Melanie's Celebration Hop!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Hope you had a safe and wonderful New Year's Celebration to ring in the New Year! I am still pinching myself that it is a brand new year that is starting! I am hoping to make it all year long with resolutions that I hope are realistic! Today Melanie Muenchinger is celebrating two years of blogging and illustrating for Gina K Designs, and today she has invited 25 designers

and YOU to join the partaaaay!

I was totally honored to design for Melanie's beautiful set called: The Best things in Life - which has a ton of different words, sentiments that can be mixed around to create a card or scrapbook page or layout for whatever occasion that you would like!

This card is created for one of my friend's who is having a little baby girl in a couple of months. I am so excited to meet her and am sure that she will be beautiful just like her mama :). I paired the sentiment in this card with Melanie's beautiful set:Hand in Hand. I loved making this card and am so honored to be part of this amazing hop with so many amazing designers!!!!

Congratulations Melanie on blogging and designing!! Can't wait to see what yummies you have cooked up for 2010!!! To see all the stamp sets that Melanie has created: First hop through the following designer's blogs who will be using every set that she has created since Jan 2008, from the first to the 25th! And then go to Melanie's blog to leave a comment for a chance to win a number of different prizes!!! So let's get hopping!!!

Here We Go !!!

Just So Hippy- Charmaine

Just So Hoppy- Donna

What's in Your Tin 1 & 2 Donna

Hip Hop Accessories- Bee

Jumping for Joy- Barb

Cuddles and Hugs- Jessie

Little Tees- Cat

Just So Sporty- Pam

A Year of Flowers- Theresa

Say it with Flowers- Selma

Have a Cookie- Carolina

Tee Talk- Gabby

Hand in Hand- Ally

The Best Things in Life- Shannon, Sankari <------------ That's Me!!!!

A Charmed Life- Cathy

Wee Tees- Libby, Laura Jean

Arranged with Love- Selma

Sporty Accessories- Tina

Inspiration Mosaic- Jennie

School Sports Spirit- Melissa

A Year of Leaves- Geri

Hip to Be Square- Karen

Festive Frame- Linda

Tech Talk- Leestrong

And Finally, Nina and Jessica from GinaK Senior Design Team have joined in, too!
You can also get in on the hop yourself and increase your chances of winning a prize by creating your own project with any one of Melanie's sets and linking it in the Mr. Linky in her post, see full details here. Hope you can join the fun! Enjoy your first hop of the year!

Wishing you a most AMAZING new year!!!

Thanks for stopping by today!!!

Big hugs!

Sankari :)

A Best Wishes Blog Hop for Our dear Melanie!

Good Evening Everyone, 

It is with a sad heart :( that we at Paper Craft Planet Design Team says goodbye to one of our Super Novas - Melanie Muenchinger. Melanie has been part of the Design Team since Paper Craft Planet was created and she is one of my stamping idols and an amazing source of inspiration and creativity. With mounting family and designing commitments, she needs to scale back on her other teams to focus on illustrating for Gina K Designs.   But since this is not really “goodbye”, the PCP ladies are throwing a little going away "Best Wishes" bash in the form of a blog hop today featuring  two sets designed by Melanie:  "A Year of Leaves” or“School, Sports, Spirit!”  

And it wouldn't be a party without some party favors right? Well, Gina K is sponsoring a challenge this week on Paper Craft Planet with a chance to win one of Melanie’s newest sets! Upload a new project you create with a "Best Wishes" or  good luck theme to the PCP gallery by Monday night 10PM EST, with the tag GKDBW.  (Here is a tutorial on adding pictures to the gallery, if you need it.)

A winner will be announced Tuesday, that person will win their choice of “"A Year of Leaves” or
“"School, Sports,Spirit!”>  Hope you will play the challenge!

Here is what I made  with Melanie's gorgeous stamp set: "A Year of Leaves”: 
This one is for you Melanie: I wish for you all BLESSINGS all the time - for you and for your beautiful family! You are such a sweeeeet heart - and we wish you all of life's wonderful blessings my friend!!! I used Lynn's sketch this week over at PCP for this card (SK090509) and realized after I made it that it didn't really follow the sketch afterall... lol! sorry Lynn - I can't follow directions :)

Card Details:

Paper: Papertrey Autumn Abundance

Ink: Adirondack Expresso

Stamps:"A Year of Leaves” from Gina K

Accessories: gel pen, dimensionals, bling from K & Co.

I absolutely love this stamp set - and the sentiments that Melanie has created to go with these beautiful leaves that she has illustrated are simply amazing -they go right to the heart! So I created a few more for tonight's little part-aaay!

The sentiment in this card reads: "What the Caterpillar calls the end of the World, the Master calls a Butterfly..." how absolutely beautiful! Love that sentiment! I used the SCS sketch this week for this card - and changed it up also... what is it about not following sketches and me?

