Melisa Waldorf is our wonderfully talented guest designer for the month of July. You’re in for another treat as she shares her fabulous French-styled ideas featuring Layers of Color!

Wow! Look at this beauty!  For this card, Melisa used Vintage Roses for the focal point and Touch of Elegance for the feminine French patterning. I especially love the details that make this card shine! The glitter on the urn, the fussy cutting, and using lined and printed paper instead of solid background.  I love how Melisa has used a limited color palette  to make this very attractive greeting. …beautifully done!

Oo, la la, I love this very French-styled gift bag! I’d say this is a present in itself! Melisa has embossed Old World Flourish on the body of the gift bag. Royal Birds and Merci Bouquet are showcased on the lightly distressed scrolled tag in a single color, giving them the look of old French Toile fabric.  And then it’s perfectly topped off with sheer ribbon and a delicate punched edge. C’est tres jolie, Melisa!

May your day have many beautiful layers of color,

Today I’m featuring a wonderful woman, lovely friend and talented designer,

Abby Bastedo

Her work is the ultimate in feminine style. Delicate laces, ruffled ribbons and sweet flowers adorn most of her beautiful creations. She thinks, and probably dreams, out-of-the-box. Her unique ideas and romantic touches draw women in, her sweet words and thoughts keep us coming back for more. Abby’s love of the details of life combined with her naturally creative mind and talented hands create a world of pretty little things that I call, Abbylicious!

And now I’ll let her marvelous art inspire you through these special pieces that she’s created using Layers of Color art stamps…

Paper purse with Vintage Roses as handles.

A floral wreath card made with Vintage Roses.

A mini message board featuring roses made with Vintage Roses.

(See Abby’s blog for the flower how-to)

A lovely place to tuck in a calling card or love note.

A memory album made with love and a dove of hope from Royal Birds.

Dreams of a fairytale dress adorned with Vintage Roses.

Journal pages or stationary stamped with Royal Birds from a princess’s desk.

This Royal Bird captures the essence of a romantic times.

So beautifully created and shared, Abby. Thank you from our hearts for the inspiration!… Now follow me as I stroll along the lovely and dreamy paths of Abby’s Garden.

I’m thrilled to announce Grace Nywening as our new card designer!

A warm welcome to you, Grace!

You add inspiring card ideas and spiritual strength to our team!

Isn’t this stunning? It looks like a Victorian heirloom!

Grace made it out of paper featuring Merci Bouquet art stamp set and dry embossing. Beautifully made, Grace!!

Please visit Grace’s Layers of Color art gallery where you’ll discover more unique paperart with layers of papers, embellishments, finely cut designs and romantic touches. And get to know her through her lovely story and beautiful blog.

Welcome to the Layers of Color family, Grace. You’ve already added brightness and blessed us with warm friendship!

I LOVE glass drops!

They remind me of when raindrops puddle in the center of Nasturtium leaves. They glisten and magnify the leaf veins beneath. So beautiful!

I’ve collected three sizes of glass drops and made them into pretty little things with Layers of Color art stamps. They make quick and easy gifts.

Pretty Little Thing

I decorated a bottle with this pretty little thing. It could also hang from a drawer knob or table lamp switch.

Pretty Little Thing Tutorial

1. Take a glass drop (this one is approx 1 1/2″), set the flat side down on a piece of cardstock and draw around the outside edge. Cut this circle out and then cut another out of felt for the back.
2. Stamp on the cardstock using Layers of Color Backyard Birds and Merci Bouquet (flowers). Add color with colored pencils then put PVC clear drying glue on top of the entire picture and press it to the flat side (back) of the glass drop.
3. Paint glue along the edges and dip the glass drop in microbeads, and allow  to dry.
4. Then crisscross  ribbon across the back, glue it in place and glue the felt circle on top of that creating a neat back.

Easy peazie lemon squeezie!

Close Up

One more pretty little thing using Merci Bouquet and another bird from Backyard Birds.

Pretty Tiny Thing

This pretty tiny thing is made on the glass drops that are normally used in floral arrangements. This is a tiny drop under 1″. You can put a magnet on the back or a pin back, or add it as an ornament to your artwork. The tiny wild rose from Layers of Color Merci Bouquet fits perfectly inside this size glass drop.

Pretty Glass Weight

Glass Weight Tutorial

This pretty glass weight is made from a glass drop that is approx 2 1/4″. It takes less than 10 minutes to make!

1. Stamp the butterfly design with VersaFine Onyx Black using Layers of Color Butterfly Collector on colored cardstock.
2. Set the glass drop on top of the stamped image, draw around the outside of the glass drop then cut out the circle.
3. Glue it to the back of the glass drop and glue decorative trim to the edge.

Voila, a pretty little gift in a jiffy!

Side View

Now you can grab a bag of glass drops & Layers of Color art stamps, invite some friends over, and have a gift making party!

Enjoy!

Imagine waking up in the morning to find this banner hanging in your bedroom! What a delightful way to display your affections for a loved one, especially if it has a love note on the back!

They’re so quick and easy, you could make one for everyone in the family! Attach several together, add a letter to each one, spelling out, “I LOVE YOU”, and hang them over the breakfast table. Have fun expressing your love with this beautiful banner of love!

Artful stamped banner inspired by Heather.

Banner of Love Valentine

Cut a triangle of old sheet music (this one is circa 1938) with decorative scissors, and fabric that does not unravel (as in this upholstery sample swatch) cut with pinking shears. Wire is curled around a pencil, then stretched and wound through eyelets.

Royal Birds Clear Art Stamp

Layers of Color Royal Birds clear art stamp set has beautiful decorative options for Valentines, as in this gorgeous bird stamp. After stamping, the bird  is colored with white opaque gel pen, (like Souffle), then covered with glossy medium, (like diamond glaze). Folded paper and glitter glue heart makes a mini love letter.

Renaissance Hearts Clear Art Stamp

Layers of Color Renaissance Hearts clear art stamp is softly shaded with colored pencils.

Heart Charm

A heart charm or bead hung by wire through an eyelet makes a point to add extra love to this Valentine.

More love tomorrow!