I got an Arte y Pico

How amazing is this?! Tina Fussell {travelingmama} nominated me for the Arte y Pico award, thanks Tina!!

Here are the rules for the award:
1. You pick five blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribute to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone. Remember to leave the person a comment or email to let them know they received the award.
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and the link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4. Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of Arte y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

Here are my picks for the Arty y Pico:
Jen Tapler
Dawn Easton
Britiney Jean
Ashley Van Camp
Alex Maldonado

Thanks ladies for always inspiring me!

Hop on over to their blog and see their amazing projects - you won't be disappointed!

and the winner is...

Char!

Char in So Cal said...
Congrats on hitting 20k... your blog is FAB!!I have ben stamping for 6 years and right at this very moment I am in a slump. My mojo went on vacation sometime last month and I am just waiting for it to come back to me... yah know?? Thanks for the op tp win some really YUMMY blog candy and congrats again!!

June 21, 2008 11:37 PM

Congratulations Char! This is the blog candy that you've won -

An assortment of prints paper (6x6), buttons, brads, and flower fusion felt flowers. And of course the bag of her choice. I so wish I could do more for all of you because you all have done so much for me - thank you all for your kind words of encouragement along the way!!

Thank you to everyone who posted a comment - I really enjoyed reading your crafting stories, and I found out that I'm not the only one who hoards my paper and accessories! Ha! I am getting better about using them now, whew!

Have a great day everyone and I'll be back soon.

I'm back!

Ok, I'm back, but life has been crazy with swimming lessons and a traveling carnival we all went to yesterday, so I didn't get a chance to pick a winner for my blog candy yet. Stay tuned, I promise I'll pick here shortly! Just got to get the kiddos a late lunch and off to nap and I'll be back.

my crafty space

Welcome to my crafting space! Let me show you around. I still need to hang curtains and pictures and make it more comfy-cozy, but we all have to start somewhere, right? Here is the general view - my craft room is actually our loft and it is nestled between all the kids' bedrooms.



This is my desk and I absolutely love this hutch. It stores so many things, and they are right at my fingertips. Up in the top right cabinet I keep my Taylored Expressions stamps, my Spellbinders dies, and all my craft magazines. In the other cabinet I have markers and other embellishments.



I like to keep items I use most often right on my desk so I can easily grab them and put them away. I bought 2 Magpie Black Nesting Storage Systems to store my Copic Markers, ink pads, rhinestones and some die cut templates. I've been looking everywhere for the little tins that go inside, but I'm thinking they've stopped manufacturing them - they are nowhere!! I still have compartments to fill too! My husband bought a wallet not too long ago, so I stole the box it came and now I use it to hold my Stickles, Liquid Pearls, and other items that tend to get lost in the shuffle.



I have a very tall bookshelf that has closed doors on the bottom where I store all sorts of odds and ends that I don't get out very often and on the shelves I have all my stamps, photo albums, and a box to hold all the cards I have for sale. Oh, my beautiful children are featured there as well!



Last, here is where I store all my card stock. I organize all the paper by color - each color has its own hanging file, and in that file is a manilla file folder where I keep the scrap pieces of that color. The folder is labeled with the color name and little card stock circle for easy reference. This has been the best way I've found to keep me organized - love it! My daughter knows the system too, so she's great at finding what she needs and putting the pieces back where she found them.



Thank you so much for stopping by today!
Karen

another color challenge

Hi! Just a quick post today because I'm frantically working to get last minute things done and set before I leave tomorrow for our MOPS retreat. I can't believe how fast this week has flown by! This is the card I did for Kristina Werner's color challenge this week - river rock, regal rose, purely pomegranate, wild wasabi, and whisper white. Five colors is a HUGE challenge! I'm pretty sure I got them all in this time though.

Have a great weekend everyone and thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned for a crazy post on Saturday too. *wink*

~Karen

Details -

paper: river rock, wild wasabi, whisper white, regal rose

stamps: polkadots & petals, petals jumbo wheel

ink: white craft, wild wasabi, rose red, purely pomegranate

accessories: rose wide grosgrain ribbon, 1-1/4 & 1-3/8" square punches, stampin' dimensionals

time for some blog candy...

