Wednesday, March 27, 2013

It's all about the carrots

well... and the bunny. he's cute isn't he? I was (an am still) in need of a few more Easter cards. I pulled out a set - Easter Bunny by Impression Obsession - I bought a few years ago and set out to make something with it.

I don't know about you but I find I buy stamps, hoping to get a lot of use out of them - I try not to impulse buy - and not a lot that's trendy... not to say that I don't have some "trendy" things in my collection but I'd say it's more classic.. stuff I know that when I bring it out again it doesn't look dated. (of course this is debatable ... depending on who you're talkin too ... but I digress....)
So I pull out these Easter bunny stamps and this is what I came up with. I really like those carrots. There are 2 carrot stamps in the set and I used them both and I think they make such a cute little border! I used Copics to color Mr. Bunny and carrots etc. The polka dot patterned paper is from Papertrey Ink's Polka Dot Parade pack. I used a rickrack die from PTI as well as Oval Nestabilities (with accompanying scalloped oval). The bakers twine is WeRMemory Keepers. Oh the little Happy Easter sentiment is from PTI's Polka Dot Parade #1 stamp set. Have I left anything out? Oh yeah... the little tag. I didn't have what I was looking for so I used the Double Ended Tag Trio from Nestabilities that I've had for a few years - and cut off one end and rounded it off.
Ok. I need to make another Easter card and a few birthday cards too. Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Papertrey Ink Make it Monday #108: Inked Backgrounds

The MIM challenge this week was Inked Backgrounds. I love stamping backgrounds and inking backgrounds. I played around all week long in stolen moments. I have some backgrounds I'm actually saving because I haven't formulated the rest of the card in my head LOL! In the meantime, on Friday afternoon I got home from work and my box from PTI had arrived and I really wanted to try out the Year of Flowers: Morning Glories set. I have had that set on my little wish list for forever. I love morning glories. A few years I had them growing up around my mailbox - they are just so beautiful. Anyway - I did have a dilemma - I didn't have the Copics I needed to color them (gasp!). I did have some prismacolor pencils but I had my mind set on markers. I decided to hit Michaels as they've recently been carrying them. Well - they didn't have what I needed. I noticed American Crafts Chromatix - the colors looked right so I gave them a try. I stamped out the image a few times and dove in. I'm not sure I'm a complete fan - but I think they worked ok. The greens are Copics. But let me tell you about the background. It's simple but I kinda like it. I used Background Basics: Tin Types. I stamped it with Versamark on white cardstock and then clear embossed it. I applied Fine Linen ink first then I went back in and layered on some Kraft Ink. The sentiment is from Fillable Frames Sentiments stamped on the Double Ended Banners die. Then I decided to add a little butterfly from Beautiful Butterflies stamped in Versamark and clear embossed. (I originally considered doing another background instead of the butterfly but I was afraid it was going to get too busy).  Alrighty - that's all from me right now. The kitties are begging for dinner and the people food is about to come out of the oven! Have a good one!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Still too busy for my likin

Yes things seem to get in the way of my card making. Work, laundry, cooking blah blah blah. We did go away last weekend to visit my eldest nephew and his wife. That was so fun - you know how it is sometimes - nothing will do but to just get on the road and getaway! We did a lot in a short little visit: went to see their new house they'll be closing on at the end of the month; went out to lunch; went bowling (I haven't done that in yearsssss and we had a ball... a bowling ball LOL), went to the movies (saw Silver Linings Playbook - so good!),went out to dinner. I'd always wanted to go to this fondue place - The Melting Pot (have you been?) and when they suggested it I was so in. Yum. (yes it was a fattening weekend but that's all I shall say on that subject.)
Anyway - you go away and then you need to catch up with everything you put aside for the weekend. (Laundry, grocery shopping... did I say laundry? ugh). I've been so busy I haven't even stamped with some new Papertrey Ink stamps I bought in February - unheard of for me. I find a way to get ink on stamps within days of receipt. And heck - Santa bought me a Silhouette Portrait for Christmas I'm still trying to get a handle on. So the other day I said I'm pulling out something and I'm stamping and I'm Silhouetting.
On the first card I used some burlap I had hanging around for years combined with the green burlap I picked up in Michaels a week or two ago. I diecut the letters with some Sizzix dies (Funky Brush) out of PTI Hibiscus Burst Bitty Dot patterned paper. I think I love those diecut letters alot all polkadotted up. The little bunny is stamped and diecut from PTI's Polka Dot Parade #1. The word Happy is from PTI's Stylish Sentiments. The buttons are also PTI. And the Bakers Twine is from WeRMemory Keepers. I love that little bunny so much I decided to pair him up with a card I cut using my Silhouette Portrait. The patterned paper is again PTI but this time Bitty Dot  Spring Moss. It's a simple card but I like it and I was happy to actually produce something using the Silhouette. I had gotten a bit frustrated with the Silhouette - it's not the Silhouette that's the problem - it's me. I need more time to play with it and finally getting something made was encouraging.
SSo that's all for now. I'm determined to get some more cards made on Sunday (yes tomorrow is already spoken for - ugh!). Thanks for stopping by and have a good one!

Thursday, March 07, 2013

Have a little cake with your candles

is another way of saying - you're old! Considering the card-ee (recipient of said card) - I can say this - I'm older than her. My little sister shall be celebrating a big birthday in another month and since I'm the older sister I can say this kinda thing, right?
What precipitated this card? Well I was looking at the Moxie Fab blog (which I've been so enjoying! Love all the fun posting of images etc) and Cath Edvalson has been showing the 11th edition of Card Creations - and along with it - posting challenges all week. The Speech Bubble Challenge caught my eye. The little sentiment I came up with is a derivation of many things we used to say in our house growing up. For example: there'd be a LOT of whipped cream plopped on a piece of pumpkin pie and someone would say - "hey, have a little pie with your whipped cream". Or maybe a lotta of hot fudge on the ice cream "hey, have a little ice cream with that hot fudge". See what I mean? 
Of course I don't have a stamp for that little sentiment, and I didn't have a birthday cake stamp with a whole mess of candles.... so I made my own. I drew my card - probably not kosher ? for the challenge but I did use some Copics to color it in and mounted it on some Papertrey Ink Berry Sorbet cardstock. Maybe that'll count. I don't know if there are rules for such things. Heck I'm entering it for the challenge anyway!
It's the first card I've been able to make in a week. I've been busy. First addressing wedding invitations for an old friend of mine. Her daughter is getting married and she wanted my handwriting on the envelopes (go fig. She hates her handwriting and loves mine.) That took a week. Lots of envelopes - inner and outer. Oyvey! I've addressed "Save the Dates" for a niece (she also likes my handwriting :-)) but wedding invitations were a whole 'nother level yaknow?
We also bought me a new car the other night. Yes! I have had my van for 13 years and now that we've made our last college tuition payment - time for Tracy to get a new car. To say I'm a happy girl is a bit of an understatement.
Okay. I need to get on making dinner. Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a good one!