Caardvarks Lacy Days Challenge Sponsored by Just-Rite

For this Caardvarks' challenge I decided (finally!) to try my first easel card. The are SOOO easy -- seriously. I followed the tutorial at SCS, done to perfection by Beate. She's truly a master of all things papercrafty! I used the requisite lace per the challenge, along with JRS stamp, some fun Imaginisce paper, pearls and my usual Spellbinders' dies (borrowed once again) -- a fun card for some dear friends!
Paper: PTI Stampers' Select White CS; Imaginisce DP; black CS from stash
Stamp: JustRiteStampers: Harmony Classic Circle Stamper III Stamp Ensemble
Ink: PTI's True Black
Embellishments: Spellbinders' Circle, Tulip Borderabilities & tulip from Tulip Pendant; lace, pearls from stash
Tools: Spellbinders' Wizard

Card Patterns Sketch #56: Life is a Journey

Thought this was such a fun sketch @ Card Patterns that I wanted to use this bicycle from Papertrey Ink's Everyday Button Bits I stamped quite awhile ago when my BBGF (Best Blogging Girlfriend) Gwen came over and brought several stamps for me to play with. Thanks, BBGF!!! I decided I'd keep it fairly simple to let my little green bicycle stand out. Had a lot of fun following this sketch--now I need to rush to get it posted.
Paper: PTI White CS; DP: Making Memories Travel Embellishment Papers
Stamps: PTI's Everday Button Bits & Birds of a Feather (sentiment)
Ink: PTI's Dark Chocolate; Ranger's Old Paper & Antique Linen
Embellishments: MM's Travel Stickers
Tools: Spellbinders Circle Dies; Creative Memories Cutting System (hills) Copic Markers

CPS Sketch 159: Many Thanks

A friend gave me this gorgeous soft pink swirl embellishment so I just had to use it for Card Positioning Systems Sketch #159 this week. All my double-sided DPs are SEI's Morning Meadow and I LOVE the subtle spring colors here.

Papers: PTI's Vintage Cream CS; DPs: SEI's Morning Meadow

Stamp: PTI's Heartfelt Basics

Ink: VersaColor's Pigment 53 Cocoa

Embellishments: Prima Marketing Inc's Swirls Pink; Michaels: Pink Velvet Ribbon

Tools: Spellbinders' Ribbon Tag Die; WeRMemoryKeepers' Corner Rounder

PTI March, 2010 Blog Hop: Buttons

My card for this month's Papertrey Ink Blog Hop is basically a CAS card, employing only two stamps and three colors plus cream. I simply stamped the curlique branch from Turning a New Leaf in Ripe Avocado. LOVE this stamp set!!! I then added various sizes of button "flowers" in Ocean Tides and Aqua Mist, tied alternately top and bottom with cream crochet thread. I punched and attached a strip of Aqua Friends 'Til the End flowered paper to the left edge, embellished with more crochet thread. Finally, my Giga Guide Lines sentiment and rounded corners finish off this simple Thank You card, which will soon be on it's way to friends!
Paper: PTI's Vintage Cream CS; Friends 'Til the End DP
Stamps: PTI's Turning a New Leaf & Giga Guide Lines
Ink: PTI's Ripe Avocado & Ocean Tides
Embellishments: PTI's Holiday Mix Vintage Button Collection
Tools: Fiskars' Apron Lace Punch; WeRMemoryKeepers Corner Rounder

Taylored Expressions Dragonfly Card Drive #3-#6

I managed to get a total of six simple cards done and mailed for Taylored Expressions Dragonfly Card Drive and these are my last four. I felt they needed to be rather soft colors, so hope that these will work for her worthy cause. I ended up using the same layout on these last four, as they needed to be there by Thursday. I used the same Spellbinders' dragonfly die for each card, simply varying the colors, edgings and Nesties used.
Paper: PTI's White Shimmer CS; various DeNami Design's DPs, other from stash
Stamps: Stampendous SSC134: Encouraging Words
Ink: PTI's True Black

Tools: Spellbinders' Bugs & various Labels Dies; various Cuttlebug Embossing Folders; MS Eyelet Lace Punch

Taylored Expressions Sketch #105 & Dragonfly Card #2

This is my second card for Taylor's Dragonfly Card Drive, inspired by her Sketch #105. Just quite simply used several Nesties which are mostly borrowed from my friend, Ilene (except the one I do own -- the little swirl)! Having fun playing with her Nesties stash, which is a good way to know which sets I cannot live without -- eventually -- LOL!
Paper: PTI's White Shimmer; DeNami Design's CS (lavender & purple)
Stamp: PTI's Everyday Classics (Anniversary Set)
Ink: SU's Eggplant Envy
Tools/Embellishments: Spellbinders' Wizard & Dies: Bugs, Eyelet Borderabilities, Flourish Accents, Labels Ten

Taylored Expressions Dragonfly Card Drive 1

I'm really late getting started with my plan to send a few cards to Taylored Expressions for her Dragonfly Card Drive. You can read all about it here, including how you'll qualify for her drawing(s) for $50 Gift Certificate(s) for her fabulous store!!! Cards must reach Taylor in IA by Thursday, March 25th, so I'll do my very best for this worthy cause. My friend, Ilene, came over recently & we collaborated on this exact card, except that I opted to make mine the "usual" 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" size, as opposed to her square size due to my shortage of square envelopes. You need only send an envelope IF your card is different than this standard size, otherwise Taylor will supply them. Ilene had had this shiny flourescent green paper (probably wrapping paper) in her green stash forever and it made such a cute dragonfly, I just had to make a card also!

Paper: Bazzill CS; green from Ilene's stash (source unknown)

Stamp: PTI's With Sympathy Add-On: Loss of Child

Ink:PTI's True Black

Tools/Embellishments: Spellbinders' Dragonfly & Labels Thirteen (my new fav!) Dies; MS Scallop 3-dot Punch

Happy St. Patrick's Day for WMS Blog Hop

In honor of St. Patrick's Day and Waltzingmouse Stamps, Claire is having a Blog Hop! Sadly the only WMS stamp set I own is one of her Gingerbread sets. I just didn't think a Gingerbread Boy would look enough like St. Patrick to qualify for this -- LOL! So I used this awesome digi image Claire drew just for the occasion. Being short on time, I kept my card quick & simple. After seeing her card, I've apparently colored mine "backwards", as I used darker green at the edges and lighter green in the centers. Guess maybe I'm not nearly as Irish as I think I am? Hee-Hee!!!
Paper: Georgia-Pacific CS (WalMart); double-sided white-core green CS (Costco)
Digi Image: Waltzing Mouse Stamps
Sentiment: Created in Microsoft Word
Embellishments/Tools: Spellbinders' Labels Thirteen & Ribbon Tags Trio dies; Copic Markers: YG06, YG09 YR00, R02, C-1, C-5; ribbon from stash

Woven Ribbon Easter Basket

I know it's been a long while since I posted, but here's what I've been up to: doing my best Becca Feeken impersonation -- LOL -- AS IF anyone could top her amazingly incredible creativity! I'm linking you to the directions for her breathtakingly gorgeous Valentine Basket, which I've made for a friend's 4-yr.-old. I sincerely thank Becca for her unending inspiration and willingness to share not only her gorgeous creations, but also detailed videos, drawings and photos of just how to re-create her gems. You'll be blown away when you visit her blog, if you've not yet had that pleasure! She truly tops my list of fav blogs I check daily.
Paper: PTI's Vintage Cream; Bazzill Bling
Stamps: Little Paper Shop's {All Occasion}
Ink: PTI's Raspberry Fizz
Tools: Spellbinders' Wizard & Scalloped Edge Frame, Nested Eggs, Easter Fun, Scalloped Cirlces Dies; MS Garden Trellis Punch
Embellishments: Michaels' Dashes, Dots & Checks Ribbon; green ribbon from stash; DCWV chipboard

Friendship Card - CPS Card Sketch #156

I had recently purchased this gorgeous DCWV La Creme matstack and Heidi Grace's For You stamp set. When I saw this CPS Sketch I knew they'd be the perfect compliments for my card. Everything is quite simple here -- 3 different matstack papers, 1 great sentiment stamp, a sticker & 4 pearls -- so a very quick, easy card to complete. The best part is I know the perfect person to send it to; I love it when it all comes together so easily!

EDITED TO ADD: When I finished the inside of my card, I added a black velvet ribbon along the fold -- loved how that looked, so added that photo.

Paper: DCWV's La Creme CS; Cream CS from my stash
Stamp: Heidi Grace's For You
Ink: PTI's True Black
Embellishments: Spellbinders' Oval Die; Queen & Co. Self-Adhesive Felt Fusion & Black Pearls
Tools: Spellbinders' Wizard; Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper