I'm Back! With a Tag!

Yes, it's been awhile. Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging (and crafting). But that's okay - because it's a good life. :)



We recently attended the birthday party for one of my daughter's friends who was turning four. I quickly cranked out this little tag for her gift and was quite proud of it.



Here it is with the bag - you can see I designed it to match.



~Supplies~
Stamps: On Your Birthday, I {Heart} Hearts (Stampin' Up!); Tiny Treats: Valentine's, Wonderful Words Additions (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Pretty in Pink (SU)
Paper: Pink Pirouette, and Regal Rose (SU)
Dies: Wonderful Words, Tag Sale #1, and Heart Prints (PTI)
Accessories: random rhinestone from my stash, Pure Poppy felt (PTI), twine (PTI)

Ten Minute Scrap Pile

I love Jessica Witty's "Ten Minute Scrap Pile" cards. The idea is to just sit down at your desk and make a quick card with whatever's on your table. And since I tend to do my card making in 10 or 15 minute increments (thanks to my young daughters), AND since I *ahem* find it very hard to throw anything away, I very often have a table full of scraps just begging to be used.


These butterflies are scraps leftover from the butterfly prints I made for my daughter's room. The Fine Linen layer is left over from my die cut-fest at Deb's house a couple months ago. Just a couple extra touches and it was done! Woo hoo!



~Supplies~
Stamps: Ribbon Tails, Polka Dot Basics II (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Versamark; Berry Sorbet (PTI)
Paper: Fine Linen, Hibiscus Burst Bitty Dot Basics (PTI); Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Bella Bleu DSP (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Berry Sorbet satin ribbon (PTI); clear embossing powder (SU); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Signature Series: Butterfly die (PTI); Edgers #1 die (PTI); dimensionals (SU)

Masculine card series

I'm still on my masculine card kick. I've had several masculine-themed supplies out on my desk for a few weeks, and every time I sit down to make a card, I just use these same items. Easy way to build up a nice stash! And let me tell ya, this is the first time I've actually had a stash of masculine cards! Usually I have to make them as I need them.


My key to masculine cards - clean, graphic, and little-to-no embellishments. PUT DOWN THE RIBBON, ladies!!! I know it's hard, but I promise they'll look better. :)


My masculine color scheme is brown, blue, green, and white. I threw in some nice textures as well. I kept it clean and graphic by using a large stamped sentiment as the focal point - no stamped images. I LOVE this look.


I also LOVE Mat Stack 1, in case you couldn't tell. :) It is seriously my most-used die by far.


~Supplies~
Stamps: Big Birthday Wishes, Mat Stack 1 Collection (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Soft Suede (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Rustic White (PTI); Not Quite Navy, Soft Suede, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Kraft, Yoyo Yellow, Rockabilly DSP (SU)
Accessories: Mat Stack 1 and Double Ended Banner dies (PTI); Large Star punch (SU); Woodgrain Impression plate (PTI); Square Lattice embossing folder (SU); brown baker's twine (Martha Stewart); dimensionals (SU)

Look out, Pottery Barn Kids!

My older daughter just graduated to a "grown up" bed! We took her to Pottery Barn Kids, where she picked out a light pink bedspread with butterflies on it. It also included light green to match the color of her walls, as well as some light blue, yellow, and a darker pink.


There wasn't any wall art that totally matched the bedspread she picked. There were a few butterfly pieces, but they were really expensive, plus they didn't really match anyway. I thought, "Surely I can make something to match, with all the butterfly crafty stuff I own!"


Sure enough, I was able to come up with some butterfly wall art to match her PBK bedspread, and I am totally thrilled with the result. I bought the white frames at Michael's on sale for about $7.50 each, and that was the only expense! Much better than $49 each like at PBK, huh? :)


Here are close ups of two of them. Each one is just a teeny bit different!



~Supplies~
Signature Series: Butterfly die from Papertrey Ink
Cardstock and Bitty Dots patterned paper from Papertrey Ink - Spring Rain, Lemon Tart, Hibiscus Burst
Cardstock from Stampin' Up! - Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, Spring Fling DSP

First Copics!

Another thing I got to try out at Deb's PTI stamping get together was Copic markers. Cheryl so kindly gave me a little lesson. It was fun, but I would have to practice a lot to work the magic that I see from so many talented crafters out there!


Even though the Copic coloring of the flower is just alright, I still wanted to share this card because I LOVE the ruffle ribbon!

~Supplies~
Stamps: Year of Flowers: Mums (Papertrey Ink); Frame It (Waltzingmouse Stamps)
Ink: Black Onyx (Versafine)
Paper: Stamper's Select White (PTI); Black, Real Red (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Copics; Red Ruffle ribbon (My Favorite Things)

Birthday Tag - Girl

Here's more for my birthday tag series, this time a girl version.

~Supplies~
Stamps: Tiny Treats: Birthday; Fillable Frames #9 (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Onyx Black (Versafine); Melon Mambo (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Whisper White, Pixie Pink; Melon Mambo (SU); Simply Chartreuse (PTI)
Accessories: Melon Mambo and Old Olive Markers (SU); T1 (Copic); Tag Sale #4 die (PTI); Scallop Circle and Circle Punches (SU); Double Ended banner die (PTI)

Bring on Spring!

One of my goals this year is to get one of my cards published in a magazine. This card was my first submission. But alas, it didn't get picked up. Maybe next time!!! :)

Daffodils are my favorite flower. We always had a bunch in our yard growing up, and I loved that they were one of the first flowers to peek out of the ground after the winter. So sunny and pretty!

But, I really don't like coloring in large images on cards. I'm not that good at it, and I don't have all the tools. So, I went for paper piecing on this one. It turned out fun, no? I also added an oh-so-trendy cake doily. I love how springy it looks!

~Supplies~
Stamps: Year of Flowers: Daffodil, and Birthday Basics (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Spring Moss, Lemon Tart, Dark Chocolate, and Happy Spots Patterned Paper (PTI)
Ink: Black Onyx (Versamark); Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Corner rounder punch (EK Success); Doily (Wilton)

Birthday Tags - Boy

I've been concentrating lately on two things - gift tags and masculine/boy items. This fits both! These tags are just two of a whole series I made for birthday boy gifts. They are all made with similar stamps and color scheme. It makes it easy to make a whole bunch, since the supplies are already out and you're already in the groove. And you know my theory about using gift tags for kid presents - they don't even look at the card, so why bother? Plus, a tag is easier to attach to a bag and won't get lost in the gift pile like a card could. Sometimes I even have my daughter color in the image on the tag for her friends, which is cute.


As promised, here is the other reason I bought the "Eat Chocolate" stamp set. See that green outline frame that fits so beautifully in the white punched label? Well, I took the chocolate stamp that included this great border and CUT it! Yep, I cut my rubber stamp! I cut out the chocolate sentiment/image that I didn't really like, and was left with this pretty border for my punched labels. Love it!!!



~Supplies~
Stamps: Eat Chocolate (Stampin' Up!); Tiny Treats: Birthday (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Whisper White, Yoyo Yellow, Kraft (SU); Simply Chartreuse (PTI)
Ink: Onyx Black (Versafine); Old Olive (SU)
Markers: Old Olive, Real Red, Baja Breeze, Yoyo Yellow (SU); T1 (Copic)
Accessories: Tag Sale #1 and #3 dies (PTI); Star Punch (SU); Decorative Label Punch (SU)

To Do List

I bought this SU stamp set pretty much just for this sentiment* - I thought it was super cute. :) It would make a really cute card to go with a chocolate "pick me up" gift for a girlfriend.


When I was at Deb's for the awesome PTI get together a few weeks ago, I got to use a bunch of supplies that I don't have. Between her and Jen, I got to try all the dies that I wanted! I love this little notebook page die. It made a really cute "To Do List"! I also crumpled it up and distressed it to make it look like it was torn out of a notebook.


I also got to play with the button dies, button stamps, and the elusive PTI coasters. Fun stuff! I took a whole bunch of cute new coasterboard buttons home with me. I added crystal effects to these three buttons to make them look shinier. I have to say, I don't think it was worth the trouble. They don't look that much more realistic, and it was a big messy pain in the butt to cover the buttons.

*PS - There was one other reason I bought that stamp set....I'll show you in my next post! ;)

~Supplies~
Stamps: Eat Chocolate (Stampin' Up!); Button Boutique (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Dark Chocolate and Chai Tea Dye (PTI); Early Espresso (SU)
Paper: Early Espresso, Baja Breeze, and Melon Mambo (SU); Rustic White, Vintage Cream, and Raspberry Fizz Bitty Dots (PTI)
Accessories: Large embossed scallop border punch (EK Success); Spiral notebook page die (PTI); Buttoned Up #1 and #2 dies (PTI); coasters (PTI); cream ribbon (Target)

Circle Sketch

Here's another card I created for a magazine publication call in my pursuit of getting published. (Alas, I was rejected again!) I pretty much followed the sketch exactly. If I had to do the card again, I'd move the sentiment over a tad to the left so that the rhinestone to the right would be centered in the "bullseye."

This is another one of those cards that does not use a single stamp or a single drop of ink! All paper, dies, and stick-on embellishments.

~Supplies~
Paper: Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise (Stampin' Up!); Stamper's Select White (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Circle dies (Spellbinders); Alphabet stickers (Making Memories); rhinestones (Michael's)

Birthday Thank You Notes

Here are a few Thank You notes I whipped up to send out for my daughter's first birthday. I got the basic idea from a card I saw in the Stampin' Up! magazine, but I changed it up quite a bit (made it bigger, changed the color scheme, added ribbon, added embossing, and added layers). I really can't get enough of these colors together!




~Supplies~
Stamps: Engraved Greetings (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive markers (SU)
Paper: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Garden Wall DSP (SU)
Accessories: Scallop punch, Old Olive striped ribbon, dimensionals (SU); Circle punch (Marvy); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); adhesive gems (Michael's); Scor-Tape

Think BIG challenge

Nichole's challenge today was to THINK BIG - "to create a project that incorporates something unexpectedly mega-sized!" My idea was to make a birthday card with some gigantic candles on the front.


I cut the flames out free-hand and added some glitter for sparkle. I distressed the edges of both the flames and the candles, in addition to using dimensionals, to make them really pop.

I think this would make a nice masculine birthday card - nothing too girly about it. :)

~Supplies~
Stamps: Up, Up & Away (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: dark gray pigment (Studio G)
Paper: Stamper's Select White, Spring Rain, and Lemon Tart (PTI); Kraft (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU); dimensionals (SU); edge distressing tool (Tim Holtz); double edge banner die (PTI)

Make It Monday #1: Go-To Sentiment Card

Erin, you rocked the first Make It Monday video! Loved it! Here's my take on the concept.



I decided to go super simple...easy to mass-produce, easy to mail, and easy to enjoy!



AND, I noticed today that this is the 100th post on my blog! How exciting! :)

~Supplies~
Stamps: Big & Bold Wishes, Communique Sentiments, Everyday Button Bits, Vintage Picnic Sentiments, Fillable Frames #2, Mixed Messages, Signature Series: Dress Form, and Up, Up & Away (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Chocolate Chip and Crumb Cake (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Kraft (SU)
Accessories: gem adhesives (Colorbox)

Rainbow note

Just "a little note" using one of the free downloads from Nichole Heady today! I chose to use Melissa Bickford's cute little rainbow tag. I was drawn to those awesome polka dot clouds!

I love everything about the card except for the yellow base. I picked it to match the yellow in the rainbow, but I'm not sure it's right for the card. I'm thinking I should have gone with white or kraft. What do you think? Should I redo it?

