Papertrails

One More!

2012-02-15T08:58:00.002-06:00

O.K., I decided to make one more card for the Paper Smooches Guest Designer Search. Here is what I made:

inside:

I thought this would be a good card for someone who is having a bad day. Maybe it would put a smile on their face. For this card I used the toaster and piece of toast from Wake Up, the flames and smoke from Spiffy Scooters, and the smiley face from Sugar Rush. I printed the sentiments from my computer. I distressed, inked and rolled the edges of the sentiment on the front to make it look like it had been burnt a little. I also added stickles to the flame. Thanks for stopping by!

Let's Jam

2012-02-14T11:27:00.005-06:00

Here is what will probably be my final entry for the Paper Smooches March Guest Designer Search. I've had the idea for this card for a few months. I was inspired by a card Angie Hagist made back in December. You can see her card here. And this is my card:

I used the jam jar from Wake Up and added the arms and and a mouth from the same set. I used the little antenna from Boob Tubes as a set of drumsticks. Doesn't he look ready to jam? I then cut down the main panel and used a Stampin Up punch to put notches in both ends to make it look like a ticket. I used my black Zig pen to add black dots (seeds) to the jam jar and the red cardstock and a white gel pen to add the white dashes to the green cardstock. I finished off the card with a wooden button and some twine. Thanks for stopping by today!

Lawnscaping Challenge #27

2012-02-11T22:12:00.005-06:00

The current Lawnscaping challenge is to use the following photo collage as inspiration for a card or project.

Here is what I made:

Do you remember making valentine boxes to take to school? My children just recently made their valentine boxes and participated in a card swap. Each year they each use an empty tissue box and then decorate it however they choose. So, what better stamp for me to use than the tissue box from On the Mend. I just stamped the tissue box, cut it out, and then made a slit in the top where the tissue is. Then my box was ready to be stuffed with sweet little valentines. I used the card stamp from Cozy Christmas to make the valentines. The table the valentine box is sitting on is the mantle from the fireplace in Cozy Christmas. I just drew in the legs and then drew in the posts that are holding up the valentine banner. Thanks for stopping by!

PTI Day 7 Contest

2012-02-11T21:56:00.002-06:00

Papertrey Ink is celebrating their anniversary this month with lots of contests, fun, and prizes! Today Nichole challenged everyone to create a project that incorporated hearts. Here is my card:

I used the heart border die to create the fun strip behind the focal point. I die cut two heart strips and then mounted them on a piece of black cardstock. I like that the heart strips, when placed this way, make a zig-zag pattern with the black cardstock peeking through. For this card I also used the following stamp sets: Simply Jane, Simple Valentine, and Mat Stack 4 Collection. Thanks for stopping by today!

P.S. Guest Designer #3

2012-02-07T15:18:00.004-06:00

Here is my 3rd submission for Paper Smooches guest designer. For this card I used Wake Up and Spiffy Scooters (hearts). I colored the jars to look like peanut butter an jelly. I thought the pb&j would go perfectly the 'toast' sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by today!

P.S. Guest Designer search #2

2012-02-07T13:45:00.005-06:00

Here is the 2nd card I am entering in the Paper Smooches guest designer search
For this card I used Wake Up (milk carton, strawberry), Sugar Rush (sentiment), and Spiffy Scooters (cloud/thought bubble).

This card comes with a childhood memory, too. In elementary school, we had morning milk break. Each morning the cafeteria would bring a basket of milk cartons to each classroom. We could always choose between regular milk and chocolate milk, but sometimes strawberry milk was an option! When I saw the milk carton and strawberry in the Wake Up set, I had the idea to make this card. I wish I had the sentiment "Let's get together" for this card, but I don't. I guess I will need to add Paper Smooches Alphadot to my list so I can create my own sentiments!

Paper Smooches Guest Designer Search #1

2012-02-07T12:12:00.005-06:00

Here is a card I am entering in the Paper Smooches guest designer search. I used the jukebox, music notes, and sentiment from Perpetual Bliss and the mouth and arms are from Wake Up. I thought the little black circles on the jukebox looked like eyes, so the arms and mouth are a perfect addition! This is a pretty simple card. I distressed the edges of the cardstock and added a bit of bling to the top of the jukebox. The image is colored with copic markers.

I also made a red version:

This little jukebox reminds me that as a kid, my family would sometimes go to the local Pizza Hut on the weekends to eat. My parents would always let me and my brother pick some songs from the jukebox to listen to during our meal. We would stand up there forever flipping through the titles trying to decide what to play. A very simple thing, but a very good memory, too.

Make it Monday #50-Miss K's card

2012-01-27T22:04:00.003-06:00

My 8 year old daughter decided she wanted to make her own shaker card and enter the challenge, too. Here is the card she designed. I thought her idea to put the little frog in the jar was a really good one. When you shake the card, the frog looks like he is jumping around!

She would love to here what you think of her card. Thanks for "hopping" by today!

Make it Monday #50 Take 2

2012-01-25T10:12:00.003-06:00

While I was looking through my cards from 2011 and deciding which one I would revamp for the PTI January Blog Hop, I ran across this card:

Since it just so happens that shaker cards are the theme of the Make it Monday challenge this week, I decided to make a newer version of this card, too. Here is my 2012 version:

PTI January Blog Hop

2012-01-25T09:54:00.003-06:00

Papertrey Ink's January Blog Hop is going on today! Here is the challenge in Nichole's words:

This month, in honor of the new year, we are challenging you to pick your favorite project from 2011 and share it with all of us! To take it a step further, you are also challenged to create a second card that is inspired by the favorite project you select. Your new version of an old favorite could carry over the color scheme, the layout or the stamp sets. We look forward to seeing your best creations from 2011 as well as one of your first projects for 2012!

One of my favorite cards from 2011 was this one:

And here is my new version. I chose to use the same ink blending technique and a similar color scheme.

Thanks for stopping by today. Enjoy the Hop!

Make it Monday #50

2012-01-24T21:40:00.003-06:00

The Make it Monday challenge for this week is to make a shaker card. I used my Out of this World mini stamp set and die to create this space themed card:

This is a photo of the card before I stamped the images on the transparency. I added different pieces of patterned paper behing the die cuts. It doesn't show up very well in the photo, but I also added sparkly "stars" to my main panel with stickles.

Thanks for stopping by!

Lawnscaping Challenge #26

2012-01-21T11:34:00.003-06:00

The newest Lawnscaping challenge is titled Winter Wonderland.

Here is what I made for the challenge. I decided to use the little turtle from Lawn Fawn's On the Mend set. Don't worry, he isn't sick. He is just using that heating pad to stay warm in the snow! He also borrowed the scarf he is wearing from the other bird in Lawn Fawn's Making Frosty Friends set. I think if fits him perfectly. By the way, that isn't popcorn lying in the snow by the turtle's head. It is his breath coming out in little puffs because of the chilly weather!

Thanks for stopping by today. Also, if you have never played along with a Lawnscaping challenge before, you really should! I actually won Queen of the Green last week and received an awesome prize!

Make it Monday #49

2012-01-21T08:25:00.001-06:00

The challenge this week is to use a technique called ghost masking. If you would like to know more about this technique, you can check out Betsy's video tutorial over on Nichole's blog. This is the first time I had ever heard of ghost masking. It is a great a way to use all of your solid image stamps! Here is the card I made:

The card is much brighter and vibrant IRL. The camera really washes out the bright pink and aqua. Thanks for stopping by.

Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge

2012-01-18T17:01:00.007-06:00

ETA: I decided to enter this card in the Paper Smooches March Guest Designer Search as well.

The current Sparks challenge is to take inspiration from the following photo:

I chose to use the color scheme as my inspiration and here is what I made:

I love this little vintage radio image. Everytime I look at this card with the sqwiggly lines and news flash sentiment, I hear this sound in my head-click here. Haha! I added the banner at the bottom to look like a little ticker tape bulletin running across the card. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for stopping by!

Lawnscaping Challenge #25-Birthday!

2012-01-11T10:10:00.003-06:00

This month the Lawnscaping Challenge blog is 1 year old. To celebrate, they have issued a Birthday challenge:

For this birthday card, I combined several Lawn Fawn sets. I used Admit One, Plus One, On the Mend, Bannerific, Pa-Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum, Say Cheese, and Jessie's ABC's

Here is the sentiment on the inside of the card:

Thanks for stopping by!

Make it Monday #48

2012-01-09T17:27:00.003-06:00

The Make it Monday challenge this week is to create a background using border dies. I made a very simple rainbow background using my ric rac die. For my main panel, I used several elements from PTI's Button Boutique stamp set, some Maya Road buttons and colored twine.

Thanks for stopping by!

Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge

2012-01-03T09:50:00.005-06:00

Here is the inspiration picture that Kim posted for the current Sparks challenge:

I looked at the challenge on New Year's Eve and came up with my card idea while the kids and I watched the ball drop. I first stamped the T.V. from the Boob Tubes set and then used the stick part of the flag image from Spiffy Scooters to hold the "ball". To make the "ball", I used the double circle image from Sugar Rush and added Ranger's Glossy Accents and glitter to make it sparkle. For the sentiment, I used the word "celebrate" from Sugar Rush. To get the rainbow effect, I inked each letter separately using my Stampin' Up markers. It doesn't show up well in the photo, but I used the asterisk sign from Spiffy Scooters to make confetti around the T.V. I used Versamark Sparkle, Amuse Simple Stick and glitter for the confetti. It is sublty sparkly in real life, but just does not translate well in the photo. Last, I added a colored rhinestone to the center of each confetti. Thanks for stopping by!

Make It Monday #47

2012-01-02T22:18:00.003-06:00

For the first Make it Monday challenge of the new year, Nichole has decided to issue an A la Carte challenge. She has listed on her blog links to all of the previous 46 challenges so that you can try any technique you would like. I chose to use the rock and roll technique and the ribbon pleating technique on my card. For the main panel, I tried something that I have wanted to do for awhile. I used one of the labels from Label Basics and dressed it up using Chevron Strips. I really like the black and white look and the chevron strips are much easier to line up than I would have thought! I then used Rosie Posie to add the pink and yellow flowers and a leaf to my label. I tucked in another label from Label Basics and stamped it with the words "vintage style" from Button Boutique just for fun. I added a die cut "you" to the top of my label and finished off the front of the card with the ribbon pleating.

For the inside of the card I used the sentiment "give me a reason to smile" from Wonderful Words Additions. Head on over to Nichole's blog and play along if you like. Thanks for stopping by!

Lawnscaping Challenge #24-Texture

2011-12-28T11:14:00.005-06:00

My 8 year old daughter always asks about the cards I make and the challenges I enter. She is especially interested in the comments I get on my cards and has decided she would like to enter a challenge so she can receive comments, too.
She is playing along with the newest Lawnscaping challenge. Here is the challenge:

Here is the card she made for the challenge. She didn't use any Lawn Fawn sets, but she did come up with this card all on her own! She used Liquid Applique to add textured snow to her card. I did not help her in any way on this card except when it came time to use the heat gun--and she tried to do that on her own. She would love to hear what you think of her card. Thanks for stopping by!

(She took this picture of her card by herself, too!)

PTI December Blog Hop

2011-12-26T21:55:00.004-06:00

Here is what I came up with for the PTI "Holiday Leftovers Challenge". I cut the elf image out of a Lego gift card holder and used some PTI dies to embellish the main panel. I used one of the dies from PTI's doily detail collection to die cut 2 shapes. Then I cut them apart and positioned them around the elf image to make it look like a bigger die cut. I then added a layerz Mat Stack 4 behind that (stamped with Stampin' Up's woodgrain background). I finished off my card with some PTI ribbon and a little corner swirl from Borders and Corners: Square. The inside of the card simply says Thank You. Now the kids can send it to thank someone for a gift they received for Christmas. Sorry for the poor quality of the photo. I left my camera at Grandmother's house yesterday and had to use a phone to take the pic. :) Thank you for hopping by!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T20:38:00.001-06:00

Luke 2:11-14

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Don't Forget the Pumpkin Pie!

2011-12-01T10:18:00.002-06:00

I forgot to show you this little pie before Thanksgiving. Isn't it cute?! I found the tutorial here. It is even filled with a little pumpkin pie spice sachet so it smells yummy!

turkey + mashed potatoes = happy turkey day

2011-11-30T12:55:00.005-06:00

I know I am a little late with the Thanksgiving card, but I wanted to play along with the newest Lawnscaping challenge and the inspiration photo begged me to do a fall card. I used the colors and the fall feel to make the following card. The turkey and sentiment are from Lawn Fawn's Turkey Day and the bowl and spoon are from Lawn Fawn's On the Mend set. I added Liquid Applique to the bowl to make instant mashed potatoes (haha)

Obviously, family is what really makes a Happy Thanksgiving and we were able to spend ours with my husband's family at the beach (and then we came home to a chance of snow)!

We have been so blessed and have so much to be thankful for. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksiving, too!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T16:09:00.003-05:00

I made this card using Lawn Fawn's Happy Haunting set and We R Memory Keepers Spookville paper pad. The crocheted bat was made from another free pattern I found at lionbrand.com

Lawnscaping Challenge #20

2011-10-27T11:23:00.003-05:00

This week's Lawnscaping Challenge is to use paper piecing on your project:

I chose to use the fireplace from Lawn Fawn's Cozy Christmas and I paper pieced it with some patterned paper from American Crafts Boo! line (from last year). Then I used a small piece of patterned paper from American crafts current Halloween line to put inside the fireplace (Night Crawler from the Night Fall line). I then cut the pumpkin from yet another piece of American Crafts patterned paper (Halloween Night also from Night Fall-the same piece I used behing the main panel on my card) and stuck him on top of my fireplace. Can you see the little mouse beside the pumpkin? That is actually the mouse from Lawn Fawn's Critters on the Farm set. I just stamped him on some Shrinky Dinks paper, colored him, cut him out and shrank him down with my heat gun. For the finishing touch, I stamped the ghost from Lawn Fawn's Happy Haunting on the same patterned paper that I used for the inside of the fireplace, cut him out and adhered him to the card with foam dots. The sentiment is also from the Happy Haunting set.

Thanks for stopping by!

PTI blog hop

2011-10-25T22:20:00.004-05:00

Today is the PTI blog hop, and this is the inspiration photo:

I used the colors as my inspiration and came up with the card below. I didn't use any PTI stamps on this one, but I did use PTI dies and cardstock.

One of my other hobbies is crocheting. I made this little pumpkin from a free pattern I found at lionbrand.com. I thought my little jack-o-lantern went well with this card and thought I would share him with you as well. I hope you enjoy the hop!

Paper Smooches

2011-10-10T14:19:00.004-05:00

I have a little something to show you today that ended up totally different from what I had originally planned. I had planned to make a regular card using my Paper Smooches Spiffy Scooters set and this fun travel theme paper by Imaginisce. I made the main panel (with the scooter image) first and then started on the rest of the card.
I trimmed a strip of my Go, Scooter, Go! paper, but my main panel ended up covering most of it up when arranged on the card. Yes, I could have just cut another strip, but I only have one sheet of this pattern and I didn't want to waste it. So, I decided to make a pocket card instead. As soon as I slipped my scooter panel into the pocket, a light bulb went off. Wouldn't this pocket card made out of travel themed paper make a fun little suitcase?! I rounded the top edges of the card and cut a little handle to add to the card. Now that my card was a suitcase, I decided to add the little stamp (cut from a different piece of patterned paper from the same line) and the two banners which are stamped with sentiments from PTI's Road Trip stamp set. It kinda reminds me of the old suitcases that people used to put stickers on.

Once the scooter panel is placed inside the pocket, it looks like a little photo or postcard tucked into the pocket of a suitcase. I didn't photograph it, but I did stamp the back of the scooter panel to make it look like a postcard. Now it is the perfect place to write a note for the recipient. I am very happy with how this card evolved and I will definitely be playing around with some more shaped cards in the future! Thanks for stopping by.

I plan to enter this card in the Paper Smooches November Guest Designer Search. If you are interested in entering, too, you can check it out here.

Lawnscaping Challenge #19

2011-10-06T12:09:00.003-05:00

Hello again! The newest Lawnscaping Challenge is all about dimension. I chose to work with the ferris wheel from Admit One for this project. First I made my main panel by using Distress Inks to create a background and my copic markers to add the red border. I then stamped the ferris wheel on the main panel and again on a piece of teal cardstock. I paper pieced the ferris wheel and added adhesive crystals. I also used my copic markers to shade in parts of the ferris wheel. I then made the main card using red cardstock and that fabulous piece of green hounstooth from October Afternoon. I added the ribbon ruffle by adhering my tape to the card front and then working the ribbon into loops. I adhered my main panel using foam dots and then layered the red button with a heart button and tied them together with twine. I also used foam dots to adhere the buttons so that they would pop up just above the main panel. I hope you enjoy!

Patriot Day

2011-09-11T22:50:00.007-05:00

(photo credit)

SOIREE

2011-07-24T23:07:00.004-05:00

Pink Paislee Soiree stamp set + Kaisercraft glittered butterfly paper = a very sparkly birthday card that did not photograph well :). Happy Sunday and thanks for stopping by!

Hello, again.

2011-07-21T15:55:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it has been 3 months since I last posted. I didn't intend to take a long break, I just stopped feeling crafty for awhile. I am back today with a card for the Lawnscaping Challenge: stamp a scene. I have to confess that I had just finished this card when I looked to see what the challenge was. I was very happy that my card fit the bill!

I had the idea to do this Charlotte's Web inspired card back when I first saw that two of the new Lawn Fawn sets included a pig and an award ribbon. Now that I have the card finished, I have to ask myself.....when would I ever have the occasion to send someone a card that said "some pig" on the front of it?! There is a bar-b-que restaurant nearby called Big Bob Gibson's (they have an awesome loaded pork potato and are rather famous for their white sauce). They win awards all the time for their bar-b-que and have even been featured on the Today show, Unwrapped and several food networks. I guess I could send it to them! Ha ha!! But really, creativity needs no reason..right?

Head on over to the Lawnscaping Challenge blog and play along. Thanks for stopping by!

Make it Monday #10

2011-04-12T12:33:00.003-05:00

This week's Make it Monday challenge is Masking with Dies. I used my PTI dress form die to make a mask and then sponged pink ink over the mask onto my die cut button card. Then, with my mask still in place, I stamped my gingham background stamp over the dress form. My mask was a little too thick and didn't allow the gingham to stamp off completely, but I like how it turned out and the look it gives the dress form! I then added various elements from Button Boutique to finish off the button card. The buttons and fabric swatches are also cut with my PTI button card dies. Last, I finished off the card with some Stampin Up patterned paper and Hibiscus Burst ribbon. Thanks for stopping by!

PTI stamps: Button Boutique and Background Basics:Gingham
PTI dies: Dress Form, Button Card collection, and Buttoned Up #1

Lawnscaping Challenge #7

2011-04-12T09:07:00.004-05:00

This week's challenge is a fun one! Challenge #7 is to make you own patterned paper using stamps. I knew what I wanted to do as soon as I read the challenge...It just took me a week to get around to actually doing it!

I used images from Plus One, Bannerific and Cozy Christmas for my card. Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite so I used the plate of cookies, the glass of milk and a heart to create my patterned paper. For my focal piece, I stamped the oven and then cut it out (including the oven window). I stamped the plate of cookies on a piece of cardstock and then used dimensional adhesive to adhere my oven over the cookies. I added a few hearts above the oven and my sentiment banner beneath. I love how the main panel turned out. I will be using those cookies in the oven again! Thanks for stopping by!

Make it Monday #8

2011-03-28T16:13:00.004-05:00

Wow, I actually have my Make it Monday card finished on a Monday! This week's challenge is titled Ink Blending Techniques. Good thing I picked up a Tim Holtz Ink Applicator on Saturday, because it was just what I needed for this technique. I started by applying two shades of yellow ink (Barely Banana and So Saffron) to the center of my cardstock and then added 3 different shades of blue (Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze, and Night of Navy) around the outer edges. I did this so that when I adhered my car it would look like headlights shining into the darkness. For the grass, I used some Old Olive and Kiwi Kiss ink. Then, I cut a piece of Smokey Shadow for the road and used my white gel pen to add the dashed line. I die cut the car and colored it using my Copic Markers. I used PTI's For the Graduate set to add numbers to the license plate and adhered red jewels for taillights. Last, I cut out the car window and added a piece of a transparency sheet behind it. I wanted this card to look like a photograph, so I just adhered my main panel to a piece of white cardstock. Since it is supposed to look like a photo, I used Library Ledger to add a "date stamp" to the upper right hand corner. Want to know why I used 2005? Because I always forget to set the date on my camera so, every time I have a picture printed it is stamped 2005. Apparently 2005 is the default setting. Nice, huh? I hope you are enjoying your Monday! Thanks for stopping by.

PTI: Enjoy the Ride stamp set, Library Ledger stamp set, For the Graduate stamp set, car die, banner die, cardstock (white and smokey shadow), black ink, tea dye duo

Stampin Up: ink

Copics, white gel pen, ink applicator

Papertrey Ink March 2011 Blog Hop

2011-03-25T15:30:00.003-05:00

Welcome to my stop on the hop! The challenge for PTI's March blog hop is to use embroidery floss in a fun and inventive way. I chose to do some stitching with the floss, and I also used it as an accent on the dress form. I went with a shabby chic look for this card-my first attempt at this style. I used a few elements from Button Boutique (big suprise :) for my focal peice and added the embellished dress form to finish it off. I paired my focal peice with some new paper from Pink Paislee's Daily Junque line. The patterned paper was actually the inspiration for my card. So, let me know what you think and enjoy the hop!

PTI: cardstock (black and cream), buttons, ink (black), dress form die, button card die, Button Boutique stamp set, Library Ledger stamp set, Fancy Flourishes stamp set, Tea Dye Duo

Pink Paislee: Daily Junque patterned paper

We R Memory Keepers: embroidery floss and Sew Easy tool

Daisy D's: rub-on borders (tape runner style)

Stampin Up: taupe cardstock

VersaMagic ink and adhesive pearls

Make it Monday #7

2011-03-22T23:51:00.002-05:00

This week's Make it Monday challenge is to use Copic markers to add color to non-neutral cardstock. I started on my card right away and made the card below. As soon as it was finished, I realized that I had used my Copics to shade white and kraft cardstock-both neutrals. I had gotten so excited about the design of my card that I completely ignored the challenge! (Scroll down for my second attempt)
Inside of card:

I decided to make another card and this time I followed the directions. I used my Scattered Showers umbrella and stamped it on Bermuda Bay cardstock (it looks darker in the photo than it actually is). I then used my Copics to shade and add contour to my umbrella. Notice I used the rectangle frame stamp from Button Boutique on both cards. I think it is my new favorite stamp!

I also made this card a window card so I could play along with the Papertrey Posse March challenge. The challenge is to make a window or frame card. I used the Button Card die to make the window and to cut the white piece inside of the card. It's the perfect size for this type of card! Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to play along with both of these challenges!

Lawnscaping Challenge #6

2011-03-22T23:21:00.004-05:00

Hello! I am back with another Lawnscaping Challenge. They currently have two challenges going on over at their blog, so head on over there and play along! Challenge #6 is called Color Splash. The idea is to go for a neutral focal point with a splash of color. I chose to use my Plus One set again and stamp that cute little oven. I colored the oven with some of my neutral Copic Markers and made the little "bun" or cupcake the splash of color. I paired my focal piece with some October Afternoon Modern Homemaker patterned paper. The piece I used has recipes on it so it goes perfectly with the oven. This was such a fun challenge! Here is what I came up with:

Thanks for stopping by!

Cute and Cuddly

2011-03-22T23:06:00.004-05:00

The Lawnscaping Challenge blog is teaming up with Wee Memories to present a special co-challenge this week titled Cute and Cuddly. My new Lawn Fawn stamps just arrived a few days ago, so I couldn't wait to make a cute and cuddly card with my new Plus One set. Here is what I made:

I paper pieced the mobile and then added the tiny hearts and sentiments from the same set. The red banner strip is also stamped with hearts, but they don't show up very well in the photo. The patterned paper is October Afternoon's Thrift Shop. If you are interested in playing along with this challenge, check out the Lawnscaping blog for more info. Thanks for stopping by!

Make it Monday #6

2011-03-17T20:34:00.003-05:00

This week's Make it Monday challenge is all about impression plate tricks. The idea was to use an impression plate to emboss only a portion of your cardstock. I went pretty simple with this one and used the woodgrain impression plate to emboss the bottom half of my kraft cardstock. I then covered the line made by the edge of the impression plate with some ivory ribbon. For my focal point, I used the rose again from PTI's Year of Flowers series. I had a hard time getting a good picture of this card! I took the first photo inside my photo tent,but the embossing on the bottom of the card didn't show up in any of the photos. So, I took my card outside to photograph it and the embossing does show up in that photo. The funny thing is that in real life, the leaves on my card aren't as bright and the rose isn't as dark as they are in the photos. Oh well, I hope you enjoy it anyway! Thanks for stopping by.

Lawnscaping Challenge #5

2011-03-10T22:36:00.005-06:00

This week's Lawnscaping challenge was to use a stamp in an unconventional way. Since the only two Lawn Fawn sets I own are Bannerific and Cozy Christmas, I was having a hard time coming up with an idea. I ended up taking a cue from Kary's card (guest designer for the Lawnscaping challenge) and making a flower using the banners from Bannerific. I started out by stamping a circle from PTI's Borders and Corners set. Then, I inked up one of the banners and stamped it repeatedly around the circle.

After that, I stamped the same banner several times on some Basic Grey PP and paper pieced the flower petals. I finished off the center of the flower with a die cut circle and a corduroy brad. I used more Basic Grey PP for the base of my card and added the scroll banner (also from Bannerific) with a PTI sentiment. Thanks for stopping by!

