Sparkly Candy Cane Critter Ornaments

 I Love Christmas, this wonderful season has so endearing many memories and reasons that it will always be my favorite time of the year. Not only is it the birth of our blessed Lord and Savior, but it's a time to look forward to family time, gift giving, a warm beautiful feeling, and sparkly ornaments and decor. What other time of the year gives you the excuse to craft as many sparkly things as your heart desires?
I have this tradition that I started a number of years ago where I make my Mom, aunt and siblings a handmade Christmas tree ornament, it started out as a beaded one, but over the years as my crafting abilities advanced, I slowly started trying my hand at different techniques and designs.
Pictured hare are some paper Ornaments I made using layers of cardstock and cardboard to create a thick durable strong ornament. The pieces were cut using my Cricut Explore using a design from Little Scraps of Heaven designs here, cutting file. I cut a shadow image from a few layers of cardboard, stuck them together, and assembled the outer layers from colored cardstock, after gluing all the layers together I applied a few layers of Modge Podge for durability and strength. I applied glitter to the candy cane after the first layer of modge podge, than sealed it with a few more layers. after they were dry I drilled hanging holes in the top and bottem and added the establishments and bows.
I'm going to be entering this in an Ornament contest over at Fave Crafts http://www.favecrafts.com/blog/fc/

Till next time 

Kara

Inked Background Card

 Today I'm back with a Graduation card I created by using a number of different inks, I started with a plain white background. Using 3 or 4 different alcohol inks I dropped random drops on the paper allowing them to blend, I sprayed a few times with alcohol/water solution to encourage more blending and to cover the entire page, I then used a glimmer mist ink spray to add a more deeper blue to my page and create an even coloring. After my ink was dry I embossed a flourish with silver metalic ink and embossing powder.
My bear and flower die-cut is a cut file from Little Scraps of Heaven, go here "Make a wish Bear" as is the label I used for a sentiment frame. After putting it all together I added some rhinestones to give the flourish more effect, I tried to create a magcial effect.

I'm entering this into contest on the Craft Stamper magazine blog, the requirement is to use 2 or more inks or ink colors, "Lets get Inky" here

Giraffe Scene card

I was asked to create a more masculine card with a giraffe recently, so this is what I came up with, I couldn't find a giraffe cutting file that didn't' seem cute or child themed so I created one from a google search clip art,
I used some Little scraps of Heaven Design cutting files (found here) "Wave Scallop Border" and vegetation from a file named "Harvest squirrels".
I kept the card in a twilight theme by creating all my pieces in shadow colors, for the sunset background I used glimmer mists and an embossing folder to create the scene.
I'm going to be entering this in a challenge over at Craftin Desert Divas Blogspot Linky Party challenge "Create a Scene" here
and also in Die Cuttin Divas Anything Goes challenge, here

Latest cards

Lately I've been thinking about mixed media and how I would love to try my hand at it, I've been watching videos and following blogs, but I still have a lot to learn. I'm not sure if these cards fall into that category but I did try a few different and new technique for the backgrounds.

I've created a few cards today that I'd like to enter into the Simon Says Anything Challenge.

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-25/

This is my first time entering this challenge,

For this first card I used some distress ink to create the background, I first stamped my sentiment with cooper embossing powder, then crumpled my paper and rubbed Peeled Paint green ink over it, the creased picked up the most ink, I added some yellow for more color, I then misted it with water to blend, after heat drying I straightened it and attached it to my card base.

I used Little Scraps of Heaven Design cutting files here, "Swirly frame" and "Bee with Flower"

http://littlescrapsofheavendesigns.com/

For this card I tried a new technique I learned over at a wonderful blog, but failed miserable at it, You first spread Ink over your background piece, which worked fine, I used Peeled Paint green, and then you use a stencil to spray a fine mist over the inked piece and heat set it. Here is where I failed, eighter my ink spray wasn't working or I used too much, I'm not sure, but when I lifted my stencil I had blobs of mist not a perfect pattern as the tutorial shows, but I decided to save it by running it through my cuddlebug with an embossing folder, which turned out great, I then took my Weathered Wood distress pad and ran it over the embossed design to pick up color, misted and heat set, I love how my background piece looks now. To add a little more shine I used my mister with some silver alcohol ink to add a few more splotches of ink,

LSHD files used "Swirly Frames', "Fox with Tulips" and "Silhouette Butterflies"

Till Next Time

Kara

Just a few of my favorite...

Hello everybody in blogger land, today I'm sharing a few cards I created for my posts over at Little Scraps of Heaven Designs where I'm on the Design Team.
This is the website http://littlescrapsofheavendesigns.com/
and here is the Facebook page, I love creating for LSHD, the cutting files are ever the cutest,

I created this card for my younger sister's birthday, she loves tea, so this design was perfect, this file is called "You Warm my Heart" and can be found on the LSHD website, (link above)

I love how this one turned out, this one uses a few different files, "Little Buggers, My flower Garden, and "Scroll"

The little birdie and bird house I used here is so cute, it comes from a cutting file called "Winter Bear", flowers are from "My flower garden"

Love the fancy flourish frames found in "Fancy Photo Collection"

Hope you enjoyed my little card showing, Lately I've been creating mostly cards and these are just a few of the many I'm made in the past 2 months.

Till Next time

Kara

Cards, cards and more cards.

Lately I've been into card making. I haven't posted in awhile due to not feeling well, but now that things are finally starting to settle down hopefully I'll be able to craft and share more. As I said lately it's been all about cards, I love creating cards but they tend to pile up so easily, so I try to keep my stash at a minimum, but a friend asked me for a batch of 25 cards so I've been making them like crazy for the past few weeks.
I still work as a design team member over at Little Scraps of Heaven, here, so almost all the die-cuts I use on my cards are from LSHD, I cut the super cute patterns on my Cricut machine,
I love portraying my faith with my work so a lot of my cards have scripture or inspirational verses on them, the one in the card above comes from a sticker sheet I found at a local Dollar Tree store. My card bases are pre-printed notecards that someone gifted me with, they are blank inside so they are perfect to use as a base for my cards, I love the cute patterns they have.
I used a few different colors papers to create the layered oval  and added some gold ribbon behind it for a finishing touch.

This card is also made using one of my pre-printed bases, here I used a back panel that I created by embossing a pattern with my cuddlebug, and added color by blending chalks and gelatos together to created kind of a mixed media piece, (sorry the picture doesn't show it better) The cross and butterfly are also from LSHD's patterns, but the ribbon banner (I think) is a cricut cut, I added some metallic tape and bling as a finishing touch.. My sentiment is stamped.

Here I used a layered background, top is embossed and distressed with inks, a sentiment sticker is framed by a layered mat. flowers and flourishes are also LSHD patterns, I finished with a touch of stickles in the flower centers and a puffy butterfly sticker.

I love how this card turned out, it kind of has a vintage appeal, something I kind of find hard to achieve, lol, the card is a few layered panels on a pre-printed base, the long purple is stamped with a darker ink, the top is embossed and colored by blending a few shades of chalks together, I stamped a flower image using a Heartfelt Creations stamp from the Majestic Morning collection, added some shaped die-cut flowers on top for a 3D look, all the stamped images are colored using gelatos. I finished with a gold bow and a stamped sentiment.