YCU Blog Hop

Welcome to the next stop on the Young Crafters Unite blog hop.  If you hopped here from Jessi's blog, you're on the right track.  I've never participated in a blog hop, but this hop's theme was too hard to pass up -- I LOVE making masculine cards.  So much in fact, that I've got a couple to share. 

Cardstock:  Spring Rain (PTI), Charcoal (Bazzill) / Paper:  Oxford Collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps:  Birthday Bash Sentiments (PTI)

Ink:  VersaMark, Fresh Snow (PTI)

Other:  Clear EP, ribbon (SU), buttons & twine (PTI)

And the Runner - Up ...

Cardstock:  Solar White (Neenah) / Paper: Wander Collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps:  Say It With Style (PTI), Bake Me a Cake (Lawn Fawn)

Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento), Malted Milk (Jenni Bowlin),

Faded Jeans & Tea Dye Distress Inks

Other:  Copic Markers, Glossy Accents, Ad Sense die (PTI)

Thanks for visiting.  Your next stop is over at Neelu's blog.  But before you leave, be sure to leave some love below.  The talented ladies at YCU have some great prizes for lucky random commenters.

Happy Hopping!

SAF Challenge #3

What a day it's been.  Of the first seven challenges I checked out, an entry for Challenge #3 is really the only one that came together easily.  Funny, the last one I tried, is the only one worth blogging.  Nichole & Heather challenged all of us PTI junkies to combine punches and ribbon to create an interesting card front.  Since, my punch box is heavy (and SO messy), I used my trusty Mat Stack 3 die for the opening. 

 Supplies (All PTI unless otherwise noted.)

Paper:  Hibiscus Burst, Rustic Cream, and In Bloom (print)

Stamps:  Daydreamer and Fillable Frames #1

Inks: blue, dark green, and black (Jenni Bowlin),

light green and purple (Memento)

Other:  sponge daubers, satin ribbon (SU)

Even though the official contest closes tonight, be sure to drop by Nichole's blog to check out all of the Stamp-A-Faire challenges.  These challenges definitely give the mojo a good old-fashioned jump start.  Thanks Nichole for the inspiration as always.  And thanks blog-friends for dropping by!

Card Camp Finale

It's the final week of the Summer Online Card Camp and I am so excited that this week's colour palette matched a piece of patterned paper I had pulled out to use for a co-worker's baby. 

My card was inspired by Debbie Olsen's card for the June Papertrey release and features a fantastic plaid from the K & Co collections, Sea Glass.

I just love the sweet ruffled gingham around the neck.  So cute.  I've been in a bit of a stamping frenzy, so I have lots to blog for the next week or two.  Seriously.  Do come back for a quick visit.  Can't wait to share some of the cards I made for a hostess gift for a musical friend.  Have a good one & thanks for stopping by. 

hooray for me

Hi Friends.  Remember me?  It has been a crazy month with very little stamping (although LOTS of stamp buying, heehee).  But, school's almost out so that's gonna change soon.  This is just a super quick post to get my blogging feet wet again.  I recently made a graduation card for a friend who just finished his teaching degree.  Even though the colours of his alma mater (and mine) are red & white, I couldn't resist using this red and kraft print from BasicGrey's Life of the Party collection on a Fine Linen base.

Now, the goal for the summer is to have no uninked sets by Labor Day.  And man do I have my work cut out for me.  LOL  The last few Papertrey releases have been right up my alley.  This card uses an old favorite, Enjoy the Ride, and a new favorite, Wonderful Words.  I love those word dies.  They look SO cool with the glitter.  Thanks for coming back to visit.  I promise it won't be such a long time between posts. 

Have a good one. 

Happy Mother's Day

A quickie post of the card I made for my mom.  I had every intention of using the tulips for the Friendship Jars but realized when I sat down to stamp last night, there was just NO time to fiddle with Copics.  This baby fell together pretty quick and my mom loved it. 

I also spent some time sprucing up the inside using Turning a New Leaf and Mother.

As it turns out, great minds do think alike.  My PTI-loving sister used the exact same sentiment for the inside of the card she made!  LOL  That's the last time I give her free access to my stamp collection.  Now, I better go hide My Dad, My Hero before she sees that one. 

Hope you all had a great weekend. 

Simple Birthday

Well, hello.  I was going through the folder on my desktop of card pictures and realized, I never blogged this one.  One of my favorite stamps to be released this year from PTI is Simple Sentiments.  Oh, how I love the versatility of this set.  This card was quick and simple.  Until I got to the rolled felt flower.  Wow.  That little embellie took FOR-EVER to get rolled right. 

The card base was covered with three prints from the By the Numbers paper collection.  The sentiment was stamped in Tuxedo Black ink which makes it stand out nicely from the wild background.  The flower was die cut from Harvest Gold felt using a Die-namics flower die from My Favorite Things.  I used a copper brad to tie in with the brown numbers on the card base.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hopefully I'll have my Make it Monday card up in a day or two.  I just need to watch the video first.  LOL  Have a great evening, friends. 

girly birthday

What girl can resist pink, black, and glitter?  Not many.  The layout on this card is one that I've used a lot lately.  I find it is so simple, yet easy to change up for the occasion.  This time I used a piece of Sweet Blush cardstock impressed with the numbers plate (lovin' this one almost as much as my woodgrain IP).  I then layered on a strip of paper from the matching collection.  I dug out some DCWV adhesive ribbon from my scrapbooking days to cover the seam. 

The focal image was die cut using Mat Stack 4 and stamped in pale pink using Fancy Flourishes.  I traced the girly swirly with an uber-thin glue pen and sprinkled on some crystal Martha Stewart glitter.  It's my new addiction.  LOL  Now that April is finally here, it's time to break out the spring things.  Tulips.  Bunnies.  Flowers.  I can't wait.  It's been a long, LONG winter.  I'm so thankful that it's behind us. 

Hope you enjoyed your visit here today.  I know I did.  {hugs}

you're too kind

Happy Monday, Friends!!  I am in love with PTI felt.  Melon Berry felt is divine.  There's nothing I don't love about it.  *sigh*  It also makes me think spring.  The fact that the snow is finally melting (and will be gone for good soon, I hope) and the grass is green-ish, makes me want to break into the candy coloured, Easter egg and tulip inspired cardstock.  This was actually a quick card using the scraps on my table (which are numerous most days). 

I had a piece of Ocean Tides that I had watermarked stamped a few weeks ago but tossed aside.  I've really gotta stop stamping oddly shaped pieces of good cardstock with absolutely NO clue as to what I'm gonna use them for.  Thankfully, I was inspired to salvage this piece by turning it into the perfect background for a sentiment.  All in all, I like the way it all turned out.  Hope you do too.

Have a blessed day, friends!


All supplies PTI unless otherwise noted:
Paper:  kraft basics print (BG), Ocean Tides, Solar White (Neenah), linen paper (unknown)
Stamps:  Think Big Favorites #1, Delightful Dahlia, BB: Newsprint
Ink:  black (Staz-On), Crumb Cake (SU), VersaMark
Other:  felt, spiral notebook, delightful dahlia (leaves), beautiful blooms #1 dies, chocolate button, cream rustic twine

butterfly in bronze

Well, hello again. I'm not sure what's happened to me, but my style has changed. Or evolved. Lately, almost every card I make has a vintage flavor to it. This one is no different. I had dyed this piece of seam binding ages ago, but never got around to using it. I started playing with it and pulled a thread at the top & one at the bottom, to get the gorgeous ruffling. Then came the hard part: building a card that did not detract from my ribbon!

I haven't used my Butterfly Dreams set in a while, so I decided to ink it up for the occasion. The butterfly was stamped using Rich Cocoa then coloured with Copics. When I was done, I went over the stamped image with a brown marker to make it pop. To soften the white edges, both the butterfly and the sentiment were given the vintage touch with some Tea Dye ink. A quick swipe of chamomile ink around the aqua layer and I was finished.

Hope you find time today to get inky!


