Karen's Krafty Musings

2021 Cat Lovers Hop, any cat themed project

10/28/2021

Warm Hello

I was thrilled when asked to be a guest designer for the 2021 Cat Lovers Hop on Her Peaceful Garden, and I knew just the stamp set to use. The cat and comfy chair are from Hello Stampurr, by Waffle Flower. The frame and sentiment are by Stampin' Up, the plant stamp is by ArtC, and papers are from my stash. Don't you just want to curl up with a good book and some tea, with that kitty napping at your feet?

SSS Monday challenge, Thinking of You
DL.Art's October linky
Ally's Angels challenge 51, AG

MFT Color Challenge 176. I used the inspiration colors with the addition of green

SSS Wednesday challenge, AG

Stay Crafty with Hero challenge 28, fall colors

Art Impressions challenge, Feline Crazy

Believe in Santa

I just love this cat by The Cats Pajamas and had a lot of fun paper piecing and coloring him up. I combined the cat with a sentiment by Essentials by Ellen, and a tag die by Gina K Designs. The paper is by Echo Park, and I even used a big, pearlized brad that I've been hoarding for years.

October Rudolph Days challenge, anything Christmas . I also did the option of paper piecing
2021 Cat Lovers Hop, anything with a cat

Christmas Kickstart challenge 55, card for a loved one. This card is going to my husband because he just loves funny cards and will appreciate the quirky design of this card.

ABC Christmas challenge, U is for Under the Tree

CHNC 565, Christmas

Art Impressions challenge, Feline Crazy

Fairy Magical Birthday

My granddaughter's birthday is this weekend and I had yet to make her a birthday card. So I pulled out some stamps and glitter, and got to work on this. The fall background stamp is by Darcie's and the little fairy is Poppystamps, from "Wintertime Fairies". The mushroom is from another Poppystamps set called, "No Truffle At all". I fussy cut the fairy and added stickles to the wings for shimmer and shine..

PSC#85, Make it Magical

Stay Crafty with Hero challenge 28, fall colors

DL.Art's October linky
SSS Wednesday, AG

Ally's Angels challenge 51, AG

MFT Color challenge 176, I used the inspiration colors and added green

Creative Inspirations challenge, Sept-October. Fall or Halloween

Sparkle

I've had this fairy die by Poppystamps for awhile now, but never used it until this week. It's quite large, so wasn't sure how best to feature it on a card, but it's perfect for the October challenge of Make It Magical.

This fairy die was an extra freebie from Poppystamps and the sentiment is by Close to my Heart. The glittery card stock doesn't show up as well in my photo as in real life, but trust me...there's a lot of sparkle! I added some tiny butterflies in my first attempt at a card, but didn't like the way it looked, so took them off and used rhinestones instead. I think this is much better, and doesn't detract from the main focal point.

PSC #85, Make it Magical

SSS Monday challenge, Thinking of You

10/27/2021

When I Am An Old Cat

I just had to combine this sentiment stamp by VivaLasVegasStamps, called "When I Am An Old Cat", with the whimsical "Cat With Bird on Hat", also by VLVS. For this card design, I snipped the bird off the top of her hat for a more sedate look. Well, she thinks she looks pretty elegant anyway. I double embossed the background with the Circle Interlock embossing folder by Darice, and Stampendous White Pearls embossing powder. The White Pearls EP gives a pebbly translucent finish to an image or embossed surface, which doesn't show up well in photos, but is really pretty in real life.

Embossing Powder detail

2021 Cat Lovers Hop, anything with a cat theme

Let's Squash It embossing challenge, double embossing

DL. Art's October linky

Allsorts challenge 647, AG with option of vintage
SSS Wednesday challenge, AG

10/25/2021

Count Your Blessings

I was given some plain, flat pumpkin die cuts years ago and found them in a baggie in my stash recently. I decided to ink them, to give dimension, and color the stem in for contrast...then pop them on layered squares for this fall themed card. A trio of cats (dies by Amy Designs) and a sentiment by JustRite stamps, made this really, really old paper by DCWV look new again. When in doubt, add three cats, haha!

2021 Cat Lovers Hop, anything with a cat theme

DL. Art's October linky

SSS Monday challenge, thinking of you

Stay Crafty with Hero challenge 28, fall colors

Allsorts challenge 647 , AG

Creative Inspirations Sept/Oct challenge. Fall or Halloween

Stay Pawsitive

It's time to pull out those cat themed craft supplies and join in the 2021 Cat Lovers Hop! There are games, a chance to admire beautiful cat themed projects, and PRIZES to be won! Check it all out on the main hop page at Her Peaceful Garden here: 2021 Cat Lovers Hop. Missing out would be a cat-astrophe!

So here is my first entry for the hop. I used some fun black and white patterned papers by Stampin Up, and a stamp by Judikins . The sentiment is by Stamplorations and stitched rectangle is by Gina Marie Designs. Look, I even used eyelets!

2021 Cat Lovers Hop, any cat themed project

SSS Monday challenge, Thinking of You

Art Impressions challenge, feline crazy

Cardz TV challenge 152

Gnome Hello

Here is another gnome girl, with the die by Simon Says Stamp, and this time she's come to say a simple hello. I used paper by DCWV from a very old stack, tiny butterfly dies by Winnie & Walter a wreath die by Spellbinders, and sentiment by MFT. The butterflies were cut once in venetian red and once in burnished gold, then off-set for extra dimension. I backed the twig wreath with a piece of vellum.

Butterfly Spot Challenge #163. I used the elements of Vellum, plus the colors of venetian red and Vegas gold, along with my butterfly

Word Art Wednesday week 513-514

Allsorts challenge 647: AG

SSS Monday challenge, Thinking of You

Pixie's Snippets challenge 414. I used various snippets of blue, green and white, and pale gray for the gull.
DL.Art's October linky

Cardz TV challenge 152

10/20/2021

Seaside Hello

Several years ago I bought some Build A Scene die sets by DoCrafts on sale, but never really got around to using them very much. Even though the weather has turned cold and somewhat blustery, I can still go on vacation in my imagination, right? I've made this design in bright colors before, but felt the need for a little serenity this time around. Layering all the elements always feels a little bit tricky, but I got the hang of it once I re-watched an old YouTube video tutorial. I used a mix of green, blue and white, and ink blended the gull. The sentiment is from a set by My Favorite Things.

Word Art Wednesday week 513-514

10/19/2021

Eat, drink and be Scary

I usually make cute Halloween cards, so those spooky stamps that I have in my stash don't get much ink. However, I made this to fulfill a card request for a 30 year old who is recovering from a terrible car accident and who loves eerie Halloween designs. I pulled out the Spider Web Frame embossing folder by Darice, along with stamps by Kat Scrappiness (the sentiment and layered skull), and by Fun Stampers Journey (the cauldron and octopus). The label die is by Diamond Press, and I glued five layers together to get a raised effect. The distressed patterned background is a stamp by Lost Coast Designs, and was stamped with Brilliance pearlescent ink in Moonlit White. I heat embossed the sentiment in white embossing powder and lightly rubbed Moonlit White ink over the embossing folder to emphasize the pattern. Then used a Versamark marker to emboss the spider with black embossing powder.

Lost Coast Designs challenge #131, Halloween. I used a background stamp by Lost Coast (ATC backgrounds)

SSS Monday challenge, spooky Halloween
DL.Art's October linky

Let's Squash It challenge #13, Double embossing. I used an embossing folder and heat embossed the spider part of it.

Creative Inspirations Sept-Oct challenge. Fall or Halloween

10/16/2021

Masculine Birthday

I don't make many birthday cards for guys, but I do donate cards to a couple of senior communities in town, as well as to Meals on Wheels. Because I don't know the interests of those who may receive my cards, I like to stick to general themes. Travel and vintage hot air balloons sound like a winner to me, don't you think? Unfortunately, I'm not sure which stamp sets I used for this card, because I recently reorganized all of my stamps and now I can't find anything! Pretty sure they include VivaLasVegasStamps, Inkadinkado, and Mark's Finest Papers though.

Word Art Wednesday 513-514
DL.Art's October linky

10/13/2021

Chin Up Buttercup

An online friend of mine is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, so I've been sending her bi-weekly cards to let her know I'm thinking of her through this difficult time. I used a stamp set by A-Muse stamps that I've had for a long time, and combined it with a butterfly die by Jen Hadfield for Pebbles, and some seam binding ribbon. I stamped the sentiment, "You've Got This" inside, from a set by PinkFresh Designs.

Butterfly Spot Challenge, T is for tea rose. I used the color Tea Rose, along with a butterfly

Cardz TV 151

TTCRD challenge Oct 12, AG

Ally's Angels challenge 51, AG

Allsorts challenge 645, embellish it

Butterfly Spot challenge 162, T is for Thistle, along with my butterfly

Choose Joy

Once I got my butterfly stamps and dies out, I decided to make a third card and used a stamp set by Craft World. This lovely lavender paper piece was in my scrap stash, and I was so happy to use the last of it up at last. The butterflies were stamped and colored, then fussy cut...and adhered with foam tape.

DL.Art October linky

TTCRD challenge Oct 12, AG

Ally's Angels challenge 51, AG

Allsorts challenge 645 , embellish it

Treat Bags

I needed to put together a few quick Halloween treat bags for my grandchildren, so I pulled out these fun striped bags, a tag die by Pretty Pink Posh, and Halloween stamps by Ellen Hutson . A little bakers twine, some rhinestones, and a treat tucked inside, and they were done.

DL.Art October linky
Cardz TV 151

Lost Coast Designs challenge 131, stamped Halloween

SSS Wednesday, not a card

Creative Inspirations challenge, fall or Halloween

Wonder

I've been nursing an infected tooth, so haven't been motivated to create much this week, but now that the antibiotics have kicked in I suddenly felt like pulling out my butterfly dies and stamps to enter the Butterfly Spot Challenge. This card uses three different patterned papers, along with dies by Tim Holtz (Wildflowers) that my blog friend, Janis, gave to me. The butterfly die is by BoBunny, and I carefully taped the back of it to keep all of those tiny inlaid pieces inside the main butterfly shape. Of course, several of the little round dotted pieces kept falling out and it's a miracle I was able to find them and glue them back. The stamped sentiment is by Firefly.

Butterfly Spot challenge 162 , T is for Tea Rose. I used the options of Tea Rose, and at least 2 patterned papers, along with my butterfly

Let's Craft and Create, Things with Wings

Cardz TV challenge 151

Allsorts challenge 645, embellish it

10/08/2021

Gnome Birthday

I got this Simon Says Stamp Gnome die as part of a blog prize and decided to make a fall themed birthday card with her. The burlap paper is by DCWV and the label die set is Spellbinders. I used my Nuvo drops to make the little decorative dots, and a dimensional cupcake sticker that was given to me. As the Nuvo drops can decide to be very difficult at times, I was relieved to see that it behaved this time and made the perfect drop shape for a change. The sentiment is by MFT.

Pixie's Snippets challenge 413. Not only are these little girl gnomes a perfect way to use up teeny tiny snippets of scrap paper, but it's a great chance to drive yourself batty with inlaying the smallest little hearts in her dress. You can also just leave them open, but I'm a glutton for punishment!

Stay Crafty challenge # 28, fall colors

DL.Art's October linky
CHN October PP challenge

Double Trouble challenge 94, Fall inspiration. I did Thing 1 and Thing 2

Use your Stuff challenge 433, fall

10/06/2021

Butterfly for you

I've been finishing up old cards that I started years ago, and combining different left over images to make completed cards for my donation pile. Although I have the best of intentions, most of my sessions end up with only one or two cards and a huge stack of leftovers still to go. This one is a two step butterfly by , I think, Stampin' Up, with a sentiment by Cardz TV.

DL. Art's October linky

Cardz TV challenge 150

Let's Craft and Create 176, Things with wings

10/05/2021

Give A Hoot Gift Bag

I needed a cute way to present a gift card, and it just so happened that I won this Lawn Fawn gift bag die with the Give a Hoot add-on. I made the gift bag without even realizing that it matches the gift card PERFECTLY! I guess my sub-conscious was aware of the colors, because this was eerie. I also used a tiny tag die by My Craft Spot (which is no longer in business), and a Fiskars punch for the flower and leaves. A few details with marker and gel pen, and a cute ribbon...and it was done.

SSS Monday challenge, not a card

Ally's Angels challenge 50, AG

Let's Craft and Create 176, Things with wings

Cardz TV challenge 150

10/04/2021

Hit The Road, Jack

I made a mini-album, documenting several trips that my sister and her husband took with us pre-pandemic and am finally uploading a photo. I used a travel stamp set that I've had for years, and colored it with water color pencils. I used torn paper and ink blenders to make the cloudy sky, and birds and mountain stamps by Beeswax stamps. The spiral bound album had a cut out for the image to show through, which gave a nice peek-a-boo effect. The sentiment still makes me laugh.

SSS Monday challenge, not a card

Ally's Angels challenge 50, AG