PTI Blog Hop - June 2011 - My Play Garden

Here we are at another Blog Hop for Papertrey Ink. This month Nicole Heady gave us an inspiration photo to work with. You can read all the details here

The hanging dresses in this playroom look like princess costumes - something a little girl would use to play dress-up - with layers and layers of ruffly tulle. When I first saw this photo, I immediately thought of flowers. So I set out to make some.

I started with a six inch length of sheer, white polka dot  ribbon from Michaels and ran a gathering stitch down the middle - pulled tightly and doubled it up around a silk ribbon flower in colors of PTI - Harvest Gold, Sweet Blush, Spring Rain and Raspberry Fizz. Okay, but it needed more color. So out came the Copics and I colored the ribbon to match. The stems and leaves are from Flower Fusion #2 and remind me of the storage boxes on the floor in the photo.
The background was inspired by Jessica Witty and her "You Color My World" project from the PTI June release. The inspiration was - use watercolors. It doesn't look anything like her gorgeous work of art. I used Crayola watercolor paints that I have here for our grandchildren and just made stripes of the various colors, trying to blend colors to match the photo as best as possible. At first I had tried Copics in PTI trio colors, but the result was dark and almost muddy in comparison. My paints were more pastel. I inverted the order of the colors so that the greens are at the bottom and the blue is at the top - grass and sky in my little Play Garden.

The Sentiment is from Happy Trails and the tiny dragon fly is from Places, Please. I thought it more in proportion with this project. There's also a pretty one in Wishing You which I may use with the trails for other designs. White cardstock, True Black and Ripe Avocado inks by PTI.
I'm sure this will go to one of the dear granddaughters.

Hope you enjoyed your stop. I'm off to see all your incredible interpretations of this inspiration photo.
Thanks for hopping by.

Papertrey Peeps June Challenge.

This is my masculine card for our Papertrey Peeps Challenge this month. Cammie asked us to celebrate the guys in our lives. I had already shared my Father's Day card I made here, so I thought I would give you a guy's Birthday card straight out of Ad Sense. I love this set for our friends (we're in that over the hill category) who love nostalgia.

I started with a Soft Stone card base and an Enchanted Evening panel tipped in Fresh Snow. The striped paper is from DCWV Linen Closet. The focal image is Ad Sense cut with the co-ordinating dies and stamped in EE, Spring Rain and Pure Poppy. The ribbon is a scrap from my stash that matches EE and was stamped with Background Basics: Geometrics in Fresh Snow.

Inside, I added several more sentiments from Ad Sense. The lines with dots are from Grunge Me. It just seemed to need that little extra. Just a little pop of some of the front elements made this a great card to slip in the mail for a dear friend.

Hope you enjoyed your stop. Thanks for dropping by.

PTI Make It Monday #18 - Tissue Paper Texture

This week's Make It Monday technique was brought to us by Betsy Veldman. You can read all the info and watch the video here.

My background is Pink Gingham tissue by International Greetings USA. I couldn't get it to adhere well, so I finally ran the cardstock panel through my Xyron machine and then placed the crinkled paper on it. The little wrinkles after running it through my Cuttlebug are quite pretty but did not photograph well. The bottom strip is Hybiscus Burst Bitty Dot covered with white tissue. It muted the color and made a great match with my little fabric flowers.

The watering can was cut with the Garden Variety die out of a scrap of 12x12 paper that has a texture that reminds me of brushed aluminum. I didn't attempt to stamp it, just colored it with Copics and adhered with pop dots. I also used the new Picket Fence die. My rose bush is made with PTI Leaf Ribbon and flowers snipped from trim purchased from Christopher Pines on Etsy. The butterfly is from Butterfly Dreams and colored with Copics. The sentiment is from Garden Variety. The sprinkles of water are Martha Stewart Carrara Marble Coarse glitter sprinkled on dots of Zig 2 Way Glue.

I hope you enjoyed your visit. Thanks for stopping by. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Papertrey Ink - Make It Monday #17

This weeks Make it Monday technique - Cracked Glass - was demonstrated by Heather Nichols. You can view the information here.

