Friday, July 31, 2009

Thinking of You

Happy Friday! :-) I am glad its Friday today - my husband and I are celebrating our anniversary a few days early by going to Ruth's Chris for dinner. Yum-O! We went there last year for our 1st anniversary and had a wonderful experience, so we decided to do it again!

For today's card, I am continuing with the theme of my recent obsession of 4-1/4" square, clean & simple cards. This one uses a scrap of patterned paper I made for this card several months ago. I added a sentiment from Scattered Showers and used some bling and the Upper Crest border punch to add some extra details to the card. I love this color scheme of Hibiscus Burst, Summer Sunrise & Raspberry Fizz.

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

I did want to note that this patterned paper was made using the Guidelines 2 set. After I stamped the pattern, I stamped over it by smooshing (sp?) my New Canvas ink pad on top of it to tone down the colors a bit. I love doing this - I think it yields a nice effect.

Thanks so much for stopping by today - have a great day! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI -Guidelines 2, Scattered Showers
Ink: PTI - Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, Summer Sunrise; Palette New Canvas
Paper: PTI - White, Hibiscus Burst, Summer Sunrise
Accessories: PTI - Summer Sunrise swiss dot ribbon; Martha Stewart - rhinestones; foam tape; Fiskars Upper Crest punch

Thursday, July 30, 2009

A Recovered Get Well Card

Hi! Back today with another little clean and simple chair card as I promised yesterday. I made this one with a specific recipient in mind who is having some pretty big time surgery tomorrow. I thought she would enjoy this little sentiment and I had to put a cat on the chair as she is definitely a cat lover. I plan to throw in some other items for a care package with this card. My understanding is that she will be pretty much laid up for several weeks so I think she will appreciate some crafting kits, etc.

The recipe for this card is pretty simple - a small panel centered in the card. I used Berry Sorbet ink rolled in some Pure Poppy for the chair image and SU! Dark Chocolate for the chair outline and cat. I colored the chair's feet with a dark brown Copic marker.

(click on photo to enlarge)

That's all for now! I have to run and finish up the last of these t-shirt orders so that I can have fun playing without work hanging over my head! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI On My Couch & On My Couch Additions
Ink: PTI Pure Poppy, Berry Sorbet; SU! Dark Chocolate; Copic marker
Paper: PTI White, Lemon Tart, Pure Poppy
Accessories: foam tape; PTI Dark Chocolate twill

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #13

Happy Wednesday y'all! :-) I got through a sewing marathon last night and decided to whip up some really clean & simple cards before heading to bed. I was inspired by Krystie Lee from Cupcake Martini. Her cards are so fun and yet so simple. I love her style.

For this card, I decided to play along with Dawn's color challenge. She picked red, berry, moss, and white - a great combo! Here's a link to her inspiration photo. And here's my card ....

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

I stamped the chair pattern in Pure Poppy ink onto Berry Sorbet card stock and stamped over that with the chair outline in SU! Chocolate Chip ink. I cut out the chair and used foam tape to give the card some dimension. I stacked Spring Moss bitty dots on top of the white and Spring Moss panels and stamped the sentiment on two lines so it would fit on the panel. I love how cute this little 4-1/4" square card is.

I made one more of these little chair cards with a different color scheme and sentiment that I will post tomorrow! Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI On My Couch
Ink: PTI Pure Poppy; SU! Chocolate Chip; Copic marker (chair feet)
Paper: PTI White, Berry Sorbet, Spring Moss; PTI Spring Moss Bitty Dots paper
Accessories: foam tape; PTI Berry Sorbet twill

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Clean & Simple Matilda

Howdy! I cannot believe tomorrow is Wednesday already! One of my fun-loving coworkers emailed me and stated "I hope you are enjoying your summer because its almost OVER!" Yea, thanks for reminding me! LOL

Anyway, a nice Splitcoast WRAK group member sent me some Stamping Bella Matilda Muffinbread images last week. I took a break from sewing yesterday to color a couple of images. I had intended to use the patterned paper on the funky flower in my previous post, but then I decided to just use polka dots! I actually really like this card and layout - nice and easy!I actually needed a couple of "flat" cards anyway. I sponsor a little girl named Liliana in Colombia through Compassion and they say you shouldn't send bulky mail since it can get caught up in customs etc. I thought she would like this cute little image - her birthday is next month - the same day as mine. I actually chose a child with my birthday so that I would always remember when it was. :-) I get letters and drawings from her several times a year, which is really fun. I think I've been sponsoring her for about 5 or 6 years now I think and its been neat to see her writing style, coloring skills, and penmanship improve as she has gotten older.

