tags download

Today's fun at PTI is a challenge to create cards using a free tag download (link here).  I finally have a printer the can handle card stock, so coloring images with my Copics is in the realm of possibility.  How strange it is to make a notecard with no stamping though!

My dear college friend was over yesterday for crafting and an ayurvedic dinner, but we talked the whole time and got nothing done :)  I asked what colors she wanted for a card set and she chose a lovely range of blues.

I'm in love with Maile Belle's pinwheels and started with this image first.  (Sorry to report there's gorgeous weather in San Diego and the card's a bit washed out).

On this image, I finally busted out the Copic airbrush gun I got for Christmas - LOVE it!!!  Unfortunately, the camera didn't pick up up the double white stitching around the edges.

xoxo,

Christy

SUPPLIES:

paper - PTI hawaiian shores, new leaf, stamper's select white, Green Boutique
accents - PTI new leaf twine, hawaiian shores buttons; Copics YG17, YG13, BG18, BG13, BG11, T1
dies - PTI mat stack 2
tools - EK Success 1 3/4" circle punch; Copic airbrush; sewing machine & white thread

PTI anniversary

It's here again!  The anniversary celebration for PTI!  Looking back on my creations since last February,  I think my favorite was a special card made for Nichole Heady on the surprise forum blog hop in her honor.

I wanted a golden harvest card, and it came out exactly as I had envisioned.  I gold embossed the leaves veins and the wheat-like image on the circle tag.  With no harvest gold ink, I used lemon tart kissed with summer sunrise around the edges.  The card front is impressed with the linen plate, and the gold mat is impressed with the canvas plate.

Thank again, Nichole, for all your inspiration and all the love you pour into Papertrey Ink!

xoxo,

Christy

SUPPLIES:

stamps - PTI Leaf Prints, Daily Designs, Round & Round, Damask Designs (sentiment)
paper - PTI harvest gold, rustic cream
ink - PTI lemon tart, summer sunrise; VersaMark, Distress Ink in antique linen, VersaMagic in straw
accents - PTI harvest gold twill ribbon, harvest gold vintage button; gold embossing powder
dies - PTI mat stack 4, leaf prints, linen and canvas impression plate
tools - Scor-it mini, cuttlebug, 1 3/4" circle punch

photo challenge: work

How fun!  I discovered the Becky Higgins work photo challenge at her blog (link here).  I'm too pregnant and busy to worry about perfect photography, but I love the idea of photo journaling a day of work.  So I grabbed my camera and got to it:

Shortly before 7 a.m. I arrive at my secret gate.  The coveted key to a lock that's just steps between my truck and classroom.

And here we are, Science.  No classroom number - just SCIENCE.  A safe and happy place to learn.

The white board.  Curriculum materials.  Lab group roles with matching colored clothespins. Signs spelling 'UNIFORM' for earning free dress days.  Science inquiry posters. Lab safety expectations. Talking level posters.

Notice the lack of paper towels.

 Goggle madness.

Lab boxes (but really, this is California - I have nine lab groups).

 Chemicals a go-go.

 

My classroom during prep - does it look like I get a relaxing break without students?

Producing oxygen gas in an exothermic reaction. (8th grade)

 These kids are cool. (8th)

 Bubbling gases through bromothymol blue to test acidity. (8th)

Good kids, good times!  I've taught 6th grade through teacher prep, and I can definitely say I'm happy and lucky to be right where I am.

xoxo,

Christy

caitlyn's cards

Caitlyn (almost 5) made her first set of cards.  The cards were apologies to two of her classmates - unfortunately, there were altercations yesterday.  The first card is for Charlie:

(lovin' that 6am, no flash kitchen lighting)

And the second card is for Zsa Zsa. (Personally, I think anyone going around with that name's askin' for it, but that's just me...)

I did nothing but supply construction paper and trim corners.  From my perch on the couch, I heard DH rummage through the craft room.  He came out with an armful of punches and punched shapes - man-style, which was fast and furious.  She worked on the inside of the cards for an hour, with DH's help.

"Make sure you don't miss my rainbow!!!"

Here's the artist - complete with bed head.  I won't include the insisted upon My Little Pony portion of the photo shoot, but that was a hoot, too.

xoxo,

Christy

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)

ticket birthday

A 5th birthday is almost here!  This year's invitations are coming straight from Maile Belles' blog (link here).  I had a ton to do and needed to get 'em done.  I love Maile's colors, but I let the birthday girl choose from six options (hawaiian shores, raspberry fizz, hibiscus burst, simply chartreuse, plum pudding, and lavender moon).  She chose:

For the glittered cupcakes I drew over the stamped raspberry fizz image with a fine-tip glue pen.  And I don't have hawaiian shores ink so I stamped the outline for the liner onto bitty dots paper.  No new cupcake dies yet - just old-fashioned cutting here.

Check out this adorable floral button one lucky invitee will get: 

And debossing the envelope flaps was a nice complement:

It's the perfect card for a loud & flashy birthday with games, rides, tickets & prizes at a near-by pizza 'fun-ery'. (Waldorf teachers would not approve.)   Inside the card is a strip of tickets stamped with 'Ticket to Celebrate', 'Food & Fun Party Time' & 'You're Invited'.

One thing I learned - stamping a single sentiment to fit is HARD!!!  It took me eight tries to the background right: I had to lightly draw guide lines,  and practice placing each new row (the 'ti' fits tightly under the 'le' & 'it' fits halfway under the 'a').  Ridiculous, yes, but it had to be done for Maile's gorgeous card.

xoxo,
Christy

SUPPLIES:

stamps - PTI Just the Ticket, Cupcake Collection, Birthday Bash Sentiments

paper - PTI hawaiian shores, raspberry fizz, plum pudding, stamper's select white; Bitty Dots 2009
ink - PTI raspberry fizz, true noir
accents - PTI hawaiian shores, raspberry fizz, plum pudding buttons; white craft yarn, extra fine multi-colored glitter
tools- PTI Just the Ticket die; Just the Ticket impression plate; Cricut 'Plantin Schoolbook' cartridge (for circle)

tofu veggie stirfry

My brother and SIL in Portland have declared 2011 the year of eating in.  Cool.  I'm all for it.  We don't eat out much (but at the end of the post I will list our five fav eats in Uptown SD).  Our family goal is vaguely increasing ayurvedic meals and decreasing animal proteins.  Not a meat elimination here - I'm pregnant with twins and soon to be breastfeeding so I indulge my omnivore cravings.  But a tempering.  Here's some good stuff we had today:

An almost-vegan breakfast: organic flax whole wheat waffles with organic mixed berry puree and fresh fruit salad (cara cara orange, apple, bing cherries and red grapes).  Olive oil spread and organic stick butter were both on the table - everyone reached for the butter.

Lunch was intended to be baked tofu fries with a mixed green salad but I opened the pack of organic extra firm tofu to discover it was cubed.  Oops!  Change of plans.  My 6 month pregnant belly is making big dinners uncomfortable, so I decided to swap dinner and lunch and make a tofu veggie stirfry.  

My so-called recipe: Cook 1 1/2 cups organic sweet short grain brown rice in a rice cooker with 3 1/4 cup filtered water and a dash of sea salt.  'Press' tofu cubes to remove excess liquid (sandwich them in a single even layer between clean dish towels and baking sheets - put a few cans on top and leave in the fridge for 20 min).  Remove the tofu, put in a bowl and marinate with organic tamari, organic rice vinegar, raw honey, organic veggie broth, and fresh ground black pepper.  Minced fresh ginger would be AWESOME but I forgot it.  Leave to marinate for a bit, tossing occasionally.  To reduce pitta (my ayurvedic 'dosha') I eliminated garlic chili paste - but it would be good too.

Meanwhile, chop veggies and place in separate bowls - 1/2 a sweet onion, a medium head of broccoli, 2 carrots (slice diagonally), a big handful of sweet mini red peppers.  Rinse 1/2 can each of mini corns and water chestnuts.

Set a big electric skillet to a low-ish temperature.  {I like the electric skillet because I can put all the tofu in a single, even layer to brown.}  Heat a little organic toasted sesame oil and organic olive oil, then add onions to cook for a few minutes.  Add tofu, stir, and spread the cubes out evenly; reserve the marinade.  Cover the skillet and brown tofu for a minute or two.  Stir and brown another side.  Repeat.  Next add carrot, stir, add reserved marinade and more tamari, vinegar, honey and broth.  Whatever feels right.  Cover and leave for a few minutes.  Next add red pepper, maybe a dash more tamari, cover and wait 1-2 min.  Finally add the rest of the veggies and a few splashes of whatever else (tamari, broth...).  Grind on some black pepper.  Stir, cover, and simmer until the veggies look bright and feel soft.

Put a little rice in a bowl for the kiddo, divide the remaining rice between two adult bowls.  Cover the rice with tofu and veggies.  Sprinkle on some black sesame seeds.  Serve and be happy.

Okay, and just for fun, here are our favorite five dinners out in Uptown San Diego (that's the Hillcrest, Mission Hills,  North Park, University Heights, Normal Heights, Kensington area):

1. Adobado Burrito & Shredded Beef Flautas w/ El Perfecto Margaritas @ Ponce's
2. Fish Tacos plates w/ Horchatas @ El Zarape's
3. Rainbow Roll & Crunchy Roll (etc) w/ Crazy Milk Specials @ Sushi Deli
4. Shrimp Pad Thai & Massaman Veggie Curry or Fried Tofu Spicy Noodles @ Bangkok Thai Spices
5. Honey Walnut Shrimp & Chicken Moo Shu @ City Wok
6. Chicken Kabob plates with rice & Hummus  @ Mediterranean Cafe

Ok... that's six.  Oh well.  We love food.

xoxo,
Christy