My Top 13 of 2013

I made my choices based on both the process and the outcome.  Some of the ones included may not be the best outcome, but I learned a lot in the process!!

#13 - Tags
I learned SO much about embossing, die cutting, and weights of cardstock from making these.  And they got many compliments from the recipients!

#12 - This one was a real stretch for me.  I am not a pink girl, but was trying to work outside my comfort zone.  I was pleased with the result!

#11 - Not an OWH sketch, but am so grateful for Paula and her Bootcamp lessons.  I learned so much, and really liked the overall effect of the yellow, grey, and black. 

#10 - My all time favorite papers - Amy Butler Lotus.  I'm on my third pad, and am happily looking for another!!!

 

#9 - What's not to love about winning the OWH Blogger Candy?!?!?!

 

 #8 - I am starting to see a trend here.  My favorite cards are showing a lot of reflective papers.  I will have to use them more. 

  

#7 - Santa card front.  I CASE'ed this from a blog post from Sandy.  The fuzzy red paper was hanging out in my craft room just waiting to be made into this card!

  

 #6 - Silver and blue snowflakes.  Shiny metallic theme going on here....

#5 - ODBD Challenge - Dry embossing.  Love this turquoise pearl paper and darker, textured paper.  I didn't have any organza ribbon that matched, so I dyed it using an ink pad.  Perfect!  Have used that technique a lot since I made this card.  Thank you, ODBD, for supporting OWH!

#4 - Inchie Challenge.  I love how this botched card was saved by thinking a little outside the box. 

 

#3 - Twine and embossing.  One of my most complimented Christmas gifts - monogrammed and embossed note cards.  

 

#2 - Things with Wings.  Loving the embossed gold metallic paper with the intricate die cut butterfly. 

#1 - These are basically the same card with different color schemes.  The Christmas card used an SRM sticker, and the purple Smile card was in response to Paula's Let Me Repeat Bootcamp challenge. 

 

 

I am very grateful to all of my friends and family for helping me through this past year. OWH has been a constant source of learning and self expression for me - thank you.  I receive so much more than I can ever give to OWH.  It hasn't been easy, but I have learned how blessed I am.

As a way of starting fresh, my OWH friend Sybrina from Scrapping With Purpose (now There's Always the Other Side) and I have started a new monthly challenge blog.  Join us for Words 2 Scrap By!!! Our first challenge is based on the Sound of Music song My Favorite Things.  In honor of our inaugural challenge - I am offering a My Favorite Things (another great supporter of OWH!) stamp set as blog candy!  All you need to do is become a follower of our new blog (Words 2 Scrap By) to win!  Random.org will choose a winner on January 6, 2014.  You MUST be a follower of Words 2 Scrap By to win.  Thank you!!

OWH Sketch Challenge #205

This week's sketch looks like this:

 

Here is my (loosely interpreted) version:

 

 DCDW Lemon Flower mat stack, Design by Dawn bling, Fiskars sentiment.  Glitter paper is OWH friendly, I did the sweater test!!!

I would like to invite everyone to follow a new challenge blog that my OWH friend Sybrina from Scrapping with Purpose and I are starting as of January 1, 2014.  Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com will be a challenge blog.  Each monthly challenge will be to make a card inspired by words. Inspiration might come in the form of an inspirational quote, a poem, a well-known saying, a famous movie line, a song lyric... Well, you get the idea.  Our first guest I-Team (Inspiration Team) member for January is none other than our own Sandy Allnock!  Thanks, Sandy, for your support in our new venture!

Operation Write Home Sketch #204

This week's OWH sketch looks like this:

Here is my version:

SU! sentiment, Baby Girl Stack, Spellbinder flower die, stash brads and ribbon. 

OWH Mid Week Throw Down - Kid's Love Cards

Romantic cards are easy - but a love card for a child?!?!?  OK, I am up for the challenge.  I scored a sheet of love tags (unknown manufacturer - if you recognize, please let me know) in a grab bag.  I think this one qualifies as a love card for a child!

The wide twill tape is from my OWH goodie box.  I highlighted the frog eyes, the heart and wings, and a few leaves on the background with Glossy Accents.  The olive green layer is a wonderful texture.  CAS and I like it! 

