A Special Blessing - My Favorite Things Sketch #146

I'm getting in on this week's My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge as is usually the case. What's unusual is that I really found myself struggling with this card. I was in the half done stage for at least an hour and couldn't make the pieces work no matter what I did, so I took it apart and started again. I'm still not totally sure about it though I can't exactly put my finger on what's missing or what should have been eliminated to make it work better. Yes, you read that right, eliminated. Typically when we have a design we feel doesn't work most people are inclined to add something, but sometimes the key is eliminating something instead.

I think it might be an issue of balance and it's ironic that Balance is this month's topic for OWH Bootcamp. In hindsight I'm wondering if the background colors would have been better switched. The green in the upper left feels a bit heavier than the yellow and the eye would probably be more comfortable with the heavier weight near the bottom. 

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Cheerful Blessings (My Favorite Things)

INKS: Licorice Black (My Favorite Things)

PAPER: Grade School Mat Pack (DCWV), Recollections (Michael's)

DIES/PUNCHES: Flag Stax, Sunflower, Pierced Circled (My Favorite Things), Turning a New Leaf (Papertrey Ink)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Being Strong is the Only Choice We Have - MFT Sketch #145

Hello Friends! It's Tuesday again, which means I have a card to share that's based on the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge. They just completed their October release and oh my there were loads of great new products. Seriously I really need to hit the lottery so I can buy one of everything. :) Anyway here is my take on the sketch.

If you like working with sketches I encourage you to check out the My Favorite Thingsblog where a new one is posted each Wednesday.  They are typically not super elaborate (like many of the others I've seen on various challenges and sites) which I find I enjoy. It leaves you a lot of room for creativity. You don't need to use MFT products to join in and their is a random drawing for a gift certificate each week too.

Happy Crafting!



SUPPLIES USED:
STAMPS: Vertical Greetings with Matching Die (MFT)
INKS: Kraft (MFT
PAPERS: Follow Your Heart (My Minds Eye), Boy Scouts Pad (K&Co.), Solids - Recollections (Michael's), Bazzill, MFT
DIES: Blueprints 1- Button, Mix-n-Match Banner (MFT)
PUNCHES; Notebook Edge (EK Success)
OTHER: Paper String (Tim Holtz)

MFT Sketch Challenge #143

Hello! Yes, as hard as it is to believe here we are on the last day of September. Hard to imagine. I'm joining in again on the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge this week, and once again I've taken the liberty of making the square sketch into a standard 4.25 x 5.5 size since I'll be including this card in my OWH box.

I think this might be the first time I've done these poppies in orange. This set is among my favorites and if you follow my blog you've seen it enough times to know I definitely got my money's worth. :) The fancy circle die cut is from the Silhouette store and cut on my Cameo and though it's a bit hard to tell in the photo the base is a rich brown, which I think looks fabulous with the orange.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Pretty Poppies with Matching Dies (My Favorite Things)

INKS: Orange Fizz, Gumdrop Green (My Favorite Things)

PAPER: Recollections Solids (Michael's), Bazzill Solids, DSP Scrap

DIES/PUNCHES: Fancy Circle (Silhouette Store), Mix-n-Match Banners (MFT)

OTHER: Orange Brads 

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

I Love You - MFT Sketch #142

I've decided a few weeks back that since I knew I wouldn't have many cards ready to be sent to OWH by the Thanksgiving deadline I'd stick with basic everyday sentiments instead. Love themed cards are always in demand, particularly as soon as the Christmas rush has passed. This card that I made for this week's My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge can be used at any time and could even work as an anniversary card too.

I made some changes to the original sketch you see here by adding several banner flags instead of the single element and enlarging the circle to draw a bit more attention to it since I've made it my focal point. I've also moved these elements down to overlap the background piece more.

This sentiment is fairly small but framing it with the larger circle behind it helps give it some weight and is a good technique when trying to turn a small element into a focal point in your design.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Lovey Dovey Sentiments (MFT)

INKS: Kraft (MFT)

PAPER: Color Vibe 2 (Simple Stories), Print Poetry, Attique Boutique (Stampin Up), Recollections (Michael's)  & Bazzill Solids  

DIES/PUNCHES: Pierced Circles, Peek-a-Boo Dots, Hearts-A-Plenty, Fishtail Flag Stax (MFT)

COLORING MEDIUM: Colored Pencils (Prang)

OTHER: White Grosgrain Ribbon  (Michael's)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

You Tickle My Fancy - MFT Sketch Challenge

I managed to make five cards this weekend and this card for the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge is one of them. This card usesMFT stamps and dies, and a fun, stencil too. Whenever I'm creating a card, even when it's for a challenge I've always got OWH in mind too. In this case I was aiming for a masculine 'love theme' and I think that this could definitely be sent from a female hero to as sweetheart or husband back home.

Here's the sketch, which is a square so I took a cue from Barb Anders sample card (MFT has a DT that does such fabulous work, all the time) and reworked it into a standard 4.25 x 5.5 size so that it would be better suited to OWH needs.

I've only used this stencil a couple of times since I got it but I love the effect. It's the only stencil I own but I would definitely consider getting a few more but I need to figure out a way to keep them in mind so that they get used more often.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Document-It Right On Target, Sending Thanks (My Favorite Things)

INKS: Hot Fudge (My Favorite Things), Chestnut Roan Chalk Ink for background (Colorbox)

PAPER: Country Pumpin Chowder (Jillibean Soup), Recollections Solids (Michael's), 

DIES/PUNCHES: Accent It Feathers & Arrow, Fishtail Flag Stax (My Favorite Things)

OTHER: Chicken Wire Stencil (My Favorite Things)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

The Red Poppy - My Favorite Things

I have a quick share today of a card I've had in my picture files for a little while now. It's not intended for any challenge but made with one of my most loved stamp sets from My Favorite Things called Pretty Poppies. The matching dies make this set a total joy to use.

Though I've made cards with poppies in many colors red is truly classic looking and this could even be a great OWH Any Hero card. Did you know that the Red Field Poppy has come to be known as an international symbol of Remembrance? If you've never heard about the connection you can read about it here.

I hope you have some fun and relaxation planned for your upcoming weekend and of course a little crafting too, if you're so inclined.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Pretty Poppies, Cheerful Blessings (My Favorite Things)

PAPER: Steel Grey (MFT), 100# Accent White (International Paper)

INKS: Steel Blue, Jellybean Green, Wild Cherry (MFT)

DIES: Poppies & Leaves (MFT)

COLORING MEDIUM: Spectrum Noir Marker (Plane highlights)

OTHER: Versamark, White Embossing Powder (Hero Arts), White Grosgrain Ribbon (Michaels)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Too Early for Christmas Cards?

Summer is my favorite season and I'm not in any rush to start thinking about Christmas but where cards for Operation Write Home are concerned Christmas cards have to be on their way to our heroes no later than October 31st. They need time to reach them and then get written and sent all the way back home.

For this week's MFT Sketch Challenge I decided I'd ink up this fun, typography based sentiment from the Seasonal Sentiments set.

Here's this week's sketch and as you can see I followed it pretty closely with just an adjustment to the size of the panel that contain the sentiment.  The tiny, gingham check paper is from Graphic 45 (Country French) and the solids, which are great for projects with a natural or rustic feel, are from the Kraft Core Collection (Tim Holtz). The scalloped border is actually created from the scalloped rectangle in the Blueprints 1 Dies set and is two parts carefully pieced together.

Hope that you're among those enjoying a long holiday weekend and savoring the last couple weeks of summer after all Christmas will be here before you know it! :)

Happy Crafting!


SUPPLIES USED:
STAMPS: SeasonalSentiments (My Favorite Things)
INK: Red Hot (MFT)
PAPERS: Country French (Graphic 45), Kraft Core Solids (Tim Holtz)
DIES: Blue Prints 1, Button Quartet (MFT)
OTHER: Jute Twine

Two for One - MFT Sketch & Color Throwdown #256

Lately I've been combining the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge with the Color Throwdown and I've done the same again this week. The Color Throwdown combos tend to push me in the direction of a flowery, feminine card more often than not. While pretty, flowery cards are fun to create, OWH always has a need for some cards that would work for either gender, so this week I actually created two cards using the sketch.

This is a really pretty color combo and the sketch is so versatile that turning into a more gender neutral thank you card was easy. I forced myself to flip it too. Sometimes I find if settle on one or two set parameters (in this case... not feminine and the sketch in a  horizontal position) before I begin it helps me to solidify a design more easily while still leaving room for creativity.

Here is the sketch and color palette. My Favorite Things posts a new sketch on their blog each Wednesday and the Color Throwdown Challenges run from Wednesday to Monday. Both blogs have great Design Teams with tons of inspiration to get you started.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED:

"Miss You"

STAMPS: Pretty Poppies (MFT)

INKS: Sour Apple (MFT), Elegant Eggplant (Stampin Up)

PAPER: Bazzill Solids (Michael's)

DIES: Poppies & Leaves, Scalloped Ribbon Border, Blueprints 1 - Stitched Ribbon (MFT) 

OTHER: Raffia Green, Lime Green Rhinestones (Michael's)

"Thanks You're the Best"

STAMPS: Sending Thanks (MFT)

INKS: Steel Blue, Wild Cherry & Black Licorice (MFT)

PAPER: Recollections Solids & Polka Dot (Michael's), Book Page

OTHER: Jute Twine &  Silver Brad (Michael's)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

You Have My Heart

I'm joining in again this week over at My Favorite Things with the weekly sketch challenge. This card will be going into my next OWH. While I do usually include some seasonal cards in my boxes, year-round themes like love, miss you, thank you and thinking of you typically make up the majority of my boxes no matter what the season.

I thought I'd ink up this sentiment from one of my newer MFT sets and aim for a more fun, contemporary love design. It's hard to tell in this photo but the ink is actually a very dark brown shade by MFT called 'Hot Fudge' which picks up some of the chocolate brown stripes in the paper which don't look brown here either. Oh well you'll have to take my word for it! :)

Happy Crafting !

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Bold Statements (My Favorite Things)

INKS: Hot Fudge (MFT)

PAPER: Solids (Michael's & MFT), Hootenanny Stripe (My Minds Eye)

DIES: Button Quartet, Fishtail Flag Stax (My Favorite Things)

OTHER: Bakers Twine (Doodlebug), Ribbon (Michael's)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

You're a Star

My card share today uses two stamp sets from My Favorite Things. This CAS design would probably work pretty well for a hero with an teenager or even an older girl at home who could use some encouraging words or congratulations.

We are supposed to have some beautiful weather here in the Northeast this weekend. I hope it's going to be nice wherever you are too and that you manage to maybe get some crafty time in too.

Happy Crafting!



SUPPLIES USED: 
STAMPS: Pretty Poppies - Script, Bold Statements - Sentiment (My Favorite Things)
PAPER: Black Licorice & Razzleberry (MFT), 100# Accent White (International Paper)
INKS: Onyx Black (Versafine)
DIES: Seeing Stars (Papertrey Ink)
OTHER:  Silver Star Brad
BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Hello Pink Poppies

While the colors of red and orange are probably the first that come to mind when I think of Poppies, it's actually a flower that can be found in many colors including pinks among quite a few others. So while I've only used this MFT stamp set in red so far, on today's card I've made them pink.

The card design is based on the MFT Sketch Challenge #136  and not only do I think they look beautiful in pink but this color combo (pink, green and brown) makes this card eligible for this month's Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge for OperationWrite Home, so I'm going to link it up there too.

IMAGE CREDIT

This has become one of my very favorite stamp sets and it has a matching set of dies which makes it so easy to use. I look forward to seeing what these poppies will look like in orange, peach and purple and yellow and white...with all those colors this can really be a versatile set.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED:

STAMPS: Pretty Poppies (My Favorite Things)

INKS: Bubblegum, Jellybean Green, Kraft 9MFT)PAPER: Print Poetry (Stampin Up), Recollections Solids (Michael's)

DIES: Circle, Scalloped Circles (Spellbinders), Poppies & Leaves, Fishtail Flag Stax (MFT)

OTHER: Glossy Accents Black (Ranger), Jute Twine

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Be Mine

I have a quick card share for today from my files. I usually keep photos of cards that I've made that I'm not sharing as part of any challenge aside in a folder so that I can share them whenever. Lately I've been making most of my cards for specific challenges but I do try to keep in mind the categories that are always in demand for OWH and I incorporate them into the challenges. Love cards seem to be on the 'needs' list all the time. This one was in my last box.

I've tried the chalkboard technique a few times and not only is it fun, it's not as difficult as it first looks. It's a great effect if you have a lot of big sentiment stamps in your collection like I do. Hope you have a great weekend.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Lovey Dovey Sentiments (My Favorite Things), 

INKS: Versamark

PAPER: Red Hot, Black Licorice (MFT), Floral - Neopolitan Bean Bisque (Jillibean Soup), Green Print - Print Poetry (Stampin Up)

DIES: Labels Eighteen (Spellbinders)

OTHER: White Embossing Powder (Hero Arts), Blue Satin Ribbon (Stampin Up), Quilted Edge Punch (Martha Stewart), Uniball White Signo Gel Pen

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Find Joy in Everyday Blessings

My card share today incorporates the sketch over at My Favorite Things and the colors in this week's Color Throwdown challenge. If you're one of my regular readers you've heard me say that I just love the MFT product line. Not only have they got a beautiful line of stamps, dies and accessories but they've been great supporters of OWH too.

Some women collect shoes and handbags, others prefer jewelry as a gift. Me? It's always some sort of craft (or art) supply and lately it's a lot of MFT. I think it's been the case my entire life. As a kid nothing made me happier than a new box of crayons. I'm blessed to have such a generous family and I've managed to grow quite a collection of MFT stuff over the past couple of years so you see quite a bit of it in the cards I post. Today's card is no exception.

Just a few notes on a few elements in this design. The Postage Stamp Stax dies is rectangular so to achieve the shape you see I carefully pieced two together. The seam is hidden beneath the flowers. You need to do some planning ahead but I've done this a time or two already and it's easy to get the hang of it. The 'tape' is actually cut from the stitched border in the Blueprints 1 die set and the ends are trimmed with an old pair of deckled-edge scissors. I don't recommend those crazy scissors for much because I find they usually just result in a messy look, but in this case, for trimming such a small edge in one snip, they're perfect

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Cheerful Blessings, Pretty Poppies (My Favorite Things)

INKS: Factory Green, Hot Fudge (My Favorite Things), Merlot (Colorbox)

PAPER: Solids (Bazzill)

DIES: Sunflower, Postage Stamp Stax, Peek-a-Boo Dots, Blue Prints 1 (My Favorite Things)

COLORING MEDIUM: 

OTHER: Green Crepe Ribbon (my stash), Deckle Edged Scissors

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Just Be Happy

This sentiment is from the My Favorite Things Chalkboard Sentiments set, which has quickly become a favorite for me.  Something about the combination of the hand-lettered type and the words of wisdom in the sayings makes me think of the seashore. Whenever I look at the set I picture old painted wood signs that you might see in places like Cape Cod, the Jersey Shore or Galveston.

I combined the MFT Wednesday Stamp Club Sketch #134, though I turned it and flipped it, and the yummy color combo over at the Color Throwdown.

I did initial attempt to ink up this stamp piece by piece, covering and masking, but finally gave up. Everything is really close together and my eyes and patience wore thin so I decided I'd fussy cut it instead. Which all-in-all isn't too bad. It actually shows less in person that it does in this photo but next time I'd use a very thin card stock or heavy paper so that  the edges would be almost undetectable.

Happy Crafting!


SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Chalkboard Sentiments, Script - Pretty Poppies (My Favorite Things)

INKS: Kraft (My Favorite Things), Perfect Plum, Pink Passion (Stampin Up)

PAPER: Lace DSP Attic Boutique (SU), Solids (Bazzill), White 80# Accent (Card Base)

DIES: Layered Rose (MFT), Circles (Spellbinders)

OTHER: Chalk (Stampin Up), RIbbon (Michael's), Brads

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

So Grateful

A quick card share today that carries a simple message...  I am so grateful for so much, including all the friends who stop by to say hello and who have shared their creativity with me over the years.

Hope you're gearing up for a fantastic weekend that includes the things you love doing the most.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED:
STAMPS:Signature Sentiments (Papertrey Ink), Pretty Poppies (My Favorite Things)
PAPER: Anthem 6x6 Pad (Bo Bonny)
INKS: Onyx Black (Versafine)
DIES: Quilted Edge Punch (Martha Stewart)
OTHER: Green Raffia
BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Love U

My card share today that is actually not for any challenge. As of late I find myself working on making 6-7 cards each week and almost always for a specific challenge. It's been a new way of approaching my card making this year, and while it means I haven't made any where near as many cards as I have in past years for OWH, I've not only been finding more pleasure in creating but the cards I do send are work I'm really proud of.

If you're part of the OWH family you've no doubt heard a lot about 'quality over quantity' and I can tell you from my own personal experience that there really is something to it. So take your time, think about every element on every card and give it your all. You might just find yourself enjoying your card making more than ever.

Happy Crafting!



SUPPLIES USED:
STAMPS: Lovey Dovey Sentiments (My Favorite Things), Postmark (Stampin Up - Retired)
INKS: Onyx Black (Versafine)
PAPER: Dots & Stripes (Echo Park), Wild Cherry, Black Licorice (MFT), Sweet Shop - Lavender Polka Dots (Stampin Up, 100# Accent White (International Paper)
DIES: Postage Stamp Stax, Hearts A Plenty (MFT), Nestabilities Labels Eight (Spellbinders)
OTHER: White Paper String (Tim Holtz), Jewels (Michaels)
BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Time for a Play Date

A Play Date Café challenge that is! I've visited and watched The Play Date Café challenge blog for a long time. It's a weekly color/photo inspiration challenge, which seem to be the ones It has all the makings a a great challenge blog... a fresh and interesting color combo every week, a very talented Design Team (DT) to supply plenty of inspiration, simple rules and loads of participants to also be inspired by. I'm glad to finally have a chance to jump in and play along.

As I've started to take part in challenge blogs this year I am also working on figuring out how I can best spend my limited crafting time. I have to say, that while I am always amazed to see people who can manage to make one card and yet link it up to a whole bunch of challenges, that's just not my style and it won't ever be. I think it becomes too stifling to try and create a design within a long list of parameters. Besides, as a professional graphic designer who has to do that on a regular basis, it would make crafting feel too much like work. That said I have been participating in the weekly sketch challenge by My Favorite Things (Wednesday Stamp Club Sketch Challenge) and think that it just might be one that I can combine with the Play Date challenges so I decided I'd try that this week.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

PAPER: Recollections (Michaels), Classics (Bazzill), Summer School (Fancy Pants)

INKS: Creamy Brown Chalk (Colorbox)

DIES: Postage Stamp Stax, Blueprints 1 (My Favorite Things)

OTHER:  Honeycomb EF (Stampin Up), Jute Twine

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Masculine Thank You

These feather dies from My Favorite Things are a new addition to my collection. I initially was a bit unsure of just how much use I'd get out of them but as I have been playing around with them in the past week or so I'm happy I got them. They seem like they'll be a good choice for masculine cards, which always seem to be in demand when it comes to OWH, but I can also picture them in pastels as part of a feminine design.

I hope that you're staying cool wherever you are this weekend and maybe finding just a little time to get creative too.

Happy Crafting!



SUPPLIES USED: 
STAMPS:Sentiment - Retired (Stampin Up)
PAPER: Safari Chic Mat Stack (DCWV)
INKS: Onyx Black (Versafine)
DIES: Accents-n-Feathers, Fishtail Flag Stax (My Favorite Things)
OTHER: Copper Brads
BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

MFT Wednesday Stamp Club - Thank You

Tuesdays mean it's deadline time for the weekly sketch challenge over at My Favorite Things. I just love the entire MFT product line and the sketches are typically clean and straightforward, which is right up my alley. Here's my card and the sketch for this week.

This sentiment set called 'Bold Statements' has a lot of solid areas, which can be tricky to get inked up and stamped well, especially with the clear style stamps. I employed a few tricks, including rubbing an eraser over the surface and covering the image with Versafine and letting it dry before inking it up in my color and stamping. I was ultimately able to get a decent impression but it's something I will need to play around with some more in order for this to become a 'go to' stamp set for me.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Bold Statements (My Favorite Things)

PAPER: Solids (my scrapbox), Print s -Dots & Stripes (Echo Park)

INKS: Kraft & Bubblegum Pink (My Favorite Things), Chestnut Roan Inked Edges (Colorbbox) 

DIES: Layer Rose (My Favorite Things)

OTHER: White Brads. White Yarn

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.