Friday, February 28, 2014

Life Is Sweet with Top Dog Dies

Life is sweet, and for me, it's been even sweeter since I was asked to join the Top Dog Dies Design Team.  I just LOVE creating with these sweet die-cuts.  I will be posting in March to showcase my work using their new releases.  You will LOVE these sweet new die-cuts; but I must say that you will be just as delighted by all the amazing dies they already carry in their amazing shop at Top Dog Dies.  I encourage you to stop by and check out all the amazing die-cuts they carry.  And then, in March, you will be able to see their new releases.  How exciting!

As the new dies continue arrive in my mailbox, I still believe that the Madison Doily Die remains my favorite.  And to be perfectly honest, I am certain that it will always remain a favorite for me.  I have always loved using doilies on my cards and projects, and this sweet die-cut just makes it so easy to create sweet doilies for all my cards.  It's awesome to be able to match my die-cuts to every project I create with this sweet Madison Doily Die.
For this "Life Is Sweet" card, I used some Cosmo Cricket Tea For Two patterned papers and sentiment sticker.  I cut my pink doily from these same papers using my Top Dog Dies favorite Madison Doily Die-Cut and combined it with the sweet Top Dogs Wildflowers Die which I cut two of, and grouped together.  I machine stitched the card, and then added a seam binding bow, and a button with baker's twine tied in the center.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  If you haven't checked us out yet, I invite you to check out the Top Dog Dies Facebook Page and the Top Dog Dies Blog so that you won't miss any of the latest news, special offers, and to get lots of great inspiration.

Have a great weekend!
Karen

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

It's Tea Time at Daydream Designs

Wouldn't it be lovely to sit down and have a cup of tea (or coffee, if you please) with some of the lovely friends you've met in Blogland?  I know that I sure would enjoy sitting and sipping some tea, and being given the opportunity to get creative with all the dear sweet friends I've made since I started blogging.  I feel so very blessed by the friendships I've made - and sometimes it's almost hard to believe that I've never met these ladies in person because I feel so incredibly close to them.  One of those sweet friends is Diane Noble.   She is not only a close friend and member of my Design Team at Word Art Wednesday, but she's also a talented artist and digi designer. If you've never had the pleasure of checking out her lovely shop, Diane's Daydream Designs, I encourage you to stop by and check it out.  You will soon fall in love with all the dreamy images she has to offer.  Some of the newest sets include the lovely Tea Time sets.  They're just darling!
This sweet card was created using Diane's adorably sweet Tea and Roses Color Set, and the sentiment is from the coordinating Tea Time Sentiments Bundle.  I just LOVE the chalkboard technique, and Diane's sweet digi images make this popular new technique quick and easy.
Just look at those sweet little rosettes!  I also used the extra rosette images from the Tea and Roses set in the center of my seam binding bow and in 3-D on the tea pot. These sweet little rosettes can be used as an accent almost anywhere.  They're just the sweetest soft little touch!
This is a little Kraft Truffle Box that I decorated to match this set as my project this week at Word Art Wednesday.  I would love to have you stop by and play along in our challenge this week.  We have some amazing sponsors with GREAT prizes (as always)!  They are Classy Cards 'N Such ( $15 gift certificate), and Daydream Designs (3 full sets).

I invite you to stop by and check out ALL the wonderful images at Daydream Designs. Diane has additional artists who share their wonderfully creative talents and sweet images in her shop.  There's sure to be something that will suit your personal crafting style, and prices are just right!  You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by for tea today.  It's so nice to have you visit, and I look forward to visiting your blog to say hello as I sip my tea.

