Moving . . . UGH!

Last Tuesday we found out we were moving and the kicker is we have to be out of our current rental by midnight on Halloween!  How does one move a household of three in 12 days?  Not easily, especially since we've been here five years and it seems that everything has multiplied since we moved in - even though two grown children have flown the coop and taken their stuff with them.  This will be my last post for a little while as I am packing up the craft room (sob!) and my office (double sob!). 

When I come back I'll have a couple of things to share with you -- two adorable Halloween costumes I made and my niece's 3rd birthday invitation.  I've got things for three baby showers to create as well as things for my niece's birthday, cards for six birthdays in November and December . . . oh, yeah . . .  AND Christmas.  (I think the craft room may very well get put back together before the kitchen!)

Melin has graciously allowed me to be in absentia at Cooking with Cricut, but I'll be back for the mid-November challenges.  Go check out her blog -- my fellow Design Team members are among some of the most creative and talented people I've ever had the privilege to craft with!!!

See you soon!

CWC Design Team Challenge: Sweetest Day

Our first Design Team challenge over at Cooking with Cricut (CWC) was to create something for "Sweetest Day."  Now, I've heard of Sweetest Day before, but I wasn't really sure what it was all about.  So, after a little research, here is what I discovered:

According to Wikipedia, Sweetest Day is an observance celebrated primarily in the Great Lakes region, and parts of the Northeast United States on the third Saturday in October.  Once known as a day to spread love and cheer to the unfortunate, this popular holiday in the northern U.S. is now known as a day to show affection to the loved ones in your life. It is described by Retail Confectioners International as an "occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, aged and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed." Sweetest Day has also been referred to as a "concocted promotion" created by the candy industry solely to increase sales of candy.

I decided to make a card for my sweetie.  One of my favorite quotes is one attributed to A. A. Milne's beloved Winnie the Pooh.  And, since Pooh is my favorite . . .  a card was born!

Cricut Cartridge:  Pooh & Friends

Paper:  Bazzill Basics Wild Pansy (card); Colorbok, Tracy Porter, Make & Create, Floral Tapestry (background mat); Bazzill Basics Lavender Twilight (center mat); Recollections & Bazzill Basics scraps (Pooh, Piglet, and the daisy frame).

Other:  Clear rhinestone "bling"; rub on butterflies; yellow stickles (flower centers).

Pooh is 5" tall, Piglet is 3 3/4" tall and the daisy frame is 6 1/4" tall.  The quote "If you live to be a hundred . . . I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you" was computer generated.

As always, click on the picture for a better look.  Now, scoot on over to Cooking with Cricut and check out what my fellow designers created!

I Was Chosen!

I recently applied to be a member of the very first Design Team on the Cooking with Cricut (CWC) blog.  This gal creates some AMAZING things (so please go check out her blog -- you'll love it)!  I've been following Melin's blog for a number of months now and have been blown away by the beautiful things she creates.  So when she announced she was starting her first Design Team, I thought I'd give it a try.  I really didn't think she'd pick me, simply because there are so many talented folks out there doing the kinds of things I'm doing.  But she did, Melin picked ME to be a part of her 18-member team!!  I am so excited and honored to be a part of this awesome group of women!

Our first challenge will be uploaded tomorrow.  So please come back and check it out -- either here at my blog, which will link to Cooking with Cricut (that way you can check out the beautiful stuff my fellow designers have created) or go straight to the CWC blog using the link above.

Card Class #2

After the great success of our first class, a second card making class was scheduled for August 14.  The ladies decided they wanted to do Christmas and Halloween cards.  Again, we pre-cut all of the elements and most everything was just assemble and glue.  We increased the difficulty level just a bit, since they had already cut their card making "teeth" in the previous class.

The Christmas cards are all top folds and are 4 1/4" tall x 5 1/2" wide.  The first two were constructed on a white card and the third on an ivory card.  The text on the first two was computer generated and then cut out or punched.

This was the easiest card and was the one we started the class with. 

Cricut cartridge:  George & Basic Shapes (scalloped circle)

Paper:  Red with the white dot - Me & My Big Ideas (background); white card stock (white strip and circle); Bazzill guacamole (scalloped circle).

Other materials:  1/4 green satin ribbon (Offray); Holly leaves with berries brad (Falalala - Making Memories)

Cricut cartridge:  Accent Essentials (snowflake).

Paper:  Blue with White Snowflakes (Penny Black - Snowflakes); Recollections light blue card stock; white card stock.

Other:  Making Memories brad with blue "bling."

I fell in love with this card and totally scraplifted it from Suzanne at http://www.thepapervariety.blogspot.com. 

Cricut cartridge:  Create-A-Critter.

Paper:  Anna Griffin #AG1459 (background mat); burgundy card stock (mat); black, light brown, tan and burgundy card stock (reindeer).

Other:  Color Box topaz ink (to brush the edges of the background mat); 3/8" green ribbon (with gold edge); red "bling" (nose); rubber stamped and gold embossed greeting.



Our final card of the class was the most difficult ~ it involved lots and lots of layers!   However, the end result was fantastic; everyone did such a good job on their cards.   Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night with ideas for cards?  Well this card was one of those middle of the night inspirations!

Cricut cartridges:  Paper Doll Dress Up (all cuts unless otherwise indicated); Grass & Bushes (ZooBalloo); Walkway (Mickey & Friends).

Paper:  various solid colored card stock from my paper scraps.

Other:  Chalk and colored pens.

This card was built in layers -- each layer flips open to reveal another treat.  The first layer is the fence with the pumpkin.  The second layer is the tree, tombstones and black cat; and it lifts to reveal the walkway to the haunted castle.  This card is 8 1/2 tall x 5 1/2 inches wide.

Remember . . . you can click on the photos to take a closer look!

Crayons & The Cricut

We have a very good friend who is a VPK (voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) teacher.  Ms. Evie is the kind of teacher every parent wishes their child would have!  She is kind, caring, nurturing and would do anything to help her kids succeed and learn.  She helped us lay a strong foundation for our 1st grader to build upon.  Not only is she an amazing teacher, but a very dear friend.  Evie loves to decorate her classroom and make it inviting and fun for her kids.   When I stumbled across this idea sheet in my crafting files I knew I needed to make it for her!

I ran across this crayon wreath idea sheet at a Hobby Lobby a number of years ago.  The instructions are not wonderful, but I was able to make it work with a little tinkering.  Your basic supply list is:  three boxes of 24 count crayons (I used Crayola), two wooden embroidery hoops (an 8" and a 12"), tons of hot glue, ribbon, embellishments (if so desired) and wire for a hanger.

Separate the wooden hoops.  Remove the screw that holds the hoops together, hot glue ends together.  (Note:  I'm not really sure why they have you do this step.  You could just tighten the screw and leave it in.)  Paint the hoops (Optional.  I left mine the natural wood color.)  Once dry, center the smaller hoop inside the larger hoop.  Lay out your crayons with the points facing in or out, whatever you prefer.  Once you have them arranged to your liking, start hot gluing them to the wooden hoops.  Add your embellishments and a pretty bow.  Attach a wire loop or hanger to the larger hoop, on the reverse and TA-DA!  The perfect gift for your favorite teacher!

The embellishments were cut using my Cricut (of course!) and are from the Locker Talk, Doodlecharms (apple) and Plantin Schoolbook (letters) cartridges.

Card Class #1

Several of our friends (my Mom included), have been bugging Dee and I about teaching a card class.  This has been going on for several years now and we finally decided to do just that.  So in early July invitations went out to the naggers our dear friends inviting them to join us for a two hour card class.  Most of these ladies have never made cards before so we started with the basics.  Dee and I assembled the kits prior to the class so all they had to do was stick things down -- no cutting or planning required.  We made four cards in the first class -- a birthday card, two all-occasion cards, and a thank you card.  We laughed, we created, we snacked and we laughed some more.  It was a resounding success and the group decided that they wanted to do this at least once a month!  So stay tuned . . . more cards are coming!

Cartridges used:  "Just Because" Cards (mat); George & Basic Shapes (letters and stars); and Calligraphy Collection (inside greeting).

Paper used:  Bazzill Dark Brown and Splash; K & Co. Classic K Bailey Brown Paisley Flat Paper; and a plain ivory card stock.

This card was based on a design created by Alisa Bangerter in Paper Crafts Card Creations Vol. 6.

Cartridge used:  "Just Because" Cards.

Paper:  plain card stock from my "stash" and a green gingham (source unknown).

The tag reads "When life gives you lemons . . ." and the inside message continues with " . . . trade them in for limes and make margaritas!"

Cartridge used:  Plantin Schoolbook (squares).

Paper used:  ivory card stock; K & Co. scraps from Classic K Mango paper pack and another Classic K paper pack -- don't have the name, sorry; Bazzill Basics Brown (scraps) and teal (scraps - company unknown).

Based on a card designed by Heidi Van Lear published in the July/August 2010 issue of Paper Crafts Magazine.

Cartridges used:  "Just Because" cards (white mat); Walk in My Garden (topiary top, stem and pot).

Paper used:  Bazzill Basics brown (card, flower pot and stem); Basic Grey euphoria/eden (base mat); DCWV Nana's Nursery:  Baby Girl paper pack (polka dot); white card stock (white mat).

Based on a card designed by Catherine Doucette published in the March/April 2010 issue of Paper Crafts Magazine.

The "Magic Tree House"

Sorry for the long delay in posting . . . between me being sick, my daughter being sick, and my computer dying it's been a rough month or so.  Good news is everyone is healthy again (knock on wood) and I have a new computer.  I have been crafting and here is one of the projects I've been working on.

If you are not acquainted with the "Magic Tree House" books by Mary Pope Osborne you are missing out.  Our first grader is reading various books in this series as part of her curriculum at school and they are wonderful!  Here's the gist of the storyline:  A brother and sister, named Jack and Annie, discover a tree house in the woods near their home.  It is filled with books, books and more books.  As they look through a book on dinosaurs one of them says "I wish we could go there."  The tree house begins to spin and the wind blows and then everything goes still.  They look out the window and the picture in the book is right there before them, in real life.  Turns out the tree house belongs to King Arthur's sister, Morgan, who is Camelot's librarian (of course that's not revealed until book 3 or 4).  Morgan travels through time collecting books for Camelot's library.  The author winds historical fact into her wonderful books -- so the reader is actually learning something whilst enjoying a great book.

Last spring I offered to help her multi-age program's teachers with classroom decorations and they took me up on it.  So I have been creating a larger-than-life book "cover" for each of the books the kiddos read.  I have had so much fun creating them -- I don't duplicate the original cover, my cover ideas usually come to me as Demi and I read the books aloud.  Anyway, I've created covers for the first three using a standard sized poster board, my Cricut (of course!), ink, chalk, pens and lots of adhesive.  If you'd like details on what cartridges I used, drop me a line and I'll give you the info. 

Thanks for looking!