Retro Sketches #116

Hello!

I'm up at at 'em this morning and popping in to share a card I made this weekend for the Retro Sketches challenge. I was playing around with a new die and thought it went perfectly with this sketch:

 

 

 

This is the new Delicate Details die from PaperTrey Ink and Close To My Heart's new Pink glitter paper. A great combination. 

 

 

I love, love, love how this turned out! It did take forever and a day to "weed" all the extra pieces out of the middle of the die and I did do it on the wrong side, but you can't tell. :) I still get it backwards all the time as on to which side of the paper to put the die. I cut the "thanks" using my Silhouette (and of course by  now don't remember the font) and just added some washi tape and a rhinestone brad, also from Close To My Heart. The background paper is from Glitz Design's "Sunshine In My Soul" 6x6 pad. I inked the edges using Slate ink. 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

God Bless,
Mandy Pin It

Paper Smooches SPARKS

Hello!
I'm back with another post today - in the quiet evening hours again. It makes me love summer a little bit. Kids finally had their last full day of school and can play outside all they want without worrying about a night schedule. Yay! That is so much "work" and "stress" off of Mommy. I hated forcing them in when they need to be outside and playing! That's what kids are supposed to do. And I feel anytime they are willing playing outside instead of, say, being on  Minecraft  -- we are encouraging it! :)

I was in the mood to color with markers yesterday so I made a card for this weeks Designer Drafts challenge over at the Paper Smooches SPARKS blog.

I used my "Party Posse" stamp set (still a favorite -- I decide favorites by how much fun they are to color since I am such a novice. Ha!)

 

 

This little turtle may be my favorite out of all the critters in this set. And, since Baby Sister loves turtles....this one will be perfect for her. I used scraps (including the chipboard shape in the background) from my CTMH Footloose kit. That kit had great colors! I stamped the turtle, colored him, then stamped on his party hat, colored it and trimmed it all out as one piece. He is adhered using foam tape to keep him out over the patterned paper - makes him stand out a little better.

 

I curved the sentiments around on my block prior to stamping and was quite please with how it turned out. Usually, when I attempt that technique, I just end up mad. =) (Who me???)

 

Thanks for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

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Color Throwdown and Seize the Birthday

I'm back with my second post of the day. Wow. I have found myself in an "odd" position. I'm pretty much done with all the housework I'm going to do today. Notice I said that I am done -- not that it is all done. There is a difference. The kids are out playing with friends and Big Daddy is even outside. It's so quiet. I love it. I can do whatever I want! However, I don't know what I want to do! Bwaaahaaahaa!   This is kind of unusual for me, but not completely. Finally get some free moments and lack any desire to do anything. :) So I may sit and stare at the walls; I don't know!

I am going to share another card - I can always do that. I have stacks of them sitting around. And in more than one room. I actually had B.D. wave a stack at me a few nights ago wanting to know what the deal was. (I may have left them in the den. Whatever. The kids do that stuff all the time! Why can't I?!)

I have good birthday inspiration from Seize the Birthday and Color Throwdown this week.



Seize the Birthday is about using "tags" on your birthday project. I actually pieced this card together with leftovers that were laying on my desk. I had cut the tag for something else and then discarded it.

 

The tag die and ENJOY die are both PTI as well as the stamps from Wet Paint III. I used PTI Aqua Mist cardstock and Goldrush cardstock and Green glitter cardstock from CTMH. The patterned paper is from Pink Paislee's Hey Kid 6x6 pad. It was very simple and easy to make! I probably spent the most time drawing the white stitching on the edge of the vellum and striped paper. :)

 

Thanks for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

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Colour Q #242 and CAS(E) this Sketch #77

Happy Memorial Day!

I am sitting down and taking a break. I slept in, then have spent the morning either in the kitchen or cleaning up the house. It was O.O.C! Ick. Now I'm exhausted and a little cranky. LOL. I hope a little quiet and relaxing will help. I even had the kids helping out this morning and now they are playing out in the sprinklers with neighbors. :) (Of course, that means they will bring another mess back in with them -- but I think it's worth the hour or so of quiet!)

