Wishing You A Wonderful February Birthday

I can't believe it's the last day of February already.....the first two months of the year really went by fast! And here's my last February card I made. I wanted to make more of a masculine card - I seem to be making a lot of "manly" cards recently.

Using my new Journal Card #8, I die-cut it in Ocean Tides cardstock, and again in Aqua Mist and Fine Linen cardstock. I randomly placed the 3 colors in the holes and adhered the journal card to a Kraft cardstock card base, rounding the bottom corners.

I stamped the sentiments on a couple of Building Block die-cuts made from Aqua Mist and adhered them on foam tape. February is die-cut twice in Smokey Shadow cardstock, glued together and placed at the bottom of the journal card.

Since it is February and cold, I added the snowflake, die-cut in Aqua Mist and placed on foam tape. 

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Birthday Classics: August, Birthday Classics: September
• Paper:  PTI Kraft, Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, Fine Linen, Smokey Shadow
• Ink:  PTI Smokey Shadow
• Dies:  PTI Monthly Moments February, Building Blocks, Journal Card #8; Lil Inker Snowflake
• Tools:  Corner Rounder
• Other:  Foam Tape
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

February Birthdays Are The Best!

February is running out quickly so I wanted to post a few more cards using the February die.

I started with an Aqua Mist cardstock card base and added a rectangle of Hawaiian Shores stripes and  Journal Card #5, die-cut in white cardstock.

February is die-cut three times in Hawaiian Shores cardstock, stacked and glued together for dimension. I placed it on an angle and stamped the sentiment below it in black ink. To add a pop of color, I placed stars die-cut in Sweet Blush and Hibiscus Burst cardstock on foam tape.

I added three clear sequins as an additional embellishment.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Birthday Classics: April
• Paper:  PTI Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Hawaiian Shores Stripes, Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
• Dies:  PTI Journal Card #5, Monthly Moments February; Lil Inker Designs Stitched Stars
• Tools: Corner Rounder
• Other:  Foam Tape; Pretty Pink Posh Sequins
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Thank You Ever So Much

I've been in the mood lately to use pattern paper for the background instead of stamping. I guess because I realize I have so much pattern paper that I'll never be able to use it all (even with just getting rid of 48 pounds!), so I may as well try to make a dent in it.

I started with a Kraft cardstock card base and added a layer of woodgrain pattern paper, rounding the bottom corners. Next, I die-cut the frame and stamped it with the image in Kraft ink and the sentiment in Dark Chocolate ink.

I have a lot of red 1/2 inch strips left over from my Christmas cards and decided to place two of them under the frame. Red and brown go well together and this makes a nice, masculine thank you card.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Boutique Borders: Thanks
• Paper:  PTI Kraft, Pure Poppy, White Stampers Select; Amuse Woodgrain
• Ink:  PTI Kraft, Dark Chocolate
• Dies:  PTI Boutique Borders: Thanks
• Tools:  Corner Rounder
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Happy Birthday Dad

I bought this stack of pattern paper, "Winter In The Woods" before Christmas, at the recommendation of a friend and I'm so glad I got it! It has some really nice patterns in it, perfect for winter birthdays.

I choose this weathered looking wood flooring as the focal point of the card. I die-cut Phrase Play #5 in a matching paper, adding white to the middle portion. I die-cut birthday in a light brown and adhered it to the bottom portion. There was too much space in between happy and birthday so I added another "birthday" stamped on Soft Stone cardstock.

The letters for Dad are die-cut three times, glued and stacked together. I had a lot of space in the background and added two Circle Scribbles die-cut in Soft Stone. Can you tell I found my clothespin stash, because there's another one attached to the corner holding "enjoy".  haha

Phrase Play is on foam tape. A few strands of Flax twine finish off the card.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Stylish Sentiments: Birthday, Tiny Tags
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Soft Stone; DCWV Winter In The Woods; Bazzill
• Ink:  PTI Smokey Shadow
• Dies:  PTI Phrase Play #5, Birthday Trio, Circle Scribbles, Sketched Shapes, Block Alphabet Upper Case
• Tools:  Stampin' Up Window Punch
• Other:  Twine; Foam Tape; Clothespin
• Card Size:  5.0" x 7.0"

Happy Birthday

Doesn't this simple strip of paper down the side of the card dress it up a little?

On a white cardstock card base, I used the flowers and bigger leaves from Friendly Flowers, stamping the flowers in Rosebud ink and the leaves in Spring Moss ink. I added bitty black dots the flower centers, using my favorite little stamp from Reasons To Smile - I just love those little dots! lol The sentiment is also stamped in black ink.

