Shabby Thank You

Sorry I've been slack in posting! I cannot believe how busy this summer is! It seems like every facet of my life is clamoring for my attention at the same time, and as a result I am getting very little creative time in. :-( I know things go in cycles and it will calm down, but in the meantime I am fantasizing about taking a few days off work to reorganize my craft room and get some good quality crafting time in! ;-) I've also been very behind on visiting *your* blogs--it's one of the highlights of my day to see what others have created and comment on their masterpieces, and I'm so sorry I'm so behind!

I was able to sneak in a few moments last week to make this card. I needed a thank you card and it was near the 4th, so I went with red, white, and blue and a shabby denim "countryish" look. Yee haw! :-D

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--YOF: Roses, Ribbon Tails; Skipping Stones Design--Chick Chat
Paper: PTI--Rustic White; Deja Views--Weathered Sky; stash
Ink: Memento--Tuxedo Black; Watermark; PTI--Pure Poppy
Misc.: Button (silver)--la petite; Button (red)--PTI Pure Poppy; Twine--PTI; Pinking shears; Sewing machine

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

Papertrey Customer Favorites of 2010

Papertrey Ink, the best, most creative, most customer-input-friendly stamp company EVER, is celebrating their 4th anniversary this month, and having lots of contests--woo hoo! This first one is about favorites--customers are asked to post, or re-post, their favorite project from 2010 that uses PTI. Here's mine! I've not posted this card before. I've been waiting for a special reason to post it because it's not just my 2010 fav but my favorite card I've made, ever. Why? I have no idea. It was made late one night with scraps left on the table from another card I worked all night on. It came together easily. And something about it really appeals to me. It's not my usual style at all, but I love it. And I hope you like it too! Happy 4th Anniversary, PTI!

I can't find my list of supplies I used for making this, so I'm going on guesswork here :-)

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Fancy Flourishes, Scattered Showers, and ??? (flowers used with Fancy Flourishes on the Hawaiian Shores panel)
Paper: PTI--SS White, Dark Chocolate, Orange Zest, Hawaiian Shores
Ink: PTI--Dark Chocolate; Watermark
Embossing Powder: Fine Detail White
Button: PTI--Orange Zest
Ribbon: Michaels
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug
Edge Punch: Fiskars (?)
Misc.: Corner Chomper

SSIC #72: Happy Birthday

Hello! Firstly, thank you so much, all who commented on my last post, the sympathy card! Each of you brightened my day immensely by your generous remarks! (And it actually got awarded a Shining the Light award!!) Everyone of you please consider yourself hugged!

Today I am happy to post a card I made for my sister's birthday. I used one of the most beautiful stamp renditions of a rose ever--Papertrey Ink's Year of Flowers: Roses. It was a joy to color! I'm entering it in Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #72, which has the theme of "new," interpreted how you'd like. The scripture is 2 Cor. 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." My "new" element for this challenge is the self-adhesive crocheted trim. It's so cool! You don't have to worry about adhering it, just cut to size and stick on--yay! :-) I will be buying more, I'm sure!

I also want to mention the wrinkled seam binding I used on the card. I won it as blog candy awhile back, and I just had to show you how deliciously it was packaged. Here's how the goodies arrived, in decorated box with card:


Sorry, not the best picture, but you get the idea. And when I opened the box up, look at what was inside:


Isn't that clever?? She (Michele) calls it "Ribbon Candy!" I just love the cleverness and care with which this selection of ribbon is packaged & presented. You can find some yourself at Willy Nilly Art & Whimsy on Etsy. (I have no affiliation with Michele, I just loved her product!) Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--YOF: Roses & Birthday Bash Sentiments
Paper: PTI--Vintage Cream; October Afternoon--Thrift Shop; Melissa Frances--Kitschy Kitchen
Ink: Versafine--Onyx Black
Embossing Powder: Ranger--Super Fine Detail
Ribbon: Willy Nilly Art & Whimsy
Trim: Hero Arts
Copics: R20, R22, R24
Misc: Sewing Machine

C4C46--Buttons!

