Cooking With Cricut Challenge: Carnival

Happy Wednesday and welcome to challenge day at Cooking With Cricut!  Our challenge theme this week was chosen by my fellow teammates, Yolie and Celeste.  And that challenge was to use carnival elements to create a carnival or carnival birthday project.

I decided to create a 12" x 12" scrapbook layout using photos I took at my daughter's school carnival last Fall. 

The inspiration for my layout is from one made by Amber at The Lilypad.  This is a far cry from my normal style and color palette -- but it was fun stepping outside of my comfort zone to create something different for my daughter's scrapbook. 

Here is the recipe:

• Scalloped border --Plantin SchoolBook, pg. 70.  I welded three sections together to make the border edge on my teal mat.  It measures 1/2" tall by 10 1/4" long.  Paper is from my scrap stash.
• Text -- Plantin SchoolBook.  Roly Poly font feature + shift (for lower case letters).  Cut at 1" tall from black Recollections card stock.
• Award -- Plantin SchoolBook, pg. 77; roly poly font feature + shift.  I cut this three times in different sizes (2 1/2" tall, 2" tall and 1 1/2" tall) and then trimmed the ribbon tails off.  I curled the edges using a toothpick, layered the three pieces and connected them with a silver brad (The Paper Studio).  I added some grosgrain ribbon tails for texture and dimension.  The paper used from bottom to top is:  Imaginisce, Bazzill Kachina and white card stock.
• Ticket -- Mickey Font, pg. 123.  Cut at 2" wide from white card stock.

 

• Ferris Wheel -- PaperCraftingWorld.com, "Carnival of Fun" cutting file.  I cut this using my new SCAL program at 3 3/4" tall by 4" wide.  The papers are:  white card stock, Bazzill Kachina, Imagnisce, and orange plaid (scrap stash).  The gear eyelet is from the Spare Parts collection by The Paper Studio.
• Cotton Candy & Corn Dogs -- PaperCraftingWorld.com, "Carnival of Fun" cutting file.  Cut at 3" tall by 3 1/4" wide -- all papers are from my scrap stash.

  

• The silver brads and spiral paper clip are also from the Spare Parts collection by The Paper Studio.
• The journaling box and sub-title box were created in Microsoft Publisher and then printed out and cut.
• I edited my photos in Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor -- cropping, resizing and converting to black and white.  I really wanted my photos to look like they were from a photo booth often found at carnivals.
• The tickets and other decorative paper are from a 12" x 12" sheet by Imaginisce, #10511 14448 that I found at my local Michaels.  It has great carnival elements on one side and a stripe on the reverse.
• My base sheet was a 12" x 12" Bazzil card stock called "Red Rock" #T2-229.  The mat is also a Bazzil card stock -- called "Kachina" #T5-5113.

Now it's your turn!  Head on over to Cooking With Cricut and link up your carnival themed project!  Make sure  you check out the great projects from the Design Team while  you're there.  We're saying farewell to ten Design Team members today -- it has been a great term with these fantastic designers and we'll miss them!  Next Wednesday, March 7, we will welcome SIXTEEN new Designers and welcome back THIRTEEN returning Designers.  It's going to be a blast -- don't miss it!

~ Jen

Cooking With Cricut Challenge: Birthday!

Good morning, crafty friends!  Today is challenge day at Cooking With Cricut and this week's hostesses have given the Design Team a fun one.  Our focus this week is all things birthday -- you must include cake, cupcakes and/or balloons in your project.  I hope you'll go over and check out all the fun things the Team made and link up your own birthday treat, too!

I am in the midst of packing boxes and moving . . . but I'll be back up and running soon!  Have a wonderful, crafty week!

~ Jen

Going Bananas!

Yep.  It has finally happened . . . I've gone bananas!  Of course some of you are saying that happened looooonnnngggg ago!  LOL!  But seriously . . . one of our sweet nephews turned one on Valentine's Day and his parents wanted a monkey themed birthday party. Which is appropriate -- his mommy always calls him her "little monkey."  So to celebrate all things "monkey"  Melin and I have teamed up over at CookingWithCricut.com to bring you our "Monkey Monday" Showcase.  So make sure you pop over and see the cute layout and card she created!

