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!

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!

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. 

April Showers ....

Hello again!  I've been bad.  My "to be inked" stamp pile is getting out of control which means only one thing.  I need to frantically get stamping before April 14th.  Today's newbie is one that I've been wanting for ages.  I just LOVE the umbrellas in Scattered Showers when you paper piece them.  The little guy is Emery from Verve.  Isn't he precious?  So, here's the card and the deets follow.

Stamps:  Scattered Showers (PTI), Emery (Verve)

Paper:  Crumb Cake (SU), Aqua Mist, White (PTI), Hopscotch (BG)

Ink:  Pumice & Broken China Distressed Inks, VersaMark

Other:  Spellbinders dies, rick rack trim, clear EP

I had a bit of an oops with the sentiment.  The first blue I chose was too light for the kraft base.  When I tried to stamp over it with a darker ink, it wasn't quite perfect.  Oh well.  The shadowing looks kinda intentional to me.  LOL  Then again, I may just have to cut & stamp a cute tag to go over top.  When I have time that is. 

Thanks for dropping by.

Irish Bingo

Happy Thursday!  After blog surfing last week, I realized that there were a few stamps in It's Official that were seriously unloved.  But, it's not my fault.  You see, I'm not a bingo person.  I don't know any bingo people.  So, guess which stamp had yet to see ink?  I'm clearly still in a St. Patty's Day frame of mind so I grabbed Luck of the Irish to complement what any game player needs - luck.

I covered the entire cardbase with a fun BasicGrey print from the Hopscotch collection.  If you're a cardmaker who only buys BG paper in the 12 x 12 sheets, you should check out their 6 x 6 paper pads.  I love that they are the same great prints, but perfectly scaled for smaller projects.  The packs are big (36 sheets, 18 prints) but you use them SO quickly and they're cheap too.  Now if only my LSS would get the Marjolaine pad back in stock ... 

Thanks for visiting and for leaving me some love below.  I appreciate it!


Supplies:
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah), Hopscotch (BasicGrey)
Stamps:  It's Official, Luck of the Irish (both PTI)
Ink:  Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake (SU), Worn Lipstick Distress Ink (Ranger), Tea Dye Duo (PTI), blue, brown, & yellow stars (all Memento)
Other:  2 way glue pen, crystal glitter (MS)

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!
 

all things grow with love

Happy Saturday! Now that the Paper Crafts call has closed and submission notices have gone out, I can share the first of five cards that weren't picked up. I won't call them rejects because frankly, I think they're pretty darn good. I had a bit of a "oh darn, it's crooked" moment when I stuck down the mat. Which was followed by a heat-gun fueled removal which caused one corner not to stay stuck flat for long. Unfortunately, I just realized the lifting corner today when loading the pic. I wonder if the editors saw it?  LOL

Oh how I love the weekend. Even if it's rainy, grey, and I've got a wicked migraine ... I'm still in jammies, not at work, and have a stack of good books and blogs to keep me company. Absolute bliss, I tell ya.

Have a great rest of the weekend, peeps.




** all supplies Papertrey Ink, unless otherwise noted.

Paper:  Rustic Cream & Sweet Blush, Penny Candy print (Hopscotch collection from BasicGrey)
Felt: Fine Linen, Harvest Gold, and Ocean Tides
Stamps: To The Moon (Verve), “all things grow” sentiment from Everyday Button Bits
Ink: black (StazOn), Bahama Blue & Rose Bud (Tsunkineko)
Other:  Take 3 die, Double Ended banner die, spring and holiday vintage mix buttons, ecru floss (DMC)