Wednesday, January 27, 2010

You Color My World

Happy Wednesday evening! DH is out shoveling the little bit of snow we got today and the kids and I are watching American Idol. How do some of these people not know how bad they are? Yikes! LOL And some of them have the most beautiful voices. I'd love to sing like that! I'll save my singing for church and the car.


So onto today's card post. On the PTI forum we had a Valentine card exchange and I made the following card to send to Tammy (TammyRN). It traveled all the way to Spain! I hope you liked it Tammy. It was a lot of fun to make. My inspiration came right from the sentiment I put on the inside, "You Color My World". When I read that all I could see was rainbows. So, this is my interpretation of a rainbow on a card! LOL

One thing this picture doesn't show is that the front of the card is cut about 1/2" inch narrower so that the kraft CS is visible from the front. The edge of the white scallop piece can be seen a lot better since it's "on top of" the kraft. I should have taken a pic at another angle. Sorry!


 

Stamps: Simple Valentine (PTI); Tiny Treats: Valentine (PTI)
Ink: Pure Poppy (PTI); misc Colorbox cat eye inks

Paper: pink PP (Heidi Swapp); orange PP (?);spring moss bitty dots (PTI); spring rain (PTI); plum pudding (PTI); red PP from Simple Valentine PP (PTI); Pure Poppy (PTI)

Other: yellow ribbon (CTMH); white ribbon (?); scalloped border punch (SU!); nestabilities square scalloped punch; heart punch (SU!); heart Sizzix die (SU!)

Have a great one!

Monday, January 25, 2010

PTI Blog Hop - January

Hi there and welcome to the January edition of the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop. I'm so excited to participate - this is my first one since I just got with it and started a blog. Yea!!!





This month's challenge was to embellish the inside of our cards - they need love, too! :)

I used the new Click Simple Rock-a-Bye Baby template for my two cards. The cards are essentially the same but I just changed a few things to make one for a boy and one for a girl.

This first one is the "boy" one. I used the elephant template not as a card but just as a "die cut" for the front of my card.


 
 

Stamps: "Baby" alphabet stamps (PSX), Inside Out: Baby (PTI)

Ink: black (Memories); orange zest (PTI); Vintage Tea Duo (PTI)

Paper: kraft, orange zest, rustic white (PTI); blue polka dot (Wild Asparagus); green (Bazzill)

Other: Rock-a-Bye Baby Click Simple template (PTI); scalloped oval die cut (Spellbinders); vintage book print; heart punch (SU!); star punch (unknown); Button (PTI); Twine (PTI); eyelet (unknown); tag die (Cuttlebug)

Here's the second card and this one is the "girl" card. The orange elephant is vibrant in real life but for some reason the photo makes it seem almost garish. I promise it doesn't hurt to look at it for real. lol 



Now, for the inside. I've liked the Copic air brushing I've seen people do around the edges of their dies and I wanted to try that look but I don't have the air brush system and I only have 4 Copics (and none the right color!) So, I pulled out my sad and neglected chalks. It got a little heavy in places but overall I'm okay with it.


Stamps: Inside Out: Baby (PTI); "Baby" alphabet stamps (PSX)

Ink: black (Memories)

Paper: Stampers Select White, orange zest, raspberry fizz (PTI); green (Bazzill)

Other: star punch (unknown); chalk, Labels 1 die (Spellbinders); pink marker for stitching (American Crafts); White Uni-ball Signo pen; button (PTI); tag die (Cuttlebug)

Thanks for stopping by! I can't wait to see your creations.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Summer Visitors

On the scrapbooking board of the PTI forum there is a challenge to create a summer layout in the hopes that it will make us feel better about these winter doldrums. I've had these pictures for ages and I'm glad to finally put them on a layout. Wouldn't a little stamped bird be so cute on the branch? If I only had the PTI Birds of a Feather stamp set!

As always, you can click on the photo to see it larger.





