Day At The Beach

Hi All,
Here is my post that is going "live" today at
"Classy Cards 'n Such"
would love for you to stop by and leave some love
and why not join in our challenge with "us"??
There is always a great prize being offered!!

Hello Classy Friends, Diane here with you today on the blog

showcasing my card for this weeks challenge

"A Day At The Beach"...

I had a card in mind and totally changed my mind...

you might say I had a "vision" to make this one and really like how it turned out!!

I started building my card using "Nude Curious Metallic"....

Onto that I adhered a piece of glossy card stock that I had inked using

TH Distress inks....mimicking sea and sand....

I cut 2 sets of Spellbinders D-lite Cattails, 

3 sets of "Impression Obsession Grass" and adhered those over my cattails.....

Next I cut various shells from "Impression Obsession Shell Set"

My starfish was cut first from a piece of sand paper and a second one from

"Champaign Neenah Pearlized Metallic", one offsetting the other.

All my Shells were cut on white card stock, then "painted" with Twinkling H2os

using colors from Autumn Brilliance and Holiday Sparkle

I finished my scene by adding  "Impression Obsession Sea Birds"

I invite "YOU" to join us in our challenge this week....

take a "peek" at the inspiration the DT has for you...

you won't be disappointed!!

Entering the following challenges:
Creative Card Crew .... Sea/Beach
and
Connie Can Crop .... Under The Sea
and
Craft and Smash .... Shells, Sand and Sea
and
Live & Love Crafts .... By The Sea

Dots and Stripes at the "Butterfly Challenge"

Hello my friends,

Today I am "Guest Designing" at the "Butterfly" challenge"....

I feel so honored to have been asked to  be a part of the team for this challenge

which happens to be "Dots and Stripes" and a butterfly of course!!

I really had fun with this card, as I dug out some very old and very neglected 

Stampin Up stamps.....

I used three different sets "So Happy, "Seeing Spots" and "Garden Silhouettes"....

I stamped the stripes 3 times using my Dew Drop inks....I stamped the dots

on top and the flower stem on top of those.....

To finish, I added

a piece of lace at the top, a yellow gingham ribbon and a gorgeous butterfly

sent to me by a friend and teammate "Terri"....

I had commented on a gorgeous card she did using some of these butterflies

and she send me a HUGE goodie package of not only the butterflies

but loads of other creative "stuff" as well!!

I invite "you" to join in the butterfly challenge this week...

it is always so much fun there...

and I want to thank the "Butterfly challenge" for having me!!!

Entering in the following challenges:
Lady Bug Challenges .... Flowers
and
Craft- Dee BowZ ... Anything Goes
and
Crafting From The Heart .... Anything Goes
and
House f Cards .... Add A Bow
and
Stamping Sensations .... Summer Blooms

Breaking News

Woowho...I have some wonderful news to share....

I have joined the wonderfully and talented team at Crafty Secrets....

I LOVE their digitals and I love what the Design team does with them...

I am super excited and somewhat in awe to be part of this magnificent team

You can read about it HERE at the Crafty Secrets blog......

(please don't throw darts at my photo...lol)

Here are a few of the things in the past I have submitted to the Crafty Secrets challenges

You will see my new designs starting August 4th with first debut to their linky party

have you ever entered that...wowza, you can win a $50 gift certificate to their online store

and everyone get s $6 gift to use....now you can't beat that!!!

Want to check out their awesome products...go HERE and take a peek!

Day At The Beach

Hello All,

Today is our new challenge at the "Dies R Us" challenge blog....

The theme is "A Day At The Beach"

I had some fun with this one as I used some "NBUS" (never before used stuff)

and some of my newest dies purchased from "Dies R Us".....

I stamped my Our Daily Bread "The Sea" stamp on to watercolor paper

and hauled out my TH Distress markers and preceded to "watercolor"....

Once I was happy with how it looked, I added Stickles for a bit of "sparkle"...

I love this stamp, it is so easy to color and think it will make great "guy" cards!!

After mounting my finished "watercolor" on black card stock,

I decided I wanted a "3D" effect"....

that is where the dies came in....

I cut my Cheery Lynn Designs Lighthouses twice....

one from white and then sponged on grey ink, but also one from black card stock

and stacked it slightly "offline" to give it a bit of shadow.

Next I cut my Impression Obsession Sea Birds and while I had the grey ink out

I sponged them as well!!

Last I used Impression Obsession Shell set for my shells....

the Starfish was cut from a scrap and the shells I sponged ink on.....

 The entire finished piece was slightly elevated using foam tape onto

a background paper called "Ocean Breeze"

All of the dies above may be purchased at

Dies R Us

which offers an everyday discount on all your dies!!