The black polka dot paper is a strip of Stampin' Up paper I found in my scrap folder, but it was just big enough to place on the card. I think the black strip helps bring out the black centers and sentiment. For embellishment, I added two colors of pink sequins (Pink Peonies, Pink Blush) and the card was done!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Friendly Flowers, Reasons To Smile; WPlus9 Fresh Cut Florals
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select; Stampin' Up
• Ink:  PTI Spring Moss; Memento Rosebud, Tuxedo Black
• Other:  Pretty Pink Posh Sequins
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

February Birthdays Are The Best!

It's nice to get back to normal today without any holiday or PTI contests to post. I feel like I can take a breather for a bit.

I really like the monthly dies PTI came out with last year - they help personalize a card without having to put their name on it.  For this card, I started with a Fine Linen cardstock card base, a color I don't use often.  I added a layer of music notes pattern paper, rounding the top corners.

February is die-cut 3 times in Dark Chocolate cardstock, layered and glued together for dimension and placed on a strip of Fine Linen cardstock.  Using a Building Blocks die-cut in white cardstock, I stamped the sentiment in Dark Chocolate ink and placed it on thin foam tape.  To finish things, I tied jute around the middle of the card.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Birthday Classics: February
• Paper:  PTI Fine Linen, Dark Chocolate, White Stampers Select, Sweet Symphony
• Ink:  PTI Dark Chocolate
• Dies:  Monthly Moments: February, Building Blocks
• Tools:  Corner Rounder
• Other:  Foam Tape; Jute
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Valentine Doodad #2

I really wasn't planning to make Valentine doodads, but a few people contacted me so I decided to make them. Honestly, it felt strange not making something for a holiday so I'm glad I did it.

I used a variety of double-sided papers to make these cute mini bags. The paper size to start is 4.5" x 7.5", scored, folded and held together with score-tape on the sides. I used the same idea from Olivia's card, using the stitched oval and stamp from Love Birds for the sentiment and placed it on foam tape.

The bags hold 12 Hershey Kisses and are held together at the top with a tiny clothespin that is glue dotted to the bag, otherwise it kept popping off! lol I tied Peppermint twine around the clothespin, placing a little dab of glue on them to make sure they didn't slip off.

Another thing I "found" while cleaning my craft room were glitter hearts - I was going to give them away because they were really too big for me to use.  But then the lightbulb went off ---- I used a small heart die and die-cut 4 little hearts out of each big heart!  They add a nice touch to the bags!

Project Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Love Birds
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select; K&Company
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
• Dies:  PTI Heart-2-Heart #11; Lil Inker Designs Stitched Mats: Ovals
• Other:  Mini Clothespins; Twine; Foam Tape; Glitter Hearts
• Size:  2.5" x 3.25"

Happy Valentine's Day

I'm getting a bit of a late start today - it's soooo cold that I didn't want to get out of bed! The wind chills this morning are around -20 below zero. Brrrrr

Isn't this little kitty the cutest thing? I saw this stamp on Pinterest and had to get it. On a strip of white cardstock, I stamped the cat and box image and colored the upper portion with Copics. For the box, I stamped the bottom portion of it on patterned paper, fussy cut it and adhered it to the stamped image. I stamped the string around the box in black ink.

On a white cardstock card base, I layered red cardstock and the patterned heart paper at the bottom. See how nicely the box matches now? The stamped image was layered on a strip of bright pink cardstock that matches the hearts in the pattern paper.

Olivia's name was made on the computer and cut with a Tag Trio die. I placed it on foam tape for dimension. When I was cleaning out my craft room, I found these heart sequins in my Valentine stash and placed them so they look like they are floating out of the box.

I stamped the sentiment on a stitched oval and adhered it with foam tape.  My last step was adding pink ribbon around the bottom.  

Card Details:

• Stamps: PTI Love Birds; Simon Says Stamp Furry Cat & Box
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select; Recollections; K&Company; DCWV
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
• Copics:  E23, E25, E31, E33, E35, R83, W1
• Dies:  Lil Inker Designs Stitched Mats: Ovals; Spellbinders Tag Trio
• Other:  Foam Tape; Sequins; Ribbon
• Card Size:  5.25" x 5.25"  

Valentine Doodad #1

I wasn't going to make any Valentine doodads this year and but when I was cleaning out my craft room a few weeks ago, found these mini paint cans. I remember I bought them a few years ago at Michael's after Valentine's day - they were on clearance for 50 cents or something like that.  And they only had 3 in the bin....I wish they had more! 

These were so simple to make - the paint cans were already decorated with hearts on the outside. All I did was fill them with Hershey Kisses, create a little heart on the top and tie ribbon around them.

For the top I die-cut a circle in white cardstock, stamped the heart and colored it with Copics. Easy peasy!

I also made another doodad that I'll post about later in the week.

Project Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Tiny Treats Valentine
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
• Copics:  R83, W1
• Dies:  Standard Circle Nestabilities
• Other:  Mini Paint Can; Ribbon; Candy

Happy Valentine's Day

Now that the PTI birthday festivities are winding down, it'll give me the chance to post some of my Valentine items I made!

This is a quick card I made - starting with a piece of A2 size white cardstock, I impressed it with my Hexagon Cover Plate (I'm getting a lot of use out of my Cover Plates recently!) and adhered it to a white cardstock card base.

Next, I die-cut sending and the hearts in Pure Poppy cardstock and placed them on the card, with the hearts on foam tape. I cut a strip of white and stamped it with the sentiment and placed it on additional foam tape.  Quick and easy!

Card Details:

• STamps:  PTI Sweet Love
• Paper:  PTI White STampers Select, Pure Poppy
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
• Dies:  PTI Cover Plate: Hexagon, Wet Paint Cuts III, Heart-2-Heart #11
• Other:  Foam Tape
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Happy Birthday Tag & Bag

This post is for Day 3 of Papertrey's Birthday Week - the contest is to make a tag and matching gift bag. I wasn't going to enter this contest but I have a friend who's birthday is coming up in March and I usually give her something homemade to eat and a gift card - now I have the gift bag done for those items already!

I have lots of PTI's Tag Sale dies and pulled out #10 for this tag. The tag has 4 parts to it - I cut the main tag in Spring Moss large polka dots and the scalloped portion in Ripe Avocado cardstock. The middle portion is cut in white cardstock and stamped with the frame and sentiment from Framed Out #1, using Spring Moss and black inks. I adhered this portion to the tag with foam tape.

The 4th part of the tag is the banner, die-cut in Spring Moss cardstock. I wasn't sure what to put on it, but when flipping through my stamp book saw Around & About Sentiments and thought the "just for you" was a perfect fit for the banner!  I stamped it in black in and attached it to the tag on an angle on additional foam tape.

It's dreary and cold here and I'm looking forward to warmer weather. I found this gift bag that sort of looks like Berry Sorbet and these colors together are making me think S-P-R-I-N-G!! I added the top scalloped portion to the bag by cutting the Spring Moss pattern paper with Card Edgers #4. The tag is attached with Honeydew twine tied onto the bag handle. It's so easy and simple to make a tag and bag match!

And a close up of the tag:

Project Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Framed Out #1, Around & About Sentiments
• Paper:  PTI Spring Moss, Spring Moss Large Polka Dots, Ripe Avocado, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  PTI Spring Moss; Memento Tuxedo Black
• Dies:  PTI Tag Sale #10, Card Edgers #4
• Other:  Foam Tape; Twine; Gift Bag

Happy Birthday

It's now Day 8 of PTI's Birthday Week - and the contests have kept me busy in my craft room this week! Today's contest is to create a project that features a "blue ombre effect".  

Using my Harlequin Cover Plate, I die-cut it in white, Enchanted Evening, Blueberry Sky and Spring Rain cardstock. After I popped out all the pieces, I decided to arrange it from dark blue to light blue. It was fun putting in all the pieces (although time consuming since I glued each one)...sort of like putting a puzzle together.

I die-cut the banner using a Bountiful Banner die and stamped the sentiment in Enchanted Evening ink - I wanted the dark ink to help bring the dark blue from the top to the bottom. The banner is on foam tape for dimension.  To complete the card, I added a few of my favorite clear sequins.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Keep It Simple: Birthday
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Enchanted Evening, Blueberry Sky, Spring Rain
• Ink:  PTI Enchanted Evening
• Dies: PTI Cover Plate: Harlequin, Bountiful Banners
• Other:  Pretty Pink Posh Sequins
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Celebrate

I'm still celebrating PTI's Birthday - and for today's contest we need to make a project that uses metallics and neutral colors. Lucky for me, I have gold mirror paper in my stash.

I started with a piece of 4.25" x 5.5" Vintage Cream cardstock and ran it through the Cuttlebug to add the stitching around the edges. Next, I splashed Mr. Huey's gold mist over it. While it was drying, I die-cut the balloons and celebrate in the gold paper. I cut celebrate two more times in Vintage Cream and glued the three die-cuts together for dimension.

The balloons are on foam tape and slightly overlapped. I attached gold cording for the balloon strings. Let me tell you about this cording. I found it in my Grandmother's house when I was cleaning it out this past summer. It's called "non-tarnishable tinsel" for crocheting and knitting, 75 yards for 29¢ - yes, 29¢!!  lol I wonder how old it is? I think it's 40-50 years old.

After the card was done, it looked too plain so I added the gold stars. Now I think it looks much more festive. The hardest part about making this card was trying to photograph it without me or the camera in the picture! It looks much prettier and shinier in person!!

Card Details:

• Paper:  PTI Vintage Cream; Gold Mirror
• Dies:  PTI Birthday Style, Wet Paint Cuts III; Lil Inker Designs Stitched Mats: Rectangles
• Other:  Cording; Sequins
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Happy Birthday

It's Day 5 of Papertrey's Birthday Week and the contest is to ink up a stamp set that's never been used before! I have quite a few, but I just received Fair Isle Motifs last month and wanted to try it out. So here goes.

I wanted to used the square stamp to create a background and picked Scarlet Jewel for the color. I drew a very light line in pencil marking the center of the card. I lined up the top and bottom of the stamp on the line and stamped 3 of the squares down the center of the card.

Next, I again drew a light line marking the distance between the center of the card and the halfway point to the edge and repeated stamping the squares. Once these were completed on both sides, it was easy to fill in the last rows on the edges of the card. I was happy the card came out so straight looking!

I cut a piece of Scarlet Jewel cardstock and rounded the edges on one side. I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink, sprinkled it with White Zing and heat embossed it. The sentiment is on foam tape for dimension. The panel is adhered to a Scarlet Jewel cardstock card base. This sure makes a nice male birthday card, don't you think?

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Fair Isle Motifs, Keep It Simple: Birthday
• Paper:  PTI Scarlet Jewel, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  PTI Scarlet Jewel; VersaMark
• Tools:  Heat Gun
• Other:  Zing; Foam Tape
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Get Well Wishes

This is for Day 4 of PTI's birthday contests - the challenge is to take a few floral stamp sets and create a bouquet with them.

I picked Friendly Flowers as my main floral set, and on white cardstock, stamped the large and matching smaller flowers in Rosebud ink. I used Ruby Rose for the smallest flowers, stamping them in Cantaloupe ink. I added the centers in black ink using the tiny stamp from Reasons To Smile, stamping several times to create clusters. The leaves are stamped in Spring Moss ink.

I adhered the panel to a Raspberry Fizz cardstock card base, cutting off a little over 1/4" and placing it toward the right to leave a strip of raspberry for the border.  I die-cut the banner in Summer Sunrise cardstock and stamped the sentiment in black ink. I really like this font! I placed the banner on foam tape for dimension and added glitter to the flowers.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Friendly Flowers, Ruby Rose, Reasons To Smile, Keep It Simple: Get Well; WPlus9 Fresh Cut Florals
• Paper:  PTI Raspberry Fizz, Summer Sunrise, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  PTI Spring Moss; Memento Rosebud, Cantaloupe, Tuxedo Black
• Dies:  PTI Sketched Shapes
• Other:  Glitter; Foam Tape
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Thanks So Much

This is the PTI contest for Day 2 - welcoming Maile Belles back.  The contest is to make something that was inspired by Maile. I like Maile's clean and simple look and also like the Watercolor Wonder stamp set she designed.  

On white cardstock, I stamped the watercolor stripes in Aqua Mist and Lemon Tart inks. The sentiment is stamped in Smokey shadow ink and I cut it apart about 2/3 of the way down on the "thanks". Maile has done this on several of her cards and I think it's an interesting look.  

I placed a strip of Lemon Tart cardstock behind the split - since it was white on white it was hard to see there was a space between the word. To finish the card, I added lemon meringue sequins.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Watercolor Wonder, Think Big Favorites #2
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Lemon Tart
• Ink:  PTI Aqua Mist, Lemon Tart, Smokey Shadow
• Other:  Pretty Pink Posh Sequins
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Thank You Ever So Much

PaperTrey Ink is celebrating their 8th birthday this week with lots of contests and prizes! For this contest we need to pick a Color Recipe and Sketch Recipe for our project. It makes it so easy when the sketch and colors to use are right in front of you!

I chose this Color Recipe and Sketch Recipe for my card:

Using Hawaiian Shores cardstock, I impressed it with my Cover Plate: Twisted die and adhered it to white cardstock card base. The tag is die-cut in Aqua Mist cardstock using Tag Sale #7.

The sentiment is stamped in Smokey Shadow ink on a Boutique Borders Thinking Of You die-cut - the background is stamped with Harvest Gold ink - and adhered to the tag on thin foam tape. I die-cut two little tags, one in Lemon Tart and one in Simply Chartreuse and stamped them with two more ways to say thanks.

I tied crochet twine around the bottom of the tag, threading the tags through it and tying a bow. I placed a glue dot behind each tag to hold them in place. The button at the top is die-cut in the same colors as the tags and also threaded with the same twine.

The entire tag is on foam tape for added dimension.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Boutique Borders: Thinking Of You, Boutique Borders: Thanks, Gracious Vases
• Paper:  PTI Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist, Simply Chartreuse, Lemon Tart, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  PTI Harvest Gold, Smokey Shadow
• Dies:  PTI Cover Plate: Twisted, Tag Sale #7, Tiny Tags, Boutique Borders: Thinking of You, Button Stacks Mini
• Other: Twine; Foam Tape
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Happy Birthday

Over on the PTI Forum, Dawn McVey issued a challenge asking people to use a stamp set they never used before.  It was a tough choice for me because I have so many that I haven't used yet! I picked this one...I remember I just had to have this set, but I have no idea why it took me so long to use it!

I pulled out my Cover Plate Stripes Horizontal and die-cut it three times - once in white cardstock, once in Hawaiian Shores cardstock and once in Soft Stone cardstock. I used white for the outer portion and alternated the stripes in the colors.

The car is die-cut in white and also in Hawaiian Shores stripes. I fussy cut the striped paper and placed it on the white die-cut, stamping it with the image of the car. I used light grey Copics for the bumper, mirrors and window. I die-cut little circles for the headlights in Soft Stone cardstock and placed Glossy Accents on top to make them shiny. I wasn't sure what to put on the license plate on the front and decided to stamp "celebrate". The car is on thin foam tape for dimension.

The balloons were die-cut with a punch. I was originally going to use twine for the strings but it was too thick and then I remembered I had bobbins of wire I bought years ago. Perfect for this! I stamped the sentiment in Smokey Shadow ink and placed it on foam tape for added dimension. To complete the card I added a few clear sequins.

It was fun making this card and I'm glad I finally used this set! Thanks Dawn!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Enjoy The Ride, Stylish Sentiments: Birthday, Mixed Messages
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Soft Stone, Hawaiian Shores, Hawaiian Shores Stripes
• Ink:  PTI Smokey Shadow; Memento Tuxedo Black
• Copics:  W00, W1, W3
• Dies:  PTI Cover Plate Stripes Horizontal, Enjoy The Ride
• Tools:  Stampin' Up Two Step Owl Punch; EK Success Balloon Punch
• Other:  Wire; Foam Tape; Pretty Pink Posh Sequins; Glossy Accents
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Happy Anniversary

Here's a quick anniversary card using Wet Paint Cuts - love these dies!!  

On white cardstock, I impressed the hearts with my Cover Plate: Hearts die and adhered it to an Aqua Mist cardstock card base. Anniversary is stamped in the opening between the hearts in black ink.

I die-cut happy three times in Aqua Mist and glued them together. The final step was tying white crochet twine around the spine.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Wet Paint
• Paper:  PTI Aqua Mist, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
• Dies:  PTI Wet Paint Cuts, Cover Plate: Hearts
• Other:  Crochet Twine
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy February! January seems like it went by pretty fast - at least we are moving in the right direction for Spring.

I needed to make a Valentine for a little boy and remembered I had this cute truck stamp set from Taylored Expressions. I die-cut the truck and colored it with Copics, adding black buttons for the wheels. On a separate piece of paper I stamped the hearts, colored them with Copics, cut them out and attached them to the truck. At the last minute I decided to put Glossy Accents on the hearts to make them shiny.

On a white cardstock card base, I added the layer of heart pattern paper. I die-cut the hill and ran it through the Cuttlebug using my Swiss Dots embossing folder. I placed it on a piece of light blue pattern paper and adhered it to the card. The truck is on foam tape for dimension. I added the clouds, placing one on foam tape. I stamped the sentiment on a banner and adhered it to the card. 

I die-cut the two hearts and created Will's name and "to" on the computer, overlapping the hearts at the top of the card. The finishing touch was Shore twine tied just below the hill. 

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Boutique Borders: Valentine; Taylored Expressions Big Delivery
• Paper:  PTI Simply Chartreuse, White Stampers Select; K&Company; DCWV
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
• Copics:  R81, R83, R85, R24, R27, R29, 100, W1, W3
• Dies:  PTI Heart-2-Heart #6, Clouds 1 & 2 Collection, In The Meadow, Sketched Shapes; Taylored Expressions Big Delivery; Standard Hearts Nestabilities
• Tools:  Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder 
• Other:  Twine; Foam Tape; Buttons; Glossy Accents
• Card Size:  5.25" x 5.25"