Christmas in July

Friday Try-Day started off with three great cards they expected and then

 the ladies got a special surprise of a 

Christmas In July Card!!

This Splitcoast Stampers inspired card was so much fun to make, 

and they loved using the traditionally "halloween" Drippy Goo punch for the candles.

Here's how to make one for yourself!

Begin with an A2 background in red... 8.5 x 5.5 folded to 4.25 x 5.5

White 4 x 5.25 embossed with Snowflake design by Cuttlebug (Provo Craft)

Red cardstock cut to 2.75 x 3.75.  Add strip of punched Drippy Goo across top. 

Cut red/white piece into three - 1 x 2.75, 1.25 x 2.75 and the remainder is 1.5 x 2.75.

Use corner rounder (I used We R. Memory Keepers 1/4 Chompers) on candle edges.

Distress sides of candles with Vintage Photo Distress ink for depth.

Layer candles to desired positions and trim bottom edges evenly.  Glue together.

Place as single unit on card, 5.8" from the bottom of white card.

Punch out four holly leaves and six branch punch pieces.  Mold with ball stylus.  Adhere.

Use standard office hole punch for berries.  Mold to cup shape, invert and glue in place.

Add flames cut from flower petals.

Accent with red and silver Stickles.

Enjoy!  I'll be back with you again soon!

Happy crafting ~

Happy Birthday to a Friend!

Good morning!  It's Birthday week at Whoopsi Daisy, and that is perfect, because it's also Happy Birthday to my HoneyBee friend, Judy!

For this card I used my new Wrap It Up Cricut Cartridge and found it to be OH, SO EASY to cut a shaped card, and then add all of the trim with the borders from the Martha Stewart Elegant Cakes Cricut Cartridge that hubby gave me for Mother's Day~ 

The little lady image is from Whoopsi Daisy, and she is colored with Copics, and the whole thing is accented with lots of Stickles!   

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUDY!!!

See you all tomorrow with a new tutorial at BettyBee's Buzz!

Christmas with the Jingle Belles

What a delight it has been to be designing with the fabulous girls from the Jingle Belles blog!  Lauren and Stef have a great idea, in keeping up with making Christmas cards all year long!  It made me sad to put away so much of my Christmas stuff after the season, and realized that I hadn't touched 80% of it.  Now I have the opportunity, {and motivation} to keep creating all year. 

I created two different kinds of cards for this week's challenge, which is to use die cuts on our cards.  The first was definitely a stretch for me.

 This is my first card for this week's challenge.  I must admit that it was a bit out of my comfort zone... this the "challenge" part... but I like it!  I was actually inspired by a commercially produced card that I saw a while back.  The papers are all from Echo Park's "Merry Christmas" collection.  The J and Y are cut from the Cricut StoryBook cartridge, manipulated with my Gypsy to make them fit the opening.  The festive ornament is from the coordinated sticker dies that come with the Echo Park paper pack, as is the sentiment.  The gems are from Studio 18. 

 Now, this one is more my usual style :)  The Magnolia image is a stamp, and she is colored with Copics  and accented with Stickles.  The tree is cut from Cricut's Joys of the Season cartridge, first in shadow, and then in layer, and decorated with Studio 18 gems.  The beautiful Holly paper is Paper Studio, "Season's Greetings" from Hobby Lobby.  The etherial blue glittered swirl background is My Mind's Eye "Countdown to Christmas".  The snowflake is a die cut from Cuttlebug, finished off with a glittered brad in the center, and the vellum and rub-on sentiment are from my stash.
                                                               
We have challenges and prizes at both blogs, and we sure would love to hear from you!  Please come by and leave us comments, and then pull out your goodies, pop in your favorite Christmas CD, and have a really good time getting a couple of cards ready for a much less stressful December in your world!  Plus, you could be a winner, winner, chicken dinner!  HA!
There is a quick turn-around on this one... you need to post your project at BettyBee's Buzz before 6:00 PM eastern time on Thursday, April 21st, and we will choose a winner that night.  The winner will be announced  on Friday, April 22nd during Buzz, Brag and Bee Happy!  Happy creating and good luck! 

Waiting for the Easter Bunny

It is March New Release day at Digital Delights, and it is my delight to introduce

Miss Daisy with Bunny Ears to you!

