Online Card Classes: His & Hers - Day 1

Hello!

I'm taking another class at Online Card Classes - I'm totally hooked - and this time around it's His & Hers.  The whole goal this time around is to create a masculine & feminine version of your cards... fun!

Day 1's "theme" was "Thinking of You", which I loosely translated to "Sending a smile across the miles", and then combined it with PTI's MIM Challenge (blown ink).

See?!

Hers & His

  Kinda fun, right?  These cards hold a lot of firsts... first time I've used the bicycle & sentiment stamps, first time I've handsewn on a card, first time I've done the 'Blown Ink' technique... And, despite the Plum Pudding ink 'bleeding', I kind of love these.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Everyday Button Bits (PTI)
Paper:  Stamper's Select White, Summer Sunrise, Hawaiian Shores, Bitty Box Basics, Bitty Dot Basics, Funky Town (PTI)
Ink:  Lemon Tart (1st Generation), Summer Sunrise, Berry Sorbet, Hawaiian Shores, Winter Wisteria, Plum Pudding (1st Generation) (PTI Ink Refills); Versafine Onyx Black
Other:  Black Embroidery Thread, Sakura Glaze Pen

Oh, I added Sakura Clear Glaze pen over the bike images, as well...just gives it a little sheen & helps it to pop a little more (not that you can see that in the photo...).

I'm off to see what Day 2 has in store... catch ya on the flip side, yo!*
Steph

(* that statement clearly shows this girl needs another cup of coffee, too!)

PTI 6th Anniversary Festivities - Day 3

Last post for today, folks!

Continuing on with PTI's 6th Anniversary Festivities, the contest today was to use any of the Year Of Flowers sets (because they announced they are releasing dies for ALL of them!  YES!)....

My 10-month-old loves to look at photos of her/her sisters, so I laminated a few of them and they stay on the coffee table for her.  I got tired of them looking messy, so I figured this was as good a reason as any for a project - cue *the* cutest little file box die ever.

My camera went wonky & I just couldn't get a decent photo of the box....BUT... this'll do.  It still gets the point across!

Anyway, I used the file box die by LifeStyle Crafts, and cut it out of Rustic White cardstock.  The teeny handle reinforcers are cut from Summer Sunrise cardstock, and the marigolds (from Year Of Flowers:  Collection) were stamped & coloured on both sides.  After I put the box together, I added Yellow Stickles to the edges of the flowers, because the yellow Copic just wasn't popping enough for my liking....annnnnddd....I couldn't leave it so...UN-sparkly!  You'll also notice a smudge on the right hand side of the box... that'd be where said 10-month-old felt she should help - picture the box, all Stickled up, sitting precariously close to the edge of the table, awaiting it's turn to be moved to the windowsill to dry.  I may or may not have made the mistake of getting up to put the Stickles away, and there may or may not have been quick-as-a-fox teeny fingers making a grab for said box.  Also, there may or may not have been yellow sparkles EVERYWHERE.

Anyway, I wasn't going to re-do the box, since once dry, it wound up on the coffee table easily within reach of said quick fingers...and teething mouth... I'm sure any other moms out there know where I'm coming from!

Well, that's it for me today.   I hope you all have a great night!
Steph

CAS 2: Day 10

Hi again!

Day 10's objective was to try the 'One Stamp, Three Ways' again... so here's what I came up with this time:

I went super simple on the first one, only popping up the main panel and adding the slightest bit of shading to the airplane.  To me, it sort of emphasizes the simplicity of the paper airplane in general, and how something so... seemingly average... can bring one hours of joy.

The next one is interactive.  It's a spinner card, so the heat embossed airplane (that is popped up on it's circle) actually spins across the wavy channel as you tip the card.  *Tip:  I used the PTI Spinners Die Collection to create the channel & the mounting base - if your image is too small to fit right over the circle base, try die-cutting a piece of coordinating/matching patterned paper to cover it first!*

Finally, card #3 has the airplanes stamped & heat embossed on a raised panel and the base has some Glimmer Mist & Mr Huey's to signify sky & to help the sentiment pop.

