Friday, February 24, 2012

I'm Your Advocate

TGIF my blogger friends!  Today I am sharing with you a scrapbook page.  Yes, you read that right.  It's not a card.  It's a layout!  This is the first one I've done in quite some time, and I so enjoyed it.  This is my submission for the latest die cut challenge over at Stuck On U Sketches.  Our theme is "Love."  Who can't do a card or a layout about love?  So, come on, join us!  Let's see your project!

Here's the story behind my layout.  We have a beagle named Lexi.  She was given to our youngest daughter for her 19th birthday by a boyfriend.  Six months earlier, we had lost our Yorkie of 14 years, and of course I was still grieving over her.  When our daughter brought Lexi into our house late one night, wrapped in a towel, she weighed 2 1/2 pounds.  She was the cutest little puppy ever!  But, I told my daughter that her Dad would not allow her to keep her.  She kept her in her bedroom for 3 days before he knew about her.  When she finally showed Lexi to him, he told her that she could not keep the dog.  She asked if she could keep her until she could find a home for the puppy, and my husband agreed to that.  Of course she never found a home for her -- because she never tried!  During the time that Lexi was a puppy, our daughter was never home, and she became my responsibility.  Then at age 22, our daughter got married.  Her husband is not a dog lover and would never have a dog in the house.  So, Lexi officially became my dog.  You can read my journaling below.

Details:

Card Stock:  Bazzill Dotted Swiss
Patterned Papers:  K and Company Classic K Charlotte Paper Pad
Large Heart:  Sweethearts Cricut cartridge cut at 10 1/2" with a shadow (p. 73 of the handbook)
Scalloped Border:  Martha Stewart Birthday Cake Art Cricut cartridge cut at 1 1/4" (I think -- I forgot to write it down.)
"I Am Your":  Computer generated -- I used the corner of a square punch to get the banner notch on the end
Advocate:  Martha Stewart Birthday Cake Art Cricut cartridge cut at 1 1/2"
Dog:  Paper Pups Cricut cartridge cut at 3 1/4" (p. 116 of the handbook)
"I Love You" Banner:  Paper Pups Cricut cartridge cut at 1 1/4" with the shadow
Little hearts:  Various punches
Flowers:  Flower Shoppe Cricut cartridge cut at 3 and 4"

I used the one page sketch #18 over at Sketch Support for the sketch.

Click on the photo for a better look.


Here is my journaling:

When you came to our house in 2005 as a two and a half pound puppy, I didn’t think I could love a beagle.  Boy, was I wrong.  I fell in love almost immediately.  Even though you were Whitney’s dog, I was the one that took care of you most of the time, chased you from under the bed, took shoes away from you before you chewed the toes out of them, took toilet paper from you, etc. because Whitney was always out with friends. When Rick said you were dumb, I said you were smart.  I tried to prove to him that he was wrong.  You learned tricks.  You proved that you were a good dog.  In my eyes, you are stubborn, yet very smart.  In fact, I’ve called you “Rick, Jr.” numerous times when you have stood on the steps and looked at me as if to say, “Maybe I’ll come inside; maybe I won’t!”  When others thought you were a pest, I told them you were sweet.  When others thought I was crazy for having a dog in the house, I defended you and said, “But you’re just not a dog lover like I am.”  And when something happens to you, I will be heartbroken, even more so than when Sassy died.  Why? Because I am your advocate.

I hope you like the layout.   Thanks for your kind words.  And, of course, be inspired!

P.S.  Come join us for the challenge!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Birthdays Celebrate the Gift of Time!

Good Monday morning everyone.  Is it snowy where you are, or warm, or just plain cold?  We had our first flakes of snow for the winter yesterday.  But, it only tallied up to about an inch, so I'll take that.  It is pretty when it is falling, but I don't like driving on it, so an inch is fine with me!  LOL.

Today I am sharing with you a birthday card I made last week for a co-worker.  Here are the details:

Size:  4 1/4" x 6"
Card stock:  Recollections, American Crafts and Core'dinations
Patterned paper:  My Mind's Eye
Doily:  Wilton with added pearls
Red scalloped border:  Martha Stewart Birthday Cake Cricut cartridge (page 67 of handbook) using the cupcake feature and fit to length at 6".  I then ran this through my Cuttlebug for the embossing.  I added a small strip of white Bazzill "Just the Edge" behind the red border.
Gift:  I cut a square using the George Cricut cartridge cut at 1 1/2" plus a shadow.  I then added a strip of paper down the middle and punched a flower for the bow and added a glitter dot.
I then grabbed two old Prima flowers from my stash, along with a miniature Recollections rose for the flower. The black/white bow came in a package from ACMoore, but I am unsure of the manufacturer.  The leaves are a Martha Stewart punch.
The inside sentiment says, "Birthdays celebrate the gift of time.  We celebrate the gift of you.  Happy Birthday."

