PTI Blog Hop - Holiday Leftovers

Merry Christmas everyone!

This month's challenge from Nichole is:

Holiday Leftovers

"It's that time again for our annual holiday leftovers challenge! Use scraps of wrapping paper, parts of holiday cards, recycle gift tags or bits of ribbon on a paper crafting project. We all have plenty of it laying around after all the holiday excitement and this is your chance to incorporate some of those pretty little things into an amazing piece of art!"

Not having a super amount of creative time around Christmas, I opted for a note card that did use two leftovers. When I started my Christmas cards, I was going to use the landscape layout, but then changed my mind. So I have a few card bases that are stamped horizontally. And I don't throw anything away.


We had a Christmas Brunch two weeks ago and the gals requested one of the recipes. Two of the three went in their cards, but somehow I forgot the third. When I sealed the envelope (lined, mind you, with paper cut with the PTI Envelope Liner die), there was the recipe sitting on the table. No way I was going to open that baby. So I held it for a few days and made this note card.
Another leftover is the label containing the sentiment. I was using Spellbinders Nestabilities and the paper shifted. I recut it into a rectangle and it didn't look too bad.
Then it was my opportunity to use the new YOF: Pointsettias. It was stamped on another scrap. It's half of an A2 card panel. I colored two of the leaves green and added the upper right green leaf by just inking the tip of one of the other leaves and positioning it between the two reds. That gave it a little more color and balance for a one layer flower stamped directly on the paper. I got the inspiration from Dawn McVey's tag you can view here. The notebook paper on top of the music notes may be a little redundant, but I like layers, and hey you can never have too many notes.

Hope you enjoyed your stop. Thanks for hopping by. Have a Happy New Year!

Supplies
Paper: PTI Rustic Cream, Paper Works white for small label
Stamps: PTI Journaling lines, Signature Christmas, YOF: Pointsettias
KaiserCraft Sheet Music
Ink: PTI Smokey Shadow, True Black, Vintage Touch duo
Other: Copic Pure Poppy and New Leaf trios,Y13 & YG23 in center;
EK Success punch; Spellbinders Nestabilities

For the Family Fashionista - CSC17

I turned the Dress Form die cut into a Christmas Card!

I started with PTI True Black cardstock and the die for Signature Series: Dress Form by Dawn McVey. The Santa hat was made from a tiny scrap of felt (sorry, not PTI), a pompom and a bit of chenille yarn. I added a snippet of tiny roped pearls and some gathered lace. The K&Company patterned paper was cut with the largest Spellbinders Nestabilities Label One, then cut in half and adhered to the PTI Vintage Cream card base. I layered two different ribbons to cover the space, both from Michaels. The Order Form from It's Official was stamped on Vintage Cream with Dark Chocolate and 'Tis the Season from Signature Christmas. I added a gold snowflake using a Martha Stewart punch and a festive bow. Lots of Vintage Touch inks were used to shabby up the edges. I'm really happy with this one so I'm going to submit it to some challenges and see what happens.

Hope you enjoyed your visit. Thanks for stopping by.

PTI November Blog Hop

Welcome. Happy Thanksgiving to all our American Friends. I hope your day is truly enjoyable, filled with people you love and gratitude for all your blessings. It's very quiet here, just the tapping sound of tiny ice pellets hitting the skylight overhead as I write. We are just three today, Mom, Hans and I, but I am happy for the quiet time to reflect on the past year and all that I have to be thankful for. I'll have several Thanksgiving dinners in the next few weeks as work and school allow the boys and their families to visit with us.

To all our International Friends. I hope you're safe and comfortable and still enjoying the gratitude of everyday blessings. Now on to the Hop!

This month's challenge was:

TAG TIME

Recently the design team and I put together a variety of holiday tags that are perfect to keep on hand
for quick wrap options. Now it's your turn to inspire us and the rest of the Papertrey community! Design
a holiday tag or two using all of your favorite goodies and share it with all of us! We will all have plenty
of inspiration to create a large stash and try to get ahead of the hustle and bustle of the season!

I haven't been able to make any to create a stash yet. Mine have been made for specific packages as the need arose. Several weeks ago, Rhonda of our Papertrey Peeps group issued a challenge using tags. You can read about it here. I was so happy with my entry (scroll down to the second photo), that I knew I had to make another. They're for my DGDs, and you know, you can't do for one and not the other. So, here it is.





