Hello Sunshine

Happy Independence Day!  Interesting times.  I haven't done much crafting this year.  The week after school was moved online, I started going through years of Legos and sorting them into their original sets.  It's a project that has kept me busy for fifteen weeks.  I rebuilt each Lego set and recorded any missing pieces.  Then I took them apart and packaged them up in labeled ziploc bags.  Now I'm waiting on some orders for missing pieces to complete the project.  I started a card back in April that sat on my desk unfinished for a month.  I just wasn't feeling creative.  I finally finished it back in May and it's about time I posted it on my blog.

The card uses some things from the scrap pile (embossed panel, layered sun) and a sketch from Mojo Monday (#535).  I love patterned paper, but I often struggle using it on cards.  This sketch was part of a trio of sketches along with a 6x6 two sheet wonder challenge.  It was a challenge for me, all right.  My mojo was on an extended vacation. 

The two circles were cut with Spellbinders dies, I think, and have been sitting in my scraps for years.  They looked like a sun layered together so I added Lemon Drop and Orange Sorbet glitter to make them fun and sparkly.  In hindsight, I should have colored them first with markers because the white peeks through the glitter.  Oh well.  Done is better than perfect!

I layered pieces of Hello Sunshine paper from Pink Paislee on white mats and adhered them to the embossed Aqua Mist background panel following the layout of the sketch.  Then I glued the whole thing to a white card base.  The sun is a fun pop of color against the light blue!

I added the large word in black cardstock cut with the Sweet Hello die from My Favorite Things.  The sunshine sentiment is from Wonderful Words: Hello by Papertrey Ink.  It was very satisfying to get a card done after such a long hiatus.  Of course, the Lego project has consumed most of my time lately so I didn't make anything else until the past two weeks.  I'll post those three cards over the next few days.

Stamps:  Wonderful Words: Hello (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Memento)
Paper:  White, Aqua Mist, True Black (Papertrey Ink); Hello Sunshine 6x6 pad (Pink Paislee)
Dies:  Sweet Hello (My Favorite Things); circle and inverted scallop circle (Spellbinders)
Misc:  Swirls embossing folder (Tim Holtz); Lemon Drop glitter, Orange Sorbet glitter (Martha Stewart); glue pen

PTI 11th Anniversary Day 1: Sketch Challenge

Papertrey Ink is celebrating their 11th anniversary this month.  I chose Lizzie's sketch for the first challenge after much deliberation.  Despite its sweet simplicity, I spent so long designing my card today that I lost the daylight and had to resort to taking my picture indoors.  I will try to get a better one tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

(edited to add better photo)

I've had Beautiful Brushstrokes since its limited re-release last year, but had yet to use it on a card.  It's such a pretty set!  I stamped the large rose image in Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, and Pure Poppy inks on white cardstock.  I put a touch of White Blizzard Nuvo drops in the center.  I stamped the leaves in New Leaf and Olive Twist inks.  I added little heart sprigs from the Bloom & Grow mini kit in Olive Twist and Pure Poppy. 

On a white card base, I layered two white cardstock pieces cut with the Chevron Vertical Cover Plate die.  I stamped a sentiment from Signature Greetings on a white cardstock strip and adhered it near the bottom.  Then I arranged my floral pieces on top.  Simple and pretty!

See other cards for the sketch challenge at the Papertrey Ink blog here.

Stamps:  Beautiful Brushstrokes, Bloom & Grow, Signature Greetings (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento); Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, Pure Poppy, New Leaf, Olive Twist (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink)
Misc:  Beautiful Brushstrokes dies, Chevron Vertical Cover Plate die (Papertrey Ink); White Blizzard (Nuvo Crystal Drops) 

Stamp-a-Faire 2015: Patterns Challenge

For today's second challenge, we were given twelve Go-To Card Pattern choices.  Sketches in other words, but with measurements and some instructions.  I chose #09, which was designed by Maile Belles.  It really caught my eye!  Emily picked a sketch too, but then got distracted by other things and deserted me.  lol

I used two pretty patterned papers from the Antique Chic pad by We R Memory Keepers for my card background and ground.  I stamped one of the flowers from Bitty Bouquets in Harvest Gold and New Leaf ink on a white diecut.  For my sentiment on the white strips, I divided one up from Inside & Out: Thank You.  I had to do some selective inking to make it work.  Not exactly what the instructions said to do, but close enough to count!  :)

Stamps:  Bitty Bouquets, Inside & Out: Thank You (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento); Harvest Gold, New Leaf (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink); Antique Chic 6x6 pad (We R Memory Keepers)
Mics:  Bitty Bouquets die, Building Blocks die, Initial Thoughts die (Papertrey Ink)

You Make a Difference

On my current quest to use up my Urban Garden paper, I had one strip left of this striped pattern and when I glanced at the current Mojo Monday sketch, I realized it would work perfectly.  I really like how it turned out, too!

I apologize for the strong shadows, but it was really bright outside when I had opportunity to take a photo.  Hot too!  Summer is in full force.  I used two different patterns from the Urban Gardens pack, paired with Basic Gray and white cardstock.  I embossed the white panel with a polka dot folder by Cuttlebug.  It echoes the circle patterned paper nicely and adds texture.

My sentiment is from Bloom & Grow by Verve Stamps.  I stamped and colored the butterfly from Blue Skies with a Baja Breeze marker to match the patterned paper and then cut it out.  I then placed it on the sentiment circle just like in the sketch.

I still have several cards to post in my Urban Garden series.  This card is actually one of the last I created, so it's a bit out of order, but I wanted to get it linked up for Mojo Monday #405 while that was still open.  Stayed tuned for the rest!

Stamps:  Bloom & Grow, Blue Skies (Verve)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink); Basic Gray, Urban Garden dsp (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  Baja Breeze marker (Stampin' Up); Standard Circles dies (Spellbinders); Polka Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Super Duper

Wow, it's been awhile.  My son got home from a two-year church mission at the end of February, and I haven't been in my studio until this week.  I was soaking up every minute with him and his college sister who was home on break.  Now they're both gone back to school and my house feels very empty.  I miss them terribly.  Cooking for just four people feels a bit strange.

The current Retro Sketches challenge caught my eye and it gave me an excuse to pull out my Speech Trio dies from Mama Elephant.  Once I found the fun star patterned paper in my stash, I knew it was perfect to use with this Elzybells stamp set.

The stars are actually silver foil.  I didn't realize the sun had given them a golden cast until I was editing the picture!  Still works either way.  I've had this paper stack for years, so it's probably not available anymore.  I cut the speech bubble from white cardstock, placed it at the top, and adhered the whole piece to a black card base.

I was sad when Elzybells went out of business.  They had such cute images!  My superhero and stars are from the Hero clear stamp set.  I wanted a larger sentiment to fill the bubble, so I used one from the Tiny Heroes stamp set by Mama Elephant.  I filled in the small stars with Silver Stickles for extra sparkle.

I colored the superhero with a variety of Copic markers and am very pleased with how he turned out.  Maybe I'm not as rusty at making cards as I thought.  :)  I put a cardstock shim layer underneath the superhero to raise him up just slightly from the background.  I wanted to keep the card fairly flat for mailing, so no foam tape this time.

The card turned out super duper in every single way!  (couldn't resist, lol)

Stamps:  Hero (Elzybells); Tiny Heroes (Mama Elephant)

Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Paper:  White, True Black (Papertrey Ink); Rockstar stack (DCWV)

Copic:  0, E00, E30, E42, E55, E57, E59, B91, B95, B97, B99, R01, R20, R24, R29, R59, R89

Misc:  Speech Trio die (Mama Elephant); Silver Stickles

PTI 8th Anniversary: Butterfly Friend

It's that time of year again!  Papertrey Ink is celebrating its eighth anniversary with daily challenges.  I'm a bit late getting started, but luckily we have several days to do them instead of just one like last year.  I've been battling an awful cold all week and not feeling too well.  Despite that, I've still been stamping! 

Here's my card for the first anniversary challenge, which is to choose one sketch and one color combo from those provided.

I created some stacked butterflies using Heart-2-Heart #10 and the matching dies.  The colors made some pretty combinations!  I bent the top butterfly layer and the antennae for some dimension.  I stamped flourishes in opposite corners of a white panel using Spring Rain ink and then distressed the edges.  I stamped a sentiment from Wet Paint using Smokey Shadow ink.  Finally, I embossed a narrow strip of Smokey Shadow cardstock with polka dots and adhered everything to a Smokey Shadow card base.

It turned out so soft and elegant!  You can see other cards for the challenge here.  I've got my next challenge card finished, but need to wait for daylight to take a picture.  Look for that tomorrow!   :)

Stamps:  Heart-2-Heart #10, Wet Paint, Fancy Flourishes (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Smokey Shadow, Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  White, Smokey Shadow (Papertrey Ink)
Misc:  Heart-2-Heart #10 dies (Papertrey Ink); Polka Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug); distress tool

Unfrogettable

I made another card for the challenges at the Kraftin' Kimmie Krafty Friends group, this time using sketch #5 and the extra option to decorate the inside.

I adore this sassy girl with the frog on her head.  I colored her with Copic markers and then carefully cut her out.  In the close-up pic below, you can see the tiny white polka dots I added to her yellow dress with a white gel pen.  I used Wink of Stella on the barrettes in her hair.  The frog was also colored and cut out.  I used a colorless blender to create a mottled effect on his body.

I cut my hillside from a fun polka dot patterned paper using a Stitched Borders 1 die by Pretty Pink Posh.  I did the same thing for the inside, but cut it on a different angle.  The grass tufts were cut using the Grassy Edges dies by My Favorite Things.  I just cut it into smaller pieces.

The Soft Sky background was embossed using the Swirls folder by Tim Holtz.  I selectively stamped just one word of the sentiment from Unfrogettable by Stampin' Up on a skinny white strip of cardstock and then flagged the end using a square punch.  Inside the card, I stamped the whole sentiment just above the hillside.

I colored and cut out the frog from the top of the girl's head to use inside the card.  His expression is very mischievous, don't you think?  I really love how this card turned out.  I stayed pretty close to the sketch, just adapting a couple of things to fit my vision.  This girl has some spunk and is completely unfrogettable!  lol

Stamps:  Lilith (Kraftin' Kimmie); Unfrogettable (Stampin' Up)

Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink); Soft Sky, Always Artichoke, Regals Collection DSP Patterns Stack (Stampin' Up)

Copic:  0, C1, E00, E30, E42, E55, E57, E59, R20, B91, B95, B97, B99, Y00, Y02, Y06, YG93, YG95, YG97

Misc:  Grassy Edges die (My Favorite Things); Stitched Borders 1 die (Pretty Pink Posh), white gel pen, 1/2" square punch (EK Success); Swirls embossing folder (Tim Holtz); clear Wink of Stella pen

Miss You

The Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Krafty Friends group over on Facebook is celebrating its 2000 member milestone with six sketch challenges.  This is my card for the first sketch.  Distressing was an optional element, but of course I forgot to do it before gluing everything together.  Oops!  I was not about to tear it apart or start over.  :)

I started by choosing this pretty floral paper from the Sweet Sorbet pack by Stampin' Up.  When glancing through my inventory book, I decided that this Sakura stamp by Kraftin' Kimmie was a perfect match.  From there, I picked my colors of white, black, and Pool Party cardstock.  I used a couple of Blueprints 1 dies for my layers.

I colored the girl with Copic markers, choosing colors to coordinate with my decorative paper.  I tried to give the effect of gold accessories by adding some shimmery Wink of Stella over the golden-yellow color.  I also used a small die from Blueprints 7 with Sun Shimmer paper for the little tab.  (note to self...get some gold metallic paper!)  There's also a bit of shimmer on her eyelids.  You can see it all better in this close-up shot.

So yet again, I have used some untouched stuff for this card.  Yay me!  I have all the oriental girls from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp's Moonlight Whispers line, but this is the first time one has seen ink.  I also used a tiny sentiment from Pretty Poppies by My Favorite Things.

I had an interesting conversation with my teenage son last night.  He asked if it was hard to cut into patterned papers since once they were gone, there wouldn't be any more.  I simply pointed out my shelf of hoarded paper packs.  Need I say more?  lol  But I also added that they don't do me any good sitting there and gathering dust, and I was trying to use the stuff I have.  I'm getting better at it!  So I finally cut into my pretty shimmer cardstock.  (gulp)  Of course, in the process of making this card, I added several things to my wishlist - a few additional Copic marker colors and a gold Wink of Stella pen.  It never ends!  :)

Stamps:  Sakura (Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps); Pretty Poppies (My Favorite Things)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper:  White, True Black, Sun Shimmer (Papertrey Ink); Pool Party, Sweet Sorbet dsp (Stampin' Up) 
Copic:  0, C1, T1, T4, T6, E00, E30, E42, R20, Y02, Y06, BG11, BG13, BG15
Misc:  Blueprints 1 dies, Blueprints 7 die (My Favorite Things); clear Wink of Stella pen 

Sending Smiles

The latest Freshly Made Sketch challenge caught my eye.  I wanted to make something simple, plus I had several white circles in my scrap drawer left over from making several bee cards earlier this month.  I pulled out this cute Up and Away stamp set by Mama Elephant, because the pretty blue striped paper reminded me of the sky.

I used Copic markers to color the bunny and balloons.  Part of me is seriously tempted to add glitter to those balloons.  lol  I shaded the clouds with just a touch of grey, although I think it's difficult to see in the picture.  According to the sketch, the sentiment strip is supposed to be on the circle, but it didn't work for my design, so I just moved it lower.  I put a cloud in its place instead.  After all, my little bunny is floating in the sky!

Stamps:  Up and Away (Mama Elephant)
Ink  Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink); Tempting Turquoise, Brights Collection Paper Stack (Stampin' Up)
Copic:  0, C1, W5, E41, E42, E55, E57, E59, B000, B00, BV00, BV02, BV04, R20, R22, Y00, Y02, Y06
Misc:  Up and Away dies (Mama Elephant); Standard Circles Large die (Spellbinders); Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX die (My Favorite Things); Clouds 1 & 2 die (Papertrey Ink)

Merry Poinsettias

I made a card using a recent Clean & Simple Stamping sketch.  I really liked the sketch layout with its possibilities for smaller images, and knew exactly what stamps I wanted to pull out.

I made a fun framed bingo card using Jolly Bingo Bits a few years ago.  (posted here, and yes, I now own the stamps myself)  :)  At first, I thought I would do something similar using different images for each circle, but then my eye was drawn to the poinsettia and I thought it would look good repeated on all the circles instead.

I used my Spellbinders dies to cut white circles and red scalloped circles.  On each white circle, I stamped a poinsettia in Pure Poppy ink, adding glittery dot centers with a glue pen and Wink of Stella shimmer to each petal.

I embossed the white panel with Stampin' Up's Petals-a-Plenty folder and adhered it to a Pure Poppy card base.  I arranged my scalloped circles according to the sketch.  Then I cut the word "merry" using a die by Papertrey Ink and glittered the heck out of it.  I love the sparkle!  I stamped the word "christmas" on a small strip of cardstock and glittered the edges so it would stand out better from the background and visually connect it with the larger word.  The sentiment ended up a little higher than the sketch, but it fit better around the circles this way.  I didn't want the "y" hanging off the card, nor did I want to block the poinsettia circles.

Hopefully, you can see the shimmer better in the close up above.  I love my Wink of Stella pen.  I ended up using foam tape to raise the sentiment, although with all that glitter, I'm sure it stands out from the background anyway!

Stamps:  Jolly Bingo Bits (Stampin' Up); Wonderful Words: Joy (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink); Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper:  White, Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)
Misc:  Yellow Barite glitter (Martha Stewart); glue pen; Standard Circles Small die, Classic Scalloped Circles Small die (Spellbinders); Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder (Stampin' Up); Wink of Stella clear pen; foam tape

Holly & Stars

I'm squeaking in at the last minute to post one last card for the Waltzingmouse Pajama Party challenges.  This time it's a sketch.  Pretty straightforward, but my card required a lot of tweaking before I was happy with it.

I'll add more info in just a bit.  I've got to get this linked before time runs out!   :)

Okay, I'm back.  I made it with six minutes to spare.  lol  You'll have to pardon the indoor lighting.  The sun is well and truly down here on the east coast.  I'll get a better picture tomorrow.  (edited to add new pics above)

I used an oldie but goodie stamp set by Waltzingmouse.  I purchased Oven Fresh Gingerbread Joy along with its companion set when they were first released several years ago.  I love the adorable gingerbread men, but this time I reached for the holly and berry images for my card.  I stamped them randomly around the oval in Handsome Hunter and Real Red ink.  Then I added two sizes of gold stars from the same stamp set.

