Wishing You a Very Happy Birthday w/RRR

Whenever I'm on the hunt for the perfect sentiment for my cards, I enjoy looking to Bonnie Garby Designs.  They carry so many great sentiments that you're sure to find the right wording for your next card.  You'll LOVE all the wonderful digital stamps and images you find at Bonnie Garby Designs.  Once those cards start coming together (and even during the process), you'll also find the perfect Adhesives, Ribbons and goodies to adorn those cards with the perfect colors, widths and textures of most every type of spooled trim you can imagine when you shop at Really Reasonable Ribbon.  This Birthday card is a great combination of both of these great companies.

I used basic white cardstock and a basic robin's egg cardstock.  I ran the robin's egg cardstock through the Sizzix using the Tim Holtz Doily Embossing Folder.  The wonderful texture that this particular embossing folder gives is truly lovely.  I used a Crimped Frame Die to cut the sentiment which can be found in the Birthday Greeting 2 Stamp Set from Bonnie Garby Designs.  What a perfect matching.

The pretty floral image is found in the Floral Cluster Spring Pansies Stamp Set.  I painted the image with oxide inks and cut the floral image and the sprigs using the coordinating Floral Cluster & Sprigs Dies.  Everything is attached using Scor-Tape to hold it all securely in place.  The pretty bow I added was tied with Robin's Egg Wrinkle Ribbon and was topped with Black Baker's Twine, some Pink Double Head Stamens and a pretty Ivory Open Rose.

In case you haven't the BIG NEWS yet, Really Reasonable Ribbon is going out of business.  The Owner, and my dear friend; Bonnie, has the most adorable new grandson that she wants to spend her time loving on and spoiling.  Who can blame her for wanting to retire?  She's earned it.  However, there's still a lot of great SHOPPING waiting for you at DISCOUNTED prices.  Time to stock up, right?  May I suggest stocking up on things like Adhesives, Baker's Twine, Mulberry Flowers and, of course, lots of fabulous RIBBONS.  We're still OPEN and here to help you.  Please stop by again soon.  We love having you visit us.

Be happy, be blessed, be kind and BUY RIBBONS!

Blessings,

Karen

Jesus Is Enough

Pretty much every month, there's another fabulous NEW Release at Creative Worship Stamps.  This month we have yet another really fun release with some truly wonderful new stamp sets, dies and stencils.  It's been so much fun creating with these sweet new products, and I hope you'll stop by Creative Worship to take a look around at what's new.  Today I'm sharing a sweet floral card that I created with some of the new products.

I used basic black cardstock for my base, and I layered that with a piece of pink paper that I cut using the Stitched Rectangle Dies.  Next. I used some Kitsch Oxide Ink and the fun NEW Moroccan Quatrefoil Stencil to create the background.  The small green splotches were stamped using the Going Postal Stamp Set and some Citron Oxide Ink.  I used Kitch, Spon Sugar, Lemonade and Citron Oxide Inks to paint the flower and leaves/stem.

The postcard image at the top of my card was stamped using the Vintage Postcards Stamp Set.  The cute NEW clipboard, sentiment and hearts were stamped using the NEW Heart of Gratitude Stamp Set.  This set has several awesome sentiments.  Finally, that sweet coneflower was stamped using the NEW Patient Echinacea Stamp Set and was painted with Oxide Inks and hand cut.

You can find lots of FABULOUS inspiration every day on the Creative Worship IG Page.  By the way, I'd be SO GRATEFUL to have you stop by Instagram and Follow me there. @karenletchworth  Thanks so much for stopping by to say hello.  It's always a treat to have you visit and leave me a comment.  Happy crafting, everyone.

I'm sharing my card here:

Just Us Girls Challenges - Challenge #800 - WOW, what a fun celebration!  I've enjoyed playing along at Just Us Girls for a very long time and I greatly appreciate Vicki and her DT for all their hard work in providing this fun challenge for us all.

Stencil Fun Challenge Blog - November: Anything Goes - I used a brand-new Moroccan Quatrefoil Stencil from Creative Worship.

