Keeping it simple

When I'm not paper crafting or reading my Kindle or playing with the grandsons (not necessarily in that order) I teach high school math. I was telling another teacher recently about the OWH (Operation Write Home) organization and we discussed starting a card making club at school. We also are considering a faculty/staff night once a month to make cards.

Since the students probably won't have access to a lot of supplies, I will be providing from my stash. Thus came the thought: I need some examples on how to make a very nice card without all the expensive embellishments. So here is one of my simpler examples:

Three papers (both plaids are from Paper Pizzazz), 5 brads (4 gold, one leaf) and a sentiment cut out of dark green vinyl on the Cricut. 

I hope we get a good response from the staff and from the students. Especially from the students: true crafting spirits creating quality cards. I know the talent is in the school, just have to tap it. 

It's Fall

School has started so my crafting time is limited. I have made a couple of dozen cards in the last few weeks. This one is one of my favorites.

The quilt rack image is from DigiDoodles. Of course this card is going in the box for OWH.

Two for OWH

Two cards (among many more) made for Operation Write Home Challenges. Our Daily Bread Designs August Challenge is a "Masculine" card. I had just pulled several more masculine type papers when I read about this challenge. By submitting a (one only) card to this challenge you can help defray the cost of shipping the OWH cards to our troops.

The other card is for this week's OWH Sketch Challenge. I flip flopped the two accent strips and didn't mat the one and I added a sentiment. But the sketch is supposed to be a starting point, right? 

Both cards used die cuts from Cricut cartridges "George" and "Beyond Birthdays". I like to make my die cuts out of self adhesive vinyl in black or dark green. The papers and brads were from my stash drawer of scraps and opened packs.

Thanks a Bushel

The Squigglefly Challenge #30 is Speak to Me. I used the inside/out images Thanks a Bushel by Chesney Young colored with Copic markers. The background paper is DCWV (fall Mat stack). The mat for the sentiment is a leafy patterned paper from ProvoCraft and is anchored to the card with four star mini-brads. I added a red and a green apple brad and small gold pearls.

Sketch Challenge in Autumn

The new OWH (Operation Write Home)'s sketch challenge works purrfectly with some fall papers. Even though the thermometer reads over 100 degrees, it is time to start on those fall cards for our military personnel.

The papers are all from DCWV the Fall matstack from two or three years ago. I like using the 4.5 x 6.5 mat stacks for card making. They are just slightly larger than the card face so there is little waste. I hate cutting into a 12 x 12 sheet when I need just a card front or even smaller piece of paper. The leaf sparkle stickers are Sticko (I believe). Thinking of You was cut from dark green vinyl using the Cricut George cartridge. There are also 7 small gold round brads.

Paper Piercing

I am sliding in under the deadline for this week's Squigglefly Challenge to use paper piercing (not piecing). I had to get to our lake house to find one of my piercing stencils. I have at least 8 of them but could only find one.

I used the Squigglefly image Back to School Bear by Diana Carubia. The gold metallic foil paper is from WorldWin Papers. It is quite thick and works well for piercing. I chose to pierce from the back to make a raised pattern. Some people prefer to do it from the front and use the holes.

It is difficult to photograph the metallic paper. It reflects so well that hands, camera, tabletop, etc are all seen.

Our oldest grandson is starting kindergarten this fall. Even though he is more of a Super Heroes kinda kid, I think I will send him this card to mark the important day.

Triangles

I saw this design in an email newsletter News from Around the Planet. I added the thin strips of silver between the pieces. I cut 1/8 inch strips from a 12 x 12 sheet of adhesive backed shiny paper. It is available in a variety of colors including silver, blue, green and orange. The image is from Bugaboo and colored with Copic markers.

OWH Sketch Challenge #130

New week - new sketch challenge at Operation Write Home.
The main DP has a light fern pattern (Paper Pizzazz)
       other DPs are scraps from stash
       pale purple plastic flowers are secured with silver mini star brads
       "thank you" sentiment is cut from dark green vinyl using Cricut cartridge
                  Beyond Birthdays.

I was very happy with my attempt at the sketch (above) but then started playing around with some other papers. 

Supplies:  Background DP: American Traditional Designs

                Other DP & pearl brads from stash

               Ribbon: Craft Smart from dollar bin at Michael's

               Sentiment: Cricut cartridge Beyond Birthdays cut from hot pink vinyl

Pixel of Ink

While this blog is mostly about card making (and some scrapbooking), I also love to read. After becoming frustrated trying to see the small print in paperbacks and magazines (I swear they are trying to conserve paper), I downloaded the free Kindle app for my computer. Being able to adjust the font size made reading so much easier. After 6 weeks I bought a real Kindle. That was 18 months ago. In 2010 (pre-Kindle) I read approximately 5 books. In 2011 I read 115 books. So far in 2012 I have read 63 books.

Pixel of Ink is one source to find free and bargain ebooks. I also like ereaderiq. Ereaderiq.com allows you to upload your Amazon Wish List and they notify you by email if the price of a book on your list goes down.

From my summer reading, I have most enjoyed Firefly Beach (M. Penterman) and The Girl with the Cat Tattoo (A Frasier & T Weir). Both books were fairly light reading - purrfect for summer. Feel free to leave a comment about a book you have read recently.

Button It

Phindy Challenge #114 is Button It. I used the Phindy image "Squeezes". Sir Chester gave his approval as expected. The image was colored with Copic markers. The yellow buttons are attached to the card using DMC variegated green floss. The dark green polka dot ribbon is from a St. Patrick's ribbon pack. The two DPs and the yellow card stock mat are scraps.

Squigglefly Challenge #28 - A Recipe

The Squigglefly Challenge #28 is a recipe challenge.
According to the recipe I used:
                        1 Squigglefly image: Cat Nap (Sir Chester's choice)
                        2 Lace or Ribbon: Thin ivory ribbon with gold edging
                        3. Brads or Eyelets: 4 light green brads to secure image to card
                        4. DieCuts: "Hugs to You" in dark green vinyl using the Beyond
                            Birthdays Cricut cartridge

I was looking at Facebook early this morning (4 a.m.) and found the following picture posted. 

What do you think??

OWH Sketch Challenge

Simple design for this Operation Write Home Sketch Challenge, but finding 4 papers that work well together may be more difficult than you think. Here are two of my creations using the sketch.

Maroon - Birds - Silver

Phindy's Challenge this time (now a biweekly challenge due July 19th) is to make a card using your initials. Since my initials are MBS I chose Maroon floss, round brad and flowers on the DP; love Birds (a Phindy image); and Silver glitter mat. I've never seen a challenge designed this way and it is fun to have something new.

Operation Write Home

Many of you know that I support the efforts of many many cardmakers and the three shippers that send the homemade cards to our military personnel. These cards are then made available to the soldiers so they can "write home". Many of us have a backlog of cards that we've made for challenges or design teams. We have more than we could use personally so consider sending them to Operation Write Home (See link to the right). If you live in the Kansas City area we are lucky enough to have Kris in Olathe. She is a shipper so cards can be dropped off at her house.

The 4th of July is just a day away.While we enjoy family picnics, a day at the lake or just a day off work, our military is working hard to keep us safe. Thank them with "Any Hero" cards (a card made with note inside thanking them for their service). The website gives the guidelines regarding size, materials, deadlines for holiday cards (including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.) and which cards are most in need.

Inspired Stamps DT Call

Considering getting back into the DT (Design Team) world. This looks like a great possibility.

Looking for new Design Team members: maybe YOU?

Hello friends!
It's time for us to expand our Design Team!  Please let your friends know (feel free to copy/paste the brief DT CALL logo above to put on your blog!) and consider joining our Design Team yourself!

We are looking for someone(s) who is able to post each Thursday from August through January to your own blog.  We do mostly cards, but sometimes tags or other items.  We like to have a variety of styles and abilities on the team, so whether you are experienced at being on a Design Team or never even knew such a thing existed until you read this post, whether you have a simple, clean style or a very layered, artistic style,
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!

