create along with us

For Papertrey’s Create Along With Us, I combined two wreath cards – Heather’s and Betsy’s – to make a card to send autumn greetings.

 

The result is a surprisingly very sweet card. The white embossing with the soft colors give this card a delicacy that is unexpected for a fall card. Mine tend to be much bolder. And don’t you just love the font that Dawn used in her Birthday Classics: September set? It is one of my favorites.

 

Do you finish the inside of your card? I try to, even if only to add a strip of coordinating paper. I was at a loss for this card. Since it is a notecard, I wasn’t adding a sentiment inside, had no patterned paper to add, and couldn’t manipulate the wreath stamp since it is rubber. What to do? I finally realized that I could stamp a side of the wreath, overlapping it three times, to give a twig border. I was happy with how it turned out – understated and delicate to go with the card front.

 

Hope you have a magnificent week. The trees are just beginning to turn here and are complementing the crispness in the air.

nancy

supplies:

stamps:  Garden Grace, Birthday Classics: September, and Birthday Basics (PTI); Bramble Wreath (Memory Box)

ink:  fine linen and canyon clay (PTI); VersaMark

paper:  stamper’s select white and classic kraft card stock (PTI)

dies:  Inside/Out Stitched Square STAX (MFT Stamps)

extras:  white embossing powder (Superior); baker’s twine (Recollections); enamel dots (Studio Calico; MME)

just a little note… literally

On the first day of Papertrey’s countdown, Heather shared a card that nestled its way into my heart and has remained there ever since. I knew that sweet little card would be my inspiration for Create Along With Us.

 

In my August Create Along With Us post, I shared that I was not ready for autumn, so you can imagine what I think about winter cards in September. It is why I created a card that is just right for this time of year – apple season.

Wouldn’t you rather have a glass of apple cider than a pumpkin spice latte in September?

nancy

supplies:

stamps:  Monthly Moments: September, Stitched Sentiments, Birthday Classics: September and tag-its #2 (PTI)

ink:  pure poppy, simply chartreuse and ripe avocado (PTI); tuxedo black (Memento); fresh snow (Palette)

paper:  ripe avocado, pure poppy and classic kraft card stock (PTI)

dies:  Party Pops (PTI); Banner Trio (wPlus9); Inside/Out Stitched Square STAX (MFT Stamps)

extras:  jute twine (Westrim); enamel dots (MME)

mim#259: ombré triangles

Just a quick post to share the card that I made for Papertrey’s Make It Monday Challenge #259, ombré cluster stamping, shared by Dawn McVey. I worked with shades of olive green to make a guy’s birthday card. Some Classic Kraft – second generation stamping – was added to the mix because it needed a little something extra.

 

And because I’m planning ahead, an October birthday sentiment was chosen for the inside. The sentiment was stamped in Ripe Avocado rather than the Rich Cocoa used on the front because I really was planning ahead and will be writing birthday wishes with a brown pen.

 

Hope you don’t have to be hard at work this Labor Day.

nancy

supplies:

stamps:  Tiny Triangles; Botanical Silhouettes; and Birthday Classics: October (PTI)

ink:  classic kraft (second generation), spring moss, simply chartreuse and ripe avocado (PTI); rich cocoa (Memento)

paper:  classic kraft and rustic cream card stock (PTI)

extras:  Boho stickers (Recollections)

mim#258: cover plate tags

Wow, look at me posting for PTI challenges three weeks in a row. And while I’m patting myself on the back, I’m even more impressed with myself because something in the circuit panel blew yesterday and there is minimal electricity in my house right now. Fortunately and thankfully, the refrigerator, two a/c window units and a handful of outlets were not affected. Unfortunately, the outlet for my internet box – not sure what the technical term is – does not have power, so I have to switch it out with the a/c when I want to get online. Good thing the temps are getting cooler at night.

So, back to why it’s kudos to me. The room where I craft does not get a lot of natural light; it’s located on the northwest corner of the house. That means I usually have a very bright overhead light on that illuminates the whole room. Last night, when I made this card, I had one table lamp that, in comparison, seemed to be like working in candlelight. Oh, how spoiled I am.

