Mini Journal...

Hey there!  Here today with a little project that works for five different challenges!  That is a first for me working in five challenges on one project.  The most I have done prior to this is four and I thought that was alot of challenges!  But I know there are crafters out there who routinely enter their projects in way more then five challenges!    Anywhoo... my little project works for the following challenges:

JUGs  - embellish a notebook or journal

City Crafters - use up your scraps

Shabby Tea Room - polka dots

Stampin Sisters in Christ - use music in some form

Card Patterns - sketch

When I saw that the JUGs challenge was to embellish a notebook or journal I knew right away that I wanted to do a mini one.  My little journal is 4 1/2 x 3 1/4.    The perfect size for the Card Patterns sketch.  My last project had some scraps left over and so I used them along with some other scraps to put together my journal and lucky for me those scraps included the polka dotted paper and the music paper!  Now I have to say that had it not been for fellow crafter, Michelle, posting her projects for City Crafts and the Shabby Tea Room I wouldn't have known my little journal would fit right into those challenges... so, thanks, Michelle! 

I love how my little journal turned out so I think I'm going to be keeping it for myself.   Thanks for taking a peek...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI Vintage Cream; PP:  October Afternoon Thirft Shop; BasicGrey Green at Heart; LilyBeeDesign Picket Fence; Glue stick; mini journal; Sizzix leafy branch die; KaiserCraft rhinestones; Prima Trellis Rose

Its In the Bag!

Hi Ya!!  Well... our crappy weather came back (insert frowny face), but it looks like it will only be hanging around for a day or so and then clear off.  I can't complain though with so much of the country experiencing extremely hot weather.    My project today is for three challenges.   The JUGettes have challenged (JUGs #94) us this week to create and/or embellish a gift bag.  So I decided to combine that challenge with the current CR84FN challenge to use the colors of light pink, bright pink and yellow and the current Card Patterns sketch.  

A few weeks ago I got some new stamps from Layers of Color.  One of them was the beautiful cling stamp, May Bouquet.  So last week I inked it up and colored it with some Copic markers and then trimmed it out.  I had intend to make a card with it for the CR84FN challenge, but couldn't figue out a good design.  Thank goodness for the Card Patterns sketch!  After that everything just kinda came together.   Now I have a sweet little gift bag to give someone the next time I have a small gift to give!

Thanks for taking a peek....

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white & Lemon Tart; SU! pink & bright pink; Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black;  Stamps:  LOC May Bouquet; Embossing Folder:  Sizzix; Bakers Twine:  Impress; Punch:  EKSuccess

Orchids

Hi Ya!  Hope everyone is having a good week!  Unlike the rest of the country, the Pacific Northwest is experiencing an unusually cool summer.   Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer, but we shall see. 

I have a card today for two challenges:  Flourishes and Card Patterns.  The Flourishes challenge this week is an inspiration challenge and Silke provided a really neat photo to spark our creativity.  The bright pop of color in the photo appears to me to be purple so that is the color I went with for my card.  Instead of using a bright purple, though, I used the more muted PTI purple, Plum Pudding.  I'm not a huge fan of purple, but for some reason I just love Plum Pudding.   The layout of the card is based on this week's Card Patterns sketch.  I generally don't do long cards, but I like the sketch and decided to make my card a long one.

The image is from the Flourishes set Orchids.  Because I was using Plum Pudding as my purple I colored the orchids with more muted tones as well.  I used the following Copic markers:  BV000, BV00, Y21 & YG91.  The small piece of Plum Pudding cardstock was run through my big shot in a Sizzix lattice embossing folder.  The sentiment was die cut using the 2nd smallest Spellbinders Labels 4 die. 

Thanks for taking a peek....

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI Soft Stone, Plum Pudding & White; Stamps:  Flourishes Orchids; Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, PTI True Black; Sixxiz embossing folder; PTI Plum Pudding saddle stitch ribbon; Copic markers; Spellbinders Labels 4 dies

you blow me away...

