Finally I got to Simply Play!

 I had to finish two projects before I used a new die I purchased.  I wanted to make my first card a trial card, you know the ones.  If they don't turn out, it's no big loss.  Well, I really fell in love it it.  

I already had the Hero Arts Christmas stamped images colored and die cut and bagged for immediate use.  I just never know when that use will be, but at least I only have to grab something out and use it

Ok, I think it turned out cute.  Front of card from straight on. 
I love the vivid green of the Cactus tree. LOL

I used three inserts to stage the scene.  I loved the You Tube Assembly instructions as it made it quite easy to assemble my own Outside the Box die cuts.
I used every surface (back wall to front panel).

It looks like the pots are sitting on the ledge, but they are glued to paper sticks which are glued to the back of the panels.

All those strips in the set are for attaching your paper images to the main panels. 
Set of dies shown below.

Supplies:
My Favorite Things Outside the Box die set
Hero Arts Merry Cactus to You is no longer available
Elizabeth Craft Designs Merry & Bright sentiment set no longer available
Copic markers
Vagabond die cut machine

I'd like to enter the following challenges:
NBUS # 41 - Never Before Used Stuff
Christmas Kickstart Challenge #65 Never In A Nativity scene
Creatalicious - "Anything Goes" #241 (I'm not doing the optional butterflies)
The 12 months of Christmas challenge - "Anything goes" # 91 w/opt twist

 

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge is Open for August

 World Wide Open Design Team Challenge

You MUST be a DT on any Design Team in the World to be eligible to enter this Challenge ~ New exception rule, this challenge is now open to any of Julia Spiri Facebook Members, and you are not required to be on a DT.

The challenge runs from August 15th through September 12th, 

2:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight

Anyone want a school bus wobbling down some train tracks?   This is an A2 size card and as you can see, the bus takes up most of the card.  I just had to do a BIG school bus and in the U.S., school buses are always yellow, therefore, I had to paint the bus a yellow.  I used Y02 and I  think Y15 for the bus.  I liked having the inside in blues & yellow against the light blue notecard sky, but now I'm thinking I should have done the background with some sun rays too, but I didn't.  I had a lot of fun and could have created this bus in so many colors, such fun as it is to color.

Supplies:
Julia Spiri Back to School

Elizabeth Craft Designs Adventure Edges 2 - the train tracks (cut twice) as well as the patterned paper

Die-namics Cute Cloud Outlines dies

Copic markers

Vagabond die cut machine

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Gem of a Challenge - "Anything Goes" Wk 17

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge "Anything Goes" #527

Dies R Us "Summer" using (ECD brand) any die brand DRU sells #199

Love To Scrap Challenge (always Anything Goes) #156

Love to Craft Challenge (always Anything Goes) #69

Crafty Calendar  :Anything Goes"

Happily Playing with a new Elizabeth Crafts die set

 Yes, here I am again, playing with two brand new die sets, only this time it's a birthday and a  Monster is at the party.  This is a great Flip die that you can also use to include a gift card on the back of the flip panel.  I used one of the cute new monsters too.  

If you know these lyrics "one-eyed, one-horned, flying, purple people eater", that's what came to mind when creating this dear monster.  

Card Front below


Card flipped still looking at the front of the card.  The eyes are portions of the monster's eyes.

Back of the card if you turn the card above around.  I decorated both sides.

Supplies:

Elizabeth Craft Designs Birthday Flip Card

Elizabeth Craft Designs Monster 3

Elizabeth Craft Designs Stitched Rectangles die (back die behind the sentiment)

Die-namics Stitched Rectangle die (front die behind the monster)

Distress inks & Distress oxide ink - can't remember what I used 

Vagabond die cut machine

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff) #40

Krafty Chicks All Occasions

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - use patterned paper 

Hero Arts and Die Cut Divas

 The Challenge for February is: Angle It!

Hero Arts is giving a $25 gift card to their website for our winner.  Our winner will be posted on the March 3, 2022.  

• Angles can be Acute angles, Right angles, Obtuse angles, and Straight angles.  We can slant things to create angles like I did for the walls in my card.

I angled the die-cut panels on the "wall" at an obtuse angle & the shelves and floor on a straight angle.  To me, it was all about the angles.   I just had fun creating this card, using most of the stamps and dies in this "In the Study" stamp and die set.  I know my walls and floor are strange, but I'm quite satisfied with it.  It's fun and crazy.  The strips were die-cut from quite a few different sets from scrap paper and saved in a bag, just for something like this, so I have no idea what dies I used.  The table is from an oval set with the table leg being from the letter "I" cut twice and criss-crossed.    

 You may enter your project here.  