If you can dedicate each Thursday morning to an Inspired Stamps post, love the idea of getting our stamps FREE to use in your artwork, and can take a good, clear photo of your artwork, please consider applying:

TO APPLY:
*Send 3 photos (make sure your photos are bright, but not washed out and clearly show your card front) with a different card in each photo.  You do not need to use Inspired Stamps for this.
*Email these to us at inspiredstamps@gmail.com BY JULY 14th at midnight.
*Let us know a little about you and why you feel you'd be a good fit on this Design Team.  Also please send us a link to your blog so we can take a look at what you've done.

We will contact you by Monday, July 16th and let you know if you've been added to the DT!

If you are added to the Design Team you will be sent a package of stamps to use in your artwork and given further information.

Thanks to everyone who share this call out with your blogging friends!!  We REALLY appreciate it!
Blessings,
Antoinette

Father's Day/Masculine Cards

Phindy's Challenge addresses the important men in our lives. A Father's Day (or other masculine) card is the challenge this week. I used a small Phindy image and a quote from the 1000 Card Quotes CD (available at Paper Wishes).

Quilted Apple

I won the Quilted Apple image at Squigglefly this past week. This card is going (of course) to OWH (Operation Write Home).

Pile It On

The Phindy Challenge this week is to Pile It On! I used the detailed image of Mrs. Comfy on Vacation with DCWV blue mat. The DP is from Cosmo Cricket. I added some small shells, a pool mattress embellie and some ribbon. 

Air Mail

Joining the Squigglefly Challenge this week: Make me laugh. This card may not make you laugh, but hopefully at least a smile.

Experimenting with Scraps

Making a few more cards before taking the box to OWH later this week. Started playing around with some paper scraps, leftover Dazzles and a shiny brad. This card was the result. As usual, my photography isn't the best, but you get the idea.

1-2-3 Challenge

Phindy's Challenge this week is a 1-2-3:  1 image, 2 papers and 3 embellishments. I am using the garden kitty image again (calico cat this time). I love the flowered paper, but am running out of my scraps (the full sheets are long gone). I believe the striped paper is Paper Pizzazz. The foil border strips are so easy to use and add so much. The small iridescent flower actually comes in three sizes. I can't read the brand on the clam shell (small print, bad eyes). The golden crystals were also from my "scraps and opened packages" drawer.

Garden Kitty

Another card for Phindy's Summer challenge. I started working on this one the week of the vintage challenge and finished it up tonight. Another kitty image (of course). Sir Chester must be kept happy and this kitty is more his coloring.

Mike took a vacation day on Friday specifically to work on the yard. If Chester could have been out there helping, he would have been.

Summer's Coming

The Phindy Challenge this week is "Summer is Coming"  I have been making cards for Operation Write Home and "Thinking of you" and "Miss you" and "Love you" cards are always needed. I was looking through my Phindy images and saw this one. "Hugs to You" was the purrfect sentiment to go along with the image. Although I have all grandsons (so far) they love to hug Sir Chester and this little girl is hugging the stuffing out of this tolerant kitty. True love.

Grandma's Rocker

Another vintage card for Phindy's challenge although this is not a Phindy image. Grandma's Rocker is from Squigglefly. The papers are again from Paper Pizzazz: Mixed Jewel Patterned Paper pack.

Vintage

This card is the closest I get to "vintage". The claw foot tub and the "old lady" wallpaper work well together. I am entering this card in Phindy's challenge this week.

The image is from Phindy's Place and colored with Copic markers. The papers are Paper Pizzazz: Mixing Jeweled Patterned Papers. Chester is happy since the card has a kitty on it.

New Neighbors - Under the Porch

There is a momma fox and 3 kits living under our front porch. The kits were playing tag and wrestling in the front yard this morning. I knew Chester was upset about something outside lately - he almost went through the dining room window the other night. Now I know what he saw.

Chester's Challenge

As mentioned in the last post, Phindy's Challenge this week is a CAS card. Sir Chester was quite upset that once again my card did not have a kitty. Soooo, I have a 2nd entry in the challenge. This image is from Squigglefly and I colored it to look like Chester as a kitten.

