Running With Scissors...

Rose Bouquet

 

Hello, again!  I’m back to coloring today and this time it’s all done with dies.  I buy these large dies and then I hardly get around to using them because I’m always wanting to color something, so today I watercolored the die cut.  This Rose Bouquet die is new to me, from a 75% off all Die-namites sale at Dies R Us recently.  How could I not take advantage of that?  Amazing how many dies you can pick up for a very small cost at such a discount.

 

 

I put a soft watercolor blend on the background and added glitter to the rosebuds.  The sentiment is from the Power Poppy Short Stacks clear stamp set.  It’s a perfect fit in the ribbon banner!

 

 

I’ll keep this short today and put the details in the recipe below.  I’ll return on Wednesday with a new Double D challenge.  Hope to see you then!

 

Stamps:  Power Poppy Short Stacks sentiment  Paper:  140 lb hot press watercolor, tan Hero Arts pre-cut card base, Neenah 110 lb white layered under die cut to add dimension  Ink:  Palette Noir (sentiment), Tombow markers for watercoloring die cut, SU! Pool Party and So Saffron for soft watercolor background  Accessories:  Stickles Stardust glitter, pearl, Die-namites Rose Bouquet, Spellbinders A2 Devine Eleoquence, Labels Twenty Eight, Ribbon Banners, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Simply Gingham

 

Hello, there!  Back to business as usual after the 4th of July weekend.  I actually did a little crafting so I’ll have something to share this week.  I couldn’t resist Diane’s Double D Simply Gingham Challenge so I sat down and made a quick card.  There’s not one iota of stamping or coloring here, but sometimes it just happens that way.  I did crack the seal on a couple of new-to-me dies, so I’m happy about that.

 

 

My little flower pail and border is made from some ancient gingham paper.  Some of the first designer paper I ever bought, in fact, back in the pre-stamping days.  I used it for scrapbooking, but I had quite a bit left over.  I’ve no idea why I haven’t used it for cards prior to this.  Have a look at the ultra-inspiring inspiration board:

 

 

Is that not just as cute as can be?  Love all that gingham!

 

 

I think my simple card is pretty self-explanatory, so I’ll save the rest of the info for the recipe which you can find below my signature.  Be sure to hop over to Double D and see more team samples, then pull out that gingham paper and start crafting.  You might win a prize!  See you again soon!

 

Stamps:  None!  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Stampin’ Up! Bashful Blue and Wild Wasabi, PTI Lemon Sorbet  Ink:  Barely Banana (for sponging flowers)  Accessories:  Taffeta ribbon, Cinnamon Stickles, flower punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape (a tiny piece behind some of the flowers to bring them forward)  Dies:  Cheery Lynn French Pasty Doily, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Tattered Lace Washing Line Just for You, Impression Obsession Pail DIE164-A, Impression Obsession Grass DIE038-J

Flowers Always

 

Hello, again!  I’m popping in today with a card that looks nothing like my original concept for this image, but I do love how it worked out.  You see, I’ve had this Power Poppy Flowers Always digi printed and awaiting color for a while and even had the papers all picked out for it.  Then along came the Dies R Us Butterflies Challenge and I remembered I’d cut this butterfly border and hadn’t used it yet and… well…  put the two together, wrap some ribbon and tie a bow…  Of course, I did some Copic coloring first.  Kept it as summertime simple as possible.  The butterfly border is Die-namites Butterfly Applique.

 

 

I punched a 1/4” hole and seated the ribbon knot into it, held in place with Aleene’s Tacky Glue.  This works great for a popped up image panel.  You can hardly feel the ribbon through the envelope.  In the side view below you can see how the bow sits with very little dimension.  You can also catch a glimpse of the inside where I stamped a little floral image from the Folk Heart set.

 

 

This card measures 4 1/2” x 6”.  I should mention that whenever I pop up an entire panel like this I back up the popped panel with an extra layer of cardstock and trim it flush with the edges.  It gives the panel more substance so it sits nicely on the foam mounting tape.

