Maple Leaf Card

Here is another card using sketch 154 from Operation Write Home. This sketch is such a beauty I end up using it a lot. The leaf in the middle was cut out using an old punch that hasn't seen much love lately. The decorative strip at the bottom was from a page of punch-out embellishments that was also buried deep in the craft supply stash. 

I'm sharing this card over at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog where the challenge is week is "Leaves."

The Colors of Fall

A friend requested cards with no sentiment on them. This has been a challenge, but after a few cards I became more comfortable with just making images the focal point. 

This card uses a floral silhouette stamp. It was too wide to fit a rectangular paper, but this was solved easily. Because the stamp was acrylic I was able to carefully cut it into two pieces. Now I can use just a part of it -- like on this card. Or I can use both pieces for a larger image. 

The paper is from a huge Recollections pad called "Autumn Splendor." The colors work great for the latest color challenge from Your Next Stamp.  The little banner in the corner was cut using a die from Verve. 

My First Copic Coloring

Copic markers are so lovely, but very pricey too. The Copic Ciao markers are a little bit more affordable, but still an investment. I was very lucky one day to find a 6 pack of Copic Ciao markers on deep discount. 

Having only blues, green and grey really limits what I can do, but its enough to start learning how to work with these markers.

I colored in this stamped image as part of the 30 Day Coloring Challenge. 




Not too bad, but it makes me want more colors. I knew buying those first Copics would be dangerous!

Fall Coffee Card

Its the last day of the Fall Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog Hop and I am scrambling to get my card posted before the deadline. The coffee cup is cut using a Spellbinders Die. The little apple on the front makes me think of hot spiced apple cider, yum. 

This card uses cute fall-theamed colors from a Crate Paper 6 x 6 pad called "Farmhouse."

I used the colors from the current Your Next Stamp Challenge. The sketch is the classic sketch 154 from Operation Write Home 

Autumn Greetings

As the nights get cooler and the leaves start to change colors, I start heading toward the warm tones of fall colors. 

This card is very simple. Two patterned papers form the base layer. The focal image is an acorn and leaf stamp that I colored in with colored pencils before inking the edges. 

I'm posting this card over at the 30  Day Coloring Challenge and over at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog where the theme this week is leaves. 

Coral Leaves

This card is based on Mojo Monday sketch 353. It uses leaves cut using a Spellbinders die. I used a paper that has a lighter color in the core than the outside. Then I sanded it to bring out the texture of the die. 

An edge die from Whimsy Stamps was used to cut the border edge on the right. 

I'm posting this card over at the Mod Squad Challenge where the challenge is to use leaves. 

White Emboss on Kraft Paper

For this card I used the technique of using images embossed in white on kraft paper. The stamps are butterflies from Hero Arts, embossed with white embossing power from WOW.

I colored in the butterflies with watercolor pencils using the theme colors from the latest My Favorite Things Color Challenge.

I'm posting this card over at The Power and Spark Challenge where the goal this month is to color on kraft paper.  

Galaxy Background Fairy Card

This was my first time trying out the "Galaxy Background" technique. There are many tutorials on YouTube and on crafting websites that will show you how the technique works. There is no single way to create this type of background. Different materials can be use based on what you have on hand and what you prefer to use.

For this card I started with watercolor paper that I taped to the Ranger Inkssentials Craft Sheet. The tape prevents the paper from curling and the craft sheet is useful for easy cleanup.

I used a few colors of highly pigmented watercolor paint to cover the surface of the paper in patches of color. After drying the paint with a heat gun I covered the paper with black India ink. Then I wiped off enough of the black ink to allow some of the watercolor to show through. After another quick blast with the heat gun made the black ink dry enough to add the next layer. This layer is where most people like to add some glimmer. So I added a wash of Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst in Tibetan Poppy Teal. The final step is to add "stars." For this I dipped a small paint brush in a pot of Tsukineko ink in Moonlight White and flicked it over the paper.

When all of this was dry, I stamped a fairy image in Versamark and embossed it with white embossing powder.

I am posting this card over at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog where the challenge is to use the theme Fantasy.

My Favorite Things Sketch 346

Here is a card I made using Sketch 346 from My Favorite Things. I also used the colors from  MFT color challenge 75. The sentiment is from a MFT set called "Blue Skies Ahead." 

The little heart in the corner was cut using a die from Paper Smooches. The coral paper is a Bazzill color called Arizona. The solid blue paper is Navy from Recollections and Memento Ink in Nautical Blue is a perfect match. 

Coral Watercolor Emboss Resist

This is a card I made for the latest challenge on the website "A Blog Named Hero." The challenge was to use WOW embossing powder. 

I stamped the floral background stamp from Hero Arts on watercolor paper. Then I heat embossed using white embossing powder from WOW. When that was set I spread red, olive, and yellow watercolor paints over different parts of the surface. Then I wiped off the excess paint. What you see here is the result. 

The little brown banner in the upper left hand corner is die cut from a Verve die. The sentiment is from a Hero Arts set called "Remember Your Kindness." I stamped it using Honey Distress Ink. The sentiment panel was punched out using a punch from Stampin' Up. 

Scrappy Love Card

This card is an example of a way to use up smaller bits of paper that are left after completing larger projects. When you are left with a pile of scraps, see if you can cut some 1 1/2 inch squares. For every four squares you cut, you can make on

The layout is based on sketch 154 from Operation Write Home. 

I dry embossed the peach background layer and the blue paper for the heart using a swiss dot embossing folder. Then I used a Spellbinders die to cut out the heart. I used an edge die from Whimsy Stamps to create the scalloped edge for the blue strip at the bottom. 

Challenges: 

Dies R Us Anything Goes
Whimsy Stamps Anything Goes

Distressed Leaves Card

I have some paper from the "Chocolate Lovers" collection in my stash. I love these papers. They are coated in shades of brown but have other colors at their core. They are fun to emboss and sand. For this project I used the color called "Amaretto." 

I used a leaf die from Spellbinders to cut out and emboss the leaves and then sanded to reveal some of the color below. 

The patterned papers are from Amy Tangerine. I'm trying to use the whole pad of patterned paper but its slow going. This card is being entered over at the Dies R Us challenge where the current challenge is Anything Goes. 

B & W and Teal

The challenge this week at Mod Squad is to make a project using black and white plus one other color. It took a little while to find patterned paper that fit with these restrictions but there were some gems hidden in my stash. For this card I found black and white and teal paper from Kaisercraft. The pattern seemed too big to me, so I cut it into three strips to break up the large images. 

The sentiment is from Verve Stamps.  I'm posting this card over at The Cat's Pajamas as well where the challenge is called "How does your garden grow." 

Black and White plus Red

The challenge this week at Mod Squad is to make a project using black and white plus one other color. It took a little while to find patterned paper that fit with these restrictions but there were some gems hidden in my stash. 

This card uses Stampin' Up paper for the background layer. The red and white paper on the banners is from Queen and Co paper. I used Stampin' Up punches for the banners and the layers on the sentiment. The sentiment stamp is from Inkadinkadoo. 

Paper Pieced Flower Pot

This card uses the current sketch from Newton's Nook Inky Paws Challenge and the "How does your garden grow" theme from the current TCP Challenge. 

I stamped the flowers on white paper and colored them in using Stampin' Up markers. The flower pot was stamped on patterned paper using Momento Grey Flannel ink and then cut out. 

Birthday Balloon Wishes

This card uses another scrap from my never-ending scraps of Kathy Davis birthday paper. I'm trying to finish using this 6" x 6" paper pad, but the scraps seem to multiply overnight. 

The balloons were cut using a die from Whimsy Stamps and the stamp is from Inkadinkadoo. 

The layout is based on sketch 249 from Freshly Made Sketches.

I'm entering this card over at the Whimsy Stamps blog where the current challenge is Anything Goes. 

A Mason Jar of Flowers Card

I made this "thinking of you" card using the latest sketch challenge from Newton's Nook. 


The stamps are from a set from Newton's Nook called Versatile Vases.  I stamped the mason jar in versamark and then embossed using a light blue embossing powder from Lindy's Stamp Gang. Then I colored in a little light blue with watercolor pencil and swiped over it with a water brush. The flowers are a separate stamp from the same set and stamped with Stampin Up Wild Wasabi. The flowers are also colored with watercolor pencils and water brush. To make the jar look more like it had water in it I went over it with a Sakura glaze pen. That worked, but left some uneven surface so I went over it again with Glossy Accents. 

The papers are from several places based on what worked with the colors I used for the flowers. I used a corner punch to round one top corner and one bottom corner on both the stamped panel and the base. Finally, the sentiment needed more attention, so I added a little bling on each side. 

Little Bird Card

The challenge this week over at the Mod Squad is to include something with wings. That was great because it made me remember a bunch of little punched out birds I had ordered on Ebay a while back. I found one that coordinated with the Amy Tangerine paper I'm struggling to use up and a card was born!

The bird looked odd without an eye, so I added a little Rain Dot from Cloud9 for the eye. 

This card uses sketch 353 from Mojo Monday. Its a great way to use up scraps without making a card that looks like you were trying to use up scraps. 

Gecko Card

I just got this new gecko die from Die-Versions. It cuts out beautifully and then requires poking out all the little squiggles and dots, but they come out easily. I used Chartreuse paper from Paper Source for the gecko because it has a good weight to it. 

The patternred paper for this card comes from the Kaisercraft Utopia collection. The paper is two sided, which is great. Depending on which side you use you can make cards that are floral or skip the florals and choose more masculine patterns. 

The blue background layer required something that wouldn't compete with the rest of the design, but solid papers were not looking quite right. I ended up using a canvas texture, white core paper called "Cloudless" from Coredinations and sanding it a bit to add variation in the color. 

This card uses the most recent sketch from the Your Next Stamp Challenge. 

You Rock Banner Card

This card uses paper from Little Yellow Bicycle called "Generation Z." There are so many pretty flower, butterfly, cute or pink papers out there. I'm always on the lookout for interesting paper that is not so feminine. Generation Z is great for that. 

I cut the banner shapes by hand. The stamps are from Inkadinkadoo.  I stamped the top one in black Hero Arts ink and the lower design in a charcoal color from Hero Arts. 

I'm entering this card over at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog where the challenge is to make the sentiment the focal point.

Gelato Watercolor Card

If you haven't tried them, Gelatos are a type of watercolor crayon made by Faber Castell. There are lots of ideas on Pinterest for different ways to use them. 

For this card I heat embossed the sentiment (Verve Stamps) on watercolor paper. Then I mixed a little water with three different Gelato colors. and used them to paint washes of color over the sentiment. 

The idea for this card came from the Calling All Sistahs Challenge. Calling All Sistahs is a new challenge created by Cas-ual Friday Stamps. The purpose of the challenge is to make encouraging cards and also to help raise breast cancer awareness. 

I'm also sharing this card over at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog where the current challenge is to make the sentiment the focal point. 

Scrappy Background Card

If you do a lot of projects with colored paper you inevitably end up with many colorful paper scraps. My favorite thing to do with these scraps is to make a scrappy card background. Although Operation Write Home has closed up shop the tutorials are still available on their website. The Scrappy Background tutorial is still there as well. Click on the link if you want to know how to make cards like this.

For this card I used the colors from the latest Calling All Sistahs challenge. The stamp is from Verve. This card is also going in the Mod Squad challenge which is to make the sentiment the focal point. 

Layered Birthday Card

I'm using Kristie's tutorial for using up 6" x 6" paper pads. Her website is great because she includes the measurements she used for reference. This card uses Kristie's measurements for Mojo Monday sketch 353.

The paper I'm trying to use up is Amy Tangerine "Ready, Set, Go"

The gift was cut out using a Sizzix die. The little fringe on the right was made using a die from Whimsy Stamps.

I'm entering this card in the current Dies R Us Challenge, which is "Lots of Layers."

Dots and Stripes Birthday

I'm trying to follow Kristie's advice for using up 6" x 6" paper pads. Every time I get close to finishing, I seem to get bored and move on to other paper So, this time I'm trying Really Hard to use up paper called Ready Set Go from Amy Tangerine. 

This card uses Mojo Monday sketch 456. Mojo Monday is closed, but their sketches are still great and fun to use. I used Spellbinders dies for the circles and a Sizzix die for the gift. 

I'm entering this card in the Dies R Us challenge. The current challenge is to use lots of layers 

Citrus Colors Card

I made this card using Basic Grey paper from a collection called "Lauderdale." 

The layout comes from Sketch 340 from My Favorite Things. The stamp is also from My Favorite Things. 

I used the citrus colors from the most recent Your Next Stamp Challenge. 

Distressed Balloons

I used a cute set of dies from Whimsy Stamps to create the balloons on this card. Because the papers had lighter colored cores I sanded a little on the edge of each one to create dimension. 

This card uses the layout from Sketch #67 from Your Next Stamp and paper from Amy Tangerine. 

Feather Quill Card

This card features a stamp from Riley and Co. and paper from Amy Tangerine. The layout came from sketch #67 from Your Next Stamp. 

The feather die came from Whimsy Stamps. 

More importantly, the design was a team effort. My son was watching and giving input, pushing me to use a combination of colors that I wouldn't normally choose. 

Thanks for Being so Awesome

This card uses some of my favorite paper -- Lime Rickey from Basic Grey. The embellishments are from a set of stickers made to coordinate with the paper. Bazzill Tangelo matches beautifully with these papers. 

The sketch is from Mojo Monday. The stamp is from Paper Smooches. I popped up the sentiment with some Stampin Up dimensionals. 

Colorful Dad Card

Cards for guys often use subdued colors. On top of that, colorful papers usually have floral or children's themes. So I'm always on the lookout for colorful paper that is also guy-appropriate. The Basic Grey Lime Rickey paper fits into that niche. 

I used it to make this "Dad" card. The card also uses the latest Mojo Monday sketch. 

Farewell to Mojo Monday

The Mojo Monday Blog has been posting card sketches every Monday for years. Recently they posted their 500th sketch. Now they are closing down.

Their sketches have been a great asset and have inspired many cardmakers.

This card uses their 500th sketch.

The paper is from Authentique. The stamp is from Hero Arts and stamped using Hero Arts Shadow Ink. 

Puppy Paws

The card I'm posting today uses some very cute paper from Bo Bunny called Happy Tails. I stamped a puppy image to go with the paper. I also used a paw print embossing folder (Darice) for the yellow paper.

This card is getting entered over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. The challenge this week is to use texture. 

Retro Happy Birthday

I've been using up the last pieces of this paper from 7 Gypsies. It has a lovely vintage look and worked great with this classic sketch from Operation Write Home (123). 

To add dimension and keep with the vintage look I used chalk ink around the edges. 

I made this as a birthday card, but it could be used for a graduation or any other celebration. 

This week the Monday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is to use circles. 

The stamp is from Studio G. The textured paper is from Bazzil. 

Circle Hello

This card is a great way to use up smaller pieces of paper that are leftover from other projects. If I had it to do over again I would have used a little distress ink or chalk ink around the edges of the circles to add some dimension. Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. 


The theme this week at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is "Going Around in Circles," so I'm linking to this card over there. 

OWH Sketch #248

Paper: My Mind's Eye Boy Crazy
Stamp: Hero Arts Everyday Sayings
Ink: Stampin Up Soft Suede
Card Base: Bazzill Peanut Cluster

Clean and Simple Birthday

This card uses a bit of birthday candle paper and a stamp from Studio G. 

I'm posting it over at the Mod Squad Challenge where the theme this week is birthday cards. 

A Birthday Card Sprinkled with Fun

This card uses some of the last bits of birthday-themed paper I bought a few years ago. I had extra incentive to keep going in using up this paper because this week the Mod Squad Challenge has a birthday theme 

Paper: Kathy Davis
Stamp: Hero Arts
Embellishment: Candy Dots. 

Cupcakes and Balloons

The Mod Squad Challenge this week is to make a birthday card. That's great because I'm slogging my way through the last bits of paper from a  birthday themed 6 x 6 pad and need motivation. 

I recently got some little balloon dies from Whimsy Stamps. This is my first time using them. 
I used Operation Write Home sketch #250. I also copied a lot of the design of this card from Kristie who blogs over at "The Best Things in Life are Pink."

Home with Banners

If you look closely at the little houses on this paper, you will see they have tiny heart shaped windows. So cute, and perfect for the sentiment (from My Favorite Things). 


Operation Write Home has been closed for a couple years, but I still have a binder filled with all the OWH sketches and use them all the time. 

OWH Sketch #188

Paper:  Amy Tangerine "Ready Set Go."

Stamp from: My Favorite Things "Homespun Birdhouse"

Heart:  Heart punch from Stampin' Up

I'm posting this card over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the challenge this week is "Home Sweet Home" 

Butterfly Flowers

This card uses the colors from the latest Your Next Stamp Challenge. 

I also used elements from both the sketch and photo from this latest Mix it Up Challenge from Sugar Pea Designs. 

I die-cut a piece of white cardstock and then used blue distress ink around the outer edges while the paper was still in the die. Then I used green ink to stamp an image from Inkadinkadoo and colored it in with markers. 

The papers are from Basic Grey. This card is being entered over at Mod Squad Challenges where the current challenge is to color in a design.

I Remembered your Birthday

I'm trying to use up paper pads that I bought a while back. The easiest place to start was with a Kathy Davis birthday paper because I don't have that much left of it. This month's sketch at Your Next Stamp is a good one for using up smaller pieces of paper left over from making larger projects. 

The stamp is from My Favorite Things. The ink is Rich Razzleberry from Stampin' Up. 

Seize the Cupcake!

I'm posting a birthday card I just made using the latest Mojo Monday sketch. This sketch was a little tricky for me. For the strip on the bottom I tried using solid paper, patterned paper, even ribbon. No matter what I did it just didn't look right. So I used the rest of the sketch and just left out that part. After all, a sketch is just a suggestion, right?

Mojo Monday 495

I'm submitting this card over at Simon Says Stamp where the Wednesday Challenge this week is "A Hint of Pink." 



Paper: Kathy Davis
Stamp: Hero Arts
Ink: Momento

Love Hearing From You

A clean and simple card design today. The paper has a vintage look that pairs well with the old-fashioned telephone on the card. The stamping didn't come out perfect, but I kept it because it goes along with the vintage look. 

This card design is based on one of the earliest Operation Write Home sketches. -- sketch 17. Their earlier sketches didn't have a lot of components so they are are a good place to look if you want a clean look.

Paper: Crate Paper
Stamps: Hero Arts

Challenges:

Hero Arts. A Blog Called Hero. Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp. Wednesday Challenge. Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp. Monday Challenge. We've got your Number
Mod Squad Challenge. Love

Butterfly Birthday

This card is vaguely based on Operation Write Home sketch #204. But I switched things up and little. 
This is yet another attempt to use up the Kathy Davis paper that I bought a few years ago. I keep making cards with it, but the paper never goes away. Maybe it multiplies at night?

The stamp is from Hero Arts, who are hosting an Anything Goes challenge right now. 
The embellishments are from a coordinating pack I bought to go with the paper. It is also impossible to use up!

This card is going in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Showers and Flowers
and 
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday, April Showers/May Flowers. 

Spirit Brave

This card uses one of my new favorite sentiments from Verve.

May your heart be kind

you mind fierce

and your spirit brave

The paper is from a giant pad of Kathy Davis paper that I can't seen to use up no matter how hard I try. #firstworldproblems



Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge 'showers and flowers"
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday "April flowers/May flowers"

Sunshine!

This card uses sketch 329 from My Favorite Things. The swirly background paper is from Basic Grey and the solid papers are from Bazzil. In other words, I dipped into my precious stash! 

The sentiment is from My Favorite Things. 

MFT 329

I used colors from the latest Your Next Stamp challenge. 

Inhale Courage

Another card using the latest Mojo Monday sketch from Verve.

Inhale. Exhale.

A new card using the latest Mojo Monday card sketch.

More Hugs and Kisses

I've been having fun making love cards. This one features stamps from Hero Arts and paper from Little Yellow Bicycle. I inked the edges with Distress Ink in Soot to help define the edges and add dimension. 

This one is going in the Mod Squad "Show your love" challenge as well as the Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" Wednesday Challenge. 

Heart and Home

How about a love card that is not in the traditional shades of red and pink? 

If you look closely you will see that the houses have tiny little hearts on them. Also, the polka dot heart was made with a die that cuts and embosses. Hard to see these details online. 

This one is going in the Mod Squad "Show your love" challenge as well as the Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" Wednesday Challenge. 

OWH Sketch #86

Paper:  Amy Tangerine "Ready Set Go."

Stamp from: My Favorite Things "Homespun Birdhouse"

Heart:  Spellbinders die