Melanie Muenchinger Guest Designers 2008 to 2010 Blog Hop!

 Cheers!!! and Happy New Year !!!

If you arrived here as a regular follower welcome, but if you would like to take the Melanie Muenchinger 2 years of Stamps Blog Hop you may want to begin at Charmine's blog and follow the blog lists from there.  You don't want to miss a single one. One of the highlights of my stamping year was to be asked by Melanie to be her guest designer for the A Charmed Life stamp set.   Each Guest Designer that Melanie asked to showcase her stamp set is participating in the blog,  isn't that cool.  Be sure to end at Melanie Muenchinger's blog and leave comments as there will be random prizes.

I was the guest designer for the Charmed Life stamp set and this wine glass is perfect to wish you all a Happy New Year with a champagne toast.

About the Blog Hop:

Melanie Muenchinger is celebrating two years of blogging and illustrating for Gina K Designs, and today she has invited 25 designers and YOU to join the party! First hop through the following designers' blogs using every set she has created since January 2008, from the first to the 25th! Then go to Melanie's'
blog to leave a comment for a chance to win a number of
different prizes! So let's get hopping!

Here we go!

Just So Hippy-Charmaine

Just So Hoppy-Donna

What's in Your Tin 1 & 2-Donna

Hip Hop Accessories-Bee

Jumping for Joy-Barb

Cuddles and Hugs-Jessie

Little Tees-Cat

Just So Sporty-Pam

A Year of Flowers-Theresa

Say it with Flowers-Selma

Have a Cookie-Carolina

Tee Talk-Gabby

Hand in Hand-Ally

The Best Things in Life-Shannon, Sankari 

You are here!!!    A Charmed Life-Cathy,

Wee Tees-Libby, Laura Jean

Arranged with Love-Selma

Sporty Accessories-Tina

Inspiration Mosaic-Jennie

School Sports Spirit-Melissa

A Year of Leaves-Geri


Hip to Be Square-Karen

Festive Frame-Linda

Tech Talk- Lee



Finally,
Nina and Jessica from the GinaK
Senior Design Team have joined in, too!
You can also get in on the hop yourself and increase your chances of
winning a prize by creating your own project with any one of
Melanie's sets and linking it in the Mr. Linky in her post, see full details here.
Hope you can join the fun! Enjoy your first hop of the year!

Thanks for stopping by

Cathy

A Charmed Life Candle gift

I thought that a candle in Kristen's wedding colors would be nice as a little house warming gift. I wanted to use the roses from A Year of Flowers by Melanie Muenchinger, sold at GinaK Designs. You all know this is my all time favorite set is you have followed my blog at all. I also wanted to include the To A Very Charming Couple, wine glass and ring charm and Cheers sentiment to the candle from Melanie's A Charmed Life stamp set. I used both sides of the candle to complete this task. Her wedding was yesterday and it was beautiful, outdoors at a Country Club gazebo. I just got home from Kansas City a little bit ago so wanted to get my candle posted.

I love to create candles with stamped images, it is very easy to do and the method I use is Tissue paper/waxed paper/heat gun. The first thing I do is stamp the images that I want to use on white tissue paper. I used Momento Tuxedo Black ink sold at GinaK Designs, for this candle. I then colored the images with Cat's eye chalk ink on a foam eye shadow make up brush by dabbing on the ink, you have to be careful not to tear the tissue paper. I have used colored pencils for coloring also but not on this image.

Once I had the images colored to my satisfaction I trimmed the images close so that they melt seamlessly into the cancle wax. I laid the images on the candle where I wanted them, doing one side at a time. I wrapped a 4X8 piece of waxed paper tightly around the candle and used my heatgun to melt the images into the candle. You can tell when the images have melted in because the tissue paper turns from white to clear. You don't want to melt the candle so much it runs but don't want to see any tissue edges either. You need to remove the waxed paper immediately so that the wax that is stuck on the waxed paper doesn't re-adhere to the candle as it cools.

Tip: Do not try to reuse the waxed paper, the image will not melt correctly, ask me how I know? Waxed paper is cheap so no reason to try to reuse it.

I added 3 little heart shaped brads by poking a shallow hole in the candle with a pin just enough so that the tip of the brad stem would go into the was and not bend and then just press in slowly until you have set it the depth you want.

