Wire Wrapture

Bloom

2012-03-07T11:55:00.003-08:00

For this card I used the Skipping Stones Design #118 sketch. I actually stamped and colored this daffodil image (a Flourishes set, but not sure of the name) for a different card, but didn't like how it fit with the color scheme. So, I set it aside for a more fitting project. And most of these papers were just lying about on my work desk. Throw them all together and you have a fun new card. I love using leftovers and rejects from previous projects. The sentiment is from PTI's "Year of Flowers: Collection" set stamped on a partial labels #1 die from spellbinders. Happy Spring! It is coming!!

baby bib

2012-03-07T11:47:00.003-08:00

I am in the beginning stages of planning a baby shower for my sister-in-law, so I have baby on my mind. I didn't really realize it until I saw the Mojo Monday #231 sketch this week and immediately thought the image on the left looked just like a baby bib. I tried to think of something else to do with it because we don't even know if she is having a boy or girl yet, but just couldn't get it out of my mind. I used a circle die from spellbinders and then an oval die partially cut out of the circle to create the neckline. All the stamps are from Verve's "To the Moon"; that bear is soooo cute. I added a little ribbon to the bib and popped it up on foam dots.

hey chick!

2012-03-07T11:38:00.002-08:00

In February, Papertrey Ink celebrated their 5th anniversary and they gave out a sheet of digital images the designers had created. This image was one of them and it caught my eye right away. It's so cute. I've been waiting for the right card to use it on, and with the Pretty Palette #50 challenge to use daffodil, blue, tangerine, and gray it was the perfect time. These little chicks definitely needed to be daffodil! I also used the sketch from the Stampin' Sisterhood #13 challenge.

Character

2012-03-07T11:26:00.004-08:00

Isn't this picture just full of delicious colors? It is the inspiration photo for this week's Timeless Tuesday #159 color challenge. I chose cream, green and dark brown (in my photo it looks like black, but it's really a gorgeous dark chocolate) for my colors. And I also used a little bit of tan string to mimic the twine in the picture.

The sketch is from My Time Made Easy: Pretty Patterns #50. I did turn it on it's side. The image and sentiment are from Flourishes' "Herbs" set. Such a beautiful sentiment.

Peace within

2012-03-07T10:56:00.003-08:00

I've used this image from A Day For Daisies recently, but it's just so sweet that I had to use it again. Plus, in order to play in their "Dress it up with Gingham" challenge, you have to use one of their images. And I really love this one. I used the Viva La Verve March week 1 sketch. The sentiment (from PTI's "Through the Trees") is a little hard to read. I meant it to be faint, but it is hard to see in the picture. It reads "Peace within makes beauty without.-English proverb".

Something marvelous

2012-03-06T10:45:00.002-08:00

If you have visited my blog at all in the past you probably noticed that I am really a clean and simple kind of card maker. When I saw the JUGS #126 sketch this week, I was in heaven. : ) I'm sure others saw the potential to really embellish and made beautiful creations (which I really admire), but I saw a nice crisp, clean layout. I used the color combo from the Last But Not Least Challenge #2: melon mambo, pacific point, wild wasabi (or at least as close as I could come to those colors). The butterfly (a die from PTI) is stamped with a stamp from Skipping Stones Design's "Timeless Textures" and the background uses another stamp from the same set. The sentiment is from Flourishes' "Line Lines" and the little flourish is from an American Crafts wedding set.

glittery birthday

2012-03-06T10:33:00.003-08:00

My daughter is going to a birthday party for a little friend that just turned 5. She really thinks she is a princess (her grandmother's words), so pink and glitter and some butterflies seem just the thing. I used the Sweet Stop Sketch #148, the Delightful Challenge to use spring colors (pink and yellow), and the Stamping Sisters in Christ #129 challenge to use things with wings (butterflies). The stamps are all from PTI's "Big Birthday Wishes" set. The number 5 (from PTI's "By the numbers" die set) was die cut from chipboard and yellow cardstock and covered in gold glitter. It is definitely sparkly! And so was I after making the card.

Holiday Cheer

2012-03-05T14:08:00.003-08:00

I learned a new technique that I decided to try out on this card. I think it was on the Skipping Stones Design blog and I don't remember what they called it, but here's the gist of it. You stamp a solid image in a very light ink color and then color over it to create a colored image. That's what I did with this stamp from SU!'s "She's all That" set. The picture below is what it looks like stamped with black ink. I repeatedly stamped it until it was light enough (it probably took 5-6 impressions without reinking), then colored it in with colored pencils. Since it was so light, I could also alter the image; I added boots, 3/4 sleeves and a belt. In the third picture, you can see I added white flock powder around the hem of the dress and sleeves to create a fur look. It shows so much better in real life.

The sketch is from Sweet Sketch Wednesday #143 and I used the Crimbo Crackers #10 challenge to create a Christmas card for a female and the Crafty Hazlenut's Challenge #62 to create a Christmas card using red. The sentiment is from Verve's "Ornamental Christmas" and the die is Verve's "Charming oval" die set.

Great friends

2012-03-04T13:04:00.002-08:00

I have been trying quite hard to make Christmas cards and other "essential" cards (i.e. birthday's coming up or get well cards for someone specific) but when I saw this sketch from Skipping Stones Design #117 I knew I wanted to use the fleur di lis square die as a frame. And what would fit in there better than shoes?! (I so love shoes!) And fittingly, the shoe and sentiment and the sentiment inside the card are from a Skipping Stones Designs set. The stamped panel on the top is also from SSD "Timeless Textures". That might be my absolute favorite stamp right now. It is so elegant and classy. The oval die is from Verve. And if my table wasn't such a mess right now (I'm very neat and organized except when I create then it turns into a disaster.) I would be able to find it's name.

I'm also entering the Clearly Inspired Challenge #47: anything goes and the Paper Variety tic-tac-toe challenge. I chose the column that contained embossing, create a card, use a die cut.

Country girl

2012-02-29T18:25:00.002-08:00

The Timeless Tuesday #158 challenge this week is create a project showing country comfort. At first I was at a loss, but then started thinking about denim and how I have this paper that looks like denim. While I was looking for it, I found this hay bale paper. When I think of country, I think of farms and you definitely have to have hay on a farm. I added a little pink paisley and pink ribbon because cowgirls need a little bit of softness. My mother-in-law has horses and my almost 6-year-old helps do chores almost every day. So, I think this card will probably be for her. The sketch is Stampin' Sisterhood #12. The horse stamp is from SU! and the sentiment is from Verve's "Celebrating You" set. The die is also from Verve: "Charming Oval".

Just because

2012-02-29T18:12:00.002-08:00

I have been waiting to use this butterfly die by PTI and this card seemed the perfect chance. The sketch is the Sweet Stop Sketches #147 and the color combo is the Pretty Palette #49: saffron, aqua, lime, and teal. It is a fairly simple card: I die cut the butterfly from the center of the panel and stamped the various circles from PTI's "Simply Stationery" set. I stamped the small butterflies and the base panel with "Timeless Textures" from Skipping Stones Design. The sentiment is from Verve's "Celebrating you". I inked the edges of the small butterflies and then outlined the wings and body with glitter pen.

To have & hold

2012-02-29T17:52:00.003-08:00

I have two cousins getting married within two weeks of each other this spring. So, I need several wedding shower/wedding cards. The Our Daily Bread Designs #98 challenge is to create a card/project that is NOT a square or rectangle. It worked out nicely that the Mojo Monday #230 challenge this week is either a round or square sketch. I chose the round and since I find them rather small (at least with the dies I have), it is the perfect size to include in a shower gift. I'm also entering this in the Pixie Cottage #110 Anything Goes challenge.

Dies/punches: spellbinders classic circles large and scalloped circles large, EK success flower punch, Fiskars border punch, PTI leaf die.

Stamps: Skipping Stones Design "Timeless Textures", sentiment from an American Crafts wedding set.

Cutest thing ever!

2012-02-29T17:39:00.002-08:00

Ok, I just today received this die from Taylored Expressions for this bag and I HAD to use it. And you might be thinking that it is just a bag, but check out the last picture of this post! It is like half (or less) the size of a small Martha Stewart punch!! It is sooooo adorable. The little tag also came from the same die set: shopping bag and labels. The flower and the sentiment on the tag are both from PTI's "Year of Flowers: Collection". I created the bag (other than for the fun of trying out a new die) for the JUGS #125 challenge to create a template or 3-D project and used buttons, flowers, and ribbon.

A day of sunshine

2012-02-28T17:45:00.002-08:00

This makes me so ready for summer! The sketch is Viva La Verve February 2012 week 4 and I also used the Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge to use variegated colors. This was a very simple card after I picked the rainbow colors and figured out how wide to make the stripes. Then I sprayed the strip with spray adhesive and sprinkled on some white glitter. It add sparkle and muted the colors a bit which was a added benefit. The sentiment is from Verve's "Celebrating You", the dragonflies are from PTI's "Places, Please" and I inked them with blue and added a bit of green onto the tips of the wings and tail. Then I colored them over with glitter pen to add the shimmer of dragonfly wings.

Glorious Christmas

2012-02-28T17:28:00.004-08:00

I have to say this is one of my favorite cards that I have created lately. I used the Seems a Little Sketchy sketch, the For Fun recipe challenge (use 1 sentiment as the main image, 2 ribbons, and 3 brads or buttons), the Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge #61 to use either ribbon or a charm, and the Make it Monday #55 challenge to create a large frame out of smaller frame stamps.

This picture shows the frame image I used to create the larger frame. It is from PTI's "Places, Please" set as is the tree image stamped in the circles and on the white ribbon. By using the oval die cut behind my sentiment panel (sentiment is from Verve's "Richly Blessed" set), those frames look like they are one. I really liked this technique. I already have plans to try it again with a different frame set. The ribbon is Ripe Avacado from PTI, the papers are DCWV Christmas pack.

Tent card

2012-02-28T17:16:00.004-08:00

This was my first attempt at a tent card. And as most of the new techniques I have been challenged to try, it was rather fun. But this is the week of my brain not working properly and the tent card challenge was the Sweet and Sassy digi challenge. Which was all good until I got the card all made and realized that I did NOT use a digital image which is the Main part of that challenge. DUH! So, it was really just for fun. Ha! But, anyway, I used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesdays #142.

The pointsettia image is from PTI's "Year of Flower Collection" and the sentiment is from Verve's "Ornamental Christmas". Both were heat embossed with gold powder.

Pink Emery

2012-02-28T17:05:00.003-08:00

I think every time I use this Emery plain jane from Verve, I love him even more! He's so cute and is perfect for coloring or paper piecing. Today, I colored him with colored pencils. The sentiment is from Verve's "Birthday Phrases". The paper is from one of those freebie packs you get when a magazine is trying to entice you to buy a subscription. It's very bright (too bright for my usual taste) but perfect for this card. The sketch I used is Creative Inspirations #151, but I just realized the link for that is already closed. : ( But their challenge #152 is Anything Goes, so the card still fits (AND uses last week's sketch).

Let's Party

2012-02-28T16:55:00.003-08:00

Another birthday invite for my 6 year-old's birthday next month. The sketch is Pixie Cottage #109 and I also used there optional theme of Buttons & Bows. I also used the challenge from Delightful Sketches to use patterned paper. Mine is all from an old SU! pack (I think it had to do with baby girls--all pink/yellow). The cake stamp is actually a wedding cake from a wedding set I bought at Michael's a long time ago. The sentiment and the die are from Verve (the set is Birthday Phrases).

6th Birthday

2012-02-22T16:52:00.000-08:00

Wowee! That is some serious green in that inspiration picture from Stampin Sisterhood! Good thing my daughter's favorite color is green. And her birthday is next month, so what better for a birthday invite than an all green one.

It's an almost completely Papertrey Ink card (I just realized): ripe avacado cardstock and ribbon; By the Numbers die and Big Birthday Wishes stamp set. The patterned paper is DCWV.

6! Yikes!!

2012-02-22T12:50:00.001-08:00

My oldest is turning 6 next month! How did that happen?! So, this year, I am actually going to get a jump on the invitations to her party. I used the Skipping Stones Design #116 sketch, the Make it Monday #54 challenge to glitter some buttons (I used spray adhesive and white glitter and they look so sparkly and sugary) and the JUGS#124 color challenge: teal/green/pink/yellow. Mixing mutliple colors is really hard for me, so when I found this paper (DCWV) in my stash, it was perfect: the right colors and Happy Birthday. Then I just had to match up the colors and it was a piece of cake. The "6" is one of the dies from PTI's By the Numbers die set; I die cut it from paper and cardboard to give it a chipboard look. The sentiment is from Verve's "Birthday Phrases" and I used a flourish from Inkadinkado behind the 6.

Let's Party

2012-02-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

Mmmm . . . those cupcakes look so yummy! This picture is the inspiration photo for this week's Sweet 'n Sassy Digi #41 challenge.

As you can see, I went with the chocolate cupcake theme (you can find this image here) with little pink flowers. I used the Mojo Monday #229 sketch. The die and the sentiment (Birthday Phrases) are both from Verve. The patterned paper is from My Time Made Easy's Coffee Bean collection. And notice the glittery button: a little spray adhesive and some white glitter. It looks sweet enough to eat.

Just a note

2012-02-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

Isn't this a beautiful flower? It is the image A Day for Daisies is offering for free if you use it in their color challenge (see the inspiration photo at the top of this post). I thought it was so pretty, I decided to use it to create patterned paper, too. I colored them all in with markers, something I rarely do, but it creates a much more vibrant color than my usual colored pencils. The sentiment is from Verve's "Accent Notes".

Bookmark

2012-02-21T17:36:00.001-08:00

This week's Pixie Cottage #108 challenge to create Anything But a Card really had me stumped until I saw the Timeless Tuesday #157 challenge to create a corner bookmark using one of Flourishes beautiful flower stamps. Having never tried it and seeing the gorgeous samples, I had to give it a try. Plus, I LOVE reading, so it will be useful to boot. I also used the Pretty Palette #48: saffron, light blue, kraft and espresso and the Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge #127 to use flowers on your project.

Stamps: Flourishes (I think it is called Paperwhites?); Skipping Stones Design: "Timeless Textures"

Dies/punches: Spellbinders Labels 4, Fiskars border punch

Birthday wishes

2012-02-21T17:22:00.000-08:00

The first photo is the inspiration photo for this week's Paper Variety challenge. I decided to go with the color scheme for my card: green, grey, auburn. My daughter's birthday is coming up next month and her favorite color is green, so this is perfect for her. I used the Sweet Stop Sketch #146 which is a sketch with a spin: use punches or dies. I used the Fiskars Upper Crest punch, the spellbinders label one die and classic circle, large die. Stamps used: Verve's "To the Moon" and "Birthday Phrases"; and Skipping Stones Design's "Timeless Textures". Ripe avacado cardstock and ribbon from PTI.

Happy Snowman

2012-02-20T18:03:00.000-08:00

For my last card of the day, I used the Viva La Verve February week 3 sketch, the Delightful Sketches challenge to use scraps (every single piece of paper used was a scrap!), and the For Fun challenge to show snow (since most of us have not seen very much this winter at all). This adorable snowman is from Inkadinkado and I colored him with colored pencils in colors to match the scraps I knew I was going to use. Notice the ski gear paper? Cute, huh? The sentiment stamped on the tag is from Verve's "Ornamental Christmas".

Celebrate

2012-02-20T17:51:00.002-08:00

I don't often do shaped cards; I must prefer the easier A2 version. But this week the Clearly Inspired Challenge (from Clear Dollar Stamps) was to create a shaped card. I'm also using the color combo from Creative Inspirations #150: brown, blue and cream. Love this color combo! I think I will be using it a lot more. I used the Labels One die from spellbinders to create my card. No patterned paper and only one layer on this card, but I really like how it came out. The bottom section was stamped with several of the elements from PTI's "Guide Lines 2". The sentiment is from PTI's " Damask Designs". The top portion was stamped with a French script stamp from Hero Arts and then a flourish from Inkadinkado. I inked around all the edges with a light brown and also inked across the center of the card to create the illusion of a layer of paper. I added two rhinestones and it was finished.

Christmas Scene

2012-02-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

The challenge this week from Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge is to create a scene on your project. As soon as I saw the challenge, I thought of this set from Clear Dollar Stamps (I can't think what the name is, but it contains a whole bunch of stamps that you can use to create many different fireplace scenes). The fireplace/mantel, logs, fire, candles and stack of books on the mantel are all from this set. The Christmas "tree" I created using a pine branch from Verve's "Ornamental Christmas", that I stamped repeatedly in a tree shape. The wreath/mirror over the fireplace was a happy discovery. I was looking for something the right size to use as a wreath and discovered that one of the elements from PTI's "Simply Stationery" was the perfect size and if you stamp it twice, aligning the points (the 2nd time) into the valleys of the first stamping, it makes this really beautiful decorative circle. Then I added a trio of little red dots from PTI's "Boy Basics: Out of this world" as the berries. I had so much fun creating this scene, I am definitely going to use this set again soon. I used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesdays #141 and tied embroidery floss around the squares to look like Christmas presents.

Lighthouse Christmas

2012-02-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

This card uses the Skipping Stones Design #115 sketch, the Our Daily Bread Designs #97 to use a scene on your project, and the Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #60 which is also to create a scene. This lighthouse stamp is from Clear Dollar Stamps. I colored it in with colored pencils and used a glitter pen on the snow. To create the wreath, I took the wreath stamp from PTI's "Places Please" and stamped it twice to create a fuller look. Then I added red berries or lights with a red marker. "Hope" and "The True gift of Christmas" are both from Verve's "Richly Blessed" the Merry Christmas is from Verve's "Ornamental Christmas".

Christmas slider

2012-02-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

I made this card with a technique I have never tried before: a slider card. I might try it again. It was fun but I made it more difficult than it needed to be by trying to create it while using the sketch from Mojo Monday #228. Something a little less layered might make it easier. : ) Oh well, live and learn, right. I'm also using the Crafty Hazelnut's Challenge #59: use an angel or fairy image (and remember, it has to be a Christmas project). I found this adorable angel ornament image here and colored it with colored pencils, gold pen and glitter pen on the wings. I almost had a disaster as I left the image in my paper cutter after I had cut out something else from the sheet of paper. My littlest said, "Mama, what's this?" as she swiped the blade right across the image!!!!! Luckily, she's only 3 and didn't push down hard, so she only lightly scored through the image instead of cutting it!

Papers: DCWV

Dies/punches: Spellbinders Labels one, standard circles large, classic scalloped circles large; fiskars border punch, Oval dies from Verve.

Stamps: "Holiday Cheer" Verve's Ornamental Christmas, slider sentiment Su!'s Versatile Verses.

Love

2012-02-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

This is a cute little bag I made to hold my husband's Valentine's Day gift. I'm entering it in the Delightful Sketches Challenge to show "LOVE" and the Our Daily Bread Designs #96 challenge to use 3 materials/techniques beginning with three letters of the word "HEART". I used "H" hearts, "E" embossing and eyelets, and "R" red. The die cut and frame stamp are from PTI's Mat Stack 2 die and stamp sets. The heart and "LOVE" are from Verve's "Text Objects".

All buttoned-up

2012-02-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

This is a bit of fun for Christmas time. A bunch of button "ornaments" for the JUGS #123 challenge which was to create images with button centers. The stamps (tree branch, ornament toppers, and sentiment) are from Verve's "Ornamental Christmas."

Christmas Wishes

2012-02-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

After completing all the Valentine's Day cards, it's time to get back to work on Christmas cards. : ) Today's card uses the Sweet Stop Sketches #145 sketch and the Sweet n' Sassy Digital challenge "Hats off to you" (create a project incorporating a hat and a digital image). I found this pretty image here (it's free as are all the images on the blog) and colored it with colored pencils and a little bit of glitter pen on the snowflakes. Papers are DCWV, sentiment from Verve's "Ornamental Christmas", SU! ribbon and ink and a Martha Stewart snowflake punch.

Praying for you

2012-02-13T12:16:00.000-08:00

One of the women at our church is having surgery today and I'm going to send her this card to let her know that we are praying for a quick recovery. I'm using the Pretty Palette #47 color challenge: pink/aqua/rose/gray and the challenge today from Papertrey Ink (they are celebrating their 5th anniversary and have challenges and prizes each day) to use butterflies & leaves. The Stampin' Sisters In Christ challenge is to create a "happy" card. I think this will brighten the recipient's day, so it's definitely happy.
All products are Papertrey Ink (except the French Script I stamped on the leaves and the butterfly): Mat Stack 2 die and stamp set, leaf die, butterfly die and the sentiment from "Damask Designs"

Love for little girls

2012-02-11T16:59:00.001-08:00

I have three little girls, so I had to create 3 packages for Valentine's Day. When I saw these $1 mailboxes at Target, I knew they were perfect. They are going to love playing with the mailboxes afterwards. This red one is for my oldest. Red and green (and white to think of it) are her favorite colors. The Pixie Cottage #107 challenge is to use red and lots of it. I'm also using today's Papertrey Ink Challenge (part of their 5th anniversary party going on) to use hearts and the Delightful Sketches challenge to show love.

Here's a close-up of the flower and the leaves with "heart" berry clusters. The leaves and border die are both fom PTI.

The next picture shows the mailbox I created for my middle daughter. Her fav. color is pink and she has a stuffed monkey that is her constant companion. Isn't this little pink guy cute? He is from Verve's "To the Moon" set.

This last picture shows all three mailboxes ready to go.

Sketch challenge #2

2012-02-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

Because I love Papertrey Ink's products and so want to win today's challenge (and who doesn't?), I made two cards (see my previous post for the other card). This card uses the sketch #2 from the sketch challenge which is part of PTI's 5th anniversary festivites. Both stamps are from Damask Designs by PTI and the border punch is fiskars. A little hand stitching and a row of pierced holes on either side of the sentiment strip finish it off.

Fancy love

2012-02-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

Today starts the sneek peaks for Papertrey Ink's new release. As part of their 5th anniversary festivities today's challenge is to create a project based on one of the 5 sketches they have provided. I chose sketch #4 and had something completely different in mind when I chose it. : ) I used my new favorite color combo (at least for Valentine's Day): dark pink, light blue and brown. I die cut PTI's Mat Stack 2 from the center of my blue layer and stamped an image from the Mat Stack 2 set in the center, then stamped the sentiment (from PTI's Damask Designs). I also used PTI's button die to cut the two "buttons" that I topped with pearls.

Treeheart

2012-02-09T12:56:00.001-08:00

Today, I ventured (briefly) into the world of pinterest and found this card to use as inspiration. Papertrey Ink is celebrating their 5th anniversary this month and today's challenge (as part of the festivites) was to find inspiration on pinterest and create a project from that. I'm also entering the For Fun challenge: Love, and the Creative Inspirations #149 challenge: Lots of love.

I used the layout from the inspiration card and also used a tree image, but that was because I had planned on using the tree before I found a layout to use. If you read my previous post, you will recognize both the image and the color combo. I really enjoyed using both and wanted to use them again. The medallion stamp is from "Mehndi Medallion", tree is from "Through the Trees" and the sentiment is from "Damask Designs" all by PTI. The little hearts are a trio from Verve's "To the Moon". A little ribbon from SU! and some twine and a button finish it up. It took longer to find an image than to create the card!

You make my heart smile

2012-02-09T11:03:00.001-08:00

The above picture is the inspiration photo for this week's Stampin' Sisterhood #9 challenge. So many possibilities. For my card, I latched onto the single tree right away and that bright pink color, too. But I also loved the blue so I had to add that in. I used the Seems A Little Sketchy sketch, though I simplified it quite a bit.

The tree is created by stamping the trunk (from PTI's "Through the Trees") brown and then stamping the little trio of heart "leaves" (from Verve's "To the Moon") in rose red ink from SU! On the both the pink and sblue layer I used "Mehndi Medallion" from PTI. The "You" is from PTI's "Damask Designs" and the rest of the sentiment is from Rubbernecker stamps. It has a "You" with is, but it was too big and didn't fit the layout of this card.

Simple Christmas

2012-02-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I think I counted 13 Christmas cards finished already and it's only mid-February. Maybe I will accomplish my goal of having all Christmas cards ready to go by the beginning of December this year. At least I have a good head start. This card uses the Mojo Monday #227 sketch, the Crimbo Crackers (all Christmas cards for this one) #8 challenge to create a card without any people or animals, and the Crafty Hazlenut's Christmas Challenge #58 to use die cuts. I went very simple on this, four papers by DCWV (and they are all scraps), one die cut: labels 4 from spellbinders, and one stamp from Verve's "Richly Blessed" set, and a little bit of lace ribbon.

hello

2012-02-08T12:47:00.001-08:00

Pretty straight forward card here. I used the Viva La Verve February week 1 sketch, the Clearly Inspired Challenge #45 to use pink, green, purple and white, and the Make it Monday challenge" double-sided stamped die cut. I used an image by Maille Belles (a designer for Papertrey Ink) that she created as part of their 5th anniversary festivites. I also used the mat stack 2 die and a leaf die, both from PTI and a Martha Stewart butterfly punch. Papers are Hot Off the Press.

Case study

2012-02-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

This week's Our Daily Bread Designs challenge was to CASE a crafter that inspires you. Nicole Heady from Papertrey Ink is my all-time favorite stamper. She is amazing. I chose to CASE her card below as I loved it the minute I saw it. Hers is so perfect, I wouldn't change a thing except I don't have any of the products she used. : ) But as you can see it is the same idea. Papertrey is also celebrating their 5th anniversary this month and they are having challenges and prizes every day from now until the 15th. Today's challenge is to use one of the designers favorite color combo. I chose Dawn McVey and her color combo is raspberry fizz, berry sorbet, and ripe avacado.

Dies: labels 4 spellbinders

Stamps: Hero Arts French Script; PTI Guide Lines 2 and Mehndi Medallion; Rubbernecker sentiment

LOVE

2012-02-07T18:33:00.001-08:00

What a fun color combo for the Pretty Palette #46 challenge this week: teal/lemon/cherry. I wasn't actually too excited about it until I found this image that was part of a free download from Papertrey Ink for their 5th anniversary festivites this month. Then it all fell together. I'm also entering the Sweet n' Sassy Digi challenge #39 to use create a valentine project (must use a digital image) and the Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge to show love: either in word or heart image. I used a Hero Arts French script stamp on the teal and medallions from Mehndi Medallion by PTI on the cherry. A Fleur de lis square die from spellbinders and some lemon polka dotted ribbon finished it off.

Baby love

2012-02-07T18:21:00.001-08:00

Isn't this image gorgeous!? It is from A Day For Daisies and they are offering it as a freebie for use in their challenge this week which is love & hugs: have a heart. I am also entering the Last But Not Least challenge to use stripes & flowers, the Sweet Stop Sketches #144 sketch, and the Delightful Sketches challenge to use punches & dies (I used the Fleur de lis squares from spellbinders, the daisy die from PTI and the oval & label die from Verve).

Harley Birthday

2012-02-07T18:08:00.001-08:00

My dad is a big fan of Harley Davidson motorcycles (even though he does not have one), so this image from Bird's blog (sorry, I can't seem to find it on the site.) was just perfect for him. The For Fun challenge this week is to create a masculine birthday card; another perfect fit. The sketch is Skipping Stones Design #114. It's hard to see, but I embossed the black and orange layers with a circle impressabilities from spellbinders.

Beee Mine

2012-02-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

This month, PTI is celebrating it's 5th anniversary. As part of the celebration there are challenges everyday between now and the 15th. Today's challenge is to use one of the free digital images that the stamp designers put together and create a project. Check out all the fun on Nicole Heady's blog. The focal image I used on this card is one of the freebies (designed by Beth Silaika). The sketch is this week's JUGS challenge and I used the Flourishes Release week challenge to create a project using black & white +1 other color. I used a Martha Stewart border punch, and a bee from SU!'s Definitely Decorative Daisy set to which I added yellow and a bit of glitter pen on the wings. On the inside I stamped the same bee again in grey (stamping off once first), lightly colored the yellow body and added just a touch of glitter pen to the wings. Then I overstamped the "I Love You" sentiment from PTI's Damask Design and a random valentine sentiment.

Just a note

2012-02-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

I just love this Mehndi Medallion set from PTI, and for only $5 it really can't be beat. I think I used every stamp in the set on this card. The sketch is from Skipping Stones Design and it's nice a simple which I love. And the Pixie Cottage #106 was perfect because the challenge is "Clean and Simple". The green paper is also from PTI and the sentiment is from Verve's "Celebrating You" set. It's hard to see in this photo and I forgot to take a second one, but the center medallion is popped up on foam tape and the two smaller ones in the center are also popped up. I also added a bit of glitter glue to the centers of each medallion for a little bit of sparkle.

Pansies

2012-01-31T18:20:00.001-08:00

Some cards you receive are way too pretty to throw away. And since I love pansies this is one of them. I used the Timeless Tuesday #134 sketch, the Stampin' Sisterhood #8 inspiration photo challenge (you can see the photo at the top of this post) and the Pretty Palette #145 challenge to use white/pear/plum/eggplant. I embossed a text stamp from Clear Dollar Stamps' "Pansy-February Flower of the Month" set to carry on the pansy theme and add a little bit more white.

Another Christmas Card

2012-01-31T17:30:00.000-08:00

This may be the easiest Christmas card ever! (Outside of buying one, of course.) I was not feeling like making a Christmas card, but it is a requirement for Crafty Hazlenut's Christmas Challenge (this week it also had to be square), so I had to give it a go. After I saw the Mojo Monday #226 sketch (which was also square or round), I thought maybe a recycled image would be perfect. Well, I was looking through my stash of commercial cards I have saved with the intention of recycling them, I came across this gorgeous pointsettia. Then I started looking at the rest of the card and realized I could cut it apart and reassemble the different pieces to create a really beautiful square card. The only new products I used are the ribbon and the Merry Christmas stamp (from Verve's Ornamental Christmas). Doesn't get any easier than that. : )

You've got mail

2012-01-31T17:14:00.001-08:00

Isn't this little guy adorable!!??? He is a plain jane stamp from Verve and his name is Emory. My inspiration for him is the adorable little TY Valentine Bear. Have you seen him? He's red with white hearts all over him and if you buy 3 Hallmark cards, you get him free. My girls and I see him when we go to the grocery store. So, I stamped Emory on red dot paper, cut him out and colored in his ears for some contrast with a white paint pen. Then, I stamped him a bunch of times on a reverse color paper, added a trio of hearts from Verve's "To the Moon" (the sentiment I used is from the same set) and adhered it to this mailbox I got at Target for $1. The leaf dies are from PTI. The mailbox is going to be a Valentine's Day treat for one of my 3-year-olds. It fits the Delightful Challenge to create anything BUT a card for Valentine's Day, the JUGS #121 challenge to create a 3-D project for Valentine's Day, the Our Daily Bread Designs #94 LOVE recipe challenge (use the word "love" or "loves", use hearts, lace and red/white or pink/white color scheme), and the Pixie Cottage #105 Love and Kisses challenge.

Spring is coming!

2012-01-31T16:56:00.000-08:00

I promise, spring really is coming. Although, if here in the Northeast, we have been having very nice weather for this time of year. This adorable chick snowglobe image definitely made me think of spring. It is a digital image from A Day for Daisies which they were offering free if you played in their challenge which was to use glitter (with one of their images, of course). I discovered ADFD since they are the sponsors for Sweet Sketch Wednesday #138 challenge this week. That sketch is the one that begins this post. Such a fun sketch. They have changed up their challenges a bit and now require the use of an image from the sponsor. These chicks were just perfect. I'm also entering the For Fun challenge which is to use farm animals ONLY. As you can see in the picture below, I used a glitter pen to color over the eggs and added little dots in the air of the globe to mimic snow.

Sweet!