I am absolutely in love with On Ice and the matching die. I've been using it on cards and tags and found that, if I only applied adhesive around the outer edges, I could create a pocket that could be filled with embellishments. I hoped this angle would give you an idea of how the leaves are inserted into the skate.



I've only scratched the surface of ideas for this application. I have a list of items to fill other skates. Stay tuned.

Supplies - PTI unless stated otherwise
Stamps: On Ice, Friendship Jars Holiday Fillers
Paper: Ocean Tides, Soft Stone
Ink: True Black, Fresh Snow
Other: Copic RV14 to color pompom, T1,4,6 to shade skate, BG75 to color leaf on rose
Silver Paint Pen, Floral supply leaf pick accented with Ranger Tiara Glitz Stickles
Michael's tiny rose, Seam binding, Martha Stewart Fine Glitter, Glimmer Mist Pearl
My Mind's Eye Tinsel Garland, Ribbon from stash

I also wanted to share my CASE of Lisa Johnson's Candy Cane tags you can see here. All my family will get one on a package. I tried to mix them up Using Tiny Treats and Mat Stack Stamps. The solid canes are Gobstoppers by Willy Wonka and the striped one is Hershey's Chocolate Mint.(hence the Dark Chocolate ink and use of Reindeer and Gingerbread boy - not shown.)





I hope you're enjoying the Hop. Have a wonderful day!
Thanks for hopping by.

Papertrey Peeps Challenge #19 & #16

I finally found some time to play with my new sets. Aimes issued the challenge this week to "use a negative (empty aperture) space in a creative way." I thought of using On Ice and this is what I made.



I die cut the skate and filled it with snowflake sprinkle candies. I collect all types of these toppings for when our grandchildren visit. It's an ongoing surprise - what sort of sprinkles I've found for their ice cream or cupcakes. I die cut through both layers and attached the treat bag inside so it can easily be removed. This card is 5x6.5 inches. The patterned paper and tag are from K&Company. Score tape around the outer edges with MS glitter. Snowflakes cut from DCWV Glittered Winter Mat Stack with Cuttlebug Snowflakes #2 die. The ribbon is Hug Snug dyed with Copic Various Ink R29 - Lipstick Red . The jingle bell is from my embellishment stash.

When I was cleaning up, I found I had two die cut skates from the cut out and decided to use one of them for Rhonda's Challenge #16 - "make a tag with an emphasis on sentiments."




The pink patterned paper was a scrap from K&Company Peppermint Twist pad and had pastel colored snowflakes. I stamped, colored and adhered the On Ice image creating a pocket for the glittered pine and berries. ( I hang some old skates on my old sled every year and fill them with Winterberry and pine.) It just followed to add them here. The sentiments "Let it snow" and "Frosty Fun" are from the same set and stamped in Scarlet Jewel and Aqua Mist. The "to & from" is from 2009 Holiday Tag Collection. The wrap of Bakers Twine hides the fact the the tag is pieced from two scraps.

One cut - two projects. I hope you liked them. I'm trying to catch up and hope to fill in the others that I missed very soon. Thanks for all your fun challenges, Peeps!
Thanks for dropping by.

PTI October Blog Hop

It's that time of the month again! Here's this month's challenge: "this month's blog hop is dedicated to those that celebrate winter holidays other than Christmas. Create a project that celebrates Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or some other winter holiday as we embrace everyone's beliefs in a celebration of diversity through paper crafting."

I found myself at somewhat of a loss not knowing how to use any of the stamps I had to complete this challenge. So I turned to my library of graphics that I used before I started stamping. I found the tag graphic that I always thought was very pretty and worked from there.
It is from the Hug Club at pcCrafter.








I used Get a Handle on It from PTI's My Timeless Templates and the beautiful new Blueberry Sky cardstock to form the box. I thought it might be nice to use it to present a small gift during the holiday.

I did a Google search for free Hanukkah graphics and found the dove at Free Clip Art by Phillip Martin and the other three at HubPages. I printed them on white cardstock and cut them out using Nestabilities. They are edged in Spring Rain and backed with scalloped circles of Enchanted Evening.

(ETA: I cannot take any credit for coloring these images. They are full color graphics.)

I hope you enjoyed this stop. Thanks for hopping by.

