Make it Monday PTI Challenge

This week for the Make it Monday Challenge we were supposed to "kick it old school" and use color pencils.  I chose to use Up, up and away set with coordinating dies for balloons and clouds.  I chose to outline the clouds in stickles to emphasize the silver lining sentiment.

Up close look at clouds and balloons.

I have a question for anyone out there.  I purchased the tin of Prisma pencils a while back and was discouraged when I sharpened them that some of the pencil leads kept falling out, some of the pencils were very short by the time I got a point.  I purchased the manual pencil sharpener from Prisma as recommended.  I was so discouraged I put them up.  I just pulled them out again for this challenge.  I love how they blend, but still having trouble with the points breaking off, has anyone experienced this?  Do you have any tips or pointers for me?  I would love to be able to use these on a regular basis. 
Thank you in advance for any help you might be able to offer me.

Happy Birthday- PTI Anniversary set

Hello again, here is another birthday card.  For most of these cards I tried to add something extra to the inside of the card.
Stamps: PTI anniversary set
Ink: rich cocoa, dandelion and cantaloupe, Memento; old olive, SU!
Paper: real red, SU!; harvest gold, PTI; white cardstock, Wausau
Tools: Spellbinder dies
Techniques: rock and roll, used dandelion and rolled edges in canteloupe before stamping.
Embellishments: gems colored with red Copic marker
Have a great labor day weekend.  I know my family is going to enjoy some time off.  Please let me know what you think.  I just love this set, so simple yet beautiful.

Birthday Wishes- Basket of Flowers

I recently made birthday cards for a friend, so I had to come up with many different versions.  I remembered a SU! hostess set I got years ago called Basket Full of Fun.  It caught my eye when I earned it because it is so versatile.  But as many of you know, when you purchase new stamps and tools, some of the old stamps and tools become neglected.  So it was for this set, I have not used it in years but here it is looking as cute as I remember it.  So gals, here is a challenge for you, go back into your neglected stashes and see what you can make.
Stamps: image, Basket Full of Fun, SU!; sentiment, Tea for Two, PTI
Ink: Tuxedo black, Memento
Paper: Hawaiian Shores, Simply Chartreuse and dp, PTI; white cardstock, Wausau
Tools:  Embossing folder, Sizzix; corner rounder, EK Success
Techniques: Copic marker coloring
Embellishments:  aqua ribbon, Martha Stewart

Let me know what you think.

PTI August Blog Hop

This is the inspiration photo for the August PTI Blog Hop. I just loved the vintage suitcase with the Damask lining, the books, and the pretty pink flowers. Here is what I came up with:

Stamps: All booked up, PTI; linen background, SU!; Fleur de Lis, Stampabilities.

Ink: old olive, SU!; london fog, rose bud, tuxedo black, Memento

Paper: ivory, and old olive, SU!; Hibiscus burst, PTI

Embellishments: twill tape , JoAnn Fabrics.

Image colored with Copic markers.

Let me know what you think. Have fun getting inspirations from everyone participating.

Here is my custom ribbon (wanted it to mimic the ribbon around the jar). I stamped Fleur de Lis, Stampabilities.

Mouse in Teacup-Thanks...

When I saw this Mouse in a Teacup stamp, I knew I could use it for my card ministry. Isn't he so cute?

School is back here in full swing, so we are trying to get down our schedules, so we have some bit of organization. Still working on placing everything just so in my new craft space, but the trip in July to IKEA has help quite a bit.

Card details:
Stamps: Mouse in a Teacup, Tina Wenke; sentiment, Fiskars
Paper: white cardbase, DCWV; yellow and purple cardstock, The Paper Studio; white cardstock, Wausau
Ink: Dandelion and Tuxedo black, Memento
Tools: Fancy labels, oval and scalloped oval dies, Spellbinders; flower embossing plate, Fiskars
Techniques: reversed embossed the cardbase and inked over image using inking tool to reveal flower image; colored image with Copic markers; used Sakura glaze pen to go over some of the flowers for shine and dimension
This was a fun card to make and I hope it brings a smile to the recipients' face. Let me know what you think. I love to hear from you.

Sunflower trio

Hey everyone, school is about to start so I have been busy making sure all the kids have their "stuff" ready. I just purchased some new Spellbinders dies. So I thought I would "play" in my new crafting space (love it!), still working out some placement issues. Will move things around for a while until I get it right, but overall love it.

Stamps: Sunflower, PTI; French script background, SU!

Ink: Dandelion, Memento; old olive, SU!, close to cocoa, SU!, rich chocolate, Memento

Tools: Spellbinder Contemporary Heart Pendants; paper piercing template, SU!

Paper: harvest gold, PTI; old olive, SU!; white cardstock, Wausau paper

Please check out the paper piercing videos in the video bar below, to see more ways to use this technique to give additional dimension to your card.

Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

You're a peach

My family and I went to the county fair and were looking at all the projects in the open class division and we saw this very yummy looking cake. (I am always so sad that they have to leave the lovely creations in the heat for the week to spoil and only the judges got to taste the yummy goodness, but oh well). The cake was the Grand Champion of the Peach bake-off and we knew the winner, so I made her this card in congratulations. I used my Swiss dot Cuttlebug folder for the background, I used Summer Sunrise PTI cardstock (yes, a new color, thought it would match the peach better). The stamp set was a Studio G Soloz set, I colored the peach with Copic markers, as well as the gems.

My cardstock had a gap at the top that did not get embossed in folder so I scored two lines (it was like I meant to do it).

Have a great day.