Flutter By Wednesday: A Mercy Sketch

Post 2 - please scroll down for my Diedrach Dare blog. It's the 12 Days of Christmas at Cuttlebug Challenge so head there to see what is up over there.
This week we are sooo lucky to get to create with a sketch designed just for us by Mercy!! As always, we are to use a butterfly or fairy or even an angel during the holidays. Every week when I am writing up my post I think "Next week I'm going to use an angel". And then I forget.

Until today!

And here's my take on the sketch:

I still think Baja Breeze is one of the prettiest blues ever! I have about 6 full sheets left. I paired it with some paper from my scrap drawer. The angel was embossed and I painted her wings with (appropriately) Angel Wings Shimmerz. The blue flower is one of my favorite things that you can find in the 2RedBananas store. The embellishments on this card seem over the top to me - definitely outside of what I normally do. But I see sooo many other gals doing it that I thought I'd give it a whirl. Let me know what you think.....

Please visit the rest of the Flutter By team to see what beautiful creations they have for you this week!

Ann ♥ Chris ♥ Christine ♥ Danni

Harriet ♥ Heather ♥ Jodi ♥ Karen

Kris ♥ Kristie ♥ Lelia ♥ Michelle

Nancy ♥ Nicola ♥ Pam ♥ Stef

And then be sure to upload your creation using the sketch and either a butterfly, fairy or angel over at Danni's blog!

The Diedrich Dare: It's December Already?!?

Happy Wednesday girls! Can you believe it is December already? It seems like it was just summer!

This week for Whimsical Wednesday: The Diedrich Dare, we are being challenged with a great sketch by Nicky! Take a look at this layout - imagine all the possibilities!

He wants you to know that the circles in the corners are buttons!!

Here is my take on the sketch - a little simplified!

I had scraps out on my desk and really wanted to get them used up instead of stashing them in a drawer. This card has some of my favorite things on it: velvet ribbon, gems, distressing, embossing. I hope you'll play along with us this week - be sure to visit the rest of the girls too and see how they rocked this sketch! We are so excited to welcome a new DareDevil this week to the group! Please say hello to Kris and check out her blog HERE!

You do see those snowflakes embossed on the main panel, yes? Oh My Crafts is the sponsor at Cuttlebug Challenge - last week's challenge is running through this week too --- they are giving away 15 prizes this week so be sure to head over there and complete the challenge for your chance to win!

Take a spin over to the Diedrich Dare blog to see the featured team member (it's me!) this week. And check out the rest of the team members too!

Darla Wilson  ♥ Debbie Lee ♥ Heather Schlatter

Jacquie Peifer ♥ Jessica Diedrich ♥ Kim Ross ♥ Kris

Lisa Slusser ♥ Randi Wall ♥ Rebecca Ednie ♥ Sandra MacLean

Have a beautiful day!!

Festival of Lights - Gingerbread House

Good Morning!!
If you are looking for my Festival of Lights Blog Hop post and Video Blog Hop post - please scroll down!

Today I have my featured post from the Cuttlebug Challenge blog!

Cassie here this morning to kick off the projects for today. Several of the Senior Design Team will be sharing projects centered around the theme of

Santa's Sweet Shoppe.

One of the traditional symbols surrounding the Christmas season is the Gingerbread House. I love the smell of gingerbread - in cookie or cake form! I don't remember ever decorating gingerbread houses as a child but my mother-in-law has done it with her grandkids for as long as I can remember. My little man (not quite 2 last year) got to "help" last Christmas --- which was eating more than anything! One thing I've always been amazed at is the willingness of people to put so much effort into something that is just thrown away after the holiday. But a gingerbread house out of paper would last from year to year!

Supplies:

house form/box/template

decorative papers

Cuttlebug & embossing folders (Victoria, Snowflake)

craft knife

strong adhesive

liquid adhesive (Crystal Effects)

glitter (Perfect fX in Sparkling Champagne)

ink

trims - lace, buttons, pearls

I started with a box I found in the shape of a gingerbread house. It contained cookie cutters but I bought it for the form!

After opening the box at the top, I peeled off the slick printed layer of the house. I wanted a good surface for my adhesive to adhere to and also didn't want any of the printing to potentially show. After that, I used an inkpad to add color to all the edges that matched my base paper.

I cut my paper into strips and embossed them using my Cuttlebug and embossing folders. The roof paper was sanded to reveal the white core of the paper. The siding was lightly rubbed with the ink pad to bring out the embossing. The edges were also inked on the side pieces.

Then came the fun part - adding in all the details! I used a third patterned paper for the door and windows, using a pen to add some detail. Instead of traditional "candy", I used "candy" that crafters find "yummy"! Buttons along the base, pearls on the roof.

I used Crystal Effects along the edges of the sides and the windows/doors and then sprinkled it with glitter - some Perfect fX flakes I have from when I first started stamping.

And a final closeup shot - can you see the embossing on the sides? This was really easy to make since I already had a form to use. It was just a matter of cutting, embossing, adhering and decorating! One thing I wish I'd done was go over *all* my edges on the room instead of just the two ends. But I'll just remember that for the next one!

I hope you enjoyed my project today!

Have a beautiful day!! ~Cassie

Festival of Lights - Video Blog Hop

Good morning everyone! I hope you are enjoying the Festival of Lights? It has certainly been an event full of inspiration!

I am excited to be part of the first video blog hop by Cuttlebug Challenge! If you arrived here after seeing Betty's video at Cutting Above - you are on the right track! If not, start at Christmas with the Cricut.

Last year I mentioned to my mom that I wanted to change the color scheme on my Christmas tree to whites and clears. Maybe creams too but I haven't completely decided on that inclusion yet. As much as I would love to just go on an ornament free-for-all and buy to my heart's content, that's not really practical. There has been a lot of talk this year about handmade being the perfect gift --- well I think handmade is also the perfect decoration!

With just a few simple supplies, my faithful green Cuttlebug and embossing folders I can have a tree full of ornaments this year.

I am so excited to be participating in the video blog hop today! My neice helped me film and edit my video - any glitches are my fault - everything that looks great is all due to her!! Thanks J!

Those are some close-up shots of the ornaments I've created so far! I can't decide if I like the cardinal or the tapestry one the best so far! I'd love to know which one you like the best!
I did a snowflake one as well - looked really great. I added some stickles and some glitter to it because I figured glitter made everything better. But I did not care for the look at all ---- I prefer just the crisp white on the clear.

Before I send you on your way, we were asked to share our favorite tutorial at the Cuttlebug Challenge.  ACK!! If you know me well at all you know that picking just one favorite is so hard! Ten favorites - a little more doable. So I've been thinking about the ones that I really enjoyed and narrowed it down to two. Terrie's Purse Set is PHEnomenal! She's got serious talent!! And I also really loved Meda's Birthday Organizer. Her work is always so polished and very, very elegant looking. Be sure to scroll down to see it - you'll see how professional her projects always are!!

Now, there are TWO prizes being given away today!! Yea!!
Prize 1 is at Christmas with the Cricut - it said {dinosaur} in parantheses --- I bet that means something to you Cricut fans!!
Prize 2 is at Cuttlebug Challenge - this one is {winter wonderland} --- which sounds divine -- and I'm thinking I heard chatter that it's a very new release? yes? maybe?

Now I want to send you over to one of the newest designers at Cuttlebug Challenge - Tammy Skinner!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a beautiful day!!

Icy Snowflake Card

Hi everyone! I have a card up over at Cuttlebug Challenge today. It's Quick, Clean and Simple. Three things that are perfect as the holiday season is winding up! I'd love for you to swing by and have a look at it!!

Thanks so much!! Have a beautiful day!!

Provo Craft Winter Release - Cuttlebug Folder - Ornaments

Hi girls! I have a sneak peek for you today that showcases one of the NEW winter embossing folders being debuted on HSN on Monday, November 2nd. It also uses a sentiment from the latest 2RedBananas release!

I am giving away one of the new folders over on the Cuttlebug Challenge blog - you have to leave a comment there to win so I'll just send you that way now!! All the details are in my post there!!

Some ATC's

Back before Christmas I joined a Vintage Christmas swap over on splitcoast. I do not mind mass-producing cards but a few years ago, my MIL put a pad of ATC images in my stocking that were all vintage images. I knew they would be perfect for this swap so I pulled them out. I added stickles to every image and then trimmed them and distressed them. Most of them had their base run through a cuttlebug folder for texture and I tried to use bits of lace and buttons or pearls on each one too. Once I was finished with them, they sat on my shelf for a day so I could admire them. I really loved each one and it was hard to pack them up and send them off. I hope that those who received them have enjoyed them as much as I did!

Glistening Pink Snow

I just want to say thank you so much to each of you who have lifted me up this past week with your visit and your sweet comments. Last week was a rough one for me - nothing major or chaotic - just some low spirits and your friendship seriously made me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy. I also LOVE IT that you love the bow. Wish I could take credit for it - but I bought it that way. In Walmart. They also have it in a Gorgeous Burgundy color.

Now if you've been here before, you know that my sister fell in love with a purple tree. A few years ago I saw a really pretty pink feather tree and promptly added it to my wish list. It's still there. But I love the color pink and I love how Christmas can be represented in so many non-traditional colors these days. And in a magical world, snowflakes might fall in bright pink and green!

Jami challenged the Pink Papery Studios DT this week to create our own decorative paper using stamps. I used the snowflake from the Catch a Falling Snowflake set. I even stamped and embossed some with this pink glitter embossing powder I have from Judikins. They have the prettiest colors of embossing powders! I had to take a photo to show you since most of it is getting covered up. Can you see the sparkle? Very cool IMO!! (Look close, you'll see a sneak of another card I have to show you too - probably one of my all-time favorites!) ((And yes, I know I say that a lot, but that's what happens when we keep creating right, we love the next project and then the next.))

I also used the tree image from the Simply Christmas set. The Between Us Girls line is one of my favorites!! I have the digital version of this stamp set so it took me awhile to finagle this card. I used the lasso tool in PS to just capture my tree and then pasted so that I had 2 side by side. I printed out a 3rd tree separately. I also wanted to paper piece my trees - you can see a tutorial on digi paper piecing here.I finished it off with even more falling snow on my main panel, a snippet of ribbon and sparkly gems in the corners. I almost left off the ribbon and the gems. Do you think it's too much?

Have a beautiful day!! And stop by the other girls blogs - their cards are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

p.s. hubby just called to tell me I have to leave NOW to meet the family for dinner (yea, with a baby napping and all that goes to get them out the door....please commiserate with me!) So I'll work on editing my other card later and get it posted.

Hi girls!! I hope you are having a wonderful day!! It's Friday and tomorrow I have my last 2 jewelry parties of the season!! I'm looking forward to them....but also looking forward to being done with work for awhile, KWIM?

My local stamp club was supposed to meet on Tuesday for our Christmas party but it was cancelled. Apparently the roads were slippery. As a result, I was totally depressed the rest of the night and into Wednesday. We were to make christmas themed ATC's this month and here is my creation. I searched for vintage sheet music and vintage santa images on Google Images. After trimming and adhering to my card base, I did the Cracked Glass technique. When I pulled them out of the freezer, almost all of them had those little bitty holes on them. They were perfectly smooth when I put them in. Not sure what happened --- maybe my EP is too old???

I wanted to do a transfer technique for my Santa image but decided that it would take too long to do 16 of them. So I was so happy when he became transparent during my heating and embossing process. I'm calling it "faux transfer".

Just a little snip of paper, lace and some vintage buttons to finish him off. For the gingham ribbon, it was originally brown and white which was too stark , so I just used a light brown copic marker to tint it. Perfect!!