Crazy Birds for CHristmas

This is your last chance to enter the challenge at Die Cut Divas - Christmas in July.

 I had bought these wonderful Crazy Birds and had never made a card.  I thought, this month is the month I'll make a Crazy Bird Christmas.  I just purchased the Framelists and had a go using the largest Banner die cut.

Close-up of this crazy bird

Supplies:
Sizzix Crazy Birds at The Frantic Stamper - Dies
Elizabeth Craft Designs at The Frantic Stamper
Elizabeth Craft Designs friend
Elizabeth Craft Designs Fishtail die cut would work in place of Sizzix.
Sizzix Crazy Birds stamps
Novu Crystal Drops Ebony Black on the eyes.
Copic Markers
Vagabond die cut machine

Fae 7 is Not Just a Number

Fae 7 is Not Just a Number.  She's a pensive soul.  I had to use a green on the dress and pink hair.  Not sure how or why I chose pink, but here you have this wonderful fae image.  I hope you like her.

Be sure to join Morgan's ArtWorld for the "Anything Goes" challenge here.

Supplies:
Morgan's ArtWorld Fae 7 here
Elizabeth Craft Designs Stitched Rectangles
Copic markers (light gree is YG01)
Vagabond machine
String of flowers

A Beautiful Snowy Hamlet

This month's sponsor is at Die Cut Divas is The Frantic Stamper and yu can find so much there.  I found this wonderful village.  You can color it so many different ways.  I do have a confession.  After I finished coloring it and die-cutting it, I spilled a ton of water on this panel.  I grabbed it, shook it and found it wasn't too bad, just covered with water. LOL   I was able to rescue the panel.  I put a heavy block on top of it and hoped it would dry well.

Here is a close-up of the scene.  It is quite charming.  Well, I think so. 

Supplies:
Penny Black Snowy Hamlet at The Frantic Stamper
Elizabeth Craft Designs Sprig with berries at The Frantic Stamper
Nuvo Crystal Drops Red Berry
Vagabond die cut machine
Copic marker

This post is at Die Cut Divas 

Hero Arts Scramble - remember it's 24 hours long

Here is my entry to the Hero Arts Scramble today on Flickr.  I use this set whenever I get the chance.  I love all of the extras that go with the set.  All of the stamps and dies on this card are from this one set and there are so many more.

Close-up below

The stamp and die set are still available at A2Z Scrapbooking.

The a2z scrapbooking store carries a wide variety of Hero Arts products! Get discounted new releases, sales, grab bags & more. Proceeds from our store benefit Celiac & Behcets disease foundations. Use my discount code Arlene15 to get 15% off your purchase of $25 or more. If you're looking for a Hero Arts product you don't see in store, use the Request Custom Order button from within the shop.

Enjoy the Journey Stamps and Dies sets at A2Z Scrapbooking

Gold Foil Paper - Goldie Lox - 2014 Chickaniddy Crafts

Vagabond Die Cut machine

Hero Arts Tags and National Parks

I've always liked the Hero Arts Tags dies.  You can let your creative juices go.  If you've never seen the National parks in the U.S., you really should.  My family traveled in the summer to different natural places.  Memories of the colored pools and geysers in Yellowstone will last the rest of my life.  Incredible views and experiences.

I used some Oxide distress inks here with a sentiment and a couple Destination wood stamps.

Have fun creating.

Wilted Violet, Fossilized Amber, Cracked Pistachio and Broken China Oxide Inks spritzed with a homemade colored water.  Two very old cheap moon and clouds stamps were added. 

Iced Spruce, Cracked Pistachio, Fired Brick and Fossilized Amber Oxide Inks were spritzed with water and an 1992 Stampin Up postmark added.  Buffalo colored with Copic marker W3 and trees colored with G03.  Sentiment from an old Hero Arts stamp set.

Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade and Broken China oxide inks spritzed with water.  Hero Arts sentiment out of stock.

Are you on social media? We are! Please join us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook? so you don't miss any fun promotions or new challenge announcements!


Please join A2Z Scrapbooking in this months "Anything Goes" challenge for your chance at a $25 gift card to the A2Z Scrapbooking Hero Arts store. Our current monthly challenge runs from the 1st to last day of the month.

The a2z scrapbooking store carries a wide variety of Hero Arts products! Get discounted new releases, sales, grab bags & more. Proceeds from our store benefit Celiac & Behcets disease foundations. Use my discount code Arlene15 to get 15% off your purchase of $25 or more. If you’re looking for a Hero Arts product you don't see in store, use the Request Custom Order button from within the shop.

•  Hero Arts National Parks Poetic Prints - the wood block I used from the four block set is Yellowstone
• Hero Arts Save Our National Parks may be custom ordered at A2Z Scrapbooking
• Hero Arts Nesting Tag Dies
• Oxide Distress Inks
• Vagabond machine

A Bear of a Card

The new releases came out on July 10th. You should check them out.

I used one of the releases and wanted to show you want i did.  I'm sure you can do so much more with it than I did too.

New Release here

Other supplies:

Elizabeth Craft Design Rectangle Stitched Dies

Copic marker

Little B Handwritten dies for sentiments

Vagabond die cut machine

Christmas in July at Die Cut DIvas this Month

The Frantic Stamper is Die Cut DIvas' sponsor and the challenge is 

Christmas in July

I'm ready to make cards and tags, OH MY.

