PTI Anniversary Challenge: Day 3

Today is the third day of PTI 10th Anniversary challenges.  We are to create a card and matching envelope to send out in Saturday Snail Mail.  I need to reconnect with a very dear friend from the 7th and 8th grade.  While we don't chat or write much, I do keep up with her Instagram and Facebook posts.  However, if we did get the chance to see each other, I know that after about 15 min. of small talk, we could pick back up and it would be like we were in constant contact.

Anyway, here is my card and envelope I made.  The lighting here today is very shadowy because it is another stormy and rainy Tuesday in Alabama.

Stamps: Garden Variety 2, Fruitful, Postmarks, and MFT Kitsy Kitchen

Papers: white, kraft, black, and SU! designer series papers

Inks: smoky shadow, limeade ice, lemon zest, crushed curry, lucky limeade

Papertrey Ink February 2017 Blog Hop

The above photo is the inspiration piece for this month's Blog Hop by Papertrey Ink.  What a beautiful photo full of colors I hardly ever use, much less all together, but it is such a striking combo. Way to go Nichole for finding this picture.  

So I am last minute making my card.  I like all my elements, except I just can't seem to stamp sentiments straight anymore, and embossing things without flaws has escaped me as well.  Sigh.. Anyway, here is my entry.   I used Stampin' UP!'s Rich Razzleberry and Blackberry Bliss papers.  I used Raspberry Fizz, Saffron Spice, and Smokey Shadow papers from PTI.  I used gold and clear embossing powders for my stamping.  

Papertrey 10th Anniversary 2016

My list of stamps I purchased in 2016 is very very small.  I think I only purchased 9 sets total, and most of them were the $5 variety.  I just had to get the Just Desserts set designed by Lizzie Jones because I am a pastry chef and cake is my passion.  I went to town with this stamp set upon receiving it, but sadly after that, I haven't picked it back up to stamp with.  I had a busy year last year, and I just didn't get a lot of time to stamp.  To be totally honest, I have not been super motivated to stamp a lot lately too.  I have just been in a bit of a creative slump.  I have enjoyed these challenges/contests to help me get back to being creative in this way.

My entries into today's contest are based on a card Lizzie made when she was demoing it for release week back in February 2016,  I think.   I used my new stack of Hooray for You printed papers  I just received from the big $1 paper sale.  I used a MFT sentiment on the masculine card.  I used the Guidelines embossing plate to add texture to the white card base.
I think they turned out nice.

The other sets I purchased in 2016 were:

King of the Grill, cause you always need a great masculine set and my boys love hamburgers, Inspired Faith, Grace, Prayer, Blessing, and Hope sets, MIM Mini kit Color Pop Autumn, and Tucked In Baby.  I may have bought the Enclosed Graduate stamp set and die in the spring too to make graduation cards for sale.  

Papertrey Ink Anniversary 2014

Well, I had time to make one card with Feather Finery for the contest.  I also pulled up past pictures of some cards I made with that set and Life is Beautiful butterfly dies.  Enjoy.

On a different note, I finally cataloged all the PTI stamps and dies by year that I have purchased since 2007 and what I still have.  Quite an amazingly long list, and maybe sadder still that I have so many of them still.  I just can't part with them cause I want to eventually use them for card ideas I have saved since purchasing them.

Papertrey Anniversary: 2011

Ooh, so many stamps from this year I could use.  I really like Garden Variety, Garden Variety 2 and the Year of Flowers Collection.  I don't do a lot of Copic coloring (too expensive and time consuming), but these flowers are so pretty.  I got the mini set because I couldn't afford all the bigger single sets of the flowers released the previous year.

I made these two cards based on the Present example by Stephanie Gold, and an older card by Dawn McVey.  I am hoping to make a simple bundle of Garden Variety and flower cards to send to someone, who I think will really like them, since she is an avid gardener.

Papertrey Anniversary: 2009

I chose to make a couple of cards with the Fruitful set.  Love this set.  I bought it to make labels for jelly.  I don't do a lot of jelly making, but I have yet to give this set up.  I cased two cards from Dawn McVey, but switched up the color schemes to use papers I already had.

I hope to pull out Damask Designs and On My Couch to play along with the celebration.  I have had a busy week and haven't been able to keep up with the years or challenges.  If I get to that, I will add my photos to this post.

Papertrey 10 Year Anniversary: 2007

I sure am enjoying Papertrey Ink's 10th Anniversary walk down memory lane these past several days.  I became a PTI customer  in the fall of 2007.  I was a die hard Stampin' UP! fan and had been a demonstrator for them since 2001.  I never thought I would be a convert to photopolymer stamps.  However, I loved the stamps PTI was making.  They were classic, versatile, and filled a huge gap in what Stampin' UP! was offering.  I bought my first set which was Faux Ribbon and I was totally hooked.  I love photopolymer stamps.  They have truly come a long way and PTI's are some of the best quality for giving you sharp clean images.

While I still have Papertrey, Spiral Bouquet, My Punny Valentine, and Faux Ribbon from the first year, I was a little slower to order Out to Sea.  However, I really like the set.  I just don't get those early sets out as much as I need to.  Mostly because I have so many PTI stamps.  I mean a ridiculously large amount of PTI stamps.  Even after selling off some, I have way more than I could possibly use in the time I have available.

I have been trying to stop ordering PTI stamps here in the past couple of years, and I have done much much better.   I did order some papers from the big $1 sale, but I am trying to not buy stamps.  Too many stamps and supplies actually stifles my creativity and ability to make stuff.  It takes me too long to figure out what to do.  That and all the wonderful cards the design team makes that inspired me to buy the stamps in the first place.  If I just spent time making all those great card ideas I have pinned and screenshot in my photo gallery to save the ideas, I would be busy for a very long time.  I have been trying to do that though and it is fun to use old supplies.  I think if I stayed off the blogs of the design team and Nicole's blog for each month's reveal, I wouldn't be tempted to buy more stuff.  I haven't been able to do that yet, but I am committed to not buying stamps, just paper and consumables if needed.

Anyway, here is my Out to Sea card based on the one from the Present shown on Nicole's blog.  I am not great at coming up with my own designs.  It just takes too long, and I don't know how to pull from all my stash, but I am really really good at CASing cards.  I also got to use my brand new from the huge $1 paper sale printed vellum on this card.  Sweet!  I love it.  The vellum is nice and heavy and I love the white patterns.  So pretty.  Can't wait to use more.

January 2017 PTI Blog Hop

Wow!  Where did 2016 go?  And now it is almost the end of January 2017.  I know it is quite trite to say, "Time flies," but it is so true.   It has been so long since I posted anything to my blog.  "Hello, anyone out there?"  I loved the inspiration photo for this month's blog hop though, so I had to play along.  Just so happens that I had patterned paper, great new stamps, and all the little extras to mimic the cookies.  Kraft paper for the cookie color- check!  Black and White striped paper--check!  Pretty floral stamp image and die cuts--check check!!

This photo makes me think of my sweet friend, Aimee, who has found a creative passion for making decorated sugar cookies.  In fact as soon as I saw this photo, I texted her a copy.  Maybe she can recreate them for Valentine's Day cookie sales.  Even though I am a professionally trained pastry chef, making iced and decorated sugar cookies ARE NOT my passion.  Too labor intensive and tedious.  Plus even though I love to make cards, I don't actually have to draw anything.  Cookie decorating, not my thing.  However, give me a great cake recipe and some luscious fillings and frostings, and I will create you a simple and elegant masterpiece of a cake that will leave your taste buds singing!  That is my passion.  Anyone care for fudgy chocolate cake, raspberry mousse or buttercream filling, and a chocolate raspberry ganache frosting for Valentine's Day?  That would be what I would make and eat.  Or my Chocolate Raspberry Decadence cake from back in my days when I worked for an amazing pastry shop in Durham, NC.

Anyway, back to the cards. I kind of like what I created.  I am trying to beef up my Valentine's Day card stash.  The last photo is of some teacher cards I have created this week too.  Enjoy!

Supplies:

Stamps: Be Mine, Valentine,  Don't Forget to Write, Teacher's Apple

Papers: Red, Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, Kraft, White, Black

Inks: red, hibiscus, raspberry, kiwi kiss, daffodil delight

Dies and accessories: Don't Forget to Write, Wonderful Words: Love, Wet Paint 1 word dies, black pearls and rhinestones