"Bella Armoire Stack" Graduation Card

 It's Friday!

Do you have any fun weekend plans? We have some plans with family which is always a treat. I love living so close to both my family and my in-laws. I consider myself very lucky!!

Wanted to hook you up with a "Friends & Family" Coupon for Michael's too...the sale is May 12-14 so print it out and stash it in your purse until the big sale!! The stack I am using in my project today is available at Michael's right now, would be nice to get an extra 20% off of it! :)

I wanted to share with you a very special card for me! It's been a LONG time coming :) I'll explain in a minute.....

I am using this amazing stack, "Bella Armoire Stack" which I adore. This stack is available at Michael's Stores right now. I love black and white prints and the ones in this stack are so timeless and classic!

I used this print..love the scaled down prints that are perfect for cards!! I cut this page in half and then scored my card on the print line. So my front is one print and the back is another print. 

Makes a perfect 6x6 card.

Love this little diploma! Rolled up some printer paper and tied it with some bakers twine. Simple, simple.

This card is for my amazing HUSBAND!! He graduates from college next Wednesday and this is HUGE for us :) I met my husband when he was just turning 21, and in his first semester of college. He was working full time for the bank (which he still works at) and was taking 2 night classes a semester. He has continued this for 8 years! He has worked so hard, always working full time during the day and taking a few night classes. It's been a lot of sacrifice for both of us....but it means so much to me that he finished what he started. And I know he will be blessed for it!! Sooo...Happy Graduation to my amazing, darling, gorgeous husband!!! I am {beyond proud} of you!!

Love my little boy's Easter ties in this picture from last weekend :)

Everyone have a great break from the week!! I'll be back here on Monday!! 

VIP-Scrapbook Fair

Have you heard about the brand new Scrapbook Fair coming in a couple weeks??

We are going to offer special deals and prices to our blog followers!! 

And I know you love it too!! 

I will tell you 2 specials today and next week I will tell you two more :) If you have your VIP pass in print or on your mobile device, you will get

a free embellishment with a $5 purchase

a free matstack with a $15 purchase

{printer friendly download HERE}

So if you are in the Utah/Idaho area, PLEASE come down and visit us at the Scrapbook Fair!! We will do another giveaway for a box of goodies from the show to include all of you who can't be there with us!!

Have a fabulous day! Back tomorrow with a fun project!!

April "Stack-a-holic Template Challenge" Results :)

Hey everyone!!

Today I am going to share some of my favorite layouts from the challenge that I gave to you last week! It has been so fun, I have decided to make this a monthly event! I am always so insipred to see you work!

I will post the template and the challenge on the first week of the month so keep a look out for another one coming soon in May!

If you didn't see the challenge, I asked everyone to create a layout using this template:

sketch from www.sketchsavvy.blogspot.com

I can't believe what I got back!! Let me just share a few....

Linen Closet Stack by Robin Allan

Mariposa Stack by Jaclyn Kline Torres

Black Current Stack by Heather Gray

Playtime Stack by Shawna Webster

Animal Cracker by Kerry Lewis

Pastel Cardstock Stack by Viji Siddharth

Dots, Stripes & Plaids Stack by Melissa Dehne

Guy Stack by Carrie Sexton

Lemon Flower Stack by Jessica Baker

Tattered Time Stack by Carol Workman

Mariposa Stack by Gloria

Mariposa Stack by Kim Martin

So there is no way that I can pick a FAVORITE...I barely could pick a Top 12!! So I used random.org to help me pick a winner.

Congratulations to...

Robin Allan

Send me your address and I will get your goodies right out to you!!

erinmadsen@diecutsinc.com

Thanks again to everyone for playing!! You guys amaze me!!!

Back on Friday with a fun project!! See you then :)

Scrapbook Fair

Hey everyone!! 

Did everyone have a great Easter?? I sure did...nothing like eating lots of chocolate and spending time with family :) Pretty much my favorite thing about holidays :)

Tomorrow is our deadline for our first Stack Template Challenge!! Enter your page by tomorrow night and on Wednesday, I will post some of my favorites plus a winner! I am LOVING everything that I have seen so far! Y'all are so talented!!

Wanted to make sure all of my Utah/Idaho locals knew about the next Scrapbook show here in Utah....

DCWV will be there with lots of great deals as always!! And we are going to do the VIP pass with specials again so stay tuned for that! 

Get it on the calendar...I promise it will be so much fun!!

Read more about the Scrapbook Fair HERE!

Easter Carrot Boxes

TGIF!!

I do have a project to show on today's post but...first thing's first...

For those of you watching.....

Who are you loving?? I am a Lauren Alaina fan through and through. From day one. 

Can't believe we are down to 2 girls so early in the final 10!! So leave me a comment and tell me who you love....and also tell me what you think about my project ;)

Today I wanted to share one more Easter project...love how it turned out!!

First download the {Carrot Box Template HERE} and print it....cut it out and trace on your orange cardstock or printed paper...you could use any kind. I got my cute orange print out of here....

It has some pretty cute orange prints! Check your Halloween stacks too!! I got 3 carrot boxes out of one sheet of 12x12 cardstock...

Trace the template onto your paper..cut on the solid lines and score on the dotted lines. I used my trust Scor-Tape to put my box together. I added some green glitter cardstock to top of the box and then used my fringe scissors and added two different colored stringy "weeds" to the top of the box. Used brads to keep it closed! 

 I added some green glitter cardstock to top of the box and then used my fringe scissors and added two different colors of green to create some stringy "weeds" to the top of the box. Used brads to keep it closed! 

You could fill your box with some yummy candy...and if you wanted to use these as your place cards just by adding a little tag to the bakers twine :)

I hope everyone has a fabulous Easter weekend!!! Enjoy a little quiet time if you can, I know I will :)

Back on Monday!

Something New!!

Hey guys!!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week! It's been busy on my end, but I have been working on some fun stuff. And I am so excited to go into the office today for some product development focus groups! I love it when our company is up to something new ;) I {heart} DCWV!!

I am excited to do something new on the blog today!! I am a huge fan of templates...I love how you can take the same template and get all kinds of different layouts! Kind of how it is with a stack....you can get so many different looking layouts with ONE stack!!

Today, I am going to show you my layout that I made using a template and the new Tradewinds Stack.

You can find Tradewinds Stack in Jo-Anns Stores or online HERE!

And here is my fun template! My favorite place to get templates is for sure Sketch Savvy...they are bold, simple and always focus on photos and paper! And Susan, the blog host, is always using DCWV stacks on her pages so I like them even more :)

 

www.sketchysavvy.blogspot.com

And here is what I did with my sketch....

{click on page to enlarge}

There are a lot of things that I love about this page! 

1. Tradewinds....would you ever think to make a page about an old blue truck using this stack, lol :)

2. Love the key paper...perfect for my layout.

3. The hint of red paper....playing off one of the boy's jackets. Had to steal this red print from the Nantucket Stack tho :)

4. Love the journaling...you must read it to appreciate the layout.

5. Blue...it's so hard to find great blue prints! This stack definitely has them :) And I am a mama of boys so I love blue scrapbook paper!

So I want you to play along with me! I am going to host a little contest! Use the above template and any stack of your choice...make a page and share it!! Either on the Facebook page, on your blog (email me a link) or a picture emailed to me! erinmadsen@diecutsinc.com

I will pick a winner next week and will send the Tradewinds Stack to you!

I hope you take on my challenge! I can't wait to see your pages :) Have a fabulous day, everyone!

Easter Place Cards & a WINNER!!

Monday is here again! It never fails to come I have discovered :)

The warehouse sale at DCWV over the weekend was a HUGE success!! We had so many people come out, we hope everyone who was close enough to make it out found some great deals! We usually have our sales in September and April so you always know when you will be able to hit the next sale: :)

I wish everyone was able to come! Lots of you have asked why we don't do an online sale...we simply are not set up to ship to individual customers since we ship in large quantities to stores. I will send the word on to my boss that you would love to see that in the future if at all possible :) We are always wanting to hear your ideas!!

For our winner of the box of goodies from the sale, Congratulations to:

Jessica said...

MI AMORE DCWV! I lve in Indiana. I am a follower and a FB follower. Advide user and my first love. Can't live without it.

APRIL 16, 2011 4:22 PM

Send me your address to erinmadsen@diecutsinc.com and I will get your box right out to you!!

Well can you believe that Easter is in a week?! I have liked having the hoiday a little later in the spring this year...means that I have access to pink bunny Peeps a little longer :) They are my favorite hoilday candy of the year!! Have you seen these Peep wreaths?? I must make one next year!

We always spend Easter with my family...a weekend full of egg hunts and family time. This year is no different! Mom always goes all out on a big formal Easter dinner. And I am always in charge of place cards! This year, I wasn't sure what my Mom's table decorations would be so I stuck with simple Spring colors....found in a new stack that you may not think of when you think of Spring...

 

The colors in the new Mademoiselle Stack are perfect for Spring!! And lots of glitter...love that :) Here is what I came up with....