...Let's Make a Deal style! I came across this adorable little tote on Cindy's blog yesterday and I knew I *had* to make one too! So cute, don't you think? So here's the deal - I've just passed 20,000 hits on my blog and I'm just so floored and excited that you all keep coming back here to say hi and check out my cards and other little crafty items. I originally started this blog so I would hold myself accountable to use the things I buy to scrapbook and make cards and it has turned out to be so much more fun than I imagined. It's only been 5 months too! I've "met" some wonderful people in my journey and I'm very excited to see where the next 20,000 hits take me. Thanks to you all for lifting my crafting spirits! Ok, back on track here - I have some blog candy to give away and the winner will pick which bag they would like. From left to right, #1, #2, and #3. The winner will receive the bag and all the contents, which I'll reveal after the lucky winner chooses the prize. Be sure you don't pick the one with the donkey and cart full of hay, ok? Ha! Sound fun? Here's how to enter. Please leave a comment here at this post and tell me how far you've come in your crafting journey - Do you hoard less than you used to? Are you using more layers and bling? I know when I first started making cards it was pretty scary - my layers were miscut and crooked and forget coloring! I've definitely obtained more fun tools and accessories to use - I still have my eye on that Cricut, but that will have to be purchased on a major sale! Ok, enough rambling for now.

If you'd like to make a tote, you can view the tutorial here at Diana Gibbs' blog.

I'll choose a winner Sunday, June 29th at 2:00 when I get back from my MOPS retreat. Have a fun weekend! See you back soon.

~Karen

Details -
#3

stamps: seeing spots
paper: cutie pie dsp, so saffron, whisper white cardstock
ink: so saffron
accessories: a.muse mini twinkle stickers, round tab punch, 1/4" circle punch, slit punch, white grosgrain ribbon

#2
paper: east coast prep dsp, wild wasabi, soft sky cardstock
accesories: flower punches (ek success), black brads, round tab punch, 1/4" circle punch, slit punch, white grosgrain ribbon

#1

paper: berry bliss dsp, close to cocoa cardstock

accessories: flower punches (ek success), pretty in pink brads, round tab punch, 1/4" circle punch, slit punch, pink/cocoa grosgrain ribbon

a very TALL hello

Well this card seems to tower and I should have put a bigger scallop at the bottom, but I'm just going to leave it. Anyway - on to another retiring set, Taggers Dozen. Sigh... I use this set all the time for little greetings, not so much for tags though. I thought the little circles went well with the challenge picture and the circles from the cuttlebug embossing folder. I haven't used that one in a while either.

This one is for Kristina's color challenge and it was a tough one! She was nice enough to add Wild Wasabi to the mix even though it wasn't in the picture, thanks Kristina! Today's colors are So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, and Sahara Sand. The card layout is from Beate's weekend sketch challenge, which is her last for the summer. I'll miss them every week and it will make them more fun when she returns in the fall!

Have a great weekend - I'm off to Taylor's blog to do her Cupcake Challenge because it's a super cute one too! So I might see you back here before Monday.

Thanks for stopping by again today!
~Karen

Details -
paper: sahara sand, wild wasabi textured cardstock, whisper white, so saffron cardstock
ink: wild wasabi, so saffron, versamark
stamps: tagger's dozen
accessories: so saffron brads, clear embossing powder, spots and dots embossing folder, stampin' dimensionals

it's a girl

Hello! I fell in love with Lauren Meader's adorable little onesie cards she made back in January and I was really wanting to try it out way back when, but got distracted. So here it is today! Just like me, always way on top of the trends... {not really!} You can see Lauren's tutorial here if you'd like to try it out. I didn't have any white brads, so I took silver brads, inked the top in versamark ink and heat embossed them in white embossing powder a couple of times. Worked like a charm!

Thanks for stopping by today!
~Karen

Details -
paper: soft sky, whisper white cardstock
ink: blue bayou, versamark
stamps: little pieces, nursery necessities
accessories: 1-3/8" circle punch, scallop punch, silver brads, white embossing powder

hey hey hey, goodbye...

The retiring list is out for Stampin' Up! and there are some I'll be missing, that's for sure. The Great Swaps Girls blog has set out a challenge to use retiring sets and the 2008 In Colors for a final send-off. I chose to use Sweet Shapes and Little Pieces, these poor neglected sets on my shelf. I have used them recently, but before that it was a looong looong time. What are your favorite retiring sets? Do you have many in your collection retiring? I'm lucky this year, only 18, ha! Seriously, last year they got me good - I think I had around 40 and that made me realize I had WAY too many stamps at home. I've been better this year. I've used the splitcoast sketch challenge for my card. And hey, surprise, it's based off of a card from Kristina Werner, so I knew I'd like the sketch.