PS
I'm going to miss the party again this evening. We have a concert to attend, the first in The Community Concert series here in Lancaster. They cover a huge range of interests and are very enjoyable and affordable. I'm disappointed that it conflicts with the hop, but now that we can visit during the day it's much easier. I'll visit what I can this afternoon and then continue tomorrow. I always look forward to all the creative talent found on these hops. Enjoy the fun!

Time for some Stitches

We were away for three weeks visiting my 94 year-old MIL in Florida. Things went well there and my mother did well here on her own. She had visits from church friends, her "I've-fallen-an-I-can't-get-up" pendant, my homemade frozen dinners (AKA glorified leftovers) and daily calls from me. This is when I truly appreciate cell phones.
Before we left I had the opportunity to enter several items in the Southern Lancaster County (Solanco) Community Fair with very good results. If I have any quilters still following, they may be interested.


This is a small wallhanging from a pattern by Cynthia England. This features her "Picture Piecing" technique using freezer paper. (It is not paper or foundation pieced.) I used assorted reproduction fabrics to mimic my stack of rescued antique quilts. Each section is quilted differently as would be various old pieces.


Next is a wool penny-type rug using tongues instead of pennies for the border. PTI followers may recall this from the May Blog Hop. It is completely hand done using felted, overdyed wool and perle cotton buttonhole stitching.


And lastly, a stamped card also from the May Blog Hop.

I also received Red Ribbons (second place) for a punch needle project, tole painted doll house dining room set, and a scrap book layout. I had never entered the punch needle, stamping or scrapbook categories, so this was extremely exciting.

I hope to get back to more sewing and stamping now that we're home and getting back into our regular (somewhat crazy) routine. For those of you that enjoy quilting, I have a new link on the right for Free Quilt Patterns Info. It links you to many great designers who offer free quilt patterns when you visit their blog or web site. There's some big names included and many, many lovely patterns.

Thanks for stopping by and hope to chat again soon.

Papertrey Peeps Challenge #15

Angy has issued the challenge to "Fall into Fall".



When I saw this image, I immediately thought of PTI's Through the Trees. I wondered if I could simulate that look with ink. I'm pretty sure I could do it with paint, but not real confident about ink. Well, all I could do was try.



And there you have it. First I sponged the background on white cardstock using Spring Rain and Lemon Tart. I deepened the center with Summer Sunrise. Then I found an old eyebrow brush and loaded it with Orange Zest. I stippled the ink here and there trying to imitate the photo. After adding some Terracotta Tile, I stamped the image from Through the Trees with Dark Chocolate. Then I repeated the process on top of the image and added some white gel pen for highlights and Dark Chocolate for contrast. Well, you get the idea. It's all about layers. I think it sort of mimics the photo. DH thought it was a forest fire, but I set him straight on that one. Hope you enjoyed your visit and saw the onset of fall and not the downfall of the timber.

All supplies PTI unless otherwise indicated
Stamps: Through the Trees, Autumn Abundance
Ink: Spring Rain, Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest, Terracotta Tile, Dark Chocolate
Paper: Rustic Cream, Terracotta Tile, Kraft, White by The Paper Company
Other: Rustic Jute Button Twine, Basic Grey Button, Scor Pal, Paper Shapers Tag punch

With Appreciation

In this busy world we live in, we take so many things for granted. Sometimes you need to take a moment and just say "Thank you for all you do". This is for Nichole Heady of Papertrey Ink.



Nichole, I hope you get an opportunity to see this. I made this quite a while ago. Sorry it's not something new or unique, but the thought is the same. We truly appreciate everything you do. On a personal level, you have inspired me to create things I never dreamed were possible. Your fabulous designs and products have allowed me to learn and grow in this hobby and hopefully bring enjoyment to others. You have brought together such fabulous artists and designers in one place who, together with your work, daily inspire anyone who takes the time to explore your blog and gallery. It can never be said enough - Thank You!

Aspiring to Creativity Glimmer Challenge #2 & A Passion for Papertrey

ETA: And do I have a Passion for Papertrey! Aimes suggested I might want to add it to their challenge, so here it is. Thanks Aimes & Kate. I love your blog and check it often for all the lovely inspiration that is shared.

Aspiring to Creativity issued a challenge to"use the following photo as inspiration as well as a supply or tool that you own but have not used before." You can see the information here.



