Those teeny, tiny flower dies!

Oh my!  I just fell in love with IO's Spiral Flowers die!  This 5-die set makes the cutest little flowers ever!  Here's a sample of 3 cards I'll be doing for my Die of the Month class for Kept Creations on May 3rd.  Each month I introduce a new die or dies and show the ladies different ways in which to use them (refer to my Mustaches dies post HERE).

To give you an idea of how tiny these flowers are, I placed one on the head of Abraham Lincoln on a penny.  Take a peek!  Isn't that a scream?

This first card I combined some Art Impressions stamps to create a wreath and then shaped my flowers to decorate the wreath.  I used a Spellbinder die for the card base and topped the look off with a tiny 1" bow made on the Craft-Dee BowZ to complete the look.  A tiny bit of Stickles was added to make it shimmer a bit.

This next card was made using IO's Shake Its windows.  I created my own colored cardstock for the flowers by using different Memento inks and blending them onto the cardstock.  I then die cut the flowers, rolled them and placed them inside the Shake Its windows.  Before sealing it up, I added some Prills (gotta love them!!!) and a bit of glitter which is a little hard to see in this photo).

Then, to encourage my student s to get more out of their dies in an unconventional way, I simply die cut the spiral flowers and glued them down flat onto the same colored card stock giving it an embossed look.  I added Dimensional Pearls to the centers and the sentiment is backed with Washi Tape then tapped it all with my dots stamp.

Here's another card I did just for the heck of it.  I used this lovely Lattice Background die by Spellbinders on a 4-1/4" square card, added my tiny flowers and some extra leaves (Memory Box) and some Viva Pearl Pen for accents and it was done.

And here's a close-up of the flowers.  So adorable and so many possibilities!

Well I hope you've enjoyed this post and I'd love to hear from you.  Even better, I'd love to see some of you at this class.  We do have lots of fun with dies!

Ciao for now!

Ciao Bella! 

Here comes a butterfly (again)!

This card came about because a customer claimed the die wasn't cutting.  So I took it home and zipped it through my Vagabond.  You should always keep in mind that a metal shim will give you the best results when cutting intricate dies.  I was so fascinated by this butterfly that I HAD to try it out.  Here's the result:

For the curious, this die is from (wait for it...here it comes!...) Memory Box!  I'm sure you're surprised by that (NOT!).  I used a technique under the butterfly using the new Stampendous bits and glitter encased in embossing powder.  The roses are just punched from a 1" round punch, cut in a circular pattern and rolled and glittered.  I then accented the butterfly wing with that fabulous Holographic Glitter from Stampendous.  My new favorite glitter!

Thanks and feel free to leave a comment.  Ciao for now!

Ciao Bella!

Pesky little birdie

He's baaaack!  My little birdie from Memory Box is out on a limb.  I needed to make a quick card for my son's birthday and, bless those dies, they rescued me faster than you can say 'die cut'.  I'm rather proud of this card -- the ONLY reason is that it was a simple card and we all know I don't know how to DO simple.  It's not that I don't like 'simple' -- but I have a really hard time "dumbing it down" if you know what I mean.  I always look at a card and think "it needs more or I'll tweak it this way".  Then after 3 hours I just MIGHT have a finished card!   Here's my card and I used the new background text paper from Papertrey Ink, did some edge tearing and using a finger dauber, I started with Vintage Photo around the edges and then finished it with Dark Walnut.  I then lightly drew more ink into the entire layer to dull the beige background a bit.  All that was left was to adhere the die cuts (Reedbird and Woodland Branch) to the page, wrap some raffia around it and stickle the branches.  I also did some outlining of the bird with a white opaque pen.  Easy peasy!  Who knows, with a little practice, I just might get better at simple cards.

Here's the birthday card.  You'll note that the sentiment is a wee bit blurry and I was counting on my son's not having his glasses on -- shhhh!  he'll never notice the blur!

I might add that he never mentioned the blurred sentiment -- he did, however laugh his head off at his birthday present.  I got him a t-shirt that says "I pick things up, then put them down." (I love that commercial!)  We had a lot of laughs over that one.  

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a comment.  Ciao for now!

Ciao Bella!

Gosh I love Memory Box!!

Are you tired of hearing me say it?  Well, I'm not tired of using them!  Here are a couple of cards I made that will be offered at The Crop Shop on Wednesday, March 8th.  I used the Elegant Scrollwork die (one of my very favorites) for both cards, but in very different ways.  I also used the Reedbird die to change things up a bit.  I think I got stuck on the color blue (one of my favorite colors).

If you'd like to take this class, call The Crop Shop and reserve a seat!  I hope to see you there.

Ciao for now.

Ciao Bella!

Oh those Memory Box dies!

Have I told you how much I love Memory Box?  Oh, right, I have -- over and over again!   My Mojo just flows with these dies and here are two cards that I'll be doing at the Whitman Community Center in February.