OWH Sketch Challenge #203

This week's challenge looks like this:

Here is my version:

Sizzix texture plate, Spellbinder heart and rectangle dies, satin ribbon from my OWH goodie box.  The card is much prettier in person, I promise!!!  Photos are tough without my computer.  ASUS has had mine since November 8 (it is an ultra book, not even a year old), and still has not fixed the problems.  I will never buy that brand again!!!!

OWH Sunday Sketch 201

This week's sketch:

My version:

I will be so happy to get my computer back this week.  It is really hard to get photos edited and posts written without my normal tools!!  The diagonal stripe paper is textured with a diagonal stripe embossing plate.  Grosgrain ribbon is 1/4" and 1". 

OWH Mid Week Throw Down - Masculine Birthday

This week's challenge is to make a masculine birthday card.

Here is mine:

The Paper Studio Glasses, Staches, and Ties paper, textured with a Fiskars crocodile plate, grey rawhide and layering cardstock from stash. 

OWH Bootcamp - How Does It Feel?

This month's cardmaking  lesson from Paula at Operation Write Home is about texture.  I love using tactile texture on my cards.  I use dry embossing on most of my cards, and wet embossing once in a while.  But Paula brings up another dimension of texture - visual texture that fools the eye into believing that something does have tactile texture, even when it doesn't.

Here is the outcome of my effort to add texture to my card:

My little alien is on a spring, and sits about 1/2" off of his moon.  Can you see his shadow below?  The moon is textured paper with inked edges and epoxy dots for craters.  The background paper is a mottled blue (I didn't have anything that resembles space or stars, but I think this worked), dry embossed with a Darice folder, then inked with white pearl.  The bigger stars are cut from silver paper, and the sentiment is printed using Jokerman font.  The card base is navy on the outside (I know, it looks black), and white on the inside.

Hmm.  I really liked this card, but my husband just walked by and said he doesn't "get" the sentiment.  Thoughts?

OWH Sunday Sketch Challenge #199

This week's sketch looks like this:

 

 Here is my interpretation:

Old DCWV Seasons paper, SU! stamps, Spellbinder dies, Sizzix texture plate.

OWH Sunday Sketch Challenge 197

Better late than never!

Sketch #197 looked like this:

 

 Here is my interpretation:

I swear, I sat down 10 times this week to make this card.  I could "see" it in my head, but got interrupted every time!!!  All supplies from my stash. 

OWH Mid Week Throw Down - Any Hero Christmas

Can I tell you that I LOVE this card and envelope?!?!?  So much that I will be using this layout for my own cards.  Last year, my mother died a few weeks before Christmas, and I just didn't have it in me to send cards.   So this year, cards are even more important for keeping in touch. 

I cut the circles with my Sizzix dies, and used SRM Stickers by the Dozen for the tree and envelope.  Embossed with a Sizzix chevron folder.  The grey looking circles are actually metallic silver.  Just wish I had a LSS where I could buy more of the stickers...

Oh, Snap!!  I forgot that Any Hero cards don't need envelopes.  Guess I will use the envelope for my own Christmas cards!

Our Daily Bread Designs November Challenge - Love Cards

Operation Write Home holiday deadlines are about 2 months in advance.  For example, they need Valentine cards no later than December 31.  Our Daily Bread Designs is challenging card makers to create love and Valentine cards even earlier!

Here is mine:

I embossed the white with a Sizzix texture plate, and layered it on a rich red card base (the card stock is red on one side, and white on the other, eliminating the need for a liner).  Stash organza ribbon and bling, die cuts from Sizzix and Spellbinder, SU! sentiment, patterned papers from Bazzill.  The largest red circle has a great pebble texture. 

OWH Mid Week Throw Down - Stars

This week's challenge is to make a card with stars.  Here is mine:

Love the contrast between the refined gold paper and ribbon with the rustic graft.  Sizzix embossing folder, stash ribbon.  This one is not for OWH.  Christmas card time is past, it is now time for Valentine's!!!

OWH Sunday Sketch Challenge 196

OWH Sketch Challenge #196 looks like this:

 

Continuing on the Mid Week Throw Down for pink and green cards, here is my version:

DCWV Baby Girl Stack, Fiskars sentiment, Offray grosgrain ribbon, We R Memory Keepers corner chomper.  The glittery butterflies are completely covered in a glaze, and I made sure that I didn't cut into the sparkles.  The paper passed that sweater test. 

Mid Week Throw Down Pink & Green

The Mid Week Throw Down challenge at OWH is to make a card with pink and green. 

