just a little something...

Hello friends!!  Still in the midst of getting some paper crafting projects together, but found the time to make a card using the current sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch.  When I saw the sketch I knew I wanted to use some new Stampin Up! stamps and washi tapes that I got this month. 

I think this is a very busy version of the CTS sketch, but I really like how it turned out.  It is just so bright and happy!! The color scheme is based on the washi tapes that I used.  The tag image is from the new SU! set Chalk Talk and was stamped using SU!'s Melon Mambo.  I then die cut the tag using the matching die.  A bit of bright yellow grosgrain ribbon and dark pink baker's twine were used to create the ribbon treatment at the top of the tag.  The washi tapes were layered on the white cardstock piece and the tag adhered.  Corduroy buttons in bright green and blue were added to finish off the card.

Thanks for stopping...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; Stamps:  SU! Chalk Talk, Ink:  SU! Melon Mambo; Washi Tapes:  SU! Gingham Garden; Ribbon:  SU! Daffodil Delight grosgrain; Baker's Twine:  The Twinery; Buttons:  SU! cord buttons

oh... how i love you!

Hello friends... long time no post!!  Took another break from posting... have had lots of paper crafting to do lately and finally got some of it done today.  Unfortunately it isn't anything I can post on my blog and I still have more to accomplish!!  Anywhoo... I was able to get a card made for this week's Dynamic Duos challenge.

I recently got a PTI order and one of the things I ordered was the new stamp and die set Mum's the Word.  I love anything floral and if it comes with matching dies... sign me up!  So I just had to make something with my new goodies.   I also got the Boutique Borders:  Love stamp and die set and combined that with Mum's the Word.    Initially I was going to go with just everything layered on the plain white cardstock piece, but decided that it needed just a little bit more and so I embossed the piece with the Cuttlebug Modern Wallpaper embossing folder... I think it gives it just that little extra that it needed.

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; SU! Crisp Cantaloupe; Ink:  SU! Calypso Coral; Hero Arts Soft Cantaloupe, Memento Tuxedo Black; Stamps:  PTI Mum's the Word, Boutique Borders:  Sympathy; Dies:  PTI Mum's the Word and Boutique Borders:  Sympathy dies; Cuttlebug Modern Wallpaper embossing folder

a couple of cards...

Hello friends!!  Have a couple of cards that I made today.  Both cards use My Favorite Things stamps so that is why I'm posting them together.

 

The first card is for the current sketch over at CAS(E) this Sketch and this week's ColourQ challenge.  I used the following MFT stamp sets:  Big Greetings and Abstract Art.  I have had Abstract Art for sometime now, but just hadn't found the right project to use it on.  Finally this week's CTS gave me that opportunity.   I stamped the first image using PTI's Simply Chartreuse and layered the second image using SU!'s Pacific Point.  The sentiment was added using SU!'s Early Espresso.  The card base is Island Indigo. 

The second card is for the current MFT Wednesday Sketch challenge.   Once, again, I used the MFT set Chalkboard Greetings.  Love that set... so fun!  The papers I used are from My Mind's Eye Cut & Paste line... this time the "Flair" 6x6 pad.   I stamped the sentiment using Close to My Heart's Daisy White ink and once it was mostly dry smudged it a bit.  The twine I used is some Tim Holtz paper twine.  I got it this afternoon at Joann's.  They had a lot of their crafting supplies on sale at 50% off and so I thought I would give this twine a try.  It tied pretty nicely... which is something I like.  The banners were die cut using the MFT Fishtail Flag Stax dies. 

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  1st card:  Cardstock:  PTI & SU!; Stamps:  My Favorite Things; Inks:  Stampin Up!
2nd card:  Cardstock:  PTI white & true black; PP:  My Mind's Eye; Stamps:  MFT; Dies:  MFT; Ink:  Close to My Heart; Twine:  Tim Holtz

live fully...

Hello friends!  Quick post with a card that I made using the current Sketchbook Saturday sketch.  Went really super CAS with this one.  Was thinking about popping this into the current CAS-ual Fridays color challenge of aqua, green and orange, but not too sure these color really fit the color criteria... what do you think? 

All stamps and the die are from Penny Black.  I just love that "in a row" die from Penny Black.  I paired the stamps and die with some fun papers from two different My Mind's Eye paper pads from the new Cut & Paste line.  Love my My Mind's Eye 6x6 pads!!  The stamps are Winter Berries (4273K) and eloquence (30-162).   I used a sheet of ombre paper from one of the pads (don't remember which one) and cut it down to fit the card front.  I rotated the Winter Berries stamp slightly so that the image would be oriented in the way I wanted and then stamped it using Tuxedo Black ink.   The sentiment was also stamped using Tuxedo Black.  The "in a row" piece was cut from another ombre sheet and then adhered using pop dots.  Like I said... super simple. 

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; Stamps:  Penny Black; Die:  Penny Black; PP:  My Mind's Eye Cut & Paste Adorbs & Charm

hello...

Hello friends!!  Here with a card that I made for a couple of challenges:  Dynamic Duos (Pool Party & Black) and CAS(E) this Sketch.   My card is basically a CASE of CTS design team member Theresa's card.   I don't often CASE other people's work, but I just loved how she used the emboss/resist technique on her super cool card and just couldn't resist (hee hee).  And embossing just happens to be the dessert option at Dynamic Duos... perfect!!

For my card I used one of the images from the MFT/MPD set Distressed Background Blocks.   I inked it up with watermark ink, stamped on the cardstock, applied clear embossing powder and heat set.  Once that was done I applied Pool Party ink to the image starting in the center and working my way out to the edge of the image.   The "hello" is from the MFT Die-namics set "Happy Hellos".  After adhering the die cut I added a few black sequins and then mounted the piece on a Pool Party card base.  Not the most original card I admit, but I like it... what do you think? 

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstocks:  PTI white; SU! Pool Party; Ink:  SU! Pool Party, VersaMark watermark ink; Die:  MFT Happy Hellos; Stamps:  MFT/MPD Distressed Background Blocks; Black Sequins

CCC #58 loving memories...

Hello friends!!  Happy Tuesday!  I made it through freshman orientation at my son's high school (which happens to be the high school I graduated from many, many years ago... Go Tigers!!) yesterday.  Still shaking my head a bit at the thought of having a child in high school... eeps!!  Anywhoo... I digress!!  It is Tuesday and that means time for a new CASology cue word.  This week the word is paper... so many different directions you can take this one in for sure!  And we have a fabulous sponsor this week... CC Designs, as well as a fabulous guest designer... none other than the amazingly talented Jenny from Crafting in the Country! 

For my card I decided to do some quilling.  About six months ago I decided to revisit the paper crafting technique of quilling.  I had done some quilling many years ago, but gave it up for other paper crafting pursuit.  Quilling is a very simple technique that involves taking thin strips of paper rolling them up using a slotted quilling tool.  Once you have rolled up the paper strip you remove the roll from the quilling tool and allow it to open up into a loosely coiled circle.  The end is adhered to the circle and the circle is shaped in to various different shapes like a teardrop or marquise.  The various shapes are then glued to cardstock to create many different things like flowers, butterflies, etc.  Recently quilling dies have appeared on the market that allow you to make different types of flowers.  I used the traditional quilling method to create the stem and leaves, as well as a set of new quilling dies to create the flower head.   Quilling requires very thin paper so the type of cardstock that most of us use for paper crafting won't work, but I discovered that some types of patterned papers are thin enough to use in a quilling tool.  The flower was made using traditional quilling paper, as well as patterned paper from the Penny Black Madison 6x6 pad.  Once all the pieces were created I arranged them on the cardstock piece and adhered them in place.  Lastly I added the sentiment (from Our Daily Bread Designs), rounded two corners and adhered the piece to the card base.

Thanks for stopping by... I cannot wait to see what fun "paper" ideas all you super talented paper crafters come up with for this challenge!! In the meantime make sure you check out the cards from the rest of the design team: Melissa, Judy, Meghan, Ardyth, Gillian, Maureen, Kimberly, Jen and Tracey and our guest designer, Jenny!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; SU! So Saffron; Quilling paper:  Quilled Creations; PP:  Penny Black; Stamps:  ODBD; Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Quilling Tool

friends...

Hello friends!  Have another card to share... this one is for the current My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge.  

Recently got all of the new My Mind's Eye Cut & Paste 6x6 pads and pulled out the one called "Charm" for my card.  Since I chose to use some fun paper from the pad that features arrows I knew I had to finally use one of the arrow dies from the MFT Die-namics Lead the Way set.  The sentiment is from the MFT set Chalkboard Greetings.   After putting everything together I decided to rough up the edges and give the card a bit of a distressed look. 

