Simple Fun with Accucut, Dutchpapercraft, and Papertrey

Today I played with some of my dies. I made this box using one of my Accucut dies, and a "Sizzix" mover and shaper die to cut the center out adding the heart window to it. I painted the box a baby pink, darkened the edges a bit with ink, then placed a piece of acetate behind the heart. Then I added the beautiful and delicate heart shaped flourish, which accented the heart shape window perfectly. This is one of the dies I purchased from Dutch Paper Craft. http://dutchpapercrafts.blogspot.com/ I believe they are Marianne Dies or Memory Box. You can contact Darlene ( a.k.a. Evil Temptress) at DutchPaperCraft if you are interested in purchasing them.

 The Card I made using Papertrey Inks "Simply Jane" dies and stamp set, as well as the lovely lacy oval and flourish, again from Dutchpapercrafts. This set of stamps had lovely images as well as beautiful sentiments for many occasions. I cut the man and woman shapes out and glittered them with Recollections red glitter.  Placed them on foam tabs to oval cuts made with my nestabilities.

Lately it seems I am favoring a more simple design. Not a lot of clutter to these, but sweet and elegant. Now to find some foiled chocolates to put in the box. What a sweet "I love you" for someone special.

Cards 'n Boxes

I started with this card for my friend Cathy, It's her birthday this weekend and I wanted to make her a card. Thanks to my UK buddy Sarah I agreed to try to keep my resolution and try to do a card a week. This  card I used scraps (part of my UIU pledge) from the recipe book I made our daughter. The stamp is from Art Impressions and is part of their Girlfriend series. Inside it says "Dance like nobody's watching....that can have you committed". I had to make the card a tad larger as the stamp is quite long and better suited to an A7 card. So I made a matching envelope for it.

Then there is this, my A2 box die (Accucut). I decorated the top and made 6 cards for the inside. I will be sending this to Cathy also. After she uses the cards inside, she can use the box to wrap a gift for someone else. Using some Sizzix dies I cut a heart out of chipboard, added seam binding bow, some lace trimmed ribbon, wild Orchid Craft flowers (thanks Sarah), a few odd bits from me stash, and a digital image from  iralamijashop

Inside there are some cards, a couple birthday, and the rest general so she can use them for "just because" reasons, when she needs one. Here a couple more of the Art Impression Girlfriend line, and the boxer one from Custer's Last Stamp (a Michigan company).

Now I happened to have this Box No 13 (Accucut) cut out and sitting around. I thought why not do that up also? I painted it pink, added a frame using my nestabilities, Some WOC flowers, a seam binding bow, a sweet image from iralamijashop and some tiny hearts I glittered with some "Martha". I reduced the image, mounted it on white card stock, trimmed with my postal cut scissors to make a sweetheart gift box.

So here is this weeks installment. Next week, I will really have to try. I have orders for charms that have to happen....but two weeks in a row, and this week 7 cards and two boxes, maybe I should have spaced them out?

My Accucut Entry.

I have decided to enter the Accucut Halloween Challenge. I purchased their Frames die and decided to make some Halloween Ornaments with them. Also used were Tim Holtz's banner die, bat, and skull dies. Martha Stewart black and silver glitter add the "bling". The images are from Daniel Torrente for Stampotique, I used colored pencils for them.

After hanging around in my craft room for two weeks trying to decide just how to display them for the video, I had an idea. I had just been to a friends home for a jewelry party. Linda is one of those people with fabulous taste and great ideas for display. She has a tree that stays up all year long. She decorates it for every season and holiday, but Halloween is her favorite.

This year it must have been fate, because her tree is all in black and white with glittered skulls. The minute I saw it I knew these ornaments would be a perfect fit. I would let her have them if she would let me use her wonderful tree as the backdrop.

Linda lives in Romeo, MI. On the famous "Tillson St." They do a fabulous Halloween display every year. They block off the street for that night. Good thing too because getting anywhere near it that night takes considerable patience. In fact the week before it is busy with people coming from all over to see the displays. I feel lucky to know someone on the street, and I attend her Halloween preview night. Her home is decked out and everyone on the street comes by for treats, topped off by the walk to see everyone's displays.

If you want to see the tree, and better Pictures of the ornaments please check out my YouTube video here . I think these die cuts would be fun to make Christmas tags, and sweet Christmas ornaments too. Maybe make some of my sweet puppies?