Make It Monday - Ink Blending

The Make It Monday Challenge at Papertrey Ink this week was Ink Blending Techniques.  I don't use this technique often enough, but it is fun.  I decided to use Lemon Tart, Sweet Blush, Hawaiian Shores and Lavender Moon ink to create a Spring-like gradient background. 

I stamped flowers from the Life set in Plum Pudding ink and then over-stamped those in Fresh Snow ink to give them a little more dimension.  The sentiment is stamped in Onyx Black ink.  I lined the focal piece with Scor-Tape and the glitter border. 

On the Lemon Tart background piece, I scored two lines on each side with my ScorBuddy to create a border to frame the focal piece.  You can find other participant creations HERE.    Thanks for stopping by today and have a great day!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- Life (PTI); Ink- Lemon Tart, Sweet Blush, Hawaiian Shores, Lavender Moon, Plum Pudding (PTI), Onyx Black (Versafine);  Paper- Lemon Tart (PTI);  Accessories- glitter, ScorTape, Lemon Tart ribbon and button (PTI);  Finished card measures 4.25" square

TESC135

Have you missed the Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge?  Well, you don't need to miss it anymore because it's back!  You can find it in our new Member Company Forum every week!  For my card today, I used TESC135.  I used the teapot die from the Kitchen Accessories Dies along with the Lush Collection of papers and embellishments from My Mind's Eye that came in my Key Ingredients Subscription. 

The sentiment is from the Cozy Cottages set.  I die cut the teapot 3 times on my Lush Collection paper and rubbed some Aspen Mist VersaMagic ink along the edges of each teapot.  I punched circles out of Buttercream cardstock using a 1 3/4" circle punch.  The finished touch was faux stitched around the edges of the card and the ribbon with a Prima flower and brad. 

Hope you'll play along with the sketch challenge each week!  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! 

Celebrate Today

I don't always get to participate in the challenges at Splitcoast like I used to, so it's a great day for me when I get the chance!  :)  Last week's Ways To Use It Challenge was to not use brown, black or white ink on your card. . ."embrace your colored inks".   I almost NEVER stamp this way, so this was a nice challenge for me.  :)

I used the Birthday Buddies and Pretty Phrases sets from Paper Smooches for my card.  I stamped the fish in Hawaiian Shores, Summer Sunrise and Ocean Tides ink.  I added a couple Dew Drops for "bubbles".  The sentiment is stamped in Ocean Tides ink. 

If you usually use brown, black or white ink on your cards like I do, I urge you to give this challenge a try!  It's a lot of fun and stretches your creativity!  :)  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- Birthday Buddies, Pretty Phrases (Paper Smooches); Ink- Summer Sunrise, Ocean Tides, Hawaiian Shores (PTI); Paper- Hawaiian Shores, Summer Sunrise, Ocean Tides (PTI); Accessories- Catch a Wave Die-namics (MFT), Dew Drops (The Robin's Nest);  Finished card measures 4.25"x5.5"

Take a Bath

Today I have a card using the Pretty and Pampered set from Our Craft Lounge.  This is a great set for all things girly. . .as a "just because", a "pick-me-up" or even to accompany a gift of bath and body items.  I used this sentiment on my card because it just reminded me of those Calgon commercials.  LOL  Doesn't a bath make everything better?  Okay, well maybe not everything. . .but it does for at least a little while! 

For this card, I used papers from the Paisley Parade Collection from KI Memories.  I colored the image using Copic markers and then die cut it with the Big Scallop Nestabilities by Spellbinders.  I added a touch of glitter on the bubbles to give a little glimmer.  Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope your week is off to a great start!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- Pretty and Pampered (Our Craft Lounge); Ink- Turquoise Gem (VersaMagic); Paper- Paisley Parade Collection (KI Memories); Accessories- ribbon (Darice), buttons (PTI), Big Scallop Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Copic markers, Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU);  Finished card measures 5.5"x4.25"

Think Spring

It was so nice chatting with those of you who came to the Verve Release party on Friday!  Today, there is an After Party happening on the Verve Blog!  In case you missed the release, there are some adorable new sets and some fabulous new dies!  You can check it all out HERE!

The card I'm sharing with you today uses two of my favorite things, well, actually three. . .Verve stamps, a coordinating Verve die and embossing folders!  The butterfly is from the Chicks Rule set and I used it with the coordinating Flutterby Die. 

I stamped the butterfly twice.  Once onto white cardstock and once onto Sweet Blush.  I cut out the center on the Sweet Blush cardstock and embossed it using the Swiss Dots embossing folder.  I paper pieced that section over the center of the white butterfly.  I added some bling to the center too! 

The background was embossed using the Butterfly embossing folder from Darice.  I didn't even know Darice made embossing folders.  I just happened to see them on the latest visit to my local craft store.  I picked up quite a few adorable ones!  (tsk tsk) LOL

Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful Sunday!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- Chicks Rule, Egg-stra Special (Verve Stamps); Ink- Onyx Black (Versafine), Berry Sorbet (PTI); Paper- white (Georgia-Pacific), Berry Sorbet, Sweet Blush (PTI);  Accessories- bling (Taylored Expressions), Swiss Dots Embossing folder (Provocraft), Butterfly Embossing folder, ribbon (Darice);  Finished card measures 5.5"x4.25"

Verve New Release Spotlight - Day 3

Today is the final day of New Release Spotlights at Verve and tonight is the RELEASE PARTY!!  We hope to see you there!  Today we're featuring the Chicks Rule set along with the coordinating Flutterby Die!  My card for today uses sweet Sankari's Viva la Verve Sketch.  Her challenge started today, so hop on over to play along!  :) 

I stamped the chick from Chicks Rule onto white cardstock and used a scalloped piece of paper and a sponge to create the clouds behind the chick.  The papers are from the Baby Girl Nursery Stack from Die Cut With a View.  I stamped the sentiment in white craft ink onto black cardstock. . .one of my favorite things to do.  The ribbon is a paper ribbon that came on a package.  I loved it so I saved it. 

We hope you've enjoyed the New Release Spotlights these last few days!  We hope you'll make it to the Release Party tonight!  It starts at 9pm Eastern!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Friday!

1. Maureen 7. Sankari 2. Amy 8. Tosh 3. Amber 9. Julee 4. Janelle 10. Andrea 5. Teresa 11. Charmaine 6. Laurie

Papertrey March Blog Hop Challenge

It's time for the monthly blog hop at Papertrey Ink!  This month's challenge was to use embroidery floss in a fun and inventive way.  I decided to create a background pattern with my embroidery floss. 

I started by scoring the lines lightly with my Scor-Pal, then I notched the end of each line with scissors and wrapped the embroidery floss to form the criss cross pattern.  I used the Signature Series: Butterfly set along with the coordinating die.  I also used the Mat Stack 3 die and the Double Ended Banners die.  The sentiment that I stamped on the banner is from the Everyday Button Bits set.  I thought it went well with the butterfly. . .and it fit on the banner!  :)

You can see the rest of the participants in the hop HERE.  Thanks for stopping by! 

Verve New Release Spotlight - Day 2

Here we are with Day 2 of the New Release Spotlights at Verve!  Today we're featuring the set Egg-stra Special along with two new sets of dies, the Charming Banner dies and the Charming Oval dies!  The Egg-stra Special set is an adorable Easter-themed set.  For my card, I stamped, colored and die cut my eggs using one of the Charming Oval dies. 

I created the grass using the Martha Stewart grass border punch.  I randomly put the eggs in the layers of grass.  The sun was die cut using a Plain Circle Nestabilities die.  I cut the "rays" by hand and added some Diamond Stickles to them. 

I stamped the sentiment and die cut it using another die in the Charming Oval set.  The papers are from the 72 and Sunny Collection from We R Memory Keepers.  Now it's time to hop around and see what the rest of the Verve Divas have created using this set and these dies!  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll stop back again tomorrow for the final day of spotlights!  And don't forget the Release Party tomorrow night!  :) 

1. Laurie 7. Julee 2.Charmaine 8. Sankari 3. Jackie 9. Janelle 4. Amber 10. Maureen 5.Tosh 11. Teresa 6. Andrea 12. Amy

Make It Monday - Copics on Colored Cardstock

Here's a little card I created for this week's Make It Monday Challenge at Papertrey Ink.  The challenge was to color with Copic markers on colored cardstock.  I added a little paper piecing into the mix.  I stamped the sailboat from Bitty Baby Blessings onto Soft Stone, Harvest Gold and Pure Poppy cardstock.  I colored the sail on the Soft Stone cardstock with my T1 and T2 Copics to add some depth to the sail.  I colored the flag on the Pure Poppy cardstock with my R39 Copic and cut it out and adhered it onto the Soft Stone sailboat.  Last, I colored the Harvest Gold boat using my Y35 Copic along with my Colorless Blender.  I cut the boat part out and adhered it to the Soft Stone sailboat.

