Time to Celebrate at The Kraft Journal

It's Monday again, and time for another SUPER FUN challenge at The Kraft Journal Challenge Blog.  And this week, the theme is "CELEBRATIONS".  This could be a birthday, a new baby, a graduation, anniversary, or anything that causes you to celebrate.  I decided to make a card to celebrate the birth of a new baby!

Karen Letchworth for The Kraft Journal

I started out with a Small Luch Bag Kraft Notecard - these note cards are WONDERFUL for card-making.  By picking up some note cards, cardstock, or any of the items at The Kraft Outlet, you not only get some amazing products, but you are also able to play along in our challenges.  To join us, you either need to use products purchased (or won) at The Kraft Outlet, or use any Kraft items you may have on hand.  We LOVE seeing Kraft (and creativity)!!!  Next, I took a smaller piece of Buff Ivory Cover Weight Cardstock and four strips of Blue & White Polka Dot Washi Tape and stitched them to my base with blue thread.  The boat and car are Melissa Frances rub-ons, and the car is on top of a Silver Bottle Cap that I painted cream.  The (it's a) rub-ons are by Jenni Bowlin, and the (boy) sticker letters are Thickers.  I also added  some brown, black and blue Baker's Twine, and accented that knot with a Tim Holtz Memo Pin to give it that "edgy" look.

 

What are YOU celebrating this week that you can share in our challenge at The Kraft Journal?  We sure would love to have you play along with us.  We select a Top 3 each week, and those names go into a random drawing for a monthly prize of a gift certificate to The Kraft Outlet where you can pick from hundreds of amazing items for all your crafting needs.  Check out this awesome store and do some shopping!

 

Have a blessed week, and thanks for stopping by today.

Karen

Keeping It Simple at Eureka

This week's challenge at Eureka Stamps Challenge Blog is to use all white, or to use no patterned/designer papers.  That doesn't mean that you can't use color if you want to.  It just means that you have to find other creative ways to bring in the color without using patterned papers.  You could use colored cardstock, washi tape, or bring your color in by taking an adorable image from Eureka Stamps and painting it or coloring it with markers.  There are many ways to be creative with this challenge, and we look forward to seeing what you will share with us.

Karen Letchworth for Eureka Stamps

For my card, I used white, black and yellow cardstock, colored the flowers on this digi (Eureka Digital Stamp #502 Flower Girl Angel) and then added a small strip of washi tape from Freckled Fawn and attached them using my Tim Holtz mini stapler.  At the top, I stamped a sentiment and added some Baker's Twine from V's Sweet Ideas.  It's really a pretty simple card, but it was a true "challenge" for me to stay away from designer/patterned papers.

Thanks for stopping by to take a peek at my card.  I hope that we will see YOU link up in this week's challenge at Eureka Stamps Challenge Blog, and I would also love to see you share in our Anything Goes Challenge over at Word Art Wednesday.  The more challenges you enter, the more opportunities you have to win some amazing prizes, and the more people who get to see your wonderful creations. I know that I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's art this week.

 

There are times that I think to myself, "oh, I don't want to enter that one...it seems too difficult."  But, isn't that why it's called a "CHALLENGE" after all?  I encourage you to push yourself a bit this week and try something a little bit different, or a little bit "out of your comfort zone".  Then, stop by Eureka Stamps and Word Art Wednesday and share your creative ideas with us.  We would LOVE to see what you come up with this week!

I'm entering these fun challenges with my card:

Frosted Designs Challenge - Black, White and One Other Color - Since we were "keeping it simple" this week, I used black, white and brought in a touch of yellow for this challenge.

Twist of Faith Cards Challenge Blog - Challenge #37 - The Ties That Bind - I used several colors of baker's twine on this card.

 

Happy crafting!

