Happy New Year!!!!

Hi everyone!!  I wanted to take the time to thank ALL of my readers/followers for joining me here at my blog during 2013!!  I hope that I have brought you some inspiration, and a smile to your face with some of my creations!!  I hope to bring you more happiness and joy with my cards, and projects in 2014.

A new year is upon us, and that means new beginnings and change - so I hope to bring some new ideas, and some exciting things to my blog, You Tube Channel, and other social media in the new year!!

May you all have a healthy, happy, and crafty New Year!!! -

Kari

Holiday Wishes

Happy Monday :)  We are just days away from Christmas!  Hard to believe, but I welcome it!!  I wanted to share with you this card I made over a couple of weekends ago.  I wanted to use some of my favorite patterned papers from this season from Crate Paper - Bundled Up.

These colors are no traditional but that is why I love it so much - fun and different!!  I just love these papers!!  I used my favorite dies - the Femme Frames from Mama Elephant yet again ( yes - I am obsessed) and also used the Wrapped Mailing Label Die from Simon Says Stamp for my middle panel on my card.  With a mixture of small embellies, and crocheted ribbon this makes for a fun over Holiday card.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays :)

-Kari

LSC #63 Arctic ( color combo inspiration)

Well Hello !  Welcome back to another and the *final* challenge for 2013 for Lawnscaping!  WOW - hard to believe, right!!  Well, we are going out with a bang to really challenge you!  We have a color combo for you to get your juices flowing!

Here is what I took from the color combo - ice cream cones in COOOLLL flavors :)

I used Here's the Scoop - I think this set is such a cute one, but I don't use it as much as I would like to. I stamped and colored five ice cream cones and I colored them using my Copic Markers.  I die cut my favorite and go to A-2 frames Femme Frames by Mama Elephant from Navy card stock and some patterned paper. I fussy cut my ice cream cones and then adhered them with some foam adhesive for dimension to my Navy card stock panel, and then adhered that to my patterned paper frame. I then stamped my sentiment onto some white card stock from the same stamp set and cut it down to a banner shape, and also adhered that with foam adhesive.

To finish off my card - I thought the ice cream cones screamed "give me shimmer" so I added some shimmer with my Wink of Stella pen.

I hope you are able to join us for this challenge!  Can't wait to see the creations over at the gallery :)

- Kari

Baby Blog Hop for Elise! Congrats!

A few of us crafty friends wanted to surprise Elise with a blog hop to congratulate her on her new bundle of joy!!  You should have found your way to me by the way of the sweet and talented Lenny!!

Here is the card I made to mark this joyful occasion!

Elise - I hope you like it! I know you are just over the moon!  I couldn't be more happy for you!!  I wish you and your family nothing but happiness with your new addition!!  May she bring joy and love to your hearts everyday!! 

Now its time for me to send you off to the awesome Samantha M.

Congrats once again, Elise!!

- Kari

Lawnscaping Winter Blog Hop!!

Hello, Hello!!  Welcome to the Lawnscaping Winter Blog Hop!!  You should have come my way by the talented Nancy Thomas.  If you have gotten lost along the way, never fear you can head back to the Lawnscaping Blog to find you way back on track.

I'm so tickled you are visiting me today along this fun event from Lawnscaping!  I'm am especially honored and proud to be apart of this being a member of the Lawnscaping Facebook Inspiration Team.  There are a ton of talent along your journey, so be sure to visit each and every person!  There will be lots of inspiration, and not to mention prizes and giveaways! 

"Meow-y Christimas" :)  Since I am a cat lover and a fur baby mama to two cats, Katie and Daisy - this was fitting for me to create !  I used 5 different LF stamp sets for this card!  Winter in the Park, A Birdie Told Me, Harold's ABC's, Hats off to you, and Critters in the Burbs.  I used my favorite dies for my cards - the Femme Frames from Mama Elephant, and I started by stamping on the smaller panel the light posts, and the park bench.  I actually did some masking, but after I paper pieced my kitty, I realized I really didn't need to.  No biggie!  I stamped  out some snowflakes from the Winter in the Park set and white embossed it, and then added some Tumbled Glass Distress ink to bring out the snow flakes.  One of my favorite techniques is emboss resist!  

Then, I started working on paper piecing my kitty cat, and the Santa hat.  By this point, my kitty is pretty festive!!

I started working on my sentiment, which is as you see is a customized sentiment.  I stamped and die cut one of the speech bubbles from A Birdie Told me, and used Harold's ABC's and stamped out my sentiment - "Meow-y Christmas!".  I added some Liquid Applique to the park bench and ground to add extra texture and fun.  I also added some Wink of Stella to the bows on the lights, and kitty's hat.

I die cut the largest scalloped frame from Femme Frames from some pattern paper from the Peace, Joy, Love 6x6 pad, and then adhered my panel to the patterned paper, and then adhered that to my black stock card base.

Fun huh!!  Well - its time to send you off to your next stop along the hop to the talented Heidi!  :)

I Love You To The Stars....

