Happy Valentine's Day!

A long-anticipated day that I have actually been working on in advance! Well, the treat boxes, yes, the Valentines, no.

Here are the Valentines that my 5-yr-old son and I made the night before (last night). Taylor signed every one of them!

Here is a closeup on an individual.

I kept it super simple using Hearts and Scalloped Hearts Spellbinders as well as Double-Ended Banners from PTI. The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn's My Silly Valentine stamp set. It's hard to tell but I filled in the little heart above the "i" with a red Copic.

These treat boxes took a considerable amount of time and I can't say that I would do it again. Stefanie helped me to assemble the boxes, thankfully! After filling baggies with assorted treats, I stuffed them in the boxes, added ribbon, twine and button! I meant to use Hibiscus Burst ribbon to coordinate with the scalloped circle but forgot and followed my initial prototype, which used Pure Poppy ribbon. Oh, well...

These were cut using Kraft cardstock and the Favor It Box 3 die from Papertrey Ink. Before assembling, I stamped them with Background Basics: Hearts.

I know the kids will probably care more about the treats inside than the packaging but it was, I guess, good for experience!

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies--all Papertrey Ink unless noted}

Valentines

• Cardstock: Stamper's Select
• Patterned Paper: Simple Valentine
• Stamps: My Silly Valentine (Lawn Fawn)
• Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
• Copic: R29 Lipstick Red
• Dies: Hearts and Scalloped Hearts (Spellbinders), Double-Ended Banners
• Other Tools: glue and dimensional adhesive

Treat Boxes

• Cardstock: Kraft, Hibiscus Burst
• Patterned Paper: Simple Valentine
• Stamps: Background Basics: Hearts
• Ink: Pure Poppy
• Ribbon: Pure Poppy saddle stitch
• Felt: Pure Poppy
• Buttons: Cream and White mix
• Die: Heart Prints
• Other Tools: Rustic Jute Twine, 1-3/4" circle punch, 2" scalloped circle punch

PTI Make It Monday

Papertrey Ink first announced Make It Monday on their 3rd Anniversary celebration (last year) here. Unfortunately, due to website conversion issues, they were unable to go ahead with it. During this year's 4th Anniversary celebration, it was announced that they will be going ahead with Make It Monday, despite the fact that their new website is not yet up and running.

The challenge is to make a Go-To Sentiment card as demonstrated by Erin Lincoln in the video (post linked above).  I immediately drew a sketch (based off of my card here) with a specific color combo in mind, though as I finally sat down to create my card, it changed here and there... Here is what I came up with:

I used a Smokey Shadow card base, some Happy Spots patterned paper and Lavender Moon Swiss Dot ribbon to make this birthday card for a friend. The patterned paper and ribbon look much more similar in person.

First, I impressed the base with By the Numbers. To stamp the sentiments, I laid them out on a grid pattern and then placed my block over all of them at once. I inked them up with Smokey Shadow and only had to stamp once (on Soft Stone cardstock) to create my background.

I added a strip of Smokey Shadow cardstock and then a layer of Happy Spots cut with the Victorian Lace border die. I added some mini paper roses I found on sale at Michaels, which remind me of the new Royal Velvet color collection being released at Papertrey this month. I made the fluffy, two-looped bow using my Bow Easy.

It wouldn't be a post from myself unless I critiqued my efforts somewhat... Looking at the card now, I believe I should have inked the edges of the Soft Stone cardstock with the Smokey Shadow ink... Maybe "popped" one of the sentiments out by using a purple ink... What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies--all Papertrey Ink unless noted}

• Cardstock: Smokey Shadow, Soft Stone
• Patterned Paper: Happy Spots
• Stamps: Birthday Basics, Birthday Bash Sentiments
• Ink: Smokey Shadow
• Impression Plate: By the Numbers
• Die: Victorian Lace border
• Other Tools: Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Bow Easy (Posi-Bendr)

Wishing You Sunshine

I made this card recently for a former coworker who is moving to a beautiful home on the West coast.

I cut the "ocean" waves with my Cricut, using my Gypsy to weld a rectangle (Plantin Schoolbook) to the original wave strip (Life is a Beach). My original plan started by embossing the "ocean" waves with the D'vine Swirl embossing folder and then heat embossing Kaleidoscope powder on the ridges... It didn't turn out very well since the Versamark pad inked the valleys as well as the ridges. So I flipped the waves over and used the debossed side, using a Sakura Stardust gel pen to fill in the depressions and create glimmery water.

I embossed the clouds with the same folder as the water, leaving the embossed side up. The sun was stamped and cut out and then covered in Crackle Accents.

