The Last of my Christmas Cards

I am posting the last of my Christmas cards and resolving to move on and play with all my new stuff in the new year! I am not going to go into alot of detail on how I made these as they are pretty CAS and use stamps and stickers and dies I have shared before.

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenges at Aud Sentiments and Digi Doodles Shop's Best and the Celebrations challenge at Crafty Boots.

Stamping smiles for a great New Year, Karen

Couple More CAS Kids Christmas Cards

Two more today and a few more tomorrow and I think I am done sharing the holiday cards I made this year. These are two CAS ones I made for my kids at SAS4Kids. The one above started with a scalloped card and I embossed some snowflakes on it. Then I added a dimensional sticker I got at a stamp show.

This card also started with a scalloped card base and again I embossed the card. Then I simply added a teddy bear stocking which was a pre-colored digi I got from Cuddly Buddly.

I am entering these cards in the challenges at Paper Sundaes for Celebrate and at Incy Wincy Designs for Winter Wonderland.

Stamping smiles, Karen

What If? Wed Sketch Challenge

It's time for another What If? Wednesday Sketch Challenge at Repeat Impressions blog, The House that Stamps Built. Simply create and link a card using the sketch below and you could win a great prize from Repeat Impressions. Please visit our blog for all the details and to see the other sketch cards made by the RI Rock Stars.

I embossed the Boy with Sled stamp onto a white oval using a blue glittery embossing powder. The Happy Holidays was also embossed using a small Cuttlebug folder. Then I sponged it with blue ink. I added a snowflake and a pretty vintage brad to complete the card.

I am entering this card in the Christmas challenge at Dream Valley Challenges.

Stamping smiles, Karen

A few more Holiday Cards

I have a few more holiday cards to post this week and then will be moving on to a new year and no more Christmas cards for a while. These two cards were made with a new die I got from Marianne Designs which makes a lovely poinsettia easily. The card above also uses a Martha Stewart twig and leaf punch and a Marianne Designs embossing and cutting folder for the background.

This card started with a lovely background stamp from Penny Black and a Memory Box large snowflake punch. I attached them to a blue card just because I liked the color combination and wasn't my typical green and red holiday card. Then I added the poinsettia and a gem to compete the CAS card.

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenges at Mark's Finest Papers and Secret Crafter.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week

The stamp of the week this week at Repeat Impressions is this fun Celebration Burst, and it is available this week only for 50% off with the discount code found at Repeat Impressions blog. What a deal! Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other Rock Star's cards using this stamp.

For my card, I started with a happy mistake. My original idea of trying to emboss the Celebration Burst with white ink on white cardstock and sponge on several colors on ink didn’t work- couldn’t see the stars and bursts that well. So just to see what the idea would like with black ink, I stamped over it and got this cool look. The black was just a little off the white embossing and I really like how it turned out. I cut out my masterpiece with a circle nestie and layered that on another little larger circle of red. I stamped the sentiment (also from Repeat Impressions) in red and this is my wish for you! The background was layered and then embossed with a Sizzix embossing older that has swirls and stars too and then a border of punched stars was added for the finishing touch.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Aud Sentiments for Anything Goes.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone is having a great Christmas! I have already had a wonderful Christmas so have time today to blog one of my last holiday cards. I got a set of older Stampin' up stamps at a used stamp sale and used one of them as the focal point of this square card. The frame is made with a larger Martha Stewart border punch punched 4 times on a square piece of cardstock. I added some punched snowflakes and pearls to complete this CAS card.

I am entering this card in the current challenges at Digi Doodles Shops Best and Southern Girls.

Stamping and Christmas smiles, Karen

My Mum's Craft Shop and Tuesday Throwdown Challenges

The challenge this week at My Mum's Craft Shop is Anything Goes and at Tuesday Throwdown it is "For Someone Special." I made these three cards for someone special- my daughter. The darling little boy featured on each one is my grandson. The cards were made using digital stamps made from pictures. This is a brand new concept to me and I think a brilliant idea. My SAS4Kids team-mate Hilde and her daughter are offering this service at this website: http://www.thegrasslady.com/eem-photos-to-digis.html

You simply email them your favorite picture and they make it into a digital stamp that you receive back and can make any size and print for anything you might want to make with them. So far I made cards (including a lovely thank you card which I will share later) and paper ornaments. You could get one or several made with a favorite picture of a beloved pet or family member or even a beautiful flower. Wouldn't it be a great inexpensive way to make wedding thank yous or baby announcements or Mothers Day or Fathers Day cards?

After you get your holiday pictures back, be sure to check out this site for a unique personalized gift for yourself or a great new tool in cardmaking.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Paper and Such and Little Darling's Challenges

The challenge this week at Paper and Such Design is "Last Minute CAS Christmas Cards" and it is Christmas at Little Darlings Challenge . I fell in love with this digital image offered free at this Paper Crafting World blog during their countdown to Christmas recently. It reminds me of my youth and being so excited to see what Santa brought under the tree. The three girls could be my three youngest sisters on Christmas morning:) Talk about CAS- I just printed the digital image in sepia, layered on a nestie frame and layered that on some pretty dp on a card. Love it!

Stamping and Holiday smiles, Karen

Pollycraft and OSAAT Challenges

The challenge this week at Pollycraft is to Punch It and Anything Goes at One Stitch at a Time. I made this card using punches and diecuts. The white snowflake frame is made with a large snowflake border punch from Martha Stewart. I love these large border punches and always try them on a square piece punching 4 times to see what happens. In this case, you get a curved edge snowflake frame and I added some gems and a poinsettia that I made with a Marianne Designs diecut. I loved the sentiment from Penny Black and I stamped it on white, cut and embossed with a scalloped rectangle nestie and added a few more gems to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

RI DCC Shaped Card Challenge

It's another Designer Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, and Rock Star Maki is challenging us (and you!) to make a shaped card. Something other than a square or A2 size card- use your imagination and create a fun shaped card for a chance at some great Repeat Impressions rubber! Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the shaped cards designed by the other Rock Stars.

For my card, I started with this beautiful Rose Heart Wreath stamped on a white card. Then I cut it out with the largest scalloped heart nestie leaving a small part uncut for the fold of the card. I colored the roses and leaves with my copics and cut out the center of the heart with a smaller scalloped heart nestie. Then I embossed the front of the heart card with my favorite embossing (Cuttlebug) folder. I did a little sponging and stamped a Repeat Impressions sentiment on the inside of the card.

I am entering this card in the "Red, White and one other Color" challenge at Paper Pretties and the challenge at The Cutie Pie Challenge to use a sentiment.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Charisma Cardz and Southern Girls Challenges

The challenge this wek at Charisma Cardz is Last Minute Christmas Cards and at Southern Girls it is Let's Celebrate. I made this last minute holiday card last week with some supplies I had laying on my bed. The embossing folder is new from Stampin' up and the snowflake swirl die is from Memory Box. I started by cutting two ornaments with my Sizzix die out of blue snowflake dp. I also cut out two of the tops of the ornament out of white and glued them all together. The front of the burgandy card was cut off 1 1/2' in and the corners rounded before embossing it. I put a white piece inside and attached the snowflake swirl and gems. The "believe" is from an acetate set of holiday atcs.

Stamping smiles, Karen

PCI Something Old, Something New Challenge

It's time for another fun challenge at Paper Creations Ink and this time the theme is "Something Old, Something New." Floppy Latte' Designs is our sponsor and you can win a $10 gift certificate if you enter and are the lucky winner. I just love silhouette stamps and many months ago when I first discovered Floppy Latte' Designs, I bought this stamp and several others of their beautiful silhouette stamps. Then when I saw the stamps we were allowed to use for this challenge from Floppy Latte', this romantic couple silhouette was one of the choices! So right there I had my "something old" and the pearls qualify for that too. The digital designer paper, also from Floppy Latte' is my "something new". I printed two different patterns and put the guy on the striped pink and the girl on the flowered pink dp. The corners were punched and the pearls added for the final touch.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Delightful Challenges and Shelly's Images.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crafting for all Seasons and Crafts and Me Challenges

Christmas is the theme of the challenges this week at Crafting for all Seasons and Crafts and Me. I am back with another CAS holiday card using an embossing folder and diecut that were in my pile of "must use before it is too late". I started with a white card and embossed the tree and border (Sizzix). I cut out a green swirly tree from a Memory Box diecut and attached, adding some big and small red gems. The corners seemed bare so I added some holly (Inkdadinkado) and more gems to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Party Time Tuesday and Paper Crafting Journey Challenges

It's a Red and Green Christmas challenge at Party Time Tuesday and Christmas is the theme at Paper Crafting Journey too. I have been having fun playing with new holiday punches and dies and pretty soon will have to put them away until next year. The delicate ornament is a die from Memory Box and the pine branch frame is made with a large border punch from Martha Stewart. I love the different looks you get when you punch these border punches 4 times on a square piece. I added some gems and a sentiment to complete the CAS card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Paper and Such and Bearly Mine Challenges

The challenge this week at Paper and Such is "Last Minute CAS Christmas Cards" and at Bearly Mine it is Un-traditional Christmas. I have to admit I am a traditional red and green holiday card girl, so was proud of myself as I went "outside my box" with this card. I started with a black outline ornament sticker and some garnet fine glitter. So I made a plum card with some black accents- the color is nicer in person. The embossing folder is a Tim Holtz and the stickers and glitter are from Elizabeth Crafts.

Stamping smiles, Karen

What If? Wed. Sketch Challenge

The challenge this week at The House that Stamps Built is a sketch challenge. Design a card using the sketch below and you could win some great Repeat Impressions Rubber! I went vintage with my card this week, using a great stamp from Repeat Impressions called "Joanie's Pals". It reminds me of a picture of my Mom and her sisters from years ago. The detail in these stamps is unbelievable and the picture really doesn't do it justice. I simply stamped the image in black on an off-white piece and "stitched" the edges with my scor-bug and a thin black marker. Following the sketch, I layered on green and dark brown pieces and attached to a card made from some Tim Holtz dp. CAS but classic I think.

So make a card using this CAS sketch and enter it for a chance to win a fun prize. For all the details and to see other cards using this sketch by the Rock Stars, please visit the RI blog.

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

Stamping smiles, Karen

Two Holiday Paper Smooches Cards to Share

I have two new Paper Smooches holiday cards to share today. I loved them both so am posting and linking both today. The first one uses a couple fun stamps from the Santa Paws set I just had to buy earlier this year. The sentiment with the cute dog just cracks me up. I started with a white card base and punched Martha Stewart's large snowflake border punch and layered a red piece below the border so it stands out real pretty. Then I rubbed green ink all over an oblong green acrylic block and stamped it on the card creating the frame to place my dog and sentiment in. The Santa hat was paper pieced and I added a white sticker brad to create the "ball".

My second Paper Smooches card uses the heart candy cane and love digital stamps which are available free on their blog! I saw this idea for a sliding window box here and just had to try it. The green dp forms a little box and the candy cane piece slides out to reveal the message below. I paper pieced the candy cane with sparkly red paper and added white stripes to the circle on top to resemble Christmas candy. You pull on that circle to reveal the message below:

Love, Love, Love- makes me want to sing:) I printed the Paper Smooches love digital stamp three times and attached the strips on the back on the window box card. Then I added a white ball to create the O in the center.

I love, love, love these cards and hope you do too. I am entering them in the challenges at Our Craft Lounge for CAS Christmas and the Christmas challenge at Stampin' for the Weekend.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week

The stamp of the week this week at Repeat Impressions is this fun Snow Sledding snowman, and it is available this week only for 50% off with the discount code found at Repeat Impressions blog. What a deal! Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other Rock Star's cards using this stamp.

For my card, I stamped the snow sledding snowman on a white piece of cardstock with a border punched (large snowflake border punch by Martha Stewart.) I did a little paper piecing and coloring on the snowman. Then I tore some strips of white paper, attached them and added glitter along the torn edges. This piece was attached to a navy cardbase and some bling was added to complete the card.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Crafty Purple Frog “It’s Cold Outside” and the “Let it Snow” challenge at Designed2Delight.

Stamping smiles, Karen

PPA & Cute Card Thursday Challenges

The challenge this week at Pals Paper Arts is "Puttin' on the Ritz" and at Cute Card Thursday it is Anything Goes. I made this wedding/love card using some gorgus digital dp from DezinaWorld called Shabby Chic Backgrounds. Then I placed a laser cut sticker from Mrs. Grossman's on dark brown cardstock (same as the cardbase), rounded the corners and attached with mounting tape. I added some brown pearls for the final touch.

One year ago today we were in Chicago for the wedding of my son and daughter-in-law. So Happy Anniversary Brian and Kristy- this virtual card is for you!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Penny's Paper-Crafty, ABC Christmas and Cooking it up with Katie Challenges

Merry Christmas is the challenge at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge this week and Anything Goes at ABC Christmas Challenge and at Cooking it up with Katie. I started with a fun laser cut sticker from Mrs. Grossman's placed on some pretty textured white cardstock. I added a row of pine needles cut out with a Martha Stewart border punch and finished with some red gems for bling. CAS but colorful for a lovely holiday card.

Stamping smiles, Karen