LilyBean Paperie

the holly and the ivy...

Hello December...sweet month that I love!  Tonight I have a couple of jolly cards to share with you created using PSA Essentials stamps.  Have you heard of this company?  They specialize in self-inking custom stamps that are interchangeable...the kind you may use as your return address stamp, but so much more on top of that.  For these cards I used the stamps in a traditional paper-crafting type of fashion and just stamped my heart out.  I must say that I love, love, love my  Country Home rooster weather-vane custom Phillips Family stamp I received from them...it's darling.

This might just be my most favorite alphabet stamp set on earth...I just love how elegant and classy it is.  The holly berry image is another favorite of mine found in the North Pole set.  

This card also uses the holly berry again and the vintage bells from the same set.

The beautiful numbers are from the Romance set...loveliness.

The paper, cardstock stickers, and dies used on this card are from Simple Stories.  The paper and chipboard used on the first card are from Echo Park and Lily Bee Designs, the vintage postage stamp is a beloved little treasure from way back in the early Pebbles inc. days that I decided to part with. The scrunched seam binding can be found at My Craft Spot.

Happiest of December days to you!

Melis

 

all is bright...

Just popping in to share a couple of antique Christmas envelopes.  I love vintage Santa images as there are so many different versions of what Old St. Nick should look like but all carry with them the same feeling of kindness and cheer.  We are dressed top to bottom here at home with our tree decorated, stockings hanging on the mantle, and nooks and crannies filled with a holiday cheer as well.  My little one has shown so much excitement this year and I am so happy to have her energy and joy to help make our Christmas extra special.  She is my heart and soul and makes my life so rich and meaningful.

The gift tags and envelopes are digital collages and were designed by Made by Janet.  I just printed them out at home, assembled them, and added stamps and scrunched seam binding from My Craft Spot, glitter, trims, and other toppings.  

The vintage stamp is also from Made by Janet comes in a digital collage filled with sweet stamped images.  

I love the font used on the stamps from the White Christmas stamp set.  My Craft Spot is a wonderful place to find sentiment only stamps for many different occasions.  

The paper is from Graphic 45 and Cosmo Cricket.  I love, love, love Christmas patterned paper...it's like candy to me and so much fun to sort through and use to brighten up handmade creations.

That's all I have to share today.  I'm busy working on etsy orders and lots of other fun things to show you.  The contents for the Winter Bird Crafting Kits have been ordered and I'll be assembling them very soon.  They are going to be glittery and sweet and I can't wait to show you what you can do with yours through Christmas and into January.  I am taking pre-orders, so please email me if you'd like me to reserve one for you.

Enjoy your day!

Melis

Christmas countdown...

It's been such a wonderful few days as we've been on the road a bit to spend time with my family and then returned home to enjoy my husband's family.   Lots of time with those we love, playtime with cousins including sleepovers, finger nail polish on 30 tiny fingertips, lunch together, time outside, time relaxing, and believe it or not...not an ounce of shopping.  Totally my speed.  

These first couple of cards were created for Emma's Paperie and are based on a beautiful color challenge you can find on the blog.  

I spun the color combination into a couple of cards with a holiday theme.  I used some beautiful Graphic 45 papers, Echo Park chipboard, and lots of other toppings.  You can find a complete supply list here on the Emma's Paperie blog.  

Next is a peek at a new project kit I created for Frost it Pink...just in time to countdown to Christmas.

The kit involves an embellished chalkboard covered in sweet patterns, holiday colors, glitter, and bling, where you and the littles can keep track of how many days 'til Santa comes.

Lots of lovely and unique items are included and the entire project comes together super quickly.

It will be available HERE at Frost it Pink soon and I'll be sure to let you know when.

Lastly...just a couple more Christmas items for you that I'll be putting in my etsy shop shortly.  I wanted to try a holiday twist on my Shabby Owl.

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for visiting.

Melis

carte postale...

Popping in with some vintage postcard packages, bundled with glitter and sparkles, embellished with stamps, dies, felt, trinket pins, ruffled scrunched seam binding, and stamps.

I love these vintage images.  They seem to speak of Christmas traditions from long ago and create such beautiful pictures in my mind.

I used Papertrey Ink Peace Be Still and Banner Borders die collections.  