 

Paper: Pebbles Inc. (brown), SEI (turquoise)
Stamp: Hero Arts
Ink: Van Dyke Brown (Nik Bantok)
Other: Corner Chomper, "Snapshots" envelope (CK), "summer" rub-on (Making Memories), "visitors" (Quickutz Studio die cuts)

Any tips on taking better photos of scrapbook pages? I never seem to be able to get a picture "straight on". Always at an angle and it's frustrating. One of these days I'll invest in some better lighting or a light box and hopefully that will help some. Until then, please muddle through looking at these funny shots.

Okay, back to cleaning and laundry. Blech! Hope your Saturday is a great one!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Happy Birthday Honey

Today is my honey's birthday. He's 41 years young today and I've known him since he was 25. He says he never had gray hair until he got married...

Love you honey!



My FIL purchased a property that has an old, run-down house and barn on it. It makes for great picture-taking backgrounds! I love this red barn door we're standing in front of. How convenient we're both wearing red - didn't plan that one at all. Serendipitous! I love this photo of the two of us but for heaven's sake, I wish I had better posture in it! Or maybe it's just the way my jacket is lying. Either way it looks a little odd but I'll take it. There are so few pictures of the two of us.

Here's the card I made for him.




I wanted to use this PP but kept trying to use circles with it. I finally tried these strips instead and just adore how it turned out. I think if I were to make this again I'd stamp the flourish with Smokey Shadow - just a little less intense. And how about that cork?! Isn't that just the coolest!

Stamps: Text-Style 2 (PTI); Star Prints (PTI); Fancy Flourishes (PTI)
Ink: Memories Black; Antique Linen (Tim Holtz for Ranger)
Paper: Rustic White (PTI), plaid and orange polka dot (Bo-Bunny Press); turquoise (KaiserCraft)

Other: Cork sheets (Quickutz); Star die cut (Sizzix)


Lori posted just the other day how she made these cute picture holders from an office binder clip. I thought Matt would be okay with something like that on his desk at the office so I whipped one up in no time at all. I decorated both sides and adhered a picture to each side of a piece of cardstock. So when he's tired of looking at me and the kids he can flip it around and look at himself with the kids. lol


 

PP was from my scrap stash. I think it is American Craft or Scenic Route. Not sure. The stamp set is from Simple Valentine (PTI). Ribbon is blue twill (from stash again, not PTI twill). Sorry for the glare on the photos. I had to take them this morning on my kitchen island with my flash. Doesn't make for the best photo. lol

Matt loves Granite City and we haven't been in ages. The kids are behaving (at least so far) so I think we'll head out soon to grab a bite to eat. Then we'll come home for some Angel Food cake (his favorite), ice cream, and strawberries. Yummmm...


Have a great one!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Upsy Daisy...

My SIL and her family visited for a weekend last fall and she brought some of her SU! card making supplies. I fell head over heels for the Upsy Daisy set and used it to make so many different cards. Take a look...



This first one I really loved the idea of the black silhouette against the red. I embossed the red mat with my square Nestabilities die and then matted that on the white cut with my square scalloped Nestie.
Stamps: Upsy Daisy (SU!)
Paper: Basic Black and Pure Poppy (PTI)
Ink: Black (Memories)
Other: Nesties Large Square and Scalloped Square, ribbon (unknown)




This next card I CASE'd from a card I saw *I think* on SCS but I don't remember who. The ink is a very subtle tone on tone. I'd almost like it to stand out a bit more but not too much. I tried doing just that with a darker color I had and it looked a bit garish. This was definitely the better option of the two (IMHO.)
Stamps: Upsy Daisy (SU!)
Paper: Ripe Avocado (PTI), brown and orange (unknown but likely Bazzill)
Ink: *I think* I used Dark Moss (Color Box chalk ink)
Other: Top Note die (SU!), eyelet and ribbon (unknown)



