Bombshell Monthly Challenge - Hot and Steamy

Morning Gorgeous Bombshells!!  I'm here with you posting with my fabulous teammates over at the Bombshell Forum for this month's amazing theme - Steampunk.  It's eclectic and gear"ry", sassy, a bit sultry, vixen"ey", tough-girl-esque yet still super sexy.  That's what Steampunk design means to me.  I was going for crisp and simple with all of the elements in harmony with it's funky attitude.  

I used my favorite love here at Bombshell - Bombshell Angel.  I colored her with my Copics making her hair a divine shade of Minty Blue.  I used vintage glass glitter on her bodice and let a gold flower bloom in her hair.  

G45 papers used.  In what other line...than Steampunk Debutante.  Exactly.

I added some rhinestones and brads as embellishments and let it alone.  I was happy.

I hope you have enjoyed and been inspired!  I hope you'll come create with us over at the Bombshell forum!!

Holiday Hugs!
Meredith

xoxo

Some Odd Girl - Annual Holiday Hop

Greetings All!!  So happy to be here with you today on what is SURE to be a crazy busy week!!  So fun!!  Here at our house we have Hanukkah, my darling hubby's 40th birthday AND Christmas!!  Whew!!  It's even a lot to THINK about but I know it's going to be super fun, super fabulous and wonderfully wild!

But before all that starts I am linking up with the fabulous ladies over at Some Odd Girl for their annual holiday hop!!  Before I share my creation be sure to check out all of the details here!!  I've chosen to create for the All White Challenge:

From SOG blog:

"A little contest and friendly competition. Link up and create a project that fits one of the catagories below and we’ll be picking the best from each catagory to win a super awesome prize pack! You’ll have to wait to see until the hop what the prizes are but you can bet they’ll be good! Here are the catagories:

Mens *Mens*- Create a holiday card for the men!
All White *White*- your creation must be all white NOT including you image. That may be colored.
Give a Little Gift *Gift*- some thing like a gift card holder or gift bag. Get creative!
Non Traditional *NT* - Non traditional colors or card design or subject. So many ways to run with it!"

And here's my creation for the All White - (not including image) Category":


For my creation, I've used the GORGEOUS 50'S Kaylee digi stamp.  I printed her three times.  Once on white, once on plaid and once on the striped.  The patterned papers are from G45.  I colored Kaylee with my Copics and then paper pieced her dress and apron.  I was inclined to color her pearls "pearl" color but I recently saw a gorgeous strand of grey pearls and I was inspired *giggle*.  I heat embossed the red glittery polka dots and added Glossy Accents to her shoes.

I've been working really hard to improve my shading techniques and I'm happy with how my progress is coming.  =)  The rest of my layers are a mix and match of gorgeous and luscious white felt (PTI), squishy and glittery self-adhesive foam sheets, wall paper samples, watercolor paper and designer paper and cardstock.  And it all just kind of came together!  I've used a number of steel dies from MFT and my circle Spellbinder Nesties.  My embellishments include matte white brads, white cotton yarn, and pearl tipped stick pins.  True luxury my friends! 

I hope you have enjoyed and been inspired to come hop and link up over at the Some Odd Girl Blog!!

See you there!


Holiday Hugs!
Meredith

Our Craft Lounge - Every Heartbeat

Hello Again Everyone!!  Thanks for popping in today to check out another day of amazing Valentine's Day sneaks from OCL!!  Today I've worked with the Every Heartbeat set. 

I layered my background with Ouchless Cardboard from Gauche Alchemy.  I painted it with some of my Ranger Distress Paint.  I stamped my chevron pattern on Basic Grey designer paper and then trimmed it out.  I layered on top with some crocheted vintage trim, some hearts cut using my MFT Hearts-a-Plenty Die-namic, and some die cut tags that came with my Basic Grey paper.  I used the heart in RED as well as the sentiment that I attached to a tag and created a fun little grouping.  As a final touch, I added some self-adhesive red pearls spotted throughout my creation.

I hope you have enjoyed our sneak peeks today!  There is some fabby blog candy being given away over at OCL so remember to leave love on all of the gals blogs so that you can be entered into a drawing to possibly win!!


Here are all of the fantastic artists participating in today's sneak peeks!!

