Author Archives: kth

Paw Prints on the Heart

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Pet Loss | by karen h @ carefree creations

This card was created for the SplitcoastStampers Technique Challenge – tone on tone stenciling.

I don’t have many stencils, but this one has been calling me for a while and I needed to make a card with it.

I figured out where I wanted the heart & paw print, positioned the sentiment & stamped. After all the paw prints were stenciled, then I used the heart die to make an impression.

I *meant* to use the sentiment that says pets leave paw prints on the heart but I *just now!!!* noticed that is not what I used, ugh. Papertrey stamps don’t come with labels and I do not read backwards very well (heck, I don’t read forwards very well, lol). Oh well…it does still work (but the paw print on the heart makes more sense now, yeah?). It wouldn’t be a stamping day if I didn’t have at least one “done is done” card, right?! I gotta pay more attention when stamping!!

Thanks for taking a peek!

furry friends
Stamps: With Sympathy – Pet Loss (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: Smokey Shadow (PTI); Lost Lagoon (Stampin’Up – SU);
Paper: Lost Lagoon (SU);
Other: Nesting Hearts die (Hero Arts); Pawprint stencil (Simon Says Stamp);

Me Hearty

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I’m playing along with the AAA Cards – Made in Minutes challenge.

Here is my card:

Me Hearty | by karen h @ carefree creations

This challenge offered an optional twist of ink blending. When trying to come up with a card idea, I spent way too much time focusing on the ink blending so I gave that up and just starting looking for something I wanted to stamp – and dontcha know it, the ink blending worked itself in!

I used a heart die to make an opening in masking paper – which I had to do twice since the first time the mask went down in the wrong place and tore when coming up. Still, the card only took me about 15 minutes to make.

Thanks for taking a peek!

me hearty
Stamps: Ahoy Me Hearty (Paper Smooches);
Ink: Distress – Candied Apple, Carved Pumpkin, Squeezed Lemonade, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet (Ranger); Brillance Graphite Black (Tsukineko);
Paper: White (Papertrey Ink);
Other: Nesting Hearts die (Hero Arts); masking paper;

Blessing in My Life

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We had our Thanksgiving on Wednesday – so yesterday was all mine to stamp. I managed to make 5 cards (which was about an average of 2 hours each, sigh…I am NOT a fast designer). I’ll be posting all those cards cards today (in individual posts).

First up – the Addicted to CAS challenge for Blessing.

Here is my card:

Blessing in My Life | by karen h @ carefree creations

My first step was finding something with “blessed” or “blessing”. I hadn’t used this set yet, so that settled that.

The colors are ones I had recently stamped with (on a card I’ll post tomorrow) and really liked the purple & green/blue together.

Very quick card!

Thanks for taking a peek!

thanks
Stamps: Gathered Garden (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: Autumn Rose, Dark Chocolate (PTI); Pretty Peacock (Stampin’Up);
Paper: Rustic Cream (PTI);
Other: jute (PTI);

CC&S #349 – Frog Pile

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

And here is my take:

Frog Pile | by karen h @ carefree creations

The sketch for this challenge came from a card I made years ago.

This time, I went with some fun frog die cuts. I used 3 colors of green.

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: Wet Paint, Fillable Frames #1 (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: Pineapple Punch (Stampin’Up – SU); Burnt Umber (Palette);
Paper: White (PTI); Sour Apple, Banana Split (My Favorite Things – MFT); Gumball Green (SU); Green Leaf (Simon Says Stamp);
Other: Fillable Frames #1 die (PTI); Pond Frogs die (Poppy Stamps);

CASology – Faith

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

When you look up the definition of faith:

I tried to keep to the definition, even if my card doesn’t say “faith”.

Here is my take:

Belief in Tomorrow | by karen h @ carefree creations

I’ve been doing lots of white card base lately, so this time I pulled out a color. When I do this, I always try to do the inking in complimentary colors so they don’t muddy up.

The “garden” part of the sentiment had open spaces, so to give it some more weight, I colored in the spaces with a brown colored pencil.

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

Thanks for stopping by!

Plant a Garden
Stamps: Garden Grace (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: Spring Moss, Cocoa Bean (PTI); Moss (Altenew); Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral (Stampin’Up);
Paper: Lemon (PTI);
Other: brown colored pencil;

CC&S #348 – Sweet Congratulations

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

And here is my take:

Sweet Life Roses | by karen h @ carefree creations

With these colors – I just had to stamp flowers.

I did my stamping before I realized that the coordinating dies are closed (meaning you can’t see through them to position over stamping). So I just fussy-cut these out.

To add layers to the leaves, but without a second green color, I used a neutral ink.

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).

congratulations
Stamps: The Sweet Life, Banner Style (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: Blushing Bride, Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizzazz (Stampin’Up); Fine Linen (PTI); Espresso (Altenew);
Paper: White (PTI); Naturals (My Favorite Things);
Other: Shape Shifters Circle 1 die, Banner Style die (PTI);

Bright & Merry

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Paper Smooches has a monthly challenge and this month is an anything goes challenge – and they’re looking for design team members for next year.

This is my third card for the call – just trying to show that my style is fairly eclectic 🙂

Let's Be Merry | by karen h @ carefree creations

I tend to do clean & simple cards; this card shows that style. I also thought a bright color scheme would be another way to show off a different styling.

This Paper Smooches set has some fun jewel-streamer images that I shaped into circles.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Let’s Be Merry
Stamps: Holly Jolly, Christmas Sampler (Paper Smooches – PS);
Ink: Cool Caribbean (Stampin’Up); Orange Cream, Parrot (Altenew); Hibiscus Burst (Papertrey Ink – PTI); Grape Jelly (My Favorite Things);
Paper: Hibiscus Burst (PTI);
Other: Bows die (PS);

Grateful for You

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Paper Smooches has a monthly challenge and this month is an anything goes challenge – and they’re looking for design team members for next year.

Here is another card for that call:

Grateful for You | by karen h @ carefree creations

Here in Colorado it is already snowing. I miss Virginia falls! This card is in homage to those autumn feelings.

The leaves were inked with two colors of Distress inks then lightly spritzed with water before stamping. After they dried, I spritzed the leaves and card base with an old brown glitter spray.

I did some fussy cutting for the leaves and the sentiment.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Grateful for you
Stamps: Leafy Greens, Debonair, Fall Sampler (Paper Smooches);
Ink: Distress Barn Door, Fired Brick, Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade (Ranger); Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink); Bayou Blue (Stampin’Up);
Paper: Baja Breeze, White Naturals (Stampin’Up);
Other: glitter spray (stash);

Believe in Magic

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Paper Smooches has a monthly challenge and this month is an anything goes challenge – and they’re looking for design team members for next year.

Here is my card:

Believe in the Magic | by karen h @ carefree creations

Update: Retook the photo to get the colors more accurate.

To make this card, I started with a feel – a winter sunset. I’m sure that had nothing to do with the fact that it was 25 degrees yesterday when I was stamping this.

The card base is a pale purple. I added Distress ink sponged on the background. The trees are paper pieced with green plaid that really pops on the background. The heart is the same pink as the background. I added a bit of snow with some puff paint along the ground and acrylic paint in the sky.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Believe in the Magic
Stamps: Warm Hearts, Joyful Greetings (Paper Smooches);
Ink: Distress Inks: Worn Lipstick, Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire (Ranger); Versamark (Tsukineko); Black (Palette);
Paper: Grapesicle (My Favorite Things); Berry Sorbet (Papertrey Ink); Crumb Cake (Stampin’Up); Perfectly Plaid Christmas (Lawn Fawn);
Other: puff paint (Stampin’Up); white acrylic paint; white embossing powder (Hero Arts);

CC&S #347 – Hugs

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

And here is my take:

Forget Me Not Hugs | by karen h @ carefree creations

This is actually my second card. The sketch flustered me that my first card was not CAS (I’ll post it in a few days). But after a few days of thinking on it, I came up with this one.

Now, I could have done this very easily by using pattern paper in the back, but nope, this is stamped/colored.

To get started, I first used a ruler on the back of the front panel to draw the shape I wanted. Then I cut the panel. The result is that the front panel is in 2 pieces – top & bottom. I added some detail with a cross-stitch impression along the opening.

The card base is where I did my stamping. I laid my front panel on the card base and made little marks so I knew where I needed to stamp. After my stamping was done, I went back in with a light-blue Copic marker so there was no white left.

The sentiment die is 3 layers and the front panel is popped up on foam tape.

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).

Hugs
Stamps: Forget Me Nots (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: Amethyst Allure, New Leaf, Blueberry Sky (PTI); Gorgeous Grape (Stampin’Up); marker (Copic);
Paper: White (PTI);
Other: Big Hugs die (PTI); Stitched Borders die (Lawn Fawn);