Jan 29, 2016

So Glad You're My Friend

Hello Friends!
OMG can you believe it's the last weekend of January?

Darlene with you today!  
Don't you love all the amazing die cuts available today?
Sure makes card making quick & easy when life gets so busy!
 My DRU order came in the mail recently so I thought
I'd share a card with you that used 2 of the dies I received. 


This card definitely qualifies for any of the Old/New 
challenges out in blogland.  This background design paper
is OLD, OLD, OLD ... from Stampin' Up a long time ago!
But still very pretty with all the happy colors.

(CED5420).  This is a 4 die set and I have used them all!
Isn't it just beautiful? 

 
Another die I received is this precious 
I love watching the butterflies and using them on 
my cards 'just makes me happy!'

Don't forget to come join in the challenges offered at our
A new challenge is offered on the 1st and 15th of each month.
Starting on Monday (2/1/16) the theme will be:  
LOVE (use hearts)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!
Till next time . . .

Jan 28, 2016

Hello Cupcake

Hi There!
Have you seen all the heart and Valentine dies
at the Dies R Us store?
Oh  my goodness it is loaded with them.
Just type the word 'HEART' in the search box
and you will be amazed!
Be prepared to want them all, as they are all so pretty and unique!

What I love about hearts, is that they can be used year round.
Weddings, birthdays, show your love to someone,
even Christmas cheer!


I made 2 cards for today, just slightly different.
I started with a red card stock for the base,
then added white card stock that I had used 2 different
embossing folders on called Quilted by We R Memory Keepers.

I cut pink hearts using a Spellbinders Heart die,
Next I cut 2 sizes of the
Memory Box Open Studio Stitched Square.
One from red and one from pink metallic papers.


I popped both of those up, then added the cutest cupcake using
PoppyStamps Stitched Cupcake dies.
These are the cutest things, they come with 2 sizes,
I used the largest.
Another nice thing about these dies is that there are 2 choices for the
cupcake tops and they cut separate...love that!


I topped each cupcake with a glittered heart
which I cut from Impression Obsession Heart Stems.

I finished with pretty bows with ribbon from
Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Thank you for visiting with me today
 and don't forget to visit our sister blog Dies R Us Challenges
for your chance to win a gift certificate for dies of your own!!

Jan 27, 2016

My "Red" Thumb!

Happy Wednesday!

Are you one of those lucky people who has a green thumb?  Well, meet two adorable little hedgehogs that appear to have a "red" thumb!  This is one of my favorite Penny Black images and perfect for a Valentine card.  When combined with some of my favorite dies, I will let you judge for yourself!  I used Cheery Lynn Two of Hearts, Memory Box Heart Chain Border (currently out of stock, but you could use Cheery Lynn Heart Chain Border) and Memory Box Cross Stitched Frame Borders (also out of stock but you could substitute Memory Box Cross Stitched Frame).


Don't forget to check out all the fantastic valentine themed dies at the store! It will make your head spin when you see the great collection!

Enjoy the rest of your week!
Sherri

Jan 26, 2016

All things Baby . . .

Hello Everyone!
Darlene with you today!
I'm sure a lot of you (like myself) have
spent a good part of January doing clean up
and reorganizing!  Today's card is a part
of that 'clean up' process and was a lot of fun to create!

Yep ... it was created with all sorts 
of pieces and parts laying around on my work
tables from past card creations.

If you recall last week's Tuesday post, you will see
just in a different color ... another Ken Oliver play time
sample panel. lol


 Other dies used:
Spellbinder (old) Classic Oval

Whew that's a lot of pieces and parts but I think it's cute!
Are you up to the challenge?  
Take a look around in your work space ...
Gather those 'left overs' and see what you can create!
I must admit ... it really made me scratch my head a few times!

 A little doodling and VIOLA!  

Don't forget about our fun challenges offered at
Current theme (runs through the 28th) is STITCHING (real or faux)
Come join us ... YOU could be our next winner!

