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'!

8 Packages Tied Up in a Bow

Hi, everyone. Happy weekend!

The card below was inspired by this week's OWH Midweek Throwdown to make a masculine birthday card and CAS-ual Fridays' challenge to make a card featuring eight of something -- in this case, 8 birthday packages all tied up in a bow.

DCWV Natural matstack with foil
Paper Smooches twine
Paper Studio brads

Pretty pleased with the way this one turned out. Really love all the textures with the foil in the paper, the twine, and the brads. Hope it will brighten the day of one of a troop's loved one.

Parting Thoughts

Will try to make some time to write about this week's craft show. And, then there's a post-craft-show craft room that needs some cleaning up. :)

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Getting an A.... Priceless!

Hi, everyone.

The card below was inspired by this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge to make a back-to-school themed card. Since I spent 24 years teaching high school math, back to school has a special meaning to me. My mind went from some stash number-themed dp to school shopping... to school supply shopping... to a series of credit card commercials from a few years back.

Yep, getting an A on a math test... PRICELESS!

dp: stash kimemories Go Figure; Distress Ink core; dark brown: Bazzill or AC
Really Reasonable Ribbon (September ribbon)
original sentiment, computer-generated (Andy) on watercolor paper
inking in Distress Ink

I soooo loved this month's selection of Really Reasonable Ribbon ribbons, I had to use at least one on this back-to-school card. (I decided to pair up ribbons so the leaves would really pop off of the brownish-red base ribbon.) I then chose the Distress Ink core papers based on the leaves' colors.

As always, thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

You've Got Mail :)

Hi, everyone.

Tonight's card was inspired by the CAS-ual Fridays challenge to make a card featuring green, aqua, and orange.

watercolor paper, Distress Ink core paper
Paper Smooches Teen Scene images
StazOn jet black ink, watered down acrylics
Darice jewelry hemp cord, miscellaneous gems

The card is a stripped down version of a card that I made earlier in the week for an OWH friend challenge. While I switched from cardstock to watercolor paper, many of the same techniques -- including the first generation/second generation/third generation stamping and the layering of papers (one layer/two layers/three layers) used for the arrows. (I really am thrilled with these little arrows!)

I found a sheet of designer paper with an aqua, green, orange, and pink palette that I really liked. The colors used to paint this card's images were created by blending various acrylics with light ivory and/or light black. The background was created by spattering the blended acrylics with a toothbrush. I chose an orange cardstock base to pop the orange in the envelope and arrows.

UPDATE: Still tweaking...
Kinda of liking v2.1.
Which do you prefer?

While I love the way the laptop, computer, and arrows turned out, I'm still not quite sure about the finishing touches.

• The first decision was to let the images speak for themselves and not include a sentiment. 
• Then, I went back and forth between lots of different ribbons and twines, before deciding on the black hemp cord to ground the card and bring out the black stamping. 
• I also went back and forth between various gems and sequins, before deciding on the green gems shown here. (Black rhinestones seemed like too much, pearls seemed too formal, and the sequins didn't feel quite right. These little green gems have actually been in my stash for quite a while. So, it was nice to get to use them.)

Still trying to decide whether this little card is going to Operation Write Home or to a friend. Tough decision... But, since I originally got this stamp set to make cards for teens for OWH, think OWH is going to win. :)

UPDATED 09/05/2013: Think I'll post these little devices to this month's Paper Smooches Guest Designer Challenge.

Parting Thoughts

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Thanks Sew Much

Hi, everyone.

Two posts in one day! Gotta get most of my cardmaking in today with tomorrow's anniversary and birthday festivities. :)

The card below is for the current CAS-ual Fridays challenge to make a card featuring buttons.

Bo Bunny Mamarazzi2; Bazzill cardstock
computer-generated sentiment (Lucida Handwriting)
stitching in DMC floss 543 with Sew Easy
stash buttons adhered with Glossy Accents

This card is a real departure for me. First of all, I don't often use punny sentiments. And since most of my cards go to Operation Write Home, I don't often use thick embellishments. Finally, this is the first card on which I've done any stitching. Up until now, I've only used my Sew Easy to pierce holes for brads.

Speaking of the stitching, I made a template for the holes by running a line of holes along the edge of a ruler. I drew a pencil outline of where I wanted the stitches to be placed. Then I used the template to hand pierce holes in their designated locations.

One more thing... Bobbi mentioned that the buttons she uses on cards always remind her of her mother since her mom always found them for her at flea markets. The same thing is true for me and embroidery/cross stitch floss. One of the last gifts from my mom was a collection of all the colors of floss made by DMC. The floss on this card is from that collection. Thanks, Mom!

I'm pretty pleased with the way the card turned out. Just wish it could go to OWH. Oh well, looks like this one is going to have to be saved for a friend. :)

Lastly, my apologies to the CAS-ual Fridays team for the double link. I'm still trying to figure out this digital photography thing and came up with a much brighter image after posting the first link. The second image is a little blurrier, but the colors are so much truer to the actual card. The first image just didn't seem to do justice to this little card.

Parting Thoughts

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

An All-American Classic

Hi, everyone.

They say the third time's a charm. And, I'm hoping that's the case for the card that I made for this week's CAS-ual Friday challenge to make a project that uses fabric, canvas, etc. My first effort went in a totally different direction, trying to make a super hero card involving aluminum foil Then, the canvas idea came to me. But, the star stenciling did not go quite as I hoped the first time around. However, it led me to the card below.

Recollections natural canvas
Distress Ink core (chipped sapphire)
computer-generated negatives, sponged in Distress Ink (chipped sapphire, fired brick)
Stampin' Up! sponge daubers; garage sale brads

First, let me give credit where credit's due. Becca posted a similar design on Operation Write Home a few weeks ago. I loved her card -- and even remembering asking if I could CASE it. Thanks, Becca, for a wonderful idea.

That's the good news. The bad news is I remember Becca using a Cricut-like machine to create her card. So, to create my star and stripes, I created basic shapes in Word. Then, I cut out the shapes to make stencils and sponged using these negatives. I'm really pleased with the look of the sponging on the canvas!

To make sure the canvas stays in place for OWH, I used brads to secure the canvas to the cardstock.

 Parting Thoughts

Thanks CAS-ual Fridays, for really taking me out of my box this week!

Hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful holiday weekend.

Thanks for visiting and happy scrappin'!

Zing, Zing, Zing

Hi, everyone.

The card below was inspired by two challenges: this week's OWH Midweek Throwdown challenge to make a CAS card and this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge to make a card featuring an arrow.

Distress Ink core paper, Bazzill black
computer-created arrow, computer-generated font (Harlow)
large heart: hand-cut with template, small heart: EK triple heart punch
Stampin' Up! brads; Sizzix embossing folder; Zot 3D glue dots

Since this was going to OWH, I embossed the background cardstock to give the card a little more texture. I initially tried embossing the larger circle using a different folder. But, the pattern didn't feel right with the arrow. So, I went with two plain hearts.

Parting Thoughts

Hoping to visit some blogs and leave some comments this weekend. Also hoping to find some time to make a few more cards.

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

Got Sunscreen?

Hi, everyone.

This week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge is to create a travel-related card. Memories of trips to the beach inspired the card below.

Negative of Tree (cut from DCWV Travel Stack)  in Distress Ink black walnut and Zig chocolate marker
Distress Ink core, lightly sanded and sponged in various Distress Inks
computer-generated sentiment (Lucida Handwriting); Hero Arts gems
Creative Memories corner rounder

The idea for this card was stuck in my brain -- along with the original sentiment "Got Lotion?" The card itself is not quite what I envisioned, but it's close.

One of the execution challenges was evening out the color of the tree since I was inking on top of two different papers. My solution was to color with a Zig chocolate marker. There's still a little variation, but it's not nearly as pronounced. 

Another change I would make is in the break down of tan vs. blue. Think the card would be just a touch better with a little less tan and a little more blue. 

Thinking of trying this again with some watered down acrylic -- going for more of an ombre effect.

Parting Thoughts

Wasn't sure I'd get to the CAS-ual Friday challenge this week since my brother's family is visiting. As it turns out, I'm so excited about the visit that I can't sleep. So, what's a girl to do? And, what better theme for the week than a travel theme?

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

A Friend with Chocolate -- UPDATED

Hi, everyone.

Hope the weekend is going well. Here's a quick Sunday post for two challenges:

• the CAS-ual Fridays challenge to stamp on printed paper, and
• OWH's Midweek Throwdown challenge to make a card featuring a sentiment.

Distress Ink core, DCWV Sweet Matstack
Inkadinkado sentiment in Adirondack espresso
Stampin' Up! cupcake punch and neutral brads
Cuttlebug embossing folder; 3D glue dots

Looking at the scanned image, I realize I still need to add cherries to the top of the cupcakes. (Update: Cherries added -- and the little bits of pink make such a difference!) Speaking of scans, (still) sorry about the shadows.

I don't often stamp on printed paper. But, it's something I should do more often because the effect can be so sweet. [Pun intended :) ]

And, I really like using the brads for chocolate chips. It feels like an unexpected detail.

Parting Thoughts

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Still  hoping to get an Any Hero card made this afternoon. (And, gotta top off these two little cupcakes with a couple of cherries!)

Thanks for visiting and happy scrappin'!

Connect the Dots

Hi, everyone!

For the next two weeks, CAS-ual Fridays is celebrating its 2nd birthday with a challenge to make a card using a Tic Tac Toe board of its Top Ten Challenges. I ended up choosing polka dots, bling, and black and white to create the card shown below.

Cuttlebug embossing folder; Zig pen
Twinery Baker's Twine; Mark Richards crystals; 3D glue dots
computer-generated sentiment in Harlow Solid Italic
black cardstock: Cardstock Warehouse Paper Co., white paper: ???
Creative Memories cutting system

I was originally stumped for an idea, coming to a dead end with each row, column, diagonal. So, I did  a Google search for quotes about polka dots and found a perfect inspiration. When I came across this quote from the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, I knew I had just the sentiment. The next step was to choose a font that has the feel of a free-spirited, independent woman. Appropriately enough, this font is Harlow Solid Italic. :) 

So, I interpreted the challenge "rules" to limit card features to just one row, column, or diagonal of the board. That may or may not have been correct, but that was my story and I stuck to it. However, I'm really tempted to try another version of this card with red and white twine and and red gems. Something tells me this card's independent woman is not likely to play by the rules, at least not all the time.  :)

Hubby's Quote of the Week

Maybe this should become a recurring feature. (Oh, JoAnn, your comment about "estrogen poisoning" was hysterically funny! I'll have to remember that one.)

Tonight, hubby saw the quote above on the kitchen table. When he joined me outside, he asked about the quote. I explained what I had in mind, and asked if he didn't realize it was about a card. His response was, "Isn't everythng?" -- to which I replied, "Well, it certainly should be!"

Later in the evening, I came down from the menopause room and showed him the finished product. And, he really, really seemed to like it. So, I'm one-for-one to start the weekend!

Parting Thoughts

We have a busy Saturday, but I'm going to try and make the second version of Connect the Dots. If I do, I'll update this post.  So, stay tuned!

As always, thanks for stopping. Happy scrappin' on National Scrapbooking Day! Hoping to also have a chance to check out Operation Write Home's cardmaking event.

CAS-ual Birthday Cards for Every Member of the Family

Hi, everyone!

