Use it! #4 and the CPS sketch challenge

I really have been enjoying all the challenges I'm finding while "blurfing" : ) what a hip Grandma I am *wink* This card is for two challenges I hope you will take some time to check out these two great blogs. I am sure you will find them both challenging and inspirational!

This card design is my take on this weeks CPS challenge sketch. The elements of the design were inspired by the "Use it" challenge. Our challenge hostess at the "Use It Challenge", Rae, offers up weekly fun and the challenge of using up that old "stash". Each week Rae draws a winner who in turn shouts out a "Use It" challenge for the next week. My friend, Judy was the winner of last weeks drawing so she has asked that for this weeks challenge card we use:

Scraps of any kind -

paper, odd embellishments, ribbon - any odds and ends you have.

Punches and/or die cuts -

Two or more different ribbons -

One or more embellishments that you once loved and use a lot, but haven't used for a long time -

I have paper scraps (boy! do I have paper scraps!) so I went to my bulging filing cabinet and selected two scraps. I used one of my favorite Sizzlits die cuts "Adirondack Chair". I used two ribbons one is the peach polka dot and the other is the plain white ribbon I threaded through my Love em' but have not used em' in a long time embellishment - the two epoxy buttons by Making Memories. To incorporate the design element from CPS I added a round circle - embossed with "Traffic Jam" by Cuttlebug and added a paint chip. The sentiment is from The Angel Company - stamped with that handy dandy product StazOn ink!

I'm getting fairly good at incorporating my old "stuff" when making cards for the "Use It" challenge but one thing I have not mastered is making my cards look "modern". But I'm a work in progress! and I'm having fun : ) that counts right???

Thank you for stopping by and have a great day!!

Card using UTEE

A few of my friends and I have begun to get together once per month to "play with paper". We decided that each of us would take turns doing a little demonstration. Last week was my turn. Here is the card we made. I wanted to demonstrate UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel). For those of you who are unfamiliar with this technique I suggest you give it a try. You stamp and color your image - then stamp all over your image directly with a Versamark pad. Once your image is completely covered with the Versamark - sprinkle UTEE all over the image. The UTEE will stick to the Versamark ink. Using your heat gun carefully heat up the powder watching closely to be sure that you do not melt your UTEE more than you want. The less you heat the powder the more you will achieve a water droplet look as I have done here. If you "over heat" an area of your card a little more than you wanted simple apply a little more Versamark and a few more sprinkles and heat it again. It really is a pretty look on flowers and especially fun when you are using fish images : ) because you can give them an "under the sea" look.

For our card we used card stock from Stampin' Up. A "Script" embossing folder from Cuttebug, My image is from The Angel Company. I colored my image with colored pencils. The ribbon is by Offray and the stick pin is from Close To My Heart.

If you have any questions about this technique please feel free to ask. : )

Have a wonderful day! Patti

Use It Challenge #3 & CPS108

I just love these challenges!! I am a big fan of Rae who was among the top 10 finalists for Papercrafts Magazine's "Gallery Idol" last year. I tease her and tell her I am her biggest fan - she thinks I'm kidding : )

For my card design I used the CPS challenge sketch #108. Another great sketch! check them out if you haven't already you are sure to be inspired each week.

For Rae's "Use It" challenge this week Heidi Van Laar (I'm also a big fan of Heidi!)has challenged us to:

dig deep into that stash!

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- Use some eyelets

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-Use something more that 1 year old.

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- And just for fun, use something with polka dots!

Oh Heidi! you topped it off just right because I think I actually have polka dots running in my blood. heehee I enjoyed this card even though I got frustrated with my eyelets - thus remembering why I do not use them very often!! }: )

My polka dotted paper is by Bo Bunny, the thin strips of pink paper are also polka dotted - that paper is by Stampin' Up. The blue pp is "Far East" by Die Cuts with a View.

The element of my card that is WELL! over a year old is the image. It is a, long ago, retired stamp from The Angel Company. It just needs eyelets in the center don't you think!?! : ) I stamped off a few extra images and cut out the center flower for the corner embellishment on my card. I colored all the centers with a matching colored pencil.

This challenge made me smile! Thank you Heidi and Rae for hosting this challenge to get our juices flowing and for getting us to "use it"!!

Please consider stopping by Rae's "Use it" blog spot and joining the weekly fun!

Patti

Judy's inspirational challenge

My friend Judy posted a challenge on the old - new - old Papercrafts site *wink*

Judy's challenge:

"Where do you find inspiration for your art? A lot of us are inspired by others’ cards, but many other things can be inspiring. I’d like you to create something that was inspired by something OTHER THAN another card.

As I lay in my bed yesterday morning looking out at the gloomy rainy weather I wondered about this challenge and wondered where I would get inspiration on such a gloomy and dark day. My eyes turned to this beautiful piece of needle work my sister, Susan did for me. It was done with a technique called Brazilian Embroidery or dimensional embroidery.

After giving me this piece Susan taught me how to do this lovely craft. After paper crafts it is my favorite hobby. I had to shoot the picture in a goofy way to avoid the light hitting the glass but I hope you will see how pretty the stitches are. To give you some perspective the outside frame size is 10.5 x 10.5".

For my card I used a two sided paper by Graphic 45, Prima flowers, pearls by Kaiser Craft. The words are all rub-ons from MSE!.

Thank you for looking and thank you, Judy, for a great challenge. : )

Patti

Flutterby with sparkle

It looks like March is going out like a lion. Weather.com tells me it is 36* outside but the wind chill factor is 27* it is half raining and half snowing! It feels like spring is a long! way off!! So today I am going to post a card that makes me think of spring and warmer days!! I found this paper at my friend, Barb's, LSS. It is by Best Creations. It is one of those horribly high priced pieces of paper that I vow I will never buy! LOL but I wanted those butterflies! They are covered with glitter and they are just beautiful! I hope you like my card and that you are happy in your heart today no matter what your weather is like!

(((Hugs))) Patti

Sugar & Spice Dresses

When I saw this template in the March/April 2009 Papercrafts magazine I fell in love with it!! I have tried to find the template to link here but I can't seem to locate it on the Papercrafts site. If anyone knows the link please post it here. : ) thank you!

I pretty much just used scraps for these cards. I changed the neckline on the red card and used a pearl instead of a button. The card is VERY easy to create and oh so sweet! Makes me remember Easter dresses from days gone by.

Thank you for looking. Patti

White on White

My good friend Theresa gave me this beautiful stamp set from Close to My Heart. I created this card for her as a Thank you card and used the same design for a swap I was in in which we were instructed to use only white on our card. I love how it turned out and plan to do more of the white on white cards in the future.

Thank you for looking!

Patti

Spring is in the air

It is 61 degrees right now in northwestern Wisconsin at 3:00 p.m. To those of you who have your little crop pants and flip flops on you might not feel that is so very impressive but to us it is almost a heat wave!!

I saw a pick up truck on the lake yesterday! so we may have a while to go yet LOL but I thought I would post a springy card today. I used paper by American Crafts and a butterfly image by Inkadinkado. I used my favorite glitter Gellyroll pen by Sakura and colored my butterfly softly with some chalk.

Makes me want to break out my Easter bonnet!

Have a happy springy day! Patti

Quilting meets cardmaking

I love sewing and papercrafting - where this card is concerned the two met. My good friend, Barb has a LSS. The other day she was saying she is tired of seeing all the paper she sells. She was wishing for new new stock but knows she also needs to sell the stock she already has. She has wonderful paper so I grabbed a sheet off the shelf. It was this paper by Debbie Mumm. Great paper huh?!!! I took it and made these two cards for her to display. Thanks for looking! : ) Patti

House Mouse Challenge #28

I LOVE the House Mouse Challenges - check out this amazing blog. There are so many fantastic cards made by talented papercrafters you are sure to be inspired and entertained by the little critters you'll see there. My House Mouse image was given to me by my friend Susan - I do not own this stamp.... yet : )

I made this card for my Dear ol' Dad. I think he will get such a kick out of this image. The pattern paper I used is by Sweeetwater - the solid cardstock by WorldWin. I ran the solid blue cs through my Big Shot using my "Spots & Dots" Cuttlebug embossing folder. I cut the star using the Basic George cartridge on my Cricut machine and I stamped the large yellow brad with a part of a sentiment stamp I have from The Angel Company.

Thank you for looking : ) and Thank You, House Mousers, for another fun challenge

Patti

A different kind of challenge

My friend Barb has four amazing children!. Her oldest, Katie is shy - really! shy!! I have worked for months just to get her to talk to me. Barb says she likes me but that she is just really introverted.

Katie loves scrapbooking! (it is a very good thing she does as her Mom owns my LSS) so scrapbooking is a large part of her life.

One day while I was in the store I challenged Katie. I selected two packs of identical embellishments from her Mom's clearance bin. I gave her one and I took one for myself. I asked Katie if she would like to do a "project swap" with me. She quietly said that she would like that! Victory!!

I told her we would each create something to swap. I told her she could use any other products she wanted but that she had to use at least half of the products in the package. I vowed to do the same.

Barb said Katie was nervous but excited about the challenge. Here are the projects we swapped. I received this amazing! scrapbook page featuring this sweet picture of Katie and she received this little card that I made. My picture of her 12x12" page is not very good - I don't photograph 12x12 pages normally so I don't have a very good set up to capture it in the best way but I hope you'll get the idea.

I think I got the best end of the deal!! Katie is quite a bit more open to chatting with me now - I may have finally won her friendship.

Thank you for looking : )
Patti

It is a challenge being challenged! : )

Three challenges the same challenge! All were created using things from "my stash" and having at least one element on them that I have NEVER used before and all based on different challenge sketches from CPS : )

The first is my challenge card for the CPS#106 card. This is only my second time doing this challenge and this was a challenge for me! I can't decide if I am "supposed" to follow the drawing exactly or not LOL So if you are looking at my card and wondering how I saw this weeks sketch in my card please know.... I did try! Papers are from Close to My Heart. The image is a stamp I have NEVER used because my friend "Beach Bum" just RAKed it to me : ) and the flower is one I have in my huge drawer of flowers. I love the flowers, I admire them on other people's cards but I RARELY feel I can get them to "work". The sentiment is a Rub on by "One Heart-One Mind" because I'm quickly becoming a poster child advocate for Rub-ons!! : )

My next card is for Rae's "Use it" challenge. I love Bella images but I am not thrilled with this card. The challenge was to use up supplies we already own. For this weeks card we were to specifically use: paper we love, something we have NEVER used before, a ribbon and a button.

For my Bella card I used an image that I do not own. If I did own it I think I would re-do and "tweak" this card to make it better. OK! moving on... : ) In my "Stash" I have at least 200 images that I have received in swaps and for RAKs or just from friends wanting to share their great images with me. I have been vowing! to turn to these images and USE them!! The solid cardstock is called "So Saffron" (one of my favs) by SU and I stamped it with a little flower stamp that I LOVE from TAC. The pattern paper is a favorite of mine as well and the button... it IS a great button, isn't it?! I bought this button - along with a couple of other of similar sized buttons in blue last April while at a PCMB retreat in Madison, WI. I love them but have never never used one before!

The third card is also for a challenge similar to Rae's Use it challenge. My good friend Vicky "lavenderblue", from the PCMB, hosted a challenge this week as well. In her challenge she challenged us to use a stamp that we have never or rarely used and create a paper crafted item in a style that we don't normally use. I chose an image by Magenta that was on a Rollagraph. I think the Rollagraph images are a good value. I like to buy them and cut them off the roller - mount them on cling foam and use them un-mounted. That is what I did with this image about 8 years ago. There are actually 4 windows of flowers but for this card I only used three. I believe I have Never ever used this image! and after working so hard on this card I'm pretty sure I never will again! I just don't like it. I'll probably RAK it to some poor unsuspecting person! I love the colors in this card but they are a lot darker than I would normally use. I tend to use dark colors in small amounts so I am not sure I like this card either! I stamped the "Because you're Special flourish image (also a RAK from Beach Bum that I have never used) on a piece of acetate and slid a lighter lime green paper behind the writing so it would show up better. : )

This is a long post! : ) you knew that right!!?? LOL but some days it is a challenge just being me! *wink* Thank you for sticking it out til the end of this novel. I hope you are having a great week.

Patti

Gossip Club

I love this image!! it is so fun choosing sentiments to go with it. There are many that would be appropriate. I made this card for my step Mother to brighten her day after surgery.

The image "Gossip Club" is by Art Impressions. The patterned paper does not show very well in this picture but it is a glitter paper. I really rarely buy the glittered paper because it is way! too expensive but this paper caught my eye for my step mother's card. It reminds me a of a dress I sewed in about 1985. When I visited my Dad and his wife she fell in LOVE! with this dress so I gave it to her : ) I doubt she remembered that dress when she saw the card - but it is pretty paper isn't it?

I was really in the mood for something springy. It is gloomy outside today. We are supposed to be getting a huge amount of snow today but it looks as though it may be passing us by - so far we have only gotten a dusting. I'm SO ready for spring!! but in Wisconsin it is still a long way off. : )

I hope you are having a great day and are happy in your heart!

Patti

Patti

Guest Artists

The following 10 posts are 6x6" recipe cards that some of my Papercraft friends have created and sent to me in recipe swaps over the past couple of years. I hope that you will take a few minutes to look over these great recipe cards and leave a comment here. I appreciate each one of them for allowing me to post their recipes. I do have one more recipe card I am hoping to show you from my good friend, Jen - pjpants in Las Vegas. I am waiting to get her permission to post her darling recipe card! I have dozens more cards that I wish I could post of great creations that I have recieved from talented ladies from all over the country but I hope this little bit has whet your appetite for card swapping and cooking!!

I'd also like to invite you to go to my sister, Susan's blog. She is a busy Mom and Grandma so she doesn't post very often but she has some wonderful recipe cards on her blog this week too - if you have time go take a peek and be sure to say "hi" and let her know her kid sister sent you : ).

Have a great week!! Patti

Chris - BeachBum's recipe card

Chris is my very dearest and closest Papercrafting friend. We have met a couple of times including when she came to stay with me at my home last year. She is one of those rare people who when you meet you instantly feel a kindred sort of friendship with. She is so very sweet and tremendously talented!

I have more recipe cards from Chris than I have of my own because she is also very very generous. I hated picking just one card to share because you would drool over Chris's creativity!! but I decided to select only one. I chose this one because it is one of her cards that show her unique way of making a card interesting. See how she concealed the instructions to her recipe in a hidden pocket? and check out the tab - it is a piece of the same pattern paper she used on the front of her card. All of her cards are unique and all really really well done! I am honored to own so many of her creations! and to call her friend.

Patti

Vicky - lavendarblue's recipe card

Isn't this card beautiful!? I hope the picture shows off the delicious textured paper Vicky used on her card. It really is something. She also used 3D stickers which just give this card a "professional" look! Great job! Vicky

Patti

p.s. anyone want to see a picture of Vicky? I can be bought! LOL

Judy - dgbearsmom's recipe card

Judy if you could see me now I'm bowing! : ) ok, not really but Judy is one of the best papercrafters I know!! You must check out her blog. I visit her blog just about everyday as well. We have never met but we have been in quite a few recipe swaps together - she is another one I had a hard time selecting just one card to show you.

Judy, I must confess I have never tried making this recipe ... gulp! but I promise I will. I do not care for many kinds of seafood but I think I could try it if only I didn't have to use "clam juice" do you think I could skip that part! it is the only thing holding me back! LMK : )

No matter what though, I really love this card! : )

Patti

Heidi's recipe card

Heidi is another one of my Papercraft friends that I had the pleasure of meeting in Madison, WI last year. She has a sincere smile that will warm your heart right through! I continue to visit Heidi just about every day! : ) you can too at her blog. She has a very special talent with dry embossing - even thought this card doesn't have any represented. Her work is amazing check it out!!

Isn't this card adorable!?! The snow is layered strips of paper that she then inked with a soft blue ink. This card is one of my all time favorites! You're the best Heidi!

me.

Jenny - GeminiJen's recipe card

Jenny has created so many cards for swaps I have been in I had a really! hard time choosing just one to post. I picked this one because I just love this card! : ) She always does a really great job with the little details! It is always a pleasure to receive one of Jenny's creations!

Jenny and I met last year in Madison, WI. I think she is as sweet as she is talented!! BIG (((Hugs))) Jenny : )

Patti

Karen - Kawslw2's recipe card

Karen created her 6x6" recipe card using my all time favorite Stampin' Up image!! I have drooled over this image for years and STILL do not own it. That may be why I love this card so much but I can't get over the detail and ... the kind of elegance this card has! I love it!!

Thank you Karen for being my friend. : ) Please visit Karen's blog to see more of her beautiful papercrafts!!

(((Hugs))) Patti

Janice - Fluffnstuff's recipe card

You really must stop by and visit Janice at her blog. She is a talented papercrafter and a SWEETHEART! : ) I love so many things about this card. The papers, the border she used and the image is adorable but you can't see it but she used two little hearts that are slightly puffy and glittered! They look like decorated sugar cookies. Very sweet.

Patti

Wanda - AlleycatPixie's recipe card

Isn't this adorable!?! I just love how she show the measurements of the ingredients and the little hand crafted clip board! Great job Wanda!!


me.

Lori - Littledevil's recipe card

Here is a 6x6 recipe card I recieved from Lori in a recipe swap! I love!! this card. Lori is from Alabama and is a little angel! : ) (((Hugs))) Lori.

me.

Pleasant Surprise!

My friend Heather from the Papercrafts site served up a fantastic challenge this week. The challenge was to create a Thank You card using gray and orange! My initial thought was "bluck!' but I'm ready to eat humble pie and give my friend a big "Toot Toot" because I am loving! this combo.

Papers by Stampin' Up, Camera image by Stampin' Up, all other images by Close To My Heart, film transparency from an unknown company. The flower is from Martha Stewart and the bling is compliments of K&Company. Dontcha just love this color combo!?!

inside sentiment: Thank you for a lovely vacation!

Heather, you go girl!!

Patti

6 x 6 Recipe Card Swapping

Recipe cards are among my favorite swaps! Here are a few cards that I have created for swaps that I've joined. Later this month I will post more of my recipe cards and, if I can get permission, I will be posting some of the cards I have received from my favorite paper crafters, as well.

These are two of my favorite recipe cards - and the chicken dish that I created (toot toot) is one of my favorite dishes too!

me. : )

6 x 6 Recipe Cards

Here are some great recipe for Green Chile Burgers and Roast Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes with Pears - you should consider trying these recipes they really are my favorites!

For my burger card I used Grill-a-Fella a fun image from one of my favorite lines stampingbella. And a cute little die cut shirt by QuickKutz.

6 x 6 Recipe Cards

Barn is a die cut from Archivers.

Patti

Oops! I'm late

I almost forgot to post my calendar for this month. Maybe you will understand why... it is kind of forgettable! heeheehee well, you know every thing we do can't be works of art!. : )

This month my calendar is simple and plain. As a reminder my calendar is from Touche' Rubber stamps. A sweet little CD case holds each month while the plastic case folds out to create an easel for the current page to sit on. I used a scrap of ribbon and a button from an unknown company. I punched out a few black circles with a punch and Walla! March.

April is better just you wait : )

Thanks for looking! : ) Patti

House Mouse Challenge #26

If you understood how much I love House Mouse images then you might be able to really grasp how much I LOVE! the challenges at House Mouse Monday. The challenge this week was to create a card for a mother. I immediately got a picture in my head of what I wanted to do.

All my papers are from Stampin' Up. The Image, Chef Amanda, is my newest House Mouse stamp. I cut the letters with my Cricut using the Basic George cartridge. I colored the little "mom" using some water color pencils and some chalk. I embossed the two ms using "Script" Cuttlebug embossing folders and finished it off with a sentiment by The Angel Company.

I wanted the "O" in MOM to be a frame for Amanda so I cut the opening using my Creative Memories cutting system and placed a piece of acetate in the window opening. I stamped an image of Amanda on the acetate using Staz On ink. Stamping the background where a cut-out will be is a technique I always try to use when I am cutting out an image with fury lines : ) this way behind the cut-out you can still see the fur sticking out and the shadowing under her feet. I think this gives your cut-out image more depth.

I didn't show it here but I carefully made a frame for the inside of the card so that the acetate is securely tucked inside and cannot be moved and so the inside of the card has a nice finished look. Also this way an uncolored image of Amanda shows when the card is opened. I then placed a piece of my pink patterned paper on the inside of the card and off to the side I stamped "Happy Mother's Day".

I made this card for my MIL. I know she'll like it because she is a Mom and she has to LOL - but I like it too and I think it is always nice when we can send a card that we are happy with!

Thank you for looking!

Patti