CR84FN32 -- Happy Birthday, Mona!

Hello! It's time for another CR84FN Challenge! Thank you to all who joined us last time.. it was fun viewing all of your fabulous creations! For this week's challenge (CR84FN32), our color palette is Aqua, Green and Yellow. The lovely photos in the graphic above are courtesy of Leslie at A Creative Mint.

Today we are celebrating our fearless leader and my sweet friend, Mona Pendleton's birthday (Happy early birthday, Mona!) and this is the card I made for her:

When I saw the colors included yellow, I first thought to create a card with yellow tulips (Mona loves tulips), but then when I was choosing my patterned papers, I ran across this sweet little bicycle paper (Lily Bee Happily Lost) that was perfect for this week's color challenge. Mona stays very active and often goes on bike rides with her sister, Tina, so I decided to use the paper instead (for some reason, I didn't think that tulips and bicycles should be together on a card..:)).. So, my card turned out less girly than I had originally planned, but I hope Mona still likes it...

...Anyway, I digress... I pulled out some of my Papertrey goodies and made my label using a text stamp from Mat Stack 4 Collection and die cut with the coordinating Mat Stack 4 Die. "Someone like you should be celebrated every day" is from 2011 Birthday Tags and "Happy Birthday" is from Inside & Out: Birthday. The rest is pretty much self-explanatory.. I also included a tatted butterfly made by my cousin, Jessica of Snapdragon Lace. It was originally white, and I dyed it with some Sea Glass Glimmer Mist, which is what I used to dye my seam binding as well. I used last week's Card Patterns sketch #119 for my layout.

For all the challenge details, please be sure to visit the CR84FN blog HERE. I hope you will join us this week.. I can't wait to see what you create! For more inspiration, please visit my fellow design teammates:

Suzanne Czosek

Deborah Frings

Heather Jensen

Sue Lelli

Andrea Matthews

Mona Pendleton

Lisa Somerville

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: 2011 Birthday Tags, Inside & Out: Birthday, Mat Stack 4 Collection (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Happily Lost (Lily Bee), Harvest Gold, Rustic Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Memento Dandelion, Versamagic Wheat, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Mat Stack 4 Die, Buttons (Papertrey Ink), Circle punch (EK Success), Tatted butterfly (Snapdragon Lace), Lace (May Arts), Pearl (Prima), Seam binding, Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), Rose, Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

CR84FN26 -- Celebrate Today & Every Day

Hello! It's time for another CR84FN Challenge! Thank you to all who joined us last week.. it was fun viewing all of your fabulous creations! For this week's challenge (CR84FN26), our color palette is Kraft, Pale Yellow and Gold. The lovely photos in the graphic above are courtesy of Martha Stewart.

This is our first challenge of May, so please welcome our new Guest Designer, Lin Brandyberry!

One of Sabrina's para aides (Elisa) has a birthday on Monday, so I made this for her.. she always goes the extra mile with Sabrina, so I thought I'd make her a "happy" card to let her know how much we appreciate her.. I used PTI's A Year of Flowers: Daffodils.. I random stamped the smaller daffodil on the Kraft cardstock base and clear embossed them. I stamped it a few more times on some pale yellow vellum and embossed in silver pearl. I cut the daffodil out and added a little of the gold color with a few Copic markers. My lace trim was tatted by my SIL, Mary.

For all the challenge details, please be sure to visit the CR84FN blog HERE. I hope you will join us this week.. I can't wait to see what you create! For more inspiration, please visit my fellow design teammates:

Suzanne Czosek
Deborah Frings
Heather Jensen (not participating this week due to tornadoes/power outage - thankfully she and her family are safe.. I'm sure she would appreciate a visit :))
Lin Brandyberry, May Guest Designer
Sue Lelli
Andrea Matthews

Mona Pendleton

Lisa Somerville

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: A Year of Flowers: Daffodils (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Sweet Fairy (Prima), Kraft, Lemon Tart (Papertrey Ink), Vellum (CTMH)
Ink: Versamark Watermark, Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko); Mustard Seed Distress (Ranger)
Accessories: Markers (Copic), Clear and Silver pearl embossing powder, Tatted lace (Handmade by Sister Mary), Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

CR84FN24 -- May All Your Dreams Come True

Hello! It's time for another CR84FN Challenge! Thank you to all who joined us last week.. it was fun viewing all of your fabulous creations! For this week's challenge (CR84FN24), our color palette is Light Blue, Aqua and Cream. The lovely photos in the graphic above are courtesy of Martha Stewart.

