Use Your Background Dies as Stencils+Video+Free Image

This all started with a request for a birthday card.  They like my vintage image cards so I picked an adorable Agnes Richardson image.  Then I wanted to use a stencil and didn't really see one in my stash that was exactly what I wanted.

So, I got carried away making my own stencils from background dies and really like the results!   

Scroll on down for a video with tips and that Agnes Richardson couple is ready for you to download if you would like.

I love this sweet image of the girl with her cat.   I think she's a companion for another girl - you can see the card I made with her HERE.  She has polka dot hair and well, so does this one!  Polka dots on her sweater, the leaves and the cat, too!

So fun to color! 

Speaking of color - isn't this card bright and cheery?  This background die made a lovely bold stencil.  

Really like how that big bold sentiment really pops!  And it is really fun:  Vintage Text Message!  

This is the one I turned into a birthday card for Kirby to give to his wife, Gail.  I hear it was a hit!  If you like vintage images and want to use this one in one of your creations, you can download it below.  

Download Cute Couple HERE.

Here is the video:



So glad you stopped by!  Have a lovely day!

Easter Cards, Treat Bag + Printables

I've been having so much fun with Louisa!  I've had her three weekends in a row - which is awesome!  
Of course, I don't get quite as much creating done, but I'm happy to let it wait for a little while.  Being with my granddaughter is totally worth letting everything slide. I did get a couple of Easter cards and a treat bag finished.

Isn't she a cutie?  All dressed up in her bonnet and apron?  She's a download, if you would like to create a little something with her.

This little guy is adorable too.  But, seriously what is he?  He seems to have chicken feet, but a duck bill.  Maybe he's a chuck or a dicken?  Oh, well....I still really like him!  He's a download, too.

Speaking of adorable, how about this sweet little rabbit?  He looks like he wants to share his carrot with you. 
I made use of my idea to create a ground with flowers (see post and video HERE) on the egg shape.  

These are the copics I used to create the violet bunny and the carrot.  

Download the vintage Easter chick HERE.

Download Easter Printable HERE.
Hope you are enjoying creating and perhaps letting things slide every once in a while  for something totally worthwhile!

Sliding Message Cards+Video+Kitty in a Sugar Bowl Printable

Blue bunnies, a cutie pie bear and a purr-fect valentine kitty - who could ask for more?  Well, how about sliding message cards?

So much fun...and cuteness...and a video...and a valentine printable.  Yay!

The cutie pie bear is a die from Sizzix - part of the Animal Portraits set.  It's not linked below, because I couldn't find it for sale anywhere.  In fact, I got mine off of ebay.

"I love you once, I love you twice, cause..."

"Loving you is super nice!"  

Such a sweet sentiment and I love how it could be revealed with the the sliding message design.

I had so much fun coloring these bunnies blue!  How to color the bunnies is a little bonus in the video.  

Sliding message cards are pretty easy to make and I have lots of tips to make them even easier.  Be sure to check out the video:

This sweet kitty is ready for you to download if you need a last minute valentine.  I turned it into a card for my grandma to give to Louisa and also as a tag for a valentine treat bag.

Download Kitten in a Sugar Bowl HERE.

Glad you stopped by!  

Fun Gatefold Frame Card + Video + Vintage Printable

Roar!  Louisa still likes to roar (you might remember this valentine card) and loves to play with grandma's Louisa's old steiff lion.  When I saw this lion stamp, I thought "that is one cool lion."  

It popped up in my amazon suggestions and, of course, I had to have it.  

Since he is one cool dude, I decided he needed a cool card of some kind.  So...here we have a gatefold card with a frame.  I've got a video below on how to make this card.

Well...a cool lion also deserves some cool coloring, right?  I added a pink into the mix and that worked for me!

I adore this sweet valentine girl with her kitty and puppy!  Made a quick card with one of my favorite dies.  If you would like to create a little something with her, she's ready to download below.

