Brrrrr! For Dies R Us Challenges

 It's the 15th of the month, and it's time for a new challenge at Dies R Us Challenges.  Challenges are now always Anything Goes, as long as you use a brand of die sold in the Dies R Us Store.  There are hundreds of dies in the store, so this is easy to do!

It's the heart of Winter, and these are traditionally the coldest weeks of the year here in NW Wisconsin.  It's a good thing I like winter!  I wanted to embrace winter, and this little polar bear seems to be celebrating the season!

This adorable sledding bear is part of a set by Sue Wilson, of Creative Expressions.  It's called the Festive Collection - Polar Bear Playtime.  There's also an ice skating polar bear.  Cute, cute!

The drifted snow was created with dies from Lawn Fawn.  These are the Stitched Hillside Borders dies. 

The 'Brrrrr' sentiment is one of many in the Elizabeth Craft Winter Wish Sentiment Set. 

There are great shopping opportunities at both the Dies R Us Store and the Didi Crafts Store (for Canadian shoppers). 

I hope you can join our Anything Goes Challenge at Dies R Us Challenges.  This challenge will go until the end of the month! 

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

QKR Stampede -- ATG

Crafty Animals -- ATG with an animal

AUD Sentiment -- ATG + a Sentiment

D.L. Art -- January Linky Party

You Color My World -- For SheepSki Designs

It's March 1, and that means it's time for a new challenge on the SheepSki Designs Challenge Blog.  The challenge theme this time is "Die Cuts &/or punches" -- an easy theme to work with, don't you think?  I rarely use punches anymore, but oh, do I have dies!

I've been longing to try my hand at the SheepSki Designs image, Camouflage.  This isn't what I had originally set out to create, but this is where it ended up:

I used distress inks and brushes on the Camouflage image and background. The sentiment is computer generated.  The frame is a die cut and uses a paper from We Are 3 Digital Shop. The flowers use a die from Creative Expressions.  I used specialty papers from Tonic Studios that give them the felt-like look.  The pearls are from my stash.

I hope you can join us for the Dies &/or punches challenge at SheepSki Designs Challenge Blog.  It runs the month of March.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:
Crafty Animals --ATG with an animal 
Polkadoodles --ATG
Brown Sugar Challenge --ATG
Outlawz Monday Greetings -- ATG

Happy Heart Card -- for Dies R Us Inspiration Blog

Hello, fellow craft lovers.  I have the great honor of posting on the Dies R Us Inspiration Blog today, where I always have so much fun  playing with my always growing die collection.  

I've been making Valentine's cards, and have one to share with you today:

I used a set of nesting hearts dies to create this card.  These happen to be by Spellbinders, but the Dies R Us Store has several great options you could use including these by Tutti Designs, and these by Card Deco Essentials.

I wanted an element of surprise when the recipient took the card out of the envelope, so I positioned my hearts at a bit of a rakish angle, then continued that surprise with lots of glitter and foil papers.

Here's a photo of all the supplies I used:

I wanted to make sure all those layers stuck together really well, and I sometimes have trouble with glitter paper adhering, so I used Stick It Sheets on the back of all the foil and glitter papers --and the sentiment.

Here's everything after I got it die cut:

The sentiment is from a great set by Creative Expressions.  I use it often.
And, one more view of my sparkly card:

I wanted to make sure you've heard the exciting news!  Dies R Us now has a sister store located in Canada called Didi Crafts.  It will ship both to the Us and Canada.  Didi Crafts will carry some of the same products as Dies R Us, but most will be different.  Now our Canadian friends don't have to pay huge taxes or large shipping costs.  How great is that?!?!

I hope you check this blog every day for wonderful inspiration!  The design team is so creative, you don't want to miss anything.  Then, join in the challenges at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  Here's one last link to the Dies R Us Store for you, too! 

click below for:

STORE
CHALLENGE BLOG
FACEBOOK
INSPIRATION BLOG

FRIENDS OF DIES R US PINTEREST PAGE

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
D.L. Art -- January Linky Party
Outlawz Festive Fridays -- ATG
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends -- ATG
Cute Card Thursday -- What's New? (stacked heart dies)

Birthday Snowflakes -- for Scrapy Land Challenges

It's the 3rd Wednesday of the month, and that means a new challenge starts today at Scrapy Land Challenges.  Uses a die from the many brands sold in the Scrapy Land Store, and it's Anything Goes.  One winner will get a $15  gift certificate to use in the Scrapy Land Store!

My brother has a birthday early in January and he loves to ski, so I'm always looking for a winter-themed card for him.  This is the card I sent him this year.  It's not skiing related, but definitely makes me think if winter:

That beautiful snowflake die set is from Sue Wilson.  It's called Festive Collection - Bold Snowflake Frame.  It comes with 5 dies, and I used all of them on this snowflake.

The Happy Birthday are dies from Crafter's Companion. 

The designer papers on this card are from We Are 3 Digital Shop.  They are part of the Snow Globes Collection.

I hope you join us at Scrapy Land Challenges these next 2 weeks for our Anything Goes with a die from the Scrapy Land Store.  

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
Outlawz Festive Fridays -- Birthday
Crazy4Challenges -- Winter Card
Crafter's Castle -- ATG
D.L. Art -- January Linky Party

Warm Winter Wishes -- for Dies R Us Challenge Blog

How did we get to December already, crafty friends?  I think this month is going to go super fast!  I'm posting today on the Dies R Us Inspiration Blog, where I get to play with wonderful dies and great products found in the Dies R Us Store.

It has been cold, and there's has been ice on the lakes near my house for nearly a month now.  Ice fishing is well underway.  Yes, winter is here!  So, I used a gorgeous set of dies from Birch Press Designs, found in the Dies R Us Store to create today's wintry card:

 This uses the Glitz Snowflake Set.  It is currently out of stock.  but there are some other beautiful Birch Press Snowflake designs that are in stock.  All of the Birch Press Designs are so intricate and amazing to work with.  I just love them!

Here are all the supplies I used on this card -- you can see there's also a  Creative Expressions Festive Greetings Stamp Set tucked in there.  It has been my go-to set this Christmas season:

I started this card by picking put the paper colors.  I thought it would look amazing with some specialty papers, so I chose the base layer as a peacock blue foil, the the middle layer as a light blue glitter, then the top layer in white for contrast.

Here's the 3 layers die cut.  I used Stick It Adhesive Sheets on the back of each layer.

Dies R Us Store supplies used on this card:

Birch Press Glitz Snowflake

Creative Expressions Festive Greetings Clear Stamp Set

Stick It Adhesive Sheets

Before you get too busy with the busy holiday season, I'll leave you with one more view of this pretty card:

I hope you check this blog every day for wonderful inspiration!  The design team is so creative, you don't want to miss anything.  Then, join in the challenges at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  Here's one last link to the Dies R Us Store for you, too! 

click below for:

STORE
CHALLENGE BLOG
FACEBOOK
INSPIRATION BLOG

FRIENDS OF DIES R US PINTEREST PAGE

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Outlawz Festive Friday -- Christmas

Polkadoodles -- ATG

TTCRD -- ATG

One Card Panel, 3 Cards -- for Dies R Us Inspiration Blog

I'm pleased to be posting today for the Dies R Us Inspiration Blog.    I had a great time with today's post!  

I've been playing with a card panel die, and I want to show you what I've come up with!  One panel, 3 looks!

The die is a Diagonal Striped Card Panel Die from Frantic Stamper.  There's lots you can do with this!

The first card I created was a Christmas card:

I'll tell you more about it in a bit, but first, a photo of all the supplies used in today's projects:

All the die cut pieces for the first card look like this:

Once it was die cut, it was easy to put together.  I used Stick It Adhesive for small die cuts and the Best Glue Ever for everything else.

Card 2 is a thank you card.  In this one, the card is a landscape card, and I cut out a square to go behind the diagonal panel.  Here are all the parts of the card after they are die cut, but before they are put together:

Here's the assembled Thank You card:

The final card is a sympathy card.  I went back to the original orientation with this one.  Here are all the pieces die cut:

Here's the last card, assembled:

I'll give you links for all the wonderful dies and products I used on these cards, found in the Dies R Us Store: 

Frantic Stamper Diagonal Striped Card Panel

Creative Expressions 'Tis the Season

Creative Expressions With Sympathy

Stick It Adhesive Sheets

Best Glue Ever

I also used dies from Crafter's Companion, Sizzix, and Memory Box.   

I hope you enjoyed your visit and that I was able to inspire you to use your dies, create a project, and come play along with us at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog for your chance to win a gift voucher to the Dies R Us Store.  A new challenge begins on the 1st and 15th of every month.  Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Pinterest too.

click below for:

STORE 
 CHALLENGE BLOG
  FACEBOOK

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Festive Fridays --Christmas

D.L. Art --Oct linky Party

Lil Patch of crafty friends --ATG

'Tis the Season for Reindeer -- for Lavinia World Challenges

'Tis the season to start thinking seriously about making Christmas cards.  'Tis also time for a new challenge at Lavinia World Challenge Blog.  Challenges are Anything Goes, as long as you use a rubber or acrylic stamp (no digis).  There is a $15 gift certificate winner each challenge, and the design team chooses a few honorable mentions.  It's all great fun!

For this challenge, I made a Christmas card using a beautiful reindeer stamp.  It is one of the most realistic reindeer stamps I've ever seen!

I started by inking my background with distress inks and spritzed them with a light spray of water to make the "snow".  I let that dry very well.  In the meantime, I die cut the snow drifts and the Tis the Season sentiment.  Once I knew the background was good and dry, I stamped the Reindeer stamp (small)  onto the inked background.  I stamped the Reindeer with VersaFine Clair ink in Nocturne.  All I had to do was glue the pieces of the card together and I was done!

I hope you join us at Lavinia World Challenges.  I'd love to see what you make, and you just might win that $15 gift certificate from the Lavinia World Store! 

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
The Outlawz Festive Fridays -- Christmas
2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge -- ATG with a Critter
DigiChoosday -- ATG
Pink Gem Challenge -- ATG
We Love 2 Create Challenge -- ATG
D.L. Art -- October Linky Party

Autumn Wheelbarrow -- for Scrapy Land Challenges

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's challenge time on the Scrapy Land Challenge Blog. Challenges are always Anything Goes, as long as you use a brand of die sold in the Scrapy Land Store.  Nearly 50 brands of dies are sold in the Scrapy Land Store, so this is easy to do!

It is officially Fall, and it has felt like Fall for quite some time where I live, so I got out some Autumn dies and fall colored papers for today's card.  I love the colors of Fall!

The focal point of the card, the Autumn Wheelbarrow, is a Tutti Designs die.  I love how delicate and scrolled it is when cut out!  The white doily behind the Autumn Wheelbarrow  is from Cheery Lynn Designs.  It is called French Pastry.   The pumpkins and leaves are all from the same set.  They are from Yvonne Creations, and are the Fabulous Fall, Autumn Leaves.  The grass is part of a large set of dies from Creative Expressions. It is called Stitched Collection - Garden Critters.  There are many grass borders, if you search in the Scrapy Land store.  My search provided me with 41 possibilities.  The card base was cut out from a die.  It is from Card Deco. 

I stamped the sentiment on to the doily.  It is a stamp from Joy's Life Stamps.  The designer papers on this card are from the We Are 3 Digital Shop.  They are the Fall Inspiration collection. 

Please try to join us at Scrapy Land Challenges!  Make a project with any brand die sold in the Scrapy Land Store and link up!  You could be the winner of a $15 gift certificate! 

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
TTCRD -- ATG
Dies R Us Challenge Blog -- ATG
D.L. Art -- October Linky Party
Crafty Gals Corner -- Fall Colors
Crafty Creations Challenges -- ATG

Ho Ho Ho -- for the 12 Months of Christmas Link Up

It's October 1st (Yikes!), and that means we're one month closer to Christmas, and one month closer to needing those Christmas cards made!  It also means it's time for a new linky party at the 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. This month's optional theme is Sensational Santas.  Our sponsor is Limited Runs.  Keep in mind, though, you don't need to follow the twist to win a paper, or the $10 gift certificate from our sponsor.  To be eligible to win this month's featured paper pack, you do need to follow the Sensational Santa theme, displaying a Santa somewhere on your card.  The digital papers are made each month by the lovely Lisa Decosse of Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. 

I used Limited Run's digital image, Mini Santa, to create this:

I colored the Mini Santa with Copic markers, then fussy cut it out.  I used two different papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles.  Both the Santa and the plaid papers are Lisa's. 

I used a sketch from the Outlawz Wednesday Sketch Challenge to help me create this card.  Here's the sketch: 

The Ho Ho Ho sentiment is a die from Creative Expressions, purchased through the Dies R Us Store.  The decorative brads are retired, from Close To My Heart.  The stitched oval dies are from Cottage Cutz. 

Remember to link up any Christmas cards you make this month at the 12 Months of Christmas Link Up.  Link up one with a Santa theme to be eligible for this month's paper pack.  Link up any card and you might win the awesome prize from Limited Runs!

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
Outlawz Wednesday Sketch Challenge --through Oct 2
Outlawz Festive Fridays -- Christmas
The Holly and the Ivy Christmas Challenge -- AT Christmas Goes

Believe in the Magic -- for Colour Crazy Challenges

It's Friday, and that means there's a new challenge starting today on the Colour Crazy Challenge Blog. The challenges are always Anything Goes, as long as your images are hand colored with any medium you choose.

This week, our sponsor is Fred, She Said.  I had the absolute pleasure of working with this Hat Tipping Snowman:

I colored up this Hat Tipping Snowman with my favorite coloring medium- Copic markers.  The sentiment is an acrylic stamp from Creative Expressions. The snowman is cut out and backed with 2 Spellbinders dies.  The snowflakes are cut out with Lawn Fawn dies. 

The fun papers are from We Are 3 Digital Shop.  They are the Snowmen papers. 

I used the sketch from this month's Cheerful Sketches Challenge to create this card. Here's the sketch:

I hope you can join us this week at the Colour Crazy Challenge.  We've got a great sponsor, and I'd love to see your creations! 

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
Cheerful Sketches Challenge -- September
Winter Wonderland -- use your favorite embellishment (die cuts)
CHNC -- anything Christmas
Outlawz Festive Fridays -- Christmas

Never Stop Exploring - for the Path of Positivity and Bugaboo

It's the first Monday of the month, and it's time for a new challenge at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog.  Bugaboo Stamps is one of our sponsors this month, and I'm on the Bugaboo design team, so I'm doubling up and posting this on the Catch the Bug blog also.
We're also sponsored by Scribbles Designs each month, with a chance to win a gift certificate from them each month, just for following our theme and linking up.

Speaking of themes, they are optional.  This month's optional theme is "curiosity".  You can follow that theme, or link up any positive themed project you'd like.

Bugaboo Stamps has a stamp for anything you can imagine.  Even curiosity! 

Since school started late last week in the small town where I live, I made a bookmark with this cute, cute image.  This is Bugaboo Stamps digi, Knobby Knees Girl Bugs, colored with Copic markers. 

I used a few different dies to make this bookmark.  The largest tag die is from Paper Wishes.  The smaller tag, including the piece where the computer generated sentiment is, was purchased in the Dies R Us Store are by Creative Expressions.  The pretty dragonfly die is from Cheery Lynn. I used a foil stamp and foil machine to create the background on the large tag. 

It's Anything But a Card day today at Catch the Bug. Check out what the other Bugaboo Stamps designer created today. 

Join us this month at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog for our optional themed curiosity challenge.  I'd love to see what you make!

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
Pink Gem Challenge -- ATG
Crafts Galore Encore -- ATG
Outlawz Saturday Paper ala Mode -- Craft your Hobby

An Amazing Hummer -- for Scrapy Land Challenges

It's the 3rd Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for a new challenge over on the Scrapy Land Challenge Blog.  Challenges go for 2 weeks, and are always Anything Goes, as long as you use a die sold in the Scrapy Land Store.  Scrapy Land sells over 55 brands of dies (that equates to hundreds of dies) so you have plenty to choose from!

I love hummingbirds!  They are beautiful, incredible flyers, very spunky, and great fun to watch at a bird feeder.  If you've ever been lucky enough to see a hummingbird nest, it's a sight you'll not soon forget.  So, when I saw this Creative Expressions Triple Layer Collection Hummingbird die, I had to have it! 

This particular die has sold out, but there are other Creative Expressions Triple Layer dies in the Scrapy Land Store.  I really like the Triple Layer dies.  They are very easy to work with, and you can use 1, 2, or all 3 layers like I did here.  

The outside frame is also from Creative Expressions.  It is no longer available, but is the Poppy Frames & Tags dies set.  I used the outside layers to create this card. 

The patterned papers on this card are from We Are 3 Digital Shop.  The metallic paper used with the hummingbird was purchased from Crafters Companion.  The sentiment is an acrylic stamp from Close To My Heart, and the crinkle ribbon is from D.L. Art.

Here's another view where the metallic shine shows a little differently:

I found the hummer a bit difficult to photograph with the reflection of the metallic paper.

Anything Goes with a die from the Scrapy Land Store -- easy, right?  I hope you join us this next 2 weeks!  I'd love to see your creations! 

I'd also like to give you a chance to win some blog candy I have.  I turned 60 on July 6th, and I have over $60 of crafty supplies I'm giving away to a lucky winner.  See this post for details on how you can win it. 

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
D.L. Art -- July Linky Party 
Always Fun Challenges -- Paper Piecing (dragonfly)
Crafty Cardmakers -- Here Comes Summer
Dragonfly Dreams -- Things with Wings
Outlawz Sunday Songs & Rhymes -- first bird singing

Perfect -- a New Release for DigiStamps4Joy

It's Sunday, and there are some incredible new releases you need to check out today in the DigiStamps4Joy store, with inspiration from the design team on the DS4J blog.  Great work!  Well worth the visit!

The digi I'm showcasing today is by a fairly new artist to the DigiStamps4Joy store, Tanya O'Connor.

This digi image is called Strong Lady 6.  She was a joy to color.  I tried a few new techniques on her, which is always fun for me.  I tried for a darker skin tone than usual, and the opaque veil was  very fun to experiment with. I used Copic markers on this digi image.

Recipe:

Card shape cut from Silhouette Design Store file
lace and ribbon -- 3 Girl JAM
Designer paper -- My Mind's Eye
Craft dies -- Susan Wilson (Creative Expressions)
Sentiment -- Close To My Heart
card stock -- Close To My Heart

Thanks for stopping by today!

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
D.L. Art -- August Linky party
Sister Act Card Challenge - ATG
Art by Miran Challenge -- ATG
Through the Craftroom Door -- ATG
QKR Stampede -- ATG