Happily Ever Challenged #8

It's been awhile since I've had time to play along with Ted's Happily Ever Challenged, so I was pumped when I saw it the night I was just getting ready for an evening of crafting! Our challenge was to tune into Old Glory and use red, white and blue in our projects.

I wound up making a card for a local serviceman who is over in Afghanistan right now to thank him for his service. The base is Enchanted Evening with a mat of Stamper's Select White. I added a pp on top which looks a lot more red in person. There's a fun pattern on it, which I couldn't get to turn out well in the pictures :(

I used Star Prints to stamp onto Enchanted Evening and popped it up on dimensionals. The Thank You comes from Star Prints as well.

Thanks for a great challenge, Ted!

Poppy Seed Challenge #2

I had some time to participate in Lisa Johnson's Poppy Seed Challenge over the weekend. She challenged us to use one button, polka dots and light moss.

For my card, I used a base of Ripe Avocado and added a layer of Turning a New Leaf. I liked how the patterned paper had white dots in the middle of the flowers, so on the third layer of Spring Moss, I stamped Polka Dot Basics in Vintage Cream.

I cut out a circle and added a Dark Chocolate button with some embroidery thread tied on. The thanks is stamped on in Dark Chocolate.

Supplies (all PTI):

Paper - Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Turning A New Leaf

Ink - Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate, Tea Dye Duo

Stamps - Polka Dot Basics, Mega Mixed Messages

Other - 1 3/4" circle punch, Dark Chocolate Vintage Button, Ecru Embroidery Thread

Embellies

For Day 13 of the PTI Anniversary Celebration, Nichole challenged us to make our own embellies and then make a card using one of those. I decided that since I use Star Prints a lot, I'd have all different stars ready to go for use later.

I used cardstock, ink, and buttons in: Scarlet Jewel, Aqua Mist, Plum Pudding, Summer Sunrise, and Berry Sorbet. All the buttons were sewn on with regular thread and I added a dimensional to the back.

And here's my card using one of the embellies....this one uses a Pure Poppy theme. The star didn't turn out too well in the picture, but it is stamped.

Oh Happy Day!

Let me tell you how happy this card makes me. Not because I love it (because I do, but that's not it)...because I found a FREE svg file for the SCAL that works with PTI's Vintage Labels!!!! WHOO HOO!

I don't own a die cut machine or a punch that'll do any of the labels in this set, so every time I stamp it, I have to hand cut it out and that's a pain in a half. So, since I had some time, I did a search for free svg files to just see what I could find.

This came from http://freesvgs.blogspot.com/ and I found a few others while I was there that I liked and downloaded. Super easy to use....just click on the picture you want, it'll open up and you right click and save and pull it up in SCAL and resize it to your liking. For the Dark Chocolate, it's sized at 2.25" (make sure you check the keep proportions box!) and the Ripe Avocado is sized at 2".

So anyway, I also needed a bit of inspiration, so I headed over to Taylor's blog and found one of her older challenges. It's always fun trying to come up with something based on those! I feel like I need something inside the label, but I don't know what? For now, it'll stay blank!

Supplies (all PTI unless noted):

Paper - Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado, Turning a New Leaf

Stamps - Vintage Labels, Everyday Button Bits

Ink - Ripe Avocado, Dark Chocolate

Other - SCAL, Vintage Buttons: Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado, Wood

Design Challenge

What?!? A card with NO stamping? yup! I didn't get a chance to participate in the challenge using downloadable files from the PTI designers, but, I still downloaded and printed a few so I could do them at a later date. I don't have access to a printer that'll print on PTI cardstock, so this was done on regular copy paper! I just added the 2" scallop to the back so you couldn't see through.

All the papers come from Turning A New Leaf. The ribbon is really straight in person, even though it looks crooked in this picture!

Supplies (all PTI unless noted):

Paper - Rustic Cream, Dark Chocolate, Turning a New Leaf, Pure Poppy

Other - 2" scallop punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, Spring Moss Twill Ribbon, Dawn McVey image

A Valentine Challenge

I have a few challenges that came up today. One for PTI's anniversary countdown. They're partnering with CPS for their weekly challenge and offering up THREE of the new stamp sets coming out on the 15th. It was also time for our 2nd Papertrey Pals Pallenge! This one was hosted by Liz. We were challenged to make a Valentine and use a bit of stitching on it.

I was so glad she challenged us with that because I've been needing to bust my sewing machine out again! I'm thrilled with the way my stitching came out. I think I'm finally getting the hang of it!

This card uses Rustic Cream as the base and I have Pure Poppy hearts which I did a little distressing to and then sewed on a Raspberry Fizz button. I stamped hearts in Pure Poppy and the words in Rasberry Fizz. The final size of this card is 4x4.

Supplies (all PTI unless noted):

Paper - Rustic Cream, Pure Poppy, Kraft, Raspberry Fizz

Ink - Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz

Stamps - Unknown Valentine

Other - Raspberry Fizz Vintage Button, sewing machine, cricut

Mojo Monday #124

I'm trying to get a stash of masculine cards so I have them on hand. I'm not a fan of this one at all, but I figure most guys don't even look at the card twice, so it'll do! LOL I used the Mojo Monday #124 sketch for this one. It turned out a lot harder than I anticipated!

I do like the patterned paper peeking through on the strip and behind the circle, though. Adds just enough pop of color and then the buttons really bring it out. This card did make me mad...right after I inked up the sentiment, I fumbled the Fresh Snow cube and dropped it right on my black yoga pants. Grr....

Supplies (all PTI unless noted):

Paper - Enchanted Evening, Aqua Mist, White, Basic Grey Lime Rickey

Stamps - Polka Dot Basics, Mega Mixed Messages

Ink - Aqua Mist, Fresh Snow

Other - Scarlet Jewel Vintage Buttons, Aqua Mist Twill Ribbon, 2" scalloped punch, 1 3/4" circle punch

Berry Best Wishes

I'm loving this color combination today! Berry Sorbet and Dark Chocolate with a splash of white. Yum! Caardvarks is currently having a challenge for creating a wedding card. The winner will receive their card in the June issue of CARDS magazine!

I decided to play along using Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #99. Fun challenge! I love the little popout circle.

Supplies (all PTI unless noted):

Paper - Berry Sorbet, Dark Chocolate, White

Stamps - Mega Mixed Messages, Inkadinkado Doodle Flowers

Ink - Berry Sorbet, Dark Chocolate

Other - Dark Chocolate Bitty Dots Ribbon, Kaiser Silver Rhinestones, 2" and 1 3/4" circle punches

Emboss Resist

Yay! I'm back! Today, Nichole Heady, of PTI fame, posted a challenge on her blog showing a technique called emboss resist. I've done a wee bit of embossing, but not much. I've never been shown how to do it and I think I pretty much suck at it. But, I figured I'd give this challenge a try. After two tries, this is what I came up with!

I stamped Polka Dot Basics first in Lavendar Moon. Then used the vine from Beyond Basic Borders in Versamark and heat set it with clear embossing powder. I sponged on Spring Moss and wiped it off with a baby wipe. I wish the image would've popped more, but I'm not sure what I did wrong. Like I said, I don't do embossing much!

The base of the card is Smokey Shadow. Not sure if I like it with the Spring Moss or not. I do like it with the Plum Pudding, though.

NFL Happily Ever Challenged

Ted offered up another challenge this month. This time, we are to make a Valentine card using colors from an NFL team (minus any that have traditional valentine's colors ie. Buccaneers or Cardinals). I immediately had an idea, but it's taken me awhile to have time to do it!

DH and I love the Steelers, so it's only natural that I would pick them as my inspiration piece.

I *knew* I had to use the word "Steelers" in some way since it is a Valentine, after all! And those little diamonds on the logo? Let me tell you how hard it was for me to draw those! I finally wound up taking a thin piece of paper and holding it up to my monitor and tracing a logo I found online! LOL Whatever, works, right?

If you notice, I used the jersey as my inspiration piece. Unfortunately, I didn't have any light grey for the back of the logo, so I wound up using Smokey Shadow. You can tell the difference in person that it's not black.

Thanks for the challenge, Ted!

Supplies (all PTI unless noted):

Paper - True Black, White, Smokey Shadow, Random Yellow from Michael's

Other - 2" and 1.75" circle punch, Crayola Pencils

Mojo Monday

One of my challenges to myself this year was to put myself out there more in terms of card making. I did several challenges last year, but this year I'm trying to seek them out and go for some of the ones I think are too hard. I'm never going to learn and grow if I don't try, right?

So this weekend, I took on the Mojo Monday sketch. It came together a lot easier than I had anticipated. Everything on this card came from my scrap bin with the exception of the Raspberry Fizz Saddle Stitch Ribbon and rhinestones. So, not only did I do a challenge, but I also got rid of some scrap! Although, I seriously think that stuff multiplies! I keep seeing more and more!

Have a great rest of your Sunday!

Supplies (All PTI unless noted):

Paper - Sweet Blush, Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Fizz, DCWV patterned paper, Taylored Expressions Birthday Girl Patterned Paper

Ink - Raspberry Fizz

Stamps - Unknown Love Set

Other - Raspberry Fizz Saddle Stitch Ribbon, Kaiser Rhinestones, Fiskars Threading Water Punch