2012-01-30T12:46:00.000-08:00

This is a Valentine's Day card for one of my sweet girls. Her favorite color is pink, so it's perfect. Luckily, she's only 3, 'cause she's right here watching me post this. : ) I used the sketch from Skipping Stones Design #112, the Creative Inspiration #147 challenge "Anything Goes", JustRite Stampers Friday challenge #65 "For the love of . . ." (The card is for my little girl that I love and I love making cupcakes), the Sweet 'N Sassy Digi #38 challenge "Desserts, Anyone" (you have to use a digital image of a dessert), and the Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge to be true to your style (I'm such a clean and simple kind of girl and as I said, love those cupcakes). The papers are from an OLD SU! pack and the cupcake border is a stamp from SU!'s "Tag Alongs" also old! The "100% Sweet" sentiment is from JustRite Stampers "From my Kitchen" set, one that is being retired if you like it. And the digital cupcake is from Bird's Cards (and it's free).

More Conversation Hearts

2012-01-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

This gorgeous photo is the inspiration for this weeks' Stampin' Sisterhood Challenge. My inspiration came from the heart shape and the pink of the roses.

I created a shaker card for the Make It Monday challenge using punched hearts in the colors of little conversation hearts and coarse glitter. The Clearly Inspired challenge #44 is to use pastel colors, so this fit perfectly. And I'm using the sketch from Seems a Little Sketchy #5. I stamped and cut out those adorable little conversation hearts. I'm having so much fun with them this week.

Stamps: Guide Lines 2 (PTI), Timeless Textures (Skipping Stones Design), conversation hearts and "happy valentine's day" from some cheap-o rubber stamp set. : )

Dies: Floral Doily Motifs and Standard Circles, large from Spellbinders

Love of chocolate

2012-01-24T18:26:00.001-08:00

Why is it that when you are told NOT to do something, it's the only thing you can think of to do? The Sweet Stop Sketch challenge had a spin this week: create a non-traditional valentine. All I could think of was pink and hearts, etc. But I finally decided to go with a non-traditional color scheme. Papers are DCWV, blue cs is SU! and the green is PTI. The sentiment is a part of a cheepo set I bought a while ago and the House Mouse stamp I've had forever.

Conversation

2012-01-24T18:15:00.001-08:00

A couple years ago, I bought this set of really cheap foam mounted rubber stamps (one of those you see in a catalog: 100 sentiments for $5 or something like that) and discovered that they are really not all that useful. I do like this Valentine sentiment and the conversation hearts came out super cute! I might be using them more often. This is the first center-step card I have made and other than the square shape, I rather like it. Making one was the Timeless Tuesday challenge #153 this week. I also used the colors pink/daffodil/melon from the Pretty Palette #44 challenge. The dies I used are a border punch from Martha Stewart, Floral Doily Motif and Standard Circles, large from Spellbinders, and PTI's Places Please.

Sweet

2012-01-24T17:59:00.001-08:00

Another Valentine's Day card; I end up making about 17 of them, I think. So many people to tell "I love you". The sketch is Viva La Verve January week 3. I also followed the JUGS challenge #120, which was to use red/white/pink on your creation, the Delightful Challenge to go distressed or vintage, and the Paper Variety challenge to use a fan fold embellishment. The swirly heart stamp is from SU!, the grid pattern is from Skipping Stones Design's "Timeless Textures" and the sentiment is from JustRite Stampers (one of the sets they are discontinuing).

Feel better soon

2012-01-23T14:07:00.001-08:00

My father is having double hip replacement surgery on Feb 14th, so I needed to make him a feel better soon card, which just happens to be the theme for the For Fun challenge this week. I also used the Our Daily Bread Designs sketch challenge and the Creative Inspirations challenge #146 to use only your favorite color and white. This adorable little bear is one of the Pixie Cottage stamps and I colored him and his little friends with colored pencils. The doily is from spellbinders Floral Doily Motifs.

Baby's First Christmas

2012-01-23T13:52:00.000-08:00

Someone I know is having a baby and when I saw the Crimbo Crackers challenge #7 was to create a Christmas card for a child, I knew a "first Christmas" card was just the thing. I'm also using the sketch from the Pixie Cottage and their theme of embossing. All the papers are DCWV and the stamps are all from Verve's "Ornamental Christmas". I heat embossed the ornament topper and the sentiment with gold embossing powder then stamped the ornament and colored in the stripes around the sentiment with a gold pen.

Heartfelt Christmas

2012-01-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

I pulled out an oldie but a goodie for this one. : ) An OLD SU! set "sketch it"; it's one I have not used in a looooong time. But this week's Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #56 is to use a heart on your Christmas project. It also fits the Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge to make a {heart} stand out on your project. I also used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday #137. I used the button die from PTI, the fancy oval die from Verve (as well as a sentiment from Ornamental Christmas) and DCWV Christmas pack papers.

Simple wishes

2012-01-23T13:28:00.000-08:00

This is a nice simple card (other than planning the layout of the punched snowflakes!) I used the Skipping Stones Design sketch #111. The top snowflake is a Marth Stewart punch, the bottom four are a SU! punch; the ribbon is also SU! The sentiment is from Verve's "Ornamental Christmas" which I heat embossed with white powder. Paper is DCWV.

New baby

2012-01-19T17:55:00.000-08:00

Someone I know just told me that they are pregnant (not allowed to tell anyone yet), so I wanted to make a congratulations card. I though this sketch from Seems a Little Sketchy was perfect for the idea I had. I wanted to make it look like an ultrasound picture since that is how this person broke the news. The "Congrats" sentiment is from Verve's "To the Moon", the fancy oval die is also from Verve. The baby is from SU!'s "All in the Family" and the "baby" sentiment is SU!'s "Noteworthy.

Christmas Sparkle

2012-01-17T18:07:00.001-08:00

I know this is a strange color combo for a Christmas card, but for some reason I really wanted to use the striped paper and this is what came out of it. The sketch is from Sweet Sketch Wednesdays and I also used the challenge from Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge to use digital image and/or paper. I used this really fun snowflake image that I found here. And it was free! I "colored" it with glue and sprinkled it with silver glitter.
Paper: navy from SU!, avacado from PTI, stripes from DCWV
Ribbon: SU!
Stamps: Timeless Textures from Skipping Stones Design
Ink: SU!

Mom

2012-01-17T17:53:00.001-08:00

Usually I make my parents a joint Valentine's Day card, but this year my Dad is having a double hip replacement surgery on Valentine's Day, so I though maybe my mom could use a special Valentine. The sketch is Stampin Sisterhood (Rubbernecker Stamps) and the color combo (pink, white, navy) is the Pretty Palette challenge for this week.

The "MOM" sentiment is from SU!'s "Messages for Mom" and "love" is from "Noteworthy". After I stamped "MOM", I colored it in with colored pencils and highlighted the edges in glitter pen (which you can see much better in the second pic). The navy paper and both navy and rose red inks are SU! The papers are DCWV which I dressed up with "Timeless Textures" from Skipping Stones Design and a French Script from Hero Arts. The border die is from PTI and the little oval and mat is from Verve.

Special Grandmother

2012-01-16T17:38:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to my special Grandmother! I'm getting a little bit of a head start, but it really is only a month away! I used this week's Viva La Verve sketch, the Delightful Challenge to use Pink/Black/Silver, and the Pixie Cottage #63 challenge to use stitching. I used a wide combination of stamps on this one. Definitely mix and match. The base layer was stamped with the background stamp Soft Swirls from SU!, the next layer uses Timeless Textures from Skipping Stones Design, third layer uses a French script stamp from Hero Arts, the sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy's "Special", and the heart and the stitches are from Verve's "Text Objects."

swirls & pearls

2012-01-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

Swirls & Pearls is the challenge this week from Creative Inspirations. I'm using the sketch from Skipping Stones Design and the challenge from Stampin' Sisters In Christ to use something new on your project. I got the fleur di lis squares die after Christmas (a Christmas gift via giftcard, yeay!) and this is the first time I have pulled it out. Definitely counts as new. The pointsettia is from PTI's "Year of flowers" set and the sentiment is from Verve's "Ornamental Christmas".

Thinking of you

2012-01-14T17:16:00.000-08:00

Isn't this magnolia flower beautiful?! It is a digital image created by Just Inklined for a fund-raising package for a fellow card-maker, Katie Renz, who has since passed away from cancer. I'm following the Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge to create a "thinking of you" card, the Just for Fun challenge "Anything Goes", and the Our Daily Bread Designs #92 challenge "WINTER wordplay" (use at least 3 items/tools/embellishments, etc that begin with the letters of the word WINTER). I used White paper, Ink, Nestabilities circle die, Thread, Embellishments (pearls) and Ribbon (so I used them all!). The sentiment is from Verve's "Accent Notes" and the background papers were stamped with the "Timeless Texture" set from Skipping Stones Design.

Heartstrings

2012-01-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

I was looking for a digital image for another card and came across this adorable apron in my collection. It is from Clear Dollar Stamps as part of a fund-raising package for a fellow card-maker, Katie Renz, who has since passed away from cancer. The heart shape is also from that same package. The sketch is Stampin' Sisterhood #5 (Rubbernecker Stamps) and as soon as I saw the circle element I knew I had to try the hole piercing thing. Totally inspired by this card by Shannan Teubner. It is really such a cool look. I'm also using the colors from My Time Made Easy's Pretty Palette #42 challenge: light blue/coral/indigo. My colors are not exactly right on, but they are the closest I have. And the Delightful Sketches challenge for this week is to use a heart on your project.

King of my Heart

2012-01-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

Time to get ready for Valentine's Day. This card is for my wonderful husband--definitely the King of my Heart! I'm using the Waltzingmouse sketch challenge #79 and the Clearly Inspired Challenge #43 (sponsored by Clear Dollar Stamps) to create a Valentine's Day card. I used the tiny mosaics embossing folder from Cuttlebug to create a "stone wall" look on the top of the card and created a pleated paper "ruffle" for the bottom stamping it with a sentiment stamp from Verve's "Text Objects". I don't own any Walztingmouse stamps yet, so I used this digital image from them that was part of a fund-raising package for a fellow cardmaker named Katie Renz, who has since passed away from cancer. The sentiment I typed up and printed off the computer.

Simple Christmas

2012-01-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

I promise that my next post will NOT be a Christmas card. : ) This card uses the Skipping Stones #109 sketch and it had me stumped for a bit. The papers are from DCWV Christmas Stack and the best part is that they are all scraps from previous projects. Gotta love that! The stitch stamp is from Verve's "Text Objects" and the sentiment is from "Ornamental Christmas" by Verve. And the netting is a recycled strip I had to cut off my daughter's Christmas dress after she stepped on it and tore it.

First attempt . . .

2012-01-08T17:16:00.001-08:00

. . . at a tri-fold card. That was this week's Timeless Tuesday (Flourishes) #150. And it was kind of fun. : ) The card also uses the JUGS #118 sketch challenge and the Pixie Cottage #102 challenge to create a monochromatic card (I love those, I don't have to match colors!). I used all Verve stamps on this one. The cross, "Jesus" and "the reason for the season" are from the Richly Blessed set; "love" is from Text Objects; and the "Merry Christmas" is from Ornamental Christmas.

As you can see in the last two pictures, I used some acetate under the front cutout to support the snowflakes and the sentiment diecut. I don't know how many tri-fold cards I will make since you have to use larger than 8x11 paper, but I do like the result.

Christmas blessings

2012-01-07T19:16:00.001-08:00

This card is based on the Mojo Monday #222 sketch challenge this week. All Verve's stamp sets are fabulous, but for Christmas cards, I love this set: "Richly Blessed". It has so many beautiful sentiments that reflect the true meaning of Christmas. All the papers are from DCWV.

January Birthday

2012-01-07T19:03:00.001-08:00

January birthdays can sneak up on you after all the hoopla of the holidays. I needed a card for a birthday we are celebrating tomorrow. Nothing like last minute! The sketch is from Sweet Sketch Wednesdays and I also used the challenge from Papertrey Ink's Make it Monday challenge #47 to use one of the previous issued challenges--I decided to try out the layered mats & frames #37 challenge. This gorgeous rose is from PTI's "Year of Flowers set") and the sentiment is from "Big Birthday Wishes" with the same rose lightly stamped underneath. I used Spellbinders Lable #5 and Scalloped Circles, large to create the frame.

Getting a Head Start

2012-01-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the end of the first week of January and I am starting Christmas cards! I am determined to get them finished before last minute this year. This card uses the Sweet Stop Sketch #140,the challenge from Crimbo Crackers (all Christmas cards, yeah!) to use only black and white, the Our Daily Bread Designs challenge #91 to use something new (Ornamental Christmas by Verve--a brand new stamp set I just got last week) AND something old (had these snowflake stamps from Inkadinkado forever!!), the Last But Not Least challenge to use something new, and the Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Challenge #54 to create a Christmas card with something recycled (see that awesome netted "ribbon" bow? Yep, recycled from my daughter's Christmas dress. She stepped on the netting and ripped it and I had to cut off about 1 inch all around to even it out. Figured it could be used for something and this was perfect.)

The true gift of Christmas

2011-12-18T18:54:00.000-08:00

During this busy time of year, it is very easy to forget that celebrating Christ's birth is really what it is all about. This week's Stampin' Sister in Christ challenge is to use an image or sentiment that reflects the true meaning of Christmas. Stamps: Verve's "Richly Blessed"
Papers: DCWV
Spellbinders: labels 4, floral doily motifs
Punches: Fiskars border punch and 4-corner punch/embosser

Halfway Done

2011-12-17T06:05:00.000-08:00

I think I am about halfway finished making Christmas cards; the remainder are in various stages of completion. I better hurry, 'cause Christmas is only a week away! This card combines the Skipping Stones Designs #106 sketch challenge with the Our Daily Bread Designs #89 "Noel" word play challenge. The requirements are to use elements that start with the letters of "NOEL". My elements are N-nestabilities, O-ovals, E-embossing, and L-layers. Papers are from DCWV, the pointsettia is from PTI's "Year of Flowers" set and the sentiment inside is from Verve's "Richly Blessed"

Christmas Flowers

2011-12-16T10:57:00.000-08:00

This week's Timeless Tuesday Challenge #148 from Flourishes is Opposites Attract. The challenge was to use an image/stamp in two completely different ways on two different projects. The stamp I chose was this beautiful pointsettia from PTI's "Year of Flowers". On the first card, I use the stamp to create a background on the striped paper. No coloring involved and it is quite subtle.

The second card showcases the stamp as the focal image. I colored it with colored pencils and it really jumps out as the main attraction. All papers in both cards are from DCWV. The sentiment is from Verve's Richly blessed.

Warm Winter Wishes

2011-12-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

I got this set, "Home is where the Hearth is", from Clear Dollar Stamps a while ago and have really only used it once or maybe twice. But as soon as I saw Flourishes Day & Night challenge this week during their release week festivities, I thought it would be the perfect to create a nice fireside scene. I sponged yellow around the fire for a nice warm glow and sponged the rest gray to give a nighttime vibe. I added two snowflakes from a Martha Stewart punch to finish it off. I didn't take a picture, but inside it says "Warm Winter Wishes."

Sparkle and Shine

2011-12-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

The gold on this one is a little outside my comfort zone, but this week's Stamping Sisterhood #3 challenge (rubbernecker stamps anyone?) is inspired by Christmas lights, which to me meant red/green/yellow and sparkle and shine. And something else I don't usually do: gold embossing, but ya know, I kind of like it. Might try it out more often.

Papers: DCWV

Stamps: sentiment from Verve's "Richly Blessed", birds from PTI's "Through the Trees"

Border punch: Fiskars "Upper Crest"

Glory to God

2011-12-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

So loving this sentiment from Verve's "Richly Blessed". It's just perfect for Christmas. And just perfect for this week's Our Daily Bread Designs #88 challenge, Pixie Cottage's "Anything Goes" challenge, and Delightful Challenge's "Anything Goes" challenge. Papers: DCWV
Stamps: sentiment from Verve's "Richly Blessed", birds from PTI's "Through the Trees"
Spellbinders: Classic ovals, large and Classic Scalloped ovals

Last minute Christmas

2011-12-15T16:42:00.001-08:00

Oohhh . . . I tried to make Christmas cards early this year, but yet, here I am, still not even close to having them finished. But here's a start. Using the Sweet Stop #138 sketch, the Clearly Inspired Challenge #41 challenge to create a Christmas card (perfect!), and Paper Variety challenge this week of "Anything Goes", I created this fun card. Papers: DCWV
Stamps: sentiment from Verve's "Richly Blessed" and birds from PTI's "Through the Trees"
Border punch: Fiskars

Pure Elegance

2011-10-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

For this project, I used the Skipping Stones Design #96 sketch and the Flourishes Release Week challenge "Heavy Metal": use metal on your project. This gift set is for my sister-in-law who is very stylish. When I think of stylish and elegant, I think of my absolute favorite stamp set: Damask Designs by PTI. I used two of the damask images "Celebrate" and the "Happy Birthday" on the inside of the card. The rest of the sentiment inside is from Big Birthday Wishes by PTI. These gorgeous shoes from Skipping Stones Design "Sassy Shoes" are also full of style. The "Tricky Tote" is an awesome template from My Time Made Easy and is such a great gift presentation. I used the labels 4 dies from spellbinders with aluminum tape to creat my metal tags.

Happy Fall

2011-10-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

Isn't this picture gorgeous!? I love the decorations that come along with fall. This is the inspiration photo for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #138 challenge. I opted to go with the fall theme and along with that the colors of fall. My project also fits the Pixie Cottage #90 challenge with the theme of Fall Fun, and the Delightful Sketches challenge to "make it dimensional".

The little bag is made from the "Tricky Tote" template from My Time Made Easy. It does take a couple sheets of paper (6 or so with the decorative layer) but was really easy to put together and is just really adorable. I loved it so much, I used it in another project which you can see in my next post. For the embellishment I cut two leaf branches and cut them apart, topped them with a die cut maple leaf that I scored the veins into and inked up the center and edges with red ink to add a more realistic look, then I stamped, colored and cut out the two acorns and layered the whole bunch together.

Supplies:

Papertrey Ink: mendhi medallion stamp set, leaf die (can't remember the name of the set), turning a new leaf die, ripe avacado ribbon and cardstock

Stampin' UP!: cardstock

Verve: Tall oaks stamp set

Amazing Birthday

2011-10-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

Birthdays just keep on coming, don't they? It seems like I am constantly making birthday cards. For this card, I used the Skipping Stones Design #95 sketch and the Delightful Sketches challenge to use pearls and swirls. I just ordered a bunch of stuff from Papertrey Ink and got to use a couple on this card. The image is from Year of the Flower Collection (I'm so glad they made this set of smaller images all together, 'cause I loved all of the larger images but couldn't afford to buy them all.), the border die is the victorian lace die, the sentiment inside is from Big Birthday Wishes and the "Happy Birthday" is from Damask Designs. (All by PTI) I also used classic circles, large and the floral doily motifs dies from spellbinders.

Stylish shoes

2011-10-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

I LOVE shoes!!! Anyone with me? Well, luckily, my mother-in-law shares my passion, so these images from Skipping Stones Designs are perfect for a birthday card for her. And since yesterday was World Card Making Day and Skipping Stones was sponsoring a challenge to create a card using any of their stamps, they were also perfect for that. So, I stamped them and colored them with colored pencils and added some glitter pen to the feather trim which you can see better in the second picture. The cs is from Papertrey ink (can't remember what colors since I got them in a sample pack), as is the medallion stamp (Mehndi Medallion), and the sentiment (Damask Designs). The sketch is from Pixie Cottage with the optional challenge of "pop it up!" which I have done by popping up the focal image with foam dots.

Happy Pooh Bear

2011-10-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

As yesterday was World Card Making Day, Flourishes was sponsoring a challenge to use the colors of your favorite animated character to inspire your card. Is there anybody cuter than Winnie the Pooh? This image is just so joyful and carefree. I thought it was perfect for a thank you for a gift I was really excited about. Both the image and the sentiment stamp are random singles that I have had forever. The sketch is from this week's Clearly Inspired Challenge #37 (Clear Dollar Stamps). I hope this little guy makes you happy.

Another Birthday

2011-09-11T18:33:00.001-07:00

Last, but definitely not least, my husband's birthday is also this month. The sketch for this card is the Sweet Stop sketch #125. I am also entering the Last But Not Least challenge to use dry and/or heat embossing and the challenge from The Paper Variety to create a project using mainly products from your favorite crafts company. They are celebrating their one year anniversary this week and there are lots of challenges and chances to win great prizes. My favorite company is definitely Papertrey Ink. The two blue cardstocks, the diecut shape (matstack2), the coordinating stamp (matstack 2 set), the medallion as the focal image and on the light blue cs (guide lines 2), the happy birthday and I love you sentiments (Damask Designs) and the sentiment inside the card (Big Birthday Wishes) are all from PTI. The ribbon is SU! and I used the Tiny Mosaics embossing folder from Cuttlebug and the Classic Circles Large and Classic Scalloped Circles large from Spellbinders.

Anniversary Time

2011-09-11T18:17:00.001-07:00

So, many happy occasions this month. This week, it is my in-laws' anniversary. The sketch for this card is Skipping Stones Design #92, I also used the Delightful Challenge to "bling it up!" and the Clearly Inspired Challenge #35 to use patterned paper. The Paper Variety is celebrating their one year anniversary this week. To celebrate they are hosting lots of challenge and giving plenty of opportunities to win great prizes; today's challene is to use your favorite embellishment. Mine is definitely ribbon! The blue cardstock, ribbon and the jeweled brad (center of the large flower) are from SU! the sentiment is from Damask Designs by PTI, and all the paper and the large flower (which is a sticker) are from a kit I bought on clearance years ago. I think it is from Colorblok. I'm just starting to discover what a great kit it is.

Emergency Hugs

2011-09-11T17:59:00.000-07:00

Is this little bear not the cutest thing!? My sister is currently spending her weeks alone as her husband has to be out of town for work/school and comes home only on the weekends, so I figured she needed a cheering up card. I'm using the sketch from the Waltzingmouse Makes Challenge #64. They require you to use at least one of there stamps and this sentiment is from the only set I own. It is a digital set that Waltzingmouse created as part of a fund-raising package for a woman named Katie that is battling cancer. You can read her story on this blog. The sentiment belongs with a firetruck, but I thought it very fitting for the occasion. The little bear is a stamp I just got from The Pixie Cottage and I think he will get a lot of use. My card also fits the challenge from Our Daily Bread Designs #76 to use lacing, and the challenge from the Paper Variety to use your favorite color which for me is hands down: blue. The Paper Variety is celebrating their anniversary this week and are having lots of challenges and fun at the party.

Fall Birthday

2011-09-11T17:45:00.001-07:00

September is a very full month around here, there are several birthdays and anniversaries as you will see in following posts. This card is for my brother-in-law. The sketch and the challenge to use yellow (mine is really yellow with a strong orange tint, but it is yellow) is from The Pixie Cottage #86 challenge. This week's challenge from The Paper Variety is to use stamps--digital, rubber, clear, whatever. The papers are all DCWV, the tree image is from Papertrey Ink's "Through the Trees" set. The trees are actually bare, but I wanted the fall look, so I tapped in leaves with red, orange, yellow, and green markers. The sentiment is from the same set and the little leaf overstamping the sentiment is from PTI's "Places Please". And the raffia: rescued from the trash for the "sometime I might need it" moment. It was the perfect finishing touch.

Hello Sunshine

2011-07-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

And now for some summer fun. This week's Delightful Challenges challenge is the dog days of summer (summer or summer heat) and what says summer more than flip flops? The sketch is Our Daily Bread Designs #70 and was perfect for this little stamp to really shine. I also took on the Paper Variety tic-tac-toe challenge. The line I used was stitching (faux, hand or machine), make a card, and use pink. The flip flop stamp is a $1 stamp from Clear Dollar Stamps (just got it) and the sentiment is from Verve's "Celebrating You". I used one of the medium doilies from Floral Doily Motifs by spellbinders to create a sun around the sentiment.

Happy Anniversary to: Me!

2011-07-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today, my husband and I are celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary. Boy does the time fly by! I saw this sketch by the Pixie Cottage (sketch and/or embossing) and loved it since they had hearts for the brads and I thought that was perfect for an anniversary card. But, alas the only heart brads I had were pink and just did not fit with a masculine card. I went all Verve-y on this one: the little bear and the sentiment inside are from "To the Moon" and "love" is from "Text Objects". The "Happy Anniversary" on the inside is from PTI's "Damask Designs" one of my all-time favorite stamp sets!

2011-07-31T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hi, all! If you read my last post, you may think you are seeing the same card again, but it's different I promis. : ) I did use most of the same elements though, 'cause I thought they looked good together and gave kind of an edgy, hip vibe. This card is for my brother-in-law who lives in New York City (and thus is edgy and hip), and who also turned thirty today. Seems to be kind of a big milestone around here, so I wanted to make something really celebrating it. The sketch is from Skipping Stones Designs; I really loved the idea of bracketed numbers. The numbers were die cut using PTI's by the numbers dies and the brackets are from spellbinders' floral doily motifs which I just bought Thursday. I think I'm going to love it! The sentiment is also from PTI "Big Birthday Wishes" and the little flourishes inside the card are from their "Mat Stack 2" set.

I'm baaaaack

2011-07-18T17:20:00.001-07:00

Hi, all. I have been missing for a while as summer seems to be an extremely busy time around here. But I was in need of a birthday card for my brother for this weekend, so I HAD to get some stuff out and play. This is my first successful attempt at an easel card and hey, I think I might like it. The challenge from Delightful Challenges this week was to use fancy folds; I think it qualifies. The sketch is from the Skipping Stones Designs challenge. Verve is running their Diva Dare for the next week or so and the dare is to use paper you have been hoarding and sentiments only (no images) to allow that paper to shine through. Now, I haven't been hoarding this paper, but I have had it for years and never used it. When I pulled it out, I realized it was perfect for the graphic look I had in mind for this card. Did you notice the picture at the top of the post? Well, it is the inspiration for the Paper Variety challenge this week. I picked up on the black and white with a pop of that lime green that shows up in one of the puzzle pieces under the book.

The numbers dies and the fabulous sentiment (Big Birhday Wishes)are both from PTI. I used two of the classic circles large dies from Spellbinders to create the frame behind the numbers.

Early thank you

2011-06-19T17:40:00.001-07:00

I normally would NOT be making Christmas thank you cards this early, but since I had the papers all ready out on my desk (see my previous post for another card using them) and the challenge from Our Daily Bread Designs this week was to create a thank you card or gift, it was the perfect opportunity. I'm going to need them anyway, right? I am also using the sketch from this week's Clearly Inspired Challenge (sponsored by Clear Dollar Stamps). Papers are DCWV, the sentiment is a partial inking from Damask Designs by PTI and the tree is a single rubber stamp I've had forever. I used Labels 4 and 5 nesties and the lace ribbon, I just bought on clearance from Michaels being inspired by everyone that is using lace.

The Reason for the Season

2011-06-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

Something a little different for me, a little bit of fruffiness with this gathered ribbon. It's good to break out of your comfort zone once in a while. : ) The sketch is Viva La Verve June week 3, and the card uses the Delightful Challenges "anything goes" theme, the Paper Variety's mixed alphas (use two or more different fonts) challenge, Christmas Stampin' All Year Long challenge to use black, white and ONE other color, and the Stampin' Sisters In Christ challenge to doodle on your project (I drew faux stitching around both red panels and a doodled line around the sentiment panel, also center lines on the flower petals).

Bookmarks

2011-06-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Something new I have never tried before: ribbon bookmarks--this week's Our Daily Bread Designs challenge. And I think I might be addicted, they are soooo cute! The first one is for my father for Father's Day (his favorite color is brown and I just so happened to have some nice brown grossgrain ribbon from SU!) I also tried the rock 'n roll technique for this week's Make It Monday challenge. The first side has one of the damask images from Damask Designs (PTI) and at the bottom, a sentiment from the same set. The second side has two stamps from World's Greatest by Verve and I stamped the date of Father's Day on the bottom portion. The numbers are from PTI's Fresh Alphabets set.

Since these were so fun, I made one for my Mom, too. She loves to sew and has one of these pincussions so the image from Clear Dollar stamps (part of a package to raise money for a woman named Katie) was perfect. I colored it with colored pencils, colored the pin stems with a silver pen and used black dimensional fabric paint on the pin heads. so fun! The sentiment is from the same Clear Dollar digital set and I added the stitching around the shape.

On the other side, I stamped a sentiment and image from Sweet n' Sassy stamps and added the year date on the bottome half.

One more Father's Day Card

2011-06-14T15:40:00.001-07:00

This card is for my husband; he's a no-frills type of guy (most of them are, I guess) so I think it fits him perfectly. The sketch is this week's Viva La Verve challenge and I combined that with the JUGS challenge to use a woodgrain technique and the Stampin' Sisters In Christ challenge to create a project for Father's Day or praising our Heavenly Father (God). See my post here to see the coordinating box that I had made for a different challenge. I used Gina K's faux woodgrain technique which works perfectly since my husband is in the construction business. The blue paper, ribbon (night of navy) and sentiment (Year Round Cheer II) are from SU!, the brown is from PTI. I used the upper crest border punch from fiskars and the labels 5 die (cut from paper covered with aluminum tape and embossed with the cuttlebug dots folder) is from spellbinders.

Celebrate!

2011-06-09T17:42:00.001-07:00

This week is release week over at Flourishes and one of their release week challenges was to create a project inspired by the American flag: red, white, and blue. The sketch is Viva La Verve June week 1. The large star stamp is from "By Ones and by Twos" by SU (paper and ink also from SU!). The small stars are from "To the Moon" by verve. The sentiment is from "Damask Designs" by PTI. I used classic oval nesties by spellbinders and a star die from sizzix.

Father's Day

2011-06-09T17:20:00.001-07:00

The challenge from Papertrey Ink's Make it Monday challenge this week was to use tissue paper to create texture. I had never tried this before and went through several flops trying to stamp on it before I gave in and just used it as textured paper. Live and learn, I guess. So, since this sketch is the Mojo Monday #194 from Verve is was very fitting to used the brown and blue sparkle tissue paper that Verve packages their stamp sets in. The stripes are the tissue paper over white cardstock and the bottom is paper from DCWV covered with white tissue paper. The sentiment is from SU! and was overstamped with a medallion from PTI's "Guide Lines 2". I used the same image on the background. You can see the texture and the stamp better in the second photo. The card also answers the Stampin Sisters In Christ challenge to use something new (the tissue paper texture), Timeless Tuesday #121 challenge to create a Father's Day card, Paper Variety challenge to create something For The Guys, and Delightful Challenges challenge to create a Father's Day project

For unto us

2011-05-31T11:46:00.001-07:00

yep, another Christmas card, but I have to say, I love the simplicity of this one. I used this week's sketch challenge from Our Daily Bread Designs and if I don't finish all my cards before Christmas, this just might be the sketch I use for the rest of them. The papers are all DCWV, the sentiment is from Verve's "Richly Blessed". I layered up the focal panel; starting with Labels 4 (which I cut apart to get the right placement), then the sentiment layer, green layer with standard scalloped ovals large, and ended with the polka-dotted layer with a standard oval large cut out. Doing it this way just added something a little more fun than the traditional larger to smaller layering.

O Christmas Tree

2011-05-30T17:51:00.001-07:00

The focal image of this card is recycled from a promo Christmas card I received last year. It was way to beautiful to throw away. I'm using the sketch from Stampin' Sisters In Christ. The theme this week was the unchanging nature of God so the twist on the challenge was to follow the sketch to a "T". I'm also entering the Christmas Stampin' All Year Long challenge to use a diecut as your focal image. I diecut mine using the labels 4 from spellbinders. I hand cut the snowflake for my circle element and I used the upper crest border punch from fiskars. The papers are all from DCWV.