SCRAPBOOKNUT2002

Valentine’s Day Decor

2012-01-05T11:33:00.001-08:00

So Valentine’s Day is coming up soon and I wanted to make some fun décor. I made this with my Cricut and several cartridges. I used the new and fabulous Victorian Romance, Fancy Frames, Martha Stewart Everyday Cakes, and CTMH Art Philosophy cartridges. I cut all the base pieces of the frame with a light weight chipboard. I covered the frame part with a piece of K&Co. patterned paper. I used the same (double sided) paper to make the flowers from the CTMH AP cartridge and added a pearl in the middle. I also added some gold smooch ink to the edges of the flowers. I wrapped the frame with some gold twine and inked the edges with red rose Cat’s eye ink.

I wrapped the frame holder with gold twine. I sponged it with ink and sprayed it with glimmer mist. I designed the frame holder on my Gypsy and decided to leave out all the tiny pieces on this design to make it easier to cut. I added some ribbon and another flower to the front. The “Be Mine” is from the Martha Stewart cart. I added gems to all the corners.

The adorable little clown is from the new Victorian Romance cart. I cut it at 2 inches and it cut great! I added craft plastic to the frame to make it more real. I also added a back layer and put pop dots between the front and back layer for dimension. Thanks for looking!

Thank You Flower Tri-Fold

2012-01-03T11:14:00.001-08:00

People were so very generous to us this Christmas. I wanted to make some thank you notes to send out for the gifts our family received. I made six notes like this one.

Card formula:

Base-A six pack of cards/envelopes from Michaels. They are a beautiful tri-fold card with an eyelet flower cut into them.

Patterned Paper-DCWV and K and Co.

Cardstock-Core’dinations

Flower-homemade from an EK Success punch and a medium scallop punch. I added a brad to the middle. Then I added a glitter shape to the top.

"Thank You”-cut using my Cricut and Cindy Loo cartridge.

Thanks for looking!

My Perfect Imperfection

2011-12-02T13:02:00.001-08:00

Warning! This is not a “crafting” post. Just some personal observations about life.

I have been reading some blogs lately about how we women are realizing it is “okay” to be imperfect. I came across this post On Upstairs Friends which I got through a crafting blog I read regularly (Just What I {Squeeze} In). It was so great to read! This particular article was about letting friends see that we are not necessarily the perfect housekeepers. It reminded me so much of my own life. The home we live in is not perfect, but I am very grateful to have a roof over my head. I keep it as clean as I can. I am often limited by my health (one way or another). I am trying to raise my family, work 2 part time jobs, fulfill Church callings, etc . Thankfully I am able to work both my jobs from home and they are both great jobs! And I know that my life is like so many other woman. We all work so hard! And some days I try to get everything stuffed in the closets, under the beds, behind the couches, and every other hiding place I can find just to make it look okay for friends.

So yesterday one of my good friends is over. And let’s just say my youngest son doesn’t like to flush the toilet or watch where he is aiming when he pee’s. And all my kids think that the mirror is a place to do toothpaste art. I didn’t have time to check out the bathroom before she came over. wa wa wa…..So, she goes in the bathroom and I am thinking, oh crap. But I just told myself that it was ok. She is not going to dis-own me because of a non-flushed toilet or a mirror full of toothpaste. She is not going to care if I am not a perfect housekeeper. So, when she came out of the bathroom I just said “sorry if there was any pee in the toilet”. She just smiled and we just went on talking about crafty stuff. She is a great friend. It reminded me that a friend will always love you for the person you are and doesn’t care about silly things like how perfect a housekeeper you are

Pop Up Ornament

2011-11-29T13:43:00.001-08:00

Hi All! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is looking forward to Christmas! I know I am! This adorable pop-up ornament is a die-line made by my good friend Cathy Martin over at Snip Tuck Design. She is a fabulous up and coming electronic die cut designer. Currently she sells through her own blog and Etsy. You can buy this and some other fabulous die cuts there.

The pop-up ornament is cut using my Pazzles Inspiration. I cut it out of a medium weight chipboard and then I cut it again on a piece of patterned paper. I cut the patterned paper so that each part of the ornament would cut as a separate piece to make it easier for decorating.

The “Merry Christmas” is from the Cricut cartridge Wild Card. I put it through my Xyron 250 upside down. Then I generously sprinkled it with Martha Stewart fine glitter. Then back through the Xyron an the back side of the die cut to stick it to the ornament.

I added misc. embellishments: snowflake buttons, ribbon, tulle, bells, glitter pen, Cat’s Eye blue chalk ink to spice it up.

Thanks for looking…and don’t forget to check out Cathy at Snip Tuck Design.

Fall Tree and Flowers

2011-09-12T13:28:00.001-07:00

Hi All! This is a card I made for fall. The card base was made on my Pazzles inspiration. So were the flowers and the leaves. The flowers were a free file from http://www.pazzles.net/wordpress/2011/09/02/twirled-flowers. For the card base I just created an oval, copied it and welded it to another.
     All the paper is from DCWV. They always have these really great sheets of paper in their stacks that you can cut apart to make tags or cards or things like that. Well, the trees came from one of those sheets of paper from this years Autumn Stack. The buttons are from my stash. The twine is from Reallyreasonableribbonclub.com.  To get the effect I did with this card, first I punched holes with my 1/8th inch hand punch, then I sewed up one side of the card and then back through those same holes on the opposite side of the card. Thanks for looking!

Giggle and Warm Wishes

2011-08-22T17:47:00.001-07:00

Hi Y’all! Here are a couple more cards. And here is the recipe(s):

Basic white card base
Printed paper-Daisy D’s
Nestabilities Shape for 3 middle shapes
Cricut Flower Shoppe for flower and leaves
Queen and Co. for Pearls
Fiskars for rubber stamped images
border done by folding paper in various places and then stapling and gluing down.
Misc.-pop dots, glitter pen

FRIEND

2011-08-22T17:34:00.001-07:00

Hi all! Here is another card I have been working on. It was pretty easy to make. Here is the recipe:

Paper-Printed: Michaels recollection Cardstock, DCWV

Paper-Cardstock: Core’dinations

Brads (flower centers): made with the Itop brad maker and the paper listed

“friend”: chipboard

Flowers: nestabilities circle scallop shape

Leaves: Cricut Flower Shoppe and Free hand

Misc.: Ribbon, Pearl Glimmer Mist, Glitter mist

Thanks for looking!!!!

Celebrating 17 Years!

2011-08-18T22:24:00.001-07:00

So this is me and my dear hubby. Last year we celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary. We are also high school sweethearts so we have been together for 22 years together all together! He is a really wonderful man and I feel blessed to have him! I made this layout to hang on our wall as a momento of our anniversary last year. It is a 12 x 12 layout that is mounted in a shadow box.

I used my Cricut Imagine to make the layout. The background paper is printed on the Imagine. So is every other printed paper on this layout. All the flowers were printed and cut on the Imagine as well. The title papers were cut with using one of the basic shapes that comes installed on the Imagine.

I cut the flowers using the Flower Shoppe cartridge and the Mothers Day Bouquet cartridge at varying sizes. The photos are mounted on black cardstock and then the newspaper print paper. The side borders are a Fiskars punch. The rhinestones are by Recollections. I made a small bunched up border at the bottom and stapled it on. I used my glitter pen and white pen here and there. The letter stickers are by Jolee’s Boutique. TFL!

Basketball Thanks Card and Sliceform-Pazzles

2011-07-15T20:58:00.001-07:00

My oldest son has been a fan of basketball his whole life. He has played at the YMCA since he was 8. He lives and breathes basketball. The Y is a wonderful league. It is filled with amazing men and woman who volunteer their time and talents. But, it is not a highly competitive league. They focus on team work and building self esteem. Which is totally amazing. My son tried to play in a travel league for one season, but the games were on Sundays, and that is our Sabbath day. He played the season, including the Sundays. But he ended up not liking breaking the Sabbath day. Me and his dad didn’t like that part of it either. But, it was a good lesson learned. He has since excelled at the Y. He is now trying out at the High School he will be attending. And let me tell you that is a whole new ball game (no pun intended…lol). So, on to the reason behind the card. My son has always been blessed with great coaches. But, there is this one wonderful young man. (I call anyone younger than me by 5 or more years “young”). I will call him Coach D. Coach D asked my son to be on his travel team. We thought, great, another chance at a travel team. My son practiced with the team in preparation for the season until we found out that all travel teams in our area play their games on Sundays…..wawawa….oh well. But, Coach D, being the kind young man he is, asked my son to still practice with them so he could continue to improve. And he did for a while. And now that he is trying out for High School ball, Coach D is taking the time to coach my son 1 on 1 and giving him a chance at really growing. And let me just tell you that Coach D has “mad skills”! I just feel really grateful!

Forgot to add...this was cut on my new Pazzles machine. My husband and kids got it for me for my birthday this month. All files were from Pazzles.net, except the sliceform. I purchsed that from Paperthreads.com.

Mosaic Tile Cards-GBS

2011-06-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I got my inspiration for these cards from the July/August issue of Paper Crafts magazine. They give you a card layout design and some samples and then you use them as inspiration. And this is what I came up with. They are super easy to make. The only Cricut on it is from George and Basic Shapes. It is the square shape. They are cut at 1 1/4”. I used 12 squares per card. The paper is from the K and Company stack Watercolor Bouquet. The prints are a double sided paper. The sentiments are rubber stamped. The lace is from my stash. The flower is from a ribbon. I just cut them apart individually. TFL.

THX-Elegant Edges

2011-06-08T14:54:00.001-07:00

I got the inspiration for this card from the current issue of the CARDS magazine. The card size is 5.5” square. All the paper is from DCWV Glam Gal Stack. I had some chipboard letters that I wanted to use, so I glued them down to the paper I liked and then used my Exacto knife to cut around the letters. Then I put them on pop dots. I made the rosette by using a 1.5” x 12” piece of cardstock and scored every 1/2”. I used ribbon that I had on hand for the leaves. The button in the middle is an antique button from a stash a friend gave me. The doily is from a pack I got at Michaels. All the borders on the front, back and in the middle are from the Cricut cartridge Elegant Edges.

I am sure I left something out. But, I got a tooth pulled yesterday! Oh my word, did that hurt. Not during, but afterward. And it still hurts something fierce! I have tried to save this molar for 5 years with root canals, crowns, etc. But, it just didn’t work. And now I have a big old hole in my mouth. It’s a bummer getting older….lol!

Anything Card

2011-06-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! today’s card is just a quicky. It is a card that could be used for just about any occasion. I like having a few of these on hand in my card stash for emergencies. Then I can just rubber stamp or print a quick sentiment to go on the inside.

The card is close to an A4 size. It is just a bit bigger. The scallop shapes are nestabilities. They are the largest 2 scallops in the regular scallop shapes. The butterfly is a K&Co. Sticker. The base is embossed with my cuttlebug and a quickutz folder. The ribbon is Making Memories. I just rippled it back and forth and used my hot glue gun to glue it down. the brad is a find at the Target Dollar Spot. Thanks for looking!

