Monthly Archives: February 2014

- Patterned papers – Heidi Grace “Sunshowers” 8 X 8″ paper pad
- Stamp – Printworks “Thank You”
- Border punch – Stampin’ Up “Scallop Edge”
- Rhinestones – Queen & Company – Irredescent
I really liked this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches: #124. I used it to feature three different patterned papers from the same collection for this card. I edged the paper pieces with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink to add a little definition to the edges. I am making a few Thank You cards for my Operation Write Home box, since that is a popular sentiment for the troops to use when sending a card. Thanks for visiting today.
2 Comments | tags: cardmaking, flora, stamping | posted in Challenges, Freshly Made, OWH, Thank You

- Patterned papers – Crate Paper “Paper Heart Collection: Define (both sides) and Cupid (both sides)
- Twine – American Crafts
- Bling – Queen and Co. “Twinkle Goosebumps”
- Kraft cardstock – Paper Accents
This is a simple Valentine consisting of punched circles from patterned paper. I added some twine and some sparkly, dimensional “stones” in the centers of the folded circle embellishments. The Shopping Our Stash weekly challenge is to use something shiny, sparkly, glittery, etc. This card was a little understated without the bling, so I think the sparkle did it some good! Thanks for stopping by today.
1 Comment | tags: clean and simple stamping, fancy folds, paper piecing | posted in Challenges, Shopping Our Stash

- Die – Memory Box “Secret Squirrel”
- Die – Memory Box “Mini Heart Collection”
- Die – Simon Says Stamp “Medium Tags”
- Die – Spellbinders Nestabilities “Standard Circles Large”
- Stamp – Simon Says Stamp “Tag Sayings”
- Patterned paper – SEI “With All My Heart”
- Pearls – KaiserCraft
- Heart Rain Dots – Cloud 9 Design
- Paper String – Tim Holtz Idea-ology
- Glitter pen – Sakura Gelly Roll – Clear Star
- Cardstock – Bazzill
It is always good to incorporate a squirrel into any card! This Valentine is for my son, who is rather fond of these furry creatures. This design, which I made up as I went, is pretty fun with some of the elements extending over the edge of the card base. CAS-ual Friday Challenge #127 this week is to do just that. It also is a perfect card for Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Have a Heart. I pulled a number of different supplies out of my stash for this. There was glitter and shine in the paper, stickers, and faux stitching that I drew around the edges with glitter pen. The only thing that I hadn’t used before was the patterned paper and the squirrel die. Since I was pretty much snowed-in, I had to use my stash, right? So I guess this is appropriate to post for the Shopping Our Stash Challenge #137: Love Me Tender. Thanks for visiting today.
4 Comments | tags: cardmaking, die cuts, fauna, memory box, Simon Says Stamp, stamping | posted in CAS-ual Fridays, Shopping Our Stash, Simon Says Stamp, Valentine

- Stamp – Unknown (Someone stamped this for me and I can’t remember the details!)
- Patterned papers – My Mind’s Eye Collectable papers: Unforgettable “You Are” Charm Paper and Remarkable “Beautiful” Grace Paper
- Border punch – Martha Stewart Embossed Zig Zag Edger
- Copic markers
- Cardstock – Bazzill
I am in a bunny phase now. I’m making a number of Operation Write Home cards featuring bunnies. Not necessarily Easter cards, because that limits their use to just that holiday. But bunnies are Spring-y and cute and I guess I have a fair number in my stash. Today I used the current sketch at Freshly Made Sketches, which is Sketch #122. I unearthed a couple of these bunnies stamped off for me. I don’t know the origin of this stamp, so if anyone can enlighten me, I’d appreciate it. I colored him and his carrot with Copic markers and layered him so he’d stand out. I chose some hexagon patterned paper for a backdrop and will add him to the OWH Midweek Throwdown Hexagon Challenge from last week. Thanks for stopping by.
2 Comments | tags: cardmaking, copics, my mind's eye | posted in Challenges, Freshly Made, General Cards, OWH

Stamps – Verve Stamps “Bunny Shake”
Stencil – The Crafter’s Workshop “Hexagons”
Distress Inks – Ranger: Tumbled Glass, Milled Lavendar, Seedless Preserves
Copic Markers
Cardstock – Paper Accents
Today I’m using hexagons for the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps Midweek Throwdown Challenge to use hexagons on a card. Hexagons have gotten to be a pretty popular shape for stamps, stencils, die cuts, etc. I applied Distress Inks with a sponge applicator using a stencil with various sizes of hexagons for the background. I’ve had this bunny stamp for a long time, but I haven’t ever used him. I colored him very simply with Copic markers. Since I wanted to make him shake (had to do it!), I popped him up with a skinny paper accordian. Now he shakes! The sentiment was part of this stamp set. Thanks for visiting today.
1 Comment | tags: cardmaking, crafter's workshop, distress techniques, stencils, Verve Stamps | posted in Challenges, General Cards, OWH

- Stamps – from Hero Arts “Year Round Sentiments”
- Patterned papers – Echo Park “Happy Camper” and “Call of the Wild” and Pebbles “Lakeside: Canoe”
This is another entry in the CardBowl challenges at Operation Write Home (OWH) Stars and Stamps this weekend. This card was based on OWH Sketch #210 and has kind of a star theme. I used constellation paper and stamped stars from the Hero Arts OWH set from a couple of years ago. It also follows an outdoor theme, so it fits well with the challenge at Shopping Our Stash Cabin Fever Challenge #136 for an outdoors-y card. I dug around in my patterned papers for this one! Thanks for visiting.
1 Comment | tags: clean and simple stamping, echo park, Hero Arts, stamping | posted in Challenges, OWH, Shopping Our Stash

- Stamp – Hero Arts “A Very Special Birthday”
- Die – Spellbinders Nestabilities “Deckled Rectangles Large”
- Patterned papers – Canvas Corp. “Chocolate & Kraft Diamonds” and “Chocolate and Kraft Mini Dot”
- Cardstock – Bazzill
This is an Operation Write Home card for the Our Daily Bread February Challenge. The challenge was to make a masculine card featuring the color brown. This is a very clean and simple card with some distress ink on the sentiment. Thanks for visiting.
1 Comment | tags: die cuts, Hero Arts, spellbinders | posted in Birthday, Challenges, Distress Techniques, OWH

- Stencil – Memory Box “Cressida”
- Die Cuts – made from Memory Box dies: Darla Butterfly, Vivienne Butterfly, Moonlight Butterfly, Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Valerian Flourish
- Bling – KaiserCraft and Mark Richards
- Sentiment – Stamp by My Favorite Things “Pretty Poppies” set and die cut from Spellbinders Nestabilities from the Blossom Tag and Accents set
- Golden Modeling Paste
- Ranger Alcohol Ink – Sail Boat Blue
- Faber Castell Gelatos
- Cardstock – Bazzill
This was a fun card with lots of different media at work. I started out making the background with inspiration from the latest Online Card Classes class: Stenciled. I mixed a few drops of alcohol ink with some modeling paste to make a nice light blue. I then smeared it through my new (gorgeous) stencil from Memory Box. For the butterflies, I scribbled some Gelatos in blue and green on some watercolor paper and spritzed the color with some water to blend the colors together. Once the Gelatos had dried, I die cut the butterflies and the accompanying detailed butterflies from solid cardstock and glued them together. I added the flourish die cuts to the background and then placed the butterflies and the sentiment on top and applied rhinestones to the flourishes and heads of the butterflies. Lots of texture on this card! Thanks for visiting.
1 Comment | tags: alcohol inks, butterflies, die cuts, memory box, Ranger, stamping, stencils | posted in Miss You, Online Card Classes

- Stencil – The Crafter’s Workshop “Mini Ferns”
- Stamp – Simon Says Stamp “Square Sayings”
- Patterned paper – Echo Park “For the Record 2”
- Ranger Dylusions Ink Sprays – Fresh Lime, Vibrant Turquoise and London Blue
- Golden Molding Paste
- Cardstock – Bazzill
I made this card based on a lesson from the Online Card Classes Stenciled class. I tried my hand at using molding paste with a stencil. My variation was to mist the cardstock with ink sprays prior to adding the molding paste and it actually incorporated some of the color into the stenciled image. Kind of a happy accident! I’ve included a close-up here to try to show it in a little more detail.
My color scheme reflects the colors of the Seattle Seahawks, who will soon be playing in the Super Bowl. The Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps CardBowl is this weekend, and one of the challenges is to use something that reflects one of the teams playing in your card design. Living in the northwest, it seemed only appropriate to select the Seattle team, so I picked the team colors! Thanks for stopping by today.
1 Comment | tags: cardmaking, crafter's workshop, echo park, Ranger, Simon Says Stamp, stencils | posted in Challenges, Online Card Classes, OWH