Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Shimmery Scarlet and Cream with Gray

Simple layout, elegant colors.  Embossed texture, metallic ribbon, and shimmery card stock.  Too bad the shimmer and shine don't show in my picture.  But in real life, it's lovely. 

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

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." (405)

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Bird with Hearts - Teal and Purple

A bit of whimsy and a lot of color contrast in today's card.  I started with the teal and aqua, then tried many different colors and patterns for the card base.  The purple stripe was just what it needed.  

Card details:
I created this card for a family anniversary.  And I made a few more 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." (401)

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Christmas Card 2014

A scene of the Holy Family with many angels for our 2014 Christmas card.  Our fifth year of using one of my Nativity drawings to print our cards.

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.   And here on my Mostly Markers drawing blog, you'll find my 2014 Advent calendar drawing (work in progress through Christmas Day), some links to the other five years of calendars, and more of my Advent-Christmas drawings as well. 

(400)

Friday, December 19, 2014

Blue Polka Dot Thanks

Taking a short break from the "love" theme.  The gradations of blue on today's card make a bit of an ombre look.

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring rain (light blue), blueberry sky (medium blue), enchanted evening (dark blue), and the polka dot print from PTI enchanted evening and blueberry sky pattern packs.
  • Die is My Favorite Things many thanks.  I shortened the tail of the "s" to give more space for the stars.
  • Stars are from a 1/4" Fiskars star hand 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." (406)

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Red and Yellow "Hello Love"

This tiny multicolor print provided my sentiment "hello love."  What else would it be with hearts and hellos all over the paper?  It makes a bright and cheerful card with my red and yellow colors.

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." (403)

Monday, December 15, 2014

Red with Cream Hearts - Love

Another bright "love" card for my Operation Write Home box.  The cream card stock is shimmery, and very nice in real life, though it doesn't come across well in my picture.  

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), cream shimmer, and the damask print from PTI pure poppy pattern pack.
  • Dies are My Favorite Things double dot border and PTI limitless layers: 2-1/4" hearts (plain and scalloped hearts).  The cream diamonds are inner cutouts (scrap) from the border die. 
  • Sentiment "Love" is cut with the Silhouette Cameo.  I used PilGi font for the L and e, two ovals for the o, and Lucida Handwriting font for the v.  It took a bit of editing with the knife and offset tools, but the result was worthwhile. 
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." (404)

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Typewriters XO

The patterned paper with its typewriters inspired my colors and XO sentiment.  A happy and lively "love" card to bring a smile to someone's day.

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) true black, hibiscus burst (pink), pure poppy (red),  the gingham and stripe prints from PTI fine linen (tan) pattern pack, and Pink Paislee pen pals 6 x 6" pad for the typewriter print. The typewriters say "xoxo," "with love," "hello," and "pen pals."  I was careful to cover up "pen pals" which didn't seem to fit my card theme.
  • Ribbon is 1/4" black and white gingham. 
  • Dies are PTI framed out #11 (inner heart shape) and polka dot parade alphabet (lower case).
  • I used the 1/4" Corner Chomper to round the corners on the pink and the striped tan 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." (402)

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Starry Blue Love Card

Lots of stars on this monochromatic blue card.  I used up some leftovers to make it, which seems to fit with Thanksgiving weekend. 

The "love" die cut is leftover from this card where I just needed the inner cutout shapes.  The starry printed paper is made with Copic markers and a stencil using this technique (with ink left over from airbrushing).

Card details:
  • Card stock is Hero Arts cerulean (medium blue) and Papertrey Ink (PTI) rustic white and enchanted evening (dark blue).
  • Stencil is My Favorite Things stargaze.
  • Copic marker is B05.
  • Dies are PTI super star border and wonderful words: love.  The little star inside the heart is a cutout from the star border. 
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." (399)

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Bright Green Thanks with Dots

For Thanksgiving Day, a large "Thanks" in non-Thanksgiving colors.  Maybe for the green beans and the salad? 