Make it Monday #5: Distressing Edges

2011-03-08T21:45:00.004-06:00

I am loving the Make it Monday challenges. This week Lisa Johnson issued the challenge to use distressing. This is one of my favorite techniques. For this card I used the Year of Flowers: Roses stamp set. I stamped about six roses and then cut them out omitting certain petals each time. I wanted to have several layers in order to make a 3-D rose. I then used my copic markers to add depth and curled and distressed the petal edges with my fingernail. Yes, my fingernail-my favorite tool for distressing! I layered the rose pieces using regular adhesive as well as foam adhesive in certain spots. I also added a little distressing around the River Rock cardstock using my PTI tea dye duo-another favorite of mine! The beautiful patterned paper is Circa 1934 by Cosmo Cricket. Thanks for stopping by!

Make it Monday #4

2011-03-05T10:50:00.003-06:00

Hello! Today I have another Make it Monday card to show you. The challenge for this week was to use fun foam! I used some white fun foam and die cut a few clouds and banner shapes using my PTI dies. I then covered the banner shapes with some patterned paper and strung them together on pink baker's twine (Martha Stewart). I finished my card with a Welcome Spring sentiment and a few pink rhinestones.

Thanks for stopping by!

Lawnscaping Challenge #4

2011-02-27T17:42:00.002-06:00

Time for another Lawnscaping Challenge. Have you played along, yet? If not, head on over the the Lawnscaping Challenge blog and see what it's all about. Challenge #4 is "All About Paper Piecing". Paper piecing is one of my favorite things to do to add interest to a stamped project. Here is what I came up with:

I used the flag banner from Lawn Fawn's Bannerific set and paper pieced it with October Afternoon's Seaside collection. Since I used the Seaside paper, I decided to add a twine "rope" for the banner to hang from. I then added a sentiment from PTI's Out to Sea set to finish up my nautical theme. Super simple card (I couldn't decide if I thought it was finished enough or if it needed something more), but I am happy with how it turned out. Thanks for stopping by!

Papertrey Ink February Blog Hop + Make it Monday #3

2011-02-25T19:05:00.004-06:00

Welcome! I combined the Make it Monday challenge (use a glitter strip) and the Papertrey blog hop challenge (use scallops) and came up with this little gift box. This is the first time I have tried the glitter strip, and I love the way it looks! This is also the first time I have used the cupcake dies-lots of fun, too! For more information on both of these challenges, check out Nichole's blog. Have fun hopping!

ETA: In the comments, Terri asked if this is the Favor It Box 2. Yes, I did use the Favor It #2 die by Papertrey. I just covered the little scallops at the top of the box with my pink glittered strip because when I ran it through my Cuttlebug the die didn't cut all the way through the paper on the scalloped edge of the box.

Make It Monday #2 and February Parade of Blogs

2011-02-20T16:50:00.003-06:00

I finally have my Make It Monday #2 card ready (just hours before the next challenge goes up)! Nichole's challenge this week was to make a card using a vellum sentiment strip. This card is also for the Papertrey Posse February Parade of Blogs. The challenge over there is to make a card using things you love. I chose to use the jar from PTI's Frienship jar set, (because I love that jar) and make a shaker card with my heart confetti. Shaker cards are alot of fun to make and pretty simple to do. I really like the idea of the vellum sentiment strip because it doesn't hide the contents of the jar. If you would like to play along with either of these challenges, check out Nichole's blog and the Papertrey Posse blog for more details. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T11:38:00.005-06:00

I am back today with another Lawnscaping Challenge. This week's challenge is titled All About Love. I combined the sets Cozy Christmas and Bannerific to make this Valentine's card below.

The sentiment is from PTI and the little heart banner on the fireplace was made with some Valentine confetti I found at Target. Patterned paper is by Imaginisce and Dear Lizzy. I hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day!

PTI Onesies

2011-02-12T21:35:00.005-06:00

I have a project to share today that doesn't involve any paper, but still uses some of my favorite PTI supplies. I embellished the onesies below for my sister-in-law who is due in May. I drew her name for Christmas and she said she wanted baby items. Since there weren't any summer clothes in the stores, I got out my ribbon and buttons and set to work on some plain white onesies.

I don't know a whole lot about crocheting, but I learned how to crochet these little flowers from a You-Tube video (I had to rewind it alot!). I really wanted to crochet a pair of booties to match, but I felt that was way beyond my crocheting capabilities at the moment. So instead, I finished up the gift with some cute little teeny tiny pink socks, a rattle and a super soft blanket in the same white/aqua/pink color scheme.

P.S. In case anyone shares my husbands concerns: Yes, the buttons are sewn on very securely! and No, I don't know if the aqua crocheted flower will bleed when washed (oops!). Thanks for stopping by!
Ribbon and buttons-Papertrey Ink

Love Potion

2011-02-09T08:52:00.003-06:00

Hello, today I have a card to show that I made for the very first Make It Mondays challenge on Nichole's blog. Here is a little excerpt from her blog about this new weekly challenge:

Every Monday there will be a technique video posted to our YouTube channel by a Papertrey Team Member or myself, showcasing a nice balance of basics and new innovations to cater to everyone's skill levels. (The video will also be posted on my blog every Monday. The contest will be hosted in two places, through Facebook and my blog. This will allow people to post a link to a project they create using that weeks technique easily, depending on the type of "social media" they prefer.

The first challenge is all about sentiments. Erin Lincoln has challenged everyone to make a Go-To Sentiment card. The idea is to gather like sentiments from different stamps sets and use them together. Here is what I came up with:

I really like the different sizes and fonts all together. What a fun challenge! This is definitely a technique I will use again. Want to play along? Head on over to Nichole's blog. The prize is amazing for this contest!

Valentine boxes

2011-02-08T09:25:00.003-06:00

My kids had a great time decorating their valentine boxes again this year. My daughter chose mermaid valentines to give out and wanted her box to match them. We used my Cricut Once Upon a Princess and Create a Critter cartridges to make the pieces for her box. The waves at the top of the box were made with my Fiskars punch. She placed everything where she wanted it and said the little seahorses at the bottom are supposed to look like they are making a heart shape.

My son chose Star Wars valentines and cut pieces from the packaging the valentines came in and some images from the internet to decorate his box. I still can't believe we happened to find tissue boxes that went so well with their chosen themes.

These are so much fun to do with the kids every year and I always end up wishing I had a valentine party to go to that required a cute little decorated box! :)

Valentine

2011-02-06T22:44:00.003-06:00

Just a quick post-trying to get this one before bed. This card is for another fabulous PTI anniversary challenge on Nichole's blog. One winner will be selected to design a stamp set with Nichole! Check out the details here.

PTI favorites

2011-02-05T15:01:00.003-06:00

Nichole Heady (of Papertrey Ink) has an amazing giveaway going on right now on her blog. One way to win the prize package is to leave a comment on this post where the design team members have listed their favorite projects from the past year. The other way to win is to repost your favorite project that you have made from the past year. One of my favorite sets released this past year was Friendship Jar and all the filler sets. This was one of my favorite cards I made using these sets:

So excited that another Filler set will be released this month! Now head on over to Nichole's blog and enter to win!

Lawnscaping Challenge

2011-02-01T22:26:00.004-06:00

Good evening! I stumbled upon the Lawnscaping Challenge blog the other day and decided to play along with their most recent challenge. The challenge is to case Mrs. Lawn Fawn herself-Kelly Alvarez! I chose to use this card by Kelly as my inspiration. Here is what I created:

I decided to make a little plaque to hang up at Christmastime. I used the adorable Cozy Christmas set for this project. I love all of the smiley faces on the images-they make this set playful and fun. I added stickles and crystal effects on some of the images to make it even more fun! The background stamp on the olive paper is Text Style by Papertrey Ink.

Cardstock:PTI (white), Stampin Up (olive and red)
Ribbon:PTI

PTI January Blog Hop

2011-01-25T10:20:00.005-06:00

It's Blog Hop time again! This is the first one I have been able to participate in for ahwile. Here is an excerpt from the PTI website detailing the challenge:

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. If
you are in need of inspiration for your chosen set, feel free to utilize the gallery posted in the side bar of
each set's sale page on our website, or go to the Previous Countdown page on Nichole's blog where
each set is organized by month of release. 2011 is the year where what's old is new again!

I used the recently released On Ice set for this challenge. Even though this is not an older set, it is the first time I have used it. It is a super cute set and the matching dies make it even more fun to play with. I hope you enjoy the hop!

(click picture to enlarge)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T20:35:00.002-06:00

I hope each of you have a wonderful Christmas!
Enjoy...

Again?

2010-11-16T11:18:00.003-06:00

I didn't realize it had been so long since I last posted! We have been busy with soccer tournaments (my son's team advanced and will play in the state tournament this weekend!), then we went on a wonderful vacation to the Great Smokey Mountains (the picture in my new blog banner is one I took while we were in Cade's Cove) and since we have been back, we have all had a yucky cold!

The card I have to show you today would be a fun card for a good friend. I used the cake image from My Cute Stamps Birthday Numbers set and added the "29" on top of the cake (the number candles are included in the set). The cake image doesn't actually have a face on it (the face is from another set called Sweet Kawaii), but I thought the little winking face would be perfect for this playful card. The sentiment "again?" was made using Doodlebug mini rub-ons. I got the idea to add the "again?" after seeing a card Debbie Olsen did a while back. I don't think you can tell from the photo, but I used my linen and canvas impression plate by PTI on the large white panel to keep it from looking too plain. Hope you enjoy-thanks for stopping by!

Papertrey Ink-paper, ink, ribbon, impression plate, button, twine.
My Cute Stamps-stamps
Copic markers, Doodlebug rub-ons and nestabilities

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T22:03:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween! Here are the last of my Halloween cards.

And this one was made by my sweet little girl!

Halloween Stickers

2010-10-27T09:04:00.004-05:00

I found the dimensional Halloween stickers used above (haunted house,bat,skeleton) at Michael's last year. Because the stickers are dimensional and so detailed they make a great focal point. Stickers are also quick and easy if you are mass producing cards! The sentiment on the first card is by Amuse and the "trick or treat" rub-on on the second card is by Imaginise. Cardstock and ink by Papertrey Ink and Stampin Up.

Spooky...

2010-10-24T17:20:00.004-05:00

Hello again! I had intended to post most every day in October, but some things came up this past week that needed attention, and the blog got put on the back burner. I am back tonight with a card that uses the PTI anniversay set called Everyday Classics. It is a cute set that is perfect for birthdays and everyday, and with a little tweeking, can also be used for Halloween! I used the teacup image, but inked only the cup part-omitting the handle and it became a bowl! I then stamped the cherry (omitting the stem) in a few different colors and then drew in the little triangles on either side of the cherries making them look like pieces of wrapped candy. I finished off the treat bowl with some adhesive rhinestones and added the spooky, green monster arm sticker (from Cosmo Cricket's Haunted line). I like how it looks like the arm is sneaking in and reaching for a piece of candy! The sentiment is from PTI's Spooky Sweets 2 and the patterned paper is by Bo Bunny.

Papertrey Posse October Parade of Blogs

2010-10-14T23:37:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned before, I am the October hostess for the Papertrey Posse blog. For our Parade of Blogs challenge, I asked everyone to use their Halloween stamps to make a piece of home decor. Here is the inspiration for my project-the lable on my Bath and Body Works soap dispenser!

I used the idea of a haunted house to make this little wall plaque:

I used the house from Boards and Beams and stamped it on a piece of Smokey Shadow. I then used my gray (C1, C3, C5, C7) and black copic markers to color and shade some of the house. I then used a yellow and orange copic to color in the windows. It doesn't show up super bright, but instead makes it look like there is a soft glow coming from the inside of the house. I finished off the house by adding a little ghostie in the lower left hand window. I painted him on with my Shimmerz Blinz paint in Pixie Dust. Next, I stamped the tree from Falling Leaves (I masked it and only stamped part of the tree so it would be in better proportion with the house)and added the fence. The stars were made using Black Diamond Stickles and the bats are from Spooky Sweets. I just stamped them on shrink plastic, cut them out and shrunk them! I finished the project off with a sentiment from Spooky Sweets 2. I really like how this project turned out and I would love to know what you think!

PTI:Stamps-Boards and Beams, Spooky Sweets 1 & 2, Falling Leaves
Paper-Smokey Shadow, Summer Sunrise, Bitty Box Basics in Summer Sunrise.
Ribbon-Summer Sunrise
Making Memories:Black paint(scrapbook colors)
EK Success:moon and stars punch
Nestabilities die, stickles, shrink plastic, black adhesive pearls, copic markers, modge podge and shimmerz paint.

100th post!

2010-10-12T22:15:00.002-05:00

Do you know what today is? My 100th post! I have been blogging since February, but I still can't believe I am already at 100. Anyway, I have another card tonight using pieces from the Boo to You collection by My Mind's Eye. I just love the big eyes on the pumpkins and the bat, especially the largest pumpkin-he looks really scared!

Easy Decor

2010-10-10T23:29:00.002-05:00

Last year I found this candle holder (already filled with a pumpkin pie scented candle) at Wal-Mart for a few dollars. They had them in several colors, but I thought the orange one would make a perfect pumpkin. I brought it home and added the fun little pumpkin face rub on by Stampin Up. Super simple and a fun little halloween decoration! Hmm... I wonder if they have some this year in white so I can make a ghostie?!

Smell My Feet

2010-10-08T22:15:00.003-05:00

(click to enlarge)
Very simple card tonight. I cut a strip of patterned paper (halloween buckets from American Crafts), layered it with a purple mat and then a stone mat and adhered it to the black/white patterned paper (We R Memory Keepers). I then added the rub on sentiment (Stampin Up) and a few tiny, adhesive dome stickers to one of the buckets.

The Count

2010-10-07T22:34:00.002-05:00

Isn't this little vampire adorable?! He is from the Boo to You collection by My Mind's Eye. I thought he would go perfectly with the "blood donor" sticker by American Crafts. I finished off the count with a little jewel on his bowtie and paired him with some Halloween star patterned paper, also by American Crafts. Thanks for stopping by!

Bucket of treats!

2010-10-06T21:49:00.002-05:00

For tonight's card, I used PTI's Boo to You set and made a Halloween treat bucket. I then added some little candy rub-ons from the Hallowhimsy line by Imaginisce. The sentiment is also a rub-on from the same collection.

Cutest little witch

2010-10-05T22:48:00.004-05:00

Just a quick little card today. I used a sticker by Heidi Grace from a collection called Halloween. I mounted her on a piece of True Black cardstock so she would stand out and paired her with some houndstooth paper by October Afternoon. I then finished off the card with ribbon, some buttons and a bit of yellow floss. Very simple and easy card, but one of my favorites!
(click to enlarge)
Heidi Grace sticker
PTI cardstock and button
October Afternoon patterned paper
Basic Grey button
Stampin Up ribbon
yellow floss

Welcome to my laboratory...

2010-10-04T22:15:00.001-05:00

Tonight I have a little project to show you that I made last year. I found the containers below at Target in their Halloween section. When I bought them, they were filled with candy and the test tubes contained some kind powder and goo. Most of it was gross (when the kids won't even touch it, you know it's bad!) so I dumped it out and repurposed the containers. I used PTI's Spooky Sweets 2 to make some vintage-ish labels and tags and then filled my containers with black feathers, spiders, eyeballs, a mini skeleton, and tiny bats. I think it makes a fun piece of Halloween decor and is very simple to make. I like to put little decorations all throughout the main part of our home and this one is perfect for the kitchen window sill. If you are interested in even more Halloween inspiration, check out the

Craft Critique's Halloween Blog Carnival!

Pink Pumpkins

2010-10-03T22:10:00.003-05:00

I forgot to mention yesterday that I am the October hostess over on the Papertrey Posse blog. For our first petite challenge, I challenged the girls to make a Halloween card using the following colors: true black, plum pudding, hawaiian shores, and raspberry fizz. For my card I used the tree from PTI's Falling Leaves and one of the sentiments from Boo to You. The row of pumpkins is a stamp from the Blackbird collection by My Mind's Eye. I love that little row of pumpkins-for some reason it reminds me of the pumpkin patch from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

While I probably won't use this color combo for anymore Halloween cards, it was fun to step away from the usual and traditional Halloween colors and try something new.
If you would like to play along with the Petite Posse color challenge, head on over to papertreyposse.blogspot.com and check it out! Thanks for stopping by!

Let the Halloween Party begin!

2010-10-02T21:05:00.003-05:00

Wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since I last posted. Anyway I am back now and I have a lot of fun Halloween projects and cards to show you. I am not sure why, but Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year to get crafty. I hope you will join me each day this month as I share something fun and spooky! Since I didn't get my act together yesterday, I will be sharing two cards today. So without further ado, let the party begin...

Both of these cards were made using pieces from the My Mind's Eye Boo to You kit (from last year). I love all the pieces in this kit, but that black cat is my absolute favorite! I also used stamps from PTI(faux ribbon), Amuse (sentiment) and My Cute Stamps (Oooga Boooga). Thanks for creeping by!

