Brown and Cream with Stars

This card started with a few leftovers - a bit of ribbon, some brown die-cut stars, and strips of patterned paper.

I love the end result.  The break in the flow of words (patterned paper) makes a good space for a thought of "miss you."  The stars look a bit day-dreamy while also shaping the focal point.

It's also my first-ever card with a rubber stamp: a clear stamp, to be precise.  I'll post more about that sometime.

Note, the gray border is background - not part of the card. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) vintage cream, dark chocolate (brown), and the book print from PTI Dearest Jane patterned paper.  
• I edged the patterned paper with Copic E49 marker.  
• Dies are PTI seeing stars (smallest die = my large star) and My Favorite Things western star border die (retired) (cutouts from border = my 3 small stars.)
• The sentiment "miss you" is from PTI communique sentiments, stamped with PTI dark chocolate ink cube.
• The 5/8" grosgrain ribbon was tied on a bag of candy.  Lovely ribbon, enough for two cards.  In real life it's more of a cocoa brown, less yellow than the picture.

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." (414)

Purple Butterfly Hugs

Purple butterfly hugs for a friend's birthday, and a few more for Operation Write Home.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) plum pudding (purple), floral print from PTI pretty pastels 8x8" pad, a dotted/floral and a teeny-tiny pattern from PTI guide lines 6x6" pad, and the bitty dot print from PTI winter wisteria (light purple) pattern pack.
• Dies are PTI big hugs and Impression Obsession butterflies. 
• I edged the banner with Copic marker V09 and the butterflies with V25.  The butterfly bodies and antennae are also V25. 
• The banner is notched with scissors. 

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." (413)

Beach Waves - Miss You

Today's card uses a 2012 design (not posted) that I created for a friend's beach wedding - with a different sentiment, of course.  A simple scene with soft colors of sand, sun, and ocean waves.  I hope it will remind a deployed hero of happy moments with a special someone. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source pool (light aqua - bottom wave), Papertrey Ink (PTI) fine linen (tan), Hawaiian shores (turquoise - middle wave), ocean tides (muted teal - top wave), aqua mist (pale aqua - sky), and lemon tart (pale yellow).
• Dies are PTI XL rickrack border and flower fusion #9.
• Sentiment "miss you today ** love you forever" is computer printed in dark tan ink using Chalkduster font, bold.  I like how it looks a bit like writing in wet sand.

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." (205)

Peach and Cream with Button

Soft monochromatic colors with shades of peach and cream. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source papaya (muted medium orange), Papertrey Ink (PTI) rustic white, a floral print from PTI pretty pastels 8x8" pad, and the leaf print from PTI melon berry (light peach) pattern pack.  
• In real life, the melon berry print is much lighter than the solid-color papaya - about halfway between the light pastel print and the papaya.  My computer doesn't do well with shades of peach and orange. 
• Dies are Impression Obsessions buttons (5/8" button),  Elizabeth Craft thanks, and PTI photo finish strips (D).
• Embroidery floss is DMC #754.

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." (412)

Thanks with Banners and Stripes

Using some scraps of denim and gear print paper.  I like this layout and the two-toned stripes to set off my wide banners. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) orange zest (orange) and dark chocolate (brown), gear and denim prints from Echo Park "all about a boy" 6x6" paper pad, and stripes from PTI orange zest and fine linen (tan) pattern packs.
• Die is the small star from PTI seeing stars.
• Banners are notched with scissors.
• Gear embellishment is cut from the patterned paper and covered with Glossy Accents.  I used an EK Success 3/8" circle punch.
• Sentiment "thanks" is cut with Silhouette Cameo, same as this 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." (411)

Red, White and Blue Heart with Hugs

My red, white, and blue colors include polka dots, plaid, stars, stripes, and a big heart with "hugs."  It doesn't look too busy to me, but there's a lot packed in there.  I hope it will bring a smile to the sender and receiver.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) blueberry sky (medium blue), pure poppy (red), and the pure poppy polka dot and spring rain (light blue) gingham prints from PTI pattern packs.
• Dies are PTI big hugs and My Favorite Things heart full of love (outer shape).
• Embossing folder is Craft Concepts solid stars.
• 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." (410)

Wreath Thanks - White, Yellow, Rust, and Aqua

This card started with the flowered paper, which contained everything else that I added - the colors, tiny dots, and leafy branches.  

Card details:

• Card stock is Ellen Hutson white linen, Papertrey Ink (PTI) ocean tides (muted aqua) and terra cotta tile (rusty red), a flowered pattern from Basic Grey PB&J 6x6" pad (retiring), and the bitty dot print from PTI summer sunrise (yellow) pattern pack.
• Dies are My Favorite Things many thanks and PTI rustic wreath.

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." (409)

Candy Box Card - Pink, Red, and Cream

What more can I say?  It looks to me like a super-sweet candy box.  Sentimental, but "no sentiment."

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) vintage cream, hibiscus burst (pink), pure poppy (red) and the stripe and leaf prints from PTI hibiscus burst pattern pack. Note, the gray is background, not part of the card.
• I edged the striped paper with Copic marker R29.  
• Embossing folder is Lifestyle Crafts/ QuicKutz diamonds and dots. 
• Dies are PTI heart squared (pink frame), inner heart shape from PTI framed out #11, pointed square from PTI limitless layers: 2-1/4" squares, and My Favorite Things double dot border (retiring), cut on a 5/8" strip of card stock using just the center portion of the die.
• Punches are Martha Stewart bow and McGill 1/8" circle hand punch for the red dot on the bow. 

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." (408)

Blue Dotted Trees

Two cards with dotted trees.  I cut the large tree from medium and dark blue patterned paper, then interchanged the pieces.  I like both versions.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring rain (light blue sentiment banners), blueberry sky (medium blue), enchanted evening (dark blue), and the bitty dot print from PTI enchanted evening and blueberry sky pattern packs.
• Dies are PTI mighty oak (A) and sketched shapes (wide and narrow long banners, which I trimmed shorter.)
• Sentiment "Love you, miss you..." is computer printed with blue ink in Footlight MT Light font, bold with expanded character 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." (407)