Celebrate with Green Balloons!

Balloons are such happy little things and certainly scream birthday celebration, don't you think?!   Today I have a card to share that I used my brandy new Birthday Balloon stamps and stencil from Papertrey Ink.  

 I stenciled the balloons using Limeaide Ice and New Leaf  inks from PTI, then I stamped over them using Olive Twist Ink, also PTI.  I die cut the sentiment 3 times using a Birthday Top Edgers Die from Impression Obsession glued them together so it was thicker and adhered it over the balloons with foam tape.  I forgot to stamp the strings on the balloons before I adhered the sentiment (whoops!) so I drew them on with a Copic Marker!

I went over the  stars, lines and dots on the balloons as well as the sentiment with a clear glitter Wink of Stella so there's a lot of shimmer

My card was inspired by the following challenges:

Just Us Girls

The Card Concept

My card is layered CAS

 CAS(E) This Sketch

Less is More

We went from bare ground to about 8" of sticky wet snow overnight!  After a morning of shoveling and snow blowing -  the sun is shining and it's all dripping off the trees and electric wires!  Lots of people in surrounding towns have lost power due to the weight of the snow on the lines - but luckily we did not!

Stamps:  Birthday Balloons - PTI

Paper:  White, Limeaide Ice, Ripe Avocado - PTI

Ink:  New Leaf, Lineaide Ice, Olive Twist - PTI

Accessories:  Birthday Top Edgers Die - Impression Obsession,  Birthday Balloon Stencil - PTI, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, Putty Copic, foam tape

Happy Birthday, Bird!

I have a 'bird' birthday card to share today that was inspired by three of this weeks blog challenges.

I stenciled a panel of white card with Faded Jeans Distress Oxide Ink over Tim Holtz Scribble stencil.  I die cut the bird from Tim's Caged Bird die out of Coredinations Paper, sanded the pieces and layered it over the stenciled panel with foam dots, adding a black pearl eye.  I stamped the sentiment under the right corner of the panel in black ink. 

Here are the challenges that inspired my design:

CAS(E) this sketch

Paper Players

Inkspirational

Stamps:  Man of the Hour - Waltzingmouse (no longer available)
Paper:  White - PTI, Orange and Black - Coredinations
Ink:  True Black - PTI, Faded Jeans - Ranger Distress Oxide Ink
Accessories:  Caged Bird Die - Tim Holtz/Alterations, foam dots, black pearl - Kaiser Craft, mini sander - Ranger, Scribbles Stencil - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous.

Ginkgo Sympathy

Today I'm joining in on the February Papertrey Ink Blog Hop where we are to make a card inspired by this photo:

I was inspired by the gray background, the purple fruits, the gold bowl and lettering on black and the touch of pink of the jewelry boxes!

I gold embossed the Ginkgo stem from Harvest Berries onto a panel of Stormy Sea card, die cut and stamped the berry stems from Spruce and Sprigs using Plum Pudding card and ink.  I layered the purple berry stems over the ginkgo with foam dots.  I  gold embossed the sentiment from Round and Round on a black strip and layered it with foam dots as well.   I stamped the 3 dot clusters from Harvest Berries for a little interest and added 3 pink dew drops.  I layered the panel to a black panel and then to a white card base.

You'll find the PTI blog hop on Nicole's blog here -  I'm off to see how everyone else was inspired!

I'm also linking my card to:

Happy Little Stampers

 CAS(E) this Sketch

Stamps:  Round and Round (a free set for points), Harvest Berries, Spruce and Sprigs - PTI
Paper:  White, True Black, Stormy Sea, Plum Pudding - PTI
Ink:  Plum Pudding - PTI, Versamark
Accessories:  gold embossing powder, Spruce and Sprigs Die set - PTI, foam dots, dew drops.

Thank You Twice

I can't believe I have cards to share with you today -  as many of you know - I had back surgery for pinched nerves on Friday, Jan 6th and did so well that they let me come home on Sunday instead of today.  So I was able to grab some time in my craft room in between naps  - careful not to BLT (bend, lift or twist!) which I cannot do for 6 weeks.

I needed some thank you cards and so quickly checked out a few challenges for inspiration and designed these simple cards.

 I inked up just part of this row of trees stamp and pressed it onto the card.

I'm linking this card to:

House of Cards - I was inspired by the trees in the photo and several of the colors

Happy Little Stampers

I used a sentiment die.

and here's my 2nd card

the chipboard bird and stamp are new, the tree branch and sentiment are die cut.

I'm linking this card to:

CAS(E) this sketch

Just Us Girls 

the chipboard bird and stamp are new. 

Plus it's a new card to thank someone for a new gift!?!

Happy Little Stampers 

Thank You Trees
Stamps:  Tree Line - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Paper: White, Scarlet Jewel - PTI
Ink:  Watering Can - Wendy Vecchi Archival
Accessories:  Thank You Die - PTI, tan sequins

Thank You Branch
Stamps:  Stamps and Stencils - Put a Bird on It - Wendy Vecchi/Studio 490/Stampers Anonymous
Paper:  White, Soft Stone, Dark Chocolate - PTI
Ink:  Watering Can and Cornflower Blue - Wendy Vecchi Archival
Accessories:  Mat Minis Birds and Their houses - Wendy Vecchi/Studio 490/Stampers Anonymous, Thank You die - PTI, Woodland Branch Die - Memory Box, brown sequins.

Cat on a Broom

Another quick Halloween card! Using a spooky broom stamp from Stampendous, a  cat stamp from Rubbernecker and a sentiment from Waltzingmouse!  I added a touch of color with a yellow Zig Clean Color Brush to the cats eyes!

 A clean and simple design

I used this week's CAS(E) this Sketch

Up late to get this card done -  now I'm off to bed!

Stamps:  Broom - Stampendous, Cats - Rubbernecker, Happy Halloween - Midnight Feast - Waltzingmouse.
Paper:  White, True Black - PTI
Ink:  True Black - PTI, Archival Jet Black.
Accessories:  Yellow Zig Clean Color Brush.

Get in Gear and Feel Better Soon

It's been a while since I last posted - I've had several family issues in the last several  months and it's just sapped the creativity out of me, but I'm finally feeling a little more settled and getting back into my craft room - thank goodness for crafting!

A friend is having surgery tomorrow so I wanted to send along this card from Kent and I to wish him a swift recovery.  He loves watching race car driving but I don't have any racing car stamps (what? none out of a million or so stamps???)  - so I used gears instead -  using tans and browns to keep it masculine.

I masked a rectangle on the kraft panel and inked over Tim's Gears Stencil with Ranger Distress Ground Espresso.  I stamped the sentiment from Healing Touch Sentiments by PTI onto a label cut with a Sentiment Strips die from MFT.  I layered it over the top of the stencil with foam dots and added Brown Candy Dots from SU.

I used this week's Cas(e) this sketch for my card design.

 I'll be back tomorrow with a really fun beach project!

Stamps:  Healing Touch Sentiments - PTI
Paper:  Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Vintage Cream - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Ground Espresso, True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Sentiment Strips Dies - MFT, Gears Stencil - Tim Holtz, foam dots, Neutrals Candy Dots - SU, eclipse tape.

Birds and Nature Birthday

Today I have another card requested by the same friend I made a card for on Wednesday - scroll down or see here.  This card is for her mother -  who loves birds and nature.  

(I made this bird/nature project for her mother last Valentine's Day.)

I knew I wanted to use a recently purchased stamp set -  Spring Woods by PTI because of the lovely multi-stamp bird images - and it also has a coordinating Spring Woods Die Set.   I white embossed the sentiment from the Keep It Simple: Birthday II set onto black cardstock.  The background panel is embossed with Eileen Hull's Basket Weave embossing folder from Sizzix.

I love stamping images on the inside of special cards  - this sentiment is from Tucked In Birthday from PTI.

I'm linking my card to:

Seize the Birthday - Birds, Bees or Butterflies

Cas(e) this Sketch

Stamps:  Spring Woods, Keep It Simple: Birthday II Stamp Set, Tucked In - Birthday Stamp Set - PTI
Paper:  white, True Black - PTI
Ink:  Bright Buttercup, Smokey Shadow, Classic Kraft, Simple Chartreuse, Hibiscus Burst - PTI, Versamark
Accessories:  White embossing powder, heat tool, rhinestones - Kaiser Craft, foam dots, Basket Weave Embossing Folder - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Dies - Spring Woods - PTI

Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Int. Nat'l. Tea Day

Did you know that today is International Tea Day?  If you are joining in on Amy's Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop you do!

And I made a holiday tea card just for the occasion!  The 'Teas the Season' sentiment is from Becca's Caffeinated Christmas set by Stamplorations.  The pot and cups are from The Coffee Set, stamps and dies,  (I'm pretending they are for tea - see the teabag??) the tea bag and steam stamps are from Afternoon Tea - both sets are from Waltzingmouse.

 The Pretty Circle die is also from Waltzingmouse.  I popped up all the die cuts on foam dots and added a strip of washi tape and 3 sequins.

 I used another stamp from the Caffeinated Christmas set on the inside.  So fun!

Are you joining in on the Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop?!!   There are TONS of randomly drawn prizes to be won if you link up your cards here!  You have until 12/18!

I'm linking my card to the following challenge:

Cas(e) this Sketch

Just Us Girls -  Trend Week/Sequins

Stamplorations December Challenge

 

Stamps:  Caffeinated Christmas - Stamplorations, Afternoon Tea and The Coffee Set - Waltzingmouse.

Paper:  White, Pine Feather, Textstyle Bitty Box Basics - PTI

Ink:  Classic Kraft, True Black - PTI

Accessories:  Pretty Circle Die and The Coffee Set Dies -Waltzingmouse, foam dots,  Copics, Washi Tape, Rhinestones.

Red and White

Yes stamping friends, I have yet another Christmas card to share today - my box is really getting filled up!

I used the new Stitched Edge Dies and Vanilla Frost Shaker Mix from Waltzingmouse.

and a sentiment from Folk Art Christmas Additions.  The patterned paper is Idea-ology Paper Stash/Merriment.

Here's what I stamped on the inside from the same stamp set.

I'm linking my card to the following challenges:

Cas(e) this Sketch

Merry Monday - Use Red and White

 Kent and I are celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary tomorrow -   we're going to cook on the grill and eat on the deck knowing that all the restaurants will probably be busy with people celebrating Father's Day!  Hopefully it's sunny! (ETA: nope - it's pouring buckets!)  You can see the card I made for him here.

Stamps:  Folk Art Christmas Additions - Waltzingmouse
Paper:  White - PTI, Distress red - Coredinations/Ranger, DP Idea-ology Paperstash/Merriment
Ink:  Pure Poppy - PTI
Accessories:  Stitched Edge Dies, Vanilla Frost Shaker Mix - Waltzingmouse, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive, Foam Dots.