OWH Sketch #205

Here is this week's sketch at OWH:

And the Any Hero card I made:

 

DP: "Captured Memories" 12x12 sheet (I wanted to try to use the different strips of pattern on the DP)

Border stamp: Stampers Best

"My Hero": clear stamp from my stash

Punches, enamel dots, SU Espresso ink

This is a bit of a different take on Any Hero colors, but I hope a hero will enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by.

New Year's Day Bloghop at OWH: Top 13 of 2013!

Don't miss this annual fun event at the OWH Stars & Stamps Blog! Join OWH bloggers in a look back at our favorite cards of 2013.

See you on New Year's Day!

Hambo Kraft challenge

Just making it under the wire for the Hambo Hoedown kraft paper challenge. I used their digi Hamster Heart:

Midweek Throwdown at OWH: Color challenge

The Midweek Throwdown Challenge at OWH this past Wednesday is to use green and white or red and white. I thought I'd try stamping this lighthouse in green pigment ink and pair it with last Sunday's sketch, #203. I embossed the green background paper with the cloud folder.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Thanks for stopping by.

Masculine Hello

Hi. At least I managed to finally get my card done for the December Our Daily Bread Designs challenge: masculine cards! The stamp I used, Fishing Basket, is one of the stamps I got for being a recent random winner in the monthly drawing! The DP is Echo Park's "This and That."

 

Thanks for stopping by! It's almost Christmas Eve; have a peaceful night!

Midweek Throwdown at OWH: cards sending love to kids

I made this little cutie with a Melonheadz Illustrating digi , Copic markers, and American Crafts Dots & Stripes DP:

 

It makes me proud that a hero will send this home to a special little girl! Thanks for stopping by!

Sparkly purple Raggedy Ann for Christmas

The theme at MelonHeadz Friends is Christmas. I chose to use one of Nikki's cute Raggedy Ann digis. I decided to go with purple and lots of sparkle, which looks very nice with her red hair! It's a bit different take on Christmas red and green!  Merry Christmas, Nikki, and thanks for all the art work you create throughout the year!

 

Hope your holiday preparations are going well! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment; I love company!

Last SCH challenge of '13: Recycle & Repurpose!

Welcome! Today (12/16/13) is the start of a new two-week challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow; the theme is "Recycle & Repurpose". It's the final challenge of 2013, so I hope you will all join in and we can have a big finish for the year!

We have a talented Guest Designer for this challenge, Laura Delaney, and hope you will visit her blog to see her beautiful work!

I was a little stumped about what to recycle/repurpose, until I saw the mini Whitman Sampler boxes.  I had to enjoy the 4 little pieces of candy first before repurposing it into a tiny shadow box ornament, making this one of the sweeter SCH challenges I've enjoyed!

 

Thanks for stopping by and have fun creating for the SCH challenge!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

OWH Midweek Thowdown: Love

Here's a "love" card for a hero to send home to her feller:

Stamps: My Favorite Things Pure Innocence "Cowboy"

Paper Piecing

Copics

L'il Hoot and OWH Sketch 202

This week's sketch at OWH Stars & Stamps Blog:

 

Here's my card using L'il Hoot from the new OWH fund raiser set! I'm not sure how I came up with green owls but they are still cute, lol!

 

ALL the stamps in this new set (designed by Sandy Allnock) are so darn cute! Thanks for stopping by!

 



New Hambo Challenge: Bookmarks!

I love making tags and/or bookmarks, so I like the new challenge at the Hambo Hoedown: make bookmarks! Here's a bookmark for a boy:

 

Digi: "Reading Boy" by Hambo Stamps

A Valentine with the new Hero Arts/OWH L'il Hoot set

So tickled to receive the new Hero Arts/OWH fundraiser/Sandy Allnock-designed "L'il Hoot" clear stamp set from Simon Says Stamp! For this card, I used this week's OWH Sketch #201 and the Midweek Throwdown Valentine's Day theme; I was going for a Valentine for a little boy or a guy.  Can't wait to use the other stamps in the set:

 

Little Bears & "Can't Wait to Hug You": Hero Arts L'il Hoot clear stamp set

Happy Valentine's Day: Inkadinkado rubber stamp

DP: Authentique "Something for All Seasons" & Crate Paper "The Pier" 6x6 pads

Fiskars heart punch

Darice Hemp cord

 

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you will scroll down to my next post to see my Victorian Christmas ornaments and leave me a comment so I'll know you were here!

 

Sherry

 

 

Vintage Christmas at Sugar Creek Hollow/Victorian ornaments

Hello and thanks for stopping by! The new two-week challenge starting today (11/30/13) at Sugar Creek Hollow is "Vintage Christmas" and we welcome a Guest Designer for this challenge, Avril Branthwaite. Be sure to visit her beautiful blog!

I love vintage ornaments and have several really old ones from my Mom's family. I did some research into vintage Christmas decorations and learned that the terms "scrap" and "scrapbook" came from the Victorian era (who knew?). As a way to keep their children busy and entertained,19th Century moms would cut out scraps from magazines and give the children albums (often handmade) to paste them into. I also learned that young Victorian ladies would spend hours making tree ornaments from things they had on hand--trimming scrap images from magazines and adding tinsel, ribbons, beads and so on! I thought it would be fun to try my hand at these "scrap and tinsel" ornaments. It is a really fun and inexpensive way to use vintage digis or images! I had the Stickles, ribbons and free digis; the only items I purchased were adhesive glitter stars from Michaels, a Heather Hudson ditigal collage, a one dollar ornament, tiny tinsel cotton balls, pipe cleaners and gold cording.  I made several to decorate my feather tree and I hope you'll have time to scroll down through the photos!

Image: Graphics Fairy

 

Image: Heather Hudson

Image: Graphics Fairy

 

For the next one, I re-purposed an inexpensive ornament from Target. I replaced the bell that was hanging in an open oval with an angel image and hung the bell from the bottom of the ornament: 





Image: Clearly Vintage 

 

 Image: Clearly Vintage

 

 

Image: Clearly Vintage; Rosette: Paper Source

 

 

In closing, here's a photo of my pretty feather tree (Vermont Country Store) decorated with my "Victorian reproduction" decorations.  A couple of the ornaments are too big for the feather tree and I'll move them to my big tree. Actually, this is so pretty I'm tempted not to use my big tree!

 

 

Would you like to read more about Christmas in the Victorian times? Here's a link to a neat website. 

Thanks for visiting my blog; I hope you had fun. I don't know about you but I'm really in the Christmas spirit now! Have fun crafting and don't forget to post your Vintage Christmas creation at the Sugar Creek Hollow challenge ! Please leave me a comment so I'll know you were here!

 

Sherry

OWH MWT: White on White

White on white is challenging for me; I'm not good at CAS and I always manage to get inky mystery marks on white! But here's a quick little card I made using one of the MFT fund raiser stamp sets and the Darice embossing folder. I hope it's not too simple...the less I handle the white paper the better, lol. I think it would be a sweet love or Valentine card for a hero to send home to a little girl, or a big girl!

 

Tomorrow's Thanksgiving Day! Have a wonderful holiday, everybody! I'm thankful for all my cardmaking buddies!

Another masculine birthday card

It's always fun paper-piecing this big overstuffed chair stamp. Unfortunately, I can't remember who makes it, so I will search back in my blog to try to find out!

Cards In Envy challenge: use punches!

Here is my A2-sized flat card for the new challenge at the Cards In Envy blog. I used the Stampin' Up bird punch. The sticker is from Glitz. I will go back upstairs and check the name of the DP, lol. This will be nice for a deployed hero to send home to his sweetheart.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

OWH Midwk Throwdown: Masculine birthday

Hi! I got out my new Tim Holtz stamps and big manila tags that I found at The Paper Source. I had to trim the tag a tiny bit to fit on an A2 card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank you cards for some very special people

These are cards I made last night and today in response to Sandy's special challenge--thank you notes for the postal workers who do so much all year 'round to get all those boxes of cards shipped out to our service members! First I looked through all my digis and stamps and chose those I thought would look cute in patriotic colors:

 

DP: mostly "Anthem" by BoBunny

The Raggedy Ann is pre-colored (MelonHeadz Illustrating)

Whimsie Doodles "Mailed My Heart" and Watering Can (Sandy A.) digis: I colored with Copics

 

My old tablecloth does not go well with these colors, lol! Thanks for stopping by!

OWH Sketch Challenge #199

Here is the new sketch at the OWH Stars & Stamps blog:

 

And here's a little friendship card I made:

 

Stamps: Inkadinkado 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

OWH Boot Camp: Using texture to add interest

Our instructor, Paula, has posted a new Boot Camp session today at the OWH Stars & Stamps blog, entitled "How does it feel? Using texture to add interest." Our assignment is to make a card that incorporates visual texture, tactile texture, or both. Here's a card I made:

Card ingredients:

Sentiment: Tim Holtz "Visual Artistry" stamp set

DP: Basic Grey's "Oxford" 6x6 pad

Burlap: Really Reasonable Ribbon

Ranger Distress Ink: Old Paper, Vintage Photo

Tim Holtz distress tool

Button, twine

 



 My card incorporates tactile texture, with the torn, distressed edges, burlap, button & twine. I stamped "Congratulations" on the inside. I hope a hero will want to send it home to their college or high school age son. It looks pretty masculine to me. Paula, thanks for sharing your design expertise with us in another great session!
Sherry

