PTI's October Blog Hop

This month for Papertrey Ink's blog hop, we were to make a card inspired by the artwork of Adolfo Serra seen here:

I chose the little cottage in the bottom row, and used the stamp set "Winter Village"..

I set up my scene on Dark Indigo cardstock, stamping each piece with Versamark, and then heat embossing with white powder.  I stamped the cottage separately and die cut it, then set it off to the side.  I left the top snowy white instead of stamping the roof.

To make the trees multicolored, I started splattering watered-down acrylic paint in pink, yellow, aqua, white, and red before adding the house.  I added some fresh snow ink to the shoveled path.  Inside I stamped a sentiment from Winter Village, and a little navy tree and fence.  Artsy good fun!

PTI's MIM: Build-A-Wreath

For this week's 300th (!) Make it Monday at Papertrey Ink, Melissa Phillips had a fabulous technique called "Build-a-Wreath!"  Definitely one of my favorite MIM's of all time!

I was so inspired that I made 2 cards using the Rustic Wreath die...

First one for Christmas,

I used the Bitty Background Squares stamp set for my background, then a vellum wreath cut with the Rustic Wreath die, which I  inked with Versamark, then heat embossed with white powder.

I added stamped elements from Beautiful Berries: Winter, and the Holiday Folk mini Make it Market kit, and a sentiment from Winter Village.  Some iridescent sequins and red Liquid pearls, too!

Next up a card for fall with the same gingham Bitty Background Blocks for the background, 

This time I stamped the wreath cut with the Rustic Wreath die with another pattern from Bitty Background Blocks in chocolate brown.  Added a sentiment from Think Big Favorites #2.

Some mini images from Beautiful Berries: Spring and Bitty Bouquets.  Some Liquid Pearls in white and champagne, as well as some Glossy Accents and twine for this wreath.

This was such a creative, relaxing technique!  It was so much fun combing through stamp sets for all of those little images to add to my wreaths.  I even have more cut to try this technique some more.  Thank you, Melissa, for always sharing your inspiring designs with us!

Red Truck Sketch

A fun "photo" sketch from Rita at Freshly Made Sketches this week!

I used the pick up truck from PTI's new Make It Market Holiday kit "Wonderland" and a polaroid die from Mama Elephant for my card...

The background is made with a backgrounder image from Cornish Heritage Farms, a snowy embossing folder from Sizzix, and the Scene It mountain and tree dies from PTI.

A little sentiment from Verve Stamps and some wooden stars and Crystal Snow glitter.  The "road" is made with an old Close to My Heart stitched set.  Snow much fun :)!

Krafty Scarecrow

Ooo I love these Color Throwdown colors for fall!  Soft, sweet, and oh so fun!  

I have not used my adorable Autumn Scarecrow from PTI enough, and thought she would be perfect with this week's challenge colors...

I used the brand new Wonderland Scenes Stencil Collection from PTI for the background, blended with Memento's Toffee Crunch ink.

I glittered up the trees with my glue pen and more Stampendous Crystal Snow glitter.  The pumpkins are stamped onto the background, then paper-pieced with patterns stamped with Stampin' Up, Cornish Heritage Farms, and Impression Obsession backgrounds.

I say that my scarecrow is a girl because who else would wear a white barn coat on the job? :)  I stamped an old Stampin' Up plaid background with Versamark onto white paper, then heat embossed with detail white powder.  That coat makes me happy :)!   

Thinking of You

A card for a friend that I am thinking of...soft blues and violets on this beautiful wreath by Reverse Confetti.  This set is called "Fall for You" but it can be used for any occasion!

Cut more flowers with the coordinating dies, and used PTI's Woodgrain Impression Plate for the background.  I die cut the wreath into the background piece that "fit" it back in, so I could pop it up over the sentiment.

Can't get enough of my Stampendous "Crystal Snow" glitter lately!  A peek of gingham stamped with a background stamp on linen paper, more Copic coloring and a sentiment from PTI's Vintage Picnic. This wreath set is so versatile!

Owen's 11

My great-nephew Owen turned 11 on Tuesday and we celebrated his birthday yesterday.  I've always made cards for him, and this sweet sensitive guy may be my biggest fan!  

He always brings the card over to his mom (my niece) and says "Mom, will you save this for me?" in a quiet voice.  He says he wants to have a bulletin board when he's "older" and put all of my cards on it :).  It's so funny because his uncle (my nephew) who is 3 months younger than me has bulletin boards in his garage, saving treasures such as all of his ski badges, pictures of every car he's ever owned, etc.

Owen is a fan of paint ball, nerf guns...so I used every ink splat set I had to create this card...

Ink splat sets include PTI's "Watercolor Wonder," WPlus9 Studio's "Ink Splats," and Concord & 9th's "Oh Hello" set for Simon Says Stamps Stamp-tember celebration.  The numbers down the side are cut with PTI's "Headline Numbers" die set.

Used Impress Fresh Inks and A Muse Studio inks for my colors.  Added some glossy accents to the "11."  Love how it looks next to the double L's in "hello" :). So much fun to get inky this Columbus Day weekend!