Happy New Year!!!

Hi all!! I don't have a project today, but I wanted to pop in real quickly to thank you all for supporting me and my blog in 2011. It was my first full year, and I am thankful to have made some friends through my blog, and paper crafting. I will be having Christmas with my in laws today, since we didn't get to on Christmas, and then Sunday I will be at with my family, including my cousin who is in from Chicago, and I will spend some time with them, eating our black-eyed peas for good luck :)

May all of you have a wonderful 2012 in store, and I will be back for my first post for the New Year!! God Bless!!

Kari

Merry Christmas!!!

I wanted to take this time before heading to my brother's for Christmas to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!! May the love of being with family, and the joy that you see on children's faces this holiday restore the true meaning of Christmas, and why we celebrate this joyous holiday!! God Bless all of you, and I will be back after Christmas!!!!

- Kari

'Tis the season!

Hi all!! My posts have been sparse during this holiday season.  So much to do, and so little time to do it!  I am sure everyone knows what I am referring to.  I wanted to share with you another Christmas card I made.  We are one week away from celebrating Jesus' birth, and I honestly I am trying to get in the true meaning of what Christmas is, but it is being masked by having to tend with work, buying presents ( with lack of funds I might add), paying bills, etc.....I know they are all excuses, but I speak the truth! :)  Nonetheless, I have made several Christmas cards this year, and have sent some, and personally given some.  I think all that have received one is appreciative.  This one was given to my nail tech.  She does a great job tending to my nails every 2 to 3 weeks, and I wanted her card to be special.

The stamp I used and embossed in gold is from Hero Arts.  I added some gems to make the "strings" come alive, and added some self adhesive trim I purchased at Hobby Lobby a few months back.  She loved it! :)

Here are a couple of others I made and sent or gave to someone....

My hubby is always telling me that I should do cards during the holidays that are the same, that I don't always have to make different ones, but you know I did do that too, but I also want to give "special" ones too.  He is supportive either way it goes :)


Before I go, I wanted to share with you all that I received my Gina K. Designs cards back from the card swap I was involved in.  A month ago I share with you the cards I made, and now I wanted you to see what cards I received back.  The hostess gets to keep 1 card from each "spot" - so she kept 3 of mine since I signed up for 3 spots, and one of the cards is displayed at work.  It folds into a "Christmas Tree", so that one is not pictured, but here are the rest...

Ok - that is all from me this evening.  I will try to post once more before Christmas, but if I don't Merry Christmas to all my followers, and readers.  I appreciate you all, and interested in seeing my projects that I create.  All of YOU inspire ME!!  :)

~Kari~

Two weeks away.....

I can't believe that Christmas is almost here.  I would like to say that I am ready and prepared, but I won't kid myself, I'm not!!  I have a bit to go, and will probably come down to the wire before getting into my car with my hubby to drive to my brother's house to travel and celebrate Christmas.  So much to do, so little time.  I am trying to make and finish up my Christmas cards that I want to make for my friends and family that mean the most, and wanted to come and share one of those cards with you today.  It is a relative simple card, but elegant.  I like the simplicity of it, but it packs a beautiful punch too ( if I do say so myself).  I have actually repeated this card a few times because it is so simple, and elegant to send to a couple of friends and family already.  This one I added some mini jingle bells that I bought from SU!, and used the Lost and Found Christmas 6 x 6 paper pad.  The stamp comes from Basic Grey, and the sentiment is from the Holiday Lights set from PTI.

 

I cut the image using my largest scallop Sizzix Die, and the used my circle cutter to cut out the center.  I inked the edges with both barn door and festive berries Distress Ink.  It is all put on a Vintage Cream card base from PTI.   Hope you all are having success in getting ready for Christmas, and soon to come New Year.  I hope you come back when I share with you another paper craft creation!  :)  Thanks for stopping in!!

~Kari~

Mini Sanitizer Holders

Good ( late) Evening - I am back in my second post today to share with you what I created this afternoon.  I had bought up some mini hand sanitizers from Bath and Body Works a few months ago on a sale they were having, and I saw a video by Stampin' Up Demo Dawn from Dawn's Stamping Thoughts.  She is a very popular SU Demo, and once I saw her video on how to make a holder for these hand sanitizers, I wanted to try my hand at them.  So, I finally made the time to do that.  I immediately thought these would make cute little gifts for the holidays, and little stocking stuffers. 

If you would like to try doing these too, here is the link to the video on this project.  Once you get the measurements down, and all your scoring done, you can do this in a assembly line type way.  I made a template for myself to make it even easier, and it goes faster.  I am not the greatest at measurements on a paper cutter or ruler, and I will be the first to admit that, so with that said, if I can do it, you can too!!  They are fun, and right now online at Bath and Body Works, you can do a "Mix and Match" 5 for $5.00 which that would mean the sanitizers would be $1.00 a piece!!  Hope this gives you a nice idea for a small gift idea during this holiday season!!!
Thanks for stopping by!! 

Busy, Busy!

