Sending Sunshine...

It's hard to believe it's the end of January - this month went by way too fast. But it seems like every month goes by way too fast these days!

I pulled out my Sunshine & Rainbows kit for this card and used the stencils to create the sun ray background, using Berry Sorbet, Harvest Gold, Green Parakeet and Hawaiian Shores inks on white cardstock. I really like that it's a bright and cheery burst of color!

The heart is die-cut in Berry Sorbet cardstock and on foam tape for dimension. Sunshine is die-cut in the same cardstock, three times and stacked together. I added the rest of the sentiment in black ink.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Make It Market Mini Kit: Sunshine & Rainbows
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Berry Sorbet
• Ink:  Berry Sorbet, Harvest Gold, Green Parakeet, Hawaiian Shores; Versafine Onyx Black
• Dies:  PTI Framed Out #11, Make It Market Mini Kit: Sunshine & Rainbows
• Other:  Make It Market Mini Kit: Sunshine & Rainbow Stencil; Foam Tape
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Just Because...

I still like to use stencils and they really do make a nice background.

On white cardstock I stenciled the stripes with Green Parakeet ink. I die-cut the split die in watercolor paper, stamped it with Versamark ink, sprinkled it with white embossing powder and heat set it. The flowers are colored with Zig Brush Markers and the sentiment stamped in black ink.

I placed it on foam tape for a bit of dimension.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Splits: Best Wishes, Keep It Simple: Just Because
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select; Tim Holtz Watercolor
• Ink:  PTI Green Parakeet; Versafine Onyx Black; Versamark
• Dies:  PTI Splits: Best Wishes
• Tools:  Heat Tool
• Other: MFT All Lined Up Stencil; Zig Light Green #41, Yellow #50; Zing Embossing Powder; Foam Tape
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Papertrey January 2017 Blog Hop Challenge...

The picture Nichole chose for this month's Blog Hop has lots of inspiration - and as soon as I saw it, I knew I was going to use my Cover Plate: Horizontal Stripes to try and mimic the striped cookie in the picture.  Aren't these cookies just gorgeous and almost too pretty to eat!

I started by running my Cover Plate through the Cuttlebug with True Black cardstock and did the same with white cardstock to create my black and white stripes. Next, I took a lined stamp from Just The Ticket and stamped the pink vertical double line to match the cookie.

Using Mini Blooms, I die-cut a bunch of flowers and leaves in white cardstock and stamped them in Lovely Lady, Hibiscus Burst and Spring Moss inks, adding the center dots with black ink. I arranged them in a cluster, placing the smaller flowers on foam tape for dimension.

Love is die-cut in Hibiscus Burst cardstock three times and stacked together. I just love the font on this die! To finish things, I added glitter to the flowers.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Mini Blooms, Reasons To Smile, Just The Ticket
• Paper:  PTI True Black, White Stampers Select, Hibiscus Burst
• Ink:  PTI Lovely Lady, Hibiscus Burst, Spring Moss; Memento Tuxedo Black
• Dies:  PTI Cover Plate: Horizontal Stripes, Mini Blooms, Inspired: Love
• Other:  Glitter; Foam Tape
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Spinner Cards (MIM #273)...

I don't think I've ever made a spinner card before, but Lizzie Jones sure makes it look easy in this week's challenge - Make It Monday #273: Spinner Cards. And guess what? It was easy!

I started with a piece of white cardstock and die-cut a circle in it. I knew I was going to use Aqua Mist cardstock for the card base and die-cut a circle in it too. That may have been the hardest part for this card, making sure those circles would line up!😊

The heart is die-cut twice in Lovely Lady cardstock. One side is stamped with "Happy Valentine's Day" and the other side with "Be Mine".  I used embroidery floss for the string, placing it between the two hearts and securing it with lots of tape. I centered the heart in the circle and attached the string to the back of the white panel with more tape and placed it on my card base.

The hearts are die-cut in Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz and Lovely Lady cardstock and adhered slightly staggered. I added a few sequins and the card was done! I had so much fun making this card that I made three more of the same one! I also had fun blowing on the card and watching the heart spin - it doesn't take much to entertain me these days! 😀

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Tiny Treats: Valentine, Tag-It's #11
• Paper:  PTI Aqua Mist, White Stampers Select, Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz, Lovely Lady
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
• Dies:  PTI Confetti Garland Border; Scalloped Hearts Nestabilities, Standard Circle Nestabilities 
• Other:  Pretty Pink Posh Sweetheart Mix Sequins; Embroidery Thread
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Masked Heart Wreaths (MIM #272)...

What a fun challenge this week with Make It Monday #272: Masked Heart Wreaths! Melissa Phillips shows us how to create a lovely heart card using a mask. Masking is very easy to do and something I should use more often.

I used the heart die from Framed Out #11 and die-cut my mask in copy paper (I find using cardstock as a mask is too thick and I don't get good stamping results.) I placed the heart in the center of white cardstock and began stamping with Berry Sorbet and Aqua Mist inks for the flowers and Spring Moss and Simply Chartreuse inks for the branches. I added the hearts and additional branches in Sweet Blush ink.

Love is die-cut three times in Berry Sorbet cardstock, stacked and glued together. I cut a strip of Aqua Mist cardstock and stamped the sentiment for inside the heart, adhering it on fun foam for dimension. 

My last step was adding the scalloped border at the top, die-cut in Aqua Mist Bitty Dots pattern paper. I'm not sure if I'm going to use this as a Valentine or anniversary card - it would work for either one!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Twig Wreath, To Have And To Hold, Wonderful Words: Love
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Aqua Mist Bitty Dots, Berry Sorbet
• Ink:  PTI Berry Sorbet, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, Sweet Blush, Smokey Shadow
• Dies:  PTI Framed Out #11, Wonderful Words: Love, Card Edgers #4
• Other:  Fun Foam
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

You Bake Me Happy...

When MFT released their Kitschy Kitchen kit, I knew I had to have it! So many fun things - bowls, plates, canisters, utensils. The perfect set for someone who cooks and bakes!

To start things off, on white cardstock I stenciled the brick wall for the background with Soft Stone ink. I die-cut the Comic Strip Cover Plate and placed it on top, creating "shelves" for my kitchen items.

I die-cut the bowl, plate, canisters, oven mitt and utensils, stamped them with ink and placed them on the shelves. I stamped "flour", "sugar" and "coffee" in black ink and placed the sugar canister and plate on foam tape for dimension. I wanted the mitt and utensils to look like they're hanging on the wall, so they are slightly above the "shelf".

For the sentiment, I stamped "you bake me happy" on Lemon Tart cardstock and cut the pieces apart, placing them on foam tape, slightly staggered in the last box.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  MFT Kitschy Kitchen Kit
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Lemon Tart
• Ink:  PTI Hawaiian Shores, Green Parakeet, Soft Stone, Lemon Tart; MFT Tropical Teal, Orange Fizz, Ripe Raspberry, Summer Splash; Versafine Onyx Black
• Dies:  PTI Comic Strip Cover Plate; MFT Kitschy Kitchen
• Tools: MFT English Brick Wall Stencil
• Other:  Foam Tape
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

With Sympathy (MIM #271)...

This is the first Make It Monday for 2017 and the challenge is to choose from one of the 34 videos posted last year. What a hard choice to make! As I mentioned, I need some more masculine sympathy cards and decided to select Make It Monday: #256 Spritzed Stamps, hosted by Melissa Phillips. I even used the same stamp set she did.

On watercolor paper, I inked up the feathers with Ocean Tides and a little big of Aqua Mist around the edges. I spritzed the stamp with water and stamped the images. The center is done the same way using Smokey Shadow ink.

The sentiment is stamped in Smokey Shadow ink - I used the Misti for it since I know sometimes when I stamp on watercolor paper I don't get a dark enough image. I stamped this 4 times to get a nice even look.

I placed the panel on an Ocean Tides cardstock card base with a little bit showing at the bottom.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Feather Finery, Think Big Favorites #3
• Paper:  PTI Ocean Tides; Tim Holtz Watercolor
• Ink:  PTI Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, Smokey Shadow
• Other:  Water
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

With Sympathy...

Well, I know this year I need to make some more masculine looking sympathy cards - most of the ones I have are more feminine, like this one.

I stamped the flowers on white cardstock using two shade of pink ink - Hibiscus Burst and Angel Pink. The stems are stamped in Pear Tart ink. The sentiment is stamped in Smokey Shadow ink. I added the Angel Pink ink butterfly and the flying tail in Smokey Shadow ink.

The panel is on a Raspberry Fizz cardstock card base, with a strip of black blocked paper on the left edge. I rounded the right corners and added a bit of glitter to the flowers. 

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Keep It Simple: Sympathy, Places Please, Frog Hop; Stampin' Up Lotus Blossom
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Raspberry Fizz, Bitty Blocks
• Ink:  PTI Hibiscus Burst, Smokey Shadow; Memento Angel Pink, Pear Tart
• Tools:  Corner Rounder
• Other:  Glitter
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Thinking Of You...

Time to get back to normal so the holiday cards are done for now.

I used a new grid stencil for this card, placed it on top of white cardstock and rubbed Hawaiian Shores, Green Parakeet and Harvest Gold inks on it, leaving some of the white showing at the top and along the right side.

The flower is die-cut in white cardstock and stamped with Green Parakeet and Harvest Gold inks with a black center. The sentiment is embossed in white on a piece of black cardstock and placed on fun foam for dimension.

Final touches were glitter on the flower and white crochet thread tied around the spine. 

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Bitty Bouquets, Keep It Simple: Thinking of You
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, True Black
• Ink:  PTI Hawaiian Shores, Green Parakeet, Harvest Gold; Versafine Onyx Black; Versamark
• Dies:  PTI Bitty Bouquets
• Tools:  Heat Tool; Simon Says Stamp Grid Stencil
• Other:  Zing Embossing Powder; Glitter; Fun Foam; Crochet Thread
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Merry Christmas...

Happy New Year - it's 2017 can you believe it?? Hope this is a Happy and Healthy New Year for all!

I just found another Christmas card I didn't post, and figured what the heck, let's just do it! I wanted to post this because it uses a set I haven't used in a very long time. It's a Peg stamp set - do you remember they were very popular about 10 years ago? I have a few of these sets and can't seem to part with them, even though I rarely use them.😕

On white cardstock, I stamped the branches in Spring Moss and Ripe Avocado inks. The branch is just an individual stamp and I stamped it over and over to form a circle. Once it was completed to my liking, I added the pinecones in Cocoa Bean ink.

I stamped the berries in Versamark ink, sprinkled them with gold embossing powder and heat set it. I did the same for the sentiment. The panel is adhered to a Ripe Avocado cardstock card base. And to finish things, I added the bow, die-cut in gold adhesive foil.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Tremendous Treats: Christmas, Harvest Berries; Rubber Stamp Tapestry Pine Branch Border
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Ripe Avocado, Luxe Gold
• Ink:  PTI Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Cocoa Bean; Versamark
• Dies:  PTI Make It Market Tinsel & Tags Kit; Tag Trio Nestabilities
• Tools:  Heat Tool
• Other:  Zing Embossing Powder 
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"