PTI December Blog Hop

Welcome everyone. I hope, for all who celebrate, you had a very Merry Christmas surrounded by family and friends.

I'm sure you are all anxious to get on with the hop, so on to the reason we're here. Nichole challenged us to find an inspirational piece among our holiday decorations and design a project around it. Here's what I chose.

It's actually a Boyds Bears Tree Topper. Her outfit is cream velvet with white fur and touches of metallic gold. I used that palatte to design this card.

I used PTI Vintage Cream cardstock and white Pearlescent Cover by Worldwin layered on a white cardstock base. The stamps are by PTI - Snowflake Serenade and Star Prints. Gold ink by Colorbox, Ranger Queen's Gold embossing powder, and metallic gold paint pen by DecoArt. The star is adhered with 3D-Dots.

I hope you like it. Now I'm off to admire and be inspired by all the other participants. I wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year. Thanks for hoppin' by.

PTI October Blog Hop

This is the card I am going to send to friends that we left back in NJ when we moved to PA. I hope someone will believe that I had a card very similar to this sketched out using the Sign Language image on a Cuttlebug folder from last year - Winter House. But when I saw Lauren Meader's sneak peak for her Fold and Go back in August, I had to run and order Boards and Beams and make it a true PTI card. This is how it turned out.

I hope I did her work proud. I love it and I apologize for not having something really creative this month. The colors are non-traditional and are representative of our home. I found the ribbon at Michaels - it's Chocolate with almost Spring Rain lined trees and red stars - and the color palate developed from there. I started with a base of Rustic Cream (my personal favorite PTI color-VBG) and layered Dark Chocolate and Spring Rain. The house is stamped in VersaMark and is very crisp in actuality. I topped the flag holder with the solid star in Pure Poppy and added some red Stickles glitter. Each little blue tree on the ribbon is topped with a red glitter star. Everything went fine until I tried to stamp the tree in Spring Rain. So I went with Enchanted Evening. One of these days, with the help of the Forum, I am going to understand these different inks. The flag is adhered to the panel with pop dots. For the sentiment, I typed out the wording in PrintShop using a font similar to Boards and Beams. Then I stamped the word house from that set into the phrase. (I have to work on positioning it better.)

I hope you enjoyed it. Please give me a good grade for effort and not for originality.
Now I'm off to love all the other entries. Thanks for hopping by.

September Blog Hop

This was a very interesting challenge. Nichole asked that we "focus this month on reusing & recycling portions of your newly arrived Papertrey order in an earth-friendly way." I had several ideas, but the more I worked, the less I came up with. I didn't have much to work with, mostly the empty stampboxes from previous months, some acetate that the stamps come on, the thank you cards, and the tissue paper. So here goes number one.

I started with the thank you card and pictured a frame. Then it became a window with the acetate as the glass and the tissue for curtains. The wallpaper inside is PTI Green Tea Leaves in Aqua Mist. The flowers are from Vintage Picnic and the clapboards on the Ocean Tides cardstock are made with Journaling Lines using Versamark ink.

The second uses the wrapper from Poppy Prints by Lisa Johnson. I had found these Balli's Best Tea Candies at a local candy & nut outlet. I thought they were quite different and would work nicely for Autumn. The wrappers are green, orange, and brown. I made a pillow box out of a transparency (no time to order PTI Clearly Creative but it's on my list) and covered up the logo - so sorry Lisa - with a Nestabilities label stamped with Tea for Two. I added the acorns and leaves from Autumn Abundance to keep with the theme. Tied with a ribbon from Michaels and little tags stamped with words from Tea for Two. Ink: Spring Moss, Orange Zest, Dark Chocolate. Colored with Copics.

I hope you found these interesting and I'm off lovin' all of yours.
Thanks for hoppin' in.

September Guest Star Stamper

I thought I would take this opportunity to share my GSS entries at Papertrey Ink. I am so honored and excited that Nichole Heady chose my Creepy Cap as this month's winner in the Halloween Project category.

