Blog Hop TIme

Its Blog Hop time over at Papertrey and it couldn't have come at a better time.  I needed to make an anniversary card for my parents .... 33 years in February.  Pretty good considering its a second marriage for both my mom and step dad.

I decided to make it a little more elegant and used Damask Designs.  I stamped the large damask image in versamark and embossed with clear EP.  I then sponged aqua mist around the image.  I used a heavy hand with the sponging around the damask but lightly sponged the whole layer to give it a little bit of an airbrushed look (next major purchase - the Copic airbrush system :o)

For the sentiment I used Heart Prints.  I underscored it with a row of rhinestones

 

Here's the whole card

  

But we're not done yet ... the Hop was about the total package, so on the inside I stamped the damask strip and a sentiment from Big & Bold Wishes

 

To carry the theme to the envelope I sponged a strip of CS and adhered to the envelope, then stamped another damask image

 

Thanks for stopping by ... enjoy the rest of the Hop

{Anniversary Card Supplies - all PTI unless noted}

Stamps: Damask Designs, Heart Prints, Big & Bold Wishes

Ink: Versamark, Aqua Mist, Ocean Tides

Paper: Aqua Mist, White

Embellies: rhinetones (Martha Stewart), Clear EP (SU!)

We are experiencing technical difficulties ...

... my laptop is on life support.  Looks like a hard drive failure.  Its at "Computer Heaven" - I kid you not ... thats a local computer repair shop. I have a entry or two in queue, but I might just have lost all my stored up photos of yet to be published projects.  Won't know for a week  :(

So things might go quiet for a bit.

I'll keep making stuff tho' ... just might not be able to show ya anything for a while unless I decide to try loading SW on my 9 year old laptop ... yeah I dont think so either

Have a happy evening!

Mixing patterns ...

... is not something I am very comfortable with.  But I thought if it came in the same pack of paper it ought to go together, right?

I also remembered my lessons from some of the Papertrey Design team awhile back - when mixing patterns, only 1 bold one, and the others should be smaller and blend in color wise.  At least thats how I remember it.

Here's my try:

The stamping on the top was an attempt to balance the sentiment on the bottom.  In case you were wondering, the scribbling on the background is my girls attempts to make up signatures for some of their favorite TV characters (we are NCIS addicts around these parts).  Those sigs went on a NCIS themed birthday card the girls made for a friend.
To my untrained eye, it looks alright and I love the bold pattern behind the "a". 

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies - PTI unless noted}
Stamps: Cupcake Collection, Polka Dot Basics
Ink:Ripe Avocado, Vintage Cream
Paper:Ripe Avocado, Holiday Cheer
Embellies: Chipboard letter (from LSS), Scarlet Jewel satin ribbon

Recipe Box

I showed the recipe cards and wrap I made for a friend's bridal shower here and here

Tonight I have the box. 

The shower is a kitchen themed event because my friend is a foodie of highest order.  All those attending will bring a favorite recipe (written out on cards that coordinate with the whole wedding) The bride-to-be doesn't want a lot of "dorky shower games" so someone had the idea to have people write a "recipe for love" marriage advice.  I made more recipe cards to use for these to aspects of the shower.   And I had to make a box to put them all in :)

I basically measured the size of the card stack (about 6 x 2.75 x 1) and scored and cut the box to fit.  I added an eigth of an inch for the lid so it wouldn't be too tight.

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies - PTI unless noted}
Stamps: Recipe Box, Upsy Daisy [SU!]
Inch: Enchanted Evening, Dark Chocolate
Paper: Enchanted Evening, Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Bitty Box patterned, rustic white
Embellies: Chocolate twill [SU!], Enchanted Evening satin ribon and dotted satin ribbon

CPS Sketch Challenge

This is my first time trying the CPS sketch challenge, but since I'm expanding my horizons, why not (hopefuly I can meet the expectactations ... when I've lurked out there I've seen some a-maze-ing cards!)

