A Most Amazing Day

Well, hello and thanks for stopping by!  Today is going to be most amazing day......because I'm off on a new adventure as I join the Design Team at Secret Garden Crafts, and I want to thank you for stopping by to share this special and amazing day with me.  I'm really excited to share this sweet little shop with you all.  And, when I use the word "little", I don't mean it literally by any means.  Secret Garden Crafts carries lots of gorgeous paper flowers and embellishments; and its sister store, Crafty City,  carries many different soft, romantic pattern paper collections and lots of fabulous Prima products.  Everything soft and lovely to help you create something beautiful can be found at Secret Garden Crafts.   Oh, and here's a treat for you......there's a SPECIAL OFFER taking place right now.  If you order $20+ (US only), you get free shipping!

I created this card using a lovely Crafty City patterned paper collection by Julie Nutting called Flea Market.  Once I had chosen my patterned papers, I inked their edges and machine stitched them together.  Next, I ink stained some cheese cloth and laid it on the left-hand side of my card...kind of pulling it apart just a bit.  Then I just started adding several of the GORGEOUS flowers found a Secret Garden Crafts including some Pink Trellis Roses, Pink Cottage Roses, a few Pink and White Mulberry Paper Leaves, and some White Spiral Stamens.

Thank you for stopping by today.  I really hope that you will stop by the Secret Garden Crafts Blog to see all the gorgeous creations by the other DT Members, and also take a moment to visit Secret Garden Crafts to see what they have to offer.  It's really quite lovely!

May God bless you, my friends.  Happy shopping,

Karen

I'm playing along here:

Just Keep On Creating - October Anything Goes Link-Up

Paper Sweeties October Release Rewind

Welcome back today, everyone!  Thanks for stopping by as my Paper Sweeties team-mates and I wrap up the October Release.  These two FABULOUS new sets are available now in the Paper Sweeties shop, and they are AWESOME!  I've had so much fun creating my cards and projects for this month's release.  If you missed any of them, you can see my Sneak Peek post here, and my Release Day post here.

For today's Release Rewind, I like to make something that combines some of the new products with some of my other Paper Sweeties favorites.  I also included some buttons on the sweet tags.  Paper Sweeties' stamps are SO cute that you don't need to add much else with them.

This card incorporates Emma and the Emma Sweet Cut, her adorable outfit which is from the Live, Love, Grow Stamp Set, the AMAZING new tag from the For You Stamp Set and For You Sweet Cuts (used twice), Mint Seam Binding and Frosting Seam Binding, and the sentiment (Where Flowers Bloom So Does Hope) is also from the Live, Love Grow Stamp Set.  I also added the adorable little bird from the new Stamp Set.

Here's the list of all my team-mates who have prepared something AWESOME to inspire you.  Don't forget about the fun October Challenge taking place now on the Paper Sweeties Blog.  We love seeing your amazing creativity, too.  You're sure to find something ADORBS at Paper Sweeties!

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Jinny Newlin, Special October Guest Designer
Karen Letchworth

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Lisa Bzibziak
Lori Turner 

Maria Patrick

Michelle Bala
Nancy Salkeld

Blessings to you all,

Karen

I'm playing along here:

Just Keep On Creating - October Link-Up Party - I used the sentiment "Where Flowers Bloom, So Does Hope"

Paper Sweeties October Release Day

Hello, everyone!  I'm so glad that you've stopped by today as I share my projects for the October Paper Sweeties New Release along with my talented team members.  I'm sharing a card and coordinating tag that uses our sweet new Home Is Where Your Story Begins Stamp Set and coordinating Home Is Where Your Story Begins Sweet Cuts.

For my card, I used a kraft card base and attached some peachy Bazzill paper with more kraft paper that I sewed together with patterned papers.  Once I had those all lined up, I stamped the house, tree, and bird onto coordinating patterned papers and cut them with the Sweet Cuts.

I also added the sentiment (Home is where your story begins) from this sweet stamp set by stamping it onto a journalling sticker that (already) said "Remember this:", and also added a double bow that's tied with Sugar Sprinkles Seam Binding.  The finishing touch to my card were some Creamsicle Sequins and Green Apple Sequins.

The "grass" was just hand-cut with my scissors.  Isn't that bird up in the tree adorable?  All the stamps in this set are SO super cute.  And as always, this set is amazing on its own; or when used in conjunction with other Paper Sweeties products.

I made this set for my daughter and son-in-law who are in the process of moving.  When she saw the set, she asked me if I could make a dozen of these to send out to let people know their new address (#newaddress).  Yikes!  I'm going to be busy, huh?  I used a little wood-grain envelope and attached a tag that I cut using the brand new Tag Sweet Cuts.  I also stamped the tree, nest, bird and sentiment using the new Home Is Where Your Story Begins Stamp Set and cut them using the coordinating Home Is Where Your Story Begins Sweet Cuts.  I added a bow made with the Sugar Sprinkles Seam Binding and Mint Seam Binding; and again added Creamsicle Sequins and Green Apple Sequins.

Here's the list of my talented team-mates from Paper Sweeties who have created something lovely to inspire you today.  These two FABULOUS new sets are available for sale as of today in the Paper Sweeties Shop.  You won't want to wait to get yours...they're just SO cute!

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Jinny Newlin, Special October Guest Designer
Karen Letchworth

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Lisa Bzibziak
Lori Turner 

Maria Patrick

Michelle Bala
Nancy Salkeld

Thanks for visiting, and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.

Karen

I'm sharing here:

Just Keep On Creating - October Linky-Up Party - Special thanks to Susan for this fun challenge.  Come, play along!

Paper Sweeties October Sneak Peek Day

Welcome by, friends!  It's time for a Sneak Peek at the FABULOUS October Release at Paper Sweeties, and you are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE the two adorable new sets.  The first new set is called For You Stamp Set and For You Sweet Cuts, and is a large tag with sweet little sentiments; and the second new set is a super cute set called Home Is Where Your Story Begins Stamp Set and Home Is Where Your Story Begins Sweet Cuts; and has a little house, tree, bird/nest, and lovely sentiments.  I haven't been able to put down either of these great new sets from the day I received them.  They make the CUTEST cards and projects ever!  For today's Sneak Peek, I'm using just the one new set....For You; but in tomorrow's post I'll be using them both.

I created this card and matching tag by stamping the tag in black from our new For You Tag Stamp Set and cutting it using the coordinating For You Tag Sweet Cuts.  I used that as the base for two of my sentiments (a little something & for you).  All three of the adorable sentiments on my card can be found in the new For You Tag Stamp Set. The third sentiment (with love) was stamped on a sticker and placed on top of the tag.

I thought it would be fun to create a matching tag to go inside the card by using the ADORABLE tag from the new For You Tag Stamp Set and coordinating For You Tag Sweet Cuts.  I love making tags to place inside my cards so that the recipient can use it as a bookmark; and this awesome new stamp set will allow you to easily create a matching tag for all your cards.  How fun!

Here's the complete list, as promised, of all my talented team-mates who have created something to inspire you today.  You can visit their blogs by clicking on the links (their names) below.  You won't be disappointed!

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Jinny Newlin, Special October Guest Designer
Karen Letchworth

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Lisa Bzibziak
Lori Turner 

Maria Patrick

Michelle Bala
Nancy Salkeld

Thanks for visiting, and I hope to see you again tomorrow!

Karen

I'm playing along here:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Thinking of You - This card and tag set is for a friend with cancer.  I'm always "thinking of her", and I hope this cheers her up and is an encouragement.

Just Keep On Creating - October Link-Up Party

It's Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog Hop Time

Welcome by today, all my ribbon-loving friends!  Today is the first day of the October Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog Hop, and one lucky person will win the GORGEOUS October Ribbon Club Assortment.  You should have arrived here today from Bonnie's Blog; but if not, head on over there to get started.  Just look at all these lovely Christmas ribbons that one lucky random person will win:

I chose to create a sweet little Christmas card for today's Blog Hop using some Carta Bella Christmas Delivery supplies.  Once I placed all my patterned papers where I wanted them, I secured them into place using a fabulous Adhesive called Scor-Tape.  Next, I ran a width of the sweet White Crochet Lace from this month's Ribbon Club Assortment across my card.  I love how the White Crochet Lace brightens my card and creates a border at the top.  Laces (and trims in general) easily give your cards so much rich texture and personality; and your cards will still fit into a regular envelope.  Well....minus my jingle bells, that is!

