Butterfly Greetings

I made this card to honor the Queen for the Day at SCS this week...Heather aka Isaiah 40:31!  I saw this butterfly card HERE and knew I wanted to case it because of the fun color scheme and layout. 

I hate to admit it, but I am typically not a "butterfly" stamper.  I just don't reach for them that much!  But I so love the one in the Love Lives Here stamp set from Papertrey Ink, and the coordinating dies make it that much cuter.  So I cut 2 from PTI Vintage Cream felt and stitched them on with Martha Stewart's green baker's twine.  I glued on the red heart by using Ranger's Glossy Accents, and then decided...why not add some to the front of the heart, too?  The bottom panel is made with Guide Lines 1 grid paper and squares from Quilter's Sampler.  The whole front panel was sent through my cuttlebug using the "linen" side of PTI's Linen/Canvas Impression plate.  The sentiment is from Vintage Picnic Sentiments.

Thanks so much for the inspiration, Heather!

Love Lives Here Now!

I just got my "Love Lives Here" stamp set that I won during the Papertrey Ink December sneak peeks!  I was so excited that I used it today for the Friday Free for All Challenge at SCS.   This week, Lydia challenged us to make a "Warm and Fuzzy" card...eeeek, those are my favorite kind to MAKE!  She asked us to include at least 1 warm color, and something "fuzzy" or soft.

I die cut and stamped the little house, and then added a fuzzy, felt heart for the center.  My house base and polka dots are stamped in "Honey" Impress Ink which seemed like a sweet, warm color to me!  The background paper is an older line of SEI paper called "Alpine Frost".

I think you are going to be seeing a LOT of this stamp set in upcoming blog posts, yippee!

Casing Carly

It's a special day at Waltzingmouse Stamps, as it just happens to be the owner's birthday!  So Happy Birthday to Claire Brennan! 

Speaking of WMS, Claire hosted a special party last week and featured the new Spellbinders Grand Calibur!  She showcased many new Spellbinders projects, and then issued a challenge...to case one of the projects featured by her Design Team, and link it up to her blog.  A randomly-selected winner will win a Grand Calibur Nesties die set and also her choice of a WMS stamp set.

Hopefully Carly Robertson won't be mad!  I stole this picture from her blog Paper in Bloom!  This was the beautiful project that I chose to case...

 And here is my card, inspired by Carly's card...

I used 2 sets from Waltzingmouse Stamps.  The pear, sentiment and leaves are from Peace and Plenty, and the bottom pattern is from Pic-Nic Patterns.  I didn't have any cool burlap on hand, but I did have the Burlap Backgrounder, previously made by Cornish Heritage Farms!  I stamped it in brown, and then distressed the edges with a razor, and some tea dye.  The cream cardstock at the top was impressed with the Canvas side of the Linen/Canvas Impression plate by Papertrey Ink.

I needed to add some green, so I chose this pear image.  My card does have a sparkly twist that is missing in the first photo.  So I took a close up shot:

Make that pear a "sugared" one!  I sponged it with ink to color it, and then I coated the whole thing with clear coarse glitter by Martha Stewart.  It's very sparkly in real life! 

So thanks to Claire for the chance to win, and thanks to Carly Roberston for always providing tons of inspiration with her clean and simple style.

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

It's time for another Blog Hop with Papertrey Ink!  This month's theme is to get out a stamp set that hasn't seen ink and give it some love...whether it be one that has never been used, or one that is collecting a little dust in the back of the cupboard!

For this card, I chose 3 sets:  the flowers from Baby Button Bits, patterns from Background Basics: Diamonds, and a sentiment from Blooming Button Bits:

I have had fun making paper-pieced backgrounds lately!  I love that sweet little bouquet image, so I stamped it all around (twisting and turning the orientation) on Aqua Mist cardstock.  Then I stamped Background Basics: Diamonds in different colors of ink on strips of Sweet Blush, Lemon Tart, and Melon Berry cardstock. The leaves are cut from Spring Moss.

The center of the big flower can be perfectly punched out using a 7/8 circle punch.  I used a yellow Marvy circle punch for the smaller flower (maybe it was about 5/8, sorry not labeled!).  It wasn't quite a perfect match for the whole center, but it matched up with the "stitched" portion. 

Just used a big sunny bow at the top, because I didn't want to "mess up" any of the flowers after all of that paper-piecing :)

Can't wait to see the variety of sets featured today.  I bet there will be lots of "oldies but goodies"!  Thanks for stopping by!

Homespun Valentine

Today's Featured Stamper at Splitcoast is Artsy_Em aka Emily Leiphart!  I chose this adorable Christmas card to case, seen HERE.

Kept Emily's overall color scheme and layout.  I used a different Unity "postage stamp" to make the background in a pattern like she did.  The heart is from Waltzingmouse Stamps Sewing Box Hugs (but those of you who visit may have figured that out already, since I use that set ALL of the time!)  Added some thin cherry wood paper in the center, and lots of folksy embellishments.  The little "love" sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's original Mixed Messages set.

Emily has such a fun gallery full of unique CAS layouts.  HERE is another one of my faves from her gallery that I want to try out someday...love all of those circles!  Congrats, Emily!

Friendship

For the Friday Free for All Challenge at SCS...to use a sentiment stamp repeatedly on your card.  I used the images from Verve Stamps "Text Objects" to make this card!  Stamped the "friend" first, then went over the top with Versamark ink and Polka Dot Basics.  I embossed the dots with clear powder afterwards.  Love these PTI colors together...Spring Rain, Enchanted Evening, Pure Poppy, and white!  P.S...that edge of the Spring Rain panel looks a little bit straighter in real life :)!

