Archive for 11/1/09 - 12/1/09

3-D Challenge

| Published 11.30.2009

Still recovering from my cold but at least felt like stamping a little today.
 Just Us Girls is challenging us to go 3-D this week; in other words, make a project from a template.

I haven't tried many of these yet although I have purchased a few of Lauren Meader's absolutely fabulous timeless templates. I really wanted to use the Tucked Away template (which I had bought a long time ago and have not used) as it is a perfect, small gift box. Actually, I wanted to play around with it to come up with a design to mass produce for the folks at work to give as little Christmas gifts (filled with candy:) ). Actually, I got a bit carried away and made two boxes..... :)
First up is my Christmas-y take;

Below is a closer view of the top of the box. Although it's hard to tell in the picture but it's actually a candy cut with my Cricut using the Christmas Cheer cartridge (and crinkled up in my hand to give it some texture) with pure poppy and sweet blush buttons in the center. I used vintage cream for the base, which is stamped with faux ribbon in sweet blush and memento lady bug. The top panel is pure poppy stamped with polka dot basics in vintage cream. The candy cane ribbon is from my stash.
 
 Also made a co-ordinating card... very simple.
 
Although I like how this turned out it was a bit more labour intensive that I would like for mass production so I'll re-think it a bit :)
Next is a set I plan to use for a friend - I have a bracelet for her birthday next year so it'll go really well in the petite version of the Tucked Away template. This set also qualifies for Crazy for Challenges week 13, which is to use punches on a project.

I love the new terra cotta color from Papertrey Ink! So I paired it with dark chocolate, new leaf and summer sunrise. A fall color palette but one I love :)  Below is a closer view of the daisy (fiskars punch) on top.
 
The card below is a 4x4 co-ordinating gift card.
 
I had forgotten how addictive these templates were to make!!!! I have to make more. I really like the samples of the Fold n' Go template I've seen too so I may have to add that one to my next purchase.
Hope you're having a great beginning to the week. Thanks for stopping by!
TTFN,



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Ingredients (all Papertrey Ink unless otherwise stated):
Christmas Gift Set
Paper: vintage cream, pure poppy, sweet blush
Ink: Sweet blush, vintage cream, memento lady bug
Stamps: Just Rite Stampers Merry Little Christmas Borders & Centers Round 1-5/8”, Polka dot basics, faux ribbon
Other: Cricut, nesties, pure poppy and sweet blush buttons, candy cane ribbon (Walmart), twine

Daisy Gift Set
Paper: Terra cotta tile, dark chocolate, summer sunrise
Ink: Terra cotta tile, dark chocolate, chai 
Stamps: Turning a new leaf, Background basics: retro, Garden of life (sentiment)
Other: New leaf ribbon, fiskars apron lace border punch, fiskars flower punch, nesties, clear embossing powder, twine

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Raspberry fizz, poinsettias and glitter

| Published 11.27.2009


Quick post - have a card to share for the latest Annabelle Stamps sketch challenge. 
 
  
 

I am lovin' raspberry fizz as a non-traditional seasonal color. I used stamps sets from Papertrey Ink; Peaceful Poinsettia and Merry and Bright for the sentiment. I tried Dawn McVey's technique of scortape and glitter and I really like it.  I went with clear glitter for a more subtle look. 
Enjoy your Friday! Thanks so much for stopping by!
TTFN,



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Happy Thanksgiving!

| Published 11.26.2009


A very Happy Turkey Day to all you out there in blog-land. I hope today can be a day of reflection and of perspective - 'cause goodness knows it's easy to forget just how good you have it sometimes (and of course, by "you" I mean me :)). It's also a day of great food and, at least in our household, football.  
Actually, we had planned to go to our neighbors for Thanksgiving. We don't have any family in town this year and we couldn't travel due to work commitments. Plus, as hard as I tried to stave off the virus my hubby was harboring, it seems to have found it's way to me. Just when I thought I might make it through. So we decided to spare our neighbors and sadly stay at home. Later this afternoon, they so kindly showed up at our door with plates of food for the "sickies" :) How fantastic are they?!?!? See, so much to be thankful for :) They've been so fabulous since we moved in a little over a year ago. We love them :)

It's been a couple of slow crafting days for me. I did manage to make a few quick cards but I'm not up to my best work - just feel like ideas are slow to come, among the other side effects of the cold and medications. 
The first card is for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge.
 
  
 Not the most mojo-y card but hey.... I wanted to make it fairly frill-less. I had originally planned a masculine card, but now that I look at it, the dragonflies don't scream "male" :). 
The next card is for the Mojo Monday sketch challenge.