I started with a sheet of paper from The Girls' Paperie Vintage Whimsy collection, then I managed to cover up most of it.. :(  My sentiment is from Verve's Always on My Mind. I layered some scallops to the bottom of the card and added ink distressing all over. I pulled out one of my SIL, Mary's tatted cream flowers and spritzed a little Glimmer Mist on it to add a little subtle blue color to it and added a Prima rose to the center. Pearls and the pearl stick pin are from Pizzazz Aplenty.

For all the challenge details, please be sure to visit the CR84FN blog HERE. I hope you will join us this week.. I can't wait to see what you create! For more inspiration, please visit my fellow design teammates:

Suzanne Czosek
Deborah Frings
Heather Jensen
Silke Ledlow, April Guest Designer
Sue Lelli
Andrea Matthews

Mona Pendleton

Lisa Somerville

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Always on My Mind (Verve)
Paper: Vintage Whimsy (The Girls' Paperie), Aqua Mist (Papertrey Ink), Classic Crest Classic Natural White (Neenah)
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Versamagic Wheat (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Labels One Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Notebook Die, Medium Scallop Die (Papertrey Ink); Round-it-All (Zutter), Pearls, Stick pin (Pizzazz Aplenty); Tatted flower (Handmade by Sister Mary), Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), Rose (Prima), Seam binding, Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

CR84FN21 -- Make a Wish

Hello! It's time for another CR84FN Challenge! Thank you to all who joined us last week.. it was fun viewing all of your fabulous creations! For this week's challenge (CR84FN21), our color palette is Garnet, Chartreuse and Cream. The lovely photos in the graphic above are courtesy of Adam at Embrace Life Photography.

This is our final challenge for the month of March.. a huge thank you to our wonderful guest designer, Deb Hickman!

For my card today, I decided to go a little vintage. I started with a sheet of patterned paper from the Prima Moulin Rouge collection and added some post card details from the new Papertrey set, Postmarks. I tucked my main sentiment inside the little vellum envelope and added some distressing and stitching around. The delicate butterfly was tatted by my sister-in-law, Mary!

For all the challenge details, please be sure to visit the CR84FN blog HERE. I hope you will join us this week.. I can't wait to see what you create! For more inspiration, please visit my fellow design teammates:

Deb Hickman, March Guest Designer
Mona Pendleton
Andrea Matthews

Deborah Frings

Heather Jensen

Lisa Somerville

Meredith MacRitchie

Sue Lelli

Suzanne Czosek

Supplies ~
Stamps: Postmarks, Think Big Favorites #1 (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Moulin Rouge (Prima), Scarlett Jewel (Papertrey Ink), Classic Crest Classic Natural White (Neenah), Green vellum (CTMH)
Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia (Tsukineko), Simply Chartreuse, Scarlett Jewel (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Postage die, Tiny Envelope die (Papertrey Ink); Tatted butterfly (made by sister Mary), Handmade lace, Twine (May Arts), Flower (Prima), Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), Pearl flourish (Zva Creative), Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

CR84FN17 -- It's Your Day!

Hello! It's time for another CR84FN Challenge! Thank you to all who joined us last week.. it was fun viewing all of your fabulous creations! For this week's challenge (CR84FN17), our color palette is Light Pink, Bright Pink and Chartreuse. The lovely photos in the graphic above are courtesy of Leslie at A Creative Mint.

I broke out some of my PTI goodies to create this birthday card. I used the Mat Stack 4 collection (stamps and die) for my label. The birthday hat and sentiment is from 2011 Birthday Tags. I added a strip of seam binding and tied off a couple of bows with some Cotton Candy dream string from Pizzazz Aplenty.

For all the challenge details, please be sure to visit the CR84FN blog HERE. I hope you will join us this week.. I can't wait to see what you create! For more inspiration, please visit my fellow design teammates:

Stella Schenkel, February Guest Designer
Andrea Matthews

Deborah Frings

Heather Jensen

Lisa Somerville

Meredith MacRitchie

Mona Pendleton

Sue Lelli

Suzanne Czosek

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: 2011 Birthday Tags, Mat Stack 4 Collection (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Olivia (Basic Grey), Classic Crest Solar White (Neenah)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Pear Tart (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Mat Stack 4 die (Papertrey Ink), Circle punch (EK Success), Apron Lace border punch (Fiskars), Markers (Copic), Seam binding, Cotton Candy dream string, Shiny silver pearl (Pizzazz Aplenty); Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

CR84FN15 -- Happy Happy Birthday

Hello! It's time for another CR84FN Challenge! Thank you to all who joined us last week.. it was fun viewing all of your fabulous creations! For this week's challenge (CR84FN15), our color palette is Teal, Green and Yellow. The photos in the graphic above are courtesy of Leslie at A Creative Mint.

I quickly went through my stash and couldn't find any patterned papers that I liked well enough to use, so I made my own background paper by randomly stamping some doilies using My Mind's Eye Gertie "Girly" stamps. I was fortunate enough to win a collection of my choice from MME, and I chose the Stella & Rose - Gertie collection.. LOVE it! I didn't want to cover up the doilies, so I only added a strip of green vellum. I created my tags using Papertrey Ink stamps and die from Fillable Frames #1. I used my Copic Y17 marker to color some seam binding ribbon.

For all the challenge details, please be sure to visit the CR84FN blog HERE. I hope you will join us this week.. I can't wait to see what you create! For more inspiration, please visit my fellow design teammates:

Stella Schenkel, February Guest Designer
Andrea Matthews

Deborah Frings

Heather Jensen

Lisa Somerville

Meredith MacRitchie

Mona Pendleton

Sue Lelli

Suzanne Czosek

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Gertie "Girly" (My Mind's Eye), Fillable Frames #1 (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Celebrate "Dad and Me" Brocade / Blue (My Mind's Eye), Rustic Cream (Papertrey Ink), Green vellum
Ink: Memento Bahama Blue, Memento Dandelion, Memento Pear Tart, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Fillable Frames #1 die (Papertrey Ink), Seam binding ribbon, Y17 marker (Copic), Crystal stick pin (Pizzazz Aplenty), Rose (Prima), Twine (May Arts), Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

Papertrey Ink January Blog Hop

Hello friends! I hope you are having a great week so far! I've been wanting to play along in the Papertrey Ink Blog Hops that occur every month, but each time the date comes around, I end up too busy with life and/or other commitments.

After seeing Nichole's challenge (to use an uninked or dusty PTI set), I had hoped to be able to play. Although my morning didn't start off well, I managed to squeeze a little crafting time in this afternoon.. here's what I came up with..

I decided to pull out a few uninked sets.. first, I created some patterned paper (left side) by stamping the text from Background Basics: Hearts with Pure Poppy ink. I added a strip of heart patterned paper next to it (from Simple Valentine). For my circular image / sentiment panel, I embossed the white heart border from 2010 Love Tags. Next, I popped the little Happy Valentine's Day sentiment (from Tiny Treats: Valentine) in the center and stitched all of this onto a Lacey Circle.

I added more stitching around around my panel, tied some ribbon around and added a little yo-yo heart embellishment that I made with some chiffon fabric. I sprayed it with some Candy Apple Red Glimmer Mist and added a pearl to the center. Here's a detail shot:

I can't wait to hop around and see all the creations (complete link list is here).. thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies (all supplies from Papertrey Ink unless otherwise specified)
Stamps: 2010 Love Tags, Background Basics: Hearts, Tiny Treats: Valentine
Paper: Simple Valentine, White, Pure Poppy
Ink: Pure Poppy, Versamark Watermark (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Standard Circle and Lacey Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Mini Hearts border punch (Martha Stewart), White embossing powder, Pearl, Seam binding ribbon, Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), Chiffon fabric, Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

CR84FN9 and Some Fun News!

