Birthday Birds

The birds are singing in my yard, so I made them singing on the card.  The birds are a solid stamp from Rubber Stampede and colored with the watercolor technique.  I colored the rubber with Marvy markers and spritzed with water before stamping.

The embossing folder is a new one I just got: Musical Notes by the Paper Studio.  I cut everything out with Spellbinder dies.

Mojo revived

It worked.   My mojo was stimulated after spending a day enjoying nature.  My dog thinks it's such a good idea that he's been lying on the patio enjoying the yard while I was making a card.  Of course, his toys had to be out there with him

A dog's life

Background is made with a Sizzix embossing folder.  I applied Memento Bamboo Leaves ink to the raised portion of embossing folder before adding cardstock to inside.  This creates a debossed surface, with ink in the debossed sections.  Since the folder is larger than I wanted, I had to trim it down a bit to make room for the the layers. 

I applied Memento Ink (Ladybug & Bamboo Leaves) to the Rubber Stampede stamp and stamped on white cardstock.  I cut out 2 pieces of cardstock with the Spellbinders Labels 18 die, then trimmed the embossed edge off the top piece allowing the frame to show.  Butterflies were made with Martha Stewart punches.  Sentiment is a clear stamp by Stampendous and hand trimmed.

Enjoying nature

When I lose my mojo and need to get my creative juices flowing, I stop trying so hard and enjoy life.  This is what I think about when I hear the saying "Live, Laugh, Love".

Yesterday, I enjoyed the sights and sounds surrounding me.  It was a hot, dry, windy day in the desert.  The birds were enjoying life.  I wish you could hear the sounds made by the birds singing and flitting about my yard.  I snapped a few photo through my window.  Hope you enjoy this little part of my life.

Hunting bugs

Singing in the grass

Enjoying a snack

Eyeing me through window

Resting in the shade

Time, humidity & temperature

The real temperature!

Back yard in the evening

Flowers I planted in Spring

ODBD Challenge

I made this hexagon any hero card for the Our Daily Bread Designs challenge on the Operation Write Home site.  This month's card needs to be made in a shape other than rectangle.  Since hexagons seem to be fashionable this year, I decided to use my Spellbinders Nestibility dies to create this card.  The image is a digi from Stamper's Best.

I placed the large scalloped hexagon die on a folded cardbase, with the fold sticking out slightly.  This creates matching front on back to the card, with writing space in the inside of card.

OWH Challenges

I'm trying to make enough cards to enter the challenges at Operation Write Home.  You can learn about these challenges HERE.  I'm hoping by challenging myself to make enough cards in time to meet the deadlines, I can motivate myself to create more cards..  The Duty.Honor.Cards card drive is due to the shippers by July 4.  If you feel up to making some cards for this challenge, please read and follow all the guidelines.

I made these two cards this morning.  I inked the Penny Black stamp with Marvy Brush Art markers, then spritzed the stamp with water before stamping on absorbent cardstock.  The card on the right, I added more water, making image darker.  The die is a Spellbinder Nestibility and the background is embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  Ribbon is by Offray and threaded through 2 holes punched in base of image. 

Tip:  Use a dental floss threader to guide ribbon through holes.

Still testing the mojo

This is another card I made with the Penny Black Fuchsia stamp.  I changed the background paper, used a different die from Spellbinders and added some ribbon.

This is made with the Inkadinkadoo birds stamp.  I colored the stamp with Marvy markers, then spritzed it with water before stamping.  I used more absorbant paper this time and cut it out with a Spellbinders Nestibility.  The background is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.  Sentiment is by Hero Arts, with Spellbinders Ribbon Banner.

OWH Midweek Throwdown Challenge

This week's Midweek Throwdown on the OWH Stars & Stamps blog is to make a card with Things with Wings.  I chose bluebirds.  This is an old Inkadinkadoo stamp.  I colored the stamp with Marvy Brush Art markers and stamped it on cloud paper.  The die is from Spellbinders (Labels 18) and the banner is a die from Spellbinders (Ribbon Banners).  Sentiment is from Hero Arts and background paper by My Minds Eye.

Fuchsia Hello

This a Penny Black stamp, inked with Memento Ink.  Sentiment is by Hero Arts.  The die is from Spellbinders.  Background paper from DCWV Mat Stack.

Thinking of you

I finally made a breakthrough and made 4 of these cards today.  This is more my style.  This is an old Penny Black stamp.  I love the simplicity of it.  I used Memento dew drop ink pads to apply ink to stamp.  Sentiment is a clear stamp by Stampendous, making placement easier than rubber stamps.

I appreciate you

I have really been out of the loop in card making.  I'm trying to rediscover my cardmaking skills.  How quickly we get out of practice.

I recently purchased this camo background stamp from Stamper's Best.  I stamped it with Memento Rich Cocoa ink on tan cardstock.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts and the banner is cut from a die by Spellbinders - Ribbon Banners.  The dogtags were cut with an old Sizzix die - Dog Tags.

I will use this to write a message to our heroes through Operation Write Home.  We really need to let them know that we are on their side and appreciate their efforts.