Author Archives: kth

Gift Card Slider

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The clinic aid at our elementary school is moving to another school. She is such a wonderful person – funny and caring. I wanted to give her a little token of thanks. I haven’t had a lot of stamping time this week, but today I had to get this card done now (since today is her last day, eek!). She loves Starbucks, so that is the gift card inside of this:

by karen @ carefree creations - Gift Card Slider

I used a bit of cardstock and pattern paper to make a faux tissue box for the front. I punched a little slot in the “top” and stuck a piece of facial tissue through.

Here it is “open”:

by karen @ carefree creations - Gift Card Slider (open)

I really love making these slider cards as gift card holders. I do have to alter the dimensions just as smidge to accomodate the gift card (and because I write on the slider panel) – the small slider panel is a 2 1/2 square.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Congrats
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Congrats All Ways, Fruit Frusion: Apple, Mini Book Tabs, Movers & Shakers Sentiments;
Ink/Cardstock: Royal Velvet, White, Pure Poppy; Lucky Limeade (SU);
Other: Royal Velvet pattern paper; Fruit Frusion: Apple die, Tab die; Notch tool (Basic Grey); lots of adhesive (glue dots, foam dots, sticky strip); tissue;
Technique: double slider card (tutorial at SCS);

Beachy Thoughts

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It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge: #57 – colours.

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #57

And here is my take:

by karen @ carefree creations - Thinking of You

Oh I had fun with this one! I’ve seen some awesome cards using the masking tape technique and decided it was time I tried it too. I inked a few lines to simulate sand.

The shells are stamped on Vanilla with Crumb Cake. Then I added a touch of watercolor with the Rose and Plum colors.

This will be another OWH card.

Make sure you check out the other design team members:
Jacqueline
Lizy
Louise
Patricia

I hope you join us at CAS Colours & Sketches!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Little About the Challenge: Posted every Thursday, the challenges alternate between color and sketch (if there is a 5th week in

the month you get the double dose of color & sketch).

Thinking of You
All supplies StampinUp unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: By the Seashore, Four You;
Ink/Cardstock: Naturals Cream, Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Rose Red, Perfect Plum, Soft Suede;
Technique: watercoloring, masking tape technique;

Eat All the Cakes!

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by karen @ carefree creations - Eat All the Cakes

PaperSmoochesSparksBadge I made this card for the latest Paper Smooches Sparks picture challenge. I used the colors and the theme.

At first I couldn’t decide what to do for my card, but it seemed like everything I thought of had already been done (after just a day of the challenge being opened!). So I decided to go with the theme of the photo – cake. I only have one PS cake image. It is small and I have a hard time with small images. So I decided to stamp all over the background with it. Once I had all those cakes done I needed a sentiment and the meme just came right to my head!

I used a font to create the sentiment.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Eat All the Cakes
Stamps: Hullabaloo (Paper Smooches);
Ink/Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Smokey Slate (SU); White (PTI);
Other: CK Teachers Pet font; Duo Die 2 (Paper Smooches); Candy Dots (SU); Square Lattice embossing folder (SU);

Sweet Pea Blossom

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by karen @ carefree creations - Sweet Pea Blossom

A few months ago I made a card using the Sweet Pea set and my mom asked that I send her the card (to give to a friend), but I needed that card for the RAK group – and mom didn’t need the card until Feb, so I told her I’d make another.

We’ll I decided I needed to get working on it, or I’d forget til it was too late. When I saw the latest RetroSketch I knew it would be perfect. Of course this card isn’t anything like the one mom saw, but hopefully this will still work!

I had gotten the entire card done – just finished adding the little green tendrils, when I dropped ink pad on the card!!! After some choice words I decided it was a blessing in disguise as I had originally stamped the frame in a different color and I wasn’t loving it. Now I could change it and not feel bad about wasting the paper because it was already ruined.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Birthday
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Year of Flowers: Sweet Pea, Communique Curves Sentiments, Fillable Frames 10;
Ink/Cardstock: White, Wisteria, Spring Moss, Soft Stone, Black;
Other: markers (Copics); Wisteria pattern paper;

Pocketful of Love

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by karen @ carefree creations - Pocketful of Love

When I first saw the latest Fall-to-Layout at Clean & Simple, I thought about using an envelope. But when I started looking for sentiments, I ran across the pocket set and decided that would be fun!

Another card I’ll be sending to OWH.

