The Last OWH Sketch for 2013!

Happy Sunday and welcome to the last OWH sketch for the year! I am so happy that I participate in the challenge each week. Some of the sketches are joyful, some push me to get out of my creative comfort zone, and some just push me over the edge.. trying to make it my own-LOL!
Here is the inspiration card by Cindy- you can visit her blog here

                                     

                                        

This is a great design so I came up with 2 cards- I love the circle but wanted to try the sketch with a rectangle too! The purple paper with the zebra is that awesome DCWV 6x6 pads of glitter paper that is very smooth- and not a tiny piece of glitter comes off- very shimmery and fun- and safe!! And that blue arrow-- the exact shade of blue is in the map background paper- I promise you- it is there in real life!

I hope you join OWH and a lot of bloggers on January 1, 2014 for a bloghop showcasing each bloggers favorites from 2013.  I am hoping to join the fun. Last year I was challenged to find my top 10 since I was a new blogger- this year I have more to choose from- thanks to the Sunday Sketches and the Midweek Throwdown challenges- and you may see some of my Drunken Stampers challenges too!


Have a wonderful and safe New Year!
Craft on,
Diane

Can You Believe it is the End of the Year?

Happy Saturday! Today is a Tropical Hooters team challenge with the Drunken Stampers and our inspiration this week is a PERSON in our person, place or thing cycle....and who do we have this week?

When I think of Marilyn, I think of the scene where her white dress blows up- all around her- and this is my interpretation! There are lots of layers of vellum and card stock and a few pop dots for dimension. The gold paper is very shimmery as is the green and there is a row of rhinestones --someday I will learn how to capture the glittery shine on my camera. I also think of Marilyn as someone who danced to the beat of her own drummer- thus the sentiment! 

 I bet you are just chomping at the bit to see what my Hooter teammates came up with for this challenge....so head on over to drunkenstampers.wordpress.com and play along with our Marilyn challenge.  I hope somebody comes up with a way to present Marilyn singing Happy Birthday to JFK!

Have a wonderful New Year!
Craft on,
Diane

Happy Day After Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful, safe and fun-filled Christmas. I certainly did!  I was able to sleep in a bit this morning and recuperate from all of the preparations and the 2 days of family gatherings! And the fun continued when 3 of my nieces came over tonight for some stamping, coloring, laughing, dancing and a little bit of chatting about my kitchen....which apparently is not used often enough! LOL! 

Today, OWH is challenging us to create cards with red and white or green and white...but remember- the Christmas deadline has passed and Valentine cards need to get to Sandy by 12/31/13- so try making general themed cards. 

I really like Paper Smooches stamps- they are so charming and sweet and super easy to color!  I had to add an Action Wobble to the totally terrific turtle- I love to see movement in a child's card! The cardstock is a dark green but it appears very, very dark here.

And speaking of Paper Smooches- did you know they are having a blog hop? Get on over and see some great cards- they are also giving away 4 great prizes- gift cards to the PS store- wahoooo! New releases will be available January 1st--that is less than a week away- but can we wait that long? Check out the inspiration and add some-or all- of the new releases to your wish list! 
  http://papersmooches.blogspot.com/

Have a wonderful weekend and craft on!
Thanks for stopping by,
Diane

A Penguin for the General!

Happy Sunday! Sandy challenged us to make a penguin card for one of the OWH contacts...so I combined the penguin with today's sketch. That's right- it is Sunday so we have a new sketch!  Pretty cool sketch, huh? 
                                                

I did not use a ribbon- I embossed 2 pieces of cardstock I colored with copics and then popped the bottom layer on Stampin Up dimensionals. This is one cool penguin--catching a wave! He is popped up as well. I colored him with the Sakura glaze pens- so he is nice and shiny! The sun also has some glaze on it. This card came together pretty quickly- and I am pleased with the final product!

Have a wonderful Christmas and I hope you can find a little time to be crafty over the next few days!

Thanks for stopping by!

Diane

Sketch #203

Greetings! We had our frist big snow last night here in Massachusetts...but being the hearty New Englander that I am- I was still out shopping today! I have accomplished a lot the past few days so I took a break (from holiday preparations and crying over the Patriots game) and made a card for today's sketch. Isn't the sketch great! 
                                
