Origami LOL Stencil Card

I had fun designing this L.O.L. stencil card for one of the classes I am offering in my home soon. I have been playing with my plastic stencils to make backgrounds and this stencil by Clear Scraps I sponged with blue and purple distress inks. I stamped and cut out the Origami birds by Mama Elephant and attached them on black punched circles. The sentiment is from Hambo. The L.O.L. part happens when you open the card:

Ha! Sure to bring a smile to the lucky person receiving this card- maybe even a belly laugh:) Love doing that!

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Jo's Scrap Shack and Sister Act.

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

Love to Scrap and Scrapbook Stamp Society Challenges

Anything Goes at Love to Scrap and Scrapbook Stamp Society and I am sharing a card I made recently with some Hambo digital stamps I won for being published with their stamps. This balloon bird makes me smile, along with his funny sentiments. I paper pieced him and his balloon which sticks above the card. The second part of the sentiment is here:

HA- so true:) Have a great day!

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??

Tammy's Scrapin Corner and Whoopsi Daisy Challenges

At Whoopsi Daisy Challenges they want us to Add a Sentiment to our cards this week, and at  Tammy's Scrapin Corner, they want to see paper piecing on our cards. I paper piece all the time and almost always include a sentiment on my cards. It answers the question- what am I trying to say with this card? Hambo Stamps has funny sentiments to go with their great stamps and that is why I love Hambo Stamps. Isn't this otter cute? I paper pieced him in grey and stamped the sentiment before "stitching" around the edge with my scor-bug and a blue marker. The card is a joy fold and this is what the inside looks like:

Another fun Hambo image and lol Hambo sentiment... Hope it puts a smile on your face:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and Sweet n Sassy Digi Challenges

Using Warts or Bumps on our cards with a Hambo image is the challenge this week at Hambo Hoedown and at Sweet n Sassy Digis, they want to our card to be "For a Child" using a digital stamp. If you follow me at all, you know I am always making cards for my kids at SAS4Kids, and this week I received this super sweet free digital stamp called Frog Boy from Hambo because I participated in their challenge last week. Every week you enter their challenge and send a picture of your card, you receive the free digital stamp set for the next week's challenge. What a deal!

I used three embossing folders to make this card as well as some textured cardstock for the green. The card is 3 3/4" wide and the sentiment (one of three that comes with Frog Boy), sticks out from the edge of the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and QKR Stampede Challenges

The challenge this week at the Hambo Hoedown is to create a CAS card with Hambo stamps, and Anything Goes at QKR Stampede. I love CAS cards and am a big fan of Hambo stamps as well- both "real" and digital, so I had fun designing this card. The best part is the chuckle the person who gets the card will get when they open the card:

"With friends like you, who needs anemones?" Isn't that funny? And I love how the card opens in the center to reveal another set of circles underneath the orange one on the top. Fun sketch I am sure I found on Pinterest somewhere. And as it typical of my CAS cards, I embossed the whole thing with any embossing folder- this one by Lifestyle Crafts.

Did you know if you enter Hambo's challenges and email them a pix of your card, you get a free digital stamp for the next challenge? And if you get published with Hambo stamps, they reward you handsomely?! That is how I received these stamps for free! Even if you do not have any any Hambo stamps yet, they have freebies to participate in their challenges with.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and Bearly Mine Challenges

Anything Goes at Hambo Hoedown and at Bearly Mine Challenges this week so I am sharing a card I made with a Hambo stamp I won earlier this summer for being published with Hambo stamps.

Did you know that if you are published with many companies stamps you win more stamps in addition to getting a free magazine with your card in it? Hambo, Raisin Boat, Repeat Impressions, Kitchen Sink Stamps and many others reward you for promoting their stamps when you get published! What fun!

This Halloween checklist from Hambo is soooo true in my house. My husband buys the candy a month in advance and little by little it disappears so a few days before trick or treat, he always has to go buy a bunch more. Especially if it is chocolate! We have never  turned out the lights on the kids yet, but he has chased to a close by store in the middle of the trick or treat hours for more candy:) (If you can't read it clearly, click on the picture to enlarge it- it is good for a laugh!)

I saw the ribbon ghost on Pinterest and just had to try it- so easy and so cute. The goo border punch is from Martha Stewart.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and Simon Says Stamp Challenges

Paper piercing is the theme of the Hambo Hoedown this week and at Simon Says Stamp they want cards for a special male in our life. I made this card featuring Dr. Needle, a digital image from Hambo Stamps that I won by participating in last week's challenge. Each week you participate (using Hambo stamps only), you are emailed the digital stamps for the next week's challenge. What fun is that?!

