Pretty Scary Mummy Card - Evidence that good taste can be Fickle

Mini Monsters Mummy Card

Today's  Halloween card is evidence that my judgment and "taste level" (to plagiarize Project Runway) is not always on its A Game. I used Provo Craft's Mini Monsters cartridge and from the very beginning I was plagued with problems. My daughters wanted me to make a "girly" card with a Halloween theme. Instead of going for the easy "A" and choosing a witch or other typically female typecast gory girl I choose to add a second "X" chromosome to a mummy card.

My girls absolutely love every detail from the handmade flower to the bakers twine shoe bows, but I think its a bit ugly - without being sure it is in the "pretty ugly" category. Maybe its the mismatched eyeballs or the idea that mummy wrappings would ever come in 80's pink and lime green, whatever is up with this card it has left me a bit unsettled and wondering who I could give it to. Perhaps a frienemy?

I thought I would share the card anyway since its done and my eldest says I should embrace my off days too (which is proof positive of her affinity for fortune cookies).


Mortified after muffing up a mummy,

CarrieAnne

Recipe:
Cricut Cartridge: Mini Monsters
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug: Swiss Dots
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey
Cardstock: Couture Cardstock
Bling: Recollections
Twine: The Twinery
Adhesive: Beacon Adhesives Zip Dry, Stampin' UP!

Ink: VersaMark

Cuts:
"Mummy" from the Mini Monsters cartridge cut at 5.5 inches with the Card function selected.

"Mummy" cut at 5.5 inches with the Layer 1 function selected.

"TrkRTrt2" cut at 1.75 inches with the Phrase function selected.

"TrkRTrt2" cut at 1.75 inches with the Phrase function and shift key selected.

Learning to Bowl Mini Album

"Learning to Bowl" mini album made from Nifty Fifties Cartridge

I truly enjoy creating mini albums, and my Cricut Expression always me to make my albums in any shape or configuration I like. These pictures of taking my older two daughters bowling are several years old (we didn't even have the younger two yet!) It was their first time bowling and my husband was trying so hard to get them to use good fundamentals and all they wanted was to marvel over the "cool" two colored shoes they got to rent.

The idea of setting up this mini like a set of bowling pins has been kicking around in my mind for a while. When all the pages are closed the album looks like a fresh set of 10 pins just being set up. Some of the pages are on rings and some of them are on ribbon hinges so as you progress through the "steps" of bowling and more pins are "knocked" down you move through the album and see different pictures and journaling.

The entire album is based off a single bowling pin and ball cut from the nifty fifties cartridge. I cut the pin 10 times and removed the ball from each cut. I then set the pins up like a group of 10 and made a tracing of where each pin would go so that as I made moveable pages in groups of 3 or more pins they would all line up again at the end of the day. This pretty much ate up ALL my scrappy time this week, but I am happy with how it turned out so I included several pictures.

There are lots of Epiphany Crafts buttons, epoxys and findings on this and I love how I could use just a few papers and ribbons with Epiphany's tools to create a cohesive look.

 
Recipe

 Cricut Cartridge: Nifty Fifties
Patterned Paper: Glitz Designs, Pink Paislee
Tools: Epiphany Crafts (Shape Studio Tool Heart 14, Shape Studio Tool Round 14, Button Studio Tool Round 14, Shape Studio Accessories Bubble Caps Heart 14, Button Studio Tool Round20)
Epoxys: Epiphany Crafts (Shape Studio Round 14 Bubble Caps, Shape Studio Heart 14 Bubble Caps)
Buttons: Epiphany Crafts (Button Studio Round 14, Button Studio Buttons Round 20)
Settings: Epiphany Crafts (Vintage Settings - Club House)
Pearls: Want 2 Scrap
Adhesive: Beacon Adhesive (ZipDry), Stampin' UP! (Dimensionals, Glue Dots)
Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts (Black Canvas Thickers) Glitz Designs (Tiny Alpha - Burnt Orange)
Twine: The Twinery (Black and White)
Ribbon: May Arts (Red Pleated)
Pen: Copic (Mulitliner .01 Black)
Embellishments: Lil Davis (Bottle Cap), American Crafts (Chipboard Arrows, Heart), Die Cuts (Basic Grey)
Paint: Apple Barrel
Misc: Chipboard (Cereal Boxes), Jump Rings

Cuts
"Bowling" (with ball removed) on page 33 from the Nifty Fifties  cartridge cut at 6.5 inches.

Ornament Gift Box

 I always laugh when I hear the term "Summer Vacation" because Summer is anything, but a vacation for me. Between traveling, teaching at a summer program for Gifted Kids and CHA, Summer is my busiest season. You may notice fewer posts on the blog, but I'll try to make up for it with really good projects :)

This little Christmas treat box was super easy to make, and I think it came out so cute. A small ornament would fit inside, a gift card or even a cookie or two. I like to make Christmas cards and gifts all year long so the holidays are not so overwhelming.

