{hi!}

Hi everyone, happy Saturday! I hope you're having a good weekend!

First of all I want to tell you that I redid the look of my blog a little bit and moved a bunch of the stuff that was on the sidebar.  You'll notice the links at the top of the page now that will provide a lot of that.  It was just too much and it felt cluttered to me (and blogger has a new 'pages' feature that is awesome).

Today I'd like to share a card with you that I used as a submission for a design team. I had a lot of fun with this card because I think it kind of mixes styles a little bit.  The background is very earthy/elegant, so I loved adding some bright/bold colors and chipboard letters.  So fun.  I wasn't sure if I would try to be on any design teams again, but it was so fun going through my blog and my cards from when I started about a year ago and just looking at the growth and progress I've made.  I also don't have a lot of money to work with for supplies/materials, etc, so I really am proud of myself considering what I've done and the budget I've done it on.  I've never considered myself an artist in any way, so I'm really grateful to have found this creative outlet that I love so much.  Thanks for visiting and being a part of it with me!  Enjoy!

{details}

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink {white, kraft, dark chocolate, aqua mist}

Stamps: Papertrey Ink {Turning a New Leaf}

Ink: Papertrey Ink {Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado}, Memento {Rich Cocoa}

Ribbon: Papertrey Ink {Raspberry Fizz Saddle Stitch}

Button: Papertrey Ink {Aqua Mist}

Chipboard Letters: Cosmo Cricket

Glitter Flower: Fun Foam

Pearl Accents: Martha Stewart

Punches: Martha Stewart, Fiskars

a wonderful discovery!!

So, for my birthday in August I got a Silhouette SD.  I haven't used it nearly as much as I should, but this past weekend I finally took the time to learn more about its capabilities and see what I can really do with it.  I thought it didn't work with my favorite (PTI) paper, but I guess I just had the settings wrong because this time around it totally worked!  Also, the Silhouette SD has an AWESOME feature called Print & Cut.  It is so great!!!  I really do not enjoy cutting out images, which is why I usually punch or stamp. 

This card shows the print & cut at work with those cute "love birds" by Rivka Wilkins (which I purchased at the Quickutz Online Store).  You literally just print the images first and use these register marks so that when you put it through the silhouette, it cuts right around the image!  (This image had the cut lines leaving a white border... some cut right around the image with no white space around it)  ....  Love it!!

Everything you see here is PTI except for the image (printed on PTI vintage cream), the black button (Making Memories) and the blue background paper, which is Basic Grey.  I love my new apron lace border punch (Fiskars) too!  So fun!

Anyway, enjoy and come back soon!!

{SPECS}

PTI: cardstock in vintage cream, spring moss, aqua mist and smoky shadow; black satin ribbon; smoky shadow and ripe avocado inks; Signature Greetings stamp, Background Basics: Text Style stamp

Basic Grey: teal blue paper (from the Urban Prairie set)

Making Memories: black button (from 5th Avenue set)

Image: "love birds" by Rivka Wilkins (from the Quickutz Online Store for the Silhouette)

it's been a while...

Hello everyone!  I've been making lots of cards and got some new supplies recently, but I haven't shared one!  for today, I'd like to share another card that i don't actually have anymore.  I made this card a while ago and was so excited to give it to my friend Ali at her baby shower.  She just had her little boy this past week and we can't wait to meet him!!!

The cardstock is all Papertrey Ink as well as the ribbon, buttons and sentiment stamp.  That awesome floral stamp is by Heather Bailey and the blue ink is Martha Stewart.  I don't remember who made the stripe stamp, but it's Stampology.  The brown ink is Memento in Rich Cocoa.

I was glad to pass this one along to a good friend :)

Enjoy!

the PTI celebration continues!

They have been announcing some great upcoming PTI stuff on Nichole's blog this week!  The latest features Dawn, who is what you would call a color expert.  So, in celebrating her new line of embellishments, Nichole has presented yet another challenge!  This time we were challenged to make cards using some of the DT's favorite combos.  These are the ones I ended up using:

 

  

  

Betsy's color combo was the hardest for me, but I enjoy being challenged and am happy with the result.

Here's what I came up with for all of them!

 

The color isn't all that vibrant in this photo, but it's late and I probably won't fix it.  I hope you can see what I was going for!

 

To get the brown stripes on the brown paper, I just pressed the edge of the ink pad to the paper over and over.  Fun and simple!  That's what I like!

 

I really like how this last one turned out.  The colors are all 3 very vibrant, so I don't usually use them all together, but this is fun, huh!  :)

That's all for now.  I have to get up crazy early in the morning, so goodnight and please leave a comment to let me know which combo you like best!

an oldie but a goodie :)

If I am being perfectly honest, maybe I don't spend as much time on cards I know I'm giving out right away than I do on cards for magazine submissions, challenges, etc. Well this next card is no exception to that, but it kind of just came together on its own.

At my previous job I was in a training class with a few really great people who I just clicked with instantly (once we actually talked to each other). This card is one that I made in December for my friend Norma for her birthday. It is an example of a few things: you don't always need a plan, you don't have to use the most expensive materials, mixing and matching brands/materials will make the card look more expensively made :)

The card base is from a super clearanced cardmaking kit (MS). The card has an adhesive border that I could cover with coordinating glitter (also from the kit). The background patterned paper is actually from a Christmas paper pack that I've kind of been hoarding for a few years now (BG). The letter stickers are from the Target $1 bins (which I love). Anyway, I really love how it turned out. I'm glad I was able to give it away to such a sweet girl like Norma!  (complete details below)

Details:
Martha Stewart: card base, glitter, blue inks, pearl embellishment on envelope
Basic Grey: patterned background paper, blue paper (both from the same Christmas set)
Papertrey Ink: Spring Moss cardstock and button, Text Style stamp, sentiment, Tea Dye ink, cream ribbon on envelope
Unity Stamps: flourish stamp and scalloped border stamp (around the "n")
Misc: Memento ink in Rich Cocoa, Cream ribbon by The Robert Stanley Collection, Fashion Cord Hemp, letter stickers from Target $1 bin.

PTI Challenge - Emboss Resist

Nichole Heady, the owner of Papertrey Ink, has been celebrating PTI's 3rd Anniversary over on her blog.  Today she introduced something new, which is weekly PTI Challenges!  I love challenges and I love Papertrey Ink, so I'm really excited about this!  They have a lot of new additions to PTI for 2010 and I can't wait!

Anyway, each week there is going to be a video demonstrating a technique for us to try out.  This first one is Emboss Resist, which I had never really done.  I kind of forget about heat embossing, but I really love the way it turned out.

I'm also submitting this for A Passion for Papertrey, a challenge blog I just discovered.  The theme is nature :)

Enjoy!

If you're wondering how I got that stripe of glitter perfectly straight, I just used double-sided tape and the glitter sticks to it pretty well.  I really love Martha Stewart glitter because it's so fine that it covers really well.

Everything is PTI except the Versamark Ink, Clear Filigree emboss powder, Fashion Cord Hemp, Martha Stewart Glitter, Memento Ink in Rich Cocoa