June Brings a Creative Crafters Post

 The Creative  Crafters starts a monthly challenge every 15th of the month and I've made another holiday card as inspiration for this month. 

This challenge is always "Anything Goes".  
Be sure to join The Creative  Crafters challenge! 

I don't remember where I got this digital stamp and I think she is so cute.  If anyone does know the creator, please write a comment on this post and let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.  I found her in my stash drawer and couldn't put her back.  Who could?

I purchased some Place Cards a year or so ago and have been using them for the foundations of my slimline and mini slimline cards.  They are really nice to work with as they are already folded and I don't have to waste that much of my cardstock up for odd shaped card bases.  This is a mini slimline card and I think the image is just darling.

Supplies:
Place card cut down to 6 inches
Unknown digital creator - let me know if you know the creator
Kat Scrappiness Happy Holidays sentiment
Copic markers
Left over Christmas paper
Vagabond die cut machine

I'm entering the following challenges:
DL. ART "Anything Goes - unlimited, (not 2 in 1 day)
A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes UNLimited Polkadoodle's Craft Challenge "Anything Goes" 
Digi Choosday - "Anything Goes" (weekly- starts on a Tuesday) 
Fab an Funky (Use your Die Cuts)
NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff) the little girl digi image

Time to Make another Christmas Card

  I colored these cute animals and then I wasn't sure if I wanted to have them on a hillside or a woodland or something else.  I found this card from a very old Hero Arts card set which had an owl under the top left critter.  You never know what will work.  I got this stamp set a couple months ago, but never got the chance to use it.  Easy to color and a snap to use a matching die.  

Supplies:
Sunny Studio Sledding Critters stamp
Sunny Studio Sledding Critters dies
Elizabeth Craft Designs sentiments (no longer available)
Elizabeth Craft Designs brrrrr  (no longer available)
pre-cut strips - not sure which company in blue and red
Copic markers
Hero Arts pre-made cards
Vagabond die cut machine

I'd like to enter the following challenges:
Christmas Kickstart Challenge - # 63 Pawfectly Pawsome Christmas
Classic Design - ATG June # 6
Colour Crazy - "Anything Goes" (starts on a Friday) 
NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff) Sledding Critters never used before
Merry Little Christmas Challenge "Anything Christmas Goes" #44 Peace on Earth Xmas "Always Christmas & Anything Goes" # 17 The 12 months of Christmas challenge - "Anything goes" #89
Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge  Cute Christmas Critters #137

Hero Arts Holiday Greenery Dies Create An Easy Card

Please visit A2Z Scrapbooking and enter our challenge.

I saw the Holiday Greenery Edge used in the Hero Arts (HA) Catalog, but wondered how it would look with two dies, opposed to each other on a card.  I was surprised to see that a white background and green die cut was a smart, sharp combination.  I like the inspiration this HA page gave me..

Here is my inspiration card for A2Z Scrapbooking.

I used Nuvo Red Berry to do the berries on the die-cut and joined them together with berries facing the outside of the card.  A glittery gold tape conceals the space where the dies join.  A small stamped "Merry Christmas" completes the card.  Simple and simply delightful to look at.

Another view below

Remember to use my discount code Arlene15 to get 15% off your purchase of $25 or more.

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 "Winter" 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 Holiday Greenery Edge Die Fancy Dee at A2Z Scrapbooking
• Hero Arts wood block stamp from an old HA set
• Nuvo Crystal Drops Gloss - Red Berry
• Green paper from my stash
• Vagabond die cut machine
• Gold glitter tape

Winter A2Z Challenge Holiday House

I so enjoy using the tags I make for gift giving.  You can make them any size and not have to squeeze your writing into a limited space.  This is the largest tag of the Hero Arts Tag dies.

I darkened the roof with a dark red marker and added some other colors to the house.  I thought that even I, could doodle some pavement outside the house.   There's enough room at the top of the tag to write the name of the person to whom you are giving your gift.

