My Paper Trail

Puppy Valentine

2012-01-16T17:42:00.000-05:00

This weekend I decided that I was going to devote some time to my favorite stress reliever... card making.
My goal was to use up some of my scraps, 12 cards later with multiple layers, and I don't think I will ever see the end of them. I am truly addicted to foam dots and I have just about ran out of my stash. (Just a note... foam dots lose their sticky if you have them too long... I have had some projects fall apart over time- the were ones that I had bought at the dollar store though).

This little guy was made using the dog from Create-a-Critter and my Gypsy. I used flocking for the nose of the puppy- he is so soft- and I used some of my rhinestones to dress up his little collar, and my white Signo pen to accent the heart.

Side view...

Red Ellie Valentine

2012-01-16T17:31:00.000-05:00

Red Ellie Valentine designed with my Gypsy. Used My Mind's Eye scraps and my white Signo pen.

Side view...

Kiss Me Frog Valentine

2012-01-16T17:29:00.000-05:00

Kiss Me Frog Valentine using Sweet Hearts Cartridge and a black Cricut marker.

Side view showing layers...

Inside of card...

Frog Valentine

2012-01-16T17:26:00.000-05:00

Frog Valentine using Sweet Hearts Cartridge.

Side view showing layers...

Ellie Valentine

2012-01-16T17:24:00.000-05:00

Ellie Valentine designed with the Gypsy.

Side view...

Monster Card (Girl)

2012-01-16T17:17:00.000-05:00

Girl Monster card made with B is for Boy Cricut lite cartridge.

Side view...

Thank U card...

2012-01-16T17:12:00.000-05:00

Thank you card made with Birthday Bash cartridge.

Side view...

Valentine Giraffe

2012-01-16T17:11:00.000-05:00

Baby Valentine Giraffe designed with my Gypsy.

Side view...

Birthday Ellie card

2012-01-16T17:09:00.000-05:00

Ellie Birthday card that I made with my Gypsy.

Side view...

Monster card (Boy)

2012-01-16T17:06:00.000-05:00

Monster card using B is for Boy Cricut Lite cartridge and DCWV paper.

Side view showing the layers.

Cupcake card

2012-01-16T17:02:00.000-05:00

Cupcake card using Create-a-Critter cartridge.

Side view showing layers and the flocking on the cherry.

I {heart} You

2012-01-16T12:24:00.009-05:00

I Love You card made with Create-a-Critter cartridge and leftover scraps.

Side view showing the multiple layers...
I am addicted to foam dots.

Sock Monkey Cake Pop Bouquet

2011-12-02T11:13:00.000-05:00

Isn't he the cutest? My daughter has a birthday party this weekend and needed a gift. Since money is a little tight we decided to give her friend a gift card and make these sock monkey cake pops. Her friend loves monkeys and I LOVE sock monkeys. We took a few tied a bow around them and there you have it... A Sock Monkey Bouquet.
I just wanted to stop in and let you know that I have not dropped off of the face of the earth... just haven't had the motivation to create lately. I am now leaving for a job interview for a little part-time job to cover the extra days off that we get from my full-time job. Wish me luck!!!

The Big 4-0...

2011-10-22T22:44:00.000-04:00

We went to one of my closest cousin's Surprise 40th Birthday Party today and I wanted to make her a card. (She's one of the only people who really appreciates my homemade cards- I make them for all of her kids' birthdays) I really love all of the shaped cards and layers that Donna Mundinger does at her Popsicletoes blog so I thought I would give it a try. There are lots of popdots!

Products used...

Birthday Bash- BiG, 40
Gypsy Font- the
Gypsy Wanderings- rounded square
Smiley cards- balloon
Cuttlebug embossing folder
Gypsy .cutfile

I'm Back! Here's a little card I made today

2011-10-05T10:52:00.001-04:00

Finally... I took some time for me today and designed a little card for my fiance'. We've had a little visitor over the weekend and he took care of the little problem. So, I decided to design him a little mouse card using my Gypsy. I used lots of foam dots and lugged out my sewing machine to do some stitching. Boy did it feel good to lose myself in my crafting even if it was only 45 minutes of my day.

Cartridges used:

Birthday Bash
Create a Critter
Gypsy Wanderings
Lyrical Letters
Straight From the Nest

Photos taken with my new Canon Rebel dSLR

2011-09-05T20:41:00.000-04:00

I got a new Canon Rebel XS dslr and am trying to learn the new settings. These are a couple of the pictures that I have taken. I am going to do the "12 weeks to Better Photos" at Two Peas. The first lesson is on aperature.

Birthday Bash birthday card

2011-09-03T22:10:00.000-04:00

My cousin's little boy turned 6 today. I have made his birthday card every year- my cousin looks forward to seeing what I will make each year. This year I took the shark from the Birthday Bash cartridge and replaced the 5 that goes with it with a 6. The postage stamp shaped card shape is also from Birthday Bash. The card was cut at 5.5 and the shark was cut at 4.25.

My scrap area is finally finished!

2011-08-05T19:01:00.001-04:00

I have finally gotten my scrap area to where I am satisfied. I am finally done. Now I need to get crackin' and make something. I used to have the cabinets that are under the table in the closet but I needed the extra storage space so I moved them out and put a black curtain over the entrance to the closet. The doors to the upper cabinets are painted with chalkboard paint.

We added a magnetic dry erase board to have a little message center for the school year. It is a really small space outside of the kitchen.

This is a full on shot of my little area- as you can see it is VERY small but I have a space to call my own.

Thanks for looking... I am off now to make something to share with all of you.

Our baby birds...

2011-07-26T21:27:00.001-04:00

I found this nest in our tree in the front of our house and decided to take photos of the babies as they developed. It was very exciting to see how fast these little robins grew. And amazingly I got to witness 2 of the babies leave the nest. The first one flew and landed on my car and I got a picture of it looking at its reflection in the window.

July 9

July 12
Don't they look like little shrimp?

July 14

July 17

July 18

July 20

July 22
Momma and her babies

July 24

Lovin' his mohawk...

A Trio of shaped Birthday Cards...

2011-07-07T18:27:00.000-04:00

I bought a new My Mind's Eye paper pack with all polka dots yesterday and just had to use it. I love polka dots! I designed three shaped birthday cards with my Gypsy using the Simply Charmed and Birthday Bash cartridges. I think the candle card is my favorite.

Birthday Bash- candles

Simply Charmed- birthday cake

Simply Charmed- birthday present

Celebrate...

2011-07-06T23:00:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share this card that I made with the Cricut decals cartridge. I just wanted to make something really simple. I loved this little girl with the balloon and I found the stamp at Michael's. I loved the font on it- I bought almost all of them because I liked them so much. They were in the $1 bin.
I have made a couple more cards and will be sharing them over the next couple of days. Hope you have a nice week. :)

Happy 4th of July!!!

2011-06-30T22:37:00.000-04:00

I had planned on making a shaped card using my Expression2, the Cricut Decals cartridge, and the new Cricut Craftroom. I welded together the shapes to make the card, hooked up the computer to the E2, pressed cut, and then it told me I needed to insert the cartridge. Off to plan B... I decided to just cut out this cute little girl that looked like she was holding a sparkler. Then I added some Stickles that I hadn't used in ages to make it look like a sparkler. I think I just may cut out a few more of these cute little stick figures. I think they are rather adorable.

UPDATE: My mother opted to have surgery to remove the cancer in lung vs. chemo and radiation. She had a very rough time after the surgery and was in intensive care for 11 days- 9 of which they still had her under and on a respirator. Today is day 15 and I got to bring her home with me. I am so very blessed to still have her here with me and the very best part is I am on vacation for the next 10 days and I get to spend it being with her and taking the very best care of her. I may have talked her into making a card with me so that she can send it to the wonderful nurses in the ICU that took care of her. Just so you know, she is NOT a crafter at all. Thank you for all of the prayers.

