Cricut After Dark

Diggers & Dumpers Construction Birthday Party

2012-02-25T08:59:00.001-06:00

I did so many projects during December and January, but just couldn't find time between holidays and traveling to share on my blog. While I attempt to reorganize my craft area over the next few weeks, I'm going to share some of these "forgotten" projects. First up -- decorations I made for my son's third birthday party.

My little guy loves construction equipment, so the party theme was Diggers & Dumpers. I combined some decor from a local party store -- the construction tape and signs -- with my own Cricut creations.

I made this banner to hang in the dining room over the food table:

Here's a better view of the patterned paper, ribbon, and embossing:

My guy's birthday is in early December, so I try not to decorate for Christmas until after his party is over. This year I incorporated our Christmas tree into the party decorations, and my son loved it. He talked about his "construction tree" for weeks -- even after I flipped it to a normal Christmas theme after the party!

I decorated the tree with paper dump trucks and with toy dump trucks filled with candy (another party store find). The "garland" is construction tape, and I used a plastic tablecloth for the tree skirt. The toy dump trucks were the favors, and my son's friends enjoyed choosing a dump truck from the tree. How often does a toddler get to undecorate a tree by December 10? (Unfortunately, I didn't snap a picture of the tree until a few guests had left -- so it's a little bare, but you get the idea.)

Here's a close-up of a paper dump truck with lots of embossing:

In a moment of non-papercrafting inspiration, I also put together a discovery table/box for the kiddos to dig and dump with pinto beans. It was a big hit and now a permanent toy in our house!

Project Details:

Papers - patterns from American Crafts - Play; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - dump truck from Boys Will Be Boys, page 28; letters with "Arrow Font" function from Boys Will Be Boys; banner from Birthday Bash, page 58
Embossing - Cuttlebug's Distressed Stripes, Spots & Dots, Traffic Jam; The Paper Studio's Mesh Texture
Other - ribbon by Ribbon Boutique

I'm entering this project into the following challenge(s):

Decorate to Celebrate: Challenge #19 - All About Boys (Must Use Blue) -- there's a little blue, right? :)

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #99 - Fancy Trims

2012-02-20T07:39:00.000-06:00

Hooray for Monday and the start of another challenge at Fantabulous Cricut! This week is all about using fancy trims on our projects -- fabric, lace, or any other type of trim. Yes, friends, it's the perfect reason to get frilly!

I love ribbon, but as a new crafter, I don't have an extensive assortment of colors and styles. I was super excited to learn about our sponsor, Really Reasonable Ribbon, and how they supply assortments of ribbon at...well, really reasonable...prices! I received some great free product from them and made this fun card with three types of ribbon they supplied:

Card Details:

Card Base - Recollections (A7)
Papers - patterns from Recollections' Charming paper pack; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - owl from Create a Critter, page 25
Embossing - wings with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirls
Other - trims from Really Reasonable Ribbon

The wide, ruffled turquoise ribbon that Really Reasonable Ribbon sent me was a perfect match to this paper pack I'd been neglecting for awhile. I added a lace trim on top of the turquoise and also used white ric-rac around the owl's frame to add interest. I'm really pleased at the result!

I also got to use some of my new K Andrew Designs Art Stamps, too! The inside sentiment is from the Crafty Friends set I won from Paper Playtime awhile back.

Do you like trims? If so, go show off all your best ribbons at Fantabulous Cricut this week for our Fancy Trims challenge!

Birthday Train Card

2012-02-11T20:57:00.000-06:00

It's because of my son that I have a social life -- seriously. I feel like I'm always making birthday cards for the toddler crowd, but I really do love it. One of his best buddies had his third birthday party today, so here's the card I made for him:

Card Details:

Card Base - 8x4 inches
Papers - Recollections
Cricut Cuts - train from B Is for Boy
Embossing - yellow train layer with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots
Other - sentiment stamp from Michaels $1 bin; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; red and blue curling ribbon from stash; train on pop dots

The birthday boy is a huge train fanatic -- just like my son -- so choosing an inspiration piece wasn't difficult at all. Although it is times like these that I wish for a Thomas & Friends Cricut cartridge.

I'm entering this card into the following challenge(s):

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #49 - Anything Goes Birthday

Valentine Hearts Treat Boxes

2012-02-10T22:59:00.000-06:00

My son's first preschool Valentine's Day party was today, and it was so cute! I'd intended to make two treat bags for his teachers, but couldn't find my cello bags anywhere. But sometimes misplaced craft supplies lead to something even better -- a reason to make my first 2-5-7-10 box! Check out this tutorial from Split Coast Stampers.

Project Details:

Box Base - 2-5-7-10 Box
Papers - Recollections
Cricut Cuts - heart from Doodlecharms, page 26; heart border from Elegant Edges, page 26; tag from Lovely Floral
Embossing - heart with Cuttlebug's Arygle
Other - ribbon from stash; brad and flower petals by Recollections; inking with black Stampabilities ink pad

I filled each treat box with Hershey's chocolate hearts. And I think both my son's teachers liked their gift, because here's their reactions:

HUGS!

I'm entering this project into the following challenge(s):

BBTB2: Challenge - Sweethearts Tags
Cooking with Cricut: Challenge #72 - Grown-Up Valentine
Scrappy Moms Stamps: Challenge - Hearts Galore

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #97 - Love Is in the Air

2012-02-06T07:56:00.002-06:00

Today I get to share with you a very special card -- my hubby's valentine! He promised not to check my blog so I can post it before Valentine's Day and for Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #97 - Love Is in the Air. (So, hubby, you better not be reading!)

Our sponsor this week is K Andrew Designs Art Stamps, and she shared with the design team some awesome stamps to complete our "love" projects. I received this Mini Heart set with both sentiments and images:

And here's what I created:

Card Details:

Card Base - Paisley, page 28 (Card Function) @ 4.5 inches
Papers - pattern by K&Company; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - hearts from Doodlecharms, page 26; tag, frame, and "heart" sentiment from Lovely Floral
Embossing - frame with Cuttlebug's Kassie's Brocade
Other - stamped sentiment by K Andrew Designs; key by Recollections; inking with red Colorbox ink pad, and brown and pink Stampabilities ink pads; ribbon and glitter from stash; tag and hearts on pop dots

I'm so proud of this card -- it's my first shaker card! The photo doesn't capture it well, but the heart has a piece of recessed plastic that encloses both the key and lots of red glitter. My inspiration -- and tutorial -- for making a shaker card with the Paisley cartridge came from a video at Above Rubies Studios.

Would you like a chance to win some K Andrew stamps? Join us at Fantabulous Cricut with your "love" projects this week for a chance to win!

I'm also submitting this project to the following challenge(s):

CardzTV: Cricut Cardz Challenge #101 - Valentine's Day
Die Cuttin' Divas: Challenge #50 - Anything Goes
My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #78 - Love Is in the Air
Paper Playtime: Challenge #67 - Hearts or Love Theme

24 Tiny Valentines

2012-02-03T07:35:00.000-06:00

You might remember how I had big ambitions to make two dozen of these dump truck valentines for my son's preschool class. Well, they were really involved, so I scrapped that idea in favor of a simpler (and faster!) tiny valentine:

Card Details:

Card Base - 3x3"
Papers - all by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - sentiment from Create a Critter, page 49
Embossing - heart background with The Paper Studio's Doodle Borders
Other - ribbon from stash

I'm sad I had to abandon the dump truck cards, but this mama just didn't have 20 minutes per card before next Friday. And the three I'd completed went to a good cause -- that definitely makes me feel better!

I'm entering this project into the following challenges:

Cooking with Cricut: Challenge #71 - Child's Valentine
Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge #96 - Valentiny Cards
Paper Playtime: Challenge #66 - Anything Goes Blog Hop

Cards for Kids Valentines Blog Hop - Winner

2012-01-27T08:05:00.001-06:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in Faith Abigail 's Cards for Kids Valentines Blog Hop! I appreciate your kind comments -- and now it's time to draw a winner for my blog candy:

The winner is....

ShersL84bedJan 24, 2012 11:24 PM
Awesome cards. Love that you put hearts in them, so creative.
I'm following your blog.

Smiles Sher
ShersL84bed@aol.com

Congratulations, Sher! Watch for an email from me on how to claim your Valentine's Day-themed ribbon.

Remember, you still have time to make a Valentine for a sick child and qualify for more awesome prizes! Visit the main blog hop page at Faith Abigail Designs for all the info.

Pocket Valentine Card

2012-01-26T22:06:00.001-06:00

I was feeling a little down today -- which means I fit in some craft time to lift my spirits. The result was a Valentine's card in some springy, pastel colors. It's also my first pocket card!

Card Details:

Card Base - A2 pocket fold
Papers - patterns from American Crafts - Everyday; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - love stamp from B Is for Boy
Embossing - pink band with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots
Other - ribbon from stash; love stamp on pop dots

An easy, fun card to cheer me up -- and hopefully its recipient, too!

I'm entering this card into the following challenge(s):
My Creative Time: Throwback Thursday Challenge - Valentine's Day

Cards for Kids Valentine's Blog Hop - Dump Truck Valentine

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Cards for Kids Valentine's DayBlog Hop! If you have come from Charlotte's blog, A Little Bit of Detail, you're in the right place. If you're justjoining us, please go to Faith Abigail Designs and start at the beginning.

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to show someone how muchyou love them. So this year, let's send a little love to those that need itmost! Each of us has created a Valentine's Day card for a sickchild, and we're asking you to do the same. Simply create a Valentine's Daycard, link it to Faith Abigail's blog entry by February 7, and mail it to:

Faith Abigail
10621 Fuller Ridge Circle

Charlotte, NC 28270

On February 10, Faith will collect and donate all the cards to a children's hospital in her area. Pleaseinclude a small message inside your card; envelopes are not necessary.

Now, what would a blog hop be without prizes? We have someamazing prizes donated by some very talented and generous women and lots ofways to win! You can see all of the amazing prizes at the blog hop starting page at Faith Abigail Designs.

So, onto my project...!

I was inspired to make a Valentine's Day card perfect for any little boy. My three year-old son is currently obsessed with construction equipment, so I made the dump truck the star of this valentine:

Card Details:

Card Base - "branch-s" from Elegant Edges, page 38 @ 3.75 inches, including Shadow layer
Papers - pattern from Recollections - All Seasons; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - dump truck from B Is for Boy; hearts from Doodlecharms, page 26
Embossing - hearts with Cuttlebug's Perfectly Paisley and Swiss Dots and The Paper Studio's Doodle Borders
Other - inking with red Colorbox ink pad; sentiment printed with my computer, dump truck on pop dot

I'm sending a few of these to Faith Abigail for the children's hospital, and then I'm making 20 more for my son's preschool Valentine's party. (It's his first class party -- I'm so excited and probably going overboard with handmade cards. But he's too young to get embarrassed, right?)

I'd also like to offer a little prize in honor of this fabulously fun Valentine's Day blog hop. One lucky commenter to my blog post will receive a selection of Valentines ribbon (pictured to the right) to make your own card! Each ribbon design is about 18 inches in length, for a total of 3 yards of heart-throbbin' V-Day embellishment.

To be sure you can use your ribbon before February 14, I'll draw a winner with random.org this Friday, January 27, at or round 7am CST. To enter, just leave a comment below and tell me your favorite Valentine's candy. YUM! (Please note: I can only mail to US addresses.)

Thank you for checking out my Cards for Kids Valentine's Daycard! Please continue along to the next blog and check out all of thewonderful projects that our designers have created!

Blog Hop Order:

Amy @ http://lv2scrapandfibrofacts.blogspot.com/

Beckie @ http://justbcreativecrazy.blogspot.com/

Brandy @ http://craftingwithfaith.blogspot.com/

Cathie @ http://www.creativecutterroom.com/

Charlotte @ http://alittlebitofdetail.blogspot.com/

Jessica @ http://cricutafterdark.blogspot.com/ <-- YOU ARE HERE

Kate @ http://www.smallbitsofpaper.blogspot.com/ <-- NEXT STOP

Larelyn @ http://handmadefromtheheart-designsbylarelyn.blogspot.com/

Lisa @ http://indymermaid.blogspot.com/

Marlene @ http://www.scrappincookie.blogspot.com/

Melissa @ http://cricutkateer.blogspot.com/

Melanie @ http://melaniemakes.blogspot.com/

Michele @ http://chelemom.blogspot.com/

Sabrina @ http://scrappinwithsabrina.blogspot.com/

Suzanne @ http://cricutcraftingrammy.blogspot.com/

I'm also entering this card in the following challenge(s):

My Craft Spot - Challenge #42 - Let's Hear It for the Boys

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #95 - Label It

2012-01-23T07:49:00.004-06:00

This week's Fantabulous Cricut challenge is "Label It" -- create a project using a scalloped or other label shape. So I pulled out my stash of scalloped circle card bases and Kate's ABCs (a Christmas gift from hubby) to make this notecard for my friend Kathy:

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5-inch diameter) scalloped circle
Papers - florals from My Mind's Eye; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - flowers/vase from Kate's ABCs, page 54; "K" font and background from Kate's ABCs
Other - ribbon from stash; vase on pop-dots

I'd used my mom's Kate's ABCs cartridge once before, but I was so excited to receive it for my very own. I have lots of kid-themed and boyish cartridges to scrapbook for my son, but having something so girly is fabulous!

Do you have something you need to label? Or just love making projects with scallops? Come join us at Fantabulous Circut for this week's challenge.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #77 - New Things

Cards for Kids Blog Hop - January 24

2012-01-21T20:46:00.002-06:00

I'm so excited about Valentine's Day this year! I'm ready to start celebrating early with a fantastic blog hop hosted by Faith Abigail.

Check back here on my blog -- or start at the beginning with Faith Abilgail -- on Tuesday, January 24, to see cute kids Valentine cards and for a chance to win awesome prizes. All the cards featured will be going to sick children -- what a way to brighten someone's Valentine's day!

Snowman "Cool Dude" Birthday Card

2012-01-17T08:56:00.001-06:00

It's sooooo hot and humid in Houston right now. It's not even 9am, and the temperature is already 71º F. Seriously! The only reasons I even know it's January are (1) the calendar and (2) winter and snow Cricut challenges.

To cool down today, I whipped out my Winter Frolic cartridge and made a card:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - patterns by Colorbok; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - snowman from Winter Frolic, page 31; "Cool Dude" phrase from Boys Will Be Boys, page 76
Embossing - white background with Cuttlebug's Snowflakes; blue background with Cuttlebug's Happy Birthday; hat with Cuttlebug's Herringbone; scarf and hat bill with The Paper Studio's Mesh Texture
Other - sentiment on pop dots

I'm entering this card into the following challenge:

Birthday Sundaes: Challenge #39 - Snowman
Getting Cricky with K Andrew: Simply Sunday Challenge #43 - Let It Snow/Use Embossing

Car Fourth Birthday Card

2012-01-14T09:56:00.000-06:00

One of my son's best buddies is having his fourth birthday party today, so I'm sharing the card and gift tag I made. The party theme is Disney/Pixar Cars, and I sure wish for that cartridge at times like these -- but since I don't have that one yet, I used the simple car image from Boys Will Be Boys:

Card Details:

Card Base - Recollections (A2)
Papers - cardstock by Recollections; striped paper by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - all cuts and font from Boys Will Be Boys; car, page 61; arrow, page 68
Embossing - circle with Cuttlebug's Spots & Dots; tireds with The Paper Studio's Mesh Texture
Other - car on pop dot; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen

And here's the tag I made for the gift:

Tag Details:

Papers - cardstock by Recollections; striped paper by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - tag from Playtime; font from Opposites Attract

I really like the fun colors -- it makes this card and gift so cheerful. Now I just need to keep my on little guy from opening it. He's had a lot of practice with his recent birthday and Christmas.

I'm entering this card/tag into the following challenges:

Birthday Sundaes: Challenge #38 - Something New (My "something new" is the awesome metallic silver paper I used for the car bumper -- hard to see it shine in the photo, though. I got a whole pack of it for $1 after Christmas! )
Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #45 - Child's Birthday

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #93 - Man Time

2012-01-09T07:29:00.001-06:00

Happy 2012! I hope you've had a wonderful holiday. My family's Christmas and New Year were very relaxing -- but now that I've had a crafting break, I'm ready to jump in for a whole new year of Cricut creations!

This week's challenge at Fantabulous Cricut is Man Time. Our challenge sponsor, Boys Rule Scrapbook Kits, provided the design team some awesome papers and chipboard accents. I used the goodies to make a football-themed bookmark for my hubby in his favorite team's colors:

Project Details:

Papers - football field by Boys Rule; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - football from Boys Will Be Boys, page 31; "Go Team" sentiment from 3 Birds on Parade, page 46
Embossing - football with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots
Other - chipboard arrow by Boys Rule

Now it's your turn -- go showcase a male-inspired project at Fantabulous Cricut for your chance to win some awesome supplies from Boys Rule!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #91 - Trimming with a Tag

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's almost Christmas..!! Are you just as excited as me...?! Our family has been busy with our favorite holiday outings and traditions -- and also nursing my little guy through a four-day fever -- but I did have time to make a few tags for this week's Trimming with a Tag challenge at Fantabulous Cricut.

I made these Baby Jesus gift tags to decorate the wrapping for my son's Sunday School teachers' gifts. It's hard to find gift wrap and trimmings that relate the holiday back to Christ, so I enjoyed making my own packaging to acknowledge God's Perfect Gift. (Jesus, that is -- not Bath & Body Works.)

Here's a closeup of a tag:

Project Details:

Paper - cardstock by Recollections; green patterned paper by Me & My Big Ideas
Cricut Cuts - baby Jesus and star from Winter Folic, page 71; tag from Winter Frolic, page 70
Embossing - manger with The Paper Studio's Wood Grain; swaddling clothes with Cuttlebug's Distressed Stripes
Other - inking with yellow and light green Colorbox ink pads; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; baby Jesus and star on pop dots

I'm totally loving how they turned out -- and now wishing that I'd made tags for all the gifts under the tree. Oh well, maybe next year. :) Yes, along with 50+ handmade Christmas cards. (I have very high hopes for 2012, eh?)

Have you made a fun tag this season? Or used a tag on a scrapbook page? Go share at Fantabulous Cricut this week for our final challenge of the year. Happy crafting!

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

BBTB2: Challenge - Winter Frolic Tag
CardzTV: Cricut Cardz Challenge #98 - Tag, You're It
Die Cuttin' Divas - Tags, Tags, & More Tags
Whimsical Designs: Whimsical Wednesday Challenge - Tags

Snowman Panda Explosion Box

2011-12-16T09:53:00.002-06:00

And here's my second of two explosion boxes for my son's preschool teachers. For this box, I chose a snow theme and also included the classroom panda mascot.

The outside...

...and the inside exploded!

Here's two closeups of the snowflakes and 3D elements:

Project Details:

Papers - patterned paper by ADT - Wisterberry; solid cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - 3D snowman from Winter Woodland, page 74; panda from Create a Critter, page 58; scarf for panda from Winter Frolic, page 35; snowflakes and tag panel from Winter Woodland, page 35; "For You" sentiment from Winter Frolic, page 56
Embossing - lots of layers with Cuttlebug's Snowflakes
Other - plaid ribbon by American Crafts; white ribbon from stash; snowflakes and sentiment on pop dots

The lighter-weight paper helped this explosion box stay "open" more than my previous one -- except for the panel holding the gift card, of course. I didn't create a flap for the gift card since it actually matched the colors and theme so well; I just used my ATG gun to smack it down. I'm also pleased with the bow on top of the lid. I don't make pretty bows, but this one turned out quite nice!

I'm entering this project into the following challenge:

My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #75 - Let It Snow

Sorry for the quick entry, but me and my little guy are off to deliver these presents to his teachers!

Christmas Tree Panda Explosion Box

2011-12-16T08:30:00.001-06:00

I have a big achievement this week -- I made an explosion box...!!!

I've always admired the explosion boxes I've seen others make, but I thought they were too involved and too complicated for me. But with Christmas coming, I was inspired to make something special to hold gift cards for my son's preschool teachers. This box has a red, green, and Christmas tree theme and also features a panda since that's the mascot for my son's classroom. Here's the outside:

Open it up, and here's what's inside...

And a few closeups of the panels...

Project Details:

Papers - patterned papers from Recollections - Believe paper pack; solid cardstock by Recollections; gold paper by Creative Memories
Cricut Cuts - 3-D tree from Winter Woodland, page 73; panda from Create a Critter, page 58; scarf for panda from Winter Frolic, page 35; ornaments from Winter Frolic, pages 64 and 65; tag from Winter Frolic, page 65; "Christmas Wishes" sentiment from Winter Frolic, page 67; "A Gift for You" sentiment from Winter Frolic, page 43
Embossing - tree, ornament pieces, and outside side panels with Cuttlebug's Victoria
Other - ornaments inked with Colorbox red ink pad; gold curling ribbon from stash; sentiments on pop dots

I'm super pleased with the result and hope his teacher likes the way we presented her gift card. The only thing I'd change is backing the patterned papers with cardstock -- it made the flaps a little too heavy to stay "exploded" when the box is open. Next time, I'll either skip the backing and/or choose lighter-weight papers.

My favorite detail is how the scarf is curled to make it appear to be blowing in the wind. It had a more utilitarian beginning, though -- I had to curl so it would fit in the box when folded! I also like the holly paper I used on the inside panels. It kinda looks like bamboo, which is perfect for the panda!

I hope you enjoyed my first explosion box -- it took three naptimes to make! I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

BBTB2: Challenge - Winter Frolic Tag
Cooking with Cricut: Challenge #64 - Cards, Tags, & Gifts
Die Cuttin' Divas: Challenge #44 - Tags, Tags, & More Tags
Whimsical Designs: Challenge - Winter Fun

Sledding All The Way Card

2011-12-06T20:47:00.001-06:00

It's very rare we get snow in Houston, but we actually saw some last night! No, not from the sky, but from a machine for a neighborhood Christmas tree lighting. My toddler son had no clue what the white stuff was and would not go near it!

The snow and fake sledding hill from the event inspired me to make this winter holiday card tonight:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - Recollections cardstock
Cricut Cuts - sledding boy from Winter Frolic, page 42; holly from Winter Frolic, page 58 (Layers); tag from Playtime; snowflakes from Winter Woodland, page 35 (Layers)
Embossing - background with Cuttlebug's Snowflakes; red shirt and hat with The Paper Studio's Mesh Texture; sled with The Paper Studio's Wood Grain
Other - jingle bell from Hobby Lobby; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; sled and snowflakes on pop dots; inking on sled with brown Stampabilities ink pad

I really got to dig deep in my scrap bin and found some leftover cardstock from Christmas in July projects - three cheers for leftovers!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

CardzTV: Cricut Cardz Challenge #96 - Christmas...Say It With "S"
Exploring Cricut: Challenge #5 - Sled or Sleigh
Paper Cutz Challenge: Challenge #118 - Jingle All The Way
The Cuttlebug Spot: Challenge - Leftovers

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #89 - Present Time

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

Christmastime is finally here! Once Thanksgiving is over, I finally give myself permission to put on my favorite holiday music and bring out the decorations. So I'm excited to bring out a Christmas layout today for Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #89. This week's theme is present-time, so my layout features my little guy opening his presents on Christmas morning 2009:

I love so many of the cuts on the Winter Frolic cartridge, especially the Christmas tree and stack of presents! Here's close-ups:

Project Details:

Papers - patterns by ATD: Wisterberry; textured cardstock by Bazzil Basics; non-textured cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - tree from Winter Frolic, page 48; presents from Winter Frolic, page
Embossing - tree with Cuttlebug's Musical Flourish; presents with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirls and Swiss Dots and The Paper Studio's Mesh Texture and Doodleborders
Other - tag and stickers by ATD: Wisterberry; inking with light green Colorbox ink pad and brown Stampabilities ink pad; tree and presents on pop dots; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen

Head on over to Fantabulous Cricut to see the other "Present Time" projects by the design team. There's cards, tags, and even gifts -- all beautiful creations to inspire you this week!

I'm entering this project in the following challenge(s):
Amanda's Crafts and More: Getting Scrappy Challenge #22 - A Wonderful Christmas Time
Stuck on You Sketches: Die Cut Challenge - Christmas Trees

Floral Celebrate / Birthday Card

2011-12-01T11:29:00.001-06:00

I followed a fun sketch at Die Cuttin' Divas this morning to make a birthday card for my mother-in-law. Here's my resulting card:

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5x5")
Papers - patterns from My Mind's Eye: Simply Delightful; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - flower from Forever Young, page 73
Embossing - black background and aqua flower center with Cuttlebug's Bloom Dots; pink flower petals with Cuttlebug's Musical Flourish; ribbons with The Paper Studio's Doodle Borders
Other - inking with orange Colorbox ink pad; flower, background, and sentiment on pop dots

I'm totally in love with these papers from My Mind's Eye and have been looking for the perfect card to feature them. I think it turned out quite nice!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Birthday Sundaes: Challenge #37 - Anything Goes
Die Cuttin' Divas: Challenge #43 - Weekly Sketch

Table Grace 2011 - Peacock-Themed Table Decorations

2011-11-29T08:33:00.001-06:00

Hi friends! I'm so excited to share a big project with you that occupied most of my November craft time -- an entire peacock-themed table!

Each year, my church's womens ministry hosts an event called Table Grace. Ladies decorate 70+ tables in any theme -- the bigger and more elaborate, the better! -- and invite neighbors, coworkers, and friends to the event for a catered meal and inspirational speaker. It's a great outreach event and accessible way to invite others to church who might not necessarily be open to coming to a Sunday worship service.

My friend Monica and I did a table together. She's been wanting to redecorate with peacocks, so we took the opportunity to get a few key items for her new decor. Our inspiration piece was her peacock feather runner and some gorgeous turquoise peacock ribbon we found in Hobby Lobby's Christmas section. We set the table together, and I got to make some super awesome paper items with my Cricut!

Here's a photo of the entire table:

And some close-up shots of the centerpiece, place settings, and my Cricut creations:

Place Card Details:

Paper - patterned paper from Recollections: Charming; cardstock and glitter specialty paper by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - feather from Sentimentals, page 57 (many thanks to Glenda from Glenda's Cards for loaning me this cartridge!)
Other - names printed in FineSerif font from MS Publisher; glitter paint applied to outer feather cut; gem from Michaels $1 bin; inking with cyan Colorbox ink pad

Chair Tie Details:

Paper - patterned paper from Recollections: Charming; cardstock and glitter specialty paper by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - background with Elegant Edges, page 51; peacock from Give a Hoot, page 37 (and more thanks to my mom for loaning this cartridge to me!)
Embossing - peacock feathers with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirls
Other - gems from Michaels $1 bin; inking with cyan Colorbox ink pad; peacock on pop dot

I hope you enjoyed our peacock table -- it was a hit with the ladies at our table and all those who viewed the tables before the event.

I'm entering this project into the follow challenges:

Decorate to Celebrate: Challenge #12 - Surprise, It's a Birthday - The event wasn't a birthday party, but we did have a birthday gal at our table! And these items could easily be transferred to a fabulous adult birthday party.
The Paper Variety: Inspiration Challenge - I was inspired by the teal color and leaves that actually looked like feathers to me.

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #41 - Birthday Sketch

2011-11-29T07:44:00.001-06:00

It's another challenge day at Celebrate the Occasion! For Challenge #41, we have a birthday sketch -- which is perfect because today is my sister-in-law's birthday! I made this clean-and-simple card for her:

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5x5")
Papers - Recollections
Embossing - Happy Birthday by Cuttlebug
Other - sentiment stamp by Hampton Ink stamped with Colorbox purple ink pad; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen

What a departure for me -- this card is completely Cricut-LESS! My sister-in-law's style leans more toward modern than mine, so I kept my interpretation of the sketch simple. I like how the embossing and turning the words in different directions turned out, too.

Head on over to Celebrate the Occasion to see how the other design team members interpreted the sketch -- and upload a photo of your creation, too!

Re-Draw of Blog Candy Winner - FCCB Harvest Blessings Cricut Crawl

2011-11-29T07:36:00.001-06:00

My blog candy from the FCCB Harvest Blessings Cricut Crawl was unclaimed, so I've redrawn a winner:

Congratulations, Shelby of Shelby's Card Designs! Please email your mailing address to jesscoll <at> att <dot> net, and I'll send your goodies. (You have one week to claim the prize.)

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #87 - Thank You

2011-11-21T07:37:00.001-06:00

Happy Monday! It's time for another challenge at Fantabulous Cricut! The theme for Challenge #87 is Thank You -- your card or project must include the words "thank you" somewhere on it.

I'm looking forward to a great Thanksgiving with family this week, so I had to use this opportunity to make just one more turkey card:

Card Details:

Card Base - Recollections (A6)
Papers - patterns by The Paper Studio; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - turkey from Create a Critter, page 70
Embossing - feathers with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirls and Swiss Dots
Other - brad by 7 Gypsys - Angelo; "Thank You" stamp from Michaels $1 bin; yarn from stash; turkey on pop dots

What are you thankful for? Show us with a Thank You project at Fantabulous Cricut -- I can't wait to see what you create!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cooking with Cricut: Challenge #60 - Let's Talk Turkey
Die Cuttin' Divas: Challenge #41 - Turkey Time
Exploring Cricut: Challenge #4 - Turkey
Paper Cutz Challenge #117 - Let's Talk Turkey
The Cuttlebug Spot: Challenge - Gobble, Gobble Turkey

Blog Candy Winner - FCCB Harvest Blessings Cricut Crawl

2011-11-21T07:09:00.001-06:00

Thanks for all your comments on my Fantabulous Cricut Harvest Blessings Cricut Crawl project! Now, to draw a winner for the QuicKuts embossing folder...

Congratulations, Shelly of My Paper Love! Please email your mailing address to jesscoll <at> att <dot> net, and I'll send your goodies. (You have one week to claim the prize.)

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #39 - Thanksgiving

2011-11-15T02:00:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for my Fantabulous Cricut Harvest Blessings Cricut Crawl entry, please click HERE.

Happy Tuesday -- it's time for another Celebrate the Occasion challenge! This week's theme is Thanksgiving with the requirement to use a punch. I've made so many turkeys lately that I wanted to take a departure for this challenge. So I used another animal we see quite often in November -- squirrels!

Card Details:

Card Base - squirrel card from Winter Woodland, page 57, cut at 5 inches
Papers - stripes from Me & My Big Ideas - Autumn; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - squirrel and card base from Winter Woodland, page 57; leaves from B is for Boy
Embossing - squirrel body with Cuttlebug's Herringbone; squirrel tail with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirls; acorn top with The Paper Studio's Mesh Texture
Other - sentiment stamp by Hampton Ink; EKSuccess 1-inch scalloped punch; inking with brown Stampabilities ink pad; leaves and sentiment on pop dots

Head over to Celebrate the Occasion to see the other design team members' creations link up your Thanksgiving project with punches!

I'm also submitting this project to the following challenges:

Cooking with Cricut - Challenge #59 - Fruits, Cornucopia & Harvest Time
Cricut Cardz Challenge #95 - We're So Thankful (Use Card Feature)
Paper Playtime: Challenge #60 - Thank You Projects
Stuck On U Sketches: Die Cut Leaf Challenge

Fantabulous Cricut: Harvest Blessings Cricut Crawl

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Cricut After Dark and the FantabulousCricut Harvest Blessings Crawl -- Fantabulous Cricut's versionof a blog hop!

It's fall andeveryone at Fantabulous Cricut has decided to create projects to give thanksfor our Harvest Blessings! Each Design Team memberwill be featuring an original fall project that includes brown, orange and red – along with at least one Cricut cut.

If you've come fromvisiting Jennie at EarthyScrap, you're in the right place! If you've just happenedacross my blog and would like to play along with our Fantabulous Cricut Crawl,start HERE .

Make sure to checkout each DT member's blog for some awesome inspiration. There will be prizesalong the way at some of our DT members' blogs, and there will be a GrandPrize up for grabs for a participant who submits a HarvestBlessings project at FCCB!

My project is a turkey place card/decor, inspired by this winner from Michaels' 24-hour Gypsy Challenge in 2009. I don't have a Gypsy or the cartridges used, so I improvised with my own -- and I really like the result:

Project Details:

Papers - stripes by Me & My Big Ideas - Autumn; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - feathers are <trap1> (Upright) from Opposites Attract, page 62, cut at 3 inches; body is same, cut at 5 inches, rolled and taped; head is <round> (Upright) from Opposites Attract, page 63, cut at 1.75 inches; beak is <yourday1> (Italic) from Cricut Classic Font, page 71, cut at 0.75 inches folded; waddle is <turkey1> (Layer 4) from Simply Charmed, page 61, cut at 1.75 inches (real dial size); tag is <cute> from Playtime, cut at 2.5 inches; "grateful" sentiment is <pilgrim> (Phrase) from 3 Birds on Parade, page 41, cut at 1 inch.
Embossing - feathers with The Paper Studio's Doodle Borders; tag with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots
Other - inking with brown Stampabilities ink pad; hand-drawn eyes

Because one of my harvest blessings are you, my crafty friends, I have a little giveaway, too. It's one of my super bargain finds -- a QuicKutz embossing folder!

To qualify for the giveaway, please leave a comment on this entry. I'll select a winner with random.org on Monday, November 21, around 7am (Central). Please note I can only ship to US residents at this time.

Now it's your turn!Let's see your Harvest Blessingsprojects! Make sure to include a Cricut cut somewhere on yourproject and be sure to use the colors Brown, Orange and Red as well.

Next stop is Jewel's blog, My Beautiful, Crazy...Scrappy Life. Go and see what she has in store for you today. And when you're done, make sure to link up your project to FCCB's Fantabulous CricutCrawl post to be entered into the contest!

Happy Crawling!

I'm also submitting this project to the following challenges:

My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #73 - Be Thankful
Whimsical Designs: Challenge - Happy Turkey Day

Game Day Football Layout

2011-11-11T22:44:00.001-06:00

My husband loves football and the Houston Texans -- and "loves" may not even be a strong enough word! His love for football is so great, he leaves church in an absolute rush on Sundays to get to the car and turn the radio to the Texans game. He then jumps out of the car before we pull into the garage to get to the TV as quickly as possible. Yes, my husband has issues for the sixteen weeks of football season.

For the past three years, hubby has also been working to instill his love of football in the next generation. Our little guy is finally old enough to understand more about the game this year. He knows a few key words/phrases like football, touchdown, and Go, Texans -- which is about as much as his mommy knows too!

I made this game day layout this week to show what a typical Sunday afternoon looks like at our house. The photos are from last season when the little man first began paying attention to Daddy's obsession:

Here's a closer look at the embossed football and handmade "field" I made with numbers from the Cricut Classic Font cartridge:

Project Details:

Papers - patterns from DCWV - All About Boys; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - football from Boys Will Be Boys, page 31; banner and "GAMEDAY" font from Birthday Bash; yard line numbers from Cricut Classic Font
Embossing - football with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots
Other - ribbon by American Crafts; inking with brown Stampabilities ink pad; football on pop dots

I'm submitting this project to the following challenge:

BBTB2: My Pink Stamper Challenge - Boy Crazy
My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #72 - All About Sports

Coming Soon: Harvest Blessings Cricut Crawl @ FCCB

2011-11-09T07:57:00.000-06:00

The design team at Fantabulous Cricut has a fun Cricut Crawl (our version of a blog hop) coming November 14. It will be my first blog hop, so I'm super excited!

Check back here or at FCCB next Monday to follow along with some great autumn and harvest projects!

Retreat = Booked!

2011-11-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

I just booked my next scrapbooking retreat! I'm going to Pine Cove @ Crier Creek on January 6 - 8, 2012, in Columbus, Texas. (Yep, this is the same retreat I attended last year that led to my catching the Cricut bug!)

I'm still trying to convince some friends to come along, but for now I'm going solo. South/central Texas folks -- anybody interested?

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #37 - Fall with Pumpkin

2011-11-01T07:40:00.002-05:00

So hard to believe it's November, huh? It's also time for another challenge at Celebrate the Occasion! For Challenge #37, we were asked to create a fall project featuring a pumpkin.

My Halloween door hanging has gotten so many compliments -- both online and in person -- that I decided to update my Thanksgiving door decor, too. I use this wreath each year in November. It came from either Ross or Marshalls about four years ago. But it seemed to need the Cricut touch, so I added this:

Here's a photo that's zoomed on the cut:

Project Details:

Papers - cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - cornucopia and "Giving Thanks" sentiment from Celebrate with Flourish
Embossing - cornucopia with The Paper Studio's Mesh Texture, pumpkin with Cuttlebug's Distressed Stripes; brown grapes and leaves with Cuttlebug's Victoria
Other - inking with orange and dark green Colorbox ink pads and brown Stampabilities ink pad

I'm really pleased with the inking on the leaf, pear, and carrot. Before the ink, they were just flat yellow, but the extra details add so much!

Do you ever make Cricut add-ons to wreaths or other wall decor? If so, leave me a link in the comment section -- I'd love to see them!

Also, head on over to Celebrate the Occasion to share your fall pumpkin creations. I'm off now to take down Halloween decorations and put up fall and Thanksgiving!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #84 - For the Birds

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween! It may be the day for ghosts and goblins, but we're looking skyward at Fantabulous Cricut. The theme for Challenge #84 is For the Birds, and you're encouraged to use a bird, birdhouse, or birdcage on your projects for this week.

It's also a new Design Team term at FCCB, and I'm so honored to be continuing on with this talented group of ladies. Welcome to the new DT members, and best wishes to those who are moving on to other awesome things!

My project is a layout for my son's scrapbook of his preschool's annual Holiday Celebration last year. The kids sing both Thanksgiving and Christmas songs, so that's why you see both turkeys and Baby Jesus in the photos! There's also a photo of the turkey centerpiece he made out of handprints and bath tissue rolls. Isn't it cute...?!?!

I actually made this page at my retreat in September, and I'm happy it features a turkey so I can share it for this challenge:

I'm really proud of the inking on the leaves and other details, so here's some close ups:

Project Details:

Papers - patterns by The Paper Studio; cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - turkey from Simply Charmed, page 61; leaves from Creative Memories: Cheerful Seasons, page 56
Embossing - turkey feathers with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirls
Other - sentiment sticker by The Paper Studio; inking with red, dark green, orange, and yellow Colorbox ink pads and brown Stampabilities ink pad

Are you ready to make a project for the birds? If so, head over to Fantabulous Cricut and share your creation!

Scrappin' Saturdays at Fantabulous Cricut

2011-10-29T08:47:00.000-05:00

Hi, crafty friends! I just wanted to let you know I've started doing the Scrappin' Saturday posts over at Fantabulous Cricut. Go check out today's post about Halloween mini-albums.

After seeing such wonderful inspiration, I want to make a mini-album of my own. It may have to wait a few weeks, though, because I'm deep in a tablescape project. It's a peacock theme with lots of sparkles, feathers, and jewels -- I'm so eager to post about it, but the event isn't until November 7.

Yep, I'm waiting impatiently... :)

Icky, Spooky, Creepy Halloween Wall Decor

2011-10-21T10:55:00.002-05:00

Halloween is so much more fun as a parent -- I think that's why I've been really excited about decorating for the holiday this year. My little guy is totally into spotting pumpkin and ghost decorations in neighbors' yards, so I decided to make a wall hanging to put on our front door:

Here's some close-ups of each panel:

Project Details:

Papers - patterned paper from ATD - Spookytown Collection; cardstocks by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - background panels from Elegant Edges, page 25; all other cuts from Mini Monsters - spider, page 54; ghost, page 42; pumpkin, page 61; spider web, page 74; trees, page 73; fence, page 72; "icky", page 28; "spooky", page 42; "creepy", page 31
Embossing - pumpkin with Cuttlebug's Distressed Stripes; spider belly with Cuttlebug's Spots & Dots; spider's bow with The Paper Studio's Doodle Borders
Other - pre-made glitter bow by Momentum; inking with black Stampabilities ink pad, green and purple Colorbox ink pads, and ultramarine and butterscotch Le Plume II markers; buttons and petal embellishments by Recollections; googly eyes from Target $1 Spot; spider, spider's bow, ghost, and pumpkin on pop-dots

I hung the project on little man's bedroom door to get a good photo with a solid white background -- and now he thinks it belongs there! I'll have to sneak it to the front door when he goes down for a nap.

I hope you like my project. It's definitely the most ambitious Cricut adventure I've had since my retreat last month. And now I'm in the Halloween spirit!

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

BBTB2: Crafty Sprouts Contest - Halloween Project with Purple
Cooking with Cricut: Challenge #56 - Purple and Green
Cricut 360º: Spooky Halloween Blog Hop & Challenge
Decorate to Celebrate: Challenge #11 - Halloween Party
My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #71 - It's the Great Pumpkin!
Paper Playtime: Challenge #58 - Say It with Sentiments - Use Buttons and Bows

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #35 - Masculine Birthday with Metal

2011-10-18T02:00:00.011-05:00

Happy Tuesday! I'm excited to share with you the card I made for Celebrate the Occasion's Challenge #35. This week's theme is all about celebrating a guy's birthday with metal! I think my project is perfect for any guy -- big or little -- who's into science and space.

I've never used metal on a project, so I was a little concerned about what I'd do for this challenge. I've been trying to not buy many new craft supplies, and I'd already blown my weekly "allowance" when it was time to work on this card. That's when my mind wandered to the aluminum foil in the kitchen...

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - patterned paper from DCWV - Nana's Kitchen; textured cardstock by Bazzil Bling; non-textured cardstock by Recollections; Reynolds aluminum foil
Cricut Cuts - rocket from Nifty Fifties, page 28
Embossing - rocket with Cuttlebug's Spots & Dots; aluminum foil background with The Paper Studio's Mesh Texture
Other - rocket on pop dots; inking with orange, green, and cyan Colorbox ink pads; sentiment stamp from Michaels $1 bin

Yes, there's an actual layer of the rocket cut from aluminum foil with my Cricut! But I won't lie; it was hard! I had the pressure and speed set as low as possible and my blade height was at 1 -- and I still had to cut that layer eight times to get a usable piece! I think using a heavier-weight foil would help with those issues. Or perhaps choosing a cut that doesn't have many intricate turns or narrow pieces.

My favorite thing about working with the foil was how great it looks when embossed. I squealed with delight the first time I ran it through the Cuttlebug and saw the result! Now I want to try foil in all my embossing folders!

I challenge you to head over to Celebrate the Occasion and participate in our male metal challenge. And if you don't want to invest in specialty paper, consider giving aluminum foil a try -- I was very pleased with the result.

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #82 - Purple People Eater

2011-10-17T07:00:00.050-05:00

Are you hungry? Well...the Purple People Eater -- this week's theme at Fantabulous Cricut -- is!

I made a fun Halloween card featuring a purple monster for this challenge -- and it was a challenge for me because this card is completely Cricut-less. The monster is from this week's FCCB prize sponsor, SVG Attic. Since I've never worked with these file types before, Amy Jo (my fellow design team member) cut and mailed this cute little guy to me. Thanks, Amy Jo!

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - ATD - Spookytown Collection
Cut - monster by SVG Attic - Mommy's Monsters
Embossing - monster with Cuttlebug's Spots & Dots; orange background with The Paper Studio's Doodle Borders
Other - sentiment sticker from ATD - Spookytown Collection; googly eye from stash; pompoms by Recollections; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; monster on pop dots; inking with purple Colorbox ink pad

I just love the sentiment sticker -- perfect for a purple people eater!

Now it's your turn to celebrate Halloween with a hungry, purple monster! Head on over to FCCB to see more projects for inspiration and then link up your own creation!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #80 - Pumpkin Time

2011-10-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

I'm finally recovering from a flu bug -- or something miserably enough like it -- long enough to show you one of the projects I did on my scrapbooking getaway at Rivendell Ranch. This two-page layout is also my project for Fantabulous Cricut's Challenge Me Monday #80 - Pumpkin Time.

This time of year, pumpkins make me think...Halloween! These scrapbook pages feature my son trick-or-treating last October:

Here's a few close-ups of my favorite Cricut cuts on the pages:

Project Details:

Papers - patterned papers by ATD - Spookytown Collection; cardstocks by Recollections and The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - pumpkin from Simply Charmed, page 60; bat from Simply Charmed, page 59; candy from Doodlecharms, page 63; spider from Doodlecharms, page 62; background shield from Elegant Edges, page 25
Other - inking with Colorbox purple, lime, and orange ink pads; "trick or treat" sticker and "candy please" tag from ATD - Spookytown Collection; Cricut cuts elevated on pop dots

I've been holding onto these ATD Spookytown papers for almost six months -- and I love, love, love them! They are just perfect for a toddler/kid Halloween layout and match so well with the Simply Charmed cartridge's styling. I'm really pleased with how these pages turned out, and I hope they'll inspired you to have some "pumpkin time" too!

