going postal

This week's Play Date Cafe is sponsored by WPlus9, so I thought no better reason then to break out my new Spring Post set.  My day has been going pretty well, but it got even better when I received the SRM stickers I won last week from Etsy Inspired!  Woo hoo.  So I went digging through this week's shop, Fresh Metal and found these earrings.  Look, it's the same color challenge as PDC!  

And since I was on a postal theme I thought I'd post this second card I made for this week's Off the Wall Craftiness, I tried to CASE Nichole's card but it didn't quite work out the way I thought... but since I've used WPlus9's postmarked on here I thought I should post it.  

Materials: 1st card: WPlus9 Spring Post, PTI Postmarks, Versafine black ink, paper from my stash, Fiskars scallop rotary cutter, white card stock

2nd card: PTI Postmarks, WPlus Postmarked, PTI postage die, Yellow card stock scrap, Stampin Up Kiwi Bliss card stock, Stampin Up red riding hood card stock, white card stock, Versafine black ink 

Happy Spring

This week's Off the Wall Craftiness colors were hard for me.  I like red, yellow and green and somehow when I tried to put them all together I had a bit of trouble.  I took inspiration from the red polka dot high heel and added a tiny bit of color for a mini happy spring card.  It would be a nice gift card or something...  Now off to go play in the sunshine....

And since Kim & Jenny are "in real life" friends, I thought I'd enter this card in the Wee Memories anything goes challenge.  

And since I've been following Amy's blog for some time I thought it would be fun to finally throw my hat in on one of her super fun Flashback Friday Challenges.  The current challenge is to repost your first window card.  The card below uses a Paper Source cupcake punch and it's peaking through to a fun piece of Stampin Up designer paper (which (hint hint) is similar to the prize if anyone wants to get in on the fun).  This was my first card that I entered for the CAS-tastic Wednesday challenge, and therefore led me to some fabulous blogging pals!  

Materials: PTI Mat Stack 4 Collection, PTI Tag-Its 2 frame and sentiment and Easter Eggs, Brillance Rocket Red ink, Versafine black ink, green and yellow scraps from my stash, EK Success 1 3/4th ink circle punch, PTI Mat Stack 4 die

Flash back card: Paper Source cupcake punch, Hero Arts clear design sentiment, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter, Stampin Up red riding hood red card stock, Stampin Up Designer paper

Moments are fleeting....

Here's a CAS card using this week's Play Date Cafe colors.  I've added some glitter glue to "bling it up" for the All Things Unity challenge.  The bigger news is that I drew a number for my little giveaway on Random.org (and I can't figure out how to copy the widget)... but the winner is #35,  Carol please email me at paperobsessed at gmail dot com and I'll send out the dies.  

Carol's Ink Spot said...

Excellent card! Love those rubber boots! Great friend to gift you with useable boots.

Materials: All Things Unity Life Is Fabulous butterfly and sentiment, purple paper from my stash, blue glitter glue, Versafine black ink, marker, white card stock

Happy Father's Day cards

The Embellish color trends challenge is a masculine card and there are some great entries out there.  When I saw Karen and Jinny's card I knew I wanted to use tools and staples.  I also wanted to try to incorporate Yvonne's challenge of embossing and sanding, because if we're talking a guy card what a great technique to add to the mix.  It's a bit harder to see the sanding on the top card because I used cardboard instead of cardstock, but up close it gives the card the extra texture I was looking for.  And I love that the blue ticket smeared, b/c the guy in my life isn't clean and he likes to get grease on things, so why not channel that into the card?   The card below uses Karen's grid challenge from a previous Do More with Less guest designer challenge.  

Materials: First Card: Paper Source couch stamp, Practicing Creativity You're The Man screw, WPlus9 Woodgrain Silhouette sentiment, Tim Holtz Embossing folder, Versafine black ink, staples, grey embroidery floss, Stampin Up red riding hood card stock, Stampin Up Kiwi Bliss card stock, blue card stock from my stash, cardboard, black card stock


2nd Card: PTI Daily Designs tools, WPlus9 Woodgrain Silhouette sentiment, Tim Holtz Embossing folder, Versafine black ink, staples, grey embroidery floss, grey paper from my stash, white and black card stock, Stazon Cactus Green ink, Versacolor Camilla red ink, Studio G grey ink, VersaMagic Night sky blue ink, Versafine black ink, Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 8

wishing you a happy birthday

This week's Color Throwdown are great, I have to admit that I was especially inspired by this card.  I'm also going to enter this in the Hero Arts month long birthday challenge.  It's nice to have a birthday card that could work for a guy or a gal.  There's still time to enter my little giveaway on yesterday's card.

Materials: Hero Arts Write You Own cling stamp, PTI Tiny Tags die/tags and sentiment, PTI Mat Stack 1 birthday sentiment, Twinery twine, Paper Phine paper twine, Studio G orange ink, Versacolor Cactus Green ink, VersaMagic Night sky ink, Verafine black ink, black card stock, white card stock

PTI March Blog Hop & a little giveaway

This month's Papertrey Ink Blog Hop is featuring Embroidery Floss, something I will confess that I did not have in my crafty stash.  So I braved a trip to Ben Franklin with two children in tow and managed to leave with only spending $8 (half of which was for the youngest, he needed a new red ink pad for his fire engine stamp).  I love how the red embroidery floss turned out as a background texture.  This card, is a thank you card for a friend of mine who recently sent me my very first pair of rain boots.  She came to visit last week and she had a really cool pair on and her feet stayed dry on our big adventure in the snow/slush with the children, whereas I ended up with soaking feet.  I love friends who randomly send you goodies.

So on the subject of fun new goodies... I have recently been very lucky with various blog candy.  My most current box of PTI came with an extra set of the PTI Buttoned Up #1 dies, so I'd like to give them away.  To win, please become a follower of my blog (or my page on Facebook) and post a comment.  I will randomly draw the winner on Monday, and I'm happy to send them internationally.  

Materials: PTI Daily Designs boot, PTI Tag Its #2 circle, PTI Mat Stack 3 sentiment frame, PTI Mat Stack 4 sentiment, PTI Mat Stack 3 die, EK Success 1 3/4th inch circle punch, corner rounder punch, PTI coaster, PTI All Booked Up Impression plate, red embroidery floss, vellum, white card stock, Versafine black ink, Versacolor Camilla red ink, Versacolor Cactus Green ink, 

Happy Spring

This card uses the current Color Cue colors.  Our house is all feeling ill and the rain hasn't stopped in days.  So while I'd love to have a quiet little play with my new WPlus9 goodies (thanks Jinny) or my new PTI stash, I've been sneaking 2 minutes plays between dealing with a very cranky and demanding 3 year old.  I'm not sure I love this card, but I want to feel like I've finished something today, so here we go.  We'll call this first attempt in the postal theme that's going to take over my card blog in the next week.   And just a little hint, I've got a little something to give away... going to add it to my PTI blog hop card tomorrow.  So check back... it's not big, but since I'm on a winning streak over here I thought I should share the love.

Materials: WPlus9 Spring Post stamps and sentiment, PTI Postamarks stamps, Versacolor Cactus green ink, Versafine black ink, Versamark, Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 8, K and Co patterned paper, cardboard, yellow card stock from Spotlight

lawnscaping, a little message for you

The new Lawnscaping Challenge is a splash of color theme.  I paper pierced the purple Just My Type typewriter and added it to the PTI notebook die.  Clean and simple with a touch of color, just my style!

