Textured Love

Hi!  I have been discovering new challenge blogs lately.  I love that because I'm always up for someone giving me a starting point for my cards and I love having choices for those starting points. 

Today's card comes from the Card Concept Challenge.  The challenge is to use texture on your card.  Another fun thing they do is have 6 different styles and you  have to determine what style you have used to make your card.  That is going to be a challenge for me by itself.  I don't really know what my go-to style is.  

This is my card.  I created texture by using a border punch and layering the borders.  I added a border row at the top and then stamped the sentiment.  I added a bit of ribbon for color.  I have read the definitions of the different styles more than once.  I am going with Classy and Elegant for this one.  I don't think it fits into Clean and Simple because of all the layers of border.  I have a sparkly red ribbon that I want to use on a card like this, but this one will go to Operation Write Home, and since glitter in most cases is against the guidelines, I choose not to use glitter at all for my OWH cards.

For the life of me, I couldn't remember where I saw this layered border punch idea first.  I knew that it was a colorful card, I loved it and it just stuck out in my mind, but I just couldn't remember where I saw it first.  Well, since I wasn't going to let that get the best of me, I went on a search.  FINALLY, I found my first card made with this idea and thank goodness in the description I said that I cased it from Sandy at Operation Write Home!!  I just went to find it on the OWH blog, but to no avail.  So, Sandy, thanks for this idea, I really do love it.  Once again, OWH is great inspiration!

It was a fun challenge and definitely got me thinking about my styles and which ones I don't use often but want to work on.

Quote for today:  "The grass is greener where you water it."   - Neil Barringham

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

You Rock!

What is up with winter this year?  We had snow yesterday.....snow in Mississippi! We didn't have a whole lot of it, but enough to make the ground look white in places. It was so pretty coming down,  I really do miss the snow.  

Today's card was made for the Operation Write Home midweek throwdown, cards for kids ( including tweens and teens.)  I used the SplitCoastStampers sketch 473. 

I think teen/tween cards are the most difficult to make, especially for boys.   I'm going to work on getting better at making these.   The controller on this one is a bit 'old school' but that's how it goes.  Technology changes so quickly!  I think my favorite part of this card is the 'you're the man' that shows up on the top patterned paper.

The sentiment stamp is open letters that I stamped directly onto the yellow paper.  It got just a bit lost so I used the C3 Copic marker, which is a cool gray, and shaded it.  I like that it doesn't really introduce another color into the card, but it does make the sentiment stand out a bit more.  I've done this a few times now and it works well.

Quote for the day:  "People who shine from within don't need the spotlight."  - Unknown

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Back to 'Normal'

Hi.  For today's card, I went back to my more usual cardmaking efforts.  

To begin with this card is based on the sketch from the Sweet Sunday sketch Challenge.  This is the sketch...

and this is my card.  

I love patterned paper, so when I saw all the pieces on this sketch, I saw an opportunity to mix patterns.  :)  I used 3 different double sided papers from American Crafts and Studio Calico.  I also used my Cricut to cut the Thanks!  I'm giving myself  bonus points for that. haha  I added some twine and some brown Pearl Pen to finish.

Operation Write Home is low on thank you cards right now, so I will be making thank yous for a bit until I finish filling the box I am sending them.

Quote for the day:  "Being honest may not get you a lot of friends, but it'll always get you the right ones."          - John Lennon

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

The Challenge of Pastels

Hi!   I love challenges that give me something to start with as I design my cards, but sometimes I attempt things that are really difficult for me, a true challenge.  Today's card is a true challenge.  Operation Write Home's mid week throwdown is to use pastels!  Here is what I came up with.

I know they aren't  really light pastels, but as I looked through my papers, these are about as light as I have.   I truly have trouble with pastels, LOL.    I don't have pastels in my wardrobe or my house.  My babies' rooms were even in primary colors.  I did get to use my new Paper Smooches stamps and dies though!  :)  Another thing I have discovered that I am using more and more often are the little bitty stamps that are included in some stamp sets.  The little 'XO' I used here is one of those.  It is included with the Chubby Chums stamp set I used.  Love those little additions!

Quote for the day:  "Anything that gets your blood racing is probably worth doing."  - Hunter S Thompson

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!!

You're Purrr-fect

Hi!    Have you ever bought something at a time so busy that you don't get to play with your new purchase as soon as you get it?   Or maybe not even for over a month!!!  I finally got to use my new Paper Smooches stamps and dies....yay!! I know these aren't really new but they are new to me.  

I have learned not to order stuff as soon as it comes out, even if I REALLY like it, because let's face it, I REALLY like many, many, many new stamps!  If I keep coming back to the same stamps over and over again and still really want them, that means that I don't have anything else that I could substitute for it and it will be a good addition to my collection.  :)  That's how I was with these sweet Paper Smooches stamps, plus it was right after Thanksgiving and they were having a sale.  So, I finally got to play with them. I also used paper from Heidi Grace's Tweet Dreams collection.  It has bird images on some of the papers, but I resisted using them with the cute little kitty.  :)

I used the SplitCoastStampers Sketch Challenge and also a new challenge blog, Words 2 Scrap By.  The challenge on Words 2 Scrap By is inspired by the song "My Favorite Things" .  My inspiration came from the part about "whiskers on kittens". 

Quote for the day:  "A ship is always safe at shore, but that is not what it's built for."  - Albert Einstein

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!!  

Leftovers Continue

Hi!  I'm back with more cards using 'leftovers'.  This layout is easy but you can change the feel of the card you're making just by the papers and font you choose. These cards each use two pieces of patterned paper, a sentiment stamp, a piece of ribbon and some gems.  

 I don't often make cards with this fold, these open vertically,  AKA a hot dog fold.  :)  But it works really well here because of the ribbon, I didn't have to cut a slit in the card to thread the ribbon through.  I did use some glue dots under the knot and under the tails of the knot to make sure they stay in place.

 There is so much information on the Operation Write Home site about things like using adhesive to make sure embellishments don't move and making sure all the adhesive is covered so the card in front of this one doesn't stick to it.  If you think about it, Operation Write Home cards travel a really long way and are handled many times before they reach their recipients.

Quote for the day:  "Time you enjoyed wasting was not wasted."  - John Lennon

I'm off to run errands.   I hope to be back in time to make some more cards this afternoon.
Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

My first goal for 2014

Hi and Happy New Year!! 

I've been thinking about New Year's resolutions and to be perfectly honest, I'm not good at them.  So, I have decided to set goals instead.  :)  My first craft related goal is to tame my growing pile of paper scraps.  In fact, I'm telling myself that I'm not going to purchase anything new until I have used MUCH of what I have.   

The word scraps has a bad connotation, so I've been thinking about calling them leftovers.   I LOVE leftovers, espcially Italian ones.  :)  You know, these are the pieces of paper that are 'leftover' after you use the whole piece of paper for your original project.  There isn't anything wrong with these pieces and they should get some love!!

Here are my first two samples.   I am continuing my support for Operation Write Home this year and many of these cards will go to support our troops!

  I would love to find all kinds of cards to make using my leftovers.   If you have inspiration cards for using them, please let me know.  You can leave a link in the comments and I will definitely visit. 

 I also peruse pinterest quite often looking for cards that would work for using leftovers.   My username is Jeanette Fincher in case you have a pinterest account.  Let me know if you do and I will follow you! 

Quote for the day:  

I love this word!!  Always have. :)

I hope to post a little more often now that we are moved and getting settled in.  Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!