Craft Your Days Away and 2 Sisters Challenges

The challenge this week at Craft Your Days Away is Father's Day and at 2 Sisters it is Anything Goes. I had fun making this CAS Father's Day card using a cutting file from The Cutting Cafe'. The round saying is also from The Cutting Cafe'. The tie opens up and you can put your personal message on the inside. I used my Scor-bug and a thin black marker to create the faux stitching around the edge of the green card. I added some gem stickers on the round sentiment and sponged the top of the tie to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week

The Stamp of the Week this week at Repeat Impressions is this cute Birdhouse. You can get this stamp for 50% off all week - all the details are at our challenge blog, The House that Stamps Built.

I had so much fun making this card using a sketch I have seen recently out there in blog land. I found some dps that looked good together and taped them down on a rust card. The birds were punched (Fiskars punch) out of the dp with the sparkly spot in the dp used as the eyes. I cut out the birdhouse, paper pieced the bird holes, and raised it above a scalloped sponged nestie circle with mounting tape. The pearl flourish is the finishing touch. I really love how the card turned out.

I am entering this card in the "Anything Goes" challenge at Digi Doodles Shop's Best.
Stamping smiles, Karen

Paper Crafting Journey and Paper Play Challenges

The challenge this week at Paper Crafting Journey is Anything Goes and at Paper Play it is Blossoms and Blooms. I made this card with the goodies I won at Creating Memories in Time (button on side of my blog or blogpost here.) The gorgus paper,the tulip punch (Martha Stewart) and the fun staples (Fastenator) were just part of a huge box I received.

I used a flower sticker from Elizabeth Craft Designs and placed it on dp from my prize box and dark green cardstock and cut it out. Of course I layered the flower on a nestie and added a sticker for the sentiment. Fun playing with new toys, isn't it?

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crafting for All Seasons and My Mum's Craft Shop Challenges

The challenge this week at Crafting for all Seasons is "Anything Goes" and at My Mum's Craft Shop it is "Favorite Colors". Greens and blues are my favorite colors and I had fun using spots and dots for a challenge at my stamp club. The stamps are from a fun set by Inky Antics. I paper pieced the elephant, hat and balloon on the front. I embossed the whole front with a large dots folder from Cuttlebug after I attached the green pieces.

The inside has another fun elephant and a lol sentiment for someone about my age. Wishing all my USA blogging friends a great holiday weekend!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Woodware USA and Creative Inspirations Paint Challenges

The challenge at Woodware USA is "Anything Goes" and at Creative Inspirations Paint it is "Bling". I made this beautiful cross out of dp and using Stampin' up's punches after seeing the idea and video here. It is simple to do and creates an elegant cross. After layering the punched dp onto dark brown cardstock and attaching to my card, I decided the card needed some bling. So I added the pearl flourish and a button made out of the same dp and a brad.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Cherry Lynn Designs Butterfly Challenge and Emerald Faerie Challenge

The challenge this week at Cherry Lynn Designs is to use their awesome Butterfly Diecut to make a card and at Emerald Faerie it is "Anything Goes". I loved this diecut the first time I saw it and had to immediately order it. I punched it twice to make this CAS card- one with DP and one white. I attached the white one all the way down on a navy card and the dp butterfly is "flying" with just the middle attached. I added a border punched with an ek success punch and some pearls. I love to use punches when the card has a different color on the inside! The sentiment is from Flourishes.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Help for the people of Joplin MO

I copied this from another blog and am passing onto you my blog readers....

with the devastation of the weather these past few days, i am posting a special request from jessica of FLOPPY LATTE DESIGNS...  she writes...

First off, this is something I do not usually do, but this is so close to my heart.  The terrible tornadoes that hit Joplin MO have caused extreme devastation!  My Significant other Mark has a member of his crew, Kevin Pond, who has family (an aunt and young nephew) missing in this massive destruction.  I have taken up his cause to send  money to the Red Cross in his name to help with search and rescue and provide the basic necessities to the ones affected by this terrible disaster.  I don't ask for donations ever, but I felt in my heart that this was one time when I should.  What I am doing is having a Disaster Relief Sale at Floppy Latte's Digital Designs.  All products are 25% off from now til June 29th.  And I have a coupon available for $5.00 off a $10.00 purchase or more.  Code: FLDBLOGGER  (all caps). During this sale, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross (with a full accounting sent out to all those that purchase during this sale) in the Name of Kevin Pond.  I will be accepting the responsibility for all paypal fees so that the full amount of the sale
will go to the Red Cross in Joplin. 

