The Return of "Monday Musings"

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope the week is off to a great start.

As I mentioned in my last post, I used to post twice a week when I first started blogging. Friday posts shared cards/projects created during the week, and Monday posts shared weekend creations.

At least for the time being, I'm bringing back "Friday Night Writes" and "Monday Musings". So, welcome to the rebirth of "Monday Musings"!

#MovieLoversParadise

Coligny Theatre -- A Movie-Lover's Paradise 

One of my favorite things to do when on the island is visiting Cologny Theatre. This theatre is an
ideal place to watch indie and art films. :)

For starters, it is a single screen theatre, with a staff of one or two people. It is entirely possible that you will have one person sell tickets, handle concessions, and start the movie.

Speaking of concessions, popcorn and drink prices are $3.50, $4, and $4.50... with ticket prices of $6 and $7. Of course, you can buy a ticket booklet of six tickets for the price of five -- and receive concession stand coupons, to boot!

Once you have your ticket and goodies, it's time for the pre-show. Only at Coligny, the pre-show is a series of photos taken by the island camera club members... and maybe one or two trailers. That's it. Then it's time for the art/indie film to begin. Film viewing at its purist!  :)

Oh, and the best part, is that this wonderful little theatre is a 2-minute walk from our villa. Truly, movie watching heaven on Earth! Saw Effie Gray there this afternoon.

Card #1: Bo Bunny Liberty to the Rescue... Again

My first card is an Any Hero card inspired by Operation Write Home Sketch #252. When packing up card-making supplies for my island trips, I always include a pad of Bo Bunny Liberty paper. (I just adore this paper collection -- still crazy about it after all these years!) It's hard to go wrong with a little Bo Bunny Liberty, some Bazzill admiral, and a bit of burlap.  :)



Bo Bunny liberty; Distress Ink antique linen; Bazzill admiral and watermelon
Recollections jute/burlap
Paper Shaper and Marvy punches; Fiskars star punch; ??? corner rounder (for tiny stars)
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zig 2-way glue pen

The sketch calls for a big circle. But, my circle cutting system didn't make the trip. So, I swapped it out for a rectangular-ish piece of burlap. Think it turned out okay in spite of the substitution.

 

With All My Heart

 

Not too long ago, a picked up a Heidi Swapp stamp -- my first Heidi Swapp purchase. I was actually drawn to the font -- with the idea it could make some non-frilly, more masculine love cards for OWH.

 

When I opened the package this weekend, I was surprised to find it included a small heart stencil. Hooray! The cards below are the first two cards I made with this Heidi Swapp set.

 

Bazzill watermelon; Stampin' Up! black; Carson watercolor
Heidi Swapp stamp and stencil set
sentiment in StazOn jet black; heart in Distress Ink fired brick
SU owl builder punch for tiny heart and circles

 

Bo Bunny timeppiece; Recollections black; Cardstock Warehouse white
Heidi Swapp stamp and stencil set
sentiment in StazOn jet black; heart in Distress Ink vintage photo
Really Reasonable Ribbon ribbon
SU owl builder punch for tiny hearts

So, do you have a preference between the more traditional red, white, and black or the more muted brown-and-black version? I still need to do a little something with the inside of the former and clean up the ribbon (with better scissors than I seem to have here) on the latter.

 

Look for more cards with this stamp and stencil set. I really like the look of it... and want to play with some other possibilities. 

 

Paper Smooches Guest Designer Search

 

The May Guest Designer Search is going on at Paper Smooches. Think I'm going to link up this little birthday card I made for a good friend.

If the card looks familiar, it's because I blogged about it last month. Really like the stitched die border. Also like the fun, whimsical look that I don't achieve as often as I wish I would.

Please click here for card details.

 

Parting Thoughts

Thanks again to Leslie and the Shopping Our Stash gals for teaming up with our The Earth Has Music Challenge at Words 2 Scrap By. You have until midnight EST tonight to link up a card for SOS #196 and until April 21 to link up a card -- maybe the same card -- to W2SB #16. 

 

 

Think that's it for now. Actually, that's quite a bit for a Monday.  :)

 

Have a great week. Thanks for visiting today's edition of Monday Musings and happy scrappin'!

