Palmtrees and Pogosticks

A Superstar kind of birthday

2012-01-08T21:39:00.002-06:00

I finally picked up the adorable Outlines Alphabet from Papertrey Ink. You know how it goes, a set catches your eye, but you keep putting off getting it. Well, I had to sit down almost right away and put something together with it.

Anyway, it's a pretty basic card. I arranged the letters on a grid block, stamped them, then coloured them in with Copics and Spica markers. I added in a greeting from It's a Jungle Out There (I really, really like that font the Happy Birthday is in). Next I added a mat and some punched out stamped stars. I put that all together on a starry backdrop. The card is 6.5x3.875.

Supplies:

Stamps: Outline Alphabet, Star Prints, It's a Jungle Out There
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, White
Ink:Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Tuxedo Black
Accessories, etc.: Copic markers, Spica markers, pop dots

Wild & Crazy

2011-12-18T17:41:00.002-06:00

Well, not really... but the card does feature a zebra. I really liked the touch of the Pool Party ribbon with grey and white, so that kind of inspired this card. I stamped the stripes first with black, then stamped over with white pigment ink, and then I cut it out. I like how the white ink subdued the black just a bit.

The card is very basic in design since I wanted the zebra to remain the focus.

Supplies:

Stamps: It's a Jungle Out There
Ink: Black Onyx, Fresh Snow
Paper: White, Smoky Shadow, Pool Party
Accessories, etc.: Limitless Layers- 1-3/4 circle, Animal Prints Impression Plate, Pool Party ruffled ribbon

Christmas Card Class

2011-11-07T21:24:00.004-06:00

This weekend, I decided to put together a Christmas card class for a few friends. It was a lot of fun! The get together started with 4 structured cards, and then afterwards, everyone just did their own thing with the supplies leftover.

The first card was this one. It's super simple, especially with the use of the scor-tape sheets, it makes the process so much faster. Basically, adhere the sheet to a piece of cardstock, die cut your shape, then sprinkle glitter liberally. It's not a good stamp class unless everyone leaves with a bit of glitter on them, ha!

Supplies- Vintage Ornaments die, Big & Bold Holiday Wishes, Silver Ink, Tempting Turquoise Paper, Glitter, Rhinestones

Next up, I wanted to showcase Copic markers. This card doesn't exactly use them to their full potential, but it's nice to do a bit of colouring now and then. I also wanted to show what I call the "sneaky bow" technique, where you use string to make the bow, instead of tying it.

Supplies: Classic Christmas, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Satin Ribbon, Copics, Button, Rich Cocoa Ink

The next card was a bit more fussy, but I think it was the favorite. Most people didn't seem to want to have to give it away! I used the Love Lives Here: Holiday and matching dies to make the little stockings, added a bit of baker's twine for whimsy, applied the woodgrain texture plate to the paper, and also made use of rustic colours. I quite like how it turned out too!

The final planned card made use of embossing. It's always a nice and simple, yet sharp technique that goes over well with all levels of stampers.

I used Snowflake Serenade and Stylish Sentiments: Holiday on Night of Navy paper. I also went with one of my basic, fall to layouts. I use this one all the time.

So, afterwards, there were some leftover components from the card kits, and I had brought out all my holiday stamps, and it was a bit of a chaotic, but fun free for all. I even ended up making a few more cards.

This one, using Classic Christmas and Stylish Sentiments, and a bit more colouring. I quite liked the teal, light aqua, and gold colour combination.

And this super simple one layer card with just a small embellishment pop with the bow, using a Wreath for All Seasons.

It was a lot of fun, everyone left with at least 5 cards, and I think there may just be a birthday card class in the future!

Reach for the Sky!

2011-05-30T17:53:00.002-05:00

I saw that I hadn't actually posted anything here in May yet, oops! So here's a "reject" from a recent publication call.

Cut out 2 curved pieces of Pear Pizzazz paper. Stamp background images on each, adhere to Baja Breeze panel. Stamp clouds and kite image to Baja Breeze. Stamp kite image onto white card stock, cut out and adhere with foam tape. Stamp sentiment. Mat main image on Orange Zest, then onto white card.

Stamps: Up, Up, and Away, Up, Up, and Away sentiments, Background Basics: Petal Power
Ink: Orange Zest, Certainly Celery, Fresh Snow, Onyx Black
Paper: White, Orange Zest, Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze

Size: 4.5x5.25

PTI April Blog Hop!

2011-04-25T18:44:00.003-05:00

This month's blog hop is dedicated to all the boys and men in our lives! Now is your chance to create Father's Day projects, boy birthday cards and more to build up your stash! Focus on masculine color schemes, fresh pattern combinations, understated embellishments and unique uses of images you may already have in your stash!

I decided to make a technique based card. I'm sure there's an actual name for this technique, but I haven't actually watched any tutorials about it. I started off with a piece of

acetate. I scribbled various colours of Copic markers all over it. Then I spritzed alcohol on it to give it a speckled and blended look. I flipped it over and stamped some images from Leaf Prints on it with Stazon. I attached that to a piece of vanilla cardstock by using a large piece of Scor-Tape. Then everything else kind of fell into place.

Supplies:

Stamps: Leaf Prints, Masculine Motifs (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:Vanilla, Dark Chocolate
Ink: Stazon Timber Brown
Accessories, etc: Various Copics in the YR Family, Wood button, baker's twine, twill ribbon, acetate

A more complex take on FTL134

2011-04-03T11:19:00.002-05:00

So I was just playing around with new stuff, cutting out some dies and doing a bit of stamping, (basically putting together my own embellishments) when I decided I needed to actually make use of them. I tend to put together all sorts of embellishments, but then I end up leaving them in my completed folder for ages. I looked at what I had put together and realized that it would work nicely with my clean and simple fall to layout sketch this week!

Supplies (all supplies by Papertrey Ink):

Stamps: Love Lives Here, Textstyle I,
Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate
Paper: White, Dark Chocolate, Scarlet Jewel
Accessories, etc.: Love Lives Here dies

MIM: Blending Inks

2011-03-29T17:26:00.005-05:00

Since I had the day off, I figured I'd have a go at the latest PTI challenge. The challenge was to blend inks. Whenever I think of this technique, I have a hard time not putting together a sunset or sunrise theme. So I really wanted to break out of that box and do something different.

I started by stamping the Chrysanthemums and

leaves on my paper. Next I chose my colour palette (Paris Lights, Summer Sunrise, Orangerie for the flowers; Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, Ripe Avocado for the leaves; Aqua Mist for the background). I started with the lightest colour in the middle of the stamped images and worked in a circular motion outwards.

Once I was done the flowers and leaves, I added in the Aqua Mist. Next, I wasn't totally satisfied with how it looked so I inked up a text background with Chai Tea ink (I love using these on background stamps, they blend so nicely into the scene.

The final step was to add a greeting on a punched out label and decorate it with a button and a bit of ribbon and string.

Supplies:

Stamps: Year of Flowers: Mums, Textstyle II, Round and Round (all PTI)
Ink: Paris Lights, Summer Sunrise, Orangerie, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, Ripe Avocado, Aqua Mist, Dark Chocolate
Paper: Orange Zest, Ripe Avocado, White,
Accessories, etc.: Modern Label punch, ribbon, button, string

MIM: Impression Plates

2011-03-19T16:35:00.003-05:00

Unfortunately, I didn't find the time last week to join in on PTI's Make It Monday challenge. This week however, I had to try the technique. The challenge was to use your impression plates to cover only part of your paper. You can check out the technique here.

Here's my card:

I went clean and simple with my design (shocking, I know!). I tried a few different things with the impression plate, but it wasn't exactly working out, so I took the easy approach. I haven't used much of my felt stash recently, so I decided to make a layered blossom.

I really like these fancy swirly buttons (found in the Vintage Cream button collection), but the big loop on the back always deterred me from using them. I took my old Stampin' Up rubber cutting scissors and carefully cut into the plastic loop. It took two takes to get it down to a manageable level. Since it was a bit rough after that, I stuck it into a dimensional glue dot, and stuck that to my felt flower.

Supplies:

Stamps: Birthday Basics
Ink: Dark Chocolate
Paper: Rustic Cream, Aqua Mist, Pure Poppy
Accessories, etc.: Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate, Ocean Tides Felt; Blossoms Die; Button; Diamonds impression plate, Scor-It

MIM- Fun Foam

2011-03-06T08:35:00.004-06:00

When I first saw the latest MIM challenge I had all sorts of interesting ideas about what to do. When I watched the video, I was reminded of how I too had made my own stamps using various fun foam shapes. However, when I went to get started, the fun foam was nowhere to be found. I searched through some closets and found a few hearts and flowers. I managed to find a few pieces that were big enough to stamp and cut out.

I really wanted to make something with the number dies. Fun foam is the perfect medium for making stamps out of these dies! But, the pieces I found where definitely not big enough to try!

Here's my card.

I decided to use the fun foam for the balloon tops. It seemed like a good fit, texturally. Due to colour choices available in the fun foam, I went with some bright colour pairings- Pacific Point for the sky and Only Orange for the tag.

Supplies:

Stamps: Up, Up, and Away (PTI)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Fresh Snow
Paper: Only Orange, Pacific Point, White
Accessories, etc: Fun Foam, Double Ended Tags

MIM: Glitter Strips

2011-02-26T13:20:00.002-06:00

I had some spare time to try my hand at the latest Papertrey Ink Make It Monday challenge. This week's challenge was to use glitter strips. I used Scor-Tape a few ways on the card. First, I stamped the rainbow, cut it out, coloured it with Copics, then stuck that to a sheet of Scor-Tape. I put together my sky scene, then decided to add a glitter border to the white card base (just in case my rainbow didn't count as using a"strip"of Scor-Tape). Besides, what's a little more glitter, right?

Supplies:

Stamps: Up & Up and Away (plus sentiments)
Ink:Fresh Snow, Tuxedo Black
Paper: Pacific Point, Real Red, White
Accessories, etc.: Cloud die Vintage Cream felt, Scor-Tape (1/4'' and sheets), glitter

MIM: Vellum Sentiment Strip Challenge

2011-02-16T14:12:00.003-06:00

I have to say, it's nice to be doing a regular challenge (besides my weekly CAS sketch card)! I am enjoying PTI's Make It Monday challenges (it's always nice to have the possibility of winning something too)

I wanted to do something a little bit different than the typical sentiment strip. It's not much as far as "out of the box" goes, but I decided to fancy up one edge of the strip with a scallop punch. I used to never use Perfect Plum, but I really like it with these other colours.

