OWH Stars and Stamps: October 2010

S&S Sketch Challenge #41

>> Sunday, October 31, 2010 – Sketch Challenge

Hi everyone! Welcome to another OWH Stars and Stamps Sketch Challenge! Are you feeling creative, are you ready to stamp!!! I hope so because this week we have another awesome sketch and sample card to get your creative juices flowing!

These stunning sample cards were created by the amazing Shannon. To see more of her gorgeous artwork, please visit her blog, Northern Girl Stamper. Thank you, Shannon, for the beautiful card!

To play along in this week's sketch challenge, simply upload a project using this week's sketch to your blog or online gallery then leave a direct link to your project using the Inlinkz widget at the bottom of this post. And remember, you may use this sketch at any time. Feel free to re-post the sketch on your blog along with your card… then come back and leave a link for us so we may all see your cards!

We encourage everyone to take a few moments to visit and leave comments for the other participants. Comments are a wonderful way to say thank you for sharing your creative project and inspires everyone to create.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you join in the fun!

To play along this week, please enter your name, URL and email address in the link below then press next step and select the photo of your creative project. An icon will appear on the blog featuring the photo you selected. If the photo doesn’t appear right away, don’t worry, it will after the page has been refreshed.

Featured Cardmaker: Barbara B, Lakewood Co

>> Friday, October 29, 2010 – Featured Friday Cardmaker

This week we get to meet Barbara - her cards are just lovely!

How long have you been stamping? I got interested in card making about 5-6 years ago. I was always being invited to scrapbooking parties but it really didn’t interest for me; but once I attended and got introduced to card making I was hooked.

Do you have a craft room or specific area where you stamp? I have a small condo that had a spare bedroom which I changed over to the craft and everything else room. I make a huge mess when I’m crafting as things have a tendency to get piled on the ironing board and laid out on the floor. I’m glad I can just shut the door and ignore it until I’m ready to clean it up.

What are your favorite stamp products? Some of my friends would say “PAPER!” and other would say “STAMPS!” and I do have a lots and lots of both but I think my favorite products are everything embellishment especially buttons, brads, pearls and rhinestones, ribbons, and flowers. And punches, I just love all the new shapes and designs.

Do you have a favorite technique? I don’t have a favorite but I like to try out different techniques all the time. I go to stamping parties, classes, and scrapbooking and stamping expos and I usually learn something new that I can incorporate into my cards.

Are there colors you love to include on your cards? I love all colors and I am partial to blues and purples, but I try to go with the right color for the sentiment or theme and I usually use traditional colors for the season or the holiday.

How did you hear about Operation Write Home? I read about a “Cards for Heroes” challenge on the Hero Arts website so I clicked on the link and read about the wonderful things OWH does for the troops.

What motivates you to make cards for our heroes? This just seemed like the perfect fit for me. Instead of just the few cards I gave to friends and family throughout the year I now have an outlet for all the cards I could possibly make and I get to let the service men and women know they are not forgotten.

Be My Valentine BLOGHOP coming!

It seems like it's been ages since we've had the excitement of a bloghop....so let's do it for Veteran's Day Weekend!

BLOGHOP: NOVEMBER 13

What's a bloghop?
Bloggers agree to post according to provided guidelines, all on one day and at one time. We provide a link to each blogger to include in their post, and then readers ("hoppers") get to hop from one blog straight on to the next! This requires a bit of planning - and cardmaker and blogger Yolanda has graciously agreed to help out with coordinating! Thank you Yolanda!

Theme
This hop will be all about Valentines! Let's turn our minds from santas to cupids - and help the crafting world make that transition too. Post a valentine card, and be sure to mention that the Christmas deadline is over and Valentines are due January 7. You can add a tutorial, blog candy, something about why you love making OWH cards, stories and photos of heroes - whatever you like!

How to participate

Sign up at http://operationwritehome.org/bloghop by midnight on Wednesday November 10th.
Have your post drafted and ready to roll anytime before then; set it to go live at 7am Pacific/10am Eastern on Saturday November 13th.
On Thursday November 11th, you'll get an email with the blog before and after you, so you can edit your post to add the proper links. Please do that before Saturday morning, we don't want any broken links!
Saturday morning, hop hop hop! We'll start at the Stars and Stamps blog and list everyone, but if the daisy chain works, we'll hop from one blog to the next. If you're a blogger, we're asking if you could start with your blog and move on from there, so that the bloggers later in the list get some visitors earlyish in the day as well!

Help get the word out!

Add a badge to your blog and link it to http://operationwritehome.org/bloghop ... you can post on Facebook or Twitter or anywhere else you like, too! Leave a comment below to let us know if you'll be blogging, hopping, or both!

Almost Anything Goes

>> – Midweek Throwdown Challenge

We have a prize winner for our “Give Praise To Him” stamp set by The Angel Company!!
Minimum: 1
Maximum: 39
Result: 5 congratulations Shelley Riffle!!

