Celebrate Life!

Hi!  I hope all is well in your little corner of the world!  I have a reject card from the February Guest Star Stamper contest.  Nichole announced the winners on her blog today.  Wow! There were some wonderful creations.  Most of the contest was to create something from some of the stamps released in January, and I didn't buy anything that month, so I just used what I had.  The category "Best Use of a Previous Set" is so broad.  You should really go and check out what these winners created!  Again - Wow!

Here's my card using Life & Background Basics: Text Style.  (Maybe the best $30.00 I've spent at PTI. Maybe. To get a better idea, I'd have to think about all the money I've spent at PTI and no one wants to do that.)

This was during my pink/green color combo phase.

(Who am I kidding? It's not a phase; I love it always!)

All Papertrey Ink Supplies:

-Stamps: Life, Background Basics Text Style

-Ink: Hibiscus Burst, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Tea Dye Duo

-Paper: Vintage Cream, Spring Moss

-Ribbon: Hibiscus Burst Satin

Other:

Stickles on the pink flowers

Nesties Scalloped circles

Papertrey Paper Dolls Challenge #1

Our new PTI group, Papertrey Paper Dolls, has its first challenge this week. Laurie Beth challenged us with a sketch she created.  I created 2 cards with the sketch.  Here's the first.

All Papertrey Ink Supplies:
Paper: Stampers Select White, Spring Moss, Pure Poppy
Stamps: Background Basics: Tin Type, Wishing You
Ink: Pure Poppy, Spring Moss, True Black, Summer Sunrise
Ribbon: Pure Poppy Saddle Stitch
Tools: Fillable Frame Die #1
There are stickles on the yellow part of the tulip, but I don't think they are showing in the picture.

Here's my second card for the challenge:

 All Papertrey Ink Supplies:
Cardstock: Stampers Select White, New Leaf, Hawaiian Shores
Patterned Paper: Green Boutique
Stamps: Scattered Showers, Fillable Frame #1
Ink: New Leaf, Hawaiian Shores
Buttons: New Leaf, Hawaiian Shores
Tools: Rik-Rak Die
Stickles are on the border of the umbrella and dotted in the middle of some flowers on it.

Here is the sketch that Laurie Beth posted.  Click on the red links up there on the right to see what the other Paper Dolls have come up with.  Why don't you play along with us and link your blog post to ours here. I bet you have some new PTI stuff ready to get inky!

Precious and Few

This is a card I made in February for the February Guest Star Stamper contest.  I guess it is OK to post now even though winners haven't been announced.  I borrowed Blooming Button Bits from a friend for awhile and this was one of the results!

Thanks for looking!

Papertrey Ink Supplies:
Paper: Spring Moss, Hibiscus Burst, Stampers Select cardstocks
Ink: Hibiscus Burst, Spring Moss
Stamps: Blooming Button Bits
Ribbon: Hibiscus Burst

Other supplies:
green rhinestones
prisma glitter
Fiskars border punch
Corner rounder
Pop dots

Cheer Up Buttercup!

I had some scraps left over from a card I made for Becky's challenge, so I decided to create something else with the squares.  Here I've lined them up right next to each and stitched them together with a zig-zag stitch.  I saw this from one of the other entries, Terri.  Very cute - and I'm always looking for an excuse to get my sewing machine going.

I've discovered a great color combination:  Lemon Tart, Ocean Tides and Berry Sorbet  Why didn't anyone tell me about this before? 

The picture is not the greatest, sorry.  It's from my phone and then cropped in photoshop! Ugh.

Papertrey Ink Supplies:

Cardstocks: Ocean Tides, Berry Sorbet

Stamps: Scattered Showers (sentiment)

Ribbon: Lemon Tart satin

Epoxy dome stickers

Vintage Cream ink

Other:

Patterned paper from My Minds Eye Dreamy 2

Thread

3rd Post Today! ANOTHER card for Becky...

Again, here is Becky's Compose a Card Challenge #9.  This is probably my last one for the weekend. :(

I took some inspiration from Teri Anderson.  She always uses her extra letter stickers in such a fun way, so I thought I'd give it a try.  Here's my card:

I scored the kraft mat to create the tic-tac-toe board and inked the edges with pure poppy ink.  The sentiment is from Signature Greetings.

Thanks for looking!

2nd Post today! More cards for Becky

Again, here is Becky's Compose a Card Challenge #9.  I like that it is pretty open and versatile.

I used some Making Memories Dreamy 2 patterned paper and Bitty Dot Basics in Lemon Tart from PTI. 

The butterfly is from Butterfly Dreams that Niki Estes released in February from PTI.  I ran it through my Xyron upside down and sprinkled some prisma glitter on it for some sparkle.

Thanks for looking!

Becky's Challenge #9

Here is Becky's Compose a Card Challenge #9:

I created my own patterned paper with Lisa Johnson's Flower Garden set using Hibiscus Burst, Hawaiian Shores and Pure Poppy. 

Becky's Compose a Card #8

Becky's challenge this week was to use her daughter's Easter dresses as inspiration for a card.  Here are her instructions:

I chose the black and white polka-dots with New Leaf green for my card.  Here it is:

Papertrey Ink Supplies:
-Stamps: Birthday Basics
-Paper: True Black and New Leaf, Stampers Select cardstocks, Bitty Dot Basics in True Black
-New Leaf Buttons

Other Supplies:
-Black twill, black twine, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Nesties Label 8, prismacolor glitter, pearls

Paper Crafts Sketch Challenge #1

I entered this card into the Paper Crafts Connection Go To Sketch Challenge #1.  Here is the sketch that Teri Anderson introduced:

And here is my card:

It's not an exact match, but pretty close.  And fun!  They'll announce 2 winners from the pool for this sketch and 2 winners from the pool for the 2nd sketch on Monday at the PC Blog.  Wish me luck!  I didn't have time to participate in the 2nd one.  You can see the entire pool here. 

