April COM - Ecru with Embossing

It's great when you finally use that paper you just LOVED and HAD to have. So, a couple of years later (?) I used papers from Close to My Heart Silhouette pattern paper and Basic Antique Combo plain cardstock.

The layout for this card is taken directly from Cindy at her "Royal Things" blog. http://royalthings.blogspot.com/ You really need to look through her creations. They are great. This is a direct copy of #36 in her "previous creations" slide show.

This photo really doesn't do the colors justice. They are black and a rich ecru with a little layer of brown and shades of tan and white. It took almost a whole roll of ATG tape to get all the layers together and on the card. (Not for one card--I made 12.) The embossed flower and the thank you square are raised with Stampin Up dimensionals.

Another chance for a great giveaway

Joy at Obsessed with Scrapbooking is giving away some great prizes. She has reached over one million hits on her blog. I am personally hoping to win the Gypsy, but would be thrilled with any one of the gifts. Take a look by clicking on her blinkie--the one with the pink flamingo.

Scrapguy--World Traveler

Scrapguy is taking us on a whirlwind trip around the world this week with the chance to win blog candy at every stop. He has a video of each location--you feel like you are there!

When you take a look, be sure to see his creations also. Some really great ideas.

http://www.scrapguy.blogspot.com/

Robotz

The new Robotz cartridge was on sale and I can't pass up a sale. I had some 5 x 7 cards that were given to me I wanted to use. I cut most of these robots at 5" although there are a couple of smaller ones that were my first experiments.

Design Studio is really a great tool with these so you can see exactly how big the robot is going to be before cutting. The 4-legged fat lady robot was too wide. When I turned her around on the card I had to cut off a couple of her toes to fit.

I had lots of fun doing these and used my scrap stash too.

This is an example of the final card. I used a cuttlebug folder and inked it to resemble metal industrial floors. Can't wait for the coordinating cuttlebug folders for the Robotz cartridge.

Un-Birthday card

I got a little carried away purchasing Cricut cartridges. Create-a-Critter is cute but I don't just LOVE it. Leslie LOVES it so I'm giving it to her. And it needs a card to go with it.

I guess because Alice in Wonderland is so very popular right now, the un-birthday song came into my head. (And now it won't leave!) This was a quick card. I tried cutting out and layering the cake. The sentiment was printed on the cardstock and the placement wasn't in the best spot. Overall, it turned out okay.

Mystery ATC

I've been in an ATC swap with a group of gals from the Cricut message board for the last 2 1/2 years. We have decided to conclude this swap. The last ATC was a mystery. Everyone was to create whatever they wanted and we would try to guess who made each one. (The final result of that contest was that I got 4 right out of 12. Sounds like an "F" to me.)

I had a technique I wanted to try and there is no better place to try out something new than on an ATC. I saw this video on YouTube called Stampendous Painting With Powder. Someone had posted the YouTube link on their blog, and I apologize, but I can't remember who. Here is the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYGnmWTnPso


When I worked on my background I didn't review the video and instead of using Versamark, I used an embossing pad. As I heat-embossed the first color, the heat dried the "sticky" next to it, so when I added the next color, there was white showing. This was not what I intended but I did like the result. Also, as I tapped off the embossing powder before heating it, the layers thinned so there wasn't complete solid coverage. Which I also liked. I love it when mistakes work.


Finally, I stamped an image on my background, used embossing powder again and heat set that. The thing to watch out for there is that the background is slippery and a few times my stamp scooted giving me a blurry final image.

Disc Golf Mini Book

I actually made this book last summer but forgot to take pictures. I got my hands on it again so now I have the chance to show it.

My oldest son LOVES to play disc golf and wanted to teach the rest of us. What patience! From what I can remember, the papers are from the Green Stack and from a mini stack I purchased because of the manly-type paper. Leslie had just found us a great deal on some Sizzix alphabets and I got Sunset (which I love) and used it for all the lettering.

