Melanie's Two Year Anniversary Hop!

Melanie Muenchinger is celebrating two years of blogging and illustrating for Gina K Designs, and ringing in the new year with a huge blog party!

I am featuring A Year of Flowers, one of my all time favorite stamp sets. I especially love to color and this is one of my favorite sets to color. Details about how I made the card are below.

Today Melanie has invited 25 designers and YOU to join the party! First hop through the following designers' blogs using every set she has created since January 2008, from the first to the 25th! 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 (you are here!)

Say it with Flowers-Selma

Have a Cookie-Carolina

Tee Talk-Gabby

Hand in Hand-Ally

The Best Things in Life-Shannon, Sankari

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- Lee



Finally, Nina and Jessica from the 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!

To do the reflection technique, I first stamped a partial image of the rose on my mirror image stamp. Then I stamped that on my cardstock.

Next, I used my stamp positioner to stamp the rose above the reflection.

Then I stamped the stem and leaf, first in Tuxedo black for the main image, then in London Fog for the reflection. I didn't bother using the mirror image stamp for these two images, since they were easy to flip around the other direction and appear to be a reflection.

I used Copics to color, starting with R29 in the darkest areas.

Added R22.

Filled in with R20.

For the reflected rose, I started with R27 in the darkest areas, so the reflection would be just a bit lighter.

Added R22.

Filled in with R20.

Next, I used some grays to add some shading under the rose, starting with N3.

Added N5.

Added N7.

Used G24 on the leaf and stem.

Used YG95 to add some shading to the main stem and leaf.

Next, I heat embossed the entire image and reflection with clear embossing powder. I used my Versa Mark pen over both images so the embossing powder would stick.

I masked off the bottom portion of my cardstock and then sponged Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

Removed the mask and did some more sponging with black, this time more lightly, to make it look like the rose was placed on a table or counter.

Here is a look at the inside of the card. The sentiment is from Say It With Flowers. I stamped it with Tuxedo Black ink and then stamped the rose over it, using Memento Ladybug Red, stamped off once.

And here is the finished card again. I layered with Pure Luxury White, Black Onyx and Rocket Red and used a Rocket Red cardbase. I used Pure Luxury Organdy Ribbon to accent and used an EK Success slimline border punch.

Have fun hopping! I hope you have a safe and fun new year!!!