One seed can start a garden, one candle can light a room, one step can begin a journey, one conversation can start a friendship, one smile from a handmade card can lift one's SPIRIT!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Clean and Simple 2 Day 4 - 5

Oooppss...my sentiment is a little slanted...so sorry about that...maybe it was the butterfly who flew by and pushed it off line!  tee hee...So this card is suppose to be front and center...more formal...not sure about that, but this is what it is.

paper:  PTI white and ocean tides
stamps:  PTI Happy Trails
die:  Happy trails
prisma glitter

Clean and Simple 2 day 4 - 4

Maile Belles had two cards today for the online class...casual and formal...um...yeah, I think I missed the word "formal"...so I guess both of my cards fall into the casual category....except for the GLITTER...which BTW is e.v.e.r.y. w.h.e.r.e!!! 

paper:  PTI white
ink:  memento black, ocean tides, spring rain
prisma glitter

Clean and Simple 2 Day 4 - 3

Today with Kristian it is all about "Chalkboard Trends"  but keeping it simple!  I white embossed the ice cream cone, added a white border and die cut the center ice cream for a little splash of color...and everyone likes strawberries, right?  Are you all having fun?  Isn't this a blast?

Paper:  PTI dark chocolate, raspberry fizz
ink:  versamark, white filligree embossing powder
stamp:  Sweet As can Be

Clean and Simple Cards 2 Day 4 - 2

Did you know that "white space" doesn't necessarily mean "WHITE"?  I think the point is to have 'space'...so Julie used the same stamp but used it on a dark blue paper using white paper ink.  I used the Lace Bouquet again and used some colorbox white ink...after it dried it really muted out...not happy with how it looks...and it didn't keep all the lines from the flowers crisp...might have to dry another kind of white ink!

Paper:  PTI Raspberry Fizz
ink:  colorbox, versamark,
Stamps:  PTI Lace Bouquet, think Big # 22
misc:  white filigree embossing powder

Clean and Simple Cards 2 Day 4 -1

It is all about white space today!  Julie took a really cool wooden stamp (a dogwood I think) and stamped it on white and then used a water pen to draw out some more color and blend it in...just around the edges, not the whole flower.  So I pulled out Lace Bouquet and gave it a try.  I wasn't sure how it would work out as the lines are not very definitive.  But I like it...you can see around some of the edges of the flower where I was able to gather more color and it helps it to "pop".  And if you can see little splatter of color...those are meant to be there!  Julie pulled some ink from around the edge of her ink pad with her water brush and then just flicked it onto her paper...I gave it a try too!

Paper:  PTI white
Ink: Raspberry fizz, dark chocolate
Stamps:  Lace Bouquet, Think Big # 22

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Clean and Simple 2 Day 3 - 4

Shari Carrol showed how to make a card using labels...so I pulled out some labels that I had and started stamping sentiment stamps from Technique Tuesday and  PTI's Hello Sunshine.  I stamped and then cut to fit and layed on the card randomly (I did use a T square to line up the first one!).  The sun is die cut and stamped from Back Pocket Basics.  The strip of paper is just from my stash...I used a rubber round stamp and daubers for the round splotches of color.  Added a little bling and called it good!  So that might be it for me for day 3 unless I have some free time, I might just try that gradient stamping that Jennifer showed...maybe I will have time for that this weekend when we take a break from the videos!  What a fun class and learning so much and doing things that are definitely out of my comfort zone...but loving the challenge and thinking outside the box!

Clean and Simple 2 Day 3 - 3

Another card showing the off set stamping again, this time using softer inks.  What do you think?  Bold or Soft?
I used the soft lilac shadow ink and paired it up with PTI spring rain. I also used harvest gold with both the lilac and spring rain.  Depending on what color ink was stamped first, the final stamp is either a greenish color (like at the top left) or more bluish...cool technique.  And I tried to pay closer attention to the off setting of the stamp the second time...more subtle...And the sentiment is from the Think Big # 24 stamped in the Spring rain ink.  I like this one too...softer, but very nice.  I mounted this on a spring rain card stock.

Clean and Simple 2 Day 3 - 2

Off-setting stamping again...I used the Funky Florals and Hero Arts Soft Lilac Shadow Ink and PTI Royal Velvet, Summer Sunrise and Harvest Gold...you can see that when stamped a second time, it is just off a bit...the sentiment is stamped in the Royal Velvet ink also...all on white card stock from PTI.  This is the second card I made with this technique that Kristina demonstrated.

