YCU - November Challenge

Welcome back. This month's Young Crafters Unite challenge is to create masculine cards. I know that these are sometimes a struggle for some, but for me, they are so much fun to create. I've already submitted one of my YCU Blog Hop cards for the challenge, but I had this one to throw in to the mix as well.   

Cardstock: Crumb Cake (SU), Solar White (Neenah) Ripe Avocado (PTI)

Patterned Paper: Wander collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Critters in the 'Burbs (Lawn Fawn), Fillable Frames #1 and #11  (PTI)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Fresh Snow (PTI), Bahama Blue (SU)

Other:  Copics, Sunshine IP (PTI), Sponge Daubers, Glitter (MS)

Thanks for visiting. And {{hugs}} to my two newest followers.

with sympathy x 2

Do you ever look at a finished card and think, "I like it, but it just needs something" in order to be perfectly complete.  Well, that's how I felt about this first card:

Love the vases, but the white space in the middle of the card was bugging me.  On my second attempt, I used the little filler bouquet of flowers to help balance out the swirly sentiment.

 All Supplies PTI unless otherwise noted:

Paper:  Solar White (Neenah), Oxford Collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps:  Gracious Vases, Think Big Favorites #3

Ink:  Fountain Pen (Jenni Bowlin), Cranberry (ColorBox), Vintage Touch Duo

Other:  Copic markers, glitter

Now this is a card that makes me happy.  Is that wrong considering it's a sympathy card?  I hope not.  Thanks for stopping by today.  And, please leave a link to your blog in your comment.  I'd love to check out your work. 

Have a great day!

Rhythm & Soul

Some people have babies.  Others have fur-babies.  Well, my dear friend's first baby was her baby grand.  Which makes complete sense considering she's a music teacher.  I put together a little hostess gift as a thank you for having us at her cottage last week using Rhythm & Soul and included this mini set.

Non-PTI Supplies:  Patterned papers (from Stampin' UP! and American Crafts  Dear Lizzy collection),

Ink (Colorbox & Memento), Happy Birthday sentiment (Verve), and satin ribbon (Offray).

I love the texture from the impression plates over the Copic pianos.  For the masculine cards, I used the woodgrain IP and the In Bloom IP for the pink cards (which isn't as crisp an impression as I would've hoped for).  I realized that I did forgot to take a pic of the card I gave as the actual thank you card, but it also used Rhythm & Soul, and the same colour palette from the gifts.  Minus the red.  :)

Thanks for taking a look today at what I've been cooking up in my craft room. 
Have a blessed day, friends. 

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. 

spring tulips

Of all the Friendship Jar Fillers, this image is possibly my absolute favorite, yet my greatest challenge.  Man, these flowers are NOT easy to colour.  I think know I spent more time Copic-ing than I did making the rest of the card.  But, my only regret is that I didn't have a Happy Mother's Day sentiment that fit the Jar Label die. 

The embossed border is a Stampin' Up folder that I had ordered yet never used.  It is so perfect with the gorgeous bouquet of tulips.  Don't you think?  This is definitely a card that I will be recreating in the near future. 

Thanks for dropping by!

fyi ... flutterby friend

I am always excited to find a new source of inspiration or a challenge to get me in a crafty frame of mind.  Last week, I discovered a brand new challenge blog called For Your Inspiration when visiting one of the uber-talented ladies in my PTI blog group.  Each week FYI gives you a photo that should jumpstart the old mojo.  This week, the challenge was to use this:

A few months ago I was crazy desperate to get my hands on Flutterby Friend.  Well, do you think I've used it once since it came home to roost?  I love that all of the images are open outlines just waiting to be coloured or paper pieced.  The FYI photo of the week is such a contrast in textures and colours, but I focused on the soft and sweet aspect instead.

And a close up on the star of the show:  

 

Isn't this little fella adorable?!?  I usually include a supply list, but time's short, it's late, and I need to get to bed.  Sorry.  LOL.  Thanks Keva for introducing me to yet another colour challenge website.  And congratulations on winning last week's challenge.  You deserved it!!

birthday fishes

It's Friday!!  It's FRIDAY!!!  I finally got around to posting my card for this month's "window card" challenge.  Well, I did but I couldn't resist lining the window with a piece of acetate to give my card an authentic underwater feel.  I am so happy with how it turned out.  This card was a definite labor of love.  All the paper piecing, copic-ing and fussy cutting took forever.  But, it was so worth it.  

Details:  All PTI unless otherwise noted.

Stamps - Critters in the Sea (LawnFawn), Birthday Bash Sentiments

Paper - Crumb Cake (SU), Spring Rain, Fine Linen, Spring Moss, Solar White (Neenah)

Patterned Paper - plaid (Marjolaine: BasicGrey), turtle shell (BoBunny), fish (Making Memories)

Other - coaster, circle die (Spellbinders), banner die, acetate transparency, polka dot impression plate, Copics

Hope you have a happy Friday and find time this weekend to get crafty & creative. 

TTFN

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

Mugs & Kisses

A few weeks ago, I ordered a special stamp to make a Valentine's Day card for my niece.  In keeping with the chocolate overload theme of her gift, I went for a warm & cozy, creamy non-traditional card.   I also was bound and determined to use a very masculine chocolate stripe, to create a soft, feminine card.

Details: (all PTI unless otherwise noted)
Paper:  Fine Linen, Sweet Symphony print, metallic stripe (from my stash), Solar White (Neenah)
Stamp:  Cocoa Emma (C.C. Designs)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento), Tea Dye Duo
Other:  Medium Scallop die, Labels 14 (Spellbinders), satin ribbon (Offray), Crystal Effects (SU), Copics




I realized while cropping & editing this photo that I forgot to make and add a sentiment tag saying "Mugs & Kisses."  I'm not sure if I even need it.  What do you think?  Maybe, I'll just put it on the inside or on the gift tag.  Decisions, decisions.

Thanks for visiting again and I hope your Valentine's Day is happy. {hugs}

January Blog Hop

New Year's Resolution

With the new year comes a clean slate along with many resolutions. This month's blog hop challenge involves you challenging yourself to use a Papertrey stamp set that has yet to see ink or even one that might be collecting a little dust! Go through your stash and see what little used treasure it might hold. 2011 is the year where what's old is new again!

This month's challenge was a bit of a challenge because I didn't know which set to use.  Yes, I have lots of sets that need to be inked up.  Saturday was a glorious snow day so I made two cards for this month's hop.  I think a personal challenge for the year will be to ink them all before ordering more.  HA!  That should last until 11:59 PM Feb. 14th.  Then all willpower seems to go straight out the window. 

First Set:  All Star

 

I needed a card for my teenaged nephew and I just know that cutesy Tiny Treats or heartsy everything else would not work for him.  So, I zeroed in on one of his great loves, soccer.  Even though this Valentine doesn't say I love him, he knows that I really am one of his biggest fans.

Second Set:  Little Bitty Bird

Can I just say that Audrey was absolutely right.  She told me I'd love this set and oh how I do.  In fact, I've got another idea rattling around in my head just dying to get out.  Hopefully I won't forget before I find time to hide out in my craft room. 

This year, I'm aiming to participate in all 12 Blog Hop's.  Wish me luck!!  Thanks for stopping by.  Follow along if you like what you see, and hopefully I'll see you next month, if not sooner. 

Happy Hopping!!

tiny treats valentine

Just a quick little Valentine's day post.  I love mini cards and decided to keep this simple.  The base is a 4.25" square, so that it will still fit into a standard A2 envelope.  I'm still trying to get all of my Valentine's Day cards and gifts together before the big day.  So far, so good.  Only a few more cards to go and I'm all set. 

Hopefully, I'll have some of my gifties put together soon to share.  I would love to get them done soon, but, I'm planning to make & bake some tasty treats from Our Best Bites.  If you haven't checked this blog out yet, WHAT are you waiting for?  Getting going. 

Well, I am off.  Thanks for swinging by for a visit. And don't forget that tomorrow is Papertrey's Blog Hop. I can't wait to share what's up my sleeve with you all!  

Supplies:  All PTI unless otherwise noted

Cardstock:  spring rain, solar white (Neenah)

Specialty Paper:  cork (unknown)

Stamps:  Tiny Treats Valentine

Nestabilities:  Labels Three (Spellbinders)

Other:  Copics, baker's twine, pure poppy button

sweet, little baby

What I absolutely love about the Tiny Treats sets is how well they co-ordinate with other Papertrey sets.  For this cards, I combined the sailboat image from Tiny Treats Valentine with a sentiment from Baby Button Bits to create a sweet baby card. 

Of all the cards that weren't picked up by CARDS this month, this lacy creation is my absolute favorite.  I started out with a Crumb Cake base and dragged the edges through some Fresh Snow ink to soften the edges.  A Wilton doily was the base of the oh-so layered focal image.  The Pure Poppy circle was popped up on foam dimensionals as was the sentiment banner.  I hand cut the banner to follow the sentiment, and trimmed the ends to look like the double-ended banner die.  The layered gingham and satin ribbons are my favorite part of the whole card. 

Even with the lace and satiny bow, I think this card would work for either a boy or a girl.  What do you think?  I just found out this week that my classroom assistant is expecting in June.  And to think I thought I had no one to give this sweet baby card to.  Problem solved! 

Hope you enjoyed your little visit with me today.  It's such a thrill to have people who follow and visit.  And actually read my ramblings.  Thanks for humoring me.  You guys rock.  Have a blessed day!!

let's celebrate

Another summer inspired card. I'll apologize upfront for the poor picture quality. I really need to find better editing software, fast. The Orange Zest and Enchanted Evening look great together. The stamps are all Lawn Fawn. Instead of using Copics on everything, I used some In Bloom paper for the retro one piece suit.

