12 Kits of Christmas - September with Kara

Here we are in month 9 of our 12 Kits of Christmas club and this month Kara of  KandRDesigns (Life is Sweet ) is our hostess.  Just look at the great ingredients Kara sent us this month:

The kit includes some beautiful patterned paper from MME, All is Bright collection.  I love those birds with the holiday hats.  When I saw them I knew I was definitely going to use them on my projects...and there were so many other great ingredients too.  Those cute banners, the Mat Stack #3 die, the pretty saddle stitch ribbon and there was another big surprise in our kits this month.  You will see that as my last project.

First up, a cute card using the Banner Builder dies.

I love red and kraft for holiday cards and the cute Wonderful Words Holiday die cut Kara sent us was the perfect backdrop for a holiday banner.

My second card also is kraft and red:

There's that bird I was telling you about.  I stamped a little pattern using Background Basics, Tin Type onto the bottom of the card and embossed the top with a cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder.  Once again, I used the Wonderful Words Holiday die cut for my sentiment and one teeny, tiny rhinestone to top off the little birds hat.

My final project was the surprise Kara sent us this month:  A Holiday Planner Notepad!

Isn't this going to be perfect to keep in my purse to jot down all the things I need to remember during the busy holiday season?

I even made a little pocket to store receipts or coupons...no more crumpled up receipts all over my purse!

This was such a fun month and I know I am going to make such good use of my notepad planner.  I would like to thank Kara for sending us such a great kit with so many possibilities.  Speaking of possibilities...make sure you check out the other projects made by my super talented friends using Kara's kit.  You will really enjoy how we all see the same kit differently!

Suzanne:  thecardyard

Joyce: Cards-by-the-Sea

Kim: CupcakesCardsandKim

Amy: Stamp-n-Paradise

Kara: KandRDesigns

Sharron: OnPapillionWings

Marybeth: Marybeth's Time for Paper

Jeanne: AKeptLife

Jessica: The Paper Parade

Christina: SeaGlass&Sentiments

Renee: ItsAPatchworkLife

Halloween Spider

Today I have a Halloween card to share that is more cute than scary.

I used Serendipity stamps (Spider) and (Boo, large).  The spider is embossed in back and colored with copics and stickles.  He is hanging over a Stampin Up embossing folder (Spider Web).  I tried something new to me with this card.  I used a brayer to spread ink over the flat side of the embossing folder.  I wanted the raised portion to stand out and by using the same color ink as the cardstock, the raised portion is just a bit lighter.  The ink is PTI Winter Wisteria and did make quite a difference when you compare an inked sheet vs a non-inked sheet.  The last touch on this card is the little pair of googly eyes to make him a cute spider, just perfect for a card for my 3 year old niece.

Elegant Baby

I had such fun today.  My daughter-in-law asked me to make a couple of baby cards she needs for an office baby shower next week.  Rarely does anyone in my family ask me to make a card for them, so it was a nice surprise when she asked me if I could make a couple of cards, one boy and one girl that are elegant, rather than "cutesy" (Katie's word).  The gifts she has chosen are keepsake items that are engraved and she thought an elegant card would compliment them.

Here is my boy version of an elegant baby card:

I think of white on white when I picture something elegant.  I used Serendipity stamps for my card (Baby Booties, small and Baby Boy, small).  The booties are embossed in white with a little tiny pearl on the bow.  The beautiful frames are new Spellbinder dies, Marvelous Squares.  I could not believe how many different combinations you can make with this set of 6 dies.  I used some nestie squares on a couple of them as well as a Swiss Dot embossing folder on the outside panel.
Here is the inside of the card:

I finished the inside using Serendipity stamps again (Snips and Snails) layered on a couple of the Marvelous Squares.

The girl version is the same, only pink of course and uses Baby Girl, small for the sentiment.

 The inside of the girl card uses the Serendipity Sugar and Spice stamp.

While I was making these, I was trying to channel my friend Jeanne Jachna (A Kept Life) who always makes such beautiful, elegant cards.  I know Jeanne would have figured out a way to add a beautiful poofy bow and some kind of sparkly gems, so I can't wait to see what she says about these and ask her where she would have added those extra elegant touches!

Serendipity Stamps is having a great sale right now that lasts through September 26th.  20% off all stamps in the Halloween category.  Also, the stamp of the week that is 50% off is a very cute baby stamp, Baby Bib, etc.  It's one of my favorites too.

