Announcing our new 'CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT' blog!

Can you believe that the first of August is this weekend?! Wow... where has this summer gone? Okay... you should sit down for this one... Christmas is only 22 weeks away!

Don't worry though... I've got ya covered! I am fortunate to call two of the greatest designers/bloggers I know, my Scrappin Pals (Joy & Mel) and together we have started a blog called "CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT". We will be counting down to Christmas... yep, started this week!






There will be a door prize every week that will be given away on Sunday. The rest of the week looks like this:

Monday: Simple Card w/a video
Tuesday: Home Decor
Wednesday: Gift Tags & Packaging
Thursday: Scrapbook Layouts
Friday: Fancy Christmas Cards
Saturday: Crafty Gifts



Each week will feature one of the three Christmas cartridges along with a companion cart. This week is CHRISTMAS NOEL with ACCENT ESSENTIALS. We will also have free cut files for downloading for those with Design Studio. Hop on over and take a look! Let us know what you think!

Layout with HANNAH MONTANA using the Centerpoint Feature

Well, I finally finished this page! I used HANNAH MONTANA, LYRICAL LETTERS and ACCENT ESSENTIALS for this two page layout. The names were welded together in Design Studio using LYRICAL LETTERS.



The butterflies are cuts from HANNAH MONTANA. I added plain ole glitter glue in place of the more expensive stickles and I can't tell the difference between the two! Except that glitter glue was much cheaper!



I typed my journaling on my computer and printed it on cardstock. Then, I cut it out using the ACCENT ESSENTIALS cartridge and the CENTERPOINT creative feature on the cricut expression. I have had several people email me about the CENTERPOINT feature, so the best way to describe it is to do it in a video.



So, here's the video. Definitely not an Oscar winning production, but you get the idea! LOL!

Welcome Home Sign - Mickey Font & Going Places

My youngest son just got home (he is the one in the middle) from his first missions trip with our church. Family & friends were waiting for their arrival at the airport with noisemakers and signs (people thought we were crazy! LOL!). So, of course, I had to use my cricut for my sign!

I used the MICKEY FONT cricut cartridge for the wording and GOING PLACES for the cool and totally perfect 'Road Trip' sign. The title of the mission trip was ROAD TRIP 09... see... told ya it was cool! I then mounted them all on two large display boards and voila! A welcome home sign that no one could miss!

Scrapbooking on a BUDGET!

Stickles... the name has turned into an action verb. "I love to stickle my embellies!"... "Just stickle it!"... "My bff has 'stickle' issues!" See what I mean? And Stickles really aren't that expensive (average cost $1.99). But that can add up. Especially if you use alot, like I do. Look at these beautiful butterflies from the HANNAH MONTANA cricut cartridge:

These butterflies are gorgeous, but I just had to add a little stickles to the bodies. But I have a dirty secret... I've been cheating on my stickles! Yes, I admit it.... I've been using plain ole glitter glue! And I can't tell the difference between the two.

This pack of assorted glitter glue pens sells at Michaels for only $3.99! Of course I used a coupon on them and paid a mere $2.40 for 15 glue pens. That's only $.16 per pen!!! Now, you just can't beat that with a stick, or should I say "stickle"... LOL!

At that price, I can allow myself to go crazy with the glitter glue! Something that I don't always do with my stickles. I cut this background flower from the HANNAH MONTANA too and wanted to add a thick ribbon of glitter glue around the edge. I used up most of the silver glitter glue pen on this project, but I don't mind spending the .16 cents vs. the $1.99 for a bottle of stickles. So, that is why I call it 'scrapbooking on a budget'!

I used LYRICAL LETTERS for the names and welded them in Design Studio.

So, as you can see, I am working on a layout of my son Patch and his girlfriend, Jackie. But, you can't see it yet! I hope to finish it tomorrow and I'll show you then!

CUTTLEBUG SPOT & STAMPIN RIGHT Challenges

'THE CUTTLEBUG SPOT' has a challenge every Monday and today's challenge was all about the 'inside' of your cards. And while I was surfing some blogs and the cricut mb... I came across Brittany's blog 'STAMPIN RIGHT'. She had a cute challenge yesterday called, 'Snap Out of It Sunday'. Okay, I'm a day late for that one... but so was she! LOL! Anyway, she posted a card sketch for the challenge. I never really have time for challenges, but they look like so much fun, so I decided to combine the two challenges along with the fact that I needed to make a wedding congrats card... and here is what I got!





