Easter Sunrise in Grunge!

Greetings dear bloggers! It's Good Friday, and I have just enough time to get my Easter card up to share with you all. AND, I must say this is my FAVorite Easter card I have ever made. Though I DO love all the traditional images, there is not a single bunny, chick, or colored egg on my card! And I think I quite successfully integrated the Grunge theme from my recent stamp releases.

DETAILS, DETAILS!

>> Papertrey Colors: (Oh how I love all this color on one project!) Hawaiin Shores, New Leaf, Spring Moss Raspberry Fizz, Pure Poppy, and PTI white.

>> The sentiments (inside and out) were made on my computer. I had ten cards to send out across the country to family so printing on my PTI cardstock helps save some time.

>> Stamps used were from "Grunge Me" and "My Hero, My Dad".

I loved the grunge effect on the cross I made. I used Raspberry Fizz with a few small splats in Pure Poppy to give the cross a unique look. Hopefully it's not over the top, but it reminds us of the blood Jesus shed on the cross for the sake of offering us FREEDOM in HIM.

AND, how about my awesome gradient paint job? Kind of looks like an Easter morning sunrise! :) I will have to show a tutorial on how I achieved this look, but basically it was a make-shift stencil, some kids washable paint and a sponge. SUPER easy and fast, and adds gorgeous life to the card. :)

I also like the little humming bird, delicately hovering around the cross. If I had a tiny butterfly that might have looked appropriate, too, but I think the peaceful little bird makes the same statement in a less conventional/predictable way!

The inside of the card had similar pieces too coordinate with the card.

Here's a pile of cards before they got send out in the mail! I pray you have an AMAZING Easter this! I LOVE all the chocolate, colored eggs, flowers, and frills of the day- and most of all, I love the always timely reminder that God LOVES you like Nobody's Business, and HE has Conquered all Darkness and Death. May we embrace and LIVE in those truths today!

Happy Easter to You all!!!

Nothing but Grace,

Tiffany

P.S. Check out Betsy Veldman's Awesome post featuring my Embellishments stamp set and some adorable colored eggs!

WINNERS CIRCLE!!!

Hello Ladies!

As promised... it's time to announce some lucky winners!! My hubby picked random numbers and the gals are the WINNERS! Congrats!

Thanks so much for blogging with me this week. I hope you will keeping hopping by in the future! You all have been such an encouragement and full of fun feedback and ideas! I don't want to break any PRI secrecy rules... BUT I debuting a new stamp set NEXT month... SO... some of your awesome suggestions might be closer to your shopping cart than you think! :)

WINNING the new "GRUNGE ME" set:

Deb C wrote:

"I would use Grunge Me the most! It'll fill a gaping hole in my stamp inventory right now for pre-teen and teenage boys and well, all guys LOL!"

WINNING the new "My Hero, My Dad" set:

Rachelle wrote:

"I am loving the grunge! Your samples are awesome. I would love to see more textures much like the corrugated cardboard look, burlap, canvas, and tattered paper for example. As for themes I think a birthday or music set in grunge would be awesome."

Congratulations Deb C and Rachelle! Please email me with your mailing information so I can get your stamps sets sent your way! I can't wait to see what fun things you create!!! My email is: Tiffany@tiffanypastor.com

Have a great weekend to you ALL!!!

SMILES,

Tiffany

Introducing GRUNGE ME and My Hero, My Dad (Day 5)

Hello Ladies! I will skip right to the prize... since my blog post is late in coming- you deserve a treat for your patience. See details below to win your own set of "My Hero, My Dad"!!! :) We are featuring cards with my stamp sets RELEASING TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT!

• GRUNGE ME: retails at $15 at the Papertrey Ink website


• My Hero, My Dad: retails for $24 at the Papertrey Ink website


• Check out the sidebar to right on this page for recent posts featuring fun designs!

• I love the color combo on this card. The cool thing that I hope you have been seeing is that the grunge and distressed style pretty much works seamlessly with all color combinations! ( I haven't tried it out with pastels, but I am sure a crafty mastermind could pull it off.) Bright colors, dark colors, muted colors, tone on tones, boy colors, girl colors. (I am starting to sound like a Dr. Seuss book!) They all work and the grunge graphics bring great life to all of them. :) This card has a bit of a modern feel with cut out frames and mesh to add a lot of clean lines. I just wanted to show some different ways to use the sentiments even on the outside of the card. And I love the fresh colors from PTI: Enchanted Evening, Spring Moss, and New Leaf. The card below features: Ocean Tides, Dark Chocolate and the mesh is a match to the Teracotta Tile. This card brings up my...


• GRUNGE DESIGN TIP OF THE DAY: It's all about FRAMING!


• Keep your focal point clear and use grunge elements to frame it, not distract. A LOT of grunge design these days hinges on "messy frames" but it's still all purposeful. The card above has the simple framing with the circles around the sentiment strip. If I was going all out I might had some of the grassy elements, stripes, and splotches in coordinating colors to make it more interesting. Utilizing the corner of your frames is a nice option, too.You can add swirls bouncing of the edge... and symmetricality is not a priority in this style... just make sure it feels balanced and the elements tell your eye what is most important to look at. I think I will make a fun card that is ALL OUT GRUNGE for you on the release day to demonstrate. The lovely thing about framing your card with your stamps is you don't have to have tons of layers to make it look interesting. See how simple this card is? Yet it feels complete. You have the power of making a designer edgy paper, but you have control to utilize elements for the best of the project. No compromise! I love that!

It's PRIZE TIME! Leave a Comment on my blog... and here's what I want to know... if you have have a themed set with a grunge twist... what would it be? A holiday? Any specific images you would love? Something on the girly side? (I am fishing for hints as I design sets for the upcoming year!) Leave a comment and you are eligible to WIN the "My Hero, My Dad". The winner will be announced on April 16th!! So be sure to check and see if you won!!!

I have LOVED blogging with you all this week! You are such an encouragement and full of ideas!

All Smiles,

Tiffany

Introducing GRUNGE ME and My Hero, My Dad (Day 4)

Here we are SO VERY close to the Papertrey April Release! I have LOVED sharing fun ideas for my two upcoming sets: GRUNGE ME and MY HERO, MY DAD... both releasing on April 15. :) AND... I have LOVED getting your feedback and sweet words! It's been exciting to hear your enthusiasm for the sets. SOO I extend many thanks your way for brightening my day! This next card IS a girly card (quite obviously). I used both the sets, and a sentiment from my "Embellishments" stamp set that came out a few months ago. I HAD to have a girly card because I am 22 weeks pregnant and we recently found out we are having a GIRL!!! We have an awesome 3 year old son who is full of life, spunk, questions, curiosity, and natural "boyness"... and now the house will even out a bit as I get to dress up my little lady! :) SO this card is for her! And as the sentiment states: I AM thinking about her, quite often! :) Just had to share with you all! PTI colors featured are the fabulous Raspberry fizz, Spring Moss, and New Leaf. The flower was die cut with PTI's Beautiful Blooms 2 die. And stamped to coordinate with stamping on the card base. I gotta say that sweet little humming bird might be my favorite part of the GRUNGE ME set. Just a nice little touch that doesn't call much attention to itself but snuggles right in with the scene. :)

This next card features some fun pieces from My Hero, My Dad. I love the big wooden button that came in a great yard sale bag of buttons I picked up for a buck. :) Love those little treasures! PTI Colors are Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate, and Hawaiin Shores.

My sweet three year old boy loves when Mommy has a craft day. He likes to play with my stuff and on this day he INSISTED that we make a special project for Daddy's return from work. Yes, I helped him steady his hand, but this card must be credited to my young artist in the family. :) He chose the colors and design. ( The orange rhinestones were my idea, but he was thrilled to actually be allowed to use them since all the bling in generally off limits.) Below you will see that he had just a few seconds to spare before Daddy walked in the door, so we also decorated the handmade envelope. Needless to day, my son was thrilled, and so was Daddy. :)

Hope you have been enjoying the countdown... And I AM taking baby girl name suggestions.... we are still waiting on the right name to pop up. :) SO any ideas would be welcomed at this point. Stop by again for the last count down day.... more prizes might be headed your way! :)

Nothing But Grace,

Tiffany

Introducing GRUNGE ME and My Hero, My Dad (Day 3)

Here we are again showcasing some fun projects featuring my two new stamp releases! :) Both sets will release on April 15 at the Papertrey Ink website. >> GRUNGE ME: retails at only $15

>> My Hero, My Dad: retails at $24 This card just felt so fun and summery to me! I loved utilizing the PTI impression plate for an awesome coordinating look. The PTI color combo is Summer Sunrise, Harvest Yellow, Simply Chartreuse, Hawaiin Shores, and Raspberry Fizz. I was trying to go all masculine on this card, but just couldn't resist the tiny strip of Raspberry Fizz. ( I am sure a confident man wouldn't care too much! :)

I LOVE the way this card came out. This whole stamp set was inspired by my dad. He has been a true hero in my life. He's always there when I need help, advice, or encouragement. And since I was a little girl, I have always said: "I have a great dad!" It was sort of a slogan for me, or just another way to say "I love you".

The corugated cardboard adds so much life to this card, and the metal clip is a nice touch, too. You will notice I stamped up the orange and the blue cardstocks with images from "My Hero, My Dad". Distressed circles are a go-to that I keep pulling out from the "Grunge Me" set. PTI colors featured are Enchanted Evening, Orange Zest, Ripe Avocado, and Spring Moss.

Below, the inside of the card has some orange zest stamping and then some of my favorite sentiments. My dad is truly a man of great integrity. These sentiments cherish that quality which is better learned by example than taught with empty words.

Anyone ready for a PRIZE?!?!?! I think it's about time, don't you? Leave a comment on the blog and tell me which stamp set you would like to use the most and why... A randomly selected blogger will WIN either GRUNGE ME or My Hero, My Dad... It will be YOUR CHOICE! So leave a note and cross your fingers... this could be your chance to win!!

>> The Winner will be posted on April 16. So stop by to see if you won!

All Smiles, Tiffany

Introducing GRUNGE ME and My Hero, My Dad, (Day 2)

Hello, Hello! Time for some more ipsiration from the upcoming Papetrey Ink April release! ....................... GRUNGE ME: retails at $15 on the Papertrey site. My Hero, My Dad: retails at $24 on the Papetrey site.

GRUNGE ME is the stepping stone for a graphic designer to gracefully take charge in the stamping world. As a graphic designer, I know how hard it is when I feel limited by my stamp options. (Such limitations don't exist on my computer.) GRUNGE ME takes the limitations and throws them out the window. And working on these projects has reminded me of how FUN stamping really is! To have the control of the colors, the and image combos is a blast! AND, believe it or not, but the satisfaction of creating my own art actually sped up my process... Instead of looking for more and more elements to throw together, I felt more satisfied with the simple cards because I had more creative input... when it's all said and done, I love having more time for more projects, and this stamp set did just that! I popped out three totally different cards in 45 minutes... when does that ever happen?! :)

This was a combo of elements from My Hero, My Dad, and the sentiment from Grunge Me. My three year old son recently found our old GameBoy (remember from like 20 years ago?) and I guess I had Tetris on my brain and thought it could be a nostalgic feel for any of those video game boys who still have their old Nintendos in the closet (my husband being one of them!) It's a simple card, but a little glitter on a few of the "tetris blocks" went a long way. :)

Here's a simple preview for "My Hero, My Dad".... I love the green tones, and my favorite part of the card has to be the staples holding the twine in place. For some reason it makes me think of a man saying: "Oh just get the stapler, that'll fix it." (Whether they are talking about household needs or fixing a child's boo-boo... staples always seem to be a go-to on a man's list of fix-it options.)

GRUNGE DESIGN TIP OF THE DAY:

Use practical stuff... if you are making a project for a guy, look into his world and choose elements that reflect his life. Maybe you inspect the garage and use a torn strip of sand paper, specialty tapes, or fishing wire, metal washers, or cardboard. Men love the feel of textures in their hands... so don't be afraid to raid their space a bit and cater to their style. :)

I can't wait to share more fun stuff coming up this week! Keep returning for more awesome cards and projects that will leave you inspired!

Check out Nichole's and Betsy's blog to see more ideas for this stamp set! You will love them!

All Smiles, Tiffany

GRUNGE ME Count Down Day 1

WOW! The April Count Down for Papertrey Ink is finally here! AND guess what?! I have TWO stamp sets releasing this month!!! In APRIL, PTI is going to celebrate the masculine mystique in the craft world.. which is PERFECT for my stamp sets... >> My Hero, My Dad is a stamp set honoring the men in our life. (Hop on by this week for peaks from this set!) >>GRUNGE ME is a fabulous go-to set for those of you embarking in the fabulous world of grunge! GRUNGE ME: releases on April 15, 2011 in the Papertrey store. >>Retails at $15 In the days to come, I will be giving some DESIGN TIPS for those embarking in the grunge world. This style may be new and scary to some crafters, but it's really not that hard to master. It's actually harder to mess up with this style than it is to perfect it. :) ............................ "GRUNGE ME" Tip of the Day: BALANCE!! Grunge elements are intended to be accents, so balance them out our straight lines and geometric shapes. A bit of splatter goes a long when and stands strong as an accent piece when coupled with squares, rectangles, circles, and grids. Clean lines match up nicely with the raw, messy nature of many grunge elements. An easy way to get your feet wet is start small and simple. Take a regular sketch for a project and look for natural places to insert a few elements. ........................... DETAILS, DETAILS! >> PTI colors featured are Ocean Tides, Dark Chocolate, and Spring Moss. >> Stamps are all from "GRUNGE ME" releasing soon! >> Navy Mesh creates a nice geometric balance along with the circles on the base and grunged circles creating a larger frame for the sentiment. >> I can't resist a pop of orange color these days. Just love that color! And great for the "guy card" needs on my to-do list. :) I layered up some fringe and a strip of twine for a two-tone look. No bows, just keepin' it simple today. ................................ Be sure to stop by in the upcoming count down days! I can't wait to share some fun techniques with new textures, paints, and ideas for "man up" our cards a bit!! PLUS, you never know when prizes will be given away this week... I have some fun things up my sleeve for you all! Happy Count Down and See ya tomorrow!!!! All Smiles, Tiffany