Dance in the Rain

More fun at PTI this week, with the challenge to create a 

card using multiples.

Rainy Day has multiple raindrops of different sizes,

I thought would be fun to play with.

Starting with Dark Indigo, and working outward with Enchanted Evening, Blueberry Sky and Spring Rain card stocks. Finally stamping the largest drop from Rainy Day Sentiments in Spring Rain Ink.

Because my card is square, I created an envelope for it using

Enchanted Evening Pattern Pack.

A coordinating envelope just makes the card so much more special!

Inside, more stamping, and a piece of washi,

and the card's ready to send!

Such fun to use our dies in new ways!

Play along for a few more days here:

6a00d8341c64e753ef01b7c8dd2ea9970b-pi

Tulip Birthday

Do you have a favorite PTI floral set?

Papertrey's 10th Anniversary Celebration has a daily party

featuring their new releases.

This challenge we are asked to create a new card with our all time 

favorite floral set.

Tulip Time is right up there in 

my top favorites. Also had to include a background

of Gathered Garden greenery and flowers.

During the release of Garden Greenery, I saw a card made

by Betsy Veldman using the 2 sets together. 

You can see her card here: Celebrating the Past, Present and Future: 2016

Loved the effect of creating a bouquet, with the pop of bright tulips.

Trying to complete my cards by making a custom envelope 

to match, while the stamps are handy.

The card tulips are stamped with Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz,

and Pure Poppy.

The envelope tulips; Sweet Blush, Pale Peony, & Lovely Lady.

The triple stamping intensifies the color and depth. 

These tulips are certainly one of my favorites from PTI.

But don't hold me to ruling out any of the other florals!

There are so many to love!

Play along here:

6a00d8341c64e753ef01b7c8dd2ea9970b-pi

Verve Stamps and Happy St. Patrick's Day

The Challenge on the Verve Stamp Blog is to 'make something for a

lucky someone'. Made this card for a dear friend who celebrates

our mutual love of coffee. Meeting at a local coffee house is something

we make a happy monthly ritual.

Julee has given us this free digital printout to work with.

I fussy cut 2 of the shamrock cups, copic colored them, 

and then gave them a coat of Glossy Accents.

The sentiment was added to PTI's Notebook Page die.

The grid paper was cut to 4 x 5 1/4", and I added a piece of clear card stock with vines on one side. Green silky ribbon and a few sequins finished my card.

Play the month of March on the Verve Blog:

Time Out and a Lucky Day Freebie

Envelope for a handmade card.

In my previous post, I showed you a card for my aunt's birthday,

with a gift card inside.

We are challenged to complete our cards with some creative 

packaging, such as an envelope, all ready to mail.

I made an envelope from PTI's Pale Peony Designer Cardstock,

a Memory Keepers 1-2-3 Punchboard,

and stamps from Color Pop Florals, and a frame stamp

from Monthly Moments: Travel Plans.

Do you have people in your life that love your crafty card making?

My aunt, my dad's only sister, loves my cards. She keeps every one!

Whenever I visit, she takes me on a tour of my cards on display! 

And I can't think of a better reason to make her cards and yes, her 

envelopes extra special!

I stamped the back of the large dot Peony card stock, before using my envelope punch,

then folded and glued the flaps.

I love doing custom envelopes to match a card. A bit extra work,

but well worth the effort!

Guest Blogger: Lexi Daly

Celebrate

Some exciting news at PapertreyInk. It's their 10th Anniversary Celebration, and they're expanding to follow trends in packaging, and journaling, 

together with their stamping line.

Rebecca Luminarias will be heading up the packaging,

and we are challenged with several beautiful photos, to

inspire us to add special touches to our gifting.

This is a sample photo of Rebecca's elements.

I chose my aunt's birthday to hi light a gift card within

a card I'm sending to her.

Using the glorious elements in Rebecca's basket for inspiration, and the

Color Pop Florals set, I made this card.

The background card is a soft grey, which allows stenciling of any

color, I used Sweet Blush, Pale Peony and Summer Sunrise.

The leaves are inked sponged in gold.

The scallop window is from Noted: A1 Dies.

A peek on the inside,

reveals the gift, a decorated envelope with a gift card!

My sweet Aunt Martha still drives at 88, and gets her hair done

every week. On the corner is a Starbucks, and oh does she love

her caramel lattes! (No skinnys for Aunt Martha!)

I've got the envelope all ready for sending, but that's for the next post!

You can find Rebecca's invitation to join the fun

 on Nichole's blog, here:

Guest Blogger: Rebecca Luminarias

Happy Easter

It's Thursday, and finally posting my MIM card!

Lizzie showed us how to use nail polish to create 

a marbling technique. The effects are never the same,

but can be drop dead gorgeous, after the initial learning mistakes.

Just look at what color combos can produce:

These are what I call 'successes'.

Honestly had to toss about 4 that I call practice.

I read from another blogger that the polish sometimes settled to the bottom, 

or formed a glaze on the top. I guess it just depends on the polish.

Sometimes, moving the bottle quickly back and forth, creates

lines that are marbled looking. Like I said, hard to stop seeing

what the next surprise will be!

I chose the softest 'Eastery Egg' result for the background of my card.

A couple of pinks, a coral and a platinum  made this happy accident.

Thanks to Lizzie, I found this technique addicting! Spent a happy 

afternoon trying all colors I had. Mostly colors I keep on hand

for mani pedi days with the granddaughters!

PTI: Etched Easter Egg Dies, Shaped Sayings: Easter Die. (I cut off

the frame from the words)

White and silver foil Cardstock

Sheer White Ribbon

Make It Monday #277: Nail Polish Marbling

Best of Luck

Celebrating 10 years,  PapertreyInk is challenging  us with all

new inspiration and tantalizing us with prizes!

Lizzie Jones presents our first stitching focus feature,

and we are to create a new project with her inspiration.

Using PTI's Seasonal Stitching: Clover die, 

and felt, I made this card.

PTI: Noted: Scalloped A2 Verticular Die

PTI: Pinefeather, Limeaid Ice and White Felt

Sentiment: Lucky Break

It's going to be fun week!

Welcome to our 10th Anniversary Celebration!

Tag You're It: Spring tag

Hi everyone!

A quick post on another tag done for Tag You're It #66,

featuring our guest artist, Maureen Merritt, and 

her sweet tag to inspire.

Hoping you'll join us for a chance to be a guest artist in the future.

Be sure to check out Tag You're It for more inspiration!

Can't wait to see your tag in the lineup!

Tag You're It #66

Tulips

Just Us Girls has a photo challenge this week,

These gorgeous tulips! 

Peeking through the snowdrifts, they remind Spring is coming!

Inspired? The tulips, red and bold against the snowy white. 

Also the shadow play of sunlight. 

PTI Tulip Time

Berry Sorbet, Pure Poppy, Scarlett Jewel,

New Leaf, Pinefeather Inks: PTI

PTI: stencil

Pretty Pink Posh sequins

Wendy Vecchi Translucent embossing paste

Play along for a few more days here:

Just Us Girls #382 - Photo Week

Happy Birthday

Melissa Phillips is up at PTI's MIM this week.

She is challenging us to use our colored pencils on kraft,

or some other darker card stock.

Melissa always wows. She's a master with every technique,

and her cards this week were filled with subtle layers and stamping textures.

So, of course, I had to try stamping layers with my colored 

cupcake from Bakers Dozen.

Once I embossed the frame and cupcake in white, I masked it, and stamped 

BB: Gingham all around it.

It was so much fun coloring it in! Lots of blending, all one layer.

Background card stock stamped with BB: Venice and Fine Linen ink.

I've done this technique before, and love the richness

 it gives the images, once colored.

I used Prisma Watercolor Pencils

Play along on Nichole's blog, here:

Make It Monday #276: Kraft & Colored Pencils 

Happy Little Stampers March Watercolor Challenge

Welcome back for Happy Little Stampers March Watercolor Challenge!

March's Challenge is anything goes, with an optional twist - SMOOSH!

You don't need watercolor paper to smoosh, but I knew I wanted to 

do some further watercoloring on my daises (Especially For You).

Hope you play along this month.

You could win $15. to shop at HLS!

February '17, Garden Party

Good Morning! It's the last day of the month and time for 

12 Kits of Occasions.

This month we're featuring a bright and happy kit from Michelle Leone

called Garden Party. And what a party of spring colors and treats!

Some treats to color, like this cake,

Sweet bunnies and blooms,

Birds and die cuts,

rainy day papers and an umbrella,

tags, and more birds and cages,

and a favorite scalloped and curved set of die cuts I just couldn't separate!

Hope you enjoyed what I did with this month's kit. I loved every bit, and

have some left over.

Thank you, Michelle!

There's a kit waiting for some lucky commentor on the 12 kits blog,

February 2017- 'Garden Party', and please visit our Special guest this month,

Karen Walker from Random Reflections