EBTKS Challenge 18 - Aluminum Foil

Hey there! It's time for another Everything but the Kitchen Sink challenge, and Ann is got a GOOOOD one.

Isn't that so fun? My first thought was to cover some buttons with it, and that did work. However, I realized at some point that embossing it would be really easy since it's so pliable. I used one of my embossing folders, and it worked like a charm. I will say that once you emboss it, handle it as little as possible! I learned that the hard way. Here's my card:

I broke out some super fun Amy Butler papers and of course some tape, and my WPlus9 stamps. Speaking of WPlus9, Dawn is our sponsor this week!

The winner of this challenge will get to pick one stamp set of their choice (excludes the bundle pack), and they will have the opportunity to come be our guest designer! Now how fun is that.

To Make:
1. Make card from cardstock.
2. Cut 5.5" x 4" stripe of patterned paper.
3. Cut stripe of patterned paper, stamp sentiment.
4. Emboss aluminum foil, adhere both aluminum foil and paper.
5. Adhere stripe of tape and tie bow. Adhere piece.
6.Stamp leaf stamp twice, cut and adhere with foam tape.


Supplies:
Stamps: Funky Foliage, Woodgrain Silhouettes Additions (WPlus9)
Ink: Onyx Black (VersaFine)
Patterned Paper: Amy Butler
Cardstock: Basic Grey (Stampin' Up)
Misc: Ribbon Hibiscus Burst (Papertrey Ink), Teal Tape (Lovemytapes), Aluminum Foil, Houndtooth Embossing Folder (Cricut)

Come check out what the other girls make and let's see what you can create with foil! It's sure to be a creative journey... Everything but the Kitchen Sink.


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Practicing Creativity is now on Facebook! Come join in the conversation!

Practicing Creativity is sponsoring the City Crafter Challenge! Barefoot Summer is up for grabs!

I Love You ... Webster Pages

No really I do love Webster Pages. I really can't wait to see their booth at CHA! This is a card I made using some of my favorite go to pieces of patterned paper.

I especially love their sheet of frames. Not all of them can be used like the one above, but they are just super pretty.

To Make:
1. Create card from cardstock. Cover with patterned paper.
2. Cut slightly smaller piece of patterned paper and adhere by sewing.
3. Cut out frame from patterned paper, tie bow and adhere.
4. Stamp sentiment on stripe of cardstock.
5. Scor and fold cardstock, cut tips and adhere.

Supplies:
Stamps: (Sentiments) American Crafts 
Ink: (Onyx Black) VersaFine 
Cardstock: (Ivory) Gina K 
Patterned Paper: (Life's Portrait Reflections, Lullaby Dreamland) Webster Pages 
Ribbon: (Black Satin) May Arts 
Thread: (White) Coats & Clark

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Thanks for all the feedback yesterday! It's so nice to know you're not weird. OR that we are ALL weird. Check back tomorrow for another EBTKS challenge!

Embellish Baby

Happy Monday friends! My personal goal this week is to blog everyday. I honestly feel so much more creative when I'm practicing it daily. Is that weird? Am I the only one? Things have been so busy lately with my job, Practicing Creativity (speaking of a new release starts Thursday), submissions, and life. I really don't understand how those of you with kids do it!

I thought I'd get the week started off with one of my favorite challenges:

I really just wanted to stamp, so I broke out some of my own Practicing Creativity stamps. Well, and for full disclosure I'm way low on patterned paper ... or way low of anything I haven't used and used and used. I'm trying not to buy any until CHA next month (Are you going? Let me know!).

Here's what I came up with. And I have to tell you, since I've moved to my new room I'm having lighting issues. I don't know if it's all the extra lighting I have in here, but something is giving off a serious orange glow. So frustrating.

I wish I would have noticed that dark spot on my ribbon before taking this picture, but there isn't much I can do now. I used For the Love of Dots to stamps so large vintage cream dots in the background. Unfortunately I think my ink is running out, because you can just BARELY see them. And I used the tree from Barefoot Summer.

To Make:
1. Make card from cardstock and cut slightly smaller piece of So Saffron cardstock.
2. Stamp dots on So Saffron cardstock. Adhere and sew around edges.
3. Stamp tree and sentiment on stripe of cream cardstock.
4. Punch two stripes of scallops adhere on to cream cardstock.
5. Tie bow around piece and adhere.

Supplies: 
Stamps: Barefoot Summer, For the Love of Dots (Practicing Creativity); Round and Round (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Certainly Celery (Stampin' Up); Yellow Cadmium (ColorBox); Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, So Saffron (Stampin' Up); Ivory (Gina K)
Punch: Double Embossed Scallop (EK Success)
Fibers: Jonquil (MemrieMar); White (Dual Duty)

Kind Deeds + Fabric Tape

I've got another card to show you using some fabric tape. The inspiration for this card actually came from a scrapbook layout in Elizabeth Kartchner's latest book. The layout used masking tape in a kind of grid, and I really liked the looked. So I used some new Fabric Tape and went to work.

Again, I've said this before, but I'm loving tapes right now. I also used a couple of stripes inside to give it a finished look as well and it took all of two seconds!

Stamps: (Kind Deeds) Clear & Simple Stamps, (Spiro Garden) Technique Tuesday, (Grainy Background) Unity 
Ink: (Onyx Black) VersaFine, (VersaFine) Tsukineko 
Cardstock: (Fresh Asparagus, Ivory) Gina K, (Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink) Stampin' Up! 
Buttons: (Vintage Cream) Papertrey Ink 
Fibers: (Chocolate Twine) Shabby Green Door 
Misc: (Wild Flower Fabric Tape) e2Daily 
Punch: (Apron Lace) Fiskars 

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Tonight is the last night to join in on the current challenge at EBTKS! You can win a $25 gift card to Lawn Fawn!

Glitz Summer Cards

It's so hot here all I can think about is summer. So rather than fight it I decided to make two different summer cards with different styles. I started off with the Kismet Titles Cardstock Stickers. I love how large this "Always Be Yourself" sticker is on my card. What a great, easy way to whip together a quick card. I wanted this card to have a 4th of July feel without really saying it.

For my second card I wanted to use those bright fun colors that seem to scream summer. I've been eyeing this super cute distressed couture flower.

I love those teeny alphas! So great. I hope you are all enjoy your summer ... it sure is hot here.

Always Be Yourself Supply List:
Patterned Paper: Kismet Ledger
Sticker: Kismet Titles Cardstock Stickers

Thank You Supply List:
Patterned Paper: Maya Polka 
Stamp: Distressed Couture Flower
Stickers: Pink Block Teeny Alpha

Guest Blogger Over at the Traveling Mama

Just wanted to jump over here to let you know I'm guest blogging over on the Traveling Mama's blog while she is making the big move! Here's just a sneak peek at my card I made!

2 Sketches 4 You #54

Man, it's been a busy week! I did set aside some time tonight to make a card, and I'm not sure what exploded on my cardstock. I'm going to blame it on the lack of creativity happening lately. I did get to use this week's 2 Sketches 4 You sketch:

See? I told you I went a little crazy. Okay maybe I should blame it on the fabric tape. LOVE THAT STUFF. I promise I'm going to stop saying that!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great Friday!

EBTKS Challenge 17

I'm writing this post pretty early because I'll be traveling for work when this needs to go live. I'll actually going to be at CentriKid camp at Lee University with a video/photo crew shooting the next promotional video. I tell you all this, as it is currently Saturday because I'm just excited! And well my husband is traveling right now too, so the extravert I am needs to talk to someone... okay that sounds strange moving on.

It's time for another EBTKS challenge and this is one I know you can all do really well on. Winter has found some neat inspiration...

The sketch is based off one of those little basket...

Fun huh? I kind of "broke the rules" which is perfectly fine by the way. I wanted to use a labels 1 as the center and the card took on a life of it's own. Once I realized I wanted to use that I remembered that the current Embellish Challenge is for labels, and I love the colors ... so I used two challenges. Seriously this is exactly how my thought process goes for these things, but the end result is worth it (sometimes).

Stamps: Grainy Background (Unity), Always on the Go Bird (Catslife Press)
Ink: VersaMark (Tsukineko); Burnt Umber (Palette)
Cardstock: Cameo Coral (Stampin' Up!), Sweet Corn, Chocolate Brown (Gina K)
Fabric Tape: Chocolate Brown (e2 Daily)
Buttons: Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink)

Also, this weeks sponsor is Lawn Fawn! There is a $25 gift up for grabs for the winner! I know you don't want to miss that! So come play along over on the EBTKS blog.

I want to ride my bicycle... Moxie Fab Challenge

It's been a really productive weekend creatively, but man I really miss Chase. He's at a mission trip with the high school students from church. I usually am able to get a ton done while he's gone, mainly because I'm trying to keep myself as busy as possible and not miss him. So I decided to try Cath's latest challenge over at Moxie Fab World.

I love bicycles, but I don't have any stamps. So I used my bicycle over lay from Hambly. I also broke out some of my new tapes. I love these!

Stamps: You're Dandy (Practicing Creativty), Funky Foliage (WPlus9)
Ink: Onyx Black (VersaFine)
Patterned Paper: Grey Sugar (Jillibean Soup)
Overly: Black Mini Bicycles (Hambly)
Tape: Hougan Gray, Blue (Love My Tapes)
Ribbon: Parrot Green Twill (May Arts)

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Check back tomorrow for the next EBTKS Challenge!

CARDS Magazine Publications

I've been a little behind showing you these cards! I especially wanted to share one of them, because I was so excited when I made the card. Do you ever get really excited about what you are creating?

March - CARDS

 May - CARDS

It's interesting now to see that I used a similar color scheme on both. The second card was the one I was excite to post here on my blog. I created it by using several different decorative scissors (so glad I didn't throw those away). I think the effect is really fun! If you try it yourself I'd love to see! I hope you all have a great weekend!

Play Date Cafe - Guest Designer

I'm super excited to be the Guest Designer over on The Play Date Cafe! And then when I got the colors I got EVEN more excited! Check them out:

Those are right up my alley (well besides the pink, but it's not really the pink I don't use). Practicing Creativity is also sponsoring this challenge! So if you haven't already grabbed your Barefoot Summer stamp set, here's another opportunity for you to win it. And since I'm still very much in love with that tree (I can say that right?) I broke it out again.

Aren't those colors so fun? I love kraft.

Come play along, because again you can't get much better colors than that!

Glitz Elegant Love Cards

I'm not sure if it was the chick flick my husband Chase and I watched the other day, or the fact that he cleaned for me, or that I'm reading Pride and Prejudice again but I was certainly in a loving mood when I made these cards!

For the first card I wanted to use these amazing Vintage Paper Layer. I punched several stripes of scallops and layered them. I just can't seem to stop using this effect.

I finished off the card with Glitz's frosting and the black tiny round alphas.

Those little alpha are so fun and while I had those out and the black frosting I had to use them again. They are such great basics for any card.

I stamped one of the Fancy Frames on cardstock and cut it out. I just LOVE those frames. And this is one of the smaller ones, you should see some of the large ones!

The patterned paper is from the Distress Couture collection. I love how much drama it adds to the card.

Love Ruffle Card: Vintage Paper Layer, Black Frosting, Black Tiny Round Alphas
Love Frame:  Distress Couture collection Vines, Fancy Frames, Garden Glitzers, Black Frosting, Black Tiny Round Alphas

Hush Little Baby & The PCD Journey

There seems to be a lot of baby shower's coming up in the new future! So during the Barefoot Summer release I thought I'd challenge myself to make a baby card using the set. It wasn't too hard, granted I didn't use the stamp set as the focal point, but as a background. However I did use some of the new Blue and White Stripe.

I also used the Ivory Crochet. I don't know what it is about baby cards, but I'm pretty certain my rule is that they should all have some crochet ribbon!

For those of you that got the new set, I would really love to see what you make. You can either email me (see contact info on sidebar) or post your pictures to our Flickr group.  It's also a great place to get inspiration!

As we've been finishing everything up for this release, I realized that Practicing Creativity Designs has been around for 6 months! Isn't that crazy? We are still very much growing, so if you don't have our blinking you can grab it from my sidebar. I so appreciate you adding it to your blogs!

I also thought it would be fun to go back and review some of my favorite cards from each set. I know many of you are just finding out about us!

Our first set, Key to My Heart. A set that will forever be oh so dear to my heart.

 Next up was You're Dandy with those super fun rays. 

Look Up! was next and we moved to the official website.

I was thrilled to design For the Love of Dots and finally get some really large dots.

Then I recruited my husband to design You're the Man, because well he is the man for me!

And now we have Barefoot Summer. I can't believe time has gone by so quickly! And you can always see more on each of these sets by clicking on the appropriate stamp set name in my labels! Thank you all for coming along on this adventure with me!


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Just a few more days left to play along with the EBTKS challenge. The winner will receive a $30 DeNami Design gift card and the opportunity to be our next guest designer!

Introducing Barefoot Summer

Barefoot Summer is a 4x6 set with 26 interactive stamps and tons of flexibility. I can't wait to see what all you make with it.

Barefoot Summer is available for $12.99 at the store - www.practicingcreativitydesigns.com. 





Shipping for U.S. Customers is a flat rate of $4

Shipping for international customers is a flat rate of $6 

International mail will be sent via USPS First Class International.

Here's a few images of some of the new ribbon you'll find in the store as well! 

1.5" Fuchsia and White Stripe
1.5" Orange and Ivory Stripe
1.5" Ivory Crochet

Thank you all for your continued to support!

Barefoot Summer and Ribbon Collection Winners

Only an hour until the release of Barefoot Summer! Here are the winners for this release:

For the 10 yard of ribbon:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

18 

Timestamp: 2010-06-06 02:49:58 UTC

The winner is: Hannah said...
b.u.tiful!!

I love the striped ribbon. So pretty.

For Barefoot Summer:

Here are your random numbers:

111 

Timestamp: 2010-06-06 02:55:29 UTC

Ellie A. said...
I LIVE for Flip-Flops that is why I love the warm weather because that is the ONLY thing I wear.. I am known as the Flip-Flop mama.. so needless to say my heart skipped a beat w/this set! LOVE IT :)



 Girls please email me at Courtney@practicingcreativitydesigns.com!

I'll be back in an hour for some more fun!

Barefoot Summer!

Tonight's the night! Barefoot Summer will release at midnight eastern time. Until then we've got some more cards to show you! Today is all about the flowers. This set has two different groups of flowers. I think you'll love them.

For my card. I paper pieced several little flowers with kraft centers, and I used some of the new jute ribbon to make that super fun bow! Isn't that green awesome?

I also made my traditional video showing you how all of the pieces of this stamp work together!

You can also view the video over on YouTube here.

The design team has some beautiful cards for you as well!

When Alice colors it's just gorgeous! She used the small flowers and stems and one of the larger flowers to create the background.

I love how Dana used the buttons for the flower centers, but what I love the most is how she created the yellow flower to be the star of the show!

Paulina has a treat for us all. Not only has she made this super cute card using Barefoot Summer and You're Dandy, but she's shown us exactly how to make it.

Check out the design team's blogs for more details on their cards. Haven't they just done a wonderful job?

Today's the last day to leave a comment to win a new set. And now that you've seen most of the set what are you most excited about? I'll pick the winner tonight at 11 eastern for the ribbon and stamp set.