Stamp Scrap and Doodle and Quirky Crafts Challenges

Anything Goes at Stamp Scrap and Doodle this week and at Quirky Crafts, they want us to stamp a scene. I recently pulled out some of my Raisin Boat sets that I have been neglecting and had such fun designing some CAS cards with them. I love the brush strokes and the sentiments of the Strokes of Wisdom set and I added some beach chairs and the sand from the By the Beach set to create this sunset scene.

Two things I love about Raisin Boat (besides their awesome stamps) are: you can RENT sets from them! So if you want just make a few cards with a set and send it back and then get another one, you can! Just like Netflix. And if you get published using any of their sets, they reward you with $50 in product or $35 in cash! I was lucky enough to get four cards in the recent Just Cards and one of them was with Raisin Boat stamps, so I was the lucky recipient of this great reward. Other companies also reward you for publication- the ones I know of are Repeat Impressions, Hambo and Mark's Finest Papers. So I encourage you to send in your cards and then if you are picked, you get a free magazine and you can contact the stamp company to see if you rewarded by them too.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Simon Says Stamp and Digi Doodles Shops Best Challenges - and a New Addiction

Anything Goes is the theme of the challenges this week at Simon Says Stamp and Digi Doodles Shops Best. I was inspired by this card I found on Pinterest here to make this card. I am thrilled with how it turned out. Of course I started with a set of lovely stamps from Raisin Boat and some great ink colors and an embossing folder from Cuttlebug. The center embossed piece is raised above the white card.

So I have a new stamping addiction - Pinterest! You can check out my boards here or click on the Pinterest button on the side of my blog. It is an awesome way to keep all your stamping ideas (or for that matter any link or picture you want to keep) for future reference in one place. And you can search other boards and repin their ideas to yours. To get on you need a Facebook or Twitter account. Once you are there you can create your boards and start pinning the ideas from the blogs you like, to save them in one place.

I am just thrilled with the great ideas I have found already and am pinning all the time now. Check it out if you haven't already, but be prepared - it is addictive!

Stamping smile, Karen

Celebrate the Occasion and Digi Stamps 4 Joy Challenges

At Celebrate the Occasion the challenge is Masculine Birthday and at Digi Stamps 4 Joy the theme is "For the Boys". I really had fun designing this card and I love how it turned out. I started with an old page from a book and a brass stencil of a buck from Lynell Harlow. I embossed the buck onto the book page using my No More Shims thick pad, and while the stencil was still on the page, I sponged Rusty Hinge Distress ink on the buck. I also distressed the sides of the paper piece with a lighter distress ink. The kraft card was cut to be 3 1/2" wide when folded, so the card fits into an A2 envelope, and I embossed it with a CB folder. I cut the brown strip and added some baker's twine around it. The sentiment on the tag is an old one from TAC and I hung it from the baker's twine with a small green pin.

I am off for a weekend of smiles and fun visiting my grandson and daughter. Will be back Monday with more ideas to share. It is so fun being a Grandma:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Here Come the Boys and StampsRUs Challenges

The challenge this week at Here Come the Boys is Dinosaurs and at StampsRUs they want to see Cards for Kids. I made this card for my grandson. I punched the dinosaurs border (ek success) and embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug.) I created a circle border out of patterned paper and a corner punch also by ek success. The stamp in the middle is from Inkadinkado.

Stamping smiles, Karen

What if? Wed. Sketch Challenge

It is time for another sketch challenge at Repeat Impression's blog, The House that Stamps Built. The sketch you should use to design your card for this challenge is below. Please visit the blog for all the details on what you can win and to see the other Rock Star's cards using this sketch.

I created a fun winter card starting with a white card with two different shades of blue attached, and then embossed the whole thing with a snowflake embossing folder. I stamped Snowcat and Friends and did a little coloring and sponging before layering on navy and attaching.

I am entering this card in the Winter Wonderland challenge at Delicious Doodles.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Speedy Fox and Friends and Crazy 4 Challenges

The challenge this week at Mark's Finest Papers Speedy the Fox and Friends challenge is birthday cards and at Crazy 4 Challenges they want to see children's birthday cards. I designed some CAS kid's cards that a child could make or an adult could make for a child for the next classes I am teaching at our local JoAnn Fabric and Crafts store and this is one of them. (You can sign up for half price on Feb 4th at the store or by calling the Wausau store.)

I started with a piece of brown Core'dinations paper that was pink on the other side. The elephant was embossed using a large Cuttlebug folder but cutting the paper down to fit an A2 card. I distressed the elephant to bring out the pink from the other side. I cut the balloons with a small Sizzix diecut and popped them up with mounting tape.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impression's Stamp of the Week

The stamp of the week this week at Repeat Impressions is this lovely Sitting Pretty kitty, 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 Sitting Pretty kitty on off white paper in brown, added some brown dots and embossed it with a SU embossing folder. I embossed the floral frame (also SU) on brown paper and cut out the inside with a wocky rectangle die from Nestabilities. I stamped the sentiment on the ribbon with Stazon ink and attached it to the front on the card. The frame was raised with mounting tape and then attached. I have to say, I just love how this card turned out. All the embossing and the frame raised off the card isn't as visible in the picture as in real life, but sometimes CAS is perfect.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Stampin with the Dragon for anything goes.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crafty Purple Frog and Shelly's Images Challenges

Anything Goes is the theme this week at Crafty Purple Frog and Shelley's Images- my favorite kind of challenge! It is also the theme for this challenge and the next at Send a Smile 4 Kids so enter your cards there too for 3 chances at a great prize! I made this card for my favorite child in the whole world - my grandson. He loves playing Angry Birds on the computer and so when I saw a card on line (sorry didn't keep the link) using punches to create the red Angry Bird I just had to make one. I started with a yellow card embossed with a Tim Holtz embossing folder. The bird is made with nestie circles and a flower die. Easy and fun for a child.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Anything Goes at SAS4Kids!

It's time for another challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids and Anything Goes this time (as long as it appropriate for a child.) We have three awesome sponsors this time and so you have three chances at winning in our random drawings! Hambo Stamps is offering the lucky winner a $15 gift certificate and is also doing a Card Drive for SAS4Kids and encouraging their entrants to send their card(s) to SAS4Kids to cheer a child inpatient in a children's hospital. We are so appreciative to Hambo Hoedown for doing this for us. Please visit their blog for all the details on their current challenge and to see their darling puppy Bailey.

My first card is using the new digital stamp Bailey - isn't he cute? I made a Valentine for a child with jokes or riddles in the window I punched. Attached to the front with the brad in the middle is a circle you can spin to see the riddles and the funny answers. I printed Bailey twice on patterned paper in different sizes, colored a little and cut out. I added some Valentine conversation hearts cut out from some Cuttlebug embossed pages.

Our second sponsor is EEM Photos to Digis and their prize is three digital stamps made from the winner's favorite photos. I am a huge fan of this new on line business set up by my SAS4Kids team mate Hilde and her daughter. For my card I made a thank you card that my grandson and daughter could use to send thanks to someone special. You could use this for a special teacher or grandparent or wedding or anyone who would love a thank you note even more because it is personalized with a digital picture. I started with a green card with a blue circle that I embossed with the thank you folder from Cuttlebug. The top is a strip of patterned paper scored and folded to look like pleated ribbon.

Our third sponsor for the Anything Goes challenge is Di's Digis and they are offering a $10 gift certificate to a lucky winner. So come join us and make any card for a child and enter it in our challenge for a chance at some great prizes.