The CAS-ual Fridays challenge for the next two weeks is birthday themed to celebrate Michele's birthday. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to play with some new toys: a cupcake punch and sponge daubers from Stampin' Up! and Nestabilities scallop dies from Spellbinders.

Two Cards in One?
For supplies, please see cards below.

The card at the right was my first attempt. All in all, it's good a little card. Hubby liked it with the exception of the candle on the cupcake. However, there was something about it that was bothering me. Then came my epiphany: This card was two cards in one. Both the circles and the cupcake were whimsical, but the circles felt more abstract and dreamy than the cupcake.

So, I made two cards, each inspired by the disparate images of the first card.

For Mom or Big Sis

watercolor paper washed in watered-down Warm White acrylic; Bazzill black
circles: Distress Ink peeled paint, dusty concord, and tumbled glass, sponged on using SU daubers
circle and hole punches from EK and Marvy
Mark Richards rhinestones

I apologize that this is such a rudimentary image. (There were lots of technical difficulties -- really struggled to get a photo that did justice to the colors.) Regardless, I LOVE this card -- love, love, love it. This is up there with one of my all-time favorites.

Bernadette Kirk taught the technique of punching out templates and using the templates to sponge on images at a recent Stampin' Up class. Think I'm going to be using this idea lots more. Thanks, Bernadette!

For Little Sis

watercolor paper washed in watered-down Warm Water acrylic; pattern: Distress Ink Scattered Straw on bubblewrap
Distress Ink core paper; Stampin' Up! cupcake punch and Tangerine Tango ribbon;
Recollections  stickers; Spellbinders Nestabilities scallops, EK hole punch

This just feels like a bright, cheery,  fun card perfect for the little girl in the family.

For Dad or Brother

After experimenting with sponging on Distress Inks, I decided to try it out with the SU honeycomb embossing folder and went with a masculine palette. For this card, I embossed an index card and cut out hexagons to create sponging templates.

Stampin' Up! (Sizzix) embossing folder, heat embossed with Distress Ink black soot
cardstock: Bazzill black; AC white, sponged in antique linen
hexagons sponged in Distress Ink (vintage photo, antique linen, tumbled glass, peeled paint, dusty concord)
computer-generated sentiment (Mistral)

Not a  bad first effort. Think this could take on lots of different looks with different palettes and fonts.

Parting Thought

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

A Sparkling Smile

Hi, everyone! Happy Weekend!

This week's Cas-ual Fridays challenge is to create a card with a little sparkle. The card below was partially inspired by a card I made for
OWH Midweek Throwdown ombre color challenge a few weeks ago. For the card at the right, I painted the background in various shades of Desert Turquoise acrylic, darkening it with Midnight Blue and lightening it with Light Ivory.

I actually have a ton of acrylics from tole painting days. The card at the right was my first serious attempt at incorporating acrylics with cardmaking. For today's card, I wanted more of a watercolor effect -- and thought orange would go well with the sentiment. So, I opted for watered-down acrylic blends of Tangerine with Burnt Orange and Light Ivory.

background: watered-down Tangerine, Burnt Orange, and Light Ivory acrylics on watercolor paper
sentiment in Stampin' Up! Island Indigo; Distress Ink core paper;
garage sale embellishments, including Mark Richards crystals

I'm really pleased with these acrylic looks. Going to have play around a little more with this idea.  :)

Parting Thoughts

Gotta finish up those SuperDAD cards to get them to OWH before the April 30 deadline. That is at the very top of my crafting to do list! (Seems like I have a serious blue theme going on here!)

As always, thanks for visiting and happy scrappin'!

2 for 1: 2 cards for 1 sketch

Hi, everyone! Happy Sunday! Hope your weather is as glorious as ours. Maybe spring will actually come after all. :)

OWH Sketch #167 is perfect for those strong patterns. I used it to make a couple of cards from patterns that would've typically proved problematic for me. But, before I get to today's cards, I have to share the funniest conversation with hubby.

