Simon Says Stamp and My Mum's Craft Shop Challenges

Anything Goes at Simon Says Stamp this week and at My Mum's Craft Shop, we are to "stamp it." I am sharing a card I made with my favorite new set from Stampin Up. I think this teacup is beautiful. I stamped it on white cardstock with my new favorite color- aqua blue, and cut it out leaving a little white around it. I stamped it again and cut out just the flowers and raised them with mounting tape and added some pearls. I used a friend's embossing folder and edger die (also from SU) and cut and embossed on kraft and white paper. Then I sponged the kraft paper to distress it and added some lovely lace for a vintage look.

Stamping smile, Karen

Whimsy Stamps and Party Time Tuesday Challenges

The challenge this week at Whimsy Stamps is no patterned paper and Anything Goes at Party Time Tuesday.
I am sharing a CAS card I made with Raisin Boat stamps. I used the Strokes of Wisdom set create the colored background and then did the rest in black. CAS but I love it.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Designer's Choice Challenge at Repeat Impressions

It’s another Designer’s Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, Repeat Impression’s blog. Kendra is challenging us all to make and link a stairstep card.   Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other Rock Star's cards for this DCC challenge.

For my card, I stamped my favorite spring bunny leaping for joy with flowers in pink, colored the flowers and cut out with a die from Marianne Designs. I placed that piece in the center of a stairstep card that had been embossed with fun flowers. I added the semi-circle sentiment, also a favorite from Repeat Impressions.

I am entering this card in the challenge at  2 Sisters Challenge for “Spring is in the Air”.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Speedy Fox and Friends and Sweet Stampin' Challenges

The challenge this week at Speedy Fox and Friends at Mark's Finest Papers is "shades of pink" and Anything Goes at Sweet Stampin'. My favorite shade of pink lately is the peachy shade. I made this card with the new laser cut cards and new stamps from Stampin' up. I stamped and cut out the wedding dress in the same peachy pink cardstock that I attached under the laser cut openings. I added pearls to the dress at the waist and also in the center of the diamond shapes and finished with a sentiment from the same SU set.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Di's Digis and Cupcake Crafts Challenges

 

 

The challenge at Di's Digis this week is "Emboss it" and at Cupcake Crafts they want us to be "Inspired by Music." I was playing with some of my new toys and used three to make this card. First was a lovely set of musical notes stamps I won from Skipping Stones Designs when I was published with some of their stamps. The musical butterflies on the front and on the inside as well as the sentiments are all from this beautiful set. The embossed musical notes background was created with an embossing folder by Darice. And the inside is created with a very cool Movers and Shakers Poppers Die by Papertrey. Isn't that awesome how that die twirls and adds so much fun to the inside of the card? When I saw one done, I just had to go right to Papertrey and buy the set of three dies. I will share more cards with the other two soon.

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Happy Birthday Wendy!!

 

Today we are joining together to wish Wendy Wyman of Repeat Impressions a very Happy Birthday! The Rock Stars team as well as some of our Rock Star Alumni have all made a special card for Wendy and are posting it today on their blogs. Here is the list for you to hop around and see them all:

Robin ~ http://robins-rubber-room.blogspot.com/

Kendra~ http://craftsandcravings.blogspot.com/ 

Dawn~http://dipndotscreations.blogspot.com/

Miriam~http://miriamsdelirium.blogspot.com/

Makiko~http://makinkstudio.blogspot.com/

Lynette~http://mystampingaddiction.blogspot.com/ 

Vicki~http://allidoisstamp.blogspot.com/

Joy~http://www.piecesofjoyhadden.blogspot.com/ 

Darsie~http://www.craftingwithdarsie.blogspot.com/

Michele ~ http://whimsicalcreations.blogspot.com/

Karen~ http://karenskreativekards.blogspot.com/ (you are here)

Cheri~http://stampnboomer.blogspot.com/

Lastly, please go to the Repeat Impressions Facebook Page and wish Wendy a Happy Birthday! 

Cheri is the last stop on our bloghop because she has created a special birthday surprise for Wendy which we know she will love. As the owner of Repeat Impressions, Wendy is so generous with her design team, we wanted to find a way to say thank you and Happy Birthday to her.

