Paper Cutz Challenge #89

If you live somewhere that isn't seeing rain...good for you!!!  At Paper Cutz Challenge this week Mary told the DT anything goes.  I'm not big on anything goes challenges myself (I like a little more structure), but I was glad that I made this one a couple week's ago and had it in my stash.  It's been a rough week for me--between some health issues, trips to the dr. and hospital for tests and procedures (don't even get me started on that), teaching a Cricut class and showing our house that's for sale I have not been able to get into my craft room all week.  Seriously, this house selling stuff is getting old.  It's really cutting into my craft time. These house shoppers obviously don't know that I MUST make cards. LOL  I'm grateful we've had a lot of interest and have had so many people come see it (seven times so far this week).  Now if we can just get a serious offer we'll be all set.  We have had so much rain here in Michigan this Spring, but from what I've seen on the news we're not alone and many states are even worse.  So this card reflects the feelings of so many---eventually the sun will come out.  I made this card with my Cricut Imagine More cartridge.  The patterned papers are all printed from the cartridge.  The image, the top note shape and the scallop edge piece are all from that same cartridge.  My sentiment is computer generated.

Cricut Cardz Challenge #72

This week at Cricut Cardz Challenge we've made Mother's Day cards using any card feature and had to have a flower on it.  I used the Wrap It Up cartridge, used the card and the phrase feature.  I made the card and the phrase from dark pink cardstock and the liner (shift, phrase) from light pink.  I added a piece of white cardstock that I ran through my Cuttlebug in the Mandarin Screen embossing folder.  I used Stickles on the phrase flower and added a ribbon and button for embellishment.  The cuts pretty much did all the work on this card...really quick and easy when you use a card feature.  I found over fifty cartridges that had a card on them.  So if you'd like to join in the challenge you shouldn't have any problem finding a cartridge with the card feature.  In case you don't have a Gypsy or feel like looking through your manuals here's a list of some of the cartridges with a card on them:

• A Child's Year
• Alphalicious
• Basecamp
• Batman
• Beyond Birthdays
• Botanicals
• Calligraphy
• Celebrations
• Christmas
• Christmas Cheer
• Cuttin' Up
• Damask Decor
• Don Juan
• Doodlecharms
• Elmo's Party
• Everyday Pop-Up Cards
• Fabulous Finds
• Going Places
• Joys of the Season
• 3 Birds-Life's A Party
• Locker Talk
• Lovestruck
• Mickey and Friends
• Mini Monsters
•  New Arrival
• Old West
• Pack Your Bags
• Pagoda
• Paisley
• Paper Pups
• Picturesque
• Pink Journey
• Plantin' Schoolbook
• Pop-Up Cards Neighborhood
• Potpourri Basket
• Preserves
• Sentimentals
• Sesame Street Seasons
• Slumber Party
• Speaking of Fall
• Speaking of School
• Speaking of Winter
• Stand and Salute
• Stretch Your Imagination
• Superman
• Sweethearts
• Thanksgiving
• Walk in My Garden
• Wall Decor
• Wild Card
• Wrap It Up
• ZooBalloo

I bet you didn't know there were that many, did you?  Now there's no excuse for not joining the fun this week at Cricut Cardz.  Can't wait to see your designs.

BBTB2 Home Decor Crown

This week's BBTB2 cut was chosen by our fabulously talented DT sister, Julie.  She asked us to use the crown from the Home Decor cartridge.  I kept this one simple because it was going in the mail to my mother-in-law with a gift card enclosed.  I recently had a card returned in the mail and I was afraid it was because it was too thick with layering, so I was careful on this one knowing it was going to have a gift card in it.  I'm so cheap, I hate paying extra postage.  I rarely make square cards anymore if they are going to mailed because I refuse to pay the extra postage.  I know, I'm bad.  Anyway, for my standard A2 card I used black cardstock for the base then used some patterned papers that I had in my scrap bin.  I checked my Gypsy using the keyword queen and found it on the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge.  It actually already had a crown sitting on top of the word but I cut it off and replaced it with the Home Decor crown cutting it from silver cardstock.  My sentiment is computer generated.

