Creative Time, 3x4 journaling card (trimmed down)
My Creative Time, vintage label and banner die
My Creative Time, tag gift pocket die (also trimmed smaller)
My Creative Time, Tab Notes stamp set
Twine, button, toothpicks

Designer Challenge, No Pattern Paper

This week's Designer Challenge comes to us from Stacey. Her challenge to you, should you choose to accept it (and we hope you will!! LOL) is to make your project using no pattern paper. You can use stamps to create your own background or pattern, but no pattern paper.

For my project, I decided to make a set of mini enclosure cards. Instead of pattern paper or stamped backgrounds, I used washi tape. I love the splash of color!

Each little envie pocket has a coordinating color flower on the front. Super simple, and super cute! We hope you'll join the My Creative Time team for this fun challenge. Link up your project to the MCT blog for your chance to win.

Product List:
My Creative Time, Tag Gift Pocket die
My Creative Time, Things I Love stamp set
Washi tape, prima flowers, bling

Whatever Wednesday

Happy hump day! Or as we, at My Creative Time like to call it, make whatever you want Wednesday. :)

Today I thought I would show you another way to use your dies on a card. It's kind of a cool look and I don't know why I don't think to use it more often. I combined this cut with masking. Fun!

For this technique, you cut out the die only part way. I first marked the center of the die while it was where I wanted to cut, then score down the center of just the inside of the die. Lay your cutting pad not quite to your markings and cut; then turn the paper and run through again, doing the same thing with the cutting pad. This way you are left with an uncut portion in the center.

You can leave it open if you like, or cover the back as I did with a coordinating color paper. To embellish, I added another heart shape, scored in the center and added faux stitching.

And you don't need an excuse or a February 14 to send a love you message! I love sending just because cards! :)

Product List:
My Creative Time, Stitched Sweetheart dies
My Creative Time, 3x4 Journaling card die
My Creative Time, Bracket Sentiments
Butterfly punch, twine, button, white pen

Try Me Tuesday

Do you like shaped cards? Did you know you can make a card out of almost any die very easily?! That's what today's "try me" is all about. Making a card from a die that is not meant to be an actual card. For my card I used the Capture Frame die (it comes with an arrow die, also). I simply turned it on its side and used the frame as a window.

It's a simple process to make a card base from any die. First cut a piece of cardstock at least twice as long as the die you are using and score in the center. 

Fold. Place the fold just inside the cutting line of the die, as shown here.

Run through your cutter (I have a BigShot) and there you have it! Ready to decorate, embellish and ink up how you wish. You can decorate the front as is, or you can do like I did with this one and cut a separate piece the full size of the die and adhere it to the front so the stitching shows on all four sides.

For the candles on the inside of my card, I just cut strips of coordinating papers and added yellow bling for the flames. The banner behind is from the Vintage Label and Banner die set. Add your sentiment and twine if you like.

This is such a fun and easy way to make a unique card shape. If you haven't already tried this technique I hope you will. You can use a multitude of die shapes for this idea. Here is another way to use this technique on a card I did some time ago.

Product List:
My Creative Time, Capture Frame die
My Creative Time, Vintage Label and banner die set
My Creative Time, Round Speech Bubble die
My Creative Time, Wow, So Many Candles stamp set
My Creative Time, Chocolate Greetings stamps
My Mind's Eye, Kraft Funday Happy Days 6x6 paper pad
Twine, button, bling, acetate for window

Made in Minutes Monday

Welcome to another week of crafting in my studio! Today's project is a Made in Minutes card that can be done in so many different ways. I like this design and I think I might have to use it again for future projects. This simple hex design comes from Becky at Scrapping and Stampin' in GJ (link below). I saw her design on pinterest and fell in love. I used the My Creative Time medium sized hex die and the teeny tag from the Chunky Jar Accessories set. Add a couple of paper flowers, a twine bow and you're ready to start another project.

I love yellow and black together and this was the perfect chance to use these colors. Also, polka dots make everything better, don't you think?! This could easily be done with one piece of scrap paper from your leftovers stash.

Card by Becky found on pinterest

Product List:
My Creative Time, Hexagon dies
My Creative Time, Hello Chickie stamp and die set
My Creative Time, Chunky Jar Accessories tag die
Prima flowers, flat backed pearls, twine

Hey chickie!

Oh, gosh, more adorableness from Miss Kathy, aka Queen Peachy!!! This little chicken is so cute I can hardly stand it. I had to use it for my challenge entry this month. I loved the inspiration photo colors and wanted to get them all in somehow. I wasn't sure how I was going to do it, and then my brain kicked in ... aha! chicken + eggs = colors! Sweet! Details here to join this fun challenge.

For the nest, I used one of my first ever Memory Box dies - LOVE this die!!! - the grapevine wreath. Obviously, it is not in wreath-y form here. I cut the piece twice, folded each piece twice, gluing the layers together so that I had two quarter circle-ish pieces. One is the bottom layer of the nest, on which I adhered little Miss Chicken, and the second I tucked the eggs into then adhered over the top of little Miss Chicken. I love it! And then, just because I had them, I added two tiny little feathers - real ones! - just below the nest. The super cute sentiment comes with the faceless chickens set, along with a few others as well. I've linked you to the store at the end of the post.

As you know, I love dimension, and stacking with foam tape is one of my favorite ways to achieve this look. I stamped and cut the chicken three times and adhered together with foam tape. Super fun application and really makes the focal point pop. I also paper pieced the wing and comb, added glossy accents to the eyes, spica glitter pen to the comb, and a little shadowing with copic markers.

