blog candy winner!

2 Responses »
May 302014

Congratulations to Stampnk, who left the following comment on my OWH Memorial Day Weekend Blog Hop post:

stampnk says:

So cute and what great coloring! This little bunny with his arms full of love is perfection!

You’ve won the blog candy I offered during the blog hop!  Your prize will consist of two stamp sets from My Favorite Things – “Flopsey Goes Camping” and “Flopsey Flies a Kite”, as well as some Jolee’s Boutique patriotic stickers.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by during the blog hop, whether or not you left a comment!

Posted by PH in VA at 8:00 pm Miscellaneous, Operation Write Home

CAS - Colours and Sketches #76

3 Responses »
May 292014

Hello there! It’s time for a new challenge at CAS – Colours and Sketches! Since it’s the fifth Thursday of the month, this week we have a double challenge for you.  You’ll need to use the provided colors with the provided sketch!  It’s double the fun!

The other day I took an inventory of the cards I have stashed away for Operation Write Home, and I noticed I didn’t have a whole lot of cards suitable for our military stationed overseas to send home to their children.  Today’s card is one step toward fixing that problem.  I felt that a child would like to receive this cute “Super Owl” bearing an encouraging message from a parent who might be thousands of miles from home.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Be sure to see what the other CAS – Colours and Sketches design team members have made.  Then show us what you can create with the colors and the sketch! You have until 1:00 p.m. eastern time Wednesday, June 4 to link your work to the challenge post.

Supplies:
Stamps: Critters in Costume (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Coastal Cabana (Stampin’ Up); Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic); D’Vine Swirls embossing folder (Provo Craft)

Posted by PH in VA at 4:00 am Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, Lawn Fawn, Operation Write Home, Stampin' Up!

OWH Memorial Day Weekend Blog Hop!

96 Responses »
May 242014

Hello!  I’m helping Operation Write Home observe Memorial Day by participating in their annual Memorial Day Weekend blog hop.  We’re remembering the brave men and women who have given their all for our country and its freedom by sharing cards made for the purpose of sending to our military members stationed overseas so that they may write home to their loved ones. OWH also sends “AnyHero Mail”, which are cards of thanks and encouragement to our heroes working far from home.  Clicking on the above graphic will take you to the blog hop’s home page.  There are a squillion blogs you can visit to get all sorts of super cardmaking ideas! (OK, more like a hundredish.  At any rate, a whole bunch!)

I’ve created a love themed card for my contribution to the hop.  The layout for my card is taken from OWH Stars & Stamps sketch #64, but I made my focal panel a bit smaller so more of the blue border would show.  It’s difficult to tell in the photo, but the heart is cut from textured cardstock.  It’s also raised up from the card base with dimensional adhesive, to add a bit more visual interest to the card. I think this sweet bunny makes a good card to be sent to any person, no matter what age!

I’ve added a white cardstock panel to line the inside of the card, to make writing show up easier.  I dressed it up a bit with a few stamped and colored hearts:

One last thing.  All blog hops are more fun with some “blog candy” prizes, and I’m offering up a bit of that, too!  One lucky person who comments on this blog post will win this cute Flopsey bunny stamp set:

I’ll even add a few other things depending on the number of comments received!  Once I receive 50 comments, I’ll include another My Favorite Things stamp set to the prize drawing.  If I receive 100 or more comments, I’ll add in yet another My Favorite Things stamp set!  So you could win up to three stamp sets!  I will be reading every comment to ensure that spammers will not qualify for the prize drawing. Since this is a huge blog hop, I’ll give everyone until 12:00 noon Eastern time Friday, May 30, 2014 to leave their comment. The winner will be posted later that day. Be sure to include your email address when commenting so I’ll have a way to contact you.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and be sure to take some time to remember our heroes who have died in service in order to make our country and world a better place.

Supplies for this card:
Stamps: Flopsey Bunch of Hearts (My Favorite Things)
Cardstock: Brilliant Blue, Basic Gray, Real Red textured (Stampin’ Up); Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic); heart die (Sizzix); dimensionals (SU)

Posted by PH in VA at 3:00 am Cards, Operation Write Home, OWH Stars & Stamps sketches, Stampin' Up!

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - May stash challenge

7 Responses »
May 242014

Hello!  I hope your weekend has gotten off to a good start.

