Basic Grey and Oldie Moldie Monday

I think it is always fun to look and see if you can find a date on your paper or paper pad so you can see how many years you have aged your paper.  This paper (a 6 x 6 pad from Basic Grey) was dated 2011.  A little newer than last weeks 2005 paper.

I wanted to see if I could get a masculine and feminine card out of the same paper pad.  I was able to to.  The train stamp is a new one I picked up this week end from Crackerbox Palace in Janesville, WI.  Easy stamp to use for a card.  No coloring needed.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches.

The feminine card is very simple - I just let the paper do the talking on this card.  The sentiment is a favorite for my Operation Write Home cards.  It is from Hero Arts.  The flowers were in my flower drawers.  I rounded one corner to soften the look of the card.

Well back to work.  I need to do dishes and keep moving things out of my main living area so the floor people can do their magic.

Enjoy your Monday.

Kraft and Christmas

This card is based on a challenge photo.  It was a wreath of kraft colored flowers on a whitish base.  Since I am in a holiday mode currently, I used my Silhouette to cut some snowflake tags, white embossed a sentiment.  I love the contrast.  I added just a touch of color on the snowflake brad.

The sentiment is by Paper Smooches.

Everyone enjoy your Saturday.

Be Jolly With Paper Smooches

This is a 4 x 4 canvas.  I love how it turned out.  The paper used on this canvas is old dictionary pages which I have colored with gelatos and distress paint and gesso as the base. I cover the page with gesso.  After it has dried, I smooth on some gelatos and then add another layer of color with the distress paint.  It is adhered to the canvas with gel medium.  The snowman is stamped on a gessoed piece of dictionary page.  The trees are colored with gelatos.  Everything was adhered to the base with more gel medium.  The sentiment was stamped on a separate piece of paper which was colored like the background.  Modeling paste was swiped on around the tree and snowman to make it look like a little dimensional snow.  The hearts and nose were colored with Big Brush pens.  Glossy accents was added to the hearts.  A little banner and some snowflake rubons were added to the canvas.  I brushed the edges of the canvas with my Big Brush White pen.

I did this canvas for the Paper Smooches Cool Shades Challenge.  Orange may seem to be a strange color to add to a winter scene but I have a friend whose favorite color is orange - so I had to add a touch of orange to finish off the canvas.  I did another canvas with snowflakes - but I think I prefer the contrast of color.  Here is the cool shades challenge colors.

There is a touch of red and orange on the canvas.

Yeah tomorrow is Friday.  Half day of work because my new floor is being delivered.  Hopefully they come early because I want to go buy more canvases.  I think I got them at Michael's.

Thankful

The weekly challenge on Paper Players was CAS with Leaves.

I cut my tree design with my Silhouette Cameo.  I took the trunk of the tree and colored with a couple different mediums to get the brown.  I then took a piece of paper and marked the area where the leaves were located and then I took my paint daubers and just dabbed different colored paints all over.  I added some dashes or regular acrylic paint also.  I think I achieved the look of a fall tree in bloom.

This went in the mail to my daughter in Alaska.  I am sure she will appreciate the beautify of the fall tree.

Oldie Moldie Monday

Wowsers - look at the color different between the top and bottom card.  Top card is the true color.

Oldie Moldie Monday - time to show some love for old supplies.  I was cleaning out some drawers to donate some supplies to a non profit art group.  I found this piece of paper from Making Memories - it was dated 2005 - so it is well aged.  The dots and stripes were on the same sheet.  I also found a piece of solid paper which I used to mat my paper with.

The stamp is from TPC Studios.  I thought it was a great sentiment for some Operation Write Home cards.

Enjoy your Monday.

You Are My Sunshine - Version 2

Yesterday's post used the same stamp and the same sun image.  We are just changing it up a little with a larger sun and different layout.

Taylored Expressions Stamp
Authentique Paper
Silhouette Cameo die cutting machine

I based somewhat loosely the design of the cards on the sketch at Just Add Ink.   As always, when I use a sketch, I say loosely.  I did not add a bow to the card because it is for Operation Write Home and wanted to keep it a little less bulky.  My sentiment takes up quite abit of space also.  Here is the sketch.

Everyone enjoy your Sunday.  I have lots to accomplish today.  I have already got my Oldie Moldie Monday cards done.  Yeah.  Anything I do cardmaking today is a bonus.

You Are My Sunshine

I just mailed off a box of cards to Operation Write Home and now I have sprouted the next box with two of this design.  I know I have some Hero Mail at work from a school so maybe I can get a few cards done also to go in with the Hero Mail.

The card was "loosely" based on the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch.  I turned the sketch on its side to accommodate my sentiment and sun.  Here is the sketch.

Doesn't the background paper look like a dark sky and then you have the sun sitting on top of it.  That is my story and I am sticking to it.  The stamp is by Taylored Expressions and the sun was cut with my Silhouette.  The paper is from Authentique.

Everyone enjoy your day.  I do need to do some shopping and trying to decide when to go.  Before the football game or after the football game.  Such difficult decisions.

Friday - Yeah

Sharing a card I made this week.  Totally non traditional holiday colors but how fun.  Isn't this little snowman so cute - he is from Paper Smooches.  The sentiment comes from Paper Smooches also.

Took today off from work to get my leaves raked.  I was going to do it this week end but it is now going to rain.  Bah Humbug.

Everyone have a good Friday.

Paper Smooches and Operation Write Home

I have been trying to play along with the weekly challenge on Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge Blog.  This week the challenge is a Designer Drafts challenge or sketch.

Here is the Designer Draft.

I used stamps from the Circle of Honor set.  Part of the proceeds from this stamp set go to Operation Write Home.  I have been making some Hero Cards for my book club where we are reading a book about a hero who returns from the war and the challenges he and his wife face.  It was written by a professor on our campus.  I have 11 hero cards made.  One card is for my special family.

Thanks for stopping by.

Oldie Moldie Monday

Another card - different layout - but same papers and stamps from last week.  Come back next week - you will probably see the last card made into a card.

Too much to do to get too many cards made.  The leaves have finally fallen so I had to rake some.  I also had chicken cooking today to make home made broth for Thanksgiving dinner.  Now to clean that mess up and finish the laundry and get ready for work tomorrow.

Oh too much to do and too little time.

Mixed Media Christmas Project

Once again it is Mou's November challenge on the Faber-Castell Blog - the challenge is to show what you have been working on.  

This project started as a piece of cardboard that is 4.5 inches by 5.5 inches.  I have been working on this project for a little while.  I think a piece of old dictionary was added to the front of the cardboard with gel medium.  It was then covered with Gesso.  I added a little texture to the Gesso by dabbing at it with a paper towel.  A blue Gelato was used to color the layers.  A baby wipe was used to smooth out the color and rub it into the Gessoed dictionary page.  .  The snowman was stamped on the front.  Pink and teal Gelatoes were used on another Gessoed dictionary page.  The snowman was stamped on the different colors.  I fussy cut out the scarf and hat.  They were added to the snowman.  Polka dots were added to the pink pieces - I used a toothpick and Gesso for the polka dots.  The snowman was colored with a White Big Brush.  A Gesso snowbank was made around the snowman.  My modeling paste was sitting there so I thought I would add some dimension to the snowman.  I used a piece of funky trim that has holes in it.

The sentiment was stamped on another piece of Gessoed and Gelatoed dictionary page.  The sentiment was trimmed apart and added to the piece with gel medium.  Various rub ons were added to the background.

I cut the trim from some recycled cardstock and added a layer of Gesso on the trim.  After it was dry it was added to the piece using gel medium to adhere it.  Stickles were rubbed over the snow and the trim.  Gesso was added to the edge of the final piece.  A ribbon was added for a hanger.

I believe I will be giving my ornament/wall hangings as Christmas cards this year.  Hopefully they will have a little more life in everyone's future holiday trims.

Cath Edvalson - You Are Moxie Fab

How do you say thank you to someone who has had such a Moxie Fab impact on card making and paper crafts in general.  Of course, we are talking about Cath Edvalson who has written the Moxie Fab blog for so many years and we are going to have the best dang blog hop just for her to celebrate all she has done to inspire our creativity.

If you came from Sherry Wright's blog, you are in the correct spot in the hop.

Today I am sharing a card with many layers of paper and ribbon.  My paper is from Authentique.  The sentiment is a favorite from Hero Arts.

Cath is so special.  The day I got the e mail from her asking if I wanted to be a Moxie Fabber - my jaw dropped.  How special Cath made me feel that day in choosing me and then being spotlighted for something you love.  Thank you Cath - you made my year.

Cath I hope this blog hop makes you feel as special as you are.  Have a wonderful new adventure.

Now be prepared to be amazed by popping over to Kimberley Makortoff''s blog.  

If you get lost, pop back over to the Moxie Fab blog.  

I Love a Good Wiener Dog Stamp

I have a couple different people who have or have had wiener dogs in their lives so I like to make their holiday cards with a wiener dog.

This cute dog is from Paper Smooches.  I fell in love with him and the other stamps in the set are as cute also.

I am entering this card in their sparks trends challenge of stripes.  Here is their picture for the challenge.

Well I must go - I am supposed to be packing to leave for a conference but my stamp was calling to me.  There is also a mixed media project that had to get started.  I do have a bunch of clothes thrown in a suitcase - I just need to figure out what to wear tomorrow and Friday.

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.

Operation Write Home and Love Cards

The monthly challenge for Our Daily Bread Designs is to make LOVE cards.  Our Daily Bread Designs kindly pays for up to two large boxes of cards to be shipped overseas.  As OWHers we just need to post 50 cards during the month.  I believe we always make this goal.  I always try to participate at the beginning of the month because all of a sudden the month is over.

I cut the designs with my Silhouette - I love that machine more and more each day. I have so much more to learn about using it but what I do use.  I love.

I am making LOVE cards rather than Valentine Day cards.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Anything Goes

Yes I have made a card this week and I really really like it.  It has so many layers - I love layers and layers.  The paper is by Authentique.  The stamp is by Stampabilities because sometimes you just need to send a card "just because".  A friend is going through a rough stretch right now with her father and the aging process.

I am going to enter the card in the Wednesday Challenge on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - "Anything Goes.   

Enjoy your Saturday, I am off to visit my Mom today.

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.