ALERT! Some SWEET TREATS cricut cartridges may be defective!

Check your Sweet Treats cartridge immediately as a few have gone out with a defect. Try and cut the cupcakes on pages 25, 26 and 27 (the basic cupcake image). If it shows "CUT UNAVAILABLE", call Provocraft customer service to get a replacement. They will send you a return mail postage form and once you send your in, they will send out a replacement. The layers apparently cut fine.


Some people have returned theirs to a Michaels and have gotten a replacement so you may try that also if you have a problem.

Thank you Joy for passing the word!
 

Guest Designer at HALLMARK SCRAPBOOK!

Wow!  I am so honored to be today's guest designer over at HALLMARK LADYBUGS blog!  I featured these Wine Bottle Wrappers that I designed myself using my Gypsy and Cricut Expression.



They wrap around the bottle and tye (like an apron) on the back with a beautiful bow.



Information on how I made these including video instructions are HERE.  Please leave a comment on the Hallmark Ladybug blog, because I sure would love to be a guest designer for them again someday!

It is the official blog for http://www.hallmarkscrapbook.com/ who is one of our sponsors over at the CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT blog!  It's a great online store and they have some awesome prices on Cricut products!  You can get the new BLUE Cricut Expression bundled with the YOUR STORY machine and ACCENT ESSENTIALS & STORYBOOK cartridges for only $259.99!!  Click HERE to get more info!

You will be amazed with their customer service... it's the best around!! 

DISCLAIMER:  Yes, I received free product for being a Guest Designer.  But was not required to do any advertising on my own personal blog.  These are my true opinions of HALLMARK SCRAPBOOK and were in no way influenced by the free product received!  Try them yourselves... you will see what I am talking about!

PINK JOURNEY Giveaway!!

The PINK JOURNEY cricut cartridge is an awesome cartridge!  Unfortunately, it is bundled with the new pink Cricut Expression and is not sold separately.... yet.  We all hope that it will be available soon for purchase, but in the meantime... you can have an opportunity to win it over at the CUTTING ABOVE blog!  In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we will be giving one away. 

You can also see the PINK RIBBON magnets that I made using the PINK JOURNEY cartridge, the original cricut (yes... this one is for you baby buggers!) and my Gypsy.  The project was broken up into 3 parts and offers 3 separate video tutorials.  I even show you how to layer the vinyl on top of the magnet material WITHOUT leaving air bubbles!!  Click HERE to see my post.

There is alot going on in the cricut world!!  Go to CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT to see the big announcement from us and Provocraft!

Cutting Above Design Team!!

I've been selected to join the Design Team over at the Cutting Above blog! I'm so excited because this will be another opportunity for me to share my passion for crafting with the cricut!

Here's what the blog is all about:

Cutting above is your one stop shop for all things die cutting related. Our goals are to provide you with all the latest industry news. We'll cover the latest tips, tricks and techniques for scrapbooking, card making, home decor and even altered art projects. We want to become your #1 news source for all types of automated cutting tools such as the Cricut, Silhouette, Wishblade as well as other scrapbooking tools. Visit often to see the latest product reviews, tutorials, videos, cutting files and so much more.

And click HERE to go check it out!!!

Tammy

Do you know what the GYPSY is??

Provocraft made this wonderful video clip to give you a glimpse of how the GYPSY was intended to be used....



I have really enjoyed using mine already, just this week I used it at:

1. The car dealership... waiting for my van to be fixed.
2. The car wash right after... had to get it cleaned now that it is working so nicely!
3. The optometrist's office... my son needed his annual eye exam and new glasses.
4. Multiple times in the car while my husband was driving.
5. My favorite so far... curled up on the couch with hubby while we watched our favorite TV shows (commercials bore me)! LOL!

How would YOU use the GYPSY? Have you thought about it? They will be available for the first time at a special HSN event September 24, 2009 at 12:01am pacific time!! Yes, that's midnight on Wednesday the 23rd! Stay tuned cause the CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT girls are planning a fun TAILGATE party right before the release and we will be inviting you to join us!!

Christmas with the Cricut Blog

Don't forget to enter this week's cartridge

giveaway over on the Christmas with the Cricut blog!

To enter, you just need to do 2 things:

1) Subscribe to the blog via email (look in top menu bar under "subscribe via email") OR follow us by clicking the "follow" button in the right hand column
2) Leave a comment under each post daily to maximize your chances of winning each week!

CLICK HERE

Six days a week, we feature cards, gift packaging, layouts, tutorials and videos showing beautiful and fun things you can make with your Cricut for the Christmas season!

Stay tuned for some REALLY exciting announcements this weekend!!

Guess what just ARRIVED!!!!

Can you believe this!!! Joy, Melanie and I just got our Gypsies!!!! Woohoo!!!



We are SO excited!! I had planned to vaccum and clean the kitchen, rotate the laundry, etc today... oh and I was going to finish my project for Thursday's Layout over at the CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT blog... but, now... all that has gone out the window... cause now it is time to PLAY!!! WooHoo!!!

What a crazy day this really turned out to be!! LOL! We ended up in a sandwich shop called Sub Hub over in Corinth, Texas, because we needed to meet Melanie on her lunch break (she's a college student) to open that box! We just couldn't wait any longer! Then, as we are opening it... Joy has a brainstorm and decides that we need to go live on Ustream (like YouTube, but live on the internet)!! Mel and I were just along for the ride... the next thing you know the laptop is in front of us and we are broadcasting... live! That lasted for about half an hour, cause Mel had to go back to class... and remember that we were in a public restaurant doing this!! LOL! Joy called Provocraft to tell them what we were doing, so they tuned in too!! Everybody wanted to see more, so we agreed to go back on live at 2:30pm from my house and that would give time for Mel to join us after class.

Then, we were off... I was frantically learning how to USE the Gypsy... Joy was frantically learning how to use Ustream (she had just opened the account 20 min before the first live broadcast!) and poor Mel was being torn between school and us! 2:30 arrives and we go live again, but this time for 2 whole hours! We didn't intend to make it that long, but everyone had so many questions... 191 viewers! What a crazy crazy day... and boy was it fun!



Notice the Statue of Liberty behind us! LOL!

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Make Ur Own!

Did you know that you can do this?? I just posted two videos over at the CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT blog (click here) on how to make your own embossing folder for your Cuttlebug with your Cricut! It is so cool!

You can purchase the Embossing Kit at Hobby Lobby and some JoAnn stores. The kit has one empty folder and one embossing sheet. You can also purchase the refill package with extra embossing sheets (just in case you mess one up). You can re-use the folders, but will be unable to re-use the embossing sheets once you peel them off the folders.

I made this card below using LYRICAL LETTERS...

We are giving away some GREAT prizes on the CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT! Go check it out.

FROM MY KITCHEN - Recipe Card

My brain is just spinning with the possibilities of the new FROM MY KITCHEN cricut cartridge! I love the INDEX CARD image that it has to offer! I plan on using this to make Christmas gifts (and will post them all on the CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT blog!), so stay tuned for that post!

In the meatime, I want to share with you a demonstration of how to print a recipe on cardstock with your computer & printer, then cutting that recipe out in the shape of an index card. I know that many of you have seen me demo the CENTERPOINT feature before, but I just love it and use it all the time! So, for those who still don't know how to use CENTERPOINT, here's how you do it...




Oops... I said that the cricut 'prints' the recipes, but meant that it will "CUT" the recipe cards out. I did not use my cricut to print these... I used my computer & printer! Other than that blooper, I hope that the video was helpful! I also want to thank my good friends Greg & Debbie!! We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at their house tonight and then Greg gave me lessons on editing video... I think it's gonna cost me some cricut classes for Debbie, but I would have done that anyway! Shhh... don't tell them! LOL! Anyway... THANKS guys! I am trying to make better quality videos and maybe with Greg's help, I'll get there! LOL!

Preview FROM MY KITCHEN Cricut Cartridge

I am making a family cookbook for my daughter who got married last December. My hope is that it will be a one year anniversary gift to her. So, you can imagine my absolute delight when I found out that Provocraft was coming out with a new cartridge called, "FROM MY KITCHEN"! Perfect for this project! Even better is the opportunity to preview this cartridge for everyone... oh, wait!... even better than that (can you believe it!?)... we will be giving a FROM MY KITCHEN cartridge away to one lucky winner over at the CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT blog sometime next month! Make sure you check that out!

Now back to my cookbook... I chose an 8.5"x11" album from Hobby Lobby. I think it was intended to be a Christmas book, but I loved the colors for my cookbook too. I kept my title page simple...

... my title is SKINNER COOKBOOK 2008. I labeled it 2008, because my daughter got married in 2008 and that was the last time that she was a SKINNER... I plan on ended the cookbook with her married name.

I've been working on so many projects lately, that my scrap drawers are filling up fast... so this was a good project to use some scraps on. Click HERE to see more on how I store my scraps.

There are four different cuts for the SALT & PEPPER shakers, all cut at 3.5"...

FOUNDATION: Black

IMAGE: Green (shakers)

LAYER: Brown (tops)

LAYER: Dark Brown (top layer)

LAYER: White (not shown... "S" and "P")

I used my black pen to add a little doodles around the edges. I thought about using clear acetate for the shaker image and layering white & black glitter underneath. Hmmm... that's for another day!

Here it is on my page. You can click on the picture to zoom in and actually read my recipe... it's yummy! Each time I cook a family favorite meal, I take pictures of the actual ingredients and sometimes the family members who are cooking it. While my daughter was engaged and still at home, I insisted on teaching her many of the recipes I plan to put in this book. It gave me the opportunity to take pictures of her actually cooking in the kitchen with me. Something that I am sure she didn't think twice about at the time (my kids are used to my paparazzi ways)... but will bring tears to her (and mine) eyes when she sees what I have done with them.

Here is the right side of this double layout. The pictures are of everything diced up in the skillet... simmering in the skillet, then pouring everything together in the crockpot to simmer some more.

The FROM MY KITCHEN cartridge has alot of welded words that would be used in a standard cookbook. You can cut the words either with or without the oval frame. I like the frame, especially with a shadow cut behind and used it with the word SIMMER in the photo above. The was cut at 1.75". The two paisleys are from STRETCH YOUR IMAGINATION... did you know that that cart had paisleys!?

I will continue to preview this cartridge as I make this book for my daughter. You can see all the pages of the handbook of this and all the other new cartridges over at Joy's BLOG. As for my recommendation.... I give the FROM MY KITCHEN cricut cartridge a definite TWO thumbs up! You would recoup the money spent on this cartridge with the first cookbook gift you made... not to mention all those recipe swaps!

Until next time...

Happy Cricuting!

Tammy

SWEETHEART Cricut Cartridge

This cartridge is so true to it's name!! I am so happy that I have procrastinated on doing my daughter's wedding album (she got married last Dec!) because now I know that I was only waiting for this cartridge to come out! It's got it all... SAVE THE DATE stuff... BRIDAL SHOWER stuff... WEDDING stuff... even THANK YOU cards.

I just couldn't wait to play with it, so I made a simple and quick birthday card for my son to give to his best girl tomorrow for her birthday. He bought her a pandora bracelet with a heart & key charm on it... so isn't this card perfect!?

The green part is a pocket for the pink slider card. I cut the pocket with the FIT-TO-PAGE feature and it cut at 6.5". The pink slider was cut at 6.5" too. The small white heart on top is the layer piece and was cut at 6.5" so it would be proportionate to the slider.

Perfect fit to slide into the pocket...

I stamped 'for you' onto the small heart and typed the sentiment on my computer, then cut it out in this cute frame (2.75") using the CENTERPOINT feature. The key and the heart on the pocket are cut in 4".

That's it... simple, but cute. This pocket & slider feature is available with every image on this cartridge along with tags and cards! It's really a cute one! You can see the whole handbook over at my friend, Joy's blog... www.obsessedwithscrapbooking.com

12x12 File Folder Mini Albums

Wow... I've been so busy with our new CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT blog, that I have been neglecting my CREATIVE CRITTERS a bit! So sorry!

Today's post is actually a direct result of the CWTC blog, because I was in charge of the CRAFTY GIFT post today and chose to make a 12x12 File Folder Mini Album. Many of you have seen these before and several have actually taken my classes on them, but for those who haven't... no fear... you can jump over the the CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT blog HERE and get the step by step instructions! These albums are all made out of the same type 12x12 file folder. CLOSE TO MY HEART sells them and so does MAKING MEMORIES. The final size of the actual album (when closed) is 4"x6".

I have made quite a few... they make wonderful gifts, because they are inexpensive to make and after you make the first one, they are quite easy to make. Here are some different samples to give you an idea on how versatile they can be....

I MADE THIS ALBUM OF MY NEPHEWS FOR MY SISTER'S OFFICE

THIS ONE IS OF MY DAUGHTER. IT SITS IN MY STUDIO ON A SHELF... I love it!

THIS ONE ALSO SITS ON A SHELF IN MY STUDIO. IT IS OF MY YOUNGEST SON.

And finally... this is the album that I made for my CRAFTY GIFT on the CWTC blog. It is a gift for my daughter and son-in-law of their first Christmas together as husband and wife last year.

To see more of this album and get the step-by-step instructions (with pictures!) on how to make it... hop over to www.cricutchristmas.blogspot.com ! Don't forget to leave a comment there too, because we will be putting all the comments into a drawing and will be giving away a brand new (not in the stores yet!) WINTER WOODLAND cricut cartridge tomorrow!

Provocraft SPONSORSHIP & brand NEW Cricut Cartridges!!

Wowser!! This has been an awesome week!! Our launch of the 'CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT' blog has been a huge hit! The posts have been really fun and both Joy & Melanie really keep me on my toes, because their projects have knocked my socks off! Seriously!! If you haven't seen them yet, you have got to go visit the blog! (http://www.cricutchristmas.blogspot.com/)

But, the even BIGGER news is....

PROVOCRAFT is sponsoring our Christmas With The Cricut blog!!! Woohoo! They have also asked us to preview the new cartridges that will be hitting the stores in September!!! Yep... all the new stuff! As a matter of fact... three boxes of cartridges arrived from Provocraft just yesterday!

