PPA Best Dressed List 2011

Actually, I didn't make the best dressed list.  lol !  But, one of my cards DID.  At the end of the year Pals Paper Arts chooses 12 cards (one for each month) as the ones they deemed "best dressed".  PPA is one of the card challenge blogs that I like to play along with.

 

This description is form the Pals Paper Arts Best Dressed blog post:

 

Move over  Mr. Blackwell - here comes Pals Paper Arts Best Dressed List for 2011! 

 

As the year draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment and reflect on this past year at Pals Paper Arts.  We are so thankful for all of the participants who played with us over the past year!!  Each design team member selected a favorite design out of the PPA Picks for each month.  Winners will be given a badge to put on their blog.  Enjoy the Best of the Best for 2011!

 

Not a bad way to start out my day, huh?

You can follow THIS LINK to see my card, and the comment by the design team member that chose my card.  You'll need to scroll to the bottom of the post, as mine is the December choice.

Thanks for taking a look!

Happy Birthday - Color Q Challenge

Hi!  I'm back with a birthday card for a family member.  It's for one of the guys...and you stampers know how difficult it can be to make masculine cards.  I did use my pinking scissors.  I just had to do a decorative edge, since I couldn't use bling or ribbons.  Ha!

I'm playing along with the Color Q Challenge #117.  Take a look at the challenge.

And here is my card...

I recently bought the Wonderful Word die set from Papertrey Ink, so this card gave me a chance to use one of those dies.  These dies are so much fun to use.  I did find that I needed to use a extra piece of cardstock as a shim, though.  Otherwise the die didn't cut completely through my card stock.  It was a very simple solution.
I heat embossed the word "birthday" in black, so that it wouldn't get lost in the background print.
Thanks so much for stopping in to take a look!

Supplies ~

cardstock: whisper white, basic black, marina mist (Stampin' Up!)

ink: basic black (SU), versamark (Tsukineko)

stamps: background basics: newsprint, wonderful words additions (Papertrey Ink)

die: wonderful words (PTI)

other: black stampin' emboss powder (SU), mono multi liquid glue (Tombow), pinking scissors (X-acto), heat tool

Gratitude

I was reading Susan R.'s post on her blog today.  Her blog is: Questioning My Intelligence
I really like her idea of a gratitude journal, but it's not something I've "gotten around to doing."  You know what I mean, right?  All those things I want to do...someday.  Well, today I'll start small and do a gratitude blog post.

I'm grateful for:
* my loving and patient husband
* my quiet, patient and fun sister (we're alike in some ways, yet so different in others...right Sis?)
* all of my in-laws.  I couldn't have married into a better family :)
* our nieces & nephews...the 8 here on earth and the 1 in heaven (I'm so very proud of all of them).
* my friends.  The ones I've known 'forever' and the ones I've know for a few years. 
   They are each so different, yet all so precious to me.
* the beauty of nature
* my creativity
* my blog friends & the papercrafting community
* my church & Pastor
And, most of all...I'm grateful for God & all the blessings he's provided.  As Dave Ramsey says, when someone asks him how he's doing..."better than I deserve".
Like most of you, there have been difficult times in my life.  But if I stop and look around...and remind myself.  Yes. I have have so much to be grateful for.
 

Holiday Greetings - A center step card

Hi all!
It's been more than 2 weeks since my last post.  I've really missed blogging.  But, I've had a lot of fun in the mean time.  Lots of gatherings with friends to celebrate the holidays :o)

Anyway...this card is going into 2 challenges.
Just Us Girls #114 - A Technique Challenge (a center step fold card)

Pals Paper Arts PPA123 - Puttin' On The Ritz (and some blog candy!)

I just got my recent order from Stampin' Up! a few days ago, and couldn't wait to use some of that silver glimmer paper.  It's sooooo pretty!  I love the bling that it added to this card when I die cut it with a PTI word die.
Take a look.

This is the first time I've tried my hand at making a center step fold card.  It was much easier than I thought and I'm pleased with the results.  But...it measures 5-1/2 x 5-1/2, which means it won't fit in any of my envelopes.  That's a little disappointing.  Maybe I'll be creating an envelope for it.

Anyway, it was a fun card to create.  The gals at JUGS provided a link to a tutorial for the center step fold card.  So, take a look.  You just might want to give it a try, too :)
Thanks so much for taking a look.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Supplies:

card stock: night of navy (SU)

patterned paper: AG1327 (Anna Griffin)

stamps: wonderful words-holiday (PTI)

die: wonderful words-holiday (PTI)

other: sterling silver embossing powder (SU), silver pearl (Recollections), silver cord (Darice), snowflake punch (MS)