 The stamps are Unity-- I love his pouty face! The papers are from Carta Bella and BoBunny. I change the shape from a circle to this Spellbinders die-- mostly because I had the little guy already colored and wanted to use him! Can't you hear him say "I miss you, so there" and stomping his foot!! 
  

 Have a wonderful week- and craft (and party) on!
Diane

Drunken Stampers Time!

Welcome! Since it is Saturday, there is a new challenge for the Drunken Stampers. We have  challenges based upon a person, place or a thing and this week the Tropical Hooters are  globe trotting- we are flying off to Paris!And drinking lots of wine, and eating cheese and crusty bread and escargot!  Oh, we're not? I thought we were challenged to see if we could get to Paris before Christmas. Oh- we made cards about Paris? Oh. Ummm. A tad disappointing. OK- now I feel silly- I had my passport dusted off, my beret tilted on my head and I trying to decide if I should pack clothes or just buy all new outfits there. Guess I am staying in wintery New England! 
And I am really not disappointed- my fellow Hooters have some great creations to share with you-way better than dealing with jet lag!

Ooo la la-- oh no no! I just noticed one of my Queen and Co mini gems is weaving and wobbling from too much champagne! Funny what you notice in pictures- but not when it is right in your face!

My image is a Mimi in Paris by Penny Black-colored with copics and her hat is paper pieced. The Eiffel Tower is from Michael's--it has been in my stash for a while; I am not sure why I purchased it...my only time in France was a 2 day stop in Nice and I am pretty sure I did not see the Eiffel Tower!  (Our side trip to Monaco was fabulous- Nice was going thru construction so it was just eh!) I digress! Back to my card; focus Diane, focus! The pattern papers are from Bo Bunny,the Isabella Collection; the black base and the strip across the card is Bazzill; yummy, thick. study cardstock! 

So- how are you doing with your Christmas plans?
I am getting there- slowly but surely!

Thanks for coming by- and my bratty sister made fun of me and said 'Craft on and party on Garth'.....and that seems appropriate for the DS gang-- party on!!!!
Diane 

OWH Midweek Throwdown!

I am taking a break from my Christmas preparations and making some cards. Playing with paper and stamps is so very relaxing to me so a breather from the hectic season and a very long week at work  (is it really only Wednesday?)....just what I needed today!

Our challenge this week is to make general love cards.  Who does not love getting a love letter???? Swoon! So here is my card...again using Impression Obsession stamps- this set is really fun to use!

Have a wonderful rest of the week! Winter has arrived in New England....it's cold!
Craft on,
Diane

Operation Write Home Sketch #202!

Welcome to another Sunday with a sketch from OWH, the monthly Our Daily Bread Designs challenge and another crazy Patriots win!
Here is our sketch for this week:

 

 And here is my card using Authentique papers, Spellbinders dies and a stamp from Impression Obsession- I love this saying! I like this layout...the circle is a nice element to showcase an image or a larger sentiment- and a good amount of the patterned papers are still visible. 

Each month Our Daily Bread Designs donates up to two boxes of free shipping for our heroes–1 for 25 cards posted and 2 for 50. Only one card can be counted towards the total from each card maker but I felt the need to make a few cards.
The sentiment stamp is from CTMH- I love it- the whole set is wonderful! The anchor is  a die by LifeStyle Crafts and the brad is from my stash.

I purchased this stamp at the stamp show last June-- I do not know who makes it (it is unmounted red rubber). I think it is so majestic! 
(I like that word- my sister uses it to describe her ginormous Newfie dog, Lola!) The sentiments are by MFT- a great set of love stamps- they are on the larger size and could really stand of their own- but I like them paired with these beautiful animals!

Well- that is it for me for today! Have a wonderful week!
Craft on,
Diane

Love...All Year Round!

Hello! OWH is challenging us this week to make Valentine's or Love cards. I have made some cards for Valentine's Day for my December shipment to OWH but I also like to make love cards that can be used any time.
My first card is a 'use sooner rather than later' card since the snowman limits the amount of time he can be sent...but with pretty much all My Favorite Things stamps- I could not resist this charming guy!

