Another turtley awesome card

This card didn't make the cut for the skip this weekend, but I liked the background and how I colored the turtle, so I decided to share it.

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Cards shipped to OWH in 2013: 340 blank and 140 AnyHero (as of 1/7/13)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

Mickey birthday

One of my coworkers likes Disney, so when I needed to make a birthday card for her, I knew I wanted to use this embossing folder.  I went with Mickey colored cardstock and kept it simple because the image was so large that it was hard to do much else.  It's a little easier to see in person; my photograph washes it out almost entirely. 

Has anyone had any luck coloring this type of embossed image?  I tried a few times (using markers) and the ink bled terribly since the paper fibers were compromised from the embossing. I've since given up, but I would like to know if there's an easy way to color these in. 

Have a lovely day! 

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Cards shipped to OWH in 2013: 340 blank and 140 AnyHero (as of 1/7/13)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

Sunday Sketch #154

Here's the first sketch of 2013!  This is sketch #154, available on the OWH blog.  The new year also meant a change for the OWH Sketch mistress.  Julie is "retiring" and moving on to other things.  Marlene is taking the lead on sketches this year.  The other change is that now the sketches will be created based on cards that are already posted to OWHers blogs.  That's some incentive to make awesome cards and post them!  (Previously, Julie invented the sketches and had volunteers make samples.)

Did you complete all of the 2012 sketches?  Do you have a goal for this year?  I have just a couple left from last year that I haven't completed quite yet.  I'll definitely do all of the sketches this year, too.  They're a fun way to get started if you're stuck with no mojo! 

I used scraps of a variety of TPC Studios papers.  The die cut is a Sizzlit that I almost never use, but it seemed fitting for the central element of this card.  The stamp is from an old SU set. 

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Cards shipped to OWH in 2013: 340 blank and 140 AnyHero (as of 1/7/13)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

A little birthday card

OWH shipper Caro celebrated her birthday today, so we were asked to post birthday cards to the FB wall.  I made this one in just a few minutes tonight.  I knew I wanted bright circles overlapping, so I just chose some fun papers and added some Paper Smooches stamps and an SU sentiment to finish it off.  The chipboard letters are cut with my Cuttlebug. 

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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero (as of 10/9)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

A special birthday card

My mom's celebrating a milestone birthday this week, so I baked a special 6-layer rainbow birthday cake and made this card for her.   The rainbow cake has a back story.  When I was little, I used to make rainbow cakes from Legos which I modeled after actual rainbow cakes sold at our local grocery store.  Decades later, we've still never tried one, so I decided I could make one.  It's gigantic and so full of frosting that it will probably be too sweet to eat, but I had to give it a try! 

The card actually has a bit of a rainbow look going on, too.  That's not intentional.  I decided to use some of the new Paper Smooches stamps I won on World Card Making Day.  This set is called Perpetual Bliss. 

If you're a regular visitor, you know I'm not one to use glitter as it's not safe for OWH cards.  I did use a bunch of DCWV glitter paper for this card because it's not going to OWH.  It was fun to use some of it up.  The border punch is American Girl/EK Success as is the music note punch.  I punched the music notes from Making Memories Slice black adhesive vinyl.  I used a couple of silver brads to highlight the knobs on the jukebox. 

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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 1284 blank and 218 AnyHero (as of 10/9)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

A CASE of the happy birthdays!

I saw Sandy's cute happy birthday card today and decided I would CASE it.  It's a simple design with just two patterns of paper, so it couldn't be that big of a deal, right?

I computer generated my sentiment (font: throw my hands up in the air) but stamped and colored the cupcakes by hand since I didn't have stickers that would work.  I added in the photo corner and took out the pearls and banner on the left side. 

The complication (because there's always a complication) was that after I cut all the paper for 36 cards, I broke my corner rounder on the first card!  Ugh!  It still sort of works, but it won't spring open after a cut, so I have to beat it on my desk top so the spring releases between each punch.  I suppose it's time to e-mail Fiskars to get a replacement.
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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 928 blank and 215 AnyHero (as of 6/26)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

Birthday kit

As I make cards for OWH, I stamp the backs, tuck them in envelopes, and store them in the shipping box divided up by theme.  One reason I do this is it saves me time when the box is full.  Another reason I do this is to make sure I'm getting a good variety of themes made.  I tend to make oodles and oodles of love cards if I don't make an effort to switch it up.  I noticed that the birthday section of my box was very small, so I decided to make a kit of 12 of these birthday cards.  There were lots of layers to cut for this card, so it wasn't a quick kit to assemble, but I like the final look.  I also did the corner punching for the sentiment and adhered those two layers together.  My friends will just need to adhere the layers and make the ribbon embellishment.

This is OWH Sketch #107 turned sideways.   Just for fun, here's the first card I made with this sketch when it was posted in February. 

The papers are from a KI Memories pack I've had for a while.  Ribbon is old MS.  The stamp is from my favorite set of Inkadinkado sentiments.

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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 928 blank and 215 AnyHero (as of 6/26)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

Washi Birthday

I just wanted to share a little birthday card I made for a good friend!  Her birthday was last month but she's visiting this weekend so I decided to save the present and card to give to her in person.

I used a very old SU birthday stamp and washi paper tape from Target.  I can made so many fun cards with this tape in so little time.  Love it! 

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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 928 blank and 215 AnyHero (as of 6/26)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

B-day card for a little man

In the past two years, my family has experienced a baby explosion!   The cousins on my dad's side of the family now have 8, soon to be 9 (this week!) children and we're not done quite yet.  I wanted to do something for their birthdays but presents seemed a little over the top, especially since I won't get to see any of them on their birthdays due to geographic constraints.  The kids will, however, be getting cards! 

This is for a little man who's turning 6 on Friday.  Life's been busy lately for this little guy.  He welcomed a new little brother last week and started Kindergarten this week.  I heard he had a rough time on the bus because it was "overwhelming and loud."  What an articulate child! Hopefully this super hero will put that endearing grin I love to see on his face. 

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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 928 blank and 215 AnyHero (as of 6/26)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

Chick Challenge #41

I saw this week's Ippity Chick Challenge (#41) and knew I had to ink up the "Fore" stamp set for it.  I used My Mind's Eye Hattie papers for this card, embossed the golf ball with Swiss Dots, used American Crafts Eyelets, and colored with Copics. I'll be giving this card to my great uncle when he celebrates his 90th birthday next month!  

This card is just a bonus.  Since I had the stamps out, I decided to make a card for OWH.  This also happens to be OWH Sketch #76. 

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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 928 blank and 215 AnyHero (as of 6/26)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

Wonderful Washi Part 2 and Unity FWF

It's Friday which means it's time for Friends with Flair on Unity's blog.  I got some more washi at Target today.  My favorite so far are definitely their up&up brand rolls (4 for $4) which I used on most of the cards below.  They also have some paper tape in the kids crafts aisle with bold prints or all solids, 9 rolls for $6.99.   I have some more ideas I want to try out with the kiddie stuff tomorrow.

For now, here's my Friends with Flair entry.  I used Walmart's paper tape on this card.  

And here are a bunch of other cards I made with the washi from Target.  

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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 620 blank and 200 AnyHero (as of 4/24)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695
Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

ODBD June Challenge- Shaped cards

When I saw the newest ODBD Challenge on the OWH Stars and Stamps blog, I immediately thought of my nesties.  Then I thought most people would do something with nesties and I wanted to switch it up.   I just used my paper trimmer and some punches to make this card.  Last month, we barely got the 50 cards posted that we need to get ODBD to pay for two boxes of shipping.  They're so generous to offer, but we as cardmakers have to live up to our end of the bargain.  I though I'd made a card with simple tools to prove it can be done just in case anyone is hesitant to play along without a die cut machine.  :)

I started with a folded A2 cardbase.  I cut 1/2" off the bottom to make room for the pom pom.  Next, I marked 1" from the bottom on each side and the midpoint of the top (2 1/8" from either side).  Then I cut the card to make a party hat shape.  I cut patterned paper to fit the hat, pieced together a crazy brim from scraps, and added a decoration to the top made from various paper punches and a brad.  Then, I stamped the sentiment, though I would have been wise to have done so much earlier.  Ribbon was a finishing touch. 

Note: The black really is even on both sides, but the way it's standing open for the picture, the back of the card shows through and makes the layering look uneven.  Sorry about that! 
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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 620 blank and 200 AnyHero (as of 4/24)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695
Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

Julie Ebersole's stamped candle tutorial

Over on OWH Stars and Stamps, we were treated to a tutorial video by Julie Ebersole in which she showed how to use a border stamp as a candle on a birthday card.

While I didn't have the stamp Julie used, I was able to find a workable substitute in a Martha Stewart Christmas set.  The flame is one raindrop from an American Crafts set.  The glowing circles are two flowers from a Scrappy Cat set.  It's a bit of a hodgepodge of brands, but they work together in much the same way as Julie's card.  Really, mine is a shameless CASE with the exception of the card base style.

  
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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 620 blank and 200 AnyHero (as of 4/24)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695
Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

Birthday Paisley

I've been working through my patterned papers and finding patterns that lend themselves to be focal points, then making those papers into simple cards that showcase the paper.

Here's one such card.  The paisley paper is from an old DCWV Spring Stack  The cardstock was all random pieces from my stash.  All punches are EK Success except the doily which is MS.   The sentiment is SU.  The brad is MM. 

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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 620 blank and 200 AnyHero (as of 4/24)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695
Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

Lisa's Challenge- Food images

So, right before dinner time is a great time to challenge us to make cards with food images.  I'm so hungry now!  Lisa posted the 4pm VCMP challenge on her blog and asked us to make a card with a food image.  I thought of my felt ice cream cones since I'd just seen Sandy post a card with felt. 

I paired the cones by JoAnn with an SU sentiment and paper from an old DCWV Spring stack.  Thanks for visiting! 
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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 620 blank and 200 AnyHero (as of 4/24)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695 Check out OWH at www.operationwritehome.org to learn more about its mission and how to get involved.

Happy Birthday

Recently, Caro posted that she was running short of birthday cards to send her OWH contacts.  I cannot tell you why, but birthday cards are my least favorite cards to make.  I even prefer making sympathy cards to making birthday cards.  But our heroes need more birthday cards, so I did my best to oblige.    Despite the weird shape of some of the photos (thanks, Blogger!) I can assure you these are all A2 size. 

The yellow card uses OWH Sunday Sketch #38.  How are you doing on the sketch challenge for 2012?  This card is so far out of my normal comfort zone but I love the result.  The sketch pushed my creative limits.  That's why I love sketches! 
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Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: 302 blank and 200 AnyHero (as of March 4)
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Happy Birthday

My Copics and I are getting to know each other.  I only have a few so far and I really need to fill in some other colors in order to be able to color well.  Just having one marker in a color family isn't good, but I'm learning with what I have before I get more. 

I made this simple card tonight using some scraps that were laying around and an SU Lots of Bots image I colored last night with my Copics.  I think this card counts for the masculine half of the box and I think I like it enough to make more.  I'm having friends over to make cards on Friday, so I'm looking for simple ideas I can work on while hosting that won't having me hauling out every supply I own.  :) 

VCMP #7- CAS

I think I might be much more of a CAS cardmaker than I give myself credit for.  I love a white-on-white card (provided there's no stamping involved because I'm fearful of smudges) and a simple embellishment.  I used We R Memory Keepers twine and a Cuttlebug folder to give the card a bit of extra interest.   I chose this Deja Views sticker for the focal point and mounted it on two layers of cardstock.  The sentiment is surely intended as a caption for a first birthday picture, but it made me chuckle and I thought our heroes might have a similar sense of humor. 

Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: none thus far, but my box is filling up nicely! Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

VCMP #5- Birthday

This challenge didn't stretch my brain nearly as far as the fancy fold we did yesterday.  I don't like making birthday cards, though, so it did test me in that regard. 

I used a Deja Views sticker for the sentiment, some K&Co patterned paper, brads by JoAnn (I think), and border stamps by Martha Stewart.  

Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: none thus far, but my box is filling up nicely!
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695

Sample Maker for OWH Sketch #104

If you've come over from the Stars and Stamps blog, welcome! If not, why not go over and check out the Sunday Sketch? I promise it's a good one!

I was pleased to make the samples for this Sunday's Sketch which is #104 and marks two years of sketches. Recently, I challenged myself to use every OWH sketch at least once during 2012. There will be 156 at the end of the year, which works out to an average of 2 per week. I can definitely do that!

I made a bunch of samples for this sketch, but only sent a couple over to Julie for the blog. The first three cards below were featured on the blog.

In this first card, I used a long-retired set by SU called "All Natural," a Sizzix embossing folder, spotted ribbon by Offray, and a half pearl by Studio 112. The ribbon is nice and flat for mailing because it doesn't have a knot. I simply punched two holes and wove the ribbon through. Start with the right side of the card face up and place the ends of the ribbon through the card, front to back. Turn the card over and weave the loose ends to the front through the opposite holes. If you're using printed ribbon, twist it so the pattern shows. That's it!

The second card is my favorite! It uses images from the Celebration set by Inkadinkado, white ribbon by Offray, pink embossing powder by A la Mode, Versamark, patterned music paper from the Performance Stack by DCWV, and a paperclip from Staples.


This card features paper flowers and patterned papers from Making Memories Noteworthy collection. The brads are by Colorbok and the ribbon from Target.


There was a weekly tutorial at the beginning of the year that recapped a lot of previous tutorials and inspired me to complete this sketch with these tiny pinwheels. The papers are by K&Co from the Americana line and the stamp is from Studio G. Unfortunately, the twine I used is far from cooperative, so this card ended up a bit thicker than I would like it to be. I needed to look for something thinner. I reworked the card with blue ribbon and it will be much easier to mail.

This last card is just a simple example of how this card can make it easy to use a variety of patterned papers. I am not great at matching colors, so I tend to pick up a stack if I want coordinated colors without a headache. These papers from KI Memories Paisley Parade made a simple spring colors card. Ribbon by Making Memories.


Thanks so much for visiting. Are you going to play along this year and try to make a card for every OWH sketch? Leave a comment letting me know what your goals are for 2012. :) Please follow my blog so you can see all the sketches this year!



Help OWH get support from Charity Wings by voting for Operation Write Home in this poll.
Cards shipped to OWH in 2012: none thus far, but my box is filling up nicely!
Cards shipped to OWH in 2011: 1695