Vintage Thanks

I had the day off and it felt great to be able to do nothing but the things I love (shopping, reading a good book, and playing with my stamps!). This afternoon I decided to meet a last minute color challenge at the Embellish Magazine Blog. Such beautiful colors, especially for fall (only today in Southern California it was 93 degrees - not exactly fall-like). I used CTMH's Creme Brulee, Olive and Brown Bag. The added challenge was to make it vintage. I did that by adding some ink to give it that aged look.

I also took advantage of the sketch challenge at 2 Sketches 4 You. This is a sketch I would come to again and again. Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies

Stamps: PTI Everyday Treat, Tiny Treats Christmas, Background Basics: Diamonds

Cardstock: CTMH Brown Bag, Creme Brulee, Olive; PTI Rustic White

Inks: CTMH Creme Brulee, Brown Bag and Desert Sand (for distressing)

Accessories: Ivory Grosgrain Ribbon; PTI Dies; Cuttlebug Dies; Marvy Punches; CTMH Creme Brulee Brad

Our Prayers Are With You

Back again with another card I made on Friday, for a friend who's mother passed away. The funeral is this morning. I made this quick card for her with the Embellish Magazine challenge in mind. I used CTMH's Sweet Leaf, Baby Pink and Cocoa. Not only was this a color challenge, but we were also asked to incorporate birds. The bird stamp I used is actually a solid stamp image from CTMH's Treasure Life. I first stamped it with 2nd generation cocoa, and then used the "rock & roll" technique in 1st generation cocoa. I was so thrilled with the results. Doesn't it look cool? I think if I did this 20 times I would come up with 20 different birds. I think I happened to luck out with this one.

It's hard to tell in the picture, but I also used my new PTI die to give the Sweet Leaf card base a little "linen" texture. So loving that die! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies

Stamps: CTMH Treasure Life; Verve Notes of Prayer

Cardstock: CTMH Sweet Life, White Daisy

Inks: CTMH Cocoa, Sweet Leaf, Baby Pink & Creme Brulee (flower centers)
Accessories: PTI Linen Die; Ribbon (stash)

Make A Wish

Hi fellow bloggers! Tonight I set out to meet the Embellish Color Challenge w/ ric rac. I knew I wanted to use a ric rac stamp to make a background, and I love how it turned out! I used CTMH's Cocoa, Bamboo, Twilight and Goldrush. However, I had a tough time with the focal image. The background was so busy that all the things I tried (4 total) just made the card feel too fussy. I ended up with this simple cupcake image w/ just a touch of color in the button accents. I'm pleased.

I thought this color scheme was fun to work with, and the final product is perfect for male or female of all ages. How much fun would this ric rac background paper look in lots of different colors schemes? HMMM! Might have to ink up some more of this!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies

Stamps: CTMH Cupcake Sprinkles, Ritzy Ribbon (retired?) and Pieces of Cake (sentiment)

Cardstock: CTMH Cocoa; PTI Rustic White

Inks: CTMH Cocoa, Bamboo, Goldrush and Twilight

Accessories: CTMH Craft Buttons, Cocoa Grosgrain Ribbon; PTI button twine

Thinking of You

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, but it sure feels like it! I mentioned in my last post, which was over a week ago, that I was nursing sick kids. Well, my kids went from bad to worse last week, but it's looking like were on the mend. Finally! I had two VERY sick boys, and am so thankful they are starting to feel better! I took today off of work just to catch up, so I stole a few minutes in the studio during lunch. I made a card for the Embellish Magazine Color Challenge and used the sketch from Clean and Simple's Fall-to-Layout #80. Pastels have never been my love, so this was a true challenge! I stamped the plaid background with the stripe stamp from PTI's Background Basics: Retro, and I used CTMH's baby pink, sorbet, buttercup and sweet leaf. I actually ended up really liking the plaid, but still not sure about the card. It may take me a couple of days to get back into the swing of things. I felt like the whole world went on without me!

Supplies

Stamps: CTMH Springtime; PTI Background Basics: Retro, Through the Trees, Polka Dot Basics II

Cardstock: CTMH Buttercup, Sweet Leaf; PTI Rustic Cream

Inks: CTMH Sorbet, Sweet Leaf, Baby Pink, Buttercup

Accessories: Ribbon from stash

Fill this day with joy!

Hey there! Hope your weekend is going well. Most of our weekend was spent nursing sick kids, but I did get a chance to go out for dinner last night with some dear friends! Yummy food and great company - bliss! Anyhow, I snuck away to the studio this morning to make yet another card for the color/birthday challenge at Embellish Magazine. I wasn't completely happy with the last card I made, so wanted to try again. This color combo has been difficult for me. Still not over the moon for this card, but not ashamed of it either. I used this week's fall-to-layout #79 from Clean & Simple as my starting point. The focal image is the balloons from PTI's Everyday Button Bits. I used some more of my handstamped striped paper (I told you I wouldn't be stopping anytime soon!) Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies:

Stamps: PTI Everyday Button Bits, Polka Dot Basics II; CTMH Boutique Borders, Circle Around

Cardstock: CTMH Hollyhock, Chocolate; PTI Rustic Cream

Inks: CTMH Chocolate, Hollyhock, Topiary, Outdoor Denim

Accessories: CTMH Craft Buttons

Make A Wish

Another card here for a couple of challenges. I used the color challenge at Embellish Magazine, which also included a "Celebrate Birthdays" theme. I've been having so much fun stamping up my own patterned paper that I decided to stamp up some more stripes with the color challenge. I used CTMH's Outdoor Denim, Topiary and Hollyhock. Hope you're not getting tired of my stamped stripes because I'm not sure I'm done making them! (Ha Ha Ha). I also incorporated Kazan's sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You. Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies:

Stamps: CTMH Candlelight, Connections, Circle Around and Boutique Borders

Cardstock: CTMH Outdoor Denim, Sweet Leaf, Baby Pink and Heavenly Blue; PTI Rustic White

Inks: CTMH Outdoor Denim, Hollyhock, Topiary and Chocolate

We're Praying

Here's the card I started yesterday, and finally finished up this afternoon. This card was made for a couple from my church who had a baby girl a couple months ago. This little girl, though, has had a rough start to life and is awaiting a heart transplant. My husband and I wanted to send a little card to let them know we are holding them up in prayer, but I felt like the card needed to have a sweet "baby" look to it. This color challenge with ribbon from Embellish Magazine was the perfect starting point. I loved the cross and sentiment from Verve's "Notes of Prayer", and wanted to incorporate that into this loose interpretation to the sketch at Unscripted Sketches (only I missed the deadline, again!). Anyways, thanks for taking the time to stop by today, and if you have a minute could you say a little prayer for baby Jocelyn and her family? I know they would appreciate it!

Supplies:

Stamps: CTMH (Boutique Borders, Circle Around, and Argyle Backgrounds), Verve (Notes of Prayer)

Cardstock: PTI (Rustic Cream, Sweet Blush, Dark Chocolate)

Inks: CTMH (Baby Pink, Chocolate), PTI (Aqua Mist), Versamark

Accessories: PTI (Aqua Mist grosgrain ribbon), CTMH (Clear Sparkles), Ivory Pearl Embossing Powder

Tools: Spellbinders Scalloped Rectangle Nestabilities

LOVE Banner

Just Us Girls is having a fun challenge this week to make a pennant banner with the optional challenge of a "love" theme. I knew this was one challenge I wanted to take on this week because I wanted to make a valentine decor item for my family. Every year on Valentine's Day I write my husband a poem that sends him on a hunt through the house for 25 reason why I love him on hearts. (This will be my 12th year doing this). He ends his hunt in our bedroom where I have our bed decorated with balloons, a gift for each member of my family (wrapped to match the decor, of course), and a homebaked goodie for each one of my valentine's. I wanted to make a banner to hang on my headboard this year, so I was thrilled it was a challenge this week. There was also a color challenge at Embellish Magazine that I thought would be a great starting point. The hardest part of this whole project was getting a good photograph. I liked how it turned out, but I'm thinking it is a bit "girly" for my 3 boys. My 2 girls, though, will think it's fabulous! Oh, well! Valentine's Day tends to be a bit feminine anyways, right?

Below is picture of each individual letter. I had some leftover paper from this project and started a card, but still need to finish it. Hopefully I can post that tomorrow.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Scraps to Treasures

What a beautiful day here in Southern California! It was about 78 degrees with sunny clear skies! I could see the snow-capped mountains of Big Bear, as well as the picturesque, Catalina Island! We spent most of the day outside - dining and shopping in downtown Brea. It was too nice of a day to spend inside the studio, so only took about a half hour after church this morning. I set out to meet the color challenge at Embellish Magazine, and then decided to also incorporate the Scrap-tastic challenge at Nichole's blog, Capture the Moment. Below is the scraps I started with.

All of these little cards were made using scraps, except for the card base of this first one, but since I didn't cut a new sheet of cardstock, I guess it would be considered a scrap, too?? All of the cards were made with PTI's Pure Poppy and Sweet Blush. The Black and Colonial White are from CTMH. The first card is a standard A2, and the other two are 4x2.5 (because that's what size my scraps were).

This last one also incorporated the sketch challenge at 2 Sketches 4 You, only I missed the deadline. Bummer! I was busy yesterday helping my husband clean out and organize the garage, so no blogging time.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Hello There

Embellish Magazine had another color challenge that I tried my hand at. This particular challenge also called for an owl image. I haven't jumped on board with the whole "woodsy animals" trend, but Embellish Magazine graciously provided a digital image to use, so it left me no excuse not to play. I paper pieced the owl to give it a little more dimension, and added some brown pearl stickers to the eyes. The tree branch is from CTMH's HeartFelt Die Cuts.

Close To My Heart's Twitterpated collection was the perfect papers for this color combo! I also used the sketch from Mojo Monday as my inspiration. I love the versatility of this sketch!

There was a lot of "fuss" cutting for this card. It turned out okay, but I'm not sold that all that precision cutting was worth the effort, yet (:. Anyhow, thanks for stopping by today and taking a look!

Supplies

Stamps: CTMH (Hello There - Twitterpated Workshop on the Go Kit)

Cardstock: CTMH (Chocolate, Colonial White, Sweet Leaf)

Patterned Paper: CTMH (Twitterpated)

Inks: CTMH (Chocolate, Sweet Leaf)

Digital Image: Owl (Embellish Magazine)

Accessories: CTMH (HeartFelt Die Cuts, Twill Stickstock), Embroidery Floss (Making Memories)

All Kinds of Fabulous

Fabulous challenges, fabulous colors and fabulous sentiment! This card was so much fun to make because the challenges were all kinds of fabulous.

The first challenge is the "Embellish for the Cure Color Challenge with Bling!" for Embellish magazine - aren't the colors gorgeous! And, you gotta love bling! The second challenge was "Not Your Regular Ruffles" at the Moxie Fab World Blog. The colors of this card and the addition of the bling just screamed for some ruffles, too. The sentiment from PTI couldn't be a better fit!

Now, who to give this card to????

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a look!

Supplies:

Stamps: PTI (Mega Mixed Messages), CTMH (Argyle Backgrounds)

Cardstock: CTMH (Grey Wool, White Daisy, Watermelon)

Patterned Paper: Amy Butler (Pink Damask)

Inks: Versamark Watermark Ink

Accessories: Grey Satin Ribbon (stash), Rhinestone ribbon slide (stash), Opaque White Embossing powder