Category Archives: cards

Thanksgiving Quilt

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Now that I’ve completed my Halloween cards, I’m on to Thanksgiving cards.

Thanksgiving Quilt - by karen @ carefree creations

I knew I wanted to do a “quilt” card using this die, and when I looked for inspirtion, I found a card that I just had to CASE – this one by Jen Carter.

I’m still in love with these girly autumn colors.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Thanksgiving
Stamps: Circles & Diamonds (Lil Inkers); Keep it Simple: Thanksgiving (PTI);
Ink: So Saffron, Crisp Cantaloupe (SU); Autumn Rose, Scarlet Jewel, Soft Stone (PTI);
Cardstock: Autumn Rose, White (PTI);
Other: Circles & Diamonds die (Lil Inkers); white embossing powder (Hero Arts); white twine (SU);

Trick or Treat

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Candy Corn - by karen @ carefree creations

This is my final Halloween card (at least of ones I’m sending out this year…no telling if I’m inspired over the next month to make another one). I do think this might be my favorite of the bunch (though, honestly, I’m quite happy with most of the cards – what a novel idea!).

I used a recent RetroSketch (though not in time for their deadline).

Thanks for taking a peek!

Trick or Treat
Stamps: Halloween Backgrounds (SU);
Ink: Orange Zest (PTI);
Cardstock: Black, White (PTI); Lemon Drop (MFT);
Other: Tricky Trio die (PTI);

Halloween Home

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Halloween Home - by karen @ carefree creations

I sketched this out a week or so ago. I like the concept of it, but I wish I had made the main panel a bit longer and the striped panel a little shorter, but done is done.

Not much to say about this card.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Halloween
Stamps: Holiday Home (SU); Keep it Simple: Halloween (PTI):
Ink: Cajun Craze (SU);
Cardstock: More Mustard, Old Olive, White (SU):
Other: Creepy Crawly DSP (SU); thread (stash);

Halloween Washi

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No Stamping Halloween - by karen @ carefree creations

Another Halloween card. This one uses the latest sketch from CAS(e) This Sketch.

A very simple card – and not a lick of stamping!

When I decided to start my Halloween stamping, I pulled out my themed supplies and left them on my desk. I’m not one for actually using the washi tape I buy, but this was a perfect sketch – and I had themed tape…how could I not?

Normally I don’t like to mess with my sentiments – I like them to be easily readable and to make sense. So I’m not overly happy that the “or” is highlighted (why the “or” it isn’t the essential part of the sentiment>), but I just couldn’t pass up an easy way to bring more orange to the card.

The card base is the long-retired StampinUp color Lavender Lace…does anyone know of a new purple (from any company) that is close in color? It is a great color and I’m down to my last couple of sheets.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Trick or Treat

Cardstock: Lavender Lace (SU); Orange Zest, Black (PTI);
Other: Washi (SU); Tricky Trio die (PTI);

No Tricks

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No Tricks - by karen @ carefree creations

Woohoo, another night of stamping! (We won’t talk about the library books that I’m ignoring.)

The colors for this card were inspired by many cards I’ve seen lately. I really love the autumn, but bright, look of this combination!

I have a couple family members who aren’t into the “fright” of Halloween, so I always need a couple tame cards. I thought this color combo lent itself to a fun candy card.

Thanks for taking a peek!

No Tricks Just Treats
Stamps: Trick or Treat (PTI); Bitty Boos (SU);
Ink: Autumn Rose, Smokey Shadow (PTI); Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry (SU);
Cardstock: White (PTI); Pumpkin Pie (SU);
Other: Scallop Frames die (Paper Smooches);

Time for Boos

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I managed another Halloween card last night (just 5 more to go!). This card was very much inspired by StampinUp’s Making Spirits Bright stamp set. I loved the holiday twist on the drinking glasses.

Even though a drink-inspired card would fit my brother and sister-in-law, since I already made a card for them (yesterday’s post), I figured I’d make this card for my sister. And she has decided that I have to up my card-creating game (someone sent her a pop-up card and she’s decided every card must be special now ;). That meant I needed to make her card interactive.

Time for Boos - by karen @ carefree creations

After she pulls the “zipper”, she’ll find this:

Time for Boos - by karen @ carefree creations

I should have taken a few more photos. The orange panel is just what you see – a rectangle of cardstock. The “inside” piece is printer paper (I chose that because I needed to make little flaps to attach the orange rectangle, and I didn’t want it too thick). Once the zipper is pulled, the top and bottom bits of the orange sentiment will be attached to the flaps of the white inside piece.

I arranged the sentiment the way I did because once the zipper is pulled, the sentiment that is on the zipper will no longer be a part of the card (and will get lost)…but the words that are left will still make sense.

The sentiment is computer generated (except for the “boos” which is an alphabet die). To print on a specific piece of cardstock, I first print my words on a piece of printer paper. Then I position the cardstock overtop that and run it through the printer again (this works best if you have a bypass tray so the paper doesn’t have to bend a lot). For those that are visual, I do have a photo showing the process in this post.

Thanks for taking a peek!

It’s Halloween
Stamps: Movers & Shakers Sentiments (PTI);
Ink: Black (PTI);
Cardstock: Limeade Ice, Black (PTI); Tangerine (SU); white printer paper;
Other: Halloween Prints pattern paper, Zipper die (PTI); Bubblegum Sans font; Drinking Glasses die (Paper Smooches); Parker Lower Alpha die (Memory Box);
Technique: interactive;

Great Pumpkin

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Great Pumpkin - by karen @ carefree creations

I made this card for my brother and sister-in-law. She loves the Charlie Brown special and I used that as inspiration (if it wasn’t obvious). The background is Linus’ striped shirt. Then there is his sign and the pumpkin patch.

I created the sign with some free clipart I found on the web. The message is computer generated as well. I finished off the pumpkins with a couple little leaves and tiny strips of paper that I curled into tendrils.

Behind the Scenes:
So I have a few grass dies. One is tall grass; one is a grass border (meaning it cuts the bottom as well as the grass); and one is a grass edger (it only cuts the top). I used the edger on this card, but unfortunately it left a mark along the bottom where the die metal edge was. I’m sure I could have run the die through my machine so that it didn’t leave the mark, but done is done. I just covered up the mark with twine….and honestly, I think that added such a great touch and I don’t know if I would have thought to add it otherwise!

Thanks for taking a peek!

Welcome Great Pumpkin
Stamps: Jack of All Trades (SU); Super Stripes (PTI);
Ink: Orange Zest, Black (PTI);
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Vintage Cream (PTI); Old Olive, Crumb Cake (SU);
Other: Sign (free clipart); A Little Pot (font); Grass die (Clear & Simple Stamps); Tender Leaves dies (Memory Box); Linen Thread (SU);

Teen Birthday

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Teen Gadges - by karen @ carefree creations

My oldest kiddo turns 15 today! Like most teens, they thrives on electronic devices: cell phone, laptop, video games, etc.

I recently painted their bedroom a really pretty shade of light purple – so I thought I would start with that. I’ve been wanting to do a random background again, and I thought the gadgets would be a great backdrop.

I knew I wanted the sentiment to be spotlighted, but part of the background, so I stamped that image onto the card base first and added the other images around it. I then stamped the main image onto white paper and cut it out to pop up over the background image.

The last touch I added was to put “15” in the screens of the phone and music players.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Birthday
Stamps: Teen Routine, Hullabaloo, Alphadot (Paper Smooches);
Ink: Lavender (Simon Says Stamp SSS); Royal Velvet (PTI);
Cardstock: Grapesicle (My Favorite Things MFT);

Wicked Halloween

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This weekend I realized that I have no Halloween cards in my stash, so I needed to get stamping. I only send out about 8 cards, but honestly, it takes me forever to stamp!

After gathering all my Halloween supplies, I needed inspiration, so I headed to Splitcoaststampers. The recent Inspiration Challenge did the trick! The provided inspiration was a pinterest board with lots of cool cakes. I found this one that, to me, just screamed Halloween.

Here is my take:

Wicked Halloween - by karen @ carefree creations

I knew right away I wanted to use the old Cheesecloth background and some satin ribbon. Since the cake was all greys, I decided to keep my card monochrome too.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Wicked Halloween
Stamps: Spooky Sweets II (PTI); Wicked Cool, Cheesecloth background (SU);
Ink: Smokey Shawdow (PTI);
Cardstock: Smokey Shadow, Soft Stone (PTI);
Other: Smokey Shadow satin ribbon (PTI);

Birthday on the Runway

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Yesterday was Papertrey Ink’s Stamp-a-Faire event. The last challenge I tried was the Runway Inspiration challenge. I went with this one:

Though my colors are slightly different, my card is very much inspired by the fashion:

Birthday Quills - by karen @ carefree creations

What I took from the inspiration dress was the flow of flowers, in both directions, from the ribbon at the waist and the layers of color on the flowers.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Birthday
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Quilled Elegance, Think Big Favorites #12;
Ink: Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Teracotta Tile, Melon Berry;
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Melon Berry, Ripe Avocado;
Other: rhinestones (Kaiser);