I used my new favorite papers by Core'dination, the card itself is the "Kisses" and the hearts are "Ruby". The congratulations paper is DCWV, I sprayed it with a little Tattered Angels mist to give it some color. I used my favorite Martha Stewart border punch on the front and embossed my hearts with my cuttlebug SWIRLS. As for the CUTTLEBUG SPOT CHALLENGE...






I'm on a 'pop-up' obsession lately and just couldn't resist making this a pop-up too!





My hearts came from the WEDDING cricut cartridge. I cut the two in the back with the shift Key39 at 3" and 2"... then embossed them to match the one on front. The larger heart that pops up was cut at 3.5". The swirly heart is Key39, with the foundation being shift Key39.


Here is the sketch that Brittany challenged with...





So... how'd I do?





That was fun! I just may have to start participating in some of the great challenges that are out there! And who knows... I might get alot done too! LOL!

SU's Top Note vs. STORYBOOK's & ACCENT ESSENTIAL's Marquee

Here is a wedding invitation that I made for a wedding that my son is going to be best man in. This is our wedding gift to the bride and groom... custom made wedding invitations. The invitation measures 5" x 6.5". The swirly heart is from the WEDDING Solutions cartridge and was cut at 3.5".

I used the Marquee2 (5") cut from the STORYBOOK cricut cartridge for the invitation itself. Then used the SHADOW feature for the deep red foundation and used the SHADOW feature for the vellum cut too.

The foundation is the RUBY RED from the Core'dination's Vintage collection. I LOVE this paper! Brown satin ribbon is used to hold the invitation together.

I use this cut alot. Especially with invitations or wedding accents. There is another one that I like on the ACCENT ESSENTIALS cricut cartridge. This cut is very similar to the popular Stampin Up 'Top Note' sizzix die. Below you can see that I used it to make nametags and welcome fans for my NSD scrapbook retreat.

Stamping Up (which I love) sells this die for $21.95.

I love all the creative uses that some of the SU demonstrators have found for this cut! All you have to do is google it and you will be astonished with what you find.

My ACCENT ESSENTIALS came free with my Cricut Expression. And I paid $29.99 for my STORYBOOK cartridge way back before Christmas and I will get alot more for my money than if I were to buy just a single die. The argument is that the cricut 'Top Note' image doesn't have the cute stitching around the edge... true... it's cute. But, still not cost effective. Sorry SU ladies... I just can't be convinced that it is a worthy purchase when you are limited to the size of the die and with the cricut can make so many different sizes. Not to mention using chipboard!

But I will say... these Stampin Up ladies have got it going on! Look at what they do with this cut!

This card is from Stampin BJ... you can visit her HERE
.

You know I am a sucker for anything Ladybug!! Look at what Becky created!

Patty even has a video on her BLOG to show how she inked the edges of her Top Note.

Amber has the halloween parties covered!!

And my favorite of them all comes from Martha over at INKYCHATTER... the polka dotted purse!!!

I could go on and on... seriously! Try googling this one and you will be thrilled with all the ideas out there. But... bef0re you run out and buy this die from SU... give it a try with your cricut. You might like it!

Graphically Speaking Layout

I have to say that GRAPHICALLY SPEAKING is one of my favorite cartridges. There is so much cool stuff hiding behind each key! Here is a layout that I did of my daughter... the jumbled words are perfect for these pictures of her at a photo shoot. I love my white signo pen and it was great for doodling on the jumbled word 'Attitude'. The strip on the right side is the negative from a spiral paper cut I had made for another project.



The polka dotted background was cut with the FIT-TO-PAGE creative feature... I love making my own background pages. I also cut the 'Who Needs Rules' image at FIT-TO-PAGE. A little inking and doodling and it turned out great. The journal box is a stamp that I got from Inque Boutique.



On a personal note... I miss this girl, attitude and all. Many of you know that she is living with her Army husband up in Alaska which is way way too far from Texas! Please keep them in your prayers... we found out yesterday that my sil's unit in Afghanistan were the victims of a suicide bomber. SIL is okay, he had to have surgery on his knee, so is safe in Alaska on medical hold. But 6 of the 9 killed were personal friends of his. Please keep them and their families in your prayers.

'Twilight' Layout using SCAL

OMG! Okay... first I must say that I feel like I have 'cheated' on my good friend! Yes, I crossed over into the dark side and used SCAL for this layout. Why is that like cheating, you might ask? Well, because SURE CUTS ALOT (SCAL) is not a Provocraft product, but was made by a third party to be used with the Cricut which is made by Provocraft. I am still a die-hard cricut cartridge gal though... and don't think I will be using this much. Right now, I have to tell you about this layout!



I downloaded the cut files from a fellow blogger and cricut mb pal MARDENZ. Click on her name and you can see all the great files that she offers on her blog including this one. Both the black image of Edward's face and the Cullen crest are what I got from Mardenz.




I added a couple of quotes from the book and a picture of the book cover (found on the internet). The picture is of my bff, because she actually read this book to my family and myself out loud on an 8-hour road trip from Texas to Tennessee... and on the way back. We tried to find the book on audio, but when we had no luck, Angela volunteered to read. It was great and I will never forget that trip!





I printed the picture of the book from the internet and pop-dotted it on the layout. The words TWILIGHT and EDWARD are cut with my truetype font Blackletter by using SCAL.




Used my white signo pen to do my journaling and I was done! I really like this layout! So, THANKS MARDENZ for the file!

Creative Cottage Day 1 - Faithbook Title Page

Yesterday was awesome! Everyone arrived at the Creative Cottage at different times and got all settled. I got started on my FAITHBOOK and am very excited about it. Here's my title page:

I used the new HOME DECOR cricut cartridge for the cute birdie. It was cut at 6" out of blue paper called gemstones moonstone and shadowed in white. Finished it off with some rhinestones.

I love this frame, its from the HANNAH MONTANA cartridge cut at 5". I used K&Company papers from the Greenhouse collection.

I chose to use the scripture Deuteronomy 4:9... "Be very careful never to forget what you have seen the Lord do for you. Do not let these things escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren".

Got lots more done, but gotta run... got more cropping to do!

Birthday Retreat at the Creative Cottage!

Well, we have checked into the cottage and are all set up! Woohoo!




This picture doesn't do the place justice... it goes back a little and the croproom is in the back.





The croproom is awesome! The whole house is decorated in such soothing colors... really relaxes you. It's not even dinner yet and I am already in my pjs! I've got my cricut setup beside me and we are both looking forward to an evening of uninterrupted crafting!

Cropping time now! I'll post some more tomorrow and show you what I am working on!

Storage - Solid Color Paper/Cardstock

Okay... I'm posting this late tonight because I have been soooo busy packing for my BIRTHDAY RETREAT!! Woohoo!! But, I was thinking about blogging while I was packing (i know, i'm hopeless!) and wanted to share with you how I store my solid color papers. Remember... I'm a mobile kinda gal, so the traditional paper racks (which I have) don't work so well for me. So, this is what I use:



I LOVE solid color paper/cardstock... why? Because I LOVE my cricut and use more solid color paper/cardstock than anything else. So, all my paper is divided up in color groups, labeled and stored in these LEGACY 12x12 paper holders in a cube right underneath my cricut expression. The only place that I have been able to find these particular ones are at Hobby Lobby and they sell for $4.99 each. Of course, they go on sale for 50% off every 4-6 weeks... which makes $2.50 a DEAL!



A closer look shows the labels identifying the color group. Each case holds a variety of the color identified, for example, the PINK case will have light pink, hot pink, neon pink, etc etc.



The cases slide in sideways, because I have them labeled on top. I do that because when I need to pack for a retreat or a cricut class, I just slide them out and stack them into my handy dandy rolling cart for OFFICE MAX.



I packed it today for our retreat (did I tell ya how excited I was?!) and took some pics to show you how nicely it all fits.



This cart was only $24.99 at OFFICE MAX. Not long ago they had a buy-one-get-one-free sale, so my mom has 3 and I have 3. We love them, because when we aren't using them they fold flat and store well under the table.



Ahhh... now isn't that nice? I love how it sits beside my chair at a crop/swarm and all my paper is organized and at my fingertips. The best part though... is no more damaged corners!



I'm really getting into Core'dinations cardstock now... so I added three cases of them on the side. I've got great things planned for those papers this weekend! Last, but not least... there is a hard case lid that snaps in place on top of this cart (which is on wheels and has a handle), so that you can stack other things on top of it without worrying about your paper/cardstock inside.

That's all for now! Gotta go get my beauty rest cause we are pulling out at 8am! There will be a total of 14 of us ladies cropping all weekend at the CREATIVE COTTAGE in McKinney, Texas. I'm taking my laptop so that I can continue to blog (i know, im obsessive!) each day from the retreat.... so stay tuned!!!!!