Doodle Pantry | S&S #57 | ODBD Challenge

Well, it's nearly the end of the month, but we get one extra day this year!  Tomorrow is Leap Day, but I haven't come across any sentiments to celebrate it - LOL!

Today's card is made with Doodle Pantry's Clover Patch Ants (a February new release) and paper from Basic Grey's Origins collection.  I love the sentiment and plan to give it to my best friend.  This set is very versatile and could be used for general occasion cards or St. Patrick's Day cards.  It comes with 2 different images - both pre-colored and outlined - 3 sentiments and 2 digi papers.  Stop by again on March 1 to check out the new releases from Doodle Pantry and to participate in the new challenge where EVERYONE IS A WINNER (you get a free set just for participating)!

I'm also trying to use every Operation Write Home S&S sketch this year so this card uses sketch #57.  It will also be entered in the OWH Our Daily Bread Designs monthly challenge to use ribbon.  My ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon's monthly club - check it out here.  I love when absolutely scrumptious ribbon comes straight to my door once per month! 

Sketch Inspiration 303

Somehow this sketch sneaked by me!  I think I put it to the side thinking I might actually make a scrapbook layout with it, but then it got buried on my craft table.  I found it last week on President's Day when I caught up with all of my Sketch Inspiration challenges!  Everything on the card is from the Basic Grey Lemonade collection, except the stamp.  The Happy Birthday stamp is from the Stampin' Up Elementary Elegance set and can be found in the Sale-A-Bration catalog.  I really like how this turned out, don't you?

Hambo Hoedown | Fortune Cookie digi

This week's Hambo Hoedown image is Fortune Cookie digi, and they were gracious enough to make it an "anything goes" challenge.  If you play along with Hambo's progressive challenge, then you get the image for free.  If not, you can buy it at the Hambo Stamps digital store (they also have rubber stamps).  This digi comes with 4 different sentiments - all will bring you a grin or chuckle, as usual!  I thought the sentiment I chose (You will receive a card from someone who loves you) was especially appropriate for the cards I make for Operation Write Home.  We make cards for our deployed troops to send home to their loved ones since there are no Hallmark stores in Afghanistan!

If you want to join in on the Hambo Hoedown and start receiving free images, then you might want to check out one of the free images to get you going OR go shopping at one of the store links above.

Card Supplies:
image and sentiment - Hambo Stamps (fortune cookie digi) colored with Copic markers
red and kraft cardstock - purchased at JoAnn's
silver self-adhesive pearls - Mark Richards, purchased at Hobby Lobby
twine - purchased at Hobby Lobby in the jewelry making section
patterned paper - I think this is from Xyron and is at least 7 years old!

Sketch Inspiration 306

I find it quite challenging to use the sketches from Sketch Inspiration which are designed for 12 x 12 scrapbook layouts to make 4-1/4 x 5-1/2" cards, but when I'm done I just love how they have turned out!  This one is sketch 306.  I used Basic Grey Lemonade collection for everything, except the stamps.  They are from Stampin' Up from 2 different sets.  I also used my square punches from Creative Memories to make the small squares that sentiment is on as well as my Stampin' Up scalloped border punch.  Hope you like this one - it's going in my OWH box for the Mother's Day 1/2 and 1/2 Challenge!

Mother's Day | S&S #107

I've been working on Mother's Day cards for OWH this month.  There is a special challenge to send in half Mother's Day and half general-themed cards (see the link on my sidebar).  Also, I am entering this in the OWH Midweek Throwdown Challenge which is for Mother's Day as well.  My friend Nikki at Melonheadz Illustrating had this wonderful little poem that just worked perfectly for my cards paired with some Basic Grey Bittersweet collection paper, ribbon and buttons.  Don't be surprised if you see it again paired with some other papers!  Oh, and I used another OWH Stars & Stamps sketch - #107 this time.  I need to go farther back and do some of the older ones, too, if I ever hope to do all of them in 2012!!

The poem says:
Gentle words I hear you say
Your kind hands help me each day
You're my mother, kind and true
Dearest Mother, I love you.

