Crochet Flowers Announcement!

Happy Sunday to ya! A storm blew in here last night and brought some more cooler weather with it last night. Yesterday, it was in the 70's and rainy - today the upper 40's. I am really wondering when we will get some spring-like weather Florida is so famous for. The snowbirds from up north must be feeling a little gypped!

As you all know, I love to use crocheted flowers as embellishments on my cards...I am very excited to announce that I have decided to sell some of my crocheted flowers on my Etsy Store!

Add a button, a brad or some bling to the center of them to make a quick 3-D embellishment, perfect for any scrapbooking, card or altered project! They measure approximately 1 inch square.

Click this link for some inspiration on how to use them.

I have packaged them in sets of 5 individual colors and have matched them to SU and PTI colors. (I found a list on SCS that had DMC floss matches). Some are made with crochet thread and the rest are made with DMC floss. I currently have 4 colors available in my Etsy store, but am planning on adding additional colors once I gauge the interest in them. If there is a particular color you would like, please 'Convo' me through my Etsy store. I am happy to do special orders at this time and am able to do different quantities. Special orders will be priced based on quantity.

Here is the Pink set:

This is how it matches to Pretty In Pink cardstock:

Aqua:

Set of 5 view:

Matches PaperTrey Ink's Aqua Mist Cardstock:Ecru - matches Very Vanilla, but will coordinate with just about anything, especially kraft & brown colored papers as well as any DP that has creamy tones, vs. white tones - very versatile color!White - of course, it goes with about anything! They can also be died with re-inkers to create just about any color as well as airbrushed with Copics.Lastly, I wanted to show you how I organize my floss colors. I used the trusty list I got off of SCS and some Cropper Hopper ribbon cards. I cannot seem to find who makes this shape ribbon card anymore, but the Cropper Hopper ones are fine too.

I wrote the DMC floss # at the top left and the coordinating color in the middle. When I finish the floss, I know what color to re-purchase without having to look it up! The cards keep them from getting tangled up etc. I store them in rainbow order in SnapWare containers like these. I love these things for storing scrapping supplies. I used to crop every Friday night at my LSS and they were perfect for page planning. I store everything from versa mark ink pads, SU markers, Copics (for when I travel), bling, alcohol inks, etc. each in their own labeled bin. Then all I needed to do was snap the items together that I needed for that night and they were neat & tidy! I also have 12 x 12 SnapWare containers that store my SU stamps. I used to use them for chipboard, MM paints, Glimmer Mist and other larger embellishments when I cropped mobily. Now, I pretty much do my cards at home, but things are still so easy to find in my office because of my organization.

Here is a close-up of how I mark each ribbon card:Have a wonderful Sunday! I will be back this week with some new PCS Digi Valentine images as well as some other deliciousness! Thanks for stoppin' in! Gotta go stir my pot of chicken & sausage gumbo I am making! ~Tori

More Robot Luv!

Happy Saturday Mornin'! Do you have fun plans for the weekend? My Aunt & Uncle are in town from Pensacola, FL this weekend, so we are going to visit with them while they are in town. I am also going to work on some more delicious Pink Cat Studio Digi's for next Thursday's release. You will want to check these out - Just trust me; very cute stuff! Other than that, normal family stuff, etc.

Here is another Robot Card I made using PCS' Digi Robot Boy Image.

I decided to stick with my Inque Boutique Out of this World Paper. It is perfect for my boys. This will be one of my Valentine's for my kiddos. I have to make a birthday card for an upcoming 7 yr old's party and I will use this stamp, but with the "Happy Birthday" sentiment in his tummy. This is a very versatile image - birthday, love, thinking of you, congratulations, etc. I paired the DP with some Ruby Red, Buckaroo Blue (retired SU), and some Kiwi Kiss. I used my Ticket Corner Punch (SU) and some brads to add some more boyishness. (Is that a word? LOL)

I printed my image on PTI's Stamper's Select cardstock, colored him with Copics and cut him out. I airbrushed a circle with R37 and layered it on paper cut with my pinking nesties. The green panel with the sentiment has a layer of Liquid Glass over it to make it look like a tv screen in his tummy!