Supplies:

Hero Arts "In the Study" stamp set

Hero Arts "In the Study" matching die set

Die-namics Stitched Oval STAX

My Momenta uppercase alphabet - years old

Copic markers

Vagabond die-cut machine

Flowers in January with Rachel Vass Designs

 Rachel Vass Designs

Sponsor for January

The theme for January is "Frame It" 

At Die Cut Divas, it's how you "Frame It" and the Divas have done some "Framing" themselves, so please check out Die Cut Divas.

Rachel Vass Designs specialized in beautiful floral hand drawn digital stamps.

The challenge winner will be able to pick 

three digi stamps from her store.

I used a few Copic markers to color the flowers, keeping it bright and cheery.  I then took the black marker 100 and colored the area around the flowers to accentuate the colors in the flowers.  They really pop.  I just purchased some ECD Brick colored 12X12 paper and thought I'd frame the panel with it.  The color really does match up so well in real life.

Supplies:

• Rachel Vass Designs Circle of Hope digital stamp
• Die-namics Nested Circle dies
• Copic markers
• Elizabeth Craft Brick 12x12 paper
• Nuvo Crystal Drops Gloss - Simply White 
• Vagabond die cut machine

December Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 Usually we don't send cards in December, but this year cards are flying all over the world with the Card Chain Challenge.  We had a tic-tac-toe challenge and here's what I went with - Torn Edges/Friendship/Blue.   I wanted to make a holiday card and thought I could come up with something using these parameters.

 

Remember when we all made hills with torn edges and many of us turned to using die-cuts?  Well, back to the basics of torn edges I went.  Blue is a great color for cold holidays and a friend can receive a holiday card too.  I liked the dark blue card for a background, but it was too stark so I took Hero Arts Unicorn White ink and a blending tool to make a frosty night sky and I love it.  I think I hit on a good design and color scheme as I had been coloring the gnomes in reds and greens.  

Supplies:

Rubbernecker Michael Winter Gnome stamp and matching die cut

Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Alterations Collection - Thinlits Die - Tree Line

Die-namics cute cloud outlines

Torn copy paper sponged with broken china distress ink

Nuvo  Crystal Gloss - Midnight Blue

Navy blue card stock sponged with Hero Arts Unicorn White ink

Distress inks chipped sapphire (happy holidays) and broken china (hills & trees)

Vagabond die cut machine

December Craft Room With Julia Spiri

 World Wide Open Design Team Challenge

You MUST be a DT on any Design Team in the World to be eligible to enter this Challenge ~ New exception rule, this challenge is now open to any of Julia Spiri Facebook Members, and you are not required to be on a DT.

I got to play around in my craft room with Julia Spiri's craft room this month as a Guest Designer for DT World Wide challenge. 

The challenge runs from December 15th through January 12th, Sydney Time Zone 7:00 a.m. or if you're in California, like me, that's on Monday,     December 14, 2:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight. 

Hi there from Arlene.  I have two cards made with the same image.  

First, I took an image that was not meant for a slimline card (just a challenge for me to make a slimline card with an image that not really meant for a slimline card and resized it to fit on my slimline card. Of course when you resize something, you can get a somewhat pixelated image, but not so much so that you can't work with it. I added writing (squiggles, really) to some of the documents and really like the way this turned out.

You can see the original image below my second card.  

A2 size card below. (close-up on right)

Image shown below

Supplies Cards:

Julia Spiri Craft Room digital stamp

Kat Scrappiness Embossed Edge Nesting Slimline die (SLIMLINE CARD)

KSCraft Star Border (SLIMLINE CARD)

Elizabeth Craft Designs Florals 3 (A2 CARD)

Elizabeth Craft Designs Stitched Rectangles (A2 CARD)

Die-namics Stitched Oval STAX die (A2 CARD)

Copic markers

Nuvo  Crystal Drops in various colors

Gold pen

Cream colored cardstock

Vagabond die cut machine

Down on the Farm with Chic Chickadee Crafts

Last day of the Die Cut Divas' February challenge.  (Tutorial on working with Word below last photo.

I went a little "down on the farm" here.  Anyone remember that song by Doris Day, "A bushel and a peck"?  Well, it was really quite catchy.   The opening lyric is part of the Sugartree Farmhouse Digital stamp set at Chic Chickadee Crafts.

Lyrics

I love you a bushel and a peck
A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck
A hug around the neck and a barrel and a heap
A barrel and a heap and I'm talkin' in my sleep...

Close-up below.  Next time I will color the big basket 

a lighter shade so the sentiment is more visible.

I googled how to add another jpeg on top of another jpeg in Word.

