Are you ready for some football?

It's always nice to have some masculine birthday cards on hand. 
My card is based on this week's Clean and Simple FTL #114.

One layer cards are sometimes tricky because you need the right balance of color and pattern to keep it from looking *too* simple or empty. I liked the repetition of the stamped images across the middle of the card.

Supplies Used:
cardstock: Bazzill
stamps: Papertrey Ink Have a Ball and Limitless Labels
ink: Papertrey Ink (deep chocolate), Pallette (l'amour red, prussian blue)
corner rounder: Creative Memories

October Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

It's time for the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop! This month's theme is to create a project celebrating a winter holiday other than Christmas. 

I used two of my favorite stamp sets, Limitless Labels and 2008 Holiday Tags, for these projects. Ocean Tides cardstock and ribbon with a little kraft and cream were perfect for a wintery color scheme for my gift tag and card.

For the gift tag, I punched 1" and 1 3/4" inch circles from a Basic Grey tag. Then I stamped and embossed a tag and a sentiment and popped them up with foam squares. Some platinum perfect pearls, ocean tides ribbon and chocolate bakers twine complete the look. 

I made a coordinating card with Ocean Tides cardstock and a piece of Basic Grey patterned paper. I stamped and embossed the dove tag on cream cardstock and created a coordinating border by stamping the label stamp several times on cream cardstock. The card is finished with a scalloped strip of kraft cardstock that was swiped with some Antique Linen Distress Sticklesto add some vintage, subtle sparkle. 


Before this challenge, I hadn't noticed how well these two sets worked together in scale and design. That's what I love about these blog hop challenges. I get so much inspiration by working with my stamps in a new way. 

I hope you enjoy this month's Papertrey Ink blog hop entry. Hop on over to Nichole's blog to see more great projects or to add your own link.

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (ocean tides, kraft and cream)

Ribbon: Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: Deck The Halls from the Basic Grey Fruitcake collection

Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Limitless Labels, 2008 Holiday Tags)

Ink: Papertrey Ink (Fresh Snow), Colorbox (Harbor, Seaglass)

Punch: Fiskars

Embossing Powder: Judikins (detail clear), Sparkle N Sprinkle (shimmer)

Glitter Glue: Stickles

September Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

This month's PTI blog hop challenge is to show off any skills you might have learned from a fellow stamper, and perhaps even give them a little shout out to thank them for the inspiration they have provided.

My card was inspired by Dawn McVey and the scalloped text paper she used in this card.

 

Instead of vintage book print, I used an old piece of patterned paper from my stash (I think it might be Jenni Bowlin?). The colors were inspired by a co-worker's wedding palette - ivory, chocolate and peach. I also stamped the envelope with a damask image to tie the whole thing together. That's a trick I've also embraced from the fabulous idea sharing on the blogs of PTI's many many followers.

You are in My Thoughts

It is starting to feel more and more like autumn around here. The mornings are chilly. The leaves are starting to change colors. It's football season. Go Patriots!!


All the good shows are starting back up again.  I'm looking forward for new episodes of Glee and Parenthood and The Amazing Race. I might watch some of Survivor. Jimmy Johnson is a contestant this time around and I think it will be interesting to watch him interact with the other players.


This week's Curtain Call Color Challenge worked perfectly with the change in season.

I created a sympathy card using these muted, almost somber colors and the Clean & Simple Fall to Layout #107 sketch. 
I don't know why I almost always reach for this tree when making a sympathy card. I used just a touch of the white as an accent and let the other colors take center stage. The only other embellishing was a chocolate button, some Glimmer Mist applied with a fine paint brush to the flowers and a bit of green colored pencil on the leaves. 

Simple and understated. This could be a masculine card too. Just switch out the sentiment. 

Supplies Used:
cardstock: Prism (green) and Paper Source (kraft)
patterned paper: Basic Grey
punch: Fiskars
stamp: Imaginisce
ink, button and button twine: Papertrey Ink
glimmer mist: Tattered Angels
c olored pencil: Prismacolors

Wish Big

I love the sketches at Inspired Blueprints. They are so versatile. I created this birthday card using sketch #55 as my starting point.

Supplies:

Bazzill cardstock

October Afternoon patterned paper

May Arts ribbon

Papertrey Ink stamp

Versafine ink