Giddy Up!

If you haven't already heard, Operation Write Home is closing its doors at the end of this year. All cards must arrive there by August 1 and then they will continue sending cards overseas through December. If you have extra cards that meet their guidelines, please go ahead and ship them now. Any size box or envelope will be accepted as long as it arrives by August 1. 

Well, in honor of this big occasion I'm going back to the beginning with a card based on OWH sketch #1. 

OWH Sketch #1

This sketch is a great opportunity to make a card that has a strong focal point -- as fits with the second lesson from Summer School at My Favorite Things. 

Also, the theme this week at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog is to use your favorite technique. My favorite technique right now is die-cutting. I used a spellbinders deckle edged rectangle die for the little panel of paper that the hat is on and the dark brown paper that it is matted on. 

I hope some little cowboy enjoys this card and gets to see his loved one very soon. 

My Sunshine

My Favorite Things is posting a series of lessons about composition. The most recent was about using lines to direct attention and provide focus. For this card I used the lines going from upper right to lower left to direct attention to the sentiment. Because we read English from left to right and from top to bottom, our eyes are trained to begin viewing an object in the upper left corner. With this card, your eye will start at the upper left corner and then follow the lines to the lower right. 

I used the colors from the most recent MFT Color Challenge. The stamp is from a MFT set called "Textile Rectangles." I inked it up with Melon Mambo ink from Stampin' Up. I used the Tiny Bubbles embossing folder from Cuttlebug because the dots matched with the circles in the frame around the stamp. 

Amy Tangerine and Backward Spellbinders

This is the third card I'm posting using a 6 x 6 pad of paper called "Ready, Set, Go" by Amy Tangerine this one uses an OWH sketch. 

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. For this card, I wanted the navy rectangle to be plain on 3 sides and only have a scallop on one edge. So I used just the bottom edge of a scalloped rectangle die to add a little something to that one side of the rectangle. It was a fun way to use a die and worked surprisingly well. 

OWH Sketch #239

Stamp: Hero Arts Forest Friends
Ink: Momento Nautical Blue
Bling: Cloud 9 Raindrops
Scalloped Oval Punch: Stampin Up

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)

Summer Coffee Lover's Card

I made this card for the Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop.  If you haven't already seen it, check it out. Lots of fun cards to look at and good prizes as well. 

I used Operation Write Home Sketch #73. The paper is from the Basic Grey Two Scoops collection. The coffee cup stamp is from a set from Fiskars. I used Momento Ink in Grey Flannel to stamp the image. 

Operation Write Home Sketch #73

Chocolate Raspberry

For this card I used some pretty cool paper from Core'dinations. Its from their Chocolate collection and called "Raspberry Cordial". I embossed it with a heart embossing folder and then sanded away some of the "chocolate" layer to expose the raspberry underneath. 

I'm entering this in the Verve "Eat Me Drink Me" inspiration challenge. I used their new "Chocolate" set to stamp the sentiment in the corner. I also used the latest Mojo Monday sketch for the card design. 

Wish You Were Near

Today I have yet another card using the scrappy background technique. 

I used colors from the latest Waffle Flower Challenge. I also used some design elements from their inspiration photo. It might be difficult to see, but some of the designs in the embossing folder (Floral Fantasy by Cuttlebug) match the little rug in the photo. I also chose a Spellbinders die that mimicked the lacy edges of the little rug. 

The sentiment comes from a set from Whimsy Stamps that was designed by Sandy Allnock. 

Each month Our Daily Bread Designs sponsors the shipping on up to two boxes for cards for Operation Write Home based on how many people participate in their monthly challenge. This month the challenge is to make a "missing you" card. I'm entering this card in that challenge and I'll also be sending it to OWH. 

If you are interested in donating to OWH, please note that ALL cards must be received by OWH before August 1, 2015. They will not be accepting any shipments after that.