October Blog Hop

It has been a few months since I've had time to participate in the PTI Blog Hop, but I was excited to have time to participate in this one. Our church (Baptist) is just finishing up a common text study of the book of Ruth with a local temple congregation. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting and learning about some of my Jewish neighbors through this study, and I have learned so much through the collaborative teaching of my pastor and the rabbi. As part of these weeks together, we have made an attempt to learn about each other's traditions, rituals and beliefs. It seems only fitting that I get a challenge this month that allows me to create a card for Hanukkah.

On to the card: To create a card for a holiday for which I have no specific stamps was, indeed, a challenge. Honestly, though, that's why I love my PTI stamps. They really are so versatile. I chose to spell Hanukkah with my Fresh Alphabet set. (I LOVE that alphabet set and use it often in my scrapbooking projects and to add names to children's birthday cards.) I also added just the Happy from one of the Happy Birthday sentiments in Birthday Basics to create my own custom sentiment. Here are the details of the supplies (almost all PTI) I used:

Stamps: Fresh Alphabet, Birthday Basics, Background Basics: Text Style
Card Stock: Spring Rain, Stampers Select White
Patterned Paper: Elegant Soiree (SU)
Ink: Enchanted Evening, Chamomile Tea Dye Duo, Crumb Cake (SU)
Accessories: Rustic Jute Button Twine, Enchanted Evening Button,
Tools: Linen and Canvas Impression Plate, Scallop Punch (SU)

Thanks for visiting!

Papertrey Pages July Challenge

It's August 1st and I'm just getting around to posting my page for the Papertrey Pages July Challenge. The challenge this month was to use Kraft (that's a no-brainer for me) and to make at least one of our own embellishments. I chose some pictures from earlier this summer for this challenge.

I started with Kraft 12x12 card stock from Stampin' Up. I added a woodgrain border using PTI's Woodgrain background set and Dark Chocolate ink. On the rest of the page, I added a background using the ferns and dragonflies from SU's Organic Grace set. I love those images and hardly ever use them. They were perfect for this page. I also used the same set to create my embellishments. I stamped the dragonfly image, and glittered him up with some Glimmer Mist. I punched the flower layers from Chocolate Remix patterned paper (PTI) and Dark Chocolate and New Leaf card stock. I added more of the Woodgrain background pattern to the New Leaf card stock center. I popped the dragonfly up with a dimensional (SU).

Supplies Used:
Paper: Kraft (SU), Dark Chocolate (PTI), New Leaf (PTI), Chocolate Remix (PTI), Library Ledger (PTI)
Ink: Dark Chocolate, New Leaf (PTI)
Stamps: Organic Grace (SU), Background Basics Woodgrain (PTI), Library Ledger (PTI)
Other: Rustic Jute Button Twine (PTI), Glimmer Mist, Beautiful Blooms II #1 dies (PTI), Nestabilities Labels One dies (Spellbinders), Cuttlekids Alphabet

Thanks for looking!

Papertrey July Blog Hop

It's blog hop time again! This challenge this month is to incorporate office supplies, so I rummaged through my husband's desk (shhhh...) and found some paperclips and Post-its. I guess you could count the brad as an office supply as well, but it's a pretty colored one from my paper crafting stash. Technically, the periodical card really is from my office (I'm a librarian). I thought the Fiskars Braket-y border punch (probably not the official name, huh?) fit the theme as well. Otherwise, I used PTI Kraft card stock, paper from the Library Ledger pack (PTI), stamps from Giga Guidelines, Signature Greetings, and Mixed Messages, tissue-paper flowers cut with Beautiful Blooms II (#3) die and spritzed with Glimmer Mist, Certainly Celery ribbon (SU), Dark Chocolate and Aqua Mist and Chamomile inks from Papertrey.

Thanks from dropping by!

Papertrey June Blog Hop

Papertrey's Blog Hop this month is all about color. Here's the assignment:

This month we thought it would be fun to focus on COLOR! We want to see your favorite Papertrey
color schemes put to work. Be sure to post the color scheme near the top of your post in bold letters so
everyone can collect them to use as a future reference! With everyone's different takes on
combinations from the Papertrey spectrum, we will surely build an amazing resource that we can all
utilize and fall in love with some new favorite color schemes!

So my colors are: Berry Sorbet, Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado, and Spring Moss

Even though this is a very basic color scheme, I find myself returning to it again and again because I love it so much. I think I am among the many, many fans of Berry Sorbet!

And here's my project:

I'm excited about my project because it's something I made for me! I think I've told myself again and again that I should make something pretty for myself -- like this checkbook cover -- but never seemed to get around to it. This Blog Hop gave me just the excuse to use my favorite colors and make something for ME! I know it'll make me smile every time I write a check.

Products used

Stamps: Beautiful Blooms II (PTI), Turning a New Leaf (PTI), Round and Round (PTI), monogram set from JustRite

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Berry Sorbet and Tea Dye Duo (all PTI)

Paper: Rustic White, Kraft, Bitty Dots, Dark Chocolate

Other: Dark Chocolate ribbon, Mat Stack I die, Beautiful Blooms die #1

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Blog Hopping!

Edited to add: Just need to add a quick note about the procedure for this project -- it's certainly not complicated! I purchased a cheap-o pocket calender ($0.50 - $1.00) that comes in a clear vinyl sleeve (not pictured because I was afraid the vinyl would create a glare) that was about the same size as my checkbook. I took out the calendar and used its measurements as my guide for the size of my card stock background. I stamped the background paper, scored with my Scor-pal (just one in the center, like I would for a card). Then I decorated the part that would make the front of the cover and slid it into the vinyl cover with the checkbook and register inside.

Art Appreciation

Oh, it feels so good to do a scrapbook page! This one is for the Papertrey Pages June challenge. I'm so happy to play along. Of course, now that I'm posting it, I notice that my stamped patterned paper background turned out to be no more than the matting behind my pictures, but -- honest-to-goodness -- I stamped a whole sheet of 12x12! This is just the way that I was able to make my paper work on the page with these pictures. I hope I'll get the chance to get another one in before then end of June!

Since you can't see very much of it, I should say that the paper was stamped with stars from Star Prints (PTI), great little single shapes from Background Basics Retro (PTI), "Enjoy the Moment" stamp from Mega Mixed Messages (PTI) and a great digger from Gas Hogs (Sassafras Lass). I put the title together using Fresh Alphabet and Simple alphabet (both PTI). And -- do you see it??? -- That title is stamped on a (real) library card that I die-cut with the Filliable Frames 4 die! Sometimes it's really good to be a librarian. {Sigh}

Other PTI Goodies used to make this card:
Bitty Dots paper (Pure Poppy)
Pure Poppy card stock
Ink: Pure Poppy, Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain, Spring Moss, Orange Zest

from Stampin' Up:
Card stock: Whisper White, Bashful Blue
Pumpkin Pie and Certainly Celery Stamp 'N Write markers
Journal card from The Write Stuff designer series paper

Other:
Various Sakura pens
Ribbon I rescued from a gift (Hmmm... do I remember what the gift was???)
Fiskars star punch

Thanks so much for looking!

Cutting into the felt

I'm excited that I finally have time again to play along with the Papertrey Blog Hop! This is the second time I've participated -- the first with my own not-much-to-see-yet blog. Papertrey's challenge this month is to use some of that felt we've been hoarding. (Somehow they know we've been hoarding it -- or at least afraid to use it.) I used mine to build an embellishment because 1) that's why I bought the felt in the first place and 2) it gave me a chance to use some of my great new stuff! I especially had fun with the dies. And how perfect is that fillable frames set?! LOVE IT!

From My Crafty Diversions

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Materials used:
Cardstock: Stamper's Select White, True black, (The scallop was punched from the cover of the Bitty Dots paper pack)
Ink: Hawaiian Shores, Pure Poppy, Spring Moss, Versafine Black
Felt: Hawaiian Shores
Stamps: Beautiful Blooms II, Fillable Frames 4
Dies: Those wonderful coordinating dies for the 2 stamp sets above!
Ribbon: Basic Grey (I think)
Button: PTI White/Cream (colored with a Sharpie -- must resist the Copics!)

Happy Birthday, Papertrey #4

I saved my favorite for last. I love-love-love these images from Tiffany Pastor. My original plan was to color the "open" letters in the "Happy day" image, but once I saw it the combination of the Pure Poppy, Kraft, and White, I couldn't bear to change a thing. I'm going to print several of these to keep on hand. What a versatile little "set" Tiffany gave us today.

Supplies:

Stamps: Fancy Flourishes, Tiffany's birthday stamp images
Ink: Versamark
Paper: Kraft, Pure Poppy, Bitty Dots Pure Poppy
Punches: Threading water, SU Scallop Square, 1 1/4 inch circle

Happy Birthday, Papertrey #3

Okay, this one was really simple. This image is from Beth Silaika. I'm glad there were several on the sheet because I can see myself using this image often.

Supplies:
Stamps: Beth's digi "Make a wish"
Ink: Sakura pens to color the candle
Paper: PTI Kraft, Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise, patterned paper from DCWV stack

Happy Birthday, Papertrey #2

Here's another Papertrey Birthday Card. This one uses the stamp created by Becky Oehlers. This is waaaaaay out of my normal comfort zone (and, no, I don't own any Copics!), but I think it turned out really cute, anyway.

Supplies: (All PTI unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Becky's birthday digi stamp, Star Prints
Ink: Pure Poppy, Spring Rain & some Sakura pens
Paper: Kraft, Bitty Dots Pure Poppy and Spring Moss,

Happy Birthday, Papertrey #1

February is Papertrey's anniversary month, and they really know how to throw a party. Today, their challenge is to make birthday cards using the digi stamps each of their designers created for the occasion. It's never a bad idea to have extra birthday cards on hand, and it's certainly not a bad idea to enter Papertrey's contests as many times as possible, so I went to my craft desk.

Card #1 uses Niki Estes' stamp. I'm so excited that Niki is going to design her own line of stamps for Papertrey. I can't wait to see what she's got in store for us.

Supplies: (all PTI unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Niki's birthday digi stamp
Ink: Fresh Snow, Berry Sorbet, Lemon Tart
Paper: Kraft, Lemon Tart, Bitty Box Berry Sorbet
Ribbon: Aqua Mist