Happily Ever Crafter

Flower Pot Card and Flower Birthday Wishes

2010-07-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

I REALLY need to read challenges better. :(

I created the following card for a challenge at Play Date Cafe and the challenge was "color splash". Little did I read that the chosen color was GREEN! :(

And another card I made, for the "Embellish" blog challenge also was a flop. The challenge was "Use pink, green, brown, and a bird." Well, I did use those colors...forgot the bird. :(

So, here I present my flops. *sigh*

The first one is the flower pot "color splash".

A close-up of the flowers:

And a close-up of the flower pot:

Here's the second card on which I thought I only had to use pink, green, and brown:

A close-up of the flowers (done with felt and paper :) ):

And a close-up of the sentiment (hard to see but the ribbon is brown):

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Flower Pot Card -
Stamps:None
Ink:None
Paper:Smokey Shadow, 2009 Bitty Dot Basics (Papertrey Ink); Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Other: 5-petal flower punch, Scallop edge punch (both EK Success); Oopsy Daisy flower punch (Fiskars); Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); ATG, Dimensionals.

Birthday Wishes Card -
Stamps:Daily Designs Sentiments (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Raspberry Fizz (Papertrey Ink); Chocolate Chip, Old Olive DSP (both Stampin' Up!)
Other: Ripe Avocado felt, Raspberry Fizz felt (both Papertrey Ink); Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); Key Tag punch, 5-petal flower punch (both EK Success); Oopsy Daisy flower punch (Fiskars); Zots; ATG

Happily Ever Yours,

Happily Ever Challenged #9 - The Big Easy

2010-07-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well, can you believe that it's already August? I can't. I don't want to. Know why? I don't want to believe it's August because that means that my summer vacation comes to an end and perhaps it's a self-imposed denial! ;)

I'm kidding. I'm thankful to God that I have a job in this economy and that He trusts me with the care of His children for ten months out of the year. Quite an honor and quite a responsibility!

So, seeing as this is the month of preparing for back to school, I would imagine that many of you are also going to spend much of this month preparing your children to get back to school.

So, what do you say we all keep this challenge, easy? Sound good? :)

Okay...here's the HEC for August:

You are to create ANY project (card, scrapbook layout, box, etc....) but you MUST keep it simple! What does that mean?

It means that you may ONLY use stamps or pens to write or create images on it.

That's right. No additional layers (it must only be ONE layer, no more) and no buttons, ribbon, glitter, flowers, ric rac, bling, etc. JUST stamps or images and writing created by markers, colored pencils, etc.

Maybe easy, maybe not... depending on your style. ;)

Here are the usual guidelines:

1. You will post it on your blog or gallery.

2. You will then need to copy the URL of the BLOG POST (not your blog, but the actual post where you're featuring the project).
3. Add the URL and your NAME to the INLINKS below. :)
4. In your blog post, please direct others to this post so that they may participate!
5. The deadline is Saturday, August 28 at around 3:00 PM PST.
6. I will choose a random number/winner then and post it.
7. The winner will have until Thursday, September 2 to email me at happilyevercrafter at gmail dot com. If I don't receive an email by then, I'll re-draw a number and so on.
8. Only one entry per person, please. :)

As always, the lucky winner will have the opportunity to get a *applause*

TEN DOLLAR GIFT CERTIFICATE TO PAPERTREY INK DOT COM!!

And you'll have a chance to place a shiny blinkie that declares to the entire world that you're a HEC winner! ;)

I can't wait to see your EASY creations! ;)

Edited (July 30) - Oops! Forgot to add the Inlinkz! Thanks for the reminder, Gayatri! :)

Happily Ever Yours,

Happily Ever Challenged #8 - Winner Announced!

2010-07-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, July seemed to have flown by! (Perhaps it's because it's my only, and LAST, full month of summer vacation! :( Ah well, with a new school year and a new batch of students means new challenges to sharpen my skills. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

I am SO grateful for the turn-out this month with the HEC! I think it's because it was fairly simple (red, white, blue) and timely (being around the U.S. holiday of Independence Day). :) I'll need to remember that for future HECs, if I want this great turn-out!

Thanks to each and all of you who participated. It really means a lot to see such an interest in my challenges.

(Okay, Ted...enough rambling, already! Who won?! Who won?!)

Okay, okay....sheesh. ;)

I went to my good buddy random.org and we both pulled up this number...

Woot! Nerina!!! My buddy from the PTI forums is the winner! :) She's having quite a month winning challenges, so it only figures her streak keeps going strong! ;) I'm happy for her!

Nerina, you will have until August 2 to email me at happilyevercrafter at gmail dot com with your email address to where you want your PTI gift certificate mailed, I'll get right on that!

Oh! I almost forgot!

There's a bonus starting this month!