I meant to impress the sky with the Canvas impression plate but forgot. :(

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies--all Papertrey Ink unless noted}

• Cardstock: Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, Enchanted Evening, Stamper's Select
• Stamps: Up, Up and Away (sun and cloud), Scattered Showers (sentiment)
• Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko), Tuxedo Black (Memento)
• Cricut Cartridges (Provo Craft): Plantin Schoolbook, Life is a Beach
• Dies: Cloud 1 and 2
• Other Tools: Crackle Accents (Ranger), Stardust gel pen (Sakura)

Playing in Paradise: Owl Inspiration

Hi and welcome to my contribution to this week's Playing in Paradise challenge at the Scrapbooker's Paradise blog! This week, designer Ally Cope provided us with some owl inspiration!

I saw all that cute fluffy goodness and immediately thought of Flower Soft! So here's my cute fluffy owl!

I used mostly my Cricut for this card. The Create-a-Critter cartridge has so many adorable images! I planned out the cuts on my Gypsy and assembled it using my Xyrons. The sparkly green was done with Lime Green Stickles. The branch and leaves were inked with Walnut Stain and Peeled Paint Tim Holtz Distress Inks. The card base was done using cloud masks and the Copic Airbrush System with B00 Copic Sketch marker. One corner was rounded using the We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper. I tried to make the eyes pop a bit more by using a Sakura Stardust pen in them.

The winner of the challenge will get to play along with us on the next challenge!

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies}

• Cardstock: white card base (Recollections), assorted Bazzill Basics
• Stamps: Simple Alphabet (Papertrey Ink)
• Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko), Walnut Stain and Peeled Paint (Tim Holtz Distress Ink)
• Cricut Cartridge: Create-a-Critter
• Other Tools: white embossing powder (Filigree), B00 Copic Sketch marker, Copic airbrush system, cloud dies (Papertrey Ink), Stardust gel pen (Sakura), Nut Brown Flower Soft, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), white gel pen (Signo)

Valentine Series - Little Mouse

It has been a while since I've been able to post on the blog. I'm now settled in Victoria, BC, in my parents home for now and have been applying for jobs. Finding employment is a long slow process requiring hard work. I do miss being able to craft and create and at this time I am envious of others who can do it.

I did save a draft for the final Valentine cards series for this year. I just hadn't gotten around to completing it so that I could post it. But, finally, here it is!

Isn't the little mouse so cute! This is one of my favorites from this year's Valentine series of cards. I made this one especially for my Mom and Dad. I see it nearly every morning on the top shelf of my closet space anticipating the day I give it. The unfortunate thing is that I didn't write down all the pertinent information like names of the tools and stamps used for this card, and I can't remember them now. But, I'm sure some of you will recognize the Cuttlebug folder used here and the Hero Arts Stamp, too.

I used Fantastix, dabbing them directly on the ink pad, to create a more soft blurred coloring effect of the stamped image, and even used white chalk ink for the daises. The little pink blossom centers I filled with yellow Liquid Pearls.

I can't wait to give it to my parents on the 14th!

Well, happy creating to you all and let me know what you think of my cute little mouse, OK.

Totally Hues Challenge #1

Heather P of {Witty Title Here} is known for her smashingly bold color combos. To my utter delight, she has started a challenge series known as Totally Hues!

Her first challenge:

Isn't that logo divine?

I totally planned to participate, but with projects and deadlines hanging (what seems like) all over me, I thought it'd be later than sooner.

However, I couldn't get the colors out of my head and am even now still getting ideas!

So, this is what I ended up with... I like parts of it, but not the whole "picture" (sorry about the quality...).

My Hibiscus Burst ink is one of those PTI ones that never worked well... Same goes with the Simply Chartreuse, which looks gray. Grr.

I could probably save this card by removing the sentiment panel (Mat Stack 4 and Fillable Frame #8) and just stamping a sentiment on the white square. I'll probably end up doing that, if the dimensional adhesive doesn't do any damage to it upon removal... I'll use the rhinestones to keep the Harvest Gold on the card...

The large mum was stamped on Hibiscus Burst cardstock and then colored with RV13 and RV 14 Copics... my lazy method.

Hope something on this inspires you! ;)

[Addendum: I fixed this card here.]

{Supplies--all Papertrey Ink unless noted}

• Cardstock: Simply Chartreuse, Hawaiian Shores, Hibiscus Burst, Stamper's Select
• Stamps: Year of Flowers: Mums, Fillable Frames #8, Polka Dot Basics II
• Ink: Hibiscus Burst, Simply Chartreuse, Versamark (Tsukineko)
• Ribbon: Harvest Gold Bitty Dot
• Dies: Mat Stack 4, Fillable Frames #8
• Other Tools: clear embossing powder (Filigree), sewing machine/white thread, RV13 and RV14 Copics, rhinestones (colored with YR23 and YR24 Copics)

Fav Papertrey Project from 2010

Throughout these Papertrey Ink anniversary festivities, they're posting their fav projects of 2010... I did a Best of 2010 post here, but this was my favorite Papertrey project of the bunch!

Original post here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Playing in Paradise Design Team and My 1st Challenge!

Scrapbooker's Paradise recently put out a design team call for their blog. They have weekly challenges known as Playing in Paradise. Out of 70 applicants, I, along with a handful of others, were chosen to be design team members! How thrilling is that!?!

Our first challenge is the Scrapbooker's Paradise logo colors: green, burgundy and gold-yellow.

There is a prize for participating in this challenge! A package from Imaginisce's new Animal Crackers collection! (You can see the entire collection here, though the prize is only products from the line, not the entire line.) The winner will also get to play along with the design team for the next challenge as our Paradise Player! ;)

You have until Thursday, February 10th at noon MST to create and link your project on the Scrapbooker's Paradise challenge blog post!

Here is my project using these colors:

I meant to use Core'dinations for the card base and then sand the pattern to add some distressed visual interest but forgot... :| Otherwise, I'm quite happy with how this turned out! (Will use a white backdrop next time as well...)

I dry embossed the card base with the Seeing Spots folder (Cuttlebug) and then added the sentiment panel, which was created with Spellbinders (Eyelet Circles and Circles) and some Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Old Paper). The stamp is from Shabby Green Door.

The gold-yellow strip was scored using my Scor-Pal and then distress inked with Scattered Straw. I didn't have burgundy tulle but I had white tulle and Copics! I used R89 Dark Red to color the tulle! I tied it to the strip and added a dark green button. It wasn't enough... I added the pearl and was happy!

Please check out my team members' stunning projects!

Julie Dinn
Carla Peicheff
Allison Cope
Allison Fillo
Karan Gerber

Thank you for stopping by!

{Supplies}

• Cardstock: Pinefeather, Stamper's Select, Scarlet Jewel, Harvest Gold (PTI)
• Stamps: Merci Beaucoup (Shabby Green Door)
• Ink: Old Paper and Scattered Straw (Tim Holtz Distress Ink), Scarlet Jewel (PTI)
• Dies: Eyelet Circles and Standard Circles (Spellbinders), Edgers #1 (PTI)
• Embossing Folder: Seeing Spots (Cuttlebug)
• Other Tools: Scor-Pal, tulle, R89 Copic, ink blending foam (Ranger Inkssentials), Cuttlebug (Provocraft)

Valentine Series - Fancy Tag

Well here is the sixth card of the Valentines series, and it's not so CAS. The only thing that wasn't left over from a previous class (the white Spellbinders pieces) or from my scraps is the beautiful pearlized & metalic paper from DCWV's Luxury Stack. Believe it or not, the beautiful multi-colored sheer ribbon was a Dollar store purchase. I love the large pearl brad in the center of the bow, too.

In the photo on the left you can see how the layers are all popped up.
I do have one more card from this set of cards to show you. I love it for many reasons, and it too, isn't really a real CAS card. Check it out soon. Hope you're mojo is in good gear and you're having fun crafting because at this point I won't be able to join you in the fun of it. I'm jealous, but my heart is with you in your joy of creating.

Valentine Series - Corner Crop & Pearls

This fifth card of the Valentines series is one that I particularly like. It's simple but still lends itself to a little flourish. I used Martha Stewart's Deco Fan Corner punch in each corner and added the red and white pearls.The smaller of the Spellbinders hearts, the red patterned hearts are popped up on the larger red hearts. And there you have it. Easy, right?

Well, I have to share a funny secret with you. When I completed the card I found that I had placed everything onto the front of the card upside down!! I don't recall ever having done that before! So, I ended up cutting the card on the fold and mounting it onto a black card base which you can't see from the front. You can see it on the inside of the card since I trimmed a little off the edges for that reason. Have  you ever done that? Put everything on the front upside down?

This evening I'm on my way to Victoria.Wow! Has this month ever flown by.  I do have a couple more cards to show you, but just to let you know I did stray a little from the CAS goal, but, they're not too elaborate. So check in and see what I did with them. Happy crafting!