Teacher Appreciation Lollipop Topiary

2011-06-04T17:41:00.001-07:00

My 6 year old sons 1st grade teacher is the absolute best! I feel so blessed to have been the Room Parent for his class this year. It was my first year doing this particular job and it was so great! For teacher appreciation week this year the school suggests the children do something sweet for their teacher everyday. Each day has a theme. Everything is very inexpensive and easy to do. I decided to take this idea and run with it a little bit. I cannot post all the things I did because the projects include pictures of children in the class.

This project was so fun. I made a topiary tree. I used my Cricut, Gypsy and good old George cartridge to make the flowers that go around the lollipops. I painted a huge Styrofoam ball different shades of green to make it look like the base of a bush. I added 2 wood dowels to the ball and into the base. The base is filled with moldable flower foam and tons of hot glue. That all went into a traditional flower pot. My favorite part of this project is that I got each of the kids to write a small note to the teacher and I attached it to the lollipop. So when the teacher chooses a lollipop to eat, she gets to read a nice note from one of her students. TFL!

Happy Mother's Day Butterfly-Damask Decor

2011-05-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

This is the card I made my mom for Mother's Day. The card base and butterfly are from the Cricut cartridge Damask Decor. The flowers on the front are from Mother's Day Bouquet. The finished size is 8.5" x 5.25". The patterned paper is from the DCWV Madamoseille stack. The cardstock is Core'dinations. On the back I used a Martha Stewart punch for the border. The flowers are handmade from spring mulberry paper rolls. The glam in the middle is from Michaels.
TFL.

Friend-Imagine More Cards

2011-04-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I got my Imagine replaced in record time! Thank you Provo Craft! And I got to work making this friend card. The Imagine More Cards cartridge has easily become my favorite Imagine cartridge. The base of this card is made with Elegant Edges. I used my Gypsy to weld 2 of the book covers together. I just placed 2 of the same shape on the mat, flipped one, overlapped them just a bit, grouped and then welded. And viola, a card base with a beautiful edge. I am really liking Elegant Edges too! This is a long awaited cartridge by many Cricut lovers.

The front of the card is all done with Imagine More Cards, cut at 4 inches. I cut pink cardstock just slightly bigger to go behind the image and for the inside of the card. I inked all the edges with a matching color to add depth and texture. I also used my Marvy glitter pen for some glitz. I sprayed the base of the card with Hot Chocolate Chalkboard Glimmer Mist. It is hard to see in the photo, but it adds some goodness in person. The word "Friend" is on pop dots.

I used pom pom trim and rolled it up in a circle to make an embellie and put a cute little button on top of that. I also added a bit of ribbon. The finished size is 5"x5" (the butterfly sticks out past this). Thanks for stopping by to take a peek!

Thank You Roses-Imagine More Cards

2011-04-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

This is the last card I squeezed out of my Imagine before it finally qiut on me. After the update it kept having issues with printing. It kept having problems recognizing the print cartridges. Then it wouldn't cut. I did everything I could to fix it. I even put in new print cartriges, but to no avail. It got to the point that no matter how many times I reset, or took the ink carts in and out, etc. it just wouldn't work. But, even with all that, I still love my Imagine! Provo Craft customer service was wonderful and they are replacing my machine. So, they stand by their product and that is good enough for me. With new technology comes new issues and that requires a little patience on the consumers part. I know it is hard to be patient. And it is absolutely my worst virtue. But, I am learning :)

Anywho, onto the card...........I just love, love, love the Imagine More Cards cartridge. It has wonderful card fronts and patterned papers. This whole outside of this card was made with this cart except the "thank you". That was made with a rubber stamp and punched with a circle punch. I lined the inside of the card with a matching pink cardstock. I also used some Tim Holtz Distress ink all around again. I am beginning to really like that stuff! The card topper is popped into 3 layer for some real dimension. I used a Making Memories razor distressing tool to antique the edges. And I finished it off with some jute around the bottom. The patterned paper is from this cart on full page print. Thanks for looking! If you have any questions, please feel free to email at scrapbooknut2002@yahoo.com.

Just A Little Hello-Cricut Imagine Card

2011-03-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

Front of Card

Alternate View Back of Card

I created this card for the Weekly Cricut Circle Blog Challenge. This weeks challenge is to create a layout with an "everyday" topic or a "just because" themed card. I chose the card and this is what I came up with. Everthing is cut on my Cricut Imagine. The pink paper is from Colorbok Flea Market. The "torn notebook" edge is a Fiskars punch. The ribbon is from the $1 bins at Target. All the die cuts on the front are from the Imagine More Cards cartridge. The card fronts from this cartridge go together so easy! It is hard to see in the photos, but I used my Sukura glitter pen all around the front to add just a bit of shimmer. I also distressed with Tim Holtz inks around the edges. The birdie and the 2 layers behind it are on pop dots. TFL! Hope you have a great week!

Art Journaling

2011-03-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

These pink/green/brown pages are my first set of pages. I had a blast making them. They really made me "feel". I have come to find that with every drop of paint, marker, paper, embellishment, word, etc. I really feel like I am "feeling" something in this journal. The journey so far has been amazing!

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Believe it or not there is no green on these pages! Well, there technically is, but it was by accident. I put blue and yellow on the pages. And as I learned in Kindergarten, that makes green! Oh, and I learned from Journal Artista (aka Paula) that a Hotel Key/old credit card makes a great paint tool!

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This next set of pages came about because of my recent frustration with both myself and my family. I adore my family. They are the best! But, I cannot get them to clean up after themselves for anything. I have tried begging, pleading, bribeing, giving consequences. And nothing works. I am also tired of myself. I feel sometimes like I am just a big hormone. I guess that is because I have 3 boys, a husband and most of the animals in my house are boys! I know I am a drama queen.

I want to send a huge thanks out to Paula at http://www.journalartistaart.com/. She has inspired me greatly! I would never have had the courage to try something like this if it wasn't for her. So, thank you Paula!

2011-03-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post. Here is a quick card.

Driving By With A Birthday "Hi"!

2011-02-25T13:37:00.001-08:00

Over at promarkerchallenge.blogspot.com (passion for promarkers) the challenge this week is "one for the boys". This is what I came up with. Here is the recipe:

Driving by with a birthday "Hi"!

Card base: 5.5 x 4.25

Cardstock: Core'dinations

Printed Paper: Complete Boy (MME)

Stamped Images: Stampin Up!

Baker's Twine & Jute: Reasonable Ribbon

Scallop Shape: Spellbinders Nestability

Misc: White Pen, Black Pen,

Cat's Eye Chestnut Roan

Shape Truck is on: Cut in SCAL

Promarker Colors Used: Black, Slate,

Ice Grey 1, Ice Grey 3, Indigo Blue, Pastel Blue,

Turquoise, and Mandarin

THANKS FOR LOOKING!

Anything Card

2011-02-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys and Gals! This month at my house has been one big sick place! First my oldest son got sick, then my husband, then me and then my youngest. The only one who didn't get it (knock on wood) was my middle son. I got it the worst. I got bronchitis, a sinus infection and the flu all at once! That just stunk! It took two weeks to recover (and my house work still hasn't recovered...lol), but I am me again...yeah! So here is a little card I made for any occassion. No Cricut this time, how did I manage?! TFL!

Anything Card Recipe

Flower: fan fold flower

Score a 12" x 1" strip of paper every 1/4".

Fold scores back and forth. Glue at ends.

Push down in the middle.

Glue something in the middle.

Cuttlebug Folder: Houndstooth

Circle behind flower: Sizzix die

Ribbon & Fabric: from my stash

Epoxy Button: Making Memories
Red Cardstock: Core'dinations
Black and White Cardstock: DCWV Black Currant
Corner Rounder: Corner Chomper

Have A Great Day!

Some Dino Fun-Boys Will Be Boys

2011-02-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

I got Boys Will Be Boys a while ago and haven't used it til now. I just love it. I say that about all my Cricut cartridges, don't I...lol! I do have 3 boys, so I just knew it would be a great cart. I wanted to add some boy cards to my stash and I thought this would be the perfect cart to do it with. Here is the recipe and thanks for looking!

Have A Dino-Mite Birthday! &

You Are DinoMite!

Cricut Cart: Boys Will Be Boys

Printed Paper: K&Co.

Cardstock: Core'dinations, Bazzill &

The Paper Co.
Ink: Cat's Eye Chalk Ink Chestnut Roan

Printed Sayings: From Computer

Font: Fatty Arbuckle

Fabric Strip: From my stash

Altered Frame-Mother's Day Boquet

2011-02-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

I made this altered frame for my mama for Mother's Day. I know it is a bit early but it just came to me and I had to do it now! Her favorite color is blue. When I give it to her it will have a picture of my 3 boys in it. Here is the recipe:

Mother's Day Frame

Cricut Cartridge: Mother Day Boquet for flowers

I also used some homemade glimmer spray and

dry embossed some of the flowers.

Frame: Michaels

Brads: MAMBI

Ribbon: from my stash

Stick Pins: Making Memories

Patterned Paper: K&Co.

Cardstock: Core'dinations

Thanks for looking!!!!

Butterfly Dream- Ashlyn's Alphabet, Graphically Speaking, Lacey Labels

2011-01-28T12:43:00.000-08:00

Butterfly dream....this one just kinda formed itself. I just love things with wings, especially butterflies. So I started my hunt in my gypsy for butterflies and went from there. Everything is sized and created on my Gypsy and then cut on my Expression or Imagine.

Here is the recipe:

Dream Butterfly

Card: standard 4.25 x 5.5

Butterfly: Cricut-Ashlyn's Alphabet

Butterfly Background: Cricut-Lacey Labels

"Dream": Cricut-Graphically Speaking

Cardstock:Core'dinations-blue and red

The Paper Co.-kraft

Patterned Paper: K& Co.

Ribbon: from my stash

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You Berry Much - Home Accents

2011-01-15T17:45:00.000-08:00

Hi All, here are a couple of thank you cards I made. Here are the details:

Thank You Berry Much

Card Size: 4.5" x 7"

Cricut Cartridge: Home Accents;

for the rounded rectangle with the rounded square cut out of the corner of it

Patterned Paper: K & Co.

Pink Cardstock: Core'dinations

White Cardstock (for base): Georgia Pacific

Fruit and Heart Embellies: K & Co.

Brads: Making Memories

Sentiment: Computer generated; font: Two Peas In A Bucket

Ribbon: Double sided American Crafts

Thanks for looking! Happy Saturday!

Me and My Honey Bunny

2011-01-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

Hi All. I designed this as an entry for the January challenge over at www.Olivejuicestudio.com. This is Robbie and I on our 17th Wedding Anniversary this past December 4th. We have been together a total of 21 years! We are high school sweethearts. I feel very blessed to have married such a wonderful man!

