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.

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!

August Challenge - All About Me

Every little girl has wanted a pony at some point in her life.  But, they usually outgrow it.  Me.  Well, I just developed a crazy love of (you guessed it) Carousel Horses ... When I was in university, my older sister gave me a Christmas ornament which was the start of my collection.  Each year, there's a new horse released which is added to my tree.  When my sweet niece was 3 or 4, she tried to steal one of mine because "they're pretty."  So, I bought her her own.  But, that gave way to a new tradition the two of us share.  And now, each Christmas, my niece knows that once their tree is up, Aunt Suzanne will have a special ornament for her - an ornament to match the newest one on my own tree.

All supplies PTI unless otherwise noted.

Paper:  Rustic Cream, all prints (Hopscotch Collection, BasicGrey)

Stamps:  Admit One (LawnFawn), Birthday Basics

Ink:  Fountain Pen (Jenni Bowlin), Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo

Tools:  Wonderful Words die, Tag Sale 3, Edgers #2,

Other:  Copics, seam binding (Hug Snug)

When I saw this set previewed, I just knew that I could not pass it up.  In my mind, carousel horses mean Christmas & family.  So, this card is perfect for my niece's birthday.  My ornament collection is one that always reminds me of my sister, and now, my niece. Regardless of where we are all spending the holidays, whether together or apart, the tree in my home always is dressed in reminders of them.  I know.  I'm such a sap.  LOL

Thanks for stopping in.  I hope you'll take some time to pop by the Papertrey Posse blog and join in the August All About Me challenge.  Have a good one & happy stamping!

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

crazy rejects

A couple of us in the Papertrey Posse decided to try our hand at some of the crazy sketches put out during the last Paper Crafts call.  Well, here's my take on Sketch #35.  Thanks Becky for the challenge.  This card is pretty much all Papertrey products.  I had planned a wedding cake type card, but really wanted to use some fun and bright colours.  The cake layers are impressed with the In Bloom plate and I switched out the top layer of squares for candles.

The last one that I wanted to share is one of my least favorites of the lot.  I can't remember which sketch I used, but I did flip it to make the layout in my head work.  For this one, I combined dies from Papertrey, Lawn Fawn stamps, and glitter (yes, I used more glitter) to create this sparkly number.

I can't remember all the details, so I won't even try.  Thanks for dropping by and I promise, no more rejects.  On to cards I like and can't wait to share.  My March Challenge card should be up and ready for tomorrow.  Hope you come by and check it out.  Or better yet, why not play along with this month's challenge.

Have a fantastic evening.

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. 

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.
 

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)

happy birthday!!

Nothing gets the mojo flowing like a deadline. And new goodies. My sweet niece's birthday party was this weekend which encouraged me to ink up some more unloved stamps and to break out my newest Nestabilities.




I am still crazy in love with LawnFawn stamps. And I love how they co-ordinate with some of the newest labels from Nestabilities. The lighting wasn't the greatest and my photo doesn't do the background justice. Nevertheless, I'm thrilled with this in real life.

Thanks for popping in for a visit!!

Details:
Stamps - Bannerific, Sophie's Sentiments, & Bake Me a Cake (all LawnFawn)
Paper - Spring Rain & Lavender Moon (PTI), Certainly Celery & So Saffron (SU), Solar White (Neenah)
Ink - Jet Black (Staz-On), Fresh Snow (PTI), all colours (Memento)
Other - Labels 14 (Nesties), Corner Chomper, texturz plate & blender pen(SU), embossing powders, library pocket die (PTI - used inside)

cute as a button

Last week I needed a quick card and literally cranked this out minutes before going to meet mom & son. I went a little stamp-crazy on the background but am really happy with the way this turned out.




Okay, I've never been one to gush over making baby cards but I think I'm a new convert. Baby cards are just so stinkin' cute. And to think, it all started with that yummy ribbon. I fell in love with the combination of pattens on it. But, the fact that the middle is stretchy and has a perfectly ruffled edge sealed the deal. Now if only it came in other colours. *sigh*

Thanks for dropping by. And if you've got a second, please leave a comment. I love the feedback!

Details
Stamps - Sew Lovely (LF), Polka Dots II (PTI)
Inks - fresh snow (PTI), tuxedo black & london fog (Memento), VersaMark
Paper - kraft (SU), white (Neenah), spring rain (PTI)
Other - nesties, button & floss, scor-tape, ribbon

while you were out ...

I am loving my new Lawn Fawn stamps. These sets have such a carefree and whimsical look to them. They just make me smile. Today's card uses three stamps from the Just My Type set and MTSC 80. If you've never checked this company out, you don't know what you're missing!!

To build an office-y theme, I used thin cork to ground the image & sentiment. The floral print is part of the BasicGrey Green at Heart collection. I have such a weakness for BG papers. I can't resist them. Really, I need a 12 step program. LOL

The telephone was stamped twice in Tuxedo Black on Dusk (Bazzill) and Solar White (Neenah). Because the cork is noticably thicker than cardstock, I outlined the image on the white with Copic BG10 to give dimension without adding extra height.

To spice up the layout, I cut the coral mat and put the top askew, using the turquoise ribbon & white circle to cover up the seam. This was a last minute improv but I really like it.


A scrap of lined paper was torn, punched and stamped in Bahama Blue to balance out my makeshift bulletin board. A quick ruffling of my message, a new sprout & black pushpin and this baby was finito. I can't wait to ink up the rest of the images in this set. Toodles!!

Details:
Paper - Emerald (BG), Pen Pals (Grandma's Kitchen - WRMK), cork sheets (unknown)
Inks - Memento Dew Drops
Ribbon - Michael's
Tools - spiral, border, & 3/4" circle punches (EK), circle cutter (MS)