Author Archives: kth

Thank You Ever So Much

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Thanks | by karen @ carefree creations

My Monday had a wonderful surprise in it! A couple co-workers gave me a bag of chocolate and a PTI gift certificate for helping them with a work project (really, just doing something that is my job). Such a very sweet thing to do!! I made this thank you card for each of them.

The sentiment panel is popped up with fun foam. I got the idea from Jennifer McGuire. I wonder though if the foam isn’t too thick. It is 2mm (about 1/16″) which doesn’t sound too thick, but every time I make a card (especially if the foam layer is fairly large) it makes the card very stiff and I worry about sending it through the post office equipment. Has anyone else started using this? Do you have problems? The foam comes in 1/32 (1mm) thickness, but I can’t find it to buy anywhere (just wholesale).

Thanks for taking a peek!

Thank You
Stamps: Ruby Rose (Papertrey Ink-PTI):
Ink: Enchanted Evening, Hibiscus Burst, Pure Poppy, Bright Buttercup, New Leaf (PTI);
Paper: White, Spring Rain (PTI);
Other: Stitched Rectangle die (Lil Inkers);

Lucky Me

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It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge: #163 – colors.

CC&S_2016-03-03_#163

And here is my take:

Lucky Me | by karen @ carefree creations

In the spirit of challenge, I used a St. Patrick’s Day stamp set – though my resulting card can be given any time.

I went very simple with the layout. And you may be wondering where my Mint Macaroon is…it is very subtle – just the dots between the sentiment lines. The rhinestone is also a very good match for it, but you can’t really tell (especially after putting it on the brighter green image).

I did a bit of image piecing too. The stem for the image was a word – and I didn’t like it for this card. So I inked up just the clover head, then I inked up just the stem from a different image in the same set.

I hope you join us at CAS Colours & Sketches!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Little About the Challenge: This weekly challenge is posted on Thursday, and alternates between color and sketch (if there is a 5th week in the month you get the double dose of color & sketch).

Lucky Me
Stamps: Pinch Proof (Stampin Up – SU);
Ink: Mint Macaroon, Cucumber Crush, Pure Poppy (SU);
Paper: White (PTI);
Other: rhinestone (stash);

PTI Blog Hop – Thank You

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PTI_BlogHopLogo

Today is PTI’s February Blog Hop. Here is the inspiration photo:

2016-02_PTIBlogHop-InspirationPhoto

And here is my card:

Thank You | by karen @ carefree creations

The first thing that caught my eye in the inspiration photo was the fern – I love ferns. I also wanted to add a bit of pink circle. The Tag It’s frame is cut-out by hand.

Thanks for taking a peek!

thank you
Stamps: Meadow Greens, Tag Its #5 (PTI);
Ink: Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, Lovely Lady (PTI); Versmark (Tsukineko);
Paper: Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Sweet Blush, White (PTI);
Other: Spring Moss ribbon, Woodgrain impression plate (PTI); Clear embossing powder (Filigree);

Welcome Spring

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It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge: #162 – Sketch.

CC&S_2016-02-25_#162

And here is my take:

Welcome Spring | by karen @ carefree creations

My latest PTI package came just in time to use the new Spring Woods. I love robins – they are a wonderful sign of spring!

I hope you join us at CAS Colours & Sketches!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Little About the Challenge: This weekly challenge is posted on Thursday, and alternates between color and sketch (if there is a 5th week in the month you get the double dose of color & sketch).

Welcome Spring
Stamps: Spring Woods, Wreath for All Seasons (PTI);
Ink: Canyon Clay, Fine Linen, Limeade Ice (PTI); Wet Cement (Hero Arts); Soft Suede (SU); Cotton Candy (MFT);
Paper: White (PTI);
Other: Spring Woods die (PTI);

Hello

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It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge: #160 – colours.

CC&S_2016-02-18_#161

And here is my take:

Hello | by karen @ carefree creations

Very simple card today! Seeing the purples in the challenge graphic had me thinking hydrangeas – so that is what I used.

