Baby, it's cold out there!

As promised, here is the entire layout I mentioned on my post from yesterday. You can see the little overlay strip of ladybugs that I decorated with the stickles. When I added the piece of cream cardstock onto my layout, I felt like it was sort of boring. So I pulled out one of my Embossing folders to liven it up a bit. I used the Polka Dots folder to coordinate with the other dots on the layout. These are so easy to use and can really add a fun element to your pages and cards. Be sure to check them out!

Watch for it Wednesdays!! #25

I love that so many manufacturers provide such fun embellishments to coordinate with their paper lines. It makes it so easy to add some extra elements to your pages when someone else has done the "matching" for you. Recently, I purchased some cute overlays. The designs were really cute but I wanted to add a little something extra.

My tip for this week is how to dress up your overlays. For these little ladybugs, I wanted to add a little extra bling. So I flipped over the overlay and added black stickles to the head and red stickles on the back to color the spots. You don't have to worry about trying to get the stickles to stay inside those tiny little ladybug spots because the extra won't show through on the front. Once the stickles are dry, flip your overlay over and look how cute these little bugs are now! You could also use your Copic markers to add some color to your overlays as well.

Come back tomorrow to see the rest of this layout!! :)

We're HALF Way There and a Red Hibiscus!

This is so neat to see our followers increase daily. Thank you to all those who have chosen to be followers of the Cottage Blog and hope you enjoy it here! We have 250 more followers to go and we can draw a winner for a $250 shopping spree here at the Scrapping Cottage.

Today I'm featuring the CottageCutz Large Hibiscus. There is so much you can do with flowers, especially this famous tropical Hibiscus. I chose to make mine red because growing up in Southern California we had neighbor who lined their fence with these and they grew over supplying us with these beautiful red flowers. I remember taking my teacher a few of these on more than one occasion.
I shaded my flower with ink and applied some yellow Stickles to the top of the center.

I think anyone would appreciate a cheery Get Well Card like this. Other card ideas would be:

Birthday, Thank You, Aloha, Vacation Wishes, Wedding etc.

Think Outside The Cage

As you know from previous posts, I have a thing for butterflies and frogs. :) I also love bird and bird related things. I was super excited when the new
CottageCutz Tropical Bird dies were released. :) Today's card is a fun one
using the CottageCutz Tropical Bird 2 and
CottageCutz BirdCage. Be sure to check out all the great CottageCutz dies and
other products at Scrapping Cottage.

Fall is in the Air

I know it is still August and not a single leaf has

fallen from any tree but there is a definite sense

that it is almost fall.

Children are going back to school,

Department stores are filled with long-sleeved shirts,

There is a brisk, quiet breeze,

and a feeling of excited anticipation for a welcome change.

I love the fall....in fact I love every season. I am
always ready for the next glorious season to arrive.


Not only do I derive great pleasure from God's beautiful
transformation, I am also overjoyed by the realization that
with each delightful month that passes, there will be a new
CottageCutz release!!!


I wait in excited expectancy for the incredible
fall release that will shortly be upon us!

Almost Paradise

I just love the Under the Sea themed dies from the August Cottage Cutz Release! Plus, since July the Cottage Cutz dies have been released in pink and they are so pretty!! I almost didn't want to foam them when they arrived!

For this layout, I used a couple of the great ocean shell shapes to accent the corner of my photo. These Cottage Cutz Dies are so well designed that by just adding a little simple shading, you can really make them come to life. I cut the large Palm Tree using my Silhouette. The title fonts are Rollerskate (which is on sale right now for 50% off!!!) and Central Park.

The August Cottage Cutz release is really going fast! If you haven't ordered your favorites yet, you better not wait too much longer! Or while you are shopping for some of the spooktacular September Cottage Cutz, grab a couple of your favs from the July and August releases so you can get that Free Shipping and finish up some of your summer layouts at the same time!

Watch For It Wednesdays #24

I have ONE more card idea for your CottageCutz Frog w/Crown die today.
It will be the last one. (Or will it?.....inserting froggy grin here.)
This is a fast and easy card using the CottageCutz Frog w/Crown die and a set
of clear stamps by Penny Black. Throw in a flower, a brad, a paper crimper and
ribbon and you have a fun card. Be sure to check out all the great products at
Scrapping Cottage. The CottageCutz dies are exclusive to Scrapping Cottage.

CottageCutz Woody Car

Isn't this the cutest Woody Car you've ever seen?

This was so fun to make and see it come to life as I put together the pieces of this Woody car.

I chose my patterned paper and then some orange cardstock to match and started cutting. I also used my ink and daubers to shade the pieces before I put them together. When I was done I used some mounting tape to make the car pop up just a bit.
Check out all the fun CottageCutz dies available at The Scrapping Cottage.

Don't forget to enter our contest for a $250 Shopping Spree - it's simple and you may be the lucky winner!

Feeling Froggy, Part Four

Have you thought about using the CottageCutz Frog w/Crown die for making fun holiday cards? :) In part four and I suppose my last of the series (although I still have lots of ideas for this die), I did two cards. One is a Halloween card featuring "Count Frogula." :) The second card is Christmas themed. I hope you have enjoyed my "feeling froggy" series. Be sure to check out all the great products at Scrapping Cottage.

LAST DAY TO SAVE...

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23rd

New CottageCutz Halloween Release is now available for pre-order. Save 15% on individual items, Save over 20% on the bundle. Theme is spooky, scary and Trick-or-Treat with 21 new Halloween shapes. Shipping mid-September!

See website for details

What Little Girls are Made of.......

I had a great time creating this layout with sparkles

and glitter and ribbons! It is everything our daughter

loves all bundled up into one piece of 12 inch paper!

I used one of my favorite CottageCutz dies on this
layout. Can you spot it?? Give up? I used the tail of the
Bird (Bird and Birdhouse shape) to create the swirls
found on the white star. It is perfect for this layout!


I love my CottageCutz dies for a million reasons
and today I discovered reason number one million
and one....their versatility!! I can use them as they
are or make them be what I want them to be!!
CottageCutz are the perfect dies for everything!!

Summer Hello card

If you are like me, you don't get to see a lot of your friends during the summer. So, what a great opportunity to let you friends know you are thinking about them AND show off your card making skills by sending out some fun and bright summer hello cards! The Cottage Cutz Summer Shapes from the June Release are just perfect! These Popsicle shapes are just perfect for any summer related paper crafting project.

For this card, I used some pearlescent cardstock to give my Popsicle a shiny, icy look. I also embossed the brown cardstock and then took my brown chalk ink and rubbed it across the top of the cardstock. Because my embossed dots are raised, it is easy to cover them with ink without getting any on the background. This technique helps the embossed pattern to stand out a bit.

I also used the Quickutz Rollerskate alpha for my sentiment. I love this alphabet because it is perfect when I need a smaller alpha but also has some style to it as well. This is a GREAT time to pick up this alpha because right now Rollerskate is 50% off!!! Add it to your cart while you are taking advantage of the last few days of the preview sale for the fabulous Halloween shapes from the September Cottage Cutz release! If you haven't seen this shapes yet, you are going to be blown away!!

WATCH FOR IT WEDNESDAY #23

Celebration Mini Banners

Today is my youngest daughters Sweet 16 Birthday. We always decorate a bit for the birthday boy or girl in our family with some crepe paper and a painted wood sign that says Happy Birthday. I wanted something a little more special since 16 is such a big birthday, after all you are old enough to get a real job, get a drivers license and in our home your finally old enough to date. I just took two sheets of 12x12 cardstock and made the base for my mini banner.

Then I decided on the new Quickutz Teriyaki Cookie Cutter font for my message.

Add a few other diecuts and colors and there you have it. This idea would be great for any celebration and costs very little and personalizes the occasion.

I put this up on our fireplace mantle with some Sticky Tac so I can slip this into her scrapbook when I'm done with no tape marks to tear the cardstock.

Feeling Froggy, Part Three

Here's two more ideas for the CottageCutz Frog w/Crown die. This die is so cute and I have such fun with him (as if you couldn't tell). :) Be sure to check in next Monday for the last of my "Feeling Froggy" series of ideas.

Be a Good One!

There is nothing like a good piece of watermelon

and there is nothing like a great daughter!

Our delightful Emma is such a sweet, precious girl....
it is so much fun scrapbooking pages of her!



Emma is crazy about these "lovely shoes"! She
would sleep with them on if we would let her! :O)
So...to highlight her shoes, I took a picture of
them and developed it twice. I glued the first
picture down and then cut out an the second
picture right around the shoes. I then put the
shoes I cut out over the ones I glued down. This
gives an awesome 3-D look and really makes
those "special" shoes stand out!

You know how it goes, a little bit of this...a little bit of that...
and WALLA, you have a completed layout! :O) I get most
of my "this and that" at the

Scrapping Cottage....
Most Extraordinary customer service!
Incredible product selection!
Best dies on the planet!

CottageCutz September Release

The Scrapping Cottage has just released

their new halloween

CottageCutz dies! They are incredible

and will be flying

out of the store so pre-order

your today....before it is too late!!

Watch for it Wednesday #22!

Stamping with Bleach

A friend of mine showed me an awesome stamping

technique and I wanted to pass it on to all of you!!!

I first poured a little bleach onto a folded paper towel.

I used the paper towel as if it were an ink pad and "inked"

the stamp. I then stamped the paper towel just a little to

get the excess bleach off of the stamp (so it wasn't too wet).

After that, I stamped the image onto a piece of cardstock.

I used a heating tool to dry the bleach but you can also

choose to let it air dry. Stamp as few or as many times as you like.

The end result is a unique, "one of a kind" piece of cardstock

that you can embellish any way you like! So easy and so much fun!

What's Up?

Do you get it??? I thought this would be a fun saying for this CottageCutz flamingo card.

This die is so fun! He goes together so quickly too! For this card I used the new Quickutz Flower Embossing folder, Lipstick Distress Ink and a couple of flowers I had on hand. I printed my saying on the computer and used some mounting tape to make my flamingo pop off the card a bit. I have a friend I need to send this card to, it's been way too long since we've talked. I'm lovin' these CottageCutz dies!

Feeling Froggy, Part Two

Here's two more cards for you using the CottageCutz Frog w/Crown die. The first card is a fun
one that was inspired by the Katy Perry song "I Kissed A Girl." :) The second card is a quick and easy one that uses a green paint chip and the slogan "Go Green"
which is popular and important these days. :) Be sure to check next Monday's post to see what
else the CottageCutz Frog w/Crown is going to be up to. :)

Be sure to check out all the great sales and products at Scrapping Cottage.

Beach

I love the sand....

I love the waves....

I love the sun....

I love the 12 weeks of summer....

I am forever a beach bum

I hate to admit it,
but I actually stockpile beach scrapbooking supplies!
Everything from paper to popsicle sticks to dies!

The Scrapping Cottage helps me fulfill my
crazy obsession by supplying some of the
cutest, most unique beach dies on the planet!

The profound detail and unique style of each
CottageCutz die helps me out. I get the "homemade"
look that I love and they do all of the work!
Thank-you CottageCutz!!

Tooth Fairy Kit

A scrapbooking friend of mine made a Tooth Fairy kit for her granddaughter and I thought it was such a fun idea that I wanted to make one for my oldest daughter, too. I used the tin that the old Silhouette Download Cards used to come in. Then I covered it with some papers from my stash. I used the QK Merry font and the retired QK toothfairy die. I added some stickles on the top for some extra bling which I knew my daughter would like. Then, when she lost her first tooth, this is what the tooth fairy left her along with a special toy for her first tooth.

Watch for it Wednesdays!! #21

I have spent a great deal of time this summer cleaning out and organizing different parts of my home. Some areas were more "over-due" for this work than others. :) And of course, I couldn't neglect my scrap room! For today's tip, I have a couple of good storage solutions that I use to organize and store different sized metal dies.

The first one is for your 12" long dies. I discovered this tip "accidentally" one day while shopping with my youngest daughter in Hobby Lobby. In an attempt to keep her happy while I finished up my shopping, I let her pick out one of these colored transparent boxes. As I was helping her pick out which one she wanted, I started kind of looking over them myself and then it dawned on me that these ruler boxes would make a PERFECT storage place for my 12" dies! I love it because it is pretty, very inexpensive, and completely functional!

You can see from the pictures that each box will hold a lot of 12" dies. I love having all of my 12" dies together in one place. It makes it so easy to see everything I have if I am not sure what border I want to use.

My second storage tip is for your 4x4 dies. Have you ever tried sliding one of your 4x4 dies into a CD sleeve inside a CD holder? It is the perfect size! The sleeves are wide enough to make getting the dies in and out very easy, but they still hold the dies securely in place. I have started using this particular CD case because I like how sturdy the outside case is which allows me to stack them on top of one another. (Yes, I have had to add a second CD storage box to hold all of my 4x4 dies. And after I get my hands on the Halloween Cottage Cutz dies, I am probably going to need to add a third!!) What is great about the CD holders for die storage is that there are so many different types and sizes available, you can easily find ones that meet all of your needs.

CottageCutz Gecko

Today I'm featuring this cute 2x2 CottageCutz Gecko. This comes with two pink dies and he's so fun to play with.

This pocket card would be perfect for that special friend or relative going on a tropical vacation or cruise. Just pull out the card inside and write your message and slip right back in. There's even room for a gift card.

This birthday card will definitely get a big smile when it's pulled out of the envelope and is perfect for that teenage boy.


This Gecko die is sure to please for many occassions.

The CottageCutz dies are made in the US and cut wonderfully with your Quickutz Revolution, Epic, Cuttlebug or Sizzix brand machines. And I just love that they're pink!

Feeling Froggy, Part One

One of my favorite CottageCutz dies is the Frog w/Crown. If you don't have this die, you are
missing out on some "froggy fun." :) Every Monday for the next few weeks, I am going to show
a couple of cards to hopefully inspire you with ideas for this fun die. The first card is a little play on words, "Don't Worry, Be Hoppy!" Note that I used a bold computer font and then colored in the "o's" to make additional happy faces for the sentiment on the card. Who could resist a smile when receiving this card? :)

The second card is also aiming for a smile. :) It is a variation from the usual "if you kiss enough frogs" quote. Be sure to check every Monday in August to see what other ideas will be coming your way for the CottageCutz Frog w/Crown die. :) I promise you are going to be surprised at
some of them. :)