Here's my interpretation.



I only wish my execution could approach my concept. A close up might help.



Those are four stamps from the new PTI Embellishments set that combine to form the butterfly. They really achieve the graceful curve I was looking for. One each - mirror images - on the lower wing and two grouped to form the upper wing. Then those two had to be removed from the block and reversed for the other side. It's just I don't stamp well with white on darker paper. I hope you got the idea. I want to try it with darker ink on lighter paper.

In a drawer I found those beautiful pink pearl swirls by Zva Creative that I've never used. I snipped off one of the smaller ones and used it as the flight trail behind the butterfly. I added some gathered ribbon for the body and colored two corsage pins with Copics for the antennae.

I love the sentiment from PTI Butterfly Dreams for every child and here for Sabrina's granddaughter.

Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies
Paper: Paper Company white CS, PTI 2009 Bitty Dot Basics New Leaf
Stamps: PTI Embellishments, Butterfly Dreams
Ink: PTI Fresh Snow, New Leaf, True Black
Other: Zva Creative Pearls, American Crafts ribbon, Craft store pearl corsage pins, Wavy scissors, Score Tape

PTI - August Blog Hop - Brown Bag Challenge

Hi and welcome to my stop on the August PTI Blog Hop. This month Nichole challenged us to

"dress up, alter, change an ordinary brown lunch bag into a paper crafting work of art."

Well, I don't know about the work of art part, but I turned a brown paper lunch sack into a vase.





I've done similar projects before, but never with any sort of decoration. On a few occasions I added one to a dinner tray I took to friends that were recuperating from surgery or experiencing other health issues. I think it added a delightful surprise and certainly brought a smile. Just soak a piece of Oasis in water, place it in a plastic bag and then into the lunch bag. You can add a bit more water if desired, but consider how you will be transporting your gift. You might want to let the recipient do that. And in the end there's no container to worry about or return. I wish I knew where I first saw this idea. I did a Google search, but was unsuccessful.

I thought many participants would go the school or lunch route, so I thought I would try a different angle. Here I chose to use Boards and Beams and make it a gift for a new neighbor. I had considered doing direct stamping on the bag, but that didn't work very well. My markers didn't work on the thin paper. So I resorted to stamping, coloring, and then cutting out the image.

I began by ironing the bag to try and flatten those pesky folds. Try explaining that to your husband. I rarely press a shirt! The tree and sentiment were stamped directly on the bag. Here's a closer shot of the stamping.



I hope you liked it. I'm excited to get started and see all the fabulous projects you all have made. Enjoy the Hop! Thanks for hopping by.

Supplies
Stamps: PTI Boards and Beams, Home Made, Through the Trees
Paper: PTI Soft Stone
Ink: PTI Pure Poppy, Momento Tuxedo Black
Other: Brown Lunch Bag, Copics, Westrim Jute Packaging Twine, flowers from our garden

Happy Birthday Mom

Well tomorrow is the big day, Mom's 89th Birthday! From the moment Nichole introduced her Year of Flowers series, I was hoping she would include Gladiolas for August. It's Mom's favorite flower and I try to get them for her birthday whenever possible. Grandpa never forgot. And if he didn't have any in the garden, then he'd go find them somewhere. I can usually get them up the hill from us at an Amish farm, but the last two years they were done by now. If I don't have any luck, at least I'll have these to give to her.




I didn't have lots of time and was so happy when my order came last week. I cut some corners by stamping the image on a tonal pink CS and just shaded the centers and colored the leaves. Then I cut it out - eek! - I didn't lose too much, just a few hairs. (I hope they were the gray ones) Then I popped it on a layer of Berry Sorbet. The ribbon was originally white and colored with Copic R20. I like how it turned out.

I hope you enjoyed your stop. Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, Berry Sorbet, K&Company Pink textured, tonal and green PP
Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black
Stamps: PTI YOF Gladiolus, Mixed Messages
Other: Copics, Martha Stewart tag punch, ribbon remnant

Papertrey Peeps Challenge #14

Sharron issued a color challenge using this picture as inspiration.



I've wanted to try doing some work in a more shabby, vintage style and I thought this picture gave me that opportunity. I stumbled upon this site while searching for something else -
Miss Cutie Pie
Here's how it all came together:



It's amazing how things you thought were white, turn out to be more in the cream family. In particular, the paper doily. I cut it in quarters and fan folded it. (It looks much better IRL) I added the white CS on the bottom, stamped with Vintage Cream. You may be able to see it better in the next photo.



