May SOTM Blog Hop featuring Live, Laugh, Love!

THANK YOU for stopping by to enjoy our

May Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

featuring this month's SOTM:

Live, Laugh, Love S1705

If you've just arrived here from

HALEY's BLOG

then you are on the correct path.

If you get lost along the way, you can find
a complete list of all of the participating
consultant blogs here on MELINDA's BLOG.

Today I'm sharing this two-pocket card that is folded from a 7.5" paper circle! (cutting dimensions and instructions follow in one of the images below). I make a lot of standard-size cards, so this is something totally new and different for me! The finished size of the card is just a tad smaller than standard-size, so the great news is that this card will fit nicely in any standard-size envelope!

To create my card, I used just one sheet of paper from the 
NEW No Worries paper packet (X7220B). The marker colors I used include Leaf Green, Marine Blue, Peacock Green, and Turquoise Blue. I also used White Daisy and Outdoor Denim (retired) cardstocks, but Sapphire or Lagoon cardstock could have worked just as well as the Outdoor Denim. Enjoy!!

Now you can continue on with the blog hop
and be inspired by more creativity using this stamp set
by visiting ALYSON's BLOG next!

Stamp with "Jubilation" in June!!

Welcome to our June Stamp of the Month blog hop featuring this month's new SOTM - Jubilation D1457! If you've just joined me from Beth's blog, then you are on the right path!
All of my artwork today also features the Mayberry paper pack X7136B (colors include Cocoa, Colonial White, Honey, Olive, and Smoothie). First, I'm sharing a 4.5" circle card inspired by Wishes - Side Note (p. 127). The Christmas tree image was done with the "paper-piecing" technique. To do this, I stamped the image with Olive ink on Olive cardstock (tone-on-tone stamping), then cut out around the outside edge of the tree with my micro-tipped scissors, then adhered the Olive tree to the center of the same image already stamped with Honey ink on Colonial White cardstock. The "holiday cheer" image is stamped with 1st and 2nd generation Cocoa ink. Another great tip for you: Our 1.25" circle punch Z1311 is the perfect size to punch out all of the images included in this stamp set - love that!!

Next I have a 3.5"x8" card (above). My design is inspired by Originals - Bound Together (p. 33). I've stamped and cut out a few of the cute "daisy" flower images to embellish my card and notice that the "daisy" stamped with Honey ink and cut out makes a good center for the folded paper flower focal point. To create the largest petals of the flower I used the 2" scallop circle punch to punch out four circles of B&T paper that are then folded to create my dimensional petals. Here's a closer view of the flowers (below):

and finally, here is a view of all of the images included in this stamp set (below). There's such a big variety of holiday images and sentiments here that I can totally see myself using this wonderfully versatile stamp set over and over again throughout the year!!

Now you can continue on with the rest of the SOTM blog hop and see more creative ideas for using this stamp set by visiting Paige's blog next! Enjoy!!

More "Chairs to You" (May Stamp of the Month) artwork!

"Chairs to You" stamp set images (shown above)

All of these beautiful creations were made by my consultant Stamp of the Month swap group members recently. They feature the May 2011 SOTM - Chairs to You D1456 and the Lucky papers X7137B. Thanks to all of our swap participants!

Your artwork is truly inspiring!!

"Chairs to You" Blog Hop!

Hello! If you're stopping by for the Scrappy Birthday Blog Hop, please scroll down to the next post (because I'm participating in two different hops today)!
Welcome to our May Stamp of the Month blog hop featuring this month's new SOTM - Chairs to You D1456! If you've just joined me from Haley's blog then you are on the right path!

8 x 3.5 card (above) - a card for Father's Day!

Standard size card (above)

4.5" circle card with stamped cd-sleeve envelope (above)

More details about my projects are coming soon!
Now you can continue on the SOTM blog hop and see more creative ideas for using this stamp set by visiting Pamela's blog next! Enjoy!!

"Blessed" Stamp of the Month blog hop!

Welcome to our April Stamp of the Month blog hop featuring this month's new SOTM - Blessed D1455! If you've just joined me from Haley's blog then you are on the right path!

One of the most fun things about this stamp set is that you get solid image stamps that you can stamp inside the outline images to add a pop of color inside the outlines (and save some time coloring in with markers). With our clear stamps it's easy to see exactly where to line them up so you can stamp one image perfectly inside another image each and every time (you can't do that so easily with wood stamps)! I used 2nd generation stamp-rolling technique with the solid images to achieve the shaded look I have on my flower, bird, and butterflies below. Then I colored the stems and leaves with a Sweet Leaf marker and even added a little bit of green to the swirl inside the butterfly wings as well.

The 8x3.5 card design (above) is inspired by Wishes - Right Design (p. 42) and features the Miracle papers (X7133B). I absolutely LOVE our new 1" wide Sweet Leaf Stitched Grosgrain ribbon (Z1383), so I just couldn't resist adding that wide bow (wide ribbon is very in-trend right now)! Finally, this 4.5" circle card (above) is inspired by Wishes - Simple Statement (p. 11) and it also features our Miracle papers (X7133B). Peeking out from behind the card is a white cd sleeve envelope that I stamped to match and put the card in when I give it away. When the card is inside the envelope, the center of it will peek through the clear window in front - too fun! I also used our paper edge distresser (Z1297) to scrape and rough up the edges of the colonial white cardstock that is then sponged with bamboo ink and a sponge dauber. For just $2.50, our little edge distresser tool is an easy and affordable way to add even more interesting details to our creations! You can click on my photos for a more close-up view of this distressing if you'd like. Now you can continue on the SOTM blog hop and see many other creative ideas for using this stamp set by visiting Kristie's blog next! Enjoy!!

$5 Creative Class projects for 4/2!

Here's a sneak peek at what we're making at my $5 Creative Class coming up this Saturday evening April 2nd (starting at 6pm and/or 7pm)! It's only $5 per person to attend and learn how to create one of each of these 3 projects with me (or make two of each item for $10 - still such a deal)! I have 12 spots open for this class but I expect it to fill quickly now that I have shared what we're creating, so please RSVP ASAP! You will need to bring your own adhesive (or IF this is your first time attending I will provide adhesive for you). For further details you can click here to visit my myctmh website calendar for more information!

This nugget box (filled with hershey's chocolate nuggets) features the Mayberry papers (X7136B) and Tag the Occasion stamp set (B1362). This stamp set includes a variety of sentiments to choose from so you can make this box for Mother's Day as shown here or for any other occasion you may wish to use it for! An instructional tutorial including the cutting/scoring measurements to create this nugget box can be found online here at Splitcoast Stampers. This standard size card features the Bliss papers (X7132B) and Miracle papers (X7133B). The stamped sentiment comes from the March Stamp of the Month - Sensational Season (D1454) and the heart stamp comes from the Miracle WOTG stamp set (exclusive b-size set only available with the G1023 Miracle WOTG kit). I will teach you at our 4/2 Creative Class how to make this fun dimensional paper carnation with leaves using our new 2" scallop circle punch and spray pen! This 4.5" circle card with coordinating stamped cd sleeve envelope uses the Miracle papers (X7133B) and features our April Stamp of the Month - Blessed (D1455). As we create this card together you will learn the stamp-rolling technique, coloring with markers, as well as how to use our paper edge distresser tool (Z1297).

Sensational Season SOTM blog hop!

Welcome to our March Stamp of the Month blog hop featuring this month's new SOTM - Sensational Season D1454! If you've just joined me from Dawn's blog then you are on the right path!

To create the 8x3.5" card above, I used Wishes - Top Band (p. 100) as inspiration for my design. I used background and texture papers from two different paper packs - Sophia X7131B and Bliss X7132B. My images are stamped with black ink (using just a little bit of the masking technique to make the bunny look like it is standing behind the lettuce in the garden). The flower is made by adhering cotton candy pom-pom ribbon from our new Pink Collection Designer Ribbon Z1384 into a spiral shape onto a cardstock circle base (punched out of cotton candy cardstock with our 1.25" circle punch). The leaf was made with our new 2" scallop circle punch and pear cardstock. All images (on cards above and below) are colored in with markers in the following colors: Bamboo, Blush, Creme Brulee, Desert Sand, and Pear. I also added a lot of sponge distressing with Desert Sand ink and sponge daubers. Remember, you can click on any of my photos to see the images larger and up close.

My 4.5" circle card design above is inspired by Wishes - Attention Getter (p. 46). I hope these creations have inspired you! Now you can continue on the SOTM blog hop and see many other creative ideas for using this stamp set by visiting Tamytha's blog next! Enjoy!!

Valentine's Day Countdown - Day 5

For Day 5 of our Valentine's Day blog hop I have a 4.5" Circle Card to share. This card features the February Stamp of the Month - Friendship D1453 and the Sweetheart X7134B papers again. The design is inspired by Wishes - Ricochet (p. 127).
Here is another view of this card inside a Cd/Dvd envelope that I stamped just a little with the same scrolly stamp I used on the card. I love how you can see just a portion of the card peeking through the clear window - so fun!
Finally, I thought you might like to see what these envelopes look like in their packaging in case you'd like to get some for your own creating! I picked up a box of 100 envelopes for less than $5 at Wal-mart (electronics aisle), so this is a very affordable option to use for giving your circle cards away (and you could also use these sleeves for 4.5 x 4.5" square cards too)!

More Amore (Dec SOTM) artwork!!