Hi all!!  I've been experimenting!  Experimenting with different embossing pastes - and I have a new love!!  This stuff is so addicting!  Instant gratification! I am also doing something that I haven't done in a while!  Playing in challenge! I haven't actually been a participant in a while of a challenge.  Lately, I have had only enough time to complete DT projects - but today I am making the time to enter to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -  make your own background.  I haven't participated in this challenge before, so it is something fun and different for me.

I started out by taking a 4.25 x 5.5 inch piece of Marshmallow card stock, and used Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire, and Dusty Concord Distress Inks, and created by "Night Sky". Then, I have a Studio Calico Mask with Stars and used it with Silver Ferro embossing paste.  This stuff is AHHmazing!! The texture is awesome once it is dry.  Once it was dry - I then took one of my Lawn Fawn Star Stackables and die cut through my panel, and then I backed it with another piece of Marshmallow Card stock and then I adhered it to a black card base.  I stamped my sentiment from the Lawn Fawn Lucky Stars stamp set.  To finish it off I added some faux stitching to bring out the star on the white card stock.

If you haven't tried embossing paste - DO it! It is fun and a warning you will be addicted!  :)

It's my birthday!! Be Merry and Bright!

Hello lovelies!
I wanted to pop in today quickly and share with you one of the cards I had the chance to create this weekend during the long Thanksgiving holiday!

Today is my birthday - I am ....thirty - flooaghoahd - HAHA!  Seriously - I am turning 37 today! WOW! Where DOES the time go??

I've been blessed with numerous happy birthday wishes and love from my family and friends.  I feel blessed!

I am really liking this trend where you create "wonky" panels on cards - its different and fun!  So - I wanted to make my own creation this way.  I took some pattern papers from the "Bundle Up" Collection from Crate Paper - LOVE this paper!! I die cut it from the scallop frame from Mama Elephant - Femme Frames - again - I'm obsessed!!

I adhered my die cut panel to some Simon Says Stamp Wood grain card stock which is my base.  I die cut a banner from the small banners die also from Simon Says Stamp, and I stamped and heat embossed  " & Bright" from the Merry and Bright greeting that comes in the Small Folded Banners Holiday stamp set from SSS.  I love the wood elements that SSS came out with last year and I had some left over, so I used the "Merry" to complete my sentiment. To finish off my card, I just added some fun sequin embellishments from Lawn Fawn.

Well - gonna wrap this up and go celebrate as if were my birthday :) *grin*

LSC #71 Tags or Treat Bags

Welcome back to yet another Lawnscaping Challenge.  We only have two challenges left in the year 2013!!  That is craziness!  Since everyone is gearing up for the holiday season - which by the way is craziness too!! - we are focusing on those tags or treat bags you will be using this holiday season!!

Here is my bag that I created.

I started out with a plain canvas bag.  I wanted to "doll up" up my canvas bag - so I decided to stamp on it.  This is a lot of fun if you have never done this.  I chose two stamp sets - Let it Snow and Interlocking Backdrops.  I used all pigment inks - Colorbox Cranberry, Memento Luxe Pear Tart, and Hero Arts Silver.  I stamped first the chevron pattern in the Cranberry ink, and then I stamped the trees in Pear Tart and Silver inks.  Then, I stamped my sentiment from the Let it snow set in the Cranberry ink.  I wanted some "snow" so I took my Liquid Applique in white and dotted on randomly on the bag, and then heat set it to make it puff up a little.  And, that's it! Super easy, super fast!!  These bags are fun to stamp on!

I hope you are able to join us for this fun challenge!!  Simon Says Stamp is our fun sponsor!!!  Someone will win a $25 dollar gift certificate to SSS - will that someone be YOU!! :)

See you soon!

Let's Keep in Touch (featuring Mama Elephant Stamps)

Well hello there.  Hope you are having a nice evening - or least it is evening where I am in the world.   Tonight - I wanted to pop in to share with you this fun card using some new Mama Elephant stamps and dies.  When I saw this newest release from Mama Elephant - the one stamp and die set that I just absolutely HAD to have was Fair Feathers - and don't forget the coordinating Creative Cuts.

This is by far my favorite 'feather' and die set on the market! And, there are lots of great ones out there - but this one spoke to me!! Anymore - If I don't feel that I will really use what I *think* I want - I talk myself out of getting it.  I am at the stage in my crafting life where I know if I just HAVE to have something or not - and not just buy stuff because its new.  This was one of the sets I knew I would love and use!!

I am planning on giving this to a friend / coworker that is leaving in a few weeks for a new job and opportunity.  I intended to keep this more a masculine card with the colors - and I like the overall turn out :)

Thanks for visiting!!!

See you soon!

With Sympathy (Reflection Technique)

Hello crafters!  Thanks for peeking into my blog again today for another card share!  Today I am sharing a sympathy card.  We all have to have them from time to time to show how much we care about our loved ones or friends on their loss.  They are a bit harder to make because you want them to reflect your heart - and it needs to be gentle in its message.

I think one of the best stamp sets to use when making a card like this is Stampin' Up Lovely As A Tree - its an oldie but a goodie!  I think this set is also one perfect for the "reflection technique".  I first die cut a piece of white card stock from my go to dies right now - the stitched frame from Femme Frames by Mama Elephant. I then stamped out the set of trees from the stamp set in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  I stamped the image again on some clear acetate and turned the acetate over and upside down and "transferred" the ink from the acetate onto my card stock.  I, then grabbed a couple of my Distress Inks in Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Peeled Paint, and Iced Spruce, and inked around my trees to bring this scene to life!  

I, then trimmed a piece of vellum card stock, and black heat embossed my With Sympathy sentiment which comes from SSS - Handwritten Sentiments.  I wanted to used vellum because I didn't want to cover up my reflection scene.

And, here is the inside of the card, which I rarely show.  I thought the inside was finished off nicely by stamping just part of that same stamp.  I used the same black ink but stamped off once to give a softer image.

Hope this will inspire you to be able to take some of these ideas when it comes to Sympathy cards.

See you soon!

Kari

Thank you So Much using Memento Luxe Inks

Hi everyone!  Hope you are having a great week so far!! Today, I am back to share with you another card I made JUST for the fun of crafting!  I get so caught up in doing just DT work that I forget to post projects that I make just for the love of this fun hobby!

I created this card for my Director at work.  We've had some tough times at the hospital where I work, and she did a nice thing for my dept. in recognition of our hard work and dedication.  So - I wanted to make a Thank you card for us to sign to show our appreciation of her nice gesture.  I used SSS stamp set Flower Friend, and stamped the flowers in some of the newest colors that I have picked up of the Memento Luxe Inks.

I am usually not one that goes to pigment inks that much other than white because they take longer to dry - and I am an inpatient stamper :)  But, something about these particular ones just make you want to gravitate towards them.  It is probably their vivid colors!!  So much fun!  

Something else that I am gravitating towards a lot lately in my card making process is the Femme Frames Dies from Mama Elephant!  I love, love, love these dies!  You see them both used here - the scalloped frame, and the stitched frame.  They are perfection for cards!

Hope you will come back to join me tomorrow for another card share!

See you soon!

Kari

LSC # 70 Polka Dots

Happy Monday everyone!!  'Tis time!  'Tis time for another Lawnscaping Challenge!  Can you believe it!  This month is flying by!!
For this challenge - we are focusing on that fun polka dots!  There are so many patterns, and colors that incorporate polka dots!  Big small, random, colorful - as long as there is a polka dot pattern - we want you to use it!

And, for this challenge this is what I came up with!

I had fun making this card! I have fun making all my cards - but for specifically for this one I had fun coming up with different polka dot patterns to mix and match together! I used papers from the Peace Joy Love 6x6 paper pad ( the black polka dot and the green bokah pattern) and the other two patterns come from the Crate paper Bundled Up 6x6 collection - I love these papers in the pad!

I stamped and die cute the banners from the Winter Gifts stamp set and the matching dies Tag, You're It. I adhered all my banners to a piece of white card stock, and then stamped at the top and "stitching" image from a Simon Says Stamp stamp set.  To "ground" the white card stock panel to the kraft card base, I cut some thin strips of black card stock and adhered it to the card.  For a fun element - instead of the reinforce circles for the tags, I added some fun sequins also from the Peace Joy Love collection.  

To finish it off - I added my sentiment "Happy Holiday's" and a snowflake and one more sequins on top.

Simple card - but I think it is fun with all the polka dots and fun festive colors!!  I hope you are able to join us over at the blog!!  Our awesome sponsor is none other than the incredible Lawn Fawn!!

See you soon!

It's a Fawny Holiday!

Hi everyone!  Welcome to week full of inspiration and fun ideas for your Lawn Fawn Winter and Holiday sets we are calling A Fawny Holiday!  I am thrilled and honored to take part in this fun event happening over at the Lawn Fawn Blog!  We were asked to pick one winter/holiday Lawn Fawn set and make a project featuring that set!

I chose Winter Sparrows and its coordinating Lawn Cuts Dies.

I think that this set is one of the cutest winter sets!  And, the fact that it has dies to match warms my creative heart!!  This card is a simple one that can be easily duplicated if you wanted to - it packs a festive punch, but is also simple to reproduce over and over!!  And, we card makers love those two elements during the holiday season!!

Be sure to visit all week the Lawn Fawn blog for more fun inspiration, projects, videos, and did I forget to mention PRIZES!  Lawn Fawn is so great about that!!  "Season's Tweetings" LF lovers!!

- Kari

Supplies - 

Lawn Fawn Winter Sparrows

Lawn Fawn Winter Sparrows Lawn Cuts Dies

Other supplies- 

White Card stock base

pattern papers from "This Christmas Collection" by Websters Pages (Allison Kreft)

Femme Frames Dies from Mama Elephant

Hero Arts Mid Tone Ink - Charcoal

Copic Markers

Wink of Stella Glitter pen

May Arts Chevron Ribbon