Back From Hiatus

Hello Bloggers! I'm back from my hiatus. My family and I just needed some time in this crazy thing called "life" to put things back in perspective and proper priority. I have missed the crafting world and am happy to be back at it again. I haven't participated in a challenge in nearly 3 months, so I stole some time in the studio Friday to meet the sketch challenge at CPS. What fun I had inking up my stamps and enjoying some "me" time. Thank you so much for patience!

I started out this card with a stamped plaid background, and then added the ever-so-popular library card. I had a friend in mind for this card - she happens to love to read. Wouldn't a gift card to Borders or Barnes & Noble be a perfect fit? I distressed all the edges with a little Desert Sand ink, and used CTMH's Edge Distresser on the plaid piece.

I'm hoping to blog more regularly for the rest of the summer, and we'll see what the fall brings. I appreciate, though, the emails I received from a few readers. It helped to give me the motivation I needed to start up again. Thank you so much for stopping by today!!

Supplies:

Stamps: PTI Distressed Stripes & Circle Around; CTMH Library Cards

Cardstock: CTMH Sorbet; PTI Rustic White

Patterned Paper: CTMH Perfect Day; Bo Bunny Green Polka Dot

Inks: CTMH Creme Brulee, Sorbet and Desert Sand

Accessories: CTMH Pizzazz Irresistables; Ivory Grosgrain Ribbon

Tools: PTI Blossom Die; Cuttlebug Leaf Die

Another Thank You

I made another thank you card today for the sketch challenge #156 at CPS. I loved the clean & simple layout, so it became a "must do" on my to do list this week. I knew I wanted to translate the swirl pattern on the sketch into a tree branch, so, of course, I needed a bird to go with it (which happens to be seasonally timely anyways). The color combo was inspired by a shopping trip to Home Goods today. I saw a glass jar full of speckled eggs that were blue, green and yellow - so beautiful! I used CTMH's Twilight, Creme Brulee and Olive with hints of Sweet Leaf and Autumn Terracotta. I might need to use this combo again! For the bird, I used the "comb sweep" technique. I just simply ran a comb over the inked up image before stamping. Since this card is all stamped, I'll also submit it into Moxie Fab World's Olympics of Stamping Contest. Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies

Stamps: CTMH A Tweet & Hello There; PTI Background Basics: Retro & Through the Trees

Cardstock: PTI Rustic Cream; CTMH Olive

Inks: CTMH Cocoa, Olive, Sweet Leaf, Creme Brulee, Autumn Terracotta & Twilight

Accessories: CTMH Creme Brulee Stitched Ribbon, Black rhinestone for the eye (unknown)

Wishing You...

Hi Y'all!! I have been a bit sparse in my blog posts lately because I've been a bit busy helping my kids prepare their valentine's for tomorrow's school parties. Once I got that done, I hurried out to the studio to make a card for Jeanette Lynton's Color Me Monday. I adored the combo this week, and I knew I wanted to play along. I've been having so much fun creating my own printed paper with the straight line from Boutique Borders, that I decided to create my card base using this color combo. (The dotted line is from Priceless Love). I went with a birthday theme for this card because I don't need any more valentine's! I also incorporated the sketch challenge from CPS #153 for this card. Since I mail most of my birthday cards, I decided to make it a standard A2 instead of square so I don't have to pay extra postage. (I know, kind of cheap, but hey, every penny counts towards new product, right?). Anyways, that's all I have for today. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps: CTMH Boutique Borders, Priceless Love, Cupcake Sprinkles and Classmate Alphabet

Cardstock: PTI Rustic Cream, CTMH Cocoa

Inks: CTMH Tulip, Baby Pink, Olive, Cocoa

Accessories: Martha Stewart Ribbon, CTMH Sparkle Brad

Happy Birthday, Makenna!

Today is my niece's 11th birthday - Happy Birthday, Makenna! This card is not the card I am giving to her (you can view hers here), but I am posting a birthday card in her honor. This is the card I made for the CPS sketch challenge #148 this week. I loved working with this sketch, and will come back to this one again! It's clean and simple - just what I need when I'm strapped for a last minute card.

I used some scraps of paper from Bo bunny and a die cut sticker from Doodlebug Designs. I stamped the plaid background with my Martha Stewart stamp. It could not get any easier!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies:

Stamps: Martha Stewart, PTI (Mega Mixed Messages)

Cardstock: CTMH White Daisy

Patterned Paper: Bo Bunny (Blush Dot)

Inks: CTMH (Juniper, Bubblegum), Versamark

Accessories: Ribbon (stash), Doodlebug Designs (sticker), CTMH (white embossing powder)

Happy Anniversary

A quick post today. My Dad and Mom will be celebrating their 45th Wedding Anniversary next month, so I wanted to have a card ready (I'm ususually scrambling to put one together because I get so caught up with the holiday hoopla). I used this clean and simple sketch #114 from CPS - a style that I love! CTMH's Childhood Portraits stamp set is one of the cutest sets! Isn't that silhouette of the boy & girl just precious. Perfect for an anniversary! No sentiment on the outside of this card, but the inside simply reads "happy anniversary".

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies:

Stamps: PTI Borders and Corners Oval and Vintage Labels (for the patterned paper), CTMH Childhood Portraits

Cardstock: CTMH Colonial White, Cocoa, Tulip

Inks: CTMH Tulip, Cocoa and Desert Sand

Accessories: PTI Button Twine

CPS Challenge #138

The sketch from CPS this week was a fun one. Do you ever get in those moods to just create and create for really no reason? Well, I have it this week (last week - not so much - it was a chore). I have no real purpose for this card, but you can never have too many "Thank You" cards, right?

I got to play with my new Verve Stamps for this card, and I thought it turned out darling! The coffee cups are paper pieced with some retired (or vintage is what I like to call it) cardstock from CTMH. Summer Cloud Blue has always been my very favorite color from CTMH. It was the first color I purchased long before I became a consultant. I miss it!!

Thanks for taking the time to look today!

Supplies:

Stamps: Verve (Delightful & Delicious), CTMH (Argyle Backgrounds and Spot On Backgrounds)

Cardstock: CTMH (Cocoa, Colonial White and Retired Summer Cloud Blue)

Patterned Paper: Basic Grey

Inks: CTMH (Cocoa)

Accessories: Ivory Satin Ribbon

CPS Sketch 137

The CPS sketch is so clean and simple this week - I love it! Some of the ideas floating around in my head, though, were starting to get a little complicated, so I decided to keep it like the sketch - clean & simple.

I used my Martha Stewart cupcake punch as my focal image. I punched the toppings out of scrap pieces of CTMH patterned paper (pink polka dot is from Jingle; blue damask is from Emporium; yellow is Buttercup cs stamped with Intrinsic Backgrounds). The multi colored polka dot paper is from DCWV, and it was also a scrap - gotta love that! This one came together pretty quickly - which thrilled me! thanks for looking!

Supplies

Stamps: PTI (Vintage Picnic)

Cardstock: PTI (Kraft); CTMH (Colonial White and Buttercup)

Patterned Paper: DCWV; scraps of CTMH Jingle and Emporium

Ink: CTMH (Blush)

Accessories: Ribbon (unknown)

Tools: Martha Stewart Cupcake Punch; Fiskars Scalloped Edge Punch; Paper Shapers Large Corner Rounder

Circle Card

I had been wanting to try my hand at one of these circle cards for some time now, but needed a starting point. I so enjoyed the color combo from my last post that I decided to use that (only changed the aqua to a light blue). I also kept the same theme. Maybe this is a stretch, but I also incorporated the CPS Challenge this week. I thought it kept the main concept just in circle format?? What do you think?

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:

Stamps: PTI (Vintage Picnic - sentiment), Martha Stewart (Clear Pattern Stamps)

Cardstock: PTI (Kraft and Dark Chocolate)

Patterned Paper: CTMH (Jingle and Twitterpated)

Inks: CTMH (Colonial White and Chocolate)

Accessories: CTMH (pearl stickers), PTI (Button Twine), Marvy Snowflake punch, Martha Stewart Snowflake punch

Moxie Fab Gradient Challenge

The Moxie Fab World blog has thrown out a challenge to use monochromatic gradient coloring. You can view the specifics here. To create the gradient effect, I clear embossed the damask design onto Colonial White CS, and then sponged varying shades of browns (Bamboo, Desert Sand, Chocolate). Such a cool technique!
I needed a card for my niece who just got married this weekend and I was able to incorporate the CPS #135 sketch. Bonus!! Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Stamps: CTMH (Damask Tiles). PTI (Background Basics:Text Style, Heartfelt Basics)
Cardstock: CTMH (Colonial White, Chocolate, Bamboo)
Inks: CTMH (Chocolate, Desert Sand, Bamboo), Versamark Watermark
Accessories: Reminisce Pear Stickers, Ivory Satin Ribbon
Other: EK Success Diamond Scallop Edge Punch and Corner Rounder, Clear Embossing Powder

CPS Challenge #134

Participated in CPS sketch #134. This one threw me a bit with the 3 circles, but then I found a butterfly that I already had stamped and cut just sitting there waiting to be used for something. This is what I came up with:

I stamped the card base with 2nd generation Desert Sand Ink using PTI's Background Basics: Text Style. The Spellbinder's butterflies were made with CTMH Taffy cardstock and then stamped with Damask Tiles with Sorbet Ink. Added some pearls and these darling emellishments are finished. The sentiment is a new set I purchased from Verve Stamps. Love these sentiments! Thanks for looking!

Supplies:

Stamps: CTMH (Damask Tiles), PTI (Background Basics: Text Style), Verve Stamps (So Happy)
Cardstock: CTMH (Colonial White and Taffy)
Patterned Paper: CTMH (Twitterpated)

Inks: CTMH (Desert Sand, Sorbet)

Accessories: Reminisce (Pearl Stickers), Ivory Satin Ribbon

CPS #133

This is CPS #133 Sketch. Since I received my new CTMH goodies, I just had to make another Christmas card so I could use my new stamp sets. I promise I'll lay off the Christmas cards now, for awhile.

I used the new set, "Just for the Holidays" for this card. I love these nostaligic labels! I also used the "Damask Tiles" to stamp the cranberry cs (if you're a blog reader, you know how much I love this set). The polka dot ribbon image is from PTI's Holiday Labels. The olive cs is punched with the EK Success Edge punch. I added some stitching and ribbon to finish it off. Very traditional, isn't it? Thanks for looking!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy (early) Birthday, Dad! We are celebrating my Dad's birthday tonight, so made this masculine card using this week's CPS sketch.

(His birthday isn't until middle of next week, but my parents are leaving for an Alaskan cruise tomorrow. Rough life, huh? Doesn't retirement look like bliss?) Anyhow, masculine cards are always a challenge for me, and to be honest, not as much fun. But, I was pleased with how it turned out. My dad is an avid golfer, so he will totally dig this! I thought the sentiment, "a good life", was a perfect fit for the image, as well as my dad's life. I used the sentiment from Classmate Alphabet, "life is good", and inked up only the word I needed. I found an "a" from another phrase. Love the versatility of clear stamps!!!

Here are the specs:

All supplies from CTMH, unless noted.

Stamps: Golfers (retired - old woodie!), Simple Stitches, Classmate Alphabet

Cardstock: Textured Chocolate, PTI Kraft

Patterned Paper: Plaid from Twitterpated

Inks: Desert Sand, Chocolate

Accessories: Twill Ribbon, Hemp, Buttons (unknown source)

CPS Challenge

It's been a little crazy around here with the CTMH Convention, and now VBS at my church this week - whew! I decided to try to participate in my first, ever, CPS Sketch Challenge! I also challenged myself to use some of the new product coming out in the Close To My Heart Fall/Winter Catalog. Since I don't have much to work with (yet), I went with the old stand-by "Cupcake Sprinkles".

Here are the specs:

Stamps: CTMH Cupcake Sprinkles, PTI Everyday Buttons

Printed Paper: CTMH Jingle and Grace

Cardstock: CTMH White Daisy

Inks: CTMH Creme Brulee, Blush, Tulip

Accessories: CTMH Sparkles