Addicted to CAS

The current challenge on Addicted to CAS is transport.  I almost reached for my favorite truck stamp but - no wait - you used that on their last challenge Texture.  Guess what this card could have been posted for Texture also.  I guess I always reach for the embossing folders when I am doing a CAS card.  Simple way to add a little more dimension to your design.

I believe I bought this card stock in a package at Tuesday Morning.  It has enough color in it to also add a nice element to a CAS card.  I stamped the car with a chalk ink from Clearbox.  I don't know who the company is for the stamp unfortunately.  The packaging is no longer on the stamp set.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts.  The patterned paper I used is from Bo Bunny - just enough to add a little color to the card.  It is actually a winter collection but I love the colors.  I cut some small circles to scatter around and of course, a masculine transport card has to have some chrome on it - so I added the two silver whatch a majiggies. (new words)

I am also entering the card in the current challenge at Inkspirational Challenges which is to make a CAS card.  I love it when things some together so nicely and you can get double bang out of a card.

Everyone enjoy your Wednesday.

What did you find on your design table - Day 1

I have been cleaning off my design tables (piles) and decided to use some of the things I found on the table and make cards for Operation Write Home.  I made 4 cards with this sentiment and patterned paper.  I love the house paper and thought the word sentiment in all the different languages was very fun with the paper.  The sentiment does take up quite abit of  space though.

Come back all week and see what else I have found on my table.  There are die cuts; there are colored images; there are scraps.  I could create off my tables probably for an entire year - but we will go for a week.

The paper is Studio Calico.  The stamp is Stampabilities.  The ink is Colorbox Chalk Ink - Charcoal color.

Happy creating.

Oldie Moldie Monday

Busy day - I only got one card made for Oldie Moldie Monday.  This cute stamp set is from Taylored Expressions.  The paper is an old 6 x 6 pack from Echo Park.

Assisting with a Veteran's Day activity on campus.  A Cardmaking Project for Operation Write Home with the Pathway Students.  I hope we have lots to come.

I have two kits prepped.  One is 12 thank you cards - very simple ones and then 6 of another card.

Unity Stamps and Operation Write Home

I am a collector of stamps - ok - excuse me - I am a collector of anything related to card making and I have one fantastic collection of STUFF.  Who would have thought where that one little class so many years ago would lead.

I have been collecting Unity Stamps and I have decided I need to use one stamp a week on a card.  The week is almost done and I have not done anything yet.  Quickly tonight I decided to get one done.  I want to have 60 cards in my next Operation Write Home box and I am almost there.  Yes hard to believe it is time to make Valentine Cards - but really this is more of a love card that can be used anytime.

I have become quite the fan of putting a design on a paper and then dry embossing the paper.  It makes the design almost melt into the paper.  I wanted the heart to have a little more definition so I added the stitch lines around the outside of the heart.

Aren't you glad Friday is here and we survived a week of work and can now try to enjoy the week end.

Operation Write Home Card

Good morning - hope to get some mojo started.  Life has been busy and hardly any cardmaking has occurred in this studio (mess).

I wanted to get a card made for the Our Daily Bread Design Challenge for the month of November.  ODBD will pay for shipping for up to two boxes for Operation Write Home card for our heroes overseas.  The challenge this month is to use a rarely used tool.  The tool I decided to use is this stamp.  I have had it for awhile and have not inked it up.  The paper is rarely used also - came out of the scrap pile/drawer, etc.

The stamp is from Stampendous.  The ink is Colorbox chalk ink - dark brown.  Used my distress tool around the edges.  Inked with another shade of brown chalk ink from Colorbox.  The name escapes me right now but I know it is one of their favorite colored inks by stampers and I am too lazy to walk across the room and see what the color is.  The paper - the cardstock is from a drawer where I placed pieces; the dark brown is Basic Grey and the stripes and dots is My Mind's Eye.

Well hopefully I am back in the saddle again for creating.  Everyone enjoy your Saturday.

