Vintage Faux Leather Friends Card

Happy Saturday and Halloween and Set your Clocks Back an Hour Day! It's my turn to post a card on Die-Version's blog and mine.  Today I am sharing a vintage style friends card featuring the Vintage Clock die and a faux leather technique. I found a video here on how to make faux leather book covers and have adapted the technique to make gorgeous card backgrounds. I suggest watching the video for the specifics, but basically you apply a water and glycerin mix (1 part glycerin to 4 parts water) to a thick piece of kraft cardstock (I used Stampin’ Up’s crumbcake.) Rub the glycerin mix in and repeat to both sides. Then crinkle the piece up, flatten and repeat. Flatten out and emboss the wet piece with an embossing folder (I used a Tim Holtz for Sizzix embossing folder). Heat set to dry and sponge on Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger) to highlight the embossing and all over the faux leather piece. Then add some sponged Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink in the center. The piece will look and feel like real leather! I attached it to a cream card base and then glued on the Vintage Clock and Friends die cuts from Die-Versions.

**Remember you can get a 15% discount on any of Die-Versions great dies by simply using my discount code karen15 when you check out at the Die-Versions website.**

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes Challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and the Embossing with Dies challenge at Scrapy Land (of course I used Die-Versions dies.)

Deep Impressions Happy Birthday to You Card

It’s Crackerbox Palace Friday and today I am sharing a musical birthday card I made with Crackerbox Palace’s awesome stamps and a technique called Deep Impressions from the fabulous Fran Seiford of Stampendous. Vicky Briggs of CBP took me and a friend to the summer CHA in Chicago this year and it was there I first saw Fran demonstrate this technique. I was fascinated and immediately bought a bunch of awesome aged embossing enamels from Stampendous. Usually you start with a die cut out of chipboard, but one day it occurred to me that a simple stamped shape would work as well as a die cut shape. I stamped Crackerbox Palace’s guitar on chipboard twice and cut them out. I placed the chipboard guitars on a piece of teflon hot sheet (like the craft sheet by Ranger) on an electric griddle heated to 300 degrees. I sprinkled ultra thick clear embossing powder (available from Ranger and Stampendous) and let that melt. Then I sprinkled on Aged Gold embossing enamel (from Stampendous) and while that was molten, removed the guitars from the heat and stamped with Crackerbox Palace’s guitar stamp. This technique works best with die cuts or stamps that are not super detailed. I stamped CBP’s musical “Happy Birthday to You” with several shades of blue ink, and attached the card front to a blue card base. The beautifully textured guitars were attached with strong scor-tape.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Crafting from the Heart and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Believe in Who You Are

I love the sentiment on this card from Dylusions and made it the focus on this card on a background created with blue Brushos on yupo paper. I also stamped waterdrops from Designs by Ryn and highlighted them with white enamel accents. The colorful porpoise was created with a stamp from Door County Rubber Stamps and brushos on regular watercolor paper.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Crafting From the Heart, Simon Says Stamp,  and Love to Scrap! 

What If? Wed. Sketch Challenge Card

Happy Wednesday everyone! 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 created a colorful piece of watercolor paper with my favorite colors of Brusho Coloured Crystals (violet, turquoise and orange) which are available here on the Repeat Impressions website. I spritzed with iridescent gold Glimmer Mist to activate the Brusho Crystals instead of water for a sparkly shimmer over the gorgeous colors. I stamped Repeat Impression’s Compass and Portland Lightship and die cut the circles in various sizes 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 613 Avenue Create and Craft Your Passion.

**Don’t Forget: for a 10% discount on any size order at Repeat Impressions, make a note of my discount code (rr10kh), click on the blog badge on the side of my blog and go to the website here to shop and save!**

Mixed Media Joy Card

I was playing recently with mixed media backgrounds for my cards and came up with this Christmas card for my stash. I started with a piece of watercolor paper, sprinkled on green and yellow Brushos and spritzed with water. I stamped some holiday text and created circles with several sizes of caps and found items with red 3D Stamp Paint from Viva. I also spattered red dots with a paint brush and diluted distress ink. I die cut an ornament (Memory Box) out of the piece and popped the ornament back in the negative space. I also die cut the ornament and the "joy" (Tim Holtz for Sizzix) out of shiny red paper and attached. The completed card front was attached to a red card base.

I am entering this card in the Mixed Media challenges at That Craft Place and Love to Create.

Boo! I'm Back!

The last couple weeks have been scary busy but lots of fun! I hosted a couple technique workshops with a friend and then hosted a large family gathering celebrating 3 major anniversaries. But now life will get back to normal which means blogging more frequently and playing with stamps, dies and other toys:) Halloween is this week so I am posting a card I made with black Bister powders and a spooky stamp called Crowscape from Stampendous. Black Bisters sprinkled on watercolor paper and spritzed with water creates a spooky stormy sky perfect for a Halloween card. After the Bister watercolor background was dry, I masked off most of the sky leaving a circle for the moon and applied bleach on that circle. I love creating a moon this way - it looks much more real this way than masking first leaving a white moon. I used my MISTI and stamped the Crowscape stamp from Stampendous several times, then layered it on light yellow and black cardbase. I added a "Boo" cut with Die-Versions alphabet dies and a couple small bats cut with an IO die.

I am entering this card in the Halloween challenge at Sweet Stampin' and the Anything Goes challenge at 613 Avenue Create.

Happy Birthday Elephant Trio from Die-Versions

Happy Thursday! It's my turn to post a card on Die-Version's blog and mine. Today I am sharing a birthday card I made for my son featuring the Elephant Die from Die-Versions. I die cut him twice out of black cardstock and once out of chipboard. I placed the chipboard elephant on a Ranger craft sheet on an electric griddle heated to 300 degrees and covered him with ultra-thick embossing powder. After that melted, I sprinkled several aged embossing powders from Stampendous on him and let that melt. I removed him from the heat and while still molten, stamped him with a barb wire background stamp from Technique Junkies. This technique is called Deep Impressions and is one of many Frantage techniques originated and taught by Fran Seiford of Stampendous.

I attached the three elephants on a card base I embossed with an Embossalicious embossing folder and sponged with brown distress ink.

Remember you can get a 15% discount on any of Die-Version's great dies by simply using my discount code karen15 when you check out at the Die-Versions website.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Scrapy Land to emboss and use one of the dies they sell. Of course, I used a Die-Version die. Also in the anything goes challenge at 613 Avenue Create.

Photo Inspiration Challenge at Repeat Impressions

On the third Wednesday of every month at Repeat Impression’s blog, The House that Stamps Built, the challenge is going to be an Inspiration Photo challenge. Here is the photo chosen to inspire us this month: 

Will you be inspired by the colors or the shapes in the photos? It is up to you to pick out what inspires you and make a card, then enter it for a chance to win some great Repeat Impressions rubber. Be sure to check out the RI blog for the inspiration based cards by the other Rock Stars. I have seen them and you do not want to miss them!

I was inspired by the fall colors and the reflection of the trees in this beautiful picture. I stamped the fall tree from Repeat Impressions three times with black ink, and stamped the second generation under them for the reflections.  I used my red and orange Brushos to create the fall colors, then sponged black along the top and bottom of the card.

 I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Crafting from the Heart and Craft Your Passion.

Celebration Cards 4 Kids at SAS4Kids

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

We have three very generous sponsors for this challenge: The Paper Shelter is giving their winner 3 digis of their choice!  DRS Designs is giving their randomly picked winner a $10 gift certificate!  And Fred She Said’s winner gets a $10 gift certificate! 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 digital stamp from DRS Designs called I Scene a Stocking. I printed it on lightly patterned paper and one white and cut it out. The card base is a top folding red patterned cardstock. I attached a green strip down the middle and then attached the stocking scene. 

My second card features a cute birthday girl colored digi from The Paper Shelter. I printed her on white cardstock and cut out in the shape of a square. I cut a slightly larger square out of the front of a two sided purple cardstock and attached her in the inside of the card. I die cut Happy Birthday from Die-Versions, added glitter paste and a purple gem to the bow and attached the card.

I am entering these cards in the Let's Celebrate challenge at Southern Girls  and the Anything Goes challenge at Crafty Girls Creations.

Boooo-gie Nights from Crackerbox Palace

It's Crackerbox Palace Friday and today I am sharing a Halloween card I made with Crackerbox Palace’s awesome stamps and a die from Die-Versions. I cut a mask out of acetate with Die-Version’s Patterned Pumpkin. I taped the mask down over a cream colored card piece and also masked a moon. Then I sponged red, orange and black distress inks, and yellow on the moon after removing that mask. I stamped Crackerbox Palace’s trick or treating kids parade and my favorite Halloween sentiment, “Booo”gie Nights, and attached the completed piece to a black cardbase.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Crafting from the Heart and Craft Your Passion.

Happy Pumpkin Day!

It’s another Designer’s Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, Repeat Impression’s blog. It is Joy’s turn and her theme is Pumpkin Time. Why don’t you join us in this challenge and enter your project 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 projects for this DCC challenge. I have seen them and you do not want to miss them!

I love these funny jack-o-lantern faces from Repeat Impressions. I stamped two skinny pumpkins and one wide pumpkin on orange scraps, stamped the funny faces and cut them out. I created three stitched circle openings with a die from My Creative Time in a green card front and stamped the “Happy Pumpkin Day” sentiment in black ink.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Crafting from the Heart and 613 Avenue Create.

And don’t forget: For a 10% discount on any size order at Repeat Impressions, just make a note of my discount code (rr10kh), click on the blog badge on the side of my blog and go to the website here to shop and save!

Happy Birthday DH Watercolor Card

Today is my DH's birthday and I made this card special for him. His favorite color is orange, so I used my Color Burst and Brushos to make this watercolor background. He also loved cats, so this loving kitties stamp from So Suzy Stamps is perfect for him. The "love" is a die from Penny Black.

I am entering this card in the Wonderful Watercolor challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and the Anything Goes challenge at 613 Avenue Create.

Sparkly CAS Christmas

I am always fascinated when I make a background with B/B or CB (Bisters/Brushos or Color Burst powders) to see what colors and patterns show up. I just used purple and yellow Brushos on this background with gold glimmer mist, but check out the touches of pink and blue that showed up. The background is all sparkly as is the gold on the die cuts, but it is hard to show that in a photograph. I cut the dies (all from Memory Box) out with two sided sticky paper and applied gold leafing on one sticky side, then brushed off the excess. I am loving all the gold I see being used in cards this year and this is an easy way to use the gold leafing most of us bought years ago. Another CAS sparkly Christmas card for my stash.

I am entering this card in the CAS Christmas challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge and the Sparkle challenge at Addicted to CAS.

Curvy Box Fun for Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching and a while back I purchased the Curvy Keepsake Box die from Stampin' Up because I was seeing so many cute creatures you can make with it on Pinterest. I showed all the ideas to my grandson and he picked the spider and Mike Wazowski as his favorites.  The spider was easy to make because this kind stamper gave directions in her blogpost here.  I made a bunch of these for Nate and for a party coming up at my home. I used lots of  circle punches and dies for both, and the spider legs are made with two square dies, then cut in half.

Mike Wazowski was not as easy, but I figured it out. Here is a link to the original one I found on Pinterest, as well as a cute Santa, Angry Bird and penguin on the same blogpost.

I am entering these boxes in the Use a Die Cut challenges at Wags 'n Whiskers and Polkadoodles Crafting Challenge.