Thanks for stopping by today!
Till next time . . .

Jan 25, 2016

Harv Has a Birthday

This is Harv.  He’s a fun old geezer who’s sending birthday greetings to a guy friend.

(Click for a closer view)

I made a shaker card with my Impression Obsession All-In-One Frames – Square and filled it with confetti-colored beads.  The frame has a sort of ombre appearance which is the result of Copic coloring, starting with the lightest blue in the center and working outward with one step darker for each frame section:  B0000, B00, B01, B02, B04, B05.

Aside from Harv, what really dresses up this card and makes it super fun is the Die-namites Hanging Presents.  I’ve developed a serious crush on Die-namites dies lately.  Have you taken a good look at them?  Dies R Us has pages and pages of Die-namites and they’re all simply fabulous.  Cute or pretty, take your pick.  You can see the whole lot of them here.  I made my Hanging Presents colorful with Copics and added an enamel dot to each ribbon knot.  I also went over the ribbon parts of the die cut with clear Wink of Stella.  Very fun and shimmery!

(Click for a closer view)

Inside is this sentiment.

(Click for a closer view)

The inside sentiment is by Inkadinkado.  Harv is an Art Impressions Golden Oldies stamp.  I’ll sum up all this card’s ingredients in the recipe further down.

Just a reminder that there’s still time to play in our “Stitching, Real or Faux” Challenge.  Create with that theme and any die cut and then link it up.  Pretty easy!  Have a happy day!

~~ Leslie ~~

Stamps:  Art Impressions Harv, A Muse Celebrate, Inkadinkado Only a Kid Once  Paper:  Neenah Classic White, clear cardstock, My Mind’s Eye Out of the Blue designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black (Harv), Versafine Onyx Black (sentiements), Copics for coloring  Accessories:  My Mind’s Eye Enamel Dots, beads, Wink of Stella clear glitter brush, fun foam  Dies:  Impression Obsession All-In-One Frames – Square, Die-namites Hanging Presents, Spellbinders Nested Lacy Pennants

Jan 22, 2016

For a Man or Woman

Hello Friends!  Darlene with you today!
Another weekend is upon us
and another month almost gone!  WOW!

As I mentioned before, I am always
in need of birthday cards!  And, of course the hardest
to design for are the men in our lives.
I think today's card could be used for either a man or a woman!

What do you think?

The colors of black & kraft lend themselves to a masculine
card, but the fanciness of the Sue Wilson 'Spanish Collection - Cordoba' die set (3 dies in this set) as well as the Sue Wilson Expressions - Happy Birthday sentiment die  
would work perfectly for a lady.


With spring craft shows right around the corner,
I think I'll whip up several of this
design in different colors ... sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Please remember you still have a week to play
along in the current challenge at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog.
The theme is: use the color STITCHING (real or faux)

Hope you'll join in the fun!  YOU could be our next winner!
Thanks for stopping by today ...
Till next time . . .

Jan 21, 2016

Much Love

We are well into January and it will be time
for Valentines before you know it.
Do you 'love' Valentines Day (pun intended..lol)
as much as I do?
I love all the hearts, red, pinks and of course the 'chocolate'!!


I started with a white card stock base, 
then added a red Cor'dinations panel on top.
On top of that is an embossed brick panel.

I used one of my favorite dies today
PoppyStamps Small Madison Window.
This die is currently unavailable at the store
but you cold use  the newer PoppyStamps Small Madison Window set
which is basically the same, just with a 2 window pane
instead of the four like I have used.
Plus with this set, you get all kinds of cute add ins to use
at a bargain price!

I added a tiny bit of  'wallpaper' and lace 'curtain'
behind the window panes
 and hung a Memory Box Precious Heart from the window.


Next to the window is a cute Impression Obsession Birdhouse.
this is a die set of three birdhouses..so cute!
I cut a second heart to pop up over the opening.

For the birds, I used Impression Obsession Bird Bath.
I finished with a stamped sentiment.

Lots of fun detail with lots of fun dies on this card...
I hope I have inspired you to create one of your own 'window scenes'!

Don't forget to pop on over to our Dies R Us challenge blog
and see what the Design Team has to show you there as well!

Have fun creating!!

~~Diane~~

Jan 20, 2016

Birthday Friends!

Hello, friends!

It's Wednesday again & my turn to share a bit of inspiration.  Are you like me & already tired of winter?  How about pretending that spring is REALLY close today?  And what says spring better than puppies & spring flowers!  The image I chose for today is from Bugaboo and I thought he would be perfect for a birthday card.  I pulled out one of my favorite dies, Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Oval Stackables and added a new die I am now in total LOVE with, Sue Wilson Designs Petite Peony Cluster.  I have a hundred ideas running around my head for this Peony Cluster die, from wedding cards to baby cards, so you may see it again one of these days!


If you haven't checked out the Dies R Us Challenge Blog, please do!  There is still time to join in on the challenge that began on the 15th and you could find yourself with a gift certificate to the amazing store if you are the winner!

Be sure you are on our list to receive the newsletters too!  Otherwise, you may not get all the notifications of the fantastic sales & special offers!

See you next week!  Happy Crafting!
Sherri

Jan 19, 2016

With Sympathy

Hello All!  Darlene with you today!
I get many requests for sympathy cards, so when I saw this 
die (CED5416) in the store, I just knew I had to have it.



The other dies used on today's card are:


When choosing color/pattern for my wreath die,
I spotted a scrap of paper I had created with I was playing
with my Ken Oliver color bursts over the holidays 
(hence the variation in color).
It was the right size so that became the basis
for my entire creation.

The white sentiment has been popped up, which
looks fabulous IRL ... but since it blended in
a bit more than I wanted, I simply did some dots
along the phrase with a Spectrum Noir IB2 marker.


Don't forget to come join in the fun
challenges offered at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog.
The current challenge theme is:  Use the color RED.

Till next time . . .

Jan 18, 2016

Fun With Frames

Hello, friends.  Today I’m sharing a card which was very fun to make and I love how it turned out.  It occurred to me that I had the perfect dies -- Impression Obsession Rectangle 6-In-One Frames -- for doing this type of card.  The image is cut into frames and mounted in multiple dimensions.  I used only two dimensions beyond the card base as I do want to mail this in an envelope.  My image is an old Hero Arts stamp called “Spring Garden Etching”.  I coated my colored frames with clear Ranger Distress Crackle Paint, but that is a totally optional step.  It does shrink and curl the paper a bit, but I rather liked the effect on the popped up frames.  The warp can be corrected by covering with a heavy object for a while, which is what I did with the parts that needed to lay flat on the card.


You can click for a larger view.  A picture is always worth a thousand words.


Pictured below is the stamped image on 5 1/4” x 4” white cardstock.  I used a ridiculous number of Copics for coloring, making sure I colored the entire panel.


The IO Rectangle 6-in-1 Frame die cuts all six frames at once, which is what makes it so easy for this process.  I positioned the die on the front of my colored image, then cut.


Below you see the back of the frames with Scotch brand foam mounting tape applied.  The larger frame is three frames fit together and two layers of mounting tape.  The smaller frame is two frames with one layer of mounting tape.  I should add that this photo is from another project of this type using designer paper rather than a stamped image.  If you have pretty designer paper you’ve not wanted to cut into, well, this is the perfect use for it.


The largest frame was left single and adhered to the card base.  The other frames were set into that, working from large to small.


My initial intention was to add this to my birthday card stash, but it would make a nice Easter card, as well.  Decisions, decisions!  If you eliminate the coloring and the crackle paint and simply use designer paper this is very quick and simple with fabulous results.  If you don’t plan to mail in an envelope you can make it with more dimension – as many as six.  Again, it is so easy with any of the Impression Obsession All-In-One frame sets.  As of this writing Dies R Us carries two rectangle sets, plus a set of squares and a set of ovals, both of which I have and will be using for this technique in the future.

