Scrapbook Expo Class Haul Overview – Superhero Autism Awareness Card Revisited

Scrapbook Expo Class Haul Overview – Superhero Autism Awareness Card Revisited is what we have for you today. I went to the Stamp and Scrapbook Expo in Pomona, California (AKA Scrapbook Expo) and wanted to show you the classes my husband and I took!

I DON’T want you to forget that April is Autism Awareness month and wanted to show you a card I created last year which I just love! Check out my project here named You’re my Superhero Autism Awareness Project. I hope you like the project as much as I enjoyed creating it!

My hubby and I had a great time at the Stamp and Scrapbook Expo in Pomona, California. It was three days and Jon went with me every day. He took classes two of the three days but went along to keep me company and I have to say I loved it! He did some work while I was in classes when he wasn’t taking any so it was a win win!

If you are interested in seeing if there is an expo in your area, go to their website at www.scrapbookexpo.com and check it out!

 

The first class I took was Planners 101 with Michelle Hill. She is one of the creators of The Wandering Planners. The booklet she gave had a lot of tips, tricks and ideas to help us be better planners! If you are a planner, you need to be sure to check her out, their website and their meetups! You won’t be disappointed!!!

 

Not only is Michelle inspirational as I have taken her classes before, she is a lovely human being inside and out. Definitely check out both of her websites for her amazing inspiration. You won’t be disappointed!

The second class I took was 3,4,5 make your projects come alive! Nicole Petersen taught the class and it was great! I did a little video on Instagram and also posted it on Facebook if you want to check it out HERE. You can also just watch the above video and you can see cards in action!

Here is the die that I used for it. The die is called shade and valance by Technique Tuesday. SO many ideas I have for this die… Like party invitations with a picture, stamping numbers for the shade part for a birthday card.. oh my.. the list is really endless!

This little frog, fly and lily pad is so adorable! It moves up and down! I love cards in motion!

  

 

 

 

 

 

Nobody likes any llama drama but this was so darned cute! I love how it came out and it was so easy to do! This is definitely going to be a tutorial on my YouTube channel on this magic card!

  

I thought this card was perfect for my hubby and I  especially the inside!! KISSING!!  I love how it looks like the fish are floating in the water!

 

Not only did I get a free set with my class kit I also won a set! These will be two of the giveaways for this weeks giveaway! Pretty cool, huh?

This was a class that my husband took himself while I was in a different class. HE ACED IT! I love how this bag came out and I really love how he took to it. Don’t be surprised if he starts doing his own videos!!

The vinyl classes were sponsored by Crafter Depot. Be sure to check them out for future purchases!! I love their knowledge, kindness and patience with all of the attendees.

  

I love this guide to all of the siser colors they carry as well as their own line. LOVE the colors… omg… I am so ready to create something.. I don’t know what I should do first!

 Vinyl weeding (separating the pieces from the design) can be challenging….

but the rewards outweigh the frustration….

For my hubby’s first time.. I THINK HE ROCKED IT!!!

I took a class with It’s Cheaper than Therapy. This class was an instructional class that showed you the tricks on how to create these awesome 3-D cards. These were samples. I didn’t make them myself.

This Christmas card is A D O R A B L E!!!

This is so adorable! I love the color combos for this card!! Totally inspired!

And who doesn’t LOVE coffee!!!

They were so generous with their swag bag I am able to pass some on to you! These are also part of what I will also be giving away this week!

Last but not least was this class. I actually had my husband take this class while I was in the previous class with cards. He was such a good sport!

I didn’t know this as the class was called The planner girls memory planning 101 that it was a super women’s empowerment class too. My husband said he wanted to be a strong woman as well LOL Gotta love him, right?! I love the color palette of this class.

Look at the ephemera in this little set?!

The clips and stickers are ADORABLE!!! Needless to say, we had a great time and loved the classes I spoke of above. Really enjoyed myself.

I think we may have created a monster too where my husband may just be looking forward to the next one!!

Now for this weeks GIVEAWAY!!!!  I will be giving away two prizes packages so be SURE you are a subscriber to our YouTube channel and to our Blog/E-mail list and make sure your names are matching so I can verify you are subscribed to both to enable you to be eligible to win! Winners announced next week so be sure and check back! Winners will be announced next week on our Mondays with Melissa blog post!

BE SURE TO check to see if you are a winner EVERY WEEK. If you do not contact me within two weeks, you forfeit your prize. Thank you for your understanding.

For last weeks giveaway we are giving away the A Creative Journey with Melissa Awareness Ribbon Set #5 See Autism with your Heart!

 The winner is  Jo B!

Winner, please send me your contact information via contact page on our website, which post you are a winner from and I will get your prize out to you! Thank you so much for being a YouTube follower and subscribing to our mailing list/blog posts!

Thank you for joining us for the Scrapbook Expo Class Haul Overview – Superhero Autism Awareness Card Revisited. CHECK BACK NEXT WEEK TO SEE IF YOU ARE A WINNER!

Have a wonderful week and thank you for going on A Creative Journey with Melissa.

How to Store Thin Dies

Do you struggle with how to store thin dies? How to Store Thin Dies is what we have for you today. I like to keep the sets together so I wanted to show you what I do. I will show you what I do, use and how it works. Pretty fast and simple! Just like I like it!

All you need for this project is a paper trimmer, your stamp set and magnetic vent covers! Pretty simple!

I love the dies but I DO NOT LIKE the sheets they come on. They have double sided tape and REALLY STICK and when you pull them off, the rip the paper and almost feel like it would have bent the die if I wasn’t careful.

Here’s the solution! Store thin dies on a piece of magnetic vent cover! YES! I KNOW! I have done it with other sheets of magnet but this seems to be the most economical and perfect for die sets!

This is the kind I use but I am sure there are more out there. I don’t recall which Home Improvement store I bought this at but it was either Home Depot or Lowes.

So here is another set of dies that I received and as you can see, it also has the double sided tape.

To store thin dies, I carefully and I mean CAREFULLY pulled off the dies. This wasn’t as sticky as the other. My guess is it is because it didn’t have as many small parts in this set.


I took the magnetic vent cover and using my trimmer, I cut it to the size of the paper insert from the stamp set. You can obviously measure it too however Just one little 1/16″ off and the envelope may not close properly so I just used the insert as a guide. Worked like a CHARM!

The vent cover has the black magnetic side and the white side. Stick your dies on the black side and it actually made it easier to see the dies as well.

This is what it looks like once they have been placed on the magnetic vent cover. When you store thin dies and use these, you get three to a pack and they are 8 x 15″.

Even on their side they don’t fall off. They are not SO magnetic that they are impossible to get off (you know what I am talking about) but are strong enough to keep everything in place.

