Monday, January 31, 2011

Splish Splash

I have been getting a lot more done this week than I really thought I would.  I guess I got bit by the bug. I got several things done over the weekend and wanted to share this final page with you.  I love the pictures and wanted something very simple for the page.

I wish I knew where the fun striped background paper came from, but it was in my random paper bin. I have collected so much paper over the the years that I have no idea where it is all from or who designed it. Now when I buy new paper (which is more often than I should) I make sure I know all that info so I can share it with others when they ask me about it.

I used H20 for the "splish splash" cut and Splish Splash for the extra water drops.  I also used my Cuttlebug to emboss the title and backing squares.  I put the title in the embossing folder the wrong way but I love how it looks so I did the backing blocks the same way.  Hope you like it. Please leave me some love.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

January Monthly Blog Challenge

Okay so I was so not going to do this challenge for two reasons:
1. I do not have very much from the sponsors
2. At the start of the month I had not gotten any majoring buzzing in my ear ideas that I wanted to copy from the blog. 

Next thing I know I am using a sketch from the blog to create a page (Father's day layout for my 2-a-Week Challenge) and yesterday when looking at the blog and all the new Teresa Collins Designs...well I got inspired for a page I have been thinking about since May.

The January Monthly Challenge:
SCRAPLIFT A CIRCLE BLOG PROJECT!

"For this month’s challenge we would like to see you scraplift one of the projects you have seen us present here on the blog. It can be anything! And feel free to add your own creative twist to the project. Project must be newly created for this challenge and should include the following elements to qualify."
-Use 2 or more Cricut Cuts on the project.
-Use a project you have seen on the Cricut Circle Blog as inspiration for your project.
-Use products from at least two of our Sponsors

MY Scraplifted page for My daughter's 4th birthday.
For my project I used the following things:
- Hello Kitty Font for the "Sophie" and Cricut Classic Font to create the star and star frame behind it.
- The above project from Amy Mitchell & Teresa Collins on the Circle Blog
- Paper from American Craft (the orange polka dots) and created using the Cosmo Cricket Imagine Cartridge Elise (the background paper and solid colors that I cut the letters from)

I reversed the page because of the photo I was using and I hand wrote all the words on my tags.  I also used 4 little pink sparkles because this page is form my daughter's 4th birthday! I am pretty excited about this page.  I know it was the last day of the month,but I think I ended with a project I can be proud of.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #18: Back to Basic

I love all the projects that people create for the different challenges featured on the Cricut Circle Blog and all the many other blogs that I have started surfing around to look at. I would really like to take part in more of these challenges as they often inspire what I create, so I decided to start with the one on the Cricut Circle Blog this week. 

"Back to the Basics Challenge! For this challenge we want you to go “Back to the Basics” . . . by using ONLY the cartridge(s) that came with your machine or Gypsy! You must use THREE cuts on your project (the complete title or words counts as one cut)."

I was thinking of doing something with Playtime which came with my new Plum Expression, but I love the "Queen" cut from Gypsy Wanderings and that lead to the final result..a Valentine for my daughter! She is my Queen of Hearts!! I hope you like it. Please leave me some love if you do. I can not wait to see all the other projects people post to the blog.

Cricut Cuts used:
Gypsy Wanderings Fleur 1 Decor Tag (2 of these)
           (embossed with Heart Blocks Cuttlebug folder)
Gypsy Wanderings Crown
Gypsy Wanderings Crown shift
Gypsy Wanderings Crown shadow & shift shadow
Gypsy Wanderings Crown Phrase & Shadow (1 of each)
Gypsy Font "Hearts" welded

Friday, January 28, 2011

Two-A-Week Challenge - Week 3

This week I did a 2 page layout for my personal challenge. I have a feeling this will be a pretty common occurrence while I tackle this challenge during the year.  I take so many pictures so 2 page spreads happen over and over again. I am finding that I have to censor myself just a little when I print out pictures or I need to make 4-6 page layouts to cover certain events.

The paper on the page is from the DCWC Christmas Combo cardstock stack and the ribbon is Christmas Snowflakes by The Paper Studio. I have gotten pretty comfortable using ribbon on my pages and cards now that I have found a good way of making it stick to my pages. I knew I loved my Xyron sticker maker!

