This Lady has Class

At a recent Unity sale, I just HAD to have one of their new fashionistas.  Today, I inked her up, and I adore her even more in person.  (This is a big stamp....a trick to bigger stamps when you don't have large acrylic blocks is to use a cuttlebug plate!) I played with the alcohol markers a little and really like how the slight shading turned out...  I created a really sweet stitched ribbon flower with 3 Girl Jam crinkle ribbon.  I have never made one before - not bad for a first attempt!  Gosh, I guess I like this card a lot! 

Tuesday's Alchemy's Challenge said to make a pastel monochromatic card, and 3 Girl Jam Challenges also asked us to make a pastel project with ribbon.  For this card, I used some blue Bazzill that I had in my stash.  The striped paper is from EP About a Boy. 

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Hiya Friday

It's Friday, Friday, Friday!  That means it's time for Friends with Flair!  I used last week's Stamp of the Week "Thanks for Visiting" to create this card.  This house makes me smile :)  The sentiment is also from Unity's Hiya Gorgeous sentiment set.

It WAS Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday when I was inspired by a sketch from Try Stampin' on Tuesday, so I'm submitting it there as well.  Yes, it took me over two days to create a card.....I've had quite a week.

On Sunday night, the skin on the side of my stomach felt like I'd been burned.  After a couple days, a rash appeared - Shingles.   The bad news is:  This stuff HURTS and makes a person really tired.....  The good news is that I have a really swollen, red, angry 4" x 10" flourish of rash across my stomach.  The crafty side of me is impressed that I get Shingles in a flourish shape.  My dear hubby has told me that I shouldn't scrap it....but what does he know?!  Party pooper.

Anyway, here's the card that took me so long!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Guest Design - Sweet Easter

This is my final week as guest designer for MFP Simple Salutations Challenge.  I've loved being a guest designer for the hostess - Melissa.  She makes such adorable cards, and she spends a lot of time leaving love on blogs.  Nice!  These are always fun challenges....and there's always a chance to win some really great mini-stamps! 

This week's challenge is Anything Goes.  The "Anything Goes" challenge always bring a smile to my face because my first thought is, "hey, I can do that!"  Silly, silly Karen!

The first card posted is my challenge entry into MFP Simple Salutations this week.  I'm also entering this into Paper Girls Challenge blog.  The photo to the left is their photo inspiration.  I was inspired by the splotches of color, the natural string, and the tag shape to make this Easter card.  The tag is a gift card holder, and I'll be putting in an iTunes gift card to send to my son for Easter.  He's at advanced training in Oklahoma for the U.S. Army, and this will be our first Easter apart.  I am super proud of him, and I miss him a great deal.  It was hard to get a good picture because I used liquid pearls to create my splotches of color on the tag, and it's VERY shiny!

The next card is in honor of the host of MFP Simple Saluations - Melissa, who is very sweet and always leaves the nicest comments.  This is the card for my guest design spot.  The stamps used on both of these cards are from Marks Finest Papers.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Green with Love

Green with love?!  Huh, I thought it was green with envy!  Silly me....

All That Stickles has a challenge to use our Lime Green Stickles.  When I pulled out my little tube of the stuff, it looked like the color of some really bad medicine, so I pulled out my There She Goes Chemistry stamps which were perfect.  The card is inspired by a There She Goes sketch.

Once I started with the green, I decided to go ALL IN.  I even dyed the ribbon with a mixture of Mr Hueys dye and the lime green Stickles.  I covered the beaker with glossy accents so it's really shiny.  I love shiny - don't you?!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Happy Inchworm

I am submitting my happy inchworm card to MFP Sketch with a Twist as it's inspired by their sketch.  I'm also submitting it to this week's Crop Chocolate challenge to create a flower using an alternative material.  This flower is made from twine!  Complete instructions for this card and many other fun arts projects can be found on my Instructagram board by clicking the link below my signature line.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Yay for Instructagram Blogging

As some of you know, I'm a design team member at Crop Chocolate.  The owner of Crop Chocolate started Instructagram.  I love being able to provide instructions for how to make cards (just in case anyone is interested).  It has a dual purpose of being able to show people the supplies used to make a project.  I've been asking for a blogging feature, and my wish was granted.  The instructions below are created with Instructagram!

I'm submitting this card to 3 Girl Jam (All About Green) and Clear It Out Challenge to create an Easter project that is not rectangular. It's also FRIDAY Friends with Flair!  Happy weekend everyone!






Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Guest Design - Spring Cards

Over at MFP Simple Salutations Challenge, I'm in my third week as a guest designer.  I'm honored to be featured there with some really great crafty peeps!  The sentiments for both cards are from MFP Spring Mini collection.  I made the tulips with a my bird punch (from Stampin' Up).  This is the card I submitted for my guest design.

And I created a second card to submit to the challenge.  The girl is from Tiddly Inks, and the sentiment is MFP Spring Mini. 

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Oodles of Ribbon

Crop Chocolate's challenge this week was to use at least FOUR different ribbons on a project.  This ain't easy!

This card is made with So Noted by Carta Bella.  That paper is gorgeous!  So soft and pretty.  I used my new Epiphany Crafts Button-Maker for this project.  To see how it works, check out my Instructagram below!

I was inspired by a sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday. 

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Guest Design - Timeless Twine

Today, I'm in Lawton Oklahoma visiting my son who has just graduated from the U.S. Army Basic Combat Training........so just a quick post.

Check out my Timeless Twine Guest Design post at  http://timelesstwine.blogspot.com/

There's a chance to win some twine!  (Sorry no pics on here today - hard to post from the iPad!)

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Guest Design - St Patricks Day Fun

This is my second week as guest designer for MFP Simple Salutations challenge.  I made this heart four leaf clover card using the MFP Spring Mini stamp set.  The hearts are doubled up for dimension.  If you want to see how I made this card, check out my Instructagram.  I'm also submitting these cards to the Tuesday's Alchemy Anything Goes challenge.

The next card is for my challenge entry this week.  I made this card at my friend Sharon's card class.  The eye brows, mustache and nose are punched from the Stampin' Up Bird Punch.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

FWF - Pink Owl

For my Friends with Flair post for Unity's blog this week, I used an old favorite - Sweet Owl Just Because.  I inked up this owl and decided he needed to be surrounded by PINK!  I guess I'm just in a pink state-of-mind.  The card is inspired by a sketch at Retro Sketches.

Have an inky, crafty weekend!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Guest Design - Postcard

I am so excited to be March's guest designer for MFP Simple Salutations challenge!  Because of a couple missed communications, I am not yet on the challenge site....but I'm hoping my creation will be there tomorrow!  Using MFP Spring Sayings Mini Stamp Set, I created two postcard inspired cards.  For my postcards, I just used a thin black pen to create a postcard and then decorated it up!  The first card is for my guest design spot:

The second using the same design is for my entry into the challenge:

I love being able to re-purpose a design for a different kind of card!  Be sure to check back next week at MFP Simple Salutations challenge!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Friends

I'm still in the mode of celebrating friendship from the recent blog hop....and I've recently purchased some There She Goes Stamps and some more liquid pearls.  I had to play!  Inspired by a sketch from Try Stampin on Tuesday (mine is upside down) and following the black matting instructions from There She Goes, this is what I came up with:

I love that sweet little bunny!  The background is liquid pearls daubered on.  It's so shimmery and pretty!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Julie's Blog Hop Winner, Winner!

I had so much fun at the Julie's Blogoversary Hop to Celebrate Friendship.  I want to thank each and every one of you for the time that you took to comment on my projects.  It meant a great deal to me!

I'd love to be able to send each and every one of you a little something, but alas - there is only one winner.  I ran RANDOM.ORG and came up with #28! 

Drum roll.............................the winner is:

Rebecca DanielsMarch 2, 2013 at 11:50 AM

Love your cards...I like how cheerful and bright the birthday card is...and I ADORE the bottles of flowers.

SWEET! So much candy in this hop! It's pretty awesome.

Congrats to Rebecca and all the other crafty winners on this hop!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Butterfly Faces

I went to a craft class recently, where the instructor made a card with these adorable little button faces.  I just had to have some (of course), so I made this card inspired by a sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday with my new little button butterfly faces.

I think I must be ready for Spring, huh?! 

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Spring is coming!

I had so much fun making my stair step card with the birds stamps from MFP that I just kept using them for the MFP Sketch with a Twist challenge!  The twist this week is to make something spring themed.  I'm submitting this card to their challenge and to Little Scrap Pieces who also is asking us to think Spring.  These little birdies are loving their bath, aren't they?

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Stair Step Card

Over at The Crop, Laura's project called the trio stair step card was highlighted.  Check out her easy-to-follow tutorial here.  Laura is a fellow design team member at Crop Chocolate, and she's awesome!

The challenge at Crop Chocolate this week is to make anything about celebration.  This stair step card is all about that.  I'm also submitting this card to MFP's Simple Salutation challenge.  The stamps are from Marks Finest Papers.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Sister Act

Well, y'all know how much I love challenges, right?  On Julie's Blog Hop today, I stumbled upon a new challenge blog that is looking for a Design Team.  Hey, I bet I'd love that even more.

The new blog is called "Sister Act Card Challenges."  Love the name!  They have asked us to provide a sample of three cards we have made and help spread the word!  Spreading the word about the blog is easy because I'm active on facebook and other online crafting communities.

Narrowing my favorites down to three is TOUGH.  I really love card-making, and generally, I like what I make.....but here's my sampling:

Hope they like my cards!!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)