Does My Blog Still Hop if I'm a Day Late?

Well, here I am just having missed Papertrey's April Blog Hop. My very dear friend Liz comes to my nest on Wednesdays, and we make cards together, and TALK about everything! Lately though, we've missed all but one Wednesday of merry making in the last two months. There was just way too much catching up (including talking about our favorite blog {capture the moment}, so we were late to post...as in a day late.

We learned a great deal from our card making though. Until Liz and I started entering 'hops' and 'challenges', our design furrows were well enough dug, that just like a good pot-hole, we didn't know we were in one until we got out. (If your not from a northern state, pot-holes are irregular shaped abysses in the street that will easily seat 100 or more people. When it rains, think swimming pool with an inconvenient location.)

Liz's cheery card is a get well for a friend who just had brain surgery. Sounds harrowing, doesn't it? Sometimes medicine seems to mess up life as much as it helps, but in this case, medicine 'rocks'! Nancy had increasing difficulties finding words and reading; it was really beginning to interfere with her enjoyment of life. In the morning, Nancy had a cyst removed from her brain and fluid drained, and by dinner time that evening, we talked on the phone with nary a missed word. My friend didn't even have a good headache to show for her trials. It truly is a miracle to have help that can make such a difference in the quality of our lives.

Back to Liz's card (the one beeing held), all but the polka dots are from Papertrey's Mat Stack 5 stamp set and die.

I just received my first Papertrey dye stamp pads. I love the colors and even the look of less-than-perfect coverage on clear stamps. For the challenge, I decided to create patterns by stamping off, stamping over, and keeping the pinks, blues and greens 'segregated'. Using several different stamp sets to make the textile-like patterns was a hoot. I toyed with adding a little brown trunk to the tree tops (oh, that's what those round balls at the bottom are!), and using an other color for the 'fly away with me'. (I needed to darken the 'fly' with a pen so it could be seen.) What would you have done? Please leave me a comment so I can learn from all you great artists out there.

The dye inks are a revelation to me. They allow for so much depth and layering I just haven't been able to achieve with pigments and chalks. I cheated and used Mehndi Medallions (not a dot, flower or damask) for two of the trees. The mid size medallion  fits exactly on the tree tops, but my favorite look was using a part of the largest medallion on the middle tree.

If you leave Liz and me a comment, we'll hop over to your blog and see what you are up to. Thanks for visiting!

Papertrey Supplies (for my card): Up, Up & Away Stamp Set, Mega Mehndi Medallion, Trendy Tree Tops Die Collection, Heart Prints Stamp Set, Beautiful Butterflies Stamp Set, Beautiful Butterflies Die Set, Guide Lines Two Stamp Set, Iconic Images Stamp Set (special set no longer available), Flower Fusion #7 Mini Stamp Set, Flower Fusion #9 Mini Stamp Set, Hibiscus Burst Ink, Aqua Mist Ink, Berry Sorbet Ink, New Leaf Ink
Other Supplies: Tumbled Glass Ink - Tim Holtz, Swirls - Autumn Leaves Clear Stamps

Easter Eggs on Fabric Postcards

Nothing gets me in the mood for lots of color and reflected light like Spring. For the past couple of years I've made fabric postcards of fabric colored eggs with sequined, beaded and embroidered details. If you're not familiar with fabric postcards, they are usually 4"X6" mini quilts with a middle layer of stiff material (like Timtex or thick Pellon) as the 'batting'. The very stiff surface allows marvelous detail to be applied without worrying about keeping the fabric taught.  Rumor has it that they can be mailed, but I've never put mine to the test.

 Above are three postcards in various stages of the process. I chose three fabrics that worked together for the egg image, and then cut through all three layers of fabric so I could mix and match. (I love having three slightly different 'canvases' on which to work because I can try out different approaches in the same color scheme. The far left card just has the background and egg image fussed (I use 'Heat n Bond') on one side.

