Category Archives: cards

Autumn Colors

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It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge: #43 – colors.

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #43

And here is my take:

by Karen @ carefree creations - Autumn Colors

These colors are some of my favorite from StampinUp!

I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do for my card, but when the Fall-to-Layout challenge was posted, this idea popped right in my head.

Make sure you check out the other design team members:
Jacqueline
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).

Thanks
All supplies StampinUp unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Gently Falling, Gorgeous Grunge, Off the Grid, Another Thank You;
Ink/Card Stock: Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Island Indigo;
Other: button, linen thread;

Christmas Poinsettia

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It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge: #42 – sketch.

CAS Colour & Sketch Challenge #42

And here is my take:

by Karen @ carefree creations - Christmas Poinsettia

I don’t know why, but I was in a Christmas mood when I stamped for this challenge.

I love this pattern paper and haven’t really had a chance to use it. The paper can be a bit overwhelming, but I think it works really well in this instance.

I hand cut the large poinsettia before I realized I had a die-cut for it! Knowing that now though, I may make more of this card to use as a gift set – it really isn’t hard (even with the cutting).

Make sure you check out the other design team members:
Jacqueline
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).

Greetings of the Season
Stamps: Year of Flowers: Poinsettia, Year of Flowers Collection, Bells & Boughs (PTI);
Ink/Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke, Early Espresso (SU); Pure Poppy, Harvest Gold (PTI);
Other: Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP (SU);

Spectrum Leaves

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by Karen @ carefree creations - Spectrum Leaves

My final card from the messy technique newsletter. The baby wipe technique is a great way to make your own spectrum pad.

These leaves are a bit light because I was almost at the end of the baby-wipe pad’s life. I have many other pieces that I stamped using the pad and I hope to make a card with them soon.

Thanks for taking a peek!

You’re in my Thoughts
All supplies StampinUp unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Gently Falling, Best of Greetings;
Ink/Card Stock: White, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede;
Other: Apothecary Accents die, Natural Trim, White emboss powder;
Technique: Baby Wipe

My Universe

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by Karen @ carefree creations - My Universe

I stamped this card for the Paper Smooches Spark Challenge – Sketch.

The planet at the bottom was created using some scrap paper – left over from some technique – but I have no recollection of it, so I don’t know what it was.

After stamping the stars in on the card base, I decided to balance it out with some splatters at the top of the focal panel. I used H2Os for the splatter.

Thanks for taking a peek!

You’re My Universe
Stamps: Space Cadet (Paper Smooches);
Ink/Card Stock: Black, Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, White (PTI); Black (Memento); Gold (Delcatta);
Other: markers (Copic); Oval die (Spellbinders); Tag die (Paper Smooches); gold splatter (Twinkling H2Os);

Shaving Cream Seas

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by Karen @ carefree creations - Shaving Cream Technique

Yet another technique newsletter card. This time the messy technique was Shaving Cream.

I had such fun with this that I have quite a few left over pieces in all sorts of colors.

This blue piece just screamed nautical, which is quite the trend lately. I pulled out The Open Sea and made a father’s day card.

To make the knot, I just googled knots and found a knot that looked interesting. It did take me quite a few tries and since the ends are chopped off (because the rope was too thick to wrap around the panel), it isn’t like it would work anyway, lol.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Father’s Day
All supplies StampinUp unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: The Open Sea, Teeny Tiny Wishes;
Ink/Card Stock: Pacific Point, Garden Green, Black, White;
Other: rope (old SU “ribbon”);
Technique: shaving cream

You are Fabulous

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by Karen @ carefree creations - You: Super Amazing

I created this card for the latest CAS(e) This Sketch. I really wanted to incorporate a rounded bottom with a straight top because that is what stood out to me when looking at the sketch.

I had issues inking this stamp (it isn’t etched deep enough), but after many tries I finally got it. I did have to add some gel pen to the star centers to clean them up.

And oh so lucky, the banner image totally fits on the PTI die – yay!!

I really cannot say how much I love these stitched rectangle dies! I always turn to them when I feel a layer needs just something else but I don’t want to clutter anything up. Definitely one of my best purchases!

