Pink and Yellow Grid with Pink Hello

Such a bright and happy card!  The sponged grid makes a lovely background for my pink hello, flowers, and butterfly.

And I was happy, too, using Jennifer McGuire's technique to secure my stencil and card stock with Press N Seal wrap on a cutting board!  It made the whole process better for me, and I loved being able to turn my cutting board and work from all sides of the card stock.  Thank you, Jennifer!

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) lovely lady (medium pink), raspberry fizz (deep pink), harvest gold (yellow - not quite so bright in real life), and stamper's select white.
• Die is PTI wonderful words: hello.  I cut one from each of the pink colors, then layered them, slightly offset, for a shadow effect. 
• Punches are EK Success small butterfly, mini retro flower, and 3/16" circle.
• Stencil is My Favorite Things grid.  I used the round Ranger ink blending tool with PTI raspberry fizz, harvest gold, and lovely lady ink cubes.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Blue Frame with Tan and Red

Tiny words, spotlighted with a frame and a bright white banner.  A wide red stripe adds emphasis to the frame element.

When I stamped the background words onto my tan pinked square, I used a paper scrap to mask the right edge.  My white stars are leftover cutouts from this card.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), fine linen (tan), enchanted evening (dark blue), stamper's select white, and the polka dot print from PTI enchanted evening pattern pack.
• Dies are PTI four square (frame and banner), cover plate: stars, and limitless layers: 2-1/4" square (pinked square).
• The sentiment "hello" is from PTI wonderful words: hello, and the "just because" background is from PTI fill in the blank, stamped with PTI pure poppy ink cube.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Blue Flowers - Diagonal

I struggled with my layout for this card, until I tried a diagonal placement.  Much better!  It's very nice with the dark blue frame and a few green threads for grounding.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) stamper's select white and the damask print from PTI enchanted evening (dark blue) pattern pack.
• Embroidery floss is DMC #907.  I used three individual strands.
• The floss is secured diagonally in notches, made with a McGill 1/16" hole punch.
• The sentiment "thinking of you" and the flowers are from PTI botanical silhouettes, stamped with PTI blueberry sky (medium blue) and green parakeet ink cubes.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Tea Cup - Teal with Light Orange

An elegant tea cup on layers of teal, light orange, and cream.  The simple design is lovely in real life.

Note: the gray border is background, not part of the card.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) Hawaiian shores (medium turquoise), tropical teal, vintage cream, and the bitty dots print from PTI melon berry (light orange) pattern pack.
• Dies are PTI fancy tea cup.
• The sentiment "thinking of you" is from PTI keep it simple: thinking of you, stamped with PTI tropical teal ink cube.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Green Garland with Purple Flowers - Two Cards

This leafy garland with flowers makes a lovely sympathy card.  The leaves are inlaid into the background, and I used the leftover cuts to make a second card, shown below.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring moss (light green), simply chartreuse (medium green), lilac grace (light purple), plum pudding (medium purple), and stamper's select white.
• Dies are PTI garden garland and sketched shapes (wide long banner).
• The sentiment "with sympathy" is from PTI keep it simple: sympathy, stamped with PTI simply chartreuse and green parakeet (brighter green) ink cubes (top card) or plum pudding and lilac grace (bottom card - in real life, the stamped color looks richer).

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Sunshine with Teal Lattice

Bright and sunny, with a teal lattice and birds on a bright yellow background. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) aqua mist, tropical teal, summer sunrise (yellow), and the bitty dots print from PTI summer sunrise pattern pack.
• Dies are Frantic Stamper sunshine (inlaid in the aqua), Poppy Stamps lattice edge, and Impression Obsession sm. bird set.
• The aqua panel's corners are rounded with Crop-a-Dile 1/4" corner chomper.
• The sentiment "sending you" is from PTI simple sunflower, stamped with PTI tropical teal ink cube.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Green and Blue with Dots and Stripes

A green and blue print provided my color scheme.  Against the stripes and dots, the bright white panel gives focus to the sentiment.  Unlike my slightly cropped image, the corner rounding is smooth at top and bottom.

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source lake (medium blue), Papertrey Ink (PTI) simply chartreuse (green), stamper's select white, the stripes print from PTI spring rain (light blue) pattern pack, and a green and blue dotted print from Basic Grey PB&J 6x6" pad (retired).
• Die is from PTI keep it simple frames.
• Corners are rounded with Crop-a-Dile 1/2" corner chomper. 
• The sentiment "thanks so very much" is from PTI polka dot parade #6, stamped with PTI simply chartreuse and enchanted evening (dark blue) ink cubes.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Branches and Leaves on Cream

Fall colors

Two cards with branches and leaves on cream - one with fall colors (above) for an October anniversary, and another (below) with winter colors for a December anniversary. Both cards look beautiful in real life, and I couldn't pick a favorite between them.

Winter colors

Card details:

• Fall card:  card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) rustic cream, dark chocolate (dark brown), plum pudding (purple),  and the polka dot and damask prints from PTI terra cotta tile (deep orangey red) and canyon clay (orangey brown) pattern packs. 
• Winter card:  card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) rustic cream, cocoa bean (medium brown), saffron spice (gold),  and the polka dot and leaf prints from PTI scarlet jewel (burgundy) and plum pudding pattern packs.

Both cards:

• Dies are Savvy Stamps branch, Memory Box floral vine, and PTI branching out.
• The sentiment "happy anniversary" is from Stampabilities everyday expressions, stamped with PTI dark chocolate (fall card) or cocoa bean (winter card) ink cube.

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Christmas Card 2016

The Holy Family with a yellow and gold background, for our 2016 Christmas card.  Our seventh year to use one of my Nativity drawings to print our cards.

The card has a wide white border and is computer-printed on Neenah card stock.  If you'd like to see my other Christmas card drawings, click here, then scroll down.   And here on my Mostly Markers drawing blog, you'll find my 2016 Advent calendar drawing (work in progress through Christmas Day) with a link to the other seven years of calendars, and more of my Advent-Christmas drawings as well. 

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Multi Colored Stars with Gray

For the Papertrey Ink "Create Along with Us" December challenge, I chose Nichole's beautiful "love" card as my starting point.  Her elements that I used were multi-color shapes curved around a die cut sentiment, with an additional stamped sentiment, on gray.  I changed a few things from her card, but I would never have made mine without seeing hers.  Thanks, Nichole, for all of your inspiration!

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) stormy sea (medium gray), stamper's select white, and the stripes print from PTI soft stone (light gray) pattern pack.
• To color the stars and sentiment, I used Copic markers Y15, YR04, YG05, BG32, and B24.
• Dies are PTI wonderful words: thank you and cover plate: stars using leftover star cutouts from this card.
• The sentiment "very much" is from PTI wonderful words: thank you, stamped with PTI stormy sea ink cube.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Blue Star With Gold and Red

A starry "thank you" card.  The blue star is layered with gold and red, set on blue gingham.  I made some of these for our local American Legion post to use. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) saffron spice (gold), pure poppy (red), stamper's select white, and a gingham print from PTI enchanted evening (dark blue) pattern pack.
• Dies are PTI limitless layers: 1-3/4" circles (plain and pinked circles) and My Favorite Things vertical stitched strips.
• The star sentiment and its circle background are from PTI military stars, stamped with PTI enchanted evening and saffron spice ink cubes.

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Purple Gingham with White Flowers

A simple floral design for today's card.  The white blossoms and sentiment look fresh and crisp with the two shades of purple and the muted green leaves.

My card making usually slows down in December, while I'm doing the daily drawings in my annual Advent Calendar.  To see it, click here.  It will be work in progress till I finish it with a Nativity scene for Christmas Day. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) plum pudding (deep purple), winter wisteria (lighter purple), prairie grass (green), stamper's select white, and the gingham print from PTI winter wisteria pattern pack. 
• Dies are PTI turning a new leaf, My Favorite Things vertical stitched strips, Elizabeth Craft hello, and Memory Box fancy blossoms.  
• Flower centers are cut with my very old 1/4" hole punch.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Leaves on Tan with White

A simple note card with a few stamped leaves and stems.  I like the reddish brown ink along with the green.  These were made for our community senior center to use.

Note: the gray is background, not part of the card.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) fine linen (tan), stamper's select white, and the leaf print from PTI ripe avocado (dark green) pattern pack.
• The tan panel is edged with Copic marker YG97. 
• Die is the long wide banner from PTI sketched shapes.
• The sentiment "just a note" is from PTI keep it simple: just a note, stamped with PTI ripe avocado ink cube.  Leaves are from PTI peaceful garden, stamped with PTI simply chartreuse (medium green), ripe avocado, and Americana (reddish brown) ink cubes.

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Kraft Print with Black and White

I like this card a lot.  It's a very different look for me.  I don't use much black or kraft, and this new set of text blocks might be my only "background stamps."  The banner sentiment looks crisp and bold, stretched across the black and kraft panel. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) classic kraft, true black, stamper's select white, and the leaf print from PTI classic kraft pattern pack.
• Dies are PTI double-ended banner and stitched rectangle.
• The sentiment "thank you" is from PTI keep it simple: thank you, and the text block "thank you" is from PTI fill in the blank, stamped with PTI true black ink cube. 

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

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Blue with Stars in Red, White, and Gold

Another set of cards for our local American Legion post, to be signed by the group and mailed to some of their older members.  The cards are all the same, except for different combinations of patterned paper behind the blue star cutouts.  The gold stars add some sparkle and texture, though not glitter.  Very handsome in real life.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) enchanted evening (dark blue), stamper's select white, prints from Pebbles Americana 6 x 6" pad, and Tim Holtz deco sheets (gold).  This was my first time using the deco sheets, and I do like the effect.  
• Technique: The plastic-y deco sheet material die cut cleanly (using PTI low-profile dies), but it was more like "perforations" instead of fully cut lines - even though the backing was completely cut through.  (This can happen with some materials, such as clear packaging plastics, which my husband tells me are actually very thick liquids like glass.)  So I needed some patience to separate the shapes.  Also, when removed from the backing, the material was quite flexible and floppy, like vinyl.  It was very worthwhile to use for this project, but I don't think it would work well for me with delicate or detailed shapes. 
• Dies are PTI photo finish strips, cover plate: stars and super star borders.
• The sentiment "happy birthday" is from PTI keep it simple: birthday.  I needed an orange-toned red ink to match my patterned paper, so I stamped twice (thanks to the MISTI) with PTI orange zest (orange) and then pure poppy (red) ink.  This combination worked perfectly. 

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