Remember to check out the other pumpkin creations over at FCCB. My fellow design team gals have some AMAZING projects this week. I can't wait to see what you create!

I'm also entering this project in the following challenge:

Paper Playtime: Challenge #57 - Black, Orange, & Purple

Curious George Baby Shower (Guest Designer for Decorate to Celebrate)

2011-09-21T07:00:00.006-05:00

I'm so honored to be featured as a guest designer on Decorate to Celebrate today! I love this craft blog and all the fabulous party ideas shared by the designers and challenge participants. I just wish I had more events to try all those great ideas! (Wait, did I just ask to get busier...?! Uh oh.)

I did help host a baby shower last weekend, which fits -- with a little stretching -- into Decorate to Celebrate's theme for Challenge #8 - Baby Birthday. We celebrated the impending birthday of Baby Sophia with a Curious George themed shower.

For the shower, I made a monkey decorations, monkey favors, Curious George invitations, and a banner:

Invitation:

Card Base - 5x5"
Paper - Recollections
Other - Curious George image edited with Adobe Photoshop to be a dark-haired baby wrapped in pink blanket; invitation text arranged with MS Publisher; ribbon by The Ribbon Boutique

Monkey Decorations:

Cricut Cut - monkey from Create a Critter, page 46, several monkeys cut at various sizes (7-9 inches)
Paper - Recollections
Hung the monkeys on vines draped from the ceiling around the room.

Banana Favors:

Cricut Cut - monkey from Create a Critter, page 46, cut at 2.5 inches.
Paper - Recollections
Sentiment - "Thanks for going BANANAS for Sophia" text arranged with MS Publisher; printed on 1" strips of red cardstock
Wrapped the sentiment strips around the bananas and secured with a staple; double-stick tape then secured the monkeys over the staple.

Banner:

Paper - Recollections
Cricut Cuts - banner from Birthday Bash, page 64; font also from Birthday Bash; monkey from Create a Critter, page 46
Other - ribbon by The Ribbon Boutique

The mom-to-be and guests really seemed to love all the Curious George decorations, and I had a blast using my Cricut for party purposes.

If you have a baby birthday (or any event) to plan, be sure to share your creations at Decorate to Celebrate now through October 5. And many thanks to Rhonda and Amy at DTC for featuring me as a Guest Designer today! Now, get to crafting! :)

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #31 - Birthday with Balloons

2011-09-20T09:05:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to show you my project for Celebrate the Occasion this week! Challenge #31 is Birthday with Balloons, and we were tasked with creating a birthday project featuring at least one balloon.

I made my first tent card for this challenge, and it was so much fun! (You can see a tent card tutorial at Split Coast Stampers.) I don't have any Spellbinders dies, so I used my Ciruct to cut the circle for my card. Just think of the possibilities when you can cut any shape as the window to a tent card!

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5x5")
Papers - polka dots and clouds by American Crafts: Play; textured cardstock by Bazzil Bling; all other cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - balloons from Birthday Bash, page 54; trapezoid tags from Opposites Attract, page 62
Embossing - balloons with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots and Spots & Dots; The Paper Studio's Doodle Borders and Mesh Texture
Other - trapezoids and balloons on pop dots; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen

Now it's your turn to make a birthday project with balloons! Float on over to Celebrate the Occasion to link up your creation. I can't wait to see what you create!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #78 - A Pirate's Life

2011-09-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday! It's Challenge Me Monday at Fantabulous Cricut, and this week's challenge is A Pirate's Life. YO-HO!

My project is a little different than your typical pirate-themed craft -- it's for a girl. (Yes, girls can like pirates, too!) I used pinks and greens for this simple card, as it's for one of my son's toddler playmates. She loves Jake and the Neverland Pirates on The Disney Channel and any kind of animal, so I chose this cute octopus cut from Create a Critter:

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5x5")
Papers - pink polka dots by Heidi Grace Designs; textured cardstock by Bazzil Basics; all other cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - pirate octopus from Create a Critter, page 42
Embossing - Doodle Borders by The Paper Studio
Other - inking with pink Stampabilities ink pad; octopus on pop dots

Hope you like my clean-and-simple card. Now, it's your turn to head over to Fantabulous Cricut to share your own pirate creation -- ARRRG! :)

Two Baby Shower Cards

2011-09-17T23:11:00.001-05:00

Hi, crafty friends -- I miss you!

I've been swamped since mid-August with substitute teaching at my son's preschool, three baby showers, and preparing for our first MOPS meeting of the year. I'm finally seeing light at the end of this busy tunnel -- and it's a craft light! Hubby is treating me to a scrapbooking retreat next weekend at Rivendell Ranch. If I can just make it through the next five days of craziness, I get to relax with my Cricut, Cuttlebug, and absolutely no responsibilities.

I have made a few projects over the past few weeks, one of which you'll be seeing as a guest spot on Decorate to Celebrate while I'm away in crafting paradise. But for now, I can show you two cards I made to accompany baby shower gifts:

Card Details:

Card Base - two <onesie> cuts from Wrap It Up, cut at 6.5 inches, adhered together above sleeves
Papers - cardstock by Bazzil Basics
Cricut Cuts - onesie from Wrap It Up, page 53; "P" from Birthday Bash (font and font shadow)
Embossing - "P" with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots
Other - brads by 7 Gypsies - Angelo; "P" on pop dots

I adhered this card to the top of the gift instead of making a bow. I really like making these types of tags for packages, especially when they're personalized with initials. I love how the brads mimic the snaps on a onesie, too.

Card Details:

Card Base - Recollections (A6)
Papers - patterns and cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - monkey from Create a Critter, page 46; scalloped background from Elegant Edges, page 23; "baby" from Simply Sweet, page 75
Embossing - scalloped background with Intricate Swirls by The Paper Studio; rectangle background with Mesh Texture by The Paper Studio
Other - ribbon by The Ribbon Boutique; monkey, scalloped background, and "baby" on pop dots; flower and gemstone embellishment by Recollections

My mom told me about embossing folders by the Paper Studio now in stock at Hobby Lobby. I bought a few (okay...five!) and am really liking them. I used two on the monkey card above and am pleased with the result. The folder is made identically to a Cuttlebug embossing folder and fits into the Cuttlebug without any special "sandwiching" techniques.

I'm entering the monkey card into the following challenge:
Die Cuttin' Divas: Challenge #32 - Zoo Crazy

Hope you liked my few projects. I promise more to come -- and more frequently -- in the coming days!

Tell me what you've been creating and what's been happening in our Cricut world... :)

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #29 - Grandparents Day

2011-09-06T07:36:00.000-05:00

Are you ready to Celebrate the Occasion? I am! Challenge #29 is to create a project celebrating Grandparents Day.

We just returned from a great visit with my parents over the long Labor Day weekend. My son had a fabulous time playing with his Papaw and GG. If he had a way to get in a pedal car and make the seven-hour drive himself, he would!

Card Details:

Card Base - Recollections (A6)
Papers - stripes by My Mind's Eye: Magnolia; cardstocks by Bazzil Basics
Cricut Cuts - boy/dog in car from Nate's ABCs, page 59
Other - inking with Colorbox petal point ink pads; handwritten sentiment; cut on pop dots; twine from my mom's stash

Do you have a special grandparent in your life? If so, join us in making a project this week at Celebrate the Occasion. Happy crafting!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #76 - Back to School

2011-09-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

I'm excited for back-to-school time. My toddler isn't back in MDO yet, and I'm practically counting the minutes until his first day back. Mommy is ready for some crafting time! So this week's theme at Fantabulous Cricut is perfect for my current state of mind -- Challenge Me Monday #76 is Back to School! You're encouraged to use your "ABCs" and "123s" on your project, too.

My project is a wall-hanging for my son's teachers. He's in the Peaceful Pandas class this year:

Project Details:

Papers - textured cardstock by Bazzil Basics; blue and orange patterns by Recollections; green stripes by American Crafts - Play.
Cricut Cuts - panda from Create a Critter, page 58; crayons and glue from Simply Charmed, pages 52 and 54; banner from Birthday Bash, page 63; font for PANDAS from Birthday Bash.
Other - googly eyes and white crochet thread from my mom's stash

This panda is a really big critter; I made him fit-to-page, which equaled 11 inches tall. My son also helped by gluing on the googly eyes.

Join us over at Fantabulous Cricut by adding your back-to-school project. Happy crafting!

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #27 - Circle-Shaped Card

2011-08-23T02:00:00.046-05:00

Tuesday means it's time to Celebrate the Occasion! We're celebrating any event this week with a circle-shaped card.

I'm always making cards for other people, but this week I actually made a card for me. I love funky glasses and have worn fun frames since my first pair of glasses in college, so I made a cute "just because" card with my signature frames:

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5" diameter)
Papers - patterned paper by American Crafts - Everyday; green cardstock by Bazzil Basics; all other from scraps
Cricut Cuts - glasses and background from Nifty Fifties, page 53; font for "hi" sentiment from Doodletype
Cuttlebug Embossing - background layer with Spots & Dots
Other - inking with green Colorbox petal point ink pad; gems from Michaels $1 bin; top layer of glasses on pop-dots

Join us in making a circle-shaped card at Celebrate the Occasion this week. I'm eager to see what you make, so leave me a comment pointing me to your awesome projects!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #74 - Birthday Bash

2011-08-22T07:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! It's time for another great challenge at Fantabulous Cricut. This week's theme is Birthday Bash -- so join along with your birthday cards, scrapbook pages, and party items!

I'm always needing birthday cards -- especially for my friends' children -- so I made a robot card for a little guy who turns 4 next month:

Card Details:

Card Base - Recollections (A6)
Papers - robot paper from Pressed Petals - Boys Will Be Boys; red cardstock by Bazzil Basics; all other cardstock by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - robot from Boys Will Be Boys, page 64; balloon from Birthday Bash, page 23 (Layer 2); font for "4" from Birthday Bash
Cuttlebug Embossing - "4" with Swiss Dots; balloon with Traffic Jam; circle background with Spots & Dots
Other - google eyes from Target $1 spot; string from stash; robot and balloon on pop-dots

I love making projects with bold colors, and this card definitely is bright and cheerful! It's even kid-approved; my son saw the card the next morning and thought the google eyes were silly and fun.

Now it's your turn to link up your Birthday Bash projects at Fantabulous Cricut -- can't wait to see what you create!

Couponing After Dark

2011-08-20T21:19:00.000-05:00

The reason I haven't been crafting so much after dark lately is because I've been getting serious about my other "C" hobby -- couponing!

I've always used coupons here and there, but I got serious about saving money when my husband lost his job last year. I thought I was doing pretty well until I saw Extreme Couponing on TLC -- and then I realized how much more potential these little newspaper clippings have! I took a class from Coupon Kristin a few months back, and now my couponing is going into high gear. My savings on most shopping trips averages around 50% -- and I think that's awesome for a newbie!

Here's a small purchase I made tonight at Walmart:

Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls (8 ct) - $1.98
price-matched to HEB (8/17 circular) - $1.00 x 5 = $5.00
- 2 x $0.50/2 manufacturer online printable coupon
= $4.00/5, or $0.80 each

CapriSun Juice Pouches (10 x 6 oz) - $1.74
price-matched to Randalls (8/17 circular) - $1.49 x 3 = $4.47
- $1/3 manufacturer peelie (found on this shopping trip!)
= $3.47/3, or $1.16 each

Dial Liquid Soap (9.375 oz) - $1.47
price-matched to Kroger (8/17 circular) - $0.88 x 2 = $1.76
- 2 x $0.35/1 manufacturer coupon
= $1.06, or $0.53 each

French's Mustard (14 oz) - $1.48
price-matched to HEB (8/17 circular) - $1.00 each

Skinner Quick-Cook Pasta (16 oz) - $1.38
price-matched to Foodarama (8/17 circular) - $0.69 each

Kraft American Cheese Slices (12 oz) - $2.98
price-matched to Foodarama store coupon - $1.49 each

Crunch the numbers, and you'll see I bought $32.48 in product for just $16.79 (plus tax) -- that's a 48% savings!

This was my first trip to do both price-matching and coupons together -- and I didn't have a single issue. Sometimes Walmart gets a bad rep for customer service, but my local Neighborhood Market has great cashiers. The checker even said, "WOW -- you saved A LOT!" and when I thanked her for being patient with me she said, "That's why I'm here -- to help you save money."

So, do any of you crafters also do coupons? I'd love to hear your stories!

Simple 40th Birthday Card

2011-08-19T16:09:00.003-05:00

I'm easing my way back into crafting with a simple birthday card for my brother-in-law. He turns the big 4-0 next week, so what colors are more appropriate than somber black and silver?

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5x5")
Papers - silver cardstock by Bazzil Bling; all others are The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - font from Doodletype
Cuttlebug Embossing - Happy Birthday
Other - red brads from 7 Gypsies - Angelo; "40" on pop-dots

Masculine cards are difficult for me, and I wish this card had turned out better. But my bro-in-law likes minimalist things, so hopefully he'll like it.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Birthday Sundaes: Challenge #22 - It's All About the Brads
CAS-ual Fridays: CFC #16 - Embossing

Texans Football Treat Box

2011-08-16T07:51:00.000-05:00

Is crafting as therapeutic for you as it is for me? I've been super-busy preparing for our upcoming MOPS semester and for a friend's baby shower, so my Cricut has had to take a siesta for the past week or so. And -- you know what? -- I've been a very cranky, unhappy person! Maybe it's just withdrawal, but I tend to believe this ~~obsession~~ hobby makes me a better person. (Or, at least, a more fun person to be around -- and hubby agrees.)

I did find time on Saturday to make a little something for hubby. I've been wanting to do a 3D item, and this football box was an easy, fun project to celebrate the start of the NFL pre-season. Hubby is a die-hard Houston Texans fan, of course!

Project Details:

Papers - brown cardstock by Me & My Big Ideas; all other cardstock by Recollections
Cricut Cuts - football box from Wrap It Up, page 70; font from Birthday Bash
Other - doodling with white Gelly Roll pen

This little box was super easy; the entire project took just an hour, start-to-finish. The blue and red papers are an addition to the box pattern, and I doodled line marks and yard numbers to make it look like a football field. (If I were to make another, I'd make the band green, though.) I filled the box with blue and red Jolly Ranchers.

Hope you enjoy this little project; I think hubby did. Now onto figure out a challenge or two to get my creative juices flowing again!

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #25 - Back to School

2011-08-09T02:00:00.043-05:00

The record-setting temperatures may say it's summer, but the calendar shows school is just around the corner!

To welcome the new academic year, Celebrate the Occasion is featuring back-to-school projects this week. So open that new box of crayons and join our design team for some great school projects!

My project is a double-page scrapbook layout of my son's Beautiful Butterflies class from last year. It was his first year at preschool, and he absolutely LOVED it. His teachers were the best, and he made lots of little friends that he's eager to see again when his school begins after Labor Day.