I'm very thankful today for family and friends.  Thankful too for our servicemen and women, deployed far away from home, and for Operation Write Home supporting them with handmade cards like mine.

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." (398)

Monday, November 24, 2014

Skyline Love - Blue with Silver and White

This will be one of my favorite cards ...  A silvery city scene with stars.  The silver notched border strip at the bottom could be a river bridge or embankment.   Serene and simple.

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." (397)

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Textured Thanks - Terra Cotta with Tan and Brown

A simple strong "thanks" with lots of embossed texture.

Card details:
  • Papertrey Ink (PTI) terra cotta tile (a deep rusty orange, less red than this image), fine linen (tan), and dark chocolate (brown).
  • Dies are My Favorite Things many thanks and retro squares border.  I cut the word twice (tan and brown) and offset the layers for a shadow effect. 
  • The word and squares are embossed with Stampin' Up square lattice embossing folder (retired).  The card base is embossed with PTI cover plate: twist die.
  • Embroidery floss is DMC #839, 3862, and 3047.
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." (396)

Friday, November 21, 2014

Love Heart - Red, White, and Gray

This card started with a scrap of ribbon and a new "love" die.  The red part was easy.  Then I tried several different combinations for the heart background and the card base.  I'm happy with the bold effect of the patterns and colors.

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), a tiny dotted print from Pink Paislee pen pals 6 x 6" pad, and the polka dot print from PTI smokey shadow (dark gray) pattern pack.
  • Ribbon is 3/4" chevron twill by May Arts.  The red border is card stock, not ribbon. 
  • Die is My Favorite Things heart full of love set. 
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." (395)

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Lavender Daisy Card with Yellow

I always enjoy coloring my 2009 daisy drawing for a card.  This time I lightly airbrushed everything with blue, then colored the flowers and leaves.  The blue disappears in the leaves but adds a nice extra touch to the flower petals. 

Card details:
  • Card stock is Neenah solar white, Paper Source spruce (dark green - discontinued), Papertrey Ink (PTI) harvest gold (yellow), and the polka dot print from PTI lavender moon pattern pack.
  • Embossing folder is Sizzix retro cirque.
  • Copic markers are B14 for the airbrushing, G14 and RV52 for the base colors, with RV63 added on the petals and Y26 on the leaves and stems.  Flower centers are Y15 and Y26.  
  • I edged the polka dot strip with Copic G07 marker.
  • Sentiment "thanks" is cut with Cameo Silhouette.  The word is from Silhouette box and flower tags set. 
  • Daisy drawing was scanned and computer printed.
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." (394)

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Avocado and Gold - Two Thank You Cards


Two cards with mostly the same ingredients.  I made the top card first, one of several recent experiments with embroidery.  The bottom card started with my L-shaped scrap of gold.  I like them both.

Card details:
  • Card stock is Paper Source curry (gold), Papertrey Ink (PTI) ripe avocado (green), vintage cream (top card), and fine linen (tan - bottom card), and patterned paper from Basic Grey PB&J 6 x 6" pad.
  • On the bottom card, I edged the green sentiment strip with Copic marker YG97 to add contrast and definition. 
  •  Dies are PTI stitched rectangles for both cards.
  • Sentiment "thanks" (top card) is cut with Silhouette Cameo.  I added some colored pencil shading in a gold color (Venus 1437 sand - a very old pencil) to connect the cream sentiment better with the gold card stock. 
  • Sentiment "thank you so very much" (bottom card) is computer-printed with green ink using Herculanum font (all lower case, bold, expanded character spacing).
  • Embroidery floss (top card) is DMC ecru.
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." (391, 392)

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Cross Stitched Love with Lace

More card embroidery to create a nostalgic lace-trimmed "love" card.

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) autumn rose, scarlet jewel (burgundy), and the damask print from PTI autumn rose pattern pack.  In real life, the solid and printed rose colors are the same. 
  • Embroidery floss is DMC ecru (cream) and 902.
  • Lace is white crocheted lace from Hobby Lobby, colored lightly with Copic marker YR30 to match the cream floss - a very good match in real life.
  • Die is PTI strip stitch.
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." (393)

Monday, October 13, 2014

Embroidered Cards - Cross Stitch and Chevron Stitch

Two embroidered cards today - my first experiments using a new (to me) stitching die from Papertrey Ink (PTI).  The die makes a rectangle of small holes, perfect for a decorative panel of embroidery.  I'm thinking of so many different color and stitch combinations for this die.  Both cards have elements in common, so I'm posting them together.

Note: I backed each embroidered panel with a plain piece of the same color.  It looks nicer than having a different color show through the little holes, at least for these cards.  
Card details:
  • Left card: card stock is Paper Source plum (light purple),  PTI royal velvet (dark purple) and vintage cream.
    Right card: card stock is Ellen Hutson white linen, Paper Source cobalt (dark blue - discontinued), and PTI scarlet jewel (burgundy) and kraft.
  • Both cards: dies are PTI strip stitch and the curved banner from PTI bountiful banners.
  • Left card: embossing folder is Sizzix berry splash.
    Right card: embossing folder is Sizzix chevrons (retired).
  • Left card: embroidery floss is DMC ecru.
    Right card: embroidery floss is DMC 791 and 902.
    Both cards: I used 3 of the 6 strands of floss for my stitching.
  • Both cards: sentiment "Thank you!" is computer-printed in purple or burgundy ink with Copperplate font, all 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." (389, 390)

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Denim Hello with Tan and Aqua

Some denim print paper with an aqua print and a few strands of cream jute twine.  It gives the card an old-fashioned, homey feeling. 

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." (388)

Monday, October 6, 2014

Love Prints on Blue with Red

Starting with the two lovey prints, a Love card was the only way to go.  I like the embossed sun rays and the tilted heart.

Card details:
  • Card stock is Paper Source lake (blue), Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), and two small prints from Pink Paislee pen pals 6x6" paper pack.
  • The heart print paper is edged with Copic marker B39 for better contrast on the blue card base.
  • Embossing folder is the sun ray folder from Lifestyle Crafts/ WeRMemoryKeepers stripe set.
  • Die is PTI wonderful words: love, including the cutout heart from the "o"
  • I used a 3/16" EK Success circle punch for the blue dot.
  • Embroidery floss is DMC #806.
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." (387)

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Orange and Brown Truck

Due to a cross-country move, I wasn't able to make any cards for the past two months.  So I'm very happy to be back with a new card today.  The orange and brown fits the Operation Write Home mid-month challenge theme of fall colors.

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." (386)

Monday, July 14, 2014

Red Hearts with Tiny Prints Paper

Tiny prints with a "love letters" theme.  Perfect for a bold heart focal point and a "love you, miss you" sentiment.

The card didn't look right until I added the embroidery floss accent.  Interesting how one subtle detail can make such a difference. 

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), spring rain (light blue), and enchanted evening (dark blue), and two prints from Pink Paislee pen pals 6x6" pad.
  • Dies are PTI framed out #11, My Favorite Things stax heart (smallest heart in set), and PTI sketched shapes (wide long banner).
  • Embroidery floss is Finca 8400.
  • Sentiment is computer-printed in dark gray ink using Copperplate font.  The hearts are "alt-9" in Zapf Dingbats font, printed in red 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." (381)

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Tropical Colors with Hearts

My card design started with the two vertical pattern strips, which gave me this happy tropical color scheme.  I like it a lot! 

Card details:
  • Card stock is Paper Source blossom (pink),  Papertrey Ink (PTI) Hawaiian shores (turquoise), ripe avocado (green), damask print from PTI lemon tart (light yellow) pattern pack, and two multicolor patterns from Basic Grey 6x6" PB&J (retiring) paper pad.
  • Hearts are edged with Copic marker RV13.  Vertical pattern strips are edged with YG97.  Edging with marker is a nice way to create some definition and contrast, without needing to add a layer of card stock.
  • Dies are PTI one liners and heart border.
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." (382)

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Green Doily with Aqua and Cream

Today's card was inspired by Dawn's challenge on the Papertrey Ink forum, to make something inspired by this lovely photo on Pinterest.  I chose the photo's aqua, green, and cream for my colors, and those intricate china patterns reminded me of doilies and lace.  Thanks, Dawn, for a fun challenge!