This was certainly a new one for me. It looked so interesting, I visited my favorite craft store and bought a container of triple thick embossing powder. It took me a couple tries, but I was quite happy with my first attempt at this technique and want to do more. Thanks Heather, for introducing it to me.

The card base is PTI Kraft cardstock with a panel from Postmarks, edged with Chamomile Vintage Touch ink. The road is a stripe of Smokey Shadow stamped with the dashed line from Faux Ribbon. The map, frame, compass and sentiment are from Road Trip. Inside is Are We There Yet from the same set and Happy Father's Day from Fillable Frames #4. It's for DGS to give his Dad. He loves to get us all going by asking said phrase before we even leave the driveway. Hope our son gets it!

Thanks for stopping by.

PTI May Blog Hop

Flowers

May is the month when many flowers finally go into full bloom after a long winter's sleep.  For the blog
hop this month we want to see your favorite take on flowers.  You can stamp backgrounds, create
custom floral embellishments, showcase unique flower center additions (buttons, rhinestones, beads,
etc...), flowers die-cut from different materials (like fabric, felt, vellum, etc...) or anything else you can
dream up!  We are looking forward to seeing all of your amazing creations!
You can read all the information here.

Welcome! I hope you're enjoying the hop.

When I first saw the theme for this month's Blog Hop, I immediately wanted to do something with the seed packet. Several of us enjoy sharing seeds (no, I really don't need anymore Morning Glories, thank you). And I'm dying to color the new mini Flowers of the Year. But, sadly no package yet.

So on to Plan B. What to do, what to do? You might have seen some of the tissue flowers I've been playing with of late. If not, see here or here. I've been picking up some interesting tissue packs when I see them on clearance and decided to try some of that stash. This flower is made with blue and white gingham.

At first I was going to do a baby card even though there are no babies anywhere on my radar. A dozen layers of each of two sizes were cut at once just by folding the tissue and using the two smaller dies from Beautiful Blooms II #1. I punched a small hole in the center and held them together with a tiny blue brad. Uh, so-so. It needed something. So I added a light blue pom-pom to the center. Cute, but still lacking something. So I added another layer of vintage lace that I purchased at a local thrift shop. Now that I like. But for a little boy?

On to Plan C. How about a hair clip for one of the girls? These flowers are fantastic. The more you squish them and mush them, the fuller and better they look. But for a six year old? After all, they are only paper.

Okay, Plan D (and if this doesn't work, I give up). If I only had one of those alligator clips.  How about a clothespin? I bought these fabulous minis from Michelle Wooderson's Etsy shop. I had tiny ones, but too tiny. Sort of like Goldilocks - the one I used would be Mama Bear size. Okay. now what? Stick it on a tag! I picked up a paperback for a dear friend who last week broke a bone in her foot - off her feet for a while. Light bulb! Gift package. Yes, yes, yes. I love it when a plan comes together. (Even if it is the fourth in a series.) I slipped the book into a sack from Michelle Phillipi. Tied it with some tea dyed twine and there you have it. The evolution of a simple (uh, yeah, sure) project.

I gave it to her on Monday. And you know, with a really good friend, it's all worth it. She loved it and hobbled into the kitchen to clip it on a wire framed message board - tag and all.  Oh . . . and she liked the book, too.

Thanks for hopping by. If you read all of this, thank you so much! Any comments are truly appreciated.

Enjoy the rest of the hop!!

Supplies:

Paper: PTI Rustic Cream, Kraft

Stamps: PTI Green Thumb

Ink: PTI True Black, Vintage Touch Chamomile

Dies: PTI Beautiful Blooms II #1, Tag Sale #3

Other: Spare Parts ribbon by Paper Studio; Timeless Twine - overdyed with tea solution; Tissue paper by International Greetings

Papertrey Ink - Make it Monday #14 - Selective Inking

This week's technique was selective inking. You can view the video and information here.

