Mondays with Melissa: Make Your Sentiments Take Center Stage

We are excited to share a new version of Make It Monday called Mondays with Melissa! We all enjoy Melissa Phillips eye-catching designs in her soft, shabby chic signature style. Today, Melissa shares creative tips on ways to use your paper crafting supplies to design amazing projects.

Hello!  I have a couple of cards to share with you today using a fun technique to help make your sentiments take center stage.  My cards uses the Emboss Resist technique…which is a favorite of mine, but not one that I often use for my sentiments.

On my first card, I stamped my sentiment on a die cut heart, cut using the Limitless Layers:  2 1/4″ Hearts die collection.  I began by stamping “love” from the Sentiment Staples:  I Love You stamp set using watermark ink.  I then heat embossed it using white embossing powder.

Next, I sponged on Aqua Mist ink and allowing the sentiment to become visible.  I sponged Pale Peony ink over the bottom portion of my heart and then added a bit of water to create a soft, watercolor feel.  Once my heart had dried, I added the second portion of my sentiment, stamped in Ocean Tides ink.  I then added the “hugs” die cut, cut using the Bold Borders:  Polka Dots die, cut from Berry Sorbet cardstock.

To create my card, I started with Sweet Blush cardstock and then added patterned paper to the front.  I love the softness that rounded corners adds, so for this card, I rounded my bottom corners.

Next, I added Bitty Big Spring Moss paper across the bottom half of the card.

I added an Aqua Mist block of cardstock to the center of my card, stamping it with the Vintage Type stamp set, stamping with Hawaiian Shores ink.

To create a spot for my stamped heart to rest, I used the Shape Shifters:  Square 4 die, cut from Stamper’s Select White cardstock.  I added stamped flowers from the Seasonal Borders:  Spring stamp set in two of the corners.  I added a bit of my favorite aqua seam binding as well, because I thought this card just needed a bow :).

My stamped heart with the sentiment was added next, tying in all of the lovely, fresh colors used on the rest of my card.  To finish I added aqua sequins.

I love the softness of the emboss resist sentiment, mixed with the bold die cut “hugs”.

Supplies:

• STAMPS:  Sentiment Staples:  I Love You, Seasonal Borders:  Spring, Vintage Type
• INK:  Aqua Mist, Sweet Blush, Pale Peony, Hawaiian Shores, Berry Sorbet, Spring Moss, Fine Linen, Hibiscus Burst, Ocean Tides
• PAPER:  Aqua Mist, Stamper’s Select White, Sweet Blush, Bitty Big Spring Moss
• DIES:  Shape Shifters:  Square 4, Limitless Layers:  Hearts, Bold Borders:  Polka Dots
• OTHER:  patterned paper, seam binding, sequins, white embossing powder, watermark ink

I used the gorgeous Circle of Love stamp set on my next card.  I began by stamping a few of the florals in the lower left and upper right corners.  I stamped using Pale Peony, Lemon Tart, Berry Sorbet, Ripe Avocado, and Spring Moss ink.

In the opposite corners, I used the Corner Adorner:  January Mini stamp set, stamping in Spring Moss ink.

To create my focal point where my sentiment would be, I began by  using the Nesting Basics:  Ovals and Nesting Basics:  Pierced Ovals.   I then stamped my florals using Olive Twist ink and added the solid florals stamped in Spring Moss, Prairie Grass, Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise, and Berry Sorbet.

I then stamped my sentiment using watermark ink to the center of another die cut circle.  After heat embossing it with white embossing powder, I sponged on Summer Sunrise and Pale Peony ink.  I love how it makes the sentiment stand out but remain soft and subtle as well.

To finish I added my oval to the center of my card, adding a few sequins to bring in a little shine.

Once my card was finished, I felt like it was missing just one more little addition.  So, to step up my card I used the Delicate Dies, cutting them from Stamper’s Select White cardstock.  I snipped them in half and trimmed them just a bit before tucking them under my sentiment.

I love the addition that one more layer adds, and by cutting it from white cardstock, you get the intricate details, without it overpowering your card.

Supplies:

• STAMPS:  Circle of Love, Corner Adorner:  January
• INK:  Lemon Tart, Spring Moss, Prairie Grass, Olive Twist, Pale Peony, Berry Sorbet, Summer Sunrise
• PAPER:  Stamper’s Select White, Sweet Blush, Bitty Big Spring Moss
• DIES:  Delicate Dies, Nesting Basics:  Ovals, Nesting Basics:  Pierced Ovals, Nesting Basics:  Circles
• OTHER:  watermark ink, white embossing powder, sequins

I hope you’ll put your favorite sentiment stamps to use this week and try a bit of embossing as you design your card.

Thanks for visiting!

Melis