Doodle Pantry | SFYTT

First off, I have to send a shout out to my dad - it's his birthday today!  I posted his birthday card a long time ago though so I have a different card to share today.  This one is going into my Operation Write Home box.

I used the pre-colored image, sentiment and digi paper from the Doodle Pantry Wagon Wheel set.  This is a beautiful image and comes in both a winter and spring setting - pre-colored and outlines.  There are some really punny sentiments that come in the set, too, so go check it out.  You can save 35% on all products (except gift certificates) through January 3 so now's the time to shop til you drop!  The discount code can be found HERE.

The layout came from the SFYTT monthly sketch challenge at iheart2stamp.com - this is the next to last sketch to qualify me for the big annual drawing for this challenge.  To qualify you have to play along every month for the entire year - the sketches are great so consider joining us in 2013!


Challenges Entered:
Cat's Creations Scrapbooks - WOW Wednesday

Love Cards for Operation Write Home

CHECK ME OUT!  In case you missed it, I was Friday's Featured Cardmaker on the Operation Write Home blog.  You can see the blog post HERE.

On Thanksgiving Day, I started working hard to fill my Operation Write Home box with Love cards that can be used for Valentine's Day or anytime.  I dug out some leftover Stampin' Up DSP and other SU! supplies and made 8 of these cards (plus a few others you will see over the next week or so).  So, while everyone is busy making Christmas cards, I'll be making Valentine's/Love cards.

That's the funniest part about making cards for Operation Write Home - we're months ahead of the current challenges on most blogs.  They are still doing Thanksgiving and Christmas while we are working on Valentine's!  The deadline for Valentine's cards is December 31 (or December 12 if you want to be eligible for a box of goodies).  I try to make mine Love cards so that if they are inundated with Valentine-specific cards, they can still use my cards after the deadline!

Happy Black Friday | Doodle Pantry

Happy Black Friday to you!  I never leave the house on Black Friday and, frankly, don't understand the mentality of waking in the middle of the night to go stand in line to fight with other people to buy a Christmas gift.  So, my tradition is to put up the Christmas tree on Black Friday - peaceful, family-oriented and just plain puts me in the Christmas mood!  On that note, I thought I would post a Christmas-inspired card even though I'm done with all of my personal ones (they are sitting by my front door ready to be mailed on Dec. 1 - all handmade) and way past making any for Operation Write Home.  Here you go!

This layout is very loosely based on a Mojo Monday sketch.  The outline image (colored with Copics) and the sentiment are from the Doodle Pantry Poinsettia set.  The digi paper is also from Doodle Pantry but was a scrap in my pile so I can't tell you which set it's from!  I fussy cut the image and curled the leaves a bit to give the image some dimension.

Don't forget!  There's still time to enter this month's Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge 29 - use any Doodle Pantry image and receive a free set just for playing along plus a chance to win a gift certificate.  The deadline is Saturday, November 24 (8 PM Central, 9 PM Eastern).

If you don't have time to play along because of Thanksgiving festivities or if you are online doing holiday shopping, you can take advantage of the blowout sale going on at Doodle Pantry now through January 3 - 35% off image products!  You can find the coupon code HERE.  The Winter Star set is also free with any purchase through Saturday, November 24!

Challenges Entered:
Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes Christmas or Festive
Delightful Challenges by Louby Loo - Red and Green
Crafty Creations Challenges - Christmas Is Coming
Whimsy Stamps - Traditional Christmas Colors

Doodle Pantry | S&S Sketch

Okay, this is not quite in "season," but I've had this image sitting on my desk for quite some time now!  I made my mom a set of cards this summer with the Doodle Pantry sets Pelican Dreams and Sea Shells and had one shell image leftover.  I used Operation Write Home's Stars & Stamps sketch #48, Stampin' Up! Rich Razzleberry card stock along with digi patterned paper and the pre-colored image from the Sea Shells set.

Challenges Entered:
Creative Inspirations Paint - Thankful for You
Scrapper's Delights - Thankful
Scrappy Frogs - Give Thanks
The Hybrid Chick Card Caravan - Thankful
Broken Box Stock - Thank You
The Pink Elephant - Giving Thanks

Cocoa Packets | Teacher Gifts

I spent part of Saturday and all day on Sunday making 36 of these hot cocoa packets for teacher gifts.  This is just one style - I used the same Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive or Lucky Limeade Stampin' Up cardstock on all of them, but used patterned paper scraps for the strips so I have quite a few different looks.  I used whatever red and green ribbons I had also.  This paper scrap happens to be from My Mind's Eye.  The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the stamp is from Technique Tuesday's Jingle All the Way set.  I used a Sizzix embossing folder and my Spellbinders circle and scalloped circle dies to cut out the sentiment.  I will be giving these out with a few of my famous peanut butter cookies to enjoy with the cocoa.  You can see the cookies and learn how to make them yourself on my Cookie-palooza post!

Challenges Entered:
The Crafty Pad - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Allsorts - It's a Gift
Little Claire - Christmas
Paper Creators Crafts - All About Christmas
Rogue Redhead Designs - Uncard
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Gift Set for a Teacher
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Anything but a Card with Ribbon

Bazzill Cards (Jaybird Street)

Today I'm showing off two more cards made with scraps from a Bazzill kit I put together at last weekend's scrapbook retreat.  These will also go to Operation Write Home - the majority of my cards do!  :-)  Do you make cards?  Do you donate yours to Operation Write Home?  If not, maybe it could be your New Year's resolution this year.  Two years ago in January is when I began making cards for OWH!

