Love to Create and Mema's Crafts Challenges

Anything Goes at Mema's Crafts this month and at Love to Create, they want to see our cards with Punches and/or Diecuts. I used both punches (heart border punch by Martha Stewart) and diecuts (wonky rectangle die by Spellbinders) to make this card. I started with a Clear Views Transparency from The Mark-It Place that was black and white except for the rainbow umbrella. I carried the rainbow theme into the hearts and the paper under the heart border as well. I cut the sentiment apart with my deckle scissors to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Stamp of the Week at Repeat Impressions

The stamp of the week this week at Repeat Impressions is this sweet Fairy’s Fun-Bumblebee 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.

I tried a new sketch idea on this card and like how it turned out. I stamped the fairy on kraft paper and colored her with Copics. Then I cut her out in four pieces of varied height and width and put her back together with a little space between the pieces and raised with mounting tape. I stamped the sentiment and layered the white piece on a yellow embossed card.

I am entering this card in the Things with Wings challenge at Dream Valley Challenges and the Anything Goes challenge at Challenges 4 Everybody.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Silhouette Sunday

This my favorite card I have made with my Silhouette so far! The dress is a cut file from the Silhouette Store and so is the guys tux piece. The dress is designed to be the card front, but I decided to layer onto some subtle patterned paper and then onto a peach card. I added some colored gems and some liquid pearls and a sentiment from Stampin' Up.

I love how it turned out! And this weekend (until May 2nd) at the Silhouette Store, everything is 50% off!! So instead of getting 5 files for $5, you get 10! I can't believe the cutting files that compare to many I have paid $10-$30 for that I can now purchase for 99 cents- 50 cents right now! I debated long and hard before purchasing my Silhouette because I didn't know how hard it would be to set up and use, and because they are expensive. The one I have (the smaller Portrait) usually is $150 or so and the larger is around $300. But I do believe in the long run, owning the Silhouette will save me money. I love my dies and punches, but will not be buying them any more. I am not being paid or given anything to say this- it is just my opinion. And I am just beginning- I have so much to learn, but what I have figured out is very easy.

Here is another favorite card I have designed using a Silhouette Studio cutting file. The purse and the shoe come together in one cutting file and both had flourishes on them. I had trouble getting the shoe to cut because the flourishes went all the way to the sides of the shoe and it fell apart each time I cut it. So I figured out how to separate the flourishes from the shoe and took them away and just cut the high heel shoe in white. I created a black and white square card, cut the border with a Martha Stewart set of punches and attached the shoe and purse.

I am entering the floral dress card in the challenge at Shelley's Images for May Flowers and the Diecuts or Punches challenge at Stampin' for the Weekend.

Stamping (and Silhouette) smiles, Karen

Aud Sentiments and Paper Crafting Journey Challenges

Happy Birthday is the theme at Aud Sentiments and at Paper Crafting Journey, they want us to use a sentiment. This is the last of the birthday cards I made recently with the Stampin' Up dress die set. I cut the card shape and top layer with a new die set from Spellbinders. Then I die cut the dress twice out of a sparkly white paper. I added a second layer to make the dress a little fancier and finished the dress with a ribbon for the belt and some pearls. The sentiment is a thin outline sticker- I have so many of these and forget to use them!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Simon Says Stamp and Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges

Anything Goes at Simon Says Stamp and Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges this week and that is my favorite kind of challenge! I can pick any of the cards I have recently made and share with you. I have had so much fun with the SU dress dies and this is a birthday card I made for a dear friend recently. I cut all three pieces of the Stampin' Up die set- the black dress form, the sleeveless dress in white and the short sleeved dress in blue. I sponged the white "cleavage" and attached it under the blue dress. I stamped some flowers in Versamark and added a thin ribbon belt and flower. The card base is black with an embossed blue piece (folder by Tim Holtz for Sizzix). I used my nesties to make a "mirror" with sparkly white paper and black frame. I love it and will be making some more of these dress cards for sure!

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crackerbox Palace Retirement Cards

It's Crackerbox Palace Thursday and I am sharing two retirement cards I made with Crackerbox Palace stamps. You can win your choice of the stamps featured on one of these cards by leaving a comment at either blog. The simple requirements for a chance at winning are below and now you have even more choices of what you can win!

But first- the winner of last Thursday’s blog candy is                                                   Rhea Weigand!   Here is her winning comment from my blog: “Your design is just wonderful! I also just love, love love your blog!!! All of your designs are so great :) I am now following you!!!! “

Rhea, please email me or Crackerbox Palace your address and your choice of which stamps you want (see your options below), so we can get you the stamps you have won.

Several friends of mine and my husband are retiring this year, so I used an “oh so true” Crackerbox Palace sentiment stamp to design two very different retirement cards. On the day I designed my first card, I was tired and so I did take a nap. I can do that just about any day if I want and do not miss the “crap” at work at all! I am still having fun designing with the feather dies from Lifestyle Crafts, the Clear View Transparencies from The Mark-It Place and the awesome stamps from Crackerbox Palace. I used the negative space from the larger feather die to show a serene black and white scene and added some other die cut pieces cut from dp with writing on it. I split the stamp with part on the front and the rest in the inside as shown here. 

My second card features a totally different type of fisherman from Crackerbox Palace. He sure looks like he is having fun! I paper pieced his outfit and boat and colored the rest with Copics. I used Nestabilities dies to cut out frames for him and the sentiments and embossed the front of the card with a Tim Holtz embossing folder.

So would you like to win the stamps featured on one of today’s cards or your choice of another CBP stamp? Here is how to win our weekly blog candy:

Vicky or Karen will post a card or two every Thursday on both blogs. All you need to do is to leave a comment on either blog and if you leave a comment on both blogs you will have a double chance to win. We hope you also want to 'follow' the blogs. The following Wednesday a name will be picked at random and the winner will receive:

The featured stamps that we used in one of the cards that were posted,
OR you can pick out a stamp that is worth up to $10.00 and email us your choice
OR Vicky will email you a coupon code so you can go shopping at Crackerbox Palace store for your choice of the stamp(s) you would like with a $10.00 coupon.

For a Bonus: if you use the blog candy stamps and post it on your blog, Splitcoast or somewhere else you will be able to choose another free stamp. So make sure you check out one of our blogs on Thursday! The winner will have 2 weeks to contact Karen or Vicky.

So leave us a comment for a chance to win and come back and see us again next week!

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenge at Through The Craftroom Door and The Great Outdoors challenge at Loves Rubberstamps. 

Crackerbox Palace smiles, Karen

DCC Challenge at Repeat Impressions Blog

It’s another Designer’s Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, Repeat Impression’s blog. It’s Deonna’s turn and she is challenging the team and you to make a shaped card.  Any shape except for the typical square or rectangle would be great! After you make your card, you can enter it for a chance to win some awesome Repeat Impressions rubber! Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other Rock Star's cards for this DCC challenge. 

I used my Grand Calibur and the Grands oval die from Spellbinders to cut out this card. I stamped the beautiful Rose Border on the top and bottom, paper pieced the roses in different colors and colored the rest. I added the perfect sentiment (from Repeat Impressions of course) and some pearls to complete the CAS card.

I am entering this card in the Punches and/or Dies challenge at Love to Scrap and the Springtime challenge at My Craft Creations.

Stamping smiles, Karen 

The Squirrel and The Fox and Great Impressions Challenges

Spring really hasn't sprung here in central Wisconsin, but maybe by next weekend? I am encouraging it with the making and posting of this Spring card. The Squirrel and the Fox challenge wants to see our furry friends this week, and Great Impression's theme is pastel colors and polkadots. Both of the stamps on this card are digital - the springing bunnies are from Hambo Digitals and the sentiment is from Folded Paper. I paper pieced one of the springing bunnies with a polka dot paper, cut off the top of the front of the card so you can see them, and cut out the perfect sentiment with an oval die.

The picture below is more the reality in Wisconsin.. Hope it makes you smile:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

I was just sitting here wondering....



When the hell is spring coming??

Hobby Cutz and Challenges 4 Everybody Challenges

Monochrome is the theme at Hobby Cutz this week, and Anything Goes at Challenges 4 Everybody. I am sharing a card that we made in the classes in my home this month. The background is the Pillow Top Background that I learned how to do here in this video. It is simple to do and looks dimensional. The boots and the sentiment are from a stamp set from Kitchen Sink Stamps. The boots look so real because Kitchen Sink Stamps are a series of stamps in shades of color that combine to create real looking objects without having to color them. I created a border of stars (Martha Stewart) and added some baker's twine to complete the card.

I still have a few openings in the new class sessions starting in June if you are local to Wausau WI. We will do three  cards each month learning new techniques and folds, and also will make one Christmas card each month so you would have a head start on your holiday card making too. Email me at khasheck at gmail dot com if you are interested in more details or wish to sign up.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Silhouette Sunday

I am starting a new feature here on my blog that I am calling Silhouette Sunday. I am the proud owner of a new Silhouette Portrait cutting machine and am in love!! I have only been playing for a couple weeks, but I am having so much fun I could share dozens of cards with you. I have lots to learn yet- haven't  figured out print and cut yet, so if anyone is an expert and can help me with that, I would appreciate it.

The Silhouette Online Store has thousands of cutting files for 99 cents!! For less than a dollar I can purchase cutting files that are as beautiful as the ones we spend $10-$30 for! Plus if you purchase the Designer Edition of their software, you can upload hundreds and thousands of digital files on the internet for free or very inexpensively too. I have a lot to learn and wish I had more time to watch all the videos and play all day and night. But it will be a fun journey and I will share my cards with you each Sunday.

I purchased the above floral border card cutting file from the online store (it was free with the $10 gift card that comes with the machine!), and first I made a square card. Then I played with the sizing and was able to make the A2 card below and save that one for future use. My favorite size of card is A2 (5 1/2" x 4 1/4" folded size.)

What I find so exciting is that you can make your die cut any size you want! Of course my machine is the smaller Portrait so the cutting mat is 8 1/2 x 11, but within those measurements, you can cut any size your heart desires.

When you get your machine with the original software, you are given 50 free cutting files, and this chevron border was one of the free ones. I simply placed patterned paper behind the border and added a diamond for the sentiment (Repeat Impressions) and a half diamond to complete the CAS card. One more to share today:

Isn't this pretty? But so simple. I simply cut a butterfly floral file twice, embossed the white one, offset the dark pink one and attached to a pink patterned cardstock. This was the second card I made with my Silhouette- the first went to my grandson and featured Batman:) Maybe I will share that sometime too.

I am entering these cards in the following challenges: Addicted to CAS (Flowers), QKR Stampede (Punches and/or Diecuts), and Wags 'n Whiskers (May Flowers.)

Stamping (and cutting) Silhouette smiles, Karen

Birthday Fun 4 Kids at SAS4Kids

It’s Saturday and time for another fun challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids! This time our challenge is Birthday Fun 4 Kids! Create and link any card appropriate for a child’s birthday and you could win one of our great prizes. We have three very generous sponsors this week: QKR Stampede is giving their winner 5 digis of their choice! And Scrapping Memories is giving their randomly picked winner 10 cutting or digi files of their choice! Delicious Doodle’s winner will receive 4 digis of their choice!   TEAM S.A.S will also be choosing their favorite cards for our top three and the winners will receive a blog badge and an opportunity to be a guest design team member on a future challenge.

I made a CAS birthday card above with the darling digital image called Doggie in a Box from Delicious Doodles. I let the embossing say Happy Birthday, cut a frame from the blue strip, and paper pieced the doggie and his present box. 

My second card features a super cute bunny from QKR Stampede saying I Love You This Much and Happy Birthday too. The happy b-day is an old stamp from TAC, but the "love you this much" digital stamp comes with the bunny. I printed the bunny on pink paper and paper pieced his vest.

My last card today again lets the embossing say Happy Birthday, this time in three layers circling a sweet girl called Kari Cupcake from Scrapping Memories. I did some coloring and paper piecing again and raised her with pop dots. I am hoping a little girl at the Milwaukee Children's Hospital might like this card.

I am entering these cards in the CAS birthday challenge at CAS-ual Fridays and the challenge at Paper Crafting Journey to use a sentiment.

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen 

Tuesday Throwdown and Cutie Pie Challenges

The challenge at Tuesday Throwdown this week is to "focus on the sentiment" and CAS is the theme at Cutie Pie Challenge. I punched a pretty border with a new edge punch from ek success with some fun two sided lilac paper. Then I simply added a lovely baby sentiment and a couple baby brads to complete this CAS baby card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

It's Spring at Crackerbox Palace!

It’s another Crackerbox Palace Thursday and I am sharing two sweet Spring cards created by Vicky Briggs, the owner of Crackerbox Palace.  Isn’t her coloring just gorgus?  For all the details on how she made them, some more pictures and what CBP stamps she used, please visit her blog here.

Mr. Random has chosen and the winner of last Thursday’s blog candy is                              Holly Hughes !  Here is her winning comment from my blog:  “I love the horse card! This is so pretty! I can't wait to show your card to my daughter. THANKS so much for sharing!!”

Holly, please send me or Vicky our address and your choice of which stamps you want (see your options below), so we can get you the stamps you have won.

So would you like to win the stamps featured on today’s card or your choice of another CBP stamp? Here is how to win our weekly blog candy: 

Vicky or Karen will post a card or two every Thursday on both blogs. All you need to do is to leave a comment on either blog and if you leave a comment on both blogs you will have a double chance to win. We hope you also want to 'follow' the blogs. The following Wednesday a name will be picked at random and the winner will receive:

The featured stamps that we used in one of the cards that were posted,
OR you can pick out a stamp that is worth up to $10.00 and email us your choice
OR Vicky will email you a coupon code so you can go shopping at Crackerbox Palace store for your choice of the stamp(s) you would like with a $10.00 coupon.

For a Bonus: if you use the blog candy stamps and post it on your blog, Splitcoast or somewhere else you will be able to choose another free stamp. So make sure you check out one of our blogs on Thursday! The winner will have 2 weeks to contact Karen or Vicky.

So leave us a comment for a chance to win and come back and see us again next week!

Crackerbox Palace 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.

One of my favorite Repeat Impressions stamp sets is the hot air balloons and the sentiments that go with them that were released last summer. With the great sketch below as the starting point, this card was so easy to make. I paper pieced the hot air balloon, embossed the background (SU embossing clouds folder) and added the sentiment with a button.

We do have exciting news at Repeat Impressions – Wendy has released a whole new set of stamps called Pairings and you can see them all right here on the website. They are called Pairings because there is a main image and several sentiments and a smaller image that all work together to make beautiful cards.  Mine are on the way and I just can’t wait to play with them! You can order them right now, or you can wait until you see the awesome cards the Rock Stars will be making with them soon.

Here is the sketch for you to follow when you create a card for our challenge. You do not need to use Repeat Impressions stamps to enter our challenges, but you get an extra chance to win if you do!

I am entering this card in the challenge at Papertake Weekly to use only one designer paper and the Anything Goes challenge at Through the Craft Room Door.

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Card Mania and Love to Scrap Challenges

Punches and/or Diecuts is the theme at both Card Mania and Love to Scrap Challenges this week and I am sharing one of my favorite cards I have created recently. I have been having so much fun with my new dress dies from Stampin' Up! I started with a white card with rounded edges that I embossed with a new embossing folder from Darice. The shoe is from another new embossing folder by Craft-Too. I used all three dies in the set from SU and cut the "sweater" out of the dress with the capped sleeves. I added some pearls for buttons and a necklace and a gem on the shoe to complete the card. Loving it, and hope the members of the new class sessions in my home will too (sign up is going on right now for June- November classes.)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week

The stamp of the week this week at Repeat Impressions is this fun Kayaker 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.

I went with a CAS sketch for my card this week. I masked off an opening and sponged blue for the water. I stamped the Kayaker and colored him with some copics, then added the perfect sentiment, also from Repeat Impressions of course. The white piece was then layered onto a black card.

I am entering this card in the “For a Guy” challenge at Aud Sentiments.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Card Crafter's Circle and Crafts 4 Eternity Challenges

Die Cuts and/or Dry Embossing is the theme at Card Crafter's Circle this week, and at Crafts 4 Eternity, they want to  see "Wonderful Wings". I am sharing a wedding card I designed for a recent stamp camp I did locally with a fellow stamper. I paper pieced and dry embossed the wedding dress (Sizzix folder) and the circle was cut out with a Nestabilities die. The butterflies for the frame were punched out with a Martha Stewart punch and the white ones were also dry embossed with my favorite Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder. The bride and groom stamp is by Penny Black. I added some liquid pearls and Stickles to the butterflies and flowers.

This is what the inside looks like:

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Through the Craft Room Door and Aud Sentiments Challenges

Anything Goes at Through the Craft Room Door this week (and every week!) and at Aud Sentiments, they want to see our cards for guys. If you have been following my blog, you know I have been having fun with the feather dies from Lifestyle Crafts. This time I am using the negative of the die to show some very cool dp with a string of horses running. All the horse stamps on the card are older stamps from The Angel Company which is not in business anymore. But did you know, there is a company called Red Rubber Designs who bought up their inventory and has been in business a year now selling TAC stamps and paper? I tried a search under horses on the site and didn't find these, but they have many other great TAC stamps available for purchase.

The sentiment is from a favorite set by Technique Tuesday.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Simon Says Stamp and Little Miss Muffet Challenges

Anything with Flowers is the theme at Simon Says Stamp this week and Anything Goes at Little Miss Muffet Challenges. I am sharing another card using Clear View Transparencies from The Mark-It Place. This time I chose a picture of beautiful roses and some pearls to make an elegant wedding or any day card. I started with a larger embossing folder from Cuttlebug, but left the center of the card unembossed. I cut a hole in the front for the picture and added some flowers to each side. The last step was to dot each intersection of the embossing with a white pearl pen.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crackerbox Palace Guy's Cards

It's Crackerbox Palace Thursday and today I am sharing two guy’s cards I made with Crackerbox Palace stamps. You can win your choice of the stamps featured on one of these cards by leaving a comment at either blog. The simple requirements for a chance at winning are below and now you have even more choices of what you can win!

But first- the winner of last Thursday’s blog candy is                                                     Trena! Here is her winning comment from the CBP blog: “Vicky, I dig both of these! I love, love, love the seascape one! Your water and coloring are perfect! Take care and STAY POSITIVE!”

Trena, please email me or Crackerbox Palace your address and your choice of which stamps you want (see your options below), so we can get you the stamps you have won.

I had so much fun designing my cards for today’s blog post. I know Vicky showed guy’s cards last week too, but we can never have enough ideas for the guys, right? I love the layout of my first card (above) and when I found it on Pinterest, I clicked on the link and it brought me to this blog post which not only had two neat cards using the sketch, but also all the sizes of the pieces! So much easier to make the card not having to figure out what sizes work for an A2 card! I cut the pieces, rounded half the corners and sponged the edges, and layered on another piece of masculine dp. Then I stamped the keys, glasses and pocket knife on kraft paper, cut out and attached with mounting tape to raise. Of course the Happy Birthday is from Crackerbox Palace too.

My second card features a fun tearing technique I learned at a recent gathering of stampers I attended. It never occurred to me to tear down the center of a piece of cardstock, then roll up the center piece and attach. I sponged the edges of that piece and added some barbed wire corners. I used direct to paper with rust and yellow ink pads to create a sunset, then stamped the cowboy and his horse silhouette. Those pieces were layered on black and then on a kraft card base.  I just love how it turned out.

So would you like to win the stamps featured on one of today’s cards or your choice of another CBP stamp? Here is how to win our weekly blog candy:

Vicky or Karen will post a card or two every Thursday on both blogs. All you need to do is to leave a comment on either blog and if you leave a comment on both blogs you will have a double chance to win. We hope you also want to 'follow' the blogs. The following Wednesday a name will be picked at random and the winner will receive:

The featured stamps that we used in one of the cards that were posted,
OR you can pick out a stamp that is worth up to $10.00 and email us your choice
OR Vicky will email you a coupon code so you can go shopping at Crackerbox Palace store for your choice of the stamp(s) you would like with a $10.00 coupon.

For a Bonus: if you use the blog candy stamps and post it on your blog, Splitcoast or somewhere else you will be able to choose another free stamp. So make sure you check out one of our blogs on Thursday! The winner will have 2 weeks to contact Karen or Vicky.So leave us a comment for a chance to win and come back and see us again next week!

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenges at Bearly Mine and Mema’s Crafts.

Crackerbox Palace smiles, Karen

DCC Challenge at Repeat Impressions Blog

It’s another Designer’s Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, Repeat Impression’s blog. It’s Christy’s turn and she is challenging the team and you to make a CAS (clean and simple) card.  After you make your card, you can enter it for a chance to win some awesome Repeat Impressions rubber! Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other Rock Star's cards for this DCC challenge. 

CAS cards are my favorite, but I always feature great stamps as well as fun sketches or embossing folders or die cuts or folds. I like to call my style CAS+. Anyway, the best part of this CAS card is the awesome stamp (from Repeat Impressions of course) called Pussy Willows. Did you notice the sweet kitties on the pussy willows? What a great idea! I kept it real CAS by not coloring them, and framed them in an embossed piece (folder by Cuttlebug) cut with a Nestabilities oval die. I added a perfect sentiment and sponged around the frame, before attaching with mounting tape to raise.

I am entering this card in the Punches and/or Dies challenge at Lexi’s Creations and the Anything Goes challenge at ArtisticImpressions.

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Card Mania and Forever Friends Challenges

Punches and/or Diecuts is the theme at both Card Mania and Forever Friends this week and I have used both on this black and white card I created for a friend recently. I use my punches, diecuts and embossing folders almost daily- I can't imagine card making without them. I used the positive and negative of a butterfly die from Sizzix, cut a wavy line border and embossed the whole card with an embossing folder from Stampin' Up. I punched the window and added a simple sentiment. I added some pearls in black and white to complete the CAS card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crafty Catz and 613 Avenue Create Challenges

Anything Goes this week at Crafty Catz and at 613 Avenue Create, their theme is Spring Fever. Spring means butterflies and graduation, right? I was inspired by a card I found on Pinterest to create this graduation thank you note for my niece, whose school colors are purple and gold. It is kind of a tradition in my family, when someone graduates (or gets married, or whatever), I make thank you notes as part of their gift. But you could easily change out the "thanks" to congrats for the graduate. The butterflies are from a die cut set by Stampin' Up and the flourish is an old stamp from TAC.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crafting for all Seasons and Sisterhood of Crafters Challenges

Spring is the theme at The Sisterhood of Crafters this week, and Floral Delight is what Crafting for all Seasons wants to see. I do too! Is it Spring yet? My favorite Spring flower is Lilacs- especially the scent. I can't wait to see them blooming- but it will be a while here in Wisconsin with all the cold and snow we still have. I created a window scene as if you were inside looking out at some beautiful lilac bushes with this card. The window die is by Memory Box. The lilacs are actually stickers, and I used some fun dp to look like wallpaper and wood.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Happy Mother's Day (From the Kids) at SAS4Kids

It’s Saturday and time for another fun challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids! This time our challenge is Happy Mother’s Day (From the Kids)! Create and link any card appropriate for Mother’s Day and you could win one of our great prizes. I believe one of the greatest gifts you can give a child is the joy of giving. With this challenge we are bringing attention to the type of card we are now looking for - we would love for all the kids in the children’s hospitals we serve on or around Mother’s Day to be able to pick a card to give to their mother, grandmother or special female in their lives. These cards- sent in by our wonderful donors - would make both the child and the person who receives it very happy. We will do the same for Father’s Day. You do not have to donate your card(s) after you enter our challenge, but our kids would sure love it if you did. And remember we are a card only challenge- cuz that is what we are all about- cards for our kids!

