Thanksgiving Charger Plate

I'm learning how to use vinyl with my Silhouette.  Today I finished making the quote for this charger plate, which comes from Walmart. 

 

The plate is plastic and I used 631 indoor vinyl for the quote.  The file is from a Silhouette Facebook group, so I don't think I can share it.  I'm having fun learning how to vinyl!



Watercolor cards

I found some time to play with my Distress Inks today to make a few thank you cards (always need plenty of those!)  The firs card uses a Hero Arts stamp and a Distress Ink bleed technique from Jennifer McGuire on the sentiment:

It was sooo relaxing to color in the flowers.  I haven't used this stamp in ages, so it was good to pull it out again.

 

On my next card with a banner, I used the weekly Kerri Bradford freebie (Flower in a square) on top of a watercolor background:

It's funny how watercolor backgrounds come out - I started out with an idea of multiple colors, but it just stayed in the orange/yellow scheme, so I went with it!

 

I'm entering this card in the June Mid-month throwdown over at Operation Write Home and of course, I'm adding this to the 30 Day Coloring challenge over at The Daily Marker.

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 



Girl Scout Kaper Chart #2

During the summer, I plan my Girl Scout meetings and trips.  Last year, I made a Kaper Chart for my Daisy Girl Scout meetings which has been pinned many times on Pinterest.  Kapers are basically chores for the girls to do to help out at camp or in meetings. 

 

I don't have a picture of last year's chart, but I made it on a white board, which soon became a chore (no pun intended) to haul back and forth to meetings.

 

This year, I wanted something more portable and did my own take on a kaper chart made from a can, but instead, I used a bucket from Michael's.  I covered it in pink vinyl and sectioned it into quarters for each kaper:

 

 

 

I covered the front of a clothespin with green fun foam and used my Crop-a-dile to punch a hole at the top.  I made the flowers using my Silhouette and used a heart brad to hold the flower onto the clothespin.  This is much easier to take to meetings!

 

I keep the girls names/flowers who aren't assigned a kaper inside the bucket:

 

I hope this idea helps another leader with their kaper chart!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 



30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 8

Woohoo!  I'm absolutely loving the Instagram inspiration for the 30 Day Coloring Challenge The Daily Marker .  There are sooo many talented ladies - it just blows my mind to see their creativity! 

 

I've been making many Thank You cards lately and my latest is a CASE from Jennifer McGuire:

I watercolored the strip with Inktense pencils, then heat embossed the sentiment and dry embossed the card front for some extra interest.

 

Since this is a girly-girly card (gotta say it twice), I'm also entering it into this week's challenge at Cards In Envy .

 

Stay happy!  Monday is almost over!

 

 



June ODBD challenge

It's the second-to-last June ODBD challenge for Operation Write Home, so I had to join in, especially because it was for Missing You cards.  I wanted to make this one masculine, so I used the Deer stamp and papers that have been patiently waiting for me to use them.  Here's what I came up with:

 

The stamp is from Stamps of Life and those are thin buttons - no thick ones for OWH!  I'm also entering this into the Words 2 Scrap By June challenge - It's a Man's World . 

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your weekend was a nice one!

30 Day Coloring Challnge - Day 4

Today it's watercoloring fun!  I'm entering this card in the Pretty Pink Posh Watercolor bloghop.  I wanted to make my mother-in-law a feminine birthday card and I used pretty colors for the background:

 

The sentiment is embossed on a vellum strip and those butterflies are leftovers from another watercolor card I made.  I cut the lattice front on my Silhouette (#590481). 

 

Next time, I think I'll try a more unorganized background and just let the watercolors flow!  Ha ha

 

 

 

30 Day Coloring Callenge - Day 3

I finished my Art Journal page!  It wasn't that hard to get back into making one and I hope to do another one soon.  I used a Silhouette file for the words and the MFT Butterflies stamp set:

There's so much inspiration from this challenge and I'm addicted to the Instagram feed (hashtag #thedailymarker30day2) with the wonderful work people are doing for this challenge.  I'm so inspired by everyone!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

30 Day Coloring Challenge - Day 2

Somedays, I don't have a time to do much coloring and that was definitely today.  I watched Kathy's video and practiced Copic coloring a few butterflies:

 

I usually never use two different colors together, and this was a great lesson for me.

 

I'll use these in my Art Journal layout.  Thanks for stopping by!

 



30 Day Coloring Challenge

I'm happy to play along with Kathy in her 30 Day Coloring Challenge at The Daily Marker.  I'm starting with an Art Journal page, which I love to do, but only do when everything else on my crafty to-do list is done.  I have no shame in admitting that I used Vicky's latest art journal page here as my inspiration and copied her techniques.

 

Since I've got 30 days, I don't have to finish my page tonight because Kathy's idea is to do some coloring every day.  Here's what I've finished so far:

 I applied Tim Holtz tissue paper, then Gesso, and embossing paste for my background.  I stamped the flowers and painted them using acrylic paint.  I've got a quote for the left part of the page, which I'll do tomorrow.

 

So much fun!  Check out the challenge and play along!

 



Masquerade Card class

It's been so long since I had time to create a card and I really have missed it!  I'm taking the latest Online card class - Masquerade - and have really enjoyed the lessons.

 

I made a card from Day 1 of the class and it took me a few tries to get it right.  Here's my two cards, using the positive and negative parts of the word:

 

Now that summer is here, I hope to get back into my card therapy.  With the news that Operation Write Home is shutting down, I've joined the Soldier's Angels group (Soldier's Angels) where I'm supporting the need for cards there. 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 



ODBD Challenge at OWH

One of my New Year's goals was to participate in every ODBD challenge over at Operation Write Home and I missed the February challenge already!  The sad thing is, I had my card ready and just didn't get it posted in time.

 

Today I'll catchup on the February and March challenges.  I made frogs for the Animals challenge; both a his and hers version:

 

These cards are in my comfort zone - papers, layering and die cuts.  I've been seeing so many technique videos that I want to try too and one of them is the Bokeh technique from Splitcoast stampers. I used watercolors in the background and then layered Colorbox white pigment ink on top for the background.  I used a My Favorite Things stamp for the March challenge, which is Sentiments :

And that ribbon technique?  Why, it's by Sandy Allnock from her days as a Ribbonista here: May-Arts.  I use that technique often.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow happiness

This week has been a gloomy one - not a day with sunshine, so I've been dreaming about brighter things, like rainbows.  This month's challenge at Words 2 Scrap by  is "Out like a lion, in like a lamb" which relates to the March weather.  The card I made for this challenge uses a rainbow that I made on my Silhouette and the Bold & Bright Double dot paper from BoBunny:

The card sketch is #192, from Operation Write Home:

 

 

I hope this card brightens your day.  Thank you to Bobbi and Sybrina for letting me join in with the I-team over at Words 2 Scrap By.  Join in this month's challenge!

OWH Sketch #248

When I saw the latest OWH sketch (#248) , all I could envision was....fish.  I guess those circles just sent me into the water.  I cut out some cute fish on my Silhouette, along with a wavy line background and added a digi stamp from The Alley Way:

 

I was going to add small circles for bubbles, but I couldn't find my circle punch, so I used another punch for the at sign punches (is that what you'd call them?)  I'm also submitting this card to the ODBD February challenge, which is animals.

 

I enjoyed the wavy Silhouette file so much that I used it to make a thank you card:

This was a good way to use up leftover strips from a 6x6 pad that I'm trying to "disappear"! 

 

Thanks for stopping by - stay warm!

 

 

 



Catching up with OWH

I've had a busy weekend so far and I managed to fit in some time to make cards and catch up with Operation Write Home challenges.  The first one is today's Team Challenge - make a card using your favorite team's colors.

 

My favorite NFL team is the Carolina Panthers and I love their colors of bright blue, black and white.  I used the Inward Star card Silhouette file #44614 for my card:

Those are letter stickers spelling the word "Thanks" - I have tons of those!  They're about 15 years old from when I started scrapbooking.  It feels good to put them to good use.

 

My next card is for sketch #246 - here.  I bought this chair stamp and had never used it until I made this card!  Unbelievable!

The sentiment is from another stamp set (I don't remember which one right now). 

 

I've also been busy making an art journal page, which can be a slow event.  I have to stop and wait for the gesso, multi-matte medium or embossing paste or whatever to dry, so it's been a work in progress all day, but I'm pretty happy with the result.

 

Well, the big game is tomorrow and I'm pulling for the Seahawks - I love an underdog.  Hope your weekend is going well and thanks for stopping by!

Muse #99

Happy Sunday to you!  When I looked over this week's Muse challenge (#99) , I was inspired by Vicki's use of negative space and knew I wanted to play along.  I found the shape I was looking for in the Silhouette store and put together my card using strips of DCWV glitzy paper that I've been hoarding.

 

I didn't use the red/white theme from the inspiration card, but rather the idea of paper behind a die cut:

It's a bit of a color departure from Vicki's card, but it gave me an idea that I've never done before, which is always a good thing:

Thanks for stopping by!

 



Happy New Year!

I'm enjoying a long weekend to start 2015, fitting in some organizing time, as well as crafting.  One of my monthly goals is to join in the Our Daily Bread challenge at Operation Write Home.  Lately, I've been one of the last card makers to get my card in, so in January, I'm going to be one of the first!

 

Our challenge is to make an AnyHero card.  I looked through my stash of cards and realized that I had no Thank You cards!  Horrors!  I decided not to go with a red/white/blue theme and made this funky card:

Yeah - it's got that 70's vibe, right?  I'm thinking it will be the bright spot in some hero's day when they read it.

 

I made another thank you card with a newer trend on it for this month's You choose the words challenge at Words Scrap By.  I recently joined Instagram, so I get the hashtag craziness, but I had a hard time coming up with just one word to use on a card, so I went with "Thx":

I wanted a masculine card, so I kept it simple and added a few Pearl Pen dots.  The images for both cards today were made using my Silhouette.  I use my Silhouette so much that it needs a new blade and I'm going to take the plunge and switch that out today.

 

The football playoffs are starting today and I'm cheering for the Carolina Panthers! 

 

Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by! 



My top 5 for 2014

Happy New Year!  I'm hopping along in the OWH Top Cards of 2014 and will enjoy seeing the "best of" everyone's cards for the year!  I selected five cards which were selected in challenges throughout the year. It was a great feeling to be recognized and it's because I've learned so much from Sandy A., OWH tutorials and the many cardmakers that are part of OWH.  Here's my five:

 

 



Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge: Balloons

 

Cardz TV: Thank You

 

My most pinned card!

 

Muse #72 - Honorable Mention

 

Words 2 Scrap By - From darkness to light

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy the bloghop!