The 12 Kits of Occasions--March 2014

Hello, friends!  Another month has come and almost gone, believe it or not.  I hope it's beginning to look like spring where you are.  This month's hostess for the 12 Kits of Occasions, Kelly, has certainly set the mood for the coming season with this beautiful kit:

As wonderfully filled to the brim as this kit was, I'm sorry to say I only managed two cards, and I just barely squeaked those in!  I'll share more on what I've been up to instead of card-making in a future post.  For now, I hope you'll forgive me for leaving so many lovely supplies unused (yet).

Full supply lists of every month's installment of the 12 Kits of Occasions can be found on the group blog.  You can also find links to each designer, special guests, and sneak peeks of each month's kit!  Be sure to stop by and become a follower if you haven't already.

Thanks so much for visiting today!

The 12 Kits of Holidays--February 2013

Oh my heavens, what happened to February?!  This month has just flown by, and I can hardly believe it's time for another round of The 12 Kits of Holidays!  Check out the country-inspired Christmas kit that Renee sent us this month:

I actually struggled with this kit for a while because there was so much stuff to work with!  But I managed to get 4 cards done, and luckily have lots of supplies left to use later.  :)

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Rustic White)

Patterned paper:  Echo Park (This and That Christmas)

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse (Yonder Star)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Parisian Doily die), WPlus9 (star dies)

Accessories:  My Favorite Things (buttons), Michaels (twine)

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Rustic White, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate)

Patterned paper:  Echo Park (This and That Christmas)

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse (Woodenheart Alphabet, Yonder Star Background)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red, Chocolate Chip)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Alpha Blocks die), pinking shears, corner rounder

Accessories:  My Favorite Things (button), Michaels (ribbon)

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Rustic White, Dark Chocolate)

Patterned paper:  Echo Park (This and That Christmas)

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse (Yonder Star)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red), Papertrey Ink (Chamomile tea dye)

Tools:  Memory Box (Deer Trio die), Sizzix (embossing folder), Spellbinders (label die), corner rounder

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Rustic White, Dark Chocolate)

Patterned paper:  Echo Park (This and That Christmas)

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse (Yonder Star)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red, Chocolate Chip)

Tools:  Waltzingmouse (Yonder Star cut files), pinking shears

Accessories:  My Favorite Things (button)

Keeping it short and sweet so you can visit the rest of the 12 Kits crew!

Joyce: Cards-by-the-Sea
Renee: ItsAPatchworkLife
Tracey: InMyCreativeOpinion
Sharron: OnPapillionWings

Marybeth: Marybeth's Time for Paper

Jeanne: AKeptLife
Amy: Stamp-n-Paradise
Kim: CupcakesCardsandKim
Kara: KandRDesigns
Kelly: GinghamGirl
Jessica: The Paper Parade

Thanks for stopping by!

CAS-ual Fridays #73--For the Girls

Hello again!  It's the end of another week and the beginning of a new month, which means we're on the hunt for our next Guest Designer at CAS-ual Fridays.  Will it be you?

Our challenge this week is in honor of the start of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, so we're calling it For the Girls!  Create a project with a clean and simple design that honors the women in your life, and link it up for your chance at a gift certificate from Simon Says Stamp and a Guest Designer spot.

I couldn't help but use pink and the word "hope" on my card, in support of all of the women fighting a diagnosis of breast cancer.  I stamped the outline letters vertically, then colored them with Copics.  I masked the letters before stamping the large image from Waltzingmouse's Roses in Bloom (stamped off once to yield a lighter impression).

Cardstock:  WPlus9 Design Studio (White)

Patterned paper:  Echo Park (Dots & Stripes Homefront collection)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse Stamps (Roses in Bloom), Papertrey Ink (Outline Alphabet)

Ink:  Memento (Tuxedo Black), Copic markers

The rest of the DT has come up with some amazing inspiration to get you started, so hop over and check out their creations!

Thanks for visiting again today!  See you back here soon.

The 12 Kits of Christmas--August

It's time for the monthly installment of The 12 Kits of Christmas!  Our wonderful hostess this month is Kim, and she sent a beauty of a kit (photo courtesy of Kara):

This kit was full of gorgeous papers and trimmings as well as a lovely soft color palette.  I found myself going super clean and simple with my cards this month, but I look forward to revisiting this kit in the near future to make use of some of the other goodies Kim provided.

