Let it Snow!!!

Brrr!!!  How on earth did it go from 100 degrees to just 25???  And the Denver area got 4" of snow?  I'm soooooooo glad I moved "south"!  LOL!!!  This is my "let it snow" card.  My flowers are all still blooming but I have a feeling after it drops to 25 tonight - there won't be much left.  And instead of making cards, I'll be outside prepping everything for winter.

This is known as a double slider card.  You pull the string at the top and both the top and bottom slide open.  The mechanism is made using a walmart type plastic grocery bag.

I really wanted to title this "butterflies in the snow" - because the butterflies ARE still flitting around today.....plus, I think it makes my imagination fly if I can stop and think what it means to have butterflies in the snow.  Early winter....late summer....or just plain odd weather?

I was going to write this:

butterflies in the snow
dear that glisten
the magic is here

but then I couldn't think of the 4th line with something that rhymed with glisten that I liked other than "tradition" - if you can come up with a line, let me know!

Needless to say, I'm happy with the end results.  Tis the season when just about anything can happen.  And what's happening is I'll be teaching how to make this on November's First Friday Art walk at the Marketplace shops.  Just $5.00.  Sign up quick - only 20 seats!!!

Cricut and pewter

Yep, you read that right!!! You can diecut PEWTER and METAL in the Cricut!!! WOW!! I figured if you could cut chipboard, you could do metal. And I was right! Here's the settings:

Slowest speed
Highest pressure
Thick cut blade set to # 6.

One pass through is all you need!!! I did the word SOUL in Amaco's Art Emboss Light Weight metal:



Pulled it off and ran each letter through a cuttlebug embossing folder to give it texture:



I'm actually using the reverse of the purple side.....because I didn't have the shade of metal that I wanted. Here's the back of the "S":



To get my correct shade, I simply used my copic markers in the airbrush and applied smooth color that dried in 2 seconds!



OK - it really was so fast and easy!!! Next I started diecutting in pewter - Amaco's Art Emboss Pewter. Same settings. Equally excellent results! No, I'm not sharing just yet. I have a project brewing that is going to incorporate almost every single technique that Linda and I come up with this week. I think you are going to love it.....it has inspired me to just keep experimenting and trying new things!

We sort of took most of today "off". We ran up to Loveland to visit our friend Judy Caulkins who owns Judy's Stone House Designs. Remember the heart shaped purse that I turned into a birdhouse? I'm thinking we might just have to decorate a purse in Friendly Plastic!!!

Stay tuned for more fun coming up soon!!! I'm exhausted! But when you are having this much fun...who cares about sleep? Oh, and I have to report....a little Chambord with your Diet Coke sure helps the creativity flow! LOL!!!

Friendly plastic pellets in the cuttlebug!!!

Oh my gosh! Is this just the cutest???? Pellets melted, rolled out, inked up and embossed:



And then you can cut and layer, stack up, play with it....is this just beyond fun???



I can't begin to tell you how much fun we are having...but I nearly missed my blog tonight....I got lost in the right side of my brain and nearly didn't come "up" for air! LOLOL!!!

Stay tuned. I promise I'll try to post more photos. But you know...when you are having this much fun..who has time to blog? :o)

Wizard-bugging

Well, why not make up words that work? Using Cuttlebug dies in the Wizard, "wizard-bugging"! I have been waiting anxiously for the release of the new cuttlebug 2-part cut and emboss dies and they are here! I bought Mickey:



This is the embossing folder.



It's a 2-step process. You cut the paper first. For the Wizard, the sandwich will be:

White emboss mat
Die, cut (foam) side up
Paper
White cut mat



And then you place the cut out die inside the embossing folder and run that through the Wizard. You just put the paper inside the folder and place the folder between the white cut mat and the white emboss mat. Doesn't matter which mat is on the top of bottom, but for consistency, we'll put the sandwich as:

white emboss mat
embossing folder with paper inside
white cut mat




Be sure to spritz your paper with Lucy McGoo Wonder Goo. Yes...that's a commercial...but hey, it really does make the embossing pop!



Look at the detail that you get! I used some Basic Gray solid paper for this.



Next, place the diecut on a Ranger non-stick craft sheet. Using Broken China Distress ink, tap a 1" x 2" square of Ranger cut 'n dry foam onto the pad and ink it up.



Starting on the craft sheet, rub the ink side of the foam on to the diecut. Rub as much or as little ink as you like:



I also bought the flower petal 2 part die from Cuttlebug. Same technique. I cut out 5 sets for this flower:



I embossed each of the scalloped petals identical, but gave each of the center petals a different look. All of these designs come with the same die.



I used Ranger distress ink with the same technique as above, just different colors. You can layer this on top of each other:



Matching colors on top of each other:



Fan them out:



And even curl the edges up a little for a 3D look:



You really should give these a try. They go through the wizard so easy and the embossed detail is absolutely fabulous! Now that I have this great flower and this cut Mickey, I'll have to decide what to do with them next! Stay tuned!!!