Red, White, and Blue Pinwheel Card

A pinwheel in red, white, and blue. ... Edited April 6, 2011: I'm linking my card to the April 5 Pinwheel II tutorial on Operation Write Home's Stars and Stamps blog. Two things I'd like to point out for visitors from the OWH post: I added a square red layer behind the pinwheel to set it off, and I used 3 circle punches to make my center element. Now back to my original post...

It's the same pinwheel design that I've posted previously, but it looks a bit different because I added a red layer behind the pinwheel. Click here for all my pinwheel cards, including a link (on the first card) to an easy-to-use tutorial on Sheryl's Crafting Corner blog.

I made my blue card stock from white Neenah, colored with B24 Copic marker. Technique: Coloring with Copics is very smooth, so it's a great way to make a small piece of card stock when I don't have the color I want. On the squares behind the pinwheel, I colored just the edges that are visible. Be sure to color first and let it dry, before attaching the layers!

The red card stock is Hero Arts punch, and the white card base is from Papertrey Ink - a very sturdy card base that I use on almost all of my cards. The sentiment "Celebrate!" is computer-printed in red and blue ink using Lucida Calligraphy font (bold). For the center of my pinwheel, I punched circles in 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4" sizes. I don't know the names of the patterned papers.

Created for Operation Write Home, "supporting our nation's armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them." (046c)

Yellow and Orange Note Cards

Simple note cards, made with scraps of patterned paper. See end of post for card details. Created for Operation Write Home, "supporting our nation's armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them." (063, 064, 065) 

 

Card details:

• Sentiment "hi" is computer-printed with orange ink using Prestige Elite Standard Bold font. The dotted lines that border the sentiments are also computer-printed.
• Solid color card stock is Hero Arts daffodil (yellow card bases), Hero Arts mandarin (orange card base), Hero Arts cerulean (turquoise rectangle), Papertrey Ink orange zest (dark orange circle), Paper Source curry (gold strip and circle), Neenah classic cream (strip and circle sentiment), and Neenah baronial ivory (square sentiment). I don't know the names of the patterned papers.
• Punches are 1-1/4" scalloped circle (sentiment), 1" square (sentiment), and 1-3/4" and 1-1/2" (plain circle layers).

Nine Square Card - Turquoise, Wine, Green, and Cream

My card is based on this week's nine-square sketch challenge #60 on Operation Write Home's Stars and Stamps blog. I had been thinking of a quilt pattern card, so this sketch was perfect for me to try.

It was a very nice use for another piece of the patterned paper packet from Operation Write Home, as explained in an earlier post. The paper had vertical stripes of the green fan (or leaf) shapes, but when I started to punch them out, I thought the diagonal looked more interesting.

The patterned squares are 1" on a 3-3/4" base. The card stock layers are Hero Arts eggshell (cream), grenadine (wine), and cerulean (turquoise). The ribbon is 3/8" sheer-and-satin, colored with a YG95 Copic marker. I don't know the name of the patterned paper.

Created for Operation Write Home, "supporting our nation's armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them." (062)

Flowers in Blue Vase - OWH Blog Hop

My first-ever blog hop - Operation Write Home's spring "Bunny Hop" featuring springy, cheery cards. I started with some cheerful colors of card stock, imagining a spring bouquet. Then a vase and a doily came to mind. A happy collage. I had a lot of fun making it.

It may still be cold and wintry outside, but spring is here for Operation Write Home card makers! Deadlines coming up are March 18 for Easter cards and March 31 for Mother's Day cards.

For the blog hop, we were all asked to include a link to something interesting or helpful on the Operation Write Home website or blogs. Well, for me, it's everything! But to pick one thing - I really appreciate the easy, clear Card Guidelines, including the reasons why. Why A2 card size? Why no glitter? The answers are all there.

My card details are at the bottom of the post. I would love for you to leave me a question or a comment - and thanks for stopping here along the Bunny Hop Trail! For your next stop and more springtime inspiration, click here to visit Veronica's blog, Circle B Enterprises.

Created for Operation Write Home, "supporting our nation's armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them." (061)

Card details:

• Paper punch for flowers - 1-1/4" scalloped circle (EK Success) and 1/4" circle for centers (very old punch from my office supplies).
• Paper punch for leaves - 1" heart (EK Success). Each leaf is half of a heart. Then I used my scissors to slightly round the "square" corner of the leaf (hard to explain, but if you cut a heart in half, you'll see it.)
• Vase - a rectangle, about 2-1/2" wide and 2-1/4" high, bottom corners rounded with corner-rounder punch. The shallow curve at the top was made with a 2-1/4" circle punch.
• Card stock - Papertrey Ink spring rain (light blue background), enchanted evening (dark blue vase), new leaf (green for leaves), plum pudding (purple), and blueberry sky (medium blue); Hero Arts mocha (brown table top); Paper Source poppy (orange), plum (lavender), and strawberry (pink).
• Doily - a bit less than half of a 4" paper doily from Ellen Hutson.  (Discontinued)
• Ribbon - 1/8" silk ribbon, colored with G24 Copic marker.
• Sentiment - no sentiment. Blank inside.