Sugar Creek Hollow challenge: Tags & Boxes

A fun new challenge starts today at Sugar Creek Hollow: create vintage or shabby chic Tags or Boxes! You have two weeks to post your creation(s). We welcome a guest designer at SCH for this challenge: Bonnie Garby. She is uber-talented and we hope you'll visit her blog to enjoy her work! Here is the shabby chic style tag I made for the new challenge; I think it'd be pretty on a gift or a card, or as a small hanging decoration:

Image: Crafty Individuals UK

DP: Authentique "Something for All Seasons" 6x6 pad

Prima flowers

Postage Stamp punch: Fiskars

 

Thanks for visiting me; please leave me a comment so I'll know you were here. Now, you have two weeks to create vintage or shabby chic tags and/or boxes! Looking forward to seeing your creation at Sugar Creek Hollow!



 

OWH Midweek Throwdown: Dry Embossing

The Midweek Throwdown challenge at Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps blog is dry embossing. I got out the Cuttlebug and made this AnyHero card:

 

Image: "Patriotic Girl", Inspired Stamps (Happy 3rd Birthday, Inspired Stamps!)

Cuttlebug embossing folder

Copics

Really Reasonable Ribbon

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

 

AnyHero holiday card

Hi. I used today's new sketch at OWH (#198) and the Midweek Throwdown challenge theme: AnyHero holiday cards. The inside of the card is stamped "Cheer". The DP is Authentique's "Festive" 6x6 pad.

This little stamp always makes me crave hot chocolate (with a peppermint stick)!

Hambo Hoedown challenge: Clean & Simple

Hi! For the current Clean & Simple challenge at the Hambo Hoedown, I made a card in honor of illustrious Hambo artist Tim Hunter's birthday! Happy Birthday, Tim! It says "Happy Birthday" on the inside.    Of course, I used Hambo's Robot digi!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

"Anything Vintage Goes!" New challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow

Welcome! Today is the start of a new biweekly challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow, where I am on the Design Team. "Anything Vintage Goes" is the theme, and we look forward to seeing your vintage or shabby chic creations over at Sugar Creek Hollow!

I made a masculine vintage card:

Images: Ship and Paris background paper, Free Vintage Digital Stamps

You have two weeks but don't forget to get busy on your vintage or shabby chic creation--Anything Vintage Goes!!



Pink & Green: Midwk Throwdown at OWH

The Midweek Throwdown Challenge at OWH last Wednesday was pink and green. Here's my card, and I can't wait to see what challenge Allison has in store for us tomorrow!

DP: "C'est La Vie", Melissa Frances

 



OWH Sketch Challenge #196

Hello! I made this Any Hero card following this week's sketch at the Stars & Stamps Blog. I've been wanting to use this Unity Stamp set but wasn't sure how I wanted to "embellish" the dog tags. I love how it turned out, using stamps from a few different sets, listed below. Here's my card:

 

Stamps used:

"Dog Tags & Thanks", Unity Stamps

The word Hero, "Circle of Honor", Paper Smooches

Solid star stamp: "Year Round Sentiments", Hero Arts OWH set

Ink: Ranger Distress Ink, Moss Green

DP: "Postale" 6x6 pad, 7 Gypsies

Twine

Star punch

 

Here is this week's OWH Sketch #196:

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

 

OWH Sketch Challenge #195

Welcome! Here is this week's sketch at the OWH Stars & Stamps blog:

Here is a card I made; my image is obviously more square than rectangular. On the inside of the card, I stamped "Dear Friend":

 

Stamp: Crafty Individuals UK

SuperBabyBoy and Girl!

The current two-week challenge at Hambo Stamps' Hoedown is to make a baby card using unexpected images. When I remembered these tiny safety pins in my stash, I decided to transform Hambo's Wee Henry Hero digi  into a much younger character-- a SuperBaby Boy. Sorry, Wee Henry but your little superhero costume is now a cloth diaper and baby blankie cape!

 



I had so much fun I had to make a SuperBabyGirl, complete with one of those little bows Moms stick on their baby's head so everyone knows she's a girl! (It's actually a Martha Stewart Butterflies punch, but it works!)

 

I have a soft spot in my heart for baby blankets. My own attachment to my blanket is the stuff of my family's legends. By the time my Mom and Dad tried to sneak it into the rag box, it was little more than threadbare fabric and worn silky trim. But I would not be parted with it (or my thumb). I'm not sure how old I was when I gave it up; it's probably better that I can't remember, lol!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you had fun.

 



Hope you enjoyed your visit! Come back soon.

Birds of a Feather: New challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow!

A new challenge begins today and you have two weeks to create something vintage or shabby chic and post it at Sugar Creek Hollow! The new challenge theme is: Birds of a Feather.

