Super simple with a die cut!

Today I went super simple with a die cut. It's a no-name cut from China. Most of these cheap-O dies are copies from real designers, but I could not figure out where this one was copied from. I avoid those that are outright copies of designer dies. Google search keeps pointing back to it or a stock image.  For as intricate as it is, it cut beautifully.

Anyway, simple is the key. The stamp is from My Favorite Things' Gratitude set. It's embossed in white right on the black card panel.

Happy shark week, AGAIN!

So, this week I got another cheap no-name die in the mail. This is a scribble styled Christmas Tree. I have sharks on the brain and I immediately thought of Sharknado. I mean, really, how could I resist?

The water colored back ground has been in my paper scrap box for over a year now, as was the shark (from Avery Elle, Hello Chum). The "Smile" die was also cut and in my scrap box. I just had lost the tittle. That's the eye dot, I just wanted to type it. The smile die is from My Favorite Things.

I considered spelling out Sharknado, but I think if people see the tornado they will get it.

I used Emmit Alphabet from My Favorite Things for the inside "Shark Week", and finished it off with a script "Happy" from an old Stampendous set and a "watermarked" grinning shark in the corner.

Let the coffee cards begin!

It's that time again! Time for the Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop, gotta love it!

My first card for the hop is a stack of cups cut with a no-name die. I cut the die 4 times and hand trimmed it so that each cup could be it's own pattern.

The sentiment is from My Favorite Things. and the scalloped panel is cut with a die from Gina Marie Designs.

Call anytime. Really.

So, this week I played with my new Distress Oxide Inks. The first thing I did was this tri-colored panel. I used a Gina Marie die for the panel. I played around with a lot of different white die-cut sentiments, but ended up liking these simple palm trees the best. The palm trees are one of the no-name dies from China that I recently got. More on that story later.

I used a sentiment from an older set from The AlleyWay Stamps.

I have decided that I will go and use most of the stamp sets that I HAD to have, but have never used. And to make the challenge even greater, at least one stamp should come from a set that is no longer for sale. Then it will truly be archaeological.

Of course, I haven't stopped buying new stamps, what do you think I'm capable of here?