Sending Hugs & Sunshine...

Painted Petals is still one of my favorite "free" sets from PTI. I'm glad it's not sitting on my shelf collecting dust and that I reach for it every so often.

On white cardstock, I stamped the flower in Berry Sorbet and Pure Poppy inks and the leaves in Spring Moss and Simply Chartreuse inks. The flower center and little flowers are stamped in Harvest Gold ink. The sentiment is stamped on an angle in black ink. I also added the dots on the flower center in the same ink.

I placed the panel on a Berry Sorbet cardstock card base.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Painted Petals
• Paper:  PTI Berry Sorbet, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  PTI Berry Sorbet, Pure Poppy, Harvest Gold, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse; Memento Tuxedo Black
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Purple Flowers...

Do you sometimes get stuck reaching for the same color combinations? I seem to be in the mood to use purple and green lately.

On watercolor paper, I stamped the flowers with Versamark, sprinkled them with white embossing powder and heat set them. I wet the flowers with water and used Zig markers to color in the leaves and flowers.

After the image was dry, I used a die to create the stitching around the edges. The panel is adhered to the same watercolor paper card base. I tied sheer ribbon around the card and decided not to put a sentiment on the front.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  Altenew Peony Bouquet
• Paper:  Canson 140# Watercolor
• Ink:  Versamark
• Dies:  MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangles
• Tools:  Heat Tool
• Other:  Zig Marker Light Green [#041], Violet [#080]; Embossing Powder; Ribbon
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Wine Gets Better With Age...

I've had this Art Impressions stamp for quite a while and thought it was time to ink it up. But, I was wondering how I was going to color it and after doing a little research on Pinterest, I saw that a lot of people were paper piecing the image and that's what I decided to do too.

Using black ink, I stamped the chair on a pink striped pattern paper and fussy cut it. I did the same for her body, dress and headband, individually stamping and cutting out each piece. Once she was all pieced together, I colored her skin, hair, shoes, earrings and wine glass with Copic markers.

I stamped the rug on white cardstock and colored it with a grey marker and placed the chair on top. I die-cut the speech bubble in grey cardstock and stamped the sentiment in black, adding fun foam for dimension. I layered Hibiscus Burst gingham paper on a white cardstock card base and adhered the panel on top.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  Art Impressions Wine Divas; MFT Merry Christmoose
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Hibiscus Burst Gingham, Hibiscus Burst Bitty Dots; DCWV
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
• Dies:  PTI Bubble Talk
• Copics:  C1, E33, E37, E50, R39, R81, RV17 
• Other:  Foam Tape
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Papertrey May 2017 Blog Hop Challenge...

It's hard to believe another month has gone by and it's time for the Blog Hop. Full disclosure - this month's inspiration photo did nothing for me, I didn't like the colors or the design, I'm not thrilled with the card I made and I'm only entering the contest for the chance to win a $25 gift certificate! lol 

On white cardstock, I stenciled the flowers from Color Pop Florals using Raspberry Fizz and Pale Peony inks. To me, Pale Peony sort of looks like a peachy type color and that's what I saw in the inspiration photo. The leaves are stenciled in Spring Rain ink and the flower centers stamped with Blueberry Sky ink. I also stamped the sentiment in Blueberry Sky ink.

I scored around the panel 1/8" in on all sides and placed it on a Spring Rain cardstock card base. My last step was flinging some watered down Blueberry Sky splatters on it.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Make It Market Mini Kit: Color Pop Florals, Colorful Words
• Paper:  PTI Spring Rain, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  PTI Spring Rain, Raspberry Fizz, Pale Peony, Blueberry Sky
• Tools:  PTI Make It Market Mini Kit: Color Pop Florals Stencils; Scor-Pal
• Other:  Paintbrush; Water
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Felt Flowers (MIM #285)...

Lizzie Jones is the host for this week's challenge, Make It Monday #285: Felt Flowers. She posted a terrific video to show us how to make a variety of flowers using felt. I have a lot of felt so it's time to get it out and use it!

I had felt that was already die-cut to make flowers that a friend sent me (I don't know what the name of the die is she used). Using a petal roller tool, I rolled up two flowers, one in Hibiscus Burst and one in Raspberry Fizz. I die-cut the leaves in Simply Chartreuse felt.

I decided to make a tag instead of a card and used Tag Sale: Quilted, die-cut in white cardstock. I stamped the sentiment in black ink and placed the two roses on the tag and added the leaves, pinching them together like Lizzie did in her video.

The polka dot ribbon is ribbon PTI sold a long time ago! I had one piece left that was perfect for the tag.

Project Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Keep It Simple: Just For You
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
• Dies:  PTI Tag Sale: Quilted, Happiness in Bloom; Flower Die (Unknown)
• Tools:  Petal Roller; Hot Glue Gun
• Other:  PTI Raspberry Fizz Felt, Hibiscus Burst Felt, Simply Chartreuse Felt, Polka Dot Ribbon
• Size:  3-5/8" x 4.0"

If You Can Read The Last Line...

I made another card using the technique from the MIM a few weeks ago ➔ Make It Monday #283: Watercolor Wash Backgrounds

With a brush, I wet watercolor paper and brushed on Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio and Shabby Shutters distress inks in the bottom left corner. No specific design in mind.

Once dry, I stamped the sentiment in Versafine ink, stamping it a few times using the Misti to make sure it was dark and fully covered. This is another fun sentiment from Offbeat Birthday!

I splattered black ink over it - splatters really add something extra to the card. The panel was adhered to a Hawaiian Shores cardstock card base.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Offbeat Birthday
• Paper:  PTI Hawaiian Shores; Tim Holtz Watercolor
• Ink:  Tim Holtz Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio, Shabby Shutters; Versafine Onyx Black
• Other:  Crayola Black Watercolor Paint
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Happy Birthday...

Cactus is still trendy right now - I bought this stamp set "Stuck On You" sometime last year I think, well before all the other companies came out with their cactus stamps. So I guess I was ahead of the curve!👍

On a piece of white cardstock, I applied Hawaiian Shores ink to the background with a make-up brush. I like how soft and subtle it looks. Next, I stamped the two cactus pots in black ink and colored them with Copic markers.

I die-cut a black banner, stamped the sentiment with Versamark ink, sprinkled it with white embossing powder and heat set it. The banner is on fun foam for dimension.

The finished panel is adhered to a Terracotta Tile cardstock card base. I also rounded the upper right hand corner for a little variety.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  Fun Stampers Journey Stuck On You; PTI Keep It Simple: Happy Birthday III
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, True Black, Terracotta Tile
• Ink:  PTI Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores; Memento Tuxedo Black; Versamark
• Copics:  E8, YG91, YG93, YG95, YG97, YR14, YR15, W1
• Dies:  PTI Sketched Shapes
• Tools:  Heat Tool; Corner Rounder
• Other:  Embossing Powder; Fun Foam
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

With Sympathy...

Every once in a while, I get on a heat embossing kick. I don't know why I don't do it more often because it's fun to do and the results are lovely.

For this card, I stamped the feathers in Versamark ink on white cardstock, sprinkled them with white embossing powder and heat set them. Next, I took Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores inks and gently rubbed them across the embossing with a sponge dauber. The sentiment is stamped in black ink.

I placed the panel on a layer of Tropical Teal striped pattern paper on a white cardstock card base.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI What The Doodle: Feathers, Botanical Silhouettes
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Tropical Teal Stripes
• Ink:  PTI Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores; Memento Tuxedo Black; Versamark
• Tools:  Heat Tool
• Other:  Embossing Powder
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5" 

Papertrey May 2017 Create Along With Us...

A lot of inspiration this month, but what really struck me was this card Nichole Heady made with the new Cover Plate: Angles. I like how she colored the die-cuts with Copic markers and made it a "side card", inside of the usual card that opens up from the bottom.

Here's my take on her card. I die-cut Cover Plate: Center Stage in white cardstock and placed it on a white cardstock card base. I die-cut the inserts in a few different colors - Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores and Raspberry Fizz to create my design. Using cardstock was easier than coloring!😁

The sentiment is stamped on white cardstock made with the Initial Thoughts die, die-cut 5 times and stacked together. Happy Birthday is stamped in black ink and I added a few sequins to make the card look a bit festive.

It was nice to use these two dies again....and I really need to use my Cover Plate dies more often!!!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Keep It Simple:  Happy Birthday III
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
• Dies:  PTI Cover Plate: Center Stage, Initial Thoughts
• Other:  Pretty Pink Posh Sequins
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Happy Mother's Day...

I bought the Bloom & Grow kit because I thought it would make lovely Mother's Day cards and I was right. This is the card I made for my mom.

I die-cut the bouquet in white cardstock and used the stencils to make the flowers and stems. For the flowers I used Lemon Tart/Summer Sunrise, Berry Sorbet/Pure Poppy and Hawaiian Shores/Tropical Teal inks. The stems are stamped in Green Parakeet and New Leaf inks. I die-cut additional flowers and leaves, inked them up and placed them on foam tape for dimension.

