Hambo Stamps Apple Eaten

I'm playing along in the Hambo Hoedown again this week using their fun Apple Eaten image times four!  

You might be wondering why four?  Well...  that's what "The Bacon Bits" are challenging us with - using four of something on our cards.  It could be embellishments, papers, images, etc., as long as there are four.

The image for this weeks challenge if you played along last is called Candles and if you didn't play along you can buy it here.

I know I always say this but... my card was really fun to make - I was going to color the apples red then decided to do something unexpected and use green, my favorite color.  I colored the apples with Copic markers YG01, YG21, YG23, E44, E42, E40, T3,T5.  The papers used are Copic X Press It, Via Vellum Leaf Green & Basic Black, the patterned paper was printed on Mohawk Bright White Color Copy 110 lb cover stock and is from Digital Delights by Louby Loo's Spring Has Sprung digital paper pack.  I also used a Papertrey Ink scalloped edge die, black grossgrain ribbon and a couple of stamps from the Lil Inker's set Rainbow & Cloud Sentiments.

Hey, did you hear?!!! 

My Nerd card won Best In Show again last week in the Hambo Hoedown, how fun!

Here it is again in case you didn't get to see it -

 

Have a blessed weekend and I'll see you again next week, thanks for visiting my blog -

Challenges:

Hambo Hoedown - Four of Something

Just Keep On Creating - Anything Goes

The Pixie Cottage - Green & Gorgeous

Art With No Boundaries - Anything Goes

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Oh La La - Bold & Bright

Stamp With Fun - Favorite Colors

Simon Says Stamp & Show - Anything Goes

Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - Anything Goes With A Splash of Green

Digital Delights by Louby Loo Make A Splash

I have a fun Digital Delights by Louby Loo design team card to share with you today using Wendy's Whale and Make a Splash sentiment.  My layout is a recent sketch challenge from Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps.  I have a supply list for you below:

ALL DDSTAMPS USED:  Whale & Make A Splash Sentiment

CS AND PAPERS:  The Paper Mill Light Purple & Turquoise, 

Via Vellum Basic Black,  Copic X Press It
INK:  HP LaserJet
MARKERS (if any):  Copic N1, N3, N5, B60, BV23, B12 B14, B000
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS:  Spellbinders Circles, Papertrey Ink Ric Rac die, Cuttlebug embossing folder
COLORING MEDIUM (if any):  Copic Markers  
SPECIAL TECHNIQUES (if any):  OWH Sketch Challenge

Thanks for visiting my blog today! 

Challenges:
Whoopsie Daisy - Free & Easy

The Paper Shelter Leprechan

Here we are with my March mini calendar page layout, isn't this digital image by The Paper Shelter cute?!  

My layout is super simple to showcase the cute image from The Paper Shelter and also the calendar from the Clear Dollar Stamps Year Round Calendar digital stamp set.  

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Creative Craft Challenges - Free For All
Sassy Cheryl's - Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter Crocodile Love

I have another fun calendar page to share with you today!

I've been working on a small desk calendar for 2012 and this is my February layout.  I merged two images Clear Dollar Stamps Year Round Calendar and The Paper Shelter's Crocodile Love to fit the sketch I wanted to use and went to work.

The scalloped border is a new Spellbinders die I've acquired but haven't used much yet.  The cardstock colors are SU Taken With Teal, Basic Black, Neenah Red Pepper Linen & Mohawk Bright White.  I added a strip of black and white gingham ribbon and punch the holes I'll need with the bind It All.

Have a blessed day -

Challenges:
Crafty Ribbons - Anything But A Card
Squiggles & Giggles - Anything But A Card

Operation Write Home Christmas Blog Hop

Welcome to our Operation Write Home Christmas card
blog hop/link party!

  

I really enjoy making cards for our troops to help keep them in touch with home. It's a very small way to say thank you for your service to our country and the freedoms I enjoy.

