Thursday, September 30, 2010

Perfect Presentation Winner!

First off, thanks to everyone who left such sweet comments on my pumpkin post from Monday!
The random winner of a perfect presentation template is...
#2 - Papertrails by a paper lover who wrote...

 
Please contact Leigh Ann at annie21211@yahoo.com and let her know which template you would like!

 
Don't be too sad if you did not win, there is still another chance to win 3 perfect presentation templates of your choice!  Check out my 3-D challenge on Yvonne Yam's blog Do More With Less.

Enjoy your day!
Smiles,
Julie

Monday, September 27, 2010

The Perfect Pumpkin and Candy

This month Perfect Presentation is releasing 6 new items!  That means new packaging templates and cut files just in time for the upcoming holidays.   Today I am sharing a template that is great for any occasion - "Perfect Parcel".  I can imagine it decorated as a sweet Birthday present, but as soon as I saw it, I immediately thought of pumpkins...
 
To make my pumpkin, I sewed lines on the polka dot mats.  I created my own free form leaves, stamped a sentiment on each and used an ink pad to create veins and distressing.  It is finished off with a bow and a button for a stem.  

Now here is where the candy comes in...
If you have never tried using a template before, then today could be your lucky day!  One random commenter on this post will win the template of their choice.  Just leave a comment by Wednesday, September 29th at midnight EST and you could be on your way to creating gift sets for everyone on your gift list!  Want to increase your chances of winning?  Be sure to visit the rest of the design team and leave them a little lovin', as each is giving away a template too!


Plus, if you want more chances to win templates, be sure to play along with my 3-D challenge on Yvonne Yam's blog Do More With Less.  One random participant will win 3 templates of their choice!!!

My pumpkin is also for the following challenges:
Paper Players - Challenge 17 Inspiration photo - ribbon and polka dots
Stamptacular Sunday - Season's Change - Fall colors
Everybody Art Challenge - #109 - Fall
Creative Belli Blog - B embellies - Bow
Mark's Finest Papers - Pumpkin - I know the challenge was to use a pumpkin on a card, but I could not resist linking up...
JUGS - Template Challenge

Have a great day and enjoy checking out what the rest of the DT created!  Such a fun way to start the week.

Smiles,
Julie
Details:  Template - Perfect Parcel (Perfect Presentation), Stamp - Falling Leaves (PTI), CS - SU, PP - ,Button (PTI), Ink - Chocolate Chip (SU), Twine (PTI), and Ribbon (RAK from Leigh Ann - thank you!).

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Keeping it Simple with a Digi

Today I am playing along with the Inktegrity Sketch Challenge and I am in a clean and simple kinda mood.   Yep, it's possible to keep a digi simple.  I pulled out one of my standards the swiss dots embossing folder and kept to a simple color combo.

Here's the sketch so you can play along!  Wouldn't you like to win some Inktegrity?  Link up your own take here and check out all the details!
Smiles,
Julie
Details:  Image - Tree Silhouette (Inktegrity), CS - Black and Harvest Gold (PTI), Embossing folder - Swiss Dots (Cuttlebug), and brads from stash.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Template Challenge

Guess what?!?!!!  Today I am guest blogging over on Yvonne Yam's blog "Do More With Less"!!!  I started following Yvonne's blog when I saw some of her creations on Card Patterns.  I then visited her blog and discovered that she has a natural talent for creating the most wonderful scrapbook layouts.  She has the ability to turn normal everyday events into fabulous memories.
Okay, so now onto what I am guest blogging about, and no, it is not scrapbooking - Yvonne's already an expert on that topic!  She asked me to share some tips on templates.  I have so much fun creating gift sets, so of course I said yes.

I am also issuing a challenge to you!  Create a new non-card or layout project.  Ideally, create something using a template, but even a tag or altered item would be great.  Now I know templates can be intimidating, but so long as you have a printer, I think you can do it!!!  I am even going to sweeten the challenge by offering one random participant 3 templates from Perfect Presentation!  Link up your creation on Yvonne's blog here.  Plus you can also read some tips and more from me.   Yeah, as if you don't get enough from me in one blog!


The card is based on Sketch #82 from Card Patterns.

Smiles,
Julie
Details:  Template - Goody Box (Perfect Presentation), Stamp - Everyday Greetings (PTI), CS - Cream and Pure Poppy (PTI), PP - Songbird (DCWV), Ink - Ladybug Red (Momento), stash ribbon, Buttons - Pure Poppy (PTI), Embossing Folder - Swiss Dots (Cuttlebug), scallop punch, and embroidery floss.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Something Old, Something New

The Verve project parade this month is "Something Old, Something New".  The challenge is to use new Verve stamps with old ones.  I am so glad we do not have to create a wedding card because it has been about 2 years since I went to a wedding. 
I pulled out the newly released Great Friend and my already inked up Blue Skies.  Appropriately enough, I made a gift set for a great friend :>)  I call her my personal shopper because whenever we go shopping I get great deals and always find what I am looking for.


My personal shopper always seems to be carrying a bag, so I made her a "bag" for her B-day to hold caramel candies.

Smiles,
Julie
Details: Stamps - Great Friend and Blue Skies (Verve), Template - Bag it Up (Perfect Presentation),CS - PTI, Ink - SU, PP - Basic Grey, Buttons (PTI) and stash ribbon & embroidery floss.

Got Milk?

I got buttons, cake, Inktegrity, and Perfect Presentation!
First up is a card full of buttons.  It is for this week's challenge on the Inktegrity Challenge Blog, "Anything Goes"!  Now, I know you can all play along with that one :>)  When you create something new this week link it up {here} and you may win 3 digi images from the Inktegrity Store!!!  While you are over at the challenge blog linking up your creation be sure to become a follower.  If you are a follower, you will be able to see more of the creations by the Inktegrity Fall Design Team, which includes myself (thanks for asking me Joni!!!  She makes my super sweet crafter list every time!)!!!  Check out my sidebar to see who else is on the team and be sure to send them some smiles today!

The image on my card is the Butterfly from Inktegrity.  I am a huge fan of butterflies lately and if you have been following, then you know I like to put a single button for the body of each.  Well, the best thing about digis is that I can make the butterfly as big as I want and for this one, I made it large enough to have 3 buttons for the body.  My card also uses this week's Card Patterns sketch #81- a good one as always!

You know how I like to coordinate, so now on to the cake, which matches my card...

One of the new Perfect Presentation templates is a mini cake stand.  I think Leigh Ann had cupcakes in mind when she designed it, but I decided to put this template to the test, by increasing the size to hold a 6" round cake...

it worked!

The directions suggest 4 -6 "legs" to the pedestal, so I went with 6 to be safe.  This cake was heavy (I always torte and fill), but the cake stand had no problem holding up.  I wouldn't recommend cutting the cake while still on the stand, but it created a "Perfect Presentation"!
Smiles,
Julie
Details:  Card - Image - Butterfly (Inktegrity), CS - Ocean Tides (PTI) & purple in color (SU), PP - (We R Memory Keepers), Buttons - Ocean Tides (PTI) and embroidery floss.
Stand - Template - Mini Cake Stand - scallops come with svg (Perfect Presentation), CS - Ocean Tides (PTI) & purple in color (SU), PP - (We R Memory Keepers), Buttons - Ocean Tides (PTI)

Sunday, September 12, 2010

MOJO Monday #155

It has been awhile since I played along with MOJO Monday, but this week's sketch "drew" me in!  I have wanted to ink up my new Verve set Carpe Cupcake so this was the perfect opportunity.  I specifically bought this set because the sentiment "Seize the Cupcake" is super fun!  Plus, let's face it, Birthdays are the one occasion where it is okay to eat as many cupcakes as you want.


Julee mentioned in her post that she could not wait to see what we did with the tag, so I decided to make a cupcake shaped key fob of sorts out of felt and glitter. 
I stamped the cupcake image on felt, twice, then cut around it.  I sewed the 2 pieces together using a blanket stitch (I actually remembered how to do the stitch) and then stuffed the cupcake with leftover felt scraps (I am feeling super resourceful).  Added some glitter, plus the chain to wrap around the ribbon.  I know that many cards I make may not be saved, but the recipient of this card can always take the cupcake fob off and add it to a backpack, etc. 

Smiles,
Julie
Details:
Stamp - Carpe Cupcake (Verve), Paper - Pink Pirouette (SU) & Aqua Mist (PTI), PP - Ocean Dot & Aquamarine Dot (BoBunny), Stash Ribbon, Stash rhinestones, Glitter - Sugar Coating Cupcake glitter (Doodlebug) & Glitzy Glitter (Stampendous), Stash Chain, Die - Dalia (Nestabilities), Embossing Folder Cuttlebug, and Ink - Rose Romance (SU).

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Perpetual Birthday Card

I have heard that once you reach a certain age you never get older.  I personally would not know anything about that, but 29 seems to be a magical age!

Karen Baker guest blogged over on Yvonne Yam's blog Do More With Less a couple weeks ago.  Karen makes fab clean and simple cards and she challenged everyone to create a card using a grid pattern.  Turning 29 over and over again seems like the perfect sentiment for a background grid pattern :>)  Be sure to check out Karen's challenge and try out your own grid pattern - you may just find yourself using it again and again and again...
Oh, and did you notice the paint on my "?", that's just a little homage to Yvonne :>)
Smiles,
Julie
Details:  Stamp Set - So You Say It's Your Birthday (TCP), CS - White (PTI) & Wild Wasabi (SU), Button (PTI), Chipboard - Punctuation (Bazzill), Acrylic Paint (stash), and PP - Green at Heart (Basic Grey).

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Fall Colors Continued

Fall truly is my favorite season of the year with pumpkin patches and leaves all around (obviously it's my husband who rakes 'em).  I am ready to jump right into Autumn and I am continuing my Fall projects with a card.  The color challenge this week on Little Paper Shop is Orange, Olive and Kraft - that fits in with Autumn for me.  I combined that with sketch #79 from Card Patterns to make this card.

Tons of fussy cutting with the leaves and the flower.  I stamped a rose from the LPS Rose set 6 times and then cut out various parts and crumpled them all, then layered and tied together with twine.  The orange mat is created from a Perfect Presentation cut file - Label Frames 2.  This is one of the reasons I wanted a cutting machine, the ability to cut out frames, etc any size I wanted.  I can just see making a huge label for a scrapbook LO (which I have been sadly neglecting lately).


Have a wonderful day!
Smiles,
Julie
Details:
Stamps - Rose, Moments, Fabulous Phrases (Little Paper Shop), CS - Terracotta Tile & Kraft (PTI) Old Olive (SU), Buttons & Twine (PTI), Die Frame - Label Frames 2 (Perfect Presentation), Embossing Folder - Swiss Dots (Cuttlebug).