Thinking Inking

Spring Hills Thank You

Welcome! I had a chance to play a little more with some of the March Papertrey Ink release sets and wanted to share a thank you card with you today. Today's card uses an image from the Spring Hills stamp set as the focal image, and a Background Basics: Wrought Iron image as the background. The sentiment is from PTI's Bountiful Banners stamp set. Cardstock colors are Hawaiian Shores and Stampers Select White, and ink colors are Memento Tuxedo Black, Hawaiian Shores, and New Leaf.

These are the Copic markers that I used to color the image. 

I used a glue pen on the sheep so that I could adhere Prisma glitter to them--it's pretty subtle, so I'm not sure that you can see it in the picture. Ribbon is plain white twill tape that I've had on hand for a long time, and button is a PTI Hawaiian Shores Vintage button. I used a Spellbinders 5" x 7" Matting Basics B to cut and emboss the focal image; I thought its shape framed the focal image and sentiment perfectly, but kept the look clean and simple. That's it for today's card--now if I can just get it in the mail! Thank you for visiting.

Papertrey Ink March 2013 Release in Review

Welcome! I haven't been AWOL on blogging for no reason; I've been playing with some new Papertrey Ink March release sets for the past few days. Today I have several cards to share with you from PTI's March 2013 release,  which will be available tonight at 10pm, EST, at Papertrey Ink. 

I included a complete supply list for each card below. The first two are florals, but just keep scrolling if florals are not your cup of tea. ;-)

Birthday Posies

Stamps: Boutique Borders: Birthday; Rosie Posie; Rosie Posie Step 2; and Background Basics: Twinkle
Cardstock: Melon Berry Raspberry Fizz, Vintage Cream
Ink: Limeade Ice, Simply Chartreuse, and Chamomile Distress Ink Cube (PTI); Rouge and Tangerine Colorbox Chalk Ink (because I was stamping on a colored card stock, and chalk inks cover a bit more on colored card stock)
Tools: Boutique Borders: Birthday die, Rosie Posie dies (all PTI); sewing machine
Accessories: Raspberry Fizz Grosgrain, Melon Berry Vintage Button

Birthday Wish Bouquet

Stamps: Wonderful Words: Birthday, Rosie Posie, Rosie Posie Step Two
Cardstock: Hibiscus Burts, Simply Charteuse, Vintage Cream
Ink: Simply Chartreuse, Limeade ice, Chamomile Distress Ink (all PTI); Rouge and Lipstick Colorbox Chalk Ink
Patterned Paper: Sidewalks 8 x 8" pad by October Afternoon
Tools: Tag Sale #3 die, Rosie Posie dies, Perfect Layers ruler (to get the Hibiscus Burst mat on the Tag Sale #3 die cut), sanding block, sewing machine
Accessories: Cream Vintage Button, seam binding dyed with Copic re-inkers, Prisma Glitter, glue pen, foam tape

Hello, Foxy!

Stamps: Hello Foxy
Cardstock: Terracotta Tile, Vintage Cream
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, PTI Chamomile Distress Cube, PTI Orange Zest
Patterned Paper: Simple Stories Fabulous 6 x 6" pad
Tools: Spiral Notebook Page die, Tiny Tags die, Hello Foxy die, Copic Markers, Copic Airbrush System, glue pan, foam tape, sewing machine
Accessories: Prisma Glitter, Rustic Twine

These are the Copic markers that I used on the Hello Foxy image; I also used some colorless blender on a scrap of terrycloth towel to create the fox's texture.

Find Beauty

Stamps: Spring Hills
Cardstock: Stampers Select White, Hawaiian Shores, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Patterned Paper: True Friends 6 x 6" pad by Carta Bella
Tools: sewing machine, sanding block, Liquid Appliqué, foam tape, Copic Markers, Copic Airbrush System
Accessories: Rustic Twine, Aqua Mist Vintage Button

Balloon Wishes

 Stamps: Birthday Style, Background Basics: Birthday Fun
Cardstock: Stampers Select White, Hawaiian Shore
Ink: Hawaiian Shore, Blueberry Sky, Spring Rain, True Black
Tools: Birthday Style dies, foam tape
Accessories: White cotton string

If you would like to see some gorgeous projects with the Papertrey Ink March 2013 release sets, be sure to browse the following blogs! As a reminder, since the sets used in this post are from the March release, they will be available tonight at 10pm, EST, at Papertrey Ink.

Nichole Heady

Ashley Cannon Newell

Betsy Veldman

Cristina Kowalczyk

Danielle Flanders

Dawn McVey

Debbie Olson (here)

Erin Lincoln

Heather Nichols

Jessica Witty

Maile Belles

Melissa Phillips

Birthday Wishes

Welcome! Today I have another floral birthday card to share. For the focal image I used JustRite's new Grateful Hearts Vintage Labels Two, along with its coordinating Vintage Labels Two die. For the background I used the Grand Damask Background Stamp, stamped in Rouge Chalkbox Chalk ink on PTI's Melon Berry cardstock. 

These are the Copic markers that I used to color the image. (Click on picture to see a larger version.)

In addition to the Vintage Labels Two die, I used three more Spellbinders™ die sets as well: Labels Four, Gold Labels Four, and Charmed I'm Sure for the little tag sentiment.I dyed some oatmeal colored seam binding with my Copic R22, R24, and 0 Various Inks (reinkers), then scrunched it while it was still wet. That's about it for today--thanks for visiting!

A Posy for You

Welcome! Today I have a layered floral card to share. I was still away from home when the March JustRite release came out, but since I've been home, I've had a chance to play for a little bit--a very little bit--as in, I just finished unpacking luggage today! I think we brought too much *stuff* back. The oddest was definitely the case of Cajun boiled peanuts that my son loves, and that aren't available in the U.P. of Michigan for some reason. ;-) I bet that made a TSA agent scratch his head!

Today's card is made with a couple of JustRite sets, including the new Floral Vintage Labels Two, as well as an older release, Embroidered Background Stamp. I stamped the large flower twice in Memento Desert Sand ink because I wanted a lineless look when I finished coloring the image. Stamping it twice was so that I could have two layers on the flower, though with some judicious craft knife cutting and edge-curling, it looks like more than two layers.

These are the Copic Sketch markers that I used for greenery, though I came back later and added a bit of BV00 to the shadow areas to cool them off. That G20 was for warming up/yellowing some leaf tips.

These were the rest of the Copic markers that I used, as well as both layers of the flower, still flat.

And this is what the flower looked like after some craft knife cutting and edge-curling. It will still compact back down enough to mail, but it would need to be fussed with after it is received to look this full again. How about that card base die cut--isn't that a pretty shape? It's cut with a Spellbinders™ Enchanted Labels Twenty-Eight die template, stamped, then folded in half so that the folded size is about 3-1/4" x 4-5/8". I mounted the flower on a Standard Circles Large die cut, and then a Decorative Labels Twenty-Two die cut under that. The little tag is cut with Back to Basics Tags. My pink tulle is 4: wide, folded in half. Okay, I guess that's it for today. I hope you have a great weekend, and thanks for visiting!

Love You, Little Monster!

Welcome! Today I have a boy-card to share with you. This cute little focal image and its sentiment is from a Paper Smooches stamp set called Falling for You. 

I used a really limited palette of Copic Markers here. The B01 was for airbrushing the background, in conjunction with a Spellbinders Standard Circles Large die template that I used as a mask. I also masked the monster with some Judikins Eclipse paper.

Other tools that I used included a Spellbinders Pinking Circles Large, Grand Circles, Charmed I'm Sure, and Graduated Dots M-Bossabilities™. I rubbed a Versamagic Tea Leaves ink pad across the graduated dots to deepen the pattern. I used some twine to tie the sentiment on and mounted pieces with foam tape. That's it for my boy monster card! Thanks for visiting. :-}

YeeHaw Cowboy Birthday

Welcome--or should I say "howdy" today instead? The stamped focal image on today's card is Cowboy at Heart from MFT Stamps, and he's a fresh-faced cutie! 

These are the Copic markers that I used to color the image--yes, that many. . . I was trying to coordinate his pants with the polka dot patterned paper, and while my BG teens were too intense, my BG 70's were too blue and muted. I ended up base coating with the BG teens, and then adding warm gray to mute them, as well as B20's in the shadow areas. (I'm still away from home and have a limited number of markers with me.) I used a bit of colorless blender on the knees of his pants to fade them.

Papers are from Cosmo Cricket's Wanted Mini Deck. (It's an older one, release din 2010, I think, but when I Googled, it was still available in some places.) I used several Spellbinders die templates on this card, including Charmed I'm Sure for the sentiment tag, A-2 Bracket Borders One for that decorative insert piece (love its stitched look!), and 5" x 7" Matting Basics B for the focal image. A bit of sanding, distress-inking, and stitching, and that was it--one birthday boy card finished! That's it for today--thanks for visiting. :-}

A Beautiful Birthday

Welcome! Today I have a birthday card to share using JustRite's Enjoy the Day Vintage Labels Four and its coordinating Vintage Labels Four dies for the sentiment and stamped frame, along with French Roses Background stamped in a pale pink ink inside the sentiment oval. I used a Copic R83 to color parts of the pink frames.

For the cream die cut background, I used a Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles die template set--isn't that a pretty set? I mounted the die-cut front onto a card base that was about 1/16" smaller all around than my die cut front. Pink self adhesive rhinestones are from Zva Creative, and seam binding is Hug Snug brand. Okay, that's it for today--have a great day!

Poppies

Welcome! My son and I are enjoying the relative warmth of South Carolina while it snows at home in Upper Michigan. I finished a few projects before I left so that I'd be able to post from here. Today's card is made with a couple of JustRite stamp sets, Poppies Labels Twenty Nine, and French Roses Background Stamp. I stamped the poppies image in Memento Tuxedo black ink on some Flourishes cream cardstock and colored them with the Copic markers shown below. The rose background is stamped in PTI's Scarlet Jewel ink on Pure Poppy cardstock. 

These are the Copic markers that I used to color the poppies image. I took a couple of pictures as I went below, in case that helps.

For the greenery I used YG61, YG63, and YG67.

In addition to the R22, R24, and R29 that I used on the poppy blossoms, I later used a W4 and a W7 in the poppy centers to deepen them, and a B000 and colorless blender to add some sky tint after I took the picture above. You can see it in the picture below.

I used several Spellbinders die templates, including Grand Ovals, Grand Decorative Ovals One, and a small tag from Charmed I'm Sure. Card size is 4-1/4" x 5-1/2", fitting a normal A-2 envelope. That's it for today--have a fabulous weekend, and thanks for visiting!

Pinwheel Bear

Welcome! My son and I are headed down to South Carolina today for a visit with my parents, so I'm airport-blogging again. I had colored this Fred Bear image from MFT Stamps while I was at CHA, and I finally got it put together into a card late last night, only to find out that it is a retired image. . . Sorry about that! He's still cute, so I'm posting him anyway. :-} I don't have access to my marker colors right now, but the browns are probably mostly Copic E30's plus E49, and the pinwheel colors were just random colors that I thought would work with the flowers in the brown patterned paper, which is  a Fabulous 6' x 6" pad from Simple Stories. (Yes, the name of the pad is "Fabulous.") I've been on a pink and orange kick lately, and this was a vintage look to pink and orange instead of a modern look--fun!

I used several Spellbinders die templates, including A-2 Curved Matting Basics B, Address Book, and Classic Edges One Edgeabilities. I added some Ranger Glossy accents to the pinwheel and to the bear's nose to make them shine. That felt grass was cut by hand since I needed some place for the bear to stand. (Okay, I drew in grass first, but it looked dorky; so I trimmed him closely and added the felt grass instead. :-}) Well, it's almost time for the next leg of our flight, so I'll call this a wrap. Thanks for visiting today!

Circle of Love Birthday Wishes

Welcome! I was a busy bee today--finished four projects. :-) A couple of them need to wait until February 15, but I have a couple that can be shared before then, including this floral birthday card made with one of JustRite's CHA releases, Circle of Love Vintage Labels Three. For the background I used the Floral Flourishes Background Stamp, stamped on Kraft cardstock with Colorbox Rouge Chalk ink.

These are the Copic markers that I used to color the flower image. (Click to see them larger.) The BV23 was used for shadows.

I used several dies on this card: first, JustRite's Vintage Labels Three for the frame piece around the floral image, and Spellbinders Standard Circles Large for the inside cut on the frame. I used a Classic Squares Small die template to cut the Hibiscus Burst cardstock for the mat around the focal image, and Charmed I'm Sure for the "Birthday Wishes" tag.  A little distress ink here and there, a doily, and some quick stitching, and it was finished--one more birthday card for the stash! That's it for today. Thanks for visiting!