Hi Ya!  Been busy having fun with a brand spankin' new die that I got from My Favorite Things!  When I saw this die in their email newsletter it well.... blew me away!!   What die is this, you ask??  Well, its called Perfect Pinwheel and trust me it makes the most perfect pinwheels with very little effort!   Oh the possibilities, they are just whirling (tee hee!) around in my little brain!   My suggestion would be to get yourself to the My Favorite Things website and pick this die up for yourself!  You won't be sorry!  And one more thing.. the die comes with a fabulous sentiments set full of pinwheel perfect sayings!!

My card is for two different challenges.  The current CR84FN challenge to use pink, red and a neutral and the current Card Patterns sketch challenge.  My very dear blogging friend, Elise, is a design team member for Card Patterns and so I just have to play along with their sketches now and then.   When I saw the sketch on Elise's blog I had not yet received my Perfect Pinwheel die and so I had no idea what I would do other than a flower or something.  Then the mail arrived with my lovely die and I knew exactly what I would do!   The papers are from a Stampin Up! 6x6 pad.  I kept everything very simple because I wanted the focus to be on that really fun pinwheel.  The pinwheel die also include three little dies that create the center for your pinwheel, but for mine I decided to just use a button.  The pinwheel was secured to my card using hot glue for more stability.

Thanks for taking a peek...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI White; SU! In Color 6x6 pp; Stamps:  My Favorite Things Perfect Pinwheel sentiments; Die:  MFT Perfect Pinwheel; Button:  PTI; Twine:  The Twinery

Vintage {?} CR84FN...

My card today uses the current color combo from CR84FN12 combined with the current Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge to make it vintage and the current Card Patterns sketch.   My card, to a certain extent, is about as "vintage" as I can get.  I'm a CAS kinda girl and doing shabby chic/vintage is a real struggle for me.  To make my card fit the vintage idea I ink distressed the edges of the main panel with Ranger's Old Page distress ink.  I also inked the edges of the little flower that I made.  The stamped image (from Hero Arts - Classic Fabric Design) does have a very vintage sort of feel too it.  The addition of some crocheted lace and the pins add a bit more to the vintage look. 

I flipped the Card Patterns sketch so that the circle element is on the other side of the card because I have a habit of tying my bows so they end up on the righthand side of the card!  For some reason a bow on the righthand side is just more pleasing to me.    Finally, I'm going to put this in the current Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger challenge as it fits that challenge, as well (sorry I don't have the Trigger graphic... I kinda ran out of room!).   And, eeekk!!  Cath picked my card from last week's Tuesday Trigger challenge as a trigger target!!  How cool is that????

Thanks for taking a peek...  have a Moxie Fab day!!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI Kraft & white; Stamps:  Hero Arts Classic Fabric Design; Stampin Up! (best wishes sentinment); Ribbon:  May Arts crochet & PTI Sweet Blush grosgrain; PTI flower dies; Stick pins:  Close to My Heart; Ink:  PTI Lavender Moon; Memento Angel Pink; Memento Black

Getting Out of My Comfort Zone...

This past Tuesday (12/28) I was "crowned" Colour Queen by the totally sweet and very talented Arielle over at ColourQ!  I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find that out!  I love ColourQ because Arielle has a fantastic eye for color,picks the most incredible color combos and this week is no exception.  When I first saw the inspiration picture and the colors my thought was "wow! cool colors!"  Then I thought:  "wow!  how will I combine those colors??"   Because while I think the colors are super cool, combining them was really outside my comfort zone. 

I started out by first stamping my image (Hero Arts Bird Collage) in PTI's True Black on kraft cardstock.  I then set it aside for TWO DAYS and began looking through my stash for patterned paper that I could use for the card.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I had this really cool pack of designer papers from Stampin Up! called Day & Night!  To be honest, I don't even remember purchasing them, but obviously and thankfully I did!  After that, with a little help from the current Card Patterns sketch everything fell into place and I really like what resulted.    I'm also going to enter this card in the current City Crafters challenge to "stamp it out".

Thanks for taking a peek.... hope you take a step outside your comfort zone!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI Kraft; SU! Crumb Cake & Old Olive; PP:  SU! Night & Day; Ribbon:  SU! Basic Grey taffeta & Old Olive twill; Stamp:  Hero Arts Bird Collage; Spellbinders Large & Small Plain Circle dies; Flower:  Irene's Garden