Here are the details for the project:
Square Size: 7.5" x 7.5"
Paper: K & Co.-Valentine Sweetheart
"Love": Cricut Home Accents Cartridge
Flower: Made by hand from K & Co. paper
Gems: M's $1 bin
Tulle: Joann's
Misc.: Paint around edges, red wire, cupid eyelets

The most wonderful thing happened today...

2011-01-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

So my 13 year old son had his best friend over for the last couple of days. Today I am sitting at my scrapbook table (which is in our living room). He and his bestie are watching tv. I am working on a card. He says to me "who are you working on that card for?". I say "I am working on it for xxx." He say's its his besties mom's birthday today. (I know besties mom very well. She is a friend of mine and I love her. But, somehow I didn't know it was her birthday.) Anywho, my son says that his bestie would like one of my cards for his mom's birthday! That made me feel so good! And if that wasn't already the best, as bestie, my son and I are looking through my stash, my son says "yeah, my mom is really good." My heart melted! What a great son I have! I made sure to tell him how great he is and how great he made me feel!

Letrastat Promarker Giveaway

2011-01-04T17:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!
Letraset, the maker of Promarkers, is having a great giveaway...10 assorted Promarker 5 sets!!!!! That is 50 markers! You can go check it out at
http://www.letrasetuk.blogspot.com/ and they also have a new website at www.letraset.com.

I have recently purchased a few of these markers and they are fantasic! Go check it out!

My Pink Stamper Design Team Entry

2011-01-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

Over at http://www.mypinkstamper.com/ Robyn is having a design team call. To enter you have to make a card, scrapbook page or other Cricut project with our own favorite cartridge using Robyn's favorite colors. The colors we have to use are pink, green, brown and one more of our own choosing. Well, this was not too hard for me to do, 'cause pink and brown are my two fave colors! The additional color I used was purple. We also have to post the recipe to our project. So here goes the recipe:

"Beautiful" Card

Owl - Paisley Cartridge - 3.5"

Scallop - Mini Monograms - 5.12"

"beautiful" - Paisley - 1"

Gems - Micheal's $1 bin

Ribbon - from my stash

Paper - brown - Core'dinations

Paper - Patterned - DCWV, misc. Spring Stacks

Flower Brads - Making Memories

Ink - Cat's Eye

Googley Eyes - from my stash

Everything is created on my Gypsy and cut from there. It saves so much paper and makes it so much easier. Thanks for looking!

You are fabulous Card - Cricut Paisley and Street Sign

2011-01-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Here is "for the fun of it" card I made today. The base of the card is a standard 5.5" x 4.25" card. I just cut it so it would open to the side instead of to the top. The "You are" is cut at 1" using Street Signs. The "fabulous" is cut using "Paisley" at 1" The mushroom is cut at 3.50" also using Paisley. This cut has a few layers, but comes out darling. The patterned paper is from a DCWV Spring stack that is a few years old. The cardstock is Core'dinations. I added a bit of bling. I just love how the colors came out on this one! TFL!

Happy New Year!!!!

2011-01-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2011!!!! I am excited to start a New Year! I must admit though, I am no party animal. Me and my 2 younger sons camped out in my room at 9:30pm. We had one of our locally famous Scooby Doo cartoon marathons. I think I made it till about 10:30. I know they both beat me because they jumped on the bed to wake me up when the Scooby Doo dvd was over...lol. My dh (darling husband) and oldest son say they stayed awake for the New Year. But, we did all have a "toast" together before we parted ways for the evening. We had sparkle cider. That stuff is tart! It was such a nice evening together!
Anywhooooo, with the start of the new year, I have a new blog background. Let's see how long this one lasts....
Have a wonderful start to your new year. I hope to be posting lots this year!

Candle Birthday Card - Sentimentals

2010-12-30T17:12:00.001-08:00

I got a new card making magazine today and was inspired to make some cards. Here is the first. The base card is cut from the Sentimentals cartridge using the Cricut and my Gypsy for sizing. The candles are made by cutting paper to the size you like and then rolling and glueing at one end. I used some mini ric rac for the wic's. For the candle flames I used a leaf cut from the Walk In My Garden cart on the blackout feature. Then I added bling on the flames. I tied the candles together with some ribbon. I lined the inside with some matching paper and a "happy birthday" stamp. TFL!

Simple Peony Card-Picturesque and Smiley Face

2010-12-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

This is a way simple and easy card to make. I created it with my Gypsy, Cricut Picturesque cart, George and Basic Shapes cart and digital Smiley Face cart. The card is cut at 4.75 inches. It is from the Smiley Face cart. I cut the card from a beautiful pearlescent paper from a K & Co. stack. It is double sided. I thought it may be hard to write a message on, so I cut the card a second time on a less "slick" paper. I cut it on my Gypsy and when I did this time I used the "hide contour feature" to hide the circle. Then I used the George cart to cut a bigger circle. The reason for this is so that this paper can't be seen from the front. I only used the bottom half of the card inside because I really liked the double sided paper that was already there for the top.

The peony is from Picturesque and is cut using the framework feature. This is one of the very reasons I wanted this cart. It is amazing! The truth is, I always thought this cut was a rose, until I read the booklet, then I found out it is truly a peony...lol. Anywho, it is cut at 2.75 inches. Then I used the basic cut for the background and glued the framework and basic cut together. I put it on pop dots and put it in the center of the card. I added some ribbon around the bottom and viola...it is done! TFL!

Flower Hedgehog - Cricut Wildcard and Promarkers

2010-12-10T16:03:00.001-08:00

Promarkers are all the rage right now. They are a professional marker that blend so beautifully. I really wanted some. So, for our 17th wedding anniversary, my great dh got me a bunch! I am so blessed!

I was definately very inspired by the www.promarkerchallenge.blogspot.com blog. I decided to make a card to start testing out my new markers. But, of course, I will never abandon my "bug" (aka Cricut) so I used them on this card too. The hedgehog and flowers are a woodblock rubber stamp. I colored it in with my Promarkers on my paper and then used a circle cutter to cut it out. I cut out the doily card from the Cricut Wildcard cart at 5.75" on pink cardstock. Then I cut out 2 other other circles from the George cart for layering. I used chalk in around several of the edges. I also used my white pen around the edge of the card. I added Prima flowers to the right, bottom corner. TFL!

Over The Hill-Wrap It Up

2010-11-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I did. It was just my little family, my mom and my little bro. My husband cooked a delicious turkey and all the fixins'. And one of the best parts about having a teenage son is that he got to do the dishes!!! Yeah for me!

Anywho, here is the next set of cuts in the Wrap It Up cartridge handbook. It is on page 22. This cartridge is so versatile. This set of cuts is titled "Over the Hill". The first cut is the basic cut. It is cut at 5 inches, as are all its layers. I added some gems in the leaves.

The second thing pictured is the "Over the Hill" phrase cut. It is also cut at 5 inches. I cut the base in red and then the shift key in blue. Then I actually cut the tree top from the basic cut (in purple) to add to the top of this tree. It is not one of the layers for the phrase, but it fit pretty good. It is slightly big, but not noticeable from the front. Gems again here on the tree.

Third is the tag. It is cut at 4 inches. I cut the tag in blue. Then I cut the blackout for the tag in purple. I wanted a shadow for this tag, so I made my own. I used my Gypsy. First I "hid" all the holes on the tags so they wouldn't show when they were cut. Then I copied the blackout cut of the tag. Then I increased the size of the copied shape. I assembled the tag and then I used my Crop-A-Dile to punch a hole through the middle of all 3 tags. I think the shadow looks like it belongs. I added some ink to the blue layer. I also added a red and a green gem to the leaf.

The next cut is the box. The max size for this on your Gypsy is 11.5 inches. I cut this in red. I assembled it and then stapled the sides of the boxes before I glued the tree sides up. I also added a purple square panel to the 2 sides that have trees. Those squares are not a part of the box cut. Again there are some gems on the leaves.

And last, but not least, the card. It is a card that is folded at the top. It is cut at 5 inches. It is not the most perfect card I have ever made, but I still like it. The scallop is from Mini Monograms. The tree/hill are relative to the size of the card. I covered the tree with Martha Stewart fine glitter. The red gems went on the side of the card this time. The tree is on pop dots.

I used the Marvy Uchida Glitter pen and American Crafts White pen for dots and glitz everywhere. TFL!

I used

Cupcake-Wrap It Up

2010-11-17T19:19:00.001-08:00

I got the Cricut Wrap It cartridge and it ROCKS!!!! I decided I am gonna' try and do each cut on every page as a set and post it on my blog. I will try and feature one page per week. I know that seems like a long time to go through a book, but with the Holidays coming up, and a family to take care of, I have my hands full!

So I am beginning at the beginning. Page 21 features the cupcake. Each page has basic cut, a layer for that cut, a phrase and shadow for that phrase, a box and an accent for that box (as the shift key), a tag (no shadow function) and a tag blackout (no shadow function).

I started with the box. It cuts at a max of 9.5 inches with your Gypsy or your Expression on fit to page. All the patterened paper for all the cuts is from K&Co. I added some acetate to the sides where the cupakes are so that it could hold some kind of treat. Otherwise, it will be kind hard to open and not hold much. I also cut some flowers from the paper and added pop dots to give some dimension to the top. Although it is hard to see, I used metallic paper for the cupcake accents from Core'dinations.

Next I did the cupcake. It is cut at 5 inches. The "asterisk" looking shapes on the cupcake wrapper are done with metallic paper and then I added little gems to each point. There is another layer that can be added to this cupcake, but I like it the way it is.

The card is next. It is super easy to put together. I cut it at 7.5 inches. I ran the wrapper part of the cupcake through my Fiskars crimper to make it look more real. I also added some ribbon to the side. All the paper on this is K&Co. or Core'dinations.

The tag is cut at 2 inches. I used the same ribbon as I did on the cupcake card. I used Core'dinations metallic paper for the base and the K&Co. paper for the top. I used one of the little side cupcakes from this cut and glued it in the middle and then popped another one on top of it.

Last, but not least, is the phrase. I really like how it looks, but you have to cut it at a good size or it rips. Also, the base is a blackout, not a shadow. So, if you don't line it up just right (like I didn't...lol), it looks a little funny. Oh well, it is still a way cute cut!

This was a great group of cuts to start with! TFL!

Golden Reindeer Christmas Card

2010-11-10T11:49:00.001-08:00

Wow! I can't believe this is my 70th post! Life sure moves along fast. Anywho, the card base is a 5.5 inch square. I used a layer of tan cardstock and then a layer of patterned paper to top the card. I added some beautiful glittery ribbon around the edge of those 2 pieces of paper. On the bottom edge of the tan paper I used a Martha Stewart punch. I also use the same color paper on the inside and repeated the punching.

The reindeer is from Joys of the Season...of course cut on my Cricut...lol. I love my bug:) The frames behind the reindeer are cut from the Lacy Labels Lite cartridge. There are so many great shapes on this cartridge with so many great uses. I used flat backed pearls to accent the reindeer antler and the bottom of the card. It is a simple card, but I like it. TFL!