We have four very generous sponsors this week: QKR Stampede is giving their winner 5 digis of their choice! And Clear Dollar Stamps is giving their randomly picked winner a $15 Gift Certificate! Saturated Canary’s winner will receive 2 digis of their choice! Our newest sponsor, Tabitha’s Designs will award their randomly chosen winner 2 Digi Paper Packs of their choice!  TEAM S.A.S will also be choosing their favorite cards for our top three and the winners will receive a blog badge and an opportunity to be a guest design team member on a future challenge.

My first card above features a beautiful digital stamp from Saturated Canary called "Butterfly". Isn't she gorgeous? I paper pieced her dress and colored the rest with my copics. I have used this butterfly frame idea several times recently and just love the look. The butterfly punch is from Martha Stewart. 

The digital on my second card today just makes me smile, and I hope it will do the same for the Mom who receives it. It is called "Mother's Day" and is from QKR Stampede. As usual. I paper pieced most of it with different patterned and solid papers and did a little coloring with my copics. I cut around the image on the white cardstock, then cut around it again on a lighter green and then on the darker green card base. I die cut and embossed a couple more balloons and attached them to the inside of the card with some baker's twine for the balloon strings. I think some little boy will like giving this card to his Mom on her special day.

My third Mother's Day card this week features a beautiful Tulip Wreath and sentiment from Clear Dollar Stamps. Sometimes I choose the colored option of the digital stamps if it is available and in this case it was. I could never color these tulips this beautifully, so I printed the wreath and simply cut it out. I created an easel card and embossed the front with more tulips in the frame embossing folder from Stampin' Up. I printed the sentiment (from the same set by Clear Dollar Stamps) on yellow paper, cut it out with a Nestabilities oval die and popped it up with pop dots to hold the easel front open.

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenges at Little Miss Muffet, Crafty Bloggers Network and Love's Rubberstamps.

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen 

Simon Says Stamp and Paper Take Weekly Challenges

Happy Birthday is the theme at Simon Says Stamp this week, and at Paper Take Weekly, anything goes. I am sharing a special birthday card I made for my best friend Jane. I had so much  fun playing with my new dress die cuts from Stampin' Up and a new fancy shoe embossing folder from Crafts Too. The card base is a  twisted easel and I embossed the triangular shape on the bottom and raised it with pop dots to hold up the easel top. I die cut the dress frame in kraft and the dress in a sparkly black. I added another layer to the dress, a sparkly red belt and a flower. A jewel necklace was the finishing touch.

Some more views:

Stamping smiles and Happy Birthday to Jane and Simon Says Stamp!  Karen

Vicky's Turn at Crackerbox Palace

It’s another Crackerbox Palace Thursday and I am sharing two lovely cards created by Vicky Briggs, the owner of Crackerbox Palace.  Aren’t they beautiful?  For all the details on how she made them, some more pictures and what CBP stamps she used, please visit her blog here.

Mr. Random has chosen and the winner of last Thursday’s blog candy is                              Pat !  Here is her winning comment from my blog:  “LOL Love the nutritional card. Of course that cow is adorable. I have her.”

Pat, please send me or Vicky our address and your choice of which stamps you want (see your options below), so we can get you the stamps you have won.

So would you like to win the stamps featured on today’s card or your choice of another CBP stamp? Here is how to win our weekly blog candy: 

Vicky or Karen will post a card or two every Thursday on both blogs. All you need to do is to leave a comment on either blog and if you leave a comment on both blogs you will have a double chance to win. We hope you also want to 'follow' the blogs. The following Wednesday a name will be picked at random and the winner will receive:

The featured stamps that we used in one of the cards that were posted,
OR you can pick out a stamp that is worth up to $10.00 and email us your choice
OR Vicky will email you a coupon code so you can go shopping at Crackerbox Palace store for your choice of the stamp(s) you would like with a $10.00 coupon.

For a Bonus: if you use the blog candy stamps and post it on your blog, Splitcoast or somewhere else you will be able to choose another free stamp. So make sure you check out one of our blogs on Thursday! The winner will have 2 weeks to contact Karen or Vicky.

So leave us a comment for a chance to win and come back and see us again next week!

Crackerbox Palace smiles, Karen