Trick Or Treat

Hello, everyone!  I'm so glad you've stopped by my blog today.  This is a busy time of year for us all, and as Christmas begins to draw near, we will all get even busier and busier.  We don't find the time we wish we had to craft and create, but when we do; it's always a fun time.  I'm not a huge fan of Halloween, but I do like the "cute" stuff, and the no-so-spooky side.  As I've explained in years passed, I enjoy using this time as an opportunity to spread the love of Jesus Christ with all the little ones who stop by our house on Halloween in their costumes.  Each year, I make up 100 little bags with some candies, a little toy, and a Halloween Gospel tract.  It's our opportunity to share God's love with these kids as well as their families as they go through their candy when they get home.

I made this little Halloween tag using a Grungy Prim Stained Tag that I covered with a couple different October Afternoon patterned papers, added some orange pom pom trim, some JilliBean Soup ephemera, Melissa Frances rub-ons, Green Apple Baker's Twine, Orange Seam Binding, and the sweet little image is from Iralamija Etsy Shop from her Pumpkin Collage Sheet.  

These are the challenges where I'm going to be sharing this little Halloween tag:

ChouxChoux Paper Art - Lori Hairston's Blog - 2016 Halloween Challenge - Lori also has several sweet free printables available on her blog for you all.  Thanks for all the fun, Lori!

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog - Simon Says "Gift It" - This little tag is for my niece.  I'll be sending out lots of sweet little treats for all my nieces and nephews for Halloween.

Have a wonderful day, everyone.  And thanks so much for stopping by today.

Karen

Spooky Fun With Really Reasonable Ribbon

Welcome to my blog today as I share a cute little Halloween project I created for Really Reasonable Ribbon.  This month's Ribbon Club Assortment is filled with "not so spooky" black, orange, green and purple FUN in this festive collection.  The Really Reasonable Ribbon monthly Ribbon Club is a great way to ensure you'll always have the perfect ribbons for every season and every occasion.  I sure enjoy them.

I made this cute little treat for my niece, Alexa.  It's a simple little short mason jar that I filled with big black, orange and green gumballs.  I painted and glittered the ring of the jar to give it some personality, and then I wrapped a long length of Orange Seam Binding around it and tied it into a bow.  I also cut a circle from orange/black striped material and placed it over a piece of cardboard on the inside of the jar rim to decorate the top.  

Next, I added a Spellbinders spider's web die-cut, and bows made from several of this month's Ribbon Club Assortment including  a length of the 5/8" Shimmer Satin Tangerine With Gold, 3/8" Spider Web Print on Black Silk Ribbon, 3/8" Wonky Orange and Black Squares on White Satin Ribbon, and I also added a couple of RRR trims that aren't from this month Ribbon Club Assortment.  Those trims include some 1.5" Gray Netting, and some Solid Green Baker's Twine.

Oh.....and let's not forget that cute little Jolee's spider I placed on top of the bow.  I've had a package of these spiders for years, and Halloween is the only time I ever use them.  They're very old, but still cute and useful.  I just LOVE how all of Really Reasonable Ribbon's ribbons and products work together so well and compliment one another so nicely.  You simply can't go wrong by purchasing some ribbons and goodies from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you will stop by Really Reasonable Ribbon to do some shopping, to get some great inspiration from our daily blog posts, and of course to play along in our fun challenges.

I'm sharing my "Not So Spooky" creation in the following:

Choux Choux Paper Arts - Lori Hairston's Halloween/Autumn Challenge - I was SO excited when I got an email telling me that Lori was hosting another FUN challenge!

Simon Says Stamp- Wednesday Challenge: Gift It - As explained above, this little Halloween treat is a gift for my niece, Alexa.

Have a blessed day!
Karen

Favorite Song

Being such a big lover of music, it's super hard for me to nail down my one "favorite song" because I love so many songs and so many types of music.  However, for the challenge at As You Like It, I've chosen to enter the song "Hello" by Lionel Richie.  The reason why I chose this particular song is because my oldest daughter used to sing this song when she was little.

I used Crate Paper patterned papers and chipboard sentiment (Hello) to create this card as well as a JilliBean Soup ephemera tag and some baker's twine.  I kept it very simple (at least for me) because I also want to share it in the CAS challenge at SSS.

Here are the different challenges where I'm sharing this card:

As You Like It Challenge Blog - Favorite Song: "Hello" by Lionel Richie, and as I explained it's a favorite because my daughter would sing it to me when she was little, and she also loved the music video that went along with the song.  Lionel Richie's music was her favorite from the time she was very little, as she has loved it her whole life.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - CAS - For me, this is a very simple card.

Have a blessed week, and thanks so much for stopping by.

Karen

Things With Wings Challenge at RRR

It's time for a FUN new challenge at Really Reasonable Ribbon, and this time our challenge theme is Things With Wings.  You can use an airplane, a bird, or any other winged creature or object you can imagine.  And you're welcome to share ANY type of art; whether it's a card, a scrapbook page, mixed media, home decor, etc.  You name it, and you're more than welcome to enter it into our challenge as long as it follows the challenge theme and meets one simple criteria.....it must include ribbon or some type of spooled trim.

I created two very simple cards using some October Afternoon Farmhouse products.  My first card includes these OA patterned papers that I inked on the edges with Hickory Smoke Tim Holtz Distress Ink, ephemera (circles, roundish shapes, and butterflies that I outlined with gold Stickles), and an OA button.  I also included some vintage tickets, and I wrapped my card with a nice long length of Gray Baker's Twine (currently out of stock), and I also tied it though the center of my button and tied a bow with it.  Using Baker's Twine is a great way to add a small touch of ribbon/trim without overwhelming your design.

It adds just that right touch of texture and embellishment to your card.  And here's even better news.....Baker's Twine is SUPER affordable at just $1.00 per 10-yard cut.  Yup, that's right!  Just $0.10 per yard, and Really Reasonable Ribbon carries 38 gorgeous varieties of Baker's Twine so you're sure to find all the perfect shades for every project.  And you can get them ALL without spending a small fortune.  Really Reasonable Ribbon has LOTS of great ribbons and trims at fabulously low prices to adorn all your creations.

My second card uses all the same products (October Afternoon Farmhouse) including the patterned papers, stickers, ephemera circles, sentiment sticker (with a Melissa Frances CONGRATS rub-on), bird sticker, and to finish the card, I added a Jenni Bowlin True Vintage milk cap, and an OA brown button that I tied with Brown Sugar Baker's Twine.  I also tied the Brown Sugar Baker's Twine around my card twice, and tied it into a knot to create two bows underneath the button.  You can see, once again, how this one simple trim adds so much texture and life to my simple card.

Don't forget to stop by the Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog to play along in this FUN new challenge, and each day for lots of great inspiration.  We love to inspire you with OUR creations, and we love to see YOUR sweet creations linked to our challenges.  Really Reasonable Ribbon wants to be YOUR first source for ribbons, trims, twines, mulberry flowers, and so much more.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

September RRR Blog Hop Time

Hi there, everybody!  Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today as I take part in the September Blog Hop for Really Reasonable Ribbon.  You should have arrived here from Bonnie's sweet Blog; but if you didn't, you can get started on the Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog.  This month's Ribbon Club Assortment has a Halloween vibe to it, so I created some fun candy cups with them in addition to the usual hair bow I share.  Here's a peek at this month's "Too Cute To Spook" collection:

These sweet little cups are from Michael's Crafts.  I added a half of a black paper straw to the back of each by hot-gluing them to the inside, and I placed a spider at the top of one straw, and a black cat on the other.  Next, I took a length of the 5/8" Shimmer Satin Tangerine With Gold to create a "strap" on each candy cup.  I filled the cups with big colorful, yummy green, black and orange gumballs.  Then, to decorate the cups, I created a big bow on each one.

The spider cup has a length of the 5/8" Apple Green Plaid Ribbon, 3/8" Halloween Confetti Dots on Black Grosgrain, Plum Baker's Twine, Black Seam Binding, and the 3/8" Tangerine Double-Faced Satin Ribbon.  

The cat cup has a length of the 5/8" Apple Green Plaid Ribbon, and 3/8" Too Cute To Spook Print on Black Grosgrain as well as a length of Orange Baker's Twine as well as Black Seam Binding tied into a bow (mixed and layered in there somewhere).

And as I do each month, I'm also sharing a cute set of hair bows that includes almost all the ribbons from this month's Ribbon Club Assortment including the 3/8" Diamond Satin Grape,  3/8" Halloween Confetti Dots on Black Grosgrain Ribbon, 5/8" Plaid Apple Green, 3/8" Spider Web Print on Black Silk Ribbon, 3/8" Wonky Orange and Black Squares on White Satin Ribbon, 5/8" Gauze Print on Grape Satin Ribbon,   5/8" Apple Green Taffeta Ribbon, and the sweet 3/8" Too Cute To Spook Print on Black Grosgrain Ribbon.  Each bow has a French Clip on the back to easily place them in the hair.  These fantastic Hair Clips comes in several different styles and sizes to accommodate any length of hair.  You can see once again how ALL of Really Reasonable Ribbon's trims work together to compliment one another so beautifully.  Joining this club also helps assure that you will always have the right ribbons for every season and holiday.  They're simply awesome!

Your next stop on this fun Blog Hop is at the blog of my talented friend, Kathy.  She will have something super fun for you all, and I know you'll enjoy it.  Thanks for joining us, and be sure to stop by the Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog to participate in our CURRENT CHALLENGE.  Good luck, and happy hopping!

Have a great week!

Karen

Congrats!

I'm sure you can all relate to having those moments when you find yourself in need of a particular card that you don't have on hand.  I found out yesterday that I needed a congratulations card.  I didn't have one that would work for the occasion, so I pulled out my Crate Paper (which seems to be my go-to line) and created this sweet and simple little card to congratulate a friend who just got a big promotion at work.

I used Crate Paper patterned papers, ephemera, and stickers.  I used a Melissa Frances rub-on for the sentiment, some of my coveted vintage scotch tape, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, and a few sequins.  I love all the layers, and always enjoy how these Crate Paper ephemera pieces work together.  I can't believe that I've made two cards now (one yesterday and this one today) that have absolutely no lace, ribbon or trim whatsoever.  It's unusual for me, but I like trying different styles now and then.

I'll be linking this card to these fun challenges:

Little Scrap Pieces - Show It Off Saturday Linky Party

Just Us Girls Challenge Blog - Challenge #360 - Use Sequins

Thanks so much for visiting, and please stop by again soon.

Karen

Sweet Memories

When I made this card, I immediately knew it was going to my niece, AudraAnna.  She is such a little princess, and she reminds me SO much of her Mama, my sweet sister Audra who away almost two years ago now from brain cancer.  Seeing Anna always makes me think of Audra, and that's always a good thing. She looks so much like her, except she has darker hair because daddy is Hispanic.  I always say she's the caliente (spicy) version of her Mama.  She sure does make me smile.  She and I talk about memories A LOT because she loves hearing stories about her Mama, and I like telling them.  So this sentiment of "Memories" is just perfect for her.

I used some Crate Paper products (patterned papers, stickers, wooden bow, ephemera bow), Gold Stickles, a Making Memories rub-on sentiment, machine stitching, inking, some teal baker's twine, and a pearl accent sticker.

I was inspired completely by the sketch for this week's challenge at Sketch Saturday when creating my card.  I like the crooked stripe, and how it breaks up the card a bit.  I think I will enter this challenge again and do the diagonal stripe differently just to push myself creatively a bit.  I need to "think outside the box" more, and that will help me.

Sketch Saturday - Challenge #429 With Simon Says Stamp

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and please visit me again soon.

Blessings to you,

Karen