Enjoy your day and thanks again for stopping by!
~Karen

Details -

stamps: sweet shapes, little pieces

paper: soft sky, blue bayou, purely pomegranate, groovy guava, whisper white cardstock

ink: soft sky, purely pomegranate, groovy guava, river rock

accessories: purely pomegranate double stitched grosgrain ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

happy heart

It's time for another Kristina color challenge - woo hoo! Alright, I'm a bit crazy with them, but I love the inspiration especially with colors I don't normally use - kind of like Going Gray... What? This week's colors are Rose Red, Old Olive, Whisper White, Going Gray, and So Saffron. Can I use black and call it Really Really Dark Going Gray? hee! I'm glad to have been pushed to use it because I love the accent Going Gray creates. And... here is more of the chipboard I promised too! Still {heart} chipboard.

Have a wonderful weekend and Father's Day -
Karen

Details -
stamps: friendship blooms

paper: going gray, old olive, stampers select white (papertrey ink) cardstock, so saffron/rose red prints dsp

ink: old olive, going gray

accessories: on board blossoms & basics/lots of letters, tombo multi adhesive, paper piercer/template

tiny project gone crazy

Hi there! The past couple of days I have been working on getting a project done for my MOPS group. We are already frantically getting ready for next year because our leadership retreat is in 2 weeks! Anyway, we were trying to figure out a cute way to personalize our leadership bags and we came up with decorating keychains to hang on the zipper. Well, this is what came of it - 25 of them... I think they are so much fun! Our theme is Adventures in Motherhood with a themepark kind of logo, so we went with bright colors and themepark food. The flip side of the keychain is a monogram, for that personal touch. Anyway - no cards today, but I did do something crafty, so I thought I'd share. Now, if you are reading this blog and are at my MOPS group, pretend you didn't see this and be thoroughly surprised on the 28th, k?!

~Karen

Details -

all the images are clip art from word art and the monogram font is ck applause. the lettering around the clip art was made in photoshop elements and the font is 2p's lighthouse.

5 minute card

Hello! Are you enjoying your Tuesday? It's 93 degrees here today and Avery just went to the pool with her Auntie and cousins, so I had time for a quick card to post. I'm still trying to get used to the summer schedule with Avery home all day and me trying to get in a work-out and such. Today I did yoga and that was hysterical! My balance is so out of whack since having kids - it's almost embarassing really. I was an athelete after all! Looking around the class, I wasn't the only one having issues, so that made me feel better. I guess I need to keep going! Alright - this card is made from the Fresh-Cut Notes that are part of the Fresh-Cut Sneak Peek promotion at Stampin' Up! Talk about an easy card - I just stamped pumpkin pie on so saffron using the bigger background image and stuck it behind the flower cut-out, added a felt flower, rhinesone brad, ribbon and stamped 'for you' and there. Done!

Thanks so much for swinging by - see you soon!
~Karen

Details -
stamps: fresh cuts
ink: pumpkin pie
paper: so saffron, fresh cuts notes
accessories: accent & elements felt flowers, pumpkin pie striped grosgrain ribbon, fire circle rhinestone brad

fresh mojo

Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend - ours was busy, but we had fun. I only sold 2 cards at the garage sale, bummer. Looks like I'll need to hold off on those multimillion dollar company ideas... heh! So be looking for new additions to my etsy store soon!

It's Monday - so it's Mojo Monday over it Julee Tilman's blog. Her sketch today is SO me, so I jumped all over it as soon as the wee ones went down for a nap. I am going to be so sad when the 2007 In Color colors retire next month. I hope I like the 2008 colors just as much! That's it for today, I'm running out of 'free' time, so off to clean up a bit. Thanks for stopping by!

~Karen

Details -
stamps: fresh cuts
paper: stampers select white (papertrey, ink), soft sky cardstock, blue bayou prints dsp
ink: blue bayou
accessories: corner rounder, vintage brads, blue bayou double stitched grosgrain ribbon, nestabilities rectangle/scallop

surprised!!!

Now that I've scraped myself off the floor I can tell you my exciting news! Saturday afternoon I got an invitation to join the second group of Great Swaps Girls... yes, me! I am just so honored to join such a phenomenal group of stampers. Thanks so much ladies - I look forward to swapping!

~Karen

weekend sketch challenge 51

Hi! Today we are having a massive neighborhood garage sale and I'm putting my cards out to see if anyone will have any interest in them. I'm hoping! I have so many I need to sell. Today's sketch is from the marvelous Beate and her weekend sketch challenge. I just got some of the super fun pumpkin pie striped grosgrain ribbon and jumped right in with it. I used my corner rounder to make the scalloped edge in wild wasabi along the bottom.

Have a wonderful weekend - see you back here on Monday.
~Karen

Details -
stamps: in my thoughts
ink: black staz-on
paper: kraft, wild wasabi, vellum cardstock, jersey shore dsp
accessories: pumpkin pie striped grosgrain ribbon, vintage brads, nestabilities rectange/scallop, stampin dimensionals.

you take the cake

Happy Friday! Taylor over at Taylored Expressions has a weekly cupcake challenge and I always love her sketches, but usually I run out of time to take part in her contests. Not this time! I really liked this sketch since it used a card size that I rarely make - it was nice to get off the A2 merry-go-round, ha!

Have a fantastic weekend! Thanks for stopping by today.
~Karen

Details -
stamps: event full
ink: staz-on black, groovy guava, river rock
paper: stampers select white (papertrey ink), purely pomegranate textured, groovy guava cardstock, cutie pie dsp
accessories: blender pens, nestabilities circles and scallop circle, groovy guava double stitched grosgrain ribbon, stampin dimensionals

the whole enchilada - part 2

Here is the finished project for the 3x3 cards, envelopes and matching box. So worth the extra effort to get these finished. I see a stamp camp in my future! The envelope template can be seen as a link in Jami's post here, it's very easy to do and I used the box template directly from the challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Karen

Details -

stamps: by ones & by twos

ink: basic black

paper: stampers select white (papertrey, ink), mellow moss, so saffron cardstock, so saffron prints dsp

accessories: moss grosgrain ribbon, nestibilities scallop rectangle and rectangle, stampin dimensionals

envelopes!

Oh my gosh!! I'm so excited - a stamping friend on splitcoast gave me an AWESOME envelope template. I'm finishing up the box and envelops for the 3x3 challenge and I'll post them later this afternoon. YES!

my stamping buddy

I only had time to do a quick card and I copied the idea from the eSCAPE brochure from Stampin' Up! today. This 3x3 size is so easy to do - not a whole lot of empty areas to fill in, so it's a cheaty card, ha! Now I just need to make the envelope to go with it.

So when I was making my baby 3x3's the other day, Avery wanted to make some too and these are the cards she made completely by herself. She loves to make cards with me when the babies are sleeping and usually makes cards for her cousins that live next door and other times it's her preschool friends. I love that she likes to stamp and use all the fun tools. She's already eyeballing the cuttlebug for kids - so cute.

That's it for today - see you around tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by and saying hi.

~Karen

Details - happy

stamps: it's all good

ink: groovy guava

paper: river rock, soft sky, stampers select white (papertrey, ink) cardstock; river rock prints dsp

accessories: soft sky double stitched grosgrain ribbon, 1", 1-1/4" circle punches, stampin dimensionals

the whole enchilada - part 1

Monday's 'try a new technique' challenge over at splitcoast was to make some 3x3 cards along with matching envelopes and box. I was all over it! I've been wanting to make one of these sets for a while and this was the kick in the rear I needed. So I'm cruising along making my cards, no problem and then I get to the envelopes. Well, the template printed smaller on my printer so after cutting one out I found it didn't fit and that's where I ran out of time - the door creaked open and Andrew popped out "Good morning mommy!" (this is what he says whenever he gets up, naps too - cutie...) Pack it up, get it all back out another day. So that's where I am. I'll figure out the box and envelopes and post those another time.

~Karen

Details -
stamps: by ones & by twos
ink: basic black
paper: stampers select white (papertrey, ink), mellow moss, so saffron cardstock, so saffron prints dsp
accessories: moss grosgrain ribbon, nestibilities scallop rectangle and rectangle, stampin dimensionals

maren

I have been in stamper heaven for the past couple of weeks - another one of my favorite stampers, Maren (aka mmbc on splitcoast), has been selected as this week's featured stamper. I had such a hard time narrowing down which one of her fantastic cards to case and I finally chose this one. The butterfly is stamped on the white cardstock and then again on soft sky prints designer series paper and cut out to fit over the other image. You can find a tutorial on paper piecing here - a very creative way to fill in those blank images without needing to color them.

Thanks for swinging by today!
~Karen

Details -
stamps: absolutely fabulous, merci
paper: soft sky textured cardstock, jersey shore dsp, soft sky prints dsp, pumpkin pie cardstock
ink: black staz-on
accessories: american crafts ribbon, circle/scallop circle nestabilities, micro & mini dot twinkle stickers (a.muse), paper piercing template