 

Blessings to you,

 

Karen

Darling October Afternoon

Of all the MANY scrapbook items that I absolutely LOVE, and all the gorgeous lines out there from oodles of awesome companies, one of my ALL TIME favorites is still October Afternoon.  I own SO MUCH of this adorable company's products, and I still feel that I would LOVE to own every single bit of it (greedy, I know - shame on me!)  It's just the most adorable company with so many delightful embellishments, and the best part is that most of the different October Afternoon lines can be combined; and being able to mix and match really helps all that cuteness go even further.  I just LOVE it all.  The second piece of patterned paper (cream and blue stripe ledger paper) is Cosmo Cricket.  Then for the other layers, I used several different patterned papers from various October Afternoon lines, as well as some October Afternoon journaling stickers and chipboard, some washi tapes, Recollections flowers, seam binding bow with baker's twine and Making Memories ribbon, machine stiching, and the pocket of this Kraft Card Sleeve Envelope from The Kraft Outlet holds a little Making Memories tag with journaling and a date sticker).

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

 

Simon Says Stamp and Show - Vintage Challenge Blog:  A Little Paper - this card was made using patterned papers from several different 6x6 October Afternoon paper pads, along with small scraps of paper from my October Afternoon stash.

 

The Play Date Café - Vintage Retro Influences - Inspiration Color/Retro Photo (Maroon, Poppy and Jade)

 

Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge Blog - Challenge #72 - Red, White & Blue

 

Chocolate, Coffee Cards Challenge Blog - Challenge #39 - Use a Number - Do you see the numbers on my washi tape? (top right of card)

 

Great Impressions Stamps Challenge Blog - May Challenge - Celebrations!   This birthday card is going to my friend, Mary.  We've been friends for 24 years.  Mary had a kidney transplant (praise God that she found a donor!)...and last week, she finally had her native kidneys removed.  I've tucked some goodies in the pockets for her!  I still don't have any Great Impressions stamps, but still love to play along in hopes of winning!  And yes, this is a true CELEBRATION that Mary is around to celebrate many more happy birthdays because of a generous donor who (along with God's grace) saved her life!

 

I'm so grad you stopped by today, and hope that you all had a blessed Lord's Day.  We enjoyed a day at church and out for lunch which is the first time we've all (all five of us including Lily being home from Bible College) been together to do that, so it was really nice!  I just love it when all my babies are tucked in their own beds under our roof (where they belong until they're at least 40...lol).

 

Thanks again for peeking, and I will see some of you again tomorrow for my Monday morning posts.  Until then, keep counting your blessings!

 

Karen

 





Basic Grey & My Third Cupcake Cutie

I didn't quite think that I'd be able to finish a third, and final, entry for the challenge this week over at Cupcake Inspirations.  I really liked the color combination for this week's challenge, so I found some time this evening (once dinner was in the oven) to sneak out another card.  It's nothing spectacular, but it's fun and follows the color combination.

Here is a link to the challenge at Cupcake Inspirations.  I really had a lot of fun with this challenge and, as I said, this is my third and final entry.

 

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge Blog - Challenge #210 - Cupcake Color Inspiration

 

I'm also entering this card in the challenge at Basic Grey Challenges Blog which you can read all about here:

 

Basic Grey Challenge Blog - Challenge #93 - Mix & Match - The pink polka dot patterned paper is Basic Grey (an older line, I think it's called Blitzen).  I enjoyed mixing and matching the two very different polka dot prints.

Simon Says Stamp Challenges - Flower Power

 

Simon Says Stamp & Show Vintage Challenge Blog - A Little Paper - this card was made using a small scrap of Basic Grey patterned paper from my stash.  It feels good to use up all those "little pieces of paper".

 

Thanks for stopping by, and have a WONDERFUL weekend!

 

Karen

Sweet Sequins

I've been seeing a lot of cute projects lately using sequins.  They are an inexpensive embellishment and they add just a sweet, shiny little touch here and there.  I enjoy seeing them used in different ways, and some people have gotten really creative with them.

I really wanted to make another card to enter in the challenge this week at Cupcake Inspirations (actually I was hoping to enter the max of three entries, but don't think I will quite make it) so I used their sweet color combination and came up with this card.  The base is kraft paper from The Kraft Outlet and the bottle cap (which I painted purple for this challenge) is also from The Kraft Outlet.  I added two Bazzil papers that I punched using a Martha Stewart border punch, some Doodglebug sugar glitter, a couple of Recollections flowers, and of course, those sweet sequins.

 

Here is a link to this fun challenge:

 

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge Blog - Challenge #210 - Cupcake Color Inspiration

 

Simon Says Stamp Challenges - Flower Power

 

Thanks for stopping by today, and please remember that you're all warmly invited to stop by and play along with us this week at Word Art Wednesday (always Anything Goes).  We would LOVE to have you join us and share the art you've made this week.

 

Blessings to you all,

Karen

Sharing God's Word at Word Art Wednesday

Hello my crafty and bloggy friends!  I hope that today finds you all doing well and praising God in everything.  I know that it's not always easy to remember to give God praise when things aren't going well, but...it's more important than ever to praise Him even when times are difficult.  He wants to hear us giving His name the glory and honor it deserves ALL the time.  So, I would suggest to just say "PRAISE the LORD" today, and say it OUT LOUD so that He hears it and gets the praise He deserves.  He loves to hear us praise Him, and Satan and all his demons can hear you PRAISE GOD too!  No, things aren't always going to be going perfectly, but God is always going to be able to get you through them perfectly.  His grace is ALWAYS sufficient, and He wants you to trust Him, and to call out to Him, to ask Him for His help, and of course.....to ALWAYS praise Him.

This week at Word Art Wednesday, we have another great challenge for everyone.  As always, it's an Anything Goes Challenge, and we have another gorgeous word art file for everyone.  Feel free to stop by Word Art Wednesday, save the free word art to your computer, and then stop by to share in our challenge this week.  We have TWO amazing sponsors; Digi Darla Designs is giving away 5 free digis to one winner, and Heart & Soul Rubber Stamps is giving another lucky winner a rubber stamp set of their choice.   It's another great week to be a winner at Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes Challenges.

Karen - For Word Art Wednesday

 I'm going to share my card into the challenges where it fits the theme as follows:

Twist of Faith Cards Challenge Blog - Challenge #37 - The Ties That Bind - I've used jute and Baker's Twine on my card

 

Simon Says Stamp Vintage Challenge Blog - A Little Paper - As it turns out, this is the perfect card for this challenge.  I found this scrap of paper (green gingham check) and there was such a tiny bit left.  I measured to see if it was big enough for a card base, and it was literally the PERFECT length and I just had to trim the width slightly.  I got SO lucky to be able to squeeze out one more card from this lovely 6x6 paper pad from Simple Stories Baby Steps line.

Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog - Flower Power

 

I thank you SO MUCH for stopping by today to say hello and take a little peek at my card.  It's always such a blessing to me when you stop by, and I look forward to visiting each of you on your blogs this week to see what you've been creating.  Please do me two favors this week:  1) stop by Word Art Wednesday to play along in our challenge this week, and 2) PRAISE the Lord OUT LOUD.  God is SO good to us!   Let Him know.

 

Praising God for you,

Karen

Lovely Cupcake Inspirations

I don't know about the rest of you, but I just LOVE it when I see a challenge with a theme, photo, colors, etc. that truly inspires me.  When I saw this week's colors on the cupcake inspirations photo at Cupcake Inspirations Challenge Blog, I just knew that I wanted to participate.  The cupcakes are in the colors of grape, poppy and rose - beautiful!  I pulled out some supplies and got busy.

I used several different products on this card.  I started with a card base that I made using Buff Ivory Cardstock from The Kraft Outlet.  The red and pink polka dot washi tapes are also from The Kraft Outlet.  Next, I placed a grape (purple) doily that I cut using a Papertrey Ink doily die-cut from grape Bazzill.  The flowers are Recollections (from Michael's), and I also used some Doodlebug glitters.  The baker's twine is from The Twinery, and the "Just Because" sentiment is from Paper Sweeties.

 

Once you see these darling inspiration cupcakes, you will want to play along as well.  I am hoping to create and share three cards (the maximum) in this challenge because I just LOVE this lovely color combination.  You can read all the details of the challenge on their blog here:

 

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge Blog - Challenge #210

I'm also entering and sharing my card in this challenge:

Get Inky Challenges - Challenge #4 - Use Some Die-Cuts - The die cut I used on this card is a doily die-cut from PTI.

 

Thanks for stopping by to take a peek at my card.  If you've been creating this week, I really hope that you will stop by Word Art Wednesday Challenge Blog (always Anything Goes) and join us.  We would LOVE to see what you've made this week, and to have you fellowship and share with us. 

 

Have a blessed week,

 

Karen