Merry Christmas!!

Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!!

Just wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!  I'll be busy the next few days so I thought I'd post this a little early.  I'm sure you are all busy too.  See ya in the new year.

I used Papertrey's gorgeous Night Sky Shimmer paper for this card.  Silver EP embossed on it looks amazing.
Here's another simple card is made for Christmas.  Love the gold embossing on red.  Hope you all have a blessed holiday.

Birthday Wishes

Today is my eldest daughter's 12th birthday!!

She is not a girly girl so I knew I had to do some distressing and non-pink elements on her card.  I cut out two pieces from the largest Labels 10 die.  Then I cut off the tops and adhered the pieces together with 1/8" Scor Tape.  I scored the top layer to create a "hinge" for opening.

Off to have dinner and dessert!

All supplies from Papertrey Ink unless stated

Stamps:  Mat Stack 1, Asian Fusion (sentiment), In Bloom
Paper:  Vintage Cream, White
Ink:  Dark Chocolate, Summer Sky (memento), Vintage Photo (ranger distress ink)
Accessories:  rhinestones (paper studio), blueberry sky grosgrain ribbon, dark chocolate twine, Mat Stack 1 die. Labels 10 die (spellbinders), scor pal, hole punch

Take Three Birthday

Today is my youngest daughter's 9th birthday! 

I cannot believe my baby is nine years old already.  I love that she's more independent, brilliant and beautiful each year, but it's still bittersweet...KWIM?

I made her a simple card using the Take Three Die that was released last month.  I cut the patterned paper and card front at the same time.  I stamped two images from Everyday Classics in the *windows* (on the inside of the card) and then the sentiment over the middle image.  Quick and easy!  My youngest DD loves to make cards with me and knowing her she'll totally want to CASE this to make her sister a birthday card for next week.

Have a great weekend!



All Supplies Papertrey Ink unless noted

Stamps:  Everyday Classics (2008 Anniversary set), Birthday Basics (sentiment)
Paper:  white cs, Beautiful Blooms pp
Ink:  Spring Moss, black (memento), Breeze (CTMH)
Accessories:  Take Three Die, red gemstones (paper studio), dotted ribbon (paper studio)

November PTI Blog Hop -- Tags

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans!!  Welcome to my international friends.  It's Papertrey's blog hop time.  The theme this month is TAGS.  We were to create any kind of holiday tag.  I chose to make simple gift tags for Christmas.  The Places Please die and stamp set make quick and easy tags.  I chose the holly and the Christmas tree images to decorate the tags.  Glitter gel pens added some subtle bling.



Close up of tag







All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted

Stamps:  Places Please & Boxes, Bags and Tags
Paper:  white, Kraft, Hawaiian Shores, Sweet Blush
Ink:  Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado, Black (memento)
Accessories:  places please die, red satin ribbon, glitter gel pens

Let Me Save Your Spot

I'm thrilled to have a stack of bookmark sleeves, so that I can create bookmarks that won't get bent up or torn.  These make such great gifts for those who love to read.  A fellow PTI forum friend, Michelle, coordinated a huge order for a bunch of us to order these sleeves in bulk.  Thanks again Michelle!!

Here's my first bookmark using these sleeves.  This was part of a Thanksgiving gift for my daughter's amazing teacher.



• I started with a piece of 7 x 2 1/4" Kraft cardstock.
• Adhere 6 x 2 1/4" patterned paper, leaving a small Kraft border on top and bottom.
• Add felt eyelet lace on top and bottom
• Cut and stamp Mat stack 3 piece
• I used the little felt pieces from inside the eyelets to create a circle border for my main image to rest on (see below)
• Stamped sentiment on the mat stack 3 piece
• Stamped second sentiment on white and punched out with 1" circle punch, matted this with 1 1/4" Kraft circle.

Here's the bookmark out of the sleeve: 

Thanks for looking!

All supplies from Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.

Stamps:  All Booked Up

Paper:  Kraft, White, Everyday Blessings pp

Ink:  Ocean Tides, Spring Moss, Dark Chocolate

Accessories:  Ocean Tides felt, eyelet lace die, Mat Stack 3 die, 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/4" circle punches (ek success), Spring Moss satin ribbon, bookmark sleeve HBM#1 (clearbags.com)





Season's Greetings

Here is a quick and simple card using an SU set I borrowed from a friend.  I love this large image. 
The frame is drawn by hand using a white gel pen and ruler.




Stamps:  Scenic Season
Paper:  White, black (PTI), red cs
Ink:  White Dye ink (memories)
Accessories:  signo white pen, pop dots

Krafty Blooms

Hi all!  Can't believe it's been one month since I've posted anything.  Life has been busy, but good.  Just haven't found much stamping time.

Here's a quick card using some Papertrey goodies:

• Run Kraft sheet through cuttlebug using In Bloom impression plate
• Die cut a piece out of that using Fillable Frames #4 die
• Adhere Kraft to Enchanted Evening base
• Stamp frame image in white ink
• Stamp sentiment in Versamark and emboss with silver EP
• Thread thin silver ribbon through EE button and wrap around card front

All Supplies Papertrey Ink unless stated

Stamps:  Fillable Frames #4, Signature Greetings
Paper:  Kraft, Enchanted Evening
Ink:  white dye ink (memories), versamark
Accessories:  Enchanted Evening button, fillable frames #4 die, silver EP, ribbon (hobby lobby)

Welcome Home Mike

Today is a day of celebration in my family!!  My brother-in-law is returning home to my sister and their five children after a year long deployment in Iraq.  I wish I could be there for his homecoming ceremony but they live several states away.  Here is a card I sent to welcome him home.

Stamps:  Main image -- Stampscapes:  Pines and Rocks, Cloud (cumulus), Gulls, Tag -- Round and Round (PTI), Lakeside Cove Lg. (Stampscapes)
Paper:  Ocean Tides, Vintage Cream (PTI), chocolate pp
Ink:  Sky Blue, tuxedo black (memento),  Garden Green (CTMH), Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Accessories:  Prismacolor pencils (shading boulders and water), Ribbon Tag (spellbinders), Rustic Twine (PTI), pop dots

September PTI Blog Hop

This month's blog hop theme is to show a skill you have learned from fellow blogger / stamper.  I've learned so much from so many bloggers.  It was hard to choose what to showcase.  I decided to go with a technique I've been wanting to try since Taheerah shared a gorgeous evening invitation she made.  She shared it on the Papertrey forum so I don't have a link to show.  She impressed a border on the invitation using PTI's In Bloom impression plate and a modified Spellbinder's mat.  I've done a similar technique with Cuttlebug folders, but not with impression plates.

Here's my card using this technique:

Here are a few photos to show you how this was done:



1.  Cut an embossing mat to A2 size
2.  Cut a rectangle out of the middle



3.  Build the above "sandwich" to run through the Cuttlebug



This is what it looks like after impressing the border.  Sorry for the bad photo.



4.  Score inside border using Scor-Pal

What do you think?  Isn't it a cool technique?  Thanks to Taheerah (Little Miss T) for the idea and the inspiration.

***EDITED ***  Taheerah just got a video tutorial made for this embossing techinique.  You can view it HERE.




All supplies from Papertrey Ink unless noted.

Stamps:  In Bloom, Delightful Dahlia (sentiment)
Paper:  Vintage Cream, Terracotta Tile
Ink:  Vintage Cream
Accessories:  spellbinders embossing mat, In Bloom impression plate, vintage cream satin ribbon, Scor-Pal, rectangle Nestabilities, white embossing powder

Flourished Blooms

Hello everyone!  I'm finally getting around to posting again.  It's been too long since I've made a card, so right before I crawled into bed last night I made myself create a quick card.  This is a CASE of Maile Belles card here.  I've been wanting to make a card like this since she first posted it in March.

