Carnation and Honeybee Thank You

Here are the challenges:

1) Secret Crafter #80 Distressing

2) Crafty Creations #64 Distressing

(how did that happen?) :)

3) One Stop Craft #76 "Things with Wings"

Some detail of the sentiment:

...And the coloring:

Materials used on this card:

Card base: Recycled manila file folder

Chocolate chip cardstock

4x6 Blossomwood 2-sided Mat pad by Tim Coffey (K&Co.)

Stamp: Carnations by Nature's Blessings Art Stamps

Stampabilities Brown pigment ink for stamping

Rubber Stampede Coffee pigment ink for distressing

(This pad is dried out, and distressing is all it's good for anymore! :)

Bee Embellishment from "Grand Adhesions" Blossomwood set by Tim Coffey (K&Co.)

Pearls from E. by Prima

Half-inch satin cream ribbon by Robert Stanley (Hobby Lobby)

3D Zots by Thermoweb

Butcher's twine

...and these Sharpie colors:

Thank you so much for visiting, and have a great weekend!

--Kathryn

Peace Within Makes Beauty Without

Here are the challenges:

1) Laura's Sketch 50 (I rotated it horizontally)

2) Practical Scrappers: Floss Fibers and Ribbon

3) Little Red Wagon #25: Ruffles

Materials used on this card:

Card Base: Recycled manila file folder

Textured cardstock (DCWV)

Papers: Making Memories

Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Through the trees" set

Memento "Sprout" dye ink and Stampabilities brown pigment ink

Ribbon FX black grosgrain ribbon (Hobby Lobby)

Offray white and lime green grosgrain ribbon

Button from Fancy Pants "Little Sprout" collection

Paper flower and white brads from Spare Parts

Butcher's twine (find this at WalMart)

American Crafts White opaque marker

Tools:

X-Acto blade

EK Success corner rounder

Here is some detail of the button flower:

I did not have enough cardstock in my limited travel supply to make a sturdy card base, so I found an old manilla folder that worked quite nicely.

To make the scallops you can take off the outside corner cutting guard from the EK Success punch.

I also used Sharpie markers to give variety to the stamped tree leaves.

I love saddle-stitched grosgrain ribbon for many reasons, but it is also SO EASY to ruffle!  All you have to do is pull gently on the saddle stitches on either one or both sides and... voila! :)

Thank you all for visiting, and have a wonderful weekend!

--Kathryn

"Relax" Vintage Birthday or Get Well Card

Here are the challenges:

1) Our Creative Corner "Bows"

2) Clean & Simple FTL 86 (I rotated it 90 degrees)

3) Stamp Something "Layers"

4) Creative Card Crew "Happy Birthday"

The FTL sketch inspired me to use a mess of buttons (even if they're not in the EXACT same layout ;).

Here's a little coloring detail of this gorgeous vintage stamp:

Materials used on this Card:

Red polka-dot cardstock from Making Memories (BigDot Rouge Paperie)

Patterned paper from My Mind's Eye

Chocolate chip cardstock

Black Archival Ink

Colorbox "Warm Red" Chalk Ink

"The Boss" unmounted stamp from 100 Proof Press

sentiment and frame clear stamps from Hampton Art (Danelle Johnson Art Warehouse)

Brown Buttons from Benno's Buttons

Yellow Heirloom Brads from ki memories (inked with Colorbox chalk ink, because I didn't bring red or orange brads!)

Ecru crochet thread for handmade crocheted lace (see directions below)

Red grosgrain ribbon

Butcher's twine

Pattern for Hand-crocheted lace:
(My Easy Hand-crocheted lace pattern HERE)

Make a single chain approximately 5 1/2 inches long (I did 30 loose chains). Work three rows single crochet in chain, ch1, turn. Work 1sc in first stitch; *ch3, skip next 3 ch, 1sc*; repeat directions within *'s until end of row, ch1, turn. Work 1sc in first stitch; *4sc in loop, 1sc in anchor sc of prev row*; repeat directions within *'s to end of row, turn.  Work 1 triple crochet in first sc, *chain 4 or 5, depending on how large you want the second scallop. 1sc on top of bottom row of scallops*; repeat to end of row and finish with a triple crochet.  Work 1sc in first stitch, and 3-4 sc in each loop.  Repeat to end of row and finish.

Have a great day all!

--Kathryn

April Showers Umbrella Girl

I am running on limited supplies for the next few weeks since we are visiting family.  As a matter of fact, this has proven to be a good thing for me, since it helps me to focus and use what's in front of me, rather than debating about whether I have a paper that would match better, etc.  The hardest part was deciding what to bring; but now that we're here, I've had a great time showing my Gran how to make cards too.

Here are the challenges:

1) Tuesday Morning Sketches "Soft Hues, Flowers, Ribbon"

2) Our Creative Corner "Bows"

3) Secret Crafter "A Day Out"

4) Stamp Something "Layers"
5) SmART Word Challenge for April "FRESH"

Materials used on this card:

"Girl in the Rain stamp" from Nature's Blessings

Patterned paper from My Mind's Eye

Chocolate Chip cardstock

Paper flowers and brads from Spare Parts

Martha Stewart snowflake punch

Butcher's twine

Border sticker from Fiskars

3D Zots (Thermoweb)

I colored the image with Sharpies and colored pencils, with three copies of the umbrella.  Then I cut out the sections of the umbrella as shown and attached them with 3D Zots.

Have a great weekend!

--Kathryn

Pink Toile Baby Girl Card and Easy Hand-Crocheted Lace Pattern

*I hope everyone had a truly beautiful Easter!*

Ours was filled with spiritual nourishment and special moments with each other in our new family.  Hopefully later today, if I have time between packing and cleaning, I will post some of our easter family photos amongst the south Texas wildflowers across from our home.

It has been a very long time since I've updated here; every moment with our new little Ben is so precious!  Every day he is learning and begins to laugh and smile so much that it is a nice reward for the long nights.

While he naps though and between laundry loads, I do manage to create something every day for my sanity; I simply do not have time to blog it all, but here is my most recent card to share.  I will be giving a baby shower for a friend in May, who is expecting her third baby girl.  So I'm able to make the girly cards at the same time that I'm enjoying baby boy things for Ben.  What a great deal! :)

This card was primarily made for the publication call at Embellish Magazine, but in addition,

Here are a few challenges:

Colour Create Your Choice of Pastels

Stamp Something Pink Somethings

Our Creative Corner Break out the Buttons

Materials Used on this Card:

Cardstock: DCWV, Papertrey Ink

Papers: The Paper Studio: Baby Pink Toile, Cute Pink Ovals

Embellishments:

RibbonFX - black grosgrain ribbon

Buttons: Fancy Pants Designs "Little Sprout" collection

Doily Lace buttons from craft supply

Chipboard alpha from Making Memories Garden Party collection

White floral hydrangea blossoms from Hobby Lobby stems

butcher's twine (find this at WalMart)

spring chipboard flower from craft supply

crochet thread (ecru)

Martha Stewart Crafts doily lace edge punch

Thermo-Web Zots 

sewing machine

crochet needle (size 7)

Pattern for Easy Hand-crocheted lace:

Make a single chain approximately 5 1/2 inches long. Work three rows single crochet in chain, ch1, turn. Work 1sc in first stitch; *ch3, skip next 3 ch, 1sc*; repeat directions within *'s until end of row, ch1, turn. Work 1sc in first stitch; *4sc in loop, 1sc in anchor sc of prev row*; repeat directions within *'s to end of row. Finish.

And last but not least,

Have a wonderful spring day!

--Kathryn