PPA 242

This is my first card as a design team member on Pals Paper Arts.  I've played along with the challenges for a long time now and I'm excited to be a part of the team!

When I saw these colors, I automatically thought St. Paddy's Day!  I usually make one or two of those, but didn't really have any stamps that worked.  I decided to do a birthday card and ended up making two.

Am I the only one who stamps & cuts two of everything, just in case?!  I definitely do, and then I end up with a pile of extras.  I'm trying not to do that so I made a second right away to keep in my stash. Let me know if you do this too, and which one you like best!

I may end up using one for my oldest son's birthday in April.  He is definitely the Irish man in our family.  He has red hair and has always told me he doesn't need to wear green on St. Paddy's Day because people know he is Irish.  My youngest says he is 100% Italian.  They both have the same father and mother so it's pretty funny!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

PPA 225

Boy, did I struggle with this sketch for the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge!  I love it, but I have this thing about everything being straight.  I got some help from my friend Marlene.  I just couldn't decide what to do with the white space. She helped me decide on this butterfly.  It's a retired SU punch.  This is how OCD I am ... after I cut my papers at an angle, I cut the angle off the strips to make it straight, and made a card with the scraps. I can't stand myself!  LOL  (see here:)

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Leftover card

I've been trying to get ahead on some challenge cards so that I can schedule them to be posted after my surgery.  I won't have use of my right hand for a while and I am right handed.  I am not looking forward to the surgery (rotator), and not being able to craft, or do anything that requires two hands. Hopefully my recovery will go by fast.  I don't sit well unless I'm in my craft room!

Anyway, my OCD came out after cutting papers at an angle.  Gasp! I just couldn't put them away like that!   So I decided to turn the papers over and cut them straight.  Then I used the reverse side to make a card.  Then I thought I'd make a second one just for yucks.  I really love the colors and prints in Flower Pot designer series paper.  Hope you like them!  You will see the opposite papers coming up soon.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

PPA 220

Here is my card for the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge 220.  I love this sketch and will definitely try it again!  Sadly, I need to get a jump on some sympathy cards.  I have an uncle who is dying.  We haven't been close for many years, but he was really close to me when I was younger.  I was the daughter he didn't have.  He eventually had his own kids and has been a great father. I thought I would have a few ready so that I don't stress about it when it gets here.  He has stopped eating and drinking so it could be any day.

Anyway, I didn't meant to have a depressing post!  I used the Bloom with Hope stamp set and colored the image with Blendabilities.  The designer series paper is from the Flower Pot  pack.  I used Old Olive and Crumb Cake for cardstock.

Thanks for looking and commenting!

I completely forgot where I was going with this post.  I want to show you what I did to save paper.  I hate throwing anything out!  I wanted to stamp the sentiment right on the dsp but ended up getting the edge of the stamp.

I turned it around.

And covered up the sentiment because I was popping the flower up and I didn't want the black to show.

After that, I put the flower circle on top and the mistake was gone!

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PPA 219

I made this for the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge 219.  I am hoping a certain someone does not see this until she opens her mail in a few days. When I used the color combo for this card, I wasn't thinking that I would have to upload it!  Ooooops!

I broke out my new Homemade Holiday framelits and Holiday Home stamps from the holiday catalog (click here to check it out).  I can see them being used in many ways!  I would love to have put some fall leaves on it but I know the leaves don't change much where this is going.  I also had a problem with the fact that I didn't have any Always Artichoke ink.  This set has ghosts, lamp posts, leaves, stars, lights, even Santa on his sleigh!  I can't wait to try use it in another way.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by and commenting!