Happy Valentine's Day

How about a valentine card?  It won't be long and it'll be here!  I used white for the card base, topped with layers of black and pink.  I stamped the tree in pink and glued on the tiny red hearts.  Next, I layered it on black and mounted it on foam tape. My last steps were stamping the heart and arrow on the tree trunk, the sentiment and the twine.  Black and white twine is my new favorite color!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Love & Marriage, Sweet Love
• Paper:  Core'dinations
• Tools:  Martha Stewart Heart Border Punch
• Other:  Twine
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Prayers and Strength

This is another card I made a while ago but never posted.  I used white for the card base, stamped it with leaves in Versamark and then dusted the leaves with Perfect Pearls for a shimmery effect.  I diecut the pink ribbon (backed with coaster for support), adhered it to a Mat Stack 3 diecut and stamped the sentiment.  I wrapped the pink ribbon around the card and added the stick pin, made with pearls and crystals.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Faith & Hope
• Paper:  PTI White Stamper's Select, Bazzill
• Tools:  PTI Mat Stack 3 Die, Faith & Hope Die
• Other:  Ribbon, Hat Pin, Crystals, Pearls, Perfect Pearls, PTI Coaster
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

It's A Girl! - It's A Boy!

I made these baby cards a while ago and realized I never posted them.  I used white for the card base, layered with DCWV cardstock that was diecut with PTI's Take Three to form the windows.  The babies are stamped and colored with Copics.  The printed sentiment at the bottom of the card is patterned paper that I cut. I added the twine and tiny tag stamped with "sweet baby".  Naturally I made them in pink and blue!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Tiny Tags, Stampin' Up Baby Firsts
• Paper:  DCWV
• Tools:  PTI Take Three Die, Tiny Tags Die
• Other:  Twine, Copics
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

I Chair-ish Your Friendship

I haven't used the On My Couch stamp set for a long time, so when I wanted to make a "friend" card I pulled it out.  I used a wine color for the card base and topped it with a flowered pattern paper.  I stamped the chair and pillow on pattern paper and cut them out, adhered them to Vintage Cream cardstock, and then added the picture, flowers and flooring, colored with Copics.  The banner at the bottom was made with a die and stamped with the sentiment.  For embellishment, I added the ribbon and a pearl to the pillow.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI On My Couch
• Paper:  PTI Vintage Cream, Anna Griffin, Bazzill
• Tools:  PTI Banner Borders, Standard Rectangle Nestabilities
• Other:  Pearl, Copics, Ribbon
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

• Use What I Have:  Anna Griffin paper is 5-6 years old...haven't used On My Couch since May 2010!

Happy Birthday

After seeing some recent background pattern papers that Nichole made on her PTI blog, it inspired me to make my own too.  Flower Fusion #11 is nice because it has 3 different tulips, so I selected the striped one for this card.  I used Kraft for the card base, and stamped my tulips/leaves pattern on Vintage Cream cardstock, edging around it with tea dye ink.  I added Spring Moss at the bottom with a strip of Raspberry Fizz, cut with Card Edgers.  I stamped the sentiment, added the twine and tiny tag.  The card still needed something so I put a line of glitter on each of the stripes on the tulips.  The card really sparkles in the light!  Happy Birthday Jackie!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Flower Fusion #11, Turning A New Leaf, Gracious Vases, Tiny Tags
• Paper:  PTI Kraft, Spring Moss, Vintage Cream, Raspberry Fizz
• Tools:  PTI Tiny Tags Die, Card Edgers #4
• Other:  Twine, Martha Stewart Glitter, Distress Ink
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Big Birthday Wishes

I'm just starting to use some of my new stamp sets from December!  This card features Rosie Posie.  I used Kraft for the card base and edged around it in white.  I stamped the flowers in the right hand corner and added black pearl pen to the centers of them.  The top of the card is Raspberry Fizz cardstock, cut with Card Edgers #4 and layered with a Mat Stack 2 diecut and circles.  I punched holes in the end of the mat stack and tied twine through them.  The cirles are on foam tape for dimension.  The card still looked a little plain to me so I added the bee (I haven't use one of  them for a while!) and the dotted "flying" line.  Happy Birthday Chong!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Rosie Posie, Birthday Bash Sentiments, Bird Watching
• Paper:  PTI Kraft, Raspberry Fizz
• Tools:  PTI Mat Stack 2 Die, Card Edgers #4; Circle Nestabilities, Crop-A-Dile
• Other:  Twine, Jolee's, Pearl Pen. Foam Tape
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

• Use What I Have:  Haven't used the Bird Watching stamp set in ages!

Birthday Wishes

I saw a card similar to this one on Nichole's blog; I just love the combination of yellow and aqua mist!  I used yellow for the card base and added the white strip, stamped with tulips from Flower Fusion #11.  I diecut one tulip and placed it on foam tape for a little dimension.  Next I used the new Filigree border die from PTI, cutting it with Aqua Mist cardstock.  I stamped the sentiment, added a pearl pen drop to the centers of the tulips and tied yellow yarn around the card.  Happy Birthday Aunt Linda!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Flower Fusion #11, Round & Round Anniversary 
• Paper:  Anna Griffin, PTI Aqua Mist
• Tools:  PTI Flower Fusion #11 Die, Filigree Border
• Other:  Pearl Pen, Yarn
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

• Use What I Have:  I bought the Anna Griffin paper and yarn at least 5-6 years ago!

Thank You

I really like the new smaller version of the "year of flowers" series that PTI released last year.  For this card I selected morning glories, stamped and colored with Copics and matted on white and Spring Rain circle diecuts.  I used Spring Moss for the card base, layered with a striped pattern paper. Card Edgers #1 were used to make the Ripe Avocado edging under the striped paper.  The last step was stamping the sentiment.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Year of Flowers Collection, Think Big Favorites 4
• Paper:  PTI Spring Rain, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss; Stampin' Up
• Tools:  PTI Card Edgers #4, Standard & Scalloped Circle Nestabilities
• Other:  Copics
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

With Sympathy

This is a card that uses white for the card base, layered with a wine colored pattern paper and a strip of black.  The flower is stamped on white and adhered to a piece of Scarlet Jewel cardstock, both cut with nestabilities.  I rounded the corners and added the sentiment, butterfly and two silver balls as embellishments.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Flower Fusion #9, Places Please, Communique Curves Sentiments
• Paper:  PTI Scarlet Jewel, Stampin' Up
• Tools:  Labels Fifteen Nestabilities, Corner Rounder
• Other:  Silver Adhesive Balls
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Thinking Of You

This card was made with the Martha Stewart Daisy Pattern punch kit - it's a "punch around the page" kit that's exclusive to HSN.  I used white for the card base and added a layer of Hawaiian Shores.  I cut the daisies on the left hand side, backed it with a piece of Lemon Tart cardstock and added clear gems to the centers.  I used the "punch around the page" punch to create the yellow square the flower (colored with Copics) and sentiment are on.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI In Bloom, Vintage Picnic Sentiments
• Paper:  PTI Hawaiian Shores, Lemon Tart
• Tools:  Martha Stewart Daisy Pattern Punch Kit, Standard Circle Nestabilities
• Other:  Copics, Clear Gems
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Happy Birthday

This card is for my PTI buddy - today's her birthday.  When I first saw this penguin stamp, I was on the fence about getting it, but then I started seeing so many cute cards with it so I needed to get it too.  I used white for the card base and embossed it with a "snow dots" embossing folder.  I edged around the card with pink and added a dab of Stickles to the center of each snowflake.  The penguin is diecut and stamped; I colored his nose and feet with Copics and added a little pink chalk to his cheeks.  The "happy" banner and "birthday" sentiments are from Tag-Its #10.  The penguin is and mounted on foam tape and adhered to two circles; I paper pierced the scalloped one.  I made his hat, putting a little Stickles on the edge and added the black pompom.  My final step was adding the black twine, which makes the black on the card pop.  Happy Birthday Linda!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Winter Penguin, Tag-Its #10
• Paper:  PTI Stampers' Select White, Autumn Rose
• Tools:  PTI Winter Penguin Die, Standard and Scalloped Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Snow Dots Embossing Folder
• Other:  Copics, Stickles, Twine, Pompom
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Happy New Year!

Happy 2012!!  It's hard to believe another year has gone by, and quickly too!  Doesn't it feel like we were just ringing in the new year for 2011?  My mom always told me the years would go by faster and faster when I got older, and now I understand what she meant!

I don't make New Year's resolutions, but my "challenges" for this year are:
1)  stop buying so many craft items (I mean, how much stuff can one person have and use?)
2)  use what I have
3)  make more things

Doesn't sound that hard, does it?  At least I have a couple of my crafting friends who feel the same way, so I guess we will become a support group for each other.  lol  

This year as I use something I haven't used before, or something I haven't used in a very long time, I'm going to try and highlight it in some way.  That way I'll be able to track my progress at least with goal #2. I made 605 cards last year, plus projects, so making more things might be a stretch, but heck, I'm up for a challenge.

Happy New Year - wishing you and your families a happy and healthy 2012.