let the relaxation begin!

I made this card back in June for a Paper Crafts submission and have been waiting for some reason to post the card. I think it's the perfect card for the beginning of our grand adventure New Zealand road trip. Although I'm not exactly retiring, but I definitely like the idea of let the relaxation begin! Our family is off, today, on a 2 1/2 month road trip around New Zealand in a campervan. I've got a bunch of cards scheduled during our trip, so don't worry blogging pals, there's more fun cards coming... but I might be a bit slack on my google reader stalking and contest/challenge entering. Do they have 24-7 free wi-fi anywhere? If you're in NZ and you know of a free hot spot, please let me know!

Materials: Paper Source trailer stamp, Stampin Up sentiment, Stampin Up black ink, Stampin Up clear embossing power, Versacolor red ink, corner rounder punch

one layer bicycles

While sorting through some boxes I found this card tucked in a long forgotten book. Somehow it must've fallen through the cracks. So in honor of my favorite One Layer Wednesday I'm posting this card, which originally I thought wouldn't work for Susan's challenge. But it turns out that this week's challenge is expressing gratitude towards mothers and if you knew my mother you'd totally understand why bicycles in motion was the perfect card. Thanks Mom, even if you never read this blog and I'm too busy cleaning my house in preparation to move to actually send you this card.

Materials: mystery bicycle stamp, versacolor red and blue ink, yellow card stock

A journey of 1000 miles

I was inspired by Anita's lovely card and used a similar design as this card that I'd done the other week. While shifting through things to recycle I saw a great coffee card my mom had sent me and punched out a few of the coffee cups before I had to return the Stampin Up circle punch to my friend (thank you for the long term loan Michelle). So this card is in honor of our upcoming road trip, I should've done it in kilometers, but what's a girl to do, I still think in miles, even if all the road signs are in K's.

Materials: Recycled coffee cup cards, typed sentiment on computer, Stampin Up circle punch, Fiskars circle punch, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter, cream card stock, black card stock

It's Moving Time

I will not accept credit for this fabulous design idea, please click here to see Belinda amazing card that sent my creative juices flowing. I thought it was a perfect idea for our move. I'm posting this card on the day our household items are being packed up. They're not flying to California though, but taking the slow container boat (hopefully not via China). Here's to hoping all my craft supplies arrive in one piece.

Materials: Kathy Martin Digital Doodles house, PTI sentiment, PTI cloud, Stampin Up baja breeze designer paper, PTI kraft, cream card stock, buttons, green & blue twine, Stampin Up oval scallop punch, Stampin Up black ink, Fiskars rotary scallop cuter,

Chairs

Welcome to another PTI blog hop. This month's theme is to make a card using a technique you've learned from a fellow blogger. I decided to use the same technique I used from last month's PTI's hop, which is Karen Baker's grid background tutorial, click here to read all the details. I was going to add another layer to the card to make it an obvious background, but ended up just adding a paper pierced chair. I've used the colors from the latest Embellish challenge, which also requires background stamping. This week's Wee Memories Challenge is CAS and I love the graphic look of this card.

Materials: PTI On My Couch chair stamps, Versacolor black ink, Studio G grey ink, black and yellow card stock, Sharpie black marker

hello

I've used the bonus sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You and the colors from The Play Date Cafe. Many thanks to all the lovely DT ladies from these two challenges, I've been a bit of an addict for these two blogs over the last few months and I always love the comments you guys leave on my cards. My road trip starts in less then a week, and while I've got a whole slew of cards to be posted, I wont be able to make any cards specifically for challenges while driving around NZ. (Okay I say that and I've scheduled a few crafting pit stops along the way b/c I am that much of an addict). So please enjoy this rather rush job card... I swear I'm really going to start packing up the craft supplies... (okay maybe tomorrow, b/c I've still got the PTI blog hop one to do!).

Materials: Lawn Fawn telephone and sentiment, Stampin Up Kiwi bliss card stock, purple and grey card stock from stash, purple ribbon, Versacolor black ink

Friends

This week's City Crafter Challenge sketch seemed like a great way to use this fun Stampin Up friends stamp that I inked off my girlfriend's stash. Part of me thinks the card needs a few more layers, but the reality of the moving deadline is looming and I'm going to accept the card for what it is and hopefully motivate to give it to one of the many friends I must say goodbye to, sob sob.

