Green Chevrons with Star Tag

Two greens with touches of tan and cream in the twine and the patterned paper.  Nice textures and detail.  I'm getting acquainted with my new Silhouette Cameo.  It was very simple to create and cut my sentiment, using a script font that I already had on my computer.  I'll get a lot of mileage from this feature! 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pinefeather (dark green), simply chartreuse (yellow-green),  and a chevron print from the Authentique Free Bird 6x6" collection.  
• Dies are PTI tiny tags (star tag), super star border (to cut the smaller star), and pinking shears border.
• The sentiment "thanks" is cut with Silhouette Cameo using Brush Script Std font, welded. 
• Twine is PTI rustic jute and rustic cream button twine - two strands of each color.  The tag is threaded with the bottom strand.  
• Embossing folder is Sizzix Tim Holtz stripes.

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." (338)

Penguin with Orange and Aqua

A deployed unit requested some cards with penguins.  Hence, my penguin card.  Fun colors and a simple design.  In real life, the orange colors work well together.

I'm just learning to use my new Cameo Silhouette.  I think I'll really enjoy using it, supplementing my Big Shot and low profile dies. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Neenah solar white,  Papertrey Ink (PTI) aqua mist, and the polka dot print from PTI orange zest pattern pack.
• The penguin's beak and feet are colored with Copic marker YR07, and the body with C7. 
• Die is Savvy Stamps hello.  
• The penguin design is from the Silhouette Online Store.
• Embossing folder is Cuttlebug candy cane stripes.

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." (337)

Christmas Card 2013

"Wishing you all the joy of Christmas" as it says on the inside of our 2013 Christmas card.  For the last few years, I've made our cards with one of my Nativity drawings, this time including the Three Kings.

The card has a wide white border and is computer-printed on Neenah card stock.  If you'd like to see my other Christmas card drawings, click here, then scroll down.   You'll also find links to my annual Advent calendar drawings from 2008-2012.  None for 2013 because I took a break this year. 

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Arches with Heart Circles

Overlapping arches and circles with hearts and a stripe of twine.  Red and blue with a little white.  I like the fresh, happy colors and the simple design.  No sentiment needed - the hearts say it all.   

Edited to add:  After posting this, I decided to round the top right and bottom right corners with 1/2" Corner Chomper.  It's a nice finishing touch with the rounded shapes on the card. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring rain (light blue), blueberry sky (medium blue), enchanted evening (dark blue), pure poppy (red) and the bitty dots print from PTI enchanted evening pattern pack.
• Red and white baker's twine is by We R Memory Keepers. 
• Dies are PTI sending you and trendy tree tops.

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." (336)

Miss You - Brown with Cream and Black

For Paula's current Operation Write Home design bootcamp lesson "how does it feel?" with a focus on texture.   I used dry embossing on the base layer, some visual texture in the dotted "ribbon" threaded through the label slots, and several interconnected layers.  The result has both visual and tactile interest.

It also fits the "all about him" masculine card theme for Our Daily Bread Designs (ODBD) December challenge for Operation Write Home.  Thanks, ODBD, for supporting our troops each month!

Double thanks to Paula - for her monthly bootcamp lessons, and also for her "Miss You" digi sentiment, which I used as my focal point!  I enjoyed working with it.  Click here for her original post. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) kraft, dark chocolate (dark brown), true black, vintage cream,  and the bitty dots print from PTI dark chocolate pattern pack.
• The heart in the sentiment is colored with Copic marker E43.
• Embossing folder is Darice dot point.
• Dies are from My Favorite Things layered label set.  
• The slot punch is by Cosmos.

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." (335)

Tiny Tags - Tree Decoration

Tiny Tags on a tiny tree.  My husband brought home this 12" plant, and I decorated it with some red and yellow die-cut ornaments.  

Details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red) and harvest gold (deep yellow).
• Dies are from PTI tiny tags.
• A 4" length of black sewing thread is knotted for the hanger loop. 

Teal Tree with Cream and Silver

My box for Operation Write Home is nearly full, and I'm adding a few more "missing you" cards.  This one is monochromatic with silvery touches - twine and a trio of small silver hearts. 

The tree and leaves are die cut into the top cream layer.  The tree trunk is also die cut and inlaid into the negative space.  The leaves are open to the patterned paper layer below. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) ocean tides (teal), rustic cream, and the damask print from PTI ocean tides pattern pack.
• Dies are PTI mighty oak and trendy tree tops (hearts). 
• Twine is platinum shimmer - cream with a silver thread - by The Twinery.   Love their mini twine bundles in a wide variety of colors.
• Silver foil is Ranger Inkssentials metal foil tape.  Before die cutting, I adhered it to Neenah solar white card stock to make it heavier.  The hearts look very shiny in real life.
• Sentiment "Missing you ..." is computer-printed in Monotype Corsiva font, expanded spacing, in teal ink.

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." (333)

Lattice on White with Red Stripes

Another lattice card today.  I like the stained-glass look with bright colors in some of the openings. Yellow in the sentiment echoes the yellow diamonds.  And the red striped card front adds a cheerful, playful element to offset the lattice panel's static (or, as my husband put it, "architectural") look. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Neenah solar white,  Papertrey Ink (PTI) enchanted evening (dark blue), harvest gold (yellow), pure poppy (red), and the stripes print from PTI pure poppy pattern pack.
• Dies are Poppystamps lattice edge (see yesterday's card for a note about the die) and PTI sketched shapes (narrow and medium banners).  The red and yellow diamonds are negative cuts from the lattice die, and the white diamonds are the background layer showing through the lattice. It's a nice texture effect but hard to see in the image. 
• The sentiment "Hello!" is computer printed in Hobo font, expanded spacing, using yellow ink with blue outline.  After printing, I added some Y15 Copic marker to deepen it more like the harvest gold card stock. 

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." (332)

Red Lattice with Blue and Tan

This card pairs a new-to-me lattice die with a leftover red "thank you" cut from last week's card.  I'll use this design to write "any hero" notes for my Operation Write Home box. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), enchanted evening (dark blue), and the stripes print from PTI fine linen (tan) pattern pack.
• Dies are PTI wonderful words: thank you and Poppystamps lattice edge.   I added some blue cutouts into the lattice openings. 
  Note: Many times, an "edge die" will leave the cutout attached on one side, but this lattice die cuts the full shape.  The full die cut is 5.2" long; I used part of it for this card. 
• The blue lines at top and bottom are 1/4" strips of card stock. 

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." (331)

Red and White Thank You on Blue Pattern

Last week's card was pretty complicated - this one is very simple.  A white die-cut thank you, inlaid into the red negative shape.  On a layer of blue patterned paper and a white card base.  Nice clean lines and bold color contrast.  I'm making multiples of it for my "any hero" cards to add to my almost-full box for Operation Write Home. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), stamper's select white, and the leaf print from PTI enchanted evening (dark blue) pattern pack.  Note: the gray is background, not part of the card.
• Die is PTI wonderful words: thank you.

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." (330)

Scene with Fence, Trees, and Cat

A sweet scene with wooden fence, trees, grass, and cat under a sunny sky.   I really enjoyed creating this card. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) rustic cream, pure poppy (red), aqua mist (light aqua), kraft, ripe avocado (dark green), simply chartreuse (medium green), summer sunrise (yellow-orange), lemon tart (light yellow), and dark chocolate (dark brown).
• Dies are PTI picket fence, PTI ad sense (sun), PTI polka dot parade #6, PTI trendy tree tops, Impression Obsession cat set, My Favorite Things fresh cut grass and STAX hearts, and WPlus9 pretty patches: tree. 
• Sentiment "Missing you..." is computer-printed with brown ink using Prestige Elite Std Bold font (character spacing adjusted).

