Christmas Card with New Dies and Stamps

I am not buying many dies these days because I have sooo many and can cut just about anything I want for 30- 99 cents a die with my Silhouette Portrait. But when I saw this new die from Memory Box, it reminded me of Christmas sweaters and mittens, and I just could not resist. I cut it twice on a large kraft square and layered onto a red card. I added a red poinsettia (Marianne Designs) with green pine needles (Martha Stewart punch.) The sentiment is a new one from Penny Black and is very large, so the card had to be too. I finished the sentiment on the inside:

And I wish you the same:)

I am entering this card in the Die Another Day challenge at Songbird Challenge and the challenge at Top Tip Tuesday to use kraft paper on our cards.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Thankful for so many things......

Family and Friends are first on the long list of things I am grateful for this Thanksgiving, of course. I am very blessed in both of those! I am also very grateful for the joy I have experienced this year designing cards and blogging and getting articles accepted for publication in Scrap and Stamp Arts. The current issue (January 2014) is on the bookshelves right now- look for the cover shown to the right here on my blog. On page 15 you will see this card featured on the first page of an article I wrote about using the positives and negatives of die cuts. The feather die is from Lifestyle Crafts and the embossing folder is by Sizzix.

All the stamps on all the cards I designed for this article are from Crackerbox Palace and I am also very grateful for the friendship and fun I have had this past year designing cards for Crackerbox Palace! Their website is being re-designed currently, but when it opens again, you will want to check out their awesome stamps. I especially love their sentiments stamps- check out the inside of this card:

Isn't that perfect? I have 4 more articles being published by Scrap and Stamp Arts, so 2014 will be exciting and blessed for me and I hope for you too. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Through the Craft Room Door and Party Time Tuesdays.

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.

I love how this card turned out. I started with my favorite paper for the card base: Tim Holtz Kraft-Core Shattered cardstock by Core’dinations. On the front white panel, I stamped Repeat Impression’s Deer Family, embossed with Tim’s tree embossing folder and added some snowflakes cut out with a Memory Box die. I stamped the holiday sentiment on the back side of the Kraft-Core paper, cut out and embossed with a Spellbinders circle die. Then I added some gems to complete the card.

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 Anything Goes challenge at Crafting for the Heart and the Christmas challenge at Raisin Boat.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hello Friend Card

I combined a Spellbinders die (tree and frame) and a Silhouette America cutting file (the swinging boy) to make this CAS card in just a few minutes. The Spellbinders frame die was on my bed in the pile of "must use before putting away" and so I made this card. The "hello" is from Paper Smooches- isn't it fun?

I am entering this card in the CAS challenge at Dream Valley and the Anything Goes challenge at Scribble and Scrap.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Green Christmas

My favorite color has always been green. I love green trees and nature and the Packers and green in Christmas cards and trees. So many of my holiday cards have traditional Christmas colors on them. Green Christmas is the theme of the challenge at Speedy Fox and Friends at Mark's Finest Papers and I am entering this card in the challenge. The background is a large embossing folder from Spellbinders with ornaments hanging. I stamped a lovely circular sentiment stamp from Heartfelt Creations on green paper and cut out with a Nestabilities die. I added the red bow to complete the CAS card.

I am also entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Sister Act.

Stamping smiles, Karen

CAS Holiday Cards on Silhouette Sunday

This time of year gets so busy and if we are not done with our hand made Christmas cards, it is easy and fast to make some CAS holiday cards with great die cut files from Silhouette and other companies. I needed some easy but nice cards for my box of donated cards for a local Veteran's Home and I made multiples of these two in just a couple hours. The first card above started with a kraft piece that I cut twice with an awesome die from Memory Box. Then I added the Santa tag and the fun sentiment down the middle (both from Silhouette America) before layering onto a dark red card. I am entering this card in the Any Sentiment challenge at Aud Sentiments.

My second card was even faster and I made a bunch for the vets in the home. I embossed a navy card with an embossing folder by Spellbinders, then attached the dove and Peace (both Silhouette America cutting files.) Thanks to a good friend, I discovered a great new product to attach very delicate die cuts: E6000 Spray Adhesive. It is odorless and so can be used in your craft room or anywhere in your home and it really works! The Peace sentiment stuck great after spraying it with the E6000 Spray Adhesive.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Scrapbooker PhD for Christmas projects without Green or Red.

Stamping and Silhouette smiles, Karen

Chalkboard Christmas Card

When I saw one of the new sets of stamps from Papertrey Ink I just had to buy it because it is perfect for the chalkboard technique. Course I forgot that I had also purchased a set from Inspired by Stamping for the same reason:) Good thing I really like that technique and will make several cards with both sets:) This is my first. The chalkboard technique is easy and fun- start with a piece of black cardstock, emboss the primary stamps with white embossing powder and stamp the others with white pigment ink. Draw lines with white pencil if desired and smudge the black "chalkboard" with white pigment ink. The "cheer" stamp on the right is from Papertrey Ink, the "joy to the world" stamp in the middle is from Inspired by Stamping and the gorgeous tree and Merry Christmas are by Penny Black. I am debating- should I have left off the gems I decorated the tree with? I thought it needed some, but now am not sure. Can't take them off though, so this one is decorated.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Penny's Paper-Crafty and Fab 'n' Funky.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Kraft and Cream Christmas Star

I love the color combination of kraft and cream and used my new Christmas Star stamp from Stampin' Up to create this classy holiday card. At least I think it is classy:) I embossed the Christmas Star with white embossing powder on a kraft piece and cut it out. Then I scored each line and popped out the middle to give it dimension, attaching it with a couple pop dots. The background is a cream piece embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder over kraft attached to a cream card.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Created with Love and My Craft Creations.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Give Thanks at the Newest Designer's Choice Challenge

It’s another Designer’s Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, Repeat Impression’s blog. It’s Deonna’s turn and the theme of her challenge is Giving Thanks. You can create a Thanksgiving card or a thank you 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. 

I chose to create a CAS thank you card with the beautiful fan stamp from Repeat Impressions. I stamped it on a yellow polka dotted patterned paper and sliced it down the middle. Then I cut out the right half and attached it on a white card base. I added a simple thanks sentiment to complete the card.

I am entering this card in the Thanks and Thanksgiving challenges at  Lexi's Creations and Get Inky.

Stamping smiles, Karen 

You are Amazing, The Best and more!

This is the card I sent recently to my amazing grandson- he loves word finds and of course, Grandma thinks he is the best, funny, smart and every other adjective on the list:) I used a digital stamp set from Hambo to make this card and so all I needed to do was print the words and the word find puzzle and put them on a card.

I am entering this card in the CAS challenge at Dream Valley and the Anything Goes challenge at 613 Avenue Create.

Stamping smiles, Karen

CAS Love Card

This is one of the cards we made in the classes in my home this month. It is easy to make and fun to put together- like a puzzle. I got the idea from a similar card I found somewhere on Pinterest. I started with a square cream card and stamped the love (Stampin' Up) on the bottom. The square shiny green piece was placed on the card diagonally. I cut two green and two cream hearts with a Nestabilities die and cut each in half. Then I embossed the cream hearts (Stampin' Up embossing folder) and placed them in and around the square as shown. I added a silver heart charm with some silver cord to complete the card.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Creative Fingers and the CAS challenge at Totally Paper Crafts.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Gift Wrap and Tag on Silhouette Sunday

The challenge this week at the Silhouette Blog is to make some time of gift wrap and I needed a small box for a jewelry gift I am giving for Christmas. So I used a cutting file for a Matchbox and in just a few minutes I had a cute little green box. Then I made a Santa tag with another Silhouette America cutting file and again in just a few minutes I was done. One more Christmas present wrapped and ready to go under the tree.

I am also entering this project in the Anything Goes challenge at Scrapping 4 Fun.

Stamping and Silhouette smiles, Karen

Anything Goes 4 Kids at Send a Smile 4 Kids!

It’s Saturday and time for another fun challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids! This time our challenge is Anything Goes 4 Kids. Create and link any card for a child and you could win one of our great prizes. 

We have three very generous sponsors for this challenge: Saturated Canary is giving their winner 2 digis of the winner’s choice! Sassy Studios is giving their randomly picked winner 4 digis of their choice!  And Floppy Latte’s winner gets 2 digis! 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 sweet stamp from Saturated Canary called Angels Among Us. I created a easel card and popped up a feather stamp with a pop dot to hold it open. I printed the sweet girl  and cut her out with a square scalloped Nestabilities die. I paper pieced her clothes and colored the rest with Copics. I added a couple sequins for fun.

My second card reminds me of some fun times we had recently at Disney World in Florida:) This stamp is from Sassy Studios and is called Disney Fan Sassy. I had fun paper piecing her balloons and outfit with all sorts of patterned papers. I die cut a few more Mickey Mouse shapes and layered on the same dp and then onto a blue card. The "cool" sentiment is from Technique Tuesday. 

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenges at Crafty Girls and Scrapper's Delights. 

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen 

Fleas Navidad!

This is one of the cards we made in a recent stamp camp I hosted with a friend and is one of my favorite cards that I have made this year. It just makes me smile and I think the person who receives it will smile too. I started with a white card base and punched the large snowflake border (Martha Stewart) on the right side of the front and layered a red piece in the inside of the card. The cute dog and Santa hat (from Paper Smooches) were stamped on colored cardstock and cut out. The front piece was sponged using the Pillow Top Technique as described here. It is easy to do: just take a piece of acetate and place it diagonally across the cardstock. Using a round sponge and light circular motion, sponge a line of ink from corner to corner. Then move diagonally and repeat all the way to the top and bottom. Turn the piece and sponge diagonally from the other corners until your background is completed. I added a white pom-pom gem and attached the cute dog with pop dots to raise. Then I stamped the funny sentiment (also from Paper Smooches) to complete the card.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Fab 'n' Funky and Addicted to Stamps and More.

