We Have a Winner!

I would like to thank everyone that participated in the blog hop this week.  I loved reading all of your comments!

The winner of Monkey Toes as drawn by Random.org is

Karen McAlpine.

I will be sending you the image shortly.  If you do not receive it, please contact me via the email on my blog.

Meljen's Designs Blogiversary Blog Hop

This post will remain at the top until 9am EDT on April 6th. For recent posts please scroll down.


Welcome to your next stop on the Meljen's Designs Blog Hop! What an exciting time!  It is the anniversary of the blog. Congratulations, Melissa!  I hopped last year and now I get to participate as a design team member this year!

You should have come here from Nicole's blog. Nicole had some fabby inspiration for you!  If you didn't come from Nicole's blog and you would like to start from the beginning, scroll down for the list of participants.

Our theme was to use our favorite Meljen's Designs image.  It's no surprise I chose Monkey Toes for my project.  You can get the image in black and white or colored.  I used the black and white image and paper pieced it.  One of my co-workers is having a baby and Monkey Toes is perfect for a baby card!

This was one of my first images from Meljen's Designs and I won him on a blog hop.  Now it is your turn!  Just leave a comment here on my blog and I will choose a random winner from all of the comments.  Be sure to leave me some way to contact you so I can send you your prize!  Be sure to comment on all of the blogs on the hop because you will have a chance to win the grand prize...a pack of Melissa's favorite images! Melissa is the creative talent behind Meljen's Designs!

You have until Friday, April 6th at 9 am EDT to post your comments.

In addition to being able to win this image, there is a Buy One Get One Free sale going on at the shop the entire month of April! That is a super deal when you consider the black and white images are $3 and under and the pre-colored images are $4! Head on over to the shop after you finish hopping and fill your cart!

The next stop on your blog hop is Robbie.  Her project is sure to wow you!  In case you get lost along the way, here is a list of participants:

Audrey
Candace
Ceal
Cheryl
Dee
Dianna
Katja
Marlena
Nicole
Rae Ann  <-------You are here
Robbie
Robin

You can always pop back to the Meljen's Designs blog and start from there!

Thanks for visiting and don't forget to comment for your chance to win your very own Monkey Toes!

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"
Spellbinders Picot Circles die
Sentiment from Stampin' Up! Baby Talk set
K & Company Itsy Bitsy Baby Boy stack
Ribbon & button from my stash

Feeling Dotty!

The challenge this week at Meljen's Designs is Dots.

I usually choose my image first, but I found this great polka dot paper in my scrap stash and decided I wanted to use it and pulled all of my colors from the paper.  I have had Fuzzer the Monster printed for a while, but haven't used him.  I thought his spots were perfect for this challenge, and, because he is a monster, I could color him to match the paper too!  I colored him using my Prismacolor pencils and used baby oil to blend them.  I tried to get a "fur" effect, but have to practice more to get that right!

Don't forget about the anniversary blog hop going on right now.  You still have some time to get your comments in to win images from each of the design team members.  Also, if you post a comment on every blog, you have the chance at the grand prize which is a pack of Melissa's favorite images!  They are being featured on the blog every day this week so you can see which images they are.  In addition, there is a Buy One Get One Free sale going on at the shop the entire month of April.

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"
Rhinestones from my stash

White, White and More White!

The challenge this week at Meljen's Designs is to create a project with no color except for the image.  Yep!  You heard me right...using nothing but the color white!  The image can have color but all papers, embellishments and other add ons have to be white.  This challenge was hard for me to wrap my head around at first.  But I managed to come up with this:

I used Daisy Pitcher and colored it using a blender pen and various stamp pads from Stampin' Up!.  That technique created a light color wash.  I embossed some cardstock weight vellum in the Cuttlebug to give some texture to the background.  I used a border punch and more embossing on the strip across the center.  And of course because vellum is so hard to adhere, I used pearls in each corner to hide a glue dot.

I am pretty pleased with how this turned out and I was able to use up some white scraps in the process!

Come try your hand at creating an all white project!

Card measures 5.5" 4.25"
Intricate Swirl embossing folder from The Paper Studio
Stripes Textured Impressions embossing folder from Stampin' Up!
Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace Punch
Ribbon and pearls from my stash

DeNami Design Birthday Blog Hop

Welcome to your next stop on the the birthday inspiration express.  You should have come here from Wendy's blog.  She always has such wonderful projects to share.  If you didn't come from Wendy's blog and you would like to start at the beginning, just pop over to the DeNami Design blog for the list of participants.

Here is my project to inspire you today.

Who could resist the Penguin with Balloon stamp?  I stamped him three times and colored him using a combination of alcohol ink markers and Prismacolor pencils.  I framed him using the Small Dot Circle Frame.  I stamped the Mini Scallop Circle in the center of the fourth Small Dot Circle Frame.  I used a Making Memories looking glass embellishment for the sentiment in the center of the Mini Scallop Circle.  It is hard to see (looking at the larger image makes it much easier), but it says happy day.

Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to comment.  Why you ask?  Because two lucky commenters will be chosen at random to win a $20 DeNami Design gift certificate just for taking the time to leave a comment!  One participant will also be chosen at random (design team ineligible) to win a third $20 gift certificate.  You have until 11:59  PST on Monday, March 12th to get your comments posted to be eligible to win.

The next stop for more birthday inspiration is Suzanne's blog.  I can't wait to see what she has waiting!

Card measures 5" x 5"
Lifestyle Crafts nested circle dies
ribbon from my stash

Up for a Challenge?

It is challenge time again at Meljen's Designs.  This week we have a great sketch for you to play with created by our teamie Dianna.

I used one of the images from the March release called Sweet Sundae.  Isn't it adorable?

I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils blended with baby oil.  The sentiment is a Meljen's Designs digi as well called A Spoon Full of Friendship.

Come join us this week for our sketch challenge.  You have a chance to win up to three images from the shop!  And trust me, it will be hard to pick three!

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Spellbinders Classic Ovals Large and Scalloped Ovals Large
EK Success puffy heart sticker
The Twinery baker's twine-Cappuccino
Ribbon & spiral clip from my stash

Playing at the Playground

Whew!  It has been an exhausting weekend for me!  Our team hosted a girls hockey playoff tournament and I was at the rink all weekend!  I didn't think I would have time to play at Pike's Playground, but it looks like I will make it by the seat of my pants.  The challenge this week was to bling it up.  I hope pearls count as bling!

The bottom panel is actually a piece of craft metal that I embossed.  I turned the flash off, because I couldn't get a good picture otherwise.  I colored the image using Prismacolor pencils blended with baby oil.

Now you get an image just for playing along at Pike's Playground!  You should come out and play too!

Card measures 4.25 x 5.5"
Martha Stewart Swirling Lace border punch
Stampin' Up! So Happy for You stamp set
pearls, ribbon and flowers from my stash