How Many Butterflies

This paper has so many butterflies on it!

 My first plan for making cards using this butterfly  paper was to use this paper and  a very large pink circle on the left side of the card. I wanted to use my new" Memory Box' butterfly die and a sentiment banner. It seemed that too much of the base paper was covered and all the butterflies were lost so I changed my plan. Using the Spellbinders Circle dies, I cut out many  rings in all sizes  from the pink paper, instead of one large circle. I'm much happier with this design but wish I would have done something different with the sentiment banner. It sort of disappears into the background.

More cards for the Operation Write Home box that I will be shipping out next week.

Many thanks for viewing my blog today.
Kathy

This Is A First

I bought this lace circle die at least three years ago.  This is the first time I've used this die and I really like it. I haven't used the little flower punches in years and they were some of the first punches that I purchased.

   I'm trying to go through of  all  my card making  tools and supplies and getting rid of the things that I just don't use.  Because I transport my card making  stuff from Minnesota to Arizona in the Fall and back again in the Spring I'm  trying  to make sure that I only bring the tools that I know I'll use.  I can't take it along if it's just going to take up space.

Guess I'll keep all the punches and dies used on these cards.

 Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I hope you liked my cards.
Have a great day.
Kathy

Cool Summer Cards

Long ago I colored these ice cream cone digital images. I'm not sure why they didn't get assembled into a card until now. There are a couple of little girls on my card list that would just love to receive one of these "Sweet Wishes" cards .   

I used Kraft paper for the background. Embossed it with a texture that reminded me of an ice cream cone. All of the papers used were from my stash.

So I wouldn't waste any paper, I cut the scalloped pink oval and the hearts out of the pink paper that was used for the base layer. I used the Spellbinders oval and scalloped oval dies and a heart punch.

I do hope that you "Enjoy"  my  cards today.
 Stop back again soon and please leave a comment.
Kathy

Using Papers From A Prize Package

Today I have two cards for show and tell.

These cards were made using papers that I won last year when  one of my favorite blogs gave away a  blog candy  prize and my name was drawn as the winner.   The yellow butterfly die cuts and the jewels that are used as embellishment were also  part of a blog candy prize.

Thanks for reading my blog today.
Kathy

   

Using My Leftovers

Some days I just can't come up with a design for my next card. I find that Operation Write Home has fantastic sketch ideas for card making and  I try to make use of them. Visit their blog and check out their sketches HERE.

  Sometimes I  find the sketch that I want to try and then find papers and sentiments and images and embellishments that will work together.

Sometimes I just  take a look at my paper inventory and then find a sketch that will work.
These cards were made using a variation of one of the OWH Bonus sketches.

I like this layout but next time I would add a layer of black under each layer to give the card design  some pop.

Most of the papers used on these cards came in a pack so they worked  well together. The flower embellishments came in one of those $1.00 bins at the local craft store.

Thanks for viewing my cards today. Come back soon and your comments are always welcome.
Kathy

I Always Need Thank You Cards Like These

My goal for the summer is to empty my files of leftover designer papers and all the colored digital images I have accumulated. It's been a challenge but also lots of fun.

  I wish I knew where this digital image was downloaded from. I love the little flowers in the heart shaped  wreath 
I colored the flowers with colored pencils and blended the colors using baby oil.
It took some time to fussy cut around all of the little hearts.

These might not make it into the Operation Write Home box. They just might stay in my personal stash of cards.

Thanks so much for stopping by to check out how I'm doing using my scrap papers and digital prints.
Comments are always welcome.
Kathy

How Sweet Are These?

I just love cupcakes! I've been on a low carb diet for about three weeks now so these little cards are my sweet fix.

I'm using my new envelope punch board to make these great bows out of narrow strips of paper. The instructions  for making these bows can be found on this blog and You Tube video. Just click on the link.

 Notice the "Stickles" that I used on the frosting and also on the bows.  The cupcake was a free digital image from Paper Smooches and the sentiment stamp is from Penny Black.

 For the card on the left  I used a 3/4 inch wide paper strip for the ribbon and bow and the card on the right I used a 1 inch wide strip.  Love these cards

A Bug And A Bear

Some of the designer papers  that I'm trying to clear out of my paper stash  were purchased when I first started making  cards. In those days I thought I needed lots of papers and bought  paper packs whenever they went on sale. Now I feel I need to use all of that paper before I can add any more to the stash.

  Lately  I've been using the papers that aren't my favorites as the base layers for my cards and also on the card front.  I've found that this is a good way  to "Use It Up" fast!

The cute little digital image is "Theodore" and is from "Bugaboo". Here are the other three cards that I  made using this image. They will be included in the next box of cards that I ship to Operation Write Home.

I   thought I'd share this "Theodore" card that I made and did a blog post on  in 2012. I just love Theodore.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you liked my cards.
Have a great day!
Kathy

No End To The Paper Scraps

This "Use All Of My Paper Scraps" project could go on for a long time! I'm turning out lots of cards but the mountain of scraps doesn't seem to be shrinking very fast.

I used Operation Write Home Sketch #88 for these cards.

I had very limited amounts of coordinating papers for these cards and in order to make the colored outer circle for the front, I had to cut the circle from the background paper and then place the rectangles to cover it.

Only enough of this paper  to make one card.

I was able to get two cards from these paper scraps.

 These cards seem so plain and perhaps I'll be able to find just the right embellishment to jazz them up a bit before I send them off to Operation Write Home.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog. I hope you like these cards and I hope you will leave a comment.
Kathy

Use Those Small Paper Scraps

Making these sunburst cards is a great way to use scraps of paper. All you need are one and a half inch strips of paper that are four inches long. If you would like to see a video on making sunburst scrap cards click here.

On these cards I used one of my new Memory Box Butterfly dies. If you click on the picture it will make the picture larger.

On this batch I used a new large butterfly die. These are so delicate looking and are so pretty.

 Thanks for visiting my blog today. Hope you'll give this card making technique a try. It's a great way to put those small scraps to good use.
Kathy

Another Batch Of Finished Cards

I'm not only trying to use up my scrap papers, I'm also making an effort to use some digital prints that I've collected. I have many digis that have been printed on card stock and are all ready colored and just waiting to be used.

 The digital images used on this batch of cards  were downloaded and  printed  from my old computer so I don't have any info about them. I colored the digi prints with colored pencils.

These are some of the cards made using my scraps. I had enough materials to make nine of these cards.

 Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. Hope you will come back again soon.

Use It Up!

For the past month I've been trying to make cards using just my leftover papers.

Leftover means all the little pieces of papers from previous paper crafts and the pads of papers that really aren't my favorites anymore and have just been taking up space in the craft closet.

Here's  a picture of some of the large pieces that I'm working with. I decided there were enough pictures in this post and I won't be showing you the 10 storeage size  baggies of paper that are each grouped according to color. Yes, I have lots of leftovers to use!

 This is the first set of cards that I made using these materials.

I donate most of the cards that I make to Operation Write Home. If you would like information about this great group just click on the OWH logo on the right side of this page. It will take you to their website.

 I also make cards to share with my  sister-in-law. She sends cards to every member of her church congregation. She also makes cards for a local nursing home. Each month she has a birthday party at the nursing home for the residents and each person with a birthday that month gets a card and they play games, sing songs and eat cake and ice cream.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I hope to have many more scrap projects this month so please come back soon.
 Comments are always welcome.