Papertrey 6th Anniversary

Goodness - is it 6 years since I saw a little ad on Split Coast Stampers saying a new stamp company was bringing out a line of stamps! I still remember the first few sets I got - Little Lady and Butterfly Kisses and I have been smitten ever since!

 

I don't have a lot of time this year to join in all the challenges but as it is the weekend now there isn't really an excuse.  The time difference doesn't help but I have to live with that.

 

This challenge is to ...

"Create some type of wrap, tag or gift packaging project that is inspired by a photo you found on Pinterest or another site."

I have had this pinned on Pintrest for ages.  I changed up the stamp set to use Funky Florals and used my front and centre die around a cut down PTI clear stamp box.

 

 

It is all ready to fill with some little note cards which I hope to finish off this weekend.

 

Fancy Folk Art

I am loving my latest Papertrey Ink stamps and dies - Fancy Folk Art.  I got a chance to play with them this weekend and made this set of note cards as a little thank you gift  for a friend we went to lunch with today. 

 

The photos aren't great as I took them quickly and forgot to change the camera setting after shooting our dogs in the snow!

 

First up in aqua mist and ocean tides ....

 

Next in my all time favourite PTI colours - sweet blush and berry sorbet .......

Harvest gold and summer sunrise ....

and if you made it this far (thank you!) the last one is lavender moon and winter wisteria ......

 

 

I hope you have had as good a weekend as we have.

 

Mojo Monday

I don't seem to be very good at making Monday challenges on a Monday - maybe I should start a "Make It on a Weekend" challenge - anyone game?

 

So two ways of working today - the Mojo Monday sketch which has lots of lovely layers and the new  Passion for Papertrey challenge to make a thank you card.

 

The images on both cards are from a new set I bought last week from Clearly Besotted Stamps - a UK stamp company (hurrah!) - called Thanks a Bunch. They are acrylic and stamp beautifully.

 

My first card uses Papertrey's plum pudding card and ribbon (although the ribbon looks a totally different colour in the photo) and Basic Grey papers.

My cheerful roses are made with summer sunrise card, ribbon and papers by Papertrey Ink and the images are coloured with Copic markers. 

Make It Monday #99 Rainbow Repeats

Two quickie one layer birthday cards today using the Make it Monday #99 rainbow colours.  I just got my December release stamps from Papertrey via a lovely friend visiting her sister in the US for Christmas and they were begging to be stamped off!

 

I used Quilled Elegance for both cards using Papertrey colours for the ink - not great photos - I need to make up a light box I think for the winter months!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by - have a great weekend.

Freshly Made Sketches # 67

I often look over at Freshly Made Sketches so as I am on holiday from work for a few more days I thought I would have a go at the latest sketch.

 

 

 

 

I was in a pink kind of mood and after Christmas I always need thank you cards so this is what I came up with.  All supplies are by Papertrey Ink.
 

 

 

 

Many thanks for stopping by today - it is always good to hear what you think!

 

 

 

 

Craft Day with Betty

My lovely friend Betty who is always so much fun to meet up with is over from the US staying with her family for Christmas and New Year. 

 

We spent the day chatting and die cutting and colouring and even managed to make a card each! 

 

 We were looking at the Stamp Simply blog at Sharon's go to layouts and as Betty had just shared some packs of Papertrey patterned paper with me we made a background the same out of Soft Stone and added what we had stamped and coloured.

 

Betty used Rosie Posie in Melon Berry and Canyon Clay.....

 

 

 

 

and I used Pretty Peonies coloured with Copics in Melon Berry colours....

 

It was a fun day - thanks Betty!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Past

A bit late but better than never - a few of the cards I made for Christmas.  I used a set from Flourishes called Petals & Peace and the matching key hole die.  I love Flourishes as they post to the UK in nice flat rate envelopes which do not cost a fortune!  I stamped off the images and coloured with Copic markers in  the evenings until I had enough.

 

 

I also pulled out my tapestry rubber stamps for a few cards too - this is one variation also using  the sentiment from Papertrey's Bells & Boughs stamps.

 

 

 

Sorry about the poor photos - I remembered I hadn't taken any pictures of them until I was due to post them off and these were taken on my windowsill at work on my iPhone!

 

 

 

 

A New Year's Resolution!.......

.......to keep my blog updated!

 

Happy New Year - I hope that 2013 will be a great one!

 

Here are a few cards that I made over the last few months some before I went into Christmas card mode and one with some new stamps that I had chance to play with over the holiday.

 

I took my inspiration from the Make it Monday challenge review on Papertrey Ink to make a floating window - the acetate that the stamps comes in very handy for the window. The butterflies are from Heart 2 Heart # 10 and the inside is the sentiment from Half and Half set.

 

 

 

I have never made a Centre Step card before and when looking for something a bit different to make for my friend Penny's birthday I found a tutorial on the SCS site - here.   It was a lot of cutting, scoring and folding but I liked how it turned out.  Card stock, stamps [Sweet Life] and ink from Papertrey, the sentiment is from Flourishes and paper by Basic Grey.

 

 

 

 

Lastly my take on white on white for my friend Lynn's wedding to David using Papertrey's Beautiful Blooms ll # 3 and an embossed background.

 

 

 

One other little reason for neglecting the old blog was a lovely Mum and Daughter trip to Dubai and a real pick me up to spend time in the sun - here we are opposite the tallest building in the world - the Burj Khalifa although it is so very tall it didn't fit in the photo!

 

 

 

Papertrey Ink October Blog Hop

"This month it is all about breaking out of your comfort zone and trying out some non-traditional color schemes for a holiday card or tag!"

Having just got back from holiday I didn't have a lot of time to get my card done for this month's blog hop so I went with a clean and simple design using these colours - so pretty to look at but I found it hard to put the turquoise in!

I used this layout from  Maile Belles from her October release projects with the Bells & Boughs stamp set and matching dies.  I think this will be good to mass produce and change the colours up a bit for variety.

Thanks as always for stopping by today!

Anniversary Trip

 

It has taken me an age to get this post in order but I wanted to share what a fantastic trip Paul and I had for our 25th wedding anniversary to New York and Boston.

 

It all started with our gorgeous daughter giving us two of her free flights on Virgin Atlantic and we were very happy to have an up-grade to business class!

 

 

 

 

We had three nights in New York and I got to see all the places I had dreamt of! 

 

My favourite building was the very pretty Chrysler Building - so shiny in the blazing heat .....

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had to go to Central Park which I will always remember as the place where I lost my expensive glasses and had to spend the next few days wearing prescription sunglasses  day and night until I could get a new pair made up and sent on to Boston by UPS (who then lost them!)  It's not so cool wearing sunglasses to read menus when you aren't a celeb.

 

 

 

 

 

We had a great trip out to Liberty Island on the ferry and then on to Ellis Island  - the heatwave hit the city that day and it was such a relief to be out on the water.  Paul has edited out the  tower cranes from around the statue as the platform was being refurbished when we visited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like this one of Paul and I with  the city and the new building at Ground Zero so high in the background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is so hard to get a picture of the Empire State Building from down below - Paul got into trouble at the top in the viewing area for trying to get his head and camera out of the railings to take pictures of the view from the top!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaving Times Square behind we drove up to Woonsocket in Rhode island which is just on the boarder  with Massachusetts.  We stayed in this gorgeous heritage bed and breakfast called The Pillsbury House for 6 nights.

 

 

 

 

Woonsocket was a great base to see both States - we started off in Boston and loved every step of the Freedom Trail that we walked - our guide book said it would take 90 minutes but we managed all day with so many stops for cold drinks and photographs.  A few favourites were Quincy Market .....

 

 

 

 

The Old State House of 1713 .....

 

 

 

 

 

North Bridge in Minute Man National Historical Park ...

 

 

 

 

and a little memorial at the bridge commemorating the British troops that fell there....

 

 

 

 

 

and finally a must to for me in Concord - Orchard House - the house of Louisa May Alcott and her family, a fascinating look at how she lived and where she wrote.

 

 

 

 

 

When we got back from our jollies my Mum and Dad  held a champagne tea party in their garden to celebrate our special anniversary

 

 

 

 

And do take a look at the beautiful cake that my dear friend Pam made for us - check out the stunning peony flowers which she created!

If you made it this far - thanks for indulging me!

Some Hero Arts and Gina K

When we were in the US recently I did buy myself a [few] crafty bits including some Spellbinders dies and these lovely frame its stamps and dies from Hero Arts.  This dogwood card was my first play with them and I can see them being a real favourite!  So easy to stamp first and then die cut rather than the other way around.

Next up I used another old favourite stamp set - A Year of Flowers from Gina K - in a trellis with lots of masking.  All the other supplies are from Papertrey Ink, and I stamped the quatre foil die cut with the wood grain stamp.

I think this will fit in again with the anything goes over at a Passion for Papertrey too.

Right - better head off - work tomorrow!

Together Forever Gift Card Holder

We had the most lovely day yesterday - some good friends renewed their wedding vows in a beautiful 11th century church in Oxfordshire. 

This is a little gift card holder I made with a big shout at Debbie Olson's example here but not as classy!