Graduation Party - Page 2

Submitted to Scrapbook Steals - MidWeek Mojo - Coral 2

The first page of this LO can be found HERE.  I based the second page of the lay-out on this sketch:

 

The top picture in this LO is a picture of my son with his sweet, smart girlfriend - the bottom picture is my step-sons modeling their really cool Disney graduation hats.  We sure had fun celebrating their graduation with friends and family.  

The paper is EP Country Park.  The trim is from Websters pages.  

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Graduation Party - Page 1

Submitted to Scrapbook Steals - Midweek Mojo - Coral 1

Scrapbook steals provided this really detailed sketch for their mid-week mojo challenge this week.

I love banners!  I couldn't wait to try to make something inspired by this sketch.  Three of my boys recently graduated from high school.  I decided to use this sketch to inspire a lay-out of them cutting their cake.  (I have to wonder though what I was thinking handing sharp knives to teenage boys!!)  Most of the paper is from EP Country Drive paper.  I'm seriously hooked on this line!








Here's my LO:

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

My Handsome Frog

Submitted to {PIN}spirational Challenge 24

The {PIN}spirational picture this week included a cat, a frog and a pink flower. Here's the picture:

 I'm not much of a cat person and have no craft-y supplies with cats.  I remembered a stamp-set I had with a frog though.  I haven't used it in a while, so thank you {PIN}spirational Challenges for inspiring me to find it.  I created this:

So, while there's no cat, that frog is practically identical to the inspiration picture and there's pink!  :)

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Reindeer 3, 2, 1

Submitted to Shopping Our Stash Challenge 68 - 321

Shopping Our Stash challenged us to use 3 of one thing, two of another, and one of another. Fortunately, they gave us some really beautiful DT examples, or I might have been very confused!  ha ha

In this card, there is ONE reindeer,TWO squares and THREE ribbons.  I had used this reindeer in a card before, but I re-designed the card to add the extra elements.  I really like how it turned out!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Sympathy with Dark Paper

Submitted to Clear It Out - Dark Papers and Sympathy

I found a new challenge blog this week!  Woo hoo!  Love challenges!!  Clear It Out challenged me to use dark papers from my stash and create a sympathy card.  I've had this dark "marble" looking paper for ages.  I decided to add some color in the flower.  I inked up my Unity stamp with dark purple and used some light purple ink just around the edges.  (The light ink is one of those cheapie teardrop inks, so I wasn't worried about the two-color contamination...)  I love how the flower turned out!

I also used by sweetheart inker around the flower and added some ribbon.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Gobble Til You Wobble

Submitted to Chick Challenge - Sketch 44

I was a card-making fool today.  This week at work, I started pulling double-duty. One of the gals I work with has accepted another position, so I'm helping out at her job.  The first week was about 60 hours of work.  *yawn*  Only about two more months to go.... Today, I decided to just NOT work and craft.  Fun!  After posting my results, I think I may take a nap.  My sweet hubby is cooking dinner - smoked BBQ ribs!  Yum.

This card is based on this sketch:

I turned it sideways:

I love this Itty-Bitty Unity Turkey! 

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Holiday Presents

Submitted to Anything But a Card - Debut Challenge

I've made a few of these clothespin and tuna can candle holders, and people really compliment me on them. I decided to make a bunch for holiday presents!  This one made with EP Country Drive Paper.  The ribbons are Passport trim and Websters Pages.  The other embellies are from UmWow Studios. 

In past projects, I inked up the clothespins. Since these were light airy colors, I decided not to do it this time.  I like it, and it was SO easy to make!!

Here's the project:

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

A Fun Name Plate

Submitted to Crop Chocolate's 3D challenge #30 - 3D

A month or so ago, the FABULOUS Amber from Crop Chocolate posted this really cute wood letter that had banners with her ADORABLE daughter's name on it.  I loved the project, but I don't have any adorable little girls.....oh wait, I'm a girl and sorta cute in a middle-aged woman sorta way!  I decided to indulge myself and make one for my office door instead of the "regular" nameplate. 

My dear husband cut me a K out of wood.  Aren't handy husbands great?  I covered it with Echo Park's Country Drive Collection paper and slathered it with mod podge.  I used Nestabilities dies to cut out the banners and put K A R E N on it.  Hey, that's my name!  ha ha  I pulled out my bird punch and distressed everything with TH summer inks (sent to me as blog candy by the very generous Kathy).  I added a flower from UmWow Studios.....And voila!

Disclaimer:  I sprained my ankle and finally couldn't take the pain anymore and downed a Vicoden.  That's why this post is sillier than usual. My head is swimming - just a little.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Another Halloween Card

Submitted to Little Scrap Pieces - Fun Friday Challenge - Halloween

Last week, I submitted a card for this challenge that called for us to use Pink. I decided I absolutely NEEDED to use Anna Stillwell's (Cuddlebug Cuties) Eve digital stamp and color her pink. This week, the challenge is to do a Halloween card.  I used the same digital image but made it it more traditional Halloween colors.  I love this stamp, and I get to color!!

And here's the card!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Two Authentique Challenges

Submitted to Authentique Paper: Show Me Your Mustache
and Authentique August Inspiration Color Challenge

Authentique has gotten silly.  Fun silly.  They challenged crafters to don mustaches.  I'm game.  Ha ha....  My dog, Pete, wasn't sure what the heck was going on, but he still gave me snuggles anyway!  The mustache is from the Blissful line.

Authentique's August Color Challenge inspired us to use Authentique paper and colors Buttercup, Jade and Cool Cobalt.  To make my card, I used the Blissful and Fresh lines.  The Blissful has some really nice yellows....ummm....I mean Buttercup colors.  The Fresh line is mostly light blues and reds, so I inked up one some with a teal....ummmm....I mean Jade color.  I added some ribbon in Cool Cobalt!  This is the first time I made a ribbon flower like this.  I think it turned out pretty cute!  What do you think?




Here's the card!

  

Fun challenges!  Thanks, Authentique!!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Carolers Card

Submitted to Kaboodle Doodles Challenge Blog:  Challenge 135

Kaboodle Doodles challenge was to incorporate music, dance or some other art form into our creations.  I found this adorable digi-stamp from Mo's Digital Pencil Too that I colored up.  Here lately, I'm finding that I'm loving coloring with the Copic Pens and want to color on every project!  I'm also thinking of what kind of holiday cards I want to make this year.  I tend to make a bunch of 4 or 5 different cards. I think this may be one.  Love these cute carolers!  What do you think?

Here's the card:

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

The Earth Laughing

Submitted to {Pin}spirational Challenges #23

The challenge was to create something that is inspired by this picture. What a fun picture, and I headed in to my stamps. I found the sentiment, "The Earth Laughs in Flowers." I liked it.  It made me smile. I plan to send this card to Operation Write Home. I hope that it makes one of our heroes smile too. 

I showed it to my dear husband who is in the process of fixing up our backyard. While he liked it, he thinks our backyard is scoffing at him. (There's only a few flowers so far!)


Anyway, here is my creation all done up in pink and green. I love the Spellbinders embossing folder I used.  The stamps are from CTMH.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Pink Halloween

Submitted to Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday Challenge to Use Pink

I was still in a Halloween state of mind, so I challenged myself to use PINK in a Halloween card. Check it out!

That beautiful image was created by Anna Stillwell from Cuddlebug Cuties. She's so pretty in pink and purple!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Think Pink

Submitted to Link Up for Pink Challenge #5

Link Up for Pink provided this sketch:

I followed it "loosely."  Their challenge also asks that pink be the main color.  I used teal for the background, but everything else is pink based (including the fence which I distressed in pink....it's a little hard to tell in the picture.  I hope it's pink enough...

The adorable young lady in this image probably is too young to have her mammogram annually, but she looks smart enough to do it once she gets to that age. My mom is a survivor....a mammogram caught her cancer early.  Have you had your mammogram lately?

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Unity Halloween Card

Submitted to Chick Challenges Sketch #43

A month or so ago, I joined Unity's Stamp of the Week club. I've gotten some really cute stamps....like the one used to fit this sketch challenge.  I was in a Halloween mood today.... 
 







It's colored in with Copic At You Spica glitter markers. Even the spider webs!  ooo, scary!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Happy Life

Submitted to Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 80 - The Recipe: Twine, Pop Dots and Buttons

Die Cuttin Divas challenged us to use twine, pop dots and three buttons in our creation. I really love this unity stamp that I got from their stamp of the week club, so I colored it up with my copics. The die I used to cut it out was Nestabilities wonky squares.  The edge pattern is Nestabilities In Spades. As long as I had my cuttlebug rolling, I embossed the background too.  The image and sentiment are popped. The buttons have twine tied in them.  Cute, cute!  (even if I do say so myself!!) Here's the card:

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Operation Write Challenges 6, 7, 9 and 10

These cards are submitted for Operation Write Home's Virtual Card Making Party

Challenge 6 of the Operation Write Home's Virtual Card Making Party was to make a card based on this sketch:

Linda from Creepin' Along provided this challenge. I love my bird punch! I took this opportunity to use it and make these fabulous little birds for this card that hopefully one of our heroes will love to send to someone.

Challenge 7 from Scrapping with Purpose asked us to make a holiday card either for a child or to send to any hero. I made this card that I'll send to any hero!











Yes, I do know how to count (ha ha), but I had to skip a challenge that asked us to make a card that was sports-related. My kids are past the age of playing sports, and I have NO stamps or stickers that were sports-related. Sorry!

Challenge 9 from Sharing My Work for OWH challenged us to use a neglected tool. I used to use my spirelli punch all the time, but it's been in the back of a drawer for a couple years. I pulled it out and remembered why I don't use it a lot. I have to stand on it to make it punch! I still love the look of this card.

The 10th and final challenge for the Virtual Card Making Party was offered by Kathryn's Cards. Kathryn asked us to make a card that represents our state. I live in California and work at the University of California. I knew that my state colors were blue and gold. I looked up our other state symbols and found that the California state insect is the butterfly. (Who knew?!) I covered a piece of paper in blue and gold washi tape and die-cut this butterfly. I plan to send this card to any-hero too.







The party was fun, and I would like to thank everyone who hosted a challenge!

Craftily yours,

Karen

My Favorite Scrappy Thing

Submitted to Shopping Our Stash 66: Use Your Favorite Things

Shopping our Stash challenged us to use our favorite things. My "go-to" favorite tool is my Cuttlebug and my Nestabilities dies. My favorite holiday is Christmas. I decided to combine the two and make this Christmas card using my Cuttlebug and the Holiday Nestabilities dies!  Here's the card:

I also LOVE, LOVE glitter, so I painted this fantastic reindeer with glitter paint. Every year, I make tons of cards for friends, family and co-workers. I imagine this reindeer will be making its appearance over and over!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Grandpa's Birthday

Submitted to Kaboodle Doodle Challenge #134: Tribute to Someone Older Than Us

This is the oldest person I know - my grandpa, Russel. A couple years ago, he moved to my hometown into a really nice retirement center. He grouses and grumps, but I think he really likes to live nearby to my mom/dad, my brother and me. In this picture, he is showing off two pictures he painted that won first place at the county fair.





His birthday is November 18. He'll be 93 this year.  To meet the Kaboodles challenge, I made this birthday card in advance for him.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Link Up for Pink

Am posting to advertise a give-away for Link Up to Pink.

 

 

Here's what one lucky winner will receive:

1- Stamp It Hinged Based
1- Summer Stamp It set (stars)
1- Autumn Stamp It set (paisleys)
1-Winter Stamp It set (swirls with hearts)
(Each stamp set include 3 corner and 3 border stamps. Please note, the Hinged Base and Summer stamp are packaged together.)
Total prize value: $69.85

Go here to enter the giveaway Link Up for Pink.


Craftily yours,


Karen

Operation Write Home - Challenges 1 and 2

These two cards are for the Operation Write Home Virtual Card Making Party - Challenges 1 and 2

This fun triple-stamped card is for the first challenge by Angie who asked us to create a card with a Scripture verse or an uplifting quote or sentiment. My quote says, "Remember Life's Treasures are People, not Things." In thinking about all of the men and women serving our country in the military, I think it is true that they are America's treasures.

 My dear husband honorably served in the U.S. Marine Corp for two terms....once a Marine, always a Marine.

The second challenge from Cherie's Corner of the world gave us a recipe to use an image, patterned paper, and words. This card made with Stampin' Ups double-stamped flower and "thinking of you" sentiment fits that bill.











Off to see what other challenges Operation Write Home has in store.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)