Last Happy Halloween Card

Happy Halloween! I made a couple last minute cards with my Silhouette cutting machine and some cutting files from Silhouette (on sale of course) I hadn't used yet. I thought the trick or treating silhouettes were so cute, I couldn't resist. And isn't this jack-o-lantern face awesome:

Again, couldn't resist. On sale or with my subscription, these files cost me less than $2.00 and I can make them any size I want.

I am entering this card in the Halloween challenges at Loves Rubberstamps and Fan-Tastic Tuesday.

Stamping and Silhouette smiles, Karen

What If? Wed. Sketch Challenge at Repeat Impressions

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 really like the Snowman and Friend stamp from Repeat Impressions and decided to feature him in this sketch card. I stamped him in blue ink, colored just his nose and bird friend and cut him out with an oval die (Nestabilities.) I framed him with a scalloped oval die (also Nestabilities) and dotted each scallop with a white gel pen. I used a thin snowflake border embossing folder (Cuttlebug) and a couple gems 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 Tammy’s Scrapin’Corner and Created with Love.

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Masculine Thank You Card

Sometimes we need a thank you card that has a masculine CAS feel to it, and recently when my family needed some, I designed this one. I started with kraft and black colors because I love that color combo and it seems masculine to me. I embossed the kraft paper with a favorite embossing folder from Tim Holtz for Sizzix, added a couple geese silhouettes I cut with my Silhouette, and finished with the perfect sentiment.

 I am entering this card in the Thank You challenge at Raisin Boat and the Anything Goes challenge at  Challenges 4 Everybody.

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

It's My Turn for a Designer Choice Challenge at Repeat Impressions!

It’s another Designer’s Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, Repeat Impression’s blog. It’s my turn and I am challenging the other Rock Stars and you to use paper piecing on your card. Paper piecing is my favorite way of “coloring”- try it on a card and after you make your card, you can enter it 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 cards for this DCC challenge. 

I started this card with a kraft piece with rounded corners on a brown card base. I cut the blue cloudy dp apart, rounded the corners and attached with pop dots to raise. I stamped Repeat Impression’s hot air balloons on three different dps, put two sided tape on the back and then cut out just to the outside of the black lines. I have learned to make paper piecing easier, put the two sided tape on first, then cut out. Even on the smallest pieces, it will then easily stick to your card and you don’t have to worry about added any adhesive after cutting. I added the perfect sentiment from the same RI set to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen 

Early Holiday Wishes 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 Early Holiday Wishes 4 Kids. Create and link any Christmas or December Holiday card for a child and you could win one of our great prizes.

We start early at SAS4Kids because we would like all our kids in the eight children’s hospitals we serve to receive a holiday card and it would be even better if they could choose a few more for friends or family they are missing while they spend the holidays in the hospital. You do not have to send in your card to participate in our challenges, but our kids sure hope you do. We need to receive the cards by early December to have enough time to sort and mail to the children’s hospitals we serve.

We have three very generous sponsors for this challenge: COLORink Digital Stamps is giving their winner a 5 Euro coupon to their store! The Paper Shelter is giving their randomly picked winner a $20 gift certificate!  And Di’s Digi’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 the cute Jingle Bears colored digi by COLORink Digital Stamps. Since Jingle Bells was the theme, I cut a "Jingle all the way!" frame and some jingle bells with my Silhouette cutting machine and some Silhouette America cutting files. The cute Jingle Bears sentiment circle was punched out and layered on a red circle to complete the card. 

My second card features a sweet colored Snow Angel digi from The Paper Shelter. I die cut a snowy border with a Memory Box die, and added a Merry sentiment (Silhouette cutting file.) Fun and easy card to make, but I think one of our kids will love it.

I am entering these cards in the Christmas challenge at Simon Says Stamp and the Anything Goes challenge at Crafting by Designs.

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen