{Guidelines}

I have a friend who has a blog (don't we all!). She's a Children's Minister at her church. Her blog is all about parenting and various things about children. You can find it here. Kris is always telling us about things she's done well as a parent--and things she's not done so well--you know, giving us guidelines to live by. Anyway, as I wrote out the title to my post today I thought I might wax eloquent about something---you know, give some "guidelines for life"....then I realized that I don't really wax eloquent about anything, so I decided I'd just show you my card.....using the Papertrey Ink set "GUIDELINES".....yeah, that's it. Now you know....

This is my first card with this set. I'm making two of every card lately, so I can have some to give away as gifts. This set is really cool---if you aren't familiar with how it works, you can look at Nichole Heady's blog post (here) where she explains it. I have to say the first set of "lines" from the set were a breeze, but when I started the set for the second card I had to redo it about 3 times. (Why, you ask, didn't you just make one big piece of paper and cut it into two cards???----because I didn't think to make the 2nd card until I realized how easy the first one was!---I have issues, clearly!) ANYWAY---I don't know what I was doing wrong, but I couldn't get it to line up. I did finally get it to work. I'm sure I just needed to take my time.

I love how quick this card was (the first one, anyway). There is nothing fancy about it, but I like it. I hope you do too! I love black and red and Kraft together. I think I'll use this color combo and mix up the images a little! I added a little bling to the focal point---the sentiment is from Out on a Limb. The sentiments in that set are so great.

Thanks for checking in! I hope you have a great day!

Kathleen


Recipe:
Stamps: Guidelines, Out on a Limb (PTI)
Paper: Kraft, Stamper's Select White (PTI), Ruby Red, Basic Black (SU!)
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Ruby Red, Creamy Caramel (SU!)
Accessories: Crystal Sticker Elements by Mark Richards, Ticket Corner Punch, Dimensionals (SU!),
1/4" black organdy Morex Ribbon

{ A Simple Thanks}

Here's a quick post~

I made this card for a friend....I'm late sending it, but that's the thing about good friends----they never care! I started out with the Out on a Limb blossoms. They are so pretty in this Sweet Blush pink---I used some Basic Grey Sultry Paper and finished it off with two buttons and some ribbon like I saw on Nichole Heady's blog here.





I scored the card in several places with the Scor-pal. Quick and simple! We're having some students over for dinner, so I need to go!

Hugs~
Kathleen

Recipe:
Stamps: Out on a Limb Revised, Out on a Limb Sentiments, Borders and Corners Monogram Edition (PTI)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery cardstock (SU!), Sweet Blush, Stamper's White Select (PTI), Basic Grey Sultry 6x6 pack
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, (SU!), Sweet Blush (PTI)
Accessories: 5/8" grosgrain ribbon (SU!), Buttons---lost the name--sorry!, DMC thread, Scor-pal

{Bookmark Pocket Card}

As I was reading a few blogs this morning, I went to Nichole Heady's blog. I usually look at the PTI Design Team's blogs first, but I made sure to go there first today because it's "Sneak Peek" time. Papertrey Ink has a stamp/product release on the 15th of every month, so on the 10th-14th we get sneek peeks of the new products to come! I love seeing the new stamp sets and what the Design Team has done with them. Anyway, Nichole put out a little challenge and I decided to take her up on it.

Here was the challenge:

What kind of *Bookmark Pocket Card* can you make today with your existing stamps? Who would you give it to? I challenge you to play around today and see what you come up with! Feel free to post your links here so I can see how you reinterpret it!

I have two new neighbors on my street. They live right next door to each other. I haven't been over there yet and had already decided I needed to get some brownies made and go over there this weekend. SOOOOOO, I took the challenge and made a little pocket card to welcome them into the neighborhood. I don't have the wonderful Boards and Beams set that would be perfect for this, so I just made do with what I had.

First I made a simple 4.5 x 5" card with a little pocket/bookmark inside. I used Spring Moss cardstock and ink with the Everyday Blessings Patterned Paper. I also used Aqua Mist cardstock, but I still don't have that ink---it's out of stock (or I would :} ). I used my Boxes, Bags and Tags set for the focal point and added a "hello" from Mixed Messages.















On the inside "bookmark" I used the tree from Father Knows Best and left space for me to sign it. On the back of the bookmark I printed our names and phone number. I wanted them to call us if they ever needed anything, so this way they may keep the bookmark and have my phone number and name on the back.















I decided I would put the brownies in one of my coffee bags, so I quickly stamped "Fresh Baked Just for You" from Holiday Treats.
I used the circles from Father Knows Best to decorate the bag and will bake the brownies tomorrow. This took me all day long to complete, but not because it was complicated, I just kept getting interrupted! YIKES! Anyway, my pictures are a little dark because of that, so I'm sorry about that! Thanks for looking! I'm always happy to hear from you~

Kathleen










Recipe:
Stamps: Mixed Messages, Boxes, Bags & Tags, Father Knows Best, Holiday Treats (PTI)
Paper: Spring Moss, Aqua Mist, Stamper's Select White cardstock, Everyday Blessings Patterned Paper (PTI)
Ink: Spring Moss (PTI), Jet Black Stazon
Accessories: Dimensionals, Spring Moss Twill (PTI), 1 1/2" circle punch, Scallop Punch, Corner Rounder (SU!), Warm Grey 20% Prismacolor Marker, Square Punches (Creative Memories)

{PTI Swap Card #2}

Well, here's my other swap card---I asked for two spots, so I'll get 10 cards back! I can't wait to see what people have done! (Let me apologize up front for the poor quality of the photo. I didn't think it was so dark until it loaded onto blogger and then I was too lazy to retake them.) I used the sketch that Taylor put up last week for her Cupcake Challenge. I had already made my cupcake card and loved the sketch, so I just used it again---is that bad form? I love a good sketch!

I'll put the details in the recipe at the bottom, but here's a little about the card. OK, I know I haven't seen a lot of trees with pink leaves---OK, none, but I LOVE this paper! (I used the Pink Patterns paper from Papertrey Ink.) It is so pretty. I wasn't sure I liked the two patterns I chose to put together, but I wanted to put some green on there, so that's why I chose it. I'm truly open to learn, so if you have opinion please let me know. I'm not great with patterns. If you are familiar with this paper package, what would you have done? Do you think it looks OK, or is it too busy?

I started this card with white brads in mind but I realized that I didn't have enough for all of the 6 cards to have white, so I used silver on the cards I'm swapping. I made a couple for myself and used white on those. (I actually messed this card up and put the paper on in the wrong places but I liked it OK---it's for me, so it doesn't matter!)

Again, I got everything cut and supplies out (this is when I realized I didn't have enough white brads) before I assembled.




I love how you can "two-step" stamp everything so easily with clear stamps----especially with Papertrey stamps. First of all, everything is MADE for two step (or three or four step) stamping and since you can see through the stamps and the clear acrylic block you can line things up perfectly. That Nichole Heady is a genius!

Thanks so much for looking! I hope you have a great weekend. I hope I can get some things inky today and have some more to show you!

HUGS~
Kathleen


Recipe:
Stamps: Father Knows Best
Paper: Kraft, Berry Sorbet, Spring Moss, Sweet Blush cardstock, Pink Patterns Patterned Paper (PTI)
Ink: Spring Moss, Berry Sorbet (PTI), Old Olive (SU!)
Accessories: Dimensionals, 1/2" & 3/4" circle punches, slot punch (SU!), Spring Moss Twill (PTI), Silver & White Brads (making memories), hole punch

{PTI Swap Card #1}

Here's a card I made for my first swap--now for my dear friends who aren't stampers---a swap is just like it sounds---you send in a designated number of the same card using designated stamps or sketches or whatever and then you get that number back from other stampers---well, that's basically what it is....there are always little rules to every swap, but that's the jist of it. Anyway, I have never done one. I decided since it was summer and I had extra time I should try one. This is for the PTI Swap # 7 on Splitcoaststampers.

I went to my parents house this weekend to start on some Christmas gifts and I did my swap cards while I was there. I used Jen's Sketch for You to Try. I really loved this sketch---that's the main reason I decided that I needed to use it for these cards. Since this is a Papertrey Ink (PTI) swap, all the images have to be PTI --I used Bitty Baby Blessings. I REALLY love that set! There are several images that I haven't even used yet---I also decided to use all PTI paper---I love this new Plum Pudding Cardstock. This picture really doesn't do it justice. I'm not a purple girl, but this is really yummy! I paper pieced the onesie.....LOVE that onesie..... with Bitty Baby Blessings Patterned Paper.

I had originally done this card for the sketch, but really didn't like the end product, so I simplified it and I think it's much better----what do you think?

Anyway, I decided the easiest way to do 6 cards that were all the same was to just do it in steps, so I prepared everything ahead of time and then did each step one at a time---it actually went pretty fast---especially since I had no one interrupting me for a meal, or to find something! It's amazing how much you can get done when you can work without interruptions!

Here's a picture before the assembly---doing 6 cards isn't bad---but, when I have to do 80 Christmas cards---I begin to hate them after awhile!!

Well, I hope your Wednesday is a fun one. I need to go to my school for awhile----I can't get on my e-mail from home, so I think I need to change my password from there----I hope it's something this easy!!!

Thanks so much for looking~
Kathleen

Recipe:
Stamps: Bitty Baby Blessings (PTI), Favor It Baby (PTI)
Paper: Plum Pudding, Stamper's Select White, Summer Sunrise, Spring Moss, Bitty Baby Blessings Patterned Paper (PTI)
Ink: Jet Black Stazon
Accessories: Square Punch (2 in one Creative Memories), Large & Small Star Punch (SU!), Dimensionals, White Brad (making memories), 5/8" grosgrain ribbon in Summer Sunrise

{Cupcakes}

Hey guys~

I think I'll be back to regular postings now---I know you are waiting on the edge of your seat! Sit back---it's just not that exciting! Here's my card for Taylor's Cupcake Challenge this week (well, it was on Friday). I'm too late for the "competition", but I thought the card turned out pretty cute, so I'm posting it anyway! I know I used Stella a few weeks ago for this challenge, but my cupcake stamps are limited, so I used her again! She's pretty funny, don't you think?

I colored her with my aquapainter---I'm getting better at it (LeAnne!). I did use watercolor paper and that makes it a little easier for me to use that painter. I paper pieced the icing with this yummy Basic Grey paper from the 6 x 6 Cupcake pad. I really love the papers in this pad! I used Diamond stickles on the crown and star and Crystal Effects on the cherry. I think you can see it pretty well in this picture. OK, the stickles didn't show up---but the cherry looks pretty cute, right?

I also used the Warm Grey 20% Prismacolor marker to outline my image. I have read about this from several blogs---most recently on Melanie Munchinger's here, so I finally bought one. When I first colored it I worried if it really looked funny, but after I looked back at it later I could see how it helps. Here's a close up that shows what I'm talking about. It just seems to give the image some depth. If you click on the picture below, you can see it closer to really make sense of what I'm talking about.

Well, Joshua has a friend over, so I need to run~Thanks so much for stopping by!

Kathleen



Recipe:
Stamps: leaning tower of stella, yummalicious (Stamping Bella)
Paper: Real Red, Old Olive, Yo-Yo Yellow, (SU!) Watercolor Paper-Michael's, Basic Grey-Cupcake pad
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Bordering Blue, Brocade Blue, Real Red, Yo-yo Yellow, Old Olive, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Dimensionals, Aquapainter, 1/2" & 3/4' circle punches, Crystal Effects (SU!), Warm Grey 20% Prismacolor Marker, White Brads (Making Memories), Diamond Stickles, Cuttlebug, Scalloped Square Nestabilities, polka-dot ribbon (old piece from Wal-Mart)

{Coming soon}

I have been at my parents house for a little weekend alone time (they are out of town). I watched more episodes of Law & Order than you could imagine---well, I listened to them. I was stamping. I made all sorts of things---some of them I can't share here because they are gifts for people who read it, but I'll be able to start sharing some things tomorrow. I had such a great time....I really didn't have one thing specific in mind to make when I went, so I ended up taking TONS of my stuff---it was pretty funny to see my car LOADED down with supplies---it would have been easier to send my family over there for the weekend and just stay in my room----but then I would have had to clean my mom's house AND mine when it was all over! Well, I need to go put everything back in it's place~ Joshua's room is painted and we put it "back together"---but I am going to get rid of some things and get new bedding, etc. I'll take a picture of it after we get it more "Indiana Jones-ish"! I'll be back tomorrow with some pretties to show!

Hugs~
Kathleen