I've created a handy dandy badge that the winner can proudly display on his/her blog if they so desire. :) (In fact, I'd appreciate it... as it would spread the word of my blog. :) )

Here's what the badge looks like:

Okay, I guess it's more a BLINKIE than a badge. :) I'm pretty proud, as I created it myself. Nothing special, but it dazzles you with its brilliance, doesn't it? *rolls eyes*

Nerina gets to have the maiden voyage blinkie on her own blog. Nerina, when you email me, I'll email you directions to putting it on your blog! :)

Happily Ever Yours,

Thoughts of You Boxed Set

2010-07-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I had a lull between some challenges and thought I'd create yet another boxed set, should I muster up the courage to try to sell some of my creations at my school's holiday fair this fall. :)

I thought I'd try the color combination of rust and dark blue. I also wanted to try to create a different type of card and stumbled upon this video on YouTube (from StampTV):

Let me tell you, I LOVE this look and will be making more in the future. :)

Here are my creations:

And a close-up of one of the cards:

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: All Booked Up, Mailbox Greetings, Daily Designs (all Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Really Rust, Not Quite Navy (both Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Really Rust cardstock, Really Rust DSP, Whisper White (all Stampin' Up!)
Other: Mat Stack 3 Die, Enchanted Evening topnotch twill (both Papertrey Ink); ATG, Dimensionals

Happily Ever Yours,

Papertrey Blog Hop - July 2010

2010-07-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's already time for another blog hop at Papertrey Ink:

And this month, here was our task:

So, I got two of my latest stamp sets (School Time and Library Card) from the July PTI release and went to work! :)

I'm not TERRIBLY disappointed with how this turned out, to be honest with you. I used my notebook edge punch (from EK Success) for the little notebook paper (compliments of School Time).

And for the library card (done on Kraft paper), it was kind of BLAH so I created a fake title of a book and some authors I happen to know. ;) It still looked blah, so I added a ribbon and small button. Now I'm not sure that was the wisest move!

And, you can't tell, but the Old Olive (Stampin' Up!) designer series paper is antiqued a bit with Vintage Touch (Papertrey Ink).
As I said, overall, I'm not THAT disgusted with the results. :)

Now, I'm off to see what my fellow PTIers are up to! To join us, go to Nichole Heady's blog and look for the thread she created for this blog hop. :)
Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: School Time, Library Card, Mega Mixed Messages (all Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Not Quite Navy (all Stampin' Up!); Vintage Touch Duo (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Old Olive DSP (both Stampin' Up!); Kraft, Vintage Cream (both Papertrey Ink)
Other: Notebook Edge punch (EK Success); Corner rounder; Enchanted Evening topnotch twill, Ripe Avocado button, Rustic twine (all Papertrey Ink); ATG; Zots; Dimensionals

Happily Ever Yours,

Chocolate Chips and Challenges!

2010-07-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

It's not often I can create a card that fulfills THREE (3) challenges, but I happened to do that! :) I'm pretty excited!

First, a run-down on the challenges:

1. CPS Card Sketches, asked us to create a card from an interesting sketch that involved several mats. It was challenging, but I had a lot of fun and decided to keep it simple. Find all the details here.

2. The Play Date Cafe (PDC) issued us a challenge using some colors from one of the hostess's favorite Ireland hotels! :) I LOVED the colors...because I had a few stamp sets I've been dying to use together. Find out more about the challenge here.

3. Thirdly (but not lastly), MoxieFabWorld had a challenge for us to make a card that was "fun and cute". Okay... I'm a guy. I don't always do "fun and cute" cards, but I enjoy the opportunity to play when I get them! :) You can find the details here.

Okay...now onto my card. :)

I apologize for the dark background. The base of the card is black, so perhaps you may not see where it starts and the background ends!

Notice the two back panels? I love it... it's a chocolate chip cookie recipe stamp. I found it at a local stamp store and when I saw it, I knew I had to have it! (because I already had the other two stamps and saw a theme!). Also, when I make chocolate chip cookie jars for my school secretaries, and other family and friends, I'll want this as a subtle background. :)

Here's a shot of the focal image (closer):

How cute is that image! :) I've had this stamp for a while (I apologize for not remembering the set, although I believe it's from Inkadinkado) and I've always wanted to use it... and now I can! :) I added a few Stickles on the little guy's cookie as well as the tips of the morsels on the back white paper.

I've told myself for a long time that I need to get some of these scents you can spray on cards and when I do, it's going to be "chocolate" so I can make the cards smell yummy enough to eat. Knowing a few of my friends, they'll take a bite. Yeah, that's scary. :)
Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Chocolate chip morsels, "Friends are like..." stamp (from my stash); Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe stamp) (Hero Arts)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa (both Stampin' Up!)
Paper: True Black (Papertrey Ink); Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Creamy Caramel (all Stampin' Up!)
Other: Corner Rounder punch; Cinnamon Stickles (Ranger); ATG; Dimensionals

Happily Ever Yours,

Live Your Bliss - Unscripted Sketch challenge

2010-07-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

I was on a roll today and created yet another card for yet another sketch challenge! :) Phew!

This challenge is at Unscripted Sketches and you can find all the details by clicking ------> here.

I have to admit that this sketch took me off guard and in fact, I threw out my first attempt when I saw I just wasn't happy with it.

I think it was the many mats that possibly threw me off initially, but I decided to just turn one of the mats into the focal sentiment... :)

Here's my finished product:

I wanted to give the two patterned papers the appearance of fabric or linen, thus the faux stitching with my white Signo pen. :)

What do you think of this flower?

Isn't it great?! I love the handmade die cut paper and I got this at a scrapbook convention last year by a woman who started her own company... CreatedbyU. They're various sizes and I just layered them. :) She also has butterflies as well as other shapes and colors.

If you're wondering why the corner of the sentiment panel is notched... I did that because I wasn't happy hiding the bling I added to my flowers. :) Improvisation is part of art! :)
Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Mega Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry (Stampin' Up!); Vintage Touch Duo (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Rich Razzleberry cardstock and Designer Series Paper (all Stampin' Up!); Vintage Cream cardstock (Papertrey Ink)
Other: Scarlet Jewel topnotch twill (Papertrey Ink); Pearls (Queen & Co.); Diecut flowers (CreatedbyU); White pen (Signo); ATG; Dimensionals

Happily Ever Yours,

Valentines in July?!

2010-07-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

Sure, why not? If we can have Christmas in July, why not invite Cupid to the party, eh? :)

Actually, as I was creating the following card for a challenge at 2Sketches4You, it slowly evolved into a Valentine's Day card... actually, I think it was the addition of the tiny hearts! :)

You can find more information about the challenge by clicking ---------> here.

Here's my submission:

Notice how the scalloped "awning" of the card is DEBOSSED rather than EMBOSSED?

Well, there's a story there! (Isn't there always?)

It was my FIRST time using the wonderful Scalloped Edge die from Papertrey Ink (shhh, don't tell my PTI sisters!) and I wanted to keep it secure. So, I whipped out my handy temporary adhesive runner and ran a little bit of the adhesive on the paper I wanted to cut... it was perfect and held to the die! I was thrilled.

I then wanted to dress it up a little bit, so I decided to Swiss Dot emboss it... however, when I went to do that... the ADHESIVE side was on the embossed side and it was kind of fuzzy and yucky... so I turned it around. Voila! Instant debossed! :)

Here's a close-up of those cute hearts from Limitless Labels (Papertrey Ink as well):

And finally, a close-up of the sentiment (from Heart Prints, also PTI):

I have to tell you... I'm not crazy about the "HAPPY" font. I wish the "p"s were a bit more defined. :)

Overall, however, I'm pleased with the result and hope you enjoyed looking at it! :)
Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Limitless Labels, Heart Prints (both Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Lavender Lace (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Almost Amethyst, Lavender Lace, Pale Plum, Whisper White (all Stampin' Up!)
Other: White Pen (Signo); Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Swiss Dot Embossing folder, Cuttlebug (both ProvoCraft); Medium Scalloped edge die (Papertrey Ink); Dimensionals; ATG; Corner rounder punch

Happily Ever Yours,

Thanks - Purple/Green/Lilac Butterfly Card

2010-07-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I was very happy when I was able to create one card to fulfill the requirements of TWO challenges. :)

One challenge, located at Play Date Cafe, was to create a card using three colors: purple, lilac, green. Please find the details by clicking here.

Another challenge, located at CAS-tastic Wednesday Challenges, was to keep it SIMPLE (using at least THREE of the following: stamped image, inked edges, masking, paper piecing, lace, and/or embossing). Please find the details by clicking here.

These were fun and EASY challenges because: 1. I know how to keep things simple! ;) and b. I LOVE the color combination of purple, green, and lavender/lilac! :)

I was in 7th heaven!

Now a disclaimer... the base of the card is TRULY Elegant Eggplant (a purple shade from Stampin' Up!), but for some reason it always photographs more like a burgundy! :( Sorry!

Here's my creation:

Don't you just love that butterfly?! :) I was scrounging around (I'm a guy... we scrounge) when I remembered I have these great Cuttlebug embossing/die combos! Basically, it includes one die (the butterfly shape) and four embossing shapes (all butterflies) that fit IN the die-cut that you create! :) Love it!

Here's a close-up of said butterfly:

If you look closely in that picture, you can see I inked the edges of the Vintage Cream cardstock mat (from Papertrey Ink) with some of their Vintage Touch ink duo! :) I just love how that makes the cardstock aged and imperfect. :)

And finally, a close-up of the sentiment (compliments of Alli Miles and Papertrey Ink's Daily Designs and Daily Designs Sentiments)...

I really had a lot of fun with both of these challenges. :) Go check them out... I think you'll enjoy the variety you see!
Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Daily Designs, Daily Designs Sentiments (both Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Lavender Lace, Gable Green (both Stampin' Up!); Vintage Touch Duo (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Gable Green, Lavender Lace (all Stampin' Up!); Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Other: Ribbon (from my stash); Butterfly Die and Embossing Combo, Cuttlebug (both ProvoCraft); 1 3/4" Circle punch (EK Success); ATG; Dimensionals

Happily Ever Yours,

Daffodils - Challenge for 2 Sketches 4 You

2010-07-15T21:42:00.000-07:00

Over at 2 Sketches 4 You, Laura has come up with a really great sketch with a wonderful circular focal direction... details here.

I had wanted to try my hand at creating a partial Nestabilities image and came up with the following:

I think it turned out rather well... and I knew I wanted to go with pink and black because I rarely use that combination and I feel that the pink is even more striking against a black background. :)

Here's a close-up of my Copic-colored daffodil:

And finally, a close-up of the one sentiment... :)

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Year of Flowers: Daffodils (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento Ink)
Paper: True Black (Papertrey Ink); Coconut Swirl (Bazzill); Regal Rose DSP, Regal Rose Cardstock, Summer Sun Cardstock (all Stampin' Up!)
Other: Copics; Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Cuttlebug (Provocraft); Basic Black grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); ATG; Zots; Dimensionals

Happily Ever Yours,

Happy Birthday - Dahlia & Music

2010-07-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

I've created a card for the following challenge at Caardvarks:

http://caardvarks.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-favorite-thingsjuly-at-caardvarks.html

The challenge was to create a birthday card to celebrate My Favorite Thing's fourth birthday! :)

Here's my submission to the challenge:

The background is a Cuttlebug embossing folder titled "Allegro". I'm not sure why I pulled that folder out, but for some reason it seemed like a suitable elegant addition to the dahlia. :) (The dahlia, by the way, is from the "Delightful Dahlia" set, by Papertrey Ink).

Here's a close-up of said dahlia:

And imagine my happy surprise when I found that I could fit a birthday sentiment from Mega Mixed Messages (also from Papertrey Ink) between the music lines (staves?) :)

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Delightful Dahlia, Mega Mixed Messages (both Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento); Vintage Tea Duo (Papertrey Ink); Lavender Lace (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink); Lavender Lace (Stampin' Up!); Coconut Swirl (Bazzill)
Other: Cuttlebug and Allegro embossing folder (Provocraft); Copics; ATG; Dimensionals

Happily Ever Yours,

A couple of challenges! - Merry Merry Merry Christmas

2010-07-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know... another sketch card. I can't believe how much I'm enjoying sketches. I was one of those people who thought, "What's the point of having sketches?" Now I know...it's to challenge myself. :) Loving it!

Here's the link to the sketch:

http://unscriptedsketches.com/2010/07/unscripted-sketches-63/

I decided to do the colors as well. :)

And THEN... as I was perusing other blogs and challenge sites, I stumbled upon the fun CAS-tastic Challenges and its current challenge is to use kraft paper!

Here's a link to the challenge:

http://cas-tasticchallenges.blogspot.com/2010/07/cwc011-kraft-y-kreations.html
At first, I was going to use Alli Miles' "Take Three: Summer" set... because, even though the images were squares, I was going to run with it.

Then I remembered her Communique Curves and Daily Designs sets that I own (can you tell I'm an Alli Miles fan? It's a good thing I'm not her neighbor... I'd be always over her house pestering her to design more cute sets!).

I came up with a Christmas card (staying with the blog's theme of "Christmas in July") and am quite pleased with the results:

I apologize for the lighting... I could have brightened the picture, but I wanted to maintain the vintage "soft" look. :)

A close-up of the bottom snowflakes (complete with Stickles):

And a close-up of the card front:

I don't want to brag, but I LOVE the sentiment. I can't take the credit... it's really Alli's handiwork, but that just is a gorgeous sentiment (and I like how "merry merry merry" is its own stamp, allowing for the different color usage. Alli's a genius. :)

I liked making these so much (rather simple!) I'm thinking of making these my Christmas cards I send out this year!

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Communique Curves, Daily Designs (both Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Brocade Blue, Glorious Green, Real Red (all Stampin' Up!); Vintage Touch Duo (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Kraft, Whisper White (both Stampin' Up!)
Other: Xmas Red, Green, and Waterfall Stickles (all by Ranger); 1 3/4" punch (EK Success); ATG; Dimensionals

Happily Ever Yours,

Many Blessings - CARDS Challenge - Garden of Life

2010-07-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm still enjoying trying out challenges. :) And boy, this one from CARDS magazine, really has me challenged.

The task is to create a monochromatic card. Please find the details here. Well, I didn't think this would be much a challenge for me, and then I had no idea what "monochromatic" REALLY meant? Could I use ANY white or black?

