Happy Father's Day

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you had a wonderful day. I had a list of chores that was getting longer and longer since our trip, so today I tackled it (I'm tired!). I also had some time to put together a pair of Father's Day cards. I was doing some blog surfing off of the PTI forum and saw this card that Kim had made. I love her plaid background using the different colors (If you've been here before, you know how I love plaid :) and I liked the idea of using Star Prints for Dad.

Here are the two cards that I came up with for my Dad and Father-in-law.

I used some of Stampin' Up!'s new In Colors on my cards (all the details are below in the Recipe). I am especially smitten with Dusty Durango. I love these plaids! The colors are so fun :) Thanks for the inspiration, Kim!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a great Sunday! I am going to enjoy the rest of my evening watching a movie with my hubs :)

-Anya

Recipe:
Blue Plaid Card
Stamps: Star Prints, Let Freedom Ring, Faux Ribbon, Pond Life - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Kraft - Stampin' Up!; Aqua Mist - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Night of Navy, Kiwi Kiss, Bermuda Bay - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Large Star punch, Linen thread - Stampin' Up!; buttons

Red Plaid Card
Stamps: Star Prints, Let Freedom Ring, Faux Ribbon, Pond Life - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Kraft, Soft Suede, Dusty Durango - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Dusty Durango, Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Photo Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Large Star punch, Linen thread - Stampin' Up!; buttons

Thanks, Teacher

I come from a family of teachers. It is a wonder that I am not a teacher myself! (I pondered it for a while there). Teacher's Apple is one of my most-used Papertrey Ink sets. Not only can I use it to make gifts for all my family members that are teachers, many of them request gifts for their teacher friends as well. My mom commissioned a little something from me for a friend who is being transferred to another school.

When I first saw Geny Cassady's frame and card set that she made during the Teacher's Apple countdown, I loved it. It has inspired many a teacher gift and was perfect for what my mom needed.

Remember, you can always click on the photo for a larger view :)

The frame is an inexpensive 4" by 6" from JoAnn's. The background was inspired by Betsy Veldman's vintagelicious cards she made for the Vintage Picnic countdown challenge. The apples are a la Melissa Phillips. I just love the addition of that little flower. I paired the frame with a Ginger Apple scented candle with coordinating tag (love those pinking circle nestabilities).

Short and sweet today. All the project details are below. Thank you for stopping by - I hope your evening is fantastic!

-Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Faux Ribbon, Limitless Labels, Teacher's Apple - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Pure Poppy - Papertrey Ink; Creamy Caramel - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Bashful Blue, Creamy Caramel - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Pinking Circles Nestabilities, Labels Large Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Pure Poppy twill - Papertrey Ink; Trio Flower punch, Linen thread - Stampin' Up!; 4"x6" frame - JoAnn Fabrics; Dotted Scallop Border punch - EK Success; buttons; copper brads; paper piercer

Flowers for You

I have two projects to show you today that I made a few weeks ago and haven't yet shared. I saw these flower pot photo holders on a blog somewhere at least a year ago (if you have any idea who it might have been, please let me know!). It is a project that I have made a few times, as they make great gifts for moms (or sister-in-laws with lots of baby pictures :)

I made this one for my MIL for Mother's Day. The flowers are double-sided, adhered together and to the wire using glue dots. Here's a close-up of the card - like when a little card is included in a florist bouquet (all the details are below in the Recipe).

I made this flower pot for my SIL for her birthday. She has an adorable little girl, whose pictures would just look great in here. Beautiful Blooms is one of my all-time favorite PTI sets. It is so versatile.

This one was even easier to make, as I cut out all the flowers using the Cuttlebug. The leaves are from Stampin' Up!'s Little Leaves Sizzlit. And another close-up:

Tonight hubby and I are going out for sushi (yum!) to celebrate his new job. We used to own a pet store, which we sold in January. He's been job hunting since then and finally found something. I consider us to be very lucky given the state of the economy. Hopefully it all works out - but it is certainly cause for celebration!

I hope you have a great evening, too!

-Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Beautiful Blooms, Mother - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: SS White, Vintage Cream, Spring Moss, New Leaf - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Sweet Blush, Melon Berry, Berry Sorbet, Hibiscus Burst, Lavender Moon, Plum Pudding, Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate, Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Melon Berry twill ribbon, Lemon Tart satin ribbon, Melon berry button - Papertrey Ink; Little Leaves Sizzlit - Stampin' Up!; Cuttlebug Flower #1 die - Provo Craft; Dotted Scallop border punch - EK Success; Heavy gauge wire; Flowerpot; Florist foam; Spanish moss; Adhesive rhinestones

Wish Upon a Star

Well, I intended this card for Dawn's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge, but... I didn't read the directions ;) I used white instead of cream. OH WELL. I'll blame it on the fact that I read the post in Cozumel.

But, anyway, here's my card:

Details are in the recipe below. I love the coordination between the Fancy Flourishes and the Star Prints sets.

And one last photo before I sign off. My husband went to the Stanley Cup Championship parade in downtown Pittsburgh Monday afternoon. Here's Sidney Crosby holding the Stanley Cup! There were hundreds of thousands of people that turned out for the parade. Like I said yesterday, we're happy the Cup is back home! Have a great evening :)

-Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Fancy Flourishes, Star Prints - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: True Black, New Leaf, SS White - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Black & White Basics - Papertrey Ink
Ink: True Black, New Leaf - Papertrey Ink
Other: Circle Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Large and Small star punch - Stampin' Up!; Corner rounder - EK Success

Home Again!

Hi everyone! I have so much to share! We had a fabulous time in Cozumel. The weather was perfect, the diving was phenomenal - it is a bit of a bummer to be back!

But - first things first!

YEAH PENS! You know how I love my Penguins! Pittsburgh is so happy to have the Stanley Cup back. There was a big parade downtown to celebrate (I was at work). It was a great run - I can't wait until next season!

We were able to watch the games while we were away, which was great. We all piled into the hotel bar the night of the Stanley Cup Championship and watched the game as a big group. It was pretty funny trying to explain hockey to the crew of our dive boat!

I have a few photos from our trip to share - we rented an underwater camera to play around with. Some of the pictures turned out fantastic.. others not so much.. there is a lot to pay attention to when you're diving! :)

I dove a total of 15 times on the trip - most days consisted of two back-to-back morning dives and then an afternoon dive. For the most part, each dive was a different location, but some of the reefs are so large we dove them two or three times and saw completely different things. We were with a great group of people - our dive masters here in Pittsburgh are a husband and wife team that are just incredible. I love to travel with them and they certainly created a wonderful experience for us. We look forward to diving with them again soon and are really looking forward to heading to Australia with them in 2010!

This first picture was taken during our 11th dive at a reef called Tormentos.

This picture was taken during our last dive, at a location called Paso de Cedral.

Look at all those different fish! We saw so much stuff it is impossible to keep track of. I will share some more photos over the coming days.

And now for why you're really here! :) Thankfully, I do have a few projects that I haven't shared with you yet, so I have something to tap into while I get back into my routine. I made this card for a friend of mine who was going to a retirement party. I love it when people request cards from me.. I like working on assignment :)

The card information is below in the details - it is pretty straightforward and came together quickly. Love the pop of those gold stars!

Thank you for stopping by - now that I'm back, I promise we'll get back to the regular posting. I didn't have the time or the Internet connection to update while I was gone. I thought of you, though!

Have a great night! I think we're going to listen to the radio replay of the Pens game. If you've ever heard the Penguins radio announcer Mike Lange, you'd know why!

-Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Star Prints, Let Freedom Ring - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Smokey Shadow, True Black - Papertrey Ink
Ink: True Black - Papertrey Ink; Versamark - Tsukineko
Other: Large Star punch - Stampin' Up!; Gold embossing powder

A Beautiful Day!

Happy Friday morning everyone!

I am so excited about our trip! We leave very, very early tomorrow morning and will be diving by lunch! How about that!

I am also excited to have received my Serendipity Stamps last night. I made some time to use them and put a card together for the RSCC #8.

Here are the colors:

And here is my card:

This card uses the Butterflies in Flight stamp from Serendipity. Don't you just love the detail? I love how the images speak for themselves - you can color these babies in (and what fun that would be!) or not!

I added a little something by highlighting the butterflies with Pearl Ex. It gives it some subtle shimmer, but doesn't take away from the detail of the design.

The adhesive pearl was colored with a Copic marker and stuck on a button. It is much more complimentary to the Raspberry Fizz cardstock in real life! I can't wait to have the opportunity to use these stamps again.

Thank you for stopping by today - I promise that I will update when possible while I am away. But if I don't, it is because we are busy having a great time! Hugs!

-Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Butterflies in Flight - Serendipity Stamps; Beautiful Beach - Stampin' Up!
Cardstock: Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Raspberry Fizz, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink
Other: Scallop border punch - Stampin' Up!; Blue Russett and Pink Flamingo Pearl Ex; adhesive pearl; Copic marker; Vintage cream button - Papertrey Ink.

Grateful Heart

Ok, it is short and sweet today. I have a to-do list a mile long!

First off, I am so excited to have received my Serendipity Stamp Design Team welcome package today! Woohoo! I am really going to try and play tonight.

Today's card is for the 2 Sketches 4 You blog. This is Laura's Sketch #27:

And here's my card.

I colored the image in using Distress Inks - a technique borrowed from my fellow SSDT member Yvonne. Fun!

Ok, I have to run - the card details are below in the recipe. Have a great night. GO PENS!

-Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Fancy Flourish, Heart Prints Sentiments - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Vintage Cream, Linen Vellum - Papetrey Ink
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento - Tsukineko; Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Pine Needles, Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, Fired Brick, Antique Linen - Ranger Distress Ink; Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo Chai and Chamomile - Papertrey Ink
Other: Apron Lace Border punch - Fiskars; Labels Four Nestabilities - Spellbinders; adhesive pearls

Soak Up the Sun

I dare you to not sing Sheryl Crow! :)

Today's card is for CPS 118.

I was looking through the designer's samples and liked the sketch turned vertical, so that's what I used.

Here's my card:

When turned vertical, I saw a sun on the horizon in the half circle and knew it was time to play with A Day at the Beach again!

I hope you enjoy - all the details are in the recipe. The polka dots on the pink umbrella were done using emboss resist. I am looking forward to soaking up a little sun myself. Have a good one!

-Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: A Day at the Beach, Background Basics: Text Style - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Soft Sky, Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!; SS White, Lemon Tart - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Baja Breeze - Stampin' Up!; Hibiscus Burst, Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate, True Black; Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo Chai and Chamomile - Papertrey Ink
Other: Clear Filigree detail embossing powder; Pinking circle Nestabilities - Spellbinders

Sachet

The word sachet makes me think of ballet class (I can remember our instructor repeating chasse over and over..) I was never much of a ballerina - perhaps it had something to do with not taking ballet until college! I didn't miss a calling.

Anyway.. remember this post where I showed you this picture, hinting at a project I was working on?

Well, I'm finally getting around to showing you the finished product!


This is the finished scented sachet that I made, and these are the rest.


I made two of each design, as you can see some are simpler than others. They all smell pretty and I tied the groups up with a pretty bow and added a tag.

Now they are off to a local antique/gift store where they will be available for sale! Thank you for stopping by tonight - hope you have a great evening!

-Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Damask Designs, Beyond Basic Borders, Rustic Branches - Papertrey Ink
Ink: True Black, New Leaf, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Berry Sorbet - Papertrey Ink
Other: Square Nestabilities, Buttons, Beads, Thread, Muslin fabric

Birthday Flourish

I am ready for the day to be over! Things have been a little too crazy for me!

We have officially started the countdown! In 5 days (oh my!) we will be here:

My husband and I are going on a trip with our dive group to spend the week scuba diving in Cozumel. I. cannot. wait. I hope to be able to continue to share some photos with you once we're there (we're taking an underwater camera with us) but I cannot be sure. But more about that later!

Today's card was made for a friend of mine who was celebrating her birthday. I used more new PTI for her card.

Things I love:

- Background Basics: Text Style. I stamped it here with Palette New Canvas ink. I liked the inconsistent, faded look.

- Build-a-flourish. I love that the Fancy Flourishes set comes with additional smaller flourishes that can be added to make larger flourishes. They fit together so well that you can't even tell!

- Monochromatic cards - they can be so dramatic and elegant.

Hope you enjoy! Have a great evening!

-Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Fancy Flourishes, Background Basics: Text Style, Damask Designs - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: True Black, Smokey Shadow, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: New Canvas - Palette; Basic Gray - Stampin' Up!
Accessories: Dove punch - Martha Stewart Crafts; Adhesive pearls