Busy printed paper

When I have busy printed paper, I've always had difficulty using it on my cards.  It doesn't make good backgrounds, unless you cover it completely, so I have learned to make it the focal point of my card.

 I cut this sheet of 6X6 paper first by removing 1 3/4" from the bottom.  Next, I cut the larger piece in half
(3"X4 1/4"). 

I turned the 2 larger pieces on their side and stamped a sentiment directly on the unprinted area.  After layering, I placed a mini brad in each corner, then mounted it to center of folded base card.

I used the narrow strip that I cut from the bottom of 6X6 paper
(1 3/4" X 5 1/2") as a layered focal point on my 3rd card.  This sentiment from Stamper's Best was stamped directly on the base card.

Springtime cards

I've been making springtime cards for Operation Write Home.  We have to make them far ahead of the time they will be used because of all the mailing involved.

Theses were colored with Prismacolor pencils.  My hands are having trouble holding pencils, so I'm going to move on to something else.  The cooler weather of fall tends to make the arthritis is my fingers make coloring difficult.

OWH Sketch #193

It's rather ironic that I have never learned to use sketches, but they used one of my cards for the sample for a sketch on the Stars & Stamps blog.  I developed this card design to use when I have patterned paper with a very busy design, but it also works when I have a large image that leaves little room for other elements on the card.

These bird stamps and the sentiment stamp are from Stamper's Best.  I colored them with Prismacolor pencils.  The images are so large that I decided to use this sketch today.

World Cardmaking Day

There's lots of folks making cards on World Cardmaking Day.  There's lots of bloghops going on today, but I'm just doing my own thing.

The cardinal stamp on left is by Our Daily Bread Designs.  The stamp on the right is by Heartfelt designs.   I colored them with Prismacolor pencils.

Lighthouse cards

I've been working on making masculine cards for our heroes to send home to loved ones.   I've collected a few lighthouse stamps from the west coast, so I made a few cards with them.

More masculine love cards

I'm making more love cards for female heroes to send to their men.

OWH Boot Camp - Drawing a Blank

After cutting the patterned paper for the previous post, I had a strip of the blue paper left over.  I decided it looked like water, so I used a lighthouse stamp on the card.  I still wanted this to be a masculine love card, so I added this sentiment.

I was tempted to fill the white space at the top of card with clouds or birds, but decided to use this card for the September Boot Camp on the Stars & Stamps blog.  The challenge is to use the White Space as a Design Element.

Masculine love cards

I've been making a lot of love cards in pinks.  We have heard from our heroes that many of them are women and wish to send love cards to men.  My challenge is to make masculine love cards.

I'm going to keep working on this idea.  My challenge is to use patterned papers that are more masculine and sentiments that aren't too flourishy.  Is that a word?  Try your luck and see what you can do for our heroes.

More love cards

I'm still making cards aimed at Valentine Day for OWH.  The love cards can be used for valentines or any time cards.  I'm working with using the scraps I've created with this pretty paper, then I need to move on to other colors.  The background paper on these cards is rice paper.  I found a folder of it that has been in my stash for years.

The strip of chevron under the pink ribbon is washi tape.  I like to adhere it to a strip of cardstock for stability.

Continuing with scraps

I've been trying to use the scraps I created while making valentines.  Here's a few more love cards.