Papertrey June Blog Hop Challenge

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever played along with the Papertrey Ink monthly blog hop.  I couldn't resist the inspiration photo though so I dug into my Papertrey stash.  Now that I'm looking at the photo on my screen I think those stripes on the shoes are grey.  I initially registered them as a dusty navy blue so that's what I went for with my stripes.  The rest of it is pretty simple and self explanatory so that's it for me for now.  Have a lovely day!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) PaperTrey Ink, (Not Quite Navy) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Flower & leaves from Happiness In Bloom) Papertrey Ink

Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Early Espresso) Stampin' Up

Cover Plate:  (Stripes Horizontal) Papertrey Ink

Little Boys

Ronnie, my dear friend from university, and his wife have just had their first child - a bouncing, baby boy!  I wanted to send them a little card to welcome him and I thought this week's ColourQ colours would be perfect for it.  I pulled out Papertrey Ink's Hanging Out dies and stamps and some Pebbles patterned paper and went to work.  I often make clothing lines with this set but this time I decided to pop up a panel with the die cuts on it and lay the papers underneath.  It fits in with the negative die cut challenges running at both A Passion for Papertey and the Moxie Fab World so I'm going to link it up.  Hope your week is off to a great start!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Midnight Muse) Stampin' Up

Patterned Paper:  (Family Ties collection) Pebbles

Stamps:  (Sentiment from Hanging Out) Papertrey Ink

Ink:  (VersaMark)  Tsukineko

Embossing Powder:  (Seafoam White)  Ranger

Dies:  (Hanging Out) Papertrey Ink

Punch:  (Corner rounder) Marvy Uchida

Gems:  (Mini Pearls) Doodlebug

You Float My Boat

Hello!  Hope you're all enjoying your Sunday.  It's blustery, rainy and cold here today which is fine with me because it's blown away the humidity.  Yesterday we had to turn on the air conditioning in order to get the floor to dry after we mopped!  Crazy.  Today is much more wintery feeling though - and much drier!  Luis is happily ensconced on the sofa watching Netflix, Atti is chillin' after a ball game (in between rain showers!) and I'm about to head to the Craft Cave.  First though I wanted to post this card for the current A Passion for Papertrey challenge where the theme is love.  How cute is that little sailboat?  I also want to point out my fabulous new watermark courtesy of the lovely Lisa Arana!  She has a great selection on her blog so if you're in the market for a watermark check her out!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Real Red) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Boat & sentiment from Tiny Treats: Valentine) Papertrey Ink

Ink:  (Memento Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko

Die:  (Heart Prints) Papertrey Ink

Markers:  (R29, B24, B39) Copic

Blue Holidays

Hello and happy Saturday!  I've got two cards today, both of them for the ColourQ and A Passion for Papertrey challenges.  It's a blue colour palette from Arielle at ColourQ this week and A Passion for Papertrey is looking for Christmas cards.  I haven't bought any new Papertrey stamps in ages so I pulled out last year's Tremendous Treats: Christmas stamps for these cards.  I kept the first card pretty simple and loaded it up with bling.  The second card has layered stamping and I used the peace die from the Wonderful Words: Holiday die collection.  

What are you all up to for the rest of the weekend?  I'm about to take Atticus for a swim and then later I'm going to my office Christmas dinner.  No spouses invited (boo!) so Luis and Atti will be holding down the fort at home.  Luis swears he's going to be having "a BIG party!" but I'm guessing that party will end up being the two of them crashed out on the sofa by 9pm!  :)

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Pool Party, Midnight Muse) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Snowflake and sentiment from Tremendous Treats: Christmas) Papertrey Ink

Inks:  (Tempting Turquoise, Pacific Point, Midnight Muse) Stampin' Up

Die:  (Wonderful Words: Holiday) Papertrey Ink

Gems:  (Blue Jean assortment) Doodlebug, (Iridescent) Craft Supplies for Less

Hello Hello

I've got a multi-challenge card for you today.  I started out with the colours from the Play Date Cafe.  I love their bright and cheery colour story this week.  Susan of One-Layer Wednesday has challenged us to use more than 5 circles on our card and Chrissie and Mandi at Less Is More are looking for one-layer cards with stripes.  I figured there must be a way to combine these and I ended up using my new (to me) Background Basics: Retro stamps from PTI which incorporate stripes and circles!  Using the PTI stamps also made this eligible for A Passion for Papertrey's stripes challenge.  A CAS four-challenge wonder!

Cardstock:  (Rustic white) PTI

Stamps:  (Background Basics: Retro) PTI, (Hello) Woodware USA

Inks:  (Pacific Point, More Mustard, Night of Navy) Stampin' Up

Gems:  (Bumblebee Assortment) Doodlebug 

Fancy Schmancy Forever

Cath has picked out some Fancy Schmancy cakes to get our creativity whirring for the latest Tuesday Trigger at the Moxie Fab World.  I was inspired by the colours of the cakes, the ruffled cake liners and the doily they're sitting on.  


Since there's a lot of PTI happening here I'm going to enter this over at A Passion for Papertrey where the challenge is to use stripes.  I'm also going to join in with Simon Says Stamp's Love Is In The Air challenge.


If you have 45 seconds to spare then watch this short video on You Tube.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBTQw7I5zBE
The guy in the yellow jacket is Dr. Neil Burnie, one of the partners at the veterinary practice I work at.  He was on holiday in Jackson Hole, WY last week and just happened to be snowboarding in the right place at the right time to help someone out.  I talked here about what an amazing guy he is and now he can add Hero to his lengthy list of accomplishments!


Cardstock:  (Kraft) PTI, (Cream) Pacon, (Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Mega Mehndi Medallion, Think Big Favourites #11) PTI
Ink:  (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Embossing Powder:  (Seafoam White) Ranger
Dies:  (XL Rickrack Border) PTI

To Love and Be Loved

Another week of struggling with the colours at the Play Date Cafe.  I don't know why they are giving me such a hard time but I am determined to conquer them!  After much pondering of supplies I decided to play with some PTI stamps for this card.  Since A Passion for Papertrey's current challenge is Valentine's I went for a love theme and ended up with a 2-challenges-for-the-price-of-one card.  After several design attempts (see below for an alternate) I was finally happy with this one.  I used my Sew Easy tool for the first time and I think I'm going to like playing with it!
It's even colder today than it was yesterday - hasn't gotten out of the 50s.  Brrr!  Gonna have to bundle up for Monday Night BBQ!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Gina K, (Cherry Cobbler, Elegant Eggplant) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Birds and sentiment from Happy Trails, Heart from Tiny Treats: Valentine) PTI
Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard, Elegant Eggplant) Stampin' Up
Dies:  (Mat Stack 3, Layerz Mat Stack 3) PTI
Punches:  (Arch Lattice) Martha Stewart, (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida
Embroidery Floss:  (Deep Red) Making Memories

Peace Love Joy

Today I finally pulled out my Christmas paper stash.  For someone who doesn't use much patterned paper, it's a pretty big ol' pile o' stuff!  After much fussing and hemming and hawing I managed to use two different pieces of patterned paper on my card!  (Pausing to receive pats on the back...)  At this rate I might use it all up before I start collecting a pension!  :)  Anyway I used it to create a card for A Passion for Papertrey's Christmas challenge.  I used the Christmas Tree die and a sentiment from Stylish Sentiments: Holidays.  I also broke out my long neglected Distress Inks and used Vintage Photo on the edges of the kraft cardstock and Peeled Paint on the tree.   I really must remember to use them more often... 
Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with a set of Christmas cards.  I'm working in the morning and puppy sitting in the afternoon so it'll be  busy one!
Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Kraft) PTI,  (Pear Pizzazz) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper:  (Forever Christmas Cards Paper Stack) HOTP
Stamps:  (Sentiment from Stylish Sentiments: Holidays) PTI
Inks:  (Vintage Photo & Peeled Paint Distress Inks) Ranger
Dies:  (Christmas Tree) PTI, (Star from Die-Namics Stacking Stars) MFT
Glitter:  (Goldenrod & Xmas Red Stickles) Ranger     

