Author Archives: kth

Garden in the Orient

Posted on by

I created this card for the For Your Inspiration challenge (fyi22).

My stamping time has really taken a hit since we adopted a new puppy last month. But I’ve had an idea in my head for this challenge ever since it was posted. I finally made myself stamp last night. I could have created a few different cards I was so inspired by the image, but I settled on this one because the colors and bridge in the IP is what caught my eye first.

I love this set by Waltzing Mouse and this was just too good an opportunity not to use it! I did have a couple false starts with it, but I am happy with the final product.

I also feel good because that green velvet ribbon is from my HUGE stash of ribbon. Sometimes it is nice to be able to find exactly what you need!

Thanks for taking a peek!

Birthday Wishes
Stamps: Asian Garden & Additions (WMS);
Colors: Canyon Clay, Vanilla, Avocado, Chocolate (PTI); Saffron (SU);
Other: Green velvet ribbon (stash);

Birthday Rainbow

Posted on by

I created this card for the Waltzing Mouse sketch challenge (wmsc80).

I took a little liberty and imagined each stripe in the sketch as its own color – instead of two alternating colors. I also dropped the sentiment panel down because that just felt right. To steal words from Amber, it felt too predictable otherwise.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Birthday
Stamps: Say it Loud (WMS);
Colors: Hibiscus, Summer Sunrise, Lemon, Chartreuse, Hawaiian, White (PTI); Wisteria (SU);
Other: bracket border punch (EK Success);

Clean & Simple Class – Day 5

Posted on by

Day 5 was about techniques. I took the spotlight technique and simplified it. I stamped the map on both green and blue paper then used a circle punch to punch out my spotlights in a grid pattern.

I left off the “base” image as an attempt to simplify the technique and card. I felt there were enough glimpses of the map to know what it is (even though some of them are not the right angle – I did *try* to punch in a grid, lol).

Since I used a map image, I’m also entering this in the Moxie Fab challenge, Map to Your Heart.

Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome to the Neighborhood
Stamps: map (Inkadinkado); sentiment from Home Made (PTI);
Colors: Rustic Cream, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss (PTI);
Other: circle punch;

Clean & Simple Class – Day 7

Posted on by

Day 7 is all about plain white cards. I actually love doing plain white cards.

For this card, I also took inspiration from the CASE Study blog challenge (#73). This month’s muse there is Jen Rzasa.

I liked how she had different colors of the same pattern and the banner sentiment with rhinestones and the little loop of ribbon.

I haven’t figured out how to cut my dies apart, so instead of creating negative punches, I just die cut the pattern paper and popped-it on the card.

I felt the background needed something. Then I remembered how Gayatri recently created her own impression plate. So I gave that a try for myself. I die cut a bunch of clouds from thin cardboard and adhered them to another cardboard. I’m quite happy having this impression plate now!

Oh, and the final card size is actually 4 x 5 1/2 (I needed to leave room in the envelope for the loop of ribbon).

Thanks for taking a peek!

Birthday Wishes
Stamps: Up Up & Away (PTI);
Colors: White, Black (PTI);
Other: Good Morning Sunshine DSP (SU); Copic-Colored Rhinestones (Kaiser); Ribbon (stash); Cloud & Balloon dies (PTI);

Sweet Pair

Posted on by



Today is Waltzing Mouse’s Blog Party. The theme this month is “Sweet Things”.

I struggled with what I would do. But it finally came to me last night!

I paper pieced (just out of cardstock) the pears from Peace & Plenty. Then I stamped the pear bodies with the smallest Gingham image.

For the sentiment, I used a font and printed it on my computer.

Since the theme is “sweet” I wanted to keep my colors light and sweet – so I had to work in some pink. I found some old StampinUp paper that worked nicely.

Thanks for stopping by!

Quite the Pair
Stamps: Peace & Plenty (WMS); Gingham (WMS);
Colors: Lemon, White (PTI); Pear (SU);
Other: CK Daydreamer sentiment font (CK); Circle dies (Spellbinders); Heart die for scallop border (PTI); Lemon ribbon (PTI); Banbury DSP (SU);

Clean & Simple Class – Day 4

Posted on by

Day 4 of class was to take a stamp and use it in different ways. I chose to use the large floral spray in the Elements of Style set by StampinUp.

My first card uses the spray as a background. I stamped it in very light ink a couple times on the card base.

To do the sentiment, I stamped the frame in a dark brown (to help pull the focus) and colored it with Copics. I’m a cutter – of stamps 🙂 The sentiment was trimmed so I could stamp the words separately.

I really like how this one turned out.

For the second card, I wanted to use the spray as the focal image. Of course, I didn’t have a lot of time to color the whole thing, and Day 5’s lesson was in my head – so I chose to do a technique: Spotlighting.

This time I stamped the spray in dark brown (since it should be the focus).

I embossed the background – not sure if that lessens the CASness, but I like the feel it adds.

I also chose to keep the same colors for all the cards.

I really wasn’t sure what I would do for the last card. I knew I wanted to do something unexpected with it. After looking over the lesson again, I liked how Kristina & Julie used their image within other images. That made me remember this totally awesome card by Dawn O. So I cased it.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Best Wishes
Stamps: Elements of Style, Four Frames, Oval All (SU);
Colors: Cream (PTI); Bamboo ink (CTMH); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento);
Other: markers-R20, R22, YG91 (Copic); ribbon (PTI);
Happy Birthday – Spotlight
Stamps: Elements of Style, Warmest Regards (SU);
Colors: Cream (PTI); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento);
Other: markers-R20, R22, R24, YG91, YG93 (Copic); Fancy Tags 1 die (Spellbinders); pearls (Hero Arts); Square Lattice embossing folder (SU); circle die (Spellbinders);
Happy Birthday – Butterfly
Stamps: Elements of Style (SU); For Every Occasion (CTMH);
Colors: Cream (PTI); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento);
Other: markers-R20, R22, YG91, YG93 (Copic); Butterly die (SU); pearls (Kaiser);

Spin Me Round

Posted on by

I created this card for the Clean & Simple challenge at SCS (cas152) – a supply challenge: die cuts.

After perusing my index of dies I settled on the spinner from the MFT – and the stamp set had a perfect sentiment too!

I will say I had a dickens of a time getting the spinner to work. I wanted the spinner behind the heart, but that was NOT working, so I went with the simple assembly – but at least it works! 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

You Spin Me Round
Stamps: Game Night (MFT);
Colors: White, Black (PTI);
Other: Sweet Symphony DSP, heart die (PTI); heart brad (?); Game Night Spinner die (MFT);

Lattice Play

Posted on by

I created this card for the For Your Information challenge (fyi21).

I woke up with mojo today! I actually die cut the lattice last night, but it was bedtime, and I didn’t really know what I was going to do – only that the shape of the lattice reminded me of the shape of the alcoves in the inspiration picture.

So this morning I woke up and it all came together for me. Once I got the lattice die cut back into the kraft layer, I decided to add the four white diamond die-cuts (to mimic the bright light coming in from the far back window in the photo). As a final touch I added the rhinestones (to mimic the light refractions).

And since I love this card so much, I’m submitting it for the Moxie Fab die cut challenge

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Birthday
Stamps: Fillable Frames #11, Inside-Out: Birthday (PTI);
Colors: Enchanted Evening, Fine Linen, Kraft, White (PTI);
Other: Lattice die (SU); Rhinestones (Hero Arts); Fillable Frame #11 die (PTI);

Clean & Simple Class – Day 2

Posted on by

Day 2 was all about totally flat cards. One concept presented was using masking to make it seem like there were layers. Honestly, I just felt to lazy to try that. The other concept was a good layout balanced by heaviness of the images.

My first card attempted that. I used both the solid and outlined images to differ the weight.

While this is a mistletoe image, I made sure my colors and sentiment allowed that the card could be a Valentine or a Christmas card.


his next card attempts the weighted layout by varying the color. I also trimmed the card square because my images were small. I used a lighter color at the top and a darker one on the left. The sentiment feels like a good anchor to me (love the vertical flow of the sentiment).

Hopefully I can get caught up this weekend!

Thanks for taking a peek!

love & kisses
Stamps: Festive Foliage, Say it Loud (WMS);
Colors: White (PTI); Limeade, Regal Rose (SU);
Always Dreamed
Stamps: Seashells by the Seashore (CTMH); Daydreams (PTI);
Colors: Kraft (PTI); Black (Memento);
Other: colored pencils (Prismacolor);

Clean & Simple Class – Day 3

Posted on by

What happened to Day 2, you ask? Don’t worry, I’ll post it – I have ideas for the cards, just not enough time!

Today’s class was about inspiration – and as I have a pinterest board full of it, I thought no time like the present to pull from it.

One of my first pins there was a cute grey/yellow hand bag (source). I really loved the yellow/grey color combo, ruffle ribbon, and Damask pattern. So those are the parts I used in my card.

I still wanted some white space on the card, so I didn’t stamp the damask over the entire white panel, and I think I really like it this way! I also think that the pattern and flowers being just on the left help give a vertical flow to a mostly horizontal card.

I need some more grey thread though. The only one I had on hand has a definitely blue-cast which is more obvious than I would like!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Birthday
Stamps: Damask Designs, Simple Sunflower (PTI);
Paper: Smokey Shadow, White (PTI);
Ink: Grey (Palette); So Saffron, Summer Sunrise, Going Grey (SU);
Other: Smokey Shadow ribbon (PTI);