Have a Happy Weekend and be sure to check back soon! Toodles, ~Tori

Will You Be My Valentine?

Happy Thursday! I am planning on hitting the gym again today - I went yesterday for the first time in a long time and it felt great!

I have a quick post this morning to show you another Anya card I made for Valentines. This is one of the girls from the Miss Anya Dressy set.

I used some Basic Grey Bittersweet DP along with some Riding Hood Red and some Sweet Blush (PTI) paper. I could not avoid using another crocheted flowers! I just love making them. I also had to use my MS fern punch too! The sentiment is from a new PTI stamp set.
Here is a close-up of Miss Anya. I airbrushed the pink heart behind her and colored her with Copics.

I will be updating my ETSY store today to include a few new cards sometime today!

Supplies - Miss Any Dressy Stamps (Greeting Farm), Sentiment (PTI); Paper - Riding Hood Red, Stamper's Select White, Sweet Blush (PTI); Ink - Copics, Memento; Accessories - Riding Hood Red Ribbon, Heart Nesties, Copic ABS, Copics, Fern Punch (MS), button & twine (PTI), sewing machine, flower (crocheted by me), Word Window & Modern Label Punches (SU)

Thanks for stopping by! ~Tori

Snail Mail

Good Wednesday Mornin' to ya'll! I hope everyone is gearing up for a good day today. I am planning on hittin' the gym this morning and really starting my workout routine today. I have been sick most of January, so I am getting a late start. I was sick a few weeks ago and then just had the lingering cough and managed to catch another cold. Oh well, I am mostly better now, so all is good! It was good to have a little down time - I finished Twilight last Thurs, and then read New Moon, Eclipse and 2/3 of Breaking Dawn this weekend! I am a little burned out on reading now and many other things need my attention!

I have a cute Valentine's card to share with you today. The image is a FREE digi download from Doodle Palace - you can check it out here.

I saw that image and thought it was adorable and somewhat versatile and who can argue with free? It could be used as a Hello, Birthday, Valentine's, etc. I was busting at the seams to cut into my new Bo Bunny paper I picked up last week at my LSS. I used to have a problem cutting into new paper (especially Basic Grey), because it was too pretty and what if I messed up. So, for a long time I accumulated paper and looked at it and used the paper I was less attached to. I finally challenged myself to use my coveted paper and now I don't have issues with it anymore. LOL - paper addiction, I am sure there are worse things! The Bo Bunny DP was paired with some Bazzill (tealish color) & Riding Hood Red cardstock. I used PTI's Stamper's Select paper to print my image - it is my favorite for Copics. The sentiment comes from PTI's Vintage Picnic stamp set. I cut the tag using a Nestie and airbrushed the background. The flower is one of my handmade crocheted flowers and the leaves were punched using an EK Success leaf punch. The button and twine are PTI as well. I am happy to report that my new Martha Stewart border punch (under the heart paper) cuts like 'buttah'! I have several of her border punches and they are not fond of SU & PTI paper, because of the thickness. I guess they re-engineered them or I got one awesome punch - I hardly had to press and it went straight through! To finish it off, I added some stitching - I remember way back when - I was afraid to sew on my cards - Ha! It's one of my fav things now!
Here is a close-up of Mr. Snail. I colored him with Copics and then masked him off, so that I could airbrush the ground and sky. Here are the Copics I used as I best remember them. (I colored him yesterday at the Ford Dealership, while getting my oil changed - hey, have Copics, will travel!) Sky - BG000; Ground - YG03; Snail - W1, W3, W7, R30, R32, R35, R37, R39; Mail - BG10, BG11, R37, & Colorless Blender.

Sorry for the novel this morning - guess it's going to be a chatty day! ~Tori

Happy Birthday Anya!

Happy Friday! Hope everyone has a fun weekend planned. We really do not have much on the schedule for this weekend and it is so refreshing to have some down time! I am planning on doing some reading myself! I finally bit the bullet and decided to read Twilight (really like the movie!) - I started it Tuesday night and finished it last night and started reading New Moon (another good movie)! My 13 yr old daughter and her friends are very into the Twilight stuff and she has really been on me to read them. I am very eager to get through the series!

