Magical Dreams

 Hello friends, at Can You Handle The Pressure where we are
all about using embossing folders we have an
OPTIONAL theme of  'Something Starting With An F'.
Some ideas are the first one that comes to mind is Flowers,
but there is fox, fantasy, flavors, funny and so on
or a as I used FAIRY.

I pulled out my die notebook of 
Fairies and such as was quite surprised to find several
different fairy dies in it that I haven't ever used.
This Cottage Cutz Spring Fairy  was one of them.

She 'had' a little top knot on her head but well,
we won't talk about that, let's just say it's gone!!
I had a negative oval die cut panel in my spare parts
box so I embossed it with a Honey Bee 3D Spring Medley
embossing folder, added a scrap piece behind and popped
up my fairy on top.  The sentiment and moon are also
Cottage Cutz Magical Unicorn Dreams that I die cut
three times and stacked.  I did place a small sparkle-y
unicorn inside from the same die set.
I think this will make a cute card for a young lady's birthday.

Get out those poor neglected embossing folders and
come and join us at Can You Handle The Pressure
where embossing folders are required.

From The Heart

 Hello friends, at Simply Clean & Simple today
our OPTIONAL challenge them is Love and/or Hearts.
But you can create anything as long as it is CAS.

I think my card today is more along the 'simple' lines
though it is somewhat clean with lots of white space.
All parts from this card came from my 'spare parts' box
of already die cut and embossed panels.
The sentiment strip is Lawn Fawn and the sentiment
itself is from an old Flourishes set.  The die is from
Die Versions that is no longer in business, it is Dozen Roses.

We would love to see your CAS cards
 at Simply Clean and Simple.
.

Word Power Challenge February 2025

 Hello friends, we are back this month with our
WORD POWER challenge,
the challenge where your words take center stage!

Do you have large/big words and are not sure what to do with them?
Then get them out and use them for our challenge, it's really pretty easy!
There is no theme so any large sentiments/words will do!

For my card, being February I pulled out some of my Penny Black
dies and stamps.  I die cut the word LOVE twice and stacked one on the other.
The stamp is from PB Loads of Love, a set I got free by winning a
gift certificate to 123Sttich  from the Penny Black challenge!
The eyelet trim across the top was created using an old SU punch,
this is the first time I have used my much neglected punch in years!
The background paper is from one of my newest pads,
Crafter's Companion Love Is In The Air.

So, grab those big words and come on over to
Word Power and join in the fun!

Hearts

 Hello friends, at Double D we have a new theme and fitting for February it is all
about HEARTS!  We also have a fun and pretty mood board for inspiration!

I was inspired by all the pretty pinks, let alone the hearts.  
I have always loved Valentines Day making it one of my favorite
celebrated days!  There is just something about hearts that well,
get to my heart!

I have to say that the creating of today's card threw me for a loop!
I had a Spellbinders die I purchased when they had one of their warehouse sales
and all along thought it was a 'glimmer' die, so what did I do but glimmer it of course.
Then I tried to figure out how to get the center heart glimmered and lined up
in the center so went to youtube and then realized it wasn't a glimmer die
at all, but one of their small dies of the month 'A Lotta Heart' from Jan 2022.

Once I watched the video it all made sense.  The base of the die cuts totally apart
like a puzzle that you have to piece back together.  I first, as I saw in the video
inked one side of all the pieces with Distress Picked raspberry ink, I love how
it gives such a pretty tone on my pink card stock.  There is also a glimmer set
that coordinates with this die that I was lucky enough to have which enabled me
to die cut the center delicate heart out.  When cutting the background die it also
cuts the hearts in half, so I can back in with half hearts on each piece.
The florals and greens in the center of the big heart are part of the die set.
The sentiment is from The Ton Easy Expressions.  I added a few
Pink Fresh Studio gems.

I would suggest if you have this die set
 to make sure you too watch the video.

Stop in at Double D and see all the pretty hearts from
our fabulous design teams!!

Heart Tree

Hello friends, we are into  anew month which means a new challenge at
Stencil Fun with an OPTIONAL Theme of Pinks and/or Reds.
But just by using a stencil it can be anything goes. 

For the 'optional' theme 
I pulled out an easy and fun stencil from Simon Says Heart of Christmas
that has the 4 layering pieces on one stencil. 

It is really a Christmas stencil but I turned into more
appropriate for February with it's cute little hearts!
The embossed background is pulled form my stash of 'white' things I already had
just waiting to be used, it is from WeR Memory Keepers.
I snipped off the dove form an already die cut and added a sentiment from The Ton.

For my 'anything goes' card  I had some fun
with a stencil and die by The Greetery,
scalloped gingham stencil and A2 stitched
scalloped die.  The flowers are from a freebie
from scrapbookdotcom (Pinkfresh Studios Foiled Vellum Floral Ephemera) and the sentiment is
The Ton Easy Expressions.  The card base is actually purple.

Get out those stencils and come on over to
Stencil Fun and have a bit of stenciling fun with us!

Triple B Challenge February 2025

Hello friends, it's February at our Triple B Challenge and we have a very
'vibrant' mood board but you can create any color as long as it has one of the triple b's,
Birds~Blooms and/or butterflies!

For my card I pulled out a new and never been used before stencil/stamp combo
Poppy Posy from LDRS Creative from right here in Michigan.

I stamped the image first then stenciled with Altenew inks in the most reddish color
I could find.  After stamping I could not get the flower stencils to line up
so had to move my stencil each time for each flower, the leaves on the 
other hand lined up perfectly.  I fussy cut my image out and mounted on a Spellbinders
die cut I had in my 'white' container of already die cuts, same with the die cut below
it is Tutti Designs Oriental Screen.  I added a cute embossed butterfly from my stash
and left a sentiment off for now!

Come on over and have some birds~butterfly~blooms
fun with us at Triple B!!

Entering the following challenges:
Simon Says Wednesday .... ATG
Little Red Wagon .... ATG

Be My Valentine

 Hello friends, as crazy as it seems we are, Dar and I started a NEW
fun challenge today The Neglected Stuff
meaning we want to see all that stuff in your stash used that you have had
for months or years and never have used yet.  You know how we all
'just have to have it' but it, put it away and it never sees the light of day again
or we can't even remember what or why we bought it!
NOW is the perfect place to make use of it!!

Remember when Prima came out with all those cute girl stamps?
Well, they also had packets of Ephemera of the same girls.
I purchased several of them and into my drawer of ephemera it went,
since 2017.  This packet is Jan/Feb (I have others) and has the cutest
winter and Valentine pieces in it, 102 to be exact.  The dies I used are from
my 'spare parts' of already cut die cuts, and the gingham paper is 
Waffle Flowers Gingham Berry Sweet pad.

I think this sweet little card with go to a great granddaughter.
Come on over and give our challenge a fun try with YOUR neglected 'stuff'!!

Let There Be Peace On Earth

 Hello Friends, today we have a new challenge beginning at
Peace On Earth and a fun new mood board just perfect for
February but you can create anything as long as it is Christmas!

There were so many cute things on this board I had a hard time deciding,
but then remembered I had a never been used before die from
Cottage Cutz Holiday Dove w/Floral .  I think this die would also make a
perfect wedding card by leaving the holly off and changing the colors.
After assembling my die cut I placed it on a stitched heart by Tutti Designs.
The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

Come on over to Peace On Earth and get an early start on those
Christmas cards for 2025, at the end of the year you will be you did!!

Also wanted to add that as crazy as Dar and I are we
have a new challenge starting on February 3rd and the 
first Monday of every month after. It is called
The Neglected Stuff, just follow the link and read all about it!!

Entering the following fun challenges:
Cut It Up ....Have A Heart
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge .... Christmas
ABC Christmas .... A for Anything Christmas
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge .... ATG
I Spy With My Little Eye .... Fur or Feathers

Two Old Bats February 2025 Challenge

Hello friends, we are still going strong at our
Two Old Bats year long challenge and would love to have you play along!
As always we have a fun mood board for inspiration
but you can create anything Halloween giving you the fun of using your
Halloween supplies all year long! 