I also experimented with dying the seam binding with Copic Various Inks as described by Debbie Olson.
This one's definitely going in a box. No envelope here!

Hope you enjoyed your visit.
Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies
Paper: PTI Harvest Gold, DCWV red paper, The Paper Company white CS
Ink: PTI Dark Chaocolate, Vintage Cream, Vintage Duo
Stamps: PTI Damask Designs
Printables: Miss Cutie Pie
Other: paper doily, Michael's Boutique Fleur, Star Dust Stickles, Martha Stewart punch, Hug Snug seam binding, Copic Bisque Various Inks refill

Papertrey Peeps Challenge #13

I'm back. At least for a little while. I told Carol I would have this done by the end of the week, just not which week. Now that Challenge #14 has been issued by Sharron, I'm posting #13. The faster I go, the behinder I get.

Carol's challenge was to make something in the style of Mary Englbreit. Here's what I came up with.



Supplies
Stamps: PTI Tea for Two, Vintage Picnic
Ink: PTI True Black
Paper: PTI 2008 Bitty Dot Basics Black, Harvest Gold
Making Memories Black Gingham
Printable Candied Apple Fun Flowers by Kristin Bueter for My Time Made EasyTM
Other: PTI Tea Pot die, Copic markers

That's it for now. Hope you like it.
Thanks for stopping by.

What a day this has been!!

Hi everyone. We're home from our little get-away at The Sweetest Place on Earth - Hershey, PA. A wonderful time was had by all - me at Quilt Odyssey and DH & DGD at Hersheypark. I was a little down about having to leave, but all that was overshadowed by finding out I won the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop Contest and - please don't hate me - the gift certificate from Aspiring to Creativity! (you can see the card here) I'm just ecstatic and overwhelmed, two new sets in one day! I know. I know. You hate me.

I wasn't able to do a blog post for the Hop but loved everything I have seen so far. I'm still hopping! So if I haven't gotten to you, I hope to some time this week.

I wanted to share with you the altered journal my granddaughter and I made. Her teacher requested that they keep one this summer and here it is. (Those are two bookmarks peeking out that she also made using All Booked Up)



We picked out some old patterned paper about summer that she liked (she's my pink & purple gal). She stamped the loose leaf lines and the A+ from PTI's It's Official, the Official circle is from 7Gypsies. I showed her how to tear the paper and she used punches for the others. On the inside cover she adhered a library card with her personal info using Heather Nichols' newest release. And heres the best part . . .




She's used it everyday she's been with us. She's 8 years old and entering third grade in the fall. She says to tell you all she LOVES PTI stamps!

Thanks for stopping by.

Papertrey Peeps Challenge #11

Hi Peeps! I'm so excited to get back to creating and blogging. It's just a month since my mom broke the second hip and had a subsequent partial replacement. My thanks to everyone who sent prayers and thoughts of concern for her recuperation. She's done extremely well. For anyone not familiar, that's two in five months and the rehab is rough for her at 88. This is our week for our annual trek to Hershey, PA (The Sweetest Place on Earth!) for Quilt Odyssey. Our Granddaughter is here and we're going to try it. It's about an hour drive and we can get home easily if necessary.

Okay, back to creating. I finished this card for Nicole's Challenge #11:
This challenge is about "outside the comfort zone." It can be anything you want (a card, template, etc) and just about any type of style, technique, color combo, or whatever.. --just as long as it's not something you wouldn't normally do.

I have a really hard time working with multiple colors. I have the same problem with my fabrics for quilts. I can do three colors comfortably, after that it's a true *challenge*. This new challenge from Aspiring to Creativity had caught my attention and I thought I would use it as well. My other stumbling block is working with what I have. I start a project and then stop because I need to go shop for some silly embellishment (well maybe not always silly). So that rounded out my personal challenge. Work with what you have!!



And here's my card:



I began my process by looking though patterned papers that I own and came across this plaid (I l-o-v-e plaid!!) It has all the colors required. It's from DCWV Glitter Sweet Stack which is all about candy and other sweet stuff. The coordinates are from the Spring Glitter Matstack. I wanted a lollipop and that's where using what I have really entered the mix. After rummaging through shelves and boxes, I found the silky cord in a notions box and grabbed my trusty Copics in the necessary colors. A dab of color here and there and then coil it into the shape of those yummy All-day Suckers that are as much a work of art as a treat. Add some ribbons from Michaels and edging from my stash, a toothpick and some PTI Dark Chocolate CS mats and you have it! The sentiment is from Everyday Button Bits.

This was tons of fun. Thanks Nicole and ATC for the kick start to my mojo.
Hope you enjoy it, too. Thanks for dropping by.

Papertrey Peeps Challenge #10

Hi Peeps!

Our granddaughters are in the NYC School District and just finished up last Friday. They both received great grades and glowing comments from their teachers (Oh to be in Kindergarten or Second grade again. ) I really wanted to send something to congratulate them, bolster their confidence and inspire them to keep reading over the summer.

Back for the February Blog Hop I made a mini journal for Arianna and put it away to tuck in her Christmas stocking. (You can see it here.) Well, what better than to make another for Taylor, and maybe satisfy Heather's challenge at the same time. It came close.



The Chartreuse really clashed with the green pen, so it's New Leaf. The torn note paper is purple, the scalloped circle is turquoise, and the sentiment form Take Note was stamped in charcoal gray.
I added the yellow ribbon to match circles on the pen.

I added a gift card for Barnes and Noble for each of them and made cards inspired by this week's Mojo Monday #145.

Here's the whole set now well on it's way to Staten Island. Hope they enjoy!!



Thanks to Heather for a very challenging Challenge! What she makes look so fabulous and easy is quite difficult for some of us. This was a fun exercise outside of my usual box.

Thanks for dropping by.

PTI June Blog Hop - Sweet Blush, Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Cream

Welcome! I'm so glad we can all be here tonight. I wasn't sure I would make it. Many of you know that my Mom lives with us and has been recuperating from a broken hip since January. Just when we thought she was about to regain some semblance of independence, she broke the other one last Thursday. Well, I guess it could be worse (but don't mention that to her). In between emergency room, surgery, hospital visits, etc., I was able to color the new Year of the Flowers: Rose, literally one petal at a time. IMHO this is the most beautiful image Nicole has designed. It was so exciting to see it come to life. I'm in love!



I love the soft pink of SB with DC. I added the new 2009 Bitty Dot Basics in Kraft and cream. I had to substitute another cream cardstock in order to use the Martha Stewart border punch. ( I would have preferred Rustic Cream, but the fabulous quality of PTI cardstock makes it difficult to punch a design like this.) Color Box Sand ink complemented the Kraft nicely and was subtle enough for the Fancy Flourishes. The Sentiment, from Damask Designs, is stamped with DC.

I tried a little different approach to the rose. This is not a quick technique. It was first stamped on Neenah white with a combination of first Versa Mark and Sweet Blush (the newer formula). I then embossed it with Filigree clear embossing powder. This gave outlines to each petal, but almost disappeared when colored. (Don't color over the embossing. The Copics will dissolve it.) Copics used were R0000, 20, 22, 24. The first layer of pastel (Pink Beryl) allowed me to shade and blend for a very realistic image. I finished off with some strokes of a white Uni-ball Signo and a dew drop of Star Dust Stickles topped with Ranger Glossy Accents for dimension.

I'm hoping the recipient is going to enjoy this as much as I enjoyed making it. I hope you liked it.
Thanks for hopping by.

(Oh, and if you are so inclined, prayers and understanding would be greatly appreciated during the coming months. Thank you.)

The Shabby Tea Room Challenge

Many of the PTI Forum members have been playing along with The Shabby Tea Room challenges. So I thought I'd give it a try. I wanted another Father's Day card, so here's my entree for Week #13.



I had some nice feedback on the last card I posted using my mini road map. I wanted to try it again with some different elements.

