PTI Blog Hop

The challenge:  Use an un-inked stamp set or one that you haven't used in a long time.
Response:  Thank you for MAKING me finally make my Birthday Calendar with the Calendar Set.  I bought this as a project for myself to keep all the birthdays and anniversaries organized and loved that it allowed room for a card or two in each pocket.

I kept the inserts clean and simple.  I plan on using the inserts over and over each year and buying and decorating a new binder (since that is the most fun part!) as each year starts again.

Oh, how this set made this project a snap.  I used a different PTI color for each month by cutting a strip the length of the insert.  I used this strip to help place the month stamp above it (and under the center hole of the binder rings).  Gosh, it turned out cute and exactly like I planned.  Ummm, that doesn't happen too often....

So here it is:  Best Part?  Anything I find I don't like about the binder, I will change next year.  I might add some buttons this year, though... I love buttons....

Thanks for hopping,

Patty

Ode to the Joy... of cards being done.

Yep, done. Finished.  Completed.  Ended.... not mailed yet... darn!  I was on a roll there for a minute.

Here they are in all there glory.  I played with techniques, I played with color combos, I kept it traditional, I added bling.  You name it and I think I tried it.  Well, not all of the techniques.

I put a number by each.  If you have a favorite, please let me know which one.  Yes, I'm scrounging for comments and this is a cheap way of doing it.  I have no pride but.... I'm done with my cards!!!

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I am getting slowly caught up in my real life.  I hope to be chatting with everyone on the PTI forum very soon.  If I am absent from time to time, it isn't your fault.  I have a major project I am involved with at work at it sucks time out of my life like you wouldn't believe.

Do have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my Christian friends.  Hope Hanukkah rocked for all my Jewish friends and peace and good health be yours this coming year for all the atheists and undecideds.  Most of all, I wish everyone happiness and joy in your life.

Love ya all!

Banner time!

As much as I would love to spend all my money at Papertreyink.com, alas my funds are limited.  I just love the look of homemade banners and have seen so many excellent examples of different styles and I wanted very much to make one. I just couldn't justify the expense of the dies when I knew I could manage a similar shape with my Cricut and SCAL software.

Sure enough, SCAL 2 comes with a shape that works very well as a banner.  I made the first cut in Dark Chocolate and the slightly smaller one in Terracotta Tile.  I then made the cute little accents in 2 shades of Distressed Dots with a touch of Fine Linen border at the top of each one and Terracotta Tile for the ribbon with a Harvest Gold bow at each end to mimic the Dots papers.  Using the Cricut again for the letters and the leaf and star die this banner was pretty straight forward to assemble.  After finishing I realized that I didn't use any stamping in its creation.  I'll make a card later to make up for not getting inky.

Once completed, I was stumped for a bit on how to hang it.  I finally decided to use some small nails meant for hanging pictures.  I works fine but I hope to find a better solution.  If I make more (and I plan to), I don't want to be pounding new nail holes in my mantle each time I change the banner.  Anyone with a better solution, please let me know.

I have many of my Holiday cards completed and will start posting pic's.  I always make each one unique to prevent boredom and stretch my imagination.  I don't have so many to make that I get burned out making them and have really enjoyed using new and unexpected colors on a few.  Be sure to check back and see them.

Well, today is my Anniversary... 37 years!  We had planned on the midnight showing of the new Harry Potter but all 3 midnight shows are already sold out.  We purchased tickets for a late afternoon showing tomorrow and I was able to get them for the digital version.  So excited!

Hope you enjoy my banner and come back soon for Christmas and Hanukkah cards!

Blog Hop October 2010

Welcome to the October Blog Hop for Papertrey Ink!  I'm so excited to share my creations with you tonight.

We were challenged to create a card for a holiday other than our own.  I decided to share THREE!  Yes, I have been a craftin' fool.

First up is a first for me.  I have African American friends but have never sent a Kwanzaa card to any of them.  I know for a fact that one of the families does celebrate this holiday so shame, shame, what's my name...


Problem solved:

I just couldn't stick with a traditional red.  I had to use Raspberry Fizz with some Simply Chartreuse.  I couldn't remove the grey tone to the Kraft Cardstock mat and Fine Linen base.  Oh well, I'm still working on my picture skillz as well as my cardmaking skillz.

Next, for your viewing pleasure:

I have several atheist friends and they like a good holiday as much as anyone.  They usually either celebrate a secular Christmas (I'm not sure how that works???) or Winter Solstice.  They love to point out that their holiday is older than all the others.  That's true, can't argue it!

And for my final card, I want to wish all my bestest friends on the PTI forum and in my real life, the best Christmas yet.  May you all have peace, love and happiness for the upcoming year... and of course, I'll work Christmas Eve for you again!

