With a symetrical sketch and simple shapes OWH 149 had a little 'boring' to overcome. 

I had colored up a dragonfly image and decided to cut a circle frame for it instead of cutting the image itself. I added a white border to it and then went looking for background. I ended up selecting several in monochrome and decided to add a strip to the sketch to separate the main players.

The image was popped up on foam tape.

The Tim Holtz word sticker booklet alternates pages of white and kraft stickers so I chose the kraft for the sentiment on this card.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

I'm not one to embrace the use of tags on cards but had to steel myself and go for it for OWH sketch 148:

I love this Anna Griffin botanical image of a poppy. I had colored it up with four color combinations and decided to go with the brightest red one for the tag.

Three very different background papers were selected: tiny red text for the top, a dark for the center roughly corresponding to the area of the image with the mass of leaves, and red at the bottom to balance the red flower head.

The image tag was bordered with dark marker ink to separate it from the light upper background and then popped up on foam tape.

I added three word stickers from a Tim Holtz pad.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Another day to skate by - OWH sketch 147 is one I have used before so I can post without making a new project.

I posted this back on January 10, 2013. I had some clear vinyl stickers featuring kids. Unfortunately they were square instead of round, but I just added a round element as backing to bring it into the intention of the sketch. Adding a scalloped border to it adds to its impact.

I used more of the same colors and many graphic papers to frame up this image.

The sentiment is stamped directly into the open white stripe of the background paper.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

We've come back to a sketch that has some nice design elements in OWH 146:

I had on hand the perfect image for this sketch - right size and everything! YAY!

I selected backing papers that picked up colors from the image and bordered all of them with black to define them. The focal image was popped up on foam tape.

I found a text sticker with appropriate colors and bordered it with black as well. I popped it up on foam tape to equal status with the image.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

OWH sketch 145 calls for a really large image.

Fortunately I have just such an image among those I recently stamped and colored. I love this little bunny image, especially with the ears swooped around.

I wanted to provide some grounding for the rabbit and the horizontal strip was perfect for this. I used a craft knife to cut the feet loose from the background and slipped the strip behind them. Making it out of woodgrain turns it into a floor.

I found the phrase on a sticker sheet and it seems to fit the image.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Ah, back to a sketch that makes sense in the 'design' world. OWH 144 has a layout that I was glad to work with:

The colored stamped image I wanted to use was not the prescribed size so I cut a background in that size and mounted the image on top of it. A yellow background and green graphic block mimic colors in the image.

For the embellishment (heart on the sketch) I used a 3D sentiment sticker that features the same colors.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

A very strange sketch is OWH 143.

That's it? Four strips 1/2" wide? Oh yeah, cut on an angle?

Well, this calls for some creative adjustment! I selected a stamped and colored image of the flag since it was already made up of stripes. I figured it would contribute to the impression it was waving to cut it into the diagonal strips. 

I decided it needed a very quiet background and added a thin blue border to echo the blue field. It was looking a little (OK, a LOT) plain so I added some tissue tape with music to jazz it up.

The cardstock sentiment sticker picked up on the red and blue as well as the general tone of the background paper.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

OWH 142 is a banner sketch... really, just three banners

I had more of the lacy stripes from the sheet I cut down to use yesterday but they were not as wide as any of the banners on the sketch. I decided to use them anyway.

I cut a subtle woodgrain for the center banner and added all three of them to a green graphic background. I used a soft gray marker to shade around the center banner to separate it from the background.

I used a 3D sticker to provide the sentiment and satisfy the shaped element on the sketch.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Oh no! Another very strange sketch! I guess that is why it is called a 'challenge'!

This is OWH sketch 141:

There was nothing in the recently colored images that would suit for that big half-circle on the left. So I went to the sticker file to see what might inspire me there.

Nice - some vellum stickers with clusters of butterflies. I do like me some butterflies! I drew the half-circle on grid paper (since I didn't have any circle-drawing/cutting tools in my temporary stock of 'powerless' supplies I drew around a color-wheel that was in the front of the sticker box). The vellum stickers were arranged inside the arc with some hanging slightly over the edge. Then I cut along the arc while fussy-cutting the overhanging butterflies.

I chose the pink background to match the butterflies and a single stripe from a lacy striped paper for the crosspiece. A single butterfly from the recently stamped and colored image takes the place of the circle image on the sketch.

Silver peel-off stickers provide the sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

If yesterday's sketch showed imagination run amuck, today's is imagination on sedatives. I looked at OWH 140 and my reaction was, "and then....?"

I started with the horizontal piece and selected one of the butterflies I had colored in a solid orange. The wingspan was perfect but, being a product of nature, needed a softer look. I chose to round the corners with a 1/2-inch corner chomper. I also ran a brown marker around the edges so it would separate from the background.

I chose brown and soft orange for the solid blocks of background.

I went through a Tim Holtz book of word stickers and chose three to make a little phrase. Aligning them along the edge of one block keeps the graphic feel going. Having them in white ties together with the image and the thin edge of the card base peeking out.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

This is a sketch I would never have chosen to do if it had not been for this self-challenge (to use every one of the Operation Write Home sketches - in order). Since I'm not allowing myself to skip any sketches it was time to grit my teeth and press on. Here is OWH sketch 139:

In my opinion, this sketch is ghastly. So, in order to use it, I had to 're-imagine' it into something I could work with. My thought process went something like this: "what an awful shape... what can I use that is an interesting shape but not awful... I could fussy-cut something... that large butterfly I colored has some scroll-y edges...what if I used that whole image instead of half an ugly shape... oh, I like where this is going... just need some solid papers in the right colors... found 'em... let's glue this thing!"

I had used three golden tone markers and a teal marker for coloring the butterfly and cut it out leaving a thin white border around it. I chose solids in apricot and teal for the upper and lower backgrounds and a grid for the crosspiece. A strip of tissue tape with butterflies settles the apricot.

The colors on this are SO far off (stupid camera).

I added a Dazzles sentiment in gold across the grid strip.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

And another reprised sketch for today - OWH 138:

This sketch was used on October 1, 2012 and, again, was the starting point for a Christmas card.

I selected papers, stickers and embellishments featuring snowflakes and gold foil text.

The holographic snowflake stickers were added to the basic sketch to create more interest.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

How about a little review? Today we will look back to OWH sketch 137, first used on October 3, 2012:

Another Christmas card was created with this sketch. Although the card looks more complicated than the sketch, it is really exactly the same! The secret is using a striped printed paper in the upper background and a scalloped border on the diamond element.

I used clear stickers to decorate the diamond and provide the sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

It seems the 'intent' of a sketch can be greatly affected by the materials selected. I started with OWH sketch 136:

None of the recently colored images suited this layout so I went to my sticker stash for inspiration. Yay for finding a sheet of vellum stickers of pansies! I chose three of them to place on a subtle woodgrain panel.

This got some blue bordering and I added yellow tiny brads for centers on the blooms. A matching panel at the bottom sports a gold peel-off sentiment.

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Oh what fun it was to use OWH sketch 135:

I stamped a single image of a pinwheel four times and used two coloring options. Each one got a brad center and I added a line of grass to the bottom of the trimmed out and bordered panel.

Background cardstock in basic solids were bordered for a simple setting.

I left off the 'embellishment' specified in the sketch but did add silver peel-off stickers for a sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

As a little interlude to the cards made on 'powerless' day, this is a reprise of OWH sketch 134 which I first used on October 6, 2012.

This was in the midst of making Christmas cards which dictated the papers and illustrations I used.

I replaced the heart with a wreath and added a bow to it. That wreath was a clear sticker that I adhered to a white cardstock and trimmed out with a thin border.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Onward, to OWH sketch 133

Oops, you'll recall that in my list of tools and supplies on my 'powerless' day I did not list a circle cutter or any dies. Too lazy to go downstairs with a flashlight to find something to use, I reverted to an 'old school' technique and traced around a drinking glass. The slight size difference from the sketch is due to the size of the glass I had on hand. I used a marker to tint the edge after it was cut out.

The papers were all keyed to the illustration.

The true color for this card is rose pink in the background, sage green for the vertical band, and toast for the script panel. Why won't my camera behave?

I added a silver Dazzles sticker for the sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Next in my 'powerless' marathon, I used OWH sketch 132:

The stamp I used was one of the first sets I bought. It is a Stampin' Up! set of four botanicals. I colored it up with just the shading getting antique linen' ink and the stems done in 'old paper'.

Two green solids and a tan patterned paper set the stage for the feature popped up on foam tape.

I selected words from a Tim Holtz word sticker booklet.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Powerless - I was completely powerless. I knew it was coming... I even knew what time it would happen to me. This allowed me to be prepared for what would happen.

So what did I do to prepare for the day the electrician would shut off all the power to the house for most of the day? I sorted out select card-making supplies from my stash and had hubby schlep them upstairs to the dining room table. I also stamped a slew of images on watercolor paper to color and use on cards.

I've got my collection (massive) of stickers, tools including three adhesives, two rulers, craft knife, paper cutter and scissors, bone folder, distressor, aquabrush, acrylic block, pricking tool, foam pad, corner chomper and fine-line markers. I also have various supplies including cardstock in black, white, and a stack of mixed colors. Two pads of pre-cut solid colors plus a wide choice of printed cardstocks round out the paper selections. Embellishments included a selection of rhinestones, brads and tissue tapes. My full complement of watercolor markers and Distress markers rounded out the supplies list.

With the stage set I spent the first part of the day using Distress Markers as watercolor by coloring on an acrylic block and picking up with an aquabrush OR coloring direct to paper with or without a followup with clear water in the aquabrush.

Then I went through the next several OWH sketches, assigning newly colored images to them based on size and orientation. I trimmed them to size and set to work making up the cards.

First sketch up for use was OWH 131:

The image I chose for this was a mountain landscape. It had a bit of purple in the coloring so I chose purple for the main background. A strip of green for the vertical bar picks up the color of the grasses and three blocks of woodgrain reinforce the outdoorsy theme.

I added some silver peel-off stickers to provide the sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Another milestone reached - we're at OWH sketch 130:

This is another sketch that I used before - back on October 2, 2012.

I was working on Christmas cards at the time so it has a winter feel to it. I used papers from a coordinating 12x12 stack and decorated with gold Dazzles stickers.

I backed the 'hollow' Dazzles with paper to match the card base.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink