Waltzingmouse Be Happy

I have a chalkboard card for the latest Waltzingmouse challenge.   I used a combination of white embossing for the stamped images and then used a white gel pen to draw a box around it all.  The hardest part of these sorts of cards is when I have to smudge ink all around.  But, I did it.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Waltzingmouse Playful Pinwheels, Music Background, Technique Tuesday Measure Up
Paper:  PTI  White, Summer Sunrise, True Black
Ink:  Versamark, SU Pure Poppy, Versafine Onyx Black
Other:   White gel pen, red jelly dot, PTI Spiral Notebook Die

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PTI January, 2013 Blog Hop

I thought this month's Blog Hop theme was a very fun one.  Black Backgrounds.  I'm guessing that is very trendy now. 

After a bit of trial and error, I ended up with a card I like quite a bit.  I learned that a black background is even less forgiving than a white background.  EVERY LITTLE THING shows up!  The colored flower centers are made using a regular hole puncher and then several layers of Glossy Accents--Marybeth has gotten me hooked on this stuff.

A side note:  I tried to use this week's MIM technique, and emboss the white sentiment over the clear embossed polka dots.  NOT!!  I ended up with a melty mess, so my sentiment is white embossed on black, and not the double embossing technique.


Here is a peek at the inside, which I had to line, or I wouldn't have been able to write anything inside the card.

Supplies Used (PTI):
Stamps:  Beautiful Blooms, Think Big, Background Basics Polka Dots
Paper:  True Black, Berry Sorbet, Limeade Ice, Summer Sunrise, White
Ink:  Versamark, Berry Sorbet
Other:  Clear and White Embossing Powders, Glossy Accents, bling

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Make it Monday #101 and Muse #1

I have a card for this week's Make it Monday #101:  Layered Embossing and the first Muse Challenge.

Here is the beautiful inspiration card, from Amy:

 

I went with a pretty literal interpretation of the inspiration card.  I really loved Amy's card, and wanted to keep as much as possible.  I used this week's MIM technique by first embossing the flowers from Funky Florals in clear and then stamping the centers and embossing them in white.  I got the idea to use Funky Florals from this post by Leigh.  I first tried this technique on the sentiment on a different card, and the entire thing ended up in one big smear.  This one worked much better.

Supplies Used (PTI):

Stamps:  Funky Florals, Turning a New Leaf

Paper:  White, Lemon Tart, Lily Bee Handmade

Ink:  New Leaf, Versafine Onyx Black

Other:  Notched Flower and Turning a New Leaf dies, Canvas/Linen Impression Plate, Lil Inkers Stitched Squares, pearls from stash

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Lawnscaping, Simon Says, and ColourQ

Hi there.  I learned today that Simon Says Stamps has two challenge blogs--both with fabulous prizes.  How could I not have known that?  Did you know that?  

I have a card for this week's Lawnscaping Challenge No. 50:  Winter Wonderland,  Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog:  Let's Get Paper Piecing, and Simon Says Stamp and Show:  What Are You Known For?    My card uses several Lawnscaping Sets to create a wintry scene, is paper pieced with Handmade by Lily Bee papers, and features an Owl (of course, as that is what I think I am known for).  I just love that itty bitty snowflake, from Sweet Christmas.

My next card uses this weeks ColourQ challenge cQc #173, which I interpreted into PTI colors as Terracotta Tile, Summer Sunrise, Sweet Blush, Kraft and Vintage Cream.  I must be honest and say that I was not in love with these colors.  However, I did like the skirt, so thought perhaps I could make them work on a card.  I've had this Penny Black I chart stamp for quite a while, and wanted to pair it with Lawn Fawn's Clear to see, just like Kim did here.

I started by stamping a random pattern of eye glasses in Terracotta Tile, Summer Sunrise, and Kraft.  

Here is the card.  I am also entering this card into the Moxie Fab Challenge #49:  Make Your Own Background Paper.