I created the background on this card by piercing with my Scor-buddy and Scor-bug every 1/4 inch. I colored and paper pieced Dr. Needle and added the fun sentiment and decorative tape to complete the front of the card. The inside sentiment was also pierced using my Scor-bug.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Aud Sentiments and Southern Girls Challenges

The challenge at Aud Sentiments is to feature any sentiment and at Southern Girls Challenge, they want us to use our die cuts or punches. My main focal point in this CAS card is the sentiment from Hambo Stamps. Here is the inside of the card:

I started with some two sided cardstock, and used my nesties rectangle frame die cut in two different ways. On the front, I created an embossed frame using the No More Shims thick embossing pad.  Then I sponged with green ink to highlight the embossed frame. The inside piece was cut and embossed with a smaller version of the same nesties die cut and then I stamped the lol punch line, also by Hambo of course.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown Sketch Challenge

It's time for a sketch challenge at Hambo Hoedown and since I had some new stamps from Hambo that I won recently, I decided to play along. Using the sketch for this week (found below) I made this funny birthday card. Of course I paper pieced the Floating Pig and balloon, layered it on embossed paper (Cuttlebug numbers) and added the lol sentiment, also from Hambo of course. 

Did you know that if you get published with Hambo stamps, they reward you with a gift certificate for more Hambo stamps? It sure is fun to get free stamps in the mail:)

I am also entering this in the Spots and Stripes challenge at Emergency Crafters.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Dutch Dare and C.R.A.F.T. Challenges

The theme at Dutch Dare Card Challenges this week is Birthdays and Celebration is the theme at C.R.A.F.T. Challenge as it is their 3rd Blogaversary, so congrats to them! I am sharing a fun card I made with some awesome stamps from Hambo. If you know me or have followed my blog for awhile, you know I love to use humor in my cards, and Hambo is a great source for funny funny stamps. Check out the inside of the card for the lol punch line:

Too funny and perfect for one of my friends... Chief Hambooli was paper pieced and colored on the front, and I added him again on the inside to bring an even bigger smile to the recipients face.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Anything Goes at SAS4Kids!

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

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

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

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

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

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and Card Drive for SAS4Kids!!

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

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

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

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

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen

Cards for Men and Sweet Stamps Challenges

The challenge this week at Cards for Men is to make a card for a man or boy and "Make Us Laugh"; and at Sweet Stamps, we are to use Lots of Layers. I love to use humor in my cards and to make cards for men or boys (especially my sweet grandson and my boys at SAS4Kids). I used several layers on the front of this fun shaped card and also in the paper piecing of the banana, clothes and shoes. The fun Banana Kid and sentiment are from Hambo Digitals, and the little banana is also from Hambo. Isn't he sweet? I printed the sentiment twice and cut out and raised the "bananas" in yellow with mounting tape.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Nettie G's Digital Gems and Ooh-La-La Creations Challenges

The challenge at Netti G's Digital Gems is Anything Goes and at Ooh-La-La Creations it is Punches and Dies. I created this card using several dies and a darling Wee Henrietta Witch digital stamp from Hambo Stamps. Isn't she cute? Of course I paper pieced parts of her costume and colored the rest with my copics. I cut her out and mounted her on a circle cut out with my nesties and embossed with the Cuttlebug spider web folder. The rosette was cut out with a Tim Holtz die and I added some fun ribbon and a button to complete this card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Jelly Park and I Did It Challenges

The challenge this week at Jelly Park Challenge is to "Pass It On" and this card will be passed on to my kids at Send a Smile 4 Kids; and at I Did It Creations, it is Anything Goes. I made this fun card for a child using some great stamps I won from Hambo Stamps. I love the sentiment with this beast- too cute! I used a large scallop diecut and a sizzix embossing folder to create the background. Mr. Beast was paper pieced (of course) and the sentiment added to complete this CAS card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and CAS-ual Fridays Challenges

The challenge this week at Hambo Hoedown is to use this cute Flowers digital stamp and Fall Colors, and at CAS-ual Fridays we are to use paper piecing and make a fall themed CAS card. If you know me or follow my blog, you know CAS and paper piecing is what I do alot, so this card was fun for me to make. Fall is my favorite time of year and I love the fall colors. I paper pieced the flowers and layered them on a rust piece. The velum had subtle fall leaves already on it and I just used some leaf brads to hold it in place. CAS but cheery and fun.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Fab n Funky and Truly Scrumptious Challenges

The challenge this week at Fab n Funky is to make a funny card and at Truly Scrumptious it is to Decorate the Inside. I had to use the inside for the punch line in this hilarious stamp sentiment set I recently won at Hambo Stamps. I love using humor in my cards and Hambo has some of the funniest stamps around! This card cracks me up! So simple but just lol funny, I think. I chose to keep it very simple so the sentiments on the front and inside are featured. I simply added some outline stickers to the front (I always forget to use them, yet keep buying more when I go to a stamp show...)

I added a punched border (ek success) on the inside piece to complete this CAS card. Hope it cracks you up too:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Hambo Hoedown and Tuesday Throwdown Challenges

The challenge at Tuesday Throwdown is to use a Punny Sentiment our our card and at Hambo Hoedown they want us to use dimension and their stamps. Hambo is the perfect place to find Punny Sentiments - that is their specialty! I just won these funny awesome stamps from Hambo -did you know if you get published with Hambo stamps, you win free stamps from them?! I just got a card published in Take Ten and now I have more great Hambo stamps to play with. This funny naked pig and the sayings on the front and inside are brand new at Hambo. They crack me up and hopefully would the person who gets the card too. I used dimension in two ways on this card: I popped up the pig with mounting tape and the little card opens to reveal the punch line below. I guess the embossing (Cuttlebug) adds dimension too.

Stamping smiles, Karen