Congratulations Graduates

Best wishes to all those young graduates, moving onto the next phase of their lives!  A co-worker has a special friend who graduated from high school this week.  She asked me to make a special grad card in her honor.  I'd been collecting ideas on Pinterest, but had yet to make a grad card, so I gladly accepted the challenge.  Fun, time consuming, but very pleased in the end.  5 hours later, I don't think I'll mass produce this card, but I was honored to help a friend.  Cheers to graduating class of Grand Junction High School. Go Tigers!

Inspiration Card:  The Serendipitous Stamper blog spot;  her card was square, but I wanted to make mine 5x7.  Yikes!  A square card would have been easier, especially when doing the gown, using a square die to create the neckline.  No… I went rectangle and had to custom cut the angles for the neck! Next time… make a square card!

2015 Tag Board Die Cut:  Walmart graduation party supply section

Inside Sentiment:  Computer generated, inspiration from Greeting Card Messages. Great free on-line source for card sentiments!

Finishing Strong Blog Hop: A Push to the End

Hello fellow Operation Write Home card makers.  Today is a day of celebration with a bit of sadness.  Operation Write Home announced that, as our service members are drawing down, OWH is drawing down also.  The need for our cards is less as more and more Heroes return home.  More about the draw down and the end of the OWH mission can be found here.

To celebrate the homecoming, OWH is conducting a Memorial Day Weekend blog hop, Finishing Strong Bloghop, to spread the word about the last day to have your cards delivered to OWH Headquarters, August 1, 2015.  Please join us in this bittersweet celebration and participate in a fabulous day of sharing our cards, on a day celebrating our Heroes.  

Bloghop Sign Up:  Finishing Strong Blog Hop

Happy Birthday: OWH Sketch 253

Happy birthday everyone!  Well, happy birthday to my dad, who's birthday is this week.  My latest Operation Write Home card box is need of some birthday cards before it's full, so this week's sketch is just the perfect fit.   I've been trying to challenge myself to make masculine and feminine version of sketches, so here's my take!  Hope all is well, happy spring everyone!

Sketch:  Operation Write Home #253

DP:  My Mind's Eye "Hootenanny"

Border Punch:  ek

Spellbinders Scalloped Circles

World's Greatest Dad: OWH Sketch 252

Happy Saturday everyone!  It's sunny and calm here in Western Colorado, one cannot beat our little valley.  A quick card before going out to enjoy.  This week's sketch over at Operation Write Home is just perfect for a Dad card.  At OWH, we work 8-12 weeks in advance of a holiday, just so our leader Sandy can get the cards to our deployed Heroes and then they can send back in time to their loved ones.  Check OWH out if you've haven't done so, great work.  Well, onto the card and some sunshine!

Sketch: OWH 252

Sentiment: Handmade By Paula (Just love her stuff!)

DP:  Paper Studio "Ninth Street" 

Dies:  QuicKutz "Nesting Pinking Circles",  Spellbinders Large Circles - used the 2 3/8" circle,  and  ek 2 1/4" punch

Mini Brads:  Recollections

Like You A Lottle: OWH Sketch 251 & ODBD Challenge

Happy Friday everyone! Well I'm all caught up (at least where I want to be) with the latest of Operation Write Home's Sketches.  I just love this sketch, simple, straightforward and a great for guy papers.  I'm also counting it for the latest Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge 

I'm also excited to showcase a blogger who shares her talents, designing freebie sentiments.  Check out Ginger's House Blog.  She has some really fun sayings, Like U A Lottle is so darn cute!

Another fun paper design I've become so "into" is graph paper or ledger type designs for background prints.  I'm finding it popping up more and more in dp, so easy to cut and especially easy to line up vertical and horizontal mattings.  Easy Peasy!

Well, off to do a little more garden clean up.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Sentiment: Ginger's House Blogspot

DP:  Paper Studio "Murphy's Square" 4.5" x 6.5"

        Pebbles "Basics" 6x6, perfect small scale backgrounds

Brads:  Recollections

RED Friday: Remember Everyone Deployed

Hi all, it's RED Friday, Remember Everyone Deployed.  Each and every day I'm so honored to make cards for Heroes.  If you haven't checked out Operation Write Home, it's so uplifting, join us.  Here's a another card to share, thanking our Heroes.  Hope you enjoy!

Operation Write Home Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Designs: Sentiments

                                                          Mid-Month Throwdown: Red, White and Blue

DP:  Authentique "Pride" 6x6

         DCWV "Everyday Essentials"  (great backgrounds-love the ledger look)

Die:  Spellbinders "Grommet Tags" - one of each color, then split the red and blue in half lengthwise to    mat. I then punched a small blue circle to add matting the ends.

Sentiment:  computer generated

Mom: OWH Sketch Challenge 250

Happy Friday everyone! It's been so long since I've blogged, I've almost been in withdrawals.  The warmer weather has everything growing crazy and I still haven't cleaned the gardens from the fall!  Yikes!  Well, I've kept up with the latest from Operation Write Home just haven't posted.  The background is actually a very pretty light green that coordinates well with the mats, but sure didn't photo well, oh well.!

Sketch:  OWH 250