Hello Gorgeous

 A "Hello" card for this post was created after receiving a "Zoom" virtual 60th birthday invitation. Anne was scheduled to celebrate the event in Hawaii with her family but had to cancel for you know what. Big, big disappointment, right? Immediately I thought of an older set "Some Like It Hot" (PTI) to recreate the paradise of Hawaii for Anne. Extra leaves were added from Palm Prints (PTI) and the sentiment from Infinity Frames (PTI). 

 

Inside sentiment and tropical decor

Incidentally the party was a huge success with over 50 
of us toasting her with favorite beverages and dessert!

Linking this card to AAA Birthday #13: Things with Wings 

and  Seize the Birthday: Totally Tropical

Flowers and Birthdays

Happy 6th Birthday to TIME OUT Challenges!

The 157th challenge adds an extra twist of using die cuts or fussy cutting.

The birthday cards below meet both categories plus all three cards use the 

PTI Simple Stems stamps and dies as their focal point. I haven't used this set 

often and found their petite size sweet and charming.

Card #1 PTI Products:

Feature Frame die

Simple Stems stamps/dies

Vogue Vases stamps-fussy cut

Infinity Frames Sentiments

Card #2:

PTI Simple Stems stamps/dies

PTI Vogue Vases stamp-fussy cut

SSS Wonky Rectangles

Linking to Seize the Birthday #185

Card #3:
PTI Simple Stems stamps/dies
PTI Infinity Frames Sentiments
Hero Arts Cling Looped Flower Pattern
SSS Wonky Rectangles

Linking to The Flower Challenge #42

Linking all three cards to TO Challenge: #157

happy birthday

Yesterday I brought out my Altenew Polish Papercuts 3D dies for their inaugural cutting and had so much fun. They are a kick! Having several relatives with December birthdays I've been aware that they sometimes feel cheated sharing their special day with all the Christmas stuff. A far-away blogging friend's birthday is next week so I cut yellow and green pattern papers and a bit of red glitter paper for my totally die cut flower. A light DI blending over the Altenew Feathered Leaves stencil adds a bit of depth to the scene. Other than the red glitter hearts, not a hint of Christmas for this December birthday celebration.

The current Seize the Birthday with an additional topping, a touch of red, ends tomorrow morning so this is a late entry for sure!

Linking also to

SS: Anything Goes and Time Out: #149 

Thank you for stopping by today. I'll be in and out over the next month as we begin packing for a move to Portland, a 150 miles away, to live near our oldest son. We're downsizing by more than half which means lots of dumping and donations before we can fill boxes. All of the paper crafting stuff is going (so far).

Happy Birthdays, "Leaves/Trees" and "Geometric Shapes"

 So many beautiful stamp sets, dies and other goodies lead to fun cards!

I've been having a lot of fun with die cuts, scattering them over a textured background instead of layering them. I was inspired to try this after seeing and later ordering the PinkFresh STAMPtember SSS floral frame stamp set. While waiting for their arrival I created two cards using stamps and dies from my stash. 

Card #1

 A mix of Altenew's Rennie Rose embossed in gold surround a Penned Elegance II sentiment popped up on an Altenew Dotted Swirls Debossing cover panel. I fussy cut a green shadow for the sentiment so it would show up better. The geometric shapes forming the florals and leaves should qualify for the Seize the Birthday topping, add a geometric shape. 

Card #2

 Stamped die cuts from The Greetery's Lemon Blossom and Sentiment Suite: Birthday are glued directly on an Altenew Pegboard Canvas panel. The panel was adhered to a lemon yellow card front. I figure the citrus slices are geometric shapes, circle & half circle and the lime/lemon look oval. ;-)

Linking these two to Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes + topping;

 Allsorts Challenge -Trees and Leaves; Simon Says-Anything Goes

Thanks for your visit.

vikkispapertrailetc

Happy Birthday

Yesterday I shared three cards made with my recent PTI purchase of Grand Botanicals dies. Today I have a birthday card using the large bloom die cuts as the feature with leaves (PTI Songbirds) and striped pattern paper cut framing it. An older wood stamp from Impress provided the wispy birthday greeting.  The bloom shimmers with a clear Wink of Stella covering and yellows stickles for the center. I finished the envelope with a stenciled "hello" from PTI's Envelope Envy and included a sticker from Just Add Sunshine with the card.

Linking this to Seize the Birthday #171 Flowers, 

SSS Monday: Bright and Cheerful,

SSS Wednesday: Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and maybe I'll see you on Instagram too.

vikkispapertrailetc

Cactus Celebration

In late April I was excited to order several items from a new crafting company, The Greetery. Betsy Veldman's first release with BotaniCuts Succulent dies, the Terrarium Small die plus the Sentiment Suite: Thinking of You stamps and coordinating dies caught my eye. Her video instruction on the company's blog for coloring and assembling the sections of the cacti is terrific!  Watercolor paper and Distress Oxide inks were used to make several succulents in both sizes. When it came to making the small terrarium, I used a previously stamped panel of Concord & 9th's Marbled Turnabout for my top layer and backed it with a solid kraft die cut.  The terrarium with one small cacti was adhered to a stitched rectangle stamped with the PTI Cover Up: Grid stamp. A phrase from PTI Stylish Sentiments: Birthday was stamped on a green flag from The Greetery's Sentiment Suite die set. The envelope liner was made with the PTI Envelope Envy kit (retired). 

This clean and layered birthday card inspired by 
The Greetery and the photo on The Card Concept 
was mailed to Roger, an Arizona friend.

Linking to SSSW Challenge: Anything Goes, Seize the Birthday, and The Card Concept

vikkispapertrailetc

May Birthday cards

Please pardon my tulip cards from mid-May birthdays getting posted now in late June. My insomnia is affecting my blog post writing! It seems that I am on a hamster wheel with early hours at the gym, home to freshen up the house and me, tending my roses, card crafting and noon meal prep for our main meal of the day. Then, because I awoke before 5 a.m.,  a 30-60 minute afternoon nap before more hobby time with evening news, baseball or reading to finish the day.  I have little energy to find card challenges, write and edit a blog post and thus card photos pile up in my computer photos. 

Card #1

                                   Card #2

 Card #3

PTI Card Supplies:

Tulip Time stamp/dies; 

Sentiments from Infinity Frames, Keep It Simple: Thinking of You, and Ruby Rose

Dies: Cover Plate: Stripes Horizontal, Tag Sale: Quilted, Scallop Stackers: Large

Linked to Seize the Birthday: Cover the Card

Addicted to Stamps and More: Anything Goes

Rennie Flowers medley

Sunday afternoon I played with a recent Altenew purchase.

Rennie Roses is unlike any other floral set I own and boy, is it versatile! I created three different panels: 1) using embossing resist with DO ink blending, 2) masking with a stenciled chevron strip behind the focal point, and 3) stamping off the edge on opposite corners with a scary (for me) splattering under a die cut sentiment.

Card #1

 Card Supplies:

PTI Shape Stackers: Large and Life Is Beautiful dies

Altenew Rennie Roses

Birch Press Celebrate Sugar Script die

Linked to: Seize the Birthday

Card #2

Card Supplies:

Altenew Rennie Roses, Hero Arts Borders Stencil

PTI Keep It Simple: Thinking of You

PTI Noted: Scalloped A2 die

Copics, PTI Bitty Big: Orange Zest paper, twine

Linked to: The Card Concept #112

I was drawn to the florals and colors in the

photo and used a clean-layered style.

Card #3

Card Supplies:

Altenew Rennie Roses, PTI Penned Elegance II stamps/dies

Altenew alcohol Artist Markers Set D 

I'm thrilled with the different results on this first inking of my

new stamps. It would be difficult to pick my favorite!

vikkispapertrailetc

Happy Birthday

Seize the Birthday #157 - Stamping Only

I'm participating in the current Seize the Birthday challenge where the main focus is stamping. My card does include two die cut panels. The white card stock was first cut with a PTI Mix & Mat: Confetti die including the inner stitched frame. I masked the edges and stamped a variety of flowers and leaves from PTI's Botanical Bounty II set in bright colors. A PTI Graceful Greetings sentiment was added to the center. Bitty Big: Simply Chartreuse paper was cut with a SSS stitched rectangle and adhered to a white card front.

While the stamp set out was on my desk, I cut another white panel with the PTI Scallop Stackers: Large die and repeated my design. The stamped panel was centered on the large dotted side of a BB: Simply Chartreuse panel glued directly to a white card front.

Thanks for your visit. I'm visiting San Diego's Mission Bay RV park for a month and hope to get a few more cards made with my little travel box of goodies. I love visiting your blogs and Instagram posts. 

Grammylovesherboys

Leaves and more leaves

Recently I purchased Papertrey's Text and Texture: Leaves set which 
when layered creates interesting backgrounds.  I made three autumn-themed 
cards and a lavender birthday card just for the heck of it! 

And here they are!!!

Stamped on green cardstock with two shades of green. The second layer was then stamped with VersaMark ink and copper embossed. A copper colored sentiment from PTI's Scripted dies was added along with two Leaf Print leaves and a Simply Gourd-eous pumpkin. SSS stitched rectangle dies finished the two panels which were directly glued to a kraft card.

Card #2 was stamped with Olive Twist and gold inks, no embossing. A sentiment from PTI Words to Live By: Gratitude was stamped and embossed with WOW lime EP and a smaller sentiment stamped in Olive Twist ink was added below.












                                                                           












Card #3 was stamped in neutral inks on white card stock, mounted on a PTI Autumn Chicken Scratch Gingham panel, and adhered to a white card. A Text & Texture: Leaves sentiment was added with the larger word white embossed.

Card #4 has the leaves stamped in white and light purple inks. A Tag Sale: Quilted banner and two Leaf Silhouette die cuts were added to the bottom corner. The upper leaf's solid back was cut from white glitter paper. The lower leaf's dark pattern uses the purple remnants from the top leaf to form its pattern. This was mailed to a friend celebrating #70 on 9/19 the day she moved across town! One birthday she won't forget!!

Linking:

Card #1 to Just Us Girls #459 photo week

Card #4 to Seize the Birthday: Diecuts or Punches