Karen Burniston Designer Challenge -- Haunted Location

This month's Karen Burniston Designer Challenge is "Haunted Location."  After contemplating the many possibilities of locations that could be haunted, I decided on a graveyard. Last year Karen released a couple of Pattern Plate dies for Halloween.  I used the Pattern Plate - Bats for the front of my card.  

One of my favorite die sets is the Train Pivot Panel, so I put a haunted train going through the graveyard.  The background sky was created by using Distress Oxides and blending brushes. There is a ghost driving my train.

Be sure to check out the haunted locations found by the rest of the design team.  You'll find them on the Karen Burniston Pop-up Peeps page on Facebook.

Christmas Train

Earlier this week as part of the Karen Burniston Designer Challenge, one of the other designers Sue Small-Kreider made an accordion card which I just loved.  She took the Fancy Label Accordion and cut it in a similar manner as what you do to the Landscape Rectangle Accordion when you use one of the new Add-on dies (Fence and/or Cupcake Add-ons).  Her card had Santa's Sleigh and Reindeer going through the accordion.  See her card here.

I thought that was such a cool idea that I decided to try a similar technique, using the Landscape Rectangle Accordion and the Train Pivot Panels.

When you alter the panels to accommodate the Add-ons, you normally leave just a "post" down the center, as seen in this photo.

But, as you can see in the photo below, I left part of the panel to support the train tracks.

I want to congratulate Sue for her creativity and thank her for the wonderful idea.

C4C612 - Go for a Ride Day

 Last Monday was Go for a Ride Day.  For our challenge this week, the Crazy4Challenges team were to create cards that feature something you might ride on -- car, bus, bike, truck, horse, etc.  I chose a train and used the Karen Burniston Train Pivot Panels train together with the brand-new Little Labels Pop-Up on a slimline card.

This is the inside.

Stop over at the Crazy4Challenges blog to see how the rest of the team handled this challenge.

CCEE2025 - Youth Day

This week Vicky asked the CCEE Stampers to make a card for a kid of any age!  We all have little kids in our life, but we also have those "big" kids who never seem to age.  Your choice, a young person . . . or a person who never ages!

My late husband was a model railroad enthusiast, so I made this card for all those "kids at heart" who still love to play with trains.  I used the train from the Karen Burniston Train Pivot Panels die set (minus the pivot panels) and dies from her Train Elements set on my card.

Check out the CCEE Stampers blog for some more "kid cards."

Scor-Pal "More Than One Score" - Masculine/Father's Day

The theme for June's Scor-Pal "More Than One Score" challenge is Masculine or Father's Day.    My late husband was a model railroad enthusiast, so I've got a train card for you today.  It's a bridge card, which is rather similar to a gatefold card in that it folds from both sides.  The difference is the "bridge," which spans the space between the two sides.

Following a tutorial I found on Splitcoaststampers, I made my card and used a thin strip of clear acetate and glued down my train tracks on it before I attached it to either side of the card.   The train and tracks are part of the Karen Burniston Train Pivot Panels die set; however, I did not use the pop-up mechanism.  The sun and clouds are from Karen Burniston's Tropical Scene set.  The Father's Day sentiment is from Cottage Cutz.

When closed, this card will fit into a standard A2 envelope.

Be sure to check out the Scor-Pal blog for some more masculine cards.

CCEE2014 Garden Month

Frances starts off her month as hostess for the CCEE Stampers with this message:  According to the Days of the Year web site, April is Garden Month.  So for our challenge this week, be inspired by a Garden -- flowers, plants, trees, insects, garden shed, etc.  Anything that you might find in a garden is good for this challenge.

Here is my card:

I love the background paper with its rustic wood and pretty flowers.    I added a few more flowers,  yellow -- for a splash of bright color.  On the inside is a fun pop-up of garden tools and plants.

Be sure to check out the CCEE Stampers blog for some more garden delights.

CCEE2005 International Hot Air Balloon Week

Lynn finished up her month as hostess for the CCEE Stampers by telling us that this is International Hot Air Balloon Week.  She asked us to fill the skies on our cards with bright and colorful hot air balloons.

As I probably have mentioned before, a ride in a hot air balloon is something that I have checked off my bucket list.  My late husband's 50th birthday gift to me was a ride in a hot air balloon.  It was perfectly delightful.  So I really enjoyed making my challenge card for this week.

I have used these hot air balloon dies from Cheery Lynn Designs many times in the past.  I paired them with a Karen Burniston Train Pivot Panel die, turned vertically so as to add the three balloons on the inside of the card.

Be sure to check out CCEE Stampers blog for some more high-flying fun!

Karen Burniston Designer Challenge -- Enjoy the Ride!

This month the Karen Burniston Designer Challenge goes mobile -- "Enjoy the Ride!"  My late husband was a model railroad enthusiast, so naturally I chose the Train Pivot Panels die for my card.  And, as I like to get a head start on my Christmas cards, I chose a Christmas theme.

The background paper on both the front and inside of my card is from Heartfelt Creations, who make the most beautiful patterned papers.

I cut out two engines and six of the train cars, dressing them up a little bit with some sponging and a white gel pen before constructing my card. While I was out craft shopping one day, I found some tiny 3-D Christmas stickers at Hobby Lobby.  Santa fit perfectly in the window of the locomotive.  Isn't he cute?  The "smoke rings" on both the inside and the outside of the card were made with the wheel die.

The inside of the card is the whole train, chugging along.

Oh, look!  Someone left some packages up there by the railroad crossing sign.  Perhaps they thought Santa needed a little help!  Those are more of the 3-D Christmas stickers.

As you can see, I added a couple of red gemstones to the railroad crossing sign.  I thought they gave it a little more dimension.

I hope you like my card.  I'm really in love with this Train Pivot Panel die.  It was the first one I used when I got this latest release of dies.  And I've had a lot of fun using it.

CCEE1931 Die Cut and Ribbon

Anne starts her month off as hostess for the CCEE Stampers with a good challenge -- create a card with a die cut and be sure to add a ribbon.

I've got a fun Christmas card made with several Karen Burniston dies -- mainly the Tag Book Pop-Up and the Train Pivot Panels.

And you'll notice that there are a couple of bows on the tag ends, so the "ribbon" part was covered as well.

Be sure to check out the CCEE Stampers blog to see some more die cut/ribbon cards.

Sneak Peek - New Karen Burniston dies - Train Pivot Panels

I have a sneak peek for you today . . . Karen Burniston has 20 new dies being released next month.   (They'll be shipping mid-July.)  I've got to say that I'm psyched about these.  I've been trying to choose my favorite one, but believe me it's hard.  The card I have to show you today is made with the Train Pivot Panels die, definitely in the running for "favorite."

You may be aware that I'm a big fan of the magical world of Harry Potter.  I combined a favorite stamp from Kindred Stamps (Students of Magic) with the Train Pivot Panels to create my card.  The All Aboard is also a new die, part of a set called Train Elements.

Using some brick patterned paper, I created a little train station on the front of my card, showing that wizard-in-the-making waiting for the train to take him off to wizard school.

As with many of the Karen Burniston dies, the real fun is on the inside.

All those trees are from the Evergreen Pivot Panels die set, and Hogwarts Castle up there in the corner is a digital image, also from Kindred Stamps.

Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to stop back again because I've got lots more sneak peeks to show you in the very near future.