OCL Blog
Kendra Wietstock
Lori Tecler
Tammie Edgerton
Broni Holcombe
Debbie Fisher
Carolyn King 
Lori Barnett
Debbie Corbari
Lisa Eisner
Stephanie Serrano
Amber Hillman
Meredith Winston
Joy Stagg 
Michelle Pearson
Dawn Barrett 
Melissa Cash
Latrice Murphy
Deb Felts

Dilly Beans - Santa Baby

Happy Friday All!!  It's another amazing Friday here at Dilly Beans with our new SANTA BABY challenge!!  SO FUN!!  I, per usual, went a bit abstract with my card as I'm seriously jonesing for my favorite holiday (Valentine's Day) to get here so if my darling girl looks wistful for her SANTA BABY then that's why!  :)  I printed her out (#264 Two Hearts Girl) and colored her with my Copics.  I used my Nesties to cut her out.  I used my new Fringed Perennial Die from MFT to create the red Poppy looking flower

 and my MFT Wonky Scallop border to create the "snow" from PTI felt.  Seriously...the stuff is dreamy!

I hope you can come play with us for this weeks super fun challenge!!  Thanks for coming by today!!

Our Craft Lounge - Smooth Sailing

Greetings All!!  I'm here today posting along with my friends at the OCL for their upcoming new Valentine's Day releases!!  Today I'm previewing a set called Smooth Sailing.  SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO crazy cute!!  I decided to paper piece the adorable sailboat.  I pieced the sail as well as the boat.  I used my Copics to color in the hearts, small flags as well as the water.

I've used both Basic Grey and Martha Stewart designer papers.  My cardbase is kraft cardstock from JoAnn Fabrics.  

I added my sentiment on a MFT Die-namic and created two different color mattes for it to match my color scheme.  I stamped my anchors in red and used them as a fabulous border along the bottom of my card.


There is some fabby blog candy being given away over at OCL so remember to leave love on all of the gals blogs so that you can be entered into a drawing to possibly win!!

For your convenience here is the list of everyone playing along today!! 

OCL Blog
Kendra Wietstock
Lori Tecler
Tammie Edgerton
Broni Holcombe
Debbie Fisher
Carolyn King 
Lori Barnett
Debbie Corbari
Lisa Eisner
Stephanie Serrano
Amber Hillman
Meredith Winston ------------ YOU ARE HERE! =)
Joy Stagg 
Michelle Pearson
Dawn Barrett 
Melissa Cash
Latrice Murphy
Deb Felts

Thanks for coming by today!  I hope you have enjoyed and been inspired!


 

MFT - Wednesday Stamp Club

Oh it's one of my very favorite days of the week!!  MFT Stamp Club Wednesday!!  And I couldn't be happier to be here at this month's Guest Designer!  =) 

I love this week's sketch as it definitely forced me to think outside of my proverbial "must have a stamped image" box and let me play with my sentiment sets more than I normally do.  Today I've used this month's Triple Scoop Set - Pearls of Wisdom.  It's available to you right now with your purchase of $60 or more ( BEFORE shipping and tax amounts are applied) of MFT products.  Which believe me, is not hard to do as there are SUCH great stamps, dies and more in the MFT store!!  (wink!)  I also pulled out my Well Worn Greetings die and stamp set. 

I decided to use my Jillibean Soup - Sweet and Sour 6x6 mini paper pack - all of the patterned paper is from the same pack.  I used dark green cardstock as my base.  I then used the other funky colors within the striped and flowery papers - lime green, turquoise and lavender and started to assemble my card. 

I stamped the oval scalloped edging using Tempting Turquoise from SU! and then stamped my greeting with Momento ink in Tuxedo Black.  I added mini black brads on the sides of my sentiment panel and self-adhesive pearls on the end of my "ribbon" panel which was created using the new Mix and Match Banners Die-namic.

I've kept my interior sweet and simple.  Some stitching, some stamping, some die cutting and a tiny bit of vintage distressing with my ink blending tool and some Pumice Stone Distress Ink. 

I hope you have enjoyed, been inspired and will come create with us!!!  Don't forget to upload your creation for MFT's WISC to the Splitcoast Stampers Gallery using the keyword MFTWSC50.

Be sure to head over to Kim's Blog to view the entire list of design team participants!  You will most DEFINITELY be inspired!!

Thanks for visiting me today!

Fantastic MFT products used in today's creation:

Bombshell Monthly Sketch

Hi Bombshell Fans!!  Here with you today for December's Sketch Challenge over at the Bombshell forum.  I've stamped my beautiful piratey Bombshell in Momento ink and colored her with my Copics.  This gorgeous lady is from A Pirate's Life set.

I have paper pieced her dress, belt, right arm and head.  I did all of this so that the image has a realistic look.  I hadn't planned on piecing her entire head.  I knew I had to do her right arm as it sits on top of the dress and in order to make it look real, I stamped the dress, then stamped another arm, colored it in and added it on top of the dress.  Well then it made her head and hair look sunken so I stamped another head, colored it, fussy cut it and added it on top of everything and it looks great! 

I used my oval doily Die-namic and Crown border from MFT as accents threading some sweet baker's twine through the holes in the oval as an added visual touch. 

I hope you enjoy and have been inspired to come create with us right HERE! 

Psst...

In case you hadn't heard....

Our Craft Lounge - CAS Holiday

Hi All!!  Popping in today to share some CAS (clean and simple) holiday cards.  I have to share a secret with you - as a practice, I don't do any mass production of my cards.  I simply don't like the monotony of cutting and stamping the same thing over and over.  The ONLY exceptions to that rule are when my close family and/or friends ask for an order of cards.  My darling SIL (sister-in-law) recently asked me for a grouping of cards for her to give gifts in.  So I took the opportunity with this week's OCL challenge to create a bunch of cards for her.  I used OCL's White Christmas and Winter Wishes sets pulling out all of the individual snowflakes.  I stamped the snowflakes using Versamark Dazzle ink.  I then used clear embossing powder to heat set them all.

I used some fabulous starry paper for my banner ended sentiment panels, a couple of wraps and a bow using wonderful baker's twine and a chipboard embellishment adhered with Glossy Accents.  Each card is a bit different as I changed the orientation of the snowflakes and each one has a different chipboard embellishment.

I hope you have enjoyed and are having a very creative weekend!!

Dilly Beans - Twisted Christmas

Happy Friday All!!  Today brings a fabulous new challenge over at Dilly Beans!!  Today I've used image #211 - Framed Friday with Skull. 

I printed her three times, once on my white cardstock, once on the green paper with red stars for her hair and then again on blue DP for the skully cutie in her hair. 

 

I used a mishmash of papers that have been on my desk from a variety of projects all week.  I colored her skin, eyes, and stripey turtleneck with my Copics.  I then paper pieced her hair and skully as well as adding twinkly self-adhesive rhinestones on the skull eyes.  I used Sparkle Fluff from OCL in the negative space around the polka dots behind her.   

I used a sentiment from MFT and a bit of skully ribbon as my finishing touches.  As you can see I went with a very distressed and weathered look for the background.  It was super fun to rip and tear and patch the background back together!

I hope you come join us for a very Twisted Christmas challenge over at the Dilly Beans challenge blog!! 

OCL - Tag, You're It

Hi Friends!!  Double post today as I'm bringing you a tag that I created for this week's OCL challenge - Tag You're It.  

I created the entire tag myself using scraps that I had on my table from earlier today.  I've used a beautiful wintery set called Winter Wishes.  I stamped my image using Momento ink onto really good quality water color paper.  I then took my distress ink pads in a variety of blues, greens and browns and dabbed them all over my craft sheet that I always have on my desk.  I misted the ink with a Perfect Pearls mixture of water and water colored my image.  It's impossible to photograph but the image does have a twinkly effect in real life when the light hits it.  It's BEAUTIFUL!!  I added some dots of glossy accents to further catch the light and set the entire piece aside to dry.  I used the snowflake strip stamp that comes with the set to anchor the top and bottom of my set.  I stamped it in Versamark ink and heat set it with white embossing powder.  I used some great yarn-like twine for the top of my tag.

I made two rolled felt flowers for my embellishments and used a domed clear sticker on the bottom that says "just the two of us".  I liked how the sentiment played with the "Remember this:" printed on my die cut tag above.  I'm going to give this to my DH as we always ALWAYS try to carve out time - even if it's just a little bit - each day to do this for each other.  Having two small children easily allows all of your focus to be maneuvered often for days, weeks, months at at time away from each other.  I'm going to give this to him as a wonderful reminder for the both of us to never lose sight of us while we raise our babies.  =)  

I hope you've enjoyed and been inspired!!

MFT - Wednesday Stamp Club

 Good morning all!!  Seriously...such an exciting day!!  Last night I was honored beyond honored to be chosen to be the next Guest Designer for MFT for the next new release in January. You can see my winning project here.  I'm still in shock.  There were so many amazingly beautiful projects that can all be seen here!  I'm crazy excited and LOVE LOVE LOVE working with the amazing artists and wonderful women at MFT. 

So I'm jumping right in and playing along with this week's sketch which is SUPER fabulous and can translate to many different styles.

It can be flipped or flopped or twisted about!  You choose!  Here's how I chose to interpret this design:

I used papers from Basic Grey, Crate, and SU! as well as some from my stash and a few pieces that a friend sent me recently.  I reached for my First Class Friend stamp and die set. The reason I am differentiating that I used the stamp and die set is because those smart SMART lovlies at MFT are now selling the dies separately!  It's so fabulous whether you simply want the dies sans stamps or if you need an extra die to add to your collection!  The option is amazing.  SWOON!!

I stamped HUGS, KISSES and STAMP OF APPROVAL using SU! ink, my XO is stamped with Colorbox ink and heat embossed with black embossing powder.  I added a bit of red ribbon before I adhered my postage frame and in lieu of the three elements I added an owl clip tied with a simple twine bow.  I used a teeny dot of Glossy Accents on the knot of the bow to keep it stable.

To add extra detail to my interior, I've used my snowflake stitch on my sewing machine.  I added a rhinestone flourish over my sentiment layer and left a bit of space for a handwritten message.

I do hope you come play along with us over at the forum on SCS!!  It's right here!!  Come on...you KNOW you want to play!!  =)

My Favorite Things - December's New Prouduct Tour

It truly has been a fantastic week of stunning previews, beautiful creations and wonderful MFT tips and tricks!!  I hope you have enjoyed all of the teasers as much as I have and once again I'm over the moon honored to have been asked to participate in this amazing release. 

For tonight's New Product Tour I've chosen to ink up, once again, the new Pure Innocence - Good Fortune.  I've paired her with the newly released Oval Open Scallop Doily along with some sweet papers from my stash.  

I stamped her onto my old stash of MFT perfect panels (retired ... sorry!!) and colored her with my Copics.  I did stamp and color an extra set of hands and head to make the depth of my paper piecing seem more realistic.  The green cherry blossom paper (from SU! I *think*) was very thin so I added another piece of plain cardstock behind it for stability.  Because I did this step, my paper pieced dress was thicker than normal so the addition of the hands and head were absolutely necessary.  

I created a few rows of jumbo scallops and I've flip flopped them to add a bit more dimension and interest.  I used some thick grosgrain ribbon from Michael's and a couple of self-adhesive pearls as my accents. 

I kept my interior simple and sweet using my Sweet Stack Die-namics for which to house my sentiment.  A bit of stitching and I called it a day on this one!  I truly hope you've been as inspired this week as I have been!

Thank you, as always, for coming by to visit!  Now, off you go!!  Please be sure to check out the unbelievable new releases from My Favorite Things available right now!  And make sure you go look at all of the gorgeousness that is on display now via the New Product Tour on the MFT Blog!

Amazing MFT products used:

MFT December Guest Designer Challenge - Play Tag!!

Greetings Friends!!  It's been a busy whirly dervish of a week here at Paper Canteen!!  I've been so lucky to be playing along in the December Teasers for MFT, Pep-Rally and New Product Tour (tonight!) but I've also carefully carved time out to play along with December's Guest Designer Challenge - Play Tag!!

