Author Archives: kth

CASology – Sweetheart

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It is time for a new CASology challenge. Check out the latest challenge – Sweetheart!

Here is my take:

you have my heart | by karen h @ carefree creations

I love this sheep set, but I don’t think I’ve actually used it yet. This little guy with the heart caught my eye for this challenge.

Since there isn’t much to it, I offset it on the card base and used a die to emboss a circle ’round it all. Well, I didn’t have a stitched circle so I faked it with the Arch die…and it works perfectly (and saved me a few bucks from having to buy a die that, until now, I didn’t think I needed).

Oh, and I have a tip for any newbies reading this. I don’t have the dies for this because they are fairly easy images to cut out, but I didn’t want a white outline, so I trimmed as close as I could. That leaves little bits of white that show up on dark cardstock (granted, probably wouldn’t have been much of a problem for this card). If you run a black marker around the edge of the cut out, it neatens it up and “finishes” it. See…

finishing an edge

(click image for bigger view)

Check back next week when I’ll have more inspiration from this challenge!

I hope you join us at CASology – and, for more inspiration, check out the other design team members:

Thanks for stopping by!

you have my heart
Stamps: Ewe Are Here (My Favorite Things – MFT);
Ink: Tuxedo (Memento); markers (Copic);
Paper: Tickled Pink (My Favorite Things), White (Papertrey Ink);
Other: Thank You die, Stitched Arch Stax die (MFT);

CC&S #356 – Hello

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

And here is my take:

Hello | by karen h @ carefree creations

I know, it is February, and these colors just scream Valentine’s but, honestly, I did a couple cards and I’m done. Instead I did flowers 🙂

I am *in love* with how dark the sentiment turned out. I think this is the first time I really felt like the Brilliance Graphite lived up to its hype! I mean, it has always been my darkest black, but this feels like staring into the void and it makes me ridiculously happy!

I did the stamping on a separate layer because I had when my cards warp from embossing. The panel is adhered right to the card base – no popping.

I hope you join us at CAS Colours & Sketches!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Little About the Challenge: This weekly challenge is posted on Tuesday, 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: Penned & Painted, Perfect Pennants (Stampin’Up – SU);
Ink: Real Red, Flirty Flamingo (SU); Brilliance Graphite Black, Versamark (Tsukineko);
Paper: Rustic White (Papertrey Ink);
Other: silver embossing powder (Filigree);

CASology – [Crystal] Cave

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There is still time to play along with the CASology challenge – CRYSTAL!

I thought I’d post some more inspiration for you:

You Add Magic to My Life | by karen h @ carefree creations

I know you might be looking at this card and scratching your head and saying there isn’t a crystal to be seen! This is why I put this idea as my second card and not the “official” one posted on the challenge post. Ages ago (at least 25years ago), I read The Crystal Cave – a book about Merlin. I haven’t read it since, so I honestly don’t know if it is problematic so read at your own risk, but I know I enjoyed it at the time – I love books about magic, especially Merlin/Arthur. Anyway, that is where the idea for this card came from.

This is one of those rare times I planned my card out before actually stamping anything. I figured out where I wanted the gold sparkle embossed bursts and put a tiny pencil dot on the watercolor cardstock. Then I used the Ranger Distress ink to paint the swirls around those dots. I really didn’t want such a hard line on the outside, but I didn’t want to overwork it either (i.e. done is done).

Use your imagination with the “Crystal” cue and please join us at CASology – and, for more inspiration, check out the other design team members:

Thanks for stopping by!

You Add Magic to My Life
Stamps: Magical Day, Its a Celebration (Stampin’Up – SU); Magic Sampler (Paper Smooches);
Ink: Distress: Wilted Violet, Salty Ocean, Tattered Rose, Hickory Smoke (Ranger); black (Palette);
Paper: watercolor; Highland Heather (SU);
Other: Magic Mates dies (SU); washi (Doodlebug); Enchanted Gold embossing (Ranger);

CC&S #355 – The Best Dirt

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

And here is my take:

Gardeners Know the Best Dirt | by karen h @ carefree creations

I have too many stamps – and yet, not nearly enough sentiments! I have cool images but no coordinating sentiments so I’m stuck printing out stuff I either make up or find on the internet. This sentiment came from searching garden quotes.

