SAF 2015: Red Carpet Challenge

Hello again.  Just a quick pic of the 3 cards I made for this years Stampafaire at Papertrey Ink.  I really did try to get the cards and myself in a photo, but I don't think my arm's long enough, and I don't own a selfie stick either, so here's the card photo:

I really, really wish I had had more time to play with ALL the challenges, but time just didn't allow this year!  Some absolutely fantastic tips, tricks, and inspiration from all the designers this year, so thank you, thank you to all of you for all the time, effort, and creativity you put into this years SAF...you really all are the best! :0)

Check out all the other Red Carpet entries right HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!! :0)

SAF 2015: Pins + Needles Challenge

Hello friends.  One more card for SAF 2015, and I'm playing with the Pins + Needles Challenge, and I also incorporated a string challenge from Danielle to my "hand stitched" card.  Take a look:

Can you tell how much I'm in the "Fall" mode by the cards I've been posting lately?!!  I used Autumn Adornments and the Tipped Top die to make this card, and because I didn't have any stamps that already have stitching on them, I used a white gel pen and made my own stitching.  I also only used a part of the Tipped Top die so that it fit better with the stamped image I was using...creative license and all that, don't ya know?!! :0)  I also loved the way Danielle tied her buttons and had to add it to my card, even though I think I did it backwards...it's still cool!! :0)

You can check all the other Pins + Needles entries right HERE.

Thanks for stopping by again...I love it when you do! :0)

Stampafaire 2015 - Pattern Challenge

Hello friends.  Playing along with one more challenge from Papertrey Ink's Stampafaire event - the Pattern Challenge.  I chose to use Melissa's Go-To Pattern with Pumpkin Patch and Twig Wreath stamp sets.  I also incorporated a little bit of Betsy's challenge on mixing patterned papers, and following the 3 rule of a larger, medium, and small print design with some scraps I had in my bin.  Take a look:

 
I just love the Pumpkin Patch stamp set and know I'm going to get a LOT of use from it!  My tag is the Tag Sale #4 die, and I love Melissa's tip on balancing out this tag with a little something on the lower right and upper left side of the tag! 

Lots of beautiful cards in the Pattern Challenge, and you can check them all out HERE.  There's also a great download for Go-To Card Patterns from all the designers to print out and have on hand for when you're stumped and need a little inspiration in this link too...LOVE IT!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!! :0) 

Stampafaire 2015 - Bridal Challenge

Hello friends.  Was gone almost all of yesterday helping our oldest daughter and son in law get their house ready to put up for sale, so did not get to stay home and stamp all day for the Stampafaire like I really wanted to.  I finally got a chance this evening to start looking at the first few challenges, and came up with a quick card for the Bridal Challenge.  Take a look:

I started with Fresh Snow Linen Cardstock, and then embossed horizontal lines across my top piece every half inch, with a space towards the bottom left for my sentiment from Quilled Elegance.  Then I used the Bride & Groom dies in the same linen cardstock, along with a few tiny pearls for the brides bouquet and hair.  Very CAS, but I really like how it turned out!

You can check out all the other entries for this challenge right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by...I love it when you do! :0)

Merry Monday #169 - Use Green, Light Green, & Red

Hello friends.  Playing along with Merry Monday and the challenge is to use green, light green, and red on our Christmas cards.  Here's what I came up with:

 

I used an oldie but a goodie...PTI's Birds & Blooms stamp set to create my wreath.  I don't think it was ever intended to be a Christmas wreath, but using Christmas colors makes it look like a Christmas wreath to me, and I just love all the details in this set.  I used Old Olive, Certainly Celery, and Real Red for my inks.  I used SSS Wavy Scallop Stitches die to separate the wreath and my sentiment, which is a die from PTI's Wet Paint Holiday.  This is a smaller card size (3 1/2 x 5 1/2), and I finished it off with a red & white bakers twine bow and a few iridescent sequins.  It may be small in size, but I really like how it turned out, and I even took the time to finish the inside! (I'm terrible about finishing insides, and then when I want to quick send something out.....grrrrr!!)