Entering in the following challenges:
Cardz Fir Guyz ....  At The Beach
and
Artistic Inspiration .... Anything Goes
and
Crafty Cardmakers .... Under The Sea
and
Amusing Challenge .... Watercolor
and
Allsorts Challenge .... Splish-Splash-Splosh
and
Crafty Calender .... Summertime Fun

Fun In The Sun at The Shabby Tea Room

It's Monday and time for a new challenge at "The Shabby Tea Room"....

Rebecca is our hostess this week and she has chosen the theme

"Fun In The Sun"

Rebecca has asked us to use at least 3 colors in the inspiration photo plus one or more

of these items, vellum, polka dots or ribbon.

 Our sponsor this week is "The Cutting Cafe"

and I chose to use their adorable "Flip Flop" cutting file!!!

After cutting out the card base for my 'flip flop", I found a pretty patterned floral

paper which I machine stitched to the card base!!

After adding the strap I embellished it with 

"Tuti Fruiti" sequins from Paper Sweeties..

a red satin blow and a Teresa Collins butterfly...

The little "for you" tag is adhered with cloth covered floral wire....

I like how it kind of stands "up" on it's own!!  

The sentiment is from The Cutting Cafe "Balloon Shaped Card" file.

I think this is the cutest card...wouldn't it be fun for a summer party....

you could make them in so many colors and styles, I think it would be addicting!!

The cut file also comes with an envelope to fit....I cut mine out of a flower pattern vellum!!

I would love to have you head on over to "The Shabby Tea Room" and see all the lovely

inspiration the other "shabby girls"  have for you.....why not join in our challenge and have some 

"fun in the sun" with us!!!! 

Entering in the following challenges:
Craftin Desert Diva's Linky Party .... Summer Time
and
Crafty Calender .... Summertime Fun
and
Time Out .... Fun In The sun

Pick A Posey

Hello My  "Classy Friends"

Diane here with you today with my project for "Classy Cards 'n Such"

challenge this week, which is "Pick A Posey"

I decided to "think outside the box" so to speak and alter a cheese box for my project.

I had a "laughing cow" cheese box on hand and I find these to be the perfect boxes to alter.

                              I started with my Graphic 45 Botanical Tea papers....

these are the most beautiful papers to work with.....

After my box was covered 

I used a Spellbinders Exquisite Circles die for my center doily....

My flower was made using a Susan's Garden Clematis die.... 

if you have never used one of these dies, 

I have to say this line of dies is very, very easy to use and look "life like" when finished!

I colored my flower with PanPastels Flower Coloring Kit by Susan's Gardens

using the Magenta color and applied it with Soft Covers Point Applicators.

To shape my flowers I used Paper Blossoms Tool Kit 
and Paper Blossoms Craft Molding Mat.

I have a new Clematis this year  called "Nellie Moser" which I bought for the name alone

as my dogs name is "Nellie" and though I don't have a picture of it

I can say it very much looks the color of this one.... 

but I do have a picture of a variety of my Clematis I want to share with you!!

To finish my box, I die cut 3 Butterflies from the Joy! Crafts Butterfly Trio dies.....

I used a bit of cloth covered floral wire and mounted a butterfly "spiral" on my box.....

I added Pink Pearls to the butterfly....

the other 2 butterflies were added to "flutter" around the box using Joy! Craft Foam Pads Small

This will be the perfect little gift box to hold some small "trinkets"!!

I invite "YOU" to join us in our challenge this week....

We would LOVE to see "YOUR" creation and you could even win a "PRIZE!!

Entering the following challenges:

Crafting By Designs .... Use Dies
and
Divas by Design .... Things With Wings
and
Just Inspirational challenges .... anything BUT A Card
and
Ladybug Crafts ....Summer Flowers

Happy Birthday Challenge at The Sisterhood

Today is another new challenge at "The Sisterhood of Crafters"

Our hostess is Darlene and she has chosen "Happy Birthday" as our theme.

Can't get much easier then that now can it??

I, at first was determined to get one of my poor neglected stamps out....

but in the end I came up with this bright and cheerful card.

I have had this pretty doodlebug design paper called "sweet cakes" for awhile

and just couldn't resit the pretty patterns....

soooo, my entire card was based on that and a layout of a card I saw on Pinterest!

The "tools" used to construct my card besides the paper were:

SU doily edge punch and another SU punch I can't remember the name of

Papertrey Ink Banner dies

Candi Dots

Hero Arts Sentiment

Spellbinders Blooms Three die

Well, that's it, a short and "sweet" post for today!!

Head on over to "The Sisterhood" and take a peek at what lovely creations my

"Sistahs"  on the Design Team and our guest designers have to inspire you!!

Entering in the following challenges:
Sisters of Craft .... Anything Goes
and
The Cupboard Trilogy .... Birthday