
- Stamp – Hero Arts – Operation Write Home “You’re Always in my Heart” set
- Patterned papers – Basic Grey Hipster Collection: “neato,” “fab,” and “radical.”
- Arrow sticker – Basic Grey Hipster Collection stickers
- Cardstock – Bazzill
- Wood Tape – BARC – “Cherry”
I created this card for the Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown Challenge: Masculine “Thinking of You” card. I wanted to use some of the new (to me) papers I just found at Tuesday Morning—marked way down! I’ve always been a fan of Basic Grey, so these were right up my alley. Then I threw in some of the new wood tape I found. I made up a sketch that would accommodate several patterns and away I went. I inked the edges of all of the pieces to create a visual separation. Thanks for stopping by today.
2 Comments | tags: basic grey, cardmaking, Hero Arts, stamping | posted in Challenges, General Cards, OWH

- Stamps – Inkadinkado “Rosette” and My Sentiments Exactly “Sympathy”
- Dies – Spellbinders Nestabilities “Floral Doily Motifs” and “Standard Circles Large”
- Patterned papers – Lawn Fawn “Bright Side” 6 X 6” paper collection
- Cardstock – Bazzill
- Rhinestone – Queen and Company “Iridescent”
I’ve had to make too many sympathy cards lately. For this one, I used a stamp set I’ve had for a long time to create the “rosette.” I stamped the two pieces on a couple of different tone-on-tone patterned papers and then cut out and popped up the pieces in different layers. It made the design a lot more interesting. I then edged everything with some purple chalk ink to tie the pieces together. Thanks for visiting.
Leave a comment | tags: cardmaking, die cuts, flora, inkadinkado, spellbinders, stamping | posted in Sympathy

- Rose die cut – K & Company Susan Winget Botanical Layered Accents
- Stamp – My Sentiments Exactly
- Cardstock – Bazzill and American Crafts
- Embossing folder – Cuttlebug “Decorative Tile Set”
- Border punch – EK Success “English Ivy”
I needed to make a sympathy card and thought using one of the floral die cuts I’d been saving would be a nice option. I tried to keep it simple with several layers with mostly solid color cardstock. Thanks for visiting today.
Leave a comment | tags: cardmaking, cuttlebug, die cuts, ek success, embossing, flora, K & Company | posted in Sympathy

- Stamp – Hero Arts “Everyday Sayings”
- Patterned Paper – We R Memory Keepers “Winter Frost Collection: Frost”
- Dies – Memory Box “Valerian Flourish” and Spellbinders Nestabilities “Labels Nine” and “Standard Circles Large”
- Black Pearls – KaiserCraft
- Cardstock – WorldWin and Bazzill
I really like to use the color gray in design. It is a neutral with so many possibilities. This week’s CAS-ual Friday challenge (CFC129) is to use at least two shades of gray in a clean and simple project. I have used several different colors of gray (one silver-y gray!) cardstock and there are grays in the patterned paper also. I gave this card to my husband for our 20th wedding anniversary, which we celebrated yesterday. Thanks for stopping by.
1 Comment | tags: cardmaking, clean and simple stamping, die cuts, Hero Arts, memory box, spellbinders | posted in Anniversary, CAS-ual Fridays, Challenges

- Digital image – Doodle Pantry “Nutty for You”
- Stamps – Stampendous “Tiny Acorns” and Simon Says Stamp “Giving Thanks”
- Patterned paper – Doodlebug Designs Kraft in Color 6 X 6″ pad
- Cardstock – Bazzill
It was fun to create this card using Sketch #125 at Freshly Made Sketches. I must admit though, such a simple sketch almost made designing it more difficult! I got to use a squirrel image, which is always a plus! I colored this guy from Doodle Pantry with Copic markers, along with the little acorn stamped images. After fussy cutting them, I popped-up both the squirrel and the acorns with a little bit of dimensional adhesive. It will be a great OWH card for a child. Thanks for visiting today.
3 Comments | tags: cardmaking, copics, digital stamps, fauna, Simon Says Stamp, stampendous, stamping | posted in Challenges, Digital image, Freshly Made, Love

- 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