I'm not going to say I'm technologically challenged, but even photo mistakes can be a good thing. When I first got my camera I was forever taking a picture before I was ready. The fairway shot was just one of those mistakes.

These are my three sons. The funny thing about this picture to me is that the youngest looks so small. He is 6' tall.

And Mom tried it. My disc dribbled about 20 feet down the fairway. Then I left the boys at the course to play and I found the nearest Michael's.

Heritage ATC Swap

The April ATC swap theme is ancestors or family heritage. I decided to use the wedding photo of my parents.

I was introduced to a new web site that has digital images for sale. I wanted to see if I could figure out how to use them and for $1 I didn't think I would be out too much if it didn't work. The site is : http://www.twistedpapers.com/home.html This is the image I downloaded.

I'm not too handy working with digital, and finally was able to weld the scanned photo of my parents and the downloaded digital image in the Power Point program. I wish I had been able to figure out inserting the photo and keeping the flowers inside the frame.

After printing the ATC card, I used Prisma pencils and the gamsol technique to add a little peach to the tree flowers and yellow to the flowers around the bottom.

Word book

This weekend Daughter came home from college and wanted to make gifts for her friends that are seniors and will be leaving this spring. I wish I had taken a picture of the "L" she covered for her friend's wall--maybe she will take a picture and send it to me.

But, she also wanted to make a name word book for "L's" sister Jamie. I LOVE designing books in Cricut Designer Studio and this was no hardship to help. I used George for the rectangle base and Stamped for the letters using the smooth edge feature. I did adjust the letters a little to make them fatter.

The book is first cut from chipboard (thank you Joyce). Daughter was looking for a set of papers to use so everything would coordinate. She looked through her supply, then my supply and just didn't see what she wanted. Then I broke down and showed her BasicGrey Kioshi. Well, suffice it to say I need to go shopping for myself again. Daughter had not put pictures or embellishments on yet. I didn't have time to photo every page as she needed to pack to get back to school, so this is the only photo I took:

Project 365 - Week 3

I think I need to work on my journaling. I really do have more that two word thoughts about the pictures.

Cartridges used for journaling - I'll have to get back to you--I don't remember.

Okay--here they are: Amaryllis--part of flower from Tinkerbell, computer and bookstack from Cursive 101, cloud from Going Places, megaphone from Everday Paper Dolls and stairway from A Child's Year.

Project 365 - Week 2

It's taking me a long while to get my scrap pages done. Getting photos printed seems to be what's holding me up. I am having fun finding Cricut cuts for my journaling. This is the second full week of January.

Cartridges used for the journaling spots: the amaryllis is a portion of a flower from Tinkerbell, Hoops from Sports Mania, pot and breakfast are on From My Kitchen, portrait is the inside of the apple of A Child's Year and the dog is from Paper Pups.

Cooper Word Book

A couple of weeks ago when I visited Leslie, I worked on a word book. I love designing, cutting and assembling these books using Cricut Design Studio. This one is for my hairdresser's dog. It started as a picture of the day and then I decided every time I go to hairapy (Pat's lingo) I would take another picture of Cooper, the dog. His first picture was taken when he was 10 weeks old, so I plan to record his first year.

I love the papers. Most of them are from the Playful Pets paper pack from ki Memories and some have foil. I also found some papers to match from The Paper Company Studio. The bone paper is glittery. The letters are from Base Camp as is the rectangle that I used for the base. My pal Leslie put the dots on the letters with direction from Sherrie--really a group project!

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March COM - Mauve with Movement

Sister Leslie and Friends Joyce and Sherrie thought I should do this complicated card for movement. Obviously it was a case of they didn't want to and "Mikey will do it." Well, I did think about it very briefly.


http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/popuptwirl/


However, I went with the flip flop card again. The paper is My Mind's Eye, Bohemia line, Bliss "Darling Daughter" floral/pink. The Medallion stamp is from a $1 clear stamp set. The Thinking of You sentiment is from the Close to My Heart Gracious Greetings set.

