What's the Point?

The point is you should join us on the Meljen's Designs challenge blog.  Our theme this week is to use something pointy on your project.  It could be a pin, a star, or anything that has a point!

I used the new image, Steampunk Girl and colored her with Copic markers.  Her gold accents were colored with Copics first and then I colored over them with a gold Copic Spica pen.  You can't tell in the picture, but they have a lot of sparkle to them.  I used sprocket gears from Tim Holtz and found the one with the pointiest spokes to fit the theme.  I embossed a piece of Core'dinations cardstock and sanded it so the embossing would show.  I bought the embossing folder ages ago and never used it, but it was perfect for this card!  As my hubby always tells me, "It will turn up in something!"  The clockwork face from Tim Holtz finished it all very nicely.  I am not sure what I will use this card for, so I didn't add a sentiment.  My sister is angling for it to be her birthday card!

Once again, I primarily used scraps on my card!  The only new piece used was the Core'dinations cardstock, and that was from a small stack so there weren't scraps left over.  Even the lace was a scrap from a previous project that was still laying on my table.  I was trying to use a different style of lace and saw the scrap laying there.  I plopped it on my project and it was the perfect size and style!  Love when that happens!

So go find some pointy objects and carefully add them to your projects!  We would love to see them.

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Cuttlebug Clockworks embossing folder
Tim Holtz Sprocket Gears
Tim Holtz Clock Faces

Reduce...Reuse...Recycle!

The theme this week for the challenge over at Meljen's Designs is Recycle.  Use a recycled element on your project.  My current theme is to also reduce...reduce the enormous scrap pile I have amassed over the years.  I didn't reuse...but it made my blog title sound good. =)

This card was made entirely of scrap papers and cardstock except for the cardstock the image is printed on.  My printer dislikes printing on odd sizes of paper.

I paper pieced the pocket of the image Flowers in My Pocket and colored the flowers with Copics.  The background is embossed and I actually hauled out my sewing machine and did a little stitching.  My recycled element you ask?  It is the flower.  The flower is made from a used dryer sheet that I sprayed with different Tattered Angels glimmer mists.  I cut out three flower shapes and wrapped them around a small brad.  I tried just layering them, but there was no definition from one layer to the next.  Wrapping around the brad gave the flower a little bit of body.  The entire dryer sheet flower was layered onto a crocheted flower I made.

Just in case you missed it, the entire shop is on sale this month.  We are celebrating three years of wonderful images from Meljen's Designs.  Hop on over and fill your cart!  In addition, you have a chance to win three images by doing nothing more than leaving some bloggy love on each of the design team posts on the challenge blog.  At the end of the month, three mystery designers will randomly draw a name from everyone that left a comment on their design team post.  Go leave some love!

Card measures 1.25" x 5.5"
Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Ovals Large
Cuttlebug Bloom Dots embossing folder
Studio G sentiment stamp
pearls from my stash

Happy Birthday Meljen's Designs!

Wow!  Three years old!  It's hard to think that I have been a fan of these images for almost as long.  But they are just so darn cute and fun!  The challenge...make a birthday card to celebrate the big day!  You can never have too many birthday cards in your stash.

I used the image Flower Power Car and colored it with Copics.  My head was a little stuffy, so I had a hard time coming up with a funky layout.  I did manage to use up more scraps though.  All of the cardstock and paper was found in the scrap bin.  Did I mention I have a lot of scraps?!  I didn't have the perfect size die to mat the image, so I traced around the outside of the die I used to cut the image and cut it by hand.  Those Spellbinders dies are so versatile!  The sentiment is computer generated.  Love that font!

To celebrate the big day, all of the images in the shop are on sale!  Get over there and get yours now!

Card measures 4.25"x5.5"
Spellbinders Label 4 set
Ribbon from my stash
TPC Studios gold metal embellishemnts

Itsy Bitsy, Teeny Weeny...Cards!

Nope!  No yellow polka-dot binkinis here!  The challenge is to create a 3x3 card.  What's great about 3x3 cards is they use up a lot of the scraps you have lying around.  In fact, I didn't cut a single new piece of cardstock or paper to make these cards, except for the cardstock the images were printed on.

When I was the August guest designer for Meljen's designs, I made 10 3x3 cards for one of my posts.  If you would like to see them, you can find that post here.  My favorite of the bunch was the one with the sunflower.  I decided to make a few more based on that card.  I used the Little Layered Flowers set. It is a great deal with 8 images: 5 flowers and 3 leaves.

Cards measure 3'x3'
Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls embossing folder
ribbon and gems from my stash

A little Sketchy...

We are getting sketchy at Meljen's Designs.  You can get sketchy too.  We have a great sketch for you to follow for this week's challenge.

Isn't it great?!  There are so many fun things you can do with this sketch.  This is my take.

I turned the square on point and matted it with a die cut.  I colored Bird's Little Letter with Copic markers.  Don't feel like coloring?  That's okay too.  This image also comes in a colored version!  I really need to invest in some additional blue markers.  I am really lacking in that color family!  It made shading a bit harder to accomplish.

Card measures 5" x 5"

Spellbinders Fleur-de-lis Squares

DeNami Design Sending You Love

Stampin' Up! Soft Swirls background stamp

Ribbon & lace from my stash

Bead charm and twine from my stash

Seeing Spots!

If you venture over to the Meljen's Designs blog today, chances are you will be Seeing spots!  Your challenge should you choose to accept it is to use dots on your project.  Don't forget!  You must use a Meljen's Designs image in order to play along.

I used the image Little Baby Dragon and paper pieced him with some cute polka dot paper.  I used Copics to give his diaper a little shading.  I wasn't thinking and used plain white paper to piece his diaper on.  That was almost a nightmare in the making!  The Copics wanted to bleed really badly.  And that was after I had pieced all of those little bits!  Luckily, I realized what was happening before it got out of hand.  Definitely need to think that through next time.

I embossed the background with, you guessed it, dots!  I added a little eyelet lace and twine and called it done.

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Doily Circle
Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Circles
Cuttlebug Dots embossing folder
Stampin' Up! Mini Mates stamp set
The Twinery Peapod twine
Eyelet lace and charm from my stash

Inspired by...Trash?!

Our Design Team theme this month is inspiration at Meljen's Designs.  I pulled out my inspiration file, to find some inspiration for my post.  My inspiration file is full of things that grabbed my attention in one way or another.  I have a half page from a catalog, a flyer that came in the mail, and other assorted bits and pieces.  Most people would have thrown them away, but I saved them because of the color combinations on them.  In fact, I even had this tag from a pair of jeans in my file.

This pair of jeans is long gone, but as soon as I saw this tag, I knew this was the color scheme for my inspiration post.  I loved the colors then and I still love them now!

I even borrowed the basic layout from the tag as well.  I used Mailed With Love for the image and colored it with Copics.  It is a great image when you just want to let someone know you are thinking about them.  I used Sending You Smiles from DeNami Design for the sentiment.

I am inspired by color.  I have even been known to take a picture of pillows at the store because I loved the colors on them!  Start your own inspiration file so that when Mr. Mojo is having his temper tantrum, you can fight back with a little ready-made inspiration of your own.

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Crystal Stickers Mosaic squares
Stampin' Up! So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon