Favorite Cards of 2014

I completely forgot I participated in this last year on the PTI Forum - picking out favorite cards I made this year.  Why is it when I look at my own cards I don't think they're that great? I guess we are our worst critic.....I need to work on that for 2015 - haha.

It's supposed to be the "top 10" of 2014, but to make it a little easier for me, I picked out one card I liked for each month and two in December. So here is my "top 13"! (If you would like to see the original post, click on the link next to the "original post date" underneath each card.)

Original Post Date: 1/30/14 - Warm Winter Wishes

Original Post Date: 2/22/14 - Happy February Birthday

Original Post Date: 3/18/14 - Celebrate Today

Original Post Date: 4/24/14 - Happy Birthday

Original Post Date: 5/24/14 - Papertrey May Blog Hop Challenge

Original Post Date: 6/15/14 - Happy Father's Day

Original Post Date: 7/3/14 - Happy Birthday

Original Post Date: 8/3/14 - Happy Birthday Olivia

Original Post Date: 9/13/14 - Happy Summer Birthday

Original Post Date: 10/17/14 - Happy Halloween

Original Post Date: 11/25/14 - Hello

Original Post Date: 12/26/14 - Christmas Snowman

Original Post Date: 12/30/14 - Sending Christmas Joy & Cheer

Sending Christmas Joy & Cheer

And here's the Falling Snow stencil again...I just love this look!

I used Aqua Mist cardstock for the card base and embossing paste for the snow. I die-cut the snowdrifts and adhered them to the card, stamping the sentiment and placing glitter along the edges.

My new favorite die is "Village" from Simon Says Stamp. It's so nice with the houses and trees - and I can think of many possibilities using this set! I die-cut the houses in several different bright colors, backing them with a light yellow cardstock to make it look like there are lights on in the buildings. The trees are cut in two different shades of green with a couple placed on foam tape.

To finish it off I added white Fun Fur - I have to use fun fur with snow! haha It just makes the card much more festive looking! I also put a little glitter on the trees. This card was so sparkly in the sunlight from all of the glitter - really looked pretty!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Stylish Sentiments: Holiday
• Paper:  PTI Aqua Mist, White Stampers Select, Raspberry Fizz, Hawaiian Shores, Summer Sunrise, Sweet Blush, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse; DCWV
• Ink:  PTI Aqua Mist
• Tools:  PTI In The Meadow Dies; Simon Says Stamp Village Dies, Falling Snow Stencil
• Other:  Embossing Paste; Glitter; Fun Fur; Foam Tape
• Card Size:  5.25" x 5.25"

Love & Light

This is another Hanukkah card I made for this year. I saw this on Maile Belles' blog during the PTI October Release and used the same idea. It was a quick and easy card to make!

On white cardstock, I stamped the star circle border in Soft Stone ink - it's hard to see but they are stamped all over the cardstock. I added the Star of David in Blueberry Sky ink and the sentiment in Smokey Shadow ink.

I rounded the corners and adhered it to a Blueberry Sky cardstock card base. To finish the card, I placed a few silver sequins on it.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Festival of Lights, Keep It Simple: Hanukkah
• Paper:  PTI Blueberry Sky, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  PTI Blueberry Sky, Soft Stone, Smokey Shadow
• Tools:  Corner Rounder
• Other:  Sequins
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Christmas Doodad

A holiday can't go by without me making some sort of little doodad. I knew early this year I was going to use these little mini coffee cups - they were appearing on Pinterest and I just thought they were so cute! These were a huge hit - I made 100 of them and they are g-o-n-e!!

Using a template, I cut a variety of Christmas pattern paper and wrapped it around the cups, adding the sleeve (also from a template) around the center. For the top of the cup, I cut out circles in the same color as the sleeve to help cover up some the lid (you can see it a little on the green cup on the bottom right). I die-cut circles or squares for the sentiment, layered them and added it to the front of the coffee cup on foam tape.

The cups with the lids are only 2-3/4" high and about 2.5" in diameter, but they are a perfect size to fill with things. I filled these with Hershey Kisses. To keep the lids from coming off and to add more decoration, I tied ribbon around the cups adding a bell threaded with twine at the top.

These are cute to give as is but would be really nice with a Starbucks or other gift card!

Project Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Jolly Holiday, Holiday Treats, Boutique Borders: Christmas
• Paper:  Core'dinations; Recollections; DCWV
• Ink:  PTI Pure Poppy, Kraft; Memento Cottage Ivy, Rhubarb Stalk, Danube Blue, Nautical Blue
• Tools:  Standard & Scalloped Circle Nestabilities, Standard & Scalloped Square Nestabilities
• Other:  Mini Coffee Cups & Lids; Ribbon; Bell; Twine; Candy
• Project Size:  2.75" tall

Christmas Joy

This is the card I made for my parents. I really like the color combination on this one - it's a little non-traditional in color and reminds me of cold, snowy weather.

