Bee Sweet!

Hi Artzy friends -

The card I have to share with you today would be appropriate to give to anyone, for any occasion! I may even give it to my husband for Father's Day!

This adorable slim mini card was easy to create with the new Dare 2B Artzy Slim Mini Wavy Layers die set. I used the two largest layers, the straight panel and the wavy layer, plus the great sentiment banner, all of which include the great dotted details. 

The cute bees were added from the Buzzy Beez stamp and die sets. They're quick and easy to color by just adding the yellow stripes and some pink cheeks, plus some shimmer to the wings. 

The sentiment is from the Cup of Cheer stamp set. Don't you love when you find the perfect sentiment for your project in an unexpected place?!

I hope you have a sweet day, and I hope you'll join in this month's challenge on the Dare 2B Artzy blog. Link your project following the theme: Masculine for a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to the store! 

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

Have a Sweet Day

 Hi Artzy friends -

I created this fun "surprise inside" card for a very special friend. I hope she likes it, and I hope you do too!

This yummy shake image (as well as an image you'll see on the inside), and the sentiments are from the new Dare 2B Artzy Be Frappe stamps and dies. (The dies also cut the images in the new Latte Love stamp set.)  Of course it could be a frappe, an iced or hot coffee, or whatever beverage your prefer! The sentiment strips were cut with  a die from the Wavy Slimline Framelit dies. 

When the card is opened, the image, framed in a pretty yellow frame, pops out, and another yummy treat is revealed inside. 

It's so fun to stamp your choice of sprinkles on top of the doughnut!

The sentiment strips on the inside of the card are cut from smallest layer in the new Slim Mini Wavy Layers dies.

The patterned papers used on this card are from the fresh springy Home Grown Collection. 

Thank you for visiting and have a sweet day!

Avra

Triangle Gatefold, Two Ways

 Hi Artzy friends -

Did you know that Cindy Sartain goes live on Facebook on the Dare 2B Artzy page almost every Monday at 7:30 p.m. Central Time? Her video is always full of great inspiration and tips (and sometimes sneak peeks) using fabulous Dare 2B Artzy products! 

If you watched on May 3rd, you saw her share how she makes triangle gatefold cards; and she shared the written dimensions and assembly directions in the Artzy Community Facebook group. Request to join the group if you are not already a member. You can find the measurements in the files. 

Because I love trying new-to-me fun folds, I created two triangle gatefold cards - a slimline version, and a mini-slim version. 

My slimline card features images from the Seas the Day stamps and dies sets, as well as paper from the Seas the Day collection. 

On the inside I adhered the white dotted rectangle and the sentiment strip from the Wavy Slimline Framelits die set.

I created a belly band to hold the card closed, mounting my octopus and stamping my sentiment on two diecuts from the Wavy Squares Framelits.

My mini-slim card features images from the Crafty Gnome stamp and die sets, and paper from the All the Buzz collection. 

On the inside I used the new Slim Mini Wavy Layers dies to cut the two layers on which my sentiment and additional images are displayed. 

I created a belly band for this card as well, again using the Wavy Squares Framelits for my main image and greeting. 

I also created my own matching slim-mini envelope with papers from the All the Buzz collection, using Dare 2B Artzy's brand new Slim-Mini Envelope dies! 

Don't you love presenting a card/gift that's all color coordinated?!

I hope you will tune in to Cindy's Facebook live's on Monday evenings, and if you can't watch her live you can always catch the replay any time!

There is still time to enter Dare 2B Artzy's challenge for the month of May. The theme is Flowers, and you can earn a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to the Dare 2B Artzy store. 

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

Happy Mother's Day!

 Hi Artzy friends -

This weekend is Mother's Day and I needed a card to send to my mother-in-law. My husband is driving out of state today to see her for the first time in well over a year!

I pulled out two of my favorite older Dare 2B Artzy products to create this simple yet pretty card.

The Trellis background die creates a beautiful background great with any type of image. 

If you're a newer D2BA follower I have a little tip for you, discovered by Artzy design team member Melody Blake. One layer of the diecut looks like this - 

But if you cut 2 panels, and turn one of them 180 degrees, you get a pattern like this - 

Pretty cool, huh? 