I kept the card pretty simple. The patterned paper is from Fancy Pants and the solid red and black is yummy cardstock from Bazzill-
nice and substantial ...love it for bases!  I used Spellbinders dies for the circles. The scalloped border is a Fiskars punch and the gold dots are from my stash- Hero Arts metallic dots...I just re-discovered them in a pile-o-stuff! And as always, my coloring is with Copics...I am still in love with these markers! I was a dedicated colored pencil gal until I was converted about 4 years ago...thanks, Fabre!

My next card is also super simple. I purchased the cardboard box stamp last June at the stamp show...it is by Denami- they make such adorable stamps! When I purchased it I thought I had lots of stamps that could come poking out of the box- but it is actually pretty small so an assortment of heart punches worked out well. You cannot see it in the photo, but I used my favorite Sakura clear glaze over the trio of hearts to give them some shiny impact. I also used it on a few of the hearts in the box. The sentiment is by MFT.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Craft on,

Diane

OWH Sketch #201

Hello and happy Sunday! I love today's sketch! Donna made a fabulous sample card.... you can see all of her wonderful creations at designingkeepsakes.blogspot.com

Donna's card! Gorgeous!!!!

                                               

                                             

                                           

I made a girly card today-- I have been making more gender neutral and lovey cards lately-and felt the need for a change and I love this image. My niece Maggie had tons of curly hair when she was little so this cutie makes me think of her!(she still has a lot, but much more manageable now-and flat irons can change pretty much any hair type to stick straight!) 

Have a wonderful week...back to work for me after 4 days off! 
Craft on and thank you for coming by,
Diane

It is Drunken Stampers Day!

It is Saturday so that means another challenge at Drunken Stampers! I am on the Tropical Hooters team and we post every other Saturday- alternating weeks with the uber talented Yellow Canaries! We have challenges about a person, place or thing...and this week is: 

I checked thru my stash of crafty supplies and found an old- and I mean old- sheet of embossed metal. I used it to create the frame on my card base of Licorice Bazzill cardstock. (Have I mentioned that I love the Bazzill Marshmellow for my card bases? I purchased a pack of the black for bases...love that heavy weight-make the card feel more substantial!)  I matted my sentiment on more black and then on a piece of shiny DCVW paper--and there you have it! I love this sentiment- it is perfect for my OWH cards and I have used it a lot lately. I think it may be a Studio G from Michaels- but I am not sure. I would be happy if anyone can identify it for me!
Please visit the Drunken Stampers and see what my incredibly talented co-hooters have created for your viewing pleasure!

Thanks for visiting- and you know what to do...craft on!

Diane

All White...Almost

Greetings! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My day was full of laughter, great food and family!A few people were not able to join this year but I am hopeful that Christmas will be overflowing with all the people I love! 

 I was able to grab a little time yesterday morning to make a card for this week's throwdown at OWH..all white.  I just had to add a tiny pop of red...I used some Stampin Up dimensionals behind the 3 hearts  but it still seemed flat to me. So--what perks up anything? A pop of red! I used a very old Cuttlebug embossing folder and the hearts are from a SU punch.

My company polled the staff and we voted to work on Columbus Day and take today off--and I thrilled! My plans for today include some card making this morning, late afternoon shopping with my niece Cori and game nite tonite! Several years ago Maggie (now 20!) and her gang of friends began to play board games at my sister's home...and I happened to be there for the 1st one. It turned into an absolutely fun event that turned into a tradition and we try to have game nite when everyone is home for semester break. 

Have a wonderful weekend and try to find some time to craft on!

Diane

Slacking Blogger!

Hello...I am still here! The past few weeks have been super busy- for my recent vacation I went on a scrapbooking retreat and visited Paige in NYC. Once I went back to work, I completed a retirement scrapbook for my Medical Director...and that took up a lot of my free time. But...I am back in my card making groove and trying to get up to date on all the challenges! 

I will start off my cards with this week's OWH sketch- #200--amazing to have 200 sketches and I think I like them all!! I hope to go back to some of the earlier sketches and use them for some inspiration.
                                                                                                            

Love the sentiments- from My Favorite Things and Authentique papers. I tried for a more masculine Valentine's card.

And the 2 recent Midweek Throwdowns:

A masculine birthday card:

I forgot to take a picture of the inside- it says "I forgot your birthday"- a fun stamp set from Simon Says Stamp.











