Winter Wonderland

Hello Fans!

Today I'm filling in for team mate Nancy over on the Tutti Designs Blog who is under the weather.  We wish her a speedy recovery and expect she'll be back next Monday with a new, fabulous creation to share.

 My card today was a quick and easy put together, but I LOVE the end result!

It's Christmas in July at the Tutti Designs Store and their July Release is jam packed full of awesome holiday dies!  You'll want to be sure to pop over and make your purchase early before they run out!  

The die I've used on today card is called Winter Scene (#352)

There are so many things I can think to do with this beautiful die but since I was short on time, I decided to use the technique I'm kind of 'hooked' on at the moment!  And, that is to die cut multiple time and glue together to create a 'chipboard' appearance and wonderful dimension.  

Here's how I did it ...

Step 1:  I found the background decorative paper I wanted to use ... in this case, a pretty, snowy paper and cut it an 1/8" smaller than my card front (my card is A6 in size).    The I cut a white card stock panel that fit side to side on my decorative paper but shorter leaving room for a sentiment or in my case ... snowy tree trio.

 Step 2:  Die cut my 'Winter Scene' from the white card stock panel but keep the 'negative' portion to reset my 'stacked' die cut back into.  From scraps of white card stock, I cut out 4 more Winter Scene panels.

Step 3:   Glue each of the 5 die cut panels, one atop the other.  Then glue your stacked winters scene back into the negative panel.  Blue sequins and a die cut tree trio were added as embellishments.    Viola!  This card is ready for mailing.

 

Please be sure to pop over to the Tutti Designs Store and check out all of the fabulous dies in this latest release.  And, of course, you'll want to browse through the store to see what other dies you need to have on hand.

Need inspiration? 

The team has something new to share on the Tutti Designs Blog EACH and EVERY DAY!   Pop in often and see for yourself ... what a talented group of designers!!

Challenges to share in:
Dream Valley Challenges #160 - Anything Goes
Make It Monday Challenge #51 - Monochromatic
613 Avenue Creates Challenge #199 - ATG / Optional Twist - Monochromatic
Christmas Card Challenge #18 - Holiday Card (option - snowman)
Crafty Friends Challenge #63 - Christmas in July

For your convenience, here are all the Tutti Designs quick links you will need:

Tutti Designs Store

Tutti Designs Pinterest

Tutti Designs Facebook

Tutti Designs Blog

Thanks for stopping by!

 As always . . .

NOEL

Happy Sunday All!

It's Christmas in July at the Tutti Designs Store and their July Release is jam packed full of awesome holiday dies!  You'll want to be sure to pop over and make your purchase early before they run out!  Today my card showcases two dies from this current release and one die from last July's release (MORE holiday goodness!).

The dies used today are:

Bell Corner

Winter House

Snow Globe Expressions

It only takes a few EXTRA steps to make your card extra special.

They always say the 'little details' make the biggest difference.

Here are a few of the little extras I did today.

First of all, I knew I wanted to add extra dimension but not so much that the postage would be extra.

In order to accomplish this, I simply die cut my Winter House THREE times and glued them together.  

This technique is SO EASY yet adds that 'little something'!

Secondly, I die cut the corner bells from bronze foil card stock.  I know it's difficult to see in the photo but it really adds that extra holiday sparkle & shine to my card.  AND, if you notice, the corner die has a ROUNDED corner.  So to add another 'little something', I used a corner rounder from Creative Memories to cut my background paper as well as my actual white card base.  I left the remaining corners square.

And lastly, another touch of sparkle was needed so I dusted off my Stickles and got busy decorating the trees on either side of the Winter House.

By having the extra dimension of the 'stacked' houses, this gave me a nice 'well' to fill.  I've used red, green and gold.

OH and did you notice the little star on my Noel word sentiment?  It happened to still be stuck to the back of my corner bells and of course when it fell onto my table, it just begged to be used ... so I did!  LOL

Please be sure to pop over to the Tutti Designs Store and check out all of the fabulous dies in this latest release.  And, of course, you'll want to browse through the store to see what other dies you need to have on hand.

Need inspiration? 

The team has something new to share on the Tutti Designs Blog EACH and EVERY DAY!   Pop in often and see for yourself ... what a talented group of designers!!

For your convenience, here are all the Tutti Designs quick links you will need:

Tutti Designs Store

Tutti Designs Pinterest

Tutti Designs Facebook

Tutti Designs Blog

Thanks for stopping by!
 As always . . .

Christmas is right around the corner . . .

Hello Everyone!

If you are anything like me, time slips away from you and

all of a sudden the holidays are upon us and I find

myself in need of 50+ holiday cards at the last minute!

Well, I'm hoping to not have that happen again this year so I'm TRYING

to get a head start by doing a few here & there even though I

don't feel much in the holiday mood with the 80s & 90s outside!  LOL

Today's card is certainly a QUICK & EASY creation.

Red & Green card stock, one die cut and Stickles!

This pretty die is from the Dies R Us Store and it is

the Sue Wilson Festive Collection 'Stained Glass - Robin Redbreast.

I can only imagine how pretty this card would have been had I used

double sided sticky paper and free glitter ... might do that next time!

At least I'm getting started ... HAPPY HAPPY!  LOL

Challenges to share in:

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge - All About Christmas

Sweet Stampin July Challenge - Anything Goes Christmas

Crafting by Design Challenge - Get Ready for Christmas

Die Cut Diva's July Challenge - Christmas in July

Thanks for stopping by and as always . . .

Sisterhood of Crafters - Boys to Men

Hello Dear Friends!

It's time once again for a new challenge over on the Sisterhood of Crafters Blog

and Terri is today's hostess.  The theme she has chosen is:

BOYS TO MEN

(Masculine)

It seems that all little boys like playing with trucks & dozers

and some of these 'boys' even grow up to operate this heavy equipment 

for their livelihood!  Not that the girls aren't doing that too mind you!  LOL

But today it's all about the GUYS and I realized I had three different sized dozers in my die cutting stash so that's the direction I took for today's card.  I hope you like it and will come join in our challenge fun!  We always find amazing inspiration from our challenge entries!

Challenges to share in:
Connie Can Crop Challenge #60 - Use Your Stash
Happy Little Stampers July Die Challenge - ATG with Dies

The sentiment is computer generated since I really didn't have anything that 'FIT' and the last section of this GEAR die was laying on the table just begging to be used (already cut from it twice for other projects lol).

Thanks for stopping by and as always . . .

Recipe:

Papers:  Royal Blue cs, white cs, brown cs, black cs, gold metallic cs, DCWV dp

Dies:  Tutti Designs 'Tractor' #324, Tutti Designs 'Nesting Stitched Circles' #220, Memory Box 'Bulldozer' #98751, Memory Box 'Little Dozer' #99391, Sue Wilson 'Stitched Flags' #CED4317, Frantic Stamper 'Gear Collage' #FRA-09041, Impression Obsession 'Split Tree' #DIE454

Who Doesn't Love the Ocean . . .

Happy Monday All!

I recently received an adorable digi set from Imagine That! Creative Playground and found time over the weekend to do some coloring!  This time around I decided to blow the dust off my Spectrum Noir Pencils and had a go at it.  And of course I had to create a coordinating background using my Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink (I'm addicted to those things!  LOL)

Inside View

Isn't this image just adorable?  And it was easy to color.  Of course, I had to go with the colors of the ocean and I used pencils from two different Spectrum Noir pencil sets ... Marine & Nature.  The Tim Holtz Oxide inks I used for my background were Broken China, Wilted Violet and Cracked Pistachio.

It's been a long time since I used the technique where you sponge the edges while your image is still in the die so I thought that would add nice contrast today and used the same TH Wilted Violet for the sponging as I used in the background panel.   I've used the Tutti Designs 'Happy' & 'Birthday' for the sentiment on today's card.  There are two sizes in their word sets.  I've used the smaller one here.

Summer seems to be slipping away quickly and I see so many making Christmas cards but I love making 'beachy' cards so I'll try to put off Christmas as long as I can LOL!  (I must admit, I do have some DT commitment cards coming up that will be Christmas {sigh} lol)

Let me see if I can find a couple other challenges to share in today:

Craftaholics R Us Challenge #28 - Beach

Everybody Art Challenge #407 - Summer or Tropical

Fairytale Challenge #172 - At the Coast

Stinkin' Inkers July Challenge - Summer Heat

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a FABULOUS week ahead!!

As always . . .

Living Life to the Beat of a Different Drum . . .

Hello All!

 Today I'm sharing another musical creation for the Tutti Designs Blog!

OMG this June release has been so much fun to create with ... especially if you have musically inclined people in your life.  There was always music around our house growing up but with only 3 girls in the family (until brother was born when I was 15) there were no drum sets ... mainly piano, clarinet ... you know the 'softer side' of things.  LOL

But then I remember my younger sister's boyfriend came into the picture and he was a drummer! OH MAN could he make happy music with those drum sticks!