Hello! Happy 2011! I'm starting the new year off with a challenge and some fun news! As many of you stampers may already know, Mona started hosting her own CR84FN (aka Create For Fun) color challenge a couple of months ago on her blog. She is kicking off the new year by moving it to a brand new site, and she invited me to join her design team! Of course, I said YES!

For this week's challenge (CR84FN9), Mona has chosen the lovely color palette of Yellow, Peach and Light Pink. The photos in the graphic above are courtesy of http://acreativemint.typepad.com/.

These colors made me think of spring, flowers and butterflies, so I decided to use Dawn McVey's Signature Series: Butterfly stamp and coordinating die (Papertrey Ink). I clear embossed the butterfly onto the die cut Melon Berry cardstock. I added a bunch of layers, some stitching, ribbon and a rhinestone flourish.

I used the round Mojo Monday 171 sketch for my layout:

For all the challenge details, please be sure to visit the CR84FN blog HERE. Mona's hubby, Scott, has done a fabulous job designing the website and graphics! I hope you will join us this week.. I can't wait to see what you create!

For more inspiration, please visit my fellow design teammates:

Deborah Frings - Deborah's Gems 

Sue Lelli - Card Therapy

Meredith MacRitchie - A Delightful Waste of Time

Andrea Mathews - Work in Progress

Lisa Somerville - Splendiferous Creations

Suzanne Czosek - Suzz's Stamping Spot

Heather Jensen - Simply Handmade By Heather

Mona Pendleton - Cupcake's Creations

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Signature Series: Butterfly (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Porcelain (Basic Grey), Harvest Gold, Melon Berry (Papertrey Ink); Classic Crest Solar White (Neenah), Pink vellum (CTMH)
Ink: Versamark Watermark (Tsukineko)
Accessories Signature Series: Butterfly die (Papertrey Ink), Nestabilities: Standard Circles, Standard Scalloped Circles, Classic Squares (Spellbinders); Ribbon, Rhinestone flourish, Clear embossing powder, Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

Mojo Sympathy

Hello friends.. I am back with a card using Julee's latest Mojo Monday #160. It is with a heavy heart that I sat down to make this sympathy card and finally to write up this post. A friend of mine just tragically lost her 5-year-old son, and this is the card that I made for her. I am deeply saddened for the family's loss. They are all in our thoughts and prayers.

I pulled out an older Papertrey Ink set that I had not inked up yet, With Sympathy. I stamped the sentiment, cut it out with a Spellbinders Long Rectangle Nestability die, then I added some light sponging while it was still in the die. The small partial frame on the left side is cut out of Simply Chartreuse felt with the Mat Stack 4 die. I added some silk ribbon, stitching and ivory pearls from Pizzazz Aplenty.

Here's a detail shot of the sentiment:

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and make sure to give your loved ones some extra hugs.. I know that I will.

Supplies ~
Stamps: With Sympathy (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Hollywood Vogue (Websters Pages), Rustic White (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento New Sprout (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Long Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Mat Stack 4 die, Medium Scalloped Border die, Simply Chartreuse felt (Papertrey Ink); 3 and 4 mm ivory pearls (Pizazz Aplenty), Large pearls (Queen & Co), Silk ribbon (May Arts), Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

I'm Here for You -- PDCC37

It's time for another Play Date Cafe challenge, and Senior Designer, Julie, has chosen the fabulous inspiration photo (above). This week she hasn't specified colors, so let the photo be your inspiration and let your creative imagination run with it!

Please welcome our celebrity guest designer, Mariana Grigsby!

Our fabulous sponsor is Jelly Bean Designs!

My main inspiration came with the beadboard paneling in the background of the photo. To duplicate this look, I took a sheet of patterned paper from Basic Grey's Basics Kraft paper pad, ran it through my Cuttlebug along with the Papertrey Ink Linen & Canvas impression plate, then I used my Scor-pal to create the vertical lines. I added a strip of striped paper (from October Afternoon Fly a Kite) to mimic the stripes on the vase and other decorative items on the shelves.

I made this card for a friend who is in need of some cheering up. I wanted a subtle look, so I added Kraft cardstock to the mix. I stamped the stems and flowers from Lisa Johnson's set, Flutterby Friend, then I colored them with Copic markers. I added a couple of Taylor's Tiny Twinkles in the center of each flower and some stitching to complete the card. "Friend" and "I'm here for you" are also from this fun set.

