On the twenty-second day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Twenty-Two of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

Our theme today is:  "Fast & Fabulous" -- last minute gift card holders, gifts. etc.  Here is my quick and easy gift-card card:

And here is the recipe:

• White card stock cut to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and folded in half.
• White card stock cut to 5" x 3 3/4" for the mat.
• Ornament cut at 3 1/2" tall using Cricut's Joys of the Season cartridge.
• Thin silver cord for the bow and hanger.
• "Merry Christmas" banner printed using Microsoft Publisher and trimmed to fit.
• Mat and banner are pop-dotted for dimension.
• Two clear rhinestones. 
• Greeting inside and slits cut to hold gift card.

Quick and easy!

Now I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out the adorable projects other Designer's have created.  And make sure to check back in with us each and every day through Christmas for tons of inspiration, freebies and weekly giveaways!

~ Jen

P.S.  All of Melin's creations at PaperCraftingWorld.com are 50% off during the month of December!  Simply use the code DEC50 when  you check out!

On the nineteenth day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Nineteen of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

Our theme today is:  "December/Presents."   Here is my first project:

This cute and easy gift card holder came together in no time flat!  Lots of scraps, a button, some twine and a velcro dot finish off this cute card.  Here's the recipe:  

• Cricut cartridge used:  Joys of the Season.
• Snowflake cut at 1 1/2" wide.
• Bow cut at 3" wide.
• Gift tag cut at 3" tall.

My next project is another installment in my gift calendar.

Here's the recipe:

• Cricut Designer's Calendar cartridge -- month cut at 1" tall.
• Cricut Christmas Solutions cartridge -- Sleigh cut at 2 1/2" high by 5 1/2" wide; Moon cut at 1 1/4" high.
• Cricut Spring Seasonal cartridge -- City Scape cut at 5 1/2" wide.
• Year cut with SCAL using the Berkley font.

Now I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out the adorable projects other Designer's have created.  And make sure to mark your calendars and check back in with us each and every day through Christmas for tons of inspiration, freebies and weekly giveaways!

~ Jen

P.S.  All of Melin's creations at PaperCraftingWorld.com are 50% off during the month of December!  Simply use the code DEC50 when  you check out!

On the fifteenth day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Fifteen of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

Our theme today is:  "Rudy & Friends" -- a salute to every one's favorite red-nosed reindeer and all his buddies.  (And wait until you see the adorable freebies that Melin has created for you at MyPaperCrafting.com today!)  Here is what I created:

You're shocked, right!  It ISN'T a calendar page!!!   I decided to create a tall card for today's showcase challenge.  It is hard to see in this photo but the reindeer cut is edged in gold and his red nose is very glittery!  Here's the recipe:

• I created the text background using Microsoft Publisher and eight different fonts.  It is printed on a heavy textured rag paper.
• The reindeer is from the Cricut Christmas Solutions cartridge.  It is cut at 3 3/4" wide by 5 1/2" tall.  
• I used an embossing pen and a gold embossing powder on the edges of the reindeer cut and his antlers.
• Rudolph's red nose is Stickles.
• This card measures 4" wide by 9" tall and will fit into a #9 business envelope.

Now I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out the adorable projects other Designer's have created.  And make sure to mark your calendars and check back in with us each and every day through Christmas for tons of inspiration, freebies and weekly giveaways!

~ Jen

P.S.  All of Melin's creations at PaperCraftingWorld.com are 50% off during the month of December!  Simply use the code DEC50 when  you check out!

On the fourteenth day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Fourteen of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

Our theme today is -- "September:  Back-to-School/Apples/Honey."  Here is what I created:

The September installment of my gift calendar!  Here's the recipe:

• This adorable little bear is the Back-to-School Bear cutting file from PaperCraftingWorld.com.  Finished size is 3 1/2" tall.
• The month is from the Cricut Designer's Calendar cartridge and is cut at 1 1/2" tall.
• The year is Berkley font and was cut using SCAL.
• Ink for shading and some pen doodling finish off this cute calendar page.

Now I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out what the other Designer's have created.  And make sure to mark your calendars and check back in with us each and every day through Christmas for tons of inspiration, freebies and weekly giveaways!

~ Jen

P.S.  All of Melin's creations at PaperCraftingWorld.com are 50% off during the month of December!  Simply use the code DEC50 when  you check out!