One more post for today - back soon!
Steph

CAS 2: Day 9

Howdy folks!

Day 9's objective in the CAS2 class was to use texture... one of the examples used glitter, so that's what I opted for.

The base & sentiment were actually stamped the day I made my own ink pad, and then I covered the entire base in Scor-Tape, followed by Glitter Ritz glitter in Warm Highlight.  The sentiment panel was popped up & a twine bow was added... similar in layout to one of Kristina's sketches from the class.  (One I'm sure I will return to again and again.)

There are 2 more posts to come!
Steph

CAS 2: Day 8

Day 8's objective was another round of inking & stamping techniques.  (Woohoo - this one's actually being posted on the correct day!  Bonus points?)

I opted for the whole DIY Ink Pad option... using baby wipes.  (Because I'm too cheap to buy the Cut & Dry foam stuff.  Yuuuup!)

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  PTI Background Basics:  Herringbone, Think Big Favorites #13
Ink: PTI Reinkers in Summer Sunrise, Berry Sorbet, Winter Wisteria & Hawaiian Shores, VersaFine Onyx Black, VersaMark
Paper:  PTI Stamper's Select White
Other:  Rhinestones, Filligree Black Embossing Powder, Studio Calico Mr Huey's Calico Shine, Heidi Swapp Color Shine Amethyst, Primrose, Tropicana Teal 

Ok.  Let me say this:  Epic Fail on the whole "Clean" thing.  Epic fail.

However... it's one layer!  Does that make up for the not-so-one-layered map?!  Also, this was CRAZY fun.  It was messy, splattery, inky, and I may or may not have used every.single.drop of ink I could out of that 'ink pad' before it was time to chuck it.  What can I say?  One kid was at school, one was visiting Grandma, and one was napping... it's rare that that happens all at the same time, let alone for a couple of hours!  YES!

Two more days of CAS2 left...plus PTI Anniversary Festivities... hopefully I'll have time to blog them at the appropriate time, rather than flooding your Readers all in one night!  (Not likely.  Get used to it.  lol!)

Lata, hot potatas!
Steph

CAS 2: Day 7

Day 7's objective was More One Layer Cards - and you were to either go big or go tiny.  I went big...because I simply cannot resist that darn World Map stamp.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  PTI World Map, Sew Simple Borders
Dies:  PTI Double Ended Banners, *not exactly sure where the heart came from...it was on my desk.
Ink:  PTI Ocean Tides, Limeade Ice
Paper:  PTI Stamper's Select White, Miscellaneous Graph Paper
Other:  Christmas Red Stickles, Sentiment typed on a typewriter

The Limeade Ice layer totally is crooked, but I ran with it.  Also, the sentiment strip is popped up, so I kind of failed on the whole 'one-layer' thing... but in my defense, during the first round of OLCs, Julie Ebersole added a popped up element to her card... so... yeah.  (Hey, I'm no lawyer.  Obviously.)  Either way, I kind of adore this card, too... told you that World Map makes me weak in the knees!

One more to go!
Steph

CAS 2: Day 6

Day 6's objective was more sketches, combined with a few different techniques.  I chose to run with Kristina Werner's Tone-on-Tone look, as well as her sketch, and here's what I came up with:

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Lawn Fawn Love 'n' Breakfast, PTI Background Basics:  Woodgrain
Dies:  PTI Pinking Shears Border
Paper:  PTI Classic Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Kraft Bitty Dot
Ink:  VersaMark
Other:  Zing Brown Sugar Embossing Powder, The Twinery Cappuccino Twine, Googly Eyes

I giggle every. single. time I look at this card.  Seriously.  Woodgrain background + super adorable googly-eyed muffin + the punny sentiment?  *Love!*  This card basically sums up my entire sense of humor in a neat little A2-sized package.

