PTI Celebrating 2011

Today's post and challenge on Nichole's blog are all about celebrating 2011 with Papertrey Ink.  I was excited to pull out Tremendous Treats for this challenge. Of all the Tiny Treats and Tremendous Treats sets that PTI has, the Valentines themed ones are my favorite.  I feel like they are pretty versatile, and don't necessarily have to be used just for Valentines.

I had a few ideas for a card using this set, but had someone on my mind; she's had a rough week, so I created this:

PTI's Tremendous Treats, Up Up and Away, Scene It Dies, In the Meadow dies

Thank you for visiting My Happy Place!

For Janelle

 Today several blogging friends and I are getting together to let one of our own know that she is in our thoughts and prayers.  If you don't know Janelle, you can read about her and see her beautiful blog here.  Her husband, Ken, has been updating us recently, and I wanted him to know how much we appreciate that. 

I wanted to brighten Ken and Janelle's day with a bright card!

I know the struggles that Ken and Janelle are experiencing and want to let them know that my thoughts and prayers are with them. 

Thank you for visiting My Happy Place!

Make It Monday #3

This week the challenge on the Make It Monday series is to add some glitter to a project by using scor-tape as the base for the glitter.  Dawn made a great video and you can get all the details and see the submissions if you click over to Nichole's blog here. 

I've been a bit absent from my crafting table and my blog lately.  I won't bore you with the details, but some reasons are job, son, husband, family, stress, dinner, dishes and laundry.  I haven't been able to comment on my friends blogs either, and that's what really bothers me.  I made a commitment to them to comment, and I haven't been able to.  I'm hoping that things will settle down SOON and I'll be able to comment, craft and blog more.

The challenge that Dawn gave us made it super easy to create a fast card.  I've had this idea in my head since I saw Dawn's video and I dreamt about it last night.  I was finally able to get it down on paper and it came  together pretty quickly when I got home from work today.  Here it is:

Can you make a card for yourself?  I did.  It made me happy to make it; it makes me happy to look at it.  I used scor-tape from PTI and glittered it up with some Sugar Coating Glitter from Doodle Bug Design.  L.O.V.E.  

I'm off to go look at the other submissions.  I haven't even had a chance to see what everyone has done with the challenge yet.  

Have you visited the Paper Dolls blog lately?  We have several challenges up and running and would love for you to play along.  Check our group out here.  I'm on my way back to my desk to start on our current challenge!

Papertrey Ink Supplies:

Stamps:  Up, Up and Away Sentiments, Scattered Showers Additions

Ink:  Summer Sunrise, Pure Poppy, Spring Rain (on the cloud)

Cardstock:  Summer Sunrise, Stampers Select

Tools:  Cloud die, Scor Tape

Other:  Sugar Coating Glitter (Doddle Bug Design)

Paper Dolls Challenge

I can't believe this is our 16th challenge on our blog! Can you?  This is my second time to host a challenge and I borrowed a sketch from the Go-To Sketches challenge for this one.  Here's the sketch:

It's a sketch that Betsy Veldman designed for the special issue.  I thought it was a challenge because of the circle.  I hardly ever create shaped cards, so this put me out of my comfort zone.  I'm sure I could have used this as the focal point on a standard card (as can YOU), but I stayed true to the challenge.  Here's my card:

and the inside:

I entered it into the Go-To Sketch Challenge that Paper Crafts Connection challenge that was due on August 2nd.

Come play along with the sketch and post your creation at the Paper Dolls Blog!

Papertrey Ink Supplies:

Stamps: Up, Up and Away

Paper: Aqua Mist, Stampers Select, Summer Sunrise, 2008 Bitty Dot Basics

Ink: Summer Sunrise, Smokey Gray

Tools: Rick Rack Die, Cloud dies
Other:  brads, aquacolors, sakura stardust pen, chipboard letter, gemstones

Father's Day

My dad is one of those guys who really doesn't need anything, and what he needs, he buys.  Plus, his birthday is always a week after Father's Day.  Those two things, along with the fact that he is fighting a battle with cancer right now and doesn't WANT anything, makes it extremely hard to think of what to do for him. 

So, what do I do?  I make a card.  What else is there to do?