Both cards also use Bazzill's Two Scoops cardstock - it has a pattern on it that you can sand a little or a lot.  Love this stuff!  The ribbon on the first card is from my Really Reasonable Ribbon monthly club stash - it went perfectly with the card colors.

EDITED TO ADD:  I don't know how I did this, but I forgot that it was Wednesday!  That means it's time for WOW Wednesday on Cat's Creations Scrapbooks's blog.  You can win a prize either by playing along or by commenting on other people's entries.  What are you waiting for?  Go take a look!

Bazzill Cards (Avalon)

Woohoo!  What a great time I had at my scrapbook retreat this past weekend!  I made about 5 different Christmas gift projects and then used the scraps to make some cards.  Here are two cards I made using scraps from a Bazzill kit with the Avalon patterned paper collection.  Mom, I know you are reading this - I hope you like this paper because it gives you a sneak peek of one of your Christmas gifts!  :-)

These cards will be donated to Operation Write Home.  At the retreat, 4 of us managed to fill half of a large flat rate priority box.  The goal is to fill it by the middle of December in order to meet the Valentine/Love deadline of December 31!

SU! Stamp Club - October Pt. 2

This is the card that I was not able to stay and make at my October Stamp Club.  Pretty, isn't it?  My SU! demonstrator Christi made it for me, so I have no idea how she did it!  LOL

I'm off at my scrapbook retreat this weekend making lots of Christmas gifts and collecting cards for Operation Write Home.  Maybe I'll have something to show you when I get home.  I can't show you my mom's gifts because she follows my blog, but maybe I can show you what I made for my sister-in-law.  Every year I make her a Christmas mini album.  She unwraps it and gives it back to me with her photos and then I finish it for her!  It's a wonderful tradition we have.  :-)

SU! Christmas Gifties

Sorry!  It has been a week since I posted anything on my blog.  I've been busy with family reunions, my daughter's school projects, working two jobs and preparing for a scrapbook retreat!

Last Friday I attended a Stocking Stuffers workshop with SU! demonstrator Christi Beck.  She had lots of fun little gift items to make that we could pick and choose from.  Here are the ones I made!

 This is a CD case you can buy from SU!  It's much easier than I thought it would be because there is a "sleeve" around the case, so you just decorate your paper (Be sure it's double-sided so the inside is decorated, too!) and slide it into the sleeve.  I also learned how to decorate the barrel of a pen to match. The notepad is what is inside the CD case.  I thought I could use this idea to make end-of-year teacher gifts when May rolls around.

I thought this reindeer treat bag topper was just darling!  All you need are some circle punches, the Top Note die (which I have) and a snowflake die (which I plan to buy because the big snowflake makes the perfect focal point for a card).  Easy peasy - just the way I like projects when I'm doing lots of them!

This is the project I plan to make for teachers and staff at my daughter's school this year.  There is a hot cocoa packet tucked into the pouch.  Again, it's very simple and involves just some simple scoring with the new scoring board that I bought from SU!  I can use scraps of Christmas paper (I have endless amounts!) and an appropriate stamp and circle punch although mine will be smaller probably.  I really wish SU! would sell this particular stamp set - it's a hostess set.  Cross your fingers for me - November is our last Stamp Club of 2012 and Christi will be drawing for a mystery hostess.  Maybe it will be me and I'll get to choose this stamp set!

Doodle Pantry November Release Day

The first of the month is so exciting because Doodle Pantry releases bunches of new images.  This month is no different and there is certainly something for everyone's taste!  If you liked last month's Autumn Star set, you are going to love the new Winter Star release which is free with any purchase from November 1-24.  Are you a fan of Laurie's cute characters?  Then you will love Snow Angel Ants and Jail Birdie.  How about flowers?  Just in time for Christmas is the beautiful Poinsettia set.  Maybe you like the more western flavor - this month we've got a Wagon Wheel and Old Barn.  Plus, there are many more!

Today, I am showcasing not one but TWO new releases from Doodle Pantry.  The first is Holiday Cactus, however, I wanted to show you that despite the name, this set is not just for Christmas!  I thought I might be able to get away with sending this one to Operation Write Home since many of our deployed troops are stationed in the desert.  Do they have cactus in the Middle East?!  This set is free this month when you play along with the Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge before the November 24 deadline.

I used Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps Sketch #46 for this card along with a Christmas trim (can you believe it?) from We R Memory Keepers White Out Christmas collection and black self-adhesive nail heads from Mark Richards.  I colored the outline image with my Copics and used my friend Sandy's trick to use my Copic marker to create a perfectly matched mat for my image - smart, huh?!  Everything else is from the Doodle Pantry set.

Next up is a card that is DEFINITELY going to OWH as we switch gears from Christmas (the deadline for Christmas cards is October 31) to Love/Valentine cards.  I used the new Jail Birdie set  and Stars & Stamps Sketch #92 to create this card along with some black ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I used the Copic marker trick along the edge of my image and sentiment which was cut in a heart shape with a Spellbinders die.  I created a faux bow to make the card flat enough for mailing to our troops overseas and back again!  Isn't the birdie just as cute as can be?  He's one of my favorite characters.

I've entered this card in the OWH Midweek Throwdown Challenge to make a Love/Valentine's Card.  The challenge is just for fun so there is no deadline - take your time, have some fun, and link up your Love/Valentine's card!