I have a few Anya cards to share with you today that I have recently made. The first one is from the Miss Anya Love set. I love the sweet and gentle look about this image. I pulled out some Making Memories Chloe's Closet DP pack from last year for this card. I matched it with some So Saffron and Brocade Blue cardstock. To deepen the color of the Blue cardstock, I sponged some Blue Bayou ink around the edges. The head pin is also from the same MM collection. The flower was hand crocheted by me. The ribbon is Enchanted Evening Twill from PTI. I typed up the sentiment and printed it out and airbrushed it. For texture, I stitched around the checkered panel.
Here is a close up of this sweet girl. I colored her with the following copics: dress: B91, 93, 95, 97 & 99, Flowers: Y21 & YR16, Skin: E000, E00, E11, R20, Hair: E50, 53, 55. I added some lemon & orange Atyou spica glitter to the flowers. I cut her out and then popped her up on a panel I cut using my nesties and then airbrushed with Y21.

My second card uses the Rain Snow Shine Miss Anya set. I made this card back in December, but forgot to post it!
This is kind of quick one I threw together using a sketch challenge, but I can't remember which one it is - LOL! The sentiment is from a penguin Unity stamp set. I used some Eskimo Kisses DP along with some Cool Caribbean & Perfect Plum I inked to make darker. The embellishments were made with the Retro Flower (EK Success) & small snowflake (Clever Lever) and a teal pearl (Basic Grey).
Here is a close-up of my colored image. I do not recall the exact Copics I used, but here is an educated guess: BG10, 11, 72, E000, E00, E30, E33, E35, E50, R20, Y21, 23, 26, R81, 85, & 89. I added some white fun flock to her hand muff and her boots - so wintery! :)

Have a great weekend! ~Tori

Boy Valentine's!

Happy Thursday! Hope every one's day is going well! We are supposed to get lots of rain today, but that is ok with me, the weather has been much warmer this week - even in the 70's! Yay! I will take rain over frigid temps any day!

Today is Thursday, so that means a new PCS Digi Release and of course, Melissa did not disappoint! I love these new Robot Digi's and my boys are going to love them too!

My first card uses the Boy Robot Digi - all of them are available here. I just adore this image! My boys are 4 & 6 and so into Lego's, Animals and of course, Robots, so this is right up my alley! This image is so versatile - his tummy is blank and comes with 3 different sentiments: "You R Cool", "I Like You" and "Happy Birthday". I pulled out some of my Inque Boutique Out of this World paper - perfect b/c it has space ships and robots on it! I paired the DP with some Ruby Red, Kiwi Kiss and Buckaroo Blue (retired SU) papers. I used my pinking circle nesties - I thought they made the image stand out.
Here is a close-up of this hunk! I colored him using the following copics: C1, 3, 5, & 7, and YG00 & 93. I airbrushed the red background using R27. I added some Liquid Glass (CTMH) to his green sentiment.

For my second card, I used the LuvBot Digi image.

I used more of the Inque Boutique paper - love it with these images! The sentiment is from a Stampendous set. I cut it out using my heart nesties and airbrushed it with some YG93. For this card, I inked around all of the papers using some VersaMagic Chalk ink in Midnight Black.
I colored his using YG00, & YG93, R39, 37, 35, Y11, YR16 & B97. I masked him off and airbrushed around him using B91. I cut it out with my octagonal nesties and layered on top of another octagonal cut piece. I ran it through my Cuttlebug with a circle embossing folder and then sanded it. I added some Liquid Glass to his heart and some Atyou Spica Glitter to his flower.


Here is a peek of all of the images she is releasing this week!

Be sure to stop by all of the other PCS DT blogs for more deliciousness!

Alicia Weiman

Emily Leiphart

Inge Groot

Kerry Donovan-Casey

Kristen Catalano

Lauren Meader

MacKenzie Bruckler

Maria Bell

Mariska van der Veer

Suzanne J. Dean

Tracey Cuccia

Vicki Garrett

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great rest of the day! ~Tori

I Love Mew!

Happy Hump Day! Hope everyone is having a fine Wednesday! I am playing catch up on some images that I have made and trying to finish new projects!

Here is a quick card I made using a PCS Digi that was released last week. You can get it here.

I used some more of PTI's new Simple Valentine DP - it goes well with Raspberry Fizz cardstock. I made another paper flower - you can get more info on making them on Dawn McVey's blog here. I die cut some Sizzix leaves in Raspberry and added a little Raspberry Twill behind the flower.
Here is a close-up of this sweet feline. I colored her with my copics: C1, 3, 5, & 7, and RV14, 17 & 19, and R37. Kitty is cut out and popped up over an oval background I airbrushed using R20. I added some Liquid Glass to her heart and her eyes. I also added some white polka dots using a gel pen around the heart.

Thanks for stopping by today - don't forget to check back tomorrow to see PCS' new digi release! You won't be disappointed! :) ~Tori

Love is in the Air!

Hey there again, I am BACK! I am feeling much better, finally! My whole family is recovered and the weather is starting to turn beautiful again!

Today is PCS Digi Release Thursday and again, Melissa has pulled out all of the stops!

My first card uses one of the new Panda images. Check out all of the new stuff here!

He is just adorable IMHO! I decided he must be surrounded by hearts, so I put him in a shaker card. I really like these shaker inserts by Impression Obsession. They are very slim, so they still work very well for mailing - not too bulky. I filled it with some heart confetti I have had for ages, some red & white seed beads, and clear microbeads. The paper is PTI's new Simple Valentine DP. I paired it with some Kraft, Pure Poppy and some Rasberry Fizz cardstock. For a close-up on the cute flower embellies I made, scroll down! Surprise, I did not use my fern punch on this one - Ha! I used an EK Success leaf punch instead. I cut a scalloped circle with my Nesties and ran it through my CB with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. My little heart bling is from Hero Arts and the sentiment is from a new PTI set.
Here is a quick peek at how I made this card. The shaker is actually inside the card and I used a Circle Nestie to cut the hole in the front of the card!
Here is a peek at the inside of the card. I used the same concept for the inside, including stitching around the edges of the DP. For the image, I used C1, 3, 5, & 7, R20, 21, & 24, RV04, 17 & 19.

I got this idea from Dawn McVey's Blog post here. I decided to use an EK Success 5 petal flower punch, I believe it is the Retro Flower. I punched 5 flowers, layered them together and then added the button in the middle. Dawn has a video tutorial you can watch for more info.

I decided to create some more deliciousness, using the Lily in a Pile of Hearts Digi Image.
I colored the digi image and sentiment and then inked them with some Hibiscus Burst ink. I decided to use some more of my new PTI DP along with Pure Poppy cardstock. This sketch is a modification of the Joy Fold card. The front panel only goes halfway across and the image hangs over the edge. The bottom flower actually holds the card shut. These are more of my hand-crocheted flowers! I just love these things and really enjoy making them. I did have to break down and use my fern punch on this one! Of course the sentiment is one of the Free PCS Digi Sentiments.
Here is a close-up of this sweetheart. I colored her with E000, 00, & 11, R20, 24, 27, RV04, 17 & 19, Y21 & 26, BG10 & 11.
Here is a close-up of the flower embelly.
This is the inside of the card.
Here are some of the other images being released today. Go check them out here!

Be sure to stop by all of the other PCS DT blogs for more deliciousness!

Alicia Weiman

Emily Leiphart

Inge Groot

Kerry Donovan-Casey

Kristen Catalano

Lauren Meader

MacKenzie Bruckler

Maria Bell

Mariska van der Veer

Suzanne J. Dean

Tracey Cuccia

Vicki Garrett

Thanks for stopping by! ~Tori

ETSY Update!

Hi gals! Just wanted to stop by and let you know I added a bunch of previously blogged cards to my ETSY store! Go check it out here if you are interested! I will be adding lots more stuff over the next week!

My ETSY Store

Check back in the morning for new PCS Digi Releases! These might end up in my Etsy Store too! You do not want to miss them! :)

~Tori

BIG PCS News & another contest!!

Hey Ladies! Hope everyone is staying warm and toasty this morning! It is a freezing 26 right now in FL, so I am sure it is colder elsewhere! I am finally on the mend from my sinus infection! I have been sick going on 13 days now and am totally over it! I must be feeling better, b/c as soon as I start feeling human, I start cleaning - deep cleaning. This morning, I took my toaster oven apart and scrubbed it sparkling clean - no more crumbs in the bottom of it! My hubby is getting much better and 2 of my 3 kids are getting over it. Surprisingly, my youngest son (the immuno-compromised one) is the most well of all of us!

Today Pink Cat Studio is expanding yet again!

Last September it was Digi Stamps and today it’s Paper Piecing Projects. These fun projects are great for card making, scrapbooking and any kind of 3D crafting. The project files are formatted for those who like to cut and paper piece by hand and for those who have an electronic cutter.
Check out these fun new projects here: Paper Piecing Projects

Melissa is also having a fun contest and the winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to the PCS rubber or digi store! To enter the contest you will download a free Paper Piecing Project and then make a fun craft with it, anything you like.

So not only will you get to try a Paper Piecing Project for free, you could also win some PCS goodies!

Visit the PCS blog today to find out about how to enter the contest and get your free Paper Piecing Project.

Have a great Sunday! ~Tori

PCS Valentine's Digi Release!

Hi, y'all! It's Thursday, so you know what that means....PCS Digi Release Day!!

I promised you the whole enchilada yesterday, so here it is: (speaking of enchiladas, The Pioneer Woman has the best recipe! - Just made them this week, again...YUM! I {heart} Mexican food - I am from TX after all!) This is Lily Valentine Fairy - I Heart You. Check it out here along with the other new cuteness! It is available in both rubber & digi!! Isn't she just completely adorable? I thought so too! I reached back in my Valentine's stash and pulled out some Fancy Pants Crush DP and paired it with some Cool Caribbean and Regal Rose. I did some whimsical stitching around the edges of the DP. For the embellishment, I punched some fern leaves (big surprise, eh?) and tucked them under some flowers I hand-crocheted and topped with some PTI buttons. I then, punched some small hearts and added them to the leaves with some Stickles. For the center strip, I punched some Regal Rose with my MS Heart border punch and layered it with some American Crafts polka dotted ribbon. Here is a close-up of this cutie. I printed her out on PTI Stampers Select paper and used my oval nesties to cut and layer her. For the background around her, I colored it in solid using R81 and then colored using my colorless blender in circles to create this mottled look. I think it puts more focus on the image. Here are the colors I used: Skin - E000, E00, R20; Dress & Cupcake - R85, R81, E35; Wings - BG10, BG11; Hair - Y21, Y26. I added a cute little Hero Arts heart bling to the sentiment, some Liquid Glass to her cupcake and hearts some clear Stickles to her wings.

Here is another card using another new image Pixies Make a Cupcake. It is also available in both Rubber & Digi as well. These sweet Pixies are hard at work dressing up a scrumptious cupcake! I reached way out of my comfort zone and tried something new on this one - a quilted background! I really try to leave math out of my paper crafting, but I had to sit down and use the old brain a little to figure out how big to make the squares! I am sure someone has a recipe somewhere for this, but I did it on my own! If you are interested, I used 12 - 1.25" squares that made up a panel 3.75" x 5". I cut them all out and then lightly glued them to a piece of printer paper (just regular paper - did not want it too thick) and then sewed down the lines and then stitched it to the yellow panel. I found this We R Memory Keepers Heart Attack DP in my stash - it is really bold and cute! It goes well with Summer Sun (SU) and Cool Caribbean. I used one of Melissa's FREE sentiments - check them out here. For the tag, I used my new Octagonal Nesties along with some American Crafts ribbon and a PTI button.
Here is a close-up of these sweeties. I colored the image with the following Copics: E00, R20, 37, Y11, 15, 17, 21, 26, RV21, 29, BG10, 11,13, YR 16. I added some stickles to the Pixie's wings and some Liquid Glass to the cupcake. I airbrushed using BG10 around the image and sentiment.