 

Hopping Your Wish Comes True

Hi, everyone!

Confession time: I'm pretty happy with today's card. It feels so much trendier and funkier than my typical cards. Even the sequins seem okay, and I NEVER know where to place those.  :)

It turns out my two bestest friends in the entire world have birthdays on April 4 and 6. So, I actually ended up making two of these.

Fancy Pants beach bum paper; Stampin' Up! white core paper
Paper Smooches royal cuteness stamp set and balloon die
SU baker's twine; stash sequins
adhesives: Scotch ATG runner; glue dots; Glossy Accents

My thanks to a stamp club friend and former work colleague for this fab designer paper. She gave me quite a stash after cleaning out her craft room. Thanks, Mary Anne!


Speaking of BFFs, I feel like Darnell at djkardkreations is a good friend. (But that's pretty funny because she has thousands of them.) She's certainly been a good friend to Words 2 Scrap By.

Well, Darnell is celebrating her fourth Never-Before-Used-Schtuff challenge. Since I used an NBUS-stitch die and an NBUS-frog stamp, I'm linking this up to Darnell's challenge.

Parting Thoughts

Speaking of challenges, Words 2 Scrap By will be launching a new challenge on April 1. Hope you will stop by to check it out and play along. 

I have birthday card for my nephew that I hope to post later today. Alas, woe is me, I've gotta share the laptop with hubby.

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

My Favorite Sidekick

Hi, everyone!

I'm here today with a kiddie card for the current Operation Write Home Midmonth Challenge, which features an absolutely adorable card from Patricia at Thinking of Inking.

Distress Ink core paper; Recollections black
Paper Smooches super stamp set, in Distress Ink black soot
Stampin' Up! cherry cobbler baker's twine
adhesives: Zig 2-way glue pen, Recollection foam squares

I really like the way this paper-pieced Super Hero turned out -- definitely worth all that fussy cutting. But, I still think the card looks a little bare. Think I'll take out that star corner rounder to add a bit more pizazz when I get back to home base. Besides, my eyes are only seeing four elements. So, this card needs at least one little star before it goes to OWH -- Gotta have an odd number of elements!   :)

Parting Thoughts

This is the final day for the current do-something-different Words 2 Scrap By challenge. Just saying....  'cause we'd love to have you join us.   :)

Stay warm, stay safe, and think springy thoughts. Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

To Mother

Hi, everyone! Hope your week is off to a great start.

Happy 4th Anniversary, Paper Smooches!

 

Paper Smooches Blog

 

Before I get to today's card, I'd like to give a shout out to Kim and her amazing Paper Smooches team. Paper Smooches is celebrating its 4th Anniversary.

Not only is Kim an amazingly talented artist, but her customer service is second to none! I'm actually waiting for a PS order to arrive... and I can hardly wait! But, thanks to Kim, I won't be waiting long.

To Mother

In Operation Write Home world, the calendar reads Easter and Mother's Day, with upcoming deadlines of February 28 and March 31, respectively. So, I have a mom card to share today. 

How appropriate that today's card features PS stamped images, along with Stampin' Up!, Ranger, Really Reasonable Ribbon, American Crafts, Bazzil, and Martha Stewart products.

American Crafts peachy keen; Bazzil basics paper (cream); Stampin' Up! early espresso
Paper Smooches crystal clear and botannicals 2 stamps
SU postcard background, postage collection, festival of trees, and 2000 wreath of roses stamps
SU postage stamp punch; Martha Stewart butterfly punch
various Distress Inks, including bundled sage and Victorian velvet
Really Reasonable Ribbon lace and stash heart-shaped gems
Zig chocolate writer-marker; Ranger distress and blending tools
adhesives: Scotch ATG and Glue Dots microdots
 

Wow! That's quite a list of supplies! Reminds me of hubby looking around the menopause room and commenting on how much stuff I have in here. LOL -- if he only knew.  :)

The postcard background stamp could probably be trimmed and sent as an actual postcard. However, I made this as a card for an OWH hero to send to a mom. So, I chose to trim down the card size just a tad and make it a traditional card to allow for more writing space.

Planning on entering the card above in the following challenges. Would also like to enter in the current Shopping Our Stash love challenge. But, even though butterflies, flowers, and hearts are my way of sending love to a mom, I just don't feel right linking it up there.

