Memory Box Spearmint

I have an Anniversary card to share today from the dozen or so I made recently.

My layout is a sketch from Splitcoast Stampers that when I first saw it I wasn't sure what exactly to do with, now that I've used it I LOVE this sketch and use it as an old standby.  

I used a couple of  patterned papers from a Memory Box Spearmint pad and a piece of Papertrey Ink Ocean Tides card stock along with Stampin' Up! Barely Banana.  The butterfly is cut from the Cheery Lynn Designs Exotic Butterfly die.  Anniversary Wishes is an acrylic stamp from the Wishful Elegance set by Verve.  Envelope liner die by Papertrey Ink.

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Challenges:

Hambo Stamps Leaf Angels

I have a fun Hambo Stamps fall themed card to share today -

I used Hambo Rubber Stamps Leaf Angels & Have A Ball... using Memento Tuxdeo Black ink to stamp on Copic X Press It card stock.  I used Copic markers to color the stamped image and "grassy" background.  I colored this in between doing other things while our kids were home from school on fall break and now I can't find my scrap of paper that I wrote all my Copic color numbers on...  I hate it when that happens!

My layout is very basic and fit nicely into one of my smallest Cheery Lynn Designs French Flair dies.  The card stock colors I used are Stampin' Up! Really Rust and Chocolate Chip.

Today Hambo Stamps kicks off our annual HOGtoberfest sale, where ALL of the
stamps on our website (including digis) will be discounted by 30% --
with even an additional discount applied to our retiring stamps. (Cling
cushion is NOT included in this sale.)  Be sure to visit Hambo Stamps for some great deals!

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Challenges:

Papertrey Ink You're In My Thoughts

We have a new Midweek Throwdown challenge starting today at Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps, the challenge is to make "Thinking of You" cards for our heroes to send home to their family and friends.

I have three cards to share today from a mass production project I did not too long ago.  

My first card above uses a Papertrey Ink sentiment, the Cosmo Cricket DeLovely patterned paper and Die-namics Chevron dies as well as my Papertrey Ink envelope liner die.

 Each of my cards uses the Cosmo Cricket DeLovely patterned papers.  This one also uses the Papertrey Ink large rick rack die, Cheery Lynn Designs Buttons #3 and the sentiment is by Art Gone Wild!

My last card is just like my second card using different papers and buttons.  I'd never tried my button dies with four holes and discovered I like them!  

I hope you have time this week to play in our Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps Midweek Throwdown Thinking of You challenge!

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Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Thinking of You
Amusing Challenges - Anything Goes
Totally Gorjuss - Punches & Dies
Love To Create - Thinking of You

Cosmo Cricket DeLovely

I've been having fun mass producing some cards for Operation Write Home and I thought I'd share the fun with you today!  My first card is C.A.S.E.d from Cora Jean at Cora Jean's Paper Playtime, my sentiment was larger than I thought so it's not an exact C.A.S.E. but great inspiration from her card.

I have a paper box that I made close to my paper trimmer that I put things I've cut out but not used yet in, the hearts on this card are from that box.  

Here's a picture of the beginning of my mass production of cards.  Can you see the tall turquoise box?  That's where all the pre-cut goodies live.

I opened the box and spilled out the contents so I can pick through and see what I can use today.

I have to tell you I added a couple things to the box today too!  Oops... 

For my next card I C.A.S.E.d Kristie, she had a photo of a pile of cards on our Operation Write Home Facebook page where she was using up a pack of 6X6 patterned paper and I was inspired! 

I started out with the same layout but my Papertrey Ink sentiment was so big I turned my card, 

I kinda like it!  These two cards above use Cosmo Cricket DeLovely papers.

An Anniversary card to go in the bunch using a Papertrey Ink sentiment and rick rack die, C.A.S.E.ing a card I saw on Pinterest.  The button is a Cheery Lynn Designs die too.

...and a picture of the bunches of cards I mass produced.  If you see something on the table I didn't show today, I'll have it in another blog post soon!

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Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday - Challenge #45

Lawn Fawn Winter Owl

I have a Lawn Fawn card to share with you, our featured card maker on the Operation Write Home blog today is Kelly Marie Alvarez the owner of Lawn Fawn and this week's OWH birthday celebration sponsor.  

I thought it would be fun to have a Lawn Fawn card on my blog today in honor of Kelly and Operation Write Home's birthday.  I'm really enjoying making cards for Operation Write Home with these cute stamps.

I colored my Winter Owl with Copic markers:

E40, E41, E42, E43, E44, Y35, BG11, BG23, BG34

A quick simple image to color and I chose a simple layout using Nut Brown as my card base, Kraft put through an embossing folder, Dark Aqua for the band of color and one of my Cheery Lynn Designs French Flair dies.  This cute clear set has a sentiment and hearts in it that I didn't use.  The sentiment says, "Owl I want for Christmas is You".  I just shipped a box of cards to OWH and I'm not sure when I'll have another box filled, I didn't want my card to be Christmas specific so I'll use the sentiment another time. 

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers - Winged Things
Stamp & Create - Anything Goes
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - Anything With Wings
Magical Monday - Things With Wings
Simon Says Stamp - Must Use A Stamp

Dee's Bugaboo Boutique Word Art

Last weekend my crafty friend Sherry and I spent an evening designing and making house warming invitations for her daughter and room mate.  I took a picture of Sherry as we started out with our project.  I took pictures of the invitations too but decided not to post the actual invitation because it has more information than I think should go on the internet so I'm posting pictures of the cards I made that were inspired by the invitations.

This card uses almost the same colors as the invitations and same layout except the invitations were post cards so they were only one layer, no black matting.

I noticed after printing and trimming this sentiment it was slightly off center and I wanted to use it so this is before I added the die cut button to match the patterned paper.  You might not have noticed had I not said anything...  

Here are the papers we used for the invitation.  As we were making the original invitations I was thinking this would be a great way to use up some of my patterned paper scraps.

My last card is also inspired by the invitations we made.  

The beautiful word art is by Dee's Bugaboo Boutique and they were all  free.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday - Uplifting Verse or Scripture

Verve Wishful Elegance

I have Anniversary cards to share today.

My layout is a sketch from Splitcoast Stampers that when I first saw it I wasn't sure what exactly to do with, now that I've used it I LOVE this sketch and use it as an old standby.  

I used a couple of patterned papers from my Pink Paislee 365 Degrees pad along with Mohawk Bright White.  The flowers are cut from the Papertrey Ink Bloom Builders #3 die and I added a Cheery Lynn Designs Button  to the center of one.  Anniversary Wishes is an acrylic stamp from the Wishful Elegance set by Verve.

My card is also for our Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps Midweek Throwdown challenge that starts today, our theme is "Pattened Papers & Punches/Dies".

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Challenges:
Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Patterned Papers & Punches/Dies

Pink Paislee Chevron Design

I was lucky enough to tune into Operation Write Home T.V. last month and catch a segment of Stump Sandy where she made a card like the one I have here today.  She had a new Chevron punch made by EK Success I believe and I thought, wow I have a few ric rac dies from Papertrey Ink I could do that with, how fun!

I actually think these could be addictive if I had more than one ric rac die!

For my card I used a Pink Paislee 365 degree 6X6 paper pad, Papertrey Ink small ric rac die, Spellbinders Mega Oval & Scalloped Mega Oval dies and Cheery Lynn Designs dies from Buttons #3 and the sentiment is an acrylic stamp from the Papertrey Ink Fillable Frames Big Set.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Challenges:
Scrapbook Sisters - Thank You

Papertrey Ink Bloom Builders #3

I have an Anniversary card to share today from the dozen or so I made recently.

My layout is a sketch from Splitcoast Stampers that when I first saw it I wasn't sure what exactly to do with, now that I've used it I LOVE this sketch and use it as an old standby.  

I used a couple of orange patterned papers from my Pink Paislee 365 Degrees pad and my last piece of Stampin' Up! Pumpkin Pie card stock along with Mohawk Bright White.  The flower is cut from the Papertrey Ink Bloom Builders #3 die and I added a rhinestone to the center.  Anniversary Wishes is an acrylic stamp from the Wishful Elegance set by Verve.  Envelope liner die by Papertrey Ink.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Poodles Parlour - Anything Goes
Make It Monday #100 - Anything Goes
Paper Playtime - Anything Goes

Hambo Stamps Octopus

Our Hambo Stamps design team is changing starting today.  I've been working with Hambo rubber stamps for the last two months and now I get to work with their digital images and participate in the Hambo Hoedown each week!  I've loved working with their high quality rubber stamps and I'm looking forward to working with their digital images because that's where my passion for "stamping" is these days.  

Our Hambo Hoedown challenge today is a Tic Tac Toe challenge, I've never done one of these before and found it challenging and fun!  I just scared myself looking at the diagram for the challenge, I thought I messed up...  then I saw it - I went diagonal from the bottom up - Octagon, Button, Twine, whew!

For my Hambo Stamps image I used our challenge image called Octopus and colored it with Copic markers, four to be exact:  B0000, B00, B12, B14.  I used the Octagon and Scalloped Octagon shaped Spellbinders dies, embossed the background using a Cuttlebug embossing folder and added buttons made with a Cheery Lynn Designs button die.  The addition of twine was a little tricky, I paper pierced the Stampin' Up! Apricot Appeal panel then threaded my twine through the holes lacing the pieces together.  I'm not sure what the exact definition of "twine" is either...  I'm cheap, I use crochet thread.  It's easy to change it's color with Copic markers or Copic refills or just leave natural.  

I hope you'll join us for the Hambo Hoedown this week!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Inspire Me Fridays - Anything Goes
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - Anything Goes
Truly, Madly, Crafty - Animals

Hambo Stamps Lightning Bug

I have a bright encouraging card to share with you today!

Our Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps Midweek Throwdown challenge this week is to make Encouraging Cards for our troops to send home to their family and friends.

I used a cute Hambo Lightning Bug rubber stamp for my card and colored it with Copic markers:

FY1, Y11, YG01, FYG02, BG01, W1, W3, W5, C00, C1.

Did you notice a couple of "F's" before the other color numbers?  Those are florescent Copic markers!

I also used a Hambo Stamps sentiment rubber stamp to go with my Lightning Bug, a few different embossing folders, Spellbindders & Cheery Lynn Designs dies and crochet thread.  The carstock colors are Sorbet Ice Blue, Stampin' Up! Green Galore, Astrobrights Solar Yellow and Copic X Press It.

This was a fun image to color and try to blend the yellow/greens, blue/greens and florescent colors together.

We also have a new Hambo Hoedown starting today, all I"m going to be able to tell you is it involves Polka Dots!  You have to go over to the Hambo Hoedown to see the rest of the challenge :)

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Dream Valley Challenges - Summer
Sentimental Sunday's - Things With Wings

Digital Delights by Louby Loo Claudia Cow

I've been playing with Spellbinders dies and Digital Delights by Louby Loo Pre-Colored digital images today.  This was a quick, fun card to make, no coloring required.

This cute image is called Claudia The Cow and she has the sentiment you see with her, pretty cute!

This die is a little smaller than an A2 sized card but will fit the envelope nicely so it's going into my Operation Write Home box.  I have a supply list for you below:

ALL DDSTAMPS USED:  ClaudiaCow Pre-Colored & Sentiment

CS AND PAPERS:  Nut Brown, Via Vellum Scarlet, Mohawk Bright White
INK:  HP OfficeJet
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS:  Spellbinders Lattice Rectangles, Ovals, Tags Trio & Cheery Lynn Designs Buttons die, Crochet thread

I hope you'll stop by our Digital Delights by Louby Loo blog today and check out the fabulous design team creations!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges: 
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Forever Friends - Anything Goes

Hambo Stamps Snorkel Boy

My card today is for the Hambo Hoedown, it's my first card as a Hambo Stamps Bacon Bit!

The challenge today: It's a sparkling sea adventure for SNORKEL BOY! Glitter, Stickles, atyou Spica pens, glittery embossing powders, etc. - It's all about the SPARKLE as we dive into the depths of the sea.

BONUS OINKS for those that use one of the Father's Day sentiments and still have a masculine card with sparkle!

I colored Snorkel Boy with Copic markers B12, B0000, G0000, BG0000, Y13, Y15, R24, R27, R20, YR61, YR65, YR68, E81, E84, E70, E71, E74, E000, E00, E11.  I used Stickles Ice and Glossy Accents on my card in the bubbles, extra bubbles and his face mask as well as fish fins.  I wish my sparkle showed up better though! 

The layout for my card is the Sweet Stop Sketch challenge #160.  I made my own paper using Copic X Press It, Isoprophyl Alcohol and B12 Copic refill then dropping drops of Copic colorless blender on the paper after the ink was dry.  I was going for the ric rac looking like sea weed but I'm not so sure I "feel it".  I think that's just the way it is when you are making something really important instead of just playing in a challenge!  The ric rack is a Papertrey Ink die and the button is a Cheery Lynn Designs die.

