SBC - Sketch #386

Here is my page for Scrapbook Challenges sketch #386. The papers are from Stampin' Up! and I used MDS software to put everything together. This picture was taken in Japan from our room at the Biwako Hotel.

OWH - Sketch #218

Here is this week's card for Operation Write Home's sketch #218 (not #118). Instead of using the center layer as shown in the sketch, I cut strips of green cardstock and adhered them to the vanilla background. All of the cardstock and the faux brads are from Stampin' Up!

Card Swap - March

This month's card swap, as well as the remaining card swaps for the year, will not have a specific technique or theme. Just an FYI if you'd been following along with last year's monthly techniques and swaps.

For this card I actually had over a dozen of these cool sun guys stamped and colored and I thought the image would look great over some heavily embossed and coordinating paper. I finished the card by using my air spritzer (again) to add a touch of gold ink before I adhered the sentiment which I thought went well with the clocks in the background. Hope you like it.

OWH - Sketch #217

Happy Spring! Here is this week's card for Operation Write Home's sketch #217. The focal point for my card is a tag that I recycled from my husband's jeans. I distressed the tag and used the banner to cover up the name of the jeans. In looking at the other cards that have been posted ... I hope I have gone too far out of the box.

OWH - Sketch #216

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here is this week's card for Operation Write Home's sketch #216. I used a digital frame cluster from suzyqscraps as the focal point for my card; the circle in the background being a replacement for the oval in the sketch.

OWH - Sketch #215

Here is this week's card for Operation Write Home's sketch #215. Most of the elements on this card have been recycled from other cards that I've been sprucing up for donation to OWH. I'm up to 50 cards so far. Hope you have a great Sunday.

SBC - Sketch #383

Here is this week's page for Sketch #383 from Scrapbook Challenges. The photo is from Christmas but seemed to work perfectly in a circular shape. The papers and the burlap are from Stampin' Up!

OWH - Sketch #214

For this week's sketch ... I went way outside of the box to create this card. Instead of using multiple strips of paper I used a striped embossing folder on white cardstock. I originally placed the bow over the patterned paper and had planned to leave the top of the card plain but it looked unfinished. So, I broke out my stencils and the air spritzer and went to town. I moved the bow up to cover the gap between the stenciled image and the patterned paper and finished it off with a sentiment that seemed to go well with the card.

SBC - Sketch #382

Here is this week's page for Scrapbook Challenges sketch #382. Kobi is our rescue dog from Labrador Rescuers. She was found wandering the streets of San Bernardino and looked absolutely horrible but as you can see she cleans up nicely and has turned out to be a wonderful girl. I used Stampin' Up's MDS software to create the page. The title was a freebie from Salt Town Studio.

Tim Holtz - 12 Tags of 2014 (Mar)

Here in California we are getting our first major storm of 2014. So Tim's tag for March was perfect timing (i.e., we can't wait for Spring). I used Stampin Up's "Botanical Gazette" paper with the bird as the base for my tag and added feathers from the "Fine Feathers" set (both retired). I applied several colors of SU markers to the bird image and used the SU air spritzer with Tim's burlap stencil for the pattern at the top of the tag. The yarn and the ribbon are SU as well.

OWH - Sketch #213

Here is this week's card for Operation Write Home's Sketch #213. The background cardstock is from Graphic 45 and the stamp is from Stampin' Up's Pinch Proof set.

OWH - Sketch #212

Here is this week's card for Operation Write Home's sketch #212. The leprechaun is from Stampin' Up's "Pinch Proof" set. The gold ink was applied using an air spritzer.

 

SBC - Sketch #380

Happy President's Day Weekend! Here is this week's page for Sketch #380 from Scrapbook Challenges. Since we haven't had snow here in California since mid December I decided to live vicariously through my nephew as he took the official snow measurement in Virginia. A whopping 16 inches and counting.

OWH - Sketch #211

Here is this week's card for Operation Write Home's sketch #211.  I distressed the cardstock with ink and water and used my air spritzer to add brown and chalk splatter. 

SBC - Sketch #378

I recently discovered Scrapbook Challenges and started following their weekly sketches. Here is a digital page that I put together for Sketch #378 using Stampin' Up's MDS software. The background image was a free download.

OWH - Sketch #210

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Here is this week's card for Operation Write Home's Sketch #210. This week I decided to go digital for a change and tried to keep the card somewhat masculine. I hope you like it.

Tim Holtz - 12 Tags of 2014 (Feb)

Here is my take on Tim's tag for February. To achieve the chalkboard look I stamped on black cardstock using white craft ink and then rubbed chalk over the stamped image. I finished the edges with faux stitching using Stampin' Up's new chalk marker. I used the same chalk marker and SU's air spritzer tool (retired) to add little white speckles to simulate chalk dust. The silver accents were cut from HVAC tape using the adorning accents edgelits die and matching embossing folder.

Card Swap - Ghosting Technique

Here is this month's swap for the Ghosting Technique. Instead of embossing the background with  clear embossing powder, I took a shortcut and used craft cardstock that was already embossed. After sponging on Stampin' Up! Rhabarberrot ink, I wiped the surface with a clean paper towel to remove the ink from the embossed areas. I then applied two different widths of tape down the length of the card and attached a stamped and punched heart with Stampin' dimensionals.

OWH - Sketch #209

Happy Sunday! Here is my card for Operation Write Home's sketch #209. I continued last week's theme by using scraps from a previous project. Hope you enjoy my interpretation.

Ghosting Technique

For those of you that are following my blog, you know that I participate in a monthly technique card swap. This month's technique is called Ghosting and involves embossing with clear embossing powder followed by inking the cardstock and removing the excess ink to create an effect called Ghosting. Pretty cool effect!

OWH - Sketch #208

Hope you're enjoying your holiday weekend. Here is this week's card for Operation Write Home's sketch #208. This week I used leftover Graphic 45 supplies from a mini book kit I purchased from Scrapscription.

Monster Hugs

Your kids will love giving these cute monsters away to their friends and classmates for Valentine's Day. Buy them the cutest valentines around. Only available for a limited time. Comes with 18 boy or 18 girl monsters, 18 googly eyes and 18 adhesive hearts. Only $5.95.

OWH - Sketch #207

Happy Sunday! For this week's sketch from Operation Write Home I recycled some unused cardstock elements from last week's card and added a butterfly that I had saved from a Hallmark thank you card.

OWH - Sketch #206

Happy New Year and welcome to another year of cards made from Operation Write Home sketches. I have to admit that I really struggled with this week's sketch. I think it was partially due to the fact that I didn't have any fancy circle cutters or dies but mostly because everyone else's cards were so darn cute. Just when I was ready to give up I found this scrunched up piece of paper, tossed out my layered pieces and voila, done.

Sketch 33

Here is my page for Shimelle's latest Sketch to Scrapbook Page :: Putting One Photo Centre Stage. For this layout I used a black and white photo of the Tokyo skyline with a focus on the Tokyo Skytree. I found the silhouette of the tower and the map of Tokyo online and used Stampin' Up! MDS software to create the page.