I hope you join us at CAS Colours & Sketches!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Little About the Challenge: This weekly challenge is posted on Thursday, and alternates between color and sketch (if there is a 5th week in the month you get the double dose of color & sketch).

hello
Stamps: Happy Hydrangea (PTI);
Ink: Winter Wisteria, Royal Velvet (PTI);
Paper: White (PTI); Silver (SU);
Other: Happy Hydrangea die (PTI);

Happy Birthday to You

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My last PTI Anniversary card. This time for the Crafter’s Alphabet Challenge

And oh boy was it a challenge! Here is my card:

Happy Birthday | by karen @ carefree creations

My name is Karen, and I’m a craftaholic; oh wait, wrong station…

My challenge was to use:
K – kraft paper
A – add a border
R – round the corners
E – emboss resist
N – new (and unused) product – for me, that was the Enclosed: Present die

The emboss resist, while I have used it a lot in the past, didn’t turn out quite as I imagined. Honestly it looks like I stamped the words on the bottom half of the paper in darker ink – but that is really Versamark & clear powder. Because it darkened so much, the sponging – which was supposed to be the second part of the resist – didn’t really work.

I still like the card, and since we were allowed to go with just the first 3 letters, I think the card still qualifies.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Birthday to You
Stamps: Background Basics: Birthday, Faux Ribbon (PTI);
Ink: Dark Chocolate (PTI); Versamark (Tsukineko); Frayed Burlap Distress (Ranger);
Paper: Kraft, Hibiscus Burst, White Linen (PTI);
Other: Chocolate twine, Eyelet Lace border die, Enclosed: Present die (PTI); clear embossing powder (Filigree);

PTI Team – Thanks For All You Do

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Thanks | by karen @ carefree creations

This is another card for the PTI Anniversary. This time, for the #saturdaysnailmail challenge where we make cards to send to the PTI warehouse team. I can’t even image how tough the week after release night is!

I have fallen in love with all the no-line coloring I’ve seen. I’ve done no-line Copic, but this time I wanted to try the technique with watercoloring.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Thanks For All You Do
Stamps: Year of Flowers: Rose, Think Big Favorites #6 (PTI);
Ink: Black (PTI); Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Festive Berries, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss Distress ink (Ranger);
Paper: Simply Chartreuse (PTI); Watercolor (Ranger);
Technique: no-line watercoloring;

Thank You So Very Much

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Another PTI Anniversary card. This time for the Fortune Teller challenge. I ended up picking 4 & 8 and getting Hibiscus Burst and Orange Zest & Pure Poppy.

Here is my card:

Thank You | by karen @ carefree creations

These colors are similar to ones I used recently so I wanted to do something different with them. This time I went with a summer floral theme – and threw in some polka dots and gingham (the colors and polka dots made me think of Mary Engelbreit so I had to add some gingham).

Thanks for taking a peek!

Thank You So Very Much
Stamps: Framed Out 1, Mini Blooms (PTI);
Ink: Hibiscus Burst, Orange Zest, Pure Poppy, Black (PTI);
Paper: White (PTI);
Other: gingham ribbon (stash); Framed Out 1 die (PTI);

You Are Priceless

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I have a long weekend and I’m trying to catch up with the Papertrey Ink 9th Anniversary challenges. This post is for the “Grab & Craft” challenge. The idea is to spend 5 minutes grabbing supplies and then making a card with everything you picked.

Here is my card:

Priceless | by karen @ carefree creations

I’ve been wanting to play with You’re A Gem. I seem to be on a watercolor kick, so I made sure to grab the right things for that and emboss resist. This layout is a recent CAS Colours & Sketches challenge – I thought of using this set for that challenge, but I needed the other card sooner.

My sister’s birthday is next month and aquamarine in the gemstone, so that is how I chose my colors.

Since I was stamping on watercolor paper, I did use the MISTI for the sentiment.

Thanks for taking a peek!

You Are Priceless To Me
Stamps: You’re A Gem (PTI);
Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko); Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores (PTI); Truffle (Momento);
Paper: Aqua Mist (PTI); Watercolor (Ranger);
Other: Clear embossing powder (Filigree); Stitched Rectangle die (Lil Inkers);

You’re Awesome, just sayin’

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It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge: #160 – sketch.

CC&S_2016-02-11_#160

And here is my take:

You're Awesome | by karen @ carefree creations

I started this card by picking what I wanted as the circles. Once I chose stars I looked for a sentiment. My stamp index is digital – and so not to scale…which is why my sentiment is a bit smaller than I would have preferred, but really it is a perfect sentiment, so I kept with it. To add a bit to it, I added a gold mat.

I hope you join us at CAS Colours & Sketches!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Little About the Challenge: This weekly challenge is posted on Thursday, and alternates between color and sketch (if there is a 5th week in the month you get the double dose of color & sketch).

You’re Awesome
Stamps: We Go Together (PIT);
Ink: Black (PTI);
Paper: White (PTI); texture Black (SU); Gold Foil card stock (We R Memory Keepers);
Other: Sketched Stars Small die (PTI);