Jewel ATC swap

After Christmas, in an effort to spend my Archivers gift card (LOL) I was wandering about the store and found some great jewel flowers in the $1.99 hot spot area. It hit me right away that these would be perfect for my jewel ATC. A little digging and I was able to find 5 different colors: light pink, dark pink, light green, blue and lavender.

I thought I had the perfect stamp with stems and leaves at home but it wasn't even close to what I needed. So, I dug through the one or two (ha) stamps that I have and decided flourishes could be stems. For an unknown reason, I have lots of different colors of green ink pads, so I experimented with the colors and the stamps to create a garden.

I love the jewels because they are sparkly and they are not glitter.

February COM - Seafoam with String

My designers choice, January, COM, was Jade with Jute. Ummm, sounds very like this month's theme so it was a little challenging not to just make the same card.

As a shipper for the Cards for Soldiers project, I get to see everyone creations. They are all so wonderful. One gal used cricut markers on her Animal Kingdom cuts, and I really liked the way they defined those decorative/defining cuts you can't see. You know what I mean? So, I purchased one set from Scrappersmusthaves.com which had the best price I found on the internet. I gave them a try with dinosauers from Paper Dolls.

The blue dino just seems to be looking at something above his head--maybe some birthday balloons? So, he was the inspiration for my card. AND I used all supplies I had on hand (well, after I purchased the cricut markers). The numbered paper is Basic Grey, Brigham, from the Oh Baby! Boy line. Dino and his darker spots underneath are Bazzill dotted swiss papers.

The balloons were cut from a Making Memories cardstock pad of basic colors. I used good ole George for the yellow and orange balloons and Stretch Your Imagination for the purple. Close to my Heart white daisy stamp was used to ink the edges. I stamped "happy birthday" with the set of stamps "Seasonal Thoughts" from Close to My Heart. The string is DMC Perle Cotton. Okay--TMI??

If you stare hard and squint your eyes just a little, you can imagine that the green is seafoam.

Dustin Pike Girlie Dragon Challenge - Take 2

I didn't really like the first card I made for this challenge, so I tried again. My inspiration is the amazing work done by Cindy and shown on her blog: http://royalthings.blogspot.com/ Again, it was fun using supplies I had, especially the water drops that I knew I needed but didn't know why. Hope you like this one better also.

Dustin Pike Girlie Dragon Challenge

I rarely do challenges but thought this one could be fun. I used some supplies I had never used before so that was certainly worth it! I used the birthday and the diamond plate cuttlebug embossing folders. The punch is a Fiskars. Used my Making Memories alphabet stamps and 6 of my thousands of flowers!!

Coffee?

I had the "From My Kitchen" cart out and decided to make the coffee pot that was the deciding factor in me purchasing the cart. Well, sort of. So, I made two pots, put them on ready-made cards, inserting a little money and off they will go to college students for a little treat. I've been meaning to do that for a couple of months...

The First Robins of Spring

This is obviously not something I have created, but I love those first Robins of Spring. These are perched in the neighbor's tulip tree, which I see has buds! Spring just has to be around the corner.

Project 365 - first full week of January

I finished my first two page photo layout. I was having trouble finding paper in my stash that would go behind all 7 photos without clashing. Leslie decided that she was going to use a neutral background paper in her 365 book and I decided that was the best idea yet. So, I'm scraplifting from Leslie and I am going to use Kraft paper (which I actually already had). Some of the paper has subtle designs which I like.

I have enjoyed trying to come up with my journaling cards using Cricut cartridge designs. It's a great way for me to meet the cartridge challenge. I love that car--it is from Graphically Speaking. The flower is from Tinkerbell, the snowman from Christmas Cheer (I was a little worried how I would use that cartridge) and the basketball is from Sports Mania. The other exciting item I used was the sequin snowflakes. They could probably be considered antiques, they have been around so long.

I will work on photographing the layouts. Definitely needs help.