Double D Joy

                                          

Thanksgiving is over, the turkey is gone and now the Christmas Season can get into full swing. Our Challenge at Double D Challenge Blog is Christmas JOY(the word JOY MUST be on your creation.  We have a wonderful Mood Board for your inspiration. 

                                          

When I made my entry, I was not looking at the Mood board and just remembered we had to use the word joy.  I have this wonderful Spellbinders Joy die so I chose that and made my card.  When I came back to post it, I noticed all the colors and patterns on the mood board.  Alas, my card had none of the pretty patterns or colors.  I am officially claiming my Oldtimers disease for this pale version of the Mood Board.    

If you join us for this challenge you have a chance to win this Joy stamp and Joe die. 

The team has some wonderful inspiration for you so go on over to Double D Challenge Blog and be inspired. 

Dies R Us Christmas Tree

I got this die at a  Dies R Us European Special Order. If you sign up for the news letter, you will be notified of all these special order events  I see so many designs possible from this die, and the fact that it is interactive makes my day. This card was so easy to make because the die did the work. It will also mail easily.  

Memory Box Merry Christmas Script

                                                Poppy Stamps Snowflake Tall Curved Border

                                           SL Cutting Die Christmas Card Shape Tree Essentials 

Special Order

We hope you will join us for this Anything Goes Challenge at the DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG.  Just remember to use one metal die from a company that Dies R Us Store carries.  

We hope you join us!!!

Peace on Earth Blue

      Today starts anew challenge at Peace on Earth Challenge Blog.  We have had so many fabulous entries in our past challenges so we are excited to see what you do with this Mood Board.  

                                         

When I looked at it, I notice the blue and white and glitz and shine so that is what I used for this card.  Its much prettier in person and easy to do.  I cut an Impression Obsession snow flake cover die from whit and backed it in blue glitter paper.  I then mounted that to an Impression Obsession frame die that I put on a white card base. You can't see the focal image very well in the photo, but it is from Stampinup star dies.                           . 

You can't see the Stampin up star die very well in the photo, but I have it popped up so it shows up better IRL. 

     We hope you will join us for this challenge at   Peace on Earth Challenge Blog.  The team has some incredible inspiration for you.                . 

Double D Trees

         

   A new mood board and a new challenge starts today over at Double D Challenge Blog. It is a fun one and all about trees.                                  

                                                

I used a multi-layer tree stamp from The Greetery.   I kept it simple by sponging a background.  I stamped and die cut the tree and put it on my background.  I added a few leaves to the grass.  I accidently smeared some ink, but decided it looked like leaves blowing in the wind so it was a Bob Rossi "Happy Accident".  I decided to add a frame to finish my scene.  

The team has great inspiration for you so visit Double D Challenge Blog and then join us for the challenge and a chance to win this die from Impression Obsession. 

                                                     

Dies R Us Birthday Mail in Black and Gold

 Today starts a new challenge at Dies R Us Challenge Blog.    I am using two of my favorite dies again.  This is a birthday card for one of my forever friends.  We can say that because we have been friends for over thirty years.  Even though we don't live in the same town anymore,  We still manage to get together every few months at some halfway place. The designer paper is from Honey Bee.  I cut the Poppy Stamps Adriana Easel Die from white card and inked it with Gina K    ink.  Then I cut the second layer from Gold card.  I chose some flowers from homemade flower stash. I cut the Memory Box Birthday Mail in black and white.  

  Stop over  at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog and check out the inspiration from the team.  It's an Anything Goes Challenge using at least one metal die from a company sold at  the Dies R Us Store . 

Peace on Earth Holiday Joy

I love this Mood Board at Peace on Earth Challenge Blog.  Each picture has so much texture and dimension along with the  buffalo plaid and little pops of red. I was torn between the window and the ornament, but decided on the ornament.  

I used an old Spellbinders ornament and one I got a s a free gift from an order at Dies R Us years ago.  The Joy is from PTI.  Some Tutti Designs greenery  and holly leaves from  Cheery Lynn topped with a Sue Wilson poinsettia. The paper is from Honey Bee. 

We have had so many amazing cards for each challenge and we are enjoying all the inspiration . The design team  at Peace on Earth Challenge Blog  has some beautiful inspiration for you too. 
 

A Walk in the Woods

 This is the perfect time of the year to take a walk in the woods in some parts of the USA.  We have been getting some much needed rain, but some days are a beautiful, sunny 70 degrees with slight breezes. Our challenge at Double D Challenge Blog is to use something on your card that you might see during a walk in the woods. Here is the great Mood Board to give you inspiration. 

