Many Thanks

Papertrey Ink December Blog Hop Challenge

It may be December but PTI's inspiration photo looks

forward to card crafters next holiday focus - Valentines Day.

I think it's time to grab my embroidery thread and fabric again 

as this photo reminded me of my first love of handiwork.

 I decided to build a wreath thank you note. The long swag from PTI's older Make it Market: Holiday Folk kit was stamped in classic kraft and olive twist inks to form a heart wreath. Tiny pink dots, light green leaves, and two different Friendship Jar Flowers dies finished the decor. Penned Elegance II provided the sentiment. The wreath was stamped on a Scallop Stackers: Small panel given to me by my friend Greta and glued to a soft stone pattern paper covering a white A2 card.

I'm barely making it into this month's PTI Blog Hop

With our son on the road back to his home, I plan to tour 

the other hop entries. Thank you for stopping by to visit.

Season's Greetings

Papertrey Ink November Blog Hop Challenge

Only 31 days until Christmas and our inspiration for this month's hop launches the season!

I like tags and focused on the package with the 

 peppermint stick candy dressing up the package.

Tag Supplies:

PTI Basic Bookmark 2, Circle Scribbles, Tinsel & Tags

Renke washi tape, Glossy Accents 

And then since I still need more holiday cards I created two inspired by the photo. It's been a long time since PTI's Wrap It Up die has seen my Big Shot. With this photo of gifts under the tree, I happily recreated a package on a Christmas card. While the die was off its magnetic sheet I made another with slight variations!

Card Supplies:

Stamp: PTI Framed Out #9   
Dies: PTI Wrap It Up, SSS Pine Needle Trio
Paper: PTI Bitty Big: Pure Poppy paper, My Mind's Eye Necessities Wood, 

            Neenah Solar White 110 lb

Card Supplies:

Stamp: PTI Love Lives Here: Holiday, Tinsel & Tags Sprigs

Dies: PTI Tinsel & Tags Sprigs, Wrap It Up

Paper: PTI Bitty Big: Pure Poppy, Kraft, Neenah Solar White 110 lb

Misc: Sizzix Tim Holtz Woodgrain Embossing Folder & Wink 'O Stella

Thanks for the visit. I plan to drop by your posts asap!

grammylovesherboys

a Beautiful Life

Papertrey Ink October Blog Hop Challenge

For the second month in a row an autumn scene is our inspiration. 

I'm glad because October's colors are rich and ever changing.

Each autumn I send my aunts and uncles a Thanksgiving card but this weekend a sympathy card was needed for a church family whose 92 year-old mother recently died in a nearby memory care home. Nell was known for her love of flowers, painting and a

beautiful spirit. I wanted her family to remember that before the dementia set in she was a vibrant, strong woman and thus the sentiment for this card.

Card Supplies:

Autumn Pumpkins, Botanical Bounty, Forest Floor: Autumn, 

Meadow Greens (sentiment), Mix & Mat: Plaid die, 

Pierced Feature Frames die, Spruce & Sprigs

The color of the side-folding A2 card is more greenish gray than 

blue. I'm not sure what PTI color it is as it came in a pack.

Thanks for stopping by today and take a look at the other entries in the PTI blog hop!

This will be on my instagram site also - grammylovesherboys

Autumn Wishes/Thankful for You

Papertrey September Blog Hop

Oh, my, it's the 25th and where is my mojo? I woke up this morning and was astonished to see Papertrey's email announcing this month's blog hop!! What?!! So between the scheduled duties, the craft room and the necessary mid-afternoon nap (woke up at 5 a.m.), I managed to finish not one but two entries for this month's hop.  No more excuses, here they are. Oh, and they are "bright".

Card Supplies - all from Papertrey Ink

Stamps: Autumn Scarecrow, Forest Floor: Autumn

Dies: Autumn Scarecrow, Delicate Details, Forest Floor: Autumn,
Scallop Stackers: Large, Tag Sale: #12

Paper: PTI kraft, Bitty Big: Orange Zest

PTI Card Supplies:

Stamps: Forest Floor: Autumn, Simply Gourd-eous, Text & Texture: Leaves

Dies: Forest Floor: Autumn, Simply Gourd-eous

Paper: Saffron Spice, Vellum  

Inks: Hero Arts Butter Bar & Wet Cement 

This is the inspiration photo! I love pumpkins, acorns and gourds! 

Thanks for stopping by today.

Cards linked to: Sept 2018 Blog Hop

grammylovesherboys

Best Fishes

It's July 25 and the monthly PTI Blog Hop Challenge! Yay!

Papertrey recently released several ocean and beach theme stamp

 and die sets. Their photo inspiration for July reflects this focus. 

Yesterday's mail brought the new Salt Air: Fauna and SA: Sentiment sets but alas, no dies. I had planned on using small florals to imitate the colors and movement in the photo for my entry but with the mail decided to jump right onto the sea creatures theme. With VersaMark ink, clear and white embossing powder a one layer panel was created on Ranger watercolor paper and trimmed out with a Noted Scalloped: Vertical die. The watery background was colored using a water brush and Salty Ocean distress ink. Picking up on the blue wavy flora in the photo, I die cut a Scallop Stackers: Large navy piece to frame the water color panel, backing it with foam and taping it on a PTI rustic cream A2 side folding card.  

Time to check out the other entries in the Blog Hop

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hooray! Cheer! Love You! XOXO

Papertrey June Blog Hop
Simon Says: Bright and Cheerful

Visions of summer treats and rainbows! Yay!!

This month's challenge photo is tantalizing but alas, 

I have no popsicle stamps or dies! 

No problem, butterflies to the rescue!

With Distress Oxide inks I blended bright stripes on water color paper and sprinkled water to add interesting spots. Next I repeatedly cut PTI's Butterfly Hope die rotating the die for each butterfly to catch the colors. Butterflies naturally rest on plants in the yard and I wanted mine to find a landing spot on the card. The horizontal slats of a cover plate die created a trellis for the butterflies and areas to also stamp small sentiment phrases. A few sequins mimic the blackberries and blueberries on the tray. 

This card is ready to cheer someone's summer day! 

grammylovesherboys

PTI Supplies:

Butterfly Hope die, Cover Plate: Stripes Horizontal die, 
Infinity Frames Sentiments, Soft Stone card stock

Inks: Distress Oxides-Broken China, Fired Brick, Twisted Citron, 
Wilted Violet, Worn Lipstick; Momento-Paris Dusk

Linked to: PTI June Blog Hop

Simon Says: Bright and Cheerful

 

SaveSave

Yay! It's Your Day

Papertrey May Blog Hop

It's time to enjoy the monthly PTI blog hop!

Inspiration source: this summer campsite.

Don't you wish you owned this darling camp trailer? I do!
My goal was to create a masculine graduation card. 

The following elements inspired my card:

Adorable retro camper

Gingham tablecloth

Round paper lanterns

Green grass

                  All stamps and dies used are from Papertrey Ink.

I rounded the corners of the A2 white card adding score lines to mimic the camper. A grassy green frame was created from the Mix & Mat: Herringbone die minus the interior die. The frame was textured with the linen impression plate and each corner highlighted with copper die cuts. The larger die from Tag #12 was cut from Chicken Scratch Gingham paper and the inner white circle stamped with sentiments from two different sets, Stylish Sentiments: Birthday and Zappy Birthday. To hide the hole in the gingham tag, a Zappy Birthday copper thunderbolt die cut was added. I used a striped paper die cut from the Envelope Envy kit to dress up the inside of the envelope. This card is on its way to Colorado for my cousin's high school graduation.

grammylovesherboys

Love You

Papertrey April Blog Hop

It's April 25 and time for another PTI Blog Hop!

Our inspiration is below.

I was drawn to the floral bouquet on the bottom tea cup, the curvy gold edges of the china and the subtle pattern of the background. My paternal grandmother who was not the least bit domestic had a set of china like this. My mom was totally into homemaking but used very modern, graphic patterned dishes, not one floral in her cupboards. Me, I'm a happy-in-between gal with my favorite set of Portmerion Botanic Garden dish ware!

Card Parts - all PTI: 
  Butterfly Blooms (sentiment)

  Stitching Garden stamps & dies

  Mix & Mat: Flourishes die (outer frame only)

  Aqua Mist Bitty Big & vellum card stock

grammylovesherboys

Happy Mother's Day

Papertrey March 2018 Blog Hop
Make it Monday #315:
Embossing Enamel Splatters

It was ironic to see the PTI blog On Crafting a Community this week because on

 Wednesday I had the opportunity to drive an hour north to meet my card-blogging

friend, Greta for a long lunch. It was lots of fun and we each brought PTI die cuts
to share. When Greta found out that I didn't have a jar of embossing enamels, she

  mailed me a couple of packets to help in the MIM challenge.

Now back to business for today's post with the lovely

photo inspiration for the PTI March Blog Hop

I want to find a floral decorator to recreate this basket for my table.

I absolutely love it!! 

As a few of you know, my husband is an avid bird watcher, spending more than 12 weeks away from home this past 12 months on birding trips in NE India, Kenya, Peru, and flying home today from Vietnam. When this picture was shared, he had been away almost three weeks thus my focus on the nest and translating flowers to colorful birdies. A little chickadee from Winter Woods came in handy. Voila - a nest full of birdies looking for their momma.

Stamps: PTI Butterfly Blooms & Winter Woods
Dies: PTI Shape Shifters: Oval & Winter Woods, Hero Arts February MMH kit (nest) PTI Linen Impression Plate
Inks: VersaMark, Distress Oxide broken china & picked raspberry
Misc: White EP, Stampendous EP Enamels Aged Taupe (a gift from Greta), Pebbles 'Garden Party' paper pad, Stickles, Ranger water color paper

Notice the awesome nubby gold splatters?

I combined both the hop and this week's Make it Monday #315 with Melissa Phillips.

Happy Spring

PTI February Blog Hop

 This month's photo shows

a pretty Easter table setting 

inspiring me to create a

 soft nest for colorful eggs.

                                                          

PTI stamps & dies

Stamps: Bunny Basket

Dies: Basic Bookmark 3, Bunny Basket, Circle Scribbles, 

Noted: Scalloped A2 Vertical, Tag Sale: Quilted

Take the PTI Blog Hop to see how this photo inspired others

Instagram

grammylovesherboys

   
Going to miss my fella as he's away for a month in 
Cambodia & Vietnam, bird watching with his pals.