Are you ready to play along? We'd love to see your creations! Be sure to go over to the Cafe and link your post. If you use an online gallery, please use the keyword PDCC37. And, be sure to visit my PDCC teammates for some wonderful inspiration.

Sarah Anderson

Suzanne Czosek

Ruby 2 Shoes

Savannah O'Gwynn

Julie Ranae

Lisa Somerville

Celebrity Guest Designer/Sponsor, Mariana Grigsby

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Flutterby Friend (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Classic Cream (Neenah), Santa's Beard (Couture), Kraft (Papertrey Ink), Basics Kraft paper pad (Basic Grey)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Oval and Big Scalloped Oval Nestabilities, Fancy Tags Shapeabilities (Spellbinders); Canvas & Linen impression plate (Papertrey Ink), Scor-pal, Double Scallop border punch (Martha Stewart), Markers (Copic), Crystal Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

Celebrate Today & Everyday -- PDCC32

Hello! It's time for another Play Date Cafe challenge. Sarah has chosen the beautiful inspiration photo above and the colors Lemon, Pale Peach and Peach this week.

Our celebrity guest designer is the uber-talented, Jen del Muro!

This week's sponsor is Limelight Paper Crafts.. and the Limelight design team will be playing along with us this week, too!!

I pulled out some Papertrey goodies for today's card. I stamped the large daffodil from Year of Flowers: Daffodils, colored the leaves and center with Copic markers and paper pieced the outer part of the flower. Next I cut it out and added a little Star Dust Stickles to the center of the flower. All of the layers on this card are popped up with foam tape.

I am your challenge host this week! This week I was asked to share a little about our creative space. I shared photos of it on a blog post a little over a year ago (click HERE to view -- you can see photos of the room when we first moved into our house almost 4 years ago) and it's evolution. I also filmed a short video of it as it is currently (see below).

My creative space is a spare bedroom in our house. I spend a lot of time in it, so it is important to me that it be organized. I am constantly reorganizing as I acquire new supplies and discover more efficient ways to organize. I am far from a neat freak, but I find that I am most productive when my workspace isn't messy, so I always clean it up before I get started on a new project (besides, if I didn't, I'd only have a tiny corner of my table to work on!).

I believe that each item/tool should have a place and when not being used, it should be put away in that place! I have an L-shaped desk for my computer / printer, and I can swivel my chair around to a square table which I use as my main workspace. I also share that workspace with my 7-year-old daughter, who has a small cubical bookcase with baskets to store some of her toys and crafting items. Allowing her to share the space with me means less creative space for me, but it also means that she is more likely to let me create if we can spend the time together! Thanks for letting me share a peek into my creative space with you!



Are you ready to play along? We'd love to see your creations! Be sure to go over to the Cafe and link your post. If you use an online gallery, please use the keyword PDCC32. And, be sure to visit my PDCC teammates for some wonderful inspiration.

Sarah Anderson

Suzanne Czosek

Ruby 2 Shoes

Savannah O'Gwynn

Mona Pendleton

Julie Ranae

Lisa Somerville
Celebrity Guest Designer, Jen del Muro

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Year of Flowers: Daffodils (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Kraft, Melon Berry (Papertrey Ink), Classic Crest Solar White (Neenah), Floral from Egg Hunt (Papertrey Ink), Polka Dot from Chloe's Closet (Making Memories)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Round-It-All (Zutter), Markers (Copic), Star Dust Stickles (Ranger), Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

Showers of Blessings -- PDCC31

Hello! It's time for another Play Date Cafe challenge. Julie has chosen the inspiration photos above and the colors Purple, Lavender, Brown, Lime Green this week. These are some of my favorite colors!

My niece's bridal shower is very soon, so I made her a card to go along with the gift that Sabrina and I will give to her. Evie loves butterflies, so I started with a sheet of lavender butterfly/floral paper from Webster's Pages. I paired it with a stripe from Basic Grey's Wisteria to bring in more of the color green. I've had the Scattered Showers stamp set (from Papertrey Ink) for awhile now and hadn't inked it up, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do so. I paper-pieced the umbrella and colored the bottom trim with my Lavender Spica glitter pen. I also highlighted the word "Showers" with it. It's hard to see in the photo, but the glitter pen adds some shimmer to the card in real life.

Are you ready to play along? We'd love to see your creations! Be sure to go over to the Cafe and link your post. If you use an online gallery, please use the keyword PDCC31. And, be sure to visit my PDCC teammates for some wonderful inspiration.

Sarah Anderson

Suzanne Czosek

Ruby 2 Shoes

Savannah O'Gwynn

Mona Pendleton

Julie Ranae

Lisa Somerville

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Scattered Showers (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Spring Moss, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink); Violette Wings from Nature's Storybook (Webster's Pages), Wisteria 6x6 pad (Basic Grey)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Versamagic Wheat (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Labels Nine Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Double Scallop border punch (Martha Stewart), Butterfly punch (EK Success), Lavender Spica glitter pen (Copic), Ribbon, Rhinestones (Kaisercraft), Scor-tape, Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

Thank You

Good morning! I hope you're having a great weekend! I've been busy working on some projects for the upcoming MTME release (you will LOVE it ALL!), but this morning I took a short break to make a card with some of my new Papertrey Ink goodies.

I used the PTI 2009 Anniversary stamp set, Round & Round, and the patterned paper is Dotty Biscotti. I love the fun polka dots on the Kraft background! The layout is fairly simple, but it's one that I like so you'll probably see it again here...

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Round & Round (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Aqua Mist, Kraft, Vintage Cream, Dotty Biscotti (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), Aqua Mist (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Circle punch, Deco Fan border punch (EK Success), Ribbon (Papertrey Ink), Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

Mom's Belated Birthday Gift

Hello! I hope you all had a great weekend! After this post, I am off to Copic Certification class.. yay! When I tell non-crafters that I am going to class to improve my coloring skills, they just laugh. They probably picture me coloring with crayons and trying to stay within the lines!

My mom's birthday was on the 10th, and although I got her card to her on time, the rest of her gift did not make it. You may recall the gift that I made her HERE. Before I had a chance to send it off to her, the larger box met with an unfortunate accident (let's just say that paper crafts don't mix well with water). Not being one to duplicate my projects (I really don't like mass production!), I decided to create her a new box. I used the MTME Slip Cover template again, but I changed up the colors. My cardstock is Prism Vibrant Teal and Baby Pink Dark and my patterned papers are from Zoe Pearn's Spring Fling (Sweet Shoppe Designs).

Here's a peek at the inside:

I made a set of 6 very simple all-occasion cards that can be mailed with one postage stamp. I embossed the background with Swiss Dots, then I added some sentiments from Papertrey Ink's Mega Mixed Messages. Finally, I added a little stitching and some of my hand-dyed crinkly seam binding ribbon.

Here are the first 3:

And the final 3:

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies:
Stamps: Mega Mixed Messages, Simply Stationery (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Vibrant Teal, Baby Pink Dark (Prism); Choice Buttercream (Taylored Expressions), Spring Fling by Zoe Pearn (Sweet Shoppe Designs), Matte Presentation Paper (Epson)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Slip Cover template (MTME), Fancy Tags and Long Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft), Scroll & Dots border punch (EK Success), Flower (Prima), Seam binding ribbon, Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

The Play Date Cafe Challenge #25

Hello! It's time for another Play Date Cafe challenge! This week is a color splash challenge chosen by Sarah (black and white with a splash of orange). Sue is this week's challenge host and our celebrity guest designer and sponsor is Kelly Marie from Lawn Fawn Stamps.

I don't have any Lawn Fawn stamps (yet :)), so I went with a couple of different stamps today. I sometimes feel like all of my cards look the same... know what I mean? Well, today, I tried to change things up a bit. I actually opted for black and cream with a splash of orange and added some distressing to my normally clean designs. I love it when I see distressed cards, but honestly, when I do it myself I sometimes think it looks like I made a mistake... So here's my card...

I used Papertrey Ink Background Basics: Text Style for my background and also for the flower. I stamped the label from Nina Brackett's Lovely Labels (for GinaK), cut it out with my Labels One Nestabilities then I colored it with some Copic markers and my Orange Spica glitter pen. I made the flower using the MTME Rambling Rose cut file, spritzed it with some Pearl Glimmer Mist and added an orange Candy Dot in the center.

Are you ready to play along? We'd love to see your creations! Be sure to go over to the Cafe and link your post. If you use an online gallery, please use the keyword PDCC25. And, be sure to visit my PDCC teammates for some wonderful inspiration.

Sarah Anderson

Suzanne Czosek

Ruby 2 Shoes

Savannah O'Gwynn

Mona Pendleton

Julie Ranae

Lisa Somerville
Celebrity Guest Designer/Sponsor, Kelly Marie

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Background Basics: Text Style (Papertrey Ink), Lovely Labels (Nina Brackett for GinaK)
Paper: True Black, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink); Santa's Beard (Couture)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamagic Wheat (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Labels One Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Rambling Rose cut file (MTME), Markers, Glitter Pen (Copic), Pearl Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), Felt Ric Rac, Candy Dot (Pebbles), Distress tool (Heidi Swapp), Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

The Play Date Cafe Creativity Challenge 24

*** If you are looking for my MTME post, please scroll up... ***

It's time for another Play Date Cafe Creativity Challenge! Mona chose the lovely photo and inspiration colors for this week. Your hostesses for this week are Mona and Lisa!

One of my favorite things to do is to create my own background paper, so that is exactly what I did for this week's challenge! I pulled out some of my new Papertrey Ink stamps and first stamped the background using Background Basics: Tin Types using Ranger Antique Linen Distress ink. Next I randomly stamped a flower from Beautiful Blooms II in Plum Pudding. Finally, I chose a smaller flower from the same set and heat embossed it with some pearl embossing powder for a subtle look. I kept my layout fairly clean and simple by just adding a simple sentiment and just a few embellishments.

Are you ready to play along? We'd love to see your creations! Be sure to go over to the Cafe and link your post. If you use an online gallery, please use the keyword PDCC24. And, be sure to visit my PDCC teammates for some wonderful inspiration.

Sarah Anderson

Suzanne Czosek

Ruby 2 Shoes

Savannah O'Gwynn

Mona Pendleton

Julie Ranae

Lisa Somerville
Celebrity Guest Designer/Sponsor, Kristen Powers

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Background Basics: Tin Types, Beautiful Blooms II, Year of Flowers: Daffodils (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Plum Pudding, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), Antique Linen Distress (Ranger), Lavender Moon, Plum Pudding (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Long Rectangle Nestabilities and Fancy Scalloped Border Pierceabilities (Spellbinders), Ribbon (Papertrey Ink), Rhinestone (Kaisercraft), Pearl embossing powder (CTMH), Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

JUGS Sketch Time

Good morning! I hope you're all having a great Easter weekend! That means it's time for a new Just Us Girl's Challenge... JUGS27. As soon as I saw Kristin's new sketch (see below), I knew that I wanted to play along! I've had some new Papertrey goodies that I haven't had a chance to play with yet, so I thought this was the perfect time to do just that!

I loved the background paper (from Kaisercraft's Devonshire collection) as is, but I thought it would be even nicer if I added some embossing. I used Background Basics: Botanicals and stamped one of the fun images then added some clear embossing powder and heat set. Then I cut the paper into strips for the 3 vertical panels. You can see a little more of the embossing detail below.

To create my flower, I used a coordinating pattern from the same paper pad (it repeats the words "Live Dance Sing") and cut flowers using the Beautiful Blooms II #1 Dies. I layered them and attached them with a button and some wire.

That's it for me.. Be sure to check out the wonderful creations by all the girls on the JUGS page.. they are all so wonderful and inspirational!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Background Basics: Botanicals (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Hawaiian Shores, Terracotta Tile, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink); Devonshire (Kaisercraft)
Ink: Versamagic Wheat, Versamark Watermark (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Circle and Labels Thirteen Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Beautiful Blooms II #1 Die Collection, Button (Papertrey Ink), Embossed Curve border punch (EK Success), Pearls (Prima), Ribbon, Clear embossing powder, Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

Where Flowers Bloom So Does Hope

Hello! I hope you're all having a great weekend! I spent most of yesterday doing computer chores (aka backing up photos).. I hadn't done it since the beginning of the year and with a chugging computer, I was long overdue.