I have a new light and new camcorder.  The quality is better on my video.  Still learning how to use it all!  Here's the video on making the gatefold with a frame card:

Download Valentine Girl with Kitty and Puppy HERE.


So glad you stopped by today!  Hope you make a fun gatefold frame card soon...

Vertical Divide Valentine Backgrounds + Video

More Valentine cards!  I'm calling the backgrounds on these Vertical Divide.  Meaning that two (or more) vertical sections of the background are completely different.  Fun and easy background ideas for any cards, not just Valentines.  I've got a video below.

Sugar Bowl Girl is adorable, isn't she?  Her background is about two-thirds plaid and one-third hearts.  I love this plaid stencil - I've found myself using it a lot!

Sugar Bowl Girl is all cleaned up and ready for you to download below.

Cute, cute little bears!  Seriously.  (You can see the video on how to make envelopes like the one above HERE.)  This one is a vertical divide because all the action is on the left and the right side is bare.  (I should have put bear there for a pun!)

The little bears were so much fun to color!  

This card almost didn't make the cut as a Vertical Divide.  When I first started it, the card size was wider and looked more like the right side was blank.  So I'm kind of fudging on this one.  We'll just say that the right fourth of the card is blank!

This is my first foray into Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens.  I need to practice and experiment, but it was fun to try out something new (to me).  

I found it completely necessary to make color swatches of all the pens.  Once you add water, they look totally different.  You can see the color charts I made in the video.

Here's the video:

Download Sugar Bowl Girl HERE.

As I say in the video, there are at least a million and one ways to create a vertical divide background for cards.  Thank you for letting me share my three cards with you!

Visions of Sugarplums Day Two: Home at Christmas + Video + Giveaway

The loose theme of today's post is Home at Christmas.  That has more than one meaning for me this year.   Louisa and her mommy and daddy now live close enough to come home for Christmas!  I'm looking forward to it and so glad that I don't have to fly.  

I've got a video on how to make this house shaped box.  And free images to download.

This is the second day of Visions of Sugarplums (the abbreviated version).  If you would like to see the first post, click HERE.  Check out the new giveaway below.

I love the gold and white of this box.  I've never been able to resist a house - stamps or dies.  (Or boxes, it seems.)  All sides have houses - embossed ones on the back and sides.  The little santa's sleigh and reindeer seem perfect in the gable of the box.

Neither of these houses are actually decorated as houses, although you could certainly do that.  I really love this sweet candy cane girl and she's ready to be downloaded below.

I've included a card made with her as well.  I think the die cut as a base for the card and the two-tone gingham frame are really fun.

Here's the House Box Video:

Keeping loosely with the Home for Christmas theme, I've also included a mailbox in this post.  These dies are from the Parcel and Post kit from Papertrey Ink several years ago.  Sometimes it takes me awhile to get around to using things!   When I came across the card with the little girl and her dog at a mailbox, I thought it just might be perfect for the front of my mailbox.

I've also got her ready to download, if you would like to create a little something with her.

Download Candy Cane Girl  HERE.

Download Girl at Mailbox HERE.

I've posted Visions of Sugarplums Challenge #2.  The theme is Home at Christmas.  Doesn't have to have a house - you're free to stretch the theme as you wish.  

The prize (winner by random selection) is $20 to Simon Says Stamp.

Let's keep the number of links per person to 4 maximum.  Thank you!

You can find the link up HERE.

The giveaway for this post is this great set of house dies.  There are trees, stars, lamp post and clouds. 

 I don't have any idea where these dies are from.  I bought a box of stamps and dies recently - a wonderful box of about 40 items - from an antique, vintage, junk store that's only open one Saturday a month. There were three sets of these dies in the box.

I created a quick card and tag with them.  

I'll give a set to two of you that leave a comment.  Be sure to let me know that you would like to win the house dies.   Winners will be announced Wednesday, December 12th.

Whew!  I hope I remembered everything!  So glad you stopped by!