Thanks for taking a peek!

You
Stamps: Super Star (Wplus9);
Ink/Card Stock: Hawaiian Shores, White (PTI); Regal Rose, Raspberry Ripple (SU);
Other: Stitched Rectangle Mats (Lil Inkers); Double-Ended Banner die (PTI);

Dual Embossed Flowers

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by Karen @ carefree creations - Dual Embossed Flowers

This is another card I created for the technique newsletter. This time I used Dual Embossing. The basic idea is to use more than 1 color of embossing powder on an image.

You have to add both colors before you heat the image.

The only trick to this technique is that you can’t put the second color back into the jar because some particles of the first color may have come off when you tap off the excess of the second color.

For this card I did the process twice: stamped the leaves, sprinkled the two embossing powders, heated; then again with the flowers.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Thank You
All supplies StampinUp unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Summer Silhouettes, Four You;
Ink/Card Stock: Melon Mambo, White, Black;
Other: Embossing Powder – Turquoise, Wasabi, Melon, Tangerine, Rhinestones;
Technique: Dual Embossing

Fall Rainbow

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by Karen @ carefree creations - Fall Rainbow

I was inspired to stamp today. Specifically by this challenge (Inspired Challenges) – which is a photo of leaves in fabulous fall colors.

I also use the current Seize the Sketch challenge for the layout. I’m so happy to have found another sketch challenge!

If I could learn how to “sprinkle” enamel dots/sequins/the-like, I would have added them, but that sort of embellishing confounds me.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Birthday
Stamps: Leafy Greens, Christmas Sampler (Paper Smooches);
Ink/Card Stock: White, Black, Ocean Tides, Scarlet Jewel, Pure Poppy, Summer Sunrise, Harvest Gold, Limeade Ice, Simply Chartreuse (PTI); Rich Razzleberry, Summer Starfruit (SU);
Other: Birthday Trio die (PTI);

Zentangle Birthday

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For my birthday a couple months ago my mom paid for a local Zentangle instructor to come to my house and teach me and my two kids how to Zentangle. I was quite surprised at how much the kids enjoyed it!

My oldest kiddo turned 13 today! They love tangling and even makes up their own patterns. Heck, they even tangled their birthday cake:

Zentangle Cake

So of course, for their card, I had to Zentangle!

by Karen @ carefree creations - Zentagle 13th

I didn’t have a good outline stamp suited for tangling, but I did have this large solid stamp. I used the lightest grey ink that I had and stamped it onto the card. Then I used Micron pens to outline and fill-in the flower. I haven’t practiced since the training, so this is a bit rough, but I know they’ll love it all the same.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy 13th Birthday
Stamps: Big Blossom (SU); Stylish Sentiments: Birthday (PTI);
Ink/Card Stock: White, Razzberry Fizz (PTI); Bermuda Bay (SU);
Other: By the Numbers die, Suffix Style die (PTI); pens (Micron);

Poppies Caught in Crystal

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Last month I hosted a newsletter for my mom’s StampinUp blog. I did a theme – messy techniques. Here is one of the cards I created for the newsletter.

by Karen @ carefree creations - Poppies in Crystal

The technique I used is called Acetate & Tissue, but I’ve also seen it called Caught in Crystal. Basically, you stamp your image on acetate using permanent ink. Then you put Crystal Effects (or the like) on the backside, drop re-inker dots, smoosh around, sprinkle glitter, and finally layer with tissue paper.

One thing I really wanted to show in my newsletter was that you don’t have to make the card all about the technique – a technique can be a great touch without being overwhelming.

For this card, I trimmed the acetate piece to be narrow and ran it down the middle of my card. I trimmed it up with a lacey border and plopped my sentiment panel over the “boring” bit.

I think all the additional white-space on the card helps make the technique really pop (hmmm, did I just contradict myself??).

Thanks for taking a peek!

Thank You
All supplies StampinUp unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Pleasant Poppies, Four Frames, Four You;
Ink/Card Stock: Soft Sky, Daffodil Delight, White; Stazon Black;
Other: Window Sheet, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds, Decorative Label punch, Finishing Touches edgelit;
Technique: acetate and tissue;