 



                                            

                                                  

There's still a few days to play along, so check out all the inspiration and make a card (or two) to add to your Christmas card stash...you'll be glad you did come December!  You can find all the info you need to play along right HERE.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)

Make it Monday #222 - Die Cut Kissing

Hello friends.  This weeks Make It Monday challenge is with Betsy, and she shows us how to use a die cut and "kissing" together.  This was one of those video's where Betsy explained it SO well, that it seemed like it would be an easy challenge...NOT!!  At least not for me!  It was also one of those cards that I had in my mind, and no matter how many times I tried, I could not get it to come out the same way I saw it in my head! (I think I tried 8 times before I gave up!!)  My card in itself is not bad...it just doesn't reflect the challenge part well at all.  Take a look:

As you can see in this last photo, the leaves just do not show up well at all.  I had the idea to make stripes of color like I did on my blog hop card, and use my craft mat for my solid surface to lay the strips of color down with my ink cubes (Hibiscus Burst, Pure Poppy, Autumn Rose, & Scarlet Jewel).  The trouble came when I went to lay my die cut (leaf die from Songbirds) down...it was so slippery on the craft mat, I couldn't get a solid image of the leaves.  I think if I would have had a big solid piece of rubber, that surface wouldn't have been so slippery.  But anyway, it is what it is!  And I do like the tag (Tag Sale #8) I made using the sentiment from the new Choose Joy stamp set.  I did add some silver embossing powder to the leaf die cut and to the edge of the strip at the bottom of my card.  A seam binding ribbon and a few silver sequins finished the card.

Make sure you check out Betsy's video and beautiful cards to see how this technique is done correctly, and to check out all the other entries HERE. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)

Papertrey Ink August 2015 Blog Hop

Hello friends.  It's the 25th and that means it time for Papertrey Ink's blog hop...oh happy day!  I just love all the inspiration on these blog hops!  And this months inspiration photo is SO cool!!  I admit it stumped me at the beginning, but after thinking on it awhile, the colors and stripes were the 2 things that stood out to me, and this is what I came up with:

I ended up using my craft mat and ink cubes, and just made a strip of color right onto my craft mat with Scarlet Jewel, Autumn Rose, Pure Poppy, Hibiscus Burst, Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise, & Harvest Gold (I ran out of room to add the shades of tans and browns!). I lightly spritzed some water to the stripes of color before laying down my cardstock, and I really like the look of the watercolored stripes!!  Then I had some fun with the new Pumpkin Patch stamp set and used the same colors as in the background.  I popped up the middle pumpkin for some dimension, and added a few clear sequins and some off white string to finish the bright and fun card! Here's the inspiration photo:

With such an amazing photo, I'm sure there's going to be a ton of great cards to inspire you (and me!), so head on over to Nichole's blog and check it all out right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)

Who's Counting? It's Just A Number!

Hello friends.  Yesterday was hubby's birthday, and once again, I had to use those silly birds from Tim Holtz's Bird Crazy!  I also used a Tim Holtz stencil called Clockwork (THS013), and a technique from Leanne Cross called Stencil Monoprints, and you can watch the video HERE to learn this quick and easy way to get a great watercolored and stenciled background.  Here's my card:

I wish I would have taken a picture of the background before I added the bird and sentiment, so you could see the whole background...it really shows up the clockwork quite nicely!  I used Distress Inks (Tea Dye, Faded Jeans, & Stormy Sky) to color my background and also the bird.  Quite a simple card really, but I like the way it turned out and perfect for a masculine card!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday, and thanks so much for stopping by...I love it when you do! :0)

Autumn Leaf Resist Tutorial

Hello friends.  Last week I posted a card (HERE) using the "resist" technique, and I had quite a few questions on how I did this.  I was asked to do a video like on Make it Monday, but unfortunately, I don't have either the equipment to film a video or the computer knowledge to do one either!  But I can make cards and I can take pictures, so hopefully this will help those of you wanting to try out this technique.  Here's everything you need to start out:

I made my own stencil using a leaf die, but you can use any shape that has an open space.  Make your stencil with heavy cardstock (I used watercolor paper) and apply 2 way glue to the back of the stencil and let it dry so it works like a post it note.  You do this so the stencil won't slip around when you place it on the cardstock piece you want to use for your card front.)  You also need a VersaMark pad, ink pads, sponge daubers, and a small stamp...I used the small flower center from Funky Florals (PTI).

Place your stencil on your card front and press down so your card doesn't move around.  Now start filling up the open space with your stamp inked up with VersaMark.

If you click on this photo to enlarge it, you will be able to see the leaf shape filled with the little flower centers stamped with the VersaMark.  You do NOT need to add any embossing powder or heat set this...you will be sponging directly over the VersaMark.

