My Missing Puzzle Piece

 I make a lot of love cards, but not many Valentines.  Cards for Soldiers can use love cards all year, not just in February.  The Color Throwdown inspiration is perfect for this type of card!

Kraft background layer, Berry Burst, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink paper for the puzzle, stash ribbon.  

Valentine and Love Cards 4 Kids

Happy New Year!!  Time for a brand new monthly challenge here at Send a Smile 4 Kids! Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, the challenge is to create Valentine and Love Cards 4 Kids. These are cards that would be appropriate for a parent or hospital staff member to give to an inpatient child/tween/teen. However, ANY kid/teen/tween-appropriate card can be linked up for the monthly challenge and will be eligible for Top Three recognition.  Be sure to link up your creation on the SAS4Kids blog.  

Is this pup from Great Impressions adorable?  I fussy cut and paired him with an ancient piece of Boxer paper, and embossed it with a Darice Paw Prints folder.  

Fun Fold Card

I haven't used my Triple Circle Card Making Die in a long time, and thought it was perfect for the Try Stampin On Tuesday challenge:

Older Bazzill patterned paper, some smaller die cuts, and a pretty pink, grey and cream color palette make for a great love card.  I think it answers the sketch nicely:

Clean and Simple

Fab Friday has a sketch challenge:

I paired a beautiful paper from DCWV Taj Mahal with shiny gold for this:

I made another one with the same stack, but used a patterned metallic gold paper:

Come play along with us at Words 2 Craft By for our Heroes challenge!!

Hearts on Fire

Shopping Our Stash has a Hearts on Fire challenge this week.  Here's mine:

Older Fiskars sentiment.  The hearts were cut with an American Crafts baby girl patterned paper a coordinating solid pink.  I hope to get back to blogging now that life seems to have slowed down from the holidays!   Be sure to stop by Words 2 Craft By for our Hope challenge!

Washi Washi Washi

Shopping Our Stash has the challenge Washi Washi Washi.  Anyone else thinking Brady Bunch?!? 

I am a bit of a washi tape hoarder buyer.  This white and silver set by Recollections is my most recent purchase.  Love the contrast with the red paper and ink!!

Shake It Up

The Paper Girls Challenge #164 it to Shake It Up.  

Pink parchment paper die cut with a Sizzix heart, tiny punched hearts, vellum window.  I layered the "love" three times using a Lawn Fawn die.  I really like this pink and grey combination for a love card!

W2CB #43 - Keep Love in Your Heart

Hi, everyone! Here is the June/July Words 2 Craft By Challenge. Come play along with us through July 5.  This month's words come to us from Oscar Wilde.

Keep love in your heart. 

I made 2 different versions of the same card - I had trouble deciding which one I liked best!

Which one do you like better?

Love you!

Lots of love/heart/Valentine challenges this month. 

I am sharing this with The Paper Girls With Heart challenge and Cards in Envy Be My Valentine challenge.  Words 2 Craft By has a Mardi Gras Celebration challenge going on - come join us!!

OWH Sketch 258

The Sketch and my version:

Come play with Sybrina and me at Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com, a monthly challenge blog from a couple of OWH cardmakers!

Fun with Border Punches

I am trying to step out of my comfort zone by participating in more challenges and using unfamiliar tools and techniques.  

One of the least used tools in my scrap room?  Border punches.  The MFT Stamp Shop challenge is to use more than one border punch.  What a great combination for me - new to me challenge blog, and an unfamiliar tool!!!

I can't resist linking up to the House Of Cards Love challenge also!

Martha Stewart punches, TPC Studios sentiment.   Groundhog Day is tomorrow, and the February Words 2 Scrap By challenge starts today!  What does one have to do with the other?  Come play with us and see!!

Love is in the Air....

This post got lost in cyber space - my apologies! 

February and Valentine's day are close at hand, and love cards are everywhere!  I am not a girly girl, hearts and flowers just don't excite me.  Operation Write home is always in need of love cards and masculine cards, and I think this one meets both needs!

The kraft and black papers are from my paper stash.  I stamped the key background with a 1.5" interlocking stamp from the Lovebirds set from SEI.  The hemp cord is from my beading stash (remember - I am a serial crafter!), and the sentiment is from Cloud 9.

Groundhog Day is coming, and so is the February Words 2 Scrap By challenge!  Come play with us!!