To make this card, I started with a full size front panel and drew a faint pencil line across a couple inches from the top. Then I added my dies and taped them down so the vegetable greenery was above the line and the vegetable body was under. I ran that through my die-cut machine with the plate only on the top portion. I had to do a bit of fussy-cutting to finish up that edge. Then I masked the veggies and sponged the dirt on (the sky is sponged on the card base).

Once I had that looking how I wanted, I sent the panel through my printer which allows me to feed paper through so it doesn’t do any bending in the process. How I do this is to first print my sentiment on regular paper then I use a light table to temporarily adhere my cardstock panel to the printer paper. Then I send that bundle through the printer again.

This sketch may be a little confusing at first, but my intention was the top edge would have a fancy edge or partial die-cutting (like my card does). But you could also do stamping on the card base and have some of it sticking out behind the front panel.

I hope you join us at CAS Colours & Sketches!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

gardeners know the best dirt
Stamps: Vegetable Garden (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: New Leaf, Orange Zest (PTI); Garden Green, Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango (Stampin’Up); Distress: Tumbled Glass, Vintage Photo, Gathered Twigs (Ranger);
Paper: White (PTI);
Other: computer font (Shotgun by dcoxy); Vegetable Garden die (PTI);

CASology – Crystal

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It is time for a new CASology challenge. Check out the latest challenge – CRYSTAL!

Here is my take:

Make Your Own Sparkle | by karen h @ carefree creations

Oooh-weee! I had trouble with this one. I had some ideas – but not the stamps; and my other ideas felt boring or were already represented by other team members. (Then there are those team members who had fresh – to me – ideas….have you seen Joyce’s card?? My mind was so far the other way it took me a second to understand how it fit the cue, lol! And Jen’s card is a geometric masterpiece!)

I stewed on this cue word for a couple weeks before this card finally came to me. To make the crystal: I used my non-stick mat, laid down a bit of twine and squeezed out about 1/3 of the bottle of Stickles (maybe not quite that much, but it was a LOT – and I should have gone back and filled in a bit after it dried down, but I ran out of time)!

I had an idea of the layout (though not the sentiment), so I stamped the jar image and then die cut the middle bit.

For the sentiment I ended up printing part and stamping part. The word sparkle is also embossed with glitter powder.

I backed the main panel with some clear plastic and popped it onto the card base with foam.

I think I have another idea for a card next week – so you can check back for more inspiration from this challenge!

I hope you join us at CASology – and, for more inspiration, check out the other design team members:

Thanks for stopping by!

make your own sparkle
Stamps: Sparkle Shine (Wplus9); Crystal Clear (Paper Smooches – PS);
Ink: Soft Sky, Bermuda Bay (Stampin’Up – SU);
Paper: White, Clearly Creative (Papertrey Ink); Soft Sky (SU);
Other: Crystal Clear die (PS); Arial font in grey; Stitched Rectangle die (Lil Inkers); twine (stash); Frosted Lace Stickles (Ranger);

CC&S #354 – You’re Fabulous

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

And here is my take:

You're Fabulous | by karen h @ carefree creations

I did have to do a tiny bit of masking – to stamp the water ripples.

The flamingo body was die cut. The die also includes the legs – I did partial die cutting and then trimmed around the body because that is all I wanted to have popped up (mostly so I didn’t have to mask that too).

I hope you join us at CAS Colours & Sketches!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Little About the Challenge: This weekly challenge is posted on Tuesday, 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 fabulous
Stamps: Color Layering Flamingo (Hero Arts – HA);
Ink: Rococo Rose, Powder Pink, Primrose Petals, Granny Apple Green, Seaside Spray (Stamin’Up); Espresso Truffle (Memento);
Paper: White (Papertrey Ink);
Other: Flamingo die (HA);

CASology – Relax Read [Repeat]

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There is still time to play along with the CASology challenge – REPEAT!

I thought I’d post some more inspiration for you:

Read, Repeat | by karen h @ carefree creations

Last time I did repeated stamping…this time I used a sentiment with the word repeat. Since it was book themed, I made a bookmark.

To make the bookmark, I used the Half & Half die from Papertrey – that only cuts one end (the other is left un-cut). I started with a full-sized panel, cut one end with the die, added my stamping and then flipped the die around to cut the top. I have a TON of eyelets and fiber so I added that to the bookmark as well.

To attach the bookmark to the card – and still make it removable, I created a tiny holder out of clear acetate. The acetate is cut 1/4 inch wider than the bookmark (so 1/8 on each side) and using an old notch tool, I added little half-moon cuts that the bookmark then fits into. The acetate holder is adhered to the pattern paper.

I hope you join us at CASology – and, for more inspiration, check out the other design team members:

Thanks for stopping by!

relax read repeat
Stamps: Book Club (Newton’s Nook); Half & Half (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: Black (Memento); markers (Copic); Marina Mist (Stampin’Up – SU);
Paper: Marina Mist (SU); Sunshine & Sprinkles pattern (SU); Clearly Creative acetate sheet (PTI);
Other: Half & Half die (PTI); eyelet (stash); fiber (stash);

CC&S #353 – Purrfect Day

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

And here is my take:

Purrfect Day | by karen h @ carefree creations

To stamp this, I started with a larger white piece than the final size. I stamped the sentiment and the cat. Then I cut the panel down to the size I wanted, but didn’t cut across the tail – that I fussy cut so it hung off/out of the panel. I did add a thin mat to that panel to help it stand out from the base.

I hope you join us at CAS Colours & Sketches!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

purrfect day
Stamps: Kit n Kaboodle (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: Canyon Clay (PTI); Espresso Truffle (Memento);
Paper: White, Wisteria Wonder – cs & pattern (PTI);

CASology – Repeat

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It is time for a new CASology challenge. Check out the latest challenge – REPEAT!

Here is my take:

My People | by karen h @ carefree creations

This card is a CASE of a lovely watercolor I found on Pinterest. Unfortunately the link no longer works and I haven’t been able to find the artist to give credit.

To start, I printed the sentiment on my card base. Using a swoop template that I hand-cut, I stamped my top line of bubbles. Then I just kept stamping adding colors and fish. Between the size of my “canvas” and the images I used, I couldn’t get the cool attrition and flowy shape shown in the inspiration piece.

Check back next week when I’ll have more inspiration from this challenge!

I hope you join us at CASology – and, for more inspiration, check out the other design team members:

Thanks for stopping by!

you’re my people
Stamps: Pond Life (Papertrey Ink – PTI); Lots of Dots (Simon Says Stamp);
Ink: Soft Pool, Dusty Blue, Deep Ocean (Hero Arts); Ocean Tides (PTI); Blueberry Bushel (Stampin’Up);
Paper: White (PTI);
Other: computer font (CK Letter Home);

CC&S #352 – Let’s Shell-ebrate!

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

And here is my take:

Let's Shell-ebrate | by karen h @ carefree creations

I am the hostess for this month over at CC&S. When picking colors, I knew I wanted to make an ocean card – I wanted colors for water, sand & shells. I ended up using the saffron for a shell, not sand, but still – this is definitely an ocean card!

The shells are fussy-cut and the oval (the edge, piercing, & inside waves) is done with a die.

I hope you join us at CAS Colours & Sketches!

Thanks for stopping by!

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

let’s shell-ebrate
Stamps: Seashells by the Seashore (Close to My Heart); Salt Air Sentiments (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: So Saffron, Petal Pink, Bermuda Bay (StampinUp – SU);
Paper: So Saffron, Petal Pink, Bermuda Bay (SU); White (PTI); vellum (stash);
Other: Shape Shifters Oval #2 die, Thank You Kindly die (PTI);