The flower pot is die-cut in Hawaiian Shores cardstock and inked around the edges with the coordinating ink. I added a stripe of Tropical Teal cardstock around the top and Berry Sorbet cardstock just below it. The pot sentiment is stamped in Smokey Shadow ink.

The stitched banner is die-cut 3 times, stacked and stamped with Happy Mother's Day. On a white cardstock card base, I added a strip of Berry Sorbet bitty dots and placed the bouquet in the middle of the panel. A few enamel dots and white crochet thread completed the card.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Make It Market Mini Kit: Bloom & Grow, Keep It Simple: Mother, Reasons To Smile
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Hawaiian Shores, Berry Sorbet, Tropical Teal, Berry Sorbet Bitty Dots
• Ink:  PTI Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise, Berry Sorbet, Pure Poppy, Hawaiian Shores, Tropical Teal, Green Parakeet, New Leaf, Smokey Shadow
• Dies:  PTI Make It Market Mini Kit: Bloom & Grow, Tag Sale: Quilted
• Tools:  PTI Make It Market Mini Kit: Bloom & Grow Stencils
• Other:  Crochet Thread; Foam Tape; My Mind's Eye Enamel Dots
• Size:  5.0" x 7.0"

Happy Mother's Day...

I was in the mood to do a little embossing and watercoloring and made a few cards. I wish I would do this more often because I really like the look of these two techniques together.

On watercolor paper, I stamped the flower images with Versafine ink, sprinkled them with white embossing powder and heat set it. I used my Zig Watercolor Pens (red, purple, blue, pink) to fill in the flowers and outlined them with a grey pen. For the leaves, I used Spring Moss ink and applied it with a paintbrush. I flicked some paint splatters on the panels with the coordinating paint colors.

The sentiment is stamped in Smokey Shadow ink. I adhered the stitched panel to a Kraft cardstock card base, die-cut with the Noted: A2 Scalloped die. A little white crochet thread completed the cards.

I was really happy with the way these turned out!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Splits: Love, Tucked In: Mother
• Paper:  PTI Kraft; Canson 140# Watercolor
• Ink:  PTI Smokey Shadow, Spring Moss; Versafine
• Dies:  PTI Noted: Scalloped A2 
• Tools:  Heat Tool
• Other:  Zig Watercolor Pens Carmine Red [022], Violet [080], Cobalt Blue [031], Pink [025], Light Grey [091]; Crochet Thread; White Embossing Powder
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5" 

Background Stamping With Sentiment Stamps (MIM #284)...

This week's Make It Monday #284: Background Stamping With Sentiment Stamps is hosted by Melissa Phillips where she shows us how to use sentiment stamps to create a fun look for a background. I've done this in the past, but should do it more often because it's a nice way to fill in the card.

I started with a piece of white cardstock and stamped my sentiment in Kraft ink on an angle, covering the entire panel. I ran the panel through the Cuttlebug with Wonky Rectangles to give the panel a stitched look.

I haven't used Bubble Talk for a long time! The bubble is die-cut in Spring Rain cardstock, 5 times and stacked together. I stamped the sentiment on top in Enchanted Evening ink, placed the panel on an Enchanted Evening cardstock card base and added jute around the top.

Quick, easy and fun - it doesn't get any better than that!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Offbeat Birthday
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain
• Ink:  PTI Kraft, Enchanted Evening
• Dies:  PTI Bubble Talk; MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangles
• Other:  Jute
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Happy Mother's Day...

I haven't used my MFT Kitschy Kitchen set in a while and thought it would make a cute mother's day card.

I started with a white cardstock card base and stenciled the brick wall (getting a lot of use of this stencil!) with Soft Stone ink. The bowls, canister and spoon are die-cut in white cardstock and stamped with Bubblegum, Summer Splash, Mint Julep and Soft Stone inks.

The shelf is die-cut in Smokey Shadow cardstock. I stamped the sentiment and "sugar" in Smokey Shadow ink. This was a fun card to make....now I need to start using this kit more often!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  MFT Kitschy Kitchen Kit; PTI Keep It Simple: Mother
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Smokey Shadow
• Ink:  PTI Mint Julep, Soft Stone, Smokey Shadow; MFT Bubblegum, Summer Splash
• Dies:  MFT Kitschy Kitchen Kit
• Tools:  MFT English Brick Wall Stencil
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Watercolor Wash Backgrounds (MIM #283)...

The timing of this week's challenge, Make It Monday #283: Watercolor Wash Backgrounds couldn't come at a better time. Watercolor is still very popular with card makers and I'd like to do it more often, but I'm not very good at it. In the video, Laurie Schmidlin makes it look easy with her excellent instructions, but when I try it, well, let's just say I need practice, practice and more practice!😕

I started with a piece of white watercolor paper, wet the lower portion with clear water and added three paint colors (green/teal/yellow) from my [inexpensive] Crayola watercolor set. I'd like to buy the same set Laurie used (Kuretake Gansai Tambi), but until I can perfect my technique, I'll continue to use the cheaper paint.😄 For anyone experienced at watercolor, would better quality paint really help with this technique or is it more skill based?

The flowers and leaves are die-cut in white cardstock and stamped with Raspberry Fizz, Pure Poppy, Lemon Tart, black and New Leaf inks. I stamped the sentiment in black ink and added splatters of watered down black ink. Those black splatters really make a difference!

I arranged the flowers, placing one on foam tape for dimension. I need to watch Laurie's video again and practice some more. This card sure is bright and colorful looking - a little out of my comfort zone - but it does remind me of summer.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Some Like It Hot, Birthday Classics: June
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select; Tim Holtz Watercolor
• Ink:  PTI Raspberry Fizz, Pure Poppy, Lemon Tart, New Leaf; Versafine Onyx Black
• Dies:  PTI Some Like It Hot
• Other:  Crayola Watercolor Paint; Foam Tape
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

A Gift For You...

And finally, the last of the notecards and the gift box I made for them to go in.

The card base is white cardstock, die-cut the same as the last 5 cards. I added the green striped pattern paper on top - these pattern papers are just so pretty! Gift is die-cut in white cardstock covered with gold adhesive paper. I stamped the "A" and "For You" on a banner die-cut in Summer Sunrise cardstock. The banner is on fun foam for dimension.

Marigold twine around the top completed this last card.

I used the template that came with the kit to create the gift box. The bottom is die-cut in white cardstock and the lid in Aqua Mist cardstock. I also made a bellyband out of light purple cardstock.

The flower bouquet is die-cut in white cardstock and stamped with the same ink colors used on the first card posted 4/22/17: Mint Julep/Green Parakeet for the leaves, Lulu Lavender/Amethyst Allure for the flowers and Spring Rain/Blueberry Sky/Aqua Mist for the remaining images. The bouquet is on foam tape for dimension.

I die-cut the little banner in Aqua Mist cardstock. To finish the box, I added a few clear sequins to the flower centers and white crochet thread around the top.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Make It Market Kit: Don't Forget To Write
• Paper:  PTI Don't Forget To Write, Summer Sunrise, Gold Luxe, White Stamper's Select
• Ink:  PTI Smokey Shadow
• Dies:  PTI Don't Forget To Write, Countdown Details
• Other:  Twine; Fun Foam
• Size:  3.75" x 3.75"

Box Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Don't Forget To Write
• Paper:  PTI White Stamper's Select, Aqua Mist; DCWV
• Ink:  PTI Mint Julep, Green Parakeet, Amethyst Allure, Blueberry Sky, Aqua Mist, Spring Rain, Smokey Shadow; Memento Lulu Lavender
• Dies:  PTI Don't Forget To Write
• Other:  Pretty Pink Posh Sequins; Foam Tape
• Size:  4.0" x 4.0"

Sending Anniversary Wishes...

Just a few more cards to share from the notecard gift box - this is #5.

Again, I used the die from the Don't Forget To Write kit to die-cut the card base in white cardstock. The lemon colored patterned paper is also from the kit.

I die-cut the flowers and leaves in white cardstock and stamped them with Bright Buttercup, Summer Sunrise, Green Parakeet and New Leaf inks. I placed the flowers on foam tape for dimension.

Sending is die-cut twice, once in True Black and once in Green Parakeet cardstock and overlapped slightly to give a shadowed look. I cut a few hearts from the Notched Banner die to dot the "i" since it was an anniversary card. The sentiment is stamped on a white cardstock banner with Smokey Shadow ink and placed on fun foam.

Final embellishments were Charcoal twine and a few clear sequins.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Make It Market Kit: Don't Forget To Write
• Paper:  PTI Green Parakeet, True Black, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  PTI Bright Buttercup, Summer Sunrise, Green Parakeet, New Leaf, Smokey Shadow
• Dies:  PTI Don't Forget To Write, Uncorked, Notched Hearts Banner
• Other:  Twine; Fun Foam; Foam Tape; Pretty Pink Posh Sequins
• Size:  3.75" x 3.75"