My friend gave me a pack of Stampin' Up Christmas paper and I wanted to use some of it for this card, and layered this snowflake pattern over a white cardstock card base. Next, I die-cut a stitched rectangle out of Ocean Tides cardstock.

Using Phrase Play #8, I die-cut the center portion in the same pattern paper, white for "joy" and Aqua Mist for the border. I put it together with foam tape on the back and adhered it to the card. I die-cut a banner in white, stamped Christmas on it in Ocean Tides ink and placed the banner on thin foam tape.

To bring more focus to the snowflake pattern, I added snowflakes with 6mm clear sequins in the middle and also placed three more 4 mm sequins around the word "joy".  White fun fur around the spine completed the card.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Phrase Play #8
• Paper:  PTI Ocean Tides, White Stampers Select, Aqua Mist; Stampin' Up All Is Calm
• Ink:  PTI Ocean Tides
• Tools:  PTI Phrase Play #8 Die, Sketched Shapes Die; Lil Inker Designs Stitched Mats: Rectangles Die, Snowflakes Die
• Other:  Pretty Pink Posh Sequins; Fun Fur; Foam Tape
• Card Size:  5.0" x 7.0"

Christmas Snowman

One of my new, favorite stencils is Falling Snow by Simon Says Stamp. I used it 3 or 4 times for cards since I got it.  And it can be used year round, not just for snow. 

I started with a Blueberry Sky cardstock card base and placed the stencil over top of it, taping it down so it wouldn't move. With a spatula, I spread embossing paste over the stencil and gently lifted it up. Doesn't the snow look realistic?

Next, I die-cut the snow drifts and placed them at the bottom of the card, outlining them with glitter and stamping the sentiment. I die-cut the snowman, and instead of placing him looking face forward, stamped his face on an angle. A different way for him to look and another way to use this snowman!  I cut out a carrot for his nose, placed two enamel dots for his buttons and added thin red ribbon for the scarf.

After I put the snowman in the snowdrift, the card looked too empty and I remembered I had this birch tree die.  I die-cut it and placed it in the snowdrift - a perfect fit!  The snowman needed to be looking at something and I die-cut the little red bird and placed it in the tree.  I added Will's name on the tag that's hanging in the tree.

To finish the card I added white fun fur on the spine.  I just love the way this card turned out!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Shape Up Snowman, Keep It Simple: Christmas, Simple Alphabet, To You From Me
• Paper:  PTI Blueberry Sky, White Stampers Select, Orange Zest, Pure Poppy
• Ink:  PTI Pure Poppy; Memento Tuxedo Black
• Tools:  PTI Shape Up Snowman Die, In The Meadow Dies, Tiny Tags Die; Memory Box Tall Birch, Resting Birds
• Other:  Simon Says Stamp Falling Snow Stencil; Twine; Glitter; Fun Fur; Embossing Paste; Foam Tape; Ribbon; Enamel Dots
• Card Size:  5.0" x 7.0"

Merry Christmas

I wanted to make an easy card for Christmas this year to send out to family and friends. This was "easy" to make but took a lot of steps to finish.

I used Kraft cardstock for the card base, rounding the right hand corners. Next, I took a piece of Pure Poppy cardstock and embossed it with a herringbone embossing folder.

No, you are not seeing double. I liked the lights I did on tag #9 so much I decided to use the same idea for my card. On a stitched rectangle, I stamped the wire in black ink, the lights in festive bright colors and the branches in two shades of green ink. I added Glossy Accents to the light bulbs and glitter to the branches.

Christmas is die-cut 3 times, twice in white cardstock, once in gold foil and glued together for dimension. I stamped merry above it in black ink and tied gold shimmer twine around the spine.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Holiday Lights, Love Lives Here: Holiday
• Paper:  PTI Kraft, Pure Poppy, White Stampers Select; Gold Foil
• Ink:  PTI Pure Poppy, Spring Moss, Hawaiian Shores, Simply Chartreuse; Memento Cantaloupe, Tuxedo Black
• Tools:  PTI Wet Paint Holiday Die; Lil Inker Designs Stitched Mats: Rectangles; Corner Rounder; Cuttlebug Herringbone Embossing Folder
• Other:  Twine; Glossy Accents; Glitter
• Card Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Tag #10 - From Our House To Yours

And finally the last of the tags! This is probably my least favorite tag, I think I was getting tired by the time I made this one.

The tag base is Vintage Cream cardstock, covered with a striped pattern paper. I used the rectangle piece of the Tag Sale #7 die and die-cut it in Pinefeather cardstock, embossing it with a herringbone embossing folder. I cut gold foil paper to create the bow (from Lil Inker Designs) and ribbon around the package, adding a red gem in the center of the bow. I placed the package on foam tape.

The sentiment is stamped in Pure Poppy ink on a Vintage Cream Building Blocks die-cut. My last step was adding gold ribbon for the tie.

Project Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Polka Dot Parade #9
• Paper:  PTI Pinefeather, Vintage Cream; DCWV; Gold Foil
• Ink:  PTI Pure Poppy
• Tools:  PTI Tag Sale #7 Die, Building Blocks Die; Lil Inker Designs Mini Bow Die; Cuttlebug Herringbone Embossing Folder
• Other:  Gem; Foam Tape; Ribbon
• Project Size: 2.25" x 3.75" 

Tag #9 - String Up The Lights

Holiday Lights is set I bought a couple years ago and didn't get much use out of it, but I was determined to use it this year!

I stamped the wires in black ink and the bulbs in some non-traditional colors. I wanted the tag to be bright and used turquoise, gold and raspberry for the colors.  I stamped the greenery in two different green inks.

For the sentiment, I cut a portion of the tag in Raspberry Fizz cardstock, stamped the sentiment in black ink and placed it on foam tape. I dotted the bulbs with glitter and added a gold bell at the top, threaded with gold cording. The tie is pink ribbon to match the cardstock.

Project Details:

• Stamps: PTI Holiday Lights, Peaceful Poinsettia
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Raspberry Fizz
• Ink:  PTI Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, Smokey Shadow; Memento Cantaloupe
• Tools:  PTI Tag Sale #7 Die
• Other:  Foam Tape; Glitter; Bell; Ribbon; Cording
• Project Size: 2.25" x 3.75"

Tag #8 - Joy To The World

Tremendous Treats sure has been used quite a bit - I'm happy when I use a stamp set more than once or twice.

Once again, I used white cardstock for the tag base and layered it with this fun spotted paper. It's non-traditional colors and I like using something other than the standard red and white. I die-cut the penguin and colored him with Copics, adding a thick coating of glitter on his scarf.

I die-cut the rectangle (part of Tag #7) and stamped the sentiment in black ink.  I placed the rectangle and the penguin on foam tape and added a dark blue ribbon.

Project Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Tremendous Treats: Christmas; Signature Christmas
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select; K&Company Secret Santa
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
• Copics: 100, B12, Y35
• Tools: PTI Tag Sale #7 Die, Tremendous Treats: Christmas Die
• Other:  Glitter; Foam Tape; Ribbon
• Project Size: 2.25" x 3.75"

Tag #7 - Peace

Ok, I said yesterday's tag was a favorite, well this one is too. I just love this deer - he is so cute!

Tag Sale #7 is die-cut twice, once in white cardstock for the base and once in this spotted blue paper - it reminded me of falling snow. I die-cut the deer in medium brown cardstock and in coaster for support and edged around it with white ink. The deer die also comes with the scarf die, and I die-cut that in Orchid felt and placed it around his neck. I adhered the deer to the tag on foam tape.

Peace is die-cut in Enchanted Evening cardstock and placed on an angle. To finish the tag, I added silver sequins and silver ribbon.

Project Details:

• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Enchanted Evening; DCWV; Bazzill
• Ink:  PTI Fresh Snow
• Tools:  PTI Tag Sale #7 Die, Wet Paint Holiday Die; Memory Box Woodland Fawn
• Other:  PTI Coaster; Taylored Expressions Felt; Sequins; Ribbon; Foam Tape
• Project Size: 2.25" x 3.75"

Tag #6 - Stocking

This is one of the favorite tags I made - I just like the colors on it.

I die-cut Tag Sale #7 in white cardstock and cut it again in this pretty striped paper. The bottom of the stocking is die-cut in Pure Poppy cardstock and the top cut in Marshmallow felt. I added the snowflake brad in the center of the stocking and placed it on foam tape for dimension. To make the stocking more realistic, I added a loop at the top made with thin red twine.

The banner is cut in white cardstock, the sentiment stamped in Pure Poppy ink and placed on foam tape. I added glitter to the stocking and used red Fun Fur for the tie.

Project Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Keep It Simple: Christmas
• Paper:  PTI Pure Poppy, White Stampers Select; DCWV
• Ink:  PTI Pure Poppy
• Tools:  PTI Tag Sale #7 Die, Bountiful Banners Die; Memory Box Eyelet Stocking Die
• Other:  Taylored Expressions Felt; Brad; Foam Tape; Glitter; Fun Fur; Twine
• Project Size: 2.25" x 3.75"