The images looked a little flat, so I took my Wink of Stella pen and added a sheer layer of glitter to each star.  I used Glossy Accents on the berries to add shine and dimension.

I cut two ovals from white and green cardstock using Spellbinders dies.  On the white oval, I added a gold border with a paint pen.  Love the look!  I also went over it with my Wink of Stella pen to match the stars.  In the center, I stamped a sentiment from Ornate Ornaments and a small flourish underneath from Vintage Labels 4.  I added one tiny glittery star above.

I stamped and cut out two more sprays of holly and adhered them to each side of the oval, again adding Glossy Accents to the berries.  The whole centerpiece was popped up with foam tape on the card.  Whew!  It didn't turn out half bad!  Thank goodness.   :)

Stamps:  Oven Fresh Gingerbread Joy, Ornate Ornaments, Vintage Labels 4 (Waltzingmouse)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento); Handsome Hunter, Real Red (Stampin' Up); Gold (Encore! Ultimate Metallic)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink); Handsome Hunter (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  Standard Ovals Small and Large dies (Spellbinders); Glossy Accents (Ranger); clear Wink of Stella pen; foam tape  

Woohooo!

I saw this sketch challenge for World Card Making Day on the Moxie Fab World blog and decided to give it a whirl.  I stuck to the sketch layout pretty literally since it was perfect for what I had in mind.  I've had this little owl in my scrap pile for several months.  I had colored it with the new Stampin' Up Blendabilities markers to try them out when I was at a friend's house.

I pulled out the Retro Fresh decorative paper by Stampin' Up and finally cut into it.  I love these fun patterns and colors!  It's difficult to see, but I smudged some Vintage Cream pigment ink on the Coastal Cabana panel to give the feel of soft clouds.  I hand cut a piece of Baked Brown Sugar cardstock into the shape of a tree branch and added woodgrain lines with the matching marker to give my owl a place to perch.

The two patterned paper banners were cut using the Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX dies by My Favorite Things.  I love their fishtail flag dies and use them a lot, so adding the pierced version of these dies to my stash was a no-brainer.

I'm rather giddy at how well this card turned out.  It was fun to make, and for once, it went pretty quickly!  You can see other cards for the sketch challenge here.

Stamps:  Chubby Chums (Paper Smooches)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento); Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  Coastal Cabana, Baked Brown Sugar, Retro Fresh dp (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX die (My Favorite Things); Baked Brown Sugar marker, Daffodil Delight Blendabilities markers (Stampin' Up)

Berry Bouquet

Time for the monthly Papertrey Ink blog hop!  I really love the inspiration picture this time.  The sweater looks so cozy and warm.  I love the sweet berries inside the galvanized metal pot.

We were given a selection of color combos and sketches based on the inspiration picture that we could use if we so chose.  These are the ones I selected.

I deviated only slightly by adding a scalloped frame and some Ripe Avocado leaves.  It really needed that touch of green.  I used a fun dotted image from Winter Cheer for the background, first stamping the solid circles in Soft Stone, and then the outline circles in Smokey Shadow.  I edged the Soft Stone panel in a silver paint pen.  It's easier to see if you click on the picture to enlarge it.

I cut a scallop frame from Smokey Shadow cardstock using a Shakers & Sprinkles die.  Using the same silver paint pen, I added little dots in each scallop.  I placed it off center to frame my sentiment.  The Soft Stone panel was matted with Smokey Shadow cardstock that was distressed along the edge.  It echoes the lovely textures in the inspiration picture.  The whole thing was glued on an Autumn Rose card base.

I cut a pierced-edge flag from Smokey Shadow and embossed my sentiment from Tags For Spring in silver.  Naturally, all the silver accents are a homage to the galvanized bucket.  I cut some Turning a New Leaf sprigs from Ripe Acocado cardstock and placed three Autumn Rose buttons on top.

I really love how my card turned out and I feel it captures the inspiration picture beautifully.  You can see other cards for the blog hop here.