Recipe:
Cricut Cartidge: Christmas Noel
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey, Graphic45
Cardstock: Gold, Cream

Pearls: Recollections
Glitter: JoAnns
Punch: Stampin' UP! (Small Scallop)
Paint: Apple Barrel (Cream)
Adhesive: Beacon Adhesives Zip Dry
Paper Mache Box: Michaels
Misc.: Ribbon, Vintage Button

Cuts:
Ornament 3 cut at 3 1/4 inches with the shift key and blackout function selected
(You will need to cut this twice - once from gold cardstock for the ball top and once from patterned paper)

Hats off ...

I went through a bit of a weaving fascination this year. This was a bare hatbox when I found it and I covered the front with quarter inch strips of green cardstock that I wove together. The ends of the strips were adhered to the sides of the purse front and then the entire side was covered with patterned paper. The weaving took HOURS and HOURS, but I love the effect and it's very durable. I handmade the flowers using a scalloped punch and metallic cardstock layered with patterned paper. I simply adhered each scallop layer together with a few glue dots and then began scrunching them all together. I added the gem center for a bit of bling. I also found that adding the gem center first gave you something centered to "scrunch" the layers around. The large solid pink flower was made in the same way, but without the patterned paper layers or bling. This cardstock was 110 lbs (quite heavy) so I wet it first to make it more scrunchable.

The "Paris," Flourishes and Eiffel Tower are Quickutz dies and the black bling swirls are Prima. Because I love poking holes in things I outlined the Eiffel Tower with holes made by my paper piercer for a bit of added interest. Hemp borders both the front and the back of the purse to hide the edges of the patterned paper and give it a more finished look.

As the structure of the purse is an actual hatbox it easily carries a wallet, keys, cellphone and is sturdy if I am cautious of the embellishments. Everything was secured with gobs of Beacon Adhesive so I am confident it is not going anywhere I don't want it to.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

Puresonally...

If your holiday season is anything like mine, it passes by in a blur and only weeks after it is over do you realize that it is gone. Between the new baby and spreading holiday cheer, my poor craft room has been missing me. I have a pile of projects from trade shows this year that I have not yet posted so I thought I would use my December posts to do so.

I am not sure if it is considered proper etiquette or not to admit it, but I love this little blue clutch. I made the pattern from scratch, sketching and cutting out different mock ups until I achieved the right size and dimension. After I cut the blue cardstock out, I lined it with Basic Grey patterned paper and then wet the entire template pretty thoroughly with a spray bottle of water. I then clipped the top together with large binder clips and let it dry overnight to achieve the overall shape and rounded bottom a real clutch bag would have.

The chandelier is from the Home Decor Cricut cartridge. The picture does not show it well, but it is cut from a very pretty glossy white 110 pound cardstock. I individually glued the bling bits on with Beacon Adhesive. The silver "frame" of the purse and clasps are from metallic silver cardstock and the purse actually opens and closes by manipulating the jeweled brads.

The sides consist of accordion folded pleats that prevent anything from falling out and I think I could easily fit a few dollars, a lipstick and a mirror it in with no worries. I am hoping for an opportunity to use it in real life, because it is just so darn cute in person.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

Whoo Loves You?

Even though my blog has only been up and running for a month or so, it is probably obvious to you by now that I LOVE shaped cards. I have had the two Disney Princess Cartridges in my possession for quite some time now, but had failed to do anything with them (Horrible - I know). So I decided that I would either have to use them or sell them at my semi-annual scrapbooking consignment sale (My personal rule is if it doesn't a least get shuffled around the scrap space once year - out the door it goes).

When I saw this cute little owl in the Sleeping Beauty section it was instant inspiration (and relief - my hoarding instinct was thrilled that I could rationalize holding onto these carts for another year!)

The "Happily Ever After" Cartridge, does not have a card making feature, so I cut the owl once and then traced it onto folded brown cardstock so the card opens from left to right. I then just cut the owl out by hand. I ran the original single layer owl through the Cuttlebug with a herringbone designed folder and cut out different sections to add dimension and depth. The stomach is created from rows of a Stampin' UP! border punch, punched from Basic Grey's "Urban Prairie Paper." The heart was cut from an old school original's Sizzix die and run through the Cuttlebug in the Swiss Dot folder.

The interior of the eyes are blue dew drops that I obtained from the Robin's Nest. Their baubles come in a variety of amazing sizes, shapes, and colors so if you are looking for something a bit different check them out.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

Tweet Heart

I know it is not a newly released product, but I love Basic Grey's "Urban Prairie" Collection and just had to share this project I made earlier in the year. I cut the two love birds out a number of times from BG's "Meadow" Patterned Paper and then layered them with glue dots for dimension. The heart inside the cage and the cage itself were cut with the Cricut. The heart is connected to the birds with adhesive and the heart is connected to the cage with a bead laden hat pin.

It is hard to see in the photo but the white paper is 110 pound white glossy which adds the structure this type of project really needs in order to be free standing and durable.

As the side view shot shows, the cage is cut and layered 6 times, with the center portion of bars removed except for the first and last layers so the birds had somewhere to hang. I plan on using this for a Valentine's Day decoration as like it to much to giveaway!

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne