A card with a "BIG" element for a PTI contest...

Hello friends...today is Saturday and my husband and I took our son on a special adventure for having had a very positive and lovely week at school - just because!  We spent a lovely few hours together out and about which only happens now about every 4 weeks just before my husband starts his next round of chemotherapy.  Just before treatment starts again he always has a few days where he feels almost himself again and has the energy to get up and go places.  Today was a beautiful day and we spent a great morning together while my hubbies energy lasted.  Then we came home and are now spending the afternoon  relaxing.  This means that my sweet hubbie is asleep upstairs and my son and I are down in the basement doing laundry, crafting, and in his case playing some fun games. 

Today on Nichole's blog for PTI the contest is to put something BIG on a project.  Well I needed to make a thank you card for a lovely helping hand gift that was just given to us so I decided to incorporate something BIG into the thank you note.  I don't have very many Papertrey Ink products but I always try to use as many as I can on projects I do for contest entries.  Today I pulled out my favorite go-to stamp set for Thank You cards called "Love Lives Here" designed by Melissa Phillips.  I love this stamp set and the dies that go with it!  Which you know if you have looked at many of my blog posts in the past months.  Anyway here are some pics of the card I made:

The card base is made with PTI Aqua Mist cardstock and is covered in patterned papers from SEI and Memory Box.  I rounded the corners with my corner chomper from WERMemoryKeepers using the 1/2 inch side which I just love!

The sentiment is from the Love Lives here stamp set and says "Thank You for giving me a hand".  I love this saying especially for all the wonderful people that are currently helping my family!

Aren't those hands just precious!  Love them, love them, love them! All the new dies at PTI that coordinate with their stamps are so lovely!  Plus they make it easy to create a very nice looking card! 

My large element is a "corner" decorative element die made by Heartfelt Creations via Spellbinders. The cardstock diecuts are all from DCWV papers that I have in my stash.  Well that is it so far for today.   I have one more card I would like to make for the PTI "Make it Monday" challenge but I hear my hubby stirring so it may not get made today.  We shall see!  Either way it has been a lovely crafting 2 hours this afternoon - so rejuvenating and fun!  Happy Saturday night everyone!  Have fun!  : )

Card Supplies:
Stamps:   Love Lives Here - PTI
Ink: PTI Fresh Snow (edges of die cuts, card, hands, and scalloped border punch)  Anna Griffin - chocolate pigment ink
Paper:   Cardstock:  Aqua Mist - PTI; Patterned papers:  SEI, Memory Box, additional diecuts cardstock: DCWV
Other:   Bling: recollections/Michael's, EK Success border punch, Dies: PTI, Spellbinders and Heartfelt Creations. DMC floss, Glue Dots, Ad tech adhesive, Foam "Pop-UP" Tape - dollar store. Sanding block for card edge distressing.
Finished Size:   4.25 x 5.5

Frames anyone? A little Valentine "Friendship Jar" tag on a card for my dear husband....

Tonight I made a little valentine of love for my sweet husband.  It has been a tough year for him and our family with his brain cancer diagnosis and I wanted to make him a special valentine.  I was reading Nichole's blog over at PTI today and the post is all about the new frame stamps coming out on the 15th of this month.  I decided to play along for the prize and incorporated a stamped circle frame from their "Love Lives Here" set into the tag I designed using the wonderful "Friendship Jar" set.  I incorporated some clear "cardstock" to make the jar appear "glass-like" by die-cutting the jar once out of cardstock and the second time out of the clear plastic.  I stamped on the cardstock and then stapled the clear jar die cut to the paper one.  After making the jar tag which holds my heart and includes the sentiment "My heart is always with you" also from the "Love Lives Here" stamp set, I decided to place the whole tag onto a card so that I could give it to my husband for Valentine's Day.  Since I was trying to make the tag masculine in nature I kept the papers and diecuts on the card fairly simple.  I like the way it turned out.  Here are a couple of pics...

Unfortunately I will need to restamp and reglitter the sentiment because I thought it was dry from the heat gun that I used to set the ink and glitter but when I tied the sentiment tag onto the lid I nicked two of the letters a bit.  I think I may also be stamping on the wrong type of cardstock so I need to order a stash of Papertrey Ink cardstock since I just love it.  The card itself is made with Aqua Mist cardstock from PTI (the only color I currently own) and has patterned papers and cardstock from Crafty Secrets and DCWV.   I also used an ek success heart punch to make the border of hearts in the middle of the card.  A white gel pen and some doodle lines and heart outlines on the punched border completed this tag/card.  I am off to bed as I have been fighting a terrible sore throat and stomach ache all day today....more crafting time tomorrow maybe...nighty night everyone!

Day 6 of Papertrey Ink's Anniversary Celebration and it is all about buttons!

I was (and am!) so exicted to see the adorable button card stamp set and dies etc. being sneak peeked over on Nichole's blog for Papertrey Ink.  They will be released for sale on the 15th of this month.  The sneak peaks from Nichole and the design team are inspired and beautiful and Michelle Wooderson's idea with Nichole's design input makes for some beeeeaaaauuuutttifulllll button-magic!  I tried my hand at making a project with some buttons to join in the fun today.  I made a birthday tag to put on my sister's birthday gift next week.  Here are some pictures:

The gorgeous tag is cut from the tag sale #3 die from papertrey ink - Here.  This is my favorite tag die!  I just love the little embossed dot border around the outside!  It just adds the perfect extra touch!

The beautiful large butterfly was cut from a die from Marianne Designs (purchased at CuddlyBuddly.com)
I hope someday Papertrey Ink makes some more butterfly dies as they are so fun to add to projects.
The smaller butterflies are from a Martha Stewart punch I have had for years!

The heart bling is from Amuse Art Stamps which has a store near my home and is one of the first crafting products I ever bought for cards.  Love hearts of all kinds!

The buttons are from my stash and are one of my favorite colors- turquoise.

The cardstock is also papertrey ink and is called Aqua Mist!  I love it!!!!  You can see all of PTI's cardstock by clicking:  Here

The Happy Birthday tag at the top of the larger tag was made with the "Just the ticket" stamp set from Papertrey and was stamped with the only pink ink I have.  It doesn't match quite right but until my budget allows for me to purchase some more inks from PTI I am stuck with what I have.  Anyway it will do for this little birthday tag!  At least it blends with the butterfly but it may have been better for me to just use black ink with a pink tag....but no time to play some more and make it look better...so it will do for now!

I actually only had a few minutes tonight to read the Anniversary post for today and pull something together for the contest.  I did so tonight after giving dinner to my men after a long day of treatments with my dear hubbie and a playdate after school with my son and his friends on a beautiful sunny afternoon.  I am now off to gargle away my sore throat and then it is to bed- tomorrow is Friday and I get to be home all day aside from school runs!   My hubbie and I are both looking forward to it!  Weekend relaxation here we come! 

A little birthday card for my sister

The other night I made a sweet but very simple card for a Papertrey Ink contest but my husband wasn't feeling well and I did not get to upload it in time to enter it into the contest.  So tonight I am posting it after the fact.  It is a birthday card for my sweet sister.  Her birthday is right around Valentine's Day so it has a little heart doily on it.  It also uses a free Anniversary design from Nichole's blogpost at Papertrey Ink:   pti-anniversary-tag-download pdf  .  There are great images on this download that can be used over and over again for card making.

The images are made to fit a 1.75 inch circle punch which I do not own currently.  So I cut the image by hand the best that I could...it is sort of vintagey and imperfect but the card still turned out cute.  Here is a quick pic (the only one that turned out on the dark day I took it) and then I am off to hopefully make a couple of thank you notes using the wonderful color combos on today's papertrey ink blog post.  You can see all the anniversary posts here on Nichole's blog for Papertrey Ink:  Papertrey Ink Blog

Here is my sweet little card....for my sweet little sister....shhh don't tell her about it as I won't be mailing it out to her for a few days!
Supplies:
Doily:  stash
Patterned paper:  K & company - Sweet Nectar Line
Tag: K & Company
Adhesive:  Glue Glider Pro - High Tac cartridge; glue dots
Bling:  Recollections
Sentiment circle:  papertrey ink free pdf- see link in post above
Edge Punch:  Martha Stewart Crafts

Happy Anniversary to Papertrey Ink! Love, love, love your company and design team!

Today I am going to repost one of my favorite cards using papertrey ink products.  This is my first year using Papertrey Ink products.  I saw a card in a magazine using their stamps and decided to check them out online one day and I fell in love!  I love their stamps, their ink, their cardstock (which I just ordered for the first time a week or so ago and am just starting to use) and most of all their dies!  I am impressed with their service and the way they package their high-quality stamps!  I know I will be a customer for life!

This year my favorite product has to be the stamp set "Love Lives Here".  I love the verstility of this set!  There are so many uses for the stamps and the sentiments and the dies which have already made it onto several of my scrapbook pages too.  While I am still learning how to "design" and have a long way to go before I will feel that I am 'good' I still enjoy trying my hand at being creative.  It takes my mind off of my husband's illness and also allows me to make thank you notes for all of the people that are helping us out in our time of need.  This stamp set from papertrey ink along with the Crafty Secrets "Little Blessings" Creative Scraps which I also found this year have allowed me to send off some lovely thank you's to all the special people in our lives who are helping us right now.  So thank you Papertrey Ink and Crafty Secrets!  I love your products! 

Here are some of the cards I have made this year using Papertrey Ink's products...

I think the first card is my favorite of all because it seemed to turn out the best though I also like the last one.  I am still learning how to make cards so each one helps me grow a little.  The important thing is that I have fun making them and I get to send them to all my family and friends that are helping me out!  What could be a better reason to sit down and play with some ink, stamps and cardstock!  Again - thanks Papertrey Ink!  What a wonderful company full of amazing people doing what they love!  I am blessed to have found you this year!  Happy Anniversary!

Some Thank You cards...

Gratitude! Gratitude and Thankfulness!  That is my theme of the day today!  And I have some new cards to show for it too!

Wow - it has been quite some time since I posted!  I have been busy with lots of financial and insurance issues for our family over the past couple weeks since the New Year!  Today, though, I had time to make some cards to send as Thank You notes to some very special people who have been helping my family out during a difficult time.  I am so very grateful for my friends and family!  Here are the cards:

The sentiment on the front is "From my heart to your home" and on the inside:  "Thanks for giving me a helping hand".  Both sentiments are from a new set from Papertrey Ink which I will like too in my next card.  My son wanted to emboss the other night with the heat gun and embossing powder so I had him emboss the birdhouse stamp  in white and the sentiment too so it would match.  It turned out quite well for a 6 year old doing it!  Embossing can be a little bit tricky! LOL!

Here are some additional shots of the same card....

I colored in the birdhouse with my water-color pencils to add a touch of light color to it.

This next card uses the same sentiments and the small house diecut which are both from Papertrey Ink's December 2010 release titled "Love Lives Here".  Love Lives Here Stamp Set - with concepts by Melissa Phillips.  This is my current very favorite stamp set and I am using it a lot!!!

It has matching dies which you can see here:  Dies: Love Lives Here Collection.  I adore the butterfly and the hand too!  So cute and versatile! I love it!

I added the chimney with a piece of the same paper I die cut the house with and made "glitter" smoke coming out of it....a nice touch I think and makes it feel all snuggly and warm!

This card I made twice - once for my friend Julie and Skip and Family as Skip just lost his Father recently and once for my friend Leanna who just lost her husband Jerry.  Jerry and Leanne are Tim's adopted Aunt and Uncle and always send him the most adorable Hannah Anderson Christmas Pajamas each year along with lots of other goodies.  They are very generous and giving and sweet people and all I know is that heaven just received a wonderful new angel in Uncle Jerry!

 This last card uses an Inkadinkado set which is where the adorable polka dot heart and sentiment come from.  The die is from My Favorite Stamps and can be found here: Dienamics Decorative Doily Die


                                     
I just love the soft purple colors of this card....so fun to have something cheerful on a dreary morning...
This one uses a die from My Favorite Stamps:  Die-namics Decorative Doily Die.  I just love how this one die can totally dress up a card!  They have wonderful stamps too! 
Well that is it for cards today.  I have 3 more thank you cards still to make but this is all I am going to post for now.  I am still learning how to make good cards but each one I make allows me to get a little bit better at this fun craft!  Plus I get to send homemade cards to all my family and friends for different occasions.  Thanks for looking at my little blog!

:) Jill

gift tags, gift tags, I need a few more gift tags....

Made some gift tags for my sister to use for gifts to her staff for her business Natalie's Coffee on 3rd NW and NW 85th Street on the west side of the Greenwood Market in Seattle.  Here are some pics:

Tag mania for my sis is done!  I had lots and lots of fun!  Off to the next project!

A few tags and cards on a lovely Thursday afternoon....

Well I spent last week and weekend decorating for Christmas and having lots of company so not much card making got done.  The past couple of days I have had a little bit of time in the afternoon and did get some cards made.  One is a baby card for my friend who is due at the end of December and the rest are more Christmas cards...here are some of the pics...I will add the rest later when I take them...happy crafting... : )

Feeling a little bit blue (or turquoise) today....

Well, I am back to post a couple more cards.  These were made for a birthday and a thank you note for a couple of my girlfriends.  I was in the mood to use turquoise today - such a bright and happy color and also one of my favorite colors!  (I think turquoise and red are my absolute favorite colors of all time - at least right now - it could change at any time!!) 

Here is the first card.  I embossed the envelope to go with it as I am giving the card in person with a gift.  The stamp is from Red Lead (redleadpaperworks.com) and is one of my favorite go-to stamps for birthdays for my sisters and girlfriends. 

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The second card is a Thank You card with a Crafty Secrets cut from the Little Blessings Creative Scraps.
(craftysecrets.com).  I love this set of cuts...so many great sentiments for cards or home decor!

And life is heavenly when you have angels for friends which I do!  Yeah!

Well I am off to do some more cardmaking...Happy Crafting!

A Snowy and cold Tuesday in Seattle....and my son and I are crafting...

Hello everyone!  Today marks the second day of snow in Seattle which is still a fairly rare occurrence.  Unfortunately it is a dry snow and not so great for snowman building to my sons great disappointment.  However it was great for making snow angels and he did so last night with our neighbor Eric.  Today - since he had a sore throat last night - we are staying inside and crafting.  Tim is making ornaments and I am making Christmas cards....here are some from today:

This card is made using an Amuse Art Stamps card base and the bird diecut is from Crafty Secrets.  I used some spellbinders labels and circles and a martha stewart snowflake punch as well as a snowflake sticker.  I also used the cuttlebug and my new snowflake embossing folder from Tim Holtz.  And of course my staple of stickles glitter glue to brighten things up a bit and make them shine!  A day without glitter is a day I don't have fun!  LOL!

My next card also uses a die cut from Crafty Secrets and the same supplies mentioned above:

Sorry the photos are so blurry....need to retake them I guess!

And 1 last card using a Christmas Cut from Crafty Secrets...I love this one of the angel and his flock watching over the baby Jesus as the star shines down in the night sky....beautiful!  As I look at the pictures though this one doesn't look balanced to me so I may add some diecut shapes behind the image...hmmm I am never satisfied!!

Oops...I couldn't take it...I had to fix it so here is an updated picture of the card above....

I am still not 100% in love with the card but I sure love the die cut from Crafty Secrets...some cards are just harder to make than others...plus it was actually my first card of the day and I always start out slow and get better as I go on....especially since I don't get to spend much time in the craft room these days...

My last card for today is more masculine in style and uses Tim Holtz Embossing folders and a stamp from Ms. Theresa Collins.  I may send this one to my brother for Christmas as I know he would like the style of it... 

Well that is all for now...I am going to have to try and take pictures in the morning when the light is better...it is a dreary day today and the lighting indoors in my basement is not the best for photo taking....I will try and repost better photos tomorrow morning.  Happy Card Making everyone!  : )