Memorial Day Blog Hop!

Hello and welcome to the Memorial Day Blog Hop!  We have a great line up of bloggers for you today that are all going to share projects relating to Memorial Day.   These ladies are great crafters!  I hope you will join us for the hop and leave comments for everyone with your thoughts about their project!   This is the first stop on the hop. 

Wikipedia says that "Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 30 in 2011).... it commemorates men and women who died while in military service to the United States".  I have had a few family members and friends that have served in the military.  I have not, however, had anyone I know die while they were serving.  That is the ultimate sacrifice for our country and I am grateful to all of those folks who put their life on the line to protect me, my family, and my country.  Thank you!

Based on what I read about today's holiday, I decided to make this thank you card:

I started with cutting my background papers.  This is a standard A2 card. 

Then I sent my blue sheet through my Cuttlebug, using the Stars folder.  I brushed white ink over the top of the paper to make the embossing stand out.  I like using the mini chalk pads from Joann's dollar section for this.

Next, I used ribbon from Michael's that I just picked up to adorn the corners of my blue page.  Shh, don't tell anyone but I just scotch tape it to the back of the card.  No fancy adhesives for this part!

I cut out the Statue of Liberty from the Stand and Salute cartridge.  I cut it once regularly and once on blackout, both at 4".  Then I used a brown marker to draw the lines that the Cricut cut as details and inked the regular image using two shades of green.  I tried to make it look a little weathered like the real statue.

I adhered the blackout cut to the card and used some dimensional dots to pop out the inked image.

Lastly on the front, I added a metal piece.  I bought these on clearance when I first started scrapping and this is the first time I have ever used one!  I used two red brads to attach it (I would have liked white but I didn't have any!) and I stamped thankful on the tag that slides inside.

The finished front:

I also saw the frame feature on Stand and Salute and really liked how it looked with the Statue of Liberty so I decided that would be what I put on the inside.  I cut the frame from the blue paper at 5.25".  I used my ATG to glue the white paper to the back and then again to glue the full piece into the inside of the card.

A close up of the frame:

I also have some blog candy for you!  To thank you for visiting, I am giving away your choice of either Twinkle Toes lite cart OR a $15 gift card to Michael's or JoAnns to one lucky person who leaves a comment on this post telling me one thing about Memorial Day.  It can be a fact about the holiday, something you do to celebrate, or anything else you would like to share!  It is not necessary for you to be a follower of my blog but I would absolutely love it if you decide to become one!  I am approaching 200 followers and am pretty sure I'm going to celebrate that milestone! *wink*wink*  Be sure to include a way for me to contact you!  I will select a winner Tuesday afternoon using Random.org.

Be sure to follow along the hop by going to Laura's blog next!

Here is the complete blog list for you:
1. Michele <------- You are HERE!
2. Laura - http://lauras--piece--of--paradise.blogspot.com/
3. Kristen - http://fantabulouslypink.blogspot.com/
4. Rexann - http://ibecircled.blogspot.com
5. Jamie - www.myamusinglife.blogspot.com
6. Dana - Paper Memories (http://irwdanataft.blogspot.com/ )
7. Cindy - www.inlovewithpaper.blogspot.com
8. Brenda - http://happyscrapper64.blogspot.com/
9. Roberta - www.txscrappermom.blogspot.com
10. Renee - http://icameisawicreated.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy Memorial Day to you!

Cricut's Craftiest Mom Challenge

Hi everyone!  Cricut is having a contest on Facebook.  It is called the Craftiest Mom Challenge.  If you are a Facebook user, I would LOVE it if you could take a minute and vote for my project! 

Click here to go to my project. 

You can vote once every 24 hours for the next few days.  The project with the most votes wins a new Cricut Expression 2!  How awesome would that be to win?!

I would really appreciate your help!!  Thank you!

Imagine Sample Decks

Here's how I spent my Sunday:

I saw this posted on someone else's blog (I"m very sorry but I don't remember who) and thought it was such a great idea!  The Cricut Imagine doesn't always print exactly like what you see in the book.  Also, the picture of what it will look like is sometimes too small to tell what the pattern actually is.  So I printed a sample of every pattern and solid color on the Imagine Cart.  It did take awhile but this is going to be so awesome to have as a reference!!  I am thinking especially for those solid colors.  I can grab the sample pack and check that the color that prints is really the color that will match my project.  Awesome!!

