Last Day of Fun Folds with Hero Arts!

Final Fun Folds at Die Cut Divas

February 28th already - where did the month go?? I think I say that at the end of every month...

The second half of the Divas have a final day of inspiration for the Die Cut Divas February Challenge. Hero Arts is our fabulous sponsor and you can enter your newly created Fun Fold card at the link above for a chance at a $25 Hero Arts gift card!! Enter by 9pm Pacific Time today and be sure to use a die or embossing folder along with your fun fold. Here's my inspiration card; you can check out more Diva inspiration HERE.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Blush (retired) &

Basic Grey Kneehighs

Dies - Hero Arts Nesting Rectangle Infinity Dies &

Banner Letterset Fancy Dies;

Art Impressions Flip Card Die

Stamps - Hero Arts It's Your Day (retired)

Other - Target dollar bin baker's twine

I really can't get enough of the Hero Arts banner die set. If interested, you can see other examples using the banners here and here. The HAPPY fit perfectly on my little flip top, a fold I'd never tried before but a die made it super easy!!  At the product link you can find a video tutorial on using it. Here's a side view:

The top strip folds into the card when opened flat - here's that view:

That's it for today, friends! Remember - the random winner will be announced at Die Cut Divas on March 3rd, plus be sure to check out the March challenge tomorrow - it's gonna be a fun one with another company I love!! Thanks for stopping!!

Pink and Gold Slimline

 Hi everyone - hope you're having a great week! I should be catching up on past due cards - instead, I squeezed in my third and final slimline card for Challenge 47 at Christmas Kickstart.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Blush (retired); 

Neenah White; Paper Studio glitter & gold metallic;

Docrafts First Noel; Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Jingle Bells (bows) &

Slimline Rectangle Windows and Words;

Elizabeth Crafts Ornament Set 2 (retired)

Other - sentiment strip from a Spellbinders kit

As usual, my card developed into something far different from where I started! I die cut some ornaments in traditional reds and green, then was looking through the patterned paper stash for something to put in the windows of a frame. Ran across this gorgeous white/gold/silver music/poinsettia paper and zing, off I went to do pink/gold ornaments. I already had the silver frame cut in the stash so cut just the window pieces from my precious patterned paper (you know what I'm talking about!). Sorry for the reflection - so hard to photograph metallic cardstock!! I used it as a mat layer behind a white mat. Decided to add some cute Jillian Vance bows atop the ornaments and found the perfect sentiment strip in a 2019 Spellbinders kit. Done!!

Thanks for stopping & happy crafting!!

Fleas Navidad

Hey crafty friends - I'm here with a punny doggy take on Feliz Navidad (Spanish for Merry Christmas) for the February CAS Christmas Challenge. You'd think, me being a cat person, that I'd be making a cat card. Oh well, a doggy set was still on the table from a previous card...

Supplies: Paper - Neenah white;

Paper Studio red A2 card & glitter cardstock;

Anchor Paper silver

Stamps - Inky Antics Punny Christmas Pups

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop;

Tim Holtz ATC (retired)

Other - washi from a My Monthly Hero kit;

Copic Markers and black pencil

I stamped the doggy image and colored it with Copics, shading with a black pencil. When I went to die cut it, my rectangles were all a bit longer than the image - great, looks like a polaroid! I went with it. Added another rectangle behind for some interest and a piece of washi. Wanted to reinforce the photo idea so added some photo corners from the Tim Holtz ATC die. As I was adding them, a glue blob happened - oh no! So I had to artfully cover it up with a little starburst from a previous project. Done!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a crafty day!!

Fancy W Fold Card

Hey crafty peeps - we're doing Fun Folds this month at Die Cut Divas, sponsored by the fabulous Hero Arts, my favorite company!! Check out my DT post HERE. I wanted to do a fold I've never done so googled some ideas. Found Erin Reed Makes and her video with 5 fun folds. I chose the Fancy W (at about 3:34 into the video) for today's card; it's the inside that has all the fun!! Here's the card front - a simple A2 card with the fold at left on the short side:

Here's a top view of the inside:

It's very easy to construct - watch Erin's video for specifics but the W comes from a 1" x 11" strip folded in four equal sections and you only glue down the outside one on each side. She added four 2" squares, one per each section of her folded strip. Here's a view of the open inside:

I decided it would be fun to use circles & add another fun fold, the peek-a-boo window, to each. Here's a close-up of the windows open:

Supplies:

Hero Arts Stamps: Galaxy Peek-a-Boo Parts,

You Are Loved (globe), &

Rocket Thanks (retired)

Hero Arts Dies: Nesting Circle Infinity Dies &

Circles Peek-a-Boo Doors Mini Infinity Dies

Other:

Simon Says Stamp Birthday Strips

Tim Holtz Stormy Sky Distress Ink

Ranger Seafoam White ep

Versamark Ink

Memento Paris Dusk Ink

Authentique, Anchor Paper & 

Neenah white cardstock

I couldn't resist this galaxy set this summer but am just using it now - typical me!! So I'll also add my card to Darnell's February NBUS Challenge. And guess what, the window dies are getting first play too. What would I do without the NBUS Challenge?? You can tell I love Hero Arts because so much of my NBUS comes from that company - I have a hard time keeping up with using my orders!!

Short month, friends, so you only have until 9pm Pacific Time on February 28th to link up here - hope to see you in the gallery!! Hero Arts generously gave us a $25 gift card for our random winner (to be announced on March 2nd).

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!!

 

Embossed and Cut Hearts

Hey crafty friends - thought I'd pop in with one last entry (3 max allowed) for the current challenge at Let's Squash It!! You need a card with a love themed embossing folder plus red &/or pink. Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio Brights and Glitter; Neenah white

Embossing folder - Docrafts Xcut Hearts Cut Emboss (retired)

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop

Stamp & Die Combo - Taylored Expressions Filled with Love

I found a little white embossed panel already done in my UFO box - loads of stuff there and I attempted a clean-up (sorta successful). Thanks again to my friend Heather (stamping and stitching) who sent me the emboss and cut folder!! I also have to say welcome back to blogging to Heather; she just posted, after a lengthy absence, to play in the Die Cut Divas February Challenge - yay Heather!! 

I backed my panel with a die cut stitched rectangle, rather than inlay the cut hearts - easy peasy! What to do for a sentiment?? Then it hit me to connect some conversation hearts also from the UFO box. Done!!

Thanks to Gail, Jo & guest Joanne for a fun challenge & to you for stopping!! I hope you'll come back tomorrow when it's my turn at a fun fold card for Die Cut Divas. Happy crafting!!

Twofer Balloons!!

Happy Wednesday!! I'm finally getting around to finishing and posting my cards for the current Twofer Challenge with the theme of balloons. My friend Greta (ggcreations) is a guest designer so I started thinking about my cards the day the challenge opened last week. Here's my balloon twofer:

My balloon in common is from a retired (sadly) My Favorite Things Blueprints die set. It's made to cut just half a balloon so you can pop it into a corner. I stretched the die by cutting it into an oval for one balloon (with top trimmed off) for the slimline card. I used it as intended on card two along with the BIRTHDAY and bow dies from the Blueprints set. Here's each card separately:

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio, Hero Arts, & 

 Pink Paislee Hello Sunshine (print)

Dies - My Favorite Thing Blueprints 26;

Sunny Studio Slimline Scalloped Frame

Stamps - Hero Arts Sweet Sprinkles Bold Prints (retired)

Other - CZ Designs Birthday sentiment strips;

Mustard Seed Distress Ink; Doodlebug string;

Honey Bee gems; foam tape

LOL - I was looking for my confetti stamp and instead used the sprinkles one, oh well - it kinda looks congratulatory, I hope!! Just love the sparkle on the birthday card - am really in love with this one and will definitely make another...

Thanks to Darnell and team for a fun challenge! Two more cards for the stash - yay!! And thanks to you for visiting - happy crafting!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

My favorite holiday has arrived - yay! Today I'm sharing the rest of the Valentines I sent to family:

Really had fun with this slimline featuring Sunny Studio Slimline Scalloped Frame, Frantic Stamper Slimline Frames & Taylored Expressions Filled with Love. The sentiment is from an old favorite Hero Arts set - Valentine Sayings. The big heart is one cut from the windows in the next card (also sharing the inside).

 

For this one I used the Slimline Heart Window & Words from A Jillian Vance Designs, enabled as usual by the talented Rosemary (Hey There Rosigirl). See her gorgeous card using this set HERE. The sentiment stamp is from the same Hero Arts set as card one. The stamps on the inside were Inkadinkado freebies from Scrapfest many years ago.

