What do you (th)Ink?

Tap Tap - Is This Thing On?

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 12:13:00 +0000

It's been years since I blogged on here, and I miss the daily blog tours I would take each morning looking at people's creations. I thought I'd throw this one out here and see if anyone is still around, or if everything is on Facebook. Maybe Instagram? This year I've been creating like mad and selling at our local farmer's market and a few craft shows. The fun thing is that people are starting to seek me out at the markets when they need cards. Snowy here is peeking into the frame in front of a Lovely as a Tree background. Snowy has to be one of my all time favorite stamps to color and I try to use him each year. There should be an official Snowy Fan Club. Snowy is from Penny Black, Lovely as a Tree is Stampin' Up! Thanks for looking!

Washi You a Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 18:14:00 +0000

I have climbed back on the crafty wagon and have been using up my stash. Over the past few weeks, I have made SO many cards, I have a huge box getting ready to send to OWH. I've been making a lot of CAS cards, but have been experimenting with other styles to push myself as well. These cards are inspired by the Washi tape card on the cover of Cardmaker Magazine's July issue. Because there is so much tape on a roll of Washi tape, I was able to make 15 holiday cards in a flash. I'm planning on making some more colorful birthday cards, too. Thanks for looking!

Wow, It's Been A While!

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 01:56:00 +0000

Lots of changes here in our schedules, so I've been trying to slip in to a new routine. Carter started full-time Montessori school a few weeks ago and I've been playing catch-up with appointments. Next week, I'm heading to Dominican Republic for vacation (no hubbies and NO kids!) with some girlfriends, so this week will be full of packing, pedicures, stocking the house with food for the boys, etc. Probably not a lot of stamping is going to happen this week :(

However, I realize that it is the last week of February and I haven't posted my SFYTT entry yet! I stretch myself with Jen's sketches and am enjoying the outcomes. I hope you like it too! The papers are from BG Offbeat. I love all those patterns and haven't been sure how to use them. The paper flowers are from my huge stash. I used a bunch of them for Mother's Day Cards for OWH, too, and will be mailing them after I get back.

I hope you are enjoying the end of the weekend. I'll be back on the other side of my vacation! Can't explain how excited I am to get away for a little bit. Sun, sand, old friends and new friends. Oh, and wine! It's all good...

Thanks for looking!

Keeping Up With Challenges

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:52:00 +0000

I am determined this year to complete the sketches Jen posts on her blog, I {heart} to Stamp. Really, really determined! Here is a card using the January sketch, with some old papers from Heidi Grace designs. I know the patterns are all from the same collection, but I still have a hard time mixing patterns. If someone knows of an online class that teaches how to mix patterns, please let me know!! After letting this card sit a few days, I have to say that I do like it. I hope you do, too!

Thanks for looking!

Clean and Simple Valentine

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:27:00 +0000

Right after Christmas, I made a ton of Valentines to send to OWH. Since I still have a ton of Valentine stuff to use up, I am still making cards, but trying to use "love" sentiments instead of "Valentine" sentiments. Here is one of those cards. The paper is old DCWV. Those stacks last FOREVER!!! The heart is the SU! heart punch and the sentiment is Verve. The layout of the card is from FTL172 at Clean & Simple Stamping. I adore their sketches and can't wait to see the new ones each week!

I hope you are all having a good day. It is cold here, but sunny and no sign of snow. Which is a good thing, since I'm in Texas and snow is a rarity! The wind is ridiculous, though. Thanks for looking!

New Year, New Creations!

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:13:00 +0000

I have really let the blog go by the wayside over the past few months, and I am struggling with time management. I don't want to feel the stress of creating for the sake of posting. However, this year is the year of finding myself again and that includes crafting. It also includes having a community of like-minded people, so here I am. Please let me know if you are still around to read this little blog o' mine!

To begin the year, here is a card that was inspired by the Moxie Fab World Cool Tools die-cut challenge. I used the Cuttlebug Love Language die to make a bunch of the "XO" shape with vanilla card stock and mounted them on a vanilla panel. I then cut the hearts and "Love You" from the same die in black and Real Red card stock and attached them to the center. The layers are Basic Black and Real Red.

I hope you like it! I am rather frustrated by the smudges in the upper left hand corner, but just have to find my good eraser and I think I can clean it up. Thanks for looking!

Peace on Earth

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:40:00 +0000

This is the card I made for DH to send his colleagues. I made 92 of them and they came together rather quickly. The globe stamps is from Avocado Arts and the sentiment is Technique Tuesday. The continents are stamped in Garden Green on Very Vanilla and there is a Garden Green layer under the Vanilla. I love this card. I hope it doesn't just end up in the trash!

I have all my holiday cards done and am finishing up teacher gifts and such. Should be done by the end of the weekend. I have to be done by then because next week is the last week of school for our kids until the new year! It's hard having them home the entire week before Christmas, because that's when I've usually done all my last-last-minute stuff. Instead, I have to keep them entertained.

I hope you are getting in the spirit! Thanks for looking!

Wreath with Nestabilities!

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:04:00 +0000

I am almost done with my Christmas cards for this year. The goal is always to have them mailed out by the end of the first week of December. I think I will make it! I only have about 15-20 more to make. This year, I didn't mass produce one design. Instead, I'm making 6-8 of various designs as I try to use every Christmas stamp set that I have. A few were still left out, and they are going to go in a giveaway pile. If I have not inked them up in 3+ years, I think it's time to say goodbye to them!

This card is very simple. I used my Scalloped Circle Nesties and the Inverted Scalloped Circle Nesties to make a wreath. Then I ran it through with the Evergreen embossing folder by Sizzix. I love how it turned out! The sentiment is from Technique Tuesday. The ribbon is from my pile - I really have to start using ribbon to get rid of my huge collection!

Here is a closer photo of the wreath:

I'm off to pick up Carter from school and run Justin to the doc for allergy tests. Let's hope for good results! I always get antsy before a testing appointment. So hard not to get my hopes up that the results will be negative at last. Maybe this year?? Probably not, though...

I hope you are all knocking things off your to-do lists in preparation for this crazy time of year! Thanks for looking!

Cutest Baby Favors

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 01:35:00 +0000

These are little favor boxes that I made for my cousin's baby shower back in the Spring. They are too cute and I wish I had a side view so you could see the little box compartment that is in the middle. The template was purchased from Creations by AR and had me wishing I owned a Cricut! I hand-cut a huge number of these, then assembled them and shipped them off to my mom for the shower. I didn't even get to attend :(

So I realize I might not even have any readers left out there after being gone for the entire month of November. BUT, there are a ton of Christmas cards waiting to be posted, and I will start them on December 1st. My shopping is almost complete, and my list is made for teachers and all the "extra" people we have to thank at this time of year. Lots of Ghirardelli squares and Nuggets are hiding in my craft room waiting to be put to use. Hopefully I don't eat more than a few of them and negate all the work I've put in at the gym this year!

I hope you have all had a wonderful Thanksgiving season and are ready for the end of year marathon of celebrations. Thanks for looking!

Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Here are the other two cards I made while mulling over the Tuesday Trigger inspiration photo at Moxie Fab World. They just didn't thrill me in the end. The one is too literal an interpretation and the other is just "meh." I've been busy in the craft room lately, so that's huge progress! Since taking the Inspiration Showcase class with Jennifer McGuire, I'm in love with Distress Inks and have pieces all over my desk resulting from playing around. I have not embossed so much since I started stamping so many years ago!

Today, I have gotten a ton of kitchen work done. Made tomato sauce, non-dairy lasagne, bread, apple coffee cake muffins, roasted and pureed pumpkin and roasted pumpkin seeds. I am tired and ready for the yummy dinner! I hope you have had a great day, too! Thanks for looking!

SPARKS Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:17:00 +0000

The photo inspiration for the current SPARKS challenge was too cute to pass up. The VW van made me think of flower children and the 70's. I used some Crate Paper dp (love those lollipop trees) and More Mustard with a hint of brown from the scrap pile. The flowers are from my never-ending Prima stash and the brads are also from the stash. The sentiment is from Paper Smooches, Pretty Phrases, and is stamped with Soft Suede and clear embossed. The sentiment panel is also stamped in More Mustard with the SU! woodgrain background stamp.

My VW story is that when my best friend and I were 24, we decided to head west and bought a VW van for the trip. Well, the van broke down only 3 states away from home and we were forced to return with our tails between our legs. So much for our grand adventure! We moved a few months later anyway (via airplane this time) and ended up living in AZ for a few years. That's where I met my husband and my best friend actually ended up marrying my husband's best friend a few years later. Isn't that a happy story?

Hope you are having a good day. Oh, and should you decide to take the SPARKS challenge, it's up until November 2! Thanks for looking!

More Tuesday Trigger on Thursday!

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:35:00 +0000

Have you seen the latest Tuesday Trigger from Moxie Fab World? I wish I could figure out how to get the image of the dress to show up here, but click on the link to check it out. You have two weeks to create and post something!

I've made three cards already, and this is my favorite so far. I'll post the others tomorrow. The butterflies are punched from Ralph Lauren paint chips with a Martha Stewart punch. They have a great pearly, crackly finish to them. The pearls are a mix of stuff from my stash. The grey is from Bazzill and is textured and the white panel is Whisper White heat embossed with the French Script background and clear EP, then dry embossed with the SU! Elegant Bouquet folder. The small grey panel is punched with an EK success border punch. Here's a close-up of the butterflies.

Thanks for looking!

Lovely Trees

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:25:00 +0000

Wow, I found this card in my draft folder! I guess I never got around to writing the post. This is the holiday card I made for DH to give to his colleagues last year. I used Lovely as a Tree and a greeting from my stash. The base is Sahara Sand and the ink is probably Handsome Hunter? I recently designed a super-simple card for him to send this year, and I love it. I just have to order some more card stock and I can get them done in no time.

I have completed a bunch of holiday cards so far with the stuff in my stash this year, and will be sending a batch to OWH for the troops. Then I can work on my own cards to send! I hope you are having a great day. We are getting some much needed rain, the boys are both at school/kids' day out today and I am heading up to my craft room to watch trash tv and get crafty! Thanks for looking!

Thankful Hearts and a Non-Paper Craft

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 15:59:00 +0000

Finally, after 10 months, I got a chance to create a card with Jen's Sketch for You to Try. I had these papers in my "use it up" pile. See, Cindy sent me boatloads of stuff when I first started stamping and I am still working my way through it all! Thanks, Cindy!! I'm using it so I can order more stuff :)

The papers are from SU! and the sentiment is a MAMBI rub-on. It is part of a pack of Thanksgiving rub-ons that I'm slowly using up (do you see a theme here? I am earnestly trying to use what I have!). The hearts are cut from the Verve hearts die.

I've been busy in the craft room, just not always making cards the last few weeks. Carter started a Kids' Day Out program 2 days a week, and needed a nap mat. I first got one of the cheap vinyl ones at Target, but it's already starting to crack. Plus, so many kids have cute soft roll-up mats, I got a pattern from a friend and went at this one.

It took forever to finish because I kept making mistakes, then broke the spool pin on my sewing machine and had to order a replacement. Finally, two whole weeks and hours of work (but only 2 extra trips to the sewing store!) later, it is done! I was so happy when I stitched that last stitch on the buttons. He loves it and it's so cute! If I ever have to make another one, it will be so easy after all the mistakes I learned from with this one :) Not pictured is a pillow that attaches to the top that matches the fleece blanket. Yes, the pillow should be integrated, but that's one of the mistakes, LOL. Here is the tutorial should you want to make one of your own. Just remember - measure twice, cut once!

Lots more cards in the hopper to be posting. Can you believe we're getting into the holiday season here so soon! Hope you are enjoying some great fall weather wherever you are! Thanks for looking!

OWH Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Operation Write Home World Cardmaking Day Bloghop! The theme is Christmas cards. Have you started making yours yet? Hopefully you will get a jumpstart on your mojo while cruising through the blogs on this hop!

I love that OWH sends card to troops to help them keep in touch with their loved ones. It makes me feel great that my craft has a purpose. There's no way I could send all the cards I make, and I love that they are going to good homes and spreading joy!

I should have titled my post "Ode to Cindy", since the papers were all passed on to me from my friend Cindy at Creating With the Heart. The sentiments are all from Verve, as well as the mittens, which are paper pieced. The bramble wreath (from Memory Box) is such a pretty stamp, I couldn't resist using it a couple of ways. The ornaments are Stampin Up! Colors are Sage Shadow and Cherry Cobbler. The embellishments are a mix of simple punched circles and red and white pearls.

Happy Hopping and Thanks for Looking!

Polka Dot Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:38:00 +0000

Guess what today brings! More Simply Scrappin' cards :) I don't even know what set this is from, but the colors are yummy! The stickers were just dotted squares, but I punched a heart from each of them and mixed them up. Then I mounted them all onto a larger Crumb Cake square and added the sentiment panel with some linen thread. So cheery, don't you think?

Thanks for looking!

More Old Simply Scrappin' Supplies

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:02:00 +0000

Here are two cards of a set I made using the Seaside Sketches stickers from an SU! Simply Scrappin pack. Again, the materials were from my stash of stuff that has been won through blog candy, etc. I will show the other cards later this week. These came together SO fast, needing only the script stamped on the background, the sticker layered on a bigger rectangle of card stock, and the border sticker cut down. I love these images!

Thanks for looking!

Using Up Some Pretty Paper!

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:03:00 +0000

In my recent on-going mission to clean up the craft room and organize all my STUFF, I came across this pretty floral paper. I think it's from the White Out collection from We R Memory Keepers? The scalloped edge and flower stickers are from an old SU! scrapping set. The stamps are the newest part, an SU! set that I can't remember the name of. It is upstairs and I am down and too lazy to go look it up ;)

I love that these old items came together so well and allowed me to make a small dent in the stash. I'm still working on the organizing and cleaning, but have made several sets like this with the fun old things I've found. How easy is it to make 3 or more cards if you already have the stuff out to make one?

School starts here next week, and I am looking forward to the routine that comes with it. Hopefully that means more crafty time! Enjoy the rest of your summer and thanks for looking!

CAS150

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 01:32:00 +0000

I loved this card made with FTL150 so much that I made 12 of them! Seriously, once I started, I just kept cutting pieces until I used up all the dp you see here! When I tried to stamp the sentiment in Crumb Cake, it was smudging on the shimmery Bazzill white paper. So I dug around in my stash and found a Creamy Brown Cat's Eye Chalk ink that was just right. Phew! I wish the shimmery paper showed up more in the photo! The snowflakes are made with a Cuttlebug die and the small flakes are from some snowflake confetti that I have had for about 5 years and can't seem to use up.

I hope you like this card as much as I do! Maybe I'm just excited to have created something after this whirlwind summer. Only 3 1/2 weeks left till school starts around here. I hope you are enjoying your summer! Thanks for looking!

Food Swap

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:46:00 +0000

I just participated in a food-themed swap at SCS. What a fun theme and a great set of cards that were made by participants! These are mine, using up more stuff from the stash :)

My goal for July was to post almost every day. Then, we went on vacation, I turned 40 (!) and now I'm trying to readjust to daily life. So that plan was foiled and I can't believe we are halfway through July! Only 5 weeks left before school starts. Not that I'm counting or anything... We had a great sitter for the first month of summer, but lost her to a full-time job. I am interviewing a few more sitters today and tomorrow and hope to find someone as wonderful. Wish me luck!

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer yourselves. Thanks for looking!

Not So Clean and Simple After All

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:40:00 +0000

I started this card with the Clean and Simple Stamping FTL 147, but it ended up being a little fancier than I intended. The papers are from an old Making Memories pad and Cherry Cobbler. I punched the fleur-de-lis with an EK Success punch and layered them on a Nestie circle. I searched for the right color ribbon in my stash and thought I was out of luck until I found this bit in my scrap box. It was the perfect length for ruffling (even if it is a little crooked) :). The sentiment is from a clear set that I got a long time ago and no longer have the name of.

Hope you are having a safe and happy holiday weekend! Thanks for looking!

A Little Something

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:21:00 +0000

This is the card I made for my cousin's baby shower. Yes, she had a boy and he was 23 1/2 inches long! That's a long baby :) I can't wait to meet him!

Images are from SU! Toy Box, and are colored by my son. I told him which colors to put where and he did the work. The papers are from the scrap pile, which I have been working diligently from lately. The sentiment is from So Many Sayings and punched with the word window punch. I just love the chocolate and blue together!

I hope the weather is fantastic wherever you are. This is our first full summer in TX and it's been bearable so far. More so if you are by the pool :)

Thanks for looking!

Hello Dragonfly

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:08:00 +0000

Wow, I made this card so long ago I forget exactly what I used! I think it's a Clear Artistic Stamp set. Stamped in Tangerine Tango and Crumb Cake. I made three little dots under the sentiment with the Tangerine marker. It's matted with Tangerine Tango and Crumb Cake and finished off with some linen thread.

Very simple, but quite pretty IRL. Do you have big plans for this 4th of July weekend? DH is going to be home, so we will be relaxing. We have a bbq to attend Sunday and I plan to sneak away to the craft room for some me time! Have a happy and safe weekend!

Just Ducky

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:45:00 +0000

I bought a bunch of punches from someone off Craigslist and this little duck punch was in the set. It's so cute! My cousin just had a baby, and the shower theme was ducks. I didn't have the punch before making the favors, but I used it here on this super-simple card. The sentiment is from a dollar stamp set and I masked it to stack the words. The papers are from a Making Memories pad, Sydney. It is old, but is full of yummy blues and greens!

I have been more productive than the blog shows lately. If only I had the time to write up posts! I hope you are all having a good summer. Thanks for looking!

Moxie Fab Trigger Butterfly

noreply@blogger.com (MelissaS) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:38:00 +0000

This week's Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World is a great rainbow of threads. I don't have any sewing-themed stamps, so I used the rainbow colors as my inspiration. The butterfly and sentiment stamps are from Unity Stamp Co's Be You (that I just got at their online warehouse sale!). The flourish is from an old clear set I got at Target a loooooong time ago.

I stamped the butterfly in Versamark on black card stock, then layered the rainbow colored embossing powders. I heat embossed then cut out the image. It is layered on Very Vanilla cs, with a black panel and a Vanilla base. The rhinestones on the butterfly and exclamation point are from my stash.

Thanks for looking!