Sunday, October 30, 2011

OWH Sketch 93

For this little Valentine type card, I used Designed 2 Delight's Be Mine Bear colored with Copics (I need to get more pinks!) plus paper, ribbon & button from stash. One oops: I didn't get the little sentiment stamp placed correctly. It feels kind of funny to make a Valentine on the day before Halloween, but that's the fun of OWH: they need to get the cards overseas early so the troops can mail them home to their loved ones. And, after all, the calendar already seems a bit cattywompus: it snowed here in VA yesterday on October 29!
I hope you have a fun Halloween tomorrow and a great week!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Hambo Newscaster card

The challenge over at the Hoedown this week (Hambo Stamps) is to use this fun new Newscaster digi with NEWSPRINT. When I read through our local paper and saw this article about the "Older Electorate" I thought that it was perfect for a funny birthday card! So here's the newscaster broadcasting the birthday news from this little flat screen TV. I put a piece of sheer plastic over it so it would look more like a TV screen. One of my favorite little touches is the green sticker brad, which looks like the "On" light on our TV! This was so much fun; check out the Hoedown if you want to take part in this weekly progressive challenge!
Now, back to your regularly scheduled broadcast...thanks for visiting!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Polka dots & a shipping tag

The Midweek Throwdown Challenge at OWH Stars & Stamps Blog is to use polka dots. I just took part in a tag swap so I decided to use another shipping tag for this card. It's a lot of fun; there are so many ways to decorate (or alter as they say) a shipping tag. You can scroll down to the next post if you'd like to see the tags I made for the swap!
The image on this card is from Digital Two for Tuesday. I love the lime green and black together. Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Tag Swap at Scrap to Treasure

I took part in a tag swap at Scrap to Treasure, a Facebook page started by OWH cardmakers but not affiliated with OWH. These are the tags I made and I can't wait to receive my package to see what the other crafters came up with!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Cute little Pollycraft witch

This is the first Pollycraft digi I've bought. I visited their site and saw so many cute stamps and digis!! The background DP is from Cosmo Cricket's Matilda stack. I colored the little witch with Copics + Glossy Accents. The little "Boo" is a clear stamp from my stash.
Just for fun I'm posting this at 3 challenges:
Pollycraft Challenge Blog - Spooky Goings On"
Crafty Contagion: Pumpkin
Card Cupids - Halloween
Thanks for visiting! I love company.

Inspired Stamps October Challenge cont'd.

So I used the same cute David's Shepherd from Inspired Stamps and paper pieced again, but with a different palette. It's still kind of an experiment, tho -- a Christmas card w/o red or green! The DPs are from DCWV's Linen Closet stack. I stamped the face and hands on kraft paper. I stamped the eyes and the little lamb on white paper, fussy cut. Colored the eyes with copics and added Glossy Accents. I just love those big eyes! I used an EK Success border punch, teal floss and string on the belly band.
I like the gentle feel of this card; I hope you do, too!
Thanks for stopping by.

Inspired Stamps Oct. Challenge- my B&W palette

I like this silver & black star paper so much; it inspired me to try a "black and white" palette for a Christmas card. I wasn't sure it would work, but I think it has a kind of elegant Christmas effect.
First I used Inspired Stamps' David's Shepherd clear stamp (love it), Memento ink, and used a Nesties Labels die.
Then I stamped on a few striped DPs from my stash, fussy cut and paper pieced the image. I colored the face and staff with Copics, adding Glossy Accents to the eyes. I haven't heat embossed in a long time. I used my Recollections Noel rubber stamp and white opaque embossing powder. I don't usually use Stickles on my cards for OWH, but I wanted to bling this one up, so I added a border of Diamond Stickles to the image and the flower to give it a Christmas sparkle.
My next post is a 2nd card I made for the October challenge. Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

OWH Sketch 92 - a card for a hero

My eyes were playing tricks on me today; I didn't quite "see" the new OWH Sketch 92 correctly! So the little strip (I used a ribbon) isn't placed according to sketch. So much for my bifocals!
I used a pre-colored Melonheadz words digi, as well as a Liberty Bell digi that I found at Tidbits Trinkets. I colored in the background of the Liberty Bell digi. The color matches the precolored digi pretty well, I think; pay no attention to my crookedy cutting! The embossing folder is Stampin' Up's Square Lattice folder.
Melonheadz has been on hiatus while Nikki's family moves. I love Nikki's digis and hope she can start creating them again soon.
Hope you enjoyed my card for a hero! Have a good week.

Holiday card w/ sweet Inger Harding digi


I spotted this Inger Harding digi last year, and this is the first time I've colored it and used it for a card. So sweet! I colored the image with Copics and basically followed this week's OWH Sketch 92. With this cute background DP, I don't think the card needs a sentiment on the outside.
Of course, I had to give her shiny red shoes!
This card may go to one of my nieces; I may not get another box in the mail to OWH before the 10/31 holiday card deadline.
I also posted this at the Crafting When We Can Challenges blog "Christmas Come Early" challenge.
I hope you enjoy it!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Thank You card

This is another image I created at the recent Karen Lockhart colored pencil workshop. Karen showed us how to stamp the image, draw designs on the image with black pen, then color with Prismacolor pencils.
The sentiment is an Inkadinkado rubber stamp.
The midweek throwdown challenge at OWH is to make thank you cards. Thanks for stopping by.

Hambo's Zombie Bunny!

The Hambo Hoedown challenge this week is to use the new Zombie Bunny (given to all who played last week) along with one of the sentiments provided and to follow the sketch provided. Here's my Zombie Bunny out for a moonlight stroll:
Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Tag Swap at Scrap to Treasure!

Scrap to Treasure is a fun page at Facebook started by OWHers where crafters trade various craft supplies. Katie had the great idea to host a tag swap! Here are my ten which I am shipping right out to Katie today:
I tried to create a variety of themes to use on cards. I look forward to seeing some on cards for OWH! (Remember the 10/31 holiday deadline!) I have never made altered shipping tags but I see them a lot in magazines, etc. In fact, the bird tag is CASEd from the Autumn '11 issue of Take Ten (that's an expensive mag but well worth the investment). I also watched some Tim Holtz YouTube videos; just type in "altered tag" in the search box.
Thanks for organizing this fun swap, Katie! I hope these will be fun to use on cards or on packages and I look forward to seeing what the other crafters make!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

OWH Sketch 91

Today is my dear Mom's birthday; she would be 103! Mom taught us at an early age to write thank you notes and she loved it when I bought her stationery for her birthdays and Christmas. So, I chose an old-fashioned cabbage rose print to make this card. I used OWH Sketch #91 (flipped).
This one's for you, Mom, and for a hero to send to a sweetheart or daughter:
Sentiment: Rubber Stamp by Heather
DP: Victoria Gardens 6x6 paper pad by Echo Park
Buttons: Stampin' Up
Lace: stash
Thanks for stopping by! I love company.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Mummy Card for Hambo Hoedown!

Hambo Stamps has a fun new mummy digi, free to those who played in the Hoedown last week. Hambo's hoping for even more followers; come join the fun! Here's my spooky fun card:
In addition to using the mummy digi, this week's challenge is to use black, green, purple and orange. I used these super-cute DPs from Cosmo Cricket's Matilda Mini Deck. The haunted house is from a little clear stamp set I think I found at Michael's last year. I stamped it on white paper and cut around the house, leaving a strip of white at the bottom. Then I cut some notches in a strip of black paper to look like lights from the windows. I glued the black paper on, then colored the moon, windows and lights from the windows in yellow. The little bat stamps are from another clear stamp set. I added googlie eyes. This little mummy's not too sure about knocking on that haunted house door!
This card was fun to make; I'm going to send it to my little great-nephews who recently moved to CA with their Dad.
Thanks for stopping by!
p.s. I wasn't intentionally CASEing DT member Melissa's sample card but her card (and her blog) are awesome!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Masculine cards: OWH Midweek Throwdown

I made two cards for this challenge. They have a kind of vintage/distressed look, which I hadn't done in awhile and which always makes me happy. Here they are:


For the first card I used a really neat image from Digital Two for Tuesday, with DP from 7 Gypsies' Camden pack, Ranger inks, Tonic corner punch, and a corrugated punched star. I spent manyyyyy years typing in my career, so that's one reason I loved that image, as well as the fact that it's a soldier. This must be my typewriter theme day, because the 2nd card uses a rubber stamp from the Stamper's Best Vintage Postal set. There are so many stamps in that set; it's a really good buy. I also used Bo Bunny's "Mama-Razzi Shutter" DP (funny name) and a little scrap from a Me & My Big Ideas pad "bloc de passepartout" that I've gotten a lot of use out of! I also used the EK Success border punch, twine and a corrugated punched star.
I like incorporating stars into cards because it reminds me of the heroes we make cards for!
I hope you enjoyed these; come back soon!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Christmas cards for OWH- a few more

My car is in the shop today so I finished up a few more Christmas cards and plan to ship a box to Dixie, my Operation Write Home shipper this evening or first thing tomorrow.
This vintage Santa image is from Digital Two for Tuesday.
This darling skater girl digi was a freebie last year through OWH. If anybody recognizes the source, let me know! This DP is from the Yuletide 6x6 pad from Memorybox.
I used this week's OWH Sketch 90 for a masculine Christmas card; the moose DP is from JoAnn's and the bottom piece is from the Yuletide pack.
I used a sketch from the OWH archive to make this polar bear inchie card; the paper is also from the "Yuletide" pack:

Thanks for visiting! I hope you enjoyed these. Now I want to try the fun Christmas tree card tutorials at the Stars & Stamps blog today!
Sherry

Monday, October 10, 2011

OWH Sketch 90 and Inger Harding digi

I used Sketch 90 at the OWH Stars & Stamps blog for my card. The image is a free digi I found last year by Inger Harding. She has a gorgeous blog, so you might want to check it out.
Here are some deets on my card:
Green DP: "Yuletide" 6x6 paper collection Memorybox
Let it Snow DP: stash
Sentiment: A Muse Artstamps
Copics
Cuttlebug embossing folder
Martha Stewart snowflake punch

I think the snowflakes would stand out more on sturdier paper and popped up. But isn't this a cute digi? I love it. It almost makes me want to get the winter jackets out.
Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Hambo Flower Monster: alphabet challenge!

This is Hambo Stamps cute new Flower Monster, a freebie for those who danced in the Hoedown last week. It's a really fun progressive challenge if you haven't checked it out! Our challenge this week is to use items to make a card that begin with the first letter of our name.
My S ingredients are: Spellbinders Scalloped ovals, Stampin' Up's Square Lattice embossing folder (if you can see it peeking out from behind the navy blue oval); Snow Green Copic marker; and scissors!
Thanks to Hambo for another digi and fun challenge, and thanks for stopping by! Have a good weekend.
Sherry

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Christmas cards for OWH

The Midweek Throwdown challenge at OWH this week is to make Christmas cards for our heroes to send home to their loved ones. I made the card above with a clear stamp from a Recollections set that I found at Michael's last year. I was at Michael's the other day and they still have that set. The "cheer" sentiment is cut from a rubber stamp by Studio G.
I think I'll post a second holiday card, because I love this rubber stamp called "Row of Houses" by Hero Arts:
Autumn is in the air here in Arlington, VA. I hope you have a great day!
Sherry

Monday, October 3, 2011

OWH Sketch 89 + embossing with stylus

I had the best time on Saturday at Angela's Happy Stamper in Reston, VA, taking two classes with Karen Lockhart of Lockhart Stamps!! She's a great artist and teacher. The first was a class in using colored pencils; the second was on etching or embossing with a stylus. First you stamp the image; after it dries you etch whatever design you want onto the image or background with a stylus (Karen recommends the stylus made by Royal & Langnickel [sp?]). Then you color over the image with Prismacolor pencils and the effect is beautiful. On my card for Sketch 89 above, I hope you can see a little wavy pattern I etched in the background, plus the little lines on the flowers. I love this Lockhart stamp, because it can be used year round in different color palettes! I had trouble with my ribbon fraying on the ends (any tips welcome!) so I added the little red and white star buttons to cover the fraying, hehe. It gives a more finished look and the little stars kinda look like the flowers!
Here's another card I made from Saturday's class using another Lockhart stamp; here I etched a checkerboard into the red apple before coloring. I need practice, but this is a really fun technique. Karen also taught us about Zentangle, which is a kind of very artful doodling; you can draw patterns with black pen and then color over with Prismacolors.
What a fun afternoon, and inspiring to learn something new! Thanks for stopping by.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

World Cardmaking Day OWH Bloghop!


Card Recipe:
Image & sentiment: My Favorite Things Pure Innocence "Flurry of Love" clear stamp set
DSP: Cratepaper Neighborhood Collection
Copics: BG97 Night Blue; BG15 Aqua; BG0000 Snow Green; E00 Skin white; N0 Neutral gray; Black
Glossy Accents (to make the "shiny" boots)
Pearl Pen (snowflakes and fur trim on boots)
I discovered card making and OWH in June '10 and have been making cards for the troops ever since. Check out the OWH website and Facebook page! Enjoy this super-duper hop and Happy World Card Making Day!