Sunday, November 25, 2012

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop: November 2012

Blog-hop-logo

Here's this month's challenge, as issued by Papertrey Ink's own Nichole Heady:
Have you every been inspired to get paper crafting after browsing the shelves at the book store?  Or excited by the cover of a particular catalog when it arrives in the mail?  Cover art is a wonderful source of inspiration and it can be found all around you.  Your challenge is to select one of my favorite covers above (or a cover of your own) and use it as inspiration to create a really unique project.  Take things into consideration such as the layout of everything on the cover, the colors. the sentiment placement, etc.  And most of all, have fun with it!

Here's the inspiration picture:
The-Challenge
 November-hop-inspiration
photo credits {great expectations}-{liars}-{weekend}-{sugar cones}- {stacy clark}-{oz}

Well, I have to send off a birthday card this week so though I would use the Wizard of Oz cover art as my jumping off point.  I took inspiration from the black background white white and coloured text/images on top.
I took a piece of Hawaiian Shores card stock as my base and used some Winter Wonderland embossing powder for the flower sparkly white) and Zing aqua (a perfect match for Hawaiian Shores, by the way) and stamped my own version of subway art for the birthday sentiment.  I took a bunch of sentiments from different sets (Global Greetings, Fabulous Frames, Happy Days and Mat Stack 1). 
 After heat embossing, I coloured in the flower with a wet paintbrush and a mix of White Opal Liquid Pearls and a pastel yellow pearlescent.  Hard to captuer on camera but it's a fun pale shade.  I swiped some Vintage Cream ink around the edges of the black panel and attached it to the card base.  A flat card to mail - rare for me to make a completely flat card! :)

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Christmas wishes

Here is a simple card I made with Studio Calico Take Note 6x6 pad's green sheet, some polka dots and a Happy Days cut out from PTI.  I debossed the polka dots on the green circle behind and popped up the die cut on some foam dots and used Fresh! Tuscan Olive ink and Jenni Bowlin fountain pen black ink.
The card base is a textured white card - I like the rustic look to the polka dots.  I used my cling stamp (Hero Arts Cling Dots) for a full panel of dots in one go.  Simple!

And here's another that has some non traditional colours:
I saw a card like this that took a non holiday stamp to make a wreath.  I loved the idea so I thought I would try it out.  If anyone knows of the original link, let me know so I can include it.
I took a Delightful Doilies circle and the Ali Edwards Everyday set for the sentiment.  PTI Vintage Cream and Jenni Bowlin fountain pen black ink for the sentiment.  Here's another that was harder to capture on film:
 Happy Days sentiments in Jenni Bowlin fountain pen black ink for this one ...
I think this would look beautiful with some Stickles or glitter - what do you think?

Monday, November 5, 2012

Joyeux Anniversaire

So this is what happens when you quickly take a photo - slightly off centre and not quite right.  Oh well! :)  I have already given the recepient the card, so too bad.  This will have to do ... :)
I stamped the Background Basics: Postmarks in Provincial Gray ink from Fresh! for a subtle background.  Then I die cut the Lovely Layers pieces and stamped them with Chocolate and Vintage Cream inks and added a gem stone to the centre.  Some foam dots for dimension and the embellishment was done.  I die cut a banner and stamped it with one of the Global Greetings sentiments and made a flag with some foam dots.  I really like this colour combination - the turquoise looks so nice with the chocolate and the pop of pink is fun.

Supplies:
Paper: PTI Hawaiian Shores, Chocolate, Rustic Cream, Raspberry Fizz
Stamps: PTI Background Basics: Postmarks, Background Basics: Houndstooth, Global Greetings: French
Ink: Fresh! Provincial Gray, Chocolate; PTI Vintage Cream
Misc:  foam dots, PTI Lovely Layers dies, Double ended banners dies, gemstone

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Happy Holidays

I took a break from marking and report cards to make some more holiday cards.  I figure if I slowly make them, I will have a large stash to pull from when I need them.  I am not into mass producing as I get too bored so would rather make one or two of each design.
I can't seem to stop using Lovely Layers ... sorry if you are getting bored of seeing it! :) 

I cut the layers out using vellum and debossed them with the Diamond impression plate.  I want them easily mailable so I didn't use my usual foam dots but rather layered them with a rhinestone.  I stamped the Think Big sentiment and debossed with the Text impression plate.  This adds dimension without bulk.

Ok, time for card number two! 
For my next card, I decided to continue to try and use up some patterned paper.  This is from an old pack from Memory Box that I bought FOREVER ago.  I mounted it on a green card base from Paper Source - a 5 x 7 card base, actually.  I made a card similar to this one that I blogged about here:
I again used Faux Ribbon and stamped two different lines.  Then I used a sentiment from the same set and stamped it in Fresh! red currant.  I learned from experience to NOT use dye inks unless you think the bleeding ink is the effect you want ... :)
I took one of the gorgeous Studio Calico wood veneer banners to stamp the sentiment.  Aren't they cute?

 How is your holiday stash of cards coming along?  Any farther?

Supplies:
Happy Holidays
Paper: PTI Hawaiian Shores, Garner vellum
Stamps: PTI Think Big sentiment
Ink: Fresh! steel blue
Misc: rhinestone, PTI Diamond and Text impression plates






Holiday Wishes
Paper: Paper Source green card base, Memory Box patterned paper
Ink: Fresh! red currant
Stamps: PTI Faux Ribbon
Misc: Studio Calico wood veneer banner
 

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Wishing you Happiness and Cheer

It's no secret that I love shaped cards.  They add a little fun to the card and this is always a good thing.  I took some shimmer cardstock I bought at M's on sale and made two Mat Stack cut outs.  I scored the back one to create a seamless card that opens and has no flat top.
Next I die cut a smaller Mat Stack out of the PTI holiday patterned paper.  I am determined to use more of my hoard of patterned paper - who's with me? :)  I stamped the sentiment in Chocolate and added some Pear coloured leaves and Merlot berries.  Some red Stickles and foam dots to pop up the front panel and that's it!

For my next cards, I used one of the Happy Trails dies to cut out a dove in shimmery cardstock.  I tried to do two facing each other but the back of the die cut doesn't look nearly as good so I scrapped that idea.
I added one of the Fabulous Frames in Vintage Cream ink and a Think Big Sentiment in Jenni Bowlin Fountain Pen - a nice inky black ink.
The shimmery dove is popped up on foam dots, my usual staple! :)  This one is easily mailable which is important since I have A LOT of holiday cards to mail abroad. :)
Here is another hybrid of the one above - I didn't want to use white or cream ink so tried with Slate which wasn't quite dark enough to be picked up on camera.  I bought Colorbox metallic inks in silver and gold but they aren't juicy enough to stamp well.  Amazingly enough with a little persistence, Michaels took them back and put money on a refund card for me - I explained that if I exchanged them it would just be the same problem and it seemed to be about $10 a reinker with shipping to Canada ... so I will continue to search for the perfect juicy metallic ink pads.  I do have some Brilliance inks so will try those out again.  I did do some stamping with Martha Stewatr silver paint and that turned out quite well.  And I made a card a while ago with gold that showed up quite well:
Supplies
Paper: M's shimmer cardstock, PTI holiday patterned paper
Stamps: PTI Holiday Lights (sentiment), Holly and Mistletoe
Ink: Fresh! Pear, Chocolate, Merlot
Misc: PTI Mat Stack dies; foam dots, Stickles
Paper: SU Basic Gray, M's shimmer cardstock
Stamps: PTI Think Big, Fabulous Frames
Ink: PTI Vintage Cream, Jenni Bowlin Fountain Pen
Misc: PTI Happy Trails die,  foam dots

Papertrey Make it Monday - With sympathy - floating window

This week's Make it Monday over at Papertrey Ink is creating windows for floating images.  What fun!  I love playing with acetate so I decided to try one for myself. 
The pictures aren't the greatest because they were taken with my phone before giving it to my student.  He has had quite a few losses in the last little while so I wanted to give him and his family a card.  I stamped the rustic cream panel with Postmarks before layering the leaves over the top from Turning a new leaf.  I cut out two sizes of the mat stack and layed the acetate in between.
I added some brown dragonflies from Happy Trails and stamped them with PTI Vintage Cream.  All of this was mounted to a kraft card base.

Supplies
Paper: PTI Kraft, Vintage Cream, Chocolate
Stamps: PTI Think Big, Turning a new leaf, Happy Trails, Background Basics: Postmarks
Ink: PTI Vintage Cream, Fresh! Chocolate, Tuscan Olive; Jenni Bowlin Malted Milk
Misc: PTI Mat Stack dies, acetate

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Holiday cards

I recently purchased the Harlequin cover plate from Papertrey and wanted to try making a card without the border for a different look.  So I cut it down and made a card with an inset of a sentiment.  I used little dollops of Tombo Mono Multi adhesive to adhere - the nozzle is perfect for this sort of application.
I stamped the holly image in Versamark and then the sentiment in PTI vintage cream ink.  I think maybe another colour for a border between the two might be a good idea but I will leave it for now ...
Not sure if you can see this detail, but after the stamping of the background and sentiment, I took the linen impression plate for some subtle debossing.  I like the look it leaves the paper.

For my next card, I grabbed my beloved Damask Snowflake die and cut it out in Rustic Cream card stock.  I added a sentiment, popped it up on  foam dots on top of some PTI patterned paper and went to town spritzing the whole front with  Studio Calico shine mist.  This stuff leaves the greatest sheen - subtle but so pretty in person.

I love this colour of ink from Fresh! - it's called Merlot.  Great name, huh?  It is the perfect dark red shade for sentiments and flowers.  The mist has lightened the colour up a bit but a bit of shine is just fine with me.
I actually tried some gold glitter on another die cut at the edges and even gold Stickles on this one before keeping it simple and unglittered ...

Supplies:
Tis the Season
Paper: PTI Kraft, Scarlet Jewel, Christmas patterned paper
Stamps: PTI Holly and Mistletoe, Think Big (sentiment)
Ink: Versamark, PTI Vintage Cream
Misc: Tombo Mono Multi adhesive, PTI Harlequin cover plate, PTI linen impression plate

Holiday Wishes 
Paper: PTI Kraft, Rustic Cream, Christmas patterned paper
Stamps: Think Big (sentiment)
Ink: Fresh! Merlot
Misc:  Studio Calico shine mist, foam dots, PTI Damask Snowflake die