I’m jumping around with the Papertrey Ink Anniversary Challenges. Today I finally finished all the valentines I need, so you’ll be seeing quite a few cards in the next few days. The first one I made today fits today’s (#5) challenge at Papertrey Ink:  create a card with a new stamp set. “Circle Scribbles” arrived in my mailbox late last week. It had been out of stock for awhile, and when it came back in again, I decided not to wait. I actually used it for the card I made yesterday for the first anniversary challenge as well, but I think it still counts! I created a stamped background similar to one I saw in a Stampington magazine at Barnes and Noble when I was browsing through some periodicals last week.

Here’s a better look at the card:

I started with a Classic Kraft card, and randomly stamped two of the circles in white. I then added some red hearts from two Simon Says stamp sets. The die cut sentiment is from “Wet Paint” (PTI), and the rest of the sentiment is from the Winnie & Walter set “The Big, the Bold, and The Happy.”

This card also qualifies for the Addicted to CAS challenge:  Hugs and Kisses.

And Fusion’s challenge “Heartful:“

The first of the Papertrey anniversary challenges required that you choose a color combination and a sketch from a wonderful selection you could download. Here are the ones I chose:

I knew pretty much what I wanted to do with this, but it did prove to be a challenge. The first attempt when in the trash, and once I got the main image watercolored, stamped, and splattered, finding a die cut word for the card proved to be pretty difficult. I have six die cut rejects in my little drawer to use for another project. 

I first tried stamping and then watercoloring the “Scribble Circles” by Papertrey Ink. That was a failure, so the second time I watercolored the circles first ( by smooshing some color from the ink pads on my craft mat and picking up the color with a water brush) and then stamping on top. None of my Papertrey Ink dies seemed to work for the sentiment, so I used one from Penny Black’s “Hooray” collection, and once again, doubled it up so it popped up a bit. It’s already getting dark here so the photo is not the best. The card itself is really aqua (more like you see at left of the card).

This project took far too long so it’s all that’s getting done today. Soon we’re off to dinner at friends’ despite another winter storm warning. I’m guessing we’ve gotten another two inches already, and it’s suppose to snow through tomorrow. Really? I’ve had enough.

It’s Papertrey Ink’s 8th Anniversary, and every day a new challenge is posted. I thought I’d see if I could combine one of their challenges with another Valentine. This is the second challenge—to CASE a card by Maile Belle’s. That’s pretty easy, as her clean and simple style is a favorite of mine. This is the card I chose to CASE.

I don’t own that stamp set, but I do own the Papertrey Ink “Wonderful Words: Love” die and mini-stamp set which worked out perfectly.

I layered the three dies in the same configuration as Maille’s stamped sentiment, but doubled the die I layered on top to make it stand out a bit more. The three colors are Raspberry Fizz, Hibiscus Pink, and Harvest Gold. The enamel dots are MME, and I added one of the hearts from the die.

While my desk is cluttered with Valentine supplies, I’m off to try to get another one done before I have to truck off to the gym.

Valentine’s Day was my father’s favorite holiday. Thinking about it now, it seems just a bit odd, since he was a very undemonstrative father. I could easily count the number of times he told me he loved me, but I was knew I was loved. He gave gifts on Valentine’s Day. When I was living at home, and even in college, he usually bought me a new outfit. He was a shopper, and he had excellent taste. I can only think of one time when he purchased an outfit that was totally inappropriate for me. I called to tell him, and he laughed, and said he thought it might be. All this to say, I still love Valentine’s Day. This year I’m making more cards than usual since I have several friends who could use some Valentine’s Day cheer as well as all the family. 

I’ve been working on them for a couple days now. The family ones won’t show up here until later since some of them actually do read my blog. But here’s one for a friend.

I cut the heart with a My Favorite Things die after watercoloring a piece of Tim Holtz watercolor paper. The Sending die from Simon Says is one of my favorites, and I love it cut from gold paper against the ombre watercolored heart. The sentiment stamped on the vellum banner (Simon Says die) is from the accompanying “Sending and Wishing” stamp set. It’s going to get a lot of use! Both the heart and the banner were layered on a Stitched Rectangle from Papertrey Ink.

I’m quite happy with this card and am linking up to three heart related challenges:

Addicted to CAS:  Hugs and Kisses

Fusion-“Heartful” – see the photo below:

And Simon Says Monday Challenge: the Letter H (in this case, Heart)

There will be more valentines coming . . .

A friend of mine was laid up for several months last year with a shattered wrist. She just got to the point where she could drive and get around pretty easily in November. Then early this month, she broke her heel! She’s been told she can’t put any weight on it for three months. She has a wonderful attitude, but when a mutual friend asked her what she needed she requested some thank you notes. In addition to sending over some meals, I thought I could contribute to the thank-you notes as well. I started with this sketch on CASe This Sketch.

I chose to score the horizontal lines rather than use a patterned paper.

The typewriter die is one of my favorites from Savvy, and the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink’s “Live, Love, Life.”

The inspiration for today’s Papertrey Ink Blog Hop is hearts. That’s a theme that’s hard to resist this time of year.

In my ongoing attempt to use products I’ve never used or haven’t used in a long time, I whipped out the “One Liner” Love die. I’ve had this for a couple years, and I’m quite sure I’ve never used it. (There are two other words in the set, so it’s not quite as bad as it seems.) Other brand new products include the sparkly tag which I picked up at 50% off at Paper Source after Christmas, and the gorgeous gold dot vellum by Teresa Collins in her 6X6 pad, “Studio Gold.” I layered the vellum on a piece of Select White cardstock.

The red heart is the inside heart that pops out when you die cut one of the Stitched Heart dies (PTI), and the gold arrow is a die from Savvy. And the cardstock is my favorite, Pure Poppy.

This card also fits two other challenges: Less is More which is a sketch challenge this week.

And the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Have a Heart.

We’re off to the movies to see “The Theory of Everything.” I think it’s close to the end of its run here. There are always multiple movies I want to see this time of year.

I need four birthday cards for guys by the end of the month, and decided to do the same design, with different papers and dies for all four. All four qualify for the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: It’s a Guy Thing,” as well as for the CAS-ology Challenge: NBUS. That may seem a bit odd, but it stands for “Never Been Used Schtuff.” All the patterned papers on these cards are from new 6X6 paper pads that I picked up while traveling, and I’ve never used the “Sending” die or stamp from Simon Says. 

There have been lots of cards in blogland recently with the design I used. I pinned this one by Laurie last month. On two of the cards I popped the panels out with foam tape.

Cardstock: Select White and Pure Poppy (PTI), patterned paper: “Stitched” Amy Tangerine for American Craft; die & stamp: “Happy” Simon Says

Cardstock: Select White, True Black (PTI); patterned paper: Kelly Purkey “Second City” for Basic Grey; die: “Wet Paint” (PTI); stamp: “Happy” Simon Says

On these two cards, I decided not to pop the panels. I like both ways, but I think the foam adds an extra element of interest.

Cardstock: Staples, Smoky Shadow (PTI), patterned paper: “Stitched” Amy Tangerine for American Craft, die & stamp: “Sending and Wishing” Simon Says

Cardstock: Rustic Cream & Kraft (PTI), patterned paper: MME Necessities: Wood,  
die: “Wet Paint” (PTI), stamp: “Happy” Simon Says

Cards for guys almost always take me a lot more time than usual, but these went together fairly quickly. They’re all different, but I think it’s a great design for a masculine card.