EBTKS Challenge - Buttons

Time flies. I can't believe this is our 20th challenge! It's my turn to host, and I had found this really cool button my mom had saved off some old shirt. I thought it was the perfect challenge. Now, can you use your store bought buttons? Absolutely. Would we love for you to use buttons you found around the house ... oh yea. After all, this is a challenge! But either way just come play along with us and break out those buttons!

The above graphic is actually my jar of "found" buttons. I try to keep buttons from clothes or those extra buttons you get with clothes in this little jar. And here's my card.

Don't you love that button? It works so well with My Beach House! I also used a row of store bought buttons to really finish it off.

Supplies
Stamps: My Beach House (Practicing Creativity)
Ink: Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), VersaMark (Tsukineko)
Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Kraft (Stampin' Up), Ivory (Gina K)
Ribbon: Netting, Ivory Twill (May Arts), Brown Twine (Shabby Green Door)
Buttons: Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)


This challenge is sponsored by the fabulous Simon Says Stamps! Simon Says Stamp also carries Practicing Creativity Stamps! The winner of this challenge will win a $15 credit to their store! Plus this winner has the opportunity to be our next guest designer!




Come check out what the other girls made and play along here.

CHA Day 1

Chase and I made it to Chicago safely yesterday, and we almost immediately headed to CHA!

The Dear Lizzy Booth

 Donna Downey at the Prima Booth

Making a scrapbook page at the Little Yellow Bicycle booth! 

I'm super in love with the curio collection from Basic Grey.

I really didn't get to see tons of people yesterday! I did see the fabulous Kimberly Crawford, but I totally forgot to take a picture! I did get to see Susan, who is always so fun and nice! 

Chase and I took off downtown in search for Sprinkles! And man we came across some awesome inspiration!

I hope you all area having a great week! Today I'll be walking through the floor again, so let me know if there are booths you'd like to see!

My Dad's Graduation

Lately I've been a little unmotivated when it comes to spending time in my craft room. I think stress kind of squashes any creativity I do have. However, when I have had the desire I've kind of been wanting to scrapbook. Maybe it's because I have taken a very long break from it, but it is kind of fun to get some more memories down in my book.

I knew I wanted to get the pictures from my dad's graduation in my book sooner rather than later, and I wanted to keep it rather simple. I also thought that since my dad has been working on building drawings my whole life I would use simple lines on my layout.

I'll be headed to Chicago on Wednesday with Chase to go to CHA. I'm super excited to see so many friends there!

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Also, Look Up! is back in-stock at Practicing Creativity!

Missing You

Do you watch baseball? I used to work for a triple A ball team, so there is something about summer that makes me want to just sit back and enjoy it. Unfortunately my husband has really never been that into it. Don't get me wrong we almost always go to a Braves game each summer and usually if we are traveling we try to catch a game in that city. However this summer Chase has been watching a ton of baseball and we have a trip planned for Atlanta next month to watch two games, but tonight I'm watching the Braves play alone since he's traveling. We've both been tearing up the roads lately. So I thought I'd share this "Missing You" card.

I used that super fun Jillibean Soup gray grid again.


Stamps: (Regal Greetings) Ippity by Unity 
Ink: (Onyx Black) VersaFine 
Cardstock: (Basic Grey), Lemon Tart (Papertrey Ink) 
Patterned Paper: (Grey Sugar) Jillibean Soup 
Punch: (Double Embossed Scallop) EK Success 
Misc: (Black Pearl Swirl) Prima

Create:
1. Create card from cardstock, cover with patterned paper.
2. Stamp frame and sentiment on stripe of cardstock.
3. Punch scallops, attach to the back of sentiment and adhere
4. Adhere pearls 

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In other news, we've updated the list of retails on the Practicing Creativity site! Thank you to everyone that has been spreading the word about our stamps! We so appreciate it! If your LSS doesn't carry our stamps, we would love for you to let them  know about us.

Also, for our international customers we have two new international retailers:

Jay Gee's Nook - Online based in Australia

Smidapaper Penang, Malaysia

City Crafter Guest Designer

The sweet girls over at the City Crafter asked me to be their guest designer for their current challenge! Here is the sketch:

 I have to tell you after making a couple of Glitz cards I totally struggled with this card. However, when I do that, rather than settle for a card I'm not happy with I just keep playing until I'm satisfied. I kind of struggled with my color palette, plus I just so wanted to use this little flag banner! I got this idea from Alice and I just love the flexibility it brings to the My Beach House set!

Stamps: (My Beach House) Practicing Creativity
Ink: (VersaMark) Tsuekino, (Aqua Mist) Papertrey Ink, (Moulin Rouge, French Lilac) Pallette
Cardstock: (Lipstick Red, Purple) Gina K, (Solar White) Neehnah
Ribbon: (Seafoam Linen) May Arts

So come play along with the City Crafters Challenge!

Maya Cards by Glitz

I just returned from a week-long work trip, and I was a little worried my mojo would not be flowing. However I just pulled out a few of my Glitz Maya accessories, and both of these cards just came together. I started both cards with just a stripe of scrap white paper and let the Maya collection do the rest.

Both of these cards are very similar, and both are super easy to recreate for a quick card! I just love the Maya collection!

Products: Maya Polka, Maya Rub-Ons, Maya Glitzers, Maya Cardstock Titles Stickers

And have you seen the new Glitz collections? I so can't wait to use these! I think my favorite changes each time I look.

Practicing Creativity Sketch Challenge Winner

I'm back from my traveling for work! I wanted to let you know the winner of the Practicing Creativity sketch challenge! Thank you to everyone that played along. I really couldn't pick the winner myself! There was tons of creativity. So if you have checked out those cards, you can see them here. 

I had my sweet husband Chase go through and pick the big winner... drum roll please... Jackie Solomon.

Jackie, email me at Courtney@practicingcreativitydesigns.com to claim your prize!

EBTKS Challenge 19

It's time for another EBTKS challenge. Lynnette has a great sketch this time! Here's the sketch:

Our sponsor is the CupCards To Go, and all the EBTKS designers are using pieces from their July kit!

Here's what I came up with!

I really loved that green paper. It's so pretty and kind of inspired the rest of the card! I also used the Friend stamp from the You're Dandy set.

CREATE:
1. Make card from cardstock.
2. Cover with patterned paper.
3. Ruffle crepe paper down the front of the card. Adhere doily.
4. Cute cardstock, stamp sentiment and apply with foam tape.
5. Spray chipboard with Vintage Pink Glimmer Mist. Adhere with strong adhesive.
6. Adhere buttons.

Come check out the rest of the girls creations and play along yourself at EBTKS Challenge.

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Thanks to everyone that played along with the PCD Sketch Challenge!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I'll be traveling for work this week! I'm actually leaving today. I will have access to the internet, but very little time to be on it! I have a few posts scheduled while I'm gone, so I won't be totally abandoning my blog.

Have you had a chance to play the Practicing Creativity Sketch Challenge? You have until the 15th to enter and there is $50 credit up for grabs to the Practicing Creativity Store!

Today I wanted to share this little thank you card. I don't know what it is about the style of this card, but I just kind of like it. I wish I made more cards like this.

Now that I look at it, it's probably the colors more than anything! I just love them.

I hope you all have a great week!

Happy Birthday Friend

Chase went out golfing last night so I had a few minutes to make a card. I needed a birthday card, so I thought I'd play along with Caardvark's latest challenge. Here's what I came up with!

I still really love this plaid from Jenni Bowlin. It's just so fun. I love the green in it as well. And I also used the Happy Birthday Friend stamp from You're Dandy (which is now back in-stock along with You're the Man).

Speaking of birthdays, for the last couple of years I've had a time remember how old I am. What happens is, about half way through the year I'll start rounding my age up. Then when I get to my birthday, since I've been saying my new age for 6 months I unintentionally add ANOTHER year. It's so sad when your husband has to remind you how old you are.

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Practicing Creativity is sponsoring the Off the Wall Craftiness challenge! Go check out Kim's challenge! The inspiration is just BEAUTIFUL!

You Make Me Happy

I made this card awhile back, but since Chase has gotten back from camp I've tried to just hang out with him. And, well, he certainly does make me happy.

I put little black pearls on all the centers of the wheels, but you totally lose that in the photo.

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Don't forget about the current Practicing Creativity sketch challenge! I'm having so much fun seeing what everyone makes! Check it out here! There's a $50 credit to the store for the winner! But just play along just for the fun of it! I think there are some really fun sketches!

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Practicing Creativity is now on Facebook!

My Beach House

It's been a really fun 4th of July here (well as fun as it could be while Chase is traveling). My Beach House is now available along with some fun new ribbon! We had a few more cards to show you with this release.

This card really just features that fun coral pattern I'm so obsessed with. It's simple and clean, but really elegant in a way with the brown.

Isn't this card so fun, graphic and girlie! I just love the combination Paulina used!

Check that out! Now if that's not creative I don't know what is! Dana sure knows how to get the most out of a stamp set!

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Please scroll down for my Glitz Design Team post! I finally scrapped some photos of Maddie! It was so fun.

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I'm loving seeing some of your sketch cards coming in! You have until the 15th to play along. You can find that post here.

Glitz - Scrapping Maddie

I am a card maker at heart, but from time to time I get the urge to scrapbook. I finally decided to try my hand at documenting a little bit about our dog Maddie we adopted. I mixed collections to create this page, and although my scrapbooking skills are rusty I was really happy with how the products came together.

I started off with Kismet Brown and Maya Navy, two of my favorite neutrals, and added pops of bright pink along the way. I love the Save the Date stamps, so I used those to peek out from behind my photos and highlight the month we got Maddie and just a little journaling!

Supplies:
Patterned Paper: Kismet Brown and Maya Navy (Glitz)
Stamps: Save the Date (Glitz)
Misc: Hot Pink Alpha, Glitzers (Glitz)

Introducing My Beach House

My Beach House is a set with 19 high-quality photopolymer.

My Beach House 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.

 

You also won't want to miss this amazing new ribbon! This yellow plaid ruffle ribbon is so fun!

This next ribbon I just decided to add to this release. Honestly when I got it in, I decided to keep it all for myself! Ha ha... but I don't want to hoard so I'll be sharing with you all. This black silk is just LUSCIOUS!

 This is another ribbon that is super easy to use when bow tying! It's so easy to get a great bow! 

 

Everything is now available at the Practicing Creativity Site ... www.practicingcreativitydesigns.com