The stamps are from the Holly Jolly, Winterberry, and Tiny Tags sets.

Scrunched seam binding is from Craft Spot.  

Paper is from Authentique and Simple Stories.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Melis

a merry little friday...

It's a cozy, crafty Friday here today.  I've got several Christmas projects in the works and will share them as I get them done.  These first couple of projects were made as custom orders for special customers...very similar to last year's Christmas projects, so some of you may recognize them.

Metal tin ornaments created using hinged tins, cream buttons, border dies, snow glitter, stamps, vintage Santa images, glass domes, and other special toppings.

I created another Christmas countdown muffin tin using some Melissa Frances Deck the Halls paper and dies, Melissa Frances resin, and all sorts of trinkets.  These little items are so much fun to make because each is unique and I can use all of the tiny items have I saved throughout the year and am able to find just the right spot for them nestled inside the muffin tins.

I used Krylon Catalina Mist once again, distressed it to age it a bit, vintage Sprite bottle cap, a beloved tiny, metal Melissa Frances cookie cutter.  My stash of these is slowly dwindling and I will be sad when they're gone...but fun to use and enjoy them on special Christmas projects.

K&Co. chipboard and dies, vintage buttons, Cavallini & Co. stickers...

Making Memories glitter dies, vintage inspired Bingo markers, Bo Bunny chipboard, etc.

Before I go, a Christmas card using Papertrey Ink's Wreath for All Seasons and Tag-its #8 stamp sets, Mat Stack 2 and Mega Mat Stack 1 dies, My Mind's Eye paper, Maya Road trim, and Memriemare scrunched seam binding.  

Thanks for visiting.  Have a happy Friday!

Melis

 

P.S.  I'm planning on kitting about 25 or so Christmas Crafting Pockets this year similar to what I did last year, but with new and unique items included.  So....stay tuned for those to pop up.  I'm afraid I'll only have time to do one round of them as time is flying by so quickly.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on these and what you would like to find inside them!  I'll do my best to accommodate.

deck the halls giveaway...

The new Melissa Frances Deck the Halls collection is so beautiful and festive.  I love the combination of creamy whites with vibrant reds and greens...not to mention the signature Melissa Frances vintage feel this collection carries.

Visit the Melissa Frances blog and leave a comment on this post by Sunday night and you just might win yourself some Melissa Frances goodies.  There's also a video posted where Melissa shows off some of her delightful embellishments included in this collection.

Along with Melissa Frances Deck the Halls paper, tags, and die cuts, I also used Papertrey Ink's Love Lives Here:  Holiday stamp set, Martha Stewart snow glitter and heart punch, and scrunched seam binding from Craft Spot.

Thanks for stopping by.

Melis

papertrey ink november...

Welcome to the third Papertrey Ink group post for November, yep, there will be three group posts each month instead of just two with the third post showing all of our new release projects.  Hopefully this will make it much easier for those of you who order to see our ideas the night of the release instead of after.  So, here are my last remaining projects for you.  

Seeing as how I am listening to Christmas music on Pandora right now, I thought I'd start off with a Christmas card.  I used the Mega Mehndi Medallion stamp set on this which you can see peeking through the Cover Plate:  Quatrefoil die...that thing is amazing and I know I haven't done it justice here, so you'll have to check out the other designer's projects to see for yourself.  I also used a couple of older sets on this card, Christmas Poinsettia with coordinating die, and the Winterberry set.  

This card uses the Sweet Winter Penguin set and coordinating dies along with the Pinking Shears border die and Soft Stone Grosgrain.

Another Tiny Tags set, yaay!  Nichole designed this new addition and I love what she did with the patterns and sentiments.  The set is called Tiny Tags II and I used it along with the original Tiny Tags stamp set and coordinating dies, Smokey Shadow Grosgrain, Pure Poppy buttons, and Baker's Twine.

This card uses the new Stitches & Swirls and Glory Be stamp sets along with Heart Print and Block Alphabet dies, and Soft Stone Swiss Dot Satin.  The paper is from the Simple Valentine collection and the Pure Poppy felt was cut using the Medium Scalloped Border die.  

This gift card set uses the new Background Basics:  Circles, Mega Mehndi Medallion, and Flower Fusion #10 with coordinating die.  