Now you are ready to add the ink color of your choice and start sponging.  Use small circular motions and start on the stencil first before moving onto the inside edge of your cardstock.  The "magic" appears as soon as you start adding ink, and the more ink you add, the more your image will show up.  Any type of dye based ink will work with this technique.  Chalk also works well with this technique.  I have tried pigment ink with not very good results, so I'd stay away from that.

You can choose to use one color or many, like I have done here with this Fall colored leaf.  Don't be afraid to overlap your colors...the more you blend, the more seamless your colors are!

Once you have all the ink applied, remove your stencil (carefully), and you are now ready to finish your card.  Again, you do NOT need to apply any embossing powder or heat...your card will not smudge and will actually dry quite quickly.  Here's how I finished my card front:

I added a sentiment from Funky Florals, and then drew a simple black line around each edge to frame in my beautiful leaf.  A simple twine bow, a few sequins, and an orange card base, and my card is finished.

Since this is my first tutorial, I hope I explained it well enough that you understand what to do on your own!  Any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!  And I would love to see what you come up with too, so please share!! :0)

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)

Birgit & Marcia's Mini Challenge #2 - Melissa Phillips Style

Hello friends.  Birgit and I are challenging ourselves again, this time with cards that reflect one of our favorite card designers from Papertrey Ink - Melissa Phillips.  I simply love how Melissa can put layers and layers of stamped images and patterned paper together and make it all look like it was meant to go together!  Along with all the ribbons, buttons, and any kind of embellie you can think of too!  I love to buy all the embellishments and patterned papers, and then they sit there because I'm not sure what to do with them!  Creating a Melissa card is all about the details...lots and LOTS of details!! I'm getting better, but still have miles and miles to go before I even get close to Melissa.  But anyway, I have 3 cards to share with you today, and I'll share them in the order I made them, which is also the same order in which I like them...meaning I like my first card, I really like my 2nd card, and I love my 3rd card! 

First off, I made all 3 of my cards in the size that Melissa makes most of her cards - 3 1/2 x 5 1/2.  My background papers are from Gina K and Lily of the Valley.  My wreath is from PTI's Wreath For All Seasons.  Ink colors are Plum Pudding, Lavender Moon, & Classic Kraft.  I used PTI's Tag Sale #4 to stamp my wreath on and then added a Melissa "junk bow" with odds and ends and a tiny tag from Tiny Tags.  I used the Filigree Border Die at the top of the card, and did a few more die cuts with Songbirds and Button Stacks.  I also stamped the bottom right corner with a stamp from Autumn Adornments.

My 2nd card uses paper from Pebbles Garden Party pad, and the stamped tree is PTI's Polka Dot Parade #6.  My inks for the tree are Early Espresso, Strawberry Slush, Pretty in Pink, Calypso Coral (stamped off), Soft Sky, and Old Olive.  The big tag is from PTI's Tag Sale #3, and the small flower shaped tag is from Tiny Tags.  I used the Bitty Button Stacks dies for the little buttons on the corner of the tag along with some light blue embroidery floss (Thank You Julie Didion!!) to tie the buttons together, and also around the white satin ribbon.  I wish I could tell you where the sentiment came from, but I never wrote on the set, and I've had it for SO long that I just don't remember...I LOVE that sentiment though, and it just sounds like something Melissa would say and use. :0)  Tiny white pearls finished off this card.

My 3rd and final card is my favorite, and uses scrap DSP and a sheet of KaiserCraft - Secret Garden Collection.  I stamped a little bit of the background in the middle that is a Heidi Swapp background stamp in Fine Linen ink, and then the rest of the background is all strips of DSP that I sponged with Tea Dye Distress Ink to give it that vintage look.  I used a Tag Sale #5 die (PTI) and vellum and a polka dot piece of scrap DSP to layer on my Vintage Linen flowers (PTI) that I stamped in Scarlet Jewel, Autumn Rose, Sweet Blush, Blueberry Sky, Spring Rain, and Old Olive inks.  The sentiment is from Floral Foliage (PTI).  Some rainstones, a button, twine, and ribbon finished off this card.