Project Details:

Papers - patterns by American Crafts: Everyday; cardstocks by C'ordinations and The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - butterflies from Create a Critter, page 64; crayons from Simply Charmed, page 52; scissors and glue from Simply Charmed, page 54; bear from Doodlecharms, page 105; backpack from Doodlecharms, page 119; car from Boys Will Be Boys, page 61; "beautiful" from Paisley, page 53; font for "BUTTERFLIES" is Opposite from Opposites Attract
Other - lots of inking with Colorbox petal point ink pads and Le Plume II markers

I can't believe I used seven cartridges on this project! Maybe I was having a little too much fun making die cuts of preschool objects...

You can link up your own back-to-school project at Celebrate the Occasion now through Sunday, August 14, for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate from PaperTrey Ink. I can't wait to see your school-themed projects!

I'm also submitting this project to My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #66 - Back to School.

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #72 - Let's Get Buggy

2011-08-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

It's Challenge Me Monday at Fantabulous Cricut! This week's challenge is "Let's Get Buggy", so grab your bug spray and a flyswatter and check out my buggy project:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - plaid by My Mind's Eye: Magnolia; all other cardstock by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - bee and flowers from Paisley, page 25
Cuttlebug Embossing - unidentified flower pattern on front background strip; Paisley on flowers inside
Other - flower petal embellishments by Recollections; gemstones from Michaels $1 bin; inking with Colorbox petal point ink pads

I had a blast trying something new for this challenge -- a spiral pop-up card! I love how the flowers just burst forward when you open the card. I learned this fun and easy technique from Split Coast Stampers -- check out their tutorial to learn how to add a spiral pop-up to one of your projects.

The FCCB design team has more awesomely "buggy" projects for you to see, so crawl on over to Fantabulous Cricut for this week's challenge. You can link up your own buggy project for a chance to win a great prize.

My First Giveaway - WINNER!

2011-08-02T07:33:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who entered my first giveaway! I'm so blessed by you, my crafty friends, who support me and my blog!

The winner of my favorite bargains, as selected by random.org, is...

GEORGIANA!

Georgiana said...: Congratulations! I knew you could do it! I already follow both and I submitted to CTO. I am #6. I may even have time to enter Fantabulous within the next day or two. : ) Thanks for the chance. Georgiana Carson's Creations coachfans at cox dot net

Special Delivery Stork Card

2011-08-01T10:33:00.000-05:00

Our family had a busy weekend, so I only got to craft a little here and a little there...so sad! But I did finish this card -- another baby-themed project!

Card Details:

Card Base - 9" x 4"
Papers - clouds and dots by American Crafts - Everyday; cardstock by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - stork and sentiment from 3 Birds on Parade, page 70
Cuttlebug Embossing - bird's wing with Victoria; blanket with Swiss Dots
Other - inking with cyan Colorbox petal point ink pad and butterscotch Le Plume II marker; ribbon is CelebrateIt Basic Narrows; cloud background, stork, and sentiment on pop dots

Our MOPS group was asked to take meals to a new mom in need, so I'm including this card in the box I'm taking. I thought it would be nice to include something unexpected and special.

I also wanted to play with some of my new cartridges, and this is my first time to use 3 Birds on Parade. Even if I'm not crazy about birds all the time, this cart has great "non-birdy" sentiments for common occasions.

I tried to keep this card simple, but I'm not so sure I succeeded. Oh well, I'm still submitting to CAS-ual Fridays Challenge CFC13, since they did inspire me to make a long card.

Butterfly Diaper Cake & Card

2011-07-29T10:33:00.001-05:00

It must be "baby season", because I have another diaper cake for you today!

This confection is for a sweet little girl with a butterfly-themed nursery. As soon as I saw this paisley ribbon at Hobby Lobby, I knew it was perfect for her pink and green room. I was still stuck on the topper until a few days ago when she came two weeks early -- uh oh! Then I found a cute monogram coat hanger on Michael's "fabulous finds" aisle with her initial.

Project Details:

Papers - My Mind's Eye - Simply Delightful and Bohemia
Cricut Cuts - butterfly from Create a Critter, page 64
Cuttlebug Embossing - D'vine Swirls, Kassie's Brocade, Perfectly Paisley, Swiss Dots, Victoria
Ribbon - pink satin by Robert Stanley Collection; paisley by The Ribbon Boutique
Floral - pink floral bush from Hobby Lobby
Other - lots of inking on butterflies with Colorbox petal point pads in green and pinks

I also made a matching card:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - green stripes by American Crafts - Everyday paperpack; pink textured and non-textured cardstock by The Paper Studio; black and white cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - butterfly from Create a Critter, page 64; scalloped background from Elegant Edges, page 23
Cuttlebug Embossing - inner butterfly wings with D'vine Swirls; scalloped background with Swiss Dots; pink background with Perfectly Paisley
Other - inking with pink Colorbox petal point ink pads; ribbon by The Ribbon Boutique; gemstones from Michaels dollar bin

I had so much fun making such a girly project! It made me fall in love with the Perfectly Paisley embossing folder that had been sitting unopened in my Cuttlebug bin for far too long...now I want to use it on everything!

I'm entering this project into the following challenge:

Queen of My Craftroom: Mojo Monday Challenge - Create a Critter Cartridge

My First Giveaway!

2011-07-26T07:44:00.001-05:00

I've got lots to celebrate on my blog from the past week -- joining my first two design teams and reaching 100 followers! I want to thank you, followers and friends, for making this Cricut crafting journey so fun, so I'm giving away a few of my favorite bargain finds:

To enter my first giveaway, please be a follower of my blog and:

Follow the two blogs I design for -- Celebrate the Occasion and Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog.
Link up a project at one of these blog's current challenges:
CTO: Challenge #23 - Any Occasion (Blue and White), or
FCCB: Challenge #70 - Melon Time
Leave me a comment with your entry number and the blog challenge you entered.

For an extra chance to win, link a project at both CTO and FCCB this week, and leave me a second comment with that entry number.

(Due to shipping costs, I can only mail to recipients in the US and Canada.)

I'll select a winner with random.org at or around 7:30am CST on August 2 -- so get to entering those fun challenges!

(Note: If you're on the design team for CTO or FCCB and wish to enter, simply remind me in your comment that your project was already featured on the challenge blog's post.)

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #23 - Blue and White

2011-07-26T02:00:00.058-05:00

Celebrate the Occasion begins another great challenge today, and I'm eager for you to play along -- especially since it's my first week on the design team! Challenge #23 is to make a project for any occasion -- just as long as you use only blue and white.

In case you haven't noticed, I don't use a lot of blue in my projects. It's not that I don't like blue -- I just like warm colors like pink and orange and red more. So I went out of my comfort zone for this card:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - patterned and distressed papers by My Mind's Eye: Bohemia; cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - flower from Florals Embellished, page 23; tag is <dream> from Playtime
Other - blue satin ribbon from Hobby Lobby, sentiment stamp by The Paper Studio; edges inked with sky blue Le Plume II marker

My parents celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary on Sunday, so I mailed this card to them last week. Nine more years until I get to plan a huge celebration for them!

Now it's your turn. Visit Celebrate the Occasion and share your blue and white creations! The challenge runs through Sunday, July 31.

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #70 - Melon Time

2011-07-25T06:00:00.004-05:00

It's Challenge Me Monday at Fantabulous Cricut -- and I'm so excited! This week's theme promises inspiration for many fantabulously fun projects -- and it's also my first on the design team!

This week's challenge is "Melon Time," and we were asked to create a project featuring a fruit or melon. I've made a watermelon card already this summer (and...well, I don't really like watermelon...I know, I know!), so I chose a different fruit as my card's star:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - patterned paper by American Crafts - Everyday paperpack; textured cardstock by Core'dinations; all other cardstock by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - cherry/background combo and "cherry" sentiment from Nifty Fifties, page 66
Other - sentiment printed with Corbel font and formatted with MS Publisher; inking and faux stitching with scarlet Le Plume II marker; more inking on cherry with red petal point ink pad by Colorbox; cherry and its background on pop dots.

These colors sure make my mouth water for a cherry limeade from Sonic! I tried a little something different with the asymmetrical band of paper stretching across the sentiment area, and I think it turned out cute. All the cuts on Nifty Fifties have fun, unexpected background shapes that make me want to try different angles and arrangements.

Now it's your turn! Swing by Fantabulous Cricut to check out the other DT members' creations (there's lots of watermelons -- I promise!), and then share your own melon/fruit project with us.

Happy crafting Monday!

Just for You Popsicle Card

2011-07-23T15:42:00.001-05:00

I just can't not touch my Cricut on a lazy Saturday afternoon, you know? The result was a fun popsicle card to play along with a few challenges:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - polka dots from My Mind's Eye: Simply Delightful; plaid and dark pink from My Mind's Eye: Magnolia; orange textured cardstock by Bazzil Bling; all other cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - popsicle from Simply Charmed, page 45
Cuttlebug Embossing - popsicle stick with Distressed Stripes
Other - sentiment stamp by Hampton Ink, stamped with Bright Pink Stampabilities ink pad; ribbon by CelebrateIt Basic Narrows; inking with orange Colorbox petal point ink pad and scarlet Le Plume II marker; brad by 7 Gypsies - Angelo; google eyes from Target DollarSpot

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

CardPatterns: Sketch 125
Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge #69 - I Scream for Ice Cream / Cool Treat (I'm on the DT now, but I still like to play along...)
Paper Cutz Challenge #101 - Anything Goes

Curious George Baby Shower Invitation

2011-07-23T11:01:00.001-05:00

My blog has been fairly quiet this week since I've been making cards for design teams; my cards debut next week -- YIPPEE! But I've also started working on a big project -- a Curious George baby shower. I'm making invitations, some decorations, and tags for the favors. Yes, there's a diaper cake, but another hostess -- the gal who made mine -- is putting it together.

Here's the first invitation I produced this morning:

Card Details:

Card Base - Flat (5x5")
Papers - Recollections
Curious George - I found this image online and edited it with Adobe Photoshop to be a pink-blanketed girl with dark hair (it was previously a blue-blanketed blonde boy).
Ribbon - The Ribbon Boutique (3/8 inch)
Text - Candara (sans-serif font; black); Wrexham (serif font; red), created with MS Publisher

Can you believe this invitation is completely Cricut- and Cuttlebug-less...?! But the card had to be simple since I have 35 of these boogers to make!

Great Deal at Michaels

2011-07-22T13:22:00.001-05:00

Michaels has their entire stock of retired Cricut cartridges for $19 today! I got three new carts this morning -- Old West, Simply Sweet, and Stand & Salute.

If you're going to the sale, you may want to call ahead and check your store's supply. My two closest Michaels were completely sold out -- one even had people lined up outside before the doors opened!

Update: I went again tonight and got Forever Young. I just can't pass up a good buy!

Celebrate the Occasion: New Design Team Member!

2011-07-19T02:00:00.002-05:00

I have another piece of exciting news -- I've joined the design team at Celebrate the Occasion!

CTO has inspiring challenges each week to help you celebrate every occasion in your own special way. This week the new design team members are celebrating birthdays! It was super timing because I needed a birthday card for a friend's daughter. She held a princess-themed pool party this past weekend, so I made her card -- very appropriately -- a crown:

Card Details:

Card Base - crown-shaped card from Birthday Bash, page 47 (card/tag), cut at 5.25 inches
Papers - polka dot paper by Heidi Grace Designs; all other cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - all cuts from Birthday Bash; card base (see above); crown, page 56; "4" and "PRINCESS" sentiment with Font and Font Shadow functions; "birthday", page 54 (card/tag)
Cuttlebug Embossing - "4" with Spots & Dots
Other - doodling with purple Le Plume II marker; gemstones from Michaels $1 bin

I'm so excited to share this project with you at Celebrate the Occasion -- hop on over and check out the other great projects by the new design team members. They are an awesome group of talented ladies -- and a gentleman!

Fantastic, Fantabulous News!

2011-07-19T00:45:00.003-05:00

I've got some truly fantastic, fantabulous news to share -- I've been selected to join the design team at Fantabulous Cricut! It's my first design team, and I'm beyond overjoyed. In fact, I'm fantabulously overjoyed!

FCCB was one of the first challenge blogs I found and followed. I have grown so much from participating in their challenges -- and especially through the inspiration and encouragement their DT ladies provide with their projects and through their comments. I'm honored that I can now give back to our Cricut community!

Many thanks to Robin, Amy Jo, and everybody at FCCB! Please come join us for this week's challenge, I Scream for Ice Cream, and visit often for all the tutorials, tips, and reviews. FCCB has new inspiration daily -- see you there!

Seasons Greetings Mitten Card

2011-07-16T22:47:00.000-05:00

I'm loving all the Christmas projects around the Cricut blogosphere this month. I decided to join in the early celebration with a holiday card project:

Card Details:

Card Base - shaped card created with <mitten> from Simply Charmed, page 65 (shadow) cut at 5.25 inches
Papers - patterned papers from K&Company's Yuletide paperpack; solid cardstock from The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - mitten from Simply Charmed, page 65; "Seasons Greetings" sentiment from Winter Woodland, page 63
Cuttlebug Embossing - mitten cuff with D'vine Swirls; holly leaves with Victoria
Other - inking with red Colorbox petal point ink pad and leaf green Le Plume II marker; brad by 7 Gypsies - Angelo; yarn from scraps

I love making shaped cards -- even with my antiquated "hold-it-together-with-a-brad" method. But it actually works well for the mittens. When fanned out to view the inside message, you get a pair of mittens! I chose to use a simple piece of yarn as a bow to resemble the little pom-poms and shoe-string bows on mittens from my childhood.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

BBTB2 Challenge: Mittens from "Joys of the Season"
Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #22 - Shaped Christmas Card

Happy Birthday Sherbert Sundae Card

2011-07-16T12:27:00.002-05:00

I'm so happy to be back! I had a great visit with my friend and her son, but I was eager to unpack and reassemble my craft area this morning. I think I was suffering from papercrafting withdrawal! My guys slept in, so I had time to make this clean and simple birthday card:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - green stripe from American Crafts Play paperpack; textured papers from Bazzil Bling; all others from scraps
Cricut Cuts - sundae from Birthday bash, page 57
Cuttlebug Embossing - whipped cream with D'vine Swirls; orange fruit with Spots & Dots
Other - ribbon by CelebrateIt Basic Narrows; sentiment stamp by Hampton Ink; inking with Colorbox orange and green petal point ink pads; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen

I love these colors -- I can almost taste the orange sherbert and smell the mint leaf!

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Amber's Crafts and Stuff: Challenge #18 - Embossing
Birthday Sundaes: Challenge #17 - Orange, Green & White
CAS-ual Fridays: Challenge #11 - Sweets & Treats
Cricut Cardz Challenge #83 - Birthday Card for Grandparent

So Thoughtful Circle Card

2011-07-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

Please don't be alarmed, but this post will be my last until next weekend. A dear childhood friend and her three year-old son are coming to visit this week, so I'm in the process of packing up my craft goodies. (Oh, how I wish for a craft room...) If we need the guest room for my parents, I typically move everything to the living room since my mom and I would a-Cricut anyway. But all these papercrafting tools are just too tempting for two little boys -- so into plastic boxes it all will go.

It's actually my first time to store everything since I began papercrafting. Four months ago, it fit in one flat, under-the-bed container; now, I've got to make a Target run for at least two more boxes. Wow...

