Stripes Challenge

It's finally Release Day over at PTI!  I am so excited for all the spring things, especially since the temps here in Western VA hit 75 today!  The final challenge of this week was to create a card using stripes, since it is PTI's 11 anniversary.  Here's my creation!

My son's birthday is this weekend and his favorite color is blue, so I used all the PTI shades of blue that I had!  I popped the star up with some foam adhesive for dimension, but it's not showing up in the picture.  Ah well; he'll like it!  Good luck to all the challenge entries!

Cardstock: PTI Dark Indigo, Enchanted Evening, Blueberry Sky, Spring Rain

Dies: PTI Seeing Stars

Stamp: misc. foam mount from stash

Ink: PTI Blueberry Sky

Color Challenge

I really like color challenges because they force me to use quantities and combos that stretch me a bit!  To celebrate PTI's 11th Anniversary, Day 3 presented a Color Challenge.  These color combos were so beautiful that I had a hard time choosing--so I picked two :).  The first is my official entry, while the second is a bonus :)

I like the boldness of the teal and purple in Betsy's card, and so replicated the colors in my own.

Stamps: Botanical Blocks II, Botanical Blocks

Ink: Memento Black, Winter Wisteria, Royal Velvet, Green Parakeet

Paper: Tropical Teal, Aqua Mist, Heavyweight White

I also loved the pretty pastel palette of Lizzie's card, and was so inspired by Betsy's Lilies card that I couldn't resist making another card with a spring theme!

Stamps: Pretty Pink Posh Easter Blessings, PTI Easter Alleluias

Dies: PTI Blue Skies Rays, In The Meadow; Pretty Pink Posh Easter Blessings

Inks: PTI Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise: DI Peacock Feathers

Markers: SN Illustrator AB1, AB3, FS2, PP5, EB2

Paper: SN Smooth Cardstock; PTI Pale Peony, Vintage Jadeite; Heavyweight White

Hope you enjoyed my creations!  Thanks for stopping by!

Use Only Dies Challenge

The PTI countdown this month is even more exciting because they are celebrating their 11th anniversary!  I'm loving all the new challenges that are being presented.  Release Day 2's challenge was to make a card using only dies--no stamps!  I think it was pretty fun and like how it turned out.  Thanks for visiting!

Dies: Noted: Scalloped, Bloom Builders 3, Turning a New Leaf, Bloomin' Cute

Paper: Spring Rain, Amethyst Allure, Green Parakeet, New Leaf, heavyweight white

Floral Challenge

It doesn't seem to matter how many floral sets I have; there's always something more beautiful coming out!  For this challenge I turned to one of my favorites--the classic cabbage roses in The Sweet Life.

I tried to keep it clean and simple, so I stamped the large rose and leaf set in layers, and attached it to a sentiment embossed panel.

Stamps: The Sweet Life
Dies: The Sweet Life
Card stock: Scarlet Jewel, heavyweight white
Inks: PTI Lovely Lady, Autumn Rose, Scarlet Jewel, DI Bundled Sage & Forest Moss

Retirement Set Challenge

Hello!  The countdown has begun to PTI's February release and 11th anniversary celebration, which also means that some good things must come to an end.  So many wonderful sets are being retired, including Heart Prints which I love!  In honor of Valentine's Day I chose to utilize it once more for the Retirement Set Challenge :)

I began with a white base, die cut with Noted: Scalloped A2.  A Raspberry Fizz panel provided the backdrop for my top black panel.  I used the die from Heart Prints to cut various hearts from papers in my stash, and finished it with a banner and sentiment stamp.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Stamps: KIS: Valentine

Dies: Heart Prints, Double Ended Banner

Card stock: Heavy duty white, black, Raspberry Fizz

Papers: various

Ink: DI Picked Raspberry

PTI's January 2018 Blog Hop Challenge

Happy New Year!  I just loved this month's Blog Hop Inspiration photo...so yummy!  I was especially inspired by the polka dots on the ice cream cones, so that's what I focused on.

I began by die cutting multiple circles in various colors of card stock.  After lining them up in rows on my white base, I used double sided adhesive to stick them down and then went back and double or triple stacked some of them for dimension.  After trimming off the overhanging bits, I added the sentiment "Enjoy" (also triple stacked) and stamped a secondary sentiment below.  Quick, bright, and fun!

Stamps: Cupcake Collection

Dies: Hello Sunshine, Bloomin Cute

Paper: Amethyst Allure. Sweet Blush, Raspberry Fizz, Hawaiian Shores, heavyweight white

Ink: Picked Raspberry

Supplies: Tombow Permanent Adhesive, Quickie Glue Pen

PTI's December 2017 Blog Hop Challenge

Hi there!  Just popping in to contribute to the Blog Hop over at Papertrey Ink today!  I just love the inspiration photo...so soft and pretty, and gets me thinking ahead to Valentine's Day!

When I saw this photo, my mind immediately went to my To Have and To Hold set.  I die cut the wreath three times for dimension, then stamped it in New Leaf and sponged in some Green Parakeet to brighten the background and add more green tones.  I stamped several of the flowers in various shades of pink, and then hung the wreath with a bit of pink and white bakers twine over a Sweet Blush sponged backdrop.  After stamping the sentiment from the same set, a white panel and Sweet Blush base anchored my card.

Make It Monday #307

Whew!  I wasn't sure I would get this card done in time, but I really wanted to try the Faux Stained Glass technique that Laurie introduced!  It was fun to pull out my alcohol markers for this and I will remember it for the future.

For my card, I used the Butterfly Cover Plate.  I die cut the top panel from white card stock, then layered that on vellum and a die cut panel of foam before applying it all to the base.  Some of the colors I used turned out to be a little too light for this technique so I had to play and adjust...but that's what I love about Make It Mondays!  Merry Christmas!

Supplies

Stamps: SSS Happy Birthday
Paper: 110lb white card stock, vellum, foam, PTI Autumn Rose
Dies: PTI Butterfly Cover Plate, Double Ended Banners
Other: Spectrum Noir Illustrator markers, tape, glue

PTI's Make It Monday #306

Good morning!  It's a bright, sunny, and cold day here in western VA!  I do wish we would get a sprinkling of snow...maybe for Christmas!  I just loved the winter scene Betsy created with Fan Brush Trees.  Though I don't watercolor often it was fun to try this method!

I watercolored my background and stamped it with snowflakes before working on the trees.  Then I added the hills from In The Meadow and brushed them with white pigment ink before stamping the sentiment.  A bit of ICE Stickles added a frosted look!

All supplies are PTI unless otherwise noted:

Stamps: What the Doodle: Snowflakes, Enclosed: Wreath

Dies: In the Meadow

Ink: Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, New Leaf, Pinefeather, HA Unicorn

Paper: Pinefeather Card stock, Strathmore Watercolor Paper

Other: ICE Stickels (Diamond)

Lawn Fawnatics #17

Hello!
I am playing along with the Lawn Fawn color inspiration challenge today!  

I decided to create a peaceful winter scene, focusing on Winter In The Park.  Here's what I came up with:

Stamps: LF Winter in the Park

Dies: LF Winter in the Park, Trick or Treat, Mini Wreath; PTI In The Meadow

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, PTI Pure Poppy, Versamark

Cardstock: Recollections Heavyweight White, PTI Blueberry Sky, New Leaf, Pinefeather

Other: Recollections Detail Embossing Powder in Snow, Wink of Stella Clear & White

PTI's November 2017 Blog Hop Challenge

Hi crafty friends!  Happy Thanksgiving weekend!  While I'm excited to kick off the Christmas season I'm happy Nicole chose one last fall-themed challenge for the Blog Hop...I do so love fall!

I love so many things about this photo and tried to incorporate them all!  I used an ivory background, fall colored stamped leaves, some patterned paper similar to the napkin in the photo, and a copper base and stacked sentiment.  This card is going to my hubby, who single handedly cooked Thanksgiving Dinner from scratch!  LOVE!

