Peace in Pines

Hey everyone - quick post today. I'm playing along with the August CAS Christmas Challenge where Trina is hosting the theme of Pines. Hopefully this branch frame resembles pines, at least it does to me!!

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders A2 card;

Poptone black; Tim Holtz Kraft Metallic;

Paper Studio glitter

Dies - Hero Arts Branches Infinity Dies &

Peace Stamp & Cut (retired but here at Frantic Stamper)

Other - Hero Arts Spring Enamel Accents (from a MMH kit)

Very quick and easy card - I simply die cut the frame from glitter paper and adhered to an A2 card. Die cut a silver Peace and a black shadow; adhered to card. Added some clear enamel dots - done!

Be sure to check out all the inspiration at CAS Christmas and have a crafty day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas - No Nativity and a Good Luck Card

Happy Monday - hope you had a great weekend! I got a lot done, including a Christmas card and a good luck card. First up - the Christmas card made with the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge in mind - nothing related to a Nativity.

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders A2 card;

Neenah White, Lawn Fawn Knit Picky;

BoBunny Snowfall & Winter Getaway

various colored scraps

Dies - Elizabeth Craft Designs Stylish Snowman;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders 

Other - Hero Arts enamel dots from an old kit;

Simon Says Stamp Sentiment Strips Extra Large Christmas

LOL - tell me I can't do something and that's exactly what comes to mind! Oh well, I managed. I recently received an order from Elizabeth Craft Designs and decided to use my new Stylish Snowman die set. So darling with many options for headgear - I chose the knit cap, die cutting it from patterned paper. Let me tell you, I had a large stack of 6x6 Christmas pads to flip through, searching for the perfect patterns. Picking a more feminine one, I'm calling her Ms Snow Woman. Since she's stylish, I gave her a hands-on-hips model pose. I had some pink oval enamel dots sitting on the counter so tried them for her little mouth.

Very easy card, just die cut and assemble. I used a preprinted sentiment from SSS.

Next up - a good luck card for a chorus quartet, Spice, heading off to Sweet Adelines International Competition next month in Phoenix. 

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders A2 card; 

Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby;

Paper Studio Glitter; various scraps

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

Whimsy Stamps Mini Slim Tri Fold Die Set;

Hero Arts Nesting Oval Infinity Dies;

Elizabeth Craft Designs Good Luck

Embossing Folder - Spellbinders Music (retired)

Other - Paper Studio star gems

The lead and bass singers in Spice sang with me in Chord Company so I'm always delighted to support my friends! Their motto is "Live Life with Spice" and they've given themselves names relating to various spices. So I tried to capture them in the colors I used for the circles. I used a new to me die set from Whimsy Stamps that cuts a darling mini slim trifold card (I've cut one for future use). The trifold has three circle windows but fortunately the set comes with four patterned circle dies - perfect for a quartet! Maybe you  can guess which spices are included...

I'll add my Good Luck card to Darnell's August NBUS Challenge since my circle dies are new.

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping and happy crafting!

 

SPECtacular Anniversary

Hello - I'm back, as promised, with another card using new MFT! Can you believe it? More NBUS used within a day of receiving it!

Supplies: Paper - Parklane A2 card; Neenah white;

Paper Studio Holiday (red)

Stamps - My Favorite Things SPECtacular;

Unity I Did, I Do, I Will

Dies - Unity I Did, I Do, I Will;

Whimsy Stamps Slimline Hearts Background;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Hero Arts clear lacquer; Copic Markers

I fell in love with the darling eyeglasses in the new MFT SPECtacular set & thought it would be perfect for a summer card. Then I spotted the little eyes, mouths, and a mustache and the idea of two faces for an anniversary card came to me. Thought it would be perfect for my friends Connie & Doug. After stamping the faces and their respective glasses, I colored with Copics and added lacquer. I put two hearts between the faces. Since I used the red hearts, I added a red shadow to my sentiment & popped it up with foam tape. Decided it was too bare so added a cascade of smaller hearts down to the sentiment. Much better! Kinda whimsical, don't you think?

I included the heart die I used in the photo. Not only do you cut a gorgeous slimline coverplate, you get all these hearts. Plus you can just use up scraps as I did - you'll see a card on the 21st with more of these little hearts :)

That's it for today, friends. I will add this one to Darnell's August NBUS Challenge since I'm using my specs stamp set for the first time. Thanks for visiting!!

Cheers!

Hey crafty friends - I hope you're having a wonderful day! It's gorgeous here in Minnesota!! 

You know me well by now - the NBUS mountain continues to grow and I don't get to many new purchases quickly. Well - surprise, surprise - today I'm sharing a card I made with the brand new My Favorite Things Let's Party Card Kit and add-ons.

