Karate fun with Hambo

The Hambo Stamps Hoedown challenge this week is to use this cute new digi, "Wee Henry Karate" and torn paper. I love the Hambo Hoedown because it's fun, challenging, and you kind of tell a story with your card! I had fun with this one for sure!

The DP is My Mind's Eye Stella Rose "Mabel" 6x6 pad. I thought the bright colors and stars added to the karate-chop action!

Vintage angel and beautiful sentiment

The challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is "Fairies and Angels." I had good luck at StampersBest today; I found this beautiful digi image called "Sheltering Angel" (she looks like a fairy to me) for just $1! Then I read the beautiful sentiment and knew it would be perfect for an AnyHero card.

The StampersBest digi also works for The Shabby Tea Room challenge Week 129 "Summer Cottage." The challenge is to use distressing, shabby elements, a title/sentiment, and the colors in this inspiration photo:

I colored the "Sheltering Angel" (love that art deco style!) with Copics and gold pen. I found the teal adhesive lace at Michaels, as well as the paper doily in the cake deco section. The brad is from Stampin' Up. I also added Pearl Pen, Ranger distress ink; stamped & cut out the tiny butterfly. The embossing folder is "Tiffany" by Provocraft. I flipped when I saw it (not really) because it complements the digi and also because I'm reading a great book called "Clara and Mr. Tiffany", all about the Tiffany lamps in the late 1800s! I sanded the raised embossing. This is a little chunky for an OWH card, but that's OK since I'll write an AnyHero note inside! See you soon!

OWH Midweek Throwdown: Masculine

I found this nice golfer digi at StampersBest for $1 today. Colored it with Copics and inked edges with Ranger Distress Ink. I thought my card needed a little something so I added the amber rhinestones. Not sure if they should be on a guy card, but I like the touch of bling.

Thanks for stopping by!

Three for Sketch 135

I made three cards using Operation Write Home's new sketch, #135:

The first card uses one of my favorite clear stamp sets, "Li'l Pumpkin" by My Favorite Things. I paper pieced it and sanded the embossed purple strip. This is the first time I've used a "white" pumpkin; I love seeing those in the autumn. I think the pumpkin in this stamp works well as the little embellishment on the sketch.

Here's another using the same stamp set:

I had some vintage fun with this one, using an image from Digital Two for Tuesday which I colored with Copics:

Card with bookmark

Hi! The theme at The Shabby Tea Room is "For the love of books" using aqua, pink, cream, and newsprint! Here's the inspiration photo:

I used a cute vintage book-themed image from Digital Two for Tuesday. I made it into a bookmark that can be removed for a child to use.

The stickers and seam binding are from Melissa Frances and the newsprint DP is My Mind's Eye. It makes me happy to think that one of our heroes serving in harm's way will send this to a child! I won't be posting for a week but will have a computer so you might see me drop by your blog for a visit. Thanks for stopping by!

Vintage travel collage

Hello! The challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow this week is "Vintage Travel." I will also post my card for the OWH Midweek Throwdown, . The challenge is "Get your kraft on!" and all I saw was "kraft" and not the rest of the challenge which is "and one or two other colors"! My card has several colors but I decided to post it for the MWT anyway!

This cool vintage car image is from Digital Two for Tuesday I printed it on Kraft paper and lightly colored it with Copics to make it look like the beautiful red rocks of Arizona. The piece from a vintage travel poster was already colored (I Googled "free vintage travel images".) I've had these travel stickers forever; I think they came in a Die Cuts With A View scrapbooking kit. I'm very happy to have a good reason to use them! The bg map paper is from from a handy little paper pad that I lost the cover to. I think it's Me & My Big Ideas and I've used it a LOT. I'll try to find the name of it from an earlier card because I want to get another one if I can. I couldn't resist adding the bright red-orange pop of color of this yummy Bo Bunny Liberty Collection brad. I took a risk placing it there, but it reminds me of the setting sun. I also love the Primitive Star brads from Creative Impressions. The cream colored star seemed like a nice addition to my desert theme! I'll have my laptop with me, but I won't be posting any cards for just over a week because I'm going first to Ocean City, MD, and then to my niece's wedding in Charlottesville. I'm taking a bunch of digis & stamped images to color. Thanks for stopping by!

OWH Sketch Challenge #133

Welcome! Here is this week's sketch at the Stars & Stamps blog, followed by my card:

I used my new Stampin' Up bird stamp that matches the SU bird punch. Love it. I had to stamp twice to get the green branch, so I used the purple branch as kind of a shadow piece. The DPs are Memory Box from my stash. Ranger grape distress ink. I decided to make this a general, no-sentiment card that could be used for many occasions or just for a hero's note to a friend. Have a great week.

A painting for the newlyweds

It was fun to have dinner with Lori and Brian tonight and I gave them this picture I painted while they were away on their honeymoon. It's a painting of the Briar Patch B&B, where they were marrried. They were very surprised & I hope you enjoy seeing it, too!

Hambo Hoedown challenge

Hambo Stamps has an Olympic-themed challenge at the Hoedown this week. They provided this new cheese digi to everyone who played in their challenge last week. We had the choice of making a card with this or any Hambo iimage, as long as we use two or all of the colors in the Olympic rings in our card! I chose red & yellow:

I colored the Hambo digi with Copics; one of these cheeses might look like orange, but it's "maize" yellow. The DP is My Mind's Eye Lost & Found "Sunshine". It's bright to say the least, but I think the yellow paired with the bright red checks is very cheerful! It's finally Friday! Have a great weekend.

Card for a little princess

The Midweek Throwdown Challenge at Operation Write Home is to make cards for kids. I love this freebie called "Waiting Castle", designed by Nikki at Melonheadz Illustrating!

I colored the digi with Copics; it is also available in a pre-colored format. The digi also comes with the sentiment "Waiting", but I chose to use the old standby sentiment, "Thinking of You". I recently watched the movie "Tangled" with my friend's three little girls; as soon as I saw this Rapunzel digi I grabbed it! I hope a hero's little girl will enjoy receiving this. Have a good weekend!

Something old, new & neutral!

The challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow this week is "Something Old, Something New":

The "something old" is the tiny vintage butterfly stamp that I used in my background paper. It's one of the first wood-mounted rubber stamps I bought (Rubber Stampede) and I love it. I also stamped the bg with a set from Crafty Secrets called "Material Girl" which I got in June, so that's pretty new! The "something new" is the measuring tape ribbon, which I found the other day at Angela's Happy Stamper! The pretty vintage image is from Digital Two for Tuesday. I colored it with neutral-colored Copics, so I can also post my card at The Shabby Tea Room's weekly challenge, which is to use "Soft Neutrals". Thanks for visiting! Maybe we'll celebrate with blog candy when the count reaches 100 fabulous followers; almost there at 96! I think that's as good a reason as any to celebrate! Cheers!

Masculine vintage card

This month's challenge sponsored by Our Daily Bread Designs at Operation Write Home is to make vintage cards. I used an image from Digital Two for Tuesday, with dp from Teresa Collins' World Traveler 6x6 pad; Glitz epoxy sticker; Vintage Photo distress ink:

Thanks for stopping by!

OWH Sketch #132

This week's sketch challenge at Operation Write Home:

And here is my card, using a Sweet & Sassy clear stamp and My Mind's Eye "Fine and Dandy Girl" dp:

Have a great week!

Vintage Christmas

The challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is Vintage Christmas in July. Their sponsor this week is Sassy Cheryl's Digis and I thought I'd go over and check out her shop. I was pleasantly surprised to find this gorgeous vintage image! Way to go, Cheryl! This pretty digi is a steal at $2, I think!

I put my paper-piecing passion into action using My Mind's Eye "Holly Jolly" 6x6 DP Pad for her dress and background layers; the tag is made from another MME scrap, stamped with a Stampin' Up sentiment. The rest of the image is colored with Copics (olive, garnet, pearl white, light camel, dark brown, skin white, flesh). I added a bit of Glossy Accents to the candy cane and inked paper edges with Distress Ink. I have always loved this cranberry colored ribbon and cranberry ink; these red & light green rhinestones remind me of old fashioned Christmas lights. I think I'm getting into the spirit... What a fun challenge; thanks for stopping by!

Hambo Tic-tac-toe challenge!

I've missed the Hambo Hoedown for a few weeks, due to all the wedding preparations, so it is fun to jump back on the haywagon today with this card! I used one of my fave Hambo images and the tic-tac-toe elements are Brads, Twine and Orange. The sentiment is from Paper Smooches; SU Modern Label punch; Glossy Accents; Cuttlebug ef. I hope one of our heroes will enjoy sending this autumn-football card home to a little girl who likes football! (p.s. those are the University of Virginia colors!) Thanks for visiting.

OWH Midweek Throwdown: AnyHero cards

Here's my card for the Midweek Challenge at OWH to make AnyHero cards:

Rubber stamp: Greeting Farm DP: AdornIt Carolee's Creations "Armed Forces Words" Copics Glossy Accents Thanks for stopping by!

OWH Sketch

It was fun to get back to my cardmaking desk today! Here is this week's OWH sketch, followed by my card:

Crafty Secrets clear stamp set Sentiment: Stampin' Up DP: My Mind's Eye Lost & Found "Union Square" Thanks for dropping by!