Supplies (All PTI unless otherwise noted)
Paper - Aqua Mist, Fine Linen, White, By The Numbers patterned paper
Stamps - Butterfly Dreams and Birthday Basics
Ink - Baja Breeze (SU), Rich Cocoa (Memento), Crumb Cake ink refill (SU) and Vintage Tea Dye Duo
Other - butterfly die, banner basics die, BTN impression plate, white seam binding (Hug Snug)

my all star

Well, hello again.  So, did you remember to set your clocks forward last night?  Every year I am SO paranoid that I'll forget.  Thank heavens for my alarm clock which automatically springs forward and falls back all on its own.  (Thank you Sony).  I've sorely depeleted my stash of cards to give away, and have been trying to fill that box back up.  The baby card mojo has been free flowing lately, but I need to focus on making masculine cards.  Like this one.

The patterned papers are from BasicGrey's Marjolaine collection (you must be getting sick of this stuff.  I use it on almost everything.) and two of my favorite PTI colours, Spring Moss and Rustic Cream.  The card base was impressed with the Woodgrain plate, then I used a foam blender and some Pumice Distress Ink, to bring out the impression.  Of all the Fillable Frames, this is my favorite.  I stamped the frame in Baja Breeze (SU)and the sentiment in Pear Tart (Memento) and Pumice before I stuck it on with foam dots. 

Hope you like.  Hope you have a great rest of the weekend.  And, I hope you'll drop by for another visit.  Happy Sunday!
 

elegant thanks

Monday, already?!?  This is going to be a lightning quick post.  I sometimes wonder if I blather on too long, when really, I should just get right down to the reason you're all here.  Cards.  Or, is it Papertrey?  Then again, can we have one without the other?

This baby was yet another PC leftover that used one of their top 3 sketches.  If there's something this call has taught me is that just because it doesn't get published, doesn't mean your card is NOT worthy of being shared.  In fact, the "reject" I posted on Saturday sold yesterday from my Etsy shop.  WooHoo!!

Not sure who'll get this gem.  I am so in love with this felt flower (LOVE this colour combo, too), that it'll be hard to sell or give away.  But, I've put it up on Etsy and am crossing my fingers.  Have a good rest of the day and I'll be back tomorrow with my Make It Monday card.  Hopefully.

Cheers!!



** All supplies Papertrey Ink, unless otherwise noted. **
Paper - smokey shadow, rustic cream
Felt - terracotta tile
Stamps - Just the Ticket, It's Official, Turning a New Leaf
Ink - VersaMark, London Fog, Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Tools - Beautiful Blooms #1 die, ticket border die
Other - vintage cream button, grey floss, clear EP

dude, you're 16!

I've been having so much fun with Big Birthday Wishes and the By the Numbers dies that I had to make another milestone birthday card.  This spring, my oldest nephew is turning 16.  Where the years have gone, I do not know.  Even though his birthday isn't for a few months, I couldn't resist whipping this up for him.  His mom's birthday is in a few weeks, but somehow I don't think she'd appreciate some big ole die cuts announcing her age for all the world to see!  LOL

The card base was cut from Stampers Select, and covered with a light grey text print from SU's neutrals dsp pack.  The Smokey Shadow mat was run through my Big Shot with the By the Numbers impression plate.  A scallop die cut of Ruby Slipper cardstock (Bazzill) was the perfect mat for a crisp white circle.  The numbers were cut from a black glitter cardstock and popped up on foam dimensionals.  I guess this card is a work in progress, as I just realized that I haven't finished the inside. 

Thanks for visiting.  I hope you found a little bit of inspiration here today.   If you've got the time, leave a comment.  I love knowing who's been by for a peek and what you think of my work.  

See you soon!

MIM #3 - Yeah, ME!!

Yes, the infamous battle of me and the glitter strips is over.  And I am victorious.  I've been meaning to try out the Make It Monday challenges, but this is the first one that I've completed.  Mainly because I am a stubborn sort of person.  This challenge was seriously trying my patience but I was bound and determined to come out on top.  But, I'll let you in on a little secret.  After several failed attempts using red sticky tape (curse you sticky tape) and clear glitter, I went on a mad hunt for genuine Scor-Tape.  And that boys & girls is when my luck changed.  See?

So, I'm no fan of glitter after all this, but I'm not horridly opposed to using it.  After finding it EVERYWHERE for the past few days, I'm getting used to it.  LOL

Have a glittery brilliant day, friends!

Supplies:  (All supplies Papertrey Ink, unless otherwise noted.)

Card stock: Solar White (Neenah), Spring Rain

Patterned Paper: In Blooms collection

Stamps: Up, Up, and Away, sentiment from Communique Curves

Ink: Tuxedo Black, VersaMark (Tsukineko)

Other: Copics, white EP (Stampendous), Scor-Tape, green glitter, Die-namics Perfect Bracket Edge (MFT), balloon dies

Desperately Seeking Spring

Okay, is anyone else tired of winter?  The only thing worse than a long winter is the cold, icy blast you get after a few spring like days.  To hold onto that spring-y feeling, I broke out of my usual neutrals with a touch of colour and experimented with the lighter side of the spectrum.  When I finished, I realized that my card was perfect for our February "favorite things" challenge. Now, let me introduce you to my Top 3 go-to's. 




Favorite Thing #1 - Texture
I started with a linen weave cardstock that is embossed with a leaf pattern, that proved to be virtually impossible to photograph well.  I also love the impressed dots in the Banner Builder border.

Favorite Thing #2 - DIY Embellishments
Felt + Dies + Button = Embelly Heaven.  I love making my own embellishments and the right tools make it SO easy.  I don't think I'll ever buy another flower or butterfly embelly again thanks to PTI.

Favorite Thing #3 - A Bold Splash of Colour & Ribbons
The ruffled seam binding is my absolute favorite thing on this card.  It's shiny, funky, and lime green.  Or any other colour my Copic loving heart decides it should be. 

Thanks for dropping by and spending some time with me.  It's great to know that I'm not blogging just for myself and that people actually take the time to check out what I've been up to in my craft room. 

Have a great one, friends. 

happy 30th

Happy Monday!!  Oh how I LOVE holiday Mondays.  It's Family Day here so I've got a whole, blessed day to stamp, craft, and lounge around in Lululemon.  Gotta love it.  So, now that Valentine's Day is over, on to the March birthdays.  I've got a few, and as the mojo would have it, the card I got done first, happens to be the last card I need for the month.  Figures.  LOL  Anyhow, this is a little something inspired by a square card base covered in that fab Pure Poppy polka dot from the Beautiful Blooms paper pack that has been knocking around my craft bin for months.

The huge white polka dots always make me think of summer, so I used Enchanted Evening as a mat and stamped on Stamper's Select white.  The sentiment was from last month's release, Big Birthday Wishes, which I masked and inked up with Memento inks.  I really wanted the year to stand out, so I die cut the 30 from a springy green dot from Bo Bunny.  Love this paper!! 

The last line from the sentiment was the start of a well finished interior.  I added a present die cut from the Make A Wish die collection, and created a mat to mirror the one on the front that goes off the edge of the page.  So, here it is, a card full of my favorite things, for one of my favorite people.  Now, I just have to order the gift and I'm all set.  Weeks in advance, too!

Not much else other than, thanks for coming by.

cake & polka dots

Surprise, it's another birthday card!  This one uses one of my favorite image sets Bake Me a Cake from Lawn Fawn.  I just {heart} this company.  The card was supposed to be a masculine birthday card, but I realized the only manly paper I had was either this or a camoflage print.  Since my buddy is not the army type, he got the dots. 

I don't usually do square cards, but I'm finding that it's so much easier for me to create a layout from scratch on a square base instead of the usual A2 base.  Good thing I bought a 50 pack of square envelopes.  I love the finished look.

It's hard to believe that the entire Christmas vacation is over and it's back to work & school this morning.  Where did the time go?  And why am I still exhausted?  Guess that's what happens when you cram lots of fun, family, and friends into two weeks. 

