FNW6: Finish Strong

Update -- 5/20/2015: Hi, everyone! Please scroll down to see a "hers" version of my little super hero card. for the current OWH his-and-hers-cards challenge  :)


Hi, everyone! Happy Friday! Seems like I just wrote that.... Not quite sure where these weeks go.  :)

I have some important OWH news to share. So, without any further ado...

#FinishStrong

After much soul searching, Sandy and the OWH Board of Directors have decided to cease operations. The wonderful news about all of this is that so many of our heroes are now home with their loved ones that there simply is not enough mission to justify the operation of the OWH non-profit organization.

Please click here to learn the details of OWH's Finish Strong campaign. One really important detail is that all cards must be to Sandy by August 1. Cards arriving past that date will be returned to sender at the sender's (card maker's) expense.

Until then, however, OWH is up and running as usual -- with weekly challenges... and the traditional Memorial Day Bloghop! Please click here for hop details.  :)

 

 

Today's Card: My Little Super Hero

 

Given the OWH Finish Strong news, it's kind of appropriate that today's card is for a little super hero who's been busy helping out back home.   :)

 

Distress Ink (broken china?); Recollections black; Fancy Pants Design beach bum
Paper Smooches super stamp set and dies
images and sentiment stamped in DI black soot and StazOn jet black on Artist's Loft watercolor paper
Creative Memories circle cutter and EK circle punch
Stampin' Up! owl builder punch (for tiny circles); ??? corner rounder (for tiny star)
SU baker's twine
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zig 2-way glue pen; Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares
 

Okay, Kim's delightful Paper Smooches artwork is rightfully the star of this little card. I so love Kim's work, and this little stamp set is among my favorites.  It's just perfect for one of our hero's little heroes.  :)

Design Decisions:

• I knew early on that I wanted to place our little hero in front of silhouetted buildings. I also knew that I wanted to paper piece our hero. A color-er I'm not... and I actually think paper piecing works really well for kiddie cards.  :)
• In addition, I  knew that I wanted a "bat signal" kind of light pointing to our hero. I used the shape on our hero's chest for the signal's symbol. The light emanating from the signal was placed behind the buildings to keep from giving the signal more of a presence than our hero. For the same reason, I chose not to do anything with the buildings' cut-out windows.
• After placing the signal light, the buildings, and our hero, the card felt a little unbalanced. So, I added the "my hero" circular element at the far right and the teeny, tiny star at the far left.
• Finally, since this is an Operation Write Home card, I decorated the inside of the card. Since there seemed to be a red-white-and-blue theme going on, I continued on with that inside the card.

Since the images and sentiment are from Paper Smooches, think I'll link this little card up to the current PS Guest Designer search.

"Hers" Version for OWH Challenge

My Mind's Eye stella rose; Distress Ink core paper; Recollections black
Paper Smooches royal cuteness stamps and royal icons dies
princess base layer stamped on watercolor paper
Paper Smooches fringe and balloons die; Stampin' Up! baker's twine
inks: StazOn jet black and Distress Ink black soot
SU owl builder punch (for circle in flower's center); EK hole punch (for wand center)
adhesives: Scotch ATG, Zig 2-way glue pen; Glossy Accents 

Part of the OWH challenge is to use the same sketch or layout for the two cards. At first glance, these two cards may not appear to have the same design. However, they share the following elements: 1) the paper-pieced central figure placed in the bottom left, 2) background elements designed to take your eye from left to right, and bottom elements that ground each card.

 

I must confess that I'm a tad ambivalent about the hers version. I love the princess, but am not so sure about the background. Thinking the card might have worked better with a solid sky.

 

Either way, hope it brings a huge smile to the face of one of a troop's little one.

Parting Thoughts

 

Words 2 Scrap By  Our current Words 2 Scrap By challenge is Say Cheese in honor of National Photography Month. Sounds like a perfect opportunity to make a card commemorating one of life's take-a-picture events/moments. This month's challenge runs through May 28. Hope you will play along.  :)

 

Cards in Envy  Cards in Envy is one of my favorite blog challenges for a couple of reasons. First of all, the focus is always on card making. Secondly, cards need to be flat enough to fit into standard A2 envelopes. Since my main crafting focus these last couple of years has been making cards for OWH, a flat-card challenge blog was perfect. Finally, the CIE DT comes up with fun challenges and fab sample cards. (The current challenge is When Nature Calls and is still open for a couple more days.) So, I was sooooo excited when Sandy invited me to join the CIE DT. My first card debuts on Monday.... and I'm hoping it's CIE-DT worthy.   :)

 

Maddicts, Anyone???  So is anyone else chomping at the bit to find out how Mad Men ends? Does Done end in California -- or does he head back to New York? Will we have one last Roger zinger? Will there be another Don and Peggy moment? Another Don and Sally scene? I simply adore this show. And, I honestly don't know which emotion is stronger: my excitement about learning what happens or my sadness about seeing very last episode.

 

 

Have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!