For my card I used the Cat Banner and a funny Repeat Impressions stamp, because I know Wendy loves cats and humor. Of course the birthday cake stamp is from Repeat Impressions as well. And I hear purple is her favorite color, so I made sure to include that color in her card too. Wendy is not all that old, but I think she will chuckle at the old age humor, especially since she designed the stamps. 

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY Wendy and thanks for everything!

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Sassy Cheryl's and Ribbon Carousel Challenges

 

The challenge at Sassy Cheryl's is Think Spring and at Ribbon Carousel we are to use baker's twine. Butterflies make me think of spring even if I haven't seen one yet. I did see a robin and the temps here are like early summer. I created a CAS card using a Martha Stewart large butterfly border punch in a window made with a nestie. The embossing folder is from Craft Concepts and I added baker's twine to complete the card. 

Stamping smiles, Karen 

What If? Wed. Sketch Challenge at Repeat Impressions

 

 

It's time for another fun sketch challenge at The House that Stamps Built and we are challenging you to make a card using the sketch below and link it up for a chance at some great Repeat Impressions rubber! For all the details on what you can win and to see the other Rock Stars cards using this sketch, please visit our blog.

For my card, I used one of Repeat Impressions beautiful sentiment stamps as the focus of the card. It is sooo true! I have been wanting to play with my sadly neglected alcohol inks, so I pulled them out and made the background with them. I punched a border punch on each side of that piece using an ek success punch. The oval silver piece was punched and embossed with a nestie and gems added. And the background was embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Lollipop Crafts for “Sentiment as the Focus”. 

Paper Creations Ink Things with Wings Challenge

 

It's time for another fun challenge at Paper Creations Ink and the theme of this challenge is Things with Wings.

If that sounds familiar, it is because that is also the theme of this week's challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids so when you make your card, you could enter it in both challenges!  The sponsor for this PCI challenge is

Stamp and Create and they are offering a $20 gift certificate to the random winner. 

Our sponsor allowed us to pick a digital image from their shop to design our cards with. I chose Wags n Whiskers Angel Whispers. Isn't she sweet? I paper pieced her dress, wings, dog and butterflies and colored the rest. I created the background with embossing and layers and added some butterfly gems to complete the card. 

I am entering this card in the Fabulous Friday challenge at Frosted Designs. You will never guess what their theme is...Things with Wings:)

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week

 

The stamp of the week this week at Repeat Impressions is this lovely Easter Lily, 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 Easter Lily, cut and embossed with a nesties label and sponged light blue while still in the nestie. The right side was cut and embossed with a Stampin’ up die and embossing folder. I added a lovely sentiment from Repeat Impressions and fun yellow dp to finish the card.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Crafting for all Seasons to use yellow and green.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Spring Wishes for Emily

 

I recently heard about a little girl named Emily who has had leukemia and many other health issues and would love to receive our cards to cheer her. Dustin Pike is offering a free digital stamp to anyone who will use it to design a card for her. Please visit his blog here for all the details, and here is a link to a site with updates on Emily and her family.  

For my card I started with the darling Spring pre-colored digi from Dustin Pike that I cut out. I created a square card and added a layer of embossed flower squares. The sentiment is a digital stamp by Desert Diva. 

I hope Emily likes my card and I hope you join us in this opportunity to cheer a little girl and her family with this awesome hobby of ours. 

Stamping smiles for Emily, Karen 

Send a Smile 4 Kids Things with Wings Challenge

 

 

It's time for a new challenge today at SAS4Kids and our theme is Things with Wings (for kids). We are also thrilled to be joining up with Flutter by Wednesday Challenge Blog this week as they do a Card Drive for SAS4Kids! We are so grateful to Danni and her team for helping to spread the word about Send a Smile 4 Kids and encouraging their challenge participants to send in their cards to cheer a child who is inpatient in one of the seven children's hospitals we are now servicing.

We have two generous sponsors this week who have shared their images with our design team to use and are offering great prizes you can win in our random drawings. Stamping Dragon Designs will award their winner 4 digis of his or her choice, and Karen's Doodles is offering their winner 3 digi images.

