Sketch #212 Operation Write Home & a Fishing Vest Card

Happy Sketch Sunday everyone!
Each week Operation Write Home hosts a sketch challenge for card makers. You can details about the challenge here:
Sketch #212
Here is this week's sketch:

I created my card using the music note paper from a Farm House Paper Company's "Fair Skies" 6x6 paper pad. I layered it on red and then navy card stock, added the banners,  and a ribbon.   I added some faux stitching using a white UniBall Signo pen and the sentiment is from Hero Arts set CL497 "Find Joy"clear stamp set. 

Here is another card I worked on this week.

I have made this Fishing Vest card several times before, but this one was more fun to accessorize. I used khaki colored Bazzill for the vest and pockets, added an orange/tan plaid from my paper stash for the pocket flaps and collar, and then a solid tan linen card stock for the lining. The card is A2 size with the large pockets being 1 1/4 inch squares with their corners and flaps rounded.  

Sandy Allnoch did a great Father's Day vest tutorial  a couple years ago on Operation Write Home's YouTube Channel if you want to try it. You can find it here:

Vest tutorial

For the fishing lures, I cut white card stock into little ovals and colored them with Spectrum Noir. Then I made a bunch of little cuts all along the edges hoping to get a feather look. I used brads for the bobbers, is that what they are called?

The mesh covered pockets were created by re-purposing the net bag that came with some avocados. I covered the back of the pocket with double stick tape and then wrapped the mesh netting around it. The netting does want to pop all over the place, but I secure the pockets quickly on the vest with tacky glue (the double stick tape helps but is not enough when applying to the vest) and apply pressure until they dry (using a really big cookbook that is seldom used…..)

In the lower left pocket I have extra fishing line, well in this case it is actually Stretch Magic Bead & Jewelry Cord (clear elastic cording). I looped it up a couple times, secured it with a little double stick tape, and then covered the double stick tape with black thread (just by winding it around and around over the tape.) Then I just slipped it into the pocket before adding the pocket flap. 

The lower right pocket has the required "Fishing License", just hand-printed on a tiny rectangle.  I used a Black Pearl Pen for the pocket buttons, brads for the vest buttons, and I stamped the USA label with one of those $1 alphabet sets from Michael's. 

All of the other pockets have Tombow Power Tabs under them for added dimension. I am loving these things! They are kind of like glue dots in appearance, but not as thick (nor are they completely flat like some glue dots.)  You can find these things here:

Tombow Power Tabs

And last, I used an oval punch to create the arm holes. Before applying it to the card front I punched those little half ovals in the card base to maintain the vest shape. 

Thank you for stopping by! 

Sketch Challenge #211 Operation Write Home

Hello everyone! 

Today's card was made using Sketch #211 for Operation Write Home. You can find details about the challenge here:

Sketch #211

Here is the sketch:

I created this card using paper from DCWV "All About Boys Stack" that was on clearance last week  at Michael's. I am loving this paper because half of them have gloss on them giving the paper that added bit of interest…and it was only $6.99 for 48 sheets …..I should go get more because these papers are great for little boy cards.

 

                            The trucks paper and the navy blue dot paper were from this 12x12 stack, and I added a little dark red card stock for the layers.  

Once everyone was awake I was able to use my noisy Cricut to cut out the "window" circle (I have been informed my crafting machines "wake people up if used at 5:30am"….oopsies.) 

I used a sentiment from Hero Arts set LP279 (one of the Operation Write Home Fundraiser sets) and a little faux stitching using a gold Gelly Roll Metallic pen. I felt like it needed a bit more so I cut out one of the little cars from the same paper and used a little dimensional adhesive under it. 

You can find the Hero Arts stamp set here:

Hero Arts LP279

Thank you for stopping by! 

:)

Sketch Challenge #210- Operation Write Home

Happy Sketch Sunday everyone! 

You can find details about the Operation Write Home challenge here:

Sketch #210

Today's sketch challenge has an extra twist being that the card should be masculine to be entered into the "Card Bowl 2014".  I often wonder exactly what makes something masculine besides sports, outdoor things, tools, and business stuff.  

I often reach for the vintage papers that look more like stuff that might be stuffed in a guy's desk drawer….spread sheets, postcards, the loose button that "just fell off", and yes things that are usually boring (brown)  colors.

Today I used scraps from my stash (all are from My Minds Eye, several 6x6 paper pads) and layered everything on brown card stock. The sentiment is from Hero Arts set #LP279 and was a fundraiser set for OWH.  I do not do very many "See You Soon" cards because it just seems like it might not be needed very often, but I thought I would use it here. 

I used an EK Success button punch and created these buttons on white Bazzill "dots" paper.  I then used Spectrum Noir markers to color them the shade I wanted (using EB3 & EB1). 

I used Martha Stewart's Arch Lattice border punch and again I started with white paper and used Spectrum Noir DR7 & DR6 to make it the color I wanted.

I hand-stitched the buttons on with a DMC thread and even used a paper crimper on the long vertical piece to add more depth to these subdued papers. 

Thank you for stopping by!

:)

Our Daily Bread Designs February Challenge

Welcome everyone!

Each month Our Daily Bread Designs sponsors a challenge for Operation Write Home. If 50 card makers participate, ODBD will pay for the shipping of two boxes of cards to our deployed heros. You can find details about the challenge here:

ODBD February Challenge

This month's challenge is to make a card using brown as the main color and for it to be masculine. I created this card using brown card stock, brown basket-weave designer paper (sorry, I cut off the identification and do not know who makes it), some red bandana paper, Spellbinders "Decorative Labels Eight" for the frame, and the sentiment is from the "Missing You" stamp set from Our Daily Bread Designs. You can find the sentiment stamp set here:

Our Daily Bread Designs "Missing you"

After die-cutting the decorative frame out of white card stock, I used Copic markers (E40, E43, E44) to color it, hoping to create an antique look.  There are actually six layers of paper on top of this decorative frame, yet I wanted more dimension so used dimensional adhesive to raise it up off the basket-weave paper. 

I used Prism thread in a variegated brown to hand-stitch around the border and added some cross stitches here and there to add interest (at least I hope it adds a little interest…..) To do this, I poked holes using a piercing tool first, and then used a needle and the embroidery thread to do the stitching. I also added a brown nylon ribbon across the middle and bronze colored brads on each side.

Thank you for stopping by!

:)

OWH "Card Bowl" Challenge Team Colors

Happy "Card Bowl" Weekend everyone!

 Operation Write Home challenged us to participate in three separate card challenges this weekend in celebration of the Super Bowl. The first part of the challenge is to make a card that reflects something about the teams. You can find details about the challenge here:

OWH Card Bowl

I decided to just focus on team colors and am going with my favorite standby card idea….the patchwork quilt. This first patchwork style card celebrates the Bronco's orange and blue colors. I cut the squares 1 1/16" using paper from my scrap bin and then added faux stitching using a white Uniball Signo pen. Usually I hand-stitch these cards, however poking this many holes in such a small project would have weakened the paper too much.

The "Cheers" sentiment stamp is an oldie from Wordsworth, #S308-E, dated 2004 that I found on Ebay as part of a huge lot of stamps someone was parting with. 

I wanted to give each team equal time (I am not really a football fan so I am happy for both teams to be in the Super Bowl…) so here is a card celebrating the Seahawks' green and blue.

Thank you for stopping by! 

:)