Fall has fell

I've been busy working on a lot of projects, including coming up with a Christmas card prototype to mass produce.  Do any of you do that or do you create one-of-a-kind cards for each person on your list?  I'm just not that creative.  I found some banana paper in my stash from ancient times and thought it might do for some fall cards. It die cut beautifully. So i sent six of these out to my little Church ladies and a few for family members.  Entered Simon Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes.

So my Thanksgiving cards are almost done and I am SO happy with them. Here is a sneak preview.
Hugs, Kathy

October Birthdays

We have more birthdays in October than most any other single month so I've been busy.  I still have a couple to do but I thought I'd share these two.  I did the yellow version first and it just came together so quickly.  They're small, cute but have a bit of sass.  I'll probably think of something to add after I send them off.  Hugs, Kathy

Birthday Balloon Bonanza or Party in an Envelope

Like that alliteration?  I was an English major.  Just a quick post.  I've been making cards but haven't posted because they need to be received first.  This one is for a very special lady who is turning 79 next week.  I was going to go all sophisticated and flowery but then I thought we can't be there to throw her a party so I'll send a party in an envelope.   This is the cascading 3D fold that's so fun and easy to make.  Doodlebug Sweet Shoppe dp,  a Martha Stewart edge punch some gold embossing and a few die cuts.  The gold glitter paper I found at Michaels.  I guess I could call this everything but the kitchen sink.  Anyway, have a terrific weeeeeekend!  Hugs, Kathy  ( P.S.  Click on image for a closer look.)

Kind Words are Sweet Tones

Every month I make cards for some little ladies at church.  This month's theme was using kind words at home, so I cut up some loving little words and stuck them in a vellum Mason jar with a pretty pink gingham topper with a little doodling.  So simple but I had to make lots. 

Hugs,

Kathy

It's a Good Day

I love this sweet little fairy from  A Day for Daisies.  I felt like some fussy cutting, so here is my card.  I was going to add some sequins and sparkles but sometimes it's good not to guild the lily....or daisy.  Hope you're having a great weekend!  Hugs, Kathy

Sorry the photo is a bit wanky.  K

Hugs times 8 (or maybe 4)

Trying out a new tentacled Spellbinders In'spire die for a hugs card.  Bit of ink splattering, some seaweed stamping and clear sequins.  I gussied him up with some coarse gold embossing powder.  Can't decide if this octopus is playful or menacingly real looking.  Anyway, Crafty Cardmakers have a challenge where he is a perfect fit.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 171 By or Under the Sea

Hugs and Happy Friday!

Kathy

Carby Card

I never posted this silly card (inspired yet again by Pinterest posts) which I gave to the hubs for Father's Day this year.  He doesn't like cheese but I stuck some in there anyway for color.  I dug out my chalks to give the bun and chips a bit of toastiness.  If I had to do it again I would ix-nay the slanted banner sentiment and just stick the thing on straight.  Anyway, easy fun card and it works for the guys in our lives (unless of course they're vegetarians). Heheh.

I've got an inky mess of a project on my worktable at the moment. Hope it turns into something worthwhile! Hugs and happy hump day,
 Kathy

Happy Tree

This sweet image from A Day for Daisies was my first attempt at actually trying to do a bit of water coloring.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches and embossed in black.  The image is so adorable, my attempts to do it justice are lessened.  I'm practicing and having fun. So there.

I thought I'd enter this in the August DLART challenge just for fun.

Hugs,
Kathy

Welcome to Wynn

Another family reason to celebrate.  My niece just had her first baby--an adorable baby boy they named Wynn.  Of course our family is all over the top excited about this new little fella.  Now another niece is about to deliver her first baby too.  So many blessings!

Card is inspired by Birgit (I'm a huge fan).  Mama Elephant image, some prismacolors and twine for a simple but sweet little card.  Have a great weekend!  Hugs, Kathy

Pearls and Seam Binding

Quick story: I needed to send a birthday card out right away and decided to fit in a bit of diamond scoring accented with some of my millions of pearls, which is always a nice combo.  I had also just received a new Happy Birthday die from Paper Smooches I wanted to try out.  This is the rather disappointing result--the sentiment is too large and playful for this style of card and rather misplaced as well.  It's not terrible terrible though, and I couldn't toss out all that scoring and pearl gluing so I sent it on.  Hopefully, the recipient will appreciate the thought at least.  And that she doesn't read my blog (which I'm certain she does not).

Took hubby to the airport this morning at the crack of dawn for a trip to Seattle on biz, so Bella, my Yorkie and I have the house to ourselves for four days.  I'm not complaining. 

Here's to happy crafting,

Kathy

Time 2 Say Love You

Just a very quickie little card to post today.  I don't remember when or where I got the pocket watch stamp but I really like it.  I also used my handy Dymo label maker for part of the sentiment and some old photograph corners.  I made it for someone who needed a little extra love this week.

Entering it into the Craft Cardmakers challenge #170 Time.

Happy Monday and here's to an inspired crafty week my friends.

Hugs,

Kathy

New Baby News!

Our family has had a wedding, a new first baby and another first baby coming in two weeks.  It's kept me busy making cards to celebrate  these happy events. I had seen this design created by several cardmakers on Pinterest and as I've said before, I'm not shy about taking inspiration from others as long as I feel I can do their designs justice.  I love this safety pin cleverness!   Pardon my poor photograph, but you get the gist.

Hope you all have had a great weekend!  

Big hugs, 

Kathy

hello

I have an ongoing love affair with Impression Obsession stamps and especially their very affordable but extremely cute dies. I've ordered several the past few weeks and felt very little guilt --where else can you get such a large dose of "darling" for so little. Their shipping is super reasonable as well (I have a pet peeve for companies who charge exorbitant amounts to ship a die that could be mailed for the price of a first class stamp. I get it that there should be some handling compensation, but don't gouge your customers. Here are a few of the dies I recently bought. Check out the adorable patchwork elephant and whale! So here are a couple of little cards I created. One is using a Heidi Swapp mini stencil, some distress ink and water smooshing and the second is a little gift enclosure card for a baby gift. Simple but I like them lots. Have a terrific Friday. Hugs, Kathy

Hello Chum

My grandson just turned 8.  He has graduated from love of Thomas the Train to Minecraft and Plants and Zombies.  He also loves sharks.  So....my card highlights a big toothy fella on a wibble wobble spring. The background took me as long as cutting out all those little white teeth.  Background is made of three different shades of blue vellum cut in waves and overlapped. A few iridescent sequins for bubbles and some glossy accents on his beady black cardstock eyes finish off my card.  For fun I stuck a few shark riddles inside to give him a giggle. (What does a shark eat for dinner?  Anything he wants!"

It's a hit!  Then back to the Pool.

Mom made birthday cupcakes

I entered this card at Just Us Girls for their August challenge with a water theme. Check it out!

Happy Summer

Just a quick post.  Every month I make cards for five sweet ladies from Church--just to say hello, possibly give them a smile and let them know someone is thinking of them.  I love the patchwork sunray look and picked out some cheerful sunny patterned papers for these cards.  At the last moment, the focal half-circle looked a bit plain so I turned it into a lime slice with a little white penwork.  Hope you all are having a tremendous Summer!

Happy Summer!

Weddings and New Babies....

So I'm not shy about copying if I think I can do a design justice.  I've been spending some time browsing Pinterest and saw this design done several ways by some talented cardmakers.  The idea of using folded 4" doilies for towels just took this design over the top for me.  Shout out to Krafting Karen for the great idea.  The silver cardstock used for the towel bar didn't photograph very well but it adds such a great touch!

I created the plate rail, picture rail and baseboard out of scored white cardstock and tucked one of my new favorite dies Spellbinders Celebrations Pierced Heart onto the "towels."  This could be for a wedding, an anniversary or even an engagement.  I'm thinking I'll be making more of these.

Have a great weekend!

Kathy

Heart of gold

I thought twice about posting this card because it is just well nigh impossible to get a decent photograph of anything shiny, so use your imagination.  You know, there's so much "foiling' going on in the card making community at the moment, and I like shiny as much as the next crafter.   This beautiful gold foil paper (purchased it at www.ellenhutson.com) fills the need.  I used the Spellbinder Pierced heart die and came up with a simple thank you card that makes me smile.  I'm going to make more.

Thanks for visiting.  You obviously have a heart of gold.  

Hugs, 

Kathy

Alter, Altering, Altered

Just a quickie post to share an altered project I finished last week.  The 12x12 Graphic45 Bohemian Bazaar paper pad in my stash has been calling to me and I thought it might be an interesting choice to use on a birdhouse I bought forever ago at Michael's.  Actually I bought 3 of them--but the one I picked to bedazzle was the round one.  The conical roof was a challenge and I probably could have come up with a better treatment--perhaps in hindsight too many pearls.  I made it as one of my birthday gifts for my daughter.

I'm entering this in the "Round and Round"  challenge at Tuesday Throwdown 

We are having the loveliest weather here in the Phoenix area--82 degrees today with a slight breeze.  Perfect!  And....my roses are beginning to bloom.  Hope you're having a great weekend.  Hugs, Kathy

A few recent cards....

I'm such a lazy blogger.  It's not that I don't want to post, but somehow life always seems to hand me priorities higher than a blog post that probably nobody reads anyway.  Here are a few cards I've made in the past couple of weeks.  I am a new fan of two very talented cardmakers--Loll Thompson and Julia Stainton.  They inspired me with their awesome chops.