PTI Moment: Debbie Olsen

 I post Debbie Olsen cards fairly often here... She's just so darn talented!!

Today's card is one that uses several of her endorsed products: Spellbinders, Zva Creative, Copics and, lest we forget, Papertrey Ink!


I love the embossed border around the center label... I keep forgetting that possibility with my Spellbinders!!

Thanks, Debbie! We love you!!

Craft Gossip Etsy Giveaway!

I hardly ever look at Etsy because I know they have beautiful, handmade things and I just don't want to have that sort of temptation!! BUT, Craft Gossip is hosting an Etsy giveaway!! Three people will win $100 shopping sprees on Etsy, shipping paid!

So I checked out Etsy...

Two vendors on the front page caught my eye: Brydferth (handmade fabric rosettes--visit her... you'll be glad you did!) and Jude McConkey (fine art photography--my fav here!). I also already had FuDiCrochet in my Favorites...

After extensive perusal, I made up my <= $100 wishlist (all prices US):
I have something very special in mind with the 3 bracelets. The bobby pin is for my own use and the rest... card embellishments!

I find myself once again in complete awe of the talent existing in this world!! Thank you, handcrafters, and thank you, Craft Gossip!!

Mr & Mrs: In Gold


I finally pulled out some fancy papers to make a few simple cards... I couldn't find my gold cardstock so I went with PTI's more shimmery variety of gold cardstock (not quite the same ;) ). Anyway, the only thing that I want to show off about this card is the gold embossing I did on the interior...


{Supplies--all PTI unless noted}
  • Cardstock: gold shimmer, Vintage Cream, cream card base (Recollections)
  • Patterned Paper: Fiskars Foiled Cardstock - Blooming Love/Etched Flourishes by Kimberly Poloson
  • Stamps: Big & Bold Wishes, Heartfelt Basics
  • Ink: Versamark, Desert Sand (Memento)
  • Dies: Spellbinders Mega Oval, Spellbinders Scalloped Mega Oval
  • Other: gold embossing powder

Happy Blogoversary, ATC!

We had a wonderful response to our blog candy giveaway post!


Without further ado, the winner, selected with random.org is comment #17!
(I did a Print Screen shot of the random number drawing but, after cropping it in Word, couldn't get it into this post... Anyone know how to do this??)

Jinny Newlin said...

Ooo! Yummy! I'd love to win that display! I just got a chance to look around here and am now a follower. So many gorgeous things to look at! Thanks so much for the kind congrats you left on my blog!
August 27, 2010 4:57 PM
Congratulations, Jinny!! We will contact you by email to get your mailing address!

Thanks to all for participating!
ATC Team

A Little Something For the Men

In preparing stock for the Calgary Market Card Sale we had, I realized that I mustn't forget to make a few cards that could easily be given to men. So this posting will feature the designs for masculine cards created.

This first set of four cards are based on the same paper and 6" square sized card with variations. I made a total of eight of these.


The cut out and popped up flourish you see in the next four cards is from  s.e.i's Bridgeport clear stamps. The first two I prefer over the last two you see here. After making a couple cards by popping the flourish up, I just felt that the flourish wasn't quite right. I then took my favorite VersaFine Vintage Sepia ink and ink distressed it. I'm much happier with the look of the flourish now, and you see it here on the first two cards. It reminds me of some of the hand carved flourishes found on antique handcrafted furniture, and very befitting a man - don't you think?





I hand cut 10 of these flourishes. It took a little time, but to me it was worth it; especially once I ink distressed them.


This next set of masculine cards is also all the same sized card, A2s, and using the same paper on each, all with variations in layout and two sentiments.





This next A7 card is made with scraps, and purchased embellishments that have been sitting in my bins for quite a while.You will note there is also a handcrafted envelope (Which I have done for most of the cards made for the Craft Fair Sale). It is a good way to use up all the paper from non-cardstock paper from the large pads of paper one buys.


This next card I thought could be either a masculine or feminine card, but opted to go with masculine. I created it using scraps left over from a class I taught at Scrapbookers Paradise. I used a gold gel pen to create a sophisticated look with a border around the edge of the card. With gold Liquid Pearls I embellished the corners on the green cardstock.


