Heart Full Of Love

Hello Crafty Friends!

It's Day 5 Of the LOVE TAGplorations event over at STAMPlorations, and I decided to join the fun for a second time with this love themed tag ...

I used the large Luggage Tag Nesting Dies to cut the tag and randomly stamped the large sentiments from the Sentiment Builders Happy and Love in Smokey Slate and Real Red. I then sponged it with a little Smokey Slate and heat embossed the couple from the Vignette: Ever After set in black before edging the whole tag with gold Stickles. I then die-cut the phrase you & me from gold and black card, shadow layered and attached it in place. I die-cut the Clustered Hearts from three different shades of red card, layered as seen, attached two further hearts and finished off with red ribbon.

It's over to you now to join the LOVE TAGplorations party ...

.... by hopping and commenting on participating designer's blogs and creating your own love/Valentine's Day themed project, which must include a tag, to link up with the flash linky party. Your project can be anything from a card, art journal page, canvas, layout etc as long as it fits the theme 'Love/Valentine's Day' and has a tag in it somewhere.

As always with a blog hop, there are prizes you can win, here they are:

• - (3) randomly drawn winners from all comments left on the STAMPlorations Blog and participating designer's blogs will each receive a $10 gift certificate to the store
• - (1) randomly drawn participant in the Love TAGplorations Linky Party will receive her choice of stamp set (Pocket Blooms, A Full Heart, or Two of Us)
• - (1) randomly drawn participant in the Love TAGplorations Linky Party will receive her choice of any 2 of the new love-themed dies (Love, Always, XOXO, Forever, You & Me, Clustered Hearts)
• - (1) randomly drawn participant in the Love TAGplorations Linky Party will receive her choice of tag set: Luggage Tags or ATC/Tag Builder

Pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog for more Love TAGplorations inspiration, information and to join the party.

That's it from me for now. Have fun and enjoy the celebrations!
hugs
Monika xxx

here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps, stencils and dies:
Vignette: Ever After, Sentiment Builders: Happy and Love, Clustered Hearts Die, Luggage Tag Nesting Dies,
   
You & Me Phrase Die, Luggage Tag Nesting Dies
 

CUTplorations February

Hello Crafty Friends!

Over at STAMPlorations they have a new challenge ... The CUTplorations Challenge ... It's a monthly challenge requiring you to use die(s) and take inspiration from the monthly changing photo which for this month is ...

image source: Smashing Magazine

So what have we got ...

• Uppercase Alphabet letters
• multi colour letters
• stripy effect colouring
• Passion

I pretty much tried to go with all of them to make this birthday card ...

I used watercolours on white pearlized card, layered on the black negative cut from the Uppercase Alphabet Plate Die and layered it on my linen effect base card.

It is amazing what one can find routing through stash! I was looking for some vellum (Never can remember where it is when I need it!) and found this mesh with white bits in it. I cut a heart from it and it became the perfect backdrop for my XOXO sentiment to which I added the stamped birthday and a couple of hearts from the Clustered Hearts die to finish.

Pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog to see how my teamies interpreted the photo and to link up your entry too. There are prizes for the winner ($10 gift certificate) and the two runner-ups ($5gift certificate each) as voted by the DT plus, if there are 30 or more entries, one randomly drawn winner can choose any 2 of the CUTplorations Word/Phrase Dies the DT used in their projects. That's well worth creating for, what do you think?

That's it from me for now.
Have a lovely day!
hugs
Monika xxx


here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps, stencils and dies:


CUTplorations Dies used: XOXO, Uppercase Alphabet Plate Die, Clustered Hearts
  
STAMPlorations Stamps used: Sentiment Builder: Happy

Watercolour Rose

Hello Crafty Friends!

It's Inspiration Time over at STAMPlorations. This week my treamies and I are showcasing stamps by STAMPlorations owner Shery under her label 'Shery Russ Designs'.

I decided to work with the Framed Solitary Rose in combination with stamps from the Mixed Media Grunge  and Sentiment Builder Happy plus the Hugs CUTplorations Word Die for an almost one-layer card. Here it is ...

I am still loving my Mixed Media card. I really like the smooth surface as compared to the textured one of watercolour card. Expect to see more of it. 😁

Todays card was again pretty straight forward:

• fold a piece of A5 Mixed Media card in half
• stamp the framed rose in black Archival
• watercolour using inks (Calypso Coral, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green, Mossy Meadow, Tempting Turquoise) or watercolours
• stamp and die cut sentiment, add
• add stamped border detail
• finish off with sequins

New for this year, the STAMPlorations Inspiration DT are showcasing stamps from one designer. All the stamps by that designer will be reduced by 10% for that one week apart from one set which will have a 20% discount. No coupon is needed at check out, and you still can apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA -which doesn't expire, by the way- for an extra 20% off all stamps, dies and stencils!

As mentioned earlier, this week we are showcasing stamps designed by STAMPlorations owner Shery under her label 'Shery Russ Designs'. All her sets will be reduced by 10% and the Oh So Grateful Stamps And Coordinating Die set will be 20% off.

Of course Shery will still draw a winner at random from all the comments left on this month's Inspiration Posts over on the STAMPlorations Blog. Pop over to see what my teamies created and to leave a comment for your entry into their prize draw.

That's it from me for today. Have a lovely week!
hugs
Monika xxx


here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps, stencils and dies:
Framed Solitary Rose, Mixed Media Grunge, Sentiment Builder Happy, Hugs CUTplorations Word Die
   

CUTplorations January Reminder

Hello Crafty Friends!

There is still time to play over at STAMPlorations. Their January CUTplorations Challenge is in full swing ... It's a monthly challenge requiring you to use die(s) and take inspiration from the monthly changing photo which for this month is ...

image source: Smashing Magazine

So what have we got ...

• New Year
• colours - black and gold with a touch of white
• Champagne glass
• holorgaphic texture
• fizz dots
• celebration
• festive
• new beginning

I went with black gold and fizz for a Happy Anniversary card ...

I spritzed a piece of white card with gold Artiste Spritzing ink and heat embossed the kissing couple from Funny Kinda Love using Gold Detail embossing powder. I then stamped the word Anniversary from the Sentiment Builder: Happy in black. Next I did some raised inlaid die cutting using the CUTplorations Word Die 'Happy', added a doodled border and layered on a black base card to finish ...

Pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog to see how my teamies interpreted the photo, check ou the prizes and to link up your entry too.

A little birdie told me that STAMPlorations have another TAGplorations event coming up very soon ...

That's it from me for now.
Have a lovely day!
hugs
Monika xxx


here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps, stencils and dies:

CUTplorations Dies used: Happy Word Die

STAMPlorations Stamps used: Sentiment Builder: Happy, Funny Kinda Love
 

CASEplorations July Reminder

Hi All,

Over at CASEplorations we invited you to CASE this card by Elina Stromberg which can be found here on Elina's blog.

.... and I made this card as a little reminder ...

I went a little off piste and replaced the birds with the Butterfly Row and the large hearts in the background with the one from the Blossom Like A Butterfly set, the sentiment is from the Sentiment Builders: Happy. The background was simply created by spritzing some ink which was left on my craft mat with water and mopping it up with a piece of card, the rest is straight forward stamping.

Feeling inspired to CASE? ... pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog to enter your creation.

That's it from me for now.
Have a lovely weekend!

hugs
Monika xxx

Here is what I used:
Artsy Borders: Butterfly Row, Blossom Like A Butterfly, Sentiment Builders: Happy
  

Happy Reminder

Hi All,

We are half way through February already and over at STAMPlorations the CASEplorations challenge is in full swing hence a reminder of our invitation to join us in the CASEplorations Playground. The Playground will be open for a whole month, the winner of the best CASE as voted for by the team gets a $15 gift certificate and two Top Picks will each receive a $5 gift certificate, full rules can be found here on the STAMPlorations Blog.

What is the CASE inspiration for this month, you might be asking. Well, it is a card by the fabulous Anita in France of My Papercraft World ...

Anita posted about her card here on her blog. There is lots of inspiration to take from her card, such as circles, hearts, rainbow colours, layers, bold sentiment, love theme ...

Here is what I picked:

• bold sentiment
• shaded colours
• movement using flowers instead of circles
• gems instead of hearts

Here is may reminder take of Anita's card ...

Using a flower from the VIGNETTE Eclectic Florals set and dye inks, I inked my flower up and stamped it in the different colours. With a damp brush I drew some of the outline colour into the petals which gives a very subtle colouring. Next I stamped the 'happy' in black and orange embossed the word 'be', both from the Sentiment Builders:Happy, layered on a yellow base card and finished off by adding some more movement through the addition of gems.