I used quite a bit of Copic detail on the die cuts:

• Before die-cutting the fence, I airbrushed my kraft card stock lightly with Copic R29.  I also edged the fence rails with R29.
• The fence "nails" are dotted with Copic red multiliner.
• The grass, pine tree, and leaves are shaded with Copic YG91 and YG95.  The pine tree trunk is colored with E29 - barely visible behind the grass.
• The cat is patterned with Copic E25 and edged with E29 along its back. The cat's eyes are tiny dots of brown Micron pen, with larger areas of Copic sepia multiliner.
• The sun is edged with E21.  The heart is edged with E25.  The flower is edged with E25, with a dot of red multiliner and E25 in the center.
• For almost all the Copic marker that I added, I blurred it with colorless blender "0" to soften the edges.

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." (329)

Blue Stitched Heart with Doily - Before and After

After

Blue patterns with white texture from the die-cut doily and the hand-stitching.  I like this card a lot!  See end of post for my "before" version from last year.  

Card details:

• Card stock is Neenah solar white,  Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring rain (light blue), blueberry sky (medium blue), enchanted evening (dark blue), and the gingham and bitty dot prints from PTI blueberry sky and enchanted evening pattern packs.
• Dies are Elizabeth Craft love, PTI coffee cozy details (heart), PTI stitching lines, and PTI Parisian lace doily.
• Embroidery floss is 3 strands of white DMC. 

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." (328)

Last year I made a similar card (click here for details) shown below.  It was a very nice card, but I do like today's better.  It's fun for me to take an older card and see how I can adapt or even improve it.

Before

Hearts on Cream with Twist Background

A simple design with lots of texture.  Continuing with "love" cards for Operation Write Home.  We just reached another milestone!  Over 2,500,000 cards for our deployed troops.  "Blank handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them." 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) rustic white, sweet blush (light pink), autumn rose (medium pink), and scarlet jewel (burgundy).  Note: the gray is background, not part of the card.
• Dies are PTI twist cover plate (also used to emboss the white background),  Elizabeth Craft love, and My Favorite Things STAX hearts.  
• Embossing folder is Stampin' Up square lattice, placed diagonally on the heart.

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Red Birds and Heart with Gingham Ribbon

A pink and red love card for Paula's "balance" card design bootcamp lesson for Operation Write Home.  I used symmetry for balance with evenly spaced ribbons, a centered heart, and a pair of birds.

But my design also has asymmetry, with its vertical weight toward the bottom of the card and its angled sentiment. The birds' positions and the ribbon lengths are also different; to my eye, everything lined up and centered would look too static here  

Thanks again, Paula, for your lessons!  I can see them all in this card - white space, variation (not all hearts or all birds), repetition (ribbons and red shapes), odd numbers, rule of thirds, color harmony (monochromatic), relationship (birds and heart grouping), major-minor-accent colors, and focal point.  It's fun to learn the theory of what makes a design more eye-appealing.

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source blossom (pink),  Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), and stripes print from PTI sweet blush (pink) pattern pack.
• Pink-and-red 1/4" ribbon is from my local scrapbook store.  I don't know who made it.
• Dies are PTI heart-2-heart #9, the inner heart from PTI framed out #11, and Elizabeth Craft love.  
• I used a Copic cool gray multiliner to draw the birds' eyes.  Black seemed to be too strong a contrast.  

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." (326)

Purple and Lime Green Hello

Something different after making a lot of "love" type cards.  A bright and modern feeling with lime green (it looks less yellow in real life) and purples.  Plenty of texture in the shadow effect on the sentiment and the lime green showing through the dots layer, plus a touch of baker's twine and embossed dots.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) limeade ice (lime green), plum pudding (medium purple), and lavender moon (light purple.)
• Embossing folder is Cuttlebug swiss dots, only on the right-hand side of the card.
• Twine is The Twinery honeydew.
• Dies are My Favorite Things peek-a-boo dots and PTI wonderful words: hello.  
• Technique: I cut the word twice, one purple and one green.  The green word is placed a bit higher and to the left of the purple word.  I used Glossy Accents to adhere it, so the green is not sticky on the back where it slightly hangs off the edge of the purple.

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." (325)

Hearts on Banners with Tan Stripes

Just a few hearts, left over from other projects.  Love using my leftovers to make something nice!

I like the alternating pink and red colors, with a bit of embossed texture and two kinds of stripes (paper and twine).  Simple design, but interesting to look at.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), berry sorbet (pink), and stripes from PTI fine linen (tan) pattern pack.
• Die is the inner heart from PTI framed out #11 (pink hearts).  
• Punches are 1/4" hole punch (dots) and EK Success 1" heart punch (red heart).
• Banner notches are hand cut. 
• Embossing folder is Stampin' Up square lattice.  
• Red baker's twine is by We R Memory Keepers.  I pierced my banners right at the top of the hearts, and pulled the twine through to the back of the striped A2, so it wouldn't be bumpy under the hearts.  The striped A2 is adhered to a sturdy white card base, covering the twine.
• I popped up the outer part of the hearts with bits of Tombow power tab - not as thick as foam tape.  

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." (321)

Winter Snowflake in Blues

A large blue snowflake, inlaid in deeper blue. A wintry "subway art" panel, courtesy of Paula. 

Click here to see her beautiful card and the generous offer to use her graphic.  I printed it in a bit smaller size and trimmed it with a narrow white border, then matted it on dark blue.  Thank you, Paula! 

I'm always happy to use up my scraps, and this inlaid layout worked beautifully for me.  I cut the large snowflake from two pieces of A2 card stock - one light blue and one medium blue.  Then I turned them face-down and reassembled the puzzle pieces.  I adhered them in place with strips of 1" Scor Tape on the back.  Then I had two inlaid snowflakes - one light blue on medium blue (as shown) and one medium blue on light blue.   The card front is adhered to a white card base so all that Scor Tape is hidden. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Ellen Hutson white linen, Paper Source cobalt (discontinued color - dark blue),  Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring rain (light blue) and blueberry sky (medium blue.) 
• Dies are PTI fancy flakes.  In addition to the large snowflake die, I used the center cutout from the small snowflake die for my dark blue star shape.  
• The dark blue dots are from a 1/8" hole punch.

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." (322)

Love - Pink with Gray

A bit of drama with swirls and rectangles.  I like the strong colors and the contrast of curves with straight lines in the sentiment, the layers, and the patterned papers.  The pink and gray layers reinforce the line under "love."

As I designed the card, I first tried a gray bitty-dots pattern, instead of gingham.  But the gingham won out with a fresh and graphic effect. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) berry sorbet (pink), smokey shadow (dark gray), and prints from PTI pattern packs: smokey shadow gingham and berry sorbet leaf.
• Die is PTI one-liners "love."  Note: the line is cut as part of the word. 

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." (320)

Turquoise Arrows and Asterisk on Gray

Bold graphic shapes with subtle background colors.  This card is for the "white space" lesson in Paula's Design Boot Camp on the Operation Write Home blog.  I used white (empty) space to draw attention to my focal point with the sentiment circle and the plain gray above it.  At first, I was tempted to do more with the background, but once my circles and arrows were strong enough, the plain gray looked just right to me.  Thank you so much, Paula, for your monthly design lessons!

Edited Dec. 31, 2013 to add:  My card was chosen as the model for this week's Operation Write Home Sketch Challenge #205.  I'm enjoying all the variations as OWH card makers interpret my layout! 

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source peacock (turquoise), Papertrey Ink (PTI) stamper's select white, aqua mist (light aqua), soft stone (light gray), and bitty dots (aqua mist) and stripes (soft stone) prints from PTI pattern packs.
• Circle punches are EK Success 2-1/4", 2", and 3/16".
• Dies are PTI get to the point and Avery Elle icon fill-in-the-blank.  I used partial die-cutting to lengthen the shaft of the arrow on the left. 
• Sentiment "Love you miss you" is computer printed in turquoise ink with Footlight MT Light font. 

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." (319)

Pink Star with Stripes

Pink star, heart, and curving stripe shapes.  Monochromatic with energy in the bright pink colors, pattern, and texture.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) sweet blush (light pink), raspberry fizz (dark pink), and damask print from PTI hibiscus burst (medium pink) and raspberry fizz pattern packs.
• Embossing folder is Cuttlebug d'vine swirls.
• Dies are PTI rainbow stripes, seeing stars, and heart-2-heart #3.
• Sentiment "Love you" is computer-printed in pink ink with Apple Chancery font.

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." (318)

Wreath of Autumn Leaves with Aqua

An autumn wreath with a turquoise bow.  The patterned paper gives a veined effect to the leaves.

For Operation Write Home, I'm working on cards for Valentine's Day!  But for this family celebration, I'm in the current season of the year.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) aqua mist (light aqua), Hawaiian shores (medium turquoise), dark chocolate (brown),  and the in bloom 8x8" paper pad in dark chocolate, scarlet jewel, pure poppy (red), summer sunrise (yellow), and orange zest.
• Dies are Impression Obsession sm leaf set, My Favorite Things winter wreath (twigs and bow), Spellbinders big scalloped circles LG and standard circles SM for the wreath base and background circle, and PTI bountiful banners.  
• I wanted a larger-diameter wreath than the winter wreath die, so I cut a plain open circle with two circle dies, then attached some pieces of winter wreath for twigs.  
• The lighter aqua banner is the actual PTI die shape.  I cut a second banner in darker turquoise, cut it in half lengthwise, and spread it apart by about 1/8" to create the additional layer. 
• Sentiment "Celebrate!" is computer-printed with brown ink in Copperplate font.  To curve the word, I used the "text transforms - follow path arch down" effect in PowerPoint. 

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Thank You Banner - Red with Tan

A bright "thank you" banner on a starry textured background.  

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), fine linen (tan), and the stripes print from PTI fine linen pattern pack.
• Die is PTI wonderful words: thank you.  
• The banner notches are hand-cut. 
• Embossing folder is Darice stars asst.
• Baker's twine is by We R Memory Keepers.

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." (316)

Pink Hearts with Lace

Pink hearts with touches of red and white - another Valentine season card for my post-Thanksgiving OWH box.  The ornate sentiment works well with the patterned papers, crochet-style lace, and scalloped edge heart.  Note: the gray is background, not part of the card.

Card details:

• Card stock is Neenah solar white,  Papertrey Ink (PTI) berry sorbet (pink), a tiny print from PTI pink patterns 6x6" pad, and the leaf print from PTI pure poppy (red) pattern pack.
• Dies are PTI limitless layers: 2-1/4" hearts (scalloped and large print hearts) and framed out #11 (pink heart frame and white inner heart).
• Corners are rounded with 1/2" Corner Chomper. 
• Lace is Maya Road bone white crochet trim. 
• Sentiment "Sending all my Love to You" is computer-printed with red ink in Edwardian Script ITC font, bold, adjusted spacing.  The "S" is a larger font size.  The little ornament below the sentiment is the letter "h" in Wingdings 2 font.

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." (315)

Brown and Cream with Banners

Another monochromatic card today.  This one uses Sketch #189 from Operation Write Home.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) vintage cream, dark chocolate (brown), and the dark chocolate leaf print and fine linen (tan) bitty dots print from PTI pattern packs.
• Die is the vine from PTI my mother, my friend set. 
• Sentiment "Thank you for your kindness" is computer-printed in brown ink with Zapfino font, bold. 
• The decorative lines on the sentiment panel are dots (periods) in Courier font with the letters hg and df in Dingbats 2 Wingdings 2 font.  (Edited September 15, 2013 with correct font name.)

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." (314)

Burgundy Script with Rose and Cream

Monochromatic with burgundy, rose, and cream.  I just mailed a box of cards to Operation Write Home, and my next box won't be full until early December.  That's the season for Valentine's Day in the OWH mailroom calendar!  So I'll be making lots of "love" cards for the next few months. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) autumn rose, scarlet jewel (burgundy), vintage cream, and the leaf and bittty dots prints from PTI autumn rose and scarlet jewel pattern packs.
• Dies are Membory box love script, My Favorite Things STAX heart, and My Favorite Things stacking stars.
• Embossing folder is The Paper Studio script.
• The "love" die cut is inset into the cream and rose layers. 

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." (213)

Wintry Quilt Squares - Hello

A quilt effect with 1" gingham squares in rich jewel tones of purple, blue, and scarlet.  I couldn't decide on a color for my die-cut sentiment, so I used all three. 

This card is for Nancy's winter-themed sketch challenge in Operation Write Home's Labor Day weekend virtual card making party.  Thank you, Nancy, for hosting a fun challenge and sharing your sketch!  It's a versatile sketch that I'll be sure to use again. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) enchanted evening (blue), scarlet jewel, royal velvet (purple), bitty dots print in soft stone (pale gray), and gingham prints in enchanted evening, scarlet jewel, and royal velvet, all from PTI pattern packs.
• Die is PTI wonderful words: hello. 
• I used my paper trimmer to cut the 1" squares. 

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." (312)

Dark Gray with White Paint, Red, and Silver

Well, this is different!  Very "not me" in style, but it was fun to make, and I like the finished card.  It will be good for a teen or tween, I think.  In real life, the silver card stock (card base and die cuts) has a very nice metallic shimmer.

Created for Donna's masking tape technique challenge in the Operation Write Home Labor Day weekend virtual card making party.   I changed it up a bit using acrylic crafter's paint instead of ink.   Thank you, Donna!  I never would have tried this without your challenge. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) smokey shadow (dark gray), pure poppy (red), and silver shimmer.
• Embossing folder is Sizzix chevrons. 
• Dies are PTI wonderful words: hello and get to the point.
• Paint is a white crafter's acrylic.  I spread a light coating onto my masking tape surface with a Tsukineko multi-purpose squeegee, then misted with water so it wouldn't dry too fast. 
• Technique: I added some red to my die cuts.  I used Copic marker R29 to edge them, with some intentionally messy edges.  The shimmer card stock resists the Copic marker a bit, so when I pushed the excess color back with a colorless blender ("0"), it left a sort of patina effect. 

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." (311)

Kraft Love You with Red and White

A kid-friendly card with a punny sentiment (i heart u), alphabet embossing, and dies.   I like the bold colors and simple design. 

For Sybrina's tic-tac-toe challenge in Operation Write Home's Labor Day weekend virtual card making party.   Thank you Sybrina! 

Card details:

• Card stock is Neenah solar white, Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), kraft, and the bittty dots print from PTI kraft pattern pack.
• Twine is by We R Memory Keepers. 
• Embossing folder is The Paper Studio typewriter alphabet.  I bought it recently, but it's not shown on the Hobby Lobby web site, so it may be retired. 
• Dies are PTI block alphabet and heart-2-heart #11.
• I added a punched 3/16" dot of kraft to the heart. 

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." (309)

Navy Floral with Tan and Cream

I find it ... challenging ... to use multi-colored patterned paper, so for today's Operation Write Home sketch challenge #188, I went outside my comfort zone with a floral print.  The card wasn't easy for me to design, even with Seongsook's lovely example, but I'm happy with my end result.  Thank you, Seongsook, for your inspiration!

Card details:

• Card stock is Basic Grey PB&J 6x6" patterned paper, Paper Source night (dark navy),  Papertrey Ink (PTI) fine linen (tan), ocean tides (muted turquoise), vintage cream, and bitty dots print from PTI fine linen pattern pack.
• Embossing folder is Stampin' Up square lattice. 
• Dies are Elizabeth Craft thanks and PTI ad sense.  
• Circle punch is McGill 9/16".

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." (310)

Red and Blue Patterns with White

Just a happy card in red, white, and blue.  A simple layout with interesting shapes and patterns.

Note: the gray is background, not part of the card. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) stamper's select white, pure poppy (red), blueberry sky (medium blue),  and the damask print from PTI pure poppy and blueberry sky pattern packs.
• Embroidery floss is DMC blanc (white) and 799.
• Dies are Savvy Stamps hello, PTI mat stack 4, and PTI layerz mat stack 4.
• Corners are rounded with 1/2" Corner Chomper.

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." (196)

Grateful in Fall Colors

 

Two very similar cards with different color schemes.  In keeping with this month's "relationship" lesson (in the Operation Write Home design Bootcamp series),  I reconsidered my initial layout where the branch went straight across and "for you" was on one line below it.  

Instead, I angled the branch and nestled "for you" into the negative space on two lines.  It looks much better.  Thanks for the lesson, Paula!  I'm also linking these cards to the Operation Write Home midweek Thank You card challenge.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) orange zest (top card), royal velvet (purple- bottom card) and the prints from PTI pattern packs as follows: orange zest damask and dark chocolate (brown) bitty dot (top card), and royal velvet bitty dot and melon berry (light orange) stripe (bottom card.)
• Dies are Impression Obsession leafy branch and PTI counting my blessings, block alphabet (top card), modern alphabet and modern alphabet upper (bottom card)

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." (308)

Dark Blue Gingham with Brown

A simple note card with good contrast.  Interesting shapes and textures.

Card details:

• Card stock is Hero Arts latte (brown), Papertrey Ink (PTI) rustic white and enchanted evening (dark blue), and gingham print from PTI enchanted evening pattern pack.
• Dies are PTI my mother, my friend (labels) and Elizabeth Craft thanks.
• The narrow banner is notched with scissors.
• Embossing folder is The Paper Studio woodgrain. 

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." (307)

Orange Ribbon with Brown and Cream

Fall colors and a nice variety of texture. The May Arts chevron ribbon is lovely to work with. 

Technique:  The ribbon "bow" is a separate flat piece of ribbon.  I pinched it in the middle and sewed it diagonally onto the main piece with a few stitches of white thread.  Then I wrapped it a few times with embroidery floss to create the effect of a knot.  It flattens down for mailing, with less bulk than a real knot, and it was easy to do. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) rustic white, orange zest, terra cotta tile (rust), dark chocolate (brown), and kraft.
• The star is punched with a 1/4" Fiskars star punch.
• Dies are PTI tremendous tags and heart prints (medium and small hearts).  
• For stability and dimension, I backed the brown tag with a circle cut from PTI coaster material. 
• Embossing folder is Cuttlebug candy cane stripe.
• Chevron ribbon is by May Arts.
• Embroidery floss is DMC 721 and 920

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." (306)

Large Banners - Blue, Yellow, and White - Before and After

           After                                                                   Before

A card for the "major, minor, and accent" lesson in the Operation Write Home design bootcamp series.  My color choice was the second option: dark blue (major), bright yellow (minor), and white (accent). 

Edited August 10:  added notes in italics and posted "after" card:  I glued on a few small stars, and I like it better now, compared with the "before" version.  It's growing on me.  I'll make another one, substituting a textured white linen  cardstock for the plain Neenah white.  And maybe shorten the tail of the "o" a bit more, instead of placing it all the way to the edge of the card.  It's fun to see the impact of a few small changes.  

Before I thought of adding the stars, I didn't enjoy working on this one.  Maybe I was too focused on the 60-30-10% equation, which I didn't get right anyway.  But the card turned out okay.  Thanks, Paula, for a very educational series!  And I'm glad I persisted till I got to my "after" version. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Neenah solar white,  Papertrey Ink (PTI) enchanted evening (dark blue), and the leaf and polka dot prints from PTI enchanted evening and summer sunrise (yellow) pattern packs.
• The banner ends are notched with a square punch.
• Dies are Savvy Stamps hello and PTI star gazer. 

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." (305)

Trees with Copper Leaves on Aqua and Tan

Three trees, with shimmery copper leaves and a heart.  The leaf colors and the strip of tan grass give this an autumn look.  My second card for the current Operation Write Home midweek challenge to use punches and dies.

Note: In real life, the sentiment is darker (matches the tree trunks) and the copper looks less red.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) fine linen (tan), dark chocolate (brown), copper shimmer,  and the bitty dots print from PTI aqua mist pattern pack.
• Dies are Impression Obsession leaf cluster (cuts 8 leaf clusters at once), My Favorite Things fresh cut grass, PTI heart prints (small die), PTI trendy tree tops (center tree trunk), and PTI polka dot parade #6 (left and right tree trunks).  I shortened one branch (left tree) and trimmed off the outer leaves on one leaf cluster (top of right tree).  
• I added a brown line on the bottom of the grass with the fine tip of a Copic marker E29.   
• The sentiment "Love you, miss you" is computer printed with brown ink using Prestige Elite Std font, bold.  I reduced the font size for the spaces between the words.

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." (304)

Orange Flowers with Brown

One of my drawings in a simple setting.  The drawing is colored with colored pencils, and the background is colored with Copic markers.  In real life, the orange of the card base is not so pink - more like the orange of the drawing's background. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Neenah solar white, Papertrey Ink (PTI) melon berry (light orange), dark chocolate (brown) and the bitty dots print from PTI dark chocolate pattern pack.
• Embossing folder is Lifestyle Crafts diamonds and dots, a pattern which seems to be retired now. 
• Colored pencils are Venus Spectracolor - a very old brand - green bice, dark green, burnt ochre, dark brown, orange, canary yellow, and vermilion red.
• Copic markers are E43 (ground), E44 (edging and shadow), and R00.  

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." (296)

Navy with Yellow and Green - Rainbow Stripes

Strong color contrast and a bold design.  The sentiment's angled placement seems to flow with the curving stripes.  This card is for the Operation Write Home midweek challenge to use punches and dies.  Nice to have a challenge that's easy to accomplish sometimes! 

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source night (dark navy), Papertrey Ink (PTI) vintage cream, summer sunrise (yellow), and damask prints from PTI simply chartreuse (green) and summer sunrise pattern packs.
• Dies are PTI rainbow stripes and the pinked circle from PTI 2-1/2" limitless layers circles.
• Punches are 2" and 2-1/4" circles by EK Success. 
• Sentiment "You're always in my thoughts" is computer printed in green ink with blue text outline, using Brush Script Std font (with adjusted character and line spacing.)

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." (302)

Flower with Burgundy and Pink

Bright pinks with burgundy.  Dots, banners, and a layered flower.  I used Natasha's layout #251 from Clean and Simple Stamping.  I enjoy her blog's weekly sketches and inspiration.  Thank you, Natasha! 

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source blossom (light pink),  Papertrey Ink (PTI) scarlet jewel (burgundy), raspberry fizz (dark pink), hibiscus burst (medium pink), polka dot print from PTI scarlet jewel pattern pack, and bitty dot print from PTI sweet blush (light pink) pattern pack.
• Embroidery floss is DMC #806.
• Embossing folder is Sizzix Swiss dots.
• Dies are WPlus9 scalloped border, My Favorite Things layered rose (large and medium sizes), PTI polka dot parade #2 (medium size), and PTI sketched shapes (large wide banner.)
• I also used a 1/4" hole punch for the flower center.

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." (303)

Shimmer Heart on Gold and Cream

Simply elegant with gold, cream, and scarlet shimmer card stock.   Several embossing textures and metallic thread give visual interest to a very plain layout.  The soft shimmer is beautiful in real life. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) shimmer - gold, cream, and scarlet. 
• Die is from PTI limitless layers - hearts.
• Thread is DMC metallic "or" (gold).
• Embossing folders are The Paper Studio script, Stampin Up! square lattice, and Sizzix retro cirque.

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." (301)