Just Can't Miss An Opportunity To Get My Chirp-On.

I did warn you of my birdie predilections of late, now didn't I? So here is another little chirpie number I whipped up.  This is a fairly quick card to make as it just required a bit of die cutting machine action mainly done beforehand and my newest avian woodblock background stamp that has all the elements I am so quaint on at the moment (birds, old letter writting, sheet music, and ledgers), a small bit of willpower to section off and call to duty a little of the vintage lace that I (also) seem to hoard so well.  Tragic I know.

Another reason why a card of this nature is so quick for me is that I often have prep sessions where I precut and score my base cardstock like in the dozens, crank out a fair few classic Nestie shapes and frames in neutral colors and keep them at the ready for deployment when the perfect occassion arises.  So then it is really just a case of choosing the patterned paper if using and cutting it to size or finding a suitable scrap, stamping, distressing, laying out the card for a look-see, choosing my embellishments, sticking everything down, more than likely distressing some more, tending to any final titivations needed and voila!.. a cheep (pun intended) and cheerful (well, sort of) card.

Ode to You Card:

• Stamps:  Hero Arts Musical Collage Designer Background Stamp, Papertrey Ink Fillable Frames #4  Stamp, Take Three: Summer (sentiment), Tattered Angels  Tattered Textures stamp
• Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa, Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap, Tea Dye, Broken China, Sage, Rusty Hinge, and Vintage Photo
• Paper:  Cosmo Cricket PP, PTI Aqua Mist, Vintage Cream, Rustic White and Rustic Cream
• Accessories:  Spellbinders Nestabilities Petite Ovals, Labels 17, PTI FF #4 Die, Resin Flower, Jute, Peach Colored Vintage Lace, Signo Gold Pen (bird's feathers) and WRM Corner Chomper: Scallop

Thanks for stopping by.  I appreciate it immensely. 

Another Type Of Papercrafting Journey?

I made this card a few days ago and couldn't believe how emotional it made me feel.   I am happy with the card, absolutely, but certainly wouldn't rate it amongst many of the great masterpieces ever made.  I couldn't believe how  moved I felt by this card and the made-up story that came to mind of a couple apart from each other with only  dog-eared letters to keep them close I had managed to conjure up.  I am amazed (and feeling a bit silly really) at how making this card instantly transported me into this Notebook-esque type tale.  This is the first time this has happened to me while crafting that I am aware of.  It was as if I finished a captivating book or watched a movie that was a bit of a tear jerker or as my husband puts it, "That makes you crack a crystal".  Crazy huh? It probably just means I need to get out more.  But really, how fantastic this passion for papercrafting is.  It sort of confirms for me how moved and inspired I am by papercrafting alone.  What's going to happen to me when I make something really good?  *scary*  Have you ever had this happen to you before? 


One Page of The Notebook Card:

• Stamps:  Papertrey Ink Love Birds, Hero Arts La Lettre and Flower Tapestry Background
• Paper:  Papertrey Ink Rusic Cream and Vintage Cream
• Ink:  Memento Pear Tart, Sprout, Bamboo, and Rich Cocoa, Distress Ink in Scattered Straw, Tea Dye, and Antique Linen
• Accessories:  Papertrey Ink Notebook Die and Birdcage Die(small), Jute, WRM Corner Chomper 1/4 side, Paper Doily

Thank you for visiting and being a wonderful part of my journey! x

Papertrey January Blog Hop Challenge

I must admit, I am really feeling like the Little Engine That Could right about now. This is my very first Papertrey Ink Blog Hop that I have plucked up the courage to participate in.  Well, since the Fat Lady hasn't sung yet, the verdict isn't really in whether or not in regards to if I managed to even sum up the courage to play along this time.  I'll just keep chanting my newfound mantra of "I think I can, I think I can" until I get that submit button pressed and PTI inlinkz dohicky posted/pressed/placed or whatever one is meant to do with it done.  Wish me luck.

Dare I say I have a fair few uninked PTI sets that I haven't used or have only used one tiny item from.  The PTI January Blog Hop Challenge of using a PTI set that has yet to see the ink of day or the light of ink yet was instantly exciting to me being that I have just a "few" sets that sure could use some loving.  I, in fact, made four cards for this challenge that fit the bill.  I've only posted one though in hopes of not boring the socks off you.  *wink*  So, without further ado... *drumroll please*...My fist ever PTI Blog Hop (or any other bouncy challenge) card:

I jumped at the chance (in a very lady-like way of course) to use Papertrey Ink's Damask Design stamp set first and foremost.  I have always been so daunted by this set and pretty much just whimped out when it came to using the actual damask images.  I have also dusted off Distressed Stripes and Say It With Style. In Bloom stamps and dies also where called in to action for the first time too in this card, which was fun.  All in all, I had fun  and enjoyed stretching myself out of my comfort zone.  Bit like doing a zippy yoga class where you finally decide to take the more advanced variation, feel something strange happen to your body, go "uh, oh," but then realize that you actually did it!  Nice one.  Thank you for that Papertrey Ink. xx

• Stamps:  Damask Designs, Distressed Stripes, In Bloom, and Vintage Labels
• Paper:  PTI Kraft, Rustic Cream, Aqua Mist, Brown Corrugated Paper,  and Pink Paislee "Sweetness" DP
• Ink:  PTI Vintage Cream, Memento Sprout, Rich Cocao,and Angel Pink, Distress Ink in Mahogany, Vintage Photo, Tea Dye and Pumice Stone, Brilliance Pixie Dust, Versamagic Oasis Green, Acrylic White Paint and Versacolor Cocao
• Accessories:  Papertrey Ink In Bloom Dies, Velvet Holly Leaf cut down, Small Paper Doily, Resin orchid, Tim Holtz On The Edge Postal and Hardware Dies, PTI Matstack 4 Die, and Basic Grey brads 

  *cue Fat Lady singing*   


SqUiSHy hUgs to you! 

Be Straight With Me Doctor...Is It Avian-itis?

It would be telling a HUGE lie to say that I haven't been smitten with birds and other winged marvels this last little while.  In fact, over the last 3 months, I have purchased *whispers*...um...er… maybe 12 dedicated bird stamp sets, 4 bird dies (not counting the one I already had), 4 or 5 singular bird image stamps,  3 collage bird themed stamps, a slew of bird cage and nest stamps, and a not so small handful of bird sentiment stamp sets.  Oy Vey!  And like I admitted to previously...that is all on top of what I already had secreted away in my burgeoning stamp and patterned paper collection from over the years! I think I have gone, well and truly, and oh so blissfully, bird mad!  Love it!

This card was made in homage to my coming out of the bird closet and spreading my wings in the wonderful, warm and fuzzy, crafty regions of the blogosphere.  Oh, the joys!

Free Bird Card:

• Stamps:  PTI Birds of a Feather (sentiment), Hero Arts birdie from Bird Trio and Circle Lace Cling
• Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa, Versafine Black Onyx, Distress Ink Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap, and Barn Door, Versamark
• Paper:  PTI Fine Linen and Rustic Cream Cardstock, Misc. Red C/S, White handmade paper
• Accessories:  Tim Holtz Baroque Alterations Die, PTI Cloud Dies, White Detail embossing powder, PTI Pure Poppy Bakers Twine, Jute, Copic Markers, Derwent Inktense Pencils, PTI Sheet Music Impression Plate, and WRM Corner Chomper Scallop

Thanks for taking a peek.  x

Birthday Bingo, Bugs and Bajias!

        

Now what more could you ask for?  My eldest turned 19  this month and Dang It! Do I feel old. There, I said it. I made these two cards for his birthday and wanted to share them with you.  They are two different looking cards and while one took me the better part of two days to make, the other I did within the hour.  The hour in fact, before we were due to go out for dinner at our favorite Japanese restaurant down the road to celebrate his birthday and upcoming trip.  I only mention the time difference between cards because the first card I made was the one with the natty Bug cruising along the vintage postcard and that one took the longest.  This card has absolutely no Distress Ink to speak of.  I don't think I have ever done a card, within recent times, that didn't have even the most discrete swipe or smudge.  I actually have come to think of Distress Ink or the like as a bit of my crafting signature of sorts.  I was really struggling not to ink up the edges, but boy did I want to.  To be honest, I think that is why it took me all dang day and part of the next because it just didn't look right.  That's it:  the card was too darn clean.  Who would of thunk it?  All in all, it was nice to be stretched and I did, indeed, enjoy giving my son a card I was really proud of and that showed I could grow too whilst on my own papercrafting journey.  

The second crafty offering was fun and quick to whip up.  I love the Bingo card on the birthday card because my very youthful son is always complaining about feeling old.  I know.  I know.  What chance have I got if he is feeling old?  Pffft. So Bingo it had to be for my teenage senior citizen.  I knew I had to give him a card totally vintaged up (like he is)and that makes mention of what should be his age appropriate pastime of preference.  Aaah, the follies of youth.  The third bit of this birthday bonanza involves going to India.   He left yesterday for a month long galavant with his girlfriend before starting his second year of university.  I feel the grey hairs (aka silver snipers) sprouting forth as I write this. Deep breath, deep breath.  I miss him already.

Thanks for taking a peek and letting me share my joys(and angsts) as I move and also grow through this world as a parent and cardmaker, learning, gaining solace and peace of mind in my beloved papercraft.   

Vintage Postcard With Bug

• Stamps:  Unity Vintage Postcard, PTI Enjoy The Ride, Handwritten Notes, A Little Argyle, and Birthday Basics
• Paper:  Misc. red, black and white cardstock and chinese print red Chinese New Year's Paper
• Ink:  Memento Paris Dusk and London Fog, Versafine Crimson, Onyx, Signo Silver gel pen and Versamark
• Accessories:  Papertrey Ink Enjoy The Ride Die, Vintage white buttons, Basic Grey brads, Cuttlebug Argyle Embossing Folder, Zing! Glitter Black embossing powder and detail clear (on the red of the bug) embossing powder.  PTI Baker's Twine in Pure Poppy, EK Sucess Heavy Duty Slot Punch

Birthday Bingo

• Stamps:  Papertrey Ink's It's Official and Birthday Bash Sentiments, Hero Arts Ledger Cling
• Paper:  Papertrey Ink Kraft, Vintage Cream, and .22 Chipboard
• Ink:  Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Fired Brick, Antique Linen and Tea Dye, Memento Rich Cocoa and Sprout
• Accessories:  Papertry Ink Spiral Notebook Die, WRM Scallop Corner Chomper, Jasco Star brad, PTI Baker's Twine and Jute

Just Wanted To See If I Could...

Well, before you read any further, just know I couldn't.  I am currently away on holidays and I begrudgingly did not take a single papercrafting supply with me.  Not a skerrick, scrap, nor stamp to be seen.  Needless to say the papercrafter's equivalent of DTs started hapening about 20 minutes before we reached our holiday house.  Actually, they started about an hour and a half into the car ride.  No wait, in truth, they were niggling at me the day before we left when I realized that our van was already bursting at the seams, literally, with all the kids, kids' belongings, and other requisite holiday basics straight from the get go.  Sigh.  So, I thought I'd try out a little experiment to see if I could spend our family beach vacation truly "on vacation" sans my beloved card making supplies.  What was I thinking?

My inner crafter was stirring and could not, would not, be ignored.  Just before we arrived at the beach house, I asked my husband to pull into the neighboring town's local shopping center so that we could get some "supplies".   You guessed it, the word "supplies" does not only have to mean fresh food, toilet paper etc. (all the extra stuff needed for our stay, but "crafting supplies" as well!) You would have been so proud of me.  Amidst the throws of my crafting DTs, I had the momentary clarity of mind to suddenly decide to take up crochet!


Do note that I have never crocheted in my entire life and would probably stuggle figuring out which was the "business" end of a hook (let alone spell it), but I was gasping at the chance to give it a whirl.

I hopped out of the car with the finesse of a Hollywood stuntwoman extroidinare.   I raced into the supermarket and threw a few token food things into my shopping cart, paid and practically ran to the Kmart I spied initially from the interstate, which was only a few stores down from the supermarket.  Straight to the yarn section I went.  I had no idea what to get but thought anything reasonably thin should do as I had cooked up the idea of crochet flower embellishments for my cards.  Genius!    I grabbed some super thin stuff that looked like industrial sized dental floss, baby yarn in a few different colors, a couple of varying sized crochet hooks, and a very dog-eared pamphlet on popular crochet patterns.  Whooohoo!  Christmas has come again and it has only been 2 and a bit weeks since it was here last.  Nice.  I shoved my "crafty" crafting purchases into one of the grocery bags (read: shoved the bag way down under the diapers, soap, and washing powder) and trotted gleefully back to the car.  Hoping that my jig wouldn't be up on my arrival back.   I loaded my "shopping" into the tiny available spaces left in the van and cheekily grinned the rest of the way to the house.

Now, how to crochet?  Hmmm?  I hadn't thought that far, but was revelling in the solace of knowing that I had something crafty to do now and no need to go cold turkey thankfully. Bliss.

So how'd I go?  Well, I am still going.  I had to come out of the crafting closet and openly crochet eventually, which was nice.  My husband just shook his head upon my great reveal, patted me on the back and wished me good luck.  Goodness knows I'll need it.  Now to find out what in the ham fat a DC and a TR are?  Tragic I know.  It is a bit tricky, I must admit not knowing how to crochet and with only internet connection via my iPhone (and that is proving to be very frustratingly limited at best) as my guide.  So stay tuned and I will be sure to post of my exploits (or frayed knots and tangles more likely) when I get back to the city in a few days time.  Promise.  But just know that I am a happier camper now though.  Thanks for coming on my adventures with me.  I appreciate your company more than you'll know.    

Yes, But What Does It Mean?

I was moved to make a card using a newish, uninked, mini stamp set of mine, but after my usual "love at first sight" attraction to this sentiment (as with most things Papertrey Ink) and only upon completion of this card, I realized that I had no real idea what it meant.  I recall the very moment I saw "Bloom and Grow Forever" and thought, awww, that's lovely, but in hindsight and with my marvelous newfound 20/20 vision, I really don't know what or whom this sentiment was designed for, let alone what it means.  How strange.  Is it a sentiment for new moms or moms-to be, budding florists or crazed horticulturists (yes, one must be specifically crazed whilst in the horticultural industry in order to get a card from me),  young explorers (I hear that the monicker travellers is so passé) or what?

Truth be told I completely made a card and have no idea what or whom it is designed for due to my incomprehension of the sentiment used.  Silly me.  I must have been caught up in the euphoric haze of cardmaking.  Have you ever had this happen to you?

Ooh, and if you do know what this sentiment really means, please let this bewildered cardmaker know.  I did have fun making this card though and was definitely moved and inspired as is the case while papercrafting, but I sure wouldn't mind knowing what in the heck this sentiment actually means. I can already hear my husband saying now, "Well, if you don't know what's in your head, what hope have I got?"  So rest assured that reply is already taken.  *wink*  Bless.

Bloom & Grow Forever Card:

• Stamps:  PTI Signature Series:  Butterfly, Hero Arts 
• Paper:  PTI Fine Linen, Basic Grey & 7 Gypsies DSP, Leather-look embossed paper, Handmade Japanese Paper
• Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa and Rhubarb, Distress Ink in Antique Linen
• Accessories:  Tim Holtz Tattered Florals and On The Edge  Dies, My Favorite Things Rolled Flower Die and Crochet Border Die, Kiesercraft pearls, PTI Bakers Twine

Thanks so much for stopping by and having a look.  I do appreciate it so.