Fun with Patterned Paper and 6x6 Paper Pads

Here are a few of my recent cards. Now that Operation Write Home has closed its' virtual doors, I make cards for friends and those we care about. My sweet husband just loves giving stacks of my cards away!
So here are some simple designs using dies, stamps, cardstock, and patterned paper from my stash.

Cards for Mexico and Spain

A dear friend lives in Mexico City and my son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter have relocated to Spain for a year. So I am making cards with Spanish sentiments.

Here is a recent card per Ana's request:

CS & DSP: Stampin' Up

Oval dies: Sizziz

Banner die: "Classic Ribbons" by poppystamps

Image Stamp: "Wetlands" by Stampin' Up
Sentiment: "Spanish Loving Messages" by Stampendous
Ink: "Coastal Cabana" by Stampin' Up

July ODBD Card Challenge: Thank You

This is the last Our Daily Bread Designs challenge to benefit Operation Write Home. Since the majority of our overseas military heroes are coming home, OWH will no longer accept cards past the end of July. If card makers link up 50 cards this month, ODBD will sponsor two boxes of cards as they have done for years. What a generous organization!
Today I've used Stampin' Up! products to complete a colorful Thank You card. Hope you like it.

The colors are from the 2014-15 catalog (now expired), but the stamp sets are available in the brand new catalog for 2015-16 issued on June 2, 2015.

Ink colors top-to-bottom: Crisp Cantalope, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding, Coastal Cabana

Design Stamp Set: 'Work of Art'

Sentiment Stamp: 'Sassy Salutations'

June ODBD Challenge: Miss You cards

Well, the Operation Write Home crew has almost completed their mission and the final cards for our deployed military are due before August 1st. My box is getting full, but before I seal and send her, I want to join the current Our Daily Bread Designs challenge. If we post 50 cards with a 'I miss you' or like sentiment by the end of the month, ODBD will sponsor 2 full boxes of cards sent overseas.
So here is mine:

Patterned Paper & Aqua CS: Stampin up
Sentiment: Digital stamp from stash
Banner Dies: Sizzix
Clock Stamp: 'Time Capsule' by Fun Stampers Journey
Ink: Memento 'Tuxedo Black'

Any Hero Mail

Working on my final box of cards for Operation Write Home. This incredible organization has been sending quality homemade greeting cards to our deployed military since 2007 for these heroes to write home to family, friends, and loved ones.
I am thankful that I found OWH and have enjoyed every minute of being a part of the group including watching Sandy's videos (Sandy Allnock, Founder and CEO), following the blog hops, and making cards. I have several of these "Any Hero" cards to go in my box scheduled to be mailed the first week of July so the cards arrive long before the August 1st deadline.

I know I speak for everyone involved in OWH when I say how thrilled I am that so many of our military men and women are coming home where they belong. Praying for an end to war and no future need for this type of organization.
Thank you, Sandy, for all your hard work, late nights, endless trips to the post office, and especially your encouragement. We love you and wish the best for you always.

Stars & Stamps Sketch #254

Operation Write Home has challenged us card makers with another great sketch. This one caught my eye and I decided to try it out today.
Happy Mother's Day to all you busy mom's and grandma's. Our son moved across the world to Spain last week :(   Thank goodness for Skype!

I

Now that I see it, I think the card would have been better with a narrow frame of black around the embossed part. I'll just make more!

CS & Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up

Circle, Scalloped dies: Sizzix

EF: Cuttlebug

Banner die: "Classic Ribbons" by Poppy Stamps

Sentiment: Inkadinkado

Ink: "Crisp Cantaloupe" by Stampin' Up

Colorful Birthday Card

Yes, I shamelessly copied a card design from my crafting Pinterest board to make this simple b-day card for my dear daughter-in-law.
The designer patterned paper (reward pack from my demonstrator), cardstock ("In Color" collection), sentiment ("Wetlands"), aqua ink ("Coastal Cabana"), and dark pink ink ("Strawberry Slush") came from Stampin' Up. My new inchie punches came in handy for the squares, and the floral stamp is by Inkadinkadoo ("Meadow" set).

I could create cards like this all day! Fun, colorful, and simple. I'm lovin' it :)

ODBD April Challenge: Masculine cards

Another month means another chance for OWH card-makers to create a card for the Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge! This month we are working on masculine cards. Mine is appropriate for Dad's of all ages and has a longer shelf-life than the "Happy Father's Day" cards. I actually had a completely different design in mind with a digi stamp when I started working at my craft desk today. But it didn't turn out :( So I thought of something else and this is the outcome.

ODBD has generously offered to sponsor up to two boxes of cards to be sent to our deployed military by Operation Write Home. We only need 50 cards and both boxes will ship! Thanks, ODBD!

Rubber Stamp: Inkers-a-way

Black Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Black CS: Black Onyx Pure Luxury by Gina K Designs

Patterned Paper: 'Best Year Ever' set by Stampin' Up

Orange CS: Stampin' Up

Orange Stripe: 'Bicycle Bliss' by Echo Park Paper Co.

Rectangle Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities Deckled Rectangles Small

Banner Die: 'Classic Ribbons' by Poppy Stamps

Letter Stamps (DAD): 'Happy Day' clear stamps (gift with purchase of a UK crafting magazine)

ODBD March Challenge

This month Our Daily Bread Designs has again offered to sponsor up to two boxes of cards sent by Operation Write Home to our deployed military. The challenge is to use a sentiment as the focus of the card. I located odds-and-ends in my paper crafting stash and came up with this design.

