Shoes (on a Box)

What a fun first project for us to feature from March 2009 guest designer Jennifer Beason! She started with the Baby Shoe die and went to town! These shoes are so well-decorated, they look real! See the seam stitching and the corduroy brads? We're in love!


And, perhaps the best part? She used them atop a very pretty gift box!


Great job, Jennifer! We can't wait to see what else you have in store for us this month!

Bunny Ears

Oh what a cute idea for Easter from Megan Peacock, another of our talented guest designers. She used multiples of the adorable Rabbit die to indicate chocolate bunnies being eaten ears-first. Isn't she clever? Those little pom-pom tails are the perfect touch!


Hoppy Easter!

March Customer Challenge..."Love/Wedding"

The Creative Cuts and More Design Team had a fantastic time showing you all of our "wedding" themed projects during our first ever blog hop. Hopefully we have inspired you to create some stunning projects of your own.

NOW for our "March Customer Challenge", we would like you to run with our "Love/Wedding" theme and show us all of the fabulous creations you can make with the die cuts from Creative Cuts and More. You will have plenty of time to order from the Creative Cuts and More online store, design and post your projects to your own blog or gallery. Please, don't forget to leave your link here on this post. The deadline is April 15, 2009 11:59PM MDT!

Now you are probably wondering...is there a prize...YES three prizes!!

First place will receive: $15 gift certificate to CC&M

Second place will receive: $10 gift certificate to CC&M

Third place will receive: $5 gift certificate to CC&M

All three winners will be able to use their gift certificates towards any of the many products on the Creative Cuts and More website.

What are you waiting for... click on over to Creative Cuts and More and get your Diecut Diva groove on!

We Have a Winner!

Thank you so much to our Design Team and to all our Blog Hoppers for making our first-ever Blog Hop such a huge success! We couldn't have done it without you.

Our winner for the $15 Creative Cuts & More Gift Certificate is

Heidi has left a new comment on your post "Blog Hop & New Dies!":

Ok, this was fun. I have never done a blog hop before. I loved everyone's ideas and different ways they did the wedding dress boxes. My favorite thing I saw, had to be on the last blog with the red and white cake boxes. I loved the colors, the way there were alternating, and two layers of them. What a fun way to decorate for any type of party....adorable, usable, and giveawayble (if that is a word! LOL).

Thanks for doing this!

Heidi, please send us a quick message with your e-mail address so we can issue your prize.

Thanks again everyone! Stay tuned for more great samples!

Blog Hop & New Dies!

Welcome to our first ever BLOG HOP! At the end of this post, we'll describe our hop and tell you how you can win blog candy at each blog in the hop!

We're so excited to show you all the fun projects we've been creating with love & weddings in mind -- and it's been even more fun because we have four new dies to show off: Dress Box, Tuxedo Box, Chair Box, and A2 Scalloped Border Card.

Here are Deb McNett's interpretation of the Dress Box which she had cut from Crystal White Stardream Metallic Cardstock and covered with lace, and the Tuxedo Box cut from Onyx Stardream Metallic Cardstock.


Next up is an entirely different take on the same two boxes from Andrea Ruccolo. Her Dress Box is cut from Ice Gold Curious Metallic Cardstock and Tuxedo Box is cut from Onyx Stardream Metallic Cardstock.


This wonderful ensemble of wedding items was created by Judy DiScipio. What creative ideas! In addition to favors, she created some beautiful cards. One card is the Creative Cuts & More exclusive Shoe Card.


Diane Koerner made this beautiful cake using multiples of the Cake Slice Box. They were cut from Papaya Blast Bazzill Smoothies Cardstock. (Note: You can also choose to purchase the Cake Slice Boxes by the set.)

Our next samples are cake slices created by Kat Salmon, cut from Aqua Bazzill and Lagoon Bazzill respectively.


Next we have two fun samples from Deb Oberg, who served as a Guest Designer during the month of February. Her Tuxedo Box was cut from Black Tie Bazzill Bling.

And this favor box from Deb is one of our exclusives, the Peek-a-View Box cut from Anthracite Stardream Metallic paper. It is adorned with Flower #6 Small cut from Kunzite & Amethyst Stardream Metallics and Lavender Velvet paper. Beautiful!

We hope you've enjoyed looking at these samples! We have even more for you! Each of our blogging DT members have additional samples posted on their blogs now, and they're each offering BLOG CANDY! Start here at Hop #1 with Angie Pearl.

At the end of the hop, Pam will direct you back here for the chance to win one more prize. Leave a comment on this post with the name of your favorite new die or your favorite project you saw during today's blog hop. Entries will be accepted through 11:59PM Mountain Time on Thursday, March 5th and the winner of a $15 gift certificate to Creative Cuts & More will be posted the following day.

Now that you've seen all of our wedding-inspired projects, we'd like to see yours! Check back later in the week for details on our upcoming customer challenge.

Thank you & Happy Hopping!

Get Ready!!

We've got some wonderful eye candy and blog candy in store for you! Well be unveiling four brand new dies and dozens of ideas.

Where: Blog hop starts right here at Diecutdiva.com
When: Monday, March 2nd

See you then!

2 Sketches 4 You

Creative Cuts and More is proud to be the sponsor if this week's challenges at 2 Sketches 4 You. Their designers made some wonderful samples with our products. Click here to see them.

The 2S4Y blog has details on how to participate in their challenge. Who knows? You could be the lucky winner of a $20 gift certificate to our store.

Clear Album Tutorial Part 3

First I want to say thanks to you for sticking with me this far! At this stage we have all of our paper and photos in our book on beautifully stamped clear pages. Now let's put our book together and add a few more touches. You will need the 3 binder rings that came with your album, ribbon (lots of it), buttons, glue dots, dew drops (to make them for free click here) and anything else you would like to add. Actually all of this stuff is just the icing on the cake, you can simply add the rings to your book and call it good but if you're a "Fancy Nancy" like me you will want a bit more icing on the cake...er, I mean book!

First attach the rings and tie ribbon on them. To save ribbon tie it on while still on the spool, then trim it the length you want, then you just have to trim the first end.

Add buttons, sparkles and anything else you want to the pages. To learn how to make glue dots for pennies click here. I love putting the dew drops on the clear pages because you can see the pretty gems from the other side too!

And now, drum roll please, here is the finished book!

Clear Album Tutorial Part 2

This is the 2nd segment of a 3-part tutorial on making a 6"x6"clear album, for part 1 click here.

Now you have your clear album with one side of all the pages stamped. Great! Now on to what I call the paper phase!
You will need 20 or so small photos so you will have at least one photo per page. I used the software that came with my camera to print 6
3 1/2" square photos on a sheet of 8 1/2"x11" sheet of photo paper. Don't spend a ton of time fussing with your shots, just get them printed. I keep a red eye pen by American Crafts handy to erase any red eye but that is about it.

You will need double sided pattern paper, I love this Christmas pad of paper from K&Co, It was so hard for me to use before because both ides of the paper is so yummy I felt bad about one side not showing but with the clear album you get to see both sides, how cool is that!?! You will also need stamps, ink and the chipboard you painted yesterday. Paper punches are handy for making small accents as well. I chose 3 simple shapes to "mat" my photos, I cut all of the paper a head of time. I used 4 1/2" scalloped circles, squares and a bracket edge shape. I also cut out tags and photo corners to use. Let's get sticking!

I used CLEAR double stick tape to attach my photos and paper. Don't cover the entire page, leave areas of the page exposed so you can peek through to the next! Also: DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE THE FILM FROM THE CLEAR PAGES!

I made up a catchy rhyme to help you remember how to layer them, the "front" refers to the stamped side of the page: "Stick a photo to the front, pattern paper on the back, and another photo on top of that" Alright, It doesn't exactly rhyme but you get the idea.

Stick a photo to the front...

Pattern Paper on the back...

Add another photo on top of that!

For sticking on dainty bits of paper I used small home-made glue dots and they are as good as store bought, you can read my tutorial here.

As you go you may want to stamp on the chipboard or directly on the photo or plastic page. Use StazOn ink for this, for inking the edges of paper use the chalk ink. Here are pages with paper and photos, step 2 done! YAY!

One more thing, to keep this album fast and fun hand write your journaling! Use Sharpie (or any other permanent marker) directly on your page.

OK 2 more things...Don't forget to remove the film from the backside of the pages! Really, I can't stress this enough. You took all the film off the front side when you stamped it and there is a film on the back too, trust me after you have to take a part a few pages to remove the film you will remember this...don't ask me how I know that;-)

I'll be back in a day or two with the finished album, I tickled with how it came out, I hope you will like it too! Thanks for stopping by!

New in February...

Here's another mini album idea! This 4x4 album is a great little album that you can alter, distress, try out new embellishing ideas or just give as a great little gift! I did this one as a celebration of our 12th anniversary. It was fun to just put some memories together in a little album! The antique label on the front can be found here. The flourish is a little die cut (from my personal "collection") by Sizzix. The alpha set is Tiny Alphabet by Stampendous.


This layout not only features some hand cut letters, but the scalloped circle frame can be a very versatile embellishment. I used it in the following layout too. The letters were made by using chipboard letters, laying a sheet of cardstock over them and running them through my personal die cutting system (BigKick by Ellison) and the flower is a hand punch by McGill.

The alphabet letters are from Cornish Heritage Farms, the circle stamp was from Gel-a-Tins. (A set called Sheltering Trees.) The oval was hand stamped with a stamp from 7 Gypsies and then I hand cut it.

Besides using die cuts as embellishments, a great way to add some variety to those die cuts is to use your favorite stamps to stamp on them. The flourish is a Hero Arts stamp and the sentiment is from Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps.

On this layout, I used a Top Ten List stamp from Little Yellow Bicycle's "Zach's Life" line. Also, I punched the flowers using my Fiskars punch and then overlayed the two flowers. The slide frame is a die cut from Creative Cuts and More. I used a Hero Arts stamp and stamped on top of it. It added a little extra "zing" to my embellishment! I love to combine stamping into my album pages, and what better way to do that than to stamp on the embellies?? Here's a close up version:

The rectangle in the middle is a Tim Holtz Fragment. I used my sanding block on one side of the clear acrylic chip, making it look frosted. I then embossed on it using Versamark and clear embossing powder. (Don't hold the heat on it too long at a time!) I also stamped on it using Black StazOn ink.

Hope you have enjoyed these ideas! This is a fun and versatile little book...hop on over and check it out!

Patterned Paper: All Dressed Up by DCWV

Make a Clear Album! Part 1 of a 3-part tutorial

Have you seen the cute clear albums that are all the rage these days? Have you ever wanted to try making one? Here's your chance. I used a clear album from Creative cuts and more for my base.

We will break this project up into 3 parts:
Part 1: Stamping your album pages
Part 2: Adding papers and photos
Part 3: Embellishing and binding

Today we will do step 1. You will need a clear album, foam stamps, foam brushes and acrylic paint.

To begin remove the plastic film on the front side of the album page. Squirt a bit of paint on to a piece of waxed paper and use a foam brush to "ink" up your stamp and press it on the album page. Lift the stamp strait up and try not to wiggle it at all or you will have a blurry image. Don't worry if it's not perfect, it's just an opportunity for embellishing! Drag the brush along the edges of the page if you want to give it an inked edge and set aside to dry. Repeat with the rest of the pages. DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE THE FILM BEFORE YOU STAMP THEM!!


While you have the paint and brushes out look in your assorted chipboard stash, grab some shapes that would work in your album and paint them, you can swipe paint on sheets of stickers too if you want to use them but don't have just the right color for your book. Acrylic paint is an inexpensive way to update and coordinate your supplies.

Now clean your stamps and brushes (just because they are called disposable doesn't mean you need to toss them after each use, they will last quite a while!) I keep an old toothbrush under the sink to clean my stamps, I squirt on a bit of dish soap and they are as good as new!

This is the last step for each part of our album: Clean up your mess! Put away the paint and foam stamps because you won't need them again for this project and you will have a lot more energy to continue this album when you have a nice clean space to work in! We will do part 2 of out album tomorrow, thanks for stopping by;-)

Lindsay's Bell Box

How adorable! This Bell Box is cut from Bazzill Criss Cross textured cardstock in Katydid.

TIP: The Criss Cross textured cardstocks from Bazzill are dyed to match products from Doodlebug!

This pretty green is such a fun non-traditional choice for Valentine's Day, isn't it? And she added vintage buttons and a sewing pin with faux pearls strung on for an embellishment.

Apron Pocket Card

Here's a fun gift for a new homeowner, or someone striking out on their own for the first time. An Apron Pocket A7 Card filled with favorite recipes. Pair it with a cookbook and a real apron and you have a lovely present for a new homeowner, bride or even a neighbor.

Stamps are by Inque Boutique (Recipe set) and the card was dry embossed with a Fiskars texture plate and inked before assembling.

Love Card From Jenny

What a cute card from Jenny! This lovely valentine is an A7 Heart Window Card cut from Bazzill Smoothies in Cherry Splash.


Jenny traced the heart window onto white paper, cut it out and stamped some CDS Florishes on it. She then put it inside the window of the heart. She also stamped and cut out some hearts, then added some Crystal Effects and glitter to them and attached them with glue dots.

Topiary Time!

It's time for a pretty topiary submitted by Pam Smerker! This would be great home decor or a special decoration for a party.

This topiary was already assembled and covered with moss when she acquired it. She added the flowers cut from white, red, and pink cardstock and attached them with wedding pins. For finishing touches, she tied ribbons to the stems and added a topper made from die cut hearts.

Iris Folded Wedding Card

This pretty card was made by our newest permanent Design Team member, Lindsay Weirich. She used the dress cut-out in the card as the frame for the pretty iris folding technique. If you'd like to try it, Lindsay shared the iris pattern on her blog.

The Square Scallop 5 1/4″ Vertical Dress Window Card was cut from Diamond White Bazzill Bling cardstock. For a little extra decoration, Lindsay punched little hearts out from each of the scallops and added a border of pearls.

This card is such a fun and creative option for bridal shower cards, engagement cards, or even invitations.

Hockey Frame

Design Team member Pam Smerker is a long-time fan of the Colorado Avalanche, and she and her family are all decked out in team gear! How appropriate that she'd create a special frame for this photo!

Pam used a rubber stamp (with some alterations to account for sleeve length and the logo) for the jersey, and used the Hockey Stick and Puck die cuts from CC&M to embellish the frame.

Creative Cuts and More does offer a few more sports-specific die cuts like an Award ribbon and a Volleyball... and more dies are being added every week!

4x4 Valentine Album

Natasha Sansoni is another of our special Guest Designers, and here is here first CC&M project. She made a fun chipboard 4"x4" album for Valentine's Day.

As you can see here on the inside, she used the Antique Elegance Frame and the Heart #02 Small, both cut from Velvet Paper.

If you'd like to see more, Natasha has a special section within her gallery to show additional photos of her book.

Very cute! Thanks, Natasha!

Jenny's Valentine

More eye candy from Jenny Erichsen! This is a shaker kit, which comes with the outside scalloped border (in this case cut from Bazzill Smoothies Berry Sensation), acetate, white round die cut and pop up foam.

The small hearts within the shaker were stamped and then cut out from white cardstock and clear microbeads were added.

On her blog post, Jenny said she thought it was much easier to use the kit instead of trying to make her own.

First Fabulous Guest Submission

We're so excited to show the very first item submitted by one of our new guest designers. This pretty French Fry Box was created by Jenny Erichsen. Inside the French Fry Box, you'll notice she created beautiful decorated paperclips using chipboard and shrink plastic hearts.

Imagine how cute this would be as a gift for Valentine's Day!

We'll have more to share soon!

Congratulations, New Designers!

We're so excited to announce that the following designers have accepted our invitation to join us as Guests to our Design Team:

• Angela Pearl


• Chris Dickinson


• Dawn Rumin


• Deb Oberg


• Irene Tan


• Jackie Laing


• Jennifer Beason


• Jennifer Johnson


• Jenny Erichson


• Kitty Franken


• Lindsay Weirich


• Lisa Graves


• Mahlin Andersson


• Megan Peacock


• Natasha Sansoni

Please join us in welcoming these talented designers! Congratulations to each of them

Special Sleigh, Sale & Search

It's only a week 'til Thanksgiving and five short weeks until Christmas. Now's the time to be placing orders for special die cuts like this sleigh that Lila decorated for us. Isn't it gorgeous? She used the sleigh die cut from Cappuccino Curious metallic cardstock for this sample, as well as the very sticky Killer Red Tacky Tape to keep it together.

One great thing about ordering now is that there's a special sale going on! Just use coupon code winter0815 to save 15% off all orders over $25.00. The savings is valid through Monday, November 24th. This coupon code is good for everything in stock, so you could use it to purchase die-cut papers, full sheets of cardstock, Killer Red Tacky Tape, embellishments, etc.

Also through Monday November 24th, we're accepting applications for Guest Designers. Please see this blog post for more details.

Have a great weekend!

Creative Cuts & More Guest Designer Call

Creative Cuts & More (CC&M) is a leader in the die cutting industry offering dies cut in cardstock and a variety of other materials like chipboard, acetate, felt, velvet paper, and more. We are searching for paper crafters who enjoy working with die cuts (shapes, cards, 3-D bags & boxes, etc.) to design projects for us as guests to our design team. If you can rock a die cut and take a great photo, please apply!

Our plan is to choose at least TWELVE guests to post projects during their assigned month. During this month, guest designers would:

• Create 4 projects for CC&M from the materials provided (two of which will have an assigned theme). Any extra materials sent are yours to keep.


• Photograph your projects. Post photographs and product recipes to your blog, to Splitcoaststampers, Two Peas in a Bucket, and any other galleries of your choice.


• Submit same photo and product recipes directly to CC&M and grant CC&M permission to use them in CC&M’s blog, Web site, etc.


• We’ll want to show off our very favorite projects at trade shows, so we might ask you to either send us the original or make a duplicate. You will be reimbursed for postage in either case.

Once the projects have been submitted, you will receive a gift certificate for $20 in free die cuts of your choice from the CC&M Web site. You will also be eligible for a 25% discount on any purchases you make at that time.

To apply, show us your very best work with die cuts (2-5 projects). Send specific links to gallery pages, blog posts, or attach them in the e-mail. Also, we’ll need your answers to the following:

• Name:


• E-mail Address:


• Blog Address:


• Gallery Address:


• Home Address:


• Current & Past Design Teams: (No experience required… we’d like to meet some new designers!)


• Other papercrafting experience (Publications, Teaching at LSS, etc.)?


• What would make you a great choice as a guest designer?


• If you have a preference, what themes or time of year would work best for you? (Is there a season or a theme that you’re passionate about? Have lots of wedding stamps? Keen on pets? Taking an extended cruise in April?)

Please e-mail Terry at customerservice@creativecutsandmore.com and put “Guest Design Team Call” in the subject line. Submissions close on November 24^th, and notifications will go out by December 1^st.