• die cut the flowers using Beautiful Blooms #3 dies and rounded corners
• ran that panel through my Cuttlebug using the Linen/Canvas impression plate
• stamped some flourishes in Hawaiian Shores ink with Fancy Flourishes
• adhered that panel to black cardstock and added some Papertrey buttons
• stamped sentiment from Fillable Frames #4 and punched it out with SU! word window punch

All supplies from Papertrey Ink except word window punch and corner rounder

Happy Birthday Nadine

Here is a simple card I sent to Nadine for her birthday today.  I hope she has a wonderful day of celebration.  I'm so glad we got to meet and hang out at CHA in Chicago.  Nadine is just as sweet in person as she is on the PTI forum.  Much love and Aloha today on your special day Nadine!

Card details:

• Stamped the Glads and sentiment in white dye ink onto black cs
• Colored image with prismacolor pencils and gelly roll pens
• Cut border on card base using the rickrack border die
• Adhered layers
• Mailed with enough time so she receives it by today (I hope)!

All supplies Papertrey Ink unless noted

Stamps:  Year of Flowers: Gladiolus, Fillable Frames #4
Paper:  New Leaf, True Black
Ink:  White (memories)
Accessories:  prismacolor pencils, Gold and Rose Star gelly roll pens, rickrack border die (PTI)

Thank You Nichole Heady

This is a very special blog hop in honor of the amazing Nichole Heady, one of the owners of my favorite company Papertrey Ink.  I had the privilege of meeting Nichole at CHA last month in Chicago.  It was wonderful to get to thank her in person for all she does.

I made this card just for Nichole:

A simple thank you can never be enough to let her know how much I appreciate all of her hard work on behalf of Papertrey and its customers.  So many of us are inspired by Nichole.  She can never really know the benefits I gain personally from her inspiration, attention to detail, professionalism and kindness.  How do you explain that to someone?  I have a difficult time putting it into words myself and forget about explaining it to a non-papercrafter.  I know that those of you hopping along with me understand and feel the same way.  The best part is that I know Nichole is genuinely appreciative of her Papertrey customers.  Her co-owners Jane and Julie are just as thankful.  That means the world to me and that is why I have been a loyal customer for three years.

Thank you Nichole, from the bottom of my heart!!

 


All supplies Papertrey Ink unless noted

Stamps:  Four of a Kind (leaf branch),  In Bloom (flowers), Up, Up & Away (sentiment)
Paper:  Vintage Cream
Ink:  Ripe Avocado, Raspberry Fizz, black (memento)
Accessories:  Labels 10 die (spellbinders), rhinestones, YG95 copic marker

August PTI Blog Hop

This month's challenge is to use brown paper lunch bags in our projects.  I kept it pretty simple by stamping the bag and cutting out a window with the new Mat Stack 4 die.

• I traced around the Mat Stack 4 die with a black pen before cutting the bag.
• Stamped apple border 
• Adhered a piece of acetate to the inside of the bag for the window. 
• Decided to use the die cut piece on a coordinating card. 
• The stamps all come from School Time, except the circle apple image and sentiment on the bag tag.  Those are from 2009 Autumn Tags.

Here's a close up of the card so you can see the Paper Glaze I put over the apple to make it shine and the awesome impression from the Book Print plate.

This little gift set will go to my daughter's teacher at Thanksgiving (so nice to be ahead of the game for once). We are going to fill the bag with a few of her favorite things. Luckily, she gave us an "About Me" handout this week that lists lots of her favorite goodies.




All supplies from Papertrey Ink unless stated

Stamps:  School Time, 2009 Autumn Tags
Paper:  stamper's select white, true black
Ink:  Pure Poppy, White (memories), Black (memento)
Accessories:  brown paper bag, mat stack 4 die, mat stack 2 die, Book Print impression plate, pure poppy buttons and twine, threading water border punch (fiskars), 1 3/4" circle punch, red striped/stitched ribbon (paper studio), paper glaze (aleene's), pop dots. black zig marker