New Cocoa Boxes

Well I did my favorite cocoa boxes again this year.  These are the ones I did for my Bible Study Group using the candy cane from the Cricut cartridge Christmas Cheer and the sentiment is computer generated.  Here's my original post on these boxes and the link to where you can get the cut file for Design Studio.  I think you could also do one by hand using measurements to make a 3 x 6 box.  http://scootingrannysworld.blogspot.com/2011/11/easy-inexpesive-christmas-idea.html

I was given a wonderful gift this year.  My niece and nephew-in-law were in Antigua, Guatemala for language classes and my sister went with them.  So they asked if I'd like to come down for a week as a surprise for my sister...and I did...and boy was she surprised!  I made these cocoa boxes for my niece and nephew-in-law and one of the peppermint ones for my sister .  They use various images from the Cricut Imagine Santa's Village.  I did the layering in most parts and used a Sakura glitter pen on the reindeer harness.  The little tag used for the Feliz Navidad sentiment is from Artiste.  Both have backgrounds done using the Cuttlebug Snowflakes embossing folder.  Sorry about the shadows but I'm taking these pictures in Guatemala with no shadow box and on the kitchen counter!

Thanksgiving card and entry at Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #187 Animal Crackers

The Fantabulous Cricut Challenge for this week is to use an animal from any Cricut cartridge  http://fantabulouscricut.blogspot.com/2013/11/fccb-challenge-187-animal-crackers.html so I am again going to use that cute, cute, cute turkey from Cricut Create a Critter cartridge.  For the inside I also used the CAC cartridge for the sentiment.   I cut it out the "gobble" in several different colors to add some highlights to it and paper-pieced them.  I then cut a "W" from another cartridge to complete the saying for the inside.  The "Until ya' " was computer generated.

Entry for Fantabulous Cricut Challenge

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog has a current challenge to use a button and a ribbon on your creation http://fantabulouscricut.blogspot.com/2013/11/challenge-186-ribbons-and-buttons.html .  I decided to take one of the gingerbread invitations I recently did and put two teeny tiny buttons on the pockets for holly berries.  Turns out really cute...wish I'd done this for the invitations I've already sent out!  I used the apron from the Cricut From My Kitchen cartridge.  To get it big enough for the little insert with the party info I had to  make the cut at 6".  However, that made it too big for a 5 x 7 envelope so I hand cut off the top and middle apron strings and replaced them with ribbon and did just a "waistband" ribbon strip, no actual apron strings that hang down.

Gingerbread Party Invitations

These are my gingerbread party invitations for this year.  I used the apron from the Cricut From My Kitchen cartridge but cut off the apron strings on the waist and top.  I had to cut the aprons at 6" to get them big enough to put in the inserts that I obtained off the internet (have tried in vain to find the link so that I can give credit for this cute little insert but can't!!) but yet small enough to go in a 5x7 envelope.  The aprons are done with various ribbons and different pieces of scrapbook paper from my stash and some were done using the Imagine and papers from the Cricut Imagine Santa's Village cartridge.  I hand cut little items for the pockets on the aprons.

I cut the aprons at the waist line and didn't glue the top cut part of the bottom of the apron so that the inserts could go into the waistband.  I printed the inserts, then re-ran them through the printer to get the party information.  I also had to trim the sides a bit to get them to fit.

The Inserts:

The invitations:

Thanksgiving gift - for Cardz TV Go-To Galz Linky Party Challenge #8 “Happy Harvest"

I am submitting this small project for Mary's challenge at http://cardztv.blogspot.com/2013/11/cardz-tv-go-to-galz-linky-party.html where the challenge is to CREATE A CARD, LAYOUT, OR CRAFT FOR FALL OR THANKSGIVING.

I think everybody knows how much I like to make the little cocoa boxes ( see http://www.scootingrannysworld.blogspot.com/2011/11/easy-inexpesive-christmas-idea.html and the original creator's post at http://www.paperscissorsinc.com/2008/11/hot-cocoa-challenge.html ).  This one is for Thanksgiving and it contains a packet of apple cider, caramels and an apple flavored stick from Cracker Barrel.  I used that stinkin' cute little Cricut turkey from the Cricut Create a Critter and a gel pen to jazz up his feathers and some dark brown inking on the edges.  The background paper is from my stash.  I'm thinking I should have cut out a "Happy Thanksgiving" or "Gobble" or some saying from one of the Cricut cartridges for the blank spot but it's already been given away.  Maybe on the next one because I'll be making these for the grankids' teachers.

Happy Birthday card to Friends - My Entry at Fantabulous Cricut Challenge

The Fantabulous Cricut blog is having a challenge- "Anything Goes" with the challenge to do any project and use at least one Cricut Cut.  This is my entry into that challenge.  While we were in Cozumel, two of the friends with us had birthdays.  They happen to be a married couple and have the exact same birthdate.  So I made this card for them using the digital image set called "Mixed Drinks".  The inside sentiment is from the Cricut cartridge Ole but the "x" was from Don Juan.  I embossed the rim of the margarita glass with embossing powder and lime Kool-aid to make it scratch and sniff ( using this technique http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2013/08/stamp-a-faire-2013-whipping-up-scent-sational-cards.html ) and it really worked!!

Updates for my world

Well, I have been so busy lately.  First an 8 day trip to Cozumel with our motorcycle group where we swam and ate and snorkeled and ate and toured the island in jeeps and ate and parasailed and ate.  So, you get the idea.

