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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Butterfly Branch - Aqua with Green

A simple note card with soft colors.  The plaid and stripes make a nice contrast with the curves of the branch, butterflies, and bow.

Card details:

• Card stock is My Favorite Things sour apple (light green), Paper Source pool (aqua),  Papertrey Ink (PTI) new leaf (deep green), tropical teal, and a green print from PTI ombre stripes A2 patterned paper. 
• Embossing folder is Darice plaid.
• Die is PTI branching out.
• Punches are Martha Stewart bow and EK Success small butterfly.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Scored Kraft with Stars

Red, white, and blue with kraft and yellow.  The card base is scored, thanks to Papertrey Ink's "make it Monday" challenge to use score lines.  Thank you to Laurie and PTI for the tutorial and examples!  I was aiming for CAS with this card, and it's maybe "too CAS."  I may adjust it as I make a few more, but I'll be sure to use the scoring ideas again. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) classic kraft, pure poppy (red), and stamper's select white. 
• Dies are PTI seeing stars, PTI limitless layers: 1-3/4" circles, and Elizabeth Craft thanks.
• The star and circle images are from from PTI military stars, stamped with PTI bright buttercup (yellow) and enchanted evening (dark blue) ink cube. 
• I added a center dot with Sanford Uni-Ball red gel impact pen.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Flowery Branch on Gold Ledger Paper

Another family birthday card.  I love the graceful branch and sentiment with the square lines of the gold ledger paper.  Early in my career, I worked with this type of accounting paper (though typically it was pale green or cream) so it's fun now to use it as art.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), berry sorbet (pink), lemon tart (yellow), smokey shadow (dark gray), Hawaiian shores (turquoise), and ledger patterned paper from Pink Paislee portfolio 6x6" pack.
• Die is PTI branching out.
• Punches are EK success small butterfly, flower, and 3/16" circle.
• The sentiment "birthday wishes" is from PTI winter woods, stamped with PTI pure poppy ink cube.

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Cork Print with Orange

The cork print included a corner with a squiggly arrow and multicolored stars.  Perfect to accent a die cut "happy birthday."  I added an orange base and a line of stitching holes (backed with teal for contrast), along with some tiny gold stars.  For a family birthday.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) orange zest, tropical teal, sun shimmer (gold), and a print from the Simple Stories "so rad" 6x6" pad.
• Dies are PTI tipped tops (happy), wonderful words: birthday, and stitching lines.
• The gold stars are punched with Fiskars 1/4" hand punch.
• Corners are rounded with Crop-a-Dile 1/2" corner chomper.

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Leafy Green on Cream

While I was working on this card posted earlier today, I stamped and embossed a second leafy panel. This one is stamped with green ink, then with Versamark, and heat embossed (clear).  It's a simple card design with some nice texture from the inlaid die cut and the twine.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) vintage cream, new leaf (deep green), and bitty dots print from PTI new leaf pattern pack.
• Twine is PTI rustic cream button twine.
• Die is PTI sketched shapes (long wide banner) and Elizabeth Craft thank you.
• The leaves are from PTI turning a new leaf, stamped with PTI vintage jadeite (medium green) ink cube.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Leafy Green with Teal

For this week's Papertrey Ink "make it Monday" challenge:  ink blending over heat embossing.  Just doing heat embossing is a stretch for me, and then adding ink blending?  Not in my comfort zone.  But I kept going with it.  I'm glad I finished the card, though I can't really say I enjoyed the process.  I'll try it again sometime though.  And I did put white embossing powder on my shopping list!

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) tropical teal (dark teal) and mint julep (light green). 
• The leafy panel is stamped in Versamark ink on mint julep card stock with PTI turning a new leaf stamps, then heat embossed (clear), and sponged/blended with PTI tropical teal, Hawaiian shores (medium turquoise), and new leaf (green) inks.
• Dies are PTI double ended banners and stitching lines.
• Corners are rounded with Crop-a-Dile 1/4" corner chomper. 
• The sentiment "thinking of you" is from PTI keep it simple: thinking of you, stamped with PTI tropical teal and new leaf ink cubes.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Papertrey March Blog Hop Challenge: Gray with Bright Flowers and Embroidery Floss

This month's Papertrey Ink blog hop is inspired by the beautiful work of Izziyana Suhaimi, an artist who combines drawings and embroidery on paper.  The challenge photos show soft and smudgy gray backgrounds with gray figures and bright embroidered flowers.

For my card, I tried to create some of the feeling in the inspiration examples.  I used an uneven gray stenciled background, soft green vellum and shimmery silver leaves, bright flowers, and embroidery floss details.  

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) soft stone (light gray), harvest gold (yellow), summer sunrise (yellow-orange), tropical teal, berry sorbet (deep pink), melon berry (light orange), silver shimmer, and the bitty dot print from PTI sheer basics patterned vellum.  In real life, the berry sorbet and melon berry colors are more orangey.   
• I colored the vellum on the back with Copic marker G24 for a green tint.
• Stencil is from PTI modern background collection, airbrushed unevenly with Copic marker T3.
• Dies are PTI turning a new leaf (vellum leaves), branching out (silver leaves), star gazer (button flower centers), stitching lines, and pencil blooms.  I added an extra hole to the shorter stitching line to get an even number for my design.
• Embroidery floss is DMC #3818 (dark green), 954 (light green), 3705 (pink), 943 (teal), and 744 (yellow) using all six strands.  I left my tails on top and separated the threads.

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Chevron Print Thanks with Stripes

Just a simple thanks with two prints and some knotted twine. 

Card details:

• Card stock is My Favorite Things tropical teal, Stampin' Up soft sky, stripe print from Papertrey Ink (PTI) simply chartreuse (green) pattern pack, and chevron print from Echo Park "all about a boy" 6x6" pad.
• The chevron print is edged with Copic BG57 marker. 
• Die is MFT many thanks.
• Twine is orange zest stripe from PTI.  To hold my twine in place diagonally, I made small notches on each side with a McGill 1/8" hole punch. 

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Kraft Hello and Stars on Stenciled Background

The current Papertrey Ink (PTI) "create along with us" challenge is to make something inspired by one of the design team's creations for the PTI March release.  I chose Heather's March 11 balloon card (below).

I'm happy with my card.  It's very different for me, and it shows a lot of her card's influence - the colors (yes, that's really orange, not red, on my card!), the layout, the line of fiber, the kraft/wood die-cut words and stars, and especially the multicolored sketchy-looking panel behind the sentiment.  Thanks, Heather, for the inspiration and all your beautiful cards that you share with us!

Heather's card from Pine is Here blog

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) Hawaiian shores (turquoise), classic kraft, rustic white, and the stripes print from PTI new leaf (green) pattern pack. 
• Stencil is from PTI modern background set.
• Dies are PTI wonderful words: hello and super star border.
• On the stencil and the kraft die cuts, I sponged PTI inks in Hawaiian shores, new leaf, and orange zest.
• Twine is PTI rustic jute.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Bright Sunflowers on Green Stripes

A bright trio of sunflowers for this week's Papertrey Ink sponged stamping challenge on Make It Monday.   I love the depth and variation of color in this technique.  Since my sunflowers aren't just the traditional yellow, I gave them some nontraditional vines for their leaves.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) vintage cream, orange zest, and the stripes print from PTI simply chartreuse (medium green) pattern pack.
• The sentiment "hello" is from PTI communique sentiments, the flowers are from PTI simple sunflowers, and the leaves are from PTI turning a new leaf (small vine).  
• I sponged and stamped with PTI ink cubes in bright buttercup (yellow), pure poppy (red), orange zest, terra cotta tile (deep rusty orange), summer sunrise (yellow-orange), simply chartreuse, new leaf (deep green), classic kraft, and dark chocolate (brown) colors.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Yellow Stripe Stars with Red, White, and Blue

The wide diagonal stripes make an interesting yellow and white variation for the stars.  (There's an A2 piece of stripes layered behind the blue star cuts.)  I like the curved banner and the touches of red.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) blueberry sky (medium blue), pure poppy (red), stamper's select white, and the diagonal stripe print from PTI bright buttercup (yellow) "+ white basics" patterned paper. 
• Dies are PTI cover plate: stars and bountiful banners.  To make the red border, I cut a second banner, split it horizontally, and spread the pieces by 1/8+" with a little strip of card stock.
• The blue is embossed with Dreamweaver faux cross-stitch stencil screen using this technique.
• Ribbon is 3/8" gingham.
• The sentiment "thank you" is from Fiskars so much thanks, stamped with PTI enchanted evening (dark blue) ink cube.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Pink Notched Flowers on Yellow Stripes

Bright colors and a simple design.  I've been using more yellow on my cards recently.  Maybe I'm ready for spring to arrive with some bright sunny days.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) sweet blush (light pink), new leaf (green), and the stripe print from PTI lemon tart (light yellow) pattern pack.
• Flowers are stamped with PTI funky florals ( 2012 limited edition) using PTI berry sorbet (medium pink - more of an orangey pink color in real life) and terra cotta tile (deep rusty orange) ink cubes. 
• Dies are PTI heart-2-heart #12 and notched flowers.
• Green centers are punched with EK Success 3/16" circle punch.
• The sentiment "so grateful" is cut with Silhouette Cameo.  I used Illustration Ink's scrap calligraphy font, welded it, then offset a bit to thicken the letters, and closed up some of the inner spaces.  To make a full-length stroke on the beginning of "so," I typed "sso" and used the Silhouette software's eraser tool to remove the first letter.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Big Blue Star with Yellow and Red

Some red, white, and blue with a bright burst of yellow.  I like the big blue star and tiny punched dot to focus on the sentiment, along with the dramatic scale of the diagonal stripes.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) enchanted evening (dark blue), pure poppy (red), stamper's select white, the polka dot print from PTI blueberry sky (medium blue) pattern pack, and the diagonal stripe print from PTI bright buttercup (yellow) "+ white basics" patterned paper.
• Dies are PTI seeing stars (large star), snowflake flurries (medium), and Spellbinders small standard circles (3rd smallest size).
• I used a McGill 1/8" handheld punch for the tiny blue dot. 
• The sentiment circle "thank you!" is from Fiskars so much thanks, stamped with PTI pure poppy ink cube.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Red Bird on Yellow Dots

This card just makes me smile!  My very simple scene has a bright red cardinal, perched on a strip of red against a solid yellow tree or cloud, with a polka-dot yellow sky in the background. 

Card details:

• Card stock is My Favorite Things red hot (red), Papertrey Ink (PTI) bright buttercup (bright yellow), stamper's select white, and the bitty dot and polka dot prints from PTI pure poppy (red) and lemon tart (light yellow) pattern packs.
• Dies are PTI winter woods, PTI edger #3 and Savvy Stamps hello.
• The bird is from PTI winter woods, stamped with PTI pure poppy and smokey shadow (dark gray) ink cubes.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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