Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Welcome the New Year with a Re-cap of 2013


Happy New Year and welcome to my Top 13 of 2013 as part of the OWH bloghop.  You can check out all of the fun at:                                                   http://operationwritehome.org/starsandstamps

It is funny... when I reviewed my posts from 2013 there were some cards that completely slipped my mind and others made me sigh with happiness. And some- what was I thinking?!! OK- you are not going to see those here- I posted them once- that was more than enough! I loved all of the inspiration last year from OWH; the Sunday Sketches, MidWeek Throwdown, Boot Camp, the weekly tutorials, blog hops, ODBD challenges, OWH TV, visiting fellow OWH cardmakers on their blogs and Sandy's ICSE classes! Hopefully- my creativity and techniques improved over the past year!  This is a honkin' long post but please make sure to read all the way to the end!

 Here are my favorites from last year:

1.  A no-coloring card- the fan is from my Cricut. I like the semi-circle and the star brads.


2.  This image was colored during one of Sandy's ICSE classes- I enjoyed those so much! I like the image and the patterned paper and the lime green with the red.

3.   Awww- a sweet Mo Manning image- I love the determination on his face and I like the stitching around the circle- just like a baseball! I got the idea from an OWHer's comment on a previous card- easy and fun!
 4.  A super simple card- a copic colored butterfly and a cricut frame, some velvet ribbon-and black and pink- a favorite color combo!
5.  I love this handy man-- and his jeans overalls! I like the tools- made from little dies! 
6.  Blue and yellow- another favorite color combination- and another Mo Manning digital image- I can just imagine a younger brother looking up to his big brother--a true hero!

7.  This is a step fold card- and while there is not a ton of room to write a message- I thought it was a fun card for one of our hard working troops to send home. Hero Arts stamps- fun!

 8.  Oh- don't you just smile when you see a Paper Smooches stamp? This little farmer guy just called to me and I had to color him! Again- blue and yellow!

9.  Another blue and yellow card! This time a loving robot- from another of Sandy's ICSE classes- coloring metallic images. I love the layout, the hunky robot and the sentiment!




10.  Yup-another Mo Manning image! Love these 2 pals-- and they were fun to color!


11.  I love this stinkin' cute angel by Amy Young for CC Designs. She just made me smile and I hoped she brought smiles to others! She is recessed into the opening and the circle surrounding her is OWH safe glitter paper- no flaking off!



 12.  Finally- a My Favorite Things stamp! I think I have more MFT stamps than any other (Paper Smooches, Hero Arts and Penny Black come close behind!) I like that he can be used to send to a boy and love that he lassoed a star!  Yeehaw!
13.  And I think this is my all time favorite- I love the soft papers and colors- but mostly I love that I think of my lil Maggie every time I see this image (all grown up at 19- but she will always be my lil darling!)! I am happy with the coloring, the simple layout and the softness of the card.

So- what have I learned? 

  • I adore coloring little kids.
  • Mo Manning images are so full of personality! I need more!
  • Blue and yellow is a great color combination. 
  • I like clean and simple cards!
  • I love looking at blogs and getting ideas and adding to my list of 'must have' stamps, papers and other goodies!
  • And I like to share....so please leave a comment, you can follow my blog- but it is not required-- and out of all of the comments left by midnight (eastern time) 1/18/14 I will draw a winner for a gift card to Paper Smooches or to Oozak (where I get my copics)- the winner can choose either PS or O! (I won a CG to PS from a previous blog hop and I thought it was such a fun prize- I was in heaven- picking out stamps! I was very lucky in 2013 and won several blog candy prizes and loved each and everyone of them!) Make sure I have a way to contact you or check back on 1/19/14 to see if you are the winner! And why the 19th? Well, it gives you plenty of time to get to my blog along the fabulous hop- and it is an easy date for me to remember- it is my birthday!  (Sorry- members of my family are not eligible to win...you all have access to my stash- you do not need anything else- lol!)
Thanks for stopping by and here is to a wonderful 2014!
Diane

31 comments:

  1. Great cards Diane, I especially like that little fan on the first card, and the stitching around the baseball looks amazing! This is a great collection of your finest work! Happy New Year, and an early happy birthday too!

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  2. I am so happy I have found your blog. You have great designs, and I am very inspired by what I have found this morning!! I look forward to following you regularly. Happy New Year, and thank you for being such a dedicated OWH designer.

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  3. Outstanding group of cards! The had forgotten about the baseball card which I think it my fave of the group. I thought that was brilliant! Happy New Years!

