MIM: roll the dice

I had time to play around with this week's MIM challenge - and it was so fun!  The idea is that you download their sheet, fill it out, and roll the dice to determine what goes on your card.  No fuss, no muss :)

I rolled, and I got:

- vertical orientation
- sketch no. 6
- simply jane stamp set
- mat stack 1 stamp set (in a supporting role)
- kraft, white, blue color scheme
- floral embellishment

And here's my take:

I started out with the "simply jane" silhouette, stamped in blue, and built my card out from there.  The sentiment is from "mat stack 1" - I actually cut it apart so I could stamp it on either side of the banner flag.  (You could also do some selective inking if you'd rather not cut up your stamps, but I find cutting them apart to be much more idiot-proof... hee.)

I finished off by stamping an image from "mat stack 1" underneath the banner.  I think it was the perfect finishing touch :)

Before I sign off, a preview of things to come:

A little post-gallery-idol blog hop!  I hope you'll join a few of us for our "shaped-card" blog hop - I know there will be plenty of "wow" cards to look at, and there will a giveaway on each girl's blog :)  Fingers crossed that my Gallery Idol prize box makes it here before then, so I can actually have an idea of what I'll be giving away... (O Canada, why is your postal service so very slow?)

Thanks for popping by!

Simply Jane card set.

Good morning!  I just want to give a little shout-out to my little sis, who birthed a gloriously cute baby yesterday.  I snuggled her last night and she is perfect.  It was love at first sight :)

I have another card set to show you, and I used the latest embellish challenge as my jumping off point:

The packaged gift-box, sitting atop 2 of my favorite Austen novels... any guesses which ones? (fun fact about me: I was an English-lit major in university...)

And here is the card.

All of the embellish challenge colors are there, I promise!  I used SU's marina mist for the aqua, the silhouette head was die-cut from a soft pink patterned paper, the hot pink is there in the stamped necklace, and the kraft color is abundant :)

I started out with a white card base, added a mat of "dearest jane" patterned paper over-top and an off-set kraft banner on top of that.  The tag shape was cut in double - once in white and once in the blue.  I only glued the tag together at the top - I thought it gave the tag some movement.  (I love that memory box piestra tile die!)  The white tag was stamped with images from "pretty peonies" and the silhouette was adhered to it with foam squares.  The rosette was so easy to create!  I die-cut 8 flower fusion shapes, folded each one, and folded again (so that the flower is a quarter of its full size).  I then stacked 7 of the shapes, and sewed through them all.  When it "opens up," you get this beautiful little floral embellishment!  I hot-glued it onto the last die-cut bloom, and adhered it to my card.

Thanks for peeking!

PTI anniversary sketch challenge, take 2.

*** for a chance at a gift certificate, click here ***

I couldn't help sneaking in one more card for today... the sketch (above) is so dainty and sweet, it begged for some frilly girlishness...

I started out with a berry sorbet card base (and by the way, this was my first order EVAH for PTI colored cardstock - love them, and would order more if it wasn't so costly for International orders!), and adhered a mat of "dearest jane" patterned paper.  The fancy flourishes were cut out of spring moss paper and stamped with versamark ink.  The new oval dies created the perfect backdrop for a subtle sihouette (from "simply jane".)  I brought in a lighter pink with the flowers (using an old SU! punch) and prettied them up with pearl centers.

Thanks for looking!

Blogging birthday + giveaways!

It's time to celebrate my 1-year blogiversary!!!

This last year of sharing my cards & creations, and a little bit of me, has been so great.  And that, because everytime I have posted something, SOMEONE has popped by and encouraged me.  If you hadn't have been here, it would have been all depressing and *cricket noises.*

So thank you for saving me from that :)

And, because I like to celebrate in style - I'm giving away a 15$ gift certificate to your choice of my favorite stores:  either Papertrey Ink, or Simonsaysstamp.

Also up for grabs is a cute little thank you set:

To qualify:

1. become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment saying you're a new follower OR

2. leave me a comment telling me you're already a follower.

I'll choose a winner by Monday morning, Feb. 13th (mostly so that the recipient would be able to use their GC in the PTI store on the 15th, if they'd like! woot!)

And, because it can't be all giveaway and no card:

It's my blogging-birthday card!  I started out with a kraft base (slightly smaller than a regular A2 size), and a mat of white cardstock.  The edges of the mat were distressed, and inked up to look like old paper.  I also stamped a background of "text-style II" over the entire thing, but I don't think the photo picked that up.  The silhouette is from "simply jane" and she was stamped directly onto the white panel.  The frame, from the same set, was stamped in "autumn rose" ink, and popped up on foam squares.  A little rose gem finishes it all off...

Thank you so much, friends, for popping by!