Anyway, I hope you are all having a great week! I am sooo jealous of those who are able to go to CHA in Orlando! One day I will be there!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Stamping Bella - Matilda Muffinbread; PTI - Everyday Classics, Polka Dot Basics 2
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Copic markers, Sakura glitter pen
Paper: SU! Chocolate Chip; PTI Aqua Mist

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Funky Flower

Hiya! Thanks to all of you who swung by during the PTI Blog Hop yesterday and today - I have loved reading all your sweet comments about my bookmarks! :-) I spent most of today sewing letter shirts. I have two orders that must go out by the end of the week ... big orders ... a total of like 71 shirts! But about 10:30 tonight I got to a good stopping point, had had enough, and decided to try out a new distressed flower technique that I spotted here. They are really easy and fun. Although, I will admit that all the distressing is a little aggravating! :-)
For my flower, I used some My Mind's Eye paper and I used a 2" x 6" strip for this flower. Note - I did start with a full 12" piece, but it seemed really bulky so I cut it in half. I also couldn't find my stapler, so I just sewed a few lines with my machine to hold the pieces together. I made good use of some Melon Berry buttons on this one. No room for a sentiment, but I think its nice to not have one on the front sometimes so you can just write whatever on the inside. :-) Does anyone else feel a little wierd about making a card with no sentiment on the front? I have "lack of sentiment anxiety" sometimes! LOL

This is also a new color combo for me ... I was inspired by Dawn's Pink Series. I was a little scared at first, but the patterned paper really helps bring it all together and I think it turned out pretty well. I don't know about you, but sometimes I have to remind myself of what Stacy & Clinton say about outfits - the pieces don't have to match, they just have to go! LOL

Anyway, I'd love to hear what you think of this little card with the "funky flower!" :-) Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Paper: PTI Sweet Blush & Melon Berry cardstock, patterned paper (My Minds Eye)
Ink: PTI Chamomile
Accessories: PTI Melon Berry grosgrain & vintage buttons, DMC cream floss

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Woot!

Check it out! I made Top 5 in Samantha's SPCC color challenge last week! There are some great cards in that top 5!

July Papertrey Blog Hop

Hi again! I am back with my project for this month's Papertrey Ink Blog Hop. This month's theme was to incorporate text into your project. I thought this was great since I have really enjoyed using the Text Style background set for cards, etc. I decided to use the text background to make patterned paper to make bookmarks! Here are two color ways of the same bookmark that I have made. I plan to make a lot more of these to give as gifts to girls in my Bible study, friends, and maybe even some coworkers! :-) Here's a slightly closer view of the images .... Its hard to tell in the photo, but the chairs are popped up on foam tape. I also tied each ribbon on separately. I plan to personalize these with the recipients' initials at the bottom using the Fresh Alphabet set. I can't wait to make more of these and experiment with the "rooms" and color schemes!

Hope you enjoyed my project - I'd love to hear what you think! :-) Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Stamps: On My Couch, On My Couch Additions, Background Basics: Text Style, Damask Designs, Polka Dots II
Ink: Raspberry Fizz, Dark Chocolate, Enchanted Evening, Copic Markers
Paper: Raspberry Fizz, Sweet Blush, Enchanted Evening, Spring Moss, Vintage Cream
Accessories: Swiss dot ribbon (Raspberry Fizz, Spring Moss), grograin ribbon (Sweet Blush, Enchanted Evening)

Inspired Baby Shower Card

Happy Saturday! One of my college friends and fellow teacher is having her first baby in just a few weeks so I needed a Baby Shower card just for her as she gets ready to welcome her little boy. I was inspired by the cover of Country Living's magazine.
I know she's having a boy, but I love the burst of pink mixed with all these pretty blues! So, this is the card I came up with ...
I stamped "Baby Shower" repeatedly across the card stock to make a patterned background and then added a pink umbrella and a congratulations sentiment. Very easy and you could definitely do this in a mass production mode for invitations or whatever. :-)

Thanks for stopping by! I will be back later tonight with a PTI Blog Hop post!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Scattered Showers
Ink: PTI Raspberry Fizz, Enchanted Evening; SU! Going Gray
Paper: PTI White, Spring Rain, Enchanted Evening
Accessories: PTI Spring Rain twill; Sakura glitter pen

Friday, July 24, 2009

Card Patterns #24

Hi everyone! I finally got back to some stamping! Actually, I decided not to do any sewing today ... I needed a break and I also needed to make some cards to get in the mail in the next couple of days. :-)

This card is one that I made for the Card Patterns Sketch #24. This one seemed pretty simple, but this is actually the second card I made for this sketch. The first one turned out cute (I'll post it tomorrow), but I just couldn't make it work into the sketch so I changed it up.

For this one, I started with some Basic Grey Wisteria paper. This paper is so pretty! I don't know why I have just been hoarding it instead of using it :-) I distressed the edges of the paper and added some Chamomile ink. I covered a chipboard tag and stamped some flourishes, damask image, and a sentiment on the tag. And then added a grosgrain bow.
Thanks for stopping by to check out my card! I will be back tomorrow with another card and of course a project for the PTI Blog Hop! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Damask Designs, Fancy Flourishes
Ink: PTI Lavender Moon, Chamomile; Memento Rich Cocoa
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream cardstock, Basic Grey Wisteria DP
Accessories: PTI Lavender Moon grosgrain ribbon; chipboard tag; edge distresser tool

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Graphic Thx

Happy almost Friday! :-) Quick post today as I am busy sewing some big orders this week. But, I hope to get to play around later today with some paper and stamps. I am working on a fun project for the PTI Blog Hop on Saturday!

I made this card to go with a bunch of assorted cards that one of my friends commissioned me to make. This one turned out pretty graphic, but I like it a lot. On a different note - is anyone else tuned into Versus watching the Tour Du France? I don't even ride a bike much, but I think its exciting. And Hell's Kitchen is back on and it looks like it will be pretty entertaining with the personalities they have on there this time! LOL

Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Raspberry Suite #12 + FTL #51

Happy Tuesday! I got a chance to play around with some challenges again today. I am combining a color challenge and a sketch challenge for this one. Dawn McVey always has some great color combinations that most of us wouldn't dare try outside of a challenge! This week, she asked use to use Cream, Moss, Dark Pink & Dark Red. Check out her inspiration photo here.

The sketch challenge is from a great blog called clean&simple. This week's sketch looked like fun, so I gave it a whirl. Here's a link to the original sketch.

For my card, I started with a piece of Spring Moss and stamped some flourishes on it in Spring Moss ink. I actually don't have the top note die yet, but I had a die cut from a swap so I traced the shape and cut it out by hand. It's hard to tell in the photo, but I used Fresh Snow ink to give the cream piece some pattern with tiny dots from Polka Dots 2. Next, I created another ribbon flower, similar to the one in this post, but with an added layer underneath. The leaves are pieces of Spring Moss dipped in Spring Moss ink and rumpled up. Here's a closer view of the flower and you can kind of see the pattern on the cream piece in this one if you squint real hard! LOL
Thanks for stopping by - I'd love to hear what you think of these ribbon flowers!

Supplies Used (all PTI):
Stamps: Fancy Flourishes, Scattered Showers, Polka Dots 2
Ink: Fresh Snow, Spring Moss, Scarlet Jewel, Chamomile
Paper: Vintage Cream, Scarlet Jewel, Spring Moss
Accessories: Vintage Cream button, twine, Raspberry Fizz satin ribbon, Scarlet Jewel satin ribbon

More Early Bird ...

Ok, so this Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper is too fun! I love the colors and the retroness. Its great. I also love that these came together so quick and I didn't even have to stamp! (Not that I mind stamping ... LOL!)

This first card is all EB paper with a hint of PTI Ocean Tides ribbon. and some Vintage Cream card stock. I love how the little "you're tweet" image makes all the other papers work together.
This next card is again all EB paper with the same basic layout. I added a bit of ribbon with some SU! Chocolate Chip grosgrain. Well, these cards are off to surprise a "tweet" friend who loves to lunch it up with her favorite people! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream card stock; Cosmo Cricket Early Bird designer paper
Accessories: PTI Ocean Tides grosgrain; SU! Chocolate Chip grosgrain

Monday, July 20, 2009

2 Sketches 4 You # 31 and SPCC #7

Hi again back with post #2 for today ... this time with a challenge card. I got the basic card done earlier this evening between Jeopardy and The Closer. I had originally thought about using another distressed paper flower, but while I was watching The Closer tonight, I thought about using ribbon to make a flower instead. There are lots of ways to do this, but I wanted a not-so-complicated way so I could finish this card up and get to bed! Despite being off for the summer, I do actually have to get up a decent time because of a staff development workshop tomorrow.

Anyway, I made this card using the 2 Sketches 4 You sketch #31. I love 4-1/4" square cards so playing along was a no brainer! :-) I also wanted to incorporate the Scrapmaster's Paradise color combo to multitask on my challenge blog to-do list this week. Samantha picked out SU! Summer Sun, Old Olive and Bermuda Bay. Well, shucks! I don't have Bermuda Bay yet, so I went with a pastel version of the combination using PTI Lemon Tart, Ripe Avocado and Aqua Mist. Close as I'm going to get this week!
(Please excuse my dark photo!)
In case you are wondering, I made the flower by taking 3 small strips of ribbon and taping them together. If you want to compare it to making paper rings that might help - just make 3 "ribbon rings" and then flatten them out with the seam of the ring on the bottom. I taped each ring together and taped in between the top and bottom layers of each ring to keep it all secure. (If y'all need to see some photos, let me know and I will try and put together a photo tutorial for you.) I stacked two big ole buttons, threaded them with DMC floss, and then used some sticky tape to secure it to the flower center. Easy peasy!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope your week is off to a great start :-)

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Stamps: Faux Ribbon
Ink: Ripe Avocado
Paper: Lemon Tart & Aqua Mist card stock, Bitty Dots - Ripe Avocado, Polka Dot Parade (Lemon Tart, Aqua Mist, Ripe Avocado)
Accessories/Tools: Lemon Tart satin ribbon, Lemon Tart & Aqua Mist vintage buttons, edge distresser tool, DMC floss

Button Ornaments

Hi! The other day I saw an ornament stamp set online somewhere and thought, "hey, I could make button ornaments"! So ... here's a button ornament card that I whipped up. I think its pretty cute and I love this color scheme for Christmas cards so fun and traditional but not!


Back tomorrow with some more Cosmo Cricket Early Bird cards!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: SU! Season of Friendship; PTI Faux Ribbon
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip; PTI Pure Poppy
Accessories & Tools: PTI Pure Poppy saddle stitch ribbon, Aqua Mist grosgrain ribbon, Aqua Mist buttons; DMC floss; Sakura metallic pen; SU! Scallop edge punch

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Copics & Lemonade

Hi all! I received some cute Melinda images by Whiff of Joy from a fellow Wish RAK member on Splitcoaststampers yesterday. This little girl is so sweet and she seemed like an image one of my best friends would love so I whipped up this card just for her. She is starting a new job next week and we all know that can be a little nervewracking, so I wanted to send her some encouragement. I really enjoy coloring images and I have always enjoyed coloring even as a kid. My parents tell me when I was little I used to say I wanted to be an "artist with colors" when I grew up! For this card, I started with paper from the Basic Grey Lemonade paper pad, which is how I picked the colors for this image. I used my Copic markers and a glittery Sakura Gelly Roll pen to color the image. I distressed it around the edges with some Chamomile ink from the PTI Vintage system. I hope my friend likes this one! :-)

Hope you're having a great weekend ... thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Whiff of Joy
Ink: Copic markers, PTI Chamomile, Sakura glitter pen
Paper: DP from Basic Grey Lemonade, PTI Ocean Tides

Friday, July 17, 2009

Card Patterns #23 & Bonus Sketches

Quick post! I wasn't really digging my previous entry for the Card Patterns #23 sketch, so I made a new one! I also made a card for the bonus sketch and guess what!? I didn't stamp on either one! LOL I used the Cosmo Cricket collection for this and I {heart} this Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper. Yum!

Here's my new card for the original sketch. Ribbon and buttons are from PTI. Card base is Ocean Tides from PTI.Here's my entry for the bonus sketch. Ribbon is SU! and the button is again from PTI. Card base is Vintage Cream from PTI.In other news, I received an honorable mention from PTI for one of my previous Card Patterns cards. Check it out here. AND ... my friend Chris made top 10 at PaperCrafters Gallery Idol! Thanks for stopping by (again)! :-)

Toodles!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Back tracking to SPCC #4

TGIF folks! :-) The other day I posted a card for Samantha's Scrapmaster's Paradise Color Challenge. Samantha has posted some great color combos in the 6 weeks that she has been up and running with it. Since she is looking for some DT folks and her past color combos are ones I hadn't tried before, I thought I'd back track a bit to one of the color challenges she threw before I found her. Color Combo #4 is made up of SU! Glorious Green, Summer Sun and Pink Passion and this one may become a new favorite. In fact, I LOVE how this card turned out!
I started with the butterflies from the Great Friend set. I stamped them in Summer Sun and edged around them (rock and roll technique) with Pink Passion to add something a little extra before stamping them onto white paper. I cut them out and then cut out a larger butterfly in pink for each using the original as a guide for the shape and size. This is a great way to make layered embellishments when you don't have a die cut readily available! I then stamped some polka dots (love me some dots!) in Glorious Green and then the rest of the layers are pretty simple - rectangles with a torn edge along the bottom. The butterflies are adhered with small foam tape squares and they have little adhesive pearls running down the middle for their little bodies. This actually came together pretty quickly - its a relatively easy layout and card. You just need a little patience for cutting out the butterflies. :-)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful day!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: SU! Great Friend; PTI Polka Dot Basics
Ink: SU! Summer Sun, Pink Passion, Glorious Green
Paper: PTI White & Raspberry Fizz; SU! Summer Sun, Glorious Green
Accessories: PTI Raspberry Fizz grosgrain ribbon; Martha Stewart adhesive pearls
Tools/Other: Paper trimmer, Scor-Pal, scissors, foam tape, Taylored Expressions sticky tape

CPS124

Hey y'all! Hope you're having a great day. I can't believe the summer is going by soooo fast! It's crazy. But I guess times flies when you're having fun and I am definitely having fun not working all summer! LOL

Anyway, this week's sketch at CPS is pretty easy. Not too many layers and shapes to contend with. I am on a Unity kick right now - basically making myself use them since they are just sitting around. If you've been coming here long, you know that I am a PTI girl through and through. But I do have some Unity and SU! in my stamp inventory. So, I am making a point to use my neglected stamps this week.
I really love making my own patterned paper and this card shows that. I started with the cute little strawberry candy image and stamped it in rows. I colored the berries with red and olive Copic markers and went along the inside of the wrappers with a pink Copic marker to add a little something. Once I got the panel on the card, I went back with a sweet Sakura glitter pen to add some bling to the berries and sentiment. (I think next time I will made the candy cut out on horizontal instead of off kilter a bit now that I think about it.) If you click on the image you can see the glitteryness a little better! :-) Tip: Using a glitter pen is a quick & easy way to add some bling with the mess of glue and glitters/powders!

I really love this layout - so easy and you can use it for many different looks by changing the patterned paper, color scheme and sentiment or whatever on the corner. I hope to play around with it again soon! I even think this color schme would be great for Christmas!

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Unity KOTM March 09
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Copic Markers
Paper: PTI Sweet Blush, Ripe Avocado, Pure Poppy
Accessories: PTI Sweet Blush grosgrain ribbon, Sakura Gelly Roll glitter pen in Clear Star
Other: Paper trimmer, Scor-Pal, scissors, foam tape, Taylored Expressions sticky tape

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Card Patterns Sketch #23

Back again with another challenge card ... I decided to pull out my Unity stamps this afternoon and play around. I really should be doing some work, but I am on "vacation" or "summer unemployment" so I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about not getting anything done around here - other than crafting, of course!

This card is for the Card Patterns Sketch #23. Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about it. I may give it another go later when I try the bonus sketch. I like it but it seems like its missing something. Any suggestions? I do really love the color scheme, however!
I sometimes have a hard time cutting flowers by hand. But I have a tip for you when cutting 6-petaled flowers: Use a pencil to draw 3 intersecting ovals. This will give you a guide as you cut then all you have to do is erase your lines (or just flip it over) and you have a decent-looking flower that is probably less wonky than had you just winged it with the scissors! :-)

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out my previous post from this afternoon with my card for Scrapmaster's Paradise Color Challenge featuring a cute Unity image.

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Unity KOTMs; PTI Polka Dot Basics & Fancy Flourishes
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa; PTI Ocean Tides & Chamomile
Card Stock: PTI Aqua Mist, Vintage Cream, Ocean Tides, Melon Berry; SU! Chocolate Chip
Accessories: SU! Chocolate Chip corduroy brads
Other/Tools: Paper trimmer, Scor-Pal, scissors, Crop-o-Dile, edge distresser tool, Taylored Expressions sticky tape

