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. 

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. 

Embossed and Die-Cut Love Card

This card is part of my ongoing project to make at least one card using each Operation Write Home sketch. 

I used a card base from DCWV that was already printed with pink stripes. It's difficult to see in this picture, but the panel of pink paper on the top is embossed with hearts. 

The theme this week at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog is to use your favorite technique. I recently acquired my first die-cutting machine. So, right now die-cutting is my favorite thing to do. 

OWH Sketch #81

Heart punch: Stampin' Up 
Paper: My Mind's Eye
Label punch: Stampin' Up Word Window
Embossing folder: Darcie
Die: Spellbinders
Stamp: Hero Arts Everyday Sayings
Ink: Stampin' Up Melon Mambo
String: From stash (I have had this a really long time)

Black and Orange Florals

This bright, bold card uses the week 2 sketch from Viva La Verve. The paper is from Basic Grey Indie Bloom. The little stickers are also from Basic Grey Indie Bloom. 

The leaf stamp is from My Favorite Things Own Your Story. I stamped them in Calypso Coral from Stampin' Up. The sentiment is from Inkadinkado. I stamped it in black pigment ink and then embossed with Clear Bark embossing powder from Stampendous. The clear brown over black give a really interesting look that was difficult to capture with my camera. 

Viva La Verve May 2015

I used an edge punch from EK Success to add a little interest to the boarder. 

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is Anything Goes, so this card will be entered there as well.

Confetti Birthday

I used the terrific instructions from Seongsook Duncan for making a batch of cards using Operation Write Home sketch #176. Unfortunately my planning was not ideal and I ran out of the blue-grey cardstock needed for the layering after making only 4 cards. As soon as I get some more cardstock in a color that will work I'll be able to make a pile of them. 

OWH #176

The Monday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "B is for..." For this card I'm going with "Birthday Cake." 

I'm also entering this card in the Little Tangles Challenge. 

Sketch: Operation Write Home #176
Paper: Stampin' Up Just Add Cake
Stamp: Lawn Fawn Year One
Ink: Stampin' Up Baja Breeze 

Delicate Flowers for Mother

The deadline to get Mother's Day cards to Operation Write Home is March 31. I figure I had better get them in the mail by about the 25th of March so that they will arrive on time. That leaves about 2 weeks of card making. Time to start churning out those Mom cards. 

The design of this card is based on the My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge #218. I used just the word "Mother" so that this card could potentially be used after Mother's Day. 

MFTWSC218

I used the colors from the Your Next Stamp Color Challenge #9 which includes two different pinks, two browns and apple green.

The Monday Challenge Simon Says Stamp is "B is for..." and I'm going for "banner." But I could say "brown," or even "Basic Grey." Kraftin Kimmie is being very generous right now and making her challenge "anything goes." So I'm entering this card in her challenge as well.   

Paper: Basic Grey Kissing Booth
Stamp: My Favorite Things Vintage Cameo
Heart Punch: Stampin Up
Ink for Sentiment: Hero Arts Mindtone Red Royal
Ink for edges of heart: Colorbox chalk ink Toffee
Bling: Cloud 9 Raindrops

The Song in Your Heart

I used one of my favorite sentiments "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and will sing it back to you when you forget the words." If you look closely, there are little blue birds printed on the paper.

I used a Pearl Pen to make pearls in the center of the flower and to decorate the scallop strip on the left.

The Monday Challenge this week at Simon Says Stamp is "Just a hint of clover." Ok, my card sure fits with that. The Wednesday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "Special Lady/Girly," so I'm entering this card in that challenge as well. 

The Whimsy Stamps challenge right now is "Use a Sentiment." Easy enough. 

Paper: Stampin' Up Everyday Enchantment
Stamp: Close to My Heart
Ink: Stampin' Up
Border Punch: EK Success
Bling: Viva Decor Pearl Pen Cream
Ribbon: American Crafts
Flower: Stampin' Up Cherry Blossom Embosslits Die

Party Animal

I'm continuing to work my way through all of the Operation Write Home sketches. Wow, this project seems endless, but I'm nearly halfway through! This card uses sketch #116 which is from April 2012. I hadn't even heard of OWH back then. 

Operation Write Home Sketch # 116

In honor of their 100th challenge, the theme over at Lawnscaping is birthdays. They provided this inspiration photo, but also said that any birthday theme would do:

I'm also entering this card in:

The Monday challenge at Simon Says Stamp -- "Anything Goes." 
The challenge this month at Whimsy Stamps --"Use a Sentiment." 

Sketch: OWH #116
Paper: My Mind's Eye Alphabet Soup Boy
Stamp: Avery Elle
Ink: Stampin Up
Edge Punch: EK Success
Paper: My Mind's Eye

Anytime Valentine

I have a bunch of beautiful paper from the Basic Grey collection called "Kissing Booth." It's so lovely that I've been reluctant to cut into it.

Then along came the most recent Inspiration Challenge at the Verve Blog. It's called "Vivacious Valentine," and included a photo of little hearts attached to twigs. All the white space between the twigs reminded me of the white space in the paper I used for the top half of this card. I punched the heart shapes from other papers from the same collection.

I'm really happy with the result. Maybe happy enough to cut into these papers some more to make other versions of this card ;)

Operation Write Home Sketch #137

Sketch: OWH #137

Paper: Basic Grey Kissing Booth
Border sticker: Basic Grey Kissing Booth
Edge Punch: EK Tools
Heart Punches: Stampin' Up

"H" is for "Happy"

This week the Monday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "H is for..."

I'm still working toward making at least one card for each Operation Write Home sketch. So today's card uses OWH sketch #76.

The pack of My Mind's Eye paper I'm using came with some chipboard embellishments. They worked nicely as additions to this card. Because I didn't want the sentiment to compete with the chipboard elements, I stamped it directly on the patterned paper.

The Paper Smooches Sparks challenge this week is "Anything Goes." So, that includes this card, lol. I use the Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler all the time. 

OWH Sketch #76

Paper: My Mind's Eye Boy Crazy
Embellishments: My Mind's Eye Boy Crazy
Stamp: Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler
Ink: Stampin Up Soft Suede

Bright Stars Card

This card was made for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- All Things Bright and Beautiful. My card is more on the bright side, not so much the beautiful side. I'm still trying to keep up with the OWH sketches, so I used sketch #246 here. The stamp is part of a OWH fundraiser set made by Hero Arts called "You're a Winner".

The paper I used came with matching stickers and I used three of them as embellishments.

Operation Write Home Sketch #246

Sketch: Operation Write Home #246
Paper: My Mind's Eye, Boy Crazy
Stamp: Hero Arts, You're a Winner
Ink: Stampin' Up, Soft Suede

Farmer's Market Cards

This batch of cards was made using Farmers Market paper from Crate Paper. I'm still working my way through all 234 sketches from Operation Write Home . I think it will probably take another year, but that's ok. There is no deadline, its just a fun way to challenge myself.

Sketch #47 is a nice way to use 3" x 3" squares cut from a 6" x 6" paper pad. I inked the edges with chalk ink to add a bit of dimension. The sentiment is from Club Scrap. It says "We never know how strong we are until being strong is the only option." I love it!

Sketch #47

Sketch #153 is really fun to work with. The sentiment is from Riley and Co. I really like how this card turned out.

Sketch #153

Sketch #204 has a lot going on. I think that with this one its important to keep the colors and shapes consistent or it can get too busy.

Sketch #204

Lucille Cards

Today I'm posting pictures of a bunch of cards I made using a 6 x 6 pad of paper from Basic Grey. The paper is called "Lucille." It is very feminine, so I didn't even attempt to make any masculine cards. I used this paper to the bitter end when there were only tiny scraps left. I also tried to use Operation Write Home (OWH) sketches whenever I could.

Sketch #18 uses a stamp from Close to My Heart.

OWH #18

Sketch #79 is a way to use smaller strips of paper. I love this stamp from Viva Las Vegas. I stamped it with four different colors fading from dark to light.

OWH #79

Sketch #51 is one of my favorites. I use it all the time. I like to modify it by putting the semtiment on the right. The sentiment here is from Stampin Up, as is the decorative punch.

OWH #51

Sketch #80 didn't look that interesting on paper, but now I think it might become a new favorite. The semtiment is from Paper Smooches.

OWH #80

Sketch #101 was a way to use the banners that came with the sticker sheet from Basic Grey. The punch and stamps are from Stampin Up.

OWH #101

Sketch #127 is a classic, it's very similar to Sketch #1. The sentiment is from Verve.

OWH #127

Sketch #154 is yet another way to use up smaller pieces of paper. I used a corner rounder to make them look like flower petals. The stamp is from Hero Arts.

OWH #154

Sketch #160 is another great way to use up smaller strips of paper. The bird stamp is from Close to My Heart. The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

OWH #160

Sketch #177 uses a stamp from Hero Arts. This is one sketch that might grow on me.

OWH #177

Mojo Monday #238 is the ultimate way to use up little squares of paper. I used the measurements posted on The Best Things in Life are Pink.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

Mojo Monday #238

Finally, here's what I came up with to use up the last of the scraps. I just used whichever circle punch would fit each scrap. The sentiment is from Close to My Heart.

Ice Cream Parlor Cards

I'm trying to make at least one card from each card sketch from Operation Write Home.

Today I'm sharing a series of cards made with Ice Cream Parlor DSP from Stampin' Up. This paper came with matching stickers, so coordinating embellishments was easy.

OWH Sketch #7

OWH Sketch #17

OWH Sketch #34

OWH Sketch #57

OWH Sketch #66

OWH Sketch #102

OWH Sketch #115

OWH Sketch #119

OWH Sketch #134

OWH Sketch #140

OWH Sketch #146

OWH Sketch #158

OWH Sketch #165

OWH Sketch #166

OWH Sketch #170

OWH Sketch #181

OWH Sketch #194

OWH Sketch B-10

OWH Sketch B-11

Wow that was a lot of cards!  Thank you for looking at them all and making it to the bottom of the post!

Green and Purple Sympathy Card

This card was made in response to the Operation Write Home sketch challenge #239. Sketch #239 was really difficult for me to work with. None of my stamps looked like they would work. I was finding it hard to make it my own. So I started just copying the original as much as possible, then finally got into it.

The green dotted paper is from Stampin Up "Just Add Cake." The flower stamp is from Inkadinkado. I colored it in with an Old Olive marker from Stampin Up and a water brush dipped in Elderberry ink from Momento.

The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

Here is the original sketch:

So glad I have you in my life

I have paper that I need to use up, but I was feeling completely uninspired.  So I turned to the Operation Write Home sketch archive. I really like that they include measurements. Even if I end up altering the sizes a little bit, at least having a starting point eliminates all the guesswork. I used OWH sketch #72 for this one.

My design was inspired by a card from the blog Handmade by Julie 
You can see that I placed a sentiment on the left like she did. 


I didn't really like this card at first, but as I look at it more its starting to grow on me. Maybe I'll make another.


Stamp - Hero Arts My Favorite # CL651
Paper - Stampin' Up Ice Cream Parlor, old olive cardstock
Sticker embellishment from Stampin' Up Ice Cream Parlor