This card involved a lot of trial and error. I used the technique twice. The first was on the sentiment stamp. Part is stamped on the front panel and the rest is on the inside on the Rustic Cream card base. That was easy. I've done that before. The second is the thread coming off the spool and through the needle. (You might want to click on the photo to see the detail better.) I wanted the longer, looped thread that is used on the "Handmade by" needle stamp. I inked part of the thread on the spool stamp and then part on the needle stamp. I practiced lining them up quite a few times and then stamped on the PP panel using Smokey Shadow. Didn't like that because the thread disappeared in the background. So I stamped the whole thing on Neenah white, colored it and cut it out. Yuck, that looked terrible. So back to the drawing, er stamping board and stamped in two parts -- Lavender Moon on the Pretty Pastels panel and Smokey Shadow on the white. I colored just the spool and cut that out. The needle was now lavender, so redid that and embossed with silver powder, cut out and adhered over the original on the panel. I used a craft knife to cut around the curve of the thread and slipped the Kraft Button Card under. By the time I was finished, I'd gotten pretty good at selective inking. I guess that's the point of this whole thing. Thanks Erin Lincoln!

All supplies, except lace trim from a fabric store, are PTI. The stamps are from Quilter's Sampler and Button Boutique.

Papertrey Peeps May Challenge -April Showers Bring May Flowers

May is all about the blooms. Terri brought us this months challenge. Check it out and you'll see her take on some fun dimensional blossoms. And now I'm trying to plan what to do with this month's PTI Blog Hop which is also about flowers.
One of the reasons I haven't been creating much lately, is that we've been spending every available minute in our gardens - weeding, mulching, separating, dividing, planting, and on and on and on. It's been wonderful when it isn't raining. The temperatures have been cool with low humidity. We want to get as much done as possible before the heat and humidity set in.
Here's two little posies I made for our granddaughters.

The felt (just the inexpensive kind from Joanns) flowers are made in a style I first saw by Betsy Veldman with six Beautiful Blooms II #1 die cuts, each folded in quarters and adhered to a covered hair clip. (already wrapped and purchased from Michaels ) The centers are fabric covered brads using the I-top tool from Imaginese. I cut two slits in each Button Card stamped with Raspberry Fizz and Spring Moss. I am anxiously awaiting the new inks. I only had the cubes and they are getting so-o-o dry.
Well, that's it for now. I hope to be back later with my Make It Monday card. Waiting for my battery to charge on the camera so I can download. Thanks for stopping by.

Papertrey Ink - Make It Monday #12

Another quick post today to show you the card I made for the April Papertrey Peeps Challenge and Make It Monday #12.

PeggySue  asked us to use black and this week's Make it Monday technique was using a Line Frame. I combined the two. The rosebud from Year of Flowers: Roses is colored with the Pure Poppy and Ripe Avocado Copic trios for PTI. The sentiment is from Damask Designs. Thanks for dropping by.

Papertrey Ink - Make It Monday #11

This week's technique comes to us from Heather Nichols - Embossing with Dies. I was working on an Easter card when the post went up. I was going to cut one of Heather's Fillable Frames, #1 to be specific, and thought I'd try the technique. I must admit it's not PTI cardstock because the sentiment is computer generated and my printer will not take their wonderful stock. So I had to play around a little. But I will try this again with PTI. I'm sure the image will be crisper and won't need extra shimming.

I think this detail shot may show the embossing better.

No need for pricey Nestabilities with this trick. Thanks Heather. I'll definitely be making more of these.

Supplies (all PTI unless otherwise indicated)
Paper: PTI White for card base, Pretty Pastels, The Paper Company White for label & egg
Stamps: Fillable Frames #1
Ink: Ocean Tides, Vintage Touch Chamomile
Dies: Fillable Frames #1, Tiny Envelope
Other: Egg graphic - Made by Janet (Etsy), Rustic Cream Button Twine, Tattered Angels Pearl Mist, Corner Chomper

Papertey Ink - Make It Monday - #9 Heat Embossing

Quick post here to add a card for this week's Make It Monday - Heat Embossing.

