Tag Archive for: Blog Hop

Holiday Stocking Card Using Sign Language Stamps

Holiday Stocking Card Using Sign Language Stamps is what we have for you today. I am always looking for multiple uses for the dies that I have. We invest a lot of money in our crafting tools and I like to think of multiple ways to use them. That is what we are going to do today! Are you ready? Let’s get started!

Here is the creation we are going to make! It is perfect for gift cards for the holidays!

Supplies Needed for the Holiday Stocking Card Using Sign Language Stamps Project

A Creative Journey with Melissa Sign Language Alphabet stamp set

Acrylic Block

Scissors

Black Ink

Paper for Card

Paper for embellishments for stocking

Stocking Die

Glue dot for gift card

Trim for stocking

Adhesive

Here is a close up of the stocking die I used.

Take out your stocking die, paper, platforms and manual die cut machine. Place your paper on top of the die where you need the white pieces cut. Place your die on top of the clear platform and then place the clear platform on top of the die so it is sandwiched between the two clear platforms.

Here are the pieces that the die cut out for me for the Holiday Stocking Card Using Sign Language Stamps Project.

Take your colored 6″ x 12″ piece of paper out.

Fold your colored paper in half.

Be sure the fold line is BELOW the top of the stocking. This is how you will make it a card!

Using the same sandwich as you did for the embellishment pieces for the stocking, run your die with the folded part BELOW the line where the die will cut. Run your die cut through your machine.

You did it! This is how you create the stocking card for your Holiday Stocking Card Using Sign Language Stamps Project!

This is a close up of the die. I placed my fold approximately 1/4 inch below the cut line for the stocking. Above is the picture is an exaggeration of how much space it was. I just wanted to be sure you were clear which line you were to be sure you placed the fold under for your creation.

Take out your ink and the top of your stocking. Peel off the appropriate letters from your A Creative Journey with Melissa sign language stamp set.

Place the first letter on the block.

Ink your stamp

Stamp your letter on the top of the stocking. Repeat to spell out the word you wish to have.

Take out your trim. Place adhesive on the bottom edge of the stocking top. Adhere the trim to the stocking top. Trim off any excess.

Here on the left I put the letters rounded so they followed the trim. On the right I did them straight. Which do you like better?

Place adhesive on the back of the stocking heel and toe pieces. Adhere them to the front of your stocking card.

Take out your stocking top with the trim.

Adhere the stocking top to the front of the stocking card.

You did it! You completed your Holiday Stocking Card Using Sign Language Stamps Project!


First I want to announce the two winners from the Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop $15 store credit.

The winners are:

Cynthia C. and Lucy E.

For last weeks $15.00 store credit prize, the winner is Sydney G.

For this weeks prize, we will be giving away a $15.00 store credit! That way you can decide exactly what you want!

For all of our giveaways including this one, in order for you to qualify for an entry to win, you would need to be a follower on YouTube, subscribe to our mailing list/blog posts (found on our blog page) and you may also comment on this blog post for an additional entry to win! When you subscribe, you will receive an e-mail on Mondays with our latest blog post. BE SURE TO READ IT to check to see if you are a winner EVERY WEEK. If you do not contact me within two weeks of the announcement of winning, you will forfeit your prize. NO EXCEPTIONS. Thank you for your understanding.

NOTE: If you are subscribed with two different names and I am unable to match you with your subscription to the blog and the YouTube Channel, you will be ineligible to win as I can’t decipher if you are a matching subscriber to both. Thank you for your understanding.

We hope you will subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Blog/Newsletter updates and check out our website!

As always, we appreciate your visit and we hope you enjoyed going on A Creative Journey with Melissa.

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2018 Spring Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Welcome Coffee, Tea and Cocoa Creatives!!!!

It’s the 2018 Spring Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

If you haven’t read our Mental Health Awareness Month post, check it out HERE as I share a VERY personal and A Creative Journey about mental health and depression.

It’s a MUST READ.

If you happened to come by here by chance, WE ARE SO HONORED and thrilled that you did!! We are taking part in the AWESOME 2018 Spring Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! The hashtag is #springsummer2018clh and we are showcasing our love for Spring, Summer and of course COFFEE!!

