Eek!...SPIDERPIG

Hello! Ok, I know this is WEIRD! Have you seen the Simpson's Movie? If not, this makes absolutely NO sense to you! LOL. In the movie Homer makes a little piglet walk on the ceiling and sings a song called Spiderpig. ♫ Spiderpig...Spiderpig...does whatever a Spiderpig does...Can he swing from a web...no he can't, he's a pig...LOOK OUT...he is a Spiderpig♫ So, basically if you're a fan of the Simpson's, you probably think this is as funny as I do! HAHA I AM A NUT! ☺ Anyhoo, I used the Pig Peeker die to make my hybrid Spiderpig. The spider came from one of my cricut cartridges.

Happy "weird" crafting to you!

♥ Nikki ♥

p.s. I have Homer singing Spiderpig on My Blog. ☺

Fall Fun!

Happy Saturday!!  It is still really hot down here in Alabama, so I thought maybe if I started working on some Fall layouts, I could bring a little cool breeze my way!

I have combined several Cottage Cutz dies together to embellish my layout today. The Cottage Cutz Mini Acorn and Mini Maple Leaf are perfect together! They also go great with the newest Fall dies from the Sept 2010 Release. I combined these shapes with the Cottage Cutz Stylized Tree and by changing the leaves to a golden yellow, it becomes a Fall tree! I also used one of my embossing folders on the top of the Stylized Tree in order to give it some texture. A lot of inking went into this layout as well to carry on the Fall feeling I wanted.

Never forget to pull out older dies! Cottage Cutz shapes are specially designed for versatility and fun and will be useful accents on your projects for years to come! Have a great weekend and happy scrapping!

What's Kickin', Chicken?

Hello, happy Friday, and welcome to The Scrapping Cottage Blog.  Here's what's kickin', and it's some fun with my  Cottage Cutz dies from The Scrapping Cottage.  Technically, we're talking about the country rooster die, here, but for all intensive purposes today, I needed a chicken, so a chicken it shall be.  LOL!!  You see, today I noticed on Splitcoaststampers that their challenge is to get punny with our cards, so this one I'm entering in the Free For All Friday Challenge at SCS. 

I've done this little fella in both patterned paper and white card stock, but for this card, I used the white card stock and colored with Copics, adding lots of texture with my markers.  I really like using white, because I only have to cut once in my die cutting machine, then I can assemble and be ready to color.  

I'm so glad you could stop by today.  Have you checked out all the wonderful creations our DT has submitted this week?  If not, then please scroll down and check out all the paper crafting goodness!  It's absolutely inspirational, I tell ya!  Have a beautiful day, and fabulous weekend, and enjoy some happy crafting!!

Let's go to the pumpkin patch!

Nothing says fall like rows and rows and pumpkins, ready to be chosen by precious little hands that can barely pick them up. Joe and Regan had a blast with Aunt Cyndi at the pumpkin patch last fall. I couldn't resist doing another layout with the adorable Cottage Cutz pumpkin patch and crows dies. Below the large scallop border, I also used the scallop three edger.


Love the Eerie Halloween paper collection by Basic Grey. My favorite Halloween color combination is purple and green.


Once again, I've used the letters that come on the die (pumpkin patch) to spell different words for my sign. Amazing how many words you can get from those few letters. This time, I cut the sign from cork paper which makes very realistic looking wood planks.



Layered pumpkins and sunflower vines make a fun pumpkin patch growing below and around the sign.

Thanks for looking. And if you haven't picked up this die yet, get on it. It's so versatile and just plain fun!!

Maybe Someday....

Today I'm working with the CottageCutz Convertible and boy what a fun die this is. I'm amazed at the realistic detail on this die. The one thing I love even more is this die can be used for lots of different occasions for male or female projects. We saw a couple of weeks ago how hot this car looks in pink for a girls card, now I want to show you a guy card.

My husband absolutely loves cars, sports cars to be exact. But with raising a family and all the expenses that come with it (college, weddings, just plain life) it's really not a smart time for us to make this purchase. Maybe someday I can make him a card like this...I'll keep hoping.

In the meantime it's Motor Trend magazine.

This would make a cute 16th birthday card or any age birthday card, retirement card, drivers ed or new driver scrapbook page. Let us know in the comment section what you've used this Convertible die for on your projects.
Happy Wednesday everyone!