Today brings a new stash challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown, and Ruth has come up with a fun idea for it.  In honor of “wedding season” starting up, she’s asking us to use something old, something new, something borrowed, and/or something blue.  At least two of those categories must be covered in your card this week.

The “something new” was pretty easy for me.  I have been admiring a certain set of fancy circle Sizzix dies since I saw Ruth use them on a few of her cards last fall.  I finally found them online at a very good price, so I ordered them last week.  Today’s card is the first project I’ve used them on.  The only difficult thing about “something blue” was choosing which shade of blue to use.  “Something borrowed” was harder.  I haven’t been creating with other local stampers for a long time, and I don’t have any items that I’ve borrowed from anyone.  I was looking back at Ruth’s cards to get some inspiration, and then the proverbial light bulb clicked on – I could “borrow” one of Ruth’s card ideas by making a card modeled after one of hers.  I chose this one but added a panel and changed up the color scheme.  I also didn’t have a lacy ribbon, so I used some twill tape that I’ve had for probably a good 6 or 7 years and did my ribbon treatment differently than Ruth’s.  Ta-da: there was my “something old”.   (My white embossing powder is even older than the twill, now that I think about it.  The stamp set that the sentiment is from is also pretty old.)  I also used pearls rather than rhinestones to add a bit of shimmery shine to the card. The bits of blue added to the white embossed snowflake are some of the “leftovers” punched out from the circle die.  I also added some of the punched out pieces to the back side of the white snowflake and the blue center portion, to act as cardstock shims and raise those elements, giving dimension to the card.  The blue ribbon and blue cardstock match better in real life than they do in the photo.

Ruth always decorates the inside of her cards, so in tribute to her, I added a strip of cardstock stamped with snowflakes and bordered with blue cardstock to the inside of the card.  It wasn’t easy getting the card to bend and stand up for the photo, but I managed it anyway, LOL.

Because this card is a 5.5″ square, it doesn’t fit the requested size requirement for the cards Operation Write Home collects to send our military troops overseas so that they may write home to their loved ones.  However, it’ll work for me to write a note of encouragement and support to one of our heroes and send as an “Any Hero” note.

So, what will you create with items from your crafting stash?  If you need more ideas, go check out the 52{C}CT blog and see what the rest of the design team has made.  Then link your card at the challenge site by 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Friday, May 30.  We’d love to see how you interpret this challenge!

Supplies:
Stamps: Festive Flurry, Wishes Awash (Stampin’ Up)
Cardstock: Kraft, Marina Mist (SU); Pure Luxury Ivory (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Marina Mist, White Craft (SU)
Other: For the Record 2, Documented die (Sizzix); half pearls (KaiserCraft); twill tape (SU); French Blue grosgrain ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon); white embossing powder (Stampendous)

Posted by PH in VA at 1:00 am Cards, Christmas Card Throwdown, Stampin' Up!

CAS - Colours and Sketches #75

4 Responses »
May 222014

Hello!  This week’s CAS – Colours and Sketches challenge is a sketch challenge.  Although the sketch has hexagons drawn on it, you’re welcome to use any similarly sized geometric shape.  So long as we can see the basic elements and layout of the sketch, it’s all good.

I’ve combined the sketch challenge with the current AEIHeartU challenge to use botanicals.  My most recent Avery Elle purchase arrived earlier this week, so I was able to put the floral stamps to use right away!  These flowers are actually kind of accent stamps for a sentiment set.  I originally planned to stamp the flowers, fussy cut them, and mount them on die-cut hexagons.  But the sizes of my hexagon dies were either too large or too small to look right.  After searching through the rest of my dies, I finally chose to use scalloped circles.  I sponged the edges of the circles so they’d show off better against the textured white background.  Once I mounted the flowers onto the circles, I realized that the scalloped shape and the sponging inadvertently make the circles look like they are part of the flowers.  But I view that as kind of a happy accident.  The sentiment comes from a different Avery Elle set. It’s amusing to me that I’ve used some of my newest stamps with some of my oldest cardstock and ink – the purples and green have been retired for several years now. But I think they combine nicely for a card suitable for Operation Write Home.

Challenge 7

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you’ll join us over at CAS – Colours and Sketches with your own take on this sketch!  You have until 1:00 p.m. eastern time Wednesday, May 28 to link your card at the challenge website.

Supplies:
Stamps: Oh Happy Day, Simply Said Hello (Avery Elle)
Cardstock: Almost Amethyst, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White, Whisper White textured (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Almost Amethyst, Lovely Lilac, Green Galore (SU)
Other: Big Scalloped Circle Nestabilities die (Spellbinders)

Posted by PH in VA at 4:00 am AEIHeartU challenges, Avery Elle, Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, Operation Write Home, Stampin' Up!

Cards in Envy - Winged Things

2 Responses »
May 192014

Hello!  It’s the third Monday of the month, which means it’s time for a new challenge at Cards in Envy!  For the next two weeks, we will be focusing on a theme of “Winged Things”.  Show us your A2 size cards that feature something with wings – birds, butterflies, dragonflies, bees, fairies or other winged mythical creatures, even airplanes!  So long as it has wings, it counts!  Remember to keep your cards less than 1/4″ thick – after all, the “in envy” part of our challenge name means that the cards should fit in an envelope and be mailable at the standard first class postage rate.

I decided to use butterflies for my winged things.  I kept my card really clean and simple, following the current layout from CAS(E) this Sketch.  I chose some (kind of old) designer paper as the background for my butterflies, and luckily had enough of this coordinating long-retired Stampin’ Up cardstock color to use for the butterflies and the card base.  Yay for using up some older products, right?!  😉  For the largest butterfly, I glued the middle down to the designer paper, and gently folded up the wings before attaching them with dimensional adhesive.  This gives the card more visual interest.  I also dressed up the butterfly by adding some pearls for the body.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Go see what kinds of winged things the rest of the Cards in Envy design team used.  Then create a card of your own and link it to the Cards in Envy site by 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, June 1.  We’d love to see what you make!

Supplies:
Stamps: Everyday Sayings (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Cardstock: Mauve Mist, Chocolate Chip (Stampin’ Up); “Apple Blossoms” designer paper from LilyKate collection (Basic Grey)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU)
Other: Beautiful Wings Embosslits die, dimensionals (SU); lemon half pearls (KaiserCraft)

Posted by PH in VA at 1:00 am Basic Grey, Cards, Cards in Envy, CAS(E) this Sketch!, Stampin' Up!

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - May recipe challenge

10 Responses »
May 172014

Hello there!  This week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown we have a fun recipe challenge for you!  Ruth, our challenge hostess, has come up with a short list of elements that need to be included on your Christmas or wintry card:  Coloring an image, adding rhinestones or ribbon (or both), and using the debossed side of embossed cardstock.

When I read the recipe list, I knew I’d use this cute Rhubarb digital image.  Actually, I’ve used the mirror image of the digi stamp, so that it wouldn’t seem like Rhubarb was looking off the edge of the card.  That’s one really awesome thing about digis vs. traditional stamps – being able to manipulate them to suit your needs when necessary!  🙂  I’ve used red and clear rhinestones for the ornaments on the tree image and in the corners of the focal panel.  To highlight the debossing, I swiped an ink pad across the cardstock.

The layout for this card is taken from the current Seize the Sketch challenge – but once again, I’ve done some manipulating.  First I turned the sketch on its side.  Because my focal panel is larger than drawn in the sketch, I opted to leave off the “any shape” element.  I felt that would be a bit too much on a card that was already pretty well packed with layers and embellishments.

Go check out the 52{C}CT blog to see what the rest of the design team has cooked up with this recipe!  Then come up with your own concoction and share your work with us at the challenge site.  You have until 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Friday, May 23 to link your card.  We hope you’ll join us!  Thanks for stopping by today.

Supplies:
Digital Image: Rhubarb Trims the Tree (Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps)
Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Real Red (Stampin’ Up); Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: printer ink; Crumb Cake (SU)
Other: markers (Copic); red rhinestones (KaiserCraft); clear rhinestones, Wild Wasabi stitched ribbon, ticket corner punch (SU); D’Vine Swirls embossing folder (ProvoCraft)

Posted by PH in VA at 1:00 am Cards, Christmas Card Throwdown, Digital images, Seize the Sketch, Stampin' Up!, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

CAS - Colours and Sketches #74

3 Responses »
May 152014

Greetings!  It’s time for another color challenge at CAS – Colours and Sketches.  I’ve combined the colors with the most recent CAS(E) this Sketch layout to create a kind of bold, graphic gender-neutral card suitable for Operation Write Home.  Well, actually I used the mirror image of the sketch, because it worked better that way with the sentiment.