A big thank you to everyone who entered into last weeks challenge, nice cards for men everyone! It’s really fun seeing everyone’s creations, thanks again for playing along!

Our challenge this week is almost anything goes! We still can’t use any glitter products so that’s the “almost” part of the challenge. We’re looking forward to seeing your awesome creations this week!

Our beautiful sample cards this week were made by Louise, please visit her blog Trinity Paper Arts to see more of her wonderful art work.

Thank you Louise for sharing your awesome creativity with us!

To play along in this week's challenge, simply upload a project using this week's challenge to your blog or online gallery then leave a direct link to your project using the Inlinkz widget at the bottom of this post. And remember, you may use this challenge at any time. Feel free to re-post the challenge on your blog along with your card… then come back and leave a link for us so we may all see your cards!

We encourage everyone to take a few moments to visit and leave comments for the other participants. Comments are a wonderful way to say thank you for sharing your creative project and inspires everyone to create.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you join in the fun!

To play along this week, please enter your name, URL and email address in the link below then press next step and select the photo of your creative project. An icon will appear on the blog featuring the photo you selected. If the photo doesn’t appear right away, don’t worry, it will after the page has been refreshed.

Tutorial - Popup Cards

>> Tuesday, October 26, 2010 – Cardmaking 201, Tutorial

This week's tutorial is brought to us by Samantha. She sent this cute cute Christmas card and we loved it so much she agreed to teach us how to make it. Be sure and visit her site at http://www.expressionsofacraftaholic.blogspot.com/. Reminder - Christmas cards should arrive to the shippers by Oct 30.

To make a popup card like this one, you'll need to start out with a 5.5" by 4.25" card base and a 5.25" by 8.25" cardstock for a liner. Score centers and fold.

Next you will need to turn over your creased liner. Using a pencil, draw a line 1" up from crease. This is where you will fold your popups. Then measure 1/2" out each way from center and draw a line up to your fold line. Measure another 1/2" out and draw another line up to fold line. These lines will be cut.

Cut and fold up the sections to create a crease on fold line.

Design inside and outside layouts before adhering to hide any ribbon ends or brads, etc. Use adhesive on all edges to help your popup stand straight without lifting from base.

Line up centers and adhere to base!

Special thanks to Samantha for this excellent tutorial! Remember, if you would like to submit a tutorial, please write kate@operationwritehome.org. We would love to learn how to do your favorite thing. Meanwhile, give the pop-up a try and link your cards below.

S&S Sketch Challenge #40

>> Sunday, October 24, 2010 – Sketch Challenge

Wow, can you believe it is the end of Sunday again already! We hope you’ve set aside a little time for stamping because you don't want to miss out on this week's awesome sketch challenge.

This super cute card was created by the amazing Erica. To see more of her gorgeous artwork, please visit her blog, Inked Up And Ready To Go. Thank you, Erica, for the beautiful card!

Featured Cardmaker: Sue A, Rockford, IL

>> Friday, October 22, 2010 – Featured Friday Cardmaker

This week we get to meet Sue! She's been a faithful cardmaker and donor for a long time - as well as her friends!

Do you have a Blog? At the present time I do not have a blog or a gallery. I just haven't made the time to do so. However, the computer is one of the most useful tools in my studio. I use it constantly for keeping up to date on the latest stamps, tool, ideas and techniques. Much of my inspiration has come from the talented individuals who have galleries or blogs. I owe them a great BIG THANK YOU! I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for them sharing.

How long have you been stamping? Too long to remember. I think I started stamping in the year of 1987. It has been a long and wonderful journey. I look at what I did then, and what I do now, and what a difference.

Do you have a craft room or specific area where you stamp? Yes, I do have one whole room as a studio. Everything is organized and labeled with plenty of shelves and counter space....thanks to the Container Store, my hubby and a labeler. When friends come over to stamp, it's easy for them to find the supplies they need.

What are your favorite stamp products? It appears that I LOVE THEM ALL when you look at my inventory. When you've been stamping as long as I have, this hobby becomes an addiction. You just have to have all the new things that are put on the market. I do challenge myself occasionally, to take a product off the shelf that hasn't been used in sometime, and reacquaint myself with it. If I had to narrow it down, the Cuttlebug is probably my favorite product.

Do you have a favorite technique? I've had the opportunity to learn many techniques. Here again, I lose track of them all, so I have to challenge myself to retry some of these. Probably, my most favorite is the polished stone technique.

What colors you love to include on your cards? Quite frankly, I like to use all the colors and blend the hues. I weigh many things when choosing the color/s for a card....who is the card going to....their personality....the occasion....the season....what I am using for embellishments....and the like. Sometimes, I have cardstock and decorative paper spread out all around me trying to set the mood for the card. Each color has a purpose.

How did you hear about Operation Write Home? I heard about OWH (at that time, Cards for Heroes) through a blog. I can't give credit because it was too long ago to remember. I just know that I was so impressed that this lady was making cards for heroes (something I had ever heard of before or thought of) and making so many of them. At that time, I was looking for a volunteer job. The light bulb came on! I could do something I enjoyed doing, giving service, and doing it from home. You can't beat that! Great idea! And, the rest is history.

What motivates you to make cards for our heroes? Number one.....it bring me joy and happiness. It's wonderful therapy, both physically and mentally. Number two.....I can give joy to others through my creativity. I am truly humbled that I might have some small part in being able to brighten the day of these heroes (or their families). I feel all too often, our heroes are taken for granted in our society. Making cards for them, gives me time to recall, pause and reflect on what these individuals have done for us. When I think of the sacrifice these men and women (and their families) are giving to keep us safe and give us our freedom, I don't think we can do enough. This is one of the ways in which I can show my gratitude to all who serve our country. God Bless Them and Their Families.

Midweek Throwdown Challenge

>> Wednesday, October 20, 2010 – Midweek Throwdown Challenge

Everyone who entered into last weeks challenge thank you, what beautiful anniversary cards! It’s really fun seeing everyone’s creations, a big thank you to everyone who played along!

Our challenge this week is to make masculine cards! If you’re anything like me cards for men are a big challenge. It’s going to be fun to see your interpretation!

Our wonderful sample cards this week were made by Yolanda, please visit her blog Imagine, Make, Share to see more of her wonderful art work.

Thank you Yolanda for sharing your awesome creativity with us!

I have exciting news today!!

We have a sponsored challenge this week!! The Angel Company has been kind enough to donate some stamp sets for our Midweek Throwdown challenges!! I’ll draw a winner using random.org late Tuesday night and announce it Wednesday, October 27^th at the beginning of our next challenge!! Here’s a photo of the "Give Praise To Him" prize stamp set for you:

Thanks for stopping by and hope you join in the fun!

Tutorial - Keyhole Cropping

>> Tuesday, October 19, 2010 – Cardmaking 101, Tutorial

Add some interest to your card design by taking a peek through a keyhole at your favorite stamps.

This is a great technique for those times when you accidentally smudge part of an image, or when your image is the wrong shape or size for the space where you want it.

Start with your stamped image, then punch just a piece of it for use on your card.

I needed this image to be taller and thinner to fit on a panel of a shutter fold card. the top image actually overlaps with the middle one. (click to enlarge)

Or you can tile several pieces of the same image(s).

Now it's your turn! Show us what you find when you look through the keyhole at your favorite stamps.

And remember, please write kate@operationwritehome.org if you would like to share a tutorial with us.

S&S Sketch Challenge #39

>> Sunday, October 17, 2010 – Sketch Challenge

Welcome to another OWH Stars and Stamps Sketch Challenge. Are you ready to stamp? I hope so because this week's sketch has it all... a quick, easy layout, room for your favorite image and even a sentiment... so let's see what you've got!

Today's awesome sample card was created by the wonderful Tina. To see more of her gorgeous artwork, please visit her blog, Live, Love and Stamp. Thank you, Tina, for the beautiful card!

Featured Cardmaker: Ruth Ann G, Gilbert AZ

>> Friday, October 15, 2010 – Featured Friday Cardmaker

How long have you been stamping? I have been stamping for over ten years. I bought the first stamps for scrapbooking.

Do you have a craft room or specific area where you stamp? I turned one bedroom into a stamping/sewing room because my stamps and supplies had taken over the table and island in the kitchen.

What are your favorite stamp products? My favorite product is whatever I am using at the time. I love my Martha Stewart scoring board. I couldn't make cards for OWH without it.

Do you have a favorite technique? My favorite technique is anything watercolor. A friend showed me her cards made using Art Impressions' watercolor technique and it was love at first sight. If I could paint it would be with watercolor.

Are there colors you love to include on your cards? My favorite color is lavender so many of my cards are in shades of lavender, purple, pink, etc. I love pumpkins and fall so orange is my second favorite color.

How did you hear about Operation Write Home? I discovered OWH last November on Susan Railhala's blog, Simplicity. I was making plans at the time to retire in February and thought what a great thing to do. I usually have all my cards for the year, including Christmas, made by the end of April. Now I can make as any cards as I want.

What motivates you to make cards for our heroes? My husband was in the coast guard during the Viet Nam War and I remember how happy I was when a card or letter arrived. I put the cards in a scrapbook which I still have. Sometimes he sent watercolor sketches of what he saw from the porthole of the lightship he was stationed on. The letters on the blog from the troops are so touching and motivate me to keep making cards. I receive so much more than I could ever give. Cards are easier and faster to design without glitter and all the lumpy-bumpy stuff like buttons and brads. When I get a design I like, I get to make more than one card.