Comfort and Hope

Here is my Designed2delight digital stamps artists challenge. I earned these free digis by Faith by participating in last week's challenge. I can't believe I've been good and stuck with this for 2 months now. Yay!

This is a sympathy card. I don't think I have ever made a sympathy card before although I have a slew of stamps that would be perfect. I need to make some ahead of time so they are ready to send when necessary. I decided to try to make the flowers 3D. It is kind of hard to tell in the first picture so I took this one at an angle. You can also see the wonderful texture from my new PapertreyInk impression plate. You can also see the sparkle in the flower centers from my yellow spica pen. Other supplies include SU! cs and ribbon, copic markers, foam dimentionals.

PapertreyInk Blog Hop!

I am SO excited to be a part of this blog hop. Nichole challenged us to share something that we new we have learned about creating and who is our inspiration. As far as inspiration, Nichole herself and many of the Design team members inspire me everyday.

Being a rubber stamper for over 19 years I was really skeptical about acrylic stamps. When I finally tried them I still wasn't sold. After finding PapertreyInk and their awesome quality of product with Clean and Simple designs that create such a variety of looks, I wish all my stamps were acrylic stamps!

There are so many techniques, tips, sketches etc... I wasn't sure what to share. I was working on this project when I read Nichole's post about the Blog Hop. It is a small thing I am going to share and probably most of you know it already and I don't know where I learned it, but besides being clear to see exactly where you place your stamp, acrylic is also flexible. "i'm batty for you" is actually a straight stamp. Because it is acrylic I was able to curve it on the handle so it would fit just perfect.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies: All PTI and Copic markers and spica pens.

Thank You Binder

I saw this fabulous idea on My Mix of 6. I decided I wanted to make it all out of paper, kinda of like a stationary folder. So I got out my ruler and started doing the math for what I wanted. The finished size is 6"x 9"x 5/8". I re-typed up the Thank You outline and Words and Wording and the Title (although I think I may change "Binder" to "Folder"). Stick some thank you notes, envelopes, postage stamps and a pen and you've got a nice homemade gift. I am going to be teaching a class to two of my friends on how to make this next week. No formal tutorial written on it.. just scratch paper with my scribbled notes all over. I will probably make one with them and send it to my Aunt with all the thank you notes I am making for her to use.

Altered Clipboards

I altered a couple of clipboards a few years ago. One was given as a gift and the other never quite got finished. When I saw this idea by Rebecca at Roots & Wings Co. I had already made up a homework caddy because of one I saw on their blog (it is written by sisters and sisters-in-law) and shared with my friend Lisa. So we decided to alter some clipboards. We both have 4 kids so you know we need all the organizing help we can get. She made 6 boards (for her and her husband as well) and I made 4 for my kids. It took a few days because of the glue we used for the paper and because I wanted to use varnish on them like I use for my washi eggs and tea boxes. I also used alcohol inks on the metal clip since paint scratches right off. Name tags were laminated and then tied on so they would hang straight while the board is hanging on the wall.

Two Cards

I am posting two cards today. The first one I made for one of the birthday challenges on OWH but I didnt read the guidelines that it was supposed to be a Holiday card until I was finished and ready to post the card. So it sat in a pile while I worked on some other crafty items (posts to come!).

Supplies: SU! cs, PTI cs, Verve sentiment, MelJen's Designs Digi, Copic sketch markers and spica pens, MS punch, misc. printed paper and ribbon.

My Aunt is in the hospital waiting for a liver transplant. Being so far away there isn't much I can do, so I thought I could make some Thank You cards for her and her family to send. She is a HUGE Elvis fan. I got these stamps from Cornish Heritage Farms, which unfortunately has since closed it doors. I had to make this card a 5x7 for everything to fit the way I wanted. For once my card turned out exactly as planned.

Supplies: SU! cs, PTI cs, CHF Elvis stamps, Versamark ink pad.

Scaredy Cat

I have felt overwhelmed by all of the Card Challenges in honor of Operation Write Home's birthday celebration. Alot of love and inspiration out there. I have been working on some non-card crafty projects (that I will be posting here soon) and decided I would just stick with my Designed2Delight digital stamps challenge for this week.

Supplies: SU! cs, PTI cs, sentiment, ink, & button twine, Nestabilities, MS tag punch, Copic sketch markers and Spica pens, CB embossing folder.

OWH Birthday & Sketch #33

Operation Write Home is celebrating their Birthday this month. Beside this being a sketch challenge they asked the card be birthday themed and PINK! (I added a bit of purple too!)

Supplies: SU! cs, PTI cs and sentiment, Martha Stewart punches, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Washi tape, copic markers, and digi image by MelJen's Designs.

Sketch #11 by Carly

Last week I used the same card for the Designed2delight and Sketches By Carly challenges. This week I did separate cards and I had so much fun making this one! It is my first square card. Now I need to learn to make a square envelope, although this card is so thick with the PTI die cut felt flower, it probably needs a CD mailer type box/envelope. All supplies are PapertreyInk except SU! oval punch and DP, Nestabilities scalloped circle die, and Copic markers.

Sew Beary Kind

When I saw this image from Designed2delight digital stamps, I immediately thought of a Dad with his little vest on. My Dad used to go on business trips when I was young and I remember him sending me cards in the mail. I still have those stashed away in an old shoebox. This card is going to Operation Write Home and I hope some little girl enjoys getting this card from her Daddy as much I did when I was young.

I got to use one of my new tools on this card, Imaginesce I-Top, to make the center brad on my felt flower, which... is made from PapertreyInk die cuts and felt. This felt is SO amazing! It is 100% wool and cuts so nice with the die cuts. I have another card I need to finish that also uses the wool/die cut combo. I used my Copic markers to add a little shading to the petals as well as coloring the image. Other supplies: PTI cardstock and sentiment, SU! ribbon and corner punch.

Back 2 School

MelJen's challenge #24 is a Back 2 School theme. I used some of Meljen's freebies to create this card. I ended up making 4 identical and will probably save them for Teacher Appreciation Day in the spring. I followed Sandy's example to color the apple. I need more practice. I would actually like to take a Copics class one day.. and Im sure even after that I will need more and more practice!

Supplies: SU! cs and ribbon, Nestabilities, Copic markers, Spica pens, PTI impression plate.

Thinking of you

Have you ever gone to CASE someone's card only to find out you are missing supplies to do it? And where I live I can't just run to my local craft store and pick up the missing items. Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps Midweek Throwdown this week is fall themed cards. I haven't been having very good mojo with cards involving leaves so I decided to CASE a card from PapertreyInk's own Nicole Heady. Her cards are ALWAYS perfect. Found out I was missing the woodgrain template and the mat stack 4 die (they are now on my shopping list for this month's release purchase.) So I substituted a cuttlebug folder and a different PTI die. I don't have their inks and couldn't find the right color combo in my own ink pads so I used SU! markers. The ink beads up on the acrylic stamps but for this stamp I think it was ok. I pulled out my embossing powders and low and behold NO gold powder. I havent heat embossed in forever and I am guessing it was probably one of those jars that fell into toddler hands and dumped. Overall I think it turned out ok. Still havent found my mojo.

Ready for Fall

Here is the weekly challenge for Designed2Delight digital stamps.

I tried to use Carly's Sketch but my image didnt fit quite right and I need practice coloring leaves.. a lot of practice. I had planned on using some leaves cut out of the image but ran out of room so I ended up putting them on the back (right next to where my OWH stamp with be).

Supplies: SU! cs, Copic markers, CTMH leaves, nestabilities, CM square punch, Corner chomper (photo).

Boo to you!

I am SO excited because I just got my PapertreyInk August release stamps this week! Yes it takes me 2 weeks or so before they arrive in the mail because I live at an APO box. By the time I get them and play with them, sneek peek is about to start again. Anywho they fit perfectly for OWH Stars and Stamps Midweek Throwdown challenge of Halloween cards. I'm also excited because my card is almost exclusively PTI products: Cardstock (black is SU!), 2 coordinating image sets. 2 coordinating die cuts. Additional supplies are Copics, Martha Stewart border punch, and misc. ribbon.

P.s. I LOVE candy corn!

Smile!

I bought this Digi by MelJen at Whimsey Stamps to go with this sentiment stamp I already had by Inkadinkado. I also have another sentiment in the same set about chocolate that would go with this image too.

I made this card for MelJen's Designs Challenge #23-STRIPES! Although I almost didnt have room for those stripes but they are right there under the tag.

Other supplies: Copic markers, PTI cs, SU! cs, DCWV printed paper, and misc. ribbon.