Thinking Inking

Fun at Summer CHA

Florida is hot--who knew?  I took pictures Thursday, but didn't have an internet connection Thursday night. Tonight I have one, so here are a few of interesting things that I saw.

I liked the I-Top by Imaginisce, a covered bradmaker. It reminds me of covering buttons, except that you end up with a brad fastener rather than a button in the end. It makes brads in thee sizes. In my opinion, it worked best for thinner papers or cloth.  I'll be sure to share more if--okay, when I get one. ;-D

That's my friend Becca Feeken making a covered brad!

There was another cool tool at the Quikutz booth for printing Letterpress, and I'm sorry that I don't have a picture of that one--still wanted to mention it though. With Letterpress you have debossed (as opposed to embossed) image; sometimes elegant invitations are done this way.  Basically it was a gridded acrylic hinged sandwich on which you attached your image (looks something like an acrylic stamp, but deeper and much harder). You could either simply deboss without using ink, or use the oil-based ink, applied with a brayer, before folding the image over onto a softer cardstock or paper and running it through a die-cutting machine. They said that it was compatible with any of the major die-cutting machines, and I was pretty sure that it would work with either a Wizard or a Big Shot. I asked it you could order custom images/type and was told that they were working on it. Sometimes that means soon, and sometimes it means that never--who knows? Still, I was intrigued by it. Enough tool talk; how about some pictures? These are in no particular order---just random sights.

Crafty Secrets had some darling vintage postcards; I *think* they said that Pam Hooten made this sample.  (My apologies if I'm wrong!)

Core-Dinations had an interesting line called Chocolate Box that has a chocolate exterior and sands down to colors. Honestly, I've never tried Core-Dinations, but I thought that this line looked fun, and I might have to see if I can get a couple of sheets to play with.

I have no idea who made the project above, but I thought that it fabulously showcased the brown combinations of the Chocolate Box line--isn't that a beautiful piece?

At Bo Bunny's booth, I saw this Christmas Card organizer kit that I thought was such a fun concept. You could tuck cards into envelope-like openings--fun!

Tattered Angels had some lovely new screens, chips, etc. It's been interesting to see their product line grow over the past couple of years.

And here's one of many samples that I saw at CHA by the sweet and uber-talented Melissa Phillips. Could she ever make anything that wasn't supremely lovely? (Rhetorical only--the answer is obvious!)

I always love visiting the Melissa Frances booth--more vintage beauty.

Hero Arts has great samples every year, and this year they introduced a cling foam rubber stamp with the image printed on the back--helps with placement. I need to browse their catalog when I get home. . .

Wendy Vecchi 's Studio 490 line of stamps, put out by Stamper's Anonymous (thanks, Cassi, for the correction!) was another standout for me. I don't often work in these deep tones, but I always love them when I see them. Kudos to Wendy!

Last thing for tonight (because we've got a LONG but FUN PaperTrey Day tomorrow at the CHA Supershow)! I know that I've already shared the new Cosmo Cricket lines, always favorites of mine; but I just had to share one more sample with you that I saw in the Cosmo Cricket booth--Eric in the doghouse. :-D I love Julie and Eric's sense of humor!

I'll be posting pictures of a few Christmas lines on Ellen's CLASSroom blog in the next day or so. I hope to meet several of you at PaperTrey Ink's Supershow booth tomorrow--2211!  Thanks for your patience this week, and thanks for visiting.

Damask Anniversary Card

We just got back from a week away at a sweet wedding and family reunion. While love is on my mind, I thought I would share an anniversary card with you.

I started with Dawn McVey's PaperTrey Ink Damask Designs set and some Vintage Cream and Sweet Blush cardstock, as well as Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, and Chamomile ink. In fact, that's pretty much it, besides the new Spellbinders Fancy Tag die--isn't that a beauty? (a 2009 CHA Release) I love how it swirls around ribbon! I added a few little self adhesive pearls to adorn the ribbon and die cut.

I'm leaving for CHA in Orlando on Tuesday and will try to post from there, if possible. I'll be wandering the regular portion of the show and working at the PaperTrey Ink Booth (2211) for the Craft Supershow, the consumer portion of the show. I hope to see some of you there!