Materials: Lawn Fawn Just My Type typewriter and sentiment, PTI Bookmark die, cream card stock from Ben Franklin, purple card stock from my stash, Versafine black ink, Tim Holtz Antique linen distressing ink, black sharpie

thanks, times 3

It all started with a partially embossed label for this week's PTI Make It Monday challenge.  But knowing me, I get started and then I keep going...  so here's three takes on a similar idea, with a few extra challenges throw into the mix.

This card uses this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch challenge. Thank you Karen for this fabulous banner.

This passport cover is in this week's Etsy Inspired Challenge.

Isn't this week's Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger fabulous?  My first thought when I saw this was the PTI button die, and thankfully my dear friend Jen sent me a few just in time!  Now I've got a few more thank you cards in my stash... although I've taken the first baby steps for an etsy shop, after some super encouraging suggestions from some card buyers.  Hopefully I'll get the time to really figure things out, but I'm excited about the idea in the mean time.

Materials: 1st card: Practicing Creativity Look Up banner, Cuttlebug embossing folder, PTI Daily Designs sentiment, Versafine black ink, Stampin Up ribbon, Stampin Up Kiwi bliss card stock,  Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 8

2nd card: Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 8, Cuttlebug embossing folder, PTI Daily Designs sentiment,  Hero Arts dot swirl stamp, PTI Warm Happiness Too die/stamp and steam, black & white card stock from Ben Franklin

3rd card: Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 8, Cuttlebug embossing folder, PTI Daily Designs sentiment, May Arts navy blue ribbon, PTI button dies, PTI kraft card stock, PTI natural fiber, lillac string, 

PDC cup of tea card

This card uses this week's Play Date Cafe colors.  Ladies, you'll remember the green polka coffee cup from this PDC card, well this is the other side of that paper.  But based on the sentiment I'm guessing today's a cup of tea, perfect for the slush/rain/snow day we're having.  Thanks for looking... I always appreciate your comments.

Materials: PTI Warm Happiness Too cup die, PTI All Booked Up sentiment, PTI Warm Happiness steam, PTI Bookplate impression plate, Spellbinders Nestabilitues Label 8, May Arts pink ribbon, purple paper ribbon tabs, patterned paper from my stash, Versafine black ink, PTI kraft card stock, white card stock from Ben Franklin

Wedding cards

I mentioned last week that I'd had my first custom card order from someone I didn't know, so I've been trying to come up with the perfect card for the bride to give to her husband on their wedding day.  You gals will understand why I can happily spend hours on this project, for a card that I have undersold and will probably not even cover the material costs, right?  My mother thinks I'm crazy...    Anyway, here are the top three finalists.  The first card was originally this card, but I changed the sentiment and embossed the clouds.

This card is great, except for the minor oops of smearing the sentiment while the ink was still drying on the vellum.  I haven't figured out how to fix it, take the card apart and try again?  Paper pierce the sentiment on in kraft? I have half embosssed the vellum for this week's PTI Make It Monday challenge.

And this card is a redo of the card I made for a Saint Patrick's Day wedding, another custom order (but I know the lovely mother-of-the groom).  She picked up the card yesterday and was so happy with it she tipped me.  I also went totally out of my comfort zone to create this distressed/shabby/many layer look, just for Yvonne's Do More With Less "Get Out of Your Comfort Zone" challenge.  And yes Karen the ribbon tabs are in your honor.  Once again I did another half embossed vellum sheet for PTI's Make It Monday.  Which one do you think she's going to pick?

Materials: 1st card, PTI Mat Stack 3 stamp and die, homemade digital sentiment, My Mind's Eye Love Me Do patterned paper, PTI cloud dies, Cuttlebug embossing folder, EK Success 1 3/4th inch circle punch, Brillance Rocket Red ink, Stampin Up black ink, vellum, Making Memories white eyelets, white card stock

2nd card, PTI kraft card stock, Mint Motif cloud stamp, PTI MAt stack 2 frame, Fillable Frames #11 sentiment, Versafine black ink, PTI heart print die, red paper from my scrap pile, Cuttlebug embossing folder, vellum, Brillance white ink, sharpie black marker, Tim Holtz ornamental die, Spellbinders Label #8, EK Success 1 3/4th inch circle punch