I've chosen to take the name of the theme and interpret it literally and make not only a set of tags but incorporated the PLAY aspect of the theme into a learning game for my children.  My kids (apples) don't fall far from the proverbial tree (me) in terms of their artistic sides.  They are constantly coloring, painting, collaging, stamping, playing with pipe cleaners and are always ALWAYS trying to figure out what colors mixed with other colors make a new color!  (say that three times fast!)  In truth friends, I wanted to home school my children.  I know, I know...some of you get it and others think it's an insane idea.  I'm still on the fence even though my DD is in public school - grade 1 and my son is finishing up his last year at a private pre-school.  I won't get into my reasoning but I will tell you that I do everything in my power to continue the learning at home by making it fun, interesting, colorful and often times MESSY!  LOL!  After all, that's all part of learning!  I incorporate lots of reading, math and science into our play.

Ahem...enter my December project!!  I've created a stack of learning tags for my kids to help them understand the "technical" aspect of how a rainbow is built.  May I introduce you to my friend - ROY G. BIV.  Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet! Remember?  I have fuzzy memories of learning this in upper elementary maybe middle school but the concept is easy when put into a fun and pretty package!!

I first started with an ATC tin that I keep in my stash.  I altered the top using the MFT Rainbow, Flat Bottomed Clouds and Hearts A Plenty Die-namics. I kept my design crisp, clean and simple. 

I used some Doodlebug rub-on letters to display the ROY G BIV on the front of the tin.  I've had a stack of alphabet cards in my scrapbooking stash for literally years now just waiting for the right project to come along...and here it is!

I used one side of the learning cards to pull in the letter concept of each of the colors and I coordinated each of my stamped images by either image or theme as well as paper piecing and coloring in each image according to its place in the rainbow.   In order to create a blank back side for my stamped images, I adhered my card onto my stamping cardstock of choice - Neena - and then carefully trimmed all around each card by hand.  For the ribbon tabs on the top of my learning tags, I chose different styles and textures to enhance each card by color.  I used Glossy Accents and sandwiched my folded ribbon in between the two layers of cardstock and printed card.  I held each one for a few seconds until it was dry. 

My red learning tag uses PI - My Umbrella as well as the tiny heart die from the Notched Tag set. Oh I just love her tartan pieced tights and patent shiny (thank you Glossy Accents) rain boots!

Here is a picture of the back - this was pre-printed.  I love that I can also incorporate new reading words in as well!  Multi-function people!  ;)

The front of my orange learning tag uses Butterfly Kisses as well as the butterfly from the Notched Tag set. I can't decide which of her elements I love more...the flowery wings or the polka dotted bodysuit.  So sweet!

"O" for orange and owl!!  I chose the PI - Butterfly set for the winged effect.  My daughter LOVES owls and butterflies so it's a win win combo! ;)

My yellow learning tag uses Love You With All My Heart and the sun from the Notched Tag set.  I simply LOVE her patent leather Mary Janes and her sweet polka dotted pieced dress!!

If only the yarn had been printed in yellow!  It would have been PERFECT!  But it's pretty darling as is!

The green learning tag uses Something Special Just For You (my thinking was to incorporate the "G" for gift in this one) and the star from the Notched Tag set.  I LOVE her plaid green party dress!!

And that green guitar is perfect!!  My husband and son both play so it's a frequent item used in our house!!

My blue learning tag uses Honey Bee as well as the birdie (B for bee and bird!) from the Notched Tag set.  Love that stinkin' cute bee costume and the patent leather booties!!!

And how CUTE are the little bees here on the back of the learning tag?!?  Sooooo beeeeee-utiful!  HA!  (pun obviously intended)

I promise that this indigo tag has a very dark indigo ribbon atop it!  It just is impossible to photograph and edit ribbon that true in color.  It always comes out looking black.  In any case, I've used the crazy sweet Make Mine A Double PI set along with the tiny heart from the Notched Tag set. 

How appropriate that the "i" card has a double scoop ice cream cone on the back??  =)

And last, but certainly not least!  One of my daughter's favorite colors VIOLET! (she's Very cute - get it "V" for very! ha!) How sweet?  I've used PI- Being Cute Is What I Do combined with one last bit - the flower - from the Notched Tag set. 

The back uses the word VEST which is so adorable and very close in style to the romper top that our sweet PI is wearing! 

I truly hope you've enjoyed my challenge entry for this month!  I know I had a BLAST putting it together!!  Thanks so much for stopping by!!