Sunflower Friends Lil Pups

I have a few cards to share with you today that are the same yet different using colored digital images from Sunflower Friends online store and sentiments made by my Operation Write Home friend Paula.  She makes digital images & occasionally has a freebie, you can check out her blog Handmade By Paula here.

I made these cards for my OWH Spring Thaw card drive box which is due today, February 28, 2011.  Don't worry, the box has already arrived at it's destination.  I thought this cute pup would make a fun Miss You card for kids and adults too.

OWH Sketch #56 inspired me and I've made several cards using it and was just kind of playing to see what I could come up with by moving things around a little.

The supplies I used for the cards are colored digital images by Sunflower Friends, Paula's digital sentiments, Spellbinders, Papertrey Ink & Taylored Expressions dies, the papers are Carnival Bright White, Nut Brown, Via Vellum Leaf Green & Papertrey Ink Green Boutique patterned papers.  The animal feet is a plastic embossing template made by Fiskars.  

Here's a copy of the sketch for you.  Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps has a new sketch challenge each Sunday, come join us if you haven't already!

Challenges:
Alota Rubber Stamps - Nestabilities Dies
Paper Crafting Journey - Anything Goes 

MelonHeadz Sisters, Ciera Jade & Little Boy With Puppy

I have a second blog post to share with you today!

I really wanted to get to the Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps sketch challenge #57 before it ended tomorrow. I went to bed last night thinking about the sketch and the images I wanted to use, so guess what I did this morning?!

I've also discovered a new (to me) digital stamp artist through Sandy at Operation Write Home and have future plans to feature her in an OWH Midweek Throwdown challenge.  Her name is Nikki,  her blog is called MelonHeadz, you really "need" to go check it out, Nikki's fun images are free.  And if you do visit and add some of her images to your digital stamp collection, please don't forget to leave a comment to say thank you.

The Sister's image is a MelonHeadz colored digital image, the round sentiment is by Dee's Bugaboo Boutique and was a freebie as well.  I don't have a sister but I thought these two digital images fit together well.  The papers I used are The Paper Mill Pink, Mohawk Color Copy 100lb Bright White, Via Vellum Basic Black, Fresh Flowers digital paper by My Time Made Easy.

Oops, I couldn't stop...  a second card using the sketch, basically the same colors, a new bible verse by Dee's Bugaboo Boutique & Ciera Jade by MelonHeadz.  I also used a Copic marker to fill in just a little on the sentiment RV11.

And then there's Nikki's little boy with a puppy I had to use too!  The papers are Basic Black, Mohawk Color Copy 100lb Bright White, Discount Cardstock's Royal Blue and a scrap of digital paper with stars on it.  I also used a Copic marker on the sentiment to tie things together B93. 

Okay I think I have this sketch out of my system for now, you know how I get!  All of my cards today will go to Operation Write Home for our troops to send home to their loved ones.

I hope you are having a blessed weekend, Happy Saturday!

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Sketch #57
Easy Craft Projects - For The Boys
Robin's Fetish - Anything Goes
Stamp Something - Something With Flowers
Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Oh So Girly
Crazy 4 challenges - Flowers
My Sheri Crafts - All About Boys
Wee Memories - United We Stamp, make cards for Operation Write Home - how cool my favorite past time!
Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps MWT - Any Occasion Cards

Bug A Boo Stamps Girl Turtle

 Happy Saturday!  My card today is for our Bug A Boo Stamps Catch The Bug challenge.  We've been challenged to make a monochromatic card using the sketch provided below.  I have the sketch right but I'm not sure I have the monochromatic right.

 

I used Copic markers to color this cute Girl Turtle by Bug a Boo Stamps YG01, YG03, YG0000, Y06, Y04, T5, T2, cut her out and matted her with Spellbinders dies, the green patterned paper I printed and the flowers are a punch that I added some black half pearls to.  I'm not thrilled with my challenge card but I know there will be a lot more challenges and cards too!

You can give this challenge a try too, for all the details check out our Catch The Bug challenge blog!

Challenges:

Catch The Bug - Monochromatic w/ sketch
Stampin' Sisters In Christ - The Color Green
Little Red Wagon - Animals
Southern Girls - Brads, Gems, Dew Drops
Pals Paper Arts - Scallops
Mami Doodles - Monochromatic Green

Sunflower Friends Lil Kitties

My card today is for the Operation Write Home Spring Thaw card drive.  We were to make up half spring cards and half any occasion, miss you, thinking of you, etc. cards.  Our package of cards is due in our shippers hands by February 28th.  

I used a cute Kitty image from Sunflower Friends, they come in pre-colored and line drawings, I went for the pre-colored image because they make wonderful quick cards.  My layout is a sketch from the Sweet Stop SSS93, I used some of my scrap digital papers from My Graphico called Romantic Adventures combined with Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow & Sweet Blush cardstock.  A Spellbinders Heart and the Miss You sentiment is a stamp from Papertrey Ink too.

Challenges:
Whoopsie Daisy - 4 Someone Special
Gingerloft - Our Furry Friends 
Stamptacular Sunday - Someone Special 
Creative Inspirations - Stripes 
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes 
Delightful Challenge - Use Your Scraps 

Bug A Boo Stamps Clown Numbers 3

I had so much fun making my card for Oldie But Goodie Thursday at Catch The Bug!  I had colored this cute little clown and put it away in my stash of colored images for just the right time.  Sketch #56 at Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps also caught my eye.

It seemed like just the right combination to me!  I colored this cute little clown from the Bug A Boo Stamps Clown Numbers collection with Copic markers E00, E000, R02, R27, YG01, YT03, E42, E43, E44, RV23, RV25 and pretty much followed the sketch for my layout.  The "happy birthday" sentiment is from a Papertrey Ink set, the stars are punched and the dotted paper I printed on my computer.  

I hope you'll stop by our Bug A Boo Stamps Catch The Bug challenge blog to see all the Oldie But Goodies our fabulous design team has for you today!

Challenges:
If The Shoe Fits - Birthday
Stampin' With The Dragon - Birthday's 
Card Makin' Mama's - Birthday's 
Incy Wincy - Punches or Dies
Digital Tuesday - Punches 
A Spoon Full Of Sugar - Birthday Wishes 
There's Magic In The Air - Child's Birthday Card 
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Spots & Dots 

Funny Sunflower by The Paper Shelter

Our Midweek Throwdown challenge for today at Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps is to make an "Any Occasion" card.  I've been working on cards for OWH's Spring Thaw card drive, there isn't much time left to get our cards in, the deadline to be in your shippers hands is 5 days away.  Thank heaven for Priority Mail! 

For my card I used a cute pre-colored digital image by The Paper Shelter called Funny Sunflower.  The layout is a sketch from Splitcoast Stampers SC#314.  It's been a wonderful mass production tool!  The papers are Neenah Solar White, Via Lemon, Basic Black and the dotted paper was printed on my computer.  I have a black and white polka dot digital paper and I keep "re-coloring" it the color I need.  I also used a Sizzix embossing folder on the white panel, the sentiment is stamped from a Verve Visual set. 

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Any Occasion Cards
All Sorts Challenge - Inspired By Nature 
Crafty Creations - At The Bottom Of My Garden Lives... 
City Crafter - Nothing To It 
Creative Cottage - Fabulous Florals 
Flutterby Wednesdays - Anything Goes
Whimsie Doodles - From The Garden

Michelle Perkett Studio A Fond Farewell

We have a Michelle Perkett Studio blog hop today, if you've arrived here from Michelle's Enchanted Inspirations blog you're on the right path, if not you might like to start here.

Michelle Perkett is having a design team call , if you'd like to apply you can read all the details here.

For today's hop I'd like to show case some of my favorite cards from my 6 month term on Michelle's team.  

Angel of Hope, she was published in the Scrapbook News & Reviews online magazine.

Stella the Summer Time Story Teller

Polly, Dolly & William

Mary Margaret

Happy Easter Bunny

Camille

Princess Oceana

I love Michelle's digital images and have enjoyed being part of her team very much!  I've added links to the names of the digital stamps under my cards in case you need to add them to your collection.

It's my time to say a fond farewell to Michelle and the girls on the team, it's been a wonderful experience for me.  Michelle is one of the sweetest people I've ever met and the girls on our team are wonderfully creative and just as sweet.  I'll make sure to visit your blogs and check in on you from time to time.

It's time for you to go too, your next stop on this hop is my friend and co design team coordinator Marion.  She's fabulously talented you're going to love her blog!

Thanks for stopping by today!

The Paper Shelter In The 1920's

My card today is for the Stamps R Us "For The Girls" challenge that starts today.  I used this cute image from The Paper Shelter, it's a pre-colored digital image so I printed it and went to work on a card.  

My layout is a sketch from Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps.  She's framed with an oval Spellbinders die.  An oval and scalloped oval actually.  I used Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip & Creamy Carmel as well as Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist & Neenah Solar White cardstock and my sentiment is a wood mounted rubber stamp made by Hero Arts.

I hope you'll have time in the next two weeks to play in our challenge at Stamps R Us.  One lucky winner will receive a prize package from our sponsor Sassy Studio!

Challenges:

Stamps R Us - For The Girls
Frosted Designs - No Patterned Paper
2 Sisters Challenge - Embossing
Crazy 4 Challenges - Dies to Create Your Card
Drunken Stampers - Absolutely To Die For
My Sheri Crafts - All About Girls

Clear Dollar Stamps Blog Hope 4 Katie

Welcome to our Clear Dollar Stamps blog hop for Katie.  If you've arrived here from Barb's blog, you're headed in the right direction, if not you might want to start at the beginning here.

In our blog hop we are showcasing some wonderful digital images in a collection compiled by different artists at Clear Dollar Stamps as a fundraiser for Katie.

If you'd like to help by purchasing these sets I have a link to the Help For Katie blog.

My first card uses the new Clear Dollar Stamps digital set Prairie Wagon, I used the pre-colored image and digital papers that are included.  I've also added my supply list below and a photo of the complete set.

 Stamps/Images:  Clear Dollar Stamps Prairie Wagon digital stamp set

Cardstock/Papers:  Clear Dollar Stamps Prairie Wagon digital papers, Stampin’ Up! Taken With Teal & Chocolate Chip

Inks/Markers: HP OfficeJet 6000 to print the pre-colored digital image, digital papers & sentiment that comes in this set.

Accents/Tools:  Dew Drops, Spellbinders tags die, Corner Rounder punch, Bakers twine

Techniques:  Digital stamping with pre-colored images

My next card uses the Clear Dollar Stamps Patch Pal Elephant digital stamp set. I used Splitcoast Stampers SC#306 for my layout and my supply list is below.

Stamps/Images:  Clear Dollar Stamps Patch Pals Digital Stamp Set

Cardstock/Papers:  Sorbet Blue Ice,Via Vellum Lemon Yellow, Neenah Solar White, digital paper that comes in the Patch Pals digital stamp set

Inks/Markers:  HP OfficeJet 6000     

Accents/Tools:  Spellbinders dies, ovals, circles, stars, paper piercing tools, rhinestones

Techniques:  Digital stamping

The next stop in our blog hop is the wonderfully talented Trudy!

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Masculine Cards
Paper Sundae's - Masculine Colors
I Did It Creations - Anything Goes
Wee Memories - Your Source of Inspiration 
The Patch Pal Digital stamp set with digital papers & Splitcoast Stampers sketch challenge #306

Bug A Boo Stamps Jar Bugs

Oops I think I deleted the photo where my watermark said "for Bug A Boo Stamps" after all that playing with it to get it just right!  

My card today is for the Bug A Boo Stamps Catch The Bug "Get Well" challenge that starts today.  When I saw the theme all that came to my mind was, "caught a bug?" so I went with it!  I colored my cute bug in a jar image with Copic markers R22, R24, R27, T5, T3, T1, G0000, C00, YR09, YR07, YR04.  

My layout is a sketch that I thought was pretty neat that I've had saved for quite some time now.  I believe it's from Taylored Expressions, I included a photo for you.

I flipped the sketch on it's side and then as I was putting my card together rearranged some of the elements so they'd be better balanced on my particular card.  I'm happy with how my card turned out and thought it would be fun to show you where my inspiration came from.

The papers I used on this card are Neenah Solar White, Basic Black by Papertrey Ink and Stampin' Up Only Orange.  The orange and black polka dotted paper was in my pile of scraps close to the top and I noticed that I'd put black polka dots on my orange butterfly, hmmm...  I put away the Basic Grey paper pad I had torn a few sheets of designer papers from.  The polka dotted paper is digital again, the same Jak Heath digital paper I've been using a lot lately, I just printed it on SU Only Orange cardstock.  My sentiment was made by me with the computer, I really need to learn how to make my lettering go in a circle.

There you have it, I hope you'll have time to join in our challenge at Catch The Bug this week!

Challenges:

Catch The Bug - Get Well
4 Crafty Chicks - Fairy/Angel/Butterfly

Clear Dollar Stamps Spring Violets

I had to share some more of the cards I made with the Clear Dollar Stamps Spring Violets set.  When I first saw this set I was so inspired, I could close my eyes and see all the different cards I wanted to make with this set.  I love it when that happens!  

My first card uses the violets digital paper that comes in the set as well as the small violets grouped in threes and the sentiment.  I added Spellbinders circles and a ribbon slide and the Cuttle bug Swiss Dots embossing folder along with some imagination, what fun!

My second card uses one of the pre-colored images with the yellow gingham digital paper that comes in the set along with Spellbinders circles and scalloped circles & tag dies a Papertrey Ink scalloped border die a Sizzix embossing folder, a scrap of gingham ribbon and some purple rhinestones.

My last card was actually one of my first cards as you can see from the layout.  All of the images used for these cards are pre-colored, this Spring Violets set comes with pre-colored digital images as well as line drawings, it's pictured below.

This set was offered free with the Clearly Inspired challenge February 4, 2011.  If you like it you might go check and see if it's still offered for free, and while you are at Clear Dollar Stamps be sure to check out all of their digital images!

My cards will be donated to Operation Write Home for their Spring Thaw card drive, you can click on the OWH card drive banner in my sidebar if you'd like to join in or learn more about it.

Challenges:
Mami Doodles - Flower Card
Simply Create - Bold & Bright 
Totally Paper Crafts - Do It With Digis 
Res-Q-Challenge - Something That Makes You Happy 
Wags N Whiskers - Punches 

Bug A Boo Stamps Coffee Beans

It's Oldie But Goodie Thursday at Bug A Boo Stamps Catch The Bug and I had some fun with one of the images from Jodie's Coffee Bean collection.  My Coffee Bean is colored with Copic markers E40, E41, E42, E43, E44, Goooo, R27, C00, I also used designer papers from the Basic Grey Bittersweet pack with my Neenah Solar White.  The embossing folders are Swiss Dots by Cuttlebug and Hearts by Sizzix, I punched the three circles at the top with old Stampin' Up! punches and the hearts were left over from a border die.  

I hope you'll go over to the Catch The Bug challenge blog and see all the other wonderful Oldie But Goodies my fellow design team members came up with today!

Challenges:
Whoopsi Daisy - Free & Easy
Stampin' Royalty - Mark It Up 

Mami Doodles Bee's

Here it is Wednesday again and there's a new challenge starting at Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps!  The Midweek Throwdown challenge is to make a masculine card for our heroes to send home to their loved ones...

and I don't have mine ready...

But, I do have some fun cards to show you for the Operation Write Home Spring Thaw card drive.

This first one is an any occasion kind of card.  I found these cute bee images at Mami Doodles, they are a pre-colored freebie from back in December 2010.  Click on their name and a link will take you there.  I really like the Mami Doodles images and hope I will have time to play with more of them soon!

My layout for this card is very simple.  The black and white polka dotted paper is a digital paper by Jak Heath, the sentiment is computer generated and I used my paper crimper to give the PTI Lemon Burst panel a little texture.  

My next card uses the bee with birthday cake, perfect for kids cards!  I was using my scraps again for these cards so I have several of the same images and papers utilizing the smaller pieces of digital papers I'd printed.  This digital star paper is also by Jak Heath, in it's original form it's black and white.  I wanted yellow so I re-colored it in my Publisher program and printed it.  The yellow card stock for this card is Stampin' Up! Summer Sun, it matched my digital paper best.

For my last card in this collection I was running out of digital papers so I cut three strips out of a larger piece.  This digital paper is also by Jak Heath, it's actually the same as the polka dotted paper on my first card, I just re-colored it again to suit my color scheme.  

I hope you have time to play in the Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps Midweek Throwdown challenge this week, it's a masculine theme and I hope I have time to play too!

Challenges:
Paper Cutz - Ladybugs, Bee's or Butterflies
Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Bugs 
For Fun Challenges - Birthday 
Paper Pretties - Card For A Child 

Clear Dollar Stamps New Butterfly

Today's a big day at Clear Dollar Stamps, it's release day for the digital images and my card today uses the New Butterfly digital stamp set.  

I colored the butterfly with Copic markers Y13, Y15, YR04, YR07, YR09, T3, T5 and cut it out and attached it to a Spellbinders oval die.  I used two different Sizzix embossing folders for texture and printed the bible verse Romans 12:2A on a sheet of Stampin' Up! Summer Sun cardstock, the others I used are Stampin' Up! Only Orange, Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow and Neenah Solar White.  

I included a picture of the New Butterfly digital set for you.

Challenges:
Cutie Stampers - Embossing
Digital Tuesday - Use A Die Cut 
Woodware USA - Embossing 

Michelle Perkett Studio Cupcake Carmen

My card today is for our challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio, the challenge theme is "Your Choice" more of an anything goes with a Michelle Perkett Studio digital image kind of challenge.

I used Carmen Cupcake for my card, she's colored with Copic markers BG10, BG15, R02, E00, E000, Y11, Y13, Y15, E41, E43, E44, E47, E49 E33 and cut out with a Spellbinders die and matted with an oval Spellbinders die.  I kept the layout simple to showcase Carmen, added embossing with Sizzix and Cuttlebug embossing folders and some Dew Drops. The sentiment is from Verve Visual and the dots around Carmen are from a Waltzing Mouse set.

I hope you'll join us in our challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio this week.

Challenges:

Michelle Perkett Studio - Your Choice With a MPS Image 

They Grow Up So Fast!

I thought I'd pop in here quickly with some photos of Maxine and her kitty friends.  

January 3, 2011

January 25, 2011

February 14, 2011

February 14, 2011

Inky still keeps a watchful eye on Maxine 2 14 11 

What happened to our puppy?

Hilarious Cupid by The Paper Shelter

Happy Valentine's Day!

My card today is for my husband, I hope he likes it!

I used a cute pre-colored digital image by The Paper Shelter and a simple layout.  My color combination is a little odd but I picked the teal of his glasses and the red of the hearts as my color inspiration.  The hearts paper is digital that was in my scrap pile beside the paper trimmer and I also used a new (to me) Sizzix embossing folder.  The other cardstock colors are Stampin' Up! Taken With Teal, Neenah Solar White & Neenah Red Linen.

Challenges:
Creative Craft World - Love
Sunday's With Crissy - It's All About Love 
Crafty Ann's - Love Is All Around 
Crafty Calendar Challenge - Love 
Easy Craft Projects - Love 
Friday Mashup - Valentine 
Frosted Designs - The Word Love (look at the embossing) 
Sew Many Challenges - Valentine's  
Stamp Something - Something For Your Valentine 
Stampin' For The Weekend - Valentine's Day 
Totally Gorjuss - Love 

Doodle Pantry Bunny Friends

I have a couple of cards to share with you today that I made using the Doodle Pantry's Bunny Friends digital stamp set.  These cards were made to help support a fund raiser that Jak Heath put on for Katie that was over February 10, 2011.  A link for you so you can still buy the bundle that this set comes in.

If you haven't met Katie there's a photo of her in my sidebar, click it and you'll go right to her blog.  Katie and her family need our prayers and support she's been diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer and is undergoing chemo therapy. 

For my first card I used Basic Grey Max & Whiskers designer papers and several Spellbinders dies along with one of the cute  pre-colored digital images in this set.

My second card is the same basic layout using Basic Grey Marrakech designer papers and Spellbinders rectangles and ovals dies.  I really like the versatility of these pre-colored digital images.  I'm surprised at the comments I receive here sometimes when I use them.  The comments are about my wonderful image coloring, when I didn't color them at all.  

Here's a photo of the set and everything that comes with it.

 Have a blessed day!

Challenges:
Delightful Challenges - Punches & Dies
Doodle Pantry - Use A Doodle Pantry Image 
CES Challenge - Cute & Cuddly 

Stamp Fairy Thank You Bear

Stamp Fairy Thank You Bear meets Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps Sketch #54 actually...

I keep seeing all these cute images from Stamp Fairy, then discovered the other day through my friend Lisa's blog that they have digital papers too.  I'm there! 

I added a couple of Stamp Fairy's digital paper packs and a cute teddy image called Thank You Bear to my collection.  

My card today uses that cute bear, I thought it would be perfect for my Operation Write Home Spring Thaw Card Drive project so instead of adding a "thank you" sentiment I used a vertical rubber stamp to make it an "any occasion" type of card.  If you're interested in the OWH Spring Thaw Card Drive or would like to learn more about it, click on the badge for it in my sidebar.

I colored the bear with Copic markers Y13, Y15, Y18, R02, R22, R24, E000, E42, E43, E44, YG11, YG13, YG17, C3, C6 and cut it out with a Spellbinders circle die and matted it with another Spellbinders scalloped circle die.  The ric rac die is made by Papertrey Ink and I also used a Sizzix embossing folder.

The layout for my card is Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps Sketch #54.  I liked the idea of using the Stamp Fairy bright plaid digital paper to match the daisy and Jak Heath's Shower of Hearts digital paper to go with the hearts in the focal image.  I matted everything in Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip.  The pink shades in the bears ears and paws made me think of Stampin' Up! Cameo Coral so I used it.  It's kind of an odd combination of patterns and colors but I like it!

I e mailed Gerda who is the artist and owner behind Stamp Fairy a photo of my card and it's going to be on the Stamp Fairy World blog today, how cool is that?! 

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Sketch #54
Crafty Creations - Three Little Words
For Fun Challenges - Must Contain Hearts
Spoon Full Of Sugar - Show Some Love
Tanda Stamps - Share The Love
Teddy Stampers - Love
Whoopsie Daisy - Give Us Your Hearts
Cute Card Thursday - Hearts & Flowers
Paper Play - Hearts & Flowers
2 Sister's Challenge - Hearts
Secret Crafter - A Stamped Flower