Fall Colors ~ DD Challenges

Good morning.  Are you gearing up for Thanksgiving day?  My friends and I over at DD Challenges have a new challenge starting today, and the theme is "Fall Colors".

 

I was scrolling through Instagram one day and came across a lovely hourglass card made by Kelly Schirmer using this die set from The Greetery.  I just had to recreate my own version of it using printed papers from my stash. 

 

The printed paper is from the "Fall Break" collection from Carta Bella.  It's quite retired by now, I think.

 

The leaves and acorns are from Lawn Fawn, tied with a twine bow and the sentiment is from Honeybee Stamps.

 

The paper collection is 6x6, which allowed me to cut two images from one sheet of paper.  Two cards for the price of one.  I love it when that happens.  

 

 

The gals at Double D Challenges have some lovely cards for inspiration for you, but here's an inspiration tile to get you started:

 

 

and here's the prize you could win when you play along:

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Simple Designer Paper Cards

Hello friends.  I've been keeping quite busy working outside in the gardens and haven't spent a whole lot of time indoors, let alone in my craft room.  We recently had a couple of rainy days that kept me inside, so I set to work in my craft space to add a few cards to my stash and perhaps put a small dent in the massive pile of design paper I've held on to for years.

I also recently purchased a few dies from Honeybee Stamps.  This Lovely Layers Birdbath was one of them.  I love feeding the birds and was quite taken by this recent release.

 

 The embossed details on the birdbath, and the layered details give this a wonderfully realistic feel.  

 

 

The printed papers came from various packs.  I went through and pulled out papers that I thought complimented each other and made up a few backgrounds and then added the die cuts to the card fronts.

 

This Lovely Layers Topiary somehow made it into my cart as well.  Funny how that happens.  It's hard to see on the vase, but there's a pretty embossed detail.  I used a textured cardstock to cut the vase out of, so it lost some of the detail.  On smooth cardstock, the design really stands out well as you'll see in the photo below. 

 

 

 The sentiments were also pulled from various sets from PTI and Pinkfresh Studio.

 

I believe this sentiment is from an older Sweet N' Sassy Stamps set.

 I'm happy to have put a small dent in my patterned papers and added a few cards to my stash at the same time.

 

I'll be entering one of these cards into the following challenges:

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

A Cut Above ~ Anything Goes

Love Those Pretty Papers ~ (I did not use the option of "Wedding")

Thanks for stopping by!

Avian Field Notes ~ Double D Challenges

Are you a bird lover?  I sure am!  I enjoy watching the birds (and pesky squirrels) eating at our feeders every day.  The DD Challenges duo, Darlene and Diane have a fantastic challenge for you this next two weeks, with the theme of "Birds".

 

I'm all in on this one!  I pulled out Honeybee Stamps Lovely Layers Winter Birds to create a vintage style card.  One that you might find in a book of Avian Field Notes. 

 

 

I've tucked in some leaves and berries from Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms.  This is all nestled on top of a wonderful numeric embossing folder from Carabelle Studios.  I rubbed a bit of Walnut Stain DOX Ink over the numbers to give it a time worn look.

 

A couple of Tim Holtz Field Notes stamps are included to finish this entry.

 

I do hope you'll visit DD Challenge to see more avian inspired designs from our gifted team.

Here's the inspiration tile to help you get started:

 

And here's what you could win when you play along.

Thanks for stopping by!

A New Tiny Blessing

Hello dearies!  My heart is overflowing with gratefulness and joy as I share this exciting news that we have a tiny little blessing added to our family recently.  

 

 

Lachlann Rhŷs entered this world weighing a healthy 5 pounds 12 ounces.  He is so incredibly precious!

  

His brother "Mr. C" thinks he's pretty special too.  The family is doing well and settling in at home.  My heart is overjoyed that he's healthy and a good size.

 

 

Since Valentine's Day is coming right up, I just had to make him a card to let him know how much he is loved.

 

The stamp set was a freebie from Papertrey ink.

The darling Nursery die set is from HoneyBee Stamps.  Lachlann's bassinet looks just like this one, canopy and all!

 

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

A Cut Above ~ Anything Goes 

AAA Cards ~ Color Challenge

 

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Just Us Girls ~ Die Week

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Guest Designing for Cut It Up Challenge

Cheerio friends!  Today, I'm happy to be sharing a card as guest designer on the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.  My project was chosen as one of the "Top Cuts" back in September and thus gave me the opportunity to guest design for a future challenge.  So, here I am today, creating for the newest challenge #323, "This Makes Me Smile".  

 

 

 Well, the simple answer to "what makes me smile", is that I love working with dies!  Especially vintage-y ones!

This darling, retro looking Lovely Layers Vintage Reindeer from Honeybee Stamps most certainly brings a smile to my face.  I purchased the dies just before Christmas and made up a few of them, but they never made it to a card front until now.

The Greetery's Boxwood Heart framed this deer nicely, with some added flowers from Spellbinders.  A layered pair of hearts adds to the sentiment.

Thanks so much to Larelyn and the Cut It Up team for inviting me to guest design for them.  I enjoy playing along with your challenges!

I do hope you'll all stop by Cut It Up and join in on their challenge.  I'd love to know what makes you smile!

Thanks for stopping by!

Special Boo

Good morning crafty friends~  I'm popping in with a card I made using Honeybee Stamps Scaredy Cat set.  

 

The moment I saw this cat, I knew I wanted to add this set to my stash.

 

The stenciled background was inspired by my dear friend Marcia and her card found here.  

I sent this card to my sweet "P" in California, with a kitty outfit for Halloween.  I hope she likes it.

I'll be adding this card to the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks Challenge ~ All Occasion

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Two Old Bats Halloween 

My inspiration is the kitty and pumpkin in the top left corner.

Thanks for stopping by!

Vintage Pumpkin Postage ~ Double D Challenge

Pumpkin, pumpkin, who's got the pumpkin?  

Double D Challenge does, that's who!  Yes, they're starting a new challenge and the theme is "Pumpkins".  

I chose to pick from the vintage pumpkin patch for this challenge, using Honeybee Stamps Patchwork Pumpkin.

I gave it a postal vibe with an Elizabeth Craft Designs Postage Stamp Die and a Stitched Rectangle die.  

The little postage stamp is from PTI Postmarks and the cancellation stamp is from Spellbinders Flea Market Finds collection, Sign Here.  There is a bit of text stamping in the background and the sentiment is from Honeybee Stamps.

There are oodles of directions you could go with this challenge and I'm sure the gallery is going to be filled with your beautiful work.  I can't wait to see your projects.

Here is the inspiration tile, brought to you by Darlene:

Here's the prize you could win when you play along.  Looking forward to seeing your cards in the linky over at Double D Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

To Spook or Not To Spook ~ Double D Challenge

Hello friends!  It's the first Wednesday of the month and that means that Double D Challenge is starting a new challenge, with the theme "To Spook or Not To Spook" or October Breast Cancer Awareness Month (pink)".

I chose to spook, but not too much, with this retired ol' ghost from Elizabeth Craft Design. 

 It's a little hard to tell in the picture, but he's cut out of pink cardstock to honor Breast Cancer Awareness month, with a bit of pink distress ink around his edges.  He's placed over a slightly larger vellum ghost.

This "not so spooky" ghost floats above the giant Patchwork Pumpkin from Honeybee Stamps.  I've added a spider from Frantic Stamper and a pair of batty friends from ECD.  

Here is a little inspiration for you, put together by Diane.

You can probably see I drew inspiration from a few of these tiles.

Float on over to Double D Challenge for more amazing inspiration from our amazing team.  I can't wait to see your projects in the linky line up! 

Here's the prize that you could win when you play along.

Thanks for stopping by!