I added a little ribbon treatment to the White Crochet Lace by including a piece of three trims from the October Ribbon Club Assortment including the White Crochet Lace, the Anastasia White Crochet Lace, 3/8" Forest Satin Ribbon With Gold Metallic Edge, and the 3/8" Poppy Red Satin With Gold Edge.  And finally, I topped the ribbon treatment with three red jingle bells tied with a length of Black Burlap String.

Really Reasonable Ribbon makes it so easy to sweetly embellish your cards and projects without much effort at all.  Just a few snippets of their lovely trims and goodies, and....there you go!  The monthly Ribbon Club Assortment is a great way to get a nice variety of trims each month.  Be sure to hop along and answer the question at the end so that YOU will be eligible for the prize of this month's AWESOME collection.  Your next stop is at the blog of my talented team-mate, Kathy.  Her art is always inspiring and beautiful, so...ENJOY!

Blessings,

Karen

Just Keep On Creating - October Link-Up Party

Happy Holidays With RRR

It's just a little bit early, but I ...along with all my friends at Really Reasonable Ribbon want to wish you Happy Holidays; and we hope that you will think of RRR when you start to create your Christmas cards, or when making out a "Wish List" for Santa.  Our lovely shop is filled with ribbons, trims of all sorts, flowers, embellishments, and SO much more.  Just look at this fun card I created with a few of my Really Reasonable Ribbon favorites.

I used some patterned papers and goodies from the Bundled Up line by Crate Paper and inked all my edges.  I laid a strip of Bright Pink Plaid Ribbon under the tag using a fabulous Adhesive called Scor-Tape (all over my card really).  Then, I wrapped some Teal Baker's Twine around the sentiment tag, and then tied a bow with the Teal Baker's Twine combined with Ivory Burlap String, and a couple of Baby Pink Double-Head Stamens, Red Double-Head Stamens, and Aqua Double-Head Stamens.  I topped it all with a cute piece of pink snowflake flair.  Here's a close-up of all that RRR yummy-ness!

There's a FUN CHALLENGE where you can link up ANY project with ribbon or trim of some sort. We'd love to have you play along with us!  And don't forget about all the fabulous inspiration on the RRR Blog every day, and all the AMAZING PRODUCTS in the Really Reasonable Ribbon store.  Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Blessings to you,

Karen

I'm playing along here:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog - Simon Says "Christmas" so I created this Happy Holidays card using non-traditional Christmas colors.

Just Keep On Creating - October Anything Goes Link-Up

Holiday Hugs

Welcome by today!  It's so nice to have you visit me.  Today I'm sharing a Christmas card that I was inspired to create when I saw the Make It Monday Challenge on Nichole Heady's Blog by Dawn McVey.  I had fun with it.

I used some Carta Bella Christmas Delivery patterned papers, red jingle bells, black burlap string, the Love Lives Here Stamp Set from PTI, and I used the Button Card Die to create my window.  Pretty simple card, really.  This sweet little tutorial helped my card come together rather quickly and nicely.  I love the idea of cutting the window in your card by die-cutting a hole that peeks through into the inside of your card, and stamping the focal point on the inside.  Something new for me!

Here are the challenges where I will be sharing this card.  I hope you will come and play along as well.  Challenges are fun, and it's always the best when everyone joins the fun!

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Simon Says "Christmas"

Nichole Heady's Papertrey Ink Blog - Make It Monday Challenge #299 - Dawn McVey has a fabulous sentiment window tutorial on the blog today.  I used the PTI Love Lives Here Stamp Set for my sentiment, holly, berries and Christmas Trees.  I used the PTI Button Card Die to create my window.

Just Keep On Creating - October Anything Goes Link-Up - Special thanks to SuzARTe for all her hard work in organizing these challenges that inspire us all to create and share!

Simon Says Stamp Blog - World Cardmaking Day Celebration - Anything Goes - I'm playing along to celebrate National Card-Making Day.  What a fun celebration!  Thanks, Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks again for visiting me today, and have a wonderful week!

Karen