Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Double D - RED

Dear Ones~
This time over at Double D, the challenge is RED. How fun!!! Here is the Mood Board for our inspiration. Just look at all that red goodness!

This is my card:
This adorable  mushroom stencil and die set by Pink Fresh was gifted to my by the lovely and talented Bobby Hagen over at Bits & Pieces. Thank you, Bobby!!! Go check out her blog. She is UBER creative, and the queen of Clean and Simple. I cut out the GKD Bubbles Cover Plate 4 times and glued them together for dimension, and then attached them to a GKD Lipstick panel. I love that bright Lipstick color. The Terrarium Die Set, also a gift from Bobby, is a perfect backdrop for the mushrooms, especially when cut out of vellum. I had to attach the bits and bobs to the terrarium so that I could glue down the vellum. As most of you know, glue will show through vellum.



 The Ingredients:
GKD Red Hot, Lipstick and White Card Stock
GKD Bubbles Cover Plate
Pink Fresh Studios The Magic is You Stencil and Die Set
Pink Fresh Studios Terrarium Die Set
Various Altenew Fresh Dye Inks
Honey Bee Stamps Mini Messages: Everyday for Greeting
SU Bumblebee Trinkets
Trinity Stamps Bubble Blowout Baubles
Ranger White Enamel Accents for Spots on Mushrooms

 
 
 If you head on over to the  Double D Challenge Blog and play along, you could win this Penny Black "Across the Miles" Premium 3.25"x4.50" Card Stock.  Also, don't forget to check out all the beautiful cards the other designers have created.

So, until next time dear readers, ASPIRE to be INSPIRED. 
Here's celebrating your CREATIVE MUSE!!
~judy

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Can You Handle the Pressure - The Letter F

Dear Ones~  There's a new challenge over at Can You Handle the Pressure.   For this challenge blog you MUST use an EMBOSSING FOLDER on your project.  Heat embossing (with embossing powder) is permitted but only IN ADDITION to your embossing folder design.  Each new challenge will have a 'TWIST' which is optional ... your choice to use or not.

The OPTIONAL TWIST for today's challenge is:

THE LETTER "F"
 
This is my card:
I chose FEATHERS AND FERNS for my letter "F".  I think these little birds are just so sweet. I die cut them with watercolor paper and painted them with Tim Holtz Watercolor Pencils. Very fun. I die cut the PRAYERS die in two different colors and then offset them a bit for more dimension.




The Ingredients:
GKD White, Black Onyx and Turquoise Sea Cardstock
Recollections Green Card Stock
SU Fern Embossing Folder
Spellbinders Little Chickadee Die Set
Spellbinders Sweet Birdie Die Set
Hero Arts Prayers Stamp & Cut Die
Scrapbook.com Sprigs Die
Tim Holtz Watercolor Pencils
 
 
 
 So head on over to the Can You Handle the Pressure Blog and play along, and don't forget to check out all the beautiful cards the other designers have created while you are there. I can't wait to see all your wonderful designs!!

 Until next time dear reader, I hope you "can handle the pressure"!
Here's celebrating your CREATIVE MUSE.
judy

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Double D - HEARTS

Dear Ones~
The Day of Love is almost here - Valentine's Day!!!!! So what better topic to have for our next challenge than HEARTS. Here's the Mood Board for our inspiration:

This is my sample:
I made this card for our son. It's hard for me to make masculine Valentine cards, but I think this one will do it for him. I am really beginning to enjoy and use digital images, mostly purchased on Etsy. These images are from Tracy Fox's collection - LoveJunkJournals.com . I love her work. This is a mini slimline, and I did a collage of hearts atop an embossed white panel.







Here's a closer look.

 







The Ingredients:
GKD Tranquil Teal and White Card Stock
Recollections Holographic Foil Card Stock
Tracy Fox Digital Images
HOTP You are Loved Stamp
Sizzix Mark Making Hearts Embossing Folder
Tim Holtz Circuit Embossing Folder
GKD Rainbow Hearts Embellishments

 
 
 
If you head on over to the  Double D Challenge Blog and play along, you could win this fabulous patterned paper pack.  Also, don't forget to check out all the beautiful cards the other designers have created.
 
 
So, until next time dear readers, ASPIRE to be INSPIRED. 
Here's celebrating your CREATIVE MUSE!!
~judy

Monday, February 3, 2025

A Cut Above

A Cut Above

 
Dear Ones~
It's a new month, and time for a new challenge over at  A Cut Above Challenge Blog
 
Challenges are on a monthly basis and posted on the first Monday of the month at 12:00 AM (Eastern Time) and ending on the 28th of each month 8:00 PM (Eastern Time) with the winner posted on the 30th of that month. The theme is always anything goes with a die cut. However, this month there is an option, which is NEW. You can use something NEW, celebrate the NEW Year, or just do anything goes. Entirely up to you.

Limit of 3 entries per challenge with each being a different project.

Any project is welcome but MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE DIE CUT defined by using a die cut machine, not a purchased pre-fabricated die cut. Winner is chosen by random draw, and will receive a $5 gift card to A Cherry On Top Online Store along with a dated badge to display on their craft site.
 
This is my sample:
I have been playing with a new-to-me scene builder set from Honey Bee Stamps called Lakeside Scene Builder. You die cut the background scene all in one, and then use a set of stencils to color up the image. There are 6 stencils. I must say it was a bit of a challenge to pick just the right colors to get good dimension. I need to practice this more, but it was fun to do. There is also a die set called Summer Cabins Honey Cuts that lets you build several different styles of cabins to add to the scene. I used some dies from that set for the die cut pine trees.



