Continued Stamp set usage - Lots of Thoughts

I started out trying to go through the alphabet of my Stampin Up set, but from time to time I get diverted.  Mostly because of making cards for OWH that tend to be focused on holidays.   Here is a card that I made using Lots of Thoughts.  A very nice stamp set.   I have to say that I'm enjoying dusting off some of these sets.  I have so many nice sets and I need to stop (yes, I said STOP) buying new and use what I have...

So here is my card that I made

this layout was from a blog here I love these layouts and there sure do make card making easy.

Have a great day! 

Operation Write Home Sketch #161

Details on the sketch can be found here

Here is my card

this is an old Hero Arts stamp and a cheap sentiment stamp I got at Michael's.   I don't remember where I got the paper, I'm sure it is a couple of years old. 

President's Day VCMP things with wheels

The blog hop post is here

So here is my entry

I also used Sketch 117 from Operation Write Home that was mentioned in today's Design Boot Camp learning about focal points.

One card and two entries to blog posts!!! 

Oh, and I did use my Stamp-a-ma-jig on the letters but it was an afterthought and the focal point is raised, so it caused a little bit of an issue with the line up. Obviously I want the Mustang to be the focal point

I've come to realize that I don't have any stamps (large) that are for Father's Day.  I have some coupons that I may have to use to make Father's Day cards.

Happy President's Day! 

Operation Write Home Sketch #160

Here is the sketch for this week

 

 

and here is my card.  I'm making this for a friend that is finishing up her treatments this week for breast cancer.  She likes this saying so I decided to make a card and then decided to use it for this challenge.

the paper is a 6x6 My Mind's Eye paper pack from Michael's.  The off white base is Bazzill Walnut Cream.

The hardest part of this card was creating the saying in a word processing program and getting it spaced how the original is.

I really like this layout and it's perfect for those paper pads!

For those of you that have tomorrow off for President's Day, have a great day! 

Operation Write Home Sketch 159

See the sketch here


and my rendition

The stamp is from Whipper Snapper, sentiment is Gina K and the paper and ribbon is a hodge podge of companies.   Of course I used "nesties" too!!

Operation Write Home

This card is for OWH Sketch challenge #158 and OWH and Our Daily Bread Designs February Challenge .  I had this apple paper for quite some time and have not used it.  When the fruit was mentioned, I knew this would be perfect. 
The sentiment is a clear set from Hero Arts Fancy Basics.  I wanted a larger sentiment set and this fit the bill with some very basic sayings.

Here is the card

The buttons are Sizzix Buttons #5. The buttons look huge and must be the angle of the picture, cause they really aren't that big.

Purrfect Diversion

Another diversion from my alphabetic tour through my Stampin Up sets.  This is a retired set that I bough and hardly used.  I love cats and wanted this set, but then for some reason, just never used it.  I have a friend that is having a birthday and she likes (not love) cats.  I thought I would ink this one up and for her birthday.

So here it is.. The cardstock is Stampin Up, the designer paper is We R Memory Keepers, and I used watercolor paper for the actual image. 

Inside I stamped the birthday sentiment and tried something that I see alot on blogs but just don't take the time to try, but decided to do it for this card.

So the inside of the card just has the top part of the cat (uncolored) and some other designer paper that I found in my stash.

Not every exciting... but for me it is way outside my "box".

I like this set well enough that I need to use it and make more cards with it for Operation Write Home for those soldiers that know people who are cat fanatics!!

Sidekick Sayings (2) Christmas edition

Continuing on with the Stampin Up set, Sidekick Sayings, this is the Christmas stamp.

I used Crystal Effects on the bulbs but it was hard to get just a little.  Some of the dots were way too much.   The cardstock already had the scalloped edge.  It is something that I won a couple of years ago at Archiver's.    I had some left and thought I would use it for this card and try to use it up this coming holiday season.

One more stamp to go  in the Sidekick Sayings... stay tuned.

Operation Write Home & Sidekick Sayings (1)

This card I made for Operation Write Home Sketch #156 and decided to use one of the Sidekick Sayings stamps (Stampin Up retired).  Although I was suppose to work my way through the alphabet, this particular sketch would work for this elongated stamp. I had taken a little break from posting on this blog to get my cards made for Operation Write Home before the postal rates go up.

Until next time..

Around and About - Part One

Next is Around and About from Stampin Up!   You can see the set here. 

I'm working on St. Patrick's Day cards for Operation Write Home.  I decided to combine projects.  Here is the first card

As most of you know when you are going to "mass" produce cards the first one is your beta and the rest tend to get adjusted.  Note that I used another Stampin Up product... I stamped the base with the background stamp Canvas.


This is another stamp from Around and About as well as the background stamp Geometric.  I ran the shamrock through the Swiss Dots folder.

I think that is is for this stamps set.  This may be one that will go on the "for sale" list at the end of this all. 

Next up will be the set "A Little Love"

Alphabet Soup Complete!!

For anyone that is following, I have completed my first task.  I had wanted to start alphabetically with my stamp sets and use each one of them throughout the year.   I got diverted on a few challenges, but so far so good.  The Alphabet Soup was a little different because it had 4 different sentiments and I wanted to use each one.

So here is the final installment of Alphabet Soup the "Jingle All the Way" stamp.  

Stay tuned for the next stamp set...... it will start with an A! 

Operation Write Home Sketch #155 & Alphabet Soup Part 3

Here is my submission for the Operation Write Home Sketch #155, you can find the details here

The stamp is a retired set from Stampin Up! (Alphabet Soup).  You can see other stamps from this set in previous posts.    The paper is from Archiver's, ink is SU (Cherry Cobbler) and Ranger (Black Soot).  The sentiment is from the OWH Hero Arts set "Year Round Sentiments". The heart is from the Hero Arts stamp set "Cute Hear" that comes with a die.

This was a pretty easy lay out, so I think I will make a few of these and put them in the box I am working for St. Patrick's Day and Easter.... time is wasting away.

Have a great week! 

Challenges ...

In efforts to continue to make cards and use my stamps sets..... I decided to explore a challenge list found here.

I had a Penny Black stamp and found a challenge that would work well for it. 

Then a sketch challenge and came up with this card.  I used white enamel for the dots and it came out a little heavier than what I wanted, but it still turned out fine.

The cardstock is Stampin Up and the designer paper is Echo Park So Happy Together.

I am amazed at the various challenges out there....... how does one keep up with it all?

Operation Write Home Sketch #154

The first sketch for 2013! 

This is all Stampin Up paper, Very Vanilla base, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink and then scalloped squares of Sending Love Designer paper.  The ribbon is Stampin Up as well.

The stamp is Hero Arts Cute Heart that includes a die to cut out the heart.

Hope you had a great weekend! 

A diversion from Alphabet Soup

I'm working on St. Patrick's Day cards for Operation Write Home. During a year-end sale I purchased a digi from Bugaboo stamps.  Actually I purchased several (because they were 50% off), this is a card that I created with "Stella" for St. Patrick's Day.

 

 

The ribbon doesn't quite go with the paper, but it has the various colors..... so I went with it.

 

Stella is one of my favorite characters at Bugaboo, you should check their digi's out here

 

Hope you had a good weekend. Tomorrow it is back to work on Stampin Up's Alphabet Soup!

 

 

 



Alphabet Soup - Part Two

This is the "Happy Birthday" stamp from Alphabet Soup, part of a retired set from Stampin Up!   This did not turn at all how I planned, I think I was distracted by this and that and just didn't plan it out well.... which I why I do so much better with sketch challenges.

So, today I had quite the surprise, I was unable to upload this picture from my PC, so with a little google-help, I had to upload this picture to Picasa web album then use that as my "source".

After doing some searching it seems that other people had this happen to them "overnight".  There were many suggestions of upgrading browsers etc, but because I use my computer for work, I always have to worry about compatibility.  So this will work until the next hurdle.

Along with using stamps sets..... I'm attempting to use other supplies that I have accumulated.  I don't want to be on the next episode of hoarders.   I have lots of Spellbinder dies too, this is Lacey Squares.

This weekend  hope to get quite a bit of crafting done.  My husband is going to Green Bay for the playoff game.  While he is shivering, I will be hopefully working on cards for St. Patrick's Day and Easter for Operation Write Home.  I hope to also work more on this blog...