Paper Cutz Challenge #88

Hooray, Friday and time for another Paper Cutz Challenge.  This week Mary gave us a color challenge.  I don't know why but I usually have a bit of a panic attack over color challenges.  Mary asked us to use pink, blue, green, purple and white.  I decided to make a quick, simple and easy tall card (or in my case, wide and skinny) which is cut at 8 1/2" x 8" and scored at 4" from white cardstock.  It seems my time is so limited since we put our house up for sale.  All I do is clean this big five bedroom behemoth house to keep it looking good for viewing.  Which means I can't make a mess in my craft room.  I'm trying to take it all in stride, but I'm tired of cleaning.  Good thing hubby and I tend to be neat.  Anyway back to my card...I topped it with a blue and white gingham from DCWV Nana's Kitchen stack.  I used my Plantin' Schoolbook cartridge to cut the scallops...one from green cardstock the other from Bo Bunny dots.  I also used the same cartridge to cut my sentiment from purple cardstock.  I embellished with a green polka dot ribbon that I gathered at each scallop by tying with twine then added purple buttons with twine bows. I just can't seem to make anything lately without adding polka dots.  I'm obsessed with them.

BBTB2 Pineapple

The weekend is gone and it's time to go back to work.  For those of you who work, anyway. I happen to be happily retired and I highly recommend it.  I thought I'd give you workers something to keep in mind as you head off to the workplace.  LOL  This week's challenge at BBTB2 was chosen by the super talented Karen.  She asked us to use the pineapple from the Wall Decor cartridge.  I don't have this cartridge so I pinched hit again by using the Paper Dolls Dress Up cartridge.  If you'd like to join the challenge this week and don't have the Wall Decor cartridge you can use a pineapple cut from any Cricut cartridge.  Last year at this time we were enjoying a nice relaxing trip in Hawaii and that's what this card reminds me of.  I think I actually remembered to put all the elements together on this one---the stitching, the embossing and the bling.  Usually I finish up and then realize I forgot to stitch or I should have embossed.  This is a standard A2 card cut from cream colored cardstock, topped with a navy blue mat and patterned paper from DCWV Summer Stack from a couple years ago.  As I said, the pineapple came from the PDDU cartridge.  You'll find it on page 42.  Since this is an accessory that goes with the little hula girl you really have to increase the size to get it this big.  I know this will sound totally wrong but it's cut at 11".  I used all scraps from my scrap bin for the pineapple cut.  I cut it three times, once from the polka dot and twice from an orangish/yellow cardstock so I could layer it.  I embossed the yellow using a diamond pattern embossing folder from QuickKutz. Then I inked it up with chalk in Chestnut Roan and Creamy Brown and added the rhinestones for bling.  I used my MS Scoreboard to pleat a one inch strip of some turquoise paper I found in my scrap bin.  It had a little stripe pattern going on it so I thought it would be perfect for an umbrella to stick on the top of my tropical drink. I ran a piece of 1/8" Tacky Tape along the top edge of the umbrella before I pleated it to make it stick together.  I trimmed off the pointy end of a toothpick and added it to the back of the umbrella then stuck it in between my two layers and used some dimensional foam to make the umbrella stick out from the surface.  As a final bit of bling I used some orange stickles on one of the tropical flowers on the background paper.  The sentment is cut from a piece of paper from that same DCWV stack.

Sweet 'n Sassy Molly w/ flower

I needed a quick card today for a little girl and decided to use this Sweet 'n Sassy digi of Molly with a flower.  It was the perfect image for the paper I wanted to use.  I colored her with my COPICS, cut her out and mounted her on a Nestie.  I punched a quick border for the top edge of the card with a Fiskars punch, added a punched tag with a computer generated sentiment and a yellow gingham bow.  I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

• Daring Cardmakers-Spring
• Digital Tuesday-Little Woman
• Fussy & Fancy-For A Child
• Sweet 'n Sassy-Birthday w/ Sweet 'n Sassy image

Now I've got to run my granddaughters are coming for an unexpected visit.  Oh boy, fun!!!

Paper Cutz Challenge #87 Buttons & Bows

It's the end of the work week and who isn't ready for the weekend?  Friday means it's time for a new challenge at Paper Cutz.  This week Mary asked the DT to use buttons and bows.  I love how my card turned out and I did it all with my Cricut Imagine.  I'm really coming to love the machine so much.  I printed all my papers using the Best Friends cartridge which features Cosmo Cricket paper patterns.  What I find completely fascinating about the paper printing feature is the patterns become proportional to the size of the image you cut.  For example, the cloud paper.  I cut the shape at 2 1/4" and the clouds are tiny.  If I had cut the same shape at 11" the clouds are bigger. I cut the bird from the Home Decor cartridge and used the fill feature on the Imagine to print the papers it's cut from.  This assures me that all my papers and colors will coordinate and I know that I will always have access to make more of the paper, never running out or having my paper "discontinued".  You also have the option of breaking up premade images into layers to just use whatever part of the image you want.  That's how I got my Your Tweet sentiment.  For the buttons and bows part of this card I used a pink and yellow button and layered them.  I tied a bow from twine through the holes of the pink button.  Then I added a bow made from a piece of lace.  I also added two flowered stick pins.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you get the chance to play along with our Buttons and Bows challenge.

The Cutting Cafe Up Up In the Sky Wishes

I had the urge today to make a little home decor project.  I've been sorting through some stuff here at my house in preparation to downsize and came across a bunch of frames the other day.  Regina at The Cutting Cafe just came out with a new printable stamp set called Up Up In the Sky Wishes and I knew it would be perfect for my little project.  I also used the new Cloud Background printable stamp set.  This project was so super easy to put together.  First I printed the cloud background then printed the sentiment right onto it.  I printed the balloon twice so I could layer it.  I punched the flowers from a scrap of paper that I had leftover from another project I printed with my Imagine.  The paper coordinated perfectly with the balloon colors. I punched six flowers so I could layer them up and added rhinestones to the centers.  Then I added a small yellow bow to the balloon and placed it in the frame.  I used my Cricut to cut the word soar from the Lacy Labels cartridge glued it onto the frame and then added a few buttons for embellishment.  I was finished in less than twenty minutes.  I can't say enough about the printable stamp sets at The Cutting Cafe.  They make projects like this a snap to put together. The new Up Up In the Sky Wishes set comes with over 120 images including kites, balloons, hot air balloons and sentiments.  You'll just love it!!!  Head on over to The Cutting Cafe by clicking here.

Cricut Cardz Challenge #70

We've made it to midweek again and it's time for another Cricut Cardz Challenge.  This week I asked the DT to do something different than a card--- a cupcake wrapper or holder for Easter.  My cupcake wrapper came from the Easter 2010 cartridge and it's cut at 3" from Bazzill Basics dotted cardstock.  Then I used the Simply Charmed cartridge to make the little bunny on a stick.  It's cut at 4" from textured cardstock.  I actually cut two and flipped one so I could insert the stick between them.  Okay, I'll admit I cheated.  I did not make this cupcake.  I bought it from a local cupcake store that just opened up a short time ago called Just Baked.  The cupcake was called Snowball.  It's a chocolate cupcake with a cream center, buttercream frosting, sprinkled with pink coconut.  And yes, I did it...I ate the cupcake and it was super delicious.  Every single calorie!!!  But, it let's you know that even if you are a non-baker, you can purchase cupcakes and make the wrappers yourself.  I've gotten lazy in my old age and try to cook and bake as seldom as possible.  It gives me more time in my craft room.  LOL

BBTB2 Easter Egg

BBTB2 challenge day!  Our dear, talented design team sister, Krista picked the Easter cartridge and told us to use any egg cut from it.  I love scallops so decided to use the scalloped Easter egg.  I also love polka dotted paper so that's what I cut my egg from.  I made a shaped card with my Gypsy welding two solid eggs into a base that I cut from white cardstock.  My scalloped egg is cut at 5".  Then I used the Simply Charmed cartridge for my bunny.  I wanted a cut that had arms so it would look like it's holding the sign framing my sentiment (which I did on my computer).  I've had these metal frames in my stash forever.  In my never-ending attempt to use up my supplies I decided to use one.  I tied polka dot ribbon through the holes on each end of the frame. 

Cricut Cardz Easter Bunny Blog Hop winner

Thank you so very, very much to all of you that came to visit my blog for the Cricut Cardz

Easter Bunny Blog Hop.  All your comments were especially gratifying.  The winner

of my blog candy as chosen by random.org is...

#105 AmyJRockstar-Amy said:

That's such a great project! I'm sure your grand-daughter

will love it! Especially since it came from you.

Very clever idea!

Thanks so much Amy.  If you will email me at thomasjeri55@yahoo.com

with your mailing address I will get your prize package in the mail.

Paper Cutz Bunny Card

This week at Paper Cutz Mary asked the DT to use a bunny, lamb, chick or Easter egg.  I decided to go with the bunny so I could use this cute image that I printed and cut with my Cricut Imagine.  This cut came from the Nursery Tails cartridge.  As concluded from the name there are quite a few cuts on the cartridge that are compatible with a baby theme.  The images are pretty much done in soft pastels (perfect for Easter).  This is a
6 1/2x 5" card base made from white cardstock topped with a purple mat and a patterned Easter egg paper from It Takes Two.  I topped that with a scalloped oval that I cut from the Storybook cartridge in a yellow polka dot.  I printed my sentiment from The Cutting Cafe right onto this with my computer and printer.  Then I printed and cut my image at 3.5".   I cut with the layer function on so I could pop dot for dimension.  I've grown pretty fond of my Cricut Imagine.  The only thing I don't like about it is the size and weight.  Which means I won't be able to take it with me when we travel in our RV.  Darn!  It is so easy to put together a scrapbook page or a card in minutes with the ability to cut and print.  The printing feature assures me that I will always have papers available that coordinate, too. 

Cricut Cardz Easter Bunny Blog Hop

Welcome to the Cricut Cardz Challenge Easter Bunny Blog Hop. We have both Design Teams participating and a ton of Easter inspiration for you with some blog candy along the way.  I am the first stop. If you didn't arrive here from the Cricut Cardz site you'll want to make sure you check in there and leave a comment to be eligible for the grand prize drawing.  I am the Design Team Coordinator for CCC Team #1.  I am  blessed to be able to work so closely with Mary and I'm grateful for the opportunity she gave me to be the fearless leader for the team. As such, it is my responsibility to make the challenges for team #1, while Mary sets the challenges for team #2. We decided to combine forces for our first blog hop and chose an Easter theme.  I decided to make a container for an Easter Bunny that I will be giving to my granddaughter.  I made this by recycling an empty mayonnaise container.  I traced around the lid of the container to get a pattern to cover the top.  I used white cardstock and then cut a piece of pink polka dot a little smaller.  I used my Easter 2010 cartridge to cut the bunny, the grass and the sentiment.

I placed a piece of patterned bunny paper around the container, added a piece of white ball fringe around the top edge and then placed a ruffled ribbon and bow.  The circle sentiment is computer generated and placed atop a scalloped circle I cut from Mini Monograms.  Here's the little bunny getting ready to hide inside until Easter.

You'll be heading to the fabulously talented Melissa's blog (Moe Creations) from here.  Oh my goodness, wait until you see the fabulous creation she made.  Before you leave, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you for stopping by here today and for your visits and participation in our Cricut Cardz Challenges. We love seeing your entries and hope you'll enjoy the blog hop and come away with tons of inspiration.  To thank you for your continued support I'd like to offer up a little blog candy.  I'd love it if you'd become a follower, but it is not necessary to be eligible for the candy.  Please leave a comment however, for your chance to win.  I will let random.org choose a winner on Saturday morning.  Now hop along like a bunny and have fun.

Meet Mikala Ann from The Cutting Cafe

There's a new trio of little kiddos debuting over at The Cutting Cafe called Everyday Elisha Jean and Friends.  Truly, they are just adorable and you're going to love them.  I chose to use Mikala Ann today on my card.  I also used another Cutting Cafe set called One Spring Day for the frame and spring flowers.  I did fussy cut a second layer of flowers and layered it with dimensionals.  I paper pieced Mikala's dress (with my current favorite polka dots) and colored her body with Copics.  The only other element I added to this card is a punched Fiskars border. 

BBTB2 Mommy

Happy Monday!  It's time for a new challenge at BBTB2.  The DT was asked to use any of the sayings from the Mother's Day 2010 cartridge.  I don't have this cartridge so I had to make some substitutions.  Now I'm hoping you look at this card and perhaps think it doesn't quite look up to my usual standards.  That's because it was a collaborative effort between me and my four year old granddaughter.  You may also think to yourself that you've never seen a pink and purple hedgehog.  Well, now you have.  If Payton has anything to do with creating from paper you can be assured it will be pink and purple, her favorite colors.  I learned something from this little combined effort.  I still hate glitter and I hate it even more in combination with a four year old.  So now you know the paper choices were picked by Payton.  She also picked the hedgehog.  My contribution to this card was finding the cuts on the cartridges, getting the paper on the mat, adhering the hedgehog pieces and anything else to do with glue.  Payton has become an old hand at pushing the buttons on the Cricut machine.  She knows to wait until the picture comes up in the window to push the cut button.  She is not at expert at sprinkling glitter in the proper place.  LOL  I used the Heritage cartridge for the word Mommy which is cut at 1" and glittered.  The hedgehog is from the ever popular Create A Critter and is cut at 2".  I love (heart) U is also cut from Create A Critter at 1".  Oh yeah, Payton learned how to use the Cuttlebug (crank the handle) for this card, too.  Thanks for stopping by.  I should probably offer up an apology to my DT sisters for this, too.  I'll try to make up for it next week.

Paper Cutz Easter Card

We made it to Friday! Are you glad the weekend is upon us?  It's time for another challenge at Paper Cutz.  This week Mary asked the DT to make a card for Easter.  I've been dying to use the chocolate bunny with the bite out of his ear from Cricut's Easter 2010 cartridge.  I just think it's so cute.  I used Mojo Monday's sketch to put this card together.  I came across this brown, pink and green paper in my stash the other day.  I picked it up at Hobby Lobby a long time ago clearanced to 10 cents a sheet.  It was 8 1/2 x 11 inch which I don't use much, but for 10 cents I couldn't pass it up.  I found some coordinating solid cardstock in pink and green in my scraps.  My scalloped circle is cut with my Cricut Mini Monogram cartridge and topped with a pink circle, a brown polka dot and a strip of stripe paper.  I added a pink square backed with some green and punched the edge with a Fiskars punch.  I just happened to have this light green ribbon laying around that is probably over fifteen years old.  I used to store my ribbons in a big plastic bin, but recently my fantastic and handy husband created a ribbon rack for me.  Now my ribbons are displayed on my wall so they're not so easy to overlook.  You can see a picture of it at the end of this post.  Thanks Honey, you're the best.  Another long overlooked item from my stash on this card is the green flower, been around forever.  After I bought them I never used them because I thought to myself, whoever heard of a green flower?   I thought they went perfect with the colors on this card though.  I hope you'll have time to create an Easter card to share with us at Paper Cutz this week.  Thanks for stopping by.  I'm also going to enter this card into the Fantabulous Cricut challenge for a spring time themed card.

I showed my husband all my ribbon spools before he made this so he would know how many I had.  He thought there would be plenty of room on this.  He even thought there would be extra room to add more.  LOL  Not to look a gift horse in the mouth but, I tried to tell him it didn't seem big enough to me.  Needless to say, not all my ribbon made it onto the new rack.  But I think it's great anyway.