Cricut Imagine Video - Full Page Printing

2010-10-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

This is a video I made to show the full page printing with the new update for the Cricut Imagine. TFL!

Christmas Tree Window Card

2010-10-11T19:53:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I hope everyone had a happy Monday! This another Christmas card I made. It is actually one of my faves. The pics really don't do it justice. It is really chunky and fun! Anywho, I used my Expression for everything. I decided that when I am cutting anything with glitter that I would rather use my Expression rather than my Imagine. It is just a personal thing. But with the Imagine having ink tanks and everything, I just figured better safe than sorry. And since I have and E I thought, why not be safe.

The solid paper and glittered (green) cardstock are from Core'dinations. The patterned paper is last year's DCWV Christmas stack. It is double sided. So for the tag I used one side for the base and one side for the tag with the window cut. What is sandwiched between the tags is 5 Christmas trees from the Joys of the Season cart all glued together. On top of that I put a piece of acetate to make it feel like a window.

The card itself is from Just Because Cards. As is the scallop border and the green, glittered and embossed cardstock behind the tag. I embossed the green paper with my Cuttlebug and the newer 5x7 Polda Dots embossing folder. The ribbon at the base and top of the card is just stuff I have collected over time. The gems are from the $1 spot at Michaels. I used my glitter pen here and there. This one was definately outside the box for me and I really enjoyed it! TFL!

Christmas Snowflake Card

2010-10-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Here is a Christmas card I made for the challenge over at www.MyPinkstamper.com. The challenge is to make something Winter related. So, I made a Christmas card. I used the When It's Cold Outside, George and Basic Shapes, and Wild Cards cartridges for the Cricut to make this card.

The card size is 5.5. All the circles are made with George. the "snowflake" shape is from WICO (When It's Cold Outside). All the shapes on this cart are made to look like snowflakes, but have shapes with in the snowflake. This one is Santa and his reindeer. The card is from Wild Card. I can't remember which cart I used for the "Merry Christmas". I use my Gypsy for all my cutting on my Expression and I forgot to write that one down:) All the paper is from last year's DCWV Christmas stacks.

The gems are just some from my stash. The fabric in the middle is just that, a strip of fabric. On the inside I used my traditional glitter pen and white dots here and there. TFL!

Counrty Carnival Handbook - Video

2010-10-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

I had a request to post pics of the Country Carnival Handbook. So, I decided to do it in a quick video. It is such a great, great cartridge for the Imagine! Hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

Country Carnival Thank You Card - Cricut Imagine Video

2010-10-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Ladies! Here is my next video. It is using the Cricut Imagine and Counry Carnival cart. Definately a keeper! I show how to make the bonus card and envie on this cart and I also show how to change the border around your cuts. The colors are much more vivid in person. I did the best I could with my video. This one is better than my last. And I will continue to try to improve in the video area. They sure are fun to make! TFL!

Fall Festival

2010-09-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

This is a layout I made for a Fall Festival we go to every year. It is at the school I went to when I was growing up. My mom has volunteered to run the Italian food booth there for the last 29 years. She says she wants to do at least 1 more year to make it an even 30 years. She is the reason we still go. We went last night and had a blast! The kids went on rides, played games. and my favorite part, the baked goods booth. I have some really great memories of the Fall Festival and I really enjoy making new ones with my family.

Anywho, all the die cuts are from the Carousel Lite Cartridge. I am so loving this cart! It is fun and layers so easily! The title is also from this cart. The sticker letters are from Karen Foster. The paper is from a very old stack called The Scrapboook Wizard. TFL.

Owl My Thanks

2010-09-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

This is my latest card. It is made with my Cricut Expression and Cricut Imagine. The cartridges I used were Wild Card and Imagine More. The owl is from the Wild Card cart. I cut it at 5.5 inches. I used the CI with the Imagine More cart to flood fill the owl with a pattern that I am really loving. I also used the Imagine More cart to flood fill the eye layer with a pattern. Then I used my E to cut the owl on blackout to line the inside of the card with blue cardstock.

I printed the sentiment on the computer in Microsoft Word. It says "Owl My Thanks" two times. All my circle punches are dull or broken because they are so old. And I just can't justify buying more right now with all the toys I have. So, I thought I would give the "Center Point" feature on the Expression a try. I used George and Basic Shapes, sized it to the size I wanted, put my printed paper on there and gave it a try. I think it worked out good. It is not perfect, but I am pleased. I know I will get better at it with time. I put an orange button in the middle to embellish.

I also added blue bling to the eyes and ribbon to the center of the card. TFL!

Count Your Blessings Birdies

2010-09-18T20:05:00.001-07:00

I made this card for a friend who just had a baby. On the inside it says. "Count Your Blessings". The birds are cut from Wall Decor and More at 4". The photo corner is from Picturesque and is cut at 1.5". The ovals are custom sized on my Gypsy to fit the birdies. I used George and Basic Shapes for those.

The paper is from the DCWV Latte stack. It has such rich and beautiful colors! The purple in the stack just sang to me. I added some ribbon and a brad and some glitter pen here and there. I don't think I know how to make a project without my glitter pen! TFL!

Thank You Card - Imagine More Cart

2010-09-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

This is my second card made with my Imagine. Super easy, super fun! The card is a standard A2 size. The part that was cut with the Imagine is the 3rd pic from the top. It is on page 21 of the Imagine More cartridge. I did not change any of the colors. I did make my own cardstock oval to put behind the cut and printed piece. I popped the piece I cut on the Imagine. I also popped the rose on that set of cuts.

The solid orange and blue colored papers behind it are cardstock from my stash. The checkered paper is from the My Mind's Eye Complete Boy stack. These cartridges will still blend very well with traditional cardstock and printed papers. For me, it will make my matching and card making so much quicker and easier.

The rubber stamp is from Stampendous stamped with a Tim Holtz distress ink. I also used a sander around all the edges to play up the "shabby chic" look that this cartridge seems to lend itself to. I also added ribbon, staples, some glitter pen here and there, and viola... here is my card!
TFL!

My first Video!!!! Some Imagine Info.!

2010-09-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hi Ya'll!!!! I have made my first video. It was a bit tough. And let me apologize right now because it is shakey and my editing skills are not good yet. But, I still think it has a bit of good info. TFL!

Imagine...Just Because Armadillo

2010-09-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

Oh my....how great is the Cricut Imagine!! The printing is wonderful and the cutting is so smooth. It is the first day, but it is a good first day. Anywho, here is my first project. It is a really simple card. I used the Imagine More cartridge and the basic round scallop that came with the machine. I cut the largest scallop at 5.5 and flood filled it with "pattern" content from the cartridge. The next scallop is 4.5 and is also filled with "pattern" content from the cartridge. The armadillo set of cuts is from page 10 of the manual. I changed the base color of the circle to orange. I cut everything else as it came in the book. I cut it as layers rather than one piece. I popped the "Just Because" and the Armadillo to the bottom circles. I also popped the whole set of armadillo cuts to the card. I added a bit of ribbon. The card is just a simple piece of 12" x 6" cardstock folded in half. I am soooo gonna' love this machine! TFL!

Halloween Mini Book

2010-09-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is a Halloween mini book I made. I made it for a family member that doesn't get to see my boys very often. This is most of the book. Then after Halloween I will put pics of my boys in the book and mail it off. TFL!

The book is overall 6"x6" chipboard. All the cuts I made were from Happy Hauntings. Mini Montsters, October 31st, Lyrical Letters or George and Basic Shapes. I am so glad that Provo Craft finally came out with some Halloween carts this year. Of course I used my Gypsy to size and add dimension to everything. For the cover I used paper from the new DCWV Halloween Stack. The haunted house is from October 31st. The ghosts are from Happy Hauntings. It is really hard to see in the photos, but I used gray and green chalk in on the ghosts to make them look like they glow in the dark. It looks cool in person.

The paper on these 2 pages also comes from the newest DCWV Halloween stack. The spider web is from October 31st. The spider is from Lyrical Letters.

This is the same paper as from the front and back of the book. The tree is from Happy Hauntings and the "beware" is from Happy Hauntings.

The paper on this is from a Cloud 9 seasonal stack. The "drippiness" at the top is from the Martha Stewart Drippy Goo punch. The "Caution" sign is from Happy Hauntings.

The paper on this is also from Cloud 9. The shape punched "into" the corners and edges is also Martha Stewart punch. It is a new one this year. I think it is called Crackle. I think it looks like brains.....muahhhhhhaaaahahha.

The paper on these 2 pages is from a way old DCWV Fall stack. It pays to be a hoarder...I mean...collector sometimes....lol. I really love how these 2 pages came out. The eyes are from October 31st. The letters are stickers from Joanns. The brads are Making Memories.

The paper on this layout is last year's DCWV specialty Fall stack. The ribbon is K & Co. The 3D dancing skeltons are foam.

This little layout is super simple, but fun. The vines are cut from October 31st. The pumpkins and owl are K & Co. stickers. And then I added a few seqiuns 'cause I always gotta' have some bling.

The paper on this spread is from a stack from K & Co. from last year. It is a 2 sided paper, so each side is the reverse of the other. The title is from Mini Monsters. It says "A Little Batty". I love how this cart layers together. It is super easy to use. I also used a Making Memories Brad and some fibers.

The paper on this is from K & Co. also. It is a 2 sided paper. I created the candy corn on my Gypsy from the George and Basic Shapes cart. I also created its shadow. I started with a rounded edge triangle and adjusted the width. It was easy peasy from there. I inked all the layers with orange chalk ink for some depth. The ribbon is K & Co.

This is the candy corn page opened up.

This is the back. I might add some ribbon or fiber once I add all the photos into the book. I learned waaaaay to much about Blogger today!!!! But, at least I can post a bunch of photos at once! Thanks so much for looking.

Happy Birthday Ladybug Card - CC

2010-09-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

My "stash" of cards was starting to get low. So, I am making a few cards to build it up. It seems like things are always popping up that I need a card for. So, here is the first of my "stash" build up.

I saw some great gatefold cards on the Cricut mb and decided to do a few myself. When I do a card I usually do between 2 and 4 cards. It helps have less waste, less leftovers and, of course, more cards!

The paper on this card is from a K&Co stack called Portabello Road. The cardstock is Core' dinations. The punch on the corners on the inside is a Martha Stewart corner punch. It is part of a corner/border pack.

The inside "Happy Birthday" cut is from Once Upon A Princess. I added some glitter pen and pink dots and lines for detail.

The adorable little ladybug is from Create A Critter. She is cut at 3.5 inches (I think). I added some ribbon and a safety pin with some sequins on it for some bling.

Thanks for stopping by and looking!

Thank You Olive Juice Studio & Memory Miser!

2010-09-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

So I entered a monthly challenge at www.Olivejuicestudio.com. And what I entered was my Skeleton card in the post before this one. It was a really fun challenge. And there was an amazing prize involved. The winner would receive a Wall Decor Cricut cartridge!!!! That is one I actually don't have. The winner was chosen by random drawing and was sponsored by www.MemoryMiser.com. The drawing for the contest was yesterday. There were 13 entries. And I thought there was no way I would win. But, when I got home from my Church meeting last night I decided I would check anyway. And guess what..... I WON!!!!!

I was so shocked. I was literally screaming! My husband and children were looking at me like I had lost my mind. But I feel like I won the lottery. Thank you so much Kim at OliveJuiceStudio.com and MemoryMiser.com. I can't wait to get this amazing cart and start playing!

Here A Skeleton, There A Skeleton, Everywhere A Skeleton - October 31st

2010-08-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

This is a card I made for Halloween. The skeletons on the front are rubber stamped images. They are the same stamp in different colors. It is from the dollar spot at Michaels.
The inside cut is from the Cricut October 31st cartridge. I cut it in Core'dinations and then ran it through my Distressted Stripes folder in my Cuttlebug. Then I sanded it so the purple would show through. TFL!

I had an Orange Dream....and this is what I came up with....-MM, SFTN

2010-08-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

This is a card I made today. I call it orange dream because of the colors. My dh days it makes him think of an orange creamsicle. The colors are much more vivid in person.

The card base is made from 2 sets of 2 scallop squares from Mini Monograms welded together on my Gypsy and then welded to each other. Once I cut them out on my Cricut, I just folded the piece in half and viola, you have a card! The cardstock is from Core'Dinations. It is new at my Joann's. It is a solid core line and I love it! It takes embossing great. I embossed it with the Sizzix flower vines embossing folder.

I added i-Rock gems to parts of the embossed paper. I added 2 layers of Ribbon to the side of the card. I also added Prima flowers to the front. They are sprayed with homemade Glitter Mist and a diamond brad in the middle.

On the bottom corner there is a butterfly from Straight From the Nest. It is in blue because my 13 year son said "Mom, that card needs some blue. It just won't be complete until you add blue to it." He wouldn't let me be until I added blue. So, for him there is blue! TFL!

Let's Montster Mash

2010-08-07T10:14:00.001-07:00

Logan wants to know where the party is and why he wasn't invited....lol!!!

This is for a design team entry for the Pink Cricut Design team. All the details for entering are at http://www.pinkcricut.com/2010/08/rest-exciting-news/. The owner of the blog will be holding a contest on Facebook on starting on August 12th and ending on August 14th. It will be a "like" contest. If you "like" my card, I would appreciate your vote!

The characters were cut with the Cricut and the Happy Hauntings cartridge. The top note style cut was cut with the Gypsy Wanderings cart. The 3 rectangle shapes were left blank as a part of the contest. They would be rubber stamped with " Let's" "Monster" "Mash". It is from the "A Haunting we will go line from Pink Cricut. TFL!

Club 33 Thanks, Part 1-Mickey and Friends, Lyrical Letters

2010-07-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

I had such an incredibly good time making this card! I think the friendship and kindness of the people who sent us on our trip was so fresh in my mind when I made my "thank you" cards that my creativity was on a a high! I used the Mickey and Friends cart for the Mickey. The "33" is from the Mickey font. The "thanks" was from Lyrical Letters. The "you rock" is from the Solutions Stamping cart. The "Disney" is cut from the Mickey font cart. It is the charm feature. I inked it and then dipped it in UTEE several times and dried it with a heat tool. Before I did all that I outlined the letters with glitter pen. Then I added a Mickey head eyelet and some chain and threaded it through the middle of the card. There was lots ink, glitter and tons of Gypsy welding! I had such a great time on both my trip and making my "thanks" cards! TFL!

Club 33 Thanks, Part 2-Mickey and Friends, Lyrical Letters

2010-07-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is the second to a two part post of my last thank you card to my amazing friends who sent me and my dh on an great weekend trip! I had so many photos for this card that I had to do it in two posts. This part of the post shows the right part of the card. I created a pocket to insert a note into. I added Mickey to the top and then added my note later. TFL!

Mickey and Minnie Thanks - Mickey and Friends

2010-07-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

This is card #2 in my series of Thank You notes to some amazing friends! The cuts are from the Mickey and Friends Cricut cartridge. The only cut that is not is the "Thank You" on the inside and that is from the Cindy Loo cart. It is a pretty straight forward card as far as the die cuts go. The Mickey and Minnie are cut at 6", as are all their layers. I added stickles to Mickey's pants and Minnie's dress for bling. I also traced around both characters with glitter pen. All the patterened paper is from a K & Company stack. The cardstock is Martha Stewart. That is the best cartstock for thickness. It is a great card base. The card itself is a 6" square card. I added Cat's Eye ink here and there and some ribbon and Making Memories straight pins in the ribbon. I always trim off the ends of the pins to take off the sharp point so noone gets hurt on them. Mickey and Minnie are on pop dots for some dimension. I added photo corners on the back and front, top, left corner by cutting a 2 inch square and cutting that on the diagonal. I love making Disney cards. I hope my friends like them TFL!

U R GR8- Mickey Font

2010-07-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, first I need to say that I feel super fortunate to have the most amazing friends in the whole world! My wonderful husband and I got to go on an AMAZING weekend vacation thanks to those friends. They planned a weekend for us at the Disneyland Hotel for 3 days and 2 nights, just the two of us. They also set us up with a 1 day park hopper pass for Disneyland park and California Adventure! And to top it all off, they sent us to Club 33! Holy Cow Batman......Club 33! I definately felt like a fish out of water there. It is so fancy. The food is like what you see on tv. And the cold buffet is like nothing I have ever seen! Not to mention the dessert bar! OMgoodness! I think I gained 5 pounds on bread and dessert alone. My dh said he didn't know food could have so much flavor. And it certainly did have great flavor! I had to rent one of those electric wheelchairs to go everywhere because of my health issues, but it was so fun! We got to get into Disneyland Park an hour early because we were staying at the Hotel. We got on Nemo in 5 minutes! We also went back to the hotel in the middle of the day and took a FOUR hour nap! I can't remember the last time our kids let us do that together! We ended the day by seeing the new World of Color show at California Adventure and all I can say is WOWSERS! If you get a chance to got o California Adventure then you have got to see that show! We slept in Sunday and went home. My mom and dh's grandma were kind enough to watch the boys for the weekend, so we were at ease knowing they were in good hands. It was the first time in 11 years that we had been away alone together!!! It was such a joy!!!! Thank you to all our friends who made this possible!

Now, on to the cards. This is the first of three thank you cards that I have made to thank those wonderful friends. It is from the Disney Font cartridge. It is the license plate with the Mickey Ears feature. I cut everything on my Gypsy. I cut the license plate in red as the base. Then I cut it in white for the inside and glued them together. I cut it an additional time in black and cut the ears from that. I used Martha Stewart glitter and covered the ears with it on both sides of the card.

I wanted the plain license plate to cover the front, so I sized that on my G and used the same Disney paper on both sides of the card. I used "screw" eyelets on all 4 holes on the license plate to make it look more authentic. I wanted the letters to be a little bit taller than they are normally, so I again sized them and their shadow on my G. I also used foam pop dots on them and glitter pen around the edges.

On the inside I used big black buttons to cover the holes from the front. I think they look like the holes on Mickey's pants:) I wanted to add the word "thanks" in a non-traditional manner, so I decided to put it on a chain. Each letter is cut from the same font in either, blue, red or green. Then I used Mickey head eyelets at the top of each letter and ran some chain through them and hung them aroung Mickey's ear.

I had a really great time making my Disney cards. There are 2 more to follow. Thanks for looking. And thanks again to our friends who made a Dream Come True!

Orange and Blue Paisley

2010-06-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

This is an unusual color combo for me, but I fell in deep like with it (lol). The photos don't do the colors justice. The printed papers are from this year's DCWV Spring Stack. The paisley, paisley mat, and flower layer are from Straight From the Nest. All the rest of the cuts are from Just Because Cards. I used my Gypsy to size everything. It makes it so much easier. Then I can save the format and use the components later for other cards. I added a bit of ribbon to this one and just 3 little blue glass gems on one side. The envie is also from Just Because Cards. That is truly a great cartride for building a card. TFL!

Thanks A Melon - Just Because Cards

2010-06-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

Another fun one to make. My mom came in and raided my "Thank You" card stash last week, so I thought I would make a few of these to start rebuilding. It is made entirely from Just Because Cards with the Cricut. I made it all with one page from the book. I added my usual pen embellishing...white marker and glitter pen here and there. I also added a little ribbon and put the watermelon on some pop dots for dimension. The envelope is also from JBC. Forgot which page. I used my Gypsy to size it to fit my card. The paper is from last Summer's DCWV's stack. TFL!

Basketball Travel Team - Basketball Solutions

2010-06-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

My oldest son 13 and has been playing basketball since he was 8 years old. He has gotten pretty good. But, most of all he really loves the game. Actually that is a HUGE understatement. I think he sleeps with his basketball....lol. He played on his first travel team this Spring and really liked it. But it was hard. It took alot of hard work and committment. It really helped him improve his game. He is also very fortunate to have gotten an outstanding coach that has really taken an interest in him over the years and helped him grow.

So, this is a layout for his travel team season. Most of the cuts are from the Basketball Solutions cartridge. Actually, all but 2 cuts are from Basketball solutions. On the right side of the page the title says "Shooting Guard". It is cut from patterned paper. It has a

K&Co. Grand Adhesions sticker at the bottom. The die cut under the "Shooting Guard" is the Score board cut from that cart. I put brads in all four corners, layered in on grey and black cardstock and put it up on some pop dots.

The words "Travel Team" on both pages are rub on letters from Making Memories. There is a half-court die cut on each page that I sized on my Gypsy and matched up to make it look like a full-court when I put the pages together. There are several places I left open with photo mats for, well, my photos. I will add those soon.

On the left side of the page I added an extra mat and ribbon to one of the photo mats. It is for the teams Championship picture. It was their 1st season together and they one the whole thing! I used another K&Co. sticker for the basketball. I designed the basketball net myself on my Gypsy. The base is cirlcle that I shrunk to a funky oval. The pole part is a rectangle that I elongated. Those 2 cuts are from George. The backboard and net are from The solutions card. I think the square is from George too. I sized and welded everything together and then cut it in black. Then I copied the whole thing onto a second page and seperated the welded image. I cut each piece in the individual colors I wanted and glued them down. Doing it this way gives it a strong base and adds depth. I added black Cat's Eye Ink everywhere. This was very fun to do. TFL!

Froggy Card - CAC, GW

2010-06-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

This little froggy is made from the Create A Critter Cricut Cartridge. I cut him and the top little layer for his belly and his shadow. I added some googly eyes, glitter and white penwork. For the lillypad and the frog's belly I used Stickles to highlight the white dotted lines that were already on the paper.

