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. 

Altenew Ultimate Challenge Blog Hop

                                   
 

Hello! And welcome to the Ultimate Challenge Blog Hop

with ALTENEW.

The Double D Challenge Blog has been invited to join the hop, 

and I'm so excited to bring you some inspiration

as part of the Double D team!

I started by taking a piece of card stock and coating it with embossing ink and gold embossing powder.  I cut the gold panel and a black card panel using Altenew Water colored stripes. I inlaid the negative gold pieces to the black panel and the negative black pieces to the gold panel which gave me the panel for this card and one to save for another card.  Next I used an Altenew Peruvian Lily.  When I make flowers like this I usually cut several and the spend an evening layering them together so I had several colors, but I decided on shades of blue for this card. Then i paired the Altenew Happy die with Altenew Birthday Builder.  

Prizes

$250 in total prizes! To celebrate this fantastic blog hop, Altenew is giving away $25 gift certificates to TEN lucky winners. Winners will be chosen at random from the comments left on any of the blogs listed below and will be announced on the Altenew blog on September 5th, 2021.

 Special Offer 

FREE U.S. shipping with code HAPPY08A8 or $5 OFF international shipping with code SHOPPING08A8 at checkout on orders over $39 from 8/10/2021 at 12:01 am EDT to 8/11/2021 at 11:59 pm EDT. Shop here: https://altenew.com/collections/all-altenew-products Not valid on prior purchases. Cannot be combined with other promo codes. 

Be ready to be Inspired. 

Hop Order

Altenew

AAA Card Challenge

Happy Little Stampers

Addicted to CAS

Perfectly CAS

Addicted to Stamps and More!

Seize the Birthday

Color Hues the Color Challenge

Time Out Challenge

Less is More Challenge

Double D Challenge Blog

The Sisterhood of Crafters

The Color Throwdown

Double D Mason Jar

 

Time for a new challenge at Double D Challenge Blog.  It is all about Mason Jars. The mood board has so many ideas for your inspiration and the team has some fabulous inspiration for you too. 

I think you can guess what part of the mood board I used for my inspiration.  I used a Honey Bee die for my full size mason jar. Some decorator papers and a poinsettia from Sue Wilson, Cheery Lynn holly leaves and Io pine boughs.  It was a really easy card to make.  I added a little twine on top to complete the rustic look. 

If you join us for the challenge,  you have a chance to win this fun jar set. Look at all the fun items you can add to the jar. 

                                                        

Head on over to Double D Challenge Blog and check out the inspiration. We are always impressed with your entries. 

Dies R US Swan Lake

 

I remember as a young child reading the story of the ugly duckling that turned into a swan... even then I understood  some of the truths the story taught so swans have always been special to me.  When we  were stationed in  Sumter, South Carolina, the home of Swan Lake, I discovered I never got tired of visiting and exploring this beautiful preserve.   The "been there done that" frame of mind never presented itself.  In the scriptures.  Jesus said in my house are there many mansions and I go there to prepare a place for you.... I pray my place will have a Swan Lake nearby that I can visit.  When I saw this Memory Box swan, I knew I had to have it. 

It is a very simple card.  Once again, I cut the deer from the oval and used the die to set the lake scene. I sponged the background to create the clouds and water  then framed it with the oval. To me this card resembles the peace and tranquility that I got each time I visited Swan Lake.  

Sue Wilson Just a Note

Memory Box Swan

Memory Box Geer Grove Oval

                                       

We hope you will join us for the Anything Goes Challenge at Dies R Us Challenge Blog. The only requirement is to use  at least  1 metal die  of any brand that DRU sells in the store to  qualify for the prize... and please tell us the die company you have used in your project.)  We are looking forward to your entries. 

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Double D Colors of Summer

                                         

Time is moving so quickly this summer.  It is the second Wednesday of the month and time for a new challenge at Double D Challenge Blog Here is our colorful Mood Board for the challenge.

                                 

My approach to this challenge was different for this challenge.  I looked at the colors and then went through my papers.  I picked the blue and orange paper because of the colors of the beach balls and cool pops. It also reminded me of all the swirls in the string on shells. 

