At The Beach - Challenge 5

Our Challenge for July is ...

At The Beach !!

Here are some inspirational photos from our team ...

Cathy

  Kathy E

  I Bee Scrappin  

        Jolene  

All you need to do is link up below.  It is easy !!

           

Challenge 4 - Red, White and Blue

Hi Everyone !

Things aren't quite the same without our little shop, are they.

This month our challenge is Red, White and Blue !!

Here is an inspirational photo ...

Along with a general patriotic theme, we also have ....

Quilting

Stars 

Medalion

Hopefully, one of these will "spark" your interest !!

AND from our creative team, we have the following ...

Jolene

Cathy 

  Kathy

  I Bee Scrappin  

Jan

chai tea 'n me

Our challenge will be open until July 1st !

Challenge 3 - Vintage, Mother's Day

Hi Everyone !  Our creative team is back with May's challenge for you.

Our theme this month is

Vintage

and/or

Mother's Day

Here is what our team has for you this month ...

Cathy

Vivian

Scrapbottom Girls

Kathy

  I Bee Scrappin  

 

Jolene 

Scrapbottom Girls 

Jan

chai tea 'n me

All you have to do to play along is to link up a photo of your work below !  It is real easy, and lots of fun !!

Hope you will join us this month !!

Tuesday inspiration

Hi Everyone !  Jan here today with a tag, using Faber Gelato and some recycled material.

The background on this tag is a manila tag covered with some adhered tissue from an old Butterick wedding dress pattern.  I used Faber Gelato "crayons", which look like crayons when you smear them on a project, but with a tiny bit of water, blend perfectly.  For those of you who find alcohol inks difficult to work with, these are perfect, and very clean.

Do you ever shop at Goodwill ?  You can find patterns there for about $1, and can also use this tissue for a cute (and very different) gift bag stuffer.

Karen still has some of these Faber Gelato crayons left - stop in her shop, everything is marked down !!!

Challenge 2 - Asian

Hello Everyone !

Welcome to April's Challenge !  This month our theme is Asian.

Here is a lovely inspirational photo for you ...

You may use any kind of Asian theme you choose !

And here is our Design Team's interpretation ...

Kathy

  I Bee Scrappin    

Cathy

Vivian

Jolene

Jan

chai tea 'n me

Link up your entry below.  Karen still has some Asian paper available, pop in and see her if you need some for your entry !

March Challenge Winner !

In March we featured our very first challenge, which was themed GREEN.   Our design team had a fun time with that one !!

Our winner was ...

Cherylynn

We hope to have a winner's button by next month for our winner to display on their blog sidebar.

Our new challenge will begin tomorrow, with an Asian theme.  Our design team has been working hard to make something really special for you,  so check back tomorrow for our next challenge !!

Monochromatic cards and projects

Hi Everyone !

Hope you all are enjoying our gorgeous weather, blue skies, and lots of blossoms and tulips !

Spring brings thoughts of lots of colors, but today we are going to feature a couple of cards that are just one color.

Monochromatic cards are so easy, and so much fun to make.  Plus, they always look like they are so put together.  Today we usually think of neutral colors as black, white, cream, maybe even grays and browns.  Add one single more color to it, and you have a monochromatic project.

Here is one example using purple, with some cream/brown neutrals ...

with just a shade of green...

Another one, using brown, with black and cream neutrals ...

And here is an all blue one,  with kraft as the neutral.

One thing I love to do with single color cards is to add some inking.  The Ranger/Tim Holtz distress ink pads are great for this, as you can find them in so many colors.  This blue one for example has the Tim Holtz Broken China (blue) inked along the edges.

One last card ...

This card is actually an "illusion", as it gives the impression that the black is a frame.  Actually it is just a torn piece of black card stock, with purple paper and the heart on top.  The illusion is due to the edges of the purple paper, inked with Black Soot (again Tim Holtz distress ink).  But it looks just like a shadow box, with the heart recessed into it.

Try using just one color on your project - I think you will be pleased with the outcome !!

Wednesday's Tutorial - Stick Pin

Hi Everyone !  Today we are fancying up a TH memo pin, into a glitter stick pin.

The items you will need are:

Tape
Diamond Glaze
Glitter (I used Martha's coarse white)
Tim Holtz memo pin

 

 I worked on a little plastic dish I could lift away from my work table, so as not to disturb the little pin.