The pouch was made using a large glassine bag and the Front & Center die from last month's release...still in love with it.  The ribbon is Summer Sunrise Grosgrain, felt is Vintage Cream, and ink is the new Aqua Mist.

I used my i-top button and brad maker here too.

This little gift box uses the Tag-Its #10 set along with Pure Poppy Baker's Twine and Satin.

Birthday Sucker Tags made using the Birthdays By the Numbers and Stitches & Swirls stamp sets, Bells & Boughs, Limitless Layers 1 3/4" and Tag Sale #5 dies.  The ribbon is Sweet Blush Swiss Dot Satin and Lavender Moon Grosgrain.

This last card uses the new Willow and Think Big Favorites #10 stamp sets along with the Banner Builder die collection.  

The scrunched seam binding is from My Craft Spot, and the glitter on the tree is Ranger Stickles.  
I'll be back to add links to the new stamp sets once they're ready on the homepage.

Here are some fun links for you to browse though while you're waiting:

• Nichole Heady
• Heather Nichols
• Dawn McVey
• Lisa Johnson
• Betsy Veldman
• Ashley Cannon Newell
• Maile Belles
• Jessica Witty
• Erin Lincoln
• Danielle Flanders

Thanks again for visiting!

Melis

stitches & swirls...

Today's Papertrey Ink group post showcases the new Stitches & Swirls stamp set designed by Nichole.   This little set has worked its way right into my heart without any problem at all...it's darling and effortless...meaning the images speak for themselves and do all the work for you without much effort on your part.   Whether you decide to color in the images like I did on my card, add buttons to the blossoms, add hand-stitching, emboss the images, or any number of techniques, you really don't need much other than the stamp set itself.

For my project I chose to focus on coloring in the images which you can see on my card.  I used Copic markers and Stickles glitter to add just a bit of glimmer.  Super quick and easy.  I also added in an image, sentiment, and die cut from the Love Lives Here set along with using the Tag Sale #5 die.  

I created a pincushion button jar and stamped directly onto the muslin to embellish the top of the jar just a bit with the help of a Sweet Blush button and trinket pins.

Just add buttons and a wooden spool with Baker's Twine and you have a quick little gift to share with a friend.

I can't wait to check out what the others have dreamed up to share with you:

• Nichole Heady
• Heather Nichols
• Dawn McVey
• Lisa Johnson
• Betsy Veldman
• Ashley Cannon Newell
• Maile Belles
• Jessica Witty
• Erin Lincoln
• Danielle Flanders

On a side note, I just wanted to pass along my love and heartfelt sympathy to the friends and family of Katie Renz.  Although I never had the privilege of meeting this remarkable woman, she touched my heart and life in ways I am so very thankful for.  I am grateful for my brief encounter with her...and for the sweet life lessons I learned through coming to know her through her blog.

Thanks for visiting.

Melis

door to door...

Welcome to November's first Papertrey Ink group post.  Today we are highlighting the new Door to Door stamp set designed by Nichole.  The set is full of images that center around the home and what greets you first, the welcoming front door.  

Nichole has also designed accompanying dies to use to create a window of sorts where the front door opens and you can peek right through to what's inside.  There are also dies available to dress up your front door or porch including a wreath, topiaries, pots, plants, pumpkins, flowers, and a banner fit for just the right sentiment for your creation.

I chose to create something in an Easter theme for my project and used one of Papertrey Ink's Nugget Tins with a clear top.  Last year you may have remembered me using Krylon Celery paint on just about everything....well, since they have discontinued that color, I had to find a new love. Catalina Mist from Krylon is even more beautiful...you'll love it.  I sprayed my tin and distressed the edges with ink, and then coated it with mica flakes.  The front of the tin is embellished with the Parisian Lace die, Aqua Mist Swiss Dot Satin, a Sweet Blush button, and the new Door to Door stamps.  

I created a miniature Spring crafting kit and included pastel buttons, vintage trims, flowers, speckled eggs, vintage inspired postcards found at After Midnight Design, and a handmade tag which uses the Doily Details die collection, and stamps from the Egg Hunt and Daily Designs sets.  

I also used quite a few cute things from The Little Pink Studio...you'll love shopping there too!

Thanks so much for stopping by...I know it's not even Christmas yet and here I am making something Easter-y...

Each designer has a different theme to create for and has projects waiting to share with you as well:

• Nichole Heady
• Heather Nichols
• Dawn McVey
• Lisa Johnson
• Betsy Veldman
• Ashley Cannon Newell
• Maile Belles
• Jessica Witty
• Erin Lincoln
• Danielle Flanders

mama said...

Mama said there would be days like this, make that weeks like this...but, we're all coming out of it just fine.

My little one came down with a high fever Sunday morning which lasted until Wednesday afternoon. After taking her into the Dr. on Monday we found she had a horrible case of Strep.  It's been so hard for me to understand how she's been feeling, but just looking at her has broken my heart.  She's missed a week of school and I've bribed her, baked for her, and tried spoiling her with anything at all that she would consider eating, but no, not 5 days into it anyway.

Things I've loved about this week:

Having her here with me.  I do so love my little one, my buddy, my shadow...everything about her. My brother called me today and thought I should be nutty by now, but I told him, I'd go nutty when she went back to school next week and I was without her again.  My life is full when my little one is home.

Slowing down...taking time to hold her, kiss her, and listen to all that she needs instead of rushing from here to there.  Have I been productive this week...nope, not with my to-do list, but as her mama, yes I have.

There is something so endearing about caring for someone who needs you and finding something or doing something that makes them feel better, even if it's temporary.  It fills my heart and makes me want to do more.  Motherhood is amazing even in the middle of the night, stumbling around in the dark, rushing to help, wiping tears, rocking her back to sleep...I would never trade it for anything. My heart grows leaps and bounds with each moment I get to be hers and she is mine.

Phone calls from my mom...I have lived for them this week.  Just to talk to her and hear her voice and laugh with her.  She is priceless.

I am slowly coming to terms with the knowledge that I will only get to be a mama once.  It has been the very hardest and most painful realization for me to endure, but my little one makes the hurt go away, the journey so worthwhile.  I consider it a gift to be her mother, and each day a sweet, sweet present. Now if I could only make time slow down a little so life didn't pass by so quickly.

Tonight's project is something I made for Emma's Paperie.  It originally stemmed from the idea of adding a punch to a brown bag so that you could see directly through the bag...very fun.  I'll be trying it with different punches as time goes on.  I added some Jillibean Soup paper and embellishments, trims, and all sorts of things to create gift pouches.

I've got the supplies used and instructions listed for you HERE at Emma's Paperie.

Thanks so much for coming by.

Melis

 

wrap it pretty...

Our focus over the last couple of weeks at Emma's Paperie has been on Crate Paper products.  I love, love, love Crate Paper anything, so it was lots of fun to come up with a little project to share using one of their collections.

I used paper strips cut from coordinating paper from the Snow Day collection and dressed up a simple Kraft coffee bag.  I looped layers of these paper strips to form a big, cheery bow for the top of the package and then added in looped ribbon to make it even a bit fuller.  Petaloo berries were added to create more dimension, and then a tag and fabric brad were used to finish off the package.  Just by changing the colors or sentiment on the tag you could easily take this bag from a Happy Birthday package to a package for Christmas, a baby shower, wedding, etc.

The chipboard is also from the Snow Day and Restoration collections.

For a complete list of supplies, please visit the Emma's Paperie blog.

Before I go, have you heard about these cookies yet?  Caramel Apple Cookies?

My little one has been sick the last couple of days, and so today we were having plenty of time snuggling on the couch and these little babies popped up on the news channel.  Her eyes lit right up and now we just have to give them a try.  I think they look heavenly.

The photo and recipe are from Scrambledhenfruit.

Night.

Melis

 

lucky girl...

It's time to announce the lucky winner of the i-top tool...I always hate and love this part all at the same time.  I know how stinky it is to not see your name as the winner, but am happy to have been able to give away something fun like this.  Thank you Imaginisce and to all of you who stopped by and left a comment.  The winner was chosen randomly and is...................Patty O'Malley!  Congratulations Patty.  I'll be in touch to get your address and will have the tool shipped to you. 

Sorry I can't give each of you one...if you do end up grabbing you an i-top, I promise you'll love it.  I can't put mine down.  I'm afraid it has  pushed me right over the edge, straight into a new fetish.

