More Soldier Cards...

How's this for timing?? I got this wonderful information today from the folks at Hero Arts and was wowed at the timing! I'll be looking to make more cards asap and wanted to pass along links to anyone interested in making their own cards for our own American heros serving the USA far from home. This drive is for blank cards the troops can send home. What a great idea!! I plan to donate some of my challenge cards that are piling up on my work table. How about you?

If you'd like to join Hero Arts for a weekend of cardmaking September 10-12, 2010 check out out the blog mid-page HERE.

Here are some great links if you'd like to join Operation Write Home (OWH):
- Operation Write Home
- OWH Birthday Bash
- Hero Arts Blog
- Important Guidelines
- OWH on Facebook

Soldier Cards

My day at the work table making a few cards for my dil Michelle and her co-workers collection destined for soldiers serving in Iraq was productive. I finally used my Songbird cartridge for the Cricut too. It was rewarding to use a number of sheets I had hanging around here that I just couldn't figure out how to use...you know the ones that look like they're meant to be a scrapbook background page? The thought came to me that maybe I wasn't seeing it because they were more masculine looking than I usually use and wow, what better way to use them! I hope they look okay for sending to mostly male soldiers so far from home.

These 4 simple cards are a perfect starting point for me. I hope they work for Michelle & co.!

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge

This week's theme at Simon Says is "GIFT", not a hard one since I was planning to make this for a friend who is retiring at the end of the month.

I made Dona a set of 12 note cards and box figuring she'll need some extra thank you notes. This is the first time I've tried making flowers and was surprised it is easy. I used a punched 1.5" scalloped circle for these. Each flower is antiqued with a lavendar cat's eye stamp pad and has a faux crystal center. The cardstock is mostly SEI's Bridgeport collection. I folded the box with my MS board and was disappointed that the cardstock split when folded on the long sides which I tried to disquise it by antiquing the edges of the box. The decorated flap conceals a small circle of self-adhesive velcro.

All That Scraps & Flutter By Wednesday Challenges

This sweet little pumpkin fairy is a digital stamp by CC Designs from ATS. I used by graphics program to resize the image and add a sentiment for my granddaughter. My thought is I'll send her $5. so she can go with Mommy & Daddy to buy her own Halloween pumpkin but then again, maybe grandma will get to take her since a new baby brother or sister will be joining the family about 2 weeks before Halloween!!!

For this card I: colored the image with copic markers and highlighted it with a Sakura white med. pt. marker. The wings were "bling-ed" with diamond Stickles and the sentiment was embossed with a clear gel pen. I antiqued the edges of the card which I drew a border box around in my graphics programs and layers on a square of yellow distressed cardstock. The Flutter By challenge was: 3 buttons, 2 papers, & sparkle...I think this fills all the requirements. I added a few orange & yellow silk flowers, papers, & some dotted ribbon from my old stash to complete the card.
I added my first blog blinkie earned for one of my cards! It was bestowed on me from Flutter By for my fun little birthday Butterfly Tilda...I'm very thrilled and thankful to FBW.

Both of the above challenges end today! Winners & new challenges are announced on Wednesdays each week.

New Challenge at Simon Says...

Yes, you guessed the theme here is all things Tim Holtz! I love this one and will be off plotting what I can come up with that fills the bill. I love altered art so this shouldn't be too much of a stretch for me. Look at the awesome prize provided by Simon Says for the random winner:

Hurry over and enter...this ends Sunday, 8/29 at midnight.

Off to create...

1000 Sheets of Paper

Honestly, I learn so much blog hopping everyday! Today's find is the 1000 Sheets of Paper blog candy here and Pure Innocence stamps & digis so...this blog hopping stuff is a good thing. I love it when I find something new to love. Be sure to click the title line to visit and enter the blog candy giveaway by September 4th.




I have this terrific pal who is a good friend of a good friend, for about 30 years, named Dona. Lately, Dona and I and her super DH, Bobby, have been enjoying beads and have attended 3 huge shows in the Wilmington & Philly area. My hopes are to start making some serious items soon AND I've got to get these great bracelets listed in my Etsy.com store soon. Email me or comment here if you're interested in one...I'm only charging $10. per bracelet and they are smashing with so many charms!

