Spring Flowers in My Garden

Hi Dreamers,
I snapped a few photos of the garden yesterday.  Lots of pretty flowers are making a lovely show!

Detail of above.

We are getting rain right now.  Good thing I shot the photos yesterday!  Hope you are having a great day!
Love ya.
Karen

Cards Created with Napkins and Wax

Hi Dreamers,
We had Card Ministry this week.  We had plenty of cards made and did not really need too much.  So, the members decided they wanted to learn something new.  I had learned how to make cards with napkins and wax a while ago from my stamping buddy Elaine Fellows.  This is the technique I demonstrated to the members at Card Ministry.  It is fairly easy--very messy.  But the finished product is pretty impressive.  Check it out.

 I stamped directly onto the wax with Stazon ink for the butterfly card.

 Butterfly Napkin by Ideal Home Range



Materials Needed:
A block of wax--the kind for making candles.  (I purchased from Michaels Craft Store)
A Craft Iron or a small travel iron.  (Do not use you regular iron--you will get wax all over it!)
Napkins
Cardstock
ribbons
Sentiment stamps
Stazon ink

Rooster Napkin from Amscan, Inc.

Instructions:

• Cut area from napkin that you want to make your card from
• Separate the napkin layers
• Lay the napkin on top of white CS
• Lay down lot of layers of newspaper to protect your work area--this is very messy
• Heat up the iron
• Run iron over the block of wax
• Run the iron over the napkin to transfer the wax
• Repeat until the napkin is completely adhered to the cardstock--usually about four layers of wax.
• Make two if you want to add a dimensional layer.---As on the butterfly and Floral cards

 See the cool effect of the wax!  Very antiquing!

Inside

 I added a fun sentiment of the inside ( Firecracker Designs)

Floral Napkin from Jo-Ann Stores



And, a couple more views.  I cut out the flowers and used dimensional adhesive to bump them up.

And, how about a few fun challenges for my Napkin Wax Cards!!
Simon Says Stamp: things with wings
Creative corner: things with wings
My time to craft: show us the inside--rooster card
Sister act: anything goes
Fashionable Stampers: anything goes

I am still working on my studio room.  Worked on it all day yesterday.  I decided to wash the walls and windows too.  LOL   I removed the old blinds and replaced them with new ones.  I was able to get my old table unloaded and removed from the room.  Also removed a few other pieces.  I have lots to do yet.  Haven't even started putting together the desk with hutch.  That will probably have to wait until Monday.  Have a great weekend.  Love ya.
Karen

Mother's Day Card with Stampsmith Stamps

Hi Dreamers!
Since Mother's Day is this Sunday (already!!) here in the US, I thought I would take a few minuets to share a Mother's Day Card.  I made this card for a friend and the card is already in the mail!  I used a pretty little girl photo stamp from the set called "Thank Heaven for Little Girls #1" from The Stampsmith.

• Stamp the Pretty little girl with black dye ink on Glossy White CS
• Layer onto Real Read CS (Stampin' Up).

• Add some pretty Mother's day paper (Karen Foster)

• Add a polka dot ribbon
• Color the Flowers with Stickles glitter glue
• Add some dots of Stickles to the background area

Challenges for my pretty little girl Mother's Day Card:
365 Cards: Mother
Aud Sentiments: mother, child, baby
Paper Crafting Journey: anything goes
Divas by Design: anything goes
Celebrate the Occasion: Mother's day
Creative Card Crew: bling/glitter
Created with Love: Mother' day
Eureka Stamps: mother's day
Love to Scrap: anything goes
Pink Elephant: mother's day

I am still working on my studio re-do.  All I have done so far is make a bigger mess!  LOL  I cleared the spot for the new bookcase (which I pick up tonight) and vacuumed.  I decided to wait on putting the new desk and hutch together until I had the bookcase.  I can move the supplies from the old table to the bookcase and then fold up the table.  Makes a lot more sense than moving everything twice.  So, for today, I am going to put up some new blinds.  And, I really should mow the lawn.  Mowing the lawn is not craft related, but someone has to do it.  LOL    I have several cards that I finished before dismantling my studio.  So, I can keep you supplied with fun projects over the next week while I work behind the scenes on my room.  I hope you are having a great day!!  Love ya.
Karen

CAS Lamp Post Card with Blockheads Stamps

Hi Dreamers!
I am back--the busy-ness continues.  I am tearing apart my studio ---again!  I have a new desk with hutch (I have to assemble this piece) and a new bookcase ( I will pick that up on Thursday).  So, as you can image things are in a great big mess right now.  I had to get some projects ready for Card Ministry yesterday.  I will share those with you tomorrow.  But, today is Blockheads' day!  I had lots of stamps out and was playing with ink combos.  And, as a result, I came up with this CAS card.    I love the effect you get by layering shades of Distress Inks!