I'm trying to think ahead and used the opportunity to make a Mother's Day card. I love the Year of Flowers series and have been thinking about trying to color the rose like a Peace Rose - yellow tipped in pink. Well, I worked on it and this is what I came up with.

It's my mother's favorite rose. Grandpa used to grow them. But she and I have no luck whatsoever.

I started by stamping the rose in Smokey Shadow and heat embossing with Filigree clear powder on white cardstock. The background is A Little Argyle, overstamped with Turning a New leaf embossed with Filigree white. The sentiment is from Fillable Frames #4. The rose is colored with Copics. I added a white silk leaf.

Not much time tonight. Hope you're having a good weekend. Thanks for dropping by.

Bliss

Michelle Wooderson, one of my favorite design team members at Papertrey Ink, is offering a fat quarter collection of Bliss fabric. You can see the details on her blog here. She asked us to share
"a favorite sewing project using fabric and why you like it."

I am such a fabriholic and this is a beautiful line. Asking me to choose a favorite project is like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. Not fair. But I will share one that is especially dear to my heart. It was really quite simple in construction and used charm squares. My dear, sweet, lovable, 7-year-old-at-the-time granddaughter asked me to make her a pink and purple quilt for her Christmas present.

It's really special because she asked for it and I think she really liked it.

She wears it well

The Bliss fabrics would be wonderful for her sister. *wink*

If you ever want to see a few more of my favorites, check out my Webshots albums. Those are ones that I remembered to photograph. Thanks for dropping by.

Papertey Ink - Make It Monday - 8

Just  a quick post to add my Make It Monday for this week. The details can be found here. Betsy Veldman did this week's video on blending inks. I tried it a little tighter to form a rainbow. I only had sponge daubers to work with. It was inspired by the sentiment from the Up, Up & Away Sentiments set.

Thanks for dropping by.

Supplies: All PTI unless otherwise indicated.
Paper: White cardstock, 2008 Bitty Box Basics patterned paper
Stamps: Up, Up & Away Sentiments, Blooming Button Bits
Ink: True Black, Pure Poppy, Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise, New Leaf, Spring Rain, Enchanted Evening, Lavender Moon
Die: Cloud I & II
Other: Pure Poppy Button, Studio 18 Rhinestones, Copics T0 & T1

Papertrey Ink March Blog Hop

This month's Blog Hop challenged us to use Embroidery Floss. You can check out all the information by clicking on the logo above. I thought about different ways I could use it, but wanted to use some of the new products I just received. I decided to make a rope to tie up a bundle of "memories" and make an Anniversary card for my sweetie. I got so carried away with Tiny Tags and Postmarks, I didn't know when to stop and the floss was almost lost in the process.

The floss is doubled and then twisted until it twists back on itself again. I knotted the ends and after trimming, a fringe results. It reminds me of chunky, curtain tie backs. This skein was variegated and blends well with the cream and blues.
The envelope is die cut with the new die and is a different scale than Postmarks. So I dug out some stamps I had purchased for scrapbooking and they worked great.
After I was working for a while, I kept thinking I had made something similar. If you want to see the evolution of a cardmaker, check out my very first Blog Hop post here. Guess I've always loved layers.
For some reason, I can't get the song Traces out of my head. I've been singing it all day. I knew it by the Classics IV way back when. But I know its been redone many, many times. I have a shoe box, covered with (now torn) wrapping paper and filled with mementos from three years of dating DH, very similar to what I included here - cards, notes, ticket stubs, dried corsages.
I had so much fun with this. I hope you enjoyed it and thanks so much for hopping by.

Supplies: PTI unless otherwise indicated
Cardstock: Kraft, Rustic Cream, Blueberry Sky, Spring Rain
Ink: Enchanted Evening, Smokey Shadow, Vintage Touch Duo; Versa Color Charcoal
Stamps: Tiny Tags, Postmarks, Love Lives Here, It's Official, Background Basics: Text; Maya Road Postcard; Prima Clear Stamps Postcard
Dies: Tiny Tags, Tiny Envelope, Just the Ticket Border
Other: Coasters; DMC floss 4160; Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Pearl; Recollections tiny rose; vintage (circa 1976) note pad paper (I never throw anything away! I used it to write notes to teachers back in the day. It's great for stamping and lining an envelope. And it's already well aged & discolored!!)