Penny Black and SRM Stickers and Paint

Got my fingers all painty for this card.  I do love to play with paint and stuff - but usually do not take the time to do it.  The background paper is watercolor paper which is colored with acrylic paint.  I swiped a taupe color paint over the paper and then I dabbed on orange and a lightish tealish green.  I really like the color - it is so warm.  I then stamped the Penny Black tree in dark brown Colorbox Chalk Ink.  I used a SRM Sticker to add a sentiment to the card.  I was lucky I had to trim off a little strip so my sentiment strip matched the card background.

I am entering this card in three challenges.
Paint - Simon Says Stamp and Show
Fall Card - Oozak
Square Card - Cas-ual Friday

Yeah the week end is here - it is cool here in Wisconsin - so I plan on opening up the house and getting fresh air in and doing lots of clearing/cleaning and hopefully some creating.

Authentique and Operation Write Home

Sunday morning - time to kick start your creativity for the week with the weekly sketch on Operation Write Home's card blog - Stars and Stamps.

Of course mine take is a little different - I used the same size strip as the sentiment because I already had that mat strip cut and did not want to waste it.

The paper is from Authentique - a new paper pad I got yesterday - It is so great because the paper is double sided so you always have the solids to work with also.  It makes your paper pad more versatile because you have coordinating solids to use on your cards.  The stamp is one I got in a dollar bin somewhere but it works fine - wouldn't it be fun if you had a paper that had million dollar bills on it that you could use with the sentiment.

Enjoy your day - it is suppose to be cooler here today so I can open up the house and get some fresh air in the house and maybe get some work done outside.

Freshly Made Sketches, Operation Write Home and We R Memory Keepers

Card for Freshly Made Sketches

Operation Write Home - Things that Fly

Good evening - a double share tonight - the top card would have worked for both challenges but I had stamped a couple of the birds so I wanted to used them.  Also I cut the circle and strip on the second card and did not like it with the background paper on the first card - so I reversed the colors - you should use your paper when you have it out.  Someone said they liked to use up their 6 x 6 pads - I just seem to collect them - maybe I should make a goal to use this entire pad up.  Hmmmmmm - I wonder if I could do it.

The first card is based on the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  The second card is for the midweek challenge on Operation Write Home's card blog Stars and Stripes to make a card with things that fly.  My birdie flies.

The paper and stamp are both from We R Memory Keepers.

Enjoy your evening.  

Hero Arts and Echo Park Christmas Card

My card today is based on one of the sketches in the June Challenge on Hero Arts.  I had made a Christmas card earlier in the month and had all these strips of paper left so this card sketch seemed perfect for all those strips.  The paper is from the 6 x 6 pad - Season's Greetings - from Echo Park.  I love the vintage like colors in the pad.  I recently bought this sentiment off Amazon - it has three other sentiments with it for the holidays that are perfect for card fronts.  They will make great sentiments for cards for Operation Write Home.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hero Arts and CAS ual Friday

The challenge on CAS-ual Friday is to make a clean and simple card using Polka Dots.  We are going for the very distressed masculine polka dot card.  Another card for my Operation Write Home box.  Both stamps are Hero Arts.

Authentique, Imaginisce, and Operate Write Home Unite

Sunday - the time to get up and do the sketch on Operation Write Home's card blog Stars and Stamps - this way I get some mojo flowing for the day.

I started out with the bottom cards and they just did not come together - designs too large - or something to reflect the sketch but I was able to salvage the designs into some cards for my box.  So next I went to a new pad from Authentique.  Yummy blues - somewhat reminds me of tattered and worn denim with a touch of sunflower added to the mix.  Of course with any sketch and any patterned paper - you must work with the designs on the paper.  My sentiment maybe higher on the card but I did want to show two rows of the very popular chevron and that row had more yellow in it.  The stamp is from Hero Arts - a favorite one for Operation Write Home cards.  I was looking for a brad - and I found this perfect one - it is an old one from Imaginisce.  Unfortunately I did not have an oval that fit across the card the correct way.

Well the yard must be mowed today and hopefully get some groceries bought - we will see how the day goes.  Right now between work and stuff that needs to be done at home - I can not keep up but I will make it through. 

Have a wonderful day and I hoe you get to spend some time being creative - hopefully you get to be a REBEL and play along in some of the challenges.

Clean and Simple Stamping, Creative Corner and Operation Write Home

This is another card for my next Operation Write Home - the emphasis for this box is masculine cards for sending home for Father's Day.  I tend to not make cards that are specific "mother's day" or "father's day" - I know that this could be used for Father's Day or for any other occasion.  This card is a combination of 3 stamps.  The golf balls came from three different stamps.  They were all cut out  and pop dotted on the card.  The background is my argyle cuddlebug folder - and then a touch of argyle patterned paper.  I was so pleased with the card - I made a second one and sent it to a friend so she could send to her father - I know he likes golf.

The card is being entered into three different challenges:

Sketch at Clean and Simple Stamping
Creative Corner - Boys and Their Toys
Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps Blog - Midweek Challenge - Dad

Have a wonderful day.

Hero Arts, Thinking of You and Operation Write Home

The midweek challenge at Stars and Stamps, Operation Write Home's card blog, is to make thinking of you cards.  I had this card in my head - I have made a smiliar one using a leaf stamp and greens and browns. 

The base is watercolor paper, a layer of cardstock, and another layer of watercolor paper.  I stamped the Friends definition (Hero Arts) in grey Memento ink and then the flower (a very old old Hero Arts) flower in different shades of blue/green ink.  The sentiment on each card is another Hero Arts stamp.  I overstamped the friend definition over the sentiment.  Everything has a little inking on it in the lightest shade of blue/green.

There is a new challenge blog - A Blog Named Hero - which focuses on Hero Arts Stamp - the challenge this week is to use your favorites - the background stamp "friend definition" is a favorite of mine.  It can be used as a background on almost any card you make. 

The challenge on the Pink Elephant is to make a Clean and Simple Card.  I think they both qualify.  I have six more of the second card ready to be assembled for Operation Write Home.

Simple Stories and Operation Write Home

It is Sunday and Stars and Satmps - Operation Write Home's card blog - has their weekly sketch posted.  I try to hop to it right away on Sunday morning - so then I know I have one more card made for my next box.  The emphasis right now is on mascline cards - the colors are somewhat masculine - they are from the 6 x 6 pad from Simple Stories - Awesome.  Great colors - and I do wish I had a sheet or two of that blue houndstooth.  YUMMY.

As everyone knows - a sketch is a tool and sometimes we alter things a little - my image is not the same size as the rectangle given in the sketch but I like this sweet little image.  I know it will bring smiles to many faces.  Also - I had purchased card bases that are kraft colored and they are 4 x 5.5 - so my other sizes are altered some - and of course - I then matted each piece of paper with dark brown since they are busy prints.  The fearless leader of Operation Write Home - Sandy Allnock - uses this trick - and I have learned from her.

I am frantically working on my own Easter cards so I imagine there will be some other posts today also.  Enjoy your Sunday - now I need another cup of coffee.

Card Positioning System and My Mind's Eye

I need some birthday cards next week so I have one made.  I used the great sketch at Card Positioning System this week for this card. 



On Saturday I got my new stamps from Unity Stamps and this bicycle and sentiment were part of my purchase - it seems like most of the stamps are for Operation Write Home cards but this one will be great for some of my personal cards also.  I used papers from the 6 x 6 pad Miss Caroline from My Mind's Eye.  Such pretty colors. 

Did you notice the boo boo - I had to add a strip for the sentiment - I tried to stamp it on the base but it was not straight so I had to restamp and cover it up.  Grrr - I should have known better than try this.

Well come back tomorrow - I actually have my card made for tomorrow - it is a Christmas Card for Operation Write Home.  Never too late to start that. 

Oldie Moldie Monday,

Oldie Moldie Monday - time to show some love to some old paper.  I once again went to my supply of Basic Grey 6 x 6 pads.  Grabbed some stamps and went to work.

The first cards is based on the sketch at Clean and Simple Stamping.  Of course I had to add patterned paper to my card front and then the top looked naked so I added the strip across the top - but honest it did start out as that sketch.  I just got new stamps from Unity so I used one of those new stamps on my card. 

The second card is a masculine card.  The fish stamp is from Stampabilities.  Embossed the background kraft paper to add some texture to the card. 

The last card just uses the great pear paper - grabbed one of my Hello Stamps to make a general card.

All these cards are for Operation Write Home - believe it or not - now we start the push for father's day cards - most of my cards - will be general masculine cards. 

Come back tomorrow - I have another card using the same paper grouping and another sketch.

Simple Stories Paper and Operation Write Home Cards

It is Sunday - to start my day off with creativity - I went to Stars and Stripes Blog - card blog for Operation Write Home - to get their weekly sketch.  Both cards started with the sketch but the bottom card took a different turn - I have been trying to make masculine cards so dug out my trusty truck stamp from the old Cornish Heritage Farms.  The "UR COOL" is on one of the pieces of paper so thought it worked well for a sentiment. 

The first card stayed pretty much on the sketch track.  I did not like the star as an embellishment after I put it on but when I removed it - alas - I tore paper underneath so the star went back on.  It does pick up the stars in the background paper.  The stamp used is by Hero Arts and is one I have had for years and use it quite often on cards.  I like trees.  Of course, on both cards, the image and sentiment are both pop dotted.

The paper collection is from a 6 x 6 pad from Simple Stories called Awesome.  Don't tell anyone I bought three more 6 x 6 pads yesterday.  Shhhhhh  -   it is our secret.

Well I promised myself I would pick up the garage today because we are in this great stretch of weather in Wisconsin - over a week of 70's and 80's.  Not too hard to take.  Enjoy the remainder of your day.

Words of Encouragement

My weekly card for my friend with a little humor and words of encouragement on them. 

The card design is based on the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  Of course I moved my ribbon to the other side of the panel and used the bow as the circle elements.  Sometimes you just have to be a rebel.

The stamp is one I have had for years.  It is by American Art Stamp.  I stamped it with Colorbox Chalk Ink (Dark Brown) and just colored a couple items with Copics.  I used paper from Basic Grey's 6 x 6 pad Kissing Booth - pinks and browns are always a lovely combination - love the houndstooth. 

Thanks for stopping by - I think I may indulge in some paper therapy today - it has been months.  Have a wonderful day and I hope you get to spend a little time being creative.

Clean and Simple

A quick post for tonight - trying to get some quick mo jo running through the fingers.  CAS-ual Fridays has a great post to use a Sentiment on your CAS card.  I think ths qualifies.   

The background is stamped with a Hero Arts stamp (friend) with a Distress Ink.  The branch (sorry it is loose floating around my table so I don't know who makes it) stamped with Memento Ink and the sentiment is from Hero Arts and it was stamped with Colorbox Chalk Ink..  This is a CASE from one the Paper Crafts special editions but I ended up matting the background and sentiment.  The sentiment was also pop dotted. Of course, you need to add a little inking with a light brown chalk ink around the edge of everything. 

I bought a big pad of watercolor paper at Hobby Lobby to use for these card bases.  The paper will give the card a good weight.  Single layer cards scare me very much.

Thanks for stopping by.



Another Unity Stamp Card and Authentique Paper

Unity Stamps had a challenge for a couple weeks using their Itty Bitty Stamps - so I had to play and I did ink up a couple I had not used before.  I like how this one turned out with the banner and the image actually hanging off the card edges - something a little different in size and shape.  Isn't that Authentique paper the best. 

If you want to see what else I created, just go down further in my blog.

Still toying with the idea of going shopping - driveway is shoveled, maybe if I go get the dishes done - then I could go out for a couple hours.  OK - talked myself into it.