Red, Blue, and Tan with Squares

Red, navy blue and tan squares with a striped print.  The diagonal stripes and the varying squares - some open, some filled with blue - keep the design from looking too static.

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source night (dark navy), Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red) and fine linen (tan), and a print from Simple Stories so rad 6x6" paper pad.
• Embossing folder is Darice plaid.
• Dies are My Favorite Things retro squares border (retired) and Elizabeth Craft thank you.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Red, White, and Blue with Starry Print

A very simple design with strong contrasts and an interesting navy-and-white starry print.  I like the single red border with the red sentiment.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring rain (light blue), pure poppy (red), and stamper's select white, and a print from Avery Elle everyday collection 6x6" paper pad.
• Die is PTI wonderful words: hello.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Sunflowers with Gingham

Just a simple layout with cheerful colors and interesting circle layers.  I used masking to stamp my sunflower image in three colors.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) ripe avocado (dark green), summer sunrise (yellow), dark chocolate (brown), stamper's select white, and the gingham print from PTI spring moss (light green) pattern pack.  
• Dies are Elizabeth Craft hello, PTI limitless layers: 1-3/4" circles (pinked and plain circles) and PTI stitched circles.  I cut a plain circle with PTI limitless layers: 2-1/2" circles for the brown layer seen through the pierced dots of the stitched circle.
• The flower image is from PTI round and round, stamped with PTI ripe avocado, summer sunrise, and dark chocolate ink cubes.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Papertrey April Blog Hop Challenge: Circles and Arcs

For this month's Papertrey Ink blog hop.  The inspiration piece was intriguing, but also very challenging for me, with its wide range of colors, overlapping circles, lines, and arcs.

I chose to layer some pierced circles with a sort of ombre-striped swoosh, on a background embossed with circles and arcs.  The "hello" sentiment reinforces the focal point and echoes the italic font of the original.  Thank you, PTI, for the inspiration!

Card details:

• Card stock is Neenah desert storm (light-colored kraft), Paper Source strawberry (a light red - the lower wide stripe of the swoosh), and Papertrey Ink (PTI) berry sorbet (medium orangey pink - the upper wide stripe of the swoosh), sweet blush (pale pink), scarlet jewel (deep burgundy), canyon clay (orangey brown), ripe avocado (green), and rustic cream.  
• Note: My picture makes the berry sorbet color look blue-toned.  In real life, it's orange-toned, giving it much more contrast with the strawberry color. 
• Dies are PTI stitched circles, PTI rainbow stripes, and Elizabeth Craft hello.  My rainbow stripes die set is still wired together, so it cuts the narrow stripes for me.
• Embossing folder is Sizzix retro cirque.

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Leaves with Butterfly - Sympathy

Simple design and soft colors, perfect for a sympathy card.  

Card details:

• Papertrey Ink (PTI) winter wisteria (light purple), vintage cream, and leaf print from PTI spring moss (light green) pattern pack.
• Dies are PTI limitless layers: 1-3/4" circles.
• The sentiment "with sympathy" is from PTI keep it simple: sympathy, stamped with PTI winter wisteria ink cube. The image is from PTI round and round, masked and stamped with PTI winter wisteria and spring moss ink cubes.

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Stitched Banner with Fence and Clouds

A simple and happy scene with bright stitched banners.  I did my banners first, and then it was fun to create a setting for them.  The stitching was easy, thanks to the "holes only" dies in this set. 

In my picture, the white fence and "hello" seem flat, but in real life, they have nice dimension.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring rain (light blue), new leaf (green), bright buttercup (yellow), orange zest, pure poppy (red), and stamper's select white. 
• Dies are PTI picket fence, heart-2-heart #6 (clouds), hoopla: stitched banners, and Elizabeth Craft hello.
• Thread is white DMC #5 perle cotton.  I did a running stitch from right to left, and then left to right to fill in the gaps.  Backstitching would be smoother, but I like the uneven look for this card.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Bouquet in Jar

Just playing with a new stamp set, I was happy to get a nice result on my first try.  This colorful card will go in a "sunshine box" for a very ill member of our community's senior center.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) berry sorbet (in real life, an orangey pink - not red like my picture!) and stamper's select white.
• Texture is embossed with Dreamweaver faux cross-stitch stencil screen, as explained in this post.  I embossed all of the white panel, but in my picture, you can only see it in the bouquet area.
• Die is PTI flower fusion #9.  The white panel corners are rounded with Crop-a-Dile 1/2" corner chomper.
• Ribbon is 5/8" sheer-and-satin white.
• The sentiment "for you" is from PTI friendship jar flowers, stamped with PTI amethyst allure (purple) ink cube, and the edges are lightly sponged with aqua mist, amethyst allure, and berry sorbet inks.
•  The bouquet is also from PTI friendship jar flowers, stamped with PTI amethyst allure, berry sorbet, limeade ice (yellow green), spring moss (light green), classic kraft, summer sunrise (yellow orange), harvest gold (yellow), and melon berry (light orange) inks.  
• The jar is from PTI just the jar: pint, stamped with PTI aqua mist ink.  I used Copic markers BG70 and BG000 to add some light coloring for the water.

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Thanks with Starry Print

A starry print in muted colors, with a bold die-cut sentiment.   The gold stars are shiny foil, very nice in the pattern mix.  In real life, my gray panel matches the teal-gray stars, not the light gray stars. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source night (dark navy blue), Hero Arts grenadine (wine red),  Papertrey Ink (PTI) stormy sea (gray) and rustic white, and the "stars foil" 12x 12" print from Echo Park petticoats and pinstripes collection.
• Die is from My Favorite Things many thanks. 
• Panel corners are rounded with Crop-a-Dile 1/4" corner chomper.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Yellow Polka Dots with Starbursts

A very bright card for a family birthday, with red, orange, green, teal, and purple starbursts on a large-scale yellow polka dot print.  A red "happy" die cut adds to the celebration.

Card details:

• Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red) and the polka dot print from PTI bright buttercup (yellow) "+ white basics" patterned paper.
• Die is PTI tipped tops.
• The starbursts are from PTI funky florals, stamped with PTI pure poppy, new leaf (green), orange zest, plum pudding (purple), and tropical teal ink cubes.

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Cardinal on Blue Wreath

A bright red cardinal and sentiment, set on a variety of blue shapes and patterns.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) enchanted evening (dark blue), rustic white, stamper's select white, and the bitty dots print from PTI blueberry sky (medium blue) pattern pack. 
• The blue and white pattern (Copic ink color B45) is my "cleaning up my stencil" print from this card, as explained here.
• Dies are PTI rustic wreath and winter woods.   The stencil was made from PTI cover plate: twist.
• The sentiment "thank you" is from PTI keep it simple: thank you, stamped with PTI pure poppy (red) ink cube.  The cardinal is from PTI winter woods, stamped with PTI smokey shadow (dark gray) and pure poppy.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Medallion with Yellow, Green, and Purple

A simple layout with nice detail and texture.  I love these strong colors with the contrast of black and white.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) new leaf (green), bright buttercup (yellow), royal velvet (purple), and stamper's select white. 
• Embossing folder is Sizzix chevrons (retired). 
• Dies are PTI limitless layers: 1-3/4" circles. 
• The medallion is from PTI round and round, stamped with Memento tuxedo black ink and colored with Copic markers Y08, G14, and FV2.
• The sentiment "hello" is from PTI communique sentiments, stamped with Memento tuxedo black ink.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Blue Stars on Gray with Red

Two earlier cards, here and here, gave me lots of leftover stars, which I inlaid in a gray cover plate diecut.  (I discarded my leftover gray stars - else, as my husband pointed out, it would never end - and the gray stars didn't inspire me anyway.)  Crisp red and white accents liven up the monochromatic starry background.

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source frost luxe (textured light gray - discontinued), Papertrey Ink (PTI) blueberry sky (medium blue), enchanted evening (dark blue), and stamper's select white. 
• Dies are PTI cover plate: stars and photo finish strips.
• Twine is red stripe from We R Memory Keepers.
• The sentiment "thanks" is from PTI limitless layers: labels, stamped with PTI pure poppy (red) ink cube.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Blue Jay on Dark Green with White

Almost monochromatic.  I like the white lines bordering and framing the blue jay against the dark green background. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) stamper's select white, the stripes print from PTI pinefeather (dark green) pattern pack, and an unknown leather-textured dark green (a few sheets given to me by a cardmaking friend). 
• Dies are PTI winter woods and double-ended banner.
• The sentiment "thinking of you" is from PTI fillable frames #2, stamped with PTI pinefeather ink cube.  The bird is from PTI winter woods, stamped with PTI blueberry sky (blue) and smokey shadow (dark gray).

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Tag Trio with Stars and Swirls

It's not easy for me to use tags on my cards.  I'm not sure why, but it just doesn't come easily to me.  After much effort and many scraps on my work table, I'm happy with this design.  I like how the stitching dots make a framework to hang my trio of tags.  Also I sponged the tag and banner edges with brown, something I rarely do.  So it's an unusual card for me, and I like it.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) enchanted evening (dark blue), pure poppy (red), fine linen (tan), stamper's select white, and the stripe and bitty dot prints from PTI blueberry sky (medium blue) pattern pack.
• Embroidery floss is DMC ecru (cream).  I used 3 of the 6 strands.
• Dies are PTI tiny tags, stitched rectangles (4th largest shape), and sketched shapes (short wide banner).
• The sentiment "thankful for you" is from Fiskars so much thanks, stamped with PTI pure poppy ink cube.  The stamped stripes, stars, and swirls are from Paper Smooches seeing stars, PTI turning a new leaf (small vine), and PTI bitty background blocks II (stripes), stamped with PTI spring rain (light blue) and pure poppy. 
• Edges are sponged with PTI classic kraft ink.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Bright Flowers with Gray and White

For this week's Papertrey Ink "make it Monday" challenge to use a color isolation technique, I stamped a soft neutral background and accented it with a bright bouquet.  Thank you, Ashley, for your tutorial and inspiration!

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) stamper's select white, soft stone (light gray), and ocean tides (muted teal).
• Dies are PTI bigger blooms and XL rickrack (for the scalloped edge).
• The sentiment "thinking of you" is from PTI keep it simple: thinking of you, stamped with PTI ocean tides ink cube. 
• Flowers are stamped with PTI mini blooms in soft stone ink and bigger blooms in new leaf (green), raspberry fizz (pink) and summer sunrise (yellow) inks.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Stars on Aqua, Yellow, and Orange Background

Papertrey Ink's cover plate: stars works beautifully with a multicolored background.  This card has a dark blue cover plate, layered over a bright background of lightning-burst zigzag patterned paper. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) enchanted evening (dark blue) and a print from Echo Park "all about a boy" 6x6" pad.  The sentiment and tiny stars are cut from the orange area of the print. 
• Dies are PTI cover plate: stars, PTI super star border (tiny cutouts from open star border), and Elizabeth Craft thank you.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Orange Prints with Copper and White Shimmer

Shimmery copper and white card stock makes a handsome card with the orange print panels.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) dark chocolate (dark brown), copper and white shimmer, and two orange prints from Echo Park "all about a boy" 6x6" pad.
• Dies are Elizabeth Craft thanks and the inner cutout stars from My Favorite Things western star border (retired).

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Red Hello on Teal with Gingham

Strong colors and contrasts.  I like all the graphic elements of stripes, chevrons, and plaid with the scripty "hello" trailing over the circle edges.  This card started with a scrap (the embossed turquoise) and I enjoyed designing it.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), Hawaiian shores (medium turquoise), tropical teal, and the gingham print from PTI smokey shadow (dark gray) pattern pack.
• Embossing folder is The Paper Studio chevron.
• Dies are PTI limitless layers: 1-3/4" circles and Savvy Stamps hello.
• Ribbon is 1/4" woven stripe.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Turquoise Hello with Dotted Brown

Lots of energy in this card's colors and textures.  The short strip of eyelets works well with the dotted print and the embossed circles pattern.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) harvest gold and Hawaiian shores (turquoise) with a dotted brown print from Simple Stories so rad 6x6" paper pad.
• Embossing folder is Sizzix retro cirque.
• Dies are PTI wonderful words: hello and eyelet lace.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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