Today, May 25, 2018 my baby boy graduates from high school. He is beautiful, sweet, loving, caring , funny, handsome and unbelievably SMART! I am so SUPER DUPER proud and excited for what amazing things will happen in his future! AWESOME JOB AUSTIN!

Now, are you ready for some cool stuff and giveaways? Let’s go!

Whether your drink of choice is hot chocolate, coffee, tea, or even a blended drink (which is what I ALWAYS prefer); you are going to really enjoy the 2018 Spring Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

There are a number of companies participating  in the 2018 Spring Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop and 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 also right here on our blog! Be sure to read the WHOLE POST for the details!

To start at the beginning of the 2018 Spring Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop please click HERE.

The 2018 Spring Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop runs Friday, May 25th starting at 6:00 AM Pacific Time thru Friday, June, 1st. This allows you PLENTY of time to participate by hopping, creating or BOTH!

Winners for the entire hop will be posted on the blog Sunday, June 3rd 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 on the inspiration and possibilities!!

Now, onto the projects we have for you today! The theme is Spring … Summer …. COFFEE …. Tea…. COCOA… OH MY! 

We have some amazing projects from two of our Creative Crew Members Alena and Leticia. They are super talented and I love their creations!

Alena used the A Creative Journey with Melissa Coffee, Tea and Wine – OH MY! and the A Creative Journey with Melissa Coffee is my Liquid Therapy Stamp sets. 

Leticia used our two coffee sets as well as the A Creative Journey with Melissa Weather Related Stamp Set.

Alena made this lovely shaker card. She used distress oxide inks, the new versafine Claire ink pads and foam adhesive sheets to make the shaker card! I love how she added a little bit of sequins to bring out the beautiful colors of the paper and the ink on the shaker card. Super springy!

I love how Alena used the wood embellishment to stamp her sentiment on! The texture of the wood and the ink on the coffee cup are FABULOUS!

Leticia made this awesome card.  I love how springy and summery her creations are! She also is an amazing crop hostess! She has amazing crops with SUPER GIVEAWAYS that she hosts so if you are interested and you are in Southern California, be sure to like her Facebook page HERE and follow when her next event is!

These lovely little embellishments are so perfect for a planner, bujo, journal or really anything! Aren’t they adorable!

Here is a close up one of her adorable embellishments! AWESOME RIGHT?!

For our giveaway for this hop on our blog we will be giving away two $15.00 store credits for two winners! That way you can decide exactly what you want!

For all of our giveaways including this one, in order for you to qualify for an entry to win, you would need to be a follower on YouTube, subscribe to our mailing list/blog posts (found on our blog page) and you may also comment on this blog post for an additional entry to win! When you subscribe, you will receive an e-mail on Mondays with our latest blog post. BE SURE TO READ IT to check to see if you are a winner EVERY WEEK. If you do not contact me within two weeks of the announcement of winning, you will forfeit your prize. NO EXCEPTIONS. Thank you for your understanding.

NOTE: If you are subscribed with two different names and I am unable to match you with your subscription to both the blog and the YouTube Channel, unfortunately you will be ineligible to win as I can’t decipher if you are a matching subscriber to both. Thank you for your understanding.

For our blog winners for this blog hop will be announced on our blog post on Monday June 4, 2018. This is open to everyone, not only the US! 

Don’t forget to use the coupon code SSCLB2018 to save 20% on your purchase!

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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Sentiments for all Occasions Card

Sentiments for all Occasions Card is what we have for you today along with a multi use die cut set.

What better way to maximize and utilize your supplies with multi use items!

I like to buy things that can be used for numerous things. For me, it allows me to explain the purchase better if they have multiple uses… at least in my mind! LOL

Don’t forget you can save 25% your order with the above coupon code. It expires today, Monday 12/18/17 so be sure to use it today. This is the last sale of the year.

This is the Sentiments for all Occasions Card Project we are going to create….. let’s get creative!