Sketch Inspiration 307

Here is Sketch Inspiration 307 for you.  Again, I used all Basic Grey Lemonade collection supplies.  The Happy Birthday stamp is a new set from Stampin' Up called Elementary Elegance and can be found in the Sale-A-Bration catalog.  The cupcake is from Hero Arts and colored with Copics (B00, B02, RV21, R35, Y23, Y26).

Doodle Pantry | SFYTT Feb. Sketch

I really enjoy all of Jen del Muro's creations she posts at iheart2stamp, but this year I'm determined to participate in every month's sketch challenge called Sketch for You to Try (SFYTT for short!).  So, here's my card for the second month in a row - woohoo!

I used Doodle Pantry's Quirky Armadillo set - pre-colored image, sentiment and digi papers.  You can use any Doodle Pantry image to play along in the monthly challenge and everyone who plays wins a free set each month!  The deadline this month is February 24, so hurry!!!

Sketch Inspiration 308

I spent the President's Day holiday catching up on my cards for the Sketch Inspiration challenge.  I will post them from latest to earliest so that I can participate in the Sketch Inspiration challenge this week since I am now CURRENT on my cards.  Woohoo!  Cat at Cat's Creations Scrapbooks challenged us to create a project with every sketch this year, but she was much more lenient on the deadline - THANKS, CAT!  LOL

The image on this card was a free one from Cuddly Buddly (sorry, I can't find the link to the image anymore) which was colored by my 9-year-old daughter.  Everything else on the card is Basic Grey Lemonade collection - all of the cards I made yesterday used supplies from this collection that I received in a kit a loooonng time ago.  I also used my Nestabilities to cut the circles.

Seems A Little Sketchy #7

This was a very fun sketch for me to work with - unlike anything I would ever do on my own!  Why don't you head over to Seems A Little Sketchy and participate in the latest challenge?  What's in it for you?  You could win a prize from our sponsors Di's Digi Downloads and The Robin's Nest.  You have two weeks to enter and may enter up to 3 different creations.

So, what are you waiting for?  Go get sketchy with it!

Card Supplies:
image, sentiment, digi papers - Doodle Pantry (If you participate in the DP challenge before Feb. 24 at 8 PM Central Time, then you will receive this set for FREE!)
dies - Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle
self-adhesive nailheads - Mark Richards (bought at Hobby Lobby)
cardstock - from my stash

Hambo Hoedown | S&S 109

This week at the Hambo Hoedown, we received the challenge of using the Dragon digi (which comes with 3 different sentiments) along with gold or silver.  Well, a couple of years ago I bought all these supplies from Ten Seconds Studio because of a class I took at a scrapbooking retreat and have never used them, so I thought I would use the metal to add my silver to the card.

I also used Operation Write Home S&S Sketch #109 which is the newest sketch.  If you play along before Saturday, February 25, you'll have a chance to win some great digi stamp sets from the sponsor Doodle Pantry.  You may also want to check out Doodle Pantry's monthly challenge which you can still get in on - the deadline is February 24.  You will receive a free digi stamp set just for playing along and could win even more.  You can find freebies in the store to use in the challenge!

Card Supplies:
digi stamp and sentiment - Dragon digi from Hambo Stamps
metal - Ten Seconds Studio
Copics - YG 03 and YG06
ink - Memento tuxedo black
patterned paper - Colorbok Midnight Garden paper pack

Stampin' Up for Mother's Day | Sketch Inspiration 305

I'm doing the best I can to keep up with the challenge thrown down by Cat of Cat's Creations Scrapbooks to create a project with every week's sketch from Sketch Inspiration, but I am quickly falling behind.  I chose to create cards instead of scrapbook layouts because I thought it would be easier for me to stay up-to-date.  Apparently for me, it doesn't make much difference one way or another!  LOL

I'm also working on Mother's Day cards for the Operation Write Home Challenge (details are HERE).  I don't have a lot of Mother's Day stamps or digis that I really love, so I tried to get a bit creative here.  I used several SU stamps to create my sentiment "I {heart} my mom" so that it would fit with the sketch.  I was pretty pleased with how it turned out as "creating" my own sentiment by mixing and matching stamps is outside the norm for me.  :-)