Little Gifts for Cool Giftgiving

Time to start on those little gifts for the season, I just whipped 24 of these up over the last two days. They are great gifts for the office. Mini Clipboard with Post-It notes for the Office, or Teachers.

I used the Cottage Cutz Snowman Doll Die, dressed him in the sweater outfit. The hat came from the Cottage Cutz Accessories Set #3 Die. You start with a panel of card stock 2 1/2" x 3", in this case I tore the bottom at a slat to give the image of a snow drift in the background. Build your design, and add items around your design. Be sure to overlap the additional items (Snowflakes).

I start with a piece of crescent Mounting Board (like chip board, but thinner and much stronger). I start with a board at 3 1/2" x 6", cover the board with pattern card stock (4 1/2" x 6 1/2") overlapping and gluing on the back. The Post-It note pad (3" sqr" fits perfect on the left) . Do not depend on the stick of the last page of the pad, glue the pad down. You now have that 2 3/4" x 3 1/2" area to mount your design (snowman panel). I inked/sponged the edges a bit with the turq and pine green to match the papers in the snowman and tree. Added Stickles in those areas for an icy glow.

Now add the clip to your clipboard, I am not sure how they denote these clips, but the one I used was about an inch wide. I covered the clip with a bit of blue cards stock. Tied a scrap of white eyelash yard, and polka dot ribbon. The dangle is 1 3/4" and 1 3/8" layered circle with the same silver snowflakes used on the snowman area. Punched a 1/16" hole and added silver thread with beads. Loosely tie onto the clip with the ribbon. You want it to dangle freely. The mini pen is than added, the clip of the pen slides onto the top flat area of the clip. (these mini pens are sometimes hard to find, and if you need a lot!. . look at the $1.00 area of Target seasonally @ $1.00 for 5 pens . . . otherwise you will pay about a $5.00 for 5 on bubble card in the pen sections of various stores). Hot glue button magnets on the back (four corners) so it can be used on a file cabinet or frig.

I Scream You Scream....

We all scream, for ICE CREAM!

Hello everyone! I thought I would squeeze in one more summer themed card. I think The Ice Cream Truck die is so cute! I wanted to use it before parking it in the garage for winter. I am sure you all have memories of hearing the familiar sound of the ice cream truck as it perused the neighborhood. While living in Tucson in the early 90's, I remember my young boys chasing the truck to buy a cool, sweet treat. Believe me, Tucson is the place to buy something cool during the heat of summer. Have a great week! I will be back next Monday.

I'll bee here for you!

Hello and happy Sunday to you all! For my card today I used the Bee Shape die. I just think he's adorable! I hope you're having a relaxing day! See you back here next Sunday. Have a wonderful week!

♥ Nikki ♥

Christmas Countdown

These are the dies I am showcasing today:

Christmas is closer than you think and it is time to start working on your Christmas lists. If you have not already added these adorable little Gingerbread men to your Cottage Cutz collection, you are definitely missing out. The Gingerbread shape is quick and simple to put together and so much fun to accessorize with the different Accessories Dies available.

On my layout, I chose to make my little Gingerbread a girl by adding the pigtails to her hair. I also used Stickles to add additional accents.

What's The Scoop?

Good morning!  Whew!  I'm a little late getting here with my post.  It's been a busy, busy morning, but I finally made it, and have a cute little card to share with you that I made with the Cottage Cutz Ice Cream Cone die from The Scrapping Cottage.  Now this die was adorable enough on it's own, and the possibilities are endless as to what crafty things can be done with it, but I definitely thought some funny little faces on those scoops of ice cream would bring this card to life, and that's just exactly what it did.  I used my Everyday Character Face Stamps from Peachy Keen Stamps for this one, and  I used white card stock for cutting the die cuts, then colored the cone and ice cream with my Copic markers.  I'm really happy with the way this card turned out, and I hope you like it too.   

I'm entering this card in the Cute Card Thursday Challenge, which is to use a play on words in your crafty project.  Soooooo... Here's the scoop!  I hope you have a fabulous weekend filled with everything you love, and lots of happy crafting!

Fall is in the air....and on my projects, too!

Fall is here - well it is at my house anyway. :) I couldn't resist scrapping Regan's pumpkin pics with these super cute fall dies. I've used the Cottage Cutz pumpkin patch -- adorable!, crow, and loopy edger on my layout.


