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

Lawnscaping Challenge, Throw Back Thursday and Happy Mail

Hello readers!! It is finally Thursday. One more day until the weekend and my night to go see the play "Wicked." I am so excited!!

Before, that, though, I am going to post a quick project I created for a blogger that has been having a tough time. It is just a few things that I picked up and one thing I ordered online when I put in an order for stamps last week. Sometimes getting a package with a card helps when you are down in the dumps. I am hoping this puts a smile on her face!!

I am not going to show the contents but here is what it looks like when I was done packaging it up.

I wrapped the gift in white tissue and put it in a glassine bag. I then put a few sequin leaves and stapled the bag shut. I used yellow wired ribbon I had for the bow. The tag was created using the retired "Season of Thanks" set from Stampin up! that was colored in using Copic Markers. If you remember, I used the same set for the card I created in this blog post.

I then die cut the image out with an MFT die that I adjusted to fit the image. I layered it over a plethora of leaves that I die cut with the Lawn Fawn "Stitched Leaves" die and a pre-cut doily from the craft store. This leaf set is one of my absolute favorites!!!

I adhered the embellishment to the ribbon using a tiny clothes pin. I really LOVE how this little gift came out. I am hoping that it gets to my blog friend in one piece!!

Thank you for browsing today. Have a great day!!

Fusion Card Challenge using Lawn Fawn's Monster Mash

I have a confession. I have been a bit obsessed with Lawn Fawn's "Monster Mash" stamp/die set. In fact, my daughter has been making fun of me because I keep using it on different cards. I even made a Christmas card using this set, which I will show you at the bottom of this post.

The first card I created was using the Fusion Card Challenge for this week as my jumping off point. For this challenge, I could use the photo, the sketch or both to create a card. I chose to use the photo as inspiration rather then the sketch, though I might go back and do another card with both.

Here is what I came up with:

I used different shades of aqua for this card, like the photo. I didn't do an ombre technique with it on the whole card but did break it up in the box with the way I cut the patterned paper with the card stock strip in the middle. I also colored the little monster with the bat wings in an ombre technique. The inspiration piece is below:

Each of the monsters was colored using Copic Markers. I used a three color technique and then dotted them with the darkest color to get the sort of pointillist look in the "shadows" of the monsters. 

You can see the coloring better in the image above. 

I really LOVE how this card came out. These little monsters inspire me!!

Okay, now for the little off the beaten path card. I decided to mix "Making Frosty Friends" with the "Monster Mash" set and create a Christmas themed card. As I have said, my daughter thinks it is just weird!!

To start with, I created the background using distress ink and the snowflake stamp from "Snow Day." The ink was applied using an ink blending tool and the snowflakes were embossed in white. 

I then die cut a hill and inked around the edges a bit with the blue. Next was to layer the creatures together. 

I started with the snowman in the middle, adhering it directly to the background but tucking it under the snow bank a tiny bit. Then I used foam adhesive to adhere his hat and the monsters around him.  Are they not the cutest?

I then adhered google eyes on two of the monsters to give them a little bit more character. All the images were colored using Copic Markers. I did the pointillist technique again but also added some tiny dots of Stickles for added sparkle.

I do not care what my daughter thinks but I LOVE this card. What do you think? It is unusual but oh so cute!!

Thank you for stopping by today!!

Supplies:

Stamps-Lawn Fawn (Monster Mash, Snow Day, and Making Frosty Friends)

Paper-Paper Trey Ink (Stamper's select white card stock)

Dies-Lawn Fawn, My Favorite Things and Simon Says Stamp!

Ink-Tumbled Glass Distress Ink, Stampin Up! Gray, Versamark and Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Other-Big Shot, Copic Markers, Ranger Ink Embossing powder (white), google eyes, Signo Uniball Pen, Stickles

Happy Monday and a Wedding Card

I hope everyone's Mondays are going well. Monday is my least favorite day of the week because it means I have another five days before the weekend!! I also am going to see "Wicked" on Thursday and cannot wait. I am going with some friends I graduated from High School with. We try to go out once a month to dinner, which easier said then done. They are my tried and true friends, though, and make me LAUGH when I need it.

Today I am sharing a wedding card I created for a co-worker. The theme of the wedding was "travel." My co-worker said the invitations were boarding passes and the RSVP's were luggage tags. Too cute!! She wanted a special card that went along with that theme. Below is what I created for her:

I started by softly stamping the white card base with a retired Stamping Up! script background stamp in gray ink. I then inked the edges in Pumice Stone and Stormy Sky distress ink. The post card and the envelope were pre-made embellishments that I found at Michael's and just had to have. I am so glad that I bought them because I found out that I do not own that much travel stuff!!

The tag is a Lawn Fawn die cut, which I stamped using Paper Trey Ink's "Grand Ampersand" set. I then inked the edges with Vintage Photo and Pumice distress ink.

I die cut the red hearts using a Simon Says Stamp! heart die. The little silver hearts are from Pretty Pink Posh.

I have to admit that this card severely intimidated me. I do not usually take special orders for cards because a) getting time during the week to craft is often difficult and b) if I don't have an idea, I am up a creek!! Once I figured out what I was doing, this card came together in no time, though.

I thank you for taking the time to stop by.