enjoy every moment

Happy Monday!  I've been trying to find time to schedule this post all morning... time keeps on going.  So, it's another PTI blog hop and I love seeing all the amazing creations folks come up with.  This month the challenge is to use the photo below for inspiration.  So, yellow isn't my go to color and after trying to find the right ribbon in my hearty stash, I didn't find something that worked for pleats or ruffles... so, despite my very literal perspective, I opted to make a CAS card with the Tim Holtz Distress Ink Peacock Feathers, which I know isn't quite the right color, but...  So then I decided to make a tag to go with the card and added some yellow ribbon, to calm my literal voice who was telling me that I missed multiple aspects of the photo.  Simon Says Stamp Challenge is having an "anything but a card" challenge, so the tag works well for that challenge.

And while I was trying to find inspiration for the PTI hop I opted for the "procrastination crafting" technique, where you make a card you're inspired to and hope that helps with the project you're suppose to be working on.  I wanted to play along with the Embellish Telephone Challenge and since I've used mostly PTI goodies, I figured I'd post it today too.

Materials: PTI Pretty Peonies, PTI In Bloom, PTI Pretty Peonies die, PTI rustic white card stock, Tim Holtz distress ink peacock feathers, Versafine black ink

Tag: PTI Tag It Sale, PTI Pretty Peonies frame, flower and die, yellow ribbon, Tim Holtz Distress ink peacock feathers, kraft bag

Telephone card: PTI Heart-2-Heart #4, PTI chevron die, Twinery charcoal tine, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Versafine black ink, PTI rustic white card stock, various card stock scraps

coffee & bicycle cards

Life is good... so I started my day off reading a few card blogs while drinking some coffee and I saw ~amy~'s card and thought, "that's a great idea, I should CASE that card."  But, being the challenge junkie that I am (and that's a nice nod to the queen of challenges Ms. ~amy~), I decided to use the Paper Smooches Hot Concoctions set so I could play along with the latest Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge and I added a doily for the Moxie Fab World "Doilies and Lace Challenge."  And lastly, Pam's challenge on 365 Cards this week was "Colorful, Coffee and Classy", and while this isn't the most colorful coffee card, I think the doily certainly adds a classy element.

But since ~amy~ was making a last minute mother's day card with her coffee card I realized that I too needed to make one for my mom-- and she's definitely not buying a drip coffee from Starbucks every morning like ~amy~'s mom.  So, I made a more appropriate card for my mom-- a bike card.  I used the new Embellish challenge colors and bike theme.  I used some fun textured scrap paper from Paper Source for the bike and paper pieced the whole bike in one piece.

And... I'm starting to feel a bit better- after jet lag & work, I got a day off and promptly came down with a cold.  I'm now well enough to at least notice the messes that we have been creating in the last week, we'll see if I'm feeling up to actually doing anything about them before I start my work week tomorrow.  Not sure if there's an appropriate comment for my space below...  Anyone want to challenge me to post an after photo?  

Materials: Paper Smooches Hot Concoctions, SRM Sticker, Tim Holtz embossing folder, Tim Holtz distress inks tumbled glass and story skies, Authentique patterned paper, doily, grey card stock, recycled take out coffee holder, Versafine black ink, vellum, PTI photo finishers die

Bike Card: Practicing Creativity The Whole Cycle, PTI Mailbox Greetings cloud, PTI Fillable Frames sentiment, Paper Source patterned paper, Versafine black ink, PTI simply chartreuse ink, Tim Holtz tumbled glass, & antique linen, PTI kraft card stock, sharpie black marker

Book Cards

Welcome to another 365 Cards Super Sketchy Sunday, I'm honored to say that this week I contributed the sketch for the challenge.  I had a few book themed cards to make for a commission, so I used the sketch a few extra times while trying to finish up the order.  I also used this week's CAS-ual Fridays "Opposites Attact" colors and Lily Pad Cards "Flower Challenge."  Go and hop along and see how the rest of the 365 Cards gal and put the sketch to work, Dana, Wendi, Rose, Jenny and Annie.

I used the Embellish challenge colors for this one.  And check back on my blog tomorrow, I've got something fun to share, with a giveaway :)

Mateirals: Hero Arts Retro Tullips, PTI Mat Stack 4 sentiment, PTI Mat Stack 3 dies, PTI double sided banner die, PTI kraft, cream and simply chartreuse card stock, vellum, Versafine black ink, Tim Holtz distress ink festive berries and shabby shutters

Book cards: PTI All Booked Up, PTI Mat Stack 4 sentiment, PTI Mat Stack 3 dies, PTI double sided banner die, Coredinations card stock, PTI kraft card stock, PTI All Booked Up impression plate, water color pencils, glitter pen, Versafine black ink, vellum, Fiskars chevron border punch, EK Success 1 3/4th inch circle punch

7th birthday, thank you set and a gift tag

This 7th birthday card was commissioned, I sent the client a link to this card and when I went to recreate it I ended up with the card above...  so much for CASEing myself.  I used the Embellish colors for their current challenge "use banners".  Paper Issues is having a number challenge and this cute card is perfect for that challenge.

I have to mail 7 of these little boxes to my nieces and nephews and I thought it would be fun to make tags with a photo on them (b/c I seriously have no time to do these sort of things!).  I used a Waltzingmouse Stamp on the back for their holiday tag challenge.  And since I've used a bit of twine I'm going to enter it in the Ribbon Carousel challenge.

And last but not least, I'm still trying to mass produce for Christmas gifts, so I've made another card set using the new Hero Arts newspaper tulip stamp.  Susan's One Layer Wednesday challenge this week is about something peaceful, and I love the idea of sitting in the grass looking at flowers....

Wishing you all a good day... back to my monster to do list over here....

Materials: 7th birthday card: Hero Arts Flower Box Cling, PTI Tag Its #10, PTI Big Birthday Wishes, Unity Bit of Burlap, PTI By the Numbers die, PTI Limitless Layers 1 3/4th inch die, Versafine black ink, Tim Holtz distress ink antique linen, water color pencils, PTI kraft and chocolate chip card stock, Coredinations Sugar and Spice purple card stock

Tag: PTI Tag Sale #5, photo, Coredinations card stock, PTI Tag It #9,  Watlzingmouse Stamps Very Vintage Label One, Twinery Maraschino twine, Versafine black ink

Card Set: Hero Arts Newspaper Tulip, PTI Happy Trails sentiment, Versafine black ink, Tim Holtz distress inks fired brick and evergreen bough, Stampendous clear embossing powder, PTI kraft card stock

Book Plate Cards

I had to get a number of cards done for one of my favorite card buyers, and since she was in town to join me on a fabulous fall walk event my deadline was this morning.  I've made a number of these cute book plate cards before (click here, here) and she liked them so much she wanted a set.  So I used a few different color challenges to help inspire me to make up a number of them.  I let her choose the sentiments, which was a fun little was to personalize the cards.

These ones use the Play Date Cafe colors, happy 2nd anniversary guys!  Since I missed last week's PDC (eek, how can that be!) I decided to make up for it this week, this being my 2nd entry. 

These two use this week's ColourQ (oops, missed the deadline) and Color Throwdown colors.  Love the idea of taking Halloween colors and making non Halloween cards.

And this one is for the Embellish challenge, I hid a button under the sentiment. And since I colored in all the vases I'm going to add this to the CAS-ual Fridays "Just add color" challenge.  And since Wee Memories is having a "Free for all" challenge this week I'll add this to their challenge too.

Materials: PTI All Booked Up,  PTI Mat Stack 3 & 4, PTI Book Print Impression plate, Core'dinations cardstock, PTI chocolate chip card stock, black card stock, water color paper, water color pencils, EK Success 1 3/4th inch circle punch, PTI Mat Stack 3 die, Tim Holtz Distress stain antique linen, Versafine black ink

Thursday's crafty projects

I don't usually make circle cards and so when I saw this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge I was having a hard time thinking outside the square box.  Well, thanks to my youngest son's cold I had a rather sleepless night last night and started my day far too early today, so all I could think about this morning was coffee.  Well, in the end, the perfect place for the sketch is on a one pound bag of local coffee!  So I used this week's Make It Monday technique and recycled the cheerio box into thick coffee cup chip boards, what a fabulous tip!  And no project is complete without a card, or two, I also used up some recycled take out coffee holders :)  Simon Says Stamp Blog is having an "Anything Goes" challenge with the mission to reach 1000 entries, woo hoo!  And since these coffee projects use the fabulous Authentique paper I'm going to enter them in the current Wee Memories "Patterned Paper" challenge.

The Embellish challenge was to use the above colors and misting.  I used the current Skipping Stones sketch and thanks to my win on Karen's blog, I am actually able to include a Skipping Stones stamp!  I haven't decided if this card is going to say birthday or anniversary or something fun like trimester...  

Materials: Coffee bag: Waltzingmouse Frame It sentiment, PTI Warm Happiness Too stamp and die, Hero Arts Classic Fabric Cling,  PTI double sided banner die, Spellbinders scallop circle die,  Authentique Blissful patterned paper,  PTI kraft card stock, Versafine black ink, Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink

Coffee Cards: PTI Warm Happiness and Warm Happiness Too, PTI Mat Stack 1 stamp and dies, Waltzingmouse Very Vintage Label 4, Authentique Blissful patterened paper, recycled take out coffee holder, PTI kraft card stock, Versafine black ink, Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 4 die, Tim Holtz Antique Linen distress stain

Happy 3rd card: Skipping Stones Grunge sentiment, PTI Big Birthday Wishes, PTI Mat Stack 1, PTI Mat Stack dies, PTI By the Numbers die, Tim Holtz woodgrain embossing folder, Core'dinations card stock, Tim Holtz Distress Stain Antique linen, Smooch Spritz Navy Twinkle, Versafine black ink, Twinery Stone twine

thinkin about ya

I loved this morning's card so much that I decided to quickly make another one with the Embellish colors.  I have a few commissioned cards that I should be working on, but I currently have a desk full of coffee mugs in different colors and a lot of ideas on what to do with them...  Do coffee mugs work for wedding cards?  Birthday cards?  

Materials: Waltzingmouse Stamps Frame It sentiment, PTI Warm Happiness Too stamp, PTI Warm Happiness die, PTI Book Print Impression plate, Stampin Up designer paper, PTI kraft card stock, water color paper, Versafine black ink, Tim Holtz Antique Linen distress ink, Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 1, Fiskars corner punch, Martha Stewart scor-pal, 

PTI Blog Hop

This month's PTI Blog Hop is an inspirational photo and me, being literal girl that I am, decided to recreate the background with a water color pen and distress inks, now I'm so glad that I've been buying a pad here and a pad there, I'm getting closer to a rainbow, next on the list will have to be green!  Nichole did a similar background with one her release cards with copics, so fun to think of all the fabulous backgrounds you can create.  And I thought about dressing up my dragonfly, but being a CAS girl I decided that I'd just leave it be...  thanks for stopping by, definitely check out the rest of the hop for some fabulous crafty ideas (although if you're like me you end up realizing that you forgot to add too many items to your last PTI order).  The new Embellish Challenge is to use a rainbow and this card is just perfect for that challenge.

Materials: PTI Happy Trails,  Tim Holtz Distress Inks: dusty concord, aged mahogany, mustard seed, fired brick, faded jeans, worn lipstick, Fiskars corner rounder, water color pen and water color paper, versafine black ink

two cup day!

Today's card is a remake of a card a friend sent me, I just "borrowed" the sentiment and added some stamped Hero Arts mugs to the background for the Embellish challenge.   I used the recent Hero Arts tutorial for using distress ink and water colors to color in the mugs, great tip if you haven't tried it yet.  I've used the Lawnscaping sketch, thinking of you Laurel.  And I thought I'd throw in the photo above to show you where I took this photo, since I'm at work and really should be doing work related stuff instead of photographing cards.

Materials: Hero Arts What's Perking mugs, mystery sentiment from Erica, My Mind's Eye Lime Twist paper, PTI kraft, Core'dinations Sugar and Spice red card stock, Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 4, Baker's Delight twine, Tim Holtz Distress ink, Antique Linen, Brick Red, Faded Jeans, water color pen, Stazon Cactus Green, Fiskars rotary scallop cuter