Card Supplies:
stamps, ink, cardstock, 3/4" circle punch - Stampin' Up
embossing folders - Sizzix
bling - Bazzill

Happy Valentine's Day

There are only 2 classroom parties each year at my child's elementary school - Halloween and Valentine's (Kindergarten is another story - they party nearly every day!), so both tend to be a big deal.  So, this year I volunteered to make the treat bags for the entire 3rd grade (62 kids)!  Oh my, what was I thinking?!  But, I got it done in January and thought they turned out really cute.  Here's the treat bag:

They all used different papers from the same Bo Bunny collection.  There is a tiny white bag inside the paper.  I used my friends SU stamp and cardstock from my stash to create the sentiment.  The ribbon is from my favorite monthly ribbon club at Really Reasonable Ribbon, and I made the handle for the ribbon tie with my SU Word Window punch.

The teachers at my daughter's school LOVE my peanut butter cookies (see 12/28/11 post for photos of cookies and the recipe!), so I always give those as gifts in some cute container.  Here's something I found in the $1 aisle at Target and just added some tissue paper to.  Really, it's the contents they want!

Unity Stamps Crappy Day

OMG, when I first saw this stamp set used on a couple cards on Jen's blog (Sparkle Within), I definitely "laughed out loud!"  I knew that I had to have it.  You, too, can get it HERE at Unity Stamps!  It makes a quick and easy card.  These are both 4-1/4" square cards.

Doodle Pantry Cupcake Ants | OWH sketch #106

I'm still whittling away at the list of Operation Write Home sketches that you can find HERE.  This card uses the pre-colored image and digi papers from Doodle Pantry's Cupcake Ants along with white ric rac from Really Reasonable Ribbon's monthly ribbon club.  It's a simple card, but those mischievous lil' ants can certainly hold their own!

Guest Designer for Hambo Hoedown - Candy Heart

I feel so honored that I was asked to be a Guest Designer for this week's Hambo Hoedown Challenge.  I have played along with every challenge for an entire year!  Amazing, right?  Why don't you play along in 2012 so that you can receive all of the wonderful images and sentiments like I've received for free over the past year?  Can't hurt to try, right?!

This week's challenge is to use the Candy Heart digi along with buttons, brads or bows.  I chose buttons - well, the buttons kind of chose me!  As sometimes happens, I got so excited about the image and sentiment that I received that I forgot the extra details of the challenge.  Does that ever happen to you?  I had the whole card done when I remembered that I had to do something extra.  The buttons seemed to work the best.  See, there's never a mistake in card making, just an opportunity to make it even better!

I love the sentiment in this set.  It reminds me of Forrest Gump.  It says, "Life is like a box of chocolates...sweet, sometimes messy, and full of hidden nuts!"  You can visit Hambo Stamps for more humorous digi and rubber stamps.

I'm a little behind in my Sketch Inspiration challenge with Cat's Creations Scrapbooks.  Thank goodness that there's no deadline yet - still time to catch up!  This sketch I turned on its side.  It's from the week of Jan. 22-28.

Card Supplies:
image and sentiment - Hambo Stamps
Copic markers - R22, R24, R29, E29, E35, E37
all paper - Making Memories (from eons ago!)
buttons - from my stash
sketch - Sketch Inspiration 304

Seems A Little Sketchy #6

Here I am again, back with another card for the Seems A Little Sketchy challenge.  Have you played yet?  Well, why not?!  You have 2 weeks to link up your creation (up to 3 entries are allowed) for a chance to win digital stamps from our sponsors.  All you have to do is follow the sketch! 

For this challenge our sponsor is Robyn's Fetish.  I chose an image called Hog Wild Over You, printed it on kraft paper and colored it with my Copic markers.  I usually make A2 cards (4-1/4 x 5-1/2"), but this sketch just didn't lend itself to that size, so I made a 4-1/4" square card.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out.  What do you think?


What are you waiting for?  Go get sketchy with it!
 
