Friday, May 25, 2012

May PTI Blog Hop

Hello and Happy Friday!  I'm back with my project for this month's PTI blog hop.  This month's inspiration photo includes graphic black and white patterns with chartreuse green accents.  Check out Nichole's blog here for the details.

Here is my card:

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the rest of the hop!


Card details:
All products from PTI unless otherwise indicated
Cardstock:  Simply Chartreuse; Classic Crest white (Neenah); black (Recollections)
Ink: Simply Chartreuse; Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Stamps:  Background Basics: Chevron; Background Basics: Medallion; Big & Bold Wishes
Ribbon: black saddlestitch
Dies:  Super Stars borders; Limitless Layers Oval 3.5"
Accents:  lime rhinestones (A Muse)

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Sending Smiles

It's Friday Eve and I'm back with a card I made earlier this week for this week's Make It Monday.  How could I not participate in this week's challenge when I have tons of paper scraps in various storage vessels in my craft room?!  I only wish I could consume them as quickly as I acquire them!



I was inspired by the layout of the card Dawn made, but my color palette is oriented to late summer/early fall and I flipped the focal images and sentiment on my card.  I also added some faux stitching between the patterned paper seams.  My faux stitching clearly isn't perfect, but I assure you it is FAR better than my real attempts with a sewing machine.  Trust me on this.

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy the rest of your week!


Card details:
All supplies by PTI unless otherwise indicated
Cardstock:  Summer Sunrise, Classic Cream (Neenah Classic Crest)
Patterned Paper:  Terracotta Damask from Damask Designs pad, Stripes and Plaid from Autumn Abundance pad, Orange Zest from Bitty Dot Basics 2009 pad, book print from Dearest Jane pack
Stamps:  Simple Sunflower, Fillable Frames #10, Zig Zag stitch border (Kelly Panacci)
Dies:  Simple Sunflower, Fillable Frames #10
Ink:  Cantaloupe, Rich Cocoa, Potter's Clay (Memento)

Sunday, May 6, 2012

MIM: Inspired Color Challenge

I'm back with a card I completed for this week's Make It Monday challenge.  I had originally started to work on a different project using one of the other color combinations, but I just couldn't get it to come together the way I wanted.  I finally decided to try a different project inspired by this photo and color combination:

Here is my card:

I loved the floral pattern of the head board in the inspiration photo and was also drawn to the chevron pillow (I'm a bit late to the chevron party--I just got the chevron background set in my last PTI order!), so those were the elements I wanted to incorporate in my project.

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Card details:
All supplies by Papertrey Ink
Stamps:  Background Basics:  Chevron Stripes, Floral Fusion (Limited Edition set from CHA 2009)
Cardstock:  Soft Stone, Melon Berry, Lavender Moon, Smokey Shadow
Ink:  Fine Linen, Melon Berry, Lavender Moon, Smokey Shadow

Saturday, April 28, 2012

60 Birthday Wishes

Happy Weekend!  I'm back to share a card I made yesterday for a 60th birthday celebration I'm going to tonight.  After I finished it, I realized that it would work for this week's MIM challenge--to glitter a die cut!


I also made a coordinating tag for the special bottle of Washington wine I'm bringing the birthday boy.  Do you know how stressful it is to select a bottle of wine for a wine connoisseur when you aren't one yourself?! I got some great recommendations from my co-worker, whose dad has worked in the wine industry for years.  Fortunately I was able to find one of the brands he recommended at my local wine shop.
 





That's it for me.  I've got a busy weekend of card making ahead of me--two babies, an engagement, and a few birthdays!


Card details:
All supplies from PTI unless otherwise indicated
Cardstock/Paper:  Simply Chartreuse cardstock, Hawaiian Shores cardstock, Aqua Mist striped patterned paper, green paper (My Mind's Eye Home collection) Classic Crest white (Neenah)
Dies:  Tag Sale #2, Super Stars borders, Seeing Stars, Limitless Layers 1 3/4" pinked circle, numbers (Slice Basics 1 cartridge from Making Memories)
Stamps:  2012 Birthday Tags
Ink:  Aqua Mist, Simply Chartreuse
Other elements: lily pad white glitter (Doodlebug), Hawaiian Shores saddle stitch ribbon

Tag details:

All supplies from PTI
Cardstock/Paper:  Simply Chartreuse cardstock, Hawaiian Shores cardstock, Aqua Mist striped patterned paper
Digital element: Birthday tag image from PTI 2011 anniversary download freebie
Dies:  Wine tag, Tag Sale #5, Limitless Layers 1 3/4" scalloped circle
Ribbon:  Simply Chartreuse saddle stitch

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

April PTI Blog Hop

I'm back to share my project for this month's PTI blog hop.  To view the inspiration photo and hop details, visit Nichole's blog here.

The beautiful colors and floral motif were the inspiration for my card:


Thanks so much for stopping by!


Card details:
Cardstock:  Pistachio, A Muse Studio; Floral patterned paper from Gossamer collection, Memory Box
Stamps: Simply Jane by PTI
Dies:  Simply Jane by PTI
Ink:  Lilac Posies, Rose Bud, Bamboo Leaves from Memento; Fine Linen from PTI
Embellishment:  Rose from Recollections (Michaels)
Tools:  Scalloped Border punch from Stampin' Up

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Crafting with Kraft

I'm back to share a couple of cards I made yesterday. I didn't specifically plan to use kraft on both of these, it just turned out that way.

First up is a thank you card I needed for my boss. She just returned from a Spring Break vacation to Disney World with her kids and brought each of us on her team back a little souvenir can of flavored coffee. This gave me the perfect opportunity to break out my Heart 2 Heart #1 set and die, which I hadn't used yet. Feel free to click on the photo for a closer look.

I also tried a couple of other fun products on this card. First the Tag Sale #6 die. I love that the decorative tag hole reinforcer is a separate piece and you can cut it with a different color or pattern paper. I used a coffee cup stain background stamp (from Inkadinkado) on the kraft cardstock, which I stamped with PTI kraft ink (see the faint rings and splotches?). I then used two different sprays to give the kraft panel some more "oomph." I sprayed some Goosebumps texture spray a few times. Have you heard of it? It's by Tsukineko and it's clear and gives a raised water drop-like effect when dry. I've heard they've come out with a few more kinds of this spray, one of which is a shimmer. Cool! I also tried out my Mister Huey's color mist in Clay. From the name you would think it would be almost a terracotta color, but no, it's more of a dark grayish brown. I figured I'd give it a shot. It turned out really cool and gave the paper the effect of drips of coffee on it!

On to my second card. One of the new items PTI is releasing this month is a set of notched flower dies. I've been intrigued with them, but wasn't sure if I really *needed* them, besides, I've got to maximize my crafting $$ and make sure I'm buying things I'm really going to love and use! So, I decided to see if I could make one of these notched flowers on my own.


I punched a 1.75 inch circle from Raspberry Fizz cardstock and then just went around the circle and cut little notches at somewhat spaced intervals. The end result was so-so. Definitely not uniform notches in even intervals, but it was still sort of charming. I decided to see what else I could come up with to make it into a whimsical flower. I found a scrap of Pure Poppy bitty dot paper and punched a 1.25 inch circle out of it. I roughed up the edges a bit with my finger nail and did the same to the notched flower. I stitched the two layers together with some Martha Stewart red baker's twine and fastened with a Dark Chocolate button. The leaves are cut from Simply Chartreuse cardstock using the larger leaf die from Sending You and then I roughed them up with my fingernail as well. Flower done. Not too bad. The rest of the card just sort of fell together from there. I tucked a couple of pearl head pins behind the flower for some additional interest.

So my final consensus on the notched dies? I still may get them because I don't know if I will have the same amount of patience each time when I go to cut them out myself and the Type A in me gets annoyed when things aren't balanced and evenly cut! LOL! Still, it's nice to know I could execute a reasonable substitute on my own.

All right, I've got a busy day ahead of me between laundry, grocery shopping and baking (Sea Salt Caramel brownies anyone?). Plus, I have to finalize my PTI shopping list for tonight!

Later!


Thanks a Latte card details:
Papertrey Ink: Simply Chartreuse, Raspberry Fizz, Kraft cardstock; Simply Chartreuse Bitty Dot ribbon; Heart 2 Heart #1 stamp set and die; Tag Sale #6 die; Tin Types impression plate; Simply Chartreuse and Kraft inks; Dark Chocolate button
Other stamps: Coffee stain background stamp (Inkadinkado); Thanks a Latte from Coffee Break set (A Muse)
Sprays: Mister Huey's Color Mist in Clay; Goosebumps (Tsukineko)
Other inks: Rose Bud, Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko); Toffee, Chestnut Roan (Color Box)
Other tools: Scalloped Rectangle (Spellbinders); Angled Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers); heart punch (Fiskars)
Other: white pencil (Prismacolor); pink baker's twine (My Mind's Eye)

Warm Thoughts Notched Flower card details:
Papertrey Ink: Kraft, Raspberry Fizz, Simply Chartreuse cardstock; Pure Poppy bitty dot patterned paper; Dark Chocolate button; Sending You stamp set and dies; Background Basics Medallion stamp set; Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy, Chamomile inks
Other ink: Rose Bud (Tsukineko)
Other tools: 1.75 inch, 1.25 inch circle punches (EK Success), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)
Embellishments: Red baker's twine (Martha Stewart); pearl head pins (source unknown)

Saturday, April 14, 2012

MIM: Ice Cream Scoop = Flower?

Happy Weekend! Earlier this week I found the time to make a card for this week's PTI Make It Monday challenge, which was to find a non-flower die and turn it into a flower. I went through all of my PTI dies and came up with a few possibilities, but decided to go with the least predictable of the bunch: the ice cream die that coordinates with the Sweet As Can Be Set.

The cone portion of the die didn't fit into my vision, but the ice cream scoop did, so I cut six "scoops" and adhered them to a circle base, then added a couple of punched scalloped circle layers and an aqua flower button from my stash, and there was my handmade flower embellishment!


Thanks for stopping by! Hope you're having a lovely weekend!