Materials: Stampin Up friends stamp, Stampin Up chocolate chip designer paper, Stampin Up chocolate chip card stock, white twine, corner rounder punch, Stampin Up chocolate chip ink

butterfly card for you

My son likes to craft, just like me, and when he saw me reading about the Ribbon Girl's first color challenge (orange/black and white) he decided that he had to make a card right then and there. I've never seen a child get dressed so fast! I love the texture of his card and I'm sure the Ribbon gals will be excited to see his choice of ribbon on the card. He motivated me to make a card for the challenge too, because he loves to share his cards and he gets so excited whenever anyone comments on one his creations (hum, he's sounding like he's really related to me!). My card also works for Jenny's Wee Memories "SOS" challenge (I've used scallops, orange AND string/twine).

Materials: Rosie's Studio butterfly, W Plus 9 sentiment, Fiskars free hand cutter, white twine, black card stock, Stampin Up water color pencils and blender pen, Studio G orange ink, Fiskars rotary scallop cuter, orange card stock

21 Bookmarks

Many of you know that I'm in the midst of organizing a big huge move and yes, I'm still crafting. This morning I motivated my son to make 20 bookmarks for his classmates at school, because today is his last day of school. I made the one on the top for his teacher and he made the ones on the bottom for his classmates. He only started school in July, but even in the short 10 weeks that he's been at school he has learned so much. I wanted his teacher to know that she's done a fabulous job of helping build a solid foundation for his reading.

And since I'm about to go through major withdrawl for all these fabulous fun crafty challenges, let's enter this lovely bookmark in the Stampin Royalty "anything but a card" challenge and the Moxie Fab World paper crafts gift challenge. I gave the teacher this card and the bookmark, so I'm actually giving this one (this is a reference to this bookmark which I'm keeping). Ben's bookmark's work well for this month's Children's Challenge Corner to make a bookmark.

Now, I'm getting back to the non-crafting fun... groan.

Materials: PTI All Booked Up, Versacolor Bamboo Ink, Cream cardstock, Fiskars circle punch, Corner round punch, brown twine, green art paper from stash, PTI kraft, Versacolor black ink, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter

Etsy Inspired birthday card

This week's Etsy Inspired Challenge is a shop called Pegasus Maiden. I loved the bold red headband shown below. And I'm feeling rather organized, I'm going to send the card to my mother-in-law, who's birthday is in 2 weeks (perfect timing if you consider the international mailing times). For once, the card will get there in time! (I'm so organized ladies that I ordered her a photobook of the grandchildren online and had it directly sent to her house and it's already en route!). I'm also going to enter this in the new Caardvarks challenge, which is CAS (my kinda style).

Materials: Stampin Up flower stamp, PTI Daily Designs sentiment, Stampin Up Red color pencil, Stampin Up blender pen, white gel pen, Versacolor black ink, black ribbon from my stash, white and black card stock, Stampin Up cream brad

take time for a friend

Virginia is hosting a 90 minutes scramble on the Hero Arts Flickr page today and the challenge was create a background using your stamps. My HA What's Perking coffee cups kinda look like they're floating around, but I like their colors. I normally put my sentiments in a similar spot, but today I was trying to cover an ink spot, so it's a bit higher then I would've liked. But I've made the time challenge, and now I've got to make time for some dishes, children and a range of other fun household challenges.

Materials: Hero Arts What's Perking coffee cup and sentiment, Copics Markers, black ink, Yellow & black card stock, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter

You are a special friend

I've used the Everything But the Kitchen Sink sketch and used Wee Memories "SOS" challenge (I've done scallops and orange- and opted out of string, b/c I didn't have the right color). I love the CAS look to this card.

Materials: Kaiser Stamp flower, Hero Arts sentiment, orange and black card stock, Studio G orange ink, Versacolor Bamboo ink, Stampin Up black ink, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter

Congratulations

I've used this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge for this lovely CAS congrats card. A friend asked for a new baby card and I like the patchwork look of the patterned paper. I think it's nice to have a card that doesn't have anything overly "baby" on it. Thanks to Giesle I was able to use a WMS sentiment (Say It With Style set).

Materials: Waltzingmouse Stamps sentiment, Stampin Up Baja breeze card stock, Stampin Up baja breeze designer paper, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter, Versafine black ink

bookmarks

I took Jen's advice from my other bookmark post and made a few more to give away as gifts. (Be proud Moxie Fab World I'm actually going to give these paper crafts). I decided to try a few different color themes.

This bookmark uses this week's Play Date Cafe colors.

This bookmark uses the Off the Wall Craftiness colors (Kim-- talk about a lot of pink!!!). And ladies I want you to be proud- I don't own a die cut machine or the great PTI Mat 3 die, so I've just stamped the stamp from the All Booked Up set, cut it out and flipped it over.

And this is Ben's bookmark for the Children's Challenge Corner. I love how he's taken my bits and pieces of stamped items from my craft table and made the bookmark his own special unique item.

Materials: First bookmark, PTI All Booked Up, Versacolor black ink, Fiskars Circle Punch, Stampin Up circle punch, American Crafts red ribbon, green and blue card stock from stash, Stampin Up red card stock, corner rounder punch

Second Bookmark: PTI All Book Up, Studio G pink ink, Studio G grey ink, pink art paper from stash, Karen's digital dandelion poem, ribbon from stash, corner rounder punch, Fiskars circle punch

Ben's bookmark: PTI All Booked Up stamp, Versacolor bamboo ink, PTI On My Couch Additions couch and cat, Studio G pink and grey ink, Stampin Up Baja breeze card stock, PTI cloud, teal ink from Spotlight, Stampin Up red card stock, green card stock scrap, Fiskars circle punch

one layer warm hello

Susan over at Simplicity makes the most beautiful cards and I am always in awe of how she rocks the CAS look. This week's One Layer Wednesday Challenge is three images and a sentiment. Do you ladies like how I cased the new PTI Framed set?

Materials: Paper Salon coffee mug, Hero Arts sentiment, Copic markers, Stampin Up black ink, Sharpie marker

Boy reading Bookmark

This week's City Crafter inspiration photo is a tree of books and my first thought was the fabulous PTI All Booked Up set. I've been meaning to make a bookmark with this set and finally motivated (guess I'm a bit too card-centric these days). Moxie Fab World is having a holiday gift giving challenge this week and I'd love to say that I'm going to make a whole stack of bookmarks and give them out (but I'm not, so please forgive me, I think I'll keep this one for my own personal use- terrible huh?, but it's a good idea...).

Materials: PTI All Booked Up stamps, Versacolor Bamboo ink, Stampin Up black ink, PTI kraft, Fiskars circle punch, ribbon from my stash, corner rounder punch

Nap Ticket Card

This week's Off the Wall Craftiness colors are navy/coral and white. I've been giving Kim a hard time about picking colors, and note to Kim- coral isn't my color either. Probably why I've left this card till the end of the week to do? But I found inspiration from Emily's cute ticket/banner card and used my CAS take on it. I think this card would be perfect for a new parent, give out cute tickets for a nap when they've reached a new milestone.

Materials: Paper Source ticket stamp, blue and coral card stock from stash, white twine, black ink

kraft/orange/red fall cards

I'm still trying to make my fall cards for my girlfriend and last night I discovered a great use for my Waltzingmouse Stamps Big Blooms leaves. Love the way they look in red and orange on kraft.

This card uses the sketch from this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge.

This card uses this week's 2 Sketches 4 You sketch. And both cards work well for the Jenny's Wee Memories "Fall into Autumn" challenge and Mark's Finest Papers Speedy Cat "fall colors" challenges.

Materials: Waltzingmouse Stamps Big Blooms leaves, PTI kraft, brown twine, Stampin Up red card stock, orange art paper from stash, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter, Studio G orange ink, Versacolor camilla red ink, orange paper ribbon

Etsy Inspired Cherry Card

When I saw Virginia's card for this week's Etsy Inspired Challenge I knew what image I was going to use. I love the colors and had been given a challenge by my friend Michelle to use her stamp set that looks just like this apron.

