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'!

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'!

Hey L'il Monster

Hey, everyone.

For today's OWH Midweek Throwdown challenge to make cards 4 kids, I went bright, bold, and busy -- inside and out. Hope some little guy or gal will smile when they get this one.  :)

BTW  The tiny orange circles in the corners were inspired by a torn edge. The trimmer took a little bite out of the top right corner. So, I added a few circles to cover it up.

dp: Recollections Monsters; Creative Memories
cardstock: green and orange: AC; purple: Distress Ink core
Stampin' Up! Make a Monster image, heat embossed in Distress Ink black soot
conputer-generated sentiment
Creative Memories cutting system; Marvy, Paper Shaper and EK punches
Really Reasonable Ribbon ribbon-a-month club ribbon; Tombow foam adhesives
Dixie's awesome ribbon-tying technique

Thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Recipe for a Happy Birthday

Hi, everyone.

Maybe it's because hubby and I both have July birthdays... But, for some reason, I've been motivated to make some birthday cards. Hubby would actually like me to try a couple of craft shows this year. So, I'm trying to get a little jump on craft-show cardmaking. :)

ODBD background stamp; Distress Ink core papers and ink
Stampin' Up! cupcake punch; Fiskars border punch
original sentiment, computer-generated as a table in Word (Lucida Handwriting)

I'm actually making an assortment of these in various color combinations -- mainly as a matter of necessity based on the current availability of Distress Ink papers and coordinating inks in the menopause room.

The background for the card above is from Our Daily Bread Design, a wonderful supporter of OWH. This stamp was part of a blog candy prize. The minute I saw it on the ODBD Web site, I knew I wanted to use it as the background for some recipe cards.

Please click here to read original post.

But, that meant coming up with the recipe itself. So, I went online and checked out some recipe card sentiments. Next, I did some
word smithing of my own and came up with the recipe shown -- with special inspiration from similar verses at Zazzle.com from Scribble Kitty. I used a table in a Word doc, with some cute bullets, to help with formatting, alignment, and so on.

My first attempt included some lace. (Interestingly enough, hubby didn't care much for the lace.) There are also some glue dots in the original -- and a hand-written, less sophisticated recipe. I decided to change things up a little to make cards that were a little more craft show friendly -- cards that a craft show customer could drop in regular mail without worrying about bumps and or thickness.

Parting Thoughts

Hoping to knock out a few more of these birthday cards. All is cut out -- but there is still some assembly required.

Thanks for stopping and a 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'!

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.

SuperDAD

Hi, everyone!

Hope you had a chance to check out Operation Write Home's masculine card tutorials this past weekend. Lots of great ideas and inspiration!

I've been toying with the idea of a SuperDAD version of last month's Supermom card. So, this week I finalized the text, printed the bases and Starbursts, cut out the card front cardstock, and fussy cut the starbursts. A sample card is shown below. One down, only fifteen more to go!

cardstock: blue from Bazzill and yellow from AC -- I think
computer-generated font in Comic Sans; EK hole punch

I don't typically include a sentiment on the inside to leave as much writing room as possible. However, to make a bolder statement with the card front, the rest of the text is printed on the inside back of the card.

Inside Sentiment:
Faster than a 4G network
Stronger than sticks of dynamite
Able to alter actions with a single glare
Promoting truth, justice, and the American way

The inside sentiment was another collaboration with hubby! Hope there are some comic book fans who will enjoy receiving these cards.   :)

Parting Thoughts

Two posts in one night -- and a weekday night, to boot!

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'!

WILD About You

Hi everyone,

When I first saw today's OWH Midweek Throwdown, I had no idea what I would make. Then, I remembered a croc embossing folder and some animal print paper -- and the card below was born!

Midweek Throwdown Recipe:
embossing folder: Sizzix
border punch: EK Success
2 patterned paper: BasicGrey 12 by 12 pad
1 piece of jute twine
(sentiment: computer-generated (Andy font); paper and twine inked with Adirondack espresso)

 

I must admit, I'm pretty wild about the way this tag turned out -- and everything about it is hand-crafted. :) 

• The sentiment is computer-generated and printed on the back of a piece of Core-dinations Vintage paper. 
•  The core paper was mounted on two "solid" papers from the same BasicGrey pad.
• Each layer of the tag is inked with Adirondack espresso.
• The jute twine was also pressed into the Adirondack ink. It is double knotted and "secured' with a dab of glue on the back of the tag.
• Finally, the tag was adhered using 3D glue dots.

My initial thought was to add a few brads. However, I decided to leave the tag and card exactly as shown.

Hope a hero is as wild about this card as I am. :)


As always, thanks for visiting and happy scrappin'!

Words To Live By

Hi everyone,

Hope all of our east coast  cardmakers are warm, safe, and sound.

Today's Card: Words To Live By

Today's Any Hero card was inspired by OWH Sketch #159 and the Declaration of Independence.

paper: blue, sanded Distress Ink Core, kraft: AC Neutral
stamped sentiment: ???? in Distress Ink Fired Brick
other text: computer-generated in various font styles and sizes (red: 128, green: 0, blue:0)
embellishments: garage sale brads

This card feels like a bit of a departure for me, although I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it just feels more rustic than my usual cards.

The sanding of blue core paper was a happy accident. There was a small misstep that resulted in the decision to distress the paper so the misstep would blend in rather than stand out. I really like the texture and dimension that the distressing brings to the top layer.

There was a shade of Distress Ink core that I would've preferred to use for the center. However, the remaining piece that I have isn't large enough to go through our printer. But, I do like the font color on this kraft neutral.

I played with different inks for the stamped sentiment, different gems and brads for the bottom, and a variety of embellishments for the top. I ended up going with a single stamped star in the top left corner to balance the sentiment in the lower right. Finally, the blue paper is adhered with 3D dots.

The computer-generated text is something I've been playing around with for a couple of days. The full image is shown at the right. When I saw the sketch, I decided to use it as the bottom layer of this card. I initially had another idea in mind for this text. So, it may be making an appearance on another card sometime in the future. :)

In the end, I'm struggling with whether this little card needs something else or if it's okay as is. Hubby didn't have much of a reaction either way.

Parting Thoughts

I had to smile when I read Donna's and Carol's comments about the amount of work that went into the little cupcake card. They are absolutely right! The original plan was to make a simple, quick birthday card for a kiddo -- and then one thing led to another. But, we've all had cards like that, right?!

Stay safe and warm. Thanks for visiting and 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

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'!



Romeo and Juliet...

Remember the lyrics from "Fire" by the Pointer Sisters?

Well, Romeo and Juliet,
Samson and Delilah,
Baby, you can bet,

A love they couldn't deny.

How about "Fever" by Peggy Lee, recently covered by Michael Buble?

Romeo loved Juliet
Juliet she felt the same
When he put his arms around her
He said, "Julie baby you're my flame"
Thou givest fever when we kisseth
Fever with thy flaming youth
Fever I'm on fire
Fever yea I burn forsooth

Captain Smith and Pocahontas
Had a very mad affair
When her daddy tried to kill him
She said "Daddy oh don't you dare"
"He gives me fever with his kisses"
"Fever when he holds me tight"
"Fever, I'm his missus"
"Daddy won't you treat him right?"

Well, those songs were the inspiration for the card below. Since the card was for hubby, who teaches history to high school sophomores, I decided to include a couple of historical references in addition to Romeo & Juliet and Scarlett & Rhett.

Paper: Reminisce, Fiber: EK Adornments,
white tulle, computer-generated font

Actually, the card ended up being larger (a letter size sheet of paper folded in half) and frillier that I originally planned. In spite of its frilliness, I think hubby appreciated the effort. :)

So, I'm already thinking of how this design can be tweaked for 2013 OWH Valentine's Day cards. Thinking I need to:

• include only 3 hearts on the front,
• place the larger heart on the inside of the card on the left side,
• omit the tulle -- maybe use double matting instead,
• and, of course, replace the names on the last heart with "You and Me"

Any other suggestions?

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrappin'!

OWH VCMP Challenges

Hi, everyone,

If you haven't checked out the challenges posted on OWH's Stars and Stamps blog in honor of OWH's cruise, make sure you take a look. There are some great challenges -- and lots of wonderful cards that have been linked to the blog posts.

