Fun Fold Friday: Double Z Fold

Hi Everyone!

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you've all had a great week. This is my final Fun Fold Friday  for this month. If you've stopped by for Tuesday's Technique earlier this week then you know I won't be blogging next week. I've decided to take the final week of the month off from blogging from now on so that I can get caught up on some other projects I have going on.  But that is next week. Let's talk about today, shall we?

I decided to go with a super simple card this time: the Double Z. Not really sure why it's called the Double Z; but anyhow. This fold takes no time to do at all; but still makes for a fun card. You can find the instructions just about anywhere; but they are so simple, I thought I'd just post them here for you as well.

You will need:

1) A card base measuring 5 1/4 x12
2) 2 pieces measuring 1 3/4 x 5 for the outside panels
3) 1 piece measuring 3 3/4 x 5 for the inside center.

-- Score your 5 1/4 x12 piece at 2, 4, 8, and 10
-- Fold at the 4, 10 lines and then fold the 4 back on the 2 and then the 10 back on the 8. (That's a little hard to explain in words; but if you look at the photos, it's easy to see how it goes.)
-- add the outside panels and the inside panels and decorate as you want.
--use some ribbon to keep it closed.

For my card, I started with a piece of 12x12 Kraft card stock cut to the appropriate size. I added patterned papers from my "My Minds Eye"
The thank you sentiment on the front is from hero arts and the sentiment in the center of the inside is from "Beautiful Kindness" by Verve.

Have a great weekend and I will see you all again the 1st week of February.

Challenges:

1. Creative Knockouts: Finish the Inside
2. Crafty Girls: Anything Goes
3. Crafting with an Attitude: Anything Goes
4. Rocket Challenges: Add a bow.
5. Aud Sentiments: Anything Goes with a sentiment.

PCC Challenge 9: Black, White + 1 color

Hello Everyone!

Welcome back to a new challenge here at PCC. Thank you so much to all of you that entered our texture challenge. We had some great entries!

Ready for a new challenge?  This one is an easy but a classic one:

Black, White plus 1 other color. 

That's it! You can create any type of paper project you desire as long as it fits the theme. No more than 3 entries per person, please.

Now, for some fabulous inspiration from the Design Team:

To start us off, we have Valeryanne who was kind enough to create 2 cards to share today.
Her first card is a Joy Fold Card using a Britannia Die called "Westie Puppy" and Glitterations along with sticker sentiments by Papermania.

For her second card she used a Dover Clip Art silhouette image "Lady with Dog" Be sure to visit Valeryanne's blog "It's An Alien Life" for all the details about these fantastic creations.

Next is Lori who kept her card very classy with those great diagonal lines and the gorgeous red glitter heart using a Lawn Fawn die that she mounted on a lacy Spellbinders circle. Stop by and visit her blog over at "My Happy Life" for more fun details about this gorgeous card.

Amy has created a super cute card using "The Whole Heard" stamp and die set from My Favorite Things. She colored her cute little cow using Copic Markers and patterned paper from The Stamps of Life. Be sure to check out Amy's blog "AO Creations" for all the details about this adorable card!

Next for our inspiration is Deborah. She created this super cute card using a House Mouse image that she colored with ProMarkers. Go visit her blog "Taylored Made" for all the details!

Finally, for my card this week, I also kept my design fairly simple. I started with a black base and added a white layer which I embossed with a geometric circles embossing folder. I added another layer of black with a simple white pen border. The flower is from Altenew's "Beautiful Day" set. I layered the flower with Milled Lavendar, Victorian Velvet distress inks followed by a layer of SSS Hot Mama and a final outline layer of Seedless Preserves. I heat embossed the sentiment with white powder and added a bit of Wink of Stellla clear glitter pen to the flower.

Link up your cards below. You have until January 31st. Have fun!

An InLinkz Link-up

Technique Tuesday: Brayered Embossing folders

Hi Everyone!

I am back with the last week of this month's Technique Tuesday feature. (It's the last week, because I will be taking next week off from blogging to work on some other projects.) Anyhow, today I have another simple technique for making a fun background. The idea certainly isn't new and I'm sure you've see it around before.

This technique involves using a brayer to roll ink onto an embossing folder before running it through your die cutting machine. The results is a very fun background that leaves the embossed part white and coloring the paper behind it.
For my card, I chose Wild Honey, Weathered Wood, Worn Lipstick distress inks for my color palette along with an 5x7 embossing folder called "Mary Ann"
You will get different results based upon which side of the folder you ink. I used the side of the folder that had the negative image (the non-raised parts) so that when I ran it through my cuttlebug the image would be embossed, leaving the raised portions white and the background colored.

If you do the other side, your image would debossed and the results would be slightly different: The color would be inside the actual designs and the background would remain white.
I started with the Wild Honey at the top and then cleaned the brayer. Next I used a piece of scrap paper to cover the bottom of the embossing folder and I rolled on the next color in the middle of the folder which was Weathered Wood.

Cleaned the brayer again and inked it up with the last color, Worn Lipstick.
Once I had all the inking done, I placed the paper in the embossing folder and ran it through my cuttlebug.

To assemble the card, I added the background to a piece of Fog card stock from Simon Says Stamp.
For the sentiment piece I used Verve's "Tag Time" and the coordinating Curvy Book Plate die. The "Birthday Wishes" stamp is from Stampin Up!
I added a small strip of Wild Honey (direct ink to paper) behind the sentiment panel. For embellishments I just added a couple of small pewter brads.
Here is one last look at the final card:

That is it for me today. Thank you so much for stopping by and I will see you all again tomorrow!

Challenges:

1. Inky Chicks: Anything Goes (2nd Entry)
2. Lemon Shortbread: Anything Goes
3. Creates and Makes: Anything Goes (3rd Entry)
4. Through the Craft Room Door: Anything Goes

Best Birthday Ever

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was good, just spent time hanging out with the family, which is always a great way to recharge my batteries a bit! However, I did not get done the crafting and blogging I had planned, so now I'm trying to catch up a bit.

I have another birthday card to share with you today. I know...you're shocked! 😉 When I made this card on Friday, I didn't have a lot of time. I needed to make something that was only going to take me about 20-30 minutes to put together. I have found that quick cards are perfect for using a background stamp as the focus. A couple of layers, and a well placed sentiment and viola card complete!

For this card, I started with a piece of Fog card stock from SSS. I stamped the Tapestry background stamp from Basic Grey/Hero Arts in SSS Coral ink onto a piece of Neenah Solar White 80# and layered it on the card base. For the sentiment, I used SSS "Sending Big Hugs" set I used Audrey Blue and Coral Reef inks and mounted it and framed it as shown. I added a piece of green ribbon and a few sequins for a final bit of embellishment.

That is all for me today. Have a great Monday and I will see you all again tomorrow.

Challenges:

1. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: Anything Goes
2. Dragonfly Journeys: Birthday Bash
3. Crafting When We Can: Anything Goes
4. Stamps and Fun= Creativity: Anything Goes
5.Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challlenge"Anything Goes
6. Crafting From the Heart: Anything Goes

Fun Fold Friday Week 2: Free Stand Pop Up Card.

Hi Everyone!

It is time for week 2 of my Fun Fold Friday’s series. Once again, I trailed through the tutorials of Splitcoast stampers and decided to go with the “free standing pop up card” This is a fold that I liked very much when I first learned it years ago mainly due to the fact it folds up flat but still makes for a fun revelation for the recipient. I haven’t made a card using this fold for quite some time, so I was excited to try it again. Now, I must apologize for these pictures. It has been rainy and overcast, dark and cloudy the past few days, so getting good pictures with natural light has been nearly impossible. I also tried to take the picture from a couple of different angles to show the design of the card.