When I am done using my dies, I store them back in the insert that they came in.

I then place the insert inside the envelope. This way all of the pieces are in one place and I don’t have to worry about losing any. THAT IS ANNOYING and yes it has happened before!

Doesn’t it look nice? Now you can either place your die envelope in a filing drawer, bin or whatever process that works best for you! What do you do with your dies? I would love to see your ideas and have your input! If you are interested in any of the die sets or the paper trimmer from Stampin’ Up, check out Brandie’s Website Here and you can order your own!

Now for this weeks GIVEAWAY! We are giving away the A Creative Journey with Melissa Everyday Alphabet Upper Case and Emoticon stamp set and the A Creative Journey with Melissa Everyday Alphabet Lower Case and Numbers Stamp Set.

I have had a number of people say how much they love these stamp sets for organizing, their planners, lists and just about everything else under the moon so I thought this would be the perfect prize for this week. One winner and both sets!

To qualify to win, you must be BOTH:

A public follower on YouTube, subscribe to our mailing list/blog posts and you may also comment on this blog post for an additional entry to win! Winners will be announced next week on our Mondays with Melissa blog post!

If you do not contact me within two weeks of the announcement of winning, you will forfeit your prize. Thank you for your understanding.

NOTE: Be sure you are subscribed to BOTH with MATCHING NAMES. If I am unable to match you with your subscription to both the email list and the YouTube Channel, you will miss your chance to win a prize. If I can’t decipher if you are a matching subscriber (if your profile doesn’t show publicly who you subscribe to) and I can’t confirm you have subscribed to both, I won’t be able to enter you in for the prize. **DO NOT COMMENT WITH YOUR ENTIRE EMAIL ADDY. Only give me the first 6 NOT INCLUDING YOUR HOST. Just enough for me to match your name will work perfectly.

Here’s the GIVEAWAY from last weeks post which is the  A Creative Journey with Melissa You’re Snow Wonderful Stamp Set

The winner is Verna A. !

Verna,  please send me your contact information via contact page on our website, which post you are a winner from and I will get your prize out to you! Thank you so much for being a YouTube follower and subscribing to our mailing list/blog posts!

 We hope you enjoyed our How to Store Thin Dies post!

Have a wonderful week and thank you for going on A Creative Journey with Melissa.

 

We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board Review

We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board Review is what we have for you today. I was super excited to get this new tool and used a coupon! YAY ME! In the video, I literally just opened this 1o minutes ago so I am going to show you how it works and what I have found in my short time using it!

Here it is! The We R Memory Keeps Tab Punch Board. I was so excited about the THOUGHT of it but to own it… well, I am pretty darned excited about that too!

This is a tab done in light weight card stock.

This is a tab made with a recycled clear packaging piece from a die I purchased.

Here I have made a tab with the We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board using a recycled cereal box which is similar to chip board.

One of the awesome things I love about this tab punch is that you can put a tab on a page up to 12″ and isn’t Isn’t that great for scrapbooks? I am really excited to use it for my scrapbooks. How cool would it be to use it for a 2017 scrapbook and tab it for each person’s year? I love it!

For this piece of card stock, I am going to place the tab in the middle of the paper. I have lined up the left side of my paper to the line that is approximately the size of the width of my paper which is 8.5″.

This is what it looks like once the right size has been punched out using the We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board .

Now I want to punch the other side of the tab. I will flip my paper over and line up the tab side I have already punched up to the size tab I want for my paper. The choices are small, medium and large.

I lined it up to the small tab and was curious to see the result.

For some reason when I punch the second side of the tab, I have to use both hands. I am not sure why but this is consistent with all of the tabs I have created so far. This would include the chip board, clear packaging and the card stock.

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This is what the tab looks like once it has been punched and it looks so clean.

Now on the other side of the punch board we have the trimmer! It’s a one stop shop! This is the blade and although it really is self explanatory, it took me a few minutes to figure out how to use the trimmer side. As you can see above, there is a blade side and a guide side. Yep! You guessed it! The round part goes in the guide because it is a guide! I know… I know…

One of the awesome things about this blade on the We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board is that it has a holder so it not only doesn’t get lost but the bottom part is solid so your blade isn’t exposed for potential injury!

To trim off the excess sides, you want to be sure the bottom of the tab is lined up to the cut line shown above.

To cut your sides, make sure your paper is butted up all the way to the top as shown. Slide your trimmer blade and trim off the excess piece and as you can see here I am trimming the left side piece.

This is a close up of  is what it looks like once it was trimmed.

Using the same method, line up the right side and trim the excess paper.

Here is a close up shot of the finished tab on light weight card stock and I love the way it looks.

Here is a sample of the tab I made on the side of the cereal box.

Since we are creating a side tab and not a tab in the middle of your material, we have to do a few things differently. The above guide will need to be placed in the holes shown under the punch button.

For the corner rounder, you will place the guide in the far left hole. This allows the punch to round the corner of your paper and not create a tab.

Make sure your material is touching the top guide and the left side of the punch.

Once lined up, push the punch button on your We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board.

This is what it looks like once the corner has been rounded.

Now we are going to create a tab. Remove the guide from the right holes and replace it in the left holes as shown. Push on the We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board punch and remove the guide as done previously. Flip your paper over and line up the tab to the size tab you would like for your material and punch

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This is what it will look line once you have punched your tab on your cereal box chip board.

Line up your tab to the line and butt it up against the edge. Using the trimmer blade, slide it across to trim off the excess chip board from your tab.

This is what your tab looks like using the cereal box chip board.

If you chose not to  have the rounded corner, this is what it would look like.

This is the clear packaging tab I created with the We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board  but trimmer on the tab punch doesn’t work very well at all with this.

Here, we are doing the same as we did with the chip board but we are using the packaging material.

This is what the corner looks like once it has been punched.

This is what the clear packaging looks like once the tab has been punched. This looks much better than it did when I did it the first time.

Here is a close up and there is an extra punched area when I did the small tab punch the first time.

Here I tried to show how the trimmer side of the We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board works. It did not do very well so I would suggest you use your normal trimmer and it worked fine.

After you use the punch board, the extra punched pieces fall out of the bottom. It makes it super simple to clean up your mess and easy to find!

Now for this weeks GIVEAWAY! We are giving away the A Creative Journey with Melissa Everyday Alphabet Upper Case and Emoticon Stamp Set and the A Creative Journey with Melissa Everyday Alphabet Lower Case and Numbers Stamp Set. One winner TWO STAMP SETS!

To qualify to win, you must be BOTH:

A public follower on YouTube, subscribe to our mailing list/blog posts and you may also comment on this blog post for an additional entry to win! Winners will be announced next week on our Mondays with Melissa blog post!

If you do not contact me within two weeks of the announcement of winning, you will forfeit your prize. Thank you for your understanding.

NOTE: Be sure you are subscribed to BOTH with MATCHING NAMES. If I am unable to match you with your subscription to both the email list and the YouTube Channel, you will miss your chance to win a prize. If I can’t decipher if you are a matching subscriber (if your profile doesn’t show publicly who you subscribe to) and I can’t confirm you have subscribed to both, I won’t be able to enter you in for the prize. **DO NOT COMMENT WITH YOUR ENTIRE EMAIL ADDY. Only give me the first 6 NOT INCLUDING YOUR HOST. Just enough for me to match your name will work perfectly.

Now, for the GIVEAWAY from last weeks post. We are giving away the Chameleon Pen set of 5 Pen Pastel Tones!

The winner is Judy H !

 Judy,  please send me your contact information via contact page on our website, which post you are a winner from and I will get your prize out to you! Thank you so much for being a YouTube follower and subscribing to our mailing list/blog posts!

 We hope you enjoyed our We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board Review!

Please be sure to continue to keep Texas in your thoughts and prayers with the horrific damage they have had due to the hurricane.

Have a wonderful week and thank you for going on A Creative Journey with Melissa.  

 

Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging

Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging is what we have for you today.

Who doesn’t like to save money?

Shaker cards have been around for quite some time and seem to be coming back so I thought you would like to see how to create one using packaging you may already have to save some money!

Supplies Needed

A Creative Journey with Melissa Spinner Greetings Stamp Set

Stamp Block

Re Use Acrylic Packaging from your Dies or purchased items or use an Acrylic Sheet

Manual Die Cut Machine & appropriate platforms

Dies

Strong Adhesive

Twine

Base Card

Paper to Stamp Sentiment On

Green and Black Ink

Punch

Sequins

Decorative Paper

Foam Tape

Scissors

Paper Trimmer (you can use your scissors too)

This is acrylic packaging from a die for my Sizzix die cut machine. I like to keep it so that I can use it for projects like these.

Using my scissors, I cut the box open making sure I leave the long flat areas intact so I can use them for future projects. Trim off the parts that won’t be usable. Be sure to use sharp scissors as it will help when you are cutting the material.

For the second part of the Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging I am only using the Right side of the die. I am using this to create the window for my shaker card. This will save on materials that you won’t be using for this project.

The Die I used the Echo Park Sizzix die as shown above.

First, you will want to pull out your clear platform for your manual die cut machine.

You will then want to place the die you are using on top of that. I put my die face up so I can see where I am putting my material typically but it does help with demonstration purposes as well.

Place your recycled acrylic piece ensuring that it is covering the area in which you want to cut. If it overlaps a little, that is OK. You can trim it after it has been die cut.

This is what it looks like once it has been die cut.

Be sure to trim any edges that aren’t needed.

Now we will be die cutting the frame or front part for the Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging. Place your clear platform, your die and then your paper on top of the die.

Take out your paper and place that on top of your die and then your clear platform on top of the paper. Be sure your paper is completely covering the area you want cut.

Run your die cut through the machine using the handle.

Once it has been cut, it will look like this. (This is the back side of the paper)

This is what I made using the inside piece of this die. Two weeks ago I did a thank you card tutorial on my creation HERE.

I overlapped the paper on the die so I need to trim the excess area.

Take out your paper trimmer and trim the excess paper from your frame for your Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging Project.

With the frame and the acrylic piece you die cut, you are ready to put together your Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging Project.

Here you can see what the window of the  Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging Project will look like.

If you don’t like to keep the packaging the way it is, in case it has blemishes or marks on it, you can emboss your acrylic material to make it less noticeable like I have here.

For this creation, I used a star embossing folder because I thought it went along with my theme and decor better.

Take out your clear platform.

NOTE: Don’t worry if your platform has marks on it like mine does above. It is NORMAL. Even if it makes creaking and cracking noises, it is normal. At some point you may need to replace your clear platforms but I have had mine for well over 5 years and haven’t had to yet.

Place your clear platform down on your machine.

On top of your clear platform, place the standard platform down.

Place your clear acrylic material inside your embossing.

Close your embossing folder and place it on top of your standard platform.

Place your clear platform on top of your embossing folder.

Turn the handle and run your embossing folder “sandwich” through the manual die cut machine.

This is what the acrylic will look like once you have embossed it. One of the easiest and coolest tricks to do!

Take out your sequins and move them around. You want to try to get them separated so that they aren’t stuck together inside your shaker card. This will keep your card flowing when you are shaking it.

Now that you have done your prep work, it is time to create your  Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging Project! Take out your frame and your embossed acrylic piece.

Place strong adhesive on the back of your shaker card frame.

To avoid having the acrylic bending and not laying flat, bend it the opposite way it is going to straighten out the piece.

Adhere your acrylic piece to the BACK of your shaker frame.

Press down on all sides of the acrylic so you ensure it is adhered to the paper.

This is what it looks like once you have adhered them together.

Take out your foam tape. You will want it to be approximately 1/4 inch – 1/2 inch tall to ensure there is enough room for the shaking part of the shaker. If your foam tape is not that thick, you can use multiple layers to achieve that. My tape was thinner so I used two layers.

*NOTE* I cut my foam tape in half because I didn’t need that thick of a border around the frame.

Place your foam tape around the edge of the front of your shaker card. Make sure you don’t leave any large gaps otherwise you may loose some of your shaker components.

Once you have placed your tape around the card, you will want to push down hard on your foam tape to ensure its adhesion.

Here you can see a little gap between where the tape meets.. It is not big enough to worry about but to make sure that nothing falls through, use the second layer to cover all of the areas where the tape meets.

Remove the tape backing from the foam tape.

Start placing your second layer of foam tape on top of your first one and cover your gaps.

I ran out of the pre-cut foam tape so I cut some more straight down the middle for future shakers and the rest of this one.

This is what it looks like once I have cut it.

After I have finished placing the second layer of foam tape, push down hard on the foam tape to ensure the second layer sticks to the first and the card front. Set this aside.

Take out your card base, green ink, stamp block and A Creative Journey with Melissa Spinner Greetings Stamp Set. Place your star stamp on your stamp block.

Using the star from the A Creative Journey with Melissa Spinner Greetings Stamp Set, ink and stamp stars on  your card base using green ink.

It seems I made a mistake by placing a little extra ink by this star. I am going to show you how I fixed it!

I could have left the ink on there with the shaker contents no one would have likely noticed but I wanted to show you what I would do.

What a great way to make this a **TIP** I just added another star right on top of the area and you can’t even tell it was there.

