Seeing Stars winner is...........

Lillian Child said...



Absolutely stunning cards! WOW! My husband is a vietnam veteran and says he wished there had been an OWH program when he was overseas. Thanks for supporting our fellow patriots, and have a great Memorial Day weekend!




May 30, 2010 5:30 PM


Congratulations Lillian, you're the proud new owner of a "Seeing Stars" stamp set.  I'll be in touch with you soon for your mailing address.


It's been a GREAT Memorial weekend!  We spent part of our weekend doing this:

I didn't officially get 'in' the kayak.  I took time instead to play with my moleskin and watercolor crayons.   I'm almost never without art supplies.

It was a tad warm, but not so bad under the cypress tress.

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day.  Only four more days until the weekend!

Operation Write Home ~ Blog Hop 2010

This Memorial Day weekend highlights the OperationWrite Home blog hop.

Operation Write Home is an organization which creates hand-made cards for deployed soldiers.   I happened across the site last year while visiting fellow crafting bloggers.   What a great idea to send a card to let our soldiers know that we are thinking about them and appreciate their courage and sacrifice.  "THANK YOU", from all of us to you.

As an added bonus to this special blog hop, I'll be selecting one lucky winner to receive a set of the "Seeing Stars" stamp set from SU!  To be eligible, you simply need to select the Follow Me on my Google reader or leave a comment here at this post by the end of the day Sunday.  A randow winner will be selected Monday, Memorial Day.  Take a look at all the fabulous stars included: 

If you've already been hopping along, then you've probably come from The Love of Stamping blog. If not, that's OK, you can start here and keep going. If you get lost, simply go back to the home page HERE.

Here's my first card, a sample using the Seeing Stars images.  With the 4th of July just around the corner, it's a great set to have and works equally well for Christmas, birthdays and backgrounds for collages.

I'm a big fan of patriotic colors, especially when they're folk art style.  Here I have some grungy stars and stripes paper layered with cheesecloth, dyed fabric and metal stars. 

A little close-up of the star and fabric piece.

Here's another grungy background paper with paper and fabric embellishments.  The text on the craft colored paper is the new 'Red, White & Blue" wheel from SU!.  It's wheeled in Navy ink.  The folk art star is an old SU! punch but I thought given then folk art colors, it would work best.  A little stitching along the stars (more folk art touches).

This lace strip came from the Dollar Store.  I stained it with walnut ink!

 

Now,  hop on over to Cindyscardco and check out her patriotic samples.  Enjoy the rest of the hop!

Patriotic Treat Basket

Remember this little treat basket video I created last year?  I've gone ahead and created a PDF for those who needed a bit more detail on putting it together. You can find the PDF on the Pockets Of Inspiration.NING site at THIS post, (but you must first become a member).  It's a free download for anyone interested.

Be sure to checkout my post for the "Operation Write Home" blog hop Saturday May 29th.  Over 130 blogs will be offering card ideas with a red, white and blue them.  All blogs participating are allowed to offer blog candy, tutorials and anything the blog owner chooses to offer.

Bunting Dreamers Shadow Box

Here's my latest mixed media project.  I am enjoying working with these shadow boxes.  Working on a smaller scale allows you to hold and examine the piece closely.

The project started off with painting the base of my shadow box rich dark brown.  Sheet music and acrylic paints were then added to give it layers.

The bunting came from a collection of bird images I had.  The wing over the blue bunting is a real dragonfly wing.  I collect LOTS of wings and it ranges from a dragonfly's, cicadas to birds.  If it's on the ground it will be quickly scooped up.  Sometimes I need to clip the wings (from the dead insect).  Including bits and pieces from nature into this art form adds to its appeal.

A sheet from a 1959 pocket planner here used for the image supports.  The red dots are sealing wax.  They were added to balance the faux red postage stamp.

A close-up of the button.  The hand-written text is mine.

Finally, here's a shot of the box closed.  I've just uploaded this to my Etsy account.  Being that it's an original, there is only one available.

Here's to a creative weekend!

Here's the template I used to create the patriotic basket.  Simply trim off the top of the egg to your desired height.

Tour de Freaks ~ May 2010

It's time for another Tour de Freaks.  The tour doesn't officially start till May 20th, so if you're here to view my post, make sure you check back so you can view the tour in all its glory.

If you've already started the tour, then you've probably come from viewing  Dawn Olchefske blog and her fabulous creations.

This month, I've created some very patriotic projects.  Here's something that can be used as a table decoration, or better yet, to brighten up those gray office cubicles.  All text that you see is from the "Red, White & Blue" jumbo wheel.  SO much versatility if you just ink up the text you want and wheel it out.  It's like 15 extra stamp sets for free!

The basket uses the new Lattice embossing folder.  Having this container textured REALLY made a difference. 

Are you curious about the basket?  It's the egg template basket from Stampin' Up!  I'll post the pattern on the 21st for those interested.

The next project uses the new jumbo wheel in the traditional way, simply wheeled and mounted.

The stars are from the Seeing Stars stamp set.  What would fit more than this patriotic wheel?

Below I tied a little mini vintage tag, also from the Summer mini and embellished it with cardstock layers.

I hope you've enjoyed my projects.  Now, hop on over to Janine Tinklenberg's blog by selecting the button below to view her VERY creative projects!

A Grand Entrance

Here's a little something I made using the Glamour Girl dress box template in the May issue of PCS.

The template is designed to be used as a favor box.  Here I simply omitted the goodies and dressed it up (ha ha) for fun.   These would make great decorations for prom, especially if each box was designed to resemble the girl's actual dress. 