Supplies:

Stamps: Beautiful Blooms II, Big Birthday Wishes
Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Perfect Plum, Sweet Blush, Dark Chocolate
Paper: White, Vellum, Sweet Blush, Perfect Plum, Scarlet Jewel
Accessories, etc.: Scallop edge punch, By the Numbers die

Combo Challenge

2011-02-13T09:33:00.004-06:00

When I heard the news that fellow Clean & Simple Stamping blogger Heather Pulvirenti was starting up a bi-weekly colour challenge, I knew I had to join in the fun! Colour challenges are a great way to get those creative juices flowing. One thing I really like about colour challenges, is I usually have NO idea what I will end up making, I pretty much let the colours dictate my card theme and layout.

So here is the colour lineup for Heather's first Totally Hues challenge. Isn't it delightful?

I had also decided to make another entry for PTI's Make It Monday challenge (use lots of one type of sentiment on a card), so that also came into play for the whole process. Whenever I want to do a colour challenge, the first thing I do (and I'm sure I'm not alone) is grab a sheet or scrap of each colour and see how it all looks together. These colours shouting out "HAPPY!", so I decided I'd make a birthday card. I also have a ton of birthday sentiments, so that worked well for the sentiment part of the challenge. I had a loose piece of paper on my table that had a few sketches on it, so I decided to go with one of those.

Finally, here's the card:

Supplies:

Stamps: Cupcake Collections, Big & Bold Wishes, It's a Celebration, Birthday Bash Greetings, Birthday Basics, Faux Ribbon (all by Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Hibiscus Burst, Daffodil Delight
Paper: White, Simply Chartreuse, Hibiscus Burst, Hawaiian Shores, Harvest Gold
Accessories, etc.: Eyelet Border Punch, Corner Rounder, Limitless Layers Die-1-3/4

More PTI Anniversary Challenges

2011-02-12T09:43:00.004-06:00

Here's my entry for today's challenge of "Thinking Big". Whenever I need a big sentiment, I think of these great greetings in Big and Bold Wishes. The main greetings are also in one of my favorite fonts!

I still love how teal and brown go together, so that's what I went with on here. The greeting is actually stamped with Stampin' Up!'s Early Espresso, but it photographed almost black. I hadn't used the button bow technique in a while so I figured I'd do that. That technique is where you loop the ribbon, tie a knot in the center with string to actually cheat making the bow, then add your button on top- I know I found out how to do this from a video, but I cannot remember who posted it, sorry!

Size:6-3/4x3-3/4
Supplies:

Stamps: In Bloom, Big & Bold Wishes(Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip, Taken with Teal (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: White, Taken with Teal, Chocolate Chip
Ribbon/String:5/8 inch Satin Ribbon- Teal Michaels, Baker's Twine Dark Chocolate v
Button- Dark Chocolate(Papertrey Ink)
Punch:Border Punch- Diamond Lace (EK Success)

Colour Challenge

2011-02-09T22:40:00.004-06:00

As much as I would have loved to tackle all of the colour challenges presented for today's PTI anniversary challenge, I just didn't have enough time in my day! I did manage to squeeze one quick card in though. I decided to use Nichole's colour combo:

I wanted to follow the challenge exactly, so I didn't even bring in a neutral!

I thought these colours would work nicely for a masculine card. I pulled out Masculine Motifs and got to work. I went with one of my fall to layouts. I added the leaves in dark chocolate to the side panel, it didn't seem finished though, so I stamped over that with a Text Style background.

Supplies:

Stamps: Masculine Motifs, Background Basics: Text Style II
Ink: Terracotta Tile, Melon Berry, Dark Chocolate
Paper: Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Melon Berry, Terracotta Tile
Accessories, etc.: Button, String, Corner rounder

Go To Sentiments

2011-02-08T10:26:00.003-06:00

I decided to try something a little different for the Make It Monday challenge. I always make birthday cards and I have SO many birthday sentiments, but I didn't want to rely on those. I decided, instead, to make a baby card. It was fun going through all my PTI sets to see how many great sentiments there are for baby cards!

I stamped a few practice versions on scrap paper to see what looked best, then once I stamped everything on the Kraft, I decided I needed to add a few embellishments. I went with glitter and stars!

Supplies:

Stamps: Mixed Messages, Bitty Baby Blessings, Baby Button Bits, Baby: Inside and Out, Star Prints
Ink: Rich Cocoa
Paper: Kraft, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores
Accessories, etc.: Sticky Sheets, Glitter, Glue pen, pop dots, Star punch

Quick Tag Post #2

2011-02-06T21:17:00.002-06:00

As many stampers are aware, Papertrey Ink's anniversary celebrations are underway. Today's contest is an awesome one- the prize is a chance to develop a stamp set with Nichole Heady. I've always wanted to design stamps, so this prize has me quite excited.

Here's my card featuring Nichole's Tag. I decided to use the colours as the rest of my inspiration once again- Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, and Hawaiian Shores. I thought it'd be fun to mix all sorts of frames here, so I matted the tag on a circle, then put that on Fillable Frames #4. I finished it off by adding everything to a polka dotted stamped scalloped square.

I found that the circle images seemed to work nicely on 4.25 square cards.

Quick Tag Post #1

2011-02-06T21:12:00.003-06:00

As many stampers are aware, Papertrey Ink's anniversary celebrations are underway. Today's contest is an awesome one- the prize is a chance to develop a stamp set with Nichole Heady. I've always wanted to design stamps, so this prize has me quite excited.

I would have loved to use all 9 free tag images today, but time is always one's enemy. I managed to get two done. The first one uses Dawn's patterned image. The second card can be seen on the next post.

I decided to pair it with Limitless Layers- Circles, a Double Ended Banner die, and some Diamonds Impression Plate ( as well as Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz, Dark Chocolate, and Summer Sunrise).

A few anniversaries

2011-01-05T20:56:00.003-06:00

I figured it was high time for an update. Unfortunately the exact thing that I said wouldn't happen did- once I started dedicating more of my time to the Clean and Simple Stamping blog, the time dedicated to this blog translated to one or two posts a month. I don't have nearly the same amount of free time I had when I first started blogging, so when I do have time to stamp, I feel obligated to maintain the sketches over at CAS.

So, when my grandmother returned the empty cardbox, I welcomed it as a reason to stamp for fun. I ended up making 12 birthday cards, 4 sympathy cards, and these anniversary cards. I find that if I make 4 of the same design in one sitting it doesn't become super boring.

Anyway, onto the cards!

Since I picked up the limitless layers-circles die from Papertrey, I have been trying to incorporate them into several designs (and unfortunately, often failing!). Finally, I figured out a design that would use all the things I wanted to include- that fun scalloped circle, some layered images, and still plenty of room for a sentiment without it being a boring layout.

I thought about leaving the pink background blank, but I really like using these flourishes with the heart image and adding some small hearts to the mix.

Supplies (most supplies from Papertrey Ink, unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Round and Round, Heart Prints, Fancy Flourishes
Ink: Cherry Jubilee, Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Ruby Red, Pink Pirouette (Stampin' Up!), White, Dark Chocolate
Accessories, etc.: Limitless Layers- Circles die, Eyelet lace die

PTI November Blog Hop

2010-11-25T11:57:00.000-06:00

When I saw that this month's challenge was to make holiday tags, I knew I had to play along. I decided to have fun and put a little extra something into these tags. Normally, I make a lot of very boring, generic tags for putting on wrapped gifts, so I had fun putting these together!

The challenge:
Design a holiday tag or two using all of your favorite goodies and share it with all of us! We will all have plenty of inspiration to create a large stash and try to get ahead of the hustle and bustle of the season!

I made 3 tags. The first one took a while, since I wanted to get the design just so. Once I had that all worked out, the next 2 came together quickly. I decided to use each of the tin type backgrounds throughout the tags. I used felt to mat the circles.

And here's one of the tags jazzing up this tin:

Supplies:

Stamps: Background Basics: Tin Types, Peace Be Still, Inside and Out: Holidays
Ink: Real Red, Landscape, Early Espresso
Paper: Vintage Cream, Pure Poppy, Simply Chartreuse, Dark Chocolate
Accessories, etc.: Limitless Layers 1-3/4 Circle Collection, Mat Stack 1, Felt, Buttons

A Row of Cupcakes

2010-11-08T09:48:00.002-06:00

I finally sat down and made a few cards yesterday. This one was made to match a specific gift bag. In order to fit the 3 cupcakes on there, I made the card a somewhat strange size- I think it ended up being 7-3/8x4. Basically the two requirements I had for the size were that the 3 cupcakes would fit on the panel while leaving room for a background, and that the card would fit into that aqua envelope.

Because it ended up being such a wide card, I selected a few sentiments from Cupcake Collection that would work nicely together across the bottom of the panel.

Supplies:

Stamps: Cupcake Collection, Polka Dot Basics
Ink: Only Orange, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Rich Cocoa, Daffodil Delight
Paper: Lemon Tart, White, Cool Caribbean
Accessories, etc.: buttons, pop dots.

And here's the card with the gift bag. I love having homemade cards that coordinate with gift bags!

Row of houses.

2010-10-03T20:26:00.003-05:00

I figure it's not too late to post a little something in honour of World Card Making Day. I made a few cards this weekend. This was not actually one of them, but I've been meaning to post this one for a few days. I really love this image. I just had to make it bright and colourful. I had wanted to stamp a "Welcome to the Neighbourhood" on there, but I don't have that as a stamp. Besides, the "Congratulations" would likely have more opportunities for use.

Stamps- DoodleFactory Neighbourhood, Boards and Beams (PTI)

September 2010 Papertrey Blog Hop

2010-09-25T17:07:00.004-05:00

I'm glad that this month's hop is an all day event, it gives me time to post something! So this month's challenge...

One of the most fun things about this hobby is the people you meet, whether in person or online, and the things you learn from them. Now is your chance to show off any skills you might have learned from a fellow stamper, and perhaps even give them a little shout out to thank them for the inspiration they have provided. Create a project using one of your favorite learned skills and perhaps after a little blog hopping, we will ALL learn some new tips and tricks and continue to pass on the love of this hobby!

