Wintry owl cards

These two cards are based on Day 1 of the Online Card Class Holiday Workshop, but I've made my cards A2 size for OWH and I did a bit of faux stitching on one since I don't have a machine. Both cards use My Favorite Things "Thinking of Hoo" clearstamp set. The first card is a little snowy owl sitting on a birch limb; I love birch trees in the winter. The DP is Lawn Fawn. The 2nd card is a little brown woodsy owl with some tartan and other DP scraps as background. Both cards are colored with Copics, with additions of puff pen and Pearl Pen. We can make wintry cards for OWH until the end of the year. I really enjoyed watching the Day 1 videos and can't wait for Day 2. Our power is blinking on and off in the hurricane; I'd better get these posted quick and hope our power doesn't go out!! Take care.

OWH Sketch 144 featuring Hop Art's Ballerina

I used Sketch 144 and one of the retiring Hop Arts digis over at Hambo Stamps for my card. I rotated the sketch, colored the digi with Prismacolor pencils and paper-pieced the skirt (Almanac 6x6 Collection). The Hop Arts digis (which benefit Operation Write Home!!) are retiring 10/31! You can check them out HERE.

On the inside I'm going to stamp "For My Sweetie" (a rubber stamp), thinking a hero Mom or Dad might like to send it to their 'tween or teen daughter! I'm also going to post this at Sugar Creek Hollow, where the challenge is Vintage Text. Thanks for stopping by; we're rather anxiously waiting for the hurricane to hit northern Virginia. Everyone be safe!

Best friends with hexagons

Hi! I combined the OWH Midweek Throwdown Challenge (Celebrate Friendship) with this week's Hambo Hoedown challenge to use hexagons! We can use any Hambo image so I purchased this cute Hop Arts digi from Hambo Stamps (the Hop Arts digis benefit OWH and they're being RETIRED on 10-31 so check them out ). The pretty hexagon DP is My Mind's Eye Follow Your Heart "Be Happy" Honey Pink Paper (A.C. Moore). I colored the digi with Copics:

Thanks for stopping by; see you soon.

Fun with OWH Sketch 143

I like making cards on Redskins football Sundays. The DPs I used are from two 6x6 pads: Bo Bunny Timepiece Collection and the Almanac Collection (found at Amazon). The Redskins lost a nail-biter today, but it was a fun game and I had fun with Sketch 143!

I like that red one; sorry the photo is kind of blurry! Thanks for coming by and I'll see you soon! Have a good week.

Hambo Hoedown circle challenge

Hi! The Hambo challenge this week is to use circles and either this cute Cells digi or another Hambo image. There are several sentiments that come with Cells and I thought this would be a fun "hello" card for a hero to send home:

Hope your weekend goes well! Thanks for stopping by.

Black, white & a touch of red

Hi! Here's my card for the OWH Midweek Throwdown color challenge, which is to use black and white with a touch of red or green. The digi is MaryMargaret by Michelle Perkett.

Thanks for stopping by today!

My card won the Hambo Hoedown this week!

So excited today! The folks at Hambo Stamps chose my card as "Best In Show" for last week's challenge (new one starts each Wed.) It was a challenge to use watercolor paints. In case you missed it, here's my card starring the funny Walrus digi. I drew the rocks and painted the bg and walrus with watercolors:

Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch 142 + 1 snowman

I made two cards with the new OWH Sketch #142. I really like this sketch! It was fun to cut strips from a 6x6 pad while watching the Redskins today. This time, they WON!

Both cards use Doodlebug Design Inc. 6x6 Paper Pad "Boys Only". I was going for cards that a Dad or Mom hero might like to send home to a teen:

Plus I'm posting a little snowman card that I will send to OWH before 10/31. The DP is My Mind's Eye Holly Jolly 6x6 DP Pad.

Hope you have a good week!

OWH Midweek throwdown

The Midweek Throwdown theme at the OWH Stars & Stamps Blog is love or aAnniversary cards. I used My Favorite Things (MFT) "Emma Blowing Kisses" clear stamps with Lawn Fawn's Petite Pack DP.

I used the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club sketch (MFTWSC93) so I will post this card over there, too. Thanks for stopping by!

Watercolor Walrus!

The challenge at the Hambo Hoedown this week is to use watercolor paints and a Hambo stamp or digi, such as this funny new Walrus, which was a freebie for everybody who danced in the Hoedown last week. I painted a watercolor wash background; I painted the walrus with watercolors, too; I drew the rocks on gray paper and cut them out to give Walrus a perch to sit on.

Thanks for stopping by!

OWH ODBD Challenge October

This month's challenge is to use circles. I used a few of my circle punches and my new SRM Stickers. Thanks to Our Daily Bread Designs for their support of Operation Write Home!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pink and white snowflakes?

I might have been sleepy but when I looked at this paper from the Authentique Delightful 6x6 pad I thought it looked like snowflakes, even though it's pink and white! So I went with it, although now I think they are flowers, but I think it might actually work!

This is the My Favorite Things weekly sketch I used, with a Pure Innocence stamp set:

General winter cards are always needed at Operation Write Home; so I hope a hero will enjoy sending this pink & white snowflake card home to a loved one!!

Blog candy winner!

Hi. I drew Pennyd's name for a copy of my children's book. Congrats, Penny! I look forward to receiving your snail mail address at sharonmhickey at gmail dot com. Sherry

OWH Sketch 141 & bonus sketch

Hi. I used my new Lawn Fawn goodies (Fa La La 6x6 Petite Paper Pad; Winter Fox; Winter Bunny) to play along with OWH's sketch challenges today. Here's Sketch 141:

And here's my card:

There's also a Bonus Sketch over at Stars & Stamps today! For this card I also used my new Candi Shimmer Paper Dots, which I've never tried before. I like how they look. First the sketch:

Then my card,

Today I moved a small TV into my craft room so I could watch the Redskins vs. Atlanta. The Redskins lost but I got some cards made!

Woot! 100 Followers for Bits of Cheer- let's celebrate!

I just noticed that as of today we are at 100 Followers here at Bits of Cheer! It seems like a good reason to celebrate, doesn't it? So I'm going to draw a name randomly from one of you friendly followers and send a copy of my children's book! Stay tuned!! Thanks for following along on my papercrafting journey! Sherry

OWH World Cardmaking Day Bloghop!

Happy World Cardmaking Day and welcome to my blog! After you view each blog please return to the beginning of the hop at the OWH Stars and Stamps blog, where thumbnails will link you to every participating blog! Here's my winter-themed card based on OWH Sketch #4:

This is an original digi that I designed and am posting as a freebie to celebrate this event! I paper pieced with DP from My Mind's Eye (The Merry Days of Christmas 6x6 pad). The rest of the image is colored with Copics, with additions of silver pen and Glossy Accents. Let me know if you make any cards with my Little Helper digi; I'd love to see them. I designed it with with my son in mind--he always loved to help his Dad when he was little--but it could actually be a boy or girl depending on your choice of colors!

Have fun today!! I hope you will visit again soon.

OWH Sketch #140 & Midweek Throwdown challenge

Here is my card for the Sketch #140 challenge. The toy train and sentiment are a little clear stamp set I got a couple of years ago at Michael's or AC Moore; the DP is Doodlebug Designs' "Boys Only" 6x6 paper pad:

I'm also posting my Midweek Throwdown Challenge (thinking of you) card. I used my Inkadinkado inchies clear stamps and My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Madison Avenue 6x6 DP pad. The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

Come back soon; I love company!

Hambo Sparkle challenge

The challenge at the Hambo Hoedown this week is to use one of their digis and plenty of SPARKLE! I thought that Pirate Hambo and his treasure chest were perfect for adding bling! I used rhinestones and Stickles; note the sparkly eye patch! Sequined ribbon and glittery DP from The Linen Closet.

Thanks for dropping by!

Guest designer today at Digital Two for Tuesday!

Hi and welcome! I'm delighted to be Cora's guest designer today at Digital Two for Tuesday! The technique I chose to use is paper piecing. I enjoy it so much; it brings back long time-ago memories of playing with paper dolls! Cora sent me two pretty vintage digis to work with, called "Hug" and "Girl With Flower 2":

Who could resist working with these cuties? Here are my two cards:

I love paper piecing images of children or grownups because there is an endless choice of patterned papers available to play with! All the new 6x6 DP pads are wonderful for paper piecing because the patterns are reduced to a better card scale and the papers in the pad coordinate so well. I have fun playing with paper in other parts of the image such as the ground under the two kids. To me the paper looks like shadows or flowers strewn across the ground and even a bit like the seashore. I used the Stampin' Up BoHo punch for the flowers; you can make pretty little tiny flowers in whatever paper you want! When I paper piece, I print or stamp the image on basic white and then on the various DPs that I need for the image. I use Cutter Bee tiny scissors. Some patterns are more conducive to paper piecing, such as very tiny prints or polka dots. It's fun to just play around and see what you get! I seem to be having trouble getting Blogger to let me do paragraphs or line breaks, but here are the products used in my cards: Thinking of You card: MME Moments 6x6 DP pad; Copics; Ranger Broken China distress ink (sky); Hero Arts sentiment. Girl With Flower card: Prima Almanac Collection 6x6 Paper Stack (Amazon.com); Recollections adhesive lace (Michael's); Copics; velvet ribbon (A.C. Moore). I searched AC Moore for that velvet ribbon and I had about given up when I found it on the bottom rack practically at floor level--cardmaker calisthenics?! I highly recommend this YUMMY Prima paper stack! Thanks, Cora, for inviting me to be one of your guest designers! I came across Digital Two for Tuesday (and your sister blog, Paper Flowers!) shortly after I began cardmaking in 2010. THAT was a lucky day for me. Thanks, everybody, for visiting my blog and I hope you'll come back soon! Happy paper piecing! Sherry