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

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

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...

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.

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!

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

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

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

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

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. :)