What I Do Instead of Laundry

...and here are a couple of full-sized cards, made with Raspberry Fizz patterned paper by PTI.  I love, love, love that color.  I love it so much that I had a prom dress that color in 1989.  It had big, puffy sleeves, and I had shoes dyed to match.  Don't tell me yours didn't look just like it. I accidentally grabbed my red ink pad when I stamped "sweet", but it actually turned out fine. Card #1: Paper: PTI White, Raspberry Fizz, RF patterns Ink: SU Passion Pink, Versamark Stamps: PTI Limitless Labels, Sweet Love Other: Scalloped square punch, PTI white satin ribbon, SU silver cord, dimensional tape, silver embossing powder Card #2: Paper: PTI White, RF patterns, SU Gable Green Ink: PTI Sweet Love, Piece of Cake Other: SU Scalloped Circle Punch, Circle Punch

Here are a couple of baby cards--one for a girl and one for a boy.  I will often make sets of 10 cards for new mommies when I go to baby showers.  I figure they can use them how they want--thank-yous, announcements, whatever.  I leave the sentiments pretty generic.  This first card's onesie is paper-pieced (stamp the image on patterned paper and cut out) and popped up on dimensional tape.  BTW, you may see other versions of this (pink) layout again.  It's so easy--I just punch out a square and stamp or adhere the image in the window.  I've done Christmas cards, baby cards, thank-you cards, etc. with this same format; just different images and sentiments. I just love this Bitty Baby Blessings set.  So very cute.  Here's a tip--the Creamy Caramel marker from SU comes pretty close in color to the kraft paper.  It's what I used to color the boat. Here's a slightly different version of a card I posted earlier.  This time, I stamped the flowers on PTI adhesive she...

Every year I torture my children by making them create their own Valentines.  I break out all the heart stamps and every shade of pink and red ink I have, and I let them have at it.  They actually have a lot of fun, and they come up with some great creations--of course, nothing like I ever have in mind, but that's fine.  It always surprises me that my boys don't mind the pink or lovey stuff.  I haven't figured out any ideas for them this year, but I decided to make some of my own--maybe to give to my kids, I don't know.  We'll see.  I just felt like making some.  I made some little Valentines--3x3, to be exact.  It's a really fun and easy size. Paper: PTI White, Raspberry Fizz patterns Ink: SU Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Pink Passion, Only Orange, Yo Yo Yellow, Ballet Blue Stamps: PTI Pond Life, Pond Life Sentiments, Green Thumb, Sweet Love Other: MM Heart brads

I tend to make my cards in sets of 10, with the intent to give them away as gifts (or sometimes sell them). Because I am thinking in bulk, and thinking that someone else is actually going to mail them, you will rarely see complicated embellishments or layers and layers of sticky-outy things. Most of my cards have rather clean lines without a lot of foo-foo, and that's okay with me. I'm not a very foo-foo girl. This is my new favorite card, made with my very most favorite set from PTI, Out On a Limb . If you haven't seen it, it is a branch that can be layered with flowers, leaves or berries, and the sentiments are just divine. It is so versatile, and I always seem to have it out on my table. I do love these colors together, and even though the card is so simple, it works. I had some strips and scraps of paper already cut for some other layouts, and I was just playing and came up with it. Paper: PTI white, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate Ink: SU Chocolate Chip, Real Red, PT...

I was going for masculine here...I actually was inspired by this card by Becky Oehlers. She did a little rock and roll with the acorn and paper-pieced the top. I put my own twist on it and created this layout. To rock and roll, pick two colors of ink. Stamp your image in the lighter color first, then rock the edges of the stamp in the darker color in a rolling motion to get a two-toned look. It's great for creating depth. For the fall leaf, I did it a little differently--I stamped in one color then pounced the stamp in the second color for a more mottled look. I made these cards as a set for our very favorite realtor, Jim. We moved this year into my dream home (which I had been stalking for years). Jim was amazing in helping us negotiate a very long and difficult process to get our home. He then turned around and sold our previous home in five (yes, 5) days! He often sends follow-up and thank-you cards to his clients, so I thought I'd add to his stash. I created the ...