The middle postcard is finished on the front with everything but some detailing on the background. I tried to use the embellishments to transition between the three fabrics comprising the egg. The wonderful sequins come from Cartwright's Sequins, Beads, Buttons, and Glitter. I stumbled on to her site many years ago when she first started online. Since then, Cartwright's has grown to be the largest selection of sequins I've seen anywhere. If you love hand sewing with beads and sequins, or use glitter, you owe yourself a trip to her site!
A little ribbon embroidery makes the fence and the butterfly, and that gate handle is the smallest eye (from a hook and eye closure) I could find. The fabulous bunny is a hand carved bone bead from China.

 The card to the left is finished. After embellishing the front, I iron fabric to the backside, with the front side placed on a deep soft surface so the sequins and other fragile items are not crushed by the heat and pressure. To bind the postcard, polka-dot grosgrain was folded over the edge and whipped down with a blanket stitch.

Voila! You now have a bit of art to send through the mail, or if you aren't finished admiring your handy work yet, put your eggs in a basket and watch people marvel as they pick up your 'Faberge' eggs.

Papertrey 5th Anniversary: Day 7 Hearts Challenge 3

This is my third post today. If you have seen all three posts, leave me a comment, and you may be my new best friend! This card is being posted as part of Papertrey's 5th Anniversary celebration - day 7 - hearts. This card does not look like any of my others.

For Christmas every year, there is a small group of us who love to create together, and we choose craft supplies for one another's gifts. We inevitably get given wonderful items that we would not have chosen for ourselves, and this leads to creating pieces outside our comfort zone. (Don't you just love it when you create something totally unexpected? It feels like uncovering a treasure.)

I found a tutorial for this brilliantly designed card format over at 'Graphic 45's beautiful blog. (Scroll down to the second item in the post for this card.) I love the look of a deep black background with vivid colors on top. At first Papertrey's cardstock seemed a bit too heavy for the folding in this card, but after trying lighter weight papers, they just didn't hold up well enough, to my mind.

I used the 7 Gypsies paper pad for the prints (except for the pattern behind "To a friend's house..") and the wonderful bird house frame with two birds behind, that my friend gave me, to make her a thank-you card. The coral heart on the front is die cut from the coasters sold by Papertrey for that purpose. I love the feel and heft of these coasters. I discovered however, when I tried to stamp a 'Heart Prints' image with a chalk ink, that the image completely bled out to a solid. (In the future I will only use dye inks with these if I want a crisp image.)

Judging by my dear friend's reaction to her card, the extra bit of effort to cut the card template, was well worth the work. Besides, it's great fun having all those different sized areas to work with.

Papertrey Supplies: coasters, black card stock, 'Mat Stack #3' stamp, and 'Button Boutique' stamp
Other Supplies: 7gypsies 'avignon' paper pad, Crafty Secrets-Clear Art Stamps 'Home Sweet Home', Spellbinders Nestibilities 'Heart Circles' dies, Nestibilies 'Heart' dies, free bookplate image from Dover Books, scaled down Graphic 45 paper 'Once Upon Springtime', Martha Stewart doily edge punch, 'Liquid Pearls', 'Circle Pop-Up Card Template' from Party Hearty, and miscellaneous stamps and embellishments.

Thank you for taking the time to visit and leave a comment.

Papertrey 5th Anniversary: Day 7 Hearts Challenge 2

I love my hearts, so Papertrey's Challenge - Day 7 has kept me busy. If you have seen any of my other posts these last two days, then you know I'm on a kick with Papertrey's 'Heart Prints' stamps and dies, Kraft card stock, and Basic Grey's 'Bittersweet' papers. (I must stop and do some cleaning up soon!) This is a very simple card, and yet it looks a little fussy - in a good way I hope.

Papertrey Supplies: Kraft card stock, Heart Prints stamps and dies.
Other Supplies: Basic Grey 'Bittersweet' paper,  K and Co's 'Smitten Heart Stripe' paper (rosette), Tim Holtz rosette die, Sizzix 'Sugar' embossing folder, Daisy Bucket Designs cotton ribbon, Spellbinders Nestibilities 'Heart Circles' die (white under rosette), and VersaMark 'Dazzle' watermark stamp pad.

Thanks for visiting today!

Papertrey 5th Anniversary: Day 7 Hearts Challenge 1

Whoopee! Hearts are my favorite motif. Have you noticed all the fabulous shapes in which they come, but they are still totally recognizable as 'hearts'? Papertrey's Day 7 Challenge is to make any project using hearts. You can find their challenge here.

I found, a while back, a wonderfully simple card that I knew I needed to copy (on the right). (I've tried to re-find this card on the web, but I've been unable to locate it again. If you know the source, please let me know so I can give credit. Thanks.) Two wonderful pattern papers from Basic Grey's 'Bittersweet' collection have been begging to be paired up with Papertrey's Kraft paper and 'Heart Prints' stamps and dies.

These are my take on the card above. I used white embossing ink with Ranger's holographic embossing powder for the sentiments on the dark brown paper. I also love the way Papertrey card stock takes the embossing in the plastic embossing folders. Hint: I have found that Cuttlebug Embossing Folders do not completely cover the front of an A2 card, but all my Sizzix  Emboss Folders will cover.

Papertrey supplies: Kraft card stock, 'Heart Prints' stamps and dies.

Valentine + Day 6 of Papertrey's 5th Anniversary

 
Over at Papertrey, they are celebrating Day 6 of their 5th Anniversary. Not only are they starting to reveal the the goods for this month, but Nichole has posted a download of five layout sketches for a challenge today. All five were irresistible, and when time allows, I will be making the other four I didn't make today.

I don't get my cards made early enough in the day to have accurate color with no flash. (Just one more thing to get under my belt). I chose Sketch #3 and went with the soft pinks and corals (yes the rosette is much paler in real life) coupled with Papertrey's kraft paper. (I didn't like brown much before Papertrey's kraft color, but now I reach for it all the time.) The background print is from Basic Grey's 'Bittersweet' line and the Tim Holtz rosette die was done with K and Co's 'Smitten Heart Stripe' paper. The ribbon is from Sewfisticated and was only 99 cents for 25 yards. (This ribbon is great for cards because is doesn't ravel easily, but, it would be almost impossible to tie a card sized bow with it due to it's stiffness.)

Papertrey Supplies: white and kraft papers, Banner Builder Collection and Block Alphabet die sets, In the Meadow Silhouettes die (little brown birds), Heart Prints stamps and dies.
Other supplies: Spellbinders Nestibilities 'Heart Circles' dies (white doily behind rosette), brown paper (little birds).

Thanks for visiting today!

Papertrey 5th Anniversary + Pinterest

Chances are you are reading this post because you are taking part in the 5th anniversary party over at Papertrey Ink. This is the first chance I've had to post in a while, and I've been wanting to all week. (Isn't this anniversary stuff head-spinning?!)

I found Pinterest through Mish Wooderson a while back when she was on the design team at Papertrey. I LOVED her pins, and was hooked on all those glorious images. The challenge today was to post a card inspired by an image on Pinterest. This image with it's soft pallette can be found here. I just love the neutral wall with the pale pink, and banners have been right up my alley since Papertrey's Banner Builder Collection dies.

My Valentine Banner card has much the same colors as the Pinterest pic; only the exposure is different ;). This six panel card is easy to make by punching small holes at each of the folds and sewing bakers twine in and out. The execution is very easy , and I will post it on my blog if anyone would like to know how it was done.


The banner flags were cut by placing the fold of the paper just below the top cut line of the banner die. I'm hooked on Papertrey's dies and  this card made good use of my stash. All items are Papertrey other than the six panel card, 'Versa Mark' trees and ground flora, and the computer text 'from our home...to yours'. The card is just the right size to fit into one of the clear boxes the Papertrey stamps sets use to come in. (Think I'm going to have to see the new packaging to wrap my head around it!)


Supplies: Papertrey's 'Home Made' and 'Up, Up & Away" stamp sets
Papertrey dies: Banner Builder Collection, Picket Fence, In the Meadow Silhouettes, Block Alphabet Collection

Thanks for visiting!