Beautiful You Inspiration from Melinda Thompson

Hello to you all 🙂

I have recently completed a project using the very gorgeous “Beautiful You” paper collection as well as lots of stunning blooms! This paper range begs to be fussy cut so I cut out some of the flowers in the paper and arranged them on my layout. I used plain white cardstock for the base…which is so unlike me…but these colours look amazing and so crisp against a white background.

“Time Flies”

 

Some closes ups…..love the hot pinks and bright yellows together.  I have mixed a matched flowers from new and past releases, the different sizes and styles look amazing together.  I have also used a Felt Doiley in Hot Pink and a lace flower (Lullaby) to add layers behind my photo.

 

 

Love these chipboard frames.  I have altered them by priming with Gesso first then adding some Shimmerz Inklingz in Pink a Boo and then while it was still wet I sprinkled it with some Shimmerz Enamalz in Gold Digger…its so sparkly.. 🙂 Then for added interest I added on some cute little chipboard hearts up the side.

 

 

 

 Thanks so much for stopping by today, hope you feel inspired by my creation.

 

 

 

 

Products:
Beautiful You paper collection
Vinettes – White
Wood Elements – Love Frame
Felt Doiley – Pink
Country Roses – Ivory
Country Roses – Lemon
Country Roses – Pink
Fairy Floss – Soft Pink
Razzles – Hot Pink
Sweeties
Lullaby – White

Thoughts Wandering Cards by Melinda Thompson

Hi there everyone,

 

I am back today to share with you all some sweet cards I created using the gorgeous Manor House Creations “Thoughts Wandering” paper range as well as their beautiful flowers.  I haven’t added any sentiments to the card as I will wait until they need to be used 🙂

For this card I have used cut some strips from the “Beautiful” paper and added some Silks Acrylic Paint in Ginger Flower to the background along with some water to spread it out.  Then I added my layers. How super pretty is that gorgeous pink lace flower!

 

 

 

Products Used:

Thoughts Wandering Papers
Vinette – Chestnut
Ornate Frame
French Lace (Pink)
Gelato – Cherry
Country Roses – Cerise

 

Oh I love the chipboard bike with that cute heart shaped seat…just adorable, I couldn’t wait to use it! I have painted the bike in Silks Acrylic Glaze in Iridescent Gold and then touched it up in places with some more Silks Acylic Glaze in Solar Gold as well as some glitter.  I have also used in my background a Nouveae White feature frame which I have added some gorgeous Twinkling H20’s to it for a water coloured effect. 

 

 

Products Used:

Thoughts Wandering Papers
Nouveae White Feature Frame
Gelato Cherry
Rustic
Cuties Pies – Orange
Thoughts Wandering Blossoms
Wooden Elements – Bicycle

 

This was a super quick card featuring two different frames layering one on top of the other. After I added my base papers I got the first frame which is the Botanical Frame, spritzed with some Shimmerz in Pink Stilettos and immediately turned it over onto some paper towel and pressed it down. Then I added the second ornate frame and just added some glitter to the border of it.  I also ripped the end of the Denim Rosette and let it naturally curl for a shabby look.

 

 

 

Products Used :

Thoughts Wandering Papers
Botanical White Feature Frame
Ornate Frame
Country Roses – Azure Blue
Denim Rosette
Starlight

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today 🙂

 

Inspiration from Melinda

As some of you may know I am on the Creative Team at Flying Unicorn.  Flying Unicorn are major sponsors to the challenge site – CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration! So for the month of May the Creative Team have been invited to be Special Detectives. I was given this Case File No. and couldn’t wait to add lots of MH flowers to my layout.

 

The Case File looks like this:

 

 

My take on this challenge :

“Hello Little One”

Sigh…I am still scrapping birth photos of my little boy from 8 months ago…wonder if I will ever catch up!

I am using a mixture of papers here…some really old Sass for my base paper, Maggie Holmes Crate paper and Jodie Lee Prima papers.

Lots of gorgeous flowers from Manor House which have all been altered in different ways and the “Love” Chipboard is from 2Crafty which I have covered in a few different colours from Shimmerz.

 

 

My Testimony….I used the Inspiration word “Wish” as a stepping point for my journalling.  Don’t you just love the new “Felt Doilies”.. I have used a gorgeous pink one from the Beautiful You Collection as part of my layers behind my photo.

 

 

 

 

Evidence:  Butterflies, Flowers (of course!) Swirls, Watercolour Effect, Bokeh Effect on Photo & Tiny Brads

Products Used:

Vinettes – Pink
Floral Mix – Arielle
Frilly Roses – Beetroot
Mini Roses – Pink
Gelato – Cherry
Cutie Pies – Orange
Felt Doilies – Pink

Project from Melinda Thompson

Hi my crafty friends 🙂

I am happy to share with you all a project I recently did using some of MHC’s gorgeous blue and tan-coloured flowers – MINUETTES, VINETTES & RUE…love the vintage feel to this layout.

Did you know the Flying Unicorn store also carries a wide variety of these flowers?  You can check it out HERE.

“Choose to be Happy”

Using some gorgeous Marion Smith Designs papers from the Nirvana Collection which were sent to me from the Flying Unicorn.  You can find them HERE in their store. The striped paper on top is from Pink Paislee.

Light bulb chipboard are from 2Crafty, which I have just very lightly added some Gesso and then touched them up with Gold Acrylic paint from Luminarte.

I love layering my flowers and combining different shades and sizes as well as altering them.  Here I have used some of the same Gold Acrylic paint and as well as some Shimmerz in Gold Glimmer.

Materials List:

 

Paper:  Pink Paislee & Marion Smith Designs

Flowers: Manor House Creations – Minuettes (Denim Mix), Vinettes – Chestnut, Believe Blossoms (Mix), Imagine – Light Blue, Shimmerz – Mixed

Chipboard: 2Crafty

Metal Embellishments:  Prima

Other: Gold Thread, Hemp Cord, Shimmerz, Luminarte Acrylic Paint, Hambly Studio Transparency

 

Thanks for stopping by today 🙂

 

 

Country Estate by Melinda Thompson

Hi Everyone 🙂

Melinda here with you today to share with you a layout I created using the new and fabulous papers and flowers from the Country Estate Collection.

I used the “New Day” Paper as my base and because I wanted to add lots of mediums to my background I adhered it to a piece of 12 x 12 chipboard.  This just makes the paper stronger to withhold any sort of medium that is added.  So as you can see I went a little wild with lots of mist, masking and stamping…lol!

I love the gorgeous bright colours in this new release…there is something about adding pops of colour to projects to make them stand out and of course because I was scrapping about my happy little boy who is now at the adorable age of 8 months..the bright yellows were just perfect.

I LOVE the cute chipboard hearts…here I have covered them with a light coat of Gesso and then after I had glued them down I went over parts of the edges with some mist and a fine paint brush then quickly spraying some water afterwards to tone and blend the colour as well as highlight the edges.  I have also used a Romantique Frame and tore it in a few pieces and placed it at the top of my layout for some extra texture and layering.

Hope you have managed to get your hands on some of these new release items.

Thanks for stopping by today 🙂

Products Used:

Country Estate Papers
Heart Buttons
Swirl
Romantique Frame

Vinettes – Blue (misted)
Country Roses – Lemon
Denim Blues – Dark
Denim Blues – Light
Frilly Roses – Denim (misted)
Ballarina Thoughts Wandering Mixed Pack (Yellow)
Rustic (Blue)

Layout Inspiration

Hello everyone,

Its Melinda Thompson here with you today and I am so excited to share with you one of my recent creations using the new and fabulous Manor House flowers!  I have been absent of late due to the fact that I am expecting my 3rd baby!! But I couldn’t resist doing a layout of the very first scan that I had done at 12 weeks. Aren’t they just sweet and precious pics!

Even tho we don’t know if we are having a boy or a girl, I loved creating this massive “pink” flower cluster in and around the flower vine and the added touch of the goose feather gave it a real soft feel. I also randomly went over all the flowers with a paint brush and gesso to give the layout a shabby feel.

So many wonderful textures in these new flowers.  I have teamed them up with a few flowers from the previous release.  Love how each style compliments the other.

Products Used:

Vine – Pink, Dahlia – Green, Razzles – Pink, Gelato – Cherry, Sunflower – Pink, Shades – Fuscia, Goose Feather – Pink, Facinating – Pink, Cutie Pie

Thanks so much visiting 🙂

Step x Step with Melinda – Creating Texture

Hi Everyone,

Its Melinda back with you today to share a step x step project with you.  I wanted to share a few different ways you can add a little more to your layouts.

“Adore”

Step 1 – I start off my layout by adding a little texture and dimension to my background.  Here I have used some modelling paste and a 6 x 6 Crafters Workshop template.  I have just randomly spread the modelling paste in a few different places.

Step 2 – Washi tape is another product I love to use to add extra visual interest to my layout.  Not only does it look effective, its quick and easy to add to your layout.  Here I have added a strip of paper to the centre of my background and some washi tape over the top.  I have then used some turquoise mist, sprayed in a few places and let the excess drip down the page.

Step 3 – For more texture to your layout, add in some fabric.  Here I have used a strip of aqua spotty fabric which had some loose fibres and crinkles to it (no ironing here!!).  Then I begin my paper layers.

Step 4 –  All my paper layers are distressed.  By distressing your paper, even adding in a few nicks and tears, this will lift your paper off your page.  Look for patterns and shapes in the paper range you are using and do some fussy cutting.  Here I have cut out some hexagon shapes and added some foam dots underneath to lift them off the page.   Chipboard or in my case a Studio Calico wood veneer frame is also another effective way to draw the eye to your layout.

Step 5 – Then the fun begins, sifting through my MH flower stash and finding all different styles of flowers and textures to finish off my layout. I love to cluster, so pulling flowers apart and tucking little pieces under bigger flowers creates a wonderfully balanced layout.

A few closeups… ink splatters, buttons, twine and butterflies are just a few more different ideas you can add to your layout that will give it that something ‘extra’.

MHC Products Used:

Dahlia – Blue
Powder Puff – Citrus  Mix
Petite Rose – Pink
Winter Song – Pink
Party Time – Pink

Till Next Time…

Step x Step with Melinda Thompson

Hi everyone,

To celebrate the month of LOVE, I wanted to scrap this photo of some red roses my husband surprised me with last year on Valentines Day.  As you all know I love creating interesting backgrounds to compliment my Manor House flowers as well as my photo.  So today I have a quick and easy step x step project to share with you on how I created a heart shaped textured background on my layout using some Manor House flowers.

Remember these gorgeous paper flowers….

Well I have a stash of them and I couldn’t help but think how gorgeous they would look as an awesome background. Here is the layout I created.

“Love”

Step 1 – Glue down in a heart shape your paper flowers.  These don’t have to be of the one colour or size. You will notice here I have used some purple, pink and blue flowers.  This all adds to the interest and character of your layout. Once you have these glued down, add some Gesso over the top to soften the edges. Do this with a paint brush.

Step 2 – Outline the shape of your heart with a thick coat of Gesso using a paint brush. Go over this outline as many times as you want to define the shape.

Step 3 –  Place your photo mat in a similar shape over the top.  In my case I have used a peice of heart shaped chipboard.  Can you see the texture and added interest already on my layout??

Here is a close up photo of how gorgeous the paper flowers look on the background… So in 3 simple steps you can create a unique background using your Manor House paper flowers.

Products Used: The ScrapCake Papers – My Private Happiness, Summer City, Petite Roses, Cutie Pies (misted), Blossoms, The Tropics (white) misted red.

Thanks for taking the time to visit..

Till next time…

Altered Christmas Tree with Melinda Thompson

Hello everyone,

Well it’s not long now before the jolly man in red turns up, I hope you are all organised!! This year is my first year that I am hosting a family Christmas at our house.  In previous years because we live the furthest, we always did the travelling but not this time…they are all coming our way.  So I wanted to create something special for my table centrepeice…..a little mini Christmas Tree! Isn’t it gorgeous! I had so much fun creating this and looks really magical with all the MH blooms!

Step 1 – First of all I found this funky metal Christmas tree at one of those cheap stores. This is what it originally looked like.  All the mesh and wire was perfect for adhering the flowers and other bits and pieces.

Step 2 – Randomly apply gesso over the metal areas quite thickly with a paintbrush.

Step 3 – For extra texture and interest add some texture paste and sprinkle some Shimmerz Enamalz.

Step 4 – Add ripped/distressed bandage gauze on the metal leaves….

Step 5 – Gather all your MH flowers in various colours, shapes and sizes and using strong glue, adhere them to the metal branches.

 

I have altered some of these flowers…these grey flowers were originally white, misted with TA glimmermist in Graphite and then to tone it down I lightly sprayed over the top with some Mr Heuy’s White Mist from Studio Calico.

Hope you enjoyed this really quick and easy altered Christmas Tree. I can’t wait to set up my table for Christmas lunch!

Thank you for all your support and the encouraging comments you have left me in the last 12 months…wishing you and your families a very safe and happy Christmas! Looking forward to a great 2013!

                     

Products Used: Capri – White/Sliver, Dahlia – Blue, Glitter Mini Roses – White (misted aqua), Springtime – White (misted grey), Wild Green Rose, Jubilee – White (misted aqua), Grandmas Handkerchief – White (misted aqua)

Step x step with Melinda

Hello everyone

Today I have a simple step x step to share with you.  I love adding texture and paints to my layouts, it always adds something I reckon, so I am going to show you how you can do this too.

Step 1 – First of all I have used some Pink Paislee Resist paper and have used a combination of green and blue inks to bring out the pattern in the background. Next I have sprayed some Jazz Blue TA Glimmermist, and let it run in a few places.

Step 2 – This is my favourite part…  I have placed raw chipboard directly onto the background cardstock along with my button and grabbed a smallish paint brush and just started dabbing away, getting in and around all the pieces of the chipboard.  I have also added some fabric strips at the top and bottom.

Step 3 – Once that was dry I got my Jazz Blue TA glimmermist and took the nozzle off.  With a very fine paintbrush I dipped it into the glimmermist and started painting the background cardstock close to the chipboard.  I love the shadow effect this created.  Once I was happy with that, I added some Shimmerz randomly to the top of the chipboard and also down around the sides to accentuate it even further.

Step 4 – To add some more texture to my layout I ripped pieces of my pattern paper, layered some fussy cutting with foam tape and distressed edges.  I also wanted to add some bandage gauze.  This is just your normal medical gauze which I just pulled and stretch.

Step 5 – With the bandage gauze in place, I have used the same colour paint that I used on the chipboard, which is mint green, and quite thickly just dabbed some paint on in different places over the gauze.  On top of that I have added some Shimmerz as well.

Step 6 – Add your photo and embellish with your gorgeous MH blooms and other bits and pieces.  Also just a tip…when I sprayed these beautiful white flowers with Rum Punch Glimmermist they came up far too bright, so to tone this down and give the flower a softer look, I sprayed them with some Studio Calico white mist.

Products Used: Grandma’s Handkerchief – white (misted), Dahlia – Blue, Springtime – white (misted)

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Hope you enjoyed this tutorial today.  Until next time…happy crafting :))