New Banner

Since we're headed towards another holiday season, I thought it'd be nice to create a new banner. (Actually my mom asked me to make her one last year...) And apparently I have a thing for the word "Noel." But what can I say, Joy is too short and Merry is too long. Actually I wanted it to say "Tis the season, yo" my fave holiday line, but that was way too long.

I used my big scallop rectangle nesties for the letters mat and topped it off w/ a border end cut from labels eight. I cut the letters from glitter paper w/ my Storybook cartridge. Then I embellished with buttons, jewels and a couple vintage ornaments. This color combination is my current favorite and I've been doing tons of holiday stuff in variations of it. But I'm a creature of habit...

Detail shot of the letters - The Dets:

Stamps: PTI Signature Christmas

Paper: Cream cs, MB dot pattern paper, PTI kraft, DCWV latte matstack

Ink: Brilliance graphite black

Accessories: Cricut storybook cartridge, spellbinders labels eight & big scalloped rectangles, PTI aqua mist & berry sorbet buttons, jewels, PTI vintage ornaments die, divine twine & TCP linen thread

Altered Notebook

Long time no post. But I've been feeling under the weather and too tired to stamp (shocking I know). However, I'm on the path to recovery (hehe such a drama queen) and had a request from my mom for altered composition books.

I've seen the mini ones, in fact N altered me one a while back. But I've never done a full size one. I had this paper from my stash for a while now. Its superly awesome b/c the flowers are like letterpress into the paper. I've had intentions of making a stationary set with it, but never got around to it.

My mom wanted these to give to her knitting friends to hold pictures or...something for their projects. I played around w/ a few sentiments but liked the simple word of "ideas" the best. I added flourishes to each side with PTI's Simply Stationary set.

I pulled out a sheet of berry sorbet for the spine, but thought it looked a little too plain. So I stamped it with Text Style Background and Turning a New Leaf.

Detail shot -

The Dets:
Stamps: PTI Turning a New Leaf, Text Style Backgrounds, Fresh Alphie, Simply Stationary, MFT Framed Greetings
Paper: PTI berry sorbet, Stardream bronze, EK Success aurora flora
Ink: Brilliance pearlescent chocolate, Versamark, Versacolor old rose
Accessories: MFT die, MS border punch, ribbon, scalloped circle

Purely Sketchy

I was crazy productive this weekend. Cards wise, not housework wise. Aren't those just the best? But I suppose something productive had to come from watching cartoons for two days straight. And I needed to check some crafty t0-do things off the list before T-day rolls around.

One of the cards I did was with my new Pure Innocence Presents for You stamp set. I've got about seven birthdays (mostly family) within a week of each other this month, so I desperately needed to get cracking. I used Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch, SSSC91, for the layout. Colored up the girl (anyone know her name?) in copics and paper pieced her pressies. Of course I had to use my new Pixie-licious paper as this is a birthday card and not really an xmas one.

The Dets:
Stamps: MFT Presents for You, PTI Vintage Ornaments Additions
Paper: MB key lime notecard, Cosmo Cricket pixie-licious
Ink: Memento black & pear sprout, Copics
Accessories: PTI plum pudding ribbon, spellbinders ovals, PTI ornament die, TCP twine

Autumn Whimsy Tree

If there is one thing I miss about not living in Hawaii anymore its not having to rake leaves in the fall. Of course, growing up, I never did yardwork, except to drown my mother's potted plants so she wouldnt ask me to water them again.


So in honor of the impending raking leaves of doom, I brought out my Whimsy Tree plain jane from Verve. I intented to finish the October's VLV challenge, but I never got around to making the last card. This is the sketch from Week #1. I colored Whimsy in both greens and golden yellow colors for a more autumn feel.


The Dets:
Stamps: Verve Whimsy Tree, PTI Daily Design Sentiments
Paper: MB vanilla bean notecard, PTI dark chocolate, SEI moonrise
Ink: Memento black, canteloupe, Versafine black
Accessories: ribbon, TCP flower die, PTI harvest gold button, spellbinder ovals, mb jewels, divine twine

Tag, You're It

Shortie post here. This week's MFT's WSC was a tag challenge. I thought it'd be cute to use my new Lather Rinse Repeat PI stamp. I die cut the image in a large circle and curved the senti to fit the circle. I covered the bath tub w/ loads of glossy accents and sprinkled glitter on the bubbles. I used my circle nesties again to cut the whole for the topper to fit onto the bottle of shower gel.


Here's a close-up of the glossy goodness...

Well my civic duty is calling to me (gotta vote!)...

The Dets:

Stamps: MFT Pure Innocence Lather Rinse Repeat

Paper: MB notecard, MME beloved

Ink: Memento Black, Copics

Accessories: Spellbinder circles, glossy accents, MS glitter, PTI berry sorbet ribbon

Hello Pumpkin

So this weekend I had a brilliant idea to participate in October's Viva La Verve contest. Seriously, I think about doing it every month, its just as the weeks go by I think okay, maybe I'll start this weekend. And before I know it the month is over.

But this past weekend I decided to try. I started off with week two's sketch. When I saw it a few weeks back, I immediately thought of Hello Pumpkin. And since I already had my prismas out, after trying Jen's CA tutorial, I tried my hand again.

I ended up only finishing three of the four cards. Then realized that sketch two was to use Orange, Brown, Teal and White. So oh well. Maybe I'll try again next month.


The Dets:
Stamps: Verve Hello Pumpkin, Thankful Accents
Paper: MB mocha notecard, PTI summer sunrise, SEI dp
Ink: Memento brown, Prismas, Brilliance pearlescent chocolate
Accessories: Spellbinders labels three & circles, kaiser pearls, mb jewels

Rockstar SSSC

So last week on Club Anya, Jen had this ah-mazing tutorial on Prismacolor pencils. I dont know about you, but I've always had a hard time coloring w/ pencils. I think that's why I dig copics so much, blend alot better and cover nicely. But watching her tutorial, she made it look so easy!

So I unearthed my prismas from the depths of the "unused craft stuff" drawer. I found blending stumps at M's but I was at a loss for gamsol or OMS. I found turpenoid or something but the boy cautiously suggested that maybe I should go home and doublecheck before I go out acquiring toxic and flammable materials. And I heard some people have used Goo Gone and I knew I had that at home.

Can I just point out that Jen's video was alot like me watching an episode of SYTYCD. When I watch the dancers do all kinds of fun hip hop flips and tricks and think, that looks easy I could totally do that. But when it comes to actualizing...that's an entirely different story. Same with the color pencils. It wasnt a total disaster, like me trying to pop and lock might be, but it wasnt as flawless either. Of course I dont have nearly as much prisma colors as I do copics, so I was kind of limited as to what I could use for shading, hair, etc etc. But the blending stump didnt retain the chemical for as long, so it was a lot of rewetting and tediousness.

I used Karen's sketch, SSSC90, for the layout. But I left it unsentimented cause I'm not sure who this is going to. I did end up doing another card with a Verve stamp and prismas which went a little easier. So guess its the same theory as copics, practice practice practice.


The Dets:
Stamps: TGF Rockstar Anya
Paper: PTI kraft, berry sorbet & lemon tart, Cosmo Cricket togetherness
Ink: Memento black, prismas
Accessories: MFT open scallops, TCP flower buttons, divine twine, PTI melon berry ribbon, spellbinder rectangles, stickles