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Thursday, March 8, 2018

Congratulations - Boy Baby Shower

Hi and Happy Thursday! We are so close to Friday, which means a chance to catch my breath... We're heading out of town for the weekend just to relax as a family and I can't wait!  While we're away, I'll be missing a baby shower for a friend of mine at church.  She's having a boy, so I'll be sending this along for her:
This was one of those cards where I had all the pieces made, then tried a bunch of different layouts before deciding on one - I think it turned out ok :)
The stamp is from Stampin' Up's Flying Home set, colored up with my Copics.  The Sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Banner Style set.
The burlap/trim are from my stash - no 3D foam dots or sequins on this one, so I'm adding some depth with the thicker ribbons.
I'm happy with the way it all came together - Have a crafty day, friends!

About this Card:
Card Base - Papertrey Ink Classic Kraft
Patterned Paper - DCWV Watercolor 12x12 Stack
Bird Stamp - Stampin' Up Flying Home
Sentiment - Papertrey Ink Banner Style Stamp/die
Copics - E13, E15, E33, E35, BG10, BG13, BG15, YR21, YG63, YG67
Stitched Circle Dies, Ribbon, Trim

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Cheering For You!

Hello from PA!  We have a second Nor'easter coming through our area over the next couple of days, which means we will be home bound for a day or two.  I hope some of that time can be spent making cards!  Meanwhile out in Indiana, a sweet friend of mine had bilateral hip replacement surgery yesterday, so she needs a MAJOR pick-me-up after that!  She and I have known each other since we were 11, when we became penpals through a sticker collecting club - it's a neat story.

Moving on, she was a cheerleader in high school and could use some cheering up herself right now, so I made this for her:
Let me tell you what a game-changer the Sizzix Framelits Triple Circle Flip-Its die is!  I've literally had this for over 2 years and never used it... I had these cute little pandas from Clearly Besotted and knew they needed to be showcased... they're a match made in my craft room!
The Die set includes lots of options for building up the 3 circles - I chose the fitted scallop circle with a slightly smaller dotted circle as my mat for each circle.  I used my Brother Scan N Cut to cut out my pandas since I don't have the dies, and I colored the little cuties with Copics.

 Of course I popped each panda out with a 3D foam dot!

 This card took me less than an hour from start to finish - these Sizzix dies are a GAME CHANGER!  The only thing I'm not crazy about was not having a great space to write in.  I put a mat on the back, but others may want to hide the writing part.
Wishing her a speedy recovery as we will be spending a week with her family in June and plan on doing lots of fun things together!  Hopefully everyone stays safe if you're in the weather pattern this week - stay warm and be crafty!!

About this Card:
Card Base: Neenah Solar White cardstock
Patterned Paper: Love by Nicole (ACMoore)
Copics: R81, R83, R85


Wednesday, February 28, 2018

With Sympathy

Good Afternoon Friends,

I've finally recovered from all of the challenge cards I made 2 weeks ago :)  I've been plugging along, I just haven't been real good about posting here.

I always seem to be caught off guard when it comes to sympathy cards - I don't like to have them pre-made, because I feel like a note expressing sorrow should have a personal touch of some kind.  I like to made these on an "as needed" occasion.

My friend's grandmother passed away last week, so I pulled together this card for her family:
I had a friend in a Facebook group ask if I would make her some die cuts of the Papertrey Ink Beautiful Berries: Spring set, so I stamped/cut out a few for practice.  This one came out nicely, so I used it as my top accent piece and tied a little twine around the stem.
I used white cardstock for the base and Papertrey Ink patterned paper.  The purple mat is cut from Papertrey Ink's Mix & Mat: Pretty Brackets Die (I LOVE these dies btw...)
I topped the mats with a simple 4" white doily (seriously got these in the baking aisle - Wilton brand) and stamped my sentiment.
And that's it! Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day!

