Challenge Cards using My Favorite Things Stamps

Hello,
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you are enjoying the summer. I had some time off from work and had a lot of fun....we traveled to Pennsylvania for a softball tournament and spent a day at Hershey Park. More great memories and so much laughter! 

I have 2 cards to share today.
My first card is one of the final Hero cards I am making for Operation Write Home  and the ODBD monthly challenge and I was also inspired by the challenge at AAA Cards to create a scene with stars. I really like the A La Mode gals by My Favorite Things- I love all of their stamps but these stamps make me smile.

My next card is also doing double duty; the sketch is inspired by the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge and the yummy chocolate is for the Words to Scrap challenge. And with my recent visit to Hershey Park and the abundance of chocolate we purchased (and ate!) I was very excited about the W2SB challenge! And of course, another great stamp by My Favorite Things- adorable!

http://words2scrapby.blogspot.com/2015/07/w2sb-19-friend-with-chocolate.html

http://tuesdaymorningsketches.blogspot.com/2015/07/tuesday-morning-sketches-308.html
                                             

I am continuing to work on cards for my final box of cards for OWH- they must reach Sandy by August 1st- so I am getting down to the wire!
Take care and thanks for stopping by.
Oh- and if you see my sister- tell her Yolanda is looking for her vacation pay!
Diane

Relaxing Kind of Weekend

Hello!  I did not have lots of plans for this weekend so I was able to read, watch Outlander and create some cards!{Yup, my laundry is still waiting to be done...later, later!}

The Male Room's current challenge is to use letters or numbers on our projects. My Favorite Things recently showed several ways to make shaker cards and that inspired my card. A super simple layout with masculine papers and colors and I am pleased with the results!
http://themaleroomchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/new-dt-members-and-challenge-08-using.html

And the ladies from Cards 4 Guyz came up with another fun challenge....Challenge # 66 Exotic/Jungle Wildlife

I used an Inky Antics image and colored it with copic markers. What a sweet duo- the hippo and the bird....well- and the stamp and copics too!

Try Stamping on Tuesday has another sketch for us to use:
                                      
I do not usually combine challenges but Cards in Envy's challenge is Child's Play -so I decided to use the Penny Black stamp for both challenges.

http://www.cardsinenvy.blogspot.com/
http://trystampinontuesday.blogspot.com/

And I always enjoy the theme at Words to Scrap By and April's theme is The Earth has Music. I combined a few stamps to create the creating to go with the adorable elephant by Avery Elle.  I have a special place in my heart for elephants- as does my niece, Tessa.
So- this one is made with Tessa in my thoughts! She is pure joy to me!

http://words2scrapby.blogspot.com/2015/04/w2sb-challenge-16-earth-has-music.html

OWH's mid month throwdown is stitching.  So- this is kind of a cheat- but I adore the dies with the stitched edges....love the little extra detail.  And the foam finger is on an Action Wobble--so fun!

April Mid-Month Throwdown – Stitching

Thanks for stopping by,
Diane

A Bunch-O-Cards

Well, here I am-playing catch up...again!
Work has been very busy lately so by the time I get home..my creative juices and energy are gone!
I was able to create today so I played along with some of my favorite challenges.

The Male Room has a sketch for this challenge:
http://themaleroomchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/
                

The Crooked Stamper is a new challenge blog and I think it is going to one of my favorites!
http://thecrookedstamper.blogspot.com/2015/03/cssc-2.html

                        

My interpretation is a little different from the sketch but I kept the main elements that same. I colored a die cut piece of Vertigo plastic with yellow and gray copic markers to give the lightbulb a warm glow and for the metal base. I love the texture in this 'paper'. It also gives a holographic type of shine- something I could not capture with my camera!

Keeping with my lightbulb theme, I used a MFT stamp and a sketch from last week's Tuesday Morning Sketches and used a bow for the Cards in Envy Challenge- anything goes with a bow!    http://www.cardsinenvy.blogspot.com/

And for the ODBD challenge at OWH for March- it is all about the sentiment.  I purchased this ODBD stamp at the stamp show about 2 years ago- and I really like it but do not use it often..I need to play with it more often. It has a chalkboard effect when you stamp in colored ink onto white paper. The stamp does all the work for a super simple card.

http://operationwritehome.org/march-odbd-challenge-3/

OWH card makers know that we have to work a few months ahead of the holidays so I am trying to make some Mothers Day cards- these need to get to Sandy by the end of March.... so I am making it my mission for this week... make more cards for Moms!!

I hope you have a wonderful week and I plan to post more cards soon!
Thanks for visiting,
Diane

World Card Making Day 2014

Good morning! I hope today is a card-making, fun filled creative day! I plan to play with stamps and visit lots of blogs to get ideas and inspiration to create more cards!
I want to share my card for the current Cards in Envy challenge...twine!  I adore My Favorite Things stamps and this cowgirl is no exception!  I used copics on her skin, hair and dress and paper pieced the hat, vest and boots. I also used a white sign pen to add some interest to her dress. Head on over to http://www.cardsinenvy.blogspot.com/2014/09/entwined-challenge.html because this challenge ends soon!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to have another post later today to join the other Operation Write Home card makers create LOVE cards for our troops! Make sure you visit OWH this weekend!

 

http://operationwritehome.org/starsandstamps

 



 

Mama Elephant Sweet Birdies and My Favorite Things

Good morning- I hope you had a wonderful week!
The OWH sketch challenge last week was perfect for some of the Mama Elephant smaller images and companion dies.
                                       

Midweek Throwdown: Color Challenge
 CANTALOUPE and PISTACHIO. My card came together quickly- using My Favorite Things Blueprint dies.

That is all for today- I have a busy weekend planned!
Hope you have great weather and can spend time doing what you love with the people you love!
Thanks for stopping by,
Diane

Playing Catch Up-Again!

Welcome! I feel like I have been running behind for much of 2014...and I  am hoping to change that! But for today- I am just going to get up to speed!

The fun ladies at Words to Scrap By have come up with another challenge this month. Make a card inspired by one of these movies:

• There's no place like home. (The Wizard of Oz, 1939)
• The stuff that dreams are made of. (The Maltese Falcon, 1941)
• Here's looking at you, kid. (Casablanca, 1942)
• May the force be with you. (Star Wars, 1977)

I adore the Wizard of Oz but decided to use a Unity Stamp (thanks Jen!) and go with Casablanca. I keep trying to think what it would sound like if Humphrey Bogart said the sentiment! I used colored Sakura Glaze pens on all of the eyeglass frames and I used clear Glaze across the lenses. A super simple card but I am liking it!

Join in on the fun by clicking here:
http://words2scrapby.blogspot.com/2014/03/w2sb-challenge-3-and-oscar-goes-to.html


The Midweek ThrowDown at OWH is a good one to encourage us to clean up our scraps! I do not save a lot of my scraps so I started with papers that were free with a UK magazine.I like the colors in the papers but this card is not going to highlighted in my 'favorite cards from 2014'!!  LOL 
 http://operationwritehome.org/midweek-throwdown-scrappy-background/

And I wanted to make some western cards for my next box to OWH so I used one of the sooo stinkin cute images by My Favorite Things. I paper pieced a lot of his outfit. The layout was not what was in my mind- but I wanted the cowboy to take center stage.,,hmmm- I feel like it needs something! I think the last time I used this stamp- I made a lassoo from jute. I think I may need to do that again!

And here are a few cards that are not for challenges and are going in my OWH box. I did use scraps for the birthday card...if the scraps are on my table and catch my eye- I use them right away. Otherwise- just more stuff to add to my overwhelming amount of supplies! And speaking of supplies....I store my stamps in clear DVD cases- and I will store 2-3 sets in one case- most of the time by the same maker. I label the spine and slide the image sheet into the DVD outer pocket....it kind of drives my friend Kelly crazy! I figure- I have limited space and if I combine a few sets...I will have room to buy more! And really- my brain can handle it...I usually can find what I want pretty quickly! Sorry Kelly!

I love the colors with the black! gorgeous! All from a pad by KaiserCraft- Violet Crush.

The Mama Elephant rabbits are quickly becoming favorites- they make me smile! And the dies are ME too and I LOVE that the edge 'stitching' is part of the die! 

Well, my girls are all coming home so I am looking forward to spending "quality time" {as Paige says} with some of my favorite people on this planet! I have so much in life to be thankful for and I know how blessed I truly am- but every time Cori, Paige and Maggie make plans to come home...my heart expands when they call or text to make sure I can spend time with them! My sister and her husband have done a damn fine job raising 4 awesome kids (Tessa is in middle school- so she does not have to 'come home' from college and the big apple!) and I am so thankful they share the girls with me! 
Thanks for stopping by and craft on!
Diane

Another Sketchy Sunday and a Bit of a Cheat

Hello! Sorry Colts fans...but I am happy with the results of the game last nite!  I have a soft spot for Adam Vinatieri-so I like watching the Colts...but I like it when the Patriots win!

