daddy's album

For PTI's January blog hop (use an unused or dusty stamp set), I knew I wanted to pull out ALL the stamps, dies, and papers I hadn't used (starred in the supplies below).  I also wanted to make something special for my husband - our SAHD and the rock that holds the family together.  

This wonderful guy does ALL the laundry, cleaning, cat & dog care, morning daughter prep, shuttling to & from school, home maintenance, doctor's appointments, and over half of the cooking, shopping & dishes.   I'm not lazy :) but a working mom, 7 months pregnant with twin boys, who teaches science to 260 middle schoolers.  Seriously, 260.

This envelope book celebrates our 1st home together (we've sized-up to our 2nd).  While digging through the recycling for cardboard I found an awesome beer box and just went with it.  Layered mats and a placecard form the focal point, with a brown embossed sentiment put together from Boards & Beams, and Simple & Fresh Alphabets.

The tabs tell our story, each opening to journaling, photos, memorabilia, and a stash of realia in the envelope pocket. It's fun to pull out and unfold little bits of our history.

 

Here the sun begins to fade on my only two 'finished' pages.  I'll re-post a sequel with more loving pictures and details, so stay tuned!  

The top page has our dreams and plans for the house - a 'scaled' map used with tiny scaled furniture squares to fit everything in, and swatches of the paint colors used in our bedrooms and bath.  Below are clippings from a gathering of seven feisty old ladies at our soon-to-be home that made the local paper. 

 

Below are the unfinished pages (with more unused stamps to come).  My friend, Java, took our first picture as we first walked up to the free Adams Avenue Roots Festival.

 

And I have something fun planned for the page below, which highlight the work my electrician husband put into the home.  There's a sketch with plans for our xeriscape (low water), CA native plants habit from when we converted the front lawn.  Good times.

His birthday and Valentine's are three days apart so I'm going to roll them into one big extravaganza this year.  Can't wait for the fun!

xoxo,

Christy

SUPPLIES:

stamps - PTI Boards & Beams*, Places Please*, Holiday Treats (house image), Fresh Alphabet, Simple Alphabet, Mini-Scrapbook Series: Tabs*, Library Card*, Tea for Two Additions*, Fancy Flourishes

paper - PTI fine linen, Library Ledger*, Green Tea Leaves, Bitty Dots 2009, kraft envelopes; cream vellum, recycled Ranger beer box

ink - PTI simply chartreuse, dark chocolate, orangerie, pure poppy, true black; Versamark

accents - PTI simply chartreuse grosgrain ribbon, dark chocolate twill ribbon; antique copper mini brads, chocolate brown embossing powder

tools- PTI dies (Tea Cup*, Place Card*, Mini Tab*, Library Pocket*), impression plates (Woodgrain, Linen)

party thanks

These cute little teapot thank you cards were the perfect end to our Alice-inspired 'tea' party birthday (see previous post, here).  I just had to bust out the Cricut again.  They coordinate with the teacup invitations (here).  I white embossed the image onto PTI cardstock.  The swirly vellum is Michaels circa 2004 (leftovers from wedding invites.  I wrote on the insides in most of them with white in.  

 I have 3 Cricut cartridges but everything I cut is from A Child's Year - for this party there were red roses with green leaves, purple & green Mad Hatter's hats, and a banner in pink, mint, blue and purple.  

We decorated the back patio with crepe paper, balloons - half of them polka dot with big white spots, and mixy-matchy dinnerware, all in the same fun colors.  We hung a few strands of white star lights and put out some pretty tulips.

The HIT for the four-year old crowd were the cake pops.  Bakerella of course (here).  These were definitely red velvet yummi-ness.  They stand in a foam rectangle covered in a sheer ribbon.  I used sewing pins to push in a few buttons I've had lying around from making an Alice costume years ago.   

(HOW does Bakerella make the pops look so perfect???  I tried two batches - one with melted white choc. chips and another with Wilton candy melts - both times it was very gloppy).  

Here's a little gift set for Caitlyn from us - CASEd from Nichole (here).  I LOOOVE this beauty she made! (Nice how I didn't take the time to iron the recycled ribbon ;)


Alas, for more photos.  Before I knew it, the day was simply,

going...

 going...

GONE! 


CAKE POPS HINT: after you've coated the cake pops for use in the display you'll have 40-something cake pops left in a typical batch. TOO many to coat (at least, for me).  Instead I chilled the cake pops, then melted white chocolate chip, put the chocolate in a baggie, cut off the tip, and drizzled them on the cake balls.  I did the same with dark chocolate chips.  Deeelicious, easy and yummy for the adults too.

xoxo,
cch

blog hop - inside & out

Opsy!!  I almost forgot about the PTI blog hop tonight!  I didn't have a post prepped, so I'm just adding in a few shots of my latest creation - party invites for my almost-4 year old.  She's having an "Alice's tea party" as she calls it.  Very unbirthday.

I used a combination of PTI and Basic Grey stamps.  The neutral cardstock is a gorgeous textured celery - the last remnants from my wedding crafting :)

 

 

 

Ok!  Those were tons o' fun to make.  Hope you enjoyed them!  I also have an 'inside & out' wedding stationary set in my next post - feel free to take a look!

xoxo,

cch

tea tin gift & card set

The PTI tea tins really are perfect for the pre-bagged bulk organic teas - like the one I got at People's Co-op in O.B. (Rose White Tea).

It's hard to see but the black patterned paper cut-out has pink gems over the flower centers. It stands out in person and coordinates with the gems on the teapot on the card. I sanded the edges to soften the transition between the two patterns.

SUPPLIES:
Stamps - PTI Tea for Two, Everyday Classics, Borders & Corners Circle
Paper - PTI stone; Basic Gray Urban Prairie (bluebird, bountiful, meadow)
Ink - PTI ocean tides & raspberry; black
Ribbon - PTI raspberry twill & ocean tides satin
Tools - Marvy giga scalloped oval & mega scalloped circle; Fiskars 1/8" round punch; X-Acto for distressing patterned square on card
Other - PTI tea tin; dark pink gems; organic loose tea