Blessings to you all,
Karen

Monday, February 24, 2014

Sketch Time at TKJ

For this week's Sketch Challenge at The Kraft Journal Challenge Blog, I started with Small Lunch Bag Kraft Note Card, and covered it with three different coordinating October Afternoon patterned papers which are all machine stitched together.  I took a few lengths of Red Baker's Twine and ran them vertically on the card, tied them into a bow, and secured them with a Vintage Tim Holtz Memo Pin.  I also embellished my card with a General Store Postage Sticker (Postal Typewriters), a small piece of Air Mail Washi Tape, a snippet of Tim Holtz Ruler Ribbon, and the sentiment was placed on a Jenni Bowlin Journaling Circle. The sentiment is a Melissa Frances rub-on, so once again, I used the super useful Bone Folder Tool to apply the rub-on as well as to neatly fold my Note Card.  The Kraft Outlet has SO MANY wonderful products to make crafting and card-making fun and easy.  I encourage you to check it out today.  We have recently added several great new items including several gorgeous colors of the very popular hand-stained crinkled seam binding everyone is using.  You will just LOVE everything you find at The Kraft Outlet.

Karen Letchworth for The Kraft Outlet
I just LOVE how all these sweet embellishments from the Kraft Outlet so perfectly compliment the papers I used.  Don't the washi tape, journaling spot, ruler ribbon and baker's twine look they came from the same line as the striped patterned paper?  Seriously, the embellishments and supplies at the Kraft Outlet are just SO much fun, and work so well with items you already own.  You will love their wide variety of items, their great low prices, and reasonable shipping costs.

Here are the challenges where I'm sharing my card:

Little Scrap Pieces - Show It Off Saturday Linky Party

Just B Creative Crazy - February's Linky Party

Have a blessed week, and don't forget to stop by and play along in our Sketch Challenge this week at The Kraft Journal Challenge Blog.  By using any item(s) sold in our store, or any kraft paper or kraft items (this includes paper bags, etc.), you will be eligible for the $15 monthly prize to the AWESOME Kraft Outlet.  Come join us!

God bless you, and have a great Monday!
Karen

Friday, February 21, 2014

Sweet Mini Album With Top Dog Dies

Well, I must say that I love my Top Dog Dies, and I love creating projects with them.  I made this mini album using several different Top Dog Dies.  Not each page uses one, but I will be sure to name the dies I used and share links to the products for you as I share the pages of this sweet little mini album I created.  Top Dog Dies are AWESOME, and you will love them all!
This first photo (above) showcases several lovely layers of flowers cut using the My Favorite Things Flower Medley, which you can find at Top Dog Dies.  The base of the mini album is a kraft Zutter album cover ($1.99 at Tuesday Morning), and the inside was bound with my Zutter binding machine (which I LOVE)!  I used October Afternoon pattern papers, some muslin material sewn to that to create the cover, as well as some ribbon.
The flowers are die-cut from old dress patterns using the My Favorite Things Flower Medley.  I can't name all my supplies, or this post will simply get too long; but if there's something you'd like to know about specifically, just let me know and I will get back to you right away.  I usually go into great detail (as many of you know), so I almost feel guilty not listing every single item I've used.  I love to give credit where credit is due, and I love promoting beautiful products.
The inside cover uses, again, October Afternoon patterned papers, a Small Glassine Bag, some ruler washi tape, machine stitching, and a small border cut from the Top Dogs Heart Border Die.  Just look at all those sweet little hearts, and they cut out just beautifully with this high-quality Top Dogs die-cut.  I like creating lots of pockets when I make mini albums so that you have plenty of  storage for extra photos and keepsakes.
This page above is actually the first bound page of the book.  It does not include a Top Dog die, but it does have lots of sweet embellishments from October Afternoon.  All the pages are machine stitched, and I have learned how to stitch when using my Zutter.  You just have to make sure to stitch close enough to the edge so that when you cut the holes, you don't hit the stitching.  I've got it down to a fine art.
This is the second bound page of the book, and this page uses one half of the Madison Doily Die-Cut (my absolute favorite).  It's just about the most wonderful, useful and adorable die-cut in the world, and I think everyone needs this die.....really!  I left a lot of empty space on each page for photos and journaling.   When I'm not giving an album away to someone specific, or using it for myself, I usually sell the at craft boutiques I participate in, and this gives the buyer lots of room to put their cherished photos and memories.
This page (above) and the next photo (below) would be Pages 3 & 4, and they were created using the flat side of the Top Dog A2 Card #3 Die.  As you can see, these pages are much smaller (shorter and wider) than the other pages, so they stick out of the album a bit more - which is super cute!  You will also see that I attached a Maya Road kraft envelope to this page (above) and covered it in October Afternoon patterned paper.  I love using these lovely envelopes to tuck in photos and keepsake memories.  Pockets and journaling spots are what mini albums are all about, right?
 So, this would be the other side of the page cut from the Top Dogs A2 Card #3 Die-Cut.  This sweet die-cut makes creating mini albums SO easy, and there are several different shapes you can purchase.  This is just the straight, simple version.  They're all quite wonderful, in my humble opinion, and I would love to own them all.  You can see all the various shape options of the Top Dogs A2 Card Die-Cuts by clicking this link.  It's mini album heaven!
This brings us to Page 5 which is very simple.  Patterned papers, jute, a wooden heart with a rub-on sentiment (Remember When), a little journaling spot that says "Make Believe", and some scalloped edges.  And again, everything is machine stitched.  I'd also like to share another amazing tool for die-cutting, and that's the Metal Shim.  If you are someone who uses die-cuts a lot, then this is a MUST-HAVE tool.  It assures that you get a clean cut - especially when fussy cutting with dies that are very detailed, such as doily dies.  It's a wonderful product, and you will LOVE owning a Metal Shim.  You can sign up for the Top Dogs emails and newsletter by visiting the Top Dog Website, or their awesome blog.   You will receive all the latest news, special offers, and LOTS of great ideas.
The last bound page of the book does not have a Top Dog Die used on it, but I could have used the Madison Doily Die-Cut again here where I used a vintage paper doily.  You can also see behind this page how the pages I cut from the Top Dogs A2 Card #3 Die stick out just a bit, which I really love.
And finally, the back inside cover of the book which I covered with a piece of kraft paper, a Recollections kraft "I Love You" envelope, lots of machine stitching, inking, October Afternoon stickers and chipboard, some red gingham ribbon, and a hidden journaling card in the pocket.  Lots of great nooks and crannies for hiding notes and precious little trinkets in this mini album; and using Top Dog Dies makes it easy and fun!

I'm sharing this album here:
Just B Creative Crazy - February's Just Because Linky Party

Frosted Designs - "Love Is" Challenge - I used the lovely inspiration colors.  My love story (in a nutshell) is that my sweetie and I met as children, fell in love very young, married at age 19, and now.....28+ years later, we're still madly IN LOVE!  "Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be."

Frilly And Funkie Challenge Blog - Bloomin' Marvellous - I hand-made my flowers by cutting them from vintage dress patterns, and then crinkling them up in my hands, inking the edges, and then gluing every single uber-thin layer together until they're big and puffy.   I LOVE this vintage look!

Stampin' For The Weekend Challenge Blog - Flower Power

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I am SO delighted and honored to be part of the Design Team at Top Dog Dies, and I honestly LOVE designing using these fabulous dies.  I appreciate your kind and encouraging comments, too.  Thanks for being part of my journey.

God bless you!
Karen

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Watch Us Wednesday at TKJ

Welcome to another fun edition of our Watch Us Wednesday Tutorials here at The Kraft Journal Challenge Blog.  I'm here today to share a simple tutorial with you all giving you a few different fun ideas for new and creative ways to use die-cuts.  There are so many awesome die-cuts available out there, and I'm just going to touch on a few basics.  I'm keeping it pretty simple.

Hello, friends!  Thanks for stopping by today as I share my Kraft Journal tutorial with ideas for using  your die-cuts.  As I promised you on Monday, I am sharing three different projects and a few fun and helpful hints.

My first project shows you how to take a simple border die-cut and create felt flowers by rolling them into rosettes.  It's simple - and ANYONE can do it.  Take a border die-cut (the one I've used here is from Papertrey Ink and is called the heart border die).  You simply cut out the border, add a touch of crafting glue at the base, and gently roll up the border to form floral rosettes.  It creates lovely little roses.  If you don't have a die-cut like this, you can use pinking sheers to create this effect.  These photos give you the basic idea, but if you'd like more detailed information about making felt flowers, please click here to re-visit my "Felt Flowers" Tutorial.
This next project also combines a couple of my older tutorials along with some fun new die-cutting ideas.  Start with a Small Kraft Paper Sack, fold up the bottom toward the middle to create a pocket, and machine stitch this into place.  You have instantly created a pocket.  Now, with three quick die-cuts, you will have a finished project.  Here are the three die-cuts you will use:
Supplies
1.  Any doily die-cut.  The one I've used here (shown in the photo above) is the Madison Doily Die-Cut from Top Dog Dies.  Cut your doily from cardstock such as our Buff/Ivory Cardstock.  Cut the doily in half, and glue the half-doily just below your pocket.
Three Die Cuts Applied
2.  Any border die-cut.  The one I used is the hearts border die from Papertrey Ink.  You can cut your border from felt or colorful paper.  This will cover the top of the doily die-cut and create a lovely accent for the pocket.

3.  Any scallop die-cut.  The one I used is from Sweet & Sassy Stamps.  This would probably be cut from a piece of decorative patterned paper to give your gift pocket some "personality".
Embellished Vintage Mini Deck Journaling Card
It's as easy as 1-2-3.  You're finished!  Your lovely little paper bag pocket is all ready for gift-giving.  I did take my project another step once the three die-cuts were added.  I just wanted to show you how easy it is to decorate the pockets of these little paper bag albums.  I took a Jenni Bowlin Vintage Mini Deck Journaling Card and decorated it using a Small Round Metal Edged Grungy Prim Hang Tag and covered it with a snippet of Red With White Polka Dot Washi Tape.  To that, I added a sequin and a mini pearl sticker that are attached using my Tim Hotlz mini stapler.  I inked the journaling card and tucked it in the pocket.  The little sentiment tag is attached with a Tiny Wooden Clothespin.  Simple, and oh so sweet for tucking in a gift card or special little trinket or keepsake.
The third and final die-cutting project I'd like to share with you today is showing you how to use Decorative Tape and/or Washi Tape to create creative backgrounds (home made patterned paper) to cut borders and shapes with your die-cuts.  Simply cover some Basic Cardstock (or even computer paper) with various styles of sweet Washi Tapes to create a unique pattern.  Then, just run your die-cut shapes through your die-cutting machine.  Remember to use these same Decorative/Washi Tapes on your card or project, and then this will instantly create all sorts of lovely little shapes to tie in to your card or project.  See samples below:
Washi Tapes on Plain Paper
Here are a few ideas of ways you can use this background to cut with your die-cuts, as well as a few samples of ways to use them on a project.
Dies Used
I ended up putting all these shapes together to decorate a Small Kraft Pillow Box.  It was simple, and can be done using any dies you might happen to have.  As Tim Gunn says on Project Runway, "make it work".  You take what you have, and make it work to create something lovely.  The Kraft Outlet makes it easy and fun!
Other than the pillow box and die cuts, I added a doily, some baker's twine, a pearl sticker, a rub-on sentiment, and some ribbon - that's it!  I hope this tutorial has been helpful to you.  Please feel free to let me know if you have questions about anything seen on this tutorial.   Most of the supplies for the projects shown in this tutorial can be easily found at The Kraft Outlet.  Each of these projects took no more than five minutes, and the Kraft Outlet makes it easy, and has everything you could possibly need.

I'm sharing my projects today in the following:
Just B Creative Crazy - February's Just Because Linky Party

The Ribbon Carousel Challenge Blog - Challenge #90 - Week 3 Washi Tape Plus Ribbon -You can see the tutorial above showing how I used washi tape creatively on this project above.  I also tied lots of ribbon and baker's twine to the top!  A girl can never have enough ribbon!

Blessings to you!
Karen


Wonderful Word Art Wednesday

It's another great week at Word Art Wednesday with a new piece of beautiful word art/scripture, lots of lovely inspiration, and two more great sponsors.  This week, we have Digi Darla's who is offering one lucky winner three (3) of their lovely images, AND we also have Prairie Point Junction - home of Wool Felt Central, who is offering a $15 gift certificate to their wonderful shop.  I absolutely LOVE their wool felt, and I use it all the time with my die-cuts.  It's high-quality and comes in the most gorgeous colors.  We are SO blessed by all our amazing sponsors, and we welcome you all to stop by and play along with us.  As always, our challenges are Anything Goes (family friendly and following our Challenge Guidelines).  We look forward to having you join us.
This first photo (above) shows both projects together.  It's so much fun making a matching tag for your cards.  This is something I suggest that everyone try.  So many times, we have small scraps of paper left over when we create our cards.  In the past, I had been throwing away all those smaller pieces.  But now, I have learned to be more creative with them.
I made my sample for this week using one of the postcard images from the Sending You Love Color Set from Daydream Designs.  These beautiful images make card-making a breeze.  You will find oodles and oodles of darling images in the Daydream Designs Shop.  They're all just SO super cute.
Karen Letchworth for Daydream Designs
The second project I made was a matching tag.  I started an attempt to create a matching tag for every single card I make.  I like to use the scraps from my card to make a coordinating tag that I can tuck inside the card as kind of a bonus or surprise for the recipient.  I really like this concept, and it has helped me to really use up my scraps as I create.  This tag was created using the Love ticket from the Ticket To Bliss Color Set from Daydream Designs.  This is another great set.  All of Diane's sets have several images in each, so they're a great value for the money - and are all priced very reasonably.

I'm sharing my card and matching tag in the following:

Just B Creative Crazy - February's Just Because Linky Party - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting.  I hope that you will take time to check out all the great products at Daydream Designs, and also stop by Word Art Wednesday to play along in our challenge this week.  We would really love having you join us.

God bless you!
Karen

Monday, February 17, 2014

Die-Cuts and The Kraft Journal

Welcome back to my blog!  It's always such a blessing to have you stop by to say hello and take a peek at what I've been creating.  Normally, Monday is the day I make my post for The Kraft Journal; and although I am not "required" to make that post today, I still wanted to share a little peek of my upcoming tutorial, and invite you all the play along in this week's Die-Cuts Challenge at The Kraft Journal.  I will be sharing the entire tutorial and a few projects, along with tips and ideas for working with die-cuts in our "Watch Us Wednesday" segment, and I really hope you will stop back by to see what I have prepared for you.
This little paper bag pocket was created using a Small Kraft Paper Sack and is honestly one of the quickest and easiest projects ever.  It creates an instant pocket for tucking in a gift card.  The basic idea I'm sharing is how to create this pocket (super easy) and add three basic die-cut shapes (half doily, border and scallop) to easily create the project.  You will be able to see all the details on Wednesday's post at The Kraft Journal.  Each week, there are awesome ideas shared to help you learn new techniques and gain insight on how to use all the amazing products you can find at the Kraft Outlet.  This little project was embellished with a Tiny Wooden Clothespin holding the sentiment, a journalling card from the Jenni Bowlin Vintage Mini Deck, a Round Metal Edged Grungy Prim Tag, and a small piece of Red & White Polka Dot Washi Tape.  I also used a Pebbles In My Pocket rub-on, a sequin, Tim Holtz Barn Door red ink, and machine stitching.

We really love having you stop by to play along in our challenges, and the only requirement is that you either use some type of "kraft" products (paper bags, paper, etc.), or anything found at the Kraft Outlet.  By the way, have you seen the luscious new crinkled seam binding we offer?  WOWZERS!  It's beautiful, comes in the most lovely colors, and is priced low - you will LOVE it.....and, well....honestly, everything we carry.

I'm sharing this project here:
Simon Says Stamp Challenges - Wednesday Challenge - Simon Says "Get Krafty"

Just B Creative Crazy Challenge - February's Just For Fun Linky Party

Little Scrap Pieces - Saturday Show It Off Linky Party

Docerela Stamps Challenge - Challenge #55 - Red, Pink and Hearts -I used red (the doily and the border), and there's pink flowers in the patterned paper, and the hearts are in the felt border.  I love Docerela Stamps, and have been playing along for a long time and love their sweet blog!

Thanks for visiting me today.  Please stop by to play along in the challenge, and check out the "Watch Me Wednesday" die-cut tutorial on Wednesday.  I really hope it will be helpful to you all.

Have a great week!

Karen

Friday, February 14, 2014

Birthday Girl Mini Album

Hello, my friends!  If you're looking for my Dog Dog Dies blog post, please click this link which will take you directly to my Valentine Secrets blog post from earlier today.  There's LOTS of fun stuff going on at Top Dog Dies, on their blog, and their Facebook page as well.

I made this little mini album for a friend.   Her daughter is turning 6, and she wanted a small album where she could save photos and mementos from her Birthday party.  I used a Maya Road Kraft Envelope and a Kraft Polka Dot Merchandise Bag as the pages of the book.
The patterned papers, stickers and chipboard elements are from Crate Paper's Pretty Party line.  They worked just perfectly for this project.  The Maya Road Kraft Envelope as well as the Kraft Polka Dot Merchandise Bag have built-in pockets for storing photos and keepsakes.
This photo (above) is the back side of the Maya Road Kraft Envelope.  As most always, I machine stitched and inked all my edges.  I used some lovely Making Memories Victorian pink lace, some baker's twine, and lots of the Crate Paper Pretty Party line.
I left room for photos on each page as well as journalling.  I like having at least one page that sticks out farther than the rest.  It gives it some personality, and that chipboard girl is just SO adorable that I love having her as the focal point of the mini album.  I'm sharing this little project in a couple of different challenges as follows:

Just B Creative Crazy - February Linky Party - Just Because/Anything Goes - I love all the wonderful sponsors for this monthly challenge, and stopped by to check out each one.

Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog - Wednesday Challenge - Simon Says "Get Krafty" - I used two different Kraft bags to create this sweet mini album.

Frosted Designs Challenge - "Love Is...."  - What does love mean to you?  I was inspired by the colors in the Frosted Designs inspiration photo, and what love means to me (in relation to crafting) is to create projects for others that will bring them joy.  This mini album was made made for a friend's daughter to celebrate her 6th Birthday.  Now that's a celebration of love!

Thanks for stopping by to say hello and to take a peek at my little album.  It's always so nice to hear from you, and I hope you're all having a blessed week!

Karen

Top Dog Dies Valentine Secrets

Valentine's Day is such a sweet holiday.  I can remember as a child making and giving Valentines to all my classmates, and I fondly remember those times when I made one extra special for someone.  It was always a "secret" as to who your Valentine was back then.  Now, my sweet Valentine is always my husband.  No secret there - he gets ALL the sweet cards I make, as well as all my love and affection.  I just really liked this "secrets" sentiment that I used for this card because it made me reminisce about days gone by.

I used My Mind's Eye patterned papers, the Top Dog Heart Doily Die-Cut which I cut from black cardstock, a Melissa Frances rub-on sentiment, a paper flower, and some black baker's twine.  It's really a pretty simple card.  But this gorgeous Heart Doily has become a favorite of mine very quickly.  I loved rolling it up and using it as a nose-gay on my mini album (posted last week), and it cuts beautifully out of wool felt.  There's also an AWESOME tutorial on the Top Dog Dies Blog giving you lots of different ways to use this beautiful die.  Be creative!  You simply can't go wrong with Top Dogs' wonderful die-cuts.  They're just wonderful, and the cut through paper and wool felt just perfectly.

Here's another "secret" that's been revealed.....the big winner of our Top Dog Dies Blog Hop was Sabrina Radican.  Congratulation, Sabrina!  We will be having another Blog Hop, which means another GREAT GIVE-AWAY coming up in March.  Stay tuned for details!  You can also check out more details on the Top Dog Dies Blog, or on our Facebook Page!