The topnote-like shapes are from the Gypsy Wanderings digital cartridge. I added a bit of yellow polka dot ribbon in between the two topnote shapes. All the patterned paper is from the 2010 DCWV Spring Stack. The cardstock is is Martha Stewart.

I added some matching cardstock on the inside. I also added some buttons on the inside and outside. TFL!

Little Blue Dragonfly-CAC, Sentimentals

2010-06-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Here is my little blue Dragonfly. He is made with Create A Critter. I wrapped his tail with a blue ribbon bow. I gave him googley eyes and lots of white dots. I think he is adorable. For the card base I used the Sentimentals cart and my Gypsy. I cut it once. Then I copied the card on my G and sized it smaller. I had it go off the page so it would just cut half the card. Then I embossed the top half of the card base with the Cuttlebug folder Mandarin Screen. I added a couple of blue ribbons on the side and some gems. tfl.

A Vintage "Girly" Notecard-ACY

2010-06-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

This is just a simple notecard that I made. I found this paper in a Prima paper stack called First Blush that I bought some time ago at Michael's. I just loved it and wanted to use it, but I didn't want it to be covered up with lots of "stuff". To embellish I used a die cut from A Child's Year. It is the heart one with a rose in it. It is one of my faves on this cartridge. I also added a bit a ribbon and some ink dots. TFL!

Mariposa Butterfly-GS, HA

2010-06-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

This entire card is made with the Mariposa Stacks from DCWV (Printed and Cardstock Stacks). The Butterfly is cut from Graphically Speaking with the Cricut. I cut it from 3 different kinds of paper and layered it. On the top two layers I just glued it down the middle of the butterfly. On the bottom layer I glued down the whole thing to the card. The big swirly accent is from Accent Essentials. I used my Gypsy to size it the way I wanted it to fit on the card. I added some glitter pen and some pearls to the swirls. tfl!

Scrapbookpal.com Cricut Cartridges

2010-06-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

I just want to send some props out to http://www.scrapbookpal.com/. I ordered the new Cindy Loo Cricut Cartridge from them on Saturday night and it has already shipped today! That is with it having been a Holiday weekend. The cart was only $40 and free shipping (on all orders over $25). I am way excited to get this one. They have all the new Cricut Cartridges. Go check it out.

Photo is from their website.

Teacher Appreication Gift

2010-05-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

I feel very blessed this year with the teachers my youngest son has had. His first teacher in Kindergarten stayed through the beginning of April. She is a great woman. My older 2 boys had her too, and I was so glad when my third son got her. She had to leave on maternity leave and from then on he got Mr. B. He will have him until the end of the year. And he has flourished so well under Mr. B's teaching. Our teacher appreciation gift to Mr. B is a mini magnet board. I got the idea from greenbean on the Cricut Message board.

The board is 8" x 12". I got it at Home Depot. It is galvanized roof flashing. I covered it with patterned paper from a DCWV summer stack from a couple years back. I made it so that Mr. B can use either side of it. I added ribbon along the edges to give it a bit a finished look.

The "Mr. Barajas" is actually a big magnet. I thought he could use it on this board if he wanted or use it on any chalk or dry erase board. The background for this magnet is cut in four layers. The back layer is a navy blue rectangle. The next layer is a shape I cut in white and then inked with red chalk ink. The third layer is a sort of a cornflower blue. Both layers 2 and 3 are a shape from the Storybook cartridge that I modified on my Gypsy to fit my name. The top layer is from Basecamp and welded together on my Gypsy and shadowed in black. Then I added glossy accents and white ink dots all around. I also added a gold star.

The flag side is layered first with a patterened paper from the same summer stack and then with a die cut flag. The flag is cut from Graphically Speaking. The stars are from George and cut in a gold foil paper. The magnets on this are buttons that I added a circle magnet to.

I punched holes in the top and threaded some ribbon through it and just tied knots at the ends. I also added some clips on one end just for decoration, but they are usable. I had so much fun making this and I sure hope Mr. B likes it! TFL!

Today is National Scrapbook Day!!!!

2010-05-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

And I am trying to participate in a challenge or 2 over at Mypinkstamper.com. Robyn is the blogs owner and she is an amazing talent. If you like to scrapbook or make cards, you should check it out.

Anywho, this is my entry for challenge #2. The challenge was to use scraps to make something. I ended up making a flat card. It is definitly outside my comfort zone. I used MAMBI paper for the green base. The pink paper is from last year's DCWV specialty Spring Stack and the front paper is from this year's DCWV specialty Spring stack. The back paper is a DCWV stack (not sure which one). The flowers are Prima. I used the "Velma" technique from You Tube to decorate them. The sentiment says "Wishing you a day filled with good things". The brads are Making Memories and the ribbon is from my stash. TFL!

Families Are Forever-Card and Envie

2010-04-16T19:02:00.001-07:00

This card was made almost completely with the Just Because Cards cartridge for the Cricut. The only shape not cut with that cart is the butterfly. It is from Gypsy Wanderings. It is cut at 1/2". Everything else is cut at 5". This cart is really fun because it has all the card parts designed for you. Just pick your paper and cut away. There are long cards, square cards, funky cards and some traditional cards on this cart. They have some fun puns for the cards. And there are several envelopes to match each card. They have made it so you can easily match the right card to the right envie.

HappyHappyJoyJoy from the Cricut Message Board made a 2 part video that give great tips and trick for this cart. You should go check out her blog at www.obsessedwithscrapbooking.com. Thanks for looking!

Hope You Have A PURRFECT Birthday!

2010-04-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, posting 2 days in a row! Anywho, this is a card I made for a friend at Church. The inside says "Hope You Have A PURRFECT Birthday!". The card base is made from the Cricut Sentimentals cart. I cut it twice (on my Gypsy). They second one is cut a bit smaller and then I cut off the back part of the card so I could use the front as a second layer on the front of the first card. The adorable kitty and all other cuts on this card are from the Create A Critter cart. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite cartridges.

The kitty and all his parts are cut at 2.5". I used my kitty, Logan, as my muse. The kitty pillow is cut at 2" and the yarn is just a bit smaller (I can't remember the exact size). The kitty, yarn and pillow are adorned with ink and the kitty and yarn are on pop dots. The paper is from the All Dressed Up Stack by DCWV. I added some ribbon on the side to embellish. TFL. I enjoy any and all comments!

Time flies when I am busy...And Silk Lollipop Flower

2010-04-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

Time has passed by in the blink of an eye. I wish I coul post everything that I make (at least the things that I like...lol). But, with 3 beautiful boys, a wonderful (but busy) husband, being active in my Church and my kids school, time just goes by so fast. So I will be happy sharing when I can.

So I am sharing this lollipop flower made from satin. I learned how to make it on You Tube. The channel I learned it on is Butterflykisses12. What I really like about this flower is how "expensive" it looks and how easy it is to do. You can really make it your own. It can go on a scrapbook page, a card, an altered project, bag, etc. TFL.

New Blog Background

2010-01-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

I am a person who likes a change of scenery, so I have changed my blog background...again. I love nature. I love animals and flowers and the great outdoors. And if my health would allow I would be spending alot more time camping and doing stuff like that. But, I can't, so I live through movies and pictures and scrapbooking. Anywho, my fave flower is a sunflower. And when I came across this wonderful sunflower layout at thecutestblogontheblog.com I just knew it was for me! They are very generous at their website and have lots of background and buttons and things for free. I am fairly computer savvy, but I still haven't gotten hold of this blog creating thing. They make it a bit easier.

Hope you like. Thanks for stopping by!

Oh Happy Day

2010-01-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

I was having a bit of a slump, so I broke out my Wild Card cart (definitely one of my faves) and started cutting some cards. I will have a post or 2 more with Wild Cards cuts. For this card I used the Circle card cut on page 48. It is cut at 4 1/2". I cut it with the blackout button so that I could add to the front of the card.

The dark pink is the liner button for the card. The "OH HAPPY DAY" is the phrase button for the card. I added some ribbon around the edge of the fold. I just thought it looked pretty and I like to add ribbon to just about everything. The patterned paper is from a pad by K & Co. and it is double sided. The print on the inside of the envelope is the same print on the inside of the card.

I cut the envelope at 4 1/2" also and used all the same papers. It is a little thick with the liner, but I really think it looks better with it. Thanks for looking again!

Snowflake Cards

2010-01-20T11:09:00.000-08:00

These were some of the Christmas cards that I made for 2009. I made them using my trusty Cricut and the Joys of the Season cartridge. I used the Gypsy to weld 2 snowflakes together and there ya go, a card!

The printed papers are from My Mind's Eye. The straight pins are from Making Memories. TFL!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2010-Hoot Hoot Hooray, It's Your Birthday

2010-01-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

Today is the birth of a new year and I am welcoming it in with a card. One of my new favorite cartridges is Sentimentals. And the very biggest reason I bought it was the owl that they picture on the front of the box. It sure is cute! When I picked my paper and colors I had Valentine's Day in mind and then it just morphed into a birthday card. I just love this little owl and the whole cartridge.
This is a 6"x6" card. My owl is 4 7/8". I did the cutting in Design Studio. I had been doing all my designing with my Gypsy, but it froze with the latest update. I sent it back for repairs and should have it back soon. Anywho, the cardstock is from various manufacturers. The outside part of the eyes are cut twice (with a 1/8" difference.....it was a happy accident..lol). I added brown gems on top of the eyes for some sparkle. The tag was also cut with the Sentimentals cartridge. I really like the shape of this one. One thing I did notice with this cart is that many of the tag shapes are the same. I can't remember the tag size, but I did cut it twice. The second tag is cut 1/4" bigger to make a shadow (no shadow feature for the tags on this cart).
The sentiment on the tag is a Stampin Up! stamp. The inside sentiment is done on my computer with a font called Bagworm Slab. The patterned paper is from a DCWV stack called Farmer's Market. I used my Ultimate Crafter's Companion to make a matching card. TFL.

Another Cool Contest...At TodaysMama.com

2009-12-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

Straight from their Blog:

Mama’s Holiday Wish List MemeTodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?

1. The Cricut Cartridges that I don't yet have.
2. The Yudu Machine
3. A red or green Cricut Expression
4. A new wardrobe
5. Some new furniture

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
A large glass jar filled with beautiful Christmas ornaments that a friend gave me.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
I would love to be able to sew any kind of craft item, but I stink at it.

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
It is hard to say. My parents always put so much time and thought into our gifts. Two gifts stand out the most. I got one as an adult right before I got married. I was 20 and I loved Beauty and the Beast (from Disney) so my patents bought me a bed set (comforter, sheets, pilow cases, etc.) of that theme. I just loved it. When I got married and moved out a little over a year later my mom held onto it and still has it. The other thing that sticks out in my mind is a 3/4 trench coat that my parents gave me as a teenager. I remember seeing the love and pride in my dad's eyes when I opened it.

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
I have 3 great sons! One wants a basketball net. He is a basketball freak and his broke last year. My middle son wants a Zero Gravity Nano car and a Video Game called Scribble Nauts and my Youngest baby wants every new thing he sees pop up on the tv screen...lol!

6. What is your favorite holiday food? It is a toss up between the amazing turkey my husband makes and the delightful homemade pumpkin pie my mom has made for years.

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays? So far I have made 26 glass glitter bulbs that I will give out as gifts. I am going to add each families last name with vinyl.

8. What is your favorite holiday movie? A Nutcracker Scooby Doo.

9. Favorite holiday song? The little Drummer Boy. To me it talks about the real meaning of Christmas.

10. Favorite holiday pastime? Waking up in the morning with my family, opening presents and enjoying each other.

Send us a link to your post to mailto:info@todaysmama.com with “Wish List Meme” in the subject line. You can even tag a few friends to participate in the meme. (Spread that holiday cheer!) Thanks to all of our generous sponsors that helped make Mama’s Holiday Wishlist possible!

Hope some of you who read this join in and try and win too!

Head on Over to the Gypsy Spot

2009-11-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,
They Gypsy Spot (companion blog to the Cuttleblog Spot) is hosting an AMAZING giveaway!

Here are the rules (directly copied from their blog):

The rules :
1) Become a follower of The Gypsy Spot. (If you are already a follower you met the first step).
2) Post a link about this contest on your blog. If you don't have a blog you can start one at blogspot.com. Its very easy and a great way to share your projects with family and friends.
3) Use Mr. Linky box to give us the link to your blog post. (this becomes our entry list and the winner is chosen from here ) .

AND THE POSSIBLE PRIZE (for one winner) FOR COMPLETING THESE SIMPLE STEPS......A GYPSY.....DONATED BY CUSTOM CROPS!!!! So head on over to
http://the-gypsyspot.blogspot.com/ before December 1st and sign up to be entered into a random drawing!

Pooh Christmas Gift

2009-11-07T09:57:00.001-08:00

Another A2 card. The card base is Bazzill. I love this cardstock because it is so sturdy. It is great for a card base. I like it overall, but it is more difficult to cut detailed designs on the Cricut. Pooh is from the Pooh and Friends cart and is cut at 3". His hat is from the same cart, but I used my Gypsy to make it fit his head just right. The Christmas gift is also cut at 3" and is from the Hello Kitty Greetings cart. I added a large gem in the middle of the bow for some bling. The holly leaf corners are from Winter Woodland and are 1". I added a little bling for the berries. The tag behind everything is from Gypsy Wanderings (one of the best carts ever created). I tied some green ribbon at the side. All the patterned paper is from the DCWV Holiday Collection Christmas Stack for this year. I used my glitter pen around the holly leaves for dimension. I also used yellow pearlescent chalk to make him glow (it is hard to see in the photos) and pink on his cheeks. TFL!

Tweeting You A Happy Birthday

2009-11-07T09:37:00.001-08:00

Happy Saturday Everyone! This card is a Happy Birthday card for my "stash". I love the Gypsy. It allows me to use so many carts at once. And I am using more carts than ever! This is an A2 card. The cardstock base is Bazzill. All the patterned paper is from the DCWV stack called MiCasa. That stack has so many beautiful papers. The bird on the front is from Stamping Solutions (cut at 3"). The shape it is placed on top of is from Gypsy Wanderings (cut at 4" (I think)). Then I layered that shape on top of some of the glittered paper I used for the bird. The "tweeting you" is from Lyrical Letters and is welded together and sized to fit the card. I also used some ribbon and some bling for the eye to add some detail.

On the inside the "happy" is the Hello Kitty font. The "birthday" is from Simply Sweet. The "a" is handwritten. It is easy to make and I like the outcome. TFL.

Warm Winter Wishes

2009-11-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

This is an A2 card created with my Gypsy, Winter Woodland, Christmas Cheer and Gypsy Wanderings. The snowflakes are from Christmas Cheer. The snowman and all his cute little accessories and the inside phrase are from Winter Woodland. The shape the phrase is on in the inside of the card is from Gypsy Wanderings. I added a cute little "blingy" snowman next to the big one and some other bling around the card. I also used Azure blue Cat's Eye Chalk all around. The paper is from the newest DCWV Christmas Stacks. Not sure where the ribbon is from. :)

Super Grover!!!

2009-09-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

UP, UP AND AWAY! Here comes Super Grover....I made this card for a little friend of mine. He was turning 3. He loves super heroes and the Sesame Street cartridge was the first thing that came to my mind. Now, he probably would have liked Batman or Superman more, but since those carts aren't out yet, I thought Super Grover was way cute!
The patterned paper came from a MAMBI all boys pad. Grover is cut at 5". I used glitter pens of different colors all over the place. I also used red stickles on Grover's "G" on his costume.
The city at the bottom is cut from Paper Doll Dress Up and sized in Design Studio.
The word bubble in the corner is also cut from PDDU. TFL!

Super Grover-Inside of Card

2009-09-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

This is the inside of my Super Grover card. It is created with several layers of cardstock and patterned paper. The bottom layer is the card (blue) The next layer is yellow. I punched the top and bottom with a Martha Stewart border punch. The next layer is a patterned paper that matches the outside of the card. The top layer of this part of the card is blue. I inked around the edges of this part of the card and then added red photo corners. I just cut a 1 inch square in half to make these.

The title is cut at 1 1/2 inches from Zooballoo. I also shadowed it with a similar color (just enought to give it a tiny bit of pop). I went over the top of the Happy Birthday with a clear glitter pen and then parts of it with a navy blue glitter pen.

Trick or Treat Wall Decor - Part 2

2009-09-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite photo of the whole front. You can see all the elements. I described the elements of the monsters in my last post. In this post I will share the rest of the details. Behind the mosters is a rickety fence. It is from PDDU. First I used the Cricut markers on it and then I cut it.

The paper I used for the background is from a stack I got a Michael's. It has some vinyl on it. I backed it with orange and then black again. I used the newest Martha Stewart spiderweb punches to make a border all the way around the page. I love the effect this has.

There is also a cute little spider and web on the right hand side of the page. It is from the Slice also. I inked the web just a bit so it wasn't super bright. There are some ghosts on the other side of the page and I inked those the same way. I also used a silver glitter pen on those so all their features could be seen.

This wonderful file was created by Tina Mansfield of Cardiology Creations. The bat is not a part of the file. The file comes in a few different parts. It cuts very easily. I cut the candy corn bases, parts of the candy and the "TRICK OR TREAT" out of DCWV glitter cardstock. The yellow is just a regular cardstock. I tied bows around the candy. I also inked the edges around the candy corn with a Cats Eye ink pad in orange. The bat hanging from the title is from the Slice card Spellbound. I embellished him with a both the clear and orange glitter pens.

The circle moon is from the Slice card Basics 1. I added a slivered moon on top of it cut from DCWV glitter paper. It is from the PDDU cart. I embellished with an orange glitter pen. The bats are also from the Slice. The design card is Spellbound. I love that the Slice has 2 great design cards with alphabets on them! These bats have been embellished with the clear glitter pen.

I think that's it! TFL! Comments are greatly appreciated!

Trick or Trick Wall Decor

2009-09-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

This is a project I made for Halloween to hang on my wall. I think I will probably put it in a frame before I hang it. This is post 1 of 2.

This is the whole project. There will be another photo in the next post. I used my Cricut, SCAL program, and Making Memories Slice. The Trick or Treat at the top is a file from the talented designer Tina Mansfield of Cardiology Creations. This is a close up of all 5 "monsters". There is an alien (at least that's what I think that's what that fluffy purple thing is lol!), Frankiestein, Witchypoo....with her scaredy cat, and a Mummy. I used the Cricut Paper Dolls Dress Up Cartridge to make all the monsters. The alien is cut at 3". I used a blue Sakura Gelly pen to go around the edge of the alien. It looks way coool in person. Frankiestein is cut at 3 1/2". His face is stamped on with a Peachy Keen stamp. I embellished his clothes with the same type of pen, only it was clear with just glitter.

Ms. Witchypoo is cut at 3". I gave her a broom and a cute little scaredy cat. The cat's eyes are a little hard to see, but they are made with a green glitter pen. The broom handle is hand colored with a brown marker and so are all the cuts on the broom bristles. I embellished the witches clothes with the clear glitter marker.
The Skeleton and Mummy are both cut at 3". For the skeleton I had to use a white pen to highlight all the bones. It took forever! But I am happy with how it came out. I also used googley eyes. For the Mummy I used a brush tip marker to highlight all the cuts and then used a glitter pen on top of the brush strokes. After that I used a Colorbox Cats eye ink pad on top of and around the edges of the mummy.

Hello Ladybug-SCAL and Stamping Solutions

2009-08-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! Many parts of this are a wonderful design file from Card-I-ology Creations by Tina Mansfield. There are so many great layers to this file. The parts that I have included in this card are: the ladybug, her wings, the leaves and the card base. There are also more layers included with the file. I just decided to make my ladybug extra large, so I used a few less pieces.

The card base is made from a K & Co. paper pad called Wild Saffron. It is a double sided paper and it has a good, thick quality to it. I cut the lady bug in three layers. The base is a light brown cardstock. The first set of wings is one side of the patterned paper. The top layer of wings is cut from Bazzill Swiss Dots cardstock. I pulled it all together with a brown polka dot brad. I added some googley eyes for fun. I went aroun the edges of the outer wings with a brown pen so they wouldn't get "lost" on the card. I also added glitter pen around all the bug edges and white dots here and there. I thought she still needed some bling so I put some yellow gems in her wing holes. The ribbon is a sheer lime green polka dot. I put a Making Memories staight pin through the middle of the bow. The leaves are cut from Canson Effects Iridescent paper.

On the inside I added a lining that was slightly smaller than the card. I used the Slice (Noteworthy Design Card) to cut photo corners from leftovers of the patterned paper (this time from the front side of the paper). The cute lemon looking shape and the word Hello are from the Cricut cart Stamping Solutions. I added some white dots here and there and some gems for some bling. TFL!

Boil, Boil, Toil N Trouble Wood Gift Bag

2009-08-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

This is my first creation as a member of Card-I-ology. I am really happy and excityed to be a member of this Creative Team! You can find this file here: http://www.visualdesignsbychris.com/store/product.php?productid=16599&cat=0&page=1

It comes in AI,GSD,KNK,SCUT,SVG,WPC formats.

So, now for what I did. The bag is a cute little wooden bag that I found at Michael's. It was $1. I thought it would make an adorable size to give as a teacher gift full of candy at Halloween. The bag comes unfinished so I gave it 2 coats of black paint. While that was drying I cut and put my file together. It is cut with the Cricut machine and SCAL program. The shadow layer of the file is is cut with American Craft AC Specialty Paper-Foil. The top layer is cut with K & Co. Halloween Specialty Paper pack by Tim Coffey. The witch's cauldron and stirrer for the cauldron are glitter paper from last year's DCWV Fall Glitter mat stack. The green "brew" and bubbles from it are just a carstock I had in my scraps stash. I used glue dots to put it all together. They stick really well to wood. I added ribbon to the bottom and one of the handles for some flair. TFL!

