Quilter's Sampler

Let me start by saying, that yes, Paper Trey has done it again. Taken another one of my favorite things and made it into a stamp set. Yes, in a life before kids I actually quilted. I quilted a lot in fact. I don't have much to show from this time in my life, because for some reason I never kept anything I made. How dumb is that? Some day I will get down to the bunker and finish all the UFOs (unfinished objects) in my quilting stash...but it won't be anytime soon. Another reason I enjoy stamping, it is fairly easy to start and finish a project within a couple of hours. Not so much for quilting.



This is another set that I had to wait nearly a month to get into my hot little hands. It's my own fault, because I dilly dallied when it came out, knowing it would be crazy popular, but I didn't get my order in....so I had to wait for the backorders to come in. I couldn't be happier with this set....my card however, not my choice as my favorite work. I am a little over critical, I am sure, but I need a little more time to play with this. This was not that week though, too much to get done. =) So the set is called Quilter's Sampler and it has additional sayings available to go with it. The additional set is called Quilter's Sampler Sents. I hope to ink this to paper and play a little more to have more to show you soon. Thanks for stopping by and here's the recipe.



Happy stamping!

Recipe:

Stamps: Quilters Sampler (PTI)

Cardstock: Pretty In Pink, Bella Rose Patterned Paper (SU) and Perfect Cardstock White (PTI)

Ink: Perfect Palette Ink Black (PTI)

Accessories: Pretty In Pink grosgain ribbon (SU), Buttons (unknown)

What is it about owls?

I have been very impatiently waiting for this set from Paper Trey Ink to come back into stock. I don't know why or how this obsession I have with owls started, but it was about six months ago, I started to become obsessed with finding the perfect owl. I didn't really even like owls, but then I just had to have one, not just any one either. He had to be cute, but not too cute. He had to be able to be manipulated....so you wouldn't always have the same owl. Bigger, but not too big....I know it's ridiculous. I sound compulsive and obsessive....but I literally searched for this perfect owl everywhere, online, in stores, with friends. It was nuts. Then....Nicole and her brilliant friends (artists) created this. I LOVE THIS SET!!!! It has everything I wanted including great sayings, interchangeability and two little owls to be friends with the big owl....just in time for Halloween. I don't know how they do it, but they always seem to fill in that empty stamping gap just when I need them to. Anyway, I finally got to order this a couple of weeks ago and made this card for my cousin's husband. The paper is also from Paper Trey Ink and is part of their Chocolate Remix patterned paper pack. Love love love their paper. It is thicker than most patterned paper, it is a good value and the designs are always unique yet traditional. I know, I could quite possibly be their biggest fan. I can't help it....I LOVE THEM!!!! Here's the recipe for this little owl card. I hope I am not alone in my owl obsession. =) Happy stamping!



Recipe:

Stamps: Wise Owl and Wise Owl Bellies (PTI)

Cardstock: Very Vanilla (SU), Chocolate Remix and Dark Chocolate (PTI)

Ink: Pumpkin Pie (SU), Dark Chocolate (PTI) and markers from bic markit and copic

Accessories: Pumpkin Pie Eyelets (SU retired), Dark Chocolate Twill ribbon (PTI)

Quick, Easy and Green Giftwrap....

Have you ever tried stamping your own giftwrap? I was one that said, who has time for that. I was a nay sayer...I admit it. But, after I need some quick wrap...I could be reformed. Not for everyone mind you, but for the extra special people or gift you want to deliver....it is kind of great to make your own wrapping paper. This first picture shows the complete gift ensemble. The larger packaging paper was actually made from the inner wrapping of my Paper Trey Ink order. They have this great paper in their boxes that is just screaming "stamp me! stamp me!). So I did and I recycled, patting myself on the back. My only tip is to iron the paper prior to stamping it (and then don't let your kids loose near it until you have wrapped - hence the rewrinkled effect below - ha!)



The box was created from a Stampin' Up! box (this will date me) from who knows how many years ago...when you could punch out the template and it had all these little tags that went with it (I told you I was digging into my stash). But I am sure you can find this box template online, probably at mirkwood designs or split coast stampers. So the box shape and lid are flat. All I did was stamp them and sponge them up a little. The tag on the top, covering the ribbon I dolled up a little more with some glitter. Here's the recipe....now it's your turn to get on out there and stamp. =)



Happy Stamping!



Recipe:

Stamps: Beautiful Blooms (PTI), Limitless Labels (PTI)

Paper: Box and Tag Template Sheet in Confetti White (SU retired), Dark Chocolate (PTI), Recycled offwhite paper

Ink: Summer Sun, Garden Green, Tangerine Tango (SU), Dark Chocolate (PTI)

Accessories: Sponges, Dimensionals, Martha Stewart Ribbon (Michael's), Sugar Coating glitter in yellow by Doodlebug Designs.

Have you heard of Bugawumps?

If not, don't feel bad? I hadn't either. My friend Laura (a great enabler - Love Ya Laura!) invited me to a stamp and scrapbooking expo a few weeks ago. She had told me about Bugawumps about a year ago and I actually kind of forgot about them. Anyway, we ended up at the Bugawump booth and I found this cute little tool guy and had to snatch him up for all the tool bugs in my life. What I really like about this company (besides the cute stamps) is that you have the option to buy them wood mounted or unmounted so you can use them on your clear blocks. They are easier to store that way and take up a lot less room. This is the first card I have tried them out with, but I see other cards...especially using the tools...in my future. Here's the recipe. Enjoy and Happy Stamping!



Recipe:

Stamps: Wrench, Hammer, Small Roger (Bugawumps)

Cardstock: Orange (unknown), Green Galore, Whisper White and Pacific Point (SU)

Ink: Palette Ink Black (PTI), various bic markit and copic markers, stampin up markers

Accessories: Large and Extra Large Scalloped Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida), Rubons (Scenic Route), Silver Eyelets (SU retired)

Sock Monkey On The Loose

So when I first saw this set I thought "oh how cute, I love it!" I think I have changed my mind a little. It's still a cute set, but I struggle with it because I am not in love with sock monkey's. I know many of you probably are, but it's just not my thing. However, I have a cousin who is TOTALLY into sock monkey's and her birthday happens to be tomorrow. So, I have found a permanent use for this set, therefore enabling me to justify the cost. *wink*. Maybe it will grow on me? Sometimes that happens.

So, I made this birthday card first using very unusual sock monkey colors of orange and green. I have no real explanation, other than the green piece of cardstock was sitting near my work space and I happened to pick it up. It is a textured c.s. from DCWV that I have had sitting around for awhile. I like textured cardstock for certain things....but I just never remember to use it. So, here it is, fresh my stash of unused items. I hope to showcase more of these in the future. =) She loved the card - even though I didn't think it was my best work. Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

Stamps: Sock Monkey (SU), Women of Life (PTI)

Cardstock: Green Textured (DCWV), Orange and Brown (unknown), Patterned (retired SU)

Ink: Dark Chocolate (PTI), various markers copic and bicmarkit.

Accessories: Silver Eyelets (SU retired), sheer organdy light green ribbon (Hobby Lobby), Dimensionals (SU)

This was part of the gift that I made for my cousin to go along with some other things that I had bought her. I love these clear notecard boxes you can get from Paper Trey Ink. I have made several sets of stationery for different people and this box with some ribbon finishes the gift off very nice. They are also super reasonable, 10 boxes for $6. They are a heavier weight plastic. I am sure that Nicole and her design team have dreamed up a million uses for these, but this is all I have used them for so far. The ribbon on the outside is the new poppy red introduced this month by PTI. I am thrilled to announce that I was the lucky winner this month of everything released by PTI. How did I win you ask? I simply went to nichole's blog and left a comment for this month's contest. It was a random drawing and I was thrilled I got picked. I received about $150 worth of free PTI merchandise including five stamps sets, paper, ribbon and ink. I hope to have more to share with you later this week. I haven't even had time to unpack the box to drool yet. Ridiculous! I know!

This is a shot of the notecards I made to fit inside the cute box. I made a total of 8 and decided to make them all thank you cards, because I thought those would be fairly generic. I am always looking for a thank you card, how about you? Here's the recipe. Until later....happy stamping!

Recipe:

Stamps: Sock Monkey (SU), Mixed Messages (PTI)

Ink: Versamark, Close to Cocoa (SU), Dark Chocolate (PTI), various bicmarkit and copic marker colors

Cardstock: Real Red, Very Vanilla and Au Chocolate patterned paper retired (SU)

Accessories: Black Embossing Powder, Sponges, Small Oval Punch (SU)

Teacher Gifts....

I always like to start out the year by giving the boys teachers a little welcome back gift. I was thumbing through my new Paper Crafs magazine and someone had made up these cute little buckets and mini composition notebooks for a gift. I thought they would be a perfect gift for back to school. Mind you the pictures are sort of horrible because I was in my normal mode of procrastination and got these done about 10 minutes before heading to back to school night at school. Needless to say the pictures were rushed, but you should be able to get the general idea.

The paper for this one is retired SU and coordinated with the Office Acoutrement set. I can't remember the name of it. The flowers are prima flowers with little gemstones from Michael's set in the centers and then colored with the Bic Markit pens. The ribbon is May Arts polkadot. The little buckets were from the Target dollar spot and I filled each with fine line markers and colored pencils.

This one uses the same paper as the above version only I focused on the pinks. The flowers are again from Prima flowers with a gem set in the center. The ribbon is from Hobby Lobby.

Lastly, this version uses the Summer Picnic Designer series paper in the current SU catalog. I used a rubon in the center also from SU and mounted it on the reverse side of the paper and on Pumpkin Pie CS. The flower in the corner is chipboard sponged with pumpkin pie and I added a circle of the reverse paper to the center. I punched it out with a small scalloped circle punch from Marvy Uchida. The center is finished off with a fabric brad I got from Hobby Lobby.

These were a big hit. I hope they will help you come up with something great for your teachers.

Enjoy and happy stamping!

My broken Fresh Cut Note....

So when I received my new Fresh Cut Notecards from SU, I opened up the package and low and behold the first note had part of the interior petals missing. Insert big sad face. I just set it aside and said I will figure out something to do with that little ditty later. If you haven't seen these cute note cards yet, I will attempt to describe them. They come with part of the note card already perforated and ready to punch out so that you have a see-through effect. There are delicate petals in the center so that it have a nice detailed design. In an ideal world, yours aren't broken. One of mine was, so I rolled with the punches and this is what I came up with. I actually like it better than the first one I created with the interior petals.

What do you think? Happy stamping!

Recipe:

Stamps: Tres Chic (SU), Mixed Messages (PTI)

Ink: Vintage Distressing Ink (Tim Holtz)

Cardstock: Patterned Prints Paper Apricot Appeal (SU Retired), Apricot Appeal and Very Vanilla (SU)

Accesories: Floral Fusion (SU), Round Rhinestone Brads Fire (SU), Brown and White Check ribbon (Hobby Lobby), Floral Metal Edge Tag (unknown), Bic Markit Markers to color the tag.