RAWR!

Hi, everyone! It's been a while since I've had a chance to enter challenges, so I was too excited to share this little birthday dinosaur.  :)

Imaginisce happy cupcake; Core-dinations chocolate lovers; Distress Ink core
Stampin' Up! no bones about it, stamped in DI walnut stain and vintage photo
bones heat embossed with versamark and Zing embossing powder
Creative Memories alphabet stickers
EK hole punch and SU owl builder for brown, blue, and red circles
orange circles inked in DI spiced marmalade with Ranger blending tool
Creative Memories circle cutting system
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Glue Dots; Zig 2-way pen; Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares

I'll have to admit this is a little busier than my typical cards. But, I think a little one will like it.

Planning on linking up this little dino boy birthday card to the current challenges:

• Shopping Our Stash For the Boys
• Mojo Monday 403

Parting Thoughts

Words 2 Scrap By   It's a Man's World Challenge is accepting entries the rest of this week, with the challenge ending on Friday. Hope you will join us at W2SB for a chance to win $20 to Simon Says Stamp. Yep, $20 to SSS!!!

Our thanks to Annie for hosting our challenge this month and offering up such a generous prize for one talented crafter.  :)



Cards in Envy   And, there's a Just Beachy challenge going on at CIE. Hope you will stop by and play along with us at CIE.

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

MM11: Your Dedication Inspires Me

Hello, everyone! Welcome to an Operation Write Home edition of Monday Musings. But, first a couple of words about Father's Day.

#GiftsForDads

So, what do you give dads who are 91 and 81? Our answer to that question was a bit unconventional.

For hubby's dad, who is the 91-year-old WWII veteran, we bought some bird seed. Hubby put together a few planters for his front porch, and I updated his address book -- using a computer to make larger-font entries to facilitate easier reading in a "newer" book.

My dad received some chocolate-covered marshmallows, a few (requested by Dad) needle threaders, and a chunky block of writing paper (also requested by Dad). In addition, he received a gift certificate to our local movie theater so that the two of us can enjoy father-daughter movie outings at the theater's $5 Tuesdays. 

Both dads received homemade cards, shown here and here. And, my dad's gifts were "wrapped" in a bopper (aka bag topper) brown bag.  

It goes without saying that the BEST gift for everyone was spending the day together -- watching the U.S. Open and grilling up some steaks! 

OWH Mid-Month Challenge

Saturday brought us another OWH Mid-Month Challenge. The current challenge is to make a card that has one or more banners. When I was perusing Leisure Arts Sketches for Paper Crafters the other day for a card idea, I came across a card that was pretty much a big banner. Thought this seemed like a great idea for my card, and the Any Hero card shown below was the result.

Bo Bunny anthem; Bazzill watermelon; Distress Ink antique linen; Recollections ? blue
Deep Red stamp (designed by Sandy Allnock) in DI walnut stain on Crate Paper rose garden
Stampin' Up! banners framelits
punches: SU owl builder (for circles) and small star; ??? corner rounder (for tiniest star)
inking in DI vintage photo with Ranger blending tool
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zig 2-way pen; Glue Dots; Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares; Ranger multi-medium
Paper Smooches twine

A quick reminder that Operation Finish Strong is underway, and August 1 is the deadline to send any and all OWH cards to Sandy. Please click here for more Finish Strong information. 

Parting Thoughts

Words 2 Scrap By   It's a Man's World Challenge is accepting entries the rest of this week, with the challenge ending on Friday. Hope you will join us at W2SB for a chance to win $20 to Simon Says Stamp. Yep, $20 to SSS!!!

Our thanks to Annie for hosting our challenge this month and offering up such a generous prize for one talented crafter.  :)



Cards in Envy   And, there's a Just Beachy challenge going on at CIE. Hope you will stop by and play along with us at CIE.

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

FNW11: Special Cards for Special People

Happy weekend! Welcome to an eclectic edition of Friday Night Writes.

#SpoiledOrLoved

Okay, we have a lovely lounge chair on our front porch that used to be mine. All mine. Then our pup discovered it. Now, the best I can hope for is to share it with Miles.

Like much of the country, we have been experiencing some rainy weather. When I went out on the porch on Wednesday, I found Miles on my chair -- a beach-towel-covered chair, to boot. The topper is that hubby said -- without missing a beat, I should add -- that the chair was wet from the rain that had blown in and he didn't want Miles to get wet.

So,  my first question is does this make our pup really spoiled or just loved?  My second question is what beloved object of yours has your pet made his/her own?

A Get Well Card for an OWH Supporter

Sandy Allnock sent out a call for get well cards for a gentleman named Frank, who is a supporter of Operation Write Home. However, she asked that cards be humorous and light-hearted. So, I cased a card from a wonderful Leisure Arts book that is one of my go-to inspirations: Card Sketches for Paper Crafters. The CASE card is a wonderful card by Terri Davenport and can be found on page 51 of this Leisure Arts book.



stash yellow cardstock; Recollections black
Stampin' Up! work of art stamp
computer generated sentiment

stash yellow cardstock; Recollections black
computer generated sentiment

I'm not really sure why the yellows in these two pics look so different. The yellow paper is the base of the card.

Since I didn't have any zigzag, I stamped an image in black on contrasting paper and used the stamped image as a stencil.

Hope Frank gets a smile or chuckle from this little card. And, I hope he gets a ton of cards! Feel better soon, Frank!

Ladybug Delight

Wednesday night was a Stampin' Up! get-together at Mary Anne's. Our demonstrator is the fabulous Bernadette who now joins us via Skype from Colorado. So, Mary Anne graciously offers her lovely home for our stamp club meetings. In addition to coordinating Wednesday night's activity with Bernadette, Mary Anne hosted a cookout dinner before our card-making session. Moreover, she had a couple of brand-spankin' new Sizzlits she decided she wouldn't be using and offered up for the taking.

Here's a thank  you card that went in the mail today -- using one of these sweet little Sizzlits. While it is a kiddie card I would typically make for OWH, it seemed appropriate to use this little ladybug on this card for Mary Anne.

various Distress Inks; Recollections black
 gifted ladybug Sizzlit
Paper Smooches sentiment, heat embossed with Distress Ink black soot and American Crafts powder
Stampin' Up oval punch (to make flowers' centers)
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Zig 2-way pen; Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares

The current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Blog Challenge is to make something using your favorite product and/or technique. Well, I love paper piecing and adore Distress Ink core paper. And, this little cutie pie is going to be linked up to that challenge.

Parting Thoughts

Words 2 Scrap By   It's a Man's World Challenge is accepting entries until June 26. Hope you will join us at W2SB for a chance to win $20 to Simon Says Stamp. Yep, $20 to SSS!!!

Our thanks to Annie for hosting our challenge this month and offering up such a generous prize for one talented crafter.  :)



Cards in Envy  And, there's a Just Beachy challenge going on at CIE. Hope you will stop by and play along with us at CIE.

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

CIE Red, White, & Blue

Hi, everyone! It's the third Monday of the month, which means it's time for another Cards in Envy challenge. Our challenge for the next couple of weeks, which starts TODAY, is to make a card featuring red, white, and blue colors.

Since I make cards for Operation Write Home, I typically make patriotic cards when using a red, white, and blue palette. However, I decided to mix things up a bit for this challenge. The card below is a birthday card for a good friend who shares the same July birthday as I do.  :)



Stampin' Up! garage-sale-find designer paper; SU core black
Hampton Arts image on Carson watercolor paper in StazOn jet black
image colored in Distress Inks with a Ranger watercolor brush
Really Reasonable Ribbon ribbon and lace
SU owl-builder punch (for circles in top right corner)
Simon Says Stamp gems
 

There are lots of things about this card that I like, including:

• the brightness of the colors and how they pop against the black elements,
• the stamped floral image paired with that pretty blue floral paper,
• the ribbon/lace combo, and
• the three elements in the top corner. It took me a while to decide on what to put in the top right corner. But, when I finally came upon the black circle/white gem combo, I really liked the look.

Notice the little specks of paint in the negative space between flowers? Those were born out of necessity. I'm not a good colorer and accidentally got some ink where it wasn't supposed to be. So, I filled in some of the other spaces with similar specks.


Even though this card probably will be hand delivered (with a cupcake, of course!), I stuck to the CIE guidelines.  The lace in the ribbon/lace element is whisper thin -- like crazy thin, and the ribbon/lace knot squishes down nice and flat. And, the gems are well below the one fourth inch guideline and are actually thinner than the ribbon.

To qualify for badge consideration, cards linked to CIE challenges should adhere to the guidelines posted on the CIE blog.

1. Create an A2 (4.25 inch x 5.5 inch) CARD that follows the current challenge theme.   
2. Keep the total thickness of your card 1/4 inch or less.
3. Link back to Cards in Envy in your blog post or online gallery.  Our blog address is:  http://cardsinenvy.blogspot.com/
4. Fill in the linky at the bottom of the challenge post with a direct link to your blog post that features your card for the current challenge.
5. No more than THREE entries per challenge.
6. No back linking, Cards must be posted to your blog or online album during the challenge dates.  If it was posted online BEFORE the beginning of our challenge, it cannot be linked.

 Hope you will all join us at CIE!

Parting Thoughts

This is my second post of the day. Please scroll down to see the Any Hero card I posted earlier today for the current OWH Sketch Challenge.   :)

Words 2 Scrap By   Did you see the prize Annie is offering this month at  Words 2 Scrap By? This month, W2SB is looking for cards for the men in our lives using "It's a Man's World" as our inspiration words. As an added bonus, Annie is awarding a $20 Simon Says Stamp gift certificate for one talented crafter who shares a manly card at W2SB! You have until June 26 to link up a card/project for a chance to win.  :)

Think that's it for now. Have a great week! Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

MM10: Lady Liberty

Hi, everyone! Welcome to an Operation-Write-Home-inspired card edition of Monday Musings.

OWH Sketch #256

As you've probably heard by now, OWH is #finishstrong as it approaches the August 1 deadline to get cards to Sandy. As we work towards this deadline, new challenges are still posting weekly at Stars & Stamps. So, I'm here today with an Any Hero card for OWH Sketch #256.

Stampin' Up crumb cake; Bo Bunny anthem; Distress Ink fired brick
Stamper's Best or Unity image, heat embossed in DI walnut stain ????
inking in DI vintage photo; SU small star punch; garage-sale brads
adhesives: Scotch ATG; Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares; Zig 2-way pen; Glue Dots
 

Bo Bunny paper is one of my favorite paper lines, and its patriotic papers are by far my favorite. Both the Liberty and Anthem collections are gorgeous!

The stamp is a beautiful red rubber stamp! It came as a freebie with an order from Stamper's Best or Unity. I think Stamper's Best, but I'm just not sure...

After choosing to go with Lady Liberty, I decided to flip the sketch. It took a while to decide on what to do with the sketch's circular element. But, the search was soooo worthwhile because it resulted in this star combo. The brown star was actually cut from a medallion in the bottom right corner of the paper featuring Lady Liberty. Lastly, because of the stars in my background paper, I decided to go with single brads in opposing corners.

Parting Thoughts

Cards in Envy   Since this is the third Monday of the month, a new Cards in Envy challenge will go live later today. Hope you will visit CIE to see what the gals have for you this time around.

Words 2 Scrap By   And, did you see the prize Annie is offering this month at  Words 2 Scrap By? This month, W2SB is looking for cards for the men in our lives using "It's a Man's World" as our inspiration words. As an added bonus, Annie is awarding a $20 Simon Says Stamp gift certificate for one talented crafter who shares a manly card at W2SB! You have until June 26 to link up a card/project for a chance to win.  :)

Have a great week! Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'! Hope you'll come back to check out my card for our new CIE challenge.  :)

FNW10: Summer Reading Program Crafts

Hi, everyone! Welcome to a library-craft edition of Friday Night Writes. But, first...

#ClothesOrPaper?

This was hubby's question of the day earlier this week. Those of you who participated in the recent Mask-erade Online Class remember that ironing was used in several masking techniques. If you're like me, you totally related to instructors' comments about ironing paper instead of clothes. So, when I told hubby I was going downstairs to iron, he naturally wanted to know what I was going to be ironing. And, truth be told, he was rather surprised to learn I was going to iron an actual item of apparel.  All I can say is that a gal's gotta look her best for those breakfasts-with-friends and library-book-club outings. :)

Summer Reading Program Crafts

The theme for our local library's summer reading program is super heroes... and Monday is craft day! When our librarians learned that I make cards for Operation Write Home, they asked to pick my brain about craft options. They loved the idea of making cards for and/or writing notes to our troops and asked my help in coordinating the June 29 craft.

So, on June 29, we have several activities for the kids: bookmarks (for the kids to keep) and several card kits for making OWH Any Hero cards. We want the kids to make a little something to take with them and a little something to send to a real-life hero. I am thrilled to have a chance to help out and have been spending a good amount of my crafting time prepping for this big day.

This past week, my focus has been on cutting out bookmark parts. I found some cute bookmarks on Pinterest that have square bases that slide over page corners. The tops of the bookmarks can be decorated however you like. So, I'm cutting various sets of scallops -- in different color combos and different patterns -- to appeal to a variety of SRP participants. Thank heavens for Big Shots!

I am most excited that I will be able to include lots of kid-written Any Hero cards with my last OWH shipment. I'll be sure to share more about the library card kits in a future post.  :)

Parting Thoughts

OWH Finish Strong   Remember that August 1 is the deadline to get cards to Sandy as OWH continues to finish strong. Weekly challenges continue through July, with another sketch challenge coming this Saturday.  :)

Cards in Envy   There is a Girls, Girls, Girls Challenge going on Cards in Envy. We are currently looking for cards for the ladies and, as always, cards should be mail-able in standard A2 envelopes and have a thickness of 1/4" or less. You just have a few more days to enter this challenge as a new challenge goes live on Monday, June 15.

Words 2 Scrap By   And, did you see the prize Annie is offering this month at  Words 2 Scrap By? This month, W2SB is looking for cards for the men in our lives using "It's a Man's World" as our inspiration words. As an added bonus, Annie is awarding a $20 Simon Says Stamp gift certificate for one talented crafter who shares a manly card at W2SB! You have until June 26 to link up a card/project for a chance to win.  :)

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

MM9: Stay Tuned....

Hi, everyone! Welcome to another edition of Monday Musings. Today's card is an Operation-Write-Home-inspired card that is perfect for a TV-loving man.

Stampin' Up! core black; Core-dinations white; Distress Ink fired brick, (SU?) vellum
My Favorite Things stay tuned stamps and television dies
Distress Ink black soot and fired brick, heat embossed with Ranger clear powder on vellum
SU neutral brads

Recollections black and white
Winnie & Walter big, bold sentiment words in DI fired brick

 

The June Our Daily Bread Design challenge is to make a miss you card, which is one of the most commonly requested cards by our troops. I decided to go with a CAS card that could be sent to a dad/husband/brother. Missing You cards are tough to do for guys... but I think this one fits the bill.

 

I've been wanting to make a red-black-and-white card, ala Mad Men graphics, for about a month or so. When I saw that the current Shopping Our Stash challenge is Red, Red Wine -- and since there is not one single wine item in my stash, I immediately jumped on using red paper for the TV and red ink for an "important" part of the message. When I tinkered with using other colors for different card elements, it felt like the other colors took away from the bold statement made by these two red elements. So, I grounded the card with a little black... and stood back to appreciate the strong visual impact of this card.

 

I'm also going to link this up to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Blog's Make It Masculine challenge. Even though this card is going to OWH, it certainly would be appropriate for any of the three main men in my life.  :)

 

Parting Thoughts

OWH Finish Strong  Remember that August 1 is the deadline to get cards to Sandy as OWH continues to finish strong. Weekly challenges continue through July, with another sketch challenge coming this Saturday.  :)

Cards in Envy  There is a Girls, Girls, Girls Challenge going on Cards in Envy. This week and next, we are looking for cards for the ladies and, as always, cards should be mail-able in standard A2 envelopes and have a thickness of 1/4" or less.

Words 2 Scrap By  And, did you see the prize Annie is offering this month at  Words 2 Scrap By? This month, W2SB is looking for cards for the men in our lives using "It's a Man's World" as our inspiration words. As an added bonus, Annie is awarding a $20 Simon Says Stamp gift certificate for one talented crafter who shares a manly card at W2SB! You have until June 26 to link up a card/project for a chance to win.  :)

Think that's it for now. Have a great week! Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!