So today I was thinking of him while creating this card.

Do I ever see this young man you ask?  Oh Yes!  He's been married to my younger sister for 43 years!  Yep, high school sweethearts who have been together ever since!  But sadly he gave up his drum set some 20 years ago.

Is there a drummer in your family?

If so, you NEED this die and here the link where you can get it!

DRUM SET

I chose to die cut my drum set from Silver Metallic paper.  It only seemed fitting!

My card is relatively simple in design because I wanted the drums to 'shine'! (lol excuse the pun)

A little faux stitching around the outside edge of my drum set panel also brings nice focus to this fun die cut.

Please be sure to pop over to the Tutti Designs Store and check out all of the fabulous dies in this latest release.  And, of course, you'll want to browse through the store to see what other dies you need to have on hand.

Need inspiration? 

The team has something new to share on the Tutti Designs Blog EACH and EVERY DAY!   Pop in often and see for yourself ... what a talented group of designers!!

For your convenience, here are all the Tutti Designs quick links you will need:

Tutti Designs Store

Tutti Designs Pinterest

Tutti Designs Facebook

Tutti Designs Blog

Thanks for stopping by!
As always . . .

 

You Are A Star!

Hello Everyone and Happy Friday!

I spotted a couple of challenges yesterday that I thought I'd like to create for and join in.    The sketch inspiration came from the Sketch-N-Scrap Challenge Blog 

and the theme/technique from the Seize the Birthday Challenge where I chose to do a Birthday card and use their Topping option which is . . .

"Splatter"

Since I was already inky I decided to create my background and splatter panel using Tim Holtz oxide inks (Faded Jeans, Amber & Fired Brick).  I actually had this strip of scrap watercolor paper laying on my work station so I figured "Let the Splattering Begin!"

Oh my word ... when I was done, I noticed I had splatters the whole way across the table!  Luckily they wiped up easily with a wet paper towel.  

I created the splatters by applying some oxide ink directly to my craft mat ... spritzed with water then used a large flat artist brush to pick up the color ... then 'tapped' the brush across the top of my other hand to spread the splatter of paint across the paper.

For the background panel I used the same three colors and simply applied the ink using the same large wide bristled artist brush to create the three panels of color.  Using a white Gelly Roll pen I added some additional 'stars' to the upper panel.

The actual stars were die cut from a scrap of goldenrod card stock I spotted in my scrap pile and I used the Technique Tuesday 'Nestled Stars' die set.  The Happy Birthday sentiment is from 'The Stamp Pad Co.' and the sentiment on the Sue Wilson Stitched Flag banner was computer generated.

Challenges to share in:
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - We're Seeing Stars
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #487 - Summer Colors

Quick ... Easy & Fun was the theme for today's creation!

Hope you liked it!

Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by!

As always . . .

Double D - Black & White w/Pop of Color

Hello Friends!

Time for another fun challenge over at the

Double D Challenge Blog!

Team Darlene is our host today and the theme is

Black & White with a POP of COLOR

Here's the mood board to help get you inspired . . .

My eye was drawn to that beautiful orange butterfly

so I got busy with my Ken Oliver color burst and created a

colorful panel for which to die cut my butterflies.

What do you think?

Yep ... that's where it all began and I'm thrilled with the outcome!

Here's a peek at the inside.

I left it blank for a personal note since

the main sentiment is simply Hello!

A few little butterflies were added to bring it all together.

For more inspiration please pop over 

to our blog and check out what the design team

has created!  These ladies are SO talented and inspiring!

You will have until the 30th to join in the fun!

Remember,  one lucky randomly drawn winner will receive a prize!

Here's what is up for grabs this challenge ...

What are you waiting for?

Come join in the fun!

YOU could be our lucky winner!!!!

Challenges to share in:
Scrapy Land Challenge  #70 - ATG using product they carry
Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #251 - ATG
Crafty Creations Challenge #346 - ATG
CropStop July Challenge Linky Party #30 - ATG using product they carry
Country View July Challenge - Things with Wings

Thanks for stopping by!

As always . . .

Recipe:

Papers:  White cs, Black cs

Stamps/Ink:  Heartfelt Creations 'Open Vintage Floret Stamp / Versafine Onyx

Dies:  Heartfelt Creations Vintage Floret, Decorative Leafy Frame, Technique Tuesday 'Hello', Bo Bunny 'Butterflies'

Accessories:  Martha Stewart '3-in-1' Butterfly punch, Nuvo orange crystal drops, Ken Oliver color burst, watercolor paper, water spray bottle,

Word Art Wednesday Guest Designer

Hello dear friends!

How honored am I to have been asked to Guest Design in July for the

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Blog!  Thanks so much to Karen (and the rest of the team) for this invitation!

The message they are sharing this time around is as follows:

 

 And, here is the card I created using this beautiful passage:

 

When I began paper crafting years ago, it started with scrapbooking to help my daughter in her Creative Memories business.  So of course my first purchase was 12 x 12 scrapbooking paper and the sheet I have used today for my background, came from one of those large DCWV variety 12x12 packs that we all have purchased at one time or another.  It is simply clouds in the sky and I thought it was perfect for this beautiful passage.

After printing my sentiment, I die cut it using Memory Box 'Cross Stitched Frame' die (#99124).  While my panel was still in the die, I sponged lightly around the edge using Tim Holtz broken china distress ink and a large sponge dauber.

I must confess . . .

I have this 'thing' about an empty sky!

Hubby laughs at me all the time!  He says I can't make a card that has a sky (or even the illusion of a sky), without putting a bird or butterfly in it!  LOL ... hence the birds in the upper right corner of my sentiment panel.

I've added this beautiful Memory Box Evershan Branch to the left side of my card for added dimension.  This die has beautiful embossing on the flower portion but I was having difficult with that so just gave up and left it plain.  Okay ... here's another confession . . . since I failed at having the pretty embossing on the branch panel as it should, I added a bit more dimension with a flourish of white Nuvo crystal drops across the sentiment panel.   NOW I'm happy!  LOL

I hope you'll come join in the fun at Word Art Wednesday Challenge Blog!

They same a beautiful passage with each challenge ... be sure to pop over and check it out!

Thanks for stopping by today and

As always  . . .

Recipe:  

Papers:  White cs, medium blue cs, DCWV dp

Dies:   Memory Box Evershan Branch (#99119), Memory Box 'Cross Stitched Frame' die (#99124)

Accessories: Dimensional tape, Jambo Lace Roll Tape, Nuvo white crystal drops, Magenta birds stamp, Versafine Onyx ink, Tim Holtz broken china distress ink, large sponge dauber

What a fabulous birthday . . .

I had such a wonderful birthday yesterday!

I received so many wonderful cards & gifts from friends & family ... how blessed am I!!

It was so much fun!

Anyone who knows me is aware of my 'flip flop fettish' ... hence my current blog header ...  lol

OMG ... I received cards with flip flops ... pajamas with flip flops ... coasters with flip flops ... dishes with flip flops ... towels with flip flops ... even a CHOCOLATE flip flop !!!

Here are cards I have received from my CRAFTY friends ... 

Customize a slideshow design

Thanks Everyone!

You certainly made my birthday EXTRA special!

Music Heals the Soul . . .

Hello my friends and Happy Sunday!

Today I'm  sharing another musical creation using dies from  the new June Release at the Tutti Designs Store.  This release is so much fun to create with and has brought back many memories of my days in the high school band!  (yes ... I can remember back THAT far! lol)

 

The dies I have used today are Trombone and Saxaphone.

My card was quick and easy to create.  By die cutting my 'instruments' from gold and bronze metallic papers, it gives the feeling of the real instruments.

And, if you are a music lover as I am, the sentiment is so true.  

I can be in an 'off' mood but put on some 'oldies' and I'm back in my youth dancing around the room and feeling much better!

Please be sure to pop over to the Tutti Designs Store and check out all of the fabulous dies in this latest release.  And, of course, you'll want to browse through the store to see what other dies you need to have on hand.

Need inspiration? 

The team has something new to share on the Tutti Designs Blog EACH and EVERY DAY!   Pop in often and see for yourself ... what a talented group of designers!!

For your convenience, here are all the Tutti Designs quick links you will need:

Tutti Designs Store

Tutti Designs Pinterest

Tutti Designs Facebook

Tutti Designs Blog

Thanks for stopping by!
As always . . .

Recipe:

Papers:  Ivory cs, Forrest Green cs, Gold Metallic cs, Bronze metallic cs, the Paper Studio dp

Dies:  Tutti Designs Trombone, Tutti Designs Saxaphone, Tutti Designs Nesting Stitched Rectangles, Frantic Stamper 'Spring Ivy',   

Accessories:  Prima flowers, Nuvo Copper Crystal Drops