CHRISTMAS CARDS

I have been missing in action for a long while. Work and life got in the way but with the holiday season fast approaching I am making Christmas cards and thought I would share them with you.







I am desperately trying to use up my stash so some of this paper is very old. I have 85 cards to make for work and 70 for us personally so I am keeping them pretty simple.
Happy Cricut Crafting
Colleen

WACKY WEDNESDAY #27 FARM THEME & EMBOSS IT CHALLENGE

With all the snow that is falling outside it was nice to have challenges to work on. After going to church I didn't want to go out again until the roads are cleared.
This card was too much fun to make. The Create a Critter cart is fast becoming one of my favourites. Today I cut out a dozen horses, dogs and cows to have fun with.
Over at More that Favors the challenge this week is a Farm Theme. So I started thinking about how I could display my farm yard. I haven't made a stair step card without a side before but the barn needed more room. I scored the paper at 1", 2", 2", 4 1/4 & 6 1/4". The red part of the barn is embossed and all the pieces are inked on the edges. All the brown papers are so old I don't know the manufacturer. I have been really making a dent in my stash lately which is a very good thing.

Details:
Carts - Create a Critter, Camp Out, My World
Card size - 5 1/2" x 5"
Stamp - Happy Birthday by My Sentiments Exactly
Create a Critter - horse @ 3", Howdy @ 1 1/2", barn @ 4"
Camp Out - sign @ 3"
My World - fence @ 2"

Challenges:
More than Favors - #27 Farm Theme. Paula and her DT run two challenges so check them out.
Scrappy Moms - use Create a Critter. Make sure to check out the stamps she sells. They go great with lots of the cartridges.
Fanatabulous Cricut - Emboss It. There is a post everyday to this blog that you should check out.
Check out all the entries into the challenges and you will find some amazingly talented people with great blogs.

My next challenge entry is going to be Spring themed but it is going to take a lot of imagination to forget all this snow. My husband is in bed with a sore back and I am wondering if we will get out to work tomorrow.

Happy Cricut Crafting
Colleen

ORGANIZING EMBOSSING FOLDERS

I have a large collection of embossing folders. Provo Craft is pretty clever making them to match the cartridges! I cut cheap white card stock (Staples) into 4 1/4" x 5" pieces and embossed every folder. For some, that was the first time I used them (bad I know). I refuse to count how many I have! I used an acrylic file folder shaped mini album as the dividers. I did Seasonal, floral, Cut & emboss, Asian, words, borders and frames. It really helps when designing to look through the book quickly and then find the folder in the drawer. I have a six drawer plastic storage drawer unit right under my Cuttlebug and Big Shot that got organized and holds all my folders and die cuts.
The book measures 5" x 12". I covered back & front of both covers with paper. I used by new Distress machine from Zutter to distress the front cover. I got that for Christmas and this was the first time I used it, too much fun. I added some ink to the edges. Of course then the cover just begged to be embellished! It fits nicely in the top drawer for easy access.
I am doing well finding homes for all my stuff and keeping my desk clean. I clean up after each card or project and start fresh again. Even getting the scrap paper put away by color cleans up a large portion of the mess.
I am now working on my paper. So that will be my next post on organization.

Happy Cricut Crafting
Colleen

NUMBER 9 BIRTHDAY

I have been busy making Valentine cards today but took a break to enter a color challenge over at More than Favors. These were nice colors to work with in the winter, a real lift to the spirits. I combined this with another challenge to use a number. These nice bright colors are perfect for my young great niece.
The number was cut from Mickey Font at 2", then embossed with the Swiss Dot Folder. The border was cut at 1 1/2" from Graphically Speaking. I used Accent Essentials to cut the three scallop circles. I used the shift of the image on page 62. Blue at 3 1/2", yellow at 3 1/4" and pattern paper at 3". The whole scallop piece is attached with pop dots.


Details:
Card - 5" x 5" Bazzill Swiss Dot
Pattern Paper - K & Company (Lemon Drop)
Card stock - Bazzill Smoothies (blue & yellow)
Embellishments - flower & brad, Swiss Dot embossing folder

Challenges:
Alphabet Challenge - N is for Numbers
More than Favors (Wacky Wednesday) - #24 Color challenge (blue, white & yellow)
Hop over to the two challenge blogs and check out the rest of the entries. It is a great way to find new blogs to follow. I hope you will be one of my followers.

Happy Cricut Crafting
Colleen

SMACK - Kisses for you

This weekend is a busy one with two hockey games but next week is even busier with a meeting every night. So I needed to get busy with my posts before the challenge deadlines come along. This is the first time I used my Indie Art cartridge - so much fun. The "SMACK" shadow was cut at 2 1/4". The Lips shadow cut at 1 1/2". I used a clear Sakura gelly roll pen for the lip gloss. On the inside the pattern paper and the lips were repeated the a piece of the Quartz stamped with Happy Valentine's Day.

Details:
Card: 4" x 8 1/2" use a #10 envelope
Pattern Paper: Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses 3 3/4" x 8 1/4"
Card stock : White, Quartz & Rhubarb Bazzill
Embellishments: gems

Challenges:
Paper Cutz Challenge - Valentine LO, Card or project without using hearts & any color
Flaunt it Friday - Indie Art cart using the lips

Have a great crafting weekend if you can and enjoy time with your family. Our daughter and son-in-law live 500 miles away from us, unfortunately, but we look forward to our weekly phone on Sunday.

Happy Cricut Crafting
Colleen

LOVE BUG

It's the weekend and we don't have hockey games to go to so that means more time for crafting. I have five female birthdays in February I need to get ready plus some Valentine cookies to make.
I am really enjoying the challenge blogs I have been finding. There are thousands of creative minds out there churning out fantastic object 'd art every week. I find now it is also a bigger challenge trying to combining challenges to come up with one idea. On this card the colours, the theme and the cartridge were chosen making it so much easier to come up with an idea. I love how it turned out and I hope my great niece will too.
The ladybug and Love Bug title are on page 66 of Create a Critter. Both were cut at 3". I cut the shift layer of the words and cut the "l" and "v" off. The inside of the card has a piece of pattern paper and heart border to match the front.

Details:
Card - A2 Cardstock - Bazzill & Colormates
Pattern Paper - 8x8 Sweet Blooms by Colorbok
Embellishments - Stickles (pink)
Punch - Fiskar heart border
Cartridge - Create a Critter

Challenges:
Wacky Wednesday #23 - brown, green, pink
Cricut Cardz Challenge #59 - child's Valentine card any cartridge
Cricut Cartridge Chaos Challenge #3 - Create a Critter

Enjoy your weekend!!!
Happy Cricut Crafting
Colleen

CHALLENGES

This project fits the criteria for two challenges this week. Over at Paper Playtime #35 challenge was anything party related. At Scrappy Moms Stamps, Terrific Tuesday the challenge was to use the "Sweethearts" cartridge.
I am so excited!!! A client of my husband gave us hockey tickets to see the Vancouver Canucks play the Calgary Flames on Feb. 12th. This will give us a chance to visit my three nephews and their families. So a party needs favours and chocolate is always a hit.
The mold used to make the pretzel stick topper is by Wilton. I bought everything, including the pretzels, at my local Michael's. I used Light Cocoa candy melts.
The tags were cut using the TAG "feature key" and two hearts shapes (pg 34,35). Both cut at 3". The tag "foundation key" (pg 79) was also cut at 3".
The Hugs & Kisses tag was made using the "cartoche" on page 74. To manipulate the image I used my Gypsy and changed the size of both the width & height to 3.45w by 2.94h. To do that the width and height have to be unlocked by clicking on the chain image. This allows the proportions to be altered. The words Hugs & Kisses on page 36 were cut at 2 1/4". The pink paper on the cartoche was stamped with white Colorbox pigment ink.
The best part about making these was the taste test. Someone had to eat the broken pretzels and leftover chocolate! YUMMY.
Please leave a comment telling me which tag you like best.

Happy Cricut Crafting
Colleen