Tuesday, July 28, 2015

The Creative Chick 10th Blogiversary Celebration!

Hi all!  To say I am honored and excited to help my friend Jenn Shurkus celebrate her 10 years in the blogging world is an understatement.





I have had the pleasure to work with Jenn when both of us were on the Lawnscaping Challenges FIT team - she's still there, but my term ended.  As we've gotten to know one another, I've learned that she loves her cat Mister Harley like I love my two babies Katie and Daisy, and among other things she is a big fan of Red Sox baseball (* side note the Red Sox broke the St. Louis Cardinals hearts in the 2013 World Series *) but most of all she is a talented artist and teacher.  I haven't had the pleasure to take one of her classes, but I know for a fact that she's awesome. 

To help Jenn celebrate not only does she have Party Guests like myself, but she is bringing you, her blog readers to participate in the party too!  And, she has awesome prizes provided by some just as awesome sponsors that she's giving away as well...I tell ya - she's awesome.  

So - all month we have been asked to CASE a card that she has featured on her blog.  Well, she has a lot to choose from, but I chose THIS card to CASE.  She made hers as you will see for one of the Simon Says Stamp Wed. Challenges - I loved her design with the ice cream cones, and that got my creative juices to flow as well to do something similar.


I used the stamp set from Mama Elephant called Chance of Rain.  For my card, I used a couple of the sentiment stamps, and created my background with them as she did for her card and inked them up using Charcoal ink from HA.  For my umbrellas I broke out my H2O's pigments, which I never use and should a lot more.  She is also very good with these pigments.  I stamped the umbrella three times onto a piece of Tim Holtz water color cardstock, and I chose three different colors - Golden Nugget, Ocean Wave, and Luv-U-Pink.  These give off such pretty shimmer!!  I used the coordinating die to cut out three umbrellas from the same water color card stock - as an after thought I knew I was fussy cutting out my umbrella tops, so I just went ahead and colored the die cut umbrellas in black with a Memento Black marker.  Once I cut out my umbrella tops, I added them to my die cuts, and then I worked on my other sentiment piece.  I die cut a zig zag circle from my Sizzix dies, and lightly cover it with Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink, and then I stamped the cloud image as well as the Blue Skies Ahead sentiment.  I adhered my umbrellas and then added adhesive to my zig zig circle. 


I think it turned out pretty well.  A little different style for me, but I like changing it up every now and then.  Now it is your turn....pick a card to CASE from all of her creations, and link it up HERE

I know she will enjoy seeing all of the different takes from her creations!!  Thank you again Jenn for letting me be apart of your celebration!!

Kari


Thursday, July 23, 2015

Top Five Series | INKS

Hi everyone!! Friday is right around the corner! YAY!  I wanted to pop in and share another installment of my Top Five Series, and this time we are focusing on INKS.  I kind of cheated slightly, and hopefully you'll forgive me, but I think you will understand if you watch the video!!  I hope that you are enjoying this series!  If you are, I'd love to hear from you!!  A little blog love doesn't hurt anyone :)



Celebrate the end of another work week and say hello to the weekend ( even though I've been off from work this past week *grin* )












Wednesday, July 22, 2015

NEW STAMPS - Happy Mail | Right At Home Shop

Hello everyone!!  I am so excited to share with you some new stamps that are launching as you are reading this! Nicole from Right At Home is a blogger like you and I, but she also has a shop, and she is launching her very first stamp set!  She asked me to be apart of her Stamp Launch Design Team, and I was honored to accept!



THIS set is perfect for those that you want to send a little happy mail to...you can use this set to create a card with it, or use it for packages that you want to add a little something extra to!!


I decided to create a card that you could just to someone, or even could pair it up with a gift!!  I started out by die cutting a piece of white card stock with a postage edge frame ( thought it went well since the subject was happy mail ) and I stamped both the small flower and large flower in Lawn Fawn Lobster and Sunflower inks.  These stamps paired up really well with these inks, and the solid images couldn't have stamped more perfect - they stamp with such a great impression!   I think she did a wonderful job with her first stamp set on the quality!!  Once I was happy with my stamped background,I applied some Wink of Stella and I moved on to the die cut stitched square, and I inked up the circle 'Happy Mail' sentiment using Lawn Fawn's Black Licorice ink.  I then inked up the envelope with the Lobster ink, and fussy cut out the image.  I applied foam adhesive to the envelope to give it some dimension as well as the square and I adhered it to my stamped panel.  It was time to put everything together onto my black card base.  I had a red thin frame in my die cut stash, and thought this would be a great time to use it on this card.  I adhered my my main panel first using my tape runner, and then I applied liquid glue to the frame, and adhered that around the stamped panel, and you can call it done!


Nicole has created a team of talented designers to show off her new stamps, and we hope you agree!!


Nicole // Right at Home - http://rightathome.typepad.com/our_home_on_the_weblog/
2015/07/right-at-home-stamp-launch-project-ideas-blog-hop.html

Kari // KWCardDesign - 
http://www.kwcarddesign.com/2015/07/new-stamps-happy-mail-right-at-home-shop.html


Audrey // Pink Ink Originals - 
http://pinkinkoriginals.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-stamps-from-right-at-home-shop.html


Jocelyn // Red Balloon Cards - 
http://redballooncards.blogspot.com/2015/07/right-at-home-stamp-launch-blog-hop.html


Holly // Holly Beary Creations - 
 http://www.hollybeary.com/2015/07/happy-mail-with-right-at-home.html


Michelle // Pinch Your Chic - 
http://michellezerull.blogspot.com/2015/07/right-at-home-stamp-launch-and-blog-hop.html


Laurel // Paper Crafts by Laurel - 
http://www.laurelbeard.org/
right-at-home-stamp-launch 

Eva // @Eva.Montes.3 on Instagram - 
https://instagram.com/eva.montes.3/
Not only do you have inspiration to show case this set, but Nicole is doing a giveaway of her new set over at Instagram!  She is giving away 3 sets!!  So - be sure to follow her over at instagram - rightathome.



I also have a video showing you just how my card came together!!







Thank you for stopping by and enjoy the hop!! Next up - Audrey!!










Saturday, July 18, 2015

Craft Room Organization : How I Store Stamp Set Original Packaging

Happy Sat. friends - I wanted to share a quick tip or idea for those of you that are like me and you store your stamps in the clear stamp pockets, but don't like the idea of just throwing away the original packaging.

I like to keep the packaging handy in case I decide to sell a stamp set, and I want to sell it to the potential buyer with its packaging that it came in.  Some out there still store their stamps in the packaging. For a while, it took some getting use to not seeing the pretty packaging that the stamps come in like Lawn Fawn, Mama Elephant, etc in my storage container, but since I've fully converted to storing my stamps in the clear stamp storage pockets, I don't mind it now so much, but I still have the pretty package it came in.

I have a video to share of just what I mean :) I'd love to hear if you keep the original packaging, or how you store your stamps, so please leave me a comment - I'd love to hear from you.

Hope you all have a nice rest of your weekend.  




Sunday, July 12, 2015

Mama Elephant Stamp With ME Challenge

Hi everyone - I wanted to share with you my creation I am submitting for the July 2015 Stamp with ME challenge - it is all about Rainbows! Who doesn't love rainbows and the pretty colors!!  It really is like eye candy!


I used the Lights Out Stamp Set from Mama Elephant to create this rainbow of light bulbs. I thought it would be fun to use the largest or roundest of the two sizes in the middle, and then the small size on the ends.  




For the color of inks I chose - I chose Lobster from Lawn Fawn, Orange Soda  from HA, Sunflower from Lawn Fawn, Jelly Bean from Simon, and Blue Violet also from Simon Says Stamp. All of these inks have the same properties in once they dry they even out which I love! I also used the Femme Frames dies from Mama Elephant to create the stitched and scalloped frames.  


To finish off my card I used a Gold Wink of Stella to accent my star, and the Clear WOS to give the rest of the bulbs some shimmer.  I've added this card to the Mama Elephant Flickr page where all of the challenge cards are linked.  I also have a video below showing you how I pulled this one together.  All the supplies used are listed and linked below!  Thanks for taking the time to stop by! 






Friday, July 3, 2015

You're So Sweet with Video Tutorial

Hi gang!  Sorry I've been a bit MIA on the blog recently.  Before I get into the featured card today, I just want to say that I hope to post on my blog regularly.  The past two years it turned into a blog for my Lawnscaping DT posts with a few non DT posts sprinkled in...well since my term has ended
*enter frown face* you will see a bit of a difference on how often I post.  I started my blog of course for myself and all my creations, and when I had the opportunity to be a DT member for the Lawnscaping Challenge Blog ( Facebook Inspiration Team), it turned into a blog mainly for those posts....well gonna have to change that and get back to basics if you will...so enough of that...

Today's post features a card I made using one of the newest sets from Lawn Fawn called Sweet Smiles, and oh how adorable it is!  One of my favorites from this release for sure!!





I stamped the main image onto a piece of PTI Stamper's Select White Cardstock ( my fav) using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and I used my Copics in pinks and blues to color in my image.  Once I achieved the coloring that I liked, I die cut the gum ball machine using the coordinating die.  Then, I used several of the faces that come in this set and stamped them onto each of the gum balls.  Aren't they just adorable!!  Too cute for words!  Then, I die cut some pattern papers from both the BeachSide Patterns and Polka Mon Amie 6x6 pads.  I both the Large and Small Stitched Square Stackables dies from LF to die cut all of my papers and a piece of white card stock to create a white frame.  I stamped the sentiment 'You're So Sweet' from the same stamp set using the VersaFine Onyx Black ink - such a great black ink!  Then, I started adhering my pieces together.  I added some foam adhesive to my gumball machine, and placed that onto my polka dot pattern paper.  I added some liquid glue to my white frame and adhered that to the other piece of pattern paper.  Then, I added all of that onto my 5x5 Vintage Cream card base.  To finish things off I added some Wink of Stella to the gumballs.  


Such a fun set!!  So - did you pick up this set!! I'd love to hear from you if you did!  If you'd like to see how this one came together, the video is below as well!  Thanks for stopping by!!