Thursday, October 31, 2013

Stars!

Over at the Stars and Stamps blog, this week's Midweek Throwdown challenge is STARS.  I've been trying my hand at the inlaid dye cuts technique after looking at a couple of great tutorials, one by Jennifer McGuire *here* and another by Betsy Veldman *here*.  It's a great way to add interest and some texture and dimension and still have a flat card.  And, it's another way to use scraps!  So here's my card for today (and scroll down to my last post you'll see another inlaid die cut card):


If you watch Jennifer's tutorial, you'll see that this technique actually allows you to make 2 cards with the positive and negative pieces you die cut.  Unfortunately, the post-it that I used to secure the star die to thestriped paper tore parts of the yellow strips on my other piece, and it couldn't pass muster for a card. 

 Thanks for coming to visit! 

Oh, and one more thing


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Inlaid Dye Cuts

The Make-It Monday tutorial over at Nicole Heady's blog at Papertrey Ink is quite fun, and as a card maker for Operation Write Home, I'm all about fun techniques that make flat cards!  You can see this tutorial for inlaid dye cuts here (it really is like putting together a puzzle!)

This is my first try at this technique, and I'm looking forward to playing with it more.


The dies I used were the Finn butterfly by Memory Box and from Papertrey Ink, the "you" from Wonderful Words along with Dark Chocolate, Sweet Blush, & Hibiscus Burst card stock, Aqua Mist and Hibiscus Burst Bitty Dot papers, and Dark Chocolate ink on the sentiment.

Thanks for looking!

Monday, October 28, 2013

Another OWH Sketch

Hi!

Another fun sketch came up at Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps blog and I thought I'd give it a try. Even though it's not yet Halloween, OWH is wrapping up the need for Christmas/Holiday greeting cards and is asking for Valentine cards by the end of December... so I thought I'd get a jump on it!  Here's are several of them, based on this sketch

  owh sketch canvas





Stamped images from W plus 9 "Cupid's Arrow", patterned papers from Echo Park "Love Story"  & Basic Grey "Kissing Booth", and Stampin' Up! card stock "Primrose Petals

 Sentiment from W plus 9 "Cupid's Arrow", Basic Grey "Kissing Booth" patterned papers, 
Stampin' Up! ribbon and Primrose Petals ink, on Papertrey Ink kraft card stock


 More Echo Park "Love Story" patterned papers on Stampin' Up! Pretty in Pink card stock with a
Close to My Heart  stamped sentiment


Now I'm off to continue putting my gardens to bed... (and snow flurries are flying, yikes!!)
Thanks for your visit today!


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Stars and Stamps Sketch # 195



Hi!

Here's the sketch offered this week over at Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps Blog

     195

and here's my take

          

Thanks for coming to visit!


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Operation Write Home Design Boot Camp: Balance in Design

Paula has published another great design lesson in card making, focusing on 3 types of balance in design:  symmetrical, asymmetrical, & radial.  It's a clear and concise lesson which you can find here at the OWH Stars and Stamps Blog.  Here's some of my examples of balance, in order of their frequency at my craft table:

A radial design


(My Mind's Eye patterned papers with stamps by Studio Calico and Paper Smooches)

An asymmetrical design


(Authentique patterned papers, stamp by Papertrey Ink, and a shiny Santa sticker)


and one symmetrical


(Bo Bunny patterned papers, stamp & card stock by Papertrey Ink, and a Spellbinders label die)


Hope you have a relaxing & creative night...

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

The Nature of Christmas

For the OWH Mid-Week Throwdown, the theme is "The Nature of Christmas."  Here's my card:


Living out in the country, we are able to traipse into the woods on Christmas Eve morning  to cut our tree. We tend to favor "Charlie Brown" trees, and every year we think we have the most beautiful one yet.  How about you?

Patterned Papers by K & Company, "Nice List" stamp by Waltzing Mouse.

Layered Emboss Resist

My first attempt at layered emboss resist



using stamps (Make It Masculine, Background Basics: Woodgrain, Background Basics: Tin Types) & card stock (Vintage Cream, Canyon Clay, Smoky Shadow) from Papertrey Ink and Ranger Distress Inks (Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Faded Denim).  Here's the video tutorial:  Make It Monday # 135.


Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Love & Joy

A layered card with the sentiment as the focus, for Our Daily Bread Designs October challenge at Operation Write Home


OWH Sketch #111, stamp by Stampin Up!, Basic Grey "25th & Pine" patterned papers, & Papertrey Ink card stock.  Sweet thanks to my friend, Patricia, for the gift of the Perfect Layers Rulers-- I'm having fun with them! 

Friday, October 4, 2013

It's World Card Making Day!






Today's the day, and I hope you are having a good one!  Welcome to my little corner of this wonderful world.  If you've been hopping along you've arrived here from the amazing Ashley Marcu.  Here is the whole list of today's designers (and 2012 World Card Making Day Winners!):

·         Agata Pfister
·         Amber Kroening
·         Ashley Marcu
·         Carolynn Wilson  (me!)
·         Chunyuan Wu
·         Emily Leiphart
·         Heather Hoffman
·         Jamie Greene
·         Jocelyn Olson
·         Kerrianne Bowen
·         Laura Bassen
·         Leigh Penner
·         Lorena Cantó Lavería
·         Mercedes Weber
·         Mignon Jessica Bear
·         Pamela Ho
·         Sarah J. Moerman
·         Stasia Sloma

·         Tarynne Wise

For my card for this Hop, I wanted to play with some of the trends that are catching my eye right now-- hand lettering and the chalkboard look, and combining them seemed a natural fit.


I sketched the words (you may recognize them from Charlotte's Web) in white pencil, enhancing the down stokes with a brush and Liquitex Titanium White Ink (which is a lot like Wite-Out!).  I added red pencil highlights, white pencil "smudges", and stamped the corner flourishes with Fresh Snow Ink.  It is meant as a "Hello" card, but I think it could work as a holiday card, too.

There is so much inspiration out there, and I gotta say, Paper Crafts keeps the fresh ideas coming!  I hope you'll enter their World Card Making Day contest.  Enjoy yourself and best of luck! The prize package is amazing, and the cards go to the awesome organization, Operation Write Home, which will distribute them to deployed troops to send to their loved ones.  How cards keep us close!

Next on the Hop is Chunyuan Wu, and I'm sure you'll be delighted!