I hope you'll join us over at the Hambo Hoedown this week and play along.  Be sure to stop by and see all the fabulous design team creations using Snorkel Boy!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Hambo Hoedown - Sparkle
Fashionista Challenge - Simply Summer
Forever Friends - For The Boys + animal
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Can You Digi It Disgruntled

You might need your sunglasses for my Disgruntled Pig today!

I'm trying out new color combinations for pig skin, a.k.a. swine flesh...

Copic markers are my coloring medium of choice, I combined E93 and RV23 for the pig skin.  It actually matched Stampin' Up! Cameo Coral cardstock beautifully.  The other Copic markers used are:

Y11, Y21, W0, B21, B23.  Other papers - Stampin' Up! Ballet Blue and Bazzill Lemon.

The reason for my card is the Can You Digi It challenge that starts today, the theme is "button it up" so I used a Cheery Lynn Designs button die.  My layout is a sketch from Merry Monday, I really like their sketches and discovered that Merry Monday is a Christmas Card Sketch challenge.  

I also used an old Stampin' Up! French Script background stamp to mimic the script around the pig.  I couldn't come up with another color for that band so I used Copic markers on a scrap of X Press it then stamped over it when the ink dried.  I think I'd like to play with this sketch a little more!

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Challenges:

Can You Digi It - Button It Up
LEJ Designs - Button It

Hambo Stamps Artist Pig

My card today is for this weeks Hambo Hoedown, hehehe...

I've been having so much fun playing in the Hambo Hoedown challenges, I really enjoy using their cute digital images!  This week's image is Artist Pig and the challenge is a sketch, you can use the image provided from playing along last week or any other Hambo Stamps image/stamp you'd like.  

You might have noticed over in my sidebar that I'm one of Hambo Stamps newest Bacon Bits too!  

I LOVE sketches, this one had me thinking... that curve on the edge of the image panel had me experimenting with Spellbinders dies.  I settled on an oval die to trim the end and make it look nice.  Oh I tried cutting it out with scissors...  that's why the pig is cut out and popped on my card today, lol.  

I colored the Artist Pig with Copic markers B23, B24, B28, BG11, BG13, R20, R30, R32, Y13, Y15, RV23, R27, R29, E40, E41, E42, N1, N3, N5.  I've been experimenting with "pig skin" colors recently and I think R30 and R20 are good, if a little darker shadows are needed R32 blended in works well.

On the sketch the top panel that I made yellow is left blank and the sentiment goes in the lower rectangle.  I just had to use the "you color my world" on top and cropped "pig"casso! out of another sentiment that came in this cute digital stamp set. 

Challenges:

Hambo Hoedown - Sketch
Crafty Boots - Anything Goes + Bowtastic
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - Anything Goes
Bearly Mine - Animal Kingdom
Digital Tuesday - Just For Laughs

Hambo Stamps Dr. Needle

My card today is for the Hambo Hoedown, the challenge theme is paper PIERCING, I always confuse that with paper piecing...  as you can see I did both.  Not really to be on the safe side, those crazy stripped pants reminded me of a doctor who we saw recently so I just couldn't resist.

Here's the quick story - 

My husband has prostate cancer so we've been seeing several different doctors since just before the first of the year.  My husband works part time for his sister in her very fashionable local clothing store.  I know if I could have worked there when I was in high school I would have felt like I'd died and gone to heaven.    When we first met his Urologist he was wearing the usual white lab coat, scrubs pants and these wild athletic shoes.  He looked up at my 6 ft. 5 in. tall husband, shook his hand and looked at his feet and told him his shoes weren't very fashionable...  I think we both cracked up laughing, what is "fashionable" in a size 13 shoe? lol 

There are several inspirations for my card today.  I was looking at the "Make It Monday" challenge and saw the most gorgeous card from Mary J. who's blog is Where's My Creativity that made my mind whirl with ideas.  We also have a dear friend who will be having surgery in the near future and I was thinking this might be a fun card to give him to cheer him up during his recovery.  