It looks like my fellow party goers are publishing separate posts for each challenge -- and I know that short posts are preferable in the blogging community. So, I apologize in advance for going with one longer post for the sake of efficiency. That being said, I have 5 cards to share. :)


Card 1: Challenge 2 (Masculine Nautical) and Challenge 6 (Sand and Sea)

Yes, I confess that I posted the following card twice because it fits both challenges perfectly. I'm telling myself I'm really not cheating because I liked this first card so much that I made 3 more -- 2 more for OWH and 1 for my brother's birthday. :)

The most exciting thing about this card is that the sand dollars were cut and embossed using a Zip'e Mate that I purchased at a scrapbook garage sale!  I'd been able to use it for embossing, but this was my first success at getting it to die cut!!!

DMC floss, garage sale brads, background paper: DCWV Travel Pack,
blue netting: your guess is as good as mine -- just a great leftover in the scrap pile,
and a Zip'E Mate!!!!

Card 2: Challenge 7 (CAS)

This card actually came together quickly, which is not always the case for me.  I was pleased that the stamped sentiment blended in so perfectly with the aged look of the printed paper.


Bo Bunny Timepiece Collection from last year: 6 x 6 pad and card-making set


Card 3: Challenge 8 (Jungle Animals -- for a kid's card)

Well, it's a good thing a couple of the other cards came together quickly, because this one did not. I didn't have one blasted jungle animal in all my stash! So, I went online and found an adorable pattern/template for a lion at DLTK's Growing Together.

The mane, face, body, and tail tip are all created from punched-out hearts. The ears and nose are also supposed to be hearts. But, since I printed the pattern at 50%, the hearts were too tiny for my liking. Hope you like this one because I'm thinking it was well worth the effort. I'm also thinking I need to make more kid cards for OWH. :)

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

Card 4: Cut It Out! (punches and die cuts)

I started the following card for the Hot Tropics challenge, but the orange and green butterflies just didn't look quite right. The white butterflies with a light-blue grid pattern look so much better -- even though the pattern doesn't show up very well in the JPG.

Jillibean Blossom Soup paper pad and embellishment

Card 5: Vintage

This last card also came to me very quickly. When my hubby saw it, I think he was hoping it was his Valentine card. I must admit, it probably is more suited to him than the card he will be receiving. But, since I had already written in his card, it was too late to switch. Guess it will just have to be sent to one of our troop's loved ones... Oh, darn!  :)

Once again, Bo Bunny Timepiece 6 x 6 pad and card-making set -- perfect for a vintage look

This week's VCMP was great fun!  At first I wasn't going to participate because I had planned to get a jump on Mother's Day cards. But, the variety of the challenges have resulted in a nice assortment of cards for the "other half cards" for the half Mother's Day/half other cards challenge. Nice job, OWH blog team!

Thanks for visiting! Happy scrappin'!

My First OWH Shipment of the Year!!!

First of all, my thanks to everyone who has left such nice comments about Sketch #106 and my congratulations to everyone for posting such great cards! And, for folks who left blogging advice, my sincerest appreciation. A techie colleague at work is going to help me out during lunch. :)

I'm thrilled to say that I sent my first box of the year to Kris! I am really pleased by this shipment's assortment. It was a nice mix of feminine, masculine, and patriotic cards. And, it had 5 Any Hero cards!!! Woot! Woot!


Some of the cards have already been posted for OWH challenges or featured here. So, I will just share the ones that have not yet made a public appearance.


Building on my "Your Service Means the World to Me" Any Hero card, I included 11 cards along the lines of the following made from the DCWV Travel Stack. The sentiment is computer-generated.

It also included 11 of the following cards, which were made distressing Ranger Core Paper and embossing with Sizzix folders -- including one of Tim Holtz's folders. As with the previous cards, the sentiment is computer-generated. Although I would have preferred to attach the sentiment with a little more pizazz, I was at a day-long crop at a school and out of pop dots. But, in all honesty, the less-embellished cards are the ones my hubby prefers. Here's hoping there are some troops that feel the same way.  :)

Finally, for the females, there were 8 of the following made from Kaiser's Secret Bird Society paper. I used Creative Memories square punches, Martha Stewart's punch-around-the-page butterfly punch, and Dixie's ribbon technique. Thank you, Dixie!

Think that's it for tonight. Thanks for coming by. Happy scrappin'!