Finding inspiration

I have to confess, I'm not the most creative or original when it comes to card making. Many (most) of my ideas come from things I've spotted on other people's blogs. Another blog I go to for inspiration is Hemidemisemiquaver Design Blog. I love Becky's creation that she did for the PTI design team challenge. The challenge was to use 4 or more different patterned papers in one card. When I read that, I admit I was pretty skeptical about how that could look good. One look at her card set and I was converted. Here's my take on her layout---you can see I wasn't as brave, I stuck with a monochromatic color scheme.


Recipe
Cardstock: PTI White, black and smokey shadow
Sentiment: PTI Everyday Classics
DP: PTI, Daisy Bucket Dinner with friends and Cocktail Party. Also one little scrap of paisley paper that I've long since forgotten the details on.
Flower embellishment: Making Memories Black Tie

This one uses the PTI raspberry fizz DP.

Recipe
Sentiment: PTI Handwritten notes
Cardstock: PTI white and raspberry fizz
Ink, DP, button, ribbon: PTI raspberry fizz

Another great place for inspiratory is Nichole Heady's blog. I love what she did here with the On my couch and Damask designs sets...so I CASE'd it. I also love how a lot of bloggers are using decorative paper inside their cards. It adds such a nice touch. It also helps me to use up some of this DP that I've been hoarding!!!

Recipe
Cardstock: PTI kraft, white, and enchanted evening
Stamps: On my couch, Damask designs
DP: PTI

Where do you go when you need a little crafting inspiration?

Happy crafting!

Madison Avenue

Madison Avenue is one of my "go to" blogs for inspiration. These card layouts are CASE'd from Geny's creations. I think I'll get a lot of use out of this layout.

Recipe
Cardstock: PTI kraft, dark chocolate, summer sunrise
Stamps: PTI Handwritten notes
Ink and button: PTI dark chocolate
DP: K&Co Wild Saffron collection


Recipe
Stamps: PTI Star Prints
Cardstock: PTI white, kraft, enchanted evening
Ink: PTI fresh snow, enchanted evening, dark chocolate
Button: PTI vintage wood
DP: PTI

Check out Madison Avenue when you need a bit of inspiration!

Happy crafting!

Everyday Button Bits

I've never been big on buttons in my cardmaking, but it has to be said that I LOVE this stamp set. I'm not sure you could make an "un-cute" card with it if you tried.

Recipe
Cardstock: PTI soft blush, raspberry fizz, white
Stamps: PTI Everyday Button Bits
DP: PTI
Ink: PTI ripe avocado, raspberry fizz
Buttons: PTI
soft blush, raspberry fizz, melon berry
Ribbon: PTI melon berry

I was a little bit upset when I realized PTI hadn't released buttons in pure poppy until I saw how pretty this turned out with scarlet jewel.

Recipe
Stamps: PTI Everyday button bits
Cardstock: SU mellow moss, PTI scarlet jewel and white
Ink: PTI Ripe avocado and scarlet jewel
Ribbon and buttons: PTI scarlet jewel

Could these birds be any cuter???

Recipe
Cardstock: PTI Spring rain and white
Ink: Palette Noir and PTI enchanted evening
DP: PTI
Buttons: PTI white, enchanted evening and spring rain
Ribbon: PTI spring rain.

Loving this set!
Happy crafting!

Christmas in July (yes, I know it's August)

This is the last of the July challenge cards. This challenge was to make a Christmas card. This was super simple, and would be very easy to mass produce.




Recipe
Stamps:??? anyone know? I borrowed it
Cardstock: SU Mellow moss, PTI scarlet jewel and white
Ink: SU Mellow moss, PTI scarlet jewel
Ribbon: PTI scarlet jewel

Whew, finally caught up with July stuff. I'll try to take some pics of my August cards, and keep up with this good streak of posting I'm on.
In the meantime,
Happy crafting!

Even more challenges

These are more of the fourth of July weekend challenges. The first was just to use a bird.

Recipe
Stamps: SU Always, sentiment PTU Handwritten notes
DP: Basic Grey Lime Rickey
Cardstock: PTI Lemon tart, hibiscus
Ribbon: PTI hibiscust

This challenge was to make a yellow card.

Recipe
Cardstock: PTI Summer sunrise, pure poppy, white
Stamps: PTI Floral Frenzy
Ink: PTI Summer sunrise, pure poppy
DP: K&Co Wild Saffron Collection

Only one more post of these July challenges. Then it's on to the August challenges. Oh yes, there are August challenges too...

Happy crafting!

More challenges

So these are more of the fourth of July weekend challenges. The challenge on this card was to use fabric. It's not super creative, but I do like that the heart punch was able to punch through this this material. It's an old scrub top of mine.



Cardstock: PTI kraft, white
Sentiment: PTI handwritten notes
Ink: PTI Spring rain
Button: PTI vintage with hemp/twine


This challenge was actually to do something to do an "explosion" image. I love this little humming bird. It's from a really neat stamp set (one of Kimberly's). Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the set.

Recipe
Stamps: humming bird- unknown, sentiment CHF motivational centers
Cardstock: PTI soft stone and scarlet jewel
Ink/ Ribbon: PTI scarlet jewel

More to come...
Happy crafting!

Can we pretend this is really JULY 4th???

These would make a little more sense around the 4th of July, but oh well...
These are more challenge cards from 4th of July weekend.
If I recall correctly, this first card challenge was to make a card with as many buttons as possible, and still have it be pretty. Not very imaginative in my button use, but I like it.

Recipe:
Stamps: PTI Star Prints and punch
Cardstock: PTI kraft and pure poppy
Ink: PTI vintage cream
Ribbon: PTI vintage cream
DP: K&Co Blue Awning
Buttons: PTI vintage


Recipe
Stamp sentiment: PTI Star Prints
Ink: PTI pure poppy
Cardstock: PTI pure poppy
DP: K&Co Blue Awning, SU Summer Picnic

More to come...
Happy crafting!

Happy fourth (on the fifth)

Better late than never???
As you may have guessed from the title of this post, I actually started writing this almost a month ago. I think I tried to upload pics and had trouble. It took me a little while to get back to it... Oh well, la la (as Denise would say).
Hope you all had a great Independence Day. Friday I spent the afternoon and much of the night at the local scrapbooking store at crop night. We had so much fun! Kimberly had given some of us a list of 20 card challenges. Over the weekend I think I did 15 of them...not too bad if I do say so myself. The Crafty Pig played along from a ski lodge somewhere out west, and Debbie from Hot Springs. We had a great group of ladies at our table at crop night. They kept us laughing the whole time. I was amazed by some of the pages that were created---GORGEOUS. Literally, works of art. I'm so intimidated by scrapbooking! I'll stick with the much smaller, less intimidating forum of card making. Since I was so productive, I think I'll stretch these cards out to a few posts over the next week. That way it looks like I'm a more consistent blogger...not!

This card was made with a stamp set that I actually gave Kimberly (is that an issue if the gifts I give end up benefiting me???). Sorry, I don't have the details on the company. I do remember that I bought it at Michael's. Love this tree!

Recipe: Stamps-unknown set from Michael's
Ink: PTI Dark chocolate
Cardstock: PTI Kraft, Pure poppy, vanilla
DP: K&Co Wild Saffron collection
Buttons: PTI vintage

Oh how I LOVE this little dress image! The challenge on this card was to make an all black and white card. I love how it turned out. The dress is paper pieced with flocked paper---kind of transports me back to our entry way wall paper growing up.

Reicpe
Stamps: Retro Boutique Rupe Shevde for Gina K. Designs
Cardstock: PTI black and soft stone
DP: Cocktail Party and Dinner with Friends by Daisy Bucket Designs, 1940 beetle black chenille cardstock by doodlebug design inc.

Now that I've finally gotten Blogger to upload some pics, I'll go ahead and pre-schedule some posts.
Hope you have a great week.
Happy crafting!