First, I stamped and heat embossed the polka dots on Summer Sunrise cardstock.  Do you recognize the shape of the gold sticking out of the pot?  It's the small cloud die!  Yep!  Do you recognize the black pot?  It's the large balloon die flipped upside down.  I love it when I figure out different ways of using tools!

I sewed the green strip on to resemble grass and dabbed it with New Leaf ink to give it a little texture look.  The large cloud die and white cardstock are inked on the edges with Spring Rain.  The card base, also white cardstock, is inked on the edges with Summer Sunrise.  After coloring the rainbow, I outlined each border with my Sakura Stardust pen. 

This card came about because I was staring at the Luck of the Irish set that I HAD to have in February, but still hadn't figured out how to use it. When I saw that sentiment, I thought it would be good for many celebrations, and everything came together from there.  I stamped the inside with a sentiment from Inside &  Out: Thank You. 

I was able to think of my dad the entire time I was making this, which makes it all the more for him.

Thanks for looking!

Papertrey Ink Supplies:

Stamps: Up, Up and Away, Polka Dot Basics 2, Luck of the Irish, Inside & Out: Thank You

Paper: True Black, Summer Sunrise, New Leaf, Stampers Select White

Ink: Black, Summer Sunrise, New Leaf, Spring Rain

Other Supplies:

VersaMark
Clear Embossing Powder
Sakura Stardust Pen
Aquacolor Pencils

Paper Dolls Challenge #8

I was lucky enough to get to be a part of a great group of women on the PTI forum.  We challenge each other to use different color combos, sketches and to get out of our comfort zone.  That, plus they are all so nice and supportive.  It's been a lot of fun!

This week it's my turn to host the challenge and my inspiration came from a shirt my sister had on recently.  It was such a different combination of colors and I just loved it.

I've made two cards with this color combination.  Come and play along with us!  You can get all the details here.  Here are my cards:

Birthday Wishes

Papertrey Ink Supplies:

Stamps: Up, Up and Away and Sentiments

Paper: Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado, Hawaiian Shores, Vintage Cream

Ink: Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado, Hawaiian Shores, Spring Moss

Other Supplies:

EK Success Border Punch

Thank You

Papertrey Ink Supplies:

Stamps: Take 3: Summer, Inside & Out: Thank You

Paper: Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado and Stampers Select Cardstocks

Ink: Dark Chocolate, Hawaiian Shores, Ripe Avocado

Ribbon: Ripe Avocado

Other Supplies:

Brads

Spellbinders tags die

Paper Dolls Challenge #7

It's Laurie Beth's turn to challenge the Paper Dolls over on our Blog.  She wanted us to make our own patterned paper, create a clean and simple (CAS) card, or to do both.  I think I combined both parts to her challenge with this card:

I randomly stamped the cloud stamps from Up, Up and Away on a piece of Spring Rain cardstock.  Then after outlining each cloud with a glue pen, I poured prisma glitter on the paper and let it sit.  I thought the sentiment from the companion set went well with the images.

Here's the inside.  The sentiment is from Every Day Button Bits.  I die cut the balloons and colored them the other day.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them at the time, but now I'm glad I had them sitting there waiting.  (Sorry about the dark photo; it was getting dark.)

Papertrey Ink Supplies:

Stamps: Up, Up and Away and Sentiments, Every Day Button Bits

Paper: Spring Rain and Stampers Select Cardstocks

Ink: Fresh Snow, Smokey Shadow

Other Supplies:

Hero Arts Prisma Glitter
Aqua Color Pencils
Dove bender pen

PTI May Blog Hop

The May Blog Hop is tonight and Nichole asked us to use one of PTI's newest products - felt!  I just received my release night package yesterday, with the Vintage Cream felt and cloud dies packed inside.  A match made in Heaven!  You can see everyone's project if you click here.

Here's my card:

And here's the inside:

The idea to cut out the clouds from the main card came from Mailles. 
Thanks for looking!

Papertrey Ink Supplies:
Stamps:  Up, Up and Away and Inside and Out: Thank You
Paper: Spring Rain, Vintage Cream, Bitty Dots Basics
Ink:  Smokey Shadow
Tools: Cloud and Balloon Dies, Vintage Cream Felt