Papertrey Pages Challenge -- finally!

After months of good intentions that went nowhere, I am finally participating in the Papertrey Pages challenge this month. Woo Hoo! When I saw this month's challenge to do a layout for a birthday or anniversary, I was sure that I'd have to wait until next month to participate, since I mostly scrapbook my little guy, and his birthday is next weekend. But I looked through my waiting-to-scrap pictures, and saw that I had pictures from my nephew's birthday just sitting there waiting for me. :) I already knew which stamps I would use -- I just bought the Banner Builder set last month and haven't had a chance to use it yet, so I pulled it out. So much fun to use and to cut out (I decided to show restraint and NOT buy the matching dies. So far, so good without the dies.) It always feels good to create a scrapbook page.

Supplies used:
Paper: SU Kraft, October Afternoon Thrift Shop
Stamps: Banner Builder, Fillable Frames #6, Communique Curves Sentiments, Cupcake Collection
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, SU Poppy Parade
Other: PTI Fillable Frames #6 die, SU Scallop Trim Border and Corner punches

Thanks so much for looking!

Make-it Monday #2

Today's video tutorial and challenge over at Papertrey Ink is to use a vellum strip on a project. Since I just got in a really big (for me, anyway) box from Papertrey last week, I have a lot of goodies that I haven't played with yet. This challenge was begging me to try out Lisa Johnson's Flutterby Friend set that I finally purchased. Oh, I'm so glad I did. What a gorgeous set! I also needed to ink up another set that was in my new box -- Background Basics: Sheet Music. Oh, Dawn, thank you so much for giving us the set that so many of us were dreaming of. It's a beautiful background. For my card color, I chose the color that I really hope is close to the new Royal Velvet. This one is Stampin' Up's In-color Concord Crush. I am in love with this color, and I really don't even like purple as a general rule. I'd rather order my paper from PTI, though, so I'm hoping that I will be equally in love with Royal Velvet. Since I already had horizontal lines running across the paper with the Sheet Music background, I thought that the additional lines from a vellum strip would be too much, so I decided to run the vellum through with that well-used Fillable Frames #4 die. (I do own other Fillable Frames, I promise!) I love the way my embossed stems and even the background show through the vellum. By the way, since it's always an issue with Vellum, I should say that I attached the vellum tag with vellum tape. I think I bought it a Michaels ages and ages ago. I'm impressed that it doesn't show. I would have used my Xyron, though, if I had any adhesive in it.

I need to say a word about the embossing. I think that word is "ACK!" Seriously, Nicole makes it look so very easy. I used the same embossing powder she did. I used the embossing buddy just like she did. Evidently, I'm just stickier than she is. This is actually the 2nd card like this that I made. The first attempt had even more stray white specks than this one. I think I really need to just limit myself to clear embossing powder and leave the pretty white (or black or silver or gold...) stuff to the embossing pros.

Supplies:

Paper: Concord Crush (SU)
Ink: Versamark, Fresh Snow (PTI), Concord Crush (SU)
Stamps: Background Basics: Sheet Music (PTI), Flutterby Friend (PTI)
Other: Filigree White embossing powder, Fillable Frames #4 die (PTI), Scor-pal

"Big" challenge

In honor of the new series of super-sized sentiments that will be released this year at Papertrey, today's challenge is to include a "big" element on a project. Since "big" is a relative term, I decided that my element would look bigger on a smaller card. I used half of an Archiver's pre-cut gate fold card to make a card that measures 5 inches by 3 1/2 inches. I cut a strip of October Afternoon Thrift Shop patterned paper to line the bottom of the inside of the card (the part that shows on the outside. Then I cut a circle to line the front of the card from another coordinating paper in that same pack. My sentiment is stamped in Dark Chocolate on a tag cut with the Fillable Frames #4 die. My "big" element is my flower. It is two layers of felt cut with a Beautiful Blooms II die. The button is one of the largest one from my white/cream mix of PTI buttons.

Supplies:

Stamps: Well Scripted (SU)
Paper: Archivers, October Afternoon Thrift Shop, Rustic White (PTI)
Ink: Dark Chocolate (PTI), Tea Dye duo: Chamomile (PTI)
Dies: Beautiful Blooms II, Fillalbe Frames #4
Other: PTI felt, PTI Button, PTI Rustic Jute Button Twine

Thanks for looking!

Tag Challenge

Another February day = another Papertrey Challenge. Today's challenge is to create a tag that incorporates a frame. For my tag, I cut Kraft cardstock with the Library Card Tag. I stamped the tag's background with the Library Ledger set in Versamark ink. I added a strip of Library Ledger paper that I had in my scraps. I also used (cheap) red paper from my scraps to punch the butterfly and to die cut the circle scallop that is folded over the top. My frame is die cut with the Fillable Frames #4 and stamped with the matching stamp frame. A printed "sentiment," die cut felt flower and punched butterfly finished off the card.

Supplies:
Paper: Rustic cream (PTI), Kraft (PTI), Library Ledger patterened paper (PTI), red (from my stash)
Ink: Hawaiian shores (PTI), Smoky Shadow (PTI), Versamark
Stamps: Fillable Frames #4, Vintage Labels (SU), Define Your Life (SU Digital -- resized and printed from My Digital Studio)
Other: PTI Hawaiian Shores felt and button, PTI Beautiful Blooms II #3 die, PTI Fillable Frames #4 die, Martha Stuart butterfly punch, circle scallop nestability die, PTI Button Twine

Thanks so much for looking!

Make it Monday

Yes, I know it's not Monday. Thank Heavens! But over at Papertrey, they've started a new Make it Monday series of videos. There will be a inspirational/ informational video every Monday. That video will also come with a challenge. In the first video, Erin demonstrated the Go-to Sentiment card. She taught us how to use multiple sentiments to create a pretty nifty focal point for a card.

Before I started this process, I really had no idea how many bazillion versions of "Thank you" I have in my stamp collection! I carefully chose a few of them to use on my card. I like this idea, and definitely think I'll make more of these. I also think this would be a really cool idea to incorporate into my scrapbook.

Supplies:
Paper: Smokey Shadow, Teracotta Tile, Stamper's Select White
Ink: Basic Gray (SU), Versafine Onyx, Teracotta Tile
Stamps: Okay, this is really too many to list -- most are PTI, including Giga Guide Lines, Star Prints, Butterfly Dreams, Signature Greetings, Mixed Messages and Mega Mixed Messages. Some are SU
Other: Harvest Gold felt, Harvest Gold button, Ribbon (Basic Grey, I think??), Rhinestones (PTI), Beautiful Blooms Dies.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Papertrey Color Swatch Challenge

The challenge over at Papertrey for Day 5 of the anniversary challenge is to use one of the color combinations included in the free color swatch download on Nicoles blog. I chose to use the same colors that Lisa Johnson used -- Pure Poppy, Spring Rain, Kraft and Vintage Cream. (Okay, I'll admit -- I switched it up to Rustic Cream because I love that stuff!)

I'm going to let my little guy send this little card to his Grammy and Papa for Valentine's day. Now that I'm looking at the enlarged photo, I think I need to clean some extra glitter off first!

Supplies:
Paper: (all Papertrey) Kraft, Rustic Cream, Spring Rain
Ink: Pure Poppy, Spring Rain, Versafine Onyx
Stamps: Tiny Treats: Valentine
Other: Rik Rak die, Mat Stack 4 die, Nestability scallop circle die, Skor tape, glitter

Thanks for looking!

Papertrey Designer Challenge

I'm back again tonight with some challenge entries.  Today PTI gave its customers a free gift -- a beautiful set of tag stamps in digital format to print out and enjoy some instant gratification.  This set of tags is just wonderful!   I'm printing a lot of these, because I can see myself using them often.  For tonight, I managed to make some small projects -- a few little 3" x 3" enclosure cards.  I think they turned out so great.  I can't wait to find someone to give them to!  (I should go ahead a apologize for the crummy pictures.  It's late.  And I'm not a great photographer, anyway.)

First, my favorite.  The tag on this card is the one designed by my hero Dawn McVey.  I immediately noticed that it coordinated with a digital download she had designed for her Color Couture series.    I noticed because it's one that I actually own!  I was excited to print it out and use it to make a sweet little card.

My second favorite was made with the tag created by Nicole Heady herself.  It's a great tag that I can get a lot of use out of.  It was really hard to get a good picture of this one.  I wanted to show the background I stamped with A Little Argyle.  Yesterday as I was looking through everyone's amazing cards entered in the big contest (No, I didn't win that, but I'm very happy that another "Amy" did!)  I told myself that I do not use that Argyle set enough.  It's really a great set -- it just scares me a little.  (Don't ask.  I really don't know why.)  So I used it on two of my little cards tonight.  :)  Yay me!  I'll work my way up to using it on bigger cards and then (dare I?) scrapbook pages.

Finally, my last card of the night.  I love this little image by Lisa Johnson.   Okay, I love ALL images by Lisa Johnson.  The colors certainly didn't come out great in this picture.   For this one, I printed the "stamp" tag and colored it with Stampin Up markers and a blender pen.  I like how the hearts turned out, but I'd really like a do-over on the ground.  I do think it's better in real life than it looks in the photo, though.  (I really need to hire a new photographer.)  After coloring, I spritzed the whole tag with Glimmer Mist.  Sparkle makes everything better, right?  The Pink Pirouette background is stamped with A Little Argyle in Fresh Snow, but you'd never know that from my picture. 

I can't wait to have some time to create more of these with the other tags.  Honestly, I decide that each one I pick up is my favorite.  I think I have 9 favorites!   Is that possible?  Thanks, PTI and stamp designers, for such a wonderful gift! 

Thanks for visiting!

Supplies:
"Smile"
Paper:  Aqua Mist (PTI), June Color Couture download (PTI), Kraft (PTI)
Ink:  Versafine Onyx
Stamps:  PTI anniversary download, Mega Mixed Messages (PTI)
Other:  Scor Tape, glitter, PTI Harvest Gold button, PTI rhinestones, Hawaiian Shores felt (PTI), Fiskars punch

"Happy Birthday"
Paper:  Kraft (PTI), Aqua Mist (PTI), Hawaiian Shores (PTI), Georgia Pacific White
Ink:  Fresh Snow (PTI)
Stamps:  PTI anniversary download,  A Little Argyle (PTI)
Other:  Hawaiian Shores ribbon, Diamond stickles, PTI Beautiful Blooms II #1 die

"Love"
Paper:  Melon Mambo (SU), Pink Pirouette (SU), Kraft (PTI)
Ink:  Fresh Snow (PTI), Melon Mambo marker (SU), Soft Suede marker (SU)
Stamps:  PTI anniversary download, Mixed Messages (PTI), A Little Argyle
Other:  Scor Tape, glitter, flower rhinestone (probably from Archiver's Hot Spot), Beautiful Blooms II #1 die

Papertrey Favorites

Today is the first contest of the 2011 Papertrey Anniversary festivities, and, boy, is it a big one!  The design team has featured their favorite projects of this past year, and one very, very, very lucky person will win the Ultimate Card Kit -- Everything needed to create all of those projects.  (Give me a moment to catch my breath.  It's really an unbelievable prize.)

One way to win is to post/ re-post my favorite project of the year.  Fortunately, I have a really small blog.  (Okay, a little shameful, really.)   But choosing my favorite was really easy.  This Beautiful Blooms II card is hands-down my favorite card of this year.  I love everything on this card -- the bold colors, the felt flower, the fillable frame, the polka-dotted black and white ribbon...  It just screams "happy" to me. 

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!)

Thanks so much for looking!

Amy