Oldie Moldie Monday Returns

It is Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies - this time I actually just worked out of my scrap bag.  Inside the bag was this partial sheet of bright pastels bargello design.  I thought - no I knew - it would make great spring cards for Operation Write Home.  All the other paper were pieces from inside the bag also - luckily there were some that were big enough for card fronts.

I used an assortment of stamps.  The duck and bottom bunny are from Studio G - $1 stamps - I do believe I got my money out of these stamps.  The "lots of hugs sentiment" stamp is also Studio G.  The tall bunny is a Whipper Snapper and Snoopy is from Stampabilities.  I made so many boy cards yesterday - I wanted to make a general girl card - and that is where Snoopy comes in - everyone loves Snoopy.  I also used the Cuddlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder on several of the cards.  It dresses up plain cardstock.

I now have 11 cards in my next Operation Write Home box.  Not too bad.

Everyone enjoy your New Year's Eve - be safe.  I have a retirement party this afternoon so I need to get to the grocery store and get some supplies for what I need to make.

Third Post Today

Third post today - all using the same image and the same 6 x 6 paper pad from Little Yellow Bicycle.  I have made six cards today.  It was nice to dig into my stamped images and find those 5 colored robots - grab a pad of paper that would make great children cards - I guess mostly boy cards since it is a robot.  This card is based on the weekly sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

Another card for my Operation Write Home box.

Thanks for stopping by today - now I need to go work on my Oldie Moldie Monday cards - I found some Easter images in the image drawer and I know in my scrap bag is a great piece of paper for Easter cards - yes for Operation Write Home - it is time to make Easter/Spring cards - the Valentine Day deadline has passed already.

Enjoy your evening.

Operation Write Home Sketch Challenge

I am back to creating cards - this is the sketch featured on Stars and Stamps card blog for Operation Write Home - they have a new sketch each Sunday.

Here is the Sketch

I ended up using a rectangle instead of square because I was working with this image.  I needed to add a sentiment (Hero Arts) and then there was all that empty space up in the upper right corner - so I added the circles.  I was trying to work on balance.  Hopefully it works.

There are still more cards coming with this image and paper group.

I Am Back to Creating

I took time out to get ready for the holidays and now I am back and taking this day just for me - I can not do any work at all today - every time I look at something - I say NO - you are not doing any work today - tomorrow is another day.  The only thing I am going to do is make some taco dip so the flavors can meld together until needed tomorrow.

Last week I send off my last box of card to Operation Write Home - it was a small box - only 20 cards - but every card helps.  Now it is time to start on the next box.  The challenge (midweek) on Stars and Stamps - Operation Write Home's card blog - is to make "missing you" cards.  

I had a sheet of five of these robots in a drawer all colored - and I used them all today on cards for Operation Write Home - come back later to see more cards.  The stamp is by Stampabilities and the sentiment stamp is $1 stamp from Michael's.  The paper is from Little Yellow Bicycle.

Well back to my day of doing no work.  Now time to watch the Packer game - GO PACK.

Just Saying Hello

A quick post for Oldie Moldie Monday.  Some paper from one of my many 6 x 6 pads (someday I must count my collection) - the paper is from Crate Paper.  Bright colors.  Yes - it is time to think Spring cards for Operation Write Home - pretty soon the Easter Bunnies will be out wanting to be made into cards.

After the holidays - I am going to just play with one 6 x 6 pad and see how many cards I can make from it.

This card is for the ODBD (Our Daily Bread Designs) challenge for the month of December on Operation Write Home card blog Stars and Stamps - the challenge is flowers.  Some beautiful floral paper with the addition of some borders and a sentiment.  For every 25 cards submitted to this challenge ODBD will pay for postage on a box of cards to our Heroes.  Thank you ODBD.

Everyone have a wonderful day.

Candybar Snowmen

These are hershey candy bars disguished as snowmen.  We had lots of fun at lunch a couple days at work.  Wrapping the candy bars, adding the eyes, nose, mouth and buttons with paint.  The hat are the magic gloves.  So it is two gifts in one - candy and a pair of gloves.

Thought you would like seeing this cute project.

Stampendous and Echo Park Paper Company

Sharing another card I made with my Stampendous penguins and Echo Park paper.  I added an SRM Sticker to complete the card along with some Doodlebug Twine and buttons made with the Martha Stewart button punch.