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) aqua mist, ocean tides (muted teal), new leaf (green), vintage cream, and the bitty dots print from PTI ocean tides pattern pack.
  • Dies are PTI wonderful words: thank you, Parisian lace doily, and loop de loop.  Note: the "thank you" is cut from ocean tides, though my monitor makes it look a bit like the green.
  • Embroidery floss is DMC ecru (cream) and 703 (green), tied in a square knot. 
  • The vintage cream panel is edged with Copic marker BG72. 
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." (385)

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Hello with Gingham and Banner

For today's color challenge - cantaloupe and pistachio - on the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps blog.  To go with the soft and summery color theme, I chose a white sentiment, shadowed in cantaloupe, and a strip of white banners with cantaloupe and pistachio dots. 

Card details:
  • Card stock is Ellen Hutson white linen, Paper Source mint (light green) and coral (light orange), and the gingham print from PTI melon berry (light orange) pattern pack.
  • Dies are PTI wonderful words: hello and My Favorite Things party banner.
  • Colored dots on the banner are punched with a 1/4" hole punch.   
  • The angled green layer is cut with my paper trimmer.
  • Embossing folder is Cuttlebug Swiss dots.
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." (384)

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Multi Colored Chevron Thanks

A simple design that I struggled with.  On my first try, I used a larger label shape and a larger sentiment, and it was ... OK. 

This one is much better, and sometime maybe I'll see what it needs to be fabulous. 

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) aqua mist, orange zest, simply chartreuse, enchanted evening (dark blue), and rustic white.   The multicolor chevron print is from Echo Park "all about a boy" 6x6" paper pad.
  • Embossing folder is Sizzix chevrons (retiring).
  • Dies are Elizabeth Craft thanks, PTI eyelet lace, and PTI photo finish strips (in addition to the oval-center die for the white strip, I used the wider straight die for the orange strip, which has a nice embossed border line that's hard to see in my image.)
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." (383)

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Purple Flower with Turquoise and Yellow

I had the urge to make a purple card, and so I used purple for my card base, flower, and sentiment.  For contrast, there's turquoise and light yellow with a touch of green.

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." (380)

Friday, June 6, 2014

Dark Green with Yellow and Rusty Red

Strong colors, shapes, and patterns.  The gingham and small dots have a clean and modern energy in this setting.  I like this card a lot.

The rusty red (Papertry Ink's terra cotta tile) is a great color, but always hard to capture in a scan or photo, where it tends to look much too red.  So I'm happy to have it look good enough to post!

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) terra cotta tile (rusty red), pinefeather (dark green), summer sunrise (orangey yellow), and gingham and bitty dots prints from PTI pinefeather pattern pack.
  • Stars are punched with a 1/4" Fiskars hand punch.
  • Die is PTI wonderful words: thank you.  The pinefeather is inlaid into the terra cotta tile.
  • The zig zag border on the summer sunrise panel is cut with Silhouette Cameo.  I took a smaller-scale border design and enlarged it.
  • Embroidery floss is DMC #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." (379)

Monday, May 26, 2014

White and Navy Rose with Yellow and Gray

One of my favorite cards ever.  I love the bright white and yellow with dark navy and light gray.  The navy edging sets off the die-cut petals.  My color scheme and large flower are inspired by the patterned paper.

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." (376)

Friday, May 23, 2014

Green and Tan Pattern with Red

Bold and modern with layered texture and patterns.  My color scheme is based on the panel of multicolored patterned paper.  The red asterisk emphasizes the sentiment as the focal point. 

Card details:
  • Card stock is  Paper Source leaf (light green - discontinued), Papertrey Ink (PTI) pinefeather (dark green) and pure poppy (red), the polka dot print from PTI fine linen (tan) pattern pack, and a piece cut from Pink Paislee portfolio 6 x 6" collection.  
  • Die is Avery Elle icon fill-in-the-blank (asterisk).  The banner notch is hand-cut. 
  • Embossing folder is Sizzix Tim Holtz texture fades stripes.
  • The sentiment "thanks" is cut with Silhouette Cameo using a scrap of the patterned paper.  The tiny grid print doesn't stand out in the image, but it's a nice detail in real life, and I didn't want to add another card stock color there.  
  • The "thanks" cutting file comes from a Lori Whitlock ribbon slide set.  I enlarged the "t" crossbar and the "s" opening a bit.
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." (377)

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Gear Print - Diagonal Thanks

My inspiration was Erin Taylor's card, shown here (3rd card) on the Papercrafts Connection blog.  I used her diagonal striped sentiment on strongly patterned paper, with an embellishment based on the paper.  For her card, it was flowers; for mine, gears.

I added some chevron embossing to the sentiment panel and thin red lines (embroidery floss) above and below.  Thanks, Erin, for the inspiration! 

Card details:
  • Card stock is Paper Source leaf (light green - discontinued) and pool (aqua), Papertrey Ink (PTI) harvest gold (yellow), summer sunrise (yellow-orange), dark chocolate (brown), and pure poppy (red), and a gear print from the Echo Park "all about a boy" 6 x 6" paper pad. 
  • Embroidery floss is DMC 347.
  • Dies are PTI heart-2-heart #6 and Avery Elle icon fill-in-the blank (asterisk).
  • I used a 1/8" circle punch for the red center dot.
  •  Embossing folder is Sizzix Hero Arts textured impressions chevrons (retiring).
  • Sentiment "thanks" is computer printed in brown ink with Iowan Old Style Black font, expanded 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." (374)

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Rose Pink Pattern with White Trim

A sweet love card in shades of rose pink, with a touch of white.  I tried adding some ribbon, but it seemed distracting.  So I left it simple and straightforward.

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

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) stamper's select white and autumn rose (deep rose), a tiny pink heart print from Pink Paislee pen pals 6 x 6" pack, and the damask print from PTI autumn rose pattern pack.
  • Dies are My Favorite Things scallop ribbon border and PTI wonderful words: love.  To make a border strip with scallops on just one edge, I cut it from a 5/8" strip of white card stock, aligning one edge of the strip to the inner scallop portion of the die.
  • I rounded the bottom corners of the card 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." (375)

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Heart, House, and Sun - Aqua with Kraft and Yellow

This card makes me smile!  I hope it will do the same for one of our deployed troops sending it, and for a loved one at home receiving it.  Very colorful and crisp in real life.

The house and tree create a homey little scene, reinforced as the focal point by the "house-colored" straight and squiggly borders above and below. 

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) kraft, aqua mist (light aqua), Hawaiian shores (medium aqua), pure poppy (red), simply chartreuse (green), dark chocolate (brown), orange zest, and the stripes print from PTI lemon tart (yellow) pattern pack.
  • Dies are My Favorite Things jumbo squiggle, PTI take three, smallest die from PTI polka dot parade #2, and Avery Elle icon fill-in-the-blank (heart, house, and asterisk/sun).  
  • The tree trunk is cut with scissors. 
  • Embossing folder is Paper Studio woodgrain.
  • Sentiment "Love you, miss you" is computer printed in brown ink with Prestige Elite Standard Bold font (using a smaller 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." (373)

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Blue Damask - Missing You

Blue colors with a textile theme - a damask print, a woven-textured panel, a pinked edge, and a faux striped ribbon made from embroidery floss.  In real life, the blues work well together.

The sentiment is inlaid into the negative shape, so I used the leftover die cuts to make a second card, the same but with the sentiment colors reversed. 

