More Easter Cards

Good M0rning Everyone,

As promised, I am posting more of the Easter Cards I made using the same layout just different colors.

This one uses lots of pink and is pretty girly. It even has pearls! And velvet. Oooh.
Bright greens and blue greens and some Stampin' Up Bashful Blue were used for this card. Nice and bright. And, don't forget to save the left overs from the die cut to use on the inside. I like to challenge myself to use the pieces left over from the front to decorate the inside. The inside should look as nice as the outside.

Well, I really should get some cleaning done. I will be back on Thursday for the Impression Obsession Mother's Day Challenge. I have been having a lot of fun with the Life Is Tweet set. I'll show you on Thursday. Bye for now and have a great day.

Karen

Working on My Easter Cards

Hi Everyone,
The Operation Write Home Blog Hop was so fun. There were over 80 participants. I enjoyed looking at all the pretty cards. Now, this week I have been working on getting my Easter cards done. I will send these out to friends and family. I have to make about 20 cards. I have a few done and thought I would share some of them with you. I used the same layout for about 6 cards and I will share the different color ways I used over the next few days. Here is one of the cards.

I am still using my frame theme thing. I keep finding more ways to use the frames. The cross is a stamp from Obsession Impression. I used two coordinating decorative papers. One for the frame and one for behind the frame. I tied a sheer wide ribbon around the card. Don't throw out the left overs from the die cutting. I used them on the inside of the card.


Trim the left overs so that all the edges are the same width. Add a piece of decorative paper behind the frame.
On another card I used a length of the same wide sheer ribbon and gathered one long edge and pulled the thread to create a ruffle. Take a few stitches to hold the two short ends together. Just like the tulle flower on the earlier post. I used a different layout for this card, but the same stamp was used. I just love this minty green blue color.


Well, that's about all for now. I will post more of the Easter cards in a few days. Happy stamping and have a super day!
Karen

It's Operation Write Home Spring Fling Blog Hop Day

Hello Blog Hoppers,


Well, here we are hopping along. If you got lost along the way, the starting point is the Stars and Stamps blog. And you should have hopped here from Lyneen"s blog: dreaming of castles. So welcome to Karen's blog Dreaming and Creating.





I suppose I should explain a little about Operation Write Home and what it means to me. OWH is a non-profit organization that sorts, packs, and ships handmade greeting cards to military personal around the world. The cards are made by card makers like you and I. We send the cards in to the "shippers" who do all the work. We get to goof off making fun cards. THANKS shippers!! Then cards, which are blank inside, are sent off all over the globe. The service people use the cards to keep in touch with loved ones back home. Isn't that nice?! Makes me feel all warm and squishy. To get more info check out the Home Front Blog. I enjoy making the cards because I am always happy to support our troops. I also hope that they can feel the love that I put into each card. And, if I need even more inspiration to make more cards, I go to the Hero Blog and read all the feedback from the soldiers. They just love receiving the cards and are so grateful. After I read the Hero Blog I usually run into my studio and get to work. So, OWH is just one big circle of feeling good.



There is still time to get a few Mother's Day Cards made up and sent in. The deadline for Mother's Day is April 1st.


Now on to business:


Keeping with the Springy Thinking-of-you theme, I made "Flowers in a Frame". I used Almost Amethyst and Blush Blossom card stock, and Blooming With Love stamp set all from Stampin' UP. I used various inks to water color the stamped image. I added a sentiment from My Sentiments Exactly! Some Cosmo Cricket decorative paper. And I used two Sizzix die cuts: Frame #2 and Flower Layers#3. To make the tulle ruffle: cut a strip and run long stitches along one long edge. Pull the stitches and the tulle will form a ring. Over lap the two short ends and tack together with a few stitches. (Yes, it is sewing, but not too much sewing.) I glued it down to the card with Tacky glue. Very easy and looks so sweet with a die cut flower and a big brad.






Well, I guess that's all for my blog. There is still more fun ahead. Now hop on over to Nancy's blog Scrap Happens and see what she has in store for you. Thanks for joining me for the hop and have a super day!!


Karen

Tomorrow is the OWH Blog Hop.

Hello Friends,




Tomorrow is the Operation Write Home Spring Break Blog Hop. There will be over 80 blogs to hop around on!! And, there will be lots of pretty cards to look at . The theme is springy thinking -of - you cards. Hope to hop along with you!!