A "skill" I've picked up on from several amazing fellow crafters, is the art of making one's own embellishments- especially the layered flower. I've been cardmaking for over 6 years now, and have always loved the idea of making my own embellishments, but only in the last year have I really started making my own layered flowers. There's tons of inspiration out there!
Dawn McVey has lots of fun cards featuring handmade floral embellishments and instructions to paper flowers here. Michelle Wooderson has a great eye for piecing together mixed media flowers. Just the other day she had a wonderful post up on her blog.

Here's my card:Supplies:

Stamps: Birthday Bash Greetings
Ink: Rich Cocoa
Paper: Harvest Gold, Simply Chartreuse, Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate
Accessories, etc.: Felt, Thread, Button, Vanilla ribbon, scalloped die, corner rounder

Happy Fright Night

2010-09-19T11:09:00.002-05:00

I saw the latest DoodleFactory Halloween release, and just had to get them! I always enjoy Irene's artwork, and the Ghoulies were no exception.

Here's a quick card I put together.

Supplies:

Stamps: Ghoulies, Spooky Sweets, Tin Types Background
Ink: Tuxedo Black, Fresh Snow, Elegant Eggplant
Paper: Ripe Avocado, Smokey Shadow, Pumpkin Pie, Elegant Eggplant, White
Accessories, etc.: Goopy edge punch, Copics, pop dots

Egads- September!

2010-09-07T19:04:00.004-05:00

I guess August was a bit of a busy month (in a mostly good way!), I forgot to update all month! I haven't had much free time. I've made a few cards here and there, but mostly cards for the CAS blog.

So here's a card that was greatly inspired by Debbie Olson that I made yesterday evening. It's pretty basic, but I had fun recreating the tree look using different stamps. I ended up using the tree from Beyond Basic Borders, and leaves from Beautiful Blooms II and Turning a New Leaf.

Supplies:

Stamps: Beyond Basic Borders, Beautiful Blooms II, Turning a New Leaf, Birthday Bash Sentiments
Paper: Ridinghood Red, Kraft, Vanilla, DSP- Stampin' Up sets from last year
Accessories, etc.: baker's twine, pop dots, twill, button, sponge

Thanks for stopping by!

Wedding Roses

2010-07-30T21:28:00.003-05:00

Ever since I obtained this stamp set I've been wanting to try the watercolour technique that was really popular last summer with Fifth Avenue Floral. To my delight, it worked wonderfully with PTI's Rose set! I based my layout on this stunning creation by Debbie Olsen. I really liked how the text looked with the roses, but it didn't really work with my technique, so I stamped the background onto vellum and adhered that as a subtle background.

In case you're not familiar with this technique- stamp and emboss (with white embossing powder) the desired image. Have plenty of paper towels nearby. Spritz the image so that each section has a small raised bubble. Take an aquapainter and using reinkers dab colour into each section. Mix colours as desired, let dry at an angle to create a natural gradient. Here's a link to a good tutorial by Patty Bennett.

Supplies:

Stamps: Year Of Flowers: Roses, Textstyle II
Ink: Versamark, Fresh Snow Reinkers: Pink Pirouette, Ridinghood Red, Old Olive, Kiwi Kiss
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, Melon Mambo, Vellum, White
Accessories, etc.: White Embossing Powder, Aquapainter

FTL100 Blog Hop!

2010-07-23T19:30:00.006-05:00

In honour of the 100th sketch over at the Clean & Simple Stamping blog, we've organized a small blog hop!

Here's the list of designers:

Here's my card for the sketch:
Supplies:
Stamps: Up, Up and Away
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Simply Chartreuse, White
Ink: Raspberry Fizz, Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest, Black
Accessories, etc.: Scallop edge punch, Sunshine impression plate, green satin ribbon

If you play along, be sure to leave your link at the CAS blog!

A few OLCs

2010-07-20T16:32:00.002-05:00

I was in the mood for some super simple cards today. I just had to get the set Funky Four from the new Stampin' Up! catalog! These cards feature my favorite images from the set. First up, this adorable leaf. I thought it would look nice to feature it in a rainbow type set up. And it seemed appropriate to say "celebrate today".

Next up, I really wanted to feature these mushrooms by themselves. The original image is a group of 4, but I thought 5 would be more pleasing to the eye. I couldn't really think of an appropriate greeting, so "just because" it became!

Supplies:
Stamps: Funky Four, Round & Round
Ink: Bahama Blue, Kiwi Kiss, Daffodil Delight, Tangelo, Lady Bug, Real Red, Black
Paper: White cardstock

Go fly a kite!

2010-07-17T10:05:00.002-05:00

Here's another card made with Up, Up, and Away. I think it just may becoming my new favorite! This card is ultra simple, but I really like how it turned out. I didn't expect to like the Spring Rain, Orange Zest, and Smokey Shadow so much together!

Supplies:
Stamps: Up, Up and Away
Ink: Tuxedo Black, Fresh Snow, Orange Zest
Paper: Smokey Shadow, Spring Rain, White, Orange Zest
Accessories, etc: Cloud dies

Some more balloons!

2010-06-27T10:00:00.004-05:00

Well, I have to say I really enjoy this set (Up, Up, and Away). There are just so many options available with it, and this is only my second card! I wanted to try using some of the line art images with Copic markers, so I stamped 3 balloons and got to work. I wanted to place them on a blue background, and I found that Pacific Point was the perfect match. I ran that through with the Sunshine plate, die cut a few clouds, and then pieced together my scene. For some reason, I wanted the card to be a tall and narrow card, so then I had to figure out how I could add a sentiment to the front. I finally decided on the sentiment flag and thought that red gave it a nice pop.
Supplies:Stamps: Up, Up, and Away
Ink: Tuxedo Black
Paper: New Leaf, Pacific Point, Real Red, White
Accessories, etc.: Copic markers, cloud dies, sunshine plate, pop dots

Papertrey Ink June Blog Hop Challenge

2010-06-25T16:24:00.002-05:00

Good afternoon! I was in the mood for something fun and summery for my challenge card. I went with Raspberry Fizz, Orange Zest, Hawaiian Shores, Simply Chartreuse, and White. I just received my latest PTI order yesterday, so I had to make use of it! I love the balloons in Up, Up, and Away and the Sunshine plate is just fun to use! I decided to use it to make some fun hill tops. I decided to use this as a graduation card for my cousin. The family is having a dinner in her honour later today to celebrate.

Supplies:
Stamps: Up Up and Away (plus sentiment set), Round and Round
Paper: Hawaiian Shores, Orange Zest, Simply Chartreuse, White
Ink: Black, Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz
Accessories, etc.: pop dots, Sunshine Impression Plate

I can't wait to see what everyone else does for this blog hop, I'm sure to find some new colour combinations that I must try!

Easy Peasy birthday card

2010-06-24T21:44:00.002-05:00

While tidying up my craft space last weekend I came across several scraps. I reminded myself that I really need to make better use of them! The tend to just sit in a folder or a pile unused. So I took this piece of patterned paper and River Rock cardstock and got to work. The layout was somewhat based on my FTL39. It's a great layout for using strips of patterned paper!

Supplies:
Stamps: Round and Round
Ink: Not Quite Navy
Paper: Not Quite Navy, River Rock, Urban Oasis DSP
Accessories, etc: piercer, ribbon, corner rounder

Flowery Birthdays

2010-06-23T22:44:00.003-05:00

I was in a bit of colouring mood the other day, so I decided to make a few flowery birthday cards using some nice line art and Copics. I had a few scraps around from when I was testing out some background stamping. Those colours became my inspiration! I was quite pleased with how they both turned out!
Supplies: Stamps: Friends 'til the End, In Bloom, Birthday Basics, Text Style, Background Basics: Botanicals Ink: Tuxedo Black, Lemon Tart, Bermuda Bay
Paper: Lemon Tart, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, White, Hawaiian Shores, Smokey Shadow, Kiwi Kiss Accessories, etc.: Ribbon, Copics

Colourful Leaves

2010-06-13T13:42:00.003-05:00

Here's a quick and simple birthday card I made recently. I remember seeing on another blog that Taken with Teal looked quite nice with Glorious Green, so I thought I would combine them and see what came of it. I use Glorious Green so rarely, that I was quite happy to find something it works with. I stamped various leaves all over white cardstock and then used one of fall to layouts (# 63)
Supplies:
Stamps: Vintage Picnic, Turning a New Leaf
Ink: Taken with Teal, Green Galore, Glorious Green, Fresh Snow
Paper: Green Galore, Taken with Teal, Glorious Green, White
Accessories, etc.: Gelly Gems

Papertrey May Blog Hop Challenge

2010-05-25T18:00:00.000-05:00

This month's hop is all about felt! I decided to make a 3-d flower embellishment out of felt. I present to you the most impractical card for mailing! I ended up using my FTL sketch from last week. It just worked well with the flower!

I thought the Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz, Dark Chocolate, and Kiwi Kiss made for a fun and fresh colour combination! I used Kiwi Kiss in place of Simply Chartreuse, since I don't have it yet, hopefully it's a decent substitute!

Supplies: Stamps: Signature Greetings, Background Basics: Tin Type Ink: Bermuda bay, Dark Chocolate Paper: Kiwi Kiss, White, Dark Chocolate, Hawaiian Shores Accessories, etc.: Large Scallops Die, Beautiful Blooms Die #1

I modified this post's instructions to work with the 6-sided die. I cut out 3 flowers and used those to make my felt flower. I am super impatient, so I used sticky strip to hold the pieces together. It's holding together quite well. In place of chartreuse felt, I broke the fibers of some Kiwi Kiss cardstock, cut that into 2 leaf shapes, added a center score line to each, then curled them a bit more for dimension.

A little bit of masking

2010-05-24T12:33:00.002-05:00

Here's a birthday card I made a few weeks back. I really wanted dotted centers for each flower, so instead of tracking down stamps that may or may not have fit, I decided to do a bit of masking. I die cut 3 different sized circles into a few post-it notes, placed them over my die-cut, stamped flowers, then stamped a Polka Dot II basics background over each! It was quite easy!