Blessings,

Karen

Stamp Simply Sponsors Fall/Winter Coffee Hop

Welcome, everyone!  I hope that by now you've been to the Coffee Loving Cardmakers' Fall/Winter Coffee Blog Hop and Linky Party to share some of your caffeinated Christmas cards.  Stamp Simply is proud to be a long-time sponsor of this special event.  Stamp Simply carries a nice variety of coffee, tea and beverage related stamps and dies.  The card I'm sharing with you today combines several of their fun products.  They're offering one lucky participant a $25 credit to their fabulous store.

I used red and kraft cardstocks for my card base, and I layered them with some pretty patterned papers from the Bundled Up line by Crate Paper.  I have an excess of Crate Paper products, and I do love to use them whenever possible.  Of course, my card could easily be re-created using any of the pretty 6x6 Paper Pads available at Stamp Simply.  Once all my patterned papers were in place, I used some ephemera (stickers, ticket, candy cane, candies, etc.) from the Bundled Up line to add some color and fun.  The coffee beans and the small sentiments that I stamped on the coffee mugs (just for you/enjoy) are found in the Coffee or Tea Stamp Set.  The small coffee beans that I stamped here and there are found in the A Cup of Java Stamp Set.

Merry Christmas was stamped using Typewritten Year-Round Greetings Stamp Set.  The coffee mugs are found in the Have a Cup on Us Stamp Set.  I stamped them onto scraps of the patterned papers and cut them with the Have a Cup on Us Dies.  I used Black Graphite Ink to stamp all the images and sentiments.  Some 3-D Foam Tabs raised up a few of the pieces.

There are so many great prizes up for grabs in this FUN Coffee Hop, so be sure to stop by and join the excitement and creativity.  Stamp Simply can help you find not only the perfect Coffee Stamps & Dies, but the also the perfect sentiments, scriptures, images and stamps/dies for most every occasion you can imagine.  Happy crafting, everyone, and thanks again for your visit here today.

I'm sharing my card in the following challenges:

2025 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers' Blog Hop - Share any Fall/Christmas card with a caffeinated theme.  I used products from Super Sponsor, Stamp Simply.  Sadly, due to all that's going on lately with my parents and all the travelling I've had to do this month; this is the one and only card I'll be entering this year.

Paper Funday Challenges - November Challenge #82 - Anything Goes w/Option Twist of Merry & Bright

Coffee Loving Cardmakers' Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #47 - Anything Goes w/Caffeine and Christmas.

Just Us Girls Challenge - Challenge #800 - Anything Goes 800th Challenge Celebration - How super exciting is this?  I've LOVED playing along at JUGS for many years, and Vicki and her DT have some truly amazing cards to get your creativity flowing.

Blessings,

Karen

A Caffeinated Style Merry Christmas

Like many of you, my sweet creative friends, I've been playing along and hopping along in the Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenges for many years now.  This month, for the first time, I have the honor of being a Guest Designer for this FUN challenge.  We all have our own "go to" beverage to keep us caffeinated and/or hydrated while crafting.  Right?  Coffee, tea and cocoa cards have always been some of my favorites; especially when combined with the Christmas theme.  What a wonderful combination for a coffee-loving girl like me.  I really am blessed to be one of the Guest Designers this month at the Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge Blog.  I sure hope you'll be inspired to stop by and share your caffeinated Christmas cards in their FUN challenge this month.  The sponsor for this challenge is Not 2 Shabby Shop.  They're offering one lucky participant a $15 credit to their FAB store.  The Not 2 Shabby Shop carries so many great products that you'll love.

I used a kraft cardstock for the base, and I layered up my card with lots of yummy patterned papers from a wonderful line called Bundled Up by Crate Paper.  Once I'd layered all those delicious papers, I attached a chipboard frame also from the Crate Paper Bundled Up line.  Inside the frame, I added sequins to create a fun shaker element.  The stack of coffee cups (also stamped on this patterned paper) are from the Have a Cup On Us Stamp Set and I cut them using the Have a Cup On Us Dies from Stamp Simply.  The Merry Christmas sentiment was stamped using the Lantern Light Stamp Set from Creative Worship and was cut using the coordinating Lantern Light Dies.

The strip going up the right-hand side of my card starts with a tall thin tag from the Bundled Up line.  On top of that, I layered the three Stamp Simply coffee mugs, a candy cane, berries and bits of foliage that were all cut using the Lovely Layers Candy Cane Die Set from Honey Bee Stamps Die Set out of scraps of paper from this line that I own way too much of still.  Crate Paper (most every line of it) has always been a weakness of mine, and it's SO darling that I now own copious amounts of it.  For this reason, I enjoy stamping onto patterned paper scraps sometimes.  This also relieves me of having to color things (another skill where I'm lacking).  Let's be honest.

Thanks so much for stopping by to take a peek at my card.  I'll be sharing it in a few fun challenges.  It will be great fun to see what you create this month to share with us at the Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge.  Grab a cuppa your favorite drink (caffeinated or otherwise) and get creative.  By the way, I would be SO extra grateful if any of you would kindly stop by my💚💖 Instagram Account and Follow me there.  I'm trying desperately to grow my Following there, and I'm finding it SO hard.  Thank you so much!

Simply create any coffee, tea, cocoa or caffeinated beverage Christmas themed card to link up in this FUN monthly challenge.  You can read all the details for November Challenge #47 on the Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge Blog.  Happy caffeinated crafting, everyone.

I'll be sharing my caffeinated card by playing along in these fun challenges that I enjoy:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Simon Says "Anything Goes"

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge Blog - Challenge #2543 - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Simon Says "Add Some Texture"

Blessings,

Karen 

All is Calm, All is Bright

It's a blessing to have you visit me here today.  Recently I've seen several pretty Christmas cards that were done in almost completely all light blue.  Something about this really caught my eye and sparked my creativity.  I knew that, as always, I could find the perfect stamps, dies and products at Stamp Simply to help me create my vision in light blue.  lol

I used black cardstock for the base, layered with white card, and then layered with a light blue patterned paper from the Carta Bella Winter Time 6x6 Paper Pad.  There are so many pretty papers in this pack.  I cut and layered the patterned paper and a white square (partially tucked underneath the border) using the Praying Hands Dies.  Next, I cut a strip of white cardstock where I stamped the pretty snowflake border using the Snowflake Blessings Border Stamp Set.  The sentiment is also found in this Snowflake Blessings Border Stamp Set.

I used the foliage found in the Floral Cluster & Sprigs Dies for the white branches.  They're dusted with glitter, and there are white floral prills in the corner.  The ornament string w/bow and the pretty ornament were stamped using the Christmas Joy Stamp Set.  The bulb was stamped onto a scrap of snowflake patterned paper also from the Carta Bella Winter Time 6x6 Paper Pad, and it was cut using the Christmas Joy Ornament Dies.  A few sequins were the finishing touch.

Given more time, I would have liked to do some machine stitching, and I'd have much preferred to figure out a way to stamp the pretty lines from the Snowflake Blessings Border Stamp Set as opposed to the jinky lines I ended up drawing.  Sorry, friends.  My time has been spread so thin lately.  I travel again this week to be with my aging parents, and I'm grateful that I am able to do so.  Happy crafting, everyone.  Be sure to visit the Stamp Simply Blog for lots of great inspiration and information about specials.  Thanks again for visiting me.

I'm sharing my blue Christmas card here:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Simon Says "Add Some Texture" - I added texture by using 3-D Foam Tabs to raise the ornament, and by adding layers of paper, sequins and gems.

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge Blog - Challenge #2543 - Anything Goes - Sponsored by Lawn Fawn (awesome!!).

Blessings,

Karen

Love Joy Peace w/Stamp Simply

This is an "extra" card that I whipped up to have on hand just in case I got stuck in Minnesota while visiting my parents.  While I did get "stuck" here for another week, I've still decided to go ahead and use this card because I should be home in plenty of time to create new cards for each of my upcoming Design Team assignments.  Besides that, this card is nothing special.  I'd really rather use it just for fun.

Black and green cardstocks made the base of this card.  The next layer is simple white cardstock where I die-cut the (absence of) tree using the Oh Christmas Tree Dies.  Behind the tree, I laid strips of cardstocks in various colors using up paper scraps to create my colorful tree.  The sentiment at the bottom was stamped using the Oh Christmas Tree Stamp Set.

I love the POP of color that you get from using scraps of cardstock to brightly color the absence of my tree.  While this is an incredibly simple card to make, it sure gives out a lot of great color.  That makes it FUN and more interesting to look at, while still keeping it very basic.  All the stamps at Stamp Simply are truly amazing.

Be sure to stop by Word Art Wednesday to play along in our FUN challenges where you can WIN awesome PRIZES.  We'd sure love to have you join us there.  Then make sure you stop by Stamp Simply to check out all their fabulous products and, of course, get some great inspiration on the Stamp Simply Blog.  Thanks so much for visiting me here today, friends.

I'm sharing my card in the following:

Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers' Winter Linky Party - I'm having FUN entering when I can.  This is my 4th, and most likely my last, card to enter.  I'm thousands of miles away from my craft room for the next couple of weeks.

Colorful Options Challenge - October: I'm going with the rainbow color option

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Simon Says "Clean and Simple" - This is about as CAS as any card would ever get for me.  lol

Blessings,

Karen

A Humble Manger

Like so many of you, I've been a long-time fan of the gorgeous stamps, dies, stencils and products found at Creative Worship Stamps.  We all get excited when there's a NEW Release each month, of course.  But every now and then, there's a NEW Release that just really grabs your creative heart.  For me, that's this month's NEW Release at Creative Worship.  These are the sweetest NEW stamps ever.  Just in time for Christmas, you definitely won't want to miss this sweet stamp set.

I used black and a pretty peacock blue cardstock base.  The only other piece is a sheet of vintage sheet music that I cut using the lovely Stitched Rectangle Dies to create that background.  I love stamping onto the sheet music.  I used the super sweet NEW First Christmas Stamp Set for all the images you see.  There are multiple sentiments in this sweet set as well.  It contains everything you need to create a beautiful manger scene.

I stamped the stars onto a piece of white cardstock that I had rubbed with Fossilized Amber Oxide Ink.  I hand cut the stars and placed a little dab of silver Stickles in the center of each star to give it some glimmery glitz.  All the images in this (and every) stamp set are SO sweet, and they work well to accent the other stamps.  It's always nice to see how easy Creative Worship Stamps makes it for us to create pretty cards.  You can be a beginner or an expert, and your cards will always look amazing when you're using these awesome stamps.

You can find Tim Holtz Oxide Inks in pretty much every color desired as well as the sweetest stamps, dies, stencils and much more.  Creative Worship Stamps is there for YOU, so please stop by to take a look around.  You'll be pleasantly inspired and intrigued.  Go on ahead and treat yourself.  You've earned it.

I'm sharing my card here:

Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers' Falling for the Holidays Linky Party - This is my third entry.  While I can't enter very many cards, I'm enjoying sharing what I can.  Mom is still hospitalized, so my time is being spread thin between their house (taking care of Dad) and the hospital.  Praise God that I'm able to be here!  Crafting can wait.  I've sure seen a lot of pretty cards being shared.

A Cut Above Challenge Blog - October: Anything Goes - This is my Entry #3/3.  The only die-cut I used on this card is the base that I cut from vintage sheet music using the Stitched Rectangle Dies from Creative Worship.  There is a die for the stars, but I hand cut mine for this card.

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge Blog - Challenge #629 - What Makes You Smile?  At first glance, the photo threw me a bit.  But it's not about the yellow smiley faces.  It's about "what makes you smile; and Jesus is what makes me smile.  The true meaning of Christmas (and life) is Jesus, and that should make us all smile.

Blessings to all,

Karen