Here are all of the images being released today.
Be sure to check out all my other DT Sista's posts too!

Alicia Weiman

Emily Leiphart

Inge Groot

Kerry Donovan-Casey

Kristen Catalano

Lauren Meader

MacKenzie Bruckler

Maria Bell

Mariska van der Veer

Suzanne J. Dean

Tracey Cuccia

Vicki Garrett

Have a wonderful day! ~Tori

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peek & Contest!!

Hi Peeps, I'm here today to share a sneak for the new Pink Cat Studio Digi goodness that is being released tomorrow! Melissa has knocked another one out of the park with some new super-cute digi & rubber images! Stop back by tomorrow to see the whole enchilada!

Now for the Contest!

Pink Cat Studio is introducing some new Pixie characters this Thursday and we are having a contest to celebrate! The Pixies have picked out their own pixie names and you have to guess which names they picked. Visit the Pink Cat Studio Blog to read the contest details and to enter the contest.

Stop by my fellow PCS DT Member's Blogs for more delicious sneakiness!

Alicia Weiman

Emily Leiphart

Inge Groot

Kerry Donovan-Casey

Kristen Catalano

Lauren Meader

MacKenzie Bruckler

Maria Bell

Mariska van der Veer

Suzanne J. Dean

Tracey Cuccia

Vicki Garrett

I could really use some well wishes for our family right now. We all have the 'ickies' right now! Hope everyone has a great day! See ya tomorrow! ~Tori

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year, Y'all! I know I have been MIA for quite some time, but I have been out of town. We went to PA to visit my in-laws for 8 days. It was lots of fun as there was 20 inches of the white stuff on the ground when we landed! The kids had a blast! I will post some pics of them playing in it another day. Other than that, I was working on a baby shower scrapbook for my cousin's wife. I had to take it with me to PA, so I was busy working on it before I left.

I wanted to do one final re-cap of some cards and tags I made to Christmas presents. This first one was really quick - I used a stamp from PTI's 2009 Holiday Tag Collection.

I stamped it in Ripe Avocado and added the red rhinestones. The background stamp is from Hero Arts. I stamped it in Pure Poppy and layered it on some pure poppy cardstock. I ran my Ripe Avocado panel through my CB for some texture and added some red grosgrain and stitching as well.

For my second project, I made another quick tag using the same PTI set.
This little goodie package has 3 chocolate dipped biscotti's as well as a small key chain Starbucks gift card tucked into the tag! I used some Jolly By Golly Paper from Cosmo Cricket and used my deckled edge scissors and then inked the edges with some brown ink. I stitched it to my olive panel. The image was stamped onto Very Vanilla with Pure Poppy ink and also inked with brown around the edges. I added some clear bling to the middle of each snowflake. I added a small swatch of more JBG paper and some olive twill ribbon. The whole package was tied up with some Pure Poppy Dotted Ribbon from PTI.

My last project to share with you is a gift card holder. I used more Eskimo Kisses DP from Basic Grey and a super-cute digi Christmas Frog image from PCS!
I drew in the ground around him and added some glittery 'snow' to the ground and some fun flock to his hat! All of the snowflake punches are from Martha Stewart. I added some large clear bling to the centers. The sentiment is from PTI's Tree Trimming Trio set. I cut it out with nesties and then airbrushed it with some BG10 Copic ink.
As you can see in the close-up, I masked off Santa Froggie and airbrushed around him too!

That's all for tonight! Be sure and check back later this week - I will have some new PCS digi sneak peeks on the 6th! You will not want to miss these!


I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday! I am partied and holiday'd OUT! It was such a whirlwind trip visiting with all of my hubbies family and then getting back home 2 days ago and doing Christmas again at home! I am still in my PJ's (yikes) - having a hard time getting back into the swing of things! I wish everyone a Happy & Healthy 2010! ~Tori