I had fun with this out of the ordinary pink Halloween  mood board
and used a new to me Trinity Stamps Dainty Ghost die.
I couldn't resist the edges on this ghost, so FUN!!
I used a fun designer paper from Paper Rose Pink Halloween
for the background and added a few die cut Spider Webs from Cottage Cutz
and added hearts in the centers, I guess you can say I WAS inspired by the mood board!

So, get out those Halloween supplies and have some February Halloween fun with us!

Also wanted to add that as crazy as Dar and I are we
have a new challenge starting on February 3rd and the 
first Monday of every month after. It is called
The Neglected Stuff, just follow the link and read all about it!!

Entering these fun challenges:
NBUS  #71.... Never Before Used Schtuff
Halloween & Other Occasions ....Halloween
Park Hopping .... Disney Theme Park Haunted Mansion 

February 2025 Colorful Options

Hello friends, welcome to Colorful Options Challenge this month where our colors are
Pink/Red with the pretty mood board below!

I did a somewhat simple card by using a pretty die I haven't used before
that I got from Cheapo Dies when they were in business.
  The background paper is Doodlebug Design's Love Notes (2019).
The sentiment is from Paper Smooches Scripty Sayings, a set I won
when they were still in business.  Just a bit of layering on a
pink card base and my card was completed!

Come join us in some Colorful Fun!!

Entering the following fun challenges:

Cut It Up .... Have a Heart
All Sorts #816 ....Romance or Music
Simon Says Wednesday .... ATG
Time Out .... Pick Two:  Layer~Heart~Love

February 2025 Winter

We are into our third month of WINTER at
The Four Seasons and have a wintery, snowy, cold
mood board for inspiration, but you can create anything as long
as it is WINTER themed!

I totally had something else in mind for my winter card
but ended up with a Pinterest inspired card that I loved
changing it up enough to make it mine and was also inspired by the wintery scene on the mood board.  I used a Spellbinders
arch to make a frame, then embossed the arch itself to re-insert in
the frame after embossing with a TH Alterations Snowfall EB folder.
I die cut two TH Woodland trees.  One I inset in the frame and the second one
I 'popped' up on the outside of the frame.  The sentiment is from The Ton
Easy Expressions Holiday.

Come on over to The Four Seasons and
have some WINTER fun with us!

Also inspired by The Card Concepts all white winter trees
and created a clean and layered look!

Also wanted to add that as crazy as Dar and I are we
have a new challenge starting on February 3rd and the 
first Monday of every month after. It is called
The Neglected Stuff, just follow the link and read all about it!!

Happy Birthday Cards

 Hello friends, it's that time again for a new monthly challenge at
Love Those Pretty Papers.
It's all about pulling all those beautiful designer papers out
and put them to use!
We are an anything goes challenge with an
OPTIONAL theme of RED his month.

For my red card (inspired by the optional theme)
I saw a card I liked on Pinterest and found there was a tutorial HERE.
I think there is a bit of a 'learning' curve here
(one which I am still working on to 'perfect')
and also think there are now dies for this cut
which would make it a whole lot easier!

By doing this technique you end up with 2 cards.
The papers I used are an older SU one (flower print)
and a Doodlebug Puppy Love (hearts).
The sentiment and center die cuts are Sizzix Layered Labels
which comes with the dies and the stamps. 
I just love the shapes of the cute dies!

Second card (my trial & error card):

For my anything goes card I created another birthday
card as I seem to need those the most.  I came across this
design using designer paper HERE .  I thought it was a 
great design to use some of the pretty papers.
My papers are Prima's Nature Lover.  I added a few
'inked' elements from my already die cut stash,
I have lots of those that I am trying to use up before cutting
anything else, we will see how that woks out!
The sentiment strip is Spellbinders Betterpress.

Now it's your turn to get out those pretty papers and
come on over and have some fun with us!

Also wanted to add that as crazy as Dar and I are we
have a new challenge starting on February 3rd and the 
first Monday of every month after. It is called
The Neglected Stuff, just follow the link and read all about it!!