I usually add ribbon or a charm but because I had words and an image and didn't really have that much extra room.

Warning to offer candle recipient: This candle can be burned but only down to the image because it is paper and will burn.

Hope you enjoy this project. If you have any questions, do not hestiate to send me an email.

My month as Melanie's guest designer is coming to a close but I will have a couple of more projects over the next few days.

It was a great week-end but really nice to be home.

Later,

Cathy

Would you like to win this Theme Frame?

The winner of the Theme Frame is Brenda! comment number 22 as picked by ramdomnumber generator. I hope you like it. Send me your mailing address and I will get it in the mail to you right away. Thanks to everyone who left a comment.

I created this Theme frame for Donna's 3-D Challenge on StampTV for this month and it was going to be a gift for my SIL. She has decided to change her decor, so darn the bad luck, I decided that I would offer it as a Celebration blog candy prize for being chosen as Melanie Muenchinger's Guest Designer this month. ( I still can't believe that I get to say that!) I have been having a ball creating projects with Melanie's new A Charmed Life stamp set sold at GinaK Designs. This Theme Frame is my favorite project that I created with this set, so if you like it too, be sure to leave a comment and you may win it.


In case you forgot what it looks like here is a picture:

This post will remain on top until April 16th and I will use a random drawing tool to select the winner that evening.
If you check in tomorrow and this post is not still on top after I post a new one you will know for sure that I am not as smart as I thought I was about keeping this posted on top :) Life is a challenge isn't it!?!

I have some more A Charmed Life posts for the week-end so check back and be sure to leave a comment on this thread because you can't win if you don't comment.

Goodnight

Cathy

Emboss Resist Butterfly and A Charmed Life

I have always liked the look of the embossed resist technique. There is just something about the stark white against a pretty background that I like. GinaK technique video on StampTV this week is the emboss resist so I had to play along. I created two cards:

For this card I used versamark ink to stamp the butterfly from Take Flight by GinaK Designs on white cardstock. I then used white embossing powder and heated it with my heat gun. I sponged with my Adirondak cranberry and Juniper inks for the two tone background. When you are done sponging over the whole picture you go over the white embossing with a dry towel to remove any ink.

I didn't think that the image needed much else but I added some K & Company half pearls, green in the upper right corner and pearl in the lower left. I tied a white satin ribbon under the main image and I will add a sentiment when I decide what occasion I will use it for.

I really like the way the wine glass and Happy Birthday sentiment from A Charmed Life by Melanie Muenchinger from GinaK Designs turned out. Did you see the little birthday present charm? I used the same technique but sponged the wine with the cranberry Adirondak ink and used Lemonade and Juniper for the rest of the sponging. I mounted the main image on black cardstock and attached brads from the Floral Frenzy StampTV kit. The white paper flowers and black and white checked ribbon are also from the kit.

I mounted the main image on a piece of digital paper, from the Floral Elegance digital paper pack on GinaK Designs, that I had printed on GP cardstock.

Sorry I have been absent off and on but I am still playing catch up from being sick. I am finally back in the swing of things so life is good! Thanks for stopping by. TGIF tomorrow and I have the whole week-end free to stamp.

Thanks for stopping by,

Cathy

Let's Do Lunch!

Dog Gone Stamps has new stamps and boy are they cute. I had gotten the fish and worm on a hook with my original DT stamp order and Brian created the Underwater Sea Scape to go with it, isn't it just perfect!

The card is pretty self explanatory, I colored the image with copic markers and the background designer paper is from the Ocean Glass paper pack I purchased at Michaels a few months ago. I tied the yellow stitched ribbon into my anyone can tie this bow knot and my card was complete. I thought the sentiment was funny to go with this card.

The sentiment is from A Charmed Life by Melanie Muenchinger and sold at GinaK Designs.

Tomorrow I will have a new Artistic Outpost card for you. Sorry for the short post but my daughter was using the computer tonight. See you tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Cathy

A Charmed Life Jewelry Set!

I created a Jewelry Set of earrings and a pendant using Melanie Muenchinger's, A Charmed Life ,and I really like the way my first attempt at jewelry making turned out. This stamp set is available at GinaK Designs.

