Thinking of You

Hello! My posts have been a little erratic lately...that's what happens when your BFF comes to visit! We have managed to fit in some stamping between walks, shopping, and a getaway to Vermont, but not as much as usual cause we're having so much fun doing other things! And, my posts will remain a little erratic for the next few weeks because my family arrives later this week and my parents will be here for a good long visit. But I have been thinking of you and I just wanted to let you know I'll be back to more regular posting in October. :)

In the meantime, I needed a card for my friend after her uncle passed away so I reached for an SU set (the name escapes me right now and I'm not in my stamp room). I inked it up with markers, olive and chocolate, then stamped it onto Choice Buttercream. The patterned paper is retired SU and I really liked the subdued colours and pattern for this card. I saw this layout on a card on this card on Laura Fredrickson's blog a while ago and loved the simple layout so I filed it away in my memory. I think it's just perfect for my card! If the edges look a little wrinkled, it's cause they are. I tried to distress them a little after the layers were stitched together but it didn't work as well as I wanted. I finished the card with some chocolate grosgrain ribbon and tied that cute bow with my Bow Easy...love it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Easy Noel

Here's my Christmas card for this week and it's a quick and easy one too!

When I was tidying my desk I found Splitcoast Sketch #239 sitting there, all printed out but never used. I thought it would be a great layout for a quick and easy card and I didn't have a ton of time to stamp so I ran with it. I was looking through my stamps, trying to decide what image to use, when I saw my Big On Christmas set from SU. Perfect!!!

Next I pulled out some Cosmo Cricket Christmas paper for my colour scheme and went to work on the image. It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Buttercream and coloured with copics. I stamped the ornament a second time so I could pop it for dimension. The image is quite plain and simple but I jazzed it up with a layer of clear Glaze pen on the letters and a little red Spica glitter pen on the ornament. Then I cut it out with long rectangle Nestabilities and doodled around the edge with my copic multiliner.

I had actually intended to use one of the more colourful papers in the collection but this one suited the image better once it was all coloured. I ran some Prism Island Mist Light through my swiss dots Cuttlebug folder before stitching it to a layer of Prism Blush Red Dark and adhering it to the Choice Buttercream card base. I fished through my button jar for the perfect trio and voila...one quick and easy Christmas card to add to my ever-growing stash!

I tell you...I'm going to be SO happy come December and all my cards are made...no mass-production for me this year...yippeee!!! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Thinking of You, SU only...

Well, just about SU only, aside from the Nestabilities and the Cuttlebug folder. But this is about as SUO as I get nowadays.

I think this is the first time ever that I've completed the weekly Splitcoast Sketch Challenge on the day it's issued. This layout is SC242. When I saw the sketch I thought it would be perfect for Trendy Trees. The tree is inked with chocolate chip and kiwi kiss then I stamped the sentiment in riding hood red. I just can't seem to give up these colours...yum!

The patterned paper is Bella Rose. I ran some pink pirouette through my birds and swirls Cuttlebug folder before layering it onto the white card base. Everything is layered on chocolate chip and I did my fun loopy ribbon treatment with the riding hood red ribbon then attached a kiwi corduroy button. Two chocolate brads finished it off nicely.

I have lots to do today (running around and stamping), getting ready for friends to arrive for a weekend visit.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

No copics and almost all SU!

Here's a card that's nearly all SU! I know...I haven't done that in a while!

I really felt like watercolouring yesterday so I reached for my Spring Song stamp set...love those birds! I find this type of set is perfect for watercolouring because SU has already done the shading lines for me so I don't have to guess where to put the darker shades. The layout is the Weekend Sketch #89 hosted by Lori Craig. I also incorporated the Limited Supplies Challenge #229 on Splitcoast (to use your wedding or high school colours and at least one clip or staple or phototurn).

So I decided to use my wedding colour (because my high school colours were just horrid, in my humble opinion), light blue. I needed an accent colour so I chose light yellow because it goes so well with blue and also because the white flowers in the centerpieces had yellow centers, although it wasn't an official colour. Everything is SU except the ribbon and button.

I stamped the image with black Stazon onto watercolour paper, cut it out with oval Nesties and watercoloured it with an aquapainter and reinkers. I cut out the bird and two flowers and popped them for dimension. I added a light shading of blush blossom around the entire image to tone down the white paper, but after I did this I realized white would have been a wedding colour too...oh well, too late now.

