Things That I Love

It's a great feeling when you're surrounded by things you love.  Some favorites for me (and I'm not talking about the love of God or family, etc. - I'm being completely superficial here for a moment) are antiques, vintage trims, chocolate, coffee, and beautiful scrapbooking supplies.  I am SO blessed that God has given me the life I have; and I am grateful for ALL that surrounds me.  Of course, these aren't the things that truly matter in life.  But nonetheless, they are blessings.  I am so incredibly grateful that when I see something I love, I am able to get it.  Now I'm not saying that just because I think the crowned jewels are lovely that I can afford them.  But God has blessed me with the ability to surround myself with those "things" I love that make me happy.  I hope that doesn't sound awful for me to say.  I guess I'm just kinda being honest and admitting that there are things (material things) that I find heartwarming.  I give God ALL the praise, glory and thanks for allowing me to have these "things" in my life.  With that said, I was taking part in the Verve Stamps blog hop the other day.  I absolutely fell in LOVE with their new release.  There was this one stamp that kept on catching my eye, and I just knew I had to have it for myself.  I ordered it right away, and couldn't wait to create something with it.  This is the card I made using my brand new Verve stamp from their newest release.

This stamp is called 2 Corinthians 12:9 Plain Jane and it's one of my favorite verses because it reminds me that when I am a mess and needing the Lord in my life, He is always there.  And in fact, He becomes even better and more able to meet my needs as I break down my self-will and submit to Him.  This verse is such a comfort.  You can see the entire July Release here in the Verve Stamps Shop.  They also have a lovely blog with lots of great inspiration, as well as some fun challenges.

I'm going to share this card in the following:

Verve Stamps July Release Retrospective Blog Hop & Challenge - This challenge calls for any stamp from their amazing new release.  Mine uses the 2 Corinthians 12:9 Plain Jane stamp (as detailed above).

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenges - Anything Goes

Oh, and more thing that I really love is......comments.  I am SO grateful that you've stopped by today, and I thank you for visiting.   I look forward to reading your comments, and I look forward to stopping by your blog to see what you've created this week.

May God bless you!

Karen

Word Art Wednesday Fun

It's Wednesday....my favorite post of the week.  I was sharing with one of my Co-Design Team Members last night how my card came together.  It wasn't one that I planned or thought out in any detail at all.  It almost didn't even happen at all.  I asked God to help me get it completed quickly because I had gotten home late, and was losing daylight quickly.   I knew I had to work swiftly, or I wouldn't be able to photograph my card before it got too dark.  This card, very honestly, came together in ten minutes.  I quickly decided to use these old Pink Paislee patterned papers, and grabbed a scrap of coordinating cardstock to print the word art/scripture.  From there, I simply added the papers, machine stitched them together, and added a seam binding bow with a Prima wooden button in the center.  That's it!

Each week, our challenges at Word Art Wednesday are Anything Goes and we have amazing prizes to offer as well.  This week our sponsors are Craft Classes Online offering a seat in one of their on-line classes (valued at $25), as well as the AMAZING Flying Unicorn Store offering a $25 gift certificate to their fun-filled store.  The Flying Unicorn carries ALL the big names in scrapbooking/crafting, and they most certainly have something awesome for every crafter.......including YOU!  It's a great week to play along for the chance to win either of these fabulous prizes.

I really hope you will stop by to share with us.  You are welcome to share up to five (5) projects per week to help increase your odds of winning.  You are also welcome to click on, and save, our FREE word art/scripture file.  However, you are never required to use it in order to play along with us.

I'm sharing this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's Challenges - July Challenge/Patterned Papers - I used three different patterned papers from Pink Paislee

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Happy Birthday Simon Says Stamp! - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by today, and have a blessed week!

Karen

Funky Junk at The Kraft Journal

For this week's "Funky Junk" Challenge, I wasn't quite sure what to create.  But, looking at all my fun Kraft Outlet supplies, it just kind of came together.  I really hope that you will stop by to play along with us this week.  We'd LOVE having you share your interpretation of "Funky Junk" with us.

