LI'L ELF

This Layout of my son is made using a variety of different COTTAGE CUTZ, QUICKUTZ, SIZZIX, BOSSKUT and TAYLORED EXPRESSIONS dies and inked with Distress Inks.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Valentines Day is coming up this week so I decided to try and make a valentines day card for my hubby :-) The card measures 8" x 6" (a A4 page folded in half).

I used the following dies - QUICKUTZ EXCLUSIVE SKUNK 4x4 Die - C-0226-S, LIFESTYLE CRAFTS HEART DOILY 4x4 Die - DR0241, LIFESTYLE CRAFTS NESTING RECTANGLES Die set ( the largest size rectangle for the background)- L-CC-006, QUICKUTZ DISCO 4X8 ALPAHBET SET, for the writing on the inside of the card "Love is in the air". Sorry about the bad photos, as the black did not photo well with the flash. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE :-)

PRECIOUS

Its been a little while since I made a scrapbooking page so I sat down today and did a simple page of my 3 precious children, using a couple of my newest Dies to my die collection :-)

I used the QUICKUTZ EXCLUSIVE 'YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS' DIE C-0179-S-REV which I inked with distressed ink before assembling it. I must admit that the rose was not the easiest die I have ever assembled as it was hard to see where all the pieces went, but I think it turned out ok in the end :-) The heart was made using the LIFESTYLE CRAFTS / QUICKUTZ 'HEART DOILY' die, and for the title I used the QUICKUTZ 'DISCO' 4x8 alphabet.

PENGUIN PARADE

I did a single page layout of my Husband and his Brother using photos which I took of them just before his brother’s wedding. I found it very difficult to take a serious photo of them and maybe it was just their nerves, but I couldn’t help thinking that maybe the saying ‘boys never ever really grow up’ seemed so true at that moment and even though they look like men, they will always be boys at heart :-) In my layout I used the COTTAGECUTZ PENGUIN DIE SC-CC-009 because I always thought that the suits they were wearing reminded me of penguins. I also used:- QUICKUTZ DISCO ALPHABET FONT 4X8-DISCO-M (ON SALE NOW - HAVE A LOOK IN STORE) QUICKUTZ OLIVIA ALPHABET NUMBERS QUICKUTZ SIGN RS-0265 QUICKUTZ CLOUDS BORDER DIE CC-BDR-032, QUICKUTZ TREES BORDER DIE CC-BDR-018, TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS INKS (VINTAGE PHOTO & WALNUT STAIN)

CHRISTMAS OUTFIT

This is a double page layout that I did of my daughter on Christmas Day. She was given this cute little outfit by our friends and she wore it permanently so I thought this would be a great layout to document how much she loved this little outfit and the perfect opportunity to use the QUICKUTZ DOLLS REV-0193-D.

this layout, I have also used the following dies & products:- KAISER CRAFT PEARLS for the centers of the flowers, KAISERCRAFT RHINESTONES for the buttons on the dolls dress & hair ties, TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS INKS, SIZZIX DECORATIVE ACCENT, QUICKUTZ 12” TREE CC-BDR-021, QUICKUTZ LIMITED EDITION CIRCLES REV-0072, QUICKUTZ NESTING FLOWERS CC-SHAPE-6-017, and finally for my title I used the classic 2x2 QUICKUTZ ZELDA ALPHABET die set.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I have been playing around with some of the COTTAGE CUTZ dies and have made this Birthday card using the COTTAGE CUTZ CUPCAKE TIER 4x4 die and the GO KREATE ‘BOO, FOR YOU’ 4x4 die. I’ve also used the QUICKUTZ APRON KS-0559, QUICKUTZ CHEF’S HAT RS-0242 and the QUICKUTZ HAPPY BIRTHDAY REV-0157-S die for the title which I cut twice in black & green so that I could mount it and make it stand out a little. The little tongs are from the QUICKUTZ CHEF'S COSTUME revolution die. I have also inked my die cuts with TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS INKS and sprinkled some KAISERCRAFT RHINESTONES on top of the cupcakes to make them sparkle.

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CARD AND TAGS

For the “We Have Moved” announcement card I have used the adorable COTTAGE CUTZ HOUSE die. I loved making this little house so much that I cut it out in 4 different colours and am planning on making a row of houses to use as a border for a scrapbook layout. When making this card I also used the GO KREATE ‘NORTON’ ALPHABET, QUICKUTZ TREES BORDER CC-BDR-018, QUICKUTZ ROCKS KS-0439, QUICKUTZ SIGN RS-0265, QUICKUTZ EXCLUSIVE PRINCESS CARRIAGE C-0118-D-REV and some TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS INKS.

Previously I altered a mini wooden crate giving it a ‘Farm’ theme – very similar to the theme that I have used for these tags. I was very happy with the way the crate turned out, so I have made 3 matching tags to be used in a layout when I have found the perfect photos to compliment them. To make these tags I inked with TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS INKS and used the following dies:- QUICKUTZ GRASS BORDER, QUICKUTZ MUSHROOMS, QUICKUTZ PUMPKIN, QUICKUTZ FLOWERS, SIZZIX ORIGINALS ROOSTER, SIZZIX ORIGINALS FENCE, QUICKUTZ EXCLUSIVE PRINCESS CARRIAGE. I also needed a big Chunky Tag die, which I don’t have, So my friend was kind enough to lend me her large SIZZIX SUPER SCALLOP TAG die – Thanks Julie :-) I think I need to find one of these large Tag dies for myself or a very simular alternative because the size is fantastic.

SO CUTE

Here is a 12”x12” single page scrapbook layout that I made when my kids were younger using some of my favorite Cottage Cutz & Quickutz dies. I just L-O-V-E the Cottage Cutz dies as they are so easy to use and the finished product looks amazing. If you haven’t tried the Cottage Cutz dies yet, you don’t know what you are missing!!! I have also used Tim Holtz Distress Ink on the Pig, Rabbit & Bird to try and give them a more realistic 3D look. I love using the Distressed inks, i think its my newest addiction as i want to ink everything :-) I have used the following dies to make this magical layout- QUICKUTZ grass border die CC-BDR-004 QUICKUTZ tree border die CC-BDR-021 COTTAGE CUTZ giraffe die SC-CC-007 COTTAGE CUTZ owl die SC-CC-001 COTTAGE CUTZ bunny die SC-CC-004 COTTAGE CUTZ pig die SC-CC-010 COTTAGE CUTZ fawn die SC-CC-002 COTTAGE CUTZ bee die SC-CC33-001 QUICKUTZ Bee die KS-0050 TIM HOLTZ Distress Ink – ‘Antique Linen’.

Happy Birthday Emily

This week we are celebrating 2 birthdays in our home.
I made this card for Emily's 4th Birthday using the following dies:-
QUICKUTZ CLOUDS 12” Cookie Cutter border die,
QUICKUTZ FLOWERS 12”Cookie Cutter border die,
QUICKUTZ GRASS 12” border die,
QUICKUTZ RAINBOW & CLOUD Cookie Cutter die,
QUICKUTZ ANIME MONKEY 4x4 die,
QUICKUTZ MUSHROOMS 4x4 die,
QUICKUTZ TREE 4x4 die
QUICKUTZ SUN 2x2 die,
I used rubons for the words.

EMILY ROSE

For this double page layout I used the following dies:-
COTTAGECUTZ WITCH ON BROOM 4X4 DIE SC-CC4x4-082-D,which I changed into a Garden Bee Fairy.
COTTAGECUTZ BEE 3X3 DIE SC-CC3x3-001,
COTTAGECUTZ MUSHROOM TRIO 4X4 DIE SC-CC4x4-179,
QUICKUTZ TREE 12" BORDER DIE,
QUICKUTZ FLOURISH 12" BORDER DIE,
QUICKUTZ STORYBOOK 4X8 ALPHABET

FROM GRANDPA WITH LOVE...

For this very basic single page layout I did of my daughter Emily with her first birthday present from her Grandpa, I used the QUICKUTZ BEADS 12" Border die, QUICKUTZ 4x8 SUPERMARKET font, and the exclusive QUICKUTZ RAGDOLL die.

JUST BECAUSE

I made a card using the COTTAGECUTZ WITCH ON BROOM DIE SC-CC4x4-082-D. I have tried to show how versatile this die can be, by changing the witches appearance and turning her into a Fairy. I replaced the witches hat and used the QUICKUTZ ROSE BUD DIE KS-0451 for her head dress. For her wings in used the COTTAGECUTZ BEE DIE SC-CC3x3-001 that I cut from transparent velum paper, and she is sitting on the tree trunk from the COTTAGECUTZ RACOON & TREE TRUNK DIE SC-CC4x4-014. The fence in the background is made from the latest release COTTAGECUTZ FARM FENCE DIE CC3x3-023.
The mice are from the QUICKUTZ EXCLUSIVE PRINCESS CARRIAGE DIE, and I have also used the QUICKUTZ MUSHROOMS DOUBLE KS DIE, and the QUICKUTZ STRAWBERRY DIE KS-0110.

HALLOWEEN 2009 DOUBLE LAYOUT

Firstly I would like to start off by wishing MY Blog readers a ‘TERROR’IFIC AND ‘SPOOK’TACULAR HALLOWEEN.

Being Halloween today, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to use my CottageCutz Halloween dies again. I decided to do another Halloween layout this week, but I didn’t want to try cram everything into one page, so decided to spread it out over a 2 page layout.

