Valentine's Day Z-Fold Card

Happy Tuesday! I haven't posted in awhile as the holidays have just been a lot for me this year. Between travel and the puppies and life - it seems things are sometimes overwhelming. But I have a card this week.

 

I'm the hostess at Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge. My colors are Sweet Sorbet, Daffodil Delight, Lemon Lime Twist and Petal Pink. I'll admit that I took them from some new designer paper from Stampin' Up! that I really like. I use DSP sparingly so it seems when I like one I REALLY like it. This one has some great smaller patterns.

The patterns are perfect for fun fold cards so that is what I made. It's a Z-fold - a kind of fun-fold card that is easy to make. The base is an A2 card where the front is scored at 2 1/8" and fold back. The Z panel can be any size with two score lines; you just need to make sure the center panel between the two score lines is 2 1/8" so it's the same depth as the card base. My Z panel is 3 1/2" x 6 3/4". Starting from the left, I scored it at 2 1/2" and then 2 1/8" from that score line. 

The Z panels can be placed anywhere and any size depending on your card base. Once you have the concept down there is a lot you can do with this style of card. Here is a fun one I made a few year's back.

I hope you all have a festive holiday!

Products used: All Stampin' Up! from the soon to be released Mini-Catalog

• Stamps: Bee My Valentine
• Punch: Bee Builder
• Paper: Bee Mine

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Christmas Red Bird

Happy Thursday! I have a card for the Team O challenge at Tic Tac Toe Challenge, I chose the left column - Fun Fold, Punch and Red.

 

I had a great time with this simple fun fold card. It really is simple - just a few panels, a nice bold sentiment and a punched bird. I love that I got to use the bird builder punch. This is a long retired Stampin' Up! punch but a favorite.  I have so many dies now that I rarely use my punches but they really do make creating a card like this go fast. I also used my Bough punch by SU for some of the greenery.

For the bird, I used a bit darker red and sponged the edges for depth. I also used a black pen for the eye and a gold pen for the beak.

I hope you will join us in the fun this week!

Products used:

• Punches: Stampin' Up! Bird Builder and Boughs
• Stamps: Stampin' Up! Holly Jolly Wishes
  

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Peppermint Twist

Our final sketch for 2023 at CAS Colours & Sketches! Next month we have a special challenge for you.

 

I love the sketch that Nancy gave us. It offers so many possibilities.

I used some brand new dies from My Favorite Things and paired it with one of my favorite Christmas embossing folders from Simon Says Stamp. Christmas candy is always so much fun (and tasty!).

For me the hardest part was embossing the sentiment. I really don't have any problems with heat embossing it just seems like a lot of work. But sometimes nothing beats a white sentiment on dark paper. This wouldn't have looked the same in red ink on white. And white ink doesn't cut it for me - so...heat embossing.

I hope you will join us in the challenge this week!

I am also entering this in the Peace on Earth Challenge.

Products used:

• Dies: MFT Sweet Sticks Holiday
• Stamps: MFT Sweet Holiday Words
• Accessories: Stampin' Up! Lovely Labels Punch, Simon Says Stamps 3d Twirling EF

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Let it Snow! with Lawn Fawn's Build-a-Snowman

Happy Thursday! It's Team O's week at Tic Tac Toe Challenge. The board this week can go holiday or not.

 

I chose the left column - blue, snowman, sparkle.

A few months ago I attended the "Always an Adventure" Lawn Fawn event. So much fun! And lot's of inspiration for their products both old and new. Unfortunately I haven't had much time to use my new (to me) toys but I did today. The Build-a-Snowman had been around a bit but the Winter Wonderland Window is new this season.

I used Balmy Blue ink to give some definition to all my snow pieces and even inked his scarf a bit with Poppy Parade for some depth. It's one of those things that you don't immediately notice but adds "that something." To make my life simpler and the card go faster, I cut all the small pieces (not the hat) from white and colored them with Copics or Stampin' Blends. In fact I didn't even cut the die pieces apart - good for not losing any!

For my sparkle I added a few very old embellishments that are supposed to look like snowflakes. I have enough embellishments to last me the rest of my life. I have to restrain myself from buying more and use what I have. I'm getting better at it.

I hope you'll join us in the challenge this week!

Products used:

• Dies: Lawn Fawn - Build-A-Snowman, Winter Wonderland Window, Let It Snow
  
• Markers: Stampin' Blends - Poppy Parade, Call Me Clover, Pumpkin Pie; Copics - Black, E25
• Paper: Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid Rudolf, Knit Picky Petite, Watercolor Wishes Petite; My Favorite Things Cheerful Plaid

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Season's Tweetings!

Happy Tuesday! We've got a great color challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches this week. One that can be used for the holidays or not. I chose to go holidays. I've thought about sending out all the random cards I've made throughout the years rather than try to make Christmas cards this year. Although, since Thanksgiving is on the 23rd this year there is slightly more time between turkey day and Christmas I may make new ones... 

I added a neutral brown for the wood and black. My string of lights should have been two die cuts but I used a black Copic to color the string - much easier! I also used Wink of Stella on the roof snow to add some sparkle.

I have found that I am really getting into die cut cards recently. I think there are several reasons for this:

• First I have SO MUCH cardstock and paper that I would like to use it up. I no longer save all those itty bitty scraps! It has to be at least 3 x 3for me to save.
• Second, die cut cards usually go faster than cards I color. I say "usually" because if there are a lot of small pieces then they can take a while. But I also usually have leftover pieces which I save with the dies. And it has happened that I've gone to make a card and had everything I need already cut!
• And lastly, it is really hard for me to give away my hand colored cards. They can take so much time! Especially Stamping Bella and My Favorite Things images as they tend to be larger and/or more detailed others. Cards that I color only go to people that I know will keep them. The thought of someone tossing the image I spent hours coloring really bothers me. (I know it shouldn't but it does.) Die cut cards are easy to recreate. In fact, once you've made one you can assembly line more.

So there you have my reasons that I've been doing more die cuts. All that said, I will probably decide to start coloring a whole lot more next year. I am very driven to create whatever happens to be "singing" to me at the time! Case in point, yesterday I did my first colored card in months.

I'm also entering this in the following challenges:

• Peace on Earth Christmas Card Challenge
• Triple B Challenge - Birds, Butterflies & Blooms
  

Products used:

• Dies: Lawn Fawn Build-a-Birdhouse and Winter Add-on
• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Winter Birds
• Accessories: Wink of Stella

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Christmas Mischief

I have the pleasure of being the hostess this week for the color challenge at Splitcoaststampers. I chose Polished Pink, Granny Apple Green and Balmy Blue with Anything Goes for dessert.

 

I love pink and green as a Christmas alternative to red and green. I added the blue as I wanted to use one of the plaids in this great My Favorite Things paper pad. As it turns out I chose one without the blue.

I could not resist using these playful pups again. I've used each of these stamps before but they really remind me of my two new puppies - Duke and Buffy. My pups are Shih Tzus and the stamp for Buffy (pink hat) is very Shih Tzu like. The other has a bit too long of ears for a Shih Tzu but this dog in the string of lights is totally my Duke! He is full of it - a real little stinker! I thought about trying to mask the stamp and draw in new ears but I just didn't have time.

I used Copics to create the fur and think he looks a bit shaggy. The pinks are hard to match and the SU blend looks nothing like Polished Pink in my opinion so I went with my own combo. I used the RV 10-14 markers but felt there just wasn't enough blue in the color so I overlayed RV02, 06 & 09. It did help tone down some of the neon orange-ish color. As I said, pinks are hard with markers. I just don't like many of the colors that are currently produced.

For my Anything Goes option I made a shaker card. I wanted to add a border to the card so I used a large scallop rectangle to create a panel. I felt the base needed some interest as did the back of the shaker so I used a retired embossing folder (Subtle) to give the cardstock just a bit of texture. I also felt that the plaid needed a little color around the edges so I stacked two layers of Polished Pink cardstock underneath the scalloped panel.

I hope you've enjoyed my card today. To see my other cards using this set click here and here. I have also entered this in the following challenges:

• MFT Sketch Challenge 670
• MFT October Christmas Challenge
• Simon Says Stamp Emboss It! Wednesday Card Challenge
• Peace on Earth Christmas Card Challenge
• Can You Handle the Pressure

Products used:

• Stamps/Dies: My Favorite Things Happy Pawlidays
• Dies: MFT Stitched Dome and Stitched Dome Frames STAX; TSOL Large Scalloped Rectangles
• Markers: Stampin' Blends Granny Apple Green and Balmy Blue Light & Dark; RV10, RV13, RV14, RV02, RV06, RV 09, E30, E31, E55, E37, N0, N2, N4, N8
• Accessories: Stampin' Up! Subtles EF and Enamel Dots, Pretty Pink Posh Sequins - Clear, Ballerina Pink, Cornflower

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Santa Ornament Gift Tags

Happy Thursday! Silke of Team O at Tic Tac Toe Challenge has a great board for us this week.

I chose the top row across - Ornament, Gift Tags and Ribbon. Ribbon goes so well with gift tags it's almost a given!

I used some new dies from Spellbinders.  The Santa Suit ornament literally went together in five minutes (or less). It took me longer to get out my cardstock and find the correct dies for this ornament than to cut the pieces and glue it together. If you need tags in quantity this is the one!

The Santa face took a bit longer but only because I don't have cardstock that is a good skin color. Most are too yellow or pink. (If anyone knows of a good skin tone cardstock please comment below!) So I used ink to blend the ears, nose and face and that took a few minutes. If I hadn't needed to do that, this one would have taken me only slightly longer than the suit. This is a super collection!

Products used:

• Dies: Spellbinders Festive Ornament Etched Dies and Santa's Festive Circle Crew by Nichol Spohr
• Ink: Distress Oxide Tea Dye, Antique Linen and Tattered Rose

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Woodland Critter Gift Tags

Happy Tuesday!  I have some gift card holders for you today using the Woodland Critters dies from Lawn Fawn. These dies are fun and can make a wide variety of cute critters.

I made the fox for the color challenge at Splitcoaststampers. The penguin was made by cutting off the ears of the critter.  I used the earmuffs to cover my slightly uneven cuts around the ears. The accessories in the Winter Add-on set can cover many boo-boos.

These are gift card holders that I will make into gift tags by punching a hole in the top and adding a ribbon.

And finally a picture of Buffy enjoying the koi pond near our house!

Products used:

• Dies: Lawn Fawn Woodland Critter Huggers, Winter Add-ons, Spring Critter Huggers
• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Tiny Tag Sayings

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Dancin' Gingerbread Girl

Happy Thursday! I'm the board creator this week at Tic Tac Toe Challenge. I tried to give you options for creating a holiday (any fall holiday) card. Since I LOVE a gingerbread theme for Christmas I created a Christmas card.

I used the girl from the Dancin' Gingerbread die set from Spellbinders for the middle row across - Lace, Gingerbread and Gingham. Her body and legs swing back and forth creating a fun interactive card!

This is a layout I've used before with the lace edge created using a die from the Darling Details die set. It creates a very charming card perfect for themes like gingerbread, cooking/baking and florals.

I hope you will join us this week!

Products used:

• Dies: Spellbinders Dancin' Gingerbread, Stampin' Up! Darling Details
• Stamps: Dancin' Christmas Sentiments
• Cardstock/Paper: Crumb Cake, White, Blushing Bride, Chocolate Chip, Red Velvet Flocked, Heartwarming Hugs DSP
• Ink: Versafine Black, Chocolate Chip, Vintage Photo
• Accessories: White Enamel Dots
  

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Ho Ho Ho Slimline Card

Happy Tuesday! My card today is for the sketch challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches. Lucy chose a slimline design.

I used to LOVE slimline designs because they give a lot of space for your images. Now I'm not so enamored of them. I still enjoy working with them but it really depends on the images/design I want to use. For this the Ho Ho Ho worked perfectly as it can fill the space nicely.

One thing I discovered early on in making slimlines cards is that the inside has a lot of space to fill for messages and I'm not one to write lengthy messages in my card.  (That's why I MAKE cards! LOL!)

All that said, this card was easy to create using nothing but die cuts and an embossing folder. It would be very simple to recreate in quantity for the holidays. The die set comes with a small tree and snowflake for the ornament center so you can vary your cards. I can see using a green foil for the tree and a blue and silver foil for the snowflake.

I'm trying to make quicker cards now as my card making is down to a minimum due to the twins. I really didn't expect two puppies to be this much work! I've had a puppy before but just one at a time. It seems two are never on the same schedule and they are very impatient when you are handling the other one. I keep telling myself "this too shall pass" and I'll have two very fun dogs.

Their first walk outside the backyard. My husband and I each take one but he got to wrangle both while I took a photo. Duke is heading for a pine cone! He loves to pick them up and carry them around. 

Products used:

• Dies: Spellbinders Jolly Ho Ho Ho
• Embossing Folder: Spellbinders Scattered Christmas
• Cardstock: White, Gold and Red Foil

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Hiking though the Meadows Color Challenge Card

My post is going to be short tonight. I had this card made Saturday but couldn't do anything until now.

I made this for the color challenge at Splitcoaststampers this week. Chris picked Pebbled Path, Wild Wheat and Lost Lagoon. They had me stumped at first but then I realized this new die from Spellbinders would be perfect for the colors.

I'm really getting into these dies with the floral sprays - perhaps I've always wanted to be a floral designer! I used the challenge colors and added some neutrals.

This is also for the October challenge at Triple B - Birds, Butterflies and Blooms.

