Make It Mondays Challenge #4-Creating with Fun Foam

This week's MIM challenge was to use craft foam in a project. I decided to die cut out a bunch of buttons, which I then stamped with different PTI background stamps and image stamps like the flower bunch from Asian Fusion. I also used Owl Bellies, which worked PERFECTLY for the smaller buttons! The possibilities are endless!

Make it Mondays Challenge #2

This weeks challenge was to use vellum in a sentiment strip (here). I needed to make invitations for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon at my daughter's school and decided to incorporate this week's challenge. I started by making the background paper using YOF:Violets, which I stamped in chocolate ink and then highlighted the centers of the flowers with a little yellow Stickles. I printed out the invitation on my printer, cut them out, scored them and attached them to the card base. I also made little felt rose pins for each teacher which I pinned to each invitation. Easy peasy! I hope they like it!

PTI Make it Monday

This is my second entry into PaperTrey Ink's Make it Monday challenge to use repetitive sentiments. I doubled up and also used a color scheme from PTI's Day 5 Anniversary challenge. I used Lisa Johnson's color choices as seen here . She used Pure Poppy, Spring Rain, Kraft and Vintage Cream CS. It's such a nice summer-y color combo. As you can see, I made a notebook, complete with a pocket to insert another notepad when it needs to be replaced and a ribbon loop to keep a pen handy. Hope you like it!

PaperTrey Ink's January Blog Hop 2011

New Year's Resolution

With the new year comes a clean slate along with many resolutions. This month's blog hop challenge involves you challenging yourself to use a Papertrey stamp set that has yet to see ink or even one that might be collecting a little dust! Go through your stash and see what little used treasure it might hold. If you are in need of inspiration for your chosen set, feel free to utilize the gallery posted in the side bar of each set's sale page on our website, or go to the Previous Countdown page on Nichole's blog where each set is organized by month of release. 2011 is the year where what's old is new again!

I went down to my crafting cave and found this gorgeous set (Four of a Kind, last year's CHA set), with no ink on it! I also pulled out another crafting supply that had not been used before, purple flock, which I applied to the thistle image. I double stamped the image with 2 different color purples and used 3 different greens to get the multi-colored leaves and stems. I finished the card up with a small banner and a sentiment from Simple Sentiments. I am so glad I finally showed this set some love...think I have a new favorite flower set!

PaperTrey Princess Challenge-Go Vertical

Today's challenge was inspired by Nicole Heady's (of PTI) New Year's Year post about trying to go outside her usual comfort zone this year while stamping. Initially I was going to propose a felt challenge, but decided that I wanted to try something entirely new...I have NEVER made a card with a vertical sentiment. I turned Fillable Frame #11 upright, stamped a sentiment and image from Daily Designs, colored with a little bit of Copics and Stickles and made a loopy ribbon (which on closer inspection looks a little crooked; oh well, it's handmade). So here's my attempt to do something different...something vertical. Can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with!

PaperTrey Ink November Blog Hop

The challenge for PTI's November Blog Hop Challenge was to make festive holiday tags. Since I don't celebrate the holidays, I adjusted the challenge to fit my own circumstances this winter. For the first time I am participating in a soap swap sponsored by www.brambleberry.com. Basically, you make 12 bars of soap using your choice of Bramble Berry products, send the bars to Bramble Berry and then they send you back a mixed dozen of other swap soaps. It's such a great way to see what other creative soaps people are making. I made my famous Jersey Beach Bar...a coconut scented soap with an exfoliating layer of sand in it. I then printed up my tags, die cut them using PTI's Fillable Frames #9 and stamped a few nautical images from Out to Sea and Day at the Beach on both the front and back of the tag. The paper around the soap is a beautiful stripe from PTI's Men of Life patterned paper pack. I just love the way it all came together and I can't wait to get my box of soap!

An idea for PTI's Friendship Jar stamp set

I love the whole concept of PTI's Friendship Jar stamp set series. We have always used Mason jars as drinking glasses in my house (they are rather shatter proof) and there is something especially summer-y, drinking a vodka tonic out of a mason jar filled with ice and lime...I digress! Anyway last September a very dear sweet friend of mine (like a sister) was married and it was a fabulous, mostly home made wedding, under a big white

tent in her husband's family's

backyard. She made all of the paper products (ie: the invitations, placecards, signs, tags on the wedding favors, ect.) from PTI CS and the wedding colors were Pure Poppy, Summer Sunrise and lots and lots of polka dots. And on each of the tables we had these great big Mason jars filled with all these beautiful sunflowers that we ordered online from Costco! The wedding was stunning...here are a few pictures from the big day, including one of the bride and groom with 3 of my kiddos, who were all in the wedding.

So when this September rolled around and it was their first anniversary I knew the perfect image for their card-the sunflower and Mason jar combo! But I was thinking and trying to come up with a way to make the jar look more glass-like. I remembered the technique of layering Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE) and letting it cool and adding more UTEE to give a nice glossy surface. I colored the image, stamped the jar image around it, then completely covered the jar with a glue pen. I then applied my UTEE and heat set it. Well guess what, it looks just like glass! The pictures don't do it justice, but I was so happy with the results in real life. It really looks like glass. You could do multiple layers, let it cool and crackle the enamel...then rub with a light greenish/blue ink to get the look of the old time Mason jars. The possibilities are endless...For the inside of the card I colored in another sunflower image from the set and punched it out, offset with a small circle punch. I know the pictures are all mixed up, I'm still trying to figure this whole blog thing out ;) Hope you enjoy!