I am entering my cards in the challenges at Charisma Cardz for CAS and Craft us Crazy for Valentines and/or Animals.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Sassy Cheryl's and TCP Tuesday Challenges

The challenge at Sassy Cheryl's this week is Bright and Cheery and Embossing is the theme at TCP Tuesday. I made this waterfall or flip card using stamps from Repeat Impressions designed specifically for flip cards for a make and take at my stamp club. I love how the bird hatches from the egg and I made him bright and cherry by paper piecing him and his party hat. I started the card by embossing the background and the strip across the front with a birthday embossing folder from Cuttlebug. I used Nestabilities labels diecuts to cut the shapes on the spine for each picture. The spines and also kits to make flip or waterfall cards very easily are also sold by Repeat Impressions here.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Digital Tuesday and Crafty Sentiments Challenges

The challenge this week at Digital Tuesday is to use a digital stamp and make a romantic card, and at Crafty Sentiments Anything Goes. I used two special digital images to make this Valentine for my husband. The front has a digital stamp made from a picture of our cat, Lucky. My friend and SAS4Kids team-mate and her daughter are making digital stamps from actual pictures of our kids or grandchildren or pets or anything! Their website is called EEM Photos to Digis and can be found here. I always make cards for my DH with stamps of cats, but this time it is with our real kitty. He is going to love it!

The second picture shows the inside of the card. This is a vintage kitty Valentine courtesy of The Graphics Fairy. Doesn't it just remind you of the Valentines from when we were kids? Too sweet!

Just cuz I feel like sharing, here is another project I made with digi stamps made from pictures by EEM Photos to Digis. This is a Christmas tree that I decorated with ornaments made from pictures of my friend Jane's grandchildren. She loved it:) The applications are endless for this great new idea and you can see some more wonderful card ideas on the Saturday blogpost at Send a Smile 4 Kids.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and Card Drive for SAS4Kids!!

I am thrilled to share with you that Hambo Stamps and their blog, Hambo Hoedown is joining forces with Send a Smile 4 Kids to do a card drive for us! Their new challenge starting today is Anything Goes and they are asking everyone who enters the challenge to consider sending in their card to Send a Smile 4 Kids to cheer our kids inpatient in children's hospitals! I love Hambo Stamps and want to thank them so much for sponsoring this card drive.

The new stamp this week featured on Hambo's challenge blog is this adorable Bailey. Isn't he sweet? If you participated in Hambo's challenge last week, you got this digital stamp for free emailed to you! You can use him on your card or any Hambo stamp, and if you do not have any yet, you can go to the site and use a Hambo freebie for your card. I love to use humor in my cards so I have many of their stamps, both digital and "real". If you participate this week in the challenge, you will get next week's free digital stamp emailed to you! What a great deal!

For my card as a guest dt member at Hambo Hoedown today, I printed Bailey on grey patterned paper and cut him out. I printed his heart on red, cut it out and raised it up with mounting tape. I started with a red piece of cardstock A2 size, but the white piece is the part of the card that opens. I embossed the top part of the card with a Sizzix large dot embossing folder and then stamped Wild Thing (My Favorite Things) in red and blue and finished by embossing below the word strip. Bailey was attached to complete this fun card for my kids.

I am entering this card in the challenge this week at Incy Wincy Designs.

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen

DCC Challenge at Repeat Impressions

It's time for another Designer Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built and Darsie is challenging us to make a Scenic Card with Snow. This time of year that is easy to do, so come join us and you could win some great RI rubber! Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the great DCC cards by the rest of the Rock Stars.

I used Repeat Impression's Winter Tree to make this card. I embossed it three times with white embossing powder on navy blue and cut it out with Nestabilities wacky rectangles. Then I added glitter to the bottom snow and raised with mounting tape. I stamped the tree again in grey on the sides of a white card and attached. I really like the effect. The sentiment is also from Repeat Impressions.

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

Stamping smiles, Karen

Mark's Finest Papers and Catch the Bug Challenges

Speedy Fox and Friends at Mark's Finest Papers is challenging us to use border punches and it is Birthday Time at Catch the Bug. Happy Birthday Bugaboo!! I am totally addicted to border punches- I just can't resist them! This Martha Stewart present border punch was on clearance at Michaels with the Christmas stuff, but I could see you could use it for birthdays as well as Christmas and it was just too good of a deal to pass up. I punched it in three primary colors and added the yellow and blue presents for a colorful fun border. The sentiment is from Flourishes. The cute birthday penguin is a pre-colored digi from Dustin Pike. Isn't he sweet? I just printed him and and cut out with a nestie and attached with mounting tape to raise him.

Stamping smiles, Karen

It's Love and Romance at PCI!

Even a cute monster deserves Love and Romance, right? The new challenge at Paper Creations Ink is Love and Romance, and we are sponsored by Smeared Ink who designed this funny love crazy monster. You can win a free digital stamp of your choice from Smeared Ink if you are the lucky winner of this challenge. Please visit the PCI blog for all the details and to see the other Love and Romance cards by the PCI design team.

I love making cards for my SAS4K kids and this little guy would be perfect for a young man on Valentine's Day. I started with a piece of red cardstock with three pink stripes on it. I embossed that piece with my candy hearts embossing folder from Cuttlebug. I embossed a couple small white pieces picking out some conversation hearts that would be good for a young man: UR GR8 and LOL. I printed the funny love monster on spotted dp and also on red and pink so I could paper piece his eyes and heart, and then attached him with mounting tape to raise him up alittle.

I am entering this card in the Valentines challenge at Clearly Inspired.

Stamping smiles, Karen

A blogpost about something I love besides stamping?!

Yesterday I mistakenly posted my Sunday card for challenges along with my Saturday post so you got two on one day if you subscribe or check out my blog regularly. So today I am posting twice without cards to show you, but sharing important information. One thing I love almost as much as stamping is a home that is welcoming and smells wonderful. I have become a huge fan of the Scentsy wickless alternative to scented candles and wanted to share that love with you today. I have a beautiful full size Scentsy warmer in my living room and I put a small piece of one of their fragrance bricks or bars in it and my whole home smells wonderful. I am not selling Scentsy, but am having a party (both on-line and in my home) this month. You can go here if you would like some more information regarding this great product or to order any scents or warmers for your home. You can also click on the picture on the side of my blog anytime this month.

The warmers are beautiful decorative additions to any room and have a life-time warranty. There are also plug in warmers that are perfect for smaller areas. You just put one piece of the wax brick or bar in the plug in warmer and that area of your home will smell wonderful.

I love scented candles, but I do not like the danger of fire or the soot. And too many times, you buy an expensive candle that seems to smell great and when you burn it, you have a flame and very little scent. That is not the case with Scentsy. You have a light bulb in the warmer that melts the wax and the scent is wonderful. The one problem with Scentsy is that there are soooo many scents to choose from, it is really hard to pick! I have my demonstrator's briefcase with all the scents here so if you are local, I could get it to you to smell away. Or you could come to my party (just send an email for the details.) But I bought my first Scentsy warmer and scents just by going on line and reading the descriptions and I have liked everyone I have tried. Do you like sweet or cool and refreshing or exotic or your favorite food or cookies smell? All are available.

If you have any questions, just send me an email. I rarely endorse products on this blog, but Scentsy is so delightful, I just had to share.

And since I am off topic today, I will close with GO PACK!!

Karen

An Invitation for Stampers in Central Wisconsin

You are invited to THE ESSENTIAL STAMP CAMP.  Come have fun with us and create TEN Everyday Essential Cards everyone should have on hand: Sympathy, Thinking of You, Men's and Women's Birthday, Child's Birthday and MORE. Options will be offered to customize some of the cards for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thank You and others.

Hosted by and Projects Designed by

Phyllis Baumann and Karen Hasheck

Thursday February 16th  6-9 pm

OR Saturday February 18th 10 am - 1 pm

DC Everest Sr. High Room 121

Cost $20. Envelopes and all supplies are included in that cost.

 Snacks and a beverage will also be provided.

Deadline to register is February 13th.

Reservations and Pre-payment are required. Space is limited so reserve your spot by emailing Karen at khasheck@gmail.com or calling 715-359-5788. 

