Missing Birthday Card

 

Sara's card didn't come with the rest for some reason and it was the first one I got! I never tried to pull that many pictures at once so maybe there is a max? But here it is!

Karen

Happy Birthday to Me!

 

Above and below are all the beautiful handmade birthday cards I have received so far from my friends in my stamping club. Thanks to Jane, Barb, Heidi, Peggy and Sara for the awesome cards. If I get anymore, I will share later in the week.

My gift to myself was to take the day off work, sleep in and take it easy today. Later my husband is taking me a local restaurant that discounts the birthday person's meal 1% for each year of his/her age. So for me today my meal is over 50% off:)

 

 

 

Stamping smiles and HBTM!

Karen

C4C Sketch Challenge

 

The sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges this week was CAS and easy to design from. I used my new Gray Hare set from Skipping Stones Design which at my age I find hysterical:) I made this an Easter card but will use for a very funny birthday card when I get a chance. Added some patterned paper and embossed circle, and I used another funny saying inside to complete the card.

 

Stamping smiles, Karen

Stamp Simply Easter Card

 

Stamp Simply's challenge this week was to do an Easter card. I used Raisin Boat's rented Easter set one more time before I returned it for another really cool set you will see later in the week. (Do a search on Raisin Boat if you want more details on renting sets from them at www.raisinboat.com).

I punched and embossed the circular frame, paper pieced the egg. added the egg eyelets and raised the frame and saying with mounting tape.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Scrapbook Friday

 

I have decided to share a scrapbook page or layout with you each Friday. If you are into scrapbooking you might get a sketch or idea from them, and if you are not, you will still see pix of the cutest grandson in my world:)

The pictures show the whole page as well as the most fun part of the page- using two pictures to create an 8 for the title of "Crazy Eights". These are pictures taken from my grandson's first card game with the family.

Did you know if you ever want to see the pictures of my cards or pages in more detail, you can just click on the pix and it will enlarge for you?

 

Scrapping smiles, Karen

Just for Fun Color Challenge

 

The color challenge this week at Just for Fun was to use black and white and one other color. I am posting a card I made with a picture as the focus and the main colors are black and white with some color in the picture itself. I used deckle scissors and sticker words to finish this simple but elegant card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

C4C Spring Card

 

Crazy for Challenges wanted a spring card this week and butterflies and flowers remind me of spring so am sharing one using stickers and punches and a frame made with punches as well. See my article in Scrap and Stamp Jan 2010 for instructions or you can email me if interested in how to make the frame.

Happy Spring and stamping smiles, Karen

Stamping Royalty Sketch Challenge

 

I made this card using Stamping Royalty's sketch and a new technique that I learned at our stamp club last week. The background piece is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder, then rubbed with some dark brown and/or black ink, rub all over with Versamark and then embossed with clear embossing powder. Makes a cool leather like finish that is great for a man's card. I brayered ink on glossy paper and then stamped the deer in Stazon ink. Added the saying cut out with Nestie and the card is done.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Stamp Simply CAS with Texture Challenge

 

I had fun with the Stamp Simply challenge to use texture in a clean and simple card. I hadn't used this Sizzix folder from SU! yet and it reminds me of spring. It added great texture to the outside of this card and I raised it higher than usual to create a nice frame around the cross. The cross is from Our Daily Bread and I used Flower Soft on the flowers on and around the cross for even more texture.

 

It always seems a shame to discard a cut out Nestie shape so I used it in the inside of the card with the saying.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Stamping Royalty Challenge

 

The challenge this week was to use green in our cards. I am not into St Patty's days cards so thought I would share a favorite guy's card with you that uses green embossed paper as the background. The mushroom is paper pieced and I love the humorous saying- are you starting to see a pattern here:) Yes I paper piece all the time and use humor as much as I can in my cards.

TGIF! Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Challenge

 

The Hambo challenge this month required us to use 4.5 x 5.5 size card, paper piecing, dew drops (I didn't have any so used clear gems I colored with my red copic), purple and red colors and atleast 1 Hambo stamp. All the stamps are Hambo except for the "hey u" as nothing I had fit in that space but that...

