Papertrey Paper Dolls Challenge #4

I like to play along with the Paper Dolls. Why? Because they're such a nice bunch! And they have fun challenges . . . although I found this one, to make a masculine and feminine version of the same card CHALLENGING! I decided to go embarrassingly basic, which seemed to work as you can certainly tell which one is which! :-D I used a basic-sized card, the Mat Stack Die #1, the sentiment, "Thank You" and buttons & trim on both, switching up the color scheme and "feel." Not my best work, but I did enjoy stretching my comfort zone.

Supplies--Feminine Card
Stamp: PTI--Asian Fusion
Paper: Stash
Punch: Martha Stewart
Die: PTI--Mat Stack #1
Ribbon: Michael's
Floss: DMC
Buttons: Stash
Ink: Tsukineko--Versacolor Opera Pink & Petal Pink
Embossing Powder: Ranger--Clear Super Fine Detail

Supplies--Masculine Card
Stamp: Clear Dollar Stamps
Paper: PTI--Rustic White; stash
Ink: Ranger--Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink
Embossing Powder: Ranger--Brushed Corduroy Distress Embossing Powder
Die: PTI--Mat Stack #1
Buttons: Dress It Up
Twine: PTI

Papertrey Paper Dolls Challenge #3

I was determined to get my card uploaded in time this week, LOL, and it looks like I did it (whew!). I do not do CAS naturally, so I was eager to give this sketch a try to stretch my boundaries. I made a teeny little card (about 3.75"x3.75") to fit in PTI's 4"x4" envelopes. I hesitate to say how long this took me, but let's just say that smaller does not mean shorter in my creative space! You can't really see it in the picture, but on the Enchanted Evening layer is debossing from PTI's Tin Types Impression Plate, with some glitter in each of the round depressions. Trust me, it looks cute in person! :-D

Supplies
Stamp: PTI--Piece of Cake
Paper: PTI--Enchanted Evening; stash
Ink: PTI--Ocean Tides
Ribbon: PTI--Enchanted Evening
Button: Stash
Punch: Corner Chomper
Debossing Plate: PTI--Tin Types
Pen: Sakura--Gelly Roll Clear Glitter

Mother's Day

Here is the card I made my mom for Mother's Day yesterday. In the end I was very happy with it (and she loved it, of course, but then she's required to by law since she's my mother!), but you should have seen me struggle with the creative process making it! I had this vision in my head of Ocean Tides and Sweet Blush, a certain CHF background stamp, some crystalline embossing powder . . . and as I started making card components with those supplies, I could tell right from the start that it wasn't working. Did I immediately stop and begin with a new idea? Nope! I stubbornly kept trying to make it work--do any of you do that? I kept thinking I could "save" the idea. I finally gave up a few days later and set the salvageable parts aside for another project and started over. The only thing I kept was the Ocean Tides layer that is punched all around with a border punch (in its plain state). This second idea just flowed, so I wish I had wised up a lot sooner! :-)

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Boxes, Bags & Tags (on the inside and the envelope), Turning a New Leaf; Verve--Because of You (on the inside)
Paper: PTI--Ocean Tides, Rustic White, Tea Leaves PP
Ink: PTI--Ocean Tides, Tea Dye Duo; Versafine--Onyx Black
Ribbon: Stash
Flowers: Prima
Pearls: Recollections
Border Punch: Fiskars
Misc: Spellbinders die, sewing machine, ScorPal

Mojo Monday

And now for some Verve-y goodness! I've always wanted to say that. Okay, not always, but since I first discovered Verve stamps! I decided to try the Mojo Monday sketch for the first time--just because I liked it--and here is my entry. It's actually a pretty tiny card, smaller than an A2 (is that the standard smallish size?). I used yellow, black, and white, and Verve's newish Let It Shine stamp set. Oh, and a Corner Chomper--a new toy!

Supplies
Stamps: Verve--Let It Shine
Paper: PTI--Lemon Tart; stash
Ink: Versafine--Onyx Black
Copics: YO2 & Y17
Buttons: PTI--Lemon Tart; stash
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug
Brads: Basic Grey
Spellbinders Oval

Be Still . . .

This was a rare thing . . . a spontaneous card! I was flipping through my folder of purple scraps and I just felt an urge to use the sparkly background paper. Then I found a sparkly flower that matched the pink perfectly, and the stamp already sitting on the table . . . and I had a card. I used an embossing pen for the sparkly embossing powder around the edge of the purple flower layer and it worked great! I had to do it in stages as I thought the fluid might dry too much if I did the whole flower at once. Add some ric rac and a border punch and I was done. Simple and easy, but it will be nice to have in the old card stash for whenever I might need it.

Supplies
Stamp: Verve--Psalm 46:10
Paper: PTI Spring Rain, stash
Ric Rac: Stash
Flowers: Doodlebug Design, Prima
Rhinestone: Recollections (you can't tell in the picture, but it's the borealis kind--love those!)
Embossing Powder: Stampendous--Crystal
Border Punch: EK Success LE
Ink: Ranger--Dusty Concord; Versafine--Onyx Black
Die: Spellbinders--Blossom

Papertrey Paper Dolls Challenge #2

Here's my card for the Papertrey Paper Dolls Challenge #2! I loved this sketch and knew what I wanted to do immediately--and that just doesn't happen to me often, I'm more of a by-the-seat-of-my-pants card maker. :-D I had gotten some Zoe Pearn patterned paper as a free "thank you" throw-in with an online order and I fell in love with it. The colors and retro style remind me of the decor in the bedroom my sister and I shared as kids in the '70s. Our sheets were the colors of the viney paper, only with Raggedy Ann and Andy on them, with avocado green bedspreads. Our closet doors were painted reddish-orange. We had (and my sister still has in a storage closet) a toy chest of these colors with a flowered pattern just like the accent flowers. Guess who I'm going to send this card to? She is going to laugh when it arrives because she will immediately get it! I love sharing a brain with my sister, LOL! I had fun with the stitching and want to remember to do that more often. Thanks for letting me play along Paper Dolls!

Supplies
Stamps: A Muse--Tiny Flowers Letters; PTI--Polka Dot Basics
Paper: PP--Bloom & Grow by Zoe Pearn; PTI--Vintage Cream, New Leaf, Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate
Ink: Versamark; Ranger--Antique Linen
Crystal Lacquer (on the flowers): Sakura
Ribbon: PTI--Summer Sunrise
Buttons: PTI--New Leaf, Hawaiian Shores, Summer Sunrise.
Other: Sewing Machine

Sympathy Card

Well, unfortunately, this card is for the husband of the woman I made the "With Appreciation" card for. Today was the date of her retirement party, and she died yesterday. Things went downhill fast. She sure is going to be missed. You know, I have made more sympathy cards in the last year than ever in my life. I'm just glad that stamp companies make sympathy sets. It makes a tough task much easier. I picked a funky time of day to photograph this card, it's a bit washed out, sorry about that. Maybe I should get one of those photo box thingees. Anyone have one? What do you think? If not, how do you get that soft light that doesn't make the cards look so stark? Any tips are appreciated!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Text Boxed, With Sympathy (inside sentiment), and Beyond Basic Borders.
Paper: PTI--Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, and Rustic White, stash.
Embossing Folder: PTI--Woodgrain.
Ink: Ranger--Peeled Paint, Versamark--Vintage Sepia, Versacolor--Sand Beige
Embossing Powder: Ranger--Clear and Peeled Paint.
Button: Stash
Twine: PTI Rustic White