Sympathy Card & Bookmark w/Stamp Simply

No matter what the occasion, you'll always find the best selection of sentiment stamps, images, die-cuts and coordinating products at Stamp Simply Clear Stamps to help you make a lovely card to celebrate.  I always enjoy using the lovely sentiment stamps and products from Stamp Simply to create my cards, and when possible, a matching bookmark is always a nice addition to tuck inside.  Stamp Simply always makes it easy and fun to create and express just the right words you need to convey.  This card is sort of a sympathy card to encourage one of my (extended/in-law) family members following the recent passing of my dear Mother-in-Law.  You can't tell from the photos - because I couldn't figure out how to photograph it, but it's a tri-fold card.  It has a cool opening, but it was really difficult to photograph.

I saw this simple fold on an Instagram post and decided to give it a try.  Once I had my card folded, I covered each panel with some pretty paper from the Craft Consortium found in their Rose Ink Drops 6x6 Paper Pad.  This created three panels....one small panel on the outside (left), one larger panel on the inside (right) and a third small panel on inside (left).  On the front of my card, I cut several circles using the Spellbinder Circle Dies (similar) that I stamped with the Spring Pansies Floral Cluster Stamp in gold and pink inks and then with the sentiment found in the Sympathy Sentiments 2 Stamp Set.  I also added some Pink Seam Binding to the front and inside of my card.

On the inside of my card on the inner panel, I attached a small glassine bag that I decorated with more of the Rose Ink Drops 6x6 Paper Pad along with some May Arts White Lace.  I used more of the white cardstock, the same pattern papers, another sentiment from the Sympathy Sentiments 2 Stamp Set and some trims to create the bookmark that I tucked into that inside glassine bag.  I also added another small sentiment to the inside (right side and center) of my card just to tie everything together nicely and complete my card.  Stamp Simply has the best selection of products to help us create simple and sweet cards and projects.

Thanks for stopping by again today, friends.  I'm always beyond grateful for your visits and comments.  I'll be seeing you all out there in blogland and on social media.  Your friendships and inspirations mean so much to me as well.  You're all a tremendous blessing and encouragement to me.

Blessings,

Karen

Christmas Coffee Blessings

No matter what time of year it is, I'm always grateful for coffee.  Most days I enjoy a minimum of one, and sometimes two, vanilla lattes in the "morning".  But the term "morning" is even open for interpretation now that I'm retired.  Perhaps it's 10:00 AM, but it's still morning at my house until I've had at least one latte.  This card combines several things I love which include coffee, stamping, Christmas and Creative Worship Stamps.

This card started with a black cardstock base layered with light kraft cardstock that I cut twice using the Stitched Rectangle Frame Dies.  I stamped the base of the top light kraft layer using the darling Christmas Wish List Stamp.  I used the Holly Christmas Stamp Set for all the pretty foliage and berries you see; including on the coffee cup that was cut using the Travel Cup Dies.

I love to play along in the Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenges whenever I possibly can.  It was a joy to have some extra time today to create a card for this FUN challenge.  I hope that you've been having fun creating cards this weekend as well.  If you let me know what you made this weekend, I'll be sure to stop by and take a peek.  It always makes me smile when you stop by to say hello and leave me some love.

There are so many great stamps, dies, stencils and products at Creative Worship Stamps.  It's always fun to see what my creative friends create when they do purchase these awesome products.  Inspiration comes from everywhere, and I always feel like the more we all share our art in challenges, the more who get the pleasure of seeing our creativity and possibly being inspired.  You all inspire me every day.  Thank you for visiting, and please stop by again soon.

I'm playing along here with this caffeinated Christmas card:

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenges - Challenge #52 - Anything Goes Christmas/Coffee

Blessings,

Karen

Oh, Happy Day w/Creative Worship Stamps

Hello, sweet blog friends and crafters.  It's always a treat to have you visit me here, and I hope you know how truly grateful I am for your visits here.  As I've mentioned many times, I feel so very blessed to be on the Design Team at Creative Worship Stamps.  They carry so many great products and, most importantly, they're a Christian-owned company with a focus on glorifying God through our art.  How perfect.  So, as I watched my talented Design Teammates create these lovely pages in their mini art journals, I was in awe.  I knew that I wanted to try this.  Then....I found out that they carry these SWEET Spiral Bound Watercolor Mixed Media Mini Sketchbooks at Creative Worship, I was so excited.

I'm pretty sure that every cardmaking crafter knows who Melissa Phillips is.  She's amazing, right?  Well, she had used some of these lovely papers on a card recently, and I just had to know where she got them.  She steered me in the right direction, and I purchased these lovely Paper Rose Vintage Rose Basics 6x6 Paper Pad.  I used the Stitched Tags Dies for the tag and two circles, and I stamped them using the Going Postal Stamp Set

There are snippets of vintage sheet music, scraps of canvas and burlap, and a small ticket from my stash.  I used the pretty Sketched Roses Stamp Set for the roses, which I doubled for additional texture.  The background is stamped using images from the lovely Vintage Snippets Stamp Set and Faith Definitions 1 Stamp Set.  Some natural jute is bundled up and tucked under the larger rose.  The sentiment I used can be found in the Typed Thoughts Stamp Set and was cut out using the coordinating Typed Thoughts Dies.

The pages in the Spiral Bound Watercolor Mixed Media Mini Sketchbooks are 3.5" x 5.5" which is pretty small.  I absolutely LOVE💖this size because you can pack a whole lot of cuteness into these sweet little pages.  Why not stop by Creative Worship Stamps and treat yourself to a few new stamps and a cool new Spiral Bound Watercolor Mixed Media Mini Sketchbooks ?  You won't regret it, I'm sure.

Thanks again for your visit here today, friends.  It's truly an honor (I mean that) when you visit me and leave a comment.  If you happen to have the time, I'd really appreciate it if you would stop by my Instagram Page to Follow me there as well.  Have a wonderfully creative week, everyone.

I'll be sharing this mini journal page in the following challenges I love:

Creative Ariste Mixed Media Challenge - Challenge #125 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Bright & Cheerful

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges - Challenge #2615 - Anything Goes

Blessings,

Karen

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Bloom in Faith w/Creative Worship

This is my first project for Creative Worship using the super cool Spiral Bound Watercolor Mixed Media Sketchbook.  It's such a fun size, and it works so well with all the amazing stamps, dies, oxide inks, sprays, stencils and products carried at Creative Worship.  I had so much fun creating this journal page that reminds me to "bloom in faith", or in other words, to never stop growing in my relationship with the Lord, Jesus Christ.  What a beautiful reminder of His love for all of us.....and even for me.

I rubbed the entire background with Salvaged Patina Oxide Ink and then I stencilled it using Hickory Smoke Oxide Ink and the lovely Delightfully Delicate Stencil.  I also stamped the background using the Vintage Postage Stamp Set and Faith Definitions 1 Stamp Set just to make the background even more interesting.

I cut three layers of wreaths using the Lovely Wreath Dies.  Next, I cut several tags from old 7 Gypsies Tags using the new Stitched Tags Dies.  I stamped on the larger tags using the Vintage Snippets Stamp Set.  Then, I stamped and cut some of the smaller pieces (tickets, tags, etc.) using the Vintage Labels Stamp Set and cutting them with the coordinating Tags Tickets & More Dies.  I layered everything together.

The sentiment (bloom in faith) and the three pretty roses are all found in the lovely Sketched Roses Stamp Set.  They were painted using Peeled Paint and Lumberjack Plaid Oxide Inks.  I think that pretty much covers all the Creative Worship products I used.  If you do have any questions, please let me know.  There's a lot going on there, I know.  Please take time to stop by my Instagram to Follow and say hello.  You can also find lots of great inspiration on the CW IG page.  Happy crafting, everyone.

