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

Sketches 39-43

Here are a few more S&S sketches I've been working on. Let's jump right in, shall we?

Sketch 39 is first on the list. The kites are from Hero Arts OWH Righ At Home set. I didn't color them because there is so much color and busy-ness from the background paper. The sentiment is DeNami.

For sketch 40, I used some patterned scraps and a bit of ribbon to cover where the papers meet. My first thought was to make it a masculine card, but my purple ink was screaming to be used. In order to keep it happy, I used it with this great Inkadinkado stamp. Four little dabs of silver Pearl Pen complete the look.

Next is sketch 41. I used one of the new stamps I picked up at the rubber stamp and paper show last weekend by Endless Creations. I spent way too much money at their booth but it was worth it! The background is actually a card from one of those boxes you can buy at Joann's. You know the ones, they have about 100 cards in them and are usually lots of different patterns. I came across a few I had leftover when I was looking for something else the other day. I didn't want anything that would detract from the sentiment. A few lines of Baker's Twine and presto...a card.

Let's move on to sketch 42. The card base is another one from that big box. The sentiment comes from Endless Creations. At first I put some Pearl Pen in the corners, but it didn't give enough pow. So I added pearls to the middle of the Pearl Pen and it looked a lot better.

Last but not least for today is sketch 43. These are both new stamps from Endless Creations. I simply couldn't resist the image stamp and the sentiment was meant to go with a couple of mummy stamps I have, but it went well with this, I think. The image is colored with Copics and has touches of Glossy Accents. The layering paper pattern is shiny bronze and gives it an extra bit of pizzazz.

That's all for today, everyone. Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog!

Cherie

Sketch 38

Oh my! I had so much fun with the next sketch on my list. You will find sketch 38 here. I did several cards with this sketch and used two pieces of 12x12 paper out of my stash. Yay! I'm two pieces closer to being able to buy more paper lol. So here we go.
The first two have a cute little freebie on them. It's colored with Copics. To make the pattern on them, I simply used my Copic Colorless Blender. The sentiment is from one the Hero Arts OWH sets. There's a bit of Glossy Accents added to make them shine a bit.

These next two have another freebie, also colored with Copics. I added some Glossy Accents to the hearts. The first sentiment is, again, a Hero Arts OWH set and the second sentiment is DeNami.

For this one, I used the princess bobblehead from Bugaboo. These are so adorable that I think I have more printed out than I could ever use. This time I layered the background strips in black to make them stand out a bit more. To be honest, I didn't even think about it before I got to this card and it was too late to go back and redo the other ones lol. She is colored with Copics, the sentiment is Hero Arts again, and there's more Glossy Accents. I added some bling to her crown and she turned out so pretty.

Finally, I used a MelonHeadz (I think) freebie on the last card. It was already colored which is always a plus. I can totally see a parent sending this to one of their children. There's a bit of Glossy Accents on the ice cubes.

I really enjoy this sketch as you can see. Is there a sketch you really enjoy working with?

As a little side note, the bling on the first three cards came from this:

I found this big and, I think, gaudy leaf/branch thing in the clearance bin at Ben Franklin. There is no way I'd use the whole thing on a card or scrapbook page, but when I saw it I could easily picture deconstructing it and using bits and pieces on lots of projects. Does this ever happen to you?

Enjoy your day!

Cherie

Disney Squares

I purchased this adorable Disney paper awhile ago. It was covered with little squares, each having a Disney character in it. I cut them all up and made several cards, then I got tired of looking at them so I tucked them away. Well, a couple of weeks ago I purchased some Sesame Street paper that was the same except with Sesame Street characters. I told myself I have to finish using the Disney before I can cut up the Sesame Street. I'm making good headway and here are a few of the cards.

I really like how the red pops out from the white and purple on this one.

This is the only Minnie I had left. She just seemed to call out for ric-a-rac and a button. 

Some of you might recognize S&S sketch 6 here. I made several of this one with different embossing folders for the backgrounds. I like how the yellow pops in the middle. The sentiment is DeNami.

The last one for today has a great Inkadinkado stamp. Those kid sayings just make me smile...all over my face!

I still have some Disney characters left, but it's time to work on a few more sketches. So I'll have some more adorable Disney faces for you soon. I hope someone puts a smile all over YOUR face today!

Cherie

Pinterest Inspiration

How many of you have discovered Pinterest? I have and it's given me a lot of inspiration! Today I'm going to share some of the cards I've made from that inspiration. All of these were part of the gifts I gave to my mom and stepmom for Mother's Day. I gave them each a set of 12 cards with envelopes. It was odd giving the cards to anyone but Operation Write Home!

All of the sentiments are from SU! Everything else was in my stash.

Do you ever give a set of cards as a gift? I love sharing my creativity that way and everyone is so appreciative.

Hope you're having a great week!

Cherie

Sketches 33 - 37

It's that time again...time for more S&S sketches! I've found myself leaning towards more masculine type cards these days. Some are even brown as per Sandy's "request."

You'll find sketch 33 here. As usual these days, all of the papers are from my stash. The sentiment is from SU! I added a little more detail by piercing around the edge and connecting the dots with a black pen.

This is sketch 34. I used more of the same papers and a different sentiment from the same SU! set. This time I added detail with a Pearl Pen. I've been trying to use the entire sheet of paper once I cut into it. This prevents less scraps and I already have the mojo flowing for those papers.

For sketch 35, I used a cute stamp from Rubbernecker and a sentiment from one of the Hero Arts OWH sets. Look...browns! I added a bit of ribbon to hide where the papers meet. I colored the image with Copics and white embossed the sentiment.

Next on the list would be sketch 36. Did you notice more brown? All of the stamps are from Hero Arts OWH sets. I stamped the middle sentiment in black, then I used Memento London Fog for the others. I stamped it once then again to give it the progressively lighter look. There's a brad holding the clock hands on the clock.

The last sketch for this post is 37. The patterned papers I've had forever and just recently found in a drawer. They have metallic touches of copper and bronze on them that make them really pop. I believe they're from a 4X6 DCWV pack. The sentiment is SU! and there's a bit of Pearl Pen to help ground it.

That's it for this post. I hope you're all having a wonderful spring!

Cherie

Miss Ewe

Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope everyone is having beautiful weather like we are here in Washington. This is the fourth weekend in a row that's been gorgeous and it's supposed to break into the 70s! Trust me, that's something to write about if you live here lol.

Today it's Down on the Farm time over at Crafty Contagion. Our challenge is to make something with a farm animal on it. I had a lot of options to choose from in my printed digis, but I decided on this cute sheep that you can find for free on the Operation Write Home site.

I used Copics for the grey and Pearl Pen for the dots on the sheep. The embossing folder is Geo Flowers from The Paper Studio. The background designer paper is from DCWV. The whole thing is based on sketch 6 from the Stars & Stamps blog.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! And to all the mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day!

Cherie