Card Details:

Paper: Jillibean and from stash

Ink: Adirondack Expresso

Stamps:"A Year of Leaves” from Gina K

Accessories: ribbon from Taylored Expressions, gel pen, dimensionals, liquid pearls

Here is one more card - I just loved the sentiment which reads: The Fall of a Leaf is a Whisper to the Living. How beautiful is that sentiment... love it! And since I can't follow directions with sketches - I decided to not use one for this card - lol! 

Card Details:

Paper: Jillibean and from stash

Ink: Adirondack Expresso

Stamps:"A Year of Leaves” from Gina K

Accessories: ribbon from Taylored Expressions, circle punch from CM, gel pen, dimensionals, 

corner rounder, copics

Melanie - it has been an honor to be on this design team with you and I wish you and your family all the very best. You are truly an inspiration! And it isn't a goodbye since I will be stalking your blog!!! Big hugs to you Melanie and continued success in everything that you do!!! 

Please see more beautiful samples the Supernovas created with these new sets of Melanie:

Adela Rossol, 

Lynn Mercurio

Kim Burmeister

Wendy Price

Jen Tapler

Tammy Hershberger

Erika Martin

Lori Tecler

Jessica Fick

Susanna Boyd

and don't forget to check out Melanie's Blog for more of her amazing work!!! 

Check out our challenge gallery for Melanie!

Thanks so much for stopping in tonight!! Can't wait to see your creations!!

Big hugs!

Sankari :)

I {heart} my homeies :) (some fun challenges from my buddies at PCPlanet :)

Good Morning Everyone,

I seriously don't know how this week is flying by - work has been so busy that it has been tough to find pockets to craft and I was also having no mojo these past few days. Anytime the mojo runs out - its always nice to do some challenges because its such a great way to get it back :) So I did a few of the challenges over at Paper Craft Planet created by some of my homegirlzzz :)

The first one was from the first 3D challenge over at Paper Craft Planet - this one was a challenge from Adela to create something out of a regular tin can (like a 8oz can of something)... I loved this challenge of taking something from your pantry and just altering it... so I cleaned out a can and peeled the sticky paper off and started to alter it. I totally LOVE the stamps that Melanie had released called the Best Things in Life. This is such a versatile set and is perfect for every occaision because you can mix and match the words to suit your every needs. Melanie's stamps are awesome - and at first I just couldn't decide what I wanted the sentiments to say - but then since I was working with a tin can - I went with the words: The Best things in Life are in a tin :) and decided to make a quick little spring basket full of treats and the person can later use it for something in their house :) 

This was SUCH a simple and quick project - it was no more than a 20-25 minute project. Just some pretty paper, some ribbon, ink and primas - and voila - a gift (filled with yummy gummy bunnys :) that can be used for other things after the bunnys are gone :) Check out this set and also Melanie's newest stamp sets also over at Gina K. (you have to check out all of  Gina's newest releases also -- talk about Ka-Ute!!!!). You can check out the gallery over at Paper Craft Planet with all the can-fabulous creations :) 

I love these 3-D challenge - it seriously gets me out of my box - and the challenge this week is from my homegirl Tammy - who challenged us to make this cute basket box. You can find all the deets over at Cambria Turnbrow's  page on how to make the box - You have to try this out (all you need is a 5 x 5 piece of paper). If you play along this week, please upload to Paper Craft Planet with the tag 3d4.  This first box was so much fun to make - I kept it simple because I loved the design of the paper. 

Then I couldn't stop... and tried it out with DP that has patterns on either side to see what that would look like... I totally loved that you can create two different boxes with the same DP - and still I can create two more boxes from the same DP!!! now that's awesome that you can create 4 boxes with one 12 x 12!!!

The next one I created as something just very simple - but then I saw that I had this leeeetle scrap of this pretty DP that I had in my stash - so I just adorned the sides of the box and made it my handle also.

it is sooooo easy peasy - and I bet you can't just make one --- I totally couldn't as you can see:

Next - I COULDN"T stop!!! These were waaaay to cute and sooo much fun!! and SO FAST!!!!  This time, I thought I could make a little drawer... so I made two boxes and punched out a little tab using a 1" punch. I made a bigger box using the same template to make the mini boxes and then decorated it with some papers, flowers and liquid pearls :) SO quick!!!  I made this as a little thing that could sit at my DH's desk at work. 

What is hilarious - is that I was trying to use some primary colors that looked more masculine... but see, I just can't do masculine... it always ends up with dots and flowers :) But, I am glad that he likes it :) You can fill it with all kinds of stuff, but I thought that since its sitting at his desk, I would fill it with some paper clips and some binder clips for him. 

I need to make one for my desk and fill it with a secret stash of yum yums for crafting time :) I hope you can play along (it seriously only takes about maybe 7 minutes to make a box and then you have all the possibilities open to how to adorn it :) If you play along at PCPlanet - please upload with the tag 3d4. And guess what? Next, week its my turn to be the hostess of this challenge - so stay tuned next tuesday for another challenge over at the planet :)

The last challenge that I did was Jen's Scrappy Sunday challenge over at Paper Craft Planet. Every Sunday, Jen creates an awesome sketch to get scrappy with it :) I LOVE Jen's style and allows me to get my scrap mojo on so easily.  As you probably know, I am using Jen's sketch to create a book for my daughter - every week I use one of her sketches and use the same papers, style of photos etc, so that I can keep scrappbooking  - I am sooo excited that I have three pages already done!! YAY!