A tour of my favorite things in our new home

2011-06-12T19:47:00.002-04:00

I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite things in our new home. I have been trying very hard to make this house feel like our home. Do you get what I mean? Yes, I love the fact that we are in our new house but it wasn't feeling very homey yet. We've done a few little projects here and there this weekend and it's getting there. I am loving it!

#1- My craigslist find... a new computer armoire. I really wasn't liking having the computer in the living room. Seeing a bunch of cords all over the place drives me nuts. So I was checking out craigslist and I found this cottage style computer armoire for 50 bucks. I was so excited! I was finding the same one online for $300 plus shipping. I love it and it looks great in my living room!

#2- I am not big on artwork so I had been checking out a few diy decorating blogs and found some photo collages and decided to give it a try. So today Keith and I finally put it up. I love it way more than trying to find a piece of artwork to put up on the wall. I am very grateful that Keith was here to help me because he used all sorts of measurements to get it spaced out the way I layed it out on the floor. I stink at measuring. I think the next thing I may look for is a coffee table for in front of the couch. It looks a little bare.

Here's a close up of the photo collage- full of my favorite favorite photos from then and now.

This is a bench that we found at an estate sale. I had intentions of painting it but I really liked the distress look and the color in the living room. I made the envelope pillow cases and the wreath on the bench with a few things that I bought at the Christmas Tree Shop. I love that store for decorating on the cheap.

This is a rocker that Keith's Poppy made. I am looking for a cream color seat cushion and maybe a new quilt to lay over the back of the chair. I really love this chair. It has character and has sentimental value for Keith.

The stairs were one of the selling features for us. I loved how they refinished them with the cherry stain. I found the stair basket at a garage sale last year for $3. What a steal!

We also love the shelves under the stairs. I had a curio cabinet but didn't really like it anymore. So I sold it and set up all my favorite little treasures in the little nook. Can you see my sock monkey? I LOVE sock monkeys. My grandma made it. The pair of shoes are my first pair of shoes that my mother had bronzed.

And last we had this ugly brown armoire in my living room that I was thinking of getting rid of but we were also looking for a matching dresser to go in our bedroom because we were sharing one between the two of us. I painted it black to match, got the same types of handles, and distressed it and it goes perfectly with the other one. The pottery on the armoire was made my daughter. It goes wonderfully with our room. She is an awesome artist. Some of you may remember the finger print self portrait.

Well this is all I have for you for now. It is a work in progress but I am loving my new home and it is a ton of fun to decorate.

Baby Shower Advice Book and Mini Album

2011-06-10T08:17:00.000-04:00

It is a tradition for me that when one of my cousins have a new little one I make them a mini album for them. Well, my cousin called me a couple of weeks ago and asked me to make her a mini for her sister-in-law. Her shower is a rubber duckie theme and she also wanted me to make a little advice book. I hope she'll like them.

A Child's Year- Rubber Duckie
Gypsy Wanderings- Scalloped Oval
I covered the album with a K and Company boy's line- Hopscotch I think

I made this album by welding a puddle and rubber duck to the bottom of the page with my Gypsy.

Thanks for looking. :)

Give a kid a camera and this is what you find...

2011-05-31T07:44:00.000-04:00

When we were getting the new house ready for move in I gave my 10 year old my camera and told her to go take some pictures. This is what I found when I got my camera back. I thought they were very interesting. The ham sandwich cracks me up. :) It also grosses me out for some reason. She does have a pretty good eye- maybe a camera is a good idea for Christmas.
I am working on a couple of chipboard mini albums and am almost done with them. One is a wordbook and both are baby themed. I will be posting them soon hopefully.

Thanks...

2011-05-11T08:48:00.001-04:00

I took the plunge and bought the new Expression 2 from HSN and have not had any time to play with it. So yesterday I brought along my Gypsy and while I was waiting for my Mom during her appointments I designed a 3-fold card like the ones that are on the Just-a-Note cartridge included with the E2. I really liked the concept of them but am not crazy about the style. I decided that I would make a thank you card for the wonderful group that I work with at the dentist's office. They have been very caring and supportive and on Monday they surprised me with a gift card for Home Depot congratulating us on our new house. I was very surprised and so appreciative. Looks like some cake pops may be in their future as well. :)

The cartridges that I used were:

Gypsy Wanderings- thanks
Plantin Schoolbook- rectangles
Smiley Cards- flower

open...

inside...

Sunsets make me happy...

2011-04-27T16:21:00.001-04:00

After the last depressing post I wanted to share with you something that has always made me happy. Sunsets by the water. This is the sunset on Easter- I had to stop and take a picture. It was breath-taking. Don't you agree?

I also wanted to thank you all for your support. It really means a lot to me.

I have finished my craft area in the new house and I did some impulse shopping yesterday to make me feel better and bought me a brand new EXPRESSION II!!! It should be here next week. Can't wait until I can lose myself in learning how to use it.

Sorry it's been a little while but...

2011-04-27T09:03:00.002-04:00

We got the results back from the biopsy and my mother has lung cancer. We go today to Roswell Park Cancer Institute this morning to meet with her team of doctors and find out what treatments they have planned for her. Roswell is supposed to be the best- and I am glad that the doctors have referred her there. My brother and I are taking it pretty hard and I know that she is scared but is pretending to be strong. Her strategy is to ignore it until she has to face it and honestly, if I were in her shoes I would not be able to do that. I am a dweller. With the house move, her new diagnosis, and Keith's father having a heart attack last week I have had about all I can take for now. I am trying to give my girls the attention that they need but it is really hard. I have told my oldest that Grandma has cancer but my 10 year old would take it VERY hard- so I have told her that Grandma is sick but have not given her any details.
Sorry to have put this out there for you all but- I needed to get it all out and my best friend is my mother and I do not want to let her know how scared I am. I am supposed to be the strong one who is taking care of everything. :)

We are leaving in a little bit. Please wish us luck.

Easter Card

2011-04-18T08:48:00.003-04:00

I was itchin' to make a little something, so I got up early this morning and made an Easter Card. It was the first time I've used my Cricut and Gypsy since we moved and I was freaking out a little when I could not find my cord for my Gypsy. It was right where I put it though.. I had just forgotten- in with all of my cartridges. You know how that goes- "I'll put this someplace safe where I know I will find it" and then you forget where the heck that is. LOL

The cartridges that I used are:
A Child's Year- Card base
Easter 2010- Bunny
Gypsy Wanderings- Scalloped circle, scalloped rectangle, and the background rectangle (stretched)
Just Because Cards- Envelope

On another note... I cannot believe that I now have 300 followers!!! Since I have just moved, I have found a bunch of scrappy stuff that I have never used and some extras of things that I love to use. To Celebrate 300 followers I have going to have a giveaway! Wait for me to announce it and if you do not mind preowned scrappy stuff- feel free to enter.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

A Sneak Peek...

2011-04-16T22:26:00.002-04:00

Here's a sneak peek of my new Scrapbook area. I inherited the smallest space in the house for my scrapping area. It's just off of the kitchen and used to be a mudroom before the previous owners added another room to the back of the house. It has some funky hard wall covering that isn't paintable (probably from the 1950's or so), but the girls and I have discovered that you can write on it with a dry erase marker and it will come off. VERY COOL! I am going to use the far wall as a message board and cut out some vinyl to outline it. I bought 4 new Jetmax cubes and set them up in the closet with the other 2 that I had and put my expression on top.

This is the other side of the area... The cabinets were already there. I am going to sand and paint the cabinets, the woodwork trim, and the coat hook white.

Tomorrow we are going to get a piece of counter top and install it on the wall and get a stool for me to work at. I am so excited to have my own craft area again. It's been a couple of years and I miss it. Before I had to lug everything out and work on the dining room table and put it all away when I was done. I will post again of the finished project once we are done. Just thought you'd like to see my new scrap area.

-Annette

Miss me yet?

2011-04-16T16:53:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone. We have moved into the new house and are slowly getting comfortable. I thought that I would share a little of what we have been up to. This first picture is my 10 year old's room- she picked out the colors and the comforter set. It's pretty bright- almost need to wear your sunglasses in there but I think it turned out pretty cute. We still need to unpack a little and decorate the walls. (If you look above her bed you can see the canvas that we made a couple of weeks ago.)
This is our room... I am really liking the clean look of the blue, grey, white, and black. I found everything on here either on clearance or at VERY reasonable prices. I found the dresser at Target- I had my eye on it for quite some time and when we went to go get it, it was on clearance for $100 less! The comforter is Laura Ashley and I got it at Marshall's. The mirror above the dresser I got for $12 at Kirkland's. It is really well made and HEAVY. It really went well together with the dresser. I got 2 shelves from the Christmas tree store for $5 a piece and the curtains were $6 per panel- I already had one pair that color and they still had some so I got another pair.

Last week my mother went to the ER because she was having pains when she was breathing- she thought she was having another heart attack. She was admitted to the hospital because they found lesions on her lungs in the xray. She is now on full oxygen all of the time and we are waiting to get the results of her biopsy. I am taking her to the doctor on Tuesday to find out. Please say some prayers that it is not lung cancer and to give me the strength to be strong for her. My mother is my best friend and she sacrificed a lot for my brother and I growing up. As a single mother she did the best that she could and I would have to say that she did a wonderful job. We may not have gotten everything that we wanted but we ALWAYS had everything that we needed. The things that we did get were very special to us because we knew how hard she worked to provide them for us. And we had all of the love that a child could ever need. So, please remember my mother in your prayers tonight. Thank you so much. -Annette

More Cake Pops... Little chicks.

2011-03-15T17:38:00.000-04:00

Since I am moving at the end of this month I won't have any paper projects to post for you guys since I am going to have to pack all of my stuff up and I need to find myself a scrappy area in my new house and set it up- it may take a little while, so I will post other little projects that I will be working on- home decor and such. I plan on using my Cricut to cut vinyl for my daughter's walls, making new envelope throw pillows for the couches, and a headboard for my bedroom. I love to decorate and buying this new house has put me in a tailspin with so many ideas. I'm lovin' it!

So, I decided to try another shape of those adorable cake pops. I was feeling very springy today and made these cute little chicks. I still need a lot of practice in order to make them look like Bakerella's but they turned out okay. I need to follow my advice that I give my girls when they get frustrated... PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
What shape should I do next?

On another note... I GOT ENGAGED! Isn't it beautiful? We are planning a Fall wedding this year! I cannot wait! I have waited almost 20 years to marry my soulmate and it is finally happening. We first dated for a couple of years in college, went our separate ways, and reconnected almost 3 years ago. I am the happiest girl in the world!

Newest Discovery... CAKE POPS!!! I am in love.

2011-03-11T13:29:00.001-05:00

Apparently these little cake ball creations have been around for a couple of years. I just discovered the Bakerella website a couple of days ago and just had to give them a try. We ordered her book and tried them out today. The girls had fun decorating the cake pops and I made a few of the cupcake shaped bites to give out to my brother and sister-in-law for their birthdays and for my daughter's grandma's birthday too. They were a lot of fun to make and I cannot wait to try out different shapes. My next trial will be to make little chicks for Easter. With a lot of practice we could make some really neat things.

The girls decorating their cake pops.

Kaileigh eating one of her "mistakes". Lol

Mini cupcakes made out of cake balls.

The girls' finished products.

What we did today... Altered Canvases

2011-02-21T21:35:00.001-05:00

The girls and I had the day off together so we made a canvas for each of their rooms in the new house. I asked Kaileigh if she wanted to and she said "yes" so I had to jump on that one. She also told me that she was going to let me take more pictures of her because she does enjoys looking at them now. (She rarely lets me take her photo.)

KAILEIGH'S CANVAS

Leah wants her new room pink and green and she love polka dots and plaid. We added all of her favorite things... cheerleading, Horton, elephants, and making people laugh.

LEAH'S CANVAS

Thanks a Bunch!

2011-02-06T15:54:00.002-05:00

We are in the process of buying a new house and I needed a thank card for the home inspector- which is Keith's cousin. He was not charging us so I made him a little card with the house from Hoot n Holler and added a gift card for The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I did not feel like making an envelope so I tied a little bow around it and affixed the gift card with a couple of glue spots. The card measures 3x4 and fit the gift card perfectly.

What the actual card looks like...

Side view... Love those foam dots and added dimension.

Lovin' the little houses from Hoot n Holler!
It's the reason why I bought the cartridge. Lol.

l

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

Birthday Wishes card made with "Birthday Bash"

2011-01-26T21:38:00.001-05:00

Today is my Mom's birthday so I decided to make something with my Birthday Bash cartridge.
I love the images, phrases, and especially the alphabet on this one.
This alphabet is my favorite from all of the cartridges, with Don Juan a close second.
This card was made with the tag function for the base and the single candle.
This card only measures approximately 3x5.

I DID IT! Isn't she adorable?

2011-01-22T16:45:00.002-05:00

I don't know how many of you follow Jin at Under A Cherry Tree- but I have for quite some time. I find the clean looking projects and cuts that she makes with Make-the-Cut and Lettering Delights absolutely adorable. I am not in the market for a new cutting device or program- I plan on sticking with my Gypsy and Expression for a very long time. Recently she posted a little girl from the Weather Girl collection by Lettering Delights that I fell in love with and just had to create. Today I did just that...

Isn't she the cutest thing? I used several cartridges to make her. I have noticed that a lot of the shapes that are in the Lettering Delights designs can be found almost exactly on Cricut Cartridges. For instance the head is from Doodlecharms with the eyes and mouth hidden, the hair and shoes are from Paper Dolls, the dress is a combination of shapes welded together from Gypsy Wanderings and Create-a-Critter, the legs are from Gypsy Wanderings and the hands are from Paper Dolls.

8x8 ALWAYS mini album... made completely from scratch.

2011-01-17T21:27:00.002-05:00

I've been sick since last Wednesday and really haven't stepped outside since I got home from work that night. So I spent the majority of the past 5 days working on this album. I recently resigned from the Cricut Mini Albums design team and I can honestly say it was very freeing to me to make this album. I could make whatever I wanted. I guess structure is not for me. I need to be able to make what I want when I want.

I made this album completely from scratch. I absolutely love this album with all of it's pink and girliness. It is 8x8 covered chipboard and bound with 2 jump rings. I wanted to make a little album highlighting me and my better half. We are getting married this year and I plan on adding a couple of pictures from our wedding this fall.

The frame from the cover is from Create-a-Critter and "ALWAYS" is a Cuttlebug alpha cut out of chipboard. The leaves for the flowers were handmade.

The photo mats thruout the album are from the $ spot at Target and the rub-ons are from Cloud 9 that I found in my stash. I also decided to drag out the sewing machine and sew on some of my pages.

The library pocket is from FABULOUS FINDS, the tree is from STRETCH YOUR IMAGINATION, and the little hearts are from SWEETHEARTS.

This is my FAVORITE spread in the whole mini. The foam letters are some Thickers that I had in my stash from Big Lots- I got them for $2.

You can see the stitching and gems that I used on the heart. I cut a couple of the mats to make a patchwork look on the heart. I cannot remember which cart the heart is from- I cut part of the left side of the heart off so that it would fit into the album nicely.

This is one of my favorite photos- it was taken when we went to Letchworth State park last fall.

The index tab is a punch that I bought from Big Lots a couple years ago- I think it is by McGill.

Close-up of the patchwork heart.

Side view of the binding of the album. I just ran some ribbon thru the jump rings and tied in a bow to stabilize the rings. You can also see the dimention- I LOVE POP DOTS! In fact I used up my whole stash of them on this project. OH NO!!!

The binding inside the book...

I just loved these rub-ons... This one is my favorite...

Birthday Mini album made with Birthday Bash

2010-12-29T08:40:00.001-05:00

This is a birthday mini made mainly with Birthday Bash, a bunch of scraps, and some extra birthday embellishments that I had stored up. The shape of the book is the banner shape on Birthday Bash as well- I hid the holes that were already in the banner with my Gypsy and used my crop-a-dile to punch thru the covered cardstock and apply the eyelets.

The scalloped oval is from Gypsy Wanderings and the shake box slice of cake is an old embellishment I had in my stash. I used a combination of tulle and grograin ribbon on the rings. The extra large eyelets are from We R Memory Keepers- this is my last batch and I cannot find them ANYWHERE.

Side view of the book

The bird is from Birthday Bash, the ribbon is from American Crafts, and the words are jelly stickers by White Blossom.

Ribbon is from the dollar bins at Target

The journaling card is from K and Company.

Reindeer designed with Gypsy...

2010-12-20T22:03:00.001-05:00

Trying to keep with the season I thought I would try to make my own little reindeer. I used shapes from Accent Essentials, Create a Critter, DonJuan, Doodlecharms, Gypsy Wanderings, and Winter Frolic. My 10 year old has already claimed this one. :) I am really having fun designing my own little critters.

Side view with layers...

Lion designed with Gypsy... inspiration was the new Life's a Party cartridge.

2010-12-18T21:53:00.001-05:00

I fell in love with the little lion on the Life's a Party cartridge but that was really the only image I liked on it, so I thought that I would try to design my own. I got stuck on the body so I made my own instead of trying to copy the one on the new cartridge. I used Gypsy Wanderings and Create a Critter. I use Gypsy Wanderings for the basic shapes more than any other cartridge... it has ovals, circles, rectangles, and squares- all that I really need. It seems to me that I will have designed my own little zoo by the time I am done... so far an elephant, giraffe, and now lion. It is so exciting to see if they look anything like I envisioned while I was designing on my Gypsy when I cut them out. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to look.

Baby Giraffe Card... Designed with my Gypsy and Gypsy Wanderings cartridge!

2010-12-05T12:14:00.000-05:00

I have a baby shower to go to this afternoon and I needed a card. So I had a little time and decided to make an original. I came up with this baby giraffe made by using my Gypsy and only shapes from Gypsy Wanderings! I am thinking that he is VERY CUTE. :) I made him by layering the back, top, head, and nose- kinda like the Create-a-Critter cartridge or Simply Charmed.

Side view...

Front view...

What the layering looks like...

Loving the images from Jolly Holidays Lite Cartridge

2010-11-29T06:51:00.001-05:00

I have been so busy lately that I hadn't had any time to play. Well, I decided to take a little time out to play with my new Jolly Holidays cartridge that I got on Black Friday. It's the only Lite cartridge that interested me other than the Aqua colored Expression (which I did not need- mine works just fine- so I left it there). There are some reallly adorable images and these are a couple of my favorites...

The little skater girl... I added a real button to her dress rather than the paper button that was cut out and some Martha Stewart chunky glitter along with a couple of bows for the braids in her hair. I just used my finger and an ink pad to make her cheeks rosey.

The Santa with his stack.... I decided to make a shaped card. I cut this one at 5.5 and the face is extremely small. I actually drew on his eyes because the holes were not big enough. I added a little Martha Stewart fine glitter and some twine to tie the sack.

Hopefully I will get a little extra time to make some more to share with ya. I have an extra day off this week so I will see what I can do. :)

I also bought Birthday Bash which I had been wanting for awhile and still haven't had time to play with that either. I will work on making a few cuts from that one as well.

I also wanted to let you all know that I will be posting the new projects for THE CRICUT MINI ALBUMS DESIGN TEAM later on tonight. The girls have made some really cute Thanksgiving themed albums to share with you all. Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog and hope you will take the time to check out our challenge blog too. Don't forget to leave some love!

Had to share this!!! My daughter's Self- Portrait

2010-11-16T07:39:00.000-05:00

My oldest daughter brought this home from school yesterday. It is a self-portrait and is made using only her fingerprints! I think it is amazing and looks just like her. I took a picture of it because first of all I wanted to share it with all of you, but secondly I am thinking of having it printed on canvas. So what do you think?

Fall Mini for CRICUT MINI ALBUMS DT

2010-10-20T10:54:00.002-04:00

RECIPE
Cover frame- Accent Essentials
Tree- Hoot n Holler Cricut Lite
Owl- Hoot n Hooer Cricut Lite
Tree- Straight from the Nest (doesn't it match perfectly?)
Paper used is the Green Stack by DCWV
The album measures 9 x 8 1/2 and is made by covering chipboard with patterned paper and binding with 2 binder rings. The hole are reinforced with American Crafts extra large eyelets. I found the colored binder rings at the Dollar Tree during back to school. There were 4 different colors and 10-12 rings in various sizes for $1.

Don't forget to check out the CRICUT MINI ALBUMS site to see all of the wonderful albums the girls have made and also enter to win our Halloween Blog Candy being offered in honor of the newest members of our DT!

Thanks for Looking!

Pink elephant easel card and Matching tag for baby shower

2010-10-18T07:42:00.000-04:00

I made this pink elephant easel card for a baby shower I had to go to this weekend. The phrase "Welcome Little One" is from Simply Charmed.

Diaper Cake

I made this little tag using the tag feature from A Child's Year and the little elephant that I designed on my Cricut.

Thanks for stopping by. Comments are appreciated. :)

The newest Members of the Cricut Mini Albums DT have been announced and we are offering Some Blog Candy

2010-10-16T21:36:00.000-04:00

We have added to our Design Team at Cricut Mini Albums! We will be posting our newest projects tomorrow night- the theme is FALL. Stop by and check them out and also enter to win our Halloween blog candy in honor of our newest gals.

I Love making Baby Gifts!

2010-10-12T07:34:00.000-04:00

I'm going to a baby shower for twin girls this weekend. I have seen so many cute ideas out there that I wanted to try them all. I made my first diaper cake and it was so easy and the cutest darn thing when I was done.

Then I wanted to try cutting fabric with my Cricut- so I decided to cut out the Leahellies that I designed for my daughter and put them on little onsies. It was very simple and they look like I bought them like that. I have another shower to go to in December and I think I will be doing the same projects except in a boy theme. I had fun making them. Although I love making anything baby!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Winter Themed Baby Shower Invitation

2010-10-11T09:03:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine at work asked me to make the invitations for her baby shower. It is a winter themed shower. She asked that I make the gatefold card, snowflakes, blue, white, and a stocking. This is what I came up with. So what do you think? Do you think it is acceptable for a baby shower? I only have 62 more to go. LOL. At least I have until Nov. 1st to finish them.

Close up

Birthday Celebration Week

2010-09-24T06:45:00.001-04:00

Yes. You heard it right...WEEK. Around our house this week- alright it's really for 10 days- is constant birthday celebrations- 3 to be exact. My birthday was Tuesday, Keith's was yesterday, and my oldest daughter Kaileigh's is on September 30th.

So, in celebration of me turning the big 4-0 (which by the way, I was not too happy about) and for Kaileigh's birthday present we went to the Nickelback concert. It was her first concert and she had a really good time. Although she had to play it down because she IS a teenager and all and CANNOT show too much emotion- it is just too uncool. But she did tell me she had fun- which is a rarity in itself.

I got the best picture of her showing how much she enjoyed herself. I think it is probably my

favorite picture of her to date. I just love it.

CRICUT MINI ALBUMS DT CALL- COME APPLY!!!

2010-09-21T07:20:00.001-04:00

Hello all! I am excited to announce that the CRICUT MINI ALBUMS design team has some open positions that we would like to fill!

To apply:

Visit Cricut Mini Albums and check us out. If you like what you see and would like to help us build up our little ole' blog; add a link of your favorite mini album creation to the link under the Design Team call post. Our Design Team Call runs from September 17th – September 24th. The design team will be announced on October 1st.

Design Team Requirements:

1. Having a blog
2. Committing to 3 months (2 projects a month. If you miss two scheduled projects in a row you will be removed from our team)
3. Option to do at least one tutorial a month
4. Weekly communication with Team Leader
5. Must promote Cricut Mini Albums on your blog and must link back to Cricut Mini Albums when posting your submissions to your blog.

Compensation:

At this time we cannot offer compensation; but.....who doesn't love lots of positive feedback? We expect to see lots of viewers comment and be inspired by your beautiful creations! Can't wait to see all of your wonderful projects!

Come on everyone! Give it a try. I want to see more of your mini albums! Your project does not need to be one especially made for this DT call- show us your favorite minis! We'd love to hear from you! :)

-Annette

Birthday Ellie Card

2010-09-17T21:02:00.001-04:00

Here is my newest version of the elephant that I made with my gypsy for my daughter- the "Birthday Elllie." The paper stack is a new birthday stack from K & Company and the star corner was made with an EK Success star corner punch and scalloped border punch. The ribbon is from American Crafts.
Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.

"Leahellie" Card designed with Gypsy

2010-09-15T11:04:00.000-04:00

This is a little card I made today with the elephant I designed for my daughter, Leah. I used my Gypsy to weld together several shapes and letters to make these little guys. I made her a little magnet for her locker at school. She loved it and I love the way they turned out too!

Side view using tons of popdots...

Thanks for taking a look!

Robot B'day card

2010-09-12T08:40:00.000-04:00

I found this little robot on B is for Boy Cricut Lite cartridge. I printed Happy Birthday out on the printer and cut it out with my file tab punch. I also used my Cuttlebug 5x7 polka dots embossing folder. I'm getting a little better with the boy things- girly is more my thing. :)

2010-09-11T11:51:00.001-04:00

This week's Cricut Mini Albums DT challenge was Back to School. Stop on by to see what cute albums the other gals have created. They did a wonderful job!

I decided to make my own 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 chipboard album by covering 3 pieces of chipboard and scoring between them to make the album fold over. I then used my bind-it all for the inside pages and ribbon closures. I will post close ups of how it all came together at the end of the post. If any of you would like to see how I did it I would consider doing a picture tutorial for you. The paper that I used is called Hittin' the Books by DCWV and some of the embellishments are a new little line by K and Company that I found at Joanns.

The pencil is from Locker Talk.
The library pocket and insert are from Fabulous Finds.

The backpacks are from Doodle charms.

The rounded squares are from Slumber Party Cricut Lite, the envelope is from Just Because Cards, and the apple is from Doodlecharms.

Close up of the ribbon closure... fastened the ribbon by running under the inner cardstock layer of the covers.

Close up of how the book folds together...

Inside cover showing how the binding...

Close up of inside back cover showing how inside pages are attached to the book. I just added a black piece of cardstock to the end of the binded pages and glued it to the back cover. I use Fabri-Tac to glue the cardstock to the covers and pages of my minialbums- it seems to make them sturdier. I also glued the last piece of black cardstock with the Fabri-Tac to make sure it adhered securely.

Thanks so much for checking out my album.

Ahhh... Back to School means more Scrappin' time!!!

2010-09-08T09:27:00.000-04:00

Today was the first day of school Yippee! That means more time for scrappin' for me! I had time to make a couple of gatefold cards this morning. There will be more posts from me now that school has started. This Friday I will be posting my Cricut Mini Albums DT Back to School album. I wanted to give you all a heads up that the design team will be announcing a DT call in the near future. I hope you all will consider applying. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to let me know that you visited- I'd love to check out your blog as well.

I made this Halloween gatefold card using Lacy Labels and A Child's Year (the witch) and I also used my Cuttlebug Polka Dots 5x7 embossing folder for the witch background.

I made the cupcake card for a co-worker whose birthday is tomorrow. The cupcake is from Straight from the nest and the scalloped circle is from Sugar and Spice Lite cartridge. I also broke out the Studio G flock for the cherry and Martha Stewart fine glitter for the icing.

Here's a close-up...

Finally... I had time to play! Here are a couple of new cards for ya...

2010-08-25T10:26:00.000-04:00

I have a few new cartridges that I had not been able to put to use yet, so I decided to sit down this morning before work and make a couple of cards with them.

I thought this little Monster was kinda cute. You can find him on the B is for Boy Cricut Lite cartridge. The card shape is two shapes from Lacy Labels Cricut Lite cartridge welded together. I also pull out my new Polka Dot Cuttlebug 5x7 embossing folder to use on his belly. I also have been itching to use my sewing machine, so I pulled that out too. Seeings that I have two girls making a little boy card was a little different for me.

A close up view of the little monster...

My 10yo convinced me to buy Rock Princess. I really liked the phrases on there. I picked this one to make a little card for her- she is gone away for the week so I thought I would surprise her when she comes home. Again, I pulled out my sewing machine and did some stitching around the border, used lots of pop dots, and ran the little boy thru my Xyron sticker maker and used my fine white glitter on it.

And here is a close up of the layers, stitching, and glitter...

Mickey Mouse Birthday card and Disney Mini TP roll album

2010-08-11T08:16:00.001-04:00

This card was made using Mickey Font for the Silhouette head and number 40 and the hat came from Celebrations. I had to whip up a quick card for my boss who loves Disney- it's his 40th birthday and we are surprising him with a little party today on lunch break.

The challenge for the Design Team at CRICUT MINI ALBUMS was to use recyled albums.
This little mini album was made using recycled tp rolls. I also made the tags using the cricut as well. All of the Disney shapes were made using Mickey Font and I used the Gypsy to hide the circle on the tag and substituted it with a little mickey head.

If you like mini albums head on over to see what a creative bunch of gals we have! :)

Momma & Leah Day- Special Layout

2010-07-23T10:59:00.001-04:00

Today is MOMMA & LEAH DAY. We started out the day by making pancakes and are heading out to see Ramona & Beezus this afternoon. I made this layout so that we can remember our special alone times together. The photos were taken on one of our outings to the mall. We just had to stop by the photo booth! The look on her face in the bottom picture just melts my heart. I love it!

The heart is from Don Juan and the journaling block is from the new Lacey Labels Cricut Lite cartridge. The paper is a new DCWV All about Girls matstack. The layout is 8x8.

The chocolate chip pancakes that Leah made for breakfast this morning... YUMMY!

Blog Awards!!!

