Making an Effort...

I seem to go in spurts, posting to the blog here, but I REALLY am going to try to keep this a consistent thing.  It's pretty amazing, how easy it can be to neglect writing new posts.  Today, I am sharing a card I made for one of my nephews.  I saw a similar design (and I apologize, because I now can not find the original source) and I thought it would be a great 'boy' design.

I pulled out my papers, inks, stamps and dies and got myself ready to create a masterpiece!  Alright, well, maybe not a MASTERPIECE, but the birthday boy liked it, so all good in my eyes :).

I started out with a Tropical Teal base, if you've never used Papertrey Ink's Cardstock, it is heavenly - nice and thick and sturdy, love it!  On the white layer, I stamped some images from Grunge Me in Kraft ink, to anchor the focal point.

Next, I die cut some stars using the Sketched Stars dies, in a few different colors (Hawaiian Shores, Simply Chartreuse, and Tropical Teal), and on top of that, I placed a Kraft star, stamped with images from Star Prints, die cut with the Seeing Stars dies.

To add my sentiment, I used the 3 colors of ink that coordinated with the die cut stars, and made an 'ombre effect' on the 'happy' from Wet Paint - and finished off the sentiment with True Black ink.

Off to another birthday party today -- with a family as big as ours, we're BOUND to be headed off to a party on any given weekend, lol... Thanks for stopping by!!!

Supplies (all PTI unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Wet Paint, Star Prints, Grunge Me
Ink: Simply Chartreuse, Hawaiian Shores, Tropical Teal, True Black, Classic Kraft
Paper: Tropical Teal, Select White, Hawaiian Shores, Simply Chartreuse, Classic Kraft
Accessories: Seeing Stars Dies, Sketched Stars Dies, Corner rounder punch

Alice in Wonderland!

Hey there!!!  LOOOOOONG time no see!  It's been one heck of a year.  Some good, some bad, but it's ALL flying by!  I've made some cards here and there throughout the year, but most haven't made it here to the blog, but check out my Instagram account, they usually at very least make it there :). (link is in the upper right of the screen)

I came by to share this card with you that I made this past weekend. My neighbor is turning 7, and wanted an Alice in Wonderland party.  I thought long and hard, and the idea hit me!  How about a card with the Cheshire Cat??  You know, when we first meet him, in the dark??  YUP!  I can do that! lol.  I broke out my punches, and my large circle nestabilities, and got to work.  Here's the front -- the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Stylish Sentiments: Birthday.

Ok, so that came out kind of cute -- used a thin line black marker to draw his teeth.  Next, on to the inside!  I drew his tail freehand on an old piece of Orchid Opulence CS from SU!, and cut it out, then added some strips of Rich Razzleberry (Also SU!) to make the stripes on his tail.  The sentiment inside are cut from various Papertrey Ink Dies.  This has GOT to be one of my favorite cards that I have made recently...just fun.

My girls each made something too - A made her card 2 months ago in anticipation of this day, so she was disappointed that hers wasn't Alice themed, but I thought she did a great job.  The only thing I helped with was die cutting the '7'.

This was the front:

And here is the back:

Lastly S made this one, to look like a playing card, another nod to the movie, and she colored the adorable Rio image from Simply Betty Stamps like Alice:

A lot of fun we had with this birthday!! :)  Thanks for stopping by!!

Cheshire Cat Card:
Stamps: Stylish Sentiments: Birthday (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Versamark
Paper: True Black, Select White, Hawaiian Shores (PTI) Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence (retired), Yoyo Yellow (Retired) (SU!)
Accessories: White EP, Circle Nestabilities (Large), 1" Circle punch, 1/4" circle punch (I think), Birthday Trio Dies, By the Numbers and By the Numbers Mats dies,   Block Alphabet dies, One Liners: Happy dies, Suffix Style dies