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}

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)

Make It Monday #6

I know.  Two posts in one day.  This week's challenge was right up my alley.  I LOVE my PTI impression plates.  The only thing I don't enjoy is trying to photograph the cards so that the impression is as impressive on screen as it is in real life.  The card was made with all PTI products (minus the inks and label). 

The main layer was cut from Fine Linen cardstock and I impressed the top half using the By The Numbers plate.  I used Erin's trick of adding a score line to hide the dent.  I then used chocolate twine on either side of the score line before adding the focal image.  And here's the finished product: 

So, that's it, folks.  Thanks for stopping by and checking out what I made on Monday. 

See you tomorrow.

absolutely, fabulous

I'm surprised at myself these days.  Lately, a card just doesn't seem "done" to me unless I've added some sparkle.  I wanted to try out the Delightful Doilies from last month's release and was pleasantly surprised with the results.  I'm not one to lean towards the vintage look, but it seems as though that's where I ended up anyways.  Now, on to the main event:

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), New Leaf, Aqua Mist

Stamps: Say It With Style, Delightful Doilies

Ink: Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, and Wild Wasabi (SU), Tea Dye Duo

Other: punch (SU), crystal glitter (Martha Stewart)

Have a fabulous day, Friends.
 

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!

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!!

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)

Impress-ive Petite Challenge #7

The first petite challenge of the month was all about making impressions. Letterpress seems to be all the rage these days, so I decided to use Spellbinders' Impressabilities and a little Fresh Snow ink to create this fab letterpress-inspired background.



To create the window, I lined the opening with a larger cut out of an acetate transparency. After carefully stamping the sentiment, I heat set the ink. At this point, smudges would've killed me. LOL

The felt flower was cut using the Beautiful Blooms #1 dies. A folded insert was the final touch so my handwritten greeting wouldn't be visible through the window.

Hope you'll drop by the Posse blog and give this petite challenge a whirl for yourself!

Details
Cardstock - pink passion (SU), white (Neenah)
Stamp - Twinkle, Twinkle (Verve)
Ink - fresh snow (PTI), black (Staz-on)
Other - Labels 3 and Diamonds & Stars (spellbinders), flower dies (PTI)

College Bound

Just a little notecard for a young friend from church who'll be heading to college in the fall. Yes, it's a little early for back to school projects, but the end of summer is often a blur of activity with very little time for stamping.

In my continued efforts to thin out my cut paper container, I made this 4 x 4 card using an extra base from my Honey Bees note card set. All of the patterned papers were left over from previous projects. Do you recognize which ones?

Supplies:
Stamps - Enjoy the Ride (PTI)
Paper - solid (PTI), prints (BasicGrey, We R Memory Keepers)
Ink - Tangelo & Paris Dusk (Memento), Creamy Brown (ColorBox)
Other - Rhinestones (from my stash), Clear EP (Stampendous), Paper piercer (MM)

Good, Girly Fun

This is a card that I had submitted a few months ago to PaperCrafts that didn't make the cut. I don't remember what the call was for, but the colour combo rocks. Pink, black, & white are fantastic together! I especially like how they work for girls of all ages.



I'm often a little unhappy with my attempts at creating my own patterned paper. But, I absolutely love Dot Spot for this technique because it always turns out well. The varying sizes of images make it so easy to create a well balanced background. The sentiment is one of my favorites from Signature Greetings. I REALLY would love a SG Additions. I just love the mix of block text and handwritten fonts. And most of them fit perfectly into the Fillable Frames series of stamps & dies.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Supplies:
Paper - pink, black (Bazzill), solar white (Neenah)
Stamps - Dot Spot, Signature Greetings, & Fillable Frames #2 (all PTI)
Ink - Rose Bud, Angel Pink, London Fog, & Tuxedo Black (Memento), VersaMark
Other - Clear EP, pink ribbon (American Crafts), half-back pearl

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)

hip, hip, HOORAY!

I am so excited about the July release from Papertrey Ink. Last week, Nichole Heady posted this fab sneak peek which sent me running to my craft room. You see, I love Papertrey dies & the new Book Prints impressions plate will eventually come to live with me BUT ... I had been saving some alpha paper and neglecting my EK spiral punch. Until today.



I just love it when the mojo's flowing, the supplies are all at hand, and the card just comes together in a snap. Especially when you finally use stamps, tools, and paper that you have never put to good use. It's such a good feeling.

I don't know if I can give this baby away, but I definately wanted to share it with you all. Have a great one!!

Supplies Used:
Stamps - Fillable Frames #3 (PTI), Songwriters (Sassafrass Lass), Get Funky (scraptivity)
Paper - enchanted evening (PTI), alpha print (unknown), pen pals (WRMK)
Ink - creamy brown (ColorBox), dandelion, rich brown, new sprout, tangelo (Memento), fresh snow (PTI)
Tools - spiral punch (EK), paper piercer (MM), piercing template (SU)

2S4Y Sketch #56

I've visited the 2 Sketches 4 You site often and used Kazan & Laura's sketches for inspiration, but this is the first time I've actually played along.



I recently bought some yummy, summery striped paper from Jillibean Soup's Egg Drop Soup collection. I'm such a paper addict. But, it's such a happy print. Who could resist? And the floral on the back is also smile-inducing. (You'll see that soon in another post, I promise. It's waaay too cute to stay hidden.)

So, fellow stampers, if you've got some time today, why don't you give this sketch a whirl?

Thanks for coming by!!

Supplies:
Paper - white (Neenah), green (Bazzill), soft suede & cameo coral (SU), stripe (JS)
Stamps - On My Couch (PTI)
Ink - new sprout, bamboo leaves, pear tart (Memento), fresh snow (PTI)
Other - white gel pen (Sakura), border punches (EK), ribbon (unknown), chair die (PTI)

Celebrate the Little Things

Do you ever wonder which cards should make it to your blog and which ones are simply not worthy? I am often my harshest critic so I decided to post something that made the recipient beam from ear to ear. At least I know one person likes this (other than me that is).


Last Sunday I realized that I had one hour to make a card for my niece for her final gymnastics competition. Why I left this to the last minute is beyond me. All I knew when I sat down was that it had to be girly, glitzy, and in her club colours. After starting (and tossing) a few, this is what I finally decided on. And she loved it. The smile on her face when she opened it, realizing that it was not only made just for her but matched her outfit, made my day. She's such a gem and I love her to pieces.

Hope you enjoy the card as much as she did!! Forgive the lousy photo. I took this one in a rush before, once again, rushing out the door.

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Butterfly Dreams, Signature Greetings (PTI)
Ink: Lilac Posies, Grape Jelly, Rose Red, Cloud White (Tsukineko)
EP: white, clear, and kaleidoscope (Stampendous)