Hubby is the Greatest!

Hubby got me an Explore Air 2 for my anniversary! 

Even though our 38th anniversary is today I have been

enjoying this machine since the middle of last week. 

Since the machine is pretty big I also got hubby to make me a 

small desk that fits perfectly under my large craft desk. It is a win win! 

Plus he also got the machine with a bundle so it came with lots of tools,

card stock, and vinyl! 

The Paris, and pink flowers I received from my friend Kathleen

last year when she knew I was doing the craft room in a Paris theme. 

Glad I had some leftover to add to the machine. 

Speaking of Paris the first card I created with the air 2 had 

to be the tower! What do you think? The machine drew the tower,

and then cut it out. What a smart machine! 

Here is the second card I made. Just added some washi tape to the bottom.

I really wanted the air 2 so I would have a way to get the greetings

drawn for me, but there is no end to what I'll be able to create! 

I'll be back tomorrow to show you more of what I've been making. 

Thanks honey! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Flapper

This is a flapper artist trading card I made this week. 

Hubby got me something wonderful for our anniversary. I've

been enjoying playing with it all week. 

Anyone want to guess what he got for me? 

The image was colored using prisma pencils. 

Background made with a stencil. 

Greeting made using????

I'll be back tomorrow with the answer. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Wrinkles

Sorry I've not been posting in my blog. 

Been hanging around the house. You know that virus thing going on. 

Me and hubby have been taking a long walk each day. That helps! 

I have been doing lots of crafting just not posting any of it. 

We have an anniversary coming up this Thursday. It will be

38 years. WOW

I'll be back to post photos then of the wonderful gift he got for me. 

Card was made using crafters companion kit #7. 

The front features another small card made with the circle dies that

come in the kit. You can find a message on the inside. Love this greeting. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Playing around with Backgrounds

Since I'm confined to the house I've been looking

for ways to not be bored. 

Decided to break out some old supplies, and see what I 

could create. 

I wanted to make some backgrounds. Found a large stack

of glossy black card stock that I've never used, and started with that. 

Next I pulled out a drawer full of alcohol ink. 

Added a few drops of different colors along with snow cap white. 

Next it was spritzed with blending solution. Took the end of a paint brush

to pull the inks. This was the finished product. 

Since the background reminded me of a nebula I went with a star theme. 

Tim Holtz star die was used to cut all those pretty stars. 

Happy with it! 

Still using the glossy black cardstock I made these. 

Used different stencils along with white gesso. After dry I 

used ink on the raised image.

and two more. I still have to use them in a card or maybe

artist trading cards. Haven't decided yet. 

Stamping trails

Karen  

Leftover Scraps from the Desk Cards

I have a few more cards to share that I made just using

scraps left on my desk. 

Love the Paris themed card! Perfect for my craft room! 

The two main images are actually pieces I cut from a craft magazine. 

What a great way to get some "free" ephemera. 

For this card I used an embossing folder on the base card. 

Added pieces of leftover pattern paper. 

The moth was stamped, die cut, then colored with glitter gel pens. 

This one was really scrapping the bottom of the desk leftovers. 

Used some cardstock strips for the side piece. 

Added the die cut flowers with pop dots. 

This one was also using bits, and pieces. 

Thankfully my desk is now clear, and I can start

making "new" scraps to use later! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Easter 1960 Something

This was Easter 1960 something. I look around

5 years old. Which would have made my sister Charolette 11. 

Taken when the family lived on the east side 71st, and St. Clair Ave. 

Same Easter my brother Tony. Us at the dinner table

acting silly. 

How I miss my family. My sister Charolette is still living, but

we don't talk much. Complicated history between us. 

Today I'll be making corn beef brisket for dinner. I know

not traditional, but it was what I had in the freezer. 

Going to be missing my kids today. This will be the first holiday

that we have ever spent apart. 

I'll be making deviled eggs this morning as I'm trying 

to some things traditionally. 

Happy Easter everyone. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Scraps from the Desk

This is what was left on my desk the other day after I cleaned it. 

Didn't want to file away these bits, and pieces. I actually thought it

would be easier just to add some card bases, and turn the "junk" into something. 

Thought I was starting out great, but......

turns out I added the completed layer upside down on 

the card base. I don't do this often but sometimes it just happens. 

Didn't want to waste it so I cut down the front of the card. 

This was then added to a new base. 

Here is the next one. I just added a greeting, and a die cut rose from 

a Tim Hotz's flower pack. 

