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 #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.

Compose a Card with Becky Oehlers

Since I became involved with the Papertrey Peeps, I've wanted to try my hand at some other challenges to get ready for their big kickoff, February 1. Becky Oehlers issued this one on her blog.

This seemed within my ability and I had most of the supplies. So today after the housework was done and several loads of laundry out of the way, I grabbed some time to create. This was super easy because Becky had picked out the colors and given all the measurements for cutting. However, the only heart punch I own is an old, small, primitive style from about eight years ago. So I tried my hand at making a flower ( a la Dawn McVey) and used six of the hearts as petals in the center. Most everything else was as described.

Supplies
Cardstock: PTI Kraft, Vintage Cream, and Melon Berry
Stamps: Background Basics Hearts, Polka Dot Basics, Sign Language
Ink: PTI Melon Berry and True Black
Button: PTI Vintage Holiday Mix (it doesn't match, but it blends)
Twine: PTI Rustic Cream
Ribbon: American Crafts Valentine Cherry Cordial
Punches: heart unknown, Martha Stewart Tag
Mini pop dots

Thanks for dropping by.