Operation Write Home Memorial Day Blog Hop 2011

Welcome to our annual Operation Write Home Memorial Day blog hop!  If you've arrived here from Leslierahyes's blog you're on the right track.  If not and you'd like to start at the beginning click the banner above and it will take you there!

For my card today I used a Hannah Lynn image called Ocean Rose.  She's colored with Copic markers W9, W7, W5, W3, R29, R27, R24, R22, R20, YG67, YG63, YG61, G28, G24, G20, B41, B23, B21, B0000, E000, E00, E02, C0 C00 with a very simple layout to show her off to her best advantage.  The "miss you" sentiment is by Handmade by Paula, I changed the color to match my color scheme.  I also added a fancy photo corner by Quickutz.  The cardstock I used is Neenah Solar White & Red Linen and Via Vellum Kraft.

I have blog candy to offer, I've filled a medium sized flat rate Priority Mail box full of cardstock, stamps and other card making goodies for one lucky person.  Leave a comment & I'll draw a number and announce the winner Monday, May 30, 2011 right here.

Your next stop on our hop is Yvonne, enjoy!

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Challenges:
Make It Monday With Kraft Outlet - Clean & Simple
Woodware USA - Anything Goes 
Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes 
For Fun Challenges - Patriotic Colors 
My Mum's Craft Shop - Favorite Colors 
Stamp Insanity - Red, White & Blue 
Outlawz Copic Challenge - Anything Goes 
Fairy Knoll - Memorial Day 

Bug A Boo Stamps Watermelon Peeker

We have a new challenge starting today at Catch The Bug, the theme is bright colors with Flower Soft!  I made my card up and was about to post it in our design team gallery and noticed it said "Flower Soft", oh...  so luckily I had some green flower soft to add to the leaves.  I wasn't as prepared for this challenge as I thought.  

I had a lot of fun making my card despite leaving off the Flower Soft at first.  I have a new package of Spellbinders Labels 4 Grand dies that I've been playing with.  

I put them on my Scor-Pal and added the 12 inch ruler on top to show the "grand" size of them.  Here's another picture with the regular Labels 4 set inside them.

That's a lot of dies!  I don't have the Grand Calibur yet but it's I did order it and I'm patiently waiting...

I used one of the Grand Labels 4 dies to cut my card body, then embossed it with a 5 X 7 Cuttlebug embossing folder.  My image is called Watermelon Peeker and she's colored with Copic markers RV09, RV04, RV02, YR24, YR21, Y21, R20, T5, B21, B23, YG67, YG63, YG61, E11, E00, E000.  

My card layout was just trying to follow the shape of the card body.  I also used Spellbinders Circles, Scalloped Circles, Pinking Circles, Tags & one more Grand Labels 4 die along with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder.  The cardstock colors are Papertrey Ink Raspberry Fizz, Via Vellum Leaf Grean & Sunflower as well as Neenah Solar White.  The sentiment is new from Create With TLC.  

Here's my card before the Flower Soft...

I hope you'll pop over to the Catch The Bug challenge blog to see our design team creations and play along in our challenge!

Thanks for visiting today~

Challenges:

Catch The Bug - Bright Colors, Flower Soft
Card Cupids - Bold & Bright
Digital Tuesday - Add Some Texture
Crafting For All Seasons - Anything Goes
Penny's Paper Crafty - Here Comes Summer
The Sisterhood Of Crafters - Buttons
Stampavie & More - Pink
Ai Factory - Girly Girl Pretty In Pink
Simply Scrapping Crafts Copic Challenge - Summer Activity
Inspire Me Friday's - Anything Goes
Totally Papercrafts - Pink & Girlie
One Stop Craft Challenge - Buttons & Bows

Clear Dollar Stamps Sweet Stuff

I have two cards to share with you today that I made with the Clear Dollar Stamps Sweet Stuff digital stamp set.  They are very similar as I was struggling with sketch challenge #58 from Operation Write Home and had to try again.  

I used the purple gum drops from the Sweet Stuff digital stamp set in the pre-colored version.  The three squares are one inch in diameter so I thought something pre-colored would work well.

  For my second card I also wanted some patterned paper to go with the gum drops so I used each of the colored gum drops in the set, re sizing them and copying and pasting them to make my own designer paper.  I added the sentiment onto my designer paper and I think it got a little busy.  I'll add my supply lists and a photo of the Sweet Stuff digital stamp set for you below.

Supply List card 1:

Stamps/Images:   Clear Dollar Stamps Sweet Stuff digital stamp set

Cardstock/Papers:  Via Vellum Black, Via Linen Violet, Mohawk Bright White, Neenah Red Linen, Via Vellum Leaf Green

Inks/Markers: HP OfficeJet 6000

Techniques:  digital stamping

Supply List card 2:

Stamps/Images:   Clear Dollar Stamps Sweet Stuff digital stamp set

Cardstock/Papers:  Via Vellum Black, Via Linen Violet, Mohawk Bright White, Neenah Red Linen, patterned paper made using the digital images in the stamp set.

Inks/Markers: HP OfficeJet 6000

Techniques:  digital stamping

Thanks for visiting today!

Challenges: 
Truly Scrumptious - Anything Goes

Bug A Boo Stamps Rottweiler Pup

My card today is for  Oldie But Goodie Thursday at Bug A Boo Stamps Catch The Bug!  I used one of Jodie's Rottweiler Pups and colored him with Copic markers E44, E43, E42, E25, E27 and cut him out with a Spellbinders circle die.  My layout is Splitcoast Stampers SC#306.  I've used this sketch several times and really like the way it turns out.  

My cardstock colors are Via Vellum Black, Neenah Solar White & Desert Sand & Neenah Haviland Blue Linen.  I used a Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder as well as a Fiskars embossing plate, black half pearls and some paper piercing.  The sentiment is a clear stamp by Papertrey Ink. & the ovals were made with Stampin' Up! punches.

I hope you'll stop by our Catch The Bug challenge blog and see all the wonderful cards our design team made!

Thanks for visiting today!

Challenges:
I Did It Creations - Anything Goes
Ladybug Crafts - Animals 
Party Time Tuesdays - Animals 

Copic Colorless Blender Techniques

I took some time today to play with a new (to me) technique I've wanted to try.  I watched a video recently on how to do a bleaching technique with Copic Blending Solution, stamps, markers, air brush, etc.

The card above is my finished product, the Spellbinders Labels 14 is where I used this technique.  Instead of pulling out my air brush I used BG13 & BG15 markers.  I was in a hurry, I needed to clean up and fix dinner for my family.  It's a little streaked but I like the overall effect.

Here's a picture of the right way to do the technique.  Air brush with your markers BG13, BG18, BG72 onto a sheet of card stock.  Spritz your stamp with Copic Colorless Blender and stamp on the air brushed card stock.  I held my stamp down longer than I would have if I were using ink.  Be sure to clean off your stamp after each time you use it for a clean impression.  

One of the reasons I brought out my air brush system today is I was working on finishing my card and couldn't find a matching button to go on the tag I'd made.  Do you ever have that happen?  I used a small piece of foam tape to hold my button down to the paper I air brush on and sprayed it with several coats of BG13 and let it dry.  This works so much nicer than using a marker to color the button and dries much quicker too.  Another thing I tried today was using the BG13 marker to outline the edge of the Spellbinders tag, I went over it several times to make it darker.  I like the way it looks and think I'll try to remember to do this more often.

The stamps I used are actually rubber and acrylic stamps.  The dragon fly is by Stampendous, the flourish is by Kaiser Craft & the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.  The dragon fly is colored with Copic markers BG13, BG15, BG18, BG23, V15, V17, T5, T3.  My layout was to accommodate the largest Spellbinders Labels 14 die, I also used a Spellbinders Oval and tag die.  The white panel is embossed with a Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder and I added straight lines in the center with my Scor-Pal.  

I hope you enjoyed my mini tutorial and are maybe inspired to try this Copic technique yourself.

We also have a new challenge starting today at Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps, our theme is "Try A New Technique".  There are lots of great tutorials on the OWH Stars & Stamps blog for your inspiration too.  I hope you'll join in and play along in our challenge there.

One last thing today-  I want to THANK YOU for visiting my blog.  Monday, May 23rd was the 4th Anniversary of starting my blog.  I did some homework Tuesday and found that I've had 34,026 visitors in the last 12 months and about 11,000 each year before that.  Which means my blog has really taken off in the last year, wow!  So... thanks for visiting and leaving encouraging comments, it means a lot to me.

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Try A New Technique

Mad For Markers - Coloring Embellishments
The Outlawz - Copic Colorless Blender Technique
Tellen's Place - Anything Goes
The Cheerful Stamp Pad - Color My World
Make It Monday's - Anything Goes
The Spotlight Challenge - Try Something New
A Spoon Full Of Sugar - Things With Wings
Crazy Amigo Challenge - Insects

Doodle Pantry Merciful & Good

My card today is from a tutorial I saw at Stamp T.V. that I wanted to try using a Spellbinder Fancy Tags die.  One of Laurie's beautiful sentiments came to my mind for this technique, it's from a Doodle Pantry set called Merciful & Good.  I also used the Baby Plaid Dot digital paper from Doodle Pantry.  You cut three Spellbinders Fancy Tag dies and cut them in half to add them to your circle for a really nice pendant.  

Supplies used were Spellbinders Circles dies and one of the Fancy Tags dies as well as an EK Success mini flower punch and some white half pearls.  What a fun way to dress up a card!  

Challenges:
The Outlawz, Greetings Challenge - Sentiment Only
The Spotlight Challenge - Try Something New 
Sweet Stamps - Medallions 

My Review of Paper - Color Copy 98 110 lb Cover C/1S Bright White Finish 8.5 x 11 Paper 250 per Package

Originally submitted at The Paper Mill Store .com

Paper - Color Copy 98 110 lb Cover C/1S Bright White Finish 8.5 x 11 Paper 250 per Package

Paper - Color Copy 98 110 lb Cover C/1S Bright White Finish 8.5 x 11 Paper 250 per Package

Mohawk Color Copy Bright White 110lb cov

By Jan from Parker, AZ on 5/26/2011

5out of 5

I LOVE this cover paper! I make a lot of hand made greeting cards for Operation Write Home and use this cover stock for my greeting card bases, it has nice body to it and prints exceptionally well.

I also use this cover stock for all my pre-colored digital images, it takes the ink jet printer ink beautifully. All around it's a nice quality cover stock for crafters.

http://jans-gonestampin.blogspot.com/

Tags: Using Product, Made with Product

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