Can you believe that Cricut has seventeen cartridges with monkey images on them!  That is a full barrel of monkeys to choose from!  I used the monkeys from Create-A-Critter, New Arrival and ZooBalloo for the party decorations and cake.

First up is the banner -- here's the recipe:

• Pennants cut at 5 1/2" tall x 4 1/4" wide using the Girl's Make-Up Party cartridge.  The paper is Bazzill's Petty Cask and two shades of blue by Recollections.
• Pennant mats are cut at 4 3/4" tall x 3 1/2" wide using the Girl's Make-Up Party cartridge.  The paper is by The Paper Studio - 12x12 Basics paper pad.
• Text is 4" tall from white card stock using the Cake Basics cartridge.
• Monkeys are made using Bazzill's Iced Cocoa and Carob card stocks and ZooBalloo (4 1/4" tall), Create-A-Critter (3 3/4" tall) and New Arrival (4" tall).
• The vines are from Create-A-Critter cut at 1" tall x 3" wide using Bazzill's Petty Cash card stock.

These little monkeys will serve a dual purpose -- not only are the decorations for the party, but afterward Brayden's mommy is going to hang them in his room.

• The curved vines were cut at 11 1/2" wide from Bazzill's Lily Pond and Guacamole card stock using the Create-A-Critter cartridge.
• The long vines were cut at 11 1/2" (same paper and cartridge).
• All of the monkeys were cut from Create-A-Critter using Bazzill's Iced Cocoa and Carob card stocks.  The large monkey measures 8" wide by 9 1/4" tall.  The two smaller monkeys are 7" wide by 8 1/4" tall.

And it wouldn't be a party without one of Dee's amazing cakes!  This is quite possibly the cutest "Smash" Cake she has made for one of the babies!!

She used the Wilton 3-D Mini Bear pan to create this little monkey.  It is chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream.  The arms, legs and tail are sculpted from fondant and then covered with buttercream.  His face and paw pads are also from fondant and his face was painted on using Wilton gel colors.  The party hat was made by covering an ice cream cone with fondant.  I made the "cake ring" using Bazzill's Petty Cash card stock and one of the blue card stocks by Recollections.  It measures approximately 12" wide and is 1 1/4" tall.  I used Mickey Font for the text and the stars are from the Plantin SchoolBook cartrdge. 

Then we broke out our Cricut Cake machine and I went to work creating the decorations for the 1/2 sheet cake that Dee made and iced.  The cake is funfetti and the icing is buttercream.  All of the decorations, except for the border, are made from fondant.

• Palm Tree:  Cut using the Create-A-Critter cartridge at 10" high by 6 1/2" wide. 
• Monkey on right:  3 3/4" high using the ZooBalloo cartridge.
• Monkey on left:  3" high using Create-A-Critter.
• Grass: 11/2" tall by 13" wide (two sections welded) from ZooBalloo.
• Vines:  3" tall by 13" wide from ZooBalloo.
• Party Hats:  ZooBalloo cartridge, cut at 1 1/2" tall.
• Text:  Mickey Font, cut at 1 1/8" tall.
• Details were painted on using Wilton gel color.

The birthday boy loved all the monkeys -- so did his mommy!  And the cake was super yummy!!

Thanks for joining me today for our "Monkey Monday!"  Make sure you head over to CookingWithCricut.com and see what kind of monkey business Melin has been up to!  And then check back in on Tuesday to see what the Paper Crafting World girls are up to and Wednesday for our weekly Cooking With Cricut challenge.

