The QuicKutz Squeeze

Happy Halloween!

I don't have a die-cutting machine of any kind...no Cricut, no BigShot, no nothing!  (You feeling sorry for me yet?).  However, I did "inherit" (aka Got It For FREE) a QuicKutz Squeeze.  Have you seen these things?  Well, here's a picture in case you haven't.

I put a pair of scissors next to it so you could see how huge this thing is!  (My husband saw it sitting on the desk and said, "What is this thing?  It looks like it belongs in my garage!"  I guess my 3-year-old heard him because later that day she saw me using it and said, "That's for daddy's garage!" :))  Regardless of looks or size, I'm growing to love it...since it's all I've got right now!  And it was FREE!  The dies you use are only $5-$15 each.  Sure beats Cricut cartridges at $89 a pop!  Ridiculous!  So I went online and ordered me some dies for my squeeze since I had none (except a purse die which was given to me and is adorable, but I wanted some Holiday-themed dies).  You are limited to ordering a certain size (the small size) since the squeeze will only fit one size.  But they're really the perfect size for note cards!  All you do is slide your die and paper into the slot and SQUEEZE! 

I'll be showcasing the cards I make with each die over the course of this week.  We'll start off with 3 right now; Apron, Mug and Stocking.

 Here's the Apron:

That card was starting to give me a headache after a while, with all the patterns going on...so don't look at it for too long.  The paper was from the "Modern Homemaker" stack by October Afternoon.

I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to do, so ended up with a bit of a hot mess!  Here's a closeup of the Apron.

Next we have the Stocking die:

I used "Season's Greetings" stack by Echo Park on this one.

And last, we have the Mug:

I love this little guy because you can leave out the "marshmallows" (pop dots) and it can be tea or coffee!  Here's a close-up:

The paper I used for this was "December 25th" by KaiserCraft.  Really cute stuff!

That's it for now!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Create: Giveaway and Card Challenge

Happy Friday!!

 Be sure and go enter Create:'s giveaway!  It's a doozie!  Check it out here!

Each week they do a card challenge (no winning prize...they just select 20-30 cards to show off).  Last week's challenge was "Fall" cards.  I submitted 6 cards. :)  Here's what I submitted. 

Now check out the ones that were selected to be displayed here.  Awesomeness!

The new challenge is "Cards with No Sentiment."  Cool!  I've got lots of those!  And even better than that is I'm going to get professional quality photos taken of my cards...maybe that will help???

I want you all to enter too!  Leave a link in the comments to your card(s) so we can all see!

Happy Spooky Crafting!
Cheryl

Paper Addict - Echo Park - Season's Greetings

Hello Friends!

My paper addiction continues...in case you thought it might have disappeared entirely!  I adore the patterns in Echo Park's Season's Greetings 6x6 cardstock.  It's double-sided...always a bonus...and a stressor at the same time.  Trying to decide which side to use can be a little tortuous because both sides are so fabulous!

In case you didn't know, Echo Park has a "Facebook Fan Friday" thing they do where you upload a picture of your card or other project using any of their lines of paper to their Facebook page and they choose a winner from that week's posts.  If you win, they feature you on their blog and you win some Echo Park paper.  Sweet!  So be sure and "Like" them on Facebook and get your Echo Park paper projects added!

Here's one I submitted this week:

This one is using Lawn Fawn's Ornate Ornaments stamps.

Here are a few more I've made and will post in subsequent weeks.

I love making these "flowers."  Just punch several sizes in varying patterned paper, ink the edges (I use distress ink), and then distress the edges with a paper distresser.  I then wad them up to get them all worn and crinkly looking.  Put them all together with a brad of some kind and then curl up some of the edges.  TIP:  Make a bunch up at a time and have them on hand to add to cards as needed.

Another one:

And one more:

The snowflake is part of the Season's Greetings Chipboard Accents, which are too cute!  This was originally white, but I stained it with some Tim Holtz Barn Door Distress Ink.  The letters were some I've had forever!

So run out and get you some Season's Greeting paper.  I hear HL has their paper at half off this week!  Woo-Hoo!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Supplies:

Tim Holtz Distress Ink Tea Dye	Crystal Stickers Glitter Dome	Lawn Fawn Ornate Ornaments Clear Stamps
Echo Park Season's Greetings Paper	Tim Holtz Distress Stickles Clear Rock Candy	Tim Holtz Ink blending tool
Tim Holtz Paper Distresser	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Barn Door

InLinkz.com

Are you entering giveaways?

If you're not entering giveaways, you could be missing out on FREE and FABULOUS products that you might not otherwise ever purchase.  Since I started on my paper crafting journey several months ago, I've entered so many giveaways and blog hops it's not even funny!  I love it.  And I especially love it when I win!  To date, I've won 3 different giveaways!

1.  A spool of Brown Sugar Divine Twine from Whisker Graphics.  This was a Facebook giveaway.  Love it!
2.  A stamp from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps.  Another Facebook giveaway.  It was the Franken Josh stamp. So cute!
3.  Faber Castell prize pack.  Go to this link to see everything included in the pack.  You will die when you see how much stuff was included.  I just received it this week and it was all there!

I haven't done much with the Franken Josh stamp because I'm really not that great at coloring with markers or even colored pencils (looks all waxy and uneven).  But with my new Faber Castell markers, I think I'll give it a try as soon as I watch some tutorials on how to use them effectively!

In the meantime, I was happy to see Sparkle Creations' weekly challenge of NO COLOR!  They want you to use one of their stamps, of course, and this time around the challenge is not to color them in.  I love that!  Here's the card I'm submitting.