Just B Creative Crazy - February Linky Party

Have a blessed day!
Karen

Monday, February 10, 2014

LOVE Theme at The Kraft Journal

Karen Letchworth for The Kraft Journal
It's all about "LOVE" this week at The Kraft Journal, and these cards were my way of sharing some of the sweet Kraft Outlet supplies that I LOVE!  I started my project with a Buff Ivory Notecard, and then made my card base from matching Buff Ivory Cardstock.  I used some patterned papers to decorate my card, and then topped them off with some of the Kraft Outlet supplies that I love best; including the Ruler Twill Ribbon (2 yards for just $0.99) which I gathered and machine stitched to create a ribbon-like trim, some Red Baker's Twine, and a Tim Holtz Memo Pin.  The Memo Pin holds a tiny tag that is cut from Buff Ivory Cardstock.
Karen Letchworth
Next, I made a coordinating tag using a Grungy Prim Shipping Tag that I covered and machine stitched with the same patterned papers.  Again, I used the Ruler Twill Tape and Red Baker's Twine to embellish my tag.  Making a matching tag to go along with your hand-made cards is a lovely idea because you can easily tuck the tag inside the card to give your recipient a little "something extra", and these wonderful Shipping Tags come in multi-packs to help you save money and make gift-giving simple and affordable.  You can pick some up at The Kraft Outlet, give it a try this week, and enter our challenge to show us your creative work.  This is one of my "go-to" creative ideas, and it's easy to make the tag as you're creating the card.  Just lovely for gift-giving, and the Kraft Outlet makes it SO affordable, and SO simple.  This next picture shows the sweet little gift set - super easy and fun!
Gift Set
Thanks so much for stopping by to take a peek at my card and tag set today.  I really want to encourage you all the grab the perfect supplies at Kraft Outlet and come by to share your art in our lovely challenge this week.  It's SO easy to play along.  Just use product from the Kraft Outlet or ANY kraft paper items you have on hand to create something fun.  (A paper bag, piece of chipboard, or a kraft note card).  We would LOVE to have you join us.

I'm linking my card and tag to the following challenges:

Just B Creative Crazy - February Linky Party - Just Because/Anything Goes

Simon Says Challenge Blog - Wednesday Challenge - Simon Says Have a Heart

Little Scrap Pieces - Friday Linky Party - Valentine's Day Fun

God bless your week!

Karen

Friday, February 7, 2014

2 + 2 = 4

Ever since I found out that I made the Top Dog Dies Design Team, I've been looking forward to making blog posts showing everyone their wonderful die-cuts and some of the cards and projects I've made using them.  This is a card I made using Top Dog's sweet Madison Doily Die-Cut.  I cut it from blackboard paper and used white chalk ink on the edges to give it the chalkboard look.  I used a Melissa Frances rub-on for the sentiment, and this is rubbed onto a Blackboard Tag which is also inked white in chalk ink to give it that blackboard look.  This sweet Madison Doily Die is one my favorites, and will be used over and over again.  You can see here that I only used half of it on this card, and bordered it with seam binding and some velvet rick-rack.  I placed some sequins on the die, and at the top, and attached a sweet seam binding bow.  I really wanted the doily to be the featured item on this card, so I kept everything else pretty simple.
Karen Letchworth for Top Dog Dies
I used a couple of different patterned papers, sweet sequins, did some machine stitching, and inked the edges of my card with some Tim Holtz Distress Ink Walnut Stain.  Pretty simple really.  Here's a close-up of the doily.
Thanks so much for stopping by to say hello today.  I hope that you will be sure to stop by Top Dog Dies to look around at all the amazing die-cuts offered in their wonderful store, and to check out all the inspiration in their photo idea gallery, and on the Top Dog Dies Blog.  They also have a super fun Facebook Page where they hold lots of great give-aways and special events.  Don't forget about the BIG GIVE-WAY on the Top Dogs Blog.  You have until Sunday, February 9, to enter to win the fabulous grand prize.

I'm sharing my card here:
Just B Creative Crazy! - February Link Party - Just Because/Anything Goes

I'm so grateful to have you visit my blog, and I thank you for your sweet and encouraging comments.  I look forward to visiting each of you to see what you've been creating this week.

God bless you!
Karen


Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Top Dog Dies Blog Hop & Give-Away

Hello, crafty friends!  It's time for a super fun BLOG HOP for Top Dog Dies with an AWESOME give-away!
This Blog Hop is our very first event for the new Design Team, and I'm really excited for all of you to see the lovely projects these talented ladies have prepared for you.  If you're not yet familiar with Top Dog Dies, you will want to stop by their amazing store and check out the wide variety of high-quality metal dies they offer.  You will quickly fall in love with these amazing and creative die-cuts.  Here is the Blog Hop line-up in case you get lost along the way.
Amy Wanford
Giovana Smith - You should have arrived here from Giovana's Blog
Karen Letchworth - You Are Here!

Katie Brooks  - This Is Your Next Stop


Karen Letchworth for Top Dog Dies
I made this mini album as a Valentines Day gift for my hubby.  I filled it with lots of sweet little snapshots of us doing silly things together (not shown) just to have as a little keepsake of our love and happy memories.  The Top Dog Dies I used made this album SO quick and easy. I started with the A2 Card #3 Die which includes the scalloped die and rectangular die all in one plate. It made the album such an easy project - you will just LOVE it!  For the cover (shown above), I used the Heart Doily Die and cut it out of wool felt  -it cuts like a warm knife through butta!  Every little hole cuts out perfectly even through wool felt.  I rolled the sides in and hot glued them together to create this nose-gay for my roses.  I did this to remind me of all the roses my hubby has given me during the 30 years we've been together.  Underneath that, you will also see the Heart Border Die which really creates a sweet subtle background.  And again, every hole cuts perfectly using these amazing high-quality dies.
Karen Letchworth Mini Album Page 2
On the subsequent pages of the album, I used the Madison Doily Die (page 2) and the Wildflower Die (page 3).  Here's a closer look at page 2.  That vintage button is really beautiful, and I liked adding the tiny tag with Est. 1985 as a sweet little touch.  The fancy pearl stick pin was made by my blog friend Hazel of Hazel's Handmade Crafts.  They were a gift, and I am SO grateful for her sweet friendship.
I didn't post all the pages of my album because I knew this blog post would get too lengthy.  The Top Dog Dies that I used made this project so much fun to create, and such an easy base to work with and embellish.   They sure helped me create something that we will treasure for a very long time!
Karen Letchworth Mini Album Page 3
OK....let's talk PRIZES!!  This is SO exciting, and the winner will be THRILLED because Top Dog Dies is giving away their Heart Mini Album AND the adorable coordinating Heart Mini Album Finishers Set.  This prize is a $42 value, and it will help you easily create a beautiful mini album like this one.  While I absolutely LOVE and APPRECIATE all your sweet comments, I need to let you know that in order to be entered in the challenge for this awesome give-away, you will definitely need to stop by the Top Dog Dies Blog and leave a comment on the Blog Hop post you will find here:  Top Dogs Blog Hop Give-Away Post.  Use the Rafflecopter widget to enter the drawing.  We would also love to have you stop by the blogs of the other talented Top Dog Dies Designers and leave them a little love as they inspire you with their creative use of the Top Dog die-cuts.
Karen Letchworth for Top Dog Dies
Before I sign off, I wanted to share this one last card with you all. I made this sweet Valentine's Day card for my love using some October Afternoon patterned paper, a vintage cream round doily, the Top Dogs Heart Doily Die-Cut which is also cut from October Afternoon paper (red and cream print).  I added some seam binding as well as several sweet Valentine embellishments from Michael's (DCWV washi tape, Recollections brad,  attachment, and brown paper bag).  I painted a wooden clothespin with a tiny bit of cream acrylic paint and added a tiny red pearl sticker.  Layering Top Dog's super sweet Doily Die-Cuts allows you to create the sweetest Valentine's ever!

Thanks SO MUCH for stopping by today.  If you're new to my blog, I would really love to have you become my follower.  I always visit the blogs of those who leave comments and will be sure to leave you some love, too.  And for those who follow me, I do the same for you - cuz I just love making new friends in Blogland.  Stop back by this Friday, February 7, to see my next Top Dog Dies project!

Sharing my projects here:
Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge - "Have A Heart"

Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenges - Challenge #14 - "Sweethearts"

Thanks, Top Dog Dies, for the AWESOME give-away, and I wish each of you BIG LUCK in the random draw for this awesome prize.  Don't forget to stop  by the Top Dog Dies Blog to enter the give-away!

Blessings,
Karen