Monday, April 30, 2012

A Special Blend of Birthday Wishes

Hello blogger friends.  I am sharing with you today a card I recently made for a sweet co-worker's birthday.  She loves coffee, and although this is technically a tea cup, it still worked for her card.  Here are the details:

Card:  Life's a Party Cricut cartridge cut at 5 1/4" (page 29 of the handbook)
Circle:  George Cricut cartridge cut at 4 1/4" with shadow
Cup:  Wall Decor & More Cricut cartridge cut at 4" (page 30 of handbook)
Flowers:  I have had these for so long, but I believe the manufacturer was Petaloo.
Sentiment:  Computer generated and punched using the Stampin' Up word window punch

I am submitting it for Challenge #44 over at Card Makin Mamas.  It's a cool photo challenge!

Hope you like it, and as always, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment.

Be inspired!






 

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Welcome Max

Hello crafters.  Today I am sharing with you a card I made for our neighbors who recently adopted an 18 month old little boy from China.  They gave him the name Max, and he is super sweet.  He was born with a cleft palate, and they chose him so they could bring him here to the U.S. and give him an opportunity to have surgery and have a better life.  He knows sign language, and I just love watching him use it!  I took a little gift to him and this card.  His Mom does some card making, so she appreciated it.  Here are the details:

Size:  A2
Card stock:  Bazzill, Recollections
Patterned papers:  My Mind's Eye - Quite Contrary
Sailboat:  Boys Will Be Boys Cricut cartridge cut at 2 3/4" (page 77 of the handbook)
MAX:  Olivia Cuttlebug font
Green Label Behind Max:  Spellbinders Nestabilities Die
Red Label Behind Green Label:  Paper Shapers Punch (I cut it in half and used 1/2 on each end)
Welcome:  Computer generated and punched with the same Paper Shapers punch.

Thanks for looking, and for taking the time to let me know if you like it.  Be inspired.



 

Friday, April 20, 2012

Healing Rains

I am happy to share with you today a get well card I made for a friend who had shoulder surgery a few weeks ago.  And the card is my design for the latest die cut challenge at Stuck On U Sketches.  Our theme is "April Showers."  I hope you will decide to join us!  Here are details of my card:

Size:  5 1/4" x 5 1/4"
Card Stock:  Recollections, Bazzill, American Crafts
Patterned papers:  K and Company WB Gypsy Baby Paper Pad
Girl with Umbrella:  Nursery Rhymes Cricut cartridge (without the duck) cut at 3 1/4" with a shadow (page 55 of handbook)
Label behind Girl:  Elegant Edges Cartridge cut at 3 1/2" (page 36 of handbook)
Scalloped border:  Martha Stewart Birthday Cake Art cartridge cut at 3/4" (page 65 of handbook)
Flowers:  The blue flowers are at least 4 years old, so the manufacturer is unknown.  The white/pink flowers are Prima.
Sentiment:  Computer generated and punched with a Stampin' Up punch
The inside sentiment said:  "May they fall on you from heaven and heal you is our prayer."

Thanks so much for your comments.



 

Friday, April 13, 2012

An Anniversary Card for my Parents

My parents celebrated another anniversary a few weeks ago, and I am sharing with you today the card I made for them.  I have made them quite a few cards, and it is getting tougher to come up with something.  But, that is a blessing.  I hope I can make many more for them.  Here are the details of the card:

Size:  A2
Card Stock:  Recollections and Bazzill
Patterned Paper:  DCWV
Flowers:  Flower Shoppe Cricut cartridge cut at 4"
Love:  Cuttlebug die
Heart:  Martha Stewart Birthday Cake Art cartridge cut at 2 1/2"
Pearls:  Recollections
Scalloped cut:  Spellbinders

Thanks so much for looking and for your comments.  Be inspired!

Please note the Pin It Button below in case you want to pin the card on Pinterest.





 

Monday, April 9, 2012

He Is Risen!

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter.  And now we are back to Monday, right?  I am sharing with you today my latest charger creation, which I made to use in my kitchen for the Easter holiday.  I now have one for Christmas, one for Thanksgiving, and one for Easter.  Maybe I'll branch out and do a summer one as well, or maybe 4th of July!  I do love them!

Here are the instructions:

I purchased the charger at Michael's for $1.99.
Cross:  Wedding Cricut solutions cartridge cut at 7".  I also cut it using the blackout feature in blue and the shadow in yellow.
Drape over cross:  Paper Dolls Dress Up Cricut cartridge cut at 8" (page 53 of the handbook)
He is Risen:  Martha Stewart Birthday Cake Art Cricut cartridge cut at 1 1/2"
Circle:  George Cricut cartridge cut at 8 1/2"
Circle frame around cross:  George Cricut cartridge cut at 8 1/4" using the silhouette feature
Flourishes:  Sizzix die
Mini roses:  Recollections or from the I Am Roses website

I am entering this into Challenge No. 80 over at Cooking With Cricut.  The theme is Easter.

Thanks for looking and for commenting.  Be inspired!


Click on the photo for a better look.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Beauty in Bloom

Happy Good Friday bloggers!  If you are a Christian and celebrate Easter, I hope this weekend brings a renewed spirit within you.  I am excited to spend some time this weekend remembering what Easter means to me!  And I am also excited to share this layout with you.  It is reveal day over at Stuck On U Sketches.  We have a new die cut challenge for you.  Our theme this week is "Spring is in the Air."  Here is the layout I made for challenge, using pictures of our sweet granddaughter from a few years ago.  The layout  is entitled "Beauty In Bloom."  Here are the details:

Size:  12x12
Card stock:  American Crafts, Bazzill, Core'dinations
Patterned papers:  My Mind's Eye
I started by using a large scalloped circle frame cut using the Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge at 11" (I think I used fit to page).  I cut it in half and will save the bottom half for another page.
Clouds:  Fiskars punch
Branch:  Bloom Lite cartridge cut at 2 1/2" (with a little glitter added)
Frame around large picture:  Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge cut at 6" (page 24 of the handbook)
Beauty:  Martha Stewart Seasonal cartridge cut at 1"
In:  Martha Stewart Birthday Cake Art cartridge cut at 1 1/4" using the "chic" feature
Bloom:  Just Because Cards Cricut cartridge cut at 2 1/4" with a little glitter added
Scalloped oval behind the word Bloom:  Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge cut at 4 1/2" (page 23 of handbook)
Flowers:  Recollections
Flower next to the word "In":  I used a retro flower punch for this one.
Bird:  Stampin' Up punch
Butterflies:  Recollections
Satin ribbon from my stash

Hope you like it and can join in with us on this cool challenge!

Thanks!

Be inspired!

Click on the photo for a better look.



And be sure to check out Nanne's awesome handmade flowers that she is giving away this month.  Check out the Stuck On U Sketches blog for details!


Monday, April 2, 2012

Happy Birthday Lynn

Last week a sweet friend who lives lots of miles away from me in Montana had a birthday.  I made this card for her.  We had not chatted in a few months, and her birthday was a perfect opportunity to catch up.  And she liked the card too!  Ha!  Here are the details:

Size: A2
Card Stock:  American Crafts and Bazzill Dotted Swiss
Patterned papers:  My Mind's Eye
Heart:  This was the inside cut from my daughter's card from a few weeks ago using Life's a Party (see the post here for details).  The paper is two sided, so I turned the heart over and used the multi-colored dotted side.
The label cut out behind the heart was the negative part of a Spellbinders die Labels 8.  I made it into a window card and added the yellow paper behind the window.
The sentiment was computer generated.  I used a square punch to get the flagged edges.
The ribbon was from my stash.

Thanks for your comments.  Be inspired!




Monday, March 26, 2012

Sweet Baby Boy

Time to start a new week, and I have a baby card to share with everyone.  This one was made for a couple at church who had their second baby boy a few months ago.  In fact, he is already three months old, and I am just now getting this card and a gift to them.  But, I'm sure they will use it, no matter his age.  Here are the details of the card:

Size:  A2
Patterned paper:  Unknown (I've had it for years, and you can barely see it anyway in the scalloped circle)
Card stock:  Wausau papers for the blue, Core'dinations, and American Crafts
Scalloped circle (used about 1/3 of the cut):  Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge cut at 3 1/2" (p. 23 of handbook)
The elephant was cut using the Martha Stewart birthday cake art cartridge (cupcake feature) at 2 1/4" (p. 21 of handbook)
I added two little punched stars and pearls at the top, along with ribbon, and a baby boy outfit button  from Dress It Up.

I am entering this card into two challenges:  Card Makin' Mamas button challenge and Card Patterns sketch no. 158.

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




Friday, March 23, 2012

Some Bunny Loves You

Hello everyone.  I'm sure at least one person has missed me, huh?  Surely?  LOL.  I have been so busy trying to find table linens, a rug, etc. for my new kitchen that I haven't really taken much time to craft.  And I miss it.  But, sooner or later, I will find the things I need for my kitchen and get back to the scrapbook room.  The problem is that the colors on my wall are pale yellow and a blue/gray.  The blue/gray is the culprit.  When you see something blue, the paint looks gray.  When you find something gray, the paint looks blue!  So frustrating.  I will never, ever paint my walls without buying my accessories first.  Or, at least I will shop to see what is available.  I have been to 20 stores, and haven't found the right accessories yet!  Anyway, for the reason I am here ---- today is the reveal over at Stuck On U Sketches for our new die cut challenge -- you guessed it -- bunnies!  I made this little treat bag with candy to showcase this adorable bunny.  Here are the details:

For the label that folds over and closes the bag, I used the label on page 39 of the handbook for the Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge cut at 3 1/2".  I stapled it on (and then covered the stapled part on the back with a punched scalloped oval shape that can be written on).  For the bunny, I used the Easter bunny on the Martha Stewart Seasonal cartridge cut at 4".  I actually cut it twice and popped it up with foam tape.  The sentiment was printed from my computer and punched with a 1 1/4" circle punch and a 1 1/2" scalloped circle punch.  I then added a little bow I purchased months ago at AC Moore and a tiny Recollections rose.




Closeup:


Thanks for your comments.  Check out what the other designers have done.  You won't be disappointed.  Hope you can join in with us!  Be inspired!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Happy Birthday for Our Daughter

Happy Wednesday everyone.  I am excited to share this card with you.  I really like how it turned out. And it was made for one of my favorite people -- our oldest daughter!  She had her 31st birthday recently, and I wanted to make something special for her.  Here are the details:

Size:  5" x 5"
Card stock:  American Crafts
Patterned papers:  My Mind's Eye
The card was cut using the Life's A Party Cricut cartridge at 5".  I just love the cards on this cartridge, and this one was perfect for her birthday.  I cut the front of the card twice, once in white and once in the red polka dot paper at 4 3/4" and popped it up using pop up tape.  I cut the front again using the multi-colored polka dot paper and cut just the middle part off to use as a stripe on the front of the card.
The "Happy Birthday" was cut at 2 1/2" using the Martha Stewart Birthday Cake Art cartridge, which I got for a great price a few months ago from Cricut Machine (like maybe $12.50?), and it is quickly becoming a favorite as well.
The large pink flower was cut using the Flower Shoppe Cricut cartridge at 4".  The other roses are mini roses made by Recollections or purchased from I Am Roses.  The leaves are a Martha Stewart punch.
The daisy is a button with the back cut off on top of some pretty blue satin ribbon.
To finish it off, I added three little pearls.
There ya go!

Hope you like it as much as I did.  And thanks for your comments.  Be inspired!

Click on the photo for a better look.


Friday, March 9, 2012

Another Flower Has Bloomed in Heaven

Happy Friday to everyone!  As promised, I have a project to share with you today.  This is a sympathy card I made for a family at church.  The wife lost her mother suddenly a few weeks ago.  And it is also for the new and exciting die cut challenge over at Stuck On U Sketches.  We were to make something using a cameo or silhouette.  I have used the sentiment "Another Flower Has Bloomed in Heaven" for a sympathy card once before, and I really love the softness of a silhouette for the sentiment.  Here are the details:

Size:  A2
I rounded the corners of the bottom of the card to try to give it a little extra softness.
Card Stock: Recollections and DCWV Linen Closet (embossed using my Cuttlebug)
Patterned paper:  DCWV Linen Closet
Sentiment:  (Half of which is on the inside of the card) was computer generated, punched with a Stampin' Up punch, and layered on a Martha Stewart punched medallion and then that was layered on a EK Success label.
Silhouette:  A Child's Year Cricut cartridge cut at 2 1/2" (page 36 of the handbook) (I love this cartridge -- so versatile!)
Label Behind Silhouette:  Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge cut at 4" (page 50 of the handbook) (And this would probably be my all time favorite Cricut cartridge)
I used a Fiskars border punch and cut a small strip for the right side of the card and then added some brown ribbon and a Recollections mini rose, a few brown pearls, and it was done!

I hope you like it, and I hope you'll jump on over to SOUS and play along with us!

Thanks for looking and for your comments that mean the world to me!

Click on the picture for a better look.



Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Still Here . . .

Just a quick note to say that I'm still alive and kicking!  It's been crazy at my house for the past two weeks.  We are doing some remodeling in our kitchen.  We have taken wallpaper down (I hope I never have to do that again), and our son-in-law, who is a contractor, has taken the linoleum up and put tile board down.  We are waiting for granite to be cut for the countertops and then tile will go on the floor and backsplash.  The walls, which had blue wallpaper on them, now have a pale yellow paint on top and a blue/gray paint on the bottom.  Pictures to follow when it is all finished.  So, with that said, I am working on a few projects to post, so be watching!

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.