Papertrey January Blog Hop Contest

      A quick post for my 2nd entry for PTI's January Blog Hop featuring hearts. I used this week's sketch from Retrosketches.

My version:

 I just purchased Wink of Stella (clear) and decided to ink up the hearts. Was almost finished when a glob fell right onto the big heart so I had to redo it. I think I need to practice using this new product.

Thanks for stopping by to take a peek.

Be Mine: A Duo Challenge

Just a quick post today for a card I made that qualifies for the challenges being hosted by Retrosketches and PTI's MIM: Multiple Layers Using One Stamp.

This is the fantastic sketch this week at Retrosketches.


This is my 2nd submission for the Retrosketches challenge, but I put a twist on it. I love how it turned out.

 The Valentine from With All My Heart was stamped in Raspberry Fizz, Hibiscus Burst and  Pure Poppy to create the layers.

Two Valentine cards down, ten more to go. At least I have about three weeks until I need to mail them. Thanks for stopping by to take a peek.

Retro sketches # 96

  It's been awhile since I participated in the challenges at Retrosketches. But when I saw the latest sketch I knew I had to play along.

Using the Limitless Layer Valentine and stamp set With All My Heart immediately came to mind.

Here's my take.

 I just wish I had placed the XOX on the hibiscus burst instead of between the two colors. Thanks for stopping by to take a peek.

With Sympathy

 
     I just love the MIM challenge this week: Colored Vellum Flowers that I made a 2nd card.  It's been a couple of weeks since I played along with a challenge from Retrosketches so I decided to use this sketch.

I used Lemon Tart as my base color for the Dahlia. Then I used Orange Zest. However, it looks more like Canyon Clay. That is why I stamped the sentiment form Botanical Silhouettes in Canyon Clay. I still think it looks beautiful.

 I will be sending this card to my step-aunt who lost her 42 year old granddaughter to hantavirus.. She has been having a rough year as she lost her husband (my uncle) in January. Her son-in-law has stage 4 prostrate cancer and has been declining rapidly.

Thanks for stopping by to take a peek.

Belated Birthday Card

     It's been a year since I retired. Yet, I still don't have time to squeeze an hour or two to spend in my craft room. When I do find the time lately, it is usually working on the invitations for my niece's wedding in December.
     I have spent the last week remodeling one of the bedrooms. The walls were in such bad shape, I had to sand, spackle and re-sand some spots 7-8 times. I'm in the home stretch with just some minor touch ups.
 I made a belated birthday card for my teenage niece using this week's sketch from Retrosketches.

  This also fits the challenge for Casology

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Thanks for stopping by to take a peek.

Retrosketches #64

 Just a quick post of the birthday card I made for my niece who will be celebrating her birthday a week from tomorow.

  I used sketch # 64 from Retrosketches. Once again I am submitting this at the last moment even though I had this idea in my head for the past week. I finally  made time to get it done so I can put it in the mail. I used PTI's Mini Blooms stamp set which I just purchased after holding out for a couple of months.  Here's an up close shot of the blooms.

Thanks for stopping by to take a peek.

Oh My Stars!

   My niece is graduating from college next month. So I decided that I would combine two challenges by using the sketch from this week's Retrosketches challenge and play along with the challenge at CAS-ual Fridays.

    Here's this week's sketch.

 My card is a little non-traditional for a graduation card since it is lacking the traditional images which convey graduation. (cap, diploma)

    I rotated the sketch and used my zipper die as my focal panel.. The diagonal stripes Impression plate from PTI was used to add some texture to the background. Here's a shot of the sentiment under the zipper strip. It's from the Celebrations stamp set.

 
The challenge this week at CAS-ual Fridays is to use glitter.

 Of course, my stars meet that criteria. I used Lilac, Silver and Kiwi Green Glitter Ritz.

I can't believe that I have this card made a whole month before I need it.  Now I just need to remember to mail it on time.Thanks for stopping by to take a peek.

Play Ball!

  My brother-in-law is an avid Yankee fan. Every year I use the theme baseball/Yankees to make his birthday card. I decided to use this week's skectch from Retrosketches #56

Here's my version:

The banner is made from a printed sheet of vellum I picked up at our local scrapbooking store.

I also cut out the Yankee logo from paper left over from last year's card. The ball and bat are stickers I got at Michaels.

 As I was taking the photo of my card, I realized that I didn't use any stamps, thereby meeting the criteria for the challenge this week at Cas-ual Fridays

Create a Clean And Simple project that doesn't use stamps.

None. Nada. Zilch!

 That doesn't happen too often for me. Thanks for stopping by to take a peek.

Retrosketches # 47

I just love the simplicity of the sketch for the Retrosketches challenge this week.

Initially, I didn't want to use a floral image, but realized I needed a birthday card for my adult neice.

So I chose to use the roses from Sweet Life.

The embossed panel is raised slightly. I placed the die cuts under the negative images.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek.

A New Year with Retrosketches

  I decided to start the New Year off right by joining in the Retrosketches' latest challenge using this sketch.

 I used the newly Released Quilled Elegance Stamp set from PTI. I think this is a first for me; using a stamp set before the next release! I fell in love with this set the moment I saw it.

  An up close shot of the piece I fussy cut.

I love the color combination of Simply Chartreuse, Spring Rain and Winter Wisteria. Just wonder if I should add the little stamp image from this set to the purple panel? What do you think?

Retrosketches #37

     Phew, I am going to make the deadline for the current Retrosketches Challenge #37. I just love this week's sketch.

It is such a fun, versatile layout. I can see myself using this same sketch for a variety of Christmas cards.

Here's my version:

The paper is from Teresa Collins' Christmas Cottage Collection. The santa is from Winter Snow Globe colored with Copics. I used puffy paint on his hat, cuffs and bottom portion of outfit.

  The inside sentiment is from Think Big Favorites # 20.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek.

A Two Challenge Birthday Card

  Another rarity for me; a card for two challenges. I had to make a birthday card for my daughter's niece, who turned 6 at the end of September. Usually I make a card based upon the theme of the party. Not knowing what it was, I geared it toward this week's MIM #85 and retrosketches #31 challenges.

 

 

 My card: 

  I used Copics (BV31, BV02, YG23, YG93) to color the party images.

  The double banner die was used as the glitter tabs. I used Glitter Ritz (Lilac, Silver and Kiwi Green). sorry for the blurred photo.

Added  the cut out from the Take Three die with the stamped candle image as part of the inside.

 I still need a tag to go with the present. (Barbie Clothes)
thanks for stopping by to take a peek.

Halloween

I made this card a month ago because I wanted to submit it for the Retrosketch # 23 challenge.

Turned out that the sensor on my camera went bad. It took me about a month to find a camera I liked.  That's why I am only posting this card now.

I used Kryon webbing spray to create the background. The images are from all old rubber stamps in my stash. The black border was made using PTI's heart border die.

                                       
One good thing about posting this today is I can submit it to PTI"S Mr. Bones' Spook Out. Thanks for stopping by to take a peek.

Retrosketches

I found some time this week to play along with the  retrosketches challenge this week. I love the simplicity of the layout.

 

  I tried something new with this card. I used an outline sticker from Elizabeth Crafts to which I added two different colors of Glitter Ritz. Believe me this technique was a lot harder than I imagined.

 Although you can't see it , the bottom 2/3rds of the card is embossed with the Linens Impression Plate. Here's an up close shot of the glittered tree. The mat stack die was cut using PTI's Christmas pattern paper released in 2011.

  I applied some glitter to  a Pure Poppy button

 

Thanks for stopping by.

Retrosketches # 20

  Happy Monday! I am even happier since I was able to place my PTI order with no problems. One of the first times ever! Wahoo!  Retrosketches continues to present awesome sketches each week. This is the one featured this week.

 

 

  I am starting my Christmas cards; usually try to do as many as possible in the summer. I send out almost 80 of them.  Last year was one of the few years I made different cards rather than mass producing just one.

 

I stamped BB:Tin Types onto Fine Linen card stock. The faux poinsettia was actually made from the Simply Sunflower and Dahlia dies. The sentiment is from Fillable Frames #4 and the paper is Holiday Flourishes and Swirls..

Since I really like how this card turned out,  I think I will make 9 more. There are so many elements I can assemble watching tv. Thanks for stopping by.