I used a piece of Kraft card stock for the card base and embossed it with my Swiss Dots embossing folder. . For the tag part of the pop up card I used a piece of blue that I had that coordinated with the
Caribbean Blue ink I was using as part of the color scheme. The other colors included Willow and Orange Peel. I stamped the balloons from Altenew’s “Birthday Greeting” by first stamping the center balloon in Orange Peel and then masking it and then stamping the other balloons on either side. I drew a few squiggly lines with a distress marker towards the present at the bottom. I made the present by stamping one of the squares from SSS “Perfect Shapes” in Orange Peel and then decorating it as shown and then stamped a simple birthday greeting at the bottom and then added some orange ribbon at the top
I added some fun details to the balloons as well for a little extra attention to them.  I kept the base of the card simple by just adding a little ribbon.

All and all a fairly simple design; but I think the pop up fold gives it just an extra bit of kick.

Have a great weekend, everyone; and I will see you all again on Monday!

Challenges:

1. Polkadoodles: Anything Goes
2. Making Memories: Anything Goes (2nd Entry)
3. Jo's Scrap Shack: Anything Goes
4. Creative Corner: Anything Goes
5. Crafting with Friends: Anything Goes

Dance in the Rain (Texture Challenge Reminder)

Hi Everyone!

I’m so glad you stopped by for another visit. I just wanted to pop by with a little reminder about the current texture challenge we have going on. You still have another week to submit your entries in the link up.

I thought I’d make another card featuring some texture just to give you a little extra inspiration. I decided to use some distress ink and water to create this texture panel. I pressed ink from Crushed Olive, Wild Honey and Faded Jeans distress pads onto some water color paper. Then I sprayed it with some water before crumpling it all up. I straightened it out and pressed the ink pads once again to it to create a little more color. This is a great and easy technique to add interest to a design.
I made my card base using Enchanted Evening from PTI followed by a layer of Harvest Gold. I used Simply Chartreuse behind the sentiment panel that I made using Verve’s “Blue Skies” 
I also stamped the small butterfly from the set and colored it in with Prismacolor pencils and then covered it a little bit with some Wink of Stella glitter pen.  A small scalloped border and some cream ribbon finished up the card.

Thanks for stopping by today. Don’t forget to link up your cards. I can’t wait to see what you make!

Great Impressions: Wonderful, Happy Day

Hi Everyone!

I hope you're all having a great week. Thank you for stopping by today. I am sharing another card using some fantastic Great Impressions stamps. With winter still holding many in its grip, I thought it might be nice to share a brighter more colorful card today. I thought this sentiment "Happy Day" was perfect nestled in the center of this beautiful "Spring Floral Border" stamp.

I used a spring color palette of blue-greens, pink, green and Kraft to complement the colors I used for the flowers. I stamped the sentiment using Audrey Blue ink and the image with Archival Jet black ink. To color in these delicate flowers, I decided to use some Prismacolor pencils. I layered the card as shown and added some white stitching lines and some natural twine for a simple way to finish the card and keep the focus on the beautiful stamp!

That is all for me today except a quick reminder that our January Color Challenge is still open! Come on over and link up your cards. We love seeing what you create!

Technique Tuesday: Distress Ink Painting Stencils

Hi Everyone!

Thank you for visiting with me again today. I hope you are all doing well. Welcome back to another Technique Tuesday. This week, I decided to use my distress inks and some paintbrushes with a stencil to make a soft imaged background. I got the idea from Pinterest…where, let’s face it we’re all getting ideas at least at some point these days, right?! I think this technique is very dependent upon the type of paintbrushes you use. I just used some cheap everyday paintbrushes I've had forever. At first, I was worried that it looked too splotchy and too rough. However, in the end, I decided that it actually looks rustic and homemade and added to the soft blurring background.

To start, I gathered my supplies: Paintbrushes, the “swirl stencil” from Hero Arts and distress inks. I chose Crushed Olive, Tumbled Glass, Dusty Concord, Walnut Stain and Rusty Hinge.

I taped down the stencil with some painters tape onto my craft sheet. Then I picked up some ink with the paintbrushes (I used a different paintbrush for each color).