1. I copied, pasted and resized the bushel baskets and sentiment in Word
2. Working with Word 10, I then clicked on the baskets image.  
3. While still in the image, I RIGHT-Clicked on "Wrap Text".  
4. Another drop-down popped up and I clicked on "Behind Text".   
5. I then clicked on the sentiment.
6. I RIGHT-Clicked on "Wrap Text".
7. Another drop-down popped up and I clicked on "Square".
8. I moved the text over the baskets and resized anything I didn't like.
9. I printed this off on Copic paper to color.

Supplies:

Sugartree Farmhouse digital stamp set at Chic Chickadee Crafts

Die-namics Stitched Rectangles

Elizabeth Design Crafts Postage Stamp Squares

Copic markers E29, E47, E55 & E57; R 24, R27, R29 & R39 plus ) blender

Vagabond die cut machine

Di's Monty Mouse

Die Cut Diva's challenge is "Free Time" and the sponsor for the September is Di's Digi Stamps.  Check out the challenge here.  

Arlene here. and I found the cutest little mouse at Di's Digis one day and have never used it until now.  I thought this mouse was so cute, really just adorable.  I like the extra flowers, but now that I'm looking at the Nuvo drops, I think fewer would have been better.  But the mouse is still adorable.  What do you think? 

Close-up below

Supplies:
Di's Digi's Monty Mouse
Die-namics Pierced Circles STAX
Little B Handwritten
Copic markers:mouse W2, W3, W5, R11, flower stems G03, G05 leaf G03, G05, G07, lips E04, flowers Y03, Y19, YR19, flower center R59, Y19 ribbon R22, R24, R27, multiliner (blck) to create floor
Glossy Accents on the eyes & nose
Hero Arts flowers (years old) colored with Copic markers
Vagabond die cut machine

Bugaboo Floral Trio Times 3

Check out Die Cut Divas to enter the Flower Challenge this month.  I printed this trio three times and colored one of each flower while leaving the others black and white.  I thought a scallop edge would work with the squares.  I used the same Copic colors on the sentiments that I used on the flowers and added Nuvo Crystal Drops.

Close-up below

Supplies:

Bugaboo Floral Trio Frame 1
QuicKutz Scalloped Squares Nested dies
Die-Namics Blueprints 11 (smile & TODAY)
Nuvo Crystal Drops Gloss Red Berry and Nuvo Crystal Drops Violet Galaxy
Vagabond die cut machine

Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

It's THAT TIME of the Year!  

National Coffee Day

There will be a National Day Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Blog Hop time right here

And Over at A2Z , you can catch some of the DTs dipping their spoons into their favorite beverages too.  Kristina has her own brew and a list of the other DT brews here too.

"A2z Scrapbooking is giving away one $25 gift card to the store. Leave a comment on a2z Scrapbooking coffee blog post, on this post and/or any of my teammate's blog posts by October 7, 2018 11:59 pm Pacific time. Winner will be announced October 8, 2018 on the a2z Scrapbooking Supplies blog."

Close-up below

I sponged frayed burlap all over the woodgrain die-cut and then thought it too light so added some touches of vintage photo.  I wanted to use my new stencil and create a nice design on the cup and tattered rose seemed the perfect color for an old-fashioned cup of cocoa, coffee or tea.  The rest kind of fell into place.  I used a lot of different dies on this, but I am SO HAPPY I purchased the new HA Woodgrain Die.because you can also emboss with the die - here is a YouTube video.

Remember your 15% discount - discount code Arlene15 to get 15% off your purchase of $25 or more. check out this post at A2Z Scrapbooking.

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 us in this month’s "Clean and Simple" challenge.   As you know, we’ve changed our rules a bit and participants are no longer required to use Hero Arts products to enter our challenges. Each month we feature a ‘Digi of the Month’ which will be the prize offered to our randomly-chosen challenge winner from our Hero Arts store. Our current monthly challenge can always be found in the menu bar, and 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 with-in the shop.

• Hero Arts Scrollwork Stencil
• Hero Arts Woodgrain Texture Fancy Die
• Sugartree Hug in a Mug digital stamp set
• Elizabeth Craft Design Hot Chocolate (rising steam)
• Die-namics Stitched Oval STAX
• Spellbinders Shapeablilites On the Edge (an old set)
• Frayed Burlap and Vintage Photo distress inks on the die-cut & Tattered Rose on the cup
• Nuvo Crystal Drops Gloss - Simply White

Time for the Duel at A2Z

Yes, We are still having fun with dueling at A2Z Scrapbooking..  Char is my dueling cousin.and I can't wait to see what she created with 7th Heaven digital kit.  I usually print out several different sizes of images I might want to play with  Sometimes the images sit on my desk for a day, week, or month.  I created the first card with "cloud nine" and I liked the template so well that the second card made itself. 

When I saw this background paper, I knew what I wanted to use it for.  I already had the kit images printed out.

I cut the image slightly larger than the first one and used the same off-the-edge style as my first card.

 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 us in this month’s "Clean & Simple" challenge.   As you know, we’ve changed our rules a bit and participants are no longer required to use Hero Arts products to enter our challenges. Each month we feature a ‘Digi of the Month’ which will be the prize offered to our randomly-chosen challenge winner from our Hero Arts store. Our current monthly challenge can always be found in the menu bar, and 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 with-in the shop.
Please join us in this month’s "Anything Goes" challenge.   As you know, we’ve changed our rules a bit and participants are no longer required to use Hero Arts products to enter our challenges. Each month we feature a ‘Digi of the Month’ which will be the prize offered to our randomly-chosen challenge winner from our Hero Arts store. Our current monthly challenge can always be found in the menu bar, and runs from the 1st to last day of the month

• Hero Arts digital kit 7th Heaven at A2Z
• Hero Arts digital kit Birthday Bash (sentiment) at A2Z
• Elizabeth Craft Design Stitched Rectangles
• QuicKutz Nesting Circle Dies
• The Paper Studio "Pastel Marble" paper
• Nuvo Crystal Drops Gloss Midnight Blue
• Vagabond die cut machine

A2Z Constellation Duel

This card seemed to fly together.  After I printed the page out, I quickly die cut two of the images and snagged a piece of ribbon to add interest.  I also pulled a yellow card out of my pre-made card basket and that's all it took.  I thought "Hello" would cover most situations and made a nice guy card.

No coloring at all on this card.  As I said it just came together all by itself.

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 us in this month's "Anything Goes" challenge for your chance at a free digital stamp AND, if you used Hero Arts, a $20 gift card to our Hero Arts store. Our current monthly challenge can always be found in the menu bar, and runs from the 1st to last day of the month

 A2Z SCRAPBOOKING INFO 

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 with-in the shop.

•  Hero Arts Printable Digi Constellation at A2Z Scrapbooking
• Elizabeth Craft Design Stitched Rectangles
• Die-namics Pierced Circles STAX
• Sizzix "friend" dies (hello)
• Scrap Ribbon
• Vagabond die cut machine

Birthday Bash at A2Z Scrapbooking

I sometimes print out several size digital images and then see what appeals to me.  I went with my largest print out and rather fell in love with my cake. It's a rather simple design, but the colors and cute flames above the candles really perk me up.  It's kind of unusual, but I like it. 

Close-up below

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 us in this month’s "Birthday Bash" challenge.   As you know, we’ve changed our rules a bit and participants are no longer required to use Hero Arts products to enter our challenges. Each month we feature a ‘Digi of the Month’ which will be the prize offered to our randomly-chosen challenge winner from our Hero Arts store. Our current monthly challenge can always be found in the menu bar, and 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 with-in the shop.

Please join us in this month’s "Birthday Bash" challenge.   As you know, we’ve changed our rules a bit and participants are no longer required to use Hero Arts products to enter our challenges. Each month we feature a ‘Digi of the Month’ which will be the prize offered to our randomly-chosen challenge winner from our Hero Arts store. Our current monthly challenge can always be found in the menu bar, and runs from the 1st to last day of the month

• Hero Arts digi kit Birthday Bash at A2Z Scrapbooking
• Little B Handwritten dies
• Oxide inks Fossilized amber, cracked pistachio, faded jeans,  and iced spruce
• Nuvo Crystal Drops Gloss - ripened pumpkin & midnight blue
• Copic markers E30 for the cake with B91, B24 for the platter and candles.
• Vagabond die cut machine

It's a new challenge at A2Z Scrapbooking and Time for a Shaped Card

I really like every piece in this stamp set, especially the chair, but I wanted to make the other images the focus of the card, so left that lovely chair out this time.  I miss it, but I like this combination of sentiment and table with a lamp for reading and writing.

My granddaughter is pretty good at drawing and is now keeping a journal, so I thought this will be perfect for her, either for graduation or her birthday, or just a card to perk her up. 

You see the lamp, the dark gray ink dropped a blob of C5, but I was able to save the lamp.  If only it was so easy to save a real lampshade if you dropped it.

Close-up below

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 us in this month’s "Shape Shift" challenge for your chance at a free digital stamp AND, if you used Hero Arts, a $20 gift card to our Hero Arts store. Our current monthly challenge can always be found in the menu bar, and 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 insert your code here 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.

• Hero Arts  In the Study Stamp set and the die cut set
• My Momenta die cut alphabet
• Die-namics Stitched Oval STAX
• Spellbinders Arched Windows One
• Copic markers BG0000, B21, B91, B95E30, E31, E55, C2, C4, C5 & 0, 
• Vagabond die cut machine