I am sharing another card I made this past week using my new PTI stamps - this one "Splat". I paired the Colour Q colors (again) with the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge.



Here is my card --

 

 

I stamped the solid circles using the back of the stamps and Hibiscus Burst (PTI) ink that was misted with  water prior to stamping. I stamped the sentiment circle in Sunset (CTMH) and then added multi-colored enamel dots after layering up my card. I love how it turned out. It's quite cheery and happy.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by to visit!

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

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May 2014 PaperTrey Ink Blog Hop

Hello!

I've been out and about most of the day today and seeing all the Paper Trey Ink Blog Hop activity and decided once we got home tonight that I still had time to participate. 8-) (That's my nerd smiley.)

Here is the inspiration photo for using Aqua & Melon on your project. I love these colors together but don't really use them often. Not sure why....



I pulled out -- well that's not true - my Wet Paint III stamp set is new and is still out on my desk. Since it's new I'm giving it lots of love this week. So I did break down and buy some watercolor paper today. I really like the look and want to play around with that technique more, but I tend to do little more than make a big mess so I bought some. This card took me about 3 tries to get happy with it, but whatever -- it's all good. I can take it. Sometimes I have 3 tries and still looks like junk and I have to leave disgusted, so this is better than it could have been. =)

 

I am using this for a friend with a new sales job that has signed her first contracts. She is so excited. And I'm excited for her. =)

 

 

After inking the stamps I spritzed them with water. I just rounded the corners and added a few matching dots. I didn't have PTI Aqua and Melon colors so I have used CTMH's Juniper and Sorbet.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

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Colour Q #242 and CASology # 96

Hello!

I'm popping in with a quick post tonight to share a card I made this week with Colour Q colors. I so love! I will have several entries this time. Some kinda by accident - meaning I wasn't planning to use those colors again but it happened. So, hopefully, everyone will bear with seeing "my ugly mug" pop up more than once on that challenge blog! Giggle.

I've already been hit up once for the computer for a Minecrap -- uh I mean -- Minecraft round before bed tonight, so I'm totally sneaking this in.

 

See! Such happy and fun colors. Spring all the way. .... Spring -- not the sweltering humidity and 90 degrees we are already having. :(

 

 

I am about as inept with a camera as a person can get -- so I used my iPhone half the time (or more). And this one looks great except that the background patterned paper is a lime green rather than yellow. It looks cute in the photo =) but that's not how it looks in person!

 

I used my WPlus9 Fresh Cut Florals stamp set and the patterned paper is from Pink Paislees Hey Kid 6x6 pad. (Full of fun colors! Thank you scrapbooksteals.com!!!) I did a little of my own wonky stitching on the top for fun. Probably shouldn't have but it is what it is. I love to play around with it. And then regret it later. It's what I do.

 

I am also entering this card in this week's CASology challenge, Cue Card "Fowers".

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 





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SMILE Birthday and Lovely Sunflower

Hello!
-- And if you are in TN, that is a sweltering Hello to you! Yikes. Playing outside with my boy tonight and I was doing my best not to move around a whole lot because with the humidity I was sweating just from standing out there. It's special. Heat isn't too bad -- but the humidity -- WOW.

I  made a birthday card today for my sister. Her birthday is Saturday and long story short, the mail ran early today and I didn't get her card in the box. I'm super disappointed because with our distance I'm afraid she won't get it until Tuesday. Dag nab it.

I was mostly playing around with my markers and I stamped that sweet little sunflower from Lawn Fawn's "Our Friendship Grows" set. I love coloring those big sunflowers. I paired it with the new PTI stamp set Wet Paint III (Happy Mother's Day! to me).

I love how this turned out. I just masked the flower when stamping the leaves and colored it all in. I layered the panel over patterned paper from a My Mind's Eye 6x6 pad and added a couple of Studio Calico sequins and that was it. Very simple!

I'm entering this in this week's CASology challenge for the "Flowers" cue card.

I'm also entering it in this week's Paper Players "Clean & Simple Floral" challenge.



 

Thank you for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

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Virginia's View Challenge #3 -- Stitching

Hello - I'm back with my second post today! Granted it's taking me hours to put up a post because I'm catching up on my DVR on this rainy, sick-with-a-cold day! But, it's a good way to spend a day. =)

This card I made earlier this week for Virginia's View Stitching Challenge. But it was mostly just self-indulgent for me because, thanks to my sister, I now have a sewing machine and I love to play with it. I've wanted one forever but always been intimidated, but with her help I find I really like it. She even coached me through making two pillows one weekend! I was ecstatic. ;)

Here is my card:

Honestly, I just played around with stitching papers down. I wasn't even totally sure where I was going with this until I just started plopping stuff down. It was fun!

 

I used paper scraps from one of my favorite 6x6 pads, Crate Papers DIY Shop. I trimmed banners and stitched them down on the larger paper strips. Then stitched both pieces to the card base. I trimmed a scalloped circle using my CTMH Artiste Cricut cartridge  and stamped the sentiment from PTI's Communique Curves Sentiments mini stamp set (masking to make it fit on the circle). It's popped up on foam tape and I added the enamel dots for color. I used CTMH's Slate ink and True To Life stamp set. (so versatile!) I liked my little "eclectic" turn out. It's out of my normal style and so much fun. I have fun switching things up a bit! =)

 

Thank you for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless,

Mandy



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The Paper Players Color Challenge #195

Hello!

I have found myself under the weather with a yucky head cold this week that went into my chest during the night.  I haven't felt like doing very much around here and have made it as best as I could, doing what I can when I have the energy and taking a break (sometimes a nap!) as I need it. On the bright side, quiet time in my crafty space is perfect treatment. I spent a few hours up there yesterday and spent a lot of that time organizing and cleaning up some of my (RIDICULOUS) piles! After everyone went to bed last night, laying down with a stuffy nose was the last thing I wanted to do, so I enjoyed Big Bang Theory re-runs and made THREE cards! That's such a record for me. =) I think if I didn't have children to get to school this morning, I would have stayed up there most of the night! It was therapeutic.

I want to share one of the "therapy cards". This one is based on the challenge colors over at Paper Players:

 

 

 

 

 

I used Lawn Fawn's Float My Boat stamp set. I stamped Hero Arts "Tiny Ink Spots" background stamp in (CTMH) Pear ink onto green paper from Echo Park's Splendid Sunshine 6x6 pad. I layered Kraft cardstock (PTI) and white cardstock stamped with the lifesavers in Smoothie ink. I stamped the two little hearts using Crème Brulee ink and trimmed it up with Hemptique twine. The Kraft chevrons were left out on my desk after cutting an overlay from CTMH's Artbooking cartridge. =) I loved how that turned out and was glad that I'd been putting up with them on my desktop rather than throwing them away like I was kinda tempted to do!

 

Thanks for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless,

Mandy



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MFW: Handwriting & Retro Sketches #114

Hello --

Two posts tonight for me. We are sitting outside enjoying the peaceful night air (and sounds of kids squeals and playing around us, of course). We are all smiles here because one of our kitty cats that took a walk with us last night and seemingly didn't return just came back home. :) My daughter came running and screaming through the house toting that big, huge tomcat. And he just hung there - happy to see her, too. :)

I played in my crafty space today! Yay! I've been on a self-imposed-but-couldn't-help-it sabbatical from playing along with challenges. I've spent time crafting, but only out of necessity for gifts and special occasions, not for "just for fun". It's quite satisfying (Sometimes even more so, because I know I have a use for it, rather than letting it pile up in my room like all of the other projects do.), but it makes me seem like I've fallen off the face of our blog-land.


I LOVE the Retro Sketch challenge this week:

 



I've been staring at some new stamps left out on my desk all week and worked them into this card. I really like how it turned out -- perfect for the MFW Handwriting challenge.

 

Honestly, I just made this card with scraps laying around on my desk! It was my first card of the afternoon and I was struggling with mojo issues, but determined to create something. I picked up the stamp set on my desk and started stamping. You can't really tell in this picture, but a swirled bracket frame is stamped in Latte pigment ink (Amuse Studios) over the chevron background. It's really not pertinent to the stamps design, but I had to start doing something. Ha! The "sweet" and "Lovely" are from the same stamp set (CTMH Artbooking collection) and the y,o,u are stamped from CTMH's Hopscotch alphabet. It's so cute and perfect for the handwritten look. I used PTI's Rasberry Fizz ink and cardstock strip and Simply Chartreuse ink and cardstock strip. The Gray Wool panel is from CTMH.

 

Thank you for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

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Colour Q #240 and CAS(E) this Sketch #75

Hello -

I actually found some time to play in my crafty space on this gorgeous Saturday. Big Daddy didn't have to work (for a change!) and he had the kids entertained downstairs for a brief period while I was hiding upstairs stamping away.

I did struggle this afternoon, a quite familiar phenomenon while in my room. It frustrates me so. While I'm in bed trying to fall asleep and scanning Pinterest (of course.  Who doesn't?!), I have ideas and inspiration galore. .... Fast forward several hours or even a day later, a little "free time" at my craft desk FINALLY and do ideas or inspiration come to me? Of course they don't. I find myself sitting in my comfy chair and staring at my desk (or the TV. Shhhhh.....). Today, I turned the TV off and just picked up a new stamp and started stamping. I decided to just "play" and see where it would take me. Fortunately, it worked and I finally got a little mojo flowing. I must remember to try this technique again --- because I know it will happen again.

Enough about that -- onto the fun part of sharing our little created fruits.

I picked the Colour Q colors and the sketch from over at CAS(E) this Sketch to make this card. I've wanted to ink up this balloon stamp from CTMH using Colour Q colors for several weeks. I had actually put it in a pile of "not really used" stamps and then felt some inspiration as I filed it along with others. I pulled it back up and put it in the drawer! I love when that happens. I'm on a mission these days to find new inspiration with all my many, many, many currently owned stamp sets. It's ridiculous the way I continue to buy new ones, stamp a couple of times then move on to a new set to covet! (Insert shameful face here.)



LOOOOOVE this CAS sketch! Love it!

 

The balloon is stamped from my CTMH Artiste collection stamp set. I drew the "string" on with a Pilot G-2 pen (Don't get me started) and a ruler. I used CTMH's Baby Pink ink and PTI's Rasberry Fizz. (I've become a bit of a pink ink nerd. I have been in search of just  the right shade that I have in my mind lately -- somewhere in between CTMH's Cotton Candy and this PTI Rasberry Fizz, but it continues to elude me!) The card base is PTI Simply Chartreuse cardstock and I stamped the sentiment from PTI's Keep It Simple: Birthdays mini stamp set using CTMH Juniper ink. ....Phew. Boy it's easier to explain a supply list if you use all the same company - but not near as creative. :) I have found I get more "out of my head" thinking if I mix, mix, mix!

 

Well I'm chatting away tonight like I've just downed a Caramel Mocha but I can assure you I have not. Sadly, I really want one now that I have mentioned it. --- I could stay up all night stamping! =)

 

Thanks for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

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Paper Smooches SPARKS Anything Goes

Good evening!

Long time, no post! I have been so busy the past few weeks, that I have barely stepped foot into my craft room. I may be going through withdrawals sometime soon. =) I did manage to squeak out a card or two today in between obligations. And, I even got to snap a photo and share it here!

I wanted to make another card with my Paper Smooches stamps - it's been a while since they've seen some ink. This week's challenges over at the SPARKS blog is "Anything Goes" and since I've had a hankering to make a chalkboard card, this was a good fit.



Here is my card using the "Get Outta Town" stamp set and the chalkboard technique:

 



 

I made a square card base using Aqua Mist cardstock from PTI and patterned paper from Dear Lizzy's 5th & Frolic 6x6 pad. I decided this would be a great card to send to my Bestie who LERVES the beach!

 

Thanks for stopping by to visit!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

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