"Yar, Piglet?" said Book 

Earlier this weekend, I posted the card at the right for  this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge. When I showed it to hubby, he said it was kind of hard to read. I agreed, saying that the sentiment didn't print exactly on the part of the paper that I had hoped. His reply was that the placement of the sentiment wasn't the problem. The problem was the font itself. Then he proceeded to read the following, in a pirate-inspired voice.

"Book," whispered Piglet.

"Yar, Piglet?" said Book.

At that point, I laughed so hard that it was nearly a Depends moment!  I so love that man!  :)

Card 1: Patriotic Beads

dp: We R Memory Keepers Red, White & Blue; aqua and white cardstock: AC; red cardstock: Bazzill Admiral
punches: Fiskars and Paper Studio; stash ribbon; pearl: Mark Richards
Creative Memories circle cutting system

For today's Any Hero card, I stuck to the sketch pretty closely. Because of the pattern in the paper, I decided to leave off the strip on the right. In addition, I slightly repositioned the placement of the circle.

Wish the ribbon showed up a little better. It has white polka dots on the white ribbon -- which seemed a good match for the beads in the paper. I placed a strip of white cardstock under the ribbon to keep the print from showing through the ribbon itself. 

Card 2: Here's Looking at You, Dad!

As you see, I was a bit little more liberal in my interpretation of the sketch for this card, making the card a horizontal one and moving both the strip and the circle. Again, this was a great sketch for a paper with a large pattern. Still loving the Bo Bunny Mama-razzi paper!

Bo Bunny Mama-razzi; black cardstock: Cardstock Paper Warehouse; white cardstock: AC
sentiment: computer-generated  in Baskerville Old Face; Mark Richards gems
strip with crimped and inked in StazOn jet black
Creative Memories circle cutting system

Parting Thoughts

Pleasantly surprised by the amount of cardmaking that happened this weekend! We'll see what the week holds.

Played around a little with layout gadgets this weekend. Like the results. But, still working on figuring out the badge thing.

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

"Pooh," whispered Piglet... -- UPDATED

Hi, everyone.

This week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge is to make a card that uses chevrons and flowers. Talk about a challenge! My craft room is about as chevron-free as a craft room can possibly be. :(

Then I remembered the gorgeous Mama-razzi Bo Bunny paper pad I just picked up at my favorite LSS, Scrapbook Art.

After I decided on the paper, I thought this might be the perfect time to use a favorite quote from A. A. Milne. I bought a little Hallmark knickknack with this saying years and years ago. Every time I see it, I think of my dear, dear friend Linda. Linda and I met during our first teaching assignments and we've been friends for over 30 years. She was the matron of honor at our wedding. And, no matter how long it's been since we've talked -- or how how far away she's moved, we're always there for each other. Now that I think about it, it's really appropriate that I'm writing this on her birthday. [Hmmm... The only question is which of us is Pooh and which is Piglet. Linda's actually a huge Tigger fan!]

dp: Bo Bunny Mama-razzi, edges washed in watered-down Americana Light Buttermilk acrylic
ivory Prima flowers painted in watered down Americana Light Buttermilk and Fawn acrylics
Mark Richards' and Queen & Co.'s pearls painted in watered-down Light Buttermilk
computer-generated sentiment: Mistral, 16 point, charcoal gray RGB (8, 8, 8)
Creative Memories circle/oval cutting system
PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR UPDATED CARD!

•  My first step was to print the sentiment on a piece of 6 by 6 paper. One of the changes I would make is to lower the placement of the sentiment just a little so it fits more on the lighter part of the paper. But, I'm still mastering that skill. Better luck next time!
• The edges of the background paper were painted in watered-down acrylics. Think I've found a great way to get that antique look in any color I want. :)
• The chevrons were fussy cut from a piece of the Bo Bunny paper.
• Two flowers were painted in acrylics. The top flower is Fawn with Light Buttermilk accents. The bottom flower is a Light Buttermilk/Fawn mix, while its edges are dabbed in Fawn.
• The flower's center pearl, and the 3 tiny pearls in the top left, are painted in Light Buttermilk. 
•  Elements were placed touching one another, keeping in mind the rule of thirds, to create a strong focal point.
• Finally the oval was placed so that the pattern aligned with the pattern of the background pattern.

What most excites me about this card is how the painted flower and pearls turned out. I have a huge collection of acrylics from my tole painting class days. It's fabulous to know I can make these embellishments any color that I want them to be!

Happy birthday, Linda!  Looks like I have next year's card already done. :)

Updated Card

Since first posting this card, I added a few more embellishments: three tiny pearls at the bottom of the sentiment oval and two leaves to the left side of the flower. 

• The added pearls were also painted with Light Buttermilk. 
• The leaves were hand cut from Distress Ink core paper. Veins were hand drawn using a Zig pure brown pen, and they were painted with watered-down Americana Red Violet and Americana Celery Green acrylics.

I'm really liking the look of the leaves. And, the three pearls in the oval nicely ground the sentiment. But, I think they're responsible for the shadow in the scanned image.

Parting Thoughts

Headed over to Operation Write Home and check out their Spring Training Tutorial Day for making masculine cards.

As always, thanks for stopping. Happy weekend and happy scrappin'!

Got Chipboard?

Hi everyone,

Today's cards were made for this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge to make a card using chipboard. I actually played with two different ideas. While I'm pleased with both results, I won't be sending either card to Operation Write Home -- the first one because of the glitter and the second because of its sentiment.

Card 1: 24-7

The inspirations for this card were the sentiment, which I had seen on another card somewhere before, and a set of silvery-glittered alphabet/number stickers.

Distress Ink core, heat embossed with Distress Ink and Stamp N Stuff silver powder; stash silvery cardstock
Tools: Sizzix ef, circle template, The Paper Studio circle punch, the new Stampin' Up! trimmer;
adhesives: 2-way glue,  mini glue dots, pop up glue dots

The heat embossing was done by first applying embossing ink to the inside of the embossing folder. The heart's scalloped edge was a final embellishment because the card felt like it needed a little something more. After playing with ribbons, gel pen accents, and metallic paper twist, I settled on this scalloped effect. The scalloped edge is actually a series of punched circles, punched from some yummy silvery cardstock. They added the extra oomph this little heart seemed to be missing.

I know that the elements are a little more fussy than what you typically see on CAS cards, but the layout is CAS-inspired. So, I'm calling it CAS and sticking to my story. LOL

A note to my fellow OWHers: I applied the stickers downstairs -- far away from the craft room -- and then put the card in a protective cellophane sleeve as soon as it was finished. :)

Card 2: One Day at a Time

This card was actually inspired by a card we made at Thursday night's Stampin' Up! class and by a previous CAS-ual Fridays challenge to create your own background. Wish the colors showed up a little better on this scanned image.

Cosmo Cricket Blackboard; sentiment by Jillian Vance, stamped in StazOn
Distress Ink tumbled glass, scattered straw, dusty concord applied using dryer sheets and a mini mister
black cardstock: Cardstock Warehouse Paper Co, blue cardstock: Distress Ink core

What really excited me about this card is that the background was created with used dryer sheets. I tried several different methods for applying the ink. The method that seemed to work best was rubbing the dryer sheets on the ink pads, misting them with water, and dabbing the ink on the cardstock. (Excess water can be blotted up using a paper towel before applying ink to the cardstock.)

The sentiment was stamped first using StazOn jet black ink. Chipboard images were placed to be pointing skyward, and the yellow ink was purposely placed directly above the higher dragonfly.

Again, I really wish the colors showed up better because I really like the end result of this dryer sheet technique.

Parting Thoughts

Hoping to get a chance to make an Any Hero card for tomorrow's OWH sketch, but there's a pretty long to-do list before I get to crafting.

Still LOVING the new Stampin'Up! trimmer. It is fabulous!!!

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

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Hi everyone,

I'm really excited that I had a chance to make a card for the weekly CAS-ual Fridays challenge on Friday! This week's challenge is to use blocks of color.

black cardstock: Cardstock Warehouse Paper Co,, cream cardstock: Bazzill or AC
sentiment: Inkadinkado Kids' Quotes heat embossed in Distress Ink black soot
Cuttlebug ef; color block inks: Distress Ink tumbled glass blending into Distress Ink scattered straw
blocks mounted using pop up dots

Love the way the colors transitioned. Of course, blue was a natural choice based on the sentiment. So, I decided to go to yellow to paint in a happier color. Then I decided to pop the colors even more by placing them on black cardstock.

I am typically frustrated when my edges aren't as precise as I would like. Let's just say that my trimmer is not behaving as well as I would like. But, in this case, the unevenness of the cuts really adds to the kid-like feel of the card. :)

Hope this one will bring a smile to one of our hero's loved ones.

Parting Thoughts

Hoping to get to this week's Midweek Tic Tac Toe challenge tomorrow.

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

The Sky's The Limit

Hi everyone!

Today's card was partially inspired by this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge to stamp your own CAS background. It was also inspired by a card by fellow OWHer Diane that had an element created by embossing plastic packaging.  And, its sentiment came to me after watching a movie late last night.

When I first started mulling over this CAS-ual Fridays challenge, my thoughts immediately went to traditional stamps. However, when I went up the menopause (aka craft) room, there were a few pieces of bubble wrap on the table. Then came the light bulb-moment question, "What if I stamped using this bubble wrap?" The answer to that question came in the form of the card below. :)

base paper: Cardstock Warehouse Paper Co.
background pattern: bubble wrap inked in Distress Ink tumbled glass and scattered straw
letters: Provo Craft repositionable Alphabitties
kite and wave: Making Memories summer foam stamps, fussy cut and adhered with pop up dots
kite: heat embossed with clear powder on Distress Ink core paper; kite spars scored for added effect
wave: stamped on base paper in Distress Ink tumbled glass,  heat embossed with clear powder
kite string: drug-store string

I have to admit, I'm really happy with the way this little card turned out -- love the background effect, love the palette, and really like the design. Surprisingly enough, it even received hubby's seal of approval.

Not quite sure how the position of the sentiment on top of the scattered straw dots happened. Was it serendipity or subconsciousness -- or just plain luck? All I know is that I stepped away from the card for a Milano cookie break when I saw the placement of the letters on the straw dots from a distance -- and thought, "Cool!"  :)

Parting Thoughts

Hope to make an Any Hero card this afternoon for today's OWH Sketch and a card later in the week for this month's OWH ODBD challenge.

As always, thanks for visiting and happy scrappin'!

A Wisp of Silver

Hi everyone,

This week's CAS-ual Fridays Challenge is to create a CAS project that has a touch of silver. So, I thought this might be a perfect time to return to a couple of the challenges posted during last weekend's OWH VCMP.

Those of you who joined in the fun may remember the card at the right. It combined two of the challenges: a multi-layered card in only white and/or cream and a glitter-flee glitz/glam card.

As much as I loved the card, I was concerned that it may not be very mail-friendly for our heroes to send home. So, I decided to use this CAS-ual Friday challenge as an opportunity to make a more mail-friendly version.

DCWV Christmas & Winter Combo silvery matstack paper, AC white cardstock
Cuttlebug ef; Martha Stewart punches; Mark Richards crystals; tulle
(Sorry the image isn't brighter, but it's pretty clear -- and an accurate representation of the colors.)