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  4. Diane, such great reflections on what you tried and learned this year. I agree, I loved going back and reviewing, loving some even more and others, "ok, lets move on"! Funny! Thanks so much for sharing your talents.

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  5. Diane, I had to giggle at your "what was I thinking?" comment. I think we all have that moment sometimes. :) I love your "love machine" card. The sentiment is just perfect with the robot!

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  6. All of your top picks are fantastic ! My brother, my hero; the cute tiny tool accents, adorable images - all are awesome cards sure to bring many smiles =)

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  7. I'm not qualified to win either but I just wanted to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR and tell you that we need to make time to get together and create together this year!

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  8. Your cards always inspire me! Most of all I love the images that you use and the color combinations and papers used on your cards are great.

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  9. Hi, Diane. What a wonderful collection of cards! Not sure which is my favorite, the little buckaroo or your little Maggie... Regardless, all of your coloring is amazing. All the best in 2014!

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  10. All your cards are just wonderful and you did a great job of coloring such cute little characters. TFS.

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  11. Hi Diane! Happy New Year! First, I want to thank you for all the encouragement you give throughout the year; you rock! Your cards are amazing; I don't remember your uber=cute electric fan card; perfect with that DP (one of my faves) and the challenging sketch! Awesome coloring on all; keep up the great work in 2014!

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  12. Great cards. My favorite is that robot and the sentiment. It makes you LOL!

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  13. Terrific review Diane. Lots of great coloring and special details in each of these. If I had to pick one I thin it would be your baseball card. That stitching is just fabulous and I totally agree the Mo Manning's digi have such character and charm. Here's hoping that 2014 is as big a creative success for you as 2013 was!

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  14. your coloring is super...love the Mo Manning images...the baseball is genius

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  15. That lacing on the baseball card rocks! But I think my fav is the fan! I love the paper, the Cricut cut, the large circle with stars..... yep! It IS a winner! Your collection made me notice how much I don't color images so maybe that should be my New Year's intention. To color more. TFS!

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  16. Gorgeous coloring on your cards Diane. I am not much of a coloring and I admire anyone who can do it well. Thanks for a chance to win too! Happy New Year!

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  17. I love your hot air balloon step card--it looks amazing! You have done a ton of coloring and I agree, it is fun to see things you made that you'd forgotten about! I had a few "What was I thinking?" cards too! It is really something when we look at all we did over the year! Thanks for sharing your cards and have a very happy 2014! --Yvonne

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  18. Love your stamps! Looks like you're a master with the Copics, too. I love the stitching around the baseball - awesome job!

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  19. Diane, this is a terrific collection of cards! They are all unique and special. I think my favorite is the Buckaroo card. Perfect for a little boy. Looks like you earned a lot in 2013. Hope we all learn even more in 2014!

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  20. Your cards are AMAZING! I want to be you when I grow up;-) I have just started coloring images and I can see I have a lot to learn. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing work!!!

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  21. Diane, thanks for sharing your thoughts at the beginning of this post. I think we have the same thought process in that regard. Your cards are all special. I like the way you presented your cards including the notes of what you have learned. Happy New Year!

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  22. Your cards a lovely. I love the fan that you cut with the Cricut - too cute. Happy Birthday a little early and Happy New Year. April

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  23. They are all fun cards, I like number 8! so cute!

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  24. Love your mix of colors and prints. It's so much fun to go back and see what you've done and to realize there are patterns that you might not be aware of.

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  25. I can surely see why these are your favorites! As I scrolled down I thought, oh this is my favorite until I got to the next one. hehe These are great imagges and you do a fabulous job coloring them! TFS

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  26. Great to see these Diane! I missed many of them, since we only recently met up in the DS Lounge! ;) Happy New Year!

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  27. What an amazing collection of favorites!! I am so glad I found your blog in time to see so many of these the first time they were posted! Hope you had a wonderful holiday!!

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  28. Diane, you've done a terrific job coloring the images on your cards! I also like the whimsical touches you've added to them, such as the ribbon "baseball stitches" and the lassoed star. You're an asset to the OWH family!

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  29. You have chosen a great mix of cards as your favorites. I really like how you have listed what you have learned from this undertaking. My favorites are the baseball and hot air balloon cards. All are fabulous, of course. :)

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  30. Such great cards, I love all of them but the little cowboy is darling. You do a great job coloring.

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  31. What a great mix of cards! Love the baseball one :) You are so talented and I love popping over to check out the awesomeness you create!

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