Thanks for taking a look...are you having as much fun as I am with this class?

Clean and Simple Card Class 2 Day 3 - 1

Day 3 is all about gradient stamping.  I must admit to trying Jennifer's technique and wasn't having a lot of success...so I jumped to Kristina's demonstration.  This is a bit more subtle...but the dots at the bottom actually are stamped in two colors...offset just a tad (I suppose you could have blurry eyes if you saw it in real life...ha ha!).  The stripes are just stamped once.  However, the hearts are stamped a couple of times each with different ink.  The girls were using Hero Arts Shadow Ink and they said it blends in very nicely and dries very good...I do not have any Hero Arts Shadow Ink...so I just used my PTI ink...again, just stamped and then offset the second stamp with a different color.  The sentiment is from an MFT set that I got when I was at CHA two years ago.

Clean and Simple Card Class Day 2 - 4

Day Two is all about masking.  Debby Hughes had some fun techniques, I had to improvise a bit...I used my crackle stamp for the back ground...Can you see it?  I cut a circle and used that for my mask as the stamp is a rectangle.  I cut the hearts and used both the negative and the positive and sponged them on...added a couple of bling just because!  The sentiment is Think Big # 11!  I kind of love this card!  Oh, I hope it is okay that I layered the white piece onto the white card...you don't want to see the back of this card...ha ha...was trying different things and didn't want to waste my precious white paper, so I just cut it and mounted it with some DOTS that you can find on Deanna's blog.

Online Card Class ~Clean and Simple 2 Day 2 - 3

Still playing catch up with yesterday's cards...I think I mentioned struggling with Jennifer's technique...still not pretty, but I managed to pull it together and get it done...I obviously need a lot of work...is it possible to learn to get a 'steady' hand?
So here is the idea....stamp off the page with your sentiment...in a light color.  Stamp it on your water color paper very lightly, just enough so that you can see the lines and trace over it.  Using water color pencils I traced it using an assortment of colors.  Then this is the part I had trouble with....go over your letters or design with a water brush to give it the water color look.  I die cut a half and half die using transparent paper and then I used some Tim Holtz distress ink to shade in the blue...I added some red hearts.  That is it, people...pretty simple

Online Card Class ~ Clean and Simple Day 1 - 4

I found a quatrefoil that I had die cut last summer from my BFF...AND I found some Tattered Angels glimmer mist...so the other day, I laid it in a box and spritzed it...let it sit and dry really good...then this morning I started working on the card..The sentiment is from PTI Movers and Shakers...I die cut the scallop from a PTI medium scallop die using berry sorbet paper...pretty simple, pretty easy.  Used dimensionals to raise the top layer.  Now I am just waiting for DH to wake up so he can help me with my computer...grrrr...it will NOT let me open my Outlook, which is where my email is....and I know the DAY 3 of this card class is just waiting for me....maybe I need to go make some noise so that he can 'wake' up...!!
Thanks for taking a look...are you enjoying the class?  I sure am...and I am loving the masking technique...have done it in the past, but Jennifer has a SWEET tip for this masking...intrigued?  maybe you need to take the class!!!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Clean and Simple Card Class Day 2 -2

I went with Julie Ebersoles cool technique of masking and sponging and leavingit a little bit lighter color in the center...I do NOT have an arrow!  How did that happen?  No worries, my BFF came through for me by suggesting a flourish...so I grabbed the smallest one from the Happy Trails stamp set and "voila"!  Sure wish I had pink glitter, but alas, I didn't so I went with scor-tape and gold glitter and I did "burnish" it like Julie demonstrated!  Very cool!

Die:  Frame It # 11
Stamps:  Sending My Love, Happy Trails

Clean and Simple Cards Day 2 -1

Jennifer McGuire always makes things look so easy...no problem, I can do that, whip out the colored pencils, the water paint brush, and go to it...yeah, doesn't quite look anything like hers...and the water ran under my plastic template...but then I realized that is NOT what I was suppose to use the template for.  so I switched gears and went with the Subtle Embossing demonstrated by Debbie Hughes.  I pulled out the die from Faith and Hope...a PTI cancer stamp set.  I thought that would work nicely for a subtle dry embossing.  I also had the free stamp set from A-Muse ~ Fight Like a Girl.  I added some washi tape to the side...Purple is the color for cancer survivor and Lime green is the color for lymphoma...as many of you know, my daughter has lymphoma and she just completed her 6th and final chemo treatment.  Now we have to wait a month to do a PET scan and find out if it worked or not.  She is nervous, she is scared...so we pray a lot!
I stamped the ribbon with simply chartreuse ink, then stamped the Fight Like a Girl with memento black ink, then I followed the directions for embossing the die to raise it up a little! It worked great!  And this sentiment is perfect for my daughter as a friend had T-s and sweatshirts made up in purple with lime green coloring that says Fight like a Girl...and the ribbon has my daughters name on it:  Team Dina!  The back of the "Team Dina Gear" has a bible quote:  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5     Everyone in the community is wearing the Team Dina gear...all the time...random people we don't even know...in the grocery store, on the soccer fields...young and old.  And this Sunday our church is having everyone wear their shirts or purple in support of Dina.  It "Lifts her UP"!

Thanks for taking a look!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Online Card Class - Day 1 card 3

Three instructors, 4 videos today...a lot to do, but very fun if you have the time...I gave this class to my BFF for a Christmas gift and we were lucky enough to skype most of the afternoon and share what we were creating...giving hints and ideas along the way.

This card is one inspired by Jennifer McGuire...she did masking using both the negative and the positive, she also used daubers with the Hero Arts Shadow ink...now I don't have but one of the shadow inks, so I used PTI ink and daubers...here is what I came up with for this technique:
The sentiment is heat embossed with black powder, the stars where "daubed" on using aqua mist, spring moss and lemon tart...I kept it in the pastel family.  I used some eclipse masking tape on the side to daub on the strips for color and to balance the card.  I didn't add sentiments to the other two starts because I really couldn't find anything small enough that seemed to go with the theme.  But I am happy with this card and how it turned out.

Online Card Class: Clean and Simple Day 1 Card 2

http://www.onlinecardclasses.com/cleansimple2/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CS2_participant.pngAs I mentioned before, there were four videos for today...lots of inspiration.  This time I used a clean and simple sketch from Julie Ebersole.  I used the Background Basics: Music, added a strip of washi tape and a sentiment embossed with black from the PTI Happy Trails set.

Online Card Class: Clean and Simple 2

Online Card Classes:  Clean & Simple 2 started today!!  We had four videos!  Lots of good info, people, lots of good tips and tricks too!  I cut out the circle using a nestabilities and stamped a sentiment from We go Together.  My strip sentiment is from Friends till the End...all Papertrey stamps and paper...even the background hearts are from PTI:  Background Basics: Hearts.
http://www.onlinecardclasses.com/cleansimple2/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CS2_participant.png

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Freshly Made Sketches #70 Card 2

I decided the last card was so CAS and I have three aunts to send cards to, I would just make another one with washi tape again, but change up the sentiments and the focal point.  And if you would like to play along, you have until noon tomorrow, Monday, Jan 28.  Go HERE to check it out and to add your card to the link.  Here is the sketch for this week: 
And here is my card:
Three strips of washi tape, Hugs & Kisses is PTI Think big # 11 and the "love you" embossed on the pink heart is from With all My Heart.  The heart die cuts are from MFT.  The hearts are adhered with DOTS from HERE and the card front is adhered with scotch brand dimensional tape.

Freshly Made Sketches #70





                                    Here is the sketch for Freshly Made Sketches # 70 by Rita.  You can go HERE to see the sketch and link up to the challenge.  I pulled out some Washi Tape, Tag -It's stamp and Heart 2 Heart stamps...plus a wood mounted stamp I had for the sentiment.
It's time to make a few valentine cards to send out in the mail to my elderly aunts...they love hearing from me and getting these cards...this one was pretty CAS and easy to do! 

Friday, January 25, 2013

January 2013 Blog Hop

The Challenge for this month's PTI Blog Hop is BLACK BACKGROUND!
I made a designer strip using the medallions stamps with pure poppy and raspberry fizz ink on white paper.  I bordered it with pure poppy paper.  My squares are cut from the Take Three Die in white and raspberry fizz paper.  I heat embossed the heart from Tag-Its' # 12.  The other sentiment is from With All my Heart.  I think black lends itself really well to the reds and bright pinks and works so well for valentine cards!  This was a fun challenge and I may be using more of Black for a background!

