Praying For Our Deployed Heroes

Isn't it nice to know that people are praying for you, especially when you are going through a tough time?  I am starting to pray for the person who receives my Any Hero cards as I box them up. They do need our prayers.  For this card I actually put the words on the front.

Usually I use Memento Rich Cocoa as my brown ink but this time I grabbed an old stamp pad by Personal Stamp Exchange.  I really like the red-brown color. The background paper which looks textured is actually a digital paper by GKD.  Isn't it neat?  This is the sketch I used at Tuesday Morning Sketch:

The main image is ODBD.  Sentiment is GKD and the little stars in the corners is a StampinUp stamp. I don't know where I purchased the star buttons but I have only 2 left and sad to say goodbye to those in my stash.
Base is SU Chocolate Brown, panel is GKD Textured Tan.

Challenges:
Love To Create - Fall colors
Craft Your Passion - no coloring
Created With Love - fall colors
Our Daily Bread - anything with ODBD stamp
Word Art - anything
Simon Says Wednesday - anything
Craft 4 Eternity - anything
Sister Act - anything
Clear It Out - masculine and dies
Frosted Designs - texture

It Is Already Friday

Already the end of the week and almost the end of the month.   Because it is Friday, I wanted to play the Friends with Flair challenge at Unity.

I'm very pleased with this card. Fun to make.  I used five different metallic papers.  Wish you could see it in person because the shimmer does not come through in the photo.  The only regular cardstock used is the base.  I used the sketch at Unity

Stamps used - Unity
Die cut stars - made with Verve die.
White stars - fabric embellishment

Challenge:
Friends with Flair
Craft Your Passion - no coloring
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Craft 4 Eternity - anything
Sister Act - anything

Frosted Designs - texture
Get Inky - love
Unity - sketch

Let Us Be Thankful

It may seem early for Thanksgiving Day cards but not for OWH.  This is going out in my box of 40 cards ( that makes 400 so far this year - whoohoo!) today because Thanksgiving Day cards are due Sept. 30.  Nothing like getting them there in  last minute.

This is such a beautiful pre-colored image by Doodle Pantry.  And I love the digital paper that goes with it. The set is called "Let Us Be Thankful".   I actually had this image left over from last year.  I had already glued it to the blue circle and the square of d.p.  I have no idea what sketch it was intended for so I made up my own layout with the ribbon.  Talk about fast.  Since most of the work was already done last year, it took me about 3 minutes to put this one together.  Wish all my cards with left over pieces were that easy!!

Challenges:
Created with Love - yellow, orange, brown
Paper Make Up - anything
What If Wednesday - Fall
Simon Says Wednesday - anything
Di's Digital Downloads - Fall
Great Impressions - Fall
House of Gilli - Fall

Happy Bird-day, Tweetie

I've been itching to try my new MFT stamp set and coordinating dies.  there are several family birthdays coming up so this was a good time to break this set out of it's wrapper and give it a try.

No, it does not look like a birthday card on the outside so here is the inside:

I used some of my favorite paper - Heartfelt Creations, Timeless Amour Collection for the outside, fussy cutting two of the roses for the right hand corner.  The punched edge is a Recollection punch. the bird cage is cut out of metalic gold paper.  For the inside I used another piece of this beautiful designer paper.  One of the 12 x 12 sheets is done up in small rectangles so I cut out one of those and then stamped two sentiments and the scroll embellishment in the middle of the circle.  See the little "love" above my mom signature.  That is a tiny stamp from the MFT set Pretty Pockets.
I think the next card I make with this set, I will go more whimsical because the bird lends itself to that.  I tried to make her a little bit more elegant by adding a die cut wing out of the D.P. but probably whimsical would be better.

Have a great day.

Challenges:
Craft Your Passion - no coloring
Crafty Cardmaker - wings
Simon Says Wednesday - anything
Totally Papercrafts - birthday
Stamp and Create - birthday
Divas That Cut Paper - celebrate
Get Inky -birds
Sister Act - anything

Penguin Parade

Did you know there really is a penguin parade?  It happens every night on Phillip Island as the little penguins return from fishing that day.  But instead of hundreds waddling up the beach, I have only two penguins to show you and only one is waddling.  The other is trying to warm himself with a latte.  Let's start with the latte.  (I'll take a pumpkin spice one, please.)

This cute digital image is by Imagine That.  It is a freebie this month.  So CUTE - just had to have it.  I colored him with Prisma pencils and added crystal lacquer to the red cup.  The background paper is some old paper I had in my stash.  I stamped a few snowflakes and added two Cuttlebug die cuts.  Sentiment is Doodle Pantry and  found in the Quirky Penguin set used on the next card.

Yep, same sketch found at Your Next Stamp.

 Used a brass snowflake at the corner of the sentiment on this card.  The image is precolored.  Love those. Paper comes with the set.

Are you chilly yet?  Now I am really ready for that latte.

Challenges:
Imagine That - use penguin image
Crafty Cardmaker - wings
Sister Act - anything
Paper Makeup - anything
Your Next Stamp - sketch
Simon Says Wednesday - anything

Autumn of Officially Here

And quite a dramatic entrance with rain, wind, leaves falling down, drop in temperature.
So how about an Autumn card?

Isn't this a cute scarecrow stamp?  It is by Close To My Heart.  I colored it with Prisma pencils.  I tried to color the overalls to look like denim but now as I look at them, it just looks like I did not color them thoroughly.  Oh, well.  The sunflowers in the left corner is a stamp by GKD that I stamped, colored, and then fussy cut.  The leaves are made with a Verve die and a crimper.   Base is Kraft.


Challenges:
Kraft Journal - fall colors
Love to Create - fall colors
Created with Love - fall colors
Crafters Cafe - flowers
CASual Friday - fall with at least one leaf
Great Impression - fall colors
House of Gilli - fall
Sisters Act - anything

I Have No Choice

It is really stormy outside.  My hubby is watching football.  So what's a girl to do? 
Post some cards and make some more!!!  This is my second post today and I really had another card lined up to post.  But I made this card a few minutes ago and it came together so quickly and cute, I decided to share it instead.

I just love this T-shirt die from MFT. It is called Masculine Grafic T-shirt.  Someone gave me the camo paper.  I must find some more because I think it would be great to use more of it for OWH cards.   I used a sentiment (world's greatest) from the coordinating stamp set and also "hero" from a Unity sentiment.  Here is the whole sentiment. 

I just inked the word "hero" to stamp on the shirt.
The sketch is YNS

I forgot to mention, but you probably already know, this card is a thank you card to one of our deployed heroes that will be sent via Operation Write Home.

Hope you are having a great day.  I am!  What could be more fun than watching the leaves blowing around and the rain come down, and stamping?!

Challenges:
Simon Says Monday Challenge - stamp on something besides plain white paper
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - use a product in the store
Word Art - anything uplifting
Sister Act - anything
Clear it Out - masculine and die cuts
Your Next Stamp - sketch

You Have My Heart

This is my first set of BOLD sentiments and I am really liking it.  This set is by My Favorite Things and is called Bold Statements.

The heart in the upper right corner is Verve.  The red heart paper is digital paper by Daisy Doodles.
I used the Mojo Monday sketch:

Challenges:
Mojo Monday - sketch
Get Inky - love
Verve - tic tac toe
Sister Act  - anything
Simon Says Wednesday - use a product in store

Vintage Lamppost

Another Christmas card.  This one using a Doodle Pantry image "Vintage Lamppost"

Here is a tip on what not to do.  Do not decide to sponge ink onto your card after you have it glued together.  That is what I did and ended up with a blob of too much ink on the sponge resulting in the blog of ink right above the bow.
I used a precolored lamppost.  I added some Sukura clear star to the flame to give the flame a little sparkle.  The poinsettias on the left side are also Doodle Pantry.    I printed them out very small - 4 really small and 2 a little larger, then fussy cut and layered.  The poinsettia paper is from the set.

Challenges:
CSAYL - Christmas
Crafty Catz - decoupage
Sister Act - anything
Timeless Tuesday - let it shine
Paper Creators - Christmas
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - anything

Tic, Tac, Toe, Three In A Row

As I was thumbing through an old Card Creations magazine, I saw a card by Tiffany Johnson on which she made a tic, tac, toe design.  It was my inspiration for this card:

I printed out a sheet of paper from Doodle Pantry's "Notebook Paper" set,  then made the left edge with my new die from MFT.  I drew the grid lines with a Tombow marker.  I tried stamping X and O's but did not like them so on this card I drew them by hand.  The heart is punched out .  Sentiment is Verve.  I really like this card.  Good thing because I made three of them to send to OWH.   I printed out four notebook sheets of paper but didn't like the one that I stamped X and O's on so only sending three.  That is one of my new goals - to make more than one of a kind.  I usually end up with a pile of images that I throw in a box to use later.  So my new resolution (kind of like a new year's resolution ) is to use everything on the page before I print out something else.  Like most resolutions I make, I will probably tire of this new discipline.  We will see how long I hold to it !


Challenges:
Verve - tic tac toe
Love to Scrap - borders
Get Inky - thing called love
Love to Create - CAS
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Sister Act - anything

Getting Rid of the Blues

That is what my hydrangeas are doing.  As we go into Autumn, my blue hydrangeas turn to beautiful shades of purple and maroon.  Here is a bouquet I picked yesterday.

And aren't those leaves gorgeous?
Here is a card I made today, trying to use the blue/purple colors.  I hope to make another one with the maroon/sage combo too.

I stamped the image twice so I could glue the flowers on top of the leaves.  It doesn't really show in the photo.  Another detail that does not show up well is the clear star Sakura ink that I put on each flower center.  I did that after I decided on this gorgeous sparkly copper ribbon.  The top edge is purple and graduates down to the pure copper.
Designer papers are Heartfelt Creations and DCWV.
The image and the word, "blessings" are Our Daily Bread Designs "Hydrangea"
Recollections border punch
Copper Metallic paper
Stampin Up Lavender Lace card stock

Challenges:
Craft Your Passion - fall colors
Our Daily Bread Design - fall colors
Crafter's Cafe - flowers
Great Impressions - fall colors
House of Gilli - fall colors
Love to Scrap - borders
Simon Monday Challenge - stamp on d.p.
Word Art Wednesday - anything

You Make Me Smile

That is the sentiment of this new stamp set by GKD that goes with this cute flower image. 

I remembered this piece of designer paper in the 6 x 6 MME paper pad.  The flowers were so similar in shape so I stamped in the colors of the paper.
Because I stamped to tags, I made two cards.  The second with some designer paper I have had for ages. 

I distressed the edges of the tag and added some faux stitching to tie it in with the stitched ribbon.
 
 I used the sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches for both:

Challenges:
Love to Create - CAS
Craft Your Passion - fall colors
Di's Digital Downloads - fall colors
Great Impressions - fall colors
Get Inky - flowers
House of Gilli - fall colors
Crafter's Cafe - flowers
Word Art Wednesday
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - anything

When Autumn Leaves Start To Fall

Remember that song?  Leaves are starting to fall but most are just changing color.  I love this leaf stamp by Mark's Finest.  I have a ton of leaf images but this one is really different with the scene inside the leaf.  After stamping it with Pumpkin Pie ink, I used a negative mask and sponged some ink on the inside of the outline.

I've never done any hand stitching on a card before but tried it and I like the looks of it.  I pierced the holes first  - worked a lot better than just trying to poke the needle through the paper !
The button is a sticker - really!  Doesn't it look real?  It is by Tim Holtz (from Kraft Outlet). I like it because it is flat - very mailable. The twine is also very thin. 
The background paper is a very old piece of designer paper.  Backed by dark Kraft, Black and the base is Stampin Up Really Rust.

Challenges:
Craft Your Passion - fall
Kraft Journal - song
Created with Love - anything
Love to Create - CAS
Our Daily Bread - fall colors
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - anything
Di's Digital Downloads - fall
Great Impressions - fall
House of Gilli - fall 

Love Is In The Air

For a break from Autumn cards and Christmas cards which I am churning out, I made a few cards with the love theme.  Here is one that I made with my new Unity stamp "Love Tiles" and a heart stamp from the Verve set "With Love".

I stamped the heart on a piece of designer paper that had lips printed on it.  I cut out each of the LOVE tiles in order to place them on another piece of designer paper.  All these DP's are from the 6 x 6 stack found at GKD.
Sketch is Your Next Stamp

Challenges:
Your Next Stamp - sketch
Verve - tic,tac,toe
Created With Love - anything
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - anything
Get Inky - a thing called love
Simon Monday - stamp on d.p.

Doxology

The Doxology.  We don't sing it much any more but I sure love it.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen
So when I saw this digital by Doodle Garden,  I chose it for one of my winning digital images.

I colored it with Prisma pencils.  The base is GKD Sweet Mango and then Kraft behind the digital panel.  Love this ribbon that I picked up at a craft store.  It is great for Autumn and Christmas cards.

Challenges:
Kraft Journal - song
Great Impressions - fall colors
Craft Your Passion - fall colors
Created with Love - anything
Love to Create - CAS
House of Gilli - fall colors
Crafter's Cafe - no DP
Di's Digital - fall colors
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything

Singing Songs of Thanksgiving

A good Sunday morning to everyone.   I know it is not Thanksgiving Day yet, but my songs of praise and thanks are not limited to that one day.  In fact, there probably is not a day that goes by when I do not sing and 99.99% of my songs are songs of praise to my God.   Here is a card with no image, just a verse from the Psalms.  The digital is by Doodle Pantry.

The set has six verses in beautiful fonts.

 The sketch is by Kraft Journal:

The base of the card is Kraft.  I used a scrap piece of designer paper and the larger background piece is digital paper by GKD.  The stamped leaf that is fussy cut is also GKD.  The red die cut leaves that I  ran through the crimper were cut with a Verve die.
Sometimes after cutting out an image or in this case the verse, I run the piece back through the Cuttlebug with the tan mat in order to emboss the edges.  Instead of cutting another contrasting color and putting it behind the verse piece, I distressed the edges with a pumpkin ink and brought a little of that color onto the piece.

Challenges:
Wednesday Word Art - anything
Great Impressions - fall colors
Bearly Mine - fall colors
Simon Monday Challenge - emboss
Simon Wednesday Challenge - emboss
Timeless Tuesday - emboss
Di's Digitals - fall colors

Let Us Always Remember

As I listened to the radio Wednesday, Sept. 11, I heard audio clips of that day in 2001.  I was surprised, yet glad, it touched my emotions.  It is one thing to remember that day, the devastation, the death, the pain, the terror.  But to hear sound bites again, brought the horror of it back again. 
I made cards Wednesday.  Cards for our deployed heroes.  Cards for them to send home.  But also cards TO them, expressing my gratitude for their service, service that often does not make much sense, service that is not only distant but dangerous.
It is hard for me to be proud of America right now.  But if I separate the country from the politics then I love this country.  And I can be proud of our deployed heroes.
Here is one of the cards I made:

This darling digital image is by Dearie Dolls.  It is precolored.  The sentiment is by Doodle Pantry.  After printing the sentiment onto the card stock, I then ran the CS through the Cuttlebug with the Cuttlebug embossing folder.

I hope many of you support Operation Write Home by making cards for our deployed heroes.  If you have been curious about that and want to check into it, HERE is the link. 

Challenges;
Simon Says Monday Challenge - emboss
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - emboss
Timelss Tuesday - emboss
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - anything
Word Art - anything
Sister Act - anything
Paper Makeup - make your own BG paper
Pennys Paper Crafty - anything
Crafter's Cafe - no designer paper

It's Always On A Windsday

Remember that song by Winnie the Pooh?  "It's always on a windsday, the winds begin to blow."  I really love the warm Autumn winds and breezes we have right now.  I feel like this little girl when I walk out to the wooded part of our property and the leaves are swirling around.

I'm sorry this card looks so green.  It is really Ivory card stock.  I didn't check the quality of the photo until after this card was boxed up ready to go to OWH.
The image is by Deariedolls.  I stamped a spray of leaves (I think it is Inkadinkado) and then used sentiments by Mark's Finest Papers.
The paper leaves in the corners are punched out.  On one I drew veins.  I ran two through the crimper.
Image was colored with Prisma Pencils.

Challenges:
Sister Act - anything
Great Impressions - fall colors
Your Next Stamp - colors
Paper Makeup - make your own BG paper
Crafters Cafe - no designer paper
Pennys Paper Crafty - anything
         

Creating Just For The Fun Of It

My pile of extra digital images has grown (again!) so yesterday I make up 6 cards using up some of those pieces.  My husband says I can be in my craft room as much as I want but I feel guilty and lazy if I spend too much time in there.  Can't get used to the idea that we can be flexible and lazy now that we are retired.  But I was having a lot of trouble with my left shoulder ( two chiropractor adjustments already this week) and I had two granddaughters for the day so I took my darling's advice and spent a great deal of time making cards just for the fun of it as well as making shrinky dinks and perler bead creations with the girls.  Time well spent after all.

I used the Seems A Little Sketchy sketch:

The sentiment is a plastic puffy sticker.  The dolphin is a precolored image by Doodle Pantry.   He always makes me smile when I make a card with him.

Other challenges for this card:
Simon Says Monday Challenge - emboss
Simon Wednesday Challenge - emboss
Timeless Tuesday - dry emboss

Sister Act - anything
Pennys Paper-Crafty - anything

Here is another card that I did just for fun;

This is another digital image and sentiment by Doodle Pantry.  This one I colored with Prisma pencils.  The grass die is Your Next Stamp.  Card base is GKD Kraft.

Here is wishing you a great day and hope you get a chance to create - just for the fun of it.

These Will Mark The Spot

Scraps of paper, receipts, gum wrappers, travel tickets, napkins.  I've used them all for bookmarks.  Hopefully these markers that I made for a couple of grandkids will be used instead of whatever is close by.

I really love the sentiment on the first one.  I needed that kind of encouragement when I was in school.
The only stamps that I can identify companies for are the note paper on the first and the books on the second.  They are both Gina K Design.
I recently received some washi tape from Kraft Outlet so I used a strip of the ruler tape on each bookmark.

Challenges:
Penny's Paper Crafting - anything
CASual Friday - back to school
Crafty Catz - bookmarks
2 Sisters - back to school
Ribbon Carousel - back to school
Your Next Stamp - photo inspiration

Thanks By the Basketful

Someone recently gave me a box of apples (Washington, of course) so I made this card to express my appreciation.

I love images of baskets or barrels of apples.  This image and sentiment are by Gina K Designs.
Colored with Prisma pencils.  I made the plaid paper with my stamp by DRS Designs.
Card base is GKD Ivory.  The little piece of twine is Earthy Colors Help Cord from Kraft Outlet.  I love it because it is real soft and ties easily, unlike other twine I have that is stiff and hard to work with.
The sketch - Seems a Little Sketchy

Other Challenges:
Perfect Sentiment - twine
Great Impressions - Fall colors
House that Stamps Built - no squares
Penny's Paper Craft - twine
Bearly Mine  - Fall colors
Sister Act - anything

Autumn, Sweet Autumn

As you know, I love Autumn - the colors, the harvest from my garden, the weather, the leaves.  This card captures a bit of thing I love.

I think I used a record number (for me) of GKD products:  three stamp sets, three cardstocks.
The sentiment is from Flowers for Daisy.  Leaves from Autumn Leaves.  Pumpkins from Signs of Autumn.  Cardstocks:  Sweet Mango, Sweet Corn, Ivory.
Pumpkins are popped up a bit with dimensional tape.
The leaf off to the side is a dark bronze metal brad.
The designer paper was so busy and all my ribbons clashed with the orange coloring so I used a piece of the Mango CS and then because it looked too plain, I did some piercing.  Now I am thinking I should have done some piercing in the right corner of the ivory panel but, alas, it is all glued in place, so this is the final product. 
Sketch is MFT

Challenges:
MFT - sketch
Great Impressions - fall colors
House that Stamps Built - no squares
Sister Act - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything uplifting

The Last Card

This is the last card for this weeks Mojo Monday sketch, the last card for my OWH box of 40 to be mailed tomorrow, the last of this wonderful snowman designer paper, and if I don't get any cardmaking in today, the last post for a while.