I had a little "helper" today when I made this card. My three year old sorted buttons while I created. :)

I haven't decided who I'm rooting for in the Super Bowl tonight - do I root for the family favorite Packers, or do I cheer on the Steelers because their coach is from W&M?

~Supplies~
Stamps: Tiny Treats: Halloween, Anniversary Digital Download (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Baja Breeze (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Melon Mambo, and Whisper White (SU); New Leaf Bitty Dot Basics (PTI)
Accessories: Pure Poppy Vintage Buttons (PTI); Baker's Twine (Martha Stewart); 1.75" circle punch (SU); 2" scallop circle punch (SU); Mat Stack 4 die (PTI); dimensionals (SU); Melon Mambo, Real Red, Peach Parfait, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, and Baja Breeze markers (SU)

Papertrey Customer Favorites

Wow, choose my very favorite Papertrey Ink project from 2010??? That is pretty hard! But, I think I'm going to go with this awesome card - Celebrate Bloom. I love how it is clean and simple, but is so "WOW" because of that big 3D bloom.

~Supplies~
Stamps: Framed (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Stamper's Select White, Dark Chocolate, Sweet Blush, and Happy Spots patterned paper (PTI)
Accessories: Bloom Builders die, Dark Chocolate vintage button, twine (PTI)

Zac's Baptism card

I LOVE how this card came out! It's perfectly BOY without being all cutesy, plus I am in love with the felt banner. :)

The outer layer of the pennants are felt, and I used a needle to actually thread the pennants onto the string. This was my first time doing that, and it was really easy and came out looking really nice.

I love how a name banner is so personal - it lets the recipient know that you truly made that card specifically for him!

And, of course, you can't forget the matching lined envelope - just another extra special touch. :)



~Supplies~
Stamps: Banner Day Alphabet (My Favorite Things)
Ink: Not Quite Navy (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Kiwi Kiss (SU); Stamper's Select White (Papertrey Ink); Boy Just Chillin' patterned paper (Making Memories)
Other: Simply Chartreuse felt (PTI); Pennant die (MFT); linen thread (SU); dimensionals (SU); envelope liner die (PTI); white envelope (PTI)

Julie's birthday invitation

I've been busy lately with all these invitations, haven't I???? Here is my daughter's first birthday invitation. We're just having a low-key family party, but I wanted to make up some special invites for my special girl. :) Since I wasn't sending out very many, I had fun adding some cool details, like the hand-stitched felt cupcakes. (I got the idea from the fantastic Ms. Dawn, who designed the cupcake die.)


~Supplies~
Paper: Bashful Blue and Whisper White (Stampin' Up!); Happy Birthday patterned paper (Target Dollar Spot)
Felt: Vintage Cream and Raspberry Fizz (Papertrey Ink)
Dies: Mat Stack 3 and Signature Series Cupcake (PTI)
Other: So Saffron grosgrain ribbon (SU); Fonts for Peas; white embroidery floss (DMC); Spring Rain Vintage button (PTI); Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU); dimensionals (SU)

Baby Girl Shower Invite

My wonderful sister-in-law is having a baby, and I got to make the baby shower invitations! I kept the design simple, since I was making 23 of them! Also I wanted it to be flat for mailing. Even so, the final version ended up with 5 layers of cardstock, which is more than usual for me!

The banner is a $1 stamp from Michael's and is paper-pieced in pink and yellow. The rest of the text was printed using the ultra-cool Fonts for Peas on Whisper White - I find that paper thin enough to go through my printer easily, yet nice enough for stamping!

And sorry for those ugly brown strips - I had to redact the personal information!!! (Oh my, I used the word "redact" - can you tell I am a paralegal?!?!?)

~Supplies~
Stamps: $1 stamp from Michael's
Ink: Black Onyx (Versafine)
Paper: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Barely Banana, Soft Suede (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Swiss Dot embossing folder (Sizzix); Scallop trim border punch (SU); Fonts for Peas