I'm sharing my art journal page here:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Bright & Cheerful

Paper Funday Challenges - Challenge #86 - Anything Goes/Dies & Punches - I used lots of paper layers as well as several die-cuts on this mini art journal page.

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge Blog - Challenge #2615 - Anything Goes Sponsored by Lawn Fawn - Entry #3/3 and I love playing along whenever I possibly can.

Creative Ariste Mixed Media Challenge - Challenge #125 - Anything Goes Mixed Media

Blessings,

Karen

Fun With Alphas IG Hop w/Creative Worship

 Are you ready for some real FUN and loads of FABULOUS inspiration along with the chance to WIN a fabulous $25 gift card to spend at Creative Worship Stamps?  Well, if so, we'd absolutely LOVE to have you stop by Creative Worship Instagram and hop along with us for your chance at this awesome prize.  Not to mention all the amazing inspiration you'll find.  Creative Worship Stamps carries several different Alphabet Stamp Sets (and number sets, and oodles of other fabulous stamps).  But this month, we're giving a closer look to all our awesome Alphabet Stamps and Big Blooms (florals).  My card today features both.

I used a black cardstock base and the second layer is white cardstock inked with oxide ink.  The third layer is a piece of Natural White Cardstock that I die-cut u sing the Stitched Rectangle Dies.  I stamped the background of this layer using the Typewriter Text Background Stamp, Vintage Postage and Going Postal Stamp Set.  then stencilled the background using the super cool Jumbled Diamonds Stencil (with Lucky Clover, Spun Sugar and Picked Raspberry Oxide Inks).  That pretty much covers everything used on the base of my card.

I used the AWESOME Polaroid Die Set and cut a frame from a piece of scrap cardboard.  I painted the cardboard with ivory acrylic paint and let it dry.  Once it was completely dry, I stamped it with the Going Postal Stamp Set and the Mini Grunge Type Alpha Stamp Set for the words (my friend).  In the center of the frame, I stamped the flower using the Patient Echinacea Stamp Set.  I painted the flower with the same colors of ink listed above and stamped my other Mini Grunge Type Alpha Stamp Set word.  I also stamped some cardstock using the rulers from the Vintage Snippets Stamp Set and cut some hearts using the Heart Dies to place around the frame.  A bit of Black Baker's Twine was wrapped around the frame and tied into a small bow.

Also, there's a fabulous SALE taking place right now where you can BUY 2 Alphabet Stamp Sets and GET ONE FREE.  Just use the code ALPHASTAMPS26 when checking out any time now through April 30.  There are so many awesome Alphabet Stamps available at Creative Worship Stamps so this is a great time to grab yourself a few new sets.

Oh, my goodness.  Did I mention everything I used here?  I sure hope so.  But if not, just ask me any questions you might have.  Creative Worship Stamps has so many great stamps, dies, stencils, inks and more to help you create some truly amazing art.  Stop on by my Instagram to join the FUN and inspiring Instagram Hop for your chance to WIN the $25 prize.  I hope to see you there.  Have a great week, everyone.

I'm playing along here:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Bright & Cheerful, which I hope my card is.

Paper Funday Challenges - Challenge #86 - Anything Goes w/Optional Dies & Punches - I used several dies on this card.

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge Blog - Challenge #2615 - Anything Goes Sponsored by Lawn Fawn - This is my Entry #2/3

Blessings,

Karen

Patriotic Blooms

It's time for another FUN challenge over at The Card Concept and we'd really LOVE to have you come by and play along with us.  Challenges are always the most fun when everyone joins in and shares their creations, so we all hope to see YOU share your art with us this month.  When I saw the beautiful Patriotic Blooms inspiration photo (below), I knew this would be a lot of fun.  I also knew that Stamp Simply had the PERFECT stamps and dies to help me create the look I was envisioning.  How can you go wrong when combining our great country's beautiful colors with beautiful florals and products from Stamp Simply?  It's a win-win-win for everyone, and I'm excited to see what you'll create to share with us.  Stamp Simply will afford you several fabulous Patriot Stamp and Die options; among every other category you can imagine.  Stamp Simply has so many wonderful products.

For my card, I used a base of black cardstock layered with white cardstock that I stamped using the Vintage Seed Packet Background Stamp.  I cut the center of this using the coordinating Ovals & Twigs Dies.  This allows the cute pattern paper from The Craft Consortium Beach Hut 6x6 Paper Pad to peek through the opening.  A bit of machine stitching around the edge and a few sequins were the finishing touches.

The floral image is the Floral Summer Roses Cluster and was cut using the coordinating Floral Cluster Die which fits all four of the beautiful Floral Cluster Stamp Sets (it's interchangeable).  I colored my image using Copics and I hated it, so I stamped the flowers a second time and hand-painted them with Oxide Inks to match the colors found in the inspiration photo.  They're raised up with 3-D Foam Tabs.  The star is found in The American Eagle Stamp Set, it was colored and then cut using the American Eagle Dies.  I also added a small piece of May Arts 3/8" White Crochet Lace.

The small word PEACE that I stamped at the bottom right of my card is also found in the The American Eagle Stamp Set along with several cool patriotic sentiments.  Each stamp set from Stamp Simply has several lovely sentiments to help you say just what you're wanting to express.  I really hope that you'll stop by Stamp Simply to grab a few new things and then stop by The Card Concept to play along with us.

Please don't hesitate.  Just come on over to The Card Concept and share your patriotic cards with us this month.  Remember, it doesn't have to be anything literal from the inspiration photo.  It can be anything that sparks your creativity, and we're excited to see what that might be.  Stamp Simply Clear Stamps is the best place to shop for Patriotic Stamp Sets to help you get started.  I greatly appreciate your visit here today.  Have a great week.

I'm playing along here:

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge Blog - Challenge #2615 - Anything Goes Sponsored by Lawn Fawn - Entry #1/3

Blessings,

Karen

A New CutCardStock Adventure Continues

Have you ever stopped to think about what we, as crafters, use and/or need the most?  In my opinion, it would be a toss-up between paper and adhesives.  We can't make beautiful cards without paper and adhesives.  When I first started crafting, I found my favorite (and my now go-to) Adhesives.  I use them all the time.  But when it comes to cardstock, I'd never really found my favorite go-to place to purchase it.  That is.....until now.  When I was introduced to CutCardStock, I knew I'd never need to look any further for all the perfect cardstocks and papers I could ever need.

For this card, I used a gorgeous Jelly Bean Green A2 Folded Card as my base.  I absolutely LOVE this deep rich green color.  These gorgeous A2 Cards come in a wide variety of colors and are so convenient and ready to use.  They make it easy to create something beautiful.  Just having the right color(s) of cardstock can make all the difference in making our projects.  CutCardStock has every color and every kind of cardstock you can imagine....and then some.  I'm so excited to try more colors of these gorgeous A2 Cards.

Next, I layered a patterned paper from the American Crafts Chalkboard 6x6 Card Stock Paper Pad.  The pattern paper gives my card just a little more color and pulls in one more color for me to incorporate into my design.  For my next layer, I used the Strathmore A1 Watercolor Cards.  I cut the card right down the center making it (no longer a card) two separate pieces.  On the one piece, I painted some green ink and stamped my sentiments and musical accents using the Deepest Sympathy Stamp Set and Worship & Praise Stamp Set from Stamp Simply.  Some machine stitching around the outer edge and a Seam Binding bow were the finishing touches.  I used the other half of my cut Strathmore A1 Watercolor Card to stamp a sentiment on the inside of my card.

You're sure to find the PERFECT color, size, texture, etc. cardstock when you shop at CutCardStock, and you'll never be disappointed with the quality of this paper.  It's absolutely amazing, and I'm just getting started.  I hope you'll be a part of my new adventure as we explore ALL the fabulous cardstocks available over at CutCardStock.  Thank you all so much for visiting me here today.

Blessings,

Karen