Today I thought I'd kickstart my mojo for the week by playing in a new challenge by Lisa Johnson. This is week 2 of her Poppy Seed Challenge. The requirements for the card (or project) are what she calls "seeds". This week's seeds are a few of my favorite things: Buttons, Polka Dots and the color Light Moss. I used Jen's Sketch For You To Try for this week (posted above), which she dedicated to Susan (and her hubby, Eric). He was just diagnosed with lymphoma, so this card will be heading their way and hopefully will provide some encouragement for them as he begins his chemo treatments. You can read more about his story on Susan's blog and maybe even consider sending them a card as well!

I used Everyday Button Bits for the main image and the sentiment (which reads "Where flowers bloom so does hope) is from Lisa's mini set, Flower Garden Sentments.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Everyday Button Bits, Flower Garden Sentiments (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Berry Sorbet, Spring Moss, Vintage Cream (PTI); Krafty Dotty by Christy Lyle (Sweet Shoppe Designs)
Ink: Spring Moss (Papertrey Ink), Versafine Onyx Black, Versamagic Wheat (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Circle and Big Scalloped Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft), Round-it-All (Zutter), Buttons (Papertrey Ink), Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

The Play Date Cafe Creativity Challenge 20 (PDCC20)

Hello! I am SO excited as this is my very first post as a Design Team member of The Play Date Cafe! Grab a cup of coffee (or your favorite beverage) as my post is a long one... :)

As the Play Date Cafe begins a new season of designers, we also say goodbye to Julie Campbell, who has been on the design team for the past 4 months. To celebrate Julie's achievements and the new design team, we are having a BLOG HOP!

And.. there is candy to be won!!

The start of the hop officially begins at The Cafe. If you came here from Sarah's blog, then you are in the right place! Your next stop will be Ruby 2 Shoes!

In order to be eligible to win the blog candy:

• You MUST visit each designer's blog and leave a comment on each blog!

Additional ways to have a chance to win:

• Become a follower of The Play Date Cafe...easy-peasy!
• Play along with this week's color challenge, PDCC20 (deadline is 11:59 PM EST on 3/16).

The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on 3/18 as part of our regular challenge post.

Please welcome the fabulous new designers I will be creating along side:

Suzanne Czosek

Ruby 2 Shoes

Savannah O'Gwynn

Lisa Somerville

We will be joining these talented Senior Design Team members:

Sarah Anderson

Mona Pendleton

Julie Ranae

Finally, I wanted to post a card using PDCC20, so below is my CAS creation. I used the Papertrey Ink set, Butterfly Dreams. I added the sentiment "Let your dreams take flight" and thought it was appropriate as I am truly honored to be chosen for the team and would like to thank all the Senior Design Team members for this wonderful opportunity!

Your next stop on the hop is the wonderfully talented Ruby 2 Shoes!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Butterfly Dreams (PTI)
Paper: Classic Crest Solar White (Neenah), Lavender Moon (PTI), Gossamer (Memory Box)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamagic Wheat (Tsukineko), Lavender Moon (PTI)
Accessories: Labels Ten Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Butterflie die (PTI), Round-it-all (Zutter), Ribbon, Rhinestones, Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.

Hello

Hello there! I hope your Saturday is going well! I have been spending it in my stamp room doing some major reorganizing! I decided to take a break and create something! I used Jen's Sketch For You To Try from last Saturday and my color inspiration is from The Play Date Cafe Creativity Challenge #18.


The card is pretty self-explanatory, so I won't bore you with all the details. My patterned papers are from SEI Black Orchid, and I added a lot of stitching! Now it's back to reorganizing for me... Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies ~
Stamps: Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Classic Crest Solar White (Neenah), Black Orchid (SEI)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Labels Nine Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Scallop Sentiment border punch (Fiskars), Square punches (EK Success), Flowers (Prima), Pearl (Kaisercraft), Pearl brad, Foam tape, Thread, Sewing machine.