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Hero Arts Holiday Houses[/caption]

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 "Winter" challenge for your chance at a $25 gift card to the Hero Arts store. The 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.

 Supplies:

• Hero Arts Holiday Houses
• Hero Arts Nesting Tag Dies D1197
• Nuvo Crystal Drops Silver Moondust
• Hero Arts sentiment (wood block out of stock for a couple years)
• Copic markers
• Vagabond die cut machine

Coffee Cup Tags

Are you making tags?  This is only the fourth day of the a2z Scrapbooking Tag Challenge for September.  Come along and join us.  I'm making Christmas tags because I couldn't resist the new Coffee Cup Tags.  Honestly, WHO COULD? I didn't realize these were meant to be tags because in the Hero Arts Winter catalog, I see these on cards.  Imagine my surprise when I actually realized the name.  I thought, how unoriginal I was to use these as tags.   Even though the dies come separate for the cup and the whipped cream on top, these are one piece tags.  I've made 11 tags in all.

1. I stamped the cups first, leaving room enough to stamp the cream on top on lots of tags (twice as many stamped as tags shown here)  MISTI is wonderful for this.
2. I cut the paper in coffee cup sizes.  
3. I die cut the cup, leaving the top of the die cut over the edge of the plate on my Cuttlebug, so the outline was cut, but not the top rim.
4. I then turned the image around so the cream die (long edge) bottom hung off the plate on my Cuttlebug, so the cream was cut, but not the rim sitting on top of the cup.
5. I just only had to cut a small piece where the dies didn't overlap.

And there you have the simple story of using two dies on one image for one die cut image.  I haven't use my NEON Hero Arts Inks in awhile, so I had a go with them.

List of supplies:

Hero Arts Coffee Cup Tags available at a2z Scrapbooking (these may be sold out, check for them.  They also come in a set with the die cuts.

Hero Arts Coffee Cup Tag Frame Cuts available at a2z Scrapbooking

Hero Arts Neon inks Neon Green, Neon Blue, Neon Pink and Neon Purple
Misti - stamp all the cups, then set the cream on top stamp and just move the paper to get perfect images

Nuvo Crystal Drops  (Glitter Drops Ruby Slippers) - I bought these through the a2z store.

Cuttlebug

Ribbons

You can use code Arlene15 at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase of $25 or more (before tax and shipping).  If you need craft items that you don’t see in the store, don’t forget you can special order them here at the A2ZScrapbooking Store.  You can find my sample at A2Z

 Hope you’ll join in the September Challenge of "Make It a Tag" with your Hero Arts stamps, dies and stencils. And, if you need some new supplies, don’t forget to shop at a2z Scrapbooking.

Time to Check Those Ornaments!

Tis the time to work on your holiday cards.  I'm sure you must know I love, love, love the Bugaboo Sun Bonnet (SB) gals.  I think she's being pretty careful with that ornament.  You can find her here.
I colored her with Copic markers, using my markers on the side panels also.  This is my sample card for the November Challenge.  Go check Die Cut Divas out.

Front of card

See how the card opens

Inside of card when opened.  

I saved some space to write a little something under the Season's Greetings.

Seen from the back of the card - yes I decorated the back too with a cute Bugaboo stamp (Winter Circle Sentiments - Jingle Bells).

I love the bells on the back as they make a beautiful backing without much work.  A little bit of coloring and a circle die-cut and it's done.

Recipe:

Bugaboo Christmas SB Ornament, Winter Circle Sentiments

Elizabeth Craft Designs dies (Square with Circle Frame Edges, Accordion Circle Card)

Copic Markers on all edges, including the frame with holes on the interior of the card)  

Lifestyle QuicKutz nesting circle dies purchased at my LSS, The Stamp Art Shoppe

Now I've Seen Everything... A Dog Driving a Car!

When I got this car die, I was overwhelmed.  I put it aside to work on when I had time to determine what went where.  I still have one tiny piece that didn't go on this car. The next time I do this car, maybe I'll know for sure where it goes.  I actually think it's the dog in the window's tongue... yes, his tongue.  There are a ton of little things that are easy to lose, especially when you also take stuff to color.  After you go through the first time, I think you'll have an idea of where everything goes and it will go smoother and faster.

I embossed the card with a Cuttlebug frame die and cut blue patterned paper with the smaller die of a Poppystamps die called Photo Cuts.  The "Let it Snow" die is a Cottage Cutz die which I cut out of a thin Glitter paper

Here's a close up of dog and car.  No tongue on the dog.  LOL

Christmas Cheer Car w/ Tree (4 X 6) from Cottage Cutz

Now that I've done one, I'd like to put together another, but I have so much to do that I may not get one done for another couple of months.  Since the tree is separate from the rest, you could use this ol' car for any season.  It's pretty good size.  I'm not even sure where I bought it.

Have fun stamping and cutting for the holidays!

Don't Knock the House!

Die Cut Divas' guest today is the fantastic and FANTABULOUS Barb Engler!   Fantabulous is not a real word, but we don't NEED real words.  Please visit Die Cut Divas today and say hi to Barb.

Be sure to visit Bugaboo Digi Stamps for those humorous and just plain fun cards and participate in the Die Cut Divas challenge - holidays and celebrations here.   By the way, don't knock the house!

This is a happy little house, though somewhat lopsided.  It looks like there's a little bit of traffic on the road and a sky full of clouds.  This was a kick to put together.

I thought the house would look good inside a negative of the tree.  There are Stickles on the windows and around the door jamb as well as sprinkled on the bushes and on the embossed negative.  It's a bit outrageous, but it's lots of fun and the photo doesn't show how cute it really is.

Hope you enjoy this little scene too!

Bugaboo house is found here
Lots of Memory Box die-cuts on first card
A strip of removable tape at the bottom on each card
Sentiments by Hero Arts

Penguin?

Sponsor of Die Cut Divas for December is: Bugaboo Digi Stamps and all their images are 50% off this month.  I can't help but see something I WANT!  NEED!  DESIRE!

This little penguin is skating away as happy as can be.  My penguin's beak isn't black, but then how many penguins do you see ice skating?   I think he's cheery and should bring a laugh or smile from the recipient.  I hope you like him.  He sure likes you.

I couldn't help but do another penguin.  I think they're multiplying.  I really like the star behind this little guy.  After all, he is the star!  The diamond gems worked out well on this card too.  I rarely have a use for them (they're really square).

I had to CASE Hannah's card on the Die Cut Divas December 1st post.  I just loved that little penguin as I think the gray brings out his personality. He's also very glittery.

I hope you can see the glistening of the Perfect Pearls I sprayed on this little guy.

December's Charm

Thank you to Bugaboo Digi Stamps for sponsoring Die Cut Divas' challenge blog.

A charming gal skates over the ice in a vintage style!  My kind of gal!  Don't you just love her?  That's why I love Bugaboo digital stamps - they have something for just about everyone.  I set her with a vintage type of background paper.

You can try to catch this gal at Bugaboo Digi Stamps here!

There is another skating vintage gal turned to the left here!

I couldn't help myself and had to color another gal for Christmas.  

She looks so cute dressed up for Christmas.  You can find this gal here!

I love the way you can re-size digital images.

These are such fun to color!

Candy Cane Cute

Sometimes you just have to color and this is one of them.  A big Thank You to Bugaboo Digi Stamps for sponsoring the Die Cut Divas' blog and having such darling images.

This image I had to have and purchased it in the summer.  I did wait to color her.  I just love this dear Christmas image, which you can find here.  Isn't she great?

Here's my card:  A lot of self congratulations going on here. I hope you like her too.

Bugaboo Digi Stamps (Christmas SB Candycane - the SB is for Sun Bonnet)
KITE stencil - background
Copic Markers
Ribbon
Memento Ink Dew Drop - Bahama Blue
Cuttlebug
Spellbinders Nestabilities - Ovals

Last Looks

I've heard this term "Last Looks" and thought, that we have only today for "last looks" at the month of November.  Our Die Cut Divas' sponsor has been the fantastic Crafty Sentiments Designs.

I've posted with this little boy before, but, yes, here he is again.  Why?  Because I love the image.  He's just so cute - an unmounted rubber stamp from Crafty Sentiments Designs. Here he is sleeping away again.  He never seems to be awake, does he?  I think he's been way too busy!

He's in the Christmas collection right here!  But really, he'd be cute at any time of the year.

A close-up.  Image colored with Copic markers on cold press water color paper.

We don't have snow here, but...

Check out the challenge for the November/December challenges - November's sponsor is Crafty Sentiments Designs.

And here is a wonderful snowman I'd like to share with you.  Isn't he adorable?  I believe he's male because he is wearing brown buttons.and is ever so cute.  I couldn't make just one.  The blue stripped panel is from a tissue box I pre-cut and just thought it worked here.

I love the colors on this snowman.  They just work for me.  I'm into blues and purples this year.  I took Distress Paints, Picket Fence, Broken China, Salty Ocean, and Mowed Lawn and swished them across the kraft note card after stamping the sentiment.  Some Stickles found its way onto the strips of color too - creates such a cheery card.  I'm still loving the snowman.

The cute snowman can be found here.  I didn't know I would love this guy so much.  He's super easy to color and he's FUN too.

Novmeber can be Purple too!

Crafty Sentiments Designs has some cute unmounted rubber stamps and I love the image you see on my card.  So cute and adorable, you can use this image for birthdays, remembrances, and just fun!

I guess I'm just a non-traditional gal.  Another non-traditional color choice for the holidays.  I really like this cute little boy I purchased from Crafty Sentiments.  Such a cute rubber stamp.  I fell in love with the little guy.  Another Tim Holtz Distress marker presentation.  I do love the look of water color.  I stamped him on cold press water color paper.  I thought this card was great either way, without a banner and with one.  My car got a bit tilted on the second card.  It's not anymore.  Which card do you like best?

Without the banner

With the banner

I think the little toys are perfect.  Well, the Memento die-cuts are perfect.  Hope you liked the card.

An overstuffed chair & a Sleepy Boy

 Crafty Sentiments Designs is the sponsor of Die Cut Divas' blog this month of November - Holidays and Celebrations.  I have this wonderful unmounted stamp from Crafty Sentiments Designs and I thought he was really the most darling little boy I've seen.  I think he was trying to stay awake for Santa and just couldn't hold his eyes open any longer.

Some water coloring using Tim Holtz Distress Markers and a water pen on water color paper made this a sweet card for any mother to remember those special times at Christmas.

Recipe:
Crafty Sentiments Designs Taking a Nap
Hero Arts Banners and Messages CL721
Rangers Distress Markers
Water pen
Cuttlebug
Nestabilities Lacy Squares
Twine - black and white
Memory Box Auto Parts - truck looped onto the twine

A Dreamweaver Christmas

I learned a new technique at my LSS with Dreamweaver Stencils.  The panel with the almost glowing background is black canvas.  I was able to play with Pan Pastels and created this patch of windy sky or whatever you want to call it by using Platinum first and then applying the other colors over it.  They stand out better.  I was looking for easy and love the way the gold paste stands out against my background.

Dreamweaver has a special going on now too - see the specials here!

I have got to buy some black canvas.  Thanks for looking.

Charming November is Charming Me

The unmounted stamp below is from Crafty Sentiments Designs.  She is adorable.

Do you like using Tim Holtz Distress Markers on watercolor paper?  I DO!  Love how vivid the colors are

This little girl is a special gal and I loved coloring her.  The poinsettia was die-cut and colored with Copic markers R24 and R29.  The leaves are cut out of a gauzy sheer ribbon.

I think the poinsettia goes well with the colors on the image. A red heart gem is perfect here.  Be sure to join the Die Cut Divas challenge at Die Cut Divas.