Category Archives: Papertrey Ink

Banjo Playing Math Teacher

Posted on by

My oldest kiddo has the coolest math teacher! He has all sorts of guitars hanging on the wall at the back of his class room (including a banjo). And the best part, if the kids get done early, they can play with them!

Math is my kiddo’s favorite subject, and this teacher has really fostered their love. I think he is even the reason they are seriously considering math teacher as a goal.

by Karen @ carefree creations - Banjo Playing Math Teacher

Hard to see in the photo, but the little dots around the banjo base are colored with a gold pen. And the two light grey areas have silver glitter pen accents.

To get the math theme in there, I embossed the background with numbers.

This isn’t the fanciest of cards, but I hope it will be enjoyed.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Thank You, Teacher
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Rhythm & Soul, Happy Trails (“thank you, teacher”), Handwritten Notes (“so cool”), Autumn Abundance (“you’re”);
Ink/Card Stock: Blueberry Sky, White, Black;
Other: Numbers impression plate; markers (Copic);

PTI Blog Hop – Bouquets

Posted on by

by Karen @ carefree creations - Purple Roses

I had some stamping time the other day so I used it to make a card for the PTI Blog Hop. Really, how could I pass up an opportunity to use flower stamps??

I love flowers and PTI has some awesome sets. I chose to use one that doesn’t see a lot of ink – Rosie Posie.

PTI offered 6 suggested palettes for the bouquets. I chose the neutrals:

PTI Blog Hop - Neutrals Bouquet

I did change the Fine Linen and instead used Rustic White.

The card base is Sweet Blush; the flowers are Lavender Moon & Copic Marker (Wisteria color).

Thanks for taking a peek!

Thinking of You
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Rosie Posie, We Go Together;
Ink/Card Stock: Sweet Blush, Rustic White, Lavender Moon, Wisteria Wonder, Spring Moss;
Other: Mat Stack 3 die, Rosie Posie dies; markers (Copic);

Pastel Pieced Birthday Rose

Posted on by

I made a card last night! I really should be working on my teacher cards, but I needed to stamp for fun!

by Karen @ carefree creations - Pieced Rose

I love the paper piecing technique – it is such an easy way to use pattern paper (and about the only way that I can use pattern paper without struggling).

I think this is the first time I’ve done multiple colors on one flower – and I love it!

The blue twill ribbon is stapled to the frame. The little twine bow is glue dotted to the frame.

I combined a few challenges:

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Birthday
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Year of Flowers: Rose, Birthday Bash Sentiments;
Ink/Card Stock: White, Spring Rain;
Other: Pretty Pastels pattern paper, Woodgrain impression plate, Fabulous Frames die, Spring Rain ribbon & twine;
Technique: Paper Piecing;

Congrats Grad

Posted on by

I have a nephew graduating this year. Here’s the card I made:

by Karen @ carefree creations - File Folder Graduation

I’m not sure I can even begin to describe how I got here. This card looks NOTHING like the picture in my head!

The card base is a cream color and I stamped a grid on the front. The grid was stamped with Hero Arts shadow ink – Baby Blue. The cube I have is ancient so I don’t know how true to color it is any more, but it was just what I wanted for this.

I used a die to create a file folder edge. Originally my layout was vertical, but the die-cut letters did not look good stacked on top of each other because the M is so much wider than the S and it looked like an inverted pyramid…not what I was going for.

The apple is the school symbol.

I wish I had a “stamp of approval” type image to use, but I don’t, so I created my own. I used the postal cancellation waves and a circle sentiment (stamped with SU Sahara Sand).

The stripe paper is on the inside of the card – just enough to peek out. There is also a thin strip of red card stock to separate the pattern paper from the writing area.

So does anyone else have this problem? I have a really hard time mixing products from different manufacturers. It isn’t that I can’t, it is more like I feel disloyal. I mean, I know if I’m making a card for a challenge by that manufacturer, I should stay with their stamps if I can….but when it is a card just because, then I really shouldn’t care if I mix and match – but dang it is hard for me! But then I know I’m a little weird!

Thanks for taking a peek!

MHS – Congratulations
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Off Beat Backgrounds (Waltzing Mouse); For the Graduate, School Time Additions, Around About Sentiments, Postmarks, Simple Alphabet;
Ink/Card Stock: Vintage Cream, New Leaf, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate, Harvest Gold; Sahara Sand (SU); Baby Blue (Hero Arts Shadow); Black (Versafine);
Other: Pure Poppy Patterns paper, Christmas Prints pattern paper, Block Alphabet die, Teacher’s Apple die, Edgers #5 die;

FYI – Aspen Birthday

Posted on by

It is time for another For Your Inspiration challenge. Check out the latest challenge -> FYI46.

For Your Inspiration Challenge #46

This photo makes me happy – I’m pretty sure it’s the yellow. I definitely wanted my card to feel happy too.

by Karen @ carefree creations - Birthday Aspens

It was hard to get what was in my head onto paper. At first I tried embossing the trees with white powder onto colored cardstock, but that just wasn’t working. I decided to try stamping the trees with a pale grey – while not the normal color for an aspen, it allowed me to get the leaves to pop.

The card base is impressed with the woodgrain plate (hard to see in the photo).

Thanks for stopping by!

Make sure you check out the other design team members:
Debbie
Michelle
Mynnette
Rochelle
Rudlis
Sara
Steph
Vicki

I hope you join us at For Your Inspiration!

A Little About the Challenge: The For Your Inspiration challenge is posted the first and third Thursday of every month; each challenge is open for two weeks. To play, use the photo to inspire you and create a card – very simple! Make sure you tell us in your blog post how you were inspired!