This description might sound like a re-run :
designer papers from Echo Park
Snowman image - ? company
Card base - Stampin Up Baja Breeze
Sentiment - Stampin Up

Challenges:
Clearly i Stamp - thank you
Created with Love - snowflakes
Crafty Cardmaker - Snow and Ice
Mojo Monday - sketch 
Sister Act - anything

A Minie Mouse Moment

It is so beautiful today so my hubby and I have been trying to catch up on yard work that went by the wayside due to a week of rain.  I am taking a mini ("Minie" break - smile) break, posting a card I made the other day. 

I love this sheet of designer paper that has these squares Disney faces.  The other two designer papers are from the Celebration Stack by DCWV.

Sketch is Mojo Monday
I really like this sketch .  I made four cards with it.

Other Challenges:
Sentimental Sunday - happy birthday
Simon Wednesday Challenge - animals
Stamp and Create - birthday
Divas That Cut - celebration
Sister Act - anything
Brown Sugar - animals

When All Else Fails...

You have heard it said, "When all else fails, read the instructions."  Well, I read the instructions but obviously not carefully.  I wanted to try the challenge #1 at the OWH VCMP.  So I cut out my one inch squares, put the card together, only to realize that all the cards posted were Christmas. Yes, I missed that part of the challenge.  So here is the first card that I made:

Sentiment is by MFT.  Card base is Real Red by Stampin up.  Embossing folder is Cuttlebug.

An now for the Christmas card I am entering into the OWH challenge!  I decided to use some designer paper that was a sheet of old world Christmas stamps.  I cut out each stamp. Had to line them up a little differently but I do like how it turned out :

Sentiment for this card is by Verve.  Card base is Artichoke by Stampin Up and embossing folder is Cuttlebug.

Challenges:
OWH VCMP #1
Divas That Cut - celebrate
Verve -tic, tac, toe inspiration (grid)
Our Daily Bread - one layer

Winter Card

Even though I am trying to do Christmas cards to send to OWH,  I am also making a few winter cards that can be used after Christmas. I think this one could be used for either.

The snowman image is a single stamp = ? company.  Sentiment is Sweet n Sassy.  Background paper and red strip are from the 6 x 6 pad Winter Park by Echo Park. Aren't these beautiful colors?  The card base is StampinUp Baja Breeze. 

This is a loose translation of the MFT sketch

My original plan was to fussy cut the snow man  and put him where the arrows are but the BG paper was so busy, I thought it best to keep him on the rectangle.

Challenges:
MFT - sketch
Crafty Cardmaker -  snow and ice
Pink Gem - 2 backing papers
Sister Act - anything
House that Stamps Built - no square
OWH VCMP #2 - O=Only snowmen (or oodles of snowmen -haha), W = White, H = Hugs

Late But Worth It

The Doodle Pantry September release is here - a few days late but worth it.  Such lovely sets again this month.  You must hop over to the store and see these new sets. 
I chose to work with the beautiful set "Apples".  As I told Laurie, how could I not do Washington Apples?  My State and with relatives owning some of the largest orchards in Washington?

For this first card, I colored one of the single apples with pencils and used some of the digital paper in the set. 

This is the sketch I used found at 2 Sisters turned on its side:

I made the plaid background paper - love reds and browns together.  Don't you love this sentiment?
I will be entering this card in the following challenges:
OWH VCMP #7
2 Sisters - sketch
Pink Gem - 2 backing papers
Sister Act - anything
Great Impressions - fall colors
Word Art Wednesday - anything uplifting

For the second card, I used one of the pre-colored images, another piece of the digital papers and a piece from another D.P. set. 
The embossing folder is Cuttlebug and the flower that I thought would look like an apple blossom is a Verve stamp.  The base is GKD  Green Jelly Bean cardstock.

For this card I used the sketch at Mojo Monday 

Other challenges for this card:
Sister Act - anything
Cards Galore - color inspiration (green, yellow, pink)

Here is a pic of the whole set which comes with pre-colored and lined digitals.

Thanks for sticking with me through this long post. 
I'll probably back again today with another card for the OWH VCMP challenge.
See you then.