See you all soon & thanks for taking time to drop in for a visit!

Supplies
Paper:  crumb cake (SU), spring moss (PTI), solar white (Neenah), all prints (retired SU)
Stamps:  Bake Me a Cake (Lawn Fawn)
Colouring Mediums:  tuxedo black ink (Memento), Copics
Other:  Limitless Layers dies (PTI), rustic button twine (PTI)

ribbons & bows

Am I the only crazy person who picks a ribbon then tries to design an entire card around it?  Well, that's what I did with this card and it took me forever.  Thankfully, this birthday card was for a very special friend of mine so I didn't mind spending the time to make it perfect.

I really like the In Bloom paper pack and am thinking that I should invest in the matching stamp set to create my own paper.  It would eventually pay for itself right?  I realized after the fact that the bow was way too big to fit into an envelope.  Lucky for me, my sweet friend lives nearby so I tucked the card inside the bag and hand delivered the gift.  

Not much else to say other than thanks for dropping by again.  It means a lot that people take the time to visit and comment.  And a big special thanks to my followers.  Wow ... when did I get up to 14?  I am humbled.  Really.

Have a great one!

Supplies (all PTI unless otherwise noted)
Paper:  In Bloom (print), spring moss, hibiscus burst (I think)
Stamps:  Plain Jane sentiment (Verve), BB: Retro
Ink:  tuxedo black (Memento), VersaMark
Other:  Tag Sale #1 die & Limitless Layers die set, ribbons (unknown)

winter birthday

When I sit down to stamp in December, it's usually for birthday cards.  There are so many birthdays among my family and close friends that it's ridiculous.  I'm trying to use up my paper scraps (since I have two new PTI paper packs en route as I type), so I started with the gorgeous swirly paper as my inspiration.  I used this colour combo a few weeks ago for a Christmas card and just love this patterned paper.  So wintery, yet so girly.

To add some oomph to the skates (which are so easy to line up on the die cut), I used a C1 to line the boot and BG10 to colour in the blades.  I also added some chunky glitter to the skate blades.  A quick wrap of baker's twine and my card was all set to mail.  On time, to boot.  I'm so proud of me!

Thanks for dropping in. See ya tomorrow.

Supplies
Paper:  sweet blush (PTI), solar white (Neenah), print (unknown)
Stamps:  On Ice (PTI)
Ink:  tuxedo black (Memento)
Other:  skate die (PTI), labels 3 (nesties), glitter & glitter glue (Martha Stewart), black baker's twine (papertreats)

Celebrate Your Day

It's been a long time since I've updated the old blog and I apologize.  The funny thing is, I've made cards.  I've photographed cards.  But do you think I've edited or uploaded anything?  That's gotta change.  Last month I had a request for a wedding card and this is the finished product:

I loved the way this turned out and the customer was equally thrilled with the result.  I didn't know the style of the wedding she was attending, so I erred on the side of classy & elegant. 

Thanks for dropping by.  And I promise, I won't let the blog-o sit neglected for this long ever again.  I hope.  *wink* 

Have a great one, friends!!

Details:
Paper:  Smokey Shadow & True Black (PTI), textured White (Bazzill), damask print (Recollections)
Stamps:  Signature Greetings (PTI)
Ink:  Versamark
Other:  satin ribbon (unknown), Mat Stack 1 & medium scallop die (PTI), silver embossing powder (AC)

Christmas Pt. 1

Today's card is doing double duty. Since I'm putting together cards for an upcoming fundraiser and spending all of my "free" time making Christmas cards, my time to play along with challenges is seriously limited. But, lucky for me, the set I inked up for this past weekend's card-making blitz, just so happens to be a choice for BethieJ's challenge of the week. The flourish tree in Tree Trimming Trio is absolutely stunning when cut out using the handy-dandy die released last month.



I am absolutely loving the new papers from echo park paper co. at my LSS. This background is from their Merry Christmas collection. Now if only PTI would put out a good music background building set, I'd be on cloud nine.

Thanks for taking the time to swing by for a visit! And drop by any time. I love having company.