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.

Its PTI Blog Hop Time

This month's challenge is:
Easter and other spring celebrations will be here before you know it! And besides, there's nothing better to beat the winter doldrums than to turn our minds towards those first spring flowers bursting through the ground and the birds returning with their sweet songs. Your challenge this month is to put a little "spring" into your step, by incorporating the flowers, familiar sights and colors of spring into a project. Think birds nests containing newly laid eggs, flowers in pretty pastels, new green leaves, baby chicks and anything else that speaks to your creative soul! We look forward to seeing all of your interpretations of this fun challenge!

I give you my springy card. I love this combination of PTI's two newest colors, Melon Berry and New Leaf. I used Vintage Vanilla for my base. I cut out a rectangle using my nestabilities. I used Pine's new set, Beyond Basic Borders. This is an awesome set. All images are from that set with the exception of the bird. The bird is from Hero Arts. Have fun hopping!

Perfect Match Monday

The lovely Sara is hosting a fun new challenge called Perfect Match Monday. You can see the cute little badge over in my sidebar. This week's colors are Spring Moss, Sweet Blush, and Lavendar Moon. Here is a little gift I made for a friends baby not so long ago. This is kind of cheat because I made it before the challenge was posted but I wanted to post and give Sara a plug. So hop over and check out her challenges!

New Stuff From PTI

Got my box o' fun from PTI on Friday. I was really sick on Saturday, but on Sunday I got to play around a bit. I am loving the new colors: Melon Berry and Leaf Green. PTI also started carrying buttons. Now I have never been a button fiend but at $5 bucks a pack I am hooked! So many yummy buttons in matching colors. This card uses the stamp set, Beyond Basics Borders. Its an awesome set, destined to be on of my faves! Happy Monday to you!

CPS Challenge

Do you like sketches?  If so you should check out Card Positioning Systems.  They are having a little challenge today... and the prize is a Papertrey Ink package.  You know I am all over that!   Here is my entry.

Supplies: All PTI with exception of the flowers which are prima and the gems which are hero arts. Stamps: Beyond Basics Borders
CS: New Leaf, Vintage Cream Ink: New Leaf, Melon Berry Buttons: Melon Berry

A Little Belated Valentine...

I made this for my son's teacher on Valentine's Day. I made my daughter's teachers some cute little candy holders too, but I forgot to photograph those. Anyway back to the one I have pictures off. This is made from half of an acrylic box- the ones PTI sends out their stamps in. I can't stand to throw them away, so I have quite the stock pile. I cut the box in half with a craft knife. I wrapped it in PTI patterned paper and pure poppy cardstock.  The stamps are PTI heart prints.  I stamped in both fresh snow and pure poppy.  I used the sentiment from PTI Around and About.   The scalloped edging is the Fiskars threading water punch.  The red ribbon is PTI but the black is from Michaels (I think)  I just punched a couple holes and threaded it through.  I filled it up with hershey's kisses and called it good.

Sympathy Card

All products PTI with the exception of the gold ink... its Galaxy Gold dew drop ink.

Another Papertrey Ink Challenge

It's the last day of PTI's second year anniversary celebration!  There is a challenge posted to make a card using one of their designer's (Dawn) color palettes.  You can see all the details here.  I chose the plum pudding and vanilla card in this post.  

This card uses PTI's plum pudding and vanilla. I used guidelines stamps. I think the pearls are from hero arts. All other products are PTI.

A Warning

Do not taunt one spin instructor with information of how hard another spin instructor is....

I am just saying (as I drag my body to the shower...)

Just Wondering

why the spin instructor always yells out, "how do you feel?"  And then all the participants (except me) yell out, "Great!!"  I mean really, do they feel great?  I usually feel like I am about to die.  Or that I will never catch my breath.  Or I feel all greasy and sweaty.  But never, never do I feel like yelling out, "Awesome!!"   Maybe its just me.   I am fairly certain none of my ancestors exercised.  I am sure I have a non-exercise gene in me.  

Just wanted to add:  It was a relentless class tonite and truly thought I might get off that bike and fall to the floor.  Luckily my legs held me up and I made it to the car.

Challenge Time Again!

Today's PTI challenge was to make a card for your friend, in honor of PTI's new card creating kit.  PTI is coming up with so many new and yummy items... if you haven't been by in a while hop over and take a look!

Stuff I used:

PTI's Flower Garden, stampers select cardstock, raspberry fizz ink, palette viridian green ink

Prism green cardstock, K&Co. gems, stickles, copic markers

Another Papertrey Ink Challenge

Complete this challenge and you could win a ton of PTI ribbon! I could sit here and go on about their ribbon all day long. I don't even waste my time with other ribbon anymore... its all PTI baby! Anyway todays challenge was based on a card sketch and was celebrating the new yummy bitty polka dot ribbon. Hop over here if you are interested in winning. Here is my entry.
All the goods are PTI except for the buttons.  The buttons are from Doodlebug. (And they are really old! LOL)  Thats Kraft cardstock, stamped with fresh snow ink using polka dot basics.  The ribbon is sweet blush grosgrain.  Then we have Berry Sorbet sponged with Fresh snow and stamped with a Heart prints sentiment.  The heart is also from Heart Prints.  Its stamped in Berry Sorbet on Sweet Blush cardstock.  Its cut out and popped up with pop dots.  Hope you like!  I think this one is going to hubby for V day.

PaperTrey Ink's Bag Challenge

Lots of cool stuff going on over at PTI as they celebrate their 2nd year in business! Challenges and giveaways galore. Today's challenge was to make over a bag! There were so many neat ideas! How I wish I could sew! (Well I can, but not well and certainly not quickly!) This paperbag was the only bag I had in the house, so I got busy making it over. I actually love the way it came out! I used PTI's raspberry fizz, chocolate, and fresh snow inks. The stamp sets are Around and About, Heart Prints, and Wise Owl. I love how that round and about heart fits in Wise owl's tummy! I added some color to wise owl with copics and tied up my treat sack with some raspberry fizz ribbon! Simple yet fun. (I apologize for the bad photo but its due by midnight! I am not too good with the night photo.)

Birdie Love

I got these little birdies from Hero Arts.  I just love how fanciful they are.  I stamped them in palette noir and then colored with copics.  The hearts are from PTI.  I made the background paper with sweetblush ink and paper from PTI.  ( Sorry for the unedited, uncropped pic- my kids are begging for the computer and I dont have time to fix it!)

Valentine Yumminess

Are these not the cutest little boxes?  Totally not my own personal idea.  I got the idea from this blog.  Awesome tutorial here by Teresa.  Go there if you want to learn how to make them.  Really easy to follow tutorial posted there.  I have Hershey's kisses in mine.  Each box holds 4 kisses.  The ones above are made with Cosmo Cricket paper that I got from the wonderful Beverly.

I stamped them up with a PTI love stamp (From Mixed Messages) and a little bird from Hero Arts.  The ribbon is from Michaels...bought so long ago!  Probably not there now.

This set was made with last year's Valentine papers by Pebbles Inc.  Its tied up with some American Crafts ribbon (that I bought a LONG time ago).  The stamps are Hero Arts and PTI.

Finally we have some Raspberry Fizz goodness.  The paper is all by PTI.  Ribbon from Mikes.  Stamps from PTI.  A little random bling and some magenta stickles.  Lots of fun making these.  Not sure what I am going to do with them.  Maybe give them out to the teachers at school if I end up making enough.

Valentine Hearts and Things I love

I got the idea for this card from Nichole Heady's blog.  She had some stamped hearts that she popped up and then drew a line around.  So thats where I started.   My hearts are punched not stamped.  That is PTI's pink patterned paper.  I made the line around them with my score pal.  The sentiment is from PTI's heart prints.  The ribbon is berry sorbet twill.

Now on to things I love!  Well if you have been here any length of time you know that I {heart} PTI so much!  They are turning 2 on February 15th!  And they are having so many giveaways.   Hop on over to Nichole's blog and win yourself some PTI stamps!  Once you try them, you will be hooked!

Hero Arts Blog Challenge Card

I made this for the Hero Arts blog challenge... heart card not for Valentine's Day.  Stamps:  Hero Arts So sweet, PTI Heartfelt basics and Around and About.  PTI Kraft paper, sweet blush twill, sweet blush ink, dark chocolate ink, copics.

Thanks

I made this card for my friend, Amy Jo.  (Hey its on the way AJ) to thank her for the cute little stamps she got me.  Aren't they adorable?  They are clear stamps from Penny Black.  I think the set is called Fresh New Day.  I just love that little bird.  I stamped them in palette noir and colored with copics.   The background paper is embossed paper from Doodlebug.  The red is PTI's pure poppy.  The ribbon is also by PTI.

I don't know about you all but I am so glad we are at the end of the week.  It has been a long week here.   I worked on my day off, I hit three spin classes (one of which was with the dreaded Michele), I hauled my butt over to RAFT to pick up science supplies (read: buy supplies with my own money because school is out), and then of course there were all the everyday mom things I also do.  I am tired and looking forward the weekend.   I just need to get through my Friday and one more spin class!  Hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

More Fizz

This cute little card uses more of PTI's Raspberry Fizz.  I love that paper!  I used aqua mist to stamp the flowers and raspberry fizz and aquamist ribbon.  The stamp set is PTI's flower garden.  I just love those flowers, its an awesome set, good for both coloring or just plain old stamping.  Happy Tuesday to you!

Purging!

I got issues. Lots of them. One big one is I cant stop buying paper. I love paper!!! And I love a good deal... and a good deal on paper? Watch out! Well yesterday in a lull of quiet (who knows what the kids were into) I went through all my paper! I had paper in there that was a good ten years old! I went through and removed everything I knew that I would not use, lots of it was from those deal paper packs or clearance packs at the LSS. I have made a promise to myself that I am no longer going to be swayed into buying things I only sort of like just because they are a super deal. The picture above is the 5 inch stack of paper I am giving away to the teachers at school to use for art projects. I embarrassed by the sheer quantity I have!! YIKES!

PTI Blog Hop Time!

It's that time again! Papertrey Ink is hosting their monthly blog hop! This month's challenge was to make your best birthday card. I love to make birthday cards. I had a really hard time deciding which one to pick. In the end I settled on two different cards. I hope you see something you like!
This first card was inspired by Beth.  She has been dreaming of a paper or stamp that would make multicolored polka dots easy.  I ran and got my polka dot basic stamp set and came up with this card.  Unfortunately making those dots multicolored is not easy!  But if you have the time this is a fun card to make.  I used PTI select white for the base.  I stamped polka dot basics open circle with palette noir ink.  I then used the coordinating solid dot stamp to fill in the dots with berry sorbet, aqua mist, and spring moss inks.  The card is tied with PTI twill in the same three colors.  The big "medallion" is cut with nesties, punched with a regular hole punch, and stamped with the sentiment from Around and About.  I like the just for you sentiment in lieu of the traditional happy birthday, which I used on the inside.


My second card uses Raspberry Fizz paper for the background.  Its stamped with PTI's borders and corners circle stamp in fresh snow.  I then layered on a piece of aqua mist cardstock.  I stamped the sentiment from PTI's birthday basics in Raspberry fizz ink.  The flower is from petaloo, the gem is hero arts.  The scalloped circle is punched with a marvy punch and stamped in raspberry fizz with a Borders and Corner stamp.  The little birds are from Hero Arts.  They are also stamped in Fizz.  I colored them with a copic marker (BG11).   Hope you like it!  Enjoy the blog hop.

Kids and Toilets Dont Mix

When I first started this blog, it was because I wanted to comment on the blogs of others. Then I started writing about the trials (and joys) of being a mom and finally I ended up with this crafty blog that occasionally sinks into whining about exercise. Well today I am going back to my roots for this post. Right back to the trials of motherhood, because what happened today needs to be told. What happened today is going provide me with a big laugh someday... but today is not that day. I suspect it will provide most of you with a good laugh though, because these things are always so funny when they happen to someone else.

I had a really rotten day today. Fridays are always tough because I see my hardest classes. I came home from work feeling exhausted and already knowing that I was going to be putting in some hours on Monday, which is my day off. So I was already dragging when I pulled in the driveway. I was also running late for spin class. I had already skipped Wednesdays class due to working late. So I pull into the driveway, brain going a mile a minute, thinking about all that needs to be accomplished. I quickly say hello to the hubby and dd, I run upstairs to put on my sweats and tennies. I open the door to my bedroom and I hear sloshing. I round the corner and there is my son (he is 5), pants around his ankles, plunger in the toilet, water all over the floor, nearing ankle deep. He yells at me to go away. Trust me, I wanted to! So I get him out of there... clean him off, get towels and start drying up the mess, fix the toilet, clean up some-more. I look at the clock and see that its 10 minutes until spin class. I change clothes, tell my husband that I will mop and sanitize the floor later and I take off for class. Now that right there, that would be enough.... but wait there is more.

I get home and I am wiped out. I decide to take a bath before finishing my chores. I have a nice leisurely soak in the tub. I get out, wrap my towel around me and guess what? Yep its sopping wet. From what you ask? Oh my son forgot to mention that he used mine and my husbands bath towels to mop up the first wave of the toilet flood. Nice. Another shower was in order. Hoping your day was better than mine!

Hero Arts Blog Challenge

When I am out of things to read over at PTI, I often go to the Hero Arts blog. They have some fun challenges for both card makers and scrapbookers. This week's challenge was hearts. You had to use at least one Hero Arts stamp. My monkeys are from Hero Arts Playful Animals. Arent they cute? I colored them with copics and cut them out. The cutting was a bit time consuming but other than that it was an easy card. The remaining materials are from PTI. The stamp set is Heart Prints. Enjoy!