On the thirteenth day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Thirteen of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

Our theme today is:  "August -- Chillaxin."  You know . . . chillin' and relaxing all jammed into one - they perfect word to describe August!  I created the August installment of my gift calendar:

Here in sunny Florida, August is hot, hot, HOT!  So if you insist on being outside, away from the A/C, you grab a cool spot in the shade!  Here's the recipe:

• I used the Cricut Lite Crocs Rule cartridge for my swinging croc and the sun.  The sun is cut at 2 1/4" wide and the Hammock Croc is cut at 4" wide by 2 1/2" tall.
• The month is from the Cricut Designer's Calendar cartridge and is cut at 1 1/2" tall.
• The year is Berkley font and was cut using SCAL.
• All of the papers came from my scrap stash.
• Ink, chalk and pen detailing finished off my calendar page.

Now I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out what the other Designer's have created.  And make sure to mark your calendars and check back in with us each and every day through Christmas for tons of inspiration, freebies and weekly giveaways!

~ Jen

P.S.  All of Melin's creations at PaperCraftingWorld.com are 50% off during the month of December!  Simply use the code DEC50 when  you check out!

On the twelfth day of Christmas . . .

. . . I'm almost there!  Please come back tomorrow for my project for Day 13!  In the meantime, head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out the fantastic projects featuring Kris Kringle and his crew that the Design Team has created!

~ Jen

On the eleventh day of Christmas . . .

. . . I am still struggling to get caught up!  I hope you will head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out the amazing projects created by the Design Team for Day 11 of our 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase.  

~ Jen

On the tenth day of Christmas . . .

 . . . our youngest nephew turns ONE!  Happy birthday, Rett!

I'll be back tomorrow with new projects for MyPaperCrafting.com's 25 Days of Christmas Crafting Showcase.  I have been very busy with all things Zoo-related for Rett's birthday -- photos coming soon!

Please head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out the amazing things the Design Team has created for Day 10!

~ Jen

On the ninth day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Nine of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

Our theme today is:  "May/Mother's Day."  (And wait until you see the freebies that Melin has created for you at MyPaperCrafting.com today!  They are GORGEOUS!)  Here is what I created:

The latest installment in my gift calendar!  I love the way this turned out!!!  (This might just be a hard gift to give away.)  Here's the recipe:

• Cricut Designer's Calendar cartridge -- month cut at 1 1/2" high.
• PaperCraftingWorld.com (PCW) cutting file -- Hibiscus, cut at 1 1/2" wide; Butterfly 811, cut at 1 7/8" wide; and the swirls from the Birdcage, Swirls and Flowers set, cut at 2" wide.
• SCAL font "Berkley" for the year cut at 1 1/2" high.
• All of the papers came from my scrap stash!
• Ink, stickles, and pearls add the finishing touches.

Now I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out what the other Designer's have created.  And make sure to mark your calendars and check back in with us each and every day through Christmas for tons of inspiration, freebies and weekly giveaways!

~ Jen

P.S.  All of Melin's creations at PaperCraftingWorld.com are 50% off during the month of December!  Simply use the code DEC50 when  you check out!

On the eighth day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Eight of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

Our theme today is:  Candles & Lights.  Here is what I created:

Here are the details:

• The Cricut Inspired Heart cartridge was used for both of my projects today.
• For the luminary I used the star panel and cut it at 5" tall -- I welded 4 panels and a thin rectangle tab using Cricut Design Studio.  The finished luminary, before assembly, is 11 1/4" wide x 5" high.  I backed it with a patterned vellum.
•  The card is made from the "left-overs" from the luminary cuts!
• I cut two mats -- the gold arched panel measures 3" wide be 5 1/4" tall; the green measures 3 3/8" wide by 5 3/8".
• The deckle edge of the paper was inked and then coated with gold embossing powder.
• I stamped a background behind the star using a Rubber Stampede "Sayings Background" and embossed it in gold too.
• The text was created using my computer.

Here is a photo of it lit up with a battery-powered tea light.  Love the way the patterned vellum looks!

Now I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out what the other Designer's have created.  And make sure to mark your calendars and check back in with us each and every day through Christmas for tons of inspiration, freebies and weekly giveaways!

~ Jen

On the seventh day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Seven of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

Our theme today is:  April Showers & Flowers.  I have another installment in the gift calendar I am making for you today.   Here is what I came up with:

April showers bring May flowers . . . and in my neck of the woods that means frogs, too!  Every Spring we are inundated with little frogs in the pond behind our house.   My calendar measures 8 1/2" wide by 5 1/2" tall -- half of an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of card stock.  The calendar grid is a FREE printable available at MyPaperCrafting.com.  All of the papers used in today's calendar came from my scrap stash (love using up my over-abundance of scraps)!  Here are the details:

• The cute little frog is from the Cricut Create-A-Critter cartridge; as are the clouds, rain drops and sun.  The frog is cut at 1" tall; the clouds and rain drops are cut at 1 1/8" tall and the Sun is cut at 1 1/2" tall.
• I used the Cricut April Showers cartridge for the Rain Boots (cut at 2 1/2" tall), the umbrella (cut at 2 1/4" wide) and the flowers (cut at 7/8").
• Cricut's Designer's Calendar cartridge was used for the month (cut at 1 1/4" tall).
• The year was cut using SCAL and the Berkley font.
• Some ink, chalk, pen doodling and rhinestones finished off my April calendar page.

Here are a few close-up photos for you:

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  And thanks too for all of the sweet comments left on the first 6 days of projects -- it makes my day to know that you enjoy my creations!  Now I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out what the other Designer's have created.  And make sure to mark your calendars and check back in with us each and every day through Christmas for tons of inspiration, freebies and weekly giveaways!

~ Jen

On the sixth day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Six of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

Our theme today is:  March/Easter/Passover!  And just wait until you see the freebies Melin has cooked up for you today!  They are adorable!

I made another page for my gift calendar.  Here is what I created:

Once again I was able to use tons of paper from my scrap stash!  Here is the recipe:

• That adorable bunny is one of Melin's cutting files called Bunny Sitting1 and is available for purchase at PaperCraftingWorld.com.  His finished size is 3 3/4" tall.  (By the way, all of Melin's files at PaperCraftingWorld.com are 50% off through the end of the month!)
• The grass is from the Cricut Paper Doll Dress Up cartridge and is cut at 8 1/2" wide
• The paint brush is from the Cricut Locker Talk cartridge and is cut at 1 3/4" tall.
• The eggs are from the Cricut Doodlecharms cartridge and are cut at 1 1/2" tall.
• The chick is from the Cricut Easter 2010 cartridge and is cut at 2 1/8" tall.
• The month is from the Cricut Designer's Calendar cartridge and is cut at 1 1/2" tall.
• The year was cut using SCAL and is a font called Berkley.
• I used some ink to shade the bunny and chick along with some chalk for their rosy cheeks.
• Some Stickles (of course!) and a pink gingham bow complete my March calendar.

Here are some close-ups of those little Easter cuties:

Now I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out what the other Designer's have created.  And make sure to mark your calendars and check back in with us each and every day through Christmas for tons of inspiration, freebies and weekly giveaways!

~ Jen

On the fifth day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Five of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

Our theme today is:  Gingerbread and/or Baking!  And just wait until you see the freebies Melin has cooked up for you today!  They are adorable!

I created a shaped card for today's theme:

Here's the recipe:

• The gingerbread house is from the Cricut My Community cartridge.  I pulled it up in my Cricut Design Studio, duplicated it, flipped one of the houses around and then welded it on the bottom edge (you could also do this on a Gypsy or in the Cricut Craft Room).  It is cut at 4 1/4" tall from kraft card stock.
• Then I got busy and Stickled it to death! LOL!
• The inside sentiment is a rubber stamp by Great Impressions, Centralia, WA.

This card will be joining some others I have made for my teammate Madison's "I Feel the Love" Project.  IFTL is collecting handmade cards for children who will be at the Children's Hospital Central California through the holidays.  For more information on how you can help, please see Madison's website.

Now I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out what the other Designer's have created.  And make sure to mark your calendars and check back in with us each and every day through Christmas for tons of inspiration, freebies and weekly giveaways!

~ Jen

On the fourth day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Four of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

One of the free files that Melin is giving away today is a printable 2013 calendar.  She is also giving away a wonderful swirled heart cutting file and an adorable bee digi stamp, too!  I used the calendar and two different Cricut cartridges for my "Hearts & Candy" themed project today.

Here is my February calendar page:

And here is the recipe:

• Cricut Designer's Calendar cartridge -- February cut at 1 /2" tall.  Scalloped mat cut at 6 1/4" w x 4 1/4" tall.
• Cricut Sweet Shop cartridge -- truffles cut at 1 1/4" wide; candy cut at 1 7/8" wide; chocolate-covered strawberries cut at 1 1/2" wide.
• The year was cut using Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL) and I used a font called "Berkley."
• All of the paper was from my scrap stash.
• I used clear and hot pink Stickles to give my candy some bling!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out what the other Designers whipped up.  Make sure you download the free files and leave a comment to qualify for the weekly giveaway.  See you back here tomorrow for Day Five!

~ Jen

On the third day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Three of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

Our theme today is poinsettias, pine cones and/or presents.  Here is what I created:

The card base is kraft card stock and measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" folded.  The mats are both from my scrap stash -- the bottom one is "Guacamole" by Bazzill and the top is from a paper pack by K & Co.

My little gift bearer is from the Cricut Winter Frolic cartridge.  She is cut at 4 3/4" tall and is made completely from scraps!  (Love using up my scraps!)  I added a little grosgrain bow on her ponytail and some tiny pearl buttons on her dress.  The frame with my text is cut from the Cricut "Just Because" Cards cartridge at 3 3/4" wide x 1 1/4" tall.  I inked the edges with red ink. It is pop-dotted over the baker's twine.

This little card is headed to brighten a child's day at the Children's Hospital Central California as part of my teammate, Madison's, "I Feel the Love" Project.  Each month Madison chooses a different organization or individual to receive some handmade gifts of love from crafters all over the world.  For more information and to find out how you can get involved, please see Madison's web site "I Feel the Love" Project.

I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out the other amazing creations the Design Team came up with.  While you are there, make sure you download the awesome freebies and leave a comment to be eligible for the weekly prize drawing!

~ Jen

On the second day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day Two of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  Each and every day from December 1st through December 25th the 25+ Design Team members will be bringing you tons of holiday inspiration, daily freebies and weekly giveaways.

One of the free files that Melin is giving away today is a printable 2013 calendar.  She is also  giving away a wonderful gift tag cutting file and super cute snowman digi stamp, too!  I used the calendar and the snowflake from the tag for my "Winter Sparkle" themed project today.

My calendar page measures 8 1/2" wide by 5 1/2" tall (half of an 8 1/2" by 11" piece of card stock) and is a scrap left over from a 12 x 12 piece of a Recollections paper pack.  All of the snowflakes and text pieces are cut from plain white card stock.  Here are the details:

• Month cut using Cricut's Designer's Calendar at 1 1/2" tall.
• Year cut using SCAL and Berkley font.
• Snowflakes are cut from Cricut's Accent Essentials, Joys of the Seasons and Cake Basics  cartridges in various sizes ranging from 1 1/4" to 2".
• The snowflake in the middle on the right side of my calendar is part of the freebie cutting file available today at MyPaperCrafting.com.
• I used several snowflake buttons from my stash as well as some iridescent and satin ribbons.
• All of the snowflakes were given their "sparkle" using Stickles.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out what the other Designers whipped up.  Make sure you download the free files and leave a comment to qualify for the weekly giveaway.  See you back here tomorrow for Day Three!

~ Jen

On the first day of Christmas . . .

Welcome to Day One of MyPaperCrafting.com's 3rd Annual 25 Days of Crafting Showcase!  There are 25+ Design Team members who have been as busy as Santa's elves creating wonderful things to share with you!  Each day, from December 1st through December 25th, there will be a different theme.  And each day there will be a free digi stamp and cutting file as well as a chance to win some great prizes.  

Our theme for Day One is Ornaments and here is what I created . . .

The ornament featured on my card is the free digi stamp being given away today at MyPaperCrafting.com.  I used the Cricut "Just Because" Cards cartridge to create my shaped card and the scalloped band in the center.

Here are the details:

• Shaped card cut at 7" w x 10"h. (Deep red paper by Recollections.)
• Scalloped border cut at 1/2" h x 7 1/4" w.  ("Guacamole" by Bazzill.)
• The plaid paper is "Christmas Plaid" by Recollections.
• The fuzzy green fibers are by EK Success.
• The "Merry Christmas" stamp is by Anna Griffin and was embossed with detail gold embossing powder (Ranger).
• The ornament was printed out and then I used an embossing pen to "color" in the details and then embossed them with detail gold.  The bow was colored with a red marker and then embossed with a clear ultra thick embossing powder (Suze Weinberg).
• I also covered the inside flap of my envelope with the Christmas plaid paper.

This card will be joining some others I have made for my teammate Madison's "I Feel the Love" Project.  IFTL is collecting handmade cards for children who will be at the Children's Hospital Central California through the holidays.  For more information on how you can help, please see Madison's website.

Now I hope you'll head on over to MyPaperCrafting.com and check out what the other Designer's have created.  And make sure to mark your calendars and check back in with us each and every day through Christmas for tons of inspiration, freebies and weekly giveaways!

~ Jen