Simon Says Stamp and Creative Card Crew Challenges

The challenge at Simon Says Stamp this week is "Anything Goes" and at Creative Card Crew it is "Child's Play". I had fun making this card with some great Hambo stamps and a new technique (to me anyway). I cut a couple circles with my nesties and attached them to a white piece of cardstock as a mask. Then I sprayed the cardstock with several colors of Smooch Spritz. After it dried, I removed the masks and outlined the white circles with a thin black marker. I stamped the sentiment in one and the boy with his sandcastle in the other white circle. I also stamped the sand castle on thin cork paper and cut it out. I paper pieced the flag and the little boy's shirt and colored him with my Copics. I really like how it turned out and will try this again in the future.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Bunny Zoe's Crafts and Craft Your Passion Challenges

The challenge this week at Bunny Zoe's is "For the Boys" and at Craft Your Passion it is "Show us your Layers". I am trying to make more cards for boys- especially teenage boys because I have a box ready to donate to the Children's Hospital (see this post) and none of them would work for a teenage boy who is in the hospital and may have a birthday or just need cheering up. I stamped the "hey dude" and skateboard (both by Kim Hughes) diagonally on a white square and added the lizard (source unknown) on top. I used the Scor-bug around the edges and connected the dots with a thin black marker. The front was embossed with a CB folder after I cut off the corners diagonally. There is an extra layer on the inside in yellow and a sparkly tape adhesive strip down the side to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Help for Katie Cards

I am sharing four cards today and also sharing a story of a fellow stamper and blogger who could use our help. Please go to Help 4 Katie and from there to Katie's blog to read about this young mother and her fight with Stage 4 stomach cancer. At the Help 4 Katie site, they are selling packages of digital stamps with all the proceeds going to help Katie. ALL the stamps on these cards and many many more are in the $20 set- soooo many cute cute stamps by several talented digital designers such as Zak Heath, Doodle Pantry, and Digital Designs by Louby Loo. I have many favorites, but I think the shoe above and paper to match by Zak Heath are maybe the coolest. I printed the shoe on a piece created with three different colors of cardstock and layered it on white and then on a red card printed with the matching floral paper. The matching paper brad button was created by punching a 1 1/4" circle of the printed paper, spraying with water and folding around a 3/4" brad.

The waves, whale and sentiment are all part of the digi package at Help 4 Katie. The whale is paper pieced. I used CB folder, nesties and gems to complete the card.

Couple more CAS cards for kids using more fun digis from this package. Think I colored the bunny and teddy? Guess again- the digital stamp comes colored already! Awesome for me cuz I really don't like coloring. But if you do, there is one without coloring so you can do it your own way.

There is a button on the side of my blog that will remain there so you can click and visit the Help 4 Katie site anytime. Please consider sending Katie a card and helping out by purchasing one or both of the awesome digital stamp packages. Stampers are such giving, loving people and I know if it were any of us fighting this battle, we would appreciate other stampers stepping up to help in any way they could.

Stamping smiles for Katie,
Karen

What If? Wed. Robin's Color DCC

It's Robin's Designer Choice Challenge this week at The House that Stamps Built and she is challenging us to use Kraft, Robin's Egg Blue and Rust- plus you can use one neutral color of your choice: white, ivory, black or brown. It's a great color combination and I had fun designing a card using these choices. I used Repeat Impression's Posie stamp for the focal point and their Happy Mother's Day for the sentiment. The two circle diecuts are from Marianne Designs. I "waved" the sentiment flag and added some light blue bridal flowers and a rust pearl to finish the card.  
You have until May 10th to pull out these colors and play along with this great challenge for a chance at winning some Rubber! Check out our blog for all the details and to see what the rest of the Rock Stars have done with Robin's Challenge (or just click on the links on the side of my blog anytime.)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Flutterby Wednesday and Aud Sentiments Challenges

The challenge this week at Flutterby Wednesday is to use a butterfly, fairy or angel on our cards, and at Aud Sentiments it is Anything Goes. I made this card for my BFF's birthday earlier in April. The large butterfly stamp and diecut is from Prickley Pear. The stream of butterflies stamp is by Hero Arts for Archivers. I love the sentiment stamped on the inside so it is visible through a window of acetate, but don't know where it is from. The DP is from CTMH and was cut 1/4 inch smaller on the top and bottom of the orange card. I cut out a long window in the middle of the card and attached acetate, then attached the bottom back on. A couple pearls on the inside and on the butterfly finish the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions SOTW

It's Monday again and so time to tell you about another Repeat Impression's fun Stamp of the Week. This week the SOTW is this cute wheelbarrow and it is 50% OFF with a special discount code found on our blog, The House that Stamps Built. While you are there, check out the other inspirational cards by the Rock Stars using this stamp. I stamped the wheelbarrow, did some paper-piecing and coloring and added some spring flowers. The purple pieces were cut with my new Nestabilities Doily Motifs dies and I stamped a sweet Repeat Impressions sentiment in the center of the fancy tag. I am entering this card in the challenge at AI Factory to use Flowers in Bloom.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Ladybug Crafts TLT and A Spoonful of Sugar Challenges

The challenge this week at Ladybug Crafts TLT is Anything Goes and at A Spoonful of Sugar it is "Let's Celebrate". I made a fun child's birthday card using my new set of stamps from Inky Antics. I paper pieced the elephant and his hat and punched the bottom of the white piece and the corners with a border punch from ek success. Look what is so fun about these sets from Inky Antics:

They have "honeycomb" paper in many colors and special stamps to pop up a balloon (or cupcake or mushroom and others), depending on which set you buy. So this card celebrates a birthday with a fun pop up surprise in the inside of the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Charisma Cardz and DDH Challenges

The challenge this week at Charisma Cardz is to make a card that would make you smile or laugh, and at DDH Challenges it is to paper piece. If you know me, you know I love to paper piece and to use humor in my cards, so these two are perfect for me! I won these fun images from Art Impressions a few weeks ago and this "chic chick" sure puts a smile on my face! I paper pieced her outfit and colored the rest with my copics. The funny saying was cut out with a nestie and popped up with mounting tape. I used a ek success border punch and a couple flower gems to complete the card. Hope it makes you smile too!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Woodware USA and Shelly's Images Challenges

The challenge this week at Woodware USA is Diecuts and Punches and at Shelly's Images it is "Show Us What You Got". I had such a fun time with my dies from Marianne Designs and Nestabilities that I am very proud to show you what I got:) Isn't the lady in profile with the lovely hat from Marianne Designs awesome? I cut her in black and white, slipped some red dp behind the black image and put the black profile back into the hole in the white oval. Of course the oval was cut out with the beaded oval nestie and gem stickers added to each little oval after it was embossed. The sentiment is a sticker and the red dp on the black card completed this card. There is no stamping at all, but I do love how it turned out.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and Play Date Cafe' Challenges

I got this really cute King digital stamp from Hambo this week and I just had to make a card and get it posted to continue to get their awesome digital stamps for FREE! The King is making an Announcement and that is their challenge at Hambo Hoedown this week, and I used the colors of Red, Light Blue and Light Pink from Play Date Cafe' this week as my color inspiration. I cut out the announcement banner with a kraft knife and put the Hambo sentiment on the inside with some fun stars and gems. His crown and gown are paper pieced and I added some more stars and gems to make the card even more festive.

Stamping smiles, Karen

ECP and Shannon's Sentiments Easter Card

The challenges this week at ECP and at Shannon's Sentiments are to make and post an Easter card. I used my new set from Stampin' up for the lovely girl and cherry blossoms. It has been my mission lately to use supplies that I have not touched for awhile and my Flower Soft has been neglected. I used it on the cherry blossoms here and also in her basket and I love how it turned out. The wonky rectangles is a brand new nestie set I just got and it made for fun layering in the center. The corners were cut in triangles and then punched in an ek success border punch for a different look.  
Stamping smiles, Karen

What If? Wednesday Sketch Challenge

Today is Wednesday so it is time for another fun challenge at Repeat Impression's blog,
The House that Stamps Built. We are challenging you to design and blog a card using this great sketch:

I used one of my favorite RI stamps for this card- Rebecca- and I paper pieced her dress and pinafore and hat. Isn't she sweet? Instead of a ribbon or strip of paper on the left side, I tried something new with a Martha Stewart larger border punch and I really like how it turned out. Two pieces of white cardstock were punched and attached to the sides of the front and back of the card. I added some flower gems and rounded some edges to complete the card.

So come join us and make a card based on this sketch. You have almost two weeks to enter each of our challenges and so you also have almost a week (until next Tuesday) to join in MY Designer Choice Challenge to make a child's card using embossing- wet or dry or both. Please visit the Repeat Impressions blog for details on both of these challenges and also to find out what you can win!

I am entering this card in the challenge at Wee Memories for All Things Adorable.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Critter Sketch Challenge Big News!

I am thrilled to annouce today that I just found out I am one of the new design team members on the Critter Sketch Challenge Blog! I have been playing along with their fun challenges often since I found them, and so I applied and was accepted. I will be starting in May to share their fun challenges with you officially as a new dt member. Today I am showing a card that will work for the current challenge: use two (or more) punches or dies on our cards. I am also playing along with the challenges at Your Next Stamp Challenge to use texture and Craft Your Days Away to make Easter cards.

I used two Martha Stewart punches- the butterfly and the border punch. I also cut and embossed the circle with my nestie circle die. The purple and white pieces were attached together and then embossed with a Cuttlebug folder for my texture. The little girl is a SU stamp and the dp has little lines and flowers in it that show through the stamped image which I like. More snow is in our forecast here in north central Wisconsin so we may never see spring- atleast not this week before Easter. But hoping your Easter is blessed and you have a great week.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions SOTW

The Stamp of the Week this week at Repeat Impressions is this really cute "Child with Wagon". You can get this stamp for 50% off this week- visit the RI blog, The House that Stamps Built for all the details and the discount code. I colored my image with copics and cut and embossed the circle with my nesties, sponging the edges before taking the circle out of the die. The sentiment is also from Repeat Impressions and was stamped on the golden yellow layer and made visible by tearing the dp layer.

Lots of layers make it fun and also qualifies the card for Operation Write Home's challenge this week to use Layers on our cards.

 Stamping smiles, Karen

Creative Inspirations and Die Cut Dreams Challenges

The challenges this week at Creative Inspirations and Die Cut Dreams were Easter cards. I found this really cute bunny in an egg stamp by Whippersnapper I had not used yet so I really had to ink him up this year. Of course, I paper-peiced the egg and colored the bunny with my copics.  I created a tri-fold card out of two sided dp and punched the edges with a Martha Stewart border punch. This is what it looks like from the inside:

The "eggs" were just cut out with oval nesties and stamped with a older SU set. The sentiment is from Inky Antics and I added some Easter egg eyelets to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Send a Smile 4 Kids April Showers Challenge

It's time for another great challenge on the Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge Blog. The theme for this challenge is April Showers and our wonderful sponsor is Sassy Studio Designs. The winner (chosen randomly) will win 4 digital stamps of their choice from Sassy Studio Designs. The top three cards will be given a badge to display on their blogs.

I used the Mary Poppins digi from Sassy Studios to make my April Showers card. I paper pieced her entire ensemble, did a little coloring with copics and added some flower gems to complete her look. I created the "rain" with a light blue marker and also with a Sizzix embossing folder on the white card. I added 3 layers of different colored flowers- cuz you know the saying, right?  Although here in north-central Wisconsin this weekend, our April showers are going to be cold and mixed with snow:(  Spring has to come sometime, right?

Please join us in this fun challenge. You have two weeks to play along so that's plenty of time. And keep us in mind when you have extra cards for kids as we are collecting on an ongoing basis for kids in children's hospitals. See the blog for details.

I am entering this card in the Paper Playtime challenge "Weather".

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown Ogre Card

The challenge this week at Hambo Hoedown is to use distressing and this really cute Ogre digital stamp. I am doing an extra post today because he is just too cute to not share him right away. I distressed the card with black ink and my distresser tool after embossing it with a Tim Holtz embossing folder. The words (that came with the Ogre digital stamp from Hambo) were also distressed with black ink after cutting apart. I dressed my ogre by paperpieceing his shirt and pants and raised him with mounting taper when attaching.  Isn't he cute?

Stamping smiles, Karen

Woodware USA Challenge using Paper Smooches Stamps

The challenge this week at Woodware USA is Anything Goes and I am using my stamps from
Paper Smooches which might qualify me for a guest designer spot:) I love this fun set for making cards for kids. I embossed the blue card with an embossing folder and added some fun DP on the top.  I made a mini- card on top and paper pieced the fun Paper Smooches dog and added their sentiment. The edges of the main card and the mini-card were rounded with a corner rounder.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Some Odd Girl and Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Challenges

The challenges this week at Some Odd Girl and at Stamp, Scrap and Doodle were to make CAS (clean and simple) cards. I love that style of card. I put a Clear View transparency picture of a beautiful butterfly framed in a nestie opening onto an aqua blue card.  I simply added some corner accents and a lovely sentiment from Raisin Boat stamps to complete this CAS card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions What If? Wed DCC Challenge

I am hosting the Designer's Choice Challenge this week at What If? Wednesday at The House that Stamps Built. I challenged the other Rock Stars and YOU to make a card for a child that uses embossing-either wet or dry. Making a child happy is one of my favorite things to do with stamping and so I decided on this type of card for this week's challenge. I embossed the darling teddy bear with black embossing powder on brown paper. I paper pieced her dress and embossed her jacket and hat with the Swiss dots embossing folder from Cuttlebug. I love the sentiment, also from Repeat Impressions. The card itself was totally cased from one I made at a recent gathering of stampers in Madison, WI. It is a simple side stair step card made to look like a dresser.

The bottom was cut with part of a nestie. The drawers and edges were sponged with pink ink. Too cute. Please go to our blog to see the other cute kids cards with embossing done by my fellow Rock Stars, or click on their links at the side of my blog. And do join us in this challenge to make a child's card with embossing for a chance to win a great prize. You have until April 26th to join us in this challenge.

I am entering this card in Fussy and Fancy's challenge this week to make a Card for a Child.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and Aud Sentiments Challenges

The challenge this week at Hambo Hoedown is to make an easel card with one of Hambo's stamps, and at Aud Sentiments Challenge it is to make a card for a child- my favorite thing to do:) And you know what you should do with your children's cards once you have made them? Check it out here. 

Did you know when you enter a challenge at Hambo Hoedown and follow their instructions, you are rewarded with a free digital stamp to use in the next week's challenge? I got this really cute Party Elephant that way a few weeks ago, but was out of town for the next challenge. I am using him here, though, to make a cute easel card for a child's birthday. I paper pieced him  and used some fun bright dp for the background of the card, his hat, some stars and the sentiment punched out with a Martha Stewart border punch. The star brads hold up the easel and completes the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions SOTW Jump for Joy

Happy Monday! Repeat Impression's Stamp of the Week is Jump for Joy-can't help but smile at this joyful bunny! He is 50% off this week with a code found at RI's blog, The House that Stamps Built. I embossed him in brown on pink paper and cut him out. I used a new Sizzix embossing folder for the light green background and cut an oval in it with my nesties. The sentiment was stamped on a pink pennant and rolled and attached with the "wave" formed. Some colorful flowers complete the card.

I am entering this card in the For Fun Challenges to use a bunny on our cards.

Stamping smiles, Karen

OSAAT Guest Design Team

Today I am honored to be a guest designer for One Stitch at a Time and their Challenge #57 "New Baby".  I used Blackberry Lane's Lop Eared Bunny from Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps to make this baby card. I printed the bunny on three different pastel papers and layered them on embossed white pieces and then on pastels. The sentiment is a small Cuttlebug folder which I sponged and added a flower to. Baby DP is the base of the long card.

Check out the OSAAT blog for all the details on this fun baby card challenge.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crazy Challenge using Robyn's Fetish Digi

The challenge this week at Crazy Challenge was to use flowers in our cards and I decided to use this great digi stamp from Robyn's Fetish. Isn't he cute? I paper pieced the puppy and the water bucket and colored the flowers with glittery gel pens. I cut the image out with my lacey circles nestie. The top piece was cut with the next largest size lacey circle die (and the inside piece was attached to the inside of the card to write on.) I embossed with a flowery CB folder, added some fun ribbon and raised with mounting tape when attaching. A fun flowery spring card to share with someone special!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Critter Sketch and OSAAT Challenges

The challenge this week at Critter Sketch is Fancy Folds and at OSAAT it is 3D. I made a Father's Day room card using some great stamps from Raisin Boat. The wallpaper on the back wall is really wallpaper. I got an old wallpaper book that was going to be thrown out and got a bunch of cool free paper for cards. I used wood-like dp for the floor and the chair rail, and the easy chair pops up when you open the card. For directions and a link to how to make a room card, see this blog entry.

This is the front of the card. This is wallpaper again which I embossed with an embossing folder. The stamp is also from Raisin Boat.
Stamping smiles, Karen

Catch the Bug and Tuesday Throwdown Challenges

The challenge this week at Catch the Bug is Anything Goes, and at Tuesday Throwdown it is Spring. I saw my first robin today and am thinking spring real hard trying to melt all our snow still left in central Wisconsin. My cute duck is also thinking spring. I cut him out using a cutting file from The Cutting Cafe' after printing him on two different patterned papers. The sentiment is from TAC and I tied the tag on with baker's twine. The "waves" were diecut and embossed with a CB folder. Think Spring!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions What If? Wed Sketch Challenge

What If? Wednesday at The House that Stamps Built is challenging you to make a card using this fun sketch. Here is my card:

I used the beautiful loon stamp and a fun saying to go with it from Repeat Impressions. I framed the loon with the square nestie with scallops and embossed and sponged the edges. The "water" is created using an embossing plate from Cherry Lynn Designs. I added some gems in the corners and ribbon I died with my blue ink to complete the card.

So now it is your turn. You have until Tuesday April 19th to enter. Your card doesn't have to be made with Repeat Impressions stamps, but if it is, you get an extra entry into our random drawing for free Rubber! See the blog for all the details.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Speedy the Cat's Friends to spotlight animals.

Stamping smiles, Karen

New Opportunity to Help Kids in the Hospital

I am sharing another card today because I wanted to show you a fun card for a kid that would be an example of what you could donate to Send a Smile 4 Kids. Please go to the new posting here and read about how we are collecting cards for kids in hospitals both in Wisconsin and Ohio now. I contacted the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Neenah and in Milwaukee and they would love to receive handmade cards to cheer their patients on holidays, birthdays and anyday to make them smile. On any given day Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee has 50-60 kids as residents and many are there long term for serious illnesses. I first contacted the Children's Hospital at Neenah because they took such wonderful care of my grandson when he was born 6 weeks premature and they would love some cards for their kids as well. If you are like me, you probably have extra cards laying around - maybe samples that you no longer need or ones from a class or swap. Or next time you are making cards, can you make some for our kids?  Please check out the guidelines on the SAS4Kids blog and send them to me to help put a smile on a kid's face.

Stamping smiles 4 kids,
Karen

Stamp Something and Creating Memories in Time Challenges

The challenge this week at Stamp Something was to use a digital stamp and at Creating Memories in Time it is to make and post an Easter card. I am getting better on using digital stamps with my guest designer and SAS4Kids DT experiences and this very cute one came from Soft Pencil courtesy of Critter Sketch Challenge when I was a guest designer. I colored it with my copics and cut out with the lacey circle nestie. Another pink lacey circle is layered below the white one. I embossed some designer paper with my favorite embossing folder- the Swiss Dots by Cuttlebug and added some Easter egg eyelets to complete the card.  
Stamping smiles,
Karen

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week & ODB Challenge

It's Monday again and I am starting to love Mondays because every Monday I get to introduce you to another great Stamp of the Week from Repeat Impressions that is available this week at the RI blog,
The House that Stamps Built for 50% OFF! This week's fun stamp is the Bird Bath above. I found some paper that looks just like marble and paper pieced the bird bath and added the small bird from RI ready to splash in the water. The background was fun to do: I embossed (Cuttlebug) the blue piece which was slightly smaller than the gold card. Then I cut in 4 pieces diagonally and attached to the card with some space between each blue piece. 'Course I used my nesties to cut out and emboss the ovals and sponged the inside of the white piece while it was still in the nestie.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Our Daily Bread to use birds in our cards.

Stamping smiles, Karen

TSG100 and Woodware USA Challenges

The challenge this week at There She Goes is to use no markers for coloring an image and at
 Woodware USA it is CAS cards- my favorite. I made this CAS card using some beautiful stamps and papers from Close to My Heart. I saw a card on a friend's site that "stitched" a frame like this one and I decided to try it myself. I love how it turned out.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Send A Smile 4 Kids Design Team BIG News!

I am thrilled to announce today that I am the new design team member at Send A Smile 4 Kids challenge blog! This is a bi-weekly challenge blog and we will be posting new challenges every other Saturday. The challenge blog is to promote the Send A Smile 4 Kids cause which collects handmade cards to send to special kids in the hospital. Please visit the blog for their current needs and watch for some great changes happening very shortly on how you can help.

The challenge for the next two weeks at SAS4Kids is to make Easter cards. Our wonderful sponsor for this challenge is Sassy Studio Designs and the winner will receive 4 digital stamps of their choice from Sassy Sudio Designs. I used their sassy Easter Bunny stamp to make this fun Easter card. She was printed on glossy paper and brayered with Kaleidacolor inks and cut out with my nesties circle. I also cut out blue, green and yellow circles and layered them together and embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder for a fun background. The sentiment is from TAC and I added a couple punches, an Easter egg brad and some gems to complete the card.

The winner of the digital stamps from Sassy Studio Designs will be chosen randomly plus the three top cards will be given a badge to display on their blog. So come join is for this fun challenge- you have two weeks to join in the fun!

Stamping smiles, Karen