Once I had my card assembled I had no place for the sentiment so I added it under the image and secured it with a mini library clip. A fun little accent I wouldn't have thought to do if I wasn't trying to complete the Limited Supplies Challenge.

I realize that I need more practice watercolouring, but I'm quite happy with how this turned out and it was fun to set my copics aside for a completely different look.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Manhattan Elegance

I don't know why, but I can't wrap my head around the fact that this stamp set is called Fifth Avenue Floral...I keep calling it Manhattan Flower and I've even labelled it that way on my shelf, otherwise I'd never find it! LOL!!!

I was blurfing a couple of evenings ago and came across this stunning technique. I watched the video tutorial on Patty Bennett's blog and was just amazed with how easy this was. And it truly was easy...toughest part was waiting for the paper to dry, and the flower just got more beautiful as it dried. 

The shimmer white paper adds a very pretty sparkle to the rose and it catches the light beautifully. I attached the flower with dimensionals to some regal rose which I cut out with my Labels 3 Nestabilities. 

The card base is white, followed by a layer of Rose Red. Next I ran So Saffron through the Big Shot with the 'friends' texturz embossing template then I pierced around the edge for more detail. Three circles of Pink Pirouette complete the layout, which is for the Corrosive Challenge #11. I added the ribbon in place of the sentiment because of the words in the background. 

I used the same colours for the flower, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Rose Red, So Saffron. I whipped up six flowers in no time flat...now, what shall I do with the rest of them??!!?? 

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Festive Snowmen

I raided my SIL's stamp collection for this set, Festive Favourites from Stampin' Up!. It's a set I don't own, so this is the perfect opportunity to use it. The layout for this card is from the Weekend Sketch Challenge hosted by Sharon Harnist, WSC78. 

I stamped the snowmen with Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured them with copics...what little colouring there was...LOL! I trimmed around the frame with scissors then layered the image onto Baja Blue (I'm really going to miss that colour when it's gone...I find it coordinates so well with lots of different patterned papers). It's hard to see in the photo, but I used my new Spellbinders Deckle Scalloped Edge Borderabilities along the bottom of the baja piece...it cut a nice scallop and embossed three rows of little circles. The ribbon is SU white taffeta. 

The card base is white, followed by a layer of Baja Blue then two of the patterns in the Bo Bunny Holiday Cheer line. I was wishing I'd brought my ghost snowflakes with me but I didn't...then I remembered my Spellbinders Snowflake Wonder Shapeabilities. So I cut out a Pink Pirouette snowflake, attached it with a white brad and added crystal Stickles to the outer edges. I also added some crystal Stickles to the row of snow under the snowmen. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Bloomin' Beautiful

I really should have brought a bigger variety of stamps with me...LOL...but luckily my SIL has a fair sized collection so I borrowed her Stampin' Up Bloomin' Beautiful set to use with Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 15. Ha, I just thought of something...this card is a collaboration of Karens...I'm a Karen, the sketch challenge is done by a Karen and my SIL is a Karen too!  :)

I started by stamping the flower with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Snow White and colouring it with copics. I stamped it again three times, cut out the leaves and different petals and popped them on dimensionals. In total the flower has four layers...very pretty IRL (and I can leave this one behind for my Mom when I leave so I didn't need to worry about mailing it). The image was cut out with my Petite Oval Nestabilities. I just recently learned that in addition to having a smaller scallop around the edge, the Petite Ovals are a narrower oval shape than the classic oval Nestabilities...who knew (well, probably all of you knew that, but it was news to me)!

I started with a white card base then layered some Pink Pirouette. Next I ran some Artichoke through my Textile Cuttlebug folder and cut it into four strips. I wrapped Pink Pirouette ribbon around the base and secured it with a large white brad. My intention was to add a tag with a "Happy Mother's Day" sentiment, but wanted to use a clear tag and I left those back home, so I had to settle for stamping the sentiment on the inside of the card because using a cardstock tag made the element seem too 'heavy'. I did add a small punched flower though and a Moss coloured Glass Pearl from Stamping Bella. 

Because of the Mother's Day sentiment, this card also qualifies for my friend Janet's Corrosive Challenge #9. This is the first card I've done in a while that doesn't use any patterned paper...likely because I didn't have one with me that worked with the image and colours I chose. But hey, it's good to get out of your groove once in a while...right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Thinking of You By the Sea

This is where I'd like to be...sitting in a chair by the ocean, the sun beating down on me, a light breeze blowing my hair, sipping a refreshing drink...ahhhhh...if I stare at the picture long enough maybe it'll come true! giggle!

