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!!

Peace-Love-Joy Doves

Hey everyone - hope you're enjoying the weekend. I thought I'd use another fussy cut image done while making a card for Wednesday's post. I went with a pair of doves atop an embossed frame as my first entry for the July Let's Squash It! Challenge. We're to keep it clean and simple (CAS) this month.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White:

Paper Studio A Country Christmas 12x12"

Embossing folder - Tim Holtz name unk

Other - Taylored Expressions Simple Strips in Reverse - Christmas

I embossed a white panel with a Tim Holtz Alterations folder (name unknown but included in the photo), trimmed it down and adhered to an A2 card. Added my doves and a sentiment strip - done!! Very simple. One more card for the Christmas stash - I'm still behind...

That's it for today - quick post. Thanks for stopping and if I haven't visited your blog lately, I'll try to get there soon!!

Snowmen with Santa Slimline

Hey friends - I'm popping in with a quick post featuring a card for the July Christmas Kickstart Challenge Show Us Your Snowfolk. I watched YouTube this afternoon since it was broadcasting the Twins versus Brewers game - so fun! It was great coverage and banter by the announcers! And the Twins won - Yay!! While sitting in front of my computer, I fussy cut a bunch of images from a piece of heavyweight 12x12" Christmas patterned paper. Here's my creation:

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Latte (retired);

Paper Studio A Country Christmas

Dies - Newton's Nook Slimline Frames & Portholes

Other - Sakura Gelly Roll Pen

Once I had cut a bunch of images - what to do with them?? I pulled out two snowmen, a Christmas tree and a Santa. The top snowman was a partial one from the bottom edge of the paper. I glued him to the side of a Christmas tree so he'd be peeking out. Next, my eye spotted a die set that I used for an upcoming Die Cut Diva post (please check back on the 21st!). I used the scalloped layer for that card ,but not the trio of windows layer. Today I thought my images would be cute in the windows.

When I stuck Santa in his window, though, I cut his boots off because they showed in the bottom window. I decided to add them to the bottom snowman, leaving him outside of his window. Santa's holding a sign saying "Happy Christmas" so I didn't add another sentiment. While we typically say "Merry Christmas" in the USA, I have plenty of friends who use happy instead of merry! 

That's it for today! Just remember, we're doing Christmas in July over at Die Cut Divas. If your Kickstart card has a die cut or uses an embossing folder, come on over to DCD - we'd love to see your card in the gallery!!

Thanks for stopping!

Santa Window

Hey crafty friends - hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend if you celebrated 4th of July. Low key for me - watched the Twins beat the White Sox in baseball & didn't even watch fireworks this year. I got back into the swing of things after the holiday by making a Santa card for the July CAS Christmas Challenge.

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders A2 card;

Neenah White; Paper Studio red

Stamps - Art Impressions Santa Window

Dies - Hero Arts Square Infinity Dies

Other - Copic Markers;

CZ Design Sentiment Strips - Reverse Christmas;

Stamped and colored the Santa Window image, then die cut with a square die and matted in red. Added to A2 card oriented as a diamond along with a sentiment strip cut into two pieces. That's it - very quick and easy!

I'm always a bit confused by that "bubble" above Santa when I look at this image. On the AI site it's colored white/grey like a hill. To me it looks like Santa's lumpy gift sack so that's how I colored it. Very quick coloring but I was in a hurry, I guess... I can't find any other cards made with this stamp but I'm pretty sure I've used it at least once since its 2014 release. I love Rudolph peeking over Santa's shoulder.

Thanks for stopping and happy crafting!! And remember - we're doing "Christmas in July" over at Die Cut Divas if you want to join us!!

June 2022 Card Chain Reveal

Hey crafty friends - I hope you're enjoying whatever season you're in. It's summer here in Minnesota & it doesn't last long - LOL!! Today we're revealing cards sent for the June Card Chain Challenge. Twenty-eight people participated and you can see the full chain HERE. I sent my card to sweet Imke (My Crafty Place) in Germany:

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; Neenah white;

various patterns by unk

Dies - Altenew Mix and Match Frames

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

My Favorite Things Flutter of Butterflies (retired)

Spellbinders Layered Mix and Match Sentiments

Stamps - Hero Arts Color Layering Water Lilies (retired)

Other - Kat Scrappiness enamel dot

As I often do, I used the colors and the sketch, plus the theme of friendship.

The deckle die I used for the teal rectangle was too large for my concept. I just used the die a second time to trim off one side and the bottom to make it smaller. Layered it onto a white stitched rectangle and added it to an A2 card arrayed with different patterned strips from my scrap box. I cut a butterfly from one of the papers I used for some strips and added an enamel dot. Stacked several hellos for dimension and added the outline, plus a stamped friend. I found this sketch a perfect way to use my extra paper bits! 

I received this beauty & some crafty bits from dear Hilary (Fiddling About) in the UK. Just love her take on the sketch with the more organized strips! The coppery paper looks amazing too & she always has a gorgeous stamped envelope - thanks, Hilary!!

If you'd like to play along in July, you have until July 6th to sign up HERE. You just need to be willing to make and send one card to the person above you in the sign-up link. It's loads of fun and I've met so many lovely card makers through this challenge!

In fact, I've become friends with Gundi (Papierelle) in Germany who sent me this gorgeous card and bookmark just for fun - thanks a bunch, Gundi!! Such pretty poppies atop the inked panel & don't you just love all the stitching on that bookmark? I do!!

Thanks for stopping!!