I don't  know about you but that bear looks so peaceful in the field  of grass backed by trees.  I would love to see this as long as we had a great deal of distance between us.  My husband and I owned a party boat that we kept moored at Whiskeytown lake in Northern Colorado.  The lake was in the middle of a huge nature preserve filled with astounding sights.   Most of the time, we had a boat load of friends and family aboard, but several times a month we would escape by ourselves and enjoy the beauty of the lake that was filled with all types of nature.  Soaring eagles, egrets, deer, squirrels, and ducks were always there and we enjoyed watching the miracles of nature and just relaxing.  I loved getting into the water to cool off and just paddle around.  Steve always joined me but he was always ready to get back into the boat before I was. One day after he got back into the boat, he started whispering to me from the back of the boat. 

" Kath, get back in the boat."

" I'm not ready yet." 

"Get back in the boat."

"Why?"

"GET BACK IN THE BOAT ,NOW"

He was rarely so forceful so I thought, I should probably get back in the boat.  To say he was unhappy with me does not describe the situation.  He then pointed out why he was so forceful.  Two baby bear cubs were swimming very close to me, and Mama, who was not happy, was following close behind. I never saw them, but they were so close that I was glad I was in the boat. 

I decided to use a Spellbinders  die set that I have had for awhile and not used.

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

Go over to the Double D Blog and check out some fabulous inspiration and then join us for the challenge. 

DRU Give Thanks

It is the beginning of a new month and a new challenge at Dies R Us Challenge Blog. The challenge is Anything Goes as long as you use at least one metal die by a company sold at the Dies R Us Store.  I hope you have signed up for their newsletter.  If not, you are missing some awesome sales. 

November is the month when we think about giving thanks for all the blessings God has given us.  We have made it through a pandemic, loss and separation from family and friends, rioting and destruction in our cities, rising crime rates, and scarcity of food and toilet  paper on the shelves.  I personally lost my husband of 51 years.  Although it was not Covid related a lock down in the rehab center where he was staying prevented me from seeing him the last 12 days of his life.  Even though we have all suffered to some extent we still have so many reasons to Give Thanks.  I plan to remind myself to focus on "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things Philippians 4:8.   I put card this on my desk for a daily reminder. 

Most of the dies I used are ones I have had for awhile, but I just got the 

Memory Box Pinecone Stackers and  Memory Box Layered Fresh Flowers.  I love how they look on this card. 

I also used these dies on my card. 

Impression Obsession Give Thanks

Poppy Stamps Adriana oval

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

Double D Sunflowers

Welcome to a new challenge at Double D Challenge Blog.  This challenge is all about Sunflowers. Look at the beautiful examples Dar found for our inspiration. 

I colored mine up to look like the ones on the top right and put them in a clay pot that came from Elizabeth Crafts. It comes with a saucer but I chose not to use it this time. I used an IO wheat die and a very old cat of dine tails from a company that went out of business a long time ago. I still love it especially for fall cards. The sunflower is also an old one from MFT.  The centers of the flowers are filled with black flower soft which gives them a lot of texture.  

The prize for this challenge is this sunflower stencil.  We hope you will join us for this challenge.  We had so many fabulous entries for the pumpkin or owl challenge. The team has more fabulous inspiration for you at 

Double D Challenge Blog.  

 

Peace on Earth Snowman

 It is time for a new challenge at Peace on Earth Challenge Blog. I took inspiration from the blue pine cones and the cabin and snowman. 

                               

I bought several sets of Prints from Penny Black.  I framed it with a frame that my friend Barb sent me.  She always sends me die cut frames because she knows I frame almost everything.  The fence is from a Karen Burniston Pop up fence and the snowman is from Frantic Stamper.  I love this die cut for the holidays.  The Pine Bow is from Tutti designs and the Holly leaves are an old Cherry Lynn die. We hope you will join us .  We sure had some fabulous designs last challenge. The design team has some fabulous inspiration for you at Peace on Earth Challenge Blog

Birthday Present

Another Anything Goes Challenge begins today at DRU Challenge Blog.  I have another Birthday card.  I usually send out about 7 Birthday cards each month so when I have a chance at an Anything Goes Challenge I think Birthday.  I love a surprise pop up card and this die really makes it easy. If you don't get the news letter from DRU, you need to sign up. There are so many special sales and several times a year the store offers a  sale on some of the European Dies like this one. The DRU STORE also carries a variety of inks and other tools at great prices.  This die comes in one piece and you just pop it out. I cut it once from white and once from silver glitter paper and inlaid the silver into the cut out areas.  Super easy.  In fact, I bought a few more of these dies that you will be seeing soon.  

 This die comes in one piece and you just pop it out. I cut it once from white and once from silver glitter paper and inlaid the silver into the cut out areas.  Super easy.  In fact, I bought a few more of these dies that you will be seeing soon.  

Creative Expressions Pop Up Collection -Surprise

Poppy Stamp Happy Birthday

Double D Owls or Pumpkins

 Time for a new challenge at Double D Challenge Blog.  We all about Owls and Pumpkins this time.  I searched through my stash of dies and stamps and did not have one owl,  Thank goodness I did have quite a few pumpkins, and fall is definitely pumpkin time. Now Diane has gathered some unique looking owls for you on this mood board. I can't wait to see what you all design for this fun challenge. 

                                         

The pumpkins are from Poppy stamps.  I cut them from orange paper and did some shading with distress inks.  The background die  cut was a gift from a friend....thanks Barb.... and it was perfect for this card.  I believe it is an older PTI die. The flower is from IO. 

If you link up with us you have a chance to win this cute owl and pumpkin die. Hope to see your creations at Double D Challenge Blog.

                                      

Peace on Earth NOEL

This is the very first challenge  for the brand new Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge. Isn't this a fabulous Mood Board.  For some reason, I was so drawn to the black horse with the red flowers and the little bird resting on his leg.  I decided to focus on the colors and some of the texture. 

T

I used some patterned paper from Honey Bee, the Poppy Stamp Noel and a Frantic Stamper tree. 

 The frame and both set of birds are from Impression Obsession. 

We are all so excited about this Blog.  It is a good way to get some Christmas cards done early and avoid the last minute rush. We hope you will join us at  Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge.

Birthday Cup Cakes

Another challenge begins today at Dies R Us Challenge Blog. For this card, I used the Karen  Burniston Cup Cake Pop Up Dies, and one of my favorite dies Birthday Mail from Memory Box. I think this is a fun card to receive for any recipient.  You can make a few of these in different colors to have in your stash and then customize the front when you want a special card for a special person.  

Karen Burniston Cup Cake Pop Up

Memory Box Birthday Mail

Remember this is an Anything Goes Challenge as long as you use a metal die made by a company that is sold at the DRU STORE.  We hope you will  join us  for this fun challenge. 

New Christmas Blog Coming October 3

 

The Double D's , Diane and Darlene decided they needed ONE more Blog to host so they decided on a Christmas Theme.  We all need help to keep us from putting off the Christmas Cards until the last minute.  This is an Anything Goes Christmas Challenge. The girls have created a Mood Board for the challenges, but any Christmas themed  project is perfect.  If you have made some Christmas cards already, just snap a picture and upload  it to the Blog. The first Challenge will begin on Sunday,  October 3rd so  be sure to look for it. 

                                            

These will be BI-MONTHLY challenges posted on the 1st and 3rd Sundays.  If you participate in every challenge,  you will have  24 Christmas cards done. 

Challenges will run thru the THURSDAY prior to the next new challenge. We hope you join us.

 Peace on Earth Christmas Blog.

Other fun Blogs hosted by Diane and Dar. 

Double D Challenge Blog

Two Old Bats Halloween Blog

The Four Seasons Blog

 

A winner's post will go live the day before (Saturday) the next challenge.

Your projects can be ANYTHING as long as they are CHRISTMAS themed. We look forward to inspiration from you. 

Dies R Us Thinking Happy Thoughts

It is time for another Anything Goes Challenge at DRU Challenge Blog.  I love these new Poppy Stamp Dies. There are several additional patterns of the tall curved borders which all create such a different look. You will be seeing some of the others in my posts.  These are great for gate fold or Z fold cards or on the front of an A2 card.  

I used a sentiment from IO and some Altenew Azaleas (a gift from two lovely ladies). 

Poppy Stamps Tall Curved Border

Poppy Stamps Scalloped Tall Curved Border

 I hope you will join us for this challenge at DRU Challenge Blog.  Just remember to use a brand of die sold at the DRU Store.  We hope you will join us. 

Double D Leaves

 This month is just flying by. It will officially fall in a week and the leaves will be turning all the magnificent colors. Our Mood board provides many leave and colors, but  I chose the orange and red colors on the bottom for my inspiration. 

                                        

As you can see, I added a bit of blue to it.  The designer paper is from Honey Bee and the die cut is PTI.  I have tons of leaf dies so I am not sure which one I used under the floral arrangement, but the flowers are from my stash of homemade flowers. 

Play along with us at Double D Challenge Blog for a chance to win this wonderful leaf die from Impression Obsession. 

Impression Obsession - Dies - Small Leaf Set

Double D Anything with a Tail

                                     

Time for another fun challenge at Double D.  For this challenge you just need to create a project with a tail. Here are some ideas from the Mood Board. 

                                         

Years ago I bought these dies to make a special card for my husband, Steve. He loved cows, horses, barns, tractors and gardens so I bought these Karen Burniston dies to make a special card for him.  The card I made for him was a pop up card and he was really impressed.  I never told him how much that card cost me to make.  The barn, fence and cow came to about $50 dollars.  Thankfully, I found several other ways to use these dies so it was not just for one card.  For this card, I also used some IO pumpkins and a Frantic Stamper Tree. Notice the other cow at the back of the barn.  I think that is an Amy design. A little flower soft on the tree made the look of fall complete. 

On a side note

After being stationed in Okinawa for three years, our next tour was Sumter, South Carolina. Our kids were 7 years old, and Steve really wanted to raise them on a small family farm because he felt that instilled a love of nature, wholesome atmosphere, and a good work ethic. We bought a small 6 acre farm and started a very different life.  We had a family milk cow, pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, and horses. We had a garden where we raised enough  vegetables to feed us for the whole year and the best cantaloupes and watermelon I have ever eaten.  We also had access to wild black berries, a blueberry farm and peach orchard. We ate well.  We made our own butter  and homemade ice cream so our grocery bills were very reasonable. Our kids still remember these times fondly.  We were stationed there for six years so many of their  formative years were spent on the farm.   

                                          Kim milking the family cow. 

                                     Jenny and Kim with our pigs. 

One entry chosen randomly will win this cute fox die.  

Dies R Us Let's have Coffee

The DRU Store  has just received a new shipment of Karen Burniston dies so now is the time to stock up on some amazing pop up dies like this Coffee Cup Pop Up.   Not only is it a fun pop up, but there is also a slot to place a gift card. I decided to make this in neutral colors so I can use it for either a male or female. 

                                                         Karen Burniston Pop Up Coffee Cup

                                                               Memory Box Birthday Mail

The challenge is Anything Goes as long as you use at least one metal die from a company carried at the

  DRU Store.  We hope you will join us at  DRU Challenge Blog. 

Double D Fruits and Vegtables

A brand new challenge starts at  Double D Challenge Blog today. Here is the colorful MOOD Board that Dar created for us.  I did not realize carrots came is so may colors.   

This was a bit of a challenge for me because I don't have much in the way of fruit or vegetable stamps or dies. I think I have a pear  stamp and some grape stamps, but I am not a great colorist so I pulled out my IO strawberries and a watermelon slice from Cheery Lynn. I liked the fruit in the basket and  I love this cute easel basket from Poppy Stamps so I put my strawberries in a basket. The little flowers are also from the IO strawberry die set. 

I decided this would be a perfect calendar for someone to add to their kitchen desk so I added a calendar.  I was out of 2021 calendars so I will probably use this for one of my December birthdays. 

We hope you will play along with us for this challenge.  If you do you have a chance to win this cute die from Frantic Stamper.  Head on over to Double D Challenge Blog to see what the team created for your inspiration. 

 

Dies R Us Pop Up Flower Pot

 A new challenge starts today at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog as usual it is Anything Goes as long as you use at least one metal die that is sold by a company that the DRU STORE carries.  I love using Karen Burniston Pop up dies. I won't lie, they do take extra effort, but the WOW factor is worth it. This card took me about an hour to make, but since the recipient was one of my favorite people and a fabulous mentor, It was worth the time.  My flowers and greenery all came from a stash I keep or it would have taken a lot longer. 

To save time I usually cut enough material to make three or four pots and assemble them at one time.   I keep a stash of flowers around so I assemble the flowers in the pot. That way I have that part done when I want to make one of these special cards. 

 One of the things I like to do is use a tooth pick between two flowers so they are easier to glue into the pot. I have made enough of these that I know how tall I can get the flowers so they don't come over the edge of the card base. 

Karen Burniston Pop Up Flower Pot

Poppy Stamps Petal Ribbon

Memory Box Arched Birthday

I keep the outside of the card simple because of the time I spent on the inside. 

I used a different pattern from the same paper pack and cut and embossed a piece of white card using an old scalloped border die by Spellbinders and added Memory Box Arched Birthday and a flower and greenery from my stash. 

We hope you will join us for the challenge at Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  The team will pick their favorites and one person will win a DRU gift certificate.