I decided to play with my first Weekend Sketch Challenge #77, which is hosted by Lori Craig. I combined it with the Chicks Inspiration Challenge #4. When I saw the Chicks inspiration piece I thought about an SU set I've had on my shelf for a loooooong time, Along the Shore. It was in a mini (I think) way back in 2005. And I must confess, it has never seen ink until today! Yikes! So I stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Gina K pure luxury and coloured it with copics. I drew in the horizon line for the sea. I cut it out with my new Labels Four Nestabilities then I adhered it to some Tangerine Tango and trimmed around the edge with my scissors to create a mat. I REALLY wish Spellbinders would create a nice layering size for the Labels nesties. Spellbinders...are you reading this??? Could you please create a layering size??? Pretty Please!!!

The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow and I accented it with some ribbon from The Paper Source. The light one is called Pool and the dark one is called Deep Pool (that makes me giggle!). The sentiment is from the SU Trendy Trees set and it's stamped onto certainly celery and punched out with my word window punch. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Wish Big Cupcake!

It's so much fun to be stamping with my BFF Dana! We're having a fabulous time together here in Calgary.  :)

This is the card I created today. It combines two challenges: Taylor's Cupcake Challenge #58 and the inspiration piece on my friend Janet's Corrosive Challenge blog from Challenge #2, which just went up today. 

The cupcake image is from the SU hostess set Darling Dots. It's stamped with Pink Pirouette ink onto white. The center image was stamped onto pink pirouette cardstock. For the center cupcake I stamped it twice, once with Rose Red and once with Kiwi Kiss, then cut it out and popped it. I used the ticket corner punch on four of the squares and added some green rhinestones to the corners. I finished off the center image with a pink rhinestone. 

The sentiment is from Short and Sweet. I combined some punches, did a little piercing and layered it onto Kiwi satin ribbon. I love how quickly this card came together...grids are always fun to work with!

Don't forget I still have  a blog candy contest on til 8PM EST today on this post. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Hello There!

If you know me, then it comes as no surprise that Cheep Talk was one of the first sets I purchased from the new SU catalogue...it's got birds! I'm all about birds. LOL! I decided to get it inky for Taylor's Cupcake Challenge #57. 

It was about 9:30 last night when I sat down to stamp this and I wanted an image I didn't have to colour. The leaves and wing are cut out and popped for a little dimension. At first I tied the ribbon into a bow but it was overwhelming the panel, so then I switched it to this tailored half-bow thingy. The end of the ribbon reminds me of the beak on the other bird...his mouth is open and he's chirping away. Oh, and one more thing I noticed while I was cutting out the leaves...if you look at the two leaves closest to the bird, they look like a moustache. So if you want to add a moustache to anything you can use these leaves. Sigh...Sometimes even I wonder about my imagination! LOL!

Aside from a little sewing with my Janome and the nesties, this is an all SU card. The new buttons and brads are just wonderful...thanks SU!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Eye Chart Card

My dad's birthday is coming up in March, and he's an optometrist (so are two of my brothers) so when the set, Off the Chart, from SU came out a few years ago I just had to have it...it's so appropriate for my family. I decided to use it this year for my dad's card.

The layout is from sketch challenge #216 on Splitcoast. The entire card came together quite quickly because there wasn't anything to colour in. The image is inked with chocolate chip and ruby red inks (I used my marker for the red part) and stamped onto kraft cardstock. It's cut out with nesties and layered onto chocolate chip. 

The card base is always artichoke. I chose papers from the Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy line. I pierced on the strip then again around the focal image. I added some chocolate brads and tucked a little circle of artichoke under them, for a little contrast. 

That's it! Super quick and easy. I know I'm safe posting this cause my dad doesn't read my blog...heck...he doesn't even own a computer, and I wonder how I could ever live without one. LOL!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Cupcake Tree

This is the last card I managed to get done for Taylor's Cupcake Challenge celebration. I sampled Vicki Chrisman's sketch for this one. I didn't get all nine sketches completed in time for the contest, but I've printed the other sketches and I'll play along at some point, cause I'm always up for a sketch challenge and it's really never too late to play.  :)

I had this idea to add cupcakes to the tree from Season of Friendship. I was originally going to colour cupcakes from Crazy for Cupcakes but I found this fabulous paper with rows and rows of cupcakes, so I made my life easier and just cut them out from the paper. 

The card base is Gina K 120lb pure luxury, then So Saffron followed by Rose Red. The strips of patterned paper are Heidi Grace Designs Valentine's day line. I used my scallop border punch for the bottom strip then tied some Rose Red grosgrain ribbon as an accent. The sentiment is from Crazy for Cupcakes. 

I can't believe it...I did a card without any bling on it! But, the cupcake paper has this shimmery coating that doesn't really show up in the pictures, so my card still has some bling. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

If I Set My Mind To It...

I can accomplish quite a bit in a short amount of time. My friend Dana emailed yesterday afternoon, saying she found a challenge on the Verve forum on Splitcoast and that we should participate. Ok...I'm game...the prize is free stamps, and I'll do just about anything for free stamps. {grin!} 

So, she emails the link, and I check it out. Cool challenge, but we're jumping in on Day 4 of a four day challenge, we have to play catch-up and the deadline is today, Friday at noon. Yikes!!! That means I had to make all four cards on Thursday night cause I'm going on a little roadtrip with Joanne to a stamping store on Friday. {even bigger grin!}.  Also...thank goodness for our PVR because it was Grey's and Private Practice night. 

Now, I have to tell you, that ever since I've been "stamping for pleasure" and not preparing for classes or workshops, I've really started taking my sweet time with my creations. I'll stamp one, maybe two cards a day, and I like to "let the ideas come to me". So this business of creating four cards in a short amount of time was like a marathon for me. AND...I did it! Yippee!!! So let me show you the fruits of my labour.

Butterfly Trio

This is the first card I made, for the Day 1 colour challenge, Ridinghood Red, Blush Blossom, and Kraft. I totally took my inspiration from the colour swatch sample and  pulled out my still uninked SU Flight of the Butterfly set. I stamped each butterfly twice, with Blush Blossom then Ridinghood red, ofsetting just a bit for a shadow effect. The circle panel was cut out with nesties then I ran the blush piece through my D'vine Swirls cuttlebug folder. The card base is Kraft, followed by a piece of blush blossom, then a piece of patterned paper from the SU Ridinghood Red designer paper pack. I added crystal stickles to the centers of the flowers on the background paper and also to the dots on the butterfly. The layout for this card is from Lauren's weekend sketch. 

Mug Trio

Next I moved onto the Day 2 sketch challenge, which you can see here. Since I was under a time crunch, I decided to use this mug image which has been sitting, all coloured, on my desk for over a month now...gasp! The image is from MFT...they're single cups but I stacked them. They're stamped with Memento black onto Gina K pure luxury and coloured with copics. The background paper is from Making Memories Paperie line. The solid colours are Chocolate and Pink Pirouette. 

I "Joanned" my tailored bow by adding a pink button and linen thread...love that detail.  The chocolate dots along the side are from Stamping Bella. 

Dear Friend

Next I tackled the Day 3 sketch challenge, which you'll find here. I felt like colouring, but I needed a small image with not too much detail, so I chose an image from the SU set A Flower For All Seasons. 

Then I decided on a pattern from the Basic Grey Mellow line (the 6x6 pack) and started colouring. I know...I used a ton of markers on this little image...don't be turned off by that, I'm just a bit of a colouring freak and I love layering the shades. {grin!} The card base is Brocade Blue, then a layer of More Mustard. 

The ribbon is SU Spring Moss and I did a mini button bow in the corner of the image. Oh, the sentiment is from the SU set Bella Blossoms. 

Upsy Daisy

FINALLY...the Day 4 sketch challenge. Let me start by saying I was getting tired at this point and pretty much lost my mojo, and it totally shows with this card. It's definitely NOT my favourite. The stamp set is SU Upsy Daisy, which I first inked with Baja Blue, then I sponged on some Not Quite Navy, then I used my Not Quite Navy marker to shade the stems. The entire card was really quick to make but I don't love it. The base is Not Quite Navy, followed by Baja Blue, then a piece of patterned paper from K & Company. The ribbon is SU celery grosgrain and the sparkly blue bonbons are from Stamping Bella. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Button Birthday gets a Makeover

I just couldn't leave my card from yesterday's post alone. I wasn't happy with it, but I thought it would be ok since I was sending it to a 6 year old, but I just couldn't stop thinking about it. I was lying in bed last night when it hit me. I'd use the same alphabet, but overlap the letters and colour them with copics. That would leave me more space for the candles on the right side. Yippee!!! Off to sleep I went, once I knew how to make my card better.

