Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Double D Poinsettia


Time for the last challenge for 2020 over at Double D.  I am sure most of you have a poinsettia stamp or die that you can use for this project.  If you need another Christmas card, why not make it using a poinsettia, or if you have already completed all your cards for this year get a head start on 2021 and link it up with us at  DOUBLE D CHALLENGE BLOG.






The new fad in card making is the slimline card.  I have so many dies so I decided look through them and see what would work.  I have had this Marianne lantern die for several years and have used it on numerous cards.... but now it has a whole new life.  I did one of my favorite background techniques, wood graining.  I used grey paper that I scored at quarter inch intervals and applied various distress inks in grey shades using the direct to paper technique.  




I put  a candle in the lantern and topped it with a Spellbinders poinsettia and Tutti designs greenery. The Merry Christmas is from Impression Obsession. 


 


This Elizabeth Craft Designs Poinsettia die  can be yours because one random person who links up with us can win this prize.  I am sure it is one you will use often. We hope you join us for this challenge and that we will see you in 2021.  Dar and Diane have already prepared some fabulous Mood Boards for you.  I hope your Christmas and the New Year are filled with happy moments  and fabulous memories.  

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

DRU Winter Wonderland

 It is hard to believe this is the last Dies are Us Challenge Blog of 2020.  It has been a hard year full of challenges, but for many of who love paper crafting our hobby has given a creative outlet for a very unusual year. This DRU challenge is Winter Wonderland and this is my version of that idea. 


I sponged some distress oxide inks on the Ariana easel panel and spritzed with water to create the background. I cut the leafy portion of the die from white card and left it in the die and sponged the inner portion of the ova and spritzed it with water the same way.  I added a Frantic Stamper elm tree and the Sweet Holly Snowman.   This die is fun to paper piece or add glitter. 

Things from the DRU STORE 

We hope you will join us at  for this last challenge of 2020 at Dies are Us Challenge Blog  and that as this pandemic year ends you will have a renewed hope for the future and a Happy Crafting Year.  

Dies R Us Winter Wonderland



 

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Double D Santa's Hat

 

Isn't this a fun mood board for the Double D Challenge and the design team has really had fun with this one.  You are going to love what they put together. 


                                        


This card was really fun for me to make.  I took out the very  first stamp set that I ever bought 11 years ago.   It is one from Gina K created by Teresa Momber. My daughter loves cats so I bought it to make cards for her. This cat was sitting in a tea cup, but I fussy cut him so I could put him in a crate of Christmas greenery and put a Santa hat on him.  I did not have a die or a stamp I could use so I found some free clip art and sized one of the hats to fit my cat.  


If you join us for the challenge you could win this cute die from Cottage Cutz.  


Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Dies R Us Christmas Treat Holder



A new challenge starts at  today and the theme is Dies R Us Challenge Blog Christmas. I made this Christmas treat holder using Karen Burniston Pop Up Sleigh








A group I belong to usually has a Christmas party with lots of delicious food.  Since our area has a large percentage of Covid cases, we might have to cancel this year, but I made some little treat holders which double as a place card for everyone just in case we decide to celebrate together.  I cut two of the Karen Burniston sleighs.  I made a little box that fits in between the sleighs and wrapped some candy in plastic wrap  and put the names  candy kiss style into the top.  Really easy to do. Hope I get to use them.  




Karen Burniston Pop Up Sleigh






We hope you will join us  at Dies R Us Challenge Blog for our Christmas Challenge. 












 

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Double D Winter Blues


The new theme at Double D Challenge Blog is called Winter Blues.  I know it is called Blues because of the shades of  blue but to me all these pictures convey a feeling of peace and we all need a good solid dose of peace. The pictures are a good jumping off point, but my inspiration was the snow and trees. 




This is a really simple card to do because the die does all the work. I sponged the background with distress oxide inks and spritzed with water.  The die cut does all the rest of the work.  I added some yellow stars to the night sky.  





Join us for this fun challenge at Double D Challenge Blog for a chance to win this fun die set. 



                                                  



 

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Dies R Us Happy Fall

A new challenge begins at today at DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG    I love this IO sentiment because it works with every season anywhere on the earth.  Everywhere you look there is beauty. The sun, moon,stars... flowers and trees, birds and butterflies, fruit and vegtables, rain and rainbows. snow and snowflakes. kittens and puppies, deer and dolphins... and I could go on forever.  

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These are the dies I used for this challenge .




The team has created some fabulous inspiration for this challenge so check out DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG  and then join us for the challenge. YOU could win a gift certificate for the 

 

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Double D Pine Branches and Pine Cones

Dine has creaed a fabulous Mood board for us at Double D Challenge Blog.  Dig out your pine cone, pine tree, and pine branch stamps and dies and play along with us. 


I  started  with some wood grained designer paper from Elizabeth Crafts and stamped snowflakes with Versamak ink and embossed with white embossing powder.  The pine branches are from Tutti Designs and the pine cones from Gina Marie.  Tutti Designs pine branches come with pine cones too but I had these in my stash already made so I used them.  The white berries and poinsettia come from Sue Wilson's Garland die. 
    


                                       

Here is a chance to get another Christmas card done and a chance to win this Cottage Cutz die. The team has some fabulous inspiration for you on the Double D Challenge Blog


Sunday, November 1, 2020

Dies R Us Give Thanks

In two months, 2020 will be behind us and we will start a brand new year. We don't know what it will bring and there is so much we can't control, but we can always look for the good things that are happening around us and give thanks for those. Focusing on the positive, always makes life look a lttle brighter.  Why don't you join us for the challenge at DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG , and while you are designing your card take time to remember your blessings and be thankful. 
    
 Poppystamps Adriana Easel

I use this die frequently, but you should know that there are several Poppy Stamp Adriana dies to fit all your card making needs and you can find the all at the  Dies R Us Store.







 Impresession Obsession Wheat
Tutti Design Cones and Branches





We hope you will join us for this challenge at DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG. One random link will have a chance to win a gift certificate at the Dies R Us Store.  We are thankful for you. 

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Double D October

                                        


When you think of October what comes to mind?  I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania where the changing of the oak and maple trees is draw dropping magnificient so naturally, I think of colorful trees and leaves.  Now I live in a little town, Dairyville, in Northern California.  The area around me is famous for it's walnuts and olives with an abundance almonds and pecans too.  All the nuts are harvested in October so there are usually many festivals held in October where nuts and pumpkins abound.  This year they have all been cancelled but the farmers did still raise the pumpkins for those who love pumpkin carving and you can still purchase the fabulous nuts from the local growers.   If you don't have a particular fall image Dar has provided a fabulous mood board for you over at Double D Challenge Blog


                                           

I took my inspiration from the barnwood backing , the crates, the ladder, the pumpkins the black color from the cat and the books. 


We hope you will join us for the Challenge at Double D Challenge Blog for our October Challenge. 





Thursday, October 15, 2020

Dies R Us Boo

A new challenge starts today over at Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  With Halloween right around the corner, a BOO or Haloween card is perfect for the challenge.  I started with PTI canyon clay card stock and added an IO frame that is cut from some orange gingham card stock I had in my stash. I cut the Tutti Design Boo several times and layered them and did some paper piecing on the web.  The bats and ghosts are from another IO die set. 


We hope you will come and join us for this challenge and a chance to win a gift certificate from the Dies R Us Store





I usually don't combine my posts and enter other challenges, Diane Hoover and Darlene  have started a fun new challenge Blog, and  some of the Dies R Us team are also design team members.  here is the information.  






Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge

  • Starts off with a Halloween Jumpstart Challenge Oct 13th - Oct 28th 
    with winner announced Nov. 1st
  • Beginning November 1st all challenges will run from the 2nd through the 28th 
    with winner announced on the 1st of following month.
  • Theme is ANYTHING GOES HALLOWEEN. 


I have visited the blog and it looks like fun so I will enter when I can. While your Halloween stamps and dies are out, why not join the fun. If you have lots of halloween stamps and dies or have been itching to buy some this is the challenge for you. 
 The  Dies R Us Store to shop for your Halloween needs. 


Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Double D Wreaths


Today starts a new challenge at Double D Challenge Blog. Wreaths can be so decorative at any time of the year and the Mood Board certainly does show how different a wreath can look.                             

                       

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for the challenge so I cut a variety of wreath shapes and colors from my wreath dies. I used two dies from Tutti designs and one from Poppy Stamps.  I have several left over that will be used in the future.  I played with different compositions until I decided to layer three different dies for my wreath shape.  I think of a wreath hanging on some kind of wood background so I went through my papers and found this wood background.  The IO Merry Christmas and the Cottage Cutz penguin were in my box of die cuts just waiting to be a part of card.  I have a friend that loves penguins so this will be headed in their direction. 
Play along and link up with us at Double D Challenge Blog for a chance to win this wreath die from Cottage Cutz.  The team has some great inspiration for you.  Each challenge the team picks our favorite designs to be featured on the blog.  I can tell you we always have a hard time selecting our favorites from all the fabulus entries.  We hope you will join us. 
                                                          

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Dies R Us Anything Goes

 I have made a few cards lately that are not my usual style which is why I love the challenges.  It is good to be pushed out of your comfort zone and do something different, but for this Anything Goes Challenge at DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG , I reverted back to my usual stlye.  I got this Poppy Stamp die a few months ago and I have used it for so many cards.  It is intended to be an easle card and I have done some of them, but I also have used it for the front of an A2 card like I have done here. 


I cut the base die from white card stock and sponged it with distress ink.  Then I cut the leafy portion of the die.  I stamped and embossed ths Impression Obsession sentiment in gold and cut it with an old Spellbinders scalloped ovals die.  I left it in the die and sponged around the die.  To finish it off I added one of the flowers from my stash and my Sue Wilson berries from the Festive Garland set.  

Poppystamps - Dies - Adriana Pop Up Easel Set





Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Double D Don't Fence Me In

 What a fun idea for a challenge and great inspiration board Dar created for us this time. I took my inspiration from several of the photos. The trellis,  picket fence, and stone pathway from  the first photo, the fall colors on the second and the trees in all of them.  





I have not done much stamping lately, but I bought these trees and stone pathway  from The Greetery and thought they would look great with some IO Dies I have had for awhile.  I made a mistake in the placement of my walkway and it looks more like a pathway to the stars, but I am sure I will learn from my mistake.  It turned out to be a colorful fall card and I have some friends that will not notice my misplaced path.  We hope you will join us for this challenge at Double D.  The team has some wonderful and original  inspiration for you so visit us Double D Challenge Blog


One randomly chosen person will win this die that is the perfect prize for this challenge. 


                                       



Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Dies R Us One for the Boys

The challenge at the  Dies R Us Challenge Blog this time is One for the Boys.  This card was fun for me because one of my bestie guy pals has the nickname of Bear.  I am always looking for fun Bears for cards for him.  I love this IO die and it is perfect for him because he is a sweetheart of a guy. 



Nothing difficut about putting the card together, but I think it came out cute. 


Impression Obsession - Dies - BearImpression Obsession Bear



Impression Obsession - Dies - CloudsI


Impression Obsession Clouds

Impression Obsession - Dies - Wooden Disk  Impression Obsession Wooden Disc

   Paper Rose - Dies - Grass & Flowers BorderPaper Rose Grass Border    


We hope you will join us for this challenge and for a chnce to win  a gift certificate at the Dies R Us Store.  

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Double D Colorful

 If you love lots of color, this is the challenge for you.  Diane created a fabulous mood board for this colorful challenge at Double D Challenge Blog


                                              

I decided to go with a flower theme for this challenge,  A friend found four flower dies incuding the die for this iris at a garage sale and bought it for me.  I have not used any of them before but thought they would work for this challenge.  I started with a water colored background and framed it with one of the die cuts from a Frantic Stamper  frame die the cuts several frames in different patterns.  This is the second largest frame in the set. I but that on a white card base and then pit the Irises in the frame.  I finished with an old Cheery Lynn Hugs die cut that I layered several times to give it dimension. 


We hope you play along for this challenge at Double D Challenge Blog.  We all need some color in our life these days  so we hope our colorful cards will brighten your day. Play along and you might win this cute dolor die.