Supplies:
Stamps: Beautiful Blooms II, Turning a New Leaf, Giga Guidelines
Ink: Green Galore, Raspberry Fizz, Summer Sunrise
Paper: Raspberry Fizz, Green Galore, White
Accessories, etc.: Beautiful Blooms die #2

Golden Hearts

2010-05-23T12:19:00.003-05:00

This is a card I made back in April for a bridal shower. I made the bottom edges using one of the Labels die cut sets. I really like combining small images with the flourishes to make a unique background!

Supplies:
Stamps: Heart Prints, Mixed Messages, Fancy Flourishes
Ink: Gold
Paper: Gold, Vintage Cream
Accessories, etc.: Corner Rounder, Ribbon, Gold Cord, Labels 8

Masculine Birthday

2010-05-07T22:20:00.003-05:00

This was one of those cards that came together when I started playing with some new stuff and some scraps on my desk. First I made the wood grain background on the chocolate cardstock. I noticed it was kind of an odd size, so I figured out a layout that would work with it. I really like the leaves in Masculine Motifs and thought they'd look nice with a bit of two-toned inking. I grabbed some craft Chocolate Chip and Terracotta Tile and stamped the one leaf. Finally I finished it off with a Kraft card base and a wood button. Perfectly masculine, right?

Supplies:
Stamps: Masculine Motifs, Background Basics: Woodgrain
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Terracotta Tile
Paper: Kraft, Rustic Cream, Terracotta Tile, Chocolate Chip
Accessories, etc.: Wood button, twine

New favorite colour?

2010-05-01T17:29:00.003-05:00

I finally picked up some of the newest PTI colour, Hawaiian Shores. It's gorgeous! I just kept stamping random stuff with it, and thought it would look really pretty with yellow and green. Lemon Tart and Spring Moss went quite nicely with it. I stamped a background with this cute floral image from Round & Round and added a few leaves. It's quite a quick card, but I can definitely see myself using this colour combination in the future.

After that, I was playing around, making some more felt creations. I thought that Pure Poppy, New Leaf, and Hawaiian Shore would look cool together. I started out making the flower, then the rest of the card just kind of grew around it. Don't you love it when that happens?

Supplies:
Stamps: Round & Round, Masculine Motifs, Background Basics: Retro, Birthday Basics
Ink: Hawaiian Shores, Lemon Tart, Spring Moss, True Black
Paper: Hawaiian Shores, Spring Moss, White, Lemon Tart, Pure Poppy, True Black
Accessories, etc.: Corner Rounder, Buttons, thread, Big Shot die, felt, ribbon

A little bit of felt

2010-04-18T09:24:00.003-05:00

I've made my own felt embellishments before, but it's been a while, so I decided it was time to try out a few things. For now, I'm making do with the felt that's available locally. I found several colours at my local Fabricland. The brand is Ecospun, and the felt is polyester made from recycled pop bottles. So how does it cut?

I did a few tests with thin dies and thick dies. The thick dies cut the felt better. After the cut, I had to go in with a fine pair of scissors and trim a few tiny corners and some of the extra fuzz. It really wasn't that bad though. For .79 a 9x12 sheet, I don't mind!

The thin dies cut well once I added a shim into the equation. I used the cuttlebug and with nestabilities or PTI dies, I found that A,C, die/felt, B, cardboard shim gave the best results. It even embossed the felt a little bit, which was kind of cool!

So here is my completed project. It's a pretty basic layout. I wanted the felt scallops and flower to really be the focus.
Supplies:
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Giga Guidelines, It's a Celebration
Paper: Smokey Shadow, White, Hibiscus Burst
Ink: True Black, Hibiscus Burst
Accessories, etc.: Black and Fuchsia felt, button, string, nestabilities scalloped long rectanglies, Blossom Party die

Video!

2010-03-24T20:47:00.008-05:00

I had originally brought up the topic of video making over on the CAS blog, but since I had shared the Letterpress cards here first, I figured I'd show the video here. This is my first video ever, so please be nice. I was all set to use a Flip camera, but it's apparently MIA (I figure someone else is using it), so I went with the adequate Canon SD1100IS instead. If you have any questions about the technique, feel free to leave a comment! I didn't include the final card, since it was really simple and the night lighting made it hard to get a decent shot of the impression. But you can go here if you're wanting a better idea of what the pressed design looks like.
See the video at Youtube.

Questions asked answered here:

The paper I used in the video was the paper offered by Lifestyle Crafts Letterpress. I got a pack here. I used some Crane Lettra, but haven't found a reasonable source for shipping in or to Canada. I just recently got an order from Paper-Papers.com. They sell quite a few types of cotton paper. I picked up some of the 118lb Savoy in bright white and in natural white. It presses quite nicely!

Although the plates I had made are photopolymer, they are a much harder form than the stamps so many of us crafters use. I have tried to use a photopolymer stamp and it did not go so well. The image pressed into the paper, but so did the entire area around the stamp. Not pretty! The pressure of the machine also caused irreversible damage to the stamp.

Birthday Wishes

2010-03-21T18:28:00.002-05:00

Last night was a home movie night. That usually means that I bring out something to do while watching the movie. I enjoy movies, but I feel like I can multi-task a little bit. This time, I brought up some markers and this stamp set and coloured a little bit while watching.

So this morning I figured I should make a card so the coloured art didn't go unused and forgotten! I had downloaded the latest Colour Couture just to see what it was all about. I figured it's $5, so why not? I went to use the artisan card front, when I realized that I had a die that could possibly work in a similar way- Nestabilities Labels 8. Instead of running the paper and die sandwich through completely, I only wheeled it as far as needed. This meant no awkward impression from the back side of the die (where the paper is fed through to avoid the cutting part of the die). The shape is slightly less pronounced than the artisan design, so I'm not saying don't get the download (there are digital papers and fun inspiration sheets in it too after all!). I'm just saying, sometimes you realize that supplies that you already own can be used in a slightly out of the box way.

So finally, here's the card:Supplies:
Stamps: Friends 'til the End, Mixed Messages, Background Basics: Text Style
Ink: Spring Moss, Rich Cocoa
Paper: Summer Sunrise, New Leaf, Spring Moss, Lemon Tart
Accessories, etc.: Nestabilities (Labels 8 and Double Ended Tags), Ribbon, Copics

Pressed Designs

2010-03-12T11:20:00.006-06:00

I've recently become a little obsessed with letterpress. Unfortunately I'm in no place to track down a machine and learn how to use it. I became quite intrigued with the Lifestyle Letterpress kit (made by Quickutz). Once I found out I could use the basic start kit in other roller machines, I was sold. I picked up the starter kit and got to work with the ink, papers, and plates that came with it. I'm really happy with the design of the kit- it has a nice grid layout and lots of space for a cardmaker. I like the ink too!

Unfortunately, I was less than impressed with the quality of plates. The designs are fantastic, but after 3 times through the Wizard or the Cuttlebug, the plates showed serious wear. Cracks all around the design and even lines on the design itself. I was very sad. I immediately began to research higher quality plates, which brought me to this post. So I got to work making some fun illustrations, and not even 3 weeks later and thanks to an awesome online friend, I have my unique plate! Boxcar Press makes photopolymer plates. Now before you go trying to run your precious stamps through a roller machine, wait! The photopolymer plates are much harder. On a side note I have successfully stamped with the plate images, using a bit of pressure and pigment ink.

So here's one of many projects to come. One of the dangerous things about the whole plate production process being easy (for me anyway), is that I want to make so many more!
And here's an up close version. My next problem is tracking down 100% 110 lb cotton paper in Canada. It's been quite the task. This one is printed on Crane's Lettra. You can click on the photos if you want to see a slightly larger version.

A few cards

2010-03-07T13:05:00.005-06:00

I decided to make a few cards yesterday that had inspiration coming from different places. The first was from this post at Nichole Heady's blog. I loved all the colour combinations and wanted to try a few. The second place was at the Moxie Fab blog. The challenge was to make 5 different types of cards- birthday, thinking of you, love, season's greetings, and thank you. So here are 4 out of my 5 cards (the last card used different colours and is more appropriate for a ten minute Monday at the CAS blog).

First up is love. I struggled with this one a bit. I finally decided to leave it greeting-less. I figured the hearts, especially the one with a few words, spoke for themselves!

Next up is the thank you card. I am sure I have done this before, but I love blending the colours Lemon Tart and Summer Sunrise on those flower images!

Lastly is a cheerful birthday card. I hadn't used the vase yet from this set, so I decided to piece together a floral arrangement.

Supplies: (most supplies from Papertrey Ink)

Stamps: Beautiful Blooms, Bloomin' Button Bits, Polka Dot Basics I, Background Basics: Hearts, Background Basics: Retro, Floral Frenzy, Take a Bough, Vintage Ornaments, Vintage Picnic, Heart Prints

Inks: Sweet Blush, Raspberry Fizz, New Leaf, Summer Sunrise, Melon Berry, Spring Moss, Dark Chocolate, Lemon Tart

Paper: White, Summer Sunrise, New Leaf, Raspberry Fizz, Lemon Tart, Spring Moss, Melon Berry, Sweet Blush, Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Vintage Cream

Accessories, etc.: Pop dots, buttons, string, satin ribbon, brown grosgrain, scallop punch, pearls

A few tree cards

2010-03-01T19:40:00.002-06:00

I've got a few tree-themed cards today. For the first card, I decided to make my own leaves by using the brush tip of 3 different green Copics. It was actually pretty quick! I thought it needed a bit of POP, so I added the cute little red bird.

The second card uses some good old brayering. I went with Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, (possibly Really Rust?) Ruby Red, and a bit of Not Quite Navy to make the background. The trees are embossed with brown embossing powder.

Supplies:
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Through the Trees (Papertrey Ink)

DIY Floral Embellishments

2010-02-13T11:01:00.003-06:00

A few days ago, I made my own floral embellishment. I really liked it, it was a lot of fun to make, but I didn't know what to do with it. I was thrilled to see what today's PTI contest was- make a sheet of floral embellishments and design a card using one! I quickly put together more embellishments based on the one I made earlier in the week.

I used Stampin' Up!'s Pretties kit (something I have maybe used once or twice). I inked up the flowers with the tea inks then stamped a polka dot or a text pattern in craft ink overtop. The final touch was to stamp a few cream buttons with brown Stazon and attach those to the flowers.
Designing a card around the embellishments wasn't too difficult. I kept with the vintage theme, using kraft, rustic cream and dark chocolate paper.

Supplies:
Stamps: Signature Greetings, Background Basics: Text Style I, Polka Dot Basics II
Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft, Dark Chocolate, Chamomile and Chai Tea
Paper: Kraft, Rustic Cream, Dark Chocolate
Accessories, etc.: Flowers, Polytwill, buttons, twine

Colour Challenge

2010-02-09T20:51:00.002-06:00

I loved all the suggestions for today's colour challenge. I had limited time, so I picked one that I was sure I hadn't done before- Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Fizz, Scarlet Jewel, and Terracotta Tile. I really needed a bit of white for my planned card, so hopefully that's okay!

Supplies: Stamps: Blooming Button Bits
Paper: Bitty Box Basics (Raspberry Fizz), White, Terracotta Tile, Scarlet Jewel
Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Dark Chocolate, Terracotta Tile
Accessories, etc.: Chocolate satin ribbon, terracotta button, pop dots

Sketchy Paint by Number

2010-02-08T19:45:00.003-06:00

When I saw this sketch I knew I needed to play along. There was a colour challenge element too, which added to the fun. My online username is typically tashers, so my colour challenge was this:
Here's my card- just a fun, quick, and simple friendship card.

Supplies:
Stamps: Friends 'Til the End
Ink: Fresh Snow, Spring Rain
Paper: Kraft, Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain, Bitty Box Basics in Aqua Mist
Accessories, etc.: White Grosgrain, button, thread

Raspberry Cupcake Kind of Day

2010-02-07T15:11:00.003-06:00

Here's my take on this week's CPS sketch. I quite enjoy making square cards. I happened to have a piece of already stamped polka dot paper, so I decided to use that. I thought it would look really sharp with black. The rest of the card just kind of came together. It seemed like a cute idea to stamp more dots on the cupcake holder. The card measures 5x5.

Supplies:
Stamps: Cupcake Collection, Polka Dot Basics II, Faux Ribbon
Ink: Fresh Snow, True Black
Paper: Black, White, Raspberry Fizz
Accessories, etc.: Ribbon, String, pop dots, nestabilities, Copic markers, buttons

Hey there, chickadee!

2010-02-06T22:12:00.001-06:00

Here's another card, from my "card-fest" last weekend.

Supplies:
Stamps: Everyday Classics, Petal Power, Everyday Button Bits
Ink: Fresh Snow, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Dark Chocolate
Paper: Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Lemon Tart, Dark Chocolate, White
Accessories, etc.: Satin Ribbon, button, twine, scalloped and plain circle nestabilities

Emboss Resist

2010-02-05T14:59:00.003-06:00

For some reason this simple technique always seems to take me a while to complete. It takes me forever to choose the background image, then the embossed image, and finally the colours. This card was actually take three. The first two never made it to completion.

Supplies:
Stamps: Background Basics: Textstyle, Floral Frenzy, Birthday Basics
Ink: Summer Sunrise, Orangerie, Dark Chocolate
Paper: Summer Sunrise, White, Dark Chocolate
Accessories, etc.: Clear EP, pearls, sponges, tag die

Celebrate Today!

2010-02-02T20:21:00.002-06:00

Just a quick card to share today. I decided to print off Heather's cute cupcake design and make a bit of a hybrid birthday card.
Supplies:
Stamps: Cupcake Collection, Polka Dot Basics II
Ink: Summer Sunrise, Fresh Snow
Paper: White, Summer Sunrise, Aqua Mist, Ocean Tides
Accessories, etc.: brown polytwill ribbon

A few button bits creations

2010-02-01T20:34:00.003-06:00

Seriously, I cannot believe how cute this cupcake is! I know it's from a baby set, but I decided to piece together some sentiments to make it say what I wanted. I coloured the cupcake with Copics. I kept the layout very simple, adding a scalloped frame and embossed background. It really is all about the stamped image!

Since I had brought the markers out, I thought I'd colour this adorable teddy bear too. My original idea was to make it like a Care Bear. I stamped a little elephant from Bitty Baby Blessings on its belly. It didn't look as awesome as it should, in fact, it looked awkward- this floating elephant on a bear belly. So I decided to cover it up with this ultra cute button! I waffled with adding flock to the bear, but determined that would be too much.

Pom Pom Flowers

2010-01-31T19:58:00.003-06:00

Well, I decided to check out a video tutorial on making these super trendy pom pom paper flowers. I was surprised by just how easy they are so I had to make a few!

First up, I decided to use up a bit of Basic Grey paper. I used the Blossom nestabilities die and cut out 6 flowers.

For my second one, I tracked down a book that I was willing to "donate" to papercrafting. I have multiple copies of The Secret Garden and this version was the dullest. I used the scalloped circle nestabilities die for this one. I also decided to keep things slightly vintage by using rustic cream cardstock and ruffling the ribbon.
That's all for now! It's been a very productive cardmaking weekend so far. I'm up to 8 and I think I may even make some more! Thanks for stopping by!

A few cards

2010-01-27T21:15:00.003-06:00

I figured it was time for a mini stamp fest of sorts. Here are 2 of the 3 cards I made this evening. Be on the lookout for the third this Friday at clean & simple stamping. I just sat down and made whatever came to me. I had a few sketches that I used as inspiration, but it was really all about stamping for the fun of it. I really need to do more of that. It's not that I've got hung up on card calls or design team deadlines. I just haven't much felt like being creative. I guess work is a bit stressful, and probably will be for the next year or so. I need to remember to get back to art as a means of relaxation.

I am still loving these leaves from Turning a New Leaf. I don't think that's going to change ever. Leaves are so versatile! I thought orange, brown, and white, with a bit of bling would be nice.

So then, I was sitting there, thinking "what next?". And for some reason "fruit" came to mind. So I took out Fruitful and decided on the strawberries. I stamped the berries on vanilla instead of white to soften them a bit. Plus, I had this fabulous polka dot paper from the Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' Kit (don't you love when you can use seasonal products for other occasions).

A few wedding cards

2010-01-11T14:03:00.004-06:00

Well, today is my brother's wedding so I have a few wedding themed cards to share. Having been somewhat involved in the original invitation plans, I knew that yellow and grey were the wedding colours. So I figured I'd use those colours in my creations.

First up, I decided to make a hybrid project. I have the Together Forever stamp set, so I decorated my cardstock with that. I wanted their initials in the fancy circle element, but didn't have the right size font. I used the Stampin' Up colour swatches to make sure it would coordinate with my project once it was printed out.
This second card was 100% inspired by the amazing Silke Ledlow.

She has been doing amazing things with this stamp set. I modified my version somewhat: I used a different punch; I didn't have small silver brads, so I used rhinestones instead; the proportions are slightly different and I used Orange Zest ink and ribbon instead of Dusty Durango.

More leaves!

2010-01-04T13:07:00.005-06:00

Seriously, I don't think I can get enough leaf stamps! I have loads of flowers, but I love leaves even more. They can be used for so many occasions! *Oh my goodness, I just came to look over my post, I cannot believe I spelled leaves wrong in my title.*

I had been meaning to make some fun patterned paper using these leaves from the Paradise set, some kraft cardstock, and some pigment heavy inks. After creating quite the swatch with at least 5 different kinds of ink, I settled on using mostly Palette inks. They show up nice and vibrant on the kraft cardstock. I stamped the leaves all over. Next I cut up the paper into 4 pieces 4x5.25 in size. I stamped a few more leaves (this time from Turning a new leaf) then stamped a Textstyle background image over it all in Sahara Sand. Finally, I coloured the edges with Chamomile tea ink. I decided to use some Vintage White cardstock, buttons and jute thread to complete the natural feel.

I had been trying to post more, however life has been bit hectic. Back in early November, my cat was diagnosed with Diabetes. It's been an interesting learning process. Things had been going so well, but she had a hypoglycemic episode the other night (at midnight of course!), so now we have to keep an even closer watch on her, and check her glucose levels more frequently. She is not a fan! And this all comes a mere week before I'm leaving for holidays. So basically, I'm just taking things one day at a time, and hopefully things will settle down by the end of the week.

Happy new year!

Anniversary Wishes!

2009-12-23T14:38:00.003-06:00

Today is my parents' 32nd anniversary, so of course I needed a card for the occasion!

I was inspired by the upcoming mini. I saw a card in there and thought I'd try both the layout and colours. After I was done, it was just a bit too much, so I tried the same thing in slightly toned down colours.

Here's the original:Here's the one I'm actually going to use:

Supplies: Stamps: Heart Prints, Everyday Classics (papertrey ink)
Ink: Rosebud, Soft Suede, Fresh Snow, Ruby Red, Sahara Sand
Paper: Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip, White, Pattern Pack III
Accessories, etc.: pop dots, scalloped punch, corner rounder

Some leafy goodness

2009-12-20T16:53:00.003-06:00

I've made lots of cards lately, but I've been a tad lazy at getting them photographed and uploaded. Anyway, here is a design I decided to do in a few different colour schemes. It's quite a simple design. Basically I really wanted to make some of my own patterned paper with these leaf stamps. I added a little bit of colour using some small circle stamps.

Supplies:
Stamps: Turning a New Leaf, Birthday Basics, Polka Dot Basics (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Ocean Tides, Spring Moss, Terracotta Tile, Vintage Cream
Paper: White, Kraft, Vintage Cream, Spring Moss, Ocean Tides, Terracotta Tile
Accessories, etc.: Various PTI ribbons

Wordy Christmas Tree

2009-12-01T22:03:00.003-06:00

The other day, I was looking at my Tree Trimmings Trio set and realized that there were several lengths of words. This got me thinking, perhaps I could make a tree using the holiday themed words. After a bit of playing around on scrap paper, I came up with this. I kept the design classically simple.
Supplies:
Stamps: Tree Trimmings Trio
Ink: Bamboo Leaves, Rhubarb Tart, Rich Cocoa
Paper: Vanilla, Textured DCWV cardstock

Whoops, it's been a while...

