Wavy Stripes and Dots - Red, Blue, and Gray

A cheerful, bold design with wavy-edged stripes and dots. Using up more of my scraps. Click here for another design with scrap card strips.

The wavy edges are done with Fiskars edger scissors (corkscrew). The circle punches are 3/4" and 1/4" for the off-center holes punched in the red circles. The sentiment "Hello" is computer-printed in red and blue ink using Marker Felt font. The card stock is PaperTrey Ink enchanted evening (dark blue), pure poppy (red), and soft stone (light gray card base).

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." (075)

Monochromatic Ribbon and Flower Card

Monochromatic. Simple. I like it.

The flower strip is a die cut from a packet of Paper Frills (lily white) by Doodlebug, colored with Copic marker V15. The uneven coloring looks nice on this card, I think. I used Ranger Liquid Pearls for five of the flower centers. The 3/16" ribbon is also colored with V15. The sentiment "Thinking of you" is computer-printed with light purple ink in Lucida Calligraphy font. The card stock is Hero Arts lilac.

Below is a blue-gray version of the same design, with tiny round stones instead of pearls. Both cards were 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." (057)

Green Concentric Circles Card

A very green card, using my concentric circles design. I'm happy with the diagonal circles on the dark green band.

My card stock is Hero Arts pine (dark green) and grass (medium green card base.) The sentiment "Hello" is computer-printed with dark green ink/ black outline in Lucida Calligraphy font. I printed my concentric circles design (circles in PowerPoint) on Neenah cardstock, then punched out with 1-1/2" circle punch and colored with Copic markers G07, G14, G40, YG23, and YG61.

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." (074)

Orange and Yellow Three-Flower Card

Bright, sunny colors on a dreary day. I like the striped layer behind the flowers.

My three-flower line drawing, the same as this card, was printed on Neenah card stock before coloring with Copic markers YR00, YR09, YR14, YR15, YR21, Y38, E95, and custom color YYR2000. The colored card stock is Hero Arts poppy (yellow base) and mandarin (orange layer). The deep orange ribbon is 5/8" sheer-and-satin, colored with YR09. I drew the vertical lines with black Copic 0.5 multiliner and YR09 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." (073)

Woven Plaid Card with Hearts

Wow - one million cards! shipped to the troops by Operation Write Home, a volunteer group with thousands of card makers, "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."

The design of my woven plaid card (for Operation Write Home) was inspired by a growing pile of scraps - 1/2" to 1" wide strips of leftover red and blue card stock. See below for another version.

Technique: Adhere the horizontal strips on the left end. Weave in the vertical strips and adhere at both ends. Straighten the horizontal strips and adhere on the right. The strips may vary in width and spacing, but they must be parallel and at right angles.

My card stock is Papertrey Ink fine linen (tan background), pure poppy (red), and enchanted evening (dark blue). The 1" heart punch is EK Success. The tan dots on the hearts are from a 1/4" punch. (072)

Swimming Fish Card

I borrowed a friend's balloon punch, and the shapes made me think of fishes. So I made this card.

The fish are 1-1/8" balloons, turned on their sides. Their eyes are punched with a 1/8" hole punch, and their mouths are a small V cut with scissors.

The cloud is a 2" scalloped circle punch. To make it into an oval shape, I repunched the scalloped circle part way up with the same punch.

The water is a strip of card stock, edged with a Fiskars clouds (~ 1/2" scallop) scissors. When I edged it, I placed the scrap edge of my card stock to the left of the scissors, so the scallop shape was my scrap, leaving the (normally scrap) wave shapes on the non-scrap side. It's adhered with foam tape to add some dimension to the card.

More details:

• Card stock - Papertrey Ink spring rain (light blue card base), enchanted evening (dark blue water), and hibiscus burst (pink fish); Neenah Solar white (cloud); Paper Source poppy (orange), sunshine (yellow), and jadeite (green)
• Sentiment - "Just swimming by... to say hi..." computer-printed in dark blue ink with "Handwriting Dakota" 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." (071)

Three Flower Card - Coral and Yellow

A new line drawing, colored with Copic markers. Matted with black on a coral card base, and a yellow sentiment strip. Ahhh. I like it a lot.

I'll enjoy coloring this image in different ways, to use like my daisy drawing on future cards. It's a simplified version of my weekend's flower drawing, posted on my other blog (Mostly Markers). Click here to see it.

I scanned my original line drawing and printed it on Neenah card stock before coloring with Copic markers R00, R02, R32, R35, RV10, RV 32, and YR21 (flower) and custom color YYR2000 (yellow background). The line drawing was done with Copic 0.3 black multiliner. The colored card stock is Papertrey Ink lemon tart (yellow sentiment strip), berry sorbet (coral card base), and true black (mats for drawing and sentiment).

The sentiment "Hello" is computer-printed in "Lucida Handwriting" font, using a black outline with coral fill. (In real life, it matches the berry sorbet card base.)

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." (069)

Green Three-Panel Card

These pale-green-and-white patterned papers were hard for me to work with. So pale. Bland, if not blah. But the three-panel layout brings out a bit of their charm. The sentiment is printed on the paper's reverse, using the strip left from cutting the panels. So I can feel good that I used it all up. See bottom of post for a different color and placement of the sentiment strip.

I don't know the names of the patterned papers, which came in the packet from Operation Write Home, as explained in an earlier post. I used Hero Arts grass (bright green) for the card base and the sentiment's base layer. The sentiment is computer-printed in Papyrus font with green 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." (068)

Lavender Card with Blue Stripes, Dots, and Rectangles

Rectangles, dots, stripes, and lines. A "modern" flair. I enjoyed playing with just a few shapes and lines. No sentiment, just a note card.

The papers are Paper Source violet (card base), Hero Arts cerulean (dark turquoise), an unknown polka dot paper, and a homemade striped paper (Copic markers and multiliners on white). I used a Copic multiliner (0.3) to draw purple lines around the shapes.

The striped paper was left over from this card. My layout was adapted from these cards.

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." (067)

Purple Stripes - Diagonal and Square

Two purple cards. They are the same, except for the placement of the layered square element - diamond (diagonal) above, and square (not diagonal) below.

The solid color card stock is Hero Arts iris (purple card base), Papertrey Ink simply chartreuse (yellow green layer), and the back of one of the patterned papers (dark purple layer). I don't know the name of the patterned papers, which came in an assortment from Operation Write Home, as explained in an earlier post. My sentiment "Hello" is computer-printed with purple ink in Lucida Calligraphy font (bold).

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." (066)

Brown and Aqua - Medallion and Band Design

I've done quite a few cards with this basic layout. A band of patterned paper, layered or ribboned, and a layered medallion for the sentiment. It makes me happy for simple note cards.

In this variation, I placed my medallion off the edge of the band, instead of centering it on the band. For more variations, click on "medallion band" at the end of this post, or in my label list to the right.

Today's card began with the patterned paper - aqua with cream and brown. Then a lighter brown for the card base, a darker turquoise for the mats, and a matching cream for the sentiment. I love the way the colors work together.

My solid color card stock is Hero Arts mocha (brown), Paper Source peacock (dark turquoise), and Neenah classic cream. I don't know the name or maker of the patterned paper - I'm still working my way through that little stack of patterned papers from Operation Write Home, as explained in an earlier post.

The sentiment "Thinking of you" and the dotted circle are computer-printed with turquoise ink. The font is Papyrus. The circle punches are 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." (054c)

Red, White, and Blue Pinwheel Card

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

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

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

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

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

Yellow and Orange Note Cards

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

 

Card details:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Flowers in Blue Vase - OWH Blog Hop

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

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

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

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

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

Card details:

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