Hello Papertrey Princesses! It's my time to host a challenge (and my goal to catch up on all the other ones...). This week I had to make a sympathy card and I realized this is one of the least favorite kind of card to make. For one, it has to convey heartfelt sympathies; for another, it usually has to strike the right balance of elegance and seriousness, and not be too colorful or over-embellished. I ended up using my CAS and stamps-only route...which got me thinking, when have I only used stamps only? I think it's natural for me to try to always find ways to embellish (and *ahem* use my stash...) But I thought this might be an interesting challenge to only use your stamps...
Stamps: (Harvest Berry) Papertrey Ink
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - True Black, Fresh Linen) Papertrey Ink
Ink: (Memento - Tuxedo Black, London Fog) Tsukineko
Embellishments: N/A
I thought the Harvest Berry set was just right for this event... I tried to stick with neutral colors. Here are the up-close shot of the sentiment, which I selectively inked up.
I hope you like the challenge...Let's see how creative you can stretch those stamps! I'm looking forward to see your inspirations & thanks for letting me host!
Hello girls! Sorry for the day-late post and a big thank you for being so patient with me! I finally had a chance to ink up some stamps last night.
The year is almost over, and it's time look back on a few things, including your stash. What did you realize about yours? Here are a few highlights of this year: Mine has grown in pattern paper (oh such a vice of mine!) and in new stamps. I also picked up some new products to try, such as liquid pearls, more chipboards, "new" brands and paper collections that have caught my eye, and I started slowly upgrading my ink pads to the Jenni Bowlin Dye inks *swoon* However, I realized some of my oldie but goodie favorite didn't get a chance to get as much inky love. So here is my challenge to you, dust of your old first loves and create something around your favorite stamp sets.
Needless to say, they include a lot of the basic Papertrey Ink sets and the cute little Beetle from Enjoy the Ride. Here is a CASE on my friend Belinda's card. I have a sweet neighbor who had an 80th birthday and that's quite a milestone!
Stamps: (Polka Dot Basics, Enjoy the Ride, Botanical Silhouette) Papertrey Ink
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Spring Rain, Smokey Shadow, White) Papertrey Ink
Ink: (Jenni Bowlin - No. 3 Chili Powder, No. 8 Soap Powder) Ranger; (Memento - Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko
Embellishments: (Vintage Buttons - Pure Poppy) Papertrey Ink; (Summer Days - Element Stickers) Echo Park; (Border Punch - Upper Crest) Fiskars; (Hero Hues - Gems) Hero Arts; (Silver thread) stash
This was a fun card to make. I really enjoy pulling out old stamp sets that I love very much. Some of these were some of my first PTI purchases, that never even kissed a Jenni Bowlin ink pad!
The only festive button colors I had were red or green. But I thought a red beetle, like Belinda's, was super festive and fun and the Jenni Bowlin red matched quite well. I love the light blue ink; it matches Spring Rain so well and made a fun bottom border to match the clouds outlined in faux blue stitching...
I'm going to pop this into my neighbor's mail tomorrow. I hope he likes it! It's a tad late, since I only found out two days ago while chatting with him in the drive way.
I hope you like the challenge...the most important part is that you have fun with it :) Can't wait to see what you have all up your sleeves!
This is so exciting because it is my first time setting a challenge for the rest of my Papertrey Princess sisterhood. I've been absolutely smitten by this year's stripes fashion - never mind the fact that they aren't very slimming, but stripes are hot now! So taking a queue from the fashion industry, I challenge my fellow Papertrey Princesses to use stripes in some form or fashion.
Stamps: (Frame-It, Itty Bitty Banners, Text-It) Waltzingmouse Stamps
Paper: (Paper Basics Card Stock - Vintage Cream, Pure Poppy) Papertrey Ink; (TCM's Portrait Collection Paper Pack B) Crate Paper
Ink: (Jenni Bowlin - No. 11 Brown Sugar) Ranger
Embellishments: (Multi-colored Tiny Twinkles) Taylored Expressions; (Steel Dies - Up, Up and Away, Baker's Twine - Pure Poppy; Vintage Buttons - Pure Poppy) Papertrey Ink;
I spied someone ordering this wonderful chocolate milkshake the other day - topped with whipped cream and a wee little cherry. After going home and kicking myself for not ordering one, I decided to put that craving into a card and use the color inspiration from it.
My flower is created by using the balloon die from Papertrey Ink. I inked up each balloon / petals with a text font to give a tad bit of visual interest and curled each balloon / petal upward for some dimension. I'm always looking for ways to stretch my bang for a buck in my dies and stamps. So here are balloons acting as flower petals :)
Here an up-close look on the center - it's filled with more Papertrey goodness: Baker's Twine wrapped carefully onto a circle of card stock (which reminded me of a big lollipop wheel of peppermint!) and a nice big ol' button to finish off the center of my flower.
A quick birthday sentiment for the card, using my newly acquired Itty Bitty Banners from Waltzingmouse.
And since this challenge is about stripes - my pattern paper is from the latest Crate Portrait collection, which I snagged from The Craft's Meow. I actually bought a few kits from The Craft's Meow to try them out and was really excited by what it included: buttons, accent stickers, chipboard, brads from the same collection, as well as little doo-dads like a piece of felt, burlap, some tulle (although I'm not sure if they were included in the Portrait collection or my Graphic 45 Kit) And if a kit isn't incentive enough, the store is ran by the sweet & lovely Lisa Hjulberg. So go check out the store, if you haven't heard of it :)
And because I'm not the only gal that loves me some Twine, I would like to enter this in this week's Wee Memories challenge, who is also a big fan of twine.
Don't you love the word play on the challenge title "Tangled Up"? Too cute...
And because Moxie Fab Cath has put up a challenge to "incorporates a hot air balloon(s) in an innovative way" and I'd like to think that my flower counts! Here is to my first Moxie Fab entry ever...Check out Cath's My Beautiful Balloon Challenge - you never know, you might be the next Moxie Fab chick...
I'm doing something different this for the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge, by using a digi.
But this is not just any digi...My online, crafty friend Janna (aka snuffermus) from Papiersalat creates her own digis, which she is sharing for free. So, head on over and check out her beautiful blog and leave her some love. And don't forget to link back to her if you use her digis!
In addition, the current Papertrey Princess challenge is hosted by amazing Diane. The theme is to create something Merry and Bright. So I pulled out one of my first embellish loves - Stickles. They are my second embellish acquisitions to my stash, after ribbons, because I was introduced to them at the Stamping Around PA retreat. Thanks, Korin, for using them in your class!
Stamps: (November Digi - Snowman) Papiersalat; (Compliments of the Season) Waltzingmouse Stamps
Paper: (Preppie Pack - Red) Bazzill; (Basic Card Stock Scrap Pack - Blue, Basic Card Stick - White) Recollections
Ink: (Momento - True Black) Tsukineko;
Embellishments: (Stickles - Xmas Red, Baby Blue, Diamond) Ranger; (Vintage Buttons - Poppy Red) Papertrey Ink; (Silver Jewelry Threading); (Soft-core Color Pencils) Prismacolor; (Border Punch - Upper Crest) Fiskars
Coloring with Stickles is actually kind of fun. To give the card more dimension, I really piled on the blue onto the mailbox to give it some 3D effect. My interpretation on the sketch is kind of loose - larger square and a border for the strip. But hey - creative license, right?
A lastly, for my buddy Janna, up-close look on the digi - which is really fun and easy to color.
So what do you think? Is it "Merry & Bright" worthy? Hope you are having a great Tuesday...
I was in such a rush for my last business trip that I have forgotten to share some exciting, crafty news. I am a Princess! Better stated, I'm part of a great blog group called the Papertrey Princess. See the right margin of my blog for links to the other gals amazing crafty blogs. They have some amazing creations and I am incredibly excited and blessed to be part of this group. So thanks for having me! Plus, "Princess Ren-Yi" doesn't sound half bad, right? ;)
The Princesses take turns hosting a challenge and Bethie is currently hosting. Well better said - was hosting - because by the time I finish this post, it will be past due.
Her challenge is Red/White or Cream/Brown, and an added twist is to recycle something. My last blog post actually was about a bag I saved and wanted to refurbish into a wine gift bag; however, my colors were a tad off ;) So here is my second attempt...
My second attempt is also wine related. In fact, I have been testing out my home-made Christmas gift ideas this past week (which explains the long, long silence from the blog). A few of you may know Glühwein - a kind of mulled wine popular in Germany around this time of the year. It brings back many childhood memories, because I use to poke around the Christmas market (or Christkindlesmarkt) with my Mom, looking at all the wonderful hand-crafted items. Usually, it would be so cold that could see my own breath in the air. The Christkindlesmarkt would have this amazing aroma of cinnamon, cardamon, orange peels, anis, as well as roasted nuts and Lebkuchen. If anyone has experienced a walk-through these markets, maybe you can relate that walking through one of these markets makes Christmas tangible - it's just around the corner!
So my attempt is to make my own Glühwein. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll post it up in a separate post.
And like any good home-made gift, it should come with a home-made label, right?
I pulled out my trusty Waltzigmouse Rescue Remedies and went to town. I started re-using some old brown paper wrapping that I had lying around and created a newsprint.
Add an embossed little vintage, cream label and a decadent, shiny red ribbon and I call it done.
Speaking of the colors chosen, Mona's hosting her own challenges. And I have been meaning to play along to show my support! When I happened to see that these were her colors this week, I did a little happy dance!
It felt like getting a two-fer deal. Mona, next time I will check out the color challenge before making a project ;)
In case anyone is interested in the supply list, it is attached below. Have you guys figured out your Christmas to-make and to-buy list?
Stamps: (Rescue Remedies) Waltzingmouse Stamps
Paper: Postal Brown Wrapping Paper (Scotch); (Basic Card Stock - Cream) Recollections
Ink: (Versamark) Tsukineko; (Tea Dye Duo - Chamomile, Chai) Papertrey Ink
Embellishments: (Embossing Powder - Ebony) Martha Stewart; (Value Ribbon - Red) Michaels; (Nestabilities - Label Four) Spellbinders