I used this fabulous balloon stamp and die from Stampin' Up.  It is one of my go to birthday sets.  It is so easy to create this wow factor.  Check our the colorful entries from the team at  Double D Challenge Blog the create your own Colors of Summer entry.  If you enter these Nuvo inks could be yours. 

Dies R Us Noel

Today is the 15th so another Anything Goes Challenge begins at Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  I am trying to get a head start on Christmas cards this year so I decided to pull some of my favorite dies together for another holiday card. Nothing to difficult about this card.  I added a bit more texture with some embossing and some dimension with several layers.  The glimmer paper for the Noel adds some shine that is not noticeable in the picture. 

I used these dies for the card.  

                                                           Impression Obsession Large Frame

Poppy Stamps Festive Noel

Poppy Stamps Adriana Wreath

We hope you will join us for this challenge.  We are always inspired with your creations.  If you are not signed up for the newsletter, you are missing out on great sales and special order items.  I just received an order of great special order dies from the store.  You will be seeing them on my blog soon.  

 

Double D Summer Gingham

     Gingham is always so fresh and pretty.  This Double D Challenge mood bord has so many fabulous colors of gingham and our challenge to you is to use gingham on your card. 

                                        

I made this little note book for my great niece's (Samantha) birthday. I decided to personalize it with her name and since her family loves gnomes,  I added these little gnomes all dressed in gingham.  The inside has a notebook and a pen is on the side. 

If you join us fro thes gingham challenge you could win this gingham paper pack.  Diane and Dar do such an amazing job picking prizes for the challenges. 

The team has some great inspiration for you so go visit Double D Challenge Blog  and then link your gingham creation. 

Dies R Us Nature Seascape

A new challenge begins today at Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  the theme is Anything Goes using at least one die from a company that DRU sells.  I chose the Tutti Design Coral Reef for my card.  I cut it in white and from some water color paper that I sponged with distress ink and spritzed with water.  I saved the negative parts of the die cut and stamped a sentiment from Impression Obsession in the center. The white die cut was then inlaid between the negative parts.  All that was layered on a teal card base.  A few enamel dots finished the card.  

Tutti Designs Coral Reef

Distress Oxide Ink

We hope you will join us tor this challenge at Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  While you are there, stop by the Dies R Us Store and look at all the wonderful items you can purchase. IF YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED UP FOR THE NEWS LETTER ,YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON SOME GREAT SALES AND SOME SPECIAL ORDER SALES THAT ARE OFFERED SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. 

 

Double D Signs of Summer

Our new challenge at Double D Challenge Blog is called Signs of Summer.  Here is the fun mood board created by Dar. 

When you think about summer,   what comes to mind?  Maybe water activities, going to the beach or lake, or relaxing at a mountain cabin.  When I think of summer, I think of the ocean and beaches.  We lived  in Okinawa, Japan for three years and rented a house on the ocean.  During low tides, on summer afternoons and evenings we would grab our buckets and go shelling. So when I see sea shells, I am reminded of those relaxing times on the beach.  Do you suppose the little girl in the Mood Board picture is going to look for shells to put in her bucket? 

                                          

Here is a picture of my daughter and me about 45 years ago.  The note on the back of the picture reads "Me and Jenny after an afternoon of shelling on the beach."  (She wants to make a shell necklace). 

 * Notice the pink bucket. 

                                     

 I decided to use a sea shell set I just got from Stampin Up for this challenge.  This is my card for the challenge. 

                                       

 It is so much prettier IRL.  The embossing is so deep and there is so much texture.  I embossed a black piece of card stock with the embossing folder. Next I cut some light green paper and some pink card stock with the die.  I was not sure which color I wanted to use.  I sponged some tattered rose distress ink on the pink panel and then ran it through the embossing folder.  I did the same with the green piece.  I decided to use the pink, but laid it aside with the green.  Then I decided to use them both and off set the green slightly.  It gave more dimension.  Both were layered on the black panel that was placed on a pink card base.   The sentiment also comes from the same set. 

