A Cut Above (Day 3) - Shaped Cards

Day 3 of the on-line class A Cut Above was all about shaped cards.  Decided to use Cricut cart Christmas/Noel to die cut this window frame shape:

The frame was embossed with Hero Arts (HA) S5208 Designer Woodgrain in white then distressed with Ranger antique linen distress ink.  Poppies from HA CL449 Delicate Blossoms were embossed on watercolor paper then watercolored (using Zing water brush) with Ranger spiced marmalade and barn door distress inks and background was lightly brushed with tumbled glass distress ink.  Sentiment from HA CL266 Mix & Match Elements was embossed on a piece of vellum and adhered behind the window frame.  Butterfly from HA CL383 Antique Engravings was also embossed on a piece of AMuse gingham pp.  After assembling the card base(this Cricut cart has a blackout feature that I used to die cut the card base pieces) the window frame was adhered to the front with foam tape.

I'm going to link this up to several challenges including:

 one sponsored by Hero Arts 

this one sponsored by A Blog Named Hero

and finally this one sponsored by Lily Pad Cards

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend!



A Cut Above (Day 2) and Tuesday Trigger: Watercolor Butterflies

Day 2 of A Cut Above was all about using die cut windows in card design.  Decided to combine my "homework" assignment with this week's Tuesday Trigger: Watercolor Butterflies:

Isn't this dress fabulous???!!!  I was really inspired by the colors and the watercolor effect of the butterflies.  And crazy as it may sound I was also inspired by the armhole cutouts :)  I tried to echo their shape in the offset die cut circular window:

Materials Used:  Hero Arts (HA) CG172 Garden Bouquet, HA CL383 Antique Engravings (butterflies), HA CL498 Celebrate Everyday (sentiment), Lifestyle Crafts embossing folder, Nestabilities, Stampin' Up cs, Ranger distress inks (worn lipstick, spiced marmalade, dusty concord, barn door, antique linen (to soften edges), Michael's pearls, W R Memory Keepers corner rounder

Still waiting patiently (kind of....) for my distress markers *sigh*  Thanks for all your sweet comments!  I've had so many starts and stops with my blog - all the encouragement (as well as these fun challenges I'm finding!) inspire me to keep it going :)

And since this card features a window I'm also entering it in this challenge:

A Cut Above (Day 1) and CFC48

I'm a few days behind on my "homework" for the on-line class A Cut Above.  The first day touched on ways to make your own card embellishments using die cuts:

I know - pretty simple!  At first I thought about adding a bunch of  really small die cut hearts to all of the trees but decided it looked too busy.  Then I got the idea to use the embossed heart border as "grass" and somehow one heart on the largest tree looked just right:)

Materials Used:  Hero Arts My Happy (sentiment), Magenta Abstract Orchard, Stampin' Up cs, Sizzix/SU Fashionable Hearts Embosslit, Sizzix/SU Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Clearsnamp Seaglass pigment ink, Versafine Smokey Grey pigment ink, W R Memory Keepers Corner Rounder

I'm entering this in the CAS-ual Fridays Opposites Attract challenge:

Thanks for all your lovely comments!