tinkerbell invitations

I have been working on a super fun project for two little girls' birthdays.  They're having a Tinkerbell party and I have been honored with the task of designing the invitation.

I really love these kinds of projects.  I love the challenge of coming up with an idea, and then executing it.

Most of all I love when it turns out better than I expected, like this one did.

Little Tink is caught in a mason jar tied up with baker's twine and a hang tag.

The vellum jar contains a sprinkling of her pixie dust: pink glitter and gold & vellum stars.

The entire invitation was designed using the Silhouette Designer Series software.  I used the software to create cut files from jpegs, and to also draw hair, clothes and shoes for Tinkerbell.

The envelopes are also handmade using the We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today!

top dog dies: 2 bottles, 3 ways

Hello!

I have a couple of cards to share with you today.  I once read on a crafty girl's blog that she doesn't buy anything unless she can think of three different ways to use it.

So in case you have a little holiday money burning a hole in your crafty little pocket, I wanted to show you three different ways to use this cute little die set from Top Dog Dies:

Bottles #2

When I looked at that bottle on the left, I immediately saw a flower petal (I know.  I'm crazy.  I see things, and don't even get me started on the voices I hear).  Anyway, do you see it?  Just trim off the base and continue the curve on the top and you've got a perfect little petal shape.  

And then it was all very serendipitous when they fit perfectly around the little hexie punch from Fiskars.  I created two layers of petals just to be able to use all the pretty colored petals I had cut (did you catch that they are in rainbow order?)

The hello is cut on my Silhouette Cameo and the friend tag is cut from the Cherish Doilies & Tags set.  I mounted the whole piece onto an embossed Circle Mini Album die.

Next up, I used the bottle on the right as a vase and filled it with a cut from the Wildflower Die.

I also snuck in a little doily from the Cherish set.

A couple of Wednesdays ago, I shared this nail polish gift:

Yup, you guessed it!  That nail polish bottle was made with the Bottles #2 die, too.

Just cut off the top, add a strip, and a little tip for the brush.  These would also make the perfect embellishment for a card that contains a gift certificate for a mani or pedi.

Here are the die sets I used in these projects (click on the photo to go to the Top Dog Dies shop):

  

 

Next week I'll be back with a collection of mini embellished doilies.

Thanks so much for stopping in for a visit!

top dog dies: typography

Happy New Year!

It's a new year and I have some new projects featuring Top Dog Dies to share with you today.

This month I received some super fun dies to create with, including this vintage alphabet die:

First up, a little "HELLO 2014" card to ring in the New Year.

dies used: Vintage Alphabet, Photo Mats, Cherish Doilies and Tags

This card is sized at 3x4 for Project Life, but would also make a cute embellie for a card, scrapbook page or mini album.

Typography is an art in itself, and this die is perfect for easily creating artsy backgrounds. 

dies used: Vintage Alphabet, Cherish Doilies and Tags 

 I used the same idea of a typed background to create this little altered tile:

The leftover letters from the above card were glued onto a ceramic tile with a simple message.

I haven't decided if I want to glue a pretty ribbon to the back for an entryway wall hanging, or to seal it and use it as a coaster.  Decisions, decisions. . .

The following dies were used in these three projects:

I'll be back later to share my One Little Word for 2014.

Happy New Year!

top dog dies: happy valentine's!

Well, time is running out to start any new projects for Christmas (guess there's always next year, right?).  But now seems as good a time as any to get a jump on Valentine's Day!

I used some Top Dog Dies to create a couple of love-themed projects:

This card uses both the Circle Mini Album die and the Heart Doily die

I ran the heart through a wood grain embossing folder and embellished it with cuts from my Silhouette Cameo.

This bunting was made with the Photo Mats die and the Heart Doily die.  It was super simple and quick to make.

 Just cut the frames and hearts out of assorted red papers, back the frames with some light colored paper, add some cut letters (I used the Silhouette to cut mine), and clip them to some baker's twine with mini clothes pins.  Done!

top dog dies: a few cards

Good Morning!

Today I have a little assortment of cards to share with you created with dies from Top Dog Dies.

First up is a happy little spring-themed card (wishfully thinking for warmer weather already!)

 I used my beloved Photo Mats die to frame a little scene with an Echo Park paper line designed by the awesome Crystal Wilkerson.

This next card is a bit more seasonally appropriate and uses both the Photo Mats die and the Snowflake Trio dies:

And finally, here's a fun birthday card using the Photo Mats die again.  The Polaroid-style frame is perfect for holding lots of layers.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

cards in the round

Hello crafty friends!

Geesh it's a miracle these days if I can get on this little old blog.  Wish I could say that it's because I've been busy in the studio doing all kinds of crafty projects.  But.  Nope.  It's not.

We have been spending a bunch of time at the rink {like 62 times this month to be exact}.  

I will never complain.  I am grateful for this sport: grateful that all 3 boys love it fiercely, grateful for the exercise and healthy lifestyle it provides them, grateful that they are healthy enough to play a sport, grateful for the friendships they have made on the rink that carry over to off the ice, grateful for the bonding that happens between them when they play hockey in the basement, in the driveway, or while sitting on the couch watching the Bruins game.

And I never tire of watching them take to the ice.

Hockey aside, I do have some cards to share with you today.  All three of them were made with the Top Dog Dies Circle Mini Album Die as their base.

To create the folded card base from this type of die, simply fold your card stock and line up the folded edge just inside the cutting line's edge.  This keeps the fold intact so that it opens like a card.

Floral swags are hot right now.  This one can be found here in the Silhouette online store.  A bow and a doily with a simple stamped sentiment finish off this card easily.

Another thing that has been trending for a while now is pie charts.  Inspired by Sara McLachlan's song "Ice Cream, I cut the pie chart shapes from a freebie cut file from the always adorable Juliana Michaels.  You can download yours here.  Check out her other fantastic die cut downloads on her blog, too.

Lastly, I have a cute little spinner card.  I used my new sketch pens for the Silhouette Cameo to write the text on the spinner.  The little shapes are a mix of patterned papers and some Stampin' Up! stamps.  By taking elements from Juliana's pie chart cut shared above, and this spinner cut from Silhouette (the arrow and the scallop circle), I was able to design a fun and interactive birthday card.

I'm kinda in love with the circle shape as a card base.  So many possibilities from one die cut shape.

Thanks for stopping by!

top dog dies--two cards

Today I have a couple of cards to share with you using some Top Dog Dies.

TDD dies make easy work of fancy card making.  This card only took about 20 minutes to put together using these three dies (click on picture to go shopping):

Frame Front Square Card die TW044

Darby Doily & Tags die set TC025

Birds and Nest TC034

To create the multi-colored bird and nest embellishment, cut the entire die twice, once in brown for the base layer, once in green for the leaves.  Then use tiny bits of colored paper to cut the birds and nest in one pass through the die-cutter.

Trim the pieces and assemble onto brown base:

Outside reads: "Congratulations on your new nest."

Inside the card:

The second card was even simpler and quicker to make.

Using the Snowflake Trio die set  and a portion of this die,

Madison Broder die TC020

I whipped up this card in no time

 The intricate details these dies can cut is simply amazing!

And I love the little dots and dashes added to the die to create texture.

Thanks so much for letting me share my projects with you.  

Tomorrow I have a couple of gift holders to show you.