I've adapted a technique that Dave Brethauer from Memory Box used.  It just so happens it answered a question that many of my students have been asking.  I've taught glitter and peel-offs in the past, but many have asked for a refresher course.  This sort of fits that niche, but it's got an easy twist to it.  I also have been driving myself nuts making little rosettes lately.  I can't seem to stop!  They're just so easy and fun to do and I can make them any size I want -- and there's no die involved!  Gotta love that!

So here's the two cards we'll be doing in February.  This butterfly is absolutely one gorgeous die (2 dies/separately priced), but I've discovered that this technique can be done by using only one die (money saver!!).  The other favorite die is Elegant Scrollwork.  I don't seem to run out of projects using this die -- it's a keeper!

Oh, and I think you'll see clear evidence of the Craft-Dee BowZ on one card (LOL!). 

Well, that's it for today.  Hope you enjoyed these cards!

Ciao for now!

Ciao Bella!

Coming up!

Well, I can see it's been a while since I posted (yet again!).  Things have been hectic in the Ciao Bella kingdom of late.  So much going on, so little time to do it.  Let me catch you up on a few notable things.

First, you all know that I am the inventor and owner of the E-Z BowZ bow making tool.  Well that little kingdom got turned on it's head back in November when my Trademark got challenged by someone with deep pockets.  Long story short, it was just easier for me to change the name of my sweet little tool.  More info to come on that (passt!  the new name will become Craft-Dee BowZ).  I just need to get my videos up and running before I can reestablish a new blog .  But I am moving forward with a light step knowing that something good is round the corner in light of this blight on my holidays.  So stay tuned for the new announcement!

Secondly, classes have been going great at the Whitman Community Center since we started after the holidays.  Being out of my teacher "harness" felt surreal, but I'm baaack!  Here's another class coming up in February at the Community Center (I already showed you the January classes in an earlier post) -- you can get all the deets at KD Crafty Concepts if you'd like to sign up.  

Thirdly, I am really jamming the keyboards to A.) get my new blog up and running and B.) putting some slideshows together for a bow related marathon being offered by My Creative Classroom in February.  Gotta start now -- time has a way of getting away.

Fourth, I've been busy putting classes together for The Crop Shop in Rockland as well. Here's one coming up on January 25th.  Call to sign up!  We'll be using Memory Box Dies and you all know what a "die junkie" I am!

And the last big thing I've been working on is creating an event to bring to Cape Cod.  We realized there was a huge void down there with the closing of Colorful Creations last year.  People have to travel great distances to avail themselves of cropping and card making classes.  So I made a proposal to the owner of The Crop Shop and we are taking the store on the road the first Sunday of every month (except June thru August) and the first event will start on Sunday, February 5th.  The ad will be going into The Register in the Yarmouth/Dennis/Barnstable County area tomorrow.  So, if you're in that area, be sure and pass the word on to your friends.  We'll be doing a Round Robin Card Making/Project Making Marathon.  You can call The Crop Shop for deets on this as well -- and, by the way, there's a special surprise for the first 10 who sign up!  I'm really excited about this event, more so because it's my "baby" and I want it to be a huge success.

Well that's it -- ciao for now!

Ciao Bella!

Upcoming classes...

Happy New Year all!  Or did I say that in a previous post.  Well, it never hurts to have too many good wishes going into a new year, right?  And anything has got to be better than 2011, let me tell you!

I just thought I'd share what I'll be doing at the Whitman Community Center this January and in a few days I'll share what I'm doing at The Crop Shop as well.

So without further adieu, let's start with Saturday, January 14th.  We'll be doing two really fun Coffee/Tea Bag/Boxes.  These make terrific gifts for get well, thanks to the hostess, thanks to hairdresser, mailman, etc., just because... well you get the idea.

Both of these are made using the Scor-Pal tool and are super easy to do with various stamps to finish them off.

Aren't they cute?  Just fill them with the necessary tea/coffee bags, stirrers, sugars, etc.  This class was half full back in December, so you don't want to wait too long to sign up.

The next class I'll be doing is using Memory Box dies on Friday, January 20th.  I think I've mentioned before that I am a total die junkie.  Yep, I'll admit it and I don't want an intervention either -- I'll still go back to my addiction (LOL)!  For this class I chose the Perched Reedbird and the Woodland Branch.  These are fast becoming my favorites.  Oh, who am I kidding!  They're all my favorites.  But I must admit, these allow for some really great card making ops.  

Here's the outside of the card.  The sentiment is computerized.

And here's the inside flap of this tri-fold card.  What a difference a season makes!

And the second card for this class holds a secret that I can't share with you because I've challenged my students to guess what Spellbinder die I used for the vase.  Now wouldn't this also look great with pussywillows?

Last up is Friday, January 27th at the Whitman Community Center.  Obviously I can't stop using these dies, so here are some examples using the Seville Buckle, the Woodland Branch, Perched Reedbird and Elegant Scrollwork. 

Oh, did you notice that I'm stuck on a color theme here?  I'm such a pink or purple girl, but pinks are easier to work with for color coordination purposes.  I chose to use the Elegant Scrollwork in an offbeat way for the bird's tail.  Then if you'll look closely, I used the negative space from the die cut Reedbird to use as a stencil.  I enjoyed doing these cards a lot.  Well, that's it - I hope this gives you some inspiration and got you salivating for Memory Box Dies.

You can sign up for these classes at KD Crafty Concepts using the PayPal button or by contacting me directly if you don't do PayPal.

Ciao for now!

Ciao Bella!

Coming up!

WOWZA!  Has this been the month for Testing-My-Mettle?  If I get one more thing on my plate, I might explode!  Well, it's my own darn fault -- haven't learned to say "no" yet. So with that being said, I'd like to update you on a few classes coming up at the Whitman Community Center and The Crop Shop.  There are still openings, so give me a shout and I'll gladly put you in.  Or you can sign up through KD Crafty Concepts and use that handy, dandy PayPal button!

First up is Saturday, 12/3 from 1 to 3.  Here are two cards I'll be doing on Saturday.  I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for different ideas for enclosing gift cards no matter what the occasion.  This being Christmas, of course,  here is one version of the mailbox by Art Impressions without the card and the other one with the "card" inserted in the mailbox.  I'll be offering their catalog for ordering, so you don't want to miss out on this!  They have so much fun stuff on their site.

This is the second card we'll be doing on Saturday.

The Gift Card actually goes inside the box and when you pull it out, there's this crazy lady popping out of the box.  I embellished her with a Santa hat that is not part of Art Impressions line.

Then on to my next class using, ta da!, Memory Box dies.  I've fallen madly in love with anything Memory Box Die related -- I'm incurable!  I need intervention!  I have several classes going with these dies.  The first set of cards will be offered at the Whitman Community Center on Wednesday, 12/7 from 7 to 9 pm.  Go to KD Crafty Concepts again and click on that PayPayl button!

Aren't these dies (well)... to die for!  These cards feature Deer Trio and La Rue Flourish. And, guess what?  I'll be able to carry Memory Box dies as well!  If you come to our Sunday Event to say hi to Bev, I should have my catalogs open and ready.  I don't know about you, but every time I look at the La Rue flourish, my heart does a little dance (I know, I'm certifiable!).

Then, to carry this one step further, I'll be offering these same dies at The Crop Shop on Thursday, 12/8 from 7 to 9!  Here's what I've done this time.  You'll have to call them as this class is not shown in their class listing for some reason.

And lastly, I used the Memory Box Ornament die and Tree die for several cards that I'll be doing at The Crop SHop on Wednesday, 12/14.  Again, you'll have to call them as this, too, was omitted from their class lineup.

Using mirror card stock with the ornament and tree dies from Memory Box made all these cards so simple!

And the last class using dies will be at the Whitman Community Center on Thursday, 12/15  While I know you can't see it, inside the mitten is another gift card and the slots for the gift card are made using another Memory Box die.  The snowflake card is made using Damask Dies from Papertrey Ink (another company I'm addicted to).  I'll be putting this up on the KD Crafty Concepts blog shortly.  So say tuned and get ready to hit that PayPal button.  I happen to know that this class is more than half full so you'll want to act quickly.  You can always email me in the meantime at deedee.maligno@gmail.com.

Well, that was a lot for one post!  I hope you've enjoyed seeing what's coming up and that I'll be seeing you at some of these classes. 

Ciao for now!

Ciao Bella!

Classes at the Community Center...

I just wanted to let some of you know that I'll be holding my first class at the Whitman Community Center  next week and in the event that you had forgotten Kim's and my joint blog, KD's Crafty Concepts, then you can catch up here.  But all students should definitely be putting KD's Crafty Concepts into their Favorites to stay abreast of what we'll be doing in the upcoming months.

I've scheduled the first class for Friday, October 21st from 7 to 9pm and my second class will be held on Saturday, November 12th from 1 to 3pm.  I'll be adding more classes as we go along.  I've just had a few commitments to take care of before I fill the schedule up.

So, here's what you'll be doing on October 21st:  a little Halloween and a little bit of Fall...

And here's a sneak peek at one project for the November 12th class:  a jump start on your holiday card making...

So make sure you check KD's Crafty Concepts for my schedule -- we've made it convenient for you to use PayPal when signing up!

I hope to see you soon!

Ciao Bella!

I LOVE Memory Box Dies!

I have been having more fun than a barrel of proverbial monkeys with these dies.  I have a few new ones on order and I can't wait to get them!  I got some really cool Fall ones and some Christmas ones as well.  Okay, okay, here you go.  This die is called Pristine Border and I've probably just hit the tip of the iceberg on how to use it.

Here's one I just did for a very quick card using Harvest Berries from Papertrey Ink and the Pristine Border.

Now, most of you know how I'm always complaining that I just can't seem to put a simple card together.  I don't think it gets any easier than this!  I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

This second card using Pristine Border and a stamp from Penny Black was a bit more detailed, but "uber" simple nonetheless.  See what you think.  You can click on any card to make it bigger to see the detail.

Well, I hope you enjoyed today's post -- please drop me a line -- I'd love to hear from you!

Ciao for now!

Ciao Bella!