For those of you that do not wish to purchase a stamp or stamps to help this cause, I have included a donate button on my blog at Floppy Latte's DigitalDesigns .  Even a dollar will help when it is all added together.  I know many people are leary of donating on the internet and I completely understand.  If you don't want to donate here, please donate directly to the Red Cross!  It could have been any one of us!  Once all the donations and/or purchases have been made, the donation will be sent to the Red Cross with a message attached that is is from ALL of the Wonderful Customers of Floppy Latte's Digital Designs in the Name of Kevin Pond.  DONATE  If the link does not work, please go to my blog at http://www.floppylattesdigitaldesigns.blogspot.com/ to donate if you would like.  You may also click on the link above to donate as well. I do hope that you will find it in you heart to donate either here, or directly to the Red Cross, as these people need our help.

Please keep Kevin and all of his family in your prayers!
Thank you and God Bless from Floppy Latte at Floppy Latte's Digital Designs.

THANK YOU!

I think this may be a way to help as we all are giving people, so I wanted to pass this onto you. Please consider going to Floppy Latte's Digital Stamps or giving directly to the Red Cross if you can.

Stamping smiles and tears, Karen

Repeat Impressions What If? Wed DCC Challenge

Designer's Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built this week is hosted by Michelle and she is challenging us (and you!) to use stitching in our cards -faux or real. I have a little sewing machine for crafts somewhere but have never used it.... So I used my Scor-Bug and a thin purple marker to do faux stitching around the edge of the white diagonal piece and the green embossed (Cuttlebug) piece. I also distressed the edges of that piece. Repeat Impression's Lily of the Valley stamp was stamped in the center of a diagonal white piece and colored then separated into 4 pieces and reassembled on a larger purple piece. The last step was to add white Flower Soft on the flower stamp.

Come join us for this fun DCC challenge - you have almost two weeks to enter for a chance to win some great RI rubber! Visit our blog for all the details and to see what the other Rock Stars have done to inspire you.

I am entering this card in the challenge at I Did It Creations of Anything Goes.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and Cardmadfairy's Digi Days Challenges

The challenge at Hambo Hoedown this week is to use chipboard and this fun Sumo Digi by Hambo Stamps in our cards and at Cardmadfairy's Digi Days it is to use a digi and make a card For the Boys. I think a boy would like this fun sumo digi and the sentiment that goes with it. Anyone would! I used my chipboard (that I never remember to use!) to make the embossed (Tim Holtz embossing folder) piece that sticks up from this easel card and the sentiment piece on the inside. Both were sponged with red Distress Ink and I made the card from a piece of dp that kinda looks Oriental. I paper pieced my sumo digi and popped him up with mounting tape.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week

The stamp of the week at Repeat Impressions this week is this fun Stork for baby cards and it is available at 50% off with a code found at our blog, The House that Stamps Built.
To make this CAS card, I cut and embossed a frame by Sizzix. I stamped and paperpieced the stork and bundle and stamped the sentiment (also Repeat Impressions.)

So come visit our blog for details on this great bargain and to see the cards by the rest of the Rock Stars (or click on the links on the side of my blog for inspiration.)

I am entering this card in the challenge at ECP for Pastel Colors.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Critter Sketch Recipe Challenge

It's time for another fun Critter Sketch Challenge and this week it is a Recipe Challenge. We are being challenged to use the following on our cards: 3 different solid colors, 2 buttons and 1 ribbon. What fun! Our sponsor this month is Wags n Whiskers and this fun little girl with a kitty and ice cream cone is one of their darling digitals. If you win our challenge, you will win 6 digital stamps or 3 rubber stamps from Wags n Whiskers!

I used purple cardstock for the main card 4 1/4" square. Pink was used for the scallop and dress and scalloped edged punched paper (ek sucess punch.) And I used rust cardstock for the cat and shoes (in my mind white doesn't count..) I added two heart buttons with floss tied and shaped to curl. And I put my ribbon across the bottom with those buttons and edge punched paper.

The circle with my focal image pops up just enough to be fun but still fit into an A2 envelope.

This card would be cute for a little girl's birthday so I am entering it in the challenge at Bee Crafty to use a digi and make a Birthday Card for Little Ones.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Fab n Funky and Paper Pretties Challenges

The challenge at Fab n Funky this week is to "Make Your Own Blooms" and at Paper Pretties it is to use flowers. I had fun with this CAS card making a flower using a technique I just learned at a stamp show up north. I will try to explain: Cut two small squares of patterned paper (I did 2 x 2"). Punch each corner with a corner punch you like (mine was a Fiskars punch). Cut between the punched corners a line towards the center but not meeting. Fold the side edges of each punched corner piece back. Make two of these and put them together with a brad for a flower. Try it and see for yourself- easy and fun flower.