Supplies Needed for the Sentiments for all Occasions Card Project 

A Creative Journey with Melissa Sentiments for All Occasion Stamp Set

Acrylic Stamp Block

Spellbinders Aristocrat Die Cut set

Card Base

Patterned Background Paper

Paper for Deer

Sentiment and emblem paper

Paper for foliage

3-D Foam adhesive

Adhesive

Brown Ink

Spellbinders Tool or needle

Here are the dies that are in the die cut set. They aren’t super large but are perfect for any card, scrapbook or creation.

To begin your Sentiments for all Occasions Card Project, take out your cream colored paper along with the dies shown. Run your through the die cut machine forward and backward to ensure cut.

Separate the die from the die cut and set them both aside.

Take out the deer and the craft paper. Run your die through the die cut machine both ways ensuring the proper cut.

Separate the die cut from the die. This is what it will look like. Set both aside.

Take out the foliage die. This is a close up of what it looks like.

Run your die through the die cut machine both ways ensuring the proper cut.

Notice the holes in the back of the die? These will allow you to poke through the intricate dies that you may have trouble getting the paper out of.

Take out your Spellbinders Tool or needle.

Carefully remove your die cut from the die.

Take out your A Creative Journey with Melissa Sentiments for All Occasion Stamp Set.

Notice how a few of my stamps are stained. This was caused by me using a staining ink and also I sometimes don’t clean my stamps right away. Even with this coloring on the stamps, this will not hurt the integrity of the image at all.

Apply the sentiment to your stamp block. Ink your sentiment on your paper.

This is a close up of the stamped sentiment.

Take out your card base and your decorative paper. Add adhesive to the back of your patterned paper for your Sentiments for all Occasions Card Project.

Apply the patterned paper to your card base.

Add adhesive to the decorative piece and apply to card base.

Apply adhesive to both die cuts of foliage.

Place the foliage to the card base.

Apply 3-D foam adhesive to the sentiment and apply to the card base.

Place your 3-D foam adhesive on the back of your deer die cut. Apply to your card base.

Here are the cards done both vertically and horizontally. Your Sentiments for all Occasions Card Project is complete!

For this weeks giveaways we are giving away the A Creative Journey with Melissa Sentiments for All Occasion Stamp Set

and the Spellbinders Aristocrat Die Cut set. These will be announced next week.

 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!

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

Subscribe to BOTH with MATCHING NAMES to be eligible. 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, you will not be eligible.

Now we have a BUNCH of giveaways to announce from last week and the 2017 Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! YAHOO!!

Now for last weeks GIVEAWAY, we are giving away the above A Creative Journey with Melissa Snowflake Beauty Stamp Set.

The winner is Creations with Kathryn.

For the 2017 Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop Winners we were giving away two stamp sets.

The first stamp set is the A Creative Journey with Melissa Coffee, Tea and Wine – OH MY! Stamp Set  and the winner is Tracy Zahm

 A Creative Journey with Melissa You’re Snow Wonderful Stamp Set and the winner is Julie Prince.

Winners, 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 Sentiments for all Occasions Card. I hope I have inspired you to create thinking outside of the box!

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

 

2016 Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Summer Coffee Lovers Blog HopWelcome to the 2016 Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

If you happened to come by here by chance, you are SO LUCKY!! We are taking part in the AMAZING 2016 Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! The hashtag is #summerclh and we are showcasing our love for Summer & COFFEE!!  Summer is a wonderful time where my kids are out of school, our pool is open for swimming, schedule is a bit less hectic and of course THAT leaves time for what you ask? MORE COFFEE!! Whether it is coffee, tea, or cocoa; you are going to LOVE the 2016 Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop and be VERY inspired by the many AMAZING talented participants…. Sounds great right? We are really honored and excited to be one of the SUPER SPONSORS & FLASH PRIZE SPONSOR for this amazing blog hop!

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

The 2016 Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop runs Friday, June 17th starting at 6:00 AM Pacific Time thru Friday, June 24th. This allows you PLENTY of time to participate by hopping, creating or BOTH!

Winners for the entire hop will be announced on Sunday, June 26th 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!

Now, onto my projects! The theme is summer and of course… COFFEE!

I am a Midwestern girl that now lives in Sunny California…. One would think I would LOVE it because it is sunny 98.9% of the time… Well, I am from Chicago so I like four seasons… not one and half LOL! For me, one of the things I miss most of all is RAIN. I know I know but I REALLY DO! Anyone who really knows me, knows I like to dance around in my shorts in the rain. The thing is for me, summer DOES include rain and often times it does for most states throughout the US as well as some other countries. This is what inspired me to create with these stamp sets.

Thinking about my possible creations,

I knew I had an idea. I hoped it would work but couldn’t put it together. Often times I will ask my sons what their thoughts are.. well, I can thank my youngest, Austin, for this one! He verbalized what I was trying to do only MUCH BETTER! It really is a family business! If you want to read more about our story, go Here.

For my first 2016 Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop creation,

 I used the cloud, rain drops and sun from the Weather Related stamp set. I used the coffee cup from the Coffee is my Liquid Therapy stamp set and the word Coffee from the Coffee, Tea and Wine – OH MY stamp set. For the stamp images and sentiments, I used Memento ink. To color the clouds, sun and coffee cup I used my Chameleon Pens. The light colors yet also the dark colors of gray making up colors of the clouds. AMAZING RIGHT.. all with ONE PEN! Those are the Chameleon Pens!! If you aren’t familiar with them, they are alcohol based pens/markers like Copic, Pro Markers, etc. but you can get multi colors from just ONE PEN! Check out my YouTube channel to see them in action!wm sunshine white

For my second 2016 Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop project,

I used a sizzix embossing folder on some left over die cut packaging. I cut it to ensure it would fit through the Big Shot, placed the acrylic sheet inside and away I rolled… And this is what you have! I love it and it is one of my FAVORITE techniques to do so I save ALL of my clear packaging. SO MANY USES! I made this card because I think we all can agree there have been NUMEROUS times that people have lived another day because someone has gotten their coffee. As the card says… Coffee  It saves lives. AND BOY DOES IT! To see a tutorial on this project, please go to my blog post here. We have both a pictorial and video!

Saves lives4 650 wm white

For my last 2016 Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop project,

I created a quick and cute coffee clip for a planner, journal, smash book, calendar, composition book and whatever use you would need it for! It is super easy to make and you can make numerous ones all at the same time! It’s a great idea for a gift! Everyone loves coffee, right? I used a cool product that I fortunately had some left as it is no longer made. It is called sparkle and fluff. That is what is coloring the coffee cup. It reminded me of some beautiful summer green grass…  and AGAIN IN THE MIDWEST and definitely opposite to here in SUNNY CALIFORNIA..  Where the grass is B R O W N! LOL Of course any cup of coffee whether visable or not always has a few little hearts above it, right? At least mine do!

Coffee Clip sm white wm

 I am doing three giveaways on my blog! I will be picking three winners. I am giving away the three stamp sets I used for my creations; Weather Related, Coffee is my Liquid Therapy and Coffee, Tea and Wine – OH MY!. All you need to do is answer this: What electronic die cut machine do you have if any and why did you choose it? With your answer, comment below and I will pick three winners! They will be announced on our blog on Sunday, June 26th. Be sure to ANSWER THE QUESTION to qualify to enter. This is open to everyone, not only the US. The winners from our blog giveaway have been announced . Click HERE to see if you are a winner! 

We are honored you have come to visit today. Don’t forget to use the coupon code SCLH20 to save 20% 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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A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop is what we have for you today. I am so honored and excited to be participating in this amazing week long hop! There are so many amazing sponsors and prizes! We are honored that we are one of the flash prize and SUPER SPONSORS! If you want more information about the hop and the details, be sure to go here so that you can start at the beginning with ALL of the info! You can even create something YOURSELF and win prizes for that as well! Be sure to check it out… It doesn’t end until FRIDAY so you have PLENTY OF TIME!!  Now, onto my creation

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop c

Supplies Needed

Coffee is my Liquid Therapy Stamp Set

Coffee, Tea and Wine – OH MY! Stamp Set

Stamping Block

Chameleon Pens

Black and Red Memento Ink

Card Base

Red mat for sentiment

Adhesive

3-D adhesive

Black and white twine

Corner Rounder

Scissors

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop a

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop is what we are creating today. Although it may not be a typical SPRING card. I LOVE bright colors and to me, it is a PERFECT color match for MY SPRING!

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop d

First, you will want to get your stamp sets out, ink, stamp blocks and paper.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop e

Attach your stamp sentiments to the block, ink and stamp your sentiments on your paper.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop f

Remove your sentiment stamps. Attach your coffee cup stamp. Ink your stamp and stamp your coffee cup above your sentiment.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop g

Remove your coffee cup stamp and place your heart stamp from the Coffee is my Liquid Therapy stamp set on your block. Ink with your red ink and stamp on your coffee cup.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop h

Take out  your BL3 Chameleon Pen.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop i

Color your coffee cup image.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop j

Use your corner rounder on the right side of your sentiment paper.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop l

Take out your red paper and use the corner rounder on all four sides.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop m

Take out your card base and use the corner rounder only on the right side of the card.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop n

Adhere the red paper to the blue card base.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop o

Take out your twine and wrap your twine around your sentiment paper three times.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop p

Tie a bow with your twine and trim the excess.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop q

Place six foam squares on the back of your sentiment. Remove the backing of the foam squares.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop s

Adhere your sentiment paper to your card base.

A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop t

Here are the completed projects! Thank you so much for joining us for A PERFECT Coffee Card to celebrate the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop. We hope you check out the 2016 Spring Coffee Lovers Hop and enjoyed going on A Creative Journey with Melissa.

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We Have Winners

We have two winners!! Thank you so much to all of you that joined in on the amazing fall blog hop! What an amazing set of people with such awesome talents that joined in on the hop! WOW!

The winners on our blog are

For the coffee stamp set the winner is Annie

Annie says:(Edit)

Love your cards, the leaf die cuts are gorgeous! My favorite stamps include coffee (of course!) cats and sentiments. Perhaps a cat and coffee set? Add a vintage candle in a brass holder, stack of cards, cupcake….could be called “My Favorite C’s” lol!! :) Thanks for sharing this inspiration! ~Annie

For the $10 gift card the winner is Terry

Terry says:(Edit)

I honestly think coffee runs through my husbands veins. LOL I love it too and I am the scrap booker/card maker of the family! So if I win it would be a win win situation for my hubby and I,…. he gets the Starbucks card and I get the stamps! Yeah!!!!

 

Congrats to the winners and thanks for hopping along! Winners, please contact me within 7 days via E-mail at ACreativeJourneywithMelissa dot gmail dot com or your prize will be forfeited. (please note the dots are actually dots in the email addy or you can contact us through our contact page here 

Thanks again for joining us and be sure to stay tuned tomorrow for Mondays with Melissa!

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Ink & Water Play: Learning Embossing and Debossing Techniques

 Today’s Monday’s with Melissa is Ink & Water Play: Learning Embossing and Debossing Techniques. If you are here to hop along on the Fall Coffee Lovers Hop go HERE but we would love it if you would stay and check out our video above or our tutorial below 🙂 Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel as well as our blog and other social media platforms above so you can be “in the know” on our latest products, creations, techniques and finds!

I am focusing today on Ink & Water Play: Learning Embossing and Debossing Techniques versus going step by step through the card compilation. I did however want to include directions on how to create this card in case you were interested so I will start with that first.

Supplies needed to create the card

Coffee is my Liquid Therapy stamp set

Chameleon Marker to color Coffee Cup

Water based ink in various colors

Memento ink

Embossing folder

Manual die cut machine and platforms

Paper for embossing

Water filled spray bottle

Card Base

Paper towels or wipes

Twine

Needle or tool to poke holes for threading twine

Adhesive

Foam Squares

Directions for the card

For the card you will need to create the colored background with the directions below first. This will allow time for it to dry. One that is done, you will

1.  Stamp your coffee cup and sentiment

2. Color your stamped image with your Chameleon Marker

3.  Cut out your image and set aside

4. Place your inked background paper on your card base and adhere

5. Poke holes where you would like to have the twine on your creation

6. Thread your twine through your creation

7.  Stamp your coffee beans on the side of your background paper as shown

8. Add foam square to the back of your stamped image

9.  Adhere your stamped image to the card base

YOU ARE DONE!