I started with pieces of Precut Chipboard and created a mini album (bound using my Zutter).  The front has a decorated Small Kraft Paper Sack.  On the right, you will see a Tim Holtz Memo Pin holding a (hope) Tim Holtz Journaling Ticket & Adage Ticket as well as some Black & White Polka Dot Washi Tape and a cute sticker from the Jenni Bowlin General Store Postage Stamp.  On the left, you'll see another snippet of the Black & White Polka Dot Washi Tape and a Round Metal-Edged Grungy Prim Tag with a (5 cent) Jenni Bowlin Flatback Flair.

On this page, I created a photo mat from Pre-Cut Chipboard and touched  its edges with cream acrylic paint.  There's another length of the Black & White Polka Dot Washi Tape at the bottom border, and on the left side you will see a Mini Kraft Merchandise Bag which holds a Jenni Bowlin Vintage Mini Deck Journaling Card.  It's decorated with some Ephemera, and a postage sticker from the Jenni Bowlin General Store Postage Stamp Sticker Set.  I also die-cut a Papertrey Ink flower using a Vintage Gin Rummy Sheet.  I absolutely LOVE including the Kraft Outlet's different Lunch Sack/Kraft Paper Bags in my mini albums to use as journaling pockets, or a place to hide a gift card, tuck in photos, etc.  They're just SO versatile.

Thanks for visiting me today, and don't forget about this week's "Funky Junk" Challenge at The Kraft Journal.  We'd LOVE for you to join us.

Be blessed,
Karen

Top Dog Dies Mini Album & New Release GIVE-AWAY

It's Friday again, and time for my weekly Friday Top Dog Dies post.  Today, I'm sharing with you all a lovely little mini album I made using the ADORABLE new Top Dog Dies Vintage Alphabet Die Set, and let me tell you friends....this is a MUST-HAVE die set.  It makes adding titles to pages a breeze, as well as personalizing cards, and SO much more.  I'm absolutely IN LOVE with this set, and you will be too!

This photo above is the cover of the mini album.  You can see how this sweet Top Dog Dies Vintage Alphabet Die Set really made the cover POP, and it was SO easy with this wonderful new die set.  It's the letters in pink (OH and DAY).  I also used this same Top Dog Dies Vintage Alphabet Die Set on Page 3 of this album, which you will see later in this post.  This set is just SO versatile.

I used  additional Top Dog Dies in the sweet pockets/journaling spots throughout the album.  Although not every page uses a Top Dog Die, I still wanted to share all the pages with you today......just for fun!  You could easily use this set through the mini album to add the little girl's name, etc.  The possibilities with this lovely set are truly endless.

I used the super sweet Oh Darling line by Crate Paper (papers and embellishments) to create this mini album, and it was SO much fun to use on this project.  My photos aren't the greatest, but I just LOVE the vintage feel to this line - with all its sweet stickers, embellishments and papers.  I used polka dotted paper bags to create journaling envelopes through the album.

Above is Page 3, and again I used the ADORABLE new Top Dog Dies Vintage Alphabet Die Set.  You get the entire alphabet with this set, and Top Dog Dies' wafer-thin quality makes a clean crisp cut every time for precision cuts in creating all your projects.

Here's a close up of this page as well.  I love taking close-up photos to help show off the details.  This mini album also uses the brand new Top Dog Dies Banner #1 Die Set which will be in the new release coming Tuesday, July 29.  At the bottom of this post, you will learn how to enter to win the ENTIRE new release from Top Dog Dies.

And finally, the very last page of the mini album.  I had SO MUCH FUN creating this sweet album, and I hope you've enjoyed it, and that it will inspire you to purchase yourself this FABULOUS Top Dog Dies Vintage Alphabet Die Set to enjoy for yourself!

OK......as promised, I will share with you ALL how you can win the ENTIRE NEW RELEASE from Top Dog Dies.  All you need to do to be entered to win the new release for yourself is to follow this link to Top Dog Dies Blog and enter using the widget available there.

 

And for a little more inspiration using these FABULOUS new dies from the upcoming release, I've create one more card to share with you all to give you another "sneak peek".  This card uses several of the newest dies that will be available for sale this coming Tuesday, July 29.

Again, I used the Oh Darling line from Crate Paper to create this sweet Birthday card.  I used three of the new release dies on this card including the Top Dog Dies Flower Lace A2 Mat Die, the Top Dog Dies Vintage Frame Die, and one of the three banners from the new Top Dog Dies Banners #1 Die Set.  I'm in LOVE with them all, and you will be, too!

This close-up really shows you how I cut the Top Dog Dies Flower Lace A2 Mat, and also gives a great view of both the Top Dog Dies Vintage Frame Die and the Top Dog Dies Banners #1 Die Set.  They really are gorgeous.  Don't miss your chance to win, and don't forget to stop back by for LOTS of inspiration on the Top Dog Dies Blog.  Best of luck in the give-away!
 

Thanks SO MUCH for stopping by today.  Have a blessed weekend, and be creative!

Karen Letchworth

Top Dog Dies Design Team Member

Brand New Release at Top Dog Dies

How exciting is this?  Top Dog Dies has a brand new release of beautiful, wafer-thin dies being released this coming Tuesday, July 29.  To celebrate the release, Top Dog Dies is giving one lucky winner the ENTIRE RELEASE FOR FREE!  All you have to do to win is follow this link and enter with the widget provided.  You could win THE ENTIRE RELEASE!
 

I was SO excited when I got this new shipment of dies, and I could hardly wait to get busy creating with them.  Here is one of the cards I created with some of the new dies.  I will share another new card on Friday to help promote the release which will take place next Tuesday, July 29.  I hope you are inspired by them.

This first card uses the beautiful new Top Dog Dies Corset Die which I cut in black stock paper.  The papers and stickers I used were all from Carta Bella - Sew Lovely line.  This line works really well with the Top Dog Dies Corset Die because of its sewing theme and its lovely arrow elements which worked particularly well with the Top Dog Dies Banners #1 Die Set.  I was lucky enough to be able to use ALL THREE of the banners from this set on this one card.  I really liked how it turned out, and I hope you do too.

This close-up shot of the card shows all three of the Top Dog Dies Banners #1 Die Set on the left side of my card.  I kept the Top Dog Dies Corset Die very simple, and just added a small pink resin flower in the small of the back.  This is going to be a favorite for me as I LOVE making sewing-themed cards.
 

This is a photo of the entire line of dies in Top Dog Dies new release coming out and available for sale on Tuesday, July 29.  YOU CAN enter to WIN the entire new release by clicking the link and using the widget device.  Good luck!
 

You really won't want to miss this AWESOME new release.  There's a lot of creativity being shared on the Top Dog Dies Blog right bow to inspire you to get creative with this fabulous new release.  Thanks for stopping by to take a peek at my card.  I will be back again on Friday with another Top Dog Dies post to share another New Release card, as well as project from the current release (a DARLING Alphabet Die Set, and.......it's a MUST-HAVE!) so you will want to stop back Friday for a reminder about the give-away and more information and great projects/inspiration.

 

Thanks for stopping by today, and please know how grateful I am for your visit.

Karen

New Word Art Wednesday Challenge

Hello, my crafty and creative friends!  I'm so glad you've stopped by today.  I'll be making two posts in total today; one for Word Art Wednesday, and another for Top Dog Dies' New Release.  I can't say that this card is really anything special.  I literally ran my patterned paper through the printer to get my word art/scripture for this week, and then I sewed together a few other strips of patterned paper scraps, and added a couple of embellishments.  Everything is from Crate Paper's Oh Darling line.  I ran some jute across the top, and tied a bow with baker's twine.

I really hope that you will stop by to share your art in this FUN CHALLENGE this week.  Our sponsors are The Frantic Stamper and Moonlighting Designs by Mary.  Both are wonderful shops, and you will be blessed by sharing your art for a chance to win these gorgeous prizes.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, and I will see you in blog land soon!

Karen

Sketch Challenge Fun at The Kraft Journal

Karen Letchworth for The Kraft Journal

For this week's fun Sketch Challenge at The Kraft Journal, I decided to keep my card very simple, and to use some of my most favorite Kraft Outlet supplies.  I started with a Small Lunch Bag Kraft Note Card and covered it with a Dictionary Page.  Next, I cut the shapes of the sketch from pieces of Lunch Bag Kraft Cover-weight Card Stock, and to them, I attached pieces of Vintage Sheet Music.  Once I had all the elements of the sketch in place, I embellished my simple card with a length of Ruler Twill Ribbon and a Jenni Bowlin Icon Flatback.  The final touch was the sentiment which I added by stamping "Praying For You" onto a small scrap of Buff Ivory Cover-wight Card Stock and mounting it on a scrap of Lunch Bag Kraft Cover-weight Card Stock.  ALL the basic Cardstocks available at the Kraft Outlet are very useful, and perfect to purchase and use when playing along in our challenges each week!  We look forward to having you join this week's Sketch Challenge.

I'm sharing my card in the following challenges:

Little Scrap Pieces - Show It Off Saturday Linky Party

Have a blessed week, and thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Hope For Audra

Hello, friends!  I wanted to share this picture and story with you all.  This is my (favorite) sister-in-law, Audra Padilla, and her beautiful family; her loving husband, Rob, and her beautiful children Tomas, Andres, Isaias, and Audranna.  Audra lost the sight in her left eye about a year ago with no real explanation or diagnosis.  About three months ago, Audra noticed the sight in her good eye (right eye) diminishing quickly.  She saw her physician immediately, and after extensive testing, and to make a long story short, Audra was diagnosed with brain cancer.  They removed Audra's left eye and tumor last month.  She is now undergoing radiation treatment and chemotherapy at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.  Her husband has been with her every day along every step of the way.  God has provided a home for them to stay in free of charge while in Rochester Monday - Friday for the next six weeks during Audra's treatment.  God has shown Himself to be faithful, gracious, and worthy of praise at every turn!  We PRAISE HIM for all He has done, and all He continues to do in helping save our dear sister, wife, mother, etc.

Needless to say, with Rob off work to care for his wife, they are encountering great financial strain.  Audra MUST have Rob with her (or someone with her, it just happens to be Rob) because she can't see.  She can't drive, she can't make her way through a hospital, parking lot, she can't see to care for herself completely.  Rob has been Audra's guiding light so to speak.  Together, they must travel from Duluth to Rochester and back every week.  That means lots of gas money is needed.  And, they must keep up with all their normal household bills, provide for the children (who are being watched by Grandma and my husband, Audra's brother, Darren), and they must also cover the ever-mounting medical bills associated with Audra's on-going care.  With Rob not working, he has no income.  Your help would be GREATLY appreciated.  Even if you can give $5 or $10, that small amount REALLY adds up and makes a difference.  They need our help, and if we all work together with even a small amount, we can help them reach their goal.  Little is much when God is in it!

Luke 6:38 says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.  For with the same measure that ye mete withal shall be measured to you again."

If you are able, please give by clicking on the following link - here:

Audra's Cancer Fund

If you're a mom, here is one thing Audra would share with you all.  "Take a good long look at your kids, and appreciate how beautiful they are.  Etch their faces on your heart.  For some day, you may not see their faces with your eyes, but instead with your heart."  Audra's faith has been unwavering, and she asks you to praise God along with her.  She has already seen some improvement in the sight in her right eye.  She can hardly wait to get home after this week's treatments to SEE her children's faces again.

Your help means SO much, and your prayers are appreciated as well.  God is doing great things.  Praise His name!

The Lord bless you and keep you!  The Lord make His face to shine upon you and give you peace,

Karen

Sip, Talk and Enjoy With Top Dog Dies

Happy Friday, everyone!  And welcome to my post for Top Dog Dies today.  There are SO MANY gorgeous new dies each month at Top Dog Dies, and you won't want to miss out on all the excitement, so be sure to stop by the Top Dog Dies Blog regularly for lots of inspiration.  Today, I'm sharing a sweet little card I created using the new Top Dog Dies Tea Time Decorative Set.  As you can see, I also added the gorgeous Top Dog Dies Alaina Lace Border Die to the top of my card, and I made a "pocket" out of it to tuck in a tea bag.

I used a sweet floral print from Crate Paper's Oh Darling line, and the Top Dog Dies Alaina Lace Border Die is cut from vintage sheet music.  I added a simple little stamped sentiment (Sip, Talk, Enjoy) and then I tucked in a tea bag for gift-giving.  Top Dog Dies makes it SO easy to create something fun and beautiful.  Be sure to stop by the Top Dog Dies Blog for more inspiration and lots of great ideas and special savings offers.

 

Thanks for visiting, and please stop by again soon.

Blessings,

Karen

Word Art Wednesday Blessings

It's Wednesday again already, and time for another one of Word Art Wednesday's AWESOME challenges.  Each week, we have at least two (sometimes more) FABULOUS sponsors giving away prizes to lucky entrants of our Anything Goes Challenges.  This week, we have Mark's Finest Papers giving away a stamp set, and Yours or Mine Paper Crafts giving away a $10 gift certificate.  You are allowed to enter up to five times, and we would LOVE to see the projects you create this week, so be sure to share them all!

I made my card for this week using "my stash".  I've gone to this collection several times as it's one of those that I have A LOT of, and I need to use it all.  It's called Chloe by Making Memories, and I used two of the patterned papers, paper flowers, and a brad from this lovely set.  Unfortunately, it didn't even put a dent in this collection.  But then again, there are always LOTS of cards yet to be made.  I simply printed the word art/scripture onto the patterned paper, and the card easily came together on its own.  Be sure to stop by Word Art Wednesday if you'd like to save the free scripture/word art file for your personal use.

I can't really even tell you how much I appreciate you stopping by my blog to say hello.  I am truly grateful for your visit, and for all the encouragement you've given me during this difficult time.

Be blessed,

Karen

Let The Sun Shine!

This week at The Kraft Journal, we're having a SUPER FUN challenge inspired by the "SUN".  There's SO MUCH awesome inspiration on our blog, and I hope you all will stop by to play along with us.

As we all know, "challenges" inspire us to create, so when I saw this week's "Sun Challenge" theme, it inspired me in an unexpected way.  I immediately thought about the color "sunshine yellow", and I wanted to create something bright and fun.  Since I love spending time (especially in the Summer) journalling and writing, I decided to make a fun Summer Journal based on this theme, and using the "sunshine yellow" to inspire me.  I grabbed an adorable Natural Smooth Journal (this is the larger of the two sizes available, and both journals are lined - to make writing/journalling easy).  Journals make a WONDERFUL gift idea for young girls - all the way up to grandmothers.  I embellished my journal with all sorts of Kraft Outlet "krafty" goodies including some Natural Hemp Cord and Brown Kraft Coverweight Cardstock.

I also decorated the inside cover of my journal using one of the Kraft Outlet's darling little White Library Cards and Library Card Pocket.  They're just SO sweet, and they make journaling fun - the more pockets and places for journaling.....the better!   I'm sure you know someone who would just LOVE to receive a new journal, and YOU can pick one up this week at The Kraft Outlet and decorate it especially for someone special.  We'd LOVE to have you play along in this week's "Sun Challenge", and we look forward to seeing how YOU interpret the theme in your own unique way.  If your interpretation of the challenge is different (like mine), just share with us how you were inspired by the challenge.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Karen

A Sweet Sketch and a Relaxing Weekend

What a wonderful weekend I've had.  I've been able to spend lots of time at my craft table, and I was able to create several cards.  This particular card was made using the very sweet Sew Lovely line by Carta Bella, and I actually purchased the entire kit at Hobby Lobby using a 40% off coupon.  I used several of the patterned papers from this collection to create the background layers, as well as the flags/strips.  I also incorporated some vellum (my "clear" element) into my card in two places - first, I used it to create one of the flags/strips at the top right of my card, and the other place I used the vellum was near the bottom on the left under my wooden (lovely) sentiment.  I machine stitched my patterned papers, added a wooden sentiment (lovely) with a small pink pearl on that, and also added a coordinating button with some pink baker's twine tied through it and tied in a bow.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog - Simon Says....."Let's Be Clear" - I added my "clear" element (as described in detail above) by using vellum...both in my flags/strips, as well as underneath my wooden sentiment (lovely).  This photo (below) shows my CLEAR element much closer.

Sketch Saturday Challenge Blog - Week #318 - I am SO in love with this sweet sketch, and have been having so much fun creating with it.  Thanks for the inspiration, Sketch Saturday!  Your Design Team really got me motivated to be creative this week.  And with a sketch this cute, you can't go wrong.

Crafty Hazelnut's Challenge Blog - July Challenge - Patterned Papers.  I can't resist using patterned papers.  They'e just TOO cute!  Bless you, Hazel.

Since you're here, I'd like to invite you all to visit us at Word Art Wednesday for a fabulous challenge beginning each and every Wednesday.  Every week, we have at least two (sometimes more) fabulous prizes up for grabs.  Our challenges are always Anything Goes, and you can enter up to 5 (five) times per week.  We'd LOVE to have you play along with us, and YOU could be one of our lucky winners this week.

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

Karen

...Feeling SO Very Blessed

Despite the circumstances of the last few weeks, I am constantly reminded of all my blessings. I have so much to be thankful for, and I just want to focus on God's goodness and His love for me rather than being sad.  My Dad wouldn't want it that way either.  He's happier than ever, up there in the presence of the Almighty God; hearing angels sing and hosts praising the precious Savior, Jesus Christ.  He wouldn't want me sad.  He would want me to be FILLED with gratefulness and thanks; and so I am.  I had another fun day doing what I absolutely LOVE to do........card making.  I made this sweet little card based on the most adorable sketch I found over at Sketch Saturday Challenge Blog, and used up more of the Crate Paper Oh Darling line to create it.

I used papers and accent pieces from the Oh Darling line by Crate Paper (which, by the way is OH, SO DARLING!), as well as a wool felt flower, May Arts ribbon, machine stitching, and underneath it all.....a small vellum envelope (something clear) onto which I rubbed the sweet Melissa Frances birthday sentiment.  I also sprinkled a few sweet little sequins into the vellum envelope.

I'm entering this little Birthday card for consideration in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Simon Says...."Let's Be Clear" - My "clear" element is the vellum envelope I placed under the frame.  You can see it a little better in the second photo (close-up above).  I applied my rub-on over part of the clear vellum envelope.

Sketch Saturday Challenge Blog - Week #318 - This sketch caught my eye immediately!  Thanks for the AWESOME inspiration on this one, Sketch Saturday!

Thank you all for stopping by to say hello.  I'm humbled that others enjoy some of my art.  Bless you all for being SO much fun!

Karen

Crafting With My "Bestie"

As I've told many of you already, I met my best friend when we were 4 years old.  We went to Kindergarten together, and have shared a special bond ever since.  We get together a couple (few) times a year to create (among other things), and we always have fun when we're making albums and cards.  This time we were together. we primarily used two lines which were Oh Darling by Crate Paper, and Baby Mine by Carta Bella.  They are both ADORABLE lines that you can't really go wrong with, in my opinion.  They're SO cute that they just automatically make cute cards.

Anyway, here are a few of the things we made with them.  And by the way, this process consisted of LOTS of laughing, crying, and being silly.  We have SO much fun together, and I believe that "fun" we have together is reflected in the things we've created.  Of course, we always think our creations are just the greatest...(we're not humble at all).  And then we remind ourselves that not everyone thinks we're as amazing as WE do.  But, oh well.....the fun we have along the way is well worth it.

The card (above) was made with the Crate Paper Oh Darling line, and I also used jute, a mini tag with stamped sentiment, jute, and the sweetest vintage looking scotch tape from Vintage Street Market.   It matches this line SO perfectly.  The rose is rolled wool felt, some Prima laves, and a VERY vintage "diamond" button in the center of the flower.  There's another one of these rare "diamonds" above in the dark pink button where the sentiment tag hangs.

The door hanger for a baby girl's room was made with a wooden door hanger that I got at Michael's for $1, and to that I added Mod Podge and gently laid layers of vintage dress patterns to create my background.  I created a wool felt bow using a My Craft Spot bow-tie die, an October Afternoon journalling card, some May Arts rosettes (top), the Carta Bella Baby Mine Little Bo Peep sticker, and a wooden heart with jute in the bottom right corner.


I'm sharing my door hanger in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.  You can see the details here:


Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Simon Says...."Start From Scratch" - For this door hanger, I started with a raw piece of wood.  I used Mod Podge and laid several strips of vintage dress patterns to create my background.  I love taking a piece of wood and "starting from scratch" when doing a special heirloom type project.  This challenge was a LOT of fun for me.  And, you can find some of m supplies at Simon Says Stamp.

This last card was made using October Afternoon's Five & Dime collection, which is another one of my all-time favorites.  I painted a wooden spoon I found at Hobby Lobby and wrapped some baker's twine around it and attached a Making Memories mini tag.  The rub-on (friendship) is from Melissa Frances.


I'm sharing this "friendship card' in the following challenges:
Catered Crop - Friendship  Challenge - Plus, I got to make it while crafting with my "bestie".


Craftin' Desert Divas Challenge Blog - Link Up Party #35 - Summer Fun - Nothing says Summer Fun to me like ICE CREAM, so this friendship card with an ice cream spoon takes me back to fun summertime memories.

Please know how honestly grateful I am for you visiting my blog.  It takes time out of your day, and I'm sincerely humbled and grateful that you would stop by and take the time to take a look and leave a comment.  It means the world to me, and I will do the same for you.

God bless your week!
Karen

Top Dog Dies Alphabet Die-Cuts

It's hard to believe that it's already Friday again - but it's time for my weekly Top Dog Dies post.  The weeks have been getting away from me, and time has been slipping right through my fingers, or so it seems.  Ever since the day I learned that my Dad went to be with the Lord, and having this flood of emotions going through my mind - combined with travel, arrangements, family and more......time just seems to be floating past me much too quickly.  I'm hoping that things will slow down a bit soon, and that I can catch up on everything now that I'm home again.  But for now, my head is still "spinning" so to speak.  Thanks for being patient, loving and kind with and to me as I go through this difficult time.  It's been so nice to have your support, and I've received some of the nicest cards from you - my crafty friends.  Thank you for the love and support you've shown.  I'm also SUPER grateful for the amazing companies' Design Teams I create for, and for their patience, support, and understanding as I've been away and dealing with my Dad's estate, etc.  I could have never gotten through it all without the wonderful support of my Design Teams and the companies they represent for being SO supportive.   I'm SO very blessed.

This week for my Top Dog Dies post, I wanted to share a project that I created using the ADORABLE new Top Dog Dies Vintage Alphabet Die and I am absolutely IN LOVE with this sweet die set.  I've been creating all kinds of projects using this MUST HAVE alphabet set.  In my picture above, you will see that I added a personalized touch to a little girl's Birthday card by adding her name to this simple card by using this Vintage Alphabet Die Set from Top Dog Dies.  You can easily add a name to a card, a title to a scrapbook cover, or a word or phrase on a card or page.  The possibilities are endless with this amazing new set.   It looks like this:

                                         

I made this card with Crate Paper Oh Darling supplies, some May Arts ribbon, and machine stitching.  To see other Top Dog Dies inspiration, please visit the Top Dog Dies Blog.  Thanks so much for visiting me today.   I always appreciate visits and comments, and I will do by very best to stop by your blog to say hello to you as well.

Have a wonderful week!
Hugs,

Karen

Happy Birthday Shaker Envelope

I have been popping out LOTS of cards and projects this weekend.  I haven't had time yet to photograph even half of what I've created.  I look forward to taking those pictures and getting all my projects on my blog.  Until then, here's one more card I made yesterday.

This is a larger glassine bag/envelope with some Crate Paper Oh Darling patterned papers, HAPPY card, arrow (onto which I placed a My Craft Spot stamped Birthday image), antiqued tape from Vintage Street Market, and a small glassine bag that is holding sequins.  It was folded over and machine stitched to the paper strip.  The glittery bow at the top is from Freckled Fawn.  This treat bag will be used for some candy treats when I actually give this away to someone.

I'm sharing this shaker card here:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog - Simon Says...."Let's Be Clear"

My Craft Spot by Kimberly - Challenge #143 - Happy Birthday


Stamp and Create Challenge Blog - July Challenge - Birthdays!

Thanks again for visiting!  It means so much to me.  Have a very blessed week, my friends.  Don't forget to stop by Word Art Wednesday for a great new challenge.  My Craft Spot will be one of our sponsors this week.

Bless you,

Karen

Shaker Card Sweetness

Well, I'm crafting with Patti Lyn, my BFF of 40+ years this weekend; and when we get together, we are always SUPER creative.  We have been using the sweet line called Oh Darling from Crate Paper, and it is just TOO sweet.  Everything we've made has turned out CUTE!  Here's a peek:

This is a sweet little birthday card set.  Above is my card, and below is Patti Lyn's.  We had SO much fun making these.  The papers and embellishments in this line just make it SO fun to work with, so we really couldn't go wrong.  Machine stitching, frayed ribbon, gems, and soft sweet sequins adore this glassine bag that I folded and filled.  Patti Lynn made a tiny card to go inside hers, and added the six, which is also from this lovely Oh Darling set from Crate Paper.

Oh, the fun we've had!  I can't believe that she has to leave tomorrow already.  I wish she lived closer, but our time together is always precious and always filled with fun, giggles, laughter, tears and endless memories.  Not to mention, LOTS of cute projects as well.

I'm entering my card here:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog - Simon Says....."Shake It Up" - My first card is the shaker card.  How sweet!  Thanks, Simon Says Stamp, for the inspiration this week!

Have a blessed week, everyone!

Your friend,

Karen

Top Dog Darby Die and Tag

It's Friday again already, and time for another project using my AMAZING die-cuts from Top Dog Dies.  Today, I'm sharing a card that I made using some My Mind's Eye patterned papers along with the new Darby Doily & Tags Die Set.  I placed it on a small glassine bag and filled the center of the glassine bag with a shaker box of mini sequins and gems.  I ran some vintage lace across the top of the glassine bag.  Somehow, it turned out looking kind of like a jar.

The smaller tag hanging from the upper left of the card is the small tag inside the Top Dog Dies Darby Doily Die and Tags Set, and I adhered a Melissa Frances rub-on to that, and hung it from the lace using a miniature safety pin.  The anniversary rub-on at the bottom is also from Melissa Frances.  The glassine bag is difficult to see.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog - Wednesday Challenge - Simon Says....."Shake It!" - I used a glassine bag to create my shaker box.

Crafty Ribbons Challenge Blog - Anything Goes With Ribbon - I used a very old ribbon/vintage lace across the top of my glassine bag

Craft Hazelnut's Challenge Blog - Patterned Papers - Mine are from My Mind's Eye, and I've been trying hard to use up this paper pad for quite some time now

I really do hope you will stop by to take a peek at all the gorgeous new dies (and the oldies but goodies) available now at Top Dog Dies.  There's SO much great inspiration on the Top Dog Dies Blog, and I make my posts every Friday showing my creations using these amazing wafer-thin AWESOME dies.

Have a blessed week, my crafty friends.

Karen