I put the flower on a scalloped circle and attached all on a fun embossed purple piece (new from Sizzix). The "Happy Hello" is from Flourishes.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Send a Smile 4 Kids Sweet Treats Challenge

It's time for another great Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge and this time we are asking for cards for kids with Sweet Treats on them. Think cupcakes or ice cream or anything sweet and make a card for a kid and enter our challenge for a chance to win a great prize from our sponsor Mari K Creations. The prize includes the following: pink "stickles",  wood mounted cupcake stamp, 2 clear stamp sets, pink chipboard alphabet, Sweet/ Love rub-ons, 14 pieces 5x7 paper, sweet themed, some with glitter and/or foil. (2 each of 7 designs). Sweet!

For my first Sweet Treats card I used some fun stamps from Inky Antics Honey Pop Collection. The set has stamps you can stamp on the honeycomb paper pad and they POP like the cupcake in the middle of this one. So fun for a child (and adults love them too.) I only added the corners in the center to cover up a mistake I made....

My second card is a really fun new design to me. It is like a card within a card, but still fits in an A2 envelope. The front piece is 8 1/2" by 3 1/2" and the inside piece is 5 1/2" by 6 1/2" and of course each is folded. The inside piece is attached on the back to the front piece. I don't know whose stamps these are but they are perfect for the Sweet Treats theme and of course, I paper pieced the cupcake and ice cream cones to show the different flavors. I added some gems to the inside and a ribbon to complete the card.

So come join us for this fun challenge and remember to send any kids cards you can to Send a Smile 4 Kids to cheer a child in a Childrens Hospital. And visit our challenge blog for all the details on this fun challenge and to see the rest of our design team cards (or click on the links on the side of my blog.)

Stamping smiles 4 Kids, Karen

A Spoonful of Sugar and Cupcake Craft Challenges

The challenge at A Spoonful of Sugar is "Anything Goes" and at Cupcake Craft it is "In the Garden" this week and I had fun using some new purchases to make this card. I started by embossing a white piece with a new Sizzix embossing folder. Then I added the die cut flowers from Memory Box and attached them with my new Fastenator staples (they say "Precious"). The little butterfly with a pearl is from Martha Stewart and the wonderfully funny sentiment on the front and inside is from Hambo Stamps. I love their Fractured Funnies line of stamps for a lol punch line!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Penny's Paper Crafty and Creative Inspirations Paint Challenges

"Anything Goes" is the theme of the challenge at Penny's Paper Crafty and at Creative Inspirations Paint the theme is "Inspired by Butterflies" this week. I played with some new toys I got at a stamp show last week and made this sympathy or thinking of you card. The beautiful sentiment is from Prickley Pear and it is stamped in the center of a new embossing folder from Tim Holtz. The butterfly border is a new die from Memory Box. I also punched out a couple butterflies (Martha Stewart punch) from a flower Clear Views Transparency and attached with glue dots.

Stamping smiles, Karen

What If? Wed. Sketch Challenge

It's What If? Wednesday at Repeat Impression's blog, The House that Stamps Built, and this time we are challenging you to create a card using the sketch below. I used RI's Panda and Frame and Bamboo stamps to create this CAS card. I stamped the Panda and Frame twice, once in green and again with black embossing and cut that one out and raised with mounting tape. The green paper was stamped with the Bamboo stamp and I also created the matching "button" by punching a 1 1/4" inch circle of matching stamped paper and spraying with water and forming it around a 3/4" brad.

You have until May 31st to create and post a card using this sketch for a chance to win some RI rubber. Please visit our blog for all the details and to see what my teammates have done with this sketch for more inspiration (or click on their names at the side of my blog.)

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at One Stitch at a Time.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and Creative Belli Challenges

The Hambo Hoedown challenge this week is Bold and Bright and Paper Pieced and the challenge at Creative Belli is anything that starts with an S. I figure my Scuba Boy digital stamp from Hambo qualifies for both. Isn't he cute? I paper pieced his suit, breathing thing and swimming tube, and colored the rest with my copics. He was cut out and placed in the inside of the card on dp and raised with mounting tape. I made my own beach ball for the sentiment by cutting out two circles with my nesties, cutting the dp diagonally and putting the pieces together and then stamping the saying. The wave is a Sizzix die and the scalloped frame was created with a nestie. I added some gem stickers to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

I just had to share this awesome opportunity!