Used some eyelash trim on the bottom of the butterfly

panel. Not sure I like it, but hey not bad for using just scraps. 

I have more cards using the scraps, but I'll post them later. 

Stamping trails

Karen

More fun crafts made by Kathleen

Back today with more fun artwork that my friend Kathleen made. 

This is called box in a card. The base is normal 5 1/2 x 4 1/4. There

is a section cut out of it to hold the 2 inch box. 

Here is a photo showing the box removed from the card. So cute! 

I believe this is called a box card. 

It folds flat to be mailed. 

Love all the flowers inside! 

Side view. 

See how it folds flat. 

Kathleen also sent me some goodies to use in my crafting projects. 

Love this little bunny stamp! 

Fun little cupcake pokes. I'll be using those in spring projects. 

Easter themed ephemera. Perfect! 

Big thanks Kathleen! 

I woke up to snow this morning. Not much just enough

to make the grass white. I remember when my parents moved to the house on Oak Park. 

It was the 15th of April, and there was an inch of snow on the ground. 

April is always packed with "fun" weather for us. We get a little of everything. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Cards from Kathleen

My crafty friend Kathleen sent me this adorable card for Easter. 

So sweet, and in blue! She knows how much I love blue. 

Over the next few days I'll be sharing some other great art that Kathleen 

sent me in an Easter box. 

This card was made using crafters companion box #7.

Just lovely! 

and a shaped circle card using the same kit. 

Easter themed pocket letter. Love it! Just

so perky, and fun! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Circle Sunflower Card

I have been using the crafters companion kit# 7 this week.

First card I came up with.

The kit comes with an assortment of circle, and scallop dies. 

I used the sunflower stamp which also comes in the kit to

make the focal image. 

It is actually a shaped card that lifts up to reveal the message. 

Yesterday was beautiful! Lots of sun, and a warm 65 degrees. 

Me, and hubby took a very long walk. I was dead dog tired when

we got back, but it was so nice! 

Rain today, but you know what they say about April showers! 

Stamping trails

Karen 

April Egg ATC

Here are the Easter themed artist trading cards I created

for April. 

Cut out the egg shape then added color with distress oxide inks. 

Next step was to run them through different embossing folders. 

The edges have been heat embossed with gold powder. 

I had to cut more egg shapes from pattern paper to glue on the 

back. After embossing the shapes were a bit wonky! 

Last step was to add the greeting and a little sticker. 

Closer view of three of the egg cards. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Easter Egg Artist Trading Card

I played around with a artist trading card design for

April. Not sure I'm in love with it, but I like the concept

of an egg shaped card. Artist trading cards are a standard size of 3 1/2 x 2 1/2. 

My egg one measures just a bit below that as it was hard to be exact when I was 

cutting the curve of the egg. 

The gold stripes and dots in the center were made with score tape, and mini glue dots. 

After they were on the egg I covered the remaining sticky side with nuvo gilding flakes. 

The color was added to the egg with distress oxide inks. The embellishments are 

stickers. 

I'm sad after reading something put out by the Cleveland Clinic. They are 

saying that Ohio is looking good on lowering the curve of the coronavirus. However

the peak of the virus won't be till mid May to mid June. From that point it

will start to decrease, but we could still being seeing cases into mid July. 

Don't know if I can hold out that long. Going to be a long three months. 

Stamping trails

Karen 

Easter Cards for the Kids

Made some Easter cards today. Need to mail them

to the kids. Going to be an odd Easter without the kids coming

over for dinner. 

Just don't know when this madness will end. 

The greetings are different on each card as I used what I had. 

The backgrounds are made using distress oxide ink. Love 

that stuff! I really need to invest in the rest of the colors. 

After stamping the image with jet black StazOn Ink I added

color with dye based markers. The bunny was stamped again on

white cardstock then cut out, and added over the base image. 

Think they came out super cute! Hope the kids like them. 

I've been keeping busy doing some Spring cleaning. Also

re-organized the craft room. I had to clean out the spare bedroom closet. 

Been using it to house some craft stuff that I don't use daily. 

Even after letting a bunch of stuff go I still can't believe how much

craft stuff I actually still have. Coming in handy now to keep me

busy since the stay at home order. Only time I'm getting out

is to walk. Doing that in the early morning to avoid coming in contact 

with any other people. There are lots more folks out walking now. 

Weather is getting a bit warmer, so I'm sure that will add to even more

people out on the sidewalks. 

Stamping trails

Karen