Hydrangeas--FTTC184

A quick post today--a long to-do-list awaits.

Denise Marzec, hostess of Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge 184, challenges us to use purple and blue. This challenge was the perfect opportunity to ink up my newly purchased Flourishes Hydrangea stamp.

Off to tackle that list!

Have a wonderful weekend,


Supplies:
Stamps: Hydrangeas (Flourishes), Background Basics: Tin Types(PTI), Text-It (Waltzingmouse Stamps)
Ink: Expresso Truffle, Versamark (Tsukineko);  Winter Wisteria (PTI),
Paper: Stamper's Select White, Spring Rain, Winter Wisteria (PTI); X-Press It Blending Card
Other: Labels One (Spellbinders); Linen Impression Plate, Half & Half die, Winter Wisteria  satin  ribbon (PTI); Copics

Back to School

Remember when Labor Day was officially the last day of summer vacation and school began after Labor Day? This certainly is not the norm any more in most locations in the U.S. Here my teaching friends headed  back to school on August 7 with students starting a week later. I will admit that this time of year makes me thankful that I am no longer teaching.  Of course, I may tutor again this year at one of our high schools.  However, now instead of spending an evening grading, I can head to the nearby mountains for a few hours with my husband as we did yesterday. And of course, on a weekday morning now I can play with stamps, ink, and paper.   With school on my mind lately, the latest Cameo Spotlight challenge to use numbers, led to   a back-to-school card.

The background panel is stamped with Impression Obsession  Cover a Card Notebook. Now for all the bits and bobs: Following a Kerri Bradford tutorial and using my Cameo, I made the abc-123 embellishment.  I stamped Mr. Smarty Cat from  Crafty Secrets Cutie Cats, fussy cut, colored with  Copics,  and attached with dimensional tape. The apples were die cut and stamped with PTI's Fruit Fusion. The sentiment is from Tag It #6.  Lastly,  PTI's star border die and twill ribbon to ground kitty.

Until later,


Supplies:
Stamps: Cutie Cats (Crafty Secrets); Fruit Fusion:Apple, Tag-It # (PTI);  (Impression Obsession)
Ink: Grey Flannel, Black Tuxedo (Tsukineko); Aqua Mist (PTI)
Paper: Aqua Mist, New Leaf (PTI); red, blue, yellow (the Paper Studio)
Other: Fruit Fusion, Star border die,New Leaf twill ribbon (PTI); Silhouette Cameo,

It's a Banner Day!

It's a banner day! Well, actually it's a typical Monday here. But for Flourishes it's a banner month.
This month Flourishes is celebrating their fifth anniversary--five years of gorgeous stamps and now cut files match their stamp for the Silhouette !  I am thrilled about these cut files! As part of the celebration, they are sponsoring several challenges.  One challenge, you guessed it, is to use banners.

I chose to have the banners hanging from a lace border, stamped with Flourishes Lace Edges in Memento  Expresso Truffle. Love this ink color!   The banners were cut with Spellbinder dies. Because the pearls used to "attach" the pennants to the lace were too white, I colored them with a pale yellow Copic to match the pennants borders.  The papers are from My  Mind's Eye Lost and Found Rosy paper pad.  (Shame on Hobby Lobby and Michael's for carrying these now, and for Hobby Lobby's frequent 50% off  paper discounts. I am so weak. I mean beautiful patterned paper pads for $3--those babies just jump in my shopping basket) I dry brushed some cream acrylic paint on the kraft base before adding the card panel.

Now for a bit of enabling. If like me you adore Flourishes stamps but have been hesitant to purchase from them because of shipping (a recent shipping estimate to Tennessee was $13.00 for some ribbon and one stamp set), check out  Chic and Savvy Crafters. Amber carries most of the Flourishes stamp sets and offers fee shipping in the US  for clear stamps and dies. I have ordered twice from her and will again.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

PTI Blog Hop

Hello and thanks for stopping by my blog on the hop. With summer still in full swing here in Tennessee, this month's theme autumn textiles added a bit of anticipation for crisp autumn days.

This month's inspiration is all about autumn patterns, textures & textiles.  Think warm & cozy woolens, houndstooth, tweed, burlap, felt, corduroy. herringbone and even argyle. 

