Thursday, May 31, 2018

Bucket Bag Card Holder


Yesterday afternoon I made this little bucket bag. 

It is the perfect size to hold standard sized greeting cards, and envelopes. 
 
I used flower shaped pink brads to attach the handles. 


Here is the inside view. The patterned paper I used on the outside

was single sided. Since I also wanted to have the inside bag lined I used a
 
coordinating sheet of paper and glued them back to back. More work of 

course, but I'm happier that the inside is colorful instead of being white. 


I also made this ATC. It was also made with the same paper pack that I got from 

Michael's called Conservatory. 
 
Happy last day of May! Bring on Summer I'm ready! 

Stamping trails
Karen

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Postage Stamp Thinlits


I had a great time with Betty yesterday. 

We went to see the Book Club. What a funny movie that was! 

After the show we went to Betty's house and did some stamping. 

I had ordered some postage stamp thinlits from Amazon last week, 

and I used them to make some cards. 

This card shows the largest of the thinlits. 


next size down from the largest. 


and the next two sizes. There is one more smaller thinlit, but I didn't use that one. 


and here is the last card I made. 

Emily came over for Memorial day, and we had a cook out. 

Sarah, and Jason got back from their trip to Nashville. They had a great time, 

but she said it was pretty hot. I told her it was pretty hot here also. 

Hard to believe we have been getting into the 90's and its still May. 

Thankfully we are going to get a break from the heat on Saturday. Just in time, as

we will be helping our son John move to his new apartment. 

Stamping trails
Karen

Monday, May 28, 2018

Remember Them


Taking time today to remember my Uncle Glen who gave

his life in Korea. PFC Glen Boothe was 20 years old when he was

killed. 


This is a photo of my brother Tony at the memorial that was 

given to the young men who lost their lives. He is pointing to our uncle's name.
 

and here is a card I made this weekend. Thanks to my friend Melody for

sending me this stamp. 

Let us not forget all the men and women who gave their lives for this country
Karen

Sunday, May 27, 2018

Flowers, Car, and Morticia


Oh happy day we got my car back from the body shop yesterday. 

It looks wonderful. 

Thought I'd share some photos of my front flower bed. 

The rhododendrons are just beautiful! 


We have two fairly large plants, and a smaller one that hubby just

planted last year. When we lived in Washington state these plants

grew like weeds. You could always find wild rhododendrons whenever

you went hiking in the woods. 


Hostas are looking nice and green. 


as are the lilies.I have to laugh when I see them in this stage of growth, as

they remind me of the Cleopatra that Morticia Addams use to feed raw hamburger to. Remember?

Let me refresh your memory



am I right?


and check this out. Sarah brought me a mum for my birthday last September, 

and I weathered it over the winter in my kitchen. Skip planted 

it in the front and it already has buds, and flowers. 

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend. 

Stamping trails
Karen

Friday, May 25, 2018

More ATC Received



Well this time is one time that I don't like being right.

The car won't be ready till Saturday. So that

has been almost two weeks that the car has been in the shop. 

Can't even begin to tell you how upset I am about it. 

Just hoping at this point that a least the body work will good perfect. 


Received this cute little kitty ATC from Melissa. Love the meow! 


Also received this elegant stitched praying hands ATC from Kym. 

Love the little holder she made to keep it in. 


and this sweet fairy was made by Chris. 
 
I'm still working on the mini unit album swap. Still have 10 more pages to complete. 

Me and hubby took our walk morning walk yesterday. It was so beautiful out! 

Today we are going to go to Plum Creek and do some real hiking! 

Stamping trails
Karen

Thursday, May 24, 2018

No Car, and Recent Artwork



So no big surprise to me that we didn't get the car

back from the body shop yesterday as promised. 

I told hubby that we wouldn't get it back till this Saturday. 

Oh Bother!!!!!!


This is an artist trading card I made for a swap. I have

to say that I am really enjoying working with the Tim Holtz

paper dolls. All stamps on this project are also by Tim. 


and speaking of swaps... I'm working on a new one to do with my friend

Kathleen. Here is a sneak peek at the mini unit books we are making. Going

to be a lot of work for a "mini" album, but so far I'm enjoying it. 

Stamping trails
Karen

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Altered Clip Board


This is an altered clipboard that I made for Kathleen as part of

the lavender swap. 

I attached the pattered paper using Modge Podge. After it was

dry I added the bling. 


Rhinestone K, and a row of pearls across the clip part of the board. 

Also added  fabric roses to the top. Used some ribbon to loop

through the hole so the board could be hung on the wall. 


To the lower corner I added a square of cork. Perfect to use with push pins. 

Yesterday we had an array of weather. Sun, rain, hail, thunder, lightening, and

all in the course of an hour. It did clear up towards 6 o'clock so me and hubby

got our walk in. Of course with all the rain we had to jump puddles on the sidewalk. 

Needless to say my shoes, and socks were wet when I got home. Thank goodness it was 

warm out. 

Had fun stamping with Betty yesterday. I got a good start on my next swap. 

Today being Wednesday my car is suppose to be ready for pickup. I'm 

not holding my breath. Keep you posted. 

Stamping trails
Karen

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Purple Swap from Kathleen



Well I got happy mail yesterday. 

My crafty buddy Kathleen sent me

the lavender, and purple swap. 

We agreed to make shaker cards, large embellishment box, 

a  3d item, and surprise. 

Well a lot of her goodies were surprises! 

Lets start with the shakers. 


She also so made matching envelopes for them. 


How the embellishment box was wrapped. Kathleen knows how to package things really cute!


outside of the box.


and the inside filled with lots of great embellishments! 


Did I mention that she really knows how to package things? So cute!


This was a mini flip bag. How fun! 


Back of the bag. 


What a nice surprise, a pocket letter!


view of the back pockets filled with goodies. 


Really cute and useful plastic file folder....


of course she had to fill the inside of that too! 


this little makeup bag is so nice! She made the word using her new Cricut machine. 


and I really love the saying on this bag. The glitter writing may not show up in the photo. 

It reads: Don't let the pretty bow fool you...

Thanks so much Kathleen!!!! After the time I've been having lately with my car in the shop

your box really lifted my spirits! Thanks bunches!!!!!

Going over to Betty's today and do some crafting....which will also take my mind off my

missing car! 

Stamping trails
Karen

Monday, May 21, 2018

Vintage Paper Doll ATC, and Doe a Deer


So the power went off Saturday night. Wasn't 

out for long. I went around and set all the clocks

except for the one in the bedroom. It was flashing when I 

went to bed, and I figured hubby would set it. 

Well I was wrong. All he did was hit it so it would stop flashing. 

I woke up at 4 this morning looked at the clock and it was showing 7 am. 

So I got up. I was thinking it was odd because it was still very dark outside. 

I made coffee and watched some recorded shows as I wasn't about to go back to bed. 

I was wide awake at this point. Sometime later I opened the curtains in the kitchen, 
and......
discovered the deer was back. This time taking a rest in the yard. 

I opened up the window, and took some photos. She didn't move just

looked at me while I talked to her. I think she has adopted us. 


I was bored yesterday afternoon, and made some more trading cards. 

These are all vintage using Tim Hotlz paper dolls. 


Closer look at the boy with the bike. 


I think the little school girls are my favorite. 


and the couple taking a tour to Paris. 

I still don't have my car. We went to pick it up on Saturday only to 

find out that one of the dents was not even touched. Not going into detail

about it, but needless to say I'm pretty upset. The owner of the body shop

said he would have it fixed by Wednesday. Well we dropped it off last Monday so

he has already had it for a week. I'm thinking it won't be ready to pick up till this Saturday. 

Okay I'm done venting. 

Stamping trails
Karen

Sunday, May 20, 2018

The Paper Doll Princess



Made a few more artist trading cards. 

This one was made with Julie Nutting's Play

Time stamp set. So cute! What little 

girl didn't like paper dolls? 

I know I loved them, and still do. 


I want to talk circles. 

Is it me or is it the stamping industry that is out to get me? 

See those cute little buttons on the card? 

You would think that with all the circle punches and, circle dies that 

I have that I would have had one that would be the same size as these buttons. 

No such luck, and I had to fussy cut them out. Now I really don't mind the cutting....

it's the principle. It is like making a card and not having a ribbon to match, and I have

ribbon as far as the eye can see. Okay I'll get off my soap box now, and get back to crafting.

Thanks for lending an ear to my rant.
 
Stamping trails 
Karen 


Saturday, May 19, 2018

Artist Trading Cards for Passbook Pals



I spent some time yesterday

afternoon making some artist trading cards. 

These will be traded with the passbookpals FB group. 


This one was made using Julie Nutting doll Adara. 

I love this little girl and her cute rag doll. 


I made three of these to trade. 

Tim Holtz came out with the Flower Jar set I believe last year.

Just recently purchased the stamp set and the framlits. 

The jars were colored with different shades of blue prisma pencils. 

The leaves were stamped using Leaf Green archival ink by Ranger. 

The flower was stamped on patterned paper using Blackberry Bliss ink.

Finally we will be able to get our car back from the shop. I'm not one bit 

happy that it was in the shop since Monday. Hoping that the body work looks okay

I'll let you know. 

Stamping trails
Karen 

Friday, May 18, 2018

Deer in the Back Yard



We had a visitor in our back yard this morning. 

A deer came up to graze on the clover. 

I'm wondering if it was the same one that

munched all my tulips last month. We

only had two of them survive the carnage. 


Hubby keeps this old picnic table in the back to use as a work station. 

You can see the deer eating the clover. 


Now it is walking away. I tried to get a better picture, but

I didn't want to scare the deer, by opening up the sliding glass door. 


Okay people have been asking for photos. Here is a before. 

My hair was really long!!!!


and here is after the cut. I had 9 inches taken off.

Don't know if I like it better or not, but I'll tell you it is easier to take

care of, and the hair has more volume now. 

Well the purple swap I was working on for Kathleen is finished and in the mail.

I cleaned up all the mess that I had from that one last night. Time to start another swap now

that the stamping studio is all clean. 

I'm hoping to get my car back today. We took it in for body work on Monday. 

I'm  beginning to worry as we haven't heard anything back from the shop. 

Have a great weekend! 

Stamping trails
Karen