CUTplorations Mini Release

Hello Crafty Friends!

It's CUTplorations Mini Release time over on the STAMPlorations Blog and this means more Blog Hop Fun! Two sets of dies are being released. the Art Edges Border Dies and the ATC/Tag Builder Dies. You might have seen us using them already over the last couple of weeks ... you know what it is like once new toys arrive ... one just has to play!
Here are my DT projects for your inspiration ...

I used the toothy edge die to cut my piece of white card diagonally in half, layered it on some pretty paper, added my die cut sentiment, Peace On Earth Phrase Die, stamped and die cut my reindeer, Christmas Reindeer stamp set and Coordinating Dies, layered it all on my base card and finished of with a red nose and copious amounts of Stickles.

Next up is a tag I made using both of the new sets with a little help from Reindeer Games and Gone Postal, here it is ...

I die cut my basic shape from kraft card using the ATC/Tag Builder dies, added two white borders using one of the Art Edges dies and rounded the corners of the bottom one to make it blend in. I stamped, coloured and fuzzy cut my reindeer, white embossed my sentiment, added some ribbon and Stickles before popping my reindeer on to finish the tag. Here are a couple of close-ups ...

For the last one of today's projects, I combined the ATC/Tag Builder with the CUTplorations Word Die Wonderful and stamps from the Holiday Sketches: Christmas Candles, the Sentiment Builder: Christmas & New Year and the Large Ice Skates from the Stamp Lab.

I cut my tag from white card, added some pretty paper with a torn bottom edge, distressed the tag edges, stamped, coloured fuzzy cut and attached the skates, added my sentiment and finished off with twine, sequins and Stickles. Again I got a couple of close-up of the ATC/Tag Builder edges ...

Back to the Hop ...

Leave a comment on my blog and pop over to the STAMPloratiosn Blog to leave a comment there. Plus that's where you'll find the links to all the contributing blogs too. Commenting closes on Tuesday 15th November. Two winners will be randomly drawn from all the comments left on the STAMPloratiosn blog and the designers' blogs. the winners will be announced on the STAMPlorations Blog in their November Challenge Winners and Blog Hop Winners post on Friday 9th December. If you don't want to miss this, please make sure to follow their blog to get your regular updates.

Ooops, I almost forgot to mention the prizes ... there will be one winner of a $15 gift certificate and one winner to get their choice of either the Art Edges or the ATC/Tag Builder dies. All the information will of course be on the STAMPlorations Blog.

I am leaving you with a last look of my projects.

Have a lovely weekend and Happy Hopping!

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 Mini Release: Art Edges, ATC/Tag Builder
 
STAMPlorations Stamps: Christmas Reindeer, Reindeer Games, Gone Postal, Holiday Sketches: Christmas Candles
   
Sentiment Builders: Christmas & New Year, Stamp Lab for large Christmas images


CUTplorations Dies: Christmas Reindeer Coordinating Dies, Peace On Earth Phrase Die, Wonderful Word Die
  

Doing A Little Dusting

Hello Crafty Friends!

It's my turn today for a Spotlight Feature over on the STAMPlorations Blog. Their current Stamp Club set Life In Full Color has so many beautiful sentiments, one of which got my imagination going for today's project.

'art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life', I immediately had this image of a paint brush brightening dull colours, which led me to using the ARTplorations A Bloom And Three Buds Stencil. All I had to figure out was the layout of my elements ...

You can find a full tutorial here on the STAMPlorations Blog

That's it from me for today. Hope you enjoyed my little dusting.

If you fancy trying out my idea or any other featured in Spotlight Projects over on the STAMPlorations Blog, you can link your make up with their Spotlight Project Showcase and let us know what inspired you.

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:

Life In Full Color, ARTplorations Stencil: A Bloom And Three Buds
 

Going Festive

Hello Crafty Friends!

It's Inspiration Time over at STAMPlorations plus there is still time to join with the Holiday TAGplorations event too ... which made me think ... how about creating a tag with a difference ....

... one to feed ribbon through ...

I cut my basic shape from a piece of kraft card using the ATC/Tag Builder CUTplorations Die. I then stamped the trees from the Oh, Christmas Tree! set in Versamark, sprinkled with white embossing powder and dabbed off as I would normally do for heat embossing .... but here is the difference ... I went back to sprinkle some more on to create the snow, thicker towards the bottom and fine dust towards the top ... before heating the powder from underneath the card. To finish, I added a red metallic Merry Christmas, a jumping Christmas Reindeer including red nose and metallic red ribbon. I tied the tag to a wooden box to demonstrate how it could be used in gift wrapping like a label or you could just attach ribbon to both ends or .... whatever your imagination suggests.

The die-cut strip at the top symbolizing icicles is the negative from one of the new Art Edges Dies used in my CUTplorations Challenge DT project here.

That's it from me for today, pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog for more stamping, die-cutting and stenciling inspiration from my teamies ... and of course to leave a comment for your entry in to their monthly prize draw. There is still time to join their TAGplorations Party too.

Have fun and 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:

STAMPlorations Stamps: Oh' Christmas Tree!, Christmas Reindeer
 

CUTplorations Dies: Merry Christmas Phrase Die, ATC/Tag Builder Dies, Christmas Reindeer Coordinating Dies and
  

Art Edges Border Dies

Holiday TAGplorations Day 4

Hello Crafty Friends!

I am just so excited about this event, that I want to remind you to join and have fun ...

STAMPlorations are hosting a festive party, Holiday TAGplorations.

It's all about TAGS and HOLIDAYS. For my reminder DT project, I choose to make another Christmas tag using their Joyful, Gone Postal and Christmas Reindeer sets in combination with the largest of their CUTplorations Luggage Tag Nesting Dies.

Here it is ...

I did another spot of watercolouring with a little ink blending of the edges ...

• stamp postage stamp frame and sleigh, both from Gone Postal, and mask
• give tag a light blue wash with watercolour
• remove mask, watercolour postage stamp and stamp post marks, Gone Postal
• stamp stars, Christmas Reindeer set, and blend blue around the edges
• stamp sentiment, Gone Postal
• add Stickles for a border
• stamp, watercolour, fuzzy cut large sleigh, Joyful stamp set, and attach
• add tiny star gems
• finish off with golden twine

Now more about the event ...

Holiday TAGplorations is a blog hop and linky party starting today and reminder posts finishing on Tuesday 8th November.

What can you do to participate? ... 

• Comment on the original Holiday TAGploration Post and participating Designers post, Links and full rules will be on the original Holiday TAGplorations Post.
• Create a Holiday Tag or two or three and join the Linky Party; any holiday not just Christmas.
• Commenting and linking up of your Holiday Tags is from today, 4th November, and finishes 11.55pm Pacific Friday 25th November on the original Holiday TAGplorations Post. Plenty of time to get creative.
• Winners will be announced on Friday 9th December in the November Challenges & Hops Winners Post. Just in time for Christmas!

Prizes:
10 prizes (with a value of $178+) will be distributed among randomly drawn winners:

- (3) randomly drawn winners from all comments left on the STAMPlorations blog and participating designers blog will each receive a $15 gift certificate to the store, links can be found on the original Holiday TAGploration Post

- (3) randomly drawn participants to the TAGplorations linky party will each receive the Luggage Tag Dies, linky party can be found on the original Holiday TAGploration Post

- (3) randomly drawn participants to the TAGplorations linky party will each receive the ATC Tag Builder Dies, linky party can be found on the original Holiday TAGploration Post

- (1) randomly drawn participant to the TAGplorations linky party will receive a $25 gift certificate to the store, linky party can be found on the original Holiday TAGploration Post

- if the event is well-received/we get lots of participants and commenters, Shery may just throw in a few surprise prizes + the event will be repeated next year :o)

Here is another look at my piece of tag inspiration ...

That's it from me for today. Hope you join the party.

Have a lovely weekend!
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:

STAMPlorations Stamps: Joyful, Gone Postal, Christmas Reindeer
  

CUTplorations Dies: Luggage Tags Nesting Dies

November Mixed Media Challenge

Hello, Crafty Friends!

Welcome to this first Sunday in November and the start of a new Mixed Media Challenge over at STAMPlorations. As you know Anything Mixed Media Goes as long as it is not a card and you use at least one stencil.

My DT contribution for November is ... a Christmas Tag ....

I thought I'd fit in with the Holiday TAGplorations Hop whilst at the same time giving you a little sneak peak of the upcoming Mini CUTplorations release ...  well ...

here are the basic steps on how I made it:

• cut a tag from a strip of card with very pale grey watercolouring using the CUTplorations ATC Tag Builder
• stamp the script and postage stamps from the Mixed Media Elements in grey
• stencil grey stars using the ARTplorations Oh, My Stars! Stencil
• stencil the Christmas Tree using Cherry and Black Stars Sparkle Medium 
• outline the tree with a golden gel pen
• outline your tag with a gold leaf pen
• add some sequins
• stamp and attach the sentiment from the Gone Postal set
• finish off with some fibers

Here is another look at my tag ..

I hope you feel inspired to get into the Christmas spirit and create a tag  .... why not link it up with the Mixed Media Challenge and the Holiday TAGplorations Hop over at STAMPlorations. The theme for the Mixed Media Challenge is always Anything Mixed Media Goes except cards which means projects such as tags, ATCs, canvases, layouts, art journal pages etc,are perfect for entering, and you must have used at least one stencil (any brand) in your project. The challenge will close at the end of the month. You can find the full challenge details plus more Mixed Media inspiration here on the STAMPlorations Blog.

That's it from me for today. I shall be back soon with another project to share.

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:

ARTplorations Stencils: Christmas Trees, Oh, My Stars!
 

STAMPlorations Stamps used: Mixed Media Elements, Gone Postal
 

CUTplorations Dies used: ATC Tag Builder

CUTplorations November Challenge

Hello Crafty Friends!

Over at STAMPlorations it's the second month of their 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 ...

• skeleton leaves
• rain drops
• umbrella
• girl being blown about in the wind
• grey background
• colours: purple, orange and yellow plus B&W
• autumn theme, cold, damp and windy

I went with the leaves, colours and the autumn theme which made me think of warm and hot drinks ...

I stamped the leaves using the textured ones from the Trendy Leaves set to get some of the translucent effect of skeleton leaves. I then stamped and fuzzy cut my Sketchy Coffee Cups, added and coloured the heart and attached it to my card. I then added the die-cut border from the upcoming Art Edges Cutplorations Edge/Border Dies (watch out for a Mini Release Hop next week), die-cut and attached the Birthday sentiment. Next I die-cut the Warm Winter Wishes Phrase Die, snipped off the warm and wishes and added them to my card before finishing off with some doodled stem and hearts.

Here is another look ...

Pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog to see how my teamies interpreted the photo and to link up your entry too. A little birdie told me that you could win some of the word/phrase dies we used in our projects in their random draw.

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: Art Edges CUTplorations Edge/Border Dies, Birthday Word Die, Warm Winter Wishes Phrase Die
 

STAMPlorations Stamps: Trendy Leaves, Sketchy Coffee Cups