Since it is Sunday Marlene has another great sketch for us and it comes from Jen! I love Jen's cards and she is a sweetheart! Go visit her at 
thesparklewithinblog.wordpress.com

This is Jen's sample card- love the colors!

I had this little couch cut and stamped so I rotated the sketch a bit to fit it in the space- but I think my background paper is a little subdued. Jen's paper fills up the space nicely...mine looks like lonely white space- but I guess the sender is implying they are lonely- so it may work!
I am going to try another card with a different image with this sketch--I really like it!

I used the couch to make another card before I saw the sketch- I am liking this one more. I feel like I filled the space better since the image is so plain. 

And here is my big cheat! The midweek throwdown was to make a card using the chalkboard technique...not my favorite- BUT...I do have a pad of paper from My Mind's Eye with some great chalkboard pages... a little layering, a little ribbon- and there you have it- I am a chalkboard fraud!  But I like the card's simplicity...and besides...MME did the technique way better than anything I could create! I used my resources to the best of my ability- that is my story and I am sticking to it! 

And here is another card- just because! I love MFT a la Mode gals- and this one is so sweet! ( Are you humming the I Dream of Jeannie song?) I used vellum for her transparent pants- they are so cute in person! And the purple and the gold are DCVW glitzy papers-- shimmery without the dangers of glitter! LOL 

Have a wonderful week....Hi to Cori, Paige, Maggie and Tessa! Oh...and to Lola too! Here she is with her Christmas bow. Just to make my sister happy- please comment that she is regal, majestic, beautiful...lol- she is all of those things- but a big, slobbery darling too!

Have a wonderful week! And don't forget to post a comment on my post of January 1st....so you will be entered into my drawing! I will choose a winner next Sunday! 
Craft on, stay warm and Go Pats!
Diane

Plethora of Cards!

Welcome!
I have several cards to share with you today!(OK- 5- not a plethora...but it seemed like a lot! )

First up: January's Our Daily Bread Designs challenge is to use stripes on our cards. http://operationwritehome.org/odbd-january-challenge-2/  The oh so generous folks at ODBD not only will pay for shipping for 2 boxes of cards to be sent to our troops if 50 of us makes cards for the challenge; they also give prizes to 2 of the card makers...EVERY month! They are an awesome company!

Next up- we have this week's OWH sketch.  This is one of my favorites- love the layers and love the circles! Here is Cheryl's inspiration card:  

and you can visit Cheryl here:  http://scrappinforourtroops.blogspot.com/2013/10/owh-midweek-throwdown-color-challenge.html

My card is made from a digi stamp by Some Odd Girl, Authentique papers, copics, googly eyes, twine and spellbinders dies.

And here are a few more cards I made recently. I received my recent receipt from Sandy and I donated 533 cards in 2013! I was surprised by the number- yeah me- but realized that there are lots of cards that I do not post on my blog. So- I am going to try to post more of the cards I make- not just those for challenges. So here are a few cards- and you may notice a recent trend of mine- YELLOW!

 I needed more paper for card bases- I use Bazzill Card Shoppe Marshmallow- it is a nice, heavy weight..so I ordered more white but also got a pack of 25 sheets of Sour Lemon-- love it! Nice and sunny without being over the top bright yellow! 

And here is my tip for this week....did you know you can use your American Express points at Amazon? I got 3 packages of marshmallow and the 1 package of sour lemon-- for free! This is 200 card bases of very fine quality paper --just for using a card I use anyway! I like using my points on papercrafting items- I like this paper; it is more expensive but totally worth it- but when I do not have to pay- that is an extra perk!

And don't forget to comment on my Top 13 of 2013, 1/1/14 post to be entered into a drawing! 

http://dianecreateswithpaper.blogspot.com/2014/01/welcome-new-year-with-re-cap-of-2013.html

My niece Cori (Cori, Cori, Cori-in case you are counting!) came over this weekend and colored some cute images. We did not have time to make cards- she is headed back to school today- her last semester working on her Masters degree- gooooo Cori! (that is 5!) And Maggie - yes Maggie- is coming over today to interview me for a video. Yup- Maggie is visiting today! OK- so these 2 darlings COUNTED how many times they were mentioned in my blog in 2013 and razzed me that sisters Tessa and Paige made the news more often--so this year I will do my best to spread the love around! (I did tell Cori that she needed to do more exciting things to make the blog....LOL!) Oops-just got a text from Maggie! Maggie will be here in a while- so have to run!

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!

Diane 

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