Couple more to go!
Steph

CAS 2: Bonus Day 1

On Saturday, we got a Bonus Day - the objective for that was Die Cutting.

Check it:

Supplies Used;
Stamps:  PTI Tiny Treats: Valentine
Dies:  Memory Box Piestra Tile, SSS Large Hearts
Paper:  PTI Stamper's Select White, Pure Poppy
Ink:  VersaFine Onyx Black
Other:  DoodleBug Washi tape

This guy uses the heart that was die cut from the card on Day 4.  Yay for keeping crap laying around on my desk!  Added a Memory Box border, plus a little banner flag...and voila - a super simple Valentine!

We're nearly to the end...
Steph

CAS 2: Day 5

Day 5's objective was One Stamp, Three Ways.  I really loved this one...even if it may have made me prematurely grey.  My 'One Stamp' was the large LOVE from PTI's Heart-2-Heart #11 set... not bad for the whopping $5 it sells for!

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  PTI Heart-2-Heart #11, Simply You, Mama Elephant On Target
Paper:  PTI Stamper's Select White, American Crafts XOXO
Ink:  PTI Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, VersaFine Onyx Black
Other:  Stardust Stickles

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  PTI Heart-2-Heart #11, Mama Elephant Cosmic Stars
Paper:  PTI Stamper's Select White, American Crafts XOXO
Ink:  PTI Raspberry Fizz, Sweet Blush, Memento Tuxedo Black
Copics:  RV09, E000, YR21, Y13
Other:  Stardust Stickles

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  PTI Heart-2-Heart #11, Simply You, SSS Lots of Hearts
Dies:  SSS Large Hearts
Paper:  PTI Stamper's Select White
Ink:  PTI Raspberry Fizz, Sweet Blush, VersaFine Smokey Gray

All Three Ways:  as a Background, as a Focal Panel, and as a Sentiment

Definitely a fun way to get that extra mileage out of a stamp set...

More to come,
Steph

CAS 2: Day 4

Day 4's objective was to Embrace the White Space.

Supplies Used:
Stamps: SSS Lots of Hearts, PTI Heart-2-Heart #12, Simply You
Dies:  SSS Large Hearts
Cardstock:  PTI Stamper's Select White
Ink:  PTI Hawaiian Shores, VersaFine Onyx Black
Other:  Studio Calico Mr Huey's Calico Shine Mist, The Twinery Caribbean Twine, DoodleBug Washi Tape 

How'd I do?  Just a couple strips of Washi tape, a heart die cut from the front, with a couple images stamped inside, and a tiny twine bow that was a scrap left from Day 3's card.  Oh, and some Calico Shine mist, because... well, I wanted to.

More to come.
Steph

CAS 2: Day 3

Day 3's objective was to use various inking & stamping techniques.  I went with Jennifer McGuire's gradient technique.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  PTI Say It With Style, SSS Lots of Hearts
Ink:  PTI Raspberry Fizz, Hawaiian Shores, Plum Pudding
Cardstock:  PTI Stamper's Select White
Other:  The Twinery Twine Caribbean, Orchid, Pink Sorbet, rhinestones

I sort of adore this card.  That is all.

Steph

CAS2: Day 2

Alright, I know I said I was going to bed... but I'm going to keep these posts short & sweet and see how many I can get through tonight.

Day 2's objective was to create a one layer card.  

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  PTI Love Potion
Ink:  PTI Raspberry Fizz, VersaMagic Pink Petunia, Pretty Petunia, Sea Breeze, VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black
Other:  Glossy Accents, Filligree Clear Embossing Powder

Can I just say this one gave me absolute fits?  Like, it took two freakin' hours to make.  Insane.  I'm not even going to get into it... let's just say, by the time it was all said and done, and the Glossy Accents was dry, and THEN I noticed it messed up on the far left bottle, as well as warped the crap out of that whole bottom right corner, I wasn't going to start all over again!