About This Card:
Base - Neenah Solar White cardstock
Patterned Paper - Papertrey Ink
Doily - Wilton Baking Supplies
Ink - Papertrey Ink New Leaf, Green Parakeet, Royal Velvet, Amethyst Allure
Sentiment - BoBunny

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Papertrey Ink Color Challenge

Happy Valentine's Day!

While the world is busy turning RED today, I've been busy playing along with Papertrey's latest challenge - it's a color challenge!  We were given 9 different color combinations to choose from, so I chose this palate:
I had most of these ink colors, so I decided to do lots of stamping for my card:
This card was so easy - I loved using my Circle Scribbles Papertrey Ink stamp set to randomly stamp out the background, intentionally leaving some blank space for my sentiment.

You know me - if I'm not popping an element out on 3D foam squares, then I'm adding sequins!  I didn't want them to be too random, so I used like colored sequins on some of the stamped scribbles.
 My sentiment is the Thanks die from Papertrey - Big Basics: Thanks.
And I revisited an old favorite embellishment - STICKLES!  Just a touch on some of the letter tips.

I had a blast playing along with this month's challenges - I think there's at least one more, so come join us for some fun!

About this Card:
Card Base: Papertrey Ink Basic Black
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Circle Scribbles
Die: Papertrey Ink Big Basics: Thanks
Ink: Papertrey Ink Pure Poppy, Orange Zest, Harvest Gold, Green Parakeet, Hawaiian Shores & Amethyst Allure

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Wish Big! Papertrey Ink's No-Stamp Challenge

Happy Fat Tuesday!

I haven't had my faschnaut yet today (if you don't know what one is, google it - yum!) but I had a lite lunch in expectation of having one or 2 tonight!!

Day 7 of Papertrey Ink's 11th Anniversary Party has challenged us to make a card using ONLY dies - NO stamps... So here we go:
In my mind, this project was just 'meh' for me... but once I got creating, some awesome things started coming together.  I am grateful that we had to think outside of stamps to bring our projects to life.  I've got lots going on here...
I used the recently-released Confetti Mix & Match die set by Papertrey - These are my new favorite dies for a quick go-to cut to establish depth on a card.  The 3-die-set produced the scalloped mat edge, the embossed crepe-paper-effect border, and the white confetti middle (I detached that die and cut out on a different color for more pop).
I embossed my card base with a pattern that helped pull some of those little confetti bits closer to the outside.

I then added some clear 'confetti' (sequins) to 2 opposite corners for some 3D 'popping'.  I wanted it to add emphasis to the angle of the sentiment, so I chose the 2 corners in that line of sight.
My sentiment is the Big Basics: Wish Big Die, also from Papertrey - I substituted black sequins for the 'i' dots.
The very top of my card didn't pick up the embossing, so I finished it off with a thin strip of black glitter washi tape - I love how it accents the color of the sentiment.

Have I inspired you?  Come play along - there's still time to enter for your chance at some big prizes!

About this Card:
Card Base: Papertrey Ink Raspberry Fizz
Embossing Folder: Darice
Mat Dies: Papertrey Ink Mix & Mat: Confetti
Sentiment: Papertrey Ink: Big Basics: Wish Big die
Sequins (clear & black), Washi Tape

Monday, February 12, 2018

Papertrey Ink - Retiring Sets Challenge

Hi Again!

I'm back with yest another challenge entry for Papertrey Ink's 11th Anniversary.  Papertrey just announced a TON of sets that they will be retiring in May (hint, hint - go grab them now!), and the challenge this day was to create a project using one of the retiring sets.  I thought I was so sad to see that the 'You're A Gem' set is retiring, BUT IT'S OK... Because I own it - PHEW!!  Here's what I put together using You're A Gem from Papertrey Ink:
I love the look of a card with a black base - everything from there just POPS!  I used the coordinating dies to make complementing diamonds, and found the PERFECT paper to use as a background - it's from DCWV's Razzle Dazzle 12x12 stack.

I added some glossy accents to the diamonds, and put a few sequins on the base for some extra sparkle!

