Operation Write Home and Our Daily Bread Designs

Every month Our Daily Bread Designs sponsors a challenge on the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps blog.  For each 25 cards - up to 50 cards - they will pay the postage on two boxes of cards being sent overseas.  How wonder is this.  Postage adds up so fast for a non profit such as OWH and the shipping of the cards overseas.  This month the challenge is stars.

I decided to use my Silhouette to cut my design.  Everything but the stamped sentiment and the stripe across the middle came from one file I purchased from the Silhouette Online Store.  It was hard picking the colors I wanted to use.

I think I am going to use that background for a stencil.  The Silhouette has so many wonderful files that are so versatile.  Last Friday - if you want to scroll back - I made a shaped card - the shape was a large spool of thread.

Well everyone enjoy your Sunday.

Friday - Time to Play With My Unity Stamps

It is Friday - time for Friends With Flair on the Unity Blog.  Time to show some love to my box of Unity stamps.

I have been wanting to use this shape on my Silhouette to make a shaped sewing card.  In days gone by - many many moons ago - I sewed - I sewed well - I worked over ten years in a fabric store.  I still love fabric but now - when I look at fabric sometimes - I think - this would make beautiful paper.  This cute stamp set from Unity was a great addition to the spool shaped card.  I decided to use a sentiment from the paper pad from We R Memory Keepers instead of using one of the sentiments from the stamp set.  This pad of paper is all sewing and artistic themed and has such beautiful colors in it.  I used the Martha Stewart button punch.  Some stitch stickers from SRM added the finishing touch to the card.

I am also entering this card in Virginia's View Challenge.  I have been wanting to participate in one of her challenges but time has not allowed it.  Today I accomplished it.  Her current challenge is for a shaped card.

Busy week end - I hope to make some cards on Sunday but who knows.  At least I will have to make my Oldie Moldie Monday cards.  Enjoy your week end.

Anything Goes With Paper Smooches

Can you believe it is Wednesday and I am posting a card to the Paper Smooches Sparks weekly challenge?

The challenge this week is Anything Goes.  Those are good challenges. This week I needed to make a card for a bridal shower.  I always struggle with cards for bridal showers - what do you use.  I guess anything goes.

I have been taking the Online Card Class - Stretching Your Stamps.  The first two classes are on using your background stamps.  You ask - what does that have to do with this card.  Well - I did s background and used a rainbow background.  I liked the background so well I decided just to make rainbow watercolor background for my card.  I had this die cut sitting around so I thought why not use that for part of the front of my card.  I then used the dies that coordinate with Denim and Daisies to cut all my flowers.  I had colored watercolor paper in the same colors as my rainbow background.  I thought the sentiment was very appropriate to the background and for a bridal shower card.  

I need to find some heavier vellum.  I guess I will put that on my card making shopping list.  If you wish to shop for your own stamps from Paper Smooches pop over to their store.  

Well time to get ready for bed.  

Oldie Moldie Monday

Monday - time to show some love for some old supplies.  I found pieces of this paper.  There was matching card stock with the patterned paper.  I managed to get three more cards out of the paper and never used any of that card stock.  I think they will be great cards for Operation Write Home.

The top two sentiments are from Hero Arts.  The last sentiment is from Technique Tuesday.

Remember to show some love for your old supplies.  They still make great cards.

Enjoy your Monday - dang - a five day work week.

Keep It Simple Sticker Card

I have found a new challenge blog and have played along a couple times.  It is called Keep It Simple.  I struggle doing simple cards.  I love to do lots and lots and LOTS of stuff on a card.  The post office loves me - I think personally card makers will keep the post office in business with the extra money we spend on postage to mail our cards.

The current challenge at Keep It Simple is to use stickers.  I have two favorite sticker companies.  SRM Stickers have the best sentiment stickers and they also have some small images (the daisy on this card is from SRM Stickers along with the sentiment).  Penny Black also has wonder image stickers which help you make a great card very easily.  The card at this link uses a Penny Black sticker image and a SRM sentiment.

As I said I struggle with CAS cards.  I have thousands of sheets of white card stock which are recycled from commencement programs.  It cuts down on my cost so much.  The card base and the dry embossed card front are recycled card stock.  I used my Silhouette to cut out the flower shape in the center of my front.  After it was cut out I dry embossed the front.  I did cut 3 flowers out of regular white card stock with no texture on it.  They are layered together to add just a little dimension to the flower.  I colored the top layer with Copics.  I then glued it in opening.  I had used all the big sentiments on a Thank You sticker sheet from SRM Stickers and have all these daisies left over so wanted to find a way to use them.  I thought I needed a pop of color so added the pinkish red mat and also put my daisy sticker on top of it.  The sentiment and daisy are pop dotted for some extra dimension.  I added a pearl in the center of the daisy.  Thank you card done.  I kept it simple or at least simple for me.

Everyone enjoy your Sunday.  I must go to the grocery store and clean my card making area since I am taking the Stretch Your Stamps Online class.  Looking forward to it.  I never thought you could take an online card class - well - I prefer to take an online class from this group than to go to a in person class.  Fantastic value for your money.

Paper Smooches Snowman Greetings

Once again, I am sliding in at the last minute with my card for the weekly challenge at Paper Smooches Spark Challenge blog.   

This week it is their Designer Drafts Challenge - or sketch challenge for July.  It is a cute sketch.

Of course, I had to add lots of layers.  Lots and lots of layers.  I was hoping the white and kraft will offset the business of the patterned paper.  It is time to start on those holiday cards so I found one of Paper Smooches wonderful snowmen for the card.  Instead of the scalloped edge on the picture, I cut a scalloped frame with my Silhouette Cameo and offset it from the picture.  The snowman and greeting are pop dotted for some dimension.

I am hoping there is a new set of snowmen coming out this year from Paper Smooches but in the meantime you can go shop at their store and fine other great stamps and die sets.

Well now that I have had some paper therapy it is time to go outdoors and get some dirt therapy.  The flower beds need a little attention.  Enjoy your Saturday.

Vacation Over - Time to Make a Card

I was on vacation.  I did get in some play time on vacation.  I visited one of my dear friends who has moved to South Carolina on a beautiful lake to live out their retirement.  Beautiful home, beautiful location, beautiful friends.  I am looking forward to when I retire to go spend some time with them in the winter months to escape the winter cold.

On Friday's I like to use my Unity Stamps and play in their Friday Challenge - Friends With Flair.  I have used this stamp before but he is cute - maybe next week I will try to use another stamp.  Although I do have this same card in my head in a different paper grouping - blues and kraft - so you never know what will happen.  I guess you will have to stop by next Friday to see what I did.

I based the card on the current sketch at Deconstructed Sketches.  A nice sketch - lots of layers.  I used a muted color palette for my card - it is a new pad I got from Heidi Swapp.

The card will go in my Operation Write Home box.  It is a card that can be used throughout the Winter months because it is not holiday specific.

The current challenge at Addicted to Stamps Challenge Blog - Anything Goes.  Love those challenges.

Two days of work and then I have the week end to catch up on rest and things.  Enjoy your Friday.