 

I am in love with the print that I used for the base of the card....turquoise glittered flowers over polka dots? Seriously in love!!  Here are a few of my tips on what I do with my own place cards!

  

Tips for place cards:

-I always make mine 4 inches x 4 inches and then I fold them in half. This way, you can get 12 place cards out of one 12x12 sheet of paper.

-Keep placecards SIMPLE! When you are having to make lots of them, you don't want to be overwelmed...kinda takes the FUN out of it :)

-I always handwrite my names. I think it is more sentimental and lots of people in my family save their cards. I almost ALWAYS bring my white paper, marker and punch and do the names an hour or so before dinner. The guest list is usually still changing!! But I have the cards all made up except for the names ahead of time.

-I think all place cards need a little 3D element! I love the glitter fringe (love my Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors!) and the ribbon. The bow is stringy because the May Arts ribbon I wanted was too wide so I cut the ribbon in half length wise. Love the messy look :)

So I challenge you to make some place cards for your next big dinner! Everyone will be so impressed with the personal touch that it adds to the meal. I promise you will be glad you did it! 

Have a fabulous day!! Back on Wednesday :)

Warehouse Sale Giveaway!

TGIF!! 

It's FRIDAY!!! Ready to get your weekend groove on?! I am ;)

As you heard, our semi-annual Warehouse Sale started yesterday! {click here for details} Boy was it crowded! I can't believe how many people these things bring in! Love it!! I have to tell you first, they guys are RESTOCKING the sale right the second with different 12x12 stacks from yesterday! We sold out of stacks yesterday and we CAN'T have that ;) So if you are around, stop by again for a different selection of paper goodies!

I wanted to do something for all of my blogging friends that live too far away to visit our sale!

So how would you like to win this?

Paper, vinyl, glitter and I think I see one of our new awesome albums!!

If you'd like to win this, enter our giveaway!!

All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me what state you live in! You can have an additional comment telling me you are a blog follower and a Facebook fan. And if you post a link to this blogpost on your own blog or Facebook fan, leave yourself another comment! So no more than FOUR comments per follower!!

Paper Hydrangeas

What a crazy week this has turned into! It snuck up on me...I was thinking on Monday that I had everything under control... lol. And when you think you have it together...it falls apart ;) 

Even tho it's been a crazy week, it's been a super fun one too! Guess what I have been working on....CHA. Can you believe it? It's only April! lol. I can't believe July will be here so quick and all of this hard work will be paid off when I see YOUR smiling faces :) I am going to be teaching a really awesome class at CHA so if you are going to be in Chicago, look for my name and DCWV on the Workshop list and come play with me!!

I was looking through photos of CHA from January and I can't believe I forgot to share the following pictures and details! It was for sure a huge talk of our booth...after the dresses of course ;)

Can you believe these flowers are made out of paper? I wish you could see them in real life...because that is when you can really appreciate them!

And guess how we made them....so smart!

We bought silk flowers from the craft store....peeled off all of the silk flower petals. Then die cut the shape that we wanted, poked a small hole in the middle and carefully reattached the petal to the plastic stem. They are so unique and incredible!! Definitely a conversation piece in your home...and they will never die from not being watered ;)

Today our big warehouse sale starts!! Yayaya!! Guess what! I am pulling together a box of goodies from the sale and putting it aside for one of YOU! 

Tomorrow I will tell you how you can enter ;) See you back here then!

It's about Tattered Time!!

When I first saw this stack, Tattered Time, I thought that it would be perfect for everyone who is loving the whole grunge, ink, chipboard kinda look that is so huge right now. When I personally look for supplies, I generally lean towards the cutesy, bright colored papers and supplies. Don't know why, must match my personality or something :) So when I started playing with this stack, I wasn't sure how my layout would turn out since this stack is NOT cutesy and bright colored ;) But I love stepping out of my box and challenging myself to use new supplies.

I love how this layout turned out! From the cover of the stack, you don't really see some of the awesome color that is on some of the prints. Love it! 

{click on page to enlarge}

I cut out the "Bowling" letters from a sheet of paper that looked like this....

Journaled on some tickets that I cut from a page like this....

And added a few more finishing touches. I love how great these papers look with my bowling pictures from Friday night. That's what I love about STACKS....there are so many prints and themes in a particular stack, you can create endless layout with endless themes with one stack! LOVE ;)

I hope you like that page! I loved making it :) Back on Thursday!!

It's Monday!!

Hi everyone! Back from a great weekend :) I hope yours was fabulous as well!