Halloween Birthday - Serendipity Stamps

My baby girl turns 21 this Halloween.  She has always loved having her special day fall on Halloween and has celebrated it to the max each and every year.  I am sure this year will be extra special for her.  As this milestone birthday approaches, I have been a bit nostalgic and have been thinking of Carly's very first Halloween birthday.  This week's challenge from Serendipity Stamps is to create a Halloween project and I wanted to make something that I can look forward to displaying every year during Carly's birthday month. (Yes, she makes it last an entire month!)  Serendipity has so many Halloween images to choose from, from cute, to vintage and I decided to use one of their brand new Fall Stamps, Ghost with Pumpkin.  Here is the wall decor I created with Serendipity Stamps to celebrate Carly's first Halloween.

I started with a piece of 6 x 6 patterned paper by MME from the Haunted Collection.  It's an October calendar page with lots of empty space to embellish however you want.  I added my Ghost with Pumpkin stamp and shaded it a bit with copic markers.  (You all should be able to tell by now that I am not big into coloring), but one of the things that is so great about Serendipity stamp images is they are so detailed, you can color them which looks beautiful, or not...which is totally me and they still look great.

I also added a Serendipity sentiment to the card (It's a Special Day), because after all...it will always be a special day to me. Carly was born on a Thursday, so I added the date with diecut numbers.  You might notice all those big black spiders.  They are dimensionals and actually were put there because they have a very special meaning to Carly.  When she was 9 months old, she was bitten by a black widow spider and spent 3 days in Intensive Care.  That was one of the most scary few days of my life, but ever since then, Carly has been nicknamed Spider-Baby.  The letters spelling out Halloween Birthday are cut from orange felt and glued to the picture frame.  The picture is mounted on a Spellbinder Postage frame and is Carly dressed in her first Halloween costume.

I can't wait to hang this up on October 1st, and I am hoping someday Carly will display it in her own home and tell the Spider-Baby story to her own kids.  Here's a pic of Carly today at 21:

Serendipity Stamps is having a great sale now too. Any stamp selected from the Halloween category is 20% off. The sale runs through September 26th, so head on over there and take a look!
Are you ready to see some more Halloween projects using Serendipity stamps and dies?  Make sure to check out the projects from my fellow Design Team Members.  They are either going to be cute, scary or vintage...but most of all, great!

Jeanne Jachna

Amy Cokley

Jenny Gropp

Miriam Napier

Pauline Pollington

Helen Berry

WMSC #115 - Hocus Pocus Graveyard

Today I have another Halloween card for Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #115, a cute sketch by Jennifer Holmes.  

I thought this sketch reminded me of my Madison Grand Window Die and there are so many ways to use that particular die with Waltzingmouse Stamps...almost every stamp set could be turned into a card looking in or out of that great window.  I decided to make a Halloween card and used Halloween Party and Hocus Pocus to create a spooky scene as you look out my window.

The patterned papers are by MME, Haunted Collection and the graveyard scene is from Memory Box (Graveyard Landscape).  Instead of the bow in the sketch, I added a string of Halloween lights in orange and gray from Cheery Lynn (Christmas Light Swag).  Thanks for taking a look at my Through the Window Halloween card.

Waltzingmouse September Blog Party - Fall

It is the 17th of the month and how I am wishing it really was Fall here in CA.  Unfortunately I am only able to picture it in my head as it is so hot here with barely any signs of Fall in view yet.  This month's Waltingmouse Blog Party theme is Fall, so I thought very hard and tried to imagine what I wish it looked like outside and created a Fall Painter's Tray filled with lots of Waltzingmouse stamped images.

The painters tray is by 7 Gypsies and is 6 1/2 x 6 1/2".  The largest panel is stamped with the smallest houndstooth pattern from Heirloom patterns.  I added a beautiful Pumpkin die from Serendipity Stamps (Pumpkin Die) cut three times and stitched down the middle.  I added a few copic colored pearls along the middle.

The top small box is stamped with Teeny Trees onto some Bo Bunny Forever Fall patterned paper in brown red and green.  The center box is also Bo Bunny paper but the little medallion that looks a lot like a sunflower to me is from Dainty Doilies Large with the center colored with a copic marker and popped up with dimensionals.  The third little box is my favorite image from Bountiful Basket Additions, the sweet pumpkins peeking out from a wicker basket lined with lace trim.  The final piece of my tray is some die cut leaves from Papertrey Ink, Turning a New Leaf and a Wonderful Word die, also from Papertrey ink.  This should make a very cute little decoration to remind me that Fall really and truly is on it's way!

Here's a link to the WM Blog Party, bet you will see a lot of great Fall-themed projects!

4 of a Kind - September with Cathy

It's the 16th of the month and time for the September version of Four of a Kind.  This month I was the hostess and "Yee Haw", the theme is western!  I do live in a town nicknamed Horsetown, USA after all.  Here is a picture of the kit I sent Joyce, Kim and Renee.

Do you recognize the stamps?









