Retro Sketches #48

 

Occasionally when I make a card I really like the paper, dies, or color scheme that I use and more ideas for cards start to pop into my head.  I had the time, so I decided to make three cards using essentially the same products.  This was one of those cards.  I used Retro Sketch #48.  Initially, I really struggled with the sketch.  I actually had a card basically finished (except the glue and sentiment), but something was just off, so I left it.  Today I went back in and figured out how to change some things to make it work.  This card uses a little bit of a lot of things--stamping, coloring, stitching, and glittering--and I must say that I like the end result of the card much better now than I did before.

And here's a really quick shot I took of the three cards together.  I finished the other two a couple nights ago.  You can see the details on them here.

Supplies
Stamps: Bake Me a Cake (Lawn Fawn), Mat Stack 1 Collection (PTI)
Ink: Basic Gray (SU), Sorbet (CTMH), Spring Moss (PTI)
Markers: Sorbet (CTMH); Certainly Celery, Sage Shadow (SU)
Paper: Melon Berry, Ocean Tides, Rustic Cream, Spring Moss (PTI); Lime Twist Collection (MME)
Other: Dazzling Diamonds Glitter (SU)

PTI January Blog Hop: Card Edition

Update: I got a "SHOUT out" over at RetroSketches for this card.  Thanks, Arielle!

Thanks to Retro Sketches #47, an idea for a card popped into my head for PTI's January Blog Hop to use black backgrounds. This card goes along with the robot theme from my first project for PTI's blog hop, and I'll probably give it to the same little guy.  I'm planning on writing a note to him each year on Valentine's Day about the things I love about him and the things he loves at that time in his life.  I'm sure in a few years I'll really enjoy looking back on it.  Okay, here's the card.

 

And here's the sketch I used.

Supplies
Stamps: Fresh Alphabet (PTI), Sans Alphabet (CTMH)
Ink: VersaMark
Paper: Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet, Raspberry Fizz, True Black, White (all PTI )
Other: Notched Flowers Die (PTI), Flowers Layers #3 (Sizzix), white embossing powder (SU), 3/4" Punch

PTI's January Blog Hop: Black Backgrounds

 

When I saw PTI's January Blog Hop to use a black background,

 

I immediately thought of this book that my son got for Christmas. 

 

He loves it, and because of it, he now likes all things robot.  No card ideas popped into my head and I didn't have any pictures to scrapbook, so I decided to make him an interactive felt quiet book using a whole bunch of PTI's dies.  To say that this was a labor of love is an understatement.  I stopped counting hours several days ago, and all I know is that I haven't gone to be before 2 AM for the last four days.  Ironically, the idea for all of the pages in the book (and several more that I ended up not doing) popped into my head in probably half an hour's time about a week ago.  Thankfully, I quickly jotted them down because I created the pages almost exactly as I'd drawn them.  Just wish the mechanics had been as easy to execute as they were to scribble down.  

(P.S. This was made with mostly stiff felt and A LOT of dies.  Mostly for my own records, I wrote down what dies were used on each page, but that makes this post very wordy and kind of boring...sorry!  Feel free to skim. :) )

  

I designed the cover page to look roughly like the cover of the book.  I cut "Book" with PTI's Script Alphabet Dies and just trimmed off most of the extra curves/loops.  "R" was created with PTI's Eyelet Lace Border, Lighten Up, Notched Flowers, and Block Alphabet dies.  I used the "o" in the Block Alphabet to cut the circle out in the notched flower.  I used PTI's Button Up #1 Dies for the "B" and another Notched Flower Die for the second "O".

 These are pages 1 and 2.

This little robot's arms, legs, and neck pull in and out.  The arms, legs, and antennae are made out of PTI's Eyelet Lace Border dies and the hands/feet are from the Simple Circles Border Dies.  It was a lot harder to create this than I thought.  After many trials and errors, I ended up painting kabob sticks black and gluing them to the backs of all the moving parts, so they would slide in and out better.  I also sewed plastic from a left over stamp case on the black background under the body to further ease the sliding motion.  The head is a hexagon die and the gears are flower dies that I just trimmed the tips of all the petals off, so they would be flat and not curved.

I love this next robot.  He turned out exactly as I had envisioned AND I didn't have any trouble making him.  Everything worked perfectly the first time.  His body is made out of two of the frames in PTI's Fabulous Frames Die Collection.  The gears are made out of PTI's Notched Flowers and Block Alphabet Dies and a flower from Sizzix's Flower Layer's #3.

As you can see in the pictures, this one is a lift-the-flap.  All the layers lift up to eventually reveal several little sequins that I sewed in.

The next two pages are to "Build-a-Bot".  It just now occurred to me that I was going to put that title on the right side page, but I forgot.  Anyway, all the robot parts (heads, bodies, arms, and legs) have Velcro on the back of them and are housed in two pockets made from PTI's Favor it Box 2.

All the parts are meant to mix and match, but I did design them as whole robots, so that's the way they are pictured.  The blue and green robot is made out of PTI's Simple Circles Border (legs), Eyelet Lace Border (glasses, arms), Mat Stack #1 (body), and Fabulous Frames (head) dies.  Oh, and the gear is made with Sizzix's Flower Layer's #3 (again, with ptrimmed ofetals trimmed flat).  The red and green robot is made from PTI's Chevron Stripes (arms, legs), Tag Sale #5 (body), Simple Circles Border (the hands, feet, and doodad on his head), Button Up #1 (eyes, gage), and the negative cut tiny circles from the Eyelet Lace Border Die (eyes, doodad on his head). 

 

The last build-a-bot uses PTI's cloud dies (feet) and 2 1/4" oval dies (head).

Now for pages 5 and 6.

Page 5 is a robot made from PTI's Movers and Shaker's zipper dies.  The body zips open, so you can pull out a bunch of robot parts (made from PTI's Tiny Tags dies and Sizzix Flower #3 dies).  I also used PTI's Button Up #1 dies (gages, elbows, wheel shaft) and the negatives from PTI's Favor It Box 2 (bottom wheel) and Eyelet Lace Border Die (eyes).

You might be wondering why this last Robot is a bit grumpy looking (or "gumpy" according to my son) instead of the more cutesy ones I made first.  Well, we're fans of the children's tv show "Wild Kratts."  My son always requests to see the "robopes" (the villain's robots), so I pulled up a picture of the Zach Bots and made a simplified version for the last page.  This is what they look like on the show: 

The last page took me four tries to get the spinner to work right (it's a lot harder when you're working with felt!), but the robot does indeed move up and down along the curve and spin around.  Everything for this robot I just cut out myself, except for the mouth which is the "o" from PTI's Block Alphabet dies and the arms which are one of the lamp bases from PTI's Lighten Up die collection.

Phew...that's it!  I'll be impressed if anyone made it this far. I haven't given the book to my son yet (I'm waiting until Valentine's Day), but I hope he enjoys is at much as I think will.  Thanks for visiting!  Okay, one last collage to sum it up. :)

  

Supplies

PTI Dies: Notched Flowers, Tag Sale #5, Mat Stack 1, Lighten Up, Eyelet Lace Border, Simple Circles Border, Chevron Stripes Border, Button Up #1, Block Alphabet Die, Limitless Layers 1 3/4 Circles, Limitless Layers 2 1/4 Ovals, Movers & Shakers: Zippers, Tiny Tags, Favor it Box 2,  Fabulous Frames, Cloud 1 & 2, Script Alphabet Upper Script Alphabet

Sizzix Dies: 2 1/2" Hexagons, Flowers Layers #3

Other: Felt (from Hobby Lobby & Michaels...most of it is stiff felt), square black brads (MM), sequins, pinking shears, several colors of thread, double-sided fusible webbing

CFC86: Long & Short

Just a quick card for CAS-ual Fridays Long & Short Challenge.  The challenge was just to create a card with long and short sides.  I used an old MME die cut of a bird as a template, cut it out in PTI's aqua mist cardstock, added some sequins to the belly, and mini pearls for the eye and legs.  Then, I stamped "thanks" (from Lawn Fawn) in SU's Basic Gray.  

10 Minute Craft Dash + Moxie Fab Itty Bitty Challenge

I decided to make a card (the larger car card) for this week's 10 Minute Craft Dash #10 Challenge since my first entry was a game for my son.  I wish I could tell you my exact time, but I only know that it was over 10 minutes.  I set the timer on reverse (counting down), and when it went off, I still wasn't done.  Boo!  My first Craft Dash fail.  My top 3 time consuming mistakes: my husband coming home from work and coming in to talk to me during the challenge, changing the size of the card three times during the challenge, and building my own sentiment with itty bitty individual alphabet stamps.

I know I used the same car from PTI's Enjoy the Ride on my first craft dash attempt, but since that was my first time using the little car (even though I've owned this set 2 1/2 years), I decided I had to try it out on a card.  My favorite part of the whole card are the little hearts getting puffed out of the little exhaust pipe (that I added by stamping a portion of the cakestand in Lawn Fawn's Bake Me a Cake set).  I realize that isn't where an exhaust pipe sits on a car, but that was the best place I could figure out to put it on this car. 

I actually really liked how the card turned out and since I had all the supplies still out (and had failed my 10 minute challenge), I decided to make a smaller version for Moxie Fab World's itty bitty card challenge.  It measures 3x3 in size, and I'm pretty sure that I like it even more in the tiny size than I do in the regular size.

Here's a comparison of the two.

Okay, so it bugged me that I didn't make the 10 minute challenge with my car card, so I attempted Craft Dash #10 one more time...and this time was a success!  I finished in 9 minutes 44 seconds.  I built the cake with Lawn Fawn's Bake Me a Cake set, adding the text in pink pirouette from PTI's BB:Text Style.  Next I stamped and cut out the happy banner from PTI's Tag-it's #10, then stamped birthday on the cake.  I topped it off with some glitter and some rhinestones.  

Happy <3 Day Supplies

Stamps: Enjoy the Ride (PTI), Background Basics: Retro (PTI), Bake Me a Cake (Lawn Fawn), Sans Alphabet (CTMH)

Ink: Pink Pirouette (SU), Basic Gray (SU), Spring Moss (PTI)

Paper: White (PTI), Spring Moss (PTI), Gray

Other: Flipping Out Die (PTI)

Happy Birthday Supplies
Stamps: Bake Me a Cake (Lawn Fawn), Background Basics: Text Style (PTI)
Ink: Basic Gray, Pink Pirouette (SU), Spring Moss (PTI)
Paper: Spring Moss, White (PTI)
Other: Sterling Glitter (Martha Stewart), Rhinestone Stickers (Recollections)

10 Minute Craft Dash #10

Update: Yay! This project was chosen as one of Paulina's Craft Dash #10 Favorites.  I was surprised and excited when I saw because I knew that I was taking a chance on this project...it's not a card and I realize that doesn't appeal as much to many.

I was really excited to be able to participate in 10 Minute Craft Dash #10 this week.  While I love making cards, I've decided that I need to devote a little more of my crafting time to things that would actually benefit my little boy.  So I made a list of things that I want to make for him, and one of those things was a touchy-feely book/cards because my son loves the touchy-feely "That's Not My..." series from Usborne Books.  Plus, we desperately need little *quiet* activities to carry in the diaper bag when we go to church.  So here they are:

Oh, I almost forgot.  I finished the cars in 9 minutes 56 seconds.  Yeah, only 4 seconds to spare...I was almost a complete nervous wreck.  Hopefully it is okay that I did each of the colors separately.  I was going to mix them, but I changed my mind because because we are working on learning colors right now, too.

I die cut the cars twice in each color, stamped the front of one in each color, and then used my X-acto knife to cut out a portion of the hood out for the touchy-feely part to peek through.  I made the little bumps on the green car with glossy accents, I used rubber mesh on the gray car, and the pink car has some pink satin fabric.

This was so much fun, that I decided I might as well make some cars for a matching game, so I reset my timer and in 8 minutes 2 seconds (mostly just so I would work quickly and not waste time) made some more cars.  You may wonder why I chose the particular numbers on the hoods.  Well, I realized while I was doing this that I really ought to eventually make them in all the colors, so I quickly thought about the general order that I would introduce the colors to him taking into consideration primary/secondary colors, color preferences that he is showing, and the few color words he can say.  And that's how I came up with 5, 6, and 11.

Well, as soon as I finished, I kept thinking about the other colors and finally just decided that I had most of the supplies out already, so I might as well finish them now.  That was also the moment that I realized that I probably shouldn't use the matching game for the Craft Dash Challenge because the whole project was going to have 11 colors, not just three.  So I found the other eight colors and made two of each, so eventually we can play a matching game.  I'll probably hole punch these, too, and stick them on the ring with the touchy-feely cards.

Touchy-Feely Car Supplies

Stamps: Enjoy the Ride (PTI), Loads of Love (SU)

Ink: Blush (CTMH), Basic Gray (SU), New Leaf (PTI)

Paper: Pink Pirouette (SU), New Leaf (PTI), Gray

Other: Enjoy the Ride Die (PTI), X-Acto Knife, pink satin fabric, rubber mesh, Glossy Accents, Binder Ring

Expanded Matching Game Supplies

Stamps: Enjoy the Ride (PTI), Fresh Alphabet (PTI)

Ink: Blush (CTMH); Basic Gray, Brilliant Blue, Chocolate Chip, Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, So Saffron (SU); Fresh Snow, New Leaf (PTI)

Markers: Autumn Terra Cotta, Chocolate, Grey Wool, Outdoor Denim, Pansy Purple, Sunflower, Tulip (CTMH)
Paper: Pink Pirouette (SU); Lemon Tart, New Leaf, Pure Poppy, True Black, White (PTI); Eat Your Carrots, Grapesicle, Waterslide (MM); Brown, Gray

Other: Enjoy the Ride Die (PTI), pink and white colored pencils

PTI MIM #100: Packaging Cards with Oversized Embellisments

 

There are always new supplies I want in the paper crafting world, but I'm trying to downsize. My stash has gotten too big for my space. Plus, I have so many things that I just had to have, but have never or barely used. I'm terrible about not using the things I love the most because I'm afraid that I won't like how my project will turn out and then I won't have that item anymore. Silly, huh? Anyway, I've made a mini-resolution to use my stuff...or get rid of it. So that's what I did with this card.  I love yellow and grey, and these papers fall into the "I bought these because I love, love, loved (and still do!) them but never used them" category. 

I also knew I wanted to use this card for this week's Make it Monday at PTI because it is oversized in two ways - the flower hangs off the side and the flower is fat (that's probably not the best word to use, but my brain is tired today).

I love glassine bags, but don't have any on hand, and I actually really want to stick this card in the mail, so I decided to make an envelope box.  I realize this will cost extra to mail, but I don't care.  It's useful, and I'm sure I'll make more of these.

The outside of the envelope is simple.  I couldn't do too much because I need room to write the addresses and have to leave the typical spaces for the post office to do their thing.  I realize I'm not the first person to make an envelope box, but this is the first time I've made one, and I put a lot of thought in how I wanted it designed.  I did make 3 until I got just what I wanted, but practice makes perfect right?  I obviously needed it to be just the right size for the intended card, but I also wanted as few flaps to glue down as possible, and I wanted the flaps to be completely hidden.  I also wanted it to be simple, and something I could easily adjust for future cards.  The best part is that it only takes one 8.5x11 sheet of cardstock, which I always have on hand.  It's finished dimensions are 6x4.5x.25.

I lined the inside of the envelope with the same papers I used on the card, and then on the outside I wanted the washi tape look, but don't have any (I know, I should probably jump on that bandwagon), so I just ripped some paper and glued it on.  Here it is with the card tucked inside.

Envelope Box Supplies

Stamps: Mehndi Medallion (PTI), Fifth Avenue Floral (SU)

Ink: Basic Gray (SU), Lemon Tart (PTI)

Paper: Breeze Paper Pad (MME), Cowboy Paper Pad (MME), White (PTI) 

 

Card Supplies

Stamp: Signature Greetings (PTI)

Ink: Basic Gray (SU), Tea Dye Duo (PTI)

Paper: Breeze Paper Pad (MME), Cowboy Paper Pad (MME), White (PTI)

Other: Tattered Florals Dies (Tim Holtz), button brad (MM), pinking shears, white thread

Moxie Fab Itty Bitty Card Challenge

One more quick card for another Moxie Fab World Challenge.  This one was challenge #23 to make an itty bitty card.  I needed a card to put in a baby gift I'm mailing to my friend Alexis who had her baby Thursday (yep, Mom I forgot to tell you she had her baby...both are doing great), and an itty bitty card fit the bill perfectly.  Obviously I went on the simple side for this one.  It's a 3" square with just a little bit of paper piecing and stitching.

Supplies

Stamp: Baby Button Bits (PTI)

Ink: Basic Gray, More Mustard (SU)

Paper: Breeze Paper Pad (MME), Soft Stone (PTI)

Other: buttercream twine (the Twinery), pinking shears

Moxie Fab: Make Your Own Stamp Challenge - The 2nd Edition

I decided to try Moxie Fab World's Challenge #18: Stamp With a Homemade Stamp again.  I simply cut some craft foam to a 1x1 square, then die cut the heart out of it using Papertrey's Tiny Tags die.  These challenges are kind of addicting.  I like things that make me think.  I had so much fun with my first card, that I had to try something else for this one, and I have a few more stamps that I've made for this challenge...hopefully I get time to use them to make a card!

Supplies

Stamps: Small Typewriter Alphabet (stampendous), and my own :)

Ink: True Black, Hawaiian Shores (PTI), Pink Pirouette, Real Red (SU)

Paper: White, True Black (PTI)

Other: Tiny Tags Die (PTI), Charcoal Twine (The Twinery), rhinestone

Moxie Fab Creative Card Challenge #18: Homemade Stamp

Moxie Fab World has been posting a ton of challenges this past week, and I knew I wanted to try at least one of them, so I decided to go with #18: Stamp With a Homemade Stamp.  My homemade stamp was super simple.  We finally packed up all our Christmas stuff today, and while I was looking at the bubble wrap I thought, "This would be a perfect background stamp."  So that's what I did.  I taped a piece of bubble wrap to my acrylic block and stamped away. I love that it is uneven and the color is lighter and darker in different areas.  I actually think I'm going to do this again.

This is what my "stamp" looked like.

Supplies
Stamp: Lighten Up (PTI)
Ink: Basic Gray, More Mustard (SU)
Paper: Breeze Paper Pad (MME), Sunflower (MM), White (PTI)
Other: Tattered Florals Die (Tim Holtz), Scallop Trim Border Punch (SU), Lemondrop twine (The Twinery), button

MIM #99: Repeats & Rainbows - Round 2

This is my second card for PTI's Repeats & Rainbows Make It Monday Challenge. It may be a stretch on the repeats, but I did stamp those gumballs repeatedly. :)  I needed this card for a specific person and for a specific purpose, so I had to be flexible with the challenge.  And I don't love this card at all, but it's done and it serves its purpose.  The color scheme I used is

It's subtle, but on all the gumballs I stamped "Be Happy" or "Happy Days".  Kind of like conversation hearts.  I popped up the different parts of the bow at three different heights to mimic the bulk of an actual bow.  By the time I finished cutting it out and popping it up I was pretty sure that it would have been a lot faster to just tie real ribbon around the jar.

Oh, I forgot.  I ended up stamping polka dots around the borders on three sides.  There you go.  That's my official rainbow repeated stamping...it's just mostly hidden.

Supplies
Stamps: Background Basics: Retro, Polka Dot Basics, Polka Dot Basics II, Scattered Showers, Enjoy the Ride, Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar: Summer Fillers
Ink: Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz (PTI), Apricot Appeal, Kiwi Kiss, Soft Sky (SU)
Paper: Honey Dew (MM), Raspberry Fizz, Aqua Mist, Summer Sunrise, White (PTI)