Stamps:  Winter Cheer, Tags For Spring (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Soft Stone, Smokey Shadow (Papertrey Ink); VersaMark
Paper:  Soft Stone, Smokey Shadow, Autumn Rose, Ripe Avocado (Papertrey Ink)
Misc:  Shakers & Sprinkles die, Turning a New Leaf die (Papertrey Ink);  Pierced Fishtail Flag STAX die (My Favorite Things); silver embossing powder, Autumn Rose buttons (Papertrey Ink); silver paint pen; distress tool

Stamp-a-Faire 2014: Morning Timer Challenge - Emily

Emily and I both picked the same color combo from the selections for the Stamp-a-Faire Timer Challenge.  Not planned either!  She picked a different sketch though.

I'll let her describe her own card first thing in the morning.  She's already in bed, which is where I should be too!!

You can see other cards for the Timer challenge here.

Stamps:  Little Bitty Bird, Little Bitty Bird Additions (Papertrey Ink)

Ink:  Hawaiian Shores, Winter Wisteria (Papertrey Ink); Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Paper:  Soft Stone, Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, Hawaiian Shores, Winter Wisteria, White (Papertrey Ink)

Misc:  Standard Circles Large die (Spellbinders), white gel pen (Inkssentials)

Stamp-a-Faire 2014: Morning Timer Challenge

Whew, it's been a long day.  Emily and I have spent hours in the studio working on the Stamp-a-Faire challenges.  Here is my card for the Timer Challenge.  We got to pick one color combo and one sketch, and it had to be completed in twenty minutes.  I barely made it.  lol  I was helping my daughter at the same time, so that made it interesting!

I used Soft Stone cardstock for my base and Spring Rain, Winter Wisteria, and Blueberry Sky cardstock with an MFT die for the three scallop borders.  (trimmed to make them shorter)  I stamped my sentiment from Little Bitty Bird at the top.

For the adorable little bird, I first stamped the body in Hawaiian Shores ink.  Then I stamped the bird outline in black ink so it was standing on the sentiment.  I stamped the polka dot wing in Hawaiian Shores, but it didn't show up very well, so I took my white gel pen and added polka dots myself.

It turned out pretty cute!  You can see other cards for the challenge here.  I'll post Emily's timer card next.

Stamps:  Little Bitty Bird, Little Bitty Bird Additions (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Hawaiian Shores, Winter Wisteria (Papertrey Ink); Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper:  Soft Stone, Spring Rain, Winter Wisteria, Blueberry Sky
Misc:  Blueprints 4 die (My Favorite Things); white gel pen (Inkssentials)

Birthday Banner

I'm participating in the Papertrey Ink blog hop this month.  I made a card based on one of the color combinations and sketch choices given for the challenge.  You can see the blog post and other entries here.

Pretty simple, really.  I diecut the triangle banners and stamped them with polka dots in VersaMark ink.  I stamped the black outline from Banner Builders on top.  The string was stamped on white cardstock.  On the left side, I stamped off on scratch paper to get a lighter color of Harvest Gold and then added the word "happy" multiple times.  I stamped the same word in black in the lower left corner.  After gluing on the banners, I distressed the edges of the white panel and then added it to a Harvest Gold card base.  I curved the "birthday" word slightly to mimic the string line before stamping it in black.

Stamps:  Banner Builder, Wet Paint, Polka Dot Basics II (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Harvest Gold (Stampin' Up); VersaMark Frost; Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper:  White, Harvest Gold, Tropical Teal, Spring Rain, Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz (Papertrey Ink)
Misc:  Banner Builder dies (Papertrey Ink); distress tool

PTI 7th Anniversary Day 2: I Just Love You

For the second day of their anniversary celebration, Papertrey Ink provided a pdf file with several digital images by their stamp designers and challenged us to make a project with one of them.  (found here)  I was commissioned recently to make three baby cards and was using one of yesterday's PTI sketches to do just that.  Once I had most of it put together, I realized that it was perfect for Heather Nichols' pretty image and quickly changed plans.

Sweet serendipity!  I love the result and you'd think I had planned it that way.  I embossed a piece of Pretty in Pink cardstock with the Polka Dots folder and adhered it to a white card base.  I die cut the doily and trimmed the edge to match the sketch.  After using my paper cutter to trim Heather's image, I simply slipped it under the doily.  I added some pretty pink twine across the top as a final touch.  Quick and easy!

Stamps:  7th Anniversary Printable (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink); Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  none
Misc:  Parisian Lace Doily die (Papertrey Ink); Polka Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Strawberry solid twine (The Twinery)