Another WCMD non-winner

I was looking through my cards trying to find some that I hadn't posted yet. I tend to post as I make, but I did find this one card....

I'd made it for the Papercrafts World Card Making Day challenge and had submitted it. It wasn't the one that was chosen as a winner (that one you'll get to see in the March /April issue of Papercrafts). With the "month of love" upon us, I thought this would be appropriate to post.

I used some of my very favourite Crate Paper (do I say that a lot? They seriously have awesome patterned paper!), from which I cut a banner using PTI's tag sale #5 dies, which I trimmed down on each side. I then positioned some dies (PTI's alphabet block uppercase dies and heart prints) to cut out the sentiment. A bit of twine, an extra button and some stitching finish it off.

Thanks for looking!

Another sympathy card

Over the weekend, my sister-in-laws' mother-in-law passed away. (I guess this could mean my mom, but it's not. It's my husband's sister's husband's mom.) The funeral was this afternoon. I thought I'd share the card I made for their family:

I decided to stamp the images & sentiment with PTI's botanical silhouettes. I also used PTI LL:Squares dies  & Winter Wisteria cardstock. The background patterned paper is Teresa Collins.

Thanks for looking!

A sympathy card

A friend from church lost his grandfather this week, so I thought I'd make him a sympathy card. He's a single guy in his late twenties, so I was going for a masculine card. I also made it using this week's Make It Monday at Papertrey Ink: layered embossing.

I used Papertrey Ink fine linen cardstock and layered some My Mind's Eye patterned paper over top of it. I decided to stamp the tree image from PTI's Love & Marriage in Versamark on some MME barn board patterned paper and heat emboss it with brown sugar Zing embossing powder. Then, I stamped a sentiment from PTI's Botanical Silhouettes over that with Versamark and heat emboss it with black embossing powder. I added some PTI twine and button to finish it off and adhered the panel with SU! dimensional adhesive.

Thanks for looking!

AEI♥U -- January

Today, I want to share the card that I made for January AEI♥U challenge, which was to create a card using this photo for inspiration:

I love those striped rain boots --I think they're adorable!

I was inspired by the design of the photos (the large pop of red near the top, the stripes, the grey background) as well as the colours. Here's my card:

I started by layering some Echo Park patterned paper over some PTI smokey shadow cardstock. Since I don't have an Avery Elle stamps (yet!), I used the pretty digital stamp that Avery Elle supplied for the challenge. I printed it out onto PTI pure poppy cardstock and cut it out by hand. I needed a birthday card, though, so I decided to layer a Simon Says Stamp diecut over top, on which I stamped with PTI's Movers & Shakers Sentiments. I added some grey Offfray ribbon as well as some PTI buttons & twine and some stitching to finish it off.

Thanks for looking!

Mama Elephant Stamps: Type It & Smitten

I'm back today, showcasing two more stamp sets for Mama Elephant: Type It & Smitten, which are both available for purchase now in the Mama Elephant store.

Type It

Smitten

My first project today features the Type It stamp set. I stamped the little typewriter on some aqua cardstock and cut it out by hand. Then, I stamped the piece of paper and added the quotation marks and heart (I did some masking to make the heart red.)

The background patterned paper is My Mind's Eye, as well as the notebook paper that I diecut. I stamped the typewriter keys in red on red cardstock, but stamped three of them in black Versafine to underscore the meaning of my card.

With the Smitten stamp set, I couldn't resist creating another layout using it (if you missed the layout I made for the Mama Elephant January Stampede, you can click here to check it out). This time, I decided to use a photo of my son, Jonah.

For my layout, I used some Bazzill Kraft cardstock for the background and some Studio Calico patterned paper and cut file. I stamped the "I ♥ this" banner stamp in red and the cool feather stamp (I LOVE this stamp!) in a rusty orange and cut them both out by hand. I added some WRMK washi tape and a My Mind's Eye decorative brad.

To create my title, I cut a piece of red cardstock and added some pattern to it, by stamping all over it with the feather stamp.

Then I used my Silhouette Portrait to cut out my title.

I added a few American Crafts stickers between my words to finish it off. I repeatedly stamped the "sweet sweet sunshine" stamp on a banner that I'd diecut, using 7 different colours of ink, to create an ombre effect.

And, in the bottom left hand corner, I stamped out two more feathers, which I cut out by hand and added a Studio Calico badge.

Thanks for looking!

PTI January Blog Hop

Today, I'm sharing three projects that I made for the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop. Last month's challenge was to create a card only using white..... Well, this month's challenge is the opposite.... this time, we're challenged to use black:

Firstly, I created a scrapbooking layout for this challenge. I rarely use black as a background, but not because I don't like it-- I usually find the results quite striking! I paired my black cardstock background with some Crate Paper patterned paper and my most favourite recent photo of my kids.

I used my PTI Half & Half die to create the background for my title, which I made using a stamp & die from PTI's Wonderful Words. I also added a PTI button, along with a Pink Paislee mistable chipboard heart.

I used another Half & Half die to create my journaling card, which I topped with a Crate Paper sticker. On this, I stamped the "xoxo" sentiment from Heart Prints, with Versafine black onyx ink. The ink seemed a little wet on the sticker, and not wanting it to smear, I quickly sprinkled on some clear embossing powder and heat embossed it.

I also made two cards for this challenge, as well as for this week's Make It Monday at Papertrey Ink: layered embossing.

Here's my first card, using my new PTI World Map stamp set (I have to tell you, I was positively giddy stamping with this stamp-- it's so wonderful!)

I stamped the map in Versamark and then heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I then stamped the plane and the loopy arrow (masking the arrow slightly, so it looks like it's starting in Manitoba) again in Versafine and heat embossed it with AC Zing aqua embossing powder. (Note: the plane is going to DR Congo on the map-- because this card if for one of friends/team members who traveled to the Congo with me both times I've gone.)

I double matted my map on PTI cardstock (hawaiian shores, aqua mist) and added some patterned paper cut with PTI's double ended banner die. The sentiment is from PTI's hands of time.

For my second card, I was inspired by the two floral photos in the top row of Nichole's inspiration photo for the challenge. So I pulled out my Embroidered Blooms stamp set and stamped the leaves with versamark on my black background and heat embossed them with two different colours. For the flowers, I stamped the centres with versamark on PTI pure poppy and orange zest cardstock and heat embossed them with aqua and brown sugar embossing powders. Then I stamped the outside rims with versamark and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder.

The sentiment is also from Embroidered Blooms, which I heat embossed with aqua embossing powder. I mounted it all on some PTI pure poppy cardstock and added a few Hero Arts pearls to finish it off.

Thanks for looking!

Mama Elephant stamps: Starry Night & Cosmic Star

I'm so excited to be guest designing for Mama Elephant this month! Today, I'm showcasing two of their new stamp sets: Starry Night & Cosmic Star, which are both available for purchase in the Mama Elephant store.

Starry Night

Cosmic Star

First up is a card that I made using both Starry Night & Cosmic Star. I stamped the star background on some dark grey cardstock in Versamark and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I diecut the cardstock, on which I added strips of patterned paper and washi tape, as well as my sentiments (from Starry Night) and image (from Cosmic Star). I paper pieced the little Virgo image using coordinating patterned papers.

I just loved the little crab image in Cosmic Star and decided to make him the star of my next card. I stamped him a little beach scene and framed it in a polaroid diecut. I mounted it on some My Mind's Eye patterned paper and added some twine and buttons. The "happy birthday" sentiment is from Starry Night.

I'm also linking both of these projects up for this week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge: paper-piecing.

Thanks for looking!

A bit of sunshine

Today, I'm sharing a card that I made yesterday-- I was in need of a bit of sunshine after a difficult day and this card just about did the trick. I made it for two challenges: this week's Make It Monday at Papertrey Ink: layered embossing and for a new challenge called Muse-- it's for their first challenge.

So, I was inspired by Amy's card (for the Muse Challenge) to include sunny yellow flowers on a white background. I diecut my Notched flowers dies  and stamped, using my PTI Funky Florals set, the inside stamen in versamark and then heat embossed it with white embossing powder. Then I stamped the petals in versamark and heat embossed them in clear embossing powder. I diecut my leaves using a turning a new leaf die and stamped them with versamark, using PTI's new Embroidered Blooms.

I stamped the sentiment from Embroidered Blooms and then ran the white cardstock through my Big Shot with my Simple Stripes IP from PTI. I layered this on some lemon tart cardstock & added some stitching before adding my blooms and leaves.

Thanks for looking!

Stamps, etc. for sale

I have some stamps & embellishments that I'd like to sell, so I thought I'd post them here... Prices include shipping to Canada & the US. I will send to international buyers, if you'll pay the actual shipping costs.

My Mind's Eye stamp set -- asking $6

Papertrey Ink  Iconic Images -- asking $12

Papertrey Ink Holiday Lights -- asking $12

Papertrey Ink Fall Elegance -- asking $20

Papertrey Ink All About You -- asking $20

Papertrey Ink Text Boxed -- asking $20

Please email me at pennercl@mymts.net if you are interested in purchasing any of these items.

Thanks for looking!

100 weeks of inspiration

Every Friday on her blog, Kara posts an inspiration file. I have been included a few times in her file and I have to say, it has been a thrill to be chosen!

This week, she's celebrating 100 weeks of inspiration and has issued a challenge to choose something from the file and create a project, using it as inspiration.

I decided to choose this layout as inspiration to create a layout of my own. I was inspired by the white hearts cut out on a Silhouette and backed with patterned paper, and layered on a white background. Here's my layout:

I used cut my hearts from white cardstock and then ran through some Crate Paper patterned paper to cut out the hearts. I added some more Crate Paper patterned paper along the side and layered on my photo, a Pink Paislee mistable chipboard heart (inked in PTI pure poppy) and a banner (PTI's double ended banner die), stamped with a Mama Elephant stamp (Type It).

For my journaling, I diecut some patterned paper with a PTI half & half die and stamped it with my favourite sentiment from PTI's On the Farm. The tab gets pulled out to reveal the journaling:

Thanks to Kara for issuing this fun challenge, and for being so generous in sharing what inspires her!

Thanks for looking!

10 Minute Craft Dash #10

I thought I'd play along with the 10 Minute Craft Dash #10, which was to create a card in less than 10 minutes, using pink, grey and green (see cute banner above.)

Well, I selected my supplies and theme, having chosen to make a travel card and started...

And well, let's just say that 10 minutes goes by really quickly! It was an Epic Fail. I'd surpassed the 10 minute mark and decided that since I'd already gone over on the time, that I was going to add stitching and buttons, too. ;)

Here's the card that I made:

I used Papertrey Ink cardstock (spring moss, sweet blush), stamps (road trip), buttons and twine. The patterned paper is Teresa Collins.

Since I figured that I was eliminated from the Craft Dash since my time was so much over (is there a 20-25 minute craft dash out there somewhere?), I'd make some packaging for it for this week's Make It Monday at Papertrey Ink: How to Package Cards with Oversized Embellishments.

I sewed together two pieces of paper from my Teresa Collins 6x6 pad and added a couple of Road Trip stamps to the front.

AND..... because I don't like not succeeding at a challenge.... I decided to try again.

This time, I decided to make a love note card, using my Mama Elephant Type It stamp set. I also used some Papertrey Ink cardstock (sweet blush), which I diecut with a PTI heart prints die, to which I added some Martha Stewart glitter.

And my time on this one...

I was done at around 7min 30 seconds and decided that I could probably add the stitching. A little stressful, but I got it done! Success!

Thanks for looking!

MIM #100 -- Take 2

I just wanted to post another card that I made for this week's Make It Monday at Papertrey Ink: How to Package Cards with Oversized Embellishments.

My card doesn't have a lot of oversized embellishments per say, but using dimensional adhesive along with  my twine bow creates a bit of bulk.

I used Teresa Collins patterned paper (isn't it gorgeous?), from which I diecut some PTI Love Lives Here Houses. The sentiment is from PTI's Road Trip stamp set, which I stamped in versamark and heat embossed in white. Then I rubbed some white ink onto my cardstock to lighten it a little.

The bottom border is cut with my PTI heart border die. And, on the inside hearts, I diecut them from red cardstock and then stamped over them with PTI's BB: Herringbone stamp set.

For my packaging, I took a piece of waxed paper and folded it in half. I sewed it together to make a pocket and then cut it out with pinking shears.

I used one of the leftover cardstock houses (also stamped with PTI's BB: Herringbone) and patterned paper hearts and mounted them on a piece of soft stone cardstock that I diecut with PTI's Half & Half dies and ran through my Big Shot with PTI's Woodgrain IP. I like how it lines up with the houses on the card.

Thanks for looking!

MIM #100

Just stopping in today to post a card and packaging that I created for this week's Make It Monday at Papertrey Ink: How to Package Cards with Oversized Embellishments.

I thought this was a neat challenge, since I usually just put mine in a larger envelope. ;)

For my card, everything I used is Papertrey Ink, except for the patterned paper (which is My Mind's Eye). I stamped the flowers from The Sweet Life onto the diecuts and adhered them to my card using dimensional adhesive on some. I stamped the sentiment from Beautiful Butterflies, which was a little tricky because of the texture of the patterned paper. The twine, buttons and stitching finish it off.

So, because the flowers hangover the edge & the buttons create bulk, I created some packaging for it. Dawn used some glassine bags on her post, but I didn't have any large enough for my card, so I used a paper lunch bag. I sewed it up and then trimmed off the bottom & the top with some pinking shears. I added a some of the same MME patterned paper that was on my card, diecut with the largest Mat Stack 6 die. I added some more Sweet Life stamped diecuts and voilà! Coordinating packaging for my card!

Thanks for looking!