Tomorrow... the next episode of Alphabet Soup....


Until then..

Alphabet Soup

My resolution is/was to begin with A and work my way through my stamp sets.  I will NOT say how many Stampin Up sets I have... let's just say, I have a bunch.  Earlier I posted a card using "All The Best" you can find that card here

Alphabet Soup has 4 stamps, the first one I am posting is "Thank You".  The paper is from a wonderful 6x6 pad called So Happy Together from Echo Park Paper you can see the entire pad samples here

The ink I used on the sentiment is an old color Soft Sky.  I decided to pop up the "u" in black and then some little flower brads.  Once again, I have a TON of stuff that I don't use.  Perhaps blogging will help me use some of my stash as well as get use to blogging.  

Tomorrow (hopefully) will be part two of Alphabet Soup...... what will the next one be? Here is an index for Alphabet Soup

Happy New Year!

It's 2013 and like everyone else I have made a resolution.  On New Year's Day, I spent some time reorganizing and cleaning up my office/craft room.  I have LOTS of stamp sets and some of them, sad to say probably have never been "inked".  A friend of mine posted some old sets on a local on line garage sale site which made me think perhaps I should "purge" some of my stamp sets.   But before I do that I thought maybe I should get reacquainted with those sets.

So ..... I alphabetized my stamp sets (holiday sets not included) and made the resolution to use each one of the stamp sets.... starting with A. I will coordinate it with a sketch challenge, and the stash the cards in the box for Operation Write Home. Oh and this one qualifies for the Midweek Throwdown at Operation Write Home for spring flowers, okay... it's a flower maybe not really a spring flower!

Starting with my Stampin' Up sets

The A's are:

All the Best
Alphabet Soup
Around and About
A Little Love


First up is All the Best, a retired Stampin Up set.  I used sketch #153 for this from Operation Write Home.  It is hard to see, but "Thanks" is heat embossed. This will go into my box with other thank you notes that I have made.

 

 

 

Stay tuned for Alphabet Soup! 

 

Hope you had a wonderful holiday season! 

 

 



Thinking of a friend

I made a card for a friend/co-worker that is in the midst of battling breast cancer.  This is the 2nd person in my department in the last 1-1 1/2 years that has had this horrible diagnosis.
The team that she is on decided to come up with cards/gifts for her to open up each day as she goes through chemo. 
This is my contribution, I think it turned out pretty well.

The sentiment is from My Favorite Things you can find it here . The die I used is also from MFT.  I love their products, one of my favorite places (I have many) to buy stamps.

Christmas is just around the corner... hard to believe!   Happy Holidays to my followers..... the handful that I have!

This and that

The holiday season is here!   I'm working on a few projects for the holidays, ever year I seem to run out of time, so I decided that I'd start early this year and come up with ways to get my projects done.  I have an hour at lunch, so I have decided to prepare and pack things for me to complete during my lunch time.

But before I share that, I want to share my card I made for OWH Sketch #148

This is the sketch details

I didn't use a "tag" but I had this die that I wanted to use and the sentiment was something I wanted to use as well.  



Here is my first project.  I saw this santa treat bag on Pinterest and decided to add "handles" which would be his suspenders, I thought they needed to be sturdy so I used some heavier weight card stock, I don't like the buckling, so I will revert back to a lighter weight cardstock. I addeed some white where his buttons goes that wasn't on the one I saw posted.
I bought cheap lunch bags and next time will spend a little more so they are sturdier.  I did put a cardboard piece in the bottom to stabalize the bottom.  I'm going to fill them with some other little projects I have wanted to do.  I also think they need a tag or something, so that is something I will add.

I have always wanted to wrap nuggets so here is my prototype of them.  They are in a pretzel bag and then I used my Nestabilities (Labels 8) to create the topper.  Not entirely pleased with it, but I have some time to develp this.

Along with my Christmas projects, I have my card making for Operation Write Home, my next deadline is for Valentine's Day, so in the next few weeks, I will be working on getting a few Valentine cards done and some general "love" cards.  If you like making cards, you should check them out here


The countdown begins!!!   I hope the two (maybe not even that) people that see/read this had a nice Thanksgiving! 

Stay tuned for my other attempts at being crafty...