AAA Cards Game #118 – Frame

Hi! I’m back with a fun Clean and Simple Card today for AAA Cards Game #118.

Special tips for competing (and being eligible to win) in this game:

1. As always, we’re looking for Clean and Simple (CAS) cards, BUT for this game please feature a frame on your Clean and Simple Card.

2. As always and for all of  the games at AAA Cards the definition of Clean and Simple (CAS) means that white space should not be patterned, embossed (heat or dry) or textured in any way at all.
   

Our super sponsor:

Here’s my card using the CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies, Tag O’Coffee dies,

and the “Beautiful” Word Die. (See my 20% OFF STAMPlorations discount code at the bottom of this post.)

The kettle was a leftover bit from a yet-to-be-published card.

I hope that you enjoyed visiting today. I am always happy to have visitors and to read your comments. I hope that you’ve been inspired to play along.

Be sure to stop by the AAA Cards challenge blog my teammate’s lovely Clean and Simple Cards.

Thanks for stopping by!
Grace & Peace,
Melissa

Products Used:

 

 

 

Places I’m Playing:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy to be ShowCASed at LIM!

STAMPlorations 5th Birthday

Hi! Thanks for stopping by for a visit. I’m very happy to be here as today’s featured designer for STAMPlorations 5th Birthday celebration.

Up for your CASEing enjoyment, I have 3 old projects and several new projects for you.

 

Check out all of the fun!

On top of all of that…….use my coupon code, STAMPGIRLMELISSA, and get an EXTRA 20% off.

Shery asked me to showcase 3 of my favorite projects.

But, wow! Picking only three was tough. So tough that I decided to add a new page to my blog.

When you are finished here please check out my STAMPlorations Products Projects.

Melissa’s Favorite STAMPlorations Project #1 – Card for Bloomtangled Cover Plate Die Release – March 2018

(You can click on the project photos to be taken to the original post for project #1 or to the tutorials for projects #2 & #3.)

 Melissa’s Favorite STAMPlorations Project #2 – Gift Card Holder

Melissa’s Favorite STAMPlorations Project #3 – Artist Trading Card Holder

I also have some new projects to share with you. I have been enjoying the new Bloomtangled cover plate dies and have made some cards with Bloomtangled Cover Plate #1.

   For this first set of cards above I used a paper die cut and also the die itself as a stencil/template for two different water-coloring techniques. I’ll share more information about those techniques in a tutorial at a later date.

For now, here’s a closer look at the cards.

For this second set of cards, I made a homemade stamp by die cutting fun foam with the cover plate die.

I glued the die-cut foam to a block of wood. See the stamp above in the middle row on the right? The foam was originally white, but as you can see, it was stained red by the last color of ink that I stamped.

Here’s a closer look at the home made stamp.

 When I started stamping I knew that I wanted to stamp in clear embossing ink and colored ink too. Since I could not easily wash my “stamp”, I stamped in embossing ink first and then moved on to the colored inks. For the finished card, above and in the center of the photo below, I stamped with embossing ink on water-color paper and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder and then water-colored with Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors.

I water colored this and the 2 cards below.

I was reluctant to cover any of the card fronts at all because the entire image is so pretty. I am happy with the “Happy Birthday” on the card above though. I may add sentiments to the front of the 2 below. I am not sure.

I stamped a bunch of colors so that I can try alcohol inks, water color pencils and other mediums. I water colored the 2 above, the red one with Zigs and the pink one with the Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors. In the photo below (in the top right corner), you can just see a peek of the a water color pencil colored card.

As you can see, the cover plate dies are incredibly versatile. I have used the die cuts themselves in a variety of ways, including to dry emboss with. The die can be as a template for water coloring and used to die cut a stamp as I did for the above projects. I am looking forward to lots of creative time with this die. I hope that you’ve been inspired to try something new and CASE one of my projects.

Remember to link up your wishlist – FIVE crafters will win products (up to $25 MSRP) in their wishlist!

CASE 1 of my projects and link up for a chance to win a $50 GC.

Check out the FLASH sales every Monday in June. Select products will be placed in the FLASH SALE category, where they will be 50% off automatically…no coupon code needed. Sale ends every Tuesday night 11:59 pm Pacific.

Also, every Wednesday to Sunday, all orders (no minimum) qualify for a free item (any in-stock 3×5 stamp or any word/phrase die (up to $10 value))

Thanks for stopping by!
Grace & Peace,

Products used on new projects:

P. S. In addition to all of the great sales and prizes, don’t forget to use my coupon code to receive 20% off at the shop.

P.P.S. Click here to go to my STAMPlorations Products Projects page to see my slideshow. Although I don’t usually make Clean and Simple Projects for STAMPlorations, I have used STAMPlorations to make a lot of CAS cards. Please do check those out, along with lots of other fun cards, tags and mixed media projects.

Freebie Days

• Every Wednesday to Sunday, all orders (no minimum) qualify for a free item (any in-stock 3×5 stamp or any word/phrase die (up to $10 value))

$5 Birthday Bash Surprise Bags (while supplies last)

• Each bag contains the Handmade with Love stamp ($3 value) + 2 or 3 randomly picked previously released products (combination of dies, stencils, and/or 3×5/2×6/4×4/4×6 stamps) – total MSRP value of each bag is at least $20

50% Off Flash Sale

• Every Monday: select products will be placed in the FLASH SALE category, where they will be 50% off automatically…no coupon code needed. Sale ends every Tuesday night 11:59 pm Pacific.

AAA Cards Game #117 – Geometrics

I’m here for AAA Cards Game #117.- Geometrics.

 

Special tips for competing (and being eligible to win) in this game:

1. As always, we’re looking for Clean and Simple (CAS) greeting cards, BUT for this game please make sure to use geometric shapes as the focal point of your card.
2. As always and for all of our games our definition of Clean and Simple means that white space should not be patterned, embossed or textured.

Our lovely sponsor for this game is:

Here’s my card using a favorite, Uniko’s Background Builders: Squared.

Check out AAA Cards definition of “WHITE SPACE.” Colored card stock is great, but not patterned, embossed or textured.

 

Make sure you stop by AAA Cards and visit all of my design teammates’ blogs.

Thanks for stopping by!

Products Used:

 

 

 

 

 

Some other of my Uniko Favorites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. I’d love to have you follow my card blog on Instagram, Flickr and/or Pinterest.