3rd card: Tattered Angels chipboard butterfly (thank you Laurel), Tattered Angels graphite glimmer mist, Gina K Designs sentiment (thank you Giesle), Stampin Up oval scallop punch, Versacolor rocket red ink ink, vellum, Tim Holtz embossing folder, white card stock, PTI kraft card stock, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter, red American crafts ribbon, homemade digital sentiment, PTI Mat Stack 3 die

Happy 34th

I really wanted to play with the Play Date Cafe this past week and life just sorta got in the way.  So with 45 minutes left till the deadline, here's my card.  I've used this week's PTI Make It Monday challenge of half of an embossed plate trick.    Many thanks to the Play Date Cafe DT member Jinny for making my day by picking me as the winner for her blog candy WPlus9 gift certificate.

Materials: PTI By the Numbers dies, PTI By the Numbers Impression plate, PTI Mat Stack 4 die, PTI Big Birthday wishes sentiment, orange patterned paper from my scrap pile, The Twinery Pink Sorbet twine

One Layer Pink Bicycle/3 tricycles

You know how I keep saying I have a literal problem, well sometimes that's not such a bad thing right?  I saw the pink bicycle on Off the Wall Craftiness's challenge and I immediately thought of the Practicing Creativity's The Whole Cycle set.  I tried to add the basket with the flowers, but in the end (after many pieces of paper) I decided to go for the super simple CAS one layer bicycle.  Since I couldn't figure out how to incorporate the other colors into the card so I tried 3 tricycles.  "Less is More" is doing a one layer/off the edge challenge this week, and this week I actually read the fine print (oops, didn't do so well for the last 2 challenges).

Materials: 1st card Practicing Creativity The Whole Cycle bicycle, Versafine black ink, Copic R85, white card stock from Ben Franklin, black sharpie


2nd card: Practicing Creativity The Whole Cycle tricycle, teal ink from Spotlight, Versafine black ink, Copic R85,  Versacolor Yellow Ink

hearts, celebrate today and always

This week's PTI Make It Monday is about distressed edges, something I'll admit that I'd never even thought of doing before, but love that you can add another layer of texture with your scissors and a few seconds of work.  I've been trying to make the perfect wedding day card for my custom card order and I'm not 100% sure this is the right one, but I like the hearts (thanks Kim for the loan, so glad I introduced you to PTI!).

Materials: PTI Heart Prints dies, PTI Mat Stack 2 Collection sentiment and  damask, PTI kraft card stock, Stampin Up Red Riding Hood card stock, white card stock from Ben Franklin, Versafine black ink, versamark, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter, scissors for distressed edges on hearts

You Always Lift My Spirits

Courtney issued a sketch challenge over on Practicing Creativity's blog as part of their release celebrations this month and I put this card together and have been trying to figure out what's off about it.  I tried fun clouds made with print, then I tried white clouds just glued to the page, then I raised and embossed the clouds...  And now I am trying to accept that I don't have time to redo this card.  Love the bit of glitter on the balloon, was trying to do something from the PTI Make It Monday glitter challenge the other week, but my pieces of scor tape ended up in little pieces.  What sort of adhesive should I have used to make the glitter go all the way across the balloon?  If I had more time I would've taken this apart and tried something else, but in the end the car packing/kid organizing took priority.  So, here's my second card for the sketch challenge.  Next up getting the kid sorted for bed after spending 4 hours in the car.

Materials: Practicing Creativity Look Up Additions balloon & sentiment, PTI Mat Stack 3 Collection & die, Hero Arts clear design banners, PTI cloud dies, Cuttlebug embossing folder, vellum, black card stock, Versafine black ink, Copic BV17, Martha Stewart glitter, Fiskars rotary scallop cutter