Raspberry Suite Color Challenge # 7

It's time for another Raspberry Suite Color Challenge. I always enjoy using Dawn McVey's color combinations. Here's this challenge's colors. Aren't those peonies beautiful?





In January I placed my first PTI order which included two of these colors: Raspberry Fizz and Spring Moss. Spring Moss is a color I never get tired of using. I enjoyed using two of my newest stamp sets for this card.





I used CPS #45 for the inspiration for my design. I stamped Background Basics Text Style in Ripe Avocado ink on Ripe Avocado cardstock. Then I played with another new set Fancy Flourishes, stamping in Raspberry Fizz ink on Spring Moss. Sadly my photo doesn't do justice to Spring Moss; it's such beautiful color. Using Heart Prints stamp, I again used Raspberry Fizz ink on Spring Moss cardstock, which I then punched out with the EK Success heart punch. Oh yea, I used a drop Glossy Accents in the center of each flower on the heart.(Click on photo for heart detail). (Heart Prints is such a fun set. Is Star Prints just as fun? I'm thinking after this week's PTI Blog Hop Star Prints will move up on my wish list. ) Finally, I placed these three elements on a base of Raspberry Fizz.

Well, I'm off to ice some German chocolate cupcakes.

As always, thanks for the visit.



Cammie

Blog Hoppin'

I am excited to participate in PTI's Blog Hop for the first time. I am so inspired by the cards I have seen posted on so many blogs and in PTI's gallery. I want to thank you now for your inspiration and your enabling. As we all know, seeing what many talented crafters create with these stamps motivates us to add another stamp set or two or three to our wish lists or shopping carts.

Nichole chose a color I love --a soft yellow. In fact years ago when the school system was painting classrooms, I chose a soft yellow for my room; the painter didn't even laugh when I asked him to match the paint to a yellow Kleenex. I was sad five years ago when they repainted and the county insisted on painting it a different color. My family room is also painted a shade similar to Lemon Tart, a sunny, happy color.

So, thinking yellow as a spring and summer color, I chose to use the recently released set Bird Watching for the two cards I made because summer means watching the hummingbirds and gold finches at the feeders outside the kitchen window and watching the birds bathe at the waterfall. The first card -Welcome Home uses the bird house image from the set.

I colored the houses with Prisma Pencils, trying to match PTi colors--Berry Sorbet, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, and Lemon Tart. The bird theme was continued with the embossing. The sentiment "Welcome Home" is computer generated. A welcome home card is so nice for someone who has been away on business, on vacation, or in the hospital.

For the second card, I used Background Basics Text Style as well as Bird Watching.

The twine on the card refers to the rough texture of a bird's nest. (I photographed the card beside an empty bird's nest I found last summer when I was trimming the vines on the arbor. I keep it on the shelf on my potting table.) The button colors repeat the flowers in the printed paper.

I hope these cards brighten your evening. Thanks for stopping by, and any comments are most appreciated.

Cammie

Supplies:

Welcome Home: Stamps-Bird Watching (PTI)

Ink: Dark Chocolate (PTI)

Cardstock: Lemon Tart, Berry Sorbet (PTI)

Other: Prismacolor Pencils, Cuttlebug embossing folder, button (Paper Studio), ribbon-twill lemon tart (PTI)

Flying By: Stamps-Bird Watching, Background Basics Text Style (PTI)
Ink: Spring Rain (PTI)
Cardstock: Lemon Tart, Aqua Mist (PTI)
Other: Printed Paper-Floral Frenzy (Making Memories), buttons (Paper Studio and PTI), hemp twine, oval Nestabilities

100+ Years

I mentioned in an earlier post that one of my friends and former co-workers is retiring this month after teaching for 30 years. At the high school where I taught, there were four of us in the English department who collectively had over 100 years at the school. In these days, it is becoming more unusual for people to spend so many years at one place. So we four have always felt a great pride and loyalty to our school and our students. I was the first of the four to retire when I retired last year. And although I knew I was making the right decision, it was extremely difficult and emotional to leave what was my life for 30 years. I know Debbie, the second to retire, is feeling the same these last days. In fact, today was her last day with students, the last day of final exams. While tomorrow is make-up day for final exams, there are very few students at school...basically those whose parents force them to attend; of course, the students want to begin their summer vacation. Her last day will be Tuesday. I have been sending her a couple of cards each week this month. She too is ready to start on the next phase of her life but sad to leave a profession she has truly loved. We have taught some wonderful students. While I don't miss all the grading at home, I do miss the teaching and the interaction with the students. Debbie will feel the same I'm sure. Anyway, this is the first card I sent her to celebrate the beginning of her new life.

If for no other reason she will celebrate not having to grade 1,000+ essays and 240+ research papers a year in addition to the all tests, quizzes, and homework.

Thanks for stopping by,

Cammie

Supplies:

Stamps: Image is from Card Sentiments (Clear Art Stamps), and the sentiment is from Life (PTI).

Ink: Black (Memento) Pure Poppy (PTI)

Cardstock: Lemon Tart and Pure Poppy (PTI)

Other: Cuttlebug embossing folder, Nestabilities, Prismacolor Pencils and OMS to color image

Gratitude

Cool breeze, blue sky, rich potting soil, pots, flowers, and ferns...I've spent my morning planting, and now I'm taking a little break and eating lunch on the screened porch. I am so thankful to have this day. It is the small moments that are so gratifying. A lovely morning and late this afternoon big brown should deliver a package from PTI, woohoo! I had hoped to use my new stamps for RSCC, but I will have to wait until the next challenge. I made a card using Damask Designs, a fantastic stamp set. I love the coral and aqua colors of this challenge... they remind of summer jewelry like the necklace I made last summer which I included in my photos.






My card didn't turn out quite as I had planned, but I'm satisfied with it, not thrilled, but satisfied.
I stamped the background images with Versamark Dazzle in champagne on Berry Sorbet and Aqua Mist cardstock from PTI; I love how the image has a little sparkle to it, which sadly didn't photograph so well. The sentiment is from Limitless Labels which is centered in Tags for Spring. I used scalloped circle Nestabilites for the focal point which is backed by the same scalloped circle in Dark Chocolate. Bitty Dot Basics in Dark Chocolate was cut with EK Success Border Punch. I wanted to add a third fleur de lis in brown, but I simply could not get the punch to work. I tried sharpening it, but brown cardstock kept getting stuck, and I simply could not get a clean cut, so after about six attempts, I became frustrated and gave up. Have you ever become so frustrated, you simply had to change your design? Anyway, the focal point ended up being in a different place than I had originally planned, another frustrating moment in making this card that I won't relate and the three fleur de lis wound up as two... a little more balanced than I had planned. But I love the background and the colors.







Well, I better get back outside. It's a little too pleasant here on the porch; the chaise is starting to beckon me," Come on over, stretch out with a magazine, relax, rest your eyes." O.K. I'm headed back out to clean up the mess I made earlier.



Thanks for stopping by, and be grateful for those small moments.

Cammie

Spring Fling and Spring Chick

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden." -- Ruth Stout

Nichole Headry of Papertrey Ink and Capture the Moment has a fun spring challenge. The challenge is to choose a photograph selected by one of the designers of Papertrey Ink which is an inspiration for spring which is here now and a reason to celebrate. My inspiration came from the photograph chosen by Michelle Wooderson. To me spring means flowers-the progression of forsythia, violets, tulips, daffodils, rhododendron, azaleas, irises, roses, and summerperennials and annuals. My roses started blooming this week; the irises are ready to bloom, and it's time to replace the violets with impatiens.



I love the cottage look in this photograph with the mix of patterns. Some people call this a vintage look.







This is the card I created based on this photo.




While the colors in the photograph are softer, I went with brighter shades of Spring Rain, Hibiscus, and New Leaf. I wanted a mix of florals and polka dots along with vintage details of rickrack, embroidery, and eyelet. The floral image comes from Guidelines Two stamped in the three colors. Then I embellished with two scalloped borders to evoke the feeling of eyelet, rickrack trim, and buttons. This part of the card is layered on Spring Rain Bitty Dot Basics paper with pop dots. Both the focal point and sentiment are off center to evoke the casual feel of the photograph. Now for the sentiment. I have been wanting to try an embroidered letter since Nichole used it during PTI's April's release. I used the C from Ambassador Monogram edition and "elebrate" from "Celebrate" from Damask Designs. I followed Nichole's directions for embroidering the C. I used a ribbon label and Hibiscus twill ribbon for the sentiment.





Inside there is a narrow strip of the Bitty Dot Basics paper stamped with the small flower image from Limitless Labels in Hibiscus ink.





Looking at this card after I finished it, I was reminded of a dress my mother made for me when I was a little girl. It was reversible... blue and white stripes on one side and bright pink and white stripes on the other, and it was trimmed with black rickrack. Then I remembered my sister and I sewing blue rickrack on white curtains for the bathroom. Then I realized my first hobby was embroidery. In fact, I have my first embroidery project done before I started school ... a dishtowel with quite long, uneven stitches. Then I realized, oh my gosh! I'm vintage! I'm no spring chick(en).It's one thing to be classic; that's timeless style, but vintage...that's a synonym for old, antique. Luckily, I don't feel as old as the years dictate.

Speaking of years, 30 years to be exact, my friend and former coworker is retiring this spring after teaching for thirty years. More about this in a later post. Anyway, this card is one of several I am sending during this last month to celebrate her move to the next phase of her life.

Thanks for visiting, and I'd love to hear from you.

Cammie

Supplies:

Stamps: Guidelines Two, Limitless Labels, Damask Designs, Ambassador Monogram Edition(PTI)

Ink: Spring Rain, Hibiscus, New Leaf (PTI)

Paper: Hibiscus, Spring Rain Bitty Dot Basics (PTI)

Other: Fiskar scalloped border punches, Spellbinders Ribbon Label Trio, buttons and trim (Paper Studio), ribbon-Hibiscus twill (PTI)

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge 4

It's time again for another fun color challenge from that oh- so- talented Dawn McVey. I love this challenge's colors. I love rooms that are decorated with browns and aquas, the combination of the rich and soft colors.

Here is my card that I actually made last weekend.

The bird and nest are two stamps from Fairyland by Clear Art Stamps. I stamped and cut them out several weeks ago. The litte bird was perched on my ribbon board just waiting to land on a card. I also used the stamp Vintage Wallpaper from Flourishes. All images are stamped in Sepia Versafine ink. I considered coloring the image but decided I wanted to keep the look very simple. I used Aqua Mist and Dark Chocolate cardstock from Papertrey. The ribbon is Aqua Mist twill , also from PTI. The button is Paper Studio. I finished the button with a little hemp twine. The aqua reminded of some birds' eggs, and the twine reminded me of the rough aspect of a bird's nest. Well, speaking of birds, Mrs. Cardinal just stopped by for a bite at the birdfeeder just outside the window.

Thank you too for stopping by.

Cammie