One seed can start a garden, one candle can light a room, one step can begin a journey, one conversation can start a friendship, one smile from a handmade card can lift one's SPIRIT!

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Make it Monday.# 7 .coloring with copics on non-neutral paper

Can you guess that I like this technique? This is my third card with coloring with copics on non neutral paper.  I am so happy that PTI is offering these kind of techniques every Monday...it inspires and teaches all at the same time.  And if I don't have on hand what they are suggesting to use...no problem, I just don't do it!  So I took my Year of the Flowers: Violets...the only flower stamp set I bought even though they offered so many different and beautiful stamps each of the months through this last year...the paper is Blueberry Sky...a few little gems for the flower pistons...I can see this little violet in the garden.  I decided to add a birthday sentiment as my two daughters usually come and take from my stash...I am happy that they like the cards enough to want to take and give one away...I know they will want to give one to their Grandma Elsa!

Another make it Monday card

We are celebrating my Mother-in-laws birthday today...she will be 88 years old on Tuesday.  She loves flowers, her husband is always buying bunches of flowers for her and she appreciates them so much.  I stamped the gingham on the left of the lavender cardstock...I settled for purples and yellows for these tulips to give to her...a little sunburst bow tied around the bunch of flowers with a tag that says:  "It's your DAY"!  She is such a wonderful lady...I could not have hand selected a better family to join...and it will be 40 years this September that I have had the privilege of being their daughter-in-law.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Blog Hop and Make it Monday PTI Coloring with Copics on Non Neutral Paper

Have you noticed that I write:  I LOVE...whatever stamp set I am talking about....lol!  I guess I really just love so many of the stamp sets, I couldn't name a favorite.  However, with that being said, I really do love these flower sets from the Friendship Jar Series, this is the original with the first set that came out.  Paper is Lemon Tart, I have never stamped and colored with copics on colored paper.  And WOW, I love it...I guess I always  thought it needed to be stamped on a whitish paper and then colored...but it is rather more forgiving when colored with copics on non neutral paper.  I used the gradient method that Jenn showed on the Make It Monday video.  I used three different shades of the yellow to orange...sorry I don't have the series, but what I used was Y38, YR04, and YR07.  I am getting better with shading, and the demonstration from Jenn really was a big help.  And I added the sentiment from the Think Big #1 set...it is just the perfect size...and can you just imagine giving a bouquet of flowers to a best friend because that person is just so kind...???!!!  Now, to add a little detail, I decided to add the embroidery floss around the stems, so I actually can use this card for both the Make it Monday and the challenge for this week.   yahoo...killing two birds with one stone, so to speak!

One more Easter card...

The little "tulip" flower is from the "Wishing You" stamp set, that was one of the free 13 stamp sets that I won from Melissa Bickford who designs for Papertrey, Ink.  I stamped the background with the big Polka Dot Basics II, I had a bit of October Afternoon Paper left over, so I cut a strip of that as it too had tulips and fun colors on it. I added some stitching around it and a little tag that says "Easter blessings".

One more Easter card...

I used the Egg Hunt stamp set again...Aqua Mist paper cut with the scallop die, I then stamped the left edge with Background Basics Tin Types with versamark ink, the strip of kraft is stamped with the flower strip from Egg Hunt.  the butterflies were stamped with versamark ink and then embossed with white embossing powder...then I went over each butterfly with more of the aqua mist ink to highlight it a bit more.

Another Spring Card...maybe a bouquet of Lilacs?

I just received the die cut for the "Larger than Life" stamp set...and when I saw it I was reminded of a card that Betsy Veldman made last Christmas.  I was thinking more in the purples, like a bouquet of lilacs, so I stamped it in a purple shade and die cut the flowers...maybe about 5 of them and tied a bow around them, then I added a little tag that says "Happy Spring"...I love this card...it seems so fresh and springy...wonder if I could add some 'scents' to this and mail it out...mmm, would sure smell good when the envelope was opened!!

Easter Cards and Spring Cards

 The Egg Hunt stamp set is really a great one...fun stamps to color the eggs...a darling butterfly that I cut out by hand...a couple of different background papers for the first two pictures.















this card I used the Friendship Jar and die cut, then I added the eggs from the Spring collection and the cute little chick that hatched out of the egg.  The background stamp is also from Egg Hunt.

Springy Cards Galore!!

I think everyone across the country is ready for spring, here in Oregon we are closing in on the coldest March in 125 years!...and one of the wettest.  So far this month it is the latest date in March that we have NOT had any days to reach 60 degrees...so I have been very inspired to make springy, flowery cards...hoping that I can jinx the rain and cold into giving us some warmer days.  This card is using the Flower Fusion #1 stem from PTI..and the flower is die cut from Beautiful Blooms.  I can hardly wait for blue flowers to pop up in my neighbors garden (formerly my garden, now my daughter's garden!)
Using the same Flower Fusion stamp, but different colors...Hi there!  Hope you are enjoying some sun!
I love the Wreath for all Seasons that came out last fall...such a versatile stamp set...I used it for Christmas wreaths and now I have it for the spring wreath.  I stamped the background flower stamp from Egg Hunt and also used the individual flower stamp on the wreath.  I did this card as a "topper" card...it still fits inside the A2 envelope as I made the card a little smaller to accommodate the top of the Mat Stack # extending above the card.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

A Round Scalloped Card!

I saw a round card posted by Debbie Olson on the PTI blog...I was intrigued by it, so I pulled out my scallop circle nestabilities and used the largest one...you must pay attention to where the scallops sit on the bottom (ask me how I know this!)...the second one turned out great...able to sit on its own without the whole card being tilted!!  I edged the rustic cream with a little bit of sweet blush ink...used that adorable bird from Little Bitty Birds and the easter eggs ....again!  from the Friendship Jar Spring Fillers...I ruffled up the pink ribbon using some score tape, then I stitched it...added a couple of buttons and a sentiment inside from Egg Hunt...that's it...pretty cute I think!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Make it Monday Challenge # 6 Impression plate tricks

The Make it Monday Challenge on the PTI blog was using an embossing sheet or folder...but only on a portion of the card...so I wanted to go vertical with my embossed cuttlebug folder and I think I need to work on that as I have the edge at the top,...then I totally saw a card that was awesome at this site:
http://pinkinkoriginals.blogspot.com/2011/03/little-bitty-birds-and-easter-eggs.html 

 I cased that card and used three inchies for the cute little Easter Eggs from the Friendship Jar Spring Fillers and the birds from Little Bitty Birds.  I, too, love those little bird and have used them on a number of cards.

I think these little bitty birdies hit the jackpot with the Easter egg hunt, don't you think?

Monday, March 14, 2011

A Tuesday Trigger - Oh So Lovely

http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2011/03/tuesday-trigger-oh-so-lovely.html

This is the first time I have entered a card for the Tuesday Trigger.  I saw this picture and it reminded me of a gift bouquet...which in turn reminded me of a gift...or two or three...so I made a card and used PTI's aqua mist for the background embossed with the Happy Birthday cuttlebug, then I saw pinks, melon berry, berry sorbet, a light yellow and ocean tides...this is what I came up with for this post:   Stamps are PTI Make a Wish.

Getting ready for Easter

I have mentioned that I love PTI stamps and everything they offer..well over a year ago, one of the designers came up with a mason jar idea and sketched out several jar 'toppers' along with things to place inside the jar...like daisies, marbles, paint brushes, silverware, then they came up with "Fall Jar Fillers, which included stamps for Thanksgiving and halloween...such as a broom with boots...pumpkins with leaves, candy corn and sticks for those yummy caramel apples or pumpkin candies...and lots of sentiments, too!  They were not done with this Friendship Jar series...next came the Holiday Fillers with candy canes, snowmen, marhsmallows, sugar star cookies, snowflakes and peppermint candies...and again lots of sentiments.   We were not to be disappointed when the next series came out that included such stamps for Valentines and Easter...since valentines is passed, I have made a few cards for Easter...here are a couple of them.  Again, I have used some sketches so that I could also use my sewing machine...and I love the dies, so I used several of them on each card.
Those cute little Easter Eggs are from this Spring Jar Fillers set..

How about some Spring cards?

I think we need to have a bit of sunshine in our life...gosh has it ever been raining up a storm here in the Pacific Northwest!  I inked up Flower Fusion and a sketch from Stamp TV.  I have not purchased the die to cut out the flower, so I cut it by hand and added a dimensional to pop the flower out!  I used some fun October Afternoon paper and a little stitching and I called it good...ready to mail out to an Auntie hoping spring will be on the way.  I also used the new Doily Details and the Mat Stack die with coordinating stamp.

I made another spring card using the Friendship Jar - Spring Fillers...it has three sweet little "sunflowers" and a picket fence.  I colored the flowers in with copics and used a sketch from Mojo Monday...All papers and dies are from PTI.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Make It Monday... # 5 PTI Distressing Edges

I used my fingernail to distress the edges of the vintage cream and raspberry fizz cards...then I stitched around them.  I also used blush pink and vintage cream ink to put a little distress ink on the edges.  The stamps and dies are from the Make a Wish stamp set.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Inchies

Do you know "Inchies"???  They are little squares of matboard...so a bit thicker than your standard cardstock.  they come in a few different sizes...one inch square, 1-1/2 inch square and 2 inch squares...hence the name:  "Inchies".  My BFF, Linda, let's see...how about BFF for 54 years now sent me a package of "Inchies" for my birthday...which is tomorrow..March 5!  We found them at a store in Seattle...didn't buy them when I was up there, and have since looked down here...the standard craft stores do not carry these little things.  I was so excited to get a little package of the 1 1/2 inch size to play around with today...she also sent me a package of clear stamps that have 10 different sizes of birds and poses!!  She knows I love birds!  and she also sent me some really cool Studio 112 butterfly dimensional stickers...wow, can hardly wait to create something with those little goodies!!  and one more...I know, I am not sure I deserve all this goodness...a pair of beautiful silver earrings with a purple four petal stone in them...so lovely.  anyway, back to the cards.  I loved the bird stamps and the inchies...so I made a card using both!  this is what I came up with:
You can see that the inchies "pop" off the paper a bit and that is without using any dimensional adhesive...because they are thicker than cardstock.  And this Friend is certainly "one-of-a-kind" and I am so lucky to have her in my life!

Friendship Jar and the Flutter by Friends...

I love the Friendship Jar stamp set...I think I have mentioned that before...it comes with a die for the jar and a die for the lid, and then it also has a die for decorative toppers you might put around the ring of the jar...but for this card, I just used the jar...without the lid...and my other favorite stamp set (well, let's face it, I have a lot of favorite sets that I just love..) is Flutter by Friends...so I put a little butterfly and some flowers and a stem inside the jar...but...one "friend" escaped...and then another little friend (the snail) is coming to check things out..the inside of the card reads:  are the joy of life.  So true...Friends are the joy of life and these two little flutter by friends will soon be out playing tag with each other...

Make a Wish cards...

I spent a little bit of time making a couple more cards with the Make a Wish stamp set...it also has dies to cut out the gift boxes...or can be used as cakes...and layer them...I will try that next!  ....with candles on top!!  But for now, I have two more cards one with gift boxes...all wrapped up with bow...and the other with a couple of candles.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Make a Wish tag

I used the same Make a Wish stamp set and I used the die cut with felt, then stitched up the center...super easy and all ready for a gift!

Ssssshhhhh....Jalen's birthday card...for May 20th

I am enjoying the Make a Wish stamp set...and I decided to make a card for Jalen who will be 4 years old on May 20th...I made a whole roll of birthday gifts and then added a Dino ....he is really into "Dino Dan" right now...sure hope he still likes Dino Dan in 3 months!!  Hah!!...the Dino is from the Tiny Treats Valentine set.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

A few more tags...

This sweet little tag was on a gift bag containing a "Prayer Shawl" for an employee who is diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer.  
My prayer for her is to feel the arms of Our Lord embracing and enfolding her in His care as this shawls is draped around her shoulders.  I pray this brings comfort and strength during this battle she faces.



Birthday Cards for sons-in-law

A birthday card...used a Happy Birthday cuttlebug folder for the base of the card..then I stamped and die cut the three "gifts" with the bow and ribbon....quick and easy.  SIL will be 35 years young!
Second SIL has a birthday on March 17th...St. Patrick's day!  I found these $1 stamps at JoAnn's Fabrics...perfect  for that one time a year birthday card...I love the round stamp with Mar 17 in the center!

Layered Stamp backgrounds

I watched a video from the Hero Arts blog...the designer showed a layered card with embossing, watercolors, and then I also embossed the card before adding the stems and flowers.  check it out here:  it was a very fun technique. I used watercolor paper for all the stamp work.

http://heroarts.com/learning/technique.cfm?techID=196
 First I stamped the line words with versa mark, then I used white embossing powder and my heat gun.  After that, I dabbed Ranger Distress Ink on a clear acrylic block and sprayed it with water...then I placed it on the paper and that is the green (for this card) and blue for the card below...then I ran it through my cuttlebug with a PTI linen embossing sheet to give it some texture.  Then I took some stamps from PTI's Life set...I dabbed a couple of colors of the Ranger Distress ink onto my craft sheet and placed the stamps into the ink, then stamped them.  It gives it a nice soft watercolor look...it was very fun to try this layered technique!

Jump start on Easter

A cute little Easter basket filled with colored eggs...I used the die cut and followed Betsy Veldmans directions for turning it into a cute card...so much fun to make...

















I love the Friendship Jar and all the fillers PTI have added to the collection.  This is the Spring collection and it has Valentine goodies, eggs, bunnies, flowers, chicks and lots of great sentiments...so fun to make different cards using the same basic  stamps.