Stampig smiles, Karen

CAS Christmas Card

I have a sheet of Penny Black stickers on my pile of stuff I need to use before Christmas so I designed this CAS but lovely holiday card featuring them. The embossing folder is an older one from Sizzix and I used my new diffuser plate from Tim Holtz to create the unembossed area in the center of the card. Then I simply added the stickers and some pearls to complete the card.

I am entering this card in the CAS Christmas challenge at Oldie but a Goodie (embossing folder is OBAG) and the Anything Goes challenge at Through the Craft Room Door.

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.

I love Repeat Impressions stamps that are designed to use with a flip card such as shown here on the RI website. But there are other ways to use RI’s flip stamps and on this card, I stamped three trees from the Snow Tree Flip Set and punched them out with a circle punch. Then I stamped the matching Winter’s Eve stamp and cut out with a Nestabilities looped square die. I added a “snow fun” sentiment flag and a pearl to complete the sketch card.

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 Anything Goes challenges at Card Mania and Love to Scrap!

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Thankful for New Stamping Toys

Today I am sharing a seasonal Thank You card I made with a new stamp and other toys I have purchased recently. The rust piece was embossed with a new swirly fall leaves embossing folder by Sizzix, but the middle was unembossed because I used a new Tim Holtz diffuser. This one is in the shape of an arched window and is in his set of three new diffusers. The sentiment is from Deep Red.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Challenges 4 Everybody and the challenge at 613 Avenue Create to create a holiday thank you card- I think this would be perfect for a Thanksgiving Thank You.

Stamping smiles, Karen

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Not  really:) But I love the song, and the white on white look on a card. This is one of the cards I am sharing in the classes in my home this month (if you are local, new classes starting in January 2014 are being formed right now. If interested, contact me for more details or to sign up.)

I embossed about 2/3 of the front of an A2 sized white card with my favorite embossing folder from Cuttlebug - Swiss Dots. I die cut the deer (Memory Box) and the Joy with a snowflake (W Plus 9). The birch frame was cut with my Silhouette cutting machine and a Silhouette America cutting file.

I am entering this card in the White Christmas challenge at Allsorts and the Sing, Sing a Song challenge at Creative Corner. Of course the song is White Christmas.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Merry Christmas Card on Silhouette Sunday

The free file from Silhouette this week is this curly Christmas sentiment and I just had to snatch it right up and make a Christmas card with it. The challenge this week at the Silhouette Blog is to use our sketch pens on a project or use the new free file from this week. Good thing they offered the second option because I can't get the sketch pens to work right- I just have to find the time to call the help line to get it fixed. Silhouette America is great when you have a problem- either on line or over the phone I have gotten great service, but no time right now to play with the sketch pen problem...

I did have time to make a fun and easy Christmas card though. I cut the greens, berries and swirly from a cutting set by Miss Kate and added some sticker corners to complete the card.

Another Christmas card done- yeah! I am also entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at  Brown Sugar.

Stamping and Silhouette smiles, Karen

Peaceful Season Ornament Card

I am so in the mood to make Christmas cards so you will be seeing many of them between now and the end of December. I  combined two diecuts from Spellbinders to make the ornament on this card. I cut the opening with an ornament die and cut the lattice work background with another Spellbinders die. I added pearls on the intersections and a ribbon bow to complete the ornament look. I stamped the Peaceful Season sentiment from Prickley Pear on red, cut out, scored (lifting the center) and snipped the pennant ends.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Charisma Cardz and Crafty Girls.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Christmas Joy with Crackerbox Palace and the Bokeh Effect

It's Crackerbox Palace Friday and today I am sharing a Christmas card using beautiful Crackerbox Palace stamps and a fun new technique called Bokeh Stamping. Perhaps you have seen photographs such as this one that shows the Bokeh Effect in photography:

I found some cards on Pinterest that show how to use that technique in stamping. I started with the beautiful holly and Joy to the World stamps from CBP. Then I added red ink using a finger dauber darker in the middle and then lighter with each generation of ink. I also added gold ink in smaller circles using a pencil eraser and again several generations of ink from dark in the center to lighter going out. The technique was easy and fun and makes a lovely background on your cards. I added some red sticker berries and layered the front piece onto my favorite paper: Kraft-Core Shattered by Tim Holtz for Core'dinations. 

I am entering this card in the Traditional Christmas Colors challenges at  Fab 'n' Funky and Holly Jolly Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Please visit the website to see these and many other awesome Crackerbox Palace stamps.