Thirdly (I told you I loved this set!), I embossed the Upsy Daisy stamp in white on top of Raspberry Fizz CS (PTI). I think the ribbon totally makes this card - it's so cute together!
Stamps: Upsy Daisy (SU!)
Paper: Stampers Select White and Raspberry Fizz (PTI)
Ink: Versamark, white embossing powder (PTI)
Other: Scalloped edge punch (SU!), ribbon (unknown; from Michael's and left over from a Girl Scout project :) )



The last card I made using the Upsy Daisy set was this one and is far and away my favorite. I just love all the layers. I need to remember how much I like that and do more of it!
Stamps: Upsy Daisy (SU!), Text-Style 2 (PTI), Star Prints (PTI)
Paper: Stampers Select White and Raspberry Fizz (PTI), green (unknown - from my stash)
Ink: Van Dyke Brown (Nik Bantok), Raspberry Fizz (PTI), Vintage Tea Duo (PTI), Antique Linen (Tim Holtz/Ranger)
Other: Scalloped punch (SU!), corner rounder (CM), ribbon (unknown)


Wonder what SIL will bring next time she comes... ;)

Monday, January 18, 2010

Money card

My niece turned 11 in September and I couldn't think of anything to get her that she might appreciate. But, a $20 bill ought to do the trick. I was inspired to create a candle from a dollar bill from a card on Jennifer McGuire's blog sometime last summer (I can't seem to find the exact card that inspired me.) I really like the way it turned out and Callaway liked it too.

However, it does have an "oops" on it. I used a heart punch for the flame and meant to put it on upside down but accidentally put it on right side up. Oops. Please just pretend that it looks like a flame instead of a heart. ;)



I had originally planned to give her the card just like this and simply write on the back of the white scalloped rectangle. But, I changed my mind and added it to a "regular" folded card after I took this picture.

So simple but a "fancy" way to give money to those hard-to-buy for people. Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Hero Arts
Ribbon: unknown
Other: rectangle nestabilities, Fiskars paper crimper, heart punch, colored pencils.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Dad's Rule

 
Good Sunday afternoon! I completed a scrapbook page last weekend and I'm just tickled with how it turned out. I know it's not autumn but I can't resist sharing this page.

Ever since my daughter was a baby nine years ago my MIL has taken us and my BIL/SIL families to the local pumpkin patch. My husband's rule has always been that the kids can get any pumpkin they can carry. My five year old just barely made it with this pumpkin this year.




Here's a close-up of the title. The light stamping of the text really added a subtle, but needed "oomph" to the title area (IMHO).

Stamp: Text Style 2 (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Smokey Shadow (Papertrey Ink)
Other: bracket rub-on (Sassafrass Lass); alpha rub-ons "DAD" (Autumn Leaves); alpha stickers "RULE" (American Crafts); row of circle numbers at bottom (Glitz)

Enjoy the what's left of your weekend (and you PTI fans enjoy the rest of the upcoming sneak peaks!)

Thursday, January 7, 2010

A Happy Hello














After a little encouragement from some online friends and some deliberation on my part I thought I could give this blog thing a try. Who knows what I might have to say - might be a little, might be a lot. Might be interesting. Might be not. Hey, I'm a poet; and I didn't even know it.

I'm sorry, you'll probably be subjected to my wacky humor at times. It's alright; I know I'm weird. :)

The card above was a quickie I put together one Saturday afternoon with some bits and pieces I had laying around. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I think I might stamp the sentiment on another piece of kraft CS and then place it on pop-dots on top of the current saying. That way there won't be that distracting background running through it. Live and learn.

Stamps: Basic Backgrounds: Retro (Papertrey Ink); sentiment (Hero Arts)
Ink: Fresh Snow (Papertrey Ink); Van Dyke Brown (Nick Bantok)
Paper: Bazzill
Other: SU! Bigz Butterfly dies, SU! heart, corner rounder, stitching

I need to figure out how to make this page a bit prettier. I also need to think of a better blog title (that's the best I could come up with today.) But, I guess for now, I'll just focus on trying to figure out what I'm doing! :) Thanks for stopping by!