WMS Sketch Challenge #33

New week, my next Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge. I will keep this short since I rambled on extensively on my previous post about being a paper-aholic.

Here is the lovely little sketch:


And here is my card:


WMS is giving away an adorable stamp set for this week's challenge called Sweethearts. I want that one! Each week I want to use more WM stamps but I don't have enough! ;) I hope I win so I can increase my collection!!!! ;)

Supplies used:

Cardstock: Hibiscus Burst (PTI)
Patterned Paper: from Smitten collection by K & Co
Stamp Set(s): Very Vintage Labels No. 2 (WMS); Thankful Accents (Verve)
Ink: Dark Chocolate (PTI); Tulip (CTMH)
Embellishments: Candy stickers (Martha Stewart Crafts); Chipboard photo corner (Creative Imaginations); Ribbon (assorted)
Tools: Collage Texture Fade embossing folder (Tim Holtz for Sizzix)

My name is Rachel and I'm a paper-aholic...(oh, and another Valentine's card to share)

So yes, I am admitting my addiction, but NOT yet ready to seek help. ;) I LOVE paper! Especially Valentine's paper...all kinds, all color combinations, so many papers that come out around Valentine's Day make me drool and lose my mind, making me buy up enough paper to last for the next 10 Valentine's Days, but I can't help myself!

In case you might be like me and need some enabling, and haven't seen these paper lines, check out the ones I just got...gah! I ordered them and am waiting with baited breath to get my hot little hands on them.

Echo Park Paper Be Mine Collection
Making Memories Je T'Adore collection
Bo Bunny Crush collection

My current fetish is all things with music notes on it and beautiful vintage things (but not TOO eclectic, à la Graphic 45) I also spent a year of my college education in France, so of course I'm in love with all things French, and the Echo Park & Making Memories papers just make me swoon!

Yes, I am indeed a paper-aholic. I have more than I'll ever be able to use in my lifetime and I want MORE! ;)

OK, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I will share a very simple but pleasing (to me) card I made, for...wait for it...ah yes, Valentine's Day. (I know, I need help) Just some adorable yummy paper I couldn't resist last year from Martha Stewart Crafts. No extensive fanciness here, but I enjoy when I can create a simple card that I am happy with.



Supplies used:

Cardstock: Stamper's Select White (PTI), Tulip & White Daisy (CTMH)
Patterned Paper: Valentine paper pack (2010)(Martha Stewart Crafts)
Stamp Set(s): Heart Prints (PTI), Key to My Heart (CTMH)
Ink: Chocolate & Tulip (CTMH)
Embellishments: Cranberry Grosgrain ribbon (CTMH)

Papertrey's New Make It Monday Challenge -->> Go To Sentiments with Emboss Resist

As part of Papertrey's 4th anniversary festivities, they have announced a new weekly challenge called "Make It Monday"...Each week a PTI designer will feature a video with a particular technique or idea, for inspiration. Then we, the loyal fans ;), will make a project based on that inspiration. Every week, a free stamp set will be up for grabs, yay! But even more importantly, it will force me to exercise and stretch my creativity, and try to achieve excellence each week to be up to Papertrey par! :)

This week, for the 4th anniversary celebration, they will be giving away a $250 gift certificate! Drool! Erin Lincoln posted a great video with a cute idea --> to make a card using multiple sentiments surrounding a theme, all stamped in a collage-type format on the front of the card. Simple, neat, and a fun new idea!

I decided to try a technique that I've been reading about for ages but haven't really tried yet: emboss resist. I wanted to make a love card, so I stamped sentiments from many of my different Papertrey lovey-dovey sets...then heat embossed each one with clear embossing powder, all on vellum cardstock. Then I simply sponged over the whole thing with Distress Inks...and voilà! I distressed the edges of the vellum, roughing it up so that it would have curled and slightly torn edges; matted it with white cardstock so the sentiments & images would show up better, then simply added a little patterned paper and a bracket border to the bottom of the card.

I also added some beautiful red foil paper to the inside of the card at the bottom so it would be peeking out when you're looking at the card closed, face on. I tried to photograph this as best I could, but alas, my photography skills (and equipment) remain somewhat lacking. Something I will have to remedy in the near future. Hopefully it can be viewed well enough.

Oh, and I also stamped & embossed the cute little butterfly from Love Lives Here with red glittered embossing powder, cut them out and made them take flight with some foam tape! :)

So here is my first Make It Monday challenge project...I hope it tickles someone's fancy! :)





Supplies used:

Cardstock: Stamper's Select White, Vellum (PTI)
Patterned Paper (& foil): Valentine paper pack, Martha Stewart Crafts
Stamp Set(s): Love Lives Here, 2010 Love Tags, Love Birds, Outlines Alphabet, Sweet Love
Ink: Worn Lipstick, Fired Brick (Distress Inks); Bubblegum, Tulip (CTMH)
Embellishments: Embossing Powder - Clear Detail (CTMH) & Red Glitter (Stampendous)
Tools: Embossing Heat Gun

Papertrey's 4th Anniversary Festivities

Papertrey Ink is celebrating their 4th anniversary with some amazing prizes!! Oh my gosh, it would be like winning the lottery or Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes if I won the prize they're giving away today. Over $700 in craft-watering goodness!! ;)

To enter I am supposed to post (one of) my favorite projects from 2010...I just went back through all my projects using Papertrey stamps (which is the majority!) and it's so hard to choose!!

I did most of my Christmas cards with their gorgeous stamps and I really did love how they all turned out. Though I can hardly choose a favorite, I'm going to re-post here a couple of cards that I made using Take a Bough. It was a not a new release in 2010 I don't believe, but it was new for me, and I simply fell in love with it. The font, the sentiments, the images, I love them all!

So without further ado, (just a couple of) my cards with Take a Bough:

WMS Sketch Challenge #32

My card for WMS Sketch Challenge #32 was an interesting experiment in evolution. I didn't exactly intend for it to be so "shabby chic" looking, but though I had a couple of ideas to start with, most of it just sort of happened as I was putting it together! This is the fun of creating. Sometimes it works out amazingly...other times...not so much. But this one is growing on me.

Here's the lovely & simple sketch:


And here's my version, all layered up. (I'm a huge fan of layering, though I really do like clean & simple too...I just have to figure out how to do it right so that I like it! ;)


Supplies used:

Cardstock: Hollyhock (CTMH; Vellum (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Valentine paper stack (K & Co)
Stamp Set(s): Very Vintage Labels No. 2 (WMS); Heart Prints (PTI);
Ink: Hollyhock & Bubblegum (CTMH); Berry Sorbet (PTI)
Embellishments: Clear Sparkles (CTMH), Ribbon - 1-1/4" pink/white stripe (SU), Pink Multi (Michaels), Organdy (CTMH); Buttons (various); Glitter (SU); Picture hanger, brads & waxy flax (CTMH)
Tools: Candy Hearts 5x7 embossing folder from Love is in the Air set (Cuttlebug); Label punch (SU)

WMS Case Challenge Competition --> Impressionist Tulips

Waltzingmouse Stamps, one of my favorite companies for clear stamps, posted a challenge to "CASE" a card that one of their DT members made during a recent Spellbinders Grand Calibur feature. Since I love their stamps and want to participate in as many of their challenges as possible, I took this one on!

Unfortunately, I don't have a TON of WMS stamps (yet!), and I don't have any of theirs in a Valentine's theme, so most of the stamps on my card are from other companies...but I hope they won't mind!

First off, let me just say that I ADORE Copic coloring. That is to say that I adore when other people do it. I would love to learn to do it myself, but I haven't yet had the funds to spring for the Copic marker set that I want, nor have I been able to take the Copic certification class that I'd like to take. So, suffice it to say that I don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to coloring with alcohol markers. All I have at the moment are a set of 36 Bic Mark-it markers, which are nice quality, but it just isn't enough colors to do any shading justice. Plus I don't have a colorless blender. This is why my tulips on this card became "Impressionist" tulips. You have to use your mind's eye to see all the detailed shading that I wish were there, but isn't really! LOL...someday...I will be a certified Copic colorist, but for now, impressionism will have to do! ;)

I chose to CASE Carly's Robertson's card, seen here:


I liked how simple and clean it was, as I usually have trouble creating a simple card that I end up liking. As you can see, I did add a little bit more to my card than the original card, but I just felt that mine needed a bit more. This was a fun challenge!



Supplies used:

Cardstock: Pure Poppy (Papertrey)
Patterned Paper: Dark Brown handmade (Darice); Valentine paper stack (Martha Stewart Crafts)
Stamp Set(s): Vintage Picnic (Papertrey); Love You Much (Stampin' Up); Afternoon Tea Sentiments (Waltzingmouse)
Ink: Dark Chocolate Hybrid (Papertrey); Tulip & Grey Wool (CTMH)
Tools: Swirls Texture Plate (SU); Mini hearts embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Double Banners die (Papertrey); Doily Hearts punch (MS Crafts)

H2H Challenge January Week 4

This week's H2H challenge (my first participating, yay!) is to make a card featuring an animal or bird. Since I'm still putting together Love/Valentine cards, I pulled out an oldie but goodie set from CTMH, Free Spirit. This is one of the first sets that I bought from CTMH, and though I've long since cleared out many of my other sets that I bought this long ago, there is something about this one that I still like! I don't have a TON of stamp sets that have birds in them, so I was glad to have this one to turn to.





Supplies used:
Outside:
Card base: L1 pre-printed page, That's Amore (CTMH)
Cardstock: Colonial White (CTMH); Vellum (Papertrey)
Patterned Paper: none
Stamp Set(s): Free Spirit (CTMH)
Ink: Chocolate, Blush (CTMH); Tattered Rose (Distress Ink)
Embellishments: Lg Doily Heart (Michaels); Ribbon (Stampin' Up); Button (Papertrey); Waxy Flax & Red Sparkles (CTMH)
Tools: Spellbinders dies, Scallop Circles; Blending Tool (Ranger)

Inside:
Patterned Paper: That's Amore
Stamp Set(s): Love Lives Here, Sweet Love (Papertrey)
Ink: Tulip (CTMH)
Epoxy brads: Basic Grey