Tag Archives: gender-neutral

Thanksgiving Leaves

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by karen @ carefree creations - Thanksgiving Leaves

I had fun making this card! I used CAS-ual Friday’s challenge: Autumn Colors & A Leaf.

After doing all the stamping, I wanted to add one more touch. I’m not a big fan of buttons because 99% of my cards get mailed and buttons are hard to mail. I tried some burlap, but I spied my bag of raffia and thought that would be a perfect fall accent!

I have a ton of raffia, so I’m hoping I start (bring back) a new trend and I’ll be able to use up my stash 😉

I love adding blue into an autumn color scheme.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy Thanksgiving
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Autumn Acorns;
Ink/Card Stock: Kraft, Rustic Cream, Ocean Tides, Canyon Clay; Crushed Curry (SU);
Other: Autumn Acorn dies; raffia (stash);

Dreaming of Christmas

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by karen @ carefree creations - Dreaming of Christmas

I created this card for the Paper Smooches Sparks challenge – this week is a photo inspiration.

I really loved the dreamy feeling of the photo, which is how I got to my card concept! I sponged around the card base to continue the dreamy feeling.

I kept the colors really muted and soft/pastel – again, as a nod to the photo.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Dreaming of Christmas
Stamps: He Said She Said, Sugar Rush, Warm Hearts, Hang Ups, Gently Seasoned, Alphadot, My Peeps (“of”), All Yule Need (Paper Smooches);
Ink/Card Stock: Gray Flannel (Memento); Smokey Slate, Pistachio Pudding, Soft Sky (SU); Black, White (PTI);
Other: markers (Copic); glitter glue (Stickles-Rangers);

Autumn Tea

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by karen @ carefree creations - Autumn Tea

I created this card for the current CASology challenge – autumn.

I’m a tea drinker all year long, iced-tea. But when the weather gets colder, I break out the hot tea. There’s nothing like wrapping your cold fingers around a hot mug!

Since the challenge theme is autumn, I made sure to use those type colors.

The steam is stamped with Versamark.

I used an old CASe this Sketch (#31) layout.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Warm Thoughts
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Warm Happiness, Warm Happiness Too;
Ink/Card Stock: Kraft, Cream, Spring Rain, Ripe Avocado, Teracotta Tile;
Other: Fall Prints & Patterns paper, Warm Happiness die; Fancy Flourish (MFT);

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;

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);

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);

Rainbow Birthday Wishes

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It is time for another CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. And, I have to admit, I’m a little nervous: I’m hostessing this month! I hope you like the challenges! Check out the latest challenge: #41 – colors (of course it would be rainbow 😉 ).

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #41

And here is my (first) take:

by Karen @ carefree creations - Rainbow Shadows

I used a baby wipe to make a custom rainbow ink pad. To make sure I had ink in just the right amount of space, I first stamped my image on the baby wipe using a pale grey color. Then it was easy to put the refill ink exactly where I wanted it.

Here’s a photo of that:

Baby Wipe - Controlled Ink

I didn’t want to waste my baby wipe (though you can save the custom ink pads in a ziploc for a bit), so I decided to make another card.

by Karen @ carefree creations - Rainbow Swipe

This time I dragged the inked baby wipe down my card stock.

One thing I did on both cards was to die-cut the word birthday from white and use the “inside” pieces to help block out the background and make the text stand out more.

Make sure you check out the other design team members:
Jacqueline
Louise – taking a break this month
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).

Happy Birthday
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Wonderful Words: Birthday;
Ink/Card Stock: White, Pure Poppy, Orange Zest, Harvest Gold, New Leaf, Blueberry Sky, Royal Velvet, Winter Wisteria;
Other: Wonderful Worrds: Birthday die;
Technique: baby wipe;

New Digs

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by Karen @ carefree creations - New Home

This card is for a couple challenges also.

First up, a theme challenge from CAS on Sunday – welcome home. Another of my nieces moved into a new place recently.

I used a sketch from Dalhouse Designs – Wanna Sketch?.

This card is two (of the many) reasons I prefer photopolymer stamps: it was so easy to stamp that sentiment! All I had to do was to bend the sentiment strand to fit the curve of the hill and then I could see through everything to make sure I stamped it right where I wanted it.

I did have to write the “welcome” on the sign as there is no such stamp in the set (what??).

Thanks for taking a peek!

Enjoy Getting Settled
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Wonderfully Whimsical, Celebrations;
Ink/Card Stock: White (GinaK); Black (Memento);
Other: markers (Copic);

Life is a Journey

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by Karen @ carefree creations - Life is a Journey

I started with a layout from Fab Friday (#25). That challenge is done by Stampin’Up Demos, so I wanted to use SU supplies.

When deciding what images to use, I pulled up another challenge: Cards in Envy. This is a new-to-me challenge. The purpose of the challenge overall is to create a card that fits in an A2 envelope and isn’t lumpy – well, that is right up my alley as I mail 90% of my cards. Their latest challenge is to create a masculine card. This worked out well as my father-in-law has a birthday later this month.

The final challenge I used was from another new-to-me blog: Shopping Our Stash. Their theme this week was also masculine, but I went for the “use what you have” aspect of the overall challenge-blog purpose. I did not have a good greeting for the card I envisioned, so I used a font. Years ago when I started crafting, I started as a scrapbooker and collected thousands of fonts. I’m kind of a lazy card maker and I try hard to find (or buy) stamps that say what I want, but really, I have such an eclectic collection of fonts that I should use them more.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Life is a Journey
All supplies StampinUp unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: The Open Sea;
Ink/Card Stock: Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip, Island Indigo, Very Vanilla;
Other: font (butterbrotpapier);

Birthday Spots

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Woot – this is the 5th Thursday in the month which means this week’s CAS Colours & Sketches challenge is a double! Check out the latest challenge: #40 – colors & sketch.

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #40 - Double

And here is my take:

by Karen @ carefree creations - Birthday Spots

The Dot Spot stamp set came to mind right away when I saw the sketch. After that, it was just figuring out where to place a sentiment.

I came up with a few possibilities. First, a circle sentiment placed in the center of the lower right image. Second, stamp the sentiments following the outside curves of all the circles. Finally, a banner sticking out from a circle center.

The reason I chose the banner option is that I’ve learned that curves love angles/lines. A line helps break up the curves and gives the eyes direction.

I might have been able to get away with one of the other placements if my color scheme had been different, but with a monochromatic scheme, you need some way of adding contrast.

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

Happy Birthday to You
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Dot Spot, Around About Sentiments;
Ink/Card Stock: White, Enchanted Evening, Blueberry Sky;
Other: circle die (Spellbinders), star die (MFT);