Cupid

 I love the Savvy Dies "Cupid" and the Memory Box "Precious Hearts" dies to create a very romantic type card.   I started by embossing the background with the eBosser "Delicate Dots" embossing folder.  I used two frames behind the little "Precious Hearts"; the one in the back is the Memory Box "Twirling Vine" and layered on top is one of the dies from the Marianne Design (LR0235) doily set.  I used Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Multi-medium Matte adhesive to glue these pieces down.  This is a wide mouth jar and you can either dip portions of the die cut into the adhesive or use a brush to pick up glue and spread on your die cut.  

The roses were created using the Spellbinders "Spiral Blossom Four" and the MFT "Royal Rolled Rose" dies.  They were die cut using white card stock and sponged with Spun Sugar Distress Ink before rolling them.  I used a variety of leaves to tuck around the flowers:  Marianne Design (LR0117), Marianne Design (LR0226) and Memory Box "Tender Leaves" (98313) to give the background fullness.   I had a pretty fluffy white feather in my stash and tucked that down in between the flowers. The "Cupid" was attached using a dimensional glue dot.  To add a little more "elegance" to this card, I added a lot of Kaiser Craft "Blush" pearls. A bow was made with the "Bow Easy" and placed down in the corner.  For the sentiment,  I used a very small stamp, from my stash, that says "Hugs" on the largest of the "Precious Hearts".  

Savvy Dies "Cupid" #10075

Memory Box "Precious Hearts" (98474)

Memory Box "Twirling Vine" (98299)

eBosser "Delicate Dots" embossing Folder

Marianne Design "Doily Set" (LR0235)

Spellbinder "Spiral Blossom Four" S4-364

MFT Die-Namics "Royal Rolled Rose"

Marianne Design "Leaves" (LR0117) (This set also has a doily)

Marianne Design "Leaves" (LR0226)

Memory Box "Tender Leaves" (98313)

Dimensional Glue Dots

Kaiser Craft "Blush" Pearls

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Ho Ho Ho

Today I was trying to think of something I could create and do a little tutorial.  I decided to play with one of the alphabet die sets that I have.  I used the Die-namics "By the Letters" to create my "Ho, Ho, Ho".  I used a piece of polka dot paper to die cut the "h" from this set and added a Cheery Lynn "Snowflower" for the "O" to form the Ho,   For my background I used the Nellie Snellen "Sleigh" embossing folder.  I wanted to add a tree line below the sleigh ride so I cut the embossed piece in half.  

This picture shows how I cut along the embossed "snow bank" line to cut the panel apart.  I used the Poppy Stamps "Pine Tree Border" for the tree line.  It was die cut and then I used scissors to cut a very narrow line along the bottom of the trees so I could glue it to the lower panel.

This picture shows how I glued the tree border behind the snow bank on the lower panel.  The card I created is a 5.5" x 6".  First the top panel was attached to the card base then the lower panel, so the trees would go over the top piece.  The Ho Ho Ho was then attached. An additional snowflake was added on the top left corner.  I used some Tim Holtz "Distress Stickles Dry Glitter" on the snowflakes and along the line below the trees.    A dark green piece was added to the back of the card to create a border. 

It is fun to try and come up with something a little different for your cards.  I hope this gives you some ideas for using your embossing folders and die cuts.

Nellie Snellen "Sleigh" embossing folder (CTFD4011)

Die-namics "By the Letters" alphabet

Poppy  Stamps "Pine Tree Border" (809)

Cheery Lynn "Snowflowers 1" (DL225)

Cheery Lynn "Snowflowers 2" (DL226)

Tim Holtz "Distress Stickiles Dry Glitter" Clear Rock Candy 

Live Love Laugh

I have had questions about the smallest petals on the Cheery Lynn Build A Flower #2 die set; some of you didn't know what type of flower you can create with them. You can create a lot of different small flowers with them including small roses with these petals.  On this card I have used the small petals for the little roses that are on the bottom border.  I will explain below how I created them.

The design paper is from the Echo park Paper Co called "Dots & Stripes".  I love to use that pretty window die from Heartfelt Creations; it is the HCD 710 die.  Across the bottom of it is one of the Spellbinders "Ribbon Banners" with a sentiment from the JustRite stamp set "Faith".  

The pretty border along the bottom of the card is the DieNamics "Dizzy Border".   This is such a delicate looking border that you can string ribbon through; I just added a pearl to the center of three of the centers and added flowers to the other two.  This border is 6" long, but you could easily cut it down. The corners are one of the Cheery Lynn "Lace Corners" set.  

All three of the flowers were built using the new Cheery Lynn Build A Flower #2 dies.  You can build the small roses just like you do the larger ones by using the small 5-point base.  I tried something new today.  I used the pointed end of the white tool from the Flower Tool kit to shape the flowers.  After conditioning them, I added a thin layer of the Ultimate glue to the inside of each petal and wrapped them around the end of the white tool.  It was easy to just keep adding petals until I got the size I wanted.  If you use just a thin layer of glue on the petals, it makes it easy to wrap them around the tool and the glue will actually dry fairly quickly.  I held each petal, firmly around the tool, for about a minute until it stuck together then added the next petal.  Pull the flower off the tool as soon as the flower will keep it shape; it will slide off with a push of your fingernail.  Use scissor to cut off the bottom part of the flower so it will have a flat bottom and sit nicely on your card.  The petals were die cut using white card stock and were sponged with Memento "Lilac Posies" ink.  I created the baby's breath with the Build A Flower #2 Embellishments dies.  

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Heartfelt Creations window die (HCD 710)

Cheery Lynn Build A Flower #2

Cheery Lynn Build A Flower #2 Embellishments

Cheery Lynn Lace Corner (B174)

Spellbinders "Ribbon Banners" (set of 4)

JustRite "Faith" stamp set (CL-02130)

DieNamics Dizzy Border

Flower Tool Kit

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Welcome to the Neighborhood

Today I have a cute card for a new neighbor.  The tree on this card is a new die you can pre-order from Joan's Gardens.  Isn't it cute.  It is the Marianne Design (LR0 203) tree.  It was die cut twice - once using brown card stock and once using green.  The green leaves were cut off and glued to the brown tree.  I added a dot of glue to one area of the branches and that way as I cut off a leaf, I could place it in the same spot as it was cut off.  I decided to add a few flowers to the tree since Spring should be here soon.  Do you save small flowers, hearts, etc when you die cut a doily or a border?  I do.  I never know if I will use  them, but in this case the little flowers from the Cheery Lynn "Daisy Lace Bracelet" (DL 135) die were the perfect size to add to this tree.  I placed them on the Black Flower Shaping Mat and pressed down in the center with one of the tools from the Flower Tool Kit to give them a little dimension.              

To create the green background, I placed the new Marianne "LR0 202" border along the bottom of a long piece of green card stock that was as wide as the card,  and placed the Memory Box "Modern Landscape" (98257) die up around the middle and ran it thorough my die cutting machine.  The top was cut off above the Landscape.  I left the Marianne border attached to the upper piece and just pushed out the little pieces cut in the design.  A piece of the same green card stock was added behind the die cut design.  A piece of blue card stock was embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder and attached to the top of the card.  The die cut piece was attached over it.  The sentiment is from the "Homespun Birdhouse" Die-Namics stamp set.  The clouds were die cut using the Memory Box "Puffy Clouds" (98172) die.  

I have a basket of fresh strawberries I need to go clean and get ready for strawberry shortcake.  I'm looking forward to when we can go up to the strawberry fields and pick our strawberries -- yum, yum!

All the products I used can be purchased from Joan's Gardens.

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Joan's Gardens Weekly Challenge

It is time for a new challenge at Joan's Garden.  This week the challenge is to create a 4.25" x 5.5" birthday card using pink, green and a touch of purple.  It also requires you use distressing and piercing.  All the challenge rules will be listed on Joan's blog tomorrow. 

For my card I used a new stamp.  It is the Penny Black "Garden Poems" stamp.  I colored it using Distress Inks Spun Sugar; Shabby Shutters; Peeled Paint; and Vintage Photo.  The yellow was sponged on using yellow chalk from the "Pebbles, Inc" Pearlescent, Jewel Tones, chalk pad.  It gives it a nice little sparkle.  The Fence (LR0205) and Grass (LR0204) die are new dies from Marianne Designs. The butterfly is one of the Cheery Lynn "Mini Butterflies" (DL112).  To Distress the edges of the top panel I used the "Zutter Distrezz-it-All" tool.  This tool makes it very quick and easy to distress the edges of your card stock.  A Tim Holtz Piercing Tool was used to to pierce the holes around the design.  The sentiment at the top of the card is from the "Die-namics Polka Dot Greetings" stamp set.  This is a new line of products Joan will soon be posting on her blog. The only thing on this card that is dimensional is the butterfly, and that can be pressed down so it easily mails in a regular A-2 envelope.

I hope you will join us this week in our challenge.   We look forward to seeing your beautiful cards.