I mentioned yesterday that I bought some faux Vintage buttons to use on my more vintage style cards. I was outside with the dogs and thinking of other projects when I thought that the buttons would make a wonderful earring and necklace set. My ideas are usually pretty good in my mind but to get from point A to point finished sometimes uses a lot of alternate plans :) Here is what I created:

I thought that it would be pretty to just stamp one of the tiny charms directly onto the half pearl, yeah, impossible to do. I decided that since the half pearls pop out that I would stamps the sayings that I wanted onto some sticky labels and adhere them to the center, Not so pretty.

I did stamp the phrases Mazal Tov! on the earrings and Like fine wine you improve with age! on the pendant. I stamped the phrases on shrinky dink frosted and punched the earring phrases out with a 1 inch circle punch and I punched the pendant circle out with a 1/38 SU punch. I had never done these before so I was guessing at the correct circle size and miracle of miracles my guess was perfect. I had to place a small white circle over the holes on the button backs where the half pearls snapped in. I found a pair of pierced earring backs and glued them to the back of the button. I don't make jewelry so I didn't have a way to hang the pendant from a chain. I did have some small gold D rings that I use for ribbon so I glued one to the bottom side of the button top lining the loop I left peaking at the top with the lettering so that it would hang straight when worn. I let this all dry over night and mounted the earrings on the display hanger to take the picture.

What do you think of my first attempt at jewelry making?

I will be back in a bit with a Copic Challenge Card to post.

Cathy

StampTVMonochromatic Challenge Card

I am finally feeling better. The grandkids in town spent the night last night because my daughter has a class on Saturday mornings and between the other grandma in town and myself we watch them. I did manage to get a Challenge card made for StampTV and if you can believe it, there is no coloring on this card.

I used one of my favorite sentiment stamps from Melanie Muenchinger's A Charmed Life stamp set and stamped it in white ink on the crackled brown main image. Usually when I don't make a card that I use an image that can be colored I love to make cards of this type. I usually make them a little more elaborate than my norm and with a more vintage look.

I already knew that I wanted to do some GinaK Designs StampTV challenges this week-end. It seems like forever since I have done any so this is the first. I went to Michaels today and I have been wanting some Vintage buttons and they had a huge package that were perfect for what I want to use them for. They also had the scrolled die cut at the bottom of the card. It is a cuttlebug that was normally 20.00 and they had it on clearance for 10.00. There are two different dies in the package.

I also used my cuttlebug to emboss the top note die with the script folder. I sponged the edges with Adirondak Juniper ink and also Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

I used the Tim Holtz Crackle paint for the sentiment diecut piece. I applied the Vintage Photo crackle paint onto a piece of chipboard and when it was dry and crackled I punched it out with my Marvy Scalloped oval punch. I sponged the edge with Brilliance Moonlight white ink.

I added the brown ribbon to the coordinating narrow panel, behind the top note die piece, and added two bow knots. I added the button to the die cut at the bottom and a double blossom prima flower to the upper right hand corner. The center gold rimmed pearl is holding the flower blosoms together. The flower was attached with pop dots.

I am going to keep working on more challenges and a few more things I have in mind for A Charmed Life.

See you tomorrow!

Cathy

Charming Friend Cornflowers

I am in the mood to color so I used Melanie's A Year of Flowers and used the technique she showed on her blog a while back on how to make the large daisy flower into a cornflower. Pretty smart trick. What do you think?

I am so tired of winter that I wanted some pretty flowers and the illusion of Spring. When I think flowers I always use my A Year of Flowers set by Melanie Muenchinger, sold at GinaK Designs.

I colored the cornflowers with copic markers and cut them out. I cut out the tulip also that I had colored the night before.

I used my SU set Inspired by Nature as the base for the flower heads. I used my Cat's eye chalk ink for the flower base as I wanted a subtle look. I sponged the edge of the Top Note Die cut panel with Adirondak Juniper ink.

The cut flower heads are popped up on dimensionals. I wanted to add a sentiment from A Charmed Life and my original plan was to use 3 of my Tim Holtz fragment tags and they would look like petals that had fallen from the cornflower. It was good in theory but after trying for hours to make it work decided that it looked stupid. Plan B is always in the back of my mind. I stamped the sentiments I wanted on vellum and adhered them to read, "To a Very" in the upper left corner, "charming" just above the pink gingham checked ribbon, and I left "Friend" on the fragment tag and adhered it to look like a tag hanging from the ribbon.