~ Jen

Cooking With Cricut Challenge: Sketch & Pick 3

Happy Wednesday!  And you know if it's Wednesday . . . it's challenge day at Cooking With Cricut!  This week our hostesses with the mostesses are my teammates, Charlotte and Larelyn.  And boy oh boy, did they come up with a good one!  Not only do you need to use a sketch as a guideline for your project and a Cricut cut, but you must use three of the following items on your project:

1. Ribbon
2. Brads or eyelets
3. Glitter or Stickles
4. Ink or chalk
5. Border Punch
6. Flowers

Here is what our sketch looks like:

from the January 2012 issue of Cardmaker magazine

 

And here is what I came up with:

 

 

I used the Cricut Cake Basics cartridge and the PaperCraftingWorld.com cutting file -- Celebrate Sophisticate.  This is a beautiful set Melin has created!  It has a title, frame (above), cake with stand (above), wrapped gift, and a double flourish (part of which is above).

Here's the recipe:

• Cake Basics "Celebrate" cut at approx. 4" wide from plain black card stock.
• PCW cutting file - oval frame cut at 4" tall -- mat from patterned paper (manufacturer unknown) and frame from plain black card stock.
• PCW cutting file - flourish cut from plain black card stock at 11" wide and snipped to fit card.
• PCW cutting file - cake cut at approx. 2 3/4" tall from white and ivory card stock, cake stand cut from vellum. 
• Card is 10" x 7" and folded in half from black card stock.
• The mat is cut at 4 1/2" by 6 1/2" and is from a K & Co. 12 x 12 paper pad called Black & Ivory Fusion.
• Modern Romance, 3 mm iridescent pearls used for cake decoration.
• 5/8" wide Offray Ribbon - Garbo Willow.
• Clear adhesive rhinestones by Recollections.

Did I fulfill the requirements of the challenge?  Let's see . . .

1. Use the sketch -- CHECK!
2. Use a Cricut cut -- CHECK!
3. Use three embellishments on the list -- hmm . . . kind of!  I used ribbon - CHECK!  Use glitter or stickles -- I used rhinestones for my glitter element -- CHECK!  Use a border punch -- don't own any so I used the flourish as my "border" -- CHECK!
4. And I went one step further and added dry embossing to my cake layers.

I made this card for my Mom's birthday, which was last Friday.  I'm not allowed to say how old she is -- but I will tell you that it ended in a zero and that she doesn't look anywhere near as old as she is!  Mom loved the card -- I knew she would, I used all her favorite colors -- she called it a little work of heART.

Now, it's your turn!  Give this fun challenge a try and link up your project at CookingWithCricut.com.  You could be our next Top Chef!

Thanks for stopping by!  Make sure you head over to CookingWithCricut.com and check out what the rest of the Design Team created.

~ Jen

 

 

Cooking With Cricut's "Love Song" Blog Hop!

Welcome to Musings of a Crafty Mom and Day One of CookingWithCricut.com's Love Song Blog Hop! Love is in the air and our Designers have come up with some great Valentine's Day projects inspired by their favorite love songs.

If you arrived here from visiting Debbie at Workin' Scrappin' Mom of 4's blog you're in the right place. If you're joining us mid-hop and would like to start at the beginning click here to go to Paper Crafting World’s Cooking With Cricut blog and check out what Melin has made!

I was inspired by my seven year old daughter and the song "This Kiss" by Faith Hill --

My daughter thinks that she is "all that" and then some!  LOL!  She is forever saying "Mmmuah!  Kiss-Kiss, Mommy!" or "air kiss" and kisses the air on either side of my face.  Such the drama queen, this one is.  One of our favorite singers is Faith Hill and this song always has us singing and dancing when it comes on.

So I made this little card and girly-girl purse for my sweet little kissy-face daughter for Valentine's Day.

For the card, I used the Cricut Love Struck 2010 cartridge.  I welded the word "Kiss" together to create the shaped card using the Cricut Design Studio software.  The card was cut at 7" wide x 6 3/4" high.  The base is cut from Bazzill's Pinkini, the black outline is a Recollections card stock and the glittery pink paper is also by Bazzill.  The lips are cut from a hot pink card stock and a white card stock -- both from my scrap stash.  They measure 1 3/4" wide x 1 3/8" tall.

Inside I wrote:  "Mmmuah! Kiss-Kiss!  Happy Valentine's Day!"

The little purse treat bag is cut using the Cricut Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge.  It was cut at 10 3/4" wide x 6 3/4" tall from a Recollections black card stock;  then scored and assembled.  The Curly Heart Swirl is  freebie this week at CookingWithCricut.com and the Lacey Border is available for purchase at PaperCraftingWorld.com.  The border is part of a beautiful set! 

I just recently received Sure Cuts A Lot cutting software as a gift and I have had so much fun learning how to use it.  And I am super excited to FINALLY be able to cut Melin's amazing files!

The heart is cut at 1 1/2" tall and the border is cut at 1 1/4" tall (I trimmed the ends off to fit the front of the purse).  Both are cut from a scrap of pink card stock and embellished with some pink heart rhinestones.  A sheer pink ribbon with white polka-dots makes a cute handle and a Velcro closure to keep the little purse closed.  I think I'll put some chocolates or maybe some conversation hearts in there for a sweet Valentine's Day treat!

And I have a sweet treat for you too!  It just wouldn't be a Blog Hop without some blog candy!  Up for grabs is a set of My Creative Time's "Color Me Happy"clear stamps.  There are 25 stamps in this set and they are perfect for all those wonderful Spring and Easter cards you'll be creating soon. 

All you have to do is:  (1) be a follower of my blog and (2) leave a comment WITH your e-mail address.  One winner will announced on Wednesday, February 15th.  You have until 8:00 AM Eastern Standard time on Feb. 15th to follow and comment.

We hope you’ll join us and link up your favorite love song inspired project at CookingWithCricut.com. One lucky entry will be chosen by random.org to win a $10.00 gift certificate provided by PaperCraftingWorld.com! And make sure you leave a comment, too! One lucky commenter will also receive a $10.00 PaperCraftingWorld.com gift certificate!

Thanks so much for hopping with us today!  I am the caboose in this "love" train!  Make sure to join us at CookingWithCricut.com tomorrow morning (Sunday, Feb. 12) at 8:00 AM (EST) for DAY TWO of our Hop -- a new set of Designers and Valentine projects to inspire you.

~ Jen

P.S.    Disclaimer:  I purchased these stamps for the giveaway.  "My Creative Time" doesn't know me, didn't provide these stamps, or sponsor me in any way, shape or form.

Mark Your Calendars!

Its gonna be good!  Don't miss it!

~ Jen

Cooking With Cricut: Child's Valentine

Greetings all!   Our challenge this week at Cooking With Cricut was to create a child's valentine using the colors red, pink and white.

I used the Create-A-Critter and Cake Basics cartridges to create this 5" x 5" square cutie.  The card is cut from a plain red card stock at 5" tall by 10" wide and folded in half.  The plain white card stock mat is cut at 4 1/2" square.  Before I cut it, I printed the text onto the paper using Microsoft Publisher and my printer.

"You're the only fish in the sea for me!" - card front

The fish is cut from Create-A-Critter at 3 1/2" wide.  The heart "bubbles" are cut from the Cake Basics cartridge at 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" wide.  I used papers and card stocks from my scrap stash.  I added pen detailing with hot pink and white jelly roll pens and a rosy cheek with some chalk.

The sentiment on the inside of the card is cut from Cake Basics at 3 1/2" wide by 1 1/4" tall.  The sparkly heart is off of a glittery heart garland -- I just snipped it and glued it on!

"You're the only fish in the sea for me!" - card inside

Now it's your turn!  Link up your child's valentine using red, pink and white at Cooking With Cricut -- you could be this week's Top Chef! 

We have a Design Team call going on -- if you think you'd be interested in joining our team, click here to apply!  The deadline is February 12th.  Also, mark your calendar for our next Blog Hop on Saturday and Sunday, February 11th and 12th . . . "Love is in the Air."

Head on over to Cooking With Cricut and see what the rest of the Design Team cooked up!

~ Jen