Stamptacular Sunday, Card Patterns 70 & Cuttlebug Spot Challenges

 

Three challenges again today! So much fun to participate in all these challenges and today I won TWO $25 gift certificates from two challenges I did recently!

This card qualifies for Stamptacular Sunday's challenge to use stars and stripes, Cuttlebug Spot's challenge to celebrate Independence Day and uses the great sketch from Card Patterns Sketch 70.

I am getting a large box of cards ready to send to Operation Write Home, an organization that collects handmade cards and sends them to soldiers overseas to use to keep in touch with their loved ones back home. They also collect "Anyday Hero" cards to send directly to the soldiers to support them and thank them for their sacrifice and service. I made this card for that purpose.

I got out all my old colored felt and played with punches recently. The stars are punched out of that felt. The front sides are punched with a MS stars border and the inside was layered with white cs so the white shows through the stars. The stripes were taped together and then embossed with a stars CB folder.

This is one of those times I just love how the card turned out:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Polka Doodles #25, Paper Players #4 & Our Creative Corner Challenges

 

This card was created with three challenges in mind: Polka Doodles challenge to make a Boy's Birthday card; Paper Players challenge to make an easel card and Our Creative Corner's colors of blue and green.

I had been wanting to make a circular easel card, but I decided to place it on a standard size background piece of cardstock so it combines the best of those two ideas. The stamps are from a cute set for boys I own from Raisin Boat (thanks Donna!) I stamped in blue on white cs and cut out.

 

I used some dinosaur brads for accents and to hold the easel up. The inside has another stamped dinosaur and the Happy Birthday sentiment from the same set. Of course I used nesties to cut the scalloped circles and added dots in the scallops as a finishing touch.

Stamping smiles, Karen

CAS-tastic CWC009

 

The challenge this week at CAS-tastic was to use blue and yellow and a neutral in the card we design. I wanted to ue the new CB folder I bought on Saturday at the stamp show that cuts and embosses and stencils all in one. When I got it home and started playing, I realized that it is really big! I don't think you can use it to make a regular sized card and I am not sure I like that... The embossed part is 7inches by 5 inches and the hole it cuts is 4 1/4" x 2 3/4" so when I cut it down for a standard size card it was mostly hole...

But it is great for making a larger wedding or other card. I used it with new papers I also picked up Saturday and then just added some sticklers for a CAS but elegant card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

CCEE Stampers #1025

 

The challenge this week at CCEE Stampers was to create a summer card using flowers. This is the birthday card I created for my daughter-in-law to be. It features the layered floral stickers and several rows of the plumber's tape embossed with the card with a Stampin' Up embossing folder. I just love how it turned out and hope you do to!

Off to play with all the goodies I bought yesterday at the stamp show so I can share all week with you!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Papertrey Posse Sketch Challenge

 

This is a birthday card I created for a special friend using the sketch from Papertrey Posse. I used the 3D ornament stickers from JeJe Produkts again and other stickers to create an elegant card. I have been asked where I got the sticker sheets to create the ornaments- I got them through Paper Wishes catalog. The process is alittle tedious but the look is worth it I think. You stick each sticker on cardstock, alternating the colors of cardstock from largest to smallest of the layers and then cut out. Raise each layer with popdots as you attach. I love the look.

Off to a stamp show:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Scrapbook Friday

 

 

This could be considered a mini scrapbook or a card. I learned how to make this in a video by Sandi Genovese. You may remember her from years ago on older craft shows- always great ideas. You can sign up for a weekly webisode on her site. Even if you are not into scrapbooking ideas, many of her ideas are for cards too.

My grandson Nate (also known as Buzz) got a gift of a New Zoo pass from his Aunt Kristy whose birthday is this week, and Uncle Brian. So we took some pix from his last visit and had him decorate some circles and made this little book card. So easy- just large circles and brads and whatever you want to decorate with. Nate (or Buzz) just loves to use stickers on all his cards:)

 

 

Stamping or Scrapping smiles, Karen

Unscripted Sketches #60

 

The sketch this week at Unscripted Sketches was a fun and unique one, plus they added a twist- do the card in black and white. Here is what I came up with. I added alittle space inbetween my image pieces and moved the sentiment down alittle, but otherwise the card is pretty true to the sketch. The stamps are from Hero Arts and unknown... Just added a few pearls to complete this CAS card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Curtain Call Act 35 & Cuttlebug Spot Monthly Sketch Challenge

 

To make this card I combined the colors from Curtain Call Act 35 (light green, garden green, turquoise and coral) and the sketch from Cuttlebug Spot and the result is this fun card. Of course the background two pieces are embossed with CB folders and I used a Martha Stewart border punch and my nesties. The stamps are from Hambo and I colored and paper pieced and added squiqqles around the pix. As usual, I would not have put these colors together, but liked how it turned out.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Play Date Cafe Touch of Blue

 

Yup- this is my second post today. The deadline for this and the other challenge is today and with no software to take pix off my computer until yesterday, that means today you get two for one:)

A Touch of Blue is the challenge today at Play Date Cafe. The picture isn't the best- sorry. But I used navy blue as my "touch of blue" and the sketch from the current Take 10 challenge. No stamping on this card! I used 3D ornament stickers by JeJe Produkts and layered them on navy blue and white cardstock and then cut out. They are attached layer by layer with mounting dots to raise. I punched the border (EK Success) twice and put another border sticker in the middle. And the sentiment is a sticker too.

It is one of those cards that look so much better in person:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions Sketch J1610

 

I loved the sketch at Repeat Impressions this week. It is so fun when a sketch really challenges you and this one did! I had these supplies from our Stamp Club (patterned paper and rub-ons) with instructions to make a wedding card with ribbon, so this is what I came up with.

Stamping smiles, Karen

C4C42 Challenge

 

The challenge at Crazy4Challenges this week was to use paper flowers in our card. This is one of the thank you cards I made for my daughter-in-law's birthday present - one of her bridal shower thank you cards. I used tissue paper to make the flower- cut lots of layers with my nesties, crinkled and attached with a brad. Easy and fun way to make flowers that are not too bulky and colored tissue paper is very inexpensive.

The pix is another transparency and I used a SU border punch and a punched tag for the sentiment.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Scrapbook Sunday?

 

I was gone this weekend visiting my grandson and daughter and son-in-law and I had a lovely visit. I did play in the backyard with Nate and watched him slide down his slide many times- just like in the pictures.

I have new cards to show you but cannot get them off my camera until I get new software from Canon. This was another thing I lost when I went to my new computer. Hopefully it will come tomorrow and I can take some pix and get back to normal with the programs I need on my computer.

 

In the meantime I will share a scrapbook page and picture with you.

Stamping and scrapping smiles, Karen

Always Playing with Paper Challenge

 

The challenge this week at Always Playing with Paper was to use brilliant and bashful blue, old olive and white in our cards. I created a background with those colors using the background stamp from Raisin Boat. Then I stamped the tree (Raisin Boat) on green patterned paper, cut out with nesties and mounted with mounting tape. The corners of all were rounded and I added dots on the scallops for the finishing touches.

Stamping smiles, Karen

C4C41 Color Challenge

 

The challenge this week at Crazy 4 Challenges was to use light pink, purple and green in our cards. I have been wanting to design another card using this beautiful Cherry Blossom set from Raisin Boat and these colors worked great for that. Of course the circles are all cut with my nesties and layered. I stamped in green and again in light pink on scrap paper, attached the flowers and pearls. The strip was punched with MS leaf border punch, and embossed with CB border and sanded.

Stamping smiles, Karen

CCEE Challenge Male BD Card

 

I created this card for the challenge this week at CCEE Stampers to make a male birthday or fathers day card. I had this very cool background stamp that I rented from Raisin Boat and have been wanting to use my cork paper with a diecut or nesties shape and this is what I came up with. The words are from another fun Raisin Boat set that I own and I stamped them on more cork paper and cut out with deckle scissors, then layered on black deckle cut paper. I sponged edges of the dinosaur die cut with dark brown ink.

Stamping smiles, Karen

New computer trial

 

I have a new computer which in the long run I will love but right now am trying to figure everything out. So am doing an extra blog entry today and sharing two cards: a new graduation card I made for my nephew using his school colors and another Clear View transparency...

 

and my First Card I ever stamped! This is the invitation for my son's graduation party in May 1999 and I had just bought my first stamps- a graduation set from Stampin' up. It was pretty ambitious for a first project- dry and wet embossing, sponging, etc. And I had to make 20+. But I was hooked:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Our Creative Corner Challenge & Blog Candy Winner

 

The challenge at OCC this week was to Focus on Corners and my card has corner accent stickers featured. The rose picture is a Clear View Transparency. I punched and embossed the plumbers repair tape on the black background piece and really like how it turned out. Hope you do too.

The WINNER of my blog candy is #11- Margy! A whole basket of cards and goodies will be on their way to her as soon as I get an email confirming where to send it! Congrats!

I am continuing my quest for Followers so will have an ongoing Blog Candy contest- everytime the number of followers doubles (25, 50, etc.), another WINNER will be drawn from the followers on my blog. So all you have to do to qualify each time is to be a Follower. So pass the word to other stamping friends and come back often!

Stamping smiles, Karen

TCP Tuesday 112 and Last Day for Blog Candy

 

My card today is for the challenge at TCP Tuesday to use the colors plum, vanilla and chocolate in our card. I had been wanting to use these new Inchies stamps from Inkadinkado and so I stamped them in plum, punched out and layered on plum cardstock in the inside of the card. The front was embossed with a new Tim Holtz distressed embossing folder and then a square frame cut out just slightly bigger than the square inside. Don't know if you can tell, but the friend inchie was raised with thick mounting tape.

Tomorrow I draw for the blog candy prize- a dozen original cards with envelopes, bunch of ribbon and rubons and other cool stuff. All you neeed to do to qualify is to be a public follower of my blog (with a box or pix on the blog) by midnight tonight! So easy and you just might win!

I appreciate all my subscribers- I really do! But the design teams look at how many followers a blog has as a sign of how active it is. So thanks for visiting and following my blog!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Kitchen Sink Stamps #26

 

The challenge this month is to use ribbon in our cards featuring Kitchen Sink stamps. I have to be honest- I created this card last month for their sketch challenge but the days when I was going to post it before the end of the month deadline, my computer was down and then it was too late. But it does have ribbon on it so I am going to use it this month. I love how the card turned out and when I made it, my lilacs were in full bloom so they inspired me. The buttons on the side are clear ones I bought from SU years ago and I punched out lilac patterned paper circles and tied them up with scrappers floss.

 

Stamping smiles, Karen

DRS Designs Monthly Challenge

 

The challenge at DRS Designs this month is to use embossing in our cards. So easy for me because I use my embossing folders all the time. I am also using stamps from DRS Designs as I love their stamps and have been a member in their money saving member's club for years now. The fish stamp was stamped on glossy paper, brayered with blues and cut out. The sentiment was also stamped separately and cut out and attached to a border I created with a new Martha Stewart border punch. The background was created by cutting out two circles with nesties, attaching them to an aqua blue piece and running the whole thing through the Big Shot with an embossing folder by Sizzix. I really like how it turned out!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Scrapbook Friday

 

I am sharing a page today called "Nate's Imagination at Play" . I used an old SU punch to make the header and it took a while to punch all the pieces and put alphabet stickers on them but I like how it turned out. Play is the "work" of a child and Nate works hard at it:)

 

Stamping and scrapping smiles, Karen