To make it look more uniform in my creation, I added another one on the bottom right.

This is what it looked like when the stamping was done.

Using the A Creative Journey with Melissa Spinner Greetings Stamp Set, take off your sentiment from the stamp sheet. I chose Celebrating Your Graduation. Place the words on your work surface the way you would want to read them.

Once you have them aligned and in order, take your stamp block and press down on your stamps.

Now if you are picky like me, you will fiddle around with it a bit just to make sure it is JUST RIGHT!

Now, YOU ARE READY TO STAMP YOUR SENTIMENT!

Ink your sentiment and stamp it on your paper.

I usually like to make a few extra in case I would need them for a future card emergency. LOL

Take out your punch and punch out your sentiment for your Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging Project.

Using twine, wrap around your punched out tag. I wrapped it around my tag three times.

You can tie a bow or a knot. I chose to tie it in a knot.

Trim off the excess twine from your project.

Place foam tape on the tag. You only need one layer for this. Set this aside.

Take out your card base and your card from for your Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging Project.

Bring out your sequins ensuring that they are not stuck together. Even after I did it previously, I still found a few that wanted to stick together. Once you have done that, place all of your sequins in the middle of your card. You want to make sure you don’t put it where the card adhesive could come in contact with it.

THAT WOULD BE A MESS!

Remove the tape backing from the card front.

Turn the card front so that you can see the decor with the foam tape facing down. Carefully line up your card front to the card base.

Push down on all of the edges a few times ensuring the adhesion to your card base.

This is what your Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging Project. looks like so far!

Double check which way your card is facing. This way you can be sure you are putting on the sentiment in the correct direction of your creation.


Remove the foam tape backing from your sentiment. Adhere your sentiment tag to your card.

As you can see, I decided to switch it  up a bit and show you how the card would look if I put the sentiment horizontally. Just switching the cards direction changed it up a little bit and gave it a different look. I LIKE IT!


This is what the window looks like without embossing and it really depends on what type of look you want for your creation.

Here are three different looks for your Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging Project!

Now, for the GIVEAWAY!

This week for our Giveaway, we are giving away the A Creative Journey with Melissa Spinner Greetings Stamp Set

To qualify to win, you must be BOTH:

A follower on YouTube, subscribe to our mailing list/blog posts and you may also comment on this blog post for an additional entry to win!

You must contact me within two weeks of the announcement of winning. You will unfortunately, forfeit your prize and it will be placed back in the giveaway stash for a future giveaway if you do not. Thank you for your understanding.

NOTE: Be sure you are not subscribed with two different names. If I am unable to match you with your subscription to both the blog and the YouTube Channel, you will miss your chance to win a prize. If I can’t decipher if you are a matching subscriber (if your profile doesn’t show publicly who you subscribe to) and I can’t confirm you have subscribed to both, I won’t be able to enter you in for the prize. **DO NOT COMMENT WITH YOUR ENTIRE EMAIL ADDY. Only give me the first 6 NOT INCLUDING YOUR HOST. Just enough for me to match your name will work perfectly.

For last weeks giveaway of the

the Birthday Wishes A Creative Journey with Melissa Stamp Set!

Cindy B is the winner!

Cindy B, please send me your contact information via contact page on our website, which post you are a winner from and I will get your certificate prize out to you! Thank you so much for being a YouTube follower and subscribing to our mailing list/blog posts!

We hope you enjoyed our Shaker Card Embellishment Using Packaging Project! Have a wonderful week and thank you for going on A Creative Journey with Melissa.  

 

Scrapbook Expo Planner Goodies

Scrapbook Expo Planner Goodies is what we have for you today. I took a great class a few weeks ago at the Scrapbook Expo in Anaheim and loved the products shown. I just wanted to share with you what I got AND my giveaway 🙂

A to Z Scrapbooking along with Layle from Simple Stories – Carpe Diem

had a wonderful class. I would definitely suggest taking it. It’s not just for beginners either! I am excited to show you so let’s get started!

Here are the Scrapbook Expo Planner Goodies that I received in the class. I really thought it had a great array of different items. Perfect for any planner!

I really love these clear stickers! I love how some are square shaped and some are circle.

This insert is a great addition to any planner. If you really like it, you can laminate it so it doesn’t get ruined. They suggested you laminate items that you  may want to use almost like a white board. You can then buy wet erase markers and use those for lists on the go!

The stickers that were given in the Scrapbook Expo Planner Goodies kit were perfect! I love the alphabets and the item stickers. Very useful for anyone running a household!

These stickers are great for a journaling prompt as well as items that may come up in a month for a planner.

Who doesn’t love planner clips?

The circle stickers fit perfectly in the circles for the dates so you can make it your own!

Here is the two page spread layout. Really neat, don’t you think? I like how it gives you a bit more room to write down what you may need to.

What a great idea to carry around your washi tape. Which do YOU think you would rather haul around? YES! ME TOO!

This is the Posh Carpe Diem planner set from the Scrapbook Expo Planner Goodies. It has the tabs and some really great places to keep organized.

There is nothing like an inspiring quote to cheer you up! This too is included in the planner kit!

Another colorful inspiring quote perfect to start a new month!

I really liked these kits. The colors are nice and bold. I liked the folders that could hold some items you may need for an up coming appointment.

Here is a list of all of the items that comes in the Snap sticker set.

This is a kit I bought from A to Z Scrapbooking and this was not included in the Scrapbook Expo Planner Goodies class.

You won’t believe the amazing goodies that came in this kit!

So many possibilities for not only planners but cards and scrapbook pages!

Be sure to check out the scrapbook expo and their booth if they are in town near you!

 

Now, for the GIVEAWAY!

This week for our Giveaway, we are giving away the Posh Carpe Diem Planner set.

To qualify to win, you must be BOTH:

A follower on YouTube, subscribe to our mailing list/blog posts and you may also comment on this blog post for an additional entry to win!

If you do not contact me within two weeks of the announcement of winning, you will unfortunately, forfeit your prize and it will be placed back in the giveaway stash for a future giveaway. Thank you for your understanding.

NOTE: Be sure you are not subscribed with two different names. If I am unable to match you with your subscription to both the blog and the YouTube Channel, you will miss your chance to win a prize. If I can’t decipher if you are a matching subscriber (if your profile doesn’t show publicly who you subscribe to) and I can’t confirm you have subscribed to both, I won’t be able to enter you in for the prize. **DO NOT COMMENT WITH YOUR ENTIRE EMAIL ADDY. Only give me the first 6 NOT INCLUDING YOUR HOST. Just enough for me to match your name will work perfectly.  Your understanding is appreciated.

  

For last weeks giveaway of the American Crafts Marker set

Lisa Davis is the winner!

Lisa, please send me your contact information via contact page on our website, which post you are a winner from and I will get your certificate prize out to you! Thank you so much for being a YouTube follower and subscribing to our mailing list/blog posts!

We hope you enjoyed our Scrapbook Expo Planner Goodies! Have a wonderful week and thank you for going on A Creative Journey with Melissa.  

2017 Sale A Bration with Brandie Party

2017 Sale A Bration with Brandie Party by Stampin Up is what we have for you today !! Yes! You read it right!

My awesome friend and previous Creative Crew member has moved on to a new adventure which is being a Stampin Up Demonstrator!

I am so excited for her and of course want to support my friends with their passion. I wanted to share with you what I got at my 2017 Sale A Bration with Brandie Party ! As you probably know, I have my own stamp line so I don’t typically use other stamps as I prefer to use my own. Did you know that Stampin Up has a number of amazing products besides stamps? YES THEY DO!

Between the Project Life kits, dies, paper, stamp cleaner and so much more….OMG!

I have so much to show you from my 2017 Sale A Bration with Brandie Party, I have to do it in two videos! Be sure to come back next week for the second half too! Are you ready? Here we go!

In years past I typically would do a large party at my house with four make n takes along with food and fun all day long. I really miss those days.

It usually would last from around 10-6:30.. Yes it was an awesomely fun all day event. This year it is just not in the cards for us so I was able to do a much smaller version and just purchased what I had saved up for. After my order, I ended up getting the benefits for my 2017 Sale A Bration with Brandie Party ! Any of the items you see in my video are available for purchase through Brandie. The 2017 Sale A Bration ends I believe March 31st.

Any questions or orders, please go to Brandie’s Website HERE and I KNOW she will take very good care of you!

We, A  Creative Journey with Melissa, do have a number of stamp sets that work perfectly with Project Life, scrapbooking, Pocket Page Scrapbooking, Card Marking, etc. Specifically for this video, the stamps below would work great with the products reviewed.

        

Everyday Alphabet Lower Case and Numbers      Everyday Alphabet Upper Case and Emoticon

Design Elements Stamp Set       

Design Elements                                        Photo Booth Fun

              

Speech Bubbles Mini                                            Speech Bubbles Large

            Sign Language Numbers - American Sign Language Stamp Set

Sign Language Alphabet                                    Sign Language Numbers 

So let’s get started… 2017 Sale A Bration with Brandie Party starts with the Stampin Up project life card kits come in the cutest little box! I love it!

You can reuse it as well as bring it along on a crop and have all of your cards in a protected perfect fitting place!

As you can see here, it has a different spaces to hold your project life cards as well as a place for a journaling pen.

You know how I feel about journaling so YOU HAVE to do it!

This awesome project life kit is called

Moments like these.

I love the color palette as it is perfect for not only masculine but feminine creations.

There are so many journaling prompts to pick from something is bound to inspire you to share your story!

The cards here are 2 x 3″ in size and really great for your Project Life album as well as using any extra for a greeting card to send a little hello to a loved one.

Here are the 4 x 4″ cards which are also included in the kit.

I love the variety of words as well as designs so that you really have a great variety to pick from for any occasion.

Here with the 4 x 6″ cards, you can use these as a photo mat, design element, or a page title! Look at the designs and the rich watermelon color to add a beautiful pop to your page!

Now, the second Project Life Kit I purchased for my 2017 Sale A Bration with Brandie Party is the

Good Vibes Project life kit.

I love the rich dark colors and Good Vibes is exactly what it gives me as I look at it!

This kit also comes in it’s own little box holding the 2 x 3″, 3 x 4″ and 4 x 6″ cards.

Its so compact and convenient which makes it perfect to bring along while you are waiting to pick up kids, waiting for an appointment or watching your favorite show. The possibilities are endless!

Here are some of the 4 x 6″ Project Life cards that come in the kit. I love how the titles can really be used as a journaling prompt.

As you can see here, the 2 x 3″ cards from this kit is full of words of inspiration.

Wouldn’t this card be perfect for a quote to be used along with the Speech Bubbles Mini and Speech Bubbles Large A Creative Journey with Melissa Stamp sets? We thought so too!

Here are some of the 4 x 4″ Project Life Cards. I could really see some great stories to be told on those!

Now we have to talk about necessity for our 2017 Sale A Bration with Brandie Party too.. Customers and friends have asked me how I clean my Clear Photo Polymer stamps.

I use the Stampin Up Scrub pad and Stampin Mist. In addition, I have the Stampin up mist refill just in case I get low!

I love how it works and how it doesn’t dry out my stamps like some cleaners do.

The Stampin Scrub is something that I have owned for years and years. I own two of them. I use them so often, I have one in each of the areas I craft in because it is my GO TO item in my crafting tool box!

One of the best things about the Stampin Scrub

is it is durable and washable! I love it! You can remove the scrub pads and wash them!

There are a number of products out there to clean your stamps whether it be for rubber or clear photo polymer. I have been using Stampin Up products on all of my stamps for YEARS.

Here are some of the products I love from Stampin Up. I was fortunate enough to get enough so that I am going to make another video for you for next week! Be sure to check out next weeks too! You are not going to want to miss it!

This week for our Giveaway, we are giving away the A Creative Journey with Melissa Everyday Alphabet Lower Case and Numbers and Everyday Alphabet Upper Case and Emoticon Stamp Sets shown in the video above. These stamp sets will work wonderfully with any of the products that have been shown in my 2017 Sale A Bration with Brandie Party !

To qualify to win, you must be BOTH:

A follower on YouTube, subscribe to our mailing list/blog posts and you may also comment on this blog post for an additional entry to win! If you do not contact me within two weeks of winning, you will unfortunately, forfeit your prize. Thank you for your understanding.

NOTE: Be sure you are not subscribed with two different names. If I am unable to match you with your subscription to both the blog and the YouTube Channel, you will miss your chance to win a prize. If I can’t decipher if you are a matching subscriber (if your profile doesn’t show publicly who you subscribe to) and I can’t confirm you have subscribed to both, I won’t be able to enter you in for the prize. **DO NOT COMMENT WITH YOUR ENTIRE EMAIL ADDY. Only give me the first 6 NOT INCLUDING YOUR HOST. Just enough for me to match your name will work perfectly.  Your understanding is appreciated.

Now for last weeks WINNER!!

The WINNER IS  Jean Bullock!!

Jean, please send me your contact information via contact page on our website and I will get your prize out to you! If for some reason, you don’t get a response within 48 hours, please contact me. I have had e-mail issues in the past and would hate to have this happen again and not realize you have tried to contact me. Thank you so much for being a YouTube follower and subscribing to our mailing list/blog posts!

We hope you enjoyed our 2017 Sale A Bration with Brandie Party. Be sure to contact Brandie on her website if you would like to have your own! You can even have an online party too!

Have a wonderful week and thank you for going on A Creative Journey with Melissa.

 

2016 Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop – fall2016clh

2016 Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop banner

Welcome to the 2016 Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! If you happened to come by here by chance, WE ARE SO LUCKY and thrilled that you did!! We are taking part in the AWESOME 2016 Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! The hashtag is #fall2016clh and we are showcasing our love for Fall & COFFEE!! Fall is my FAVORITE TIME of the year.

It’s when you bring out your colder weather clothes and get to snuggle up on a cold crisp day… Well, that is unless you are in California like I am… Then you have to wait for what they call “Winter” here. I am from Chicago so winter isn’t quite the same here as it is in the Midwest. Whether it is hot chocolate, coffee, tea, or even a blended drink; you are going to really enjoy the 2016 Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

There are SO many AMAZING talented participants…. Sounds too good to be true, right? IT ISN’T! It is REALLY HAPPENING! We are really honored and excited to be one of the SUPER SPONSORS & FLASH PRIZE SPONSOR for this amazing blog hop! We also have our own giveaways right here on our blog! Be sure to read the WHOLE POST!

To start at the beginning of the 2016 Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop please click HERE.

The 2016 Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop runs Friday, September 23 starting at 6:00 AM Pacific Time thru Friday, September 30. This allows you PLENTY of time to participate by hopping, creating or BOTH!

Winners for the entire hop will be announced on Sunday, October 2, 2016 HERE.

If you aren’t familiar with the Coffee Loving Papercrafters Group and would like to learn more, be sure to join their Facebook Group HERE to ensure you get the latest info on all of their blog hops! The group is SUPER fun with awesome creativity and inspiration throughout the year and of course.. GREAT SEASONAL HOPS with WONDERFUL COFFEE inspiration! We would hate for you to miss out om the inspiration and possibilities!!

Now, onto the projects we have for you today! The theme is Fall annnnnd …… COFFEE! First up is the AMAZINGLY talented Alena on our Creative Crew. She has created a coffee themed pocket letter using the Coffee, Tea and Wine – OH MY! stamp set. I LOVE how she used the phrases in the stamp set as an embellishment to her pocket page.2016 Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop a Wait….You haven’t heard about a pocket letter? Let’s fill you in!

Pocket letters are a new and creative way of being a Pen Pal. Rather than a traditional letter in an envelope, you use 8.5″ x 11″ page protectors with nine equally sized pockets as shown.  There are a number of ways you can create a pocket letter. You would include some of your Pen Pal’s favorite items as well a handmade note and some creative sweetness.

It’s like getting a little present with every pocket letter!

Some are really elaborate, others not as much but the great thing is and you can decide however you want to create it because it is YOUR DESIGN! I hope Alena has inspired you to be CREATIVE and try it out yourself! I know she has inspired me!

Now, we are moving on to our awesomely talented Creative Crew Member Brandie and her beautiful coffee card. Don’t you love the color scheme, design and finishing touches?2016 Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop b I love how CREATIVE she was by using the Coffee is my Liquid Therapy stamp set. That along with the coffee themed embossing folder on her gray paper is amazing. Brnadie sanded the gray paper allowing the white core of the gray paper to show through! WOW!

2016 Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop cShe used her Chameleon Pens (alcohol markers) to color in the coffee cup. Love it!

Here we have the first creation created with Coffee is my Liquid Therapy.

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I used Simple Stories paper along with my Chameleon Pens (alcohol markers)

to color the image. I added a little raffia and a button and here we have it!!

My second card was made using the Coffee, Tea and Wine – OH MY! stamp set.

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For this creation I used Simple Stories paper along with my Chameleon Pens (alcohol markers) and

to color my image,  I used raffia making a bow for an embellishment.

I am doing two giveaways on my blog! I will be picking two winners as I am giving away the two stamp sets I used for my creations above; Coffee is my Liquid Therapy and the Coffee, Tea and Wine – OH MY! stamp sets.

All you need to do is answer our question – When do you start creating your holiday cards? With your answer, comment below and I will pick three winners!

Our winners will be announced on our blog on Sunday, October 2, 2016.

Be sure to ANSWER THE QUESTION to qualify to enter.

This is open to everyone, not only the US! We are honored you have come to visit today. Don’t forget to use the

coupon code fclh2016 to save 25% on non sale items!

We hope you will subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Blog/Newsletter updates and check out our website! Happy Hopping and we hope you enjoyed going on A Creative Journey with Melissa.

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It really has been three years…Remembering Uncle Herb

  I think that really says it all.

While remembering Uncle Herb, I can’t believe how time has flown by but yet stood still at the same time. So much has happened. So many things have changed and yet so much has stayed the same all wrapped up in 1065 days.

Uncle Herb was my dad’s brother. He moved to California in the 60’s from Chicago. He lived closer to us than anyone else in our family. We moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles and he was in San Diego. While remembering Uncle Herb… we didn’t see him as often as we would have liked.

Uncle Herb retired when he was 55.

Something that he would recommend to everyone if it is possible. He was a retired Police Sergeant and with his job, he had seen way too much of things he would prefer to forget. He retired early and really enjoyed life by traveling, kayaking and really experiencing the world that we live in. Now he was enjoying the world around him. When we did see him, he always had a story to tell from one of his traveling excursions. Boy did he have stories! Whether it was a story from a kayak trip, traveling or just stories of things that were important to him.  He really loved life. The legacy he left behind was great… one of the many life lessons he taught my boys was live life to the fullest.

Uncle Herb lived what he preached.

Uncle Herb was an amazing example and a man who will forever be remembered with love, fondness and gratitude.  Fondness because he always accepted me for who I was and who I wasn’t. He listened without judgment. We are grateful for the time we had with him although forever wouldn’t have been long enough. I am honored that he always believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.

We all have a dream…

I always wanted to start my own stamp line. Honestly, I never thought I would it was just a pipe dream that really wouldn’t ever come to fruition. That was until I talked to him. He was diagnosed with cancer in August of 2012. As a result of one of our talks during his treatment he basically said, “Miss, if not now, when?” (Missie was a nickname when I was younger and he was one of the VERY FEW that are still allowed to call me that. Funny enough my husband doesn’t even know who she is! LOL 😉

His statement basically stopped me in my tracks.

Well, considering he was going through radiation at the time I thought I really need to LISTEN to what he was saying. He has always lived life to the fullest although uncertain of what lie ahead. So I called around, did all of the leg work and started creating drawings for my stamps. I wrote down ideas and after quite some time, some mistakes mistakes mistakes. (Did someone say mistakes?) Of course there were even more mistakes.. I had my stamps manufactured, organized an awesome group of fabulous supportive creative women that made up the Creative Crew (design team) and was well on my way to beginning my journey of my stamp line release.

My stamp line grand opening release was on September 18, 2013.

The first release included the stamp sets that were inspired by Uncle Herb.

The first two stamp sets were Awareness Ribbon stamp set #1 and Awareness Ribbon Stamp Set #2.

Awareness Ribbon Set #1 Awareness Ribbon Set #2

Awareness Ribbon Stamp Set #1         Awareness Ribbon Stamp Set #2

All of my Awareness Ribbon stamp sets have been in honor of my Uncle Herb and his fight against cancer.

Specifically, the Awareness Ribbon Stamp Set #2 .

He wasn’t doing well and had called me September 17th. As I always did, I asked him if he needed me to come to San Diego. He said Yes. I knew it wasn’t good because he rarely said he needed help and asked me if I would come to San Diego. We (my boys and I-including my husband of course!) often came whether he wanted help or not! Well, with tears in my eyes and a very shaky voice I called my husband at work. He really is my rock. Without skipping a beat he left work,  picked the kids up from school asI packed up everything I needed for my release as well as my undetermined extended stay and we were on the road in less than two hours. Although he wasn’t feeling well,

Uncle Herb was very excited about my stamp release!

These were created with Awareness Ribbon Stamp Set #1

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 These were created by Sharon with Awareness Ribbon Stamp Set #2

This was created using the Awareness Ribbon Set #2 Stamp Set       This was created using the Awareness Ribbon Set #2 Stamp Set This was created with the Awareness Ribbon Set #2 Stamp Set  This was created with the Awareness Ribbon Set #2 Stamp Set

He watched me get prepared for my release, package my items for sale and get everything organized even though he wasn’t feeling well. When the stamp release day came, he watched me accept orders and prepare them for shipment from San Diego where he lived. He really shared in the excitement that day and I was ever so grateful for him to be able to share this with me.

Sadly, he passed away September 19, 2013. This being the day after my stamp release and stamp business grand opening.

Much of the time within the last year of his life was spent with him while he wasn’t feeling well, under treatment or recovering from surgery, I learned so much from him during our time together. The stories, wisdom, unbelievable courage, strength and perseverance. I am so grateful that he was able to enjoy his support and influence for me come to fruition and watch the first day grand opening of my stamp business.
remembering-uncle-herb-aWhen remembering Uncle Herb…

If there is anything I have learned from the loss of Uncle Herb it is remember what is important. When we are remembering Uncle Herb weather happy or sad, we share. We talk about it. We share stories. He would never want us to live in sadness. Life was too precious and if we were living in regret or sadness, we weren’t living life to the fullest.

Remember what matters to you most.

Whatever that is, live your life with that which is instrumental in happiness and success in your life.  Surround yourself with people that support you and lift you up. Be selective with those that don’t. Your time is valuable. Tell those friends, family and loved ones you have in your life that you love them. Hug your kids. LAUGH. A LOT. Tell them they are important. BE PRESENT. Be grateful. Listen more. Talk less. Live and Love to the fullest. Tell the people that you love how much they mean to you because tomorrow is never promised.

While remembering Uncle Herb the biggest thing I want to do is not be sad but do what he would have wanted and

Celebrate Uncle Herbs life!

He would not want us to live in sorrow. What better way to celebrate Uncle Herbs life than have a coupon for the stamp sets he inspired me to start!  All Stamp Sets are 25% off! This would exclude bundles and items already on sale.

Enter in coupon code UncleHerb at check out! Coupon good until 9-22-16

We appreciate you visiting today. We hope you will share your story of inspiration, hope and courage. Thank you for going on A Personal and A Creative Journey with Melissa.

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Awesome Deals Shopping Haul: Scrapbooking Made Simple and Daiso

Awesome Deals Shopping Haul : Scrapbooking Made Simple and Daiso is what we have for you today which means once again no projects. I do plan on doing projects with my amazing finds but I thought I would be sure to show you what I got! I knew you would want to be “In the know” so better to be safe than sorry right? What kind of crafting sister would I be if I kept all of this awesome information to myself… NOT A GOOD ONE!

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First, I want to show you the FREEBIES my son and I received for waiting in line

at Scrapbooking Made Simple’s Shop that didn’t Hop and Sizzix Warehouse Sale and for the Shop that didn’t Hop…. My son came with me in the wee hours of Friday morning… He is pretty cool, isn’t he! The line was pretty long by the time they opened the doors but well worth it! I know I am going to go back especially since the sale doesn’t end until July 31st! You can also shop online so be sure to check out my friend Stacey’s website and you can order online HERE or you can go in and meet her yourself! If you order online, please be sure to be familiar with her shipping policy as it takes a while with this huge awesome savings event!

Our first free gifts were

two rolls of netting; one that is a spider web weave for Halloween and another that is a gold weave that will be perfect for the holidays!

Next we received this sticker sheet perfect for Christmas cards and also a cute little paper set for cards or to dress up a candle. Can’t wait to play with all of it!

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We also received an adorable package for the Shop that didn’t Hop…

The pin that was specially designed for this is A M A Z I N G!!! I mean seriously how cool is this?

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Last but not least if you visit.. THE SCRAPBOOK PAGE!!

Quantities may be limited, you can get an adorable Shop that didn’t Hop pin with the Phantom of the Opera theme, an adorable scrapbook layout to commemorate the event. Are you ready for some more of my Awesome Deals Shopping Haul?

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To add to this awesome package,

you are given awesome glitter glue especially for SMS (Scrapbooking Made Simple) and

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Last but not least…

an awesome chandelier stamp and die set! All of that just for heading over there… TRUST ME! You want to go..

For our Awesome Deals Shopping Haul: Scrapbooking Made Simple and Daiso

Here are the awesome items I purchased at Scrapbooking Made Simple Sizzix Warehouse Sale!

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I am really excited about the four dies I purchased here. The two card ones, the gift card holder and the easel. I can’t wait to create!

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Here are some awesome dies that can be used for project life, planners and pocket page scrapbooking … the possibilities are endless. There is also another step card that I purchased that has a little bit different configuration.

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Here are some awesome dies and embossing folders I purchased.

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Now onto the Daiso Store Haul

So now we are onto the Daiso part of the Awesome Deals Shopping Haul. If you haven’t been to a Daiso store and you have one in your area, you will want to go. Go here to look for a store in your area. If not for anything else, go for the experience. I went to the Diaso Store in Gardena, California. From what their website said, they were the largest store in the Los Angeles area with 1415 square feet. They have so many cool things and not all from the Daiso brand in Japan although most are. I love their products and the versatility their products provide. This is definitely a think outside of the box type of place!

