S & S Sketch Challenge #45

Well, it's the end of another week already ... or the beginning of another week, depending on how you look at it I guess.  For me it's the end of my annual Thanksgiving week 'staycation' ... the week I stay home to relax and prepare myself for the insanity that will be my job for the next couple of months ....  And of course a time to catch up on cardmaking ...Today I've got the latest Stars and Stripes Sketch Challenge #45 and OWH Shipper Kris' request of Thinking of You cards in honor of her birthday .  Another Penny Black image and sentiment for those of you familar with them and for those of you who are not  ... They are one of my favorite stamp companies and I do have a 'few' of their stamps so I'm sure you'll be seeing more of them in the days to come...I also used one of my favorite DCWV stacks - Citrus - the card itself is actually one their prepacked cards that correspond to the stacks. Minimal coloring on this guy and some Glossy Accents to highlight the 'bubbles' and he -- or she --was done.     Joanne M

Be Mine Valentine

Well for once my procrastination has paid off. I planned to make this card for Operation Write Home's Sunday Sketch Challenge #44 but couldn't seem to get to it... Then I saw that today's Mid Week Throwdown was for a Valentine card so I was able to combine the two.  Anyone who's familiar with Penny Black stamps probably recognizes this dog as one, I have to admit I think he's really cute and I have a few of them ... It's a big stamp and I haven't used it before but it was perfect for the sketch challenge which required one.  I paper pieced the heart because it's my new favorite thing to do and used copics on the rest. My other favorite new thing is Glossy Accents, which I used on the two small hearts and his nose. The paper is from a large stack of holiday papers I picked up somewhere along the way. This card and another just like it will be going into the Archway Cookie Challenge which I'm still working on but plan to get in the mail soon since they're due by December 1st which unfortunately as we all know is coming faster than we're ready for - Joanne M

Still Hacking Away At It

I'm still working my way through the blog hop!!  I know, insane!  Here's the latest installlment.  I like the looks of my spinner cupcake card, but the stinkin' cupcake just won't spin.  I bought some new popdots this weekend and will keep at it until I get it right.  Lucky for me, I'm on vacation this week, I hope to be doing a lot of cards in the next couple of days.  If not, I'll be lucky to finish this blog thing I started before Christmas!
I love the simplicity of the card in the center and I did some more paper piecing on the flower vase.  I borrowed Joanne's Whipper Snappers again, I can't stay away from them, they're just too darn cute!  More later.....N.

OWH Mid Week Challenge

Well again, here it is 10:00 and I'm making cards.. not sure what's up with that but I really don't expect it to last.  This one is for Operation Write Home's Mid Week Challenge to make a Winter card.  I've had this snowman stencil for ages but I never think to use it. I colored him with chalks and did some sanding on the snowflakes.  A bit of stickles on the 'snow' and he was done. 

I expect to spend the next week or so working on Valentine cards for the Archway Cookie Mission -- 4000 cookies sent to the troops for 4000 cards ....  It's a bit of a challenge but I think the group at OWH can handle it -- no, I know they can .....It should be interesting anyway -  Joanne M

OWH Sketch Challenge #43

I almost never make cards during the week, especially not at 10:00, but for some reason I was motivated tonight to throw this one together using the latest OWH sketch.  The stamp is one I got for a dollar at JoAnn's the other night .. you know, those dollar stamps that you wind up spending $20 on because you keep saying it's only a dollar, it's only a dollar .....   Dollar stamp or not, I think it's cute.   J

OWH Be My Valentine Blog Hop - Awesome!

I had a great time doing the Valentine Blog Hop.  I still haven't made it all the way through everyone's blogs, but I will!  I'm making a card for every blog I visit, so it's going to take me a while.....lol...
I managed to make 17 cards yesterday, doing all sorts of various techniques and using stuff I had in drawers forever.  It was such a great day.  (I stamp and tuck as I go, so be forgiving of the envies sticking out the backs of the cards in the photos.)

  Dixie's card was fun because I realized I bought the scalloped Spellbinders hearts last year.  Then when I tackled Sandy's vest card, I found the herringbone embossing folder that I bought at a stamp show last year and had never used.

 The next thing I got to was the gatefold card.  I whipped out my Crafter's Companion folding board, another thing I barely touched since I got it.  The hero's totally awesome jeans pocket card reminded me that I had a Coluzzle template for a pocket card and I found a huge box of dollar store paper, with jeans paper....I was on a roll.......But....the dog needed walking......

Ozzy and I had a nice little walk, I cleared my head and came back and tackled some more.....  My first attempt at inking the inside of the cuttlebug folder was a disaster.  A smeared mess.  The second try was better, but it's still not perfect.  I'll try that again for sure.  I got bogged down at Kate's spinner card, I'm not sure what to use to cut the slot, but will be doing research (probably at work tomorrow....) and hope to continue on my merry way, hop, hop, hopping until I get all the way through...  Keep your fingers crossed for me!  --Nancy F.

Mid Week Throwdown Hits a Brick Wall

It's a twofer day for me.  I did the Thinking of You with ribbon Mid Week Throwdown combined with the brick wall technique.  For the most part, I enjoyed making the brick wall, however the first attempt did end up in the trash.  Not like that's anything unusual ......  Dixie will be happy with me because I ran out of foam tape, so the card is flat, flat, flat!     -N.

OWH Mid Week Throwdown

The Operation Write Home Mid Week Throwdown was paper piecing this week and since paper piecing is my new favorite technique I knew I had to give it a shot.  I love this bear stamp and thought the apron would be perfect for piecing and I was right.  I also used the OWH sketch from Challenge #42 which I really like and will use again.
I wanted to add that the bear and sentiment are from The Cats Pajamas and the paper is DCWV's Flower Shower stack

S&S Sketch Challenge #42

I toadally love this card and the sketch for today!

Mosaics

Yes, I'm a bit of a cheater.  I bought a stamp specifically made for making mosaics from Starving Artistamps a long, long time ago.  I watched them demonstrate and they made it look so easy!  When I got home, not so much!  So I finally tried again.  On my first attempt I used a pigment ink stamp pad that was multicolored.  I used StazOn ink for the tree.  It looks better in the photo than in person.  I tried again using a Versamark stamp pad for the tiles and then StazOn black for the dragonflies.  Then I embossed with clear powder.  The effect is much better, but for some reason, when I heated the embossing powder, it turned a pinkish color.  I'm not a pink person, so I was a little taken aback, but found some paper and ribbon and worked it out.  I definately will keep trying with the mosaic stamp, but I need to work on something more manly......

S&S Sketch Challenge #41

I'm still addicted to paper sanding....................Maybe I'll outgrow it, we'll have to just wait and see.  Tomorrow I hope to work on the mosaic technique.  I'm frustrated because everything I do seems to be late and it's so unlike me.  I make lists, I make lists of lists, and I've always been on time.  Not anymore--and it's driving me crazy!

Let It Snow!............well, not really...............

These were made from extremely cute digis by Eliz. Dulemba.  I just love her work.

Craft for a Cause

I had no clue what to make for Joann's Craft for a Cause until I found the "turkey" stamp in the dollar bin, and it all fell into place.  Well, it wasn't that easy, there was a second trip to Joann's because I didn't buy a dollar stamp pad and I wasn't happy with any corner embellishments I had.  I'm still not sure about the ones I used, but I tend to dwell, so it's just done and that's the way it is!  At least it adds one more entry for Operation Write Home!

OWH Sketch Challenge #39

I'm working on some cards for my cat group at the moment.  I used Operation Write Home's Sketch #39 for this one.  I sometime find it a challenge in itself just putting together a number of different papers that I don't think just look slapped together, but I've found the 'stacks' of color coordinated papers are a big help for pattern challenged people like me.  I'm know I'll use this sketch again and probably this same card for OWH.

Crackle!

I layered and layered and layered, and still no crackles!  After the sixth layer, I just started to play with it, bend it more harshly and stopped being careful with it.  That was the ticket!  I also had this brainy idea how I would combine the crackle technique with the mid-week throw down of an anniversary card.  Well, you know how things work out...... I don't have a Happy Anniversary stamp and my card looks more like it should say With Sincere Sympathy inside it.........lol...... I had fun anyway. 

S&S Blog Sketch Challenge #38

Now that the weather is changing and I don't have as much mowing, trimming and weeding to do when I get home from work, I'm enjoying having time to make a card or two in the evening.  If I was really clever, I would have waited a day and tried the cracked glass technique and combined it with the latest sketch challenge, but hey, I can do that tonight!  I got this image from a friend and it just happened to be on the exact size paper I needed for this sketch.    Now,  if only I could get my photography up to snuff......

Mid Week Throwdown part 2

Well I guess it's my turn for a Mid Week Throwdown Christmas card. I wanted to do something a little different this time so I dug out my brass stencils that I never think to use.  I found this swirly Christmas tree and figured I'd give it a try. I'm always undecided about whether to color them or leave them uncolored but I chalked this one up a bit and I like how it turned out. It's also really hard for me not to sparkly everything up, especially Christmas cards, but I try to refrain even from using Stickles on my OWH cards because of the risk to our soldiers so it's unsparkly, but it still says Christmas.

MidWeek Throwdown Challenge

The challenge is to make a Christmas card.  No problem!  Here's one of many that I've been making for Operation Write Home.  It's also using up the last of my hoarded Debbie Mumm Christmas paper - how I'm going to miss it!!  Also, lately I've been doing a lot of paper sanding.  I am really enjoying my embossing folders right now!  -N.

Two -Two - Two Challenges In One - OWH Midweek Throwdown & OWH Sketch #37

I wound up missing out on World Card Making Day yesterday because I had to help out at our cat rescue adoption day.  Finding homes for our nation's homeless cats is just as important to me as making cards for our nation's heroes, so even though I didn't get any cards made, it was still time well spent.  I managed to combine two challenges here, both from Operation Write Home. The midweek challenge was for a card someone would send to a girl or woman. I love these Pure Innocence stamps from My Favorite Things and this is the first time I got to use one. If you haven't had a chance to look at the Throwdown Challenge yet, be sure to check it out and see the cards made by an amazing 13 year old girl.
The second is the sketch challenge for this week.   J

More holiday inspiration from Operation Write Home

I love how this uses muted shades of red and green and I missed the Bling It Up Challenge, so I did it here!