Happy Birthday
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Through the Trees, sentiment from Enjoy the Ride, dot from Around About Sentiments;
Ink/Card Stock: White, Harvest Gold, Soft Stone, Smokey Shadow;
Other: Woodgrain impression plate;

Mother’s Day Peony

Posted on by

Here is my second card; this one is for my step-mother. I can’t post the third card until Saturday because it is for my Mom and she reads my blog 🙂

by Karen @ carefree creations - Mother's Day Peony

I am a sucker for flower stamps! This set has a wonderful elegant feel to it. And I love the close-crop that the dies have!

This is a simple card, but I love the bold sentiment that really takes the focus (though we’ll just ignore that it is slightly crooked).

There are a group of five tiny rhinestones in the flower center – that really finished off the card.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Mother’s Day
Stamps: Pretty Peonies (PTI);
Ink/Card Stock: Pink Pirouette, Primrose Petals, Pear Pizzazz (Stampin Up);
Other: Pretty Peonies dies (PTI);

Mother’s Day Hydrangea

Posted on by

Well, I made it – 3 cards done and mailed today! Here is the first one:

by Karen @ carefree creations: Mother's Day Hydrangea

This card is for my mother-in-law. I gave my hubby a few sets to chose from and he liked the hydrangea.

I inked the hydrangea with Lavender Moon & Pear Pizzazz and stamped it on the die cut. Then I went back and accented the flower centers with a Copic marker.

I think I’m addicted to the stitched rectangle mat dies – love those things!!

My herringbone impression plate finally saw some use. I think it adds just the right amount of texture to the card.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Mother’s Day
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Happy Hydrangea;
Ink/Card Stock: Blueberry Sky, White, Lavender Moon; Pear Pizzazz (SU);
Other: Herringbone impression plate, Happy Hydrangea die; R85 marker (Copic); Stitched Rectangle mat die (Lil Inkers);

Graphic Birthday

Posted on by

It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge -> #23 – colors.

CAS Colours & Sketches - Challenge 23

And here is my take:

by Karen @ Carefree Creations - PTI Sketched Shapes

My first thought for these colors was a sports-themed card, but I don’t need any such card right now. So I did what I do when I have colors but no theme – graphic design.

This time I broke out the new Sketched Shapes by Maile Belles (for Papertrey Ink). This girl knows how to make clean and simple graphic cards! I am always in awe of her projects. I tried to channel a little of Maile’s style when I made this card.

I did change the So Saffron to Crushed Curry because I wanted the yellow to show up on the white background.

The card is a little narrower than a normal A2. The card base is 4 x 5.5. My original intent was to place the white panel against one side and let the blue peek around 3 edges, but this configuration looked much better.

Make sure you check out the other design team members:
Jacqueline
Kylie
Louise
Sandie

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 you get the double dose of color & sketch).

Happy Birthday
Stamps: Sketched Shapes (PTI);
Ink/Card Stock: Midnight Madness, Tangerine Tango, Crushed Curry (SU); White (PTI);

Rainbow Chevrons

Posted on by

It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Check out the latest challenge -> #22 – sketch.

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #22

And here is my take:

by Karen @ Carefree Creations - Rainbow Chevrons

Of course it had to have a rainbow 😉

I was a little stumped at first with this sketch, but I stretched my brain and decided that chevrons would make a great substitute for the tag/pennant areas on the sketch. Since the right-side one starts lower than the left in the sketch, I decided to make my chevrons go in the opposite direction and stop just above the sentiment frame.

And, just in case you think I have an impossibly good eye, I’ll show you how I cheated!

Usually I figure stuff out as I go – so normally I would have stamped the background and then chosen my sentiment frame. But knowing I had limited space to get all my rainbow in, I decided I needed to cheat.

by Karen @ Carefree Creations - Cheat Guide

I picked out my sentiment frame immediately and then partially inked it (i.e., I used a marker and inked just the “inside” of the frame – so it wouldn’t show underneath when I was done) and stamped it first. Then I was able to mask my panel to stamp the chevrons (no way was I going to attempt a one layer with this – and good thing as it took a couple tries) and still see where the frame would be.

As you can see, I did leave a bit of a gap in my stamping to ensure that all my colors showed.

Make sure you check out the other design team members:
Jacqueline
Kylie
Louise
Paula
Sandie

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 you get the double dose of color & sketch).

Happy Birthday
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Background Basics: Chevrons, Fillable Frames Additions 1, Birthday Bash Sentiments;
Ink/Card Stock: Soft Stone, White, Black, Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz, Hibiscus Burst, Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise, Harvest Gold, Spring Moss, Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, Winter Wisteria, Plum Pudding; Landscape (Palette);
Other: Fillable Frames 1 die; Rhinestones (Hero Arts);

A Round of Smiles

Posted on by

I found another CAS challenge!! This one is CAS on Sunday. Their challenge this week is Round & Round.

by Karen @ Carefree Creations - Funky Florals

I made a one-layer card!

I knew I wanted to use a non-white color for my base, so I chose Sweet Blush. Before I picked my other colors, I took a scrap piece of Sweet Blush and stamped some colors on it to see how they would show up. I was surprised that they didn’t really change all that much.

The starburst images and the sentiment are embossed with silver. I added one large rhinestone to the center of the large flower because it needed something.

Thanks for taking a peek!

A Laugh is a Smile that Bursts
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Funky Florals;
Ink/Card Stock: Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, Hawaiian Shores, Winter Wisteria, Harvest Gold;
Other: silver embossing powder (Filigree); Versamark (Tsukineko), Rhinestone (Hero Arts);