Laters,
Steph

PTI 6th ANniversary - Day 2

PTI's Mision for Day 2 was to create a project using at least one of the freebie digital images provided by the team.  In years past, I've created a card with every single image, but this year, I was having printer issues & basically just had no time.

I went for a masculine feel, and used the image provided by Heather Nichols (*side note:  Oh Erin Lincoln, how I adored the flamingo you provided!!*)

Suuplies Used:

Image:  PTI 6th Anniversary Freebie Download - Heather Nichols
Cardstock:  PTI Fine Linen
Other:  Studio Calico Mr Huey's Opaque White Mist

Super simple.  I just cut out the image, splattered the cardstock with Mr Huey's, and mounted the image on an angle with pop dots.  Let's just say... I may or may not have been crazy frustrated by the time this was all said and done.  (First World problems, right?)

I'm off to bed.  I'll flood your readers with everything from CAS2 tomorrow!
Steph

Holy Ketchup, Batman!

Hola!

Ok, so it's more like 'Catch Up'.... sorry for flooding your Readers, folks, but I've been too busy playing behind the scenes and...uh...living... to blog.  But now... not only do I have Days 2 through 8 (plus a bonus day) of CAS2 to show you, but PTI's 6th Anniversary festivities are also in full swing... so here goes nothin'...

PTI's Anniversary Celebrations:  Day 1

Mission:  Choose a project by one of the PTI's Design Team Paper Goddesses as inspiration, and show them what you've got.

Here's mine:

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  PTI Funky Florals, Think Big Favorites #3
Ink:  PTI Lavender Moon, Royal Velvet, Raspberry Fizz, Summer Sunrise, & VersaMark
Cardstock:  PTI Stamper's Select White
Other:  Filligree Gold Embossing Powder

So.... I may or may not have had an issue with the sentiment not embossing properly... and I may or may not have tried to re-heat it to dump more powder on for a second go of it... and the excess powder may or may not have stuck to the hot cardstock, creating the funky halo/splatter/confetti/firework looking spot....and I may or may not have thought it looked pretty cool... and then done the same thing two more times.  (Heating the cardstock & just sprinkling a little powder on.)

The card's inspired by a combo of Erin Lincoln (the colour scheme) and Maile Belles (the CAS design, lots of white space, and the gold).

Thanks for looking - there's lots more to come...
Steph

World Map - Take 2

Hello!

(Whoa, three posts in three days?  YES!)

I kind of had a momentary love affair with PTI's World Map stamp... and it's quite possibly my new favourite stamp, EVER.  Also, I stuck with MFT's WSC Sketch #108, 'cause, well.. if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?!  (I made this so soon after the other one, I don't think the VersaMark even had time to dry on the stamp! lol)

Check it:

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  PTI "World Map", "Tiny Treats: Valentine"
Paper:  PTI True Black, Soft Stone, Soft Stone Bitty Dot
Dies:  PTI "Photo Finish Strips
Other:  Studio Calico Wood Veneer Hearts, Pink Chevron Washi Tape, Distress Stain (Weathered Wood), PTI Hibiscus Burst Ink, American Crafts Neon Zing Embossing Powders

Neon Rainbow World Map... *swoon*

The map is heat embossed with Zing neon EPs on a black panel, which is then mounted on a Soft Stone mat & adhered to a black base.  Add a little pink chevron Washi tape here, a little Studio Calico wood veneer heart there, and a die-cut Soft Stone bitty dot sentiment strip, and you've got yourself a card!  (Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!)

I'm off to see what else I can come up with...

Have a great day!
Steph

CAS2: Day 1

Hello, hello!
(This is my second post today, hence the double greeting!)

Online Card Classes has just kicked off their Clean and Simple 2 card class, and I thought I'd take part in it this time around... the first one looked like it had been pretty awesome, and I didn't want to miss out again!  :)

Today's lesson was all about craftsmanship and various tips & tricks, and for our 'homework' tonight we were to choose one of the sketches provided and put those tips & tricks to good use!

