FCCB Challenge Touch of yellow August 29

Hello everyone it is time for this weeks  Fantabulous Cricut Challenge.  The challenge this week is called "Splash of Color"- Use yellow.  I am not a big yellow person  but to me nothing makes yellow "pop" like black and white.  I have been trying to make a dent in the huge pile of pictures of my two granddaughters and now that has expanded to 3.  I had a bunch of odds and ends pictures that I wanted to do something with.  I usually do two page layouts.  The first page is 3 1/2 " squares with black or white 3 3/4 " frames.  The lettering spells Katie and is Storybook cut at 3 " and using the shadow.  

On the second page the squares are the same size.  I then cut out the daisy from Mother's Day Bouquet.

I cut 1 at 3 ", 2 at  2 1/2". and 2 at 2 ".  I then pinched each petal towards the center of the petal.  The centers are contrasting black and white circles and yellow buttons sewn with Wonder Thread.  

Hope you have fun with this challenge at FCCB this week.  I can't wait to see your projects using a splash of yellow.  Please come by and visit my blog whenever you can.  Also come back each day to see what all is going on daily at FCCB.

Embossing vellum flowers

This card was made for the CC challenge this week.  Over the past week designers have been sharing tips and techniques.  We were to chose one of these techniques.  I decided to go with embossing vellum  which I had never tried.  Suzanne Sergi made a beautiful vellum flower cone tree.  I used DCWV Linen and Lace Paper, Recollections vellum from Michaels, ribbon, lace and pearls.  The stamp is also from $1 section in Michaels.  I cut scallopped circles with Mother's Day Bouquet of both scrap cardstock and vellum at 2 1/2, 2, 1 1/2, and 1".  I then misted lightly with Glimmer Mist and crumpled carefully to form my flowers.   I love using the  vellum as it makes the flowers seem lighter and the embossing really helps them stand up and hold a shape.  

Don' t you love the soft colors?  

I am also entering this in the My Craft Spot challenge this week which was to use embossing.  

While I had the Linen and Lace stack out I made 2 wedding cards I needed.  I cut two different hearts from Damask Decor.   With these cuts and the beautiful paper design I didn't do anymore as one of the cards has to be mailed overseas.  

Altered sign for my craft room

This is my complete project for the challenge on She's a Sassy Lady.  The challenge was to make a Home Decor item, weld on your Gypsy and use a flower.  I bought this sign for $1 at a thrift store.  I painted it and sprayed with Glimmer Mist to tint.  I then designed my project on my Gypsy.  My blog name is done with MS Elegant Cakes font which is welded together.  The flowers are the Scalloped flower from Mother's Day Bouquet.  They are cut at 2", 1 3/4", 1 1/2" and 1 ".  I wet each cut and crumple them up then smooth them out carefully to dry.  I put 6 to 7 layers together and punch a hole with my Crop a dile and then add a brad.  

I used Diamond Stickles on the flowers and title.  The circle image is from Cricut Everyday and I added gems to bling it out.  The leaves on the flowers and the butterfly are a MS punch.  I then added $1 Michaels ribbon around the edges.  Now I have  sign for my craft room.  

Patches of Pink

SMASH Book/Cricut Magazine Challenge Make It Your Own

I have been hearing about Smash books but wasn't sure what they were. Then there was a thread on the Cricut messageboard which led me to this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PFsArr4Z1s and website http://www.eksuccessbrands.com/kandcompany/   The same day the May Cricut Circle Magazine came out.  One of the challenges was to take a project from the magazine and make it your own. There were many beautiful projects but  a lovely journal ion page 33 by Janet Wilkins caught my eye.  So since I collect things and they often end up in a drawer or box. I decided to make a Smash book using  an artist sketch book I had sitting around. I gently  pulled the wires apart just enough to take the cover and backing off and then covered them with one of my favorites stacks  DCVW Street Lace.  The Smash title is from Cricut American Alphabet cut at 1.25, the flowers are the Scalloped cut from Mother's Day Bouquet cut at 1.25 and 1.5.  The butterfly is from Rock Princess cut at 3 inches.  The mini chalkboard is from MichaelDirections for flowers s and I  wrote on it with a silver Sharpie. I also added  a MS punch cut,  Memory thread for the antennas, Diamond Stickles, a couple embellishments and ribbon. 

Flower Directions

This is the inside cover 

Back Cover 

CC Weekly Challenge card- Prima like flowers

This is my entry for the Cricut Circle challenge this week to do something with a flower.  I love making these flowers and they are much cheaper than buying Prima flowers.   I cut scalloped circles from Mother's Day Bouquet cart at 2 inches, 1 1/2 inches and 1 inch.  The next step is the most important.  YOU HAVE TO  WET THEM!!!!!!   I used to try to skip this step and they just come out so much better if you wet the paper.   So once I cut a bunch of scalloped circles out  lay them all out I spray them with a mister.  When they are good and wet I wad them up into little balls.  I let them dry for a few minutes and then carefully open and spread out not flattening them completely.  Let dry a little longer but not completely.  I like to work with them when they are still pliable.  Next  I stack 5 to 8 high.  Punch hole with crop a dile and add  brad to center.  I then pull each layer up towards the brad  being careful not to tear.  then I pull them down forming the flower.  After they are formed the way I want, I let them dry and then add Tim Holtz ink, Stickles and/or  spray with Glimmer Mist depending on the look I want.
The paper for the card was a double sided piece and the flowers were actually made from the same piece.  I have  3 other flowers from this one piece of 12 x 12 paper.  For this card  I added ribbon and used a MS punch on the edges.  I also added a birthday stamp.

BBTB2 challenge- Use an egg from Easter 2010 cart

I made this card today for the BBTB2 challenge to use the egg from the Easter 2010 cart or another cart.  I used the Easter 2010 egg and scalloped egg.  I used my Gypsy to weld the front and back together and to make a window in the front.  I used double sided pastel paper.  I then cut out flowers from Mother's Day Bouquet for the top, Happy Easter which is glued to inside but shows through to front, and one of the cute scenes from Katie's ABC.  Edges are chalked and added ribbon and pearls.  

Vintage Card with sketch for CC weekly challenge

This is my card for the Weekly challenge on the CC Blog.  We were to make a sketch and  then use the sketch for the project.  I wanted to make a Vintage card.  Used Fabulous Finds, Mother's Day Bouquet cart.  Use Tim Holtz ink on edges.  Made beaded pins to add to flowers and added the metal key.

Close up of flowers.  

Valentines Day

On Friday I took a class on using Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and other products like Chalkboard, Glam and Glaze.  I decided to make some vintage valentines using the pictures I got at LSS.  I used Glimmer Mist on the paper doily and lace.  The flowers were made using Mother's Day Bouquet.  I cut various cuts at 21/2", 2", 11/2", and 1".  I used various scraps of valentine paper I had in my stash.  I then made about 40 flowers to have on hand.  The card is  5 x 7.  I also used MS corner punch and butterfly punch.  I then inked everything with Tim Holtz Distressed Ink and added Stickles and some bling.  :

Also made these cute Valentine bear easel cards. Here are the links for the easel card directions-http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/easelcard/   and for the bear patterns-

http://www.littlescrapsofheavendesigns.com/category_16/Patterns.htm

You have to have SCAL or a similar program to cut these bears.  This comes from the monthly set.  

I also used 4 different MS heart punches and my stash of Valentine flowers I made from Mother's Day Bouquet cart.  

Calling cards for Los Angeles crops out of scraps

I was able to make my calling cards for the Cricut Circle crop on the 28th of  January in Los Angeles.  This will be my first crop and my first Cricut Circle meetup so I am really excited.  The  cards are for trading at the events and for entering in contests during the day.  The cards are 3 x 3 and the flowers are cut from the new Mother's Day Bouquet cartridge.  The gypsy head was sent to me by an MB member ( sorry I forgot who) and I added my MB name initials- CCG for Cricutcraftingrammy.  Reminds me of a cattle brand.  I used all scraps for this so was a great way to use up some of my scrap stash.  I then added flowers from Michaels and gems to the antennae.  I then decorated a recipe box I got at M's  for 50 cents a few months go on clearance.  Added a card  and flowers to the top and my MB name.

My projects for this weeks Provo Craft Challenges

There are a lot of contest to enter this week with the Cricut Circle.  I love entering these contests to challenge myself to do new things.  

 This is  my card entry for a contest that is due Tuesday the 18th.  Provo Craft and Anna Griffin are premiering new products on HSN on January 20th so they are having a card making contest. The directions are to create a card using atleast one Anna Griffin product (it can be anything!) and one or more of the following cartridges. You may use other cartridges on the card, but the majority of the design needs to represent one or more of the following cartridges:

• Don Juan Cartridge
• Winter Lace Seasonal Cartridge
• Wall Decor & More

The  white lacy trim on the sides and the red paper is Anna  Griffin paper I found at Michaels.  The snowflakes are cut from Winter Lace snowflake 2 cut at 5 " and 3 1/2"  and include shadows.  I then added pearls and Stickles.

This Project is also for the Cricut Circle. Find something from the thrift store to repurpose with your imagination and your Cricut Machine. Please use at least four Cricut cuts in your design. Upload before and after shots of your project to the blog under the Magazine Challenge Tab. Only one entry per person. Entry deadline is Friday, January 14th, 2011. 

I found this shadowbox which originally was for magnetic paper dolls for 1.99 at a thrift store in Lompoc.  The top pictures show what it looked like originally and the bottom picture is the photo shadowbox I made of my sweet granddaughters.  Katie  is now 1 and  Kenzie is 2 months.  I cut a variety of flower cuts from the new Mother's Day Bouquet cart and made the flowers.  Cuts were made at 2 ", 1 1/2' and 1".  The names were cut from prism paper with Classic Cricut Font.  I used my Gypsy to weld them together and then added bling to the center of the flowers.  

This is my entry for the Cricut Circle Monthly challenge.  We were to scraplift a project from the Circle Blog.  On 11/16 Cindy Royal  (CC designer) was showing 4 cards in Fall colors with layered and wound flowers. The Gypsy file was provided using Gypsy Wanderings, Gr. Speaking, Mini Monsters, Plantin and Cake Basics. I wanted to make Spring cards so I used K and Co Berry Sweet paper which comes in an 8 x 8 pad and is double sided. I used the Gypsy file and then I used my new I rock for the smaller gems and my new I Top for the center of the larger flowers. I think both of these tools are awesome. I also sprayed a little Glimmer Mist on the leaves to make them pop a little. The last thing I did was add MS glue to the edges of the flowers the MS punch butterflies and some of the background paper. I really enjoyed making the dimensional roses on the right with my quilling tool. I have the quilling Cuttlebug plates but this was neat that you could do flowers the same way without the plates.