{Hannah's Birthday Card}

Happy World Cardmaking Day! This post will be short, because I am heading out to make cards with some of my friends! We have a grand idea to finish our Christmas cards today, and we just may do it! We are meeting all day long with the hopes of finishing our Christmas cards so we can have one less thing to do on our crazy list! I hope you are making some cards today, too!!

Here's the card I made for Hannah's birthday---I didn't have much time, so I used Dawn McVey's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge. There's still time for you to do it, too---I think you have until Monday night! I love these colors together, but really struggled with the layout of this card. When I finally found something that worked, I put it together and then stamped the sentiment directly on the card in Dark Chocolate----I messed it up....what to do with a card that is finished, but not presentable? (Lesson ONE---don't glue it down until the stamping is done---I know this lesson, but I'm forgetful!) I would have just made the card over---but I really didn't have time, so I did the next best thing---covered up the mess by stamping the sentiment on the red paper and then adding some embellishment to it. I tried several different things, but this is what I finally came up with. I'm not crazy about it, but I didn't have time to trash it and start over. AND, Hannah liked it---so, does it really matter that it's not my favorite? NO---Lesson TWO---the card is for someone else who will just appreciate being remembered---don't stress over it being perfect! OK---done with that! I need to go get ready for the fun day! Enjoy your day--whatever you are doing!


Hannah's Birthday Card~ Stamps: Bird Watching, Bird Watching Additions Paper: Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy, Vintage Cream (PTI) Ink: Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy, Vintage Cream Accessories/Tools: Edger Punch (ek success), Aqua Mist twill, Vintage buttons in Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate, White, & Aqua Mist (PTI), Dimensionals (SU!)


Oh yeah, I stamped the envelope, too! :)

{With Thanks}

Good morning! YEA! for a long weekend!! I'm so excited to have nothing to do today---yes, I should mow my lawn, and do some laundry and all sorts of other household duties, but right now, I'm not! I'm just enjoying a leisurely morning of stamping and Law & Order repeats---gotta love it!

I wanted to play in Dawn's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge. The colors this time are screaming "FALL!!" I have other things to work on, so I'll keep this short! This simple card starts with a Kraft cardstock base that I stamped with Polka Dot Basics II in dark chocolate. I also stamped the image from 2009 Autumn Tags in dark chocolate on rustic cream and layered it with a scallop punch of the dark chocolate cardstock! I added some Bitty Box paper in Summer Sunrise, punched it with a scallop punch and tied jute around it. I added a Rustic Wood button to the bow.

I'm working on some things for a demonstration I have later this month (my first and it makes me want to throw up---that's lovely on a Saturday morning, isn't it?) ---we'll see how much I get done.

Have a good one~
Kathleen

Stamps: 2009 Autumn Tags, Polka Dot Basics II (PTI)
Paper: Kraft, Rustic Cream, Dark Chocolate, Summer Sunrise Bitty Box (PTI)
Ink: Dark Chocolate
Accessories/Tools: 1 3/4" circle punch, dimensionals (SU!), rustic jute twine, Rustic Wood Vintage button (PTI), Threading Water punch (Fiskars), scallop circle punch (Marvy)

{Raspberry Suite Color Challenge 15}

Hey guys! I decided to try Dawn's color challenge again! Here are the colors she wanted us to use.


Now, I'm not really a fan of Melon Berry---I've tried!!! But the cardstock doesn't really look this orange---the ink is really nice, but the cardstock seems a bit washed out to me. I'm just saying........certainly not trying to be rude to my favorite Stamp supply company, but the cardstock doesn't seem to match the ink like the others do at PTI. I did like the color combo, I just have a hard time using the Melon Berry and making it look good......ok, I've said too much---here's the card:


I used a tag from 2009 Autumn Tags---I really like Papertrey's Tag sets---I think I have them all....now that I think of it! They make quick simple cards and....um....tags---yes, they make good tags....go figure! :) I used Bitty Box and Friends 'Til the End patterned paper, too---and, of course---BUTTONS! I had to have some buttons---they are the glue that hold this card together! I hope you enjoy it---details are below!

Thanks for stopping by---I love to have visitors (and I don't even have to clean my house!)
Hugs!
Kathleen






Make a Wish
Stamps: 2009 Autumn Tags (PTI)
Paper: Vintage Cream, Melon Berry (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Friends 'Til the End, 2008 Bitty Box (PTI)
Ink: Melon Berry (PTI)
Accessories: Vintage buttons in Melon Berry, Hibiscus Burst & Spring Rain, Rustic Twine (PTI), Kaiser rhinestones, 1 3/4" circle punch, Dimensionals (SU!), Scallop circle punch-blue (Marvy)

{Sending hugs...}

I was checking my school e-mail the other day and saw that TWO of my colleagues at work lost their mothers. It's very sad when someone loses their mama--even if they "were expecting it". Death is just hard for those of us left behind.

I had already planned to use Dawn's Color Challenge to make a card, so I decided to make two cards exactly the same. I kept these very simple. Since I didn't know either lady that passed away, I wanted to just let these women know that I was thinking of them.

I used Papertrey's Friends 'til the End set. I really, really love this set---I'm sure I have said this before, but I really do. I made a simple card from Vintage Cream cardstock and I stamped the smaller flower in the corner with Scarlet Jewel ink. I masked it and stamped my other two flowers with Raspberry Fizz. (I keep my 'masks' in the CD case with my stamps so I don't have to make a new one every time--it's a time saver, especially on stamps like this.) Then I masked those two flowers as well and stamped the leaf in Spring Moss. I added the sentiment from the same set using Palette Noir ink. Then I added some Hero Arts gemstones to accent the sentiment. Finally I tied some Scarlet Jewel satin ribbon around the card and finished it off with a Spring Moss Vintage button and some matching DMC thread.

Everyone around here was out of town this weekend, so Joshua and I went to my parents and spent the night. I made my first strawberry preserves! I was so surprised at how easy it was (unless I give you some--then you can think I labored for HOURS in a hot kitchen stirring and stirring.....until I finally had just the right consistency.) But for the rest of you, you should DEFINITELY TRY THIS----it's way too easy! I think I'm going to make some blackberry this week---I really enjoyed it and I LOVE blackberry jam! I'll show them to you after I get them all spruced up with some stamped labels---my family thinks this was my ulterior motive for making said preserves. You know, buying the cool Fruitful set from PTI and then stamping cute little labels for them before I give them to people ....but I would never do such a thing. Some other people might,----you know, BUY the new set, but not me. I don't even OWN that set---really, come look in my little stamp area---now, it would make my preserves look better, I'm sure........ but, of course I don't have it, so I'd have to purchase it, you know....uh,......to make the preserves look better. I have stamps that will do, well, they don't have the cute berries on them and I'd have to use the printer to make the labels and that costs money, you know. It's all about presentation----I'm just saying....



Stamps: Friends 'Til the End (PTI)
Paper: Vintage Cream (PTI)
Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Raspberry Fizz, Spring Moss
Accessories/Tools: Gemstones (Hero Arts), Scarlet Jewel Satin ribbon, Spring Moss Vintage Button (PTI), DMC thread

{Yep......I have issues...}

OK----now, I'm going to be a little vulnerable with you here---I have issues. There, I said it---it's out there---here's the one I'm talking about today (because let's face it, I have LOTS of issues!) I used the wrong color on a color challenge & it's bothering me----seriously? Don't I have more important things in my life to be worried about? OH YES----but many of those things I can't control.....I CAN make a new card to get the Sahara Sand off my mind!



Yesterday I posted my Raspberry Suite Color Challenge card---here's the swatch again so you can see the colors--I didn't have any Soft Stone, so I used Sahara Sand.....clearly I need better lighting!

So, since David is out of town and I had some extra time last night---I did another card. I kept it pretty similar to the first one, but I used Basic Gray instead of Sahara Sand....and even though this gray is a little darker than Soft Stone, I feel better---OK, no making fun of me in the comments---just leave me with my issues!

This time I started with an A2 card in Basic Gray and stamped the largest image from Polka dot Basics in Versamark. I embossed them with Black powder. That looks so nice on the gray. I set that aside and stamped the smaller hearts from Heart Prints in Pure Poppy, New Leaf, & Raspberry Fizz on Stamper's Select White cardstock. I stamped some extras on another piece of paper so I could pop up a couple of them----see detail picture below. I stamped the sentiment from the Friends 'til the End set. I really love that set.

Again, I used my Uniball pen & ruler to draw a box around the images. I messed up a little bit, so I "embellished" it with some stick-on Crystal Elements gems. (It's always a good idea to have extra embellishments on hand for just such occasions!) I layered the image on some True Black cardstock and popped it up on dimensionals. Finally, I tied some black satin ribbon around the card below the image.

Ahhhhhhhh, now I feel better now....much better! Thanks for looking---and I'm trusting you to keep my secrets!


Stamps: Polka dot Basics, Friends 'til the end, Heart Prints
Paper: Basic Gray (SU!), True Black, SS White (PTI)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark (Tsukineko), Pure Poppy, New Leaf, Raspberry Fizz (PTI)
Accessories: Black embossing powder (Ranger), Heat tool (Marvy), Crystal Gems (Mark Richards), Dimensionals (SU!), True Black satin ribbon (PTI)

{A Color Challenge}

Every week when Dawn McVey puts her color challenge up I swear I will get to it---and then the time passes and I don't. Color IS a challenge for me, so I tend to put it off. I decided I had no excuses today, and I went for it---here's the picture for the challenge. You still have plenty of time to get in on it if you want.


I actually made another card first and I hated it---I had finished all the elements, but when I put it together it just looked BAD---so I threw it out. REALLY---the things I could keep I did, but a few elements I just needed to throw out! :)

Anyway, I don't have Soft Stone cardstock (HORRORS----a Papertrey cardstock I don't own---I seriously think it's the only one.....wouldn't you know?I guess I *NEED* it, huh?) SOOOOO, I used Sahara Sand instead. It truly looked a little more gray in my room, but when I brought it out in the dining room to photograph it, it doesn't look very gray at all. I had some Basic Gray from SU, but it still looked too dark---it would have looked better than this, I think---oh well! C'est la Vie--I had fun anyway! I started with a 5 x 5 card of Sahara Sand. I stamped the damask star from Star Prints in three colors on to Stamper's Select White cardstock. Then I stamped the sentiment from the same set in Memento Tuxedo Black. I "boxed it all in" with a black Uniball pen.....no Copic multiliner for me----I don't own one, so I used what I had! :) I layered that image with Raspberry Fizz and Pure Poppy papers. I tied some saddle stitch ribbon around the whole card (I cut a hole in the fold of the card) and then added three buttons to embellish---there it is! I hope you enjoyed it---and go try this challenge yourself---it was much easier when I went with SIMPLE---the first one was much too complicated and it just looked bad!

Thanks for looking! Have a great day~

Stamps: Star Prints
Paper: Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz, SS White (PTI), Sahara Sand (SU!),
Ink: Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz, New Leaf (PTI), Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Saddle Stitch True Black ribbon, Vintage buttons (PTI), Foof-a-la button (red--gotta get some pure poppy buttons, people!), Uniball black pen

{Painful to create}

OH MY GOODNESS~this post will be short---I just spent so long making this card---and I don't even like it! BUT, since I spent all that time, I'M POSTING IT! (sorry for the yelling!)





I really enjoyed putting together my card for last week's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge that Dawn McVey did. So, I was excited when I saw that she had posted another one on Sunday. I loved the fabric that she used for the inspiration--the picture was so pretty---then, today I pulled all those colors out and looked at them together and panic ensued! I just couldn't figure out a way to put them together. I refuse to even tell you how long it took me to finish it---it was finally just a matter of stubborn pride! (and I definitely have some of that!)

So, enough of the whining---let me tell you how I did it all. (I'm not going to tell you about all the paper that ended up in the trash--then you could figure out HOW LONG this took!) I started with a piece of Kraft cardstock and used my polka dots basics and some Vintage Cream ink. I added the Pure Poppy cardstock and the small flower from Friends 'til the End--again using the Vintage Cream ink. I stamped the same flower on a piece of Pure Poppy, Berry Sorbet & Sweet Blush cardstock with my Versamark pad and then embossed them using Seafoam White powder from Ranger. I cut them out and then added the buttons from my White & Cream Mix Vintage collection and tied them on with some linen thread. I attached them to the card with dimensionals. I was trying to tie in all those colors (I think this is what I don't like about the card---) so I scalloped some 2008 Bitty Dots Basics patterned papers in Berry Sorbet and Sweet Blush and added the scallops to the pure poppy cardstock. Yeah, I'm not crazy about that, but it's there and by that time I wasn't going to trash it---remember the stubborn pride thing....

SO, I added a hello from Beyond Basic Borders to another Labels Four die and called it a day! I hope you can find something you like about it---I do like the big flowers---how can you NOT love those flowers? :) I hope to be back tomorrow with some less painful pictures! We are headed to my parents to celebrate David's birthday again tonight. Mama's cooking---it doesn't get better than that! Maybe it can help me get over the pain!

Have a great day~


{hello}
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Beyond Basic Borders, Friends 'til the End (PTI)
Paper: Kraft, Pure Poppy, Sweet Blush, Berry Sorbet, 2008 Bitty Dot Basics patterned paper (PTI)
Ink: Vintage Cream, (PTI) Palette Noir, Versamark
Accessories/Tools: Cuttlebug (Provocraft), Labels Four Dies (Spellbinders), Linen thread, Dimensionals (SU!) Seafoam white embossing powder (Ranger)

{Raspberry Suite Color Challenge 2}

Dawn McVey has started a color challenge and I decided to play along. I "know" Dawn (I totally DON'T know her, but I feel like I do--I read her blog and have a glimpse into her life, so I'm using the term loosely here!) from her design work for Papertrey Ink and her numerous cards in various papercrafting publications. She has a keen eye for color and is known to put 4 or 5 colors on one card---HORRORS! I remember when I began stamping I was specifically told---"no more than 3 colors for a card"---WHAT?? Yep, seriously, that's what I heard---over and over---but Dawn came to the rescue! I love challenges--they get me stamping when I'm stuck---and sadly, lately I've been stuck a lot! If you haven't been to Dawn's blog you MUST go---she's a stamping hero of mine. I love her style and I think you will, too.

Here's my take on the card---this is a simple layout that took me FAR too long---again, "stuck"---but here it is anyway! I hope to do quite a few of her color challenges, so keep your eyes peeled for some crazy color combos!



Short and sweet today. If you have any questions, let me know and I'll answer them~
Hugs,
Kathleen






Congratulations Color Challenge:
Stamps: Wishing You, Everyday Classics
Paper: Dark Chocolate, Stamper's Select White (PTI), Certainly Celery, Taken with Teal (SU!)
Ink: Certainly Celery, Taken with Teal (SU!), Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Accessories/Tools: random ribbon from a blog candy win---COOL!!, button (Foof-a-la), natural hemp twine (SU!), Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provocraft), Threading water punch (Fiskars), Bigz Top Note die (SU!)