Here are the items we purchased on our Daiso part of the Awesome Deals Shopping Haul!

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There are chair feet pads, adorable erasers, a huge water bottle and a scrubber for washing wheels on cars.

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I also purchased a sealer and I am hoping it works on paper! My hubby bought a micro usb cord. I also purchased file tabs for my boys as well as some magnets for me!

Now for the pictures of the Diaso store…

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These items were located in what I would call the housewares section.

They had everything from hooks, felt pads for chairs (which I bought!), laundry bags, shoes that looked like crocs both with and without furry lining, chair pads and so much more.. and that is just in this aisle!

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This was the cleaning and storage area items were.

It was located at the back of the store. They had everything from mops, brooms, mini trash cans, and just about every storage container size you could imagine!

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Here are some towels, sponges and a number of different cleaning products but you could use these beautifully colored towels for a covering for a scrapbook, accent for a card. die cut some shapes… the possibilities are endless!

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All of these items appear to be meant for cooking items and decor when doing so. Some really cute items as well as some things that I think would be great for paper crafting…  Let’s take a closer look..

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I saw these and although they are meant to be used with seaweed sheets for sandwich and food decoration, why not try it with paper? Yes, it’s how I think 🙂

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PERFECT FOR COOKING!

I love these items! I love how there are tiny ones and larger sized ones… I’ts pretty cool!

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I love the bright colored cooking utensils! As I look at this picture, I need to go back and get some grabbing tongs… I really need a pair! LOL

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Containers Containers Containers with color!!! YAHOOOO!!!  So many ideas! Look at those cute little jars with straws! SO CUTE!

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Here are some amazing dishes of all different colors!

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Here they had a whole bunch of double sided tape… all different kinds and sizes!

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Did someone say Silk Tape?

I don’t know how different silk tape is versus washi tape but hold on.. we have washi tape too!

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They had all different kinds of washi tape. I didn’t find them to be inexpensive as most of them were $1.5o per roll. Some of them had sets of three which would be more worth it but the singular rolls looked like they were $1.50 each. Beautiful colors though!

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I LOVED the chalk items..

They had labels, tags, markers and so many awesome things! Yes, I know.. I need to go back already!

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Here is some of their yarn and string items.Scrapbooking Made Simple Warehouse Sale and Daiso Shopping Haul ap

Here are some twine and more string items as well.

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Here are some paper and material items… I seriously have so many ideas for this stuff… I had to walk away! lol next time paper… next time!

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Here are some beads and trim.

So many different colors and textures!Scrapbooking Made Simple Warehouse Sale and Daiso Shopping Haul as

They even had items for PETS! YES!! All different kinds of brushes, nail trimmers, bowls, collars and more!

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Here are some ADORABLE ceramic mugs… OMG! THEY ARE ADORABLE AREN’T THEY?

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Here are some adorable clips, frames and little chairs that would be perfect for a doll house!

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You can STAMP ON YOUR TOAST!

You stamp the impression of these stamps and then you toast your bread! How cool is this? Wouldn’t this be fun for some little ones?

I hope you enjoying the sharing of our Awesome Deals Shopping Haul. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away! We appreciate you taking the time to visit and hope you enjoyed going on A Creative Journey with Melissa Awesome Deals Shopping Haul!!

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Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens is what we have for you today. I am so excited to show you a different way to use your Chameleon Pens. I previously I have shown you how to use them using the blending solution chamber. Today, I will be showing you how to layer your colors to get the same gradient effect! I love the endless possibilities for these pens and hope you enjoy learning this technique today! Let’s begin!

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Supplies Needed

Cardstock

Stamped image (we used an image from the Greetings on the Go Stamp Set)

Chameleon Pen Set ( I used colors RD4, OR4, BL3, BL6)

Our Chameleon Pen Set of 22 is on SALE for $84.95 and includes priority shipping in the US! Limited to stock on hand. Be sure to check them out!

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens b

You will want to pull out something that you can color. I used the stamped images from one of our stamp sets Greetings on the Go. I love the little truck and thought it was perfect for Father’s Day.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens c

You will want to start off with the lightest color you will be using for your creation. In this case, it was the OR4. We colored the area we intended to shade completely with the OR4.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens d

Take your R04 using the flicking motion (by placing your marker down and lifting up in an upward motion) and color approximately half of your image.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens e

This circled area above is the results of the flicking technique.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens f

Here is a close up of the second layer once applied. As you can see, there is a definite line between the two colors. Now we are going to layer more color so we can have a better blended look.Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens g

Now to blend the two colors together, you will use the lighter color (OR4) to blend it. Color the whole image again placing a bit more emphasis on the area around the red.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens i

Notice how it doesn’t look as harsh as it did before and more blended. It looks great but we are going to do another layer to be sure it is blended with the results we want.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens j

I am blending it here again using the flicking motion to try to get the blending to be more smooth.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens k

I think I have the results I was looking for. What do you think?

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens l

Now we are going to be using the BL3 and BL6.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens m

As we did with the previous coloring, we are going to start with the lighter color and color the whole area with the BL3. The difference with these two colors is quite a bit more drastic thank the previous ones so it will take a bit more ink to get the blending look I am looking for.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens n

Now you are going to layer half of the image as shown with the darker color BL6.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens o

You will now want to color in the truck using the BL3 marker. This is what you will be using to blend the darker color to the main color. be sure to color the whole image with the lighter color placing a bit more coloring emphasis on the middle area where it is to be blended.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens p

This is really starting to come along but still has a bit of ink to be added before it gets to where I want it. Continue to add more ink in order to get the results you are looking for.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens q

*NOTE* Please be sure to protect your work surface or else you can get ink on it. As you can see here, we are saturating the paper with ink therefore you can get bleed through with different kinds of paper. You can use alcohol ink to clean your surface but if it is a porous one, you may ruin your area so be sure to protect it.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens r

Now we are going to color a light blue layer again by again emphasizing on the area where we want it to be blended.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens t

This looks great! I really like how it came out! I think I like it better than my example.

Gradient Coloring Tutorial using Chameleon Pens u

Your coloring tutorial is complete! Be sure to subscribe to our Blog, YouTube Channel and other social media outlets to be up to date on the latest happenings! Friday we are going to be participating in an amazing Summer Coffee Lover’s Blog Hop with some AMAZING prizes, projects and Sponsors! You are going to love it so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on anything!

Thank you for joining us today and we hope you enjoyed going on A Creative Journey with Melissa.

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