Peachy stamps used:
PK-1375, faceless chickens
PK-1373, chickie face assortment

Photo/color inspiration challenge image

Masking and Bokeh techniques

Just one more from class today. This one was so quick to finish I can't even believe it. Two stamps, one sentiment, two inks, couple of strips of masking tape and that's it! Totally love this, and might even use this design again. Yes, that's what I said....I do believe white space may be growing on me a tad bit. ;) Hope you like!

Paper Smooches, Perpetual Bliss stamp set - heart, camera, sentiment
Distress Ink, Fired Brick
Memento Ink, Tuxedo Black
masking tape

Stamping with markers

I had to redeem myself, even if only for my own feeling of accomplishment, LOL, and made another card (see previous post) showing this technique from class today. I like how it turned out but will need to practice more. The stamp I used, this clump of thistles, is by Inkadinkadoo. I sort of fudged a big as there are no sentiments in the set, and used a sentiment from My Creative Time, Color Me Happy (there are no images in that sentiment set).

I masked off a "frame" around the outside and lightly inked the area where I wanted to stamp, to give it some depth and body. I then colored my stamp with Distress Markers, milled lavender, forest moss, and peeled paint.

Stamped my sentiment, added a teeny pearl and done. I think this is probably the fastest card I have ever made! Might have taken all of 7-8 minutes. :)

Thanks again for checking out all my homework. I highly recommend the Clean and Simple Online Card Classes. See link in right sidebar to sign up for newsletters and info about future classes. ♥

Same stamp set, four ways

It's the final day of class and today's project is using the same stamp set in four different ways. I'm not sure I pulled this one off very well, but I didn't choose the best stamp set for my examples as there are no solid images, so there's that. Better luck next time. I made this set of gift cards from two A2 sized cards. I just cut them in half giving the option of top opening or side opening cards. The stamp set I used is by Technique Tuesday called Fantastic. The four methods in today's lesson - layered stamping, masking, bokeh, and stamping with markers.

Layered stamping and masking: I used the fan blade part of the stamp, masked off the remainder, and layered it upon itself to appear as if it is spinning and blowing the streamers. I guess that works!

bokeh technique - sort of a faded or slightly blurry affect: I repeated the word "fan" in stamped off colors to appear faded and slightly blurry.

stamping with markers: Well, this didn't work at all because I don't have any full coverage images in this set. LOL So instead, I simply colored in the fan blades.

And a fourth card to go with the set, even though there really is no "technique" it follows for class. I just stamped the image, stamped the sentiment and done! ;) But it completes my little gift card set!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing the fun techniques I've been playing with the past couple of weeks. I've had a blast learning new ways of using my stamps, markers, tapes, embossing tools, and the rest of my stash! Thanks for joining me here on the blog as well as on the Facebook Studio page. Have a great weekend, and BE CRAFTY! ♥

Mosaic tile look

Happy Friday, peeps. Today I'm sharing a mosaic design we learned in textural effects class. So simple to do, but wow, what an impact! I learned that I really need to practice more with masking so this, my second attempt, fared a lot better than the first. Anyway, here you have it. Mosaic look using heat embossing.

Products:
Washi, or any masking tape
Hero Arts inks- Soft Cantaloupe, Orange Soda, Soft Olive, Tide Pool, Navy
Clear embossing powder
Technique Tuesday stamp set, Everyday Words by Ali Edwards

Textural Effects card class

Happy Thursday and first day of spring! This also happens to be my dad AND my daughter's birthday today! Happy birthday daddy and baby girl. :)

Ok so today's class project uses several textural elements on a one layer card. All these effects together have a great impact! First I spritzed and dotted part of my paper with glimmer mist spray, then used heat embossing with clear powder on my gorgeous flower stamps from Paper Trey Ink. Next I colored the flowers using copic markers. Once the flowers were done, I applied embossing paste to just a portion of my TH bubble stencil . When that was dry I added the sentiment, in this case I heat embossed in black, then placed a few glass pebbles and pearls for a finishing touch.

Fun class, though I must admit, this took two tries - first time I totally spaced and slapped embossing paste all over my flowers. *forehead smack!* I was so bummed after all the coloring I did. But it was meant to be so after dinner, I gave it another shot. I'm happy with it. Hope you like this one too!

Products:
Paper Trey Ink stamps
Technique Tuesday word stamp
Clear and black embossing powder
Homemade embossing paste
Glimmer mists
Copic markers
Pebbles glass dots, pearls

Whatever you want Wednesday

Heidi-ho, good neighbor. My project for today is not a card, not scrapbook page, not even made of paper - mostly. I made this adorable Easter bunny for my front door, with the help of my hubby and his power saw!

This is an idea I saw on pinterest and knew immediately it would be my spring decoration instead of a wreath this year. I drew out the shapes on paper and hubby cut them from wood. I sanded, painted, mod podged and decorated.

The cute embellishment is a two-tone tulle bow with flowers and a tiny Easter basket which holds a tiny chocolate bunny. It turned out so cute, don't you think. It will be hard waiting the next few weeks before I can hang it up on my door. :)

Product List:
My Creative Time, Rolled flower die
My Creative Time, Hello Chickie, die and stamp set
My Creative Time, Color Me Happy stamp set
My Creative Time, Chunky Jar Accessories tag dies
Wood, acrylic paints, tulle, wire, glue, mod podge

original design: