Sparkly Happy

I had a birthday card to make for a friend and I had already created this sparkly background:

I took a Heidi Swapp stencil I got on sale and used some Golden's Texture Paste (cheaper than the paste from craft stores) and added it with an old credit card.

While it was still wet, I added Martha Stewart's glitter in gold which adds a gorgeous look to the background.  To make the birthday card, I added some Fresh ink in Fuschia to a piece of Recollections 110lb white cardstock and used one of the Wet Paint dies to cut out 'happy':

I adhered it using Tombo Mono Aqua glue (a new fave of mine!) to the front of the card.  I love the look of the bright pink against the white and gold.

I just picked up some brown paper bags with a white stripe - I am planning on using some of these for Christmas card envelopes.  I added a gold strip of washi on the back to close the envelope and that was it.

Papertrey Ink Anniversary Birthday Card Challenge

I have been too busy to participate in all of the anniversary challenges but finally had a chance to make a card for the celebration.  Today's challenge is all about a birthday card ... I kept it super simple:

 I am loving the new Feather Finery set from PTI - the images are so gorgeous!

So we're supposed to also post a picture of ourselves with the card ... I'm a little camera shy, especially online, so here's what I came up with - my face is transparent but still visible - can you spot me?

 And here's a photo with my computer 'holding' my card as well:

Supplies:

Paper: Project Life gridded journaling card, PTI Aqua Mist

Stamps: PTI Feather Finery, Think Big bday sentiment

Ink: Jenni Bowlin speckled egg, Fresh turquoise

Misc: foam dots, faded china Stickles, PTI Spiral Notebook die

SAF 2013: Stamp-a-faire Opening Ceremony and Breakfast Bake & Take

Stamp-a-Faire 2013 has begun over at Papertrey Ink and I began this morning's Bake and take using a colour combination as inspiration.  Even though it is 3 hours earlier on the West Coast, I woke up at 5AM and blearily watched a few of the fabulous videos.

I decided to get started using some of the inspiration from the first post - complete with pictures, colours, sketches etc.  I am trying this colour combination first because it's completely out of the box for me - I rarely use orange and this combo is kind of retro and different.  Thought I would give it a go! :)

For my first card, I cut out triangles by hand and made them into a banner.  I stamped them with Memento Tuxedo Black ink using BB: Newsprint for a little added interest.  I used my faithful  Tombo Mono Multi glue to add some button twine - this glue rocks!  It dries clear and is perfect for this kind of job.  You just need to press it for a minute and it adheres cleanly.

I then used  foam dots and popped them up on a piece of LCI woodgrain cardstock.  I die cut a circle using the shape from Sketched Shapes and made a window using some acetate.  I stamped the sentiment using StazOn Jet Black  from Sketched Shapes - I am always in need of birthday cards and have quite a few coming up this fall.

What do you think of the window?  Oh don't you just love this woodgrain cardstock?  It is such a fun choice for a card base.  

My next card uses the same combo with cardstock strips of different widths on an angle.  I then added the sentiment using Fresh Ocean Tides ink in Steel Blue - the perfect colour for Ocean Tides.  I used Staples grey cardstock which works well as a dupe for PTI's Stone.

 

Not sure I like the placement of the sentiment but ah well ... I'll keep it for now! :)

Happy creating during SAF, everyone!! And thank you to the DT team for all their hard work on today's festivities.  I am heading out for coffee with a friend but will be back later with some more cards and projects. :-)

edited to add - a little bashful now as I just realized you are supposed to COMBINE a sketch AND colour combo ... oops! :(
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If you are looking for some crafty supplies, check out my sale page here to see if anything catches your eye.  I've got grid journaling cards, an impression plate and some stamps!

Supplies:
Happy Birthday
Paper: woodgrain white, Staples grey; PTI canyon clay, ocean tides, smokey shadow, autumn rose
Ink: StazOn Jet Black
Stamps: PTI Sketched Shapes (sentiment), BB: Newsprint
Misc: PTI Sketched Shapes (circle die), acetate,  Tombo Mono Multi glue, PTI button twine,  foam dots

Thanks so much 
Paper: Staples grey; PTI canyon clay, smokey shadow, autumn rose
Ink: Fresh ink steel blue
Stamps: PTI Mini Blooms (sentiment)
Misc:  Tombo Mono Multi glue

His and Hers Day Two: Happy Birthday - masculine sketched shapes

I was so excited when my Papertrey package arrived ... I couldn't wait to break into the goodies and get stamping!  I used the Sketched Shapes and Bountiful Banners to create a masculine birthday card.

I thought this would also fit nicely in with A Passion for Papertrey's latest challenge to create cards with a celebratory theme. 

Can I tell you how much I am in love with these new stamps?!!  The sketched look of the notched banners is so cool!  I layered four inks over one another - Fresh Birch, Sky Blue, Sicilian Blue and Chocolate. 

I stamped the HB circle in Birch ink (from Bountiful Banners), die cutting it and mounting it on foam dots before adding the sentiment using Chocolate ink.  Very simple but I think it could work for a masculine card, right?

Supplies:
Paper: Staples 110lb white
Ink: Fresh Birch, Sky Blue, Sicilian Blue and Chocolate
Stamps: PTI Sketched Shapes, Bountiful Banners
Misc: foam dots

His and Hers online class: Day Two - make a wish

For this card, I took inspiration from Jennifer McGuire's stamping technique with white ink and die inks.  What great ideas she has!

 I took a petal stamp from Maile's Modern Basics set and layered Vintage Cream (PTI) with Hero Arts mid tone inks.

For the mid tone inks, I used red royal, charcoal, cup o' joe, wet cement and tide pool.  I layered the smaller petals in die inks and then smallest polka dots in Vintage Cream.

I added the sentiment using Fresh ink in chocolate and then added platinum Liquid Pearls for a little bling.

I really like the idea for this card and will be trying it again - the look of white and light inks always looks so cool on dark card stock!  And the layering reminds me of velveteen stamping which I have always loved.  I tried it here and here ...

Supplies:
Paper: PTI Kraft
Ink: Hero Arts mid tone inks - tide pool, red royal, cup o' joe, wet cement; PTI Vintage Cream; Fresh chocolate
Stamps: PTI Modern Basics, Think Big
Misc: Platinum Liquid Pearls 

His and Hers online class: Day Two - wishing you a happy birthday

Here is my masculine version of Shari Carroll's birthday card.  I grabbed Studio Calico's Take Note 6x6 pad which has some beautiful designs in it.  The scale is just perfect for cards and the colours gorgeous!

I cut off a strip from the front panel and covered the inner strip with patterned paper and a chocolate strip as well.

The sentiment is from PTI's Mat Stack 1 - I love the simple font of this one!  I also added some arrows cut out from Basic Grey's Kraft Basics 6x6 pad but I did darken them a bit with some PTI Tea Dye duo.

Here's a side view of the card - now that I see it up close, I should've mounted the largest arrow with a bit more overhang ... ah, well! :-)

Supplies:
Paper: Studio Calico Take Note 6x6 pad, Staples 110lb white, Basic Grey Kraft Basics
Ink: Fresh chocolate ink
Stamps: PTI Mat Stack 1 Collection

His and Hers Online Class: Day Two - happy birthday

On day two of the online card class there were several amazing videos.  I really enjoyed Cristina Kowalczyk's video on colouring vellum.  She makes the most beautiful cards and it was great to see her in action!

I coloured vellum using some Distress Markers since I don't have any Copics - gasp, I know!  I then used my Hexagon cover plate from Paperrey to cut out a bunch of hexagons.  I ended up choosing quite a few that had two colours side by side as I quite liked the look.

I adhered them with my Tombo snail glue and the adhesive acutally didn't show through at all which was great but I still wanted to add some bling so took some Ellen Hutson sequins and layered them over with Glossy Accents before stamping the Think Big sentiment in StazOn Jet Black.

Supplies:
Paper: Staples 110lb white, Gartner's vellum
Ink: StazOn Jet Black 
Stamps: PTI Think Big sentiment
Misc: Ellen Hutson sequins 

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop - Sequins: Birthday wishes

This month's challenge over at Papertrey Ink is to use sequins in projects.

  

PHOTO CREDITS- Betsy Veldman wreath ::: Heather Nichols hello ::: Maile Belles banners ::: green sequin tins ::: Nichole Heady star shaker :::  sequined tote :::  sparkle confetti bag ::: turquoise sequin stars :::

I took out the fun graphic set Lovely Layers and stamped three times - twice with Fresh Merlot ink and once with Birch, a nice kraft shade.  I added gold sequins to the deep red medallions and a black one to the kraft coloured one. 

Then I added a sentiment from the Irresistible Ikat set - I bought that one almost as much for the cool font combo as for the images! :)

I love the fact that sequins are relatively flat so they make for easily mailable cards and since I send a lot of cards, mailability is pretty important!

So, have you made any cards with sequins lately?  How do you use them?

Supplies:
Paper: Staples 110lb white
Stamps: PTI Lovely Layers, Irresistible Ikat
Ink: Fresh Merlot, Kraft; Memento Espresso Truffle
Misc: gold and black sequins, Glossy Accents

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop: November 2012

Here's this month's challenge, as issued by Papertrey Ink's own Nichole Heady:
Have you every been inspired to get paper crafting after browsing the shelves at the book store?  Or excited by the cover of a particular catalog when it arrives in the mail?  Cover art is a wonderful source of inspiration and it can be found all around you.  Your challenge is to select one of my favorite covers above (or a cover of your own) and use it as inspiration to create a really unique project.  Take things into consideration such as the layout of everything on the cover, the colors. the sentiment placement, etc.  And most of all, have fun with it!

Here's the inspiration picture:

 
photo credits {great expectations}-{liars}-{weekend}-{sugar cones}- {stacy clark}-{oz}

Well, I have to send off a birthday card this week so though I would use the Wizard of Oz cover art as my jumping off point.  I took inspiration from the black background white white and coloured text/images on top.

I took a piece of Hawaiian Shores card stock as my base and used some Winter Wonderland embossing powder for the flower sparkly white) and Zing aqua (a perfect match for Hawaiian Shores, by the way) and stamped my own version of subway art for the birthday sentiment.  I took a bunch of sentiments from different sets (Global Greetings, Fabulous Frames, Happy Days and Mat Stack 1). 

 After heat embossing, I coloured in the flower with a wet paintbrush and a mix of White Opal Liquid Pearls and a pastel yellow pearlescent.  Hard to captuer on camera but it's a fun pale shade.  I swiped some Vintage Cream ink around the edges of the black panel and attached it to the card base.  A flat card to mail - rare for me to make a completely flat card! :)

Joyeux Anniversaire

So this is what happens when you quickly take a photo - slightly off centre and not quite right.  Oh well! :)  I have already given the recepient the card, so too bad.  This will have to do ... :)

I stamped the Background Basics: Postmarks in Provincial Gray ink from Fresh! for a subtle background.  Then I die cut the Lovely Layers pieces and stamped them with Chocolate and Vintage Cream inks and added a gem stone to the centre.  Some foam dots for dimension and the embellishment was done.  I die cut a banner and stamped it with one of the Global Greetings sentiments and made a flag with some foam dots.  I really like this colour combination - the turquoise looks so nice with the chocolate and the pop of pink is fun.

Supplies:
Paper: PTI Hawaiian Shores, Chocolate, Rustic Cream, Raspberry Fizz
Stamps: PTI Background Basics: Postmarks, Background Basics: Houndstooth, Global Greetings: French
Ink: Fresh! Provincial Gray, Chocolate; PTI Vintage Cream
Misc:  foam dots, PTI Lovely Layers dies, Double ended banners dies, gemstone

Vintage Car

I love using all sorts of different images and found this fabulous clipart picture of an old car.  I thought this would be perfect for a brother in law birthday card - nice and manly!  I printed it on kraft card stock and then started stamping.

 I added some Glossy Accents on the wheels and stamped the sentiment in Chili Powder ink from Jenni Bowlin before embossing it with clear powder. 

Supplies:
Paper: SU kraft
Stamps: PTI Signature Greetings
Ink: Jenni Bowlin Chilli Powder
Misc: Glossy Accents, embossing powder, heat tool, printer and digital image

Happy birthday, Merry!

Here is a blue and cream card I made for a friend's birthday.  Hope it will bring her smiles:

I rounded the corners on a cream card base and then cut a slightly smaller PTI spring rain panel. I stamped large flourishes on the spring rain panel with Brilliance pearlescent blue ink that has a shimmer to it.

I used my Take Three die to cut out three squares and stamped PTI's Background Basics Geometric graph paper design in Jenni Bowlin soap powder ink.  I stamped more flourishes in spice tin ink (dark navy) and then the Mega Mixed Messages sentiment in brown sugar.  I popped up the spring rain layer on foam dots and voilà, all done!

Hope you have wonderful birthday, Merry.  Sending you hugs.

Supplies:
Paper: Staples 110lb cream, PTI spring rain
Stamps: PTI's Fancy Flourishes, Background Basics Geometrics, Mega Mixed Messages
Ink: Brilliance Pearlescent Blue; Jenni Bowlin inks (soap powder, spice tin, brown sugar)
Misc: PTI Take Three die, foam dots, corner rounder punch

Make a wish

With some of my newer stamps, I have been stocking up on important card types such as birthdays.  This is a birthday sentiment from my new oversized sentiment set that I got from PTI paired with some Liquid Pearls in White Opal, and a quick impression plate run through of the dots.  I used Fresh ink on the Large Fabric Design stamp from Hero Arts for a simple soft background.