Graphic Tree and Blog Candy

Happy Sunday!  It was a gorgeous, cool day today! After the nasty humidity of the last few days (thanks to Tropical Storm Sean) it has finally dropped and cooled off.  Ahhh!  I'll be breaking out the flannel PJs tonight!  I just love to snuggle up in those...  
I managed to get a few cards done this afternoon.  This one is for A Passion for Papertrey's colour challenge.  Be sure to go and check out the DT's fabulous creations!  My photo is a bit dark but if you look closely you can see I used the houndstooth background stamp on the chocolate card.  The rest of the stamps are from last year's Merry and Bright set.  I was inspired by Cristina's graphic tree cards like this one and this one.  Aren't they fabulous?    


I believe that the other day I promised some blog candy so I'd better get to it!  My blogoversary is not until December 21st.  However, it was around the beginning of November 2010 that I really started discovering this whole crafty blog world.  I did a lot of shy blog stalking to begin with before I finally left a comment on Lynn's blog.  Then, because I was overwhelmed by the number of blogs out there and because I liked her style, I stalked her blog list and discovered a ton of other wonderful crafters.  I love the fabulous friends I've made in the last year and all I've learned from them.  So why am I offering blog candy a month early?  Well, because I have 6 sets of Woodware USA Christmas stamps to give away and I don't want to wait until the end of December to do it.

My first order did a disappearing act and the good folks at Woodware USA resent the order without hesitation and even added in a few ink pads as well.  And then wouldn't you know it, both orders eventually turned up.  So I have 2 sets of these super cute stamps - including the adorable tipsy tree seen here that helped me earn my first TGIF Club win at CAS-ual Fridays!  I really want someone to be able to make use of them so I'm offering them up to my followers as an early blogoversary celebratory gift!  Just leave me a comment and I'll pick a winner on Friday.  Good luck!  

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill Basics, (Blushing Bride, Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Background from Background Basics: Houndstooth, All others from Merry & Bright) PTI
Inks:  (VersaMark)  Tsukineko, (Blushing Bride, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up

Die:  (Die-Namics Stacking Stars) MFT

Gems:  Doodlebug

Silhouettes and Masking

My PTI goodies arrived just in time for me to take part in A Passion For Papertrey's Sensational Silhouettes challenge.  I used a mixture of new and old stamps including stamps from Star of Wonder, Nativity Silhouettes and Mat Stack 2 Collection.  I also attempted some masking (which is something I very rarely try) although I kept it pretty simple - just masking the light beams behind the medallion.  The Mega Mat Stack die is new too and I really like the shape.  I'm also going to enter this over at Simon Says Stamp's Anything goes challenge.    

This picture is for you, Kim S!  You mentioned once that I always only show beautiful pictures of my view so I thought I'd share one from this grey and gloomy day today.  As you can see, the dock was underwater again.  We went across the harbour to our favourite pub for lunch and their outdoor eating area was close to being swamped!  Apparently these tides are due to the moon, earth and sun being in a very particular alignment at the moment.  Pretty fascinating how the world works huh?  

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Cream) Stampin' Place, (More Mustard, Not Quite Navy) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Bethlehem & sentiment - Star of Wonder, Beams of light - Nativity Silhouettes,  Medallion - Mat Stack 2 Collection) PTI
Ink:  (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Early Espresso, More Mustard) Stampin' Up

Embossing Powder:  (Clear) Ranger

Dies:  (Banner, Mega Mat Stack 3) PTI

Circles Circles Circles

***Click here for a chance to win a Print Candee gift certificate!***

Today's card is to be entered in the Embellish challenge (to use the colour palette and circles) and also in A Passion for Papertrey's Goin' Geometric challenge.  I used more of my 2010 PTI Christmas stamps on this card and, of course, that PTI embossing folder had to be used!  It's so perfect for both challenges!
Thankfully I managed to complete this project yesterday just before the embossing powder fiasco.  Whew!  That would have been tragic to grind to a halt right in the middle of a card.  :)  
Clearly all the Christmas goodies popping up online are starting to get to me since this is my third Christmas card in a row.  Perhaps the cooler weather is helping too.  After it poured with rain all day last Tuesday the humidity and the temperatures both dropped.  What a relief to turn off the air con and have all the windows and doors wide open for some much needed fresh air.  Love it!
Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White)  Bazzill Basics,  (Old Olive, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Sentiments from Holiday Tree set) PTI
Ink:  (VersaMark) Tsukineko,  (Old Olive, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up
Embossing Powder:  (Seafoam White) Ranger
Impression Plate:  (Linen) PTI
Twine:  The Twinery
Gems:  Doodlebug

Dotty Tag

Inkspirations has a bright, bold colour challenge this week and it just screamed PTI's Dot Spot to me.  I decided to team it up with the latest A Passion for Papertrey challenge - Mad for Tags.  I really should be focusing on Christmas cards right now but I am just burning through birthday cards and never seem to have enough!  I think I mentioned before that I make cards for staff birthdays at work and this is for our newest vet.  When I first started working at the hospital 10 years ago Laura was a high school student helping out in the kennels.  Now she's all grown up and a qualified vet!  She's settled in at work really well and it's fun to get to know her again on a whole new level.  Even if it makes me feel old...  :)

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie) Stampin' Up

Stamps:  (Sentiment from Little Bitty Bird, Images from Dot Spot) PTI

Inks:  (Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie) Stampin' Up
Punches:  (Tag) Woodware Craft Collection, (1/8" hole punch) McGill

Gems:  Doodlebug

Pen:  Sharpie

Surprise Package!

I got a phone call from my local shipping company this morning to say that a package had arrived for me.  A package?  Today?  I had no idea the place was even open on Saturdays!  Sweet!  So the puppies and I hopped into the car and tootled off to town to pick it up.  It was an order from Stampin' Up which included the new In Colour cardstock and ink pads -  just in time for this week's ColourQ challenge.  :)  Unfortunately I don't have any Bermuda Bay paper or ink (seems wrong doesn't it?) so I had to find a sub but I think it looks pretty close.  I decided to make a Back to School card using Papertrey Ink's School Time stamps.  I'm also going to enter this in A Passion for Papertrey's masculine challenge (because I think the colours would work for a little guy) and in the Create Back to School challenge. 

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Gina K, (Soft Suede, Lucky Limeade, Ialand Indigo) Stampin' Up, (Turquoise) Paperbilities

Stamps: (School Time) Papertrey Ink

Ink: (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Soft Suede, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo) Stmapin' Up

Tools: (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida (1/8" Hole Punch) McGill

My Couch Misses You

Tropical Storm Gert was supposed to pass over us today so I bundled myself into the Craft Cave ready for a lovely stormy day.  And did we get one?  No!  Good ol' Gert passed by to our east and we didn't even get a rain shower out of it - just grey skies and high humidity!  Ah well.  It ended up being a productive day for me.  I started by working on an entry for this week's Play Date Cafe challenge.  I used PTI's On My Couch for the first time.  I've been wanting to play with it for ages and especially love this couch with the fun pattern.  I'm also going to enter this in this week's Wee Memories challenge because even though it has some bling, I still think it has a pretty masculine feel to it.

***ETA:  Just discovered the A Passion for Papertrey challenge site and they are currently running a masculine challenge so I'm going to link this up and hope it's okay that I didn't do it when I posted yesterday.***

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White, Yellow) Bazzill, (Not Quite Navy, Early Espresso) Stampin' Up

Stamps: (Couch & pillow from On My Couch, Rug from On My Couch Additions) PTI, (Sentiment from Funky Foliage) WPlus9

Ink: (Early Espresso) Stampin' Up

Gems: Doodlebug