Easter Cards 2022

 Decided to use card bases I already had cut and scored, stored in a basket, for my Easter cards this year. I picked out the colours I wanted to use for the card bases. Then I pulled out my Easter printed card stocks for the egg shaped die cut piece for the card front. (The egg shaped piece and eyelet egg shaped piece are from a die set from Amazon for Easter). Here are a few of the cards I made:

The bunny in the center is a favorite bunny die from Lil Inker Designs. I die cut the bunnies out of #110 weight white card stock from Mikes. Sponged the edges with gray ink. The bow comes with the bunny die set - some of the bows I used glittered card stocks for and others I used solid card stock and then went over the bow die piece using clear Wink of Stella to give it some sparkle. Used silver glittered card stock and punched out a small circle that I glued onto the center of the bow on the bunny. Both the eggs pieces and bunny are on the card using foam tape for dimension. Happy to get use out of the extra card stock bases!

This and that . . .

 Anna Wight from YouTube is a designer for IOStamps (Impression Obsession) and I have wanted to buy a few of the dies she designed but a couple of them sold out before I could order. Happy me they were restocked and the one I really wanted is the Trims die set:

The die set arrived with the red cling stamps I ordered from their closeout sale last week. (For the month of April IO is selling their red cling stamps for 20% off using the code "2022" since they are closing out their vast inventory of red cling stamps).  This Trims die set went right to work cutting out the stitched ric rac die using 6x6 card stocks for BOO Day (Halloween):

This past week I reorganized my 6x6 paper pads using clear envelopes that I had bought awhile back from ClearBags to store my background stamps in. Having extra clear envelopes I decided I would work on a better system for my 6x6 card stock pads. 

Decided I do not need to store items I will not use so I took all the 6x6 paper pads and took all the sheets out off of the pads. It does not matter to me what manufacturer the papers are by so I tossed the pad cover and back leaving me with the card stock. Weeded out card stocks I know I will not use and am only storing papers I will use. I used scrap/odd pieces of solid card stocks and made tabbed dividers using the Tab punch board. Used the label maker to label the dividers. I am storing these 6x6 card stocks in an empty fridge bin I had after I weeded out stamp sets. Here is a photo of the now sorted and filled bin:

Have them organized by holiday and then by print -- flowers, plaids, etc.. Hopefully this will ensure that I will use these card stocks more often so they are not just getting stored in the craft room. While I was die cutting the ric rac pieces out I decided to die cut the two Witch dies Anna Wight designed for IO last year:

I used glittered black card stock from HobLob for the witches and I also cut them out of the black #110 card stock from Mikes. I glued the solid witch to the glittered witch to make them more sturdy. To store these until BOO Day projects are started I bought a new size of snack bags at the Dollar Tree:

Here is a photo of the snack bag packaging:

The bags are approx 3 1/2 x almost 6 and they have a zip closure. I had originally picked them up for beads and jewelry making supplies but my die cuts fit inside perfectly and will be dust free for projects ahead. Plus they are cheaper than the jewelry bags at HobLob so a good find at the Dollar Tree.... Always good when I can find a few uses from one item for the craft room....  I also store the small Impresslits embossing/die cut folders in them:

In the bag is the packaging photo piece and the folder to keep them together and dust free. Handy sized snack bag for sure. 

IO Sale and BD Gifts

 IOStamps.com (Impression Obsession) sent out an email recently explaining they will be switching their stamps from red rubber cling to clear stamps. To clean out their inventory of the red cling stamps they are holding a sale for 20% off the stamps using this code "2022" on your order. I ordered right away and here are photos of the stamps I bought that arrived yesterday:

I bought background and sentiment stamps for the holidays ahead. They said in their email that they will continue their monthly stamp kit and their background stamps in the red rubber cling but all other stamps will be clear. Happy me that I was able to add some new stamps to the craft room at a discount!

Also -- meant to post this sooner but have not had time. Here are photos of all the items my PIC (stamping Partner In Crime) gifted me for my birthday:

Certainly have plenty of new products for more crafting projects... Lucky me that my PIC spoils me so! The little lady bugs will be cute on summer projects and cards that I will be working on soon.... Thanks to my PIC for all she gifted me and all the new inspiration to use it all!!

Easter Bags are finished -

 Photos of some of the Easter bags I made and treat holders I made for inside:

The bow on the front of the Easter bag is from Scrapdivadesigns store and the bow die set has a small, medium, and large bow in the set:

For my bows I used the small and the medium bow dies:

Treat holders are all filled with chocolates and other holiday candies. Now to clean up all the Easter left over pieces...

Pilgrims and Rosettes

 Had seen a video on YouTube from Karolinaskrafts making mini rosettes using the Sizzix Rosettes die set #662691. There are a few dies in my stash that I have duplicates of and this Rosettes die set is one of them. The other duplicates I have is the Spellbinders Poinsettia die and a flower die set from Scrapdivadesigns. In her video explaining the how-to's for her mini rosettes she showed she was using scrap card stocks from a 6x6 paper pad. I watched the video and then decided to make my own.

For my rosettes I also used the scallop edged rosette die and my scrap of card stock from a fall themed 6x6 paper pad by Pink&Main. My scrap measures 6" x 2 1/2" approx. I put the rosette die onto the card stock and die cut these out:

Using the 6x6 card stock these rosettes are shorter than the normal rosette this die cuts out. I had 7 scallops on the die not having card stock on it. Once the rosettes were cut out I took it to the trimmer and trimmed off about 1/4" off the straight edge to make the rosette narrower than the die cut piece:

The die cuts and scores the rosette piece so I folded the strip on the scored lines. You need a 'mountain' fold on one end and a 'valley' end on the other end. To get this I had to cut one section off one of the ends of the strip:

I used tear and tape to put my rosette ends together. Used hot glue to form the rosette. Here is a photo to show the size this rosette die makes (the larger cream printed rosette) and the two smaller pumpkin coloured rosettes are the mini rosettes:

Easy rosettes to make using up more card stock scraps from the stash.... now onto the Pilgrims.... 

Long ago I picked up a small Pilgrim die by QuicKutz at a used stampers sale. I was only able to get the male but after I brought him home I searched Ebay for the female. It took awhile to find her but I was able to buy her off Ebay and now I have the set:

Using only scrap card stocks I die cut lots of them out and here some of them are:

Plan on using them for Thanksgiving embellishments and since I made the mini rosettes I put the Pilgrims on those to show the size of them:

The Pilgrims can fit both the mini and the regular sized rosettes for future embellishments. Happy to find another way to use the rosettes die set and to be able to adjust the size - both width and length - of them. Thanks to Karolinaskrafts for sharing her tips on her mini rosettes. Now I have a start for Thanksgiving embellishments....