OWH MWT - Seeing Stars

Since much of my current box for Operation Write Home is Valentines and Love cards, I decided it's time to make some Any Hero cards.  Coincidentally, this weeks Midweek Throwdown on the Stars & Stamps blog is Seeing Stars.

Front of card

Inside card

The red stars were stamped with a Stampabilities stamp called Star Bright Background.  The Hero sentiment inside the card is by Paper Inspirations.  The circles are all cut with Spellbinders dies.  The sentiment on the front is 2 separate stamps that are unlabeled.  I will write a personal note on the rest of the inside of card.  I plan to make several more of these cards since OWH is always in need of hero messages for our deployed troops.

More pink & green cards

I got started making pink & green cards and can't stop.  I didn't really choose that, but the paper dictated the colors.

OWH MWT - Color Challenge

Today, I've combined my Partial Die Cutting with the OWH Midweek Throwdown on the Stars & Stamps blog.  This is a color challenge to make a card using pink & green.

I tried taking photos of my process for cutting the 'love' part of this card.  The tutorial I used can be seen here.  Since I don't own the individual letter dies, I tries a word die from Memory Box.

Cutting with partial die

Cutting with craft knife

Trimming tools used


These photos are just the process of cutting the lower part of the cardstock from the top portion. I didn't attempt to show the rest of the cards. I embossed the pink dotted paper with hearts with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Partial die cuts

Yesterday I tried making this type of card with punches instead of the Partial Die Cuts that is shown in this tutorial.  Today, I tried the technique with a word die, made by Memory Box.

I kept the design very simple, but gave it some texture with Cuttlebug embossing folders.  The biggest problem I was was cutting the line that goes between the letters.  I have always been craft knife challenged, but my first attempt today was a total failure.

 

That jagged cut is from having a dull blade in my craft knife.  I dug through my supplies and located a new knife blade.  This never made it into a card, but I hope I can help someone else learn from my mistakes.

Punched words

When I saw this tutorial on Partial Die Cuts on the Stars & Stamps blog, I tried to figure out how I could do this.  I don't have the dies that were used in the tutorial, but I do have some old Martha Stewart edger punches with words on them.  I don't think they make them any more, but I still have mine.  Here's how I used them.

When I see ideas that can't be made with supplies on hand, I tend to improvise.  I haven't used these punches in several years.  The first 2 cards are very flat, but I used the Snoopy diamond in a different way.  It is popped on some dimensional foam tape.  I hope those raised words don't get damaged in the mail.

Trying a sketch

I have always been sketch challenged, but a lot of people use them for designing their cards.  I decided to give it a try once again.  I used sketch #33 from Operation Write Home.

 

I think I'll try a different sketch the next time I give it a try.  I like the sentiments, but I'm not pleased with the finished cards.

Working on a few cards

I had a rough week last week.  I got a flu shot on Tuesday and had a bad reaction.  All energy & mojo disappeared.  I ached all over, but the headache was really debilitating.  I'm gradually returning to normal, whatever normal is for me.

Here's the cards I made in the last few days.

This card really didn't satisfy me, so I turned the rest of that paper over to use the back of it.  I haven't decided yet what to do with this card, so I moved on.

That pink heart on the 3rd card is the back of that butterfly paper from the 1st card.  The elements added to the hearts on both cards are stickers.

 

This is my old standby card design, but I did add a butterfly made from 2 hearts and a piece of twine to this last card.  Now, I need to try to get more creative in my cardmaking, since I'm beginning to feel better.

Butterfly cards

I used another sheet of busy paper to make 3 more cards.  I decided to add some punched butterflies to these flowers.

 

Balloon cards

This paper had a row of ballons across the top, with plain paper on the lower part.  I used my same cutting pattern to create 2 cards.  The third piece is just plain and will find a use later.

I added the Celebrate stamp so that the card can be more versatile.  It can be used for any occasion that calls for a celebration.  I just added some layering and glued on some strings for the balloons.

More busy paper

Many of us love those 6X6 paper pads.  However, some of them contain some very busy patterns.  I don't like to waste the paper, but sometimes have difficulty using all the papers.  This is how I used one sheet of paper from the Berry Blast pad from Ki Creations.

6"X 6" paper, cutting guide

 Sentiment stamp and hearts are by Stamper's Best.  Sentiment is stamped with Colorbox Chestnut Roan Chalk ink and Iris Purple Marvy marker.

I used the entire sheet of paper, except for that small 1/2" X 1 3/4" piece on these 3 cards.  I just added some dark cardstock for the layering and the card bases.

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.