Apple Basket

A little "all purpose" note for the Clean and Simple Challenge, and also for the Color Challenge at Splitcoast. This week's CAS challenge was to use a sketch by cindybstampin', and this week's colors were Bravo Burgandy, Pear Pizzazz, and Baja Breeze.  Used the apple basket from Waltzingmouse Stamps "Peace and Plenty" set, and the PTI Tin Types background stamped in Ocean Tides ink.  The "dessert" for the Color Challenge was to use one of the color "adjectives"!  So I added Pizzazz to this basket by coating the apples with Glossy Accents, paper-piecing some Creative Imaginations wood paper on the basket, and adding lace trim.

Waltzingmouse Valentine Blog Waltz!

It's time for another Waltzingmouse Blog Waltz!  The theme this month is Valentine's Day/Love. 

I also used this week's WMS sketch #30 for my card:

Here it is:

Splitcoaststampers had a Friday "Free for All Challenge" that asked us to get out those old Cuttlebug embossing folders and use at least 2 of them.  That got me "thinking" when I started to make my card, so I took out the Swiss Dot, D'Vine Swirls, and Textile Cuttlebug embossing folders and used them in the sketch.  Stamped the heart and sentiment from WMS Sewing Box: Hugs.  I stamped the lower portion of the heart on a scrap of Creative Imaginations "Thin Cherry Real Wood" paper.  I am saving every last scrap!  Coated a scallop punch with Martha Stewart coarse glitter, and added lots of Sweet Blush buttons from PTI to the center piece of the heart. 

I ended up with a Valentine that's a little bit sparkly, a little bit folksy, a little bit elegant, but a whole lot of fun to make!  Can't wait to see all of the projects on this waltz.  Thanks for stopping by!

Oldie but Goodie

I FINALLY got the PTI stamp set "Quilter's Sampler".  I bought it "used" from a PTI forum member.  Once it arrived at my house, I started wondering "What took me so long?!"  I used Guide Lines Grid paper to line up my little patchwork squares (worked like a charm!).  I colored them in with watercolor pencils and a waterbrush.  I then sponged over the whole piece with Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress ink.  For a final step, I stamped over the whole piece with the Canvas Backgrounder stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms (inked up with PTI Vintage Cream ink).  Distressed the edges and "flicked" them up after I taped the piece down, and then it really started to look like fabric!  The cute hearts are from the "Text Objects" stamp set by Verve Stamps.  This card was for Splitcoaststampers' Color Challenge this week...Cherry Cobbler, Pretty in Pink, and Melon Mambo!

Poppy Purse

For this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #29!  Here is the sketch (sooo tricky for me!!):

 And here is my Poppy Purse!

I was inspired by the little purse samples from the Design Team.  Made the bottom using PTI's Harvest Gold cardstock and the lace pattern from Faux Fun, stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with white powder.  Used the felted flower technique to make the Pure Poppy poppies...punched 2 flowers, sanded the edges, and "peeled" the cardstock apart to make 2 separate layers.  The "clasp" is also a stamp from Faux Fun.  This one will teach me not to use cardstock leftovers laying around, since I am not so sure about the color scheme!  While it is cheery...it makes me think Ronald McDonald Chic, ha!  Thanks for looking today!

Moxie Fab World's "Gray is the New Black" Challenge!

Cath Edvalson at Moxie Fab World issued a new challenge entitled Gray is the New Black!  I have only played one Moxie Fab Challenge that I can remember, so one of my New Year's Resolutions is to try a few more!  Here is my entry:

I made my background using Papertrey Ink's Guide Lines 1 and Giga Guide Lines (with the coordinating grid paper), using Smokey Shadow Ink and Tim Holtz Scattered Straw Distress ink.  I then added some Platinum Liquid Pearls to the "dots" in the pattern.  Stamped and paper-pieced PTI's Year of the Flower: Daffodil on a piece of white cardstock that I ran through my Cuttlebug with PTI's Woodgrain Impression plate.  Sentiment is from PTI's Round and Round Anniversary set.  I wish the picture was better, but it is rather gloomy here in upstate New York!  Good thing I have stamps like this to keep my hope alive that it will be a nice warm spring after this long chilly winter!

The Sweetest Flower

For today's Inspiration Challenge at Splitcoaststampers...to be inspired by the children's products at Stephen Joseph Gifts!  I chose this Ladybug Raincoat.

My card took a bit of a different direction after I started. I fully intended to use pinks and purples with a ladybug, but the striped watering can from Papertrey Ink's "Green Thumb" set caught my eye (reminded me of the pattern along the bottom of the coat).  Made the polka dotted background using one of the "flowers" from Green Thumb and Guide Lines 1 grid paper, also from PTI.  I used a healthy dose of Hibiscus Burst and New Leaf cardstock, and lots of brightly-colored inks, which seemed to lighten my "winter blue" mood.  Maybe a quick trip to CVS tomorrow to get me some Vitamin D is in order!

Hearty Showers!

For today's Featured Stamper at Splitcoast White Rock Mama aka Marisa Ritzen.  I chose to case this CARD that she made using Verve Stamps.

Here is mine using a different Verve set, "Text Objects".  I won their WHOLE release at their release party last month (December was a lucky one for me!)

Stamped the hearts on Modern Homemaker decorative paper from October Afternoon, then glued them down on cardstock.  Then I ran the whole piece through my Cuttlebug using the Canvas Impression Plate from Papertrey Ink (I used the Linen side on the background mat).  It's hard to tell in the photo but it leaves a subtle distressed texture that I enhanced with Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress ink.

Marisa is a whiz with Verve Stamps, Nestabilities, ribbon, and pretty much any other stamping tool you can think of!  Her gallery is filled with lusciously-layered cards, you must go and check it out for yourself!