So here's the makeover version. I really do like it MUCH better than the original. It still uses the Jumbo Outline Alphabet but I used my SAMJ to place them exactly where I wanted. For the "Birthday 2 U" I used a combo of a word from the SU sets It's Your Birthday and Simple Serif Alphabet & Numbers. 

Now I feel much better about sending it.  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Button Birthday

Here's another card for one of my nephews. Not sure about it though...I don't love it. I'd rework it, but really, he's 6...will he care? I got the idea to use an alphabet stamp from this card on Tessa's blog. I like her design much better though. 

The layout is from the Our Creative Corner sketch challenge. 

The patterned paper is from Sonburn Designs...another line with boyish colours. 

I used my Jumbo Outline alphabet to stamp the letters onto patterned paper and but them out. I did the same for the candles with the Big Birthday Candle set and added some dazzling diamonds to the flame. The row of buttons is my attempt at a boyish scallop...actually, I think that may be my favourite part of the card. LOL! The word 'happy' ended up being on an upward slant...it was supposed to be more askew than that...not sure what I was thinking when I glued down the letters. 

Oh well...hopefully tomorrow will be a better mojo day.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

A Small Confession

I have a small confession...We've been away in Jamaica for the past week, just getting home today! Yay Mon!

Remember the card I posted for my brother's wedding? Well, it was a destination wedding to Negril, Jamaica. We had a super time...my family actually travels really well together and we always enjoy ourselves. Really, how could you not enjoy sun, sand, and surf!

My new SIL sent everyone these awesome luggage tags before we left. Aren't they adorable? We each got two tags and they were personalized too! I told her it was just like going on an SU cruise. My brother even participated in the project by hunting down the actual plastic tags. What a great reminder of their wedding, and totally useful too!

Regular programming...errr...I mean posting will resume in the next day or two. I'm in stamping withdrawal!!!  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Pocket Notes

Just a quick post for today. I made this set as a hostess gift for a neighbour. The layout is shamelessly cased from this card on Splitcoast. I was drawn to the clean lines of the layout and the fact that it would be super quick to whip up a batch of these. I'm sorry, I don't really have much to say about the products I used on the card...I didn't write it down at the time and I've given away the cards. The stamp set is SU Pocket Silhouettes. I know the green one is Wild Wasabi, and I think the other is Almost Amethyst, but I can't recall who made the patterned paper. The ribbon and dark layer are both SU chocolate.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Baby Boy Onesie

Not long after we moved here, one of my neighbours had a baby boy so I made her a set of these cards to use for 'thank you' or birth announcements. 

These onesie cards are nothing new...they've been floating around for a while. I learned how to make them from my friend Dana, who learned from this tutorial on Lauren's blog. They may look complicated but really they're super simple and super cute too!  

I stamped the front of the card with SU's Dotted background in Bashful Blue ink. The patterned paper around the legs and neck is Bashful Blue DSP (retired SU). The image is from the long retired SU set Toy Box. I won't part with it though, cause in my opinion, it's one of the best boy sets ever. 

I coloured the image with copics, cut it out and adhered it to a punched scallop circle of Bashful Blue. I applied a little white gel pen to the scallops for an accent. 

And here's the finished product, all boxed up and tied with a pretty bow and matching notecard. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Colour Inspired Pocket Silhouettes

As soon as I saw Kristina's colour inspiration I thought of my Pocket Silhouettes stamp set from SU. Aren't the colours this week so warm and cozy - Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Bordering Blue, Sage Shadow, Certainly Celery. I went more with the plums than the greens, so I didn't end up using any Sage Shadow...I hope that's ok.  

I wanted to do a simple card for a change. 

I started by stamping the flower image first with Perfect Plum, then with Pale Plum, then with white ink. I rounded the corners and layered it onto some Perfect Plum CS, then I tied the Celery ribbon. 

For the rest of the card, the base is Perfect Plum and I rounded the top corners. The white layer is sponged with Perfect Plum ink. The strip at the bottom is Bordering Blue, which I ran through the Floral Screen Cuttlebug folder. Then I sponged it with Perfect plum ink. 

There's a lot less to this design than I usually do, but I like the simplicity of it. And I really like that it came together quickly.  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen