Welcome to Cards by Amy K.

I am SO GLAD you stopped by to check out my blog!!! Here I will be posting my current projects for you to see. PLEASE feel free to leave me a comment. I would LOVE to hear what you think about what I'm working on. I have been a scrapbooker/paper crafter since I first caught wind of this wonderful hobby in 2006. I am lucky enough to get to spend my days doing something I love so much and which brings so much joy into my life. I first started scrapbooking as a way to pass the time as I found myself at home alone all day suddenly, now I can't imagine life without it. Too bad I don't get paid for it, then I really would have it all!!!







Friday, April 26, 2013

Masculine birthday card for Andrew

Recently I purchased a new book.  It's called, "Creative Foundations".  It's full of techniques for scrapbooking and mixed media.  I just love this book.  I can't say enough good things about it.  I've learned alot from it and the techniques are easy to follow and they give you step by step instructions plus they use products that most crafters all ready have on hand so you don't have to go out and buy alot of new stuff to do these techniques. I used a couple of the techniques that I learned from this book on this card. The first one is called, "faux letterpress".  I used it for the back ground paper on top of the card.  You just ink up one side of your embossing folder with a dye based ink and run it thru your die cutting machine like normal being careful not to smear the ink when you place your cardstock in the folder.  Then, once I had it embossed, I used Antique Linen distress ink from Tim Holtz to color the raised areas of the cardstock.  The next technique I used is called, "tie-dye markers".  I used it on the strip of cardstock  that runs across the center of the card.  To do this technique all you do is use some water based markers, any kid friendly markers will do, and you color a few different colors onto your cardstock then you spray it with water and let the ink run.  Then you crumple up the cardstock while it's still wet then straighten it back out and dry it using your heating gun. Then used a script stamp and black archival ink and stamped over the marker.  I then tore the edges before adhering it to the card base. The designer paper across the bottom of the card is from the Teresa Collins, World Traveler 6x6 pad.  I use this paper so often for my masculine cards. I think it looks great for a "man" card.   The label die cut is from Spellbinders and the sentiment stamp is from Hot Off The Press and I heat embossed it using Recollections embossing powder in champagne.  I just love the way the techniques turned out on this card and I can't wait to try more from the book.Here's the link to find this book if you are interested. Happy crafting!  Hugs to you all, Amy K.   

Anniversary card for Husband

This year Brian and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary.  This is the card I made him to show him how much I love him and appreciate all he does for me and how he's always been there for  me.  I made the card using designer paper from Basic Grey, the Sultry collection.  It's an older collection and I'm not even sure if you could find it anywhere any more but I love it and still use it from time to time.  The sentiment is from a vellum sticker pad from K & Company, I just backed it on a sheet of the designer paper as the sticker is clear. The doily die cut is from Cherry Lynn Designs and the label die cut is from Spellbinders.  I used an ek success boarder punch for the edge of the card.  I wish I had taken pictures of the inside but sadly, I did not. I used more designer paper and a smaller label die cut inside.  I just tied a simple bow of pink seam binding to finish the front off.  I know its a simple card in design but I thought it turned out nice and he liked it and in the end that's all that matters, right? Thank you for stopping by the blog today and stay tuned for another card coming up today. Hugs to you all, Amy K.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Anniversary card

I made this card for my sweet cousin, Nicole and her wonderful Hubby, Jeff.  They just celebrated their wedding anniversary.  I made it using a Recollections paper stack called Elegance, and the sentiment label is a Spellbinders die, fancy labels II, the sentiment stamp is from Close to my Heart the Say it in Style stamp set, along with the label stamp, its from the Frame it up Flair set. Both the hearts are a cricut cut from the Artiste cartridge.  I embossed the sentiment with red embossing powder from Ranger.  The die cut for the background is also a cricut cut from the Elegant edges cartridge and the label was stamped with Warm Red chalk ink from Clearsnap. I just added some black lace and some small red pearls to finish it off.  Hope you enjoyed my card today. I will be back tomorrow with another card. Today is my birthday and I'm off to get the day started after sleeping in this morning.  I would like to say thank you to all the nice people who wished me a Happy Birthday already this morning.  I'm really feeling the love today and that somehow makes getting older not so bad. lol. And to think I will be 40 in no time at all.. where has all the time gone? :) I would also like to say thank you to all you guys who read my blog, you mean the world to me and keep me going strong. you encourage me to keep creating and sharing with the world. Thank you for being ever faithful.  Tomorrow me and my Husband celebrate our 12th anniversary. I am looking forward to spending the day with him. Thankfully it falls on a weekend so that he doesnt have to work on our anniversary and we will get to spend it together.  No gifts this year just a nice dinner and lots of Love. Hugs to you all, amy k

Friday, April 19, 2013

Masculine Birthday card for Brother

I made this card for my wonderful baby brother.  I used papers from 7 gypsies and stamps from Tim Holtz , I used a prima flower and a piece of burlap ribbon to finish it off.  I distressed all the edges with gathered twigs distress ink.  Its a simple and easy to assemble card but I think its good for a masculine card. I hope Brother liked it anyway. Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a great day. Hugs, amy k

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Masculine Birthday card for Tony

I made this card for our good friend, Tony. I used the Teresa Collins "World Traveler:" designer paper on a  kraft card base with some Tim Holtz tickets and light bulb, prima flowers in white that have been glimmer misted to match the paper and some recollections bling. I also used some thin leather trim and a vintage button for the flower center and the door lock and key brads. I think this card turned out so good, I hope Tony likes it too. Thanks for stopping by my blog today, Hope you have a great Sunday. Hugs, amy k

Friday, April 12, 2013

Hexagon birthday card for female

I made this pretty little card for my beautiful cousin, Nicole.  I just printed some images of hexagons out from google and then found one the size I liked.  Then I used a piece of clear plastic from packaging and laid it over the image I'd selected and with a ruler I traced it out then cut it out from the plastic.  Then I had a template that I could use to lay over my design paper and trace it out and cut out the patterned hexagons that I wanted.  Sorry, I didn't think of it while i was making the card but next time I do a process like that I'll try and remember to take pictures so you guys get a better understanding of how I work.  The design paper came from a 6x6 pad of My Minds Eye paper from the Dolled up collection. I fussy cut the butterflies from the paper and cut the felt roses from a sizzix die.  The sentiment and frame were a studio G stamp set from Micheals. The bling was just from my stash.  Hope you liked the card today.  Be back soon with a birthday card for a male. I think you will like it. Hugs, amy k

50th wedding anniversary card

I made this card for my Hubby, Brian's, aunt and uncle, Martha and Ray Teems.  They truly are such sweet people and they are very involved in the community and the church.  I've never visited their church with my husband and found Ray and Mot missing.  They are always there sitting right up front and Ray singing the loudest. lol.  Can't you tell I just love them to death? Because I really do.  I've known Ray practically all my life because when I was growing up he worked for the school and he would sometimes drive the bus and he just loved to go on with us kids and tell us girls how ugly we were. Course we all knew ugly meant pretty but he didn't want to say so ..lol.  We had some good times with ole' Ray.  
The children threw a very nice party for their anniversary and Ray gave us all some words of wisdom and advice on a long marriage mostly by saying the woman was always right. lol  She's just as sweet as they come and he's just a cut up and a card.  Love them both.

The card was made with designer paper from My Minds Eye and I think it was one of the lost and found collection.  The sentiment was die cut using a spellbinders die and the rosette was cut from the same paper pad.  for the center of the rosette I used one of the clay pieces I've been working on.  It's the mold of a button and I just left the clay white and rubbed over it with gold rub and buff to hit the high spots.  I hope you enjoyed my card and story today.  I'll be back later tonight or in the morning with two new cards. till then, be good,, hugs, amy k

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Masculine Birthday card for Husband


I made this collage style card for my Husband's 36th birthday this year.  I used paper from 7 gypsies, the calendar stamp if from Close To My Heart and the sticker is from Basic Grey.  I really didn't have to do too much to this card as the background designer paper did most of the heavy lifting here for me.  I just added the stamped images and the sticker. I also added an ephemera pieces from 7 gypsies and K and co. too. I got the number stamps from my stash and just added it to another strip of design paper.  I hope you like my card.  I had fun making it and he seemed to like it. I don't do much with collage and I am trying to stretch my creative muscles to getting more comfortable with it. Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great day, Hugs, amy k