There's still time to play along with a bunch of wonderful people from Papertrey - Come join us!

About this Card:
Card Base: Papertrey Ink True Black cardstock
Patterned Paper: DCWV Razzle Dazzle Stack
Stamps/Dies: Papertrey Ink You're A Gem
Sequins, Glossy Accents

Papertrey Ink - 11th Anniversary Challenges Continue - FLORALS!

Good Morning Everyone!

Thanks for stopping by :)  Today I am continuing to play along with the next challenge on Papertrey Ink's blog in celebration of their 11th Anniversary.  Today's post in my entry for their Floral Challenge - Pull out your favorite floral set and use it.  Here is the card I made over the weekend for this challenge:

I used Papertrey Ink's Stemmed Statements stamp/die set for this card - I chose the Poppy because poppies are one of my favorite flowers.  I fell in love with this set when it was released because I know the flowers would be beautiful when colored with Copics.
I matted the flower on 2 Nestabilities plates and embossed the top one with some simple dots.


The patterned paper is from DCWV's Watercolor Garden 12x12 stack - I love the foil highlights on it!


The stamp set gives you the flexibility of putting your choice of over 20 words on the small tag - I chose Celebrate today because I'm sending this card to a good friend for her birthday.

Thanks again for the visit - If you're looking for inspiration, the Papertrey Ink blog is a great place to start.  Have a great day!

About this Card:
Card Base - Papertrey Ink Pure Poppy
Patterned Paper - DCWV Watercolor Garden
Nestabilities - Labels 4
Cuttlebug - Embossing Folder Swiss Dots
Stamp/Die Set - Papertrey Ink Stemmed Statements
Copics - 100, Y38, Y35, G14, G16, G19, R35, R37, R39

Friday, February 9, 2018

Papertrey Ink - 11th Anniversary Party Projects

Good Morning Friends!

Hopefully the next few posts will inspire you, as I will be playing along with Papertrey Ink's 11th Anniversary party challenges.  Their Day 1 Challenge is a sketch challenge - We could pick 1 of 10 sketches from the design team to use as inspiration for our own project.  I needed to use at least 1 Papertrey Stamp/Die set as well.  I LOVE Dawn McVey's work at PTI, so I chose her sketch and came up with the following:


I found the pink woodgrain base paper in a DCWV stack called The All About Girls Stack.  I cut the lacy oval from a Spellbinders Nestabilities set, and used 2 Papertrey Ink sets for the rest - Gran's Garden for the flowers, and Direct Messages for the sentiment.

This was my first time using Gran's Garden - the stamp layers were really easy to line up, and since each flower is only 3 steps including the middle, it's easy to pick great color combinations for the bouquets.
The Direct Messages sentiments are PERFECT for when you need to squeeze some words into a tight space.
You can see the Gran's Garden stamps here, with an assembled picture below - I'll definitely be using this set again soon!  I also used an array of Papertrey inks for my stamping.

If you're craving some inspiration, hop on over to Papertrey's blog and play along with us!

Have a great & crafty weekend!

About This Card:
Card Base: DCWV stack called The All About Girls Stack
Nestabilities Scalloped Oval
Stamps/Dies - Papertrey Ink Gran's Garden
Sentiment - Papertrey Ink Direct Messages
Ink - Papertrey Ink New Leaf, Pale Peony, Hibiscus Burst, Berry Sorbet, Autumn Rose, Scarlet Jewel & Cocoa Bean



Monday, February 5, 2018

It's Monday, and I'm "Dragon"!

Good Morning Friends :)

It's Monday morning here in Southeastern PA, and in case you haven't heard, we won a football game last night that was kind of a HUGE deal!! As a lifelong Eagles fan, I'm going to ride this wave for a while.  I stayed up extra late watching the BIG episode of This Is Us, so today I'm 'dragon'!

Speaking of dragons, I wanted to share these cute ones with you:

I've had this stamp set for a while - Taylored Expressions Magical Day.  I used it to make cupcake toppers for my daughter's birthday last year, but this is the first card I've made with them - I think they're so cute!

I used patterned paper (DCWV - Watercolor) with some foil for some shine:


I had a blast coloring these little dragons with my Copics, pairing them with some clouds, and popping them out with foam dots:



I'm entering this card into Die Cuttin Divas Challenge #354 - Anything Goes - Make sure to stop by and see all the pretties that everyone is making over there!

I hope whoever gets this card has a Magical Day!!

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you have a magical day as well!

About this Card:
Card Base - Papertrey Ink Harvest Sunrise
Patterned Paper - DCWV Watercolor Stack
Stamps/Dies - Taylored Expressions Magical Day
Copics, Cloud Dies, Memento Ink Tuxedo Black, 3D Foam Dots

Monday, January 29, 2018

Spring Woods Sympathy

Happy Monday, Friends.

I was greeted at work this morning by the news that my boss had just lost his Father-In-Law.  I am close with him and his wife, so a handmade card (plus some baked goods) are definitely in order!  Keeping with my New Year's resolution to USE EVERYTHING I ALREADY OWN and cut back on buying, I hit my stash and found the perfect set that I fell in love with last year - Papertrey Ink's Spring Woods.  Here's how it turned out:
I love birds! This pretty gold finch is bright and peaceful, and I think he will deliver a warm message of sympathy to my friends.  I didn't want it to be too 'busy'... less is more with Sympathy cards, so I found this trio of ribbons to add something without being flashy:
 I love the look of the layered stitched circles:
And my trademark finishing touch (the mailman hates me) is popping something out with foam squares - in this case, my gold finch!


This set was so easy to use - the multiple layers were easy to line up with my MISTI - I am happy I decided to pull out this set and use it - Now I can't wait to use it again!

Thanks for  looking - Have a great week!


About this card:
Card Base: Papertrey Ink Stamper's Select White
Patterned Paper: DCWV Fresh Floral Stack
Stamps: Bird & Branch - Papertrey Ink Spring Woods
Stamps: Sentiment - Papertrey Ink Comfort Food
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black & Dandelion; Papertrey Ink New Leaf
Cocoa Bean & Summer Sunrise
Stitched Circle Dies, Ribbons, MISTI, 3D Foam Squares

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Houston, We Have Cuteness!

Hello Crafty Friends!

Today I'm sharing with you, my first ever entry into a "My Favorite Things" weekly challenge.  This week's sketch challenge was to create my own take on this sketch:

I have quite a few "My Favorite Things" stamp sets that I haven't used yet, so I cracked open my BB Space Explorer set and got to work!

Isn't he cute?? I needed a card for a special boy, who is not a relative, for Valentine's day and this card will be perfect for him!  I colored our little astronaut with my Copics, trying to pull in the aqua color from the patterned paper I chose.  I also included a sheet of acetate for a window effect:
I found the most amazing 12x12 pad of patterned paper on the Hot Buy rack at Michael's recently - it's made by "Craft Smith" and the pad name was "AURORA" - lots of space and gem patterns, which were just PERFECT for this card.

For a little extra dimension, I popped my sentiment out with foam squares:

While still not perfect, I'm happy to see improvement with my coloring... practice is definitely essential with Copics!
I had a lot of fun getting creative with this sketch - I hope to do more in the near future.  Any time I can get a creative boost with a sketch or a color combo, it helps me get started.  If you want to play along, the challenge can be found here.  You have till Tuesday 1/30/18 at Noon EST to enter your card.

Have a great week - Make something BEAUTIFUL!

About this Card:
Card Base: Papertrey Ink Cardstock in "Pure Black"
Patterned Paper: Craft Smith "Aurora" pad (Michael's)
Stamps: My Favorite Things "BB Space Explorer"
Copics: E00, E31, Y00, Y02, Y06, BG10, BG13, BG15, BG18, C1
Stitched Circle Dies, Acetate Sheet, Sequin Stars, Adhesive Foam Squares