For this layout I used the following COTTAGECUTZ DIES:-
COTTAGECUTZ Witch On Broom CC4x4-082-D,
COTTAGECUTZ Haunted House CC4x4-074-T,
COTTAGECUTZ Spider from Witch Hat CC3x3-017,
COTTAGECUTZ Skull MINI,


I also used the following QUICKUTZ DIES:-
QUICKUTZ Snake QK-E-0761,
(The Scrapping Cottage has a very limited number of these never released SNAKE QK-E-0761 & LIZARD QK-E-0760 dies for sale in their store for only $7.99 each OR $12.95 for BOTH, and that includes a free CottageCutz MINI die of your choice. Have a look at THE SCRAPPING COTTAGE for these great bargains - They would make a great addition to your Quickutz collection.)
QUICKUTZ City Skyline Border die CC-BDR-040,
QUICKUTZ Suburban Skyline Border die CC-BDR-038,
QUICKUTZ Fence Border die CC-BDR-041,
QUICKUTZ Bats REV-0241-D,
QUICKUTZ Sign RS-0265,
QUICKUTZ Broom RS-0578,
QUICKUTZ Trick-or-Treat pumpkin KS-0885,
QUICKUTZ Cauldron KS-0577,
QUICKUTZ Witch RS-0184,
QUICKUTZ Spider web C-0088-S-REV,
QUICKUTZ Haunted Mini Alphabet Set 4x8-HAUNTED-M,


If you are wondering if I know that my witches mouth looks more like a mostache and is totally 'out of place' - yes I do :-) Somewhere between sticking the mouth to my witch and taking my photos, it has moved up to directly under my witches nose and I didnt notice it until now that I have posted my blog post - whoops!!!! - But I have fixed it now :-)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Today I would like to share a layout I did of my daughter Emily dressed in a Witches Halloween Costume. I have to say that she did NOT like being dressed as a witch and cried the entire time because in her words “Emmy not a witch, Emmy mommy’s princess”.
Don’t look too closely at her face painting, as my face painting skills are Non Existent. It didn’t help that the Green Face paint turned blue when I put it on Emily’s face – Who knows!!!! I think I will just stick to doing my die cuts and leave the face painting to the kids as I’m sure they would have done a better job.

HALLOWEEN CARD

This week I have made a Halloween Card using the
COTTAGECUTZ WITCH WITH CAULDRON CC4x4-079-D,
COTTAGECUTZ CREEPY TREE CC4x4-080-D,
QUICKUTZ BATS REV-0241-D and the
QUICKUTZ FENCE 12” BORDER CC-BDR-041



I have made these COTTAGECUTZ dies up and love the sizes that they are once they are made up.
As you can see in the bottom photo, the made up die cuts are a lot larger then the picture on the front Of the packaging and are the perfect sizes for cards and scrapbooking pages.
Once made up the Witch measures aprox. 5 ½ inches x 3 ½ inches and the tree measures aprox. 5 inches x 4 ¾ inches.

CHRISTMAS CARD

To make my Christmas card I used the following Quickutz products-
QUICKUTZ REV. EXCLUSIVE NUTCRACKER,
QUICKUTZ REV. COOKIE CUTTER HOLIDAY PHRASES,
QUICKUTZ SANTA'S SLEIGH,
QUICKUTZ FLYING REINDEER,
QUICKUTZ BEACH BALL,
QUICKUTZ PRESENT TALL,
QUICKUTZ PRESENT SHORT,
QUICKUTZ REV. LIMITED EDITION TEDDY BEAR,
QUICKUTZ REV. WINDOW
QUICKUTZ REV. EXCLUSIVE FLAMINGO

GREEN ISLAND

I have done a double page layout using some beach photos that were taken
A few years ago on a Day Trip out to the Great Barrier Reef. It was so magical out there that no photos seem to capture the true beauty of this amazing wonder of the world.
I have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use my COTTAGECUTZ ‘UNDER THE SEA’ dies and thought these would be the perfect photos to use with them.



On my layout I have used the following COTTAGECUTZ dies & products-
COTTAGECUTZ Sea Weed Forest CC4x4-068
COTTAGECUTZ Peek-a-Boo Clam CC2x2-010-D
COTTAGECUTZ Octopus CC4x4-057
COTTAGECUTZ Sea Turtle CC4x4-061
COTTAGECUTZ Shark CC4x4-060
COTTAGECUTZ Mermaid CC4x4-062
KAISERCRAFT Self Adhesive Pearls
TIM HOLZ Distress Inks

Don’t forget that COTTAGECUTZ DIES are sold exclusively at THE SCRAPPING COTTAGE. They work exactly the same way as your Quickutz dies do and the only difference is that the COTTAGECUTZ DIES are now pink and they have more detail to them – which I L-O-V-E.



I also used the following Quickutz dies-
QUICKUTZ 2x2 Crab RS-0020
QUICKUTZ 2x2 Rocks KS-0439
QUICKUTZ 2x2 Skeleton KS-0186
QUICKUTZ 2x2 Monkey & Barrel KS-0232
QUICKUTZ 2x2 Treasure Chest KS-0782
QUICKUTZ 2x2 Anchor RS-0033
QUICKUTZ 4x4 Pirate Ship Rev-0081
QUICUTZ 4x4 Chalkboard Rev-0045 (for the small photo frame)
QUICKUTZ Clouds Border Die CC-BDR-032
QUICKUTZ Limited Edition EXOTIC ISLAND Alphabet