Altered comp mini's

WooHoo!  Have been wanting to replace my little notebook that I keep in my labcoat pocket for awhile now.  My old one is getting quite ratty tatty.  Wally World had those cute little mini-composition notebooks in stock and the cost was a whopping $0.77 each.  I bought 16 of them and decided that I would make a boat load of them to give to co-workers that want them (many will!).  I was surprised at how quickly they went together, even for me! 

These can not have a bunch of embellies on them as they would just start falling off after going in and out of pockets hundreds of times a day and I figured a few of the guys might like them as well if they weren't all covered in flowers and fru-fru.  I decided on the basic focal and got out the die cuts... can you see the largest blossom from BBII at PTI behind the label die?  Used Take a Note for the sentiments as they are just perfect for this type of occasion.  I did scuff up the comp books a bit to take the shine off and used a glue stick to attach the PP. Time will tell how well these hold up but I glued everything down very well.  Used glue dots to attach the focal and used the ATG gun tape for each layer using several passes on the back of each one.  I think they will just wear out before they come apart.  Don't you think they are cute?

Found some really cute paperclips at WW as well so I included one matching color on each.  My DH wanted one when he saw them so one other masculine book is missing but it was similar to the black one.  Now I need to finish up... I have about 10 more to go!  These are 100% PTI paper and stamps and dies as well as the buttons and ribbons.  The only things that aren't are the composition books and paper clips which came from Walmart (WW). 
Would love to know what you think?

Papertrey May Blog Hop Challenge

Eeek, I linked to the wrong post!  Please go here:  August Papertreyink Blog Hop

I just love the PTI blog hop... so many great projects and great inspiration.  If I had had more time this past week I would have come up with an outstanding Nobel Peace Prize project.. honest!  Since I didn't, I will just have to settle for a sweet Thank You card using the felt that is the requirement this month.

It won't win a Nobel but I do like the card.  It is so nice to have so many PTI felt colors to play with and since my new release order arrived on Friday, I finally had some time to play today!  It was torture having to wait so long to play with my new order!

I used the new balloon die to cut 3 colors of felt, Razz Fizz, Hawaiian Shores and Simply Chartreuse.  I stamped a Thank You sentiment in each color as well and punched it out with the SU window punch. Used Spring Moss for the card base and Ripe Avocado for the mat. They match the Chartreuse very well being a shade lighter and darker than Chartreuse.  Added the fun ribbon treatment with a strip of double sided sticky tape and finished with a Inside and Out: Thank You sentiment on the inside and added a balloon stamp inked in two colors.  Very simple but a fun look.

A very textural card with all the felt and it really didn't use up much of my stock!  Hope you like?

Spread your wings

Well, after creating a dud the other day, I feel much better about this one.  I love the Spring Moss / Enchanted Evening with Stone white card base.  It is not something I would usually pick but today... It worked!  I had to ink up this stamp and sentiment. I just love the image and the sentiment goes with it so well even though they are from different sets...Baby Button Bits (image) and Butterfly Dreams (sentiment and lower background).  I even stamped the inside.  I am getting better about using a sentiment or combo on the inside.  I love the look.

Did the scrunchy thing for the ribbon and love how it turned out. If you haven't done this yet, try it.  One strip of Scor-Tape or any very sticky double sided tape and a long strip of ribbon... stick and scrunch, stick and scrunch, repeat until the end of the card. In this one, I left a bit of tail at each end and clipped the V.  So easy peasy.

The body needed 3 little buttons.  I just wasn't in a big single button mood.  I'm glad.  Bugs have segmented bodies anyway, so I am being biologically correct. (So important, don't you know!)

So, get out a bug stamp... and make a card!

Feel better soon

Do you ever have an idea in your head for a card and you know it will look soooooo cool?  I did and it didn't come out at all.  So today I have a card that I am not happy with.  The idea was right, the execution was all wrong.  Shouldn't have used the pinking shears on the edges.  Wrong color mix.  Picked the wrong image to "shade" the dog.  Even my subtle flower stamp over the sentiment is just wrong for the rest of the images.

Well, that is how we learn!  I at least recognize what I did wrong so that card didn't work.  I'll just toss it in a storage box.  Some day, maybe this rather pathetic try will be all the rage.  I doubt it but I still won't throw it away... it has too much PTI on it! Ha!

If nothing else folks, don't be discouraged by a card that doesn't work.  Figure out why and learn from it.

Just needed to post a pic! Ignore!

I will be posting a card later but this is a picture that I needed to post on the PTI forum and the forum isn't allowing uploads right now.  Back later:

Fun with an old friend...

Decided to pull out a set that hasn't seen some love and ink lately, PTI's Green Thumb.  I haven't ever inked up the sweet little flower from that set.  I've used the pot before but not the flower, or the curley cues.  So, here ya are!  Had some fun with the stitches that my new machine can do at the turn of a knob and had to (absolutely had to) play with the zig zag die ... both sides.  Put them all together and stamp the sentiment in Momento's Rich Cocoa and, "How cute is this card?"  Suhweet!  Of course the final piece that I love is the clear doohickey over the flower.  It just called out to me.  No, really, it called!  What are those doohickies called?  I can NOT remember.  Oh, well.  Love it! Used PTI Summer Sunrise and Spring Moss ink on white, SM and Ripe Avacado CS.  Not a patterned paper in there.

Well, I am back to work for the weekend so Happy Mother's Day to all you moms.  I guess I would rather be working than someone that still has children at home.  No one should miss out on breakfast in bed made by their children (and hubby).  Ahhh, the memories, the mess...

Guess what I got?

I have a very old and reliable as well as very expensive Singer sewing machine.  I love it and know its behaviour inside and out.  I have used it to sew on cards a few times but I must adjust the tension of both the bobbin and the needle in order to get clean stitching on paper which wouldn't be a problem if I never sewed on fabric.  I do sew on fabric so I had to readjust the tensions back and forth.  Not something that is hard, just a pain in the keester. 

So there I was at Joann's yesterday, May 1st, just browsing around.  Guess what was on sale.  Yep, a Singer.  Actually, a nice Singer.  A $169.99 Singer for $99.99.  Happy Mother's Day to Me....Happy Mother's Day tooooo Meeeee....

Strictly for paper? Am I spoiling myself?  You betcha!  I love it.  I bought 8 extra bobbins and matched several PTI colors in thread so I can have wound bobbins ready to go.  This puppy has a needle threader on it, too!  I am in crafting heaven....

And... here is what I created to see how the zig zag stitching worked:

Just look at this PERFECT ZigZag! Suhweet!

I like the card as well.  Yummy colors, fun die cuts and buttons.  Oh, and so simple and straight forward. No special techniques (well, there is stitching..) or anything overly fancy schmancy.  Just a cute card.  Hope you like it and yes, you can come over anytime to play on my machine.  I like to share the love...

Blog Hop with PTI

Our challenge is to use tissue in a card.  Easy Peasy?  Not...
I did not want to do a flower... too common.
I did not want to do a faux silk technique... never done one (I'll try that when I have more time for mistakes)

So, what to do?  Father's Day is approaching (in the card making world) so I decided I would make a masculine card with tissue.  I really wanted to use Men of Life.  I love the fonts and that cute little sailboat.  Wait a minute!  Tissue cut in scallops might look like whitewater caps on the water!  So, off I went.  Had to use the new Argyle set and wanted my colors to be black and pure poppy.  Love that combo and it is very masculine.

I am proud to say that this is all PTI, including the tissue (it was wrapped around the Argyle set).  Stamped the small argyle on white, stamped and cut the boat, die cut the small scallop on the tissue, well, I did round the upper corners with the Corner Chomper.  That isn't from PTI.  The tiny staples holding the black strip is from Tim Holtz, that isn't PTI either.  OK!  It is 99% PTI.  I'm happy.

