A Reason To Celebrate ~ Double D Challenge

Happy New Year friends and happy 9th birthday to Darlene and Diane from DD Challenges!

Who knew that 9 years ago would be the start of all their amazing challenges?

 

 

To celebrate, their theme for this new challenge is "Anniversary / Birthday".  

I pulled out this fun Award Winning die set from The Greetery and stamped the sentiment from Inflated Sentiments to wish them both the greatest celebration.

 

There's plenty of room in this challenge to spark your creativity, but here's an inspiration panel to further inspire you.

 

 

 

Here's the prize you could win when you play along:

 

 

Visit the DD Challenge blog to see more amazing inspiration and join in on the fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Year In Review ~ 2024 Favorites

Hello friends!  As we say goodbye to 2024 and prepare to welcome in the new year, I thought it would be fun to join in on the challenge at A Cut Above with "A Year In Review".

 

I'll jump right in with some of my favorite projects from each month, beginning with "A Little Retro Valentine Fun" in January.

 

 

 Original post found here.

Also for January (it was a tie), a Valentine Ornament Box ~ original post found here.

 

 

 There's no question that I love making these ornament boxes.

February ~ Original post found here

March ~ Original post found here

April ~ Original post found here

 

 

May ~  Original post found here

 

 

June ~ Original post found here

 

 

July ~  Original post found here

 

 

August ~ Original post found here

 

September ~  Original post found here

 

 

October ~ Original post found here

 

 

November ~ Original post found here

 

 

December ~    Original post found here 

 

Upon looking back on my favorite posts, I realize I am more than a card maker.  I love making lots of different things using paper.  Which is your favorite, and why??

 

I'll be linking this post up to A Cut Above ~ "Looking Back" 

I wish you all a safe, healthy and prosperous new year!

 

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!

Gingerbread Bakery

Hello to all!  I'm going to make an attempt to get all my Christmas projects posted and clean out my photo file.  Today's offering is a trio of cards made using Papertrey Ink's Gingerbread Bakery set.

I thought the chalkboard style stamp in this set makes the perfect menu board for all these yummy treats.

 

I bought this set last year and hadn't inked it up until this season of Christmas card making.  I added a tree from their Christmas Tree Farm set and the coffee cup is from my stash.  An older die from Impression Obsession.

 

The woodgrain background gives these cards a natural farmhouse look.

 

 

I had an extra chalkboard sign left over, so I added it to a snowflake embossed background and added some yummy desserts.

 

 

All sugared up!  The Plum Pudding is from Elizabeth Craft Designs and the pie is from Spellbinders.  These yummy desserts make my mouth water for something sweet. 

 

I'll be entering one of these cards into the following challenges:

Word Art Wednesday ~ Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks Challenge ~ All Occasion

Cut It Up ~ Anything Goes

Christmas Kickstart Challenge ~ Anything Goes Christmas

Simon Says Monday ~ Cold & Frosty

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!