We hope you will join us for the Signs of Summer  challenge and a chance to win this cute die set. 

The Double D Challenge Blog team  has lots of inspiration as usual, so head on over and take a look. 

Dies R Us Thanks for Being You

                                                            Sue Wilson Peony Diamond

Sue Wilson Gemmini collection

 

Dies R Us Birthday Mail

Here we are in the middle of June and it is time for another challenge at Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  The teme for this year is Anything Goes.  Just remember to use at least one metal die made by a company the store sells.  I just got this Memory Box Birthday Mail die and I love it.  The background die is from Sue Wilson.  Did you know the DRU has special sales and special orders?  Last month hundreds of European dies that are not usually carried at the store were made available.  Sue Wilson dies were among them. 

 

For my card i started with some PTI paper that I bought years ago.  I cut a strip of black papet to go under the oval die and the layered the birthday mail in pink and black. The flowers are fussy cut from Stampin Up decorator paper.  Not my usual fancy flower, but I like it.  

                                                                Memory Box Posh Birthday Mail

                                                                Sue Wilson Montreal

We hope you join us for this challenge at Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  While you are there be sure to stop in at the Dies R Us Store to see all the new arrivals. 

Double D

                                                              'BEE' Inspired

Use bees and/or anything that inspires you on the mood board.

(honeycomb, yellow, black, hexagon etc)

Welcome to the second Double D Challenge  for the month.  I took my inspiration from the colors and the framed bumble bee pictures. 

I used a Tutti Design Honeycomb and Impression Obsession wooden fame  frame.

I only used part of the die behind the frame. I mounted it on a black card base. I finished it with a flower. 

 I don't know why I have to put a flower on everything.  Looking at it now, I realize it did not need it.   I probably need to join a support group.  I'll look into it. Anyway, if you play along, you will have a chance to win this Sunny Studio stamp set. 

You are going to love what the DD Team did for this challenge.  We hope you will join us at Double D Challenge. 

Dies R Us Noel

Time for another Anything Goes challenge at DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG . Just remember to use a brand of die sold by Dies R Us.  I decided to get another Christmas card done. 

I found this Noel die already layered together when I was looking at my Christmas Supplies so this card came together quickly.  I layered some matching glitter paper behind the Tutti Designs Rose die. Then put the center cut back in.  I framed it with a Lawn Fawn reverse scalloped frame. 

Tutti Design Rose Frame

Poppy Stamps Noel

Lawn Fawn Reverse Scalloped Frame

We hope you will join us for this Anything Goes Challenge at DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG .

Double D Month of Flowers Holly

It is time for another fabulous Mood Board and Challenge at  Double D Challenge Blog.  This is the second of the series of a month of  flower challenges.  We hope you will play along with us. 

(July through December)

July Larkspur - Delphinium, or Water Lily
August - Poppy or Gladiolus
September - Aster or Morning Glory
October - Cosmos or Marigold
November - Chrysanthemum
December - Paper White Narcissus or Holly

For this challenge,  I chose holly.  The  holly die die is from Memory Box  I added a candle that  I have had for years, but don't remember the manufacturer.  The two dies were added to a Spellbinders oval and put in the center of one of my favorite Poppy Stamps which  I like to pair with the Lawn Fawn scalloped frame. 

We hope you will join us for this fun challenge and we hope to see lots of beautiful flowers.  The team has some fabulous inspiration for you so check it out on Double D Challenge Blog.

 

Dies R Us Just a Note

A new Anything Goes Challenge starts today at Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  I just got the Memory Box Just a Note and Sylvan Butterfly from the Dies R Us Store  and was anxious to put them to use.  

I cut the largest die part from white card and then embossed it with a Swiss dot folder.  I put the die cut back in the embossed background.  The smaller inside of the die was also cut in white and placed inside the larger frame that was backed with black card stock. A homemade daisy, a butterfly and the sentiment completed the card. 

Sue Wilson Daisy Frame

 

Memory Box Sylvan Butterfly

Memory Box Just a Note

The  Dies R Us Store just got a shipment of new dies, embossing folders and stamps.  Head on over and check it out.  Don't forget to visit the Dies R Us Challenge Blog and check out the inspiration from the team and then join us for this Anything Goes Challenge. 

Double D Flowers of the Month Daisy

Our new inspiration  board at Double D Challenge Blog offers so many possibilities. The daffodils caught my eye and my hubby loved carnations, but daisies are always such a happy flowers so that is the flower I chose for my card.  

                                             

                                                

The pretty frame is from Poppy Stamps, and the sentiment is from PTI.  I embossed the sentiment in gold and sponged around with Stormy Sky Distress ink. I used a scalloped frame by Lawn Fawn to add another layer and placed that on some blue card stock. A couple of butterflies from a butterfly punch and of course a daisy and greenery from my stash.

                                   

 

The team has some wonderful flower designs for you. Head over to Double D Challenge Blog to get some fabulous inspiration. 

If you enter our challenge you will have a chance to win this daisy die from Memory Box. 

I will also enter this in Poppy Stamps Challenge Flowers and Butterflies. 

Dies R Us Basket of Flowers Calendar

 My life has had some sudden changes.  My husband of 51 years had been failing for some time from severe edema which caused open wounds in his legs. He had been treated at the wound center for some time but it never got much better. Eventually his legs gave out and he was not able to stand or walk on his own.  This meant some drastic changes in our life style, and my time was spent caring for him.  The wounds would get better and then worse so it was a constant battle.  Last month, he developed an  infection that necessitated an amputation. Unfortunately, he never recovered from the surgery and passed away in  mid-April. He is missed by many friends and family, but because he was a man of faith and believed death was graduation from this life to a better one, we all know that he is in the presence of his LORD.        

I am thankful to my team mates and  team leaders at Dies R Us and Double D for giving me some time to process my grief and move on to a new phase of my life.  Our card and craft community is populated with so many caring and understanding friends. Steve, my husband, was a great fan of all of you who sent me cards over the years.  He was impressed with the talent but more with the friendships I developed over the years.  We are truly blessed to be surrounded with so many loving and caring crafters.

Now on to my card for the Dies R Us Challenge . So many people have told me how they hate to throw my cards away so I have tried different ways to make them something that they can use and display for awhile.  I decided to use this basket shaped easel die from POPPYSTAMPS and make it a calendar that can sit on a desk or by the phone.  I chose to fill my basket with spring flowers, but I can see it filled with pumpkins, leaves, holly, poinsettias, hearts, eggs, fruit etc. 

This die set is versatile because it embosses the basket pattern and the die can also be used as a stencil to add some inked detail. The grass, leaves and bow all come with the die so you can complete a card without using anything else.  I love making homemade paper flowers so I added them to my basket.  The calendars are from Taylored Expressions. 

You will want to see what the team at Dies R Us Challenge  has done to inspire you this month. As always, it is amazing.   We look forward to seeing what you create. 

Double D My Little Unicorn

 

Anything with a Rainbow~Unicorn~Mermaid

Look at this colorful imaginative Mood Board Diane created for us this week.  It has to make you smile. So the challenge is to use a rainbow, unicorn or a mermaid. 

                                          

I took my inspiration from the color of the mermaids tail in the bottom right corner.  This card is definitely out of my wheelhouse, but that is why I love Double D Challenges.  They often push you out of your comfort zone.  I have never before now taken a finished card and spattered it with ink or paint.  I do this with backgrounds frequently,  but never after the card is done. I must say it was fun and I like how it turned out. 

              

We hope you will come and join us for this challenge at Double D Challenge Blog.  Your designs always inspire us. As usual, the team has some fabulous inspiration for you. 

Dies R Us Double Z Fold

 April 1st  and time for another Dies R Us Anything Goes Challenge . I decided to create a spring birthday card. 

I don't know why, but I buy pretty papers and then I look at them and decide they are too pretty to use.  Now I have all these papers taking up valuable space so I decided I needed to start using them.  One of the best ways, in my humble opinion, is  a double Z fold card which allows the papers to take center stage.  What perfect spring colors too. 

       

The papers are several years old.  I bought two sets when PTI had a fabulous sale.  It is time to make some cards from them and let someone enjoy them. As you can see,  I did very little embellishment. A few Poppy Stamps Little Humming Birds and an Impression Obsession Stitched Flower.  I used a little greenery from my stash and I had a completed card. 

We hope you will join us for this challenge at Dies R Us Anything Goes Challenge .  Just remember to use a metal die manufactured by a company that DRU sells. 

Double D Challenge Blog Skies

Let the sky be your inspiration for this challenge at DOUBLE D CHALLENGE BLOG.  To begin with I have some fabulous paper from Lavina Stamps that has a full moon in the background that was perfect for the challenge.  I also needed a male birthday card so I went searching for an appropriate die.  I liked the purple haze to the sky in the bottom right corner so I used that as my inspiration.  

My card is relatively simple, but I am pleased with it.  I have paired this paper with blue card stock before and I am sorry I did not think of lavender before because I like it much better. 

If you link up with this challenge, you will have a chance to win this paper pack from Lavina stamps.  

                                                         

We hope you will join us for this challenge at DOUBLE D CHALLENGE BLOG. 

Dies R Us Happy Birthday Gnomes

 Here we are 15 days into March and time for new challenge at DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG. 

This card comes with a story. My sister's family is always playing practical jokes on each other and a gnome was the central character of one practical joke.

 It all started with an ugly garden gnome that my sister found at a garage sale. She bought it as a gag Christmas gift for Tina, her eldest daughter.  She started the hype about the fabulous gift she found for Tina’s “ special ” Christmas gift.  When Tina opened the package, her expression was priceless and so was her language.  Of course, my sister found said gnome in her stack of gifts the following Christmas.  Stephanie, my sister’s youngest, feared she would be the next recipient, so she heisted the gnome and sent it to gnome land.  This sparked the mischievous little gnome that lives in my sister' s heart, and she started buying and making gnomes at a feverish pace… 250 to be exact.

  The next year my BIL and sister broke into Stephanie’s house while she was at work and hid the 250 gnomes with little gnome notes especially written for Stephanie. Every once in awhile she finds one that was overlooked.  I suspect that my sister will get them all back at some point when she has nearly forgotten about them. In the meantime, this gnome card is for Stephanie.  I think it will make her smile. 

I used the following dies from the Dies R Us Store.

                                                                  Impression Obsession Gnomes

                                                                Frantic Stamper Birthday Candles 

The DRU Team is doing something a little different today! 

We're partnering up with the Double Trouble Challenge Blog and having a joint challenge collaboration.  It's fun and easy and you have a chance to win prizes both here on the DRU Challenge as well as the Double Trouble Challenge!

The theme for this challenge will be A Magical Day:

In order to qualify for the prizes offered at Double Trouble Challenge, you'll need to follow these guidelines. 

 

So if you used a metal die to join our DRU Challenge and you've included the Magical theme, you have already completed all the requirements for both challenges.  If you've only used a die (but not the Magical theme), you are still eligible for our DRU Challenge, but it won't qualify for the Double Trouble Challenge.

(remember, you MUST use at least 1 metal die to qualify for the DRU prize... and please tell us the die company you have used in your project.)

You can find more information about the Double Trouble Challenge on their blog or on the DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG. 

Double D Book Covers

 The Double D Challenge starts today and here is the Fabulous Mood Board.  

My inspiration came from the layout of all of the BOOK  covers.  The titles are centered and surrounded by art work.  I had a couple of dies that would work, but I chose the butterflies.  I did not have a sentiment that was large enough to fit the center so I typed this one.  I did some shading on both the typed paper and the frame while it was still in the die.  I backed it with blue cardstock and put it on a white card base.  I pulled a flower and some greenery from my stash to finish it. 

We hope you will join us at Double D Challenge Blog.  Our team has done remarkable work with this challenge, and I am sure they will inspire you too.  YOU could win this fun stamp!