But at least I'm going out with a bang. I made one last card this evening, and I'm loving how it turned out:

Card Details:

Card Base - scalloped round card by Studio G (5" diameter)
Papers - all papers from My Mind's Eye: Magnolia; except green cardstock which is from The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - <flower2> cut from Simply Charmed, page 39, only base and layers 1 and 2; circle mats cut with Layer 3 of <flower2>
Cuttlebug Embossing - green leaves with Victoria
Other - petal and gemstone embellishments by Recollections; inking with red, orange, and green Colorbox ink pads; sentiment stamp by Studio G

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Cricut360: Challenge #2 - Circle Thank You Card
Die Cuttin' Divas: Challenge #22 - Sketch Week
M.A.G. Challenge by the Page: Challenge #34 - Simply Charmed

Gingerbread Christmas Card

2011-07-08T07:47:00.000-05:00

Guess what..? I made my first Christmas card with the Cricut last night...!!! Now I want to make handmade cards for everyone on our Christmas card list -- and then I realize I just might be certifiably Cricut crazy.

I used two of my newest cartridges -- Winter Frolic and From My Kitchen -- for this card:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - green polka dot paper from K&Company Yuletide paperpack; textured cardstock with shimmer is Bazzil Bling; all other cardstock by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - gingerbread men and sentiment from Winter Frolic, page 61; spatula from From My Kitchen, page 44; holly leaves from Stretch Your Imagination, page 53
Cuttlebug Embossing - holly leaves with Victoria embossing folder
Other - pink gems from Michaels $1 bin; ribbon by Celebrate It! Basic Narrows; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; inking with brown Stampabilities ink pad

I began following Sassy Lil' Card Sketches - July 7th Reveal exactly until I saw those nine gingerbread all in their rows. I immediately thought they looked fresh out of the oven, so I made a cookie sheet with two layers of gray/silver cardstock and rounded the edges. A spatula gives adds to the baking theme, and the holly makes it more Christmas-y since I did not use red per Celebrate the Occasion's Christmas in July (No Red) challenge.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #21 - Christmas in July (No Red)
Sassy Lil' Card Sketches: July 7th Reveal

Sea Creature Diaper Cake (Guest Crafter for Carson's Creations)

2011-07-07T06:00:00.147-05:00

I'm so excited to be featured as guest crafter today at Carson's Creations -- many thanks to Georgiana for such an honor! If you've come from Georgiana's blog, thanks for visiting! If not, please visit Georgiana and check out her amazing creations.

I'm sharing one of my favorite craft projects with you today -- a diaper cake decorated with Cricut die cuts!

Diaper cakes are wonderful baby shower gifts. I was blessed by a diaper cake when my son was born, and I began making them for my expectant friends. I learned to make diaper cakes from this YouTube video by CreativeBabyShowers:

For this diaper cake, I chose a sea creature theme; it's the recipient's nursery theme and colors. Once you've made your diaper cake base as shown in the video, you'll need the following items:

completed diaper cake base
ribbons in two widths (Mine are 1.5 and 2.5 inches.)
die cuts (I used cuts from Create a Critter and Playtime cartridges; see end of entry for more details.)
floral stems or bush
double-stick tape
scissors

STEP 1: RIBBON
Wrap the wider ribbon around the diaper cake layers to hide rubber bands. Secure with double-stick tape placed along rubber band line every few inches. Repeat with the smaller-width ribbon layered on top of the first ribbon, again securing with double-stick tape.

STEP 2: DIE CUTS
Place your die cuts around the diaper cake as desired; secure to ribbon with double-stick tape.

STEP 3: FLORAL ACCENTS
Cut small sprigs from your floral stem or bush and use as accents for the cake topper and around the die cuts. Stems need to be approximately 3 to 4 inches long. Wedge the stems between or under the rolled diapers; do not use glue, as it will damage the diapers. I used a greenery bush that reminded me of seaweed to keep with the sea creature theme.

STEP 4: TOPPER
Secure die cut as topper of the diaper cake. I used regular transparent tape to fasten the die cut to a wooden skewer and stuck the skewer between diapers. But don't limit yourself to just die cuts -- I often use a small stuffed animal or teething toy as a topper.

And now you have a super cute diaper cake! Below are some close-ups of the topper and die-cuts for this sea creature diaper cake:

Cricut Cut Details:

All animals are from Create a Critter; frog, whale, seahorse, jellyfish, and octopus cut at 3.5 inches; turtle and fish cut at 2.5 inches.
Topper tag is <princess> and <princess_s> from Playtime, cut at 2.25 inches.
Letters for "LANDON" from Opposites Attract using Opposite font, cut at 1.25 inches.
Embossing for topper tag is Spots & Dots Cuttlebug folder.
Textured cardstock is Core'dinations; non-textured cardstock is from The Paper Studio.
Inking with cyan and green Colorbox petal point ink pads.

I've enjoyed sharing this project with you today. Thanks again to Georgiana for such a special honor! I'm really, really proud of how this project turned out, so I'm entering it into a couple challenges, too:

Cooking with Cricut: Challenge #41 - Anything Goes
Decorate to Celebrate: Challenge #3 - Adult's Birthday Party - My project doesn't fit the theme, but they allow any decoration to be entered.

And...if you're thinking this project looks familiar, you might recall the coordinating card I made last week:

Cricut After Dark -- "Sea" Baby Soon Card (June 28, 2011)

Birthday Fishes Wishes Card

2011-07-04T22:15:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a great Independence Day! Our family had a relaxing day at home, and I had a little time tonight for crafting.

This card is for my father-in-law's birthday later this week. He enjoys tending his aquarium, so I decided to make him a fishbowl card.

Card Details:

Card Base - fishbowl from Create a Critter, page 43, cut at 4 inches; secured with brad
Papers - textured cardstock by Bazzil Bling; all other cardstock from scraps; distressed brown paper from My Mind's Eye - Simply Delightful
Cricut Cuts - from Create a Critter: fishbowl and fish, page 43; starfish, page 41 (accessory)
Cuttlebug Embossing - water with D'vine Swirls; fish (Layer 1) with Swiss Dots
Other - brad by 7 Gypsies - Angelo; sentiment printed from my computer; fish and starfish on pop dots; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; inking with Colorbox yellow and cyan ink pads

Without a Gypsy, I can't make shaped cards too easily -- but my solution is making a card held together by brads. It's different, but I like it. :)

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

BBTB2 Challenge: Life Is a Beach / Starfish Challenge
Birthday Sundaes: Challenge #16 - Anything Goes
Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge #67 - Pool Time

Retro Housewarming Card

2011-07-01T11:25:00.000-05:00

Another cut I love from the Nifty Fifties cartridge is the ranch house -- it's just so cute! We live in a neighborhood built in the late '50s/early '60s with houses just like this cut; in fact, our home is pretty similiar -- just add another garage door and subtract the decorative cinder blocks.

This card is for a couple who just moved into their first home. We weren't able to attend the housewarming party, so I'm sending this greeting instead.

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - patterned paper from American Crafts - Play paperpack; cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - house from Nifty Fifties, page 47; "Congrats!" sentiment from Cricut Classic Font, page 66
Cuttlebug Embossing - blue background with Spots & Dots
Other - doodling with white Gelly Roll pen and yellow-green Le Plume II marker

The house has another layer for the white cinder block and window frame accents. But with the house cut at 2.25 inches, this layer was just too small and delicate. Instead, I doodled the accents with a white Gelly Roll pen and added shadow with a yellow-green Le Plume II marker.

Okay, no more cards until I do some chores around the house... :)

Trike Twisted Easel Card

2011-07-01T08:46:00.001-05:00

I made my first twisted easel card last night -- and it was so easy! If you haven't tried this fold, I encourage you to give it a shot.

The video below was my guide, but there's tons of tutorials out there. (Honestly, I chose this tutorial by Christina of Card Making Magic because of her super soothing voice -- it was 9pm and time to "wind down" for the day! But now I've visited her website and really like the folding templates available there.)

Here's my resulting twisted easel card -- featuring a trike modeled after my son's new "ride" from his grandparents!

Card Details:

Card Base - twisted easel (5x5")
Papers - patterns from American Crafts - Play paperpack; cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - all cuts from Boys Will Be Boys; trike, page 36; "zoom" sentiment, page 63 (Phrase/Phrase Layer)
Cuttlebug Embossing - blue background with Spots & Dots
Other - doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; inking with Colorbox orange and blue ink pads

I'm entering this card in Die Cuttin' Divas' Challenge #21: Planes, Trains, & Automobiles. Yes, a trike isn't technically an automobile, but my toddler sure thinks it is!

God Bless Texas Card

2011-06-30T10:15:00.001-05:00

Fourth of July is nearing, but today I wanted to celebrate a place that's just like its own country -- TEXAS!

I moved to Texas after college graduation, a common story in Houston. It's a running joke in our city that it's hard to find a native Houstonian -- and it's true! But as soon as I got here, I knew Texas was different. I remember walking around Walmart soon after I arrived and finding an entire Texas-themed bathroom set -- shower curtain, rugs, toothbrush holder, soap dispenser! You'd never find that sort of thing in my native Louisiana. (I mean, seriously...pelican decor? It just wouldn't happen.) Texans have a unique pride in their state that's strongly rooted in individual freedom and personal responsibility. I love Texas!

Here's my patriotic *Texas* card -- simple but fun!

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - textured cardstock by The Paper Studio; non-textured cardstock from scraps; glittery star paper from The Paper Studio - Birthday Extravaganza stack
Cricut Cuts - star from Simply Charmed, page 68; font for "TEXAS" from Birthday Bash (Font/Font Shadow)
Cuttlebug Embossing - red, white, and blue flag sections with Distressed Stripes
Other - doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; "God Bless" sentiment printed with computer

My design originally began as a Texas flag with the white lone star, but I had to move the star upward to accommodate the text. Then I switched the white star for one with a little sparkle -- such a simple card needed a little pizzazz. I used the Distressed Stripes embossing folder to make the flag look like it was made with old, wooden boards. That rustic feel is totally Texas!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Amber's Crafts and Stuff: Challenge #16 - Red, White, & Blue
Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #20 - 4th of July (Red, White, & Blue)
Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge #66 - Happy 4th (Use Red, White, & Blue)
My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #63 - Independence Day

"Sea" Baby Soon Card

2011-06-28T23:00:00.002-05:00

I'm playing along with Tacky Tuesdays this month for the first time -- and I'm so excited! Their challenge calls for using a sea creature cut and the word "sea" -- which works out great since I had a sea-themed, welcome baby card I needed to make. How cool, huh? Here's the resulting card:

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5x5")
Papers - distressed papers by My Mind's Eye: Bohemia; textured cardstock by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - sea creatures from Create a Critter; jellyfish, page 41; octopus, page 42; fish, page 43; seaweed from Create a Critter, page 43; waves background made by layering nine cuts of <hrts1_s> (Border) from Elegant Edges, page 26
Cuttlebug Embossing - seaweed with Victoria
Other - inking with Colorbox cyan, green, and violet ink pads; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; sentiment printed with my computer; sea creatures on pop dots

Check out the Tacky Tuesdays challenge on Facebook and play along!

Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award

2011-06-25T07:02:00.000-05:00

A big thank you to Nita of Nifty Nita Notes, Cindy P of CardCrazeeMe53, and Glenda of Glenda's Cards for honoring my blog with the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award. You ladies are truly sweet and truly talented! Please check out their blogs to see their creativity and amazing creations.

To accept the award, the rules are to thank the person who honored you with the award, tell seven random things about yourself, and pass the award onto eight friends.

So, here goes seven random things:

I've always loved cats, and we currently have two feline family members, Spike and Britney.
Aside from craft stores, my favorite place to shop is Kohls.
Nothing beats a cherry limeade from Sonic on a hot, summer day.
I have a brown thumb and kill pretty much any houseplant. But I've somehow kept an orchid alive for five weeks now.
DVR has changed my life!
I like to fall asleep listening to Coast to Coast AM. I may not believe everything they discuss, but it sure is entertaining!
I kick off my shoes as soon as I walk in the door.

I am passing the blog award to the following talented crafters. If you are not a follower already, please sure to visit their blogs!

Amber of My 3 E Scrapbooking

Amy of Redheaded Crafter

Dawn of SimplyDawn53

Diana of DL.ART

Georgiana of Carson's Creations

Melissa of Created by Sunshine HoneyBee

Pat of Pat's Scraps

Sonya of Sonya's Paper Trail

Mushroom Welcome Home Card

2011-06-24T23:01:00.000-05:00

While hubby is away, with the Cricut I will play...

Hubby will be home from his mission trip in the morning, so I had time to make one last card this evening -- a welcome home card for him! M.A.G. Challenge by the Page is featuring the Paisley cartridge (finally...one I have!), so I combined their challenge with a sketch from Sassy Lil' Card Sketches and ended up with this card:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - patterned papers by My Mind's Eye: Bohemia; textured cardstock by The Paper Studio; all others from scraps
Cricut Cuts - mushroom from Paisley, page 39
Cuttlebug Embossing - underside of mushroom with Swiss Dots; top of mushroom with Victoria
Other - sentiment printed from my computer; ribbon by Basic Narrows from Michaels; mushroom and sentiment on pop dots

I'm really pleased with the result -- it's both manly and mushy...all at the same time. :)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

M.A.G. Challenge by the Page: Challenge #32 - Paisley, pg 39
Sassy Lil' Card Sketches: June 14th Reveal

Chillin' Patriotic Watermelon Card

2011-06-24T19:14:00.001-05:00

I have a confession -- I don't like watermelon. (I know, I know...) But my son sure does! He's had it occasionally and liked it well enough, but he went absolutely bonkers for it while my parents were here. Then again, if Papaw and GG are enjoying something, Jonathan probably will too. He loves them so much and shows it by emulating them.

So watermelon is the theme today. I saw challenges for both watermelon and flags, and those things are the classic symbols of a fun Fourth of July weekend to me. While I never liked eating watermelon, I do enjoy the smell. And who can resist a watermelon with a smile?

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - textured cardstock by The Paper Studio; all others from scraps
Cricut Cuts - watermelon from Simply Charmed, page 46; stars from Simply Charmed, page 68; "chillin'" sentiment from Paisley, page 24
Other - faux stitching with white Gelly Roll pen and scarlet Le Plume II marker; inking with green and red Colorbox ink pads; watermelon on pop dots

I didn't have an American flag in my cartridge collection, so I made my own representation of one by cutting square stripes with my trimmer and affixing stars cut from Simply Charmed. I like the faux stitching -- really gives it a homemade, all-American look.

And have I mentioned lately how much I'm *loving* these Colorbox ink pads? Yep, thought so. :)

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Amber's Crafts and Stuff: Challenge #15 - Dog Days of Summer
Cooking with Cricut: Challenge #39 - Watermelon
Creative Cutter Room: Challenge - God Bless America!
Cricut Cardz Challenge: Challenge #80 - Flag

Two Cards Recognized

2011-06-24T07:52:00.000-05:00

I feel on top of the world this morning -- two of my cards were recognized on challenge blogs this week!

The Fathers Day card my son and I made for hubby was in the Top 3 at Cooking with Cricut for their Fathers Day challenge.

And the pink and orange birthday presents card was chosen as a Super Sundae at Birthday Sundaes for their embossing challenge.

This recognition means so much to me as a new papercrafter! It makes my day knowing that talented, experienced ladies thought my card was pretty cool!

Sunshine Hello Card

2011-06-23T22:02:00.000-05:00

It's now officially summer -- even though we Texans have been sweating...er, "glowing"...in 100º+ F temps since May. I do love sunshine, but sometimes I wish it would smile more gently on us -- kinda like this cute sun from Simply Charmed:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
Papers - textured cardstock by The Paper Studio; all other cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - sun from Simply Charmed, page 50 with shadow; tag is two <trap1> from Opposites Attract, page 119
Cuttlebug Embossing - alternating Spots & Dots and Swiss Dots on background color blocks
Other - inking with yellow and orange Colorbox ink pads; stamped sentiment by Hampton Ink

I used my new Colorbox ink pads on this project, and I'm in loooooove! I had so much fun inking all the sun's edges. It really makes him smile (and me too).

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #19 - Celebrating Summer (Sun)
Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge #65 - Summer Sun

Sleeping Owl Birthday Card

2011-06-23T08:35:00.003-05:00

I have a quick (but cute, if I do say so) card for you today; it's also the last of eight cards my cousin asked me to make for her. This birthday card is for one of her nurse anesthetist co-workers. We chose a sleeping owl cut since that's what they do all day -- put people to sleep!

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5x5")
Papers - patterns by American Crafts Play paperpack; textured cardstock for owl by Core'dinations; blue and orange cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - owl from Create a Critter, page 25; tag is <dream> from Lovely Floral; ZZZs are Opposite font from Opposites Attract
Cuttlebug Embossing - wings with D'vine Swirls
Other - sentiment stamp by Hampton Ink; ribbon by Basic Narrows from Michaels

I'm entering this card in challenge for Sassy Lil' Card Sketches' June 21st reveal.

Now I'm off to the post office to mail a huge bundle of cards! (And maybe a Michaels / Joann / Hobby Lobby run with my mom...)

Sweet Kitten Birthday Card

2011-06-21T15:45:00.000-05:00

My mom is here and the Cricut has been a-chirpin'! She opened her Kate's ABC cartridge, and it didn't take long for me to borrow it for this sweet kitten card. (When I say "not long", I mean...like, 2 minutes.)

Card Details:

Card Base - shaped card by Studio G (5" diameter)
Papers - patterned paper by Colorbok; aqua paper by My Mind's Eye: Simply Delightful; purple and green cardstock from scraps; textured cardstock by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - kitten/flower/butterfly from Kate's ABCs, page 53; scalloped background from Elegant Edges, pages 23 and 50
Cuttlebug Embossing - cat with D'vine Swirls
Other - doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; inking edges with ultramarine and lavender Le Plume II markers and purple Colorbox ink pad; sentiment stamp by Hampton Ink; ribbon by Basic Narrows.

The cat's tail was connected to the grass cut originally on Kate's ABCs, but I clipped them apart so I could have the tail come around the front of the sentiment stamp. Also, I was having such a hard time with the bow that my mom tied it for me. She's so great at bows!

I'm submitting this card to Birthday Sundaes Challenge #14 - Shaped Card.

Pink Butterfly Birthday Card

2011-06-20T07:38:00.000-05:00

I hope all the special guys in your life had a great Fathers Day yesterday. The day was super special because it was also my mom's birthday!

Even though she lives seven hours away, we have a close relationship and talk on the phone most everyday -- sometimes multiple times. Since we both got our Expressions in March, many of our conversations are now about Cricut and papercrafting. But my mom is talented many, many areas -- cross-stitch, home decor, flower arranging, crochet, and anything that requires creativity and precision. (You see, when my mom needs to center something, she whips out the measuring tape; I just eye-ball it. She's that exact and takes pride in everything she does.) She's also a loving grandmother to my son and the best cook I know; there's nothing like Mama's cooking.

She and my dad are actually coming for a visit and will arrive this evening -- I'm so excited!

So without further ado, here's the card I made for my mom:

Card Details:

Card Base - Easel Card (5x5")
Papers - patterned papers from My Mind's Eye: Simply Delightful; solid cardstock by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - butterflies from Florals Embellished, page 64; scalloped background and border from Elegant Edges, page 56
Cuttlebug Embossing - Kassie's Brocade on pink background
Other - pink ribbon from stash; gems from Michaels dollar bin; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; sentiment printed from my computer

Cool Cat Birthday Card

2011-06-18T22:58:00.001-05:00

Guess what I got in the mail today...?! My (somewhat) free cartridge from the Michaels / Provocraft rebate! And I got Nifty Fifties -- my first choice! I seriously did a happy dance when I opened the envelope.

I wanted this cartridge for two specific cuts -- the cat and the glasses. So I couldn't resist cranking out a simple birthday card with the cat tonight:

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5x5")
Papers - patterned paper from American Crafts - Play; all other cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - cat from Nifty Fifties, page 23; tag is <cute_s> and its coordinating layer from Playtime
Cuttlebug Embossing - Dots & Spots on yellow shape behind cat
Other - sentiment stamp by Hampton Ink

I love this retro look! I also seem to be using a lot of orange lately, huh?

The Pink Stamper is having a birthday challenge today, so I'm submitting this card to her contest. Check out her Birthday Crazy Card Challenge and play along!

Woodworking Fathers Day Card

2011-06-18T10:54:00.001-05:00

My dad received his Fathers Day card yesterday, so now I can share it with you -- yippee! But first, I'll tell you a little about my dad and the inspiration for his card.

My dad is a master wood craftsman and can make anything. He's actually made most of the furniture in our house! For college graduation and my move to Houston, he made me a bed, dresser, and matching nightstands -- these are my most prized possessions.

Here's a photo of my dad staining the nightstands and the finished bed in his workshop from 2003:

In addition to bedroom furniture, my dad handcrafted our son's crib and changing table, our entertainment center, coffee table, entry table, and much more! He also makes furniture, cabinets, and keepsake items for my mom, their church, and friends and family.

So, of course, I opted for a woodworking theme for my dad's Fathers Day card:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights Collection (A2)
Papers - wood-grain paper from Me & My Big Ideas - Autumn; graph and red starburst pattern from DCWV Mod-Retro stack; textured cardstock from The Paper Studio; all others from scraps
Cricut Cuts - hammer and screwdriver from Boys Will Be Boys, page 50
Cuttlebug Embossing - orange circle with Dots & Spots; mustard circle with Distressed Stripes
Other - inking with brown Stampabilities ink pad; sentiment printed on my computer; pop dots elevate hammer and screwdriver and background circles

I was excited to find this wood-grain paper, but elated to find a graph-paper pattern! My dad always has a pad of graph paper by his chair for sketching and planning projects in the evenings. I included the white string to complete the card's look; it reminded me of a plumb line.

The card design was based on Sassy Lil' Card Sketches' June 7th Reveal, and I'm including this card in their challenge.

Happy Fathers Day, Daddy!

Hubby's Shirt Fathers Day Card

2011-06-17T23:06:00.001-05:00

Also stashed away in hubby's luggage is his Fathers Day card from me. Since watching Mary's shirt origami tutorial at Cardz TV, I knew I wanted to make him a card with one of those super cute shirts!

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5x5")
Papers - striped paper from My Mind's Eye: Magnolia; aqua paper from My Mind's Eye: Simply Delightful; orange and white cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - both layers of <tag1> from Lovely Floral; "HUBBY" sentiment font from Birthday Bash
Other - stamp by Hampton Ink; brads from 7 Gypsies - Angelo; inside sentiment created/printed from my computer; edges inked with Colorbox orange and cyan ink pads; "HUBBY" sentiment and shirt on pop dots

My favorite thing about this card -- well, besides from successfully making an origami shirt! -- is the tag hanging from the "button" like you actually get when buying a collared shirt. It flips and flutters in the breeze as you move the card.

I'm entering this card in the following challenge:

Paper Cutz Challenge #96 - Fathers Day (with a tag)

Father & Son Tiger Card

2011-06-17T19:00:00.086-05:00

My son and I had so much fun creating this tiger-themed Fathers Day card for my hubby. Hubby loves tigers, so we chose to modify a cat from Create a Critter with orange and black stripes -- and it looks very tiger-like!

Of course, mommy did most of the designing, but my two-year old son is getting quite proficient at loading the cutting mat for me! He wants to pretend "JonJon's cricut" while I'm working, so I now have to be sure the power cord is unplugged when not in use.

Here's our resulting easel card:

Card Details:

Card Base - Easel Card (5x5")
Papers - striped paper from My Mind's Eye: Magnolia; textured cardstock by The Paper Studio; all others from scrap
Cricut Cuts - all cuts from Create a Critter; tigers are <cat1> on page 29; flag from page 28 without Layer 1; sentiment from page 49 (phrase); letters for "GRRREAT" from Opposites Attract using both Opposite and Opposite Shadow functions.
Cuttlebug Embossing - Dots & Spots on green background layer
Other - doodling and faux stitching with white Gelly Roll pen; inside sentiment printed with my computer; pop dots elevate tigers, flag, and "GRRREAT" sentiment.

My son created artwork with his crayons to insert into the envelope, too. (Just like Mommy, he does his best work in PJs and with a snack. See the rogue animal cracker?)

I also wanted to do a handprint with him, but it just wasn't happening this morning. He's usually super eager to get into my ink pads, but I guess the Terrible Twos were rearing their ugly head.

Hubby will be away on his mission trip on Fathers Day, so I'm packing this card in his luggage for him to open Sunday. I hope it makes him feel loved even when away from us on dads' day.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Cooking with Cricut: Challenge #38 - Fathers Day
Cricut Cardz Challenge #79 - Fathers Day
My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #61 - Fathers Day

Bus Survival Kit

2011-06-17T18:30:00.012-05:00

My hubby is leaving tonight for a week-long mission trip to Tennessee. It's his first time going with our church youth group, and he'll be on a bus full of teens for 15+ hours. Overnight. Without electronic devices. And did I mention they're teens...? :)

So I made him a "bus survival kit" filled with some of his favorite goodies. There's beef jerky, M&Ms, Jolly Ranchers, gum, and mints. I included a book light so he can do some late-night reading as well as wipes, hand sanitizer, and aspirin. I packed everything in a cellophane treat bag and made a cute topper for it:

Project Details:

Papers - striped paper from My Mind's Eye: Magnolia; all cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - topper from Birthday Bash, page 28 (card/tag); bus from Stretch Your Imagination, page 51; letters from Block font on Boys Will Be Boys
Other - doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; bus on pop dots

This treat bag was lots of fun to make. Now I'm eager for another occasion to make these cute little bags!

Pink Purse Birthday Card

2011-06-16T09:03:00.001-05:00

I did some early morning crafting while my toddler son was preoccupied with his newest DVD obsession, Leap Frog's Letter Factory. It's educational -- teaches phonics to pre-readers -- and he loves it, so I don't feel too, too guilty letting him watch it during breakfast.

I made another card requested by my cousin; this one is for a girly-girl who likes zebra print and the color pink. Wouldn't you know, I didn't have a single piece of zebra print in my paper collection...?! I made a quick trip to Michaels last night to remedy that situation and also found some sentiment stamps on clearance. I love bargains!

Here's the girly-girl card -- I'm really diggin' it!

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights Collection (A2)
Papers - patterns by The Paper Studio; solids and cardstocks from scraps
Cricut Cuts - purse and hearts from Create a Critter, page 36 (accessory and phrase); scalloped border from Elegant Edges, page 30 (border)
Cuttlebug Embossing - D'vine Swirls on purse
Other - sentiment stamp by Hampton Ink

The only purse cuts I could find in my collection were from Create a Critter. Both were pretty basic, so I added the flap to the front of this purse to jazz it up. It's simply the cutout portion between the purse body and handle. Pretty cute, huh?

I must admit, the whole time I was making this card, I was salivating over the purses from Kate's ABCs. I bought it for my mom a while back when it was on sale at Joanns for $19.99, and it's even sitting on my craft table! But I had willpower and didn't open it -- even though she said I could if I absolutely had to. I might be adding that cart to my wish list.

Note: I'm submitting this project to Paper Cutz Challenge #95 - Anything Goes with Pink, Black, and White Only.

Pink & Orange Birthday Card

2011-06-15T07:38:00.002-05:00

Pink and orange are my two favorite colors, so I loved working with these papers for a card requested by my cousin. I also was itching to use the CPS #222 sketch this week -- here's the result:

Card Details:

Card Base - DCWV Brights Collection (A2)
Papers - all patterned papers from My Mind's Eye: Simply Delightful; flat cardstock by The Paper Studio; textured cardstock by Bazzil Bling
Cricut Cuts - presents from Birthday Bash, pages 59 and 61 (card/tag)
Cuttlebug Embossing - D'vine Swirls on pink present; Kassie's Brocade on orange present
Other - lots of inking with brown Stampabilities ink pad; "happy birthday" sentiment stamp from The Paper Studio; gems from Michaels dollar bin; ribbon from stash

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Birthday Sundaes: Challenge #13 - Wet or Dry Embossing
Card Positioning Systems: CPS #222 Sketch

Before I close, I *must* share an awesome tip from the Cricut messageboards. Did you know you can clean your cutting mat with baby wipes...?! I was about to trash my current mat because even the thinnest papers wouldn't stick anymore. Then I tried cleaning it with a baby wipe, and the sticky works again! You do need to rub quite hard to pick up all the residue, but it's a super easy solution to extend the life of your mat.

Adore Wedding/Anniversary Card

2011-06-14T13:36:00.001-05:00

My blog may be quiet, but my Cricut hasn't been! It's been frantically chirping with Fathers Day and birthday cards. By this weekend -- hopefully -- I should be able to share a few "shh-shh" projects with you.

In the meantime, I can post a wedding/anniversary card I made this morning. I've been dying to use this Heidi Grace patterned bird paper, and a card for two nature lovers was a good reason. It's also two firsts for me -- my first Z-fold card and my first time to stamp a sentiment on the front! Here's the entire card stretched:

And folded to view just the front:

Card Details:

Card Base - black cardstock (A6)
Papers - patterned and cream cardstock by Heidi Grace; blue textured cardstock by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - scalloped background from Elegant Edges, page 51 (<btfly2_s>/Shadow); bird from Create a Critter, page 45, legs snipped and one image flipped; bell from Stretch Your Imagination, page 72 (Blackout), handle and heart snipped.
Cuttlebug Embossing - D'vine Swirls on bell
Other - ribbon by American Crafts; "adore" sentiment by The Paper Studio; gem from Michaels dollar bin; inking around edges of bird with sky blue Le Plume II marker

I'm entering this project into the following challenges:

Cricut Cardz Challenge #78 - Wedding Card
Die Cuttin' Divas: Challenge #19 - Wedding Bliss (without hearts)
Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge #64 - Wedding Wishes (use white and a bell)
Paper Playtime: Challenge #48 - Z-Fold Card

Blue & Silver Wedding Card

2011-06-10T22:39:00.001-05:00

My cousin has commissioned me to create a few cards for her -- which means I now have a paying customer! (Or at least an excuse to buy more goodies with the proceeds.)

The first card is a wedding congratulations card for her friends, requested with the colors blue and silver. Here's my resulting design:

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5"x5")
Papers - blue damask from Recollections: All Seasons; all cardstock from The Paper Studio except cardstock with luster, which is Bazzil Bling
Cricut Cuts - wedding bells from Wrap It Up, page 36; scalloped background from Elegant Edges, page 56 ("bird3_s")
Cuttlebug Embossing - scalloped background with Kassie's Brocade
Other - ribbon by American Crafts; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen

I really like how parts of the wedding bell and ribbon cut with Bazzil Bling cardstock shimmer when they catch the light. It adds a lot of dimension in addition to the background and cuts being elevated with pop dots.

I'm entering this project into the following challenge:

Cricut Cardz Challenge #78 - Wedding Card

Fishing Fathers Day Card

2011-06-10T21:56:00.004-05:00

Fathers Day is approaching, so I've started getting busy with cards for the dads in my life. This card is for my father-in-law and is based on CPS Sketch #221:

The inside sentiment reads, "...to a reel good dad."

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5"x5")
Paper - patterned paper from My Mind's Eye: Bohemia; cardstock by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - fishing cuts from Boys Will Be Boys, page 71
Cuttlebug Embossing - circle background embossed with Swiss Dots
Other - doodling with white Gelly Roll pen and sky blue and emerald Le Plume II markers; light inking with brown Stampabilities stamp pad on background patterned papers; sentiment printed from my computer

I'm entering this project into the following challenges:

Amber's Crafts & Such - Challenge #13: Special Man
Card Positioning Systems - Sketch #221
Fantabulous Cricut - Challenge #63: #1 Dad

Jessica Gets Stamps

2011-06-09T07:42:00.000-05:00

So I broke down and bought a pack of stamps. Just some cheap ones from Hobby Lobby to see how I would like them. And...

I think I like them!

Bookworm Birthday Card

2011-06-08T16:49:00.003-05:00

I have another special card to show you today -- and this one had to be kept hidden, too! It's my hubby's birthday card, and since he reads my blog, it had to be top secret until he received it yesterday.

This card is also my first try at a sidestep card. Its two recessed rows were perfect for making a bookshelf. Hubby is an avid reader, so I decided to make it a bookworm-themed card. Here's the result:

Card Details:

Card Base - Sidestep Card (A2)
Papers - patterned brown paper from My Mind's Eye: Simply Delightful; patterned blue paper from Recollections: All Seasons; all cardstock by The Paper Studio
Cricut Cuts - worm from Create a Critter, page 65; books (one set flipped) from Wrap It Up, page 57; presents from Stretch Your Imagination, page 59; banner from Birthday Bash, page 69 (font, both layers); "Happy Birthday" sentiment from Birthday Bash, page 68 (card/tag)
Cuttlebug Embossing - Kassie's Brocade on presents; Dots & Spots on light green layer of bookworm
Other - ribbon by American Crafts (double-sided -- how cool!); lots of inking with brown ink pad by Stampabilities

Hubby loved his card! He's so supportive of my papercrafting addiction, and I was glad to try a new card fold especially for him.

Snappy Birthday Gator Card

2011-06-06T20:32:00.000-05:00

I've been impatiently waiting to share this card with you -- and I finally can!

My dad reads my blog, so I couldn't post his birthday card until he'd received it. With the theme of Swamp People (a show on History Channel we both enjoy), it would be too obvious it was his. He received the card today, so now you can check it out:

Card Base - DCWV Brights Collection (A2)
Papers - patterned brown paper from My Mind's Eye: Simply Delightful; textured dark green cardstock by The Paper Studio; all other cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts -Create a Critter, page 45, gator (all layers) and grass (accessory, both cuts)
Cuttlebug Embossing - Distressed Stripes on grass
Other - lots of inking with brown ink pad by Stampabilities; cream yarn from scraps; outside and inside sentiments printed from my computer.

One of my dad's favorite characters on the show, Troy, is constantly yelling "shoot 'em" when they find a gator on the line. So hubby and I collaborated on including this quote with the inside sentiment.

My favorite thing about this card is how the gator is "caught" on the line. I also like the dark, masculine colors and overall representation of Swamp People. I grew up in Louisiana, and it's really neat seeing my home on TV -- even if I didn't live in the swamp

For a kids' spin on the Swamp People theme, check out the gator party favors Glenda made for her grandson. They're totally cute -- and snappy, too!

You can watch Swamp People on Thursdays, 9/8c, on the History Channel.

Lemonade Pitcher Tag

2011-06-04T14:10:00.005-05:00

The ladies of "Team Chillin'" at BugBites' Grillin' & Chillin' Blog Hop are showcasing super-cute summertime projects today. Their theme is anything you do to chill out in the summer. My family has been chillin' by drinking lemonade this week, so I was inspired to "pretty up" our lemonade pitcher with a cute tag:

Project Details:

Pitcher - purchased from Wal-Mart approximately three years ago -- I loved the colors!
Lemonade - made earlier this week and "chillin'" in my fridge!
Papers - cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - tag from "princess" cut on Playtime; lemon from Simply Charmed, page 48; ladybug from Doodlecharms, page 94 (blackout); letters from Opposites Attract (opposite feature)
Cuttlebug Embossing - Spots & Dots on pink tag layer
Other - doodling with white Gelly Roll pen and black pen; the ladybug was too tiny to cut circle details

I think this tag would be perfect for a party to identify types of drinks in similar containers. But since it's back in my fridge now, I'll wait for my toddler son's reaction when he goes in for a snack. He just recently learned how to open the fridge door, and he has many interesting reactions to the things he finds in there!

This project is being submitted to the following challenge:

BugBites' Grillin' & Chillin' Blog Hop Challenge: "Chillin'" Project with a Hidden Bug

I Hit the Paper Motherload!

2011-06-03T23:16:00.000-05:00

I'm a bargain shopper at heart. And look what set my heart aflutter tonight at Ross and Marshalls:

I bought *all* this paper -- a $101 value -- for $43!!!

I was especially pleased to pick up two more My Mind's Eye paperpacks; I really like their patterned designs. I'm excited about DCWV's Mod-Retro Stack too; there's a sheet that is absolutely perfect for a Fathers Day card for my dad. I also scored some cool paper for my son's scrapbook.

I feel like I'm on an episode of TLC's Extreme Couponing -- just without coupons and with craft supplies instead of groceries! I'd watch a show like that. :)

Check your local Ross and Marshalls and let me know if you find some good deals, too!

Elegant Cake Birthday Card

2011-06-02T13:37:00.002-05:00

I combined several challenge requirements today and came up with a shaped birthday cake card featuring the colors tangerine and yellow. Wouldn't you know -- after creating this card, I have a sudden craving for orange cake!

Card Details:

Card Base - shaped (8 inch) card from Birthday Bash, page 25, on orange cardstock from scraps
Papers - patterns from Recollections All Seasons paperpack; orange paper for cake from Simply Delightful: My Mind's Eye; solids from Bazzil Bling Textured Cardstock
Cricut Cuts - birthday cake from Birthday Bash, page 25; sentiment from Birthday Bash, page 67 (card/tag); tag created from "swirl1_s" on Elegant Edges, page 25
Cuttlebug Embossing - Kassie's Brocade on cake layers
Other - doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; tag elevated with pop dot

I think the result is really elegant and perfect for a summer birthday. All that bright pink, tangerine, and yellow makes me of how hot it will be in August. (Or even now, since we're hovering around 95ºF these days!)

I'm submitting this project in the following challenges:

BBTB2: Challenge - Celebrations/Birthday Cake
Cooking with Cricut: Challenge #32 - Color Challenge
Cricut Cardz Challenge: Challenge #77 - Use Card Feature

Love Bug Easel Card

2011-05-31T17:12:00.003-05:00

I'm really excited to show you the project I made today. Not only is it my first easel card, but it's also my entry for the CRICUT 360º design team call.

The only stipulations for the call were to make a card or layout using lime green and a bug. Here's my result:

Card Details:

Card Base - easel card (5.5x5.5")
Paper - all patterned paper from American Crafts Play Paperpack; solids from The Paper Studio cardstock and textured cardstock
Cricut Cuts - bugs from Simply Charmed, page 31; "love bug" sentiment from Create a Critter, page 66 (phrase), heart embellishment from Create a Critter, page 64 (phrase).
Cuttlebug Embossing - dark green layer of bugs with Distressed Stripes
Other - ribbon by CelebrateIt Basic Narrows; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; inking along dark pink edges with Le Plume II scarlet marker; inside sentiment created on my computer; pop-dots elevate the bugs, sentiment, and two layers of heart embellishment.

One additional detail is the hearts on the bugs' backs. I added an extra, off-set heart layer (light pink) to the image. Without it, the dark green would have been the highlight showing through the top heart, and it just didn't look right to me.

I thought a lot about my hubby while working on this card, and now it's sitting on the entryway table so he can see it as soon as he walks in from work!

Sonia and Nana, CRICUT 360º Hosts,
It would be an honor to participate on your design team. I'm a newbie (got my Cricut Expression in March), but I've grown so much in my papercrafting skills by participating in challenge blogs. Now I'd love to give back and inspire others -- especially others who are just getting started! My work is completely Cricut and Cuttlebug-focused (no stamping), which I feel shows the complete range of what one can do with a Cricut and a little imagination. I also love to do scrapbook layouts and would bring those types of projects to your forum. Thank you for considering me!
Sincerely, Jessica

Nice Buns Card

2011-05-28T13:32:00.002-05:00

Memorial Day Weekend always feels like the start of summer to me. This year is no exception -- especially after viewing all the summer-inspired projects on BugBites' "Grillin' & Chillin" Bug Hop.

I'm entering the hop's challenge with this card:

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5x5")
Papers - plaid from KI Memories Heirloom Collection; blue and orange distressed papers and brown damask for patty from Simply Delightful: My Mind's Eye; gray textured cardstock from The Paper Studio; all others from scraps
Cricut Cuts - hamburger from Simply Charmed, page 49; utensils from Playtime, third layer of "Jim" cut; bug from Doodlecharms, page 92; background in plaid from Elegant Edges, page 63.
Cuttlebug Embossing - top hamburger bun with Swiss Dots; lettuce with D'vine Swirls; tomatoes with Dots & Spots; pickle with Distressed Stripes.
Other - inking around plaid layer with brown ink pad by Stampabilities and lots of doodling with white gel pen; also highlighted sesame seeds on buns with yellow marker.

A few words about the hamburger patty -- it looks a lot browner in person. In the photo it looks like a tasteless, gray burger you get at a school cafeteria! Oh well. :)

I also wanted my critter to be one of the ants I saw on the blog hop, but I couldn't find an ant cut on any of my cartridges. I settled on making the bug from Doodlecharms in black to represent the critter.

We often get together with friends for cookouts in the summer. I thought this would be a neat -- and cheeky, haha! -- thank you card to send a host.

Cricut-tastic Blog Award

2011-05-27T08:45:00.000-05:00

Nita at Nifty Nita Notes has blessed me with another blog award -- thanks, Nita! Even though I've only followed her blog for the past month or so, I feel such a kinship with Nita. We both got our Cricut Expressions in March, are both new to blogging and challenges, and she homeschools (which is our plan when Jonathan reaches school age).

Upon receiving this award, one must:

Wear the badge proudly on your Blog.
Tell five Cricut-related things about yourself.
Share this award with other Blogs you think are Cricut-tastic.

So here's five Cricut-related things about me:

I received my first Cricut machine, the Cricut Expression (in magenta), as a birthday gift from my parents in March 2011; hubby gave me cartridges, too!
Ten weeks into my obsession, I now own 12 cartridges.
My most frequently used cartridges are Birthday Bash (my favorite) and Lovely Floral.
I'm hoping Cricut Craft Room becomes available to the public soon -- hope is the only reason I haven't bought a Gypsy yet.
My mom bought an Expression after seeing how much fun it was -- now we can craft together when she visits!

I'd like to pass this award on to a few blogs I've recently found and enjoy following:

Dawn - SimplyDawn53
Jen - Jen's Happy Place
Susan - It's Me Susan P: Paper Crafting & More

Home Sweet Home Card

2011-05-26T18:22:00.002-05:00

So, how's the housing market in your area? Houston has been very fortunate, and home sales and foreclosures aren't nearly as bad here as elsewhere in the country. I've seen two houses flip and be snatched up quickly in our neighborhood. We're also watching a CVS and Kohls go up nearby. And three -- yes, three -- couples we know are closing on houses soon.

So today's card is for friends who are moving into their first home this weekend:

Card Details:

Card Base - Recollections (A6)
Papers - Simply Delightful: My Mind's Eye for all patterned papers; red textured cardstock by The Paper Studio; yellow cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - "Home Sweet Home" sentiment and layered frame from Lovely Floral; house from Create a Critter, page 29 (accessory) with a second, larger house cut to make a shadow effect
Charm - Metal Madness (clearance at Michaels -- yay!)
Other - inking around yellow edges with brown ink pad by Stampabilities; inking around red edges with Le Plume II persimmon marker; doodling with white gel pen; pop-dots on sentiment frame and house.

This card followed the Sassy Lil' Card Sketches May 21st Reveal fairly closely until my toddler decided to do his own "doodling" with my white gel pen while I was away from the table. ARRGHH! I couldn't salvage the patterned pieces of the card, so I started over. It still has the same elements as the sketch -- just moved around a little -- so I hope it's okay to submit it to their challenge.

Really, my son has gotten better about not touching "Mommy's Cricut" -- he's just too enamored with my markers these days. It's too cute when he says "Mommy's Cricut," but it's soon followed by his saying, "Noooo...JonJon's Cricut."

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Paper Playtime: Challenge #46 - Just for Fun / Add a Charm
Sassy Lil' Card Sketches: May 21st Reveal

Flying Bird Birthday Card

2011-05-25T13:04:00.001-05:00

I played with my newest cartridge today -- Florals Embellished. Hubby gave me this cartridge last weekend as an end-of-school-year reward. I can't imagine any better reward than Cricut goodies, can you?

And he had great timing, too -- BBTB2 is featuring one of the Florals Embellished birds for its challenge this week. So, here's my resulting card:

I made the sentiment "Happy Birthday" since June is a big month for birthdays in our family. My mom, dad, and hubby have birthdays. But who's the recipient? They'll just have to wait and see...

Card Details:

Card Base - Studio G (5"x5")
Papers - Simply Delightful: My Mind's Eye for all blue patterns; plain white cardstock and textured navy cardstock from scraps
Cricut Cuts - bird from Florals Embellished, page 61, all six layers; clouds are the "joy" background from Playtime; "Happy Birthday" sentiment is from Birthday Bash, page 44 (card/tag)
Cuttlebug Embossing - Kassie's Brocade for top layer of bird's body; D'vine Swirls for clouds
Other - inking on top layers of bird with white gel pen and Le Plume II sky blue marker; pop-dots elevate bird above clouds

I'm entering this project into the following challenges:

BBTB2: Challenge - Florals Embellished Flying Bird
Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge #61 - Blue Skies