For my first card, I used a darling digi from Stamping Dragon Designs called Rupert Plays Rock. Isn't he sweet? I started with a white piece of cardstock and added stars in many colors cut out with my nesties. That piece was then embossed with a SU embossing folder and layered onto a green card. Rupert was printed on patterned paper and cut out. I paper pieced his guitar and raised him up when attaching to the card. The sentiment is from CTMH.

My second card features a sweet chick from Karen's Doodles. I printed her on white cardstock and sponged, colored and paper pieced before cutting out with nesties and layering on a scalloped circle. I used small ovals from Nestabilities to created the "eggs" and added a gem on each. This card idea was originally done here and  I appreciate the inspiration. 

I am entering these cards in the challenges at Whimsy Inspirations for embossing and at Crafty Sentiments for Things with Wings.

And finally, I just had to share these to put a smile on your face today (Thanks Diane!)

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen 

Top Tip Tuesday and Paper Take Weekly Challenges

 

The theme this week at Top Tip Tuesday is Mother's Day and at Paper Take Weekly it is One for the Girls or Mum. I made this lovely Mother's Day card with a vintage teapot picture I found in blogland. I cut it out and embossed with an oval nestie. The fancy label is also from Nestabilites and the sentiment is from Repeat Impressions. The white background is made with a Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folder. 

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Digital Tuesday and Sweet Stamps Challenges

 

Think Spring is the challenge at Digital Tuesday and Sweet Stamps this week, but it is no challenge to Think Spring here in Central Wisconsin. I saw my first robin and the red wing blackbirds are back and the snow is almost all gone. The forecast is for 70s today and Saturday and 60s the other days- beautiful!! I made another Spring card to share with you. The sentiment is a digital stamp from Desert Diva. The tulips are the negative left after my card that I posted on Tuesday. I backed them with green and yellow and embossed the piece with a SU folder. The frame was made with wonky rectangles nesties and another embossing folder. Pink and green and yellow are perfect spring colors so this card makes me smile. Hope it does the same for you!

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Designers Choice Challenge at Repeat Impressions

 

It’s another Designer’s Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, Repeat Impression’s blog.  Lynette is challenging us all to make and link a sympathy card. We all know that is one card we hate to use but need to have on hand just in case.  Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other Rock Star's cards for this DCC challenge.

For my card, I stamped the dandelion and sentiment in a light carmel ink. I cut out the sentiment with a circle nestie and layered on a scalloped circle out of the same patterned paper used for the flag. The bottom of the main piece was embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug) and layered on a black piece and then on a light yellow piece that had rounded corners and a strip cut out of the middle. I rarely use such light ink colors only, but do like how it turned out for a subtle sympathy card.

I am entering this card in the challenge at  Simon Says Stamp and Show for anything goes.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Di's Digi Designs and Gingerloft Challenges

 

The challenge this week at Di's Digi Designs is Pastels and it is Spring at Gingerloft. It is also Spring here in central Wisconsin! Snow is almost gone and we have seen temperatures in the 60s and 70 is forecast this week!!! And even though we never really had a real winter, I am ready for spring and the lovely weather. This is reflected in the cards I have been making. The Spring has Sprung digi is from Folded Paper and I printed it,  cut out and embossed with a nestie and sponged the ovals while still in the diecut. I attached it with a fun Action Wobbly spring so it does "spring" around. The tulips were made with a die from Marianne Designs. So  Welcome Spring!!

(Edited to add- I did it again:( I try to do one blogpost a day and always schedule a day ahead- but twice recently I hit Publish Post without scheduling..oh well- so you get two one day and none the next. But I will try to be more careful in the future..) 

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Card Crafters Circle, Shelly's Images and Delightful Challenges

 

The challenge this week at Card Crafter's Circle and Delightful Challenges is St. Pat's Day and at Shelly's Images they want to see green and gold. I am sharing my grandson's St Pat's Day card. I usually don't do St. Pat's Day cards, but I had this darling St. Pat's Day dragon from Stampin' with the Dragon saved from a time they offered him free as part of a calendar page and I just had to print him up. So Cute!! All I needed to do to make a darling card was print the dragon page, round the corners, add a sentiment (from TAC) and a shamrock made with small hearts and an embossing folder. Cate and simple- another CAS definition.