I LOVE these papers - these are from Taylor's Easter Key Ingredient's Kit! They are just awesome - and I LOVE these colors and embellishments. The kit comes with DP, coordinating cardstock, brads, flower embellies and coordinating ribbon! It makes doing these scrapbook pages so easy and fun! I also used the calendar stand that Taylor has at her store - which has been a fun way to display these pages, because every week, I am adding a new page and so it changes the home decor every week - and my kids love seeing themselves displayed :) This was a fun page to do for her - showing a favorite thing that they always do - sitting by the window playing and laughing....

I love this pic of the two of them together... I love watching them play and was so happy that I captured this moment between them, they were just sitting so nicely on the window sill, and were telling each other stories. I still don't like my handwriting, but I am trying to get over the fact that I don't like my handwriting on pages, by writing something on each page = on this page I wrote: My heart always melts when I see you both playing together, I love seeing you both laughing at your private jokes - May you always be best friends.

These sketches are so fun and quick! I have made all my pages 6 x 6 because I always get intimidated by the big space of a 12  x 12 - so these pages come together really quick! If you play along this week - then you can upload to the Scrappy Sunday album for this week with the tag: sb031509

If you are still reading this - then you totally deserve a medal!! lol! I hope you check out all the awesome challenges over at Paper Craft Planet and also that you check out Melanie's new release and all the awesome Key Ingredients and other products that are fresh out of the oven at Taylor's!!! 

Tomorrow is Taylor's Friday Cupcake Challenge (yay!) You could win a FREE set of Taylor's Tiny Twinkles - all you have to do is to participate in her sketch challenge and upload it to Paper Craft Planet - for more details - stay tuned to Taylor's blog tomorrow!!!!

Are ya'll excited that its almost Friday? You know I am!!! 

Thank you so much for visiting my little corner :)

Ciao for now :)

Sankari :)

The Best things in Life are....

Good Morning Everyone,

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! I am so excited to share with you some exciting news! In December, I participated in Melanie Muenchinger's Hand-in-Hand sentimental journey challenge to create a card/project where hands are being featured. The winner of her challenge would get to be a guest desinger for Melanie in January and feature her latest stamps that are being released in January. I was soooo happy when Melanie selected my scrapbook layout and I got to be part of the release party of her newest stamps for Gina K. Designs. Melanie just released her newest set of awesome stamps called the The Best in Life.

Melanie is the senior illustrator at Gina K. Designs and has some amazing stamps that she has created and her blog: Hands, Head and Heart is just filled with amazing cards, projects and stories. Check out all of Melanie's stamps here and check out all of Gina K.'s amazing products here.She is someone whose work I have totally admired and I was so excited to be picked! YAY! Thank you Melanie!

Her newest stamps are sentiments that express what the best things in life are - they are sooo versatile and I just loved playing with them! you can mix and match sentiments and create your own new phrase of what the best things in life are. Melanie just posted a tip sheet on how you can use the stamps and what some different ideas for them are - you can check out her tip sheet here. Here are two cards that I created using her stamps:

This first one - I created using Melanie's The Best things in Life stamps and Gina's Warm and Cozy Christmas stamps and mixed the two together using Julee's awesome Mojo Monday sketch #70 I really loved making this card - because it was something I wanted to give to my MIL who is always so supportive and always such great care of our kids. These two little munckins in the their coats look just like our son and daughter. I loved the sentiment - from God - because no matter what your religious beliefs - children are a miracles. I paper pieced all the children's clothing and added alot of dimensionals to the card.

The second one - I created a card for a very special friend and the sentiment that I created from Melanie's stamps are: "The Best things in Life are shared" - I loved this! This card was created using the colors (black, kraft and pink) from the fabulous ladies at the Color Throwdown and uses Jen del Muro's sketch from last week.


I loved using Melanie's stamps for this card for my friend. She is such a sweetheart and is always sharing and taking care of others. The sundae's on the card have liquid pearl and the glass on the sundae's have a liquid glaze on them. I have so many ideas spinning around in my head on projects to use with Melanie's stamps - there are so many.

The thing that i like the best about her stamps is that she has sentiments that really fit everything you could want to describe and share in a card or layout or project. They are just so versatile. Please go check out Melanie's stamps and her awesome blog! She is not only an amazingly talented artist - but after having a chance to email back and forth and talk with her on the phone (we have to do it longer next time Melanie! :) she is just so sweet, kind and encouraging. I absolutely adore her!

I hope your sunday is restful and relaxing!! My sunday is unfortunately looking like a laundry kind of day - oh well! :) Hopefully, I can get some stamping done too!

Thanks for visiting!
Ciao for now!
Sankari :)