Moxie Fab Make an Itty Bitty Card Challenge

I saw a cute challenge over at that wonderful Moxie Fab blog :-) - Make an itty bitty card. How could one resist? Really - I had making some wee Valentines for my sister's kids (2 boys and a girl) on the brain. So here's what I came up with - sized at 3x3". I gotta say it's a wee little space but was quite fun. My little cards are quite simple to look at but in true tracyfp form - i made it a tad more complicated LOL
I used Papertrey Ink's Framed Out #11 die for the heart cut out in the center of the card. Also from PTI is the gingham patterned paper (Aqua Mist and Pure Poppy) and that XO border die is also from Papertrey. The little birdie is from a long retired set from StampinUp! called Cute Critters. I am sure I have another bird stamp but this one seemed perfect (and age appropriate)- as these cards will be making their way across the country (just like a bird would ;-)) to my sweet niece and nephews.
I did adhere some acetate in those little heart windows (primarily to hold in that inserted heart of a different color). I used some Copics to color in that cute little bird. And that is that.Totally cute and fun and I'm happy I played along with that challenge. Maybe you should too? Yes - you should!
Have a good one!

PTI January Blog Hop

So the challenge for the blog hop is Black Backgrounds.
I had to do a little thinking on that one. So I looked around for a little inspiration and found some via the crack that is Pinterest. I like the color combo of blue (aqua), green and black with a little white thrown in - so here's what I came up with. I ended up backing the whole thing up in more aqua which seemed to make it pop a bit more. I used a PTI Impression Plate on the black background - its subtle but it's nice :-)
I'm kinda chuckling to myself here - I'm making flowery cards while the snow is coming down outside. Ah well... Have a good one!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Heart-2-Heart #7, Turning a New Leaf, Happy for You,
Dies: Heart-2-Heart #7, Turning a New Leaf, Linen & Canvas Impression Plate
Cardstock: PTI Spring Moss, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Stampers Select White
Ink: PTI Spring Moss; StampinUp Tempting Turquoise & Taken with Teal; Versamark
Other: White Embossing Powder

Thinking of You Today

I wanted to try out some stamps I got for Christmas - namely the sentiment stamp you see here. It's a simple little card using some patterned paper from my stash and couple of dies. I love Dawn McVey sentiment sets :-) They're just so happy and have such lovely typography.
That's all for today kids!

Stamps: PTI We Go Together
Dies: PTI Turning a New Leaf; PTI Limitless Layers 2-1/4" Ovals

Happy Birthday Michele

a birthday card for a dear friend ~
have a wonderful day!

Stamps: PTI Funky Florals; Button Up; Fillable Frames Sentiments
Dies: PTI Notched Flower, Fillable Frames #9, Buttoned Up 1
Other: White Embossing Powder; Versamark; Bella Corda Jewelry Cord

Make It Monday #100: How to package oversized embellishments

So here's my card for the Make it Monday challenge. You notice that my embellishments (the leaves on the left and the banner at the bottom) are extending past the regular A2 size card boundaries. I have to say upfront I normally don't go out of the lines... even in my coloring books LOL. However I'm all over the place in my sketchbooks so I call it even ;-). Anyhow I thought this would be a good challenge for me to give it a whirl given my boundary issues (and there's a prize for this MIM - I am just getting in my entry under the wire here. It's been a wicked week. No time for cards - eek - til today after we got the daughter back to her last semester in college. And no I can't believe that either... but I digress....)
A note or two on the card: I used so patterned paper from my stash and the rest is all from Papertrey Ink. I love the Notched flowers dies and one of my Christmas presents was the Turning a New Leaf stamp set along with the dies. I am in a little bit of love with that set of dies. I also used the Double ended banner die. Because the sentiment I'd chosen will not fit on a single banner (I am secretly wishing for a double ended banner die that will accommodate those Think Big Favorites sentiments) I decided to get a little creative. I stamped the "hello" portion of the sentiment on the green banner. Then I masked off the "hello" and stamped the "just a note" on the white banner - and put them both together - staggering them just a bit to add a little interest.

So now on to the packaging. I have quite a stash of clear envelopes. All sizes. As this card is going in the mail to my mom I wanted to use one of those - knowing they are secure and go through the mail very nicely. But what I like to do (if given the time) is decorate an insert I used to address the card . So I took some cardstock and layered on a piece of the same patterned paper. Added a Mat Stack 1 die cut out of white to write her address. Then I cut out another leafy flourish and glued that down and I used it to write my return address. I decided it needed a few more leaves so I cut out another leaf flourish and trimmed it and glued that down. I know my mom will like it a lot.

For a friend

Made this card recently for a very special friend. Sympathy cards are always hard.
I kept it kind of simple. I used PTI stamps and dies and some Chatterbox (yes I still have more - probably cos I've hoarded it all these years) paper I really loved. Then I finished it off with a bit of ribbon and stitching.
That's all for today - have a good one.

Happy Birthday to my 9 year old nephew

Quick post to show you a card I made for my sister's 9 year old - it's his birthday today! I had some scraps of some great birthday boy paper - I wish I could remember who made it (it's an oldie - but a goodie! I think it might have been American Crafts?) I die cut the 9 using PTI's By the Numbers dies. I also diecut a bunch of the Loop De Loop die using different cardstock colors to match the paper - don't those Loop De Loops look like streamers? Alrighty... that's all for today! Have a good one!

Just a note hello

I was doing a little cleaning up (well i still need to bring a wrecking ball for the rest of this room....) - I'd pulled out so many different papers from my stash to work on an album gift so I had to get that out of the way. I came upon this plaid paper, which I love - love all kinds of plaid and Chatterbox made so many nice ones. Any-how... I thought I'd make a quick-ish card for a family member to say hi. I used the PTI Mat Stack 5 die to cut some cardstock and vellum. Then I used PTI's Thing Big Favorites #22 to stamp the sentiment in Versamark on vellum then I heat embossed it with some white embossing powder. I decided to trim the top and bottom off the die cut shape to expose the cardstock. I added a strip of the same cardstock at the top and die cut PTI's heart border die for the bottom. I also die cut some buttons using the Buttoned Up #1 die. Finally I did a little stitching - yay - Santa brought me a new sewing machine for Christmas! I've missed stitching on my cards - so I'm a sewing fool again! Oh yeah - I tried some embroidery floss to tie up those buttons but it wasn't looking quite right. I just don't like when the holes are still exposed - the floss doesn't seem to fill the diecut holes well enough. So I tried some paper jewelry cord - kinda reminds me of twistel...remember that? Anyway I liked that much better. Okay - I'm off to see what I'm going to feed this crew. Hope to be back tomorrow with a card I made the other day.

Happy New Year!

I vowed to myself I'd get in a post the first of the year and here I am - 11:30pm on New Year's Day. Better late than never. It's been a crazy couple of weeks.... as witnessed by these pics of Christmas gift card holders I just finished today. Yes, Christmas continues. sigh. Long story short - weather and family who couldn't be at celebrations allowed me a little leeway which I desperately needed!

To be brief because I must go to bed ;-) I used Papertrey Ink patterned papers, stamps and dies (if you need to know just shout and I'll elaborate) but the most important feature is the Movers&Shakers Zipper Die - so cool and I cannot wait to hear how the recipients loved these (and the gift cards that are sealed inside).  I also used some of those Prima Holiday Poinsettias I bought after Christmas (maybe last year... could it be the year before.. perhaps... I can't recall but no matter - nothing more classic than poinsettia right?) I hope to get back to regular blogging soon. Thanks for staying with me - this was a particularly busy holiday season for us here in the burg. I'm really looking forward to getting back to normal!