Report cards are done...

Every year my husband and I vow that we will start report cards earlier and we will not procrastinate. It still happens - every time. It's only three times a year, but life basically stops! Now that I'm done with my report cards, ironically, the kids are napping! I want to play outside, but I will "settle" for stamping instead!

Embellish Magazine's Birthday Challenge

Hello! A break from stamping - report cards, ugh! Can't wait to play when these are over! This card is my entry for Embellish Magazine's Birthday challenge. Sorry about the dark picture. It's the best I could get today. The colors were what challenged me the most! The challenge suggested these Papertrey colors: Raspberry Fizz, Enchanted Evening, Dark Chocolate, and New Leaf. I only had Raspberry Fizz and Dark Chocolate. So I used Pacific Point and a Rich Regal green from Stampin Up! If it wasn't for my friend Stephanie, I don't know if this card would have been made. I started with an entirely different card and started from scratch it was so challenging! This card slowly evolved with me asking Stephanie, "What do you think of this?" over and over again! Thanks Stephanie for always helping me out! I was fearing that my mojo was going to leave because of this card! Supplies: from Papertrey: cupcake stamp from Tiny Treats, Raspberry Fizz and Dark Chocolate cardstock, from Stampin' Up: Chocolate Chip ink, Pacific Point and Garden Green, scallop border punch, scallop square punch, Happy Birthday is from Vintage Labels, large and small oval punches, from Cuttlebug: swiss dot embossing folder; others: rhinestones, diamond stickles

Card Positioning Systems (CPS) Challenge no. 154

Last night, I made this card for Card Positioning Systems Challenge no. 154. This is my second time participating in one of their challenges. I'm really pleased with how this card turned out. I'm going to give it to my best friend. When I saw the sentiment, "You raise kindness to an art." that immediately made me think of her. The brown on this card was pretty harsh contrasted against the cream, so I used a piece of vellum (so unused around here!) to soften it up. I am so in love with the poofy flowers that I learned how to make from Dawn McVey. I've used the regular size scallop punch for bigger flowers, but this was used with my very first flower punch from Stampin' Up! (now discontinued). Still used the same method, see this post for more information. Supplies: Buttons are from Crystalline Button Assortment (Artco), Sweet Blush cardstock and ribbon from Papertrey. All following supplies are from Stampin' Up!: Chocolate Chip cardstock, Very Vanilla cardstock, scallop edge border punch; corner rounder punch, scallop square punch, flower punch (the small one with six petals), one inch Fiskar square punch, Bella Toile background stamp, French Script background stamp, Vintage Vogue Measurements: Base is 4 1/4 x 5 1/2; Chocolate Chip cardstock is 3.5 x 5; Very Vanilla cardstock is 2 3/4 x 4 1/4; Sweet Blush is 2 7/8 x 4 Thanks, as always, for stopping by! A Matthew tidbit - Miguel put a picture of Matthew up above his bathroom sink and for awhile now, Matthew has been saying "Matthew's picture" referring to himself in third person. So we finally have him saying now as he points to himself, "That's me" but as he says it, it's "Ass me!" Matthew is in that cheesy photo grin phase: CHEESE!

Just random...

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope it's very special! This is my tenth Valentine's day with my husband Miguel. I couldn't figure out why I love this holiday so much, but it is the biggest papercrafting holiday of the year! My first graders are proof of that! For about a week now, I've been experiencing some good stamping mojo - and I don't want to lose it! I made five cards last night! The first four are just color variations of the one I submitted for Papertrey's Day 13 contest. The one I like most of the four is the sweet blush, brown, and cream combination. But the sweet blush, black, and cream combination is a close second as it reminds me of ballerina leotards and ballet slippers! None of these cards are completed, without sentiments, but I'm holding on them.

Papertrey Challenge Day 13

Today's Papertrey Challenge, Day 13, is to make a card with a flower embellishment and then make a card of embellishments to give to a friend. These cards were in the works for Valentine's Day, but never got finished in time. At least they will for one friend! I learned how to make these poofy button flowers (love, love, love them!) watching Papertrey's designer Dawn McVey's blog. She made poofy flowers using papers from a vintage book. I didn't have access to a vintage book and I wanted colored cardstock, so instead, I followed her directions and made one change. I punched five scallops, punched one hole in the middle of each, prepared my button with thread (* today I used a floss threader to help thread my flimsy thread, and it worked wonders) and dimensional. I had a cheap brad handy. Then I laid the scallops out on an old towel (color will transfer from cardstock), spritzed with water a couple of times, and working quickly, I scrunched each layer - starting with the top and going down to the bottom. It looks like one scrunched up paper ball at this point. I then opened up each layer, put the button in the middle and then rescrunched. I learned I have to work quickly and not fuss too much. Otherwise, the paper fibers start to fray. Supplies: Red cardstock (Papertrey), Black buttons (Artco), ribbon (unknown), all following supplies are from Stampin' Up!: Whisper White cardstock, Bella Toile background stamp, friends from Tiny Tags stamp set, Going Gray ink, tag punch, and scallop punch

Card Positioning Systems (CPS) no. 153

I started this blog due to Papertrey's anniversary challenges. Here's another one that Papertrey is hosting prizes, but it's actually from the Card Positioning Systems website. After making my latest card with kraft cardstock, I still had some out, and thought of my husband's and my dad's birthdays coming up next month. I don't quite know who this card is for yet, but www.upsydaisydesigns.com MAN ABOUT TOWN papers, Carter II and Tyler, are perfect for masculine cards! Thanks for stopping by! Supplies: Kraft cardstock (paperzone speckletone); upsydaisydesigns designer paper, twill ribbon, brads, jute twine, paper crimper, dimensionals, corner punches and curvy label punch (Stampin' Up!), Happy Birthday sentiment from Fundamental Phrases (Stampin' Up!)

Color Favorites Challenge by Papertrey Ink

Papertrey's Nichole Heady has a new challenge, day 9 of two weeks of celebrating their third anniversary. And here is my second post. The challenge (far easier than the last one I might add!) was to choose one of the designers' favorite color combinations and make a card. Here is Michelle's favorite color combination: kraft, spring moss, aqua mist, and vintage cream. Hope you enjoy this card! My card measures 4 x 4 inches square. Supplies: Kraft cardstock (Paperzone), spring moss and aqua mist (Papertrey), holiday mix vintage button collection, scallop square and flower punches from Stampin Up!,thank you sentiment from Papertrey's Vintage Picnic.

My very first post

I've fallen in love with a company called Papertrey Ink. They're having their third anniversary celebration and one of Nichole's challenges Day 8 was to provide a "paint" by number sketch. The challenge was make a card following size specifications, specific colors, and post to your blog. The only problem is, I don't have a blog. Until now! My challenge was to use terracotta tile, orange zest, white, ripe avocado, and raspberry fizz. This was challenging to say the least, but I wanted to make a get well card and these colors seemed to work well. I hope you enjoy it! Supplies: Papertrey cardstock: ripe avocado, raspberry fizz, orange zest, and terracotta tile, white (paper zone); Stampin Up three flower punch and border punch; Stampin Up basic black ink, sentiment from Papertrey's everyday button bits; buttons from Papertrey's holiday mix vintage button collection; Fiskars corner rounder punch