I linked this card to:
The Card Concept: Challenge #27 LOVE.   The style is clean and layered.
House of Cards February Challenge:  Love
AAA Cards: Game 32 Love Love Love

Mod Squad Challenge - Special Fold Card

The Mod Squad challenge this week is to create a card with a special fold.  A bit outside of my comfort zone, but I guess that is what challenges are about!

Here is mine:

Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, Clearly Defined heat embossed sentiment, Sizzix Creatopia heart die.  Not perfect, but I learned a lot.  Thinking it needs some bling...  Be sure to check out the Words 2 Scrap By January challenge!!!

OWH Sketch Challenge #244

We have a new sketch hostess!!!   I will miss Marlene's fun posts, and am so excited for Sybrina, our new hostess!  She has some big shoes to fill, but I am sure she will do a great job.  Sybrina is my dear friend and cohort in our Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com challenge blog.  

This week's sketch and my version:

Our Daily Bread Designs challenge this month is to make a card with primary colors.  I think this one qualifies!  I used a mish mash of products.  Patterned paper from Bazzil, die cut from Provocraft, sentiment from Our Baily Bread Designs.  Red card base, button and floss from my incredible Marti stash.  Trying to make a few love cards to send to OWH before the end of the year. 
 
Don't forget to play along with our Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com December Challenge - Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!!!

Red Friday and Small Business Saturday

Today is Small Business Saturday, when we are encouraged to shop local, small businesses.  I shopped at a LSS only a few miles from my house.  I want to like that store - I really do.  They have a good selection, the prices are competitive with on line sources.  I had a friend shop with me once.  She didn't like it either, even without me telling her how I felt about the place.  I go in a few times a year, hoping to feel welcome, or at least not unwelcome.  Maybe next time.

I did buy a great Spellbinders Cascading Hearts die.  I saw how Sharon used a background die on her card on the OWH Red Friday blog hop, and wanted to try one for myself.

For my first try, I die cut the white, backed with with black, and mounted onto a red card base.  Corners rounded with my 1/4" We R Memory Keepers chompers.  Sentiment heat embossed.  I like it, but it just didn't have a wow factor for me.  A die that pretty should be on a card with a wow factor!  On to round 2...

 I layered the white die cut onto mirror paper, then onto a red base.  I added a Cuttlebug die cut sentiment.  The picture does not show how fabulous the second card is!  I will be making more of these for OWH during their winter card lull, as it could be used for Valentine's Day or just a general love card.   Your thoughts?

OWH Mid-Month Throwdown - Winter Love You

The mid-month throwdown is to create a love card with a winter theme.  Here is mine:

The DCWV Winter Stack background paper is purple snowflakes, embossed with a snowflake embossing folder.  The sentiment is a sticker from Doodlebug Designs.  Hearts from  Marvy punch. 

Only one more week to play along with the November Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com challenge - Gratitude!  

OWH WCMD Love Challenge with Blog Candy!!

Operation Write Home is hosting a Love Card blog hop for World Card Making Day. 

Here is my offering:

Vellum embossed with Darice folder, sentiment and hearts stamped on white, layered on a dark red base, tied with red satin ribbon.

If you are making cards for OWH, remember that many of our deployed heroes are coming home, and follow the new guidelines HERE. 

Hop back to OWH HERE. 

Leave a comment - with your contact information - for a chance to win this stamp set!

This month's challenge at Words2ScrapBy.blogspot.com is Paved with Paw Prints - all about our furry friends!  Check it out!

Added Note: I have received a few questions about embossing on vellum.  Most vellum will crack when embossed with a folder.  To keep it from cracking, I add a piece of medium weight card stock to the embossing sandwich.  Problem solved!

OWH Mid Week Throw Down - So Punny!!!

The OWH Mid Week Throw Down is to create a "punny" card.  Not really my style, I guess I have not figured out how to include humor in my cardmaking.  But that is what these challenges are about, right?  Stretching our skills and styles?!?!? 

Here is my effort:

Hero Arts fundraiser image and sentiment.  Doodle Pantry Day to Day designer paper.  Darice clouds embossing folder.  Stash ribbon and stars. 

One more week to participate in the Words 2 Scrap By Olympic Challenge!!!

OWH Sunday Sketch Challenge 210

This week's challenge sketch and my version:

I am loving my Cuttlebug die.  I even added a sentiment to the inside:

Check out the February Challenge over at Words 2 Scrap By  - Colours of the World - the Olympic flag!!!  Here is my sample card for the challenge:

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!