If you guessed Back in the Saddle by Waltzingmouse Stamps, you're right.  This is one of my very favorite stamp sets, such a great mix of individual stamps that can be put together in endless combinations for all kinds of occasions.  Birthday, get well, thank you, and every one is really cute and fun to use.    The patterned papers are by My Minds Eye, On the Bright Side "Stitched" p0aper, Ride On, and Lucky Girl.  There is also some Reminise Cowboy Stripe in there.  I also added some burlap, twine, gingham ribbon, some diecut western charms by My Favorite Things Stamps called Western Charms.  I also threw in a few brass brads, buttons and embossed cardstock.  Here are the cards I made with the kit.

I used the Tim Holtz medallion along with the "girlie" plaid paper and navy gingham ribbon.  If you look close you can see the woodgrain impression and some really cute little navy stars on this cute cowgirl's boots.

My second card is my favorite.

I guess I used that stitched jean paper on all three cards, but I sure loved it.  The focal point is actually three different stamps, two from Back in the Saddle and the polka dots are from WM Faux Fun Circles.  I added a little pinked circle behind the sentiment and a few of the charms and one little brass brad.

Here is my last card:

More stitched jean paper and another combination focal point.  This time the label is from WM Vintage Labels #18 and the cowboy boots, horseshoes and sentiment are from Back in the Saddle.  I also added my version of a cowboy rope as an embellishment.

I had lots of fun going Cowboy this month, and I hope you will check out the cards that the other three very talented ladies in my group have created.  

Joyce

Kim

Renee

 

Over the Moon - Serendipity Stamps

When I joined the Serendipity Design Team, Mary Lee the owner generously sent me some extra stamps.  Among them was a stamp I absolutely love and had a card all pictured in my head as soon as I saw it.  I used to love to read nursery rhymes to my children and Hey Diddle Diddle was one of their favorites.  The Cow Jumping Over The Moon (Cow) image is so cute and was a cinch to color and cut out.  Here's my card"

Isn't that a cute image for a baby card?  I know...more gingham.  Just about every baby card I make has gingham on it, I can't seem to help myself!  I added the moon which is embossed with a Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder and did a little zig zag stitching to make it stand out a little bit better.  The blue panel is embossed with a Canvas impression plate and the clouds are super sparkly with lots of chunky glitter.  The sweet sentiment (Baby Boy) is from Serendipity Stamps.  I plan to use this image on a scrapbook page for my niece's new baby boy one day soon, wouldn't that be cute? 

Sugar and Spice

Today I am playing along with a sketch challenge that is new to me, I Spy.  I saw a very cute card on my friend Jeanne's (A Kept Life) blog and an idea popped into my head using some sweet Serendipity baby stamps.  First, here's the I Spy Sketch #32 that my card is based on.

I've made quite a few baby boy cards lately, and today it was time for something pink.  I cut some Papertrey Ink Pinked Squares in sweet blush, aqua mist and rustic white.  The background patterned papers are by Crate Paper, Little Bo Peep collection.  Now onto the stamping.  I used 5 different Serendipity stamps to make this card.  The little pink baby feet are Bitti Feet, very easy to make a cute piece of patterned paper.  The rattle is pieced from Baby Bib, etc and popped up with dimensional foam.  The booties are Baby Booties, small  and have been shaded a bit with copics.  The sentiment is called Sugar and Spice and can be purchased separately or together as a part of Baby Girl Cling Set.   You can't see it very well in the picture, but the bottom right pink block has a cute moon and star border stamped on it (Straight Moon Border), also from Serendipity stamps.  The roses are from I AM Roses, a gift from my friend Jeanne whose card inspired me to try this challenge.  The diecut behind the sentiment is by Spelldinders (IronWorks).  This was a fun card to make and I bet it could be made in shades of blue, brown and kraft to make it perfect for a baby boy card too.

WMSC#114 - Bewitched

I have to write up todays post really quickly, I am writing this on my break at work with my ipad, so no editing like I usually do.  This is a card for Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #114, a cute sketch by the sweet and talented Anya Schrier.  I wasn't going to do this week's sketch because I am not one to add lots of little embellishments on cards and all those circles threw me, but I decided to give it a try and turned the circles into the steam from Wanda's cauldron.  The papers are from MME, Haunted collection and the stamps are from Halloween Party and Hocus Pocus.  The great steamy swirl is from Flourishes Scallops and Dots.  All the images are embossed and are super shiny, which turned out to be difficult to photograph, but sure do pop in real life.  I added some rhinestones as bling representing all those little circles in the sketch.  Thanks for taking a            look and now, back to work!