I used a Wilton Disposable Decorating Bag filled with Halloween candy. Then made the brim from True Black cardstock and embellished with stamps from Spooky Treats II. The little spiders are from the end of the "best if eaten before..." stamp. The spider charm was stamped on acetate and embossed with black embossing powder. I finished off with Ripe Avocado Swiss Dots ribbon.

The brim is also stamped with the web design and heat embossed using Versamark Ink and clear embossing powder.

My other entry was for the Timeless Templates category to use for sharing seeds with a friend. It holds a small sunflower that when dried will provide the seeds for her garden. They're really pretty - multi-flowered, rusty red & gold.

The template is Get a Handle On It cut from Rustic Cream. The scalloped circle was cut from Summer Sunrise with Spellbinders Nestibilities. Lots of different stamp sets were used for this one. The main image is from Autumn Abundance, stamped with True Black and colored with Copics. The wavy flowers and sentiment are from Around and About Sentiments, stamped in Summer Sunrise. The sentiments on the side and label and the bee are from Flower Garden Sentiments. The little dot trail on the bee is from Wishing You. Flower and ribbon from my stash.

I hope you enjoyed my projects as much as I enjoyed making them. I hope to be back with something for the Blog Hop. See you then.

Papertrey Ink August Blog Hop

Our challenge this month was "to create a project inspired by any aspect of fall." Nicole's suggestions included texture found in fabrics and stitching. There is nothing that speaks to me of fall more than my quilts. Those first crisp Autumn evenings, with the smell of that first fire in the fireplace and being able to snuggle under a warm quilt, are heaven to me. While browsing through my fabrics ( and in a quilter's stash that could take days!), I came across a remnant from one of my projects that immediately said fall and the card evolved from there.

In a perfect world, it would be wonderful to go pumpkin or apple picking and then spread out a quilt on the ground for a picnic lunch. This is my interpretation.
I cut a rectangle of the fabric and fringed the edges. I started with a base of PTI Rustic Cream, then Dark Chocolate and 2008 Bitty Box Basics in Summer Sunrise. The upper portion presented a problem with my limited supplies, so I stamped Background Basics: Text Style on a piece of Rustic Cream. The ribbon is a piece of green twill from my stash. For the basket I stamped Vintage Picnic on PTI Kraft and shaded with Copics and adhered with pop dots. The pumpkins are stamped on PTI Cream with Smokey Shadow and also colored with Copics. (I had so much fun with the leaves.) The sentiment is from Autumn Abundance. Click on the photo to see a little more of the detail. I hope it made you feel like fall and that you liked it.

Here's another Autumn inspired card I finished before the Blog Hop deadline. I've found a new love in coloring with Copics. I studied tole and decorative painting for several years and I am using some of the principles of shading, etc. on my cards.

I tried to emulate rust colored mums from our garden and a yellow ware pitcher. This is the first time I've used a sketch from CPS and I went all the way back to #5 for this one.
The stamps are Autumn Abundance. Edging and pearls from my stash. And a huge thank you to Lauren Meader for sharing her tip of coloring embellishments with our Copics (April 2, 2009). I toned down the pearls from Michaels with the lightest color from my flowers. Big difference! True Black and Vintage Cream inks by PTI.
PP is by K&Company, Rust CS by DCWV, PTI Cream and Rustic Cream cardstock.

Enjoy the Hop and thanks for stopping by.

Why I love Papertrey Ink

Tell me, do you ever get to the point that, when you sit down to make a card, you have everything you need? Today was one of those frustrating mornings that nothing went as I wanted. I needed a quick birthday card to get in tomorrow's mail. I had the paper colors but not the ink. Then when I found some ink, the papers didn't match. Saturday is the new release for Papertrey Ink and I hope to finally fill in the colors of ink that I don't have. I'm almost glad they aren't releasing a new color this month. I'm trying so hard to catch up and not have to declare bankrupcy. Here's what I ended up with. Click on the photo for a better look. Even my photography wasn't working right.

This is based on Mish's ATC from Feb. 09. I didn't have a scalloped border punch or Nestabilities that would work (actually nothing was working). So I used a Martha Stewart doily border punch. The stamps are PTI Journaling Lines, Polka Dot Basics and Floral Frenzy. The button is from my stash (and it does match the green ink).

This is why I love PTI so much. They have fabulous stamps with wonderful sentiments and everything MATCHES! Yes, I was yelling. In fact I nearly lost it a few times. I hope my dear friend enjoys her card. After all, she'll never know what really went into making it. When she says thank you, and I know she will, and adds something about making it, I'll say - - -
Oh, it was nothing. (while trying to cover the bald spots on my head)

Off to Hershey

Much of the past few days has been spent packing for Hershey, PA and Quilt Odyssey. I have one class on Saturday, Dancing with the Stars with Linda Ballard. It's a mystery and, let me tell you, quite a challenge. On one not-too-busy morning I had the entire staff of Burkholder's Fabrics in Denver helping put the fabrics together. This isn't my first mystery quilt by far, but it's the first with so many instructions as to color, texture, scale and value.

This is the third year we have taken our granddaughter and stayed at Hershey Highmeadow Campground. I tell everyone, she comes along to entertain Opa while I'm at the show. Five days of fun in the campgound and at Hershey Park. (I don't know who is the bigger child.) She has been a tremendous help, first in packing and then in loading the motorhome. This is no small task.

This is the view from the motorhome down the steps to our home. The door is at the far end of the porch. And to a seven year old, this was fun!! Oh, to be young again.

So from Arianna, Hans and me, bye for now. Talk to you next week.

Another Text card

Wow! The Blog Hop was fantastic! I learned a little more about this technology. (Thanks to Kim I found out about moderation, turned it off and now have comments. I didn't think anybody liked me! ) All kidding aside, thank you all for your warm welcome to the Blog Hop. And to put the icing on the cupcake, I won one of the prizes Nicole gave away. Thanks Papertrey!

I didn't think you could post more than one project for the hop, so here's the other one I made while working with Background Basics: Text Style.

I stamped the daisy from Floral Frenzy on the back of an acetate sheet (used one that the stamps come on). The card is a tri-fold and on the inside right flap I attached a Kraft panel stamped with Text in Dark Chocolate. I used the largest Spellbinders oval and cut through both the Green Tea Leaves paper and the Rustic White cardbase, sandwiched the acetate, and edged with some cotton braid and finished with a small bow. The button is an old white one from my stash, colored with Copics. (That idea came from Lauren Meader. Buttons are on my wish list.) Inside I used the sentiment from Floral Frenzy - like a flower our friendship continues to grow. There's lots of room to add your own note. (You can click on the image to see it larger for more detail.)
I enjoyed this challenge and loved the idea that I finally had the right supplies to complete the card. I look forward to the next one and all the new goodies I can add to my stash!

My first PTI Blog Hop

I've followed the Blog Hop for several months, but this is the first time I've been able to participate. My blog is quite new and I'm learning with every post. I created it just so I could be a part of the PTI Hop. I love sharing my projects and hope you enjoy them too.
I was having so much fun preparing for this that I made two cards using Background Basics: Text. It was really difficult choosing one, but here goes:

I had this vision of old love letters. I have samples from my Grandfather from the early 1900's and I wanted to get that faded, muted, sepia toned writing made with an old dip pen. I stamped BB: Text on velum using a combination of Chai and Chamomile. (I know they aren't intended for stamping, but they're great colors. I hope I didn't harm my stamp.) The ink doesn't get absorbed into the velum like regular paper and I got the effect - sort of fuzzy. The edges were distressed with Chamomile. The flourish and flowers are from With Sympathy. Sentiment is computer generated. (not as pretty as PTI) Card base is Kraft, layered with Pure Poppy and Rustic Cream. The string wrapped around the letters is DMC Perle Cotton #8. It's another great fiber to work with. It's twisted so that it doesn't unravel like floss. Not as many colors, though. It's all in what you want your look to be. Try it in your buttons!

Thanks for visiting. Hope you like my contribution. I'll share the other card tomorrow.

And now some Ink

I've played with stamps for a long time, but only became a serious stamper about a year ago. I had found the clear stamps and really liked how I could accurately place my image. Last fall I bought my Cuttlebug and started making cards. I would have loved to take some classes, but again like so many other places, our local stamp store closed. When I found Papertrey Ink at the beginning of this year, I learned how to combine the two. This is one I completed today, the first to use PTI stamps colored with Copic markers. I'm in love!!

Vintage Picnic was from last month's release and I had to wait for the right markers to arrive to complete it. The paper came in yesterday's mail with my order from the July release. Put it all together and here it is. (Click on the photo above to see better detail) I can't wait for the day when I can sit down and have all the supplies I need to complete my card. I'm ordering hard and fast, but there's always something else I want. I am hoping to be able to participate in this month's Blog Hop. That is the main reason I created this blog. So, stamping friends, stay tuned.

Thirty-nine and counting

No that's not my age. That passed several years ago. Today is our Wedding Anniversary. My dear husband Hans and I were married 39 years ago today. I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce you to my "Silver Celebration - Baltimore Style" and tell you a little about it.

Back in 1994 my local quilt shop Quilts and Crafts in Manasquan, NJ (sadly, closed for many years) organized a year-long Baltimore Album group led by the very talented Joanne Belson. She had studied with Elly Sienkiewicz and we worked our way through the Baltimore Album books, planning, drafting, and learning new techniques each month. I decided to make mine in celebration of our up-coming Silver Anniversary - a wall hanging, nothing big, nothing too involved. After all, it's only 36 inches square. Well five years later it was finished.

The center block is 15 inches square. All the flowers were based on ones from the the Dimensional Applique book. The basket was woven and appliqued from silver ribbon and cording. The Album is three dimensional, my own creation, and holds photos and dedication.

 All the bordering blocks are 7.5 inches square.

Writing was done with artist's acrylic ink and an old fashioned dip pen.

Lots of berries, not always round and only 1/4 inch in diameter. I used needle-turn throughout, even on those little guys.

Paper cuts technique, cut like a snowflake.

Reverse applique, one of my favorites.

Strings on the lyre were embroidered with metallic thread.

This was a challenge to design our own block based on the Baltimore style.

Lots of fabrics with silver.

My other favorite. The daisy was appliqued using the Broderie Perse (sp?) technique. Then the butterfly was appliqued using needle turn and then embroidered with black floss.

I entered it in the first NJ State Quilt Guild show and it was awarded first place in its category and was chosen to be one of a handful featured in a documentary produced by NJ public television. Truly this was my fifteen minutes of fame. The following year it hung at QHC in Lancaster. What a thrill!

I hope you enjoyed this tour. Stay tuned for what might appear for our Fiftieth!!

Never say never

That's a favorite saying of mine. I've told our sons that many times and continue to remind our grandchildren of the same. I swore I would never get into blogging, at least not my own. I do read others but felt maintaining one would just add more time at the keyboard. I would much rather use that time to be creating something. I always love to be doing something. I just can't sit still. Any evening I will be working on a project, be it applique, punch needle or other embroidery. At other times it will be machine piecing or quilting, scrapbooking or stamping and making cards. There aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish all I would like. But then that seems to be a common "thread" that is stitched into all crafters. I hope you can visit back often and that I can share with you some of my completed or on-going projects. The quilt in the header is recently completed from a pattern by Pat Sloan in her book "Crooked Cabin Quilts", photography by me. I hope to change that out often and will link you to Pat when I figure out how.

Thanks for stopping by. And please, come again.