The Creating Memories in Time blog (associated with the Creating Everlasting Memories eBay store) is giving away all these items! 

‏K & CO (150) sheets of designer paper 
Martha Stewart Punch: Tulip 
EK Success Edger Punch 
EK Success (3) Art Blanche Stationery Tins 
EK Success Image Tree: Pep Rally Stamp Set 
EK Success Cutterbee Cutterfly 
EK Success (2) Sticko 1000 Tab Herma Adhesive 
EK Success Cutterbee Piercing Bugs 
EK Success (2) Permanent Mini Adhesive 
EK Success Black Fastenater Mini Stapler 
EK Success Miscellaneous Fastenaters

All you have to do is to create a Mother's Day card (yep, it's past Mother's Day, but just think - you'll be ahead for next year!!) and upload it to your blog or on-line gallery, and link to the CMIT blog!  One lucky person will win everything in the picture. I WON IT LAST MONTH! I got a huge box with all these goodies! The Fastenater and all the decorated staples are too cool!  What an awesome prize!!  The contest goes through the end of May.  Good luck!  You can find the details on the CMIT blog.

I wanted to share this with all of you and also take this opportunity to thank CMIT for my prize last month. I will be playing with my goodies and sharing my creations from my prize soon.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week

The SOTW this week is this beautiful Arbor Fence and it is available at 50% off with a discount code found at Repeat Impression's blog, The House that Stamps Built. I stamped the Arbor Fence in the middle of a pink shape created with a Nestabilities label and sponging, while masking the rest. Then I masked the inside piece and stamped the outside with RI's Genealogy background stamp and sponged the edges with brown ink. I used my Scor-bug and a thin black marker to create a "stitched" edge. And I cut on either side of the pink focal point with my craft knife and added some brown ribbon and brown pearls for the finishing touches.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Crafty Creations.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Paper Creations Ink First Challenge

Today is the debut challenge at my friends Sara and Michael's new blog, Paper Creations Ink. It is a sketch challenge and I made this card using their great sketch. I embossed the white with a Sizzix embossing folder, cut it diagonally and attached it back to a larger green card. The center floral picture is a Clear Views Transparency from The Mark-it Place. I added some gems to the half circles of lavender to complete this sketch inspired card.

I had fun with this sketch and hope you will join me in this challenge at Paper Creations Ink. The challenges will be on the 1st and 15th of the month so you have about two weeks each time to play.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Speedy the Cat's Friends and Make it Monday Challenges

The challenge this week at Speedy the Cat's Friends Challenge is to not use any embellishments on our cards, and at Make it Monday is is Anything Goes. I used the darling Ice Cream Man digital stamp from Hambo to create this pocket card. I stamped him on a nestie oval and embossed, then sponged "chocolate and strawberry" ink in the holes of the nestie. The Ice Cream Man's tie, cart and umbrella are paper pieced and the rest colored with my copics. The cones at the top were diecut with a Sizzix die and attached to a white card that slips out of the pocket for a personal note.

(Edited to add: Blogger went down and deleted this blog entry, so if you are receiving this for the second time, I am sorry...)
Stamping smiles, Karen

What If? Wed. Harriet's DCC

It's Designer Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built and Harriet has challenged us to use paper piecing in our cards. If you know me or my cards, you know paper piecing is my favorite way to "color" and I do it all the time. So believe it or not, I had a little bit of a hard time coming up with an idea for this card because I have paper pieced all my favorite Repeat Impressions stamps so many times already:) But I hadn't done this one, so I chose 4 different small pieces of pink and blue dp and paper pieced the baby blocks in this cute Welcome Baby stamp from RI. The card is a gate fold card with more baby dp and buttons on the front.

I used my scallop circles nestie to cut out the focal piece and also the holes in the front that you see it through. So come join us for this fun challenge to paper piece in your card and maybe you will be the winner of some great RI rubber! You have until Tuesday the 24th to enter. Please visit our blog for all the details and to see the other cards by our Rock Stars design team (or click on the links on the side of my blog.)

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Catch the Bug.
Stamping smiles, Karen

Claudia and Company and Flutter by Wednesday Challenges

The challenges at Claudia and Company and at Flutter by Wednesday are to use butterflies in our cards. I do that all the time and had several cards to pick from. I chose this one which features some beautiful stamps from Hero Arts for Archivers and gorgeous paper from CTMH. I stamped right on the dp and attached it to the front of a dark brown Core'dination card with orange on the inside. I cut out the shape with my nestabilities and attached it on the inside with mounting tape.

I love this technique for fun and easy cards that are unique on the front and the inside.

Stamping smiles, Karen