MFT released this fabulous kit on August 2nd and I promptly ordered it with a bunch of add-ons. It just looked so fun and festive! I came home from running errands this morning to find the package on my doorstep - what?? already??! How's that for service?!! I decided to get busy right away with a congrats card for my friends in Upbeat Quartet who took second in the Sweet Adelines International Diamond Division contest back in July. You may have spotted my good luck card to them HERE.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah White; Parklane A2 card;

A Country Christmas (blue background); various scraps

Dies - My Favorite Things Cheers, Gather 'Round, 

Sips and Sweets, Party Décor, & Oval Shadows

Other - Copic Markers G03, G07, R56 and Clear Lacquer

I started out making a little table using the new Gather 'Round add-on set. I didn't want a huge table, more of a little end table. I die cut the table base & added a silver oval die cut I had laying around, made with a fave MFT set that's back in their inventory - Oval Shadows. If you search my blog using that tag, you'll see the many ways I've used those oval shadows over the years - love that set!!

Next I cut the Cheers (a free gift with my purchase, thanks MFT) into a white rectangle and lazily backed it with red rather than inlaying the letters. Saved the white letters for future though. Cut the bottle and 4 wine glasses from white and shaded with Copics. Added lacquer to the wine in the glasses and used a teeny cocktail glass diecut as a bottle label. I handwrote WooHoo on the label, not that it's a wine brand - LOL. Arranged my glasses & bottle on my table, used the CHEERS label to anchor them. Made the arrangement a bit sloppy since some wine was already consumed... A pair of party banners cut with glitter paper completed the project.

I'm adding my card to Darnell's August NBUS Challenge since my party dies are new, plus I'm patting myself on the back for getting to this NBUS package so promptly!! Next I'll be working on an anniversary card using another newbie in the MFT package - hope to share that soon.

Thanks for stopping by!!

July 2022 Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Where is the summer going?? August 2nd already and it's time to reveal the cards 26 participants sent for The Card Chain Challenge. You make and send one card and receive one card - so fun!! My card went to dear Jeanne (Reba Li Creates), just across the Twin Cities from me in Minnesota. You can see the entire chain revealed HERE.

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane red and blue cardstock;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps - Hero Arts All Occasion Messages (retired);

My Art-C (lined star with die - retired)

Dies - Hero Arts 5-Point Stars Infinity Dies;

My Favorite Things Elegant Folded Banner (retired);

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Hobby Lobby washi; Hero Arts inks

Once again I went with the colors, sketch, and theme of friendship. The July colors were perfect for people celebrating Independence Day in the USA. I thought the sketch would be fun using some stars to complement the stripes, plus a wavy banner. My bottom star went a little east of where the sketch had it but, oh well....close enough!

Color Option

Sketch Option

I really enjoyed making this card! I die cut white paper into a stitched rectangle and added three glittery washi strips. Matted it with blue and added to a red A2 card. Die cut 3 sizes of blue stars and a stack of white ones. I stamped the top white one and layered the rest for dimension. Die cut the banner and stamped with a sentiment, then arranged all the elements - done!

Since Jeanne lives close to where my chorus rehearses, I met her on July 11th to hand deliver the card and have dinner before chorus. We went to Panera - sorry, can't share a photo. The food tasted good but service stunk - we probably won't go there again for a while! Oh well, I enjoyed seeing Jeanne again and we're already planning our next meet up! So glad I got this visit planned before my trip to a conference in San Antonio Texas. I ended up with Covid and just finished my isolation & have recovered nicely! Without two vaccines and two boosters who knows how sick I would've become....

The wonderful Gail (Crafty Nomad) in Norway sent me this beauty. I just love her take on the sketch with the blue jay and patterned strip! Gail handles quite a bit for the Card Chain Challenge, along with Jo (Jo's Blogs). They also host Let's Squash It! where I'm a regular player - thanks for all they do!! The card is still winging its way across the pond but I'm watching for it like a hawk! ** Update 8/3 - came back from my mailbox with happy mail from Norway! Here's a photo of the card and a fabulous dream catcher die Gail sent. Many thanks, Gail - you're the best!!

That's it for today, my friends. If you'd like to join the August chain, you have until August 6th, 2022 to sign up HERE. Thanks for visiting!!

Last Day for Christmas in July at Die Cut Divas!

Hey crafty friends - it's already the end of July and summer in Minnesota is flying by!! Time for the last day of the month post at Die Cut Divas where I'm sharing the project below. Be sure to head over and see what the rest of the team posted for some last minute Christmas in July Challenge inspiration!

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio solids and glitter, 

A Country Christmas 12x12"

Dies - Elizabeth Craft Designs Book Box,

Florals 12, & Winter Greens; Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflakes

Other - Parklane gems;

Taylored Expressions Simple Strips in Reverse Christmas

The fabulous Elizabeth Craft Designs sponsored us for July and the Diva team enjoyed creating with their amazing products! I couldn't resist the book box die set once I saw Els doing this video of it in action. The set contains 16 dies at a great price point. Since the Divas were doing Christmas, I decorated my box for the holidays using some other ECD die sets. This box will be great for holding a little gift when the time comes! Here's a closer look from the bottom:

This was my first box and I used some paper I've been playing with recently - A Country Christmas (sadly retired at Hobby Lobby). It's not double sided but I've since cut some books from another brand's double sided paper - so pretty! It was just a matter of die-cutting the book, flower and greenery pieces, then assembling them. Very fun!! The flower set comes with just a large center but I knew I had a Lawn Fawn snowflake set with a similar small version - perfect! I popped a gem in each center and added a pre-printed sentiment strip - done! And here's a side view and a view of the box partially open:

Still with me? I do have a bonus card today but it has nothing to do with Christmas! Earlier this month I attended a Sweet Adelines International Education Symposium. You may remember I went to England in 2019 for the last one (none in 2020 or 2021 due to pandemic). The 2022 event took place at Trinity University in San Antonio Texas and they offered the first-ever Diamond Division (over age 60) quartet contest. Some chorus and Regional friends competed so I'm sharing one of the Good Luck cards I made. This one features a jumbo ECD sentiment - love it and as of writing this post, it was on sale at ECD (& as I like to say, practically free!!). My friends Upbeat Quartet appreciated the card and I'm sure it helped them take second place - woo hoo!! 

ECD die - Good Luck

Other supplies - Spellbinders & Neenah paper;

Hero Arts Nesting Oval Infinity Dies;

Kat Scrappiness Mini Slimline Diamond Wire & Woodgrain Frame;

Art-C Stamp & Cut (diamonds)

The mini-slim frame was one Diva Arlene (A Bit of This and That) sent me (thanks again, Arlene!) but she enabled me to buy my own die - love this one. I thought the vellum oval kept the sentiment from getting lost on the wire background. I shaded the diamond with a light blue Copic and added Stickles.

That's it for today! Hope I've inspired you to upload a last minute Christmas project (using a die cut or embossing folder) into our July Diva Gallery. You have until 9pm Pacific Time today to enter. 

Thanks for stopping!!

Jack Frost

Hey crafty friends - it's my day to post at Die Cut Divas where we're celebrating Christmas in July with our fabulous sponsor Elizabeth Craft Designs (ECD). Here's the card I'm featuring, plus you'll find a bonus card further down.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Scraps of red, green, orange, brown & black;

Paper Studio Old World Winter

Dies - Elizabeth Craft Designs Jack Frost;

Sunny Studio Slimline Nature Borders

Stamps - Elizabeth Craft Designs House

Other - SSS sentiment strip; white & black pens;

Copic Markers; Black Soot Distress Ink

Isn't this little snowman the cutest?! I die cut all the elements in various card stocks and paper-pieced the scarf for 2 colors of stripes. Mr. Frost comes with little shoes but I left them off, prefering him to be like he was just rolled by kids. I stamped and fussy cut a couple holly leaves using a stamp from ECD's House set. I diecut red snowman buttons for berries! Assembled the snowman & added to a mini slimline along with a stitched hill & a pre-printed sentiment strip cut to be a sign.

**Updated - I'm home from being out of town and since I created Mr. Snowman after the current Christmas Kickstart was announced, I'll add him to that challenge - Show Us Your Snowfolk! It's my second entry...

Bonus:

My bonus card uses a fabulous retired ornament die from ECD. I have been a casual customer for years but their sponsorship at Die Cut Divas helped me become more faithful. And I enjoy their product videos and Facebook Lives done by Els - so much fun!!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White:

Paper Studio A Country Christmas 12x12",

Pine St. Square 4.5x6.5" & glitter paper;

scrap of copper metallic paper

Stamps - Elizabeth Craft Designs House

Dies - Elizabeth Craft Designs Ornament Set 2 (retired); 

Newton's Nook Slimline Frames & Portholes;

My Favorite Things Blueprints 26 (retired)

The ornament die set I used contains a solid ornament and two fancy overlays for it - I love it and feel bad that it's retired! I simply die cut three of the solid ornament die using rustic patterned paper. If you want to check out other ECD ornaments, take a look at their Classic Christmas Special Kit which also contains gorgeous snowflakes, a stamp set, and a slimline coverplate!! While writing this post, I've ordered that kit along with a few other goodies for future use. Some of them were, as I like to proclaim, practically free!! Do check out the amazing ECD Sale section for great buys, the House stamp set being one of them.

Thanks for visiting and have a crafty Christmas in July!!