diecutting - Right as Rain

Let It Snow – Merry Monday Christmas Challenge Summer Link-up

Hello! I’m still playing along with the Merry Monday Christmas Challenge Summer Link-up (sadly, this challenge no longer is existence) with a CAS snow/ski-themed card featuring the Elizabeth Crafts’ Skis die set.

I began by die-cutting and assembling the skis and poles. I added Vintage Photo Distress ink to the skis for a little bit more color. I stamped the Hero Arts Let It Snow sentiment on white cardstock, which I die-cut with the mountain die in the Elizabeth Crafts’ Skis die set. I dry-embossed the MFT Stamps Timber Green cardstock base with the Taylored Expressions Cable Knit embossing folder for texture.

Merry Christmas – Taylored Expressions Oct 2016 Sneak Peeks

Welcome to Day 2 of the Taylored Expressions October Sneak Peeks. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The October products will be released Thursday, October 6 @ 7 AM PST!

My first project features the Holiday Florals stamp set, which continues the tradition started with the Fresh Florals and Fall Florals sets.

This stamp set is packed with greenery for the holidays. I stamped and die cut the images and arranged them around a frame cut with a die in the Stitched Oval Stacklets set and Stitched Rectangle Stacklets set, which I dry-embossed with the Embossing Folder – Peaceful Poinsettia. I heat-embossed the sentiment in gold to coordinate with the cardstock used for the frame (a gold metallic in the Metallic Neutrals package).

My second card design, of which I created two versions, features the Merry Christmas Cutting Plate. I created two to show you just how easy it is to change this up.

My first version uses the white metallic cardstock in the Metallic Neutrals pack set against a card base created from Cherry Pop cardstock.

The interior features a sentiment from Ornamental. This system works well for our family. I can create the inserts and then get the signatures of all family members, simply adhering the insert to the card when we’ve all signed!

My other version of the card shows the Merry Christmas Cutting Plate overlay cut from Cherry Pop cardstock and put against a background created with a paper in the TE 6×6 Paper Pack – Playful Patterns – Holiday, to which I adhered TE Premium Vellum (with Elizabeth Crafts – 6×6 Adhesive Sheets) to soften its look. For this version, the card base is a gold metallic (Metallic Neutrals package).

Hello Fall! Die-Cut Scene

Hello! Today, I’m sharing a die-cut fall scene created with a variety of die cuts.

I couldn’t wait to use the Poppystamps Patient Pup die (I’ve professed my love for similar dies in the past). This scene was inspired by our beloved Golden Retriever “Ginger.” She would not have been this patient, however, with squirrels in the yard! This card combines some of my favorite card making elements: lots of color, die-cuts and a heat-embossed sentiment.

Supplies: Stampin’ Up sentiment, Impression Obsession: Clouds, Oak Leaves and Rake, Fir Tree Border, Picket Fence; Poppystamps Frisky Squirrels, Patient Pup

Splash! – colourQ challenge #348

I’m playing along with colourQ challenge #348 with a CAS summer-themed card.

I thought about this combination of colors for a bit and kept trying to figure out which color should have the most emphasis and which the least. In the end, I decided to give the colors more or less the same amount of emphasis and employed my design friend – repetition.

I colored Ranger Glossy Cardstock with Distress Inks to cut with the Little Bits – Beach Ball die. I cut the base of the balls and the Mini Caps Alpha & #’s from uncolored Glossy Cardstock. I like how the glossy cardstock emulates the plastic of blow-up beach balls. I colored the background using Loll Thompson’s “splash” watercolor technique using Tumbled Glass Distress Ink- her video is here. I had “splash” on the brain, since that’s what I used for the sentiment!

Supplies: Tim Holtz wave embossing folder, Taylored Expressions Pockets & Pages – Stitched Essentials, TE Little Bits – Beach Ball, TE Mini Caps Alpha & #’s

Celebrating Milestones

Welcome to Day 3 of the Taylored Expressions April 2016 Sneak Peeks! The April products will be released tomorrow – Thursday, April 7 @ 7 AM PST!

This month’s products include stamps and dies geared towards milestones such as graduations – whether from preschool or college. My first card would work for a number of occasions, as it celebrates the beginning of an adventure.

I paired Sky High – Kites die cuts with the Sky High Sentiments and added a small kite cut with the Little Bits – Kite set. The Sky High – Kites die cuts the overlays and the backgrounds, along with the tails. I colored cardstock with Distress Inks for the kite backgrounds, but they could be cut from colored cardstock just as easily.

Supplies Taylored Expression Sky High – Kites, Sky High Sentiments, Little Bits – Kite, Cloud Duo

My second project was created with my youngest son in mind, as he graduates from college in June. That’s him in the grad lineup highlighted with gold cardstock! He’s saying “hooray!” as are we!

I cut the silhouette of graduates from Chalkstock cardstock with the Eventful – Graduation Border. I also cut the lineup with the Eventful – Graduation Border from gold cardstock and then cut off the single grad, adhering him to the border with liquid adhesive. I gold-embossed the Eventful – Graduation sentiment and cut it with the Little Bits – Let’s Talk Bubble 2 die. This would be an easy design to customize to school colors.

Supplies: Taylored Expressions Eventful – Graduation Border, Eventful – Graduation, Little Bits – Let’s Talk Bubble 2