Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day, everyone!

Just a quick post to share the card I made for hubby. This is made using dies and an embossing folder, along with some Distress Ink and a few mulberry flowers and pearls from my stash.

Click Images to Enlarge

It was an extra-thick card, and I made an over-sized envelope for it out of some pretty dp using my new Envelope Punch Board by We R Memory Keepers. (Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of that!).

I know it's a very girly,  "froo-froo" card, but he loved it, regardless! :)

Challenges Entered

4 Crafty Chicks - Use Pearls

Crafting by Designs - Love

Crafting for All Seasons - Romance

Divas by Design - Love

Fab N' Funky - Love/Valentine

Milk Coffee Challenge - Girly

PCJ - Love is in the Air

Sassy Studios - It's Valentines Day

Sisterhood of Crafters - Love

Inking it Up!

Happy Friday! I am glad it's the weekend, aren't you!? I love weekends, when family is all home from work and school. We tend to not "do" much on our weekends, mostly because of the cold weather, but it's nice to have all of us under one roof for a couple days; of course, by Sunday night, I am usually ready for my "boys" to go back to work! lol! 

Terrible, I know! 

Anyhow, I made this card a few days ago, and had not posted, yet, so i thought I'd share it today, and maybe provide some inspiration for your weekend crafting! :)

Click Photo to Enlarge

I have several Distress Ink pads that I have not used: they've been on my shelf for several months, unwrappped from the store. :( I decided to open them up and create a window scene using some of my dies.

To start, I used a yellow-beige piece of paper from my stash and started streaking some Tim Holtz Peeled Paint Distress Ink all over the sheet (I just dragged the ink pad over it, I didn't use any tools for this). Then I scored some vertical lines on the sheet, using my Scor-Pal, at every half-inch mark. I lightly folded each score line and used my Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Ink to add some dark color to the lines, intentionally making them "messy" to give the edges a bit of a weathered look. (Again, no special tooks, just using the ink pad to paper).

I punched my Memory Box Small Window and Small Flower Box from some pale yellow card stock, then used more Distress Ink on each piece: Fired Brick and Walnut Stain on the flower box, and Antique Linen and Walnut Stain on my window.

I cut some grass from my Memory Box Grasslands Border die, and I used my Impression Obsession Grass die. I like to use these two together for layering since one is taller and makes for great flower stems! I punched some red mulberry paper with my Martha Stewart punch for my heart "flowers". My window and box are adhered with pop dots to the faux siding paper, just to give them a bit of dimension. I added some blue, striped dp to the inside of the window frame, so that if peering into the window you can see the country-blue wallpaper in the house. lol! Silly, right?! I also added a crimped, scalloped "valance" that I made using my Fiskars Paper Crimper and my Scallop-Edge Scissors.

Here is a closer look at the card so you can see some of the inking better.

Click Photo to Enlarge

Thanks for stopping in! I hope you enjoyed my crafty creation today!

Please leave me s comment so I know you came by, and feel free to follow 

my blog, if you don't already, to join me on my crafting journey! :)

Challenges Entered

2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes

Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Crafting Musketeers - Grunge

Crafts and Me - Use a Heart

Crafty Girls Challenges - Anything Goes

Divas by Design - Anything Goes

Paper Crafting Journey - Vintage/Distressed/Shabby Chic

The Crafting Cafe - Anything Goes

Puppy Love

Hi, everyone!

I did some Silhouette cutting for some cards that, I think, are a bit unique for a couple reasons: first, I made them! ;o). Seriously, they're unique in my mind because not only did I design the cut file for this, but they are not your typical Valentine. I plan on sending these out to my family members' dogs! That's right, I said DOGS! lol! Not only is that a twist, but they are being postmarked by my dogs! Cute, I think. We'll see what the rest of the family has to say when they open them up for their fur-legged babies. (I'm so cracked. It must be this cold weather affecting my thought processes! lol!)

Anyhow, for those of you that are not aware, already, I have three dogs. I have a lab, Wendy; a border collie, Riley; and a beagle, Mia. They are 12, 11 and 10, respectively. We have had all of them since they could be away from their mother, and they have become their own pack. It is always chaos around here if we have to take one away from the house, and not the other two. The two that are left at home wander around searching for the one that left. The beagle (the youngest) will even sit, staring intently at the back door, until the other comes home, while the larger two dogs do the pacing and patrolling, peeking out every window and into every empty room. They're quite comical!

Anyhow, on with the creative business! I created the card using some dog images I found online that I liked; these even look very much like they could be own my dogs posing. I did some image welding to create the dogs in the circle, and cut them from a piece of black card stock. I then used a Silhouette Cutting file from their store (see below for link) and added the circle to frame the base layer (the black dog silhouettes) and cut this from white card stock. I used my Martha Stewart punch to make the pink and red mulberry hearts for the tree, and a Martha Stewart punch for the butterflies.

Click to Enlarge Photo

For the inside of my card, I wanted it to appear as if my dogs had signed the card with a paw print, so I created some dimensional paws using my PhotoShop Elements program. I also added their names, and the sentiment. I wanted the card to represent all three dogs, so I added the small beagle silhouette on the inside of the card. Now, Wendy ad Riley are the front, and my little Mia is on the inside. :)

Click to Enlarge Photo

Thanks for stopping in! I hope you enjoyed my crafty creation today!

Please leave me s comment so I know you came by, and feel free to follow my

blog, if you don't already, to join me on my crafting journey! :)

Card Recipe

Silhouette Cutting File: Bare Tree Branch

Paper: AC Card Stock

Punches: Martha Stewart: Heart Confetti, 3-in-1 Butterfly Punch

Font: Sentiment: Harrington, Signatures: Handwriting, Dakota

Challenges entered:

Card Mania - Anything Goes

Created with Love - Winged Things

Creative Cutting Challenge - Valentine's Day

LEJ Designs - Anything Goes

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Silhouette Challenges - Anything Goes

The Pink Elephant - #234 Pink, Red & Color Choice

TTCRD - Anything Goes

Victorine Originals Challenge - Valentines

Babies Are So Sweet

Happy Almost-Friday, everyone!

I did some cutting and creating this week, and have a couple of cutesie baby cards to share with you. These were created on my Silhouette machine. I'm so happy with the way they turned out!

Click Image to Enlarge

This one is for a boy, obviously! The cutting file I used was actually intended for a girl, and included a flower for adding to the onesies. Well, for a boy, that just wouldn't do, so I used a tiny star from one of my EK Success border punches, instead. :) The dinosaurs are also from an EK Success border punch. My son thought those were the cutest (and he's twenty now, and doesn't think anything is cute! lol!) I added one rhinestone to the star, just for a bit of sparkle.

Anyhow, below is the version of this card that I made for a girl.

Click Image to Enlarge

For this one, I still did not use the cut file flower; instead, I punched some smaller ones from a tiny Marvy punch that I have. I also punched a small heart with a Martha Stewart punch. I thought the girlie card could definitely use more bling, so there are rhinestones on all three onesies, here.

Thanks for stopping by today! I appreciate comments! :)

Card Recipe

Silhouette Cutting File: Baby Girl Onesie Laundry Card Kit

Papers: Heidi Grace, Cloud9Design

Bling: Recollections Rhinestones

Punches: Marvy - Tiny Flower, EK Success - Star Border, Dinosaurs Border

These cards have been entered into the following challenges:

2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes

4 Krafty Girlz - Anything Goes

Card & Scrap - Use Bling

Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Die Cut Diva's - Make It Glitter

Faeries Challenges Blog - New Beginnings

Natalie & Amy's Challenge - One for the Girlies

Silhouette Challenges - Anything Goes

The Crafting Cafe - Anything Goes

Please come back this weekend to join me for the big 

Bugaboo Stamps Birthday Celebration!

The fun starts on Saturday, January 18!

Dying to use my Dies

Merry Christmas!

This is a quick post today to show you that I am still crafting!

It has been weeks since I made anything besides dinner. I just have been busy with things going on in life, with family and household "stuff". 

I have had some Cheery Lynn dies in my stash that had not been used, yet, and I have been thinking about them! I pulled out a couple today, along with some of my scrap papers. I put together this card, inspired strongly by some cards I've seen this season on the KittieKraft blog.

Click to Enlarge

The designer paper I used is by Basic Grey. It is part of their Eskimo Kisses pack.

I used my Cheery Lynn Winter Neighborhood Border die, and my Cheery Lynn Santas Sleigh and Reindeer Die. I also used my Fiskars Deckle Edge Scissors and the Fiskars Wavy Crimper for the snow. Some pop dots add dimension to several pieces ont his card, but other than that, I kept things pretty simple!

I hope you all enjoy a very Merry Christmas, and have a chance to spend it with your families!

Thanks for stopping by today!'

Happy Crafting!

Challenges entered

Basic Grey - Anything Goes
(used Eskimo Kisses paper)

CHNC #156 - Last Minute Christmas Card

Di's Designs - Anything Christmas

Pumpkin Spice - Anything Holiday

Whoo Loves You???

Hi, everyone!

Happy Sunday to you all! I hope your weekend has been a bright, sunny warm weekend like mine! It's been gorgeous here, so I threw open my windows, cranked my tunes and finished putting together this layout. 

