Paper Trey Ink's Botanical Blocks II: Roses and Out Takes for our Christmas Card

It is Tuesday in blog land. One more day until vacation!!

Charlotte is presently sick with a bad cold, poor bug. Not a good time, either, as teachers are trying to wrap things up with quizzes and tests before the long weekend. 

On Sunday, before she got sick, she and I went to a local park to take her photo for our annual Christmas cards. I know, most people show off their family but since Charlotte is the only one whom is photogenic, she gets star billing. Chris and I are AWFUL with photos. We blink, close our eyes, you name it. Anyway, I thought I would share a few out takes of my beautiful girl. We had a lot of laughs doing this, something that was much needed between the two of us. Lets just say that now that she is a teen, we do not often see eye to eye.

Now on to the last two cards I created for my friend's birthday present....

I used Paper Trey Ink's Botanical Blocks II to stamp the rose images and then colored them Copic markers. I set them aside and decided to do some techniques that I usually am too lazy to do on a card.

For my first card, I die cut two rectangles and then misted pink, white and silver onto the front of both. I then angled them over the card front.

I then took some die cuts I had lying around on my desk and played with them until I was satisfied with the placement and then adhered them to the card front. Next, I used foam adhesive to adhere the rose image over the die cuts.

The last step was to take sequins and adhere them randomly around the stamped image. Not my favorite card but it was fun to play.

The last card I made I started off with a kraft card base that I stamped with an old script stamp from Stamping Up! that I had. Then I die cut a banner from pink card stock and adhered it to the card. I then layered a cropped rose image over the banner.

I decided to pull out some glitter tape and used it above and below the image. 

It is hard to see but the last step was to color the rose with a clear Wink of Stella pen.

That is all for today!! I thank you for taking the time to stop by!!

Supplies:

Paper Trey Ink's Botanical Blocks II

Stampin Up! Script stamp

American Crafts glitter tape

InLinkz.com

MORE Paper Trey Ink Botanical Block's cards: Carnations

Monday, Monday, how I adore Monday... Okay, I really don't like Monday's but since it is like a Wednesday this week, I don't mind!! Two more day of work and then I get to play.

Today I am sharing two more cards I created for my friend's birthday gift. Are you bored with these yet? I used the carnation block from Paper Trey Ink's Botanical Blocks II set as the showcased image in the two cards. Out of all the cards I colored with Copic's, the images on these cards were colored in the best.

For the first card, I chose a yellow color scheme. Didn't the shading come out fabulous? I even like the leaves!!

I do not love the colored black frame around the edge of the stamped image, though. On my second card, I cut that off but chose to keep it on here. I did a little inking around the edge but I am not loving it. It looks messy. I tried to rip the stamped block off but instead of using the usual adhesive I use, I used one that is tougher to reposition so it is stuck. Unless I want to start over, it will be part of the set.

I chose to keep the elements simple for this card because I wanted the focus to be on the stamped image rather then the embellishments. I adhered the block over a strip of yellow patterned paper and then stamped the sentiment under it. The last step was to give the flower a little sparkle using a clear Wink of Stella pen.

For the second card, I chose to color the carnation in with red Copic markers. I used R35, R37 and R59 to shade in the flower and I LOVE the effect. It actually looks dimensional!

Again, I wanted the focus to be on the flowers rather then on the embellishments so I used the same basic design as the yellow card. Instead of using the frame around the flower, I chose to cut it off and mat the stamped image with black card stock. (In this photos the matting looks crooked but I assure you it is the angle I took the photos in!!)

I then layered it over the strip of red patterned paper. My last two steps were to stamp the sentiment and then go over the carnation with a clear Wink of Stella pen.

Two simple but pretty cards for the set, don't you think?

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a great day!

Supplies:

Paper Trey Ink's Botanical Blocks II Stamp set

InLinkz.com

Paper Trey Ink's Botanical Blocks II: Hydrangeas

Happy Sunday!! I am soooooo excited that this week is only a three day work week. I am looking forward to the time off and some yummy food. I love Thanksgiving because I get to eat food that I do not eat all year long.

I have not really crafted this week. I am kind of in a funk. I really enjoy doing challenges from the plethora of challenge blogs but have been finding that looking at the design teams examples sometimes hinders my own creativity. I feel like that I won't measure up so I often will not even partake anymore. Am I the only one who feels this way or am I just being a dork?

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE browsing the blogs I have bookmarked and browse all of them a few times a week. I get so inspired by the techniques I see...then try them and do not like my result. Do you experiment often with new techniques? Doe your first try result in a masterpiece or do you often have to try again? I am just curious.

Yesterday my sister came over to use my stamps and dies to make Christmas tags. I wound up stamping while she did the die cutting and then colored in some of the images with my Copics. My sister does not have these markers at home so I helped her out. It was fun visiting for a few hours.

Now on to the two cards I want to share that I created for my friend's birthday present. In my last post I used Botanical Blocks stamp set to create the sunflower cards but the cards I am showing you today were made using the Botanical Blocks II set.

The first card I created I started by layering a white die cut that I cut using Paper Trey's cover plate Twist Die over a purple card base.

I then adhered a doily cut from vellum onto the bottom right hand side of the card.

Over the doily, I layered a stamped and matted hydrangea block that I colored with Copic markers. I tried my blending techniques that I learned in my online Copic class but the leaves didn't blend as well as I wanted them too. However, I do like the colors I chose.

The last step was to adhere different sized clear sequins over the hydrangea. I think this card came out really pretty.

Even though I used the same stamp for the next card, I had to showcase the block in a different way. I am TERRIBLE at making the same card twice. I get bored of the same design!!!

I chose to use layered Royal Velvet card stock and patterned paper from PTI under the hydrangea image. I am not a purple person but I LOVE this color!!

Unlike the first hydrangea card, I left the frame around the stamped block and colored that in with a purple Copic. I also used a darker blue for the background and my leaves blended better. Practice does make perfect!!

I used glossy accents in the darker areas of the hydrangeas to give the flower some dimension. It is hard to see but if you look hard in the above photo, you can make it out. I then layered sequins over the hydrangea in random areas.

My last step was to die cut a butterfly out of vellum and adhere it over the the bottom of the stamp. For an added touch, I glued a sequin to the middle of the butterfly. Out of all the cards I created, this one is my favorite!!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. I hope you have a fabulous day!!

Supplies:

Paper Trey Ink Botanical Blocks II

Paper Trey Ink Cover Plate: Twist 

Paper Trey Ink Doily Details Die Collection

InLinkz.com

Paper Trey Ink Botanical Blocks: Sunflowers

Happy Saturday!! I hope you had a fabulous week.

As you know, I saw Wicked this week. What a fabulous play! To be honest, I had no idea what it was even about. I thought it would be dark like the book but it was quite funny. The leads were fantastic and a rumor that I heard at the theater was for some of the leads, the next stop was Broadway. How cool is that after traveling with the show and then be able to do it on Broadway?

I went with two of my dear friends and it was just such a treat to spend time with them during the week. Things get so hectic that it is so hard to find the time to get together like we used to. To be young, single and carefree again!! Sometimes I miss that.

This week I have been working on a few things for a friend's birthday. It has become a tradition that I make a set of cards for her. Last year I created a cute card set using a Lawn Fawn set. I would link you to the cards but I just realized that I never blogged about them. The horrors!! This year, I chose to use Paper Trey Ink's Botanical Blocks and Botanical Blocks II stamp sets to create the cards.

To start with, here is the birthday card I created. My friend Jil LOVES sunflowers so this was the perfect way to start the process.

I kept it pretty simple, as I did all the cards. When you are making nine cards, simple is the way to go. To start the process, I stamped two of all but the sunflower blocks, which I stamped three. I then trimmed out each block and colored them using Copic markers. In this way, all the blocks were done and I just had to design each card base.

For the birthday card I sent,  I embossed and die cut a piece of chocolate card stock, and then inked over the embossing with Vintage Cream ink. Next, I adhered this to the mustard card base. I then adhered the sunflower block. I wrapped a piece of chocolate twine around the card front three times and tied it into a bow, inserting a button in between the button wrapped twine and the bow. In this photo, it is a bit loose but I fixed it before I sent it. My last step was to stamp the sentiment in brown ink.

I have to admit, this is not my favorite card but I know my friend will like it just for the sunflower. She knows that I made it from the heart, too.

The next two cards I created using the sunflower block are for the card set.

This card was a bit more fun. I stamped the polka dots using Classic Kraft ink on a Classic Kraft card base. I then inked Walnut Stain around the edge. This used to be my favorite technique on cards. I don't use it as much but I still do like the look.

If you notice, I cut the frame off of this sunflower bock and matted it with summer sunrise card stock, which I distressed using a distress tool. I tied my last bit of natural twine around the layers three times and added a sentiment block. I also added some Wink of Stella glitter pen but it is hard to see in this photo.

The last sunflower card was the easiest to create.

I die cut and embossed a piece of summer sunrise card stock and layered over the same color card base. I then stamped white polka dots on a piece of chocolate card stock and layered it over the yellow.

The sunflower block was adhered over all three. The last step was to add a frame using diamond Stickles.

These two cards are only the first two in the set. I will share the next six cards on my blog all this week. Thank you for taking the time to stop by. I always enjoy your visits.

Supplies:

Paper: Paper Trey Ink (white, Summer Sunrise, Classic Kraft), Stampin Up! (Chocolate, Mustard)

Stamps: Paper Trey Ink (Botanical Blocks, Polka Dot Basics)

Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black and Paper Trey Ink (Fresh Snow, Vintage Cream and Classic Kraft), Ranger Ink (Walnut Stain)

Dies: Paper Trey Ink, My Favorite Things

Other: Big Shot Machine, Diamond Stickles, Brown twine, natural twine, Tim Holtz Embossing Folder, Copic Markers