Pink & Green Day

it's a pink and green day here in the burg... or rather in my house (in the burg). Even though I would tell you my favorite color is blue, it seems that green shows up in a heck of a lot of cards for me. I had a couple of birthday cards to make for the coming week and the first thing I reached for was the green cardstock. Then the pink. (and anyone who knows me knooooooows I'm not a pink girl. well, I never used to be and ya see it's also a color I seem to be drawn to more lately. go fig)
I actually scanned this card in, then ripped off the oval, pulled out my sewing machine, stitched the gingham portion, then put the oval back and quick snapped a photo. phew! The scan looked prettier but the stitching really finished off the card - so there.  I used Papertrey Ink's 2012 Birthday Tags as well as Background Basics: Gingham and finally, the Polka Dots Basic stamp sets.  The white scallop and the oval were cut with the Limitless Layers 2-1/4" Oval Dies.

For my second birthday card I used the same 2012 Birthday tags set as well as the oval dies, some Basic Grey paper as well as the BB: Gingham. I used the Double Ended Banner die in the center there and used a little StampinUp! punch to create that little scallop at the bottom (but I cannot remember what it's called to save my life and I'm sure it's long since retired. Note to self: buy a scallop border die already!)
Okay I believe the troops are pacing outside my door here, wanting to be fed. I am hoping to get more time to make things this week (hopefully I'm almost finished with the workmen invading my home everyday). Have a good one!

Lily of the Valley Thank you's

I needed a few thank you cards and since it's Spring (well despite a few 80 & 90 degree days) I decided to pull out one of most favorite stamp sets - Papertrey Ink Year of Flowers: Lily of the Valley. It's just the most elegant stamp. And it's really pretty stamped on kraft cardstock and colored with Prismacolors and Copic markers. But it is a large stamp - takes up a lot of real estate on a card front. I decided to fill space at the bottom with two different solutions.
The card on the left has a PTI Double Ended Banner die that I stamped with PTI Background Basics: Gingham in Versamark then stamped the sentiment in black. I cut a strip of the same color cardstock and ran it through the Fiskars crimper.
The card on the right has the sentiment stamped in black onto a an image from the PTI Sweet Spring stamp set. That image was cut out using the PTI Christmas Label die. I used that gingham stamp again and stamped a strip and cut it to fit in the space at the bottom of the card.
Alright - hope it's a great day wherever you are~

Celebrate - with a little glitter

I needed a little birthday card for a friend so I picked out some pretty Basic Grey paper (from the Wisteria pad) and a Papertrey Ink stamp and die (Celebrations stamp set and frame die) and created this card. It needed a little something else and I remembered I had a little dragonfly Quickutz die. I cut out the wings from vellum and added a little superfine Diamond Dust glitter.  Don't you love when you actually remember to use the supplies you already have? I haven't cracked out that dragonfly in ages but he came in quite handy today.








Here's a little closeup of the dragonfly.
Oh and one more thing. That frame die - I wanted another layer underneath the white frame - but there is no die for a larger frame. (I knowwww!) So what to do? I cut the frame again in the lavender (purple - whatever you want to call it) cardstock, then cut it down the middle and offset it under the white. Voila. I like the way it came out along with the crimped band of cardstock (sorta faux ribbon).

Have a good one!

Hello

Hello there :-)
Back for the 2nd day in a row huh?
Here's a little hello card.
I used the Mat Stack 3 Collection Stamp set as well as the Mat Stack 3 Dies from Papertrey Ink to create that main frame. The flowers are from Papertrey's Year of Flowers which I colored with Prismacolor pencils. The little sentiment is from the Mat Stack 3 stamp set too - such a simple but elegant font. I stamped it on cardstock cut out from PTI's Double Ended Banner die. That banner die actually has two banners on it. I cut one out of white which I stamped on then I cut the larger banner you see under it in Fine Linen cardstock. I inked up that main large frame image and stamped the edge of the larger banner with it - if you look closely you can see the larger banner has that canvas/linen pattern on it. It  helps tie it all together - along with that lovely patterned paper (I can't remember the manufacturer - sorry) - which appears to have a linen like texture.
Have a great day!