Distress Ink Fall Scene

I have been in love with this card by Biggan which I have seen pinned hundreds of times. I tried to make a card based on it last year, but did not have the right leaf die. Now I do:) I bought a set of leaves dies from Stampendous and the largest maple die was perfect for creating this scene. I die cut the negative of the leaf  die in a larger piece of acetate and tacked that down over a cream colored piece that I die cut with a stitched rectangle die by My Creative Time. I punched a circle mask out of masking paper, cut it in half and attached it for the setting sun. I drew the line with a pencil. Then I sponged Fired Brick red distress ink into the leaf shape making the edges the darkest and leaving the part under the sun for a reflection. I removed the semi-circle mask and stamped the cat-tails (stamp by Repeat Impressions.) I added some die cut birds (Impression Obsession) and "Thinking" by Penny Black. I stamped the "of you" and adding some black pearls.

As I do with all my favorite cards, I will be teaching this in my classes. I am also entering it in the Craft Stamper Magazine technique challenge to use either inks and stamps (among other choices) and the "Autumn in the Air" challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

What Kind of Car Does a Ghost Drive?

It's Crackerbox Palace Friday and today I am sharing a Halloween card I made with Crackerbox Palace’s awesome stamps and a new embossing folder from Darice. If you follow me, you know I am always looking for great stamps to make cards for my kids at Send a Smile 4 Kids. Kids love jokes and riddles, so this “ghost car” and the funny CBP sentiment that goes with it are perfect for a child’s Halloween card. I started with a black card base that I embossed with the googly eyes embossing folder. Then I stamped the ghost car and cut it out. I folded a small piece of white cardstock in half and stamped the riddle question on the front. On the inside I stamped the punch line: 

Too cute! I added a few sets of colored googly eyes to complete the fun Halloween card.

I am entering this card in the Autumn in the Air challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and the Anything Goes challenge at Crafting from the Heart.

Peaceful Snow Scene

I have posted several similar cards already, but I am really loving the look of the snowy night sky created with Color Burst and masking fluid, so I made another one. One of my favorite new Color Burst colors is the Indigo for a night sky and I add a little of the Ultramarine Blue for contrast. I have been watering down the masking fluid so I can easily flick it onto the watercolor paper with a cheap brush. I found it was too thick to flick it otherwise. After the Color Burst dried, I removed the masking fluid by just rubbing it with my finger. I tore a layer of snow and added my die cuts for a peaceful Christmas card. The tree and "peace" are both Sizzix dies (by Tim Holtz), and the dove is by Die-Versions.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes (with dies) challenge at Scrapy Land, and the Anything Goes challenges at Crafting from the Heart and Craft Your Passion, and the CAS Christmas challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

October Color Challenge at Repeat Impressions

The first Wednesday of each month at Repeat Impression’s blog, The House that Stamps Built, is going to be a color challenge. We give you the color inspiration, and you can make a card using those colors to possibly win a great prize of Repeat Impressions rubber! Here is the color palette chosen this month:

Great colors for fall, right? I chose to design with Repeat Impression’s beautiful Foliage Positive and Negative stamps and with my Brushos. I sprinkled on green, purple and orange Brusho Crystal Colours on watercolor scraps and spritzed with water. It is that simple to get these gorgeous colors. Then I stamped the positive and negative foliage images, cut out and applied to the cardbase. CAS but lovely for a fall card.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at 613 Avenue Create and Crafting from the Heart.

**Don’t Forget: for a 10% discount on any size order at Repeat Impressions, make a note of my discount code (rr10kh), click on the blog badge on the side of my blog and go to the website here to shop and save!**

Living Life - and Stamping - Without an Eraser

I wanted to make a card with an awesome new zentangled leaf stamp from Stampendous and they include a free stencil in the stamp set so I used my red and orange distress ink to color the leaf shape using the stencil. Then I pulled out my MISTI to line up the stamp perfectly with the colored stencil shape, and this was the result:(  Then I remembered this awesome new stamp from Impression Obsession and decided to use it on the card and save the piece. I layered the leaf piece on black and then on red crackled cardstock from Core'dination and ended up loving how the card turned out.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Amuse Studio and Lil Patch of Crafty Friends.

