Thank You: Sketch 205 & MWTD

Whew!  The holidays came and went in a flash.  I'm deep in the middle of making wedding invitations for my son and future daughter-in-law, so I have a quick moment to put together this week's sketch over at OWH.  Since I'm doing double time with the card and invitation making, I decided to do double time with the Midweek Throwdown.  The MWTD challenges us to make a color card in either red/white or green/white.  I chose green, think spring!  Well, back to the invitations, I'll post one when completed.

DP:  Studio G 6x6

Sentiment: Create With TLC

EF:  Cuttlebug "Swiss Dots"

Tuesday Tutorial: Paper Punch Penguins

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!  Praise the Lord for he is King!  Today's Tuesday Tutorial over at Operation Write Home is to make a penguin card using punches (that is if you don't have a penguin stamp).  There is a special Brigadier General who is fond of penguins and requested a whole box of penguin cards.  Sandy challenged us each to make ONE special penguin card and she shared her talents by demonstrating several ways to make penguins with our everyday punches.  Thanks Sandy!  Here's my take on making a paper punched penguin:  Kid Style!  Best wishes to all!

DP:  doodlebug designs 6x6 "boys only"

Tiny Brads:  Recollections

Punches:  Heart (for face) Marvy, Assorted circle punches

Sentiment:  Computer generated

Happy Birthday "Kid Style" OWH #203

Happy Sunday everyone!  Great sketch today over at Operation Write Home's Stars and Stamps.  I love the simplicity, which is what I need right now!  We're a little behind the Christmas decorating curve, just getting the tree up today.   I usually like to mat everything, but thought to KISS as Marlene said, and create a quick, cute kid card.   Now onto decorating the tree, have a great week everyone.

DP:  American Crafts 6x6 "Hip Hip Hooray"

Sticker:  ArtMinds Adhesive Award Badges (Office Max-Teacher section)

Mini Brads:  Recollections

Miss You: OWH Sketch #202

Another Sunday crafting cards, it's just can't get any better, unless the Denver Broncos win, that is!!  This week's sketch over at Operation Write Home is a fun "easy" one, love the circle sentiment.  Time to go craft some more cards and root for the Broncos.  We've had any where from 9 inches in our town to 3 feet of snow across Colorado, it's going to be a very cold ballgame!  Best wishes for a great week.

DP:  doodlebug design 6x6 "boys only"

Embossing Folder:  Lifestyles "Woven" 

Twine:  We R Memory Keepers

Sentiment:  computer generated

Hero Mail: Sketch 201

Happy Sunday everyone, hope your Thanksgiving was everything you wanted it to be.  The weekend ends with another great sketch from Operation Write Home's Stars and Stamps.  I purposely waited until the Bronco game to create, my superstition is proving me right.  The Broncos win when I make cards!  Another winning combo, this week's sketch and Hero mail.  I hope some tired soldier will get a much need spirit lift.  Best wishes for a great week.

DP:  Authentique 6x6 "Pride"

Stamp:  Stamper's Best Operation Home Fundraiser

             Thank You For Your Service created by Sandy Allnock

Star Punch: Ki by Hampton Arts

Star Brads:  Recollections

OWH Sketch #200

Wow!  200 sketches and more than 2.5 million cards sent to our heroes.  I'm so honored to be part of such a wonderful group.  I've been trying to make more kid cards, so I thought I'd give it a try with this week's 200th sketch.  It's a bit of Halloween, but then I thought, kids think "punkins" when they see jack-o-lanterns, so… why not!  I took Sandy's suggestion and used two bear images, and popped the top one up.

DP:  Recollections

Sentiment: Doodle Pantry OWH "Missing You"

Digi:  Dearie Dolls Digi Stamps

Ribbon:  stash

I Love You: OWH Sketch #199

Happy Sunday everyone, I hope it was a good one.  Not to be too superstitious, I waited to craft this week's Operation Write Home sketch until the Denver Broncos were playing. They play better when I'm crafting!   I love this week's sketch, especially the inspiration card with the use of circles in the squares.

I dedicate this card to my future daughter-in-law, Lindsay, who graduates CRNA (nurse anesthesia) school this weekend.  I'm so proud of her, so off to Maine I go to share in the family celebration.  Best wishes for a great week!

DP:  Paper Studio "The Basics"

Round Stickers:  Paper Studio "All Seasons Bottle Caps"

Baby Brads:  Recollections

Love: Midweek Throwdown Dry Embossing

Happy hump day everyone!  Today's Midweek Throwdown over at Operation Write Home is to use dry embossing in your card.  I'm a huge fan of dry embossing!  I'm also a fan of searching the net for great ideas used by our card maker friends.  I love to CASE cards, especially when I don't feel the mojo or time is short and I still want to make cards.  I recently saw this card by Linda over at Paper Cutting Kind of Day.  She has this cute card made with symmetrical embossing and brads, how cute and CAS! I added my little spin to her card by creating a raised matted center panel.  I popped up the pastel one on dimensional foam tape and kept the b/r one flat.  Thanks Linda for the inspiration.

Embossing Folder:  Cuttlebug Hearts

Brads:  Round:  Paper Studio

             Hearts:  Recollections

Scotch Double Sided foam tape "precious"

A Whole Latte Love: OWH Sketch #198

Happy Sunday everyone, it's sketch time over at Operation Write Home's Stars and Stamps.  If you've visited my blog before, you probably can tell I'm a digi and paper kind of girl.  Stamps slow me down and frankly, they're irritating!  I spend way too much time trying for the perfect image.  Well, I found these cute coffee stamps that I know everyone has used, so I was determined to get a little more involved in stamps. I also decided to try my hand at other, new for me, techniques too while I was at it:  paper piecing and Copic coloring.  Well, the weather is sunny today, so off to enjoy a bit of the outdoors before the Bronco game!  Best wishes for a great week.

DP:  Paper Studio "Glasses, Staches & Ties"

Embossing:  QuicKutz "Woven"

Stamp:  Fiskars "Latte Love"

Sentiment:  Create with TLC

Operation Write Home: Sketch #197

How's it in your neck of the woods?  The weather is changing quickly in Western Colorado, lots of wind and getting cold fast!  At any rate, another Sunday and another fabulous sketch over at Operation Write Home.  At OWH, we make cards several months ahead of the seasons, Christmas card making is over, and now we've turned our attention to love and Valentine cards.  Best wishes for a great week, don't get blown away!

DP:  My Mind's Eye "Love Me"

        K & Company "KP Valentine"

Twine and Brads:  Recollections

Satin Ribbon: ribbon box stash!

OWH Midweek Throwdown: Seeing Stars

Happy hump day everyone!  This week's mid week challenge over at Operation Write Home is to make a card with stars.  Well, if anyone has visited my blog, you might guess I love stars, even better are stars and circles, so.... I put them all in one card!  I decided to go sans sentiment, this way our hero can use it for any occasion.  Take care, best wishes for a smooth rest of the week, see you back on Sunday.

DP:  Authentique "Pride" 6x6 bundle

Embossing:  Cuttlebug "Swiss Dots"

Twine:  Recollections

Brads:  Paper Studio

Miss You - OWH Sketch #196

Happy Sunday everyone, hope it's a good one so far.  Another fun day watching football and making cards.  This week's sketch over at Operation Write Home showcases some pretty papers as well as a sentiment, my favorites!

I realized after finishing the card, that I didn't quite follow the sketch right.  I meant the sentiment to be off to the left, but  forgot it went further down.  Oh well, next try!  Happy scrapping everyone!

DP:  Paper Studio "Glasses, Staches & Ties"

Embossing:  QuicKutz "Woven"  

Sentiment:  Handmade by Paula

OWH Midweek Throwdown: Color Challenge

Happy Wednesday everyone.  It's a very unusual event for me, getting the MWT done two weeks in a row!  I guess now that the garden is put to bed for the season, I found a little extra time on my hands.  This week's Midweek Throwdown is a color challenge using pink and green.  My first thought was "Oh My", as I don't usually work in pink, unless it's spring.  Well, I start rummaging through my Valentine stash.  Minutes later, I emerged with a great green, a sweet stripe and the classic white background.  That stripe sure pulled it all together!  Thanks OWH for the inspiration.

Sketch and Card Inspiration:  Angela McKay's Uncle's Birthday Card.  I tweaked the sentiment shape and location, otherwise, the design is CASE.  I love her work.

DP:  K & Company, Studio G

Embossing:  QuicKutz "Woven"

Digi:  Handmade by Paula

Operation Write Home Sketch Sunday #195

Happy Sunday everyone!  A quick post and then onto some football, the Denver Broncos, that is!  Well, back to card making.  If this is your first time to my humble blog, I am an Army mom and I craft handmade greeting cards for Operation Write Home.  OWH sends our blank cards to our deployed military so they can keep in touch with friends and family.   OWH inspires and challenges us with lots of great ideas and really cool card sketches to follow.

This week's weekly sketch is another fabulous one, perfect for rectangular stamps or digi sentiments.  A couple weeks back, I was inspired by a card by Pam over Airbornewifestamping.blogspot.com.  She had seen a card by someone else, that featured this really cool Patriotic Subway Art stamp.  Well, not to break the "keep it going forward" good luck, I went out and bought the stamp as well.  Here's my take on the sketch, best wishes for a great week.

Stamp:  Patriotic Subway Art by Stampabilities (Hobby Lobby)

DP:  Stars - Paper Studio

        Stripe - Graphic 45

Twine:  Recollections

Punches:  Marvy Uchida, Paper Studio, Martha Stewart

Operation Write Home Sketch #194

Happy Sunday everyone.  Another sunny fall day here in Western Colorado and another Denver Bronco win!  Did anyone win the point spread?  Well, I didn't bet, but I feel like a winner with this week's sketch.  I'm so loving these recent sketches, as they really focus on sentiments, my favorite.  A little paper and bling and one has a pretty sweet card.  Best wishes for a great week, hope your favorite team continues to win!

DP:  MME "Dilly Dally"

Sentiment:  Create With TLC

Brads:  Recollections / Paper Studio

Ribbon: stash

OWH Midweek Throwdown: The Nature of Christmas

It's Wednesday and that means a new midweek challenge from Operation Write Home.  This week's challenge is to create a card including something from nature that reminds you of the holidays i.e. deer, penguins, mistletoe etc...  Fun!  

A few weeks ago I received a sample from a child's magazine.  Well, my kids are young adults, and no grandchildren in the foreseeable future.  But... it did come with some cool stickers that I kept.  I've been meaning to make a few more kid cards, so when I read this week's challenge, I instantly thought of those stickers, a new snow embossing folder and a favorite OWH sketch.  Wow, it came together so fast... maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket!  Well, anyway, happy hump day.  

CS:  Bazill

Embossing Folders and Brads:  Paper Studio 

Stickers:  Highlights children's magazine

Sketch:  OWH #175

Keys to My Heart - OWH Sketch #193

Happy Monday everyone.  I seem to have a pattern developing, Monday postings!  Sunday was so busy between seeing the fall colors and watching our Denver Broncos win in fabulous Manning style!
This week's sketch challenge over at Operation Write Home featured several beautiful cards by Velda at Oldstamper Musings. 

The sketch is great for some of those bigger print card papers that sometimes is hard to use.   Being short of time (don't we all), I played with some papers and digis I created that was already on my card table.  I'm really a fan of strong value contrasts, so I loved how the card initially went together.  However, after I trialled the sentiment, it looked like an island, all alone.  So I played a bit, adding two ribbon strips alongside.  Mo better, as my kids used to say.  The funny thing was, if I had just gone to my stash of bigger print papers, as the designer did, I probably would have been happier sooner!  Oh well, live and keeping learning!  Best wishes for a great week.

DP:  Stripe - Graphic 45 "Old Curiosity Shoppe"

        Background - Recollections

Ribbon:   Ribbon Boutique

Twine: We R Memory Keepers

Sentiment and Pic:  Print Shop 2

World Card Making Day Blog

Woohoo!  The great folks over at Operation Write Home are sponsoring a huge blog hop to celebrate World Card Making Day.  Operation Write Home is a non-profit that takes our handmade greeting cards and sends them along to deployed troops, so they in turn can write a note and send back to their loved ones.

The rules of this blog hop is to make a thank you card using one of the many OWH sketches as inspiration.  One of my favorite, easy to duplicate is Sketch #170.  When I want to make multiples, just like this week's Midweek Throwdown Multiple Challenge, I grab #170!  I love the sentiment too, as I could use it as a Hero card or send it blank for our heroes to use.

I am so grateful for the work of OWH, as it is one more way I can say thank you to the thousands of military heroes who serve and protect the American way!  I say a particular thank you to my son, who is dedicating his life to providing health care to serve our active duty and military veterans.   Best wishes to all, hope you enjoy the hop, I know I will!

DP:  Authentique "Pride" 6x6 

Sentiment:  Computer Generated

Brads:  Paper Studio

Hello - Sketch #192

Hello everyone.  I don't know about you, but now that it's fall time still is flying by.  Somehow the weekends are just as busy as the summer, which means Sunday's sketch gets posted on Monday.  Better late and quality, than never!  At any rate, now for today's sketch over at Operation Write Home.  Once again, I fell in love with the latest sketch.  So easy to pull out coordinating prints from those 6x6 pads, especially since the sketch has such great value contrasts.  I just love it, and I hope some lucky family member will too.  Best wishes for a great week.

DP:  Ki by Hampton Arts "Berry Blast"

Twine:  Memory Keepers

Tiny Brads:  Paper Studio

Sentiment:  computer generated

Love Is Spoken Here - OWH Sketch 191

Happy Sunday everyone, I hope it's a start of a great week for all.  Today celebrates the first day of fall, and boy did the rain come with a vengeance!  We cooled down into the low 50's by dinner time, just perfect for the first pot of beef stew of the season.  Yumm!

Back to the task at hand.  Today's Operation Write Home sketch is one of those sketches that just hit me like a hammer, wow, so fun to pull out a few of those 6x6 pads and make a professional card in no time.  I really enjoyed today's card, and can see this being a go to sketch for the future.   I love the ability to use so many of my rectangular stamps and digis in this sketch too.  In addition to the OWH sponsor stamp companies, I'm a big fan of Create with TLC.  They offer a daily freebie digi, along with their other fabulous digis, so many are perfect for OWH cards.  Check them out!

DP:  My Mind's Eye 6x6 "Blush"

Digi: Create With TLC

Twine:  Recollections

Baby Brads: Paper Studio

Operation Write Home Sketch #190

Hello everyone, hope it's a good Monday for all.  This week's sketch at Operation Write Home looked so easy, then I over thought it!  I kept trying to add more details, and wasted a whole lot of time!  Finally, I gave in and went simple!  Being an Army mom, I rarely make any other service-related cards, however, when I saw this anchor dp, I knew I was destined for a few Navy cards.  The dps and the brads really match well in person, my camera flash seemed to make the colors all goofy.  At any rate, I'm happy, who knows, maybe  I'll try Marines next!  Have a great week.

DP:  Echo Park "Scoot"

        Memory Keepers "Red, White & Blue"

        Family Stories "Anchored"

Sentiment:  Create With TLC

Operation Write Home Birthday Bash 2013

Wow!  OWH is celebrating another birthday all month long.  One of the many celebrations include a fundraiser tutorial Card Class, in which for a small fee, we were  given select clear stamps and some yummy ribbon.  

On the big day, Sandy and her team uploaded all sorts of teaching techniques including step by step coloring videos for the chosen stamps.  I'm not a colorer by nature, so I tend to shy away from stamps.  I thought what a great way to practice, in the comfort of my own home, no pressure!  After watching the video a couple of times, I dove right in.  I'm pleased with my first attempt, and I definitely would do more of these card classes in the future.  It's not too late to sign up for the tutorial, free of charge.  Come on, join the fun!

DP:  Echo Park "All About A Boy"

Stamp:  My Favorite Things

Ribbon:  Bella! Ribbonz

Tiny Brads:  Recollections

Operation Write Home Sketch #188

It's sketch time over at Operation Write Home, a wonderful non-profit whose members make greeting cards for our heroes to stay in touch with their loved ones at home.  This week's sketch was part of a Virtual Card Making Party.  My DH and I took in a couple Colorado Rockies baseball games over in Denver, so my card making was limited to this week's sketch, so far.  I love this sketch, another great one to use a few coordinated scraps and a little bling.  Best wishes for a great week, I hope to catch up on a few of those great VCMP challenges too.

DP: echo park "All About A Boy"

Embossing:  QuicKutz "Woven"

Tiny Brads:  Recollections

Twine:  Memory Keepers

OWH #187 Miss You Colorado

Best wishes to everyone this Sunday evening.  I hope everyone had a great weekend.  My DH and I took a weekend trip around Western Colorado, making a big loop south from Grand Junction, to a micro brew beer festival in Ouray, then drove back home via a historic, scenic route through old gold and uranium mining country.  

Our son, now stationed in San Antonio, is a Western Colorado boy through and through.  We thought of our numerous family trips while we drove this weekend.  I know my son misses Colorado greatly, thus, the Miss You card for this week's sketch at Operation Write Home.  

I learned a new cool trick, although by accident.  When I put my solid cardstock through the embosser, I ended up with a sanded effect on the raised portions.  Apparently, when one uses colored cs with a white core, one gets the sanded effect.   Not quite what I intended, but I like the effect.

Chillin and Grillin Festival, Ouray, CO

Hanging Flume over looking the San Miguel River

Built in 1889 -A hanging "water canal" built along the sides of the rock

formation, to carry water up top to a gold mining camp.

(see dead center,  wooden remnants of the flume)

DP:  Ki Memories "Argyle" 6x6

EF:  Lifestyle Crafts "Chain"

Sentiment:  computer generated

OWH Design Bootcamp - Relationship Advice

Have you ever wanted to go back in time and call for a "redo"?  That's what I did!  This month's installment in Operation Write Home's Design Bootcamp, talked about relationships between elements in our cards, having connection, rather than randomly being applied.  Paula showed some great before and after cards.  The "afters" had such wonderful improvement in the overall card design and impact.

I've known for quite a while that my initial cards, although I thought were great at the time, could have used a bit more "umph" to them.  Today, I was putting together some card kits from last fall and came across leftovers from last year's OWH Thanksgiving cards.  Wow, I thought, this card could use a redo!  And that's what I did, here's my makeover.  I much more pleased with the result.  Thanks Paula for such a fabulous lesson!

AFTER

A little addition of a brown mat, three tiny brads, 

the ever so fun baker's twine, 3 little die cut leaves, all popped up with foam tape.

BEFORE

Very flat, little dimension, and those leaf brads look a bit "sneezy"

Sketch: Original Post OWH #140

Twine:  Memory Keepers

Leaf Die Cuts:  Robert Stanley Crafts (Hobby Lobby fall section)

Ticket to My Heart - OWH #185

Good morning everyone, hope it's a nice relaxing Sunday.  This week's Operation Write Home sketch is a easy CAS type sketch, so great for some of those wonderful 6x6 papers.  I'm really loving the newest pads out by MME and Authentique, many of the papers coordinate between the different pads!  Lots of versatility.  Hope you enjoy, have a great week.

DP:  MME "Dilly Dally"

        Authentique "Curiosity"

Ribbon:  American Crafts "Rocky Road"

Sentiment:  Print Shop 2 generated

Buttons:  sewing stash!