More OWH Cards

When I packed for my craft retreat, I grabbed several partial Basic Grey 6x6 packs and coordinating card stock, twine, etc., with the intent of disappearing most of it. I made a pretty good dent.

I opted to make only card fronts, not full cards, so I could get four card fronts from one piece of white card stock, and it was easier to pack to take home. Last night I did the bases. I cut, scored, stamped the backs, attached the card fronts and folded all 50 cards - yes, 50! I thought I'd share a few of them with you today. Let's get started!

When I set out to disappear a 6x6 pack, I first try to use full (4x5.25) pieces of the papers. These first few do just that:

This one was simple. Since the paper was so busy, I just added some twine and a sentiment. This next one was busy, too, so I added a strip of the brown paper from the same pack:

The cool thing about 6x6 papers is when you cut it down to 4" you are left with a 2" strip, which makes the math easy. It also lends itself to doing this:

I used the 2" piece from one paper as the center of the other one. I did this several times and it made the process go pretty fast. Also, no two cards were alike!

Here's another one (without its partner, but you get the idea):

Here are two more where I used just the base paper and a small strip of another for contrast:

I cut those two at different sides of the paper so they have different looks.

For my next paper pack, I cut the whole thing into strips of varying widths, then matched them up and made my go-to banner cards. Here are a few:

I like the colors in that first one, and for the next one I impressed myself with putting together several busy patterns:

This next one is almost manly:

Then I broke out my washi tape packs and made some of my usual diagonal striped panels:

For the next ones I stamped a heart in blue, colored the stripes with a green Spectrum Noir marker, then covered the whole heart in glossy accents:

Here are some with red and black:

and even one with orange and (gah) pink:

I like using the 4x5.25 panels for washi tape since it lets me wrap the ends around to the back.

Those 50 cards are all tucked into their envelopes and ready to send off to OWH. My box is about half full, so I have some work to do!

I've been neglecting challenges lately, so I've printed off a few sketches to play with this weekend. I hope to be back later with something to share.

Thanks for stopping by!

InLinkz.com

ABNH Week 2 Birthday Celebration

This week over at A Blog Named Hero, we're in week 2 of our birthday celebration, and we're collaborating with ... wait for it ... Hero Arts! Here's my card:

I made this during my retreat weekend. I wanted to play with my Hero Arts neon inks, so I opened and used a stamp set with its coordinating dies. I also borrowed an embossing folder that I thought went well with the graphic diamonds. You can get the product list over at the ABNH post.

Why not head over to ABNH to see what some of the other DT ladies and guest designers have cooked up?

Thanks for stopping by!

Cards for OWH

Today I unpacked the car and attempted to put away all the s-crap I hauled with me to the crafty retreat. Naturally I got distracted, and ... well, that's not exactly true. I did get distracted, but I prefer to think of it as being efficient. Yeah, that's it: efficient. Instead of putting away one of the 6x6 packs I didn't get to, I used it today to make 29 cards for OWH.

I won't bore you with all of them, but I did select a few to share. First one:

I was using the Basic Grey Life of the Party 6x6 pack, and the "solids" were all wood-grain. I like that. :)

Another one:

I think the stars work with the dots here. I was trying to channel some of the stuff I learned in the last Online Card Class. At least I like the colors together.

Next:

This one came out very red. I call it "monochromatic" and claim that I totally meant to do that. I think if the colors had more contrast that combination might not have worked.

Next is my personal favorite (shhhh, don't tell the others):

I made a total of 21 using this sketch and the "friend" sentiment. And if you are now also singing the theme from The Golden Girls, you are welcome. Oh, I started with the current MFT sketch:

but I was just inspired by it and didn't add the banner element. And my scalloped rectangle is smaller. And my regular rectangle is smaller. And my ovals are smaller. And I thought I had that banner die, but I don't. I do have the hearts banner die, but it doesn't work with the "friends" theme, so I opted to use some A Muse pearls candy instead. I was going to use Liquid Pearls, but 21 cards + drying time? Nah, not happening.

Once I'd cut up all the papers for those cards, I had a bunch of strips of all the papers left, so I made my go-to banner cards to use up most of them. Here's one:

and yes, I even used some (gah) pink:

and a lot of yellow:

These have all been stamped and stuffed (put in envelopes according to Envelope Tuck 2.0 instructions) and put into a box. Tomorrow I'll cut bases for the 50 card fronts I made over the weekend and I'll show you a few of those later this week.

In other news, I had my nails painted this past weekend. Lookie:

I took this earlier today, and I'm glad I did, because now they are a hot mess of chips and ... it's not pretty. Just sayin'. I don't think I can have painted nails, as they don't last very long in my world. Sigh.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go wrap my head around returning to work tomorrow. Double-sigh.

Thanks for stopping by!

More Snark

The Stamper's Anonymous (haha, I spelled that anonymouse) stamp with the two chatty ladies ended up on my table when I wasn't looking, and it got used again. Lookie:

I opened and used my SU Framelits Apothecary Accents dies and the SU Basic Label single stamp. AND I only had to stamp it 5 times WITH the Stamp-a-ma-jig. Grrrrrr.  So please appreciate it. Thank you.

You are looking at a major SAVE, here, too. I had originally stamped the ladies directly onto the card front, but as is my nature, I stamped it crooked. NEVER FEAR! I die-cut it with a circle which allowed me to re-position it in the same opening. I added a coordinating scallop to put around the opening for contrast, then I stuck the panel down to the card base and popped the circle up on some dimensional adhesive.

I colored the card stock for the scallop with Hero Arts Tide Pool ink, because I was sure it matched the washi tape I opened and used under the sentiment, but it does not match. Pffth.

Tomorrow I plan to put some stuff away (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) and then play with my Copic air brush system. I plan to make a mess. Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stuff I used:
Spectrum Noir CR7 marker (dots on the bow)
Inky Antics sentiment
Stampers Anonymous image
Hero Arts Tide Pool mid-tone ink
Spellbinders Circle dies
SU Framelits Apothecary Accents
SU Basic Label single stamp
MME Enamel Dots Tangerine "Together"
Hero Hues Black dye ink
Misc washi tape
Neenah Solar White card stock

Beeeeg Doily

I know things are not normal (or more not normal than usual), since I crafted all day yesterday and it was 9 hours between photos. That may mean it took me 9 hours to make a card, which may or may not be true. Here it is, then I'll explain:

Besides being a totally sukky photo, how fun is this? Well, *I* like how it turned out. It all started when I disappeared most of a 6x6 pack of Basic Grey Lauderdale paper, but I held out one piece of black & white that screamed "DOILY". I used my old MFT High Tea Doily die on it, then placed it on a square (yes, square, I know!) of textured orangey-coral card stock remnant. I like how you can still see the paper pattern in the center and around the outer edge, but it's all die-cut in between.

The sentiment is from the Hero Arts Essential Messages set, and I curved it to fit on the acrylic block to match the curve of the banner.

Time for a weekend update: While packing for this weekend, I took my box of "USE IT ALREADY" stamps and dies. I have a rule that I can't put them away until I use them. That kinda morphed this weekend, and the new rule is things can't be put away until they are used, by anyone. This is very different. I only tell you this because I had to borrow back that banner die to use it. I kinda like how this morphed rule is working out.

In other news, the ladies talked me into a visit to the Waffle House to consume "scattered, smothered and covered" hash browns*. In non-WaffleHouse-speak it's hash browns with grilled onions and cheese. Um, YUM! I have been initiated.

Thanks for stopping by!

* See the Hash Browns part in the center of the menu.

Snark Time!

I am not dead, just incommunicado. Also, these ladies are keeping me up waaaaay past my bed-time - like until 2:30 am - so I'm too tired to take pictures or blog. A few more days of this and I may BE dead, but what a way to go!

Just to show you I am actually stamping, I thought I'd take some photos today and share a few cards.  First up, in between some OWH marathons of disappearing some 6x6 paper packs, I used a few pieces to make two irreverent cards with a borrowed image that screamed "irreverence".  See?

RIGHT? It had to be done. The stamp is by Stampers Anonymous, and I need it. NEED it. I like that I can make them say just about anything. Here's another one:

I stamped a TON of the image to use until I can acquire my own. I was also a Girl Scout, so I am nothing if not prepared. :)

I'll be back with another post shortly.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You x2

I was in need of two Thank You cards, so this past weekend, while in the throes of Creative Avoidance, I made them. They were both very quick and easy, since they involved mostly three strips of washi tape. I love that stuff.

Here's the first one:

See? Three pieces of washi tape (two from this set I just had to have, maybe in every color .. leave me alone), a piece of ribbon, a sentiment and some bling. Done.

Here's the second one:

I used a different piece of blue here, put the sentiment on a banner, and got all wild and added a piece of twine. Same bling. Done.

That bling is maybe as old as dirt. I've had it for years, from when A Muse still sold their products in stores. They are teeny tiny little hearts:

Today is the first day of this crafty retreat, and I plan to crank out all sorts of stampy stuff. I'll take pics along the way if I can, and share what kinds of trouble I get into. I hope it's LOTS! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Products used but not linked below: miscellaneous yellow washi tape, A Muse bling, SU Whisper White taffeta ribbon.

InLinkz.com

ABNH + Timeless Twine Collaboration

The A Blog Named Hero blog is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month. Each week during the month of April we are collaborating with a different company and using their products with Hero Arts products to show how well they play together. :)

This week we are collaborating with Timeless Twine, and today is my day to post a project at ABNH. I may or may not have an embarrassing amount of it on hand, so I've made TWO cards to share with you.

First I used the yummy Aqua Delight (Brown & Aqua) on this card:

Then I used the even yummier Firecracker (Red, White and Aqua) AND Cape Cod (Yellow, Gray and White) on this one:

See:

So pretty!

Come on over to the A Blog Named Hero blog to see some of the other DT creations!

Thanks for stopping by!