A Tale of Two Cards

Good morning!!  This is my second post today...so if you haven't seen my birthday card for Aimes, scroll down :)  There's fun over at Kristina's blog this week...another crazy, wild and wonderful colour challenge.  One of the strategies I use when juggling so many colours is to pair the colours up....for example, pumpkin pie and ruby red are similar so they would go together...and the blues would go together as well.  Then I look around at the ribbon I could use and embellishments.  Now, having said all that, it's not a fail safe formula...but it has helped me tame some of these difficult, never-would-have-put-these-together colour combinations :)  I wasn't quite satisfied with this first card (below) so I made a second card (above).  I like both for different reasons...so here they are :)  Okay, today is the LAST staff meeting of the year!!! I think it will be my favourite one :D  Have a wonderful day and thanks for visiting :)

What's in them?
{happy birthday}
stamps: pti giga guide lines; birthday basics
ink: su pumpkin pie, ruby red
paper: pti white, autumn abundance dp; su so saffron
accessories: pti scallop die, Michaels ribbon, button, twine,


{you are so sweet}
stamps: pti say it with style; hero arts ledger
ink: su ballent blue, pumpkin pie, ruby red
paper: SU pumpkin pie, white, kaisercraft dp
accessories: stitching, ek success binding edge, paper clip; buttons, twine, pti ribbon, corner chomper, ms butterfly punch, gemstones

So Incredibly Grateful

Good evening!! I didn't think I'd have time to make this card...didn't think it would come together so quickly!!! I say that because it's for Kristina's new colour challenge this week and, again, there are SIX colours to work with!!!  I have to make a checklist on my scratch paper to make sure I've used them all!! LOL  I've been thinking about these colours all day and this gorgeous Basic Grey Kioshi paper kept jumping around in my brain...then came the SU butterflies die, then a purple tissue blossom :)  And my PTI order finally came via many stops along the way.  This sentiment is from the Inside and Out Thank-you set.  Now I did do some embossing on the cream panel (woodgrain) and the eggplant panel (distressed stripes) but they unfortunately do not show up that well....here's a close up to click on...it's a bit better to see then. 

The panel under the butterfly is eggplant, although it looks brown...and the sentiment is stamped in Chocolate Chip...so yes, all the colours are there!! LOL   I was so blessed to get another nod from Kristina this week, along with my dear friend, Melisa!!  We love Kristina so it is a bit of a thrill to have our cards side by side in the round up :)  Oh, and lastly, I'm using Mercy's sketch today...when it's busy, one must combine challenges :)  Sleep well!!  I'm so incredibly grateful you stopped by today :)

What's in it?
Stamps: PTI inside and out thank-you
Ink: SU choc chip
Paper: PTI cream, SU eggplant, kiwi kiss, Basic Grey kioshi, tissue paper
Accessories: PTI rustic twine, PTI blossoms die and woodgrain impression plate, fiskars apron lace punch, brad, embossing folder, stitching, SU thin grosgrain, SU butterflies die

Make the Most of Yourself

If you are looking for the

Embellish Blog Hop, click here

Good evening!!! Wow, this week has been a lovely whirlwind dream for me...I was in Kristina's top 10 and in the Embellish Blog Hop with some of the most talented designers in the field :)  But now I am back to reality and my humble little blog just doing what I love to do :)  And lately, what I love to do is create with this crinkly ribbon.  My dear friend, Melisa, gets me so hooked on things  and this ribbon is no exception.  When you live in Canada, you can't just order a little bit of something...you need to make the most of shipping deals. So you (aka "I")  order LOTS!!!  Today's card is for Kristina's second Reader's Choice Colour Inspiration.  Yes, 6 colours again!! LOL  I had to think a lot on this one...mostly on the treadmill at the gym.  I knew I wanted to use this gorgeous grape crinkly ribbon and went from there :)  I switched the label shape a few times until settling on the circle and this fabulous Verve sentiment :) 

Yay!!! It's Friday!!!! And it's girlfriend date night for an hour or so and then our dh's are joining us :)  What could be better than that?  Hope your Friday is lovely and thanks, as always, for visiting :) 

What's in it?
Stamps: Verve Seeing Stars
Ink: SU eggplant
Paper: PTI white, springmoss, SU ballet blue, blue bliss, perfect plum
Accessories: stitching, circle and Labels 4 nestabilities, MS butterfly punch, gemstones, dritz pins, SU little leaves die, seam binding ribbon (Etsy), cuttlebug efs, corner chomper

My Soul Can Reach....

...when feeling out of sight.  Oh, I've always loved that verse!!!  Kristina Werner has a new colour challenge!!! She held a photo/colour contest and is making the winning entries the inspiration for the challenges :)  And challenges they are because 3 or 4 colours are never enough...try 6 or 7!!!  I flipped through my new Basic Grey Green at Heart pad and found the perfect paper for this challenge...a mixture of pinks, green and white.  Don't you love this blossom?  I found it at the scrapbook store this weekend...the perfect touch for my vintage obsession right now :)  The sentiment is also from a set I picked up there by Fiskars...not under the Cloud 9 name, but just Fiskars :)  Hope your week is going well :)

What's in it?
Stamps: fiskars just married quotes, Verve blessings (flourish on leaves)
Ink: versafine onyx (stamped off to make grey), SU kiwi kiss, PTI tea dye duo
Paper: SU going grey, rose red, white,kiwi kiss; Basic Grey dp
Accessories: Irene's Garden blossom, nestabilities Labels 4, twine, PTI buttons, Michaels ribbon, SU 2 step bird punch (leaves); stitching, distressor

50?

Good morning!! Kristina Werner has a new challenge this week. You may be familiar with her colour challenges, but this week is a One Layer Card challenge!! EEK!!! Define one layer!! LOL I get the one layer of paper, but what about adding ribbon? or a flower? or bling? I figured that if the bling was no thicker than the embossing, I could add it!! When you are dealing with only one layer, the challenge is to somehow use texture to get some interest going.  This could be done with colour, shine, punches, etc.  I chose to emboss the polkadots.  They are stamped in Versamark and embossed with clear powder!!! Yes, that's how dark they go!! I find this on most dark cardstock...isn't that neat?  I had to turn off two lights on my light box as the polkadots had a lot of glare on them.  I put one back on for the next photo so you could see the embossing.  With such a dark card, the only occasion I could think of for this card was a 50th birthday card.  The 50? is embossed in white.

I like to buy sympathy cards for 50th birthdays...as in "so sorry for the loss of your youth."  I also like to wear black to the parties.  I rounded the bottom corners for the last little bit of interest and there you have it!  I kind of like it :)  I think it will be for my brother in August...he turns the big 5-0 this year :)  The challenge is on until Sunday, so if you want to join in, head over to Kristina's blog :)  Have a wonderful Friday, I know I will!! LOL

What's in it?
Stamps: PTI polka dot basics 2, fresh alphabet, blooming button bits
Ink: versamark, SU white craft and basic black
Paper: SU basic grey
Accessories: gemstones, PTI clear embossing powder, corner chomper

Hugs & Kisses ~ Kristina's Colour Challenge!!

Good Sunday morning everyone :) Today's card is for Kristina's colour challenge!! She used to do them weekly (before my blog started) and after watching them come and go each week, I finally joined in some (even had 2 picked in her roundup!!). She is so busy now that this was a pleasant surprise to see this week...although, Kristina really makes it a challenge!! Five colours and a neutral (thank goodness!). Her mom is making her a quilt and these are the colours for it. I had to smile because they are very similar to the colours in MY quilt that my oldest sister made me for my 40th birthday a few years ago :)

It's a Ragtime quilt and has its home on my couch all year long!! I love to be swaddled, even in the summer!! LOL So the quilt idea inspired my card today....picked up all the colours in the "fabric" with a pop of blue ribbon and button :) Well, I'm back to work tomorrow, ugh!! I've been sleeping a lot so I wonder how I'll do with my 2 alarms waking me up!! LOL Wish me luck! Sunday blessings all around :)

What's in it?
Stamps: PTI Heart Prints
Ink: SU ruby red
Paper: PTI white, berry sorbet, polkadot dp; SU ruby red, autumn vine dp; Michaels dp
Accessories: Fiskars apron punch, stitching, satin ribbon, SU button, twine