Tonight's project uses it once again...this time a brad covered in paper.  Yep...paper covered brads I think are just as delicious as the fabric variety.  I tried one out and that's all it took.  I used the Jillibean Soup 6 Bean Soup collection on this....another new favorite find for me. 

I've received a few notes asking where I purchased the burlap-y looking ribbon, which is officially called Jute Ribbon.  Anyway, I've got a link for you....Stampington once again.  Such a pretty store.

Hope your weekend has been wonderful.

Melis

 

the year's last, loveliest smile...

I'm back with a few simple projects using the i-top from Imaginisce.  If you haven't entered to win the i-top giveaway, please leave a comment on THIS post from yesterday.  I'll select a winner randomly and will announce them here on my blog tomorrow night around 9:00 p.m. MST-ish :)

I stuffed little muslin bags purchased from Stampington.com with glassine bags filled with chocolates.  The vintage images I used are from iralamija and are so beautiful.  

The burlap bows make a perfect fall accent and are topped with fabric covered brads using just bits and pieces of fabric I have saved.

The tags are stamped using Papertrey Ink's Friendship Jar Fall Fillers and Tag-its #7 stamp sets.   

Each bag uses vintage trims, tea-stained tags and fabric.

The chipboard leaves are from Maya Road and have been painted, sanded, stitched, and then coated in glitter.

So fun to fill with fall treats.

(photo from tenjunblog)

(photo from firstlightphoto)

(photo from flickr)

(photo from bhg)

(photo from laurieannas)

(photo from stylehive)

(photo from thecookingofjoy)

 

Off to get to work...it's snowing outside, the fire is roaring, and life is good.

Night.

Melis

 

spreading a little cheer....

Today I have a fun giveaway for you...spreading a little holiday happiness.  I was recently given the opportunity to use the new I-Top Button and Brad Maker by Imaginisce.  I knew I would love it even before experimenting with it.  How fun would it be to make my own fabric, trim, burlap, and paper covered brads and buttons!  After using it, I love it even more because it is so easy to use and it comes in handy for paper-crafting, sewing, and so many other crafting projects.  

I created some simple embellishments for my card today using the I-Top and some tiny scraps of tea-stained fabric I had in my stash.  How fun to create coordinating handmade brads and mix them in with other things I love using.

I also used a sweet vintage ticket from Made by Janet, a Melissa Frances resin key, vintage trims and buttons, the Christmas Poinsettia stamp and die collection from Papertrey Ink, and also the Tag Sale #5 die also from Papertrey Ink.  The scrunched seam binding is from Memriemare.

So...today, I get to give away one of these fun gadgets plus some accessories to help get you started. Don't think that this tool is just for paper-crafting.  Imagine fabric covered buttons, magnets, embellishments for quilts, purses, headbands, pins, etc.  I have many other projects planned for you using this tool, so stay tuned.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on my blog and then if you are on Facebook, hop on over and "like" the new i-top.  

Thanks for your visit!

Melis

sweet abundance...

Such a lovely and loving time of year.  I'm sad to see October go, but happy for what November represents and encourages us to think about and celebrate.

I'm here with another Sizzix Fresh Vintage project, this time using the darling Scoreboard Caddy die.  

I created a mini card set that nestles inside the caddy.  Melissa Frances 5th Avenue paper and tags were used on these cards along with a resin applique and pom pom trim.  I also used Simple Stories paper, vintage dictionary paper, trim, and buttons, tea stained twill, Prima trim, scrunched seam binding from Memriemare and My Craft Spot.

The caddy  holds three small cards just perfectly and is sturdy enough to sit or hang.  Such an easy die to assemble and so much fun to dress up to your personal taste.

I used a printable collage sheet from Made by Janet, and Papertrey Ink stamps including the Just for You and Tag-its #3 sets.

The chipboard tags are from Maya Road and have been painted, distressed, and glittered.

There are two giveaways going on today in conjunction with today's Sizzix die.  The first is at Oh My Crafts where they are giving away a Flower Layer #9 die, and the second at Julie McGuffee's blog where she is giving away a collection of crafty items.

Thanks so much for visiting.  There are many other designers using this same die today, so just click on the Hop Forward or Hop Backward links above on my left sidebar and continue on your way.

The clouds are starting to pile up this afternoon, the wind gusting, and I LOVE it!  Tonight we'll have a fire and something warm to eat for dinner.

Melis