 Isn't she the sweetest face you've ever seen?  

Wendy has drawn a new line of precious little children, and Daisy is available with and without her sweet bunny ears and slippers.  The bench, basket (with eggs) and other Delightful Easter items are among the new releases available starting today!

My images are colored with Copics, and the papers are from DCWV Spring Stack.  The background cardstock is embossed with the Cuttlebug Polka Dot folder.  She has some Stickles on her collar and flowers for sparkle.

I removed the eggs from the basket, and replaced it with tissue paper that I colorecd with Copics, and then snipped with sharp scissors.... very easy, and so cute!  The sentiment was computer generated, and cut out with a Nestability Tag die. 

Have a great weekend!  I'll see you again very soon :)

Happy creating ~

Faux Embossing Valentine

One of today's most versatile trends is "Faux Embossing", or creating the look of an embossed background with layered papers. It is featured in both Papercrafts and Creating Keepsakes magazines right now! This week the HoneyBees Challenge over at BettyBee's Buzz will be Valentines with Faux Embossing!

So, I have created a card that is clean and simple, but packs a visual punch, in striking red and white, accented with the sparkle of Stickles.

This is what my card base looks like up close :)

These are the embellishments for the front... One white heart punched to fit, and the "True Love" and "L" cut from the Celebrate With Flourish Cricut Cartridge. Today is Monday Motivational, and I have given the entire tutorial over at BettyBee's Buzz... I hope you will check it out!

On a personal note... my missing Kitty has returned :) Hurray!!! Rusty got out of the house on Dec. 21st, and just vanished, and tonight, as I was chatting with my Sister, as she wished me Happy Birthday, I heard "Meow, Meow, Meow" and I ran to the door, and there he was on the step.... a little thinner, but no other signs of problems. His twin brother is so happy to see him, too! I can't imagine where he has been, and we've had awful weather, etc. Just so grateful that he's home!!

Dustin Pike and New Blog Candy :)

Well, maybe I should have titled this post the other way around :) This is the Blog Candy from BettyBee's Buzz and it is designed to be used for Christmas and for the rest of the winter, with the darling Winter Village, by K & Co., the Gingerbread stamps and felt snowflakes by Martha Stewart, and the assortment of snowmen and snowflakes of all kinds will work well with the tinseled trim and the shimmery gold ribbon! There are at least 10 great items in this package... be sure to check out the tutorials, and leave comments, and you could be the winner! PS, there are also great Gift Certificates by awesome sponsors, like EAD Designs, and Fred, She Said, too!

My goal has been to try to get a Christmas card made every day..... well, that hasn't been very successful, but I have been creating! I guess that counts :) I do love Dustin Pike's images, and these are a couple of fun ones I colored up a little while ago, and popped them together on this fun paper to add to my stash. The red strip is embossed with a Cuttlebug snowflake border folder. The images are colored with Copics and accented with Stickles. I hope you like it!

I'll be back again tomorrow with another pretty :) But this one will be a Whoopsi Daisy Birthday card ....
Until then,
Happy creating ~
BettyBee

Birthday Greetings

It's time for Tilda and I to wish Claire a very Happy Birthday! Lilacs are my very favorite flower, and she has a basket full of those fragrant blossoms to bring to our friend! Add a little bit of Stickles for sparkle to Tilda's dress and socks, and we're all set!

Happy Birthday!


Tilda with Lilacs
Copic Markers
Studio G Sentiment
"Skittles"
Stickles
ZipDry Adhesive
Sakura Glaze Pens

Happy Crafting ~

Warm Winter Wishes

Many thanks to my daughter, Barbie, for some beautiful new Inkadinkadoo Stamps! She said she couldn't wait to see what I would do with them, so I am tickled to post my first Holiday card! I had colored this Dustin Pike image with Copics a while back, but didn't know exactly what sentiment I wanted, and the "Warm Holiday Wishes" that came with this new set is perfect! I wish you could feel them, because the marshmallows are covered in flock, and they feel real! The ink is SU! Chocolate Chip, and the background inking is watercolor crayon. There is a nice smattering of Diamond Stickles for sparkle on the snowman, snowflakes, and the stars...I always feel sorry they don't show up better in the photos.

Well, I hope you are getting ready for some happy holiday wishes around your studio, too....

Happy crafting~

Happy Birthday, Tyler

It's my grandson's eight birthday, which is a BIG one in our families, so BIG candles seemed to be just perfect...and what's better for a big fire than Dustin Pike's freebie FIREFIGHTER dragon! I just love these images, and since my son is a firefighter, this guy is going to be a real favorite around here. The candles are cut down from the Cuttlebug Candles Embossing and Die Cut combo set, which has more candles, but was very easy to alter. I used rub-on letters for the numbers and his name. So easy!!

I used four different Stickles to create the flames...a touch of copper, then red, orange, and yellow...then used the end of a paper clip to swirl them together to look like fire!

Make a BIG WISH, TYLER!!! Happy Birthday!!!

I'll be back soon with some more fun stuff...

Happy crafting ~

Be Inspired # 46 and Cosmo Cricket

This week's challenge is in honor of all of the kiddos headed back to school! We are altering notebooks, creating locker door decorations, gifts for teachers, desk sets, ~ all sorts of matching items to whet your creative appetites! The Design Team was given an interesting assortment of the latest in Cosmo Cricket's goodies! I received the "Lil Man" set, which had some really cool things in it.... Now, most of you know that my "Lil Man" will be 30 in a couple of weeks, (and is still the apple of his Mom's eye)...but he doesn't really want me to cover his notebooks anymore! BUT, I really did like this paper, and the great chipboard pieces that they sent, as well as this lucious velvet scalloped ribbon trim. Sooo....guess who's office these goodies will grace???? We'll see....one never knows with me !!!

Everything in this came from Cosmo Cricket, except the red ribbon and the Red Stickles.

I hope you are inspired to create something wonderful! It doesn't have to be elaborate, just give it a shot, and take a picture, then link it to Cuttlebug Challenge! We would love to get 100 participants this week!

Don't forget that we begin our big birthday party palooza next week, too!

Happy crafting ~

Countdown to CHA ~ and THANKS!

I'm going to Orlando to CHA this weekend, and am going to try to post something new every day for you!


Thanks, too, to all 100 of you who have written for the pattern for the Business Card Holder!! WOW! There are a few whom I haven't gotten to yet....please be patient, I'll get them to you really soon.


















Here is a fun House Mouse summertime image done with the noted Copics. The background was embossed with iny Bubbles Cuttlebug and a simple bow from my stash. The sentiment is from StudioG's June stamps they introduced last year. I've added a touch of whimsey with dragonflies from the Doodlecharms cartridge and my Cricut. The wings are vellum, touched with Stickles. The body is painted with Shimmering watercolors, as is the heart on the sentiment.






















Have a great day, and

Happy crafting ~
BettyBee

Dryer Sheet Technique!

Thanks to my friend, Rosemary for sharing this fun technique with me! This image is softened with none other than the humble used dryer sheet!! I've used Close To My Heart Whimsey Garden for the flower and butterfly, and colored it with LePlume markers. Then the cardstock is run through the Xyron to make it sticky, add the dryer sheet, and then sprinkle on prisma extra fine glitter! WOW is this fun!!! I've added a few Stickles to the butterfly, and a few added finishing touches, and VOILA!! A "Thinking of You" card for today...what do you think???

Happy Birthday, Jim

This will be my first posting on Cute Card Thursday challenge! The challenge was to use something we received for Christmas, and I used my new Cuttlebug embossing and cutting set:-) It embosses the candles, and has a series of sentiment words that it cuts out.

These birthday greetings go out to my Baby Brother! Well, neither of us are really babies any more, but he'll always be three years and three days younger than I am!!!

The paper is Whisper White, and Bazill, and I used glossy gold for "It's Your Day". I used LePlum pens to color the raised candles, and stickles for the golden flames. I cut slits in the card front to thread the shimmery ribbon through. The candle and happy birthday sentiment inside are a StudioG wooden stamp. The message says "So Many Candles, So Little Cake!!!"

Thanks for checking in!

Love Birds

These two Turtle Doves are made from the Joys of the Season Cartridge, and placed on handmade paper. The Doodlebug flowers in the corner are from Bonnie's scrapbook store in York, PA. Thanks, Bonnie, for being so helpful! Everything was accented with Stickles for the perfect sparkle.