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!

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!

Fall Scarecrow and Vintage Wishbone Kids

I love fall and Thanksgiving!   The cool weather, the colors and the Thanksgiving dinner.  

This will be the first year since Louisa was born that they've lived close enough to come for Thanksgiving.  Can't wait to have them and get back to fixing our traditional goodies.  Pecan Pie, anyone?

Scarecrows are perfect for fall, of course.  I've had this one for a year and finally had time to create a card.  I've combined images from several stamp sets to create the scene.

Had so much fun coloring all these sweet images!

Speaking of sweet, aren't these kids adorable?  Love the huge wishbone.  I created a Z-fold card that when opened reveals more of the image and that cute turkey. 

A band of vellum keeps it closed.

You can download the kids below.  The download also includes the Make A Wish (slightly off the edge), so that if you want to make a card like this one, all you have to do is cut off the top portion of the paper and a little bit off the right side, then fold.

Download Wishbone Kids HERE.

Are you like Louisa and her mommy and daddy planning to travel for Thanksgiving?  Or are you like me, cooking with everyone coming to you?

Black Cats for Halloween

Louisa loves Kitty.  Who just happens to be a black cat, of course.  While she was here this weekend,  Louisa carried around my black cat cards and she kept picking them up  and saying "Black Kitty."

You can download this cute Little Fortune Teller with her black kitty below.

This adorable black cat is a svg file.  Fun for a last minute Halloween card or making multiples.  It doesn't take too long to put together and if you like cats, it's purr-fect!  Couldn't resist!

I love this cool cat.  He's a little scraggly, which I think is really cute.  This is also a svg file.  I think it's really pretty.  I covered the cat in black glitter and gave him green eyes. I ended up making this card 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 - it's really large.  One reason is because of the intricacy of the cuts.  

Louisa has been so cute identifying all the pumpkins (on the porch, in her Halloween books, at restaurants, etc...)  Her first ever gluing project was to glue a jack o' lantern face to a colored pumpkin.  She caught on to squeezing the glue pretty quickly and we had to wipe up just a little bit extra.  She must have put on and took off the eyes and mouth about 6 times!  Doesn't she look serious?

Download Little Fortune Teller HERE.

I just have to tell you about my daughter's Autumn Festival Cookbook on Kindle:

Lauren just published a wonderful history-filled cookbook called Revel.  

Okay, yes, I'm the mom.  But still...this is a wonderful read.  If you love to learn things, if you love history or if you love holidays:  this book is for you!  Even if you have no interest in the actual recipes, you will enjoy the fun information!

Lauren has done a LOT of research on traditional British food and late autumn holidays.  She tells you all about the history of the holiday (great conversational tone) and each recipe features a picture and the recipes are tried and true.

You can download Lauren's book, Revel, HERE on Amazon.  (It's only $4.99.)


Thank yo for stopping by and for letting me tell you about Lauren's cookbook.  Have a wonderful day!