Guest Designing Today At The Shabby Tea Room

Hello Friends,

I am so excited as today I am a guest designer at The Shabby Tea Room.

You can imagine how honored I felt when I was invited to do so

as the Design Team there is "fabulous"!!!

 

 

We were to use this photo as our inspiration piece....

and it was to have pumpkins, burlap and twine

I was a bit intimidated at first, as I knew it just had to be my very best....

So one night while in a "sleepless" state I came up with an idea to stamp a

"shabby chic" scarecrow, not realizing I only owned one scarecrow stamp....

but as it turns out I think it was perfect for what I had in mind....

The card just somewhat fell together for me...

 

 

I had ordered a wonderful Cheery Lynn Designs pumpkin die HERE....

thinking it was just "perfect" for my "idea"

my pumpkins were cut from DS paper...rather shabby, don't you think?

 

I also saw on another blog that DCWV had a burlap paper out.

It is real burlap that  is adhered to paper, so when you cut it, there isn't any fraying.

I found it in a Joann's Fabric store, and there is where my card was built from...

 

I hope you have enjoyed my post today...and YOU can join in the challenge this week

at "The Shabby Tea Room" using the inspiration photo from above....

Simple Elegance

I wanted to share with you my post up on the Classy Cards 'n Such blog today.

I would love to have you pop on over and leave some love!!

Don't forget you can get a 10% discount there by using my code

DIANE-10

 

 

Welcome to the Classy Cards 'n Such blog today....

it's Diane here with you to show you my "Simple Elegance" card I made for fall.

 

 

I love everything about this card

starting with the gorgeous Flourishes stamp set called "Autumn Blessings"

One of my favorite things about Flourishes stamps are the precise, perfect

image you get with each stamp, making them a breeze to color!

Speaking of color, I used my Tim Holtz Distress Markers and water pen on watercolor paper.

There are so many colors to work with in this set, making an easy, easy job of shading!!

You may purchase them single HERE or join the Distress Marker club HERE.

 

I mounted my piece on my newest Spellbinders Decorative Labels Eight die....

I cut the die on Champaign Neenah Pearlized Metallic paper....

I love this paper, it is a nice sturdy weight and has a bit of a metallic "bling" to it!!

 

 

Underneath all this goodness, is a Designer Paper from Authenique "Tradition".

There are numerous paper pads to choose from HERE

 

Other items I used in the making of my card are:

 

Cuttlehug Large......this makes a onetime pass with the intricate dies, I use it every time!

Scor-tape 1/2"........this sticks and holds!!

Joy Foam Pads Small...to pop up my image

 

Thanks for visiting with me today!!

I am entering this card into a few challenges

Crafting By Designs is "anything goes"
and
Simon Says "anything goes"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Autumn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My computer has it's days and nights mixed up....

kind of like a baby, but the difference is, the computer is annoying!!

Right smack in the middle of the day when I want to work

"IT" wants to do a virus scan.....ugh....that takes forever

and I don't even bother to work, as it just bogs me down.....

 

Well, enough complaining and on to my 2nd post for today....

I dreamed this card up last night while wide awake when I should be sleeping....

I wanted to enter a card at "The Kraft Journal"...

I was in the Top 3 pick last week...thank you so much!!

 

This weeks challenge is to use the inspiration photo/colors below

 

 

Easy for me, as I LOVE to make fall cards almost as much as Christmas!!

I got out my neglected QuicKutz Squeeze and cut my maple leaves from

my new Doodlebug fall papers.... 

I love these papers as the prints are so tiny...perfect for small projects!

 

 

I embossed on Kraft cardstock, added a SU Very Vanilla panel

and the sentiment "Autumn" is from Just Rite...

I even finished the inside of my card.....

 

I am also entering this card in a few other challenges

 

 

CAS-ology....."Autumn"

 

and

 

Die Cut Divas...use a die cut and Fall colors
and
Craftin Desert Divas Linky Party Autumn/Fall

Love To Garden

I had great fun putting this card together using NBUS

what did you say?

What is NBUS....well I'll give you a lesson....

Over on Darnell's blog, she has created this word "NBUS"

and I  LOVE it...oh wait , you need to know what it means

 "Never Before Used Stuff"

I bet you have plenty of that don't you...come on, tell the truth!!

Isn't that a great word, I wonder if it will make it in the dictionary??
 

 

So, back to my card, I used NBUS!!

I won the "bling" stamp set (the word love) at least 4 years ago from Gina K, I think

the idea is to put "bling" in all those little circles...now that would be a lot of bling!

I liked it just like it is, plus it fit my challenge better

My other NBUS is the recently purchased Stampendous Seeds Background stamp

I love this stamp, and am so glad I got to put it to use!

And lets not leave out the Lockhart apron stamp....

I had ordered an apron stamp from somewhere and this one was sent to me by mistake...

When I contacted them, they told me to keep the "mistake" and sent me the one I ordered..

So very nice, but this was several years ago as well...NBUS again!! 

 

Now that , that is out of the way...lol...it brings us to the challenge I am entering...

I subscribe to Papercrafters Corner and have for quite sometime...

Every Monday they have a MAGAZINE MONDAY  challenge

 using a magazine cover for inspiration....

Here is this weeks cover.....

 

 

Isn't it cute??

I focused on the colors, the polka dots, and the word "love"...

If you notice Minnie's shoes, they are yellow, so I brought a splash of yellow in

with the towel hanging from the apron....

you can't tell in the photo but, the towel was stamped on a NBUS yellow velour paper....

And last, usually Minnie is wearing a bow on her head, so I added the red satin bow....

That's it .......so......head on over and give it a try!!

Shabby Apples~The Spendor of Fall

This has been a superb year in Michigan for the apple crop....

There are so many apples on the trees that even the ground is loaded with them....

A blessing, as last year we had a hard frost when the apple blossoms bloomed

making the crops not too plentiful!!

 

I have been "pinning" all sorts of apple "foodies" on Pinterest...

I have been buying bags of apples...yum!

 

So, it was a pleasure to see that this week the theme at

The Shabby Tea Room is "APPLES"

using this inspiration photo....

 

 

I made a card with some "shabby goodness"

 

 

using a paper doily or two.....an apple stamp from a "Unity kit of the month"....

adding some sequins for a bit of  "bling".....

shabby twill tape....

and the best part...

this card smells "yummy"...

I had a bit of creative goodness and I added a tiny cinnamon stick

tied with a piece of twine!

 

 

Also want to thank The Shabby Tea Room once again for choosing

my card for last week's Top 3...

so very honored!!

 

I am also entering my card into these challenges:

 

Sugar Creek Hollow.....Fall Is In The Air

 

and

 

My Creative Moments Word Play Saturday ....Seasons

 

and

 

Crafty Boots...."A" Is For Apple

To Love and Cherish

I went on a "small" shopping spree Saturday

looking for some of the new 6 x 6 burlap papers DCWV has out

I took the back roads and it was a pleasant trip....

seeing all the crops still waiting to be harvested....

 

Southwest, lower Michigan is known for all it's fruit and veggies grown here

The apple trees are loaded, I passed a HUGE cabbage patch waiting to be picked

Pumpkin fields everywhere...it just makes me feel good...plus the fact that I stopped

at the cutest fruit stand

they have a gift shop in it, baked goods (I purchased a pumpkin muffin) coffee

and the cutest little area to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee

I bought some butter rum candle nuggets...and they smelled so good, the hubs thought

they were something to eat...good thing he didn't

 

I did get my burlap paper at Joann Fabrics and also the nicest glitter paper I have seen,

also from DCWV, called Glitzy Glitter...it is a thin paper, and the glitter stays put.

you will love it.

 

 

Which brings me to this card....

I used the glitter paper to cut my CLD silver basket....

I filled it with aqua blue frosty flowers.....

the bow has a charm hanging from it that says "to Love and to Cherish"

the charm was on a wedding favor at my daughter's friend wedding....

the colors, aqua, silver, green and white are were the colors of her wedding....

this card will go to her for their anniversary....

how fun will it be to get one of her charms back?

 

And guess what??

It just so happens that this week at City Crafter

the challenge is this photo to use

 

 

and, you guessed it!!

silver, white, aqua and green...perfect!!

Feeling A Bit Shabby Today...Shabby Chic That Is

Happy first day of fall....

I love fall...however, today it's all about being shabby

"shabby chic"

I made this card with a couple of challenges in mind....
 

 

one is for The Shabby Tea Room using this inspiration photo....
 

 

the challenge is white and to add twine....

I decided to use a neutral, creamy white

AND

speaking of The Shabby Tea Room, I will be guest designing there on Sept 30th

I was in their Top 3 last week and won a gorgeous digital from "Digital Papers by Jan Etsy"

plus,  the honor of getting to guest design...

WOW...how great is that...these girls on the DT are amazing with their creations!!

Thank you so much The Shabby Tea Room!!

 

I am also entering this in the challenge at Joan's Gardens

to use neutral colors, a flourish, and photo (my photo comes from "The Graphic Fairy")

and a product from Joan's Gardens

I used a JustRite lacey background stamp, CLD Flourish, leaves, and the Sizzix Rolled Rose die,

 plus Kaiser pearls.
I trimmed around the edge of the background image to give my card a "shape"
 

My accordion fall card won last week at Joan's Gardens..

The prize...$25 in product from her shop...thank you so much Joan!!!

 

Happy First Day of Fall

 

Wow, can you believe it is already the "first day of fall"?

Where does the time go?

It will be the countdown to Christmas now...

 

I happen to LOVE fall....

I am ready for the flannels, jeans and sweaters...

all the beautiful colors, the smells, the good "autumn food"!!

 

This week at "A Beautiful World" the theme is "Fall"....

So I am here to share with you a few fall pictures in Michigan....

Michigan is beautiful in the fall with all it's glorious colors....

I hope you enjoy them....and "Happy Fall Ya'All"!!

 

Sometimes I mention on my blog that we are going to our "north" home....

it is a 5 1/2 hour drive for us, one way, but well worth it, I think!

well, this is the lane going back into it in the fall..

as is the first photo above.

 

This is my "happy girl" "Nellie"....

she went with me on the walk for these photos at the time I took these.

Isn't she just the sweetest??

 

These are some acorns we found along the way..

 

This is a view from the porch of our house...

you can just see Lake Huron to the right....

 

And last I leave you with a glorious Fall sunrise I took last fall...

this was taken from my home here one early morning!!

Pretty In Pink

I wanted to share my post with you at the
Classy Cards 'n Such blog today....
I would love for you to "pop" on over and leave me some love
if you could....
don't forget you can get a 10% discount at the Classy Cards 'n Such store
by using the discount DIANE-10
thanks bunches!!

Hi, it's Diane here with you today on the Classy Cards 'n such blog.

 

I had a bit of "change of pace" from making my fall cards and decided I needed

a "girlie" pink card!
 

 

This card is a bit different as I  used the Cheery Lynn Designs Chicken Wire

die on a A2 card and let it "overhang" the card, making it stand out a bit more!

Adhered with Scor-tape 1/2 on top of the chicken wire is a Cheery Lynn Design die

called "French Pastry".

I used the Cheery Lynn Design dies Cutie Fringe II for the large flower and

Cutie Fringe IV for the two smaller flowers...

These fringe dies are so much fun, so easy to make, and turn out beautiful flowers

for your projects!!  I used Pearls for the centers of each flower.

 

I have enjoyed my time on Classy Cards 'n Such....thank you for having me Beverly,

it has been so much fun!!
Edited to add:
Beverly has asked me to join the design team and stay on for the next 6 months
and I have joyfully and gladly agreed!!

Roses Are Red

Okay, so I am going to "age" myself here....

but do you remember the "old" Bobby Vinton song "Roses are Red"?

It goes something like this (pretend I am singing...lol..NOT)

"Roses are Red My Love

Violets are Blue"...

I love the Bobby Vinton songs, and actually got to see him when I was about 14

at the county fair, and he came in the audience and kissed me...

at 14, I thought that was the most "coolest" thing...

any who, I am getting side tracked here (happens when you get "old').

 

 

This week at The Kraft Journal the Make It Monday Challenge is

song/book and of course to use "Kraft card stock"....

I went this newly purchased digital "jar" that has music notes on it...

I just LOVE these jars I have seen on other blogs, and had to have them..

isn't it pretty???

To keep in with the theme I added a "rose" for my song, I thought paired with the

music jar, I was well covered...lol!

 

The little jar banner/ruffle comes with the digitals.....

I added some sequins to the jar lid
, a few chipboard pieces from Cosmo Crickets" Tea for Two....

and see the scalloped edge?

that is cut from a paint color strip I was done with...
ETA: Also am entering this to the challenge at
 Moxie Fab World "Ready Made Embellishments"

I have a second post today, you can see below this if you "want to".....

have A NICE DAY!!

Bright and Cheerful "Happy Hellos"

I have two posts for today....

For my first one is this "bright and cheerful" notecard I made for my Aunt

that is in a nursing home.

I am hoping the brightness of it, will cheer her up!

 

 

I used a paper from a just purchased paper pad from Doodlebug Designs

called "happy harvest".
 

 

I used this Magazine cover from this weeks challenge at

Papercrafters Corner Monday Magazine challenge week 23.

 

This one was a HUGE challenge for me...

but I went with the lines (my twines), the bold colors , the circles,

and even brought in the oval shape.

 

If you haven't tried this challenge yet, what are you waiting for??

Fall Blessings

It's finally raining here today....

the leaves are dropping and not from fall weather but from the drought.....

I am loving listening to the gently falling rain today....

 

 

I have a pretty fall card to share with you....

On one of my last trips to Joan's Gardens I picked up a gorgeous Cheery Lynn Designs die

called "Fall Leaf Doily"....

it is such a beautiful die when cut....

I painted it with my Twinkling H2O's, giving it a shimmery look

The card is 4 1/2 x 4 1/2" square...I added a little hummingbird to it

which is also a Cheery Lynn die

I mounted it on a gorgeous foil, flower print paper....

 

The challenge this week at Joan's Gardens is

• Include Leaves on your card
• Fall colors
• Tree and/or bird
• You must use a product sold at Joan's Gardens. Also, mention that you are doing the card/project for Joan's Gardens Challenge.
• and
• Stampendous Impressions "Fall Fun"

Simple Pumpkins

 

Hello All,

Wanted to share with you my post up on the Classy Cards 'n Such Blog today...

I would love you to go visit and leave me some love..

thanks bunches...

oh you can still get my 10% discount there by using the code

DIANE-10

and she always has some other specials going as well!!

 

 

Diane here with you today on the Classy Cards 'n Such blog.....

Can you feel Fall is in the air?

Somehow September just feels "different"...

Makes me think of apples, Mums, and pumpkins...

Puts me right in the mood to make a Fall card..

 

One of the things I love to do is try to think "outside of the box"

with my dies.

For some reason I kept looking at the Cheery Lynn Designs Build A Flower #3

and some of the flower petals reminded me of pumpkins!!

 

 

I went that feeling and created this "elegant" fall card.

I colored my pumpkins in with my Pan Pastels Flower Coloring Kit-Susan's Garden 

using the colors Diarylide Yellow and Orange.

 

The pumpkin leaves were made using the Cheery Lynn Designs Wreath Strip die

using the Pan Pastel colors Bright Yellow Green and Red Iron Oxide

to color them...

The pumpkins were "popped" up on an embossed background

using Crafts-Too you embossing folder "Leafy Tree".

 

Here is a closer look at the card, so maybe you can see the detail better.

 

 

I am entering this card in to the challenge at

 Cheery Lynn Designs "All About Texture"

and

Jo's Scrap Shack "Autumn"

 

I hope you have enjoyed today's post..see you soon!!

Time Flies

ETA: I am submitting this to the
 Moxie Fab World challenge The Ready Made Embellishments challenge

This is my second post for today with the Sizzix Accordian Album die.....
(Click on photo for full view)

 

 

I saw the challenge at

The Shabby Tea Room

And

Papercraft Star to use the photo below as our inspirtation piece

 

 

 

This is the front of the album when closed

I had planned on doing a school theme, but the clocks just took over

 

I spent a lot of "time" (pun intended) on this mini album and love how it all came together....

It is one of those things that I wish you could see in real life, as it is full of "timely" goodies....

 

I cut 5 of the albums and frame and label pieces....and started adding my chipboard clocks,

time tags and birds (I thought they fit the "time flies" theme)....lol

 

I know it is a bit "picture heavy", but it is a long piece...

 

Make sure you look at my other post from today, as I another accordion album posted!

Floating Leaves Accordian Card

I LOVE the accordion die Karen Burniston  designed for Sizzix....

I have seen several done with acetate and thought I would give a try....

My only tip is, next time I would use a thinner acetate, so it will bend better...

 

 

I cut my leaves with a new die from Impression Obsession "small leaves"

 

 

I painted the leaves with Autumn Twinkling H2O's...

I just love the shimmer it gives them.....

the sentiment stamped on the last piece

 is from JustRite stamp set called Shabby Chic Autumn Leaves.....

 

 

I stamped it with Staz-On Olive Green ink.....

It reads "we live for the bounties of fall, but the harvest of friendship is blessed above all.

I love that sentiment!!!!

 

I also love the fact that the leaves look as though they are "floating"....

I had this sitting up on a shelf in my kitchen yesterday and my daughter came in

spied and said "that is really pretty, where did you get that?"

that made me feel good, and I had great pleasure telling her I made it.

 

I am entering this in a few challenges

one is Joan's Gardens to:

• Include Leaves on your card
• Fall colors
• Tree and/or bird
• You must use a product sold at Joan's Gardens
•  My products purchased from Joan's Gardens are the accordion die and the JustRite
• stamp set

I am also entering this as my 2nd entry in the JustRite Friday Challenge "Autumn Splendor

and

Jo's Scrap Shack "Autumn"
and
 Creative Corners challenge "Autumn Leaves Are Falling"
and
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog "Autumn"
and
Stampendous Impressions "Fall Fun"



Tricks & Treats.

I think this  Halloween card turned out so darn cute....

and

I just had to do it for the sketch I saw at CAS(E) this sketch this week

as soon as I saw it, I new instantly I was going to use this die...

isn't it the cutest thing??
The kitty hanging on the line just cracks me up!!

 

 

 

Awhile back I won a challenge at the Cheery Lynn Designs challenge blog

and I won a $25 credit to their online store..

this is one of the dies I grabbed.....

I cut it first out of black card stock, then 4 more times to get each piece of clothing....

I cut a few to use just as they are, but I had to add some color and texture to this one!!

I have been kind of into texture lately

 

Here is the sketch....perfect, don't you think??

Fall Leaves

I have been in the mood lately to use a lot of "texture".....

You might remember the card I made a week or so ago

where I mixed several different glitters for a pretty fall glittery card.

 

 

For today's card, I did somewhat the same thing, only I sprinkled several

different colors of embossing powder on my stamped leaves....

the colors used were all Tim Holtz Distressed EB powders in the colors

fired brick, peeled paint, mustard seed, walnut stain and tea dye....

I first stamped my beautiful JustRite stamps from the Shabby Chic Autumn Leaves set

with versamark, then used a 1/8 tsp to start adding the colors.

 

I cut each leaf out by hand and arranged them over a BIG rosette I made..

I stamped the cute little sentiments in a punched circle 

in the same color inks as the EB powders

I added a piece of burlap tied together with seam binding bow, twine

and a pretty heart button to finish it off!!

 

The entire thing was adhered to a 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 Kraft card stock.

