Thanks

A Good Bye and thank you to Dies R Us.

Love the new paper I found as it is so easy to create quickly and make fun scenes like the ones below.  The first cad I made as a Thank you to Dies R Us and I love the way the blue and orange go together, but they are complementary colors on the color wheel.  It shouldn't surprise me, but it did.

What is that saying?  You can't just eat one?  Well, I can't just make one card. I think the mix of colors on this dusky red to light pink cardstock is perfect.  Again, the colors are complementary on the color wheel.

Cityscape Nightline, Cityscape Silhouette, Elizabeth Craft Designs Thanks

Did you see something recycled on my cards?  If you didn't, look again.  My die cuts are from tissue boxes.  The first card has some cardstock cut behind the cut-out die above it.


Cityscape Silhouette - looks like it is no longer offered.  I could have used just the Cityscape Nighttime here too.
Memory Box Hello Script no longer offered

Love the Way It All Came Together

Almost the end of the month and I have a card that seemed to make itself.  Visit Die Cut Divas to enter the July challenge.  I think a flower, the colors and a bit of "love" lend itself to the summer days.  My card is posted here.  The challenge is here.

I was just playing with a die set from Elizabeth Craft Designs (ECD) - Tags and More 8 - A 2 size.  This was made to cut the tag for a regular A 2 size card.  I think that's what drew me to buy this set, the ability to make a card directly with the dies in this set.  AND talk about dies.  WOW, so many ways to use just the dies in that set.  I really LOVE it.

Els was at my LSS on July  10th  and had so many different samples and spent hours showing us how use the different dies.  WOW... Time with Els is always extraordinary and this was FREE.  Just show up.  YES, I used my time-off in a very worthwhile way, I think.  Els is just amazing and any time you can take a class or see her first-hand, GO, do NOT stop, just GO..  I bought this die set immediately. I hope I have presented this card in such a way that you can't resist.  I couldn't.

Front of card 

I used a "love" die from Little B "Handwritten" with a beautiful Memory Box Kyle Stem set upon the ECD front.

Card standing up 

Inside of Card - you can see the 3 squares I inserted through the hold in the front of the card on the inside panel.  I thought it added something extra to the inside.  

II used the Memory Box Hello Scrpt, A Little B "you" and another Memory Box left-over die-cuts from the Cityscape Nightline on the left side.

I have seen the front on another piece of card stock, but wanted to see if this die-cut could function on its own and YES IT CAN!

I hope you like it.  

A Little A2Z Hello

I don't have a green thumb and I've actually had some plants live, mostly the ones you see on my cards.  I have three succulents out on the back patio that seem to be doing well... yes they've lived three months now.  Hardy little devils, eh. The plant on this card doesn't dry up, turn yellow, shrink, look sad or any of the things my real plants do. Without further ado, ta da - my first card.

I had to create another CAS card, just because this card was so much fun. I added a line at the bottom of this card because I wanted to ground it.  

Card One: Hero Arts Stamp your own Succulents (CL839 )and sentiment from Butterfly (CL750)

Card Two: Hero Arts Tea Flowers (CL858) and sentiment from Enjoy Today (CL759)

Since the challenge is clean and simple (CAS), I knew I had to do a CAS card.  I have to confide that I had an oops.at the bottom of the card with the succulents.  You see the hello rising from the bottom of the card?  That was the edge of an acrylic block.  My first thought was ""Save this card!!"  A quick stroke and voila.  I had already drawn the lines.  I just had to ADD the lines because of the angular lines of the container.  After I created my first card, I had to create another.  I had cut this flower out and it was perfect on this gray-blue-green background.  After you draw one line, you're braver to draw more.  A quick line across the bottom of the colored background grounds it.  A few lines and a spot of color are all you need sometimes.

Since the challenge is clean and simple (CAS), I knew I had to do a CAS card.  I have to confide that I had an oops.at the bottom of the card.  You see the hello rising from the bottom of the card?  That was the edge of an acrylic block.  My first thought was ""Save this card!!"  A quick stroke and voila.  I had already drawn the lines.  I just had to ADD the lines because of the angular lines of the container.   I do like this.  Hope you do too.  A few lines and a spot of color are all you need sometimes.  Visit me at a2z Scrapbooking.

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Wheat is turning from Green to Brown

Recycle - July's mantra.  What can I recycle?  The famous TISSUE BOX.  There are many tissue boxes tempting you on the shelves to buy them.  I check the price and then the color, finally the design.  My co-workers save boxes for me too.  I am now floating in boxes, some high caliber designs and colors and then some on the decidingly DRAB end.  This tissue box was beautiful.

To go on, I framed the tissue box with Garden Patch to see what it looked like and loved it.  Adding the wheat in the same green tones enhanced the whole.  I added a message to encourage a friend..

This is also my example card for July at Die Cut Divas..  In July, I hope for green as I live in dry California.  This is my dream vision of July.  

Elizabeth Craft Designs Garden Patch

IO Dies Wheat

Sizzix 658696 Framelits & Stamps

Hero Arts My Words CL695

Tissue Box

Close-up of the card 

Message is "make life better:

Leaving you on a dreamy note.

July Dreams

The tissue box behind the squares was grabbed off the shelf by me with future uses in mind.  I knew I was going to use it in card making, either as a tag or part of a card.  I love the colors and design.  This is one of my favorite cards for July.  It's going to someone special, not sure who, but obviously someone special.

Elizabeth Craft Designs Garden Patch

Memory Box Hello Script

Tissue Box

Second Post of the day - HELLO A2Z SCRAPBOOKING

I can't believe I'm posting a card for the first time on a2z Scrapbooking AND it's on the Fourth of July.  How fantastic is that?  No, it's not going to be fireworks, but it will be red, white and blue.

I made a tag with that adorable "baby animal Stamp and Cut set.  I couldn't believe I chose red and blue to color an owl.  Whoo chooses red, white and blue for an owl?  Me!

Lots of white space on this large tag and a little depth with some gray shadow.  Simple colors , but bold.. I'm happy with my owl and it is sitting on my visiting granddaughter's bed as a surprise when she wakes up today.  Be happy and bold and be a little bit CAS.

Check out a2z scrapbooking today.  If you see anything you can't live without, be sure to use Arlene15 for 15% off if your order is $25.00.or over before shipping and taxes. There are all kinds of new Hero Arts products out for your instant gratification.

Supplies:

Hero Arts Baby Animal Stamp & Cuts

Copic marker

Stitched TredTagSTAX

Happy Birthday to the U.S.A.

Be sure to enter the Die Cut Divas' challenge for the month of July.

Happy 4th of July. Happy Birthday to the U.S. The first image I thought of when I realized I would need to make a card for the U.S. state holiday.  I love the Bugaboo Fancy Sun Bonnet digital images and they are so easy and fun to color.  I teamed the image with a new die I've been playing with.  I cut the borders out of red paper and then printed and colored the quaint image. I printed a second flag to cut out and laid it on top of the original flag.  Now we have the flag flying outside the squares.   

I wanted something with the colors of red, white and blue for the sentiment.  I then realized I should just take the same copic marker colors as I used on little miss Fancy Sun Bonnet and just swiped them in alternating colors across white paper.  Swipe blue, red and leave a bit of white.  I then die cut the sentiment and was so happy with the result.

Supplies:
Elizabeth Craft Designs Garden Patch - 1 inch & Mini Daisy & Chrysanthemum
Elizabeth Craft Designs Happy Birthday
Copic Markers R27 and B24

Happy DAYS to you.

 .

Whiskers the Cat - So Stinkin' Cute

A Dies R Us kind of month.  Check out the Die Cut Divas for the July Challenge.

I know the colors are mostly browns, but I think the bold touch of lime green brings it into summer. scenery.  I toned down the lime green with the metallic decor (would you believe it DID tone it down).  Why?  Because the lime green isn't sticking out there like a sore thumb.  I really didn't realize how bright that green was until I photographed it.

Close-up of Whiskers I loved using patterned paper on this cut cat.  I fell in love with him when I first saw him.  Easy to choose colors and the fact that you can turn those eyes any way you wish could lead to some hilarious cards.  Using that metal decor was just perfect for a tag on the collar.

Spellbinders Nestabilities - Big Scalloped Squares - not sure which set I'm using as I took my dies and put them on a magnetic sheet on the wall.  Either This or This

Hero Arts Zig Zag background

Elizabeth Craft Designs Whiskers the Cat

Elizabeth Craft Designs Beach Edges

Elizabeth Craft Designs Best Wishes (724)

Hero Arts Metallic Decor

Good Morning AGAIN!

I have some happy news to tell you about.  Please visit a2z Scrapbooking and you'll see what I mean.  But to give you a taste of what's in store for you.  I made a card to celebrate.  I have had a terrible time trying to photograph this card.  I finally waited for the sun to come up and took outside this morning.  It's going to be 107 so  this morning is cooler, but not for long  It's not the best shot, but I need to leave for work.

I used a Hero Arts die-cut here and then popped an "hello" from the Hero Arts Butterfly and Flower clear set.  I'm growing hearts for the fourth of July!  The red looks like a brushed suede.

Be happy and celebrate.

July 1st is already here!

A Brand New Month to be creative.  Dies R Us is the sponsor over at Die Cut Divas.  And I went Die Cut happy.  I had a brain storm when I looked at the Beach Edges dies - why couldn't I build a card up, using different shades of green and blue?  That's what I did.  I'm pretty well satisfied.

Have a summery month and visit Die Cut Divas for the new challenge.

Summer - sitting out on lawn chairs, travelling, taking vacations to other countries.  This is for my friend Angela who is making plans to relax after she retires and then travel.

I used the hill edges from Beach Edges over and over again, starting at the bottom, moving up.  The only panels that are not cut on the top and bottom are the top and bottom panels.  The black road is is just cut narrower than the others and more parallel.  I used the Evergreen Landscape to add some trees.  The Eiffel Tower is cut from a 7-UP can adhered to the card with glue dots.  Fun card to make.  Angela retires the end of this month and I'll have time to get everyone to sign . I think the mostly green landscape makes for a totally calm and serene scene.

Links below to Dies R Us for most of the dies I used.

Elizabeth Craft Designs Eiffel Tower Pop Stand (Tower only)

Elizabeth Craft Designs Beach Edges

Memory Box Auto Parts

IO Dies (beach chairs - DIE177-K)

Memory Box Evergreen Landscape

Little B Handwritten (sentiment)

Memory Box Marshmallow Clouds (small cloud)

Die-namics Stitched Circle Stax (sun)_

7-UP soda can die cut with an Eiffel Tower die which I have in my open stash.  I'm sure most dies will cut the soft tin from which soft drink cans are made.