2010-07-15T07:17:00.000-04:00

I found this post in my drafts and realized that I forgot to finish and post it!!! I wanted to let you gals that I REALLY DO appriciate you all of thinking of me! Thank you sooo much!

From Melissa at http://disneydreamerdesigns.blogspot.com/

I received this Beautiful Blogger award from Nicole at http://canadiannickelscrapn.blogspot.com/ , Liz at http://lizspaperloft.blogspot.com/, ScrappyMel at http://scrappymel.blogspot.com/

I received this "Happy 101" blog award from Liz at Liz's Paper Loft. I have been a follower of hers for some time and was surprised that she picked me to award this to.

Cherry On Top Blog Award

2010-07-09T16:45:00.000-04:00

I wanted to thank Titine for the cute blog award. If you click on her name it will take you to her blog. She has some cute things on there!

The rules for this award are:

1. Thank the person who gave this award to you
2. Copy the award and put it on your blog.
3. List three things which you love about yourself.
4. Post a picture you love.
5. Tag five people you wish to pass this award on to.

Three things that I love about myself:

1. Once I decide to do something I will keep going until I get it finished no matter how long it takes.
2. I am very self sufficient.
3. I love to make people feel special.

This is one of my favorite pictures...

The five people that I would like to give this award to are:

1. Scrappy Mel

2. Paper Pastimes of a Scrapbooking Mimi

3. Liz

4. craftin-on-my-door

5. Candace

Summer Theme Album for Cricut Mini Albums Design Team

2010-07-07T07:55:00.002-04:00

Here's the Summer album that I promised you all. I made this album for my 10 year old to document her summer. I have added pocket pages to save ticket stubs, extra photos, and bookmarks for added journaling. Also there a couple lift the flap pages so that she can add more hidden journaling or photos.

Cover:
Sun- Doodle Charms
2010- Graphically Speaking
Summer- Straight from the Nest
My- Don Juan

Bubbles- A Child's Year
Fish- Create-a-Critter

Books- Locker Talk
Rounded rectangle- Gypsy Wanderings
Welded together with Gypsy to make Bookmark

Watermelon- Doodle Charms

2010-07-07T07:45:00.001-04:00

Lift the Flap page with journaling on top and photo inside.

The journaling cards are made by K and Co.

Another lift the flap page with journaling on outside and photo inside to document road trip.

Pocket pages. Lemonade Bookmark slides out and photo can go on front and journaling on back.

Ice Cream Cone- Straight from the Nest

Lemonade- Just Because Cards

Last page is a mini album I cut out from Fabulous finds and mounted to the back page.

Cuts from the Sugar and Spice Cricut Lite cartridge

2010-07-06T14:11:00.002-04:00

I thought I might make a few cuts from the Sugar & Spice Cricut Lite cartridge to show you all what they look like. I have went ahead and labeled all of what I have cut out for you. I am hoping to cut out more later this week to show you what else is on this wonderful cartridge. I think that EVERY image on this one is absolutely adorable! Enjoy!

(If you want to see larger images- just click on the picture)

I will be posting my Cricut Mini Albums Designs Team project a little later this week. I am very excited to share it with you. I LOVE how it turned out and cannot wait to give to my 10 yo! The theme for this assignment was SUMMER. So come on over and see what everybody has come up with this week. The link for the Design Team is on my side bar.

Apple for the teacher...

2010-06-25T20:30:00.001-04:00

My youngest daughter wanted me to make an apple card for her to give to her teacher on the last day of school. I used Doodle Charms for the apple and my Gypsy to weld into the card.

Quick Easel Card using Graphically Speaking

2010-06-20T20:11:00.001-04:00

Here's the card that I made for my boyfriend's father for Father's Day. I like these easel cards- they are very simple and fun to make.

Cartridge used: Graphically Speaking

Cards using Cricut Lite Slumber Party, B is for Boy, and Sugar and Spice

2010-06-15T13:42:00.000-04:00

This cellphone card is made using Slumber party. I really like this cartridge because it has two different cards and envelopes to be used with the square or round backgrounds of the shapes. I also like it because you don't have to use the backgrounds if you don't want to and just cut out the shapes. This is a must-have cartridge if you have little girls. My 10 yr loves it!

This elephant is from the Sugar and Spice cartridge. One of the reasons I bought this one is because of the elephant. My 10 yo LOVES elephants- but especially Horton! :)

This little giraffe was made with the B is for Boy cartridge. I thought he was rather cute. I don't like this card though because I went a little crazy with the faux stitching- it doesn't look right to me.

I don't have to work this weekend so hopefully I will be able to update with a few more cuts from these little cartridges. I have to say that I may be of the minority but I think I may like these cartridges and the little "booklets" that come with it better than the full cartridges. I find that I get a little overwhelmed with the full cartridges- too many images to choose from and remembering what is on what cartridge. The layering is outstanding and the images are simpler. I am a clean scrapper. I do not like a lot of busyness.

Thank you all for taking the time to check out my blog. I cannot believe that I have 174 followers. :)

Cricut Lite "B is for Boy" sock monkey!!!

2010-06-11T16:14:00.000-04:00

I found them! The Cricut Lite cartridges at my Walmart, that is.
Since I saw the sock monkey on the "B is for Boy" and "Sugar and Spice" I knew I HAD to have them.
My youngest DD has a birthday party to go to tomorrow and she asked me to make a card with a monkey on it.
This is my first try at an easel card. It measures 4x4. So...
Here he is...

Here is the side view of the little sock monkey. Isn't he just the cutest?! Did I happen to mention that I have LOVED sock monkeys since I was a little girl? I still have the sock monkey that my grandma made before I was even born.

So I broke down and bought 3 of the "Lite" cartridges... Slumber Party, B is for Boy, and Sugar and Spice. Be on the look out for more projects with these cartridges and maybe a few individual cuts off of each one. How's that sound?

"Happiness..." mini album for Cricut Mini Albums DT

2010-06-02T09:05:00.001-04:00

Here is this week's callenge submission for the Cricut Mini Albums Design Team.

I welded the couple to the last page on my Gypsy.
There is vellum in the heart cut outs on the first page- I put in between the layers of the chip board and the
patterned paper covering. The little sticker says "Happiness is spending time together" by K&Company.

I used the same shape as the cover for the little folder inside- folded it in half-
to be used for journaling.

The tag and letter L were cut out using chipboard with my Cuttlebug.
The flowers are Primas with a pearl brad center.

Cartridges used:
Sweet Hearts- couple
Wedding- hearts
Gypsy Wanderings- rounded square pages and mats
Create-a-Critter- first page with heart cut outs

CRICUT MINI ALBUMS DT project #3

2010-04-30T16:45:00.002-04:00

For this project the theme was Mother's Day. I had heard somebody on the Cricut Message board asking why anybody would want to buy Fabulous Finds so I decided to look it over and see what cuts I could use on this mini album. Sooo here it is...

2010-04-30T16:39:00.000-04:00

A Couple More Cards using Create-a-Critter

2010-04-24T21:00:00.000-04:00

I made this little card for my cousin's little girl. This is the teddy bear from Create-A-Critter. I really didn't like the smile on him so I didn't use the part of the nose with the smile in it. Also if you do not want to put the dress that comes with the bear- it has a cute little cutout for the tummy where I added some patterned paper and a little heart. The present is also an accessory for the bear. I used the flock on her as well- she's very fuzzy and soft. The banner is from Christmas Cheer and I used an American Crafts rub-on for "Happy Birthday to you".

I made this card for my boyfriend, "Just Because". For this one I used the little peanut that is on Create-A-Critter and "nuts about you" is from Just Because cards.

