Petie's Pal

Petie went almost everywhere with my oldest when he was two. Petie went almost everywhere with my youngest when he was two. Petie was, er, is very well loved (and oh so dirty). I might have talked about Petie before on here, I can't quite remember. Petie is a doll that both my boys love(d).

Wee Memories and The Lawnscaping Challenge have teamed up to showcase cute and cuddly creations. I started by adhering some soft baby yarn around a square block and topped it off with a pup that has a slightly distressed and well worn look to him. The square background reminds me of a chenille blanklie (as my boys affectionately call their blankets).The layout is from March's sketch at Artful Delight.

 

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Office Max, (Vintage Cream) PTI
Patterned Paper: (School Spirit Collection) Crate Paper
Stamps: (Critters in the Burbs, Sophie's Sentiments) Lawn Fawn
Ink: (Vintage Photo Distress) Ranger
Other: (White Enamel Accents) Ranger, (Colored Pencils) Prisma

NFC Championship

The Chicago Bears host the Green Bay Packers today to hammer it out for the NFC Championship Title and a trip to the Superbowl-the two haven't met in this situation for 70 years! Although I'm not a Packer Fan, I do live in Wisconsin and it would be great to see our economy get the boost it needs if they win. So with that I say, Go Pack Go!

Plus....Jing-Jing left a comment on a previous post that she would root for the Packers if I played along with the Color Room Challenge #42 this week! After stamping the butterflies in watermark ink, I applied a few colors of mist to an acrylic block, misted it with water and then applied it over the butterflies. A neat effect for a background, but I wanted my butterflies to stand out a bit more for a focal point so I stamped over them in ink. The rest of the card came together with a sketch from Skipping Stones Designs. I chose a versatile sentiment is from Furnishing Fun by Schlosser Designs, I could send it out for a birthday or anniversary I think. I really went out of my comfort zone here, tried a complex layout and new products, so I think this is a great fit to the Wee Memories Challenge: Free Your Creativity-Anything Goes.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Vintage Cream) PTI, (Green) Recollections
Patterned Paper: (Basic Grey)
Stamps: (Sentiment from Furnishing Fun) Schlosser Designs, (Butterflies) Martha Stewart, (For the Love of Dots) Practicing Creativity Designs
Ink: (Brocade Blue Pigment) SU, (Antique Linen Distress) Ranger
Embellishments: (Button Junkie's Wrinkle Ribbon), (Button) 
Other: (Hermit the Frog Vibz Mist) Shimmerz, (Honey Dew, Dragonfly Glimmer Mist) Tattered Angels
Tools: (Petite Scalloped Circles Nestabilties) Spellbinders, (Circle Cutting System) Creative Memories

The Collection

 

Just a few clean and simple baby thank you cards I've made for the upcoming arrival of Baby Dot (no, he's not mine, but my sister's!). I gained inspiration for the layouts based on Tiff's Sketch here (instead of the three dots, I used made the whole background polka dots), and used all sorts of twine from different manufacturers for added interest, and because the Wee Memories Challenge reminded me to pull some out of my stash and actually use some!

 

The left side is the bright palette (brighter paper and brighter twine), the right side a bit more subdued.

I've also the pleasure of being honored with the Stylish Blogger Reward by both Julie E. (she's a sweetie and does the upmost fantastic things with handmade presentation items) and Lynnette (who makes fantastic cards and is an overall good cookie). Thank you ladies! I'm a rule breaker so I'm not going to follow all the rules but I think it is fun when I learn more about fellow bloggers, so here is a list of eight things you might not know about me...

1. I read most magazines from the last page to the first. Except for Papercrafts-then I page through first to see how many names I recognize. 

2. "The boys" made me a pink spinner bait last night to go along with my birthday present of a pink fishing rod and reel last October. I'm really, seriously forward to packing a lunch for the four of us and catching some fish-that is, when the ice on the lakes melt. I don't do ice fishing.

3. I live in a house with one bathroom and no dishwasher or basement, but it is HOME and I'm so very grateful to have a roof over my head and two little and one big boy to share it with.

4. A few days back I read an article that babies born this year will not know what landline phones, DVDs, newspapers or printed maps really are. These children will miss out on some fun stuff, and, it makes me feel old.

5. I recently discovered delectable tastes of pomegranate and clementines...and saddened to discover that they are only available in Central Wisconsin (at a price I can afford) during the Christmas season.

