Geranium Card with Button Stripes

A card for this week's Sketch Challenge #110 on Operation Write Home's Stars and Stamps blog.

Card details:

• The image is my geranium line drawing, computer-printed and then colored with Copic markers. It looks a bit blurry on my screen (not sure why), so you may want to click on it for a clearer view.
• The card stock is Papertrey Ink spring rain (light blue) and blueberry sky (medium blue), and Paper Source strawberry (pink) and leaf (light green).
• The buttons are cut with Papertrey Ink "buttoned up" die and tied with embroidery floss.

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." (135)

Green Large Dots Card with Purple - Before and After

A new Memory Box die, "tender leaves," inspired me to revisit a card (below) from 18 months ago. One of my earliest designs, it had some nice ideas, but just didn't add up to much. The new card (above), I like!

Scroll down for card details.


Card details (top card):

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink spring moss (light green), simply chartreuse (medium green), ripe avocado (dark green), and plum pudding (purple).
• Corners are rounded with 1/2" Corner Chomper.
  
• Leaf die is Memory Box tender leaves.
  
• Sentiment is computer-printed in black ink using Papyrus font.
• Flowers are Hero Arts, colored with Copic markers. The flower center is a dot of heavy water-color paper, colored with Copic marker.
  

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." (5d)

Felt Flower with Tiny Tag

Playing with some new felt. Though I love to use bright colors, the bottom card seemed a little too bright. I'm happier with the top card, where I replaced the red with an orangey-brown color.


Card details:

• Card stock and felt by Papertrey Ink (PTI): blueberry sky (blue card base and felt flower center), canyon clay (orangey-brown flower (felt), eyelet lace strip, and tiny heart on bottom card), pure poppy (red flower (felt), eyelet lace strip, and tiny heart on bottom card), harvest gold (yellow), simply chartreuse (deep yellow-green), and spring moss (light yellow-green tag).
• Dies are PTI eyelet lace border and tiny tags. Embossing folder is Lifestyle Crafts diamonds and dots.
  
• The tag is tied on with bright yellow embroidery floss and adhered with foam tape. It's a 2-layer tag using the solid (no heart) tag as a base. I put Scor Tape all across the base tag layer, then pressed down the heart tag on top. That left an opening with Scor Tape inside, and a solid base to adhere my tiny contrasting heart.
• Sentiment "love" is computer-printed with green ink in "Stencil Std" font (bold).
• Flower is punched with 1-1/4" EK Success scalloped circle. Flower center is hand cut. I will buy some dies for the future. Although I was able to punch the PTI felt, it wasn't easy. I had to punch it part way, then turn the felt a bit inside the punch, then finish punching. More force than I like to use, and probably not so good for my punch. And would only work with a symmetrical shape.
  
• I sewed french knots with bright yellow embroidery floss, then pulled my thread tails to the front (4 threads at a time) and separated the threads.
  

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." (133)

Ten Green Bows

My card today is completely CASEd from Kristina Werner's card posted here.

Except I made mine with greens instead of reds and pinks; I used punched bows instead of stamped hearts; I changed the sentiment and moved it up above the first row of bows; and I placed my white panel on a colored card base.

Yes, I pretty much changed everything! But it's really still the same card as Kristina's. Nine elements in a grid with a horizontal sentiment and a vertical baker's twine bow along the side. I would not have thought of this card on my own. Thank you, Kristina, for the inspiration!

Card details:

• Bow punch is by Martha Stewart.
• Baker's twine is peapod and honeydew from The Twinery.
• Sentiment is computer-printed in green ink using "Hobo Std" font.
• Card stock is Papertrey Ink new leaf (deep green bows) and simply chartreuse (yellow-green bows), Paper Source jadeite (lighter green bows) and spruce (dark green card base), and Neenah solar white (white panel).

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." (132)

Blue and Green Pattern with Linen

A strip of patterned paper. A scalloped border. A diagonal bow of striped ribbon. Created for the February ribbon challenge sponsored by Our Daily Bread Designs (thank you, ODBD!) to benefit Operation Write Home.

Card details:

• Patterned paper is computer-printed using a PowerPoint design, blue and green ink on Papertrey Ink (PTI) fine linen card stock. The other card stock is PTI simply chartreuse (green) and enchanted evening (blue).
• The ribbon is 5/8" satin, colored with Copic markers YG23 and YG91, and striped with Copic cobalt multiliner. In real life, the colors look nice with the card stock.
  
• The scalloped border is cut with PTI's small scalloped border die.
  

Like most of my cards, I made this one 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." (131)

Plaid on Canyon Clay with Blue and Cream

Last week's card with different colors. I like this one, too.

This time the plaid is printed on a Papertrey Ink (PTI) fine linen background. The other card stock is enchanted evening (dark blue), canyon clay (orange-brown card base, and vintage cream (sentiment.) The twine is PTI rustic jute button twine. See last week for more 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." (130)

Blue Plaid with Cream

My last few cards have been very BRIGHT colored. They were fun to do, but today I wanted a calmer and quieter color scheme. Soft blues with cream and a touch of brown and gray. Ahhh.

Card details:

• Patterned paper is a PowerPoint plaid (text lines at 90 and 45-degree angles) printed on Papertrey Ink spring rain card stock.
  
• The other card stock is Papertrey Ink vintage cream, enchanted evening (dark blue), and blueberry sky (medium blue card base).
  
• The "thinking of you" sentiment and the dotted-line circle are computer-printed with blue ink in Papyrus font.
• The twine is DMC perle cotton, #3, ecru color.
• Circle punches are EK Success, 1-1/2" and 1-3/4".
  

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." (130)

Yellow Card with Red and Blue - Heart U

Just a few textures, shapes and colors. It makes me smile. Not much else to be said!

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) lemon tart (yellow), blueberry sky (blue), and pure poppy (red).
  
• Embossing folder is Lifestyle Crafts diamonds and dots.
• Oval dies are Spellbinders Nestabilities classic ovals large (blue), and PTI 2-1/4" limitless layers ovals (red and yellow).
  
• The sentiment "heart U" is die cut into the yellow oval, allowing the red beneath it to show through. Heart is from Spellbinders Nestabilities classic hearts (smallest size). U is from PTI block alphabet dies, upper case.
  

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." (129)

Kraft Thanks with Red, Orange, and Yellow Stripes

A "Thanks!" sentiment die cut into kraft, with stripes of colored card stock showing through. Three colors of embroidery floss knotted together. Simple but interesting, I think.

Posted for the "die cuts and punches" midweek challenge on Operation Write Home's Stars and Stamps blog. Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink kraft, pure poppy (red), orange zest, and summer sunrise (yellow).
  
• Dies are Papertrey Ink block alphabet, upper and lower case.

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." (127)