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring rain (light blue), blueberry sky (medium blue), enchanted evening (dark blue), and the damask print from PTI enchanted evening pattern pack.
  • The sentiment "Missing You" is cut with Silhouette Cameo using PilGi font.  I modified some letters in the words, moving the dots of the "i"s down to attach to the strokes, and opening up the closed loops of the "g" and "Y" - to avoid the tiny detached pieces.  I also thickened the lower loop of the "g" slightly to be less fragile when cut.
  •  I cut two sentiment panels, one in light blue and one in medium blue, then interchanged the pieces.  I put a 1" strip of Scor Tape across the back, then added texture with Stampin' Up square lattice embossing folder.
  • For the pinked edge, I used PTI pinking shears border die.
  • The embroidery floss is DMC # 800 (light blue) and 799 (medium blue).
  • Technique:  To make the faux ribbon, I adhered a 1/8" strip of Scor Tape to the dark blue card stock, then gently stretched across three lengths of embroidery floss, and pressed them down firmly with my bone folder.  The Scor Tape and floss are wrapped around to the back of the card stock about 1".  This technique makes a very nice flat embellishment, with a lovely sheen in real life.
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." (371)

Friday, May 9, 2014

Orange Patterns with Star

Two orange and yellow patterns, set off with wide borders.  In the midst of the busy patterns, a large star provides a strong focal point.  The card is bright and bold in real life, with more color contrast between the orange star and the orangey brown card base and sentiment. 

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) canyon clay (orangey brown), orange zest (orange), and summer sunrise (yellow).  The patterned papers are from the Echo Park "all about a boy" 6 x 6" pad.
  • The sentiment "thanks" is cut from the Silhouette box and flower tags set, this week's free shape. 
  • The little brown star is punched with a Fiskars 1/4" star hand punch.
  • Dies are My Favorite Things stacking stars (using the smallest inner die to cut the yellow star), PTI seeing stars (medium die to cut the orange star), and PTI coffee cozy details (edgeless die to cut the dots, which I left in the die cut).
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." (372)

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Diagonal Stripes with Stars

Strong colors and contrast in the diagonal background and variety of stars.  The small blue star in the middle row helps draw attention to the sentiment.

The cream stripes are inlaid in the kraft.  Using my "leftover" die cuts, I made a second card with kraft stripes inlaid in cream.

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." (369)

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Sponged Stripes on Yellow Gingham

Something different today - sponged diagonal stripes.  I love these colors and patterns together.

Card details:
  • Card stock is Neenah solar white, Papertrey Ink (PTI) new leaf (green), Hawaiian shores (deep aqua), and the gingham print from PTI lemon tart pattern pack.
  • Dies are PTI wonderful words: hello and super star border.  
  • Sponged inks are Ranger mustard seed (yellow), peacock feathers (turquoise), and mowed lawn (green) from the distress mini ink pad kit #1 and kit # 2.  I masked with strips of paper.  Note: the white stars are adhered on top of the sponged pattern, not masked.
  • Sponged with a wedge cut from Hero Arts silky stamping sponge.   The whole sponge is about 2-1/2" diameter and 1" thick, with a very nice texture.  The distress ink rinsed out easily when I was done. 
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." (370)

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Teal and Tan Birthday

A simple masculine birthday card.  Bold patterns and textures.  The arrow reinforces the "birthday" message. 

Card details:
(368)

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Red-Orange Daisies with Yellow and Green

My 2009 daisy drawing with some bright red-orange colors.  Lots of dots on this card, including the ground, which is dots of brown and green marker. 

You can click on the image for a better view of the Copic coloring.   And click on the daisy drawing label, below or in the labels list on the right, for more cards that I've made with this drawing.  It's been fun for me to color and use in different ways.

Card details:
  • Card stock is Neenah solar white for the flowers and Papertrey Ink (PTI) harvest gold (yellow), terra cotta tile (rust), and the polka dots print from PTI new leaf (green) pattern pack.
  • Twine is The Twinery mandarin.
  • Embossing folder is Cuttlebug Swiss dots.
  • Copic markers are custom color YYR2000, R02, R08, R35, YR07, Y38, E33, E37, G43, G46, and YG05.
  • My daisy drawing was scanned and computer-printed.
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." (367)

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Floral Print with White Bow

Another card today with multicolored patterned paper... not my usual.  I cut four rectangles of the lovely floral print and made this same card in different color combinations.  

