Friday Night Writes

Hi, all,

Hope everyone's had a great week. It's been a week of being a bachelorette for me -- really quiet around here and just a little strange.

It's also been a week of card-making firsts -- three to be exact!

First #1: Stamping on Ribbon

I've been tweaking a 2012 birthday card -- to give to friends during the year and to sell at the annual McGraw-Hill Holiday Craft Show. This year's design features a cupcake and the sentiment "Make a Wish".

Lo and behold, I came across the most adorable "make a wish" stamp -- which got me to wondering if I could stamp a sentiment on a ribbon.

So, while I was working on Father's Day cards with that adorable Bo Bunny Konstrukt paper, I pulled out a "Thinking of You" stamp and a white ribbon. I was actually quite pleased with the results.

Sentiment Stamped on Ribbon
Paper: Bo Bunny Konstrukt
Kaiser rhinestones
Ink: StazOn jet black

While the stamping turned out very nicely, I'm not loving the glue dots peeking through the ribbon. So, this card still needs a little work before it gets my OWH stamp of approval. Any suggestions about the adhesive issue here?

First #2: A Cool Distress Background

I'm sure anyone taking Tim Holtz's online card class has just been amazed by the whole experience. What a talent! 



Since I don't have many Distress Inks, no stains, no markers -- yes, I know, woe is me -- I haven't tried many of the homework assignments. But, I did have just what I needed for Day 7's homework. And, the result was spectacular! There is no way to describe how gorgeous this background is. When the sun shines on it, it shimmers and glistens just like newly fallen snow. It is just so pretty!

 

Tim's Rusted Enamel Technique: Tattered Rose, Antique Linen and Vintage Photo inks
Clear Embossing Powder; Paper: Ranger Distress Core Paper
Stamp: Whipper Snapper; Punch: EK Success
Cupcake: hand-drawn, hand-cut, scored, and highlighted with metallic pens

I embossed the sentiment before creating the background. I'm going to try creating the background before embossing on my next card -- just to see what difference it might make. Any advice or suggestions?

A pink/rose cupcake on blue background probably would've made more sense. But, there isn't any blue Distress Ink in my stash... at least, not yet! :)

Nonetheless, this design feels like it's getting close to being just right... And, this card's going to a friend at work who, ironically enough, gave up cupcakes -- actually all sweets -- for Lent. :)



First #3: Iris Folding

Last night, my LSS (Scrapbook Art in Lewis Center, OH) had an iris folding class. And, it was a wonderful experience!  Let me start by saying that if you've been interested in trying iris folding but have been a little put off by how intricate the cards appear, go for it!  The results are gorgeous and the technique is surprisingly easy.

Iris Folding



Iris Folding

Time for a big shout-out to the class teacher Alexandra Kimball. She was so kind, so patient, and such a great teacher. Thanks so much, Alexandra!  (Turns out the Stickles worked just fine!)

Parting Thoughts

So, it's been quite a week -- a wonderful week of card-making adventures!  And, I still have 3 more Tim classes to attend. :)

Not quite sure how many cards will be made this weekend. My men are returning home from a Spring Break trip. And, I'm sooooo excited to see them! :)

As always, thanks for stopping by. Happy scrappin' and have a nice weekend!

Monday Musings: The Early Edition

Hi,

Since my men are gone, I'm a little ahead of schedule. (Boy, not too often we get to say that, huh?!) So, why not post a little ahead of schedule?

OWH Sketch #114

Another Sketch, Another Any Hero Card! This week's sketch calls for the background rectangle to be divided into two sections. I considered a couple of options before deciding upon a more subtle approach. 

Paper: Bo Bunny Liberty, Bazzill admiral, BasicGrey kraft
Cuttlebug embossing folder, red and blue Stickles

I was really struggling with the square until I added the layer of kraft. The navy by itself was just too strong. I'm thinking navy behind the embossed kraft would have made the card even stronger. But, not too bad -- and I'm thinking of tweaking this a little to make a few "My Dad, My Hero" cards.

I'm really liking this Liberty paper. I picked up a few 12 by 12 sheets recently and found out there is a 6 by 6 pad. My LSS wasn't able to order it since it was last year's collection. Luckily, I found it online at ODBD. So, a few pads of this great paper is headed my way!

OWH's Father's Day Challenge

Looks like we rocked the Mother's Day card challenge. So, we're moving on to a Father's Day card challenge. (It's still not too late to send in a few "Love You, Mom cards.)

I was able to carve out a significant amount of card-making time yesterday. And, cards for dads were my number one priority! All of the following cards were made from Kaiser's Konstrukt 6 by 6 pad.



Kaiser Konstrukt paper, Zip'eMate letters

Kaiser Konstrukt paper, Zip'eMate letters, Kaiser rhinestones
small rectangle: crimped and inked

Kaiser Konstrukt paper, Zip'eMate letters
Sentiment: Jillian Vance Celebrate Dad stamp set
(Sorry about the scanning distortion on this one.)

Wish that the scanned images did  better justice to these. Cards with "bumps" don't tend to scan as well... Hope the designs come across anyway.

CFC45

This week's CAS-ual Friday challenge is to make a card using pastels and black. The card below was also made from Kaiser's Konstrukt paper.

Kaiser Konstrukt, American Crafts black cardstock
Kaiser rhinestones, Celebrate It ribbon, Fiskars border punch
Butterflies are tri-layered: bottom, purple; middle: black, top, polka dot.
(Another disappointing scan. The shadow takes away from the prettiness of the card.)

Designers always tell us to not be afraid of black. (I sure remember hearing that a lot on Trading Spaces!) Yet, there's a natural tendency to stay away from it. So, I'm really glad I gave this a try -- I love the way this card turned out!  :)

Parting Thoughts

Hoping to get a few more cards made today. But, my first goal is to catch up on Tim's Thursday and Friday online classes.

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy scrappin'!

Friday Night Writes

Hi, there,

It seems hard to believe that a whole week has passed -- and, sadly, that I have very little to show in the way of cards.

But, before I get to my one lone card of this post, I want to thank those who commented on how much you liked last week's Any Hero card. I'm sure you've all made cards that you really, really like. This Any Hero card was one of those for me. So, it was great to hear so many others liked it, too. Let's hope there's a hero who will feel the same way.

OWH Midweek Challenge

This week's challenge was to make a yellow and green card. (Okay, so mine has a touch of brick red. The yellow was totally washed out on the green without it.)

One really exciting thing about this card is that all of the paper -- and the funky ribbon -- came from my scrap stash!  It also boasts of two firsts: the first use of this cute little stamp and the first use of my Tuesday Morning AC stamp markers! (Sorry about the shadow on the scanned image.)

image on watercolor paper
Stamp: Watercolor Daisy by Hampton Art
Stamp Pens: American Crafts (cranberry and leaf) 

Let's Hear it for Online Classes!

Like many of you, I've been taking Tim Holtz's Online Class this past week. I must say I'd never heard Tim speak before -- only heard all of those many accolades. Talk about someone who really lives up to the hype! What an amazing skill set: creativity, organization, a clear teaching style -- and charisma and cuteness, to boot! Wow!!!

 Unlike many of you, I've yet to post anything to the gallery. Since I don't have many Ranger products, my plan is to "attend" all the classes before deciding which style(s) to try first!  My only fear is that this could get really expensive -- really fast.  :)

Ribbon Storage

If memory serves, Sandy asked folks to post their favorite ribbon storage solutions on Facebook. Since I'm not a Facebookie, I'll share 3 strategies that work well for me.

I've repurposed some letter trays from my teaching days to organize stamps, ink pads, etc., on my work station. The top tray has my I-don't-know-what-I-would-do-without-it ATG gun and a repurposed memo keeper that holds the rolls of ribbons I use the most. (Yolanda, you were so right about digital cameras!)

Individual strips of ribbons are wrapped and cardboard floss holders and stored
in a floss caddy repurposed from cross-stitching days.

Speaking of floss, it's become one of my favorite embellishments.
This floss set was a Christmas gift from my mom many, many years ago.

And, what would a craft room be without a couple of wall racks for rolls of ribbon and tulle?

Parting Thoughts

My men are out of town for a couple of days. The bad news is that the house is so quiet tonight. The good news is that I'm going to be able to catch up on my online class. And maybe I'll be able to get a good start on some Father's Day cards. (Making cards certainly sounds like lots more fun than doing housework!)

Happy weekend and happy scrappin'!

Monday Musings

Hi, everyone,

Thankfully the past weekend was much calmer than the end of the week. This allowed for time to make cards and watch basketball -- often at the same time!

OWH Sketch #113

Isn't it interesting how some cards are born so quickly -- almost effortlessly? Guess this week's sketch was really lucky #13 because this was one of those times.

The sketch inspired the Any Hero Card below. To use the digi sentiment, I rotated the design to make a horizontal card -- and I tweaked the smaller rectangular strip just a tad.

Paper: Bo Bunny Liberty collection, BasicGrey kraft, Bazzill Watermelon and Admiral;
Fabric: leftover blue mesh, Canvas Corp burlap sheet jute; OWH digi

I was thrilled with the texture and dimension added by the mesh and jute!  :)

CFC44

This week's CAS-ual Friday challenge is to make a card with a pattern, an image, and a sentiment. And, I think this little lion card below fits the bill.

• Pattern: Croc Embossing
• Image: Paper-Pieced Lion
• Sentiment: "Have a ROARing Good Day!"



DLTK pattern, EK Success 3-heart punch,
Sizzix croc embossing folder, Kaiser rhinestones,
computer-generated font

The idea for this card first came when I was in need of an animal to make a kiddie card for OWH's Virtual Card-Making Party. After a little searching, I came across an adorable lion pattern at DLTK. And, if I do say so myself, a ROARing cute lion was born.  :)

One Last Cupcake

Remember that adorable cupcake illustration by Elizabeth O. Dulemba? Well, it turned out that I printed and colored a 6-pack of those, the last of which was used on the card below.  This card will be going to a colleague who has become a treasured mentor.

Paper: ???? -- from my leftover stash -- and wish there were more of the gingham print
Acrylics: Cranberry Wine/Midnight Blue, Golden Straw/Russet, Moroccan Red, Light Ivory
Scalloped Circle: White Bazzill Chipboard, painted with Cranberry Wine
Accents: Pinkish/Purple Gems and Metallic Penned-Sprinkles

 A Thank You for a Friend

On Friday, I mentioned that a friend at work had a surprised me with a great display rack to use for my card-making endeavors. As a little thank you, I put together a packet of cards for her.

5 handmade cards, "wrapped" in tulle

The finishing touch: A tag-like thank you card tucked inside its own envelope



In the pack, I included the following cards: a masculine thank you, a romantic vintage,  a primary-colored ABC, a "Kind Words Can Conquer", and a feminine pink/cream/black animal print. Seemed like a nice variety.

The tulle bow made for the perfect "wrapping". And, the thank you tag, which was made by mixing and matching assorted leftovers/garage sale finds, topped it all off very nicely. :)  She was definitely surprised -- but probably not as surprised as I was last week!

 

Parting Thoughts

Time to link up some cards.  :)

Have a great week!  Happy scrappin'!

Friday Night Writes

Hi, everyone,

Hope it's been a good week. It's actually been a crazy week for us -- an unexpected family matter needing some attention. But, life's feeling a whole lot calmer now.  :)

Hooray for public WiFi access!

OWH Midweek Challenge

This week's challenge  was to make a Miss You card for our troops to send home to a loved one.

Kaiser Konstrukt Collection

One of the things that most excites me about this card is that it was the first time I used any of the letter die cuts that came with my Zip'e Mate garage sale find! The typewriter style seemed kind of nail-like and fit well with the construction theme of this amazing paper. I lightly pressed the letters into a black ink pad to better feature the letters themselves. And, while I love the patterned paper, it felt like it needed some black to ground it.

My First Dad Card of the Season

The real reason I bought that 6 by 6 pad was to make Father's Day cards to go with the adorable sentiment featured below. Hoping to crank a few more of these out in the next couple of weeks.

Paper: Kaiser Konstrukt Collection, BasicGrey Kraft
Sentiment: Gillian Vance Celebrate Dad stamp set

For a Kiddie

I found some adorable monkey paper on clearance at my LSS, Scrapbook Art. It seemed like it could make a few cute kiddie birthday cards. So, here's the first of several monkey cards to come.

Paper: Creative Imaginations, Doodlebug surprise party
Stickers: Mrs. Grossman
Font: computer-generated (Andy)

Two points worth noting: 1) This was my first time to pierce using my new Sew Easy tool. But, I chose not to use threads since this kiddie card might very well get a little extra wear and tear. 2) The glitter is really baked in well -- like with DCWV cardstock.  :)

One Friend's Trash...

Earlier this week, I was working away in my cubicle when a friend/fellow crafter/fellow OWH supporter came by bearing a gift.  She was no longer using the display rack shown below -- and knew exactly the person who could give it a good home.

Thanks so much, Mary Kate!  
Hope to have time to get together a surprise for your in-box on Monday!

For now, it has a place of honor in my craft room -- aka the menopause room. But, should we have a holiday Craft Show this year at work, it will proudly be displaying this year's card collection!

Parting Thoughts

Keeping my fingers crossed that things remain calm and I'll find some time to pull together that thank you for Mary Kate, as well as make a few cards this weekend.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy scrappin'!



Monday Musings

Hi, everyone,

With all the good college basketball on television this past weekend -- and the next couple of weekends, it's a good thing there's a little tv in my craft room!  :)

ODBD March Challenge

The good folks at ODBD host a monthly challenge for OWH.  This month's challenge comes in the form of a tic-tac-toe board. I chose right-side down (stripes, embossing, ribbon). And, I must admit this challenge ended up being a little tougher than I thought it would be.

The embossed stars were created by inking the embossing folder.
Then, the rows of stars were cut out. (It was actually a little like playing with paper dolls.
The biggest challenge was putting adhesive on the back without breaking a string of stars.)
Stars were adhered to navy ribbon atop admiral Bazzill cardstock.
Finally, a touch of silver Stickles was added to each star's center for a little glimmer.

OWH Sketch Challenge #112

This Sunday's sketch featured an oval atop a rectangle. The first card is rather unusual for me -- a literal interpretation of the sketch! :)

The second card is a little bit more liberal interpretation. And, it is this week's Any Hero card.

Cardstock and Embellishment: Jillibean Soup's Blossom Soup collection;
Sheer ribbon, icicle Stickles, and gems were added for a little sparkle.



Paper: Bo Bunny's Liberty collection, Bazzill Admiral and Watermelon cardstock;
Sentiment: We R Memory Keepers, Old Glory Acrylic Stamp Set



Cupcakes, Anyone???



I loved Elizabeth O. Dulemba's Coloring Page Tuesday digi cupcake so much that I used it to make a few more cards. Think these will go to a few girlfriends with April birthdays. :)

Tuesday Morning

The good news and the bad news is that I had a chance to stop in Tuesday Morning on Saturday morning.

Good News: They had lots of good scrapbooking stuff...

[Bad News: They had lots of good scrapbooking stuff...  :)]

I think it was Kathryn who mentioned picking up some goodies at Tuesday Morning. So, I had a few extra minutes and thought I'd check it out. I must say I am really glad I did because I found:

• several sets of AC stamp pens,
• AC metallic pens,
• several packs of 12 by 12 paper -- including BasicGrey dp,
• and a cute pink and cream rolling tote that will be perfect for transporting card-making supplies to crops and on vacation.

Great buys... just a little more than I had planned on an impulsive stop. :)

Parting Thoughts

Hoping to get some cards made this week -- but I really do need to start reading my book club's current selection. (Think I'm supposed to be scheduling a meeting in the next week or so for our discussion.  Hmmm....)

Have a good week!  Thanks for stoppin by and happy scrappin'!

Friday Night Writes

Hi, Everyone,

Thought I'd publish a quick post before the Buckeyes hit the court in the Big Ten Tournament.  Hope everyone had a great week.  Thanks to everyone who left such kind comments on my blog.

Half and Half OWH Challenge





I mailed my box of half Mother's Day and half general sentiment card challenge to Kris yesterday afternoon -- wanting them to get there in plenty of time for the March 15 deadline.  Almost all of the 40 cards have appeared in previous posts.

A few more of Elizabeth Dulemba's delightful cupcakes made it into the box -- and there will be a few other cupcakes in my next shipment. :)

Kudos to Kathryn

I was feeling pretty good about getting this second shipment of the year in the mail. Last year, not counting the GVD cardmaking party cards, I sent 96 cards to OWH. This year, the count is up to 80 -- plus 10 Any Hero cards!  I know our focus is not supposed to be quantity. But, it's great to be able to send as many cards as possible.

And, then I read Kathryn's post -- sending hundreds of blank cards and hundreds of Any Hero notes. Wow!!!  Well done, Kathryn!

I'm still feeling good -- but not quite as good as Kathryn must be feeling. :)

A New Twist on an Old Favorite

Okay, so I was doing a little mindless channel surfing and came upon a shopping network craft supplies show. While I was resisting the temptation to order those blasted gel pens and telling myself that my Zip'E Mate is just fine for my purposes, I stuck around and watched the Cuttlebug sales pitch. And, then came the "Why didn't I think of that?" moment!

The spokesperson suggested inking an embossing folder before running paper through the machine. So, that's exactly what I did to create the Any Hero card below.

Bazzill cardstock: Watermelon and Admiral
(which are perfect complements for Bo Bunny's Liberty line)
Folder: Cuttlebug; Ink: Stampin' Up Night of Navy
OWH digi, red Stickles for a touch of glimmer

I thought clean-up could be a real mess. But, since the ink is water-based, the folder rinsed clean in a flash.

Hubby seemed to really like this one. I'm going to try to use a similar effect for this month's ODBD challenge.

Speaking of challenges, think I'm going to venture out a little and post this card for this week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays. Posting to a site other than OWH's Stars and Stripes is a first for me. Must say it's kind of scary...

And, speaking of digis...

The digi in the card above is one of my absolute favorite sentiments to use. Does anyone have a good source for other digital sentiments? Of course, free digis are the best digis of all!

Parting Thoughts

Hoping to get a start on Box #3 this weekend with an ODBD card and a couple more cupcake birthday cards.

Happy scrappin'!  

Monday Musings

Hi, everyone,

Welcome to the second edition of Monday Musings.

OWH's Midweek Challenge

I must admit I was less than thrilled when I saw this week's challenge.

• The only digi that I've used is OWH's "Thank You, Hero; You Make America Proud" sentiment,
• I own no copics, and
• I can't begin to come close to the amazing coloring that I see on fellow cardmaker's works of art.

But, I thought what the heck and found an adorable cupcake at Elizabeth Dulemba's site -- one of her Coloring Page Tuesday creations. I e-mailed Elizabeth and found out that she's a huge supporter of OWH -- and is even featured on the OWH site. All she asks is that we give credit where credit's due with a copyright line created especially for OWH use.

Illustration by Elizabeth Dulemba
Background Paper: Paper Pizazz (that I've had at least a decade)
Image printed on watercolor paper and colored with watered down acrylics,
and embellished with gold metallic gel pen

So, the coloring is certainly not to the quality of my fellow OWHers. But, I'm pretty pleased with this first effort -- which is a good thing since I have 5 more colored cupcakes ready to go. :)

OWH Sketch #111

This week's sketch challenge has inspired 1 Any Hero card and 2 OWH cards -- and that's just for starters. All three cards have a patriotic flavor as they were made from Bo Bunny's Liberty line. 

 

Embossed, with embossing brushed lightly shaded with ink
and embellished with gold stickles



Embossed, with embossing brushed lightly shaded with ink
and embellished with blue stickles

  

Bo Bunny Paper enhanced with BasicGrey Kraft



And, I'm hoping one of these 3 cards will meet the March ODBD challenge.

This Week's Goal

I'm hoping to finish up those 5 cupcake cards and get a package in the mail to Kris by the weekend. That half Mother's Day/half general sentiment cards challenge seems to be approaching a little too quickly!

Have a great week!  Happy scrappin'!

Friday Night Writes

Welcome to the first edition of Friday Night Writes. A couple of things to blog about tonight.

Our Family's Greatest Generationer

 A proud Army Air Corps Pilot

Some of you may already know my father-in-law was a bomber pilot in World War II. He is an amazing man -- so kind and loving. And, as I have learned about his wartime experiences, I've come to recognize that he is also a very brave and humble man.

These pages from a family scrapbook will help us remember the past year's tributes and honors which include going on an honor flight to the WWII Memorial in DC, riding in a B17, talking to local high school students, and participating in a panel of war veterans. 

Our Family Scrapbook

While I usually put titles on the left side, the two pictures on that page

were so perfect that I just had to lead with those. The right page is one big pocket

to include additional newspaper clippings and photos of his trip to DC and school visit.

My father-in-law is standing in front of the B17 that he rode in from Dayton to Columbus,

holding a photo of his flight crew. This photo that graced the front page of The Columbus Dispatch captured a glorious moment on a gorgeous fall day.

This photo graced the front page of the local Suburban News paper. Its caption refers to the

onlookers as "admirers". The admirers on the left are actually a neighbor and his son and my hubby is on the right. Interestingly enough, my husband teaches American  History but had heard almost nothing about his dad's experiences until a post-flight interview after his arrival in Columbus.

A clipping showing the B17 touching down at Bolton Field.

A memento of an Honor Flight that will be long remembered...

While at the memorial, the veterans were greeted by Senator Bob Dole, who makes it a point to meet most all of the Honor Flight honorees. Upon returning to Columbus, each veteran received a packet of cards and letters from employees of Nationwide Insurance (a sponsor of Central Ohio Honor Flights) and local school children. One letter from a high school freshman touched my father-in-law so much that he contacted her teacher so that he could mail a reply to her. The pride my father-in-law took in these cards and letters is what made me realize I need to make Any Hero cards.

I am so happy and thankful that my father-in-law has experienced such a wonderful year. But, his military service is only a small part of what makes him so special. The love and devotion he showed to my mother-in-law during the final years of her life ... well, there just aren't words. Tom Brokaw got it right -- the Greatest Generation indeed.

OWH Cards

I only managed a couple of cards this week. Both were made from remnants of my Kaiser Secret Bird Society paper. Unfortunately, I struggled with a third card -- actually for a couple of nights -- but just never got it quite right. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a few more made this weekend.

Both cards are tri-folds  :)

 News from the Homestead

Two points worth noting:

• The scrapbook pics were taken with our new digital camera and uploaded to a laptop! You have no idea what an accomplishment this is for us tech-challenged folks. Thanks to Yolanda for her vote of confidence!
• All of the photos in this post have watermarks -- another huge accomplishment! Thanks to Julie for her recommendation to use http://www.picmarkr.com/.
• The one downside of these techie accomplishments was fewer made cards...  Let's hope I get lots better at all of this!

Well, this post ended up being a little longer than I had planned. Sorry about that. 

Thanks for stopping by. And, with the crazy weather going on, hope everyone is okay. Be safe!