Ashlyn's Alphabet bow


I almost did not use any Cricut cuts on this page, but I really wanted a little bow in the center of each page so I cut those with Ashlyn's Alphabet and added a little pearl on each one. Almost not using my Cricut made me think a lot about my scrap booking before I had a Cricut machine.  I am going to be doing a series of posts that look back on my projects before I had one (now that I have owned 2 Expressions and an Imagine).  I think it is fun to see what I created before I had this 
                                                          amazing machine.

One last fun fact about this layout is that one of the pictures shows another project I did last holiday season.  I took a try at etching glass and made many lovely gifts for people. I made baking dishes, mirrored candles holders and glasses for people. here you can see that the glass was etched.  It actually says "I made this!" which is what my good friend, Rick often says when people tell him they like gifts, but it also makes me smile because I really did make that!!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Can Not Decide

I can not seem to find the right design for my blog.  I am trying hard to find something I really like and would to get sick of but I just do not seem to have what I want. Please bear with me as the background changes and changes and changes until I have just what I would like.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Boy will be Boys coming my way

I get a little excited when I challenge myself to spending limits.  Today at Hobby Lobby I had 2 cartridges in my hands as they are on sale 2 for $79.99 until Saturday.  I was ready to go and check out when I said to my husband, "I bet I could get 3-4 for that price on eBay."

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

First cartridge Boys Will be Boys for $23.  Now I am hoping to get 2 or 3 more (full cartridges, not seasonal) before the end of the day Saturday when the Hobby Lobby sale is over.  I may not be getting Formal Occasions (on my wish list but very new) but my hope is to get others on the wish list for the better deal.  Wish me luck.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Catching Up..My Way

I am slowly working on catching up with my scrapbooking. I know I am only in week two of my Two-a-Week Challenge BUT... I am proud of myself for sticking with it and not giving in yet (I know already?? but let's face it life happens) and I am enjoying myself and my new ideas.  I decided that I was going to work on the pages I got inspired for when looking at the photos. I have a large stack of pictures so I have been going thought them and letting them give me the ideas before I decide what page to work on.

Today: MOTHER'S DAY.  I figured I did Father's day last week so it was only appropriate to get Mother's day done as well.  I loved the fairy wings my daughter was wearing when we met up with my Mom and Dad for breakfast so I went with that as my idea.
 
Paper: Summer Song Stack (My Mind's Eye) 
Mother's Day Letters: layered Alphalicious
Fairy: Once Upon a Princess

I used my Cuttlebug to enhance the backing star pattern on the fairy logo and added some fun ribbon I got in this great package at Walmart.  The roll only had just enough to do these 2 strips across the page (12x12), but the box came with with 40 rolls of ribbon.  I bought 2 different sets they had so 80 different ribbons to use as enhancements and only 8-10 dollars for each one!!

I am sorry the pictures are not better.  The sun is not working well in my craft room today.  Enjoy! Please let me know what you think about my pages and support me as I try to complete 2-a-week!!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Mr.Big Head!!

Last year my daughter had a teacher at her preschool who was just creative beyond words.  He was filling in for a teacher on maternity leave and has moved on to a new job and career but the whole class loved Mr. Josh and his crazy ideas. My favorite was Mr.Big Head!!  The large head held a string cup phone between the ears, had a periscope to look out the eyes with and dried spices up the nose to smell. The kids loved it and took turns sleeping inside for nap time.

This is the first project (other than color tags) that I used my Imagine for.  I used the pattern cartridge Hopscotch to create all the paper except the green background page.  I was very please with the print quality and look forward to using it again soon.  The letters were made using Birthday Bash. I love the font on this cartridge and can tell I am going to use it often for projects! One other fun thing that I did for this page was I cut out small circles using my Creative Memories Circle Cutter.  I wanted to add just a small touch of something and the pattern in Hopscotch had these great circles just asking to be cut out and pasted on as stickers. (Got to love my Xyron sticker maker!) I still have to make one more page for my Two-a-Week Challenge this week, but here is part one.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

First Pages...in awhile!

I finished my pages for the Two-a-Week Challenge finally!  I was worried that I would not get them done...leading to a fail my very first week.  I had a small blade issue with my Expression and it was not cutting the cuts correctly. Instead of thinking about it, I cut a few more test pieces before remembering to look at the blade. How is it that I have been using this machine for almost 3 years and still forget I can change the blade and should change it every so often??? Take a look at yours and see how it is doing before making your next cuts!

Gotta love my labelmaker!
This week I had so many ideas going on in my head that when it came time to pick what I wanted to focus on  for my challenge I got sidetracked organizing once again.  I am happy to report that my cartridges are all set for use and much easier to share with my friends and family should they need them. I love Snapware!

Feeling Groovy Cartridge
When I finally got to work on pages earlier today I was not sure what I wanted to work on having gotten a new envelope of picture just arrived. In the end I decided to focus on some simple pages. First, I did a quick page about the fort building that went on in my home last winter. My daughter and her daddy had a great time creating a special hiding place for the afternoon and evening. I used the Lite Cartridge Feeling Groovy for the lettering and just some basic purple and white paper to put it all together.

After that page I decided to try using a sketch from the Circle Blog and create a page using that as my inspiration. This sketch came from Deanna Misner on the blog a few days ago and I loved how she made her page look. I was going to post it here, but I was not sure if that was allowed so check out the Circut Circle Blog entry for Jan. 11. I decided that I did not really want to use the banner part and replaced it with an extra frame for the "XOXO." I am really pleased with the way it turned out and I think I might try using sketches more often to help me get inspired.

 Here are the rest of the details:
- Cartridges Cuts:
    Sentimentals: Frames for words and XOXO
    Plantin Schoolbook: Dad
- Paper: My Mind's Eye: Laundry Line Stack &  
  The Paper Studio Pearlized Cardstock
- I used my Xyron 500 to put the glue backing on
  the card stock because sometimes glitter   
  paper doesn't stick.

I had a fun time getting back to work on scrapbook pages and with a day off tomorrow I plan on getting a few more done (get a jump start on the new week). I hope everyone who is taking part in the challenge was successful and had fun!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Two-A-Week Challenge

My husband says that my Cricut is the right kind of addiction! This means it will not kill me or him or harm our child in anyway and he is not worried about finding me passed out in a back ally somewhere.


BUT he still looks at me funny when I tell him that I purchased 11 cartridges in the last 3 days.  Yes, I said 11 and that is a lot.  As far as addiction goes this weekend cost me.  BUT (yes another one) I used eBay and Cricut Rewards to get these carts so I can honestly say that on average I spent $15 a cartridge. That is not so bad considering the sales around here (minus the one at Michael's where they had $10 carts...all sold out before I got there plus they did not have any I did not already have!) had them listed for minimum $29.99!  I am pretty happy but have to say that I need to back away form eBay for awhile and just enjoy my new carts.


Here is what I got: Imagine Pattern: Blossom, Imagine Better Together, Sentimentals, Spring Holiday Cards, Songbird, Nursery Rhymes, Animal Kingdom, Destinations, Classic Disney, Gingerbread, and Ashlyn's Alphabet. I am looking forward to all the projects I will do with these new treats.


NOW WAIT A MINUTE...you might be saying you have not posted a new project in a few months (except for the holiday tags!) and you are right.  I have not been posting my projects. I am trying as hard as I can  but I find, as a teacher, my nights land me in front of the TV winding down (If I start talking about TV on my blog would more people read it?) and weekends start with all intentions of scrapping, but I end up organizing and little gets accomplished. After this weekends stash I feel I have no choice but to scrap ASAP, so...... 


MY TWO-A-WEEK CHALLENGE
I am issuing myself a challenge. I am going to try and scrapbook 2 pages a week (I will already admit this will mostly be happening on the weekend, but I plan on doing some of the planning and cutting during the week)! If I have other projects to complete I may scrap only one page and use the project; a card or bulletin board as the second page. I figure the main goal will be pages for our albums but I love using my machines so it is all win win!! Please encourage me and support me in this new venture.  I know all the support I get from the Circle will push me forward so leave your comments and feedback and even ideas of what carts you would like to see me use because I have a few (not counting the new ones) that I really should get out and try!