If you cut the tails of banners by hand like I do, here’s a tip for getting matted layers even.  Before cutting them, I put the layers together with repositionable adhesive, lining up the bottoms of the pieces.  I cut all the layers together at once, so they are all cut at the same angle.  Then the layers can be separated and staggered so the matting can show, and rejoined with permanent adhesive.  (I hope that makes sense!)  However, after using that process on this card, I personally wouldn’t try this with more than three layers like I’ve used here, because of the thickness of all the layers.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the CC&S Design Team has done with these colors!  Then share your own card with us by linking it to the challenge post by 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, May 21.  We’d love to have you join us!

Supplies:
Stamps: Fill in the Blank (Avery Elle)
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Midnight Muse, Naturals White, Primrose Petals (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals (SU)
Other: Icon Fill in the Blank die (AE)

Posted by PH in VA at 4:00 am Avery Elle, Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, CAS(E) this Sketch!, Operation Write Home, Stampin' Up!

thankful...

3 Responses »
May 112014

This is just a quick post to say “thank you” to all the mothers in the world for everything they do!  I thought I’d share the Mother’s Day card I’ve made for my own mom.  She is pretty awesome in her own quiet, humble way, and I love her lots!

I’m submitting this in the current AEIHeartU challenge just in the nick of time…

Challenge 6

Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies for this card:
Stamps: Handwritten Notes (Avery Elle); Just Vine (Stampin’ Up)
Cardstock: Pear Pizzazz, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla (SU)
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Chocolate Chip (SU)
Other: paper flowers (Recollections); half pearls (KaiserCraft)

Posted by PH in VA at 12:30 am AEIHeartU challenges, Avery Elle, Cards, Stampin' Up!

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - May color challenge

8 Responses »
May 102014

Hello! This week is color challenge week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown.  Our challenge hostess, Ruth, has chosen a fun, non-traditional color palette for this.  The challenge graphic shows five colors and you should choose at least three of them for your creation. Using neutral colors for stamping images and sentiments is also allowed.

After some thought, I finally decided that these colors could work for a poinsettia.  I printed this poinsettia digital image twice so that I could layer the petals over the leaves and give the flower a bit of dimension.  The sentiment was also computer generated.  The layout for this card is the mirror image of this week’s sketch challenge at CAS – Colours and Sketches squashed into a landscape orientation.  The flourishes are stamped onto the berry colored panel.

Now it’s your turn to show us what you can make with these colors!  If you need more inspiration first, go visit the 52{C}CT site and see what the rest of the design team has created.  Be sure to link your card at the 52{C}CT site by 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, May 16.  We look forward to having you join us!

Supplies:
Digital Image: Poinsettia (Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps)
Stamps: Season of Joy (Stampin’ Up)
Cardstock: Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry (SU); Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: printer ink; Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic)

Posted by PH in VA at 1:00 am Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, Christmas Card Throwdown, Digital images, Operation Write Home, Stampin' Up!, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

CAS - Colours and Sketches #73

3 Responses »
May 082014

Hello!  It’s time for another sketch challenge at CAS – Colours and Sketches!  We have a very versatile one this week because any shape can be substituted for the heart shape in the sketch.  As always, the sketch can be rotated or flipped or stretched – so long as we can see the basic elements of the original sketch, it’s all good!

I’ve taken the liberty of stretching the sketch from portrait orientation to landscape because I wanted to use one of these large flowers for the heart element.  If I’d left the sketch in its original form, I wouldn’t have had room for the sentiment on the narrow horizontal panel.  I decided to use textured cardstock for the card base to give a little extra visual interest to the card.

Go see the awesome job the rest of the design team has done with the sketch!  Their cards are all on the challenge site.  We hope you’ll be inspired to create a card of your own using the sketch, and that you’ll link it to the challenge post.  You have until 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, May 14 to share your card with us.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Stamps: Messages for Mom, Priceless (Stampin’ Up)
Cardstock: Whisper White textured, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White (SU)
Ink: Bermuda Bay (SU)
Other: flowers (Prima Marketing); brad (Making Memories)

Posted by PH in VA at 4:00 am Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, Stampin' Up!