Die-Versions Old Mr. Owl Fall Card

Happy Monday! It's my turn to post on Die-Version's blog and mine. Today I am sharing a fall card featuring Die-Version’s Old Mr. Owl. I started with a background created with a Cutting Edge stencil and Hickory Smoke Distress Ink. I die cut Mr. Owl out of a black scrap and also out of a golden yellow. I applied tape to the back of the black open owl and inserted the golden yellow pieces back in the owl part. I added some pearls and attached him in his tree home on the white A2 card.

**Remember you can get a 15% discount on any of Die-Versions great dies by simply using my discount code karen15 when you check out at the Die-Versions website.**

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at 613 Avenue Create and Simply Papercraft.

Greatest Blessings and Color Burst Roses

I just purchased a new stencil from Tim Holtz called Scribbles, but I like it because it looks like gorgeous open roses. I placed the stencil on a piece of watercolor paper and sprinkled on two colors of Color Burst and spritzed with pearl shimmer spray. After it was dry, I cut the strip and then stamped half a rose on the piece that was left. I also stamped the rose on a white scrap and cut them out. I chose this sentiment because it states perfectly how my life is so blessed with the friendships I have.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, and Crafting with Friends.

Early Holiday Wishes 4 Kids at SAS4Kids!

It’s Saturday and time for another fun challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids! This time our challenge is Early Holiday Wishes 4 Kids! Create and link any winter holiday card appropriate for a child, and you could win one of our great prizes.

As you know, at SAS4Kids we start early with our holiday challenges to remind our donors now is the time to make and send in Winter Holiday cards! All of our kids in the 17 hospitals we now serve would love to receive a Christmas or Happy Holidays card and also to pick some out for loved ones they are missing. Check out the home page here for more great news about SAS4Kids continuing to grow!

We have three very generous sponsors for this challenge: Bugaboo is giving their winner 7 digis of their choice!  DeeDee’s Digis is giving their randomly picked winner a $15 gift certificate!  And One Happy Cut is giving their winner a $15 gift certificate! 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 some cute colored digital stamps from DeeDee's Digis called Ugly Sweaters. I happen to think the whole "ugly Christmas sweater" thing is hysterical and last Christmas I made myself one. I printed three of the sweaters, cut them out and attached them to some patterned dp. I also printed a sentiment from DeeDee's Digis, cut it out with an oval die and sponged the edges with red.

My second card features a sweet digital stamp from Bugaboo called Turtle Christmas. I printed him in green and paper pieced his hat and present, then layered him on a red embossed card base. 

I am entering these cards in the Add a Sentiment challenges at Aud Sentiments and Star Stampz.

Boooogie Nights with Crackerbox Palace and Bisters

It's Crackerbox Palace Friday and today I am sharing a Halloween card I made with Crackerbox Palace’s awesome stamps, Bister powders and some new dies. Black Bister powders sprinkled on watercolor paper and spritzed with water results in a background that looks like a cloudy stormy night. I just purchased the bats dies (Impression Obsession) and the bare trees die (Penny Black) and I thought they would be perfect on a Halloween card cut in black. I stamped Crackerbox Palace’s “Booo”gie Nights and the trick or treating kids using my MISTI so I could easily stamp them several times in black ink on the stormy Bister background. I love how this card turned out!

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and 613 Avenue Create, and the "Get your Boo On" challenge at Dies R Us.

Thinking of You Masculine Card

A couple weeks ago I wanted a masculine thinking of you card for a friend who needed surgery. I made this card especially for him with my favorite Deep Impressions technique and Color Burst in the background. Both these techniques and products will be featured in our upcoming workshops and the friend who received this card will be part of the group learning all about them in mid October. I masked off the sides of the white cardbase and sprinkled on Merlot, Burnt Orange and Yellow Ochre Color Burst and spritzed with gold iridescent shimmer spray. After it was dry, I attached the "Thinking of You" cut with Die-Versions dies. The deer heads were pre-cut chipboard (purchased at Hobby Lobby) that I covered with Seasonings and Aged Copper embossing powders from Stampendous and stamped into with a Technique Junkies stamp while they were still molten.

I am entering this card in the Masculine challenge at Creative Card Crew and the Anything Goes challenges at Love to Scrap! and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.