Crazy for Challenges' Challenge #46 was to use buttons! So, with my mojo not so present the last few days, I went literal again--button patterned paper, and PTI's Blooming Button Bits stamp set! I chose this picture because you can see the gold flecks in the red embossing powder on the flowers. It looks really pretty in person! The colors made me happy--they remind me of summer turning into fall, of the anticipation of school starting. Remember those back-to-school shopping trips? Sigh. I was a weird kid, I loved school. You can check out the details of the challenge right here. Who doesn't love buttons? :-)

And in the second picture, you can see my photography assistant. Mia was styling the photo right here, and I persuaded her to pause for the camera. She's a great help, but she's starting to mention words like, "unionization" so I'm not sure how much longer I'll use her! ;-> And if you can see anything I'm doing obviously wrong with my cheapie Amazon.com photo "studio," let me know, I can take it. Would you believe the thing came with absolutely no instructions?!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Blooming Button Bits
Paper: PTI--Lemon Tart; Cosmo Cricket--Material Girl
Ink: Versafine--Onyx Black; Ranger--Distressed Embossing Ink
Ribbon: PTI--New Leaf
Buttons: PTI--Vintage Cream
Embossing Powder: Moon Glow--Hollyberry Red/Gold
Die: Spellbinders--Labels 1
Misc: Sewing machine, Corner Chomper

Color Throwdown #100!

***This is my second post for today. Scroll down if you'd like to see a get well card I posted earlier. Thanks!

Finally! I've photographed a card and uploaded it in time for a Color Throwdown challenge! Number 100, to be exact, which is a very big deal over on the challenge blog--take a look!

I inked up one of the goodies from PTI's June release, All About You Additions, for this card. I stamped the flowers on the nestie, and then again on Pure Poppy and Hibiscus Burst cardstocks, embossing with clear embossing powder and coloring with Copics. Then I cut out the flowers and popped them up to varying heights on foam. I colored clear rhinestones with the Copics to match and placed them as the flower centers. I sponged a little "ground" and "sky" on the nestie, and then layered it on some blocks of cardstock. I embossed the blue paper and then cut the edge with those old decorative scissors we all have lying around from the early days (or am I dating myself?--hee!). I stamped some Spring Moss dots down the side, and then attempted one of my first ribbon "treatments." It was meant to be . . . different . . . than it turned out, but I kind of like its funky vibe! I sewed down the middle first for some interest. I knew I'd need a small sentiment, so I went looking in that old standby, Paper Tray. It comes in handy!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--All About You Additions, Polka Dot Basics & Paper Tray
Paper: PTI--SS White, Spring Rain, Hibiscus Burst & Spring Moss
Ink: PTI--Spring Moss, Pure Poppy, Hibiscus Burst & Spring Rain; Versafine Onyx Black
Die: Spellbinders--Big Scalloped Rectangles
Copics: YG23, 91; RV23, 34; R27, 59
Ribbon: PTI--Pure Poppy satin; DMC--White floss
Decorative Scissors: Provo Craft
Embossing Powder: Ranger--Super Fine Detail Clear
Rhinestones: Recollections
Impression Plate: PTI--Linen

Petite Posse Challenge #3

Popping in to post a quick card. This one I made for the Petite Posse Challenge #3--thanks gals for letting me play along with you! It was also supposed to be for a Color Throwdown challenge, but I didn't get it posted in time for that one. I have intended to enter a Throwdown challenge many times now, but I'm always late--it must have to do with my schedule versus when the challenge posts or something like that.

Anyway, thanks to the Papertrey Posse I thought way back to my first PTI order--the challenge was to tell how you discovered PTI, what your first stamp set was, and then to use that set. Well, I discovered PTI reading Erin Lincoln's blog one night (back when it was on CK's website--she's one of my scrapbooking idols) and she blogged about how her husband had asked her to make him some thank you cards for people at work. She pulled out a stamp set (Out On a Limb) and made the most amazing cards. They weren't cutsey! They were gorgeous! I *had* to know more about this company. I clicked on her link, and the rest is history. ;-D I had a very hard time deciding on my first order, and there have been so many since then (ahem) that I'm not 100% sure if this is what I got that first time, but I think my first order consisted of Out On a Limb, Butterfly Kisses, Borders & Corners: Square, and Borders & Corners: Circles.

So I pulled those sets out and ultimately chose to use Butterfly Kisses and Borders & Corners: Squares on my card. I intended to use a butterfly image or two, but somehow I couldn't make them work, so I used a sentiment--I still love the fonts in this set! And the dots in a square, of course. I knew when I saw them that the Borders & Corners sets would get lots of use by me and I was sure right! At the time, no one else that I knew of had anything like them and they gave me an inkling that PTI was going to be my "go to" stamp company. It think it's a great "testimony" (I don't mean to be irreverent) for PTI that I am still using my very first sets from them two years later! Anyway, I'm getting a bit long-winded here, sorry about that! For this card, I also made my first homemade ribbon flower embellishment. I've been meaning to try to make one for months and I finally did it! This one is my second try, actually. [Anjillic Tip: Hold onto one end of the stitching on the ribbon so you gather the ribbon instead of simply pulling the thread out!] This card is for one of my very few "in person" crafting friends. She's a great scrapbooker and just starting to get into cards. I knew when I saw the color combo on the Color Throwdown blog that it would be just right for her birthday card because they remind me of her.

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Butterfly Kisses & Borders & Corners: Square
Paper: PTI--Vintage Cream, Enchanted Evening, Berry Sorbet & Simply Chartreuse; stash
Ink: PTI--Enchanted Evening & Simply Chartreuse; Versacolor--Cinnamon
Ribbon: PTI--Berry Sorbet
Brad: Making Memories
Pearl: Recollections
Punches: EK Success, Fiskars
Die: Spellbinders
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug

Jill's First Annual Christmas in July Challenge!

Welcome papercrafting friends to my first blog challenge! Much as I'd like to, I don't have the time to do regular challenges, so I thought I'd do a doozy when I do get the chance! I've decided to hold a "Christmas in July" challenge because I really, really, really want to make all my holiday cards this year, and I don't want to leave it to the last minute. I thought that with this challenge, I could motivate myself to get an early start, perhaps benefit someone else out there in blogland by doing the same for them, and make two readers very, very happy by awarding them PTI gift certificates!

So, here are the rules:
1) Make a Christmas card (Hanukkah counts too). If you don't celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, perhaps you have a friend who does and you can make a card for him/her.

2) Upload your card to your blog or an online gallery (with a link back to the challenge please) and add your info to Mr. Linky at the end of this post.

3) Leave a comment after you've added your link. If you choose to become a follower of my blog, or are already a follower, leave another comment and you will have two chances to win! Blog about the challenge and you can leave a 3rd comment for three chances!

The challenge runs from July 1-31, and the winners will be announced on this blog on August 1. There are no limitations as to design, stamp company(ies), colors, techniques, etc.. The card can be religious or secular and any size.

The winners will be chosen in two ways: One winner will be from a random draw of all comments left after linking/following/blogging. The other will be chosen by me from all the cards entered--my favorite card gets a prize! The prizes are both . . . drumroll please . . . $24 gift certificates to Papertrey Ink! Yes, you can get a wonderful quality, highly creative, gorgeous stamp set from PTI just for entering my 1st Annual Christmas in July Challenge!

To start us off, I made a cute little card for my 3-year-old nephew. [I can't believe I actually have a Christmas card checked off, and it's only July 1st!] I chose a snowman since they are special to me and he has picked up on this--he made Christmas cards last year for family (including my dog, lol!) and they all had a snowman on them. At least that's what I'm told. The three balls of snow aren't actually touching, but it's totally the thought that counts, right?! What a sweetie! I used Holiday Button Bits for the main image, and tried to keep the style & colors in the "boy" range. Adrian's favorite color is green, as he has reminded me a few hundred times, and I thought the background paper looked like a sweater and snowballs at the same time. I also thought there was a sweater-y pattern to the button. I love the gold twine I used to tie the die cut to the card--I just got it from Michelle at Stamper's Dream and it's great because it's twine/cording but it holds a knot really well, unlike the stuff sold in stores for Christmas wrap. (FYI--she has several colors, I recommend it if you're in the market.) I made sure to listen to a few Christmas songs on my iPod as I made the card, to get into the spirit! I hope this challenge brings you a little bit of Christmas cheer in the middle of summer!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Holiday Button Bits & Polka Dot Basics II (on the scarf--hard to see)
Paper: PTI--Vintage Cream & Simply Chartreuse; Zoe Pearn Bloom & Grow; watercolor
Ink: Versafine--Onyx Black; PTI--Spring Rain & Simply Chartreuse; Ranger--Tumbled Glass & Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks
Button: PTI--Spring Rain
Die: Spellbinders
Distress Tool: Heidi Swapp
Fun Flock: Stampendous--Cotton Ball White (on ball on top of hat)
Twine: Stamper's Dream--gold
Pens: Copics--R27, R59 & Colorless Blender; atyou Spica--clear, peach

Papertrey Pixies Challenge #2

I actually made this card a couple of weeks ago, but am just getting it posted in time by the skin of my teeth (which is a really odd expression, if you think about it; now I'm wondering about its origins). :-D Karen H. was hostess this month for the Pixies' challenge, and she gave us for inspiration this lovely set of fat quarters from which we were to take any aspect we chose: layout, colors, pattern(s), and so on. Since my favorite aspect of papercrafting is COLOR, that's what immediately came to my mind. To me, the colors I saw here were Raspberry Fizz, Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise, Simply Chartreuse, and Smokey Shadow. Oh, and white of course. :-) So I made a simple card with pops of those colors. I used watermark ink and a tiny polka dot stamp on a swatch of each color, and then punched out flowers from the swatches (there's a big flower and a little flower if you look closely). I embossed the white on white panel with a polka dot embossing folder and attached the flowers to it with white brads. A Spellbinders label for the sentiment and some Orange Zest bitty dot ribbon and this card was done! Oh, and on the inside is the Smokey Shadow flower (didn't want you to think I'd forgotten it) and lots of room to write. Thanks for the fun challenge, Karen!

Supplies
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics II & Communique Curves Sentiments
Paper: PTI--SS White, Simply Chartreuse, Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest, Raspberry Fizz & Smokey Shadow
Ink: Watermark; Versafine--Onyx Black
Ribbon: PTI--Orange Zest Bitty Dot
Die: Spellbinders
Brads: stash
Punches: Papershapers
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #1: A Wee Hello

Today, I'm participating in Waltzingmouse Stamps' first sketch challenge! Waltzingmouse Stamps is a company from Ireland (as many of you know), with some sweet and exciting stamps with a unique flair. I had long coveted some, but held off because the international shipping price would have limited me to a set or two, and I can't order just a set or two! Well, I can but I didn't want to. :-> So then, for her first year anniversary, Claire, the owner, had a FREE shipping special, even internationally! I still couldn't go crazy-crazy, so I just went a little crazy. And then some volcano in Iceland erupted and . . . well, you know how that was. But, I did get my stamps (great quality, IMHO), and I finally inked a few up for WMS's first sketch challenge! Sorry about the "casual" picture, LOL, but I wanted to get it up before bed tonight. I really enjoyed working with the stamps--for this little card (3.5x3.5) the circle of leaves and the background stamp on the kraft base (click on the picture and you should be able to see it) are from WMS. The green paper is PTI's new Simply Chartreuse (love it), as is the button. However, so is the ink used to stamp the leaf circle, as as you can see, it's a completely different color. I now know what folks mean on the PTI forum when they have complained about this. I must have lucked out because my Hawaiian Shores is a good match, but the "mismatch bug" finally bit me with Simply Chartreuse ink. I'll need to find a match somewhere else. Any suggestions? Oh, the PP behind the circle looks like it has green splotches on it, but it's actually a leaf print. Someday I will take better pictures and not feel like I have to explain these things! Thanks for dropping by!

Supplies
Stamps: WMS--Faux Fun Circles & Pic-Nic Patterns; PTI--Communique Curves Sentiments
Paper: PTI--Kraft & Simply Chartreuse; stash
Ink: PTI--Simply [not] Chartreuse; Ranger--Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Button: PTI--Simply Chartreuse
Misc: Twine--PTI; Brads--stash; Die--Spellbinders

SFYTT

I gave this week's SFYTT a try, my first time joining in at Jen del Muro's blog. This card came together pretty easily. The PP was the first I saw, and I just grabbed it and went from there. It was nice to get a chance to use my new Spellbinders Big Scalloped Ovals die. I'm digging this new "big" line and will have to get some more eventually!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Beyond Basic Borders & Round and Round
Paper: PTI--Spring Rain, Ocean Tides & Rustic White; DCWV Old World Stack
Punch: Martha Stewart
Ink: Tsukineko--Versafine Onyx Black; Ranger--Stormy Sky Distress Ink; PTI--Ocean Tides
Ribbon: Michael's
Embossing Powder: Ranger--Super Fine Detail Clear
Flowers: Prima
Brads: Basic Grey
Misc: Spellbinders die; Stamping Bella Dewdrops