Challenges Entered:
Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog - Love is in the Air
Crafty Catz - Pink & White
Delicious Doodles - All Loved Up
Mami Doodles - For A Loved One 
Sweet n' Sassy Digi Challenge - Valentine's
Bling It On - Love is All Around
By the Cute and Girly - Love is in the Air
Fresh Brewed Designs - Love
I Brake for Challenges - Love
Digi Doodle Shop - Love is in the Air

Card Supplies:
image - Robyn's Fetish
Copic markers - RV23, RV25, Y15, YG13, B04
pearls - The Paper Studio
flowers - Prima
dies - Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle
border punch - EK Success
patterned paper - My Mind's Eye Love Me collection
cardstock - kraft from JoAnn's, pink from Bazzill

Hambo Hoedown - Bailey Cupcake

Happy One Year Birthday to the Hambo Hoedown Challenge!  I can't believe that I didn't miss even ONE challenge in the past 52 weeks at the Hambo Hoedown, and I always used the image we received for the week.  Some of the challenges were REALLY challenging (make a card with a confederate soldier image was one that comes to mind!).  I have loved the thrill of making every single card - almost all of which were donated to Operation Write Home.  So, this week, we have the challenge to make a birthday card using the Bailey Cupcake image that came with 2 different sentiments.  Let's see if I can keep it up for another year!  What about you?  Would you like to collect over 50 different images for FREE?!

Card Supplies:
image and sentiment - Hambo Stamps (Bailey Cupcake digi)
patterned paper and brads - Basic Grey Max & Whiskers collection
Copic markers - E01, E29, E35, R27, N1, Y26, E29
Bic marker - Tranquil Teal
cardstock - Bazzill
dies - Nestabilities oval and scalloped oval
ribbon - from my stash
ink - Tim Holtz Distress Inks (walnut stain)
sketch - Mojo Monday (Jan. 10, 2011)

Doodle Pantry - Cupcake Ants

I just adore these mischievous ants from Doodle Pantry.  This set is called Cupcake Ants.  It comes with the outline image, pre-colored image (used on this card), candles in colors and b&w, 3 sentiments and 2 digi papers (also used on this card) - ALL FOR JUST $3.00!!

This week Doodle Pantry is sponsoring the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge.  Enter and you could win Doodle Pantry products. 

OR, use a Doodle Pantry product, enter the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge AND the Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge, then get a free Doodle Pantry image (Cocoa Ants) just for playing along (DPDC) and be eligible to win more images!

The deadline for Tuesday Morning Sketches is Sunday, Feb. 5 at 8 PM Eastern.  The deadline for Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge is Friday, Feb. 24 at 8 PM Central (9 PM Eastern).  So, what are you waiting for?  Get going!

Challenges Entered:
Tuesday Morning Sketches #131 - use the sketch
DRS Designs - Birthday cards

Card Supplies:
pre-colored image, sentiment, digital papers - Doodle Pantry
border punch - Stampin' Up scalloped border
ink - Memento tuxedo black
dies - Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle
black cardstock - from JoAnn's

Doodle Pantry February Releases

There are some adorable images being released this month so be watching my blog for cards made with the Cocoa Ants (this month's free set for playing in the challenge) and Cupcake Ants sets later in the month.  I just love those mischievous ants!

For the big release today, I chose to make a more masculine card using the Football and Helmet set (this month's free set with purchase) along with the Sport Digi Paper pack.  There are several different pre-colored helmets - you'll be sure to find your favorite team's colors among them!  I used the red and blue helmet for my daughter's school with the "Go Team!" sentiment.  I paired this with the football digi paper from the Sport Digi Paper pack.  I'm still trying to use all of the Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps sketches before the end of 2012 - so here's sketch #49!  It's simple, but so are men, right?

Card Supplies:
pre-colored image, sentiment and digi paper - Doodle Pantry
red and blue cardstock - from my stash
self-adhesive stars - by Mark Richards, purchased at Hobby Lobby
ink - Memento tuxedo black
sketch - Stars & Stamps sketch #49