Hope you like it.  Thanks so much for your comments.  Be inspired!

Click on the photo for a better look.


Monday, February 13, 2012

U & Me Valentine's Day Card

It's almost Valentine's Day, and even though I haven't given this card to my hubby yet, I thought I'd share it with you.  In fact, he is playing with his laptop right behind me, but I bet he isn't paying any attention, and I can post this card, and he will never know it was his! HA!  Here are the details of the card:

Size:  A2
Card stock:  American Crafts; Core'dinations
Embossing:  Cuttlebug hearts folder
Hearts:  Cuttlebug die.  The hearts are actually recessed.  I punched a 2" circle in the white card stock after I had embossed it.  I used pop up dots between the red layer and the white embossed layer. I cut my hearts and placed them on the red layer.  I then used the Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge to cut a 2 1/2" frame (page 45 of the handbook), and it fit over the 2" circle window perfectly. I used pop up dots under the frame.
The sentiment was computer generated and punched using a Stampin' Up punch, which I layered on a McGill punched label.  I added a heart shaped brad to the edge.
I also used three punched hearts for a little added touch.
The inside says:  "We were meant to be together like peanut butter and jelly, biscuits and gravy, socks and shoes, and cake and ice cream.  Happy Valentine's Day With My Love."  (I guess I have an obsession with food.  LOL.)

I am entering this card into challenge no. 72 over at Cooking with Cricut.  We are to make a grown up Valentine using black and a brad.  Check and check!  Here is a link to the challenge.

Thanks for your comments.  Be inspired!

Click on the photo for a better look.


Friday, February 10, 2012

Sending Birthday Wishes

Happy Friday everyone.  I am excited to share with you today a birthday card made for my mother-in-law.  I have shared in the past that she loves the color red.  This card isn't totally red, but I managed to incorporate some red into it.  The card is also part of the latest die cut challenge over at Stuck on You Sketches.  Our theme was "You've Got Mail."  That's why the card has an envelope with balloons coming out of it.  I hope you'll stop by and see what the other wonderful designers came up with, and we'd love for you to play along!  Here is a link to the challenge.  And, here are the details of the card:

Size:  A2
Envelope:  Just Because Cards Cricut cartridge cut at 2" (page 67 of handbook).  I used Bazzill Dotted Swiss card stock for the envelope.
Label behind envelope:  Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge cut at 4" (page 41 of handbook).  I then embossed the label and added a shadow.
Balloons:  George Cricut cartridge cut at 1" (and added shadow).  I used memory thread for the strings on the balloons.
The patterned papers are Doodlebug Designs (I think) and My Mind's Eye.
The sentiment was computer generated and punched with a 1 1/4" circle, a 1 1/2" circle, and a 2" scalloped circle punch
The rhinestones are from Kaisercraft.
I also added a yellow border using a Fiskars border punch.

Thanks for your comments.  Be inspired!



Monday, February 6, 2012

Cruisin' Into 76 Birthday Card

If you've visited my blog many times, you know how hard it is for me to do guy cards.  I mean, seriously, no flowers?  Ha!  I try really hard not to put flowers on all of my cards, and I doubt my father-in-law would love them nearly as much as I do.  Thus, he got a card with an old car on the front.  This card was made for his 76th birthday.  I bet you figured that out, didn't ya?  Here are the details:

Size:  4 1/2" x 6 1/2"
Card stock:  Core'dinations, DCWV
Patterned papers:  DCWV, Unknown
Car/Cruisin': Nifty Fifties Cricut cartridge cut at 1 3/4" (I cut the car in black and then in red so the tires would be black.)
Postage stamp background:  Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge cut at 5"
Star:  George Cricut cartridge cut at 1 3/4"
76:  George Cricut cartridge cut at 1"
Little stars:  Punch
"Into":  Computer generated and punched with a Stampin' Up punch
I also used an EK Success border punch behind the postage stamp label, along with a strip of red and a strip of blue paper.

I hope my father-in-law likes it, and I hope you like it too!  Thanks for your comments.  Be inspired!


Click on the picture for a better look.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

With Our Sympathy

Good morning!  I am sharing with you today a sympathy card made for a family at church who lost their elderly mother recently.  The card really is pretty simple, but I didn't want to hide the wonderful embossing.  Here are the details:

Size: A2
Card Stock and Patterned Paper:  DCWV Shimmer Stack, American Crafts for the Cross
Embossing:  Cuttlebug Heritage folder set
Cross:  Spellbinders - Cross Set #1
Label behind cross:  Elegant Edges Cricut Cartridge cut at 3 3/4"
Satin ribbon from my stash, and I added a button that I slid onto the ribbon.
Sentiment:  Computer generated and punched using a Paper Shapers oval punch (maybe Stampin' Up)
I think that's about it!  Hope you like it.  God bless you!  Thanks for your kind words.  And of course, be inspired!

Click on the photo for a better look.