Category Archives: cards

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);

PTI Anniversary – Fashion Inspired

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Day two (Feb 6) of PTI’s Anniversary festivities was about their new Dress Up Doll products. The challenge was to find a piece of fashion and be inspired. I’ve had this bitty dress in my pin folder for awhile now:

2016-02_PTIAnniversary-FashionInspiration

And here is my card:

Green Roses | by karen @ carefree creations

I basically recreated the dress.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Birthday
Stamps: Rosie Posie, Rosie Posie 2, Wonderful Words (PTI);
Ink: Vintage Jadite, New Leaf (PTI); Versamark (Tsukineko);
Paper: White, Harvest Gold, Aqua Mist (PTI);
Other: One-Liners: Happy (PTI); White embossing powder (Hero Arts);

PTI Anniversary – Team Inspired

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February, to me, means PTI Anniversary celebration! This year is their 9th!

2016-02_PTIAnniversary_logo

The first day of the festivities was about the team. Each member presented their favorite project from the past year along with the color scheme and a new project using those colors. The challenge for us was to use one of the color schemes.

I chose:

2016-02_PTIAnniversary-ColorRecipe

And here is my card:

Birthday Bouquet | by karen @ carefree creations

I really love Scarlet Jewel & Melon Berry together! Of course, with the watercolored background, those colors aren’t quite true. I’m still quite happy with the earthy feeling.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Birthday
Stamps: Bold Bouquet, Graceful Greetings (PTI);
Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Melon Berry, Dark Chocolate, Kraft (PTI); Fossilized Amber distress ink (Range);
Paper: Dark Chocolate, Rustic White (PTI); Watercolor (Ranger);
Other: Graceful Greetings die (PTI); Wonky Stitched Rectangles (MFT);

Be Mine, Valentine

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It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge: #159 – colours.

CC&S_2016-02-04_#159

And here is my take:

Valentine | by karen @ carefree creations

When I first saw these colors, I thought about the conversation hearts that are appearing everywhere this time of year.

I added a few clear embossed hearts to link the hearts together, and then some sequins to add some dimension and sparkle. I ended up covering most of it, but I like how the embossing powder darkens the color hearts a tad.

The die cut sentiment is two layers.

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).

Be Mine
Stamps: XOXO (Papertrey Ink);
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo (SU); Cotton Candy (My Favorite Things); Black (PTI); Versamark (Tsukineko);
Paper: White (PTI);
Other: Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh); Clear embossing powder (Filigree);

Sunshine in Water

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It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge: #158 – sketch.

CC&S_2016-01-28_#158

And here is my take:

Sunshine in Water | by karen @ carefree creations

The front rectangle in the sketch was such an expanse, it was begging me to do a little watercoloring. I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to jump on the Distress Ink bandwagon, but I am loving these things…it really makes this sorta technique way easy!

I did not adhere the word die-cut fully. And I like how it feels a bit fun and carefree.

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).

Thanks
Ink: Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Carved Pumpkin Distress Inks (Ranger);
Paper: Watercolor (Ranger); White card stock, Harvest Gold pattern paper (PTI);
Other: Big Thanks die (Simon Says Stamp); Wonky Stitched Rectangles (My Favorite Things);
Technique: watercoloring;

Cheers With a Cherry On Top

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It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge: #157 – colours.

CC&S_2016-01-21_#157

And here is my take:

Cheers with a Cherry on Top | by karen @ carefree creations

When I saw those colors the first things I saw was ice cream (but then I can see ice cream in just about anything). Even knowing what I was going to stamp, it took me some time to figure out how. When I was playing around with composition, I had two cones bumping each other and that reminded me of two glasses doing “cheers”; I liked that concept. The clincher was pairing “cheers” with the rest of the sentiment…I loved that!

The “cheers” sentiment is a die-cut. I layered 3 cut-outs together…that really is so much easier than trying to cut and place tiny bits of dimensional adhesive.

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).

Cheers
Stamps: You’re the Sweetest (My Favorite Things);
Ink: So Saffron, Rose Red, Soft Suede (SU);
Paper: White (PTI); Rose Red (SU);
Other: You’re the Sweetest die (MFT); Birthday Words die (Paper Smooches);