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Simon Says Stamp, Scrapalicious and Crop Stop Challenges

 

The challenge at Simon Says Stamp is Mother's Day, at Scrapalicious Anything Goes, and at Crop Stop they want to see 4 colors on our cards (blue, green, rust and yellow.) This is a card I designed for a sketch  challenge at my stamp club. The bird (from Stampendous) was stamped in Versamark on the blue, cut out and embossed with a nestie circle and then I added some rust pearls. The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions and the flag was curled and attached at two places only. 

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Dream Valley and Craft Your Days Away Challenges

 

Mother's Day is the theme of the challenges at Dream Valley  and Craft Your Day Away and I have a few Mother's Day cards done already so I can get them sent to my kids in plenty of time before our U.S. Mother's Day. This one features a beautiful pre-colored flower and a poked shape from Fred She Said. I just cut the flower out and also the shape. Then I poked the holes with a pin, layered on some lovely lace and a plum piece onto a white card and the CAS card is done. 

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Paper Take Weekly and Shopping our Stash Challenges

 

The challenge this week at Paper Take Weekly is Anything Goes and at Shopping our Stash it is Embossing. I am the queen of embossing folders - totally addicted and still buy more even when I have three drawers full. 

This is one from Crafts Too that I had not used yet and it makes me think of Spring. So bright and cheery, and I added some blue liquid pearls to all the embossed dots. The tea set is from Stampin' up and the edger punch is from ek success. 

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Craft Your Passion and Lollipop Crafts Challenges

Anything Goes this week at Craft Your Passion and CAS is the theme at Lollipop Crafts. Those are my favorite challenges and style! I saw this set of Inkadinkado stamps at my local JoAnns store and just had to buy it. I love silhouette stamps and I couldn't resist this one. I stamped on a piece of white cardstock, rounded the corners and punched the Martha Stewart seashells border on top. I created an oval shaped hole with my nesties and sponged some blue and light brown inside the mask.

Stamping smiles, Karen

What If? Wed. Sketch Challenge

It's time for another fun sketch challenge at The House that Stamps Built and we are challenging you to make a card using the sketch below and link it up for a chance at some great Repeat Impressions rubber! For all the details on what you can win and to see the other Rock Stars cards using this sketch, please visit our blog.

For my card, I used a couple of Repeat Impressions funny stamps which I love! Deja Moo- only too true! I stamped the definition stamp, cut and embossed with wacky rectangles nesties and added a border of doodles. I stamped the déjà moo stamp twice and cut in half with my Fiskars postage scissors. Peach and teal are my new favorite colors this spring for some reason… I followed the sketch and finished with a peach button.

I am entering this card in the button challenge at One Stop Craft Challenge.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Spring is in the Air at PCI!

It's time for a new challenge at Paper Creations Ink and we are challenging you to make a Spring project and link it up for two chances to win an awesome prize from our sponsor, Rick St. Dennis. The prize is a whole sheet of awesome spring digis so please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other cards created by the PCI team using those stamps.

I chose to design with the rose border and the fun happy kitty. I printed the rose border on green paper and also on pink and yellow. I cut the border apart into squares and paper pieced the roses in spring colors. The kitty was printed on dp, cut out and the bow was paper pieced on. I raised the kitty with mounting tape and added a spring sentiment and some pearls to complete the card.

I am entering this card in the challenge at A Gem of a Challenge for Pastel colors.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week

The stamp of the week this week at Repeat Impressions is this fun Cat Banner stamp, 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 kitty and banner and colored and sponged. I added a lovely sentiment from Repeat Impressions and doodled around the edge of the banner. I had a idea of a way to use the Repeat Impressions Pinwheel Positive stamp in a different way- love when that happens! I stamped it in different blues and used my nesties to cut out different sizes of “flowers” and attached them around part of a circle also cut out with nesties. The bottom is a border punch from ek success.