 First, tape the back of the pin, like this

 Add some Diamond Glaze in the middle.  It will probably "over fill", but you can always break that part off easily once it is dry.

 Add a pinch of glitter.  And now comes the HARD part !  Put your dish away, and forget about it until tomorrow.  It dries slowly because it is in such a glob.  I know you will want to touch it, I know you will.  But RESIST! 

Pull off the tape tomorrow, and this is how your little pin will look.  Isn't it so cute !  And only about 3 or 4 minutes of time.

Another tip is to keep all of your stick pins on a piece of foam.  This piece is recycled, an old piece from a set of brads.  I can see them easily, and of course now that they "stick" in my mind,  I remember to use them !

Sketches, and Inspiration

Hi Karen's Friends !!

Jan here today with some ideas for inspiration.

Often when I need some kind of starting point for a card I use a sketch.  There are lots of sketch challenges out in paperblogland, but one site I mentioned last week is Feline Playful.  This is a site that lists a large number of challenges on a daily basis, and always has sketches and information.  Use the list for ideas, not just for entering a papercraft challenge.

Here is an example of a sketch from a couple of years ago from one of those challenge sites ....

My friend Ros, from Liverpool, England made this sketch in 2011, and here is her card...

I "copied" her card for a copycat challenge in 2012 ....

and here is my original card for the sketch challenge in 2011...

 

This is a real simple sketch, but you can see how differently the cards look.  The sketch is just a starting point, and you can add or embellish from there. 

Also, last week I mentioned keeping a sketch book.  I scribble down sketches I like, and refer to them almost every time I make a card.  It makes that starting point easy !!

If you think it might be fun to have a blog and participate in challenges from all over the world, I will be teaching a class on starting a blog at Karen's, Friday April 5th at 6:30.  Call Karen to reserve a spot - only $5 !  You will be surprised at how easy it all is, promise !!

March challenge is nearing its end !

Just a reminder that our first challenge will close on Tuesday.  Our theme this month was "green", and you can get all the info and the link right here !  Here is one gorgeous card to inspire you !!

Cathy

Just a couple more days, hope to see you play along !!

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Lost Your Mojo ? Wednesday's Tutorial !

Hi Karen's Friends !  Jan here with a little list of tips today.

I often see other bloggers talk about losing their mojo, and that can be something hard to work through.  Here are some tips on jump starting your ideas, and getting yourself back in the flow !

1.  Keep a sketch book.  There are a lot of sketch challenges, and Feline Playful shows the actual sketch each day for many of them.  Don't hesitate to copy a sketch from a card you absolutely LOVE - it is not stealing.


2.  Keep an idea book.  Often I see cute ideas I really want to incorporate in a card someday, and I may sketch that idea, or keep a list.  My list is very long, and includes things like "try different kinds of folds" and "try using wax on a card."

3.  Pour over the papercraft magazines or books you have in your stash.  If you haven't looked at it in a year, you will find something you forgot about, or overlooked.

4.  Try a new technique !  Here at Karen and Friends Creations blog we have a tutorial every Wednesday.  Our archives are full of wonderful opportunities for you to learn something new.  We have lots of classes at the shop too !

5.  Explore some different papercraft blogs.   Design team members on challenges may have something you admire, and will spark an idea.

6.  Pinterest.  If your Pinterest  page doesn't have a papercraft board, it should !!

7.  Go shopping !  Oh, did I even have to say this.  Nothing sparks your imagination like something new to play with, does it.   Pop on in at Karen and Friends Creations, and you will surely find something you can't live without !!

8.  Try a really difficult challenge.  Maybe it is a tough sketch, or some odd color combination, an unusual photo or theme.  It sounds as if this would be at odds with your missing mojo, but when we stretch our imaginations something new often comes with it !

9.  Sit down with your paper, and set a deadline.  Try 10 or 15 minutes.  If nothing comes, put it away, and try again later.  If something gets going, you won't want a deadline !

10.  Exercise, take a walk or go for a bike ride.  These are proven methods of clearing your brain, and rejuvenating your soul.

My dad did a lot of crafty things, but he always felt it was so difficult to do something better than the last thing he did.  Sometimes we fall into that trap, worrying too much about the end result, and we wind up paralyzed.  Instead - remember all the joy you have in simply creating ! 

A 5 minute card !!

Hi Everyone !  Jan here today with a true 5 minute card.

I have a huge stash of cards at the ready for many occasions, but once in awhile I need to make a card in a hurry, to fill a gap.

This particular card is one you can easily copy.  You will need the following...

Black and white design paper
A contrasting color of design paper
Card stock
A ribbon
A sentiment stamp
A label or tag of some kind
An edge embossing folder & Cuttlebug (or other embosser)
A corner rounder
Your favorite adhesive and some pop ups for the sentiment label

The design of the card follows the graphic arts rule of thirds.  That is, dividing your card roughly into 3rds.  You can apply that rule as I did above, or leave 2/3s empty at the top, and the last third with design paper and your sentiment.  If you think of your card that way, you will always come up with a pleasing design for the eye.

You might think of making a lot of identical cards for a mass mailing - Christmas, or party invitations.  This would be an ideal card to copy, as you can make an eye catching design quickly, and it is flat enough for the mail.

See you tomorrow with another tutorial ! 

Wednesday's Tutorial - Dryer sheets

Hello Everyone !

Today we have another video from our Gulf friend, Tracy, on making butterflies from dryer sheets !  This is so fun, and the butterflies are gorgeous !

Hope you enjoyed it !

Embossing, dry and wet !

Hi Everyone !  

Jan here today, with an inspirational photo of a very simple card.

This has white card stock, scored on the sides and top.  Adhered is a white embossed sheet, with a torn kraft sheet stamped and embossed in white on top.  Some tiny glittery bling was spaced here and there.  Probably a ten minute card, but very classy and simple to achieve.  

If you haven't tried dry or wet embossing yet, stop in the shop and ask Karen about it.  My grandson cranked this dry embossing through a Cuttlebug when he was just three years old, so there isn't anything scary about it at all !!

Another video tutorial tomorrow - stop back in for a quick "class" !

Coupon Thursday

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Wednesday's tutorial - Organza flowers

Hi Everyone !

We have a video this week from our Mississippi friend Tracy.  Hope you enjoy her tutorial on organza flowers !!

Tracy does some fabulous copic coloring too.  Stop by her blog, I wanna build a memory, to see her gorgeous cards.

Tuesday card and tips

Hi Everyone !

Today's card features a couple of ideas you may find interesting ...

The frame is die cut from two different Spellbinder dies.  This does take a little practice.

Under the frame is some packaging, probably from a Spellbinder package, that was put through a Cuttlebug folder.  Try all sorts of old packaging this way, the texture really adds to the card !

You can get a little twirly end on jute, or jewelry cording, by getting it a little wet and wrapping it around an awl.

Finally, if you haven't yet tried sewing on a card, you will love the end result.

Cardstock - Bazzill

Design Paper - My Mind's Eye, Basic Gray

Flowers - Recollections

Happy Brad - K & Co

Punch - ek success

Jewelry cording

Bling & lace - stash

Recycled Packaging

Tomorrow we have a video tutorial on making butterflies !  See you then.

This Week's Special

This Week's Special

Crafter's Pick

Memory Mount Adhesive

$3.00

Reg. price $4.75

Not valid with any other discounts, coupons, returns or consignment items.

Discount available on in store product only while supplies last.

No rain checks available.

Coupon expires March 7th, 2013

Karen & Friends Creations

2095 Yolanda Ave., Springfield, OR  97478

541-741-7446

Challenge 1 - Green !

Hi Everyone !!

Welcome to Karen and Friends Creations 1st Challenge !

Our theme this month is 

GREEN

 and here is a picture of "green" in case you need some inspiration !

We hope you will play along with us !  Simply create a paper project that includes your idea of GREEN.  Maybe it is Kermit, St. Paddy's Day, or using something recycled (yup, that kind of green too !).

Photo your project,

and 

link it down below !

We will post a winner before April's challenge.

For those of you in the Eugene / Springfield OR area, pop in to Karen and Friends Creations, and see our projects posted there too !

And now, here are some great Green ideas from our Design Team !!

Cathy

Jan

chai tea 'n me

          Kathy             

                I Bee Scrappin                     

Vivian

         Jolene           
                       
                  We are looking forward to seeing your great ideas !!