All supplies are PTI unless otherwise stated.
I started with a card base of Soft Stone. I'm loving this CS and using it a lot lately. I love how it takes on the hue of the darker color you are using. Here I paired it with Ocean Tides.
Next is a panel of Kraft. I stamped a strip of SS with A Little Argyle in Smokey Shadow and Orange Zest, then added a rectangle of OT Bitty Box Basics. My map was found on the internet and printed on SS, scored and folded to imitate the real thing. The poster was also found when I did a Google search for free vintage bicycle image. I die cut SS with Mat Stack 2 and stamped the bike from Everyday Button Bits with True Black. I colored with Copics E08 and T1, 4, 6. The buttons are of an unknown manufacturer. Lots of distressed edges tipped with Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo. I tied it all up with Rustic Button Twine. The Sentiment was stamped on white Twill Tape, heat set, and then spritzed with diluted Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink. It's tucked under my favorite Bobbin Ribbon in Black & White. I also used lots of Glue Dots, Score Tape and Sticky Strips.

I really enjoyed this one. Hope you liked it.
Thanks for dropping by.

Papertrey Peeps Challenge #9

Hello everyone and a Very Happy Official Unofficial Start of Summer! Well, at least here in the US, Memorial Day signifies the start of summer. It may still be 50 degrees and three weeks until the Summer Solstice, but get out those shorts and don the flip-flops. Damn the mosquitoes, full speed ahead. It's off to the beach, the lake or the pool. Roll out the grill and get cookin'.

So I thought for this challenge what could be better than to make a project that has to do with vacation or travel. No involved, complicated rules, just hit the road! And I chose the best trip of all -



This is a birthday card for a fellow that has been facing a lot of challenges since his retirement. When you have a conversation with him, he always winds up with a smile and the statement "Life's a trip". So right away I grabbed Enjoy the Ride. It was inspired by Melissa Phillips' card you can view here.

The sentiment is computer generated in fonts similar to Enjoy the Ride. I used the PTI sentiments inside, so it wasn't necessary that they match.

A Little Argyle is stamped in Smokey Shadow & Pure Poppy on Soft Stone cardstock. The map of our town was found on the internet and printed also on SS. I scored and folded it to look like the real thing and edged it with the Vintage Touch duo. I also used some Enchanted Evening CS for the background.

I loved Melissa's car. If you were a child of the sixties, as I was, VW bugs/beatles were the absolute rage. All of my friends wanted one. Me too, but my folks got me a secondhand yellow Corvair - "unsafe at any speed" is how Ralph Nader described it. Oh well, I managed to survive and that's another story for another time. The hip bugs were painted with flowers and hearts and peace signs. I loved the polka dots, so I stamped my own PP with Pure Poppy Polka Dot Basics on Kraft CS. I paper pieced several images and added an acetate windshield, rhinestone headlights and even a steering wheel. The ribbon is from Michaels and reminds me of the road.



Inside I stamped the large argyle diamond in Smokey Shadow & Pure Poppy and topped it off with the sentiments from Enjoy the Ride.

Well I hope you've enjoyed this ride. Once the festivities die down, get those stamps inky. Let's start summer out with a fresh new project, be it a card, a layout, or maybe a Bon Voyage gift. Keep it loose, think of vacation and stamp away.

I'd like to leave you with one more image.



That's my grandmother wrapped up in Old Glory and it was taken shortly after my grandfather left for WWI. My Dad served in WWII. Whatever you're doing today, I hope my friends in the US will pause for a moment and remember what this day is all about. Go watch a parade, thank a veteran, or just wave a flag. I sincerely appreciate if you read this far. Now I'll get off my soapbox.

Thanks for dropping by.

Papertrey May Blog Hop Challenge

Hi. I'm Linda and I'm a Papertrey Fan-addict. But I must confess, I am a member of that oh-so-small group that does not own any felt! There, I've said it. I hope I can still participate in this Hop tonight. If you've exiled me from the group, you can stop reading now.

The reason for not purchasing the PTI felt is that I have a humungous, ginormous investment in felted wool. This rather similar product is achieved by laundering (eeeek!!) 100% wool fabric and then tossing it in a hot dryer (double eeeek!!) When I was a teenager my mother did this to one of my beloved sweaters, she felted it, and it didn't cost $64 a yard! Have you seen the felted purses? They're made from knitted wool yarn and are really yummy. The end result is that the fabric is thicker and tighter and will not ravel. Most of mine are over-dyed. You can find plaids, tweeds and textures which are not available in felt. I have made candle mats, table runners, pin cushions and make-do's. I have appliqued small motifs and I just ordered a pattern for a small crazy quilt. Wool felt can always be used in any of these patterns. Here are some pictures I could find of things I have made.