Hi all!
I wanted to quickly share with all of you where I have been since I haven't posted in a about a week.  This week was a busy one at work, and then I celebrated my birthday yesterday ( Dec 3rd) with my hubby, mom and dad.  We had our local craft fair going on this weekend, so I went to that, and saw all of the wonderful creative people and what they have made. There was everything from ornaments, to jellies and jams, to home decor, to leather works.   One of these days, I would like to have a booth at least once, and see how would do. I know it is very time consuming to even prepare for a craft fair, but I would like to give it a shot at least once.  Today (Sun) I am busy in craft room creating some cards, and little goodies for some co-workers.  Our Secret Santa week is this week at work, so I am preparing my gifts for that as well.  I have posted a new video on my YouTube Channel if you all want to check that out, and I am trying to post a new one.  I have been trying since Friday, if you can believe that, but it is 18 min. long, and it is taking a long time to upload, and it stalls, so I am working on trying to get that posted as well.  It is a big haul video, and some goodies I got from my husband for my birthday that he bought from Simon Says Stamp!! 

Anyhoo, that is what has been going on with me the last week.  Like I said I have been crafty today, so I will share with you what I've made soon!!  Thank you all for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day where ever you are in the world!!!  :)


Kari

Simon Says Stamp Presents a Product Challenge:Lilly Pad Cards

I'm back!!  Those of you in the States - I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving, and shopped till your hearts content!!  I am back to share with all of you my entry for the latest challenge over at Lily Pad Cards.  All you have to do is make a card featuring buttons.  I love buttons, and I love the sponsor, Simon Says Stamp.  I wanted to make a bright and cheerful card, but rather simple.  I used the cute flower from the stamp set called "Button Buddies" from SU!.  I want to point out, I didn't do that on purpose - :)

I stamped my flowers on Kraft card stock, and added some buttons from PTI, and baker's twine from The Twinery.  The leaves were punched from a Martha Stewart leaf punch, and the patterned paper comes from Echo Park "Holly Jolly Christmas" 6 x 6 pad.  My sentiment comes from Paper Smooches, and I did some paper piercing with my mat stack from SU!.   Hope you all enjoy the simplicity, and the colors as I do. 

See you soon!!
~Kari~

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

Hi everyone!!  I wanted to just stop in and tell you how thankful I am for all of my readers, and followers.  Creativity is important and being able to share with it people that think the same thing, and support you means everything.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families!! 

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!!!!
-Kari-

Lawn Fawn Christmas!

Hi Crafters!!
I wanted to share this Sunday evening a card I am submitting into Vicky's giveaway from Clips- N - Cuts, and Lily Pad Cards!  I love watching her videos every Sunday, and she is one of many that I aspire to!!  She is doing a giveaway on her blog for a SSS gift certificate.  She did a "Spotlight on: Lawn Fawn series, and she has given her readers an opportunity to create based on her cards for inspiration.  Below is my card.  I used several different LF stamp sets: Critters in the Forest, Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum, Ornate Ornaments, and Bannerific.  I used a lot of different patterned papers on this card, and it most definitely challenged me!!  I liked out it turned out, and hope Vicky likes it too!!

Even though this card was time consuming, I enjoyed my creation as it went along!!  Thank you Vicky for giving us inspiration, and a chance to win a great prize!!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

~Kari~

Happy Friday - Just wanted to share!

Hi all!!  I have been absent this week, but I wanted to pop in and share with all of you that one of my cards I made for a Lawnscaping Challenge popped up in today's Fawny Flickr Friday!!  It is exciting to see when the companies or crafty people you look up to the most picks one of YOUR cards to feature on their website!! 



Check it out - Mine is the one with the glasses and polaroid!  Looky Looky!!


I will be back soon to share another card with all of you.  Stay warm if you are in a chilly part of the country!!  See ya soon!

Kari

Lawnscaping Challenge # 21 - Thank You.

Hi!!

I wanted to share with you my submission for this week's Lawnscaping challenge : Thank You.  For my card I used Critters in Forest.  I just love this owl.  I actually just bought this set, as I am still growing my Lawn Fawn stamp collection.  For this card - I did a "reverse stamping" technique.  I actually learned the technique from Jess Larsen.  I just love her tutorials. I wanted the owls to face one another.  I also wanted to do some paper piecing for the tree stumps, and the belly of the owl.  I used some patterned paper from the We R Memory Keepers collection called Autumn Splendor.  This is one of my favorite 6 X 6 paper pads right now.  I guess it is because of all the beautiful fall colors in the collection.

I added some fall leaves and used my Copics to color them in, and added "grass" from the Critters in the Burbs set.  Hope you all like it.  Speaking of Thank you - Thank YOU for stopping by my blog!!

- Kari

CAS-ual Friday Challenge: Tag, your it!!

**This is my second post today**  Scroll on down if wanted to read my first post for today.

Hi all!  I wanted to share with you my submission for the newest CAS-ual Friday Challenge.  This week you make your project featuring a gift tag.  I used a stamp set that I have only used a couple of times, which I think is super cute.  It is called Button Buddies from SU!  I used the snowman image on my tag, and wanted to color in the little snowman's hat in Christmas colors.  My card base is SU! Lucky Limeade.  I wanted my tag to pop against the green card base - so I used the new Distress Ink, Festive Berries.  I love Distress Ink, and the different things you can do with it.

I love snowmen!!  They are so cute!!  Thank you for stopping in!!


-Kari

Quick Update to my craft room.

Afternoon all!!  I wanted to quickly share with you a new video I have posted on my YouTube Channel of my craft room, and a few projects I have completed.  If you are a regular reader of mine, some of the projects you have already seen through my blog, but I am trying to populate my name out there in the craft community, and thought I would share some cards and other things with others that have not seen them.

Anyhoo - here is the link to the video!!  Have a great rest of your Sunday!!  Here is also a link to my Channel -  YouTube Channel

See you soon!!


Kari