Snowbuddy

Submitted to CTVS Challenge 21

CTVS challenged us to make a white Christmas - with snow, a snowman, or a snowflake.  I chose two of the three and used one of my new Stampin' Up stamps.  He's a TOTAL cutie, don't ya think? I also broke out my Bo-Bunny Powder Mountain collection for this card. 

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Snowman Tag

Submitted to the Little Scrap Pieces - Fun Friday Holiday Challenge

Create a holiday project - that's what Little Scrap Pieces said.  So, ok!  One of my crafty buddies did a tag like this on Crop Chocolate last week, and I fell in LOVE with it, so I was inspired to create my own.  I used Fancy Pants white corrugated card board as the base and cut circles.  The face is stamped with Peachy Keen stamps, but I added a carrot nose.  I noticed as I was submitting the project that one of the DT on this site did an UBER cute version of the snowman from above. Cute cute!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Penguin Tag

Submitted to Crop Chocolate Challenge #42 
and to Tuesday's Alchemy Challenge #44

I'm off on vacation for the holidays!  Woo hoo!  I had BIG plans to start my vacation with a whole day of crafting.....and then the vertigo set in.  I've had vertigo before, and fortunately, it doesn't happen a lot....but it pretty much took me out of crafty circulation.  I finally was able to get this project done....so I'm hopeful for a great crafty vacation!

I made six of these adorable little penguin tags, so I'm submitting them to two challenges.  Crop Chocolate challenged us to create something with ribbon and bling. Tuesday's Alchemy says that anything goes.  The penguins in these tags are made with Stampin' Up's Owl Punch.  The paper is Echo Park Winter Wishes, Fancy Pants White Corrugated, and vellum (painted with glitter paint).  Full instructions can be found on my Instruct-agram board...

Do you like the lines from the corrugation (word??) going horizontal or vertical?

Craftily yours,

Karen

Humpday Crafts 2 of 2

Submitted to Shopping Our Stash Challenge 81

Shopping Our Stash challenged us to create a project without an image and to use a sentiment as the focal point. I used this fabulous iridescent white opal "paper" I had an embossed it with a TH winter embossing folder.  I wet embossed my sentiment onto black cardstock and added a light blue mat and a bitty blossom.  The iridescence is really pretty in person... Wish I could figure out how to get the picture to show it :)  Even without showing the pretty opals, I still love this card!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Hump-day Crafts - part 1 of 2

Submitted to Scrapbook Steals - Monday Craft Madness 4
and to Clear It Out Holiday Challenge

It's hump-day and it's 12-12-12.  Cool.  I had a great day at work!  We had our annual holiday party.  I gave my co-workers the Snowman Poop Favors that I made over the weekend.  I think they liked them.

To finish off a good day, I decided to create some cards.  Scrapbook Steals challenged us to use two collections of paper.  I used Authentique Festive and Fancy Pants St Nick collections to make these cards.  Since I made four of these (two are pictured), I am also submitting them to the Clear it Out challenge to create a holiday project.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Mug of Hugs

Submitted to Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #149

Kaboodle Doodles challenge this week is to use red.  Easy!  For Crop Chocolate's weekly challenge, a couple of the crafty ladies used this week's Unity Stamp of the Week (Mug of Hugs) to create cards for the challenge to use 3 patterned hearts.  I had already created a card for their challenge, so I decided to create a second card - using red so it would fit into the Kaboodle Doodle challenge!  It's a great stamp!  The paper used is from Fancy Pants St Nick collection.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Stars, Twine and Snowflakes

Submitted to Timeless Twine December Challenge

Timeless Twine challenged us to make a project that is Merry and Bright that includes Timeless Twine and a button.   We usually give our boys some money for Christmas, so I decided to make a gift card holder.  (Or in my case, it'll hold cold hard cash!)  Here it is:

I hope the colors are merry and bright enough!!  It'll go great with green....ha ha, at least my boys will think so!  I wished I'd have had blue Timeless Twine for the project.  Maybe next time....once my budget recovers from Christmas!  For instructions on how to make this gift card (if you are interested), check out the Instructagram link.

Here's another card I made using Timeless Twine (and hanging hearts instead of stars) just to show another variation of the "hanging" with twine.  (This card was submitted on Crop Chocolate challenge to use 3 patterned hearts.)

Craftily yours,

Karen

Snowman Poop - Day 3

Submitted to Anything But a Card - Challenge 8

Well, I think I'm done making snowman poop favors for my co-workers!  I've made over fifty of these things.  Here's a sample from DAY 3 of making them that I'm submitting to the Anything But a Card challenge to create something for the holiday....  I hope my co-workers love these as much as I do! For instructions on how to make these, check out my Instructagram.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Snowman Poop - Day 2

Submitted to Tuesday's Alchemy Challenge 43 and to Shopping our Stash Challenge 80

I am making a bunch of these snowman poop favors for the people I work with.  I'm on Day 2 of making snowman poop....that's a LOT of poop!!!  Tuesday's Alchemy challenged us to make anything but a card, and Shopping our Stash asked us to make something for the winter holiday.  For complete instructions on how to make these cute little snowman poop favors, check out my Instructagram.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Snowman Poop - Day 1

Submitted to Clear it Out Challenge and to Basic Grey Challenge 83

Clear It Out asked us to make something with a holiday theme.  Basic Grey challenged us to create something for the holidays.  I made a bunch of these snowman poop favors for the people I work with.  These are made with Timeless Twine and Basic Grey Nordic Holiday paper, so I'm submitting them to these challenges!!  For complete instructions on how to make snowman poop, check out my Instructagram.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Sparkle Trees

Submitted to Little Scrap Pieces:  Fun Friday Challenge

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  Yes, indeed.  This is the challenge on Little Scrap Pieces this week, so I used some Co-ordinations paper and some white glitter paper from Stampin' Up and made these cute cards.  I love the little jingle bells (also from Stampin' Up).  They even make a slight "tinkle" noise when you shake these cards!  Fun.  I sure do love Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Coral Lay-outs

So I decided to try to do the Coral series of scrapbook lay-out sketches for Scrapbook Steals. I wanted the motivation to do at least one scrapbook page per week.  Wellllllllll, I did it and I did them all on time!  Woo hoo!

Here are links to all the lay-outs I did over the last several weeks.

Coral 1 - Graduation Party, Page 1
Coral 2 - Graduation Party, Page 2
Coral 3 - Sugarland Concert
Coral 4 - Silly Fun
Coral 5 - My Brian
Coral 6 - My Mess
Coral 7 - After, My Craft Area
Coral 8 - Camping with Friends
Coral 9 - Camping Cows

and (drum roll), here is Coral 10....and the sketch used to inspire it.  It's a lay-out with a picture of the hubby and I at a Marina party....and the next morning, a picture of my car with a broken window :(  Oh well, got most of my stuff back....

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Ribbons and Sleds

First card submitted to Really Reasonable Ribbon - Challenge #61
Second card submitted to Shopping our Stash - Challenge #79

Really Reasonable Ribbon challenged us to make a card using white on white - with perhaps one color.  I stamped a Santa image from My Favorite Things and used White Glimmer ric-rac to make a frame.  I used a Spellbinders fancy tags die to add the sentiment.  A small red bow completes this card.

Shopping our Stash asked us to use odds and ends that have been sitting around for a while.  I have had this ric-rac for about 8 years.....and like what it adds to the sled card (from the same stamp set)! 

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Button and Bow

Submitted to Christmas Card Challenge 52

Today was such a fun day!  Looking down at my hands, they are inky, covered in mod podge and even burned in places from hot glue. I must have been crafting all day!  The cards I created for this challenge were done with a triple stamping method.  The stamps are from Unity, and the twine is from Timeless Twine.  The challenge called for paper piecing. I'm not entirely sure what that is but.....I did this. :)

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Little Blue Dress

Submitted to Little Scrap Pieces: Fun "Black" Friday Challenge

On Black Friday, Little Scrap Pieces asked us to use black in our cards. I don't "celebrate" black Friday.....the last thing I'd ever want to do is go shopping in a crazy atmosphere, but I can celebrate it if I'm crafting!  Here's the card I made:

I love that stamp from Unity! The cardstock I used this time is black (for the challenge).  The rest is mostly from scraps.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Authentique Candle

Submitted to Authentique November Color Challenge

I love making these candle holders. They are made from clothespins and tuna cans. The paper used for this one is from the Authentique Genuine collection. The flower was made by UmWow Studios.

 

I used TH alcohol ink in Caramel to get the clothespins to be the brown in the color palette chosen. The papers already fit right in!


Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Holiday Bag and Tag

Tag submitted to Basic Grey Challenge #82 - Tag for Your Presents
Bag submitted to Tuesday's Alchemy Challenge #41 - Anything But a Card

I'm making my own gift bags for the holidays out of brown paper lunch bags. For these challenges, I used Basic Grey Nordic Holiday paper.  The trim is from Webster's pages, and the twine is from Timeless Twine.

I haven't quite figured out how to attach that tag.  Any ideas?

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Owl Love Him

Submitted Unity Stamp Co Fall Challenge

Recently, Unity Stamp Company had a really terrific sale.....50% off everything!  Wahoo!  If you bought $60 worth of stamp, you got a really great snowflake stamp set free!  Wahoo!  I took the opportunity to get some Unity stamps I've been wanting.  Great deal!  Unity challenged us to make a Fall card.  For this challenge, I used one of my new stamps and browns for papers (i.e. Fall colors).

The sentiment (that's stamped on the tag below the owl), reads "I love my wise guy."  I think I'll tape a gift card to Fox and Goose on the back and surprise my husband "just because..."  Fox and Goose is a FABULOUS English Pub in Sacramento.  My husband and I love going there for breakfast...

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Camping Cows

Submitted to Scrapbook Steals - MidWeek Mojo - Coral 9

Last week, for Scrapbook Steals, Coral 9, I scrapped the first page of a two-page lay-out.  This week, I did the second page.  The paper is from a BG warehouse sale.  I love the Scrapbook Steals Mid-Week Mojo Challenges.  So fun....and since I want to do all of the Coral lay-outs, it keeps me motivated to do some actual scrapbooking! 

On this camping trip with some friends, we went to Dillons Beach. The campground is in the middle of a cow pasture.  At night, these huge animals come right into the campground (leaving "behind" some presents - get it?  Behind!)  In the morning, they were still in our campground when we got up.  They leave after people really start moving. In the picture on the left side, that cow is probably only 20 feet away from Matt!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Baby, It's Thanksgiving!

Cards submitted to Paper Girls Challenge #20 (first set of cards) and
Clear It Out - Ugly Sweater Challenge (second set of cards)

Baby, it's Thanksgiving!  I am most thankful for the wonderful people in my life.  My family is awesome, my friends are terrific and my crafty online friends are superbly talented.  All are incredibly supportive of me....and I am grateful.

Paper Girls challenged us to make winter or Christmas themed cards. I used a Unity stamp and some EP Winter Wishes Paper on the cards that are on the top half of the picture of Christmas cards below. 

Clear It Out challenged us to use up some old, ugly paper.  There's no such thing as ugly paper!  I bought the Bo-Bunny paper for the cards a few years ago.....and didn't like it much, but I think it's super cute with this card....now, I want more!  LOL!

Here's both sets of cards!

I love that sentiment, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with this stamp!!  My final news:  During a Unity Stamp Company sale recently, I splurged a little a got a bunch of new Unity stamps that I've been wanting.  Check out my new stamps! 

Who's a HAPPY GIRL?!  I am!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Winter Mini-Album

Crop Chocolate's owner has started a new venture - called Instructagram (or IG for short).  They are holding a contest for mini-albums. The winner gets a new Cameo.  I couldn't resist trying....  I really like how my mini turned out!  I'm so glad I did this mini!  It'll be out for the holidays this year and for many years to come!

For complete instructions and all the products I used, click on the IG link below.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

CUTE Gift Bag

Submitted to Timeless Twine - November Challenge - It's a Wrap

Cute, cute, cute! Even if I do say so myself (hahaha)!  Timeless Twine asked us to make a gift package. I used a brown paper lunch bag to create a gift bag for the candle holders I'm giving away. I used Authentique Festive collection paper and some Stampin' Up green to create the tree. I used Webster's pages trim and (of course) Timeless Twine in red (around the tree and the bows) and in brown (for the tree trunk). I purchased this twine from Real Mom's deals - which hasn't seemed to do another deal since then.....  I only have red, brown, black and light green - NEED more colors... Soon!

The candle fit perfectly inside. I love this festively cute bag!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

BG Candle Holder

Submitted to Basic Grey Challenge #81 - Swirls, Scallops and Stitches

I made another clothes-pin, tuna-can candle holder. This time, I used some paper I got from a Basic Grey Warehouse sale box.  What a GREAT deal this was - chock full of fabulous BG papers, embellishments and project packages.  It's so much fun to play with this paper!  The paper used in this project was from Kioshi and Basics. Basic Grey challenged us to use swirls, scallops and stitches.  The swirls are on the left-side with the feather, the scallops are in the hearts on the right side and I added some stitched ribbon. The flower is from UmWow Studios.

I'm making these candle holders for holiday presents, and I have another 4 or 5 to go, so I love that these challenges are there to motivate me and to make them different.  Fun!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Camping with Friends

Submitted to Scrapbook Steals - Midweek Mojo - Coral 8

About a month ago or so, Matt and I went camping with some good friends out at Dillons Beach. It was an adults only adventure, and we had a fantastic time.  Love taking some time out just to be hanging with friends.....  I used Coral 8 as an opportunity to do the first page of the lay-out for this camping trip.







I used papers from Basic Grey that I got in a warehouse sale recently.  LOVE BG!

  

Just LOOK at all this fabulous product I got for  CHEAP CHEAP price!

 

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Black and White Candle Holder

Submitted to Tuesday's Alchemy Challenge #40 - Anything Goes

Tuesday's Alchemy said ANYTHING GOES.  Love these challenges!  I made a tuna can / clothespin candle holder.  I'm making a bunch of these because I'm giving some away as holiday presents! This  one uses Echo Park Winter Wishes and Amy Tangerine Sketch papers. The ribbon is from Webster's pages and the embellies are from UmWow Studios. I inked up the embellies with TH silver distress stain.  I love the shimmery effect!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Love Christmas Trees

Submitted to Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #145 - Use Plaid (First image on this post)
and to Scrap It Girl November Tree Challenge (Second image on this post)


I love Christmas - Love Love Love it!  And I love Christmas Trees. I've been crafting most of this Veteran's Day weekend.  Yesterday, I went to card class with the lovely and talented Sharon teaching. She showed us how to make these cute and simple trees using scalloped circles. This card uses plaid paper for the background and fits right into the challenge for Kaboodle Doodles.

I made a couple more cards using the Authentique Festive paper and my new TH Winter embossing folders.  Such a pretty card and so easy!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Stapler Thanks

Submitted to Paper Girls Challenge #19 - Thank you

Paper Girls challenged us to create something with thanks as the theme. Today is the observed Veterans Day, so I made a thank you card that I'll send off to Operation Write Home.  Today I am grateful for the veterans in my life - my husband (Matt), my brother (Jay), and my grandpa (Russ). I am also thankful for all veterans who have served our country with honor.

The card is made with EP Winter Wishes and Amy Tangerine Sketch collections. I also used a Unity stamp from their stamp-of-the-week club. I colored it with Spectrum Noir markers. I added a bitty blossom, glitter brad, some gold staples and a little of the Webster's Pages netting.

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Holiday Ornament

Submitted to Anything But a Card Challenge 6 - A Stitch in Time

Anything But a Card challenged us to do anything but a card using something about time and/or stitches.  I cut up the mat board from a picture frame I'm no longer using and covered it Authentique Festive Paper.  I cut a little red flower and added some bling and some ribbon to hang it. My time element is the calendar paper on the front that is cut from the package flyer that shows the papers inside. Waste not!  I added a little Websters Pages netting as a bow.  I love my first attempt at an ornament!

 

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Stocking Die

Submitted to Shopping our Stash Challenge #76 and to Clear it Out - Anything Goes

Shopping our Stash challenged us to use a product that we just had to have because it was on sale.  Ha ha ha, so many to choose from.  A few weeks ago, I was at Michael's and had a 40% off coupon that was expiring that day.  I wandered around and didn't find ANYTHING that I felt like I had to have but also wanted to use the darned coupon!  I decided on the Sizzix holiday dies.  There is a stocking, holly, a christmas tree and word-art for Joy.

Clear it Out challenged us to do anything - with Red.  I love the stockings because they just pop (both literally and figuratively) off the page!

Here's the card that I came up with using the stocking and the Joy dies.  The paper is just plain old brown paper with the hearth part covered by washi-tape paper.  The "fire" is the wing of my bird punch.....

 

I have glitter everywhere from that glitter paper!  I'll have to de-glittify my whole crafty area!  

Craftily yours,

Karen

No Pain Holiday Cards

Submitted to Chick Challenges #48

I recently ordered a Unity stamp (or five!!!) that I've been wanting for a long time.  I decided to try to make a dent in my holiday cards today. I had purchased some new alcohol ink pens (Spectrum Noir - half the cost of Copic.....but not quite a nice.....).  I used them to color in the penguin below.  The paper is Winter Park by EP. 

I really like how it turned out, so I made eight of them!  The glimmer paper on the bottom is embossed with the TH holiday embossing folder.  I love the swirls!

I love this image and am so glad I finally bought it!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

After - My Craft Area

Submitted to Scrapbook Steals Mid-Week Mojo - Coral 7

A couple weeks ago, I decided it was time to organize my crafty space a little.  I had a mess.  Check it out HERE! I based my LO for my second "after" page on the sketch to the right.  I used the same CTMH papers as I had on the mess before. :)








And here's what I came up with!

The blank spot is because I'd forgotten to print out a picture of my dear husband putting together the Expedit.  I LOVE LOVE the Expedit and LOVE LOVE that my stuff is off the floor!  And note, I have a blank spot in the Expedit....hey I can get some more STUFF!  ha ha ha

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Home Cards

Submitted to Crop Chocolate's Challenge #38 - Home is Where the Heart Is


Project instructions and products used for this post can be found by clicking the Instructagram link below. The cards (that I'll be giving to Operation Write Home) are pictured here:

Craftily yours,
Karen (karey2005)

A Soft Candle Holder

Submitted to Shopping Our Stash Weekly Challenge 75 - Flowers in 3D

So I did another candle holder.  I'm making a bunch for holiday gifts.  This one is made with some brown pattern paper scrap and MME So Savvy blue and green.  I added some Websters trim and some embellies from UmWow.  The 3D flower is also from UmWow!  Love this version!  The colors are so soft....

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Holiday Cards

Submitted to Scrapbook Steals - Monday Card Madness #108 and to Die Cuttin Divas #89 - Anything Goes


Die Cuttin Divas wrote a blank check on this challenge - anything goes.  I did use my Nestabilities banner dies and Christmas tree 2010 to make the cards.  Scrapbook Steals asked us to make cards following this sketch:

 

Cute sketch.  I made four cards using EP Saint Nick paper, some gold glitter paper and Authentique stickers!  And, of course, some bling!! 

I love banners!  Don't you?

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

My Mess

Submitted to Scrapbook Steals - Midweek Mojo Coral 6

Based on the sketch to the right, I decided to scrapbook my BEFORE crafting space.  I use my cuttlebug quite a bit and realized recently that my cuttlebug had been moved to the floor because there just wasn't enough room for it on my scrappy space.  Well, I was up and down from the floor about a dozen times making one of my LOs.  This is nuts!  For this very cute sketch, I used CTMH Mayberry paper and ribbon, a few nestabilities dies and a scallop punch set.






I posted the after pictures for an Authentique Challenge, but I'll scrap them next week.  I adore how this lay-out looks. 

Of course, I'm not so fond of the pictures - WHAT A MESS!  Ha ha ha!

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)

Quite a Weekend

Submitted to Crop Chocolate Challenge #37 - Texturize
and Anything But a Card Challenge #5

It's been quite a weekend.  I did manage to finish one craft project.  I made a candle holder to enter into both of these challenges.  Crop Chocolate asked us to texturize with some uncommon material.  I used this fabulous silver netting I have.  Anything But a Card asked us to incorporate black.  I used Trinity Sincerely paper and some TH distress.  I also used some black websters ribbon, silver netting and a fabulous flower and butterfly from UmWow Studios.

I love how this version of the clothespin/tuna can candle holder turned out!

Now, why, you may be asking did I have quite a weekend?  Friday, I won some embossing folders and got the most beautiful flowers at work.  Saturday afternoon, I made Christmas cards with this great group of ladies.  On Saturday eve, the husband and I spent the night at the boat.  When we went out to the car this morning, this is what we found:

All that black-ish stuff on the ground is my back wing window!  I had picked up a couple of boxes of crafty goodness from the mailbox on my way to the party.  They were GONE.  Fortunately, the DIRTY ROTTEN THIEVES who took my stuff didn't really want it and dropped it at a nearby park, where a wonderful man (Joe from Sacramento - you know who you are) went through the effort of finding me.  Not all of my new things were there, but most of them were.  Hey Joe, I appreciate you!  Now, just got to get a new window.............

Craftily yours,

Karen (karey2005)