drum roll please

 Hello Friends, Just popping in this evening (as promised) to announce the winner of Summer Card Camp 2...drum roll please :)

A super big congrats to #85 Cat Craig. Thanks to you all for entering. I hope you follow OCC on twitter because they will announce other giveaways...so don't give up. Have a great week. Hugs, Kathy

Summer Card Camp 2 Giveaway

Hello again my friends, Today I’m super excited to be taking part in the new Summer Card Camp 2 workshop from Online Card classes! The Sneak Peek is my card I created for the Card Camp. I have a technique that I discovered and can't wait for you to see it in the class. 
In case you haven't heard anything about the camp, here are some details....

Join your Online Card Classes Summer Camp counselors—Kristina Werner, Jennifer McGuire, and friends (including me!)—for a three-week adventure packed with cardmaking ideas! Each day, you’ll discover a new way to have fun with your cardmaking supplies, whether we’re exploring a color combo, transforming a design sketch, or learning a new technique together. Summer Card Camp 2 includes designs from over 40 guest artists (yay!), lively videos, PDFs containing step-by-step instructions, shopping discounts, and loads of giveaways! Plus, you’ll have lifetime access to all of the class content—talk about making that summertime feeling last! Summer Card Camp 2 runs July 8- July29. Sign up now for only $35!

Would you like to win a spot in this class?!  Please leave a comment on my blog (be sure to include your name and email).  I'll pick and announce a random winner tomorrow evening on  7.1.13  :)  Good luck!

Scroll down for some Google reader suggestions. Did you know that Google reader will be shut down as of JULY FIRST ?? Thanks for your visit today. Hugs, Kathy

google reader is ending

Hello Friends, How are you? I am sure by now you are aware that Google Reader will be shut down on July 1st! GASP! If Google Connect is the way you get your blog updates .... you will need to find a new way to see your favorite blogs. 

Before we get into it I want to thank you for "following me" rather my blog for all these years .... For continuing to visit each post or occasionally. Your support is what keeps me posting and I am more grateful than I can convey. Thank YOU!  ;^) 

I have two suggestions for you to transfer your Google Readers if you haven't already. 

1. Freedly & (click here to follow me via Freedly) Freedly has a "ONE CLICK Google Reader Import" so it should be painless. :) 

2. Bloglovin' ( you can read the "How to" here ) & click here to follow me via Bloglovin)

The New Your Times did a great article on Google Reader. Thanks to Patti for sending this to me. You can read the article here.

Another option is to SUBSCRIBE ... I will have a new way to do that soon with FeedBlitz. (FeedBurner is on the outs as well!! ) 

I have boards on Pinterest here.  

One last thing... I am more active on Instragram and posting more personal photos or random stuff that you may... or... may not find interesting. You can see a slide show of the photos in the upper right hand of my blog. If you are looking for me on Instragram search for "Kathy Rac"

Later today I have a giveaway to Online Card Classes. woot woot! See you soon 

I have to leave you with a photo of some Penny Black waiting to find a card. 

winners and card kit

Hello Friends, How are you? Yesterday I couldn't resist playing with the July Card Kit from Simon Says Stamp again. These papers make me so happy. LOVE the blues and greens together. Playing with die cuts can be so rewarding. I hope you like the patterns on the butterflies. Before I forget I want to  thank you for your feedback on your thoughts about the brick wall in my last post. 95% of you like the stone wall the best. :)

I wanted to share how I created the background leaving most of the hexagons intack. When you place your die cut on the platform before cutting .... place it facing up. Like in the photo so when you remove it they don't all fall out. You can pick a few out or sometimes Murphy's law picks them for you.

You must tape them ALL down to hold them in place. This is another way to use the background die cuts. OR this way. You really can get pretty creative if you want with these dies.

I die cut three papers at the same time using the "Hexagon Circle Die" so it was SUPER EASY to glue down the top layer once I removed a few of the hexagons. I cut a portion of the boarder and used the scrap on this small butterfly. I wanted it to look like it was lifting it off the die... but, to hard to make that work with my busy background. 

I like the technique and the randomness if it ... I did it again with the larger "Paulina Butterfly".

In the photo my card looks a little busy... don't you think? but,when the card is in your hands it works. I hope you like it.

and now...let's get to business! again I thank you all for your patience and for entering my giveaways!! Finally we have two winners! A BIG CONGRATS TO ARLENE & JOEY. 
(I will email you soon)

                           The winner for the July Card kit as seen in in my last post is: 

and the winner of the star die cut as seen in this post is:

Thanks for your visit and.....always... always...I am grateful! Have a happy day, Kathy
CARD SUPPLIES AND LINKS:

giveaway and enlarging a stamp

Hello Friends, How are you today? Any fun plans for the weekend? How about something sweet?
It's Simon Says Stamp Card Kit time! You know what that means right?
I have Simons JULY 2013 CARD KIT TO GIVEAWAY TO ONE LUCKY WINNER. You know the drill.... just leave me a comment and I will randomly pick a winner to be announced July 4th. 

I couldn't decide what photo I liked best...with the stone wall or not. Would love to hear your feedback on that. :) Creating these realistic sized cupcakes was easy and fun. I  will be cooking up more cupcakes this weekend without heating up the kitchen or giving me a sugar high.

I have to tell you there hasn't been one Card Kit that I haven't loved. (well... when SSS first started out they didn't use the SSS brand stamps.... so that's the exception ... now they always do) The great thing is the value... in case you are new to my blog... the value of these card kits are exceptional. For example, the stamp set is $14.99 and if you subscribe the Card Kit is only $19.95. Go figure... I still can't figure that out. Such a good deal! The best part is you can opt out if you want...some card kits don't give you that flexibility. You can check it all out here. 

There are always fun elements in the card kits that give my cards a new look. Todays post is just paper and glossy accents.  I just had to enlarge the cupcake in the stamp set called, "CupCake Party"

I enlarged the cupcake, traced it onto some white cardboard and cut it out in sections. (The cardboard was rescued from some packaging) You can see the original size of the cupcake on the right. 

I used my cardboard cupcake to trace on the patterned paper. I drew another oval shape for some filler. 

After gluing my pieces together I roughly traced another cupcake for the back or the card and the back of the cupcake (to give it a finished look) You can trace one and cut two at the same time. 

Here it is in all its glory. Love the glossy cherry... I used TWO coats of Glossy Accents. 

If you want to make a faster cupcake card just trace the top part of the cake like I did here. I almost enlarged the heart and stars in stamp set... BUT, I remembered that I had this die cut.. the perfect sizes for so many uses. A BIG time saver too. 

Note : Please take another look at the hearts... I felt like I had to go over the edges with a black marker. 

I just love how Glossy Accents brings stuff to life. Do you like the look of the outlined hearts?

It's fun to have an all occasion cupcake sized card. Stay tuned for more low cal cupcakes. I also wanted to thank you for taking the time to hop over to the Simon Says Stamp blog in my past post. I really appreciate the time that it takes  :^)
On another note .... Soon I will celebrating my blog Birthday and am gathering my favorite goodies that I use all the time. It will be a BIG GIVEAWAY. You might want to subscribe to my blog if you don't ready. I hear Google Reader will be dissolving soon and I have to read up options etc.
Enjoy you weekend! Hugs, Kathy
P.S. DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT AND AN EMAIL (if you don't have a blog) FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN THE JULY 2013 CARD KIT. THANK YOU SIMON for letting me give one of these beautiful card kits away. 

CARD SUPPLIES & LINKS:

simon says summer school PLUS giveaway

Greetings Friends, How are you today? We just returned from a trip to Spain (more on that soon) and I'm home just in the nick of time to share this sneak peek with you AND A GIVEAWAY :)

I feel so fortunate to be one of the many featured artists that have been sharing cards in Simon Says Stamp SUMMER CAMP! I have really been enjoying all the posts for the last few weeks from Spain. On The SSS blog today you will find out how I hid those pesky smudges that I sometimes get on a stamped card.

Simon Says Stamp PETAL PIECES is up for grabs.  

You will see 3 more cards of mine at the Simon Says Stamp BLOG.If you leave a comment on their blog you will be entered to win The "PETAL PIECES". Please leave me a comment here letting me know that you visited SSS blog. This way I will be sure to select one of my readers.If you don't have a blog PLEASE include your email address. I will announce the random winner June 23rd. 

Since I am buried in laundry, errands and my DD's B.D (18th) I am extending this giveaway until SATURDAY 12PM. winners will be announced Sunday for both contests. Thank you so much for your visit today and for popping over to Simon's blog. Have a great weekend, Kathy

P.S. Recently I used Petal Pieces in the background of this card.

did you see this?

Hello Friends, How are you today? I thought I would share this card again in case you missed it on the SRM blog. The image is from Penny Black and it's the sweetest thing ever. The sentiment and banners are from SRM stickers. (you can see all the stickering I did on the blog here.)
Hoping your day is full of sunshine. Stay tuned for a giveaway soon. Hugs, Kathy

CARD SUPPLIES AND LINKS