 

At left I used some Honey Bee frames sent from friend Betty (created by bjk) - thanks again, Betty!! Also used some Hero Arts Infinity hearts & ephemera from a Spellbinders kit. The aqua background is die cut and embossed using Sunny Studio's Frilly Frames Eyelet Lace. At right I used various BoBunny patterned papers and the Impression Obsession Love die I've used on other cards.

I'm celebrating my birthday with my parents today; we're having Chinese food for lunch and fancy bakery cupcakes instead of a cake. Yummy!!

Hope you're having a crafty &/or romantic day!! Thanks for stopping!!

You Rule!

Thought I was done making Valentines (will share more on Sunday) but I had another to make. Decided to use a heart embossing folder and fit in a second card for the current challenge at Let's Squash It!! and All About Occasions at Watercooler Wednesday.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah White; 

Paper Studio Red and Pink;

Doodlebug Sweet Things

Stamps - Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit 08/2019 (sold out)

and CL402 Valentine Sayings (retired)

Embossing folder - Darice Heart Background

Other - EK Success Disney Princess ephemera;

Paper Studio & EK Success heart stickers; Copic Markers

Remember the chorus stay-in-touch project? I made over 100 cards for chorus members last year, then our chorus President added senior community shut-ins to our list. At Monday night's Zoom rehearsal she said, why don't we send Valentines to our shut-ins? I said sure, then promptly forgot until we had another Zoom meeting last night. So yesterday I scrambled to make a card to get in the mail - luckily service within the metro has only been taking a couple days!

I had a stamped queen left over from a previous project so colored her with Copics to coordinate with a Disney frame. I backed the frame with some Doodlebug text paper and stamped the sentiments; the inside says "you deserve the royal treatment". The hot pink paper was still on the craft table so I embossed another piece, this time using an old Darice folder - love this one too!

At chorus we'd normally be preparing to do Singing Valentines out in the community. No go this year, due to the virus, but we are sending virtual ones for a donation. This has worked well in the past for friends and family living out of state. My retired quartet recorded one of them years ago and were featured with the chorus on one of the local TV stations in 2011 (see it here if interested). 

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!!

Love Valentine

Hey friends - I'm sharing a Valentine for the Let's Squash It!! February challenge with a theme of Love embossing folders and the color red/pink.

Supplies: Paper - Doodlebug Sweet Things;

Paper Studio Holiday, Brights & Glitter;

Neenah White

Embossing Folders - Stampin' Up Subtle;

Xcut - Hearts and Kisses

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop;

Hero Arts Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies;

Impression Obsession Love

Super simple card - just a few die cuts and embossing - done! I have to say thanks again to my friend, Heather (Stamping and Stitching) who sent me the Hearts and Kisses embossing folder - isn't it the cutest?!! Heather knows how I love heart stuff!!

I'm also adding to Watercooler Wednesday where the current theme is All Occasions.

I have more Valentine cards but I'll share those on Sunday. Hope to see you then if not before. Thanks for stopping and thanks to all hosts for fun challenges!!

 

It's a Girl

Hey crafty friends - hope you're having a great week!! Ours began with the fabulous news of a baby chorus member!! A chorus friend had a sweet baby girl on Sunday - yay!! I was hoping Grace would be a Valentine baby like me but she was too eager to come into the world. 😍😍

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Blush Layering paper (retired);

Authentique (8x8" pad with a mix of designs); 

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Dies - Sunny Studio Slimline Scalloped Frame

Frantic Stamper Slimline Frames

Stamps - Hero Arts Adorable Baby Girl (retired)

Other - Hero Arts Lacquer; Crystal Stickles;

Pink & Main enamel hearts

I did a couple slimline cards for the February Christmas Kickstart Challenge and can't seem to stop! I did some slimline Valentines I'll share later and then did this card to congratulate Grace's parents. I double shadowed the sentiment and used some lacquer and stickles on the girl mobile. Rest of the work was die cutting layers  - so quick and easy!

I don't usually do much on the inside of cards but thought I'd show this one. I echoed a bit of the baby shower card I sent to Kristin & her hubby when chorus had a virtual shower for them back in October. For stamps I used Hero Arts Little One and Events & Every Day Planner (both retired); Dies were Tim Holtz ATC and a retired My Favorite Things Blueprints set.

Thanks for visiting! Enjoy your day!!

Christmas Bells Slimline

Hey crafty friends - I'm back with another slimline for Christmas Kickstart Challenge 47! When I started Wednesday's card, I stamped two sentiments - thought I'd use the second one. This time I left it as one solid image, versus cutting it into two words as I did the other day. Sorry for the poor photo - very tough for me to photograph metallic paper!!

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio Holiday, Glitter &

Gold Metallic; Neenah White;

Stampin' Up Poinsettia Place; Momenta Gemstones

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Jingle Bells and

Slimline Rectangle Window & Words Cover Plate

Stamps - Sunny Studio Season's Greetings (with coordinating dies)

Other - Memento Bamboo Leaves Ink; foam tape

I cut the AJVD window frame three times from red cardstock and layered for dimension. I cut just the window portions from one of the sheets of Stampin' Up designer paper. A different piece provided the background. Popped the sentiment in the middle window and the bells in the other two - done!! Another Christmas card for the stash which isn't growing as quickly as last year's!! I'm so thankful for challenges like Christmas Kickstart to help motivate me!!

Thanks for stopping and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Christmas slimline

Hey there - hope you're enjoying your week! 

It's time for a slimline card at Christmas Kickstart Challenge 47. I had an idea for one yesterday using Sunny Studio products I bought last August, some of which I hadn't even used yet! Typical me!! 

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Earth Layering Paper (retired);

Paper Studio Holiday and Brights; scraps of kraft;

Stampin' Up Poinsettia Place; Momenta Gemstones

Dies - Sunny Studio Slimline Scalloped Frame,

Window Quad Circle (larger flowers), &

free mini flower

Stamps - Sunny Studio Season's Greetings (with coordinating dies)

Other - Michael's gems; Pine Needles Distress Ink; 

white gel pen; foam tape

The "Merry Christmas" sentiment comes as one connected stamp; so does the coordinating die. Once stamped and die cut, I trimmed into two words - very easy to do! Added two shadows and some foam tape, then popped them onto a patterned panel. Layered onto scalloped frame, then to slimline card - this one's 4x9". Added the flowers (the littlest one was a free gift from Sunny - thanks Mendi). Done!!

I'm linking my card to Darnell's February NBUS Challenge too since my sentiment is getting first play today. Crazy, since I was eager to use it for last year's cards but just didn't get to it... Also adding to the February Merry Little Christmas Challenge where Anything Christmas Goes and to Watercooler Wednesday where Anything Goes with a Feminine Twist.

Thanks to all for the fun challenges and to you for stopping!! Have a crafty day!!

 

 

January Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Hey crafty friends - it's that time of the month already; time to reveal the cards that went round the world for the Card Chain Challenge. Twenty-six people participated in January; my card went to longtime friend Greta (GG Creations) in Oregon. You can see the full chain HERE.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Earth (retired); 

Paper Studio gold metallic; Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes

Dies - Sizzix Bright Bubbles;

My Favorite Things Blueprints 21 (retired);

Lawn Fawn Stitched Circle Tags

Stamps - Hero Arts Color Layering Iris (sentiment)

Digi - Rachel Vass Blossom Branch 

Other - Copic Markers R21 & Y28; Versamark ink;

Ranger Princess Gold ep

I used the color scheme and the sketch, plus the theme of friendship.

I'd been eying the bubbles die at Hobby Lobby off and on; finally bought it on sale after seeing the sketch for January & thinking it would be great for it. Die cut it from metallic gold and then glued it atop some random die cut circles. The biggest one is actually a tag die - I just trimmed that part off edge. Stamped and gold embossed the sentiment, then added a fussy cut flower left over from my January 31st Die Cut Diva card. I just colored the flower center gold and added some pink lines to the petals. Done!! I really liked how this turned out and so did Greta!

I received this beauty from Renate (Dots, Pearls & Gems) in the Netherlands - I just love her interpretation of the sketch with the cut out circle in the corner, puny sentiment & the fun donuts!! Such a fab embossed background on the kraft too! She included some darling stamp-offs of cupcakes, plus a Dutch Apple pie recipe - definitely can use them!!

Funny story - the neighbor popped over yesterday with Renate's card in hand; the mailman had delivered it to the wrong address! Neighbor was out of town for a few days and she came as soon as she got home. Well, at least I got my card - thanks sooooo much, Renate!!

You can sign up for the February chain HERE until 2/6; hope to see you there! Thanks for visiting!!