Black and Blue Thanks

I made this a few days ago, trying to use up some of my spring rain cardstock.  It was a mistake to buy the huge pack!   Its pretty but just not my personal favorite shade of blue.  In any case... trying to get it down to a reasonable amount.  I used PTI's out on a limb stamp set.  If you have never tried PTI this is one of their best sets ever... I highly recommend it.  I used palette beaux art blue ink and palette noir for the branch.  The black is PTI's true black, along with their true black satin ribbon.  That big button I got from Making Memories.  It was a really great button and flower pack that I picked up at Michaels.  I don't usually buy stuff like that from Mike's because I try to support my LSS... I want to keep them in business.  I save Mike's for big expensive stuff I can use a coupon on, like cuttlebug dies or cricut cartridges... stuff like that.

Perfect Match Monday

Its Monday! Time for Sara's Perfect Match Monday! Today's color choices were black, hibiscus, summer sunrise, and new leaf. I used my newest PTI set, Wishing. This set is so springy and fun. I love all the sentiments, even though this card is sentiment free. The dp is PTI as is all the ink. I made the pink bubble border with the new EK success line of border punches. Those punches are so much smaller than the fiskars. Awesome way to save some space, and as we all saw here... I need all the help I can get. If you would like to play, hop on over to Sara's blog. Link is that way ------>

Dawn's Color Challenge

Dawn McVey has issued another Raspberry Suite Color Challenge.  This week's colors are from Pottery barn teen (man I wish I had the bucks for Pottery barn.).  A very nice color palette.   The majority of my supplies are from PTI, except for the teal.  The teal is bazzill.  I am not sure which color.

I stamped the design in Dark Chocolate using PTI's original guidelines.   I colored with my copic markers.  I added the white with my gel pen.  The sentiment is also in Dark Chocolate.  Its from PTI's wishing you set.  The button is from Making Memories (I think!).  Hope you have a great Sunday.  Thanks for stopping by.

What a Difference a Year Makes

Or maybe I should have titled this: Come Look at My Mess! The first picture is a picture of my scrapbook corner (circa Jan of 2008). Its in my living room... you can see it from the front door. I am sure this is a decorating don't, but we have no spare rooms and I was tired of having this all over my dining room table.

Now here we are, same corner, a year later. Wow have I added a lot of crap to this mess. You will also notice picking up my stuff has fallen by the wayside. I am rapidly out growing this corner. Unfortunately I have no where to move up too. I had thought we would be buying a new house by now, however the economy is in the toilet, I am layed off as of September, so there is no money to buy a new, bigger house with a nice scrapbook/craft room. Sigh. Just thought I would share.

Blog Hop!

Hello and welcome to PTI's March Blog Hop! This month's challenge was to build a background. This challenge was right up my ally! I love to build backgrounds, especially with PTI's guidelines and guidelines 2. I have a couple of projects for you, but the first one is the only one with photos taken during the process. The first set of photos shows how I built a background using the original guidelines set. I then colored the background in with copic markers. The last picture shows the finished card. After that I have a couple more cards using guidelines 2. I hope you enjoy them!
This picture shows the building of the background.  You start with the grid.  You then lay in your "tile" stamps.
After stamping the entire background I go back and begin to lay in color as you can see in this photo.  Guidelines 1 lends itself nicely to coloring with markers, guidelines 2 work does not contain as many open designs for coloring.

Here you can see the rest of the colors being laid in. After I finish coloring I usually put it aside for awhile and then come back later to make the card.
Here is my finished card.  I chose raspberry fizz for the background.  I used some aqua mist for the scallops and the tag.  I used a little aqua mist ink on the sides.  The ribbon is aqua mist satin.  I really like how it came out.
This card uses guidelines 2 for the background.  Guidelines 2 is awesome... even easier to use than Guidelines 1.   In this card I used Spring Moss, Hibiscus, and Raspberry Fizz ink.  Its backed on a Hibiscus card with spring moss and raspberry fizz accents.  The button is from Michaels.
This card has my most favorite background paper.  I made this using guidelines 2.  The ink colors are spring moss, avocado, and summer sunrise.  Cardstock is white, summer sunrise, and spring moss.  The ribbon is ripe avocado.  The sentiment is from the anniversary set, everyday classics.  Hope you enjoyed my offerings for blog hop. If you have any questions leave me a comment.

Sara's Perfect Match Mondays!

Happy Monday!  This card was made for Sara's Perfect Match color challenge.  If you want to play just follow the link in the sidebar ---->  I used PTI's anniversary set, Everyday classics combined with Around and About (the long sentiment).  Colors used were: Summer Sunrise, Pure Poppy, New Leaf, and Hibiscus.   I should put up my hideous first card.  I tried using all those colors with guidelines 2.  Oh it was so bad!  I think I am still partially blinded by it!  Enjoy the rest of your day.

PS.  I had a few inquiries regarding if I am still spinning (bike class).  The answer is yes.  I am being tortured at least 3x a week... plus a day or two on the weights and elliptical machine.  blah!

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge

This comes to us from the talented Dawn McVey.  Check out her blog if you would like to play.

This is my entry. I used the new Guidelines 2 from Papertrey Ink.  How I love this set!  The sentiment is from Everyday classics.  PTI cardstock in Lemontart, Sunrise, and White.  Ink in Hibiscus, Sunrise, Lemontart, Dark Chocolate.  Buttons and Twill in Hibiscus.  Enjoy! See you back here tomorrow for Sara's Color Challenge.

Birthday Wishes

Just a little something I put together with my new stamps from PTI.  I think this is my favorite set to date.  So fun to use and easy too!  Have a great Sunday!

The Deets:

CS:  stampers white and hibiscus burst

Stamps: guidelines 2 and mixed messages

Ink: hibiscus burst, sweet blush, and spring moss

Hibiscus burst twill and hero arts pearls

Spring

Here's a little spring/Easter card I made with PTI's spring tag set.  Not sure how I feel about it yet.  I like it ok, but I dont love it.  I do love the stamp set!  Its fabulous!  Lots of fun possibilities.  Everything on the card is PTI.  Let's face it the bulk of my crafting money goes to them!  Have an egg-cellent day!

Clubhouse Nearing completion!

Finally, a year later, the clubhouse is nearing completion! I thought I would share a few pictures with you.

Perfect Match Monday

Today the challenge over at Sara's place is spring rain, new leaf, raspberry fizz, and plum pudding. I have to say I groaned when I first read the list. Spring rain is probably my least favorite PTI color and I hate Raspberry fizz with new leaf. But I finally came up with something I think looks pretty good. Bright colors in small doses! Hope you like it!

Cupcake Pops

So anyone out there a fan of Bakerella? I love her little cupcake pops. So cute! I made some to take to work and share on my birthday. I just love how small and sweet they look. I did up a whole container but I never took a picture of the whole thing... so here are a couple in progress shots.

GSS entries

If you are a PTI fan (addict, stalker, whatever...) like me, you probably already know about their monthly contest, GSS.  GSS stands for Guest Star Stamper.  Each month PTI puts out a challenge that anyone can enter, on the 15th Nichole and Co. pick the winners.  The winners win a free stamp set!  Wahoo!   I usually enter, but the last few months I have been too busy.   I did enter this month and below are my entries.  And you really need to see this month's winners!  They knocked it out of the park.  Gorgeous stuff.... my favorite was a little set of tea lights made out of heart shaped tins.  Gorgeous.  Click here to see the winners.

Come on Spring!

I dont know about you, but I am ready for sun, spring, and flowers.  I don't live in a harsh climate.  I am smack dab in the middle of California... about 2 hours east of San Francisco.  I am tired of gray and rain.  Even though we need the rain.  Ok, it can rain a few more times.  But I am so ready for a little warm and some pretty flowers popping up.  Thats what this card reminds me of.  This is from the Honeybees set from PTI.  Its stamped on Springrain cardstock.  Some of the flowers were stamped on white, cut out and popped up.  I used a lot of stickles as well.  I love me some stickles.  I have got to get this card in the mail... its a thank you for my friend, Nita.   I have already written in it and everything...lol!  Have a wonderful weekend!

PS.  Papertrey ink is holding their release for March tonite!  Stop by the forum and check out all the PTI awesomeness!  You can even win free stamps!

Sweet as Honey

I had a million thank yous to give out after my birthday... so I had to make quite a few to supplement my stash.  This one utilizes PTI's Honey Bees set.  I stamped the big bee on my bitty dots patterned paper and cut it out.   I stamped Polka dot basics in some kind of palette yellow (the name eludes me).  Then I stamped the outline in fresh snow.  The big flower and brad are from making memories.  The CS is lemon tart and sweet blush (pti-of course! ).  Thank you all for your sweet bday wishes both here on the blog and over at the PTI forum.  I just love all the stamping friends and blogging friends I have made!   Happy Thursday!

I am 36 today

Me and My brother circa 1979
I very clearly remember in jr. high telling my BFF that 30 was ancient.  I mean ANCIENT! and I was never going to be that old.  And here I am 36! Now if your 45, your thinking 36 is  young chickie.  And if your 21, you are thinking, yep youre right- your ancient!  Its all relative I guess.  I don't feel 36.  Somedays I feel like I am 20.  My little class of first graders came into lab after lunch today.  They bought me a book of happy birthday wishes- sweet little things.  And then they guessed my age.  I am glad to say they thought I was 19.  I didn't correct them.  My coworkers made a fuss over me at lunch and my hubs took me and the kids and my FIL to dinner.  I got presents and love- it was a great birthday.  I really freaked out at 35 but so far 36 is a piece of cake!

Manic Monday #158

I love to read this blog called Tuesday Update. Its written by Tommie who has some serious decorating and organizational skills. She always plays this game called Manic Monday and I love it. The original comes from a blog called Manic Monday by Fleur de Lisa. I have never played before but today I got the time so I am!

What would you do with an extra hour each day?  Craft, stamp, cut up paper.

Do you wear a watch?  No, but I used to religiously.  If so, tell us about it.  

If not, how do you keep track of time?  I wear an insulin pump, 24/7.  It has the time on it.  This is when I stopped wearing a watch.  Now a wear a medical id that says I am a diabetic where my watch used to be.

If it was possible would you want to know how many days you had left to live? No I would just worry constantly and try to figure out a way to live longer.  I do not like to ponder these types of things.

Perfect Match Monday

It's Perfect Match Monday! Today's perfect match colors are spring rain, aqua mist, and true black. I loved this challenge because I had yet to open my true black paper. Its as perfect as you would expect from PTI. Thick, smooth, and a nice deep black. I like these blues with the black. I used my aqua mist dotted pattern paper. The stamps are from With Sympathy and Out of the box.

Go Green

I love monochromatic cards.  I love how the varying shades of color come together and look so yummy!  This card was made out of some desperation to tone down the brightness of PTI's color, new leaf.  Its a gorgeous color, but a little on the bright side.  Anyhow I love how this turned out.

The Deets:

Stamps:  PTI guidelines, mixed messages

Ink, ribbon:  PTI new leaf

CS: PTI new leaf, pti linen vellum

OTHER:  stickles, hero arts bling

I've Been Lazy...

I have all these pictures and I havent uploaded a darn thing!  Too busy cruising other peoples' blogs I guess.  Anyway heres what I have for you today:

I really like this layout... I am a simple kind of girl. First you emboss the circles with your trusty nesties and cuttlebug. This is one of the few things I measure and draw pencil lines for. It also works nicely with squares. Next you stamp your cute little bird... then cover him in stickles. Tie on a matching ribbon and your good to go!
Deets:
Stamps: pti birds of a feather, around and about
Ink: pti new leaf

Ribbon:  new leaf twill

Crystal stickles

Sara's Perfect Match Mondays!

Today's color challenge is using PTI's greens,  New Leaf, Spring Moss, and Ripe Avocado.  I must say while I love spring moss and ripe avocado together, and I like new leaf and spring moss, I despise ripe avocado with new leaf!  That made this challenge to use all three extra difficult.
Here are the deets:

Stamps:  PTI Around and About, Hero Arts Hello Birdie

Ink:  PTI: spring moss, ripe avocado, new leaf

Ribbon: PTI twill: spring moss, ripe avocado, new leaf

Other:  dewdrops, waterlily

Happy Birthday!!

How about a little birthday card in honor of someone imporant's birthday?  MINE!  LOL, well mine is coming up on the 10th... but I am not quite so bad that I make myself a card----yet.   I actually made this for my stash.  It seems birthdays are always swooping down on me at the last minute.  I just hate handing out store bought cards.   Well with the exception of Shoebox, I love shoebox greetings.  They crack me up!   Anyway I completely digress.   Here's the deets:

Stamps:  PTI guidelines and birthday basics

Paper:  PTI ocean tides, aquamist, and white

Ink: palette black noir, ocean tides

Copic markers--> I cant remember which colors at the moment.