Sketch 56

I thought sketch 56 was a great one to show off this pretty Memory Box DP. It's so pretty and I simply added some yellow Pearl Pen to make it shine. The sentiment is Hero Arts. I've been focusing mostly on the purples in this paper so I decided to make the strip blue this time.

Have a creative day!

Cherie

Sketch 55

Sketch 55 is next on my list. I'm almost half way through the sketches. I'm having fun and there are definitely certain sketches I will be going back to. The DP are Memory Box and the sentiment is Inkadinkado with a bit of bling. Don't look at the top paper too closely. I originally had a different sentiment picked out but changed my mind. I didn't realize the flowers are now sideways until it was all put together!

What's your favorite chocolate?

Cherie

Sketch 54

This is sketch 54. I turned it on it's side and it was easier to work with, at least for me. Yet again, the papers are Memory Box and the sentiment is Fiskars. I like the big sheets of Fiskars clear stamps. They give you so many options that I tend to use the same set several times before moving on to a new set.

True friends are the best friends.

Cherie

Sketch 53

Today I have sketch 53 for you. I went back to using some of my 6x6 Memory Box paper. I'm really enjoying the ease of matching these papers when they come in a pack. The sentiment is Fiskars. I thought about adding some ribbon but wanted to let the sentiment shine.

Speaking of friendships, why not give a friend you haven't talked to in awhile a call? Or make a special card and drop it in the mail.

Cherie

Smile

Today I have a card that can be used for just about any occasion.
I recently purchased two packs of Memory Box design paper. Normally I wouldn't buy two of the same, but I just loved the designs in it. I would also normally wait to use it, but I jumped right in this time. I figure if I love it so much, I'll love using it even more. It turns out I was right! I added a few layers and some yellow Pearl Pen for added dazzle. The sentiment is Studio G. And I know this is an OWH sketch, however I can't remember which one lol.

"Beauty is power; a smile is its sword." -John Ray

Cherie

Sketch 52

Here is sketch 52 for you. This one kind of threw me off. I'm still not completely happy with it, but I did make it as a kit for an OWH card making party. The butterfly paper is from Me & My Big Ideas and the sentiment is Little Yellow Bicycle. The scalloped cirlces are done with Nesties and I added an eyelet in the middle for a little zing. I used a circle Nestie to do the white line.

Thanks for looking.

Cherie

Sketch 51

I enjoyed working with OWH sketch 51. It allowed me to use up the last of some Heidi Grace DP and some new shiny Bazzil paper for the base. The circles are done with Nestabilities. I decided to make this a thank you card (sentiment by Fiskars) because I noticed they were lacking in the box I have almost full for Operation Write Home. This is also the first kit I made for an upcoming card making party.

Try a random act of kindness today. It's amazing how good it makes you feel.

Cherie

Cute lip balm holder

Today I made a cute little lip balm holder. It's not something I'll probably make again since it's more for a younger girl, I think, and I don't know many of those, but it's always fun to try new things. You can find the measurements/directions right here.

All of the papers and ribbon used are Stampin' Up! I love this rich color, don't you? And the bright yellow lip balm really stands out against it. The cuts were a little difficult, I thought, but if you're going to make a lot of them, it would be easy to make a template.

"Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful." -Thich Nhat Hanh

Cherie

You are special

I enjoyed making this pretty card very much. I love the Memory Box DP and the pretty pearl black background paper. The twine was going to be the only embellishment but it just wasn't enough so I added some bling. The sentiment is Hero Arts and heat embossed with Stampendous black powder. The border punch is from EK Success.

 

Do you have any "go to" papers when you want that little extra touch?

Cherie

Sketch 50

This is sketch 50 for Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps blog. The sentiment is Endless Creations which is stamped in dark brown ink to match the stripes. I used the CB Polka Dots EF for some texture and the brads add a bit of shine to the card.

Don't forget to share your smile today.

Cherie

Sketch 49

Sketch 49 is perfect for one of the Bugaboo bobblehead farm animals. I used a bit of Memory Box DP and the sentiment is from DeNami. For the background paper the lamb is mounted on, I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark to give it a watermark look. Then a bit of glitter glue on the ears and nose for a bit of sparkle.

Enjoy your day!

Cherie

Sketch 48

Today I have OWH sketch 48 for you. It has lots of Memory Box papers and the sentiment is Little Yellow Bicyle. The hearts are done with Nesties, mounted of black pearl paper, then cut out with scissors. Three dots of Pearl Pen and it's done!

Smile. It makes people wonder what you're up to.

Cherie

Sketch 47

You know how some sketches just catch your attention more than others? Sketch 47 is like that for me. As soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what colors, sentiment and embellishments I wanted to use. The sentiment is from SU Happiest Birthday Wishes. The card base was pre-made and I added a few pearls to add some elegance.

If you see someone without a smile today, remember to share yours.

Cherie

Sketch 46

For sketch 46, I used a card base from Joanns and some pretty May Arts velvety gray ribbon. The sentiment is from SU Happiest Birthday Wishes. I stamped it with Memento London fog and edged it with the same. I didn't want to use black because I wanted a softer look. The embossing folder is Swiss Dots from Cuttlebug.

Smile, somebody somewhere is thinking about you!

Cherie

Happy Father's Day!

Today is Father's Day and what a perfect day to post the card I make for my dad! This is a CASE of a card I spotted on Pinterest. The background paper is a pretty red with a pearl type finish embossed with the CB Spots and Dots EF. The papers for the ties is from a 4x6 pad from, I think, DCWV. I'm not sure if you can tell in this picture, but they all have some shiny metalic in them. The buttons are from my jar of buttons on my craft table. Sentiment is Stampin' Up!

I hope you enjoy some time with your dad today or remember him with happy thoughts.

Cherie

Hello

The ODBD challenge for June is to make a shaped card. Of course all cards have a shape, but they mean other than a rectangle, but can still fit in an A2 envelope. This isn't the one I made for that challenge, but it was inspired by a post by Yolanda on the OWH Facebook page. I love how this opens. All of the shapes were done with Nesties. The embossing is Divine Swirls and sentiment is DeNami. To make sure the holes would line up properly, I simply lined up the shape that already had a hole on top of one that didn't. That's a brad holding the two sides together so it opens easily. This card is also one I made into a kit for an OWH card making party next weekend.

Do you enjoy making shaped cards?

Cherie

Junior Legal Pad Cover

It was time to try another project that wasn't a card. I found this idea on Pinterest and you can see the video instructions here. This was fun, but I found the cuts for the pen holder a bit tricky. All of the supplies used are Stampin' Up!, even the pen. Well, everything except the junior legal pad inside. I thought about decorating the inside of the cover, but I figured it was a good place to leave blank so a person could doodle without using the pad.

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." -Leo F. Buscaglia

Cherie

Hero Arts OWH stamps

Have you gotten the three sets of Hero Arts stamps that help support Operation Write Home? I received all three for my birthday and love them!

These two cards use the Year Round Sentiments set. The first one is actually featured in one of the card galleries on the Operation Write Home website! I made these at my monthly craft group a couple of months ago. I used papers I had on hand and both cards use the same papers. When I start using a piece of patterned paper, I like to use the whole sheet so I don't have scraps of it laying around and wondering how on earth I'm going to use them.

"A smile starts on the lips, a grin spreads to the eyes, a chuckle comes from the belly; but a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, overflows, and bubbles all around." -Carolyn Birmingham

Cherie

Sketch 45

This sketch was fun to do. I used a pre-made card base from a box I purchased at Joanns. The embossing folder is Spots and Dots and the stamps are from The Stamp Doctor. I used a white gel pen to highlight some of the embossed dots and some yellow ink to edge the sentiments.

Enjoy your day!

Cherie

Sketch 44

You'll find Operation Write Home S&S sketch 44 here. When I see a sketch with a big open space, I have to stop and think about what to put there. I have a tendency to use sentiments more than images and a big space makes me wonder what big stamp image I'm going to use.

This time I still used a sentiment! This set is from The Stamp Doctor that I purchased a couple of years ago. I love the big "u" and the variety of words it comes with to use. I had all of the papers on hand. The "u" has glue glitter on it tinged with purple so it matches the papers really well. I did the scratch test to make sure the glitter won't come off on a soldier's uniform.

Thanks for stopping by!
Cherie

Oozak June Blog Challenge

The challenge for June over on the Oozak blog is to use two patterned papers and at least one embellishment. This was pretty easy to do since I just bought a pack of pretty patterned papers by Memory Box. The flowers are from Prima and I used buttons for the centers instead of eyelets or brads like I usually do. The sentiment is by SU and embossed in black and a white gel pen is used to make the "stitched" border. A little bit of Memento London Fog was used to distress the edges for the green patterned paper.

"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." -Mother Teresa

Cherie

June ODBD challenge

Our Daily Bread Designs have challenged us to make a shaped card this month. To see the specifics, click here. I've seen several different shaped cards made using Nestabilities and I ended up using one of those, too.

I used a scalloped square for my shape and added a second smaller one for the background color. The buttons are made from a Martha Stewart button punch and instead of twine or thread, I used black Pearl Pen for the holes. The sentiment is Studio G and embossed in white.

"Smile...it's the second best thing you can do with your lips." -Unknown

Cherie

Look...it's not a card!

This week, over at Crafty Contagion, it's anything but a card time! I get so used to making cards that sometimes it's hard to think of what I would make instead of a card lol. I managed to make a couple of things, though. Both of these are quick and easy and would make great gifts.

The first one is a 3x3 Post It note cover. I know at first glance it looks like a card, but open it up and it has a Post It pad tucked inside. Everything I used to make this is from Stampin' Up! except the crimper I used for the leaves. The measurements were easy. All I did was measure the pad and add 1/4" to all sides except the top. I adhered the pad with a strip of Scor-Tape on the back of the bottom sheet to make sure it stayed secure.

The second little project is something you could keep a couple of in your desk at work with different sentiments stamped on them like thank you, happy birthday, etc. All the items I used are Stampin' Up! even the ribbon. There is a sentiment on both sides and tucked inside the triangle are a few Hershey's Kisses. I need to cut the paper a smidge bigger next time since it was a very tight fit to get the bottom to stay together.

Have you made anything lately that isn't a card? Give it a try...it was a blast! Enjoy your weekend!

Cherie

I did some CASEing

I'm finding Pinterest to be a great source when I have crafter's block. It's a wonderful place to gather ideas and find some amazing inspiration. These are cards I CASEd from some of the people I follow on Pinterest.

This is the card I made for my mom for her birthday. The DP is a 6x6 Authentique pad and I used the Swiss Dots EF for the background. That button has a pattern on the other side of it, but went to well with the papers that I needed to use the back of it.

For this one, I used SU Sprinkled Expressions for the stamp and sentiment. I stamped it three times without reinking to get the look. I used Nesties Labels 8 to cut it out and the Swiss Dots EF for the background. For the ink around the edges, a makeup sponge works great.

This is a birthday card I made for my cousin. The DP is Mango Mambo from SU as well as the sentiment and black ribbon. Yet again, I used the Swiss Dots EF for the background. I like it because it's bigger and can fit a piece of 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 piece of paper without any problems.

I love the look of this card and the fact that I used scraps to make it. The Basic Grey DP has some blue in it so it's not completely monochromatic. The sentiment is from SU. To make the banner ends, I cut from the bottom up then from each corner to the top of the first cut. I don't have a square punch like so many people use to make the banner ends.

I hope this gives you some ideas for those times when nothing seems to help. Enjoy your day!

Cherie