Nice little closeup of the tissue ruffles.  I cut all 8 layers at once.  PTI dies?  Like Buttah!
Glad you came to visit... now get Hoppin'!

Fun times...

I love it when I have several days off.  I can be a total lazy bum for half the day and then make cards.  It is one of the benefits of having your children grown and out of the house but still working for a living so that you are justified in being lazy.  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Here is my total accomplishments for the day, today.  I'm happy!

That's all for today.  Tomorrow, I have plans to do the exact same thing... different cards, however.

Two for today!

Had some uninterrupted time in the Craft Cave today and decided to play with some ideas I have picked up from surfing the Blogs!

The first card was inspired by one from a magazine but I know I have seen one of my blog sisters doing this, too.  After stamping the tree and leaves from PTI's Through The Trees stamp set, I punched several small flowers from one of Fiskars new small punches.  After giving each petal a little bend for some 3D, I used small glue dots to stick them to the tree.  I think it makes for such a sweet Spring-y look. I am still in love with Terracotta Tile and love how it looks with Spring Moss and Lemon Tart.  Gotta love the scallop die, too.  I finally received my order for the small scallops and only have the medium left to get.  No, I am not a completest but I really love scallops.

My next card was a direct inspiration from Dawn McVey's Blog. Here
I impressed my cardstock with the Picnic Plaid plate and picked 3 fun Copics to create the stripes by following some of the angled lines.  Easy Peasy! Then using some Razz Fizz and Hibiscus Burst, created some die cut blooms from BBII die and stamped them in Pure Poppy and Fresh Snow.  The small center flower was stamped on white cardstock with the small outline flower in BBII and then punched with the Fiskars punch.  It isn't EXACTLY perfect but oh, so darn close!  Certainly good enough for my work!  I stamped a few on the sentiment and colored in with the 3 Copics and found the organdy ribbon in my stash.  This card is going to a friend that recently had some minor surgery and I will include it with some good smelly hand lotion from The Bathe Shoppe.  She and I both love anything "Good Smelly".


Hope you enjoyed these cards and I am learning to NOT be afraid to copy a technique that I admire.  I always worried that my inferior attempts would insult their genius rather than flatter them that I have tried.  I figure if they really are upset, they can rest happily in knowing that I attempted to honor them, not horrify them. ;-)

Becky's Challenge #7

Wow, did I struggle with the latest challenge on Becky's Blog Here !  I am not sure why?  Perhaps the sizes of paper threw me off... or the color combo... or incorporating black felt?  I have no answers but I did finally compose a card I am pleased with.  I decided to make my own background paper with the new distressed stripes stamp set (PTI, of course) and really wanted to emphasize the yellow from her inspiration picture as well as the small flowers in the tablecloth.  It still came out different than in my head but I like it.

Thanks for the challenge, Becky.  It was!

Mother's Day

My mother died when I was 25 and pregnant with my DD... over 30 years ago.  My father remarried when I was almost 40 and though I greatly appreciate that my father found a new love and happiness for his remaining years (he died several years ago), my step mother was never a large part of my life but she was a part, nonetheless and I have difficulty in doing a Mother's Day card for her.  I seem to tackle it with both optimism and dread.  I also tend to keep it very unsentimental.

I was thrilled when Delightful Dahlia had a Happy Mother's Day sentiment in a beautiful font, just perfect for my needs.  I love the dahlia in this set as well and with the new PP and color from PTI, came up with a card I am quite please with.  The cream base was embossed with the Tin Type plate and I've been dying to incorporate some netting behind a button (don't know why, I just like it!).  No ribbon (rare for me) but a nice stripe of glitter and a pair of rick rack stripes over the PP and scallop bottom.  Lots of layers but not too bulky though I will send it in a bubble mailer.  If I am on the ball (and usually I am not) it will even arrive on time!

Would love to hear what you think!