Here is a close up of the finished card.

Close up of card

Now… onto the tutorial for Ink & Water Play: Learning Embossing and Debossing Techniques.

For this you will need

Water based ink in various colors

Paper

Embossing Folder

Manual die cut machine and platforms

Water filled spray bottle

Paper Towels or wipes

First you need to decide whether your creation will be using the embossing or debossing side of the folder.emboss and deboss w t

 One you have that decided, ink the embossing folder on the appropriate side with the color combination you have chosen. For this one, it is the debossed side I have inked.

color on folder

I ran it through the manual die cut machine and this is the result

deboss

For this one I used the embossed side, inked it and ran it through the manual die cut machine.

embossed w ink

For this type of effect you can ink whichever side. I chose to ink the debossed side so that more color would show in the background on my background paper. Ink the embossing folder side you wish to use

inked embossing folder

I then added one spritz of water

add water first spray

Then a second spritz

second spray

And finally a third. You can do as many or as little spritzes or amounts of water you wish.

third spray

I then ran it through my manual die cut machine and this was the result

close up debossed w waterI love how it looks like a watercolor effect. Really quite stunning. You can use this technique for any theme or creation you wish my adding the coordinating colors you need  for your creation.

If you happen to have some ink left over on your folder like I did in this case, grab another piece of paper add a little more water if you wish and emboss another piece. This is great to do for your stash so you can have something in case you are in need of a card background on the fly! It has less ink on it but really gives a wonderful look to the paper for a future creation!

extra piece w water

If you do not wish to have your colors mixed or wish to start fresh, be sure to wipe your embossing folder clean with a paper towel or wipe. This will keep the colors from getting muddled looking.

clean off embossing folder

If you are finished using your folder, I recommend washing your embossing folder off with warm water and mild soap to ensure the residue has been cleaned.

Thank you so much for stopping by and we hope you enjoyed going on A Creative Journey with Melissa. Have a wonderful day!

melissa-written-signature

Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

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Welcome! If you happened to come by here by chance, you are in LUCK! We are taking part in an AWESOME Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop (#Fallclh) showcasing our love for  FALL & COFFEE!!  Who doesn’t LOVE anything WARM on a cool crisp fall day.. or in my case 95 in Southern California…lol.. Whether it is coffee, tea, hot chocolate or any other drink of choice, you are going to LOVE this hop and be able to stay snuggly in your PJ’s while participating…. Sounds great right? We are really honored and excited to be one of the SUPER SPONSORS for this amazing blog hop!!

To start at the beginning of the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop please click HERE. The Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop runs from September 25th at 6:00 AM Pacific Time until October 2nd 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Winners announced on October 4th!

If you aren’t familiar with the Coffee Loving Paper Crafters 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 HOPS with SUPER SPECTACULAR PRIZES! We would hate for you to miss out!

Now onto some CREATIVE Fun stuff from Leticia!

Hi Creative Friends! ACJwM Creative Crew member Leticia Arvizu here! I am so excited to share my creations with all of you today for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! If you love coffee as much as I do then I am sure you are using coffee mugs, coffee cups and coffee sentiments in all of your crafting! I personally love to use ALL of them! I used ACJwM Coffee Is My Liquid Therapy stamp set for the two cards I am sharing with you all!! I’ve really been on the snail mail kick lately. It really is nice to receive happy mail. I love when I receive a handmade card in the mail. One of my girlfriends and I have been corresponding via mail lately, and she’s as much as a coffee lover as I am. So for my first card I used the coffee mug and “hello friend” sentiment. Fall is in the air and pumpkin spice latte is my fave right now! Pumpkin everything, yes please!!

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My second card actually doubles as a gift card holder. I needed a thank you card for a great friend who has shown me so much kindness recently. I used the coffee cup and sleeve along with the “Thanks a latte!” sentiment stamp. I kept with the fall theme and used paper from Simple Stories Pumpkin Spice collection. I plan on slipping a Starbucks gift card into the envelope.
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close up thanks a lattewm
Speaking of Starbuck’s…… Now for a GIVEAWAY!!
Here on our blog we are giving away the Coffee is my Liquid Therapy stamp set AND a $10 Starbucks Gift Card. That means one person can win one of the two prizes so we will have TWO winners just on OUR BLOG!!

           Coffee-is-my-liquid-therapy                 prizegrab-starbucks-10-sweepstakes

This is in ADDITION to all of the other prizes that are to be given away! To be entered in the giveaway, all you need to do is post your answer to this question on our blog: What type of stamp sets would you like to see-coffee, sentiments, characters, or have another idea? We would love to hear form you! If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry. All comments are held for review.Blog-Button-w-SL-and-Awareness-Ribbon-info

Thanks for joining us and we hope the creations have inspired you to create something lovely that is coffee themed! Feel inspired? Why not participate?  Be sure to get your creative juices flowing and create something that is Fall coffee themed. You could link up to enter for some amazing prizes using the inlinkz link on the Coffee Lovers Blog. All of the info needed can be found HERE! If you post on social media be sure to use the hashtag #Fallclh for all of your creations as well! Be sure to hop along to all of the other amazing creatives for inspiration and the opportunity to win great prizes along the way!

Summer Coffee Loving Card Makers Blog Hop

Summer Coffee Lovers Blog HopWelcome! If you happened to come here by chance, you are in LUCK! We are taking part in the wonderful Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop (#summerclh) showcasing our love for what you ask? COFFEE!!  Who doesn’t LOVE that? We are really honored and excited to be one of the SUPER SPONSORS for this amazing blog hop with this awesome group.

To start at the beginning of the Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop please click HERE. The Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop runs from June 5th at 6:00 AM Pacific Time until June 12th 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Winners announced on June 14th!

If you would like to check out the main Coffee Lovers Blog CLICK 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, inspiration and of course.. GREAT HOPS with SUPER DUPER PRIZES! We would hate for you to miss out!

Now onto some CREATIVE Fun stuff from Raven!

Hey beautiful crafters! Creative Crew member Raven Baca here for A Creative Journey with Melissa. How are you doing on this beautiful summer day? Well if you are in the United States, it’s summer. Abroad you are in the middle of winter. How cool is that?

Today I have a little something to share with you that will keep you warm. It’s a Pocket Letter. If you don’t know what a pocket letter is, it is a way for people to exchange letters like pen pals in a page protector format with nine pockets that easily fits into a standard binder for you to keep. You include a personal note, some fun creative goodies as well as some of your pen-pals favorite things. In this case – COFFEE of course! I have really thrown my creativity into pocket letters and I JUST LOVE IT! I love being creative and I also LOVE Pen-Paling so Pocket Letters are the best of both worlds! It’s just fabulous and I hope I will inspire you to be creative by the project I am highlighting today.

For today’s post I made a coffee themed pocket letter for one of my dear friends. I asked her if she liked coffee. We were great friends in High School and she has since moved out of state so unfortunately, we don’t get to spend much time together. Her response to me was,”only with my oxygen.” Kinda love that so I’m using that as my new saying lol.

This was her little gift and I’m sharing with you all for inspiration. I hope you love it and you find some ideas that inspire you to pay it forward!

For the pocket letter creation the stamps I used were from the Coffee is My Liquid Therapy Stamp Set.

Pocket Letter

This was her envelope that I just had to decorate using the same color scheme and stamp set. I LOVE that large coffee mug. Isn’t it just the cutest thing? I also decided to use a few more stamp sets that I love from A Creative Journey with Melissa and I love how they all worked together!

For the Pocket Letter Envelope, the stamps I used were

Coffee is My Liquid Therapy

Everyday Alphabet Upper Case and Emoticon Stamp Set

Everyday Alphabet Lower Case and Numbers Stamp Set

Speech Bubbles Mini Stamp Set

raven envelope

Feel inspired? Be sure to get your creative juices flowing and create something that is summer coffee themed. You could link up to enter for some amazing prizes using the inlinkz link on the Coffee Lovers Blog that can be found HERE! If you post on social media be sure to use the hashtag #summerclh for all of your creations as well!

Here on our blog we are giving away the Coffee is my Liquid Therapy stamp set in addition to all of the other prizes that are being given away! All you need to do is post your answer to this question on our blog: What is your favorite type of coffee? If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry. All comments are held for review.

Thanks for joining us and I hope you enjoyed my creation today. Be sure to hop along to all of the other amazing creatives for inspiration and the opportunity to win great prizes along the way!

December New Stamp Release, Blog Hop & Giveaway!

Welcome to the monthly NEW RELEASES for A Creative Journey with Melissa. Before we start with the AMAZING projects our Design Team has in store, we have an update for January’s release. Normally, we have a new release every second Wednesday of the month however in January, we will be going to the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Convention so we will NOT have a new stamp release in January. We WILL however be sharing some pictures and fun stuff from the convention along with some giveaways from the show! The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Convention is located in Anaheim, California. Disneyland is within miles and a lot of people make it a family trip and come here for the convention. I have met people from all over the world. I took classes once with someone from Japan as well as Sweden. My husband, and I are going to be taking classes and are looking forward to learning some great new things! One of the BEST things about this convention besides the education is you get to see the latest and greatest of the Craft and Hobby Industry are shown BEFORE they are released to the public! Instead of new stamp releases we will be showing you the latest products BEFORE THEY ARE released to the public. It is an amazing show and we hope you will join us in our adventure. Regardless of what level of creativity you have, you are going to LOVE IT! It will feel like you are right there with us! To check out pictures from last year, go to our CHA 2013 photo album. You will see some AMAZING THINGS and we can’t wait to share them with you! If you are interested in finding out if you qualify to be a CHA member go HERE and let them know I sent you 🙂 Now, let’s get on with some more fun stuff!

If you came here  by chance, you are in luck! We are having a blog hop as well as giving away some prizes! I am Melissa Mueller, the owner of A Creative Journey with Melissa and I am thrilled to be able to share these creations with you today.

This is the new stamp releases are the Sentiments for all Occasions.

Sentiments-for-All-Occasions

This is the second stamp set. It’s the Sign Language Numbers – American Sign Language stamp sets.

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We are also highlighting our amazingly cute and versatile Everyday Alphabet Outline stamp sets.

Everyday-Alphabet-Outline Upper and Lower Case            Everyday-Alphabet-Outline-Numbers and Symbols

Everyday-Alphabet-Upper Case and Emoticons                    Everyday-Alphabet-lower-&-numbers

I am highlighting the Sentiments for all Occasions and the Sign Language Numbers – American Sign Language stamp sets for this blog hop and for the first project! I created this for a young girl that is going to be turning 7 so I used the Sign Language Numbers stamp set to highlight the number seven. I also used the Happy Birthday sentiment from the Sentiments for all Occasions stamp set.

Happy Birthday

Here are the projects I have created using the
Sentiments for all Occasions stamp set.

You Rock wm

Thank you so much wm

Thank You wm

Sympathy Card wm

Please be sure to hop along to each of the Design Team Member’s blog, become a follower their blog if you aren’t already and answer the question correctly that they have posted to qualify for the giveaway.

The giveaway includes:

Sentiments for all Occasions stamp set

Sign Language Numbers – American Sign Language stamp set

Sizzix Embossing Folder set

Prima Flowers

My question is have you tried Project Life/Pocket Page Scrapbooking and if so, what do you think of it? Do you prefer it over traditional scrapbooking?

The Blog Hop line-up:

Melissa- YOU ARE HERE  

Sandy

Haidee

Alena

Amanda

Leticia

Brandie

 Please be sure to answer every question asked of you correctly on each blog and become a follower if you aren’t already. If you qualify, you will be entered in the giveaway for the three prizes if you do so! Entries for this blog hop will end Friday at 8 PM PT. Winners will be announced on Saturday on the A Creative Journey with Melissa’s blog HERE . You must contact Melissa with your shipping information via Facebook PM, comment on her blog or e-mail her within three days of the winning announcement blog post or your prize will be forfeited. At this time, only US Residents are eligible. Thank you for your understanding.

Be sure to check back to see if you are a winner. Thanks so much for hopping along with us!

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