Patriotic birthday

Hi everyone!

Today I was feeling patriotic and made an All American birthday card

I used different large star stamps from Star Prints  on the front along with a sentiment from the same set.  I also roughed up the edge of the red layer a little

Inside I continued the theme with another star strip, this time from Around & About sentiments

Thanks for stopping by!!

{supplies - SU! unless noted}

Stamps: Star Prints, Around and About Sentiments [PTI]

Ink: Real Red, Fresh Snow [PTI]

Paper: Night of Navy, Real Red, White

Belated Birthday for a wonderful friend

I discovered today is a dear friend's birthday ... I can't believe I missed it.

I will give this to her tomorrow at church (hopefully it will make up for being late :) 

I embossed the sentiment and medallion with craft black ink and clear EP ..

I did a lace detail based on this tutorial from Ashley Cannon Newell.  Been dieing to try it since I saw it posted!  Instead of ribbon I used some lace I got from a friend at work.  She was helping clean out her gramma's house and found a bucket of vintage (much of it hand crocheted) lace.  She kindly thought of me and I am most grateful.

I also stitched on it and dared to try a zig zag.  I practiced on scraps a lot before I tried it on the card front, but I am very happy with how it turned  out.

I've also been watching Beate Johns' blog a lot lately and she does such beautiful insides of cards I decided to do that as well ...  a little strip of patterned paper and some zig zags, and there you go!

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies - SU! unless noted}

Stamps: Take Three: Summer, Fillable Frames #4 [PTI]

Paper: Basic Gray, Nouveau Chic DSP;  Shimmer white, Soft Stone (interior)[PTI]

Ink: Basic Black Craft

Embellies: Ribbon,

Other: Clear Embossing powder, black sewing thread, Fillable frames #4 die [PTI]

Papertrey May Blog Hop Challenge

Today is the May Blog Hop at PTI - the theme this month is fun with felt

Not a lot of time tonight ... Gotta run ... enjoy the rest of the hop!

Edited: Sorry busy night.  The flower is a CASE from Dawn McVey ... love them.  Gonna try it with a page ripped from the old phone book next :)


Supplies (PTI unless noted):
Stamps: Fillable Frames #4, Turning A New Leaf
Ink: Ripe Avocado, True Black, Tea Dye Distress Ink [Tim Holtz]
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Vintage Cream, Ripe Avocado
Other: Mat Stack 2 die, Scalloped Circle [Nestabilities], Linen Impression Plate,
Embellies: vintage black button, half pearl [SU Pretties kit], chocolate chip satin ribbon [SU!],Raspberry Fizz felt

Some more grad cards

I have a couple of graduation cards to show tonight.

The first is a complete CASE (Copy And SharE) of  Debbie Olson's card

I actually got my sewing machine back out and sewed the border ... I have had some trouble lately sewing on cards so decided not to do it for a while.  But it turned out well this time.

I also used the new Linen/Canvas impression plate from PTI to make the background.  Sponged the edges with Sahara Sand before I sewed it.  That gorgeous ribbon strip is the satin gray ribbon from SU!

The second card tonight combines a lot of new things ...

I used my new cloud dies to make some paper and some felt clouds.  I used the cut out part to sponge clouds on the background then used my T1 Copic to edge the felt clouds.  I stamped the sun and rays on Summer Sunrise card stock with the same color ink.

The hot air balloon was cut with the balloon die and colored with Copics

Another trick I learned this week was from Michelle Wooderson's grad cards - highlighting a word in the sentiment with a Copic marker

Appropriate since my friend's daughter's name is Skyler

Thanks for stopping by!

Am I crazy or what?

OK, I said a few days ago I entered the PaperCrafts magazine Gallery Idol ... and I thought 2 cards was good, but then I just kept having ideas so here are some more that I entered in the open audition round

The first is also an Aussie card ... going in the appreciation gifts my daughter is bringing on her trip.

Its similar to this card but I made it standard size and also changed the color combo from the pastel of the other card to this more vibrant combination.  I must admit I didn't like the Pacific Point when it first came out, but I love it with the Wasabi and the Melon Mambo now!!

The other card is the same as my brothers birthday card, with a different sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by!

Another "audition" card

I have already submitted this to Gallery Idol and I plan on making a couple more.  For the open round there is no limit to how many you can submit.  I don't want to enter then just to have a large amount, but I have 2 more ideas after this one so if they turn out I'll put those in sometime next week.  There are already 100+ cards and 90 people ... I don't envy the magazine staff the job of narrowing that down to just 20. 

Card 2 is an homage to one of the editors love of yellow and gray :)

I used my Giga Guidelines set to create the background pattern and the black wool felt and ric rac die to make the squiggly detail.  The sentiment is from my Cricut - George cartridge

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies - PTI unless noted}
Stamps: Giga Guidelines
Ink:Lemon Tart, Smokey Shadow
Paper: Smokey Shadow, Lemon Tart, True Black, White
Other: black wool felt
Tools: Big shot, ric rac die, Cricut, George cartridge

Tis the Season ...

...No not Christmas ... Graduation season!   Once again this year I have a boatload of graduation cards to make.  Every time I get one done I remember someone else who is graduating!

This one is for my nephew (my brother's oldest) who is graduating this year from our alma mater

I used SU!'s new Go Graduate set from the summer mini.  I love red & black as a color combination (its the school colors but I still love it  :)

I used a mitt full of Copic sketch markers to color in the figures.  I also used some red embroidery floss and a brad to make a real looking tassel. The brad started out life yellow, but those wonderful Copic sketch markers can turn something into something else in a matter of seconds!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Gallery Idol 2010 - Open Audition card

Every year for the last several Paper Crafts magazine has done an online contest called Gallery Idol.  Fashioned after American Idol, they hold "open auditions", then pick the Top 20.  The audition card is a Thank You. 

This year I'm auditioning :)

Here is one of my audition cards:

I was inspired by this weeks Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab World

I stamped the large bloom from In Bloom 3 times, colored each with the Raspberry Fizz copic trio and then cut out parts of each and layered.  For the leaves I used the Ripe Avocado Copic trio

I'll find out if I made Top 20 at the end of May, then the fun really begins!  Each round you make it through you get a prize package (AWE-some), and a theme and a deadline.  The deadlines get progressively shorter, but I am excited.

I hope I make the cut!

Thanks for stopping by

{Supplies - all PTI unless noted)

Stamps: In Bloom, Polka Dot Basics, Giga Guidelines, Background Basics: Text Style

Ink:Fresh Snow, Ripe Avocado, River Rock [SU!]
Paper: Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, True Black, White
Other: Copic Sketch RV04, RV17, RV19, YG93, YG95, YG97

My Brothers Birthday

My oldest brother's birthday was last weekend. Here is the card I sent ... it's pure Stampin' Up!

The stamps are Asian Artistry (a hostess set), and Vintage Labels and the layout I took from a card sample in my catty.

I colored the bird with Copics (B41, B45, B95)

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies - SU! unless noted}

Stamps: Asian Artistry, Vintage Labels

Ink: Tuxedo Black [Momento]

Color: Sketch Marker B41, B45, B95 [Copic]

Paper: Baja Breeze, Marina Mist (new) Pacific Point, Chocolate Chip. White, Kraft

Embellies: Taupe grosgrain (retired)

CPS #166

I really like stretching my creative wings with these CPS sketches.  Thanks Tami for all the work you do on them ... I don't know how you keep coming up with fresh ones each week!!

So for this one I also wanted to try one of what I call the sunburst backgrounds.  I don't know the official name, but its where you take patterned paper (either a purchased pattern or one you create on your own) and cut it like its rays of sunlight coming form a central image.

Here is my attempt at both that background and the sketch this week

I stamped graffiti all over in gray, black and red then cut it and pieced the various background pieces back together

There's not quite enough contrast to really see the different papers but there are 3 different ones. I spritzed the whole background with Silver Foil smooch spritz too ... makes it shiny in a grungy sort of way :)

I also made my own bracket ... I thought I had a chip board one but I didn't so I just ran a blank piece of chip board through my Big Shot with the Top Note die ... I cut it once then realigned {very carefully I might add} and ran it through again.  It turned out pretty good I think!  then I colored it red with craft ink and spritzed it with Silver Foil

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies}
Stamps: Extreme Elements, By Definition, Gratuitous Graffiti [SU!], Mega Mixed Messages [PTI]
Ink:True Black, Smokey Shadow, Pure Poppy [PTI], Real Red craft [SU!]
Paper: True Black, White [PTI]
Other: Silver Foil Smooch Spritz [SU!],  Chipboard, Top Note Die [SU!], rhinestones

Daisies

Jen del Muro had another great Sketch For You To Try this week

I was in the mood to color so I stamped the daisies on soft stone CS and then colored them in with a white gel pen.  That didn't quite pop enough so I used the new SU! smooch spritz and a paint brush to give it some sparkle and shine

 I also stamped the basket on summer sunrise CS and then shaded with the summer sunrise Copic trio and filled in the dots with the white gel pen I used on the daisies.

The tag shape was cut using the tag trio nestabilities.  the sentiment is from Mega Mixed messages.  The buttons are from SU! button latte

Thanks for stopping by!

Another Aussie Card

Here is another card that is going into the gifts my daughter will take to Australia. 

Once again I dug into the archives over at CPS and used CPS #75 this time (a variation of it any way)

And look at that wood grain texture ... Love It!!

And here is the inside ... what you thought was a scalloped border is really some felt ric rac I adhered to the inside of the card ...  I made the ric rac my self too 

Pretty tricky huh!

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies SU unless  noted}

Stamps: Through the Trees, Friends til the End (sentiment) [PTI]

Ink: Old Olive, Garden Green, Chocolate Chip

Paper: Kraft (soon to be renamed Crumb Cake), Vanilla, Chocolate Chip

Other: Oval template [Creative Memories], ric rac die , Wood Grain impression plate and Black Felt [PTI]

Mothers Day Card

This weeks Sketch For You To Try at Jen Del Muro's blog is wonderful!  Don't you just love all the layers. 

The card I wanted to make just started forming in my head as I was looking at the sketch.  If I would have done everything I planned the first time, I probably wouldn't have had to remake it.  That wasn't a design error, but an execution error (so excited to assemble I forgot to stamp some layers :)

I made this card for my mom for Mother's Day using the sketch and Kim Hughes's paper rose tutorial.

The background is stamped with Fine Lace (retired) and the sentiment is from the new Well Scripted set.  The leaves are from In Bloom and were stamped on avocado Bitty Box paper.  Notice that little scalloped border on the edge ... that is the new early espresso paper - coming in July from SU! (GOR-geous!)

 Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies - SU! unless noted}
Stamps: Fine Lace (retired) Well Scripted, In Bloom [PTI]
Ink: [PTI] Dark Chocolate, Melon Berry, Berry Sorbet
Paper:[PTI] Dark Chocolate, Melon Berry, Berry Sorbet, White, Bitty Box - Ripe Avocado
Other: Scalloped border punch

An Aussie Card

My 17 yr old is going to spend 2 weeks in Australia this summer with a People To People student ambassador delegation.  One of the {many} things we didn't know going into the trip; was that she needed to bring a small token of appreciation for a few people (the coach drivers, their in-country delegate coordinator, and also her home stay family).  I could think of nothing better than to make a little bundle of cards to send over ... who doesnt' like cards?!?!?

Here is one of the ones I've made so far:

For this one I also used an old CPS sketch (CPS #38) that I found while nosing around out on that site.   I used By Definition for the text background (someday I'll go to a junk shop and try and find some old books to use instead like the "pros" :), then covered it with polka dots

The sentiment layer is from the fillable frames collection (the frame is #3, and the sentiment is from #1)

 Since some of the people are getting more cards than others (the home stay family is getting 10), I am doubling up and doing 2 of each design for the larger packs.  For some I will change the sentiment, but for this one I made it a more masculine color scheme.

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies - all PTI unless noted}
Stamps: By Definition [SU!], Polka Dot Basics #1, Fillable Frames #1, Fillable Frames #3
Ink: True Black, Smoky Shadow, Raspberry Fizz, Old Olive & Night of Navy [SU!]
Paper: Raspberry Fizz, Vanilla, Black, Night of Navy & Old Olive [SU!]
Other: Fillable Frames #3 die, Big Shot

CPS 165

 I was flipping through my PaperCrafts May June issue and I found (again) the Color Play article.  I needed a little bit of a kick to get out of my brown and anything rut so I decided to step out of the box and use {gasp} pink and blue and green.  Fortunately for me there was a brown neutral in the color play choices but I made sure to not let it be the main color.  Its also a new sketch at CPS so I thought I would combine them.

Here is my card:

I made it a larger square card base to match the sketch.  The stamps are Trendy Trees and Background Basics: Retro ...

I think I'm digging those goofy looking trees in the decidedly non-tree colors :)

 

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies - PTI unless noted}

Stamps: Trendy Trees [SU!], Background Basics: Retro

Ink: Sweet Blush, Spring Rain, Spring Moss, Dark Chocolate

Paper:Sweet Blush, Spring Rain, Spring Moss, Close to Cocoa [SU!]

Other: Jumbo brads [SU!]

CPS Sketch

ETA:  I WON!!!  I know its just a random number generator that picked me but I never win stuff like this  Can't wait to see the prize!

I'm coming in late on this one ... I'll chalk it up to being under sedation half the week.  But after the cortisone, my back is pretty much back to normal.  AND since I am relatively pain free and I can go down stairs - I spent much time this weekend in my craft room ... I've missed it so :)

So for the CPS sketch I made this card....

The sketch was a non-standard size which was kinda fun to play with!   Today is also the PTI design team challenge and they were show casing ribbon techniques.  Altho I used twill for a more rustic look, I used this tutorial  from Nichole Heady for the top detail.  Its SO much easier than it looks ... trust me. 

The button in the center of the twill is a little idea I had a while back.  I used my half pearls from SU! Pretties kit and glued it into a rimmed button I had.  Fun huh!

For the sentiment layer I stamped several of the oval frame from SU! Vintage Labels.  Since the layer is so narrow it went off the end, but I like the effect. 

And finally the background I made using my Scor-Pal and Scor-Bug

Thanks for stopping by!

{Supplies}

Stamps: Vintage Labels [SU!]

Paper: [PTI] Dark Chocolate, Berry Sorbet, Vanilla

Ink: [PTI] Dark Chocolate, Berry Sorbet

Other: Twill, half pearl [SU!], Vintage button [PTI], Scor-Pal & Scor-Bug [ScorPal]