The Ingredients:
GKD Christmas Pine, Ivory and White Cardstock
Honey Bee Stamps Lakeside Scene Builder
Honey Bee Stamps At the Lake Stencils
Honey Bee Stamps Summer Cabin Honey Cuts
GKD Thanks Die for Greeting
Various GKD Inks
Stash Vellum for Greeting
White Gel Pen for "Snow"on the Mountain


 
 I hope you will jump in and MAKE THE CUT!! I can't wait to see what you come up with. So head on over to the A CUT ABOVE BLOG to see what it's all about. And if you play along, you could win a $5 gift card to A Cherry On Top.
 
Until next time, dear reader, aspire to be inspired.
Here's celebrating your Creative Muse. 

~judy

Saturday, January 25, 2025

Can You Handle the Pressure - SNOW

Dear Ones~
The the optional twist for the new challenge over at Can You Handle the Pressure is SNOW. To be honest, I don't know how I feel about that. Living in Northern Michigan, I'm kinda over looking at snow...haha!!!!😄 But there are lots of possibilities.  For this challenge blog you MUST use an EMBOSSING FOLDER on your project.  Heat embossing (with embossing powder) is permitted but only IN ADDITION to your embossing folder design.  Each new challenge will have a 'TWIST' which is optional ... your choice to use or not. As I said, the option this time is SNOW.
 
Here's what I came up with:
One of the perks of sitting on design teams is that you get to see all the wonderful creations that makers share on their blogs. An entry on a recent challenge used this adorable image. I wish I could remember who that creator was, but I HAD to have that Penny Black stamp. I just think the little image is so dear and sweet,  and it's very conducive to paper piecing, one of my favorite techniques. I love using the beautiful Tim Holtz Cut and Emboss Snowflake. It embosses and then cuts out the snowflake, and never disappoints. I stamped and heat embossed that greeting on vellum, love that look.



 
 The Ingredients:
GKD White, Black, and Turquoise Sea Card Stock
SU Softly Falling Embossing Folder for Background Panel
Tim Holtz Cut & Emboss Snowflake Embossing Folder
BoBunny Altitude Patterned Paper
Penny Black Bundled Buddies Stamp
Mama Elephant Sunday Sentiments Stamp for Greeting 

 
 
 
 
So head on over to the Can You Handle the Pressure Blog and play along,  and don't forget to check out all the beautiful cards the other designers have created while you are there. I can't wait to see all your wonderful designs!!
 
 Until next time dear reader, I hope you "can handle the pressure"!
Here's celebrating your CREATIVE MUSE.
judy

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Double D - WHITE ON WHITE

 Dear Ones~
This time over at Double D the challenge is WHITE ON WHITE. This is one of my favorite styles, so I am delighted Darlene has brought this to us. Here is the Mood Board for our inspiration. Isn't it lovely?

Here's my card:
As I said, white on white is one of my favorite techniques, and I was delighted that Darlene chose this as our challenge this time. I thought it would be fun to use the Funky Insects from Tim Holtz for something different. Did you know that insects can be elegant too??? I decided to stamp the greeting on vellum and heat emboss with white to keep the white on white look.




These are the Ingredients:
GKD White Card Stock
Lisa Horton Waves and Bubbles Embossing Folder
Elizabeth Crafts Designs Elegant Ornament Die
Tim Holtz Funky Insects Die Set
Spellbinders Summer Labels Motif
SSS Birthday Basics Stamp by Cathy Zielske for Greeting
Trinity Stamps White Pearl Baubles
 
 
 
 
 
If you head on over to the  Double D Challenge Blog and play along, you could win one of these two stencils. There are 2 prizes this challenge in celebration of our 9th anniversary.  Also, don't forget to check out all the beautiful cards the other designers have created.
 
 
 
 
So, until next time dear readers, ASPIRE to be INSPIRED. 
Here's celebrating your CREATIVE MUSE!!
~judy

Saturday, January 11, 2025

Can You Handle the Pressure - 3D Embossing

 

Dear Ones~  There's a new challenge over at Can You Handle the Pressure.   For this challenge blog you MUST use an EMBOSSING FOLDER on your project.  Heat embossing (with embossing powder) is permitted but only IN ADDITION to your embossing folder design.  Each new challenge will have a 'TWIST' which is optional ... your choice to use or not.

The OPTIONAL TWIST for today's challenge is:

3D (use a 3D embossing folder)
 
 This is my card:
I needed to make a masculine thank you card, so I thought this was a great opportunity to pull out that fabulous Tim Holtz Acorns Embossing Folder. And what better embellishment than feathers for a masculine card. I have had a bag of these in my stash for a long time, can't remember where I got them, but they are great for that extra touch of masculinity.



The Ingredients:
GKD Chocolate Truffle, Kraft and Ivory Cardstock
Tim Holtz Acorns 3D Embossing Folder
SU Way to Goat Stamp for Greeting
Life Long Love Patterned Paper from Amazon
Trinity Stamps Gold Baubles



 
 
 
 Head on over to the Can You Handle the Pressure Blog, and don't forget to check out all the beautiful cards the other designers have created while you are there. I can't wait to see all your wonderful designs!!
 
Until next time dear reader, I hope you "can handle the pressure"!
Here's celebrating your CREATIVE MUSE.
judy