These next two cards are again made using scraps leftover from a class I taught. And, since the flourish stamp is new, and I like it, I used it again. I may have gone a little overboard with the brads, but I wanted to create a masculine feel to the cards.











So these are some of the masculine cards I made for the Calgary Market Fair.



Blog Candy Giveaway for ATC's Blogoversary!

**This contest is now closed.

On Monday, August 30th, Aspiring to Creativity will be celebrating its first Blogoversary! In honor of this momentous occasion, we have put together a lovely bit of blog candy for our followers!


Included are:
To qualify for an entry in this random drawing, all you have to do is become a follower of this blog and leave a comment on this post! If you are already a follower, just leave a comment on this post. Feel free to mention this giveaway on your blog!

Also feel free to subscribe to our emails!

Optional: Also, come on over to Stamping Vacation and become a follower! Leave a comment on any post saying Dana referred you! Every referral helps me in the Design Team running for a $25 gift certificate to anywhere! Thanks!

This contest ends Monday, August 30th at 11:59pm Mountain Time. 

Thanks for visiting!
ATC Team

P.S. Be sure to check our ATC Glimmer Challenge 2 here! Winner receives a $20 WPlus9 Design Studio gift certificate!

Stamping Vacation DT: Lots of Paper Challenge

The Lots of Paper Challenge over at Stamping Vacation is all about using up that patterned paper that's laying around, not being used! This month, the challenge is to use paper with hearts on it... and they can't be red!

Here's what I came up with:


It was actually harder than I thought it would be to find non-red hearts paper! I finally went for subtle.

Dawn McVey's Top Ten stamp set at Papertrey Ink is PERFECT for their new library pocket and spiral notebook page dies! I had fun with this...


And the inside:


Thanks for visiting!

{Supplies--all PTI unless noted}
  • Cardstock: Shimmer, Silver
  • Patterned Paper: Forever Love | Cherish & Love (Heidi Grace Designs)
  • Stamps: Top Ten, Heartfelt Basics, Big & Bold Wishes
  • Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Sweet Plum (Memento)
  • Ribbon: gray grosgrain (generic), silver tinsel weave
  • Dies and Punches: Upper Crest (Fiskars), library pocket, spiral notebook page, A2 envelop liner
  • Other tools: stardust gel pen (Sakura)

ATC Glimmer Challenge 2: Winner!

We had so much fun throwing ATC Glimmer Challenge 2! The entries were stunning and inspirational! We even had a few gracious "celebrity" participants (example: Maile!) which was really exciting!

We're also celebrating our 1st Blogoversary today! You still have until the end of the day to comment on this post for our blog candy! ;)  (Winner will be announced Tuesday, August 31st.)

On to the challenge winner!

It was such a tough call to make! I was so impressed by each of the submissions! I finally narrowed it down to... Karen B of The Bald Dragonfly!!


Congratulations! We all loved the originality of the tracing wheel and the sentiment over the distress-y butterfly in the center. We will send you the code to our blinkie and, once your email address is confirmed, we will send the $20 WPlus9 Design Studio gift certificate!

The runner-up, as chosen by Sabrina (but I completely agree!) is Marge of MaricopaStamper!


We loved the doily and all the varieties of dots! We will send you our blinkie code and invite you to share it on your blog with pride! ;)

Thanks again to all our amazing participants in this month's Glimmer Challenge. We welcome everyone to come back on Friday, September 3rd for ATC Glimmer Challenge 3!

Happy crafting!
ATC Team

August Calgary Market Fair

After the card frenzy for the whole month of August, the day we prepared for had finally arrived. It was our first experience in such a venture, and we learned a few things, and made plans for some future changes we want to try for our next venture. During our hours there, we were able to get a customer (friend) to take a picture of us. Here we are.
Stefanie, Sabrina, and Dana

We're planning another venture for November.


Thank You: A Scrap Card


Made this with a card base, white strip and flower cut out I had lying around. Unfortunately, some of the stamping didn't turn out too well. :(  You can't tell from the pic but the red is popped up over the white.


{Supplies--all PTI unless noted}
  • Cardstock: Enchanted Evening, Stamper's Select, Pure Poppy
  • Stamp: Turning a New Leaf, Through the Trees (sentiment)
  • Ink: Simply Chartreuse, Versamark
  • Button: New Leaf
  • Die: Dandelion (Cuttlebug)
  • Other tools: white embossing powder, white embroidery thread

Happy Birthday to You


A cute little mass produced set for you today... I saw the cutest border stickers at the dollar store and immediately put them to good use!


Using a stamp from Hampton Arts Celebrate Ribbons, I heat embossed the sentiment with white powder. Then I added the cute little strips. That's it!

The sentiment on the inside is from Birthday Basics (thanks again, Stef ;) ):


{Supplies}
  • Cardstock: Stamper's Select (Papertrey Ink), black card base (Recollections)
  • Stamps: Celebrate Ribbons (Hampton Arts), Birthday Basics (Papertrey Ink)
  • Other tools: Stickers (dollar store!), white embossing powder

Girly 3rd Birthday

My eldest daughter recently celebrated her 3rd birthday. I was so excited to finally pull out my Once Upon a Princess Cricut cartridge!

Here is her tiara:

(She has an eye condition that receives surgery next week!!)

Here she is blowing out the candles:


Here is the cake (thank you, Omi!) and the topper:


Such an awesome cartridge!!

{Supplies}
  • Cardstock: Bazzill Basics
  • Cricut Cartridge: Once Upon a Princess
  • Other tools: white gel pen, green gel pen, various pearls and rhinestones (dollar store), Stickles: Magenta and Yellow, bamboo skewer, Sakura gel pen: Stardust

Original: HB 2 U


I broke out my It's Official paper (PTI) for this project. :)

The focal piece was done using the Mat Stack 2 die on kraft cardstock. I pierced slots in the ends using my Making Memories tools and a hammer. I knotted Berry Sorbet twill ribbon a few times for either side. I used Spellbinders Nestabilities to make a linen vellum circle and a Pure Poppy circle. I stamped on the red using a stamp from It's Official, Versamark ink and white embossing powder. To contrast the whole piece, I inked the edges with some Versamagic Cloud White. The mat stack is popped up over the center of the card.

The card background paper and the envelope liner are both from the It's Official paper pad.

The sentiment on the interior of the card is geared towards a tween or teen:


I love Alli's Birthday Bash Sentiments but I never thought I'd use this one! It just seemed to suit the card...

{Supplies--all PTI unless noted}
  • Cardstock: Berry Sorbet, Kraft
  • Patterned Paper: It's Official
  • Stamps: It's Official, Birthday Bash Sentiments
  • Ink: Versamark, Pure Poppy
  • Ribbon: Berry Sorbet twill
  • Dies: Mat Stack 2
  • Other tools: white embossing powder, slot punch (Making Memories)

Busy, Busy, Busy

I feel badly that I haven't posted for a while. It's not that I haven't created anything to post, because that's all I've been doing since the end of July. We are participating in one of Calgary's Market Fairs (look for "GlimmerCraft") this Saturday to sell as many of our newly created cards as we can. I have so many photos to post, I'll be busy posting them for you for quite a while as I have made about 250 cards for this event! And that not including the cards that Dana and Stef have crafted as well.

For those readers that live in or near Calgary, the market is taking place Saturday, August 29th at the Willow Ridge Community Centre - 680 Acadia Dr. SE - from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. We'd love to see you there! We will even be taking orders for scrapbook pages or cards - especially for those soon needed Christmas cards.

Here is a couple of cards to tease you with.









Well that's it for now. Some of these I'll come back to at a future date in order to give you a few details. But, in the mean time, I would like for you to choose a favorite one of the cards in this post and tell me why it is your favorite. Once Saturday is done, we've chosen the Glimmer Challenge 2 Winner, and I've rested up for a day or two, I'll begin posting some of those many, many cards I made. I'll also include the cards that I have planned to use in my Scrapbooker's Paradise classes coming up very soon. My first class will be September, 8th, and you can check out the classes coming up in the next couple of months. Just look for my name, Sabrina, for the classes that I will be teaching.

Happy creating everyone!