Sale, Sale, Sale!

Michele of Purple Onion Designs is having an inventory reduction sale! She has a ton of stamps for at least 50% off! And her prices were great to begin with, so this is pure sale madness! You can check out the sale stamps here. Quantities are limited and the sales runs until Friday, April 3. Shop now and don't wait, or you might miss out! And for those of you with questions on how to use unmounted rubber stamps, please feel free to contact me and I can provide you with more information. Go...shop!

Elegant Eggs

I can't believe I made it to the weekend! I've been wicked sick all week, just barely managing to go to work. My ears are still plugged, but my voice is back and I'm not quite as congested. Thank goodness for antibiotics!

Today's card is a slightly elegant version of this card. I took out the cute chick and stamped the eggs with some cool flourish stamps from Purple Onion Designs. These patterns are so versatile! Who would have thought to use them on eggs?!?

Once again, I used my long rectangle Nestabilities and the oval dies for the eggs. I hand cut the green strip of cardstock for grass, using some very small and sharp scissors. I love the color combination - Sweet Blush and Berry Sorbet from Papertrey Ink.

I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend!









Stamps: Damask (Purple Onion Designs)
Ink: Aqua Mist, Sweet Blush, Berry Sorbet (PTI)
Cardstock: pink (Bazzil), Spring Moss, Berry Sorbet, Sweet Blush, SS White (PTI)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), classic and scalloped long rectangle and classic oval Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders)
Ribbon: Berry Sorbet satin (PTI)
Other: foam mounting tape (3M)

Papertrey Ink March Blog Hop

It’s Blog Hop time once again! I’m not sure what’s come over me, but this time I’m doing something I’ve never done for Blog Hop…I made a baby card! I think I’m secretly inspired by all those fabulous cards Beth (babies) makes week after week…lol! This is for you, Beth!



I decided to make an elegant baby card for my husband’s co-worker to help welcome his baby girl, Chloe. I just love pink and green together, and if you throw in brown, it’s nothing short of perfect! And as sick as I was this week, I managed a little strength to try out my new Guide Lines Two set the moment it arrived. I’m so glad I didn’t pass on this set!

I added sponging around the edges in both the Hibiscus Burst and Antique Linen distress ink. I then lightly dragged the Antique Linen across the surface. This really muted the colors and gave the background a slightly water colored look. I couldn't stand to cover the background too much, so I added a simple bow and tag, and the baby’s initial, “C.” A few adhesive pearls classed it up a bit and gave it the elegant twist I wanted. (And, sorry, I forgot to take a photo of the background before I added it to the card!)



I’m very happy about how this card turned out! Now I’m off to hop around…









Stamps: Guide Lines Two, Bitty Baby Blessings, Fresh Alphabet (PTI)
Ink: Spring Moss, Hibiscus Burst, Dark Chocolate (PTI), Close to Cocoa (SU!), Antique Linen distress (Ranger)
Cardstock: Spring Moss, Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Patterned Paper: 2008 Bitty Dot Basics (PTI)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), tiny tags die for Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), corner rounder (Fiskars), circle and slit punches (SU!)
Ribbon: Vintage Cream satin (PTI), twine
Other: foam mounting tape (3M), vintage Hibiscus Burst button (PTI), adhesive pearls (Kaiser)

A Little Spring Cheer...

And I could sure use some after catching my daughter's nasty cold. Isn't it great that our children want to share everything with us?!? Geez, I think this is round four or five. I am feeling the need to disinfect everything, wash all our bedding and air out the entire house! But before I can do that, I need to feel a little better. So here's a card to cheer me up.

This card uses the same flower stem from this card, but stamped three times to make a simple bouquet. I stamped the background and aged it a bit by first sponging color, then slightly tearing and rolling the edges. A pretty satin ribbon and heart pin add the final touch (thanks, Hollie, for the pin!).

Hope you are all having a nice, healthy weekend. I'm off to load up on more OJ and take quick nap. Who knew typing could wear you out?!?










Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Melon Berry, Summer Sunrise, Ripe Avocado (PTI), Distressed Linen (Ranger)
Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream, Ripe Avocado, Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Ribbon: Melon Berry satin (PTI), twine
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvCraft), classic and scalloped long rectangle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders)
Other: foam mounting tape (3m)

Simple Birthday Wishes

Happy Wednesday! I'm home with a sick child today and thought I'd post something in between cartoons and cough medicine. I hate seeing my full-of-life daughter drained, laying on the couch with dark circles under her eyes. But what I know about her is that she doesn't let much get her down, so she'll quickly recover and get right back to business!

This is one of my March projects for Purple Onion Designs and I really love how it came out! There's something about this card that really strikes me - the colors, the simplicity, the flower, the font, or all of the above! I know that I will definitely be making more cards with this similar look.

Well, I'm off to administer more apple juice...STAT! Have a great day!








Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Cardstock: Ripe Avocado, Kraft, Vintage Cream (PTI)
Ink: Summer Sunrise, Melon Berry, Ripe Avocado, Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), classic long rectangle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), slit punch (SU!)
Ribbon: Melon Berry satin (PTI)
Other: button, foam mounting tape (3M)

Here Chickie, Chickie, Chickie...

Happy Saturday! It's the weekend, it's raining, and I'm settling in for the evening. That means stamping, snacking and hanging out at the Papertrey Ink release party tonight! Whoo hoo, I'm all ready! And here's my entry for this month's Guest Star Stamper contest:




I barely got this one submitted in time, as I completely spaced on the deadline. I thought I had one more day, then it hit me that I only had hours to wrap it up! I just couldn't go another month without participating!

For this card, I made little eggs using my oval Nestabilities. The chick was made from a slightly larger die, so that he could take center stage! He is two ovals - one yellow for his body and one blue for his egg shell. I cut a tiny triangle for his nose and another tiny piece for his hair. Hair? Well, whatever that is on the top...lol. Each egg was stamped with a different large heart image from Heart Prints. I love all the great patterns in that set! The grass I hand cut using some very sharp small scale scissors. I've done this before and I'm always very happy with the results it creates.

I hope you are all having a relaxing, fun weekend. I know that I am terribly late with my lollipop cover tutorial, but I haven't forgotten about those of you who want it. I will add that to my "to do" list this weekend and get crackin' on it soon (no pun intended)!











Stamps: Mixed Messages, Heart Prints (PTI)
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Aqua Mist, Lavender Moon, Spring Rain, Berry Sorbet, Summer Sunrise (PTI)
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Lavender Moon, SS White, Spring Rain, Sweet Blush, Spring Moss, Lemon Tart, Melon Berry (PTI)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), classic oval and classic and scalloped long rectangle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders)
Ribbon: Aqua Mist swiss dot satin (PTI)
Other: foam mounting tape (3M), glue dots

How Are You?

I am fine...but very busy! I have to keep this short and sweet, as today is my husband's birthday and I really should be spending time with him. If only he liked to stamp...

This is another card I made for Purple Onion Designs last month. I used this terrific damask stamp. I love this design! I wanted to make a card that would really showcase this stamp. It was hard to resist the urge to add more stuff, but I wanted to keep it simple. I also really like how the aqua pops against the black.

Well, I'm off to spend some quality time with the birthday boy and spare him another game of Candyland with a very persistent four year old...

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Ink: True Black (PTI)
Cardstock: Raspberry Fizz, SS White, Aqua Mist (PTI)
Ribbon: Aqua Mist swiss dot (PTI)
Tools: slit punch (SU!), corner rounder punch (Fiskars)
Other: black button

CPS 106

Well, it was fun the first time, so I'm playing again with another Card Positioning System card sketch. Here's this week's sketch #106:



And here's my card:

This time I didn't create such a literal interpretation of the sketch. I changed the orientation and the swirl flower element is much more subtle than I had originally planned. Doing these sketch cards always makes me stretch and try different things, which is why I like them. And my own personal challenge was to use one of the new Papertrey Ink colors, Melon Berry. I'm still not 100% sold on this color, but I can tell you that I like the ink and ribbon much better. I darkened up the cardstock just a tad by stippling some of the Melon Berry ink around the edges. The patterned paper is new Basic Grey from the Porcelain collection. I also used my new Spring Tags and Beyond Basic Borders sets from PTI, adding a few flowers from my Green Thumb set.

So this is a little different for me. I think it's a little shabby vintage. I'm still not sure how I like it, but it's growing on me (no pun intended)!









Stamps: Tags for Spring, Beyond Basic Borders, Green Thumb (PTI)
Ink: Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, Dark Chocolate, Melon Berry
Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Porcelain collection (Basic Grey)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), classic circle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders)
Ribbon: Melon Berry satin (PTI), ivory looped (Michaels)
Other: foam mounting tape (3M)

Let the Weekend Begin!

Happy Friday everyone! I'm so glad this week has come to an end. There are only two things I have planned for this weekend: crafting and sleeping! I'm sure I'll get at least one of those two things done!

I think I may be on a roll with this cards-in-a-box thing. I was so pleased with this project, I decided to do it again for Purple Onion Designs and came up with this little set of cards:

For the cards, I stamped the top portion with the filigree corner stamp. I love this stamp! I simply stamped one row, turned the stamp, and stamped another row below it to create my pattern. I added a piece of cardstock that I scalloped with my Threading Water punch, added some great patterned paper and finished it off with the "just a note" stamp.

Although it's hard to see, the box was also stamped with the same flourish stamp. I scalloped the box top and added a band to coordinate with the cards.

Don't cha know I just love pink and brown together??? The best part of this project is the fact that I now have a great little gift ready to go for that last minute teacher/co-worker/neighbor birthday/holiday/occasion. Or maybe I'll keep them for myself...for no special occasion at all!

Have a great weekend! Any big plans for you and yours?!?







Stamps: Filigree corner, Script Hello set (Purple Onion Designs)
Ink: Spring Moss, Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Cardstock: SS White and Spring Moss (PTI), pink (Bazzil)
Patterned Paper: Creative Imaginations
Tools: Threading Water punch (Fiskars), circle punches (SU!)

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Can you find the placemat in this picture?

That's right, recycling at its finest! I found an adorable Valentine's placemat at Target the other night for - get this - 90% off and I used it to make the front and back cover of this notebook! This was another great opportunity to test out my new Bind-it-All and it didn't let me down. I rounded the corners on the covers by using my corner rounder punch. I only used it to make an impression on the placemat, as there is no way it would actually cut it. But it did leave a mark and I then simply cut the corners following the mark and used my sanding block to round off any rough edges.

Inside the notebook I used regular index cards cut down to size. I rounded the corners to fit the book. On the cover of the book I simply stamped the word "hello" and added the ribbon and tag so that it's ready to give away to a friend. I love that the placemat is somewhat transparent and you can see the lined cards inside, just waiting to be written on. And on the back I added another simple little touch:

I bet you'll never look at a placemat the same way - I know I won't!






Stamps: Beyond Basic Borders (PTI)
Ink: Black StazOn
Ribbon: Raspberry Fizz swiss dot (PTI)
Tools: Bind-it-All (Zutter), Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), tiny tags die for Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), corner rounder punch (Fiskars), sanding block
Other: placemat (Target), ruled index cards, button, black o-wire

It's March Already?!?

Happy March! I don't know about you, but I cannot believe that we turn another calendar page today! This year is moving so fast!

Here's a fun, bright card I made for Purple Onion Designs this month. It's also the card I plan to give my niece, Na'Taya, for her 9th birthday a little later this month. She's just at that age where I didn't want to make the card too cutesy, nor did I want it to be too grown up. I love this argyle embossed background. Embossing adds so much with such little effort.

The images were stamped, colored and cut out and adhered with foam mounting tape. I used my oval Nestabilities die to make a balloon, cut out a tiny triangle for the base and added string to make it look realistic. The "birthday wishes" sentiment was stamped repeatedly to make a fun border. I love the font on this stamp - it reminds me of classic Winnie the Pooh. Do you see it?

Hope you are all having a terrific Sunday. As soon as I finish breakfast my husband and I will get to work on an "island" for my craft room. This will provide lots of storage and a dedicated work space for my tools, cutter, etc. It will free up my main work top and it will be on casters so I can move it where I need it. I'm so excited! I will try to get everything cleaned up so I can take photos to share. Maybe that will inspire me to get my space clean and organized once and for all!







Stamps: Birthday Wishes, Skinny Dip Alphabet, Doodle Birthday Set (Purple Onion Designs)
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Fizz (PTI)
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Fizz (PTI)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), classic oval Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), Argyle embossing folder for Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft)
Other: foam mounting tape (3M), string, Koh-I-Noor woodless colour pencils