Anything Goes 4 Kids Challenge at SAS4Kids!

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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: Dollar Graphics Depot is giving their winner a $15 gift certificate! Oak Pond Creations is giving their randomly picked winner 3 digis of their choice!  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 for this challenge (above) features some fun digis called "What's Shakin' Snakes" by Oak Pond Creations. I colored the snakes and attached with some ssssss flags. The "What's Shakin'?" piece is raised on adhesive springs so it really does shake:) 

My second card features a sweet colored digi from Dollar Graphics Depot called Oliver Loves Summer. I printed him and framed him with an Awesome Polaroid frame cut with my Silhouette. I added the sentiment (from the same digi set), a punched sun and a sunglasses brad. 

I am entering these cards in the Summer challenge at Simon Says Stamps and the Anything Goes challenge at Crafty Girls.

Personalized Birthday and Anniversary Cards

One thing I love about making my own cards for special occasions is how I can personalize them just for the special recipient. Yesterday was a dear on line friend's birthday and I made this card especially for her. I just got a new set of alphabet dies from Memory Box and the Happy Birthday and the flowers are also new dies from Memory Box. I hope Hilde received her card in time in Australia and that her year to come is happy and healthy.

Tomorrow is my 24th anniversary and this is the card I made for my husband. Not one of those 8766 days did I ever regret marrying this man:) Orange is his favorite color and I think he liked his card. We are celebrating with a fun getaway and dinner out at our favorite restaurant. Then we are picking up our favorite grandson and bringing him home for a fun week.

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenges at Sister Act and Crafts 4 Eternity.

Feather Thank You Card

Haven't had a chance to play with my Silhouette for quite a while, but this is a card I made and never had a chance to share here on my blog. I love to use the positives and negatives of dies as you know if you follow my blog. This time I cut the feather with my Silhouette and a Silhouette America cutting file, then embossed the feather cut out with a Sizzix embossing folder. Under the open space of the feather die, I attached some scenery designer paper out of my old old stash. The thank you sentiment is an old one from Stampin' Up.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Sister Act and the Something Old, Something New challenge at Polkadoodles (old dp and stamp, new cutting file from Silhouette.)

Happy Birthday to my Best Friend

It is my BFF's birthday on Saturday but I am not able to blog that day and I gave her her card yesterday, so I am sharing it with everyone today here on my blog today. I masked the front square piece with a beautiful dragonfly stencil from The Crafter's Workshop and then painted on Rose Metallic 3D Stamp Paint from Viva. This was my first card using this new product, but I will be playing with it more as soon as I have the time. I love the sparkly dimension it gives to a card. The perfect sentiment for my best bud is from Simon Says Stamp. There was more fun when she opened the card:

I continued the dragonfly theme with dragonflies and swirls I cut out with my Silhouette that pop up when she opened the card. I also added some pearls that I recently pulled off my 24 year old wedding bouquet before I finally tossed it. The dragonfly flourishes are attached with strips of acetate to a scored center in the square card. I attached one more dragonfly flourish to the bottom and added another perfect sentiment for my friend.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Through the Craft Room Door and Fan-Tastic Tuesday.

Wishing You Joy and Asking For Cards and Prayers for Lauryn

It is a very busy time for me so I have not had lots of time for playing and making new cards. I did complete some for the upcoming individual classes to be held in my home after April and this is one of them, I created some masks with a Memory Box deer die-cut, a tree cut with my Silhouette and a circle for the moon. After attaching them all on a black piece I sponged white ink all over and then added the sentiment. I love the front of this card, but the inside is even better. Take a look:

This is another Floating Image Card and the Joy and snowflakes pop up when you open the card. I know we are tired of snow, but I make and share Christmas ideas all year round in my classes and that way we are not overwhelmed later when we have to get them all done.

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

I have just discovered a blog post about a sweet little two year old named Lauryn recently diagnosed with leukemia. Some on-line friends of her family have started a card drive for her. You can click on the ribbon picture on the side of my blog, or here  to go to the blog with all the details on the card drive and the address where you could send a card. Just imagine if Lauryn was your granddaughter or daughter, and if you can, please send a card and your prayers her way.

Spring Card on Silhouette Sunday

I just had a few minutes to play today and needed a quick Spring/Easter card and this is what I came up with. One of the reasons I love my Silhouette and their cutting files is that it is so simple and inexpensive to make a fun card. This whole cutting file cost 50 cents on sale this week and I simply cut out the little girl silhouette in pink, the basket in yellow and the eggs in various papers and attached to a green card base that was embossed with a tulip embossing folder by Stampin' Up. Sweet and easy.

I am entering this card in the Spring challenge at the Silhouette Blog and the Spring is in the Air challenge at Polkadoodles.

Nate and Grandma's Despicable Valentines

I was out of town this weekend stamping away with friends at the Madison Mingle and so missed posting a Silhouette project on Sunday like I normally do. The challenge this week at the Silhouette Blog is Anything Goes (using your Silhouette) and at Robyn's Fetish, they want to see anything but a card. I am sharing a scrapbook page I made showing my sweet grandson and me and the valentine we made together. He and I made 30 of these minion valentines and I was so grateful that I had my Silhouette to cut out all the circles and pieces rather than punch or die-cut them! I also cut out the interlocking hearts on my Silhouette using one of Silhouette's cutting files. Right now they have all their files 50% off! So for 50 cents a piece, you can really load up on them! Many other specials are going on right now too, including a free file everyday until March 27. It would be a great time to check them out.

Subway Art Inlaid Die-cut Card and Blog Candy Alert!

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I played with some of the techniques from the online CAS class I am taking this weekend, and this is one of the birthday cards I made:

The subway art look is very popular right now and I pulled out some of my favorite birthday and friend sentiments to make this card. The "friend" was cut with my Silhouette diagonally on a white piece and again in light blue. I attached the blue friend inside the negative space on the white card front so it laid flat and then stamped right over it with the various sentiments. I added some light dots by sponging with purple ink through a Heidi Swapp stencil.

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

Print and Cut on Silhouette Sunday

The challenge this week at the Silhouette Blog is to create a new project using their print and cut files. I made this fun frog card for a special young lady using a Silhouette America frog that I printed and cut three times. One of the frogs was flipped before printing and cutting. Those operations are so easy to do with the Silhouette software. I cut 3 holes in the center piece with a Spellbinders circle die and have the cute frogs peaking out from them. The sides were punched with an ek success border punch, and the "cool" sentiment is from Technique Tuesday.

I am also entering this card in the challenge at Cut it Up to use green and die-cuts.

Pastel Colors 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 Pastel Colors 4 Kids. Create and link any card for a child using pastel colors and you could win one of our great prizes.

We have three very generous sponsors for this challenge:  Crackerbox Palace is giving their winner a $15 gift certificate! Kenny K. Downloads is giving their randomly picked winner 3 digis of their choice!  And Sassy Studio’s winner gets 4 images of their choice! 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 the beautiful Girl on a Swing by Crackerbox Palace. If you follow my blog, you know I love Crackerbox Palace stamps! I stamped her on vellum and colored from the backside with subtle pastels. I decided to feature her pretty hat and so I stamped it on yellow polka-dotted paper and paper pieced it to the front of the vellum image. I attached with little flower brads to an aqua card base and added the perfect sentiment (also from Crackerbox Palace.)

My second card features Dancer from Kenny K.  I printed her on white cardstock, did a little coloring with Copics and paper pieced the rest. I created a musical stencil with my Silhouette and their cutting files and sponged in various pastel colors to create the background. I hope one of our teen-age girls will like this card.

I am entering these cards in the Girls, Girls, Girls challenge at Cute Card Thursday, the For a Special Girl challenge at Simon Says Stamp and the Anything Goes challenge at Aud Sentiments. 

Personalized Card in a Box

My twin brother is turning 60 on March 31st which is also opening day for our Milwaukee Brewers. I decided to make him a special card celebrating both his birthday and opening day. I am totally infatuated with Hank, the stray puppy the Brewers have adopted at spring training. If you haven't seen him, or need something to make you smile, check out this link for more adorable pictures.  I printed one of the cutest pictures of Hank as well as an Opening Day emblem. I punched the Happy Birthday (Martha Stewart) and cut the 60 with my Silhouette. The sides were embossed with a Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder. Here are a couple more pictures for more detail:

I am having so much fun with different Cards in a Box that I will be offering a class in my home on how to make them.

I am entering this card in the Sports challenge at Allsorts and the Oldies BD challenge at Speedy Fox and Friends at Mark's Finest Papers.

Personalized Birthday Card on Silhouette Sunday

One of the things I love most about my Silhouette and their cutting files is that I can make very special personalized cards for anyone I love. This card is for my grandson Nate who loves his super heroes. The Batman on a motorcycle is a print and cut file and the Kapow is another Silhouette cutting file cut in yellow, black and red.  But the real magic happens when he opens the card up:

Super Nate pops up and floats in the inside of the card! This is another of the Floating Image cards I have been playing with and I love how it turned out. The inside of the card has two 1/2 inch scored pieces that are matched up in the center. 1/2 inch wide pieces of acetate in various lengths are used to attach the letters and other elements to. If your special child's name is too long, the whole name could be placed in an circle or oval on a piece of acetate. Another great thing about the Silhouette and it's software is that any font you have downloaded on your computer automatically pops into the Silhouette software for you to cut your letters with. I chose a nice chunky font for the letters of Nate's name and a super hero font for the Happy Birthday. The batmobile is another print and cut file, which are so easy to use. Here is another picture that shows the whole inside of the card:

I was having so much fun making cards with the floating image technique, I submitted the cards and an article on them to Scrap and Stamp Arts and just found out it will be published in the November/December issue!

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

Pearls and Flowers on Silhouette Sunday

The theme of the challenge this week at Simon Says Stamp challenge is Anything Goes with Pearls. My favorite embellishment to add to a card is pearls and I have them in every color under the sun. I created a black gatefold card and simply attached a wedding dress and a tux both cut out with my Silhouette using Silhouette America cutting files. I added a couple peach flowers and each flower on her dress was highlighted with a pearl. Fun and easy wedding card for a special couple.

I am also entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Through the Craft Room Door.

Easter/Spring Cards 4 Kids Challenge 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 Easter/Spring Cards 4 Kids! Create and link any Easter or Spring card for a child and you could win one of our great prizes. We start early for each holiday during the year, because if the cards are going to be donated for our kids, we need to receive them in time to bring or mail to the children’s hospitals we serve before the holiday arrives.

We have three very generous sponsors for this challenge: Squigglefly is giving their winner 3 digis! QKR Stampede is giving their randomly picked winner 5 digis of their choice!  And Oak Pond Creation’s winner gets 1 image of their choice! 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 Bunny and Egg and Hoppy Easter digital stamps from QKR Stampede. I stamped the sweet bunny on pink patterned paper and the egg on yellow and cut them out. I cut a blue pennant and attached to a yellow polka-dotted card base. I added the green square diagonally and then the yellow pennant with "Hoppy Easter" and some doodling. The bunny was attached with an adhesive spring so he wiggles and wobbles when moved.

My second card features another sweet bunny called Bunny Boo from Squigglefly. I printed her on white cardstock, paper pieced her outfit and added some pink coloring. The card base is spring green with a floral border punched with a Martha Stewart punch. I attached yellow cardstock to the inside of the card and added a Happy Spring sentiment cut with my Silhouette and a Silhouette America cutting file. I finished the card with another flower and a couple gems.  

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenges at Crafty Catz and Sister Act. 

Easter Card in a Box on Silhouette Sunday

Have you seen all the "Cards in a Box" all over Pinterestland lately? I made this one following this tutorial  using several Easter files from Silhouette America. To make the box is not hard to do at all, and with cutting files from Silhouette, this one came together very easily. I cut the eggs, bunnies and Happy Spring with my Silhouette Portrait.

This is what the box card looks like folded flat from the back. I cut another fun bunny face with my Silhouette and layered it on a pink piece that can be used to write a Happy Spring message.

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

Friend Card on Silhouette Sunday

The challenge this week at the Silhouette Blog is to simply make any project with our Silhouette cutting machines and their cutting files. When shopping at the Silhouette America store recently, I couldn't resist this sweet kitty and her mouse friend that she is sharing her umbrella with. I made a cute and easy friend card with it. I am fascinated with using the positives and negatives of die cuts, and I did just that on the inside of the card.

