Red, White, and Blue

We're jumping a bit forward on the calendar this morning with an  Independence Day Card.  As I had finally gotten around to purchasing est. 1776 it was on my mind and the sketch as CAS(E) this Sketch! made me think of those waving banners and stars.

It's a simple card, just enough to get my feet wet with this set which will likely get more use for promotions and retirements than for the Fourth of July.  

I hope you enjoy!

Amanda

Supplies

Stamps: PTI (est. 1776, Military Stars)

Dies: PTI (Stars, Limitless Layers 1.75" circles)

Paper: PTI (Enchanted Evening, Rustic White)

Other: Distress Ink

Neon Rainbow

I was so excited to get to the Shopping Our Stash Challenge this week because it gave me a reason to play and experiment with my new neon embossing powders.  I received them recently as a gift and hadn't had the chance to play with all that much.  I pulled a lot of stamps out of the cabinet to play with, but settled on this birthday block from Purple Onion Designs.

It's so bright and happy.  I embossed the card front to add a little interested.

Thanks for sharing a moment of your day with me.
Amanda

Supplies
Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Paper: PTI (Enchanted Evening, White), Stash (Neon Pink)
Dies: PTI (Numbers)
Other: Wow Embossing Powder, Versamark Ink, Sizzix Embossing Folder

Love You Forever

A simple, elegant card today.  Inspired by the photo at {Pin}spirational Callenge.

I love the pink flowers and the low aperture of this photograph.  I kept my card super simple, perhaps the simplest one I've ever made.

This photo is terrible (thank you icky weather!) and I'm sorry about that.  The card base is glossy cardstock and I just added a tag that says "Love You Forever" in pink.  The flowers are slightly blurry which was an accident, but I liked it better than the perfect ones since there was such a low aperture in the inspiration piece. 

Thanks for looking.

Amanda

Supplies

Stamps: PTI (Bitty Bouquets, Sentiment)

Dies: PTI (Bitty Bouquets, Keep It Simple Frames)

Paper: PTI (White), Stash (pale pink, glossy white)

Other: Distress Ink

So simple...

A simple little card to show someone I am thinking of them.

I took the challenge to use embossing powder from Retro Rubber and the color challenge to use black, white and one other color from Just Us Girls came up with this.

Thanks for stopping by.

Amanda

Supplies

Stamps: PTI (Sentiment), Stampin Up (Flower)

Paper: Stampin Up (black)

Other: Versamark Ink, Stampendous Embossing Powder, WOW embossing powder

Easter Wishes

One last Easter card for the year.  This one uses the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!  And has added embossing powder for the Retro Rubber Challenge.  I pulled out some Easter Eggs for what seems like forever.  I don't even think the woman  who made them is in the business anymore.  

The top eggs are embossed and then watercolored and the bottom egg is stamped using Versamark.  

Thanks for spending a minute of your day with me.

Amanda

Supplies

Stamps: PTI (sentiment), Stash (Eggs)

Paper: PTI (Aqua Mist, Pure Poppy Patterns)

Other: Ranger Embossing Powder, Close To My Heart Ink, Versamark Ink, Watercolors, Corner Rounder

PTI March Blog Hop

Welcome spring!  We've had a few spring days here with the sun shining and barely needing a jacket, but today is not one of those days.  However, Papertrey Ink is having their monthly blog hop today and the photo inspiration is full of lots of cheery spring colors.  Today we're welcoming  spring in spirit if not in reality.

Look at all those warm, fun colors and the buds throughout are just screaming spring, even if Old Man Winter is not saying good-bye yet.  I used this piece of inspiration to create this little card.

I  loved the wood table grounding all those yummy colors and just kept thinking kitchen, so there you have it.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Amanda

Supplies

Stamps: PTI (Bitty Bouquets, Candy Cane Christmas, Friendship Jar, Background Basics: Farm and Barn)

Dies: PTI (Candy Cane Christmas, Tiny Tags, Bitty Bouquets, Doilies)

Paper: PTI (Fine Linen, White, Aqua Mist Patterns)

Other: PTI Ink, Marvy Matchable Ink, Distress Ink, White Ink, Divine Twine

A Beautiful Thank You

Today I am sharing an accidental thank you card.  The challenge photo at Fusion Card Challenge this week is beautiful.  The colors are stunning.  I wanted to use those colors to make a Father's Day card.

I love all the blue and purple with just enough contrast.  However, once I was ready to add the sentiment I realized I have purged the few Father's Day sentiments I had.  I now have none, not a one.  So this card became a Thank You card and I am now in the market for some great Father's Day sentiments.

I'm don't think the photo does the background justice, but when you only have the length of a Dora cartoon to get it right these things happen.  As it turns out it is the perfect Thank You for a gift I just received.  It looks as though it was made just for the gift so in the end it's perfect.  

I hope you like it too.

Amanda

Supplies

Stamps: Stampin Up (tree), PTI (Sentiment)

Paper: PTI (white), Stampin Up (Black)

Other: Momento Ink, Distress Ink, Versacolor Ink, Stampendous Embossing  Powder

Carrots for the bunny!

I recently discovered a new challenge blog called Shopping Our Stash.  I love this idea of having to use stuff from your stash.  I have a whole room of "stuff" that needs to be used.  Honestly I'm pretty good about using what  I have, but it's nice to have a little nudge every now and then.  This week's challenge was to make your own background.  With Easter right around the corner I needed to focus on getting my last couple of cards done.  Easter is not my holiday, it just isn't, but I try.  So I pulled out a couple of old stamps and my trusty distress inks and away I went.

I repeatedly stamped the carrots to make the background for the bunny.  Then I popped him up with foam  tape so he stood out a little better.  

Thanks for sharing minute of your day with me.

Amanda

Supplies

Stamps: Stampin Up (Bunny), Stash (Carrots)

Paper: PTI (White)

Other: Copics, Distress ink, Momento Ink, Foam Tape

Birthday balloons

I have a sweet little birthday card to share today based on the Sketch at CAS(E) this sketch.  I pulled out a few oldies, but goodies when it came to images, but then that's why I have a hard time parting with stamps.

The balloons are from Stampendous  from years ago, but they are classic and the turtle is from C.C. Designs from not so many years ago.  The balloons are also bumped up with foam tape.  And while this kind of looks like a kid card, it's perfect for my hubby.  

Inspired by:

Thanks for looking.

Amanda

Supplies

Stamps: C.C. Designs (turtle), Stampendous (Balloons), PTI (sentiment)

Paper: PTI (Limeade Ice, White), Stash blue marble

Other: Copics, Momento Ink,  Brilliance Ink

You are the best!

I am sharing a card inspired by the photo at Cure for the Monday Blues challenge.  I am squeezing this one in at the last minute, but I'm sure there will be another great piece of inspiration tomorrow!  This week's photo was so calming.  Full of blacks and whites and gray with some bursts of yellow.

Personally, I was drawn to the zebra and sign on the table.  I used that bit and came up with my card.

Thanks for sharing a minute of your day with me.

Amanda

Supplies

Stanps: PTI (All About You, Ombre), Stamps by Judith (Zebra)

Paper: PTI (White, Harvest Gold, Soft Stone)

Other: Momento Ink

Dream...

Today I am posting a card inspired by the Oscar Red Carpet Challenge at Runway Inspired Challenges.  I used this photo:

This is not my type of dress, at all.  But for some reason it spoke to me.  I really liked the softness of the fabric and pattern with the slight harshness of the black writing.  I got to work to make this:

I used this sheer fabric stuff I picked up in Germany a few years back for the background over Fine Linen cardstock and then cut a border from pale pink for the words.  Normally when I use this sheer fabric stuff on a card I pull it really tight, but the picture caused me to reconsider that approach.  

I hope you like it.

Amanda

Supplies:

Stamps: Serendipity (sentiments)

Dies: PTI (Medium Scallop Border)

Paper: PTI (Fine Linen), Stash (Pink)

Other: Momento Ink, Sheer Fabric

Easter for a boy

Easter is rapidly approaching and I have a few cards that need to be made.  Every year I have the same issue - Easter is such a girly holiday.  Now, I know it isn't really.  It's just that Easter things tend to have pastel colors and flowers and well, that just doesn't work too well for the boys I know.

Today I am sharing an Easter card for one of the boys in my life.  I used the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch and the them "masculine" from Just Us Girls.

I wanted to keep it simple and stick with a traditional Easter theme without crossing the line to "girly" as the boys would say.

Here's the sketch:

I think the boy will like it.

Amanda

Supplies

Stamps: Northwoods Rubber Stamps (Basket)

Paper: PTI (Limeade Ice, White, New Leaf)

Other: Embossing Powder, Copics, Grass Trim, Colorbox Ink, Foam Mounting Tape

Easter in Plaid

Getting ready for spring here.  I am so ready for the sun to shine!  I was really excited to see cheeriness in the Fusion Challenge this week.  I loved the plaid bow tie so much.  I kept focusing on it.

Even sitting here now that is where my eye goes, straight for the plaid.  Given that I decided to finally try making my own plaid with alcohol inks.  It was so incredibly easy!  I made several in colors inspired by the colors in the photo, but I went with this soft one with lots of green and just a hint of blue and pink.  It felt the most Easter-y to me.  

I didn't want the plaid to get lost so a simple bunny seemed just about right.  And then I needed a little something more.  I remembered the challenge over at Winter Wonderland to tie a bow and thought it went perfectly with the plaid and the bow ties from the Fusion Photo.  Just girly enough.  

Thanks for looking.

Amanda

Supplies

Stamps: PTI (Sentiment), AIP's V.I.P.s (Bunny)

Paper: PTI (White), Glossy Cardstock

Other: Alcohol Ink, Copics, Ribbon, Momento Ink

Lots of Daisies

Today I am sharing a card inspired by the photo challenge at Just Us Girls Challenge this week.  

I love the St. Patrick's Day feel of it without the shamrocks and other regular St. Paddy's Day stuff.  I really liked the bold word and the daisies.  So I broke out gold stencil paste and made a background for the bold word happy to "hang" on.  

Once that was dry I attached my banner and stamped the sentiment using Brilliance ink which dried beautifully.  I was a bit worried I was going to have to start over, but it all worked out.  

Thanks for spending a minute of you day with me.

Amanda

Supplies

Stamps: PTI (Botanical Silhouettes), Stampin' Up (Sentiment)

Dies: PTI (Happy Banner)

Paper: PTI (White,Harvest Gold)

Other: Daisy Punches, Gold Stencil Paste, Brilliance Ink, Distress Ink