Snowy Days Sketchabilities Challenge

 

I just love this scrapbook page I created with the sketch from Sketchabilities showing my grandson having a great time playing in the snow. The paper and velum all have snowflakes on them too. I used my punches and nesties to make more snowflakes to continue the theme.

 

Was a fun page to create and of course, the best part is the darling boy who is the star! (I admit to being highly prejudiced:)

Stamping and scrapping smiles, Karen

Stamp Simply Gone Askew #140

 

The challenge this week at Stamp Simply is to place something "askew" on our cards. I love the sentiment from DRS stamps and thinks that qualifies, but I also put the darker pink and white pieces "askew" before I added the butterfly also at an angle. This is one of those cards that look so much better in person than on the photo. The smaller pieces are also embossed before adding the butterfly which is an older SU stamp that I embossed with black sparkly embossing powder on velum, colored from the back with Copics and cut out.

The butterfly embossing folder is a new one I was so excited to find from a new company (to me) Crafts-Too and is available with some other very cool new ones at Cropstop. I ordered four new ones (including a new heart one from Cuttlebug that I have never seen, but I think was an European exclusive) and there was no shipping or handling costs and I got them in just a couple days! You will see them in my cards in the next few weeks.

Stamping smiles, Karen

CCEE Stampers Challenge

 

The challenge this week at CCEE Stampers was to make a baby card. I had been wanting to use this folder from Sizzix and the stamp from The Stamp Shoppe and the punch and they all went together easily into this CAS card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

C4C38 Sketch Challenge

 

I created this card for the sketch challenge at Crazy 4 Challenges and used a stamp set and embossing folder that I have been meaning to try for quite a while. Both are from Stampin'Up. I embossed the right triangle piece and cut out along the embossed line of the rose. I stamped the bottom left triangle piece and also the square and can you see how the lines line up from the stamped image in both the plum and green? I also used some of my favorite paper from SU although it is probably not available anymore...

My internet, TV and phone were all down all day today so I am sending this late as it has just come up recently. Thank goodness as my favorite show of all time has its finale tonight: Dancing with the Stars. I totally agree with the final three and can't wait to see the last dances and who wins.

I have also been waiting all day to enter this card at a new challenge blog's contest for a Guest Paper Player. Always Playing with Paper is a new challenge blog and I would love to be part of their start as a Guest Paper Player as the more great challenge blogs the better!

Stamping (and dancing) smiles, Karen

TESC114 Sketch Challenge

 

I used Taylored Expressions sketch this week to design this guys card. Our challenge this month at our stamp club was to use the materials provided to make a guys card and to do some distressing. I distressed around the edge of the patterned paper and the scalloped circle with brown ink. Heidi gave us the stamped image, the patterned paper, the skinny leather like ribbon and the hardware. I had two snaps from her and then totally lost 1/2 of one while making the card. I hate when that happens! But I went in my old sewing basket and found some more snaps- a very cute but not feminine addition to a card! I found some other treasures I forgot I had and will use them on another card someday. So with the supplies and the sketch I ended up with a card I really like!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hogs & Sketches #8 Challenge

 

I sure like the monthly challenges like the one at Hambo because they give you a whole month to get your card done and posted. I had these new word stamps from them that just crack me up and didn't quite know how to feature them on a card. But the sketch worked (with a few minor liberties) and the circles are supposed to represent mold or other gross things that grow in a frig after a long time. The embossing folder is the new Tim Holtz one again... Hope it makes you laugh out loud!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Scrapbook Saturday (What day is it anyway?)

 

One of the hazards (and joys) of being retired is that you forget what day it is:) I had these pages ready to go for Scrapbook Friday and totally spaced on what day it was yesterday when I posted. Oh well- guess there's no law that says it has to be Friday that I put up a scrapbook page...

 

These are one of my favorite new spreads featuring my grandson Nate's birthday last year when he picked out his favorite foods and fun activities all day. Right on the pictures themselves is a label of what each pix represents: special lunch of mac & cheese or dinner out at Red Robin and of course, birthday cake!

 

Stamping and Scrapping smiles, Karen

Cardabilities Sketch #3 & Scrapmasters Color Combo #48

 

I used the colors from the Scrapmaster's Paradise Color Combo #48 challenge (old olive, crushed curry and tempting turquoise) and the sketch from Cardabilities #3 to make this card. I am trying to design thank you notes for the showers my daughter-in-law to be will have this year leading up to my son's wedding and this can be used for one of them, but I may change the picture. But this pix worked perfectly with the colors and the flower was cut out of velum with nesties and sponged and attached with a sparkly brad. I didn't the right color brad so I colored a white one with my blue copic. How did we ever manage before without our nesties, punches and copics?

Stamping smiles, Karen

2nd attempt- Friday Sketchers

 

This is my second attempt to get the picture to show on my blog and for my subscribers. It is so weird when I preview the blog entry I can see it, when I look at it when I am done, the picture is there and then when it is delivered to my subscribers, the pix part has disappeared.. A mystery I guess.

This is my card that I designed for the Friday Sketchers sketch challenge this week that my friend Heidi from our local Stamp Shoppe and my stamp club is sponsoring. I used stamps from Inky Antics that I got with my retirement gift card. They make me smile and hope they do the same for you.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Stamp Simply Sketch Challenge

 

I created this card using this week's sketch from Stamp Simply and more funny stamps from Skipping Stone Design. The background is a new Tim Holtz Sizzix embossing folder that I sponged with black ink. CAS but fun card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

JUGS Color Challenge Shadow Box Card

 

JUGS challenge this week was to use red, white and blue in our cards. I have been wanting to make a shadow box card ever since I learned how to make one at the Madison Mingle. It is very simple actually. Just cut two pieces of cardstock 4 1/4" by 5 1/2" and score at 1/2" and 1', fold and attach as shown in the pix below.

 

The funny sayings and "hare" stamp are from Skipping Stones Design. I cut the hole out of the front with a nestie and then a smaller scalloped nestie to frame it.

 

The last pix is the back- when I cut out perfectly shaped ovals and they are sitting on my desk, I just have to use them. The sentiment is a sticker. I flattened out the shadow box for this pix to show how you can easily send the card in the mail.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crazy 4 Challenges C4C37 & Blog Candy

 

The challenge this week at Crazy 4 Challenges was to use a pocket in our cards. I used the Robo Party stamp set from Raisin Boat and created a birthday party invitation. The details of the birthday bash would be written or typed on the piece that comes out of the pocket. I used two candle punches- one a border and the single candle punch on the bottom. The upper robot is paper pieced and the lower round one colored with copics, cut out and layered on blue circle. The paper is an old one from TAC that was in my stash.

Blog Candy reminder: If you sign up to be a follower before June 10th, you will be in a drawing for a bunch of my favorite cards ready to be sent or copied. If you have already signed up, but do not appear on the blog, please check your settings. A friend discovered she had signed up "anonymously" and if I can't see you there, I can't include you in the drawing. Thanks!

Stamping smiles, Karen

CAS-tastic Chalenge

 

The challenge at CAS-tastic this week was to use circles in our clean and simple card. The flower (made layering Martha Stewart punched flower on a Nestie flower and added a gold button) is on the inside of the card. I cut a scalloped circle in the front and layered on a regular circle frame in purple. The sentiment is stamped on a little tag and attached to the MS border punch with a little pin. I am really happy with how this card turned out.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Color Q Challenge

 

I decided to do a color challenge this week- lately I know what sketch I am using and the stamps but then struggle with what colors to use, so I thought I would try something "outside my box". Colour Q's selection of Kiwi Kiss and Groovy Guava to go with black, white and kraft is definitely not one I would have chosen, but I like how it turned out. I just love the tree stump from my newest rented stamp set from Raisin Boat. The set is called "Arboretum Leaves" and includes this cool stamp and some of the best leaf stamps I have ever seen. The background is a new Tim Holtz Sizzix embossing folder.

 

Stamping smiles, Karen

Scrapbook Friday: The Scrappiest May Challenge

 

Took a sketch from Scrappiest for my latest scrapbook page featuring my grandson on our family trip to the Milwaukee Public Museum. That's us oohing and awing at the butterflies, our favorite part. So I added punched butterflies to the page to continue that theme. That was just one of many exhibits that we enjoyed that day.

 

Stamping and scrapping smiles, Karen

FTTC66 & Card Patterns #63 Sketch

 

To make this romantic card I used the sketch from Card Patterns challenge and the challenge from Flourishes Timeless Tuesday to use a picture in our card. I have been wanting to use more of the Clear View transparencies that I have been hoarding and this was a perfect time to use one. I punched my new Martha Stewart border punch twice leaving room in the middle for a ribbon and added pearls to the ribbon. Then I simply mounted the picture on pink and black cardstock and added some flowers and the love stamp from SU.

Stamping smiles, Karen

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge

 

The sketch this week at 2 Sketches for You worked great for the thank you notes I wanted to design and make for my nephew's graduation present. His school colors are purple and gold so those are the colors I used. The bottom is a Martha Stewart border punch x 3. The background is the Thank You cuttlebug folder and the stamp is from SU. As a matter of fact, the graduation hat is from the very first stamp set I ever purchased for my son's high school graduation announcements in 1999. That was my first stamped project and it led to all the fun I have everyday with this stamping obsession...

Stamping smiles, Karen

SG17, Critter Challenge #13 & Colors Act 29

 

Piling on the challenges in one card today:) I used the sketch from SG17 Sketch Girl; Critter Challenge #13 was to use "critters" on our cards;and used the colors from Colors Act 29 Curtain Call Challenge. So three challenges later, I have this cute boys card using critters from Cornish Heritage, and alittle paper piecing to the body and eyes of the "dude". Think my grandson will like it?

Stamping smiles, Karen

Blog Candy for Blog Followers

How would you like to win a bunch of my favorite cards with envelopes ready to use (after copying the idea if you like it:)? That is the blog candy I am offering and all you have to do to have a chance at winning is sign up to be a follower on this blog. (If you already are one, you are included in the drawing already- thanks!!)

I am asking for this reason- my goal now that I am not working full time is to picked to be part of some stamping and scrapping design teams. I have quite a few subscribers who see my blog everytime I post, and I appreciate all of you who have subscribed. But the number that is used to judge how active a blog is, I am told, is the number of followers.

So thanks for visiting my blog and signing up to be a follower. I will draw for the first batch of blog candy in one month- June 10th. (Did you catch that hint-there will be more later too...)

Stamping and scrapping and blog candy smiles, Karen

TESC112 Sketch & Cute Card Thursday Challenges

 

Cute Card Thursday's challenge this week was to do a boys or mens card and that is so easy for me with my grandson always on my mind and heart:) My newest rented set from Raisin Boat is Robo Party and so is perfect for little boys! The sketch is from Taylored Expressions . I find she has some of the best sketch ideas out there! The background is cuttlebugged of course. The middle robot was stamped twice and the lighter brown one cut out and attached and then raised with mounting tape. I added black dots around the scallops as an extra touch which I really like.

 

I smeared black ink in two spots on the inside when I was stamping the last "Happy Birthday" stamp- hate it when I do that!! So the sticker and brad were added to cover those blotches up:) Shh- don't tell anyone..

Stamping smiles, Karen

Celebrate! (Stamp Simply Challenge)

 

Lots of reasons to celebrate today! It's Mother's Day and I am enjoying a lovely lazy day today. I have two wonderful kids and a beautiful grandson who made me feel very special this weekend and everyday. Yesterday we met my son and his fiance' and her parents for a fun visit spent laughing and planning their wedding.

Today I am starting a whole new chapter in my life- more reason to celebrate! I quit my very high stress full time job and am going to take some time off before looking for a part time job that will take me up to when I officially retire. So I will have more time for stamping and blogging and scrapping and the huge to-do list I have without getting up every day at 5:00 am and working 8 hours at a job where my hard work was unappreciated.

Stamp Simply's challenge this week was to make a female or Mother's Day card. With pinks and butterflies, I think this card qualifies. No stamping on this card! The butterfly image is a Penny Black sticker and the "celebrate" is a rub-on. The butterfly punch is one of my favorites and is by Tonic.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Scrapbook Friday

 

This page shows Nate a few years ago and how he loved to combine just about any food with yogurt and then eat them together. That's my healthy grandson!

 

Stamping and scrapping smiles, Karen