New Year Wishes...

Happy New Year!!!

I am hoping that the New Year found you all in great spirits and excited about the New Year. Last year was a great creative year for SOC and I am sure that 2013 will be even better.

2013 Wishes by Karen Jiles Supplies- Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper, Stickers: Graphic 45; Hemp: Close to My Heart; Ink: Tsukineko

To create dimension I cut elements from patterned paper and popped them up to achieve a 3D effect.The colors in the patterned paper were so fun and really added some great energy to the creative process.

As you continue on your creative journey in 2013, may you all have Longevity, Tranquility, and Joy.

Always,

Karen

Season's Greetings!!

It’s that time of year…Are you ready? I am getting there. My girls are super excited and I am super excited for them…:)
I am sharing a few of my Christmas Tags that I made for this year. I like to make an assortment to use with various Christmas wrap and kraft colored bags. Creating my own tags always brings great energy to the gift wrap process.

Season’s Greetings Tags by Karen Jiles Supplies Buttons: Foofala; Hemp, White Embossing Powder:Close To My Heart; Stamp: Hero Arts; Ink: Ranger, Tsukineko; Other: Ribbon, manila tags

I used various colors of distress stains on the tags and the ribbon. The distress stains created this very nice variegated look to the ribbon.  I added some buttons using hemp to continue the handmade feel of the tags. This was a great way to use the embellishments that I have so many of. The last step was to age the tags by sponging on some vintage photo ink. I really enjoyed how these came out this year.  I also love that using various colors gives me many options for color coordination.

Are you creating your tags this Holiday Season?  Are you using various color combinations, too? Please share…

Happy Holidays,
Karen

Welcoming November...

Hi there,

I created a fall card to share with you today. I always love this time of year.  The tree leaves are turning into beautiful fall colors and the temps are cooler. As inspiration for this card, I used the fall color of leaves that I see so many of these days here in North Carolina. I wanted the card to feel earthy and warm.  I used a lot of texture and I wanted the card to be as warm as the sentiment, “Gratitude.”

Gratitude by Karen Jiles Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill, Close to my Heart; Patterned Paper: K and Co., Making Memories; Metal Charm: Making Memories; Corrugated Board: Zutter; Flowers, Leaves: Prima; Ink: Ranger; Other: Ribbon

Tip: Creating texture in card making can be achieved in various ways.  I distressed the edges and used corrugated board. I also used flowers and leaves with dimensional elements to balance out the card.

Happy Fall to you,

Karen

A Fun and Happy Halloween Keepsake

Halloween is such a fun time for the kids. Creating a keepsake to display a cute photo of the fun times always gives me instant joy. This was the girls’ 2^nd Halloween and they were super excited to trick or treat with their little tutus on. I converted the photo to black and white to coordinate with the overall design of the keepsake. This keepsake can be displayed all year long as any themed album or card.

Happy Halloween by Karen Jiles Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: DCVW; Spiders: Recollections; Other: Ribbon

When creating keepsakes, you can add repositionable tape to the photo to update the keepsake as often as you like. I typically make all of my keepsakes permanent, but that is purely personal preference.

 

How will you capture and display your favorite Halloween photo(s) this year?

 

Karen

Saying Goodbye to Summer...

I'm saying goodbye to Summer with a 2 page hinged layout. I have so many great photos from this Summer. I am always taking tons and using maybe 10 % of the shots. It's always better to have more than enough than not enough, especially for our creative needs...:)

I decided to use these pics for this sweet display. I took these photos of my girls right before bedtime. They fight sleep often, but these photos are proof that anytime is the right time to capture a sweet moment and sweet faces.

Capture the Moment by Karen Jiles Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper, 3D Stickers: K & Co; Buttons: Prima; Hemp, Hinges: Close to my Heart; Ink: Ranger; Other: Ribbon

I used K & Co as the springboard for this layout. The elements were so cute and combining them with some precious Prima buttons made this layout fun.

 How did you creatively end your Summer?

Karen

Summer Days....

Happy August!!!

I hope that you are enjoying your summer. We are definitely enjoying ours. I have been taking tons of photos. The girls have been having loads of fun and we have been staying busier than ever. We recently visited a nearby park. The kids enjoyed every moment.  I decided to use a photo of my little Kimmie enjoying a playhouse at the park for this particular layout. It was such a nice summer day and this paper was perfect for this photo. The base layer of the layout is white core cardstock distressed with a prima distressing tool. I also curled the edges of the base layer by rolling the edges inward.  I like the interesting border that distressing and curling adds to a layout. It really changes the overall look and feel.  I really loved the end result.  I hope you do too…J

Summer by Karen Jiles Supplies Cardstock: Close to my Heart; Patterned Paper: Prima; Flowers: Recollections; Butterflies: Recollections; Resin Corners: Prima; Ink: Ranger

 Hugs, Karen

Happy 4th of July!!!

Are you enjoying another July 4^th full of fireworks, cookouts and fun with family and friends? I sure am. This Holiday is always a nice one for us. It's like the official kick off to Summer.

To celebrate the 4^th, I created this card using one of my favorite distressing techniques by embossing and sanding the raised areas of white core cardstock. I love how the sanding highlights certain components. It’s like a slow reveal that becomes even more eye catching as you sand away. The sanding gives the card more depth, dimension, and texture. I definitely love that…J

July 4th by Karen Jiles Supplies Cardstock: Close To My Heart; Patterned Paper: American Craft;Star Pins: Maya Road; Crocheted Ribbon: Recollection; Button: Advantus; Stamp: Raindrop; Ink: Ranger; Embossing Folder: Sizzix; Other: Wired Ribbon

So, how are you celebrating your 4^th of July?

Hugs, Karen

Something Special for Father….

Father’s Day is June 17^th- Just a couple of weeks away and plenty of time to create something special for Dad. I decided to create a piece of art for my Dad-Something that he could display on his desk and enjoy time and time again. I have included an easy tutorial on this little project. In seven easy steps, you can create this piece of art for your Dad too…J

Thank You, Dad by Karen Jiles Supplies Cardstock: Close To My Heart, Coredinations; Corrugated Board: Bind It All; Ink: Ranger, Memento; Marker: Copic; Paint: Golden, Making Memories; Metal Embellishments, Buttons: Advantus; Stamps: Great Impressions, Stampers Anonymous; Embossing Folder: Sizzix; Dies; Sizzix, Spellbinders; Other: Formica, Ribbon.

Supplies:

Corrugated Board 6 x 5 1/2
Cardstock
Paint
Stamps
Old Jalopy Die
Rectangle Spellbinders Die
Airbrushing Tool
Copic Marker
Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Memento Ink
Foam Brush
Distressing Tool
Metal Embellishments
Adhesive
               3D Tape
               Glue Gun
               Mono Adhesive

Step One: Pull up the top layer of the Corrugated Board in various places.

Step Two: Add paint to Corrugated Board using Foam Brush. Drying time may vary. Let Dry.

Step Three: Die Cut and Emboss “Old Jalopy” truck using Coredinations cardstock. Tip: Using the Coredinations cardstock will give two color choices. Decide Placement before adhering. Set aside.

Step Four: Stamp, Die cut, and airbrush sentiment. Tip: After cutting, airbrush the sentiment as it rests in the spellbinders die.  This creates a trim around the sentiment. Set aside.

Step Five: Stamp the painted corrugated board and age with vintage photo ink. Age with Foam Applicator or direct to board with ink pad.

Step Six: Age all die cuts using vintage photo ink.  Apply to corrugated board.

Step Seven: Add metal embellishments, ribbon, and sentiment using glue gun.

Have fun with this tutorial and Enjoy Father's Day!

Karen

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother’s Day is May 13^th. It will be here before we know it. Mother's Day is such a wonderful day to honor the Mothers in our lives. I decided to share with you a card that I created for my Mother. I wanted to use an all time favorite, so I chose a stamp from my PSX collection. The company made so many pretties back in the day. There is nothing like using a favorite stamp to create a special card, especially for Mom…This particular card was made with an emphasis on coloring and creating texture. I used my copics to color the stamped image and layered it onto a Spellbinders die cut. The grid pattern background was created with my Scorpal. It added that subtle texture to the card that I love. The last touches were to add some symbolic embellishments, a vintage button and pearl pins.

Mother’s Day by Karen Jiles Supplies Cardstock: Copic, Close To my Heart; Stamp: PSX; Pins: Maya Road; Button: Advantus; Ink: Copic, Momento; Die: Spellbinders; Ribbon: Other

I really enjoyed creating this Mother’s Day card. I got a chance to play with one of my favorite stamps and some of my favorite products. So tell me, what will you create for Mother’s Day this year? Will you be using some of your Fav’s?

Enjoy your Mother's Day!

Karen

Easter is almost here…

Easter is just days away. Have you created your Easter baskets and treats? I am still working on the baskets for the girls and treats for the Easter party that the girls will be attending this week. In addition to creating for the little ones at school, I also create little special gifts for their teachers. So, I am sharing a few of the sweet Easter treats that I made for them this year. These are super easy to create and a lot of fun as well.



Easter Treats by Karen Jiles. Supplies.Cardstock: Close To My Heart; Acrylic Boxes: Clear Bags.com; Ribbon: May Arts; Butterfly Punch:Martha Stewart; Stickles: Ranger.

Tip 1: Add some glitz and dimension to your embellishments by adding stickles.
Tip 2: Use Clear Boxes as treat containers. They provide full flexibility with color options.

I enjoy creating these so much. There is nothing sweeter than feeling good about your gifts. What about you? What are you creating for Easter?

Have a Wonderful Easter!!

Karen

It’s National Craft Month!!!

Are you ready for a fun filled month of creating? I am. I have my creative “To Do” list, unfinished projects bagged, and my room organized and ready. Oh what fun I have in store for myself. It’s always nice to have a plan, but if you don’t it's never too late.

I started my month off by creating this “Inspire” card. I made it for myself to serve as inspiration throughout the month. We all need a little inspiration. I used several types of products and patterns, as well as a little old product blended with new- A little bit of this and little bit of that…:) I think that it’s important to reach far back into the stash at times and also within arm’s reach. You will be amazed how well products can coordinate when looking at past and current products. You can find similarities across product lines in variations of color and themes that really work well together and you can also find inspiration too while you are in search of just the right addition to your creation pile.



Inspire Card by Karen Jiles. Supplies-Patterned Paper: K and Company; Cardstock: Bazzill; Journaling Spots: Making Memories ;Decorative Clips: K and Company; Ribbon: Stampin’ Up!; Embossing Folder: Sizzix; Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink.

I think that I am beginning my month off just right. I am using a little bit of this and a little bit of that as a good start to National Craft Month. So are you ready for National Craft Month?

Karen

Straight from the Heart…

Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 14^th is just around the corner. While most non cardmakers will be crowding the card aisles, we will be home putting finishing touches on our handmade cards. I love that I have that option, flexibility, and desire. It takes all of those characteristics to create on any level, but to create for Valentine’s day is so much more special. While you are expressing your love, you are also creating straight from the heart. I had that “Straight from the Heart” feel in mind as I created this card to share with you.

I Love You Card by Karen Jiles. Supplies- Patterned Paper & Ribbon: Bo Bunny; Cardstock: CTMH; Journaling Spots: Making Memories; Heart Stickers: Recollections; 3-D sticker: K and Company; Heart Pins: Little Yellow Bicycle; Vintage Ink: Tim Holtz.

As Moanica shared on Sunday about her love for embellishments, I admit I have that addiction too. My card if full of them. They really add so much to handmade creations.

Tip: Add journaling spots to your cards. Journaling spots serve more purposes than just journaling. I added them to the inside of my card to give the card a border effect. Two were added to effectively balance the card. This is a fun and instant way to add flare to your cards. Note that the journaling spots that I used were packaged as a spiral bound book and are shown below. They come in several collections and are awesome to create with.



Enjoy your Valentine’s Day!
Karen

Happy New Year!!!

I am hoping that the New Year found you all Happy, Healthy, and Blessed! 2011 was a good year and 2012 will be even better.

We recently released the December/January Issue of Scraps of Color. It is full of wonderful Holiday ideas. The products that we spotlighted were so awesome, that I decided to use them for this blog post as well. My calendar below was created with 2 Heartfelt Creations stamps sets; A Cheery Kind of Day & Life is Good and a coordinating Cardinal die from the Cardinal Family die set. I created this calendar as a great start to the New Year.

2012 Coaster Calendar by Karen Jiles. Supplies- Stamps and Die: Heartfelt Creations; Cardstock and Metal Hinges: CTMH; Ink: Copic, Memento; Stickles: Ranger.

Handmade Calendars make wonderful pre and post Holiday gifts and are great additions to any craft room.

Tip: 3D- opportunities are always present when creating with Heartfelt stamps and coordinating dies. Continue the 3-D throughout your design by stapling your calendar together and popping it on your coaster base with 3-D tape. This allows you or the recipient to easily change the calendars out from year to year without damaging the base.

Wishing you all a Fabulous Year!!!

Karen

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

We have been busy preparing for the December/January Issue of Scraps of Color. It is full of wonderful ideas that you will definitely want to take advantage of for Christmas. As a sneak peek, I am sharing a card that I made using some Heartfelt Creations stamp sets and coordinating dies. We are featuring Heartfelt Creations stamps and coordinating dies in the December/ January issue. I enjoy their products so much, because they make creating very easy and fast. During the Holidays, easy and fast is exactly what we need when it’s time to mass produce cards and send out to family and friends.

Wishing You Holiday Card by Karen Jiles. Supplies- Stamps and Dies: Heartfelt Creations; Cardstock: Coredinations; Ink: Copic, Memento; Stickles: Ranger; Ribbon: Essentials.

I used a distressed layer on this card to give it a more unique look. The stickles on the flowers adds that extra sparkle that makes this card even more special. I added a duplicate cardinal and angled him to the side to give the appearance of the cardinals sharing a branch. This also added a 3-dimensional look.

Have you finished your cards for the holidays? What quick and easy tips do you use to complete your holiday cards?

Enjoy the Holidays,
Karen

HAPPY FALL!!!

Hi there,

Happy Fall!!! Can you believe that Fall is here already?? I love this time of year. The tree leaves are turning into beautiful fall colors and the weather is so cooperative. In North Carolina, we have such a variety of beautiful trees, plants, and shrubs that we get an opportunity to enjoy the most wonderful colors this time of year. I like to take full advantage of the photo opportunities during this window of time. Fall scenes can be breathtaking and Scenic photos can become instant cards that are perfect for all occasions.

I took the following photos while on Lake Norman. As I enjoyed the lake, I could see all of the card opportunities as I took in all of this beauty.





The best part of these photos is the variation in color of the trees, but I also like that if I choose- I can print in sepia or black and white to get a completely different effect and I can also expand my set of All Occasion cards. Late October – December is usually a very busy time for us, so creating quick lovely cards is always a plus in my book and photo cards enable me to add to my collection instantly. The themes can be endless: Thinking of you, Missing you, Birthday Wishes, Hello-the list can go on and on. See my instant photo cards are below…



In Sepia...


So, are you taking full advantage of your Fall photo opportunities? I hope so. You could be building your card collection as well.

Hugs, Karen

Welcoming October...

Hi there,

In preparing for the upcoming issue, one of our themes was Halloween. We had so much fun with this theme that I thought that I would create some more goodies to share with you. I created a Halloween card and a treat container. Both were created with some fun papers from Die Cuts With a View. I absolutely love filling little handmade Halloween containers for my girls to give to their teachers, so this little set will be duplicated for sure..:)

Halloween Treat Container & Card Set by Karen Jiles. Supplies- Patterned Paper: Die Cuts With a View; Cardstock and Stamp: Close To My Heart; Ribbon: Martha Stewart and Paper Studio; Ink: Vintage Photo Distress Ink; Punch: Martha Stewart.

Halloween is just around the corner. So, what kind of Halloween goodies will you create this year?

Karen

A Great New Issue of Scraps of Color Magazine!

Enjoying the August/September Issue of Scraps of Color Magazine? I definitely am. There are so many wonderful layouts, 3-D projects and cards inside to inspire so much creativity. In this issue we focused on wedding, summer, and water fun themes. We also included a seasonal layouts section, which inspired me to create this card.


Greetings from Paradise Card by Karen Jiles. Supplies- Patterned Paper and Borders: K and Company; Cardstock: Close To My Heart; Ribbon: Making Memories; Ink: Vintage Photo Distress Ink; Corners: Martha Stewart.

Summer is always a wonderful time to vacation, enjoy outdoor activities, and take cool pics. Sending a card filled with photos of your vacation to family or a friend is the perfect way to let someone know that you are enjoying your vacation. It also gives them an opportunity to share in the moments. This card measures 6 x 6 and a great size to slip photos into before mailing.

Tip: Position a layer of your card at an angle and add photo corners to get a “postcard” feel. This really enhances the look and presentation.

Enjoy the new issue and let us know what you think of it!

Karen

Summer Keepsake

Hi there,

The month of July flew by so quickly. Now we are into August and looking forward to our next issue of Scraps of Color E:spire! You have so much to look forward to in the upcoming issue. One of my favorites is the summer theme. I am sure we all have more photos than enough to play with and use on summer layouts. I definitely do. I decided to create a piece of wall art using a photo that I took of my girls this summer. My goal was to create an item that could serve as a keepsake while at the same time- preserve a memory of my girls relaxing on a window sill waiting for me to take them out on a nice summer day.

Adorable Sweet Friends Keepsake by Karen Jiles. Supplies- Patterned Paper and Borders: K and Company; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Flowers: Recollections; Metal Embellishments: Making Memories; Dew Drops: The Robin’s Nest; Ribbon: Stampin’ Up!; Ink: Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Tip 1: I created this by combining 2 frames; an 8 x 8 and 5 x 5. Adding multiple frames can provide a 3-dimensional look to your art.

Tip 2: If an accent frame is too small to use as a frame, cut it in half. It provides a different use, yet still accenting your work. I accented my keepsake by adding my cut pieces to 2 corners of the base frame.

What memories are you preserving this summer?

Hugs, Karen

Happy 4th of July

I hope that you are enjoying this 4th of July. The 4th is such a great time to watch fireworks, parades, and enjoy cookouts with family and friends. In our latest issue of Scraps of Color, you will find 4th of July ideas on page 22, 42, and 43. These ideas were created by the SOC Design Team to inspire your creative juices.

In honor of the 4th I created this little card. What I loved most about it was the use of my Grand Calibur dies to create the card base and additional layers. This card was so much fun to make. The unique shaped card enhanced the complete design.

4th of July Card by Karen Jiles. Supplies-Patterned Paper & Chipboard: Bo Bunny; Cardstock: Close To My Heart; Die: Spellbinders (Grand); Crystals: Prima; Ink: Copic Marker and Vintage Photo; Tool: Air Compressor.

As shared earlier in this post, I used a Grand Calibur Die by Spellbinders to create the card base. I left the card base in the Die and airbrushed the card. This enabled me to keep an outer trim around the card. I then cut additional layers using the nesting dies and added chipboard and crystals. I added Vintage photo ink to the edges to distress the embellishments and layers a little.

How will you celebrate your 4th of July? Any creative plans using 4th of July as a theme?

Please share.

Hugs, Karen

Happy June!!

This is such a great month. We just released the June/July issue of Scraps of Color Magazine and we have Father’s Day on June 19th to look forward too. Our new issue includes wonderful pieces to inspire you, perspective on new product, as well as awesome ideas for the 4th of July and Father’s Day.

Speaking of Father’s Day, have you created your Father’s Day card yet? Take a peek at page 19, where you will find digital stickers from Camille and Aysha to use in your cards and pages 36-38 of the magazine features great Father’s day ideas from the design team.

Masculine cards in general always seem to make me work a little harder to finally get that “Feel good” feeling about the final product. I don’t know why, but they do. So when I began working on a card for this post, I remembered a tip I shared in this month’s magazine for masculine cards on page 37: “Use Bold and Strong patterns.” The card below was very simple to create with that tip in mind. I used Bold and Strong patterned papers from Graphic 45 and an embossing folder that provided great texture and strong background. I applied walnut ink to the background to make the card pop and the addition of the ink also added that rustic feel which is perfect for a Gentleman.



For you, Father by Karen Jiles. Supplies- Patterned Paper: Graphic 45; Cardstock and Stamps: Close To My Heart; Ribbon: May Arts; Embossing Folder: Sizzix; Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Metal Embellishments: Tim Holtz.

I was having so much fun I didn’t want to stop there. I decided to carry that “Bold and Strong” feeling on into the inside of the card to hold that special sentiment. The inside reads:

“As I reflect, I do not remember a time that I wasn’t proud to call you Father. You have always been such an inspiration to me and on this special day, please remember that I will always Love you.”

Happy Father’s Day!

So tell me, where are you with your Father’s Day card? Are Masculine cards quick and easy for you? Please share.

Hugs,
Karen