Operation Write Home World Card Making Day Blog Hop 2012

Welcome to the Operation Write Home World Card Making Day Blog Hop.  For this hop each participant had to use a sketch to make their card and make it holiday or winter themed.  To find a list of all blogs participating in this hop, please visit the OWH blog here. It contains a InLinkz to each blog.

Operation Write Home (OWH) is an organization that provides our nation's armed forces with blank handmade greeting cards to write home on as well as "Anyhero" cards of gratitude to encourage them. If you are interested in making cards for this great cause, please visit the Operation Write Home webite here.

For my card I used OWH sketch #137 and new Riley stamp, Snow Globe Riley and Snowman. You can find all the past OWH sketches here.

Stamps:  Snow Globe Riley and Snowman (Riley and Company)

Cardstock:  Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Whisper White (SU!)

Misc:  Patterned Paper (Unknown source), Snowflake brads, Snowflake embossing folder

Crafty Gals Monthly Challenge - October 2012

It's time for the Crafty Gals Blog Group's monthly challenge.  This month's hostess is Athina.  Here is the challenge that issued to us this month:

"Think Outside the Box!"

"I challenge you to make a project with no squares or rectangles (not even the base of a card or scrapbook layout). Since we have already stepped outside the box, lets take another step. Try a technique that you have not tried before. It is always fun to learn something new and expand our creativity. Have fun with it! I can't wait to see what you create!"

This challenge was definitely outside of the box for me. It took me sometime to come up with an idea but after searching the internet, I found some cute cards that were shaped like cupcakes.  So I present my version of the cupcake card.

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock:  Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Ink:  Regal Rose
DSP:  Ice Cream Parlor (SU! Retired)
Misc:  Striped Embossing Folder (SU!), Large Circle and Scalloped Circle Nestibilities, Stickles.

Crafty Gals Monthly Challenge September 2012

It is time for the Crafty Gals Blog Group's monthly challenge.  Jeanette was our hostess this month and this is the challenge that she issued to us:

“Get Punchy”

"I absolutely love creative punch art! (Have you seen my Pinterest Punch Art Board?) I know not everyone loves punch art, but I do. I also know that a lot of us don’t have many punches. Therefore I’m not going to make this challenge too difficult.

The Simple Plan: Make a card using a punch somewhere on it. Easy Peasy!

The Advanced Plan: Make a card where you use punches to make something they were not originally intended for. For example: Use oval punches to make a frog, use circle punches to make a snowman, use the stocking punch to make a stick horse, use a heart punch to make a Christmas tree, use a variety of punches to make a chef or witch or elephant, etc."


When I read her challenge I immediately thought of Sesame Street characters.  I have seen some really creative cards made with punches so I thought I would try it.  My three year-old daughter loves Elmo, so I decided to make an Elmo card.  I do plan to make Big Bird and Cookie Monster soon to send to Operation Write Home.  I hope you like my card and that it makes you smile.

Stamps:  Warmest Regards (Retired SU!)
Cardstock:  Tempting Turquoise, Pacific Point, Real Red, Pumpin Pie, Basic Black, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink:  Versafine Black
DSP:  Summer Picnic (Retired SU!)

SCS August Birthday RAK Card

I am a member of the SCS Birthday RAK group.  I make 4-6 cards each month and send them for other member's birthdays.  Here is the card I made for all my assigned August birthday girls.

Stamps:  Simply Soft, Made for You

Cardstock:  Pacific Point, Tempting Turquiose, Night of Navy, White

Ink:  Pacific Point, Certainly Celery, Black

Crafty Gals Monthly Challenge - August 2012

It's time for the monthly Crafty Gals challenge.  Carolina was our hostess this month.  Here is the challange that issued to us this month:

"Two of my son's are having birthdays this next months. Since we didn't do any b-day cards I challenge you all to do one using an animal character and four shapes of any sort somewhere in the card plus colours red and blue. Is this too much to ask???. Good luck."

Below is the card that I created for the challenge.  Hopefully it is a card that kids would like to receive.  I know that my three year-old loves giraffes.  She thinks they are all named Melman like the giraffe in the Madagascar movies.

Stamps:  In the Wild, Teeny Tiny Wishes (SU!)
Cardstock:  SU! Cherry Cobbler, Pacific Point, Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Ink:  Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler
Misc: Stars embossing folder, Oval and Scalloped Oval punches, Rhinestones

Crafty Gals Group Monthly Challenge

It's time for the latest Crafty Gals Group Monthly Challenge.  Patty was our hostess this month.  This is the challenge she issued to us this month:

"Christmas in July!"

"It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas so let's get an early start to your holiday cards with this month's Crafy Gal's blog challenge.

Christmas in July! And since clean and simple cards are my very favorite your challenge this month is to make a clean and simple Christmas or Holiday card. "

I received a tutorial from LeeAnn Greff called Seamless Tiers that I thought would go great with this challenge using the SU! Bells & Boughs stamp set.  Enjoy.

Stamp Sets:  SU! Bells and Boughs

Card stock: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Misc:  Cherry Cobbler Quilted Satin Ribbon (retired)



Crafty Gals Group Monthly Challenge

It is time for the the monthly Crafty Gals Blog Group Challenge.  Barb is this month's hostess and here is her challenge to us  "Many of us will be taking a summer trip someplace, if even just for a weekend. So, your challenge is to create a card that shouts summer fun! Maybe a camping trip in the forest--or a trip to the ocean for a lighthouse tour or time on the beach--or a flight to another country to see the sights--or road trip to see local attractions--or biking along the rails to trails--or ....................... you get the idea. Shows us image that highlights a summer experience you have had or are planning to do in the future. Please include some patterned paper on your card--along with an additional embellishment or two........ If you want to share on your blog post a fun experience you have had on a vacation, that would be great! We all love to hear about trips--just not all of the hundreds of slides or photos."

So for this month's challenge I used one of my House Mouse stamps.  Everytime I see this stamp, I think of hot weather and summer.  Love those cute mice laying on those ice cubes. I colored the image with Prismas and baby oil.

Stamps:  House Mouse
Cardstock:  Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Old Olive, Whisper White
Ink: Black
Misc: Old Olive DSP, Divine Swirls embossing folder