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; SU! So Saffron; light grey; PP:  My Mind's Eye Cut & Paste Charm; Stamps:  MFT Chalkboard Greetings; Dies:  MFT Lead the Way; Ink: CTMH Grey Wool; Button:  SU!; Hemp Twine:  CTMH

live your life in COLOR...

Hello friends!!   Seems like forever since I last made a card... actually it was about a week ago, but that is still along time for me!  Been on a little vacation with my boys and that means no crafting.  But I'm home now and ready to "get back in the game" so to speak and since today is Saturday I thought I would start with the new Less is More challenge: round and round.  I thought it meant use something round or something that showed movement, but they just want things that show movement... so unfortunately this card doesn't fit the challenge.  That stinks, lol!!!  Now I'm not sure what I will do for the LIM challenge.

I thought about this one for a while and decided to make something using all those buttons that I have.  I grabbed my Reverse Confetti set Dream in Color, buttons, my Spellbinders plain circle dies and got to work.  The Dream in Color set has phrases and words that work interchangeably with the large word "color" that is in the set.  So I stamped one of the phrases in black ink and then added the word "color".   The whole thing was die cut using a plain Spellbinders die and colored with Copic markers.  I adhered the circle using foam dimensionals, added the buttons and I was done.  Something simple to get me back in the groove.  Going to pop this into the Reverse Confetti weekly 'fetti find challenge, as well.

Thanks for stopping by....

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Buttons:  PTI; Dies:  Spellbinders; Copic markers

my creative space... sort of!

Hello friends!!  Just popping in to let you know that my first official post is up over at the CardMaker blog and I hope you will check it out.   I share how I store my stamping supplies and talk a bit about my creative space (or lack there of, lol!).  

Thanks for stopping by...

CCC #57... enjoy the simple things

Hello friends!!  Tuesday is here and that means time for a brand new CASology challenge!  This week we are taking things outside for a little picnic!  Yep... your cue word this week is "picnic".  All the details can be found here on the CASology blog.  Our guest designer this week is the very talented Kanan!!

 

This week I decided to make a little card and used a image from the Penny Black transparent set "Summer Fun".   I used the largest die in my Lacey Circles set to cut the card base and then a plain circle using the largest die in the Spellbinders Large Plain Circle die.  The patterned paper was also cut using the same die.  I applied some Salty Ocean distress ink to one half of the circle and then adhered the patterned paper to the other half.  The image was stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black, colored with Copic markers, trimmed out and adhered with foam dimensionals.  The sentiment also from Summer Fun was curved slightly and then stamped three time as you see. 

Thanks for stopping by...I cannot wait to see what fun"picnic" ideas all you super talented paper crafters come up with for this challenge!! In the meantime make sure you check out the cards from the rest of the design team: Melissa, Judy, Meghan, Ardyth, Gillian, Maureen, Kimberly, Jen and Tracey and our guest designer, Kanan.

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; SU! garden green; PP:  Stampin Up!; Stamps:  Penny Black Summer Fun; Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Salty Ocean distress ink; Copic markers; Spellbinders dies

New Penny Black Stamps & Dies... Oh My!!

Hello friends!!  Just popping in to let you know that all this week Penny Black will be sharing sneak peeks of brand new stamps and dies that will be able for purchase on August 16th!! And boy oh boy are your socks going to be knocked off because Penny Black is releasing some absolutely gorgeous Christmas stamps and fabulous new dies!!   Make sure that you head over to the blog and check everything out... it will be worth your while because there is a prize pack of brand new stamps and dies worth $100.00 up for grabs and it could be yours!!

Thanks for stopping by...

thinking about you...

Hello friends!!  Here with my card for this week's Less is More challenge.  Going to keep this short and sweet as I have the whole house to myself and have lots I want to get done!  The LIM challenge this week is to make a one layer card with a number (or numbers) on it.  Have to admit that at first I wasn't sure what I was going to do as I don't have many sets that include numbers.  So I flipped through my stamp collection and came across this newly acquired Hero Arts/Operation Write Home set called "All the Time".  Absolutely perfect for the challenge.

I will probably send this to Operation Write Home so I decided to make it kinda masculine.  The clock image was stamped three times in somewhat lengthy version of second and third generation stamping... not going to explain that one, lol!  Stamped the sentiment and I was done.  I admit this isn't my best work, but there it is!

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI cream; Stamps:  Hero Arts All the Time; Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Rich Cocoa

penny black plays along...

Hello friends and happy Friday!!   Today I have a card to share that I made for a fun little event that is happening over on the Penny Black blog.   As all you paper crafters know there are lots of fantastic challenges out there and the team at Penny Black thought it would be fun to have the Penny Black design play along with some of these challenges.  So, all this week the design team (and the Stamp Squad) have been posting cards and playing along with the current Runway Inspired Challenge.   You can see all the cards from the Penny Black Stamp Squad here.  When I saw the inspiration photo (isn't that dress absolutely gorgeous??!!) I immediately knew that I would be using my Penny Black tiger lily slapstick/cling stamp. 

I stamped the image. colored it with Copic markers (RV91, RV93, RV95 & RV99) and then trimmed it out.  The black cardstock strip was stamped with the PB background stamp peacock feathers using VersaMark watermark ink, clear embossing powder applied and then heat set.  I partially embossed the top portion of the white panel, adhered the black strip and the tiger lily and then stamped the sentiment (from the transparent set "eloquence") in black ink.  The entire piece was then adhered to a white card base.

Thanks for stopping by... hope you will check out the Penny Black blog, as well as the Runway Inspired challenge as there is a fabulous prize from Penny Black up for grabs!!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white & black; Stamps:  Penny Black tiger lily, eloquence & peacock feathers; Ink:  VersaMark watermark ink; Memento Tuxedo Black; Embossing folder:  Modern Wallpaper; Embossing Powder:  Ranger Ultrafine clear; Copic markers

i'm here...

Hello friends!!  The week is speeding by and despite the fact that I have been spending way too much time in the car driving the kiddos around I still managed to get another card made.  This time the card is for the current Retro Sketch, as well as the brand new ColourQ challenge. 

Some happy mail arrived the other day in the form of the My Favorite Things/Lisa Johnson Design Peaceful Wildflowers stamp set and the coordinating Wildflowers dies and I just had to break them in.  I die cut three different flowers and then stamped them with the coordinating stamps using Night of Navy, Soft Sky & Calypso Coral inks.  I cut a piece of white cardstock and then die cut it with the My Favorite Things Dispersed Dots die.  The sentiment from Peaceful Wildflowers was stamped and then I adhered the flowers.   A little button/ribbon treatment was created with some grey satin ribbon, light blue button and navy twine and then adhered to the flowers.  The entire piece was then adhered to a Calypso Coral card base.  I quite like how it turned out... what do you think?  

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white, SU! Calypso Coral; Stamps:  My Favorite Things; Inks:  SU! Night of Navy, Soft Sky & Calypso Coral, CTMH Grey Wool; Ribbon:  SU! Basic Grey satin; Twine:  May Arts; Button:  PTI; Dies:  My Favorite Things.

happy birthday, dear friend...

Hello friends... Hope your week is going well.  I have been having a busy one getting my oldest up early and off to a summer school program and then the little one off to his vacation bible school.  Honestly... I'm looking forward to the week being over!  Anywhoo... have a card today that I made using the current color combo from Dynamic Duos and the layout from Sketchbook Saturday.

I went really CAS with my take on the sketch because I wanted to keep the focus on the image that I used... a gorgeous Penny Black flower (4313J - graceful). I almost went with a Penny Black butterfly image, but decided against it... really glad I did!  I stamped the flower on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, colored it with Copic markers (RV21, RV23, RV25, Y11, Y13, Y15, & Y17) and then trimmed it out.  The patterned paper is from Stampin Up!.  I'm not entirely sure that it is Daffodil Delight, but I think it is the perfect background for the flower.  I added a thin black border behind the patterned paper before adhere it to the white cardstock piece to provide a bit of contrast.  A fishtail flag was die cut and the sentiment (a portion of a sentiment from the transparent set 30-164 - edge to edge) was stamped also using Tuxedo Black ink.  Everything was adhered to the card base and I was done.  Love how it turned out.

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white & black; Stamps:  Penny Black; Ink:  Memento; Dies:  My Favorite Things Fishtail Flag Stax; Copic markers

CCC #56... you're so sweet

Hello friends!!  Tuesday is here and that means time for a brand new CASology challenge!!  After spending some time out in nature last week this week we are on the hunt for all kinds of sweet treats because our cue word this week is "dessert".  We have another yummy sponsor this week...Eat Cake Graphics!  And our guest designer this week is none other than the fabulous talented Donna Mikasa!!  All the details can be found here.

When I first saw the cue word I thought "oh that will be an easy one", but then I took a look at my stamps and realized that I really don't have a lot of dessert related stamps or stamps that could be used in a dessert related way.  So I just decided to use one of the few dessert related stamps to make my card.  The set is from Stampin Up! and is called "So Sweet".  I stamped the main image on white cardstock using kraft colored ink and then a second time on a white scrap of cardstock using SU!'s Cherry Cobbler ink and trimmed out just the frosting portion of the cupcake.  That was popped up on the main image and then Cherry Cobbler glitter glue was added to the cherry and the little heart.  I used my SU! ticket corner punch to notch the corners of the main cardstock piece and then adhered that piece to a Cherry Cobbler card base. 

Thanks for stopping by...I cannot wait to see what yummy "dessert" ideas all you super talented papercrafters come up with for this challenge!! In the meantime make sure you check out the cards from the rest of the design team: Melissa, Judy, Meghan, Ardyth, Gillian, Maureen, Kimberly, Jen and Tracey and our guest designer, Donna!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; SU! Cherry Cobbler; Stamps:  SU! So Sweet; Ink:  SU! Crumb Cake and Cherry Cobbler; Glitter Glue:  Cherry Cobbler; Punch:  SU! Ticker Corner punch

some exciting news to share!!

Hello friends!!  Can't believe that we are already five days into August!!  As my post title indicates I have some exciting news to share.  I have been sitting on this news for the last month and a half and now it is time to "spill the beans"!!   I have been picked to be on the blog team for CardMaker magazine!!  CardMaker has been publishing my cards for over three years now and if you have not checked out their magazine  and blog you really should.  So, I cannot tell you how excited I was when I was contacted by Brooke Smith, managing editor of CardMaker, asking me if I wanted to join the team!  Of course I said "YES"!!  All the details can be found here on the CardMaker blog.   My first official post will be August 15th, so I hope you will check it out!

Thanks for stopping by...

the human spirit...

Hello friends!!  Hope you weekend is going well.   Have a card I made for the new LIM challenge.  Since this is the first Saturday in the month it is a color challenge.   After studying the colors for a bit I decided that I was going to go with the following color combo:  light grey, light yellow, dark yellow/mustard, kraft, dark, dark brown and white, of course.   The layout for my card is based on the current sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch.

 

I have had this lovely stamp set from the Craft's Meow called Wild Flowers for quite sometime now and had not inked it up, yet.  When I saw the CTS sketch I knew that set would be perfect.  I stamped the main image using SU!'s So Saffron and then stamped the sentiment (from the Craft's Meow set Hope Bloom) using SU'1s Early Espresso.  The butterfly image was added using SU!'s More Mustard and Crumb Cake and Memento's London Fog.  Rounded a couple of corners and then added the little rhinestones to finish up the card.  

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI Rustic White; Stamps:  The Craft's Meow Wild Flowers & Hope Blooms; Inks: Stampin Up! and Memento; Rhinestones:  Stampin Up!; Corner Rounder:  Fiskars

it's a good day...

Hello friends!! Wow... can't believe it is already the first of August!  Time sure does fly by!  In a few days I'm going to have some fun news to announce here on the old blog and I can't wait to share it with you!  But in the meantime I have a little card to share that I made for this week's Wednesday Sketch challenge over at My Favorite Things.

After taking a look at the sketch I decided that I wanted to use my MFT Chalkboard Greetings set for the card.  As I was pulling out my paper cutting I saw a piece of red polka dot paper and decided to use that, as well.  One of the elements in the sketch looks a bit like a piece of washi tape so I pulled out my collection and decided to use some tape that has aqua and red hearts on it.  I used the die that coordinates with MFT's Vertical Greetings set to die cut my panel and then stamped it with the sentiment using SU!'s Real Red.  I stamped the sentiment a second time in SU!'s Pool Party and trimmed out the words "day" and "good" and popped them up on the panel.  The red polka dot paper was matted using Pool Party cardstock.  I partially embossed the main panel using my Swiss Dot embossing folder and then adhered all the elements.  I finished off the card with a little horseshoe die cut from white cardstock using the horseshoe from the MFT Country Charms set and a bow tied from red bakers twine.

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; SU! pool party; SU! red polka dot paper; Stamps:  MFT Chalkboard Greetings; Dies:  MFT Vertical Greetings & Country Charms; Twinery red baker's twine; Washi Tape:  Impress; Swiss Dot embossing folder