MFT Card Challenge

Hello Friends!

It's been months since I have posted here. As you no doubt know OWH has completed its mission. The last donation deadline passed back on August 1st and OWH will cease operation completely at (or around) the end of the year. With the exception of this post and likely one or two more at the end of the year I've decide that I won't continue to blog here but will instead move on... a New Year will find me in a new spot — HandmadeByPaula.com — with the goal of trying some new and exciting things. I hope you'll consider joining me there when the time comes.

While my card making has slowed down significantly in the past couple of years as OWH has started to wind down I can say with certainty that arts, crafts and design (I am a professional graphic designer by day) has always been at the foundation of my life and that won't change.

I've have been making some cards to exchange with friends in my card making group and when I spotted the card making contest being sponsored by MFT (My Favorite Things) I simply could not resist the chance to unpack all my stuff and spend an afternoon playing. These cards are what I created.

Die-Namics: Layered Rose & Blueprints 1 ~ Stamps: Chalkboard Greetings

Die-Namics: Party Banner  ~ Stamps: Birthday Sentiments

LJD Pretty Poppies & Coordinating Die-Namics

Stamps: Abstract Art & Bold Statements

Stamps: Seasonal Sentiments

I know it's been a big change for so many of the dedicated card makers who made up the OWH family but I do hope that you will join me in believing that when one door closes another will open... seek out new outlets,  new ideas... new groups and that no matter what you will continue to keep crafting and creating.


Happy Crafting and enjoy the last few days of summer!

OWH Finishing Strong Blog Hop

Hello Friends!

It's my pleasure and honor to be participating in what has been a tradition for me for the last 7 years... the OWH Memorial Day Weekend Blog Hop.

“Operation Write Home, a charity that has supported heroes with handmade cards since 2007, will be closing later this year. All cards need to be sent in by August 1st, so I’m helping to get the word out!”

This hop is a bit different in that the blog are not linked to each other, instead the home base for this hop is the Stars & Stamps Blog at OWH and from there you can visit the links for every participant directly. 

I'll simply say that as we start to 'draw down' and complete this mission, finding OWH (Cards for Heroes back then) in 2008 was one of the greatest things to happen to me. I guess you could say it happened by chance if you believe in coincidence or chalk it up to divine providence if you don't, but either way, like so many of you I have have learned a lot, laughed a lot and 'met' so many wonderful people along the way and it has been an incredible journey. It seemed only natural for me to share a card today that says 'Thanks' to all of you, to everyone who has served OWH over the years and to our heroes, above all, who serve us every day.

This card uses the In Bloom stamp set from Papertrey Ink and the Thanks Sentiment Die is from Simon Says Stamp. I crafted the shape with a ruler and Exacto knife and the edge punch is an old (retired) one from Martha Stewart/EK Success.

As you make cards to help with the OWH Finishing Strong Campaign it's important that you follow all the guidelines and please out of consideration and thanks for the tremendous amount of time and effort Sandy Allnock has given, be sure that they make the August 1st deadline.

My card is slightly bigger than an A2 size and fairly dimensional so it's best suited to becoming an Any Hero note.

When all is said and done, I hope, that like me you will have a place in your heart for OWH, its mission and all that was accomplished by a group of amazing card makers and volunteers. And let us never forget, especially on this Memorial Day weekend, the countless heroes who gave all on behalf of our country, for our freedom.

Keep Crafting!

OWH Finishing Strong & Staying Connected

Hello Friends,

As many of you already know on May 12, 2015 Operation Write Home announced that it's entering into it's final phase as an organization and will accept card donations until August 1st as part of it's Finishing Strong Campaign.

I know there are many who are experiencing this as a bittersweet event, thrilled that the mission has been accomplished and that so many of our heroes have returned home, yet a bit melancholy at the thought of losing friends and connections that they've made over the years through OWH.

I too have 'met' so many wonderful people since I first became connected to OWH in 2008 and hope that I'll be able to stay connected. I'm hoping I can find a way to host and occasional online chat for OWH Alums though I have not worked out a specific date/plan yet but do know that in order to control access it would have to be done 'by invitation'. There is no cost and no requirement to be invited. Everyone is welcome.

I'll post details in the new Facebook Group Sandy has set up so be sure to check it out and join the group or email me directly if you are not on FB and would like to be included.

You can also contact me by Email by clicking on the small black envelope icon under my photo.

I hope that no matter what... you Keep Crafting!

Transitions & Birthdays

Hello Friends! I know that this is a crazy, busy time of year and one of transitions for so many, with graduations and wedding season in full swing. Sometimes life feels like an endless 'to do list' but be sure you take some time to kick back and enjoy it along the way.

As many of you know the past couple of years have been ones of significant change and transition for me. Not necessarily in a bad way (and believe me I have nothing to complain about, I am blessed) but in one that has taken a toll on my crafting. There are still a lot of changes to come and new things to explore but I am glad that I set the goal of making/sending birthday cards to the people in my cardmaking group as it's been just enough motivation to keep me from abandoning crafting altogether.

Today's card is one I made and sent to Sherry H. The image is from Mo's Digital Pencil. Mo Manning does such great work. Her whimsical images are such fun to color. This masked Cupcake Crusader, as I like to call her, is colored with Spectrum Noir markers. The papers are all scraps but the ribbon is perfect for cardmaking because it can be crushed flat for mailing and manages to 'pop up' nicely once out of the envelope. I bought it so many years ago I can say with certainty where it came from but I need to hunt down some more soon.

That's all until next time...
Happy Crafting!

California Poppies

Hello Friends! Where does the time go? When I last posted I was so certain that since I had a few cards made and photos taken that I'd be able to post for a few weeks in a row and here it is nearly 3 three weeks later!

There is so much I want to be able to do... redesign my blog, craft more, paint and draw again, play piano again, open an online store (this one has been in my mind and in progress for more than a couple of years now — yep, you guessed it...crafty related) and while I consider myself organized and productive I'm beginning to think the reality of it is that there is just no way for me to focus on so many things at once and these things are not of the 'set it and forget it' sort so they are never really something you can cross off a list. That said...I'm open to all advice and tips! :)

Colored with Spectrum Noir Markers.

My card share today is a Birthday card I made for Sherry my crafty online friend. This is a digi created by Sandy Allnock many years ago for OWH and it's always been once I enjoyed coloring. Poppies have always been among my favorite flowers to draw, paint (and in this case color) along with Tulips.

I hope wherever you are spring has truly sprung as it has here in Connecticut and that you're seeing some beautiful flowers showing their style.

Happy Crafting!

Happy Easter

Hello Friends! First I'd like to wish you a blessed and Happy Easter and for those celebrating Passover, Chag Sameach. I hope that you are enjoying a beautiful, peaceful day no matter where you are or what you're doing.

I'm changing things up just a bit in that I don't have a card to share today but instead am sharing a couple of old watercolors I did. As some of you who caught an earlier post with other paintings may recall I've been working on cleaning my computer which at 7+ years old is starting to show just a bit of age and a 'too full' hard drive isn't helping. In the midst of the cleaning I can across a collection of archived images of paintings I did many years ago. I'd painted watercolors pretty seriously for 5-6 years and ultimately sold off almost all of my work but kept a record in photos/scans.

I love flowers in general but nothing quite says Easter and spring to me as much as Tulips. so I thought these would make a good choice for a post today. Though I typically worked in smaller sizes these pieces were both on the larger side at 12x18.

It was a nice surprise to come across the folder of images and having a look back. There are quite a few so I'll share some more in posts to come as time goes by.

Happy Crafting!

Good Intentions and Time Flies

Hello Friends!  I know I'm not alone but no matter how hard I try there just never seems to be enough time to do all those thing you have to do plus the things you want to do. Lately I can sum up my life in the two sayings... "The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions" and "Time Flies Whether You're Having Fun or Not".  :)

I've neglected to blog consistently but I have by some minor miracle managed to keep up with making and sending cards to the members of my FB card maker group. This card was created specifically for Misty (who loves Hummingbirds).

I had a few hummingbird images in my graphics library (one of the side benefits of being a graphic designer is having a lot of graphic resources) but chose this one as opposed to a photo. I'm not a fan of using photos in my card making and could easily envision making this into a card.

I sized the graphic accordingly printed it on a beige cardstock, fussy cut it and mounted it on a contrasting burgundy card stock. I took advantage of the detail in the bottom of the image to add some extra dimension by slipping the ribbon below it.

My apologizes for a less than perfect photo. I need to spend some time really learning my camera... add one more thing to the 'to do' list! :)

Happy Crafting!

Bluebird of Spring

Hello Friends! I think it's safe to say that winter is finally behind us in the Northeast and I for one am very grateful. Spring is always a time of great renewal and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to start finding some more time to create (and post) regularly instead of in the fits-and-spurts that have so far been the case this year.

My card share today is a card I made for my stash which I've begun to accumulate so that I'll be able to send cards to my fellow Seognsook's Card Makers. This one was sent to Pam T. for her birthday.

This is a digi I have had in my collection for a long time and I'm not certain where it came from but I always manage to make a few cards with it every Spring. I love that it's so versatile — I'm not a birder (forgive me for any of you who are) so in my estimation I think you can make this bird just about any color combo and the flowers can be matched to any accent color you want too. 

The sentiment is an older one from StampinUp and the die set is one that comes with the Lifestyle Crafts Genius Magnetic Platform made by WeR, which I got for Christmas this year. I haven't been crafting enough to say for sure if this is a 'must have' but so far I like it. It always takes some getting used to, when you have done something one way for a long time, to get the hang of something new but I have a lot of dies and tend to use them a lot so I thought this might be easier. Do you own it and do you love it? I'll keep you posted as I use it more.

Until next time... Happy Crafting!

Unity Stamp Company & OWH Blog Hop

Hello and welcome! I'm excited to be participating in the Unity Stamp Co. Blog Hop today (which officially begins at 12:00 noon Central time) with so many truly talented and gifted crafters. If you scroll down to the end of this post you'll find a list of the stops or you can head on over to OWH Stars & Stamps blog or the Unity Stamps blog to find your way too.

These new stamps are fabulous! I'm lucky enough to have quite a few Unity Stamps in my collection and they are among my favorite, go-to sets. I decided  I'd take the opportunity to focus on the fun, artsy feel of this set in my card.

I used a 140# cold-pressed Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper for my base and finally broke into a set of Faber-Castell Gelatos that I've had for awhile but until now had gone untouched. I started by creating the background, randomly stamping the text stamp in this set and then added the flag right on top. 

The handmade in USA sentiment is heat embossed in white and those are just basic staples holding it to the layer below it. I should also note that the whole thing is then attached to a card base so there is no chance of catching anyone's fingers on those staples.

I had lots of fun playing with this set, and as you can see there are 2 stamps I didn't use... that heart would make a great CAS card all on it's own wouldn't it? Although the sentiment could make this card good for almost any message I think I'll be using it as an Any Hero card for OWH.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the hop! Head on over to Rachel next (#13) and see what she has in-store for you...

Occupation Themed Birthday Cards

Hello Friends! They're calling for more snow where I am today on the Connecticut/New York border. I'm hoping they're wrong... but it doesn't look like it but at least, thankfully, it doesn't seem like it will be too bad, maybe 3-6 inches.

I have been holding on to a few photos of cards I've made to send to members of my card maker group figuring it would be best to post them after sending them, just in case the recipient happened to read the post. Most of the cards I've been sending have been general birthday themes. Since I don't know most of the group well enough to make a card that has any specific connection to what they do or what they like. This one was an exception. I know Nancy is a nurse and thought this fun Dr. Needle digi from Hambo Stamps would make a fun choice for her card. He's easy and fun to color. 

I wish that all the snow we've had this winter would have translated into more crafting time for me but it hasn't worked out that way so I'm looking forward to the renewal and fresh start that Spring always seems to bring. What about you...Are you more productive at certain times of the year than others?

Happy Crafting!

Sweet and Simple

Hello Friends! I hope you're keeping warm wherever you are, and if you happen to be in an always warm climate, I'd say consider yourself lucky. After this very cold winter... I've never been more ready for spring.

I'm not sure if the 'chalkboard' trend is still going strong or starting to dwindle but I've made embossing white on black part of my regular go-to techniques. Sometimes with the smudging and sometimes, as in this case, without.

Patterned papers in this are Stampin Up and the solids are from my scrap box.

It's been a couple of weeks since I've made anything. I'm having a hard time motivating myself to craft...  I need to unpack supplies and set up for each session and lately I can't convince myself that it's worth it to go through all that and maybe get a couple of cards out before I need to pack it all up again... maybe this will be the weekend I manage it.

Happy Valentine's Day

Hello! I have a card to share today that is a bit unusual for me. Most of the cards I make are flat enough to be mailed without needing to go into a big, padded envelope or package. But I confess adding embellishments and thick layers can be so much fun, so on the rare occasions when I'm making a card that will be 'hand-delivered' I tend to pull out all the stops as I did on this one.

The focal point on this is actually a pair of dimensional stickers I found in the dollar bin at Target. The hearts are actually one piece and they came already dimensionally mounted to the scalloped piece that looks like a miniature doily. The 'Love you' Banner was a separate piece that I glued closely enough so make it all one big piece.

I found the fun washi tape in the same bargain bin and when I first applied it to this background I wasn't so sure that I like the transparent hearts but by the time I was finished it became my favorite element of the design.

The papers, including the super fun corrugated one were part of a kit from Fancy Pants Trend Setter that I'd won a long time back and the pre-pierced (they called them 'stitched') circle die is from My Favorite Things (if I ever hit the lottery I can say without doubt that MFT dies would be at the top of my list, they are marvelous!)

Since this card is a 5-1/2" x 5-1/2" square making a custom envelope was also in order so I finally got a chance to use my We R Envelope Punch Board. I used a really thick piece of stock. I really liked how it coordinated and couldn't find anything in a thinner 12x12 in my collection of papers so even though it didn't fold as nicely as I would have liked I went with it. The punch board totally rocks and is super simple to figure out. They make quite a few different boards (and I'd bet they're all worth collecting) but this envelope one would be a great place to start, especially if you like to make a lot of different sized cards. You'll never find yourself without an envelope again.

The sticker package had another small co-ordinated heart that made a perfect envelope seal and though the the final result is thick and package like when it's hand-delivered on going into a package, I think a beautiful, embellished card is the way to go.

Happy Crafting!

February Birthdays

Hello Friends! It's Mid-February and I am glad to report that I've managed to keep up with my goal of sending birthday cards to everyone in my card makers group. Of course the fine print in this (there's always fine print right?) is that really only amounts to 5 cards so far. LOL

Since many of the group members are new friends most of the card designs don't have a specific connection to them personally (though I have been trying to make notes about favorite colors and themes when they come up in the daily FB posts). This is a card I sent to Joanne G. for her February 1st birthday. 

The image is from an old, retired Stampin Up set. Funnily enough I have a lot of stamps and yet I often find myself grabbing for the same few sets. Is it just me? I guess they're like a worn pair of jeans...comfortable, so using them comes naturally and making a card using them doesn't result in any major struggle. Maybe I need to declare some of them 'off-limits' for awhile and force myself to mix things up.

Happy Crafting!

Have You Heard of Dover Publications?

Hello Friends! Are you ready for the weekend?

I have a card and a great source to share with you today. Some of you may be familiar with Dover Publications. They've been around for a very long time. I first became familiar with them long before the computer age (boy that makes me sound ancient doesn't it?) when I was just deciding that graphic design would be my field of study. Creating advertisements was a a lot different back then than it is today, and while use of stock photos and illustration is still very common today  (there are dozens if not hundreds of suppliers), I think Dover was one of the pioneers in the area. In short they produce a large line of books, many in the artistic realm, and among them are books with illustrations and images that can be used in various ways and some of them even come with digitized versions of the images on CD.

The image on this card is one of theirs. It came colored as you see it. I simply sized and printed in on my printer. They have a huge selection of books including both 'pre-colored' and 'line drawn' images that you could color yourself. This image was one of the 'samples' they send out each week when you subscribe to their free newsletter. I'm not affiliated with them in any way but if you've never heard of them I suggest you check out the site Dover Publicatons and sign up for the newsletter too. It's a great source for any artist or crafter to have on their list.

Happy Crafting!

Poppies and Glossy Accents

Hello Friends! I hate to rush time but I have to admit I'm ready for Spring. Once the excitement of the holiday season passes I'm good for about 4-5 weeks and then I'm itching for Spring.

I'm also itching to spend some time revamping my blog. I've been toying with the idea of a total redesign and connecting it to an actual domain name (handmadebypaula.com is a LOT easier to remember and find than paulaposts.blogspot.com) but alack and alas... I think what I really need is 46 hours in a day in order to do all those things I 'have to do' and still have time to do all those things 'I want to do'. 

This card is one I made recently and sent off to OWH in a recent package. I had a few pre-stamped images in the midst of my stuff so I'm not totally sure where this came from. For some reason I'm thinking it might be from Stampendous but don't hold me to it (and it could be so old it's not available any more). I need to get back on track with what's coming from what supplier when crafting. (Add that to my list too! :)

This image was fun and quick to color (I used my Spectrum Noir markers). I fussy cut it along the squiggly frame that is part of the image and I added glossy accents to a few of the blooms. Glossy accents is one of those products that I always 'forget' until I once again see it being used somewhere. I guess that's one of the hazards of not having a dedicated craft space where things could stay more visible... as the saying goes... out of sight, out of mind.

Happy Crafting!

Nova Scotia Lighthouse

Hello! I'm going to ask forgiveness for making this post short. I'm managing to get back into the swing of 'creating cards' but photographing, uploading and posting them is still a stumbling block. 

This beautiful lighthouse image is an oldie but goody from Stampin Up. I think this stamp set is among my all-time favorites and I can without a doubt say I got my moneys worth having used it more times than I can count. So many times that his card probably looks like a lot of others I've done.

The fine yarn is reminiscent of rope but it's very soft and stays pretty flat making it  a nice choice for card making.

I colored this image with my Spectrum Noir Markers, which need some loving-care after sitting unused for quite a long time it's time for some re-inking and nib changing.

Happy Crafting!

Making Cards for Card Makers

Hello Friends! One of the crafty goals I have this year is to make and send birthday cards to every member in the Facebook card maker's group I am part of. It's not a huge number of cards but knowing that they'll go to fellow card makers can give one just a bit of a pause. Let's be honest when you send a handmade card to your non-crafty friends you're pretty much guaranteed the ohs and ahs that come from people who don't ever delve into anything artistic. (I personally believe that everyone has some artistic abilities but only some take the time to nurture them... but it's a philosophical topic best left to another time.)

This card is one I made to send Pat K. and it wraps up my birthday card list for January. I had colored the image (It's an old digital one, I think it's from Dover Publications) a while back so turning it into a card was pretty quick. The patterned paper is Stampin Up and the sentiment is by Avery Elle. It looks a bit more intensely colored on my screen then it did in person... softer colors in person.

Hope you're staying warm wherever you are!

Wish You Were A Penguin?

Hello Friends! The weather reports have said that it's below freezing in 87% of the nation so it's probably safe for me to send most of you a 'stay warm' wish. (Oh and please if you're in a sunny, warm climate enjoy it just a little extra for me woulda ya?)

Colored with Spectrum Noir Markers • Papers from my Scrap Box

This cute little guy, from Bugaboo Stamps, would no doubt be happy in this cold weather. This card is destined for my OWH box and then on to hopefully put a smile on the face of some heroes kiddo.

I'm working on using some of those supplies I've accumulated but seldom include on cards and I decided the iridescent sequins would made a fun accent on this card as snow flakes.

Happy Crafting!

Happy New Year

Hello 2015! I hope that you've all enjoyed a beautiful holiday season and are looking forward to a shiny, new year. I know I am.

First if you have not yet checked out the traditional Year in Review Bloghop over at the Stars & Stamps Blog, bookmark it and get to it, you won't be sorry.  I didn't do a lot of card making or blogging in 2014 so I opted out this year but I can tell you that it's not always easy to choose favorites and invariably the ones that make it into a card makers top pics are the best of their best and it's a great way to kick-off your craft inspiration for the new year.

Okay on to resolutions. Do you make them? Find them a waste of time? I tend to 'staddle the fence'. I enjoy the 'restart' feeling of a new year and  like to spend some time thinking about what I'd like to do differently in the coming year. One of the things on my 2015 list is to craft more and share it here. (And maybe not just cards).

Image by Stampin Up - RETIRED  •  Sentiment my own custom design  • Scrap Papers from my stash

I've been working on using up odds-and-ends... working on images I printed but never colored, taking ones I colored or extras I'd stamped along the way and finally making them into cards. Using up some of the nicer scraps in my scrap box. Since I have some cards that have been tucked away with the ultimate goal of sending them to OWH my first crafty goal is getting enough done to take advantage of the best postal rate and finally send them on their way. I think this will be a good addition since masculine cards are always in demand and the Thinking of You sentiment makes it flexible enough that it could be used for a birthday, a thank you or even father's day.


Happy Crafting!