Creative Crafty Day....

...Another fun day for me and since it's rainy and wet again - I'm very content to be inside and spending time in my craft room.
   Sunday is always one of my favorite challenge days and the first card I have today is one that was created based on this week's Sketch Challenge over at the Stars and Stamps Blog.   For anyone who may be new to this blog or to Operation Write Home  - this challenge is hosted every Sunday and each week has a new Sketch.  This week were are working with Sketch 89 - which I have copied over to share here:

 Sketch # 89

My Card

       I chose to make my card into a birthday card and thought it would be fun to use bright and happy colors.  I also pulled all the papers from my scrap bin and printed out a digital Sentiment for the center.  I am working hard to use up a lot my scraps and goodies that have been hiding away in my Stash.  I'm slowly working on re-organizing my room and making every effort to use all the hidden treasures that have been stored in my room -  It's like shopping from my stash -- Fun Fun!    I am submitting my card to each of these challenges:

• OWH Stars & Stamp Blog - Sunday Sketch # 89 - No Glitter
• Card Cupids Blog - RAK - Make Someone Smile 
• Crazy 4 Challenges - WCMD - Cards to Donate

   My second card today is another card that was inspired by a challenge and a sketch and this one was for the Clean and Simple Stamping Challenge # 160.  I am including a copy of the sketch, which I thought would make another really nice Birthday card.

 Sketch Inspiration

My Card

    This card is also being submitted to these fun challenges:

• Stamping With Brenda - CAS  # 23 - Anything Goes
• Copic Creations - Challenge # 59 - Color Saturation

   This sketch was really fun to follow and I decided to break out a new set I stamps that I had just bought.  It's a wonderful set of Butterflies from Hero Arts.  I  stamped my image in Black Memento and then colored it all in bright shades of Purple and Violet Copic colors.  I picked out deep plum cardstock and papers from my Stampin' Up stash and used those to create the card base and the top and bottom border.   Once that was done, I then added on my Butterfly image and created a digital sentiment that I matted to finish off this card! A great sketch and one that I plan to keep for future use! 

  My next card is also another Birthday Card and it's also another card inspired by a challenge over at CASE Study.  This card is actually a CASE of the Julie Lacey's card, which is the inspiraiton for this week's Challenge # 59.

  This is a copy of Julie's fabulous card!

My Card

  I really loved Julie's card and I'm also really trying to learn how to create more CAS style cards.  It was a lot of fun to play along and this is the first time I have submitted to this fun challenge!  On top of the CASE Study challenge, I am also submitting to these new challenges!

• Creatalicious Challenge - # 26 - Anything Goes
• Birthday Sunday Challenge - Birthday Cards with Ribbon

  And that's it for now!!  I'm heading back to my desk and working on a new project which I hope to be back to share!
   In the meantime, don't forget to take your chance at winning my BLOG CANDY!  You can find all the details on my HOME page!  If you LOVE to create your own Christmas Holiday Cards and/or love to stamp and learn new techniques - then this prize will be perfect for you!

Happy World Cardmaking Day!!!

   I love the fact that there is a World Cardmaking Day and I think it's another fun way to come up with new ideas, meet other creative people and spend time in my craft-room, working on some new cards for some of the fabulous challenges being sponsored today.

    My first two cards today were both inspired and created for two Challenge that are being hosted over at Catch the Bug, which is Bugaboo's Challenge Blog.  The first card is a fun little Christmas Card that I created all in Pink and White, which is also another tribute to Breast Cancer Awareness.

      I called this one "Pink Christmas" and it started with a cute little "Knobby Knees Candy Cane" digi from Bugaboo, which I colored with my Copics.  I then picked out some matching pinks papers from my stash and layered it on and added it all to a light pink card base.  My Sentiment is from Hero Arts and is from the cute Christmas Reindeer set.  This card is being submitted to each of these challenges:

• Catch the Bug - Bugaboo Challenge - Anything Goes
• Stampin' for the Weekend - # 17 - What a Cutie
• PaperPlay Challenges - Week # 39 - White Plus One

    My next card was created for the World Cardmaking Day Challenge over at Bugaboo and for this one, Jodie has even provided a this adorable image as a  'Freebie'!   It's also it's own special challenge and is perfect for today!  It's a sweet little image and fits me perfectly, as she is holding a little banner that says -- I Love Stamps!!   I also found the perfect crafting sentiment, which is from Rainbow Echo Designs and combined them both together to make this cute little card.

   My next two cards were created for new challenges over at Crafting by Designs, which is a wonderful online craft group and I belong too.   This first card was created for a new challenge, which is called 'Just one Layer' and that's not as easy as you think.  You have to create a card using the card base as your one layer.  Everything needs to be added directly to that card base!  It's actually makes a very CAS card and after I figured out what to do, this is the card that I created.

  And believe it or not that lovely image is actually a Stickeroo, by Penny Black and it's one that I found in my stash while looking for an idea.  I simply added the sticker to my card base, stamped on the Sentiment - Just a Note and then added two lavender gems!  And I LOVE the card!!   Typically, I don't like stickers, (at all)!  But, when I first started cardmaking I bought quite a few and this is one of the leftovers that I have not given away.   I really do like the Stickeroos and think they make a quick and easy card.  I'm not sure if they are still made, but I did find them on that one store link above, and have found them on clearance at my LSS too!

   I am also submitting this card to the Clean and Simple Challenge that is currently being hosted over at Crafty Creations!  

  My next card was also created for another challenge at CBD, as well as a few others which are all currently hosting "Halloween" themed challenges.  This was another really fun card to create and I hope you'll enjoy it.   This is one of those images that you can use in many ways and although it's very cute as a little Halloween Monster, it also makes a really fun birthday card!   It's another one I have in my Bugaboo collection, and was also colored with my Copics.

  In addition to the Halloween challenge at CBD, this card is also being submitted to these new challenges!

• Little Miss Muffet Challenges - # 19 -  Animals or Monsters
• Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

  I have one more card to share and this one was inspired by a Color Swatch Challenge be hosted by Julie Ebersole, over at Ellen's Hutson's - CLASSroom - in celebration of World Cardmaking Day.  

   This is a copy of the Color Swatch that Julie put together for the challenge --  You can find her wonderful inspirational card and all the challenge details over in the classroom HERE!   Be sure to start at the beginning as there are several challenges you can enter, and don't miss out on some shopping too!

   And this is the card I created to submit to the challenge!!   

  I started by going through all my scraps and pulled out a variety of papers that all seemed to go well with the challenge colors.  I then simply started laying out designs and came up with the one I used for my card.   To give the card more dimension, I used different weight papers and cardstock and embossed the very bottom piece in my Cuttlebug.   All of these papers are from a variety of packs including some very old DCWV and Basic Grey sets.   I then punched two scalloped circle and added a 3D flower from my stash.   The best part about the card is that the majority was created from scraps and that it helped me to use up goodies form my stash.  

  And now I'm off to continue on with the BLOG HOP that is being hosted today over at the Stars and Stamps Blog - for Operation Write Home!!   Come on over and join me!!

   And lastly, please be sure to hop back to my HOME page for your chance to WIN my BLOG CANDY!!  It's Yummy!!!

Pink and Pretty....

   In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I am very happy to be inviting you to join me and play in our new challenge at Through the Craftroom Door.  

    The challenge starts today, October 1st, and runs through midnight on October 14th!    We have  a wonderful new Color Challenge with and added TWIST!!    The colors will be Pink and White in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we want to see lots of  BLING - (Gems, Pearls etc).  And as our little TWIST, we want to see all kinds of different shaped cards - No Squares of Rectangles.   For all the details, please hop on over to our Challenge Blog or to the TTCRD Main site, where you can also link to the blog.

  This is the card that I created for our challenge and it features a wonderful Ribbon Tree image from A Day for Daisies. 

   Our sponsor for this challenge is Pizzazz Aplenty.   A wonderful online store, offering a fabulous variety of gems, pearls, ribbons, pins and so much more.

    The Design Team has put together some fantastic inspiration for this challenge and I hope you'll all be sure to stop by and  see their fabulous work.

    I'm always very happy any time I can promote Breast Cancer Awareness.  This is an illness that is very near and dear to my heart.   My Mom and one of my closest friends are both Survivors and both were very lucky that their cancer was found very early and was treated quickly.  They are both now cancer free and living a normal life.  Kim's cancer was found on her very first Mammogram and she is one of the youngest Breast Cancer survivors in our area.   It's not, at all typical to find cancer on a Baseline Mammogram, but in Kim's case they did and it saved her life and allowed her to even have a second child.    My Mom's cancer was also detected early by Mammogram, which is why they are so important for all women.  Have you had your Mammogram yet this year, I have and I hope this may help to remind you to have yours too!!

   If you would like more information about Breast Cancer, please go HERE - to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, website.

    You can also visit The Breast Cancer Site - HERE to add this button to your blog and help provide Mammograms to those who can not afford them.

Thank you!!

   I will be looking forward to seeing the wonderful cards and everyone creates for this fun challenge.  Please be sure to upload your entry to the challenge blog HERE - using Inlinkz!!    I hope you have a wonderful month and THINK PINK!!!!