I used a beautiful rubber stamp from Crafty Individuals to create my card:

 

Image: Crafty Individuals "Springtime Robin" rubber stamp

DP: Teresa Collins' "Now & Then" 6x6 Designer Pad

Copics

 

I didn't realize that this is a robin before I colored the image, but it makes a pretty little blue bird, too! It's such a beautiful stamp, so detailed and an unusual tag style. Thanks for stopping by and have fun with your vintage or shabby chic creation for Sugar Creek Hollow!

 

 





OWH Midweek Throwdown: Snow Much Fun!

Hi! Here is my winter-themed card featuring snowflakes for the new Midweek Throwdown challenge at OWH Stars & Stamps blog:

 

Image: "Winter Marci" stamp, LaLa Land Crafts

DP: "Jolly" 6x6 paper pad, American Crafts

Copics

Pearl Pen

Baker's Twine

 

Have a good evening! Thanks for stopping by.

 

Winter Starburst Card

Welcome! Yesterday I heard on the news that drinking cocoa is good for your brain--yeah! I made this card for the following challenges:
     "Bursting With Hope" Patricia Hays' starburst challenge at Split Coast Stampers Hope You Can Cling To" card campaign
   Boot Camp homework at OWH Stars & Stamps; make a symmetrical or asymmetrical card. I went with an asymmetrical starburst card.

 

Image: Lawn Fawn "Winter Fox" stamp

DP: "Found Christmas", My Mind's Eye 6x6 paper pad

Sentiment: Savvy Stamps

 

Now go fix yourself a cup of cocoa and enjoy!

 

Super sentiment stamp by Sandy and Stampers Best

I made this AnyHero card with the OWH Fundraiser stamp at Stampers Best designed by Sandy Allnock. I am posting it at our October Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge, where the theme is "sentiments".

 

I paper-pieced the blue star rectangle. The brad is from BoBunny. Fantastic stamp, Sandy!

A jolly penguin with vellum

Hi. Today I combined the challenges at the Hambo Hoedown (use vellum) and the Midweek Throwdown at OWH (use something in nature that reminds you of Christmas). This cute little Hambo penguin may be looking up at the snowflakes or thinking about who his next snowball target will be!

 

Digi Image & Sentiment: Hambo Stamps "Penguin Snowball"

DP: My Mind's Eye "Sweater Weather" 6x6

Vellum

Martha Stewart Snowflake punch

Copics

Cuttlebug Snowflake embossing folder



 





Blog candy winner

Jen R. is the winner of a copy of my children's book, Card Auntie's Wonderful Workshop, my blog candy for the World Card Making Day OWH blog hop. Congratulations, Jen!

"Now That's Scary!" Cards In Envy challenge

I had every intention on this rainy day to stay in and do some paperwork (bills, filing, etc.) but when I saw the new challenge at Cards In Envy and the neat cards by the Design Team, I ended up staying in and making this spooky Halloween card!

I love vintage Halloween images and found this scary/cute image at Clearly Vintage. The house is cut from a set of black & white papers I bought at Michaels ages ago; I inked the edges and stamped the bat on it. When I was a child, we had a very spooky, overgrown house next door and it was especially scary on Halloween night! I really enjoyed making this card because we don't make scary Halloween cards at OWH for the troops to send home, besides the fact that at OWH we're already making Christmas and Valentine cards, lol.  So, thanks for this fun challenge, Cards In Envy!

A vellum newbie!

I worked with vellum today for the first time ever. The Hambo Hoedown challenge is to use vellum and I had a Tombow vellum adhesive tape runner that was a freebie with a recent order, so I went to Joann's and bought a couple of sheets of vellum. I made two cards; one will be an AnyHero card. I can post at Hambo just for fun (winners have to use a Hambo image) or maybe make another vellum card using a Hambo image because their challenge is TWO weeks now!  For the two cards I made today, I used the new sketch #193 at OWH:

 

I didn't know how Cuttlebug embossing would work with vellum. I used the snowflakes folder and was happy to see how great it works.  I decided on these dps from Teresa Collins' "Christmas Home" 6x6 dp pad; not sure if you can really see the embossing, but it looked too plain with a solid color paper behind it. I thought the focal point needed something else in addition to the ribbon. The paper pad includes a page of larger words, so I punched out "Merry" using the Stampin' Up Word Window and Modern Label Punches.

 

 

On the 2nd card, I attached the vellum with Bo Bunny brads. I don't know if that's a correct way to do it, but I will use it for an AnyHero note. The dp is BoBunny Anthem. I left off the 3 embellies in the upper corner of the sketch because of the 4 brads I used.

 

 

So it was a bit of trial and error today, but I had fun. I'd like to learn more about using vellum. Thanks for stopping by; have a great week. I need to go back over and keep hopping at the WCMD hop; so many great blogs!!