6. Young Riders (the 1980's cowboy show featuring The Pony Express) is my new favorite TV show. It is not only a classic, but a great excuse to have a "Date Night" frequently and in our own home. Thank you Netflix. 

7. Looking forward to seeing my son wrestle this weekend, hoping to see the joy on his face when they hand him a medal, and praying that he is strong enough to realize that winning isn't everything should he not receive one.

8. And lastly, been feeling in a crafty rut these past few days. I. need. to. escape. this. rut. I am also trying to expand my crafty ways, but keep coming back to clean and simple. Hope you don't get bored.

Blooming Love

As I look out my window today and see over a foot of white fluffy snow, I reminisce about the times my husband and I have attempted to celebrate our anniversary only to be sidetracked by blizzards. We often end up with a cozy evening at home.

Today's card was based on the sketch at Skipping Stones Designs. I decided to try out the fabulous layering techniques that Maile Belles uses for the Wee Memories Challenge and Moxie Fab World is still celebrating their Card Creations Week, so this is my entry into the Love category.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Vintage Cream) PTI 
Patterned Paper: (Basics Cream) Basic Grey
Stamps: (Ever After) Wplus9
Ink: (Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress) Ranger
Embellishments: (Ivory String) May Arts, (Button)
Tools: (Labels 4 Nestabilities) Spellbinders, (Corner Chomper) WR Memory Keepers

Put A Little...

Think of your fellow man / Lend him a helping hand  / Put a little love in your heart / You see it's getting late / Oh please don't hesitate  / Put a little love in your heart / And the world will be a better place  / And the world will be a better place  / For you and me  / You just wait and see... Put A Little Love In Your Heart (Annie Lennox duet with Al Green)
Couldn't help but think of that song while making this card for the Scrappy Saturday Challenge over at Wee Memories! It is similar in design to the card here, but this time I've embossed the Schlosser Design's circles from Circle-A-Thon and added a few more layers, a put a little pink in the design with the ribbon tab. Some might recognize these as the colors for a recent submission call, I still had them out and realized how perfect it would be for the challenge (I actually like this one better than the one I submitted). So all in all, the card came together quickly,  gotta love that!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Georgia Pacific
Patterned Paper: (Olivia) Basic Grey
Stamps, clear: (Circle-A-Thon, Furnishing Fun) Schlosser Designs
Ink: (Watermark) Versamark
Embellishments: (Pink Grosgrain Ribbon) SU, (Rhinestone) Hero Arts
Other: (White Embossing Powder) SU, Thread

Let's Get Together

This morning my cousin and I were able to get together without kiddos and enjoy a nice breakfast of omlets and pancakes. It was amazingly stress free and really kind of quiet. This afternoon my family and I enjoyed the cool crisp fallish air. That too was amazingly stress free but a lot less quiet.

This card was quite fun to make, although I think I could have edited way more than I did. Does that ever happen to you? I paper pieced the bike in some fun orange paper (check), added some pleated ribbon tape topped off with some baker's twine (check). Reminds me of the bike I had growing up. I also added some scallops along the bottom for a cute twist (check). Having three check marks makes me eligible to participate in the Scrappy Saturday Challenge over at Wee Memories!

And these two little men have been taking up a lot of my time lately...

Supplies:
Cardstock: (White) Georgia Pacific, (Yellow) Bazzill
Patterned Paper: (Orange Polka and Saffron Leaves from the Sweet Pea Collection) Stampin' Up!
Stamps: (The Whole Cycle, Chatterbox) Practicing Creativity Designs
Ink: (Onyx Black) Versamark
Embellishments: (Green Polka Dot Fabric Tape from Love My Tapes) Available at Practicing Creativity Designs, (Yellow Divine Twine) Available at Ryann Marin's Etsy Store, (Rhinestones) Michaels, (Blue Grosgrain Ribbon) Offray, Thread
Tools: (Scallop Border Punch) Fiskars

Bring Back the Butterflies!

Recently I shared a wonderful visit to the zoo with my boys, my sister and my mother. At the end of the long day, when the boys were worn out and we were getting cranky, we meandered to one last exhibit-the butterfly exhibit. We entered a screened enclosure painted like a monarch caterpillar and all around us flew thousands of butterflies. Big ones, small ones, colorful ones, monochromatic ones. So pretty, so wonderful. Even the boys were amazed, and that was something considering they had just seen it all!