Leafy Birthday

Hi there.
Been a few days - and I'm getting a little impatient with the construction going on in my house. The floors are done but we still are working on getting a new bannister installed - that should be completed today (it's hard typing with my fingers crossed but I'm doin it anyhow). Then the final staining and I'm thinking the torture will be over next Wednesday. Sigh - I want my house back.
Onward to the leafy card you see to your left. I used Papertrey Ink's Lovely Leaves and the sentiment is from PTI's Think Big Favorites #12. I used the kiss technique using a retired Canvas background stamp from StampinUp!. I'm not sure you'll be able to see that Canvas image kissed onto the leaves - but trust me it's there and it looks pretty - kinda makes each leaf look plaid - very cute!.
I'll have another card tomorrow (really... 2 days in a row!)
Have a good one ~

What goes up and never comes down?

Here's another birthday card. Again, the picture - not so good.
If you could've seen the state of my house you'd understand that I'm lucky I got this picture and the ones to follow. It's major pandemonium in my house with new floors going in and everything is upside down. It's making me a littly loopy but I did have to get a pic of the card. If I didn't take a picture of the stuff I make, I would never remember all the details. And me - I like the details.

So on to the card. This one is for my sister who is celebrating a birthday this weekend. Since she is younger than me I don't think she'll mind the punch line when she slides open the card. I used those Movers & Shakers dies from Papertrey Ink to create the moving element to the card. The sentiment is from the Movers & Shakers Collection. For the backgrounds I used to sets: Flower Fusion #7 (the flowers on pink cardstock) and the Stitches & Swirls set for the backgrounds you see on green and yellow cardstocks.

I wrapped up her gift and sent it along with a little pack of supplies for her to make stuff but it needed a little explanation. The explanation had to be written on something cute hence this stamped piece of cardstock. (explanation on the flip side) Those leaves are from that same Flower Fusion #7 set. I'd been playing around with the stamp on some paper and kinda like how it could make a pretty little pattern. So I stamped it on some cardstock and cut it out with the Top Note die from StampinUp!. I'd cut out some flowers using the die for the Flower Fusion stamp set and glued those down for the To and Love :-) While I was playing around with stamps I stamped out this cute little tag from the PTI 2012 Birthday Tag stamp set. I cut it out with an oval die and decided I'd cut out the scallop mat for it from another piece of cardstock I'd been stamping on - more of those same flowers from Flower Fusion #7 - I kinda like the colored mat - as opposed to a plain white scallop. Anyhow that little tag was attached with a ribbon to the gift itself.
So there you have it. Now I need to get on some more birthday cards and eek - Mother's Day is practically around the corner!

a 21st birthday

here's a card I made for a 21st birthday being celebrated today. I can hardly believe it but the calendar doesn't lie. Anyway I used a number of Papertrey Ink products: the main sentiment is from the Movers and Shakers Sentiments Collection (as well as that little "pull here" ... didja see that?); also the Background Basics: Tin Types. I cut the ovals from my Nestabilities and cut the dies for the sliding feature of this card using the PTI Movers and Shakers Sliders Dies.
This is what the card looks like until you pull that little tab - and when you do it looks like this:

 The 21 is cut from some Papertrey Number dies.. cute huh?
ok... gotta run!

fringe fun

  Now I have had these Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors for forever. I've used them a few times to create just that - fringe. But I saw a video recently that made me want to try and make these little fun fringed bows. Now aren't these just the cutest things? I had shared the video with my sister - who also likes to make things :-) - and asked her if she'd like some fringe scissors for her birthday.  She said "oh yeah".
So I'll be packaging up some tissue paper, doilies, along with a pair of  fringe scissors and sending them off this week to my dear little sister so she can be a fringe bow makin fool too!
I made these 3 bows last night in no time - really it takes just a few minutes and its almost foolproof. I used the recommended hot glue and it's been a while since I've glue gunned (translation: a few burned fingers... ) but once I made the first one I was on a roll.  Now I need to wrap up some goodies I'm mailing off to my daughter who is celebrating a special birthday this week :-) I'll be back with a few cards soon.