Cooking With Cricut Challenge: Make Me Laugh!

In honor of April Fool's Day later this week, Melin dared the Design Team to make her laugh for our Cooking With Cricut weekly challenge.  This is quite possibly the most difficult challenge she has thrown at us to date.  How do you make someone laugh that you've never met, never spoken to and only communicated with via e-mail? 

So here is my go at making Melin laugh!  And I hope it brings a smile to your face and maybe, just maybe, a giggle or two.

My card is 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is Bazzill's Pinkini.  The polka dot paper is from my scrap stash and measures 8" x 5".  I used Design Studio and the following cartridges:

Easter 2010

• Chocolate Bunnies:  cut at 3 3/4" high. Bazzill Brown card stock.
• Bite marks:  I used the scalloped egg shape and skewed over the part of the bunny I wanted to have a "bite" taken out of.  The eggs were cut at 1 1/4" wide.
• Bows:  cut at 1 1/16" wide from scrap pink and pale blue card stocks.
• Happy Easter:  the inside greeting was cut at approximately 2" high from scrap card stock.

Create-A-Critter

• Speech Bubbles:  cut at 2" x 2" from white card stock and then run thru my printer.

The grass was cut with an Accu-Cut die at my local scrapbook shop several years ago.  (Which has since closed and I miss it!)  It measures 8" wide and is a Bazzill card stock.

So, now it's your turn!  Can you make Melin and the Design Team laugh?  Link up your project at Cooking With Cricut and maybe you'll be this week's Top Chef winner!  And I hope you'll hop on over to CWC and check out what my fellow Chefs have whipped up to tickle your funny bone!

Make sure you mark your calendars for Saturday, April 9 at 9:00 AM (EST) for Cooking With Cricut's Bunny Hop, a one-day blog hop. Our Design Team Chefs will whip up some delectable delights to inspire you and get your creative juices flowing for all things Easter-related.   Hope to see you at the hop!

~ Jen

Let's Go to the Hop . . . the Bunny Hop!

Join us on Saturday, April 9, 2011 at Cooking With Cricut for a one-day blog hop. Our Design Team Chefs will whip up some yummy treats to inspire you and get your creative juices flowing for all things Easter-related.

Mark your calendars – and we’ll see you at the hop!

Sharing the Love & Paying it Forward

I received the sweetest note and award from Amy at Love to Crop today . . .

Just quickly wanted to let you know that even though you've already received a Liebster Award, I wanted to give you another (hey, I got two, you should too!!)... I wanted to recognize people that not only inspire with their creations, but also take time to inspire others with wonderful comments (like YOU always do!!)... So please stop by and pick up your award... And while you're there -- Check out the GATOR card that made me think of you!! :)

Amy :) at www.lovetocrop.com

This award was created for bloggers who have fewer than 300 followers, but still put a lot of love and heart into their work. It is given to bring light to new blogs and it's a great way to share blogs that might not otherwise be seen or ones you want to share with others.

As a recipient you must share the love and pay it forward by:

1-Creating a post where you blog about the Liebster award and reveal your 3-5 blog picks.

2-Let them know you chose them by leaving a comment on their blog.

3-Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.

4-Have faith that your followers will rally and show their crafty love back out to those you awarded this to.

5-Have fun!

I would like to pass this award on to the following blogs . . . I hope you will visit them and check out their fantastic creations!!

Tami at Scrappin' Rabbit

Amber at My 3 E Scrapbooking 

Laura at Life & Art by Laura Evangeline

Kaye at Yesterday's Tomorrow

Deborah at Cricut Project of the Day

Thanks again, Amy!

~ Jen

Cooking With Cricut Challenge: Lion & Lamb

Happy Wednesday everyone!  Our challenge this week over at Cooking With Cricut was to incorporate a lion and/or a lamb into our project.  I have to tell you -- this one stumped me.  I thought and I thought and I just couldn't come up with anything worth cutting out.  So after procrastinating for a week, I finally sat down, opened up Design Studio and stared at my computer screen.  Then I played a round or two of Internet backgammon (I won both matches, by the way);  checked my e-mail, went over to Facebook for awhile, cruised my favorite blogs . . . well, you get the idea. 

Finally, a light bulb went on!  I've been wanting to create a 12 x 12 calendar topper for each month -- a perpetual calendar of sorts.  I have one of those plexiglas scrapbook page frames that hangs over my desk.  So I decided to make a topper for my March calendar.  (I know, it's the 23rd of March -- better late, than never!)  Remember, you can click the image to enlarge it.

I used the following cartridges for this project:

Cindy Loo:  The text is cut at 1 1/2" tall and is from DCWV Mediterranean paper pack.

Create-A-Critter:  Clouds cut from white card stock at 1 1/4" tall.

Everyday Paper Dolls:  Tree (cut twice -- once from a brown Bazzill and the second from a green and white polka dot paper) at 5 1/2" tall; grass cut at 12" wide; lion (cut twice from two shades of brown) cut at 3 3/8" tall; and the kites cut at 3 7/8" tall.

Paper Doll Dress Up:  Sheep (cut twice -- from grey and from white) cut at 2 3/8" tall.

My base paper is a 12" x 12" Bazzill card stock called "Splash."  I used white wire for the kite strings.  A little pen doodling and some chalk finished this project up. 

I hope you'll roar on over to Cooking With Cricut and see what my fellow Chefs have whipped up!  And please join us in our lion and lamb challenge and upload your project -- you could be this week's Top Chef!

~ Jen

P.S.  Leave me a comment and your blog address.  I'd love to come visit and see what fantastic things you're creating!

Cooking With Cricut Challenge: Green Scene

Happy Wednesday!  Our challenge this week at Cooking With Cricut was to use two shades of green on our project.  I can happily say I achieved that and then some!  I know . . . makes you green with envy doesn't it!  LOL!

I created a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" easel card.  The card base is an UGLY green parchment-looking card stock someone gave me tons of years ago.  I usually give it to my six year old to create with.  Not my favorite paper -- but it worked for this particular project! 

The mosaic squares are cut at 7/8" using the Plantin SchoolBook cartridge.  All of the squares are scraps from a K & Co. paper pack I purchased a few years ago.  The cross is cut at 4 1/2" tall and is from the Wedding cartridge.  The shamrocks on the inside of the easel are cut at approximately 1 1/4" and are from the Paper Doll Dress Up cartridge.  They are cut out of some Bazzill Lily Pond scraps I had -- I cut several and glued them together then pop-dotted them to help create the easel effect. 

 The Irish Prayer inside is one I found online and really liked.  It reads:  May God give you . . . For every storm, a rainbow; for every tear, a smile; For every care, a promise; and a blessing in each trial.  For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share; For every sigh, a sweet song; and an answer for each prayer.

Thanks for stopping by!  Now hop on over to Cooking With Cricut and see what my fellow Chefs have whipped up for your viewing pleasure.  And we'd love it if you'd join us and link up your own green scene project!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hello Kitty Birthday Party

Our beautiful niece, Lexie, is turning two.  And she is all about Hello Kitty.  All we've heard for the last six months is "Hewow Kitty, Aunt Jen!"  "Hewow Kitty, Aunt Dee!"  Which translated means -- I want a Hello Kitty cake and decorations for my second birthday party, please.  (Remember, you can click on the pictures to make them larger.)

Today was Miss Lexie's party and oh, boy, did we "Hello Kitty" it up!  Here is the invitation.  Created the invite in Microsoft Publisher and added a Hello Kitty cut with my Cricut from the Hello Kitty Greetings cartridge.

It has become a tradition for the girls that I make them a special shirt and tutu for their party.  I called Lexie's tutu her skirt of many colors -- I used pink, purple, turquoise and yellow pastel tulle.  I cut my t-shirt stencil out of contact paper using my Cricut and the Hello Kitty Greetings cartridge.  I also made her a pom-pom flower headband with some leftover tulle.

Dee made an awesome two layer cake.  The top layer was chocolate and the bottom vanilla, both covered in buttercream and fondant.  The flowers are all cut from fondant.  The only non-edible items on the cake are the Hello Kitty topper and rings (stuck into the side of the top layer) and the candle.  The cupcakes are topped with buttercream, a fondant flower and the Hello Kitty picks.  The picks were made using the Hello Kitty Greetings cartridge.