A very talented card designer and I were just corresponding that we have missed butterflies around on the blogs. And we've decided to Bring Back the Butterflies! Easy to do, since the latest challenge from Wee Memories is to incorporate a butterfly. Simon Says Stamp & Show is also having a challenge for Things with Wings! I've created mine using some acetate, Glimmer Mist and Glossy Accents. Still trying to work out the glitches with the mist and I thank you for partaking in the journey with me.

***CAS-Tastic Wednesday Challenges has decided to take a Back to School Break with the hopes to be back up and running at the end of September.***

Supplies Used: Cardstock: (White) Georgia Pacific (Green) Recollections Stamps: (Thank You) Heidi Grace Ink: (Charcoal Gray Chalk) Colorbox (Tempting Turquoise Pigment) Stampin'Up!  Other: (Butterfly Die) Stampin'Up! (Dragonfly and HoneyDew Glimmer Mist) Tattered Angels-available at Practicing Creativity Designs (Rhinestones) Michaels (Glossy Accents) Ranger  (Notebook Paper) (Acetate)

Love is in the Air

Love is in the air  / Everywhere I look around  / Love is in the air  / Every sight and every sound
Hee, hee, I picture robots with this song. Why? It is featured in Wall-E, the Pixar movie from Disney, a movie my boys love to watch. Now, the robots never wore itsy bitsy bikinis or swim trunks, but the idea is the same, right?

Jenny at Wee Memories is having a Summer Fun Challenge, the starting basis for this card. I don't often send out summer cards (clarification: I don't often send out cards period), so I wanted to create one with dual meaning, perhaps an engagement, wedding shower or wedding? I paper-pieced some Lawn Fawn goodies and adhered them to a floss clothesline (the clothespins for the swimming trunks are the exclamation point from one sentiment if you are curious). The floss was really putzy and messy to glue down-the whole time I was thinking that I really need to purchase Barefoot Summer from Practicing Creativity Designs, where the clotheline and clothespins are stamps! There are a few things I would change if I made this card again, but overall, I think the idea is rather fun (its like one pattern from Cosmo Cricket's The Boyfriend Collection). I think I'll take another gander at the Moxie Fab World's Fun and Cute Challenge as well.

Supplies Used: Cardstock: (Blue) Recollections (White) Georgia Pacific Patterned Paper: (Pixie Pink DSP) Stampin' Up! (Green Polka Dots from Just Chillin' Girls Collection) Making Memories Stamps: (Swimsuit Season) Lawn Fawn (You're Dandy) Practicing Creativity Designs (Communique) PTI Ink: (Barely Banana) Stampin' Up! (Onyx Black) Versafine Other: (Sticker Sentiment) SRM Stickers (Black Brads) Oriental Trading Company (Black Floss) DMC Tools: Corner Round Punch (Fiskars)

A Modern Punch

 

I'm on this kick lately to see if I can make ho-hum every day cards become modern. So much fun to step outside the box and see the world in a different way.

Inspired by the current challenge at Wee Memories (Punch It!) and dictated by really the only punch outside of circles and squares, I grabbed my starburst punch and created some flowers-some funky flowers. I think they are quite fun! I also used a purple card base (a color that frightens me a bit, I must admit) that had been stamped in my more modern woodgrain pattern to bring more nature-ness to the card. A couple of metal embellishments and a graphic circle-mission accomplished, eh?

Supplies Used: Cardstock: Pale Plum and Going Gray (Stampin Up) White (Georgia Pacific) Patterned Paper: The Stack 5 (DCWV) Background Stamp: Woodgrain (Stampin Up) Clear Acryclic Stamp: Get Well from Mega Mixed Messages (PTI) Hybrid Ink: Fresh Snow (PTI) Pigment Ink: Perfect Plum (Stampin Up) Marker: (Elegant Eggplant) Stampin Up, Starburst and Circle Punches (Creative Memories) Metal Dots (Mark Richards) Other: Staples

Check One

My mind was numb. I had just spent hours taking the test that would determine if or when I could get into the college of my choice. It was that kind of exam where you could enter with only two #2 pencils, sharpened beyond belief and by the time you were done, both of them would be worn down to the nib... It was that kind of exam were you could only fill in the little circle row after row and boy did I wish I could just make one big red check mark!

This card is...different but the same, then what I usually do. (I think I really like it!) I started with the mindset of using papers and a new ink pad that I've had for a very long time, scraps that were on my desk and a mixture of my favorite stamp sets and ones that haven't seen ink yet. I also had the layout at Get Sketchy in mind and the theme of "The Sky's the Limit" from the Wee Memories Challenge because rotated, the scallops reminded me of clouds. I honestly had fun just creating and not knowing where the final card would end up. My favorite part is the red check mark that was made with a hand cut mask and red chalk ink.

Supplies Used: Cardstock: White (Georgia Pacific) Patterned Paper: Plaid and Pink Polka Dots  from Just Chillin' (Making Memories) Green from The Boyfriend (Cosmo Cricket) Blue from The Cottage Collection (Creative Memories) Notebook Paper from Hopscotch Boy (K&C Company) Stamps: Clouds from Practicing Creativity Designs, Sentiment Panel (Inkadinkadoo) Ink: Onyx Black (VersaFine) Lipstick Red Chalk (Colorbox) Other: White Gel Pen (Signo) Black Marker (Pilot) Black Snaps (unknown)

The Cottage Quilt

My sisters and I crawled under the handmade quilt, propped on chairs and covering the whole of the living room. Mom and Grandma poked the yarn threaded needle down through and we poked it back up just a centimeter away. Over and over we did this. When we finished, there was a beautiful blanket to take Up North to the Cottage.

I combined the Moxie Fab World Challenge Fun with Fabric with the Wee Memories Challenge to use pink and embellishments to create this quilt paneled card. I first stamped the fabric with ink, batted it, stitched it to cardstock and then added the sewn buttons to pucker the fabric. I also distressed the edges of the fabric (along with the cardstock) with some ink for a well worn look. I only had to call my mom once for assistance on quilting, and I finished the card with a brand new admiration for the real quilters out there.

Supplies Used: Cardstock: White (Georgia Pacific) Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink (Stampin Up) Stamps: You're Dandy (Practicing Creativity Designs) Woodgrain Silhouettes (Wplus9) Ink: Chocolate Chip Pigment (Stampin Up) Creamy Brown Chalk (Colorbox) Embellishments: Buttons (Cloud 9) Linen Thread (Stampin Up) Ribbon (May Arts) Other: White Muslin Fabric, Cotton, Thread

Thunderstorms

Typing this up quickly as out of the corner of my eye I see the lightning flash too close for comfort and hear the thunder boom so loud making things shake around me. I despise thunderstorms as they can sometimes lead to tornadoes which cause me to think I need to hide in my closet with the boys (no basement, you see. Word of advice: if you live in Wisconsin, buy a house with a basement.) I'm pretty sure that birds are not perching on telephone wires right now!

The idea of using banners for this card and the colors scheme came from the awesome challenge image at Off the Wall Craftiness. I thought I'd finally pull them out and use them! The paper pieced banners where chosen with great care to include a number of different word patterns for the Wee Memories Challenge. The pennants are glued only at the top and curved for a bit of dimension. I really like how the real (the bird) lives harmoniously with the surreal (banners and rays). I really like that I used four different patterned paper styles, albeit in small amounts. Plus, I'm embracing what I truly love to do, clean and simple!




Supplies Used: Cardstock: Kraft (Archer's Paper) Patterned Paper: The Boyfriend (Cosmo Cricket), Music and Poetry Paper (Vintage Books) Stamps: You're Dandy, Look Up (Practicing Creativity Designs) Upsy Daisy (SU), Bird (SU-unknown) Ink: Chesnut Roan Chalk (Colorbox), Versamark Other: Colored Pencils (Prismacolor), Thread

The Veils

She felt pretty...beautiful. She took a step forward, then one back, then around and around she went. She twirled and twirled but stopped short of falling down. She couldn't ruin the pretty new dress or veil her mama made for her. She heard her name being called and went to stand by her sister. She was just as pretty, only with tiny purple roses on her veil instead of pink. It was their day...a special day. Two little girls were about to receive their first communion.

Since layers and embellishments go hand in hand with the vintage style, this card was a stretch for me. There are so many beautiful vintage creations out there...I'm glad I tried it out and I'm happy with the results. I was inspired by the beautiful images in the Wee Memories Challenge and the sketch at Card Patterns and decided to try out the spiral flower technique that has been popping up. I also distressed each element pretty heavily with a walnut stain wash, which was fun but left my hands looking like I've been playing in dirt with the boys. Pearls and satin ribbon finished the look.



Supplies Used: Rose and Kraft Paper from Archers Paper, SU Sweet Pea DSP, SU Sincere Salutations and Baroque Motifs Stamp Set, SU True Thyme Pigment Ink, Ranger Walnut Distress Ink, SU Ivory Satin Ribbon, Doily, Half-Backed Pearls, Thread