I really like the way it turned out but it was more of a challenge than I had planned.

I got some new DogGone Stamps in the mail today and my plan for tonight is to color, color, color so I will have new stuffs to show you.

I know that I will have another post tonight but wanted to take advantage of having the afternoon off to post early, not my usual "later than a night owl" post :)

TFL

Cathy

I'm finally well!!!

Oh, my gosh, the cold that I got last week really knocked me on my behinney! Today is the first day that I have actually felt normal(which is a relative term I use loosely). Here is a card I made in honor of feeling better using Melanie Muenchinger's A Charmed life and also her A Year of Flowers tulips. Double whammie of my favorite stamps :)

I colored the tulips, stems, leaves and ladybug from A Year of Flowers and cut them out and adhered them to my Top Note Die. I used 2 Adirondak ink pads, lemonade, juniper to sponge around the edge of the die panel and added a final light sponging of Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink on the farthest outside where I wanted it the darkest.

The sentiment, which I absolutely love, is from A Charmed life. I have used the wine glass a lot and decided that it was time to expand my visions as this set is so versatile and can be used for about a million occassions.

I created my own designer paper for the back panel by taking a piece of yellow cardstock and stamping the crackled finish stamp, from Bold Flowers ( a stamp set included in the Floral Frenzy StampTV kit). I stamped it in the Adirondak Juniper ink all over and then I took the Charming stamp from A Charmed Life and stamped all over the paper as well going in all different directions. I then sponged around the edge with the same Juniper ink.

I cut strips of Blue bayou cardstock and used my corner punch to create a pretty scalloped strip which I cut into four strips and matched the corners to frame the main image. I tied a piece of white dotten swiss sheer ribbon through a large grey-green button and tied it in a knot and then adhered the ribon to the main image,

The main image is popped up on strips of foam mounting tape but you can't see the dimension in the photo

The designer paper behind the main image is from the Ocean Glass paper pack I picked up at Michaels before Christmas.

It feels good to be back coloring and making cards again. I have missed making projects to show you and hope you missed it too.

Be sure to add a comment to the Blog Candy Theme frame for a chance to win it. I will honestly say that it looks so much better IRL. The post is at the very top of my blog postings until April 16 when I will draw the winner.

See you all tomorrow and thanks for stopping by.

Cathy

Wine Glass Charm

Okay, I had this great idea to make a wine glass charm using shrinky dink and Melanie Muenchinger's Jumpin for Joy and A Charmed Life stamp sets. It was great in theory and worked out pretty good until it came time to photograph it. 3 hours and 50 photos later this is the best I could get, urggggghhhhh!!!

Here is a close up of the cute seal from Jumpin for Joy set Melanie created last year for GinaK Designs.

Just to prove that in real life you can see the detail of the charm :) Little tip: You can not color on the smooth side of the shrinky dink material, but, if you are careful and do not lay the piece down on anything( or the ink will rub off) you can flip it over and color the backside(rough side) and when you heat the shrinky dink the color melts into the piece.

The other shrinky dink tags say" Save the Date" from A Charmed Life and "taking the plunge" part of the stamp "Congrats on taking the plunge", from Jumpin for Joy.

I will guarantee you that if you make this project you will really like it, it just doesn't photograph well because the material makes it impossible to photograph well.

I don't know how many of you are pro's using shrinky dink material but I just started using it about a month ago. I love it for tags and now charms, but I have a problem with it laying flat. I discovered today that once I have it completely melted and it is laying as flat as it is going to I flip it over and press down fairly firmly with one of my acrylic blocks. It worked really nicely on the seal which had fins and a tail piece that wanted to curl.

I will be back with more projects later. I was home sick today so I got this project done earlier in the day.

Later,
Cathy

A Charmed Life--Days of Wine and Roses!

I had decided that I wanted to make a name frame using Melanie Muenchinger's A Charmed Life stamps. I knew that I wanted to use the Wine Glass, the rose from A Year of Flowers and the Exclamation stamps from A Charmed Life. Once I said wine and roses together I remember how I have always like the song Day's of Wine and Roses by Henry Mancini (most of you probably have no idea who Henry Mancini is) and my Theme Frame idea was born and here is the final result:

First I wanted a piece of sheet music of Days of Wine and Roses. I didn't have one so I went to the internet and downloaded a "free" easy piano version. I printed it on GP white cardstock.

