Welcome to the HOP! I’m stoked you’re hopping along, and I’m aimin’ to keep this short. I’m Sandy, Founder and Executive Director of Operation Write Home – as well as shipper for the western half of the nation –  and I’m delighted you stopped in here to see me today!

I did produce a video tutorial for the airbrushing and Copic coloring of the image in my card from Stampendous, so if you want to see that, watch it on YouTube. (I hope to learn a little more about airbrushing that I can share, but since I know a lot of folks didn’t even know you can airbrush with a marker, I wanted to at least show  you that!)

I used sketch #44…

I was planning on doing red white and blue, but this one wanted to be Purple Mountains Majesty – with purple, green blue….lol! And my May Arts silk ribbon had to be purple to go with it. Hope it’s still nice and patriotic on this holiday! Leave me a comment and tell me if you think it still passes muster Wanting that sentiment? Try this link.

And what would a bloghop be without blog candy? I’m giving away these two projects I made this week - to two random commenters! You have til Sunday night! Go go go! Hop hop hop!

PS….one last thing. A plea! I am TOTALLY out of kids coloring page hero mail, and have barely any adult letters. I’d love it if you can get your friends and family busy on ‘em soon I’m also out of love cards….bring on the hearts!

I put a lil o that there “loyal” paper from them good folks over at Authentique on th’ card….added a bit o’ bling in a manly kind o’ way. A little ribbon pulls in that color from Luka’s kerchief and shorts. But the best part o’ dis card has gotta be that there shadow. I impressed even m’self.

Have yerself a good ol’ Friday and come on back now, y’hear?

Copic colors R24 R46 R89 BV00 E11 E01 E34 E99 E37 E79 YR21 FB2 B69 C00 C10 C6 C4

My project isn’t a card (gasp!)….I used Valerie Stangle’s pdf tutorial (inspired by Kittie Franken)  HERE and created these darling coffee cups….read below to see what these are destined for. And be sure to check out the video – go comment on YouTube too, my videos get lonely with no one talkin’ back!

May Arts ribbons used are the burlap string:

and the patriotic striped ribbon:

These cups of goodies will be my blog candy this weekend, so be sure to come on back Saturday! And as always – May Arts has some ROCKIN’ candy for the hop, so be sure to visit all the other ribbonistas, too, and the main May Arts blog. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to WIN! Here are all the amazing women blogging for this hop from the May Arts and Scor-Pal teams:

Thursday

1. Jen Shears 
2. Abby Henderson 
3. Jenifer Cowles
4. Diane Zechman 
5. Karen Baker
6. Jennie Harper 
7. Lalo IK
8. Katie Tate
9. Sandy Allnock <—that’s me!
10. Lisa Silver
11. Virginia Fynes

Friday

1. Charlene Driggs
2. Lori Williams
3. Christina Colón
4. Steph Ackerman 
5. DeeDee Catron
6. Toni Storie
7. Emily Lanham
8. Tya Smith 
9. Erin Thiem
10. Virginia Nebel
11. Gini Williams Cagle

Today’s lil card is showing off a tidbit of coloring I got to do – yes, some just for fun coloring. It seems like tons of what I’ve been working on lately has been for big projects….like the one I can’t tell you about yet! It’s killin’ me more than it’s killin’ you, believe me Anyway…..Not sure why I went camouflage with her colors, but I did! I used some Studio Calico paper from the HeyDay collection (the background) and then wanted to pull out more of the olive color in the background and her dress. There wasn’t more olive in the SC 6×6, so I jumped over to My Mind’s Eye…Stella Rose seems to always have something I need! So the green and the snippet of patterned paper on the left are from the Hazel grouping.

Copic colors – Skin E51 E11 BV000 RV91 RV06 FB2 for those intense eyes. Hair and shoes V25 C6 C8 black; outfit YG99 YG97 YG95 YG11 E31 E34. 

Have an amazing second half of the week…I’m stoked about the bloghop coming up this weekend and it’s keeping me motivated to last through the workweek!

His sentiment is…kinda like an order. Who’s going to disobey a buzzard? Can Mother Nature ignore him? I sure hope not. I’m getting tired of disasters – manmade as well as natural. *sigh*

May Arts twine, paper by Authentique, button punch by Martha Stewart. Sentiment by SRM stickers. Buzzard, of course, by the hilarious folks at Art Impressions.

So…is this for a guy to send to his girl? Or vice versa? lol. The stamp and sentiment are from MFT, one of the fundraiser sets I bought. Not sure how much I’ll use this one though…we’ll see!

Copic colors R89 R37 G07 YG25 YG11 B52 B41 R51 E95 BV000 Y35 Y08 Y04 – Paper is by Authentique I believe; it was donated, just some loose sheets, but the striped “end” on the paper matches all the Authentique pads I own….so I’m guessin’.

Copic colors: Hair E97 E37 E79; Skin E11 E51; Clothes R89 RV29 FB2 B59 B41; Mailbox C6 C4 C1; G19 YG13 ….and a little more of the Teresa Collins Vintage Finds 6×6.

Stay tuned…perhaps, oh, next week or so….for a coloring tut with this eagle. Maybe. If I have time. It’s my plan to do one for the big bloghop – and I’m hoping it comes together quick like a bunny! Or an eaglet. Coz I’m running short on time!

The card for today sports a Mo Manning image, Paul Typing –  and it was kind of an accident. I was trying to put a light wash behind him, and goofed it, then it started looking like he was being lit by the laptop screen…so I tried going dark. Sooooo many layers of that warm grey, egads! It’s not very even, and if I’d wanted that effect there are a ton of ways to get it without the pain I did. But oh well. I love the design that came out sooooo clean and masculine.

Papers are from a Teresa Collins “Vintage Finds” 6×6….brads by BG. Copic colors E51 E11 B41 for the skin; bed & clothes E42 E74 E71 YG95 BV34 B21 B41; background W9 W6 W3; laptop C6 C10