So far I have accomplished three carts. (And I only own 5 so more than half!)  :) 

I printed all of these using the square shape that is included in the base shapes on the Imagine.  I cut all the squares at 3.5".  This allowed me to get 9 squares to a piece of 12x12 paper.  Each cart took either 4 or 5 pieces of paper to be complete with both the patterns AND the solid colors.

I secured them all using a loose leaf ring.  I only had 2 though so I will have to go out and buy some more! 

My plan is to keep doing this as I get new Imagine carts, which I only buy for super cheap on eBay, so I should be able to keep up as I go along.  That is, providing that eBay prices don't suddenly drop!  Ha ha!!! 

Cricut Blog

Have you heard???  There's a new blog on the block!  The Cricut Blog!  Stop on over to check it out!

http://cricutblog.org/

There's also a blinkie that will reside on the right side bar here on my blog.  You can click on it to go there too!  I love Cricut and I hope you do/will too!

Daisy Bridging

It's hard to believe that this was a year ago already!  My oldest daughter bridged from Daisy to Brownie Girl Scouts last spring.  When I saw the badge feature on Campin' Critters, I knew I would use them for this layout.  Plus, a great sketch was posted on the Cricut Circle blog as a challenge this week so I used that too!

This is the complete layout:

Here is the sketch:

I turned it on it's side and used it for the left side of my layout.

I then carried the design to the right side.  I'm not crazy about the flower background paper but I couldn't find that "just right" piece so I settled for them.  They are from the Girl Scout stack by K&Co.  All the solid papers are Creative Memories colors.

I wanted to share some of the details with you, as the badge feature isn't super clear in the handbook as to what layers are what so I thought you might be interested!

First, here is the eagle cut at 4".

I have two badges on the left page, the butterfly from p. 47 and the music notes from p. 33.  These are cut at 2".  I didn't want to do the camping images like the fire and lantern because they don't camp yet as Daisies. Maybe in a future layout as she gets older!

 The word bridging is cut from the Cupcake Lite at 1.3".  I am seriously in love with that font!!!  The sticker letters were from my stash.

There are three badges on the right page, the notebook from p. 70, the bunny from p. 57 and the compass from p. 37, all cut at 2".  I'm not completely happy with that little bunny as there is no layer for the eyes and I think it looks strange like that but I also didn't want to put googly eyes on him either.  Oh well! 

I hope you like the layout and here's hoping for the blog challenge!

Introducing...

I have been wanting the cartridge Campin' Critters ever since the day it came out.  This week was my chance!  JoAnn's has their Cricut carts on sale for $29.99 so I went and bought a few.  They didn't have CC though.  Luckily my Michael's price matches without a hassle so I ran over there and they did have CC in stock!  I was so excited!  I completed three projects with this cart in the two days after I got it!

The first was a baby card for some friends of ours who just had boy #2.  There also is a Tic Tac Toe challenge going on at the Cricut Circle blog so I made this card to suit that too.  Here is the Tic Tac Toe board, of which I filled the top row.

Image from the Cricut Circle Blog

And here is the card!

This is the sun from Campin' Critters, cut at 3".  My welded word is from the Cupcake Lite cart, at 0.5".  The buttons to complete the Tic Tac Toe row are on the inside of the card.  My original plan was for them to be the ... after introducing but they were way too big!  Not sure what I was thinking there! :)  So they had to go inside instead.  I added some twine to make them cute.

Gabe is the new boy's name.  In this picture it looks like Gabel but really that's an exclamation point at the end.  I must have taken the picture a leaning a little and it covered the dot up. 

Here is a side view of the card:

I will post my other two CC projects coming up soon.  I totally love this cart!!

Awesome hair pieces!

Recently, I was introduced to Birdy Photography & Design (Facebook).  She does awesome work but unfortunately lives nowhere near me as she is in Little Rock, AR!   She was having a giveaway on her blog and I was the #1 winner!  Can you believe it? 

As a part of that, I was introduced to 2Katie Designs (Facebook).  WOW!  I am amazed by their work!  Scrapbooking is their main business from what I gather but I was the lucky winner of a hair piece from their (NON)Sense Hair Accessories line.  They were so gracious that they made two for me when I contacted them and told them I had two daughters.  Isn't that awesome?!

Although my girls are tough to get to sit still for a picture, I attempted to take some pics of the two awesome pieces I got.  The girls love them!

 

I suggest you check out either their Facebook site (which has more pics of the pieces they make) or their website, both linked above.  You can purchase a bunch of different styles.  Again, they have both great scrapbooking tips and these awesome hair pieces!  It looks like they also offer classes if you live near them in AR!

I won a total of five prizes from this giveaway.  Another one of them is a complete blog makeover by Birdy herself!  I CANNOT wait!  You'll have to stay tuned for that, although it probably won't be for quite awhile yet.  Thanks for stopping by!

Me n my scrap space

Hi everyone!  I feel like it has been so long since I have posted!  It's the same excuse everyone uses but I've been so busy lately!  :)  I did just buy some new carts this week though so I am very excited to dig into those.  I promise you'll see some more creations from me coming up soon!

This past Saturday was National Scrapbook Day and so the Cricut Circle is celebrating!  One of the ways is by sharing pictures of our scrap spaces with each other.  The catch?  We have to be in the picture!  So here I am in my space!

As you can see, I share a space with my family, from my husband's hunting trophies to my kids toys!  Oh well, I am slowly taking over!!!  Ha ha ha!

Same picture, just closer of me.  I always am just as interested in the people as in the scrap spaces!  :)

Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

It's a Girl! - A shape card using the Imagine

A young girl that I care very much for (she is seriously such a great girl!) recently had her first baby, at nearly the exact same time in her life that I had my first daughter.  I met her when she was in high school and I was the dance team coach in the same school district. I no longer live by her so I wanted to send her something to congratulate her.  I packed a box of presents and made this card for her.

I printed the baby dress from Nursery Tails at 5".  I then turned my Imagine to Cut Only and cut another one from white paper at the same size.  This gave me the printed front of my card and a white side for the back.  This is a great way to make a shape card until ProvoCraft is able to make an update that allows us to weld shapes together.

I printed another of the pocket by using the layers option of the Imagine.  I then printed a tiny little tag at 1".  I popped up the pocket and slipped the tag in underneath. I also printed another lamb just for fun.

The sentiment I stamped on the inside:

And here is a picture of the back.  I adhered the sleeve and side of one side of the dress together and scored it so that it would open nicely.

I hope you are all having a great week and that you enjoy the upcoming weekend!  Happy Mother's Day to all of you mommies out there! 

Idea Binder

The other homemade item I sent to my Easter swap partner was an idea binder.  I find myself printing off all sorts of layout sketches or project directions and I don't have a great place to keep them all together.  I have had this idea in my head for awhile now to make a binder for myself.  Somehow I made one for Laura first!  :)  Here is the cover:

All the cardstock in this project is the Grade School stack from DCWV.  The L and I capital letters are from Cricut Everyday (at 1.62").  The rest of the letters are from Hannah Montana (1.22").  I did a test cut on a separate piece of paper to make sure that the words were centered and where I wanted them.  I loved the Cricut green of this binder so I wanted that to show through.  I used some photo splits to adhere the dots in the a's and the e.

Inside, I made 5 divider pages:
card sketches
1 pg layouts
2 pg layouts
Instructions
Other

Those are the five things I see scattered all over my desk all the time!

Each divider is a different paper from the Grade School stack.  I used the file folder cut on Fabulous Finds.  It is cut to be 11.5" wide.  I then used my Gypsy to create the tab titles and make sure they would fit on the tabs.  Again the capital letter is from Cricut Everyday (at 0.7") and the rest of the font is from Disney's Hannah Montana (at 0.5").

I forgot to take pictures of this project before I sent it to my partner so the binder photos are courtesy of Cool Beans by L.B.  Thank you!!!