If you have any suggestions for editing photos, let me know in your comment. Photoscape? Photobucket? Photoshop? What would you recommend? I'd love to hear your opinions.

Have a great day, friends.
 

kiddie's christmas

Today's post is a sneak peak at the card I made for my youngest nephew.  I love how the distressing on the paper looks a little like snowflakes.  Very festive.  And very much a coincidence. 

I still have to start planning their gift tags/tree ornaments.  When they were younger, they use to hang the tags on their tree.  Well, they're now 11, 13, and 15 and they still expect tags that can be used on the tree.  I love it.  I especially love when you see the ornaments and tags you made a few years ago still being used.  Talk about warm & fuzzy feelings. 

Enough gushing and reminiscing for one day.  What are your special family traditions?  I'd love to hear about them instead of the usual comments. 

Have a blessed day, friends!

Details
Paper:  Certainly Celery & Kraft (SU), Christmas Words (Echo Park), yellow (Bazzill), Solar White (Neenah)
Stamps:  Tiny Treats: Christmas (PTI) *love*
Colouring Mediums:  Tuxedo Black (Memento), Copics
Other:  Tag Sale #1 and Limitless Layers (both PTI), grosgrain ribbon (from stash)

a non-traditional Christmas

Sometimes it's nice to get away from the traditional reds and greens for the holidays and really shake it up. The card base is a turquoise from SU that perfectly matched the lime & teal print I found at my LSS. The Pure Poppy oval was die cut and embossed using one of the newest Nestabilities, Lacey Ovals.  This is another card I made for a fundraiser sale at my sister's office to benefit the United Way.

The two stamps were cheapie bin finds at Michael's. And the sentiment is going in the trash pretty soon. That baby's got a mind of it's own. And it does not like to stay put on a block. Not to mention, it does NOT stamp evenly.  I had to touch up the "y" in happy with a gel pen (bless you signo). 

Thankfully, my PTI Christmas order showed up so I have plenty of holiday sentiments to choose from that stamp like a dream.

Not much else to say so ... see ya later!!

scary siblings + OTWC #31

 

Aren't they so stinkin' cute?!? This is the final Hallowe'en card I made for my niece and nephews. They totally remind me of the boys. When they aren't fighting that is. The youngest loves to tag along with his older brother. And he'll swear up and down that he's not scared of something. But, we all know he is. We just let the little guy keep his game face on. LOL

The paper is from the Toil & Trouble collection by girls' paperie and the digital stamp is from Pink Cat Studios. I can't take credit for this in it's entirety as the road was CASE'd from a sample card on the Pink Cat website. The tension on my sewing machine was a little off (okay, a lot), so please forgive the wonky stitches. I think that this card is gonna be the hardest one to give away.

Happy Hallowe'en, boys and ghouls!!

Details
Paper - midnight flight (tgp), true black & SS white
Stamps - scary siblings (PCS), tt: hallowe'en
Ink - tuxedo black
Other - copics, modern label punch

scaredy cat

I can't believe how much fun I'm having with my Copics. This is another fabby digi stamp from Pink Cat Studios. I don't usually get into the Hallowe'en cards but this year I decided to do some for my niece and nephews.



The real inspiration for the card making blitz were these gorgeous prints from Echo Park Paper Co. I went into my LSS for Christmas paper and came out with several 12 x 12's from their Happy Hallowe'en collection. Aren't they fun? And the best part? The reverse side of most prints are usable all year long. So, they are a really good investment. Right? Enabling is good. LOL

Details
Paper: green (SU), spooky dots (echo park)
Stamps: Tiny Treats: Hallowe'en (PTI), cat (PCS)
Ink: desert sand, potter's clay, rich cocoa (Memento)
Other: modern label punch (SU), Copics, brad, sponge dauber, ribbon

PTI October Hop

It's been a while since I've hopped with my PTI forum friends, and I'm glad to be back this month. The challenge for October was to create a card that celebrates an upcoming winter holiday, not including Christmas.

For me, this was a challenge as I have few Christmas stamps and even fewer (okay, no) stamps for any other winter holiday. But, I took the challenge as an opportunity to try out my new Copics on a Pink Cat Studios digital image from their Hanukkah collection.



I've learned a couple of valuable lessons. First of all, I totally understand why people love PTI's Stamper's Select White and why they have SO MANY COPICS. It's really hard to blend, when you don't have the right shades. I also realized that I need to practise. A LOT! LOL Hopefully, my next attempts at Copic-ing will go better. I don't think it could go any worse.

Thanks for taking time to visit my little stop on the hop. And if you like what you see, feel free to follow my blog. I've got a few more Copic-coloured surprises in store that look WAAAAAY better than this.


Details:
Cardstock - Stamper's Select (PTI), blue (Bazzill),
Patterned Paper - Winter Wonderful (Best Creation Inc)
Stamps - Star of David bird (PCS)
Other - ribbon, Copics, Labels 14