OWH Sunday Sketch - Postal Background

I guess I'm on a postal themed kick.  I can't seem to get enough of the Postmarks set (which I'd only ever used once or twice since I bought it).  I guess its time has come :)

So when I saw this week's sketch all I could think was stamps ... postage stamps all lined up along the bottom. I didn't know what else to do with it, but got collage inspired and ended up lining up a bunch of the images from  Postmarks on a single block and stamping tone on tone in crumb cake ink:

I lined the stamps up horizontally on my block but decided to stamp on an angle just for kicks.  And although you can't see it in the pix, I did accidentally put some of the stamps on upside down.  It actually turned out kinda cool so I didn't bother re-stamping (so never let some one tell you that its a mistake to stamp upside down :)

 I used the new In Colors for the stamps  (Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, Midnight Muse and Summer Starfruit.  The sentiment I stamped in Vintage Cream on Chocolate Chip card stock.

Here's the whole card - another one for the "soldier" box

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One more for the record books

I've been on a little bit of a tear lately.  I've been going back through old OWH sketches from before I knew about them and making up cards to send in.  Today's look back was sketch #39

I'm trying to send in a mix of Thank You and Miss/Love you cards as that is what my shipper is lacking.  I used a few different sets on this card ... large and small  puffs and sentiment are from Botanical Silhouettes, the anniversary set last year.  The small floating fluffs are from a Cats Pajamas set called Blow.  I also used the Crackle background on the larger blue layer.

Colors are Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Marina Mist and Bashful Blue

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For my dearest friend

One of my very best friends is celebrating a birthday this weekend.  We met when we were both going through divorces and we have gotten each other through a lot of life's messiness over the last decade or so.  Her daughter is having a surprise dinner party for her at a trendy new restaurant in town and this is the card I made for the celebration

I used the OWH Sunday Sketch #57 again   ... its just so stinkin' versatile! This card was actually pretty easy to put together.  The striped panels are PTIs Raspberry Fizz patterned paper pack.  I backed them with Early Espresso from SU!.  I love the contrast of the deep dark brown and the bright pink!

For the medallion I used the doily die from PTI and a 1.75" circle punch.  I also die cut the large flower and leaf cluster from Pretty Peonies.  I stamped the leaves in Lucky Limeade and the flower in Melon Mambo.  The outline was stamped in Early Espresso.  The sentiment from Think Big Favorites #12 was stamped in Early Espresso right on the striped paper.  Its a single line stamp but wouldn't fit so I inked the "birthday" and stamped so I could align at the bottom of the panel, then cleaned, re inked and stamped the "happy" right above

I also decided to carry the theme to the inside of the card and cut a strip of the stripes and the brown .

I die cut the small flower from Pretty Peonies and stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black.  I colored it quick using Copic RV04, RV17, RV19 for the flower and YG13 and YG17 for the leaves.

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From the archives ...

I was looking for inspiration and so was perusing the sketch archives at OWH.  I found a bunch of great ones that I had not seen before and so decided to play along with those this week.

Here is my take on Sketch #57

I decided to make it a masculine card and it turned into a super simple one - Summer Camp patterned paper pack and Road Trip stamps.

The Road Trip set really pairs well with this paper (as well as Post Marks IMO)

The sentiment is also from Road Trio and worked perfectly.  This will be going in my next OWH box which should be shipping later this week

Colors are Ripe Avocado, Enchanted Evening and Chocolate Chip.

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An OWH Thanks

Its been a while since I deliberately made cards for Operation Write Home.  I've done onsie twosies, like the Sunday Sketch challenge and made extras up from classes, but I haven't felt like having an all out OWH craft day until today.

I pulled out some old Splitcoast sketches I'd stashed on a shelf (and recently rediscovered during my craft room cleasning).  I remember making this one before and I really liked it so I decided to make a card using it again.

Kris, my usually shipper posted on the OWH site that she needs thank you cards to send overseas so I made a batch of these up over the weekend.  Very simple (lots of cutting, but not overly complex).  I used Soft Stone and Smokey Shadow paper (PTI) and 5th Avenue Floral and Word Play stamp sets (SU!).

 I love the little pop of red in the corner (pure poppy satin ribbon from PTI)

I sent one box of hoarded cards off over the weekend and plan to ship another off in a day or 2.  Feels good to be helping again.

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OWH Sunday Sketch Wedding Card

An adorable couple at my church is getting married in a couple of weeks.  I used today's OWH Sunday Sketch to make a wedding card for them

Its a little hard to see in the photos but I used the Polka Dot Basics impression plate on the card base layer.  Then I took a little liberty with the sketch and instead of using a large square as the focal piece I used my Mat Stack 5 die and stamp set.  Its more bridal, don't you think?

I did a double loop ribbon detail on the bottom. It was either a tutorial on Nichole Heady's blog or a MIM video, but I love the snazziness it adds to the card.

Paper Colors are White, Soft Stone (PTI)

Ink Colors are Sahara Sand ad Basic Grey (SU!)

Ribbon is White Satin Organdy (SU!)

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June SFYTT

The last few cards I've made I've had sand and surf and flip flops on the brain. This one is no exception.  As soon as I saw the big circle in the middle of the SFYTT sketch for June, I thought SUN sand, surf and flip flops ... well it IS getting to be summer you know

Colors are Pool Party, Raspberry Ripple, Midnight Muse, and Watercolor paper (SU!) and also Summer Sunrise (PTI).  I Die cut the sun with an inverted scalloped circle die and a standard circle die (Nestabilities).

I used the barn wood stamp from BB:Farm and Barn for the plank of wood and FLippin' Out for the flip flops Stamps and dies).  I added half back pearls along the wishbone part of the flip flops to dress them up a little.

The pail is from Tremendous Treats : Valentines.  Sentiment is from Take 3: Fall. (all stamps are from PTI).

For the sand and surf I used baby wipes, Crumb Cake and Pool Party inks and water color paper.  I left the nestie die on the paper so I got that nice white edge .  I love that look - sort of looks like a double mat :)

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