Make It Monday Challenge #12

Guess what?! I was able to sneak some stuff out and make a card! My bedroom is a MESS, but I got to do some creative therapy and that's all that matters, LOL! Yay, all may not be lost for the next month or two! :-D

I don't think I've ever tried the framing technique before on a card, but I have long admired it in Nicole Heady's designs, so I was really happy that I got to actually give it a try this week! I went classic with my design--no tweet-worthy clever twists in sight--and ended up loving it. I always--I mean always--feel happy when using the In Bloom stamp set from PTI. There is no question that I've received more positive response to cards made with this set than any other. Basically, you just can't mess it up, it makes you look good!

I used two patterned papers, one from Pretty Pastels and one from Everyday Blessings, to stamp the blossom and leaf images on. I colored the images in with Copics. I placed them where I wanted first, stamped the sentiment (also from In Bloom) and *then* drew in the frame. I added the tiny rhinestones at the end when I felt it needed a little something else. (Also because I cannot leave well enough alone. If I were camping in the Grand Canyon with the Brady Bunch, that would be my Indian name: Cannot Leave Well Enough Alone.) Reason #409 why I will never be a CAS designer! :-D

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--In Bloom
Paper: PTI--Spring Moss, Vintage Cream, Pretty Pastels, Everyday Blessings
Ink: PTI--Ripe Avocado; Versafine--Onyx Black; E.P.--Filigree Clear
Misc.: Copics--BG11, YG91, Multiliner o.5; Rhinestones--Taylored Expressions; Pinking Shears

I'm Bummed . . .

. . . I am. But first, this Easter card I made for my little niece. :-) I Fun Flocked a bunny image from Skipping Stones Design's Gray Hares set and popped him up on some nesties. Papertrey Ink's Egg Hunt patterned paper was an easy choice, and provided most of the rest of the decoration!

So why am I bummed? Well, due to circumstances beyond my control, I am losing most of the access to my crafty space for awhile--maybe until mid-June. I won't go into details because you don't want to sit here reading a novel-length post, lol, but suffice it to say that it really can't be helped and I am SERIOUSLY SAD about it. Actually, I've been downright depressed for a couple of days. My family loves me but they really have no idea how important a papercrafting creative outlet is to me. Can you relate? :-D I may be able to sneak in from time to time and play (I hope so, there are a lot of birthdays coming up!), but I can't count on it. I do have a few cards I haven't shared yet, so I'll try to post at least once a week with those, and I will be visiting blogs & commenting as usual (and looking forward to it!). But I wanted to let you know why the pace will be slower around here for 1-2 months, and to explain what's going on if I should at any time appear to be going crazy. ;->

Supplies
Stamps: SSD--Gray Hares
Paper: PTI--S.S. White, Harvest Gold, Plum Pudding; Egg Hunt
Ink: Versafine--Onyx Black; Colorbox--Yellow Citrus; Versacolor--Bamboo; E.P.--Ranger--Super Fine Detail Clear
Dies: Spellbinders--Classic Ovals & Labels Trio
Misc.: Punches--Martha Stewart; Fun Flock--Stampendous; Sparkly Fluff--Our Craft Lounge; Rhinestones--Taylored Expressions; Flowers--Prima; Copics--R21, Y32, Y35

Make It Monday Challenge #11

Hola, amigas (and Ted)! ;-D Here is my entry for this week's Make It Monday Challenge for Papertrey Ink. This week's challenge is to emboss using the steel dies PTI offers. I went really different for this one . . . I used the triangle pennant dies from the Banner Builder Collection. After embossing Pure Poppy cardstock with the pennants, I carefully cut out around each one, so that the embossing (debossing, actually) would be an integral part of each petal. I stamped on each petal in Versamark with the zig zag image from BB: Christmas, built a flower one petal at a time, and then centered it with a colorful brad. What do you think? Well, it seemed like a good idea at 4 a.m., LOL! I had a fun Spanish theme in mind because I couldn't wait to use the Fiesta paper pad from WeRMemoryKeepers--ole!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Turning a New Leaf & Background Basics: Christmas; The Cat's Pajamas--Hola Tequila!
Paper: PTI--S.S. White, Pure Poppy, New Leaf; WeRMemoryKeepers--Fiesta
Ink: PTI--New Leaf, Pure Poppy; Versafine--Onyx Black; Versamark; Embossing Powder--Filigree Clear
Misc.: Dies--PTI Banner Builder Collection, Turning a New Leaf; Brad--K & Co.; Scissors--Provo Craft

Totalmente Mocha Chica

This is a little set of notecards I made on a whim. I was sorting through paper, and found the Mocha Chica line Kim Hughes did for Cornish Heritage Farms. Since I don't have any of the stamps from her new line, Paper Smooches, (yet!), her fun drawings were just calling out to me to use them! That's right, NO STAMPS on these 4x4 babies! Just elements from Mocha Chica and ribbon, twine, and buttons from my stash. Fun!

Supplies:
Paper: PTI--S.S. White; Kim Hughes--Mocha Chica
Buttons: PTI--Hawaiian Shores; stash
Ribbon: Martha Stewart; scraps from stash
Baker's Twine: The Twinery
Misc.: Corner Chomper

Another Post It Birthday Card!

Here is the card I sent the talented Jen--check out her blog here (Only Love Is Real! Papercrafts). I adored making this--all that glitter . . . the gorgeous blue of the PP . . . and inside, a matching cupcake--which I forgot to snap a photo of, but you can see a snippet of it in the pictures. :-)

Supplies
Stamps: Verve--Great Friend, Carpe Cupcake
Paper: PTI--Soft Stone; DCWV; Graphic 45
Ink: Versafine--Onyx Black; Versacolor--Celadon; Embossing Powder--Super Fine Detail Clear
Misc.: Glitter--Martha Stewart Coarse Glitter in Crystal; Copic--BG09; Rhinestones--Recollections; Die--Spellbinders Fancy Tags; Corner Chomper; Leaves--stash; sewing machine

Retreat Treats

I haven't posted as much lately, and here's the reason why. Okay, these cards didn't really slow me down, but the event that they were for sure did! Like many churches, mine holds an annual retreat for the women, three days when we can get away and just be girlfriends and have fun. Well, I've been having a little trouble getting back in the swing of posting since I got back--I think I need three more days away! ;-D

I started a tradition last year of making cards for my closest friends who would also be attending the retreat--a chance to tell them what their friendship has meant to me during the last year, and how they've contributed to my spiritual journey. Last year I did all unique cards, but this year I changed to matching ones in the interest of time. :-) I chose an outside image called Tiers of Treats because I wanted to use the inside sentiment, "Friends--God's Sweetest Gift." That's PTI's It's Official order pad image too so I could emphasize that their friendship is exactly what I'd order! :-D You can't see it in the pictures, but the front of the card is impressed with PTI's Picnic Plaid impression plate. It's a nice deep impression too, so I'm sorry it doesn't show up. :-)

Supplies
Stamps: Stampendous--Tiers of Treats; Inkadinkado (inside); PTI--Simple Alphabet & It's Official
Paper: PTI--S.S. White, Scarlet Jewel, Berry Sorbet, Bitty Dots
Ink: Versafine--Onyx Black, Ranger--Aged Mahogany & Tattered Rose Distress Inks; Embossing Powder--Filigree Clear
Copics: YG23, YG25, YG95, E57, E59, RV83, RV85, RV89, R20, R22, R24, C1, W1
Misc.: Pens--atyou Spica--Silver; Dies--Spellbinders Classic Rectangle, Scalloped Rectangle, Ribbon Tags Trio; Ribbon--American Crafts, Michaels; Impression Plate--PTI Picnic Plaid

Make It Monday Challenge #9

It really should be called Make It Saturdays, right? ;-D I've been busy this week, and next week looks busy too, and then the next week is Easter week . . . shoot, I'm glad PTI gives us a whole week to get each challenge done! Challenge #9 is to use heat embossing on your project. Since I use heat embossing on 99.9% of the cards I create, this was right up my alley. I went CAS and embossed flowers from Flower Garden (which I got with my Papertrey Paper Dolls gift certificate!) in white on True Black cardstock. I added a sentiment from Signature Series: Dress Form because I liked how it looked, design-wise. I thought about adding one POP of color, but I decided that Flower Garden doesn't need one! I am in love with both stamp sets . . . wish I had a week off from work just to play with them!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Flower Garden, Signature Series: Dress Form
Paper: PTI--True Black
Ink: Watermark; Embossing Powder--Ultra Detail White
Misc.: Corner Chomper

JUGS #78

It's time for another sketch challenge from Just Us Girls! (Here's a link.) I really liked this sketch, and thought it would work for my nephew's Easter card--yes, this is an Easter card! He is very firm about which colors are "girl colors" and which colors are "boy colors." (Are all 4-year-olds like this?) And he reminds me frequently that his favorite color is green. So, no girly pastels for Adrian! I thought this cute stamp set from Verve would "quack him up," just like it says, and the basket would still be Easter-y. I sure wish I had a teeny oval punch to make some Easter eggs to put in the grass. I do have a "Happy Easter" sentiment inside--maybe I'll try to improvise some eggs to put in there. :-D

Supplies
Stamps: Verve--Egg-stra Special, Chicks Rule, Lucky Ducky
Paper: PTI--New Leaf; stash
Ink: Versafine--Vintage Sepia; Embossing Powder--Filigree Clear
Buttons: PTI--New Leaf
Baker's Twine: PTI and The Twinery
Dies: Spellbinders--Classic Circles
Copics: E33, E37, YR23, YR31, G85, T1