SPCC #6

Howdy! Samantha over at Scrapmaster's Paradise has a weekly color challenge. I played last week and I really enjoyed the color combo she challenged us with this week - she asked us to use SU! Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss and Rich Razzleberry. So, I dug out some scraps and went to work. I started by stamping this fun Unity image onto white card stock with Chocolate Chip ink. I colored in the cone with a Copic marker and added some "Razzleberry Sprinkles" with a purplelish Copic marker as well. I stamped some text onto the Baja Breeze square and created some simple borders with strips of Chocolate Chip and Kiwi Kiss. (I did use a 3/4" circle punch to make my scallops - I wanted bigger scallops than what my border punch offered.) Once I got everything on the card, I added the sentiment and accented the word "treat" as well as the sprinkles, cherry and edges of the sentiment strip using a Sakura Clear Star glitter pen. I really like how cute and fun this turned out.
Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Unity June 09 KOTM; PTI Background Basics: Text Style
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip, Copic Markers, Sakura glitter pen in Clear Star
Paper: SU! Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss; PTI White
Accessories/Tools: SU! Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, foam tape, Taylored Expressions sticky tape, SU! 3/4" circle punch, paper trimmer, Scor-Pal

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Hey Chickie Button Birdie

Hi again! So, this month Papertrey is releasing a new set designed for you to use some buttons. I must admit that this idea was just too cute and I needed to play around with it a little - even before it comes out! :-) I made this little bird inspired by some samples that Nichole posted here.
I used an American Crafts pen to draw the beak, feet, and tail and also to write my sentiment. (I do wish I had practiced my sentiment first look at how so not straight that is! LOL) Anyway, I think its adorable! I did use some DP from Basic Grey for the wing that I edged with Chamomile ink to give it a little more definition - I did just "wing it" (hehe) when I cut out the wing. The dotted paper I had made awhile back and hadn't used yet. So, what do you think?!

Thanks for "flying" by!

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics
Ink: Chamomile, Teal (some cheap-o craft store brand), Copic markers, American Crafts Slick Writer pen - black
Paper: White and Kraft card stock; Basic Grey DP (from Lemonade collection); light blue card stock from scraps)
Other: Vintage button in Aqua Mist, foam tape, Taylored Expressions sticky tape, paper trimmer, Scor-Pal

Monday, July 13, 2009

Fall To Layout #50 and Quick Monogram card

Howdy! I promised I'd be back with some cards tonight. I made a lot of cards tonight ... finally finishing that order of 40 assorted cards. I kept all of them pretty clean and simple. I thought I'd share a few of them with you tonight.

The first one follows the Fall to Layout #50 from the clean&simple blog. I really enjoy this sketch blog since the sketches are really easy to use and customize. Some sketch blogs just have too many layers and complicated shapes. If you are just starting out I would definitely suggest starting with these! :-)

I used the floral image from PTI's Everyday Classics and stamped it in Plum Pudding on Spring Rain card stock. I used the sentiment from Vintage Picnic and I like that I used it in the main panel instead of underneath - it just wasn't the right size to go underneath. The rest is pretty self-explanatory. Some punching and ribbon and that's all she wrote! :-)

For my next card, I used two letter die cuts that I have had sitting around. These are glitter letters from Making Memories. I used some for some other cards that I will show you later this week - but when you are looking for quick and easy, I highly suggest using stickers and/or die cuts for big sentiments or monograms.

I decided to pair this teal colored letter with Vintage Cream, Smokey Shadow, and Ocean Tides card stock. The colors look more white and black in the photo, but they are really cream and dark gray. If you look closely or zoom in you can see that I added 6 horizontal scored lines on the card to give it some added interest - again, better seen in real life! (Sorry!) I also distressed the panels too. I like these and think they would be fun and easy little "any time" gifts for a friend or coworker. The letter set I got had two of each letter in the set, so you could make pairs of cards.

Well, that is all for now. There are several other sketches I hope to get to this week and I have more of my assorted clean and simple cards to show you later this week. Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Thank You Card
Stamps: Everyday Classics, Vintage Picnic
Ink: Plum Pudding
Card stock: White, Spring Rain, Plum Pudding
Accessories/Tools: Plum Pudding Swiss Dot ribbon, SU! Scallop Edge punch, paper trimmer, Scor-Pal, Taylored Expressions sticky tape

J Monogram Card:
Card stock: Ocean Tides, Vintage Cream, Smokey Shadow
Accessories/Tools: Making Memories Alpha Bright Glitter die cuts, Socr-Pal, paper trimmer, Taylored Expressions sticky tape, edge distresser tool

Thanks!

