Paper Trey Ink Blog Hop Challenge

This is for one of my best friend's daughter's wedding.  Her shower invitation had a bouquet of flowers in a jar, and I wanted to try to recreate that for her.  The finished size of this card is 5x7.

The jar is from PaperTrey Ink (Friendship Jar) and the stamps are from Stampin Up.  I stamped the flowers in white pigment ink, and then over stamped them with colored dye ink.  I used color pencils to add in a bit more shading.  And a few white dots with Pico Embellisher.

For the jar, I used PTI die from Friendship Jar, layered it with acrylic and a vellum sheet that had the hearts on it.

PaperTrey Ink April Blog Hop  is today.  The inspiration photo is:

I am also putting this into the The Card Concept challenge which is using this inspiration photo:

I love the splash of bright pink color with the grays.  I guess the style of this card would be "classy and elegant"  - for a wedding . . . 

Here is a photo of part of the bride's shower invitation and a close-up of the shaker portion of my card.

I am also putting this into Around the World Stampin Up Challenge - this set is retiring soon (Stippled Blossoms) -- and I am so glad that I have it!  The little yellow flowers are from another stamping up clear set.  

As always, thanks so much for taking a peek.  Hope you are enjoying your day.  I'm off to enjoy a cool, but sunny spring day.  

Bokeh and Friends

We are off from school for Spring Break this week.  So I had some "crafty friends" over for a day to play.  We made cards Bokeh style.  We used the sketch from Sunday Stamps.

I love how everyone's cards came out so different.  My two favorite cards are in the front.  We used both the "watercolor" technique and sponging distress inks to create these cards.  I think the favored technique was using distress inks -- so much easier and definitely faster.  

Here we are with our creations. One friend left early, so she is not in the photo.  

Sunday Stamps - sketch challenge:

We had a great time -- friends, food, card making, and a lot of talking and catching-up.  

Hope you are having a great time too.  Thanks for taking the time to look and comment.  

Into the Sunset

For my husband for our anniversary - 36 years next week.  We are off from work next week -- he's pulling out and swapping an engine on his car, and I'm crafting in my room.  We'll both be happy doing our hobbies -- but we will certainly take some time for a nice ride (not with the top down yet . . . too cold) and go out for dinner.  And of course see our kids too.

Virginia's View - Layers and Dimensions - I colored the image (from Deep Red) with watercolors, and then partially die cut it.  Then cut the scalloped oval from pattern paper (DCWV) and sponged it with some more orangey colors.  These are layered and popped.

I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches - I flipped this upside down -- I'm not sure if this still qualifies  . . .

Always Playing with Paper - it's their Anniversary too -- Anything Goes

And  for Cardz 4 Guyz  - Something Beginning with S -- Sunset and Steve (that's my husband)

I created the rest of the Sunset with 2 stencils.  I sponged the rays with a Tim Holtz stencil, then shifted it a bit.  Then put a Simon Says Stamp falling hearts over the white space and sponged in the blue hearts.  They look more like flying birds  . . . oh well - up close they are hearts.  

Thanks for looking and commenting.  For those of you celebrating Easter or Passover, I hope you are having a good holiday.

Creme Egg

Just in case you haven't noticed -- shaker cards are quite the rage right now -- and I've fallen head over heals onto this trend!

About once a month, I go to "Stamp Camp" with my local Stampin Up demonstrator.  At the last one, she had sample cards made with "marbled" eggs.  She said the paper was made with the shaving foam technique -- just google "shaving foam marbled paper" and you'll find a bunch of tutorials.  At the As You See It Challenge - it is try something new.  

So this is the new technique I wanted to try and make a giant marbled egg  (and a few small ones).    It was just a bit of a mess to create the paper - but so much fun.  I would suggest doing this in your kitchen --  not your carpeted craft room floor  :)  I used Spellbinder ovals to cut the egg(s), and the "window" of the shaker.  I added some border stamps for interest on the egg.                                                                      

The chicks are from a Lawn Fawn set.  I colored them with a bit of watercolor paints.  The sentiment is from a $1 set. 

I used the sketch from Fusion Challenge

I took the colors from Colour Q  challenge -- so Eastery.

 

I'll also put this into Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes 

And of course onto Darnell's NBUS Challenge - Where you need to use Never Been Used Stuff -- the paper has been in my stash for a while -- along with scissors I used to create the grass border -- both never been used.  

As always -- thanks so much for looking.  I hope you have an enjoyable Easter.  

Wishes come True

My grand-niece, Drea, will be celebrating her 4th birthday next week.  Like many girls her age, she is all into fairies and princesses.

After seeing these 2 cards: Rainbow and this card by JJ Bolton

and 

I was inspired to use Fairy Sweet by Sugar Peas - to create my card for Miss Drea.

It took me quite a while to figure out how to get the divided shaker areas that would also not have a closed covered edge.  I don't have the fuse tool to seal plastic.  So I used lightweight overhead projector transparencies; and scored it 1/8 " apart to make one side.  That made the top fold, then did the same thing to make the side fold.  I used 1/8 " scor-tape to hold it down along the curved "walls".
I'm not sure I'm making any sense -- but my hubby said it took way too long to make!!  It didn't take too long to make . . . but it did take long to figure out HOW to make it -- 3 failed attempts before I was somewhat satisfied.  It didn't get as close to the edge as I wanted, but I'm happy.

Sugar Peas happens to have as their current challenge to Shake That Thing

The colors came from Creative Colors Challenge - a great palette of colors to choose from.  I used Inktense pencils, and watercolored the image. 

Addicted to Stamps has "Anything Goes"

And Jo's Scrap Shack challenge is for "Special Birthday".  Drea is a very special little lady to me.

And the last challenge, but certainly not the least,  I'll put this in, is Darnell's NBUS Challenge #4

The stamp is new and never been used.  The cloud stencil (really a mask set) is from Great Impressions -- I've had it a long time, and also never been used.  But I do like how easy it was to use.  And it is still available here. 

As always, thanks for looking.  Hope you are enjoying your first few days of spring.  I hope Old Man Winter gave his last shot last night.  Woke up to 5 more inches of snow this morning!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

It is right around the corner -- I bought some corned beef today for a family dinner next Sunday!  I personally don't care for it too much, but everyone else does!!  Oh, and the mustard  . . . according to my hubby it's all about the mustard.  This is one time he likes to go food shopping -- down the mustard aisle!!  And he picks up about 3 jars of different ones -- Heaven forbid we don't have the meat to mustard ratio correct  :)

Anyway -- about the card.

I used one of those foam shapes they sell for children to decorate.  And I traced it onto some plastic, cut it  out and voila  . . . a home made stencil.  I pulled out all my $1 sets from years ago and puzzle pieced them into the shape.  Before taking off the stencil, I sponged some ink around the edges -- and done!

I'm putting this into the following challenges:

1. One Layer Simplicity - words-words-words.html - you can't use any image stamps --

2. Curtain Call Challenge - LUCKY 

I am thrilled that you selected my card as one of your show stoppers.  Thanks so much!

3. Happy Little Stampers - CAS - sponging

4. Simon Says Stamp - Monday Challenge - "just a hint of clover"

and last but not least

5. Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - I love their name!  The challenge is:

After looking at the card again, I may go back and add some sequins  . . . gold perhaps, and wink of Stella too.  Every card needs something shiny!

Happy Saint Patrick's day to you.  May you always have good luck!

Happy Birthday swirls

I signed up for Clean and Simple online card class.  

Karolyn Loncon  taught this pretty rest technique called Velveteen stamping with with pigment ink - then you stamp over it with hybrid ink -- I used dye ink, which still came out ok.You can see the swirl stamped image a bit better in this photo:

All stamps are from Paper Trey Ink, except the background stamp.  

I am putting this into the following challenges:

1. Just Us Girls where the focal point is the sentiment:

2. Monday Mood Board - I love the colors in the top right photo -- and I have a snow day today -- so I got to play -- perfect for a Monday!

3. Seize the Birthday anything goes:

I am putting this into the following galleries:

1. Paper Trey Ink February Inspirations - My design is after the sketch in the center of this image:

2. Clean and Simple Card Class - day 3

as always, thanks for looking.  I hope your winter day is enjoyable!