January 2013 Blog Hop

The Challenge over at the PTI site is BLACK Backgrounds!  Here is my second card for this challenge:

I kept the black pretty simple this time.  I used the outline of the gracious vases and embossed with white, then I added a flourish using clear embossing powder.  The flowers are from The Sweet Life and the sentiment is from Beautiful Blessings.  Thanks for taking a look!

January 2013 Blog Hop Challenge

The January Blog Hop is all about BLACK....for the background. It is stunning and really makes the other colors pop.  My daughter, with cancer, needed a card for a lady who has stage 4 ovarian cancer...she selected this one to mail off to her.  Today she goes in for her 6th and we hope final chemo treatment, she has been running a fever the last several days.  She felt it broke yesterday, so we are hoping as is she, that she can have this final treatment.  Then we wait for a month to have the PET scan and see if they can pronounce her in remission!

Stamps:  PTI The Sweet Life, Heart 2 Heart # 10
Papaer:  PTI Black, melon berry
Ink:  versamark, memento black, melon berry, hibiscus burst, raspberry fizz, simply chartreuse, ripe avocado

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Make It Monday #101: Layered Embossing

It is all about layering one color of embossing powder over another color!  Fun technique...just remember to start with the clear or at least the lightest color first!  I embossed from the back of the card stock just to be sure I didn't over heat the already embossed layer.
Stamps:  Back Pocket Basics
Paper:  PTI white, raspberry fizz, Text style Simple valentine dp
Ink:  versamark
embossing powder:  PTI filigree white, clear, and gold 
die:  Heart Border die

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Make It Monday #100: How to Package Cards with Oversized Embellishments ~ Card 3

 First for the packaging...I was in Seattle in November and went to a store called "Impress" and I spotted these bags...they were striped...Kraft with not quite white...maybe more like a vintage white...so I used that for my inspiration for the card.  I used the stamp set from Heart 2 Heart # 11 and stamped the LOVE and also the "sending you lots of" on the kraft line.  For my card, I used Kraft paper and stamped the white lines with vintage cream.  In hind sight, I should have used vintage cream paper and stamped the stripes with kraft...oh well...then I added the same sentiments repeated on the bag.
The sentiment on the face of the card is from Stitched Sentiments along with the die for that set. 

Friday, January 18, 2013

Staying in touch

I pulled out Winter wisteria, spring moss and aqua mist paper and stamped the snowflakes with versamark and then heat embossed with white filigree powder.  I die cut the cute little penguin and switched up the colors of the hats.  I think the three Aunts will enjoy this little winter hello card.  They are 93, 90 and 89 years YOUNG!  I love them dearly...they are so special to me and I have such wonderful growing up memories with them...sending a card once a month is my way of letting them know they are never far from my thoughts!


Oh and the inside?  Yes, I stamped some pretty snowflakes with the colored inks and used a cute little sentiment from Snowfall Additions for the inside of the card:  numbing fingers, frostbit nose...but, who cares? we love the snow!  We have only had a dusting of snow here in the Portland Oregon area and I for one am hoping for a good downpour to last ONE day...a day to sled, make snowmen and snow angels, then come inside by the fire and have hot chocolate and fresh chocolate chip cookies!!  And YES, I stamped a cluster of snowflakes on the front of the envie and also added a strip of washi tape to match...just sayin'...following the lead from Dawn on this weeks MIM!!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

2nd card for Make It Monday #100: How to Package Cards with Oversized Embellishments

HERE is the link from Nichole Heady's blog Capture the Moment to watch the latest Make It Monday video.  In this video Dawn demonstrates how to package those over sized or over embellished cards.  She gave three examples.  She suggests using the larger size envelopes called "greeting envelopes"  or the "specialty envelopes" are just a little bigger and would work for embellishments hanging over the sides just a bit.  She also used a glassine bag, which is probably my favorite, but I used all my large ones at Christmas!  And lastly she suggest just using the card as the tag for a gift bag by punching a small home in the corner of the card on the back flap and attaching it to the bag with twine or ribbon.