A long time ago I learned the fun technique of using several "thank you" stamps in a rectangle on an acrylic block as one unique stamp. I used a variety of stamps from multiple stamp sets and stamped a few sentiments for later use. I found this one in my sentiment box, used patterned paper from my card-sized paper box, added a couple of flourish dies by Sizzix and voila!

Our Daily Bread Designs/OWH Challenge

ODBD generously sponsors mailing up to two boxes of cards to our deployed military monthly via Operation Write Home. This month's theme is add an animal to the card. Here I have used one of my favorite digital stamps from Doodle Pantry.
What a dear, tiny mouse!

Image, Sentiment, Patterned Background: Doodle Pantry
Cardstock: Bazzill
Brad: my stash
Scalloped, Plain Oval Dies: Spellbinders

November ODBD Challenge

A new month brings a new challenge from the generous Our Daily Bread Designs. When 50 card makers post an image of their card according to the current theme at Operation Write Home, ODBD sponsors 2 boxes of cards sent to our deployed service members. This month's theme is HEARTS, so here is my love card:



White, dark red CS: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: unk
Border Punch: ek success
Sentiment: Lawn Fawn (small stamp with online purchase)
Tiny Hearts Stamp: "Tree of Love" by Memory Box
Heart Dies: Impression Obsession
Heart embellishment is raised

S& S Midweek Challenge: Miss You

Operation Write Home needs Missing You cards for our deployed military to send home to their family, friends, and loved ones. I am getting ready to send a box of cards to OWH so created one more to enter this challenge. A CAS card!

DSP: Unknown
CS: Bazzill
Sentiment: "Right at Home" clear stamp set by Hero Arts
Circle Embellishment: Candi by Craftwork Cards

Sketch # 220: Part 2

My first card using this sketch was not a masterpiece. So I made 4 more using only one sheet of double-sided DSP and I love the results. Sorry, but I forgot to check out who produced the patterned paper and now it's too late...

OWH Sketch # 220

This is different! The patterned paper is a scrap I had sitting on my desk waiting for the right card. Sketches are great as a starting point for card-making. I think this sketch would be a good one to use with a 6x6 designer paper pad. I would use contrasting paper instead of the ribbon used here. It looks a bit lumpy in person.

DSP: my stash
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug
Heart Dies: Impression Obsession              
Ribbon: Michaels

S & S Midweek Challenge: Masculine

My LSS had a one day super sale last week where I found this double-sided patterned paper for masculine cards. Perfect timing for this challenge!
The sentiment is raised with dimensionsls.

DSP: 'Lakeside Retreat' from the Trail Mix collection by BoBunny
Distressing ink: Chocolate by TPC Studio
Sentiment: Stampourri
Brad: my stash

ODBD April Challenge: Insects

When I realized that a butterfly is an insect, I was happy to enter this challenge at Operation Write Home.
When I completed creating my daughter-in-law's card for her first Mother's Day, I made this simple card with the leftover patterned paper. The wings are raised with dimensionals.
DSP: Perfect Petals from the Sweet Sentiments collection by Graphic 45
Die: Darla Butterfly by Memory Box

Challenges:
Our Daily Bread Designs: Insects
Bearly Mine Designs: Spring

S & S Midweek Challenge: Father's Day

My Mother's Day cards were more generic Mom cards so they can be used anytime. For Father's Day, I made these specific cards and will get them in the mail before the OWH deadline of April 30th.
The patterned papers including the images are from the Good Ol' Sport collection by Graphic 45, sentiment printed in MS Word using the Urdu Typesetting font. The flat green circle embellishment is a Candi by Craftwork Cards.

Cards for Mom

The Operation Write Home deadline for Mother's Day cards is fast approaching (March 31st). This year I opted to make several "Love You, Mom" cards instead. These can be used for the holiday or anytime of the year since it is always good to send Mom some love.
I purchased this stamp from a catalog last year and was surprised to see how large it was when it arrived. It was meant to be used for moms or sweethearts and I was determined to make it work. After a couple of fails, I settled on this simple design. The image is raised with dimensionals behind the black scalloped frame.

Image: "Deco Lady" by Stampendous
Dies: Spellbinders
Emossing Folder: Cuttlebug
CS: Bazzill
Turquoise Ink: Spectrum Noir
Black Ink: "Tuxedo Black" by Memento
Red Lips: Colored Pencil
Sentiment: "Curlz MT" font printed from MS Word.

S & S Midweek Challenge: Circles

Whoa! It has been too long away from posting. I have been making cards for OWH and dipping a toe into my 2nd hobby, ancestor searching (genealogy).
Just couldn't resist creating this card with circles based loosely on a card featured in a recent OWH video.
The larger circle 2nd from the bottom is raised.

DSP: "Botanical Collection" 6x6 paper pad by Prima Marketing
Heart Image: From the "Create a Cupcake" collection by Stampin' Up
Black CS: Recollections
Circle, Scallop Dies: Spellbinders
Black Ink: Memento

OWH Sketch # 196

Thank you Laurie at Doodle Pantry for sponsoring today's sketch challenge at Operation Write Home!
In honor of my favorite digital stamp site, I have used the Cocoa Cup Ants digi as the focal point on my card.

Image and Sentiment: Cocoa Cup Ants (pre-colored) by Doodle Pantry
CS: Bazzill
Brads: my stash