With the above photos and Nichole's words as inspiration,  I combined patterns and textures and three PTI stamp sets for my card.

Just as when I wear menswear patterns, I had to add some feminine touches-- for my card--- some roses and tiny pearls.

 Enjoy the hop, and in case you haven't come from Nichole's blog, be sure to go here for links to many fabulous, inspiring creations.


Supplies:
Stamps:Mat Stack 4 Collection, A Little Argyle, Inside Out:Thank You (PTI)
Ink: Rich Cocoa, Toffee Crunch (Tsukineko)
Paper: Fine Linen, Dark Chocolate, Rustic White (PTI)
Other: Mat Stack 4 die, Layerz Mat Stack 4 die,Turning a New Leaf dies, Ocean Tides felt, Spring Moss felt, Ocean Tides Vintage Buttons (PTI); Die-namics Mini Rolled Rose die (MFT), pearls ( The Paper Studio)

Fresh as a Daisy

Using Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #111 for inspiration, I combined frilly daisies and crisp houndstooth for this card.

I used the small houndstooth stamp from  Waltzinmouse Stamps  Heirloom Patterns  for the background and Victorian Frippery for the sentiment. The daisies were made with PTI's  Bloom Builders #3 die.

Check out the the WMSC blog for the wonderful cards by the design team and other players.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Sweet Summer

Set the stage:  In may my husband SURPRISED me with a Silhouette Cameo for my birthday. (His normal gift-giving follows this scenario--I purchase it,and then I tell him what he's giving me.) Having mentioned a Cameo  only a couple of times and not in any relation to my birthday, I was floored when this sweet, sweet man presented one for my birthday. Who knew he was even paying attention to my crafty conversation months before?

Turn on the lights:

The Cameo Spotlight is a new challenge blog focusing on cards and the Silhouette.  The theme of the first challenge is summer, and the design team has created some fantastic cards for inspiration.

Take the stage: There are so many delightful aspects to summer including colorful flowers in the garden and cool, refreshing ice cream.Using these Silhouette files: ice cream cone card file (8233) and the flower file (26929), I combined those two delights for my card.

And of course, a summer means gingham. (Of course, I can find a reason to use gingham in every season)

The stamped sentiment is from PTI's Everyday Button Bits, and the foliage is cut from Spellbinders Foliage die.

Smell the flowers, nibble on some ice cream, dive in the pool, or nap on the porch.  Have a sweet summer day.

What's Mew?

With their qualities of cleanliness, discretion, affection, patience, dignity, and courage, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of becoming cats?" -Fernand Mery Her Majesty the Cat

If like me you are a cat person, you will love the recently released Crafty Secrets stamp set: Cutie Cats. This was one of the three stamps I chose as the lucky random winner of Crafty Secrets July Linky Party.. Thank you Sandy for sponsoring such a great opportunity that offers such wonderful inspiration from so many crafters as well as the chance to add more Crafty Secrets goodies to our stash.

I began by printing the patterned papers from Crafty Secrets first CD and stitching them together. Then I stamped, cut, and colored the sweet kitty; then propped him over the postcard.  A stamped bracket from French Mail in the corner and embellishements with the sentiment complete the  card, ready to send to a cat- loving friend.

Our own sweet Lucy spent Monday night at the pet emergency clinic. Her heart rate was dangerously high and she was dehydrated. After many tests, the vet believes she has mild pneumonia. She is home now and is moving around some and eating a little today. She even stood at the French doors which is her signal she wants to go outside, but her nurse/mommy is keeping her inside and feeding her disgusting delicious salmon pate cat food and trying to get water in her with a medicine dropper.

Be sure to check out  the particpants in this month's Crafty Secrets Linky Party here,



Supplies:
Stamps: Cutie Cats, French Mail (Crafty Secrets);Provencial Collection-Carte Postale (Unity)
Ink: London Fog, Black Tuxedo (Tsukineko)
Paper: Vintage Cream, Spring Rain, Lemon Tart (PTI); patterned paper-Creating Vintage Patterns CD #1(Crafty Secrets)
Other: Cream felt, Love Lives Here dies, Lemon Tart button (PTI), tag die (Spellbinders)