Papertrey Ink Blog Hop...Scallops!

It's time for another blog hop with Papertrey Ink!  The theme this month is to use scallops on your project. 

Sometimes when I make a blog hop project, I want to be creative with the theme.  This month, I just wanted to figure out a way to incorporate the theme and my "new stuff"!   I combined scallops with the new Button Boutique stamp set to make 2 cards today.

The new button set and dies have made me rediscover patterned paper!  I've had so much fun going through my closet and scrap bin to find little pieces to die cut.  This "burlap" paper is from the Die Cuts with a View "Crafty Stack".  Also used some PTI Vintage Tea Leaves and Cosmo Cricket papers.  Stamped the background with Background Basics: Tin Types in Melon Berry ink.

It's difficult to tell in this photo, but the bottom scallops are cotton fabric.  I bought some interfacing to try out, and then cut it with my Cuttlebug and PTI's large scallop die.  The top piece is scallopy cotton lace trim from JoAnn's.

This time I wanted the Button Boutique card to look "seed packet"-like for this new baby card!  I inverted my scallops to resemble "grass", popped them up with dimensionals, and folded the edges out a bit.  I also used the pea pod from Baby Button Bits, the "little one" sentiment from Mixed Messages, and Polka Dot Basics in the background.  The pretty blue floral paper is a gift from Anna Wight!

Thanks so much for stopping by on the hop today!

Make it Monday...with glitter and tape!

For Papertrey Ink's new feature, "Make it Mondays"!  This week, we were to make a card with "glittered up" tape!  Here is my card:

I cut down some Scotch double-sided tape and made a frame, and then covered it with Diamond glitter (this was SO out of my comfort zone, as were these colors!)  Made the stamped background with PTI's Background Basics:  Botanicals and Guide Lines Grid 1 paper.  Added a teddy bear from Baby Button Bits.  Also used PTI's Mat Stack 1 and Plum Pudding ribbon!

Thanks for visiting this Monday!

Groovy Flowers

For today's Featured Stamper at SCS...StampGroover aka Cookie!  I chose this bright beauty to case.

How DOES Cookie do it?  I told her that her gallery is not "Clean and Simple"...it's "Clean and Fabulous"!  This card took me twice as long as any other card that I make.  When you have lots of white space and no embellies...there is no place to hide your smudges (which is why my card has a few extra layers)!  Used Papertrey Ink's "Green Thumb" set, some Stickles, and White Opal Liquid Pearls on my card. 

SO glad that Cookie got her day in the spotlight...her cards are truly spectacular!

Waltzingmouse Stamps Button Waltz!

It's time for another blog waltz with Waltzingmouse Stamps!  This month's theme is BUTTONS!

I should be used to winter by now, living in upstate New York.  But something about this winter is just getting to me.  It's been extra loooong!  Even though it hasn't been as snowy here as in other parts of the country, it's been cold and grey just about every single day since November!  To make it worse, next week is "winter break" here, and lots of people I know are going on a vacation to sunnier lands...Jason, the kids, and I just aren't those people!

So I picked the brightest, cheeriest colors that I could find and some super orange buttons, and made myself a little slice of Florida to feel better.  (And I found a channel with a weatherman that says it's going to get up to 50 degrees today, yippee!)

I finally ordered "Teeny Trees" and was a little excited to use it!  I stamped the tree trunk, and then used the teeny leaf images over and over, in different shades of green (and some yellow).  Sponged yellow around the outside edges. The bottom panel just happens to be a piece of fabric that came already "pinked"! 

Here are the other supplies:

Stamps:  Teeny Trees and sentiment from Frame It, Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock:  White and New Leaf, Papertrey Ink
Inks:  PTI New Leaf, VersaMagic Sahara Sand and Thatched Straw, and VersaColor Lime and Bamboo
Other:  buttons, orange Divine Twine, fabric quarter from JoAnn's, circle punch, sponge dauber

Thanks for stopping by!  Couldn't have asked for a better waltz theme to cheer me up...buttons make me so happy!

Now you all have yourself a sunny day now, ya hear?!

Simple Joys tag

For Papertrey Ink's Anniversary Challenge today...to make a tag with a frame on it!  I used a negative image from when I cut out an oval nestie and turned it into a tag:

It's been fun going through the sets that I have and trying to find different ones to use for each challenge.  Today I used the berries and sentiment from Green Thumb, and leaves from Turning a New Leaf.  Checkered paper is from the Modern Homemaker Collection by October Afternoon.  Kept it simple to match the sentiment.  Just added lots of dimensionals behind my vine, and ribbon at the top!

Quilts and Buttons

For Papertery Ink's 4th Anniversary Challenge of the Day...to use buttons in a new way on your card.  You could win their fabulous new button stamp set and dies, AND every single pack of their vintage button collection! 

I think that the equation is 30 colors X 200 buttons per pack = 6000 buttons (ACK!)!

Used Papertrey Ink's Quilter's Sampler set and Guide Lines Impression plate.  I placed some mini buttons (from JoAnn's) on some of the puffed up quilty panels.  The spool has some real thread wound around it, too!  As for the ribbon...a huge score today.  It's very Fine Linen-like in color and it was in the 50 cent bin, also at JoAnn's!

Make it Monday...on Wednesday

One more for the road!  Papertrey Ink also announced a new feature this week...Make it Mondays!  This week Erin Lincoln showed us how to make a "Go-To Sentiment" card, using sentiments in a variety of different fonts and from different sets.  Here is my Warm Winter Wishes card:

Sentiments from:  Warm Happiness Too, Holiday Button Bits, Holiday Wishes, Friendship Jar Holiday Fillers; Other sets:  Snowflake Serenade, and tea cup and heart from Warm Happiness Too

Papertrey Colors 2

Another for Papertrey Ink's Color Challenges...this time I chose Betsy Veldman's color scheme of Scarlet Jewel, Hibiscus Burst, Harvest Gold, and Rustic Cream.  (PS...I didn't have Rustic Cream, so I shabbied up some Vintage Cream!)

I mentioned in the comments section of Betsy's blog today that when I make a card that I like, it almost always has a color scheme that is "Betsy-like"...and this one is no exception.  I really love how it turned out! 

Also inspired today by Heather's and Betsy's use of Leaf Prints...made me want to get that set out and play.  It is SUCH an awesome set, and makes the perfect background for Love Lives Here!

Papertrey Colors

Papertrey Ink is having a Color Challenge contest today...the prize?  A whole lotta ribbons, felt, and paper in all of the colors of the rainbow!

The Design Team members posted some of their favorite color combinations.  This card features Lisa Johnson's combination of Pure Poppy, Spring Rain, Kraft, and Vintage Cream...

There's that Bloom Builder again!  This time I used Pure Poppy felt.  I made the background with Guide Lines 1 and my new Guide Lines Grid Impression Plate.  The inks are VersaColor Scarlet and Sand Beige, and Memento Summer Sky.  Dusted off Faux Ribbon for the little stitches, double line border, and sentiment!

Happy Thoughts

For today's Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers...Cajun Craze, Not Quite Navy, and Daffodil Delight.  I used PTI's Enchanted Evening and Terracotta Tile cardstock, and the new Bloom Builder die that I just ordered.  It's really fun to play around with! 

I made the bottom plaid panel by stamping the Open Plaid Backgrounder, previously made by Cornish Heritage Farms.  I filled in the color panels with the plaid strip from Waltzingmouse Stamps Pic-Nic Patterns.  The sentiment is from Verve Stamps "Amazing Wishes". 

That felty bloom is a bit of a scene stealer, so I kept the rest of my card homespun and simple.  Are any of you thinking "happy thoughts" about the big prize at Papertrey Ink today?  :)

Designer for a Day?

Papertrey Ink's 4th Anniversary Celebration is in full swing, and today's contest is really a big one!  The challenge was to download one of the free digital tags HERE at Nichole Heady's blog, and make a project with it.  Link up your project on her blog, and you can be entered into a random drawing...to be a Guest Stamp Designer!  That means that a player will get to work with Nichole Heady on a stamp set to be produced by Papertrey Ink in May, so fun!

I chose the flower tag designed by Alli Miles seen here:

Paper-pieced Alli's flower, popped up the layers with dimensionals, and added Stampendous Crystal Snow glitter.  Also used the Mat Stack 1 image from the "All Booked Up" set with the coordinating die, the Linen/Canvas Impression plate, and a sentiment from Vintage Picnic Additions. 

Ohhh, this would be such a good time for Mr. Random.Org to pick my number, hee!

Sunshine4Joy

This week's Queen for the Day at SCS is Susan Conrad, also known as One4Joy!  She's a ve-rrrry popular lady this week...in fact, she won one of the Moxie Fab World's Color Inspiration for Card Makers Challenges, and you can see her winning entry HERE!  (PS...it's the cool "newspaper guy" card!)

I chose to case a fave card of mine...this one that Susan posted at SCS!  So here is my card:

Sometimes it takes just 1 card to inspire you to love a stamp set again.  My Asian Fusion set from PTI was one of the first things that I snatched up last year during their big anniversary release.  I loved it so much, but when I got it, I often struggled with ways to use it.  I think I was having trouble, because my bouquets always looked so flat and blah! 

Enter Susan's card!  Those pretty popped up leaves got me thinking!  So I paired the flowers and vase from Asian Fusion with some leaves from Turning a New Leaf that I could manage to cut out.  I then stamped some flowers and more leaves in the background, and added a few of the bigger flowers.  Added some of my fave October Afternoon paper for the vase, which inspired me to use lots of my fave colors...Aqua Mist, Lemon Tart, and a little red and "pumpkin" orange for good measure. 

Susan was one of my very first friends at Splitcoast.  She always left me the sweetest comments, and that really encouraged me to keep on posting.  If it weren't for Susan and another dear friend, Anne Ryan (hostess of the Queen for the Day Challenge), I don't think that I would still be stamping!  Susan also sent me one of the most amazing cards/gifts on my birthday one year.  We laughed that I cried "buckets" of tears...I was so touched by the kindness of a person that I had never even met in person before! 

Susan's style is really special.  Nobody else makes cards like she does.  She always has the most perfect sentiments and a unique art style that can't be copied.  She often uses stamps that I have never seen before, and her cards have meaning in each detail.   Susan always has me scratching my head thinking, "How does she come UP with this stuff?"   And as a side note...she often calls me "the 'cat" which makes me feel really cool (schirmcat is my screen name on most of the "boards"!) 

So cheers to you, Ms. Susan!  I am so glad that you are getting recognized today for all of your stamping talents!