I want to THANK YOU for all of your sweet, sweet comments from Friday's post. I have read them all and I am grateful for each of you who took the time to communicate your feelings!! The best part about blogging is reading your comments :) You are all so sweet to me!

Today I am busy scrapping with the Tattered Time Stack! Woot, Woot! I will totally show you my layout that I am working on tomorrow. We went bowling Friday night and have the cutest pictures that I am using! Hopefully you are all finding these new stacks at your local Jo-Anns stores!! Lots of people have already picked them up and are loving them :)

Want to also remind all of the Utah/Idaho locals that our big warehouse sale starts this Thursday! 

DCWV is having a warehouse sale with 50-90% off our scrapbook and home décor products!

With Easter and Mother's Day right around the corner, you're sure to find the perfect gift.

 

Corner of East Bay Blvd and 350 East

Building #1422

Provo, Utah

Thursday, April 14th- 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Friday,     April 15th - 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Saturday, April 16th-   9:00  AM - 1:00 PM

Spread the word to your friends and family by fowarding this email, sharing on Facebook, etc.

See you back on here tomorrow!!

A note on kindness....

I am a lucky girl.

I am surrounded by people who may not be blood related to me, but are definitely my family. 

My "home team" is what I call them. 

You know, the people who have your back no matter what. The people who can walk into your house at anytime of day and walk straight to that cabinet with the cups and grab themselves a glass of water. The people who you instantly think to call as soon as you hear some fabulous or tragic news. The people that you "need" who don't cause drama or unnecessary fluff in your life. I have a group of those people here in my town. My people. I don't need a LOT of people in my life, but I need THESE people.

Yesterday, I needed to thank a few of these people. If you have followed this blog for a while, you are probably familiar that my best friend has been battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer for the last 18 months. If you know anything about this kind of cancer, you can probably pretty much guess how this time has been. Rough. Very rough. But we have managed. My home team has been my support. My backbone.

Yesterday, my friend was in the hospital for tests, tests and more tests. Yucky, not very fun tests. We spent the morning deep cleaning her house and getting beautiful tulips on the table...so when she got home she would have something to smile about. The morning was great. Taking the time to do what needed to be done. Sure, I knew I had work and emails to attend to but I knew that work would be there that evening and night. It would still be there. I needed to do this. 

I got home tired and ready to sit down in my office. To my surprise, my friends who I had just been cleaning with, were at my door ready to clean my house. MY house. They wouldn't take no for an answer. They knew I was stressed, stretched thin and tired. So I let them. I let my home team clean and clean. And I can't stop thinking about their kindness. 

Out of all of the characteristics that I could have, I just want to be KIND. I want to raise KIND little boys. Kindness goes so far in life. 

I wanted to do something for my girls so I made a treat and a cute topper using the Lemon Flower Stack. 

                             

And my little tip....before you attach the bag topper, add your little note of thanks right on it. It will be a nice little surprise as they open up their gift :)

and because I know you want to know what these white little pieces of yumminess are...I swear they are the best thing you could ever eat on a spring day :)

Lemon Buddies

1 box Rice Chex

1 bag white chocolate chips

6 T. butter

Juice & zest of 1 lemon

approx 3 cups powdered sugar

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, butter, lemon juice and lemon rind. Microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Microwave 30 more seconds. Remove and stir until smooth. Pour box of cereal into a large bow.. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and stir until evenly coated. Add powdered sugar and continue stiring until every piece is white. 

One of the best things about this hobby that I {love}....how easy it is to make a card, a gift...something with your hands. Not costing much money. But it comes straight from your heart. Because it took time and energy and love to {create}. 

Thanks for letting me share. I don't do this very often but it feels good and it feels right to share this with you, my FRIENDS!! My blogging friends. 

Have a fabulous weekend :)

Video Tutorial: Spring Bunnies & Chickies

There is something about Spring that makes me {smile}.

Not sure if it's the bright colored decorations or the pink bunny Peeps that make it into my shopping cart...or finally getting the lawn chair out and sitting with neighbors out in the sun watching them play.

I don't know what it is...but I love it!!

I loved making these cute little bunnies and chicks out of an old egg carton!! They are so easy and the DCWV Glitter paper and the Lemon Flower Stack are the perfect papers to use :)

HERE is a video showing you exactly how to make them!

And here is what happens when you let little boys make their own! My boys LOVE doing paper crafts....hummmm wonder where they get that from ;)

{Precious} Love the paint on the fingers...and his bunny has a mustache ;)

Oh so proud. This is why I love to {create} with my hands!!

Back on Friday!! Have  a fabulous day!!