Thinking Inking

Teapot Card and a Special Request

Tonight I have a card to share, but even more importantly, I have a very special request. Have you seen the Christmas in July post on the Cosmo Cricket blog? Cosmo Cricket is giving $1 per comment posted, up to $1000, to a local food bank. I would love to see 1000 signatures on that post; how about yours? If you wait, you may be too late. I think Julie has already left that post up longer than she had intended!

For this card I chose PaperTrey Ink's Tea for Two set, one of my favorites from back in April, and some Cosmo Cricket Early Bird papers (Cherry Pie and Farmers Market). The teapot is paper-pieced using the little miniature version on the cover sheet of the Early Bird Collection; I love using the cover sheets for small things like this. Because I wanted to simple shadows to help with the illusion of dimensionality, I chose a Copic T1 marker to add shadows, softening the edges with a o clear blender marker.

The background behind the teapot is cut and embossed with a Spellbinders Labels 4 die template, and then airbrushed while still in the die with Copic BG13 and T1 markers. I cut the same shape for the sentiment on the inside of the card since I was making a z-fold card. Buttons are PaperTrey Ink Lemon Zest Vintage Buttons, and ribbon is 1-1/2" wide ivory silk from Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simply Store. Inside sentiments are stamped in PaperTrey's Aqua Mist and Pure Poppy Inks.

If you haven't signed that Cosmo Cricket Christmas in July post yet, would you consider doing so? Thanks so much for visiting!

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P.S.  Don't forget about the Spellbinders Blog Frenzy drawings; the next few reveals are on these blogs:

7/11  Karen Hunsaker

7/12  Kazan Clark

7/13  Linda Duke

Everyday Button Bits

Hold onto your hats, because this is a seriously fabulous stamp set that the PaperTrey Ink girls are using tonight! I have been playing with this set for the last two days and loving the possibilities. (I have five cards started with the same set--that's unheard of for me!)

I am sure that Nichole will explain the premise of the Button Bits set, but as a brief explanation, it has numerous images that are made to be completed with the addition of buttons. Coupled with clever sayings and that trendy print/cursive combination that I love (think Vintage Picnic Sentiments), this set is a winner!

I stamped my stems in New Leaf ink on Stampers Select White cardstock, and then die cut it with my Spellbinders Classic Square Nestability. I left the die in place after embossing and used a Copic BG13 and YG13 to airbrush the sky and grass. (Both are in the PaperTrey Copic line up.)  Buttons are Berry Sorbet and Sweet Blush Vintage Buttons. The background stamp is also part of a new set--enough said! ;-) 

Please be sure to visit all of the PaperTrey Ink designers; I just know that you will love this set as much as I do! Thank you for visiting.

Becky Oehlers

Betsy Veldman

Dawn McVey

Geny Cassady

Heather Nichols

Lauren Meader

Lisa Johnson

Nichole Heady

Melissa Phillips

Michelle Wooderson

Niki Estes

Let Freedom Ring!

Tonight I'll keep the babble short because I have a lot to do in the kitchen! I wanted to share a simple Independence Day card made with the PaperTrey Ink Let Freedom Ring stamp set, along with some Cosmo Cricket Early Bird papers (Farmer's Market), along with PaperTrey Vintage cream and Prism Nautical Dark Blue cardstock. Die cuts are with Spellbinders Classic Circle and Labels Four dies.  A bit of stitching and sanding, and that's it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Basket of Birthday Wishes

I love clear cards, but I forget to make them very often! Tonight I'm sharing a clear card using PaperTrey Ink's Vintage Picnic set and 2008 Bitty Box papers.

I stamped the picnic basket in Tuxedo Black Memento ink on PTI's Kraft cardstock and colored it with Copic T1, R22 and YG91 markers, then enhanced the stripes with Blossom and Mint Spica glitter pens.  I cut the colored basket out and set it aside.

Next I stamped the basket and tulips on Vintage Cream cardstock and colored the tulips and greenery with the Copic markers shown below (All PaperTrey Ink Copic colors). I die cut the tulip basket with a Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestability and lightly sponged the cardstock edges with distress ink. Using a Spellbinders Labels Four die, I cut and embossed a mat from PTI's Berry Sorbet cardstock. Button is a Berry Sorbet Vintage button, and ribbon is Spring Moss Satin.