 I added the color to the paper through the stencil until it was complete. Adding the color was fairly quick and easy once I realized that the objective was not to get a smooth painted image.

I also found that using the paintbrushes different ways yielded different results. Going back and forth or smooshing it around for example.
When the background was complete, I removed the painters tape.
I decided to keep the focus on the background, so I just added some flowers in the center. The sentiment at the bottom is from a new SSS set I just ordered recently, called “It’s Your Birthday. I stamped the “Happy Birthday” in Dusty Concord and the “Here’s to Celebrating You” in Walnut Stain. I rounded the corners with the ¼  inch edge of the WRMK corner chomper.
I added some small clear sequins throughout the background for just a little extra bling.
I layered the panel with some foam tape onto a Neenah Solar White 110# card base.

Here's one last look at the final product. Overall I was pleased with the results!

That is it for me today. I hope you enjoy this technique and I hope you give it a try. Have a great day and I’ll see you all again tomorrow!

Challenges:

1. Inky Chicks: Anything Goes
2. Through the Craft Room Door: Anything Goes
3. Sunny Day Crafting: Arctic animals or Anything Goes
4. Creates and Makes: Anything Goes (2nd Entry)

You Make the World a Better Place

Hi Everyone!

I hope you had a good weekend. I am here to share a card using the "You Matter" set from Simon Says Stamp. I was just pleased as punch with the way this card turned out. I really like this color combo of Ocean Tide, Simply Chartreuse from PTI along with Surf Blue and Smoke from SSS. For ink colors, I used Cloudy Sky, Lake Shores, and Smoke from SSS and also Broken China and Peeled Paint distress inks. The stripes on the right are from Clearly Besotted "Basic Stripes" set.

I used the direct to paper ink technique with cloudy sky ink and then used the "You" die to cut 5 separate dies before gluing them together to create a faux chipboard element. I paper pierced around the entire edge of the card base. Then I added the layer of the white with the stripes before adding the left layer with foam tape with the layered die. I used my wink of Stella clear glitter pen for a little shine and sparkle on the "You."



 I stamped a small heart in Lake Shores ink and then covered it with some glossy accents; and also some stickles along the scalloped smoke edge.

All in all, like I said...rather pleased with this one. I hope you like it also. Have a great day; and I will see you all again tomorrow!

Challenges:

1. Love to Scrap Challenge: Anything Goes
2. Get Creative Challenge: Anything Goes
3. Craft Your Passion Challenges: Anything Goes
4. Crafting from the Heart: Anything Goes
5. Artistic Inspirations. Anything Goes

Fun Fold Friday Week 1: Joy Fold

Hi Everyone!

I hope you've all had a fantastic week. I am starting another new feature on the blog this week. I know, another one! I told you...2017 is going to bring lots of fun and new things to PCC!!
I thought it would be nice to spend some time focusing on cards that showcased different kinds of folds. So, welcome to week 1 of Fun Fold Fridays!
To start our fun fold theme, I chose to showcase the "Joy Fold Card" This fold is an oldie but a goodie and I dug back through the tutorials on SplitCoastStampers to refresh my memory. I like this fold because it's a fold that looks complicated; but it's really rather easy to put together.

For my card today, I've made another birthday card. (I have a personal mission to make more birthday cards for family and friends, so you're going to be seeing a lot of them!)I used pattern papers from a 6x6 paper pad called "Happy Day" by Simple Stories.  In addition, I used  Desert Storm from SSS; Harvest Gold, Simply Chartreuse, Aqua Mist and Cream from PTI.

I decided instead of doing a stamped image, I would use one of the sentiments from the paper pad. I left the inside of the card blank to write a personal message later. I added the small birthday hat sticker just to help keep the flaps closed. Since there are so many patterns going on with this card, I decided to just keep the final touches to a minimum by simply adding some green and gold stickles in the corners of the sentiment panel.

I would love for you to give this fun fold a try, and I'd love to see what you create. I decided to add a link up here for you to share your cards! This is not a challenge. It's just simply a place for you to share if you'd like. You can add as many cards as you want! The link will remain open for one week and will close at 11pm next Thursday, January 12. Have fun! 

That is all for me today. Have a great weekend, and I will see you all again on Monday!

Challenges:

1. Crafting with Friends: Anything Goes
2. Creative Corner Challenges: Anything Goes
3. Jo's Scrap Shack: Anything Goes
4. Making Memories Crafting Anything Goes
5. PDE Linky Party: Anything Goes

An InLinkz Link-up

PCC Challenge 8: Texture

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had a great holiday! A huge shout out to all of you who took part in our Anything Goes Christmas Challenge! Now, it's time for a new challenge to start the new year!

***Please note: if you are here from another challenge blog to see the card I linked up in other challenges, I am only linking my card to other challenges and it is down at the bottom of the post.***

 For this challenge, we want to see some texture on your creations. You can use any type of medium or tool you would like: embossing, texture paste, crinkled paper etc.

Any theme of card is welcome as well, just remember only 3 entries allowed per person. Here is a bit of inspiration from the Design Team.

First up is Valeryanne: She made a card stock base using two shades of purple. Her next layer is handmade paper using the "Shaving Foam" technique with distress ink re-inkers. She added more texture with lots of great ways as well. Be sure to check out Valeryanne's blog "It's An Alien Life" for all the great details about her gorgeous card!

Next is Amy with this adorable card featuring fun stamps from My Favorite Things, some Lawn Fawn Dies and texture with a classic Cuttlebug Embossing Folder! Be sure to check out Amy's Blog AO Creations for all the details!

Let's take a look now a Debbi's fun creation! She created a fun altered CD for her project using a Magnolia image which she colored with polychromos an rubbing alcohol and made some texture by using a mask and some glossy texture paste. Go visit her fun blog "Taylored Made Crafts" for all the details!

Now, here's Lori's card. Lori created a super sweet card featuring textured hearts that she made using a stencil from Firefly and some texture paste. Stop by Lori's blog "My Happy Life" to read all the extra fun details about her project!  

Finally, here is my card! I used card stock from Paper Trey Ink (Ocean Tide, Aqua Mist, Sweet Blush and Pure Poppy) I also added some Doll Pink from SSS. I used an embossing folder to add the texture to the Sweet Blush card stock. The stamps are Verve's "Up Up and Away" sadly, no longer available for purchase. I stamped the balloon in Memento "Rich Cocoa" ink and then colored it in with Copic markers. The sentiment is from Altenew's "Birthday Greetings" set. I used my scalloped circle nestabilites and circle dies from SSS  to cut a framed circle from the Doll Pink card stock.
I added a scalloped border from the Pure Poppy card stock. Finally, I added some silver stickles and some faux white stitching lines to finish the card!

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:
1. Southern Girls: Anything Goes
2. Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes Birthday
3. Creative Knockouts: Anything Goes
4. Crafty Girls Creations: Anything Goes
5. Crafting with an Attitude. Anything Goes


Now, it's YOUR turn!! Link up your cards below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Great Impressions Spiral Thanks

Hello Everyone!

I hope you're having a great day.  I am here to share a card I made using some super fun stamps from Great Impressions. I used Retro Spirals stamp to create a fun background on a Kraft card base. I really like the effect of stamping colored ink on Kraft; but I think you have to choose the right colors to get a good result. I chose a dark blue, purple and green.  I added the white swirls myself with a white gel pen just to fill in some of the empty space and I also liked the white on the Kraft as well. I added some stickles to the centers of each of the spirals for a little sparkle.

For the sentiment panel I wanted to do something simple so as to keep the focus on the background.  I used Tags Stamps which has a variety of sentiments in it. I chose the thank you stamp which I stamped in purple on white card stock and then layered it on to some Navy blue and dark green card stock as shown. I added some faux white stitching lines and then rounded the corners to finish off the card.

That is all for me today. Have a great day and I will see you all again soon!

January Technique Tuesday: Painters Tape Ink.

Hi Everyone!

Welcome back to another crafty day here at the blog. I am excited to start a new feature this month on my blog called Technique Tuesdays. Now, I know, this is not very original title or even idea; but I figured it woul be something fun to try and share. Each Tuesday this month, I will focus on a particular technique. Next month on Tuesdays, I'll do something else. I am quite proud of myself because I have actually got a whole year's worth of general ideas for the the blog planned. Still needs some fine tuning; but at least it's a start, right?!

To start off our first Technique spotlight, I wanted to try and share an idea that I found on Pinterest. I loved the simple idea of taking some blue painters tape and using it with ink to make a unique background.

I gathered my supplies, including 4 ink colors I wanted to use, my craft sheet which I taped to a plastic cutting board, some Neenah white card stock, and of course, some painters tape.

I tore off 4 strips of the painters tape and then pressed each one into the ink pad and then transferred the tape to the paper. I made sure to keep the strips of tape in the right order for the repeat ink process.

That's pretty much it.... so simple; but also pretty effective, I think! You could definitely do different patterns with this technique as well.

I used Altenew's "Happy Birthday" set to stamp the sentiment in Slate ink from Simon Says Stamp.
I added a flower with some sequins and some strips of glitter paper as well as some faux white stitching lines to finish off  the card.

Please note also that I took this picture later in the day than I normally do, so the lighting was not the greatest!

Thanks for stopping by today, everyone! I hope you have a great day and I'll see you again tomorrow!

Challenges:

1. Through The Craft Room Door: Anything Goes
2. Lemon Shortbread Challenges: Anything Goes
3. Creates and Makes: Anything Goes

Thank You From the Heart

Hello Everyone!

I am here today to just share a simple Thank You card. I actually didn't use any stamps on this card. I started with a Simply Chartreuse (PTI) card base and added a layer of Aqua Mist which I embossed with an embossing folder (I don't remember the name of it...)

The card base actually already had a small hole cut out at the bottom, so I decided to use that to my advantage and treated it as a window. I die cut some hearts from Verve's From the Heart dies and stacked about 5 of them together. Before I cut them, I used the Direct to Paper ink technique with some Teeny Bikini ink from Simon Says Stamp and then added some Wink of Stella Clear glitter pen for some extra sparkle

.

The sentiment is a sticker from a package from K &Co that I've had in my stash for years! I added some old SU Bermuda Bay ribbon for another accent color and then some faux white stitching for a final touch. I also rounded the corners with the 1/4 inch rounder of my WRMK conrner chomper.

Have a great day and I'll see you again tomorrow!

Great Impressions DT team and Color Challenge

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday with lots of fun, family, friends and food! It is great to be back. I always spend some time at the end of the year, reflecting on the blog and seeing how I can change it and grow into the new year. Good things are coming my friends, so stay tuned!

To start the new year off, I am SO excited to announce I have been invited to join the Design Team over at Great Impressions! If you remember, I was the guest designer back in October; and I had a such a fun time creating cards for all those challenges. I was thrilled when I was asked to become a member of the team. Great Impressions has such a great variety of stamps in their store. I just love them all!

To start off the challenges for January, we have a color challenge:

I used a variety of different papers to match the blues in the picture. These colors remind me of winter. I have a family member with a birthday in January, so I thought this would be a perfect birthday card for her! (I have plans to include something else in the card; but don't want to spoil it here, in case she sees this...)

I loved the "Fun Coffee Cup" (Item #H278) which I stamped in black ink and then colored in with a variety of grey and blue Copic markers. I added the "Triple Birthday Wish" sentiment (Item #D513) in Soft Navy ink. For the "whipped top" I just swirled around some white acrylic paint on top and then sprinkled some glitter over it. Once that was all dry, I add some light blue stickles for just a bit of extra fun!

I hope you all have a fabulous day! Be sure to stop by and link up your cards to the challenge! We can't wait to see what you create!