This week, Papertrey’s Make It Monday Challenge #258,  combining tags and cover plates, was presented by Laurie Willison. Because I tend not to use a lot of tags as tags, I usually make them on an as-needed basis to match the packaging. That meant that my tag for this Make It Monday would be going on a card, a guy’s card. This seemed to be a great way to add texture and keep it graphic, both go-to elements for me when making a masculine card. When the MIM video finished playing, YouTube was kind enough to recommend this video from Vicky Papaioannou and my plan for the card came together. Don’t you love when things like that happen?

Do you think guys wish upon a birthday star?

nancy

supplies:

stamps:  Wishes Come True and Simple Stars (PTI)

ink:  enchanted evening (PTI)

paper:  rustic cream card stock (PTI); passion fruit card stock collection (Recollections)

dies:  Tag Sale #3, Cover Plate: Stars, Seeing Stars, Coffee Cozy Details, Super Star Border, and Double-ended Banner (PTI); Linen & Canvas impression plate (PTI)

extras:  jute twine (Westrim)

happy fall y’all – no, not yet!!!!!!!!!

Papertrey’s August release contained a number of autumnal products and because I’m not at all ready for a change in seasons, I thought of skipping this month’s Create Along With Us challenge. Obviously, I changed my mind and even made two cards, both with a decidedly fall flavor.

The first card chosen as inspiration is Danielle’s pink Happy Fall card. With its lighter, more feminine colors, this card is perfect for that transition period of the warm days and cool nights of late September, which is probably part of the reason I chose it. Another reason is that I own the fabric tape Danielle used. Because I had yet to unwind that tape, this was the perfect opportunity to get it out.

 

Back in April, I described my approach to Create Along With Us. Another reason for my duplicative approach is that it pushes me to try things that I otherwise would not. Using a white leaf on an autumn card or pairing Soft Stone with these colors is not something I would do, but I love how they look on Danielle’s card… and on mine.

Another technique that I haven’t tried – it just didn’t seem worth the effort to me – is ink blending on word die cuts. Boy, was I ever wrong! It’s not much effort and the blended die cut has so much depth.

This card is my attempt at Betsy’s Inspired:  Blessed card. The flower cluster from Don’t Forget to Write seemed to be a good substitute and its stamp set was another item I had yet to use. After making this card, I’ve decided that I need to add some wheat to my collection. (I think I had decided that before I made the card.)

Hope you’re still enjoying some sweet summertime.

nancy

supplies (happy fall):

stamps:  Stitched Sentiments, Pumpkin Patch, Birthday Classics: September and Birthday Basics (PTI)

ink:  sweet blush, berry sorbet, harvest gold and classic kraft (PTI); rich cocoa (Memento)

paper:  soft stone card stock (PTI); white card stock (Recollections)

dies:  Leaf Prints (PTI)

extras:  fabric tape (Recollections); ribbon (stash)

supplies (prayer is a hug):

stamps:  Don’t Forget to Write, Botanical Silhouettes and Inspired: Prayer (PTI)

ink:  aqua mist, canyon clay, terracotta tile, summer sunrise, harvest gold, ripe avocado, simply chartreuse, fine linen and classic kraft (PTI); rich cocoa (Memento)

paper:  classic kraft and fresh snow linen card stock (PTI); watercolor paper (Master’s Touch)

dies:  Don’t Forget to Write and Happiness in Bloom Leaves (PTI); Stitched Rectangles (SSS); Inside/Out Stitched Square STAX (MFT Stamps)

it’s the pits: a card for mim#257

Each week, I try to play along with Papertrey’s Make It Monday Challenge, but I usually don’t finish a card in time to post. This week, I was determined to complete and enter my card for Make It Monday #257, sentiment strip grounding, presented by Lexi Daly.

Back at the start of July, I bought two pounds of cherries and pitted them the old fashioned way – with a sharp knife. From those cherries, my daughter made a cherry-blueberry crisp that was amazingly delicious. I mentioned to her that I wanted to buy more cherries and freeze them to have the crisp in the winter, but that I dreaded pitting all of those cherries and having my fingers be stained for two plus weeks. Brianna asked why I didn’t buy a cherry pitter and I explained that I had one many years ago that was worthless, so I’ve just stuck with the knife. She shared that her dad has one and insisted that it is easy to use. Fast forward one six-cherry pitter and five pounds of cherries later and I have a freezer filled with washed and pitted cherries just waiting for a cold winter’s day when Brianna bakes us a cherry crisp.

What do cherry pitters have to do with grounded sentiments? In actuality, nothing, but I incorporated that approach on a card using the cherry from Scent-imentals. I made the card for my father-in-law so that I could share the cherry pitter story. He lives in a nursing home a few states away and I like to send him cards and share little tidbits about what is going on in our lives. In reality, it is easier for me to make a card and write a note if there is a story that guides both; otherwise, I sit there staring at a blank page with my mind just as blank (for both making the card and writing the note).

One would think that after a woman pits five pounds of cherries, she would know exactly what they look like. Right? Well, the blank mind above apparently carries over into other parts of my life. After a “watercolor cherries” search on Pinterest, the following image jumped out at me, more for the design than the actual cherries.  Please note that the pin only went to the image and I was unable to find the original work of art to give credit to the artist.

I was not planning on doing anything that detailed since I am not an artist, but I did want to try to use the flow of colors. After working with a paintbrush for color placement and drips, I gave up and went to the smooshing technique. So much easier!

Sentiment strip grounding was a perfect approach with this card. The woodgrain tape was not only great for the sentiment strip, but it also symbolized a tree branch from which the cherries were growing. Obviously, I overthink things.

Hope you had fun visiting.

nancy

PS – One would think from the length of this post that I wouldn’t have any trouble filling a note card. ;-)

supplies:

stamps:  Scent-imentals and Flower Fusion #10 (PTI)

ink:  harvest gold, bright buttercup, hibiscus burst, pure poppy, scarlet jewel, green parakeet, new leaf and classic kraft (PTI); espresso truffle (Memento); VersaMark

paper:  citrus blend card stock (Recollections); watercolor paper (Strathmore)

dies:  Scent-imentals (PTI)

extras:  wood tape (Studio Calico); black embossing powder (PSX)

saf2016: watercolor like a master

This card is based on the poem "Jack Frost" by Helen Bayley Davis. And the photos neither do the watercolor technique or the card justice. Please do come back when I post better pictures to get a more complete story.

 

Jack Frost

Someone painted pictures on my

Window pane last night –

Willow trees with trailing boughs

And flowers – frosty white

And lovely crystal butterflies;

But when the morning sun

Touched them with its golden beams,

They vanished one by one!

~ Helen Bayley Davis

saf2016: gilded in gold

One of the small frames in The Pier collection by Crate Paper was gilded for this challenge. I'll take better pictures and share more about the card tomorrow. I just want to get this posted for now. Why am I always playing beat the clock?

saf2016: master color recipes

I'm posting very late, so I'll come back and add some background information along with products used.

saf2016: share your masterpiece

 

If I’m posting on my blog, it must be time for either Papertrey Ink’s anniversary celebration or Stamp-a-faire.  Since the weather is disgustingly hot and humid, it could only be Stamp-a-faire, a wonderful free online stamping event. To open the festivities, Nichole asked us to share THE PROJECT that we are most proud of, our masterpiece.

I looked through my photo file, remembered different projects, and thought about the why behind those projects I was considering. Should I pick that card because it was the prettiest? or that one because it was made to encourage my daughter as she worked on her last college film? or my first gratitude journal because of memories of blessings that it holds inside? or the “I Believe” mini-album that each of the girls in my Sunday School made because of the faith captured? After much deliberation, I decided to share a simple card. It is not in any way a masterpiece nor is it close to my usual style… unless I’m making a card for a guy.

Why this card? To understand, you’d have to know the way I approach card making. Usually when I make a card, I start with someone else’s card that I use as inspiration. I definitely try to make it my own, but it is rare that I look at a stamp or die and an idea for a card immediately comes to mind. That doesn’t bother me because I consider myself a crafter rather than an artist and I approach this hobby the way I would cross stitching or crocheting – with a starting pattern. To me, the inspirational card is similar to a stitching pattern, which I make my own with color, patterned paper and/or the actual stamps I own.

This card is my exception. When I saw the stamp set in Studio Calico’s Blue Note card kit, released in December 2013, I immediately knew that I wanted to use the stripes and stars stamps for a Fourth of July card. I even pictured it in my head! When I sat down to make my cards in June of the next year, I was so excited with how it turned out. The card was super simple, but with the layers of color that I love. To me it was perfect for an Independence Day card, but the best part was that it was all me from start to finish. And that is why this card is my masterpiece.