More Critters from Create-A-Critter

2010-04-22T12:10:00.001-04:00

This is my "boy" doggie birthday card. This is the dog from Create-a-Critter and the hat is from Celebrations. I have had a few of you ask me how I make the cards and get them to line up. I use my Gypsy to I weld the shadowed images together- I line them up on the center lines- one reverse image and normal image so that they slightly overlap. I then weld them together and group the two images together so that I can move them around the page together. If I want to add another shape I will weld that shadow to the base as well (i.e. the birthday hat). I then continue to cut out the original shapes and layers and use pop dots to adhere them to the page. I also use Fabri-tac to make the card more sturdy and I also cut a blackout image to line the inside so that the back of the card does not feel so flimsy. Some of you have asked me to make videos of how I do these. I do not know how to do this but my DD has a flip video camera that she has just offered to let me use- with her help of course. So maybe you will see a video or two in the future. :)

I made this card because it made me think of my youngest DD- I always tell her that she is my sunshine. I used the card shape from Wild Cards, the sun is from Create-a-Critter- which I welded to the card, and "You are My Sunshine" is from Just Because Cards. I also used my Studio G flock. I am so much fun using the flock... the instructions say to use a glue pad but I have just been covering whatever I want to use the flock on with my Zig pen, then covering with the flock and press it onto the shape, let it dry and then shake off and return the excess to the jar. I have to say a little bit of flock goes a loooong way.

I have to say that this cartridge has completely made me want to create again. I just love ALL of the images and really was hoping that a new baby cartridge would come out and this fits the bill for me. What I enjoy the most is making more kid/ baby themed projects and am considering selling some of them on Etsy. I have a bunch of stuff that I made that have not given away that I should do something with... why not sell them?

Here is the "girl" doggie birthday card. DD insists that I make a girl and boy image of each Critter. I also used Kraft paper for the strip down the nose and the white flock to make it feel fuzzy.

Loving Create-a-Critter Cartridge...

2010-04-20T16:46:00.000-04:00

I am hooked! I am loving making these shaped cards with the Create-a-Critter cartridge. And the best thing about it is that it is a cinch to weld together and piecing these little guys together is as simple as it gets. My daughter has plans for me to make every one of the critters into a card. 5 down and many more to go! LOL

This dinosaur is the cutest!

More Create-a-Critter cards...

2010-04-20T16:41:00.001-04:00

Aren't these little whales just the cutest?

What about these little guys?

These owls are too cute...

For these last cards I used my gypsy and welded a rounded square, the stars that go with the moon, and the moon to make this shaped card. I had bought some of the Studio G flock at Michaels last week for a dollar and decided to try it out on the end of the night cap and the larger star. There is a cut out on the front of the card and I glued the smaller star on the inside of the card where the cut out is.

1st Mini Album for Cricut Mini Albums DT

2010-04-16T15:00:00.001-04:00

My 1st Design Team project for Cricut Mini Albums was due today. My cousin's daughter's 3rd birthday is next weekend so I made this little album for her. It fits 4x6 photos without any cropping. I used my Gypsy and welded together the cupcake from Create-a-Critter, the 3 candle from Sweet Treats, and 2 rounded rectangles which i manipulated the sizes to what I needed. I welded the smaller rectangle off to the side so that when I bound the book together it did not take up any of the room that the pictures would use. I wanted to be able to use regular sized prints because her mother is not a scrapbooker and probably would not want to cut down her photos. I also used my Cuttlebug to emboss the number 3 and my Bind-it-all. If you get a chance, check out the other girls' projects for this challenge as well.

I have noticed that I am getting near the 100 followers mark on my blog and have decided that I want to give some blog candy away when I do hit 100. It amazes me that almost 100 of you check out my blog and what amazes me even more is that I did no campaigning to get followers- you all did it of your own free will. :) WOW! I want to say thank you for stopping by and it really does make my day when I get a comment or two.

Another thing that I wanted to address is the sweet ladies who have all given me blog awards... Sara Kate, Melanie, Nicole, Melissa, and Liz. I have added links to all of their blogs and will be posting the awards to my blog in a day or two. I am on VACATION which means I have some time for scrappin'. Yippee!

"Happy Birthday" card using Sweet Treats

2010-04-13T21:32:00.001-04:00

This card was made for one of the ladies that I work with for her birthday. I used the Sweet Treats cartridge and the background shape is from Just Because Cards.

On another note... I applied to be on the design team for the new Cricut Mini Albums website and I was notified last week that I MADE IT!!! I am so excited! The link to the site is on the sidebar of my blog. My first project is due this weekend coming up. Check out the site and see what me and the other girls have come up with.

Happy Birthday Mini Album

2010-03-26T18:29:00.001-04:00

This is the toilet paper roll mini Album that I decided to try last weekend. I went thru my stash and used some embellishments that I have had for a while. The only Cricut that I used for this was the tag inserts. Sometimes I feel like I should always be using my Cricut which is why I have such a large stash. My goal is to begin using more of what I have stored up.
The rub-0ns are American Crafts, ribbon is American Crafts and some I found at the Dollar Tree, the birthday embellishments are Miss Elizabeth's that I also found at the Dollar Tree a couple of years ago, the jumbo eyelets are from American Crafts, the paper is from a Me & My Big Ideas Teen stack, and the journaling stamp I got on clearance from Michael's a couple of month's ago.
I have a few more tp rolls and I think I will be trying this one out again. :)

Cover:

Pages 1&2:

Pages 3 & 4:

Tag Inserts:

A Couple More Cards using Straight from the Nest

2010-03-20T00:50:00.002-04:00

I made a little time to do some cardmaking today after a day of scrapbook shopping. I bought a couple of EK Success border punches- I used one of them on these two cards. The stamp that says "Living the Sweet Life" was $1 at Michaels. I bought a couple more stamps- Elephants- my youngest daughter's favorite, some clearance paper at Hobby Lobby, and some Disney paper I found at Tuesday Morning. Now I just need to get my photos developed from our Disney trip in February so I can start scrapping.

Chickie cards made with Straight from the Nest

2010-03-16T17:51:00.001-04:00

I splurged and bought the Straight from the Nest cartridge from HSN. I've finally gotten to post what I made last weekend. I started a new job last week and am trying to get used to the new schedule and finding time to get things done. So here is what I made. I love this cartridge and can't wait to find more time to play.

Baby Boy Mini Album

2010-02-28T14:55:00.001-05:00

I made this mini album for a dear friend of mine from work who is expecting her first child in July. Sadly I will be moving on to a new job and I really wanted to give this to her before I started next week.

2010-02-28T14:45:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day Card using Mother's Day 2010 Cartridge.

2010-02-22T22:45:00.000-05:00

I used the new Mother's Day cartridge for the word Mom, Gypsy Wanderings for the scalloped circle frame, Don Juan for the card shape with the circle cut out, and a Martha Stewart border punch. I absolutely love this paper pad that I found at Tuesday Morning this past weekend for 1.99- Wild Raspberry by K and Company. I got a few great deals there but I am really loving this paper.

2010-02-22T22:39:00.001-05:00

Here is a mini album that I finally put the finishing touches on. All shapes were cut out on the Cricut- it's been such a long time since I started this that I have forgotten all of the cartridges that I used- but it's finally finished.

Green Stack Birthday Card

2010-02-04T11:40:00.001-05:00

This simple card was made for Grandpa Frank's birthday- he's a nature lover and I thought the papers were perfect. The only Cricut I used was Don Juan for the font and Accent Essentials for the Top note shape. The "ribbon" is actually felt. It's nothing fancy because he probably won't even notice that it was handmade. :)

Birthday Gift Bag

2010-02-01T21:43:00.000-05:00

The Cricut message board posts a one hour challenge every night and I decided to join in tonight. I've had these wooden gift bags that I got at Michaels for a while now so I thought I would embellish one tonight. I used the $4 Cosmo Cricut stack from Michaels, some $1 ribbon, and cut the cupcake from the Celebrations cartridge. The tag is a Cuttlebug die and the sentiment is an American Crafts rub-on.

A layout using Gypsy Wanderings and Treat cup from Sweet Treats

2010-01-18T07:45:00.001-05:00

I got a little busy this weekend a did two projects done. There are not too many pictures of my mother and I but I really liked this one of us from Christmas. The butterflies are from Gypsy Wanderings, the flourishes and beautiful are from Home Decor, top note is from Accent Essentials, and the font is from Winter Woodland.

A close up of the butterflies...

I also wanted to try one of these little treat bags from Sweet Treats. Plus I brought out the Cuttlebug
for embossing. Everything that I did this weekend was against the norm for me.

10 Reasons Why I Love You mini album

2010-01-03T16:34:00.001-05:00

I took advantage of the time I had this weekend because of the snow to make this mini album for my one and only. To give you a little background- he and I met and dated for a couple of years through college, we reconnected 15 years later and realized that we were each other's one true love. I wanted to make him this book to let him know how very much I love him.

I used some mini file folders that I bought at the Dollar Tree (all of the patterns are actually cut from them.) I brought out my old trusty white signo pen, and the font that I used is CK Ali's handwriting.

2010-01-03T16:16:00.000-05:00

2010-01-03T16:11:00.001-05:00

Summer Fun

2010-01-01T12:33:00.002-05:00

I have been wanting to do a layout for some time now- but always felt like I HAD to use my Cricut to get it done. So I decided not to limit myself to just my Cricut. I only used the Cricut for the sun which is from Doodlecharms and the topnote shape from Accent Essentials. I also used my Threading Waters punch and Thickers that I had bought a ton of from Big Lots when they had them. The hearts are brads that my friend, Cindy on the Cricut message board sent to me. I also hadn't been doing layouts because I did not have a printer and don't like to journal in my own handwriting. I like to use the Becky Higgins font for my journaling and since I finally got the printer hooked up I may do more scrapping. Thanks for stopping by and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Mickey Note Cards

2009-11-21T20:21:00.002-05:00

I made these Mickey note cards for my future MIL. She loves all things Disney but I didn't want to make the traditional Mickey- I wanted something a little more elegant. I got the instructions for the note card box from Christmas with the Cricut.

I was given a challenge... A skull card for a baby's 1st birthday.

2009-10-21T16:06:00.002-04:00

I was asked to make this card by a friend from work. I cut the circle card out from Wildcards and used the negative in white to glue the number 1 and the name Lily (from Gypsy font) on it and glued it to the inside of the card. The stamp is from Imaginisce and the paper is from Me & My Big Ideas.

"BOO" card made with Gypsy

2009-10-20T06:35:00.001-04:00

This card was designed on the Gypsy using Paper Dolls (ghost) and the Wild Card cartridge (headstone, BOO, and conversation bubble). I also used the Cricut markers to outline everything to give it more definition. I welded the word boo and exclamation points together to make a small border at the bottom of the card. Since we can not weld flipped shapes together and I love making shaped cards- plus I am too lazy to get out the laptop to use ds and love the fact that I do not need to switch out my cartridges with the Gypsy- I have been making most of my cards by welding shapes to the rounded square from Plantin Schoolbook.

On another note... I have been asked by two different people to make cards for them for special occasions- I will be making a little cash doing what I love to do. How fun is that? I am also thinking of starting up my etsy shop soon. I will be saving whatever I make to put towards our Disney trip in February. Every little bit helps, right?

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who take the time to look at my blog and leave me a comment. They are much appreciated. :)

Some good deals from Big Lots and Michaels....

2009-10-17T10:43:00.000-04:00

I found this Heidi Grace paper at my local Big Lots yesterday. (I just love her designs) The snowflake paper and the green paper in the back along with the little birds are all shimmer flock paper. VERY nice... 15 sheets in a pack for... drumroll please... 1.00- these cost over a dollar a sheet in the stores. The other paper packs were 25 sheets for 1.00. Was so excited when I saw them that I bought I package of each design they had. Was speaking to the cashier and she told me that the scrapbooking stuff is boxed up in the warehouse with just random items in them and then each store gets 15 cases- and everybody could get different things. I am heading out to our other Big Lots today to see what they have.

My Micheals did not have a whole heck of a lot in the choice of 1.00 Studio G stamps but I did manage to find these 3- cute huh? The Halloween spools are American Crafts and were 1.00 as well and I am planning on making a Halloween word album and thought the little stickers were adorable for only .99 cents.

Everything you see here was a dollar each at Big Lots too. Even the ones that were marked 1.25 rang up 1.00. I love the Heidi Grace rubons and the printed Journal Prompts are so cute and only a dollar. The little easel in front I found at the Dollar Tree it was a package of two. The easel worked out great to take pictures of my cards this morning.

I just wanted to share my treasures. Everybody loves a great deal!

A Couple of Cards Made with the Gypsy...

2009-10-17T10:31:00.001-04:00

The "True Love" card was made using the Gypsy and the new Gypsy Wanderings cartridge. I used lost of pop dots for added dimension. I'd have to say that this was the easiest card I have ever made- very simple to use the Gypsy. I think I can get used to it. A little adjusting after having used Design Studio for so long.
This card was made using my new Gypsy and it was the first time I used my Indie Art cartridge that I just had to have. :)

First Day of School Layout

2009-10-11T21:46:00.001-04:00

I love the collage feature on Picasa! I made this one using the photos that I took of my girls on the first day of school. I made this layout 8 1/2" by 11". I like doing this size- it's easier for me. I have a couple of albums that I have made using this size. The chipboard bookplate was cut out using the Fabulous Finds cartridge- I covered it with fine red glitter so I brushed the most of it off and then painted it with black acrylic paint. The red glitter faintly shines through. I just got a whole bunch of photos developed. Hopefully I will be able to scrap a few.

First Project with My Gypsy

2009-10-03T19:20:00.000-04:00

I decided that the first project that I made would be a manual for my Gypsy. I printed the manual from Cricut.com with two pages per sheet. The shape of the cover comes from Accent Essentials blacked out. The font is the Gypsy font that came with the Gypsy, welded and I used the Cricut markers to outline the words. The book measures about 5.5' x 8". I am really liking this little toy. I especially love the fact that I do not need to dig around to find the cartridge that I need and I need less table space for the Gypsy than for my laptop.

Can't believe she's 13!!!

2009-10-02T07:54:00.002-04:00

Anybody ever use the Picasa program that is free thru Google. My boyfriend introduced it to me and I've been having fun trying out the different options. We made this collage from my oldest's birthday last night. I like the way it looks- pretty neat, huh? If you need a photo editing program, try this one out. I have photoshop on my laptop but wanted something on my pc as well. I'm liking it a lot.

I have some free time today and plan on using my new Gypsy to design something. I'll post something later this weekend. We may be heading off to take the kids to the Pumpkin Farm in Clarence this weekend. I will post some photos when we get back.

Have a wonderful weekend! :)

Fall in the Adirondacks... boy was it beautiful.

2009-09-28T12:08:00.004-04:00

Thought I would share a couple of the pictures that I took this weekend in the Adirondacks.

Buttermilk Falls...

Shot I took while driving down the road...

The gondola ride Keith convinced me to go on. I squashed my fear of heights and did it!!! YEA ME!!!

Keith and I at the top of Gore Mountain...

Another shot of Buttermilk Falls...