So I hope you enjoyed my 3 cards, and would love to hear what one you liked best and whether or not you think I captured Melissa's style.  Don't forget to check out BIRGIT'S blog too, as I know she is going to have beautiful creations for you to look at too.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)

Make it Monday #221 - Masking Sentiments

Hello friends.  Do you find inspiration in places other than Pinterest?  I do!  One of our local markets has a giftware section where they sell lots of fancy paper plates and napkins, and every once in awhile I splurge if I see some that really catch my eye.  Like this package of napkins:

Aren't the Fall colors absolutely gorgeous??!!  Had to have them and they sat right in front of me as I thought about what I wanted to do for this weeks Make it Monday challenge, where Ashley has a great video on masking your sentiments and then building your card around it. I had a great time using the Simple Sunflower, Beautiful Blooms, and Daydreamer stamp sets.  Take a look:

I stamped my frame from Just A Little Something on a post it note, and then cut it out and placed it in the center of my cream colored cardstock base.  Next I stamped and used my Aqua Painter with Scarlet Jewel, Autumn Rose, Summer Sunrise, Harvest Gold, Orange Zest, Classic Kraft, & Old Olive inks.  After removing my post it note mask, I stamped the frame again in Soft Suede ink, and also added the birthday sentiment from Friendly Flowers.  I had some ink on my fingers and accidentally smudged the lower right portion of my frame, so another cut out and popped up sunflower seemed like a good "fix"! :0)

If you'd like to check out Ashley's video and beautiful cards, and play along, you can find all the info you need over on Nichole's blog right HERE. 

I'd love to invite you to stop back tomorrow to my blog and Birgit's (Crafting While I Wait) blog, and check out our 2nd little mini challenge.  We both adore Melissa Phillips cards, and decided to challenge ourselves to come up with a couple of cards in her style.  Melissa uses lots of layers and details, details, details, so it was definitely a challenge for both Birgit and I, but definitely a fun challenge too!  If any of you would like to play along with us, just leave us a link in the comment section tomorrow to your card...we'd love some company!! :0)

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)

Autumn Jar Card

Hello friends.  Last week, Amy Scheffer of Papertrey Ink, posted a card HERE that I absolutely fell in love with!  Amy's card was a Halloween themed card using jars, and I decided to CASE her, but made my card an Autumn themed one rather than Halloween.  Take a look:

I used Autumn Adornments (PTI) for the acorns, leaves, and pumpkins in the 3 smaller jars, and then I used Mum's The Word (PTI) for the flowers and leaves in the larger jar.  The sentiment is also from Autumn Adornments.  I did have to do some masking when I stamped my jars, and I think that part took me the longest because I had to actually think about where I was placing them!  After that, it was all fun!  A few drops of Glossy Accents for some condensation finished my card, and now I have a one layer card that will be easy for mailing!!  After last weeks release over at Papertrey Ink, I am really ready for some Fall stamping!!  I love the Fall season, but not so crazy about the season after that! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)

Congratulations

Hello friends.  Just a quick post as I have a busy day and weekend ahead.  One of my very best friends son is getting married tomorrow and wanted to share the card I made for their wedding.  Take a look:

Their colors are a real light purple (like SU!'s old Lavender Lace) and gray.  Since I couldn't find my Lavender Lace pad, I cheated a bit and used the backside of the actual wedding invitation and stamped roses in versamark and white embossing powder using WPlus9's Coming Up Roses stamp set.  I stamped the leaves with Smoky Slate ink, and then fussy cut them and the roses out.  The little sprigs behind the roses and leaves are from WPlus9's Botanical Bunch.  I added a thin strip of gray and white striped paper and another thin strip of silver glitter paper to the left side and then finished with my sentiment (SU!'s Love & Laughter), a couple enamel dots, and some bakers twine that also came from the actual wedding invitation...nothing like re-using and re-purposing, right?!! :0)

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!! :0) 

Create Along With Us: August 2015

Hello friends.  Playing along with PTI's Create Along With Us this week, where we take a card that really inspires us from one of the design team members, and try to re-create it with stamps we have on hand. Nichole's Fall leaf card really blew me away this week, and here's what I came up with:

  
I did the same as Nichole by creating a leaf stencil to use first, and then I went a "slightly" different route than Nichole.  I used Versamark and the small flower center from Funky Florals, and stamped all along the insides of my stencil.  Next I used some sponge daubers and Pure Poppy, Orange Zest, Canyon Clay, Harvest Gold, & Summer Sunrise inks, and rubbed on the color until you could see the design come through.   If you click to enlarge the photo, you can see it even better.  Here's a closer up shot too:

 

I hadn't used the resist technique in quite awhile, so it was fun to see the "magic" appear!  I finished my card with a sentiment from Mum's The Word and some baker's twine.  And here's Nichole's card that inspired me:

Isn't Nichole's a beauty with just the simple stamping inside the stencil of the leaves?  Love it!! :0)

If you'd like to learn more about this challenge and play along, you can find all the information right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)

Addy's Christmas Card

  

Hello friends.  Been mulling over what I wanted to do this past week for the current Merry Monday and HLS August Christmas challenges, and it hit me about 5:00AM this morning...use my new Penny Black Sweet Snowman stamp!  Merry Monday is looking for pastel colors, and HLS is looking for "sparkle", so I think I've got it covered!  Take a look:

Addy will be one next month, so Christmas will definitely be fun with her this year (she slept through most of Christmas last year!).  And what better than a shaker card for a little one?!!  I used my Copics to color in this sweet little snowgal (R81, C1, & C3), and also used a silver glitter pen for the bow on the package (sorry I couldn't capture the glittery-ness of that!!).  I used a bunch of different iridescent and sparkly sequins in the shaker part, and also added a sheer sparkly ribbon and tiny tag (PTI) to finish my card. 

                                                 

You can check out all the info to play along and see fabulous "pastel" cards right HERE.

And you can check out all the info to play along and see beautiful and "sparkly" cards right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)

Bring On the Happy!

Hello friends.  Masculine cards are not the easiest cards for me to make as I am such a "flowery" girl, however, since I don't think either of my son in laws would appreciate a "flowery" card, I've had to stretch my talents a bit!  My oldest daughters husbands birthday is today (Addy's daddy), and I thought he might get a kick out of a card with one of the birds from Tim Hotlz' Bird Crazy.  Take a look:

He just looks so goofy I couldn't resist!  I used my Aqua Painter and Not Quite Navy, Lost Lagoon, and Pumpkin Pie inks to water color the bird and my background.  The sentiment is from PTI's Big Birthday Wishes. 

Here's a look at the inside:

 

 

Still have my hubby and 2 nephews to make masculine cards for this month, so I guess I better get busy!

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)

HLS August CAS Challenge - Masking

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Happy Little Stampers Challenge today, and masking is the technique we are being asked to use. 

I used Clearly Besotted's Remember stamp set and masked the flowers and leaves, and also used a Spellbinders oval die to make a template to mask the rest of the background before I colored in my background with Scattered Straw Distress ink. I embossed my sentiment in black (Think Big Favorites: 22 - PTI) and also the outlines of the Poppy flowers.  My reds (Real Red and Cherry Cobbler) are a lot deeper IRL!!

You can check out all the great cards by the Design Team and all the other players right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)

Make it Monday #220 - Die Cut Mini Notebooks

Hello friends.  This week over at the Make it Monday challenge is making die cut mini notebooks with Melissa Phillips.  I always get super excited when I see anything by Melissa, as she has a style all her own, and one I can only dream of ever coming up with on my own or even copying!  It's all in the details!  Lots and LOTS of details! But anyway, this was a fun little project to do, and in fact they were so much fun and easy, that I made two!  Take a look:

 

My first little pad used On the Farm stamp set and the scalloped die is from the Shakers & Sprinkles kit.  I used Harvest Gold, Summer Sunrise, Pure Poppy, Scarlet Jewel, & Classic Kraft inks.  My 2nd little pad was made with left over flowers (Vintage Linens) from last weeks MIM challenge and my watermelon leaves. The "just a note" is from Think Big Favorites: #22.  My striped DSP is from the Harvest Gold Pattern Pack.  Quick, fun, and easy to do!  May have to make some more of these for stocking stuffers this year!! :0)

 

You can check out Melissa's video and darling mini notebooks over on Nichole's blog right HERE.

 

I'll leave you with one last photo of my granddaughter Addy who is 11 months old now.  Her folks lost power with the big storms this past weekend, so they spent the day with us on Monday and Addy needed a bath...I was only too happy to oblige!!

 

 

  Can't believe this little peanut is going to be a year old next month!  She's pulling herself up on everything and moves like greased lightning!  "Talks" all the time too...just like her momma! (That's my oldest daughter Caitlin in the photo)  Who knew being a grandma would be SO much fun?!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do! :0)