Send your check to:

Karen Hasheck

5507 Hickory St.

Schofield WI 54476

(We are using products from many companies and there will be no sales or promotions.  Of course, 

many of the products we are using are available at The Stamp Shoppe, Weston.) 

Annabelle Stamps and Crafty Catz Challenges

The challenge at Annabelle Stamps this week is Anything Goes and Something New is the challenge at Crafty Catz. Just about everything on this card is new: the Tilda Swirl diecut from Poppystamps, the butterfly embossing folder from Craft Concepts and the stamp set from Inkadinkado. They have been sitting in a pile on my bed in my craft room of "new stuff I haven't played with", so I put them together for this card. The butterfly in the center of the lovely diecut was stamped twice- once on a circle and the second one was cut out and attached with it's wings up. I added some pearls to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Cuttlebug Spot and Digi Doodles Shops Best Challenges

The challenge this week at the Cuttlebug Spot is to use texture and make a Winter Scene and at Digi DoodlesShops Best the theme is embossing. The texture in the card is created by embossing the scalloped circle and also the raised dots created by the embossing folder by Cuttlebug.The winter scene is a beautiful digital stamp called Snowy Mailbox by Delicious Doodles. CAS but I love how it turned out.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Karen's Doodles and Top Tip Tuesday Challenges

The challenge this week at Karen's Doodles is Valentines or Love and at Top Tip Tuesday, anything goes. I made this card with a lovely diecut from Cherry Lynn Designs called Garden of Love. The die itself is very large and I wanted to make an A2 size card, so I cut off the heart part of the die leaving the love and some flowers. So that is my tip today: look at your stamps and dies and punches and think of alternative uses for them by just using part of the stamp or diecut or punch. I started with a pink card and layered a pretty translucent floral sheet on that. I attached the love piece with gluedots and covered them with pink pearls. I added another heart punch in the corner (Martha Stewart), and more pink pearls in each corner to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hooked on Crafts and Lexi's Creations Challenges

The challenge this week at Hooked on Crafts is Try Something New and Anything Goes at Lexi's Creations. I got a new leaf brass stencil by Dreamweaver and I tried a new technique again using the No More Shims Embossing Pad and love how it turned out. I started with a pretty but subtle floral patterned paper and embossed the brass stencil with my Big Shot and the thick No More Shims pad. Then I sponged on a green distress ink to bring out the leaves shapes. This stencil would be pretty in fall too with fall colors, but I wanted to try the spring shades. I added some gems and a sentiment sticker and layered on purple and green cardstock to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

What If? Wed. Sketch Challenge

It's time for another sketch challenge on What If? Wednesdays at The House that Stamps Built. Wendy challenged us to make a card using the sketch below and this is what I came up with. You can win some great Repeat Impressions rubber if you create a card using this sketch and link it. Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the awesome cards the other Rock Stars designed using this sketch.

For my card I embossed the Stencil Bouquet with black embossing powder and colored with my copics. Then I cut it out with a lacey square nestie and added some gems all around. The sentiment is perfect for cards with flowers and is also from Repeat Impressions, of course. I cut and embossed the nesties label for the sentiment and the border is also from Spellbinders.

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

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crafty Emma's and Craft Your Days Away Challenges

The challenge this week at Craft Your Days Away is New Beginnings, and Anything Goes at Crafty Emma's. I made this wedding card using the twisted easel fold and many of my new toys from Christmas. I got the heart charms as part of a gift from my buddy Sara and decided to feature them in this card. The red paper is sparkly on the front side and very pretty in person. This card was very difficult to photograph, so I took a closeup of the window and hanging charm below. I punched an oval in the center of the folded triangle top and then framed it with a diecut from Marianne Designs. Then I hung my heart charm with thin silver cord and added a bow. The inside corner has a lovely heart floral die from Memory Box, another heart charm and the sentiment is from Stampin' up.

Stamping smiles, Karen