He only takes the best!

Today's post is to share a memory book I made to celebrate my mother in law's life. She had been ill for a long time that I felt it was a blessing when she was able to pass just before Easter.  She had the lord in her heart and often would sing hymns to her family although she could do little else.  While I collected pictures of her I notice she always had a smile!  Elsie had a happiness about her that I see in her children.  You could not have asked for a better grandma.  Elsie watched our girls when they were young and I was at work.  She never put those babies in a crib preferring to hold them while they slept in her arms. (She also let them eat candy for lunch but a grandma is allowed to spoil... that is the grandma law!.) She will be missed-

Here is the cover and a few pages:

This is a quick mini book as the base is pre made paper bags. 
I covered them with paper and die cut the ends.
Letter Envy Cricut Cartridge was used for the monogram.



Tags slip into the bag for more pictures and journal space.
I kept the embellishments simple and cut them with my Cricut.

Sweet Birthday Card

For the Cricut Circle's Magazine Challenge, they would like you to follow one of the sketches in the magazine or the blog.  I picked a sketch in the November issue by Shantaie Fowler.  Here is the sketch:

For my card, I used the ice cream cone, scalloped shape, and circle shape from Something to Celebrate. (I do have some new cartridges but keep using my Something to Celebrate.)  The sentiment is from Birthday Bash.  The face is from Peachy Keen, PKSC-03 March 2012 and the sentiment stamp "High Five" is from Peachy Keen, PK-564 Team Work.

Love that sweet cone... with his sprinkles on top!



2012 Mini Album

The Cricut Magazine Challenge for December is to create a project with the Cricut Craft Room™design tool.  This was tricky for me to think of a project to make but Cricut Craft Room is easy to use.   I decided to make a 2012 mini book to share the best pictures of  the new year.  I used Craft Room Basics Cartridge (free cart on Cricut Craft Room) and our last quarter cartridge Paper Trimmings to design this book.  If you don't own Paper Trimmings you could substitute cuts from any seasonal cartridge you own. 

Love that Snowman, he has some glitter on

Pictures can slide under embellishments, Pocket Tag on Right

Photo Mats

Pumpkin border is glued at base, Tags can be removed.

Fall tag

Back of Pocket Tag

Tag can be removed.

2012 Desk Calendar

This started with a sketch which I thought would make a nice calendar.  The sketch appeared in the Cricut Circle's exclusive magazine that offered a challenge to use the sketch with your Cricut.  The base started as a piece of 12 by 12 piece of chipboard.  I cut this to 6 by 12 and folded this in half cutting some box lids from Sweet Tooth Boxes at 11.25 inches that fit on the ends.  Two binder rings are used to hold the calendar pages and I weighted the inside of the base with sand sealed in a plastic bag.  Each month has tag with its name on it that can be pulled out to keep track of important dates.

These months follow the sketch, February more closely.  Seasonal Cuts are from Simply Charmed, the USA hat is from Independence day

Base with Sweet Tooth Boxes used to cover ends.

Fab 50s Scrapbook Page

I created this scrapbook page for the September Magazine Challenge at the Cricut Circle.  For the challenge, you need to use Echo Park paper or stickers and your favorite cartridge.  I was drawn to Echo Park's Happy Days collection and remembered I had some photos of dear daughter from a 50s party.  My favorite cartridge of all time is Create a Critter... which you don't think of using when designing a 1950s theme project.  Would you believe there are four cuts from Create a Critter on my scrapbook page?  (The "fab" title, the stamp shape turned journal frame, the "retro" design by the ice cream, and the flowers on the glasses.) That is the great thing about our cartridges, there are SO many hidden jewels!  The rest of my cuts are from Nifty Fifties and the background element is from Elegant Edges.  The photo corners are made from a punch.

The glasses have plastic lenses, added a straw to to the Echo Park sundae sticker by using a boarder strip from the collection. The Imagine was used to print some 50s turqoise to match the collection.

Hid the words on the Nifty Fifties motel sign with my Gypsy. "Second" is the font from Nifty Fifites while the other words are stickers form the Echo Park Collection. 

My Mom's Recipes

When I was in my early 20's, my mom wrote out all of the favorite family recipes.  She even had recipes from her grandmother from Sweden! What a great gift I was receiving at the time. I can share the recipes with my girls and they can learn about the grandmother they never met.  I purchased a recipe box and decorated it with Early Bird Cosmo Cricket paper.  The inside of the lid has a photo of my mom that will bring a smile to my face every time I open the recipe box.   Additional dividers where created with my Gypsy to match the pre-made tabbed dividers allowing more room to journal the traditions of the recipes. I used my Imagine (with Best Friends), E2, and Cuttlebug (with Swiss Dots and Seeing Dots folders). 

This is my entry for the Cricut Circle's August Magazine Cosmo Cricket Challenge. 

Hello Mom

My brother's favorite Lemon Cake is clipped to the back, YUM

My Mom had a toaster like this one, so fun!

NO poultry recipes from my Mom... She had pet chickens

A Little Treasure

The Cricut Circle Magazine July Challenge is to create ANY project with the new exclusive Pop-Up Neighborhood Cricut Cartridge.  This is a wonderful cartridge with many extras.  I have made a few scrapbook pages with this cartridge but I really wanted to challenge myself and make something with the pop-up feature.  While I was looking at the images, I thought I could tell some of the stories about my father in law.  He loves to tell stores of his youth and I though I would make a little "treasure" to store some of his stories for future generations.  I think children really love the magic of a pop-up.

band sleeve holds book closed

all popped up

fronts of pop-ups

close up of tractor

ice-cream shop

close up of trailer

My Daughter's Posh Party Centerpiece

Teresa Collins is a sponsor for a contest hosted by the Cricut Circle Magazine.  Teresa Collins' paper is so elegant, I went to my local scrapbooking store and thought I would pick up some papers to make some party favors for my daughter's slumber party.  I was inspired by the Teresa Collins Posh paper line to create even more for the party... my daughter loves the Eiffel Tower.  I found this wooden Eiffel Tower at Micheal's but the base was not tall enough to stand out over the goodie bags.  So, the drawer was created so this could be a centerpiece and keepsake for my daughter.  I made a mini album to store in the drawer.  The album has pockets and tags for her to store her party memories.  Little sister has put her order in for mommy to make her one too. 

Love this paper!  Front Cover

Butterfly is a Cricut Cut on top of  a Posh collection Die-cut

Supplies:

Teresa Collins Posh Papers, Decorative Brads, and Die-Cut sheet



Cricut Cuts:
purse favors- Forever Young
pocket envelopes for album base- Going Places
butterflies- Hannah Montana
swirls on tower- Ornamental Iron
"S"- Tie the Knot