 

When I stopped by the PTI forum, there were a number of people whose plans for playing along were disrupted. Unfortunately, I’ve fallen into that group. My daughter has pneumonia so I’ve been playing nursemaid this past week, but still had hopes to sneak in a card. Last night, though, I got sick and spent the night curled in a ball with stomach pain. I’ve straightened out enough to be able to type this very wordy post and am determined to make a card on Monday. Such is life.

I hope you are enjoying your Stamp-a-faire experience.

nancy

PS - My daughter has joined the human race once again. The medicines and rest are working.

supplies:

stamps:  Let Freedom Ring (PTI); Blue Note card kit (Studio Calico)

ink:  pure poppy and enchanted evening (PTI)

paper:  white, pure poppy and enchanted evening card stock (PTI)

dies:  Super Star border (PTI)

create along with us

It is fascinating to see the different approaches to Papertrey Ink’s Create Along With Us challenge. When Nichole tells us to create our own version of a project that the design team shared during the release, I take it to mean that she has given me free rein to copy a DT member’s card – well, as best as I’m able with what I own. What intrigues me with others’ approaches is how a person is able to reinterpret a card in such a way that it no longer resembles the original; yet, when you read the explanation of the process, it makes perfect sense. I’m not sure if I take a duplicative approach because I am a literal person or because I am so enamored with the original design that I want one of my own to hold in my hands. Whatever my reason, the lovely card that chose to be my inspiration is Betsy’s “don’t dig up in doubt what you plant in faith” card, the last in the post.

Although this is a very close interpretation of Betsy’s card, I had to make some changes to the placement based on the stamps used. I picked the small roses stamp from The Sweet Life because it is a three-flower cluster with two layers of color, as is the original. (The middle layer of the roses was not stamped.) The sentiment from Garden Grace was used because of its similar type of proverbial message and it fit with the design. I did put some thought into my card!

While this is no Betsy card, I was pleased with how it turned out… until I noticed the stray ink that snuck on the front. After trying a few methods to hide the ink – obviously without success – I told my daughter that if the recipient mentioned the goof, they just wouldn’t have to be subjected to another of my cards in the future. How’s that for being an adult?!

Thank you for stopping by.

nancy

pti ninth anniversary

Because I am playing beat the clock, just pictures of the cards will be shared for now. During the week, I’ll try to return with some information about each card. Please know that if I’ve shared two cards for a challenge, I’ve only entered one. It just means that I was having fun with a challenge and kept creating. Also, as I mentioned in my Create Along with Us post, it has been five months since I’ve made a card. Because I’m out of practice, I’ve CASE’d a few of my cards, trying to make them with the supplies I own.

Color Recipe

Clothing Inspiration

 

Grab & Craft:  I used every second of the five minutes for grabbing supplies. They included watercolor paper, cardstock, watercolors, Fancy Flakes dies, Two Feet Deep and Winter Hills stamps, and ink.

Color Pop Fortune Teller:  Summer Sunrise, Berry Sorbet and Royal Velvet

Paper Crafting Alphabet:  new product, border, at least five colors, and incorporate yellow

My computer is old in technology years and leads to some challenges because of no longer being able to update its browser. One of those challenges is not being able to comment on some blogspot blogs; it is dependent on how the comments are set up. Please accept my apologies if yours is one of the blogs. I was that person who commented on every blog for each challenge or blog hop in which I was a participant, so this really bothers me. Thank you for visiting.

nancy

pti create along with us

I last made a card in September, five months ago. When I was at my computer, looking at wonderful, lovely, colorful cards, I wanted to make something, but by the time I got to my supplies, the desire to create would disappear. Papertrey Ink’s anniversary challenges flipped the switch for me and I’ve made 13 cards since Thursday. I’m a very slow card maker, so that productivity is close to miraculous. My anniversary challenge cards are in the next post. My PTI Create Along With Us challenge card follows.

My inspiration is Betsy’s wonderful, merciful Savior card. Since I kept going back to Betsy’s blog to stare at that card, I thought it would be the perfect choice for this challenge. Basically, I copied Betsy’s card as best as I was able using Beautiful Brushstrokes, One Liners: Happy and my novice watercoloring skills.

Thank you for stopping by during this very busy time.

nancy