Top 13 of 2013

Hi, everyone!

It's become a tradition for OWHers to post their 10 favorite cards of the year. In honor of 2013, we are posting our top 13 cards.

To see my Top 13 of 2013, please join me at the new blog There's Always the Other Side. (Yep, that blog title sums up my stamping abilities in 5 short words!)

One other quick announcement: Bobbi (of Bobbi's Treasure) and I are debuting a new card-making challenge blog today. We'd love for you to check it out at Words 2 Scrap By.


Thanks for stopping. Happy 2014!

Coming to a Computer Near You

Hi everyone!

I have two blog-related updates to share.

Update 1

Several of you have mentioned Bobbi and my new challenge blog in your comments. So, I thought I'd share you a little inside information.

The first post for our new Words 2 Scrap By monthly challenge blog is scheduled to go live at 12:01 Eastern time on Wednesday. We're crossing fingers that all goes according to plan.

Challenges are going to be word-inspired and will run three weeks. And, yes, there will be prizes!

The title of the first post is... [drumroll, please...] My Favorite Things! Hope you all have a chance to check out the blog and will join in on the challenges.

Update 2

December 31 will be the last day I will be blogging at Scrapping with Purpose. On January 1, I will be chronicling card-making and blog adventures at There's Always the Other Side.

Hope to see you there, too.  :)

Parting Thoughts

As always, thanks for visiting. Your support means a lot.

And, lots of happy crafting in 2014!

Sybrina

A 2 for 1 Day

Hi, everyone.

I so loved today's sketch that I made a general sentiment card in addition to my normal Sunday-sketch Any Hero card. Both cards share the same palette. In addition, I used the same paper for both backgrounds, but used two types of embossing for the top and bottom portions on both cards.

Paper Smooches (Group Hugs) sentiment on watercolor paper, heat embossed in Distress Ink
Distress Ink core paper; Bazzill black; Sizzix embossing folders
Really Reasonable Ribbon; Tombow foam adhesives
Spellbinders Nestabillities; Creative Memories circle cutting system

Deep Red cling stamps (designed by Sandy), heat embossed in SU white powder
Distress Ink core paper, Bazzill black; Paper Smooches ribbon
Cuttlebug and Sizzix embossing folders; Tombow foam adhesives

Thought the first card might be sent from a daddy to his little (tweener) girl back home. Or, maybe it might be sent from one of our female troops to a girlfriend needing a pick-me-up from a good friend.

I took a few liberties with the second card, but stayed with the spirit of the sketch. It is a little atypical for me to make an Any Hero card using nontraditional (non-patriotic) colors, but I like the result.

Parting Thoughts

Looking forward to the Top 13 of 2013 OWH Bloghop on Wednesday.

Also looking forward to a new challenge blog that Bobbi (of Bobbi's Treasure) and I are starting on Wednesday.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. As always, thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Greetings in Green and Cream

Hi, everyone.

Last Thursday, a cold kept me from our stamp club card kit meeting. Bernadette was kind enough to send home my kit with a friend. So, I took some time last night to put together the cards -- with one twist.

The cards were supposed to use our newly purchased monogram stamp. Now, I have some definite plans for my stamp -- "S" is a pretty common letter to use for cards. Hmmm... words that come to mind are sorry, spring, snow, and Santa... to name just a few. Using my monogram to make note cards featuring the letter "S" was not my original plan when I ordered the stamp.

So, I used the materials in the kit to make some "Hello" and "Hi" cards for Operation Write Home -- adding a few embellishments of my own. Two of the cards are green and cream, which is probably as close as I'm going to get to this week's Throwdown Challenge of a non-Christmas card that is red and white or green and white.

Stampin' Up papers; TPC Studio sentiment in Distress Ink walnut stain
Cuttlebug ef; stash ribbon from OWH; Tombow foam adhesive; Marvy circle punch

Parting Thoughts

Really looking forward to a new blog starting up on January 1. Be sure to stop back here for details. :)

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Merry Christmas!

Hi, everyone.

No card to post.

Just wishes for the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of new years.

CHA, CHA, CHA

Hi, everyone.

It's that time of year when Sandy prepares for OWH's trip to CHA. An all-call went out for kits, so I came up with the kits shown below. Tried for a little variety: gender-neutral thank you, kid-friendly greeting, and girlie-girlie miss you.

Bee: Paper Smooches, Distress Ink core, SU ef, computer-generated sentiments, garage sale brad
Map: SU background stamp on watercolor paper, DI core, SU brads, stash ribbon
Miss You: Martha Stewart punch, TPC Studio sentiment, DI core, Sizzix ef, Paper Studio brads

I'm hoping at least one of these makes it to CHA. But, it's good to know that all cards will be assembled and make their way to troops one way or the other. Think I'm going to link up the little bee for today's Midweek Throwdown to make a love card for a little one. The "Hi, Honey" counts... right?

Tis the season to post and run! Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

3 Little Hearts, Lots of Love

Hi, everyone.

A quick post for a love card inspired by this week's OWH Midweek Throwdown to make a non-Valentine love card.

Distress Ink core paper; EK 3-heart punch
Celebrate It! ribbon; Glossy Accents; gems
Tombow adhesives

Kept this one simple... maybe too simple. After I had attached the ribbon and adhered the 3 hearts, I was really thinking the card needed more... and wishing I had done some embossing. So, I added a layer of glossy-accented hearts. Then I decided to add a little more bling.

I kept hearing Paula's bootcamp instructions on this one -- adding a third (10%) color of blue that was not in the original plans, giving great care when it came to the placement of the hearts, and really contemplating whether to add the gems. Thanks, Paula!

Hope it brings a big smile to a loved one's face. Think this one could even go to a tweener or teen.  :)

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Always...

Hi, everyone.

Today's card was inspired by two challenge: to make a masculine card for this month's OWH Our Daily Bread Design challenge and to make a Valentine's Day or Love Card for OWH's Midweek Throwdown.

Authentique Pride; Distress Ink core (antique linen, fired brick); Bazzill (admiral)
original computer-generated sentiment in Mistral printed directly on core paper
hearts: hand cut from template, inked in Distress Ink fired brick with SU daubers
EK punch hearts on inside of  card
SU brads; Tombow foam adhesives for small heart

When making an Any Hero card on Sunday from this pad of Authentique paper, I was really drawn to this plaid. While I used other papers for Sunday's card, I kept this in mind for a masculine non-patriotic card. This plaid with its splashes of red seemed a good choice for a masculine Valentine's Day card. 

The red used for the hearts actually is much truer to the red in the plaid than the image shows. I initially inked the edges of the small heart so that it would stand out from the bigger heart. But, the fired brick ink on the fired brick paper had such a nice look, I decided to ink the edges of the bigger heart as well. However, I took care to leave some separation where the two hearts overlap.

A quick internet search for masculine Valentine's Day cards yielded a few possible designs. So, I tweaked one of the layouts for the card above. Although hubby did not give it an overwhelming endorsement, I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out. (Maybe he was just card-weary by that point of the evening. At least that's the story I'm sticking with!) And, I think it makes for a nice OWH masculine Valentine's Day card that could also be used later in the year as a love/anniversary card.

Parting Thoughts

Finally making a dent in those challenges. Now I need to make some progress on Valentines for OWH.

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

Pops of Red and Blue

Hi, everyone!

Hope the weather your way is not too bad. Watching the Lions-Eagles game and can't believe the conditions! Glad it's not anything like that in my menopause room. :)

Today's Any Hero card was inspired by OWH Sketch #202.

Authentique Pride; Bazzill admiral; Distress Ink antique linen
burlap/jute; Paper Smooches twine; SU brads
circles: Marvy punch, Paper Shaper punch, hand cutting
star punch: Paper Studio
mini glue dots, Tombow foam adhesives

There is a piece of Authentique paper behind the burlap, adhered with glue dots, to add a little more contrast against the neutral pattern paper. Other than that, gonna make this post short and sweet 'cause I've got some challenges to catch up on and some Valentine's Day cards to assemble. :)

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

Have a BEARy Merry Christmas

Hi, everyone.

I was a vendor at a local craft show today, with proceeds benefiting Operation Write Home. One of the cards for sale was the little polar cub shown below. It is a tweaking of a card I made earlier in the year. The inspirations for both cards were a tutorial for a punch polar bear and a photo of polar cubs playing in a snow/ice cave.

Distress Ink core paper, Bazzill white and black cardstock
punches: EK hole, Paper Shaper circle, Emagination tree
additonal punches: Recollections snowflake, SU word window
fussy cutting: candy cane, Santa Hat, snout
Creative Memories oval cutting system: ear
techniques: sanding, inking, paper tearing

Think I'm going to link this one for this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge to make a project featuring a tree. Truth be told, the cub is the main attraction of this vignette, with the tree serving as a supporting cast member. But, I can't resist the temptation to share this little guy with fellow CAS lovers.  :)

Parting Thoughts

Now that the craft shows are over, I need to get back to those OWH cards. It's Valentine's time on the OWH calendar.

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