Colorful Card Corners with Make it Monday

A happy day to you all!  It's a happy day for me because I got to make a card using some new Christmas gifts! PTI's Make it Monday #196 over at Capture the Moment is all about adding color to the corners.  This one took a few times to get the coloring and inking the way I wanted, but I was happy with the end result:

 

It was my first time using PTI's Happiness in Bloom and Guide Lines Two, and I love them both!.  Inking on watercolor paper was really the key that helped the colors blend so nicely.  The large blossoms are actually the medium ones in the set.  I used Sweet Blush as the base, with Berry Sorbet stamped for both inside details.  The center was stamped with Lemon Tart and brushed back over with Harvest Gold.  I Masked off the flowers and used Limeade Ice for the dots and leaves.  The leaves were randomly stamped off on scratch paper first.  I also brushed some extra strokes of Limeade Ice as background foliage.  The background was made with a wash of Lemon Tart and stamped with Sweet Blush.  The sentiment, also from Happiness in Bloom, was stamped with Smokey Shadow.  I placed the panel on a card base made with Sweet Blush and added a strip of Melon Berry to balance things out. 

I was inspired by the following challenges:

Make it Monday #196: Colorful Card Corners - Thank you Danielle, your card was SO inspiring!

Virginia's View Challenge #11:  Clean Slate - I masked the flowers.  I was also attempting a one-layer card, but putting a panel on the card base probably counts as two layers - hee hee.

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #3:  Using never before used schtuff - After being away from blogland for a year and a half, you can imagine I have lots of this (buying did not reflect using).  I'll just mention both stamp sets and leave it at that.



Thank you so much for stopping by, have a wonderful day!

Kara Lynne

You Shine Wherever You Go!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas break.  I am so thankful for the time we had with the kids home.  Not much time to craft and absolutely no time to myself, but I loved every minute of it.  Now it's time to look ahead, dream of warmer weather, and I know a sweet young lady that is a senior in high school this year.  She will be leaving for college in the fall, and I want to her an encouraging card:
 

 

Okay, warmer weather is NOT around the corner here in Wisconsin, but I love the cheerful feel of this image from Tiddly Inks called, "Cute as a Bug."  Our family plays "Slug Bug" in the car.  It's a game I used to play as a kid.  Any time someone sees a VW Bug they yell, "Slug Bug!" and name the color.  Then they get to hit someone.  Now, being a family of mostly girls, we really just tap each other, but I grew up with an older brother, so you can imagine the pain! 

 

I paired the image with the Sparkle & Shine die and stamp set from PTI as well as paper from their Shakers + Sprinkles MakeIt Market Kit and PTI cardstock. The image was colored with Copics and both it and the word die cut were given a good dose of Glossy Accents.  The lines on the road were created with a white American Crafts Galaxy Marker.  The kraft card base is from Michaels, it's a pack I've had since I started making cards - I need to get it out more often! 

 

I'm so happy to be playing along with the following challenges: 

 

Tiddly Inks Challenge:  #148...New Beginnings  Going off to college.

 

NBUS Challenge #3 at djkardkreations  The "Cute as a Bug" stamp for starters!

 

Simon Monday Challenge:  Make New Friends, but Keep the Old  New stamps, Old card base.

 

Papertake Weekly Challenge:  Anything Goes  Hey, anything goes!

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoy the day!

 

Kara Lynne

Christmas Projects for 2014

I wanted to post these before the year slips away.  These are the cards and gift card boxes I made this month:

I used Dried Marigold, Mustard Seed, and Squeezed Lemonade distress inks to create the sky and Shabby Shutters distress marker to color the trees, leaving most of them white.  The little guy is colored with Copics.  I used Stacey Yacula's 2 Forests and Birch (winter bunny) from Purple Onion Designs.  I only made a handful of these.  They each will get a banner coming from the bunny that will say something specific to the recipient.  The scalloped frame comes from the PTI MakeIt Market kit Shakers and Sprinkles.

I made gift boxes for my nieces and nephews using DCWV Winter Basics 6x6 pad and the We R Memory Keepers envelope punch board.  I found out how to make boxes by watching Laura Bassen and used the Box Buster like she did.

I also made some with sentiments from a LOTV retired set to give to teachers and others.

I'm going to submit the card to Virginia's View Challenge #10 I know all I did was blend the distress inks, but it's hard to pass up a challenge from Virginia ; )

 

It will also visit the Papertake Weekly Challenge:  Anything Goes (as long as it's festive).

 

 

 

And also Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge:  Simon Says Winter Inspiration.



 

 

Thanks so much for visiting.  I hope you are enjoying life today!

 

Kara Lynne







A Camouflaged Die Cut

I love watching the talented team over at Papertrey Ink make so many gorgeous creations with brilliant techniques.  I'm finally taking the plunge!  Laura Bassen demonstrated a technique that gives that "Wow" factor to a card.  She calls it, "camouflaging die cuts".  My card did not stray very far from the inspiration, I just loved it so much!