Just a quick post this morning to say thanks to MissBliss who gave me this blog award! :-)

I will be back later today with some challenge cards. :-)

Happy Monday!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Gardenia Greenthumb

Hi! I don't know about you, but I feel like the weekend just flew by! What's up with that?! I did get to spend some time floating in the pool, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much :-)

Here's a card that I made for my monthly swap. This image is from Stamping Bella and she is called Gardenia Greenthumb. I think she is just so sweet! I colored her with Copic markers to coordinate with the patterned paper that our hostess had picked out. I think she turned out pretty cute ... if I only looked so cute while gardening! LOL
That's all for now! Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Thanks & A Hoot

Happy weekend everyone! I have been busy playing around in my craft room. Since I've been playing, I haven't gotten much done just pieces of this and that! I am still working on that assortment of cards for my friend. I made a set of 6 of these clean and simple thank you cards using Basic Grey ink with Spring Moss, Soft Stone and Smokey Shadow card stocks. I really love this color scheme in real life - the photo makes it kind of hard to see since the lighting kind of sucked when I took this photo. I will definitely try this out again with some other layouts.
I also have some new products up in my Etsy store. I have some super duper cute thumb tack sets that I made with some of my fabric stash. I think these owls are just cute as can be! I also have some VB fabric push pins and some honey bees! These will definitely make great gifts for teachers, college students, and a whole load of other folks to brighten up their memo/bulletin boards! I hope to finish my Cherry quilt tomorrow and get it posted in my shop. It's so cute!
Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used on Card:
Stamps: SU! Pick a Petal, PTI Cupcake Collection
Ink: SU! Basic Gray
Card Stock: PTI Smokey Shadow, Spring Moss, Soft Stone
Other: Scor-Pal, sticky tape (Taylored Expressions), paper trimmer, foam tape

Friday, July 10, 2009

Cheery Cherries Sneak Peek!

TGIF everyone! I meant to post a card yesterday, but I got home and got to work on this little quilt below. And then I ran out for Bible study and got home too late to post anything.

I adore the Oh Cherry Oh fabric line and I got a couple of charm packs and made 2 baby/wallhanging sized quilt tops last weekend. I must say that I loved this little one before I quilted it and even more after I quilted it! I can't wait to attach the binding and wash it so that it gets all "crinkly" with that great, bubbly texture. (Insert squeal!) Once I get the binding on, I will post some pictures of the full quilt and direct you to my etsy shop if you know some cute little girl who can't live without it! Hope you are having a great Friday! We are off to dinner and a movie tonight! Thanks for stopping by ... :-)

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Sneaky Peeky ...

Hi! Happy Wednesday - hope you are all having a great week! I have a few things that I have added or will be adding to my Etsy shop over the coming week. First, I have 3 different baby/kid quilts in the works that I am hoping to sell. Here's a sneak peek at one of them ...I just have to quilt it and add some binding and it will be all set and ready for the shop! :-)

I have also already added some chipboard tags - these are great to add a little something to cards, scrapbooks, or just for creating your own gift tags with custom messages. I have them available in assortments of 12 and 24 tags. So if you need some tags, check it out!
Thanks for stopping by ... I will be back with some cards tomorrow!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Card Patterns #22 & SPCC #5

Hi again! I am back with a card I made for the Card Patterns Sketch #22! This card is actually a dual duty card as I am also attempting a new color challenge with this card (see below). Here it is ...
I decided to use some scraps to make this distressed flower. I hand cut a flower and then used it as a pattern to trace the bottom two larger layers - this is easier than guessing the size as you freehand cut them out! :-) I wrinkled each flower layer and then added a flourish image on top in some brown ink. I used a nice size button from PTI's Aqua Mist vintage button collection to secure the layers together. I decided to stamp a sentiment from the Scattered Showers stamp set - I just love the font that Dawn used when designing this set! :-) For the kraft layer, I ripped a piece of paper I had laying on my desk, wrinkled it a bit and stamped another flourish. I must say that I used to not like twill ribbon, but PTI's is really great and ties nice bows.

The new color combo challenge is hosted by Samantha over at Scrapmasters Paradise Color Combos (SPCC). This week's challenge (Combo #5) uses the new SU! In Colors - Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo and Soft Suede. I haven't gotten the new In Colors paper yet, so I guessed on the colors and chose to use PTI Aqua Mist, Kraft, and Hibiscus Burst to capture the same feeling. Hope it worked! :-)

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Stamps: Fancy Flourishes, Scattered Showers
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Paper: Aqua Mist, Kraft, Hibiscus Burst; Basic Grey Lemonade (darker aqua color)
Accessories: Dark Chocolate twill, Aqua Mist button; twine
Tools/Other: Paper trimmer, Scor-Pal, sticky tape (Taylored Expressions), scissors

A Vintage Basket ...