Supplies (Papertrey Ink unless noted otherwise*):
-Paper: Spring Moss, Terracotta Tile, Kraft *carstocks
-Stamps: Background Basics: Tin Type, Inkadinkado "Patterned Bugs"*
-Sizzix Large Leaf Die*
-Terracotta Tile Buttons
-Rustic Jute Twine

Big 12 Dot Spot Cards

We all struggle making cards for men, so I found a solution for myself.  I'm using Dot Spot to create birthday cards for the men in my life.  I will use colors of universities they love.  Here are my first two.  The one on the left is black and red for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.  This one is going to my brother-in-law. (Yeah, his birthday was in February.)  The other one went to my assistant principal who loves the Kansas Jayhawks. My husband is not a Big 12 fan.  His allegiance is with LSU in the SEC.  I don't have any Plum Pudding for that and probably should invest in it soon. 
Thanks for looking!

Papertrey Ink Supplies:
-Cardstocks: True Black, Pure Poppy, Enchanted Evening, Stampers Select
-Inks: True Black, Pure Poppy, Enchanted Evening, Summer Sunrise
-Stamps:  Dot Spot, sentiment is from Fillable Frames #1

Other:
Glittered Gemstone thingy-ma-bob

HS and TT!

I wanted to see how Terracotta Tile played with the new Hawaiian Shores, and I have to say, it might be my new favorite combo!

Also, as a fun little perk to Monday, I won a random drawing from Papercrafts Connection!!!  Here's a picture of what I won! Isn't it too cute, and look - a copy of  Go To Sketches!

All Papertery Ink Supplies:
Stamps: Dot Spot, Signature Greetings (on loan from a friend who may never get it back)
Paper: Hawaiian Shores, Terracotta Tile and Stampers Select Cardstocks
Inks: Hawaiian Shores, Terracotta Tile, True Black
Buttons: Hawaiian Shores, Terracotta Tile

2nd Card for Becky's Challenge

Becky Oehlers has another great Compose a Card Challenge.  Here are the requirements:

And here is my card.  I've never used text pages for a project before, but I had this sitting around and wanted to give it a try. 

Papertrey Ink Supplies:
-Paper: Vintage Cream and Spring Rain cardstocks
-Inks: True Black and Tea Dye Duo
-Stamps: Butterfly Dreams
-Buttons: Spring Rain
-Rick-Rack die

Other Supplies
-text page
-paper flowers
-black twine
-black cardstock
-Star Dust Stickles

Compose a Card Challenge

Becky Oehlers has another great Compose a Card Challenge.  Here are the requirements:

And here is my card.  I did not have black wool felt, so I substituted black embossed paper.

Papertrey Ink Supplies:
-Vintage Cream and Spring Rain cardstocks
-Spring Rain and True Black inks
-Spring Rain buttons
-1/4-in Scor Tape
-Scattered Showers and Scattered Showers Additions stamp sets
-Medium Scallop die

Other Supplies:
-Hero Arts prisma glitter
-Black cardstock
-Pattered cardstock-My Minds Eye Dreamy 2
-Pop Dots

CASEing

I "CASE" a lot.  A lot.  When I get a new stamp set, I usually go and find projects that have used the stamps, print them out and then copy them.  That way, I get to use my stamps; I get to make something; and usually it lets me come up with my own ideas...eventually. 

Depending on who you are, CASE could mean a variety of things:

Copy And Steal Everything

Copy And Share Everything

Copy And Simply Edit

I also learn a lot by CASEing - good color combos, fun techniques, stamps that go together or can be used in a different way.  That's what happened when I CASEd Diane's card.  She used the bunny from Tiny Treats: Valentine (from Papertrey Ink) for an Easter card.  I had already filed that set away in my mind as "Valentines" and hadn't thought to use the bunny for Easter.  Here's the link to her post and here's her card:

Isn't it cute? I love how she used the patterned paper on the bunny and the rick-rack, and the little buttons add just the perfect touch.  

I was in a hurry when I created my cards.  I needed two cards for my son's teachers.  So, I used the rick-rack die (the BEST $6.00 ever spent) and the same stamp set.  The inside of the card is stamped with the sentiment "Some bunny loves you!"

Here are my cards:

They have a few less details than Diane's, but the bunny tails are colored with red glitter pen.  Thanks to Diane, I was able to copy her project quickly and have something ready for 2 ladies that are near and dear to my family!

I usually don't post cards I CASE, but I wanted to let Diane know that she is an inspiration!

Thanks for looking!

One More for Card Patterns

I have one more card to enter for the Card Patterns sketch challenge this week.  Then, I'll be done, I suppose. :)  Again, here's the sketch:

And here's my card.  It's a little bit different than the others I have posted.

I got to use my Big Shot and a lot of dies, so I was a happy crafter!

Papertrey Ink Supplies:

Paper:  Vintage Cream, Terracotta Tile, Ripe Avocado cardstocks, Bitty Dot Basics in Spring Moss

Stamps: Background Basics: Tin Type, Butterfly Dreams

Ink:  Ripe Avocado, Tea Dye Duo

Die:  Butterfly

Other: Terracotta Tile Buttons, Rustic Twine

Other Supplies:

Kraft

Pearls colored with ink

Nestablilites Labels Eight

Sizzix Large Leaf Die