PTI Make It Monday #7

Today's technique for Make It Monday is Coloring with Copics on Colored Paper. Jennifer Ellefson's video takes us step by step into the technique. Here's my example.

I started with Lemon Tart cardstock and stamped the small Daffodils from Year of Flowers in Summer Sunrise. I used some lighter Copics than the Lemon Tart Trio, specifically Y00, 13, 15 & 21. The Y21 brought the shading back to the Lemon Tart spectrum. Several of the ruffle tips are highlighted with a white gel pen.

That's a little brown paper bag holding the flowers. It's about an inch longer. I folded that amount to the back before gluing it to the card base. One of the design team mentioned them, but I didn't note it at the time and I can't find the reference now. The bags are so darn cute! It's tied with cream button twine.
You might have noticed the Summer Sunrise gingham strip next to the 2008 Bitty Box PP.  Yup! My order came while I was working on this and I had to try it out. I'm in love!! Just think, gingham in any PTI color. Thank you Nichole for such a beautiful image. It really looks like woven threads! (I get excited very easily concerning all things fabric)

Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for dropping by.

Supplies (all PTI unless otherwise indicated)
Paper: Stamper's Select White, Lemon Tart, 2008 Bitty Box Basics
Stamps: Year of Flowers: Daffodils
Ink: Summer Sunrise, New Leaf
Other: Rustic Cream Button Twine, Celebrate It Mini Kraft Paper Sacks, foam dimensional dots

Papertrey Peeps March Challenge & MIM#6

We have had three gorgeous days here in Lancaster County, PA. I took some time out from garden clean-up to finish  a card for our March Challenge and Make It Monday #6.

Our hostess is Kimberly. "This month we are making Good Luck cards in honor of St. Paddy's day! But you can't go out and buy St. Patricks' stamps. Instead use some other symbol of good luck" It's a good thing it wasn't for St Patrick's Day since I didn't make that deadline. I think it was Arthur Godfrey that used to say "The hurryder I go, the behinder I get". (or something like that. Heck, I was young) Well that's me! But here's my card.

I didn't use any image or sentiment stamps. The poem was computer generated. The cardstock is PTI Sweet Blush and white with lots of Vintage Touch ink. I also used the PTI Picnic Plaid Impression Plate using the technique for Make It Monday #6. I tea-dyed and wrinkled the seam binding for the bow. The frame was made by first die cutting the inner rectangle using the PTI Button Card die, then adding 1/4 inch Scor-Tape around the opening and cutting the outer edge before removing the final paper from the tape. The edges were rounded with 1/4 inch side of the Corner Chomper. The glitter is Martha Stewart coarse crystal.

Thanks Kimberly for a fun challenge that really made me think and search way back in the archives for this bit of luck. If you have some lucky wishes, come over and play with us at the Papertrey Peeps.

Thanks for stopping by.

PTI Make It Monday #5

This weeks challenge was to distress the edges of  your paper.

Another dress form with a skirt in the style of the new, tutu style with layers and layers of ruffles underneath.

Supplies - all PTI unless otherwise indicated

Stamps: Button Boutique, Friendship Jar, Big & Bold Wishes
Paper: Rustic White, Vintage Cream, True Black, 2008 Bitty Box Basics
Ink: Smokey Shadow, True Black, Vintage Touch Duo

Nine on the Ninth - A Golden Birthday

I made a special card for our very special Grandson. He will be 9 years old next Wednesday.

Right now, one of his favorite places is Hershey Park. I used a photo we had taken from the Kissing Tower as a background. He had just rode the Comet for the first time and I think he will remember this shot. I used the transparency tool on my editing program and printed it on matte photo paper. The gold star with the 9 symbolize this significant birthday which I explained inside.
The cupcake from Tiny Treats fits perfectly inside the Around and About Sentiments Happy Birthday circle on the flap of the envelope.

Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies (PTI unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Just the Ticket, Star Prints, Big & Bold Wishes, Outlines Alphabet,
Around & About Sentiments, Tiny Treats Birthday
Ink: Enchanted Evening, Pure Poppy, Summer Sunrise
Paper: Rustic White, Enchanted Evening, Pure Poppy
Other: Just The Ticket die, Ranger Glossy  Accents, Fiskars star punch,
Kodak Matte Picture Paper, Copics

Papertey Ink - Make It Monday - 4

This week's Make It Monday is Creating With Fun Foam

Supplies - All PTI unless indicated
Stamps: Butterfly Dreams.
Ink: True Black
Paper: Spring Moss, Green Tea Leaves Collection
Other: stick pins by Making Memories - Chloe's Closet; Crafters Square Foam Sheets - Dollar Tree;
foam adhesive dots; my own not-so-wrinkled dyed seam binding.

Thanks for stopping by.

Papertey Ink - Make It Monday - 3

I took an idea I'd been thinking about and tried incorporating the glitter strip made with Scor-Tape.

With the addition of the edger dies, I had been staring at the index label for Mat Stack 2, wondering what it would look like as a border. I die cut several from Sweet Blush and stamped them with Versa Mark, adhered them to the lower edge of a Rustic Cream card base, and cut around the edge. I added the Scor-Tape and glitter through the center.

Thanks for stopping by.

supplies - all PTI unless otherwise indicated
Stamps: Mat Stack 2 Collection, Love Birds, Mixed Messages
Ink: Vintage Touch Duo; Versa Mark; Colorbox Metalic Gold
Other: Scor-Tape, Martha Stewart tag punch & glitter, Natural Button Twine; fabric store twill tape that I tea dyed; unknown flowers; Making Memories button brad.

Papertrey February Blog Hop Challenge

Welcome to another monthly PTI Blog Hop. All the details are in Nichole's post here. We were to create a project using scallops.

Did you see Jessica Witty's post on the Evolution of a Card? I thought she was writing about me. I won't bore you with the whole, long process to arrive at my card (but it did evolve over three days). I know you're here to see a card and move on. Therefore, without further ado, my contribution to "A Salute to Scallops".

I am infatuated with Dawn's Dress Form. I used it for a Christmas card and made a tiny skirt from lace edging. I thought I could do more with rows of scallops - but it just wasn't working. Then as I was folding a strip of scallops, this idea came to me. I think the greatest AHA! moment was when I inverted a scrap and saw that I could create that sweetheart neckline with just two scallops.
The skirt is vellum, cut with the PTI medium scallop border and heat embossed with white Filigree powder. PTI Background Basics: Petal Power was used for the lacy design. I edged the scallops with a VersaMark pen and again embossed with white. With the aid of my ScorPal, I accordion folded the wide strip as you would for a medallion. I added the bodice and a narrow white ribbon and bow to cover the waistline. Tiny white pearls finish off the neckline.
Triple cuts with the same border die create the right front opening of the card. A scrap of the vellum is sandwiched between a Soft Stone base and a Scarlet Jewel panel. The background is stamped with Fancy Flourishes and VersaMark ink. The sentiment is from Wishing you, stamped inside Fillable Frame #7 (notice the scallops?) and cut out with a pair of small scallop Paper Shapers from ProvoCraft. (I can never part with anything. Knew they'd come in handy again someday)
I hope you enjoyed your stop here. I spent three days on this card and besides this entry, have absolutely no use for it. I thought it might work for a Bridal Shower. I don't have an Etsy shop or anything. So, if you know of someone who might be interested, contact me and we can talk.
Enjoy the rest of the Hop. Thanks for stopping by.

Love Notes - CSC26

Happy Valentine's Day!

I got this one done just under the wire. I made it for my sweetie and gave it to him before dinner. It got the normal - "Very nice." He's a man of few words.

Don't tell him, but I followed the guidelines for our February Peeps Challenge. Thanks Marinette for hosting this one. Then when I saw today's Make-it-Monday, I decided to try the Vellum Sentiment Strip technique described in Nichole Heady's video today.