Happy Birthday Kara Blog Hop

Today is Kara's birthday and her friends are surprising her with a blog hop in her honor.  Kara is one of the absolute best card makers I know and I was a little intimidated to make her a card, but I used some of the elements that I have seen Kara use before and hope she likes it.

I have seen Kara use Papertrey Ink's Mat Stack #3 many times, so I am assuming she likes it and I know she likes WPlus9 stamps, so I used their stamp set, Fresh Picked for my focal point.  I added a few chevron dies and one of the cute WPlus9 sweet sentiments.  I hope you have a fabulous birthday Kara, you are an inspiration to so many of us.  Happy Birthday!

Here are links to Kara's other friends who have made her a birthday card.

Suzanne:  thecardyard

Joyce: Cards-by-the-Sea

Kim: CupcakesCardsandKim

Sharron: OnPapillionWings

Jeanne: AKeptLife

Jessica: The Paper Parade
Tracey: In My Creative Opinion

Boo!

Today I have a Halloween card that was so easy to make, 10 minutes tops!  I got some new Halloween dies in the mail and decided to make a Halloween graveyard scene.

I added Serendipity Stamps (Bare Tree) embossed in black to the new dies.  Those trees look so good embossed, so shiny and a perfect addition to the graveyard scene.  You can't have a graveyard without some spooky looking trees, right?  The dies are from Memory Box (Graveyard landscape) and Impression Obsession ( Halloween Hill).   The sentiment is from Serendipity Stamps (Boo, small)  stamped onto a Spellbinder label.  The clouds are die cuts from PTI).

Serendipity Stamps is having a sale now too, so you can pick up the tree stamp for a great price. The sale lasts until September 12th and if you buy three items, the 4th one is FREE! Here's a link to the Serendipity Store.

Serendipity Stamps presents That 70's Cards

Talk about a blast from the past!  Today, Serendipity Stamps have challenged us to create a card with a 70's Retro Theme.  I would love to say I was too young to remember the 70's, but in reality, I remember them very well!   Serendipity Stamps has lots of stamps that can be adapted to fit a retro theme, so my card is a bit eclectic today with each element taking me back to my high school days.  When I think back to those days the first things that popped into my head were the bright tie-dye fabrics, peace symbols, neon colors, butterflies, rainbows and old television shows I used to love to watch.  Here's my card and a little explanation of what each element means to me:

Check out those neon butterflies!  It is a cute Serendipity background stamp (Butterfly Background) stamped several times to create my own 70's patterned paper.  I colored all the butterflies with neon colored pencils and added some stickles on a few for some sparkle.  The background stamp was easy to line up using my Stampamajig, every butterfly perfectly placed.  It is hard to tell from the picture, but the peace word and black scallops and border are cut from black velvet paper (that's is also something from the 70's, lots of artwork done on black velvet).  The peace symbol is a die (My Favorite Things) I borrowed from my friend Joyce of Cards by the Sea (thanks Joyce).  I just knew that there had to be at least one peace symbol on any 70's card and coated it with glitter to go along with the bright colors of my butterflies.

This brings me to the inside of my card:

I know I am going to have to explain this one.  Back in the 70's there was a detective television show with a character named Kojak.  Telly Savalas was the actor who played Kojak and he was known for his bald head , the lollipop stick he always had hanging out of his mouth and a catch phrase he said on every episode.

His catch phrase was, "Who loves ya Baby?"  When I saw the Serendipity stamp (Who Loves Ya Baby) with his catch phrase, it was like it was made for this challenge.  I added a little strip of butterfly paper and another peace symbol coated with glitter.  

So, did I take you back to the 70's?  I know I was there again.  Now that you have seen my card, make sure to check out the other 70's cards made by Serendipity Design Team Members.  I can't wait to see which Serendipity Stamp images they chose to take them back to the good old days of the 1970's!

Serendipity is having a sale, and it's a good one!  Buy 3 items and the 4th item is free, sale ends on September 12th, so make sure you check out the store!

Jeanne Jachna

Amy Cokley

Sue Eldred

Jenny Gropp

Miriam Napier

Pauline Pollington

Helen Berry

WMSC#113 - Giddyup

I had a lot of fun with this one!  This week's WMSC#113, a really cute sketch by Lynn Mercurio inspired me to add a western theme to my card.  Back in the Saddle and Way Out West are the perfect stamp sets to use for a birthday card for my Dad.

First the sketch...

and now the card:

Lots going on...woodgrain base, burlap and a little bit of fringe along the bottom, love the horse and cowboy stamped three times to give the illusion of movement and the fun cactus background.  I also added the cute sentiment from Back In the Saddle and some Western Country Charms from My Favorite Things Stamps along with some twine.  My Dad is 83 and doesn't really "get" that I make all my cards...but I think he might figure it out with this one.  Thanks for taking a look!