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) ocean tides (muted teal), simply chartreuse (yellow-green) and the polka dots print from PTI melon berry (light orange) pattern pack.  Floral print is from PB&J 6x6" by Basic Grey.  
  • Bow is DMC white Perle cotton #5.
  • Embossing folder is Lifestyle Crafts diamonds and dots. 
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." (365)

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Spinners and Stripes

The patterned paper with game spinners inspired my card's theme and colors.  The spinner print and stripes work well together.  I like the finishing touches of the brown arrow and the clear spinner centers that I added.

Card details:
  • Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) dark chocolate (brown), rustic cream, and the stripes print from PTI canyon clay (muted orange) pattern pack.  And the game spinner print from All About a Boy 6 x 6" pad by Echo Park.  
  • Clear spinner centers are "pearls" of Viva Decor gloss gel pen, transparent (000).  It looks milky at first, but dries very clear.  (Click on the image to enlarge and see the centers better.)
  • Banner notch is cut by hand.
  • Die is arrow from PTI sketched shapes.
  • Sentiment "You make my heart spin" is computer-printed in brown ink with American Typewriter font (expanded 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." (364)

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Tree on Cream with Brown

My card today is honoring Suzanne, an Operation Write Home card maker who passed away recently.  It's a CASE of her lovely tree card, the 4th card posted here on the OWH blog. Wishing peace and comfort to Suzanne's family and friends. 

Card details:
  • Card stock is Neenah solar white for the tree and Papertrey Ink (PTI) rustic cream, dark chocolate (brown), and ripe avocado (green).
  • Die is Elizabeth Craft love
  • Silhouette cutting file is chunky tree background, which I stretched to be taller and narrower.
  • Copic markers to color the tree are E43, E44, YG95, and YG21. 
  • Ground line is drawn with Copic 0.3 brown multiliner.
  • Embroidery floss is DMC #3782.
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." (363)

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Yellow Chevrons with Teal

Some chevrons and stars today.  I like the off-center banner with a starry edge strip.

Card details:
  • Card stock is Paper Source peacock (teal), Papertrey Ink (PTI) harvest gold (yellow), and two prints from Pink Paislee "portfolio" 6x6 collection - a chevron print and an edge cut from another print.
  • Embroidery floss is DMC 744.
  • Embossing folder is Sizzix chevron.  I turned the A2 card stock sideways and ran it through twice.  The teal panel hides the "seam."  The embossing is really the same on the left and right sides, though in the picture it looks a bit different. 
  • Banner notch is cut by hand.
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." (362)

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Green Banners with Leaves

Plenty of green for St. Patrick's Day weekend!  I meant to make a green "thank you" version of this card, but our very old printer was having one of its bad days, and it wouldn't print my green sentiment.  I substituted the die-cut leaves and "hello," which work well.

And after a few more printer problems, we bought a new printer, which also works well now.  So "all's well that ends well" including my card.

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." (212)

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Stencil Stars - Red, White, and Blue

Though I've used stencils on my cards a few times, mostly with airbrushing, this is my first paint-and-stencil experiment.  I like the brush-marked texture of the white stars.  My card base embossing (also done with the stencil) is less deep than an embossing folder, but it's still good, and nice to have the same stars for the background.

It makes a cheerful red-white-and-blue card for the March "thank you" challenge, sponsored by Our Daily Bread Designs (thank you, ODBD!) to benefit Operation Write Home.

Card details:
  • Card stock is Neenah solar white and Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), blueberry sky (medium blue), and enchanted evening (dark blue).
  • Stencil is My Favorite Things stargaze for the white stars and the card base embossing.
  • The white paint is an inexpensive white craft acrylic, applied with a 1/2" Martha Stewart stencil brush.
  • Dies for the sentiment "thanks" are PTI polka dot parade alphabet (lower case).  I notched the white banner with scissors.
  • Red baker's twine is 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." (361)