May everyone find the happiness they search for, the love they desire and the peace we all want most of all.

Thank You Nichole Heady!

Nichole and company at Papertreyink.com have a hard job.  Yes, they run a successful business but you can not please all the customers all the time.  As the face of Papertrey, Nichole often bears the brunt of an unhappy customer and she does it with grace, style and manners.  While we, her fans and her company's fans appreciate all she has done and the outstanding customer service she provides, it has to be difficult when she gets verbally attacked. 

We (the forum fans) want to let you know, Nichole, how much we appreciate all the time, effort and heart you put into your company.  We CARE about you.  We revel in your creativity and stand in awe of your time management skills.  We don't know how you do it and are so very thankful that you do it anyway.

Here is a card I made for Nichole to thank her for providing me the exact stamps I want every month, the exact accessories I want every month and the inspiration to actually make something when I order it every month.  Thank you for all you do.

Patty (pattylt)

All product by PTI except Glimmer Mist spray by Tattered Angels.
Thank you to Maile Belles for the wonderful GlimmerMist technique.  I love it!

August Papertreyink Blog Hop

Welcome everyone!  I'm so glad you are visiting my blog.  Can I just say that a paperbag was an unusually hard challenge for me?  ME!  The one who loves to alter everything!  With Halloween just around the corner, I finally decided I had to turn my bag into a haunted house.  Well, haunted(ish).  Once I got going, it turned into what I wanted pretty easily.  Nothing complex here.  Embossed the bat and embossed the broom.  I've had this color of Zing embossing powder for ages (used on the broom).  It is called Leaf.  Hmmph, not any leaf color I've ever seen but it looks great against black.  Does anyone else have issues with Zing ep being kind of on the chunky side?  I love PTI soooo much better and maybe I'm spoiled?

So, do you see the new pattern paper?  See the stamp set "Been Boo'd?  See the stamp set Home Made?  See my great scissor work on the bat?  See how I curved the window and door stamps to look "spooky"?  I'd ask if you can see that bow but it is mondo sized so I know you aren't missing it.  I'd love to know what you think!

I've got new neighbors.

I was very sad to see our next door neighbors move away.  I'm happy they are building a new home in a great little town down the road a bit but sad they couldn't stay next door to me.  They briefly tried to sell their home but the price they could get right now is just too low for a family that was only in the home for 5 years.  Rather than barely breaking even, they decided to rent and hopefully wait out the market.  It can be scary picking renters but I think a surgeon, his stay at home wife and 3 darling girls from 3 to 7 is a pretty safe bet!

We met them yesterday.  They came over and introduced themselves!  That's supposed to be my job!  THEY're the newbies.  I guess it gave me extra incentive to write a thankyou (they brought cookies) and give them some treats, too.

Here it is.  It's filled with Thumbprint Cookies with different jams in the thumbprint and a matching card.  I gave it to the Surgeon... Wife was bathing the kiddos and I didn't want to intrude.  Just gave it to him and told him to enjoy.  They are sooooo nice and we are so very lucky.  I've had awful neighbors before.  It's enough to make you move and we did.  We've been very happy ever since... and we still are.

PTI template Home Made and matching stamp set... in spring rain and rustic cream.  Just lovely...

Hiatus is over...

Sorry I've been gone so long.  I did go through a brief no-mojo phase but I have created quite a few cards lately.  Yes, I have been extremely busy at work and I am still working overtime quite frequently but the fact is... I just didn't feel like blogging anything.  I guess you could say I lost my blog mojo.

I made a card I just had to post.  With not a button in sight it would be extremely easy to put through the mail and I played with some easy techniques that prove a little can go a long way.  I even fixed a smudge!  Originally, the sun was a single layer raised on pop dots.  Then I had to go and stick my inky dirty finger right in the middle of it. I tried adding more ink but since the smudge was almost black, it didn't hide a thing.  I decided to make a double sun instead to cover it up.  See how creative we can be when we don't want to ditch a great card and are too lazy to remake the thing!

I embossed the clouds and the balloons with white EP.  I colored with Copics on the balloons. I wasn't sure how the colors would perform since I stamped them on Orange Zest... I love how they came out.  I tied a sweet tiny bow on the largest balloon with PTI silk ribbon... I just love that stuff and need to order more.  The entire card is PTI except for the Copics and the Spellbinders dies for the sun.  I even threw in a little Dottie Biscotti strip at the bottom.  Sweeeeeet!  Hope you enjoy this card.  I am quite pleased with myself today.

Good night for now.  I may blog again tomorrow, I may disappear for another couple of months.  I don't plan on it but it may happen!