Dry embossing:

If you look closely- the large brown panel is dry embossed. And another great stamp set from MFT- I cannot resist this sweet cowboy! Yeehaw!  The chipboard stars are from CTMH-they came in a kit I purchased at the retreat and I covered them with the same blue paper as the background.






And sketch #199: 
  

 I used Mama Elephant stamps for this one. Check out OWH for Penny's card that was the card sample for the sketch- so gorgeous!

And #198:

And that fun digital robot appears again-Sandy used this image in one of her ICSE classes.  I have used him a few times- and I love that I can change the color of the heart to match my papers....so this has a more masculine feel to it.  
Are you seeing a theme?   I am trying to make more guy- or at least gender neutral cards and  more boy cards..... but have no fear- I still love girly colors and have LOTS of paper to use! 

It is cold and windy here in New England...perfect to stay in tonight to watch the Patriots game. 
Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!
Craft on,
Diane

All Shook Up With the Drunken Stampers

Good morning! This week the Tropical Hooters are challenged to create a project with a person...Elvis! Or we can use music as our inspiration. 

When I think of Elvis I think of glitz, thank you very much, black hair, Heartbreak Hotel and my sister Janice! She loves Elvis! Her birthday is coming up so I decided to make a birthday card with Elvis front and center (and she does not view my blog- so she will be surprised with the card!)  While this is not my most elaborate or fancy card- I am really happy with it. It has a lot of glittery elements and it gets right to the point!

Please ignore the paperclip on the right side of the card- OK- now you are looking at it! I had to clip the card shut to take the picture. Why, you ask? Well, Elvis was known as the pelvis- and I think a little movement from Elvis is in order. The next few pictures show the inside of the card- I made a cut out in the front of the card so you can see Elvis (a very old set of stickers) and yup- you know it- he is on an Action Wobble! And what do you clamor for when I use a wobble? A video? Really? You want to see Elvis in action? I cannot disappoint the fans of my movies... my production assistant and my editor are out of the country; scoping out sites for our next movie, so the video may not be up to the standards you are used to seeing here at All I need!

Now that you are all excited about Elvis- make sure you see all of the creations from the rest of the Drunken Stampers- you will dust off your blue suede shoes and start rocking and rolling- then you may even craft on!

Thanks for stopping by!

Diane 

Lots of Love

Greetings! I had a wonderful time scrapping, eating, laughing and making cards at the Celebrate Memories Crop at Whispering Pines. It is so nice to see wonderful people I have met over the years at the crop!

I have a few cards to share today. 
My Favorite Things posted another sketch last Wednesday:
                                 

How can you resist a cute image like this gal?

Operation Write Home posted the Sunday Sketch- we are up to #197! 
                                          

I colored this sweet image over the weekend and used papers from a fall DCWV 6x6 pad that was on sale at JoAnn Fabrics for $2! I could not walk away from it! I like the rich colors- and I lots of the papers can be used all year round. I rotated the sketch so my image would fit.

And we have our monthly Our Daily Bread Designs challenge for November.... we are making Valentine or Love cards. I used my Cricut to cut some frames, hearts and a few sentiments. I love red. black and white together--can be for a guy or a gal! I made a few cards...same paper pad and similar but just different enough to hold my interest....I tend to make 1 or 2 of a kind- once in a while I will make 6-8 of the same card. I admire people who can make multiples all the time- I imagine they are more productive than I am!

 

Did I tell you about my big DOH moment? When I pack my cards for OWH I usually throw in $5 or $10 to help with the shipping costs- it really depends on what I have for cash- I tend not to carry cash (and I tend to not write checks either- love on line banking!). Did you ever notice the DONATE tab on the top right of the blog page at OWH? I guess it has been there a while and it is something I see but my brain did not process it! It just dawned on me-- I can donate ANY time- I do not have to wait to add it to my card shipment...and I do not need cash on hand!! I also feel like my amount of my donation is not dependent on what I have in my wallet so I can be a little more generous! Go look and use the donate tab-easy and via paypal! Go ahead- make a donation today!                      http://operationwritehome.org/blog/ 

Have a wonderful week and please find time this holiday season to craft on!
Thanks for stopping by!
Diane