Materials List:

Stamps: Architecture Half Sheet--Blockheads Stamps

Inks: Forest Moss and Crushed Olive Distress Inks --Ranger

CS: Cream and Medium Olive

Instructions:

• Stamp the Alphabet stamp with Crushed Olive Distress Ink on Cream CS.
• Stamp the Lamp Post with Forest Moss Distress Ink
• Layer onto a Medium Olive CS card

Inside

• On the inside: Stamp the Alphabet two times on a separate piece of Cream CS; cut out the letters to spell "Hello". 
• Stamp the lamp post

Detail of Inside

Check out the projects from the rest of the Blockheads' Design team on the Design blog.   So, I had better get going.  My to-do list for today is really long!!  Yikes!  I hope you are having a great day!  Love ya.
Karen

Masculine Birthday Card with Fish

Hi Dreamers!
I have been so busy I forgot to post the birthday card I made for my  brother.  His party had a fish theme, so  of course I had to make a card with fish!  I also decorated the envelope.  Take a look.

The fish and tag are all one stamp- Fish Scene Tag.  The grasses on the card base are another stamp-Dried Plant.  They are both from the Stampin' Place.   The images are stamped with brown dye ink and colored with Copic Markers.

 I stamped the fish again on pale yellow CS with brown ink and colored with Copics---and popped them up with dimensional adhesive.

Before adding the Fish Tag Scene to the card base, I stamped the Dried Plant on the edges of the card base.

Inside

On the inside, I repeated the stamping of the fish and Dried Plant.  My brother loves the show, "Leave It To Beaver".  So, this sentiment from Stampin' Up is just perfect for his birthday card.

Some really fun Challenges for my Brother's fishy Birthday Card:
Penny's Challenge: animals
Aud Sentiments: birthday
Dutch Dare: sports--fishing is a sport, right??!
Moving along with the Times: one for the boys
Sweet Stampin: creat a scene

Well, that is all for today.  I still have lots of work to do in the garden.  The plants are really starting to grow now.  I hope you are having a great weekend!  Love ya.
Karen

May Stampsmith Challenge--Tic Tac Toe

Hi Dreamers!
Happy May Day!!  Since it is the first of the month, that always means a new Stampsmith Challenge!!  this month we have a Tic Tac Toe challenge!!  How fun is that!!  There is a prize too--a $21  gift certificate to a random winner!!

I choose to use Ribbon, Pattern Paper, and Pink for my Design Team Card:

This stamp is called Ophelia (Large, Facing Right).  And, doesn't she look lovely all in pink!!??  I stamped Ophelia with Versa Fine Onyx Black ink on smooth pink CS (Blush Blossom from Stampin' Up).
There are three pattern papers from K & Company.

 I added  a die cut frame (Sizzix)--- cut from the pattern paper.  I covered the frame with Rock Candy Crackle Paint (Ranger) and let that dry. 

The bird is die cut (Tim Holtz die) from a pale yellow Pattern paper.  I added lots of pink buttons and some tiny pearls around the frame

And, lastly, a great big bow tied with wide Sheer pink ribbon.    Can't wait to see what you come up with for the challenge.  The Tic Tac Toe gives you lots of scope.  All you have to do is use one Stampsmith stamp.   I hope you join us for all the fun!

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A few Fun Challenges for my Ophelia in the Pink!!

Simon Says Stamp: happy mail

the sisterhood of crafters: free for all

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I had a nice weekend.  We celebrated my brothers  birthday.  I will share the masculine birthday card I made for him with you tomorrow.  Hope you are having a great day!  Love ya.
Karen

Beautiful Baby Boy Card with Baby Buds

Hello Dreamers!
Happy Monday!  LOL.  Oh, let's get all cutesy today here in Dreamland!  This was a special order card I made for my friend.  This cute image is a Baby Bud Design.
I added a piece of the DP to cutesy up the envelope too.

The image was Stamped with black dye in and colored with Copic Markers. 

The letters are from My Sentiments Exactly and are stamped on yellow CS.    I added a baby blue bow and some buttons wheels on the carriage.  

I decorated the inside too and left a little room for a little note.  This sentiment is from Blue Ridge Impressions.  

Inside

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I would like to enter this Baby Boy card int the
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything goes.
365 Cards: Word Wednesday--Soft
Cutie Pie Challenge: lots of layers
Sweet Stampin: anything but birthday


Well, that's it for my today.  There is a big pile of ironing here that is eyeballing me reproachfully.  So, see you on the First for a new Stampsmith Challenge!!  Love ya.
Karen