Sorry about the lighting, we've had such dreary days here lately.  I masked off the bottom portion of a white piece of card stock.  I blended Summer Sunrise, Hibiscus Burst, and Raspberry Fizz together.  I then cut it out with a "Happy" from the One Liners: Happy Dies, and kept all the pieces.  I die cut four more "Happy"s in white, glued them all together, and glued them onto the card.  I waited to glue the top "Happy" on until after I replaced the tiny background pieces.  That way I could get things messy and it wouldn't ruin the top die cut.  I heat embossed the "Birthday" sentiment from Stylish Sentiments: Birthday Stamp Set and added a few sequins from the MakeIt Market Kit: Shakers and Sprinkles.

I hope you take the plunge too and give this technique a try, it's so much fun!
Papertrey Ink Make It Monday #193

Maybe you already know this, but before I go:

I've found a safe way to store my PTI inks.  The Tim Holtz Mini Distress Ink Storage Tin from Ranger holds the PTI Premium Die Cubes perfectly! 



Thanks for visiting today! 

Kara Lynne

Cups Full of Love

I was so happy to see Mama Elephant and ME's challenge.  I just got some of their stamps and dies and couldn't wait to start using them!  "NBUS", as Darnell would call it.  The bonus is that I also have my husband's Valentine card done:

Tea tags and whipped cream?  What kind of concoction is this anyway?  Cups full of love, sweetheart, cups full of love.  This was so fun to put together.  I used the reverse stamp technique and filled in with a Zig Writer marker for the cup on the left.  The whipped cream is a top of a cupcake from Carnival Cupcakes, and those lips received both Wink of Stella and Glossy Accents.  The hearts, whipped cream and tags also received a Wink from Stella.  The "Hello" is inlayed into the cup and pink cardstock.

This card was inspired by the following challenge:
Mama Elephant and ME December Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, Anything Goes!

Stamps:  ME Cup of Wishes, ME Carnival Cupcakes
Dies:  ME Cup of Wishes, ME Hello Script
Inks:  SSS Maliblue and Hotlips, HA Ultra Pink, Memento Angle Pink, PTI Smokey Shadow
Papers: Doodle Bug Love Birds, PTI Aqua Mist, pink and white from my stash
Tools:  Big Shot, Zig Writer Candy Pink, Wink of Stella Clear, Scotch Foam Tape, Glossy Accents, Xyron Sticker Maker, Scotch 2 sided tape

I hope you have a wonderful day, thanks for visiting!

Kara Lynne

Glittering Snowflakes

The glitter is glistening on my cheek, I can see it out of the corner of my eye as I write this.  Ah, glitter, we have a love/hate relationship you and I.  Anyway, after the glitter dust settled, here is the card that emerged:

 

I cut the shaker window from my Silhouette.  Do you know my Silhouette is now eight years old?!  I'm wondering if that large box wrapped under the tree happens to be a new Cameo, hmm...

The background is dry embossed with a folder from The Paper Studio.  I sprayed everything with Tsukineko Shimmer Spritz Frost, too bad that doesn't show up because it really makes the card.  The hills are cut from Mama Elephant's Landscape Trio.  I edged it with glue and sprinkled Michaels glitter on it.  The sequins and beads in the shaker are also from Michaels.  I used two layers of Fun Foam to support the shaker.  Next time I would only use one layer.  The sentiment is from a retired LOTV set, and the silver embossing powder is from PSX (about 20 years old, and still kicking).

This card was inspired by two wonderful card challenges:
Freshly Made Sketches #166

 

City Crafter Challenge Blog:  Week 241 - Glittering Snowflake

 

 

Virginia Lu Just showed me another appropriate challenge for this card (I love this sweet lady!):

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Bling It On!



 

I hope you are finding time to enjoy this wonderful season of the year.  Thanks for coming to visit!

 

Kara Lynne



It's Been Way Too Long!

Where have I been?  Long, long story short, I was working on a marketing project to help keep our daughters' Christian school open.  Sorry to say, it is now closed, but the Lord has provided, and He knows better than I.  Without any extra time, It was difficult not commenting on your boards so I just decided to stay away altogether.  I'm sorry that I did. I can't tell you how much I have missed you all!

Today I have a birthday card that I made for an amazing friend who is a big city explorer:



Paper Smooches Sparks is having an Anything Goes Challenge.  Whew!  Thankfully, because this is certainly not a Christmas card, ha!

Stamps:  Paper Smooches Get Outta Town, Sentiment Sampler
Dies:  Paper Smooches Super 2, Clouds
Paper:  Kaisercraft Lush Collection

Thanks for coming to visit.  I hope to catch up with you all very soon!
Kara Lynne