Are you ready for another challenge???  I KNOW YOU ARE!  You are all AMAZING!  Can I tell you (and I mean this honestly, because I don’t lie and I never mince words,) it took me over an HOUR to decide this week’s top 3 from last weeks challenge!  AN HOUR.  At one point, I was thinking I may have to toss a coin between some people.  It was killing me!  What does that mean?  You are amazing stampers, and show amazing work, and I LOVE that I only feature three, because you all deserve stiff competition (because you are that good!)  Don’t think I didn’t notice the embroidery, the ric rac, the whimsical crunchy flowers, the homemade flowers!!!  This challenge is going to take over the world,  BECAUSE OF YOU!  Every single one of these cards from last week MUST be looked at, I tell you!  Thank you all for playing and making my life full of joy and hard decisions!  Now on to the top 3:

Shirlann:  Shirlann made our top spot, because I simply ADORED the way she did the scoring on the angle!!  I LOVE a girl who can think out of the box!  Not only did she wow me with the angle of the scoring, but the impressed dot detail between the scoring was so beautiful it just jumped right off the page at me!  Super!  Check out the little dots between the score lines HERE

Michelle:  Wow, Michelle!  The movement and joy in this card is so exciting!  I just had to look at it for a while and revel in the little details, like the fact that they are all paper flowers, except for three little button ones!  A little game of “Find the Button”  that I LOVED playing!  Play the button game by looking at her card HERE

Julie:  Julie made this wonderful card with so much color, but the stamp is not filled in, so it gives a real lightness about the card, without forsaking color!  I really like that because the whole point of doing a white on white card was to keep things airy and fresh, and this did it!  I was especially impresses with how she did her scoring around her sentiment though.  Take a look at her card HERE

OK…on to another week!  So…if you are new to the challenge, or want a refresher on how we like to throw it down around here , check out these simple rules:

 There are NO rules when it comes to how you sketch out your card or what inks you use, and you can use ANY elements or ANY stamp sets to create the style you want.  All you have to do is stay within the cutting recipe and colors.  This is a wonderful way to build up a library of card recipes for you!  Even though I use Papertrey Ink colors and terms, you may use any supplies you wish, just stay within the color and cutting parameters!

****** UPLOAD YOUR CREATIONS VIA THE COMMENTS SECTION.  MR. LINKY HATES WORDPRESS   AlSO, PLEASE UPLOAD YOUR URL TO THE ACTUAL POST,  NOT YOUR BLOG OR GALLERY HOMEPAGE **********  I will feature my faves from the week previous every Tuesday!

Stamps: Fancy Flourishes, In Bloom, Everyday Classics (anniversary set)

Paper: Terracotta Tile, Spring Rain, Raspberry Fizz, Ripe Avocado, Stamper’s Select White

Ink: Versamark

Other: Detail White Embossing Powder, Rhinestones (Rasp. Fizz), Scallop Border Punch (Fiskers)

for my Mom coming up!  So I thought I would show you this card I made for her today.  It is actually my Mother-in-law’s birthday TODAY!  So that makes two birthday girls today!  The funny thing is that they both have BIG birthdays this year, but ten years apart!  My Mother-in-law will be getting a card I made that I showed you earlier this week, so now I will show you my Mom’s today!  Happy birthday Moms!  Sorry Mom…I guess you will see this a bit early!

So armed with Top Ten and Top Ten Additions, I went to work seeking the character traits for my Mom!  I shared with you before that this woman is one of the most creative people I know.  She is a chef, and can make a successful business out of anything she wants.  She is really an impressive person.

She is also so generous.  Not having a ton of money growing up, she and my Dad would selflessly give their money to make sure I had the best musical training and opportunities.  I will never forget this, and this is one of the reasons I am proud to say I make a living  doing music, because I will never let their commitment in me go to waste.

My Mom is loyal.  Tried and true like any good Mom is.   She is also honest and supportive.  Thanks, Mom!

Now a bit about this card.  Debbie Olson is to blame for me buying these amazing Cosmo Cricket “Girl Friday” papers.  She is such an enabler, and I love her for it!  Beautiful papers!

The patterned paper goes so nicely with the Ocean Tides PTI cardstock.  The ocean tides buttons were a must in this project!  Along with the finishing touch of stitching, I think I am channeling Debbie right now!  

Stamps: Heart Prints, Top Ten, Top Ten Additions

Paper: Ocean Tides, Girl Friday patterned paper

Ink: Ocean Tides, Hibiscus Burst

Other: Ocean Tides Grosgrain ribbon, Vintage Buttons-Ocean Tides, Scalloped Border Punch (fiskars)

You definitely ARE my sunshine!  In light of all of the encouragement, WONDERFUL posts of cards made with my image yesterday and today, and for the MAJOR love I felt in launching the new and fabu line, I HAD to get you all flowers and a card today!  All wrapped up in a sweet Papertrey large heart tin and topped off with a happy card!!! 

Since my focus for the week was flower punches in the “Compose a Card” challenge (if you want to play, click HERE) I thought I would have some more fun with the punches and some mini fences I found at Wal-Mart.

I took Fresh Snow ink and distressed the fence, giving it a shabby white-washed look!

I thought I would add some flowers and some of the Simple Valentine Patterned Paper from Papertrey to load the side of my tin with goodness!  Raspberry Fizz stitched grosgrain finishes up the fun look!

Thanks to my friend Michael Bruce…(really…his store is at the end of my street) for putting together the fun and fabulous flowers in my tin today!  Love ya, Michael!

Thanks so much for all of your love yesterday, not only here, but in the Papertrey forum!  It meant a lot to me, and I had trouble sleeping last night because I was so excited!  BIG HUGS TO YOU ALL!

Stamps: Handwritten Notes

Paper:  Simple Valentine, New Leaf, Spring Rain, Bitty Dot Basics,

Ink: Fresh Snow, Raspberry Fizz

Other: Raspberry Fizz stitched grosgrain, Marvy Flower Punches, Vintage Buttons, Large Heart Tin, fence post

This is a very exciting day for me here in my own little corner of the world.  Something that I have been working on for over a year now, and something that has grown into a deep passion.  Today is the day I open up my own stamp line through Papertrey Ink, {Studio 64}!  It all started out of curiosity really.  The curiosity grew as my imagination grew, and finally I simply couldn’t resist it anymore.  I had to design stamps.  Thousands of ideas, hours of work, even more hours of self-editing, and then I was left with these tiny things that I was deeply proud of.  These little images that danced on the page.  These little images that could capture so many feelings!  These little images were…MINE!  It captured my sweat and tears, my heart, my joy and MY ART!  It captured ME!  So much so, I would find myself working and thinking an hour went by when it was really eight… or nine… or ten!  These stamps that reflected whimsy, elegance,  and a defined sense of playful modernity…  THIS IS {Studio64}!!!!!!

The Name:  {Studio 64} is named from the fact that between my design studio and my vocal studio, THIS is where I spend most of my existance.  My passion.  My life.  The 64 is from the 64th note or “hemidemisemiquaver.”  A merge befitting of a blog  and a stamp line. 

The Decision:  As Nichole mentioned yesterday, I have chosen not to renew my contract this year in my senior design team duties with Papertrey.  Though you will still see my projects on the Click Simple team, my goal is to focus my energy on my new stamp line, and take it to staggering heights!  This has become a serious passion, and I intend to have it capture YOU as much as it has captured ME!  SO much so, that I am featuring an INCREDIBLE freebie for you today! 

Now this free downloadable PDF digital stamp is for YOU from ME!  If you make a card from this stamp, or any of the Papertrey Ink stamp designers, you will be entered to win $159.00 worth of stamps chosen by Nichole.  Please see below for the full details, but first, my stamp, and THEN, my projects with it!

          DOWNLOAD THIS PDF IMAGE HERE:   Birthday Balloon -Studio 64

 This sweet set of images leaves you so happy!  Perfectly suited for a birthday!

The way the house gently holds the balloon with it’s chimney!  Aw!

This sentiment from “Birthday Basics” is a perfect sentiment for Papertrey’s birthday, don’t you think?

Those “puppet like” clouds and sun hanging from a string!  Looks positively theatrical!

Oh, my girls wanted a GREEN house!  With that quilted hill it has  become more of a greenhouse! 

“Sugared up” images really show off  the whimsy! 

and a sentiment from “Everyday Button Bits” was curved on the block to give it a fun shape to match the curved look of the hill!

 Add some dashes with my copic multi-liner, and I have a sentiment and a hill with dashes!

Pop dots pump up the charm!

  Hope you create like crazy with these, my FIRST images for you!

Please Read the Rules and Fun Stuff:

This post is going up a tad early tonight due to another post I have for you tomorrow!  Hope you enjoy!

I SO hope you enjoyed this challenge as much as I did seeing  your creations! I can see this will be very fun and a great place to play each week!  Besides…aren’t Tuesdays boring?  Now they won’t be!  WHOOT!  So my inspiration is very “Springy” this week!  I’m spinning the Wise Guys again this week doing a Stevie Wonder cover.  I think this two song  each PDF recipe sheet ( Here is the PDF of both challenge 1 and 2 for you for your records!  Compose a Card challenges 1and2)  is a fun idea!  Then you can get to know the artists and their music a tad better.  I will feature different music each week, but no rap.  Sorry…I just can’t deal with it.  Now onto the fun!!   My spotlights of your fab stuff  from last week’s challenge!  Um…this was insanely hard, by the way.

 #1: Sherry!  Just loved her use of Giga Guidelines.  She made use of a bold set to compensate not using a heart punch!  Fantastic!

#2:  Vicki!  Loved how she used some dark chocolate ribbon instead of the melon berry.  I also loved how she used embossing on the bottom half of the card as well as her heart punch!  Nice job, Vicki!

#3: Sharron!  Sharron was showing Daily Designs some serious love (in fact there were a couple of you who did!) I just loved how Sharron turned the tables on this sketch and doubled up on the hearts!  That’s a lot of LOVE! 

 There are NO rules when it comes to how you sketch out your card or what inks you use, and you can use ANY elements or ANY stamp sets to create the style you want.  All you have to do is stay within the cutting recipe and colors.  This is a wonderful way to build up a library of card recipes for you!  Even though I use Papertrey Ink colors and terms, you may use any supplies you wish, just stay within the color and cutting parameters!

****** UPLOAD YOUR CREATIONS VIA THE COMMENTS SECTION.  MR. LINKY HATES WORDPRESS   AlSO, PLEASE UPLOAD YOUR URL TO THE ACTUAL POST,  NOT YOUR BLOG OR GALLERY HOMEPAGE **********  I will feature my faves from the week previous every Tuesday!
             

                   *****Here is the full song for your enjoyment!!! Sir Duke*****
                           

                  Here is the PDF of both challenge 1 and 2 for

                  you for your records!  Compose a Card challenges 1and2

I AM READY TO HAVE SOME FUN WITH YOU!!!!  You in?

Welcome to my all-new weekly challenge!  This challenge is called “Compose a Card!”  It is super fun, because each week on Tuesdays I will post a fun video with some super music and a card recipe JUST FOR YOU!  SO… with this challenge there are a couple of things all rolled into one for YOU…my WONDERFUL readers! 

This challenge will include:

A VIDEO 

SUPER FUN MUSIC TO INSPIRE YOU

AN INSPIRATION PICTURE INCORPORATING THE CHALLENGE COLORS 

A VIRTUAL RECIPE CARD -which includes: ALL CUTTING, COLOR and EMBELLISHMENTS

Fine Print- please read it all…it will only be once:

 I hope to make this not only inspirational, but so easy and fun for you to collect!    There are NO rules when it comes to how you sketch out your card or what inks you use, and you can use ANY elements or ANY stamp sets to create the style you want.  All you have to do is stay within the cutting recipe and colors.  This is a wonderful way to build up a library of card recipes for you!  Even though I use Papertrey Ink colors and terms, you may use any supplies you wish, just stay within the color and cutting parameters!  Since this was actually my first video I ever made (even though you saw my bow tutorial one first,) I had some problems rigging my camera…so it is a bit shaky at times–ESPECIALLY in the beginning.  Don’t worry…it is fixed for later!  Also…sorry if the Melon Berry in the recipe card looks REALLY  pink.  Something happened in the processing…I am not quite sure what.   I will work out all of the kinks for next week.

****** UPLOAD YOUR CREATIONS VIA THE COMMENTS SECTION.  MR. LINKY HATES WORDPRESS   AlSO, PLEASE UPLOAD YOUR URL TO THE ACTUAL POST,  NOT YOUR BLOG OR GALLERY HOMEPAGE **********  I will feature my faves from the week previous every Tuesday!

Stamps:  Tiny Treats: Valentines, Polka Dot Basics II

Paper: Kraft, Vintage Cream, Melon Berry

Ink: Dark Chocolate

Other: Copics E 11 & E 31, Melon Berry Vintage Button

Happy Saturday everyone!!!  Some BIG things happening over at Papertrey Ink coming up…the anticipation is palpable!

I was asked to do this tutorial based on a ribbon treatment I used a while back! Enjoy the tutorial and the card! Let me know if it was helpful too, because I have a lot more I am working on behind the scenes!  Here is what the finished bow looks like:

This was a fun little card to make!  The umbrella was colored using copics cardinal red and strong red.  I then used my signo white gel pen to make the polka dots!  So cute!

I had fun giving these clouds some life.  The one on the left is glued a bit under the umbrella and onto the base of the card.  The other cloud I raised on dimensionals to make it look like it is passing in front of the other!  So much fun to try!

Hope you enjoyed the no-end bow tutorial!  Can’t wait to do more videos for you all!  Up to some challenges???  Let me know!

Stamps:  Scattered Showers, Scattered Showers Additions

Paper:  Stamper’s Select White, Pure Poppy

Ink:  Palette Noir, Smokey Shadow

Other:  Copics

Good morning to you all!  It is the morning of the Papertrey release and I am sharing with you the projects you haven’t seen yet!  Yay! 

One of my favorite things to do is photo cards.  I don’t know why, maybe it is the joy of seeing sweet faces of people who I love on the front of their own cards!  Dawn’s new set “Top Ten” is a perfect way to let someone know how you feel about their sweet personality!  I made this card for my neice Jackie for her birthday in April.  I hope she likes it!

I took this photo of her goofing around in one of my favorite winter hats during my daughter’s ice skating party.  Jackie and I always have fun together.  She is my special little “Schmacky.”  You know you have fun when you have nicknames for each other.

This next card was a real joy to make.  I just love Papertrey Clearly Creative Card Stock.  This stamp from Through the Trees couldn’t be anymore perfect for clear card stock and white embossing powder.

I made slits with my exacto knife in each corner of the Smokey Shadow card stock to slip the corners of the clear cardstock into.  I wanted to tell you this, because in this situation, you can’t see it because of the ribbon, but this is a great alternative for adhering clear card stock over a color card stock without using adhesive.  I embossed the clear cardstock, but the bird was stamped onto a scrap back of some patterned paper in Pure Poppy ink and cut out.  I then adhered the bird onto the clear cardstock using mono multi glue.  It looks embossed though because I left a slight bit of white all around the image when cutting it out.

For my final card, I couldn’t resist getting a “tad” vintage in my look on this next baby girl card.

I think this curved sentiment and sweet cupcake image from Baby Button Bits  are both to die for!!!  I started out with Sweet Blush card stock as my base, but used Hibiscus Burst ink for the Petal Power background stamp on the side of the card.  I unevenly stamped the petal background so it would look faded.  I just did this by keeping my pressure unequal when I stamped.  I used Martha Stewart glitter for the top of the cupcake, which was a perfect little accent and sparkle to the simply colored scallops and leaves. 

Hope you enjoyed this!  Three VERY different cards!  For the entire supply lists for these projects, you can take a look at my gallery on the Papertrey Ink forum at www.papertreyink.com . 

Have a GREAT day!

Good morning all!   Hope this post finds you all well today!  The beautiful and talented Alli Miles has come up with another set that is perfect for any time of the year by pairing some great images with some fun circles and sentiments, that it was really hard to pick what I wanted to work with today!  I ended up choosing this sweet, sweet litttle chickie in the set, because not only was it absolutely adorable, I wanted to play with some bright “Springy” colors!

I had so much fun making the chickie come out of this patterned paper egg!  Just took a marvy oval punch and punched two ovals in Plum Pudding bitty dot paper as well as Lemon Tart bitty dot paper.  Then I cut the lemon oval ends off and adhered it in the middle of the Plum Pudding egg.  A quick snip down the middle with pinking shears and voila!  A happy, open egg for the chick to pop out of!  I also did something fun with the stitched circle image that you have seen over on Alli’s blog this week.  This set comes with a number of wonderful circle images to add to your designs as well.  I used it for the rays for my patterned paper sun:

This gives a sweet detail to the overall look of the sun, and an out-of-the-box approach to using this sweet stitched circle! 

I hope you enjoyed my project today using Daily Deesigns and Sentiments which is out tomorrow!  Make sure you go to Alli’s blog to see her final sneak peeks of this great year-round set!

Stamps:  Daily Designs and Sentiments (Due out on the 15th)

Paper: Stamper’s Select, Bitty Dot Basics patterned paper

Ink: Lemon Tart, Orange Zest, Plum Pudding

Other: Marvy giga oval punch, pinking shears, yellow embroidery floss, dimensionals, stitching

One of the special sets coming out this month is “Inside & Out: Baby.”  This set has a huge array of sentiments for the outsides and insides of cards.  When planning out my project for this post, I couldn’t help but be especially drawn to the stamp with a quote by Winnie the Pooh.  It was such a perfect little quote, and happened to quite perfectly fit with this sweet stuffed bear and new images in the Baby Button Bits stamp set also due out on the 15th. 

On the stuffed bear’s nose there is a sweet little bumble bee!  This reminded me so much of Pooh, what a wonderful baby gift for a boy or a girl!  Perfect for the sentiment on the front of the card.  This also allowed me to play with colring and texture on the bear image from Baby Button Bits.  I really loved how the coloring turned out, and wanted it to match the stuffed bear, so I didn’t add a button this time.

That sweet button bee couldn’t be ignored.  I just had to make a matching tag along with matching ribbon like the stuffed bear has around his neck:

and let’s not forget about the inside of the card!  Remember…INSIDE & out Baby! 

 I used the “Honey Bees” stamp set for this tiny bee to bring to add at the bottom of this sentiment. 

I hope you liked my classic baby gift and card today   If you would like to see all of the other sweet masterpieces today, the entire team has some wonderful eye candy for you!  Please stop by and leave a sweet comment for all of the girls!