Friend

Hi there!  Another CAS card for you today.  The flowers are from the PTI special edition, Smile.  The sentiment is from another set, Friends Til the End.  Colors are Summer Sunrise, New Leaf, and Canyon Clay.  Hope you like it!

Step It Up

So today I have something a little different.  I have the same basic card done two ways.  The first card is the more basic look.  Less stuff going on, a little more plain.  I made this one first.  When I was done with it, I liked it but I didn't like it enough.  So I tried again and came up with card number 2.

In this card I changed one of the flowers out to a bigger stamp.  I changed position of the stamps and the ribbon.  The border is smaller and the flowers have copic coloring.  I also added a second smaller sentiment.  Both cards are the same colors and feature buttons and stickles in the flowers.  Both are mounted on foam tape.

Do You Like Dies?

So I have noticed the latest thing is to have dies for all the stamps. Lots of companies are making their own dies (PTI, MTF, Hero Arts) and some make stamps to fit existing dies (WMS). At first I was buying them all up but then I noticed that except for a few I really wasn't using them all that much. Take for example the card above. The stamps are from PTI and both the flower and the leaves have coordinating dies. Now I didn't buy them. I cut those out and really it didn't take that long. I left a little white border like the die does because sometimes I like that look. I also saved some cash because I didn't need to get the die and I can get the same (or similar) look. Now of course if it hurts your hands to cut or something those dies could come in real handy. I do still buy border dies and I love nesties and frames. I am a huge fan of Waltzingmouse's stamps that match the spellbinder nesties. Such great little frames. I am also a fan of PTI's fillable frames series. I have matching dies for most of those because I tend to use them on things that I mass produce. So what's your opinion?
Card Deets:
All supplies from PTI except for ink. Ink is from versamagic chalk inks (the little dewdrop ones)

Changes

Well where to begin? Let's start with the card. I made this for the last Paper Crafts Magazine call. This one didn't get picked up but in happy happy news another one did! So finally I will be published. To say I am excited would be an extreme understatement. I was shaking as I mailed that baby off! LOL! Anyway this card was for the paper piecing call. Let me just say cutting out that flower was so hard! But I love the way it turned out and now that it has been rejected I can give it away to a friend. ;)
On Tuesday I go back to work so if the blog goes quiet for awhile don't be concerned I just need to relearn how to budget my time. The first few weeks of the school year are always the hardest. I teach in the state of California, home to the world's laziest legislature, where they still haven't managed to pass a budget. I (along with all the other teachers in my district) took a big pay cut and there still isn't any money. The whole thing is beyond frustrating.
I bought a new computer! It was definitely time for an upgrade. I am now the proud owner of a MacBook Pro. Its my second Mac and I am thrilled with it so far. My kiddos will be pleased to be able to play with the old one. I know they will want to be dragging it off to their rooms but I insist the internet be used where I can see it. There is so much bad stuff out there.
Thanks for stopping in today! I will post the card deets below. Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!
Card Deets:
Stamps: Friends Til the End (PTI)
Paper: Kraft, pure poppy, bitty dot sunrise, bitty dot pure poppy
Ink: dark chocolate
Bling: Hero Arts, A'muse

Another Friends Card

I cant decide if I like this one or the blue one better. What do you think? I did this one first. Same sets as yesterday (Friends til the End and Retro backgrounds) but different colors, different sentiment. Todays colors are summer sunrise and kraft cardstock, orange zest and chocolate ink and loads of copic markers. Thanks for stopping by!

Finally! Something New!

I got some new stamp sets for Christmas. My mommy gives the best gifts! One of the sets was PTI's Friends Til the End. I have coveted this set since it debuted but I have never been able to move it off the wish list. Now its mine! Coloring these flowers is so fun and relaxing. Its also time consuming. The cutting out part I could totally do without! But aside from that this set is AMAZING! Great sentiments too. The background uses another set I got for Christmas, PTI's Retro backgrounds. I stamped it on craft in Aquamist, some perly purple and deep aqua (dew drop brand). The cardbase is Aquamist. The flowers are stamped on Stampers select white and colored with Copic markers. The leaves are stamped in ripe avocado on spring moss cardstock. Thanks for stopping by! Have a Happy New Year!