Today I have a card for you using a Lost Coast stamp. I was trying to figure out what to do with all of those pre-cut pieces that come in packages. They look so good in the store and often match the paper I am buying. But, when I get them home and don't know what to do with them. So, one day I was determined to use them. I kind of designed a card around the cut outs and a frame. This is one of the cards I came up with.

The weather here is amazing again today. It is warm enough to go sit outside. So, I think I will do that now. Have a super day.

Karen

Hi Everyone,

Happy Thursday!! It's challenge day over at the Obsession Impression Blog. Today's challenge theme is "It's A Me Day". The idea is to make a card depicting what you would do if you had a day to spend in your own special way. Here is the card I made for the challenge:

I would spend my "Me" day having a nice cup of tea (or coffee) with a friend and enjoying good conversation. And, maybe make a few cards.

I used Impression Obsession stamps:

Rose Tea Cup

Small Swirl Background

My cup of tea (sentiment)

I stamped the tea cups twice. Once on Pink CS and once on Yellow CS. The flowers and leaves were watercolored. And then I ran the yellow CS piece thru the Cuttlebug and cut out the napkin. Layer the napkin. Add some lace, velvet ribbon, and rhinestones and a the sentiment.

We are having unbelievably nice weather today here in Michigan. Enjoy the sunshine and have a super day!!

Karen

St. Patrick's Day Cutie

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! I have my cards all ready to hand deliver. I mailed out several last week so they would get there in time. I made a pretty card using a free download from the Crafty Secrets Blog. It is a sweet image with a St Pat's Day sentiment. Using the image makes the cards go together quickly. Just add accents, some fibers, a few layers and you are done.

I punched and die cut the flowers. To make the Tulle ruffle cut a strip about 1 1/2 inches wide by about 36 inches long. Gather one long edge with running stitches. Pull the thread tight. Over lap the short ends and take a few stitches to secure. I used some Tacky glue to keep it in place. I inserted the brad all the way thru the card to hold everything in place. Hope everyone has a nice St Patrick's Day. Get the corned beef and cabbage going.

Karen

Two Cards For A Rainy Saturday

Hello Everyone,
It is a rainy Saturday here in Michigan today. So, I guess I will just have to make cards all day. Oh darn. LOL. Today I have two cards for you. They are quite different as far as style goes. One is collagey, monocramatic and the other is cutesy sweety.

The First card is a monochromatic card. I used five different stamps on this card. Here is the list:

Travel Abroad - Hampton Arts

Frame - Anna Griffin Collection from All Night Media

Just for you sentiment - Daisy Bucket Designs

Paint Prints - Stampin' Up

God's Beauty - Stampin' Up

That's a lot of stamps, but they all work together. Well, anyway I think they work together. I added lots of Decorative paper from DCWV and a piece of calico fabric ( The dark brown print piece), and some pretty ribbon.

The Second card is made using Penny Black stamps. The image was watercolored and layered. The sentiment, also from Penny Black, is stamped on decorative paper and punched. And of course, a pretty ribbon is added.

Now, don't forget, the Operation Write Home Blog Hop is Saturday March 20th. Operation Write Home is an organization the packs and ships handmade cards to Service men and woman overseas. The cards are blank on the inside. The cards are used by the service persons to write home. According to the responses from the people overseas, the cards are a real moral booster.

Hope you have a super day!!

Karen

Geisha Girl Watercolor Card

Good morning everyone. I thought you might like to take a look at my geisha girl card. I watercolored the Magenta stamp with watercolor pencils and a blender pen. I added some decorative paper and some coins.

On March 20th Operation Write Home is having their Spring Break Bloghop. Check back for all the fun. Sounds like there will be tons of participants.

Have a super day!!

My second post and doing fine

Hi Friends,

It is starting to look like spring here. 50's and sunny. That sunshine feels so good. I thought I would share a card I made for the Impression Obsession Easter challenge. I used IO stamps and lots of dry embossing with the Cuttlebug. And added a butterfly punched with a Martha Stewart punch.

Have a super day.

Love vintage challenge

I made this card for Sandy's Heartwarming Vintage Love Vintage Challenge.

My First Entry

Hello crafting world,

This is the first entry for my new blog. I have been procrastinating for weeks and I finally just jumped in and created a blog. I have been working on lots of cards lately. I will post a card that I made quite a while ago though. I will add other info about the card in the next post. Thanks for stopping by.