Materials: Stampin Up cherry stamp (thanks Sylvia), Stampin Up circle stamp, Brilliance Moonshine white ink, Versacolor Camilla red ink, American Crafts red ribbon, black & white card stock, Fiskars free hand cutter

PDC friendship

This week's Play Date Cafe colors are black and white with a splash of either pink/copper or gold. I've mentioned before how literal I am, so I laughed when I reached for the heart stamp. I am casing my own card I did last week, click here.

Materials: Hero Arts digital friendship background, Penny Black heart stamp, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter, Studio G pink ink, black card stock

3 pumpkins

There are lots of great fall themed challenge going on right now, which is perfect b/c I'm slowing making my through my fall card order. Today's card uses the super cute pumpkin from the PTI Daily Designs set. I think orange and kraft are a great combination. Jenny's Wee Memories theme this week is "fall into autumn." Mark's Finest Papers Speedy Cat Challenge is "fall colors." A Passion for Papertrey is doing punches this week and I've used a Fiskars tag punch. I've also included my son Ben's card. He really liked my jack-o-lantern card I made the other day, click here, so he wanted to make his own card.

Materials: PTI Daily Designs pumpkin stamp, PTI Daily Designs Sentiments Harvest, Studio G orange ink, Orange card stock, PTI kraft, Fiskars tag punch, Making Memories orange eyelet, Stampin Up black ink, fall themed ribbon from stash

Orange Fall Friend

You guys might be seeing a few fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving cards from me because a girlfriend placed an order for 20 of them and I don't have 20 of such cards in my stock. This card is basically a case of green version I made of this card, click here. I really have a hard time mass producing, it sorta takes the fun out of it for me. So even though she's agreed to 3 different card layouts, I'll probably end up making 20 completely unique cards. I'm also going to enter this in the Hero Arts September challenge.

Materials: Hero Arts friend leaf stamp, Wooden Stampers leaves, Studio G orange ink, Stampin Up ribbon (thanks Sylvia), PTI kraft, orange card stock, Corner rounder punch

Halloween pumpkin card

I love that there are all these fun Halloween cards floating around the blogging world and I keep thinking I "need" some fun Halloween stamps. Well since that's not happening, I decided to get a bit more creative. I will give the jack-o-lantern look on the PTI pumpkin credit to my 5 year old. I made a harvest card with the same pumpkin last month and he say the card and suggested I turn it into a jack-o-lantern. I love smart kids! There's hours left in the Do More With Less challenge that my friend Karen was the guest designer for, so I thought I'd make a fun background with the pumpkins. Click here to see Karen's original post on how to make the background. Simon Says Stamp is doing holidays this week and a fabulous hop with a prize of a $100 gift certificate, and while my card doesn't say Happy Halloween, I think you guys get the idea?

Materials: PTI pumpkin stamp and circle from Daily Designs, Gina K Designs label (thanks Giesle), American Crafts black ribbon, black card stock, Versacolor orange ink, Versafine black ink, Stampin Up circle punch, Giesle's die cut machine

Happy Birthday Tricycle

Last year I made some super cute birth announcements for my friend Lydia's little boy when he was born, using this fun polka paper and the Paper Source tricycle. (I wish I had a photo of the cards, but that was before I started taking photos of all my cards). The little guy is turning one, how does time go so fast? I cannot wait to meet him in person some day. I took the same elements and created this fun birthday card for him. Jenny's Wee Memories is celebrating "wee ones" this week and I think this tricycle is perfect, although I'm realizing that everyone else's card has an actual baby or child in it... opps.

Materials: Paper Source tricycle, Hero Arts birthday stamp, patterned paper from my stash, Versacolor red ink, Stampin Up black ink, Fiskars circle punch, Making Memories eyelets, vellum, Stampin Up red card stock

friend

Inspiration struck me at the last possible minute for the Everything But The Kitchen Sink challenge for hair accessories. I've used a green hair band that I had floating around. I don't think I've ever used fabric on a card, love the texture. After I found the lovely ribbon and string (recycled from a gift my husband received last week when he finished work) I realized that I was using the Embellish colors (plus squares). So wow, two great challenges, just in the nick of time.

If you're looking for my fun Hero Arts pairing up cards please scroll down.

Materials: Hero Arts friend stamp, Stampin Up black ink, green headband, cream card stock, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter, recycled ribbon and twine