Tons of pieces to this shape but what a fun one to put together. I love that the letters for the sign come on the die so there is no guessing if they'll fit, they're perfect!



Love the crow and cut his bandana to match the accent paper.



I used a tiny piece of the loopy edger to make the vine on the pumpkin and combined the leaves and pumpkins to make my date tag.



For this halloween card I used the pumpkin patch die in a different way to show its versatility. Everything is popped with foam tape cuz foam tape is one of my favorite things in the whole world and I love it. :)

I wrote the letters on the sign with a marker and for the RIP letters, I used the P, I, and K. I cut an extra P and placed it over the K to make the R. The tombstone is actually part of the beach chairs die. The inside cut out from the back of the chair made the perfect headstone! The bat and pumpkin I had in my stash from a pack of Halloween Favorite Findings I've had forever.



To make the trailing vines along the bottom of the keep out sign I used the stem and leaves from the sunflowers on the pumpkin patch die, and I added stickles because stickles are cool on pretty much anything and everything! :) The drippy goo along the bottom is a Martha Stewart border punch.

Now I'm craving Gingerbread Cookies!

My most favorite kind of cookie is my mom's homemade Gingerbread cookies with lots of frosting. I have wonderful memories of these cookies growing up and my kids love them too.

Now that I have a daugther that's engaged and ready to start her own home I wanted to pass on her favorite recipes. I've started an 8x8 recipe book for her and made this recipe for her using

the CottageCutz Gingerbread Doll with the Peachy Keen face and once again used the

Rick-Rack Edger. Did I ever mention I love this edger die???

I inked the edges and then stamped the face. The white ink didn't show up as strong as I wanted it to so I went over it with some white paint. I also used some Glossy accents and some Stickles on the gumdrops.
Drop us a comment and tell us what your favorite cookie is and if you need a recipe for Gingerbread this is an excellent one!

Trick or Bone, The devil made me do it!

What kind of TREAT does ever Dog want. . even at Halloween? . . . .a BONE. This week I decided to create a shadowbox for Halloween.

The first die that I used was the Cottage Cutz Puppy front and back Die. I left the flower out of his mouth and added a treat bag with TREAT or BONE replacing the traditional Trick or Treat. ( I used my Dymo LetraTag Maker with white paper on very small size for the lettering). I cut the tail twice . . once in red to give him a red tail and added a hand cut arrow. Than cut his forehead in red, added two horns, and added part of the scarf from the die in red. The Dog was made in rust color card stock, highlighted in white and orange ColorBox ink.

The tree was made using the Cottage Cutz Spooky Tree Die. To get the tree to be more dimensional (reason for the box). . .I cut two trees, used a white glue (Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive) to glue the two trees together, but working fast. . . . lay the two trees directly on top of each other. . but slide each branch a bit to create waves or bents. This way when the glue dies it will dry curved and wavy. I know the picture does not show it very well but the tree is about a 1/2" thick (wavy). I generally don't say to much about glues, it is everyone own thing, but years ago a professional artist who does origami told me about Scotch Quick-Dry Glue (Red/Purple Label). He said that it was great for paper, dyes quick and strong. He said he didn't have to hold his folds as long before they dried. I love it (Acid Free/Photo safe). Comes in a 4oz bottle or carded 2oz. bottle. Available wherever Scotch products are sold (Did that just sound like a commercial?)

Opps. . . I think I have the photos backwards now, but will start with the box which is 4"x5" on the outside with a 3"x4" window and 1/2" thick. There is an additional piece of paper that slides into the box with a wacky shape window. I used foam core board to create the 1/4" lift to the center window. (above shows the foam core stripes on the back of the wacky window. Build your box (do not seal one end) Add a yellow moon using card stock and Crystal Stickle, Than glue the tree to the (front) center wacky window attaching at base of tree and one side branch. Add Glue to the foam core board and slide into the box. Seal the end of the box. You now have your shadow box with tree and moon. The treat bag was made with a 5/8" x 3/4" rectangle and a 1/2" and 5/8" circle punch (cut small than large)

Add the Dog to the front of the box. I used polka dot orange card stock for the box, so all I did was add jewels and Stickle here and there. You can attach a card to the back. . if you want it to be a shadowbox card. O' Forgot. . add a bit of stickle to the tree for moon glo. . . .Thanks B