Author Archives: kth

Wish Big

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This week’s CAS challenge at SCS (cas71) is a theme challenge: things that fly. My first thought was “pigs”, but I’ve already done that (see). My next thought was a baseball…but alas, no baseball images (hrm, I thought I had an old set, but apparently not – another reason to move that PTI set up my wish list!). So on to other ideas, of which I had many! I went with the fairy idea.

I chose to color the image with Copics, although I found I am lacking in many color areas (geez, guess that means I need more Copics! 😀 ). I used the Stampin’Up marker for the purple.

Boy this card had many iterations before this final look. First I colored the fairy with green stockings & boots (so NOT a good look); then I wanted to do a purple base and include the long swirly magic dust that is included with the fairy image – but I couldn’t make that work. Everything else that came to mind kept the card from being CAS. Finally, I cut out the image and went with a very simple layout. I still wish I could do something in the background, but I just can’t think what could add without detracting.

** Making big wishes that PTI comes out with a light purple!

Wish Big
Stamps: Beautiful Fairies (Inkadinkado); Star Prints (PTI);
Ink: Orchid (SU); Copics;
Paper: White (PTI); Orchid (SU);
Other: Summer Sunrise ribbon (PTI); rhinestone (Kaiser); frame die (SU);

Sad News

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The last few weeks have NOT been good for my brother and sister-in-law. They lost both their pets within a few weeks of each other. Both from old age, but still, to have both go is sad. I’m sure their home feels empty! I made this card for them.

Casey, the cat, was a mancoon with attitude. Also the first female cat my brother ever owned. Bear, the dog, was a bull dog and was very well loved. My brother and SIL both had their animals when they met and merging their household may not of been easy, but everyone figure out how to live together. Heck, the loss of Casey a few weeks ago may have contributed to Bear’s rapid decline (but I may be just a sentimental fool).

I send my sincerest sympathies to them.

A note about the card. The sentiment I chose fit in the Fillable Frame 5 image, but I didn’t feel the dots added the right feel to the card, so I ended up using a StampinUp green so I could use a marker to ink the frame stamp and leave off the dots.

Pet Loss
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: With Sympathy, Loss of Pet, Fillable Frames 4;
Ink: Scarlett Jewel; Always Artichoke (SU);
Paper: Rustic Cream, Vintage Cream;
Other: Fillable Frames 4 die;

Vase of Posies

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I was in the mood to stamp the other day and saw this sketch on the Stamping 411 blog (ssc155) and decided to do a card.

I colored the flowers and vase with Copics. Of course after I colored I decided to think about the rest of the card. I didn’t want too much pink, so I went for yellow which does set off the pink nicely (I think).

I made the curly brace using the Curly Label punch from StampinUp. Punch once and then move the punch over just a bit (look through the bottom of the punch to help with positioning) and punch again. Easy peasy!

take care
Stamps: Vases in Vogue (SU);
Ink: Copics; Olive (SU);
Paper: Lemon Tart (PTI); Old Olive CS & DSP (SU); Hibiscus (PTI);
Other: Lemon ribbon (PTI); Curly Label punch (SU); Linen impression plate (PTI);

Friendship Block

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Today’s CAS challenge on SCS (cas70) was to have the sentiment be the focus.

As with most things I had lots of ideas but not the right supplies to pull them off. I thought a rebus would be really cute but I couldn’t come up with one I liked. Then I really wanted to do something like Erin’s Sit a Spell card (4th card down). Which got me thinking of a word block (like this) but in a cool retro font like an old circus poster.

I eventually settled on using this old background from StampinUp. Hmmm…I hate it when my imagination out paces my abilities!

Thanks for checking it out.

Friendship
All supplies StampinUp unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Word by Word;
Ink: Melon Mambo;
Paper: Wild Wasabi, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, White;
Other: Melon Mambo ribbon; Texturz Plate (Sizzix/SU); scallop square die (Spellbinders);

Going for a Ride

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I really love serendipity. I would never have planned this card (at least not without seeing someone else do it first). I have a piece of cheap cardstock that I have cut to 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 that I use as a template. If I’m designing a card I lay the pieces on the template and move them around or make sure they fit (it was what helped me realize my butterfly card would have to be on a different size card).

Anyway, I have a bad habit of doodling on said template – but I try to keep it to one side so I always have one clean side. Last week I traced a spellbinder rectangle die with a copic. Being a copic on cheap carstock, it bled through – but only very very lightly and normally I don’t even notice it…but today – today it was a lifesaver! I had die cut and stamped the car, but that was all I had figured out. As I was moving the car around I saw the frame and instantly this card formed.

I have the hardest time with solid stamps – from every company. I rub with an eraser to remove the residue, I use padding / I don’t use padding, I ink up until my test comes out clean, I hold my tongue just right – but I never get a good solid image. I would love to buy SU’s Medallion but I just know I’ll never get a good impression…so why spend the money? I stamped this image until my scratch paper was perfect (about 8 times) and as soon as it hit the real paper…I get that. ARGH. Any suggestions are welcome.

Despite the inept stamping, I like how the card turned out. It is for my hubby, hence the lack of anything fun girly.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Days
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Enjoy the Ride, Up Up & Away, Wonderfully Whimsical;
Ink: Enchanted Evening, True Black, Fresh Snow;
Paper: Kraft, Spring Rain, New Leaf, White, Black;
Other: Car & Balloon dies; Copics (color balloon), black pen (stitching & birds), white gel (road markings);

Butterfly Four Square

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The wrap-up for the CAS DT Search was Friday. During the post-park fireworks show (i.e., the reveal of the new DT and the guest designers), Jen posted a couple challenges. Winning a challenge would earn a guest spot! This weekend has been really wonky for me, so I didn’t get my cards done on time, but I wanted to play anyway – so I did!

The first challenge was to use bold colors and make them pop with black. The second challenge was to use bling. I combined the challenges to create this card.

I had another idea, but it went terribly wrong. I wanted to stamp a solid reverse-image on colored paper with black ink, but my black ink just didn’t make a solid imprint. I got great results on white, but the colored paper just wasn’t working – so I had to regroup and creating a die window is where I ended up.

I’ve been lamenting that PTI hasn’t come out yet with a second edition to their popular Bitty papers – to include all those new colors (3 of which are used here). Thankfully, with the release of the new Geometrics Background set, I can now make my own! (Though lining up that tiny grid was sooooo hard!)

Oh, and if anyone was wondering, I didn’t make the DT, but I did earn a guest spot. The DT is only a few months, so I’ll be trying again next round.

Thanks for peeking!

Butterfly Note Card
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Background Basics: Geometrics; Polka Dots;
Ink: Fresh Snow;
Paper: White, Hibiscus, Orange, Chartreuse, Hawaiian, Black;
Other: rhinestones (various, with blue being copic colored); Friend texturz plate (Sizzix/SU);

Congraduations

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Yes, I do know that isn’t how it is spelled. But I love the blog Cake Wrecks and every year about this time the posts tend to highlight bad spelling. I’m a horrible speller, but I love laughing, so the blog is on my list of favorites! So anyway….

My nieces and nephews are getting older. This is the second to graduate (and there are 10 more to go, 12 if you count my own kiddos). I finally decided to invest in a graduation stamp set. Thankfully PTI just released one – how convenient 😉

The idea to turn the image sideways came from Maile (card). While she used a different image in the center, I kept the original but cut a second out so it would be oriented properly.

Making guy cards is hard! I knew I would use twine like Maile did so the woodgrain embossing just followed that. What came next I wasn’t sure. I really really wanted to use argyle but I didn’t think that would suit the recipient. So a simple pin-stripe is what my hubby suggested and I went with it.

I really wish New Leaf ink matched the paper! I tried to doctor mine with Spring Moss (a tip I found on the PTI forum), but it still isn’t right. It is definitely better, but I think I’ll add a bit more and see if I can get it right.

Congratulations
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: For the Graduate, Around & About Sentiments, Faux Ribbon (pin-stripe);
Ink: True Black (learning to love this), Pure Poppy, New Leaf;
Paper: White, Kraft, New Leaf;
Other: Mat Stack 1 die; Woodgrain Impressions Plate; twine, brads, dimensionals;

Sew Inspired

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Yes, another lame post title…oh wait, you won’t see the other lame title for a few more hours (hee hee, I scheduled a post for later…gotta spread the goodness out). Sew, yes, lame title – I love puns, what can I say?

It is a new month and that means a new challenge in the Papertrey Pixie blog group. This is my month to host (PTPC2). I love inspiration challenges – mostly because there are so many different directions you can go that you get a great variety in cards and that makes it fun (to me). I found this fun selection of fat quarters (hence the sewing pun).

What drew me to the selection originally was the colors, but when I started making my card I found I also liked the arrangement of patterns. I stuck with the same design on each square (unlike the inspiration) because I think with cards it helps unify it when stamping (had I had the right pattern paper, I would have used different patterns). I also went with a scallop die because I don’t have pinking shears.

Now if I could just learn to sew! I recently bought the Janome SewMini. I love the machine but it really likes to *go* so I have a hard time controlling the paper as it goes. Oh well – wonky is charming, right?

And by using my Damask set, I’ve also accomplished another challenge – inking up those heretofore uninked images. I love this set and everything I’ve seen done with it…but I must say my previous attempts at using this set have ended in the trash. I like this one though – so yay!!

Thank You
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Damask Designs, Borders & Corners: Square;
Ink: White, Hibiscus;
Paper: Kraft, Raspberry, Chocolate, Chartreuse, Orange Crush, Summer Sunrise, Hibiscus;
Other: buttons in colors above (PTI); sewing machine & thread (not PTI); Scallop Square die (Spellbinders);

Butterfly Says Goodbye

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Mom is having a “going away” stamp camp in June and she asked me to help her with the projects. I’ve had Garden Whimsy since it first came out (not that long ago). I like the set and have used it a few times. So many good things are being retired that I thought I would incorporate a couple of them on the card.

Sage Shadow is an excellent color, but as I don’t use it often and I don’t see it often, so I can understand why SU is retiring it…but it still makes me sad! And can you believe – the cardstock is already sold out!! Thankfully I have a pack in my stash 🙂 Apricot is another coloring going. I have high hopes for the new Peach InColor (but I’m reserving my opinion until it is in my hands). Of course since those colors are retiring so are their ribbon.

I’m not much for glitter (I almost entitled this post Bah, Glitter!) but mom’s customers love it (as in they’ll add it to everything 😉 ). Since this card was a bit plain, I figured some glitter would be a nice touch.

** ETA ** To glitter the wings I used Tombow liquid glue on the top left wing but didn’t like the gloopy look, so I used SU’s glue stick for the rest of the wings. I thought it turned out really well. HOWEVER when my mom opened the envelope after mailing all the glitter from the glue stick wings was gone! I guess I won’t use that any more 🙁

Finally the background was embossed with a Texturz plate. Kind of a pain to get the card base without doing the back too, but a little maneuvering and it worked. Hopefully mom won’t kill me for it!

Sheesh, I must be in a chatty mood. Thanks for taking a peek!

Best Friends Listen
All supplies StampinUp unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Garden Whimsy;
Ink: Apricot Appeal, Sage Shadow, Pretty in Pink;
Paper: Sage Shadow, Apricot Appeal, White;
Other: Sage & Apricot ribbon, glitter, Texturz Plates #4;
Technique: Rock-n-Roll on butterfly;

Celebrate in Orange

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This is my other card for the CAS DT Search. The challenge was to use pop-up dots to add dimension and height. I used dimensionals to keep the wings of the butterfly up.

Celebrate Today
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: With Sympathy, Butterfly Dreams, Mega Mixed Messages; Vintage Labels 4 (WMS);
Ink: Burnt Umber (Palette); Orange Zest;
Paper: Kraft, Cream;
Other: butterfly die; rhinestones (Kaiser); label 4 (Spellbinders); dimensionals (SU);