What did Poppa Bee Say to Baby Bee?

Answer: Bee Mine  :)

Hi, everyone.

The inspirations for today's card were an adorable Paper Smooches stamp set and the desire to make some kid-friendly Valentine's Day cards for Operation Write Home.

Paper Smooches images and sentiment stamped on watercolor paper in Distress Ink
Distress Ink core paper; SU Sizzix embossing folder
embossed paper sponged in Distress Inks with SU daubers
stash ribbon; garage sale brad; mini glue dots

I like the pairing of the poppa (or momma) bee and baby bee. But, when I went to put together the elements of this card, I realized just how big the parent bee really is for an A2 card. Should I decide to do a version 2.0 of this card, I might actually print out a slightly smaller version of the bees and sentiment.

I played around with several color combos for sentiment background paper. It felt like there needed to be a piece of white between the brown and red. In the end, the three background papers seem to help bring my eye to the sentiment since the bees and heart make such a strong image.

I tried to create a single focal point -- or at least a flow to the card, by having the bee image touch the sentiment, and the sentiment touch the ribbon.

Speaking of the ribbon... Isn't it amazing how things like this ribbon look so crooked when you see them in a pic?

Oh well, think there's a little one who will love receiving this from their mommy or daddy -- crooked ribbon and all. :)


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

Say It with Butterflies

Hi, everyone. Happy Saturday!

Just finished the last set of Craft Show cards. Wanted to include a few non-holiday cards. So, the last cards are versatile feminine offerings that are sentiment free and could be used for a variety of occasions.



Distress Ink core paper embossed with Sizzix folder
OWH fundraising ribbon
Martha Stewart butterfly punches with Paper Studio brads


I like the softer, muted palette, and I really like all the texture in this card. The ribbon is just plain yummy. The butterflies have just the right amount of detail -- with just a touch of bling. (These brads are itty, bitty -- in case craft show shoppers want to be able to drop these cards in the mail.) And, I'm really pleased with the placement of the ribbon and butterflies.

Sorry about the crooked image. Our desktop is in for some maintenance, so the printer/scanner is not an option. And, actually, a scanned image would have produced some shadows. However, I'm still working on this digital camera thing. :)

Parting Thoughts

Okay, the craft room is in serious need of cleaning/organizing after being besieged by this whirlwind called a craft show. After that, hoping to work on an Any Hero card and a CAS-ual Friday card inspired by tomorrow's sketch and this week's new challenge, respectively.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Bee Mine -- Take 2

Hi, everyone.

This week's OWH Midweek Throwdown is to make a card using dry embossing. Just loved Carols' sample card.

As for my contribution... Sounded like another great opportunity to stamp some little bees.

Distress Ink core, embossed with Sizzix/SU embossing folder
Paper Smooches images stamped in Distress Ink

Inside of Card

waterfall card

These three panels on the front, and the inside sentiment, make up the four panels on this waterfall card from the other day.

And, I don't usually include onside sentiments for OWH cards. But, these little bees really needed a little extra pizzazz on the inside. :)

I'm really liking the concept of the card, but am not so happy with the dimensions of the panels on the front. Think I may give this another try using two circles and an oval...

Parting Thoughts

Another short and sweet post. Still trying to recover from last week's festivities. And, gotta make some card bases for next week's craft show and e-mail a friend about a possible December Girl Get-Together.

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Stars and Stripes in Red, Blue, and Kraft

Hi, everyone.

Hope everyone is enjoying a great weekend.

Today's Any Hero card was inspired by OWH Sketch #185. I really am partial to CAS cards. So, today's sketch was right up my alley.  :)

Distress Ink core paper, embossed/crimped and lightly sanded
Darice and Sizzix embossing folders
Fiskars and Paper Studio star punches; garage sale brad
Creative Memories circle cutting system

I took liberties with the square element in the bottom right of the sketch. I immediately knew this was going to be a star, and probably a star in a circle. My first circle was smaller, with a diameter closer to the width of the square in the sketch. But, the larger star seemed to be crying out for a larger circle.

Parting Thoughts

Hoping to work on a few Christmas cards this afternoon.

Have a great week. As always, thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Another 2 for 1 Day!

Hi, everyone!

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

It's a cloudy day here with some must-see television viewing for golf fans. Translation: This is some prime cardmaking time!

Today's Cards

This year, I've tried to make an Any Hero card for every OWH Sunday sketch. But, when I saw today's sketch, I immediately thought of a masculine birthday card with 5 candles. (Maybe the card I made for hubby yesterday was still mulling around in my brain...)

So, what's a girl to do? That's easily answered -- make two cards! :)

Distress Ink core paper; Cuttlebug embossing folder
hand-drawn flames; computer-generated sentiment (Mistral)

Distress Ink core paper; Darice embossing folder
computer-generated sentiment (Mistral)
Fiskars and Paper Studio star punches; garage sale brad

Parting Thoughts

Hoping to work on a card for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge to make a card with numbers. Should be easy for someone who's spent a life in mathematics education, right?

Have a wonderful week. Thanks for visiting and happy scrappin'!

Falling Leaves

Hi, everyone.

Hope everybody is okay after this afternoon's storms.

The card below was made for today's Midweek Throwdown challenge to make a masculine-themed card.

Craft Smart stamp, heat embossed and sponged in Distress Ink
Distress Ink core paper; Sizzix embossing folder
Stampin' Up! brads; Zots 3D glue dots

I'm very excited about the technique used for the leaves. After heat embossing the image in Distress Ink walnut stain, I used cotton swabs to sponge on various Distress Inks (wild honey, scattered straw, fired brick, dusty concord).

I also like the sketch. It came from that fabulous Leisure Arts book. I tried to create a strong focal, use odd numbers of elements (5 strips of paper, 3 brads), and pay attention to the rule of thirds. It seems I can't help but channel Paula these days. :)

Not so sure this is masculine-themed enough. Hubby loves fall. So, I went with a neutral/male fall palette. Also, not so sure about the embossing folder. Wanted to add some texture, and this was the closest to nature folder that I had. Maybe I should've bought a wood grain folder after all.  :)

Parting Thoughts

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

A Patriotic Thanks

Hi, everyone.

A REALLY quick post for today's Any Hero card, inspired by Operation Write Home Sketch #180.

Bo Bunny Anthem, Distress Ink core
brand-spankin'-new Darice embossing folder
sentiment heat embossed in Distress Ink chipped sapphire
star punches: Fiskars, the Paper Studio

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

Holly, Holly, Holly

Hi, everyone.

The first batch of craft fair cards is finished. So, it's on to batch #2.

My strategy this year is to alternate between making general-themed cards and holiday cards. So, cards like the one shown below are next up in the rotation.

Hero Arts stamp and embossing folder
heat embossing in Inkadinkado glam gold
Bazzill jade cardstock; May Arts wrinkled ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon

I was going for an elegant CAS card. Hope I've achieved that. Still tinkering with ribbon treatments, but loving the overall look of the card -- and the yummy ribbon. :)

Speaking of the ribbon, this pretty ribbon came from Really Reasonable Ribbon. This was my first order from this company -- and I couldn't be happier. An e-mail inquiring about ribbon samples was answered immediately, ribbon samples came soon after I placed my request, and my order was filled and shipped so very quickly. Bonnie's customer service was AMAZING and the ribbon is so pretty. Thanks, Bonnie! (Loved the service and ribbon so much that I enrolled in the Really Reasonable Ribbon's monthly ribbon club.)

Parting Thoughts

Think it's about time to turn in for the night.

Have a wonderful holiday celebration. Be safely festive!

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

A Multi-Faceted Card for A Multi-Faceted Dad

Hi, everyone.

Today's card is the card I will be giving to Dad on Sunday. Dad is a retired design engineer who worked on rockets and likes to dabble in watercolor painting. So, a card with a mathematical (geometrical) feel and an artistic flair somehow seemed like a good combo.

Stampin' Up! embossing folder; Distress Inks: Bazzill cardstock
computer-generated hexagon and sentiment (Mistral); Paper Studio brads; 3D glue dots

First of all, I love, love, love this embossing folder!  :)

The first step was to ink the inside of the folder with Distress Ink black soot before embossing. Then, I cut out the interiors of a few hexagons from another cardstock and used the negatives to sponge the card's hexagons with other Distress Inks.

At this point, the card looked really pastel. So, I sponged some black on the inside of the hexagons -- heat embossing with clear powder for some bubbly texture. 

Next, I worked on creating a pair of computer-generated hexagons, and a text box in the smaller hexagon for the sentiment. I used the larger hexagon as a template to create the black hexagon. I cut outside of the shape of the smaller hexagon to mimic the look of the embossed hexagons. Lastly, I added brads (through both hexagons) and adhered the shape with 3D glue dots.

Parting Thoughts

Prayers and blessings to those military families who are without loved ones this Father's Day. Hope everyone is able to spend the day with loved ones.

My brother and his family are scheduled to arrive in town tomorrow for a week-long visit. It's been such a long time since we've seen each other. And, it's been forever since we've both been with Dad on Father's Day. To make an even merrier celebration, hubby's dad is also joining us on Sunday.

So, it sounds like I need to get on that house cleaning as soon as I sign off. And, there's not likely to be much card-making in the next week or so. (No CAS-ual Friday card tonight!) I'm actually thinking this might be my last post for awhile.... But, I am sooooo excited to see my brother!  :)

Have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stoppin' and happy scrappin'!

A Solitary Bird

Hi, everyone.

Hoping everyone is safe from tonight's storms. Sounds like it could be a little touchy around here.

Now for Today's Card...

Today's Midweek Throwdown challenge is to make a card featuring a winged creature. Winged creature challenges usually bring out my butterfly punches. But, I wanted to make something a little more masculine. So, I decided to go with an embossed image of a little bird waiting for the return of his/her mate.

Cuttlebug embossing folder; Distress Ink core paper
sentiment stamped in Distress Ink vintage photo
Stampin' Up! brads; Celebrate It jute twine; 3D glue dots

I've had this folder for a couple of years, but just wasn't sure how to bring a little pizzazz to such a simple image. Hope I've accomplished that with the sanded embossing and mixture of textures.

Parting Thoughts

Now what to do for Paula's Design Bootcamp challenge to make a card that features repetition... and variation... and a strong focal point. :)

Looking forward to tomorrow night's Stampin' Up! technique class.

Thanks for stopping, happy scrappin', and stay safe.

You Make America Proud

Hi everyone!

Today's Any Hero card was inspired by OWH Sketch #168.

Bo Bunny Liberty, Bazzill Admiral and Watermelon, Distress Ink core embossed with Sizzix folder
OWH digi washed in watered-down Fawn acrylic
stars: punched with Marvy punch, embossed with Studio 18 crystals

Decided to add a little tint to the sentiment when the white seemed too harsh. Since the sentiment ended up being a different size than the sketch, I added the three stars to the left. I'm not entirely happy with the crystals. They're a little more yellow that what they looked on the sheet. Thinking about replacing the stars so they are embellished with metallic brads instead. But, also wondering if I shouldn't just leave well enough alone. Hmmm....

Parting Thoughts

Finished SuperDAD cards yesterday. Will be packing up a box for OWH this week. :)

Have a great week. Thanks for visiting and happy scrappin'!

OWH Challenge Cards

Hi everyone,

The day's checklist is going well:

• Walk off [some of yesterday's] Calories -- check!
• Watch football -- check!
• Read outside -- check!
• Make a few cards -- check!

So, I have cards to share for both the Sunday Sketch and Midweek Throwdown.

OWH Sketch #137

Two of the following card were made: one Any Hero Christmas and one blank card for our troops.

Moxxie Winterland, Bazzill cardstock, AC Cardstock Christmas; Sizzix embossing folder; border punch; ribbon, gems

  

OWH Midweek Throwdown

This week's challenge is to make a kid card with scallops. I've been waiting for just the right challenge to use some of these garage-sale-find chipboard stickers. And, after selecting the focus chipboard sticker and complementary papers, the card pretty much made itself.  :)

DCWV Stack 6, Cardstock Warehouse Paper Co.; K & Company Wild Saffron chipboard stickers

Parting Thoughts

Hoping to make a few holiday cards this week. Have a great week!

As always, thanks for stopping by and happy scrappin'!

Three's the Charm

Hi everyone,

Hope it's been a good weekend. I have three cards to share.

Before that, I'm happy to say that sandybear76 is the winner of the $25 gift card. Congrats, Sandy! Please e-mail me about which card you'd prefer. (Actually, if you'd like a gift certificate from Scrapbook Art instead, I think we can work something out. :)

Card 1: OWH Sketch #133

Paper: We R Memory Keepers (Red, White and Blue), Creative Memories?, stash cardstock; gems; star punches

What a great sketch!  This was an Any Hero card that came together pretty quickly.

 

Card 2: OWH Midweek Throwdown -- Cards for Kids

My Momenta  gel stickers, which were a great garage sale find

I almost feel guilty about posting this one because these stickers are just so darn cute that the card practically made itself. This week's challenge asked for a card for a child. I found these great gel stickers at a scrapbook garage sale and had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use some of them. :)  To bring them together on the card -- and to pop them off the cardstock -- I matted them on white cardstock. Finally, I added a white liner on the inside.

Card 3: CFC65 -- Square Cards

Paper: Bo Bunny Liberty and stash cardstock; Paper Inspirations Hero stamp, embossed in Distress Ink Vintage Photo; Cuttlebug embossing folder; garage sale brads; Stickles

This week's CAS-ual Friday challenge was to make a square card. I almost passed since OWH asks for A2 cards. Then, I remembered Sandy saying that square cards could make wonderful Any Hero cards. And, I finally had a chance to use my newest stamp. :)

Parting Thoughts

 Chances are I'll be publishing a few Stars and Stamps post in the next month or so. Other than that, I'm not sure how much blogging I'll have a chance to do. Sounds like work's going to be even crazier the next few months -- and I didn't think that was even possible.

So, I'll still be checking challenges and making cards, but I'm sad to say my blogging and posting opportunities are going to be rather limited.

As always, thanks for stopping by. Have a great week and happy scrappin'!

OWH Sketch #129

Hi, everyone,

Two posts in one day. (Wow!) So, I'll make this a quick one.

Turns out it was a great day to scrap -- really overcast in the morning, hot in the afternoon, humid all day.

This week's Any Hero Card was inspired by OWH Sketch #129.

• My one variation from the sketch was going with the same background for both the left and right sides. I loved Donna's monochromatic color variations on her sample cards. But, in the end, it just felt right for the background to be kraft with navy accents on both sides to really bring out the sentiment on this patriotic card.
• The sentiment was heat embossed using Distress Ink and clear embossing powder. I just love how you can do that with the Distress Ink!

Paper: Bo Bunny Liberty, Ranger Core, Bazzill watermelon; Cuttlebug embossing folder; Distress Ink (Vintage Photo); Stickles, jute, garage sale brad

Parting Thought

Hope everyone has a great week!  Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

'Tis the Season

Happy weekend, everyone,

Before I share today's card, I have to tell you hubby wasn't quite as impressed by the bang I got for my bucks with my jean pocket card as I was. Remember how I was so happy about the deal I'd gotten on the die cuts, the Core paper, and the brads? Well, hubby asked me about the cost of the tools I used -- actually the cost of all the supplies (Hmmm... Scotch tape gun, Martha Stewart scoring board, Fiskars rotary cutter, punches, embossing folders, embossing machine, embossing powders, Versamark and ink pads, heat gun, gel pens, scissors, ...) I have stashed in the Menopause Room (aka my craft room). Seems as though I'm supposed to include the cost of all these things when figuring the cost of a jean pocket card.

What a dear, silly man. I so adore him, but he just doesn't get it. Actually one of his most endearing qualities is that he is so supportive of my crafting endeavors  in spite of it all. Chances are this sounds like someone you know.  :) 


Now for today's card.

OWH MWT + CFC61 = Three Times as Bright

If you are visiting from CAS-ual Fridays,  you might be wondering why in the world there is a Christmas card posted for this week's challenge. Well, the answer to that question can be found at this week's Midweek Throwdown Challenge for Operation Write Home.

Bazzill Preppie paper; Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder; leaf punch; sentiment: ???

A few tricks/techniques employed and choices made when creating this card:

•  Since this is a card for OWH, I used a white base. (Our troops may have only pencils for writing their notes homes.)
• After embossing the strips, I used a gold gel pen to add a little extra sparkle. 
• To make the flames, I heat embossed a small piece of purple paper using gold power. Then I punched out the flames using a small leaf punch.
•  Ribbons were secured to the back of each strip using Scotch ATG tape.
• The flames were attached using pop dots and the strips were attached using 3D glue dots, placing one dot on each card directly over the ribbon.
• While I chose to place all three strips vertically, I purposely tilted the flames at slightly different angles.
• I positioned the sentiment to be the last thing seen as the eyes move across the card from the tallest candle to the shortest candle, moving from left to right and top to bottom.
• Finally, I considered putting something in the top right portion of the card. But, I decided against it because I thought anything else would compete with the candles.

This card came together pretty quickly. It seems like a good design for "mass production". So, I'm thinking this might be one of the designs I use to make my 2012 OWH Christmas cards. 

Parting Thoughts

Next post will be a shout-out to my employer for its generous support of non-profits.

Until then, thanks for stopping by and happy scrappin'!

OWH Challenge Cards

Hi, everyone,

I am so excited that I found time this weekend to make two OWH cards -- the first for the Midweek Throwdown and the second for today's sketch challenge.

Midweek Throwdown: A Happy Anniversary Love Card

Okay, I cheated a little bit on this one since I didn't have a Happy Anniversary stamp. But, I love the way the card turned out. I'd certainly be happy to receive it from hubby for our anniversary!

The base card, the chipboard heart embellishment, and the "Love You" and clock hand rub-on transfers came from Bo Bunny's Father Christmas card kit.

Bo Bunny Father Time paper and card making set; garage sale brad

OWH Sketch #128: An Any Hero Card

I cheated on this one, too. Shocking, I know! 

When I saw the sketch, I wanted to use the heart stamp from my new Sweet Stamp Shop God Bless America collection. When the stamped heart turned out a little larger than the sketch's heart embellishment, I thought about going with a few less hearts. But, I really liked the look of the 5 hearts. So, the sizing and spacing are a little different from the sketch, but the basic sketch is the same. [That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! :)]

Bo Bunny Liberty, Bazzill watermelon and admiral; Sweet Stamp Shop image and sentiment; embossing and heat embossing; garage sale brad

In addition to using my new stamp set, I also used my newest embossing folder -- Swiss Dot from Cuttlebug. Accentuating the dots with a gold gel pen was just the final touch this little card needed. I'm hoping one of our heroes will be pleased to receive this patriotic thank you from a grateful American.

Parting Thoughts

I'm looking forward to the day when work slows down enough to allow for:

• making more cards,
• leaving comments for my fellow OWHers, and
• visiting CAS-ual Fridays and Mojo Mondays.

Until then, thanks for your continued support. I really appreciate your visits. Happy scrappin'!

Monday Musings -- Another Early Edition

Hi, everyone,

Hope it's been a good weekend for you. The weather is absolutely gorgeous here -- just a tad on the chilly side, but the sun is shining and the windows are open. :)

I'm hoping to work on a design later today for that "My Dad, My Hero" card idea that's been rolling around in my head. But, for now, I have 2 cards to share. So, I thought I'd go ahead and post a little early. If this becomes a habit, I might have to think of a name other than Monday Musings. :)

OWH Sketch #115

Donna is the sample maker for this week's sketch cards -- and they are so cute. I just love the patriotic one! Nice work, Donna!

The card below is this week's Any Hero card. Again, I inked up the inside of the embossing folder. I love the texture and extra dimension that this technique gives. 

Paper: Bo Bunny Liberty, Bazzill Watermelon; Cuttlebug embossing folder; Stickles; Stampin' Up Night of Navy ink

This sketch might make for a great "My Dad, My Hero" card. And, I'll have plenty of patriotic paper to choose from when those Bo Bunny 6 by 6 Liberty pads arrive. Looks like I've got a little designing to do...

CFC46: Name That Tune

This week's CAS-ual Fridays blog challenge  is to create a card inspired by a song. After a little pondering -- and some internet searching -- I decided upon Love is in the Air. A pair of head-over-heals-in-love butterflies immediately came to mind. :)

The next decision was to find just the right paper with just the right color combination. The key palette ingredients were a blue background (so these little butterflies could dance romantically through the sky), a coordinating pattern fit for the lady, and a second coordinating pattern fit for the gent. This BasicGrey paper that I found in that unexpected Tuesday Morning spree a few weeks ago fit the bill perfectly. Finally, the inspirational song title (printed in graceful Lucida Handwriting), parallel flight paths that included hearts and loops, and some champagne-colored heart gems provided the finishing touches.

Paper: BasicGrey Granola 12 by 12 pad; Butterflies: Martha Stewart Punch around the Page; 

computer-generated font; mini champagne-colored, heart-shaped gems

I  debated about adding black rhinestones to ground the corners, but decided against it. It would be a shame if anything took away from the gems on the butterflies themselves. 


Love is definitely in the air for these little creatures. :)

Parting Thoughts

Those of you who show your cards to hubbies might get a chuckle out of this glimpse into my world. Hubby said that as he was driving home from Spring Break he realized he'd gone a whole week without hearing anything about cards, squares, triangles.... (Sound like anyone you know?) I just had to laugh -- and told him that his confession was blog-worthy!

My goal for the week is to have a "My Dad, My Hero" card to show on Friday. Until then...

Have a great week!  And, happy scrappin'!

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'!

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'!

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'!