Ruffled Love

I'd like to share a new project with you, but first, here is the winner of the Golden Fleur plaque selected by random generator.

Diane.  You're the 5th post and the lucky winner.  Email me your snail mail and I'll get this out to you today.

Below is a project I created for the wedding issue of PCS but realized to late that the chipboard heart was no longer available, so I snuffed this and recreated something else. 

It's a bride and broom display to be placed near the sign-in book (or anywhere else you might like).   Once the wedding is over, the bride can put it in her scrapbook or display it in their home.

The base is the heart chipboard offered in the last mini catalog from SU!  Flowers are created with the Birds and Blooms sizzlit and embellished with Ice rhinestones. 

Saffron heart is from the Petal Card bigz and embossed with the Perfect Polka dots embossing folder.  Fancy paper, ribbon and pearls all add to the "wedding theme".

The sides of the heart sport some silvery tissue paper.  I HAD to use it.  The texture of the tissue really adds to the softness of the piece.

Now, school supplies are in for the upcoming 2010 - 2011 school year for the kids and I'm off to pick them up.  Here's to a creative weekend!

Melanie

The Golden Fleur

As I have promised, today is a give-away day.  Up for grabs, my very own artwork.

Here I've created an iridescent golden fleur plaque. The plaque was first painted in acrylics, oil paint sticks an various other mediums. The main image (a fleur de lis) was textured and brushed in iridescent gold paint by Golden.  The completed piece measures approximately 5.5" x 7" and hangs from a black wire.  The wire is easily removed if you'd prefer to simply place the wood plaque in a tabletop easel.

If you're interested in a chance to win my Golden Fleur, simply leave a comment under this post by Friday night.   I will be selecting a winning name by random generator Saturday morning.

If you're interested in purchasing any of my other Fleur plaques like the one below, or interested in purchasing Vinyl fleurs to create your own artwork, make sure you check out my "Sale Page" listed above.  I have three chocolate fleur plaques available for purchase and 7 vinyl fleur kits (one chocolate one vanilla). 

Glamour Girl Dress box

Here's a little something I put together using the new Galmour Girl dress box template in the May issue of PCS "Together Forever". 

Additional ideas for using this box template:

• Tuck a gift card inside for the bride and groom
• Gifts for bridal party
• Bridal shower favors
• Princess birthday parties

This template along with the Pyramid Box template are both available in the May "Together Forever" issue of PCS.

Make sure you stop by tomorrow and sign up for my Fleur de lis plaque give-away.  The drawing will be held Saturday first thing in the morning and mailed out promptly!

Then there was Salsa

"Why are you sharing this video Melanie?".

The answer is simple; the weekend is officially here. What better way to get ready than a video about chips and salsa, which inadvertently relates to happy hour and margaritas!

The first time I saw this video was on the television. The colors and clever animation of how the dress cut the tomatos.  It just makes you smile.

Enjoy your Friday.

“And Then There Was Salsa” from Frito Lay Dips on Vimeo.

Paper Roses and a winner

First order of the day, who won the shadow box?

Random Interger Generator selected #25 as our winner! That's "Becky in Wa".  Becky, if you'd email me your mailing address I'll pop this in the mail today and hopefully you'll have a new gift for upcoming Mother's Day.

Thanks to everyone for entering!  I'll have a new drawing posted this Saturday, so check back then!.

Next order of business.  I've created a spanking new video tutorial.  There's a wave of paper roses popping up online.  I thought I'd take the time and share with others how I create mine.  This is something you can do while watching TV.  Personally I'd prefer to be outside listening to the birds and enjoying the sunshine.  I hope it's helpful to everyone.

Hope your day is filled with sunshine! 

Paper Rose Tutorial from Melanie Schulenberg on Vimeo.
Grab a flower punch, glue, paper clips and paper of your choice and learn how to create these pretty paper roses.

The Poet's Attitude ~ revealed

If you caught my Thursday post, you'll know what I'm about to share?  Below are close-up images of my shadow box created for the new P3 design team challenge. 

Make sure you read the FULL post to learn how you can win this box for your very own!!!

The base of this project is a shadow box purchased from a dollar store.  The cameo and lace were also both purchased from a dollar store (the cameo being part of an elastic hair tie).

The remainder of the supplies are simply from my crafting supply stash or purchases from flea markets and antique stores.

Let's not forget, I am a rubber stamp artist so it seemed only nature to include at least one hand-stamped image.  I took it a step further and embossed (referring here to the gold flourishes on the fan fold paper).   

The background of this box has a soft glaze of white acrylic paint and blue watercolor crayons.  The little castle on the dark heart was clipped out of a book, juast the text, "the poet's attitude".  

Still here with me?  Keep reading....this box can be YOURS.

You'll find additional text in the upper left corner of the box with my own hand-drawn images.

As well as the upper right.....

Chalk and various other antiquing effects were applied to the background and paper embellishments.  The buttons are from my button jar stash (another flea market purchase).

A simple strand of cotton string was stained first and added to give a bit of softness.

My black Pitt artist pen came in handy for writing on the top-side of the box, which was first covered with a wash of acrylic paint, and smeared with chalks.  This technique was also applied to the inner box.

I'm working on another box already (along with several other projects).  If you didn't get a chance to see ALL the shadow box ideas, be sure to check out the P3 blog. 

I'm going to chose one lucky reader to win "The Poet's Attitude" shadow box.  All you have to do is leave a comment on this post OR sign up to become my "Google Friend" and you're automatically entered.  I'll be selecting a winner on Wednesday May 5th.   Good luck and thanks for stopping by.