Masculine Inspiration

I hope you are all having fun with this challenge!

I went to the Hero Art's Flickr Group yesterday to find some good cards to share with you for inspiration,
and I came across this Card made by Sharon D.

Isn't it perfect?! It's so clean and simple yet rustic, 

You can see more from Sharon by checking out her flickr photostream 

Or if you search the word "masculine" in either the Hero Arts,  Die Cut Diva's or Lawn Fawn flickr groups, I am certain you will find more then enough inspiration to help you get your "guy's" card done.

Have a Great weekend with your Dads this Fathers Day Weekend!

Hannah and the DCD Design Team

Need Creative Gift Idea's?

We all know that most fathers wants a tool or tool set on his special day, but who doesn't like a homemade gift? and here that is what we are about, in most cases it's cheaper too ; ) even better the kids can do it!

Last month when Arlene challenged us to make something besides a card, I came up with a dry erase calendar, and hey if it's not the gift for Dad, the kids will love it (I bet even the Teenagers)
So I put together this not so short video to show you how to make one.

I hope you can find this helpful and most of all have fun trying it out, I had a blast!  you could even do this without a die-cut machine,  but that to me is what makes it fun.

Have a Wonderful Rest of the Week, and stop back by this Friday for more fun! and remember there is still time to enter the challenge!

Hannah and the DCD Design Team.

I had to spread the NEWS!

Guess who won the entire NEW EDTION stamps from Penny Black?   DRUM ROLL!  DRUM ROLL!

OUR VERY OWN DIVA, DAWN TURLEY!   Yes, I was shouting.  I'm so exited for her.  In her words on her Monday blog, "I'm over the moon!!!!  Hubby, though, no so!  He said I have too many stamps already - spoil sport."

Congratulations Dawn!  And of course, you do NOT have too many stamps!

Send some happy stamps thoughts Dawn's way!  Great news!

Live Sketches

Good Morning Readers!

Happy Monday!

Today I wanted to share with you something I dicovered  quite by accident, I'm sure it's already out there and probably has a different name even, I don't know but I found it very helpful.

I'm going to call it Live Sketches..... (because instead of hand drawing I'm actually arranging pieces by hand.)
Last week while working on my cards for the favorite die cut week, I was cutting out all my pieces and I was stacking them together when I noticed a design like a sketch! So I unpiled all the pieces and began arranging them and coming up with idea's.

This is what I came up with.

At first, when I was cutting I was still trying to figure out what to do, but as soon as I saw this I immediately knew what stamps to use, what colors I wanted,  and the the look I wanted.

I was just so amazed at how quickly I was able to work after seeing the design and how much it helped me.

I f you sitting at your desk to make a card and you are just stumped, I would recommend trying this out, and it really helps to do it all in white, just use some scraps or unused die cuts, another thing that was helpful was to lay the stamps on the sketch before inking just to see where I'd like it.

Happy Die Cutting!

Hannah and the DCD Design Team.

The beautiful but UNREAL Peonie

What I need at my new office is FLOWERS!... but not R E A L Flowers.  The new building I'll be moving into does not allow live plants and I'm not sure why.  From what I've read on Gold level LEED buildings, that doesn't seem to be the case.  Oh well, .  Suffice it to say, the tan tones of my cubicle walls will NEED something.   I may have solved the problem after seeing this tutorial at Michella Marie.  She uses coffee filters and these are gorgeous peonies.  This is probably the only time I've ever really wanted to drink coffee so I could use the coffee filters.  Other than the (for me) awful taste of coffee, I may invest in some coffee filters if I can't find something else to fit the bill to make these beautiful flowers.   Thought I'd share this beauty.

Here's the wonderful result of Michella Marie's work.SEE, I TOLD YOU

Favorite Die-cut Day 3 (final day)

Hello again
Have you been enjoying the different ways to use the versatile nesty? I know I have been enjoying sharing it.
And speaking of enjoyment here is our final card using the die

I'm having such a hard time with this masculine theme! I so badly want to add flowers or cute little girls to color in! but I suppose they must wait.

On this card I used the negative and the inner oval to create lots of layers without much work.

I used a 4 x 5 1/4 panel to cut out all my shapes for all the cards I shared this week, being careful to line up the oval evenly so I could use the panel later,  like I showed on the first day.

And as you can see I cut out both ovals together  to create all the frames and ovals I intended to use throughout the week.
To line them all up, I simply laid them face down on my paper and used some tape to keep it in place so it didn't slide on the machine.

I stamped my background design on the panel and distressed the outer edges with distress ink,
then I adhered a small scrap of brown card stock just big enough to fill in the hole on the back side of the panel, and adhered to my 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 base.

Next I stamped the large sentiment on the small oval and popped it out with pop dots, to make it a little more dimensional. And there you have it!

Have a wonderful weekend, and come back next Monday for a week of idea's and tips!

Hannah and the DCD Design Team

Favorite die Day 2

Hi again and welcome back!

we are now on day 2 of using my favorite die (of the month), and for this card I wanted to share with you something you could put together in a matter of minutes, this type of card is great to do at the very last minute if you have too and can still look decent.  

The steps are few and simple:  You will need a piece of cardstock cut at 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 and fold it in half for your card base, a large nestie diecut, a background stamp image, a sentiment, and a focal image, wallah! your card is finished.


Stop Back Friday to see my final card for this week using the oval nesties!
Thanks for popping in!
  Hannah and the DCD Design Team.

       

My Favorite Die of the Month

One thing  I love about being a part of the DCD is the fact that we all have our own way each month to share with you ideas and inspiration, and being all over from the world, we all have our own little schedule we follow. It makes each month exciting and you never know what to expect from us as we all go about it a little differently.

And if you remember my last month of hosting, I did my Favorite die of the month, I had so much fun with that that I think it will become forever a part of my hosting and I will bring you a new die to showcase each and every time.

It is hard to pick a favorite among endless supplies, but after going through them I decided I would share with you my favorite set of Spellbinders Nestabilities
I can't argue with the fact that each and every set are special in their own way, but I have always prefered the Ovals,

So this week I hope you will join me and see some of the many things you can do and be inspired! Using just these few elements for all my cards that I will share with you throughout this week.

 

 

This card was very simple and took about 10 Minutes to make

For the First Step you will need 2 Nesties ( as we call them) nested inside each other and placed on the cardstock using just a bit of tape to hold it in place, such as washi tape, and run it through your machine to create a frame and set it aside.
Next you will need your card base, Grab and 81/2 x 11 sheet of cardstock and cut it in half, for a top fold cut it at 4 1/4 longways, or for a normal card cut at 5 1/2 widthwise.
Now you will need to place your die cut frame without adhering it on the card till you find your desired position, using it to tell you where to stamp,  once your image is stamped in place you will now need to make a mask.
To mask means to cover an area on which you don't want a stamp or ink to apear.
Using only the larger of the 2 nesties you used make your frame, run it through your machine and place it over your stamped image to cover it, using washi tape underneath or removable adhesive to keep it in place.
Now you can stamp a backround image over the mask, once you have stamped the image, you can remove your mask, and you will see that the space you covered is clean.
Now back to the frame.... I chose to do it on white cardstock so I could color it myself, rubbing blue (salty ocean) distress ink on it and stamping over it in the same color, after that is done just adhere it on your card and it is finished. I added the banner on top once the card was put together, just to add more to the card to dress it up just a little, but you could always stamp the sentiment within the frame if you had room or if that is all you used.
And there you have a quick simple easy card, to send a friend or for your little guy to send his friend.

Come back Wednesday and see what else you can do with our oval nestie! and join our monthly challenge, for a chance to win a cute set of your choice from Lawn Fawn

Come Again!
Hannah and the DCD Design Team.


 

Announcing the winner of May's DCD challenge!

Announcing the winner of May's DCD challenge!  The winner is # 18, Dorothy R.

Congratulations to you.  Since your photo was stored on Flickr, please flickr mail me your email and we'll get you your prizes.  To see Dorothy R's ATC, follow the thread, http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftydr/8882600607.   I am known as Clarian's Hawk * Arlene on flickr.  I will have to wait until I wake up tomorrow to announce the winner on the flickr group.  I don't know of any way to time a response.

I took the can - yes I knew I could use it for more than one thing!  I put the strips of paper in and my son pulled out the winner!  Lucky number 18.

I hope you enjoy picking your favorites out.  I always enjoy playing with something new.

And thanks again to Bugaboo Digital Stamps.
Arlene & the DCD Team

Guys and Boys!/June Challenge

Ok... there is something wrong with that title, please let me explain: For lack of a more challenging challenge I have come up with the idea to have you make masculine cards! With fathers day just days away this is the perfect oppertunity to get those done, but I don't want to limit you to Fathers day only cards, so anything for guys or boys is eligible, as long as you use a die cut or embossing folder for your projects.

You can find the rest of the rules by clicking here

This Month's Sponsor is.............

Lawn Fawn!

Never Heard of Lawn Fawn!?  Lets get to know more

Kelly.....

How did your company come about?

I have always loved crafting and made cards from a very young age. I decided that I wanted to have a job that I loved, so I came up with the idea to start a craft supply company. I asked my husband, Mike, and my good friend, Erica, to join me on the adventure, and Lawn Fawn was born!

How long have you been in business?

We have been in business a little over three years. We started in March of 2010!

Where can we find you?

You can find us at http://www.lawnfawn.com

Can anyone shop with you? in otherwords what happens for overseas visitors?

Yes! We offer international shipping and love sending products all over the world!

What is one of your favorite products you carry and why?

This is such a hard question! I am a stamper at heart, so our stamps are my favorites, if I have to choose. Critters in the 'Burbs was our first set, and it has a special place in my heart.

Do you craft and how often do you get a chance to do so?

I love crafting but often don't have as much time as I wish I did for it. I do create at least a few hours a week. It makes me happy!

Do you have a blog or any social networks, where you share your products?

Yes! You can find us at

http://www.lawnfawn.com/

http://lawnfawn.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/lawnfawn

https://www.facebook.com/LawnFawn

http://www.youtube.com/lawnfawn

http://www.flickr.com/groups/lawnfawn

http://pinterest.com/lawnfawn/

http://instagram.com/lawnfawn#

Thanks Kelly! it was great getting to know more about you!

At the End of the Month a winner will be randomly chosen and will recieve a die and stamp set of her choice!  And to make this challenge a little more fun anyone who uses a lawn fawn stamp gets an extra chance to win and if you use a Lawn Fawn Die 2 chances!

Good Luck!

And now for some inspiration from our DTs, to help you get started, I give you Arlene, Paula, Dawn, and Myself.

3 cards for the guys by Hannah

Arlene with a cute card for the hubby or significant other

Paula L. used the Cute Mail set  I Love the clever message!


And this Fun Card is From Dawn, she used the "Say Cheese" set from Lawn Fawn to pair with this funny not so photogenic guy.

Thanks for Stopping by! Come back Tomorrow to see who won Arlene's Challenge anything but a card!

Hannah
and the DCD Design Team

Grunge Book

I'm making a commemorative book of the first year of f the Die Cut Divas (DCD) Challenge Blog.  The idea came to me when I was trying to think of samples of work that were not cards.  Sometimes things just pop out at you and this little 6 inch by 6 inch grunge book did.  I was walking the aisles of Hobby Lobby when I saw this nondescript packet hanging about knee level.

Several thoughts ran through my mind, NOT TOO LARGE, NOT TOO SMALL, JUST RIGHT! - that's right I felt like Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  Reading the packet, there are 12 pages, perfect for a year... looking better and better.  Not too much room to fill up, but enough to make it interesting.

Here's what I saw:

Looks interesting with lots of possibilities, right?

Here's what I did:
I colored the grunge paper with Alcohol Inks in a free style.  Taking the alcohol ink applicator in one hand, I squirted the ink in the other hand onto the felt and sponged the ink on the grunge paper.

First I applied Eggplant, then Cranberry and I loved the look of texture this gave my project. I thought metallic and grabbed the copper, dabbed on copper and let the paper dry.   I wanted you to see the vibrancy of the colors as well as what the light and dark of the colors achieved.

 I wondered how I would meld the world of Bugaboo and grunge paper.  My first thought was I needed some letters to at least identify what I was going to put on the page, the month and the sponsor, Bugaboo Digital Stamps.  I dropped the two "o"s and one landed on top of the other, just meant to be.  Distressing the sides of the die-cut panels, I moved them and the letters around until I felt happy with it.

I took the rings out of the bag and Voila.  The first page is finished.  I may add additional papers, perhaps just plain card stock to save something I don't want to lose, but I definitely want to save the sponsor pages.  It's our first year and I just have to have something solid in my hands.

Thank you to Bugaboo for your support of our blog.

Wait until you see what Hannah has in store for you in June!

Arlene and the DCD Design Team

Fabric Flower Brooch Tutorial

Fabric Flower Brooch Tutorial

I'd like to say a big "Thank You" to Heather Maria at Stamping and Stitching.  She's so talented and when I asked her to do this tutorial, she promptly agreed.  Dawn was so nice to do a tutorial and told me Heather was going to do a tutorial too and I should ask her to do one for the blog.  Be sure to visit Heather and give her some artist's love - you know, comments!

Here is Heather Maria's tutorial, straight from Heather!

1. Die cut 5 flowers from fabric. I used Dahlia Nestabilities for this brooch but any circular shape would work well.

2. Fold a flower in half.

3. Fold the flower in half again.

4. Stitch the folded flower to the centre of a die cut flower.

5. Stitch the 3 remaining folded flowers onto the backing flower.

Above you can see the tulle before stitching it on below.

6. Die cut a flower from tulle and stitch on.

7. Die cut a circle from felt.

8. Stitch a brooch back onto the felt circle.

9. Add this to the back of the flower by either stitching or adhering with fabric glue.

10. Add a large bead and some pearls to the centre.

If you'd like to make this type of brooch from a flimsier type of fabric like organza, die cut 9 flowers and add another layer of folded flowers after step 5.

These flowers can be made using any type of fabric but if you'd prefer not to have a frayed look on the edges, felt would be a good option.

Thank you so much, Heather, for a wonderful tutorial.  Your flower is so elegant and beautiful.

Arlene & the Divas

Who Thinks about Envelopes?

Who Thinks about Envelopes?  Usually not I.  Sometimes, just finishing a card can be time-intensive for me. Other times, not so much.  I just forget about envelopes until it's time to stuff, sounds rather harsh, doesn't it... but, to go on, STUFF a card into an envelope, I just don't think about them (envelopes).  I make cards for gifts for my co-workers (I'm afraid the number seems to increase each year) and just finishing up cards and determining who they are for means working into the night.

However, I wanted to show you how very CUTE the Bugaboo digital stamps were when printed on envelopes and lightly colored.  I did not use Copics which would have bled through the paper.  I used a set of Zig Writers to shade in my stamps.  A very quick and easy process to try, so I hope you consider stamping on your envelopes too.

I figured I'd try this out on my printer and without too much work at all, printed the two images below on a couple of envelopes.  If I can do this, you can do it too.

 I just love Bugaboo's  Friends are Your Umbrella and had the hardest time not coloring TOO much.  This is just a swish of a marker here and there to give some depth, but I did not spend more than a couple of minutes on this at all.  Yet, it so appeals to me.

I printed Stella Peeker - Darth Vader on a large 6" X 9 inch envelope and quickly ran over it with some markers to give it some fun and a bit of depth.  Don't spend time, just a quick couple of colors and a swish here and there of a marker.  I had to color her hair lavender... she just needed a lavender day, the color just leaping off into space!

I hope you enjoyed this quick post to show you that a printed envelope does not require you to spend a lot of time coloring.  (I had no gray, so used a barely brown color on the container) - see you use what you have.

Arlene and the DCD Design Team

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May.^[1] Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.^[2] Formerly known as Decoration Day,

it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service^[3]. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.

I salute those who died to protect us and preserve our freedoms.

Arlene

Mixed Media Canvas

Hi Dawn here, popping in to share a Mix Media Canvas I made.

The finishing of the canvas was the flower on the dress form.  It is made with organza cut with my Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die.  The centre was heated with a heat gun causing the organza to shrivel and shrink.   The leaves were cut with a Die-namics die from My Favorite Thing.

More details can be found on my blog post here.

Thanks for stopping by... just a few more days till our challenge finishes so would love to see your creations.