Christmas cards

Here's my latest!  I used papers from DCWV Christmas stack.  Punches are from Stampin' Up!  The ribbon was just too plain so I added some gold stickles to the edges.

my favorite autumn cards yet

I was so excited to use these pumpkin images.  I simply stamped them in brown chalk ink (Dark Brown Fluid Chalk Ink), then painted them with orange paint mixed with glaze.

 On this one, I heat-embossed the whole panel of paper after stamping and coloring it.  I colored the pumpkins using 2 colors of regular (Stampin Up dye-based) markers.  I did 2 coats of embossing, then crackled the paper, then rubbed brown ink to get it into the creases.

Hmm, I just have to keep this one for myself :)

Autumn is so fun

Here are a few more fun autumn cards.  This scarecrow image was just an image cut from scrapbooking paper.

This was made using the same acrylic paint technique described in my previous post.

Beautiful papers from the Recollections line bought at Michael's last year...

 Heat-embossed leaf using "pirate's gold" embossing powder.

This stamp was only $1 at JoAnn. :)  I made lots of all of these cards to send to OWH (Operation Write Home) which then sends the cards to active US military all over the world.

Autumn please come!

So, it is so frickin' hot in Texas (like, 108 degrees F on any given day) that I was dying to make some autumn cards, hoping that it would usher in the cooler weather.  I was really happy with how this card turned out!  AND it was rather inexpensive to make.  First I stamped the leaf image using light grey ink on a white panel.  Then I used cheap, diluted paint to paint the green and red/orange colors onto the leaf.  I actually used some leftover paints (acrylic) from my son's paint-by-number kit that I got for 40 cents at JoAnn's!  After it dried I stamped over the image again with dark brown chalk ink.  Then I masked it and sprayed blue ink on the background and stamped some autumn words as well.  The beautiful leaf images are from an Inkadinkado set that I bought at JoAnn's for $6 on sale!  You can't beat that.  Background paper is from K&Co. Twine from Hobby Lobby.

Here are some other variations of the same card.  It was really fun getting out the paintbrushes and creating any type of leaf variations I wanted.

On some of the cards I painted over the leaf with a gloss varnish (like Glossy Accents or Diamond Glaze, but I used another brand).

Operation Write Home Cardmaking Party!

Cardmaking Party!

Please join us as we make handmade greeting cards for Operation Write Home, an organization which sends cards to U.S. military all over the world!

Who:  Anyone interested in crafting and helping make this world a better place

Where:  3853  S. 98^th E. Ave, Tulsa OK  74146

When:   Saturday, July 23 from 11 am to 6 pm

What to bring:  white cardstock for card bases; cardstock or patterned papers including scraps; stamps, ink pads, ribbon, buttons, etc.

I will have several card samples here for you to copy, if you need inspiration. OR, you can make whatever suits your own fancy!  Requested cards include: Miss You, Thinking of You, Love You, Thank You, Happy Birthday, and general. You can even make Christmas cards if you’d like.

PLEASE RSVP to Allyson by calling 817-966-1508 or emailing at ally.minimonkey@gmail.com 

For more info on OWH, please go to www.operationwritehome.org .

YAY! I'm published again!

My page entitled "Mama's Angel" (from a previous post) was accepted in the latest issue of Somerset Memories! :O)  So exciting!   Reece and I are on page 37.

Operation Write Home Mother's Day cards

I just made 100 cards for Operation Write Home and sent them off in the mail this week! They were asking for Mother's Day cards so I chose this pretty lavendar paper.  I was really happy with the way they turned out.  The paper pack (from K & Co, at Michael's) was just beautiful, but all of the papers had relatively the same "value" (not enough contrast between each other) so I used some old book pages as patterned paper and I think it helped. Go check out this worthy cause at: www.operationwritehome.org.

 You know I love my stickles!!! Everything looks better with a little glitter!

 Turn your head sideways to see this one..

Here's what my little craft room looks like... I display my favorites on the sewing machine and tool table until I send the cards off to OWH.

Again, turn your head to the left.  Blogger will not allow me to turn the photos...

These were fun little "pennants" I made using doilies, lavendar mulberry paper, miniature muffin cups (made of white paper), scallop circle punch, stickles, and my good old book (Madame Bovary).

OWH blog hop!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog!  I have been making cards for Operation Write Home for a few months now, and I find it very rewarding to use my talents and supplies to give back to others. Check out their website here: OWH. I love the main video they are currently showing, full of quotes from servicepeople who are incredibly grateful for our donations to them!

So here's my little springy card.  Apparently making your own flowers and embellies are all the rage these days, so I had to try it for myself.  I was inspired by a project in the Stampin Success magazine (sent to SU! Demonstrators).

Materials: papers by K & Co, butterfly punches by EK Success and Creative Memories, glitter glue by Stickles, flourish stamp by Inque Boutique, ink by Clearsnap.

Here's a little tidbit I think you'll like... I am sort of obsessed with Stickles.  I mean, their glitter glue is by far superior to any other kind I've tried.. but they just don't have enough colors to satisfy me! So I took a risk and added a few drops of Orchid Opulence dye reinker (Stampin Up!) to a bottle of crystal (white/clear) stickles, and voila, I created Orchid Opulence Stickles!  I was so excited at the whole realm of new possibilities this opened.  And now my cards can perfectly match (another obsession).

I'm not sure what to call that little accordion-folded circle thingy that's behind my butterfly.  But you make it by taking two strips of cardstock (12" x 1.5") and gluing them together to make a 24" x 1.5" strip. I also used my Creative Memories wavy trimmer to cut one edge decoratively.  You take this strip of paper and fold it over and over again, at about 1/3" increments, back and forth, down the 24" length of the paper.  Then glue the two short ends together, creating a circular piece of accordion paper. Then use one large pop dot, and adhere the center of the accordion circle.  (This is harder to explain than I thought!)  The only drawback is, you would definitely have to mail this one in a padded envelope.  And then, of course, I used my stickles to decorate the wavy edge of the circle.

Remember, if you would like to create cards to donate to Operation Write Home, they  have the following due dates for special occasion cards: The Easter deadline is March 18th and Mother's Day deadline is March 31st.  Check out the website to find out the address of your nearest OWH shipper.

And now for the next blog to hop to!!!  Visit Valerie at http://ediehardy.wordpress.com 

birthday candle

I stretched my creative muscles and ventured beyond cards and scrapbook pages, and created this candle for my dear friend's birthday!  I used all Stampin Up! papers and punches, added some jeweled brads.  I was a little disappointed because I bought the candle separately (without the papers in hand) and when I got home they didn't match. Ugh.

Little Doll Dresses

On my 7th birthday, I was delighted to receive some enchanting "little dolls", which were sort of like Barbies, only about half the size.  I even got several outfits and accessories for them to wear... I was in heaven.  So when I saw this stamp of a dress form, I was inspired to create "Little Doll Dresses" for them.  As I kept creating, I was taken back to the innocence and thrill of childhood imagination.  How fun to just cut loose and design dream dresses?

this n that

This one uses all Creative Memories Products from the Romance paper collection.

I made this layout of my adorable son Reece for the Creative Memories Design Team tryouts.

These are so much prettier in person!!!

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