I’ve taken enough of your time, so I’ll leave you with your thoughts and a wish for a happy day.  See you again soon!

~~ Leslie ~~

Jan 15, 2016

Butterflies in Flight

Hello Dies R Us friends!
Darlene with you today and it appears I'm in a 'butterfly' mood this week!  This is my second card this week and it just dawned on me that they both had butterflies!  Oops!  LOL!!

I guess now that winter has hit ... I'm ready for spring!  


Dies used today from the Dies R Us Store are:

What I did to create this card was to first die cut the Fairyland Butterflies from a heavier (110#) card stock and use that cut as my stencil.  Using various Tim Holtz distress blue inks, I created my 'ombre' background.  Then overlaid my butterfly panel just a little off center to create a shadow affect.

From earlier creations I had the center cuts from the CLD Celtic Fire Rectangle Frame which I cut in half and adhered as yet another 'layer'.  The hearts were also laying on my work table from a previous creation and I thought I still needed a little 'something' and they worked perfectly!  A little faux stitching and VIOLA!

OH!  One more thing ...

By coloring a scrap piece of white card stock with the same
colors as the front of my card and die cutting the lovely
Wild Rose Studio 'Birthday' die,
NOW my card is totally complete and beautiful inside & out!
Thanks so much for stopping by today, and don't forget to come join in the fun challenges at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog.
YOU could be our next prize winner!! 

Till next time . . .

Jan 14, 2016

Love Bunnies

Hi there!  Here we are just a month away from Valentines Day
and time to think of getting all those Valentines made 
for your loved ones.

One of the big trends in 2015 was shaker cards
and you know what, I truly believe they are here to stay!
I love shaker cards, don't you?
They are super easy to make with all the fabulous dies
available to us!


I started with two 4" panels cut from Pearlized Esse white card stock.
This card stock has a nice texture and sheen, so pretty!

From one of the panels, I used
Cheery Lynn Designs Heart To Heart Doily set
to cut a negative.
 (I can use the heart die cut on another card later).

I ran strips of foam tape around the entire heart after
I had adhered a clear card stock under the heart.
(A little hint is to remove the tape covering the foam
first, this way it is easier to manipulate) 

Behind the heart opening I added 
Impression Obsession Heart Stems
cut from a Red Metallic Mirror paper.


Two little 'love bunnies' were added using
Impression Obsession Mini Bunnies.

Before adhering the heart down, I sprinkled a few
red sequins to the back panel in the heart area.
Then I carefully lined up both panels,
and the shaker part was done!

The word "love' was added to the front panel
using Cheery Lynn Designs  Love.

I wanted to keep this card as CAS as I could
and had debated adding a bow...I decided I liked it as is!

Make sure to visit here Monday-Friday for daily inspiration
and to see lots of the dies in use.

Visit us at our challenge blog and join in with us!
A new challenge starts on 1/15..hope to see you there!

Thank you for stopping by!
~~Diane~~

Jan 13, 2016

Welcome, Little One!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

In the middle of this winter season, it is nice to think of something but snow & cold.  And I can't think of anything more wonderful than welcoming a new baby to the world!  One of our Dies R Us "family" just welcomed a new baby a few weeks ago & this was the card I sent.  Since they didn't know ahead of time whether it was going to be a boy or a girl, I kept to generic colors suitable for either.  Here is the card I sent.


I used the following dies on this sweet card: Memory Box Stitched Scalloped Circles (currently out of stock), Sue Wilson Italian Collection-Umbria and Marianne Designs Baby Buggy.  Although we don't carry Marianne Designs dies as part of our regular stock at this time, we do offer them when we have our special European Die sales, so be sure you are signed up to receive our news letters!  You don't want to miss any of our fantastic sales & special events!!

If you love the lacy look of this card and want to know how to duplicate it, I will post instructions on my personal website.

Be sure to check out the fantastic store!  I can't think of anywhere I enjoy shopping more than there!  There is so much being added that you can't keep up with all the goodies!

Don't forget our Dies R Us blogs as well!

See you next week, everyone!  Create something wonderful this week!  It's the best way to brighten your day!
Sherri

Jan 12, 2016

A Buttlerfly Birthday

Hello Everyone!
Darlene here and today's card is a birthday creation
(which I'm really running low on)
using dies from the Dies R Us Store.
Quick ... easy ... beautiful!!


The dies I have used today are:

By simply being creative with 
what panels were cut with white card stock
and which were cut with the design paper,
You get an illusion of layer after layer without the bulk.

(Click on images to enlarge.)

It's a new year and there are a lot of new
releases being showcased at the store!
Be sure to pop over and get
your preorder placed before selections
run out.

Don't forget about the Dies R Us Challenge.
One lucky player will win a
gift voucher to the store!  That could be YOU!
A new challenge begins on Friday
with the theme:
STITCHING (real or faux)
What fun ... won't you come join us!! 
 
Till next time . . .

Jan 11, 2016

Happy Wishes

Happy Monday, Dies R Us friends!  I have another anniversary card to share today and this one's a sweetie.  I thought I might stamp some birds, but then this cute little die caught my eye and everything just happened from there.




The darling birds are Impression Obsession Love Birds.  So dang cute!  I popped them up over a Poppystamps Woodland Oval which frames a Power Poppy "Simply Camellias" sentiment.  The overhead branch is a Memory Box Lavish Branch, which is not available in the Dies R Us store, but it was too pretty not to use.  All the die cuts were colored with Copic markers ‘cause I just wanted to color something.  The embossed square was done with a Cuttlebug Wicker Weave folder.




Speaking of pretty, have you seen the Memory Box New Release dies in the store?  Oh, my goodness, my heart flutters!  Yes, I’ve got a bad case of the “die crazies”, but I’m okay with that.  They’re the coolest thing since sliced bread!

Don’t forget our two challenges per month on the Dies R Us Challenge Blog where you can win some Dies R Us dollars.  And visit us here for new ideas every weekday.  I'll see you again next Monday!  As always, have a happy day!

~ Leslie ~

Jan 8, 2016

Thinking of You!

Hello Friends ... another weekend is before us!
Darlene with you today with another die cutting creation to share!
 Did you know there is a NEW inspirational sample card posted each week day from our talented design team?  Yep ... trying to help inspire you to give die cuts a try and trust me, once you do you will LOVE working with them.  Be sure to pop over to the Dies R Us Store to see ALL the fabulous dies available by a wide range of companies!

Right before the holidays I ordered a couple fabulous heart dies from the store provided by the Frantic Stamper Inc. company.  With Valentine's Day right around the corner ... these dies would be PERFECT for your Sweethearts card!  
 The die used on the front of my card is called 'Heartfall' and measures 5" x 3.75".  The inside border heart die is called 'Reverse Random Hearts Border Vertical'.  Perfect addition to the inside of my card.  I've also used the Cheery Lynn Designs 'Lace Corner Deco E' to accent this sweet vintage image from Pion Design - From Grandma's Attic - Friendship which I purchased online.

Inside View
 I've distressed the edges of my image along with the pink mat panel for a more vintage feel.  A few little pink flowers with gold Stickle centers and a sentiment is all that was needed to complete today's creation.  
I haven't decided yet if I want to add a sentiment to the inside or just leave it blank for a personal note.  Time will tell!  LOL!

Remember, you still have time to join in the current 'Something NEW' challenge going on at our Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  One lucky winner will receive a gift voucher to the store!  With all the great sales going on you'll want to play along. Who knows, YOU might be our next winner!

Till next time . . .

Jan 7, 2016

A Thought Away

Here it is already the 7th day in January...
Doesn't it seem it was just Christmas yesterday?
I guess time sure does fly as they say.

Speaking of 'flying",
I have a birdie card for you today.
Every Fall we have 100's of birds that gather here
on their way south.
It is fun to see, however you have to be careful
or you will have 'hi-lites' in your hair where you least expect them..lol!

The birds return each Spring back on their way north.
My kitties get great pleasure in watching all the activity


So, that brings us to today's card.
I used  Cheery Lynn Designs Birch Tree With Critters,
(however I didn't add the critters to this one)
cut from scraps of paper.

The clouds behind the tree are a 'negative' cut
using Impression Obsession Clouds.
I will save the die cut clouds for a later use.
I added more scraps of papers behind each cloud.
I then just 'sort of'' fussy cut around the tree and clouds
to add a bit of interest.


I used  Impression Obsession Small Bird Set for my
fancy orange birds.  
These birds were cut from 'snippet's of Color Burst paper
I had left over, which gives them each a unique design.

The cat is Impression Obsession Cat Set.

Make sure and visit our Dies R Us challenge blog.
Just by entering your card, you could win a gift certificate to the store.
Plus, there is always lots of fun inspiration there, too!

I will see you see here next Thursday!

~~ Diane~~

Jan 6, 2016

No Winter Lasts Forever.....

Hello, everyone!

Is it just me or are you tired of winter already too?  We got snow in November here in Iowa and yes, I know it is only January, but I want to see green grass, leaves on the trees & flowers peeking their heads up! And days full of sunshine!!!!  So when a dear sweet friend gave me this awesome sentiment stamp from Elizabeth Craft Designs, I knew immediately that it would go on my next card!  I chose a Mo Manning digi as my focal point and 4 great dies:  Lawn Fawn Large Stitched Oval Stackables, Impression Obsession Cardinals, Poppy Stamps Holiday Winterberries & Impression Obsession Squirrels.  We are currently out of the squirrel die, but you could easily substitute the Dies R Us Squirrels which are just as cute!


We just began a new challenge on our Dies R Us Challenge Blog on the first of the month!  Hurry over to get in on all the fun & possibly win a gift voucher to the amazing store!

If you haven't signed up for the Dies R Us newsletter yet, you won't get notified of all the incredible sales & special events, so be sure you do that as well!

See you next week, everyone!  Have a fantastic week!
Sherri

Jan 5, 2016

Happy 25th Anniversary!

Hello Friends and welcome back!
Darlene here and I've had a request for a 25th Anniversary card so I decided to create two cards for this lady to choose from.  One card uses the 'negative' portion of my Heidi Swapp '25' die cut and the other card utilizes the 'positive' portion.  I think both turned out pretty and I like that I can give my friend a choice while using up what would normally have been a scrap piece from the die cut.

Using the negative ...

Other dies used on this card are:

My base card is white ... next panel is black but I cut the center out of the black panel so that my numbers would show up as white on the silver panel.  The vines are a part of the Cheery Lynn Designs doily frame die and I simply sponged a little Memento 'bamboo leaves' green ink onto the leaves.  The flowers were also cut from my silver metallic card stock ... assembled and a gem added to the centers.


Using the positive ...

I've created this 2nd card using the numbers 25 that were die cut from the panel you see on Card 1.  I used the same Sue Wilson Finishing Touches 'Delicate Daisies - Open Petals  flowers but die cut my leaves from the Sue Wilson 'Laurel Leaves' die set (CED1437).  I cut the exact same size flowers as I used on my first card but stacked them all together to make one flower vs two separate flowers.

SO MUCH versatility with die cuts ... you gotta love that!
TIP:  You can also use the negative portion of your die cut panel as a stencil.


Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a peek at today's creations.  Don't forget to stop back each day of the work week for more inspiration from this talented team of ladies.
 
Did you know there is still time to join in the current challenge at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  The theme is 'Something NEW'.  Be sure to pop over to see what the fabulous challenge blog design team has created ... so talented!  WOW!  
 
Till next time . . .