I am entering this card in the challenges at Catch the Bug for Anything Goes.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Flutter by Wed. and Pixie Cottage Challenges

Anything Goes at The Pixie Cottage and at Flutter by Wednesday (as long as the card has a butterfly, angel or fairy) and that is my favorite kind of challenge. I can chose my favorite technique (embossing using a brass stencil and No More Shims pad), my favorite current colors (teal and peach) and a favorite border punch (Martha Stewart butterflies.) Add a little dp and some sticker bling and the CAS card is done. I like how you can choose to flip the brass stencil before embossing and sponging to get the mirror effect. Fun Spring card!

Stamping smiles, Karen

SAS4Kids CAS Challlenge

It's time for another new challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids and our theme is CAS (Clean and Simple) for Kids. Of course, CAS does not mean slap a couple stickers on a card and call it done. But it does mean you don't have to have many many layers or anything real complicated and kids will love the card, because YOU made it!

We have three wonderful sponsors for this challenge: Doodle Pantry is rewarding a random winner a $15 gift certificate; The Cutting Cafe's prize is 3 sets of digital stamps or cutting files; and Sassy Studio's prize is 4 digis of the winner's choice!

I made three fun cards with our sponsor's images. The first one uses a Rainboots cutting file from The Cutting Cafe'. I love shaped cards and The Cutting Cafe' is the perfect place to find all sorts of fun cutting files. This card was printed on yellow cardstock and opens at the top. I also printed on orange dotted dp and added the pieces at the top and bottom from the cutting files. I finished the card with a fun button flower and a "think spring" sentiment piece.

My second card uses a Harry Potter digital stamp from Sassy Studios. I printed him on white cardstock, colored a little with my copics and paper pieced his outfit. The background is simply a Hogwarts Express paper I found on line for free. I cut out a hole behind Harry to highlight him and added a CTMH sentiment in the smoke from the train. My grandson loves Harry Potter so I was really excited to see Sassy Studios has this digital stamp!

My last card uses a darling digi from Doodle Pantry called Cowboy Birdie and a sentiment from Doodle Pantry too. The Cowboy Birdie is pre-colored so making this CAS card only took a few minutes. I started with a square yellow card, added some red dotted dp, punched a star border out of yellow and a blue star with the sentiment. Cowboy Birdie was printed and cut out and added to the card.

I am entering these cards at the challenges at Crafting for all Seasons for shaped cards, Craft Your Passion for paper piecing and The Crazy Challenge for Anything Goes.

Please visit the SAS4Kids blog for all the details and to see the awesome cards designed by TEAM S.A.S.

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen

Party Time Tuesday and Stamp n Doodle Challenges

The challenge this week at Party Time Tuesday is Anything Goes and at Stamp n Doodle it is Embossing. Winter finally showed up here in Wisconsin yesterday, so I thought it was time to post this card before it is too late. I started by embossing a peach layer with a Tim Holtz embossing folder and then distressing with light brown ink. The ice skates are made with the SU Christmas stocking punch and the word window punch cut down for the blades. I hung them over the off white vintage lace and added the sentiment oval to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Paper and Such and Shopping our Stash Challenges

The challenge this week at Paper and Such is paper piecing and at Shopping our Stash, Sentiments are Required. I am sharing a cute Packer Christmas card because I am a huge Packer fan and a huge Dancing with the Stars fan and my favorite Packer of all time, Donald Driver is going to be on DWTS!! I have several pictures of Donald in my home, but my favorite is one on my frig with Donald and his huge smile and my niece taken in a park in Green Bay. Donald and his wife and their kids were in the park visiting with my niece and her kids and he agreed to have his picture taken with my (great) niece! Such a nice man in real life and we are going to love his smile and dancing on DWTS!

Anyway, back to my card:) I saw this set from Peachy Keen and of course, could not resist it! I paper pieced the adorable Cheesehead mouse and attached him with an action wobble gadget (also sold at Peachy Keen) that means he wobbles when you touch him. Too cute! The background was made simply weaving some green and gold dp and the sentiment is perfect for any Packer fan.

Stamping smiles, Karen