Double whammy

When I saw this card on Pinterest, I knew I had to make my own version. Then, the new OWH sketch shows up and it's basically the same thing! I love it when things happen like that, don't you? 

The flower is from Impression Obsession and the sentiment circle is DeNami. I colored the flowers and flower brad with Copics. The circles are all done with Spellbinders while the ribbon and brad is from my stash. I used a white Gelly Roll pen for the faux stitching. 

retrosketches #110

For this sketch, I was trying for a masculine card. I think I made it work. The gear paper is Echo Park and the sentiment, stamped in Fresh Ink Chocolate, is Hot Off the Press. I used some Doodlebug twine and a bit of Triveni bling. 

Best. Dad. Ever.

I love this sentiment from the Mama Elephant set Papa Love. It's how I think of my own dad. And I was thinking of him while I made this card. I used some SU inks and stamps along with a SU punch. The bottom orange shape was done with a Taylored Expressions die. The button is a Martha Stewart punch and the brads are American Crafts. The string is a weird waxy one that somehow ended up in our house. After making this card, I got rid of it. It doesn't stay where you put it, even with Scor-Tape, and I had to glue the knot to make it stay. I love how this card turned out and you can find my inspiration for it here.

My Dad My Hero

Today I have a simple card for dad to share with you. As Father's Day approaches, it reminds me that our troops also need year round dad cards. So I made a few of these for my Operation Write Home box using a Hampton Art stamp I found in a clearance basket. After using a Cuttlebug embossing folder for the background and some star brads from my stash, I added the black strips to emphasize the focal point.

Green for Dad

Here's another dad card for you. I started with the card idea you can find here and this is what I ended up with. I stamped a piece of paper with two stamps from SU Circle Circus using Fresh Ink Chocolate and SU Old Olive. Then, using Spellbinders, I cut the ovals out and mounted them on some brown Bazzill. The ribbon from my stash is mounted on a piece of white to make it pop a bit more. I used a Mama Elephant sentiment stamped in Fresh Ink Chocolate and added two American Crafts Chestnut brads for emphasis.

Let's Celebrate!

When I was getting ready to get inky today, I decided it was time to use up some ribbon. I chose this blue ribbon because it went well with the Memento Danube Blue ink I felt like using. I also used Memento Rhubarb Stalk, Brilliance Chocolate and Powder Puff Lemonade. The stamp set is SU Circle Circus. Three cards similar to this and I completed my task of using up a spool of ribbon!

A simple hello

I thought it was time to drop a feminine card in here with all of the masculine ones I've been posting. The sentiment is from a new Hero Arts set called "You're A Rainbow." I surrounded it with lots of pink Triveni bling. The breast cancer awareness paper is from Me & My Big Ideas.

A good idea

It's more of that Me & My Big Ideas mustache paper and another Momenta embellishment. I'm really happy with these embellishments because the whole thing is sticky on the back and the perfect thickness for Operation Write Home cards. 

#1 Dad

It's always the right time to make a "dad" card for OWH. And I thought the current sketch at Techno Stamper was perfect for this one. The chevron paper is DCWV and the stars are done with Spellbinders. I used a Fiskars sentiment and added some Triveni bling.

Mojo Monday 341

How could I not use this sketch when it has three banners on it?! Not to mention I had the perfect Me & My Big Ideas paper and Momenta embellishment! The grey paper is Bazzill while the rest is basic card stock. I used a Fiskars border punch for the scalloped line. 

Blue Hugs and Kisses

I love how this card turned out with the blue pops of color. I started off with this idea and ended up here. The grey stripes are Echo Park and the grey is DeNami, the rest is all card stock. I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder and a new set of Hero Arts stamps that I got on clearance at Michaels. The circle and heart are done with Spellbinders and the bling is Triveni.

Pink and grey miss you

The Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown is to make a card using pink and grey or black. Well, mine uses all three. I started with some pink and grey card stock and added some double sided DCWV papers. The little circles on the white are stickers from Stampendous. The circles were cut with Spellbinders. I know I've seen this as a sketch somewhere, but don't remember where.

Happy Fuzzies

I love the fuzz ball stamp from DeNami and the faces that go with it. When I saw this card, I knew it would be perfect to show off these cute faces. The banner is Carta Bella design paper and the layers are all dark brown Bazzill. I stamped the fuzz ball in Fresh Ink Chocolate and the faces in VersaFine Onyx Black. To make sure the faces were centered, I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig. The circles were done with Spellbinders and the red paper is pearlized Darice. I chose a Fiskars thanks sentiment.

Happiest Ever!

After making this card (inspiration here), I've decided not to ever cut circles into quarters again. It took me three tries to get even close to something acceptable to use. By then I was ready to just finish this card and be done with it! I ran the blue through my Cuttlebug with a Darice folder and the circles were done with Spellbinders. The sentiment is SU.

Operation Write Home Memorial Day Blog Hop!

Welcome to my stop on the hop! Let me keep this short and sweet so you can hop along. I used OWH sketch 87, designer papers from The Paper Studio, a Cuttlebug embossing folder and a Paper Smooches sentiment. I made six of these and they will be Any Hero cards. 

You can click the picture at the top to take you back to the main hop page, or click HERE. Happy hopping and I hope you find inspiration along the way!

Circles of thanks

I made this card to participate in the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge. This picture doesn't do justice to the bright pink that jumps off the card. The Doodlebug twine and Triveni bling really pop against the white. The embossing folder I used is from Cuttlebug. The Paper Smooches sentiment is nice and bold in black with all of that pink around it. I totally CASE'd this card from here.

Thanks times two

Here's a simple layout that packs some punch with the design papers. I used DCWV paper on the left and Me & My Big Ideas on the right. The button punch is Martha Stewart accented with black Pearl Pen. For the sentiment, I used one from Paper Smooches.

Ride On

I love the motion these three images creates. The stamp is from a Hero Arts set and stamped in VersaMark Onyx Black. I used some orange Bazzill from my scraps to really make the images pop. Using some baker's twine, I tied on a Hot Off the Press sentiment (stamped in SU Pumpkin Pie) and glued it down so it wouldn't tear off. I used this card for inspiration.

Birthday Wish

I love Pinterest. It's inspired so many of my cards. I found the idea here for this card. Starting with the background, I embossed it with a Darice chevron embossing folder then wrapped it with some baker's twine. Then came the stars which are cut out with Spellbinders. The first one uses some DCWV patterned paper and the second one has a Martha Stewart punched button on it. The bottom star shows the purpose for the card with a Hot Off the Press sentiment.

Can't wait to hug you

I recently bought this Hero Arts/OWH stamp set and thought it was perfect for some paper piecing. The bears are first done with a piece of Lily Bee then their muzzles were done with some basic brown card stock. I used a cute Sizzix embossing folder for the background. The sentiment needed some more focus so I added three Triveni rhinestones.

Birthday Wishes to you!

The May ODBD challenge is to make a card using embossing. I started with some grey DCWV paper that had a rather rough texture, kind of like sand paper but not quite as harsh. Using the Cuttlebug Diamond Plate embossing folder, I dry embossed it then dragged my Powder Puff Coconut ink across it to make the emobssing stand out better. The sentiment is from Stamps of Life and stamped with SU Pacific Point on a Cuttlebug die cut and the ribbon is from my stash. Those brads are Recollections and started out silver, but I wanted them to stand out more so I colored them with a black Sharpie.

Purple for Mom

I love this Paper Studio purple damask paper I found at our new Hobby Lobby. It practically begged me to get a couple of pieces and make some cards for moms. I chose to use OWH Sketch 217 since I love banners on my cards. I embossed the lavender with a Darice folder and added some shiny American Crafts brads. The sentiment is Fiskars stamped with VersaFine.

Happy Mother's Day!

#1 Mom

When the Operation Write Home Mother's Day and Father's Day deadlines were looming ever closer, I was working on some cards for those special days, as well as cards that have a mom or dad sentiment. So...here's a card you could send your mom at any time of the year. I started with SU Circle Circus and stamped it in Memento Lilac Posies, Color Box Violet and Powder Puff Lemonade. Next was trimming it down and adding the squares to a piece of popped up white. Then I added the Fiskars sentiment in black, but it looked way too harsh against those pretty colors. I tried it again with SU Tempting Turquoise and it looks so much better. This is my version of a card I found here. 

Believe in Yourself

When I decided I wanted to use orange and the black/white DCWV paper for this card, I didn't think beyond that...like what other color I was going to use for the base. I was using my Spellbinders like crazy for the circles and ovals since this is a kit for a future card making party. I stamped my Paper Smooches sentiments and used my Taylored Expressions die. Then I came to a grinding halt as I started to put it together. What on earth was going to go with that orange? Thankfully, my mom was there (it was our weekly craft day at an LSS) and helped me choose a color. Whew! The American Crafts brads were added to give the card a finished look. You can see the card that inspired this one right here.

Sprinkled Love

I rarely use kraft paper, but this card made me want to use it. I happen to have the SU Sprinkled Expressions stamp set and did a very close CASE. The circle and lacy circle are Spellbinders dies. The red border punch is from Martha Stewart. I used some SU white ribbon and a Paper Studio heart punch. The hearts embossing folder is by Sizzix and the sentiment is Paper Smooches stamped in SU Real Red. I used red Bazzill so it has a bit of extra texture.

Polka Dot Thanks

I really like the layout I saw here, so I thought I'd give it a try. The design paper is by Simple Stories and the layers are Bazzill. I used a Paper Smooches sentiment and heat embossed it. The brads are American Crafts.

I love you more

Here is a simple card that says a lot. I used some Darice papers and a Darice embossing folder. The sentiment is by Impression Obsession and Spellbinders were used for the circles. I made several of these in different colors (greens and blues) for Operation Write Home and was assured by my hubby that they will work for masculine as well as feminine. What do you think? 

Thank U

This particular card started here and became this card. I have all kinds of ribbons that I rarely use and thought this would be a good card to use some of it. I used a Cuttlebug folder to emboss it and some Spellbinders dies for the shapes. The Inkadinkado sentiment is only attached to the ribbon so it has a little movement to it.

Round the Clock

It's time for a kraft card! This time I used this for inspiration. In person, the middle square looks kinda 3D...very cool. To make the square, I simply put a Post-It note in the middle and stamped the Hero Arts clocks. I used a ruler to make sure my white lines were straight. The sentiment is from the same Hero Arts set and the brads are Recollections.

OWH Sketch #218

Here's another OWH sketch for you. I love the ones that feature a banner. The patterned paper is Me & My Big Ideas and the background is embossed with a Sizzix folder. The darker pink paper is Bazzill. I used a Paper Smooches stamp set for the sentiment and hearts then added some Triveni bling.

Christmas JOY

Over at Merry Monday, they want us to use decorative Christmas words. And on the Christmas Stampin' blog, they want us to make a card using a specific Mojo Monday sketch. So...I started with some letters from a SU alphabet and Bo Bunny Mistletoe 6x6 pad. The letters were cut out and covered with glitter glue for some extra sparkle. The silver paper is from DeNami and the bling is Triveni. You'll notice I turned the sketch on its side.

Simply the Best

When I saw this card on Pinterest, I knew I wanted to do my own version of it. And how perfect that "brown" is the current OWH MWT! So I dragged out my brown inks (Fresh Ink, StazOn, Memento) and my SU Circle Circus stamp set. I had some sheer brown ribbon in my ribbon scraps and noticed the yellow ribbon, too. I decided to use some Color Box yellow ink to brighten up the card along with the yellow ribbon. I layered it on some brown Bazzill and used a sentiment from Mama Elephant.

OWH Sketch Challenge #220

This is a first for an OWH sketch...it has no measurements! Not only that, but it's got that tilted, off-center thing going on. It certainly took me a few minutes to figure it out. I started with some mustache paper from Me & My Big Ideas because I had the Momenta embellishment to go with it. The Triveni bling gives it that finishing touch, don't you think?

Disney Birthday

I'm sliding this in just under the deadline for the Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown to create a kid-friendly Disney birthday card. I knew I had a 6x6 Creative Imaginations Magic pad so I broke it open to make some cards. Using a few oval Spellbinders, I made some windows to showcase the Paper Smooches sentiment. The Mickey Mouse was created using two different sizes of circle punches. The red is a scrap from my pile. Keep scrolling...

This is the first card I made because I forgot it was supposed to be a birthday card. I made four of these then tore the last one apart to make the birthday version. This one uses a Cuttlebug embossing folder and a Hero Arts sentiment. 

An Insect For You

Over at the Operation Write Home blog, the April ODBD challenge is INSECTS. Bugs? Yuck! But then I remembered this cute pin I made and decided to join in. All of the design papers are from a SU 12x12 pad. I used a Fiskars sentiment stamped in VersaFine Onyx Black. Those brads are American Crafts and the googlie eyes are from my stash.

Weekly Christmas Card Challenge #20

I missed the deadline for this challenge to use red, kraft and white, but decided to go ahead and play along so I could add a few more cards to my Christmas stash.  Not only that, but I was eager to use my new Rubber Stampede Santa stamp! It's stamped in Fresh Ink Chocolate and mounted on some red Bazzill. The background patterned paper is by Authentique and the ribbon was a purchase from my LSS. I stamped the SU sentiment in Chocolate as well, then added some Triveni bling.

Easter Blessings

Here's a card using an Easter digi I've had for a couple of years. Since it's in black, I wanted to use some bright colors to offset it. The polka dot paper is Dena Designs and the orange was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. The sheer yellow ribbon is from my stash. Happy Easter!

Merry Monday 104

This week is a color challenge at Merry Monday. We were to use slate and kraft on our card. This wasn't easy for me since I don't really think those colors belong together! But here is what I decided on. The slate is Bazzill and the kraft is...well it's kraft. I used my new Darice snowflake background embossing folder. The ovals are done with Spellbinders and the sentiment, stamped in SU Basic Gray, is from Penny Black. What do you think about the color combo?

Circle Circus for Mom

I think SU Circle Circus has become my new favorite set. It's so fun to use and makes wonderful backgrounds. I stamped the black circles first, then the bigger circles in SU Rich Razzleberry and the small circles in SU Old Olive. The colored papers are both Bazzill and I used Spellbinders to make the circles under the sentiment. The sentiment and sentiment punch are both SU. The ribbon is from my stash and the bling is Triveni. There are eight of these for my next Operation Write Home box. 

Each day...

I had fun with these cards, matching embossing folders with the Simple Stories paper designs. I added some ribbon to help pull the eye to the Impression Obsession sentiment. I ended up with six of each style to send to Operation Write Home.

Easter bunnies

This jelly bean paper by Paper Pizzaz always seems to find a place in my piles of paper. This time I used it with a Great Impressions stamp which got colored with some Copics. The Happy Easter is from SU and was punched and layered with two SU punches.

Hello Handsome!

I love how this turned out, especially when yellow isn't a traditional color for a male card which makes it great the the OWH MWT asking for masculine cards. The original was more monochromatic but I like my pop of black on this one. I used paper from a Simple Stories 6x6 pad and a scrap of white. The black is shiny Bazzill and the ribbon is SU. Spellbinders were used for the circle and heart. For the sentiment, I used a Hero Arts stamp. 

Happy Easter

This cute Easter bunny digi makes me anxious to bite the ears off of a chocolate bunny! Instead of heading to the store to buy that bunny, I used the time to make this card using OWH sketch 213. The pretty polka dot paper is Dena Designs which I layered on some black to help focus on the sentiment.

Savvy Easter

Doesn't Easter make you smile? It makes me think of spring flowers and warmer weather. And, of course, Easter bunnies! This bunny cupcake stamp is from Savvy and had to be colored with Copics then cut out with Spellbinders. The Easter paper is DCWV and the sentiment is SU punched out with some SU punches. That pretty blue ribbon is from my stash. This card is perfect for the current Easter challenge over at Cards in Envy.

Polka dots, chevrons and stripes

I only had six pieces of paper left in my Simple Stories 6x6 pad and was determined to use them today. So I went to Pinterest and found this card that would work perfectly with so many patterns. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up! and the grey paper is DeNami. 

For this version, I used some pearlized aqua Bazzill and an image and sentiment from Lawn Fawn.

Men and their tools

Don't you love these tool brads from Eyelet Outlet? They remind me of my dad's workshop/garage. I knew I wanted to use them on some Father's Day cards and I found this bold chevron Pebbles paper in my pile of large scraps that seemed perfect for a simple card. The Fiskars sentiment is done with VersaFine ink. This card fits perfectly with the current OWH MWT "Father's Day cards."

clean & simple 285

For clean & simple 285, I pulled out my SU owl punch and borrowed a Lawn Fawn branch stamp/die. Then I found my DeNami sentiment stamp I bought over a year ago to use with the owl punch! The branch and sentiment were stamped with Fresh Ink Chocolate. The owl was punched out with kraft and a piece of polka dot A Muse. I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder for the background. The addition of googlie eyes and some Triveni bling finish everything off.