My Mind's Eye and Operation Write Home

I tell you it should not be this hard to make a post on your blog.  For some reason Blogger does not want to upload pictures - for a few days it was working perfectly - now tonight - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - I have been attempting to load an image since about 6.  So what did I do differently.

Oh well - enough about my problems with blogger.  Tonight's card is for Operation Write Home.  Another card from a 6 x 6 pad I am working on to see how many cards I can make out of it.  Come back another day - and I will try to share some more cards from this same pad.

Now I am working on some Halloween cards - shhhhhhhh - don't tell anyone it will be my Oldie Moldie Monday post for next week.  Operation Write Home doesn't need lots of Halloween cards but I did want to make some - I have some cute stamps that will make someone smile.

Oldie Moldie Monday

Oldie Moldie Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies.  It is time to make fall cards for Operation Write Home.  I found two sheets of double sided paper - Heidi Grace Designs.  Great fall colors. I did add some cardstock to help finish off the cards.  This card is based on the sketch at Card Positioning System - a great sketch for lots of layering.  The burgundy cardstock is actually a premade cardbase but I cut it apart to use it for matting on this groups of cards.  Here is the sketch.

I made three more cards out of the paper - OK - two sheets used out of my extensive collection of patterned paper.  Come back next week - I already know what I am going to use.

Thanks for stopping by - remember to dig into your supplies and make some great cards.  Think about sending some to Operation Write Home.  It gives you an excuse to buy more "stuff".

Riley the Moose Goes On Vacation

I want to send a card off to my daughter and son in law who now call Alaska their home.  I really moose them.

The Riley and Company blog is having a challenge - Riley goes on vacation.  Riley is visiting the big city - looks like he wants to go everywhere - but he too is mooseing someone.

The paper is from a new 6 x 6 pad from Little Yellow Bicycle Company - called Escape.  The cityscape and the sentiment on top were part of the paper pad.  The sentiment is computer generated and cut apart to look like little letter stickers.  Riley is added to the card with dimensional tape to add a little depth to the card.

Enjoy the remainder of your day.

My Mind's Eye, Hero Arts, Studio G and Operation Write Home

The beginning of the week - time to jump start your card making MOJO for the week.  Operation Write Home's card blog - Stars and Stamps - has a sketch every Sunday which can help you get your MOJO started for the week.

The paper is from a 6 x 6 pad from My Mind's Eye.  The flower stamp is a stamp and die set from Hero Arts - very fun to use.  The "missing you" sentiment is a Studio G stamp - I think I will get my $1 investment out of this stamp for my Operation Write Home stamps.

Everyone have a wonderful day.

Freshly Made Sketches, Stampendous and My Mind's Eye

Tonight I am posting another card I have made for Operation Write Home.  I based the design for the card on the weekly sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.  I think this will make a great card to be sent home to a child.

Also - I liked the sketch from last week but never got a chance to make it so I made two of these cards.  My Stampendous monkeys are getting a work out this month.

This paper is a 6 x 6 pad from My Mind's Eye.  We have been having a discussion on how many cards you can get out of a 6 x 6 pad - so I am doing an unofficial experiment and will attempt to keep track.  Of course, it really helps when your paper is double sided like this pad is.  I also am lucky to have some nice colored card stock bases that work well with this paper collection.

Stay tuned - I do promise that not every post will be cards made from this particular pad.  I do need variety in my creative life.

Stampendous and Sympathy Card

OK - I promise this will be my last card I enter in the July challenge at Stampendous - to use citrus colors - yellow, orange, lime.  

The card is made out of watercolor paper.  I cut the paper with a Spellbinder die and used the negative to make the green focal point.  I inked the area with a lime green chalk ink - actually a $1 ink I bought at Michael's.   I then stamped the flower and used Prismacolor Pencils to color the flower.  An SRM Sticker completes the card.  I added a band of orange ribbon at the bottom with a big bow.  The center portion is pop dotted.

It is bright for a sympathy card but I think it turned out beautiful - it was a technique that I have been wanting to try.  What are your thoughts on the color for a sympathy card?

Operation Write Home - July Our Daily Bread Design Challenge

The Our Daily Bread Design challenge for the month of July is to use cool colors - blue is cool - so this card must be the coolest card ever.


ODBD sponsors a challenge on the Operation Write Home card blog each month.  For each 25 entries (up to a total of 50) they will pay shipping on a box of cards to be sent overseas.  Isn't this a wonderful thing they are doing to help out OWH.  Shipping costs are high.  Thank you ODBD for supporting OWH - I feel I should abbreviate something else -

How about - GB - Good Bye.  (Insert smile)

Oh the embossing folder is by Sizzix and the sentiment is by Hero Arts.

Stampendous - Welcome to the Jungle

I had a new assistant start work today and I have started the tradition - when a new person starts in the office - I make a monkey card - and write welcome to the jungle on the inside.  A little something to make them feel welcome.

The July challenge at Stampendous is a citrus challenge - to use yellow, green or orange on your cards.  I have an extensive collection of orange paper in my supply of patterned paper.  Let's just say I have an ample/extensive/over abundance of patterned paper - but it is my first love in paper crafting.

I saw a new Changito stamp in the new releases from Stampendous.  He got his pilot's license - very cute stamp.

Sonia liked her card and I hope she likes the jungle.

Have a wonderful day.

Oldie Moldie Monday

Oldie Moldie Monday - time to show some love to your old paper.  This small paper pad has been floating around my area for awhile.  I know I have made cards out of before but I grabbed it to make a card for today.  I will probably make some more - but blogger issues of uploading - I will only share one card today.

The paper is The Green Stack, from Die Cuts With a View.  It has some very pretty colors in it.  I love the birds and their colors.

Another card for my Operation Write Home box.

Riley and Company

This is my first Riley and Company card.  Discovered these stamps at a store in Wisconsin - so then we investigated and found all these cute stamps.  Mary and I placed an order which just came yesterday.  This stamp was bought at Polka Dots - the Wisconsin scrapbook store.  I love that you can get them just on cushion mount.

My daughter has moved to Alaska so these will be perfect stamps for her.  She talks about seeing moose all the time.  I think this card will be mailed to her in January.

The stamps will also make great Operation Write Home cards.  Every card made with Riley will bring lots of smiles.

I also discovered there is a blog for Riley and Company and they have challenges.  This is my first challenge - it is for Christmas in July.


I also used the sketch challenge from Unscripted Sketches.  I am not even going to attempt to load the sketch - I have been having blogger issues with uploading pictures.  

The paper is from Collage Press.  I love the bright cheerful colors of this collection.  The sentiment was computer generated.  I am lucky to have snow blowing fairies in my neighborhood that take care of my driveway and long sidewalk.

Enjoy the remainder of your Sunday.  My Oldie Moldie Monday card is done and now I need to make my Welcome to the Jungle card for our new employee in the office.

Simple Stories and Operation Write Home

Sunday - the day to jump start your creativity with the weekly sketch from Operation Write Home's card blog - Stars and Stamps.  

I let my patterned paper do the talking for the design of this card.  As you can see most of the elements of the sketch are in my card.  I only added one element at stop instead of two.  The patterned paper is from Simple Stories 6 x 6 pad Awesome.  The motorcycle was on the paper along with the stars around it so the Hero Arts sentiment was perfect - or I thought so.

Enjoy your Sunday.  I need to get a few groceries today and then I will hibernate - need to do some housework, make a treat for work tomorrow - I have a new assistant starting and it is the tradition in our office to put a table of food outside their door so people can drop over to meet the new person and get a nibble of food.  Provide food and they will come.  I also need to make a monkey card - my new tradition - "welcome to the jungle".

Stampendous and Operation Write Home

Well I thought the new router would help my slow upload of pictures to blogger but it didn't - I have to be patient - just do it and walk away for awhile.  I got six images stamped while waiting for this picture to upload.

I had not bought a new Changito stamp in forever - well maybe last year for Christmas - so when I saw this stamp I had to get it.  It would be so nice to lay on the ground and dream but I don't like to lay on dry brown stuff and we have no flowers.  Summer in Wisconsin has been hot and dry - like much of the midwest.

Today's card will go into my Operation Write Home Box.  I know it will bring smiles to many faces.

I am entering the card in Stampendous's July challenge of citrus - to use lime, yellow or orange.  I combined a little bit of everything.  The word dream was on the other side of my orange paper.   I thought it was perfect to add to the card.

Everyone have a wonderful evening.

Operation Write Home and Basic Grey

OMG - I finally got a card to load on blogger.  I went off and did something instead of watching it struggle and I turned around to look and there it was showing.  YEAH.

This card is from the weekly sketch at Operation Write Home's card blog - Stars and Stamps.

I used some Basic Grey from a 6 x 6 pad on this card.  Love all the pretty colors.  The stamp is from Hero Arts - a perfect stamp for Operation Write Home Cards.  The stamp could also be used for a masculine card because of its graphic (rectangle) shape and straight font.

I actually did make another card with this sketch with some scrap Basic Grey - more masculine colors - but I am not going to attempt loading that card.

Have a good day.

Eat Cake Graphics and Stretching Your Stamps

WOWSERS - this is my 1000 post on my blog.  How time flies ..........

I am still enjoying making cards and sharing them.  The majority of my cards are made for Operation Write Home - I like bringing smiles to our heroes and their friends and families when they receive a card from their hero.

Today's card is made with the Oak Leaf (big) from Eat Cake Graphics.  I created my own background paper by stamping the leaf all over the paper with VersaMark and then clean embossed it.  I then colored the background with distress inks.  After the ink had set, I placed the paper between two sheets of typing paper and ironed it.  It melts the embossing pattern and you are left with the images on your paper.  The paper feels almost like suede.  I then stamped the leaf in brown embossing powder.  Colored it with distress inks by coloring with my fingers (adult finger painting).  I cut it out.  It is pop dotted on top of the oval.  The sentiment is also from Eat Cake Graphics.

I am taking the online card class - Stretching Your Stamps - and this is one of the techniques shown to us.

Have a happy day.

Stampendous and Operation Write Home

Good Tuesday morning - sneaking in a card at the last minute for the midweek throw down at Stars and Stamps - Operation Write Home's card blog.  The challenge is to make a winter/Christmas card.  Well of course I wanted to participate in this challenge.

I dug out this cute Stampendous stamp which has this coordinating sentiment with it.  The clear set has two snowmen and three sentiments.  I colored him with Copics and also colored around the sentiment to give it some color also.  I have two more snowmen and sentiments colored - but the scarves are pink - so this color combination may have to be changed up.

Enjoy your day.  Another hot one today in Wisconsin - approaching or will be 100 degrees today.

Oldie Moldie Monday and Eat Cake Graphics

Good Monday morning - time to show some love to some old supplies - today it is more paper - the paper use for the chair and sign are from a collection from Hot Off the Press - Masculine Collection.  I thought the blue/green plaid was perfect for a comfy chair.  The comfy chair stamp is from Eat Cake Graphics.  The little weiner dog is patiently waiting for someone they miss to come home.  He is also from Eat Cake Graphics.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches - it fit perfectly in the tag that was part of the collection.

So dig into your old supplies - just think of the fun cards you can make.  This card is going in my next Operation Write Home box.

Hello - I am Stretching my Stamps

When I think about it - maybe this is not stretching my stamps - but I did try a new technique.  I am taking the online class - Stretching your Stamps - such fun - and I love to try new techniques especially when you have the supplies to do it.

This technique is to clear emboss your background stamp.  You then ink it up - let it dry and then you go to the ironing board and place the stamped inked paper between layers of typing paper and iron it.  What you are doing is ironing off the embossing so you are left with a flat piece of designer paper.  It has almost a suede like feel to the paper.

I also used my Hero Arts Stamp/Die cut set.  I can see that bottom flower could have been aligned a little better.  Oops.  I also have this hello stamp where the entire pennant is the stamp so it can be the same colors as the background of the stamps.  It is a dollar stamp from Michael's.  I have gotten lots of use out of it.  I added a few pearls to finish it off.  I am amazed how people can randomly place bling or pearls around a card and it looks fantastic.  I try it and it looks like I plopped them down - not pretty at all.

I am placing this card in the Moxie Fab challenge for Hello cards.

I am off to play with my friend Mary.  We are going to make some cards.  I have kits for her to try some that I have done recently also.

Stretching Your Stamps

I am taking the online class - Stretching Your Stamps - this is the first day I have played with my stamps.  I am combining Day 3 (stamping on acetate for an overlay) and Day 1 using a background stamp.

I got two entirely different looks from the background stamp.  On the first card - the background stamp was stamped on acetate with Stazon Ink.  If you notice we have a border at the bottom of the card - that is called - covering up where it did not stamp well - the 2nd attempt was much better but I was making a kit for my friend who is also taking the class.  I layered on lots of colors - what a great find that pad was at Tuesday Morning.  Fun summer colors - orange, green, teal, pink.  The hello was cut with my Silhouette - very bold in the white but I think I like it.

The second card just used a strip of paper stamped with the background stamp.  If you notice - I punched holes in all the dots so the background paper would show through.  The green was embossed with a Cuddlebug folder.  A very masculine card that will go in my Operation Write Home Box.

All stamps are by Hero Arts.

More Stampendous Monkeys

I am having so much getting all my monkeys out to play.  They will bring so many smiles to people - all the monkey cards are going in my Operation Write Home Box.  I have almost 50 cards ready to go and the majority are singles - I do not like to do multiples.  I get bored.

As you can see both these cards use the same paper, the same image and sentiment but the layout is just a little different.

The monthly challenge at Stampendous is to use citrus colors in your projects.  If you have been following my blog for awhile - you know that one of my student workers loved orange - and so I started to use it more in my cardmaking.  Love to use it.  Who would think that orange and pink could work so well together.  So watch out Stampendous - I have lots more monkeys that need to get inked up and I am sure I can find some lime green, yellow and more orange to make cards.  I am hoping next month it is Christmas since I have 3 Christmas/winter monkeys.

Oldie Moldie Monday

Oldie Moldie Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies.  Last week I picked out this paper pad from Imaginisce called Enchanted.  I knew I had the birthday princess stamp from Hampton Arts so I already had my some ideas for this week.  I made a total of four cards.  I made one more Birthday Princess card  - the stripe is just a little different on each card.

SRM Stickers added the sentiment to the castle/carriage card.  A Hero Arts sentiment finishes off the bottom card.  I added some Basic Grey brads to the strip and to the center of the flowers.  See how I covered up that flower with the sentiment - I had 4 small brads.  There is a reason for my madness.

Enjoy your Monday.

We R Memory Keepers, Hero Arts and Operation Write Home

Good afternoon - time to share my card for the weekly sketch on Stars and Stamps - Operation Write Home's card blog.

I did my usual cheating by just cutting a rectangle and then using strips to divide the rectangle into the correct size pieces.  This method works much better for me to get two strips straight rather than 3 different pieces straight.

I used a Hero Arts stamp set that has the coordinating dies with it.  I clear embossed the flowers, inked them and cut out with the dies.  They are pop dotted onto the card front.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts also.  I added some different sized pearls to finish off the card.   The paper is from We R Memory Keepers.

Enjoy the remainder of the day.  It is cooling down in Wisconsin - we are only in the 80's.  But it is 20 some degree cooler than several days last week.  Whew.  I will need a loan to pay for the cost of my air conditioning.

CAS-UAL Friday and Authentique

Perfect way to end the day by making a card and I think I like it.  I combined a couple challenges.  The first challenge is from CAS-UAL Friday.  The challenge is to use text on your card.  I dug out my "friend definition" stamp and stamped on some great paper from Authentique.  I used grey Memento Ink to stamp it.  I grabbed this flower stamp off the shelf - first time I have used it - I like it also - I think it will get some more use.  It is from Hampton Art.  I stamped directly on the background paper and then stamped the blossom on 3 different pattern paper and fussy cut them out.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

The second challenge is the monthly color challenge from Authentique.  I used papers from their 6 x 6 pads from two collections - Carefree and Fresh.

Well it is time to get myself ready for bed.  Woke up very early today so hoping I might make it to 6 in the morning tomorrow instead of 4 AM.

Stampendous, Operation Write Home and Card Positioning System

More monkeys - thank you Stampendous for having your summer challenge - love happens every season.  Or so I have been told.

The midweek challenge at Stars and Stamps - Operation Write Home's card blog - is to make an anniversary card.  Although this does not say Happy Anniversary - I think it could be used for an anniversary card.  Who doesn't love two monkeys holding hands.

The card is based on the weekly sketch challenge at Card Positioning System.  Of course  on my card the big circle is my heart and the small circle on the sketch is a rectangle on my card.

I used the great colors in my Momenta pack I found at Tuesday Morning.  An SRM Sticker finishes off the card with a love sentiment.

Enjoy your Thursday - or is it Monday - weird work week - but 2 day work weeks are good.

Come back tonight - I found the Stampendous monkey stamps that are rain related - hopefully - making the cards will bring us some much needed rain and cooler weather.

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July - it is so toasty and dry toasty - in the State of Wisconsin.  We are suppose to hit 100 degrees today - I know for some parts of the country that is normal - but for Wisconsin it is not - we have a few 90 degree days a summer - but we are heading to record breaking numbers this summer.  I am hibernating from the heat and just playing with my paper.

My card today is based on the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.

I made my card a little smaller - it is 5 x 4.  My image did not seem to fill enough of the card front - It is very hard for me to do somewhat clean and simple.  I have this paper collection I got at Tuesday Morning from Momenta - and I love all the colors in the collection - plus it is double sided.  I used a sticker from SRM Stickers and cut it apart to add a sentiment to the card.

Stampendous has a challenge for the month of June to make summer cards - they - plus the midweek challenge at Operation Write Home - broke out my monkeys to get inked.  Little Miss Monkey is bringing summer flowers to someone they love.  Thank you to the challenge for Stampendous for encouraging me to get out my monkey stamps and play with them.

The card is going to a special young woman who is starting her journey into the challenges of the working world.  She loves monkeys, she loves orange and she loves cards from her Miss Barb.

I must warn you - the monkey in the rain slicker is coming out next - maybe he will bring rain to the state of Wisconsin.

Oldie Moldie Monday

Oldie Moldie Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies.  I have actually have had these stamps for awhile but they make wonderful cards for Operation Write Home.  The top two stamps are Stampendous and the Hello flower is by Whipper Snapper Stamps.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts - a sentiment stamp set - I did not realize I had - because I bought it again.  Gee whiz - don't you hate that when it happens.  I think that is a sign you have too much stuff - or a horrible memory - we are going to go with horrible memory.

The midweek challenge on Operation Write Home is to make cards with Monkeys on them.  This is my third monkey card for the challenge.

The paper is Basic Grey - scraps - and a couple different pieces of green which were scraps.  I think the scraps made three great cards.  I know they will bring smiles to many faces.

My Country/Mit Land Bloghop

Or a bloghop with Operation Write Home and our sister organization in Denmark (OSHI).  We are using the colors in our national flags – red, white and blue for OWH and red and white for OSHI.  Each blog will have a card and a sketch that coordinates with the card design. 

You  have come from Margit’s blog – but if you could lost along the way – head back to OWH Starsand Stamps to renew your creative journey.

Here is my card.  

 

My card is a very basic design.  I wanted to use the sentiment for my card because I think it would be the perfect sentiment for our heroes to send home to their family and friends.  I also knew I wanted to use a snowman – because snowmen are pretty easy to color – so you could make multiples of this card very easily.  The paper is from We R Memory Keepers.  The sentiment stamp is from Hero Arts.  The snowman is from Whipper Snapper Stamps colored with Copics - (did you know Whipper Snapper Stamps is a Wisconsin company).

Here is the basic sketch for my card.

Now I want you to continue on your journey to visit Karina. 

I hope you enjoy your creative hop.  Remember to leave comments along the way – I hear there could be prizes.