Rain or Shine...

I just realized how perfect this card is for today.  We have been receiving rain since Friday and...I love it!  As I got home yesterday evening, I completely inhaled and took in the rainy smell of goodness.  :)  That smell just makes me smile. Am I the only one?

This stamp set, called "Rain or Shine", has some fun sentiments in it and can be used on a variety of projects.  The sentiment I chose was perfect for the theme of my card, I think.  And...you see the red borders around some of these images?  Yep, that means those images coordinate with a cut from one of our Cricut cartridges - in this case, the Artiste one.  On the carrier sheet the stamp set came on, it listed the page number and size of cut to make so the images would fit perfectly inside of them.  Cool, huh?  I did fussy cut the umbrella - and did a little paper piecing - but that was it.

Here is a closeup off the dimension added to the card for a little "umph".  I used these colors on my card:  Honey, Crystal Blue and Gypsy.

I decided to participate in the CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge - #115 and was pleased with my card design.

Be blessed and happy scrappin'!

Everything is Better with a Friend

I seldom come up with any card or scrapbook designs from scratch so am thankful there are various resources from which to be inspired.  Today I used this sketch from CASE(S) this Sketch #111 to create my card.

I made this card for my Secret Sister for this past weekend's retreat.  Her favorite paper packet is Heartstrings so I decided to incorporate it, totally leaning away from it being Valentine related.  I think I was successful!  ;)

I used our Dot Embossing Folder, on Hollyhock cardstock, and then distressed it to expose some of the white core.  I layered it onto a slightly larger piece of White Daisy cardstock to allow for the border, needing to set it off a bit from the patterned B&T.  

It is kind of hard to tell but I did paper piece several things in the stamped shopping girl image.  The dress, polka dot and animal print gift bags were all paper pieced.  The remaining items were colored in with our ShinHan markers.  Doesn't it look great?!  (I am a little proud of myself as the paper piecing truly seems almost seamless unless you were to run your finger over it.)

This stamp set, "Everything is Better with a Friend" is only available through March 31, 2015 and is only exclusive to hostesses.  You can get it by hosting a physical or online Gathering or by placing a $150 order.  (Contact me with questions.)  It is definitely one of my favorites!

If you are "off" today because of cold weather in your area, it is a great excuse to get out your papercrafting products!  :)  Have a blessed day!

Love & Good Cheer

This card was fun to make using the sketch shown at the end of this post.  I have fun trying new patterns and seeing what I can make of them.

Using the stamp set included with the Workshop on the Go Snowhaven Cardmaking Kit and Single Snowflake - which just costs $2.95 - I kept this card pretty simple.  I loved adding our Grey Glittler Paper and Pink and White Glitter Gems to add some glitz to the card.  Of course, I had to add 3-D Foam Tape for some added dimension.

I used our ShinHan markers to color/highlight the images and...  Do you notice the "cardstock" borders match the markers exactly?  That is because I used the broad side of the marker to color in the edges of white cardstock so they would match.  Too fun and easy, right?!  Love that I can make the cardstock match perfectly to any marker color I choose!

Here is the sketch I used from Freshly Made Sketches.

We enjoyed chilly temperatures and some snow yesterday - perfect for setting the mood for the holidays and a reason to stay inside and create!  Have a great week!

Can't get enough of Laughing Lola!

I enjoy sketch challenges because if you do not know me very well...it's very seldom that I can come up with an idea completely out of the air.  However, give me a little jump-start and I am able to put my own little twist on things.  

The sketch I used for these cards comes from Sketch Challenge #194 from this blog.  One of the things I especially appreciate about this blog challenge is that they provide the dimensions - NO GUESSING!  Gotta love that!  

This card sketch had quite a bit of layers but I think that added to the overall design of this card.  With the busy B&T pattern from the Laughing Lola paper packet I feel it helped to soften it a bit and just made the overall card more fun.  

 I did paper-piece the gift image and included a little Silver Glitter Gel and Black Mini Medley Accents Collection to spice things up a bit.

With a little Black Hemp, I felt that is all this card needed.  Oh!  The heart was stamped on B&T and then cut out and glued on top of the heart image from the stamp set.  (A tad bit of paper-piecing.)

I continue to use the "M-size" stamp sets from Close To My Heart for the sentiments/focal points on these two cards.  They are a perfect size that fit into most spaces and only cost $2.95 each!  Click here to view the "I Love You" image and the "Gift" image.

All products used are from Close To My Heart.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Got my mojo back!

The life of an elementary principal is a fast and furious one.  We have experienced a great start to the school year but I find myself working my days and nights away.  Things have slowed down a bit as I have begun to get into a routine.  My days are still long but at least I am intentional about taking time for me on the weekends.  Unfortunately, up to this point, that time has resulted in some much needed rest!  However, I had an itch to get back into creating and am happy to say I finished some projects this weekend and am still playing tonight (as I watch the Cowboys' game).

Tonight I decided to participate in the Monday Mojo Sketch Challenge which is pictured below.  You can check out their website by clicking here.  We are allowed to put our own little twist on it by incorporating various kinds of supplies.

This is what I created today.  I used some of Close To My Heart's retired paper packet, Flirty.  The floral B&T is a fun and cheery pattern and will be perfect for a co-worker who celebrates her birthday this week.  I added Antiqued Gold Mini Medley Accents, Cocoa Ribbon, and Hemp Baker's Twine to put on the finishing touches.  (All products are from Close To My Heart.)

Thanks for stopping by.  Watch for more artwork to come over the next few days.  Make it a great week!

God Bless,

Love = For Always

I have been enjoying several days/evenings of creativity.  It sure feels good to be back in the swing of things and with beautiful new products from Close To My Heart, the opportunity is that much more enjoyable.  Plus, it helps that it is chilly and extremely windy outside.  Isn't that a great excuse to stay inside and papercraft?

I sat down yesterday evening to create a card with our new For Always paper packet.  I had some leftovers after designing three layouts from the Level 2 packet and this is what I came up with.  (I will be sharing those too but not today.)

I had a little help from Freshly Made Sketches.  While I have seen people use sketches as a starting point for their artwork, I had never checked them out until now.  I used this Sketch, #72 - by Cindy, to get my creative juices flowing and love my final result.

It was fun "blinging" up the focal point a bit.  "Hi, I'm Melissa and I'm addicted to our Silver Shimmer Trim." LOL I think I used it on all of my projects made yesterday.  And I had fun using our Glitz Glitter Gel to blink up the heart on love.  The polka dot strip is one of the Zip Strips included on our B&T paper.  Cool, right?

Thanks for stopping by to check out my artwork.  Feel fee to leave a comment and let me know what you think.  I would also love for you to subscribe to my blog so you can get an email each day I make a post.  You can see the sign-up area on the right.  I have provided a supply list below.

Praying you are safe and warm where you are,

Supplies used - all Close to My Heart:

• Love Always paper packet
• Girls Rock stamp set
• Black CS
• Silver Shimmer Trim
• Silver Glitz Glitter Gel
• Whisper Ink Pad
• Cotton Candy Marker Set