I decided to play with one of my favorite tag dies for the holiday seasons.  As you can see I made quite a few.  You can take just about any piece of scrap paper and us it as a tag.  You can see I was not choosy in my paper choices. But I am happy with all my tags. 

I did make some of the cards more elaborate than others.  

EASY PEASY way to use this set it  to die-cut two pieces of paper at one time on both the tree and the sentiment.  Next, lay the sentiment stamp with image up, ink image and set die-cut on top, pressing firmly all the way around.  Then to to either pop dot or glue the sentiment directly onto the tree.  You are finished making the tags., 

Even flower paper works for a tree.

Patterned paper is swell too. 

 Yikes, Stripes?  Yes. 

Christmas Blues

 This tree has stamping and die cuts all over the tree. 

Supplies:

Hero Arts Merry Christmas Tree at The Frantic Stamper

Vagabond die-cut machine

Scrap pieces of patterned cardstock

Hole punch for tag hole at top of tree

Have fun starting those Christmas cards now. and head on over to Die Cut Divas.

My A2Z Calendar for 2017 and HAPPY JULY 4th

This is a continuation of my calendar that I posted on June 4th.  And here it is July 4th, time to celebrate for Americans.  

Happy July 4th!

I think the Destination stamps are great stamps to use if you are journeying to one of these destinations.  Sending a "Wish you were here" note might be kind of sappy, but you can certainly stamp any Destination stamp on a post card and write a little something.

I liked the National Parks for September and October because those are end of summer travels where you can still enjoy the parks.  Some light touches of markers and you're ready to go.  Remember that the calendars are double-sided, so you don't want to use inks or markers that will show on the back of your coloring.

You can see I'm not quite straight on the stamping, but it's not so noticeable on the actual calendar.  

I used some older markers that don't bleed through the papers.

Very simple coloring kept the calendar pages pretty neat and clean.

But November sports a nautical scene while December is sparkly and wintery.

The panel of wood the calendar page is resting on is a thin wood, pre-sticky piece which I won (EK TOOLS).  I thought it would suit the "wooden" ships.  I stamped and die cut the wood panels and only colored some of the sails.  A close-up will show you what I mean.

Close-up of November's scene.  

All of the details you see are from one stamp set and one Die set, even the waves. 

Say hello to Enjoy the Journey.

End of the 2017 year for the first year of my calendar.  The Hero Arts Layering Christmas Tree looks great for a forest of trees.  I wanted a bright season so I die cut some gold paper (unknown brand) with an Elizabeth Craft Designs die.

I wasn't going to stamp a tree directly on the calendar, only the top, but the mini stamp pad landed directly on the calendar.  Oops - save the page by using the green stamp mark as a base for the tree.



My post is on A2Z Scrapbooking's blog here.

Are you on social media? We are! Please join us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook? so you don't miss any fun promotions or new challenge announcements!

The a2z scrapbooking store carries a wide variety of Hero Arts products! Get discounted new releases, sales, grab bags & more. Proceeds from our store benefit Celiac & Bechets disease foundations. Use my discount code Arlene15 to get 15% off your purchase of $25 or more. If you're looking for a Hero Arts product you don't see in store, use the Request Custom Order button from with-in the shop.

• National Parks Poetic Prints for 2017 September and October calendars
• Hero Arts Enjoy the Journey
• Hero Arts Bold Print Calendar at Hero Arts and you can custom order at A2Z Scrapbooking
• Hero Arts Layering Christmas Tree at Hero Arts  and you can custom order at A2Z Scrapbooking
• Hero Arts Hero Hues Unicorn Pigment Ink which can be custom ordered through A2Z Scrapbooking when you order all your other supplies
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

A2Z Anything Goes Challenge for July 2017

How can you bean an "Anything Goes" challenge.

Her's my Anything Goes card.  This is my all around favorite stamp set for the summer.  I happen to love ships and this schooner is fantastic.

A schooner is a sailing ship with two or more masts, typically with the foremast smaller than the mainmast, and having gaff-rigged lower masts.  

Gaff rig is a sailing rig (configuration of sails, mast and stays) in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar (pole) called the gaff. Because of the size and shape of the sail, a gaff rig will have running backstays rather than permanent backstays.

The gaff enables a fore and aft sail to be four sided, rather than triangular.

 Not that I know for sure that this ship has running backstays 

or what that means.

Close-up of ship and sentiment

REMEMBER:  If you use Arlene15 at checkout , you will receive a 15% discount.

Supplies:

Hero Arts Enjoy the Journey stamps and dies at A2Z Scrapbooking

Hero Arts Grey to Black Ombre ink is out of stock, however Soft Granite to Black would be a likely substitute.

Copic Markers (two blues and a brown - too many markers on my desk, sorry.

Vagabond die cut machine at your local craft store 

Christmas In July at Die Cut Divas

Sponsor of The Die Cut Divas

Would you believe I am READY to make Christmas cards?  Yes and yes.

My first card is a sample card at Die Cut Divas.  A great 12" X 12" sheet of paper (no idea from what company) gave me a great background.  Who wouldn't want a sled under their tree?  Some stars and a sentiment finish up the card.

 A scrap piece of Christmas paper yielded another background for the sled.  A snowflake set it off with some stars dotting the galaxy. 

Supplies:
Elizabeth Craft Designs Sled

Elizabeth Craft Designs Season:s Greetings Stand Up Helper
Memory Box Rizza Snowflake on the second card
EK tools Wood Punch Material Pack - adhesive on the back of a wood grained lightweight paper