Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week

The SOTW this week at Repeat Impressions is this lovely Ladyslipper. You can get it for 50% OFF this week with a special discount code found at RI's blog, The House that Stamps Built. Such a deal! I stamped and colored in green, but paper pieced the flower to have that stand out. The background was created with an ek success border punch, dp and some Pearl Pen pearls. Of course the sentiment is from Repeat Impressions too.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Poodles Parlour "Anything Found in a Garden."

Stamping smiles, Karen

For Fun and Craft Us Crazy Challenges

Anything Goes is the theme this week at Craft Us Crazy and at For Fun Challenges. That is my favorite kind of challenge because we are free to enter anything new we are working on. I saw a card similar to this on one of the blogs I look at everyday and decided to try it for myself. The one I saw (sorry - cannot remember exactly where I saw it) - used different dp under each cut out part of the rose (embossing folder from Stampin' up). But I found this red with black lacey dp piece and decided I liked it under all the cut out holes. I love finding a different way to use a punch or diecut or embossing folder. In this case, after embossing a white piece of cardstock, you simply use a craft knife to cut away some of the rose pieces for this CAS but lovely look. I added the sentiment, rounded the edges and attached to a black card to finish.

Stamping smiles, Karen

SAS4Kids Anything Goes (for Kids) Challenge!!

It's time for another fun challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids and this time we are challenging you to make any card, as long as it is for kids! That's right- Anything Goes as long as the card is appropriate for a child. We have two great sponsors: Cardmadfairy, whose prize is 5 digital stamps of the winner's choice; and Stamp Fairy and their prize is a $9 gift certificate to their online store. Please check out the blog for all the details on the challenge and to see the wonderful cards by our design team and a special guest designer as well.

As usual we received so many awesome digital stamps from our sponsors I couldn't stop at just one card:) The first card I made is a Double Twist Easel card that I learned how to make here. I love fun fold cards and was thrilled to find another new one to try. I printed out the butterfly and flower digital stamps from Cardmadfairy on white cardstock and also on dp and paper pieced them. I cut and scored the purple card according to the tutorial and attached the white squares. I punched the floral border (Martha Stewart) and attached it with mounting tape to raise. The sentiment was punched out and attached to complete the card.

The front folds down and looks like this.

My second card uses a really cute teddy with a flower digi from Stamp Fairy. I printed him on a white cardstock strip and paper pieced him (of course:) I created a base by embossing a blue piece with an orange strip with the Happy Birthday Cuttlebug folder and attaching that to a white card. I added some flowers and a blue glitter strip to complete the card.

I am entering the cards in the Anything Goes challenges at Kelley Kid's and Crafts and Me Challenges.

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen

Crafty Cardmakers and Make My Monday Challenges

The challenge this week at Crafty Cardmakers is Butterflies and at Make My Monday it is Things with Wings. I had been wanting to use this beautiful set from CTMH that was sold to raise money for Japan earlier this year. I also decided to cash in on the doily craze but can't afford all the lovely but expensive doily diecuts available, so I bought some inexpensive ones at Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts in the cake decorating section. I cut one in half and laid it on a piece of dp and the card evolved from there. The butterflies are all from the SU die that cuts and embosses.

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. DCC Challenge

The Designer Choice Challenge at What If? Wednesday this week is hosted by Dawn and she is challenging us to make shaker cards. When I saw the Stamp of the Week at Repeat Impressions this week I knew it would be perfect for a shaker card. This cute Summer Frame stamp is available for 50% off this week with a discount code found at RI's blog, The House that Stamps Built. I stamped her on acetate and colored with markers. I created a frame with blue and yellow cardstock and raised it all with mounting tape to create the place for the sand and shells. I added the seashell border from Martha Stewart to complete the shaker card.

So try a shaker card for fun and join us in this fun challenge for a chance to win a great Repeat Impressions prize. You have almost two weeks to get the card done and entered. For all the details on the challenge and to see some more great shaker card examples, please visit the RI blog.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Crafty Ann's for "Summertime and the Living is Easy".

Stamping smiles, Karen

PCI Stitching Challenge

The new challenge this week at Paper Creations Ink is to use Stitching on our cards. What they are looking for are ALL TYPES of creations that have stitching on them, whether it is by hand, using a sewing machine, faux stitching or even stitching on your ribbon. Our wonderful sponsor Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps is offering a $10 gift certificate to the lucky winner and you have until Sunday, July 14, 2011 at 7pm CST to join us for this challenge. I liked the digital stamps provided to us by Stitchy Bear so much I had to create two cards. I love to use humor in my cards and so this 29 Again funny lady by Stitchy just cracked my up. I made an easel card and poked holes and drew cross stitches around her as a frame. I paper pieced her balloons and outfit and colored the rest with my copics. The funny sentiment is from Art Impressions and I added a row of purple gems to complete the card.

My second card is using some beautiful Shabby Chic digital paper and the Floral Fantasy digital stamp (Floppy Latte') both from Stitchy Bear. I simply printed the digital stamp onto the gorgus digital paper and cut it out leaving a frame of dp on the sides. I used my Scor Bug to make faux stitches down both sides of the black card and drew my stitches with white ink. I added some pink gems to complete this CAS card.

I am entering these cards in the challenges at 4 Crafty Chicks for bling and at Digi Doodles Shop's Best for Anything Goes.

Stamping smiles, Karen