 

Again… linking up to the Dies R Us Butterflies Challenge.  I’ll see you again soon!

 

Stamps:  Power Poppy Flowers Always digi set and Folk Heart clear stamp set  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card for image,  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White inside, Hero Arts pre-cut card (has matching envelope)  Ink:  Printer, Bashful Blue (inside), Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Taffeta ribbon, Die-namites Butterfly Applique die, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

A Room with a View

 

I have some brand spankin’ new dies I’d like to try out, but first I thought I’d better have a go at a die that’s one step removed from brand spankin’ new.  I tend to tip toe around my new stamps and dies before I get to actually using them, but I’m trying to do better about that.  Before I finished up my term with Dies R Us I collected quite a few dies, most of which are smallish accent pieces for use with colored images, so they don’t make a big splash, but this one is fairly significant.  It’s Memory Box Florina Corner.  It covers a good deal of the card front, but I wanted to color something, too, so I looked to my never been used stamps and came up with Heartfelt Creations Home Sweet Home, which fit nicely in the opposite corner.

 

 

I wanted to keep the die cut white, but give it a little somethin’ somethin’ so I smooshed my Versamark pad all over and embossed with an iridescent embossing powder.  Maybe you can see the sparkle on the die cut a little better in this photo:

 

 

The image is watercolored with Stampin’ Up! inks.  A landscape artist I am not, but just so I could have color showing through the die cut I colored the whole panel.  I think this image is so sweet and pretty.  I wonder how long it will take me to get around to the second image in the set?  The sentiment, by the way, is an ancient wood mount stamp from a D.O.T.S. set (now called Close to My Heart or CTMH).

 

I’ll drop in again on Wednesday.  Hope to see you then.  Enjoy your day!

 

Stamps:  Heartfelt Creations Home Sweet Home, D.O.T.S (CTMH) sentiment – very old  Paper:  140 lb hot press watercolor, Neenah 110 lb white (for die cut), Memory Box Sage cardstock  Ink:  Palette Noir, Stampin’ Up! inks for watercoloring  Accessories:  Iridescent Peacock embossing powder, Memory Box Florina Corner die

Thinking of You

 

Well, this is it, friends – my last post for Dies R Us.  It hasn’t been an easy stamping month for me, frankly.  Lots to do, not feeling well.  The cards got simpler as the month wore on.  Next month there will be a lot more coloring here, I can tell you that, if you can bear with me.  I have another simple card today.  I love the dies – the large sentiment with the ivy leaves, and the birds in flight.  I wanted to do something with ink, too, so I made a watercolor wash for the background.  I wet the paper first, then brushed on turquoise and yellow inks.  Toward the upper left you can see where the turquoise blended with the yellow and turned a more aqua color.

 

 

The front of the side fold card is cut away slightly and the designer paper border is on the inside.  The Sue Wilson Thinking of You is a sizeable die and nearly fills the front of this A2 card.  I added just a bit of glitter to the ivy leaves.  Since I’m crushing on birds lately I’ve added bird dies to every recent order.  These are Memory Box Open Studio Contempo Birds.  I used the two largest birds for this card.  You can design these birds however you like – leave off the overlay, position the wings differently or leave them off altogether for a sitting bird.  I colored the birds with Copic markers and added beady eyes with a black Sakura glaze pen.

 

The birds are an all-in-one die, meaning they all cut at once, which is fine with me as otherwise you’d have some pretty teensy dies to work with.  Instead, you have some pretty teensy die cuts to work with.  Rather than tuck away the remaining die cuts I decided to go ahead and color and assemble them:

 

 

I forgot to lay a ruler down in the photo so you could get an idea of the size.  The smallest birds are 1/2” beak to tail, so you can imagine how tiny the wings are.  I do think they’re darling and will enjoy using them on cards.

 

That’s it for me!  What a fun design team this has been.  I’ve loved every minute of it.  I believe the new team starts in April and I’ll be sure to drop in and say “hello” on the Inspiration Blog.  Hope you will, too.  And don’t forget the Challenge Blog.  Our current “Handmade Flowers” challenge is about to wrap up, but a new challenge begins on April 1st, always with a chance to win a Dies R Us gift voucher.  Have a beautiful day!

 

Just for You

 

Happy Monday!  Today I have a little garden scene just for you.  I love birds and birdhouses and anything to do with the garden, so I put this card together for my Dies R Us post today.  There’s quite a variety of birds all hanging out together.  They’ve put aside their differences to enjoy a beautiful spring day.  I stamped these Inkadinkado birds on 110 lb Neenah Classic White and colored with Prismacolor pencils and odorless mineral spirits.  The faint blue shading around the birds was done with soft chalks, and the birdhouses and flowers were colored with Copic markers.

 

 

Here’s my die list:

• Memory Box Oval Master Frame
• Impression Obsession Birdhouse Set
• Sue Wilson Petite Peony Cluster
• Tattered Lace Washing Line Just for You

After I cut the oval frame I embossed with an older Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy embossing folder.  The flower centers are dotted with Stickles Black Diamond glitter.  All very fun!

 

Pay a visit to the Inspiration Blog when you get a chance.  Don’t know if you noticed there was a DT call up which was to be wrapped up by the 19th of this month (Saturday).  Yes, this is my last month with Dies R Us, but certainly not the last time I’ll be using dies.  Sheesh, I thought I loved them before, but I’ve learned to love them even more during my time with Dies R Us.  We’ve got a Handmade Flowers Challenge going on, too.  Be sure and play along for a chance to win a $10 Dies R Us gift voucher.  There are a lot of dies available for $10 or less, or use it toward a larger order.  Enjoy your day!

 

Handmade Flowers in an Easter Basket

 

Hello, friends!  It’s time for a new challenge at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog and our theme for the next two weeks is “Handmade Flowers”.  I would think any die cut flower would work for this challenge.  I’ve made an Easter card today.

 

 

There is a stamped and Copic colored basket under all those flowers.  It’s an old CTMH stamp which served me well for this card.  The sentiment is Hero Arts.  I most certainly had fun playing with my dies for this one!  Here’s the list:

• Amy Design Butterfly Swirl Frame
• Sue Wilson String Flowers
• Dee’s Distinctively Small Pair of Leaves
• Impression Obsession Grass
• Cheery Lynn Bunnies
• Sue Wilson Pierced Flags

I added 1/4” punched green circles to the center of each flower and covered with Viva Décor Glass Effects Gel.  A little glitter on the flowers and some on the frame.  Good times!  Hope you can play along in our “Handmade Flowers” challenge and maybe win some Dies R Us $$.  Have a good day!

 

Hello with Daisies

 

It’s going to be a busy week here on the blog.  One of those “when it rains it pours” situations.  One of the nice things about cards that utilize all or mostly all die cuts is that they’re relatively quick and anyone can make them, no coloring skills required.  Well, I do love to color, but I’ve learned to love working with dies, as well, and as my collection has grown, so has the fun.  Today, for my Dies R Us post, I’ve framed some glittery daisies, added a “hello” and ribbon, and called it done in no time at all.

 

 

First, my die list:

• Die-namites Daisy Bunch
• Impression Obsession All-In-One-Frames-Squares
• Paper Smooches Hello Words

 

Before I cut the daisies I adhered white cardstock to a bit of Scor-Tape sheet.  Glued the back side of the daisy die cut to pretty designer paper, laid the frame over it and trimmed the designer paper flush with the frame.  Mounted that on a cardstock panel.  Peeled the Scor-Tape off the surface of the daisies and then sprinkled with micro-fine glitter.  The micro-fine glitter has a very soft look to it, but still very glittery.  Hard to capture this particular glitter in a photo, so it may be more apparent if you click for a close up.  The ribbon is looped and tied in the center with silver thread.  This type of bow doesn’t leave much of a knot, but I still settled it into a 1/4” punched hole to eliminate any bulk.  Held secure with a spot of Aleene’s Tacky Glue.

 

After I mounted the frame onto the card base with foam mounting tape I cut the “hello” three times and layered it, not only to give it more dimension, but to sturdy it up since part of it is hanging off the edge of the frame.

 

 

And that’s it!  Visit my friends on the Dies R Us Inspiration Blog for more ideas, and be sure and check the DRU Challenge Blog tomorrow for the start of another new challenge.  I’ll be back here with a sample for that challenge tomorrow, too.  Enjoy your day!

 

A Springtime Hello!

 

Hello, friends!  I’ve been pretty sick the last couple of weeks.  Feels like I fell into a dark abyss and am just now climbing out.  It’s a good feeling when you realize you’re finally starting to recover.  So I made something simple and cheerful to celebrate a fresh, new start.  It's beginning to look a lot like spring around my house.  It may be rainy, but everything's budding and the new greens are as bright as neon lights shining through the raindrops.

 

 

My clean spring green is an old Stampin’ Up! color called Gable Green.  Paired that with a cool blue and happy yellow on lots of crisp white.  I even managed to work in a little border of designer paper with some matching colors.  The sentiment is an old one from The Uptown Design Company.

 

The leafy branch is Poppystamps Sylvan Sprig.  It was on my wishlist at Dies R Us and out of stock when I first spied it.  But all good things come to those who wait, so it eventually made it into my cart.  And isn’t this plump little bird the sweetest thing?  It sits so prettily on the sprig.  The bird is Elizabeth Craft Birds.  Check out the link to see what you get with the birds set.  So adorable and it gives you multiple design possibilities.  Love this one!

 

I hope you can join us on the Challenge Blog and the Inspiration Blog when you have a few moments to spare.  Thanks for dropping in today!

 

Sweet Easter Bunnies

 

In a recent shopping trip at Dies R Us I concentrated on Easter.  I did three searches – Easter, bunny, and bunnies.  All kinds of things came up.  I combined two of my new Easter dies with some previously purchased dies, and utter sweetness came out of it:

 

 

Here’s the die list:

• Poppystamps Thicket Frame (don’t bunnies live in thickets?)
• Memory Box Oval Master Frame
• Cheery Lynn Bunnies
• Die-namites Delicate Egg
• Sue Wilson String Flowers

Now, the thing is, only the fancy egg is exclusive to Easter.  The bunnies could be used on garden cards and baby cards, and the flowers and frames have many uses.  But isn’t that egg pretty?  I tell you, I’ve got a thing for those Die-namites dies!

 

I didn’t do one bit of coloring or shading or sponging.  It’s all clean, sweet pink and white.  So easy and I just love it!  The string flowers were cut from pink vellum and finished off with pearls.  I applied Stickles Stardust glitter glue to some of the open leaf spaces in the Thicket Frame.  Oh, and the bunnies have chocolate brown card stock scraps behind their eyes.  The Hero Arts sentiment was stamped in Versamark and white embossed.

 

 

I want to be sure and mention that the frames I used are sized to fit flush on an A2 card (4 1/4” x 5 1/2”), but I like a bit of a border, so I made my card 4 1/2” x 5 3/4”.  I also made a matching envelope with my envelope punch board.  You can see the envie peeking out behind the card in the photo below.

 

 

Can you believe it’s the last day of February already?  That means a new challenge starts tomorrow on the Dies R Us Challenge Blog, so be sure to get in on that and maybe win a gift voucher to the store.  Also, do visit the Inspiration Blog for new ideas every weekday.  I’ll be back to visit with you again soon.  Have a happy day!