Double D Watercolor

Wow! What amazing gingham designs we had for our last challenge. All the designers had a difficult time choosing favorites. They were all amazing. 

Now why don't you drag out your favorite water color medium and play along with us at Double D water color challenge. Draw inspiration for your project from this beautiful Mood Board. 

Many of my teammates really know how to water color beautiful scenes and flowers, but I am not one of them so I used one of my favorite water color background technique,squishing, which does not require any talent.  I applied distress inks to an  acrylic block and spritzed with water. Then I put my water colored paper on top. Just like magic a water color background.

 I liked the  the pink and yellow colors on the bottom right so I used fossilized amber and pickled raspberry, and shabby shutters for a bit of green. I wanted  some shine so I used Kuretake Starry Gansai Tambi watercolors to get a gold veins and shine. Unfortunately, the shine does not show in the photo. 

                                         

                                              

 I also water colored my flower.  I applied squeezed lemonade to the center part of the flower turned the flower over and gently spritzed with water before shaping.

Here is the prize for this challenge.  If you play along, you will have a chance to win this pretty paper pack.

                                          

We can't wait to see your entries at Double D . They are always so inspiring.

Dies R Us Anything Goes

Anything Goes using dies by companies carried at the DRU Store.  I made a candy box for this challenge.`

Elizabeth Craft Happy Frame

To make the frame to hold the candy I used Elizabeth Craft Happy Frame XL.Since I wanted a 5 by 5 frame, I cut four pieces of paper at 5 1/2 by 4 which is a little smaller than the die. The nice thing about this frame is that you can make it  square or rectangle and in almost any size you want.  

Poppy Stamps Musical Happy Birthday

I used a heavy weight(140 #)  water color paper so the frame would be sturdy. I cut the straight edge of the four pieces to five inches in length.

I decided to add a little color to the frame so I uses a stencil and sponged some wilted violet distress ink on to all four pieces. 

                                     
Fold each one of the score lines. Use a strong adhesive to glue each side of the frame. Fold the bottom to the top for a perfect fit.

Tip ( Not This Way)

TIP   Before you start gluing assemble the box.  I watched the video Happy Frame Video and I still glued  the first one wrong and had to make two more sides.  If you have things lined up you are less likely to make a mistake.  There is also a front and back side  so if  you are making a box make sure you glue the front side up.  Ask me how I know... lol. 

Next I cut the out side of my box. For a 5X5 frame I cut a piece of paper at 51/4 by 11 and scored at 51/4 and 5/3/4

I glued a piece of ribbon down the center.  I wanted to tie a bow so I cut about 24 inches of ribbon. 

Poppy Stamps Musical Happy Birthday

Then I glued the frame to the back and side of the box. I individually wrapped some Hershey's  nuggets with some decorator paper and  put them in the center of my frame.

I love my Sue Wilson Festive Frame.  Who says that flower has to be a poinsettia? Yes, I know dogwoods in some people's world are not purple,but my husband is a horticulturist and I know how they are always experimenting to get new colors and varieties so I am sure one day there will be purple dogwoods, but they probably won't have prills in the center. 

 I had a ton of fun making this little candy box.  You will be seeing more of them because I am making them to sell at a craft booth at a Walnut and Wine Festival. The proceeds of the sale goes into a scholarship fund.  The festival is right before Mother's Day so I thought this would be a nice gift for Mom. In the meantime,this one was personalized and  went in the mail to a special friend.   

Sue Wilson Poinsettia Garland

Elizabeth Craft Dogwood 2

Karen Burniston Birthday

We hope you will join us at Dies R Us Challenge Blog for this Anything Goes Challenge. 

Double D Gingham

There is just something about gingham that makes me happy. The team at DOUBLE D CHALLENGE BLOG  must feel the same way because there are some fabulous gingham projects on the blog, and, of course, we have an awesome Mood Board. 

I just got some new dies from Dies R Us and had to play with them. I have been making little boxes of chocolate to sell at a Mother's Day Boutique to raise money for scholarships so a lot of my design team work is also focused on that goal.  I used blue gingham in the background and some blue gingham ribbon to tie the box together.

Interested in the dies I used that are available at Dies R Us?  You can find them here.

Chepo Dies Singing Bird

  Sue Wilson Frames and Tags Collection Daisy Circle Die 

Preciuous Marieke - Dies - Fantastic Flowers - Square Flowers Frame


If you link up with us, you could win this gingham paper pack by Lawn Fawn. We are looking forward to seeing what you will create for DOUBLE D CHALLENGE BLOG.

 

Dies R Us One for the Ladies

The  last challenge, One for the Boys, at Dies R Us  had such impressive entries that we can't wait to see  what you design this time for One for the Ladies. 

  

 I love texture and dimension on projects.  For this card, I pulled out my texture paste a stencil and some glitter.  You can't see the glitter on the paste, but IRL it sparkles.  I cut an oval from a piece of white card then embossed it with a Tim Holtz brick background. When I am not feeling creative, I make flowers in different colors and have them ready for when the creative impulse strikes.  So I went to my stash for them.

I used lots of dies for this project.  

Tutti Lily of Valley Frame

Lawn Fawn Scalloped Window




Poppy Stamps Hummingbirds

Impression Obsession Flowers



                       Elizabeth Craft Shasta Daisy


We are looking forward to seeing what you create for us for this challenge at Dies R Us Challenge Blog.

Double D Let's Make Some Music

We have a brand new challenge starting today at Double D, and of course, Diane  has created a fabulous Mood Board for us.  It's all about Music. 

I used a Spellbinders die that I have had for years. It is fun to pull out older dies and give them some new love. The inside of the die is actually the negative of the die that I put behind the main die and backed it with some decorator music paper.  I cut the main die again in black and inlaid the black part around the border. The Ballerina is a Poppy Stamp Fairy... I just left off her wings.  The piano is Frantic Stamper and the happy birthday is Poppy Stamp. I will also enter this at the Poppy Stamp Spring Cleaning.  The challenge is to use something you have not used before of a clean and simple design.  This is clean and simple for me. 

Poppy Stamp 

Poppy Stamps Poised Faerie

The prize for this challenge which is chosen by random is this great Frantic Stamper Die. 

The team has fabulous inspiration  for you at Double D Challenge Blog.  We hope you will join us with your Musical project.

Impression Obsession Flowers for Friends

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I am making boxes that hold chocolate to sell at a Walnut and Wine Festival that is right before Mother's Day. I decided to make one for the bird lovers and enter it in the Impression Obsession Challenge Impression Obsession Flowers for Friends. 

I made the flowers from the strawberry die and filled the center with prills. The leaves from the layered floral set.


Here are the Impression Obsession dies I used for this card.


 

Dies R Us One for the Boys

 March has arrived and so has another challenge at Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  This one is called One For the Boys. Guy cards are hard for me, but my favorite brother-in- law has so many hobbies that I just pick one every year for his card.  Last year the theme was tools so I decided on golf for this year. 

I love personalizing cards.  I used two different alphabets from Chepo to personalize this onr.

 Memory Box Mini Golf Carts


 Tutti Designs Golf Bag


 Cheapo Unicorn Font

Cheapo Cursive Font

The team some great inspiration for you so visit the  Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  We hope you share your one for the guys ideas with us for a chance to win a Dies R Us gift certificate.