CAS Card

Phindy's Challenge this week is to make a CAS card (clean & simple). I used a Phindy image that reminds me of my Mom. She used to wear a babushka (head scarf) without the hat.

Squares & Stitches

Phindy's Challenge this week is to use squares (or make a square card) and faux or real stitching. I'm in the city this weekend and my little sewing machine is at the lake. I tried stitching by hand, but the colors/pattern didn't work. Instead I chose a ribbon that had stitching on both edges.

I chose a checkered background and the image and its matting are close to square. 

This card is for my great-nephew who will be 2 in early May.

BBQ Battle

For the last 15 years our family has participated in the Lenexa (Kansas) BBQ Battle. 175 teams invade the city park and the grills and smokers are busy cooking up wonderful things to eat. The Friday night is a big party - private parties throughout the park and 1000s of friends wandering from booth to booth. We started out sharing a space with 2 other families but as our kids got older (and spouses & grandchildren were added) we got our own spot.
I made this notice/invitation for this year's battle. I'll use it when I scrapbook the photos from the June event.
Since Phindy's Challenge was to involve food... here is Mr. Brown:

I used Paper Glaze on the grill to give it that nice shine.

Phindy Phood

The Phindy challenge this week is What's Cooking. These little friends with their giant cupcake make a fun birthday card.

One more Phindy 100 entry

I just couldn't resist making one more Phindy card for the 100th challenge. Slipping in under the deadline with this fun card.

Phindy's 100th Challenge

Phindy's 100th Challenge is this week. You must use a Phindy image, so I did. I love the Mr. Brown and Mrs. Comfy series.

Mr. Brown is busy making his birdhouses. I used 3D dots to bring one of the birdhouses and the roof of another away from the flat surface of the card.

You have until Friday morning to join Phindy's 100th Challenge.

Easter Weekend of Papercrafting

Spent the weekend at the lake papercrafting. I made 20 cards for OWH and scrapbooked about 10 pages. I also finished a baby album for a gift. It felt good to be immersed in paper, adhesives, scissors, digis, embellies, Copics, etc etc. Here are a few of the cards I made. So much fun!

Phindy's Challenge with Ribbon

Only appropriate that my first challenge back would be with one of my favorite illustrators. Phindy's Challenge this week is to use ribbon. I chose a Phindy image that has a ribbon in it as well as using actual ribbon on the card. Chester was not happy that I used a "dog" image, but he'll get over it (with an extra tub of specialty cat food).

Warm Weekend Coming Up

Supposed to be in the 80s this weekend. Purrfect days to open the windows and do some crafting - or take some digis on the screen porch to color. Sounds like a purrfect balance between the cold days of winter and the hot humid days of summer. These nice ones are so few.
Enjoy!!

THE SATURDAY GIVEAWAY: TWENTY eCopies of KIN from Kealan Patrick Burke!

THE SATURDAY GIVEAWAY: TWENTY eCopies of KIN from Kealan Patrick Burke!

I'm Back!!

After a long drought I am back. Except for my daughter Cathlyn's wedding last year I have not done any scrapbooking and I could count the number of cards on one hand. Luckily I had a supply of ready cards from previous challenges etc. to meet my needs.

I just had 100 photos printed so I can do some scrapbooking from 2011. I have also spent the last month or more reconfiguring my scrapbook room at the lake. I tried to organize, condense, etc. the large amount of supplies that I have. I need adhesives but otherwise I'm in good shape for awhile. Except for digis - my computer crashed last summer and I lost over 700 digis. I have redownloaded some from my account at Phindy's Place, but many I had bought before she was automated. Once her family life settles down, she has promised to help me get the others.

Angela at Sew Many Cards is also dealing with family problems and I had had some of her digis on a CD so I was able to get back about 15 of them. Still too many to count that I may never get back. I now am religiously backing up my hard drive on a weekly basis. To soon old.... too late smart (was my Dad's favorite saying).

The Angel Company is gone so my other blog will be deleted once I figure out how to do that.