Another old PTI challenge (cmwc56). This time a color challenge.

I recently purchased Button Bits and hadn’t used it yet – though I have collected all the buttons *sigh*. This set is fun – and easy! I added a couple Lemon buttons because I didn’t think the Summer buttons really matched well, but it looks ok.

The layout is a Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge (sssc38). This is a great “go-to” layout!.

I do wish PTI would come out with some more generic DSP where each sheet has more than one color in it. So far the packs they’ve done that with are “holiday” specific. I know their limited color palette makes it a bit of a challenge, but still, there are many great color combos to be had!

I host challenges over on PTI once a week – ok, not really once a week. Participation is slim so I really don’t get excited about posting, so sometimes I forget. And other times I post and never get around to making a card for my own challenge *ugh*. So I am trying to catch up!

This past week was an inspiration challenge (cmwc57) – a bedspread at the Pottery Barn. The colors were autumnal and the leaves reminded me of a recently release PTI set.

The layout is for Beate’s weekend sketch (wsc100), so my card is a little square card.

The leaves were done by inking the leaves with 3 colors of ink and spritzing with water then stamping. The ink is PTI, and I’ve learned that Palette ink doesn’t work the best with this technique. The good news is the orange did beautifully and it is their new pigment ink, inwhich all new colors (and retro-ly the old colors) will be available – yeah!

Next up on the PTI world tour of challenges is India. I based the card on the bold bright colors that you can find in Indian textiles.

I *love* how this card turned out! I wouldn’t normally think of this flourishy stamp set, but once I got the colors right, it was perfect! I have another version of the card that looks like it would work for the Japan challenge 😉 Not to mention a ton of hand-cut flowers (in colors that didn’t work for this card). My hubby actually had the idea of using the curry color as the base – and it was a great choice!

To color the flowers, I stamped with dye ink and then used a wet brush to move the ink around.

The challenge also required some bling. I added little pink rhinestones to the middle of the blue flowers. That touch of pink really helped to unify the card in my eyes.

This past Saturday was World Card Making Day. I didn’t get a chance to stamp on the weekend, but I was a card makin’ fool on Monday!

Papertrey Ink posted 4 world-travelin’ challenges. They were hard, but I had fun. I am squeakin’ in by the deadline getting these three posted. I actually have a fourth almost done, but it is midnight here and I need sleep, so it will have to wait.

So up first was a challenge to be inspired by Japan. I really wanted to use PTI stamps for these challenges, but nothing really says “Japan” to me (except doing Cherry Blossoms with the “Out on a Limb” set, but I’ve done that already, lol. So I went with the tea theme.

The layout is a sketch challenge from the Clean & Simple blog (FTL62). I don’t own that really cool large scallop punch that many folks are using lately, but I was able to fake it. I used a CM circle cutting template to draw my half-circles, then I hand-cut the border. A bit of bling and ribbon, and the card is done!

A couple weeks ago I hosted a challenge over on the Papertrey Ink forum (CMWC55). Of course I was running late with the ideas, so I didn’t get my card made. I started one that day, but I only managed to finish it tonight.

The challenge was to honor the last days of summer by being inspired by summer – either in theme or color. And you know me – I love bright colors! When Nicole first announced the Hibiscus color I whined (the PTI color line is heavy on the red/pink end of the spectrum). But after using Hibiscus…I am starting to love this color! The only problem is that we need more pattern paper using Hibiscus (and New Leaf for that matter).

Now if I could just get summer to scoot out of Hawaii 🙂

Hmmm…so much for mid-August, eh? Of course I am not done with all my web work, but I’ve decided I need to USE the stamps I keep buying! So hopefully I am back and will be posting at least a few times a week now. Now, on to card!

I made this card to send to my step-mother who recently moved. I love this PTI set, but have only used it once or twice, so I knew I wanted to make a “new home” card with this set. Her favorite color is blue, and PTI just came out with a wonderful new blue – Enchanted Evening.

I forget now where I saw the ribbon idea (although I haven’t been posting, I have been reading blogs). Basically you take saddle-stitch ribbon and use the stitching to pull ruffles into the ribbon. It is a great effect!

Believe it or not, this card was inspired by Lands’ End’s Kaleidoscope Print Seaglass Beach Towel. I don’t have PTI’s Guidelines 2 set (the one with circles). If I did, the resulting card might have looked a little more like the original. I also realized that the color in the towel is one I would *love* to have a matching ink for, but don’t! SU’s Taken with Teal paper matches, but for some reason my ink is waaay off of that. Hmmm….maybe it is time for a new reinker?

Anywho, this is a fairly straight forward card. Result is simple, but it was a lot of stamping! My mom says this card is very me – the images and colors. I do like the card, so maybe she is right 😉