Papertrey Ink April Blog Hop

Hello Friends! It's Papertrey Ink's Blog Hop day. The challenge was to create something using Navy and Pink. When I saw that I knew I'd have to play along. I love this color combo. It's just so classic. The other day I started playing around with some ideas but I knew I'd be doing something with either polka dots or stripes. And that I'd be making something that was kinda go-big-or-go-home. I made three cards. The first one here using Polka Dot Basics stamped with Fresh Snow Ink then embossed with white embossing powder (just to get those polka really white!) I used the Enclosed: Flower die and Berry Sorbet Cardstock. Then I backed it with white cardstock run through my Big Shot with a Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder. I also made a butterfly using Beautiful Butterflies and the Beautiful Butterflies Layers set, positioning the die cut so that curly part of the wing took the spot right over the dot
for the "i".


My second card: I used my Misti with the Background Basics: Super Stripes to create that striped background. (Creating backgrounds with the Misti was a big selling point for that tool for me - it made creating this background so easy!) I used the Graceful Greetings set (stamped twice, again using the Misti, to get a really solidly stamped sentiment in Enchanted Evening ink.) as well as the Ruby Rose set to create that embellished flower. I added a PTI button and some embroidery floss to finish it off. Oh yes... and a little machine sewing around the striped panel.

My third card is pretty much like the first one I just reversed the color scheme of Berry Sorbet and Enchanated Evening and using the same stamp sets and dies and embossing folder.

That's all for me for today - I'm off to do some errands then come back and check out everyone's cards on the hop! Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

Making a card out of random stamping

Hi there friends!
I know... another post from me this week - is it some kind of holiday?
Nope, I'm just catching up around here. I was cleaning up around my drawing table yesterday afternoon and I came across this stamped piece of cardstock. I'd been having a little stamping morning (a few weeks back) with my friend June (Hi June!) and was fooling around with the Misti and this Papertrey stamp set called Brushed Blooms. I told you that I have to play with these tools, like the Misti, a while before I get a feel for them. At that point I was trying out how to stamp the layers involved with that stamp set. I kept moving and turning the cardstock as I tried out the blooms in different colors. When I was done June (clever one that she is) said you just need a sentiment for that and you have a card. And she was right. I recently got this other lovely Papertrey set called Graceful Greetings. So yesterday when I came upon that stamped cardstock I decided to take June's advice and stamp on one of those lovely Graceful Greetings sentiments. I added a little bit of colored cardstock as the base layer and I had my card. I'm thinking this would make a great "Dear Ones" card for May. It's just a cheerful mix of colors and that sentiment (actually all of them in that set!) are going to get a workout from yours truly.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you're having a great day!

PTI Make it Monday Challenge #209

Hi there friends. Yes, a second post this week - wow! Right?
More on what I'm up to later in this post but you're here for the challenge card, right?
Okay so this week's Make it Monday challenge on the Papertrey Ink blog was to use white on white die cuts with a pop of color. I haven't been participating of late and this looked like a fun one to jump back in so here's what I came up with.
I loved all the beautiful samples that were in the video. I gave it a little thought a rifled through my Papertrey stamps and dies and decided on using the Button Stacks and Wet Paint dies. I tried out the Bitty Button Stacks too but finally opted to leave those out. I had all my diecuts and decided my splash of color would be in the sentiment and then realized I wanted to use a little embroidery thread to tie up those buttons. I did try white but it wasn't workin for me so I went with a blushy pink thread. I spent a lot of time trying various ways of lining up those buttons. I liked this version the best - it reminds me of a quilt or maybe lace?  I should confess I really wanted something that said Baby for the sentiment - doesn't it kinda look like a baby blanket? :-) I might make it again if I can come up with a good alternative to make a baby card.
I don't know about you - if you participated - but this was a tough card to photograph!
So now onto the why I'm not blogging so much of late.
I'm a purging stuff. Great amounts of stuff. And while it's taking me away from things like blogging, it sure feels good. I'm making great progress so I don't wanna stop. Well I do have to stop occasionally. The house needs tending and the family needs feeding and we need clean laundry blah blah blah.  I even got together with some dear friends and we had a little sale of our stuff a couple of weekends ago. While I didn't sell a ton, I did sell some and then the rest I donated to a local shop and that was really great. (It didn't come back in my house and went to a most worthy cause - win/win).

All this purging - and I should be specific - it's craft room purging I'm talking about - is very freeing. I have been bogged down way too long with a lot of stuff I'm never going to use. Lots of guilt there. Guilt that I shouldn't get rid of stuff I spent good money on, guilt that I am getting rid of something someone gave me. Oh the guilt. I could write a book. And I finally said to myself - it's wearing you down. The room is a mess. I spend too much time organizing it and reorganizing it - time I could better spend drawing and making cards and scrapbooking. And I am almost done. And it feels wonderful. And it's clean... well almost. But heck the floor is clear! And that my friends is kinda amazing. So thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your visits and your comments. And if you're not commenting - please do - I love hearing what you have to say - what you're making etc. Okay?

Dear Ones - April

Good morning friends! Finally getting back here to post my "Dear Ones" cards for April. 

I'd started making them last Wednesday when I got together with some crafty friends (Hi June and Amy!). 

I'd recently gotten the Misti and wanted to give it a little work out. (I don't know about you, but when I get a new tool I really have to spend some time with it. Learn the in's and out's and so forth. The Misti, for me at least, was no exception. It took some time to get acclimated. Beforehand I watched a number of videos and then I really just played with it for an afternoon, not making anything but trying out the possibilities. It's not that its hard LOL it's more there are lots of ways to use it and I want to take full advantage of my purchase :-))

Anyway I knew I'd be seeing my friends on  Wednesday so I played all Tuesday afternoon with the Misti. I decided that at the playdate I'd make 12 cards so I'd have my Dear Ones:April edition done plus some extras to have on hand. 

I set up my Misti so that I was all set to stamp each layer/color when I saw my friends on Wednesday. I should say here that when we do these get togethers, I do more talking than stamping normally. I am more of a solitary stamper/artist (read: I work better alone LOL). But with my Misti set up, ready to go I was feeling confident I'd get some cards made. 

And I actually did get my cards created. There was one stamp that I had to use repeatedly (that tiny 3 flower stamp that appears 2 times on each card. That one I did by hand later when I got home). Of course there was still the assembling to do but that went quickly - and yes I did that at home as well. 

I have to say that Misti really made the whole job much quicker and not like a job at all. And really - the stamping is supposed to be fun isn't it? Okay kids - that's all from me today. I have fooled around enough with blogger for one morning! Thanks for stopping by!

Somebunny is having a birthday

and that somebunny is my little sister. Her birthday is actually Wednesday but I need to get this card in the mail!
I didn't take the best picture of the card using the My Favorite Things stamp set. It's a little off center however you can see the important part - that adorable bunny image and the cute sentiment. I actually cut apart the sentiment - it was a long one piece affair and I needed to have the two parts stacked as you see it here. I watercolored - something I've never mastered but I keep trying nonetheless. And I just threw in the little flowers as I watercolored. I used that rectangle stitched mat die from Lil Inker again - I just love how it finishes things off.
Okay I gotta run to the post office. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!