I just love the elegance of these white-on-white and cream-on-cream cards. Talk about some lovely wedding and anniversary cards. While this silvery version would be perfect for a 25th anniversary, it would be so easy to change colors to commemorate other milestone anniversaries.   :)

Parting Thoughts

Planning on working on some Mother's Day cards tonight -- and maybe piecing together a few more patriotic hearts. Hoping to make an Any Hero card tomorrow using OWH's weekly sketch.

Thanks for visiting and happy scrappin'!

And they called it...

Hi everyone,

Okay, I guess it helps if you read blog posts carefully.  :)

The title of this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge is Love Song in honor of the Grammy Awards. So, I made the card below with the title of a love song in mind. Turns out my card was supposed to be inspired by a song I love. Oh well... Here's this week's card.

miscellaneous cardstock; paw print: scanned image from Frame-Ups (Dog Days)
EK Success triple heart punches heat embossed with AC Zing clear powder
bones stamp from All Night Media (Woof Pet Stamp Strips), embossed with Stampendous silver

So, what song served as the inspiration for this card? And they called it.......... PUPPY LOVE.  :)

The dog lover in me was inspired by Puppy Love, first recorded by Paul Anka and later covered by Donnie Osmond. A few design decisions were:

• Since doggies love bones, I stamped bones for the background image.
• The heart inside the paw print has a double meaning:  a love for doggies and a case of being smitten with puppy love. 

To make the paw print, I scanned a small image from Frame Ups, saved it as a JPG, resized it in a word document, transferred it onto cardstock using graphite tracing paper, and fussy cutted it out. It is adhered using 3D and pop up dots.

To get glossy, shiny hearts, I pressed strips of white and red cardstock into a Versamark pad and then heat embossed the strips using clear powder. Afterwards, I punched out the hearts from the cardstock strips, using two of the three settings on the EK Success punch.

Hope this little card brings a smile to a dog lover in one of OWH's hero's families.

 Parting Thoughts

It's been so nice to return to the world of the living after being engulfed in all-consuming project at work. Seems like forever since I've been able to make cards for both OWH and CAS-ual Fridays in the same week. :)

Stay safe and warm. Have a good week. And, happy scrappin'!

OWH Sketch #155

Hi everyone,

Hope it's been a nice weekend.

I had a chance to make a couple of cards this afternoon inspired by this week's OWH sketch.  So, I have two cards to share.

In each case, I had to use a different-sized oval different than the sketch oval. After cutting out the oval, I decided on the oval's focal point image. After that, I made changes to the sketch based upon the embellishments that accentuated each focal point.

Each card was also inspired by the Midweek Throwdown challenge to create a sentiment-free card. Since the cards are sentiment-free, I chose to move down the sticker/stars and ribbon embellishments.

Card 1: An Any Hero Card

Cardstock: AC, Bazzill Admiral and Watermelon
Bo Bunny Liberty rub-on transfer and sticker; Mark Richards crystal stickers
Punches: Martha Stewart punch all over the page, The Paper Studio, circle punch

Think I will also post this one at CAS-ual Fridays. This week's challenge is to make a card that has a circle.

Card 2: A Card for a Hero to Send to a Loved One

Paper: My Mind's Eye Moments, Distress Ink Core Paper inked in Stampin' Up! Bordering Blue
Technique: fancy cutting; Embellishments: Mark Richards crystal stickers, tulle

Parting Thoughts

Still working on my resolutions -- including leaving comments for fellow card-makers!


An interesting thing happened this week that reminded me of when I first joined a gym years ago. The first week I joined the gym, I won a free T-shirt. That may not sound like a lot, but I don't typically win much. And, I took it as a sign that I was really supposed to continue working out.

Well, this week I learned I won some blog candy -- from a blog where I had left a comment during the Top Ten of 2012 blog hop. This was my first blog candy win -- and I am taking it as a sign that I really am supposed to continue leaving comments. :)


Hope everyone has a great week!  Thanks for stopping. Happy scrappin'!