I am SOOO EXCITED!

2009-08-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to announce that I have become a Creative Team member of Card-I-ology Creations by: Tina Mansfield. She has created some wonderful files that are available over at http://www.visualdesignsbychris.com/store/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=6&sort=&sort_direction=&page=2. Stay tuned for my first creation with one her great designs!

Contest At JuJu Bees Scrapbook Corner

2009-08-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

There is a great contest going on over at Juju Bees Scrapbook Corner and it is ending tomorrow and I just found out about it! Here is the link:

http://jujubeesscrapbookcorner.blogspot.com/2009/08/cricut-cartridge-giveaway-1.html#comments.

You have a chance to win the new Everyday Paperdolls cartridge for the Cricut. This one is definately on my wish list!

Going Batty Cut File

2009-08-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is what the "bats" look like when I put them together. They are make exclusively with the Jubilee cartridge and the Design Studio Software. They are made simply with the holly leaf cut and the blackout shadow of the "o" welded together.

I also made a second layer with a shadow for each size and a layer with a head/face that was slightly smaller that can be placed on top of the bat.

This is what the preview page looks like. On the smallest size bat (1") there are small cuts in the middle. I could not zoom in enough in the middle to hide those contours. That is part of the reason I made the extra faces to put on top. After I put the bats together I really liked how the extra layer looked on the bats.

If you have any questions about Design Studio or would like my "Batty" file, please feel free to email me at scrapbooknut2002@yahoo.com. Thanks for looking. I would love your feedback!

Going Batty Scalloped Gatefold Card

2009-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Halloween. There are not alot of cuts on the Cricut for Halloween, so I decided to see what I could "make" on my own with Design Studio. And the bats are what I came up with. They are super simple. I made them with the Jubilee cartridge. I will show what I did in my next post.

The card itself was cut with the Cricut and SCAL. It is a scalloped gatefold card. It from a svg file I got at SVGcuts.com. I layered each side of the card with K & Co. patterned paper that was framed with some green cardstock. The middle die cuts are 2 scalloped ovals. They are Spellbinders nestabilities. This is my first set of these and I totally love them!

The bats are created in 2 sizes and shadowed. I also created and extra head/face to give them depth. They faces are on pop dots, as are most of the bats. I also added a batty charm around the scalloped oval with some sewing floss. Around the border of the bottom I added some K & Co. pumpkin paper ribbon.

On the inside I added patterned paper to the sides. It is the flip side of the front paper. It is from a K & Co. paper pad. They have some really great Halloween goodies!

All of the words are from the Slice Design Card Spook Alley. It Rocks! It has a couple of flaws in the shadowing that I have contacted the company about. But, I am sure they with fix them right away. They are a really great company to deal with.

And so my Halloween creating continues..............I can't wait to make more!

Halloween Skull Card

2009-08-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

The Spongebob Cricut cart has some great gems on it! One of them that I found was this skull. It is a great cut for Halloween. I have also found that I really like Core'dinations paper line.

For this card I used a K & Co. Halloween paper pad for the patterned paper. I backed that with a purple-ish frame. I cut a few sizes of circles (sorry, I cant' remember what sizes ): ). The skull is from the Spongebob Squarepants cart. It is one of the feature keys and doesn't have a shadow feature, so I used Design Studio and made my own shadow. It is not a perfect shadow, but it worked for what I needed. I used Core'dinations Black Magic paper behind the skull and embossed it with the Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes embossing folder and then sanded it so the purple under the black could be seen.

The smaller circle is cut on the Cricut and then embossed with Cuttlebug from the set called "Stitched Circles" and sanded. The "Happy Halloween" is cut with SCAL.

The crows on both the front and back are from the MM Slice card Spellbound. On the front I cut the crow 3 times and layered one on top of the other to make it look thicker. The ribbon is from Target.

On the inside I just used a matching purple cardstock and used the Martha Stewart Spiderweb corner punch to give it a little pizazz.

On the back I used the Martha Stewart Drippy Goo punch and then layered with a matching piece of patterned paper. I added a matching circle and crow to finish it off. TFL!

Oh My Crafts Contest

2009-07-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

So Ohmycrafts.blogspot.com is having a great contest to win an Itop brad making tool! I really love their online store at www.ohmycrafts.com. I got my Making Memories Slice machine there in May and have used it bunches. It is a great machine and I got a great deal on it! I have made many projects with it. I am currently working on some cards for Halloween. I am using my Slice with the Spellbound design card. I just saw all the new released at CHA and can't wait to pick some of them up.

Alien Scape Happy Birthday

2009-07-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is a boys Happy Birthday card with cuts made from a file set that I bought from http://www.svgcuts.com/. They have great files for sale at reasonable prices (and no, I don't work for them or get a commission, lol!). They just have great stuff. All of the cuts from the front (except for the font is from that file collection). And the "out of this world" and the UFO on the inside are from that collection. The oval is a basic shape that comes with the SCAL 2.0 program. And the "sunshine-y" shape behind the oval is one that I got from Susan Bluerobot's blog. You should check it out, she is soooo talented!

For the front of the card I used a thin black cardstock and I splattered it with white paint to make the background. The aliens, the sun, Mars, and Saturn are all just different colors of cardstock cut and layered. "Happy Birthday" is the font CK Bowlorama. I used googly eyes on the aliens to make it a little more fun.

On the inside I used sticker letters for the "you are". I also lined the inside of the card with a thick purple cardstock to make it sturdy. The size of the card is 8 1/2"x5 1/2".

Happy Halloween Spider Card

2009-07-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

Front of Card

Close Up of Spider Web
Inside of Card
Back of Card

I am feeling really "Halloween-ie" these days, so I decided to make a card for the holiday. This card is 8 1/2" x 5 1/2". It is not a size I have used alot in my card making, but I am starting to, and I think I like it.

For the card base I used a piece of black 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock and folded it in half. On the front I glued down a piece of purple cardstock as a base layer. On the bottom of the purple layer I used the Marthat Stewart Drippy Goo punch. The next layer on the front is a funky and fuzzy bright green and black spider paper by K & Co. I made it a bit smaller and placed it off center so I could add the title on the left. The title and spider are made with the Cricut cart Lyrical Letters. My favorite part of the front is the spider web. It is made with the Cuttlebug Spiderweb embossing folder and Core' denations paper. I embossed the paper and then sanded the top until the white showed through.

The inside left is the same funky and fuzzy and fun spider paper from the front. The right side is more Lyrical Letters. "Happy" and "To You" are from that cart. The Top Note design is also from that cart. The "BOO!" is from the Slice machine Spellbound design card. The photo corners are an EK Success punch. The paper used on the corners and the Top Note cut are the flip side of the spider paper (it is double sided). The back is that same paper. Thanks for looking! Please let me know what you think.

Happy Birthday Cupcake - Home Decor, Stamping Solutions

2009-07-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

I made this card for a sweet little friend of mine who's birthday is at the end of this month. She is really into cupcakes, so this die cut popped into my head first thing. I used Design Studio and the Home Decor cartridge from Cricut and welded two 5" cupcakes together (one of the cupcakes has to be flipped to make the cupcakes fit together). Then I just cut the layers in different colors and glued it all down.

The top of the cupcake is brown and I added white dots all around the edges for dimension. The cupcake "wrapper" is made from mirrored cardstock. The paper underneath all of it is a glittered floral print. The cherry is a mirrored red cardstock.

I cut the cupcake card out a second time in a solid cardstock for the inside and glued it on.

I cut the inside sentiment from the Stamping Solutions Cricut cartridge and also shadowed it.

I added 3 different bows to the fold of the card. And then I tied a bow around those bows. I guess I was feeling a little artsy fartsy (lol!). It is a little different, but I like how it came out.

All the paper is by DCWV. It is from their Citrus Premium Stack and Citrus Cardstock stack. They are quickly becoming some of my favorite papers! TFL!

Comments are greatly appreciated.

New Blog Background

2009-07-09T10:53:00.000-07:00

So I decided to change my blog background. I think I will probably end up changing it like I change my clothes (lol!). The other one was just a bit too busy for me. I'll see how this one sits with me. Hope you like.

The Cuttlebug Spot

2009-07-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

Nilda from the Cricut Message board has a Challenge blog called the The Cuttlebug spot. They are trying to reach 500 followers by this Friday and they don't need many more. And, they are offering some great blog candy! Hop on over there and check out their great projects and become a follower!
http://thecuttlebugspot.blogspot.com/2009/07/drive-for-500-sponsored-by-custom-crops.html?showComment=1247019325042#c2126366367415778992

Spongebob Squarepants - Oxnard Beach

2009-07-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

I love , love, love this cartridge! It is amazing! I decided to make a layout for our trip to the beach that we will take this summer. We live in California, and we are fairly close to the beach but we rarely make it to the beach. I wish we could go more, but time just gets away from us.

Anywho, lets start with the dimensions: Spongebob is 3". Patrick is 3.5". The pineapple house is 5.5". The rock house is 3.5". The jellyfish are 1.5". The jellyfish net is 1.75". The pink and yellow seaweed is 1.75". The blue and turquoise seaweed is 1.5".

Spongebob at 3" is a bit difficult to do. He has lots of bits and pieces. I made a mistake and made his holes yellow and my kids said "Mom, Spongebob's holes are supposed to be darker than the rest of his body". So I got out my Prisma pencils and Mona Lisa mineral spirits and colored his holes green. And I smoothed them out. And viola...darker holes! All the other characters and their houses went together very smoothly.

I added grey shadows to all the characters and houses. I made Old Reliable (Spongebob's Jellyfish catching net) in a few didfferent layers. First I cut it in a dark brown, then in vellum, then in craft. I layered them in that order and backed it with grey. I used stickles on the net to make it sparkle.

I popped all the jellyfish on pop dots. I also popped the word "Oxnard". I added glitter pen to the jellyfish and the seaweed and pineapple. I also added white pen dots here and there for some depth.

Please let me know what you think. TFL!

Thanks Joy Fold Card

2009-06-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

This is my first joy fold card and I had a blast making it. I made a Thank You card. I used a Prima paper stack for all the paper. The base of the card is a pearlescent cardstock. The little scallop on the front is made with the Slice design card Noteworty. I used the Cricut and cart Lyrical Letters to make the design on the front of the card. It is the design on page 65 of the book called Italic Monoline. I think it is also called a "top note" shape. The little flower is an embellie that I found in my stash. I added some white pen work and pearls for detail. TFL!

Thank You Joy Fold Matching Envelope

2009-06-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

So I want my posts to go in some type of order so I am posting my envelopes first and then I will post my card and that way you see the card first and then then envelope...........clear as mud (LOL!). The envelope is an A2 size. I used the Ultimate Crafter's Companion to make it. It is sooooooo easy to use! I love making my own envelopes now. I used the Cricut and Lyrical Letters cart to make the front of the envie.