Supplies Used:
Hello
Stamps:  Lawn Fawn Winter Owl, Critters in the Forest, A Birdie Told Me, Sweet Christmas
Paper:  PTI White, Kraft, Lily Bee Handmade
Ink:  SU Real Red, Versafine Onyx Black, Aqua Mist
Other:  PTI In the Meadow Dies

Birthday
Stamps:  Penny Black I Chart, Lawn Fawn Clear to See
Paper:  PTI Kraft, Vintage Cream, Terracotta Tile, Sweet Blush
Ink:  PTI Terracotta Tile, Summer Sunrise, Kraft
Other:  Tag Sale Die, Saddle Stitch Ribbon

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Happy Mail for Grayson

Yesterday, I came across this heartfelt post from Danielle at Neat and Tangled.  I am reprinting it here, to help her spread the word about the card drive she is organizing for two very special boys.

Exerpted from Neat & Tangled:
Just before Thanksgiving I heard news that a girl I went to high school with and her family had embarked on an incredibly difficult journey.  You see, they had discovered that their sweet little 2 year old boy, Grayson, had a tumor on his brain stem. Since then they have been on a bit of a roller coaster ride, and this is only part of the journey.  Grayson will begin chemotherapy this month as the next stage of treatment. Through all of this, the family has stayed strong, hopeful, faithful and positive.  Grayson's mom, Jackie, has a blog she keeps updated regularly, so you can get to know more about Grayson HERE.

I do not really have words to describe how this makes me feel, except I want to bring some light into this loving family's life. I knew to start I could make a card. And then I realized that, you too, know how a little card can bring a smile to a difficult day, and so I thought we could just light up Grayson's life with some serious happy mail!  I talked to Jackie, and she informed me that Grayson and his brother love to get mail...and so, here we have the Happy Mail for Grayson Card Drive. 

As I mentioned, Grayson is super lucky to have a big brother, Aydan, who is 4 so make sure to send some awesome cards to him too! These boys love all things boy :) Rescue Bots, Geotracks, Angry Birds, Thomas the Train. Send these little men funny, happy, cards! We all know how much love goes into a handmade card, and even better how personalized they can be!
 

Here is the important info:

The drive will run from January 21 - February 28
(if they arrive late because they are International that's okay too!)

Send them here:
Grayson Savery and/or Aydan Savery
c/o Danielle Walls
P.O. Box 5808
Wilmington, DE 19808

Thank you in advance for your cards! Feel free to share with your crafty friends as well :) Would love to see my PO box overflowing!

 

 

I could not stop thinking about those two little boys.  So, I am participating in this card drive, and also helping to spread the word.  Because they are too young to read, I decided to make them cards that would be fun and interactive, with lots of textures.  I used some of my Boy Basics sets with the spinners and poppers dies.  I coated the school bus on this card and the airplane on the next card with a few layers of UTEE--they are nice and sturdy now, and shiny, too.

 

    

 

 

Here is a view of the inside--with a fire truck, school bus, and truck popping up when you open the card.

  

 

 

 

 

I don't know why it is so hard to take pictures of the inside...

 

My cards will be on their way tomorrow.  If you have some time, please send a card, too.

 

 

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100 Weeks of Inspiration, CAS(E) this Sketch #11 and Dynamic Duos #36

I have been wanting to CASE this fabulous owl card by Kelly ever since she posted it this summer.  Why did it take me so long?  Who knows?  This week, Kara is sponsoring a challenge in honor of her 100th week of posting Friday Inspiration.  We are to case something from her Friday Inspiration File.  I knew exactly what I would do.  I was inspired by Kelly's owl card here and Lisa's pillow box owl here to make my own pillow box owl in my daughter's favorite colors.  I will fill it with something sweet and tuck it into her suitcase  on her next trip.  She is going to China with her 8th grade class in a few months, and I will be making lots of cards and other goodies to remind her of home while she is gone.

Owl Pillow Box

 

I also have a card today for this week's CAS(E) that Sketch #11 and Dynamic Duos #36.  I was inspired by this card by Lee.  It just jumped out at me from the gallery, and gave me the idea to use Guidelines II, which had yet to see any ink.  Please go see Lee's card.  I like it better than mine, I wish I could have copied it exactly.

Valentine

Supplies Used (PTI):
Owl Pillow Box
Stamps:  Lovely Layers, Sending You
Paper:  Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Ocean Tides, Winter Wisteria, White
Ink:  Memento London Fog, Blueberry Sky, Winter Wisteria
Other:  Dies:  Pillow Box, Banner Borders, Heart 2 Heart, 1 1/2 Circle Punch

Valentine
Stamps:  Guidelines II, WPlus9 Love You More
Paper:  White, Pure Poppy, True Black
Ink:  SU Real Red, Versafine Onyx Black
Other:  Picnic Plaid Impression Plate

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Four More Cards

I'll jump in and get right to it.  This first card is another card for this week's A Blog Named Hero Challenge #18:  Golden Oldie and Moxie Fab #49:  Make Your Own Background Paper.  I used one of the images from Dictionary Greetings, masked it off a bunch of times and stamped all over the page, to make my background paper.  I got this idea from a HA stamp that looks like this.  I don't have the stamp, but tried to replicate the look.

I used that paper, an image from Just Saying Hi and a sentiment from Everyday Greetings for my card.  All three of those Hero Arts sets are definitely golden oldies in my collection.

Next up:  it's a card--it's a bookmark--it's a bookmark card...The challenge for this week's CAS-ual Fridays CFC86:  Long and Short is to make a card that has one long side and one short side.  I made a card that is 2.5 " by 7".  

Yes, it is very long and skinny.  The stamps are from PTI Tweet Talk, and the colors are Versacolor Opera Pink, PTI Limeade Ice and Orange Zest.  Here is the back, where I stamped a sentiment from Think Big Favorites:

I combined this CAS-ual Fridays challenge with this week's Make it Monday #100 about packaging over sized cards.  This card fits into a plastic bookmark sleeve I had in my stash, and is secured with a belly band of Raspberry Fizz polka dotted paper.

One more card for this week's Make it Monday #100. Sweet Life Roses stamped in Aqua Mist and Ocean Tides on Vintage Cream card stock.  The bottom is Background Basics:  Farm and Barn stamped in Memento London Fog.

I would have used a glassine bag if I had one, but instead made a little pouch out of waxed paper and scor tape, using pinking shears on the edges.

Last up for today is a card for this week's RetroSketches rs#47. I used a color scheme I saw on Debbie's blog here of Spring Moss, Blueberry Sky and Canyon Clay to make a get well card that could work for a guy. 

That's it for me today.  It's a three day weekend for us, and I am looking forward to one more day of sleeping in, minimal driving around, and some more time in my craft room, too.

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Catching Up

I've got an assortment of cards and other projects for various challenges that I have been working on this week.  First up is a card for A Blog Named Hero Challenge #18:  Golden Oldie and Color Throwdown CTD225.  

I chose to use Hero Arts Silly Scape, which was one of the first stamps I ever bought.  I still love it, but it rarely comes out to play anymore, because I almost never take my wooden stamps out.   My colors are PTI Hibiscus Burst, Kraft, Sweet Blush and Orange Zest.  I paper pieced all the buildings and popped them up with varying depths of foam tape.  The piece on the side is a bit of hand made plaid using PTI Background Basics Super Stripes, and the sentiment is Hero Arts.

Speaking of wooden stamps, I thought I'd show you my home made stamp positioner (I was too cheap at the time to buy a Stamp-a-Majig).

Next up is a card for this week's ColourQ #172 and Moxie Fab #49:  Make your Own Background Paper.  I used PTI Funky Florals in Hibiscus Burst, Limeade Ice, SU Real Red to stamp a background pattern, with a section masked off for my Think Big Favorites sentiment stamped in Memento Grey Flannel.  I used a great tutorial on Simplicity to help me with the random placement (which isn't actually random at all).

I have some die cuts that I am sending to some crafty friends (you know who you are) and used this week's Make it Monday #100:  Packaging cards with Oversized Embellishments to pretty up my clear envelopes to hold everything together.

This card is for this week's CASology #27, where the cue word is 'blue'.  I kept thinking of baby cards, so I used PTI Happy Hexagon to make a card for a baby boy.  I used all three PTI blues--Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, and Enchanted Evening.

And, finally--a card I have been wanting to try ever since I got Knit Bits and Background Basics Striped Sweater--A sweater card with skates--for my niece who loves to figure skate.  Tracey was nice enough to send me some skates and other images from that set.

Here is a peek at the inside:

Well, that's it for me today.  I don't have the energy to write up all the supplies, but let me know if you have any questions.

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