• Simon Says Stamp's current Wednesday blog challenge is an Anything Goes challenge.
• Simon Says Stamp's current Monday blog challenge is to make a card associated with the letter H. For my card, H stands for heart-shaped gems.
• The current Cards in Envy challenge asks for two or more hearts. Since there are 8 heart-shaped gems on this card, I'm really hoping this card counts. :)
• While the Word Art Wednesday challenge blog offers digital word-art-scripture sentiments, the team also encourages crafters to link up cards/projects with uplifting, positive messages. Again, I'm hoping this card counts for the current Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes challenge.

Parting Thoughts

Gotta work on more mom cards. Hope to have another card or two to post in the next couple of days.

February Challenge
Feb. 1 - Feb. 21

We have a new challenge going on at Words 2 Scrap By. This month's challenge to do something different draws its inspiration from a few lines from the Bill Murray Groundhog Day movie. Hope you will be able to play along.

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Bee Mine

Hi, everyone!

I am sooooo excited to share today's card. Kim's Bee Mine Paper Smooches stamp set has been one of my favorite go-to sets for OWH love cards. Now Kim has added dies for these sweet bees -- no pun intended -- in her newest release. Well.... I can't contain my happiness! Thanks, Kim.

Distress Ink core scattered straw; Recollections black; Stampin' Up! cherry cobbler
Paper Smooches Bee Mine stamps (in DI  black soot ink) and coordinating die
SU word bubbles die; background: SU/Sizzix embossing folder
hearts: SU small heart and owl builder punches; SU cherry cobbler twine
adhesives: Glossy Accents and Recollections foam squares

I Said, He Said

I was so pleased with this card, I not only shared it with hubby but also talked to him about the design. The 10-30-60 color rule came up -- though I told him that it didn't have to be exact. That's when he said that was good because this looked a little more like 3-16-81 -- stressing that if it were a rule, the exactness of a 10-30-60 ratio probably mattered. Oh, I was laughing so hard I was practically crying. 

To top it all off, he came over just as I was typing this to say, "It really is a nice card even if it isn't 10-30-60" and more laughing ensued. I am so blessed. That man makes me laugh at least 10 times a day.  :)

Parting Thoughts

Linking this little bee card up for the OWH Red Friday Bloghop and for the current Paper Smooches Anything Goes challenge.

Before I go, I want to give one last shout out to Kim at Paper Smooches. I placed my order Sunday night, and the package arrived today! Not only is she an uber-talented artist, but she provides the best customer service in the business. Thanks, Kim! You and the PS Team totally rock.  :)

December Challenge
Dec. 1 - Dec. 21

The December Words 2 Scrap By challenge went live on Monday. This month's words are Eat, Drink, and Be Merry! Hope you will join us for this month's challenge.

Have a good rest of the week. Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

4th of July OWH VCMP

 

Hi, everyone!

 

What a nice holiday weekend! The weather's been gorgeous. So, hubby and I went to the pool both Friday and Saturday. Dads came out for a cookout on the 4th. Then, my dad and I went to the local fireworks last night... and couldn't have had a nicer time. And, oh yeah, there's a card party going on! Time for me to catch up. :) 

 

Before I post a couple of cards, a few housekeeping tasks:

• Thanks to Sandy, the OWH team, and all of our hostesses for a really fun party!
• Paper Smooches blog candy is up for grab at the His and Hers challenge (Challenge #1). You have until Tuesday at 8 AM EST to enter.
• Finally, on a totally different note, the Words 2 Scrap By July challenge is open until July 21.

Now, for some cards!!!

 

Faux Techniques

 

 I'm here with the a card for the very last OWH VCMP challenge!

Fancy Pants etcetera, ??? jet black, Distress Ink antique linen
Simon Says hello you sentiment in StazOn jet black
Sizzix/SU and Paper Smooches button dies
stash ribbon; Recollections foam adhesives
antique linen buttons sponged in DI vintage photo with Ranger blending tool

 

This challenge encouraged us to make a card featuring a faux technique. While I really should have taken on the leather or wood techniques, I took an easier way out making some faux buttons. Regardless, I think it's a nice masculine birthday card for one of our troops to send home to a special son/dad/husband.  :)

 

Inching to Christmas

 

OWH Sketch #58
Authentique glistening; American Crafts cardstock
Really Reasonable Ribbon lace; Hero Arts gems
Recollections star punch, stars covered in Glossy Accents
edges distressed with Ranger tool
adhesives: Glossy Accents, Recollections foam adhesives

 

Sherry served up a great Christmas challenge that featured 3 OWH sketches involving "inchies." Have to admit I struggled with this one. The card shown is attempt #2.  :)

 

Critter Love

 

Glitz sunshine in my soul; ??? jet black cardstock
TPC Studio sentiment in Distress Ink Victorian Velvet
Stampin' Up! owl punch; SU/Sizzix birds and branches decorative strip
inking in Distress Ink Victorian Velvet with Ranger blending tool 

 

Went a little rogue on this one, too. It's definitely a love card, but I used a "Miss You" sentiment instead.  :)

 

Teen Time

 

Recollections dp, Distress Ink core, Bazzill cardstock
Recollections foil paper
Paper Smooches image; computer-generated sentiment (mistral)
Creative Memories circle cutting system
Marvy and Paper Shaper circle punches; EK hole punch

 

For this card, I've followed the spirit and not the letter of the challenge. The sample cards showed some great techniques for teen cards. But, I already had these cool PS stamps and funky patterns. So, I went with this instead. Hope that's okay.  :)

 

Thick and Thin Challenge

 

Bo Bunny Liberty Bazzill admiral, Core'dinations white
Recollections jute/burlap; Darice embossing folder
Unity sentiment in Distress Ink vintage photo
Stampin' Up! banner punch; garage sale brads
small stars: ??? corner punch
adhesives: Glossy Accents, Recollections foam square

 

Loved this challenge! And, was thrilled to already have one of the cards done!  :)

 

Sunday Sketch Any Hero Card

 

Bo Bunny Liberty Bazzill admiral, Core'dinations white
Recollections jute/burlap
Stampers Best sentiment in Distress Ink vintage photo
Stampin' Up! banner punch; garage sale brads
adhesives: Zots 3-D glue dots, glue dots, Recollections foam square

 

This sketch just screamed navy background and jute/burlap strip can pass up navy and jute! 

 

Red, White, & Blue Christmas

 

Distress Ink core, Core-dinations white
Hero Arts image in Distress Ink evergreen bough
Stampin' Up! Christmas Collectibles punch and stamp set
image: heat embossed with Distress Ink fired brick
Hero Arts/Mark Richards gems
??? sentiment in Distress Ink chipped sapphire

I was originally skeptical of this challenge, but adored the sample cards. So, glad I gave this a go!

 

 

Mode of Transportation Challenge

 

Fancy Pants beach bum dp; Distress Ink core
Paper Smooches alphadots stamps in Distress Ink vintage photo
car: traced from Cosmo Cricket blackboard, fussy cut, coated in Glossy Accents
Recollections foam adhesives

 

Road trips to the beach are one of my most favorite things!

 

Tip: Coat the traced car with Glossy Accents, then fussy cut. I learned this the hard way!  :)

 

 

Bright Background Challenge

 

Memory Box stencil inked on watercolor paper with blended Distress Inks
Distress Ink core paper; Stampendous silver embossing powder
Paper Studio star punch; Zot 3-D glue dots

This is another quarantined card. Think I need to go over the silver embossing with Glossy Accents to be on the safe side. 

 

Christmas and Winter Cards Challenge

 

Winter: We R Memory Keepers winter frost dp
cardstock: Distress Ink, Cardstock Warehouse Paper Company, American Crafts
Christmas: dp: Echo Park this & that, Authentique glistening,
Bazzill cardstock; Ellen Hutson ribbon
Both: Paper Smooches die set; Really Reasonable Ribbon ribbons
EK border punch for small snowflakes; Marvy circle punches
??? stamp in Distress Ink walnut stain from Nancy for tree image
adhesives: Recollections foam, Glossy Accents, glue dots

Loved this challenge and am crazy-in-love with this PS die set! But, boy did these little guys take some serious time! Still need to do something punny-sentiment-wise on the inside.

 

Tip: Punched out a small circle and placed behind the heads to not have to piece together eyes and mouth circles.

Our Daily Bread Design (winged creature) Challenge

Distress Ink core; Bazzill black and white; stash shiny gray/white for eyes
Stampin Up owl punch, with tons of fussy cutting
SU bird punch for branch; SU small heart punch
Hero Arts/Mark Richards gems; computer-generated original sentiment
adhesive: Glossy Accents

Confession Time: These little guys were made before this weekend. I made the card for this month's Words 2 Scrap By challenge. But, I was hanging on to the card because I really do love it. However, the time has come... The back is stamped and the card is headed to OWH. Just hope it's not too risqué.  :)

 

For the Boy (vintage) Challenge

 

Authentique original; SU retired (garage-sale find) image in Distress Ink walnut stain
Paper Smooches twine; garage sale brads

Wish I had centered the ribbons with the image a little better. Oh well.... As Tim Holtz would say, "Get over yourself!"

 

This card is in quarantine right now because the inked ribbon needs to dry out just a bit.  :)

 

TGIF Challenge

 

Winnie & Walter big bold u in StazOn jet black on watercolor paper
Recollections black cardstock
SU work of art stamp set in Distress Ink bundled sage, "watercolored" with Ranger water brush
Paper Studio brads

Couldn't wait to ink up this SU stamp set! Love this bold sentiment that was also inked up for the first time. "Mounted" this on black, like an abstract painting.  Oh, and loved the name of this challenge!  :)

 

Tip: Sentiment was inked in StazOn because I wanted to "watercolor" the images stamped in Distress Ink bundled sage.

 

Red, White, & Blue Happy Birthday Challenge

 

 

Distress Ink core; Core-dinations white
SU cupcake builder stamps and punch, stamped images heat embossed
TPC Studio sentiment in Distress Ink walnut stain
SU brads; Sizzix/SU embossing folder
Creative Memories oval cutting system
adhesives: Glossy Accents, Zots 3-D glue dots

 

Paper-Piecing for Kids Challenge

 

MME dp; Distress Ink core paper
SU cupcake builder punch; Really Reasonable Ribbon ribbons
Fiskars border punch
adhesives: Recollections foam, Glossy Accents

 

Okay, this isn't my most intricate paper-pieced card, but I'm counting it!

 

Texture Challenge

 

Penny Black stamp, heat embossed in Distress Ink walnut stain
Authentique hero bundle de; Distress Ink core; watercolor paper
Cuttlebug swiss dot and SU herringbone embossing folders
SU tiny banner punch; Paper Smooches twine
sponging in Distress Ink pumice stone with Ranger blending tool

Textures used: heat embossing for stamped image, dry embossing for vertical strip and tiny banner, and twine

 

Tips: Used Glossy Accents to secure twine bow; Added twine at the very end by piercing a hole in top fold of card.

 

Miss You (with 1 circle, 2 banners) Challenge

 

Authentique original; Distress Ink core
Hero Arts image in Distress Ink walnut stain on Crate Paper dp
SU banner dies: SU owl punch (for circles)
Sizzix embossing folder; Zots 3-D glue dots
sponging in Distress Ink chipped sapphire with Ranger blending tool

 

His and Hers OWH Sketch Cards

 

Hi, everyone!

 

There's a huge card-making party going on at Operation Write Home... and I am so excited to be chosen to host the first challenge!  :)

This challenge is to use an OWH sketch to make two cards -- a his card and a her card, as shown at the right. OWH Sketch #161 was the inspiration for these two cards.

Hope you will join in the fun!

 

Today's Sample Cards

As I mentioned, Sketch #161 was the inspiration for my two cards.  Both cards feature products from Paper Smooches -- one of my favorite companies. The watercolor card is a new venture for me -- using a couple of techniques we learned in our Simon Says CREATE event. (Thanks, Simon Says teachers!) Super Boy is a return to a favorite technique -- paper piecing for kid cards. 

Watercolored Flowers supplies: Bazzill white and Distress Ink core paper; Distress Ink: evergreen bough, spun sugar, scattered straw, milled lavender; Paper Smooches botannicals 2 and crystal clear stamps; Hero Arts/BasicGrey leaf & flourish stencil; Sizzix embossing folder; Fiskars border punch; Creative Memories oval cutting system; Tim Holtz water brush; Stampin' Up! and Paper Studio brads; Recollections foam adhesives

Super Boy supplies: Distress Ink core, Recollections black; Paper Smooches super stamps and dies , heat embossed in Distress Ink black soot and paper-pieced; Darice embossing folder; Recollections white star brads, colored with Sharpie black permanent marker; computer-generated POW! starburst; ??? corner punch (for small stars);
Recollections foam adhesives

 

 

Parting Thoughts

I used Paper Smooches stamps on the Hers card and Paper Smooches stamps and coordinating dies on my His card. And, Kim at Paper Smooches is giving away some blog candy for this challenge! Please check out the instructions on my official VCMP post for a chance to win a $20 PS gift certificate!   Blog Candy just doesn't get any sweeter than goodies from PS!  :)

There's lots more fun going on this 3-day weekend at Operation Write Home. If you're up to a challenge or two... or eighteen, check it out! And, after the party is over, Bobbi and I would love for you to join us at Words 2 Scrap By for a  word-inspired challenge.

Enjoy this celebration of our nation's birthday. Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!



A Royally Cute Couple!

Hi, everyone.

Hope everybody is enjoying a great weekend! I have three cards for three separate challenges. So, let's start with the title card.  :)

Cutest Couple... EVER!

3/9/2014 Update: Entering this little couple in Paper Smooches' April Guest Designer Search.

Paper Smooches is continuing its 3rd Anniversary celebration with a challenge to create a fun and cute project. Well, I'm thinking this little couple qualifies on both counts.  :)

Paper Smooches Royal Cuteness stamp set
Royal Cuteness Botanicals and Group Hugs stamps
Paper Smooches balloon dies
Distress Ink core paper; black Bazzill black cardstock
Bead Avenue braiding necklace cording; crystal gems
sentiment and images stamped in StazOn jet black
Tombow foam adhesives; Glossy Accent for adhesive

To create the knight and princess, I stamped images multiple times, used the antique linen images as the base for each, then fussy cut out hair, clothes, and embellishments. The castle was stamped on the same gray as the armor, but the paper was sanded twice (before and after stamping) to create a more distant, far-away look. Finally, I tried to incorporate the wisdom of a former painting teacher when composing the card. Pat always said a color should appear three times in a composition. So, Pumice Stone paper was used for the armor, castle and dress embellishment; Victorian Velvet was used for dress, hair embellishment, and helmet plume; Scattered Straw was used for his hair, her hair, and the balloon; and white was used for his teeth, her cloud and balloon string.

Okay, time to move along from this adorable couple.... though I do love them. And, I'm hoping one of our hero's little princesses will, too.  :)

 

OWH Midweek Throwdown: Punny Cards

This isn't the first time I've made the card below. But, I love this retired Stampin' Up! set so much that there are a few more of these little guys going into my next OWH box. So, here's an encore of Happy Dirtday!  :)

Stampin' Up! I Dig You stamp set (retired)
Distress Ink core paper
clouds: Stampin Up! Build a Cupcake punch
garage sale brads

OWH Sketch #212

This last card is an Any Hero card that was made for this week's sketch.

Bo Bunny Anthem on Distress Ink core paper base
Stamper's Best sentiment
sponging with Distress Inks
Fiskars and Paper Studio star punches
Stampin Up! brads; Tombow foam adhesives

I decided to go with a black sentiment to show up better on the patterned paper. Since there was black on some of the other papers in the collection, I thought it would be okay. But, I also felt black brads and a black-cardstock star would help tie in the black sentiment. In addition, I sponged edges with black soot, as well as vintage photo and walnut stain, to add a more vintage look. Finally, I tried to go with three stars in the bottom portion, but was not happy with three of any of the sized punches I have. So, I went with one larger star for the lone embellishment in the bottom half.

Parting Thoughts

Two quick reminders:

• Blog candy in the form of $20 in Really Reasonable Ribbon gift certificates (in honor of the 20th post) are being awarded to those who are have found me here at my new blog. Two $5 certificates and one $10 certificate will be awarded next post. New followers will be eligible.  :)
• February 21 is the deadline for linking up a card for this month's Olympic challenge at Words 2 Scrap By.

Think that's it for today. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

OWH's 2014 Card Bowl -- A SUPER IDEA!

Hi, everyone!

Looks like OWH is having a SUPER fun party this weekend! Hope you can join in the fun.

First, two quick announcements:

• Today marks the posting of Challenge #2 at Words 2 Scrap By. Thanks to Bobbi for providing a colourful challenge for our second month. Entries must be linked by February 21 to be in the running for this month's prize package. And, thanks again to everyone who joined in the fun last month!
• Today also marks the 3rd anniversary of Paper Smooches! Paper Smooches is one of my all-time favorite companies -- and was the sponsor of the very first W2SB challenge. Congrats, Kim! Can't wait to see what you have in mind for us this upcoming year.  :)

Now on to the OWH fun -- three challenges in three days!

Challenge #1: Make a masculine card featuring Broncos or Seahawks colors.
 

paper: stash faux basketball leather; Bazzill admiral; stash gray
Zip'E Cut alphabet dies; EK border punch
inside: Paper Studio star punch

Okay, so I guess this officially counts for the Broncos. When push comes to shove, that's probably who I will be pulling for. But, I really don't have a horse in this race. So, my real inspirations for the card were my beloved hubby, a former b-ball coach who is my MVP, and the team closest to my heart, the Chicago Bears.

There are two things I absolutely love about this card. The first is this to-die-for basketball-textured paper, which was purchased long ago for a scrapbook that never got made.

The second thing I loved was being able to effortlessly use dies -- real-life dies. Those letters were created using alphabet dies on admiral blue and basketball paper. A $10 raffle ticket on a holiday basket at work resulted in winning $50 in Michael's gift cards. Those gift cards, and a 50% off coupon, were all I needed to break down and finally buy a Big Shot/Kick! I truly feel like a kid in a candy store when I look at all those fabulous Paper Smooches dies!  :)

 

Challenge #2: Make a masculine card with brown for our ODBD challenge.



paper: Bo Bunny Trail Mix; Distress Ink core; Bazzill black
Cuttlebug embossing folder
Paper Smooches ribbon; Paper Studio brads
Recollections and Tombow foam adhesives

This card is bittersweet. The bitter part is that the Bo Bunny paper was purchased during Archiver's going-out-of-business sale.

The sweet parts are Paula's Bootcamp lessons, the focal point image, and the ribbon treatment. I was struggling with the color combo until I remembered Paula's 60-30-10 rule and added a touch of black. I also liked using a small portion of the full embossed image to create the card's focal point. Finally, I like the ribbon technique, which was created by taking a scrap of ribbon, placing it under the longer ribbon, and overlapping the ends. Oh, the ribbon is another fabulous Paper Smooches purchase.  :)

Challenge #3: Make a masculine card using Donna's great sketch.

Distress Ink core; Bazzill black
Paper Smooches stamps and dies
computer-generated starbursts
Recollections foam adhesives; Glossy Accents as adhesive

Distress Ink core; Bazzill black
Paper Smooches die
computer-generated sentiment

Okay, did I tell you how much I'm loving my Big Shot? The building and Super Hero on the outside, as well as the car on the inside, were cut using Paper Smooches dies. :)  Alas, the starbursts were created the old-fashioned way: computer-generated and fussy cut.

I really did use Donna's sketch as the inspiration for this card. When I first saw the horizontal strip, I thought of those cute little buildings. Then, came the idea for using a narrow strip and starbursts for the sketch's vertical strip. Finally, I knew our little Super Hero needed to make an appearance. When I realized the direction he would be facing, I placed the vertical strip and starbursts on the right.  :)

But, what's a Sunday Sketch without an Any Hero card. The card below is a little closer to the sketch.

Distress Ink core; Authentique Pride sponged with Distress Inks
Paper Smooches ribbon; Stampin' Up brads
Fiskars and Paper Studio star punches
Recollections foam adhesives


Parting Thoughts

Thanks to OWH for a fun weekend of challenges -- just the right amount!

Hope all the football fans enjoy the game and the non-fans enjoy the commercials.

Have a great week! Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'! And, if you are in the market for an Olympic-themed challenge, don't forget to check out what Bobbi has for us this month at W2SB!