Authentique paper, Inky Antics and Lily Pad Cards

Good evening - trying to catch up on my card making - maybe as a cardmaker you never catch up - I create so many cards for Operation Write Home - I sometimes forget to get ones made for my personal use. 

I am only a week behind on this birthday card - the recipient loves monkeys and her favorite color is orange.  I must thank her for making me realize what a delicious color orange is to work with.  It is not just for Halloween.  I found you can even make Christmas cards with the color orange.

The card is based on the sketch at Lily Pad Cards.  This is a very versatile sketch.  I found this Authentique paper in Madison at the Scrapbook Superstore (color me sad they are closing at the end of January) - I don't think I had ever seen 6 x 6 sheets of paper sold separately.  The paper was also double sided and of course when that happens you never have enough of one sheet because you like both sides of the paper.  With the addition of an SRM Sticker which came in white, the card came together.  I know the recipient will treasure this card.  It is special to make a card for someone you know who appreciates it. 

Well I must close, have a wonderful day. 

Gift Bag to coordinate with Card Set

This is the gift bag that goes along with the card set I posted yesterday.  More beautiful Paper Loft paper and a Penny Black sticker.

Hopefully it generates a little money in their silent auction. 

Paper Loft Paper

Isn't this paper by Paper Loft the best.  It made a beautiful card with very little effort on my part. 

I made a card set of six for a fundraiser.  I covered a small gift bag for the cards to be in.  Hopefully they will raise a little money. 

Everyone have a wonderful day.

Oldie Moldie Mummy

It is Monday - time to show some love to some old paper you have sitting around.  I needed to get a couple Halloween cards made so I had colored this mummy - easy to color - like snowmen.I honestly don't think the majority of this paper is that old - last year but the black on the card - is very old.  I don't make too many Halloween cards.

The card is based on the weekly sketch from Card Positioning System.  A very versatile sketch.

Everyone enjoy your Monday - busy week - lots to get done at home and work.

Stampendous and Little Yellow Bicycle

Slowly I am working on my personal holiday cards.  This little card is 4.5 x 3.5 inches. 

Stampendous is having a challenge for CAS (clean and simple) holiday cards.  I found this little stamp in my collection and the small card was started.  I stamped the image and colored it with Copics - and then cut out the image.  The background was embossed with a Cuddlebug folder.  Small pieces of patterned paper were added to the card front.  The image and the strip it is mounted on are both pop dotted for dimension.  A SRM Sticker was added for the sentiment. 

CAS Friday's challenge is to "Just Add Color" - I love snowmen to color - so easy - insert smile here.

More lawn raking on my agenda for today.  My neighbor boy - Hunter - is waiting to use the leaf blower.  Hopefully he gets home in time from hunting to help.

K 'n K Designs Blog Hope

Welcome to the Operation Write Home Fund Raiser blog hop.  If you arrived at my blog from Paige’s blog – you are in the right spot.  Isn’t it wonderful that K ‘n K Designs has generously created these digis and offered up all the profits to help with the mailing costs of sending cards overseas to our heroes - $13,000 for postage – I think OWH helps keep the US postal service in business. 

Now if you don't need to buy any digi stamps - you can still help out with postage costs - here is the link to the Operation Write Home blog where you can graciously donate some moola to help offset postage costs.

Back to the creative part of this post. 

I made this card using the set Written With Love.   Isn’t this bunny so cute – and the sentiments that come with it are perfect.  I managed to make everything larger than I should have – my original thought was to have both sentiments on the front of the card – that did not happen so I decided to decorate the inside – normally I just add a liner so the hero can write a note.  I did put a liner in the card – but I also decorated one panel with a sentiment. 

Now – I want you to hope over to Shannon’s blog to see what she has created for your viewing pleasure. 

Please leave some love on everyone's blog.

For Owl You Do

Another card using a digi design from K 'n K Designs who are generously donating the profits from the sales of several digi sets - so check them out - I am sure there is something you NEED (insert smile here). 

This uses some Basic Grey paper I had - love the plaid heart - has all those great red, white and blue colors in it to coordinate with the flag the owl is holding.  I creted the LOVE word on my computer - it is pop dotted to sit on top of the U.

Come back tomorrow for a blog hop using these designs. 

Vintage Santa Cards

This card was inspired by a card in the Paper Crafts Christmas Cards issue - Love the simplicity of it - It was a one layer card but I had to back my stamped image with black cardstock and just pop dot it off the cardbase.  In my final version of this card, the silver snowflake was replaced with a black button with twine tied through the holes of the button.  I got out my Tonic distresser and destressed the edges of the image and mat. 

IMy daughter had asked me to make a couple sets of cards for her for a silent auction at a conference she is attending.  I made 6 of this card.  The inside is finished also with a sentiment.  The envelope is stamped with a pine bough.  They are all in a kraft gift bag with a handcrafted gift tag on the card.

Hopefully it will bring some money for their silent auction.  Everyone have a wonderful day. 

K 'n K Designs Fundraiser for Operation Write Home

K 'n K Designs has a wonderful fundraiser going on for Operation Write Home - they are donating the sales of some special images to help cover the cost of postage for Operation Write Home during the holiday mailing season. 

This cute image - For Owl You Do - makes a great card - it comes with four different sentiments.  I chose to use the "thanks for owl you do - sentiment because today on Operation Write Home the midweek challenge is - thank you cards. 

I did a very CAS (clean and simple) design for my card.  I used a combination of Copics and colored pencils to color the image.  I can not color reds with my Copics. 

Please pop over to K 'n K Designs and purchase some of those cute images and make some cards. 

Operation Write Home Fundraiser - K 'n K Design

K 'n K Designs is sponsoring a fundraiser for Operation Write Home to help raise shipping costs for sending holiday cards to our troops.  $13,000 is the projected cost for sending cards overseas - this only happens because of generous sponsors such as K 'n K Designs or by each of us sending our own small donation.  I sent a box of cards - 50 - to the midwest shipper yesterday - and enclosed $13.00 - I know this will cover the cost of shipping one box overseas.  If we all do this - it will help immensely. 

Today my card is made using the sketch from Fetch a Sketch - of course - I took my own turn down the road in the land of sketches - my circle is an oval - the placement of my strips is a little different.  I used the digi image from K 'n K Designs Snow Thankful - I have been trying to work on my coloring skills with colored pencils.  I still have lots to learn.  I guess, not going to kindergarten, set me back in my coloring skills - of course - did they have colors that long ago. 

Please go out to K 'n K Designs and check out their cute digis - they are only available until November 1.  All proceeds are donated to Operation Write Home.  Please stop by all week to see more of these designs and on Saturday there is a great blog hop - I will have more information on that later in the week.

Oldie Moldie Monday

I dug into my collection of Basic Grey to do my oldie moldie Monday card.  The weekly midweek challenge on Operation Write Home card blog Stars and Stamps - is masculine cards.  I dug out my favorite truck stamp - I like this stamp - I don't have to color it - that I enjoy.  I stamped it with some Colorbox chalk ink.  This type of ink works so well when you are just stamping an image.

I hope you enjoy my card for today.  Lots of fun things happening this week.  I am participating in a blog hop on Saturday.  Lots of cuteness coming your way.

Crate Paper, Hero Arts and Operation Write Home Sketch Challenge

This is my card based on the weekly sketch on Operation Write Homes card blog - Stars and Stamps.
the sketch called for 3 different strips of paper on the card front.  I always have so many troubles making sure everything is lined up correctly that I do the cheater version.  One piece and a matted piece down the middle gives basically the same look and I did not sweat getting everything straight.  I really like how the colors and paper came together - now I wish I had big sheets of this paper - I only had the 6 x 6 pad.  The paper is by Crate Paper, Sentiment is by Hero Arts and ribbon is by Offray.  The pearls are from the Dollar Store in Canada - thank you Ivanka. 

Cindy was talking about distressing - so I got out my Tonic distresser and stressed up the edges of all the paper.  It gives it a very cool finish.

Everyone have a wonderful day - Packers this afternoon and the Brewers tonight - I hope the Brewers pull off two wins since they are home so they can go to the World Series.

Unity Stamps Fall Card

I wanted towork on a few Fall/Thanksgiving cards since I will be gone for a couple weeks before Thanksgiving - I don't spend the day with my girls so like to send them each a card to let them know how blessed I am to have them as my daughers and their great husbands as my sons

This card used some of the techniques I learned on an online class Jennifer McGuire taught.  I embossed the image on watercolor paper.  Swiped 3 or 4 distress inks on my mat and sprayed with pearl ex.  I then stired them together to get this fallish color.  Of course I will never replicate it again.  I like how it turned out.  The pearl ex adds so much beautiful shine to the image.  The bow is some fabric left from a valance I made my neighbor.  The colors worked perfectly.  I love to use fabric for a bow.  The paper is from a collection found at Hobby Lobby - they have added some new groupings that are a very nice weight. 

This card is based on the sketch at Card Patterns and the challenge at Unity Stamps to make a fall card. 

Everyone enjoy your day.

Penny Black + Distress Ink = Beautiful

Playing with ink this morning and my fingers show it.  I had purchased this new Penny Black stamp and wanted to play with it - Penny Black's weekly challenge is using inks to make a dusky sky - my sky is blue - hopefully it works for their challenge. 

I first inked my stamp with Versamark and then with Distress Ink Black Soot and stamped on white paper.  I then placed clear embossing powder over the top.  I then took distress inks to color the paper the image was stamped on.  I first used Broken China and then added some Fades Jeans.  I have found I can never usually find a perfect color to work on the card so I just make my own paper and color it with the same inks.  Black card base and black mat provide the perfect contrast.  I added a black brad in one corner to balance the twine bow in the opposite corner.

Since the card is for my personal use - I added clear Stickles in the mood and across the words - very subtle - and I made my paper for the inside and stamped a sentiment - card is ready to go - now who will receive it will be the question - I think it should be someone who will appreciate all the technique that went into the card.

I am loving Saturday - I need to go do some cleaning/clearing.

Stampendous + Echo Park + SRM Sticker = Cute

It has taken Blogger forever to upload this card.  Finally - I am now exhausted from the waiting.

Stampendous has a monthly challenge to make a Clean and Simple Holiday card - and I ran across this image that was already colored - the colors match (fairly well) the colors in the Holly Jolly Christmas collection from Echo Park.  I found the 6 x 6 pad last week end.  Fun designs - I even bought a couple sheets of the 12 x 12 of the designs I knew I would use lots of. 

This is also the sketch from Card Positioning System (kinda) - I couldn't cover up the image with a rectangle over the top so I left that part of the sketch off.  An SRM Sticker was added to complete the card.  The stripes were pop dotted and then the image was pop dotted double. 

Also entered this in the CREATE magazine chevron challenge.

Looking forward to the week end and getting something done.  I did some cleaning/clearing out - I believe there will be a trip to Goodwill in my future.  Everyone have a wonderful week end.

Hero Arts - Holiday card

Another holiday card made for myself - Hero Arts has a month long challenge to make a holiday card and not use a holiday stamp on it.  I had this coffee cup stamp and thought it would make a great card with the use of Christmas papers.  I heat embossed the image on the base and then also on another piece of paper and cut it out and mounted it on the base with some foam tape.  The base was matted with dark brown and also pop dotted.  The sentiment was computer generated.

Moxie Fab has a challenge using texture - I put some kraft paper through an embossing folder and then inked the embossing up for some extra texture and dimension - looks like coffee.  I then added some May Arts twine.  I distressed the edges of everything with some ColorBox Chalk Ink - Chestnut Roan.

Everyone enjoy your day.

Stampendous, My Mind's Eye and SRM Unite

This week is my Mom's 93rd birthday - I try to send her a bunch of cards that week but Columbus Day - Post Office day off sure goofs that up. 

The card today is based on the sketch at Clean and Simple Stamping.  I was also going to use it on the Stampendous challenge for CAS challenge but it was for a holiday - a 93rd birthday is a holiday I think. 

The stamp is from Stampendous - stamped with a distress ink and then clear embossed.  I inked the edges of all the papers and card base.  Added a great sticker from SRM which is brown and some May Arts twine - I pop dotted both layers to give some extra dimension.

Thanks for stopping by - have a wonderful day.

Oldie Moldie Monday

Oldie Moldie Monday - time to show some love to some old paper and supplies.  The old part of this card is the patterned paper.  It is Basic Grey - a collection I found at Michael's many years ago.  Still working on making cards out of it.  Sunday's card was made with the same paper grouping.  These cards are for Operation Write Home - I have made 6 of this card.

The stamp is an Inkadinkado - many times you can find them for $1 but I htink I paid $1.99 or $2.49 for  it.  I thought it was a great card for Operation Write Home cards - the sentiment is part of the stamp design - makes it easy to create a card.  I colored the image with Copics and then used a Glaze Pen to add a little depth to the smoke and little dots in the image.  This card fits in with the midweek challenge on Stars and Stamps for Christmas Cards.  The deadline for Christmas cards is October 31.  I am going to wind up my holiday cards this week because I need to ge caught up on my personal cards.  I promised my daughter a couple sets of cards for a silent auction.

Everyone have a wonderful day - dig out some of that old paper and show it some love.

Operation Write Home Sketch Challenge

Pure laziness on my part for not posting more last week - I actually had things to post - I will try to be better.

Today I checked out the sketch on Operation Write Home card blog Stars and Stamps and they have such a lovely simple sketch with beautiful samples.  I wanted to try it immediately - Hero Arts also has a month long challenge for holiday cards - so I found a Hero Arts sentiment to go with the sketch - it was laying on my table - and was perfect.  The paper was also still out - I used this paper for my Oldie Moldie cards - come back tomorrow to see them. 

The sketch used two different patterned papers but I used the same patterned paper and just cut as one sheet. Backed it with red to make it pop.  I stamped the sentiment and embossed in white and backed it in red also.  I could not locate my white ink pad but I had a metallic white paint dauber on the table so I tried that - it is great - it adds just a little sheen to the edge of the papers.

Very simple but effective - going to make 5 more of these for my box for Operation Write Home this week - everyone have a wonderful day - hopefully it is creative for you.

GO BREWERS and GO PACKERS --  GO FIGHT WIN.  So you know what else I will be doing today.

Hero Arts and My Mind's Eye

Hero Arts is hosting some great challenges on their blog this month - they have sketches, holiday cards, holiday cards not using holiday stamps - so much fun. 

I am trying to catch up on my October birthday cards - slowly - this is one card for a birthday this month.  It uses one of the sketches on the Hero Arts blog.  I love this sentiment stamp from Hero Arts - 3 sentiment stamps in the set and they make great sentiments on cards for Operation Write Home.

I love this paper grouping from My Mind's Eye called Lost and Found - Market Street.  Such pretty soft colors. 

I actually made this flower using a flower die cut and circle spellbinders.  The color comes from spreading a distress ink on my sheet and spraying it with Perfect Pearl Mist - the base of the flower is a coffee filter.  The flower is so soft also.  A pearl was put over the top of the brad that holds it together.

Go check out the challenges on the Hero Arts blog. 

Oldie Moldie Monday

Today I am sharing a card I made with some very old Christmas paper.  I don't know who made it but I have a packet of it - it is double sided paper. 

On Saturday, if you read my post for Operatione Write Home World Cardmaking Day blog hop - I made a Christmas card using a tag I had found at Michael's.  This is a card I designed for a friend from a tag she purchased last winter on clearance. It is very cute and had the purple color in it - thus the purple or lavendar ribbon.  The tag is popdotted and the hole has a little bling on it.  Check out those tags - there may be easy cards hiding in that aisle. 

My Mind's Eye, Stampendous, SRM Stickers Unite

If you are looking for the blog hop post, click here.

My card today is based on the sketch at Stars and Stamps - OWH's card blog.  Every Sunday there is a new sketch.  I was doing a little experimenting with embossing and dye inks.  The stamped the image in Versamark, embossed with white embossing powder and then rubbed distress ink over the piece of paper.  I tried to add an edge of white embossing along the very edge also.  I added the sticker in the corner - OWH is always in need of thank you cards.

I am not quite sure about my choice of papers. 

Everyone have a wonderful evening - I am channel hopping - Packers/Brewers - both are winning presently - hope it stays that way.  

World Cardmaking Day Blog Hop

Today is World Card Making Day – I am sure this is not a Hallmark holiday.  I love being able to celebrate something I enjoy doing so much.  Card making is my therapy – I love to be able to create.  Through my love to create and buy lots of supplies, I started to make cards for Operation Write Home.  Cards for Operation Write Home – bring smiles to so many faces.  I love to make cards and my ability to bring a smile to people’s faces. 

The card I am sharing today is for Operation Write Home. Christmas cards are in huge demand.  Our Heroes want to stay in contact with their friends and family at this special time of the year.  I am always looking for ways to make great cards in an easy manner.  One thing I have found that helps make card making easier is to use gift cards.  I stalk the sales racks looking for tags that would work on card fronts.

The main image on my card is a small gift card from the $1 bin at Michael’s.  There were 12 little cards and envelopes in the package.  I actually used the red envelopes as the mat for my gift card front.  So the next time you are cruising the gift wrap aisle, look at those gift tags – hmmmmm – I could make a great card out of that.  My card is a 4.25 square - the normal size for OWH cards is 4.25 x 5.5 - but my square card will fit inside the standard A2 envelope.  I justed to change things up a little.

Oh by the way – I have candy.  I bought some new paper this last week and I am sharing with three people.  In order to qualify please leave your e mail address in your comment. 

Come back and visit my blog this week.  I have a few more cards made using gift tags.

Happy hopping.  Just click on the image below to figure out where you want to go next.