Friends 'Til the End Cards

Hey all! I got some great mail today...yarn! I'm making little baby cardigans for a couple of friends that are having babies soon but I have to work quickly!

Card-wise, I have two more cards that use the "Friends 'til the End" PTI stamp set, which I love! I didn't make either card as a friend card but rather a sympathy card and a birthday card. The sympathy card is already in the envelope and just needs dropped at the post office. They have completely different color schemes as well, but of course, PTI papers :).

The first card is a sympathy card for my husband's aunt who lost a very close friend. The sympathy sayings combined with the Friends 'til the End set made a very appropriate card. I hate having to send sympathy cards but I'm glad to be able to. I used a Martha Stewart butterfly punch and lattice punch. I also ran strips of pearls along the butterfly's body.


The other card is a cheery birthday card. I grabbed a piece of Lavender Moon, used Versamark, and then embossed the whole sheet with white embossing powder. I had forgotten how much I love to emboss! The punch is from Martha Stewart and I just punched both sides so the ribbon would go down the center. I saw something like that on Jen Caputo's blog...very cool!

Lauren's Saturday Sketch Challenge--A Day Late

Today's card uses one of Lauren's past sketches. It was fun to look back over all of her sketches and choose one for today's challenge. I'm a day late but did get my card finished so wanted to post it!

Here's the sketch that I chose to use:


Here's my new interpretation of the sketch:


I used the new PTI set: Friends 'til the End and I love it! I love it so much that I made two more cards with it last night. The flowers are just very realistic and fun to color with Copics. I used colors YR61 and YR65 for the petals and E59 for the inner parts. I aso used the new Melon Berry cardstock and Polka Dot patterned papers. I found a new punch at Michael's that snaps closed so that it takes up less space. There are so many that I want to get. Yea for 40% off coupons :).


Thanks for looking and you can go look at the other ladies' blogs too to see which sketch they chose and how they interpreted it:
Lauren Meader: http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Tamara Harder: http://tamarastamps.blogspot.com
Maria Levine: http://riacreations.blogspot.com/
Dawn Easton: http://www.TreasureOilerDesignz.blogspot.com/
Kirsten Dubosque: www.kirstendubosque.blogspot.com
Kim Gasper: http://stampinintherain.blogspot.com
Alicia Weimen: http://www.happystamp.blogspot.com
MacKenzie Bruckler: http://midnightscramper.blogspot.com/
Kendra: http://apigonfire.blogspot.com/

Wishing You Well

Another quick post tonight...I had to work a basketball game and didn't get home until nine and now have to plan for tomorrow's classes. Ah, the day in the life of a teacher :). I love teaching though, so it's worth it!

Tonight's card was part of a gift for one of my husband's great-aunts who is moving to Rhode Island to be near to her daughter. They threw a going-away party since she's moving from Ohio to Rhode Island. She has always enjoyed sewing, quilting, and knitting so I knew that I would use the Quilter's Sampler stamps by PTI.

On another note, I just would like to thank you all for commenting on my blog. I think we all like to get feedback and see the thoughts of crafters and other visitors. I'm trying to be more diligent in leaving comments on other people's blogs because I know how I feel when I see a new comment on my blog. Happy blogging everyone!

Here's the card:

Another Love Card

Good evening all! Well, the PTI release is just in a couple of sleeps and I'm very excited. I seem to not use anything but PTI anymore even though I have lots of other supplies. Today's card uses primarily PTI products again :). I did use another of my big felt hearts. I did want to mention that I saw these in Michael's again this year if you are interested in finding them in the store. They'll probably go on sale soon also. Back to the card, I also used little heart stickers by KI Memories and the letter L is a glittery letter by Making Memories. The buttons are from stash and the flower is American Crafts. The rest is PTI.

Be Mine Valentine

Good evening everyone! PTI has another neat contest going on today. They are going to have a new hand-written stamp set with contributions from the design team. You have to guess the handwriting of three of them. I thought it was a pretty tough task :).

On another note, we are to get wind gusts of 50-60 miles an hour tomorrow so I am just crossing my fingers that we keep power. The newscast is already warning to make sure to have a food stock and be prepared to possibly lose power. Normally, this wouldn't be as big of a deal but after the ice storm and the fact that there are still people without power (2 weeks later), this may hinder the clean-up work. I'm just hoping for the best tomorrow.

Well, anyway, on to the card. I actually made this card before making the card for yesterday's challenge on Nichole's blog. I have noticed that since I reorganized my craft room that I'm more efficient, which is good. I have a seven drawer Steralite container in the closet that has 12 X 12 drawers. I just pull out my PTI scraps drawer and I'm ready to go. Not only does it allow me to use up scraps but I can also easily compare colors side by side instead of grabbing a full sheet of paper.



Supplies:
All PTI cardstock
Nestabilities
Rhinestones by Me & My Big Ideas from Michael's
PTI Heart Prints stamp set
Fresh Snow ink
PTI True Black ribbon

Friends 'Til the End Challenge

Nichole's challenges on PTI are so much fun! I've really enjoyed having the motivation to create something each evening. I can't stay long as I need to prepare for tomorrow's lessons.

I just love the True Black patterned paper and the combination of the Raspberry Fizz and Pure Poppy. I've made two cards tonight using those combinations but I will only share the challenge card tonight.



Supplies: Almost all PTI!
Only thing not PTI is the little rhinestone and the button (Of course, I'll be able to get PTI buttons in a matter of a week :) Woohoo!!!)
Heidi Swapp heart

A Full Work Week

It'll be nice to be able to get in a full week of work and hopefully get back to the normalcy that we had three weeks ago. The ice storm is just a memory and now we have the windows open and it's in the mid-60s, even at nine in the evening. There are lots of people around town using their chainsaws and tractors to cut and move limbs. This is one of those few times where I am happy to not own a home. When we get a home, I'd love to live in the country where you can only see trees and nature rather than houses all around. There are still some people, two weeks later, who live in the country and still do not have power due to the ice storm.

Anyway, enough of my general rambling...time for a card that I think is just adorable. The adorable factor is totally due to the panda sticker that I found in a pack at Michael's during a 50% sticker sale. They really do have some good stickers, you just have to look though everything.



The rest of the supplies are all from PTI. The stickers, however, are Thickers by American Crafts. Man, I miss having a scrapbook store in town. That's where I could find everything in one place and now, I'd have to drive at least an hour for a scrapbook store. Michael's doesn't count, although they are mingling in some name brand stuff every now and then.

Here are a couple of ice storm pictures too.

The barn across the street that I love.


My car antennae...I decided to label my car "The Ice Beast" and just let the sun and warmer temperatures take care of the ice. We did hammer our Impala out of the ice so we could have a car to drive.

PTI Bitty Dots Card Sketch Challenge

Another day, another wonderful surprise and challenge at the PTI website. I'm getting so giddy with excitement and it's still a week before the official release! I really enjoyed the sketch challenge and it was so much fun that Nichole did a dot-to-dot to complete in order to know what the sketch is. I used Ocean Tides, Raspberry Fizz, and True Black. I didn't have black rhinestones so I colored them with my Copic markers. It worked really well! Enjoy and make sure you go over to Nichole's blog to participate in the challenge and see all of their yummy releases. I know I am thrilled that there will be polka dot patterned paper and itty bitty polka dot ribbon :). Ahhh....I see a huge PTI box in my near future.

Also, be sure to scroll down to my other post for today. It's the sketch for Lauren's Saturday Sketch Challenge. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!



Supplies:
PTI Simply Stationary stamp set, although I have yet to use it to make stationary :)
PTI cardstock
Martha Stewart Lattice Work border punch
PTI Real Black satin ribbon
Buttons from stash
Rhinestones from Michaels
PTI patterned paper

Lauren's Saturday Sketch Challenge

The challenge this week was so fun and I was able to use one of the Sarah Kay images that I had colored a few weeks back. I am loving purple right now!

Here's the sketch:

And the card:


Thanks for looking and you can go look at the other ladies' blogs too to see what they did with the sketch:
Lauren Meader: http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Tamara Harder: http://tamarastamps.blogspot.com
Maria Levine: http://riacreations.blogspot.com/
Dawn Easton: http://www.TreasureOilerDesignz.blogspot.com/
Kirsten Dubosque: www.kirstendubosque.blogspot.com
Kim Gasper: http://stampinintherain.blogspot.com
Alicia Weimen: http://www.happystamp.blogspot.com
MacKenzie Bruckler: http://midnightscramper.blogspot.com/
Kendra: http://apigonfire.blogspot.com/

PTI Color Challenge

I need to go to bed but wanted to quickly post my card for the PTI color challenge over on Nichole's blog. Today's contest is for lots of yummy PTI cardstock. You can never have enough of it!

I put this together and really liked the ribbon strips idea but then nothing else seemed to come together. I guess it's okay, it does use the four colors for the challenge: Summer Sunset, Pure Poppy, Ocean Tide, and Ripe Avocado.


Supplies:
PTI cardstock
Nestabilities
Simply Stationary PTI stamp set
Random buttons from stash
Twine is from Wal-Mart beading section
Thank you is from Making Memories
Stickles

PTI Bag Challenge

PTI is celebrating their two year anniversary with a lot of cool prizes and give-aways as well as tons of surprises. I was at B & N tonight until eight o'clock knitting and didn't realize what I was missing on the PTI site and Nichole's blog. Anyway, she has a cool challenge to redecorate, alter, or repurpose some sort of bag. I had bought these pouches on clearance at B & N knowing that I wanted to do something with them. I made this in about 15 minutes so please be kind :).


Supplies:
Pink pouch that is very raspberry fizz :)
Raspberry Fizz patterned paper
PTI kraft paper
Heart Prints stamp set for heart
Button from stash
Elastic cording from Wal-Mart in beading section
Martha Stewart fancy punch
Recollections glittery brads

Yet Another Day Off Work

No school today either! We've already received the call that there will be no school tomorrow as well and that there will be a one hour delay Thursday but we will return that day. This has been a real winter storm. We also got some snow this morning and hopefully that'll taper off tomorrow. It's beautiful though and I have fun outside in the weather but I did fall on the ice earlier when I went to brush the snow off my car. At least no one saw me...of course, I'm posting it here so lots of people will know.

Card-wise, I'm convinced that if I keep posting spring-like cards, it'll come faster. Anyone know if that works? :)

Here's another Rachelle Ann Miller card. I LOVE these stamps. Of course, I only have a couple but that'll change sometime....I guess I better sell some more purses.

Supplies:
PTI cardstock
American Crafts flowers
Rhinestones from Michael's (I think Darice brand)
My Mind's Eye patterned paper
Bride flowers cut to look like leaves
PTI Berry Sorbet ribbon
Copic markers (of course)

25 Things about Me

Well, I posted this over on my Facebook account but am going to include it here too for anyone who knows me but isn't on Facebook.

For those of you waiting for a new card, I'll post one later this evening. I just mailed out two cards today and forgot to photograph them. I realized as I was putting them into envelopes that I didn't take pictures...oh well!

I've been tagged to list 25 things about me. I don't usually like to fill these out but I've really enjoyed reading about everyone else so I guess I'll contribute.

1. This is my fifth year teaching and I've had four jobs within those five years: 5th grade, high school Spanish, two years in elementary Spanish, and now back to high school Spanish.

2. I love to travel, especially to Spanish-speaking countries. I've been to Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Mallorca, Costa Rica, and many U.S. states.

3. I love anything craft-related and will not hesitate to try a new craft. Right now, I love to knit with card-making coming in a close second.

4. I want to make a quilt this year.

5. I would love to be able to quit my job and be a full-time crafter. I have a dream of opening a yarn store along with a craft consignment kind of store.

6. I hate going to the dentist. I've had a tooth implant, a dozen cavities because my first dentist didn't do the right x-rays, a root canal, and braces.

7. I'm living in Kentucky but still consider Ohio my home. I miss my family a lot and wish I could find a job there.

8. I have my Master's in Spanish from the University of Louisville.

9. I own a small business and can often be found sewing purses. It's called Plaid Leaf Purses and I have my own website and everything.

10. I miss being around my college friends and how much easier it was in college.

11. I've had several jobs: telesurveyer, babysitter, library assistant, before and after school worker for YMCA, and a teacher.

12. I live in Elizabethtown where the movie Elizabethtown was filmed.

13. When I lived in Spain, they were filming the movie Carmen at the Plaza de España.

14. I never liked my high school and went to a community college during my last two years of college and took Spanish with the best teacher: Señora Wilder.

15. I still miss my Grandpa Brown every day and it's been more than a decade since he passed away.

16. I'm part of a knitting group that meets at a local Barnes & Noble every Thursday night.

17. My best friend all the way through high school was a guy who I miss sometimes and wish I could find a way to contact him.

18. I am left-handed and will never forget my 3rd grade teacher making all of the left-handed students go up to the board so we could show everyone how we slanted our writing and erased our writing as we wrote.

19. I have two cats: Storm and Zoe. They crack me up and I love them like children. Don't worry...I can't be a crazy cat lady I'm already married.

20. We just survivied the worst ice storm I've ever seen. We had to leave E-town for four days before our power came back on.

21. I am completely and totally obsessed with the Twilight series.

22. I traveled to Washington D.C. twice during my sophomore year in high school: I won both trips!

23. I love NCIS!

24. I've always been a very shy person but am breaking out of that shell more and more.

25. Every time I hear the song "Lean on Me" I remember dancing and singing around the car freshman year of college with Crystal, Jane, and Jim after returning from Wal-Mart (I think that's who was there). We also sang it at karaoke at my cousin's graduation party before I went off to Spain.

Happy Monday

We made it home! What a relief. We got a call from our landlady that our electric came back on Friday so we came back Saturday. It's so nice to have electric, heat, and water again. However, there are many people...think 20,000 or more in my county that do not yet have power. I'm still not back at work because at least four schools in our county are without power. It's been quite an adventure. I do have a few cards saved up from before and have made several more cards that just need to be photographed and Photoshopped :). I have to finish some purses today so I'll be a sewing workhorse.

Here's a card for you:

Close up of ribbon...I think I could swim in ribbon :)


Everything here is from PTI...of course :). I wish I wouldn't have used the Stickles...I'm very perfectionistic and it didn't come out perfectly.

Supplies:
PTI cardstock
PTI Pure Poppy ribbon
PTI Heart Prints stamp set
PTI Fresh Snow ink
Swiss Dots embossing folder for white cardstock
X-Mas Red Stickles
Martha Stewart heart border punch....LOVE this!
Nestabilities circles and scallop circles using my new Wizard...it's such a great embosser!