Click Images to Enlarge

My intention for the pictures is to make them circles, so the pretty doily cuts can still be seen on the mats.  I used the Cricut cartridge, Cindy Loo, for my paper piecings and die-cuts. This page took a long time to cut everything because I slowed my cutting speed down to 2. I wanted to make sure all those intricate cuts worked out the first time! lol!

I added some heart-shaped rhinestones to my borders. My owl and letters are on pop-dots.

I used my white gel pen in the eyes, to add the "glimmer" in the eye. I embossed the top owl layer with a Cuttlebug folder, Textile. I lined it up so the swirls of the embossing folder would match up with where I was placing the purple accents.

I used an EK Success border punch for the bracket edge, and the circle shapes are the negative cuts from the top tree layer, I have a Sizzlit Strip that I used for my letters. The circles are popped up on pop-dots.

This was a fun page to put together, and I am anxious to put the pictures on. (They are being mailed to me from my sister). Once I do, I may re-post this to show you how it looks completely finished. :)

Thanks so much for flying by today! I hope you enjoy what you see here!

Please.....feel free to follow me =====>>

Challenges entered:

2 Sisters - Anything Goes

A Gem of A Challenge - Animals

Hotshot Craft - Anything But a Card

Simply Create Too - Animals

A Color Challenge at Catch the Bug!

It's Saturday, which means a new challenge over at Catch the Bug today! This is always a favorite among us crafters because it gives us some visual inspiration! You can choose to use the colors, the theme of the photo, the season....however this picture inspires you, we want to see it in your project!

This week's theme is a

Color Challenge
(scroll down for the photo of colors)

This week I chose to post a scrapbook layout using the colors. There are a few additional colors in my layout, I'm certain, but you can't control every DP detail, right?!
I was on a mission to use up a pile of small scraps I had. I was pleased when the pile was 98% used up after pasting the pieces all over my base card stock! Woohoo! I love using up my scraps, don't you?!

Click Images to Enlarge

Left Page Closer View

featuring Scarecrow Pumpkin String**

Right Page Closer View

**PLEASE NOTE: 

It is noted in the Bugaboo Stamps Terms of Use that creating die-cuts without express permission is not allowed. ALL MY PAPER PIECED DIE-CUTS WERE CREATED WITH PERMISSION!

SUPPLY LIST

Imaginisce Designer Paper

Spellbinders - Lattice Rectangles

Die-Versions - Pumpkin Flourish

EK Success - Leaf Edge Punch, Bubble Edge Punch

Memory Box - Arboscello Tree

Cheery Lynn - Victorian Picket Fence

Stickles Glitter Glue

CTMH - Bitty Copper Brads

Stampin' Up Ink

Sponge Dauber

Gel Pen

SVGCuts.com - Grandpa's Organic Farm (corn cutting file)

Scarecrow SVG by Me - with Permission! **

Here is the photo to use for your inspiration, too! We'd love for you to play along with us!

Now that you've seen how this palette inspired me, let's see what it did to inspire you! Be sure to head over to Catch the Bug to add your creation to the Mr. Linky to play along with our challenge. :0)

By entering your project, you could win up to TEN Bugaboo images!

Head on over to Catch the Bug to play along!

Please check out the rest of the Design Team goodies while you're there! These peeps are filled with talent, full of good tips and ideas......and loaded with eye-candy-inspiring ideas! I am so honored to be part of the group!

<=====Their blog links can all be found in my left sidebar! :0)

Pick up this cute Bugaboo image, and others, over at the Bugaboo Stamps Store, and make sure you also jump over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog: it's where you can find out all the lastest "dish" on what challenges are happening and what other challenge sites that Bugaboo is sponsoring (more chances to win some free Bugaboo!). It's also where you can check out all the other fantastic DT projects, including the OBG (Oldie But Goodie) stuff, the ABC (Anything But a Card) items, and the Tuesday New Releases......plus so much more!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

If you enjoyed your visit, please consider following me ======>> 

This project has been entered into the following challenges:
Anything But a Card - #6
Heck of a challenge - 50 Shades of Autumn
Fun with Shapes & More - Anything But Christmas
Inspire Me Firdays - Anything Goes LUP #86

New Dies.....yippee!!!

Hi, everyone!

I had ordered some new dies a month ago, and just received them in the mail yesterday (they came to the US from the UK, hence the delay). I am so excited to have these - they are awesome!

I pulled out one of the die packs, a Marianne Die called Anja's Large Ovals.

I wanted to see if I could combine the elegant style of the die with my Goofy Ghosts images from Bugaboo Stamps, and I think it turned out!
I grabbed some scraps of old card stock from my box - the card base is actually sized smaller than an A2, the die hanging over the edge intentional. It does still fit into an A2 envelope.
I added the Prima Flower with a brad from my stash. That flower was an "oddball", stuffed into the bottom of one of my Prima jars. DO you ever come across stuff in your craft supply and think, "Hmm.....wonder where this came from?!"? Well.......that was one of those moments for me today. :0) 

Click Image to Enlarge

Material List
Stampin' Up Card Stock - Crushed Curry, Only Orange, Whisper White
AC Card Stock - Black, Purple

Bugaboo Stamps - Goofy Ghost - Funny, Goofy Ghost - Sucker
Marianne Die - Anja's Large Ovals
Prima Flower
Brad
Stickles
Pop Dots

Thanks so much for stopping by! 
I appreciate your attention to my creations, and enjoy reading your 
thoughts about what you see here!
If you haven't already, please consider following me. The button is
over there, in the right sidebar. *wink*wink* ;0) ===>>

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

Paper Playtime - Trick or Treat & Die Cut/Punch
Eureka Stamps - #9 Trick or Treat
Crafts & Me - Anything Goes
Divas By Design - #56 Anything Goes
Paper Pretties - PWC227 Halloween
Simon Says Stamp - Dies/Punches
Stampavie and More - #178 Halloween
Whimsy Inspiration - #52 Sparkly
ColourQ - Color Challenge #158

Shopping Our Stash - #72 Tic Tac Toe (Brad, Black, Sparkle)

An adventure in CASE study

Hi, everyone!

You may know I've been stalking....I mean "following" (haha) .....Kittie Kraft, and drawing inspiration from her, lately. I tried another of her beautiful creations (see hers here). I have added several dies to my pile, recently, and I wanted to make something wintery. I know, I know.......let's not push it, right?! But, I thought this would be a pretty Christmas card, which I need to get to work on, so......I busted out the dies to give it a whirl!

As it turned out, I was trying to create the CASE'd card from memory, 

and ended up using a white base on my card: I think this was the "fatal error" for me, it just looked so washed out and........."blah".  I also changed up the die placements on my card.

Here's the first attempt:

Click to Enlarge

I was not happy with the outcome; in fact, I was a bit mopey about the outcome for a few days, and the card was tossed from here to there in my craft room - no photo-taking, no filing in the "finished" box. After a couple days, I pulled it out from a pile of scraps I had on my table and played with my Pearl Pen. I also added a glittery snowflake punch and a rhinestone brad fro some bling. You know what!? I like it much better now! :0) What do you think?

Click to Enlarge

Materials List

Stampin' Up Whisper White Card Stock

Fiskars Paper Crimper - Wavy

Memory Box Dies - Country Landscape, Pine Trees Border, Snowflake Corner, Frosty Border

Pop-Dots

Pearl Pen - Lt Blue

MS Punch - Snowflake

Rhinestone Brad

Stampin' Up Markers

Cuttlebug Snowflakes Embossing Folder

If you like my work, the "Follow" button is over there =====>>

*winkwink*

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Crafting!

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

Bearly Mine - Pearls & Swirls

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes #39

Tuesday Alchemy - Anything Goes #35

Victorine Originals #44 - Lots of Layers

Challenges 4 Everybody - #4 Anything Goes

Craft A Scene - Majestic Mountains

Seasonal Wreath

Hi, everyone!

Recently, the ScrapStampArt Tour came through Greenville, and I picked up BUNCHES of new dies to play with! Today is a typical fall day: not too hot, not too cold. It's a little grey outside, with a few instances of sun peeking through the clouds, so it's one of my favorite times to craft the day away! :0)

I pulled out this great Impression Obsession die, Twig Wreath, to play with. I saw a post the other day from Shirley Ross, the Impression Obsession DT Coordinator. She used this for a winter card and was my inspiration for the ribbon threading with this die. She did some cool stuff to emboss her bg paper with a die, rather than cut, which I will try another day, too. :0)

Here's my card

Click To Enlarge

Materials Used

Scrap Papers from Stash

IO Die - Twig Wreath

Leaf Charm (I've had this forever & then some!)

Scrap Ribbon

CTMH Stamp Sentiment from Timeless Stamp Set

(another "had it forever, never used it" item)

Pop-Dots

Ribbon Tape

Paper Glaze

Thanks for stopping in today! If you haven't been by before, please take a few minutes to poke through my other posts. If you like my work, please consider following me =====>>

Happy Crafting! :0)

I have entered this into the following challenges:

Crafts & Me - Sentiments

Crafty Creations - Colors of Fall

Penny's Paper Crafty - Die Cuts & Punches

Loves Rubberstamps Challenge - Autumn

Sassy Cheryl's - Fall

Kaboodle Doodles - Colors of Fall