Avian Field Notes ~ Double D Challenges

Are you a bird lover?  I sure am!  I enjoy watching the birds (and pesky squirrels) eating at our feeders every day.  The DD Challenges duo, Darlene and Diane have a fantastic challenge for you this next two weeks, with the theme of "Birds".

 

I'm all in on this one!  I pulled out Honeybee Stamps Lovely Layers Winter Birds to create a vintage style card.  One that you might find in a book of Avian Field Notes. 

 

 

I've tucked in some leaves and berries from Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms.  This is all nestled on top of a wonderful numeric embossing folder from Carabelle Studios.  I rubbed a bit of Walnut Stain DOX Ink over the numbers to give it a time worn look.

 

A couple of Tim Holtz Field Notes stamps are included to finish this entry.

 

I do hope you'll visit DD Challenge to see more avian inspired designs from our gifted team.

Here's the inspiration tile to help you get started:

 

And here's what you could win when you play along.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Little Ombre for Christmas

I just happened to see that the Group of Seven Card Makers started a new challenge using "Ombre" for their design element. 

 

 It just happens that I had this card that I haven't posted, where I made an ombre background using Distress Inks.

 

I used Pine Needles, Mowed Lawn and Shabby Shutters for the ombre.

 

 

 Then I spritzed it with water and ran it through my die cutting machine with a Tim Holtz pine bough embossing folder.  I gently rubbed white pigment ink over the pine boughs and added some white splatters.

 

The Poinsettia and Noel is also from Tim Holtz.  I added a shadow on Noel using brown glitter paper.  This card is 100% Tim Holtz products.

I'll be adding this card to the following challenges:

Group of Seven Card Makers ~ Ombre

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks Challenge ~ All Occasion

Cut It Up ~ Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Pretty Packaging

The final countdown to Christmas day has begun!  I have so many Christmas projects that I haven't shared on my blog.  I think the posts could take me well into 2025.  

 

Today's share are these cute little gift boxes that I covered.  They reminded me of my beloved pencil box that I would get each year at the beginning of the school season.  

 

I thought these would be great for holding small gifts, but for photo purposes I filled them with chocolate.  That would make a fine gift too, I suppose!

 

 

This box is decked out with the Tim Holtz snowflake, which was a new favorite die that I got to work with this year.  It comes with these delightful ice skates.  I placed them over a vellum scalloped circle to soften the underneath.

I don't know why I have such fond memories of looking forward to school shopping and finding the perfect pencil box that would travel with me throughout the school year, as I walked to and from grade school every day.  (I lived directly across the street from the primary school, so it was very convenient.)

 

 A second box was covered using more papers from Stampin' Up.  This one with woodland animals.

This box has another vellum scalloped circle, Tim Holtz Snowflake and cute little fox from CottageCutz.

 

My pencil boxes were like little treasure chests that I would keep special things in throughout the school year along with crisply sharpened pencils, a small 6" ruler, erasers and crayons.  

 

If you've stuck with me through his post, thanks for indulging me while I reminisced of days gone by.

 

I'll be entering one of these projects into the following challenges:
Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Christmas Kickstart Challenge ~ Anything Christmas

Cut It Up ~ Use More Than One Die

The Sisterhood of Crafters ~ Christmas

A Cut Above ~ Anything Goes

Love Those Pretty Papers ~ Christmas

Thanks for stopping by!

Warm & Cozy ~ Double D Challenge

Bundle up for the new Double D Challenge!  You're going to love the theme, it's "Warm & Cozy". 

 

For today's card, I pulled out a warm and cozy embossing folder from Tim Holtz and and older PTI coffee cup die set.

 

I can't think of more sage advice than this.  Take each day as it is handed to you.  One cup at a time.

Diane put together this warm & cozy inspiration tile:

I was inspired by three of the four tiles.  Can you guess which ones?

And here's the prize that you could win when you play along.  I can't wait to see your warm & cozy project in the link at Double D Challenges.

I'll also be adding this card to the following challenges:

 

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Time Out Challenges ~ Cozy 

Inspiration Station ~ Challenge #67

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Rent-A-Cat

Hello friends ~ In the course of trying to use up printed papers from my vast paper stash, I recreated a card design from June.  You can see the original post here. 

I was able to use up printed papers that have been sitting idle for many years.  To be honest, I don't even recall what company they were from as they were already cut into.  If these papers look familiar and you know the company, let me know in the comments.  I'll edit this post to give credit where due.

 

 

 I recycled a piece of cardboard packaging from Tim Holtz, as you can see on the message panel.  That is one of his signature designs you can find in his ephemera packages.  I cut it using an old Spellbinders Label die, stamped a message and added a black kitty sticker from Simple Stories.  The pumpkin sticker is from the same pack.

Lots of stars were added for a magical, finishing touch.  I wish I could remember where this printed paper came from.  It was filled with funny Halloween ads and the quality is heavy weight and textured.  A dream to cut and work with.

 

You can see another great advertisement on the back of the card for Esmeralda's Monster Cream.  I might need to add that to my nightly skin care routine.  (wink)

 

This card turned out super fun!  I hope you enjoyed your visit today.

I'll be adding this card to the following challenges:

Krafty Chick Challenge ~ All Occasion

Two Old Bats Halloween

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Collecting Specimens From The Garden

It's September already.  The summer flew by!  The leaves are already starting to turn color here on the east coast and the flowers in my gardens are showing off their final signs of glory for the season.  

Earlier this spring, I collected some flower heads from the gardens and pressed them in a book.  I left them in the book for about 10 days to make sure they were well pressed and dried.

I collected Johnny Jump Ups, Jonquils, Geum, Bleeding Heart, and more.  I scavenged the yard for wild flowers as well.  Here they are, all flattened and dried.  Now, what to do with them?

The Tim Holtz Specimen dies were just what I needed to create slides using the flowers I had collected and will next be made into cards.  

I stamped the slides randomly with field label stamps that I have collected from Tim Holtz, Spellbinders and other various companies.  

It will bring me great joy sharing these collected earthen treasures with others when I give them a handmade card.

I will sit in my craft room when the weather is cold and snowy and be able to create love in a card with the flowers from my spring garden.

Even now, they bring me joy just flipping through them.

I added recycled acetate to the window portion of each slide to protect the flowers.

The long slides are from Elizabeth Craft Designs Planner Dies, Film Slides.  

This is one of my favorites.  The flowers pressed so perfectly.

....or maybe this one is my favorite.

I needed a place to store the slides, so I made this little box using Elizabeth Craft Designs Book Box.

It has a magnetic closure, to which I added a chunky vintage button.

I had so much fun making these specimen slides using natural resources from the garden.  I hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as I enjoyed making them.

I'll be entering these into the following challenge:

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Recycle It

Cut It Up ~ Anything Goes

Creative Artiste Challenge ~ Anything Goes Mixed Media

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Stamp It

Thanks for stopping by!

Spring Curio Box

Hello friends~ After getting 17" of snow dumped on us last week from a spring nor' easter and losing power for two days, I'm eagerly looking for any signs of spring in our neck of the woods.

I find solace and comfort and the hope of spring in my craft room amidst the beautiful paper flowers.

I made this spring bunny curio box using Mintay Papers Spring is Here Collection.  

The flowers and butterflies in the die cut pack are so colorful and pretty.  I layered two of the butterflies to add dimension, and a dose of WOS to add sparkle, which is slightly visible in the photo.  In real life it is very sparkly.

This little bunny and more layered flowers were just what my longing heart needed.

The box was made using Tim Holtz Curio Box.  

This picture shows pretty well, all the layers and beautiful papers.

I hope you're enjoying spring weather where ever you are.  As of today, most of the snow has melted and the spring bulbs that were buried under the snow have blossomed and bring joy and hope to my heart!  

I'll be adding this project to the following challenges:

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters ~ Showers or Flowers

Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Spring Flowers

Color Throwdown ~ Pink, Green and Yellow

The Flower Challenge ~ Add Layers

Thanks for stopping by!