CTD194 - Happy Father's Day

Good morning friends!  It's Wednesday and time for the Color Throwdown Challenge.  The talented Barbara is our hostess this week and she's chosen some great colors for us to work with.

I have a customer who requested a few Father's Day cards in her order so I used this week's colors to create two cards for her.

For this first card I used the Retro Sketches #13 Challenge for my layout along with the Papertrey Ink stamp sets Happy Day and Houndstooth.  For both cards that I created I used mostly the same materials but just switched them up a bit and used different layouts.  It may be difficult to see in the photo but I stamped the large houndstooth pattern along the bottom right corner in soft sky on top of the My Mind's Eye designer paper to add some texture to that area.

For my second card, I used the Deconstructed Sketch #53 for my layout and the same materials as the card above. 

Supplies: Happy Day & die, Houndstooth, Tag die - PTI, My Mind's Eye dp, Twill, Twine, Brads, Foam tape.  Be sure to check out what the other design team members have come up with for this week's Color Throwdown challenge!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

Danielle Kennedy - Wild Dragonfly Designs

Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Kristin Eberline - Mindless Creativity

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Kerri Michaud - Cards by Kerri

Kittie Caracciolo - Kittie Kraft - as our May Guest Designer

I hope you'll take the time to play along with the CTD challenge this week!

Papertrey Ink May Blog Hop

Hello!  Today is the May Papertrey Ink Blog Hop and the challenge for this month was to create a card or project using the picture below as your inspiration.  Don't you just love the sharp color combo of the green with black and white?

Since I just received my PTI order yesterday with the fun new Heart-2-Heart #4 stamp set, that's what I decided to go with for my card.  I started out with a black card base, then embossed a piece of kiwi kiss cardstock and added two strips of Making Memories designer paper with a scallop border and heart border die cut piece.  I die cut and stamped my phone, stamped my "hello" sentiment and added a black mat with a photo corner punch, then added that piece to my card front with foam tape.  To finish off my card I added a green rhinestone to the center of the stamped heart, some ribbon and a white button.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone has created for this month's hop!Thanks for stopping by!

CTD193 - Sending You Sunshine

Hello there!  It's hard for me to believe that 20 years ago today I was marrying the man who was and still is my best friend.  I'm lucky to have found someone who is not only a wonderful husband but a great father to our three children.  If my husband is reading this by chance, Happy Anniversary honey you're the best!

Today is Wednesday and time for another fun Color Throwdown Challenge!  Wanda is our hostess with the mostess this week and she's got a fabulous bright color combo for all of us to play with.

For my card, I used the PTI stamp set Simple Sunflower with the coordinating dies and the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge for my layout.  I started with a pink passion card base (I didn't have magenta), then added a 2 1/2" x 5" embossed panel of summer sun.  Then I added 1 1/8" band of the pumpkin pie through the middle and tied on my ribbon.  My stamped panel is 2 1/2" x 4 1/4" with one sunflower and leaf die cut and popped up.

Be sure to check out what the other design team members have come up with for this week's Color Throwdown challenge!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

Danielle Kennedy - Wild Dragonfly Designs

Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Kristin Eberline - Mindless Creativity

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations
Kerri Michaud - Cards by Kerri
Kittie Caracciolo - Kittie Kraft - as our May Guest Designer

I hope you'll take the time to play along with the CTD challenge this week!

SSSC159 - Strawberries

Hello there!  I'm a day late with my Sweet Sunday Sketch card, but better late than never right?  Karen has a great sketch that all of us can use to create with and we'd love to have you play along.I've created to cards to share today, one using the sketch and another using similar supplies.  For both cards I used the Papertrey Ink stamp sets Garden Variety with watering can die, Garden Variety II and Strawberry Patch Sentiments.  During the PTI release for the Strawberry Patch stamp set Jessica Witty used the small strawberry from the Strawberry Patch Sentiment set with the Garden Variety set and I really liked the way it looked so I'm combining the two on my cards today.

Supplies: Garden Variety & die, Garden Variety II, Strawberry Patch Sentiments, Tiny Tags & die, Button, Ribbon, Scallop border die, Foam tape.

Supplies: Garden Variety & die, Garden Variety II, Strawberry Patch Sentiments, Tag die, Button, Doily, Scallop border die, Ribbon, October Afternoon dp, Foam tape.  Colors: Real Red, Old Olive.

To play along create a card using Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch, then go to Karen’s blog The Sweetest Thing and link your card so we can all see your creation!  

Be sure to visit each of the Sweet Sunday Stampers below for more samples using this week’s sketch!

Karen Motz: Paper Playhouse 

Sarah-Jane Kale': Janeybell

Vicki Burdick: It's a Stamp Thing

Jen Tapler: Jen Tapler Designs

Dana White: Dana's House of Cards

Karen Giron: The Sweetest Thing

Melissa Hubert - My Paper Obsession - Our Guest Sweet Sunday Stamper

And the winner is...

Hi there folks!  I'm sorry I haven't posted the winner of the Papertrey Ink gift certificate from my Mother's Day post until today, I've been trying to shake this cold I've had since the beginning of the week and I've been super busy. The winner of the PTI $15.00 gift certificate is...Sheryl Berglund who wrote: What a beautiful card! I got a wonderful gift this morning when my 11 yr old son woke up and said "Happy Mother's Day, mom" without any prompting or reminders! You can see Sheryl's beautiful work here at her blog Papertopia.  Sheryl if you could email me at queenDOTbee7306@yahooDOTcom I will be happy to forward your gift certificate.  Thank you all for playing along and for your wonderful comments on my work!

CTD192 - Happy Birthday Mother

It's time for the Color Throwdown Challenge. 

Tammy is our hostess for this week and she's chosen some beautiful colors and a pretty inspiration photo to go along with them.

The card that I created is for a customer of mine who wanted a birthday card for her mother who is a quilter/sewer.  So I attemped to give my card a quilted/sewing theme with quilt squares, sewing pins and buttons. I used the colors from this week's challenge and also used the sketch from the Retro Sketches Challenge #11 for my layout.  I started out my card with a melon mambo card base, stamped the "mother" sentiment from the PTI stamp set Mega Mixed Messages in the lower right corner then stamped the Medallions background.  For the quilt squares I stamped one square using the Rosie Posie stamp set, another using the Daydreamer set with orange flowers and the other two using Bitty Background Blocks with gingham and polka dots.  Then I embossed the squares using two different embossing folders.

Supplies: Rosie Posie & Dies, Bitty Background Blocks & die, Daydreamer, Mega Mixed Messages, Birthday Basics, Medallion background, Filigree border die, Ribbon, Embossing folders, Buttons, Sewing pins, Foam tape.

Be sure to check out what the other design team members have come up with for this week's Color Throwdown challenge!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

Danielle Kennedy - Wild Dragonfly Designs

Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Kristin Eberline - Mindless Creativity

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations
Kerri Michaud - Cards by Kerri
Kittie Caracciolo - Kittie Kraft - as our May Guest Designer

I hope you'll take the time to play along with the CTD challenge this week!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!  Today I have a special card that I've created for my mom for Mother's Day to along with the gift I have for her and I hope she likes it.  This is also not just any blog post but my 1000 post here on my little old blog.  It's hard to believe almost five years ago I started this blog as a way of sharing what I love to do and connecting with people.  I've met (in person and through the Internet) so many wonderful people and have learned so much through my years of stamping and card making.  As a way of saying thank you to the people who visit, subscribe and leave sweet comments on my cards and projects, I have a gift.  I'm giving away a $15.00 gift certificate to Papertrey Ink, and all you have to do is leave me a comment here on this post and tell me "What is (or was) your most favorite gift that you have ever given or received on Mother's Day".  One comment per person please.  I'll be choosing the winner Tuesday after 4pm EST.  Good luck!

To create my mom's card I used Jen's May Sketch For You to Try for my layout and as my inspiration I used the Shabby Tea Room Challenge #113 "Pretty as a Pitcher", the challenge was to create a card using a pitcher, the colors from the inspiration photo and a rose.  Well I didn't have a pitcher so I went with the teapot from the Papertrey Ink Tea for Two stamp set.  I started out with a crumb cake card base, added a white panel with a piece of Crate Paper (Emma's Shoppe Collection) designer paper on top.  Then added the floral October Afternoon designer paper and yellow gingham strips with border and tied on my ribbon.  For my main image I used the PTI stamp sets Garden Variety II with seed packet die, Year of Flowers Titles, Tea for Two with teapot die and Rosie Posie with dies.  I stamped the die cut seed frame in crumb cake and the "Roses" in ruby red, then die cut the teapot from the back side of the red polka dot designer paper and stamped the outline.  I backed the seed frame with another piece of October Afternoon designer paper and arranged my teapot, leaves and roses then taped them down popping a single rose.  For my final touches I added a row of pearls to the bottom strip of gingham paper, the mom tag, paper rose and two stick pins.

Supplies: Tea for Two & die, Garden Variety II & die, Rosie Posie & dies, Tiny Tags & die, Year of Flowers Titles, Filigree Border die, Crate Paper designer paper, October Afternoon designer paper, Seam binding, Daffodil Delight reinker, Paper rose, Stick pins, Copic markers, Taylor Expressions Leafy die, Pearls, Foam tape.  Colors: Crumb Cake, Ruby Red, Regal Rose, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight. To all of the Mom's out there, I hope you have a relaxing and peaceful day doing what you enjoy. 

Happy Retirement

TGIF everyone!  How about something fun and refreshing for a Friday post?  I could use something just like that right now since I survived a field trip to the farm today with my youngest and four screaming kindergarten classes. 

The card I'm sharing today was one that I created for a card order, she wanted something for retirement using bright tropical colors.  I used the Papertrey Ink stamp sets Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar Fillers, Friendship Jar Summer Fillers and Mega Mixed Messages.  I stamped the small jar, ice cubes, straw and drink umbrella (which was paper pieced) and then stamped the daffodil delight drink inside the jar by riping a sticky note and masking so it only filled the bottom of the small sized jar.  Then I stamped the lime/lemon, colored it with Copics, added some glossy accent for some shine and tucked it up just a bit under the paper pieced umbrella.

Supplies: Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar Fillers, Friendship Jar Summer Fillers, Mega Mixed Messages - PTI, Cosmo Cricket designer paper, Copics, Ribbon, Twine, Glossy accents, Foam tape. 

CTD191/rs#10 - Smile

It's Wednesday and time for another Color Throwdown Challenge!  I'm hostess for this week and I chose the photo below which I found on Etsy.  I really liked the colors and texture of the tissue pom poms and thought that the photo would make for a good inspiration piece.

For my card I used the Papertrey Ink stamp set Four of a Kind and the Retro Sketches Challenge #10 for my layout.  I kept my card clean and simple, starting with a elegant eggplant card base, an embossed panel of cool caribbean (I don't have pool party) and my main panel which which I stamped with my image and sentiment.  I stamped and cut one of the individual blooms, then hand cut it out and popped it up for some added dimension.  I added light green rhinestones to the centers of the flowers tied on my ribbon and added purple rhinestones in the upper right corner.

Be sure to check out what the other design team members have come up with for this week's Color Throwdown challenge!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

Danielle Kennedy - Wild Dragonfly Designs

Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Kristin Eberline - Mindless Creativity

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations
Kerri Michaud - Cards by Kerri

A warm welcome to Kittie Caracciolo - Kittie Kraft - as our May Guest Designer

I hope you'll take the time to play along with the CTD challenge this week!

SSSC158 - Sweet Birthday Wishes

It's time for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! 

Karen's whipped up another great sketch for all of us to use and we hope you'll play along.

This card was created about two weeks ago when I made it as a birthday card for my friend and fellow team mate Vicki Burdick.  For my card I used the PTI stamp sets Strawberry Patch, Strawberry Patch Sentiments and matching dies.

 Supplies: Strawberry Patch & Dies, Strawberry Patch Sentiments, October Afternoon dp, Circle Nestie dies, Ribbon, Button.  Colors: Garden Green, Daffodil Delight, Real Red.

 To play along create a card using Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch, then go to Karen’s blog The Sweetest Thing and link your card so we can all see your creation!  

Be sure to visit each of the Sweet Sunday Stampers below for more samples using this week’s sketch!

Karen Motz: Paper Playhouse 

Sarah-Jane Kale': Janeybell

Vicki Burdick: It's a Stamp Thing

Jen Tapler: Jen Tapler Designs

Dana White: Dana's House of Cards

Karen Giron: The Sweetest Thing

 Erica Cerwin - Pink Buckaroo Designs - Our Guest Sweet Sunday Stamper

CR84FN53 - More Rosie Posie

TGIF Everyone!  I'm looking forward to the weekend, with my brother's birthday party tomorrow which is Mexican themed since it's Cinco De Mayo, (family, friends and lots of yummy Mexican food and margaritas) I know it'll be a lot of fun.I'm popping in today to share a card I made using the CR84FN53 Color Challenge and the PTI Rosie Posie stamp set.  You'll probably be seeing me use this stamp set quite a bit since I love roses.  Initially I wasn't going to get this stamp set since I have an older SU rose set but after seeing so many beautiful cards created with it and winning a gift certificate from Papertrey Ink, I knew I wanted to get it.

Supplies: Rosie Posie & Dies, Think Big Favorites #12, Oval Nesties, Wood grain Impressions plate, SU butterfly die, Buttons, Stickles, Foam Tape.