 
  
 I just got my PTI goodies (YEAH!!!) and with that came the new terracotta tile and guide lines II stamp set. *Gasp* I can't believe I'd waited this long to buy it! There are so many other sets I'd love to buy - but all in good time (at least a bit of restraint keeps my DH happy :)). So I used the new guide lines II and it was wonderful! I made a few small errors but I'm really looking forward to making this a "go to" set. Now have to ink up my turning a new leaf set.
Finally, I've got a couple of pics of our feline family members to share. It wasn't fair at all that the dogs get prime billing since the cats are a VERY important part of the family too. We love them just as much :) I'll be sure and put their cute little faces right next to the dogs on my side bar later.
 
The picture above is of the princess, Lilly, or "the bean" for short. "The bean" you ask? It went from Lilly to "liller bean" to "bean"... I love how pets names transition like that. Well, at least in our household :) But I would think there are a lot of people who have nicknames for their pets. Back to Lil - she does things on HER terms (like most cats) but she's mostly sweet :) Love that tortieshell personality!

  
 And this little character is Jasmine, or "Ja Ja" or "Jub Jub". Wow, seems to flow off the tongue so naturally - when I write it, it just looks plain silly :) In this picture, she's helping me study. I had to write qualifying board exams 2 years ago and this was her way of "helping". You can see the binder of notes she's lying on and my laptop to the side -so she's right in the thick of things. The "attention breaks" were good for my sanity though :)

Anyway folks, I'm fading fast.... need more cold meds....congestion returning.  I really dislike colds.... I really hope you are all enjoying your Thanksgiving with your family and friends.

Thanks for stopping by!
TTFN,


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A nice surprise :)

| Published 11.24.2009

A huge THANKS to the wonderful Tanny P. She sent me this blog award - what a great surprise! She's been so wonderfully supportive since I've started blogging and I'm so grateful :) Check out her blog - All That Rubbish - she's so amazingly talented!


Here are the rules:
Answer the following questions using single word answers. Then pass the award to 5 other people and let them know.


Your cell phone? iPhone
Your hair? long!
Your mother? loving
Your father? loving
Your favorite food? Ahhhh... can't choose!!!!
Your dream last night? childhood
Your favorite drink? diet coke
Your dream/goal? happiness (with you, Tanny!)
What room are you in? Living room
Your hobby? Many
Your fear? failure (with you again, Tanny)
Where do you want to be in 6 years? a parent
Where were you last night? Home
Something that you aren't? unhappy
Muffins? pumpkin
Wish list item? vacation
Where did you grow up? Newfoundland
Last thing you did? browsed
What are you wearing? jeans
Your TV? flat
Your Pets? Lots
Friends? Family
Your life? Amazing
Your mood? relaxed
Missing someone? Parents
Vehicle? Ford
Something you're not wearing? dress
Your favorite store? apple
Your favorite color? orange
When was the last time you laughed? now
Last time you cried? weeks
Your best friend? family
One place that you go to over and over? E Bauer
Facebook? friends
Favorite place to eat? Nama


The 5 super duper bloggers I would like to pass this award to are:


These ladies really deserve it - an inspiring group indeed!!!
Again, Tanny thanks so much! You made my day. *Grin*
TTFN,

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Eat cake...

| Published 11.23.2009

Quickie post tonight - my poor hubby is sick. I'm trying to help while also trying to stay clear of the illness. Ah, the fine line...
My card is for Crazy for Challenges # 12.



 
I made a birthday-type card. I had this DP from basicgrey nook and pantry which goes perfectly with the Papertrey Ink's Cupcake Collection. I really, really wanted to use new leaf and/or lemon tart because I hardly ever use these colors. I stamped the cupcake and colored it with copics (E59, E57, E55, Y28, Y21) then placed a cherry on top :). I colored around the cupcake with Y000 to give a glowy effect, however, it appears that I still have some learning to do with that technique :) It looks a bit more like yellow-stained paper. And the photos... well, let's just say there's a photo tent on my Christmas wish list :)

Well, that's all folks. Thanks for stopping by!
TTFN,

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The tale of two challenges

| Published 11.22.2009


Sounds dramatic, huh?
It was cold and rainy here today - managed to get the pooches out for a walk prior to the start of the rain though, which is nice. Spent the rest of the day cleaning and making this awesome pumpkin chocolate chip loaf that Amy Schultz shared on her blog a while back. It is SUPER easy and SOOOOO YUMMY! You should check it out! I'm making it for a "food day" at work tomorrow.

On to my card...
Saturday brought a new Just Us Girls challenge (love this blog and all the gals involved!!!) - they have a wonderful color challenge this time round. I tried to double up the challenges and try a new one, Annabelle Stamps sketch challenge #3. They've still got blog candy available - today is the last day to sign up.


 
  
 
I wanted to make another easel card 'cause they're so much fun! I bought this pumpkin stamp by Stampabilities on sale at Hobby Lobby and decided to ink it up. I colored it with copics (Y32, Y38, YR09). I don't have my Papertrey Ink order yet (I think the new Terracotta color would have been perfect for the rust :)) so I subbed textured rust cardstock from the stash. How great is this color combo? My color-challenged mind would never have thought of putting the blue with the orange - but I love this combo! It will make a reappearance fo' sho'. 
Hope you and yours are having a relaxing Sunday evening. Thanks so much for stopping by!!!
TTFN,

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Ingredients (all PTI unless otherwise stated):
Stamps: Pumpkin stamp by Stampabilities, Autumn tags (sentiment and pumpkins on orange zest)
Ink: Memento tuxedo black, orange zest, versamark
Paper: Spring rain, stamper's select white, orange zest, rust textured cardstock from DCWAV
Other: Cuttlebug EF (damask); orange zest ribbon, spring rain button, orange rhinestones, orange rhinestone brad from American Crafts, fiskars threading water border punch, large rectangle nesties, copics and ABS

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Warm woolen mittens....

| Published 11.21.2009


I apologize if the title has you humming already :) 
Happy Saturday! It was a GORGEOUS day here. Love this time of year :)
Not much to share - had a great, relaxing day full of routine things. But routine is nice after busy schedules and other occurrences, so I'll take it :)

Got a card for the latest Raspberry Suite color challenge #19.
 
  
 
Weren't those Pioneer Woman T-shirts awesome (and the models did a wonderful job of showing them off :)). I love the colors. After reading Dawn and Nichole's blogs, I visited her site and spent hours there. The way she writes is so captivating and I love how much she adores her hubby and family. She's so incredibly talented - writer, photographer, chef.... wow! Inspiring lady!
I was bound and determined to turn those awesome colors into a Christmas card. I sat there for a while trying to come up with a concept then I thought of striped woolen mittens I wore when I was younger.

So they were the inspiration. I just cut strips of raspberry fizz, spring moss, aqua mist and lavender moon, taped them to a thin piece of paper, stitched the pieces together, stamped the mittens from Snowfall (Papertrey Ink) in versamark then heat embossed with clear powder. Finally, I cut them out and adhered to my card. I really love how it turned out :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!
TTFN,

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Ingredients (all PTI unless otherwise stated):
Stamps: Snowfall, Stocking prints (sentiment), Background basics: retro
Ink: versamark
Paper: Spring moss, raspberry fizz, aqua mist, dark chocolate, lavender moon
Other: raspberry fizz ribbon, rhinestones (colored with YG95 copic marker), sewing machine, clear embossing powder.

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I *heart* Friday!

| Published 11.20.2009

There's just something about Friday night :) It's the promise of the weekend, knowing tomorrow is Saturday. 'Course when I was in college it meant a party night but 10 years later, my Friday nights are usually much more, shall we say, tame... It's comfortable :)
Anyway, I've got two cards to share. The first is for Mercy's Tuesday sketch challenge #48. I altered the sketch to make it a A4 card (easier to mail :)).  I have this die cut paper from Creative Imaginations that paired well with aqua mist from PTI - it really made me think of a wedding or anniversary card. I'll apologize for the pictures in advance (I may try to take a few tomorrow and re-post them). The first picture is the most representative of the true colors....

Detail of the paper (sorry about the picture :( ... the card has a more yellowish tinge in this photo but the paper is actually Stampers Select White from PTI). I didn't have any aqua rhinestones so I just colored two white ones with a copic marker (BG18). I love copics - so versatile!
 



The next card is for Mojo Monday #113. I initially wasn't going to make a card to this particular sketch - it had a bit more layers than I normally feel comfortable with. I had this BasicGrey patterned paper that I got on sale - it was sorta fun and so I decided to give the sketch a go. I paired the DP with everyday button bits from Papertrey Ink.



 
So that's about it. I hope you all are enjoying your Friday night :)
Thanks for stopping by the blog-o :)
TTFN,



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Ingredients (all PTI unless otherwise stated):
MTSC 48
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Cupcake collection (half of one sentiment)
Ink: Aqua mist, versamark
Paper: Creative Imaginations die cut paper, Stamper's select white, aqua mist
Other: clear embossing powder, clear rhinestones (colored with Copic BG18), aqua mist ribbon, nesties, white button, twine, CB swiss dots embossing folder


Mojo Monday #113
Stamps: Everyday Button Bits, Around and About Sentiments, Faux Ribbon
Ink: Smokey shadow, colorbox purple, versamark 
Paper: Sweet blush, Ripe avacado, Plum pudding, Stamper's select white, BasicGrey patterned paper
Other: CB text embossing folder, ripe avacado ribbon, nesties, plum pudding ribbon, clear embossing powder

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Noel

| Published 11.19.2009

Happy Thursday! One day away from the weekend!
Tonight I've got a card that I made for this week's Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #91. I've never participated but have seen a few of the sketches - they are so enticing :) This sketch is fantastic - I love the layout! It took me a little while whether I would stamp some background papers or use some DP. For some reason it took me forever to decide :) I love the Background basics: Retro from Papertrey Ink - I just keep going back to that line with the solid dots. It really has a Christmas-y look too. Merry and Bright and Merry and Bright Additions (also PTI) is another set that I seem to go back to over and over - has great tree images but also some neat stamps that make great backgrounds.
 
  
  
 I love the Berry Sorbet cardstock paired with Pure Poppy and Ripe Avacado. I added in Dark Chocolate too (also one of my favs). I did make a small boo boo - I stamped the tree in Hibicus burst by mistake (instead of berry sorbet- whoops). I didn't notice until I had it attached to the ripe avacado circle but I thought it didn't look too awful bad so I left it :)

Anyway, thanks for stopping by for a look see!
TTFN,


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Ingredients (all PTI unless otherwise stated):
Stamps: Merry and Bright, Merry and Bright Additions, Background Basics: Retro
Ink: Colorbox white pigment ink; Berry Sorbet, Versamark, Hibiscus burst (accidentally :))
Paper: Berry Sorbet, Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy, Ripe Avacado, Rustic White
Other: Nesties, white embossing powder, swiss dots cuttlebug embossing folder

Glitter and acetate

| Published 11.16.2009

Hello folks!
Tonight I've got another challenge card to share. This one is for Crazy for Challenges week 11 - the challenge was to use acetate. I went pretty simple with this one. I really wanted to make a shaker card - not sure why ultimately I didn't but there you have it :) I'll try one soon...


 
I'm not really good with acetate I have to say - I seem to always get something on it, like glue and create a smudgy mess :) I don't have sheets right now - I just recycle a few acetate boxes that my PTI stamps came in. I really do like the look of the acetate cards I've seen so perhaps I'll have to order some full sheets soon and give it another go.
Anywho, I stamped my images on acetate with white Stazon. Then I used glossy accents to adhere the glitter (Martha Stewart brownstone and carnelian) on the stamped side of the acetate. After it dried I flipped it over and adhered it to a frame cut from dark chocolate cardstock (PTI) using nesties. The frame cardstock was stamped with a floral flourish and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. The background paper is textured cardstock with dry embossing. The tag was cut with a nestis and I sponged the edges with PTI vintage touch duo chai. I used oranze zest bitty swiss dot ribbon (PTI) and orange zest buttons to attach the label. The base and background for the frame is kraft cardstock.
Wow, wordy desciption :)
Have a good one :) Thanks so much for stopping by!
TTFN,

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Sunday....booooo!

| Published 11.15.2009


The end of the weekend.... Hisssss! Gosh, it goes by fast....
My inlaws were in town this weekend - nice to have company around the house again. It's been a while since we've had visitors.
After watching my NY Jets lose to Jacksonville (not sure where the team from earlier this season has disappeared to....), I went up to my play space to make a card for one of my favorite challenge blogs, Just Us Girls. Every week of the month the challenge is a little different - Week 1 - Sketch, Week 2 - Technique, Week 3 - Color, Week 4 - 3D/Template, and Week 5 - WILD card. This week is a technique challenge - use dry embossing. As a twist, we were to make it a birthday card in honor of Dana's Birthday (Happy Birthday Dana!). 
Well, I didn't see the twist part originally (apparently I was SO excited to go make a card, I skipped over the part where it said to make it a birthday card), soooooo I actually made two cards. One is a birthday card; the other a wishing you well card.
 



Here's card number 2...



 


Thanks so much for stopping by for a look-see, folks!
TTFN,

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Ingredients (all Papertrey Ink unless otherwise stated):
Birthday card
- Stamps: Birthday Basics
- Ink: Versamark, Vintage cream
- Paper: Berry sorbet, White, Smokey shadow
- Other: White and clear embossing powders, Cuttlebug Argyle EF, berry sorbet swiss dot ribbon, berry sorbet button, fiskars border punch (threading water), twine


Wishing you well card
- Stamps: Vintage picnic (sentiment), Background basics: text style, Polka dot basics
(stamped on flowers)
- Ink: Versamark, Melon berry
- Paper: Melon berry, dark chocolate, vellum
- Other: Cuttlebug EF, melon berry twill ribbon, twine, fiskars flower punch, white and clear embossing powders, dark chocolate button, fiskars border punch

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