Stamps:  Funky Florals, Script Sentiments, Fillable Frames # 1
Ink:  Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet, Pure Poppy, Memento Black
paper:  PTI white, berry sorbet, sweet blush paper pack
misc.:  pearls
Dies:  Mat Stack # 6, Half & Half Die

Make It Monday #100: How to Package Cards with Oversized Embellishments

I  loved all the ideas Dawn gave in her MIM video about packaging over sized cards!  If you want to watch the video and learn some new tricks go HERE. 

This card I used the banner builder die and it does extend over the sides of the A-2 card, so a larger envelope is a must for this card.

All products are PTI
stamps:  Think Big # 23, Heart 2 Heart # 12, Background Basics:  Heart
ink:  hibiscus burst, ocean tide,
misc:  white filigree embossing powder

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

2nd Post CASology Week #27: BLUE

Anything goes, but it must be BLUE!  This is my second card for this challenge.  I know I have been missing for months...there is a reason for that.  My older daughter was diagnosed on Sept. 12 with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma - two weeks later I was diagnosed with a cancer tumor on my lung.  My daughter is finishing up her final chemo in two weeks (we pray that she is done, we won't know until almost March whether she is in remission or not).  And I had my lower left lobe removed after Thanksgiving.  I am just now recuperating enough to get into my craft room and sit for a little bit of time.  I am fine...no chemo or radiation, they got all the cancer...now it is just healing.  Prayers are sure appreciated for my daughter though, she has three children 11, 9 and 5!  We are walking with the Lord and trusting in His mercy and goodness.  Now for the card:  I forgot to add the link for CASology...HERE it is!
Stamps:  PTI Heart 2 Heart #2
Ink:  spring rain, aqua mist, blueberry sky,  enchanted evening
Paper:  PTI  White, blueberry sky
Misc:  dimensional tape

CASology ~ Week #27: BLUE

Is it about the "winter BLUES"?  I don't think so...but blue is the color for this week.  I have a friend who is in need of some prayers...for herself and for her aging parents.  Her dad suffered a serious stroke...a lot is on her plate.  I pulled out the Beautiful Butterflies and created a little card to send her way to let her know I am thinking about her and praying for her and her parents.

 Would you like to play along?  Go HERE to check out the design team's inspiration cards for "BLUE".


Stamps:  PTI Beautiful Butterflies
Ink:        PTI spring rain, blueberry sky, aqua mist, memento black

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Seriously, how many valentine cards do I need?

I am just having so much fun making these cards...of course PTI makes it so easy with their awesome stamps and dies!

Stamps:  Sending My Love, Think Big Favorites #23, With all my Heart, Sew Simple
Dies:  Framed Out #11, hearts border
Paper:  All Papertrey:  Pure Poppy,  Sweet Blush, True Black
Ink:  Pure Poppy, sweet blush, versamark, fresh snow
Misc:  White embossing powder

Friday, January 11, 2013

Random Valentine cards




A couple of cards are cased from the PTI design team members...just changed up a few things but used their technique.  I am loving playing with the Valentine sets this year...the sentiments are so lovely.

Another Love card and Make It Monday #99: Repeats & Rainbows

I used the Think Big series #23 and repeated the sentiment following this color scheme:
Rainbow-Scheme-5I adhered it to a white card base using dimensional tape and added a scallop border.

More of the Chalkboard Technique

Both my daughters were really drawn to the card I made for the MIM:  Chalkboard Technique, so I thought I would try a few others...give them something to choose from for their own card to their hubbies.
This card was made using the Ocean Tides paper which almost resembles the old greenish chalkboards of years past (my era at least!).  I used a big sentiment from the Think big series #11, and two sentiments from With all my Heart and Sending my love.  The flourish in the corners is from Big and Bold Holiday Wishes.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Make It Monday #99: Repeats & Rainbows

Rainbow-Scheme-3
Nichole Heady has a video for the MIM # 99, you can go HERE to watch it and to download the six color schemes she has on her blog.  I am using #3 color scheme for my card.  I pulled out my stash of Washi Tape and matched them up with these colors...I then used the "FREE" Funky Florals Stamp set for a 'burst' of color at the end of each tape.  Thanks for taking a look!
My sentiment is popped up using  DOTS...go there and order yourself some...they are great for just a little bit of dimension!