Fair Winds and Following Seas

I have another PaperTrey Ink Out to Sea card to share tonight, a congratulations card, or appropriate for any new venture.  I paired Out to Sea with the Men of Life papers for a crisp nautical look.

Cardstock is Stamper's Select White, Pure Poppy, and Spring Rain. The sentiment is stamped in Pure Poppy ink on a Spellbinders Double-Ended Tag die-cut. Focal image is stamped in Dark Chocolate ink, cut with a Spellbinders Classic Square Die, and airbrushed with a Copic B45 marker (from the Spring Rain Trio) and the Copic  Airbrush System.

One more guy card for the stash! Thank you for visiting.

I Chair-ish Your Friendship

I am lovingLisa's PaperTrey Ink On My Couch and On My Couch Additions sets, as you can see! I used the cover sheet from a package of Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird Collection to get the tiny patterns that I paper-pieced the chairs with, but I am looking forward to Early Bird being available in a 6" x 6" pad very soon.

The chairs were stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and shaded with a Copic T1 gray (one of the grays in PaperTrey Ink's Smokey Shadow Copic Collection). I stamped the rug in Aqua Mist ink and used a Copic YR15 and a Copic Airbrush Systemto airbrush a warm yellow glow behind the chairs. I drew in shadows with the Copic T1 marker below the chairs, even though they are mounted on foam tape.

 

The little border below the chairs was punched with a Fiskars Apron Lace punch and sewed on. Cardstock is PTI's Vintage Cream and Pure Poppy, and the sentiment is stamped in Pure Poppy ink.  

 

I hope you are having a great week; thank you for stopping by!

Pansies Cameo: CPS 125

This week's CPS 125 sponsor is JustRite Stampers. I chose the new Oval 1-3/4" x 2-5/16" Wood Stamper. It came with a bonus font and a center as well, and the center is what I have used here, along with a new Spellbinders S4-234 Ribbon Tag Trio 2 die and Classic Oval die, and a Fancy Scalloped Pierceability for the scalloped border.

To show you how the dies worked together, here is a picture; you will see that the classic oval die I used is a little larger than the center of the new label die. That means that I lost some of the embossed dots, but it still made a pretty frame.

I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored it with the Copic markers shown above. I also used three of the new colors of Spica Glitter pens, Buttermilk, Mint, and Lilac. Paper is Basic Grey Wisteria.

This was a fun CPS sketch. Would you like to play along with us? We would love to have you! Thanks for visiting.

Jolly by Golly Snowflake Card

I told you that I was loving the soft Christmas colors! Here's one more Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly piece, and it was quite simple to make.  I used a big Sizzix snowflake die to cut both chipboard and a layer of Jolly by Golly paper. After adhering the paper to the chipboard, I pressed my snowflake into a glue pad and covered it with Palette Prisma Glitter.

The tag is stamped with PaperTrey Ink's Mega Mixed Messages and cut and embossed with a Spellbinders Tags Trio die. Ribbon is Sharon Johnson's 1-1/2" ivory silk, and safety pin is a Tim Holtz mini pin.  Buttons are both PaperTrey Ink Vintage Buttons, Sweet Blush and Aqua Mist.

Thank you for visiting!

P.S. Don't forget about the Spellbinders Blog Frenzy--it's nearing the end but will no doubt wrap up strong with:

7/19  Lesa Rapp

7/20  Becca Feeken

7/21  Jennifer Davis

7/22  Keri Lee Sereika

More New Cosmo Cricket!

I have a post up on the Classroom blog  today using some more of the new Cosmo Cricket  Jolly by Golly line. I love these colors!

Also, how about a couple of pieces from the third brand new for CHA line--the Boyfriend. This is a greatline for some of you who need to scrap boy or teen pictures, but as a card maker, I enjoyed it too.

 

If you've ever had "test anxiety," I bet you can relate to this one!  The focal image caught my eye from a 12" x 12" sheet--I could almost hear the emergency tones playing in the background with the "This is a test. This is only a test of the emergency broadcast system. . ." I paired it with the number 2 pencils and the classic multiple choice form on the bottom. (Scantron forms. Does that bring back memories nightmares for anybody?)  I thought that this card would work well for anybody facing a big make-or-break test like final exams.

Here's another card from The Boyfriend--my "Happy Place" card. 

I have another Jolly by Golly card to share tomorrow, but that's it for tonight; I need to get off the computer and go play games with my family! I hope you have a great weekend.

You're So Sweet and Cosmo Cricket New Release Peeks!

Edited to add: a couple of samples from two of the the newest Cosmo Cricket lines  are toward the end of this post. Thanks!

Also, I was not aware that Everyday Button Bits is currently out of stock. I won't post any more of the EBB cards until I hear that it's back in stock, okay?

Yes, I love Everyday Button Bits. . .  Cherry papers are certainly popular right now; I have this pattern from Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird line, as well as another that I'll share on a different day. 

Simplicity reigns today. I stamped the leaves and stems in Versamagic Tea Leaves and Spanish Olive inks, and my sentiment in Spanish Olive and PaperTrey's Pure Poppy.  I used a Spellbinders Classic Circle and Pinked Circle to cut and emboss my image and its mat. Ribbon is PTI's Pure Poppy Grosgrain. (The red is actually deeper than it appears onscreen; I'm having some red and pink issues in photo editing.)

Cardstock is PTI's Vintage Cream and Pure poppy, and buttons are from my stash. Thanks all, folks--hope you're having a great week!

 

P.S. I just got the go-ahead to share samples from some of the three NEW Cosmo Cricket lines here! I don't think I'll explain them, but, honestly, most of you just want to see the pictures anyway. ;-D

 

 

Here is a card from Earth Love--sweet earth-tones, perfect for fall, warm and rich! (And my PaperTrey Vintage Buttons coordinate too--whew! That's Melon Berry ribbon, by the way.)

 

 

This card is from the Christmas line, Jolly by Golly---clearer colors, some bright, some soft, and all a lovely blend! I'm saving my favorite Jolly by Golly card for another post. :-)

 

Be sure to see the Cosmo Cricket Blog for information on the new lines. My laptop battery is dying, so I think we're finished here. Goodnight!

Lending a Hand: CPS 124

"Cute" is not my natural genre, but this stamp is so seriously over-the-top-cute that I had to make an exception for it! The CPS124 Sketch has no sponsor this week, so my image of choice is a Cornish Heritage Farms Friendly Kritter image, Lending a Hand. While I was working on the cute factor, I thought I would switch media today too and play with watercolor crayons. 

I used Stazon Black ink since I was watercoloring and didn't want to Wait for Black Brilliance to dry on my watercolor paper. Background papers are from the Cosmo Cricket Early Bird line, specifically Brunch. Ribbon is PaperTrey Ink Aqua Mist Stitched Grosgrain, and I wish I knew where that little clothespin came from!  It's the last one in my stash for a box that a friend blessed me with a few years ago. I've found some in a superstore, but they were larger--nowhere near as cute as these!

I appreciate your visit. My posting may be a bit sporadic in the next week because we have several family things happening. Have a great weekend!

Peace and Comfort: JustRite July Blog Hop

Welcome to a stop on the July JustRite Stampers Blog Hop!  I chose the Thinking of You Borders and Centers Oval set, one of the beautiful new releases that I am sure I will use often.

I stamped my focal image twice on Vintage Ivory cardstock using Versamagic Oasis Green ink, using my Spellbinders Classic Oval dies to cut and emboss both the inner and outer rings. Next I used two different sizes of the Spellbinders Labels 8 die to mat my oval focal image with both Something True paper and PTI's Ocean Tides cardstock. 

Background paper is also Cosmo Cricket Everafter (Something True). Ribbon is 1-1/2" silk ribbon from Sharon Johnson's ribbon store, tied with one of her Bow Easy tools. (Yes, that is why both tails are in the back. ;-D) I used a couple of pearls at ribbon height to add a touch of elegance. 

Please be sure to visit the other stops along the way; some of the girls have used sets that I haven't even opened yet, so I'm excited to see them. Thank you for visiting, and have a wonderful day.

Just Rite Blog

Barb Schram
Becca Feeken
Heidi Blankenship
Kathy Jones
Kellie Fortin
Lauren Meader
Lisa Somerville
Michele Kovack
Michelle Wooderson
Sharon Harnist
Sharon Johnson
Taylor Van Bruggen

P.S. I almost forgot to mention that the August JustRite Blog Hop is all about Christmas--time to be thinking about those cards!

thank you. . . for always being by my side

I'm up to my elbows in new papers tonight, so I'll keep it quick! I have another On My Couch and On My Couch Additions piece from PaperTrey Ink's July release. Papers are from a DCWV LaCreme mat stack, chosen because that flocked paper and the smaller-patterned stitched paper from which I cut the chair both reminded me of old fashioned textiles.  The little mug is also paper-pieced, but the side table is stamped in PTI's True Black, while the rug is stamped in Smokey Shadow. I used a Copic T1 marker (Smokey Shadow Collection) to add a bit of shadow at appropriate places in the paper-pieced chair to give it some dimension.

The background for the chair is cut with one of the new CHA release Spellbinders dies, Labels 8. I taped my die in placed and used a Copic black multiliner to trace the inside line of the die before cutting and embossing the shape.  Twill is PTI, and buttons are PTI Vintage Black buttons. 

By the way, don't forget about the continuing Spellbinders Blog Frenzy and chances to win dies each step along the way! I'm listing Heidi from yesterday's reveal as well as the rest of the lineup, because I'm pretty sure you still have a little time to enter at Heidi's blog if you hurry. Thanks for visiting!

7/14  Heidi Blankenship

7/15  Kimberly Crawford

7/16  Julie Overby

7/17  Sherry Cheever

7/18  Debbie Seyer

7/19  Lesa Rapp

7/20  Becca Feeken

7/21  Jennifer Davis

7/22  Keri Lee Sereika

July PaperTrey Ink Release

It's my biggest blog day of the month again--PaperTrey Ink release day!  You've already seen Everyday Button Bits, a set that's won a place on my desk. But there's quite a bit to see yet. First up is a card using Lisa Johnson's On My Couch  and On My Couch Additions sets--yes, I am in stamp love again! (I have three more cards made with these set, but I'll post them another time.)

On My Couch is perfect for solid stamping, outline stamping and coloring, and paper piecing. Here I've paper pieced using PaperTrey Ink's 2008 Bitty Box Basics and Butty Dot Basics. I added some PTI Kraft and Plum Pudding cardstock, as well as Plum Pudding twill, stamped with Fresh Snow ink. The button is a New Leaf Vintage button.

In Bloom--floral and coloring--what's not to love? I used some Hibiscus Burst, Smokey Shadow, and Stampers Select White cardstock, along with Hibiscus Burst, Smokey Shadow, and Memento Tuxedo Black ink to stamp the flowers, and colored them with the Copic markers pictured below (All PaperTrey Ink Copic Coordinates). You can leave the flowers as single layers, or you can stack them beautifully--I'm working on one of those now!

Dawn McVey's Mod Squad is fresh, funky, and totallyDawn! Here I paired it with Aqua Mist, Raspberry Fizz, Hibiscus Burst, Lemon Tart and Stampers Select White cardstock. I stamped the flower stems in New Leaf ink and cut out the image with my Spellbinders Classic Square die, using it as a mask to airbrush with my Copic YG13 and BG13 markers. After cutting the blossoms out, I pressed them into a glue pad and then into glitter--I love glitz!

Finally Out to Sea--what a neat masculine set. I did a little bit of creative paper scoring here after stamping the background with various Out to Sea images.  The anchor is stamped in Evening Enchantment--such a lovely blue! I used a Copic T1 to add some shadow at the bottom of the anchor to "ground" it. That little star accent is a Scarlet Jewel Vintage button with a 1/2" piece of stamped cardstock mounted in the center.

Well, that's it for tonight, but I'll have a lot more PaperTrey over the next week and a half. If you want to see close-ups or need exact recipes for anything, they are all posted here in my July PaperTrey Gallery. Thanks so much for visiting!