Thanks a Bunch

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

I'm here today with a card that was a year in the making. LOL! It is a card that we were supposed to make in one of our Simon Says Stamp CREATE 2014 classes. Unfortunately, it we didn't have time for it... and it has remained untouched. Untouched, that is, until now!

Simon Says Stamp stencil; ??? resist paper
Hero Arts sentiment in Distress Ink black soot
Studio G glitter; sequin; Stampin' Up! brad
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Recollections foam squares

This gorgeous background was created by placing stencil over a sheet of resist, applying pink glitter, removing the stencil, and applying green glitter.

For those who make cards for Operation Write Home, please note that glitter is a huge no-no! The menopause room is a no-glitter zone about 99.9% of the time. I made an exception for this card and then did a major glitter-removal scrub down. BTW, Swiffer cloths are great for getting rid of glitter. Thanks to Jennifer McGuire for that hint.  :)


I some changes to this CREATE card kit. First of all, I went with pink and green glitter instead of the suggested gray and turquoise. More significantly, I mounted my glittered piece on black to better pop the colors. After doing that, I decided to mount my banner on black, too. Finally, I added a black brad to the center of the flower to tie all of the elements together.


And, since I'm rather stamp-challenged, I'm thrilled with how well this sentiment turned out. I was prepared to create another banner/panel, but actually stamped a pretty good image the first time. Woot! Woot!  :)


Think I'm going to link this up the following challenges:

• Cards In Envy's Spring is in the Air spring-color challenge,
• Simon Says Stamp's pastel-color challenge, in spite of the colors photographing a little darker than they actually are, on its Monday Challenge blog
• Simon Says Stamp's Anything Goes Challenge on its Wednesday Challenge blog, and
• Simon Says Stamp's Work-It-Wednesday Challenge for March 2015.

Parting Thoughts

April Challenge
April 1 - April 21

Our April Words 2 Scrap By challenge. Hope you will join in the fun.

See you tomorrow with my W2SB card. Until then, thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

A Two-for-One Sketch!!!

Hi, everyone!

Don't you just love the CAS style of this week's OWH Sketch?! I loved it so much that it inspired two cards.  :)

Card 1: You Add COLOR

 

I recently ordered some fabulous MFT stamps and dies. They are so fabulous that I used them right away to make the television cards in my two previous posts. But, I decided that the "COLOR" sentiment in the stamp would work really well with this OWH sketch.

 

Stampin' Up! white core; Recollections black; watercolor paper; Distress Ink scattered straw
MFT stay tuned stamp set; various Distress Inks, applied with Ranger blending tool
Cuttlebug swiss dot embossing folder; SU owl builder punch for bottom left circle
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zots glue dots; Recollections foam squares

 

Rectangle inked to create
strips on front of card.

Love those Distress-Inked strips on the front! To create them, I inked up a rectangle of watercolor paper, as shown to the right. I started with mustard seed in the middle, going up with mowed lawn and salty ocean, and then going down with spiced marmalade and fired brick. After inking the rectangle, I cut the three strips and mounted them on black cardstock so that these pretty colors would pop off the card.

 

To carry the color theme to the inside of the card, I inked up the edge of a rectangle of watercolor paper. I then mounted it as the layer between two black cardstock rectangles, as shown above. Finally, a piece of white paper was added for one of OWH heroes to write a note home.

 

After doing all of this, I realized I could have just added a inked strip to the left side of the card's interior. Live and learn!

 

 

 I'm going to link up this card to the following challenges:

• the current Shopping Our Stash rainbow challenge,
• the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes blog challenge,
• and the Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday blog challenge.

 

 

Card 2: U.S.A.

Of course, what's an OWH sketch without an Any Hero card?!

Here's today's sketch-inspired Any Hero card. Thought these ribbons were too pretty to not be a part of this card's focal point. Just wish I would've placed them a little closer together. This was the first sketch card I made, so I kind of messed up on that part. Thinking our heroes won't mind quite as much as I do.   :)



Stampin' Up! white core; Bazzil admiral; Distress Ink antique linen
Unity stamp sentiment, from ragged ol' flag stamp set, heat embossed in Zing copper powder
Really Reasonable Ribbon ribbon
??? corner rounder (for tiny stars) Recollections foam adhesive

Parting Thoughts

April Challenge
April 1 - April 21

There's a new Words 2 Scrap By challenge starting up on April 1. Hope you will join us for a challenge celebrating spring, Earth Day, and Arbor Day.  :)

Short and sweet today. Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

You Add COLOR To My Life

Hi, everyone!

Boy, I sure was excited that I had recently added those amazing MFT Stay Tuned stamps and Television dies to my stash to make a birthday card for my nephew. It seems that there is a sentiment in this stamp set that works perfectly for the current Shopping Our Stash rainbow challenge.



Stampin' Up! core black; Fancy Pants etcetera dp
MFT stay tuned stamps and television dies; various Distress Inks
Sizzix embossing folder; SU owl builder and EK hole punches (for circles)
 adhesives: Scotch ARG runner; Zots glue dots; Zig 2-way glue pen

I just love these stamps and dies! And, by making a second card, I just reduced the cost of my nephew's birthday card by half. LOL... because I'm one of those delusional crafters who thought I could save money making my own greeting cards.  :)

Again, my thanks to Kelly Griglione who first gave me the idea to make a little chest/stand in this post at Notable Nest. Genius!

I went with this Fancy Pants paper collection because the colors are a wonderful collection of neutrals -- perfect for the "COLOR" part of the sentiment to pop. (Just wish the sentiment photographed as well as it looks in person!)

To ink up the sentiment, I used small sticky notes to mask off the words that would be inked in black. Next, I used sticky notes to mask and uncover the letters in "COLOR" -- one letter at a time. Then, I removed the remaining post-its to ink up the remaining words in black -- being careful to avoid getting black on the colored letters.

Finally, I chose the grid-patterned ivory paper for the card background. I embossed it to give it more of a wallpaper kind of feel.

In addition to the SOS challenge, I'm going to link this up for the current Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes and Work It Wednesday blog challenges.  :)

Parting Thoughts

Really looking forward to more basketball this weekend. The regional final games are usually terrific!

A new Operation Write Home Sketch Challenge goes live on Saturday, and a new Words 2 Scrap By Challenge goes live next Wednesday. Hope to see you at both of these.

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Stay Tuned...

Okay, hubby's not asking for the laptop yet. So, I'm going to try to sneak in one other post.  :)

Today's Card

This card if for a nephew's birthday. Teen boys are kind of tough to please when it comes to cards. (Think they're most concerned about what's inside the card.)

But, when I saw these stamps and dies from MFT.... Well, they seemed full of potential -- even for teenage boys.  :)

Glitz sunshine in my soul dp; Stampin' Up! early espresso and light gray; Recollections white
Distress Inks (walnut stain for sentiment; vintage photo, antique linen, black soot for inking)
MFT stay tuned stamps and television dies
adhesives: Scotch ATG runner; Zig 2-way glue pen
 

My thanks to Kelly Griglione who first gave me the idea to make a little chest/stand in this post at Notable Nest.  Genius and CASE-worthy! I added background paper that had a wallpaper feel, going with a blue stripe that looked a tad more manly than a floral print. In addition, I chose to not center the antenna so the look wouldn't be quite so symmetrical. I then stamped a little(second generation) image in the top-right corner to "ground" the card, so to speak.  :)

Think this is another pad of paper from my stamp club friend. Thanks again, Mary Anne!


Darnell at djkardkreations is sponsoring her fourth Never-Before-Used-Schtuff challenge. Well, these stamps and dies and fresh-out-of-the-package, brand-spankin' new. So, I'm linking up this card to her site.  :)

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.

Hearing hubby coming down the stairs. Time for him to log in and me to log off.  :)

Thanks for stopping 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'!

Ragged Ol' Flag

Hi, everyone! Hope the weekend is going well.

Is anybody else on basketball overload? I absolutely love the NCAA tournament, but even I had to take a crafting break. Okay, a crafting-while-listening-to-the-games break. Does that count?

Ragged Ol' Flag

A couple of weeks ago, Unity Stamps released this gorgeous stamp set and partnered with Operation Write Home for a new-release blog hop.

Unfortunately, logistics issues during my island get-away prevented me from joining in the hop. But, I couldn't wait to ink up these beautiful stamps when arriving back home. Oh my gosh, these stamps are going to make such wonderful Any Hero cards!

And, the current Operation Write Home Mid-Month Red-White-and-Blue Challenge is the perfect opportunity to do just that. The triple-fold card that Sandy posted for the Unity/OWH blog hop inspired the tri-fold card shown below. :)

Front of Card
watercolor paper; Bo Bunny liberty; Bazzil admiral
Ragged Ol' Flag Unity image in Distress Ink fired brick and chipped sapphire (misted with water)
Ragged Ol' Flag Unity sentiment heat embossed in American Crafts Zing copper powder
Stampin' Up! banner die; ??? corner rounder (for tiny heat-embossed stars)
inking in DI chipped sapphire and vintage photo with Ranger blending tool
adhesives: ATG runner; Recollections foam squares; micro Glue Dots; Zig 2-way glue pen

Middle Flap
watercolor paper; Bo Bunny liberty; Bazzil admiral; DI fired brick
Ragged Ol' Flag Unity sentiment in Distress Ink walnut stain
??? corner rounder (for tiny heat-embossed stars)
inking in DI vintage photo with Ranger blending tool
adhesives: ATG runner; micro Glue Dots; Zig 2-way glue pen

Inside of Card (for handwritten Any Hero note)
watercolor paper; Bo Bunny liberty; Bazzil admiral; DI fired brick; Cardstock Warehouse white
Stampin' Up! banner punch of copper-heat-embossed paper

The flag image on the front card was created by misting the inked-up stamp before stamping on watercolor paper, cut out, and adhered with foam squares. The U.S.A. strip was also applied with foam squares. This double layer of foam squares would be too thick for OWH cards that our deployed troops mail back to the States. However, it is just fine for Any Hero cards.  :)

Our uber-talented crafting and blogging friend Darnell just launched NBUS Challenge #4! (Congrats, Darnell, on this remarkable milestone.) Going to link up this card for her challenge.

Parting Thoughts

Going to an OWH card-making gathering this afternoon. Guess my favorite NCAA teams will have to carry on without me.  :)

Enjoy your Sunday. Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

thanks so much....

... for the AWESOME blog candy!

Today's cards are being sent to Catherine of Scrapbook & Cards Today and Kim of Paper Smooches fame for an amazing prize package of PS stamp sets and dies. Thanks so much, Catherine and Kim!

Stampin' Up! paper
Paper Smooches stamps (graceful beauties, just a note) in Distress Inks
stash (Mark Richards?) crystals; EK corner rounder

Distress Ink worn lipstick; Recollections black; Cardstock Warehouse white
Paper Smooches stamps (graceful beauties) in Distress Inks
Stampin' Up! baker's twine; white sequins
SU owl-builder punch (for tiny heart)

This first card is a little out of my comfort zone. It's a little more CAS than my typical cards. What do you think -- too simple?

Well, I'm going to take the plunge and link it up to the following challenges. Heck, if I've stepped out of my zone, I might as my dive into the pool... right?!

• Cards In Envy's Spring-is-in-the-Air Challenge
• Simon Says Stamp's Lions-and-Lambs Monday Blog Challenge
• Simon Says Stamp's Pinterest-Inspiration-Spring Challenge, with inspiration coming from the colors found in the hat photo in the top left corner of the board

Parting Thoughts

Well, if you're a college basketball fan, it's Christmas in March! Count me in! Yep, I'm watching the Spartans and the Bulldogs as I type. Hope it's a great dance for your favorite team.  :)

Mar. 1 - Mar. 21

Tomorrow is the deadline to link up a card for our March Words 2 Scrap By challenge. This month's words are weather-related: In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb. Our challenge hostess Annie is offering up a $15 prize. Hope you can find a little time to play along.

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