Along with paper piecing I colored Dr. Needle with Copic markers R20, E000, E00, E11, E40, E41, E43, Y26, E49, C0, C1, W0, W4, B0000, BG10, YG11.  The patterned papers are from the Basic Grey Granola mini paper pad, copic coloring on Copic X Press It.  I added a little Stickles and Glossy Accents to certain areas that I thought should shine.  The shape of my card is made with a Cheery Lynn designs French Flair regular and scalloped dies, the border is a die-namics die and for the banner I used a square Stampin' Up! punch to punch the end into a banner. 

I also decorated the inside.

I think Mary J.'s are nicer but I'll keep working on it.

Hey, I almost forgot I was the Hambo Stamps Channel Surfing blog hop winner!  I won a $20.00 shopping spree at Hambo Stamps, yippee!  You can be sure I placed my order already :)

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Challenges:

Hambo Hoedown - Paper Piercing
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge - Anything Goes
Inspire Me Fridays - Anything Goes
Card Makin' Mama's - Punches (the "V" in the banner die)

Digital Delights by Louby Loo Augustus

I seem to have an animal theme going this week, today I bring you Augustus the dragon from Digital Delights by Louby Loo.  I was experimenting again with Violets and Blue Violets but in the end I was having a hard time blending so I turned to Blues.  I have a supply list below:

ALL DDSTAMPS USED:  Augustus

CS AND PAPERS:  Via Vellum Basic Black, Neenah Solar White, Stampin’ Up! Almost Amethyst, Basic Grey Marrakech paper pad
INK:  HP LaserJet – Copic markers
MARKERS (if any):  B69, B66, B63, B60, B21, B23, E04, W3
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS:  Cheery Lynn Designs button dies, Fiskars crimping tool, crochet thread
COLORING MEDIUM (if any):  Copic markers

I hope you'll stop by our Digital Delights by Louby Loo blog and see all the fun creations from our design team!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Bunny Zoe's Monthly Challenge - Anything Goes
Stamps & Fun - Anything Goes

Hambo Stamps Goat

My card is for the Hambo Hoedown featuring one of their newest images Goat.  The challenge theme is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  I've been thinking about that for several days now...  I grabbed the local newspaper off the table and cut into it for my first layer and my recycled element.  

Goat is colored with Copic markers BG10, BG11, BG32, BG34, N1, N3, N5, C0, R20, E70, E71, E74.  I looked at images on Google to see what colors goats really are and was happy to find out they come in a wide variety of colors.  

Part of this challenge was to use one of the sentiments that come with the cute Goat.  I did use their sentiment but edited it and played with it to make it round by following a tutorial for PhotoShop Elements that you can find here.  I added a Cheery Lynn Designs die cut button to the center of my sentiment and threaded crochet thread through the two holes and tied a bow for a finishing touch.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Hambo Hoedown - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

2 Sisters - Black & White and a hint of One Other Color

Digital Delights by Louby Loo Little Dumpling & Stork

I have a Digital Delights by Louby Loo design team card to share today!

I used the digital stamp Little Dumpling & Stork, sentiment set Baby Sentiments & digital paper pack "Sweetheart".

Supply List:

ALL DDSTAMPS USED:  Little Dumpling & Stork, Sweetheart digital paper pack, Baby Sentiments

CS AND PAPERS:  Via Vellum Basic Black, Stampin’ Up! Rose Red, Copic X Press It, Mohawk Color Copy Bright White 110 lb
INK:  HP OfficeJet 6000, HP LaserJet
MARKERS (if any):  R85, R83, R81, E000, E00, E01, B000, Y15, Y13, Y11, YR04, E34, T0, T1
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS:  Cheery Lynn Designs French Flair die, Papertrey Ink ric rac die
COLORING MEDIUM (if any):  Copic Markers
SPECIAL TECHNIQUES (if any):  sky background with Copic markers

 Be sure to stop by our Digital Delights by Louby Loo blog to see all our fabulous design team inspiration!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges: 
Creative Belli Challenge - Children

The House That Stamps Built - Birds of a Feather
Just Keep On Creating - Anything Goes
More Than Favors - Baby Theme

2012 Mini Calendar

I have a mini calendar page to share today, Debby, Shirlie and I get together almost every Monday while they are here and make cards or some type of paper craft project.  We've been working on a 2012 Mini calendar...  

We now have September completed using Marianne Walkers wonderful fall image.  We used Copic markers for coloring, a Cheery Lynn Designs flourish, Sizzix embossing folders and each of our calendar pages turned out a little different as you can see below.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Make It Monday - Anything Goes