Scrapbook Friday Happy Birthday Nate!

 

Today my adorable grandson turns 4! Of course we are headed over there to celebrate! Tonight we are taking the whole family out to a restaurant of his choice and tomorrow we are going to the Milwaukee County Zoo with the other grandparents, Great Grandma, a couple uncles and some cousins. What fun! Of course there will be cupcakes and lots of presents.

I picked this page to share today highlighting some of Nate's jokes and funny sayings that we giggle at now and will in the future too when we look at this page. That is what is so cool about scrapbooking- we would never remember the cute things our children or grandchildren say unless we preserve them some way and with pictures, scrapping is the best way!

 

Stamping and scrapping smiles, Karen

Mark's Finest Papers Masculine Card

 

The challenge this week at Mark's Finest Papers was to create a masculine card. I had these great stamps from Raisin Boat and the saying seemed perfect for a gas card gift card. The card is a trifold with a circle cut out of the front where the gas gauge shows through. I give a lot of gas cards for gifts (especially at Christmas for nephews I just don't know what to get when I get their name), so this card would work perfect for that purpose.

 

Stamping smiles, Karen

Just for Fun Fridays & The Pink Elephant TPE77 Challenges

 

To make this fun card I used the sketch from The Pink Elephant, and the colors (blue, grey and yellow) from Just For Fun Fridays AND the great stamps from my home away from home, our awesome local Stamp Shoppe. I paper pieced the elephant and only had to color his eyes and toes. The blue and yellow cardstock pieces were attached together and then embossed with a CB embossing folder. I stamped the sentiment (perfect with the elephant, isn't it?) on the ribbon and attached. A perfect card for a child for any occasion.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions J1410 & Play Date Cafe #39

 

Today's card was created using the sketch from Repeat Impressions and the subtle colors from Play Date Cafe's challenge. I had fun with punches from Fiskars, SU and Martha Stewart and a embossing folder and patterned paper from SU. I punched the larger bird out of cork paper. All in all I am happy with how it turned out.

Stamping smiles, Karen

DRS Sketch Challenge

 

Today is the last day to enter the sketch challenge at DRS Designs and so I quick made this card before I left for my babysitting weekend. The little boy is so cute and he is one of my many DRS stamps that I love. I paper pieced his overalls and colored the rest with Copics. The grass is also a DRS stamp and then I doodled a border. I really like my new SU embossing folder and used it on all three pieces of background cardstock. The brad holding the "strap" to the brown paper is a frog like my little guy is holding.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Scrapbook Friday

 

On my way out of town to babysit this cute 4 year old and start celebrating his birthday a week early:) So I thought I would share a "Grandma Loves Nate" page with you. I used a butterfly theme on a two page spread and this was one of the pages.

 

Stamping and scrapping smiles, Karen

Another 2 Sketches 4 You & Color Throwdown #102

 

I am out of town this weekend babysitting my adorable grandson so am posting my cards early before I go. As you can see I had fun with the great sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You again. This time I used a Martha Stewart border punch (punched twice) and some new circle stamps from Fiskars. CAS again but fun. The colors are from the Color Throwdown #102.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Kazan's Sketch #57 Christmas

 

Another fun card made with the sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You. I went with a CAS Christmas card this time using some fun button stamps from Papertrey and a Nesties border punch. The saying is also from the same set from Papertrey and the paper from SU.

Stamping smiles, Karen

2 Sketches 4 You Kazan's Sketch #57

 

Another great sketch this week at 2 Sketches 4 You and I am going to be playing with it all week. It is so fun to see the different cards that can be created with the same sketch but different papers and stamps and punches. Today I used my new papers from SU that I just got and a border punch from ek success and felt flowers cut out with nesties and Tim Holtz tattered flowers. No stamping but I still love the look and I can add anything inside for birthday or thinking of you or whatever.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Christmas in July at CB Spot

 

It's Christmas in July at the Cuttlebug Spot and I have just the card. I have been on a lovely relaxing vacation in beautiful Door County, but I am back now and sharing this Christmas card using stamps from TAC, nesties and of course a CB embossing folder. With so many the blogs featuring Christmas in July themes, I am starting to think about making some holiday cards early this year. And with my son's wedding early in December, designing and making mine early this year would be a good idea. Will share when I do:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Scrapbook Friday

 

Quick post today because we are on our way to a lovely 4 day weekend in Door County. Looking forward to relaxing and seeing the sites and shopping and eating:)

This is a fun page I made of my grandson and his two cousins from a day at the park.

 

Nate and William together are so cute!

Stamping and scrapping smiles, Karen

C4C, Mark's Finest Paper and OWH Challenges

 

Three challenges again today - what fun! I used the colors from Crazy 4 Challenges (red, white and black), and Mark's Finest Paper's challenge to use punches, and Operation Write Home Stars and Stripes challenge to make a card a soldier could send home to a child. I hadn't used the new dominoes embossing folder yet, and wanted to, and black and white are the perfect colors for that. I ran the white paper through the Big Shot and then lightly rubbed my black ink directly onto the embossed paper and liked the look.

All the stamps are from an old set from TAC that I still really like. I tried a new technique on the ladybug circles and learned you have to let the copics dry a little longer than I did (but tiny mistakes and smears just prove it is homemade and not always perfect, right?) The technique is to stamp with black Stazon on acetate and let dry. Color the image on the other side with Copics (and let really dry). The technique instructions I found then stated to apply a tacky glue all over the same side as you colored, but a brilliant friend suggested I try one of the two sided sticky sheets on the market and it worked just fine and was way less messy. Spread silver glitter all over the glue or sticky sheet and it creates the look you see. Of course I punched out the circles, scalloped circles and the scalloped border punch (SU).

Stamping smiles, Karen

2 Sketches 4 You #56 Challenge

 

I have designed two cards today for this great challenge at 2 Sketches 4 You. I have often participated using their awesome sketches and this week they have a special challenge and if you win, you get to be on their design team! That is my dream- to be chosen for some design teams and one of these days, I am going to make that dream come true.

The first card uses Martha Stewart and SU punches and an embossing folder also from SU. I colored the gem with my purple Copic and stamped the sentiment inside another SU punch.

 

The second card (using the same sketch) again uses a SU border punch and stamps from Raisin Boat. Isn't the "peace mouse" cute? Not sure where I got the paper from (it was in my stash) but it seemed appropriate for the theme.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Just for Fun Fridays and LPS Monday Challenges

 

I used the colors from Just for Fun Fridays (light blue, brown and creme), the distressing from Little Paper Shop Mondays challenge,and my new stamps from Repeat Impressions to make this funny card.

 

I just love these hysterical sayings and the swing cards are a perfect way to present them. This time I embossed the whole card before stamping and attaching the sentiments on the inside piece front and back. Then I sponged the edges with distress ink and it was done.

 

Stamping smiles, Karen

OneLayer Wednesday Challenge

 

The challenge at One Layer Wednesday was to be funny in our CAS one layer cards. Funny - no problem, especially with my new stamps I won at Repeat Impressions. But one layer? I love CAS but usually I admit I do tend to layer or emboss or something... But I like how this turned out and it does make me laugh. The card is made of patterned cardstock weight paper that is plain white inside. There are two stamps in this set: The center one with the question and some hills, etc. And the punch line with some more hills, that I used on either side of the first one. I cut off the saying and stamped it on the bottom of the front. That is one reason I love unmounted stamps- the flexibility to cut them as you wish when there is no wood.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Color Throwdown #100 with Raisin Boat Stamps

 

Big week at Color Throwdown - Happy 100!! The colors this week are certainly celery, regal rose, real red and baja breeze. I used my newest rental set from Raisin Boat called Peace Pals to make this cute side step card. Check out my underwear card on the front page at Raisin Boat this week and lots of great ideas in their gallery as well.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Mojo Monday, FTTC#74 and Stamp Simply #147

 

It's Christmas in July at several challenge sites and that got me in the mood to make my first Christmas card so far this year. I used the great sketch this week at Mojo Monday and participated in FTTC #74 and Stamp Simply #147 challenges to make a Christmas card. The picture is a transparency and as usual I used my nesties and embossing folders on the card. The sentiment is from CTMH and says it all for any day including Christmas.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Caardvarks & Shabby Tea Room Challenges

 

The challenge at Caardvarks this week was to make a new birthday card and the challenge at the Shabby Tea Room was to use dry embossing in our cards. I do both of those all the time, but this time I used my new stamps that I WON from Repeat Impressions. They are hysterical and I just love to use humor in my cards so I had so much fun. (More to come later this week.)

 

That just cracks me up! I have three brothers and some brothers in law who will be getting this card. I used my Tim Holtz embossing folder on the sides and paper pieced the rose on the front.

 

I also won a package of Repeat Impression's Swing Cards, designed specifically for their line of swing stamps such as this one where the punch line or second part go on the inside of the swing part. They fit perfectly in an A2 envelope.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Paper Players Oh Baby and Giveaway

 

The challenge this week at Paper Players was to make something baby related. I decided to combine my usual Scrapbook Friday with this challenge. These pages were done with pictures from a black and white photo session very soon after my grandson came home from the hospital. They show all his adorable parts and Mom and Dad adoring him. Nate will be 4 the end of this month so this seems ages ago or maybe just yesterday?

 

FREE GIVEAWAY:

If you live near Winston Salem NC (July 17-18), Hamburg NY (Aug 28-29), Westminster MD (Sept 11-12), Rhinebeck NY (Sept 18-19) or Hampton VA (Oct 16-17) and want a FREE ticket to the StampScrapArtTour stamp show on the dates shown, here is all you have to do. Be the FIRST to both sign up as a follower on my blog AND send me an email with your name and address. (my email address is listed on the main page of my blog.)

That's it! I will sent the ticket to you in the mail and it is good for one free admittance to any of the shows above!

Good luck and stamping and scrapping smiles, Karen

Embellish Magazine Challenge

 

I decided to play in the challenge at Embellish Magazine to create an invitation using green, deep red and gold. I will be hosting a bridal shower later this fall, so I thought I would play with that idea. The stamps and the embossing folder are from SU and the idea was inspired by a card we made at our last stamp club meeting (see below- thanks Phyllis for the beautiful card and great idea!)

 

I added pearls to the bridal heart and gems colored with a copic marker to complete the invitation.

Stamping smiles, Karen