Last day for Anything Goes at Die Cut Divas

Happy New Year's Eve!! I'm sure it'll be quite a different one than last year!! Hope you're all staying safe out there and hope 2021 brings better things for all of us!

It's the last day of our Die Cut Divas December challenge Anything Goes. I have a post up with the rest of the end-of-month squad HERE for some last minute inspiration using products from our fabulous sponsor Kat Scrappiness. Today's card uses one of their slimline dies plus a jumbo sentiment. Love, love, love!!

Supplies: Paper - American Crafts Christmas A2 card;

Paper Studio Holiday and Glitter;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Dies - Kat Scrappiness Thank You with Shadow and

Zig Zag Nesting Slimline Dies

Other - star gems (gift from friend Heather)

Very quick and easy card! I used a striped card base and simply added a panel of zig zag & the layered sentiment. A few star gems - done!! Just shows how the slimline dies can work for A2 cards too - very versatile! I love the sentiment with the offset mat and Kat Scrappiness has several of this type - see them HERE. Now I'm set with another thank you card for holiday gifts - good for mass production!!

I've ordered from Kat Scrappiness twice since becoming a Diva and learning this company would be the December sponsor. They have a great selection in their own brand as well as oodles of other brands, plus excellent customer service. I bought items from their brand and found them very high quality. Thanks Kat Scrappiness!!

And now a twofer! My mom needed a card to thank a friend for bringing over a holiday bread (delicious!!) so I grabbed a green thank you I'd already die cut and came up with this:

When I cut the nesting zig zag panels, there were little negatives left. Thought they'd be a fun accent behind the thank you. Plaid is from Authentique (one of their mix of collections pads) and the birdies are from MFT's Tweet Holidays (retired) - thanks again to my friend Lin (Sending Hugs).

Be sure to upload your Anything Goes creation (using a die cut, of course & max of 4 entries) to the challenge link up by 9pm Pacific Time today. Then be sure to pop back over to Die Cut Divas for a new challenge tomorrow and for the December winner & team faves on January 3rd!

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas wishes to all celebrating!! Today I'm sharing another take on the My Favorite Things Winter Songbird and Tweet Holidays sets, combined with Blueprints 27:

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio Holiday;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White:

Authentique

Stamps - Hero Arts CL241 Three Tree Christmas (retired);

My Favorite Things Winter Songbird and 

Tweet Holidays (retired)

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints 27 and

Winter Songbird; 

Hero Arts DI786 Christmas Lights Border

Other - Hero Arts Lacquer; Copic Markers

You can see my previous take here. For today's card I used different shades of green and different birdies, still combining birds from Winter Songbird with one from Tweet Holidays (thanks again Lin). I also snipped a section of a string of lights frame die cut. You can see a card using the full frame here. 

If you want to stick with me, I'm sharing some Christmas tree photos next. Some of my blogging friends enjoy my Christmas tree posts. 😀😀I love my Hallmark ornaments and have a fair few. First up, my mini designer tree:

I love the little mice in the tea set, given to me years ago by Aunt Carol and Uncle Tom. When I shared this year's photo with my aunt to thank her again for the ornament set, she asked about the clock in the background. Pretty sure it belonged to her and my mom's dad but I don't know anything about it... 

Next, I tried my hand at a Christmas collage to show the rest of the decor: mini wreath, new white mini tree, my parents' tree which I decorated, cornhusk angel mini tree, mini pine tree and triangle trees.

My dad and Uncle Orv made the grandmother clock, a bit of which you can see on the bottom left. I didn't put up my big trees at home - just ran out of energy this year. I'm sure you know the feeling!

That's it - hope you enjoyed the tree parade! If you missed the Concord and 9th paper tree I made, you can see it here. I just left it displayed since I made it back in October!!

Have a wonderful Christmas and, if I don't see you before then, I'll be back on 12/31 for the end of the month Die Cut Divas post. Thanks for the visit and happy holidays!!

Winter Scene over at Die Cut Divas

Hey everyone - I have a card up today at Die Cut Divas using a great die set from our fabulous sponsor Kat Scrappiness! Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio Turquoise A2 card;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb;

BoBunny Dots; Momenta Watercolor print

Dies - Kat Scrappiness Crafters Essentials Winter Dies

Other - Spellbinders Nov 2019 card kit ephemera

After becoming a Diva, I scoped out our upcoming sponsors so I could become a customer, if I wasn't already.  I couldn't resist this Kat Scrappiness set with all the dies you see here. The only thing I added was a little ephemera sentiment strip from a 2019 Spellbinders card kit. Don't you love the background with the stitched wind swirls? That was my favorite part of the die set and I took the easy route of cutting it from a printed watercolor patterned paper. You could ink blend the sky too - maybe I'll take the time some day... I cut two sets of trees and snipped the small tree off one of them. Both my trees and stag were cut from BoBunny dotted papers - love them!! The background dies cut to the full A2 card size but I trimmed them down so a little border of my card base shows.

While I did a winter theme here, the challenge at DCD this month is Anything Goes! Just remember to use a die or embossing folder for your card and link up by 9pm Pacific Time on December 31st. 

This month's winner (selected by random draw and announced January 3rd) will get a Kat Scrappiness Prize pack which includes your choice of one stamp set, one die and three packs of embellishments (sequins, gems or sprinkles). Thanks Kat Scrappiness!!  

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see your creations in the Die Cut Diva gallery!!

Peace and love birdies

Hey crafty friends - I'm back with a second card (of three allowed) for Christmas Kickstart where challenge 44 has the theme Peace on Earth.

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio Holiday;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White:

Basic Grey Aspen Frost (bark pattern)

Stamps - Hero Arts CM100 Christmas Messages;

My Favorite Things Winter Songbird and 

Tweet Holidays (retired)

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints 27 and

Winter Songbird;

Lawn Fawn Stitched Labels

Other - foam tape; Crystal Stickles

A while back I ordered the Winter Birds stamp set from My Favorite Things, plus a few other goodies including Blueprints 27. My friend Lin (Sending Hugs) sent me some panels stamped from MFT's Holiday Tweets (retired) which included the little birdhouse and the birdie pair wrapped in the long scarf. Thanks again, Lin!! I thought they'd be darling with a couple other birdies from the Winter Songbird set in the windows of Blueprints 27. I stacked the window panel three thick for dimension and backed it with some birch bark paper from Basic Grey. Because I'd put everything together before stamping the sentiment, I popped it onto a label before adding to the window. A few Stickles - done!

I'm also sharing at Darnell's December NBUS Challenge since my Blueprints 27 is getting its first play here and at Merry Little Christmas Anything Goes Christmas (second of five allowed). Also to Sisterhood of Crafters Anything Goes Christmas/Winter.

Thanks for visiting! Hope you're enjoying this holiday season - I've got three cards left to mail, including this one. Then I'll be helping my mom mail out her Hallmark cards :)

First Guest Designer at Let's Squash It!!

Hey crafty friends and sister Squashettes - I'm Guest Designing this month at Let's Squash It!! following a win at their inaugural challenge back in October with my robot card. Thanks to Gail and Jo for offering this fun challenge! For December - challenge # 3 - they chose the theme of Embossing Folders with Die cutting or fussy cutting. Both must be on your card - here's my creation:

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio A2 card and solid papers;

Basic Grey Aspen Frost patterned papers;

CZ Designs Sentiment Strips Reverse Christmas

Dies - My Favorite Things Square Grid Cover Up (retired)

Embossing Folders - Stampin' Up Subtle 3D;

Taylored Expressions Nordic Holiday

I started out with a grid die thinking it would be fun to emboss the different squares. While I used two embossing folders, I decided not to emboss every square. I embossed the grid outline piece with Stampin' Up's Subtle 3D folder; just love the soft texture it adds! Both the soft mint and aqua squares are embossed with Taylored Expression's Nordic Holiday - such a fun one! I did pretty well aligning the reindeer squares; the poinsettia ones didn't fit on the squares neatly and I was fine with that bit of randomness. I die cut an entire cover-up using two patterned pieces of Basic Grey's Aspen Frost paper and then mixed them with the embossed pieces to fill the grid windows. A pre-made sentiment strip finished the card.

Thanks again to Gail and Jo for inviting me to Guest Design! Thanks to you for stopping by and I hope you'll pop over to Let's Squash It!! to link up your cards using embossing with a die cut or fussy cutting. You have until 23.59 GMT on the 31st to play. If you need some last minute Christmas cards, now's a perfect time to opt in, although any occasion is welcome! Happy crafting!!

I was the Empress of Squash
for October 2020!!

Peace on earth!

Don't we all need a little peace right now? Bring it!! I'm taking a break from Christmas decorating to pop in with a card (first of three allowed) for Christmas Kickstart where the theme for Challenge 44 is Peace on Earth!

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Sea Mix (retired);

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Paper Studio Black & Glitter cardstock

Stamp & Cut - Hero Arts Peace (retired)

Dies - Stampin' Up So Many Snowflakes

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangles

Honey Bee A2 Thin Frames

Other - Versamark ink; Ranger Seafoam white ep

I started with a new snowflake die set from Stampin' Up. I thought a glittery peace die cut (layered and shadowed) would look great in the window one of the snowflake dies cuts. A thin platinum frame from my friend Betty (created by bjk) added the perfect touch. Thanks again, Betty!! I used a couple of the other snowflake die cuts to layer for the corner, just popping a little of the aqua glitter card behind the center. Stamped and white embossed some sentiments on black strips to finish. 

I'm also adding my card to Darnell's December NBUS Challenge since my snowflake dies are new. Also adding to Merry Little Christmas December Anything Goes (first of five allowed) and to A Blog Named Hero for the Glitter and Sparkle challenge. Finally, I'm adding my card to Watercooler Wednesday where my friend Dawn (Dawn's World) hosts All Occasions.

Thanks for visiting and happy crafting, or whatever else you're doing today!!

Fun at Tic Tac Toe

Hey crafty friends - getting all your holiday chores done? I'm doing ok on that front but still have some to do, including a few cards to mail. I made time, though, to play in the current Tic Tac Toe Challenge where my friend Betty (created by bjk) designed the beautiful board!

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio Holiday & Glitter;

Tim Holtz Kraft Metallic;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Dies - Hero Arts Stylish Stars (retired);

My Favorite Things Joy (retired)

Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug Snowflake (retired)

Other - star gem, foam tape

I chose the bottom row Stars-Metallic-Snow for a reason. We had our chorus holiday party last night and we were asked to bring a star. It was all virtual, mind you, and the party planner emailed all sorts of templates for people to print and cut their stars. I had plenty of star dies so I made my own, of course! Considered doing a banner to put behind me in my Zoom window but was too lazy. Instead I cut a trio of stars and layered them, then added the word joy. We're always trying to sing with joy at chorus, even in these crazy pandemic times when we're online and can't sing together! After the party, I turned my star cluster into a card. Just needed to add some snow to complete the tic tac toe so I went with an embossed snowflake background. Very quick and easy!!

Thanks for designing a fun board, Betty, and to the Tic Tac Toe Challenge team for the challenge! Hope you have a crafty day - I'm off to work on decorating my Christmas trees. Later....😀😀

Peace and Comfort

Hey crafty friends - I'm back today with a feminine sympathy card for my friend, Kathy. Her mom died after a lengthy illness, thankfully not the virus! 

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio Turquoise A2 card &

Holiday Paper pack (red/green);

Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes (pink & aqua)

Stamps - CAS-ual Fridays Peace and Comfort (retired)

Dies - CAS-ual Fridays Garden Fri-dies (retired);

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle

Honey Bee A2 Thin Frames

Other - Honey Bee Beach Vibes gems

I won a CAS-ual Fridays prize this summer at the Card Chain Challenge. I could pick anything and I liked Peaceful Garden. Gail sent me a friend die too (if interested, see it used here) - thanks again, Gail! Next thing you know I was back shopping there and bought companion sets of Peace and Comfort & Garden Fri-dies. I die cut a flower and 2 leaves from the Fri-die set, then stamped the Peace and Comfort sentiment on a panel die cut with a stitched rectangle. The sentiment's letters have lots of open areas that I filled in with a black Sharpie. The plain stamped panel looked very unfocused and I was having trouble finding a good spot for the flower. Lightbulb, as Virginia (Yes, Virginia) would say - I pulled out some Honey Bee thin frames my friend Betty (created by bjk) sent me and found the perfect black one. The frame added the right touch, I thought - thanks again, Betty!! I popped the flower into one corner and some gems into the other 3 corners - done! BTW Betty, you enabled me - I bought the HB die set, plus the gems, when I was in Arizona back in August. Not that I need to use them yet since I have plenty from you!! 😇😇

My card's going to the current Watercooler Wednesday where Tristan is hosting Anything Goes with a Feminine Twist. I'm also adding to Darnell's December NBUS challenge since my CAS-ual Fridays sets are getting first play.

 

Thanks for stopping & have a crafty day!

November Card Chain Reveal

Wow - it's December 2nd already and time to reveal the cards that went round the world for the Card Chain Challenge! Twenty seven people played along and you can see the entire chain HERE. You only need to send one card and you receive one from the person behind you in the chain. I sent this card to Gail (Crafty Nomad) in Norway:

Supplies: Paper - Ms Sparkle & Co blush A2 card; 

Hero Arts blue; Anchor Paper silver; 

and a scrap of white

Stamps - Simon Say Stamp Falling Stars (retired);

Hero Arts All Occasion Messages (retired)

Dies - Hero Arts Stylish Stars (retired);

My Favorite Things Blueprints 13 & 18 (retired)

Other - sequins and star confetti; star gems;

Memento Summer Sky ink; acetate

I used the color scheme and a modified version of the sketch. Also used the themes of stars and friendship, plus the technique of Aperture.

Thanks to Nathalie who sent me the sequin mix with her October Card Chain Challenge card! I added some Martha Stewart star confetti to it for my shaker.  Despite adding anti static powder to the inside, some of the star confetti preferred to stick to the acetate. Enough of it moved with the sequins for an effective shaker, I hope!! The star gems came from my friend Heather (Stamping and Stitching) but I didn't save the packaging for the manufacturer...

My friend and sister Die Cut Diva Dawn (Dawn's World) sent this beauty all the way from New Zealand; I love the flower atop the striped background:

Thanks for stopping by and, if you're interested in participating, you can sign up HERE by December 6th for a special December exchange. Normally we would have a break in December for the holiday season but we felt some extra cheer and happy mail was needed this year!! Happy crafting!!

Last day for Thanksgiving or Thanks at Die Cut Divas

Hey all - there's still time to get your Thanksgiving or Thanks cards in at Die Cut Divas if you're playing along this month! You have until 9pm Pacific time today to get 'er done - hope to see you in the gallery!! I'm part of a last day post at DCD; check it out for more inspiration. I did a thank you card featuring a new dies I bought at Frantic Stamper, our sponsor for the month. 

Supplies: Paper - Anchor Paper Silver;

Paper Studio red; Authentique patterned;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb

Dies - Frantic Stamper Small Thanks & 

Snowflake Trio

My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 (retired)

Other - Crystal Stickles

Since Thanksgiving here has already passed, I went ahead and made a thank you card with a Christmas theme. I'll still need plenty of thank you cards for Christmastime, though not for the usual parties this year - sad to say! Very simple card using two wonderful FS die sets I bought in September, planning ahead! I left all the bits in the snowflakes - easy to do with heavyweight card stock - and added some stickles. Isn't that thanks diecut the cutest?? The die set contains the shadow too. I cut two thanks and layered for dimension. 

Please note that Frantic Stamper has a fabulous Black Friday sale going on until 12/4 with 70% off many of their stamps and dies. Check it out! They've given a wonderful die as our prize this month, check it out at the linkup post from November 1st or today's post. The winner will be announced December 3rd.

Thanks again, Frantic Stamper, for sponsoring this month!! And thanks to you for visiting!! Be sure to check Die Cut Divas tomorrow for the December challenge.

Night before Christmas Take Two

Hey everyone - I'm popping back with another Twas the Night before Christmas card for the current Christmas Kickstart challenge and thought I'd redeem myself at Let's Squash It!! too. 

Supplies: Paper - American Crafts A2 Christmas card;

Graphic 45 Twas the Night before Christmas;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug Snowflakes (retired)

Stamps - My Favorite Things Tweet Holidays (retired)

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle

Other - Copic Markers; Wink of Stella; Stickles

I was combing the stash for a brown paper needed for a different challenge. Ran across my 8x8 Graphic 45 Twas the Night Before Christmas pad. On my previous Kickstart card for this challenge, I used the 6x6 pad which has fewer patterns. The 8x8 pad has a lovely vintage Santa image which I fussy cut and put atop a die cut & embossed snowflake panel. Paper with part of the poem A Visit from St Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore graces the bottom of the panel. Adhered it all to a striped A2 card. Decided to leave off a sentiment so as not to detract from the poem lines. Then I realized I needed something stamped besides something embossed for Let's Squash It!! Added a sprig of stamped holly from Lin (Sending Hugs). Thanks again, Lin! I colored the holly with Copics and fussy cut. Can you see it blending in with the printed holly on the lower right edge of the scroll?? Applied some Wink of Stella & Crystal Stickles to select part of the image - done!

Why the redemption at Let's Squash It!!? On my first entry, I didn't read carefully enough and, while I made a Christmas card, I didn't use a Christmas embossing folder - oops! So I thought I'd enter with the proper elements included this time!! Will also add to Watercooler Wednesday All Occasions (third and final) & Merry Little Christmas Anything Goes Christmas (fifth & final).

LOL - just realized the pink/brown challenge has ended. No need to find my brown paper - oh well...  Thanks for stopping and happy crafting!!

 

 

Ornament Card

Hey crafty friends - hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday if you were celebrating!! Our premade meal from the grocery tasted great and we have loads of leftovers!! On Wednesday I spotted the new Sisterhood of Crafters challenge to do a shaped project. I started it then, couldn't work on it yesterday, and finally finished it this morning. Just finally getting a chance to blog it after doing some Christmas decorating this afternoon.

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio Holiday;

Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes;

Tim Holtz Kraft Metallic

Stamps - Hero Arts Holiday Tags (retired),

Christmas Rose Bold Prints

Dies - Hero Arts Ornament Infinity Dies,

Nesting Oval Infinity Dies, &

Paper Layering Poinsettia

Other - Versamark ink; Ranger Princess Gold ep; 

Basic Grey Obscure ribbon (retired)

 

I started out thinking circle shaped and went into my stash of Hero Arts Infinity Dies. Spotted the Ornaments Infinity Dies set which I've never used. Decided an ornament shaped card would be fun!! I stamped and gold embossed a dark red panel with the rose background, then die cut the largest ornament from the panel. Next I cut a second dark red ornament for the back and two gold hangers. I scored at the bottom of the topper, glued the pieces together, and adhered the hangers. Wasn't sure where to go with the rest of it so left it over Thanksgiving. This morning I knew I wanted to add a sentiment band and a poinsettia. 

Here's how I did the sentiment band: Die cut a full ornament from white. Used an oval die to cut off top and bottom leaving the band. Put the negative in the MISTI along with the top and bottom. Figured out where to place the sentiment (MISTI makes it easy to curve the clear stamp) and popped the band in place to stamp, then gold embossed. Easy peasy!! Here's a photo of the set up MISTI:

For the inside, I die cut the next smaller ornament from white, popped it back into the negative for stamping the sentiment, then adhered inside. Added a die cut bow. Here's a photo of the inside:

The sentiment inside is from a Sunny Studio set - Inside Greetings Holiday Stamps. Got it when released this year and absolutely love it!!

This is my first of three possible entries at the Sisterhood. My card will also go to Darnell's November NBUS Challenge since my ornament die set got its first play (only 3 years after release, not bad...). And to Merry Little Christmas Anything Goes Christmas (fourth entry of five allowed). Finally to Watercooler Wednesday's All Occasion Challenge (second entry of three allowed).

Thanks to all for the fun challenges and I'm so glad you stopped by!!

 

 

 

Night before Christmas!

Hey friends - I'm popping in with a quick card for Christmas Kickstart - theme: Twas the Night Before Christmas! It also works for Watercooler Wednesday where Heidi's challenge theme is All Occasions.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Paper Studio; Bazzill A2 card;

Authentique A Magical Christmas;

Graphic 45 Twas the Night Before Christmas;

BoBunny Enchanted Garden (rock pattern)

Dies - My Favorite Things Fireplace (retired)

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle

Stamps - Hero Arts From the Vault Winter Joy;

My Favorite Things Tweet Holidays (retired)

Other - Copic Markers; pencils; White gel pen;

Versamark ink; Ranger Seafoam white ep

If you can read the paper on the left edge, it's the poem A Visit From St Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore! I used the line "the stockings were hung by the chimney with care" as my inspiration - not very original, eh? Haven't used the MFT fireplace die in over 3 years so thought I'd pull it out. 

The Hero Arts sentiment was white embossed and looked a bit bare so I added a few white dots (also handy for disguising errant specks of ep). Then I colored a couple holly sprigs I received from my friend Lin (Sending Hugs). I had spotted this card of hers and wondered if she might like some Winter Songbirds to go with her cardinals. She replied that she couldn't resist the songbird set either and had just ordered it. But she would like a few wreaths which I mailed off. She sent me some stamp-offs of the cardinals, plus other MFT birdies & images that went with them, including the holly. Don't worry, Lin, I already have a card in the works with the birdies! Thanks so much!!

Thanks to Jo and her elf Liz for a fun challenge and thanks to you for visiting!! Hope my US friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow - we're getting a catered meal from a local grocery, just our household. The other usual attendees are staying within their own households too - playing it safe with the virus still rampant here. Take care & stay safe!!