Wine Lovers Interactive Birthday Card

I am having so much fun with the new Hanging Charm Pull Tab die by Karen Burniston for Elizabeth Crafts. For this wine lovers birthday card, I decided not to have a hanging element, but to attach a wine glass (cut with a die from My Creative Time) to the side of the pull up window frame. Here is a look at the card before the pull tab is pulled:

I cut the base and the frame of the Hanging Charm Pull Tab out of black cardstock with white script text on it. I cut the pull tab part out of red cardstock. All the wine stamps on this card are from a new set by Inspired by Stamping. The "Celebrate" was cut out with a die from Tonic Studios in red mirror card (also from Tonic.) I added some sequins on the front and the red pull tab. When the baker's twine is pulled, the top frame stands up like this: 

I stamped one more wine birthday wish from the same set by Inspired by Stamping that shows when the tab is pulled by it's recipient. I know many wine lovers who would love and display this card.

I am entering this card in the Happy Birthday challenge at Scrapy Land.

BFF Birthday Card with Stencils and Ink

Earlier this spring I made some cards with a new technique for some special ladies in my life with birthdays in April. I learned a new stencil and ink technique by watching this tutorial by the brilliant Jennifer McGuire. It is not hard to do, but is a bit time consuming. Worth it when you see the results, right? I attached a Hero Arts stencil down over a blue card base with a low tack tape around the edges. Then I applied white pigment ink through all the holes in the stencil with a dauber. I heat set the pigment ink, then moved the stencil just slightly up and over a bit. Next I applied blue ink through the stencil openings. The end result is three tones - dark blue, medium blue (where the white and blue ink mix) and white. The second color of ink should always be tone on tone (like blue on blue paper.) What a cool look! I layered the completed piece on a white card and added the Spellbinders Contemporary Circle die. The sentiment for my BFF is from Inspired by Stamping.

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

Celebrate 4th of July!

I am in the mood for red, white and blue this week, so I made a card based on something I had seen once on Pinterest- sorry do not have a link to the originator. But it is simply a popsicle in patriotic colors and embossed with a SU embossing folder. I happened to have a real popsicle stick that came with some rub-ons and I added a bow around that stick. I embossed the card base with a fireworks embossing folder from Darice. Then I cut a star with a nesties die and stamped the sentiment from Inspired by Stamping.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Fantastic Tuesday and the "no designer papers" challenge at Crafty Sentiments.

Guy's Bow Tie Card

I was totally inspired by this card on this blog to make this card for next month's classes in my home. I am loving it and hope my students do too. It could be used for Father's Day or a guy's birthday or any masculine celebration. The bow tie was made with my Envelope Punch Board by WeRMemoryKeepers after viewing several U-tube videos. I embossed the vest with an embossing folder by Sizzix and stamped and cut out the sentiment piece from Inspired by Stamping.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Crafts Galore and the "Don't Be Square" challenge at Totally Gorjuss.

More Flowers and Pink for Spring Warmth

It is bitter cold here in Wisconsin with dangerous wind chills, so for the second day, I am posting a pink flowery spring card "Filled with Love". All the stamps on this gatefold card are by Inspired by Stamping. I just love the mason jar set and seeing what you can fill it up with. I chose pink flowers this time and a pink floral jar cover too.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Challenges 4 Everybody and Scribble & Scrap.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Roses for my Friend

I had new sets of stamps from Stacy Stamps and Inspired by Stamping and a new roses embossing folder from Cuttlebug that were all sitting in NSIHNUY pile on my bed (new stuff I have not used yet), and now they are not in the pile and put away where they belong:) I embossed the rose corner and single rose on velum with white embossing powder, then colored from the back with markers. I cut out each and layered on a pink embossed piece with a leafy die. I stamped the sentiment and tag,  cut out and raised with a pop dot.

I am entering this card in the Something New challenge at A Gem of a Challenge and the Anything Goes challenge at Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge.

Stamping 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

Spooky Spiders for Halloween

I saw a card on Pinterest with spiders coming out of a mason jar and after I got a mason jar stamp from Inspired by Stamping, I just had to try it! I stamped the jar on white cardstock and also on acetate and cut out both. I used my Silhouette and a Silhouette America cutting file to cut out the spiders and spider web as well as the Eeek! I added some eyes to the spiders with a white gel pen and attached a bunch inside the cardstock and acetate layer as well as a couple on the loose. The spider web borders were created with a Martha Stewart punch I borrow from a good friend. (Thanks Jane!)

I am entering this card in the Spooky challenge at Totally Gorjuss and the Halloween challenge at Di's Digis Design. 

Stamping smiles, Karen

It's Halloween on Silhouette Sunday!

I'm home again after a week's vacation in sunny Florida with my grandson and family, and it is almost Halloween! I had so much fun making Halloween cards this year with my Silhouette Portrait and Silhouette cutting files and I am sharing three of the cards with you today. Halloween is the theme at the Silhouette Blog this week and also at Cut it Up, so these cards will be entered in both challenges.

My first card above features a Halloween fence and a fun Halloween sentiment both cut with my Silhouette. The washi tape was created with washi tape stamps from Inspired by Stamping and velum.

My second card is a Frankenstein face card and a Halloween Boo, all cut with my Silhouette and their files.

My last card is one that was inspired by one I saw on Pinterest, simply using some jack-o-lantern eyes to create a Ninja Halloween card. I added some washi tape to the front and changed the sentiment from Happy Halloween to HIYA! Halloween. Nate always says HIYA! when he is pretending to be a Ninja and of course, that is what he is going to dress up as on Halloween for trick or treat. I made him a bunch of these Ninja cards that he could share with friends and family.

Had a wonderful trip to Florida and Disney World but it is nice to be home again too:)

Stamping and Silhouette smiles, Karen

Butterflies and Mason Jars

I love butterflies and mason jars and I found a set of stamps that include both at Inspired by Stamping. Of course they had a few add on sets for the mason jars (on sale!) and I couldn't resist those either:) I stamped the mason jar and the butterflies and cut it out. Then I stamped the red dotted cover, shaped it to give it dimension and added a pretty red bow. The sentiment is from the same set of stamps and is perfect. The butterfly stamp and punch on the top is from Stampin' Up.

The "shelf" the mason jar is standing on was created with Shimmer Sheetz and an embossing border by Darice. I sanded the Shimmer Sheetz after embossing.

I am entering this card in the Butterflies and Bows challenge at QKR Stampede and the Anything Goes challenge at Crafts 4 Eternity. I am also entering this card in the Customer Gallery Contest at Inspired by Stamping.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Inspired By Stamping Washi Tape Chalkboard Card

I recently discovered Inspired by Stamping stamps and their blog challenge here, and today I am sharing a holiday card I made with some of the stamps I just got in the mail from them. I visited their website after seeing a card on another blog, and oh em gee- I wanted sooo many of the cute sets I saw. Wait 'til you see the Mason Jar sets I bought... but that will be in another blog post. Today I am sharing another favorite set I just received from Inspired by Stamping- Holiday Washi Tape stamps! The candy canes in the corner of the card were stamped on vellum, cut out and attached over a card base embossed with a new embossing folder by Sizzix. I also used a snowflake washi tape stamp across the top of the chalkboard I created with black cardstock and smudges of white pigment ink. The sentiment- also from Inspired by Stamping- is perfect for the chalkboard technique and I stamped it in Versamark and embossed with white embossing powder and a heat gun. The "chalkboard" and the red layer were cut out with Nestabilities dies. I added a candy cane eyelet to complete the front.

I used the snowflakes washi tape stamp again on the inside of the card and another sentiment  from the same holiday set. As you can see, I love to emboss the whole card - not just the front- for texture on all parts of the card.

I am also entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp.

Stamping smiles, Karen