I cut two layers for my card but kept them lined up, just to add a little dimension.

The pitcher of flowers is from the Refresh the Soul stamps and Water Pitchers dies.

The sentiment is from the Bouquet 4 You stamp set.

I hope my mother-in-law enjoys this card; teal is one of her favorite colors!

And I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day and weekend!

Please join in our blog challenge for May which is Flowers. Link up any flower themed project this month for a chance to win a $15 Dare 2B Artzy gift certificate.

Thanks for visiting, and have a great day!

Avra

May Flowers

 Hi Artzy friends -

Happy May! Spring is in full swing in most of the United States, and here in Ohio that means that lots of spring flowers are in bloom! 

Coincidentally, Dare 2B Artzy's challenge for May is Flowers! 

Just link up your project on the blog, which follows the theme of flowers for a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to the Dare 2B Artzy store.

I used a cute bunny pushing a wheelbarrow full of flowers, from the Hippity Hoppity stamp set on two cards for this challenge.

On the slimline card I embossed a white panel with the Slimline Wildflower background die. My embossed sentiment is from the Honey Bunny stamp set. I cut the word friends as well as the vellum shadow layer with the Friends Double Layered Word Die.

My second card is an A2 sized card. I embossed this background with the Wacky Boxes Background die, and then lightly inked over the surface with a light blue ink. The Happy Spring sentiment comes from the Honey Bunny stamp set.

I have watched 3 different crafters use this technique recently of embossing with dies and finally gave it a try! It's always fun to try new things with product that you already own!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

Shadow Box Cards

 I was inspired by Jennifer McGuire's recent post on shadow box cards and wanted to try some of my own using Dare 2B Artzy stamps and dies. I have since picked up some additional tips from Cindy Sartain's recent virtual event where she made an adorable shadow box card too!

Whenever I try a new-to-me interactive card or fun fold card, I start simple, and make a "prototype" using white cardstock. I never want to waste colored or patterned cardstock in case it doesn't work out or I don't enjoy the technique.

Well, I enjoyed making these shadow box cards so much that I couldn't stop, and I made three with some cute Dare 2B Artzy images that I had already colored and die cut! 

As I mentioned, my first card base is using white cardstock, and is an A2 size card. It features images from the Raccoon Party stamps and dies, including the cute little "splat" die. I also used the Double Dot Circle die to cut out the window in the front of the card.

The raccoon is suspended from a strip of acetate attached to the left side of the shadow box. 

The next card is also fairly simple but I covered the front and inside panels with paper from the All the Buzz collection. The image and sentiment are from Puppy Kisses.The sentiment banner is created with a die from the Wavy Slimline Framelit set. This is a 5" x 7" card. 

This puppy is attached to the back of the card with an action wobble spring. 

My final shadow box card is also 5" x 7" and was created with images from the Honey Bunny stamp and die sets.

The grass "hill" was cut with a die from the Curvy Slimline Border dies. The patterned papers are from the  Home Grown collection. 

The bunny is suspended on a strip of acetate attached to the right side of the shadow box. 

There is no limit to the amount of layers and dimension you can achieve with a shadow box card. I'm excited to try some more complex designs in the near future! 

I hope you are inspired to try a new-to-you technique or card fold using Dare 2B Artzy stamps and dies!

Please join our monthly challenge here, for a chance to win a $15 store gift certificate. The theme of the April challenge is Bright colors.

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Avra

Hugs Soon!

Hi Artzy friends -

Are you hoping to be able to see some friends again soon, without masks on? And maybe be able to get a few hugs, at least from family members who don't live in your household? As more people across the country are able to get vaccines I am hopeful that these things can begin to happen soon! 

These sweet bears, from the Bear Hugs stamps and dies, have removed their masks, and are sliding over for a hug! 

The three background layers of this slimline card, as well as the sentiment strip,  are cut with the Wavy Slimline Framelits dies. The two patterned layers are cut from papers from the Ice Cream Social collection.

Aren't they cute without their masks covering their little smiles? (A fun feature of this set is that it does come with mask stamps and dies that fit the bears perfectly!)

Please join our March challenge, Anything Goes, for a chance to win a $15 gift certificate!

Thanks for visiting, and have a great day!

Avra