Halloween Cards to Mail

It is easy (easier?) to make cards that look fabulous with lots of bling, bows, and embellishments to add pizzazz. I find it a lot more challenging to make interesting cards that will fit easily in a regular envelope.  Because I'm interested in making more cards for Operation Write Home, I'm trying to focus on more mail-able cards.  So here is some of what I've recently created.  The stamped images are all new this season from CTMH.

Black ink using 2nd generation inking with Backdrop Charmed stamp

 The card above also has images stamped from the All Hallows Eve set (CTMH C1462.)  White Daisy, Black, and Grey Wool cardstock.

Mischief B & T papers with Vanilla Cream cardstock

It is so fun to see how many different ways the same stamps can be used.  The Backdrop Charmed set (CTMH D1490) has 6 stamps, but I only used two of them on these four cards.

Card Challenge Using One Sketch

The color choice was inspired by dd2's watercolor in the background

There are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of different card sketches to choose from when designing a card.  I almost never use ANY of them.  It occurred to me the other night, as I was trying to fall asleep, that maybe it would be a more efficient use of my time if I used someone else's sketch and designed around their idea.

So for my first Card Challenge (this is a Challenge for myself, but please play along if you'd like to join in!) I chose the SC264 sketch from Splitcoast.  It looks remarkably similar to many of the cards I've made over the years, but it has a name (number?) so it feels more Official!

Stamped images from Captured Moments (CTMH C1423) and  Backdrop Charmed (CTMH D1490)

This card is the closest to the sketch out of the five that I made.  There were also some self-imposed rules; hey, it's my challenge to myself so I had to give myself some rules!

1. No Glitter, in case they are sent to Operation Write Home
2. Must fit in a regular envelope

Each of the first three cards has three pieces of cardstock or B & T paper cut into 3 3/4" x 1 1/4" papers or 3 1/2" x 1 1/4" papers depending on the size of the cardstock layered underneath. The sentiment on this card comes from CTMH (D1346) You Rock set. The papers are from the Roxie collection.

This trio was stamped with Black Archival Ink and then colored with watercolored pencils.  The image is from the CTMH Enjoy Every Moment set (C1395).  The sentiment from the set is on the card below.

If you noticed the big, dangle-y bauble hanging from this card, you will see that I violated one of my rules.  It won't fit easily into a regular, mail-able, envelope.  Oh well. I like the effect and thought it fit the theme of the Sweet Moments CTMH set (C1467).  The jewel comes from the Heirloom Assortment (CTMH Z1635) and the little pearls are from the Opaques Adhesive Gems (CTMH Z1336.)  Buttercup yellow cardstock seems to work well here and on the card above this one.

If you'd like to view the inspiration card sketch, it is here.