HCBC Day 10

It's now down to the final day of boot camp, and I've ended with a card inspired by Lisa Spangler's sparkling holiday card.

This was an interesting experience for me, but a bit disappointing too.  The photo cards seemed to be the focus and the cards with gift cards, which I will probably never use, however, the sketch/design could be used for other cards I guess.  I would have preferred more reproducible holiday cards and some other techniques instead.   Another thing was the poor videos during the second week ... ten minutes took four times as long to view and was annoying with it's stopping every few seconds and restarting.  Still, I did learn a few new things and have these designs to adapt for other cards later.

HCBC Day 9

Continuing to catch up, Day 9 had examples of cards with gift cards, and I wanted to try Kristina's idea on how to create a slit within the 4-l/4 sq. card to hold a gift card, which was clever. My card front turned out to be "warm wishes" and tiney pine trees heat embossed in white on navy cardstock.

HCBC Day 8

I really need to catch up here with the class sessions, and am finally up to #8 which featured some new techniques.  I was inspired by Debbie Olson's card and Copic coloring instructions and used a fun stamped image sent to me by someone last year.  I colored the cute little snowball figures with Copics and used matching papers to put it together for a happy little card.

HCBC Day 7

During this class, Jennifer presented another photo card, creating a collage  of photos into a bookmark attached to a card front.  I wanted to try making the bookmark, but instead of photos I used some Disney characters cut out of a Disney paper full of them and adhered them to a cardstock strip then inserted it into a slit on the card front to hold it in place. 

HCBC Day 6

Three sketches were presented, and I chose to follow Kristina's Merry Bright card, but made a simpler version with supplies on hand.

HCBC Day 5

This was my favorite session .... reproducible cards.... just what I need.
I started with the Peace card embossed on blue base, embellished with white ribbon, a snowflake and bling, and sentiment to finish.

HCBC Day 4

Cards with newsletters were featured this day, but since I rarely send them anymore, here's my take on the tree newsletter card.  I liked the white heat embossing idea on a dark blue cardstock...clean and simple.

HCBC Day 3

Here's my version of the Merry Christmas card without the faux letterpress heat embossing technique featured by Jennifer on Day 3.  I just embossed a white base with a Cuttlebug snowflake folder, and cut out the circle beneath which I placed a winter scene stamped image that I colored with Copics.   This was adhered to a dark red notecard, and the sentiment stamped in white onto a red strip just below the circle.  I'll have to try the new technique at another time.

HCBC Day 2

Day 2 of the Holiday Card Boot Camp featured cards with photos, but since I don't send photo cards, I thought I'd use a stamped image of a nativity scene in place of a photo.  Followed the Christmas cheer card somewhat, but instead heat embossed a "Joy" sentiment with gold across the bottom of the image and linked it up with a swirly snowflake at the end.

Holiday Card Boot Camp

When I heard about the online card class with Jennifer McGuire, I just had to sign up for it.  I need all the help I can get to learn new techniques and ideas for creating my own cards.   It's my first online class, but from the start I can see it's well planned and thorough in presenting everything clearly.  I'll have to take my time absorbing all this new information so I don't expect to keep up with posting cards in the gallery, but it's good to know that it's okay as I'll have access to it forever. 

So for the next two weeks there are daily online classes, with videos and instructions to make holiday cards, and this may get me started on doing some of my own for Christmas.  I'll be sharing them here as I attempt to case the designs,  but they'll most certainly be different since my supplies are meagre and I can't duplicate the techniques.  However, I can adjust and adapt by using what I do have on hand.   Here's my attempt from Day 1.
 
I didn't have the diecut ornament, so had to print out the file onto  cardstock, then cut it out as a template.  Love this Coredinations Pearlized cardstock for the base and the blue shimmer paper worked well with it.  I cut out the ornament from the same gold paper, but instead of the snowflake design, I added some sapphire blings down the center, and tied the top with gold tinsel cord.  Sorry that the  blue"Joy" sentiment isn't too visible on the gold in the photo, but the Martha Stewart  border punch picks up the blue beneath it which added a nice accent.  Do like this card and may create a few more like it, or adapt the design for other occasions.
Thanks for visiting and leaving your comments for me.

OWH Birthday Challenges

Happy Birthday to Operation Write Home.... and what a way to celebrate... daily challenges to make cards for our heroes, plus last weekend's Virtual Cardmaking Party!   Certainly keeps us busy, as well as providing a lot of inspirational mojo!  I haven't been able to keep up with them, but will share a few of my cards here as we celebrate throughout September.



Challenge #4....Miss you - Love you cards being  sponsored by Inspired Stamps all month long.

Challenge 13 VCMP#3....Unique Christmas - non-traditional colors...hosted by Paper Therapy Ponderings






Challenge #14 VCMP 4..... Pick a number from the OWH sketch list... hosted by Handmade by Julie 
I picked sketch 22 for a Christmas scene.




Challenge #21 VCMP 11....Keep it Clean (CAS) hosted by Sparkle Within..... this can be a Valentine or just a love card.



Challenge#22 VCMP 12.....Daddy's child sponsored by Tami's Craft Connection 

May get around to doing more as the month goes on, so check back later.  Thanks
~~ Dolores ~~

Summertime

We are in the midst of a scorching July summer here, and it's best to stay indoors to keep cool.    I've been keeping myself busy with painting, cardmaking, reading, etc.....anything that doesn't require much effort to stay cool.

Way back in October I posted a blog of some of my paintings, and in particular a work-in-progress of  Alaska--an oil on canvas.  It's been a frustrating piece that I've been picking away at all this time.  Well, being forced to stay in the cool house, I vowed to finish this painting, and happy to tell you that I did.  Here's the result:

It's still drying before I can frame it, but would appreciate any comments.   I feel it's finished and don't dare to touch it again. 

It's also been a good time to work on upcoming holiday cards for Operation Write Home, but all I can get in the mood for now are fall themes.

The "Grateful" card in front was actually done with a piece of an acrylic abstract painting I had set aside for more work, but decided instead to crop pieces of the rich fall colors as background for a couple cards.  Sure didn't need much embellishment, and I'm kinda happy with this.  May try it again
soon!

Thanks for stopping by..... hope you all are enjoying your summer.

~~Dolores~~

A WINNER!

My sincere thanks to everyone who stopped by and left me a comment during the OWH Memorial Day Bloghop.

As promised, I made a Random.org pick from all comments received, and the winner of my blog candy is:  LOUISE at Trinity Paper Arts. 

Congratulations Louise....I'll be in touch with you later this week for mailing instructions.

Do hope everyone enjoyed all the inspiration at the hop and is now busy creating the next million OWH handmade cards for our deployed heroes to use.

~~Dolores~~

Welcome!                                         

So glad you've stopped by to visit my corner studio.   Normally I share some of my paintings with you, and since I posted a couple just a few days ago, today it's dedicated to the Operation Write Home Memorial Day Bloghop.  If you've arrived here from Lisa's blog, Stamping with a Mission, then you're in the right place, but if you need to start at the beginning, just click the bloghop badge shown on the right -------------   

Since we are honoring Memorial Day this weekend, our mission is to make a "missing you" card for a deployed hero to write home on, and here is mine:

This is an example of the "Dimensional Ruffle card Tutorial"   posted by Sandy on April 29, 2011 on the OWH Stars and Stamps blog, and can be found under the Tutorials section,  along with a great U-Stream video.  I used scrap pieces of blue and white design paper for each of the ruffles trimmed with a scallop punch, then glued onto a blue base front and attached to white cardstock.  I felt it only needed a small flower and a little butterfly punch to finish it off with blue ribbon.  Amazingly enough, it really levels out with each row and isn't too bulky.

BLOG CANDY
To entice you to leave a comment for me on what you think of my attempt with this card, I'm offering some sweet blog candy for one lucky person:

A winner will be chosen through random.org on Wednesday at 9:00 pm EST, so check back then to see if you've won. 

But, before you leave here now, please scroll down to see a previous post of some paintings I've done recently in my studio and let me know what you think of them.  I'd really appreciate that.

NEXT STOP!
Then you can proceed to the next stop on this hop which is Nancy's blog Scrap Happens!!!  You won't want to miss Nancy's inspirational work, as well as those who follow.  This is fun and a great way to get new ideas for your own creations.  Enjoy the hop and have a great Memorial Day weekend!

~~Dolores~~

My Paintings

It's been a while since I've posted here, but I really have been busy the past weeks attending a pastel painting studio at our local Art Center, and working on them at home as well.  Want to share just a couple of them here with you today for your comment:

This "Foggy Mountaintop" is a
pastel that I made from a photo and
sketch done while in Bar Harbor,
Maine.  It's 11x14 on Wallis paper.

And this pastel, an11x14 on Colorfix
paper,  is a  wooded scene done after a
hike along the CandO canal here in
Maryland.  Can't decide on a title, but
perhaps you can give me a suggestion.

I would really like to receive a serious critique of these, and don't hesitate to
say what your thoughts are or what might be changed to improve it.  Hope these photos are viewed clearly for you... maybe I need some better ones?

Thanks for your input..... and for stopping by to see me.   Now I have to get busy making a card for the OWH Memorial Day Bloghop.  Do plan to come back this weekend, starting on Saturday at 10am EST, and be inspired by all the creativeness being presented to honor our deployed military men and women.

~~Dolores~~

Welcome Spring!

Spring greetings everyone!

It is not officially spring...yet....but it is looking like it today as it's a pleasant 50 degree Sunny day here in Frederick, MD and hopefully, where you are as well.  

As many of you probably already know, the celebration of spring is being kicked off by Operation Write Home this Saturday, March 5th, with the Spring Bunny Hop on their Stars and Stamps blog,  and I'm sure all the cardmakers are geared up and ready for this marathon of inspiration.  I look forward to checking out as many of the blogposts as I can, but am not actually participating myself.  However, thought I'd better put out the welcome mat anyway in case some of my blog comments entice one of you to visit me here too.  And here's  my greeting card of welcome to you in honor of spring's lillies and approaching Easter season.  The photo doesn't really show up the green base or the gold embossed cardstock.

I believe I mentioned in a previous post that I had planned to attend a pastel painting studio at our local arts center, which I have been doing the past few weeks.  It's been great to get me motivated as I've been hibernating too much all winter and needed this inspiration to paint again.  So, thought I'd share a couple of the pieces that I created.

This is done from a photo of a fall scene with a chapel tower, and I liked the layout design so tried my best with it.  I haven't titled it as yet, or framed it, but plan to do that soon.

Another one I completed was also taken from a photo at Loch Lynn, Scotland, and the foreboding stormy sky inspired me to want to paint it.

I completed another woodland scene and am still working on a floral, but will share those with you at another time.   I was pleased that I was able to get these done in the past few weeks, and now with spring coming,  hope to keep this going. 

Thank you again for stopping by to visit me,  especially if you got here during the OWH Spring Bunny Hop, and hope you'll continue checking out the creativity there.  And in that spirit, here's a card using Sandy's great little

digi bunny.

Bye bye now!

~~Dolores~~                                  



Love One Another

The new year is moving along, and here we are once again wishing one another Happy Valentine's Day.... and besides the traditional gifts of flowers or candy, I believe highest on the list is THE card!  So for you, my dear friends here in blogger land, I want to share a little greeting for the day!

Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's day doing something you enjoy with a friend or family..... as it is a day to remind us to love one another.  Bless you all.

~~Dolores~~

A New Year

I hope everyone's year is starting out well, and if you've made any new year resolutions, that you are still working on them.  It's hard to do for very long unless you are really committed.

I'm hoping to do better with blogging this year as I get more familiar with how it works...and to share current happenings here.   I've been trying to find out how to change the header and backgrounds, etc....but it's really frustrating
without someone to lead me through it and having to sit for hours figuring it out alone.  My old brain just isn't that swift anymore.... but I do try and eventually have some success....it just takes longer!

My first piece of good news to tell you this year, is that it's begun with a sale of one of the miniature paintings I submitted to the juried miniature show at the Strathmore Gallery in Washington, DC in December.  It's a 2.5" x 3.5" pastel called "Colorfest" and similar to another one that I showed previously.

The year also starts out with two granddaughters' birthdays.....both on January 7th, but five years apart!    Can't believe that Sarah is now 19
years old, and a freshman at Temple University in Philadelphia.  Her sister
Julie, is now 14 years-of-age and in the eighth grade at Thurmont Middle School, MD.   I've been working on their birthday cards and want to show them to you below.  The first one is the card I made for my grown-up young lady, Sarah:

And... here's the card created for my teenager, Julie:

It's kind of tough to have a birthday so soon after the Christmas holidays, and to make it special for two sisters on the same day!  Today they are celebrating with their friends.... Sarah meeting up with her old high school friends.... and Julie's friends coming for a sleepover party.
Our family celebration for them will be at dinner tomorrow, and I'm baking the "funfetti" cake they requested!

That's a pretty good start for this new year, and I hope it continues.  I am planning to really paint more now, and to ensure that I do, will join an 8wk. pastel class at our local art center to get the mojo working.  It's always good to be with a group and benefit from the comraderie as well as the feedback, which really applies to anything one does.  Will try to keep you posted on my progress.

Till next time....thanks for visiting and do come back again.

~~Dolores~~

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!  May it be filled with happiness, peace, love.......

and God's blessings on one and all!