Potions

2010-09-14T14:38:00.003-05:00

Last halloween jar card for while, I promise!

PTI-stamps: friendship jar, fall fillers
ink:true black, tea dye duo
dies-jar label, jar, jar banner
impression plate

Stampin Up-cardstock:kiwi kiss, concord crush

Copic Markers

Cute little spider

2010-09-13T08:36:00.002-05:00

I detest spiders (the real ones), but this little googly eyed guy is quite cute. Spiders don't bother me so much in stamp form!

PTI stamps, ink, and cardstock
Martha Stewart border punch
Imaginisce patterned paper and rub-ons

Eat at your own risk!

2010-09-10T15:49:00.004-05:00

Back to the jars agian! This card was inspired by one that Debbie Olson made recently. After I saw her candy corn jar, I wanted to make one of my own. For the main panel I used the jar and the candy corn filler from Fall Fillers. The label on the jar is a stamp from Spooky Sweets 2 cut out with an oval nestabilities. On the cream panel, I used the spider and web from Fall Fillers and the sentiment is from Spooky Sweets 2. I also randomly stamped the cream panel with Text Style in chamomile (from tea dye duo) for added interest. The Smokey Shadow base is stamped with Library Card and several more images from Spooky Sweets 2. Notice anything off about my card? After I had the candy corn all colored and ready to go, my son came in pointed out that I had colored them in the wrong way. It is supposed to go white, orange, and yellow on the bottom. Oh well, I spent way too much time coloring those suckers, so I used them anyway!

Too Cute to Spook

2010-09-09T09:31:00.005-05:00

I still have a few Halloween jar cards to share, but I thought I would give you a little break and share something that doesn't involve a jar-it is still a Halloween card, though! I recently discovered a line of stamps by Claudia and Co. called Puddlejumpers that are adorable. The one pictured below is called School Time Lucy. ETA: I bought this stamp through allthatscraps.com, but they are also available at diecutsrus.com
Since I have been in a Halloween mood, I looked at her the other day and thought she would also make a bewitching (haha) trick or treater! So I ommited her stack of books and paired her with PTI's Tiny Treats:Halloween (pumpkin, bat, and sentiment). The purple polka dot patterned paper is from a new line by American Crafts and my orange cardstock is stamped with PTI's Text Style in Versamark Dazzle ink.

I hope you enjoy. Thanks for stopping by!
Cardstock-white(PTI), pumpkin pie, kiwi kiss (Stampin Up)
Ink-black (PTI), kiwi kiss (Stampin Up)

Gone Batty

2010-09-08T10:41:00.003-05:00

Yes, another jar! This time I filled it with the cute little bat image from Tiny Treats: Halloween and some stickles. The patterned paper is by American Crafts (black) and Imaginisce (orange). The sentiment is from PTI's Halloween Tags.

(click to enlarge)

Jar of Ghosties

2010-09-07T12:04:00.003-05:00

I have another Halloween jar card to share today. I stamped the little ghosts from Tiny Treats:Halloween then cut them out and adhered them to a dark jar cut out of Smokey Shadow. I wanted the jar to be dark so that my ghosties could glow-I just used some yellow chalk to to get the look. The fabulous patterned paper is by Pink Paislee, I just added the sentiment and the spider webs in the corner. The ribbon is sewn on and then I added some fray check to the back of the stitching.The fray check soaked through the paper and ribbon and added a nice little dark spot to the front of the card. A fun addition I hadn't planned on! Speaking of the ribbon, it is actually black and white so I just used by tea dye duo to darken it up. Hope you enjoy!

Witch's Brew

2010-09-05T22:46:00.005-05:00

Hello again! Where have I been? Playing with my new Fall Fillers set-love it! I already have 6 Halloween cards to show you using this new set. I was going to wait until closer to Halloween, but I really don't want to wait. So, here is the first one..(click for a larger view)

For this card I used the origianl Friendship Jar set to make the "brew" and used a small circle from Beautiful Blooms 2 to add the bubbles. I then stamped my library card image and made and ingredient list using Library Ledger, several different words from the Friendship Jar series, and a few images from Spooky Sweets 2. I made the label with a stamp from Tiny Treats:Halloween. I am very happy with how this card turned out. I think Halloween cards might be my very favorite to make! What types of cards are your favorite to make?

Stamps: Library Ledger, Friendship Jar, Fall Fillers, Tiny Treats:Halloween, Spooky Sweets 2, Beautiful Blooms 2, Text Style all from Papertrey Ink.

Paper and ink: Kiwi Kiss and Rich Razzleberry (Stampin Up), True Black, White, and Smokey Shadow, Tea dye duo (PTI)

Jar and label die: PTI

Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee

Goo Border Punch:Martha Stewart

CPS sketch #5-Superhero

2010-08-26T14:42:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post today. Things have been busy around our house. So busy in fact that I forgot all about PTI's blog hop last night! No, I didn't just forget to post, I didn't even have anything made. I had forgotten to even look and see what the challenge was for this month! I did look through some of the participants blogs, though, and there are some fabulous projects made with paper bags!

I used CPS sketch #5 for today's card:

And here is my take on the sketch. I am having trouble with my photo editing software-I can edit, but not save which does me no good! The chipboard stickers are form Michaels and the shiny red paper I found at Hobby Lobby. The pattened paper is retired Stampin' Up. Thanks for looking!

Get Well Soon!

2010-08-20T23:19:00.002-05:00

My PTI goodies came in the mail today and I started playing immediately. I've had an idea in mind since I saw the little monster stamp on Betsy's blog during the countdown. While he is a very cute monster, I thought he would also make an excellent "germ". I saw an idea like this some time ago using a set from Cornish Heritage Farms (I think) and a jar, but I don't remember who made the card. For my card, I put the monster in the jar from Friendship Jar and added the sentiment with my Doodlebug rub-ons.

Since this card would obviously be going to someone sick, I thought I would also make a little tissue holder to go with it. I was inspired by Betsy's felt monster and I have since been looking through some books for ideas. I found a book at Michael's that had a little felt tissue holder with eyes on it, and figured I could make my own pattern at home. I thought "he" also needed a mouth so I added that on. The turquoise and cream felt are PTI, but the red and black are just some that I had from years ago. You can so tell the difference in quality between PTI's felt and the other felt!

Here is a picture of the card and tissue holder together. I think this little gift would definitely bring a smile to someone's face!

CPS sketch # 4-Paradise

2010-08-19T11:25:00.003-05:00

Woo-hoo! Used even more of my stash for this card. The chipboard stickers are by Me and My Big Ideas and the sun stamp is PTI. The little rub-ons that spell "welcome to" are by Doodlebug.

Papertrey Posse August Parade of Blogs

2010-08-15T14:01:00.006-05:00

Keva,our August hostess, challenged us to create something using our favorite technique or to try a new technique. Before I show you the technique I chose, I want to show you a bracelet I have had my eye on (and one of the reasons I chose the technique I did).

Isn't it cute?! This bracelet is by Fossil and they have several styles and colors of leather bracelets. I particulary love this teal one with the rhinestone bird. I have been waiting for it to go on clearance, so I can bring it home with me! Which brings me back to our challenge. When Keva issued our challenge, I went to splitcoaststampers.com and looked through their resource page and guess what I found-- this tutorial for grungeboard bracelets by Beate Johns! www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/grungeboardbracelet
Now I can make my own bracelets while I patiently wait for a good sale. I didn't have any of the grungeboard that is already embossed, so I took my plain grungeboard and ran it through my Cuttlebug with my PTI Woodgrain impression plate. I then painted it teal and applied a gloss varnish once the paint dried. I looked in Michael's for a hitch fastener but couldn't find one. But, it just so happens that I had one on a bracelet that I already owned. The nice thing about hitch fasteners is that they screw on and off. So, even if you only have one, you can switch them back and forth between bracelets any time you want. I was also hoping to find a cute rhinestone bird charm at Michael's, but no luck there either. So I just used a button I had and added an adhesive rhinestone to it with Crystal Effects.

You can see the texture a little better in this photo:

When my little monkey saw what I was making, she decided right away that she needed a bracelet, too!

For her bracelet, we used the Sunshine Impression plate to add texture and then painted it green. Instead of adding a button to the center, I used the Beautiful Blooms dies to cut flowers out of PTI's Vintage Cream felt and added a Pure Poppy button to the center. I attached the flowers and button with some silver stretchy cord and punched two little holes in the grungeboard to thread the cord through and tied it off (the button on mine is attached the same way). Instead of using a hitch fasterner on hers, I justed added another button to one end of the bracelet and added a loop of the silver cord to the other end.

See the texture on her bracelet? I was suprised at how well the impression plates work with the grungeboard!

Both of our bracelets all finished!

These bracelets were so fun to make and think of all the possibilities there are with differnt colors, textures, and adornments!

Petite Posse Challenge #6-Pretty Patterns

2010-08-12T23:10:00.004-05:00

Keva is our hostess this month over on the Papertrey Posse blog and her first challenge for us this month was to create a project with patterned paper. I had origianlly planned to do a scrapbook page with all of the squares I cut from Cosmo Cricket's Joyride line, but it just wasn't working out. So, I made this card instead.

And here is the inside. I have noticed alot of cards with this little bug on the inside so I decided to try it. I paper pieced the bug and added the silver bling to tie the inside and outside of the card together. If you get a chance, play along with us!

Petite Posse Challenge #5...a little late

2010-08-12T12:59:00.002-05:00

Challenge #5 was actually the last challenge of July, so I am a little late with this one. For this Challenge, Amy asked us to work with this sketch:

For my card I used a piece of patterned paper from Imaginisce's Wish Big line called B-day Bash. The blue is on one side and the brown with candles is on the other side. I paired it with the Wish Big sentiment from PTI's Big and Bold Wishes Stamp set and used a white gel pen to add the dashes.

I will be back tomorrow with the Petite Posse Challenge #6!

The Scoop-CPS sketch #3

2010-08-11T17:56:00.003-05:00

I was a little intimidated when I first saw CPS sketch #3. I wasn't sure what to do with those 3 rectangles. Here is the sketch:

I ended up using stamps from 5 different sets on this card! I really like how everything came together. I love the ice cream cones with the Scoop sentiment. I will definitely be using them together again! I pretty much stuck to the sketch, but I decided to tilt the main panel a little instead of keeping everything horizontal. Here is my card:

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Papertrey Ink: stamps(Get to the Point, Library Ledger, Love Songs, Say it with Style), cardstock (dark chocolate, aqua mist, berry sorbet, white), ink(aqua mist, dark chocolate)

K and Company: Citronella stamp set

Colorbox:Chalk ink-creamy brown

Versamagic:ink-pink grapefruit

Copic Marker and Stickles

Howdy!

2010-08-10T12:50:00.002-05:00

As I said a few posts back, I am working my way through the past CPS sketches. Today I have a card for you using CPS sketch #2:

I also used more of my stash for this card! The stamp set is another one from Lizzie Anne Designs and the patterned paper is from Stampin Up (I don't remember the name of the collection, but it is from a few catalogs ago).

I am really enjoying going through my stash and actually using it! I will be back tomorrow with CPS sketch #3. See you then...

Back to the Stash #1 and CPS sketch #1

2010-08-03T13:43:00.011-05:00

Today is the first Back to the Stash challenge(if you haven't read about my new challenge, check out yesterday's post.)I decided to combine this with the CPS sketch #1 as well. Here is the sketch:

And here are the supplies from my stash that I used for this card. I have had the stamp set (and maybe used it once) and the stickers for at least 2 years. The ribbon I found at Target the Christmas before last. I am happy to have finally used these!

Here is my card:

A close up so you can see where I added stickles to the trumpet, bricks, flags and stars.

And last my daughter used some of the stickers to create her own card!

Would you like to play along? If so, dig through your stash and use something that has been neglected for far too long.

Supplies:

Stamps: banner from Once Upon A Time (Lizzie Anne Designs), swirl (The Cat's Pajamas)

Ink: True Black (PTI), Versamark Dazzle

Cardstock: Sweet Blush, Shimmer-used under banner(PTI), Grey (Stampin Up)

Patterned Paper: Bitty Dot Basics (PTI)

Stickers-Castle and stars (We R Memory Keepers)

Stickles-Star Dust

A little challenge

2010-08-02T11:58:00.002-05:00

Hello-it's been awhile! We went on a little camping trip and since we've been back, I can't seem to get my creative juices flowing. One thing I like to do when I am in a slump is look at sketches. One on my favorite places for sketches is the CPS blog. They have an archive of all of their previous sketches, so I have to decided to start with number 1 and work my way forward. The other thing I like to do when I am in a slump is to go through my craft room and see if something strikes me. While I have been looking through all of my supplies waiting for inspiration to hit, I have realized (or maybe just admitted to myself)that I have alot of unused stuff-stickers, papers, stamps, etc. Some of it is even a few years old! So, I have decided to start a new little series here on my blog and I am going to call it "Back to the stash". I will be making myself pull out the old stuff and do something with it. I am warning you, though, this could get ugly. As I said some of it is old and out of style,and alot of it I don't even remember liking. But, that is why this will be a challenge and I think it just might be fun! Think you might want to join me?...Stay tuned!

Petite Posse Challenge #4

2010-07-22T23:30:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post tonight to show you what I came up with for the Petite Posse challenge from the Papertrey Posse blog. Amy chose this photo from The Knot to use as inspiration for our challenge:

Here is my card. I love to decorate this cake with other stamps. I made my own stencil for this image, so it is easy to do. I used a tiny border stamp from PTI's Wedding Day set to add the decoration to this cake. I got the idea to do the banner at the bottom of the card from a card Mish did the other day. Hope you enjoy!

All stamps, paper, ink and ribbon from Papertrey Ink, patterned paper from October Afternoon.

More Christmas in July

2010-07-17T11:44:00.005-05:00

I have another Christmas card to share today. This one is for The Shabby Tea Room's Christmas in July Challenge. You can check it out here:
http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/2010/07/week-18-christmas-in-july.html
(Sorry, I can't get the link button to work on my blog?!)
I used my Believe(PTI)set again and paired it with some older Basic Grey Christmas paper. I colored the images with Copics and added stickles to the berries for some sparkle!

Papertrey Posse Monthly Challenge #2

2010-07-14T17:43:00.002-05:00

Amy, our July Hostess, has given the Posse a color challenge. She asked us to create a project with Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, Melon Berry, and Dark Chocolate.

I wasn't sure what to do with these colors at first, so I laid them out together in my craft room where I would see them often. As I was waiting for inspiration to hit, I looked through some of my patterned paper and realized that Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love line contains these same colors! I ended up using the "wonder" panel from the Earth Love Elements page and matted it on Ocean Tides. I then punched a Melon Berry border with my ek success punch (it's called Bumpy Road, but I think it looks more like whimsical clouds)and adhered it behind the Ocean Tides layer. The Aqua Mist layer is embossed with my PTI woodgrain impression plate and the card base is made form the Dark Chocolate. I added the little cream ribbon tag in the upper right hand corner simply because I had no idea what else to put there to fill the empty space! :) Head on over to the Papertrey Posse blog if you would like to play along with us!

Thank You!

2010-07-13T12:54:00.002-05:00

Today I have a card for all of you who leave such sweet comments here on my blog. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and share in my love of crafting! For this card I used PTI's Wishing You set and paired it with Cosmo Cricket's Delovely. The sentiment is from PTI's first anniversary set Simple little things. I also used PTI's tea dye duo to distress the edges of all the paper. I really like the way the distressing looks with the bright colors of the patterned paper. Thanks for looking!

Petite Posse Challenge #3-Back to the Beginning

2010-07-05T23:44:00.008-05:00

What a fun challenge! Amy is the hostess this month over on the Papertrey Posse blog and she has challenged us to go back to our very first PTI set and put it use. She also asked that we tell how we discovered PTI. I found PTI through Lauren Meader's blog way back when they only had a limited number of sets for sale. I checked out the site many times, but it wasn't until they released Believe that I finally took the plunge and bought one of their sets. Of course, I haven't looked back since and now I rarely buy stamps from anywhere else. For my card, I started with a journaling card from October Afternoon's Good Cheer line. I stamped it with PTI's Text Style in Aqua Mist. It doesn't show up very well in the photo, but if you look closely at the second photo you can just barely see it. I stamped my santa image, colored him with copics, cut him out and adhered him to the journaling card with adhesive foam circles. I then stamped my sentiment and added an Aqua Mist button in the upper right hand corner. I used more papers from the Good Cheer line to make my card base and added some satin cream ribbon making layered loops as I adhered it to the card. To finish it off, I adhered the journaling card over the ribbon with more adhesive foam circles. I hope you enjoy this little bit of Christmas in July! Check out the Papertrey Posse blog and play along with us.

ETA-I just realized this card also works for the Papertrey Pals Pallenge #12. They have some fun challenges on their blog as well. Check them out, too!
ETA2-Can you believe it? There is another Christmas challenge going on right now. Check it our here http://anjilliccreations.blogspot.com/2010/07/jills-first-annual-christmas-in-july.html
And another one at The Shabby Tea Room!! http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/2010/07/week-18-christmas-in-july.html

Baby Bee

2010-07-05T11:45:00.004-05:00

Hello! I have a baby card to share with you today. I was inspired by Maile's jar card from the June PTI countdown. You can see it here
http://mailebelles.blogspot.com/2010/06/friendship-jar.html
I decided to go with alot of color on my card because of the scalloped border at the top of the jar. I love that border and I wanted to do it fun, bright colors. The bee I used on this card is from Springtime Doodles and is a little more whimsical, which is why I made this into a baby card. The senitiment is from two different sentiment stamps from Baby Button Bits. I know this set is still very new, but I already want more fun images to put inside this jar! I would really like a firefly stamp. What do you want to put in this jar?

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T15:46:00.008-05:00

I have one more patriotic card to show you today. This one I made a long time ago after I saw this card (http://stampingscoops.blogspot.com/search?q=announcer)on Emily Montenero's blog. All stamps are by Amuse. I am guessing all the ink and paper are by Stampin Up, but it has been so long that I really don't remember!

I also wanted to show you a few things from around the town I live in. I love our little town and I like how everyone displayed their patriotism this year. This first picture is of a little dress shop downtown. They change their dress display every week and my daughter loves to drive by and see the new dresses and pick her favorite. It's a little game we play when we are stuck at the red light. Don't tell anyone, but sometimes my son will even pick a favorite! :) I love that this week they went with a red, white, and blue color scheme!

The sign says it all. It doesn't show in the picture, but they had decorated the inside of the store as well. (On a side note: This drugstore even has a cute little red VW bug with pills painted on it that they use to deliver medicine. We like to play the punch buggy game, too.)

I love that my town hangs up all of these flags for every patriotic holiday. This is the older downtown part, but the main roadway through town is also filled with flags!

And lastly, I am proud to fly Old Glory at my house, too. Happy 4th!

Sweet Land of Liberty

2010-07-03T09:27:00.004-05:00

Good Satruday morning! Are you ready to celebrate this weekend? The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays (I think I say that about alot of holidays, though) and I love to decorate for the occasion. Here is one of my favorite decorations:

My sister made this for me one Christmas. It says "To everything there is a season". The fun thing is that the painted wooden flag in the middle is held on by velcro so you can change out the center piece every season/holiday along with the ribbon that holds the handle on. I found this flag last year at Michaels and I love it with my red/white striped ribbon.

It is, of course, just as fun to craft for this holiday and today I have a patriotic card to share with you.

The stamps I used for this card are from Papertrey Ink (Up,Up,and Away and Friendship Jar) except for the fireworks which is the "sparkler" image from Amuse. I inked the edges of everything with my tea dye duo (PTI) to make it look a little vintage. I am going to enter this card in Ted's Happily Ever Challenged #8-Old Glory challenge. If you would like to play along, visit Ted at happilyevercrafter.com I hope you all have a fabulous holiday and I want to say Thank You to all those who defend and protect our freedom!

The sky is the limit

2010-07-01T11:50:00.003-05:00

Today I have a card to show you that mixes stamping and stickers. I started off by building a sky scene with elements from PTI's Up, Up and Away stamp set. I then added the hot-air balloon sticker which is from the Sweet Summertime collection by Echo Park. I dressed up the sticker a bit by adding the silver rhinestone stickers. I finished off the card with a flourish from Fancy Flourishes and a setniment from Up, Up and Away.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are enjoying your summer! It has just about gotten too hot here to do anything but swim!

Moxie Fab I Want to Ride My Bicycle Challenge

2010-06-28T09:21:00.004-05:00

I rarely ever make multiple cards with the same desing unless it is for a gift set. Today I have four cards to show you with basically the same design and the same stamps. When I sat down to make a card for this challenge, I had so many ideas for this one little bicycle-and I just couldn't stop once I got started.

This is the first one I made. I know I have said it a million times, but I love the Thrift Shop line by October Afternoon!

This next one is the one I used for PTI's blog hop the other night.

For the next two cards, I wanted to go a little more masculine so I used papers from Cosmo Cricket's Boyfriend line (Ilove Cosmo Cricket, too!).

This Moxie Fab challenge was totally inspiring for me and so much fun! If you would like to play along, head on over to the Moxie Fab blog. Hurry though, the challenge is over at midnight! ;)

PTI June Blog Hop

2010-06-25T17:46:00.009-05:00

Hello! Welcome to the hop. This month the challenge is to create a card using your favorite PTI color combo. I chose to use aqua mist, pure poppy, and vintage cream.

I love the vintage looking paper from October Afternoon's Thrift Shop line. It just so happens that a few of their papers from that line include the colors I chose for the hop tonight. I wanted to create a focal panel that would look a little vintage as well. So, I decided to make my focal panel look like an old sign/advertisement/postcard type design. I stamped the bike image from Everyday Button Bits and colored it in. I then used the 2nd largest solid circle from Beautiful Blooms 2 to stamp the black wheels. I finished off the bike with buttons in an aqua mist color. They were a little too new looking so I rubbed my chamomile cube over them to distress them a little. I also used the tea dye duo to ink the edges of my focal panel to make it look more vintage. I then stamped my senitment (from Enjoy the Ride) in Pure Poppy and used the 5cents stamp from Friendship Jar and stamped it in Aqua Mist in the upper right hand corner. I thought the 5cents stamp would give my focal panel the look of an old sign that I was going for. I also used Fancy Flourishes to add a fun little swirl underneath my focal panel and some satin cream ribbon to make a little ribbon tab. I love how this card turned out and actually made quite a few of them in different color schemes! I hope you enjoy the hop!

Petite Posse Challenge #2

2010-06-20T23:12:00.001-05:00

Jessica has posted her last challenge as June hostess over on the Papertrey Posse blog. This time around the challenge is all about folds and using a fun technique to fold your card instead of just the standard square or rectangle. I decided to use the free standing pop up card for this challenge. A tutorial for this type of card can be found here: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/freestandingpopupcard/
For this card, I cut and scored a piece of Bermuda Bay cardstock and stamped my clouds onto it. I then die cut the white tag and threaded it with Simpy Chartreuse ribbon, added my Orange Zest buttons and adhered it to the Bermuda Bay piece. For the pop-up part I used a piece of Simply Chartreuse cardstock and stamped it with Polka Dot Basics in Versamark Dazzle ink. I then cut a circle from Orange Zest cardstock and ran it through my Cuttlebug with my Sunshine impression plate. I folded my circle in half, adhered it to the chartreuse piece and tied on a piece of twine. For the focal point I used Up, Up and Away and paper pieced the kite. I distressed the edges, matted it on Bermuda Bay cardstock and adhered it to the charteuse piece. The first time I saw one of these cards, I was a little intimidated, but it really is quite easy to make and so much fun! If you would like to play along, head on over to the Papertrey Posse blog (papertreyposse.blogspot.com ) and check out the details.

Papertrey Ink: cardstock (simply chartreuse, orange zest, white), ink (true black), buttons (orange zest), ribbon (simply chartreuse), stamps (Up, Up and Away and Polka Dot Basics), Sunshine impression plate, tea dye duo

Stampin Up: cardstock (bermuda bay), ink (kiwi kiss, white)

October Afternoon: (patterned paper-Fly a Kite)

Versamagic: chalk ink (aquatic splash)

Spellbinders: ribbon tag trio

Twine, Prismacolor marker

Family

2010-06-17T09:08:00.003-05:00

Today I have another gift I made for my sister to show you. This is a frame I made for her-you can get these frames at Hobby Lobby, but I usually only see them around Christmas time. Of course, they usually put their Christmas stuff out in July, so you can pick one up next month if you are interested! HaHa.
I printed the bottom part of the sentiment off the computer and then used rub-ons to spell out Family. The heart is from PTI's Heart Prints. I also used a stamp from Wedding Day to add detail to the brown strip, but it doesn't show up in the picture. The patterned paper is just a piece I picked up at Hobby Lobby, but I can't remember who the manufacturer is. Thanks for looking!

Papertrey Posse Parade

2010-06-14T23:42:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the first Papertrey Posse Parade! Here is the sketch Jessica gave us to work with:

I decided to use the rainbow from Up, Up and Away and a sentiment from Tiny Treats: Valentine. I think they go perfectly together. Since I was working with the rainbow, I wanted to keep this card bright and colorful. I used a striped piece of patterned paper from October Afternoon's Thirft Shop line. The cloud and rainbow are popped up of the card with dimensionals. This was a fun card to make and I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by.

Call Me

2010-06-13T21:03:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post tonight. My sister is in town visiting and we are enjoying our time together. Here is a little address/phone book I made for her using the Call Me stamp set by MFT. I have actually played with this image several times. It is so fun to paper piece the chair, her clothes, or even the background to make it look like wallpaper. I also like to draw in the wood floor and baseboard. Lots of fun and a super easy gift to make. : )