Melissa's Paper Cuts

First Day of School

2011-09-02T07:25:00.002-04:00

This was meant to go in my daughter's lunch box today for her first day of first grade! Mom fail! Oh well, I'm sure she will like it just as much tomorrow. :-) Ah, the joy of 5-year olds - they are very forgiving!

This was based on a Mojo Monday sketch from a couple weeks ago that I wasn't able to post in time. I can't remember the source of my stamps, but really had fun re-using my scraps (like usual). My favorite part was the star brad, which used to be silver, but used my sparkly red embossing powder to re-coat. A colorful and cheerful card for a special day! Thanks for looking!

Sending Some Sunshine!

2011-09-02T07:24:00.006-04:00

Hello! I'm participating in my first Verve Diva Dare! This month's theme was to make a cheerful card, and actually send it to someone! My friend just bought their first house, and this made it the perfect occasion to use my new stamps! I cut the house and tag with my Cricut, and ran the house through the Cuttlebug and inked it up. The green was hand cut. The stamps I used were New Mercies (Sunshine), So Happy (So, for you), and Happy Thoughts (Happy).

This one is already in the mail, ready to bring some Sunshine! Thanks for looking, and I encourage all of you to send someone something in the mail this week, either homemade or not. It will make their day!

Jeremiah 29:11

2011-06-12T09:02:00.003-04:00

I had a new stack of paper that I have had for a few months without using, and thought making a card for a friend would be the perfect opportunity to get the dust off! This was a beautiful double sided paper, so I didn't have to worry if the patterns and colors went together well. I always love when people mix patterns, but hesitate to do it myself!

For this I used yet another Verve stamp, which I cut out with Nestabilities and jazzed up with a Cuttlebug folder. It practically fell together, and off in the mail it went! The picture is not the greatest, but it shows the sparkle of the glitter paper.

Thanks for looking!

Delight in Life

2011-06-10T13:47:00.004-04:00

Wow, it's been forever since I have last posted! It's been forever since I have crafted! Going back to work full time and two young kids sure can keep you busy, but I've been missing my creative outlet. I recently made something up for my daughter's end of the year teacher's gift, and although I didn't take any pictures before I had to give it away, it stirred up the crafty side, and now I've been able to get back to scrapping and card making. I have also been making a few more cakes, but that it all too much to put on one post!

So, to ease myself back in, here is a card I made for Verve Stamp's Mojo Monday. Nothing like a sketch to get the creative juices flowing. I can't believe how many beautiful cards there are

already posted! So here is my creation!

As soon as I saw the sketch, I was reminded of this Sassafrass Lass paper I have been squirreling away for such an occasion. The sentiment is from Verve's Miracles Blossom collection, and I opened up some brand new jars of Prima flowers that have been sitting abandoned in my craft drawers. I inked the edges for a little more depth, and am really pleased how it turned out!

Thanks for reading, and I have a few more pictures of projects that I hope to be sharing soon!

Sweet Stuff

2010-02-05T12:20:00.006-05:00

More cards! I should be studying, but I think that my crafting mojo is coming back!

This first one is for Stamping Sisters for Christ, inspired by the Scripture: Matthew 18:4 "Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

The challenge is to make a card with either an image of a child, or child-like objects, without being a baby card. What brings out the child in all of us better than ice cream!! Cutting this with the Sweet Treats cartridge was a breeze, but I personalized it with Cuttlebug embossing folders (inked gently to highlight), and a Studio G stamp. Yum!

This next one is for Clean and Simple Stamping. Their clean and crisp designs are totally my style, even though I never feel my cards are quite as striking as their fabulous designers! Oh well, I am still happy with this cute little Valentine!

Finally, this is my hubby's Valentine. Shhh! Don't tell! I struggle with men's cards, but was happy to try out my new Don Juan Cricut cartridge, using the "stitched" feature. It created tiny little holes for me to sew on, and after a couple of layout changes, this is what I came up with. Nothing flashy, but the four hearts signify the two of us and our two daughters, and I'm sure he'll appreciate what I write inside more anyway!

Thanks for looking!

Circle Mania

2010-02-05T11:58:00.004-05:00

I'm back again to 2S4Y! And I finally figured out how to create links, oooh, aahhh! This week's sketch is a circle, which I haven't done in quite a while. I decided my circle nestabilities were too small, so I pulled out my gypsy and welded some 5.25 circles together! I got to use my Verve Stamps yet again, and a double sided piece of paper from Michael's. The turquoise has a beautiful sheen to it. I used a random swirly die-cut that I had around from a previous project, and remembered to break out my stash of flowers. The edges of the circles and sentiment are distressed (with my fingernail), which reminds me to invest in one of those handy edge distressers. I couldn't decide if I liked the pearls or rhinestones better, but I think this works!

This is actually the third circle card I made, I guess I was on a roll! I started with these two, kind of inspired by an earlier card. Those cuttlekids dies are so cute, but I am not sure if they are still making them. Simple and cute ways to use up scraps and welcome a new baby boy!

Thanks for looking, and I love your comments!

Cricut Cake???

2010-01-25T19:50:00.003-05:00

So now my favorite machine has been re-designed into a new machine that is specifically for Cake Decorating! It is a technique I have learned about and have been wanting to try, but this would make it completely food safe! Oh, the possibilities are endless! Yes, I totally want this machine, but know it is not in the budget right now! So, donations are now being accepted...

You've got Style!

2010-01-25T17:56:00.008-05:00

I admit, I just love how this one turned out!! I wasn't too sure where I was going with this when I started, but everything kind of fell into place. The stamps are from Verve, (www.shopverve.com). I stamped them in black onto the lime green paper and then clear embossed them, so they have a bit of shine. The sketch is from 2 Sketches 4 You again, so thanks for the continuing inspiration! It also happens to qualify for another challenge I just found, at stampinsistersinchrist.blogspot.com ! I am looking forward to new challenges based on Scripture!

Another view:

Necessity is the Mother of All Invention

2010-01-08T16:34:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I didn't actually invent anything here, but I did try out some new techniques here! I really wanted to use some glimmer mist to give this butterfly some shimmer (the metallic ink just wasn't enough), but alas, I don't have any in my stash! As I dug through my drawers, I came across the Martha Stewart glitter I had left almost untouched from last year's Christmas clearance. I finally figured out how to use Stampin' Up's Heat and Stick Powder, and voila! I now have a beautiful blingy butterfly for my Grandma's 85th Birthday!! I finished it off with a special two colored bow, and now it's off to the mailbox!

This is also my submission for 2S4Y's Sketch 43. Thank you ladies for letting me play along - following your work and using your inspiration has really helped my card making!

The colors are a little off because I couldn't use a flash, but it's a nice cream color, with a light teal patterned paper.

Here's a more direct angle...

The butterfly is a Martha Stewart stamp, the background flourish is Autumn Leaves, and the sentiment is Stampendous, from the same set as the "enjoy" from my previous cupcake card post. The tan base is Spellbinders Labels Eight. The paper is old, but appropriate for this card! I can't believe I cut into a whole 12x12 piece of paper for just this little card, but Grandmas are worth it!!

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I couldn't help but post this too - it's my little one getting crafty herself, or should I say, ON herself.... Only washable markers for my girls!

Anniversary Card

2010-01-05T00:08:00.000-05:00

I made this one a while back for a sweet couple, but as I have a tendency to do, I forgot to give it to them in a timely manner! Maybe they will get it this year, lol! Nevertheless, it's one of my favorites. I used a bunch of Nestabilities, including the Fleur-de-Lis pendant, Labels 9, and the Tag Trio. I finished it with the two turtle doves from the Joys of the Season cricut Cartridge, and of course some stickles! The background paper is from Basic Grey, Porcelain collection. Aren't the colors so pretty?? Thanks for looking!

Paper Treats!

2010-01-04T01:00:00.000-05:00

I just love my new Sweet Treats cartridge! With all the baking I've been doing, there are so many cute possibilities! This is my first card, which was all cut from this cart, including the flower/button. The stamp is a tiny one from Stampendous, and I think it would brighten anyone's day!

Celebrate!

2010-01-02T15:57:00.003-05:00

I have more creations to share, but wanted to post this one before the week is over. It's based on the sketch from 2S4Y. Just a little Cuttlebug embossing and a ribbon! Quick and easy, but I liked the way it turned out! It will be perfect for my friend's birthday coming up later this month! Thanks for the sketch, and the motivation to get into my scrap space!

I'm back!

2009-12-18T11:04:00.004-05:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I last posted, but I have been busy busy with graduate school and kids, and my latest hobby, cake decorating. I've learned so much since that last cake you saw, and so I've been having fun with that. But, now that Christmas activities are almost done, I've been eager to get back to my paper! I've gotten some new Cricut Cartridges, and a brand new Gypsy to play with! So, hopefully I will be posting again soon. For now, here are a couple of cakes that I made! And, at least in my opinion, yes, they tasted as good as they look!

Provo Craft's 100th Cricut Cartridge!

2009-09-11T12:39:00.002-04:00

I can't believe there are 100 cartridges out there now! I don't own nearly that many, but wouldn't mind if I did! They are having a great contest to celebrate, and are giving away 100 cartridges in the next 5 weeks. Check out one of the newest ones here!

http://www.cricut.com/shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?id=361&s=1&sc=2

To join in the contest, go here:
http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=5248058

Good luck!

My new toys

2009-08-22T14:28:00.005-04:00

I have been super busy lately, but felt like I hit the jackpot when a few new stamps and Nestabilities came in the mail. I couldn't wait to try them out! Here is a couple of cards I made with them.

This is my favorite, inspired by Becca at www.amazingpapergrace.com. I just love her work! It turned out a little Christmas-like, but that's ok. The medallion is the Fluer-de-Lis pendant set, and the tag is the Fancy Tag set. Thanks to Glenda at www.glendascreativeplace.com for the best prices around!

This is another one using the pendant, and my new Verve stamps. I tried to give them a little dimension with prisma pencils, but was a little dissatisfied with the final look. The background is embossed with a new cuttlebug folder that Glenda threw in my order!

The last one for today features another Verve stamp. www.shopverve.com. The stamps are beautiful, and very good quality, and feature scriptures and uplifting messages. This is one of their new releases, which you can get free if you order $35 or more before the end of the month. The paper is Cosmo Cricket (I think), and the stamp is on one Nestabilities Labels 8. Thanks for looking, and hopefully I can post some more new ones soon!

2 Sketches 4 You

2009-07-28T10:53:00.005-04:00

Ok, last one for today! This one was probably the fussiest card I have ever made, but I am pleased on how it turned out! Another zebra print and hot pink one, but for a baby instead. I don't know anybody who is having a girl anytime soon, so I might end up selling it. It's a little wild, and not my usual style, but it's a challenge, right? It's the same flocked Anna Griffin paper I used before, with hot pink that was embossed with my cuttlebug, and cut with my SU! scalloped edge punch. The tag was another cuttlebug die, and the bling was from Heidi Swapp (Aren't you proud that I actually used it, instead of hoarding it!) I used my sewing machine to gather up the pink ribbon, and cut the baby carriage with Stretch Your Imagination.

Check out all the beautiful creations at http://2sketches4you.blogspot.com/ , and cross your fingers that I win the $100 Gift Certificate for JustRite Stamps!

This is just me trying to get stylistic with my photos - as if I need another hobby.

I'm up for a Challenge!

2009-07-28T10:43:00.003-04:00

While I probably spend too much time online, checking out the cricut message boards and blogs has really helped me to improve the quality of my cards. Sketches and challenges are just a part of that, helping me to expand my creativity! Plus, part of the reason I started a blog anyway was so that I can participate in such challenges! So here's my debut, for http://thecuttlebugspot.blogspot.com/ It's Christmas in July! This one is mostly out of scraps I had too, but I finally got to use a stamp set I picked up for $3.50 a while ago. I colored it with Prisma pencils and Goo-Gone. The shape it is on is from the Storybook cartridge (I know, it's awesome). Of course, being a Cuttlebug challenge, it has to be embossed, and appropriately, I used the snowflake folder. The bow and ribbon is kind of thick and large, but I liked how it looks like a big present!

It was a lot more fun making a Christmas card in July instead of last minute in December, so you might be seeing more of these along the way!

Thanks a Latte

2009-07-28T10:33:00.003-04:00

Here is a card that started out to be for 2 Sketches 4 You, but I just didn't love it. Overall, I think it's great - used some paper scraps, and a stamp I got on clearance - I think it was Inkadinkadoo. The sentiment was a stamp from a LSS that is going out of business (boo hoo). It is meant to go with a little penguin with a coffee cup stamp, but thought it paired nicely with this too. I stamped and inked with copper ink, so it has a subtle shine in spots.

I will be staying with a fellow student while I travel for my on-campus week at graduate school, so this will likely be a little something that I leave for her. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday MeMe!

2009-07-24T19:34:00.004-04:00

Here is a project that was a bit stressful, but fun! I love doing girly things, so when I was asked to do these cards for a 21st birthday party, I tried to have fun with it. This is not exactly how they looked, but I was seriously pressed for time. I revisited the design and made a sample for myself. The only difference is that on the original the ribbon was plain, and had three rhinestones. With more time, I added the loops, and like the overall look much better. I was so happy to find the zebra print paper, by Anna Griffin, and was flocked! The pink was Bazzil Bling, and I used Storybook cartridge for the numbers and the scalloped square. I don't have a picture of the inside, but I had an awesome pink flourish and a black high heel stamped there.

Now, I was also recruited to make the cake, which might have been a mistake - it is so much harder than it looks! I made my own marshmallow fondant, which tastes better than storebought, but it turned out a lot lumpier than I would have liked. Even though it did look a bit less lumpy when I delievered it... The ribbons are not edible or anything, but I did add some shimmery (edible) pearl powder over the surface which gave it a nice shimmer. I wasn't able to attend the party, so I hope it tasted alright! I had to experiment and learn a lot about different icings, and dowels, and me and my kitchen were a bit of a wreck for a while. Perhaps I will leave this up to the professionals... eventhough, I did see somewhere that you can use your Cricut to cut gumpaste for cakes... Perhaps that's another adventure!

Birthday Gifts

2009-07-17T07:25:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple of crafty things I did for our friend and Spanish Pastor's birthday. First, a custom T-shirt with the church initials (Spanish Bible World Church). I used Cricut Design Studio to weld the cross together, and cut it out of Freezer Paper. (Yeah, the kitchen kind) I ironed it on (shiny side down) and used it as a stencil. Pretty neat, right? Whoever came up with that idea was a lot more creative than me! Anyway, I would recommend next time using a light colored shirt and dark paint, because it was a pain to get good paint coverage. Overall, this is a technique I will be trying again!

This is the card I made to go with it. It's half in Spanish, and half in English, but that is what happens when I am working on it! The cute Chihuahua is a Studio G stamp, and the sentiment is from Stampin Up! The papers are just odds and ends I had in my scrap box. It seemed a little plained, so I made a little pull tab that says "Happy Birthday" when you pull it out. My camera batteries died before I could get a picture of that!

That's it for now, but I have a new fun project coming up, that I am excited to share!

Win $1000 at the CuttlebugSpot.com !!

2009-07-11T08:18:00.000-04:00

I have just discovered that The Cuttlebug Spot is having a contest - "The Journey to 1,000"! They are trying to reach 1,000 followers by the end of July and need your help. To enter all you have to do is go to their site, sign up as follower and complete a few easy steps and you could win a $1,000 gift certificate to Custom Crops (www.CustomCrops.com)! GO NOW and check it out at www.TheCuttlebugSpot.com

Quinceañera Invitations

2009-07-08T08:33:00.000-04:00

The Hispanic version of a Sweet Sixteen is actually celebrated at age 15, and is called a Quinceañera. I had someone asking about a larger invitation than the standard A2 cards I usually make, so after some surfing, I came up with these rough ideas. They are generally simple, and have a lot of room to be spiffed up, but I thought they are pretty neat! Apparently pocket fold invitations are all the rage now, and these include a 4-bar card for the RSVP.

This first one is my take on the pocketfold card featured in the new Stampin Up catalog. I like theirs better, but I didn't have directions, so I was making it up as I went along. The lace trim is a Martha Stewart Punch, and the Quinceañera stamp is from Stampin Up! and the high heel is a Studio G. This particular card fits in a 5x7 envelope, but an envelope for the RSVP wouldn't fit, so I would probably make them a bit bigger, and either find specialty envelopes, or just have them hand delievered.

This next one is using the instructions from http://www.projectwedding.com/wiki/show/diy-wedding-challenge-2-panel-pocketfold-invitations-from-scratch. This one is pretty versatile, because you can have two panels of text, or use one for a photo. Again, I kept it pretty simple, just for a sample, but I think the possibilities are endless! I think with both of the invites, they would look so much better in a solid color (not white), with some coordinating patterned paper. This stamp is another Stampin Up! set, from last season. This one is closer to the A2 size, when folded.

First Cricut Post

2009-07-07T17:57:00.000-04:00

I love my Cricut machine, so it's surprising the first couple of cards I have posted didn't use it! Here is a quick card I put together for a friend's 4 year old's birthday. I was happy how it came together-it all started with a leftover hot pink circle I had in my scrap box, and just went from there! The sentiment is from the Cutting Up cartridge, and the 4 is cut in glitter paper. It was well received by the mom, which always makes me feel good! I'm glad the detail I put in (like the 4 flowers for 4 years), wasn't lost. Happy Birthday Callie!

House Card

2009-07-07T11:57:00.000-04:00

Alright! The first one worked! So here is another card that I made for a real estate agent. It was inspired by Lori at http://www.pinkcloudscrappers.blogspot.com. She made something like that for one of her workshops, and while she didn't leave directions, I took the idea and made something fun! It fits inside a 5.5" square envelope. The paper is DCWV spring stack, the swirl stamps are Autumn leaves, and I used my new Stampin Up! scalloped punch for a little decoration.

First Card Post

2009-07-07T11:50:00.000-04:00

So, what's a blog if you don't post anything, right? I have several projects to post, but I am testing it out for now. This baby shower card was made from a Nestability Scalloped Circle, Large, and one of the classic circles. The piggy was a Cuttlekids die I found on clearance (isn't she cute?), and I just finished it off with some ribbon, doodling, and rub-ons. I liked this one so much I didn't even put it in an envelope, but just stuck it with a temporary glue dot right on the gift! Thanks for looking!

Moving along

2009-06-12T07:55:00.000-04:00

I'm working on making this a little prettier before I share it with the world, and so I'd like to plug scrapmyblog.com for the free background and everythingcricut.blogspot.com for lots of tips on how to do all of it!

Here it is!

2009-06-11T20:06:00.000-04:00

Inspired by all the talented folks at the Cricut.com message board, here is my blog! It was so easy to start, that now I have to figure out how to add all the neat stuff to it, like pictures, and then the hard part - find some people to read it!! Thanks for joining me here, and let's hope this is fun!