I cut the sheet music to 5X5.

I knew that I also wanted to use Emily Giovanni's beautiful Rich and Shabby digital paper that I purchased the night of the GinaK Designs Release Party. It is so beautiful. I print it off on the GP white cardstock so that it is thick enough to have some stability. For this project I used the bold stripe and the pink flowered from the download.

I stamped the wine glass on a sheet of transparency and stamped the rose, stem, 2 rose leaves, and the Exclamation sentiments on white cardstock. I colored the wine in the glass and the heart charm burgundy. I colored the rose, leaves, and stem(my favorite beautiful rose), from A Year of Flowers, with copic markers and cut them out.

I cut my base chipboard piece 5X12 and placed my 3 pieces of dp on the base. I put the striped dp at an angle for interest.

When adding the embellishments to the project you have to remember that the base will be under the edge of the frame about 1/4 inch all the way around so if you put an embellishment right on the edge it will not be seen.

On the left music panel I placed a piece of vintage lace on the left side and used my corner rounder punch to scallop the right edge. I placed the rose stem and leaves so they would sit under the wine glass stem. I adhered my acetate wineglass by using my tape runner on the wine section so it would not show through. I added a strand of tiny pearls to appear to be laying on the table over the base of the wine glass. I then placed my rose blossom on the panel.

The middle section I usually leave a little more plain. I tied a bow in the shimmery pink ribbon and left the tails long enough to cascade onto the other two panels. I glued a medium half pearl to the center of the large heart charm and attached it under the bow. I used pop dots to attach the tails of the ribbon in the places I wanted. I placed one sentiment on the center section

On the right section I placed a strip of ribbon and pearls on the angled side. I adhered them with ribbon tape from SU. I then added a key charm to the tail of the pink ribbon and placed my sentiments angled around the panel with a tiny half pearl on each sentiment.

I placed a half pearl on each scallop on the left panel and my Days of Wine and Roses Theme Frame was ready to frame.

The frame is a 3.00 frame from WalMart :O I tried for months to find frames like this before WalMart started carrying them and although this is my favorite you can get them in black and oak as well.

I submitted this to Donna's 3D challenge for GinaK Designs StampTV for March which was to make a 3D project that you will give as a gift, tell why and to whom.

I will be back right after midnight tonight with another Send in the Clowns preview for Artistic Outpost. See you then.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cathy

I finally got Take Flight!

I have wanted the stamp set Take Flight since it came out a couple of months ago as the free set if you bought 3 stamp sets from GinaK Designs. I just could not swing it until now. It came in the mail today and I had to play. I love it as much as I thought I would. Here is my first card with the set:

I stamped the butterflies with Momento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with copic markers, no surprise there. I have been on kind of blue and green kick lately and carried it over into this card. I used a modified version of the Copic Gradiant method of blending the colors into each other for a smooth, no line transition between colors. If you follow my blog at all you know that I use this method whenever the image allows.

After I colored the butterflies I decided that it was a little too plain so I got out my Botanical Dreams set by Asela Hopkins and used the flower branch that I off stamped once so it wasn't so dark. I went over the outline of the flowers and branch with my C1 gray copic marker to blend it into the backgrond just a little more.

I sponged around the entire main image with Tim Holtz Pine Needles Distress Ink..

To complete my card I mounted the main image on black cardstock. I added a large gold rimmed pearl in the upper right hand corner and placed a piece of black velvet ribbon under it. I added 3 medium/small half pearls around the large pearl. I added a piece of the black velvet ribbon to the bottom of the card and placed 3 half pearls in the left side of the ribbon to balance out the card a little. Finally I mounted to my bottom layer which is Cool Caribbean cardstock(don't hate me because I still have some) :) .

I really like the simplicity of the card letting the butterflies be the focal point.

I know that I am going to use the heck out of this set and I am working on some ideas to use it with A Charmed Life by Melanie Muenchinger too.

See you all tomorrow night, if I am not in the clinker. I was supposed to show up for jury duty this morning. I thought it was Tuesday and didn't realize it until I called to see if my group was supposed to show up in the morning. Yep, only it was supposed to be Monday at 8:30 and not Tuesday at 8:30. I'm sure if I plead insanity they will let me off, Would any of you bail me out?

