Coffee Lover's Wreath

I always love the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog Hops and I've made this bright cheery card for their  Spring/Summer Blog Hop.

I wanted to do a springy wreath so I went through my stamp sets looking for images that would work for my idea.  

 
I started by dry embossing the background and then I die cut a circle for the sentiment area.  The "quilted" panel was attached to the card base with foam tape so there would be nice dimension. I stamped, Copic colored and die cut a bunch of images and then started working on my layout.  When I had the wreath the way I wanted, I took a picture with my phone so I could glue everything the same way.  

Supplies:

Altenew Tea Time stamps and dies

Avery Elle Festive Wreath stamps and dies

Photoplay Thinking of you stamps and dies

Sunny Studio Quilted Hearts Embossing Folder

Jillibean "Enjoy" sentiment (heat embossed) stamp and die

I am so pleased that you stopped by!  Pop on over to the blog hop and see all the creative cards.

Karen 

WWC264 - Helen's Challenge: All About Occasions

  Hello and Welcome.  Today we are showcasing "Occasion" cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and Helen is our hostess.  I wanted to make a birthday card for my daughter. Megan's beloved "Tank" is her baby so I went with a dog themed card.  

I was at a card making convention and I saw a stamp that looked just like Tank so I put together a little birthday scene and  I colored the dog to look like Tank.  Since it is for my daughter, I wanted to make it special so I included a "pop-up" dog inside.

I Copic colored all the stamped images, added gel pen accents and used Nuvo Crystal glaze on the cake frosting and balloons.  I fussy cut most of the images but did die cut the pop up.  The tone on tone details didn't photograph well, but the background was made using an embossing folder.  

Supplies:
Stamps of Life:  Friends 4 Cookie stamp
Janes Doodles:  Party Time stamps (cake and gifts)
Mama Elephant:  Playful Pups (pop-up)
Sunny Studio Quilted Hearts Embossing Folder (background)
SSS Birthday Word Mix 1 sentiment

I am entering this card in:
Time Out's 6th Birthday Challenge  Happy Birthday Time Out!  I "twisted" and did both fussy cutting and die-cutting.  :-)

Allsorts "Animal Kingdom" Challenge

Always Fun "Birthday Wishes" Challenge

Shopping our Stash #216 "Happy Birthday!"

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday "Anything Goes" Challenge

Day of the Month Card Club "National Puppy Day"  Happy First Birthday!   I entered that inaugural challenge last March.  :-)


I am so pleased that you stopped by!
Karen

WWC256 - Kath's Challenge: All About Occasions

Hello and welcome.  This week is all about "Occasion" cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and Kath is our hostess.  

I started by making an "ink-smoosh" panel.  Here was my technique:

1. I liberally inked an 6x6" acrylic block with Distress Inks.  I wanted an ombre gradient look so went in rows across the page.  I used Mermaid Lagoon, Salty Ocean and Twisted Citron.  
2.  I liberally sprayed the inked block with water 
3. "Smooshed" the block onto a piece of watercolor paper
4. Weighted the ink/block with a book for 5-6 minutes
5. Uncovered.  If the ink pooled, I dabbed with a paper towel.

The next day, after the panel was dry, I die cut the B using the Altenew Mega Alphabet "B" die.  I heat embossed the birthday sentiment and die cut a cover frame using Sunny Studio "Frilly Frame Stripe".  I glued the striped frame, B and sentiment to an A2 card.  I like the clean simple lines of this card.

I am entering this card in Simon Says Stamp's Anything Goes Challenge

I am so pleased you stopped by!

Karen

WWC253 - Karen's Challenge: Anything Goes With A Feminine Twist

Hello and welcome!  I can't believe it is a new year...and a new decade.  This week we are making "feminine" cards at The Watercooler Wednesday Challenge Website and I am the hostess.

I ordered some Altenew Mega Alphabet dies and the Altenew Large Thanks sentiment so I could make some thank you cards.  I wanted a bright happy card so I decided to do some "ink smooshing". 

 I started by making two inked panels.  Here was my technique:

1. I liberally inked an 6x6" acrylic block with Distress Inks.  I wanted an ombre gradient look so went in rows across the page.
2.  I sprayed the inked block with water 
3. "Smooshed" the block onto a piece of watercolor paper
4. Weighted the ink/block with a book for 5 minutes
5. Uncovered.  If the ink pooled, I dabbed with a paper towel.
6. I made a "second generation" panel for the background by taking a piece of Bristol Cardstock and soaking up the excess ink on my work space.    I had never done this before but I like having a softer but coordinated background for my card.  

Panel one was made with Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio, Twisted Citron and Mustard Seed.  

Panel two (thanks) was Abandoned Coral, Carved Pumpkin and Mustard Seed.

After the panels were dry, I die cut the "T", thanks and floral images (Spellbinder's Month 7 Die of the Month and Newton's Nook Flower Trio die). I also die cut Sunny Studio's Frilly Frame to go over my second generation background.  I used Gina K Connect glue to adhere everything to the A2 card.    

I am pleased with this bright vibrant card.  

I am entering this card in:
As You Like It Thanks Challenge

Dies R Us Challenge I used Spellbinders floral dies.

Always Fun Something New Challenge  I made a second generation ink smooshing panel to coordinate with my die cuts.  I had never thought to coordinate like this in the past.  

Alphabet Challenge Try Something New I made a second generation ink smooshing panel to coordinate with my die cuts. I had never thought to coordinate like this in the past. 

UPDATE:  I was very pleased to be chosen "Top 3" at As You Like It!

I would love to see YOUR creation in our challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Using Scraps for a Rainbow Inlay

I had a collection of colorful alcohol ink scraps on Yupo paper left over from a batch of cards I made this summer.   I thought the scraps would be fun to inlay into Sunny Studio's Frilly Frame cover die.

I first die cut my white panel and then cut the rainbow alcohol ink inlay pieces.  After everything was die cut, I glued the cover panel to an A2 card.  I put a line of Gina K Connect glue in each open space and then placed my alcohol ink scraps into each slat.  I love how bright and glossy the strips are.

I black heat embossed the sentiment (Hello Bluebird Rainbow Script) on a die cut sentiment strip.  Since my card used rainbow colored scraps, I thought the sentiment was very appropriate.

Easy, bright and eye-catching.

I am entering this card in:
Use Your Stuff's "Use Your Scraps" Challenge

I am so pleased that you stopped by!
Karen

WWC239 - Helen's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Hello there and welcome!  This week's challenge is all about cards for the men in our life and Helen is our hostess.

I wanted to do a Rainbow masculine card, so I got out my Kuretake watercolors and painted a Rainbow on watercolor paper.  I then used the Sunny Studio Frilly Frames Stripes die to cut the card cover.  The sentiment, which I've been using a lot, is Rainbow Script from Hello Bluebird.    This is a happy card that was fun but pretty quick to make.

Last week, I did a feminine card using Frilly frames.

I am entering this card in:
Dar and Diane Focus on the Sentiment Challenge

Die Cuttin Divas Just Because Challenge

Thanks for joining us this week at Watercooler Wednesday!

Karen

WWC238 - Tristan's "All About Occasions" Challenge

Hello and welcome!  This week it is all about occasions at Watercooler Wednesday and I chose to make a birthday card.  Tristan is our hostess this week.  Pop by the Watercooler Wednesday Challege website for more details and to link your creation.

I bought a new die, Sunny Studio Frilly Frame Stripe, so I wanted to incorporate it into my card design.  I started by making a background with my Kuretake watercolors and then added the overlay to my background. I stamped, Copic colored and die cut the floral images.  I wanted the sentiment to match so I inked a piece of cardstock with a coordinating Copic marker.  Learning lesson....Let the ink fully dry before attempting to die cut. The first sentiment stuck to the die and came out in 100 tiny pieces.

Supplies:

Sunny Studio Frilly Frames Stripes die

WPlus9 Doodle Buds stamps and dies

SSS Happy Birthday die

Kuretake Watercolors

Distress Watercolor Paper

Neenah cardstock

Copic markers

The Flower Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Tropical Pineapple Thank You Card

Hello and Welcome!  I came up with the idea for a CAS framed thank you card.  I love the pineapple form Sunny Studio Tropical Paradise and thought it would be cute in a tall skinny  stitched frame. I added the small flower, leaf and lemon wedge as a cluster.

I used Bristol card stock, colored with Zig Markers and cut with coordinating dies.  I die cut the sentiment to complete the card.  I added some white gel pen accents.  This card came together very quickly.  

I am entering this card in:  

Make My Monday 100th Challenge - Thank You 
Congratulations on your 100th Challenge!

Less is More "Small Images" Challenge

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Bright Tropical Celebration Card

Hello and welcome! Sunny Studio Tropical Paradise is a well loved stamp and die set that makes great tropical summery cards.  

For this card, I stamped my images on Bristol card stock, colored with Zig markers and then die-cut.  I also die cut a stitched circle for a backdrop and a celebrate sentiment.  This card was easy to make and put together but still very fun and festive.  

I am entering this card in:

Dar and Diane's Tropical challenge - I got inspiration from both the colors and the images on their mood board.  

Cardz for Galz is celebrating their 100th challenge and I am submitting my card to celebrate along with them!


Simply Less is More "Celebrations" Challenge


Update:  My card was selected Top Three at Dar and Diane's Tropical Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

WWC227 - Michelle's "All About Occasions" Challenge

Welcome and hello!  It is all about occasions this week at Watercooler Wednesday and Michelle is our hostess.

It is summer so I wanted to make a fun bright tropical card.

I did a bit of pattern stamping with Sunny Studio's Tropical Paradise set.  I think these images are so fun to color!  I used Copic markers and put in some white gel pen accents.  I also added tiny little jewels to the flower center.

I am entering this card in:
SSS Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge

I am so glad you stopped by!

Karen 

Summertime Beverages

Hello there!  It's Memorial Day Weekend and time for parties and festive warm weather beverages.  I combined the "beverages" theme from Shopping Our Stash "Get Your Drink On" Challenge with the color and tropical theme (lei in particular) for Time Out Challenges "Home Sweet Home" photo challenge.

I LOVE Sunny Studio's Tropical Paradise set for fun summer cards.  This is one of the first stamps sets I bought when I started cardmaking.   I started by stamping the beverage images on Bristol card stock and then colored them with my new Zig Clean Watercolor markers.  

I wanted to subtly frame the grouping so I die-cut a stitched rectangle as a backdrop.  I die-cut Celebrate three times and glued them together for a substantial looking sentiment strip.  I glued the rectangular panel and back 2 drinks directly to the A2 card with Gina K Connect Glue. The front two beverages are adhered with foam squares for a bit more dimension. 

I am proud to enter this card in the Time Out and Shopping Our Stash Challenges (links in first paragraph).

      

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Karen

WWC207 - Helen's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

I wanted to try a girly card in slightly non-traditional colors, in this case, oranges and lime greens.  I came up with the idea of a confetti background forming a square with some pattern stamping for the focal point.  I used WPlus9 Doodle Buds, Sunny Studio Tropical Paradise and SSS Beautiful Ride floral stamps.  The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn Year 2 Birthday Turtle.

I colored the images in with Copics and then used the markers to make the confetti background.   I then embellished with tiny gem stones on four of the flowers.

I hope you will stop by Watercooler Wednesdays Challenge to see what the other artists have created.  This week is Feminine Anything Goes which is such a fun prompt.  We would love to see your creation!

I entered this card in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge "Add Some Red".   I used Copic R20 and several shades of yellow-red.

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

Cheers!

This is my first blog post....EVER!  I am featuring a card that I really enjoyed creating for The Stamp Ink Paper Challenge #146 - Food and Drink.  I used the fun citrus drink from Sunny Studio Tropical Paradise Stamp Set.

I used copic markers to color the bright beverages and then topped with Wink of Stella.

SIP Challenge

Thanks for stopping by.
Karen