Cards in Envy - May Flowers

4 Responses »
May 052014

Well hello!  Since it’s the first Monday of the month, it’s time for a new challenge at Cards in Envy.  It seemed only natural for us to follow up our “April Showers” challenge with May Flowers!  This time, we want to see your A2 sized cards featuring flowers.  You can use stamped flowers, floral designer paper, die cut flowers, or floral embellishments (such as Prima flowers) – so long as the thickness of your card does not exceed 1/4 inch.

I have to admit that I was in a bit of a creative slump when I was trying to create my card for the challenge.  So I decided to fall back on an idea I’ve used in the past.  I cut an oval from an index card and used the resulting “frame” as a reverse mask on the focal panel, sponging ink into the oval cutout to create a sky and ground.  Then I stamped the flowers into place.  After I removed the mask, I stamped the sentiment and mounted the panel onto a few mats.  I added a couple small die cut butterflies too; the larger one is adhered with dimensionals.  Really quite easy overall – and it makes a nice feminine card to include in my next shipment to Operation Write Home.

So now it’s your turn! Check out the Cards in Envy site for all the challenge details and to see what the rest of the design team has made. Then share your flowery creation(s) with us by 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, May 18. We’d love to have you play along with us!

Supplies:
Stamps: Spring Garden, Trendy Trees (Stampin’ Up)
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White (SU)
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky, Pool Party (SU)
Other: Pretty in Pink and Regal Rose markers, Beautiful Wings Embosslits die, dimensionals (SU)

Posted by PH in VA at 1:00 am Cards, Cards in Envy, Operation Write Home, Stampin' Up!

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - May sketch challenge

9 Responses »
May 032014

Hello there!  It’s the first Saturday of the month, and those of you who have been following my blog for a while know that means it’s sketch challenge time at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown!

I’ve stretched the sketch out to a rectangle, and stripped the focal panel down to about as clean and simple as I think it could get.  I chose an image of a gift for the “any shape” element and used a tag on the gift in place of the banner element.  Everything is stamped directly onto the focal panel, making this a really flat card for Operation Write Home.  I wanted to deviate a bit from the usual Christmas red and green, so I’ve opted for a dark cherry red and a sort of golden mustard yellow.

I hope you’ll go over to the 52{C}CT website to see what the rest of the design team has made.  Then show us what you can make with our sketch.  You have until 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Friday, May 9 to link your card.  We hope you’ll participate in our challenge this week!

Supplies:
Stamps: Bows and Holly, Happy Everything, Critters Ever After (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Crushed Curry, Cherry Cobbler (Stampin’ Up); Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic)

Posted by PH in VA at 1:00 am Cards, Christmas Card Throwdown, Lawn Fawn, Operation Write Home, Stampin' Up!

CAS - Colours and Sketches #72

2 Responses »
May 012014

Since it’s the start of a new month, we have a new challenge hostess at CAS – Colours and Sketches!  Lizy has come up with some great challenges for us in May, and we’re starting out with a bright and cheery color challenge.

I had a hard time deciding what exactly to do, so I finally ended up playing with ink.  Literally, LOL.  Once I decided which stamps I wanted to use, I masked off a section of the main panel.  I dripped a few drops of Smoky Slate reinker on a piece of acetate, dipped an old toothbrush in the ink, and splattered it across the panel.  Then I repeated the splatter process with Bermuda Bay ink.  (Hint:  wear disposable gloves if you don’t want really weird colored fingers or thumbs!)  I let the ink dry for a few minutes before removing the mask, and then I stamped and colored the sun images and the sentiment.

Go check out what the rest of the design team has done with these fun colors, and then show us what you can make with them!  You can link your work to the challenge post until 1:00 p.m. Eastern time/6:00 p.m. GMT Wednesday, May 7.  We hope you’ll join us!

Supplies:
Stamps: So Much to Say (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Smoky Slate, Whisper White (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Smoky Slate, Bermuda Bay (SU)

Posted by PH in VA at 4:00 am Cards, CAS Colours & Sketches, Lawn Fawn, Stampin' Up!
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