I'm kind of pumped that I finally got to use Lawn Fawn's "Lovin' Breakfast" set!  The little toaster is heat embossed on shimmery silver cardstock, and the toast is heat embossed in brown on kraft.

Time for me to head to bed...
Laters!
Steph

MFT WSC Sketch #108

Hello!

I finally had a chance to play along with MFT's Wednesday Stamp Challenge - Sketch #108...and by 'finally', I mean I've been trying to play along since the WSC's inception!  (It's about time!)

Here's the sketch:

And here's my take on it:

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  PTI "World Map", "Heart-2-Heart #11",, "Destination"; Simon Says Stamp "Plenty of Hearts"
Dies:  Simon Says Stamp "Large Hearts"
Cardstock:  PTI "Classic Kraft", "Ripe Avocado"
Other:  Distress Stains (Peeled Paint, Broken China), Filligree Clear Embossing Powder, PTI Rustic Jute Button Twine, eyelets

You know those cards that sort of take on a life of their own?  Yeah.  This actually started out with the intention of being my father-in-law's birthday card... before any hearts were added, of course!  I had the Heart-2-Heart stamp set sitting out, and the sentiment caught my eye....and that was the end of the birthday card!  The accent hearts are from Simon Says Stamp's "Plenty of Hearts" set - ummm, woodgrain hearts?!  *love!*  I heat embossed the map image with clear ep, then messed around with Distress Stains to get the colour on it.   I can't really explain the eyelets & twine... in the end, I thought they resembled some sort of system to hang the map on the wall...turned out kind of funky, and I like it, either way! The green panel is stamped with the swirly trail image from PTI's "Destination" set, and then popped up.... and that was that! 

Have a great day!

Steph

MFT February Guest Designer Contest

Hello there!

Long time, no see... but guess what?!  It'll be that way no more!  The kids are all finally sleeping through the night, and all in bed early enough in the evening that I have time to play WITHOUT having to stay up until the wee hours of the morning!  YAY!  (Haaa.... Here's hoping I didn't just jinx that!)

Since I haven't made anything just for the fun of it over the last year, I thought it was high time that changed... and playing along with MFT was the perfect place to start!  I have quite a few of their stamps & dies (and have had them for some time now), and couldn't wait to get into them.

Want to see?  Sure you do; why else would you be here?! (hehe)

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  My Favorite Things "Who's That Birthday Girl", "Who's That Girl All Wrapped Up" (I can't find a link to that set - retired, perhaps?)
Dies:  MFT Mini Rolled Roses, MFT Sentiment Strips, MFT Leafy Flourish, Spellbinders Classic & Scalloped Ovals Large, PTI Small Scalloped Border
Paper:  Echo Park "Sweet Day"
Cardstock:  PTI Stamper's Select White
Copic Markers:  E00, E11, YR000, YR01, YR02
Other:  Buttercream Baker's Twine (the Twinery), Gold Stickles

I decided to combine the bottom half of the Birthday Girl with the present in All Wrapped Up (simple masking), and then paper-pieced the gift & her skirt.  Not much Copic action on this one - just her legs/hands, and a bit of shading on the gift & skirt.  The sentiment strip is wrapped around the edge of the card front for a bit of a different effect.  Despite having an entire cupboard full of flowers, I couldn't seem to find the 'right' ones, so I broke out the MFT Mini Rolled Rose dies and made my own; I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised there.  It was WAY easier than I was anticipating!  

I'm a little rusty, but it'll do.  (Haa... this is the most labour-intensive card I've made since...before I was pregnant the last time - like, before July 2011!)  Thank goodness there was a sketch to follow - I love having that little bit of 'stucture' to start out with!  (Thanks for the awesome one, MFT!)

I didn't have any small tag dies/punches, and the sentiment strip die was calling my name...hopefully my sentiment/flower/flourish cluster will be okay!

Well, I'm off... thanks for stopping by & have a great day!

  ~Steph