I mounted the Soft Stone sailboat onto Stamper's Select White cardstock and added some "waves" using the Rickrack Border die.  I scored a box around the sailboat using my ScorPal.  I stamped the sentiment in Onyx Black Versafine.

Thanks for stopping by!  You can view all of the entries for this week's challenge HERE.  Have a great day!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- Bitty Baby Blessings (PTI); Ink- Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Onyx Black (Versafine); Paper- Pure Poppy, Harvest Gold, Soft Stone, Stamper's Select White (PTI); Accessories- Copic markers, Rickrack Border die (PTI), ScorPal;  Finished card measures 4.25" square

TE Blast From the Past Blog Hop

This month's theme for the Taylored Expressions Blast From the Past Blog Hop is Spring!  Yes, Spring. . .that season that is undecided as to whether or not it's officially here!  LOL 

For my card, I used the butterfly image from Discover Your Wings along with a sentiment from Favorite Peeps.  I stamped the butterfly using two inks (Pink Grapefruit and Persimmon) for a gradient effect.  The papers are from the Morning Meadow Collection from SEI.  I added some bling to the butterfly for some sparkle. 

Now it's time to see what everyone else came up with for the Spring theme! 


Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!!  (ETA:  I forgot to mention that I used Sankari's fabulous sketch for my card!)

Verve New Release Spotlight - Day 1

Are you ready to see some new Verve? We're counting down to our Friday, March 25th release with three days of Spotlight Hops! All the new stamps and dies you see over the next three days will be available following our Release Party this Friday night from 9-11pm Eastern.

Today we're featuring the newest Plain Jane and mini set.  I have a card today using the mini set, Lucky Ducky.  This is an adorable little set with punny little sentiments.  :)  I used the two different size ducks for my card.  I die cut a piece of white cardstock using the Classy Label Die and stamped the ducks "peeking" from all sides. I colored them using Copic markers and then matted it with black cardstock.

The patterned paper is from the Stella Rose - Gertie Collection from My Mind's Eye.  I added a couple of score lines below the sentiment as well as a jewel brad. 

Did I mention there's a prize??? We love to celebrate at Verve, so there's a prize hidden along the hop today! One lucky commenter on one of the Diva Hop Spots below will receive today's featured stamps, (Lucky Ducky and the Hope Perches Plain Jane) plus the Charming Oval Die Set we'll be previewing tomorrow! Deadline for commenting is 6PM Mountain on Friday, March 25th. Winners will be announced during our Release Party that night!  Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the hop!

1. Charmaine 7. Teresa 2. Janelle 8. Amber 3. Laurie 9. Tosh 4. Jackie 10. Amy 5. Sankari 11. Andrea 6. Julee 12. Maureen

An Old Friend

I was playing with my Lush Collection Papers from my Key Ingredients Subscription again.   I just love having all the coordinating ribbon and embellishments right at my fingertips.  :)  For this card, I used the Friendship Blooms set from Taylored Expressions along with the coordinating dies, Friendship Blooms Dies and the Leafy Branch Die. 

I stamped the buttons from the set and used a small circle punch (that I found in the Target dollar bin once upon a time) to punch them out.  I added some knotted hemp to give the look of real buttons.  Finally, I stitched down the left side. 

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope your week is off to a great start!  SUPPLIES USED:  Stamps- Friendship Blooms (Taylored Expressions); Ink- Pure Poppy (PTI), Burnt Umber (Palette); Paper- Lush Collection (My Mind's Eye); Accessories- brad from Lush Collection (My Mind's Eye), hemp, flower (Prima), Friendship Blooms Die, Leafy Branch Die (Taylored Expressions);  Finished card measures 5.5"x4.25"