Thanks for taking a peek!

thinking of you
Stamps: Back Pocket Basics, Around About Sentiments (PTI); Jeans background (SU);
Ink/Cardstock: White, Winter Wisteria, Pure Poppy, Melon Berry, Enchanted Evening (PTI); Midnight Madness (SU);
Other: Back Pocket dies (PTI);

Birthday Fusion

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by karen @ carefree creations - Butterfly Fusion

I created this card for the Fusion challenge. I used both the sketch and the inspiration photo.

I’m really happy with how this turned out! I love the colors and how it came together.

I actually stamped the panel twice. The first time I stamped the Moroccan border design with basic grey and the sentiment it black but it was just too dark. I had also stamped the butterflies directly on the panel. That was fine, but I didn’t want to waste them, so when I re-did the panel, I punched the original butterflies out and popped them up. The added dimension does add a nice touch (with the shadows).

Thanks for taking a peek!

Birthday Wishes
All supplies StampinUp unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Summer Silhouettes, Papillon Potpourri, Bring on the Cake;
Ink/Cardstock: Smokey Slate, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Pool Party;
Other: Butterfly punch;

Texting

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by karen @ carefree creations - Texting

The Keep it Simple challenge this week is “text”. Of course, my first thought was more along the lines “texting” (probably because I have a teenager in the house).

I know my card doesn’t look exactly like a cell phone, but that is what I was emulating.

I went with a “miss you” sentiment because I am making cards for Operation Write Home.

My card is a little smaller than A2 (4 7/8 x 3 1/2).

Thanks for taking a peek!

Miss U
Stamps: Fascinators, Alphadot (Paper Smooches);
Ink/Cardstock: Black cardstock, White (PTI); Black ink (Memento);
Other: b11 marker (Copic); corner rounder (Crop-a-dile);

You Color My World

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by karen @ carefree creations - Color My World

I make this card for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge.

I used a rainbow of colors, but it isn’t obviously rainbow.

Lots of paper piecing on this one, though it is all cardstock.

Thanks for taking a peek!

You Color My World
Stamps: Spring Fling, Positive Strokes, He Said She Said, World Salad (Paper Smooches);
Ink/Cardstock: White, (old) Black, Spring Rain, Winter Wisteria, Berry Sorbet, Hawaiian Shores, New Leaf, Harvest Gold (PTI); Pumpkin Pie (SU);

Butterfly Garden

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by karen @ carefree creations - Butterfly Garden

I created this card for two challenges. I had extra time for crafting today so I was able to pick up some challenges that I usually only stalk.

The layout is using the latest Seize the Sketch. A great basic layout that can be used in tons of ways. Of course, I managed to come up with a card pretty similar to one that was entered (the second time today that has happened!). Oh well. I used to look at other cards before doing my own so I wouldn’t end up with this dilemma, but I stopped…maybe I need to start up again, lol.

The birthday theme and twine usage came from the Friday Mashup challenge. This is one I learned about a month or so ago but never got farther than getting ideas. It is a great challenge and I hope I can participate more frequently!

I broke out some new Paper Smooches stamps for this card. I love the new Botanicals sets – and the Kissing sets! The kissing is on the butterflies, but is probably pretty hard to see (my inks are too close in color – live and learn).

To make my tag, I trimmed some blue paper to the height I needed, then used a Labels 4 die to cut the ends (I only ran just a bit through the die-cut machine and then reversed back out – repeat for other end). Hope that makes sense! If not, ask – I don’t mind answering questions 🙂

Thanks for taking a peek!

celebrate
Stamps: Flap Happy, Botanicals 2, Kissables 1, Pretty Phrases (Paper Smooches);
Ink/Cardstock: Blueberry Sky, Spring Rain, Melon Berry (PTI); Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral (SU);
Other: Labels 4 die (Spellbinders); blue twine (PTI); rhinestones (Hero Arts);

Celebrate with Bubbly

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by karen @ carefree creations - Celebrate with Bubbly

I created this card for two challenges. The theme came from the current cue by CASology – Bubbly. And the layout came from the current sketch at CAS(e) this Sketch.

I did flip the sketch upside down because that worked better with my images.

When I think “bubbly”, my first thought is champagne – so that is where I took my card.

I really like the added strip of gold paper – it helps ground the sentiment which is grounding the glasses. To me, it is a nice finishing touch.

Thanks for taking a peek!

CASology Honorable Mention winner

celebrate
Stamps: Pretty Phrases, Free Spirit (Paper Smooches);
Ink/Cardstock: Black (PTI); White, So Saffron (SU);
Other: Gold paper (SU); gold embossing (Filigree), gold dots (stash);