Howdy! Hope you all had a great day! I spent most of mine in a workshop learning to use BlackBoard more efficiently - I think its really going to be a great tool when I get back to school. Speaking of which, I sure wish the summer would slow down - my break is going to be over before I know it!

Anyway, Papertrey put out this super cute Vintage Picnic set that has all these different picnic baskets and toppers. I used the set to mass produce some simple 4th of July cards for some friends and family. The only complicated thing was cutting out the main image so the flag hung off the side - I thought it helped center the image better. Its hard to tell in the photo, but I did kind of fold the flag to a little to make it look like it was waving. I hope to play with this set some more in a few days!
Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies Used (all PTI unless noted):
Stamps: Vintage Picnic
Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Vintage Touch Duo; Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic Markers
Paper: White, Kraft, Scarlet Jewel
Other/Tools: Paper trimmer, craft blade, Scor-Pal, Scor-Tape, edge distresser

Monday, July 6, 2009

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #11

Hiya! Hope you all had a great 4th of July! I did make some 4th of July cards, but haven't gotten a chance to post them yet - will make sure to do that tomorrow! :-)

Dawn threw a tricky challenge this week - FIVE colors. Check out the challenge and beautiful inspiration photo here. Here's what I came up with:I made some patterned paper with my new Green Grass Stamps set using True Black, Raspberry Fizz, & Pure Poppy ink on Soft Stone paper. I hand cut some wonky flowers and leaves, stamped with and wrinkled them up. I did add a sentiment in the label frame from PTI's Friends til the End set as well. This took waaaaay longer than I thought it would (mostly due to placement of all the elements), but I am really pleased with the end result.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Green Grass Stamps - Labels; PTI - Friends Til the End
Ink: PTI Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz; Palette Noir Black
Paper: PTI Soft Stone, True Black, Raspberry Fizz, Pure Poppy, New Leaf
Accessories: PTI Raspberry Fizz luxe satin ribbon; PTI vintage button; twine
Tools: Paper trimmer, Scor-Pal, sticky tape (Taylored Expressions), scissors, hole punch

Friday, July 3, 2009

Celebrate Today

Hi y'all! Since tomorrow is America's birthday, I thought I'd share a birthday card that I made recently. I actually made four of these - easy to mass produce! That's what I like :-)I used up some scraps - the blue and green paper is left over from trips to the craft store, so I don't know the brand. But start with a 4" square of green paper. Then double up a circle and a scallop nestie when you cut your blue circle. (I kind of like that is a bit uncentered and it saved a step!) Then run your paper ring through with the swiss dots folder. Add some gingham ribbon and paper piece your cupcake. Viola! Easy! :-) I did make some "sprinkles" on the cake with a glitter pen, although you can't tell too much in the photo.

Supplies Used:
Stamps: PTI Cupcake Collection
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Copic marker
Paper: PTI White, Kraft, Lemon Tart; blue & green were scraps!
Accessories: ribbon from craft store, Sakura glitter pen
Other: Paper trimmer, Scor-Pal, Scor-Tape, foam tape, circle and circle scallop Nestabilities, Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Mini Cards

Howdy! Hope your day is off to a great start! :-)

I just finished up a monthly card kit swap on SCS and decided to send all the ladies who participated a little thanks for playing along with my last set of completed cards. I whipped up some of these cutie 3 x 3 mini cards. I just cut and scored a 12 x 12 sheet of patterned card stock from My Minds Eye - one sheet makes 8 of these mini cards! I added some ribbon ruffles with my sewing machine and then some prima flowers and PTI vintage buttons. Easy and quick! I really love the colors in this paper - so pretty together. I added a few other stamping goodies to go with the cards - some fun images, adhesive card stock samples, and some ribbon.

Supplies Used:
Stamps: SU! Great Friend
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Paper: My Minds Eye - plaid card stock; SU! Certainly Celery
Accessories: Grosgrain from Taylored Expressions, PTI Vintage buttons in Aqua Mist, Prima flowers
Other: Paper trimmer, sewing machine, Scor-Pal, Glossy Accents

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Quick Get Well Card

Hey folks! Here's a get well card that I made to close out one of my monthly kit swap groups. One of the gals sent this cute image and gingham paper. I decided to add some black and white and PTI Aqua Mist to the mix to bring in some patterns and colors to spice up the simple layout. Isn't she cute?
Hope you are all enjoying a great start to July ... where is my summer going?! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!