Good night!

Cathy

A Challenge Card and a Way out Card!

Made you look didn't I :) The first card I am going to post is a card I created for Donna's Sketch Challenge on StampTV this week. I turned the sketch on it's side to fit the way I wanted to card to turn out. What do you think?


I had an idea for a project to make with A Charmed Life and I needed grapes for it. I found this stamp today at Michael's on sale that was exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't wait to use it so I decided to use it for Donna's challenge on StampTV.

Michael's had also just gotten in the Tim Holtz masks and embellishments, I was in heaven. I stamped the grapes onto a piece of white cardstock and colored them with copic markers. The images were to have rounded corners so I used my corner rounder punch on each layer. I then placed my mask over the side of the card and sponged with Tim Holtz Distressed ink Pine needles, and Vintage Photo. I then sponged around the rest of the edges on the main image piece and left enough white space for the sentiment that I wanted to add.

I used a piece of the Floral Elegance Digital Download Paper from GinaK Designs for the background designer paper. I used the green with circles

I knew that I wanted to use the sentiment from Melanie Muenchinger's A Charmed Life that reads, " Like fine wine, you improve with age". I added Cheers! at the bottom. The challenge sketch called for a flag on the upper corner and I wanted to add Friend there. I stamped Friend on vellum and attached that to a Tim Holtz fragment tag. It won't smudge and adds a bit of interest to that corner. I tied a sheer purple dotted swiss ribbon to the tag and melted it until curled with my heat gun.

The final element needed for the sketch challenge was two rounded pieces under the main image. I wanted to compliment my main image and not distract from it, so I added some purple highlights to my antique prima printed flowers, added a purple button tied with embroidery floss, and glued the flower to the tags. I like the way it turned out.

Are you ready for the Way Out Card!?! This would be a perfect card for a challenge to use a stamp image for something other than its intended use :)

This is the wine glass from A Charmed Life turned upside down and I drew in the feet and arms free-hand. I added googly eyes on antenna and a present charm in one hand and a cupcake charm in the other. I gave the robot/alien a big heart charm for its heart.

I made a pocket for my birthday sentiment by attaching the main image by only three sides leaving the zigzag side open for the sentiment card to slip in and out. I attached the striped triagular piece to the main image with eyelets so that I could have the side open for my sentiment pocket. The Sentiment is computer generated and attached to green cs and then mounted on white cs for stability. I punched a small hole and tied a colorful filament thread so that the sentiment could be pulled out. I stamped the Happy Birthday greeting from A Charmed Life on the white card base not covered with the striped triangle.

What little kid doesn't love robots and aliens.

I haven't made this goofy a card since Go Team! at Christmas time, I am sure you all remember that one. That card still makes me smile.

Just in case you wonder what Melanie thought of this card. I cleared its posting with her before I posted it :O

Okay Melanie, I promise no more goofy cards this month !!! :)

Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow night.

Cathy

Charming Flower Bowl and Tutorial

When I sent Melanie Muenchinger this photo she wanted me to include a tutorial to show everyone how to make the flower bowl from the wine glass. This will be my first tutorial, be kind! Here is the card:

I really like the way this card turned out, the soft colors, the elegance added by using the crackled background stamp from Bold Flowers from the Floral Frenzy StampTV kit and the dainty heart charm adds a sweet touch.

Here is how I created the flower bowl from the wine glass stamp from A Charmed Life by Melanie Muenchinger for GinaK Designs:

The supplies you will need are Momento Tuxedo Black ink, flower stamp, wine glass stamp and sharpie permanent marker.

Step1: Stamp flower image on piece of scrap white cardstock

Step 2. Ink right half of wine glass bowl only

Picture on the left shows the stamped image from step 2

Step 3: Ink left half of stamp making sure to only ink the glass bowl
Step 4: Shows positioning of stamp to line up with first image stamped

Step 5: Ink base and stem of glass
Center picture shows image after all stamping is complete

Right Photo shows Black sharpie pen that I use to draw in the missing lines

Left photo shows the lines drawn in. Tip: draw in a continual motion for a smooth line

Center Photo shows image colored without thought of water line and ready to cut out

Right Photo shows flower cut out and positioned in the bowl to decide where to mark water line

Left Photo: I colored in the water with copic markers. I used B000 and C1, grey over blue

Center Photo: basic shading completed on water, draw in water line by holding the flower image in place and matching the stamped lines.

Right Photo: These are the copic markers and sharpie pen used to complete this project.

If you have any questions please ask, I love it when people think I actually know something.

I just completed the card as usual with shading and sponging, two pieces of ribbon and a Happy Anniversary Sentiment tag.

I would love to see if anyone liked this tutorial enough to try to create this flower bowl. Would you please send me a link to your image or blog if you try one.

Thanks for looking and making it through my first tutorial.

Have a great rest of the week-end. See you tomorrow night!

Cathy

StampTV Challenge Card

It has been nearly a week since I did a challenge card so I decided to try to get a couple completed. Here is the first: Cammie hosted the color challenge on StampTV this week and the challenge was to use red, pink and black. What do you think?

I colored the iris's from Floral Frenzy, the StampTV stamping kit from GinaK Designs, with my copic markers. I used 3 shades of pink and one red(that is my red color for the challenge). I mounted the image on bright pink cs, and mounted that on black cs.

I ordered the Rich and Shabby digital paper pack created by Emily Giovanni after the GinaK Designs release party on Thurs. night and downloaded and printed it tonight after work. It is so beautiful. The bright pink flowers were perfect for this challenge. I mounted that on black and my card base is white.

I kept the embellishments to a minimum. Black and white checked ribbon is from Michaels, a black photo mount attached with a pink brad and black marker used for the faux stitching around the pink flowered panel and the corners of the main image.

My girls will not believe it but I am actually going to give this card to my niece for her bridal shower that I am attending tomorrow. Her wedding colors are pink with black accents, this will be perfect. Perfect timing of this challenge Cammie.

The reason that I make cards is that I love to color and create, I don't have to have any other reason.

Tonight I am going to post another card using Melanie Muenchinger's A Charmed Life set and even do a short picture tutorial of how I created the focal point of the image. That is all the details you get for tonight. I don't think you will be disappointed if you stop back to see what it is.

Thanks for stopping by and see you tonight.

Cathy

Check it Out!

You have got to see what my friend Lynn Stevens, who is also a Guest Designer for Artistic Outpost, made for me. Well, you get to because here is a picture of it now:

This darling bracelet is so jam packed with treasures that I could hardly photograph all of them. The angel medalions have glitter inside and are just precious. The Monopoly pieces, scrabble blocks, tiny dominos, bingo buttons, jacks, gems what a treasure.

I have always admired Lynn's style and using antique treasures in her creations. When Lynn creates them it is definitely Trash to Treasures Art, which is the name of her blog. If I tried to do the same thing it would be treasures to trash :)

You could get a Treasure from Lynn too by entering a contest on her blog. It is kind of a fun contest because you have no clue what you are going to receive, but I can guarantee you that if Lynn created it, it will be a wonderful surprise! Here is the link to the Contest:

http://trashtotreasureart.blogspot.com/2009/02/want-to-get-handmade-gift-from-me-hurry.html

On a totally different subject--At midnight last night(this morning) I posted my first 2 projects as the Guest Designer for Melanie Muenchinger( I still can't believe I am saying that :) ), I knew that Melanie is such a respected artist and so darn creative that I would get some traffic to my blog. I can't check my blog from work, for some reason they think we are supposed to earn our paycheck?!? ha ha. When I got home I had a lot of comments on my two blog posts which always thrills me that people actually take the time to comment. I usually have between 20 to 50 visitors per day which for someone like me is cool. I had 725 hits at 6:00 tonight and at midnight I had 804. Thank you all for stopping by and thank you to those who also left a comment. I am as bad as the next person for visiting a blog and not leaving a comment :)

I should have another project for Melanie soon, I need to touch base with her before I post anything else to my blog.

I almost forgot, Melanie's A Charmed Life set that I am using this month was released for sale tonight so you can buy this wonderful, versatile set.

The other big project that I have been working on is quickly approaching and I am going to be getting some new Dog Gone Stamps ( as soon as I mail off her sample cards :) they are coming Nancy, I have them gathered up and just have to put them in the envelope, I'm thinking Saturday morning.

Gotta quit for now, I have been sitting at a computer for 15 hours straight now and that is enough.

See you tomorrow,

Cathy