Birthday Butterfly

Challenges at Seize The Birthday run for two whole weeks! Plenty of time to join the fun! Sometimes we have themes or "Toppings" which are suggestions that you may want to consider when making your card.  The Toppings this time is: 

Birds, Bees or Butterflies

If you're not a toppings kinda person, well.....you can just
stick with our usual "Anything Goes"Birthday!

The choice is yours!

Just remember to keep it a Birthday Theme!

I cut my butterfly pieces from water color paper and colored each piece with my new Zigs : )  for a sweet and simple Birthday card.

Please check out what the rest of the Design Team has created to inspire you! and then please join the fun at Seize The Birthday by entering your card in the gallery! we really love seeing your work!!

Challenge Rules:

1. You must make a BIRTHDAY PROJECT, however our topping is always optional.

2. You may link up to 3 projects for each challenge.

3. Please add a direct link to your blog or to an online gallery.

4. You may combine this challenge with up to 5 other challenges and we would really love for you to add one of our graphics to your post.

5. As always, please have fun and make the challenge your own! All products are welcome!

You all know how crazy I am about my new Zigs giggles! but I am just as crazy about this beautiful butterfly given to me by my beautiful friend Theresa owner of InkyFingers1 blog. Just a little pitch for my friend... Theresa sells Close To My Heart stamps!! if you are looking for a GREAT consultant! look no farther! : ) You'll love working with Theresa. 

After my birthday I had several thank you cards I needed to make so I CASED my Birthday Card design and created a couple of Thank You cards too.

On my last card I decided to spray some black speckles! I like how it turned out : ) I think spraying black ink on your finished card is nerve wracking! but this was easy because I sprayed the butterfly before I adhered it to my card : ) 

That is it for me today.  I want to thank you for stopping by! I have been terribly busy lately and quite MIA! but I hope things settle down soon.  When I am able I will share a bit about what has been keeping me from posting.  I think you'll like what you see : ) 

Have a wonderful rest of your week.

Patti

Supplies:

Butterfly die by Memory box

Sentiments from the Songbirds stamp set by PTI

Take a TIME OUT! and meet Leigh Penner : )

Hello friends : ) I am here today with a card to encourage you to play along with us at TIME OUT Challenges where there is still plenty of time to join the fabulous cards already filling the gallery. The challenge:

Masculine with an optional twist of Mixed Media

STAMPplorations is our sponsor offering a $10.00 prize!! I have been honored to be a guest with this terrific challenge blog along side some of the most amazing talent in Blogland!! I hope you will join the fun.

Mixed Media is defined as Stamps and ink plus 2 other elements that add texture and/or dimension. 

While I would not really categorize my card as mixed media it technically has all the elements of this description.  I really love this pretty deer in the winter woods die.  I hate to say it but I have no idea who made this die.  I wish the companies would etch their name and model number into the die somehow because once the packaging is gone..... For some time now I have been cataloging my purchases but this was "pre-brilliant idea".  If anyone knows where this die is from please leave me a note in the comment and I will edit my post : ) 

Now are you ready!?! to hear what I got to do yesterday!? I got to meet Leigh Penner of To the Full blog and her three remarkable children!!  They were passing through South Dakota on their amazing vacation and took some time to meet me!  We enjoyed lunch together and a hike around Sylvan Lake!

Leigh and her children got to climb all over the largest rock here to see if they could find "The Eagle" from National Treasure.  The TREASURE was found under the large rock formation in the foreground in the movie.  I sat on the bench and watched LOL

There were lots of pictures taken but I regretted to find when I got home none of Leigh with her children made it to my camera! : ( Still, here is a tiny glimpse of the very lovely Sage getting a picture of her Mom and I.  Many of you will remember Leigh has posted some pretty spectacular cards that Sage has made in the past!! I sure hope Sage will get back to posting her card creations soon : ) 

Thank you for stopping by.  Please don't forget to join the fun at TIME OUT challenges.  And in the UNLIKELY event that you have never seen Leigh's beautiful blog check out To The Full soon.  Hopefully Leigh will share some of the adventure she and her family had on their vacation.

BIG (((Hugs)))
Patti

I could Kick the Bucket!

Earlier this year my friend and I decided to work on our Bucket List! At the top of mine was to be selected for a Design Team!! And as of today I am officially a DTM for, not one, but TWO terrific Design Teams.

Serendipity Stamps has taken me on as one of their two newest Design Team Members and I am... well.... I am happier than a bird with a French Fry! 

This sweet image is just one of "zillions" of stamps that you can find HERE at Serendipity Stamps!!

I join the talented Serendipity Design Team starting July first with another new team member, Carol Mayne, of "Just Me: c" blog. Carol is fun and talented and you will LOVE her delightful pesonality and sensational cards!!

I look forward to working with my friend, and the person who introduced me to Serendipity Stamps, MaryBeth Lopez, as well as well as this line up of talented ladies:

Jeanne Jachna
Jenny Gropp
Miriam Napier
Vickie Zimmer
Julie Warner
Karen Amidon

Thank you for celebrating with me : ) I appreciate all of your support so much!

Patti

Supplies:
Happier Than A Bird image by Serendipity Stamps
Polka Dot Stencil from MFT
Bird die cut by Penny Black
Twice and PP from my stash

Altenew Class #2

Kind of a late post for me today but it was a busy weekend and an even busier Monday!!

I have only seen two of the six classes in the Beautiful Details series of classes being taught by Marika Rahtu for Altenew Academy but I am really learning a lot and find the class price tag of $8.97 to be very reasonable!

Lesson # 2 is Detailed Leaves.  Here is my homework : ) 

Marika taught us how to create detailed leaves using Zig markers : )  my new favorite toy!

This is how the leaf would look colored with the exact same Zig markers in the three-step stamped image that comes with Altenew's Beautiful Day set.

As you can see it has beautiful detail as a three-step stamped image but in my card you will note the finer added details.  The two leaf sprigs on my card are my very fist attempts at this technique.  Obviously practice would only improve on it but it's not too shabby for my first attempts if I may say so myself.   : )

I wanted to stick with the same colors in the leaves so I used an OLD technique that some of you might remember trying.  I stamped my flowers on glossy card stock using Versamark Ink.  Then I ran my piece over an open flame.  It made all sorts of pretty "sooty" smoky lines.  I wiped the "soot" off with a soft tissue and the color of the flowers remained.  No ink was added to the back panel - the results were entirely created by the flame burning off the Versamark.  I inked up the 4-step flower image on a piece of vellum - fussy cut it out and attached it and my leaf springs. Ta da!! : )

Thank you all for your extremely kind and encouraging words!! My cup overflows!!

Patti

Supplies:
Beautiful Day stamp set by Altenew
Sentiment from Painted Butterflies stamp set by Altenew

Near Sighted Crab!

I won the opportunity to be the GD with THIS CARD.  I am so excited to be on this team if only for a couple of weeks because it is one of my FAVORITE challenge blogs!!

The fun team at AAA has chosen Googley Eyes!! as the theme for this challenge.  Wait until you see the fun and unique cards the DT members have in store for you.  Our generous sponsor is:

My poor little crab was having all sorts of struggles until he got his glasses! Now he's the king of the hill and looking adorable to boot! : )

I want to thank Jane and the rest of the sweet gals at AAA Cards for selecting my card as a winner and inviting me to join them as a guest.  Please consider grabbing your googley eyes and  playing along!!  This challenge runs until July 2nd so there is plenty of time for you to join the fun.  Remember there is a PRIZE so why not give it a go?!

Thank you for stopping by!! It is Father's Day in the US and there are BBQs and ball games all over the country.  No matter what you get to do today I hope you are having a FUN!!

Patti

Supplies:

Digital image by 2 Cute Ink
Polka Dot stencil by Penny Black
BAckground sponged
Image colored with Prisma pencils and blended with Gamsol
Sentiment from "Simply Spring: Borders: by PTI
pp from my stash

Altenew Academy Class #1

Hello friends,

I signed up for the Altenew's Beautiful Details class taught by the amazingly talented Marika Rahtu. This card is my "homework" : ) from class number one.

This card is FAR from being perfect but I can hardly believe I made it! LOL  The reason is because this is not a cleverly colored image it is a flower created by using only these two images:

Yep! that's it.  Marika shows us how to create a beautiful new image from solid stamps.  I created a flower with a parts of a three-part flower image but I could have created my flower with ANY solid stamp : )  The black lines are simply DOODLES!  Take a closer look:

I am not a doodler and I was scared to mess up my pretty flower with black lines - that no amount of sequins could hide if I goofed it up.   I took a snap shot (sorry about the terrible lighting) of my flower before the doodles just in case I ruined it.

I really like how it turned out!!

AFTER I mounted my "finished" piece on my card base I added some more stamping and I wish I had left it as it was.  I regret trimming my panel because it is now off kilter but for only my SECOND attempt I was pleased.

Here is my first attempt giggles! Ok so I SAID! I was not a doodler!! : )

Thank you Altenew and Marika for a delightful new technique!

I have finished my homework for day two as well but my card is not quite finished so you'll have to come back on Monday to see that one : )

I'm off to the "big city" today with my BFF to do some shopping, lunch and a movie! I hope all of you will have a wonderful day doing something you love : )

Patti

Supplies:

Peony Bouquet stamp set by Altenew
Leaves from Vintage Flowers by Altenew
Sentiment from Beautiful Day by Altenew
I used Altenew's Red Sunset series inks for the flower
SU markers for the leaves
PP is from my stash but I think it is an old SU DSP
Check it out... the black ink splatters? I colored those in with the pen too giggles!

Inspired by Amy Sheffer

Today I am posting  a card for Papertrey Ink's Release Week challenge "select something that the amazing team has created during the release that inspired you, and create your own version."  I have selected one of my FAVORITE! designers, Amy Sheffer's, card.

Edited to add:

The kind and sweet and oh so talented, Laura Jane of "After Hours Ink and Flowers" blog has encouraged me to add my card to the Altenew June Challenge.  Is this Inspiration photo amazing or what!?! and themost  beautiful part is this the model is Amy Gray form Altenew in her own wedding dress!!

I am having the time of my life playing with my Zig Water Color Markers.  I think they are the best thing since sliced bread : )

The thing I think I love the most about these markers is the bold bright colors you can achieve even though you are using water.

I water colored my flowers on a piece of water color paper first then cut the panel out using a Scallop Rectangle die.  Next I cut another rectangle die from black foam and glued my colored frame to the top of the black one.  I inserted my colored panel inside the frame so it is just a bit lower than the fame and glued it all down to my card base.  I stamped my sentiment using my Misti so that I didn't mess up my card face : )  and applied the die cut "Praise" - which I also colored using the Zigs : )

Please check out the wonderful DT for PTI as well as the gallery for this challenge which is STUFFED! with amazing inspiring and inspired projects from PTI's release week!

And get ready to be impressed when you visited Altenew's blog and take in the sensational cards in the gallery!

I mentioned in my post earlier this week that I got to meet up with some crafty friends to play with paper last Saturday.  My new friend, Jill, invited my BFF, Diane, and I to join her and her friend, Stacy, for a papercrafting day.  Jill and I "met" on-line a month or so ago and found that we live only about 50 minutes from one another.  We had such a fun day of paper crafting and LAUGHTER! we all hit it off beautifully and will try to make this a regular gathering : )

Stacy introduced me to a beautiful new paper called Terra Skin Multi Media Bloc that can be used for water coloring.  This paper feels like a super soft light weight suede!  It is just dreamy to touch.  I created this card using that paper.  It is not as absorbent like normal water color paper and therefore the water pools a little and when dried looks really neat!

Thanks a bunch for stopping by! I hope you are having a wonderful day!

Patti

Supplies:
Beautiful Day by Altenew
Inspired: Praise mini by Papertrey Ink

Seize the fun!!

This is my second post of the day.  If you are looking for my Time Out Challenges Post Please Click HERE

This is a first for me - I needed to create two important posts on the same day!  Please visit BOTH my posts because I don't want you to miss any of the fun! : )

There is a "No Toppings" Birthday Party at Seize The Birthday Challenge Blog for the next two weeks!  Anything goes - so come join the fun! You will be wowed by the amazing STB Design Team as well as our talented guest designer, Mynn Kitchen owner of "On a Stampage" blog.

I created a card using two scallop tag dies from Papertrey Ink.  I added some acetate to my little swimmer's goggles and they are just adorable IRL.  I cut out one layer of waves from a patterned paper and layered it over a solid piece of cs that I had sponged.

I think this would make a darling card but I wanted to use it as a gift tag.  Either way you gotta love these sweet little Dress Up dolls!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you will join us at Seize The Birthday!  We love seeing your work in the gallery!!

Have a wonderful day friends!

Patti

Supplies:
Dress Up Dolls: Summer by PTI
What The Doodle: Waves by PTI
Tag Sale: Quilted die by PTI

Time Out Challenge Guest Designer!!

I was shocked back in May when I saw that I won the Time Out Challenge #56 for my take on Kay Miller's beautiful card.  THIS was my card.  I was not only honored to be selected as winner but I was then offered the opportunity to be a Guest Designer on Time Out Challenges!

So here I am today with another great challenge from the talented gals at Time Out Challenges.  The challenge:

Masculine with optional twist of Mixed Media

I was not sure I had ever made a "Mixed Media" card but when Sandie wrote to tell me the description of Mixed Media I was pleasantly surprised:

 "stamps and ink plus 2 other elements that add texture and/or dimension"  

See! easy peasy! no reason to be intimidated by Mixed Media!!

This eye popping plaid paper could have been inspired by my own father's golf slacks in the 1970s LOL Seriously! I can picture his pale yellow golf shirt to match!   I will send this to Dad for his July birthday and he will say! "Hey those are my golf slacks!" LOL

I hope that you will join the fun at Time Out Challenges because it is a FUN challenge - but there is more!..... there is a PRIZE!! from STAMPlorations!, our sponsor this month.

Thank you for stopping by friends and thanks a bunch for your sweet comments! I appreciate every single one!!

Patti

Supplies:
On the Links stamp set by PTI
White Nonpareils candy by Wilton : )
Plaid golf slacks from Dad's closet heehee just kidding plaid paper from my stash

Fun with Ziggy

Hello friends : ) I am back after a wonderful birthday visit with my granddaughter.  After she left I found I was so sad!! The only thing I don't like about moving to South Dakota is the people we had to leave behind! I am not sure when I will be able to see her again and that sort of knocked the stuffing out of me!!

We dragged her all over the Black Hills.  Here we are on my birthday at Bear Country USA.  We were really wore out after she left. I know, at least for me, part of my exhaustion was emotional : (

I've finally gotten to play with my new Zig water color markers my husband kept from me until my actual birthday! giggles!! I never thought either of us would be able to wait LOL

I've found them super easy to use and while I have a lot of improvement to do especially where lighting and color matching are concerned I think the product is outstanding and I'm so blessed to own them!

For this card I masked off a diagonal for my stencil and then applied the Washi Tape and sentiment.  Next I stamped my flower on water color paper, outline only, in Versamark and then heat embossed the image using Gold Embossing Powder.  I colored the flower with my Zigs then fussy cut it out.  I stamped two of the three step stamp process for the leaves with green ink on water color paper but for the final stamp I again used Versamark and embossed it with Gold Embossing Powder.  I fussy cut the leaves as well.  I stamped some light sprigs of greenery directly on to the card face. : ) Finally I bumped up my flower with foam tape and tucked my leaves underneath.

I will enter this card in the AAA Cards: Game 66 WATERCOLOR!

Saturday I got to meet some new friends who are talented paper crafters! I will share more about our visit in my next post.

Thank you again, friends, for all the sweet birthday wishes both in your comments and in the "real live" cards that showed up in my snail mail box!!

I am well blessed!

Have a great day!

Patti

Supplies:
Beautiful Day stamps by Altenew
Zigs and Zags stencil by Penny Black
Sentiment from "Oriental" by Penny Black
Gold Washi Tape from Michaels

Happy Birthday.... to me! : )

Every since I was a little kid I have loved my birthday!! : ) my parents made our day special and my amazing family has continued that tradition! heeheehee

We are having a wonderful time with Katie. Yesterday was a full day of fun but before all that just the two of us "hiked" around this beautiful Lake : ) It is mostly a leisurely stroll but there is one difficult part where you indeed have to hike a bit.

Here are some Geese we saw sunning themselves on the shore.

Awww! right? I hope you can see what looks like strands of pure gold woven through their soft down as the sun hit them just right : )

I didn't really make this Birthday card for myself! LOL but I did have fun making it for the "Background Stamping" challenge at Serendipity Stamps!

I inked up my Sun Gardens image in Real Red ink and stamped two images - side by side - on my top panel.  Next I colored just a few of the flowers with my Prisma Pencils.  I layered some scalloped black cs behind the panel and my fun Happy die on the front before popping up the panel with foam tape : ) Easy Peasy!!

I hope you'll join the Serendipity Stamps challenge.  It is a month long challenge and there is a prize!! woo hoo!!

Today we will celebrate by doing a little more touring - then going to Bear Country USA! (love that place!!) and finally out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants.

Thank you for stopping by today! I love it when you visit : ) I would love to know YOUR birthdate!

Patti

Supplies:
Sun Garden by Serendipity Stamps
Happy die by Serendipity Stamps