Believe it will get better

Hello!  Long time no see!!

I stopped blogging in 2012 and now, 10+ years later I’m back.  I never stopped crafting.  But now my nest is empty and I want to share what I am creating! It seems Pinterest and such are not as conducive to joining challenges as are blogs.  So here I am giving this a go! 

The card below is for the SUOC 334.  Gosh I hope I’m doing this right.  As they say, “it’s been a minute” since I’ve been on this platform!

It was fun joining in! Thanks for looking. 

 If you leave a comment, I know I’ll be blown away.  HAHA

Stamp sets: Bootiful Occasions, Good Greetings

Card stock: Whisper white, Daffodil delight, 

DSP: Pleased as Punch

Inks:Balmy Blue, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral

https://suochallenges.com

Let's do the mash

I have not been posting, but I have been stamping. :-) Today's post is a mish-mash of the things I have stamped.  If you have questions, shoot me an email.

First up, a card for a friend.  Bright, sunny colors to celebrate up her day!

 

The next three cards were made at a fellow demonstrator's, Mary Cargill, class.  I so enjoyed going to an event where someone else had prepped all the materials and I just had to stamp and assemble!  I love them all.

 

 

The next two cards were also made at Mary's class. I used them as my swap for the Open Swappers group.  Some of the gals received card 1 and the others received card 2.

 

 

Take a moment and click on the Open Swappers link and take a peek at what the other swappers made.

 

Thanks for stopping in.

Kristine

 

 



Blog Candy winners and a Fall Wreath

Thanks to Nancy and Nance for posting a comment or sending me an email.  Both ladies picked the embossed version.  (See my last post to understand what I'm talking about.) I will have the cards in the mail to you both toot sweet.  Since only two people responded, I decided to make them both winners!!

Are you curious which version Hubby picked? He liked the plain Gumball Green card stock.  I've always said he likes the simpler cards.  I should have known, huh?

Now onto today's share.  A Fall wreath. 

 

 

I saw a card similar to this when the stamp set Day of Gratitude first came out.  This is a simple layout, but the card itself takes some time to make.  Cutting out the leaves and acorns is time consuming.  Fortunate for me, I love paper cutting.  I made ten of these cards. Yes, that's 90 leaves and 50 acorns I cut out.  It was a couple hours of meditative paper cutting.  Ahhhh. 

 

 

Thanks for popping in.  Sending thankful thoughts to you for being one of my blog readers. 

 

Kristine

 

Recipe:

Stamps: Grateful Greetings, Day of Gratitude

Wood grain Embossing folder

Card stock: Whisper White, Early Espresso

Inks: Bravo Burgundy, Cajun Craze, Gumball Green, Early Espresso

Linen Thread,

Punches: Corner Rounder, Oval



October swap and some RAKs

Hello All.  Happy cooler weather!  Makes me do the happy dance. 

My share today is my swap for the Open Swappers group.  (Click on the Alpaca in the right side bar to see what the other swappers created.) I decided to create a holiday card.  This stamp set had not yet seen ink {gasp.  I love the drinking glasses and the fun sentiments.

This was the first version.  I liked it.  Then I got this bee in my bonnet that said one more thing.  Put some embossing on the Gumball Green card stock.  So I did.

Version 2.0

I showed the two versions to my son.  He said, "I like the one with the embossing."  (An aside...how many 14 year old boys love their mother enough to KNOW what embossing is?  I know!  I am loved.  {Big grin.})  Later in the day, after making all the swaps with the embossed back ground, I asked my daughter which version she preferred, totally anticipating that she would go for version 2.0 as well.  She didn't.  She liked the smooth paper better.  (Can you see the confuzzlement on my face?) Dear Hubby comes home.  He gets the question... which does he prefer? He was the tie breaker.  I was hoping he would go for the embossed version.  I had ALREADY finished the cards...all of them embossed.  Can you guess what he said? 

Wait!  A game.  You leave a comment as to which version you prefer and I will draw a name to win.  What do you win?  The card you prefer!! I'll draw a name before next week end.  Okay, off you go to make a comment.

Recipe:
Stamp set: Happy Hour
Dies: Spellbinders classic oval, Framelits Labels
Snowburst Embossing folder
Cardstock: Be of Good Cheer DSP, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green
Inks: cherry cobbler
Ribbon: Scallop Dots 1/2" Cherry cobbler
Punches: Wide Oval
Fun stuff: Dazzling details, Basic Rhinestone

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Something that is so cool, well besides the weather, is a card that comes in the US Postal Mail for no reason other than the sender was thinking of you.  Here are some cards I recently received as Random Acts of Kindness, or RAKS in the stamping/card making world.

 

Thanks Eleanor and Joanne for the kindness shared! 

 

 

Thanks for stopping in! 

Kristine

A time for some gratitude

Whew.  I have felt like a hamster on a wheel as of late.  I am grateful that the wheel is slowing and I'm preparing to climb off the wheel and work toward more "normal"... if there is such a thing in Life.  One of the things that I am grateful for are the customers who have decided to stick with me as their point of contact for Stampin' Up merchandise.  I made this card for those that ordered from me this month. It's a simple card.

 

This is my version of a vase full of mums.  Ever since being back east during the fall color change many moons ago, I have adored mums.  If you're wondering, the vase is punched out using the owl builder punch!  Clever eh? 

 

Thanks for continuing to stop in and visit.  I am grateful for your support!

 

Kristine



 

 

Recipe:

Stamps: Apothecary Art

Inks:  Soft Sky (retired), Bravo Burgundy

Paper: Watercolor paper, Bravo Burgundy, Apricot Appeal (retired), Really Rust (retired), Creamy Caramel (retired)

Punches: Owl Builder Punch, Triple flower punch (retired)

Fun tools and embellies: Aqua painter, basic rhinestones (colored with a orange and yellow Sharpies)

A Fall card

Demonstrators for Stampin' Up! get a monthly magazine called Stampin' Success.  There is always something in there that gets a response from me.  This time it was a card designed by Lisa Dolson from the great state of Montana.  I copied her card, except that I do not have the same stamp sets she has, nor do I have the patience she has to score a card the way she did.  I have searched the vast web to see if she has a website/blog. I cannot find either.  I cannot legally show her card on my blog, soooo you'll have to either imagine what she did, or become a demo to see the magazine. :-)  Here's some differences...she used a leaf stamp set different than the one I have used, she had a different sentiment, and she scored the die cut piece whereas I used the new wood grain embossing folder...so much cinchier. (is that a word?  Mr Spellchecker says no, but I'm using it anyway.) Colors and layout are the same.   

Here is my version:

Can you see why it won the art contest?  Once I had all the leaves made and cut, I decided a little shimmer would be extra nice.  Can you see the light sparkle on the leaves?  Purdy.

I liked this card so much that I made more of them for my Open Swappers friends as my swap card.  Click the link in the right side bar (the cute alpaca!) to see what all the swappers made.  Then contact me to join in the swapping fun.

Recipe:
Stamps: Autumn Leaf Prints, All Year Cheer
Dies: Labels Framelit, Woodgrain embossing folder
Paper: Very Vanilla
Inks: Cajun Craze, Lucky Limade, More Mustard, Island Indigo, Soft Suede
Fun embellies: Champagne Shimmer paint, Linen thread, a button from my collection.

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Thank you to those of you who have emailed me to ask after my mom's health.  I appreciate the prayers and support.  She is doing well!! We go back to California this Friday to see how well she has healed from the surgery and to get a prognosis.  More prayers are always welcome!

Thanks for dropping in.

Happy Fall!

Kristine

Mojo Monday 260

I am so glad to be posting today.  You have no idea.  So let's get right to it!

I played along with the Mojo Monday crowd today.  If you look through my blog, you will note that I do not make many square cards.  No reason for that.  I suppose the idea just doesn't hit my creative brain spot when crafting.  Nice to try something different.

This is my Friend's son, Kyle.  He is really into dinosaurs right now.  The picture is a little old, but just too cute! 

 

And a peek at the inside of the card. 

 

 

Thanks to Julee for the great sketch.  I had fun!  Here is the sketch that I followed.

 



Thanks for stopping in.  I missed you!
(note: the card recipe is below)

Kristine

Recipe:
Paper: SU Brocade Blue (retired), SU Chocolate chip
Design paper: Little Yellow Bicycle's babysauraus
Punches: 1 3/4" circle, Scallop Trim border
Ribbon: SU 1 1/4" striped Chocolate chip Grosgrain