DIY Christmas Gift Ideas Giveaway Hop - Purse and Gift Card Wallet

I am so happy to be part of a fun video hop that starts today with my friends at Craft Collabs! Each participant in the hop will be making a handmade Christmas gift and then giving that gift away to a lucky commenter on that video! You must comment on the video following the instructions in the video before November 28th and then check back to see if you are the lucky winner. 

In my video, I show how to make this Christmas purse and gift card wallet which has a gift card in it you could also win! I was inspired by a purse that Sam of Mixed Up Crafts made, but changed up the sizes of my purse to match embossing folders I own. This purse features already embossed gorgeous designer paper from Tonic Studios and dies from Sizzix, Marianne Designs and Impression Obsession. I show step by step how to make the purse in my video as well as many other examples of purses for any season or reason. They are perfect for giving small gifts or gift cards in for that special female friend or relative! 

Be sure to watch my video and leave a comment following the instructions in the video, and then hop along to see many other handmade gifts by the other talented crafters in the hop. My project is made of paper, but many of the other projects are not, so be sure to check them out and leave comments to maybe win! 

You can start hopping here! Have fun and thanks for your stop here today and for your support of my YouTube channel.

Easy Christmas Cards with Patterned Paper and Marianne Designs Anja's Folding Circle Die

I recently purchased a gorgeous pad of winter themed designer paper from Crafter's Companion and used it in these circle shaped cards for my newest video here. The die used to make these circle cards is called Anja's Folding Circle Die and is from Marianne Designs. Here is what the inside of this card looks like: 

  
All the circle and semi-circle dies in this set are stitched and make this shaped card so easy to create. The "peace" die is a favorite from Quietfire Designs. 

My second version of a circle card uses all the dies from the Anja's Folding Circle die set and on the inside a perfect sentiment die from Sue Wilson and Creative Expressions. To see all my easy to make holiday cards made with designer papers, click here and watch the new video.

I am entering the 1st card in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday.

Cover of the August Issue of Die Cut Crazy!

I have had hundreds of cards published and many full length articles too, but I never made the cover until this  newest issue of Die Cut Crazy, so I am very excited! I am doing a monthly column called Never Too Early to Make our Christmas Cards and this is the card I shared along with a review of the Spellbinders Tool in One. Have you tried that yet? I love the Zig Zag die from Memory Box, but I used to have to poke out all the holes by hand in the paper and clean the ones out of the die too. With the Spellbinders Tool in One, you can simply roll the bristles over the paper or the die on a mat and they fall right out! I die cut kraft paper twice with the Zig Zag die and stamped the sentiment from Paper Trey Ink in the center. The poinsettia was cut with a Marianne Creatables die and colored with 3D Stamp Paint from Viva to make it sparkly. I added some greens punched with a Martha Stewart punch.

Check out the new issue of Die Cut Crazy if you have an iPhone or iPad. We are having a birthday blog hop next Friday (the 15th) and I am told the PDF version should be ready by then for those of us without an iPad or iPhone. And there will be prizes and lots of great birthday card inspiration!

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Through the Craft Room Door and Paper Take Weekly.

CAS Baby Card with New Dies

I have not been able to resist buying new dies lately - it is an addiction I admit! I had to have the new Star Garlands from Memory Box and Baby's First Sneakers from Marianne Designs. I used both and a baby embossing folder from Cuttlebug to create this CAS baby card. Couldn't have been easier, but I like how it turned out and the next time there is a baby to welcome of either sex, I am ready with a cute card.

I am entering this card in the CAS challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies and the Anything Goes challenge at Crafty Girls.

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

Lexi's Creations and Red Carpet Studio Challenges

Red Carpet Studios wants to see flowers on our cards this week, and at Lexi's Creations, their theme is Special Friend Birthday. I used an acrylic stamp from Close to My Heart to shape the sentiment around a flower I created with a new Spellbinders die. The embossing/cutting folder is from Marianne Creatables. I rounded the corners and layered the white front piece on an eggplant colored card and added a gem to complete this feminine card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Simon Says Stamp and Paper Crafting Journey Challenges

Embossing is the challenge at Simon Says Stamp this week and Paper Crafting Journey wants us to use a sentiment on our card. This is my favorite of the Christmas cards I have made so far and it is because of the beautiful embossing and sentiment. The sentiment is from a new set I recently purchased from Close to my Heart. The whole front of the white card was embossed and die cut together with a folder by Marianne's Designs. Then I layered white poinsettias that I cut and embossed with Nestabilities and some white pine needles cut with a Martha Stewart punch. I put a shiny red piece behind the cut outs to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Whimsy Inspiration and Paper Pretties Challenges

The challenge this week at Whimsy Inspirations is to use punches and/or diecuts, and at Paper Pretties the theme is "For the Girls." I made this card with an embossing folder that also cuts and a beautiful diecut set all from Marianne Designs. I started with the embossing and cutting folder in white, rounded the edges, layered on red paper and added pearls in the corners. I cut out the rose basket in gold, the roses in red and the leaves in green. I added some pine needles punched in white and green (Martha Stewart) and a pearl flourish to complete this card. Love how it turned out:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Di's Digi Designs and Gingerloft Challenges

 

The challenge this week at Di's Digi Designs is Pastels and it is Spring at Gingerloft. It is also Spring here in central Wisconsin! Snow is almost gone and we have seen temperatures in the 60s and 70 is forecast this week!!! And even though we never really had a real winter, I am ready for spring and the lovely weather. This is reflected in the cards I have been making. The Spring has Sprung digi is from Folded Paper and I printed it,  cut out and embossed with a nestie and sponged the ovals while still in the diecut. I attached it with a fun Action Wobbly spring so it does "spring" around. The tulips were made with a die from Marianne Designs. So  Welcome Spring!!

(Edited to add- I did it again:( I try to do one blogpost a day and always schedule a day ahead- but twice recently I hit Publish Post without scheduling..oh well- so you get two one day and none the next. But I will try to be more careful in the future..) 

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Crafty Emma's and Craft Your Days Away Challenges

The challenge this week at Craft Your Days Away is New Beginnings, and Anything Goes at Crafty Emma's. I made this wedding card using the twisted easel fold and many of my new toys from Christmas. I got the heart charms as part of a gift from my buddy Sara and decided to feature them in this card. The red paper is sparkly on the front side and very pretty in person. This card was very difficult to photograph, so I took a closeup of the window and hanging charm below. I punched an oval in the center of the folded triangle top and then framed it with a diecut from Marianne Designs. Then I hung my heart charm with thin silver cord and added a bow. The inside corner has a lovely heart floral die from Memory Box, another heart charm and the sentiment is from Stampin' up.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Pollycraft and OSAAT Challenges

The challenge this week at Pollycraft is to Punch It and Anything Goes at One Stitch at a Time. I made this card using punches and diecuts. The white snowflake frame is made with a large snowflake border punch from Martha Stewart. I love these large border punches and always try them on a square piece punching 4 times to see what happens. In this case, you get a curved edge snowflake frame and I added some gems and a poinsettia that I made with a Marianne Designs diecut. I loved the sentiment from Penny Black and I stamped it on white, cut and embossed with a scalloped rectangle nestie and added a few more gems to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crafty Emma and Party Time Tuesday Challeges

The challenge this week at Crafty Emma's is to use pink, brown and aqua in our cards and at Party Time Tuesday it is Anything Goes. I loved this color combination and decided to use it for a CAS card featuring a new stamp from TAC and the cutting/embossing folder from Marianne Designs. The stamp is part of a new set I just love from TAC and you will be seeing more of it here very soon, especially a very cool chair stamp. But I was sorry to hear that TAC went out of business so these stamps are not available now, unless you can find them on Ebay. I rounded the corners and added some small brown pearls to complete this CAS card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Fun with Delicious Doodles Digital Stamps

I won some awesome digital stamps from Delicious Doodles and have been having so much fun designing cards with them and am sharing today. I just love the Lovey Dovey Silhouette stamp and used it as the focal point on this Napkin Fold Wedding Card (tutorial on how make one here). I printed the Lovey Dovey stamp on white cardstock and cut it out with a circle nestie and added Pearl Pen pearls to accent all the way around. The corners were punched with a Fiskars corner punch and pearls added to each. I created a band using a ek success border punch punched twice on a black cardstock strip and attached a silver ribbon down the middle. The circle piece is attached to the ribbon band and it slides off to open the napkin fold card.

This is what the inside of the napkin fold card looks like. I punched a Martha Stewart hearts border and added a wedding sentiment to complete the card.

I used another beautiful Delicious Doodles digital stamp to make this CAS holiday card. I love how if you have a beautiful stamp and a fun fold like above, or a great embossing folder like this one, it is so easy to make a lovely card. I used a Marianne Design embossing folder that cuts and embosses, rounded the corners, added some Pearl Pen pearls and the shaped Snowy Mailbox image and the end result is a beautiful holiday card.

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenges at Woodware USA and Craft Your Passion.

Stamping smiles, Karen

What If? Wed. Robin's Color DCC

It's Robin's Designer Choice Challenge this week at The House that Stamps Built and she is challenging us to use Kraft, Robin's Egg Blue and Rust- plus you can use one neutral color of your choice: white, ivory, black or brown. It's a great color combination and I had fun designing a card using these choices. I used Repeat Impression's Posie stamp for the focal point and their Happy Mother's Day for the sentiment. The two circle diecuts are from Marianne Designs. I "waved" the sentiment flag and added some light blue bridal flowers and a rust pearl to finish the card.  
You have until May 10th to pull out these colors and play along with this great challenge for a chance at winning some Rubber! Check out our blog for all the details and to see what the rest of the Rock Stars have done with Robin's Challenge (or just click on the links on the side of my blog anytime.)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Woodware USA and Shelly's Images Challenges

The challenge this week at Woodware USA is Diecuts and Punches and at Shelly's Images it is "Show Us What You Got". I had such a fun time with my dies from Marianne Designs and Nestabilities that I am very proud to show you what I got:) Isn't the lady in profile with the lovely hat from Marianne Designs awesome? I cut her in black and white, slipped some red dp behind the black image and put the black profile back into the hole in the white oval. Of course the oval was cut out with the beaded oval nestie and gem stickers added to each little oval after it was embossed. The sentiment is a sticker and the red dp on the black card completed this card. There is no stamping at all, but I do love how it turned out.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Speedy the Cat's #38 Challenge

The folks at Mark's Finest Papers challenged us to use Hearts on our cards this week. I happen to have this beautiful heart from Mark's Finest Papers stamp line and used it to create this CAS valentine. I stamped it in black on pink paper, cut it out and layered on a diecut frame from the Creatables line. I added pearls to the frame and used mounting tape to raise it above the patterned paper background.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Wags and Whiskers and Phindy's Place #38 Challenges

The challenge this week at Wags and Whiskers  is "With Love" and at Phindy's Place it is Valentines. I decided to show you three views of this card because it is my favorite card I have done this year so far inside and out. I cut down the Funky Fold card I did in an earlier post so that it fits in an A2 envelope. I embossed the whole card so the front, insides and back are all embossed with a romantic embossing folder by Cuttlebug. After the cutting and folding to create the card, the rest is very simple. Stamp the love rose stamp (Inkadinkado) in the center of the diecut oval (Marianne Design Creatables), add some pearls and the inside piece (border punch by Martha Stewart) and it is done.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Party Time Tuesday Birthday Card

The challenge at Party Time Tuesday was Anything Birthday and so I am posting this card I made using my new Martha Stewart birthday border punch for the first time. I also used a new diecut from Marianne Design Creatables, some shiny foil paper, some flowers and gems and a funny saying from Hambo. Fun but easy- that's my style...

Stamping smiles, Karen

Wee Memories #36 & OWH Stars & Stripes Challenge

The challenge this week at Wee Memories was to use the colors of the season and at OWH Stars and Stripes to "make it shine" without loose glitter (dangerous for our soldiers.) This card qualifies for both as is shiny with the green and gold foil paper and sparkly stickers, but no loose glitter was added. I embossed the green foil paper, added a border sticker, cut out the gold foil paper with Marianne Design Creatables diecut, layered a raised snowflake sticker on top and added some pearls. Easy but fun holiday card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

CYDA#10 Challenge

The challenge this week at Craft Your Day Away was to use our punches and diecuts in a holiday card. If you know me, you know I use punches and diecuts in just about every card I do:) Along with embossing folders... In this case, I embossed the base card that had a edge sticker, added a diecut fancy oval from Marianne Design Creatables, popped up a candy cane sticker, and added two punched snowflakes and some gems. So easy but still fun.

Stamping smiles, Karen