Crackerbox Palace smiles, Karen

Fall Colors Card

We were given a sketch and color challenge this month at our local stamp club and this is the card I came up with. I started with a swirling leaves embossing folder and embossed the green background pieces as well as the kraft piece and layered all on a black card. The beautiful fall tree was stamped with a series of stamps and colors with a stamp set from Kitchen Sink Stamps. All our fall colors are now gone here in central Wisconsin and winter will be here soon, but this card reminds me of my favorite time of the year.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Papertake Weekly and Bearly-Mine Challenges.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Snow Fun Designer's Choice Challenge

It’s another Designer’s Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, Repeat Impression’s blog. It’s Melissa’s turn and the theme of her challenge is “Snow Fun”.  Any snowy themed card will do. 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 love snowflake and snowmen stamps- but not the real thing, at least not on the roads and not the cold. But since I live in Wisconsin, we get plenty of both. I chose a couple snowflake stamps from Repeat Impressions to make this card. I stamped the larger Snowflake Solid stamp three times on the background and again on white squares. On the third small white square, I stamped off first with the blue ink, so the image was light enough to stamp the greeting sentiment on it. I filled in the background with the smaller Snowflakes stamp. I layered the white stamped squares on blue paper and attached with pop dots to raise.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Through the Craft Room Door and Loves Rubberstamps.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Animal Antics Monkey Love Card

Animal Antics is the theme of the new challenge at my buddy Hilde's challenge blog, The Squirrel and the Fox, this week and so I am sharing this card I made recently with new Paper Smooches stamps. Isn't the I Love You Monkey sweet? Stamped, colored, paper pieced and cut out the balloon monkey and attached him to a CAS card made with patterned paper and cardstock. The "love" stamp is also from Paper Smooches.

I am also entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Challenges 4 Everybody.

Stamping smiles, Karen

CAS Embossed Butterfly Card

This card combines so many of my favorites: CAS style, embossing, butterflies, using positive and negatives of a diecut image (cut with my favorite tool, my Silhouette- see inside below) and a great sentiment (Stampin' Up.) Here is the inside of the card:

I continued the embossing, sentiment and butterfly image on the inside.

I am entering this card in the embossing challenge at CAS-ual Fridays and the challenge at Flutter By Wednesdays to use any winged creature on our cards.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Cranes and Washi Tape on Silhouette Sunday

I recently made a set of crane cards for my daughter and am sharing the first one with you today. I cut the crane (Silhouette cutting file) out of black cardstock and cut the cardstock in a fun angled shape. Then I simply framed it with different black and grey washi tapes on a grey card. Grey is fast becoming one of my favorite colors...

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Sister Act and the Things with Wings challenge at
Brown Sugar.

Stamping and Silhouette smiles, Karen

Happy Holidays 4 Kids at SAS4Kids!

It’s Saturday and time for another fun challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids! This time our challenge is Happy Holidays 4 Kids. Create and link any Christmas or December Holiday card for a child and you could win one of our great prizes.

We start early at SAS4Kids because we would like all our kids in the eight children’s hospitals we serve to receive a holiday card and it would be even better if they could choose a few more for friends or family they are missing while they spend the holidays in the hospital. You do not have to send in your card to participate in our challenges, but our kids sure hope you do. We need to receive the cards by early December to have enough time to sort and mail to the children’s hospitals.

We have three very generous sponsors for this challenge: Scrapping Memories is giving their winner 10 free files of the winner’s choice! Bugaboo is giving their randomly picked winner 7 digis of their choice!  And QKR Stampede’s winner gets 5 digis! 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 super sweet Lil' Snowman from Bugaboo that I printed and cut out with a Nestabilities circle die. I paper pieced his scarf, earmuffs and star, added some glitter for snow and sponged around the edge. I created a present background and embossed the whole card with a swirly snowflake embossing folder by Spellbinders. 

My second card for my kids showcases a fun colored digital stamp from Scrapping Memories called Christmas Wreath Calvin. I printed him and cut him out and attached to a red square card embossed with the same Spellbinders embossing folder. I cut out the sentiment with my Silhouette Portrait and a Silhouette America cutting file. 

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp and the challenge at Inky Impressions for traditional Christmas cards.

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen 

Wild West Masculine Card from Crackerbox Palace

It's Crackerbox Palace Friday and I am sharing a masculine card I made with stamps from Crackerbox Palace. I love using silhouette stamps and Crackerbox Palace has so many to choose from. I chose to stamp the cowboy silhouette on kraft paper and add the barb wire and “The Wild West” too. The wagon wheel is a cutting file from Silhouette America.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Please visit the website to see these and many other awesome Crackerbox Palace stamps.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Through the Craft Room Door and LEJ Designs.

Crackerbox Palace smiles, Karen