For the card base, I chose PTI's clear cardstock and cut it 4-1/4" x 11". (Next time I would probably cut it 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" instead because I think I would prefer it standing that way.) The cardstock and papers inside the card are Berry Sorbet cardstock, and Spring Moss and Berry Sorbet 2008 Bitty Boxes papers. ent, from Vintage Picnic Sentiments, is stamped in Versamark and heat-embossed using the Filigree white embossing powder. I attached the cardstock inside to the clear base with a mini glue dot in each corner.

Thank you for visiting; have a lovely day.

Teacher Thank You

This past week my nine-year-old, along with six other local home-schoolers, had his first experience with standardized achievement tests.  I wanted to make a thank you card for the teacher who gave up three mornings to proctor his test.

Isn't this Cosmo Cricket Jack's World(Lessons and Animal Friends) paper fun? I love the chalkboard look combined with the sentiments and an apple from PaperTrey Ink's Teacher's Appleset!  Inks are PTI's New Leaf, Pure Poppy, and Dark Chocolate.  I used New Leaf Vintage Buttons, along with Rustic Cream Button Twine, also from PaperTrey Ink. Ribbon is Pure Poppy Grosgrain, and cardstock is Vintage Cream and Pure Poppy.

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The winner of my copy of Paper Crafts Card Creations 7 is number 103, Monique, whom I have e-mailed.

Today's Spellbinders Pendant Blog Frenzy is at Jennifer Davis's blog. Good luck!

Summer Flowers: PaperTrey Ink July Blog Hop

 

For tonight’s July PaperTrey Ink Blog Hop, the theme is anything summer, complete with inspiration photos. Here is Nichole’s challenge:

“Summer is FULL of so many wonderful colors, sights & sounds!  This month your challenge is to get inspired by the lazy days of summer and reflect our inspiration in a project of your choice!  Whether it be the colors in your favorite summer treats, the pattern on your bathing suit & beach towel or even the texture of the sand between your toes, use any or all of these things as a springboard for your design.  Please be sure to share an image found online, in a magazine or a photo you have taken yourself that communicates your point of inspiration within the body of your blog post!  With everyone's amazing contributions, this ought to be one of the most colorful Blog Hops yet!”

I found some flower pictures that I had taken a couple of years ago in Door County, Wisconsin, that just shouted summer to me, so I’m drawing inspiration from those tonight.  Even though the flower from the Friends ‘Til the End set isn’t a Black Eyed Susan, I colored it that way using the Copic colors shown below ( all PaperTrey Ink colors: Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado, Smokey Shadow).

Patterned papers and cardstock are all PaperTrey Ink—Dark Chocolate and Vintage Cream cardstock, and Friends ‘Til the End, 2008 Bitty Boxes, and Green Tea Leaves Collection.

Thanks for joining me for the June PaperTrey Ink blog hop! 

Thinking of You

Summer has finally turned hot in the U.P. of Michigan! Today I have a cheery summer card for you. This one is similar to one I had made for the May PaperTrey Ink Release, but using a different set of the birdhouses from the Bird Watching set and a bit of change in colors as well. I adore the bright creations of Betsy Veldman, and for this card I was “thinking Betsy.”

I stamped the tall birdhouse trio on Stamper’s Select White cardstock in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and colored  the image with the Copic Markers shown below, all available here at PaperTrey Ink.

The background cardstock colors are Raspberry Fizz, Summer Sunrise, New Leaf, and Basic Black. Ribbon is PTI Summer Sunrise Grosgrain, and buttons are also PTI’s vintage buttons coordinating with the cardstock colors above. Stamps used for the background are Polka Dot Basics and Background Basics: Text Style. Punches are Fiskars Threading Water punch and Stampin’ Up’s Notebook Edge punch. I chose Raspberry Fizz and New Leaf inks to stamp the sentiment from Vintage Picnic Sentiments—one of my favorite sentiment sets these days.

Have a lovely day!

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Don’t forget about the Spellbinders Blog Frenzy beginning today at Becca Feeken’s Amazing Paper Grace blog. Good luck on the prize drawing!

We Salute You: Vintage Picnic

I am loving my new PaperTrey Ink Vintage Picnic and Vintage Picnic Sentiments sets! In this card I combined both picnic sets with Background Basics: Text Style and Let Freedom Ring. I stamped the image on cream cardstock with Memento Black ink and colored it with the Copic markers pictured below, all available here except for the blues (PTI's Lemon Tart, Dark Chocolate, Smokey Shadow, and Pure Poppy marker trios. Blues are B45 and B37.)

 

Cardstock is PTI's Kraft , Scarlet Jewel, and Vintage Cream, combined with some Bazzill navy blue (I'm not sure of its official name; it's from my stash.) Ribbon is PaperTrey's new Scarlet Jewel--a beautiful red for vintage applications.  I used three Spica glitter pens: buttermilk on the stars, and Baby Blue and Clear on the Basket Stripes. I love the versatility in the Vintage Baskets set!  I'm working on another basket now and will share it in the next few days.

Have a wonderful day!

Happy Bird-day!

I enjoyed Taylor's (of Taylored Expressions) TECC72 sketch so much Friday that I thought I would use it again. The half circle in the sketch reminded me of a sunset. One thought led to another until I arrived at these birds from PaperTrey Ink's Bird Watching Additions set; this is my interpretation of two bird buddies sitting on a fence gabbing the evening away.

For papers, I chose some Crate papers from the Lillian Collection (Blissful, Home, and Gathering). Buttons are Berry Sorbet Vintage buttons from PaperTrey Ink, and ribbon is Ocean Tides Satin, also PTI. Sentiment is stamped in Berry Sorbet ink and cut and embossed with a Spellbinders Ribbon Tag die.  A bit of sanding and sewing finished it up.

 Thank you for visiting!

PaperTrey Ink June Release

It’s that time again—PaperTrey Ink Release time, that is! I have a few cards to share with you beginning with a Cupcake Collection card. Once I started playing with this set, I loved it. I used some PTI patterned papers, 2008 Bitty Box Basics and 2008 Bitty Star Basics for the yellow layers, and 2008 Bitty Dot Basics for the pink layer.  I used a Spellbinders Circle die and Labels Three die to mat my focal image, and PTI Sweet Blush Vintage Buttons to adorn the scallops. Ink for the cupcake was Pixie Dust and Pink Grapefruit Versamagic for the frosting, and Thatched Straw and Mango Madness for the cupcake paper. Both the sentiment and the sprinkles are stamped in PTI’s Hibiscus Burst ink.

Next, I would like to share my Fruitful and Fruitful Sentiments project—yes, that’s homemade strawberry jam! Benjamin was so excited that a blog project involved strawberries and sugar. I’d love to say that it’s some secret family recipe, but it’s not: it’s the one from the Sure-Jell box, and it turns out perfect if you follow the directions. The papers are PTI’s new 2008 Bitty Box Basics  and the 2008 Bitty Dot Basics. I stamped the images in Versamagic Red Magic, Pink Grapefruit, Key Lime, and Tea Leaves inks. If you’re wondering why I would use the Versamagic inks instead of my PaperTrey inks, it’s that I was blending ink right on the surface of the stamp, and I tend to have better luck blending with those tiny chalk pads than I do with my Palette  inks. For solid stamping, I would use the PTI Palette inks with no problem. Again, I used Spellbinders Circle dies and Label Three dies to mat my strawberry labels, as well as the Borders and Corners Circle set on the card and jar tops. I have several more views posted in my PTI June gallery, if you would like to see them.

Finally, I have a wedding card made with Lisa’s Heavenly Medley stamp set. Being shimmery white on white, it was a little tough to photograph, but I was please with how it turned out. I stamped the sentiment and flanking leaves in PTI’s Smokey Shadow ink, and the swirls from Fancy Flourishes in Versamagic, with detail white embossing. Rhinestones are Hero Arts Gemstones, and Silver Sheer Metallic ribbon is PaperTrey Ink.  I used a Spellbinders Labels 4 die and long oval die to mat my layers.

What was your favorite set this release? Besides these, there was the Vintage Picnic set and its accompanying Sentiments, as well as the Trademarks set. I’m still debating. . .  One set that I can see myself using often is the Vintage Picnic Sentiments set. It’s versatile and fresh—I love it!

Thank you for visiting.