I love anything with a scalloped edge and anything that is "Paris" themed. :) This is a fast and

easy card that is also FUN to make. It uses the Sizzix Bigz Eiffel Tower and the

Sizzix Scalloped Circle. The Eiffel Tower die has foam tape underneath which gives it extra

dimension and depth. The papers are by Graphic 45 and the rub-on by Karen Foster Design.

Be sure to check out all the great Sizzix products at Scrapping Cottage. All right, who wants to go to Paris with me now? :)

QUICKUTZ REVOLUTON DOLLS

This week I have chosen to work with the QUICKUTZ 4x4 DOLLS DIE REV-0193-D. I had so many ideas for this die, but time was limited so I decided to work on a double page layout and a card. Can you imagine what gorgeous stick puppets these cute little dolls would make if you attach them to the top of an ice-cream stick Or attached them to serviette rings, menus or place cards for an Oriental dinner setting. If you have a recipe box or book, why not add a little Oriental theme to your favorite Asian recipes using these gorgeous dolls to decorate your recipes. I could keep on going but will get to the two projects that I worked on this week.


The first project I worked on this week is a double page layout I did of my daughter on Christmas Day. She was given this little outfit by our dinner hosts and she wears it permanently so I thought this would be a great layout to document her love for this outfit and the perfect opportunity to use the QUICKUTZ DOLLS REV-0193-D.




In this layout, I have also used the following dies & products:-
KAISER CRAFT PEARLS for the centers of the flowers, KAISERCRAFT RHINESTONES for the buttons on the dolls dress & hair ties, TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS INKS, SIZZIX DECORATIVE ACCENT, QUICKUTZ 12” TREE CC-BDR-021, QUICKUTZ LIMITED EDITION CIRCLES REV-0072, QUICKUTZ NESTING FLOWERS CC-SHAPE-6-017, and finally for my title I used the classic 2x2 QUICKUTZ ZELDA ALPHABET die set.
Make sure that you check out the ZELDA COMPLETE GRAND ALPHABET SET (COLLECTORS EDITION) that is on Pre-order at THE SCRAPPING COTTAGE. It is a once off limited Edition Die set, so once it’s gone, it’s gone for good. The best part is that its is affordable (my credit card Thanks you :-) For only $99.95 you get the GRAND SIZE Upper Case, Lowercase, Numbers & punctuation all together in 1 set – Now that is what I call a fabulous deal. Don’t forget to Pre-order yours to make sure you don’t miss out. I’m sure my name must be somewhere up near the top of that list :-)


The 2nd project I want to share is this Card I made also using the QUICKUTZ DOLLS REV-0193-D. I used the dolls die for the doll and also used the dolls body to make the tulips.
I have used this example as I have been asked how I make my die cuts if the back sides of them are visible. You will see in my pictures that the Tulips go off the edge of the card and will be visible from the back, so I have cut the die cuts out twice, stuck them back to back and decorated them before I attached them to the card. How you decorate the back will depend on what die cut you are using. For example if you want to use the Doll so that it shows the front & back you will cut the face twice- one in beige and one in black so that the black side looks like hair on the back of the head.
The bottom picture is a view of the card lying flat and also a close up view showing the back of the die cuts.


To make this card I also used the CUTTLEBUG EMBOSSING FOLDER – FLORAL SCREEN to emboss my cardstock before I started.
I then cut out the QUICKUTZ FLOWER REV-0034 die and embossed it with the same CuttleBug embossing folder and attached it to the bottom of my card, making sure that just over half of the flower can be seen. The top section of the flower is glued to the inside front cover of the card. I have cut this flower out twice, the second one in black to stick back to back with the white flower so that when you open the card all you see is a large black flower. All the glue, tape etc that you used to attach the flower to the card is hidden between the 2 layers of the flower.
The bowl is cut from the SIZZIX Fish & Fishbowl die, Stems are cut with the wavy blade from my paper trimmer, and the words on the front of the bowl which read ‘Harmony’ are cut from the QUICKUTZ HARMONY die. I inked my die cuts with TIM HOLTZ DISTRESSED INK and used KAISERCRAFT RHINESTONES for the front of the dolls dress and her hair bow.
Once everything is attached, fold the flowery flap at the bottom upwards and it turns that section of your card into a doily / stand.

A Pirate's Life!!

Welcome Aboard, Matey! Look alive, you're gettin' ready to cast off on one of the most magnificent ships to ever sail the open sea! The Scrapping Cottage's Exclusive Pirate Ship will leave you fully equipped to take on your next pirate or high seas adventure project!!! X marks the spot! Find all of your treasures at The Scrapping Cottage!!

Anime Monkey Fun

I have been playing with the Quickutz Anime Monkey this week. In my first project, I completed a layout with pictures from the Animal Kingdom at Disney World and my monkey was more traditional with just some inking on the edges and Star Dust Stickles on the eyes for a touch. Then I wanted to have a little more fun and starting cutting him out in different colors. Once I hit pink, I knew I had to make a card with this pink monkey. Again I used stickles on the eyes and I also traced the word congrats with my Candy Cane Stickles.

WATCH FOR IT WEDNESDAY #6

"Owl" admit it - I like to put catchy sentiments on my cards to go with the diecut I'm using. So here's a TIP for you.

Make a list of all the cute sentiments or quotes you like and either find a diecut or stamp that goes with it or take a diecut/stamp and make a list. I've taken this cute CottageCutz Owl (he's 2 1/2" high) and made a card with it, then looked at my "Owl" list to see what saying I wanted to use.

Here is a list of sentiments I've collected to go with my owl diecuts:

YOU WHOO....

YOU'RE SUCH A HOOT!

OWL ALWAYS LOVE YOU
LOOK WHOO'S TURNING....
THANKS FOR GIVING A HOOT!
HOPE OWL IS WELL

OWL MISS YOU
HI Y'OWL

So Beary Cute!

This week I chose to work with the adorable CottageCutz Bear. He is so dang cute and so versatile for all those different cards and projects you want to do.

He's perfect for all those fun bear sayings and sentiments you've heard through the years.

He is so quick and easy to put together too! He has 6 pieces: the body, head, muzzle, nose and eyes all on 3x3 die. So whether you need a manly card, or something for a special friend this bear is perfect!

I have a new favorite Sizzix die. :) It is the XL Card Die, Scallop #2. This die is one of the May

releases. This die cuts the complete card giving you a scalloped edge front. I hope that you can

see how the card looks from my photos (I tried to take them so that the flap was up a little bit to

give you an idea of how the card works.) The "Surprise" card uses Sizzix dies and also a rub-on.

The frog images on the other three cards are the Penny Black (Clear Stamp Set Called Toadily).

This stamp set is so much fun to color!!!! Be sure to check out all the great new products at Scrapping Cottage too (new KaiserCraft bling, new ink pad, new dies, etc.). :)

Noah's Ark layout

This week I decided to do a double page layout focusing on using the QUICKUTZ CLOUD 12” border die CC-BDR-032 & the QUICKUTZ RAINBOW & CLOUD Cookie Cutter dies CC-SHAPE-2-022.
On this Noah’s Ark layout I used the QUICKUTZ RAINBOW & CLOUDS die for the rainbow & also for the bottom section of the Noah’s Ark. I cut out the rainbow in shades of brown and turned it upside down to make the hull of the Ark. The port holes were made using the eyes from the QUICKUTZ ANIME MONEY REV-0186-S. I hand cut the cabin section of the Ark and used the QUICKUTZ HOUSE KS-0935 for the entrance.
I added the QUICKUTZ TREE CC-BDR-021, QUICKUTZ TREES CC-BDR-018, QUICKUTZ SUN RS-0934, some extra clouds on the pages, and finally, being the Noah’s Ark theme I scattered the following QUICKUTZ animals around the pages:- FOX KS-0891, SQUIRREL KS-0888, OWL KS-0887, HEDGEHOG KS-0890, PENGUIN KS-0602, RABBIT RS-0889, PIG KS-0525, ELEPHANT KS-0875, GIRAFFE KS-0877, LEOPARD RS-0873, DOVE KS-0590, DOLPHIN KS-0161, DOLPHIN RS-0160, DOLPHIN KS-0162, ORCA KS-0236, The Koala Bear is from the QUICKUTZ AUSTRALIA COLLECTION Cookie Cutter dies set, and the swirls in the top clouds are made from the SIZZIX SWIRLY DECORATIVE STRIP #654774.
I used BASIC GREY papers for my background pages, and inked my die cuts with TIM HOLTZ Distress Inks. This was so much fun to do - I cant wait to start my next weeks layout :-)

Time Flies!

Time flies when you are having fun! Actually, it flies no matter what!

I was inspired by these precious, new QuicKutz birds to create a clock with this very sentiment. My desire is that as I look at the clock to see the time, I will be reminded to cherish each moment of life and hopefully slow time down a little!!

I had the great pleasure of using CottageCutz Bird and Birdhouse, QuicKutz Anime Birds (REV-0191), and the QuicKutz Marisa number set (KNR-05)

Here's two cards I made using the original Zelda alphabet from 2003. I wanted to show what an

unusual alphabet Zelda is. :) I was SO excited yesterday when I checked my email and saw the

announcement from Scrapping Cottage ab0ut the new Collector's Series from Quickutz. Zelda is going to be released as a Grand Alphabet this time around. I have to share a funny story about Zelda. Back in 2003 when Zelda was first released, I wanted that Quickutz alphabet in the worst way but it was getting close to Christmas. I didn't feel like I should (or could) spend the money to purchase it. I just knew I wanted it!!!! :) When Christmas morning rolled around I got some unexpected Christmas money and the first thing I thought when I saw it was "NOW I can buy Zelda!!!!!!" I think I even got on the internet that day and ordered it! :) Be sure to check out the Quickutz Collector's Series Zelda at Scrapping Cottage. You know you "need" it! :)

Watch for it Wednesday #5!

Distressing Paper with Die Cut Shapes!

Here is another way to use your awesome die cuts!

I hope you have as much fun with it as I did!

First you will need to choose some patterned paper. (this works best with dark or bright colors!) You will also need to cut out some of your favorite die cuts! This technique works well with CottageCutz, QuicKutz, Sizzix, or just about die cut. Finally, you will need some sandpaper and a great imagination!

After you have cut out the die cuts you will be using, arrange them in the way that you would like them to appear on your patterned paper.

Place your patterned paper, face up, over the shapes. Gently sand over the shapes, one at a time focusing on the edges, until they emerge on your patterned paper. Keep sanding until you get a look that you are happy with. Try sanding the edges of your paper to complete the "distressed" look!

This fun technique is a fantastic way to design your own patterned paper to complement your die cuts! It can be used for cards, layouts, tags....the possibilities are endless!

Go have fun with this and let us know what you think!

CottageCutz Chicks

These cute CottageCutz chicks are perfect for Easter cards and projects. In the first example I cut my chick from Doodlebug's velvet paper to make him fuzzy. In this card I cut them out of Bazzill and chalked them, then put some Stickles on them to accent the wings.

Be sure to check out all the great CottageCutz shapes in the store.

I had the pleasure of "playing" with the CottageCutz Bird and Birdhouse Shape die for today's

post. Birds and bird related things have long been a favorite theme of mine to craft with. These

three cards are a little sampling of the fun and cute things you can create with this die. Be sure

to check out all the great CottageCutz dies at Scrapping Cottage.

Make A Wish

**CLICK ON IMAGES FOR CLEARER DETAILED PICTURES**
Aren’t these QUICKUTZ ANIME BIRDS just gorgeous!!! I must admit that when I first saw them I did not think very much off them, but they have grown on me and are now one of my very favorites from the QUICKUTZ MARCH RELEASE.
When I cut the card, I had the QUICKUTZ ANIME BIRDS in mind, so with a corner rounder punch, I rounded all the corners of my card to match the shapes of the birds & added little round silver brads to match the spotted paper that I used.
I used the QUICKUTZ BIRTHDAY Shortkutz Phrase Die for my title, which I punched out twice so that I could Matt my title to make it ‘stand out’ a little more, and then finished off by inking the title & birds with TIM HOLTZ Distress Inks.

Clock layout

I have had an amazing last few days and the reason being that my parcel from THE SCRAPPING COTTAGE with my Quickutz March Release dies, and I have to say that up to now, this has been my absolute Favorite Quickutz release. And to make things better, just spend $50 or more on Quickutz and get the 2"x2" Speech Bubble Heart Club Die FREE (while stocks last).I just have to say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, the March release!!!! Oh, Did I mention that I L-O-V-E IT :-)
I have been working on a few projects and have posted one now, and will post the others during the week as I finish them. So check back to see what else can be done with these amazing dies, as their uses are endless.

This week I tried something different and turned my layout into a working clock. I used a recessed 12”x12” scrapbooking picture frame that I had bought a while back and never used because I could never decide which layout to put into it.
I started by cutting a small hole in the back board of the frame for where I wanted the clock mechanism to go through. I then glued my background paper onto the back board, cut a little hole in the paper, making sure to match it up with the hole in the board. I then carried on creating my layout as normal. Once finished I glued the mechanism in place at the back of the board, put the hands onto the clock & put it into the fame. FINISHED – A unique personalized clock that can either stand on a counter top or hung on the wall. This is going to look great in my craft room. Eventually, I will be able to see the time while I am working.
For my clock layout I used:-
QUICKUTZ CLOUDS 12” Cookie Cutter border die,
QUICKUTZ FLOWERS 12”Cookie Cutter border die,
QUICKUTZ GRASS 12” border die,
QUICKUTZ RAINBOW & CLOUD Cookie Cutter die,
QUICKUTZ ANIME MONKEY 4x4 die,
QUICKUTZ MUSHROOMS 4x4 die,
QUICKUTZ TREE 4x4 die
QUICKUTZ SUN 2x2 die,
QUICKUTZ HOUSE 2x2 die,
QUICKUTZ CHANDELIER 4x8 alphabet,
TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS INKS

Remember that you can click on the item and a link will take you directly to that item at THE SCRAPPING COTTAGE STORE.

Rainbow Spring Layout

I love this new Rainbow Cookie Cutter Border die from the March Quickutz release! To me, there are two things that mark the beginning of Spring - seeing the flowers and trees begin to bloom and being able to start wearing new Spring clothes. I snapped these pictures of my daughter in one of her new outfits while she was waiting for her ride to school. I only used 4 of the 6 bands from the Rainbow Die because I wanted to simulate the rainbows found in the patterned paper I was using. Instead of making the rainbow level, I tilted it on its side and covered up the uneven ends with the clouds. This is a great technique to get a completely different look from this fun die!

ALL BOY CARD

This is a card I made using the GO KREATE RED TED 4"x4" die, QUICKUTZ LIZARD, QUICKUTZ FROG & the QUICKUTZ HONEY BEE ALPHABET. For something different I replaced the letter 'O' in the word boy with the QUICKUTZ SOCCER BALL. I adhered everything to my card using DOUBLE SIDED ADHESIVE SHEETS, which work great for turning your die cuts into stickers and solves a lot of messy glue problems.

Watch for it Wednesday #4

Have you ever thought that you would like to try something different on your cards or scrapbook pages? Well, why not try inking with items that you find around your home to give your projects a fabulous unique look.
I inked a piece of paper to use on the front of my card by inking the textured side of a kitchen dish sponge to give my paper a grid appearance.

This is the technique I used:-


1. Cut out your piece of paper that you want to ink to the size that you need it.
2. With an ink pad (you could also use paint) ink the textured side of a kitchen sponge cloth so that it has a really good coating of ink.
3. Place the kitchen sponge (inked face down) onto the paper that you want to ink and firmly push the sponge down, so that the ink transfers over to the paper, being careful not to let the sponge move so that the ink is not smudged on the paper underneath.


4. Carefully remove the sponge and you are now left with your inked piece of paper. Remember to let your paper dry. Time will differ depending on what you use to ink or paint with. I like to use TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS INK because it dries pretty much straight away.
5. Once the inked paper is dry, decorate or place it onto your project as needed.


To finish making my card, I also used some 3D adhesive foam squares, wire mesh, the COTTAGE CUTZ WEATHERVANE ROOSTER and the GO KREATE ‘SKIPTON’ COMPACT ALPHABET. Both of these dies are available for sale at THE SCRAPPING COTTAGE.