I embossed the red background, used Nesties to cut out circle and scalloped frame, and used scalloped scissors to cut the border of side piece. That piece folds and catches under the circle to hold the card closed.

 

Inside I punched the border and stamped one of my funniest Hambo stamps.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Celebrations School Color Graduation Card

 

The challenge on Cute Card Thursdays this week is Celebrations. I am sharing my school color graduation card. I love to use the school colors of the grad when making a graduation card. In this case, I used the colors of the local high school my kids went to. Layering with the colors of your choice, embossing the front, add some ribbon and a graduation cap and the card is done.

Stamping smiles, Karen

TESC104 & SNOTIME 130

 

Two challenges in one again! Taylored Expressions had this great sketch and Stamp Simply asked us to use pink and green with a touch of brown. Those are my primary colors but the egg eyelets and designer paper for paper piecing the egg added alittle more...I used a Martha Stewart border punch and Sizzix embossing folder. The cute Easter stamps are by Whippersnapper except for the little bunny and flower are by Raisin Boat. Fun!

Stamping smiles, Karen

OCCSC6 & Little Paper Shop Color Challenges

 

Two more challenges completed with this card. The sketch is from Our Creative Corner and the color choice (white, dark purple and turquoise) from Little Paper Shop color challenge. The card and frame for the lilac picture are dark purple, although the picture doesn't show that very well. The lilac stamp set is from Kitchen Sink stamps and is my favorite spring flower. Ribbon and patterned paper help pull this color combo together.

Stamping smiles, Karen

MMSC44 Sketch & Critter Sketch Color Challenges

 

Two challenges in one and got to use my newest set of stamps from Raisin Boat too! The Sketch is from the Midnight Madness blog and the colors (blue, yellow and green with a flower) from the Critter Sketch Challenge. Once I had the sketch and colors to use, was not hard at all to make. Did my usual paper piecing and cuttlebug embossing, stamped saying onto the ribbon and added some flowers and ribbon tabs.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crazy 4 Challenges Guy Card

 

This week's challenge on Crazy 4 Challenges is to make a masculine card. Being a Dad is masculine and I like this set of stamps. As usual I paper pieced instead of coloring. Add some masculine patterened paper, kraft paper and screw brads and it could be perfect for Father's Day or Dad's birthday.

Stamping smiles, Karen

KItty Hello Card

 

Quick card to share today that uses stamps from Kitchen Sink Stamps. The three or four steps they use in each stamp ends up with the most realistic looking stamps on the market in my opinion. This weekend I am going to play with their new lilac set- can't wait! Designer paper and ribbon and it is done.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hello Spring

 

Sharing a lovely spring card I got from a friend. Great use of nesties labels and flowers! It's hump day:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Sweet Stop Sketch & Crazy 4 Challenges

 

I used the great sketch from this week's challenge at The Sweet Stop and also used several kinds of paper piecing which was the challenge at Crazy 4 Challenges to make this card. The stamps are from my new rented set from Raisin Boat (too cute!) I added extra piercing to the border punch from SU!, punched three holes for accents and pierced a border around the bunny and connected the "stitches" with a green gel pen. Fun card to make!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Stamp Simply #129 & Raisin Boat

 

This bunny is from my newest set of rented stamps from Raisin Boat. I had time to design two new cards with it yesterday after I got home but the lighting was not good when I took the pix so you can't see that under the bunny (with flower soft tail) is the saying "Winter is behind us!" How cute is that! And it is true here in central Wisconsin- just beautiful out for early March.

The challenge this week at Stamp Simply is to use border punches and I used two ones I just got. The SU one at the bottom and the thick lattice one by Martha Stewart with scallops at the top of the patterned piece. Colored, punched and raised bunny piece and made a white flower soft tail.

If you haven't seen my earlier pieces on renting stamps from Raisin Boat, search the site for my earlier posts and then go to raisinboat.com to see their newest stamps and how it works.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Stamp out the Blues Weekend

 

 

I am back from my stamping weekend at Nossers in Rhinelander. I met so many wonderful stampers and made some very cool cards and projects. I have posted pictures of the "pizza box" and matching cards we decorated with beautiful papers and chipboard pieces. So much fun but I am glad to be home and not going anywhere next weekend!

Stamping smiles, Karen