 

I am entering this is the following challenge:
Stampendous Impressions "Fall Fun"

and
 

 JustRite Friday Challenge #105 ~ Autumn Splendor

and

The Simon Says Stamp blog Monday Challenge "Embossed"

and

Little Scrap Pieces Linky Party

EIO~IO

IO ~ Impression Obsession has a challenge going this week for "DIES"...

Wouldn't you know, I "just" got some new ones in a few weeks ago....

and

these cutest kitty dies yesterday!!

I ordered the kitty dies to use for Halloween, I LOVE them....

 

 

I put together this card with all IO dies...not stamps...

The house is so cute, I can have fun decorating it for all the holidays....

the fluffy little clouds...well, I have to admit I was looking thru my scrap paper

for some fluffy blue paper, and then I went "wait" clouds aren't blue you dork..lol!!

 

The clouds and the kitties are popped up...and next time I think I will pop up the roof, too!

Notice the brick on house, that is what made me purchase this die...so unique~~

and

the die comes with another choice of windows and gingerbread trim!!

The door is embossed with little panels, hard to see it my photo, but so perfect!!

Check out that cute paper...it is Crate Paper Fourteen...love!!

 

Hope your week is going well, mine is NOT!!!

It started out on Sunday with me making a peach cobbler to surprise my hubs....

it was a surprise alright, as the thing exploded all over my oven, so bad, I begged him to

take the oven out and get a new one (much easier then me cleaning up the mess..lol)

It took me over 1 1/2 of intense scrubbing to get that sugary, gooey mess out...

yes, it is self clean, but no way could I use that at this point!

 

Monday, I happened to drop a towel from the dryer between the wall and the washer, and when I picked it up, it was wet...oh oh...

Seems the washer was dumping water out from underneath....

Lovely...

This morning both washer and dryer went to washer and dryer heaven...

I am meeting the hubs at Lowes at noon....

So, how is your week so far????   

Rustic~Clean and Simple for Merry Monday

This morning I was digging thru cleaning my craft room and came across a few notes I

had about a few challenges I wanted to do and came across the one

for "Merry Monday" to use red, green kraft and burlap, ribbon or twine.

I wanted to get my entry in as it ends at noon or so today....

I came up with this clean & simple rustic card

 

 

and the best part was I used a Sizzix die I have had "forever"!!

 

My post today is as "clean & simple" as my card, as

I need to get back to my room!!

Layers of Love

I love adding layers....

I think lately I have been into the soft colors of blue and white....

I wish you could see all the popped up layers on this card.....

 

 

But, I think you get the idea.....

I used all Cheery Lynn Designs dies on this card...

One of my favorites is the Two of Hearts.....

you get 2 sizes in one package...I used both

stacking one on top of the other.

Underneath the hearts I have the Fanciful Flourish...

I added the word "Love" on the top....

I also cut my newest CLD die "Border Carnivale out of silver glitter paper...

just give it a bit of "bling".....

 

I am entering this card into the challenge at Cheery Lynn Designs

"Hearts A Glow"...

Wish You Were Here

I might of mentioned quite awhile back that last year I never had the time

to make many Halloween projects....

well, I intend to change that, as I have a bunch of Halloween papers, stamps

and do-dads that I need want to use...

And, also the fact that I just ordered a bunch more!!!

 

 

Today I have this rather "morbid" long legged guy that is sitting at the cemetery

with his Crafty Secrets digital postcard that says "wish you were here"...

He is a Memory Box die I purchased, last year on a trip to Joan's Gardens.....

when cut he has 15 pieces...wow...but he is so detailed....

 

 

I edged him in TH Distress Ink "old paper"..fitting I thought!!

I added a few strips of Queen & Co Washi tape, scraps of paper,

my always favorite "gingham" ribbon and a cat, and bats from my stash,

I had to cut the fellow a bow tie as well!

 

I am entering this card into the challenge at the"linky party at Crafty Secrets"

AND

Sister Act Card Challenge "Anything Goes"