The first card is my favorite.  I have always liked aqua and pink for a non-traditional holiday color combo.  I wanted the card to convey a feeling of peace to go with the die cut word, so I simply heat embossed a poinsettia in white onto the card base, debossed it for subtle texture, then added the word and some spots of white Enamel Accents.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Aqua Mist, Sweet Blush)

Stamp:  Waltzingmouse (Big Bloom Poinsettia)

Ink:  Versamark

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Linen & Canvas impression plate, Wonderful Words: Holiday die), corner rounder

Accessories:  Ranger (Enamel Accents), Filigree (embossing powder)

The next card uses one of the adorable digital images Kim sent.  I thought the petite size was perfect for a smaller 4 1/4 inch square card, and I love the pop of color against all of the white.

Cardstock:  WPlus9 Design Studio (White)

Digital Stamp:  Pink Petticoat

Ink:  Copic markers

Tools:  Sizzix (embossing folder), circle punch

My last card feels like it needs something, but I wanted the word to really stand out against this fantastic embossed snowflake background that Kim provided.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Sweet Blush, Autumn Rose, Vintage Cream)

Stamp:  Papertrey Ink (Signature Christmas)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Basic Gray)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Wonderful Words: Holiday die), Cuttlebug (embossing folder), paper piercer

That's all for now, but I will be playing more with this kit in the near future.  As always, I can't wait to see what the other gals have done:

Suzanne:  The Card Yard

Cathy: EmptyNestCrafter

Joyce: Cards-by-the-Sea

Kim: CupcakesCardsandKim

Amy: Stamp-n-Paradise

Kara: KandRDesigns

Sharron: OnPapillionWings

Marybeth: Marybeth's Time for Paper

Jeanne: AKeptLife

Jessica: The Paper Parade

Renee: ItsAPatchworkLife

Thanks again for a wonderful kit, Kim!

The 12 Kits of Christmas--July

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by today for the latest installment of The 12 Kits of Christmas!  I'm delighted to be this month's hostess, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the gals have created.  First, here's a peek at the kit I assembled, with a photo courtesy of Kara:

I'll keep the chit chat to a minimum since I have a lot of photos to share.

This first one is my favorite, very clean and simple.  :)  The bird and branch dies are from Memory Box.  It's hard to see, but the cream panel is debossed with the Linen & Canvas impression plate.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream, True Black), Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, Early Espresso)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamp:  WPlus9 Design Studio (Poinsettia Patterns)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red)

Tools:  Memory Box (Perched Reed Bird, Twigs and Berries dies), Papertrey Ink (Linen & Canvas impression plate)

Accessories:  AC Moore (ribbon)

On the next card I used another bird, this time perching it on a stamped pine bough from Hero Arts.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream), Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamps:  Hero Arts (Big Pine Bough), Papertrey Ink (Signature Christmas)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Old Olive), Memento (Tuxedo Black)

Tools:  Memory Box (Perched Reed Bird die)

Accessories:  AC Moore (ribbon), thread

These beautiful poinsettia blooms are from Waltzingmouse.  I fussy cut a large and small flower from Riding Hood Red cardstock and traced the veins with a red Copic marker.  A second large flower was colored with a green Copic and layered underneath.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red, Old Olive), Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream, True Black)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse (Big Bloom Poinsettia), WPlus9 Design Studio (Poinsettia Patterns)

Ink:  Memento (Tuxedo Black), Copic markers

Accessories:  Ranger (Gold Stickles), thread

The next card is very simple, since I let the patterned paper do most of the work.  I think I may go back and add a rhinestone star to the top of the tree.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream), Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamps:  Inkadinkadoo (Holiday Words tree), Papertrey Ink (Fresh Alphabet)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Old Olive, Riding Hood Red)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (double ended banner die), We R Memory Keepers (Corner Chomper)

Accessories:  thread

I paired the olive damask paper with a Spellbinders label, paper leaves, and sparkling "berries".

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream), Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse (Vintage Labels 18), Papertrey Ink (Signature Christmas)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Old Olive), Memento (Tuxedo Black)

Tools:  Spellbinders (Labels 18 die), Papertrey Ink (Diamonds impression plate)

Accessories:  Bazzill (paper leaves), Queen & Co. (gems)

I've made a version of this card almost every month--just stitched strips of paper, a die cut label, and a few buttons.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream), Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red)

Patterned paper:  Authentique (Wonder)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse (Big Bloom Poinsettia, Vintage Labels 18), Papertrey Ink (Signature Christmas)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red), Memento (Tuxedo Black)

Tools:  Spellbinders (Labels 18 die)

Accessories:  Papertrey Ink (buttons), thread, DMC floss

Finally, we decided to challenge ourselves to use up some of our leftovers from previous months by CASEing each other.  I chose a dove image I hadn't used from the March kit provided by Suzanne.  Like Suzanne's card with the dove, I die cut the image into a tag shape.

For the colors and papers, I CASEd Jeanne's dove card.  Love the purple and green together.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (White)

Patterned paper:  Cosmo Cricket (Mitten Weather)

Stamp:  Stampendous (Block Art Sparkle Dove)

Ink:  Copic markers

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Tag Sale #3 die)

Accessories:  Ribbonbazaar.com (ribbon), The Twinery (baker's twine), buttons, thread, DMC floss

Okay, friends, I think that's enough for one post!  Thanks for staying with me!  Now go see what everyone else made this month:

Suzanne:  The Card Yard

Cathy: EmptyNestCrafter

Joyce: Cards-by-the-Sea

Kim: CupcakesCardsandKim

Amy: Stamp-n-Paradise

Kara: KandRDesigns

Sharron: OnPapillionWings

Marybeth: Marybeth's Time for Paper

Jeanne: AKeptLife

Jessica: The Paper Parade

Renee: ItsAPatchworkLife

See you back here soon!

Card Patterns Sketch #172--The Final Sketch

Well friends, the time has come.  Sadly, the Card Patterns Sketch Challenge is closing its doors, leaving you today with one final sketch.  I hope you'll join me this week in saying a huge thank you to Michelle and Tracy for sharing 172 fabulous sketches with us, including this beauty:

I kept my card fairly simple to keep the focus on this gorgeous flower from Waltzingmouse's Roses in Bloom.  I stamped the flower and leaf twice onto papers from My Mind's Eye and cut them out, popping up a second layer of central petals on the rose.

The background pattern was created using a stamp from The Craft's Meow's Retro Foundations.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Kraft), WPlus9 Design Studio (White)

Patterned paper:  My Mind's Eye (Quite Contrary)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse (Roses in Bloom), The Craft's Meow (Retro Foundations), Papertrey Ink (Iconic Images)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Chocolate Chip, So Saffron)

Tools:  Spellbinders (circle die), We R Memory Keepers (Corner Chomper)

Accessories:  Michaels (pearls)

I am so thankful to Tracy and Michelle for inviting me to be a part of the Card Patterns challenge for the past 6 months.  Sketches are always the most difficult challenges for me, but I have thoroughly enjoyed being on this team and stretching myself creatively.  The weekly inspiration at Card Patterns will definitely be missed!

I hope you'll join us one more time and link up your creation at the Card Patterns blog!

Card Patterns sketch #171 & An Announcement

Hello!  I'm back with a card using this week's Card Patterns sketch, but first I want to share some news.  It was announced today on the Card Patterns blog that the challenge will be closing at the end of June.  The Card Patterns sketches have been a source of inspiration to many of us for a long time, and it will be sad to see them go, but you will still be able to access the archives of prior sketches and design team inspiration to help jump-start your projects in the future.

I have enjoyed being a part of this wonderful team and want to thank Tracy and Michelle for all of their hard work!  I hope you'll stop by and wish them well in their future endeavors, too.

Please play along with us on our last 2 sketches, including this week's layered beauty:

This is the last day to enter my giveaway for the Half Pint Heroes set!  I've shown you cards this week using the rocket and car images, so today it's the submarine.  I love how it turned out!

I stamped the sub onto white cardstock, colored it with Copics, and cut it out.  It's popped up on the white panel, where I added three fish and a sentiment from the set.

The starfish are from WPlus9's Guiding Light--I thought they were perfect for this design.  I also stamped "waves" on the background strip using a border stamp from The Craft's Meow's Retro Foundations.  I added shading with a Copic marker to give the waves some depth.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Smokey Shadow), WPlus9 Design Studio (White)

Patterned paper:  Papertrey Ink (Men of Life)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse (Half Pint Heroes), WPlus9 Design Studio (Guiding Light), The Craft's Meow (Retro Foundations)

Ink:  Memento (Tuxedo Black), A Muse Studio (Apricot), Stampin' Up! (Pool Party), Copic markers

Tools:  Spellbinders (circle die), We R Memory Keepers (Corner Chomper)

Thanks for stopping by!  I'll be back tomorrow to announce the winner of the Half Pint Heroes set!

CAS-ual Fridays #58--Pretty in Pink

Welcome back for another CAS-ual Fridays challenge!  Did you know that June 23 is National Pink Day?  We're celebrating with a Pretty in Pink challenge this week.  Just use pink on your clean and simple design--it couldn't be easier!

Many thanks to our sponsor this week, The Ribbon Carousel, for providing a fantastic prize to this week's winner!

Although ribbons aren't required for the challenge this week, I thought it would be fun to incorporate them into my design.

I'm showcasing images from Half Pint Heroes and Half Pint Heroines again today.  Have you seen my giveaway for the Heroes set?  You still have time to enter!

I couldn't wait to make a sweet little pink car with pink ribbons trailing behind it.  I think I would prefer a thinner ribbon, but this was what I had on hand.  It would be fun with baker's twine, too.

The card was stamped and colored with Copics, with silver pen and Stickles accents.  I cut out the body of the car and popped it up with foam dots.  I tucked the ribbons under the car, then stitched the ruffles into place.

The road was stamped using PTI's Library Ledger and colored with a T4 Copic marker.

Cardstock:  WPlus9 Design Studio (White)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse (Half Pint Heroes, Half Pint Heroines), Papertrey Ink (Scrapbook Series:  Library Ledger)

Ink:  Memento (Tuxedo Black), Copic markers, silver pen

Accessories:  Stickles (Candy Cane, Diamond), ribbon, thread

The Girl Fridays always have amazing designs to inspire you, so be sure to visit them for some fantastic ideas using pink!  I hope you'll join us this week, too.

Thanks for your visit, as always!  Have a great Friday!

CAS-ual Fridays #57

It's Friday!  It's Friday!  Are you all as excited as I am?  I'm thrilled to have my hubby back home and ready for a beautiful weekend.  My daughter's last day of school is Monday, so summer is about to officially begin!

If it's Friday, that also means a new challenge at one of my favorite blogs, CAS-ual Fridays.  One of our very own team members is offering up an amazing prize this week, but you'll just have to click over there to find out the details.  *wink*

Your challenge this week is "clear as day":  use acetate or vellum on your clean and simple project.

I didn't have any acetate or clear cardstock handy so I chose to work with vellum.  I decided to make some vellum clouds for a scene with stamps from Waltzingmouse's Half Pint Heroines.

A co-worker has been going through a rough patch, and I knew this balloon and sentiment would be perfect to let her know I'm thinking of her.  I paper pieced the balloon in bright prints from Echo Park's Dots & Stripes collection.

The clouds were stamped onto vellum and cut out by hand.  Since the vellum is transparent, I was able to flip two of the clouds over to the back to use them in the reverse orientation.

To adhere the clouds, I used a tiny drop of Glossy Accents on the back of each cloud, then added a clear gem on top to hide the adhesive.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Spring Rain, White)

Patterned paper:  Echo Park (Dots & Stripes, A Boy's Life)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse Stamps (Half Pint Heroines)

Ink:  Memento (Tuxedo Black), Copic markers, black pen

Accessories:  Queen & Co. (rhinestones), vellum

Thanks so much for stopping by on your Friday!  I'm definitely looking forward to seeing your creations in the CAS-ual Fridays gallery this week, as I don't often use acetate or vellum and could use some more inspiration.

Speaking of inspiration--be sure to visit the rest of the Girl Fridays to get the ideas flowing.  Those gals are the best!

Have a great start to your weekend!

Card Patterns sketch #165

Hi friends!  I meant to post this sooner, but we spent the day in Maine enjoying the gorgeous weather and taking my MIL to lunch for Mother's Day.  Tomorrow we'll be hard at work in the garden, my favorite Mother's Day activity.  :)  I hope you're having a great weekend, too!

This week's Card Patterns sketch is so pretty and versatile, it will definitely be going in a file for future use.

I've had an idea in my mind for a while to do an all-white wedding card with clear embossing, so I finally tackled it.  I love how it turned out, and the effect is even prettier in person.

I first stamped the word "love" from Waltzingmouse's Say it Loud and heat embossed it in silver.  Then I stamped the flower and leaves from PTI's Delightful Dahlia and heat embossed them with clear powder (I embossed the flower first, then masked it before stamping the leaves).

Behind the main panel I stitched two white cardstock panels, the top one debossed with music score and the bottom one debossed with a diamond pattern.

To embellish, I added a ruffled satin ribbon and bow across the top, a tiny tag stamped with the sentiment "wedding wishes", and some silver pearls.

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (White)

Stamps:  Papertrey Ink (Delightful Dahlia, Tiny Tags II), Waltzingmouse (Say it Loud)

Ink:  Versamark, Clearsnap (Antique Pewter)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (sheet music & diamonds impression plates, tag die), We R Memory Keepers (Corner Chomper)

Accessories:  A.C. Moore (ribbon), Michaels (silver pearls), Jo-Ann (silver embossing powder), Stampendous (clear embossing powder), thread

Please stop by to see what the rest of the Card Patterns designers cooked up this week!  We can't wait to see your take on the sketch.

Thanks for your visit!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

ColourQ #124, CAS-ual Fridays 39, & WMSC 84

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope you're able to spend some time with the ones you love most today!

I've got a new ColourQ palette to share with you, and it was perfect for making a couple of cards for my kids.

I loved the challenge of using vanilla and white together, as I don't usually think of it but love the way it looks on other people's cards.

On my daughter's card, I stamped the frame and bunny image from PTI's Tiny Treats:  Valentine onto a spiral notebook die cut.  I wrapped the panel with cream ribbon, stitched a pink button in place, and popped the panel up on foam dots.

The white card base has a panel of Pool Party cardstock stitched with a strip of patterned paper from PTI's Library Ledger pack, which has those sweet cream dots to match the ribbon.

Two more pink buttons add the final touch.

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Pool Party), Papertrey Ink (White)

Patterned paper:  Papertrey Ink (Library Ledger)

Stamps:  Papertrey Ink (Tiny Treats:  Valentine)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Real Red), Inkadinkadoo (Black), Copic marker

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (spiral notebook die, Linen & Canvas impression plate)

Accessories:  Michaels (ribbon), buttons, DMC floss, thread

My daughter's card was inspired by the Waltzingmouse Sketch challenge this week, but since a Waltzingmouse Stamps image is required for the challenge, I made my son's card with the same sketch and the Half Pint Heroes set.  I also used paper piecing, so this qualifies for the current challenge at CAS-ual Fridays.

I just adore how this polka dot car turned out!  I paper pieced the entire car body with PTI's Distressed Dots paper, then pieced the bumpers with Pure Poppy cardstock.  I added a "road" using journaling lines from PTI's Scrapbook Series:  Library Ledger.  The hearts are from Tag-its #4 and the sentiment is from Half Pint Heroes.

Isn't this little guy so cute?  My son loves this stamp set!

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! (Pool Party), Papertrey Ink (Pure Poppy, White)

Patterned paper:  Papertrey Ink (Library Ledger, Distressed Dots)

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse (Half Pint Heroes), Papertrey Ink (Tag its #4, Scrapbook Series:  Library Ledger)

Ink:  Inkadinkadoo (Black), Stampin' Up! (Pretty in Pink), Copic markers

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (spiral notebook die)

Accessories:  The Twinery (Maraschino baker's twine), thread

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll check out the rest of the samples at the ColourQ blog and share your creation with us this week.

Have a great day!

Bridal silhouette

Cardstock:  Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream)

Stamps:  Papertrey Ink (Iconic Images, Tiny Tags), Waltzingmouse (Vintage Labels 18)

Ink:  Stampin' Up! (Chocolate Chip), Clearsnap (Dune), Papertrey Ink (Tea Dye duo)

Tools:  Papertrey Ink (Music Score, Linen & Canvas impression plates, tag die), Spellbinders (Labels 18 die), EK Success (circle punch)

Accessories:  Martha Stewart (ribbon), Ranger (Perfect Pearls), Michaels (pearls), thread

Hi there!  Just popping in to share a card I made for a recent Paper Crafts call that wasn't picked up.  The category was silhouettes for brides and babies, which led me to create this little number perfect for an engagement.

To make this card, I stitched a piece of Vintage Cream cardstock debossed with PTI's music score impression plate onto a Cream card base. 

For the focal point, I die cut and stamped the large frame from Waltzingmouse's Vintage Labels 18 and punched out the center circle.  The silhouette from PTI's Iconic images was stamped onto another piece of Vintage Cream cardstock, debossed with the Linen & Canvas impression plate, and adhered behind the frame, which is popped up on foam dots.

You can't see it in the photo, but the frame was sprayed with Perfect Pearls mist to give it a nice shimmer.  For the finishing touches, I added a crown of pearls to the silhouette and a tiny tag tied with wrinkled ribbon.

I hope you'll come by tomorrow, as I have two posts lined up, including the newest ColourQ challenge.  Thanks for visiting!