Birthday Bees

Hi Everyone,

I couldn't resist making another bee themed card recently.  The Bee Happy Birthday Greeting is just so...well, happy!  I love that the greeting comes with that teeny tiny bee built right in :)

I decided to try and stamp on a light blue cardstock, which I was hoping would stand in for a blue sky.  I stamped the Beehive image, and after coloring it with Copic markers, it turned out well enough, that I added  some Bee Trails for extra interest. 

 

 

 

 I wrapped the image panel with some yellow ribbon and tied on a tiny tag that was stamped with Bitsy Bumble Bee and colored to match.  And it wouldn't be complete without some glitter added to the wings :) 

You can find all of these stamps at DRS Designs.  Have a great day!

Karin

Faith

Hi Everyone,

Seeing that it's the week leading up to the Easter holiday, I thought I would show off a faith based card today that uses stamps from DRS Designs.  Originally I thought this could work as a sympathy card, something to offer hope at a dark time in someone's life, so I chose deep muted colors when designing it.

I stamped the Open Bible in brown ink and the I Am The Resurrection Greeting over it in navy blue.  I die cut it using rectangle and scalloped rectangle dies,  layering the sentiment panel on a script embossed  background.

The background panel was stamped using the Splatter Background stamp in the same brown ink and I stamped the Dandelion Puff a few times in blue. Stamping the flower once, and then again before re-inking it, is what gives it that subtle shadow effect.

 
All this was layered onto a navy blue card base and I added a matching bow. 

Thanks for visiting and if you celebrate, I wish you a Happy Easter!
Karin

Bee Happy

Hi Everyone,

Here's a small peek at a soon to be released stamp from DRS Designs.  I love any and all bee things on greeting cards, and this Bee Happy Birthday Greeting (736F) is no exception.  How fabulous is it that the tiny bee within the sentiment, matches the Bitsy Bumble Bee and the Happy Bee stamps in the current collection?  Super cute :)  Those were stamped, fussy cut and glittered up before I adding them to the card with dimensional tape. And speaking of fussy cutting, be sure to check out our current challenge.  Fussy cutting is this week's theme!

 

For the background I used an embossing folder and the Honeycomb Design stamp, adding a black punched border for a bold look.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you join in our challenge!
Karin

Birthday Wishes

Hi Everyone,

While this looks like my simple standard card layout, technique wise, it definitely took me out of my comfort zone.  I recently bought a pad of watercolor paper, thinking this was what I was lacking for me to make a successful card using this technique.  While I do think the paper helped, at the very least, I need a lot more practice...maybe even art lessons...lol! 

I chose the Daisy Basket stamp because it's pretty and I thought it may be forgiving for a beginner like me.  I stamped it towards the top of my page, so that I would have room for the Small Birthday Wishes sentiment at the bottom, choosing the greeting purely because I thought the font worked with the watery coloring.

  

I did have a practice go at this image using my Peerless watercolors.  However, I was heavy handed when it came to the amount of water, so this second attempt was completed using Loew-Cornell watercolor pencils.  I did my coloring first and then went over it and did the blending using my watercolor brush pen.  I felt that it gave me more control, and I actually had to force myself to be a little loosey-goosey while spreading the colors. I did my best trying to add a shadow underneath as well.  Once it was dry, I added some glitter glue to the center of the flowers, roughed up the panel edges with some scissors and finished it off with a ribbon. 

This week DRS Designs is the sponsor at Cupcake Inspirations!  Join in the challenge using this inspiration photo, and you will be in the running to win a $10.00 voucher to the DRS Designs store!

Thanks for visiting us today!
Karin

Happy Easter

Hi Everyone,

 

  March is officially here and that means Easter is coming up soon.  Like end of this month soon...And I hope the weather is warm enough to see some early flowers popping up :)  If not, I can always rely on some lovely spring time flower stamps to bring in the cheer!  

I was going to feature the Happy Easter Cross on my card today, but I had also colored the Easter Lily and  Crosses Oval stamp.  Instead of using them separately, I worked it out and fit them both on the same card, using one as the sentiment.  The were both die cut and colored with different Copic markers, so I challenged myself to make a background that would tie the two together.  

I chose to make a splattered watercolor background using yellow, green and purple dye ink, by inking up a piece of plastic and spraying it with water.  I then smooshed my paper all over and let it dry before running it through my Cuttlebug in a dogwood flower folder.

 

 

 

I added a scrap of yellow card stock to the bottom and a purple ribbon covers up the seam.  I finished it by adding some glitter to the flowers and 3 matching gems.

Happy Easter & Happy Spring!
Karin

 

 

Know Jesus Know Hope

Hi Everyone,

My card today features a couple of the newest stamps recently released here at DRS Designs and they're perfect for a faith based Easter card.  I can't believe I'm already working on Easter projects, but with the holiday is coming up next month, the day will be here before we know it :)

I stamped and colored the Know Jesus Know Hope Greeting. die cutting it and layering it onto a matching panel that was stamped using the Splatter Background stamp.  For one of the embellishments, I used the Small Easter Cross, which I stamped, colored and fussy cut before attaching it to the panel along with some gems.

Since the cross was wood, I used the Wood Grain Background stamp to make everything coordinate, adding the lace border to finish it off. 

Thanks for stopping by!
Karin

Lime Green Irish Blessing

Hi Everyone,

 

I had a few scraps and pieces of neon green paper in my stash, so I thought I would use them up on my St. Patrick's Day card for today's post.  While I associate Kelly green with all things Irish, this bright green seemed like it would make a cheerful, sunny card  :)   It also gave me the chance to use my neglected Color Box Lime green ink pad on my background that I made using the Small Shamrock Group.

I broke out my Woven Plaid background stamp and used that for my accent piece, which I die cut and layered using my Rectangle dies.

 

 

After I stamped the Blessings Outnumber Greeting, it was also die cut and matted, and I added the same background shamrocks stamped in grey ink. Before I adheared it to the card base with foam tape, I did a bit of sponging with the same lime green ink.

Thanks for visiting and you can check out our latest challenge at the DRS Designs Blog!  Hope to see you there :)
Karin

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hi Everyone and Happy Groundhog's Day!

 

No groundhogs on my card, but I am going to use it to remind you to pop over and join our weekly challenge where the theme is "Sparkle and Shine."  I do have a few gems on the card that stand in for the shine part of the challenge, but after I took the photo, I went back and added a bit of glitter glue to my pot of gold portion of the Sean and the Rainbow stamped image.  What was I thinking? It's not like me to miss a chance to add some bling to one of my cards...lol!  Otherwise, my image was colored in with Copic markers and die cut and matted using my rectangle dies.  

The background was created by dry embossing the top portion and stamping along the bottom half with the new Tall Shamrocks (681G), which I colored in to match my image panel.  I added some twine to cover up the seam and attached the image with some dimensional tape.

There wasn't much room left for a sentiment, so I went with the Tiny St. Pat's Day.  It was the perfect size for being able to layer up using some circle punches.

Here's wishing you a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

 

Less Troubles

Hi Everyone,

I thought I would take a break from making Valentines and share a St. Patrick's Day card today.  It features the Trouble Be Less Greeting, which I'm sure is Irish, but could really be used for any themed card.  I mean, who can't get behind a sentiment that wishes you less trouble, right? :) :) :)

I began with a square 4 1/2 inch card made out of green card stock and stamped the background with the Shamrock Background stamp, using white craft ink.  I made a frame using a piece of white card stock and the Shamrock Vine Corner stamp, die cutting a window out of the center.  I adhered it using some dimensional foam tape and colored in the tiny shamrocks around it.

 

 I matted my sentiment and added a Silhouette Clover stamped it a lighter green ink and a bow, attaching it to the center of my card with some more dimensional tape.    

Thanks so much for stopping by!

For Someone Special

Hi Everyone,

The snow is flying here in Ohio, so I hunkered down and did some stamping over the weekend.  I decided to take some time and play around with the new Ornate Corner Tile stamp and create a background for today's card share.

In this example I stamped the larger image all in a row, coming back and stamping the smaller image in between, and adding a bit of yellow coloring to the bottom of the large ornate design.

I wanted to make sure the background was the star of the card, so I only added the Single Rose which I colored with Copic markers and adding some matching die cut layers.  I finished it by stamping the beginning portion of the Special Friend Birthday Greeting, so it's ready to sent off for any number of occasions.


And, here is my bonus card :)  I pulled out my die that creates a flip card, because I thought the new Hugs 4 in 1 Wording stamp was perfect for this inside out design.  I used the Ornate Corner Tile stamp again, and kept it clean and simple, only stamping it in the corners this time. 

Here is the card lying flat.

 Thanks for stopping by!

Be My Valentine

Hi Everyone,

After putting away the Christmas decorations (truth be told, I'm not quite done!) the house seems so bare, and I look forward to putting out my few hearts and flower items for Valentine's Day.  While it's still a few weeks early for that, until then I'm happy that I can make some cards in celebration of the day!  Have you checked out the new winter and Valentine stamps that were released at DRS Designs?  

My card features the new Be My Valentine Question Mark stamp.  I stamped and die cut it, adding some sponging while the die was still in place.  My background paper was stamped in light pink using the Interlocking Hearts and then sent through my machine for some dry embossed hearts right on top.

 

I added a die cut banner behind my sentiment and the Sweet Offering Cutie Pie Kid with his head cocked to the side, seemed to be asking that question :)  He was stamped, colored with Copic markers, fussy cut and added to complete my card. 

 There's nothing like getting crafty to chase away the winter blues, so play along in our weekly challenge for a chance win some stamps!  Also, DRS Designs is the sponsor over at the Outlawz this week and you can check them out right here!

Have a great day!

Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone,

It's hard to believe another year is coming to a close!  As per usual, it's had it's highs and lows, but I'm always grateful for a chance to ring in another new year.  It gives me the chance to start fresh, or at least the illusion of starting fresh, and that's good enough for me :)  

So for my last individual card share of 2015, I chose a celebratory card, anticipating a good year to come. I went with a simple cream and black color combo and die cut some numbers for the new year.  I added a row of gems and using the glass only portion of Pour Me Bottle Glass stamp, I stamped a bunch glasses raised in a toast to the new year. 

 

Finally for the sentiment, I stamped and die cut the Happy New Year Circle Greeting, matting it and embellishing it with some glitter glue.  

Here's to another great year of the greatest hobby of them all!

Happy New Year Friends :)

Snow Better Friend

Hi Everyone,

The big holiday week is here and the weather people in northeast Ohio have already told us that we can dream of a white Christmas, but we won't be having one.  Since that's the case, I went ahead and designed a card with a snowy theme to get me in the mood :)

DRS Designs will be releasing a new group of stamps on the 28th, so here's a peek at some of the new ones.  First off, I knew I wanted to pair the new Snow Better Friend Greeting (678F) with those adorable penguins from the Penguin Snowball Blast stamp.  So I stamped that first and then the sentiment above and went ahead and die cut it.  After matting the image, it was pretty large, so in order to show off the background I chose to make the card a 5 1/2" square.

 

 I used the soon to be released stamps, Medium Filigree Snowflake (673F) in blue ink to make the background design, and added the Ornate Corner Tile (669D) to the corners.  The card needed a little something else, so I stamped and fussy cut Percy Penguin to add to the card with some dimensional tape, finishing it off with a bit of glitter glue on the snowballs.

Thanks for stopping by friends!

Oldies but Goodies

Hi Everyone,

My card today was made with stamps that are tried and true.  They're perfect for my friend who's a way better baker than I am.  Every time we visit her house she's whipped up some dessert that looks like a picture in a magazine.  Wait. Scratch that.  I'm dating myself...Like a picture from Pinterest.  :) :) :)   Yes, that site is amazing, but everything is so perfect, I just can't measure up!

Anyway, I inked up the Merry Christmas Recipe Greeting and die cut and matted it.  I stamped, colored and fussy cut the Gingerbread Boy and adhered it to the side of the sentiment. I created a snowy background using the Interlocking Snow Background stamp in white and maroon ink, and assembled it, attaching it to a Kraft card base.

I hope you can find time to dig into you stash of stamps and join us in our weekly challenge right here!

                                                                        Season's Greetings!