Mother's Day Cards for Operation Write Home

Hi -  Today's cards are based on the sketch challenge from Operation Write Home.  I made a few more Mother's Day cards to finish packing my box. 

Here is the sketch:

Here are my cards.  This first one uses paper from We R Memory Keepers and Bazzill, prima flowers, a Quickutz die for the leaves and some soft twine.  These are not my go-to colors, but I like how it turned out. 

This one uses paper from We R Memory Keepers and Chatterbox and the same soft twine.   I love how this paper shines.  :)

Thought for the day:  "Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk."   - Doug Larson

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

Happy Mom's Day

Hi!  Does it feel a little early to be thinking about Mother's Day cards?  Operation Write Home's midweek throwdown challenge is getting us started thinking about them.  Since the cards have to have time to be sent to OWH, then overseas and then back home, we really have to think ahead.  I'm so glad that OWH reminds us of these deadlines.  I usually don't make specific holiday cards because if something comes up and I can't mail my boxes in time, the seasonal cards are too late.  But, I have a box that I'm finishing up so I figured I can get a few Mother's Day cards in there.  :)  I used the sketch from SplitCoastStampers sketch challenge for today, and here is my card. 

Many of my crafting supplies are in our storage building right now, so I didn't have the Mother's Day stamp I was looking for.  But, happily I have this set, which I have never used before today, bonus for me!  :)  I love bright colors, so I love these papers!

Thought for the day:  I love Eeyore!!  :)

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

Operation Write Home request and a Sketch

Hi!  Operation Write Home has had a request for some cowboy/western cards.  I have a box almost ready to go out, so I decided to add a few cowboy cards to it.  

I used the SplitCoastStampers Sketch Challenge for today.  It was a fun sketch and I think I will use it again.

Thought for the day:  

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!

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!!  

Do I need a new Challenge?

As usual my cards today are based on sketch challenges.  I don't know if I need to challenge myself  NOT to use a sketch or if I just really need to accept that the sketches are working really well for me right now.

 

Anyway, my first card uses SplitCoastStampers sketch 458.

 

 Here is my take on the sketch.  I LOVE snow.  Here in the south we don't get snow, some flurries occasionally, but not real snowfall.  I miss it.  So, I love to use snowman whenever I can.  They make me happy, lol.

 

My next card uses Sweet Sunday Sketch 195.  I don't play along with this challenge as often, but I think I need to start.  It was a really fun sketch to use.

 

Here is what I created.  I used a sweet stamp from Unity Stamp Co.  I also used papers, flowers and a brad from my collections.  :)

Quote for the day:

 

I know it's not really a quote, but when I was looking through my quotes, this one popped up and made me laugh out loud.  I hope you enjoy it!

 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

I finally posted!

Hi! It's been a really long time since I have posted...and a ton of things have happened....but I won't go into all that. I have been making some cards, but haven't been posting them. I really miss it though, so I'm going to try to get back into posting more regularly :)

First thing I have to share are two cards I made based on SCS Sketch Challenge. I haven't been using my die cuts very often, so my additional challenge to myself was to use die cuts. I couldn't decide which one to use, so I just made 2 cards and used them both :)

Supplies:
Paper: Crate Paper -Little Sprout Collection, kraft cardstock

Other: dew drops, Quickutz owl dies

Quote for the day: "Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own." — Robert A. Heinlein

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

Something I've Been Wanting to Try

Hi! Softball season is still going strong. Two more games today - we split again won 1 lost 1. Play two more tomorrow too :)

I made this card for the sketch challenge on PaperCraftPlanet. I thought it was a fun sketch to work with and when I saw the sketch I thought of these paper flowers that I have been wanting to try. I've seen them made a couple of different ways, but I made mine with tissue paper and Glimmer Mist.

First I cut 6 circles from the turquoise tissue paper, each a little smaller than the last. Then I sprayed them twice with sky blue Glimmer Mist. I waited for that to dry, doesn't take long. I crinkled the circles and then flattened them back out and layered them. I put a button in the center and stitched it with DMC embroidery thread. The stitching on the card is Martha Stewart floss. I cut the leaf shapes from Bazzill cardstock and crinkled them and them adhered them with glue dots. It was really easy to make, I will be making more :)

Our quote for the day: "Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. " — Thich Nhat Hanh

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

Banana Split Sunday - Sketch

Good Morning! Today is another episode of 2RedBananas - Banana Split Sunday :)

Today's challenge is a sketch challenge. I love challenges because they really get me doing things I might not have done before. With sketch challenges, I have a base to start with and then can elaborate from there, so much fun!! Here is the sketch we are working with for this week's challenge.

And here is the card I made with it. I used the "Party Bees" set, I just LOVE this little turtle's shell, it's so much fun to color!

The background I made a while ago for a challenge on SCS - it's called Embossed Wax Paper Resist.

It's a fun technique, Lynn (the hostess for the technique challenge on SCS) always comes up with really cool technique challenges, so if you haven't been over there to try them, give it a shot!

Okay, back to this challenge :)

When I was making this card, I was thinking about what I use to color and what my favorite coloring medium is. I don't think I have a favorite, for this one I used Copics, but I use prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits probably more often. I think each one has it's place, at least for me. Oh well, I just like to color!

Supplies:

Stamps: Party Bees - 2RedBananas(being released tomorrow), sentiment - Hero Arts

Ink: Memento Tuxedo black, SU Bliss Blue, Glorious Green (sponging on the oval), Kaleidacolor - Carribean Sea (background)

Paper - glossy cardstock, plain cardstock, Bazzill Bling, Doodlebug Sugar Coated

Other: Nesties, May Arts ribbon, prima flowers, brad, Copics, Inkssentials white pen

Be sure to check out the 2RedBananas blog and the other design team member's blogs.

Cassie~Deb~Denise~Jami~Silke~Teresa~Wendy

Our quote for the day: "Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them." - Anonymous

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

My new Christmas toy :)

Good Morning! I did it!! I finally hooked up my Christmas toy. Cliff bought me the Copic airbrush system and an air compressor for Christmas - he's such a keeper! :) I LOVE it!!! When I went to the Copic certification class we got to play with them and that's when I decided I really wanted one. This is the first time I've played with mine so the results are definitely not 'professional' but it's so cool!

You'll notice I also used colors other than blue and green although I snuck the blue and green in there on Willow's clothes :)

I started with a Bazzill card base which is not quite as bright as this pic is showing it, but I didn't have time to play that much with the colors on PhotoShop. Then I use October Afternoon's Paper Lanterns from the Daydream Collection and KM Building from the Hometown collection. For the image I stamped Willow twice, colored her once with prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits and then cut the 2nd one out and used it to mask the first while I airbrushed around her. It was so much fun! Then I added the primas and the dew drops.

This is also the same sketch that I used from www.fridaysketchersblog.blogspot.com. Sketch #30. If you like sketches you should really check it out!

Our quote for the day: "Love, like a river, will cut a new path Whenever it meets an obstacle." - Crystal Middlemas

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

Sara's Sketch

Well to begin with, I might just have to get my daughter Sara to start her own blog :) Actually I love that we share this hobby/obsession and I love to see what she creates and learn from her. I also love sharing her creations with you. My sister saw one of the cards Sara made for me and said she would really like a card from her. Sara made her a bookmark probably 6 or so years ago and Sissy still has it :) So Sara took on that challenge. I told her about Jen del Muro's new sketch and printed it for her and this is what she made with it!



I love what she came up with. She loves bright colors and sparkles. She started with some provocraft patterned papers and one of my new Stamping Bella stamps. This one is Eloise Greengrass. Sara used prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits to color the image and glitter pens to outline everything. My sister won't see this until we see her I don't think, so hopefully it will be a surprise. Sara added prima flowers and dew drops (I think she likes the dew drops as much as I do :) Anyway, I'm sure I will be casing her coloring of Eloise, I just love it!

Our quote for the day: "Whenever you see darkness, there is extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter. " — Bono

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

Hang In There Sketch Challenge

Good afternoon! Late again, but this time I have a good reason. Hubby and I went out this morning to a small town about 30 minutes away to see a hot air balloon gathering/competition. It was sooooooooo cool! There were probably about 75 - 100 balloons there and they had a little competition where they had 3 events. One of the events was to drop a beanbag type thing as close to this 'ring' that was about, oh I don't know 30 or 40 feet in diameter, as they could. Well many of these balloons were flying right over our heads. It was way cool! My hubby is designing a website for his photographs and when he gets those posted on it, I will link it to my blog. I'll let you know when.

On to today's card. I made this card for Jen's Sketch for you to Try: Here is a picture of the sketch:

Jen del Muro posts these sketches pretty often and I love doing them. Sara (my daughter) used Jen's most current sketch to make a card yesterday. I'll post that one tomorrow. If you haven't tried them, here is Jen's blog: http://www.iheart2stamp.com/.

Now to the details: I wanted to use my new Bella stamps, so I did :) Both the image and the sentiment are from Stamping Bella. The papers are from My Mind's Eye, the flowers are from Imaginisce, the flower center brad is from SEI, the ribbon and the polka dotted brads are from Hobby Lobby. I colored the image with prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits and then added some Spica glitter pen. I used scalloped scissors to cut the decorative edge around the image. That's it, fun card to make and it all started with the sketch :)

Our quote for the day: "We become what we think about all day long." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

(That doesn't mean I'm going to become a stamp does it? :)

Have a great day and if you haven't checked out the post below this one, please do so. All That Scraps is asking for your opinion on what products they should carry as they are increasing their inventory. You have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the store :)

Thank You Again :)

Good Morning! It's actually really early for me this morning. Our son has been working in the corn fields and has to get up REALLY early to get started so we have been getting up to get him breakfast and to make sure he gets up :)



This card is once again based on one of the recipes from the Joy of Cardmaking - A Second Helping. If you've never seen these books, you should flip through them when you get the chance and see if the recipe idea would work for you.



For this one I used My Mind's Eye patterned papers, chestnut roan chalk ink, the Many thanks sentiment is from Karen Foster on one of her sticker sheets. I punched a scalloped square and put it behind the sticker and pop dotted that onto the card. The ribbon I think is from May Arts, but I'm not sure about that one. Then I added Primas and buttons on the inside. Again, simple card, but fun all the same!



Our quote for the day: "Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of those pieces. "

- Judith Viorst



Have a fabuous day and thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Two cards :)

Good Morning! Amy Rysavy challenged us with another sketch. I made two cards with this sketch, it's a great one. Here are my cards: You can see the sketch and many other samples made with it at http://www.atsblog.typepad.com/. I used the C.C. Designs set It's My Birthday for both of these cards. It's such a fun set! For the LuLu card I used my cuttlebug swirl embossing folder for the background and some Making Memories textured tape for the horizontal stripe. I colored LuLu with prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits and then added glitter pens to the bows.

For Lucky's card, I used the polka dot background stamp for the background, then Basic Grey cupcake line for the patterned papers including the ones I paper pieced onto the presents. The I used glitter pens again for the bows on the presents. I finished this one off with dew drops in the bottom right corner. This is a great sketch. If you get a chance, try it out!!

Our quote for the day: "Happiness is never stopping to think if you are. " — Palmer Sondreal

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

More on Sketches

Good evening! It's actually feeling like spring here and the flowers are starting to come up and the trees are starting to get buds on them. I even have daffodils blooming! Such a wonderful time of year. I think spring is my favorite season. :)

I talk alot about sketches and in this post I want to show you how versatile they are. I used the same sketch by Janelle Richmond for both a card and a layout. Janelle also has a blog that she does only sketches on and she has a layout design team and a card design team so when she posts a sketch she also posts many different samples made with that sketch. You can find it here: http://janellerichmond.typepad.com/sketchthis.

Okay, here is Janelle's sketch:

Here is the card I made based on it:

I made this one almost exactly like the sketch and it was soooo easy. You can use scraps for this one too. I can see myself using this sketch for many different cards.

And here is the layout I made based on the sketch:

For this layout, I turned the sketch on it's side. This is an 8X8 page that I used wallet sized pictures on. That was something new for me too and I love using that size pictures for 8X8's.

This is just one of Janelle's sketches and I think she's going to release new ones weekly. So you can get many layouts and many cards completed with just a little help from Janelle!

Our quote for the day: "A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes." - Hugh Downs

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Sketches

Good Morning! The sun is shining again today, so it's going to be a happy day! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE days where is just rains and rains and even days when it snows, but we have been running a little short on sunshine days, so these are the ones that make me the happiest right now :)

This card I made with VerveVisual's anniversary birds stamp set which you can see at www.vervevisual.com. They actually have a deal going on right now where you can get the 3 new releases for $45 instead of the full price of $56. All three are really great sets and Julee has great customer service. Julee has a sketch challenge I think every week and I made this card for last week's challenge, but just realized it had to be linked by yesterday and we were at a volleyball tourney all day yesterday. Oh well. I still like the card and it was a fun sketch. You can see her sketches at www.poeticartistry.blogspot.com. I used all Making Memories Noteworthy papers on this one, again using both sides of the double-sided papers. Can I tell you again how much I love double-sided papers!!! This was a really fun and easy card to make, if you like sketches, go check out Julee's!

Our quote for the day: "If you really want something, you can figure out how to make it happen." - Cher

Thanks for stopping by and remember "Love an Unloved Stamp Challenge" will be here Wednesday!