I made the flower with red tissue, diecut with Beautiful Blooms II #1 (medium and small dies). The stick pins are made with punched True Black cardstock coated with Ranger Glossy Accents. The heart doily is tea-dyed.

I love the sentiment inside. I had to print it by computer as I'm waiting for a replacement due to a spelling error. In my rush I omitted the author - Channing Pollock.

Hope you had a great day and thanks for dropping by. Looking forward to the PTI release tonight!


supplies
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, Pure Poppy; unknown vellum
Stamps: PTI Background Basics: Hearts, Love Birds; KaiserCraft Sheet Music; Clear & Simple music notes
Ink: PTI Vintage Cream, Smokey Shadow, True Black, Vintage Touch Duo
Other: Hobby Lobby edging and doily, foam adhesive dots

PTI-Anniversary Celebration Button Challenge

Today's PTI challenge was to use buttons. Over my many years of crafting, I have used buttons to make ornaments, wreaths, decorate candles, strung as arms and legs of a shelf-sitter doll and sewn onto fabric for pillows to quilts. Today all I could handle was a card.

The Button Boutique release has made me a really happy stamper. I have collected many buttons and button cards, but now we can make our own. The image I used is from Sew Nice, a sheet of vintage prints by Heartwarming Vintage. The large tag is from Michelle Wooderson's Etsy shop and stamped with It's Official.

I made the flower using tissue I found on clearance in Target, half matching Raspberry Fizz and half matching Hawaiian Shores. It's cut with Beautiful Blooms II #1 die collection - the two smaller dies.

My big creative use of the buttons is to make my own stick pin from a corsage pin, removing the pearl and adhering a tiny pearl button. It's finished off with the Dress Form die cut, a MS tag stamped with Mixed Messages and some Raspberry Fizz buttons.

I just made, what I would like to call, a presentation pocket. I bought the bags (and the red gingham ones, too) from It's in the Bag!, Michelle Philippi's ETSY shoppe.

I'm off to Target to get a great candy bar or something Raspberry Fizz-y to put in the front pocket. I'm going to give it to our DIL on Saturday. I 'kinda' invited ourselves to their place to finally celebrate Christmas. I think she deserves an "official" thank you! Any great suggestions?

The festivities at PTI continue for four more days. Thanks for dropping by.

PTI-Anniversary Celebration Color Scheme Challenge-Part 2

I wanted to make a stamped candle for my DIL. I'm going to add it to her Christmas stocking. Oh, yeah. We haven't celebrated Christmas with them yet. It gives me time to make even more extra things for them. I chose Erin Lincoln's colors for this one.

The candle is cream. Wreath for all Seasons was stamped in Dark Chocolate. The tiny dots are Ripe Avocado and the flowers are Ocean tides.

She's not into country as much as I am, so I think I'll add some tiny pearls to the center of the flowers. Hope that helps.

Thanks for stopping by.

PTI-Anniversary Celebration Color Scheme Challenge

Today's challenge was to select one of the Design Team's color scheme and create a project.

I'm always in need of a get well card. Did you ever see the slogan "After 40 it's patch, patch, patch." It may only be popular among quilters, but it seems most of my friends are well over that age and are having some type of surgery. I used Maile Belle's color scheme.

So here's my card to satisfy today's challenge.

I stamped all the patterns on the various "fabrics" using Distressed Stripes for the pillow ticking, Background Basics:Tin Types with flowers from Life, Green Thumb and Vintage Picnic all on Rustic White. Coloring was done with Copics. I even colored some natural twine for the loose thread.
Thanks for dropping by.

PTI Anniversary Celebration - Announcing Make It Monday Series

You can read all about it on Nichole Heady's Blog.

Today we were asked to make a card using various sentiments as the design. I really needed a get well card for a fellow from church that slipped and fell on the ice last week. (Different guy than our Minister that I mentioned a few days ago. The ice has been treacherous here.) So I used get well sentiments.

This uses sentiments from Healing Touch Sentiments, Tea for Two, Quilter's Sampler, and Mixed Messages stamped with Enchanted Evening on Soft Stone cardstock. The images are from Embellishments and stamped with Scarlet Jewel. The panel is layered on EE and SJ.
It seems like this took forever to lay out. My Fiskars Stamp Press was a HUGE help. I didn't have any luck stamping the way Erin did in the video. I really need to learn how to stamp. These challenges have me feeling so-o-o inadequate. I'm overwhelmed by all the festivities and the talent of PTI customers!

Thanks for dropping by.

PTI Anniversary Designer Tags Challenge

This is day two of  PTI's Anniversary Celebration. Today Nichole has provided us with a free download of tags made by the Stamp Designers and asked us to use them in projects.

Using shades of cream and white, I created this for a wedding or anniversary. The base is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. The tag by Beth Silaika is covered with MS Crystal Fine Glitter and edged with a lace ruffle. I adhered a small, cream rose to the center of the bow. Simple to do and rather quick.

Happy Anniversary PTI - Customer Favorites

Four Fabulous years and still growing! Happy Anniversary PTI!

There's a  party going on and the host is giving away the gift. Nichole has assembled the ultimate card kit and will award it to one lucky person. Here's our assignment: "Go through YOUR Papertrey projects from the last year and choose your very favorite of the bunch."  Holy Moly! That's like asking me to pick my favorite child, or worse yet, my favorite grandchild!

So I went back down Memory Lane and it didn't take me long to find this baby. I really was happy with it and hope you like seeing it again. You can view the original post here with all the details.

Thank you Nichole and the entire PTI team for another wonderful year of quality products, service and inspiration. Looking forward to all the amazing things to come!

Thanks for dropping by.

A Get Well Smile

I'm trying to get back in the swing of things here and I find myself rushing to get some cards done. So I've turned to some of the best inspiration around - the Papertrey Ink designers and members of the forum. The Blog Hop is always full of eye candy and I'm pretty sure the participants don't mind being CASED. The one I am going to share with you today is based on this lovely creation by Karin - PeppermintPatty. I think she does wonderful work and I guess others agree by the look of the badges on her page.

I needed a masculine Get Well for our interim Pastor. He has been such a rock for me this past year. We met him before he even started with the congregation in my Mom's hospital room after her first fall and hip replacement. I think he was taking notes on the falls and breaks in our family, slipped on the ice and broke his tibia in two places and also his ankle in two places. Pastor, you win! It's certainly not funny, but we have this ongoing thing about laughter and healing. I hope he didn't injure his funny bone.

I used the Library Cards from PTI with sentiments from Faux Ribbon and wanted to add a vintage graphic, something like old medicine bottles, crutches or bandages. In my search I found a fantastic source - The Graphics Fairy.  She has such a fantastic collection of vintage images.(You may see more if I ever get around to making some Valentines.) This particular image is from a Victorian child's alphabet book. It's the letter "I " with a poem about a boy sliding and falling on the ice. (I reprinted the poem on the inside of the card). Not quite as colorful as Karin's, but definitely customized to the occasion.

I hope to be back soon with more of my mojo working and creating more original work.
Thanks for stopping by.

Papertrey Peeps January Challenge.

I think I made it just under the wire. Rhonda issued the first challenge of this year - to make a thank you card and send it.
I wanted to play with Debbie Olson's design ever since I saw it. I removed the center circle from the Mat Stack 3 and the card front. This was my first time shading on patterned paper. I cut out the carnation and adhered it to the inside of the card and added two sentiments from Big & Bold Wishes.

I want to start by thanking all the sweet members of our Peeps group for their prayers and condolences this past month and for all their support and understanding throughout 2010. I won't bore everyone with all the details. You can read some here.

In particular, gratitude and appreciation are being sent to Terry for keeping us going, and especially to her daughter, Emilia, for sending us each a beautiful cyber cake on our Birthday. Thank you for making the day special. It was so wonderful to see it when we got home. And I promise I will send the card.

I must run now. Be back soon since I understand the next challenge is up and ready. Thank you all!