Stamps: PTI Leaf Prints

Ink: PTI Americana, Summer Sunrise, New Leaf, Kraft; Distress Ink Spiced Marmalade

Dies: PTI Blooming Cute

Paper: copper, ivory, patterned--various from stash

PTI's Create Along With Us: November 2017

Hooray!  It's release week at PTI again, and that means Create Along With Us!  I really missed this last month.  I love seeing all the DT's use of products and techniques--it's when I feel the most inspired to create!  This month, Lizzie Jones' Snowfall Style card caught my eye:

I grabbed my What The Doodle: Snowflakes set and got to work!  I started with a Dark Indigo base, and cut a top panel from white card stock.  Using three different shades of blue and multiple sizes of snowflakes, I stamped down the side and across the bottom.  I stamped the sentiment from the same set, and finished it off with some drops of Diamond Ice Stickles in the center of each flake.  I'm with Lizzie--gotta have some winter sparkle!

  

We Love You Dawn! Blog Hop

Yesterday Papertrey Ink posted a blog hop in honor of one of their designers Dawn, who is currently in the hospital recovering from surgery.  Though relatively new to card making, I have followed Papertrey Ink from the beginning and Dawn is one of my favorite designers!  Her story is amazing; her faith and joy more so!  So today I wanted to jump in and make a card for her in the hopes that it will encourage and inspire her as her work has done for me!

I started by pulling out two of Dawn's sets: A Cheerful Heart and Enclosed: Heart.  I stamped the tiny floral image from Enclosed on a trimmed panel of white card stock.  Then I stamped the verse from A Cheerful Heart on a panel of Aqua Mist card stock.  I used Dawn's To The Point: Edgers Dies to finish the edges of the Aqua mist panel, as well as one of Raspberry Fizz.  I layered the three panels together atop a Raspberry Fizz base.  For embellishment, I die cut two of the floral images and popped them up with adhesive next to the verse, and heat embossed black centers to all the flowers.  Get well soon Dawn!

PTI's Make It Monday #301

Today I'm playing along with PTI's Make It Monday.  Lizzie has a fun tutorial on Matting with Glitter!  Here's her card:

I decided to go with a clean and simple design to make a Thanksgiving card, and I love how the glittered mat gave it a little oomph!  I started with a Pinefeather base and cut the edge a bit with the Medium Scallop.  I die cut two ovals from the Noted: A2 Collection and stamped the top with a sentiment from Give Thanks, in Pinefeather ink.  The bottom oval is my glittered mat :)  I added a glitter strip to the inside edge as well.  Happy Friday!

PTI's Make It Monday #300

300!  WOW!  Excited to play along this week with Melissa's Build-A-Wreath challenge!  She made three beautiful wreath cards:

Not sure how to get those images to line up in a row; I'll have to look into it!  For my card, I started with a background of patterned paper from PTI's text-style Chocolate Remix.  I added an ivory rectangle cut from PTI's Noted: Scalloped A2 Collection.  Using Lawn Fawn's mini wreath, I die cut a wreath each out of orange and yellow card stock, and offset them slightly before glueing together.  I added a little bow from the set using the same patterned paper as the background, and stacked two die cuts of the word Blessed from the Inspired series for the sentiment.   Happy Fall, ya'll!

PTI's Make It Monday #299

I just wasn't able to finish my card for last week's MIM, so I'm happy to be able to jump right in to this weeks'!  Dawn made a very pretty Christmas themed sentiment window card.  

I am so excited to start making Christmas cards...but first I need a Halloween card for my nieces.  For my front panel I used a sheet of paper from PTI's Halloween Prints.  I ink blended the background, and cut some pumpkins from textured orange yardstick using the Autumn Pumpkins dies.  I added little faces from the Pumpkin Expressions set, and stamped the sentiment from there as well. To finish it off I added some die cut bats from Lawn Fawn's Trick or Treat mini set, and some purple bling for eyes.  