Isn't he adorable?!  I also like it because they pick a random winner...not the one with the cutest/best card.  That means I actually have a chance to win! :)

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Market Street Stamp Wish List Giveaway--2nd entry

Really hope I win this contest!  See this post if you're not sure what I'm talking about!

http://www.marketstreetstamps.com/wishlist.php?publicwishlist=98c4d5f4f2d961f9f81602e4282e4bd1

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Market Street Stamp Wish List Giveaway

Market Street Stamp has a great giveaway going on right now.  Go here to see the details.  Basically you create a wish list at Market Street Stamps and then post it on your blog or FB.  So here's the link to my Wish List.
http://www.marketstreetstamps.com/wishlist.php?publicwishlist=98c4d5f4f2d961f9f81602e4282e4bd1

They'll pick 3 winners and each winner gets 3 items off their wish list!

Play along!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Create: Card Challenge-- Epic Fail!

This is my second post today...be sure to check out the earlier post with the super cute 3D Pumpkin Card!

Okay, so I totally bombed the Create: Card Challenge of the Chevron stripes.  But you've GOT to check out the entries that made it.  So cute!  I always find myself saying..."Why didn't I think of that?!"  So after seeing the winners, I wanted a personal do-over based on the inspiration I saw.  But when I sat down to do it, I was so over it!  So on to the next challenge!  Towards the bottom of the post it gives the next week's card challenge which is anything Fall!  I've already done so many Fall cards, this should be easy, right?  We'll see! :)

I want you to enter too...leave a comment with a link to your blog or picture so we can see your entry!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

3-D Pumpkin Card

Happy Friday!

This card is so great!  It's fast and easy and so cute!  I should have named by blog "The Fast and Easy Crafter!"  Thanks to Teresa Collins for sharing this project and giving the instructions on how to make it.  Check out her blog!

Here's my version.

Here's a close-up of the pumpkin:

I love how it lays flat for mailing too!  I will definitely be reproducing this card for mass mailing!  I'm thinking about how to incorporate this design for Christmas cards...thinking 3D ornaments...or snowmen!  Oh, gotta go! :)

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Create: Card Challenge Entry Card

I'm entering a card into the Create: Cards Challenge.  They want you to incorporate the Chevron pattern into a card.  The only Chevron pattern I have is in the form of Whisker Graphics Chevron Bitty Bags in hot pink.  So I decided to incorporate the bag on the card as a holder of a "Thanks" tag.

The hot pink of the Chevron was a little too "hot" for the rest of the card which had more muted pinks, so I waded up the bitty bag and added some distress ink to the crease lines to grunge it up a bit.  I have the worst lighting, so here's a couple more pics in case it helps.

It still didn't "mesh" as well as I'd like, so I ditched that card and tried to come up with something else.

IDEA!  Cut ribbon into a chevron pattern and put on card.

Um, no!

IDEA!  Use some Indie Flag Banners in a chevron pattern on a card.  Just peel and stick, baby!

Cute, but not sure if it would be considered "chevron" enough!

IDEA!  Re-read contest rules and see if it HAS to be a card.  Because if not, I'll just make some chevron bitty bags as tag holders.

But it has to be a card.  Looks like I'll go with the Indie Flag Banner card.  Here's hoping!

It might be a while before I enter another card challenge! :)

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Supply List (click on picture to go to link):

Whisker Graphics Chevron Bitty Bags	The Paper Studio 2" Punch	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Tea Dye
Prima Flowers Ballerina Blooms Margot	Prima Flowers Flower Market Pixie Glen	My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Madison Avenue Paper
Stampin Up Tagtastic Clear Mount Stamps

InLinkz.com

Really Reasonable Ribbon Card Challenge

Hey Crafty Friends!

I've decided I'm going to make more of an effort to start entering card challenges.  They're everywhere and all the time.  Today I'm submitting a card for a challenge going on at Really Reasonable Ribbon.  The theme is Fun 4 Fall.  So any card with a Fall theme and of course you have to use ribbon, lace or some kind of trim on your card.  I've chosen to use twine as my trim.  Now say, out loud, "twine as my trim" three times really fast! LOL!

Here's my card:

And a couple close-ups since I have terrible lighting and an iPhone as a camera!

It's pretty simple.  But it took forever to color all those leaves!  Definitely not a card I'll be duplicating anytime soon!

So get your creativity one and enter the challenge too!  Let me know if you do!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Spooky Pumpkin Card

Hello Fellow Crafters!

I figured I should try to get more Halloween cards in while I can and lay easy on the Christmas ones for a bit...but not too long!

Here's a card inspired by this design at Apple Crate.  I don't have any Halloween paper at all!  I have one clear stamp set with some Halloween images on it, so I'm trying to make due with what I have.  I got it at Hobby Lobby and I don't still have the packaging it came in, so I have no idea what the name of it is or who made it.  I did several searches to try to find it, to no avail.  It's nice because it has a mixture of Halloween and Thanksgiving images on it.  Here's a picture of it anyway.

  Here's my card:

That's some Really Reasonable Ribbon from the September Ribbon Club collection.  Love their ribbon!

I used Basic Grey's 6x6 Life of the Party for the paper.  It had a great vibrant orange wood-grain type paper that I used for the background and then layered with some newspaper print paper and polka dots.

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Supplies (click on picture to go to link):

Really Reasonable Ribbon

Basic Gray Life of the Party 6x6 paper

InLinkz.com