Papers from DCWV The Carnival Stack.  Chevron embossing folder, Fiskars sentiment, stash metals. 

OWH Sketch #195

 The papers are from a Mary Engelbreit 6x6 paper pack.  My friend Bonnie is a huge fan, and this will be heading her way.  Ovals cut with Spellbinders, paper strip punched with American Crafts Knock Outs.  Satin ribbon from my stash. 

ODBD Challenge - Sentiment Focused Cards

Our Daily Bread Designs issues a monthly challenge to Operation write Home cardmakers.  If 50 cardmakers link up their cards made for their challenge, they will pay the shipping for 2 boxes of cards destined for our heroes!

This month's challenge is to create cards with a sentiment focus. 

Unfortunately, this card can't be used for OWH for two reasons.  First and most important, the lower panel did not pass the glitter sweater test after I cut into it.  It was fine as a whole sheet, but cutting it released bits of glitter.  I think I got it all, but I would rather err on the side of caution.  Secondly, Sandy HATES this sentiment!!!  LOL!

Paper from DCWV Lemon Flower matstack, silver paper from stash, sentiment from TPC Studios, hot fix crystals from Design by Dawn.  OWH Sketch B-22. 

OWH Mid Week Throw Down

The Mid Week Throw Down this week is to make a card that is winter-themed, but not Christmas.  That way, the cards can be used for other holidays, love, thank you, etc.

I experimented with a number of sentiments for the front, but nothing  I tried was quite right, so I added the sentiment to the inside. 

Silver paper and DCWV Winter Magic patterned paper dry embossed with Cuttlebug Snowflake folder, Offray ribbon. 

OWH Sunday Sketch #194

This week's Operation Write Home Sunday Sketch # 194:

 

 DCWV Travel 8x8 stack, SU! Alphabet Soup embossed sentiment, Sizzix crocodile texture plate, stash ribbon. 

OWH Mid Week Throw Down - Nature of Christmas

This weeks challenge is to make a holiday card inspired by nature.

What says winter holidays more than snowflakes?!?!?

Snowflakes from Favorite Findings.  They are shiny silver, and are dimensional.  Patterned paper form DCWV Winter Stack.  Silver paper and ribbon form stash.  Navy card base is white on the inside.   The inside in blank, our heroes can make this card into whatever they want, thank you, non-religious holiday, etc.  They don't have to use it for Christmas. 

Camille Short - you won my blog candy!  Please email me at BobbisTreasure at aol dot com. 

World Card Making Day!!

Welcome to my stop on the Operation Write Home World Card Making Day blog hop!

The challenge is to make a thank you card using an OWH sketch.  I chose #67.

Navy card base (white on the inside), shiny silver layer, followed by patterned papers from the DCWV Winter Magic Stack.  Silver ribbon from stash, sentiment from Fiskars.  I followed Sandy's suggestion to loosely tie the knot, preventing a big lump. I used some dimensional tape under the tag to keep it secure. 

What is a blog hop without candy?  Up for grabs, a set of clear Owl stamps from Fiskars.  Leave a comment with a way to contact you.   I would love it if you would follow me, but it is not required!  I will have Random.org choose a comment on Tuesday. 

OWH Mid-Week Throw Down - Multiples

This week's challenge is to Multiply the Fun.  With the winter holidays rapidly approaching, the OWH deadlines come even faster.  The deadline for multiple holiday cards if OCTOBER 15!!!!!!  Really?!?!  I think I blinked!!!

I will not have a full box to send before the multiples deadline, so I thought I would concentrate on winter thank you cards.  I am sure that many units receive holiday packages, and will want to thank those who sent the packages. 

Here are my cut papers:

And here is one of my finished cards:

Not one of my favorite cards, despite being made from my favorite papers.  Just feel like it is missing something.  Feel free to make suggestions!!  The white strip is pearl paper embossed with the Sizzix Snowflakes texture plate.  Patterned papers are from the DCWV Winter Stack.  The blue circle paper is glittered and embossed (it does pass the sweater test - I checked!).  The card base is blue on one side, white on the inside, with a subtle herringbone pattern.  OWH Sketch #93.  Fiskars sentiment. 

OWH Sunday Sketch Challenge #192

This week's challenge over at Operation Write Home looks like this:

Here is my version:

DCWV 8 x 8 Travel Stack ($3.99 score from Tuesday Morning).  Favorite Findings buttons.