Products used:

• Dies: Spellbinders Hiking through the Meadow Thanks Enclosed Sentiments, Stampin' Up! Deckled Rectangles
• Cardstock: Pebbled path, Lost Lagoon, Wild Wheat, Very Vanilla, White, Black, Mossy Meadow, Gray Granite, Early Espresso
• Accessories: Stampin' Up! Timeworn Type EF, Brass Butterflies

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Witch on a Swing

The board this week at Tic Tac Toe Challenge offers lots of fun possibilities for the fall holidays. I chose the right column down - Holiday, Sparkle and Stencil.

Originally I was going to make a Christmas card but switched to a Halloween card after being inspired by a card I saw on Facebook.

I love when I can use stamps and dies for purposes other than intended. This Spellbinders Breezy Swing die is definitely a summer set. However by adding a few accessories and a night sky background I have a spooky(ish) card.

The moon is stenciled and the sky is ink blended using Distress Oxide inks. Tiny rhinestones are my sparkly stars.

I hope you will join us in the fun this week - Team O has a wonderful board!

Products used:

• Dies: Spellbinders Breezy Swing; Boo-Licious Fall Cupcake; Sweet Birds on a Branch
• Stencil: Lawn Fawn Nighttime Sky
• Ink: Distress Oxide Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire, Soot, Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo; Stampin' Up! Smoky Slate

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Another Yellow Dress

A couple years ago I posted a card featuring a yellow dress; tonight I have another. I guess I must like them although I can't remember owning one!

This card is for the color challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches. It ended up being a yellow dress because I was organizing my Spellbinders dies and thinking about what I could do with these colors when I came upon this die. Well heck, a dress can be ANY color so there you have it. And then I found this fun sentiment from Funny Bones. I have a ton of Funny Bones stamps and need to use them more. I really do love punny or funny cards.

This card would have gone a lot faster except for two (actually three things). First I lost one of the larger dies under my glass mat.  It slipped off the mat and slid under; it took at least half an hour to find it. It was too big to miss on the floor so I finally removed everything from my desk and found it underneath the mat. Note to self - look there first.

And these two - The Twins, Duke and Buffy - are making things go very slowly when card making. I had forgotten about having two toddlers but it's all coming back to me now. Showering while they're napping; napping while they're napping; doing anything while they're napping. Sigh. I know they won't be this little forever but it does seem like it.

I hope you will find time to join us this week. The colors are beautiful!

Products used:

• Dies: Spellbinders Paper Couture, MFT Stitched Rectangles
• Stamps: Funny Bones RWD-509
• Cardstock: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Fresh Freesia, Blueberry Bushel
• Ink: Blueberry Bushel

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'
 

Happy Mail Birthday

My card for this week's color challenge at Splitcoaststampers really says Happy Mail!

Karen's bright colors - Parakeet Party, Daffodil Delight, Coastal Cabana are perfect for a birthday. Her dessert is Anything Goes so I added Bermuda Bay (IMO a dark Coastal Cabana) and some Poppy Parade for a bit of an extra punch.

I've been organizing my Spellbinders dies so expect to see more tin the future.  This mailbox set is so pretty for birthdays and I have the accessory dies to change it up for a few holidays.

To add to the postage theme I used the Postage Stamp Fold-It from The Stamps of Life and made it into an easel card.  This card is going to the mother of my sister-in-law for her 80th birthday!

This color combination is one of my all time favorites. I had lots of fun creating this and hope you will join us.

Products used:

• Dies: Spellbinders Parcel Post Mailbox, Layered Mix & Match Sentiments; The Stamps of Life Postage Stamp Fold-It
• Stamps: Spellbinders Parcel Post Sentiments

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'

Spooky Box Card

I have a fun fold card for Team O's challenge this week at Tic Tac Toe Challenge. As with so many boards I used several elements that weren't in my row.

 

My official row for the challenge is the diagonal Creepy, Green and Patterned Paper.

I recently went to the Always an Adventure Lawn Fawn event and that inspired me to get out my Lawn Fawn. I had fun making Lawn Fawn "creepy". Kind of hard to do with their stamps and dies!  While not completely creepy I think this fits the bill. I'm not a realistic zombie, skull, skeleton kind of Halloween gal anyway. I prefer the fluffy black cats and pumpkins along with a few cute witches and bats type of person. Lawn Fawn suits me well.

Here are a couple other photos and the card. The box collapses to fit in an envelope. I am going to find a small light to stick inside - my daughter suggested some fairy lights.

 

Products used:

• Dies: Lawn Fawn Shadow Box Card and Halloween Add-on
• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Batty for You (sentiment)
  
• Patterned Paper: Echo Park Halloween and Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes (the green with purple blended over it)

Thanks for visiting today!  Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Bloglovin'