I made two centerpieces for the tables with a paper mache flower pot, a Hello Kitty balloon and lollipop flowers.  The flowers were cut from the Plantin School Book cartridge and the leaves are from the Walk in My Garden cartridge. 

The kids loved these (and so did the adults, too)!

A birthday banner is a must! 

Again the Hello Kitty Greetings cartridge was called into action for all of the kitty cuts and the font and scalloped squares are from the Cindy Loo cartridge.

And of course I made Lexie a birthday card --using the card feature on the Hello Kitty Greetings cartridge. 

All in all, a very special party for the sweetest little girl!   Her grins, giggles and squeals said it all -- she loved it!

Happy Birthday, baby girl!  We love you!

~ Jen

P.S.  I didn't list any of my papers or cut sizes -- if you'd like that info, drop me a message in the comment section and I'll see if I can't scrounge it up for you.  And as always, thank you for your wonderful comments.  They are appreciated!

Cooking With Cricut Challenge: Spring Forward

The Design Team challenge this week at Cooking With Cricut was to create a project that featured a clock or some other type of timepiece in honor of the upcoming time change on Sunday morning.  While I enjoy having it stay lighter longer in the evening -- I sure do hate that we're losing an hour! 

I made a 5 1/2" square card with none other than my favorite clock . . . Cogsworth from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.  This was the first time I attempted one of the characters from that movie, other than Belle, of course.  (I am the mother of a 6 year old girl, who loves her Disney princesses!)  You can find Cogsworth on the Disney Dreams Come True cartridge.  And true to form with the Disney princess cartridges, he was a pain in the butt to cut.  Why, oh why, did they make so many itty bitty pieces for these characters?!

Cogsworth is cut at 5 1/4" tall and I am pleased to say that I used paper from my scrap stash for every bit of this card!!!  The solid card stocks are either Bazzill or Recollections and I think the patterned paper is from a K & Co. 12 x 12 paper pack I bought a couple of years ago.  I used 3-D crystal lacquer on his eyes, clock hands, and the pendulum.  The ribbon is one of those mini rolls from JoAnn's.  The letters are stickers from a ProvoCraft Alphabitties sheet.  The sentiment on the inside of the card says . . . "to CELEBRATE!  Happy Birthday."  I made this card kind of gender neutral, but it is a tad bit more masculine.

Thanks for taking a look at my project -- and make sure you travel on over to Cooking With Cricut to see what my fellow Chefs have whipped up.  I hope you'll join us in our "timely" challenge and link your project up.    Don't forget . . . set your clocks ahead one hour when you go to bed Saturday night!

~ Jen

Cooking With Cricut Challenge: Double Take

The challenge this week at Cooking With Cricut was to include two patterned papers, two card stocks and two embellishments on your project.  I didn't get my project started until late -- I've been busy making "Hello Kitty" birthday invitations for my niece Lexie who turns two this month.  But, I've had this idea running around in my head and decided to see if I could make it work.  It isn't exactly how I wanted it -- but I'm happy with the way it turned out.

My card measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is a Bazzill card stock called "Splash." 

The window is your basic white card stock.  I used Design Studio and the George & Basic Shapes cartridge to build my window frame.  It measures 8" x 5".  The individual windowpanes are 3 3/4" x 2.

The tree is cut from Cindy Loo.  I cut it twice -- once in Bazzill Cinnamon Stick and a second time in a green & white polka dot. 

The sun, cloud, bird, nest, tulips and caterpillar are all cut from the Create-A-Critter cartridge and all the paper used came from my scrap stash.

The fence is white card stock and it is from the My World cartridge.

The grass is a Bazzill card stock - but I have no idea which shade of green it is!  I tore it at the top to give it a little bit of "grass-like" texture.

The window is mounted on the card with foam tape to give it a bit of dimension.  I haven't put anything on the inside yet.  I think this card could be used as a thank you, get well or even a birthday card. 

Thanks for taking a peek at my spring scene.  Please pop on over to Cooking With Cricut and see what my fellow Chefs have cooked up for your viewing pleasure. 

~ Jen