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!

Christmas Tag-a-rama

I did promise to share some tags I was making for my sister and her family - so here we go:

Here are the two tags for my nephews using PTI's Tag Sale #6 die along with dies from PTI's In the Meadow. I used some patterned paper from Memory Box (Tinsel). When I was done assembling I took a glue pen and ran lines over the pattern in the paper then sprinkled on some ultra fine glitter. In the first pic you can't see the lines - you just see the shimmer - but in this second pic I was able to get those lines visible in the photo.  In real life you don't see the lines unless you're holding it at just the right angle - but that's really what I was going for - the overall shimmer.

Next we have the tag for my niece, the boys younger sister. She is 4 and a girly girl. She loves anything pink and sparkly! So I decided she should have a pink polka-dotted Christmas tree. Why not! I used some of PTI's Raspberry Fizz cardstock and stamped (in Versamark)on the polkas using PTI's Polka Dot Basics - then used some white embossing powder. I cut out another Tag Sale #6 and attached some Cosmo Cricket patterned paper (Jolly by Golly). I used some Crystal Glitter from Walmart on the bottom area (adhered with Modpodge), added the pink tree then finished it off with the little die cut snowman die from In the Meadow.  All three tags are stamped with a sentiment from Fillable Frames #9 (they're  also got the To: From: stamped on the back of each tag.)
Finally I wanted some little tags to also go on these packages that say don't open til Christmas (they are quite the imps these 3!)

I cut out the tags using the die from Fillable Frames #9 using papers from PTI's New Leaf Pattern pack. I cut out small rectangles with an EK success punch and used those as reinforcers for the tags. The image is a Holiday Seal stamp from Catslife Press. I stamped in versamark and embossed with white ep. Finally I attached some bakers twine.  Then I took a white gel marker and wrote in the date.
Alright then. Thanks for stopping by - have a good one!
Edited to add - I just realized the first two tags would be good for the Make it Monday challenge - so consider these entered ;-)
 

Snowflake Sparkle Ornament

I'm trying to get a package together to send my sister - some of the Christmas presents are already there. But I've got one gift here that needs a little decoration and I need to make some tags for the gifts already at her house. So today I put together a little package decor that also doubles as a tree ornament. I used Papertrey's Damask Snowflake dies. I combined some modpodge with some ultrafine glitter and painted that on - I think you can see the shimmer - it's pretty. For the sentiment I used PTI's Happiest of  Holiday set. I really love this set and have given it a bit of a workout. I wanted to highlight the word Christmas so a little masking was required. I added some ribbon to the back and another snowflake on top of that to finish it off.
Tomorrow I've got to get those tags done - hopefully I'll have a few to share then. Have a good one!

Make it Monday #94 Detail Glitter Technique

So I've been trying to get back to making Christmas cards - and I managed to get one made today. I pulled out PTI's Mistletoe & Holly (for the image) and Happiest of Holidays (for the sentiment). I wanted to use a favorite color combo - aqua and red. I stamped the main image with versamark and clear embossed it. Then I stamped the mistletoe berries in versamark but I used white embossing powder this time. (Here it looks a little off white - I'm thinking that's got to do with the aqua..... regardless). I used the Mat Stack 1 die to cut out the sentiment shape (wish I'd gotten the Mat Stack Layerz 1 to mat that but I digress) and stamped the sentiment in red. I mounted that on some foam tape - but before I attached it I wrapped some bakers twine around the card. I finished the whole thing off by adding some Ultra Fine glitter to the berries (I used a Martha Stewart glue pen to adhere it). I really wish the photo shows the shiny embossing powder  and the glitter - you'll just have to believe me when I say it's a little magical. Sort of sugarplum-esque.
Okay... off I go. Have a good one!

Sympathy Cards

Always a hard thing to make aren't they?

One of the first sets I think I bought from Papertrey Ink was With Sympathy. I've unfortunately used that set a lot. It's a wonderful stamp set that has such perfect sentiments. It also has a companion set - With Sympathy:Loss of a Pet. I bought that set right away - it's a $5 set - PTI has so many great little $5 sets. And I thought I might have a use for it on occasion. When I bought it I'd asked my sister, who is a veterinarian, if she sent out sympathy cards to her patient owners? (When we'd lost two different cats to illnesses our veterinarians here sent so many cards and it was very touching and appreciated). She told me that she did. At the time I'd said I'd make her some using this set - she's very crafty but I knew she'd never get a chance - she's a busy girl - 3 little ones as well as being a vet - she rarely has time to craft. Well, as it happens I never got a chance either. Till now. I made a whole set of cards for her. I know she'll appreciate it - although I hope she never gets the chance to use them really. She takes the loss of her patients pretty hard. But if the need arises she'll have a card to send handy. I used some Fine Linen pattern pack papers, the Card Base-ics #2 die and the Buttoned Up #1 die - all from PTI. I altered the Card Base-ics die cut a little - trimmed it down about 1/4 inch on all sides to create the look I wanted - but i still wanted those notched corners. I have a punch from StampinUp which put those corners back. I also used some black embroidery floss for the die cut buttons and I clear embossed the paw prints. Here's a few more pics

Okay that's all for today - hope you have a good one!                                                                                         

Make it Monday #93 Splitting Die Cuts

a real quick post here (i'm supposed to be making dinner ;-)) Another birthday card for that nephew who is turning 13 (this one is from my mom). I used the Celebrations die to cut the shape for the sentiment - I actually cut it out using kraft cardstock and some striped patterned paper I had. I cut apart the striped diecut and adhered it to the uncut kraft diecut. Then I stamped the large sentiment onto the kraft cardstock. I assembled the rest of the card and added the small sentiment at the bottom. Both sentiments are from the Celebrations stamp set.
ok.. i better get on that dinner! Oh yes - I was trying out the Papertrey Make it Monday challenge on Nicole Heady's blog!

Star Birthday Tag and Card

I've mentioned before I have numerous nephews haven't I? Yes I know I have. I'm quite lucky. (I've also got some amazing nieces but it's not one of their birthdays so I'll have to talk about them another day.) One of the nephews (my sisters eldest) is about to turn 13 - an auspicious occasion to be sure. For me it is hard to believe but yet it is so (I've got one nephew who is 36 but each one's 13th birthday seems to be a marking point now doesn't it?). I wanted to send him a fun card and make a tag for his gift - which is already on its way to him (my sister, who lives on the other side of the country, is used to wrapping my gifts :-( but I don't always get a tag in the mail - well I am this year!) I had Betsy Veldman's recent post about chalkboard art on the brain so I made this tag. Used Papertrey Ink stamps and number dies. The tiny white embossed heart is from the superstar border die from PTI but the larger red star is EK success papershaper punch. The tag was a #6? shipping tag I covered over with kraft and black cardstocks.

On to the card - I used the Boy Basics Simple Circles and 2012 Birthday tags stamp sets as well as the Coverplate Circles die. I stamped the main image in two different colors and clear embossed them (yes you can emboss dye ink you just gotta be quick about it!) then I cut them apart and reassembled so I had a two color image.  The "celebrate" was embossed with white ep (i stamped that in versamark).
Ok - I really gotta run - laundry and making dinner are next up on the agenda.
Have a wonderful day!

A birthday card

How are you? Survived Thanksgiving I see. Me too. Although I'm too pooped to pop (a family expression - means I'm tired!). Actually I am gaining a little steam. I had to work yesterday (Friday) and when I got home, I did veeery little LOL. I was makin up for Thursday when I did a lot. Anyway earlier in the week, before Turkey, stuffing, pies etc I quickly made a card for my dear Aunt (who is also my Godmother). She will be celebrating her 94th birthday on Monday and I wanted to make sure I got that card in the mail by yesterday. So I made the card and set it aside to mail. With all the turkey day festivities etc I totally forgot to put it in an envelope and address it. On my way home from work yesterday afternoon I realized it. eek! I got home, quickly pulled out an envelope, addressed it and ran it out to the mailbox - fortunately the mailman hadn't been by yet. So the card - I used 2 Papertrey Ink sets: Autumn Abundance and Tagged Sentiments. I also used the Scarlett Jewel Pattern Paper pack and Mat Stack 3 and Mat Stack 3 Layerz dies. I colored the image using Prismacolor pencils for the flowers and vase and copics for the leaves. I took this pic right before I put the card in the envelope - inotherwords reallllly fast. Shame cos I was quite pleased with my coloring with the pencils and you can't really tell here.
Anyway - I need to get a move on. I have some online shopping to do LOL! I'm trying to avoid the stores as long as I can. The online shopping - I know what I'm buying today (2 birthday gifts and 3 Christmas) for a niece and 2 nephews. I'm just not prepared for the mall yet! Have a wonderful day.

Happy Winter Birthday

I had some of that Spring Rain cardstock on my drawing table from the card from yesterday so I thought I'd make a birthday card for my husband's aunt. Her birthday isn't until the end of December but ya know - when the spirit moves you, you gotta go with it! I pulled out Papertrey Ink's Winter Hills - I sooo wanted to use that house image stamp again as well as the wonderful sentiment - Happy Winter Birthday (I don't know why I love that but I do!). I stamped the image onto the Spring Rain cardstock and used my Prismacolors (and a little mineral spirits) to color that in. Then I used the wee snowflake stamp in the set to stamp a partial background in Versamark on the left side of the card. I embossed that with white embossing powder. I used one of the Half & Half dies to cut out the white cardstock you see on the right side of the card - well actually I cut it out twice. I mounted the image onto the long piece and stamped the sentiment on the short white piece.  I liked the card but felt it needed something else and tried a variety of different ribbons and finally settled on using some bakers twine. (It kind of solved my dilemma having chose to color that barn and door in the image in a red prismacolor pencil - pulled it all together - see what i mean?) alrighty. I'm off to bake - today it's Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins for Thanksgiving (I gotta fit this stuff in when I can LOL) Have a good one!

editing to add a revised photo:
okay - so here on the left I've made a little change. I'd resisted tying that bakers twine - but today the card was sitting on my table still and I said what the heck. I took a piece of the twine and wrapped it around my hand 3 times then took that and tied it on the piece I'd already attached to my card - then snipped the ends. I'm happier with this faux bow then the original version of the card.  I should say at this point this twine is the real deal twine. On a huge spool - just like they used to used in the bakery when I was a kid. I see the kinds available now - so much thicker and very nice but I've got a huge spool of this - so use what you have, right? ok I need to make a birthday card now before I have to shut down my little craft room for Thanksgiving LOL. Too much cooking, baking etc for any craft time. Anyway - to all my fellow Americans - have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

a change of pace

Taking a break from the Christmas stuff to make a card for a baptism. One of our nephews had a little boy not long ago and he will be baptized this coming weekend. Unfortunately, in a state too far away so we will be unable to attend :-( But of course a card is not out of the question right?
Now I have a lot of stamps but I don't have anything appropriate for the occasion. I know... I've actually looked off and on over the years but never found anything quite right. So I went in search this morning but still came up empty. My backup plan was to find a paper or an embellishment to use. On that score I got lucky and found some lovely crosses from Jolee's. So I got that and a package of faux pearl embellishments (Recollections) and got down to business. I printed the sentiment on my computer onto some vellum and clear embossed it. I cut out those frames using Papertrey's Mat Stack 3 and Mat Stack 3 Layerz. Also embossed a piece of cardstock with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.
Okay that's all from me today - I'm off to make a lasagna for Wednesday - yes Wednesday - cos I'll be too busy to cook with all the Thanksgiving prep and will still have a house full of hungry people! Have a good one!

Love Lives Here Holiday Ornament

So I have been playing with PTI's Love Lives Here: Holiday and Tag Sale #4 to make some ornaments for family for Christmas. I fell in love with some ornaments that Erin Lincoln did with this set - you can see it here if you click on the little thumbnails below the set image. So as I said I've been playing around with the stamps a little and here's what I made so far.

Yes I added a little bit of a face - so sue me. I just wanted a face on this sweet angel but isn't that what is so nice about stamps - you can make anything  you want!


Which brings me to the next thing. The little sentiment you see here - well I altered it a little. It's from PTI's Happiest of Holidays - an absolutely wonderful set! Those lines on the banner weren't long enough to make me happy for my purposes here (and there were some other pesky words in the way LOL) So again I'm altering things up. Here's a pic of the stamp as is next to the ornament I made.
So I stamped the sentiment then extended the lines with a pen then cut out the parts of the sentiment I wanted to keep, distressed a little with some Tim Holtz Antique Linen and voila... sentiment that suits my needs :-)

Ok I gotta run. Have a date with some chocolate chip cookie dough and my Mom :-)

Thanks for looking!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

can't you just hear Judy Garland singing?
ok so now you can

 

Love "Meet Me in St. Louis" don't you? 

Seeing as I've been on a vintage music sheet kick I thought I'd throw in the music itself.

Alright - on to the card...

which coincidentally has sheet music for this song in the background. And in the foreground - Papertrey Ink In the Meadow die of that cute sledder as well as the hill itself...and the sentiment is from PTI's Think Big Favorites #20