My new digi discovery would is the wonderful Pure Innocence collection by Heather Ellis. I bought 5 digi stamps today since they're having a super sale and I could pay with Paypal. Do yourself a favor and check them out soon!

My kiddos are coming by for homemade Italian pasta & pea soup so I've got to run for now!!

Amazing Pencil Carvings and BAF is BACK!!

You won't believe these amazingly tiny carvings. Be sure to click the title above to see more facinating mini sculptures.

I'm thrilled to report after a year hiatus the Brandywine Arts Festival is back on September 11th & 12th. This has been a destination of mine for many, many years. I was an exhibitor 3 years when my kids were small before moving on to sculpting and attending/exhibitingat trade shows on either coast. I have always hoped to someday come back to this show and who knows now that it's back...I just might have a chance!

Click here to go to the BAF website.

Song Inspired!

"Scrapbooks, Etc." is having a challenge! Bring on your favorite song and incorporate it into a scrapbook layout. If you post it by October 12 in their assignment gallery...you've got a shot of being published in their magazine. How cool would that be?? Check out the rules, etc. by clicking the title of this post and have lots of fun.

I'd love it if you add a comment here with a link to your blog where my visitors can see your entry!

Spotted Canary Contest...Thrifty & Recycle

Here is the beginning of a recycled mini hatbox! I used a spent roll of Scotch package sealing tape as my base.



I lined the inside and bottom of the roll with leftovers of lavendar solid paper, the outside with remanents of a cardmaking project, Basic Grey's Wisteria cardstock (3 circles make the bottom, 2 strips for the lining/exterior). To construct the lid, I cut 3 circles (1 chipboard, 2 c/s), 2 strips (1 c/b, 1 c/s). 2 holes are punched on the lid rim & a small length of green ribbon for a handle and voila'...a mini hatbox!!
Of course, the 3 mulberry paper rose leaves and handmade hydrangeas are icing on the cake. The hydrangeas were made using Martha Stewart's hydrangea punch that has 3 petals. I added a little pink & lavendar Flower Soft to the centers. For the lid flowers, I was inspired by Ellen Hutson's Classroom tutorial from Susan Tierney Cockburn which can be seen HERE.

Vote for my outfit in the Create Your Own TangerSTYLE Contest!

Vote for my outfit in the Create Your Own TangerSTYLE Contest!

Triple Challenge...Oh my!!

Here's my 5.5" square card interpretation of the wonderful Dawny P. sketch for challenge #68 which I will enter at #68 Just Magnolia, #3 Totally Tilda and Flutter By Wednesday also:



This is the sketch I followed for this card:

The recipe:
-5.5" square purple card
-Basic Grey Wisteria & misc. solid scraps of cardstock
-Neenah solar white centerpiece background cardstock
-Anna Griffin lavendar stamp pad (centerpiece background images)
-Color Box wisteria stamp pad (antique cardstock edges)
-Offray 5/8" wire-edge lavendar ribbon
-Brass butterfly stamped charm from my vintage stash of charms
-Diamond Stickles to highlight wings & back ground
-Copic markers

Stamps used: Magnolia Butterfly Tilda, G Studio i.Cling Hydrangea, Basic Grey Hydrangea, TPC sentiment

Hurry...Just Magnolia challenge ends 8/19 at 8 pm UK! Flutter By ends Tuesday evening August 17th! Totally Tilda starts new on the 2nd Sunday and you can enter up to 4 times per month. Flutter By is a weekly Weds. challenge.

Mojo Monday #151

Missed Mojo Monday last week as well as a lot of others...will try again! The good news is I have a number of August birthdays so I'll be in good shape for birthday cards.

So here we are and finally a card to submit to the Mojo Monday challenge! Mine is a little weak because I'm really not up to par making cards for little boys. It is definitely different. I hope my 2 year old great nephew likes his b'day card! Party time this coming Sunday for little "O"!!

Supplies: 5.5" square blue card, yellow cardstock, 2 patterned papers, border punch, green oval, Nestabilities scalloped oval handstamped with Stampin Up vintage set. Orange gingham check ribbon, 2 Button Ups, 1 Mullberry blue/white daisy, unknown green frog head charm & green saftey pin. Sentiment & frog were coated with clear dimensional coating to glaze. Sentiment was created by me and antiqued with green stamp pad.