In addition to the challenge at the Silhouette Blog, I am entering this card in the From the Heart challenge at Creative Corner.

Last Valentine on Silhouette Sunday

This is the Valentine I made for my son and his wife and it is in the mail to them. I started with a textured white cardstock and layered a heart I cut out with my Silhouette Portrait and a Silhouette America cutting file.I trimmed off the right edge and added the love (also a cutting file from Silhouette.) CAS but lovely I think.

I am entering this card in the All Heart challenge at Simon Says Stamp and the Anything Goes challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.

Stamping and Silhouette smiles, Karen

Try Something New and Valentines on Silhouette Sunday

The challenge at the Silhouette blog this week is to try something new with our Silhouette cards or projects. I have been wanting to try the color combo of yellow and grey and I think it will become one of my favorites. I also have never done a sympathy card with my Silhouette or their cutting files, and now I have. I had a request for sympathy cards from someone who purchases my cards, so I designed this one as one of the options she could choose from. I cut the rose border twice and embossed the yellow rose with my favorite embossing folder, Swiss Dots from Cuttlebug. I attached the yellow rose just a little offset from the black one. I stamped the sentiment (from Stampin' Up) on velum and cut out with a Spellbinders die. I like the idea of attaching the  velum with tiny glue dots and then covering them up with tiny sequins.

Nothing too new about these Valentines I created for my grandson and my husband. But I do love how easy it is to personalize my cards with my Silhouette and their cutting files. The robot is just too cute for a young boy and my husband loves anything orange with kitties.

I am also entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenge at Crafty Catz.

Stamping and Silhouette smiles, Karen

Day Three of Stenciled Class Card

Day three of our Stenciled class was all about texture and different kinds of embossing paste techniques. I never thought we could use our new plastic stencils with embossing paste, but sure enough it works great. And the instructors had many cool ideas of what you could add to the embossing paste. I have tried heating the pearlescent embossing paste with a heat gun and perfect pearls, but one of the videos suggested putting embossing powder on the wet pearlescent paste, waiting 15 minutes and then heating with a heat gun. I have some cool glittery embossing powders I have never used, so I tried it. I applied the pearlescent embossing paste with a stencil knife, then sprinkled on aqua, black and dark blue glittery embossing powders. I waited the 15 minutes and heated it. There is more height to the embossed areas,  but to be honest, using the paste and the embossing powders were very very messy. One of the videos showed how to apply Versamark through the stencil, then add embossing powder and emboss. I think the result would have been just as nice and much less messy. Just my opinion, but I am not a huge fan of the mess of embossing paste anyway. I added a fun sentiment I cut out with my Silhouette to the front of the card.

The stencil I chose to use for this technique was from Dylusions and had the curved checkerboard edge and some funky circles too. I cut some of the circles and added them to the center of the card.

I am thrilled with what I learned in this Stenciled class from Online Card Classes. The live interactive part of the stencil class is now over, but you can still take the course and learn everything from the videos and lessons on an independent study basis. I highly recommend it and will be taking more courses from them too.

Stamping smiles, Karen

The rest of this weekend's stencil cards...

Except for one scheduled for tomorrow- I promise:) I decided to play with stencils and embossing folders on this one. I sponged blue ink on a kraft piece using a round version of a stencil I made with a cutting file from Get Silvered and my Silhouette in some earlier blog posts. Then I embossed the piece with a birthday embossing folder from Embossalicious. I sponged the whole piece with brown distress ink and attached to a black card.

I cut an abstract shape with my Silhouette using a Silhouette America cutting file and taped it down on a white piece. I masked the center and sponged the outside openings with pink distress ink and then stamped with a lined background stamp from A Muse. Then I masked those and sponged the center aqua blue distress ink and stamped with an old star stamp from Santa Rosa. The super cool vertical Thanks is from Crackerbox Palace. I rounded the edges and layered on pink and then on black.

The black piece I had used as a stencil was just too fun to toss, so I turned it over and layered on a white card. I added a silver border sticker from Tim Holtz and a "love" I die cut with a die from Dee's Distinctively.

I had fun making and sharing all these cards, and hope you enjoyed them too.

Stamping smiles, Karen