Have a wonderful evening.

A Stampendous CAS Card

The month long (well till December 20) December challenge on the Stampendous blog is to make Clean and Simple Christmas cards.  I have been trying to make some more clean and simple cards and for my style - this does fall into that category - yes there is layering but there is lots of white - OK - it is snow - but it is still white.

I am so entering this card in the challenge on Simon Says Stamp challenge blog - to use snowflakes.  I do believe this qualifies.

The penguin and sentiment are from Stampendous.  The paper is from Echo Park.  This could have been my oldie moldie post for Monday - which I never got done.  The penguin and the front snow bank are pop dotted along with the sentiment.  Of course, I had to add some Stickles.  I want my snow to glisten.  I am thinking I need some red dots on the striped strip - what do you think. Now I must go quickly, add the insides along with a sentiment and get it ready to mail.

Have a good evening.

Whew -

I say Whew because I ran out of space in Picasso (free) so had to upgrade and did not want to do it and pay money - but I broke down.  Now I had better be very busy posting.

I made this card on Sunday for the weekly sketch at Freshly Made Sketches but I am too late to post it but I did want to share it.

I also made it for the weekly challenge at Paper Players - snowmen -

The snowman stamp and sentiment is from Paper Smooches - kinda reminds me of me - short and chunky.  My nose is not that long though and I do not have a cap like that.

Hope you enjoy my card.

Hot Dog It Is Christmas

Hey I made a card - yeah - I have another image like this all ready to go - I need two different weiner dog cards for friends this holiday season.

I used paper from the 6 x 6 pad Winter Wonderland from My Mind's Eye.  A sentiment sticker from SRM Stickers and I believe the twine is from Doodlebug.

The card is based on the sketch from The Sweet Stop.

I am also entering it into the challenge at Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes.

Have a wonderful evening.

Watercolor Christmas

Tonight another art endeavor from my Whimsy Winter Workshop taught by Christy Tomlinson.  Actually Christy did not teach the watercolor tree and unfortunately I do not remember who it was at the present time.  I think for my first attempt - it did turn out OK.

I can not do one layer cards - so I had to trim the image, mat it and add to a card base of watercolor paper. I doodled along the edge and added a sentiment - I do wish I had not put the sentiment on the front - but it is there now and must remain.

Step out of your comfort zone - have some fun.

Let's Get Messy

and Yes I did get messy - I had a fairly new hooded sweatshirt on and it now has paint on it - OK - it is a hang out in the house sweatshirt now - ready to have more paint applied to it.

I decided to try something new (this is not the time of the year to do that - but oh heck - why not).  I decided to take an online mixed media class from Christy Campbell Tomlinson called Winter Whimsy.  So fun - and I have not even had time to watch all the videos she created.

This is my first project I made -  it is a snowman (in case you did not know) - since I am not the most artistic person in the world - it is based on a snowman stamp from Stampendous - I just drew it out to my size.  The snowman is all paper pieces and then I painted over the snowman.  The scarf ended up being painted and then I added the stripes to it.  The background is all layers of paint and gesso and lots of rub ons - I collected rub ons for many years for my cardmaking and given many of them away but luckily there were some there I could use.  I used up this sheet of "Believe" and I think it had a date of 2003 on it - and you know rub ons sometimes hae their own mind - where the heck did that R come from.

My snowman makes me giggle - he makes me smile and I had so much fun making him - I stayed up until 12:30 at night doing him and I am lucky to make it to 10 at night.

Today I did a little watercolor tree - I am not a one layer card maker - so I need to go add some layers to it - I think - if you ever want to have fun - take a Christy's class.

I was a doubter about online classes - well - you do get your money's worth.  Actually I think you get more than your money's worth.  I have a full year access to this class - after the holidays - I think I will do more playing.  The online card classes I have taken - I have lifetime access.

I hope you had a smile also.  

Oldie Moldie Monday

It is Monday - time to show some love to your old paper and supplies.  This is a Christmas collection from Echo Park - I believe it is from last year so not too old and moldie but not new.  Another Christmas card for this year - I let the paper do all the talking for me in this card design.

Thanks for stopping by.

Authentique November Sketch Challenge

Two posts in one day - but I am trying to get caught up on some challenges - plus get my own Christmas cards made.  I do try to do the monthly sketch challenge at Authentique Paper - their paper is so yummy.

Here is the November sketch.  I used their 2012 Christmas Collection - Festive - 6 x 6 pad.  As you all know - I do have a love affair with 6 x 6 pads - there are very few I have seen that I have not purchased.

The stamp used on the card is from Hero Arts - it has a coordinating die that you can use to cut out the tree. The snowflakes are also from the same set and have coordinating dies also.  The sentiment is a sticker from SRM Stickers.  I added a little bling to the tree for ornaments.

Enjoy your day - back to work tomorrow and I have to work 5 days - YUCK.  

Simon Says - Do A sketch

The weekly sketch at Simon Says Stamp is to do a card using the following sketch.

The focal point of the card is a tag I bought at Hobby Lobby - it is a quick way (cheating method) of adding a beautiful focal point with no work on your part - sometimes at the holidays we need to do that.  I can not color reds with my Copics so a cardinal would not be something I would try to do.  I will be sending this to a dear friend's Mom - she loves cardinals - my friend died from breast cancer several years ago - and she always got something with cardinals on it for her Mom.  I am also going to make the same card for my Mom because she loves to watch the birds.  

This was a fun sketch to do because I love layers but I wanted to keep it somewhat simple in the colors so that the tag was the main focal point of the card.  I added a little texture with an embossing folder to pick up the houndstooth design on the tag.  

Thanks for stopping by - come back later in the week - I am taking an online painting class - I will share my first canvas - it will be worth a giggle or two for you.  

Simon Says Thank You

The weekly challenge on Simon Says Stamp and Show is to make a Thank You card.  Well how about two cards.  I actually did stamp on the second card.  I had this paper from Pink Paislee with the great floral images.  I thought I would make some thank you cards for my next Operation Write Home Box - it will be a small box of cards but they all make some hero smile when he sends it off to family or friends.

The paper is by Pink Paislee.  The sticker is from SRM Stickers.  The stamped sentiment is from Hero Arts. I am not sure where I got the pearls.  My friend Ivanka may have sent them to me but then maybe not.

Well I have made three cards this morning - I am having fun - now where is that Authentique Christmas pad - I have a card to make out of that paper collection.

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.

Basic Grey and Hero Arts

Good morning - quick post before I head off to work - the Simon Says Stamp Challenge this week is

Simon Says ..... Thinking of You / Sympathy

This card is for a very special young lady who just lost her brother to cancer.  She has had to return to her job which is thousands of miles from home - I want her to know I am thinking about her and send her some love.  

This is a very simple card.  I let the paper do most of the talking for me.  The paper is from a card kit from Simon Says which I won - the sentiment is from Hero Arts (my stamp - not from kit) and the paper is from Basic Grey and the card stock is American Crafts.  I did add Glossy Accents to the flowers and outlined the leaves with my Stardust pen.  The pearls are from my supplies.  

Thanks for stopping by - have a wonderful day.  

Oldie Moldie Monday and Operation Write Home

Good morning  - a day late posting my sketch card for Operation Write Home - but I was not home yesterday - so it is stepping stone for a couple cards for Oldie Moldie Monday - time to show some love for your older supplies.

The sentiment is a digi image that is free.  I don't know for sure who did it - I believe it is an OWHer.  The paper is from My Mind's Eye.

Enjoy your day.

What is Cooking today???

Since I have been gone to a conference - no cardmaking has occurred but I am cooking this morning - this is what came off the stove and out of the oven.

Creamy Wild Rice Soup                    Recipe from a former co worker  -  Mary Goeglien

4 cups water

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup uncooked wild rice

3 Tbl chopped green onion          ¼ cup shredded carrot

3 Tbl chopped pecans                 6 TBL butter or margarine

1/3 cup flour                              2 cans (14-1/2 oz each) chicken broth

½ cup diced fully cooked ham     ¼ tsp pepper

1 cup half-and-half cream (the fat free kind works well)

In a large saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil.  Add rice.  Reduce heat;

cover and simmer for 50-55 minutes or until tender.  Remove from heat. 

Let stand for 10 minutes; drain and set aside.

In a soup kettle or dutch oven, saute the onions, carrot and pecans in butter for

1-2 minutes.  Stir in flour until blended.  Gradually add broth.  Bring to a boil; cook

and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Reduce heat.   Add the ham, pepper and

wild rice.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Reduce heat.  Add cream and heat through (do not boil).  8 servings

Easy Pumpkin Dessert

Ingredients

1 can (30 oz.) LIBBY'S® Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix

2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) yellow or spice cake mix

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Whipped topping (optional)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

COMBINE pumpkin pie mix, evaporated milk and eggs in large bowl. Pour into prepared pan.

COMBINE cake mix, melted butter and nuts in large bowl until crumbly (clean hands may be used). Sprinkle over filling.

BAKE for 50 to 55 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Top each serving with whipped topping, if desired.

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/140530/LIBBYS-Easy-Pumpkin-Crumb-Cake/detail.aspx

CAS-ual Friday Masculine Card Challenge

This week at CAS-ual Friday the challenge is to make a masculine card.  I needed a couple masculine thinking of you cards for a friend who had heart surgery and a family member who is battling cancer.

CFC77-Create a new Clean And Simple masculine project.

I chose to use Kraft as the basic color for my card with black as the accent.  The truck stamp is by Cornish Heritage Farms - since they now have a different owner - I do not know if you can still get this stamp.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts.  I placed the top part of the card front in an embossing folder to add some texture.  I like the partial embossing - a little something different.  If you notice the kraft color on the sentiment is different than the card base - I used a scrap I had for the sentiment.  This adds more design interest - she says with a smile.  

Enjoy your evening.  

Oldie Moldie Monday, Sweet Sunday Sketch, Paper Players Unite

Welcome to Monday - time to show some love to your older supplies.  The paper is from My Mind;s Eye - I love the colors in this collection - somewhat vintage but also rustic.  I had made a card yesterday with this same paper for the sketch challenge on Operation Write Home's card blog Stars and Stamps.

The card is based on the sketch from Sweet Sunday Sketch.  Hard to believe, but I stayed pretty true to this sketch.  I think that is a first for me in a long time.  I used my Silhouette to cut the banner.  The sentiment is from Paula - an active Operation Write Home designer.  This sentiment makes such a wonderful card for our Heroes to send home to their loved ones.

The card is also for the challenge on The Paper Players to Give Thanks.

There are so many things to be thankful for.  We need to take a little time each day to think about the things we are thankful for - it will make each day a little better.

Today and every day - I am thankful for my family.

Operation Write Home Sketch Challenge

Sunday morning - time to get your creativity jump started with the Operation Write Home - Stars and Stamps weekly sketch challenge.

Two different versions for the challenge - one using just patterned paper and a stamped sentiment and then another one with stamped images and sentiment.

I should have moved my strip up higher on the kite card - the bottom of the die cut looks very wonky down there - so people - live and learn from my mistakes - the stripe should have been moved up higher so the curves of the die cut showed..  And the kite card looks naked to me - maybe I should have added some dry embossed texture to it - live and learn from my creative blunders.

I really like the first card with just the patterned paper and the distressing of the edges of the paper - it is My Mind's Eye paper and such a great weight that the distressing is wonderful on it.

These are two of my favorite sentiment for OWH cards.  Every day sentiments - just to help our heroes keep in touch with loves ones at home.  I know the kite and hello stamp are from Hero Arts - and I think the big hugs is also.

Enjoy your Sunday - this time change will kick my butt.  I have a hard time adjusting to it.

Get Your Kraft On

This week at CAS-ual Friday - the challenge is to get your Kraft on.

This is a new stamp - isn't that snowman the most fun - he is by Northwoods Rubber Stamp.  The sentiment is by Hero Arts with a coordinating die cut.  I stamped the sentiment and then stamped the tag around it since I wanted the two colors.  I colored the snowman with colored pencils.  A somewhat rustic holiday card.  Hopefully you can pick up the sparkle on the snowflakes and the snow drifts.

Have a good Tuesday.

Oldie Moldie Monday - Moxie Fab Journaling Card Challenge

Moxie Fab World is sponsoring a group of challenges in honor of their new special edition - Paper Crafting Tips and Tricks.  One of the challenges is to use your journaling cards.

I knew I had this Christmas collection from Echo Park Paper Company - I don't think it is that oldie moldie - maybe a collection from last year - but I know it is not new - so it qualified for oldie moldie Monday.  Plus I know have one more Christmas card made.  Yeah.  Lots of fun layering.  I used three journaling cards on this card.  Two of the cards I matted with red to make them pop a little more.  The sentiment is pop dotted.  I added the little squares to fill in the corners of two of the cards.  I think it adds the finishing touch along with the bow.

Thanks for stopping by - and remember to show some love for some of that older paper - it is still pretty and makes wonderful projects.  I do need to retire so I can make lots of cards every day to use up my supply of paper.  I love paper.

Hello Sunday

Good morning - it is Sunday - time to start the day off with the weekly sketch on Operation Write Home's card blog - Stars and Stamps.    It somewhat resembles the sketch - the elements of the sketch are all there - with the added strip at the top and everything moved around a little bit.  Is that called creative license.

I found this paper grouping at Target - they have 6 x 6 pads from American Crafts there - this collection has some of my favorite colors in it.  The yellow is one of Bo Bunny's basic papers - I think I have it in every color - it makes such a great background.  The Hello is cut with my Silhouette Cameo.

Enjoy your day - trying to put another card together because I had another HELLO cut out in a different color.

Simon Says Stamp Leaves

the weekly challenge at Simon Says Stamp is to use Leaves.  I love leaves and have a boat load of leaf stamps but - this little leaf had already been stamped and colored and was waiting to be made into a card.

The leaf stamp is from Eat Cake Graphics.  It was embossed with Zing brown embossing powder and then colored with distress inks and stains.  I believe I used some Perfect Pearls mist on it also so it has a pretty shine to it.  I embossed the background card stock with a wood grain folder.  The sticker sentiment is from SRM Stickers.  I had just enough of this ribbon to make a bow for the top of the card.  I am sending this card to Alaska where it has already started to snow.

Everyone have a good Saturday.

Trying Clean and Simple Again

I am trying the sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch.  Trying to work on my clean and simple card making skills.  Here is the sketch.  My sentiment is just another piece of paper pop dotted on the card for a little dimension.

The stamp is from Hero Arts which has a coordinating die cut.  The purples are in the same family.  I did use my Stardust clear gel pen on the flower and stem - so it does have a little sparkle.  The sentiment is also from Hero Arts which I cut out.

Unfortunately my photography skills are horrible - .

What a Week

Has not been a good week for card making - made this card on the week end - and never even got it posted - so you know the week was not good - when you can't even find the desire to post a card you had completed.

This is a card that went in my Operation Write Home box - this box has the last of the Christmas cards in it - some general winter cards and a small mix of miscellaneous cards.  Can't you see some Hero sending this home to one of his or her kids.  Everyone loves Snoopy.

I actually made a card tonight.  Come back tomorrow to see it.

Oldie Moldie Monday

I was digging through my supplies and found this grouping of papers the pink and dots were coordinating and found the brown and green from another collection - so out of this paper I got four more cards for my next Operation Write Home box.  Three are the Sending Happy Thoughts.  The sentiment on the top card is from SRM Stickers.

The "Happy Thoughts" card qualifies for the challenge on Operation Write Home sponsored by Our Daily Bread Designs to use circles.    Each month they sponsor a challenge - for each 25 cards we make - they will pay for shipping on a box of cards for our Heroes.  Thank you very much.

Happy Monday.

Sunday - OWH Sketch time

My twisted version of this week's sketch from Operation Write Home's card blog - Stars and Stamps.  As I was going through my Silhouette files - the mustache jumped out at me as a border so I went the masculine route on my card.  I think it will bring a smile to someone's face.

As I was doing this - I was thinking about other uses for the mustache - and came up with the idea of a mustache for a retirement card - retirement - now you have time to sit back and watch your hair grow - or for a woman - gee retirement - you no longer have to worry about your mustache and plucking it.

OK - enough warped sense of humor - I guess I need to drink another cup of coffee.

Chevrons - Just Add Ink Challenge

Found a new challenge site - Just Add Ink - and their challenge this week is Chevrons.

Gee I hope they forgive me - I added no ink to this card at all - it is all paper and a sentiment sticker.  I was looking through all my 6 x 6 pads and found this multi colored chevron paper and thought it would make a great card.  Happy colors - and gee - there was that HAPPY square in the 6 x 6 pad by Simple Stories.  The yellow background was from another 6 x 6 pad.  I added the sentiment sticker from SRM Stickers to make it a birthday card.  I ended up adding the red half oval at the top because it looked naked up in that corner of the card.  Empty spaces bother me.

This is a card that will go in my next Operation Write Home box.