So here is this week's sketch:

I thought buckles & brads would make a nice detail for those side layers so I busted out my Hodge Podge Hardware ... dusted off the layers that have accumulated since the last time I used it (I'm a bit of a hoarder :o) and here's what I came up with

I used the Baroque background stamp on the chocolate layer, and Turning a New Leaf on the focal layer.  I recently saw the green & chocolate color combo and loved it so decided to try it out. The button is a raspberry fizz vintage button and the half pearl is from SU's Pretties kit

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies}
Stamps: Baroque [SU!], Turning a New Leaf [PTI]
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, Green Galore [SU!]
Paper: Vintage Cream [PTI], Chocalte Chip, Green Galore [SU!]
Embellies: Raspberry Fizz vintage buttons [PTI], Hodge Podge Hardware - Antique Brass, Pretties kit [SU!]

Outreach

I love paper crafts and I want to use the things I make in ministry for my church too.  I host a bi-weekly ladies Bible study.  Here is the reminder note I made for everyone

Most of it was just printed on card stock.   The "note" in the title is from Take Note, and the side stamping is from Background Basics: Diamonds.  Everything is Melon Berry

I also wanted to make something for those who could attend.  I had a stack of leftover notebooks from a class I taught in November so I decided to make prayer journals (to match the reminder card)

I thought the sentiment from Everyday Blessings was perfect!

I adhered the button with a pop dot and then wrapped the button twine around to secure it. 

So here is the lot of them.  I may have to make more as a few people are going t invite some friends too, but I might do a slightly diffferent style for those (since I'm also out of notebooks :)

Thanks for stopping by!

{Reminder card supplies  - all PTI}
Stamps: Background Basics: Diamonds, Take Note
Paper: Melon Berry
Ink: Melon Berry

{Prayer Journal supplies - all PTI }
Stamps: Background Basics: Retro, Everyday Blessings
Paper: Melon Berry, Rustic White, Terracotta Tile
Ink: Melon BErry, Terracotta Tile
Embellies: Terracotta Tile vintage buttons, rustic white button twine

Stamp Camp Card

My monthly stamp camp is coming up this week.  One of the cards we are making is here.  The other card is this one:

I wanted something that could be used for a Valentine's card or just a thinking of you card.  I'll have a couple different sentinments for the folks to use.  Although this was pretty simple I like the details on it - like the scalloped border near the bottom and the scored lines at the top and heart cuttouts iun the middle

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Quick and easy birthday card

Just a quick card today

I used patterned paper for the card base (6x6)

and added simple coordinated layers on the front

I stamped the Sending You sentiment from Big & Bold Wishes and paired it with this smaller sentiment inside

This card is for my dad's birthday which is today.

Thanks for stopping by!!

{Sending You ... card supplies}
Stamps: Big & Bold Wishes, Turning a new leaf
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Spring Moss
Paper: Turning a new Leaf Patterned, Ripe Avocado, Dark Chocolate, Rustic Cream

Another Raspberry SuiteColor Challenge

Yay!  Dawn has issued another color challenge!

This one was a little tough for me because while I love chocolate and blue together ... yellow, um not so much.  I'm just not a yellow person.

But thats what challenges are for, to stretch my creative wings ...

so I used the Cutesy Cover that is a free download off Lauren Meader's new My Time Made Easy site and came up with this

Its a "crayon box" style gift package.  I don't actually have a purpose in mind for this, but I wanted to make something besides a card this time around

The template comes with the front and back layers as well so I decided to print those in the same color and emboss with my CB Swiss Dots folder.  I created the side panels from scraps left over after cutting out the template

and just for completeness here's a back view.

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies - all PTI unless noted}
Stamps: Turning a New Leaf
Ink: Dark Chocolate
Paper: Aqua Mist, Rustic Cream, Dark Chocolate
Embellies: Lemon Tart vintage buttons, rustic cream button twine
Tools: Circle Nestabilities [Spellbinders], Swiss Dots embossing folder [Cuttlebug]

Recipe Cards

Today you get to see the recipe cards I made to go in the Recipe Wrap.

I stamped them to coordinate.  We are going to have them for all the shower attendees to write up a recipe for the Bride to be.  The wrap will have some blank ones for her to just use for her own recipes (my friend is a foodie and comes up with amazing things just playing around)

The cards themselves come with the recipe name and prep time plus all the lines.  I added the label across the top and the "from the kitchen of" and "Ingredients" stamps.

Here are the cards inside the wrap

Cute huh!

{Recipe Card supplies - all PTI}
Stamps: Recipe Box, Recipe Box Label
Ink: Enchanted Evening
Paper: Recipe Cards

Recipe Wrap

One of the free templates available at Papertrey Ink is the recipe wrap up.  Its a cute little folder with 6 pockets inside.  You could use it for organizing any lists or coupons, but I used it for its titled purpose - to hold recipe cards

This is for a wedding shower gift.  I used the color scheme as on the invitations and some of the same stamps, but I decided to make it in a slightly different style while still tying them all together ... we'll see how well I did :o)

I used Enchanted Evening and Vintage Cream card stock.  The stamps are Polka Dot Basics and Fancy Flourishes for the background.  I also got the Recipe Box and Recipe Box Labels sets to do the focal layer (and recipe cards to be shown in a later post)

So there is the whole wrap (back side) ... doing all those polka dots was nerve wracking,  I tell ya.  I was so worried I'd mess up the last one, but luckily I made it through the peril none the worse for it.

Inside there are 6 little pockets that will hold about 4 recipe cards each.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

{Recipe Wrap up supplies}

Stamps:[PTI] Polka Dot Basics, Fancy Flourishes, Recipe Box and Recipe Box Labels; [SU!] Upsy Daisies

Ink: [PTI] Enchanted Evening, Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate

Paper:[PTI] Enchanted Evening, Vintage Cream , Bitty Dots chocolate

Embellies:Enchnated Evening stitched Grosgrain

Other: Recipe Wrap Up template, corner rounder

More Storage solutions

I spent the last days of 2009 cleaning and organizing my craft room.  I tried ot reuse as much as I could, but had to buy a few things.  Luckily they were on sale so got most of the reorg done for under $100.

I used some storage cubes (fabric drawers) under my work bench to store not-often used things

I stamped labels in coordinating colors and adhered them with my Xyron.  I've organized before and then failed to label stuff and end up spending my time searching through drawers, until I forget what I was looking for.  These bins hold my overflow supplies (like all the Xyron cartridges I got when they were 60% off at Mikes) and things that don't get used often, like the tempra paint the girls use for school projects.

I also got some bins to hold all the pictures I haven't (yet nor probably ever will) scrapbooked.

I only used half of them for pix so used the other 3 for bags and loose chipboard and envelopes.

I also added labels to some storage drawers I already had ( to hopefully prevent me from spending my time searching through drawers, until I forget what I was looking for :o)

It feels good to start the year off in a fairly organized state.  Its one of the things I always try to get accomplished at the end or the very beginning a a year. 

What are some of the things that you want to get accomplished this year?

Happy New Year!!!

Today is the start of a new year!  It seems like 2009 went by so quickly.  One of the Christmas presents I bought myself was the movie Julie & Julia.  I loved it.  I think I want to be a pastry chef  if I ever decide on changing careers.  But one of the things I learned from that movie is about persevereace.  Julie Powell vowed to cook through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking - all 524 recipes - in one year.  I like the challenge and think I need to do something like that here too.  I won't say that I will make a card or blog every day, but I'd like to go for 1-2 cards a week for the next year.  We'll see how I do.

Here is card #1 of 2010:

My sister in law's birthday was yesterday so I thought I'd do a New Years themed card - this is the first time I've ever done that in the 20+ years I've known her.

I made it an appletini (ignore the olive for the moment) 

I coated it with Crystal Effects  although it didn't photograph well, and I even used microbeads on the glass lip to look like it was dipped in sugar (or whatever they dip appletinis in  - saw some pix on the internet :o\)

How will you challenge yourself this year?

{Celebrate Your Day supplies}
Stamps: Cheers to you, Wonderful Words [SU!]; On My Couch, On My Couch Additions [PTI]
Ink: Tuxedo Black [Momento]; Garden Green, Rose Red [SU!]
Paper: Vintage Ceam [PTI]; Green Galore, Garden Green [SU!]
Color medium: YG11, YG13 [Copic]
Embellies: Crystal Effects, Microbeads, Real red grosgrain [SU!]