Fabulous Frames Blog Hop!

Good morning! Today several members of the CardMaker Blog team and Gina K. Designs team are showcasing stamps used in Melanie Muenchinger's newest book Fabulous Stamped Frames, published by Annie's. This cardmaking tutorial book features 36 projects using seven of Melanie's bold and line art frame stamp sets from Gina K. Designs. These versatile sets each contain a frame stamp large enough to fill an A2 card front, which can be rotated portrait or landscape style, along with coordinating images and sentiments, that allow both beginners and advanced crafters to enjoy endless design possibilities for year-round themes, occasions and styles. Not all sets are needed to get a ton of instruction and ideas from this book! Melanie challenged us to each put our own spin on one of the sets, so we hope you enjoy what you see today! She and Gina will be sharing videos as well to show more of the book and some of the stamps in action.

Here are the images that are included in the stamp set I used, A Beautiful Life:

A Beautiful Life has always been one of my favorites among Melanie's frame sets. I adore the tulips and the way they are laid out on the frame, plus the addition of the bee and butterfly give so many possibilities for a variety of designs and techniques.

There is also a prize! A gift certificate to use on any sets, templates, digital paper or studio cut files in Melanie's line of Gina K. Designs products. To enter, leave a comment on the blogs in our hop today. One commenter will be randomly chosen and posted Friday on Gina's Blog. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win. Finally, all seven frame stamp sets are all on sale for the first time ever. Take this opportunity to stock up on your favorites or complete your collection. See full details for the prize and the sale on Gina's blog.

Please enjoy the hop! Good luck on winning the gift certificate! Thanks for hopping today!

Melanie Muenchinger

Gina Krupsky

Cathy Tidwell

Debbie Corbari

Latisha Yoast

Lee Murphy

Michelle Woerner

AJ Otto

Sean Fetterman

Tami Mayberry

Theresa Momber

Christine Okken 

Beth Silaika

CardMaker 

To make my card, I started by stamping the frame, from A Beautiful Life, on Pure Luxury White cardstock, using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

Then I sponged around the bottom and sides using Gina K Fresh Asparagus ink.

Then sponged around the top using Gina K Sweet Corn ink.

I began coloring on the stems and leaves using my YG95 Copic marker.

Then I did a bit of shading with YG97.

I colored in both the rectangle and oval frames using my Y17 Copic marker.

Then I stamped the sentiment in the oval using Gina K Black Onyx ink.

I inked up both corners of the frame and stamped a second time on white cardstock. I planned to color and then cut out the tulip only, so I didn't bother inking up the whole image.  I started my coloring of the tulips using Y13.

Then I added Y17.

Blended in some YR07.

Then a final bit of shading with R08. After coloring, I cut out each of the tulips and adhered to the frame background, using dimensional adhesive squares.

I stamped a few bees, then colored with my Y17 and B00 Copic markers. I cut out the bees after coloring.

The bees (I wound up only using two) were adhered to the background. Then I adhered it all to a 4 ¼ by 5 ½ inch, Pure Luxury Dark Chocolate card base.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Always In My Heart Tutorial

Hello! This card was made using images from By The Sea 2.

I started by stamping the nautilus shell on Gina K Pure Luxury Ivory using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

I began coloring with my E15 Copic marker.

Then added E31.

And filled in with E00. After coloring, I cut out the image.

For the background, I began sponging with Memento Angel Pink.

Then sponged with Memento Desert Sand.

Sponged, very lightly, with Memento Bahama Blue.

Sponged at the top with Memento Summer Sky.

I placed sticky notes as a mask at the top, then sponged with my black sponge dauber, just using the residual ink left on the dauber so it would be very light.

I switched the mask to cover the bottom, then sponged Memento Lulu Lavender.

Next, I used an E31 Copic marker to draw in a surf line.

Blended out a bit with Na.

Then added some waves with B00.

Stamped "Always" at the top with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

Then stamped the remainder of the sentiment with Memento Bahama Blue.

I adhered the shell to the scene and used BV000 to add a shadow below it.

I layered with a piece of Pure Luxury Black Onyx cardstock and used Ocean Mist for the card base (4 ¼ by 5 ½ inches).

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day!

 Hello! I have another Up and Away card, but this one doesn't have a hot air balloon in it. I was in the mood for something in autumn colors and I used the two trees in the set to create this scene.

 First I trimmed Pure Luxury Ivory cardstock to 2 3/4 by 4 1/4 inches, then I used a corner rounder on the corners. Next I sponged Gina K Fresh Asparagus ink.

 Then sponged Gina K Honey Mustard ink.

 I stamped the wavy grass (from Up and Away) using Gina K Fresh Asparagus, but I stamped off first to make the image lighter.

 I stamped both trees using Memento Espresso Truffle.

 Then began coloring the trunks using E27 Copic marker.

 Filled in the trunks using E31.

 Then I used YG91 and YG93 at the base of the trunks and spreading outward to create a shadow.

 For the foliage, I began with E35.

 Then added YR14.

 Added Y21. By this color I was mostly using a stippling motion to lay down a multitude of dots with my color.

Then adde YG93, again mainly by coloring by placing a bunch of dots, so a more textured look. I added some extra shading by adding E15.

I then stamped the wavy grass a bit more, using Gina K Fresh Asparagus ink, but this time I didn't stamp off, so the grass looks to be more in the foreground. I used Spellbinders® Labels Twenty-nine to cut Pure Luxury Dark Chocolate, to layer and used a Honey Mustard card base (4 ¼ by 5 ½ inches). The sentiment is stamped directly on the card base, using Memento Espresso Truffle.

Thanks for dropping by. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Peachy Hello Tutorial

Hello there! I have another tutorial featuring images from Up and Away.

To begin my card, I cut and embossed Pure Luxury Ivory cardstock with Spellbinders® Grand Decorative Ovals One smallest die template, then sponged Gina K Innocent Pink ink while still in the die template.

Then I sponged Gina K Sweet Corn over the pink to get a nice peach color.

Then I removed the die cut from the die template and stamped the sentiment using Memento Rich Cocoa.

Next, I stamped the two larger hot air balloons on Pure Luxury Ivory, using Memento Tuxedo Rich Cocoa.

I began coloring the larger balloon with my R08 Copic marker.

Added R05.

Filled in with R02.

For the horizontal band I used YR12 and for the basket I used E35.

For the smaller balloon I started with E95.

Filled in with E93.

Used E97 on the basket.

Then I used R22 on every other stripe. After coloring, I cut out both of the hot air balloons.

I stamped the clouds with Memento Rich Cocoa.

Then I shaded with E31. I used my blender pen to soften the edges of the coloring. After coloring, I cut out the clouds.

I added a bit of sparkle to the hot air balloons with my Stardust Glitter Pen.

All the cut out images were adhered to the oval using 3D Foam Squares from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L™. The  card base is Pure Luxury Ivory, 4 ¼ by 5 ½ inches. I embossed a frame to the front of the card base with Spellbinders A2 Matting Basics A. The oval was also adhered with 3D Foam Squares.

Thanks for dropping by. I hope you have a wonderful day!