We got:

Ashlyn's Alphabet

Everyday Paperdolls

From My Kitchen (my personal favorite!)

Winter Woodland

Sweetheart

A Child's Year

Starting tomorrow, we will be posting previews and projects using the new cartridges on our individual personal blogs and next week we will feature WINTER WOODLAND & ASHLYN'S ALPHABET on the CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT blog!

But, more importantly.... Provocraft has sent us enough cartridges to give away one cartridge every week until Christmas!! That is 22... count them!... 22 free cartridges! Yes... that includes all the new cartridges too!!! Isn't that awesome!!! Joy and I were lucky enough to preview some new cartridges this past summer, but no one has ever gotten to preview them AND give them away!!!

So, definitely jump over to the CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT blog right now, subscribe and leave a comment in order to be eligible to win WINTER WOODLAND this Sunday!!! You can leave a comment everyday (limit one per day) to get up to 7 chances to win. We will draw the winner and announce it Sunday evening!

Keep an eye on Joy (http://www.obsessedwithscrapbooking.com/) and Melanie (http://www.courtney-lane.blogspot.com/ ), you won't want to miss their creations! And I will be posting some too!

Go see Joy's BLOG to see a slide show of all the images in the new cartridges.

Announcing our new 'CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRICUT' blog!

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

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






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

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



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

Layout with HANNAH MONTANA using the Centerpoint Feature

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



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



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



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

Welcome Home Sign - Mickey Font & Going Places

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

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

Scrapbooking on a BUDGET!

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

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

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

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

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

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

CUTTLEBUG SPOT & STAMPIN RIGHT Challenges

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





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






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





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


Here is the sketch that Brittany challenged with...





So... how'd I do?





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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amber has the halloween parties covered!!

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

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

Graphically Speaking Layout

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



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



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

'Twilight' Layout using SCAL

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



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




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





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




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

Creative Cottage Day 1 - Faithbook Title Page

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

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

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

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

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

Birthday Retreat at the Creative Cottage!

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




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





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

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

Storage - Solid Color Paper/Cardstock

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

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

Storage - Scraps

In the effort to be more 'eco-friendly' and 'cost-efficient', I have a scrap storage system that works really well for me. I purchased these plastic 3-drawer containers mostly at Hobby Lobby, but Walmart also sells them. I would usually get them at HL because I could use a coupon on them.

These sit on the left side of my studio table up against the wall. The first two stacked on top of each other hold my scraps and the other two on the right hold mostly patterned paper that I like to have within reach when I am creating (bottom going up: adhesive refills, polka dotted paper, floral & swirl paper, checks & gingham paper, striped paper, and scrap cuts from my cricut). Scrap cuts? You know... all those things you cut and then don't use on your project? I love my scrap cut drawer because sometimes I will just open it up and design a card from what inspires me in that drawer.

Each drawer is color coordinated to hold two colors that are usually associated together. Except for the black & white drawer. I use so much more black and white than any other color that they each needed their own drawer.

The center label identifies the drawer as a Scrap drawer and the colors are listed on the left hand side.

This is the 'Purple/Blue' drawer and it holds not only the solid colors, but patterned papers as well. Whatever the main color in a pattern is... is what color it will get filed under.

Now... let's revisit that scrap drawer of mine. You know how you will make cuts with your cricut and then decide you want it to be a different size or the diecut just doesn't look quite right for that particular project? Well, I use to throw those cuts away, but some of them are too stinking cute! Hence, my scrap cuts drawer.

I guess it might look like a mess to most, but to me... it's like the land of lost toys!

Just lying around waiting for someone to use them. It's a drawer full of inspiration and sometimes I just like to dig around and see what might go with what and just make something out of them.

This cute airplane tag is from NEW ARRIVAL. That cartridge makes the round tag foundation and will cut any image in a circle to be shadowed and will fit the foundation. I made a bunch of these as luggage tags for my daughter when she moved to Alaska. Put her contact info on the back and laminated them. This one was an extra. Too cute to throw away... I am sure I will use it somewhere someday.

Here is a simple tag, I had cut it out to use on a project and then decided that I liked the patterned paper tag better.

The word 'Sweet' (from the new SIMPLY SWEET cart) gives me an idea...

Let's pick a piece of blue paper from the scrap drawer...

And some ribbon to match. I keep all my spare ribbons and buttons in these jars that sit right next to my scrap drawers. What do you do with all those extra buttons that come with some of the clothes you purchase? I just put them in the middle jar. Very rarely have I ever had to use one on the shirt it goes with, so I use them for projects.

Emboss the paper and put it all together, then add a sentiment... and viola! I just made a cute birthday gift tag totally out of scraps!