I made this card following the requirements for tonight's Blog Hop. It was inspired by this card by katielawton. Thank you Katie and if you're hopping, I'm so glad you posted your beautiful card to the gallery.



You may notice the PTI die cut the felted wool quite nicely. I had to pass it through my Cuttlebug several times. A thicker piece would have been a bear to cut.

My love affair with the Delightful Dahlia continues. I think one of my best investments this year was the set of Pastel Copic sketch markers. They're mostly the ones with four 0's. Here I colored the entire flower with Y0000 and then went back and shaded with Y21. The dahlia was stamped with VersaMark and embossed with white embossing powder.

I hope you enjoyed your stop here. I hope I'm off somewhere enjoying your project. Thanks for hopping by.

Supplies
stamps: PTI Delightful Dahlia, Life, Floral Frenzy
ink: PTI Simply Chartreuse,True Black; VersaMark
paper: PTI Berry Sorbet, 2008 Bitty Box Basics;Neenah white
ribbon: PTI Sweet Blush Swiss Dot Satin, Leaf Ribbon
other: pearls, Martha Stewart border punch, Copic markers, white embossing powder, PTI Butterfly die

PTI Peeps Challenge #7

Nerina presented us with a challenge to take a delightful trip to A Creative Mint ....

There, we were to select a photo that would be an inspiration for our design. Now be aware that it is extremely easy to get lost in the sheer beauty of this blog. Be forewarned that you may spend a lot of time there. Here's what I chose from the Feb. 1, 2010 post:




I loved the simplicity of the two colors and the texture in the bottom left photo. I thought I could translate this into a Birthday card for our DIL. Mind you, she was disappointed she didn't receive a handmade card last year. So, here goes . . .



I hope I haven't bored you with my Dahlias. But I absolutely love them and love coloring them. For this one I stamped it on white cardstock (Neenah) and embossed it with white embossing powder. I then created the shadows with a Copic marker C00. The center is a Making Memories large flat-back pearl. Here's a close-up of the flower.





For the background, I wanted to imitate the look of the tablecover (or whatever is under the ball of perle cotton). Well, after several failed attempts, this is what I came up with. The Lavender Moon CS is stamped with Damask Designs in Fresh Snow and again embossed with white embossing powder. The lower half is Tin Type stamped in Lavender Moon.

The leaves (PTI leaf ribbon) aren't attached yet. I have time and am waiting on the new Chartreuse ink before I decide on a stamped image or the ribbon. The lace with pearls is from a local fabric outlet. The bow is Lavender Moon satin ribbon. And the sentiment is from Year of Flowers: Sweet Peas.

Hope you all enjoyed your visit. Thank you Nerina for a truly inspiring challenge.
ETA: After I received the June release stamps, I decided not to send this card, but went with this one.
Thanks for stopping by.

PTI Peeps Challenge #6

Late, but done! Signed sealed and on it's way to Florida. From conception to completion, this card underwent so many changes it doesn't resemble anything I started with. Now it looks like this by Barbara of Paper Pursuits. It's going to my 93 year old MIL and I hope she likes it. She's such a sweetie. I'm sure she will.

Quilter's Sampler was the first set I ordered from PTI in January '09 and I made my first stamped cards with it. Here I used one of the sentiments. For the background design I also used one of my older sets, Background Basics: Retro. I had only used one of the stamps in that set. I added the small flower and leaf from Delightful Dahlias. You might have to hunt for the bling. It's some Star Dust Stickles in the flower center. Inside I stamped the flower and then stamped over it with the Sentiment from Delightful Dahlias. I added the Dahlia & leaf on the enveloped.



Hope you liked it. Off to see if I can catch up on the next challenge. Thanks for dropping by.

PTI Guest Star Stamper - Honorable Mention

Now that Nichole has announced the winners and honorable mentions for the February Guest Star Stamper, I thought I would share my card with you. It is such a thrill to be included with all the talented people she has spotlighted.



If you click on the photo, you can see more detail. The pinwheel quilt was paper pieced using PTI Pretty Pastels. The bear and sentiment are from Baby Button Bits. The button is from my Grandmother's button box. You can definitely call it vintage!

I'm looking forward to the launch of the new PTI website. Hopefully we will be able to see all the entrants then. Although I'm sad to see the GSS end, I can't wait to see what inspiration Make it Mondays will hold for us.

It was such fun to create this card. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by.