Just catching up a little--I am sure I won't post this often or with this many pictures, but thought I'd share some more. I like the simplicity of this one, and the egg and dart pattern looked like feathers to me. It's hard to tell, but the bottom edge is cut around the stamping. *Edited to add: I must have been channeling this card by Dawn McVey. I knew I'd seen the idea somewhere... I'm sure I didn't come up with this layout myself, but I can't remember which fabulous stamper did this first. I used my Scor-Pal to create the embossed box and edge. I just think this is great for a new baby. Some Berry Sorbet and Guide Lines...The top one I used the Stardust pen again, and the bottom one I heat embossed with white powder. If you look closely at the top one, I stamped the grid in Versamark first so the lines wouldn't show. I freehanded the bottom one without the grid, because I didn't want it embossed, too. The bottom one looks a little Hawaiia...

This is my 9-YO son. Those are my boots, his soccer socks and someone else's tutu. He is also sporting a ninja mask and an Indiana Jones hat. It reminds me a little of the Wizard of Oz for some reason. Clearly I need to do some laundry every once in a while.

I am afraid, but I am recovering. I think it has something to do with my need to be matchy-matchy. I am also a bit conservative (which is another discussion entirely...), so mixing patterned paper scares me. Other people do it so well, and I admire their work. I, however, am taking baby steps. So here are some examples of my use of patterned paper. Do you notice a pattern (bwahaha) with the layouts? I'm a little stuck in the 1/3-2/3 rule, but it is visually pleasing nonetheless. The first is a set of monogrammed cards that I haven't sent to my SIL yet (oops). I love this PTI Raspberry Fizz patterned paper. It makes me happy. I love it paired with the green, too. The second is one of a bunch of generic birthday cards I made to just have on hand. Very easy. The third is one example of hundreds of monogram cards I have made for teachers and friends (I used PTI's Pink Patterns for most of them). I also cut a bunch of supplies for a craft day at church in October, w...

I started stamping a little over 4 years ago, and I can't quite believe how hooked I've become. I used to poo-poo it, because it was too country-cutesy for me. Then, my sister started making cards and selling them, and I was pretty sure I could do that, too. I had already tried my hand at scrapbooking, so papercrafts weren't new to me. A friend invited me to a Stampin' Up party and I was completely fished in, and I love the idea of completing a project in a few minutes, rather than a couple of hours (and still being totally behind). Card making gives me more instant gratification. So, since I started with SU, I have many of their materials--ink, paper, stamps. I still use them quite a bit. About a year and a half ago, I stumbled across a newer company, called Papertrey Ink. Instead of rubber stamps, they sell photopolymer (clear) stamps that cling to acrylic blocks. Fished in again! I can see exactly where I am stamping, which I love. It is a wonderful little...

Here's a shout out to my 13-YO daughter, Rachel. My mom paid her to make 50 Christmas cards, and this is what she did. Isn't it pretty? I tried to capture the shine from this special paper--it's very shimmery. She also heat embossed everything in silver. She is everything I wanted to be at 13 and more. She is just amazing, and I am so proud of her! Paper: PTI white, Night Sky Shimmer Ink: Versamark, SU Night of Navy (inside) Stamps: PTI Silent Night, Snowflake Serenade Other: Silver embossing powder

Here's my problem, which is why I haven't started a card blog until now...I stink at photography.  I got a great new camera for Christmas, and I'm excited to see if I can do better (or the camera can help me) with taking pictures of my cards.  I'm always so disappointed when I see my cards on my monitor, because I think they look so much better in real life.  I'm working on some editing with Picassa, so hopefully that helps, and I've learned a few tricks from friends on the PTI forum (thank you!). In the meantime, you should just come over and see them in person.  I will feed you cookies.

Here's my first Papertrey Blog Hop entry. Enjoy! Stamps: PTI Bitty Baby Blessings, Polka Dot Basics Ink: PTI Fresh Snow, SU Chocolate Chip, Cool Carribbean Paper: PTI White, Dark Chocolate, SU Cool Carribbean Markers: SU Yo Yo Yellow, Summer Sun Ribbon: PTI Dark Chocolate twill Other: Dimensional tape

Alright, ladies at PaperTrey Ink, here I go...I was going to post some older cards, but alas, I cannot access them.  I'll just have to start fresh.