Operation Write Home - Midweek Throwdown + My First Step Cards

OWH Midweek Throwdown

This is my first Midweek Throwdown challenge for Operation Write Home (OWH).  Weekends are usually my challenge days.  But this week's throwdown featured dry embossing.  I love dry embossing!  I think it's the best way to give your project some "wow" without having to be a creative genius.  I dry embossed the black paper and then decided to try to give it a chalkboard effect - not sure I pulled it off.  What do you think?

 

Supplies used:

 

Vintage Valentine Paper - The Paper Studio

Cardstock - Stampin' Up

Embossing Folder - Anna Griffin

Twine - Close To My Heart

Heart Stamp - CTMH Lifting Spirits Stamp Set

Other -Ranger White Pen, SU Tiny Scallop Trimmer Blade, Marvy Scalloped Square Punch

 

 

My First Step Cards

 

I follow a very talented Close To My Heart Independent Consultant named Brenda Rose.  A few weeks ago, she offered one of her card kits for mail order.  I wanted to learn how to make step cards so I quickly ordered.  Brenda did a fabulous job designing these cards.  I put the two Thanksgiving cards together last weekend.  I really love how they turned out and was surprised at how easy they were to make.  Of course, Brenda did all the hard work!  Aren't these great? 

 

 

I wanted to update this post to include the two Christmas cards included in Brenda's kit.  These are just as gorgeous and use CTMH's Frosted paper collection.

 

 

Our Daily Bread Designs October Challenge and Critters at the Dog Park!

I'm trying all kinds of new challenges this month.  Another new one is the Our Daily Bread Designs (ODBD) monthly challenge.  October's challenge was to make the sentiment the main focus of the card.  I saw the sentiment I used on this card during the Operation Write Home World Cardmaking Day blog hop and had to get it.  It's by Stampabilities and is called Patriotic Subway Art.  I hope you like it. 

 

 

Just about everything on this card is from Stampin' Up.  This is somewhat strange as I'm a Close To My Heart demonstrator!  But that's okay.  I used Real Red and Not Quite Navy markers and paper.  The twine is also SU.  I embossed the navy cardstock with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and lightly sanded it.

 

 

I've been on an animal card making whirl this week.  I've had the Lawn Fawn Critters at the Dog Park for quite awhile.  Yesterday was the day to finally use it.  I'll tell you.  This card almost made me give up card making.  It's not that it was particularly difficult.  It's just that everything that could go wrong went wrong.  I had trouble with the brown dog die lining up with the stamped image. The "grass" gave me fits.  The sentiment didn't show up on the green paper.  That's why I added the banner.  I ruined several banners - once because of ink on my finger, another because I had the exclamation point upside down.  And on and on.  I'm so glad I really like the final product.  Yikes!

 



Supplies:

 

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up

Designer Paper :  My Mind's Eye Hootenanny from Michaels

Stamps:  Lawn Fawn Critters at the Dog Park

Embossing Folder:  Stampin' Up

Coloring:  Copics

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I really appreciate your comments.