I've been doing a little reflecting on my blog lately, you know looking back to see how far along I am in my card making journey.  In November 2007 I did my very first tutorial on how to make a folded Christmas tree for a card and I thought it would be fun to try my tutorial again and re post the tutorial.  You can find it here.

Here's a side view of my card so you can see how puffy the tree is.  I used Basic Grey designer paper for this tree, it's a nice heavy text weight and made a substantial tree.  

If you aren't familiar with Operation Write Home I have links for you.  Helping Heroes Keep In Touch With Home -

http://operationwritehome.org/

http://www.owhhomefrontblog.org/

http://www.owhheroblog.org/

To help cover the cost of OWH shipping -

Enjoy the rest of our Christmas link party and thanks for visiting my blog today!

Challenges:

Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
Scrapalicious - Anything Goes
For Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter Funny Easter Bunny

I have a couple of cards to share with you today and a very simple tutorial, Embossing with a Spellbinders die & Cuttlebug embossing folder. 

My first card is for the Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps Midweek Throwdown challenge "Go Dotty".  Our challenge is being sponsored by The Paper Shelter so I thought I'd use one of their images.  

This cute Easter Bunny is one of their pre-colored digital images, I really liked the colors in this.  The papers I combined with it are Stampin' Up! Taken With Teal & Pixie Pink along with Via Linen Violet and Mohawk Bright White.  I used Cuttlebug and Sizzix embossing folders because I didn't have any patterned papers or digital papers with this color scheme.  I'd love to see The Paper Shelter start making digital papers to go with their images!  My sentiment is also a digital image that I picked up as a freebie and I'm not sure where.  If you recognize it, I'd be happy to give the person credit so let me know in a comment. 

My second card you saw this last weekend if you came by on the Operation Write Home Bunny Hop.  As I was making it I took a few pictures to show how I embossed the Spellbinders circle to use as a tutorial. 

I used most of the same cardstock as the above card with the exception of a scrap of Stampin' Up! Brushed Gold.

My tutorial is very simple.  I first cut out the purple circle using a Spellbinders die and embossed it using my Spellbinders Wizard and then moved over to my Cuttlebug.

I've opened up my Cuttlebug Swirls embossing folder and placed the Spellbinders die blade side up flat on my "B" plate.  The portion of the embossing folder it's on is the indented side.  Be sure your blade on your Spellbinders die is facing up so you don't damage your plastic embossing folder.

I next placed my Spellbinder's Wizard embossing mat over the circle.  It's a little thicker than the others I have, you can use what works for you.

My other "B" plate goes over that.  

It's being rolled through the Cuttlebug and you can easily see that the embossing folder is open.

It's gone through the Cuttlebug and I removed the embossing mat and "B" plate.

There it is with the Spellbinders Circle die still on it showing the embossing.

And a close up of the embossed circle.  I like the way the embossed rim around the circle looks with the embossing on the inside of the circle too.  

There you have it, how to use a Spellbinders die and Cuttlebug embossing folder together.  

I hope you have time to join in our Midweek Throwdown "Go Dotty" challenge at Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps this week!

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Go Dotty
 Annabelle Stamps - Say It With Love
Digi's With Attitude - Anything Goes
Stamping Vacation - Make Your Own Challenge
Card Cupids - Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter Tea Time

This is my second blog post today, I just wanted to pop in and post my sketch challenge card for Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps sketch #58 and I'm excited to say that my visitor counter just turned over the 60,000th visitor this morning, wow!  Thank you so much for visiting my blog!!!  There will be blog candy this Saturday so be sure to come by then too. 

The cute tea set is from The Paper Shelter, I used their pre-colored digital images because I couldn't imagine coloring an image that needed to fit in a one inch square.  The papers I used were in my scrap pile, basic black, Sorbet Ice Blue, Kraft, Papertrey Ink Raspberry Fizz and Mohawk Color Copy 100lb bright white.  The friendship sentiment is from Papertrey Ink and I used my old standby Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder. 

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Sketch #58
The Paper Shelter - From Your Scraps
Shelly's Images - Layers

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