Pop over to the original Playground post or the reminder post to join the fun and to see what my teamies and Anita herself made as heir CASEs ... and of course to join our CASE challenge too.

That's it from me for today, back again tomorrow with more inspiration.

Have a lovely day!
hugs
Monika xxx

here is what I used in today's project:
Vignette Eclectic Florals and Sentiment Builders: Happy
 
Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo and Pacific Point inks - Stampin'Up!
Tuxedo Black Memento, tangerine Kerpowder! embossing powder, gems and yellow card from stash

February CASEplorations

It's February already and over at STAMPlorations we are kicking the new month off with an invitation to join us in the CASEplorations Playground. The Playground will be open for a whole month, the winner of the best CASE as voted for by the team gets a $15 gift certificate and two Top Picks will each receive a $5 gift certificate, full rules can be found here on the STAMPlorations Blog.

What is the CASE inspiration for this month, you might be asking. Well, it is a card by the fabulous Anita in France of My Papercraft World ...

Anita posted about her card here on her blog. There is lots of inspiration to take from her card, such as circles, hearts, rainbow colours, layers, bold sentiment, love theme ...

Here is what I picked:

• shaded colours down one side
• bold sentiment in two tones
• gem, which I turned into gems instead of hearts
• layers

Finally, here it is, my take on Anita's card ...

I used one of the Grunge Floral Strips and started stamping in Daffodil Delight and Pumpkin Pie ... that's when I realized that I was using my stamp upside down ... I made the decision to have the shading the other way 'round and continued stamping in Melon Mambo and Pacific Point. I added the 'happy' sentiment, SB Happy, in black and embossed the 'birthday' in orange, layered on my mambo base card and added tiny gems to finish.

Pop over to the Playground to join the fun and to see what my teamies and Anita herself made as heir CASEs ... and of course to join our CASE challenge too.

That's it from me for today, back again tomorrow with more inspiration.

Have a lovely day!
hugs
Monika xxx

here are the sets I used in today's card, links are in the above text
 

CASEplorations July

Hi Everyone,

It's time to explore CASEing again in the STAMPlorations Inspiration CASE Playground. This month we are taking inspirations from a card  made by Tenia Nelson, who is part of the STAMPlorations Challenge Design Team. She made this funky new home card:

You can find her original post here on her blog Jazzy Paper Designs. Well I had a go at making two cards this month. First up is a card I made for Katie, a friend's daughter. She and her partner have just bought and moved into their first home!!!! ... a real achievement given that they are still in their mid twenties! When I looked through my sentiments deciding which one to use, it really tickled me thinking that Katie rather than buying lots of shoes would buy a house ...

... and I hunted through my stash to find these paint brush and paint pot papers, added a few stamped splashes using a stamp from the Holiday Artsy set and layered them on my chevron embossed base card (core-dinations). I stamped my house from the Houses set, fuzzy cut, layered and fuzzy cut again for the shadow, added the die-cut SOLD, a piece of Washi and my altered sentiment from the A Girl And Her Shoes set. As you can see I roughly kept the same layout, the one chevron became the chevron embossed base card. Here is another look ...

Next up is a card I made in advance for Nick's sister who is in the process of selling her house and buying a new one. It has a different slightly more patchwork like feel to it ...

... probably because I used rose patterned paper and stamped stitching from the Graphic Pentagons set on the Washi. I did pick the papers to reflect her mature age and the card reminds me of a mood board of her style. Instead of the chevron I used the heart from the Sentiment Builders: Love set. I kept with the stenciled YAY (ARTplorations Hello and Company stencil) and added A New Home which I made up from another two of STAMPlorations Sentiment Builders Christmas & New Year and Happy. This time I kept three of the rounded corners and a couple of sequins finished my card off perfectly.

If you enjoy CASEing or want to give it a go even if you've never done it before, pop over to the Playground to join the fun. There are also lots of other things going on over at the STAMPlorations Blog, currently you'll find the Birthday Blog Hop, the never ending Anything Goes Challenge for projects using STAMPlorations goodies, commenting to win on the Inspiration and Spotlight Posts plus the new monthly and sketch challenges will start soon too. Links to each of these as always are found at the top of the home page.

I shall be back in a little while with my third installment for the Birthday Blog Hop and Linky Party.
Until then....

hugs
Monika xxx

stamps and stencils used, links as always in the text...