Is it Christmas yet?

Yes, for the Die Cuttin' Divas challenge this week,

we're celebrating Christmas in July.

Be sure to check out all the DT inspiration at DCD.

Here's my Christmas card.

And on the inside...

I used a Sizzix die for the light bulbs, covered with lots of red and green stickles, patterned papers from DCWV Christmas matstack, and ribbon on the front. On the inside I used 2 Spellbinders Nestabilities dies, Label 1. 

We hope you'll join in the challenge this week and enter your Christmas creation at the Die Cuttin' Divas blog.  Be sure to use a die cut and link your post back to the DCD site.

Thanks for stopping by!

I'd like to also enter these challenges with my card:
Weekly Christmas Card Challenges
HIMCR - Christmas in July

Winter Fun!

This week's challenge at

Die Cuttin' Divas is...

Winter Fun

Make a project with a winter activity on it, e.g. snowman, sledding, skating, skiing, hockey, etc.

I chose ice skating!  Isn't she a little sweetie?!

A2 Sized Card
All papers from scraps!
Winter Frolic cartridge, <Girl2>, p. 40, cut at 3-3/4"
Cuttlebug Embossing Folders: Houndstooth, Divine Swirls, Distressed Stripes
MCT Oval Stitched Die and Scalloped and Stitched Circle Die,
Fiskars snowflake punch
Martha Stewart border punch
Blue and white stickles
Peachy Keen Everyday Character Face Assortment

Hope you'll join in the challenge this week.  Make a card, layout, or altered project with a winter activity.  Be sure to use a die cut and link your post back to the Die Cuttin' Divas challenge blog.

We look forward to seeing what you create!

Thanks for stopping by.

I'd like to link up to these challenges:
Little Scrap Pieces - Fun Friday Linky Party
Just B Creative Crazy - Just Because Linky Party

Penguins!

This week's challenge at

Die Cuttin' Divas is...

Use a Penguin

In recognition of Penguin Awareness Day (it was yesterday), we challenge you to make a card, layout, or altered project with a penguin in it.

I found this sweet guy on the Winter Frolic cartridge, along with the sentiment.  So I figured why not make an early holiday card?  Go me!

Some added touches: 
Google eyes 
Twine hat trim and lollipop stick
Stickles on the cloud
Gems to dot the "i's" and the center of lollipop

The patterned paper is from DCWV Christmas stack.

We hope you'll join the challenge this week.  
Remember, you have one week to plan, create, and submit your project using a penguin.  Please include which die cut you used and link your post to the Die Cuttin' Divas blog.

We look forward to your seeing your creations!
Thanks so much for stopping by.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:
Little Scrap Pieces - Fun Friday Linky Party
DL Art Thankful Thursday January linky challenge 
2 Creative chicks - anything goes

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year

Everyone!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year.  I've been enjoying time off over the holidays and perhaps too much time off from the craft room, as well.  But I'll get back to it soon.

I didn't get to post some of the cards and gifts I made before Christmas, so please don't feel obligated to look, lol!  I just wanted to preserve these in my library for future reference!

Winter Frolic 

(with an added scalloped oval punch)

Jolly Holidays

Art Philosophy

Sizzix Die

And I finally made some of these cute little hand sanitizer holders.

And some hand soaps wrapped up with tags.

Thanks for stopping by.

and have a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

To all my crafty friends,

Holiday Challenge

We're almost there!

The challenge this week at Die Cuttin' Divas is...

Happy Holidays

Make anything holiday related.

And here's my Happy Holidays card.

I've been wanting to make one of these wreaths since I first saw it when I started blogging three years ago!  This card is 5x7.  I embossed the red paper with a Darice brick patterned folder.  The window is cut from the Cricut Creative Cards cart.  I cut a wreath from the Jolly Holidays cart and just covered it in branches using the Martha Stewart branch punch in 2 green cardstocks. The label frame is a Spellbinders die, and the sentiment is a wooden stamp.

I love that the wreath looks so real!  Tied a double bow with the plaid ribbon, and added some gems.

Since this is the last challenge at Die Cuttin' Divas for this year, you'll have 2 weeks to link up your holiday project.  Please be sure to use a die cut and link your post back to the Die Cuttin' Divas blog.

The challenges will resume on January 7, 2014!

I'm linking up to the following blogs/challenges:

Jingle Belles - Christmas all year round

Exploring Cricut - Christmas challenge

Little Scrap Pieces - Fun Friday Linky Party

Hiding in My Craft Room - Super Scraps Saturday

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sketch Challenge

Hi Everyone,

It's time for another challenge at

Die Cuttin' Divas.

The first Tuesday of the month brings a 

SKETCH CHALLENGE!

This is the card I made using the December 25th cartridge.

Here's the sketch.

I actually didn't set out to match the colors of the sketch, but it certainly turned out that way, didn't it?!  Well, they're great colors and a great sketch designed by Georgiana!

To enter the challenge, submit your card, layout or altered project following the sketch.  Be sure to include a die-cut and link your post back to Die Cuttin' Divas.

Thanks for stopping by.

It's a Button Challenge!

This week, the challenge at

Die Cuttin' Divas is...

USE BUTTONS!

I used buttons down the front of my snowman!  He is cut from the Winter Frolic cartridge.  The card is 6.5 x 5, so the snowman is cut at 5-1/2".  The background is from a Cloud 9 Design Photo Matstack of Harvest/Halloween/Christmas designs.  So I just matched up the colors with solid cardstock, and black for the shadow.  Always love shadows on images.  Ran his hat and gloves through my BigKick using the Argyle embossing folder.  The sentiment comes from BugBites Mistletoe stamp set. 

We hope you'll join in the challenge this week.  

You'll have one week to create your card, layout or altered project using BUTTONS.  Please be sure to use a die-cut and link your post back to the Die Cuttin' Divas blog site.  And check out the other Divas' projects for this week.

Thanks for stopping by; your comments are always appreciated!

DCD's Sketch Challenge

This week, it's a SKETCH CHALLENGE 

at Die Cuttin' Divas.  

Won't you join us?

I made a Christmas card!

This image was just too cute to pass up.  It came from our sponsor, Crafty Sentiments Designs.

I used a Sizzix die for the scalloped oval, and paper from the DCWV Christmas matstack.  Kind of quick and simple, this card came together rather easy for me (for a change).  Yeah!

Here's the sketch, which I turned and slightly modified for my card. 

We hope you'll join in the challenge this week.  

You'll have one week to create your card, layout or altered project using the sketch shown above.  Please be sure to use a die-cut and link your post back to the Die Cuttin' Divas blog site.  And check out the other Divas' projects for this week.

Thanks for stopping by; your comments are always appreciated!

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:
Jingle Belles Rock - not a creature was stirring
Created with Love Challenges - Christmas reds and greens
Without Words Challenge Blog - getting ready for Christmas

Die Cuttin' Divas Challenge #126

Hi Everyone!

Today brings another challenge at Die Cuttin' Divas, and this week it's

ANYTHING GOES!

With all the Christmas in July challenges going on, I felt I needed to make at least one Christmas card to add to my supply for this year.  I was so busy last year before Christmas that I didn't get to make any cards, but I did make a few just after the holidays.  So I actually started really early for this year, lol!

Ingredients:

5x7 green pre-folded card

K&Co. "Wintertide" patterned paper

Red cardstock

Christmas Cheer, tree cut at 3.5"

Impression Obsession stamps-Warm Winter Wishes

Hero Arts stamps - inside sentiment

EK Success punch - little xmas trees

Fiskars - small star punch

You'll have one week to create your card, layout or altered project following this week's theme.  Please remember to tell us what die-cut you used and link your post back to the Die Cuttin' Divas blog site.

We hope you'll join in the challenge this week; we can't wait to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you come back again soon.

I'd like to also enter my card in the following challenges:

Hiding in My Craft Room  - Christmas in July
Little Scrap Pieces - Christmas in July

DL Art Thankful Thursday - Christmas in July

Weekly Christmas Card Challenge
Bitten by the Bug 2 - Christmas in July
Friday Mashup - Christmas in July

Building my Christmas Card Stash

I didn't make too many Christmas cards last year because I just didn't have the time.  Well, now I do. So I figure I might as well get a jump on Christmas for this year!  Here's one I made using the Theresa Collins December 25th cartridge that I ordered right after Christmas because I saw it on sale at Hallmark Scrapbooking!

This is an A2 size card.  I cut the Santa silhouette and circle at 3-1/4" from the December 25th cart.  All paper is from my scraps.  The Cuttlebug Victoria embossing folder was used on the white background mat.  I typed the sentiment on my computer, cut and inked the edges of it, and added some red sparkly ribbon. 

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Hiding in My Craft Room HIMCR79 - Black & White Plus 1 (my plus 1 is red!)
Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge MOJO274 - Round or Square? (square)
Jingle Belles Christmas Blog - All Things New (my NEW Dec 25th cart)
Little Scrap Pieces - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Merry Christmas to All!

A quick card to share with everyone.

I just had to get this Cricut cartridge, A Quilted Christmas.  Couldn't resist this old-fashioned Santa!

I wish everyone a wonderful holiday time with their family and friends.  

Side note:  it's snowing here in Maryland! :)

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!!

One of those Days!

Ever have one of those days where things just don't turn out as you thought they would?!

I've been trying to get some Christmas cards made, and I was liking how this one was going.  I cut the  holly from Stretch Your Imagination (an oldie but a goodie).  This cut has a silhouette image which I outlined with Stickles, along with the berries.

I embossed the leaves with the Cuttlebug Houndstooth folder for some extra texture.

And I had this stamp that I thought went perfectly with the image, which I stamped with Forest Green ink.

It was looking pretty good, I thought, and I was rather happy with it.  So all I needed to do was finish the inside of the card.

Let's see, I should probably use green cardstock to match the front, with white cardstock on top and stamp a nice sentiment on that.

So, I opened the card, and this is what happened...

Oops, I attached it to the card upside down!  Guess I'll try again!

A Kitty Christmas Card

I just had to share this card because I love the Create a Critter cartridge, and I love this card I made for my daughter for Christmas.  I forgot to take pictures of it before I gave it to her, so I got it back from her yesterday! (don't worry, I'll give it back to her again...maybe).  She has a grey kitty cat that she just adores--his name is Charlie.  He's always there to greet her when she goes home to her apartment.  So here's the card I made for her from me and Charlie...

And on the inside I had put a gift card that she could spend anywhere in general (using my ATG to hold it in place!).

I think he came out so cute, and pretty large too!  I think I cut him at 4" and because of his big round face, he really looked humungous at first!  I cut the hat from Jolly Holidays at maybe 2".  Note that the light green cardstock is embossed with a holly imprint from Sizzix (I just love that!) and the patterned papered is DCWV Christmas matstack.  Used some red ribbon and typed all my sentiments on my computer.  What do you think?

Thanks for looking!!   Be sure to come back on Tuesday, I have some exciting news to share with everyone!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Another Christmas Tree Card

I wanted to share just one more version of the card I made using the tree from Winter Frolic.  I think this tree is soooo adorable.  Found this striped paper in my DCWV Christmas Matstack (great Xmas paper designs!!) and it matched the tree so perfectly.  I think it pops! Cut an oval and embossed it with Divine Swirls folder, and voila, an easy peasy card.

Gee, it's been a week since I last posted, and a very busy one at that.  Worked 3 days, took off today and yesterday.  We had a holiday luncheon at work and played Secret Santa with gifts. That's always fun.  Yesterday, I did all my wrapping, some cleaning, and today I did my food shopping.  My family (brother, sister and their kids) are coming tomorrow for Christmas Eve lunch, so I'm looking forward to that.  But I'm also looking forward to Christmas Day when I can "relax" with just my immediate family.  It should be nice and quiet, and we'll get to "try out" our new Christmas presents!

So how about you?  Are you ready??  Do you remember when you were a kid and you actually didn't mind going to bed early on Christmas Eve; in fact you probably wanted to! And then waking up the next morning at 5am, only to have your parents tell you to go back to sleep for a while!  Sleep, who could sleep?!  Then my mother would say to me, go open your stocking, and I would reply, "but I already did that!"  Oh to be a kid again.  How fun.  I'm at that in-between stage where our kids are grown and there aren't any grandchildren yet, but hopefully someday there will be little ones to make Christmas so much fun.

I hope all my bloggy buddies have a very Merry Christmas.  Enjoy the time with your family and friends! -- Pat

Typecast Creative Challenge

I'm entering this card into the Typecast Creative Challenge.  Deadline is tonight. You needed to use one of the cartridges of Curt Jensen, one of Provocraft's very talented creators.  I used the Father's Day cartridge where the comfy lounge chair came from.  The table is from Kate's ABC's; wreath from Celebrate with Flourish; cake from From My Kitchen; glass of milk from Simply Charmed.  The "wallpaper" is embossed with Sizzix Powdered Sugar (don't know why it's called that!).  And I even installed some baseboard moulding.  Oh, can't forget the Christmas lights!!  Hope you like it!

Snowflake Cards

I'm really trying hard to get my Christmas cards done--so I can move on to the next thing to get ready for Christmas!! YIKES! So much to do; so little time. How does this happen every year?!

Here's a card with blues, silvers, whites and lots of sparkle and bling.  Hope you like it!

This was one of those cards that the more I worked on it, the better I liked it.  Here's a snowflake before more bling.  It's okay, BUT...

Look at this ONE--isn't this one so much better all blinged up?  I love it!

And I cut double snowflakes and layered them with foam squares in between.

How I made it:

White A2 pre-scored card
Blue Snowflake paper that I bought at Joann's in single sheets.
White sparkly cardstock with silver flecks that I also bought at Joann's (5 for $1.00 sale).
The snowflakes were cut from Art Philosophy at 2".  This is <Snwflke2> on page 27.
Silver and blue ribbon.
Scalloped oval cut with Nestabilities set and stamped.  Took my silver metallic gel pen and inked around the edges.
Lots of blue gems!

Here's the whole card.  This one was fun to make.  The Art Philosophy cartridge has several snowflake images on it, so I think I'm going to try making a few more.

Here's another snowflake card using Art Philosophy cart and an A2 size card. This is <Snwflke1> on pg. 22.  I cut this one at 3" and then had a hard time figuring out how to use it!  But here's what I came up with.

It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but the green cardstock is glitter paper and the gold is shimmer cardstock.  Glitter and shimmer!  Both from DCWV.

And here's yet another snowflake card from Art Philosophy.  This is <Snwflke3> on pg 31.  This time I cut  it using the Tag feature at 2".

I made this 5x6.5" card using blue cardstock.  The patterned paper is from K&Company Secret Santa 12x12 paper pad.  So cute, and sometimes crazy-looking, paper!  Pink cardstock from my stash and I embossed the matting with Polka Dots Cuttlebug folder.  I think that may be it for the snowflake cards! Thanks for stopping by.

Funny Little Christmas Tree

I think this is such a cute tree from the Winter Frolic cartridge.  Here's what I made with it:

How I made it:
Pre-folded A2 red card
DCWV Christmas Matstack (135 pages!) paper used for the frame, using Elegant Edges, cut at 5-1/4", Oblong Frame, pg. 52, <Eyelet2>.
White gel pen to faux stitch around the scalloped edges.
Christmas tree from Winter Frolic cut at 3-1/2" with white glitter cardstock shadow. 
Patterned paper on the tree is from K&Company Secret Santa (2-sided).
Hole punched red and yellow dots for the ornaments from glitter cardstock.
Popped up the tree on foam dots.

Kinda simple!  Yeah, right--once you get the first one done!

So on the inside, I used the Elegant Edges cart and cut just the Oblong on pg. 52 so it was solid.
Stamped the sentiment with a wooden stamp from my stash.  I never noticed this before, but look closely at the berries on the holly!

Thanks for stopping by.

3 Birds on Parade

Hi All,

I've been wanting to share these two Christmas cards I made last weekend.  These colors are so untraditional for me to use for Christmas, but I knew when I bought this cartridge, I just had to use this bird on a Christmas card, and I already knew the exact sentiment for it, too.  Didn't know I'd pick these colors, but here they are.

I first cut the bird at 5" and then soon realized he was going to be pretty big!  So I worked on these two cards side by side by cutting the next bird at 4-1/2".  I try hard not to waste too many cuts, so I was using them one way or the other!  These cards are 5x7 so I think they still came out pretty good.  Tried to keep things simple for mailing purposes.  A little bling, PK eyes, snowflake border punch, and Cuttlebug Swiss Dots and Herringbone embossing folders. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by; I really enjoy reading your comments!

Die Cuttin' Divas Guest Designer

Hello All,

Today I am Guest Designing at Die Cuttin' Divas!  This is a first for me, so I'm very excited to share my first Christmas card for this season.  Yes, I need to get busy, I know.  This week is sketch week at DCD, and this was just the motivation I needed to get started.  I'm pleased with how my card turned out.  Let me know what you think.  And then be sure to visit Die Cuttin' Divas to see what the Design Team has made!!

Here's a close-up of the wreath.  Don't you just love these intricate cuts?!

I cut two wreaths and put foam dots in between to layer them.  I really love that look!

And here's the inside of the card which I wanted to match the front, so I bordered the edges with the patterned paper.

Here's the details for my card:

Card is 5-1/2" square.

Red holly patterned paper is from my stash, cut at 5-1/2" to cover the front.

White cardstock is cut at 4-3/4" square and embossed with a Sizzix folder called Snow Globe (for some reason); it's holly and berries design as I hope you can see in my photos.

Merry Christmas paper from my stash for the green mat which I punched with a Fiskars scalloped border punch, and inked the edges. 

The wreath is cut from Trim the Tree seasonal cartridge at 2-3/4".  This cartridge is very, very intricate and cuts best at larger sizes.  But even at this small size, it cut pretty well.  I used adhesive backed cardstock which made it much easier to apply to the underneath layer of red shimmer paper (DCWV).

The banner tags are cut from one 4x6 piece of patterned paper from the DCWV Christmas Combo matstack and inked with Jim Holtz Antique Linen distress ink.

Deck the Halls was $1.00 sentiment from Joann's that I picked up last year.

I'm going to also share this card at You Had Me at Craft link up party.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!  I appreciate all your comments! -- Pat N.