2009-11-29T18:46:00.003-06:00

Here's a quick type of card. I had it all sketched out and even had my paper all cut out, but for some reason, it took a few evenings to get it pieced together. I would work on it for a minute or two at time, while waiting for my computer to start up.

Supplies:
Stamps: Signature Christmas
Ink: Rhubarb Tart
Paper: Spring Moss, Rhubarb, Ski Slope DSP
Accessories, etc.: Scalloped punch, organdy ribbon, silver cord, felt snowflakes, brad

Release Day!

2009-11-16T10:18:00.000-06:00

Woot, the day is finally here. Chicken Girl Designs has a new set out, Birthday Wishes. It's got some adorable partying animals, birthday images, and fun sentiments.

Here's the set in all it's adorable-ness!

Be sure to check out the rest of the team's projects!

Judy

Kendra

Loretta

Lori

Merry

Shelly

Kate

Birthday Flowers

2009-11-11T07:37:00.003-06:00

I just recently picked up Stampin' Up!'s For All You Do set and was playing around with it. Since I also have more than enough Loves Me paper I decided to use that with it. Normally I wouldn't put pink, brown, and green together, but I think it worked out nicely! Here's the result.

Supplies:

Stamps: For All You Do, Birthday Basics

Ink: Bamboo Leaves, Hibiscus Burst

Paper: Raspberry Fizz, Confetti White, Loves Me DSP, Hibiscus Burst

Accessories, etc.: Pop dots, Nestabilities Labels 1, Green Satin Ribbon, Rhinestones, Scalloped Punch

Hoppy Birthday!

2009-11-09T07:26:00.001-06:00

It's time for a sneak peek of the upcoming Chicken Girl Designs stamp set. Sneak peeks start today with the release on November 16! I have to say, this set is one of my favorites! The images are so adorable and fun for birthdays!

I decided to pair the bunny with the balloon for a cheerful birthday card. I chose my patterned paper first (from Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird collection), then found Copic markers, ribbon, and other cardstock to match.

Little Ornament

2009-10-29T20:18:00.003-05:00

I have been meaning to make an ornament using the latest release from Chicken Girl Designs. I thought this tree would look cute coloured in, sparkled up a bit, and placed in a clear tin. These are super easy to make. First I cut out some paper with circle nestabilities, adhered that to the interior of the tin. Next I used my crop-o-dile to punch 2 holes into the larger bottom piece. Weave some ribbon through, add your coloured cut out image, sprinkle in some glitter and seal! Voila, easy ornament!

PTI Blog Hop

2009-10-25T17:07:00.004-05:00

It's time for another Papertrey Ink blog hop. Because this month's falls on the weekend, I had plenty of time to make a few projects! The theme this month: It's time for our annual Holiday Hop! Show us your best upcoming holiday plans for cards, gifts, wraps or whatever else you have up your sleeve!

I decided to make a few Christmas Cards.

First up: using a non-holiday set to make a holiday card. I thought these 2 images from Guidelines II would look Christmas-y in red and green. Add in a sentiment and a bit of embossing with nestabilities, and you've got yourself a quick holiday card!

Next up: using up more patterned paper. I've made a card somewhat similar to this one before, but I thought it'd be fun with different papers.

Finally, I really wanted to make a Christmas card using the colour pink. Using that as my inspiration, I decided it'd be fun to combine the Fancy Flourishes with some snowflakes, making a blustery winter scene.

Supplies: Stamps: Fancy Flourishes, Snowflake Snowflake, Tree Trimmings Trio, Guidelines II Ink: Sweet Blush, Dark Chocolate, Gold, Ripe Avocado, Garnet Jewel Paper: White, Dark Chocolate, Sweet Blush, Vintage Cream Accessories, etc. pop dots, pearls, gold cord, rectangle nestabilities

Release Day!

2009-10-16T11:14:00.002-05:00

The day is here!

Check out the new sets from Chicken Girl Designs, available at i {heart} papers: It's a Snow Day and Just Skating By.

Supplies:
Stamps: It's a Snow Day
Ink: Tuxedo Black
Paper: Ski Slope DSP, White, Burgundy, Hunter Green
Accessories, etc.: button, twine, red faux suede ruffle edge ribbon

Sparkly Cupcake

2009-10-14T09:01:00.000-05:00

I just recently received a large quantity of my all time favorite paper, Loves Me. I was SO excited when I saw that Stampin' Up! had brought it back for a clearance sale. Favorite paper plus ridiculously reduced prices- sold!

Anyway, I decided to make a batch of super girly, ultra pink birthday cards. It's a pretty basic design, one of my "fall-to layouts". I coated the cupcake top with stickles, then sprinkled on extra glitter to make it extra sparkly!

Supplies:

Stamps: Cupcake Collection, Vintage Picnic

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink

Paper: White, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Loves Me DSP

Accessories, etc: glitter, stickles, pop dots, ribbon

Skating Bear

2009-10-13T20:55:00.002-05:00

I've been seeing more and more circle cards lately, so I decided it was time to make one again. It's so much easier to make circle (and other shapes) into cards with all the die cutting options out there!

This adorable little critter is from the upcoming Chicken Girl Designs release. I stamped it, cut it out, then coloured it in with Copics. I cut out the card base using some scalloped circle nestabilities.

Supplies:

Stamps: Just Skating By

Ink: Rich Cocoa

Paper: Ridinghood Red, Ski Slope DSP, White

Accessories, etc.: Copics, ribbon, pop dots

More worldly designs

2009-10-11T12:23:00.002-05:00

Here are my other two creations from Nichole Heady's WCMD challenges. The third challenge was to be inspired by India and use some sort of gem or rhinestones. I chose some vibrant colours, added a fun circular design, a bit of gold, and of course, gem stones!

The final challenge was to be inspired by Australia and to use one of two techniques. I went with the reverse masking. I stamped the leaves on white cardstock, embossed them, then sponged rust ink all around. I ended up cutting it out, but it's got a cool softer look compared to white embossing on coloured cardstock.

Supplies: Stamps: Simply Stationery, Birthday Basics, Beautiful Blooms, Polka Dot Basics II Ink: Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Fizz, Gold, Versamark Paper: Kraft, Really Rust, Dark Chocolate, White, Raspberry Fizz, Bermuda Bay Accessories, etc.: Gold Cord, clear embossing powder, scalloped punch, corner punch, pop dots, tag die cut, rhinestones

New Release, coming soon!

2009-10-10T12:13:00.003-05:00

It’s going to be a busy few weeks, with sneak peeks of two new sets from Chicken Girl Designs beginning today and running through October 15. The full releases will be on October 16 so be sure to check in every day for some samples. The new sets are adorable winter themes!

In case you're still looking for Halloween ideas, here is a quick and cute card I made using the "zombie cat" (as I've grown to call it) and some traditional Halloween colours.

Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Halloween
Ink: Tuxedo Black
Paper: Black, Orange, DSP
Accessories, etc.: Copics, Ribbon, Pebbles Impressionabilities, Nestabilities Labels 8

Remember to check out the other Chicken Girls creations here:
Judy
Kendra
Loretta
Lori
Merry
Shannon
Shelly
Tammy
Kate
http://blog.iheartpapers.com/

World Challenges

2009-10-07T15:02:00.002-05:00

Here are my first two cards from Nichole's WCMD challenges this past weekend. The first challenge was to take inspiration from Japan. I went with the Out on a Limb set (as I'm sure several people did), added a dragonfly and one of the more Asian style graphics from Guidelines.

The next challenge was to be inspired by Mexico. I interpreted this with bright colours and a repeated pattern.

Supplies:

Stamps: Out on a Limb, Birthday Basics, Pond Life, Guidelines

Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Enchanted Evening, White, Sweet Blush, Ocean Tides

Ink: Ocean Tides, Sweet Blush, Orangerie, Dark Chocolate, Tuxedo Black

Halloween Treat Holders

2009-10-06T19:59:00.002-05:00

These were really quick and easy to make. I cut a strip of paper to 3x8.5. I used the slit punch as far in as it could go, then folded the paper to where it fit easily into the slot. These hold a small package of candy. I used gemstones in place of the letter o for last week's ways to use it challenge.

Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Halloween
Paper: Black, White, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories, etc.: Spica pens, scalloped nestabilities , slit punch, Corner rounder

Halloween Witches!

2009-10-03T14:46:00.003-05:00

In honour of World Card Making Day, I figured I'd showcase a few cards First up, this quick and cute Halloween card. I punched out a 1 inch circle to use as the moon. The bunny witch (from the Happy Halloween set) was coloured in with Spica Pens.

Next up, I decided to make use of some of my random colourings of these monsters. I stamped a background with one of the sentiments, then cut out and popped up the trio of monsters. The patterned paper is from the 6x6 paper pack of Lime Rickey

If you were interested in a sale... i {heart} papers is having a sale in honour of WCMD!

Release Day!

2009-09-16T19:00:00.001-05:00

Ready for some adorable new stamp sets? Today is the release day over at I {heart} papers! There are two new Chicken Girl Designs sets, Happy Halloween and Silly Monsters. They are high quality photopolymer stamps that sell for $10 a set!

Here are the links:

Silly Monsters
Happy Halloween

Supplies:

Stamps: Silly Monsters

Ink: Burnt Umber

Paper: Summer Sun, Tempting Turquoise, Chocolate Chip, White

Accessories, etc.: Scallop punch, ribbon, pop dots, Copics

Another sneak peek!

2009-09-14T19:23:00.003-05:00

Today's sneak peek features a look at the ridiculously adorable set, Happy Halloween. There are all sorts of cute critters in this set. I love this image of the cat and mouse in the jack'o lanterns!

I stamped the animals onto some white cardstock, cut them out with a Labels 9 die, coloured them in with Copics, and added a bit of sparkle with a Spica pen. I was wanted something a tad different, so I went with the long and skinny card format. It's a fun change!

Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Halloween by Chicken Girl Designs (available at I {heart} papers Sept. 16)
Ink: Tuxedo Black
Paper: Bazzill, White, DSP
Accessories, etc.: Labels 9 die cut, Spica markers, ribbon

Sneak Peek- Monsters!

2009-09-12T10:42:00.002-05:00

My first sneak peek features this adorable little monster and this week's Fall-to Layout from my CAS blog.

See the rest of the Design Teams sneak peeks here:
Judy (Joy in a JAR) - guest DT
Kendra (Kendra's Card Company) - guest DT
Loretta (love to create) - guest DT
Lori (Inking Aloud)
Merry (Random thoughts of a Confessed Stamp-A-Holic)
Shannon (Hoppy Creations)
Shelly (Jaspere's Little Corner)
Tammy (Stamp Happy) - guest DT

Supplies:Stamps: Silly Monsters to be released at IHP next week
Ink: Rich Cocoa
Paper: Very Vanilla, Turquoise, Pumpkin, Striped DP
Accessories, etc.: Copics, Ribbon, Pop Dots

Stamp Release News!

2009-09-08T06:17:00.002-05:00

Today is a big day at I {heart} papers! Not only are we releasing two more sets from our new line of Chicken Girl Stamps this month, but we are introducing a new design line called The Petal Press, designed by the Design Team Coordinator, Tracy Schultz. Her style is *very* different from the CGD sets, so if cute animals aren't your style then maybe you’ll love The Petal Press!It’s going to be a busy next few weeks, with sneak peeks of all three new sets beginning tomorrow and running through September 15. The full releases will be on September 16 so be sure to check in with Kate and the rest of the team every day for some samples.

And, of course, with a new stamp line comes some new DT additions. Please join me in welcoming some new faces (and a couple of familiar ones who are also helping out!)
Ashley Cannon Newell
Carly Robertson
Cathleen Torina
Gretchen Belknap
Jenyfur Pohl
Julie Lacey
Krysten Ng
Tiffany Johnson
Tracy Schultz – designer
Kate Baldwin – owner

A bit of sand...

2009-09-04T09:40:00.003-05:00

For yesterday's Ways to Use it Challenge, I decided to make a few cards.

I haven't used anything "sandy" for quite some time, so I had to think a bit on this challenge. Finally, I decided to pull out a chipboard circle, applied some DP and then sanded the edges.
Supplies: Stamps: Into the Forest
Ink: Burnt Umber
Paper: Basic Grey Granola collection
Accessories, etc.: sanding block, ribbon, chipboard, scalloped circle nestabilities

Here's a second card for the ways to use it challenge. For this one, I used sand in the form of my favorite Copic colour (E33- sand), as well as some coordinating sand-like paper.
Supplies: Stamps: Hugs from a Bug
Ink: Rich Cocoa, Bamboo Leaves
Paper: Textured Olive, Dark Chocolate, White
Accessories, etc.: Basic Grey Granola sticker , Copics

Colour Challenge

2009-09-03T10:16:00.002-05:00

I thought it'd be fun to make a simple floral scene with these colours. I just couldn't resist adding a bit of brown. I coloured the flowers in with the In Color markers, then pieced together the whole card. The last step was adding the stickles, that way the whole card could dry somewhere safe.

Supplies:Stamps: Hugs from a Bug , Polka Dot Basics II
Ink: Burnt Umber, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay
Paper: Dark Chocolate, Bermuda Bay, White, Melon Mambo
Accessories, etc.: Long Scalloped nestabilities, stickles, crushed curry ribbon

Super Star

2009-08-30T20:15:00.006-05:00

I was in the mood to do something a bit starry today, so here it is. It's quite a basic layout, but it all started with those scissors. I wrongfully called them Imperial, they are actually Arabian. They are by Fiskars, and I've had them since the beginning of mainstream scrapbooking. You know when it was totally cool to crop your photos into stars and hearts, or cut them out with these type of scissors and all you decorated with was stickers!

Supplies: Stamps: Star Prints, Polka Dot Basics II
Ink: Orangerie, Summer Sun
Paper: White, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun
Accessories, etc.: Arabian scissors, pop dots

August Blog Hop

2009-08-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

This month's theme is using Autumn as your inspiration. With the textures, colours, and patterns of autumn being so beautiful, it's hard not to be inspired!

I decided to try something slightly different. I wanted to make a leafy background using the leaves from In Bloom, however, I really didn't feel like colouring each and every one. So, I decided to get a bit messy. I stamped the leaves onto vanilla cardstock, spritzed the paper with water several times, then went in with an aquapainter and various reinkers. I dabbed the inks wherever and let it spread around. Once I was happy with how it turned out, I heated it to speed up drying, then I stamped one of the scripted word backgrounds from Text Style over the paper. The finished result reminds me of a colourful forest floor full of fallen leaves!

For textures, I used some textured cardstock as my base and I couldn't resist trying the ruffled ribbon technique a la Lisa Johnson. What a fun way to add a little something to the card! I finally found my imperial edged scissors, so I decided to add a fancy border to the bottom of the homemade patterned paper.

To finish it all off, I cut out and watercoloured the 3-leaf sprig and added the perfect autumn sentiment- happy harvest.

Thanks for coming by, I can't wait to see everyone else's projects!

Supplies:

Stamps: In Bloom, Vintage Picnic, Text Style Background Basics

Ink: Rich Cocoa, Tangerine Tango, Ridinghood Red, Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie

Paper: Vanilla, Textured Brown, Pumpkin Pie, Scarlet Jewel
Accessories, etc.: Water Spritzer, ribbon, reinkers, Imperial edged scissors, pop dots

Birthday Basket and more

2009-08-20T16:35:00.004-05:00

First of all... I drew the winner's name... Heather J. you are the winner of Into the Forest. Leave a comment or email me at natashatrupp(a)gmail.com to claim the prize.

Next up is my mom's birthday card which won one of the PTI's guest star stamper categories. I was quite excited when I started receiving comments and emails about it. Thank you all for your kinds words!

Supplies:

Stamps: Text Style Background, Guidelines, Vintage Picnic

Ink: Rich Cocoa, Paris Lights, Fresh Snow, Berry Sorbet

Paper: Lemon Tart, Berry Sorbet, White, Spring Moss

Accessories, etc.: pop dots, Copics (see photo below for colours, the Ciao is Y11), buttons, thread, spring moss twill

Birthday Balloons

2009-08-18T19:15:00.003-05:00

I have to say I'm quite surprised, I have a GIVEAWAY happening on this blog right now and only 4 comments... I thought people liked free stuff :D

Up for grabs is the totally adorable "Into the Forest" by i {heart} papers. Leave a comment on this post or on this one to enter the chance to win the stamp set. Contest closes at 8:00 PM CST Wednesday.

And here's a card today as well. I quite like Lemon Tart, Dark Chocolate, and a touch of white. It's just so cheerful! I didn't have any 3/8'' yellow ribbon, so I grabbed the Buttercup coloured Copic and coloured some white grosgrain.

Supplies: Stamps: Everyday Button Bits, Vintage Picnic, Polka Dot Basics II Paper: White, Lemon Tart, Dark Chocolate Ink: Dark Chocolate, Fresh Snow Accessories, etc.: Lemon Tart buttons, white grosgrain, scallop punch, pop dots, Copic

Friendly Bear, with Candy

2009-08-16T10:49:00.003-05:00

Today I have a card featuring one of my favorite images from the newly released Into the Forest, the bear. I stamped the bear and cut it out, then coloured it with Copics. To get a fun pattern on the bandanna, I coloured it, let it dry, then drew a lined pattern with a white gel pen. I popped it up with pop dots, then added a cut label punch phrase tab. I wanted a smaller scalloped border, so instead of using a punch, I used the long scalloped rectangle nestabilities. I finished it off with a few of these adorable corduroy brads and some dotted embossed paper. Now for the fun part, today I have one Into the Forest stamp set to give away. Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win the set below. Leave a comment by Wednesday Aug 19 by 8:00PM CST!

IHP release day!

2009-08-09T10:32:00.004-05:00

Yay, the day is finally here. The i {heart} papers stamps are available now. The stamps are high quality photopolymer and retail for $10 a set! Here's a quick and cute sample featuring Into the Forest and some delightful Basic Grey Lime Rickey Paper.

Hugs from a Bug is available here!

Into the Forest is available here!

Anniversary Grapes

2009-08-08T12:16:00.002-05:00

Again, I felt like playing around with some of the images in Fruitful. I started by doing some two-toned inking of the grapes. I stamped those all over, then added in vines. Next I inked up the edges with some tea ink. The last step was inking up the text stamp with the tea ink. It gave a nice subtle effect.
Supplies:
Stamps: Fruitful, Damask Designs, Text Style
Ink: Ripe Avocado, Plum Pudding, Violete
Paper: Vintage Cream, Plum Pudding, Ripe Avocado
Accessories, etc.: Tea Ink, Corner Rounder

Apple-y Goodness!

2009-08-06T15:50:00.004-05:00

I've got two cards for you today, both featuring apples. My first card features Vintage Picnic. One evening we were watching a movie, and I get easily distracted with movies, so I stamped a variety of baskets and coloured while watching. I was really happy with how the basket of apples turned out. Later that week, the rest of the card came together. I've had this big red button on my desk for ages, it matches Pure Poppy quite nicely so I added that to some stitched chocolate ribbon. I am loving the Text Style Background set so much. It's awesome being able to customize text-y paper! I thought that piecing everything together on a kraft card base seemed like the perfect finishing touch.

My next card features an apple from Fruitful. I was playing around, stamping various fruits, not really planning anything out. I cut out the apple, and just went from there. The layout is loosely based off of one from my little notebook. I think I turned it into a "fall to layout" over at the clean and simple blog and that it was originally inspired by a card from a Stampin' Up catalog. I did something I rarely do on this, stitching. It just felt right. I made it a Just Because card, mainly because I was stumped, it just didn't have that birthday vibe feel.

Supplies: Stamps: Vintage Picnic, Text Style Background, Everyday Button Basics, Polka Dot Basics I, Fruitful, Floral Frenzy Ink: Rich Cocoa, Fresh Snow, Pure Poppy, Scarlet Jewel Paper: Kraft, White, New Leaf, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate Accessories, etc.: button, ribbon, pop dots, Copics, thread

Sneak Peek- Into The Forest

2009-08-05T11:03:00.003-05:00

Time for another sneak peek from one of I {heart} paper's new stamp sets. This set is called Into the Forest. It includes quite a few cute critters and sentiments!
I decided to make a small scene with the squirrel and tree. The clouds are from the Hugs from a Bug set. First I stamped the tree and squirrel, cut them out and coloured them in with Copics. Next, I went about creating the backdrop. I freehand cut the ground, making it nice and wavy looking. Then I added the clouds. Finally I placed the tree and squirrel with pop dots and added the sentiment. The background paper comes from Basic Grey's Lime Rickey collection.

Supplies:
Stamps: Into the Forest, Hugs from a Bug
Ink: Palette Burnt Umber, Charcoal
Paper: White, Brown, Lime Rickey 6x6 pad
Accessories, etc.: Copic markers, pop dots.

Sneak Peek- Hugs from a Bug

2009-08-03T09:48:00.003-05:00

I've got a sneak peek from one of the new I {heart} papers stamp sets. This one is called Hugs from a Bug and it's adorable! I went with clean and simple, letting the cute bumblebee stand for itself. I stamped the bee twice, once on the base white layer and again on scrap cardstock. I coloured it in with Copic markers and added a bit of sparkle to the wings with the clear spica glitter pen. The pattern paper is by Penny Lane.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hugs from a Bug
Ink: Palette Noir
Paper: Soft Sky, Penny Lane Passion Robin's Egg, White, Black
Accessories, etc.: Copic markers, pop dots, black grosgrain, Clear Spica glitter pen

News

2009-08-01T08:38:00.003-05:00

I am thrilled to be joining a design team for a brand new line of stamps! I {heart} papers is introducing their very own stamp line!

Gretchen and Megan are joining the core IHP DT. They are both amazing stampers!
Shelly and myself are joining the new IHP DT for our first exclusive stamp release from Jannie Ho of Chickengirl Design.

So you want to know what’s going at I {heart} papers? Well…A LOT! We’ll be releasing two of Jannie’s sets this month and we’ve got some other illustrators working on different sets (each illustrator has a completely different style so you’re sure to find something you love!). There are even sets in production right now! It’s been tough keeping such big secrets from you, my friends!
These sets are the highest quality photopolymer sets, made in the USA by the top manufacturer in the industry (they make a lot of your other favorite stamps – I assure you!).
With this news also comes a bit of a restructuring of the current DT. Merry and Lori will be transitioning to this new stamp team. Releases will not be every month so on off months all of these folks will be doing business as usual here at IHP.
And, to help us with this release we’ve got some very special Chickengirl Design guest stampers so please be sure to visit them so you don’t miss anything!
Judy
Shannon
Tammy
Kendra
Loretta
The other bit of big news is the launch of IHP's new newsletter to make sure you’re up to date on what’s going on here with releases, new products, SALES, COUPONS, and other good stuff. Carolyn will be taking on the role of Editor for this. She’ll still be stamping of course but her primary focus will be on the newsletter. If you’ve ordered in the past you will automatically get the first issue. If you don’t want it, you can easily unsubscribe. If you’ve never ordered but would like to subscribe, head over to the website and sign up!
We’ll be doing some sneak peeks starting tomorrow and on the 9th will be the full reveal. Be sure to check in every day so you don’t miss a single thing!

Bloomin' Birthday Wishes

2009-07-31T16:08:00.002-05:00

I just received these flowers (In Bloom stamp set-PTI) and wanted to bring them to life with a bit of colour. First I cut them out, then I chose an assortment of Copic markers and got to work. Although the design itself is quite simple, the card was not the quickest. Colouring, blending, then adding shadow details and colouring some more isn't the fastest process. But I think it's well worth the effort!

I had to laugh, my sister pointed out that they kind of look like cabbages. I could kind of see that, especially with the central flower. But hey, just one more way to use the image, right?

Supplies:
Stamps: In Bloom, Everyday Button Bits
Ink: Rich Cocoa
Paper: Rustic Cream, Pumpkin Pie, Ripe Avocado
Accessories, etc.: pop dots, copics

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake

2009-07-30T18:45:00.003-05:00

Last week I was doodling out ideas for cards. I was thinking how cute it would be to pair the smaller fruit images from Fruitful with a cupcake from Cupcake Collection. I stamped the cupcake top in Dark Chocolate and did the holder and raspberry with Scarlet Jewel, the leafy part was done with Ripe Avocado. Then I used those 3 colours throughout the rest of the card. In order to make the scallops all the way around my card I cut out two sets of the scalloped rectangles, then overlapped them. It's pretty cool how easily that works out.

Supplies: Stamps: Cupcake Collection, Fruitful, Polka Dot Basics II
Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Ripe Avocado, Dark Chocolate, Fresh Snow
Paper: Scarlet Jewel, Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado, White
Accessories, etc.: corner rounder, scalloped nestabilities (oval and long rectangle), ribbon

Basket of Birthday Daisies

2009-07-29T21:41:00.002-05:00

I love stamp sets that inspire me to colour. Vintage Picnic is definitely one of those sets. It's so much fun to mix and match the baskets and fillers and then choose a medium to colour them with! For this card, I went with Copics as my colouring medium of choice. The layout is ultra simple. I jazzed it up a bit by adding a fancy satin bow and a dotty background.

Supplies:

Stamps: Vintage Picnic and Sentiments, Polka Dot Basics II

Ink: Rich Cocoa, Summer Sunrise

Paper: White, Chocolate Chip, New Leaf, Summer Sun

Accessories, etc.: Nestabilities, satin ribbon, Copic markers, pop dots

Special Birthday Delivery!

2009-07-28T15:35:00.005-05:00

Here's a birthday card I made for someone who loves robots. I thought it'd be cute to pair Blip and Bloop together with a cupcake and a truck. I thought it'd be funny to have the frowning robot on the back of the truck. He's sad because he wanted to drive.

If you're a DoodleFactory fan you should check out the latest releases. They are awesome! I cannot wait to get my hands on them. There's even a cool combo pack deal . Plus if you use the code savetenNT you'll get 10% off!

Supplies: Stamps: DoodleFactory Country and Urban, PTI Mixed Messages Ink: Tuxedo Black Paper: Real Red, True Black, White Accessories, etc.: Copic, stickles, pop dots, dot texture plate

Blog Hop- a day late

2009-07-26T22:51:00.005-05:00

I totally forgot about this month's blog hop. I meant to participate, but was away on holidays. I happened to have a project mostly made before I left, so I finished it off tonight. It uses 2 of the backgrounds from Background Basics: Text Style. I also just picked up the wooden buttons and vintage tea inks, so I was itching to try some distressing techniques.

Supplies:
Stamps: Men of Life, Vintage Picnic, BB: Text Style
Ink: Vintage Touch tea inks, vintage cream, dark chocolate, scarlet jewel, enchanted evening
Paper: Scarlet Jewel, Rustic Cream, Enchanted Evening
Accessories, etc.: pop dots, sponge, wooden button, twine, twill

In the Wild!

2009-07-25T09:19:00.004-05:00

Here's one more sample for the DTGD challenges at SCS. Amy is hosting this one, the theme is all things wild (i.e. animal related). I decided to use Gordie the Giraffe and some fun DCWV Safari Kids paper. I drew my colours for the giraffe from the paper. I wanted a somewhat realistically coloured giraffe, so I stuck with the brown tones. I stamped the greeting several times on the oval to make a fun background, then coloured and cut out the giraffe and placed it over that. I added a bit of ribbon and a flag sentiment and that was that!

Supplies: Stamps: Gordie the Giraffe, Birthday Basics
Paper: Night of Navy, White, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, DCWV Safari Kids DP
Ink: Spring Moss, Prussian Blue, Rich Cocoa
Accessories, etc.: Copics, nestabilities, pop dots

DTGD 2009!

2009-07-23T14:00:00.005-05:00

It's time for another "Dare to Get Dirty" over at SCS. I made samples for two of the challenges today.

First up is the Clearly Creative challenge with Krystie as host. I punched out several stars from Scor-Tape sheets and placed them all over my acetate card base. Then I covered them with glitter. Yellow, blue, stars, and glitter made me think "baby card".

Next up is Becca's Die Cut/Punch challenge. I had lots of fun with this card and used both a die cut and punches. I started with the Bigz Top Note die, then stamped several stars, punched them out and placed them all over.

Supplies:

Stamps: Everyday Classics, Birthday Basics

Ink: Summer Sunrise, Orangerie, Paris Lights, Lemon Tart, Prussian Blue

Paper: Bitty Dots (Summer Sunrise, Spring Rain), White, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sunrise, Spring Rain, Lemon Tart

Accessories, etc.: Bigz Top Note die, large and small star punches, pop dots, glitter, Scor-Tape sheets, acetate, satin ribbon

Cheer Up!

2009-07-19T18:04:00.002-05:00

This card started out as a challenge of sorts. My sister and I were at the mall one evening and we saw this t-shirt. I was quite amused by it and somehow we got on the topic of me recreating it in card form. So I drew my best rendition of the features on cardstock, cut them out and pieced them together. I thought PTI's fresh alphabet was a nice font substitute.

Paperworks Co. Release!

2009-07-18T11:13:00.003-05:00

As you may have seen, PaperWorks Co. has released a second set of adorable animal stamps, this time, it's the Aqua Amigos! Be sure to check out the store site for a few deals (good until July 23rd). First up is Ollie the Octopus! I thought that PTI's colours Aqua Mist and Ocean Tides went nicely with the ocean theme.

Next up is Carlos the crab. I went with bright cheerful colours and a computer generated punny sentiment.Thirdly is Wallie the whale. I went with a classic clean and simple design here. First I printed out the sentiment. I jazzed it up a bit by added scalloped "waves".
The final image is Tommy the turtle. I have a soft spot for turtles and was quite excited when I saw this image! I coloured all the images with Copics, I wanted to add a little something extra to Tommy. It's a bit hard to see in the photo, but I added crystal effects to make the shell really shine.

Mark the Calendars

2009-07-14T13:59:00.003-05:00

Please join us tomorrow (Wednesday, July 15th) on the Paperworks Co. blog at 6:00pm MT for something BIG and Exclusive! I'll be there chatting!

Here's a card that may give you an inkling of what's to come...

I stamped and coloured the lion, then added a bit of flock to make the mane ultra fuzzy!

Stamps: Safari Friends, Wild About You

Ink: Rich Cocoa

Paper: Tangerine Tango, Summer Sunrise, White, DCWV Safari Kids

Accessories, etc.: Copics, Nestabilities, ribbon, brads, pop dots, white flocking powder