I decided to play it safe and use NO white or black, but instead, various shades of PURPLE! :)

And, a funny store about the stamp set... lately, on Alli Miles' blog, she's been showcasing one of her stamp sets, "Garden of Life"... and I've been thinking, "That's such a cool, versatile set! I should consider purchasing it!"...and while looking through my stamp drawers for "Garden" type stamps, across what do I come? You got it! I OWN Garden of Life. Yes... getting old really stinks. She's a real sweetheart, so perhaps she'll forgive an old man's memory? *crossing fingers*

Here's my card:

As you see, no whites, no blacks... just shades of PURPLE. Perhaps I overdid it with the whole monochromatic thing, but hey... if I'm going to challenge myself, I'm going to challenge myself! :P

Here's a close-up of the cute sentiment, tucked in an image from Borders & Corners: Circles:

I love that sentiment... it's very sweet... and perfect for many occasions: illness, sympathy, just to let somebody know you're caring about them. :)

I'm lovng this whole "challenge" thing and want to do more. If you have any GOOD challenge blogs, please don't hesitate to use the "CONTACT me link above and shoot me an email with some ideas. Thanks! :)
Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Garden of Life, Borders & Corners: Circles (both Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Elegant Eggplant (all Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Elegant Eggplant (all Stampin' Up!)
Other: 1 1/4" circle punch (EK Success); Elegant Eggplant Grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); ATG; Dimensionals; Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provocraft); Purple Stickles (Ranger)

Happily Ever Yours,

Thank You - Year of Flowers: Rose

2010-07-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

Well, finally getting around to trying my hand at PAPER PIECING. Yes, yes, I know... it's time to join the new century! It's not as hard as I thought it would be.

Oh...and I tried ONCE again to work with cork...more below.

(All photos can be clicked to be made larger)

Here's my finished card... (LOVING Year of Flowers: Rose by Papertrey Ink):

Here's a close-up of the cork sentiment. I have to admit that I STILL am struggling with working with cork. :) I AM getting better, so that's good, right? Thanks to my fabulous friends at the PTI forums, I learned that Scor-Tape is great adhesive... so, since I happened to have some Terrifically Tacky Tape (similar to Scor-Tape) and I want to use it up... I tried that. It worked just fine!

What WAS a struggle was that the ink continued to come off on my fingers, even after waiting some time to handle the die cut. So, I think what I need to try next time is to let the die set out OVERNIGHT and work with it... to see if that gets it good and dried. :)

Here ya go:

Finally, a close-up of my paper-pieced rosebud. When I did this, I thought, "Yeah...there's NO WAY I'll paper-piece the full flower...I'll do the rosebud. I'm happy with the results:

I'll confess that I'm not really sure the cork look goes with the rest of the "elegant" looking card, but you know what... live and learn! :)

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Year of Flowers: Rose, Fillable Frames #4 & 5 (all Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Staz-On White; Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper: True Black (Papertrey Ink); Glorious Green and Regal Rose DSP (Stampin' Up!); Coconut Swirl (Bazzill)
Other: Fillable Frame #4 Die (Papertrey Ink); Cork sheet (Quartet); ATG; Dimensionals; Copics; Whisper White Grosgrain (Stampin' Up!)

Happily Ever Yours,

Get Well - Tea for Two

2010-07-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I was finally inspired to use my "Tea for Two" and the companion set: "Tea for Two Additions" (both from Papertrey Ink).

I'm NOT a tea drinker... not at ALL. Not even iced tea...but when I do think of tea, I think of its medicinal properties and thus my first card would be a get well card. :)

(Each image can be clicked to make larger)

Now, let me explain that shoddy stitching! I grab my trusty ol' Sew Mini and start sewing...so proud of myself for thinking of sewing on this distressed style...and then realize that the needle isn't threaded. Nope... had I aimed for paper piercing... I had hit the nail on the head! So I got it rethreaded (thanks to a nearby mom) and did it again. As you see, it was quite crooked and quite uneven. But I think it fits with the "distressed" "shoddy" look of the project, don't you?! ;)

Here's a close-up of the cute teacup from "Additions".

How cute is that lemon slide on the cup? :) Love it! (I used my 7/8" circle punch for it and then just cut it in half).

And a close-up of the teapot:

And a close-up of the sentiment... I love the old-fashioned style of this:

I hope this has inspired you to think about getting this VERY versatile set. :)

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Tea for Two, Tea for Two Additions (both Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Yoyo Yellow, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red (all Stampin' Up!); Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper: Vintage Cream, Green Tea Leaves (both Papertrey Ink); Always Artichoke, So Saffron (both Stampin' Up!)
Other: Sew Mini sewing machine; ATG; Dimensionals; 7/8" circle punch (EK Success); Tea for Two dies, Vintage Touch Duo (both Papertrey Ink)

Happily Ever Yours,

Celebrate Today and Always - Unscripted Sketch Challenge

2010-07-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well, seems like I'm getting more into challenges, including sketches. I have to say they're a lot more fun than I thought they'd be.

The latest challenge I'm attemping is the Unscripted Sketch Challenge #62 and can be found here.
Yesterday I spent close to an hour (if not OVER an hour!) coloring a rose image from Year of Flowers: Roses (Papertrey Ink). I did it with Copics and I'm not terribly disappointed with the outcome. :) Who knows... I may buy more Copics! Imagine that! ;)

Here's the sketch we were asked to follow:

I thought the rose would be nice for the main circle. :) And since I was going with a vintage theme (love vintage for some reason!), I wanted to use some Vellum cardstock, from PTI, for the sentiment (rectangle). Boy, did I have problems with that simple task! I think it almost took as much time as the Copic-colored rose! Smudges, cuts, etc. :P

Here's the finished product (all images can be clicked to enlarge them):

Here's a close-up of the rose:

And a close-up of the ribbons (which I tried to age by using some of PTI's Tea Duo on them):

A close-up of the sentiment:

Here's a close-up of the whole card...

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. :) It took me quite a long time to get it the way I wanted, but I think the results were worth it. :)

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Year of Flowers: Roses; Year of Flowers: Daffodils (sentiment) (both Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento); Vintage Touch Duo (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Vintage Cream, Vellum Cardstock (both Papertrey Ink); Sage Shadow (Stampin' Up!); Coconut Swirl (Bazzill)
Other: Ocean Tides topnotch twill (Papertrey Ink); Brads (from stash); Copics; Dimensionals; ATG

Happily Ever Yours,

ATC Challenge - Thanks so much!

2010-07-02T17:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I learned about a challenge where a winner may possibly get a $25 Papertrey Ink gift certificate! :) Here's where you can find more information

http://glimmercraft.blogspot.com/2010/07/atc-glimmer-challenge-1.html

Looking again, I see the sketch is a bit more "narrow" than I created for mine (a basic A2 card). I'm hoping that won't be held against me! :(

I loved this challenge because it made me truly think OUTSIDE the box! I would never have thought to have these colors together, let alone FIVE of them... so I'm happy I played along!

Here's my creation (click to enlarge):

A close-up of my focal image (loving the stamps from Tags for Spring...then again, I love ANYTHING Alli Miles does!) :)

And a close-up of the ribbon (including some bling rhinestones) and the sentiment (from the Tags for Spring set).

Oh...did you notice those wonderful butterflies in the background? The large ones? Those are from Niki Estes' ADORABLE Butterfly Dreams stamp set (also from PTI).
Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Butterfly Dreams, Tags for Spring (both Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink (all Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Whisper White (all Stampin' Up!)
Other: Ticket corner punch, 2" scalloped circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, Baja Breeze grosgrain ribbon (all Stampin' Up!); Rhinestones (Papertrey Ink); Dimensionals, ATG, Zots

Happily Ever Yours,

Garden Fresh - Oh, Copics....how you exhaust me!

2010-07-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever created a card and thought afterwards... "I'll NEVER do that again!"

Well, that's what I was thinking when I was coloring these flowers with Copics, especially the thin stems. I thought, "Yeah... this card is being sent to MYSELF!"

Don't get me wrong... I love the look of Copics and there is a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment... but I'm not crazy about the purple flower to the right... the blending is quite off. :(

Ah well... it's the effort that matters, right? Please tell me that! LOL!

Here's a close-up of the cork "label". Ugh... had some problems with it. I hadn't realized the cork sheets (purchased at Michaels in the cork department) were so thin! So, I tried to use my Zigg glue pen to adhere it... and the glue seeped through. So I had to create another label and then tried Zots...but the cork started tearing! (you can see at the very top of the label if you look closely). Also, if you try this at home... WAIT until the stamped image dries! Your fingers will thank you! ;) It also smears. :( Overall, I'm somewhat pleased...

Finally, a close-up of the flowers where you can see my shoddy blending of the purple flower! :(

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar Fillers (both Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper: Coconut Swirl (Bazzill); Apricot Appeal (Stampin' Up!)
Other: Copics; Rustic Twine, Plum Pudding button, Ocean Tides button, Lemon Tart button (all Papertrey Ink); Cork sheets (Quartet); Zots; ATG

Happily Ever Yours,

You better watch out...you better not cry... not even in July!

2010-06-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

Tammy, one of my Papertrey PALs have come up with yet another PALlenge! :) This one is to make a Christmas card in July... and Tammy wants us to get an early start! :)

I've been wanting to use this cute little image of Santa for quite some time... and now was the perfect chance!

Here's a close-up (hoping you can see the little sparkly buttons!)

And this is my favorite part... the inside sentiment!

(Yes, that's a stamp! :) Love it!)

Surprisingly, this has got me in the spirit of making some Christmas goodies. I'm thinking of selling at my school's Holiday Fair...this may be the kick in the pants I need...thanks, Tammy! :)
Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Good/Bad Santa, Define Good (both Whipper Snapper)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Glorious Green (all Stampin' Up!)
Other: Gold Stickles; Copic markers; Dimensionals; ATG

Happily Ever Yours,

Happily Ever Challenged #7 - Winner announced!

2010-06-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Okay! Well, it's the time we've all (at least 13 of us!) have been waiting for! I'm going to now choose a random number from trusty http://www.random.org/ and show it for the entire world (or at least 13 of us!) to see!

*shakes up random.org a bit before putting his hand out and drawing a number*

Yay! Number six is the winner!! WOOT WOOT WOOT!

This means Debbie is the winner! Debbie created a very warm color and it's sure to warm the heart of the recipient. :)

Debbie, you have until next Monday, July 5 at 3:00 PM PST to email me at happilyevercrafter at gmail dot com with the email address to where you'd like the $10 PTI gift certificate sent!

I want to personally thank ALL of the people who participated this month. I truly am grateful that you consider my HECs worthy enough to try! :)

Check back in a couple of days when I'll have yet another challenge up for grabs! :)

Happily Ever Yours,

Happily Ever Challenged #8 - Old Glory

2010-06-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, it's that time of month again. The time of the month that gives each and every one of you the opportunity to win a yummy goody, just for creating a project and stretching your creativity muscles! :) That's right... it's time for another Happily Ever Challenged (HEC)!!

This HEC is in honor of a flag that's near and dear to me. It's the flag that has flown for over 230 years! It's Old Glory. It's beautiful in its strength and it's noble in what it represents: a country that isn't afraid to fight for freedom, no matter what the cost may be.

Here's your chance to wish the U.S.A. a very happy birthday (July 4)! Even if you are not a citizen of the United States of America, I invite you to play along! :)

Here's the challenge (I'm sure you can see it coming):

You are to use three colors for your project (card, box, tag, quilt, WHATEVER):

(The gold background is just so you can see the "white" better! :) )

I'm not going to be TERRIBLY picky about the shades you choose, although I do ask that you keep them as "true" to the primary colors shown above as possible (ie. please consider NOT using: mauve, cream, and teal or hot pink, grey, and turquoise). :)

Here are the usual guidelines:

1. You will post it on your blog or gallery.
2. You will then need to copy the URL of the BLOG POST (not your blog, but the actual post where you're featuring the project).
3. Add the URL and your NAME to the INLINKS below. :)
4. In your blog post, please direct others to this post so that they may participate!
5. The deadline is Wednesday, July 28 at around 3:00 PM PST.
6. I will choose a random number/winner then and post it.
7. The winner will have until Monday, August 2 to email me at happilyevercrafter at gmail dot com. If I don't receive an email by then, I'll re-draw a number and so on.
8. Only one entry per person, please. :)

As always, the winner will have the old GLORIOUS chance to win a *fanfare*

TEN DOLLAR PAPERTREY INK GIFT CERTIFICATE!!

I salute your efforts and want to thank you for playing along (if you choose to do so!) The more who play the more fun we have! :)

Happily Ever Yours,

Quite a JARRING experience!

2010-06-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, so have you ever looked at a stamp set online (or in a store) and thought to yourself, "Yeah, okay... I'll never use that"?

That was how I felt when I first saw "Friendship Jar" and its companion set "Friendship Jar Fillers" (both by Papertrey Ink). I thought, "That's cute... but I don't preserve and I'm not going to start now!"

Then I saw what some of the PTI design team did with the stamp set and I was hooked! (*shakes fist at Michelle Wooderson and Nichole Heady!*) They both (along with many of the rest of the PTI DT) did some incredible work and I was, once again, inspired. :)

Little did I know that it would leave me with a harrowing memory I will quite possibly take to my GRAVE!

So I made it my own mission to get to Wal-Mart and look for some jars. Well, of course, in typical "guy mode", I thought "I'll grab a box of jars and be on my merry way to Best Buy". No. Wrong. There are many SIZES of jars and, to top it off (no pun intended!) there are various openings! So I took forever deciding. At one point a kinderly-looking grandmother type woman approached and I thought, "Okay... I'll watch what she does." She glared at me with a look that said, "Okay... why are you in this area wearing that NY t-shirt of yours?!" so I backed up and watched, ninja-style. Unfortunately, she was just getting some preserve chemicals gunk... gelatin? Or something like that...and since they didn't have what she wanted, she gave me one more sigh and went on her merry way, leaving me back in my quandry!

I finally settled on some "quilted" (is that the right word?) half-pint jars and some large wide-mouth jars (which I plan on stocking with some homemade cookies this Christmas season!) and got out of that store while the door was still left aJAR (sorry, couldn't help myself!), but not before stopping by the candy aisle to pick up some dark chocolate Hershey kisses (my dad's a sucker for dark chocolate). It'd been a while since I did something nice for him (sans Father's Day) so I figured, what the heck! :)

I was thrilled to come home and discovered I had some foil sheets specifically made for crafting! I used the handy-dandy Jar die (also PTI) and cut out a lid from the foil sheets. I used the die to cut out a jar and went to work.

Imagine my happiness when I remembered I had a stamp that looked like chocolate chips/Hershey kisses! :) Since the real Kisses were covered in purple foil, I thought to use Orchid Opulence as my ink of choice. :)

The rest, as they say...is KISS-tory! (I'm on a roll, don't stop this kid!)

Hmm, not the best resolution...sorry about that!

Here's a close-up of the tag. Sorry you can't make out the metal lid too well, but it turned out rather well (thanks to Staz-On Jet Black ink!)

Well that's it... the gut-wrenching story how I almost was WELL-PRESERVED by a Wal-Mart grandma!

Moral of the story: Do NOT get in the way of grandmothers who want their canning supplies!!

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps: Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar Fillers (both Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Orchid Opulence, Perfect Plum (both Stampin' Up!); Jet Black (Staz-On)
Paper: Whisper White, Orchid Opulence (for back of tag) (both Stampin' Up!)
Other: Dark Chocolate Kisses (Hershey); Quilted half-pint jar (Kerr); metal sheet, blue striped ribbon (from my stash); Jar & Lid die, Jar Label die (both Papertrey Ink); Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft); Dimensionals, ATG

Happily Ever Yours,

2010-06-27T15:53:00.001-07:00

Just a test post. :)

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Stamps:
Ink:
Paper:
Other:

Happily Ever Yours,

Papertrey June Blog Hop Challenge

2010-06-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of month again... time for Papertrey Ink's blog hop! :) I love this time of month because I can look around at all my fellow papercrafters' blogs and just get amazed at the talent. It's incredible and so inspiring! :)

This month's challenge was:

"This month we thought it would be fun to focus on COLOR! We want to see your favorite Papertrey color schemes put to work. Be sure to post the color scheme near the top of your post in bold letters so everyone can collect them to use as a future reference! With everyone's different takes on combinations from the Papertrey spectrum, we will surely build an amazing resource that we can all utilize and fall in love with some new favorite color schemes!"

Well, I didn't use PTI colors, but hopefully that won't get me into TOO much trouble. :) In any case, I'm really happy with the results of my card.

I've always loved all things Americana... from Norman Rockwell, to classic bandana patterns. So, for the upcoming celebrations of my country's independence, I thought I'd make a card inspired by Americana. I chose the colors: dark blue, dark red, kraft. (specifically, Stampin' Up's Night of Navy, Ruby Red, and Kraft). For PTI, one could use Enchanted Evening, Pure Poppy, and Kraft.

Here is the resulting project:

I wanted to "age" the card a bit so I actually took time to sand the edges (thankfully not breaking any of my stitching!) and sanded the surface of the Ruby Red designer series paper to scratch it up a bit. I also used PTI's Vintage Touch inking duo to color the edges and age them a bit more. :) Every now and then I'd brush one randomly across the surface for good measure!

Here's a close-up of the stars (from PTI's Star Prints):

I used my fingernail (of all things!) to scratch and distress the edges/points of the stars.

And a close-up of the sentiment (coming from PTI's Let Freedom Ring):

Again, for the edge of the circle, I used my fingernail to distress it. :)

Finally, a close-up of my bow (compliments of PTI's Enchanted Evening saddle stitch!):

Love this color! :) I love how it's not too dark...giving a faded, aged appearance. :)

Thanks for looking and/or commenting! :)

Editing to add: I just realized that Ingrid, one of my Papertrey Pals had issued us a challenge a few weeks ago to use the colors: red, white, blue and some stars. Well, at first I was bummed, but realized that my ribbon DOES have some white in it! :) Hope you'll go to that link and play along with us!

Recipe:

Stamps: Star Prints, Let Freedom Ring (both Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Ruby Red (both Stampin' Up!); Vintage Touch Inking Duo (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Ruby Red DSP, Kraft (all Stampin' Up!)
Other: Enchanted Evening Saddle Stitch ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Sew Mini, Fiskars circle punch, Fiskars star punch, Making Memories distressing kit, ATG, Dimensionals

Happily Ever Yours,

Tribute to Alli Miles – You’re a Hoot!

2010-06-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

I noticed on somebody’s blog that they paid a tribute to a particular designer and I thought that was a good idea and wanted to do the same. So here is my first project that involves a stamp set designed by the wonderful Alli Miles for Papertrey Ink (PTI). The stamp sets are called “Wise Owl” and “Wise Owl Bellies” and they’re just a lot of fun!
I think what I love most about these stamp sets (and MANY from Papertrey Ink) is how versatile they are and how many things you can make from just one stamp set. The sentiments are also an added bonus! :)

Here’s my card. Since the title is “You’re a Hoot!”, I wanted to show how the recipient stands out from the rest of the group. Thus, I stamped many “boring” owls in the background on some of Papertrey Ink’s vellum cardstock. I then adhered it to some Simply Chartreuse cardstock (also PTI) before adhering the whole thing on some More Mustard (from Stampin’ Up!) I used my ATG on the vellum cardstock and was disappointed to see that you can see the adhesive tracking on the back. Ah well, live and learn. I believe I have some vellum tape and I think I’ll try using that next time I decide to work with the vellum cardstock. One nice thing about PTI’s vellum cardstock – you can stamp on it with regular ink. Loving that! :)

Here’s a close-up of the goofy owl. I used Tuxedo Black ink (Memento) and then colored him in with Copics. I decided to make his belly purple because, after all, he stands out from the crowd! :) He may have come out a bit more orange than I had hoped, but overall, I’m pleased with the results. Loving those goofy eyes! :) Dimensionals help him stand away from the boring crowd…

Next, is a simple close-up of the sentiment. I used my Word Window punch (Stampin’ Up!) to punch it out and used dimensionals to make it stand out. :)

I’m hoping I did Alli proud with her stamp set. It’s such a cute stamp set with so many possibilities. I love her animals and hope she’ll decide to do more in the future!

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!