Category Archives: Paper Smooches

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;

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);

CASology – Appreciate

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

Here is my take:

Appreciation Foliage | by karen h @ carefree creations

A very simple card. I did add a little bow with some floss.

When I was done with this card, another idea spawned – but I don’t have the supplies, so I dearly hope someone makes an office chart type card with the financial definition of appreciate šŸ™‚

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

Thanks for stopping by!

you are appreciated
Stamps: Botanicals 2, Word Salad (Paper Smooches – PS);
Ink: Forest Glades (Altenew); Cocoa (Memento);
Paper: White (Papertrey Ink);
Other: Flag Tag dies (PS); floss | thread (DNC stash);

CASology – Fog part 2

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There is still time to play along with the CASology challenge ā€“ FOG; it is an extended deadline!

I thought Iā€™d post some more inspiration for you:

Fog My Spectacles | by karen h @ carefree creations

While I had out my white ink from last week’s card, I wanted to also do these glasses! I wasn’t sure exactly how I would use the glasses (since the ink is white, I couldn’t just plop these glasses on a white card base), but after a few attempts, I came up with this cluster of hearts – and I love this card!

I adhered a layer of glasses to some window sheet and cut it out (just inside the frame border). Once I got the ink on the window sheet, I added a couple layers behind and one on top – so lots of dimension to these specs!

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

Thanks for stopping by!

You fog my spectacles
Stamps: Incognito (Paper Smooches – PS); Perfect Match hearts (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: Pale Peony, White (PTI); Black (Palette);
Paper: White (PTI);
Other: window sheets (PTI); Glasses die (PS)

CASology – Feather

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

Here is my take:

A little bit of masking makes this an easy one-layer card.

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

Thanks for stopping by!

just a note
Stamps: Just a Note, Sentiment Sampler (Paper Smooches);
Ink: black (Memento); markers (Copics);
Paper: white;

CASology – Water, Pt2

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There is still time to play along with the CASology challenge ā€“ WATER; it is an extended deadline!

I thought Iā€™d post some more inspiration for you:

Water You Up To? | by karen h @ carefree creations

Paper Smooches makes such fun images – and I had fun playing with this one!

First I stamped the wave image. Then I masked the top and did some ink smooshing to make the water. I switched the mask to the bottom and stamped the beaver image. Finally, I watercolored the image. Once it was all dry, I did go over the face bits with a marker to darken it up.

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

Thanks for stopping by!

Water you up to?
Stamps: Splash (Paper Smooches);
Ink: Deep Ocean (Hero Arts); Mermaid Lagoon Distress, Antique Linen Distress, Vintage Photo Distress, Gathered Twigs Distress, Pumice Stone Distress, Espresso Brown Distress (Ranger);
Paper: Watercolor (Ranger); White (Papertrey Ink);
Other: Stitched Rectangle die (Lil Inkers);

CASology – Grill, Part 2

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There is still time to play along with the CASology challenge ā€“ GRILL; it is an extended deadline!

I thought Iā€™d post some more inspiration for you:

Smokin' Hot | by karen h @ carefree creations

This is a fun image! When I went to color it, I realized that it would be all grey and black (since I saw the tendrils as smoke and not flame). I decided to add the hot colors by using paper strips behind.

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

Thanks for stopping by!

You’re Smokin’ Hot
Stamps: Alfresco (Paper Smooches);
Ink: black (Memento); markes (Copic);
Paper: Real Red (Stampin’Up); Orange Zest, Bright Buttercup (Papertrey Ink);

CC&S #316 – Picnic Greetings

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

And here is my take:

Picnic Greetings | by karen h @ carefree creations

I decided this sketch is a great one for incorporating pattern paper (which for CAS cards, I prefer to limit pattern paper to just a bit). I had about 10 different packs of paper on my desk before I could narrow it down! This picnic tablecloth pattern really called my name, so I went with it.

The burger and ant/sentiment are fussy cut. For the ant/sentiment, I used my trimmer to get the straight lines above and below the sentiment then fussy cut around the ant. The ant/sentiment is popped up over everything.

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).

S’up Grill-Friend
Stamps: Alfresco (Paper Smooches);
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento); markers (Copic);
Paper: Domestic Goddess pattern paper (Stampin’Up); White, Kraft (Papertrey Ink);
Other: Femme Frames die (Mama Elephant);

CC&S #309 – You Make Life Zingy

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

And here is my take:

You Make Life Zingy | by karen h @ carefree creations

Since I did yellow flowers a couple weeks ago, I wanted to do something different. I decided lemons. I only have this one from PaperSmooches. It comes with a smiley face (with pucker lips), but since red/pink wasn’t a color in the challenge, I decided to leave the face off.

I used 2 yellow Copic markers and tried not to blend them too much to show the different yellows from the color scheme.

Sadly I didn’t have a sentiment that worked, so I had to make my own. The first bit is a phrase from another set (yay – it was already in that order – no fussy stamping!!), the “zingy” is made with an alphabet set. The alphabet set has each letter with a couple different fonts. In putting it together, I decided to use the ZIGY in the same simple font and the N with the fancy font – I think it turned out great!

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).

You Make Life Zingy
Stamps: Fruitastic, Botanicals 3, Mini Monograms (Paper Smooches); Strawberry Patch Sentiments (Papertrey Ink – PTI);
Ink: Pear Pizzazz (Stampin’Up – SU); markers (Copic); Tuxedo Black (Memento);
Paper: White (PTI);