PTI's Make It Monday #296

Wow, what a rush my first SAF was!  I wish I'd had time to blog each project but I had to settle for just popping them on Instagram.  Hope ya'll had fun too!  I love today's Make It Monday for its simplicity--I'm a C&S girl at heart.  Lexi made a cute card by simply repeating a telephone image and adding a sentiment--what could be easier?!

For my "Small Images on Repeat" card I chose to focus on the apple from PTI's L'Shanah Tovah mini stamp set.  I die cut three apples and stamped them in Pure Poppy and a bit of Scarlet Jewel for depth, and did the leaves in New Leaf and Green Parakeet.  I used Distress Ink in Walnut Stain for the stem, and popped them up with foam tape on a small panel (great tip!) atop a Pure Poppy base.  The sentiment, from the same set, was embossed in gold for holiday flourish.  Happy (almost) fall and New Year to those celebrating now!

SAF 2017: Take Ten Warm Up Challenge

I am sooooo excited to be taking part in my first SAF over on the PTI blog!  I am even more excited to be able to join my sister-in-law for this event, which happens to coincide with a milestone birthday for her.  I chose the following photo to inspire my first card:

For my card, I used PTI's Tropics and Still Life: Summer sets.  Appropriate, I thought, given that we are in Florida and both love lemons :)  I stamped various leaves in multiple shades of green around the edge, adding a few lemon slices from the Still Life set.  To finish, I stamped the "for you" sentiment in black on Green Parakeet card stock, and popped it up using foam tape.  Happy Crafting!

Stamps: PTI's Tropics, Still Life: Summer
Dies: PTI's Tropics
Ink: SSS Lucky, Green Leaf; HA India Ink Black; Ranger Dye Ink Electric Lime, Lemon Twist
Card stock: Heavy weight white, PTI Green Parakeet

PTI's Make It Monday #295

It's so nice to be back after a busy but wonderful summer!  This weeks' MIM challenge was to make a Z-fold card.  Ashley created a great video to show us the steps!  I knew I wanted to try a fall scene for mine...though it's still hot here, I know fall is not far away.  Plus, all the beautiful releases from PTI this month have me thinking leaf-y, all-things-pumpkin-y thoughts!  Is anyone else anxiously awaiting for the new Mix & Mat die to be restocked??

I started by ink blending the card to create the sky and grass.  Then I stamped the tree and adhered the leaves in a pattern reminiscent of windy fall day.  After blending some ink on the fence to distress it, I used liquid adhesive to add it to the scene.  The finishing touches were the clouds and pumpkins, some of which I popped up with foam adhesive tape for dimension.  This card was so much fun to make! 

Ink: Distress Ink Tumbled Glass, New Leaf, Antique Linen, Carved Pumpkin, Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo, Bundled Sage; PTI's Scarlet Jewel
Stamps: PTI's Through the Trees, Tag Its #7
Dies: PTI's Autumn Pumpkins, Picket Fence, Heart 2 Heart #6; Taylored Expressions Leaves
Other: Foam Adhesive tape, Tombow Aqua liquid glue

CAS #220

Hello and welcome!  While I've played along with a couple CAS Colour Challenges, I believe this is my first CAS Sketch challenge.  I really liked the simplicity of the design and the challenge to incorporate some bling--definitely out of my comfort zone and hence the challenge!

I started with a tent fold of PTI's New Leaf card stock and added a strip of white scalloped card stock, die cut with PTI's Small Scallop.  The stitched rectangle came from PTI's Noted: Scalloped A2 collection, and I stamped it with a lily of the valley from PTI's Year of Flowers Collection set.  I colored the lily leaves with my new Spectrum Noir Illustrator markers (LG2 and LG4), and added some white Wink of Stella to the blossoms just to make them stand out from the white base a bit.  I popped the rectangle up with some dimensional foam (horrible shadow from late night photography...), and finished the card off with some little rhinestones I had in my stash.  Thanks for visiting!