Happy Friday

This week has been a busy one! I've worked almost every day. Also, Jonah was in the Grade 5 Musical production of the Jungle Book yesterday afternoon (I got to take the Grade 3 class I was subbing in to go and watch) and last night. I'm looking forward to a long weekend.... even if the forecast is for rain. I'll just spend most of it in my craft area. ;)

I have a card to share today. I'm linking it up for this week's challenge on the Simon Says Stamp Challenge blog: Flower Power.

I used Echo Park patterned paper and gorgeous chipboard flower. I inked the edges of the patterned paper and of the PTI stamper's select white cardstock. I added some PTI buttons and twine, as well as the stamped sentiment from Harvest Berries, in Enchanted Evening ink.

Thanks for looking!

PWP Sketch #21

Well, it's May 15th, which means it's time for me to post another sketch for Pages With Papertrey.

Here's the sketch I designed this month:

And here's the layout I made, using My Mind's Eye patterned paper. I also used PTI's Birthday Style stamps  and Beautiful Blooms II & Tag Sale #3 dies.

The flower embellishment was one that hung on the banner we'd decorated Sage's party with. It was too pretty to throw out, so I decided to use it on my layout.

If you create a layout using this sketch, I'd love to see it! Please link it up either here in the comments or here on the PTI forum.

Thanks for looking!

Mother's Day Recap

I had a pretty good Mother's Day yesterday. After church, we went for lunch at my SIL's. After lunch, we took the kids to the nearby school and played switch against the brick wall, which was a lot of fun. We came home and relaxed a bit and then went for a walk after supper. We finished off the day by watching a DVD while snuggling on the couch and then reading a chapter of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief together.

I told the kids that the best Mother's Day gift for me would be some photos of them.... here's what I got...

These were taken in our backyard before church. And these next two were taken on our front steps after church.

And here is the card that Sage made me. She's always so thoughtful when making cards because she'll take the likes of the recipient into consideration. She wanted to add a bike because she knows how much I enjoy my bike, so she used my Hero Arts wooden stamp (she'd actually stamped it right onto the white cardstock at first, but being not used to wooden stamps (I'm not a huge fan of them either!), it smudged. I showed her how she could save her card by stamping onto the patterned paper and layering it over top.) The stamp and die she used are Lil Inkers from last month's release (I'd won these-- aren't they great?) She also asked me what colours I'd like.

I told the kids that they were my best Mother's Day gift ever. (Of course, I wouldn't have turned down a pedicure or this fabulous new stamp set and coordinating dies!)

Thanks for looking!

Happy Mother's Day

Just wanting to wish a happy Mother's Day to all of my wonderful friends!

I was actually on Mother's Day, fourteen years ago, that Austin was born. The best Mother's Day present ever!

I have a card to share today.... it's a birthday card that I made for my mom's boyfriend. He has the same birthday as Austin and they came over yesterday for supper.

I stamped the background with PTI's World Map, after having inked it with Enchanted Evening and Aqua Mist ink. I created the sentiment piece by diecutting a strip of cardstock with one half of Mat Stack 5 and stamping a sentiment from SS:Birthdays, as well as the arrow stamp from Destination. I also stamped the little plane from Destination and cut it out by hand and adhered it with a pop dot.

I'm also linking this up for this week's Simon Says Stamps Challenge: Things with Wings.

Thanks for looking!

Fourteen years ago today....

... I became a mom. :)

That's right, my oldest son turned fourteen today. I cannot believe it! Where has the time gone?

So, in honour of his birthday, I'm sharing the card that I made for him (I'll be giving it to him tonight) and the layout I made of his party last Saturday.

First up, the card...

I made the card using one of the sketches for the Studio Calico's NSD challenges:

I also made it for the NSD By the Numbers Challenge as well. I used Crate Paper patterned paper and Papertrey Ink cardstock (vintage cream), stamps (Stylish Sentiments: Birthday) and dies (Get a Handle on it, Tag Sale #5). The numbers are Pink Paislee that I inked with my A Muse Studio Slate ink to change them from brown to grey.

For my card, I used this week's Make It Monday at Papertrey Ink: Beyond paper with impression plates. I took some orange hockey tape and adhered it to come cardstock, which I ran through my Big Shot with my Simple Stripes IP. It's subtle, but you can see the stripes on the banner (on the right).

I also used one of the sketches for the Studio Calico's NSD challenges to create my layout.

Once again, I used Crate Paper patterned paper and the MIM technique with the same orange hockey tape. I also diecut my letters from the hockey tape using my PTI Headline Alphabet dies.

I used my new PTI Big Ticket Basics stamps and dies.

As well as my PTI star border die.

Thanks for looking!

Five patterned papers

I'm continuing to play along with the Studio Calico's NSD challenges this week. Today, I'm sharing a layout and a card that I made for the challenge to use 5 different patterned papers.

First up is my layout. I used Fancy Pants Trendsetter patterned paper and stickers.

Here's a close-up of my journaling and embellishment cluster. I cut the clock from some FP patterned paper. Behind that, I stamped the compass from PTI's Road Trip stamp set. I added a Freckled Fawn wooden word and some My Mind's Eye enamel dots.

I cut my title on my Silhouette. I circled the "8" above it with a stamp from PTI's Big Ticket Basics (because Sage is eight).

For my card, I used patterned paper from the same line. I also used some PTI rustic white cardstock, on which I stamped a sentiment from Happy Day. I diecut the patterned paper with Friends Til the End dies and stamped the coordinating flower and leaf stamps. I added a Teresa Collins brad to finish it off.

Thanks for looking!

Using buttons...

I'm here to post a layout and a card that I made for another Studio Calico's NSD challenges-- a challenge to use buttons.

For my layout, I used some American Craft patterned paper that I got in a Studio Calico kit, as well as some Studio Calico patterned paper (yellow), some SC cut files (love and the feather) and a couple of the printables that SC provided for the crop. I added some Papertrey ink buttons and twine. (I'm also entering this layout into the challenge to mix in a digital element (the printables)).

And for my card, I used another sheet of AC patterned paper that came in a SC kit. I stamped on the patterned paper using versamark and my PTI Lace Bouquet stamp set, which I heat embossed with white. I diecut one of the PTI Bountiful Banners dies, stamped on it with Sweet Blush ink and then stamped my sentiment using Happy from Happy Day and Mother's Day from Pretty Peonies. I also added my PTI buttons for the challenge.

Thanks for looking!