Then I was home for a week and then off for 10 days to Israel with my beloved sister and a wonderful, trip of a lifetime with other members of  Bible Study Fellowship, an inter-denominational group.  I cannot begin to tell you of all the inspiring and thought-provoking, emotional places we went, how much I learned about current events and situations of life in Israel and how many sweet people we met.  We had an absolutely fantastic guide, Olga ( http://www.holyland-christian-tours.com/ ) who was very versed in the New and Old Testament and knew the country inside out.  And we had a bus driver, Amir, who could turn that bus on a dime and maneuvered us wonderfully through city and countryside in some very tight quarters.  Here's a picture that a friend took of me and my sister (won't make you guys sit through a slide presentation of the entire 2,452 pictures I took).   I have always wanted to know more about the land, the history and the country as well as the Bible as I personally feel that despite the differences, our religions and culture are all connected and related.  I can tell you for sure, I left a part of my heart in Israel.  This entire trip was very meaningful to me....

Brief History from the Internet:  This is the holiest shrine of the Jewish world. The Western Wall is part of the retaining wall supporting the temple mount built by Herod in 20 B.C. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D., Jews were not allowed to come to Jerusalem until the Byzantine period, when they could visit once a year on the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple and weep over the ruins of the Holy Temple. Because of this, the wall became known as the “Wailing Wall.”  Jews were again not allowed to visit the wall from 1948-1967 when it was in the Jordanian section of the city. After the Six Day War, the Western Wall became a place for national rejoicing and prayer, as the last accessible relic of the last Temple

Graphic 45 contest

Graphic 45 is having a contest for a $30 pack of their paper.  If you don't know anything about Graphic 45, all I can say is...everything of theirs is Fabulous!  Here's the link to the contest if you want to enter, too   http://g45papers.typepad.com/graphic45/2013/09/colorful-statements-with-typography.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+g45papers+%28Graphic+45%C2%AE%29

Their blogsite always has the best ideas and really good videos  Hop on over there and take a look around.

As for  my favorite LSS?  It's got to be Personal Scrapbooks in Allen, Texas.  Tara, Candy and Patricia are the very nice and talented owners who give classes and once a month they have a Cricut Swarm.  I love gathering here with my friends for fun, talking, giggling, lunch, ideas and of course, a little crafting thrown in!   You can see their scheduled events at their website:  http://www.personal-scrapbook.com/   Stop in sometime if you're in the area.  Would love to personally meet my online crafting friends!  They carry the current lines of Graphic 45 and if there's something you want that they don't have, they are always willing to order it for you..customer service at its best!!

PaperTrey Ink Goodbye

Well, it was challenging, it was fun, it was a blast.  I met some great ladies, all of whom are talented and each had their own cute and fun personalities.  I loved seeing everyone's creations and gaining knowledge not only from the challenges from each one of these creative ladies.  I can't wait for next year's event!!

Attendees:  Josie (could not find her blog),  Me ( http://scootingrannysworld.blogspot.com/ ), my sister Joy ( http://piecesofjoyhadden.blogspot.com/ ) who is holding a visitor--her newest granddaughter-Alexandra Grey, Chris ( http://colorfulom.blogspot.com/ ) and  Christianne aka Sizzle( http://keepthejuicesflowing.blogspot.com/ ). 

PaperTrey Ink Stamp Affair Challenges 6-10

Challenge Six was to use the Gallon-Quart-Pint theory of color on a card and this is my result.  Although white and black normally don't count as one of the  main colors, I used black as the Gallon color because it was so dominate in this scheme.  Red as the quart color and yellow was the pint color.  The banner is a PTI banner that is straight.. I just tucked the ends ender a little, taped those down and had some foam tape under the middle where the sentiment is.  This added some more depth.   http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2013/08/stamp-a-faire-2013-gallonquartpint.html

Challenge Seven was to use shrink film in a project.  We had two packs of great shrink film in our kits but I wanted to download the PTI Stamp Affair emblem and used a sheet my sister had that you could use with your inkjet printer.  If you want to do this, be sure your film is capable of it as some are not meant to be printed on.  You can color with inks, markers or stains on all types of shrink material and can be done either before or after you shrink them.  My sister used her laptop to download the emblem, sent it to her printer and it printed up great.  I used an embossing gun instead of  the oven to shrink it.  I am making this card as a thank you to Nicole Heady, PTI, the designers involved, my sister and to the three other wonderful ladies who attended this meet up.  http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2013/08/stamp-a-faire-2013-custom-accents-from-the-oven.html

Challenge Eight was probably my favorite as we learned how to create scratch-n-sniff elements for cards, tags or projects.  I used the stamp set that came with the kit, the paper was some scraps my sister had.  I love giving gingerbread house parties so this one was right up my alley.  I am thinking about using this design for my gingerbread invitations this year.  And yes, I went overboard on the scratch and sniff pointers but I just love this idea!!   http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2013/08/stamp-a-faire-2013-whipping-up-scent-sational-cards.html

Challenge Nine was to use limited supplies with limited colors.  This is a great challenge because it can make one think about using scraps and what you have to create without having to rush out and buy something new.  I need to try this challenge more often because it really gets those old brain waves moving.    http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2013/08/stamp-a-faire-2013-limited-ingredients-challenge.html

Challenge Ten was to use glitter to jazz up a project.  I ended up repurposing a card I made a few years ago for Christmas.  I used a sunflower set from PTI and repurposed it to make poinsettia.  LOVE how the stamp can be so versatile.  I really liked the card but always thought it needed a "punch" of some sort.  Well, that needed punch was glitter.  I used the glitter in our kits to jazz up the evergreen leaves (the Martha Stewart pine branch punch) and it totally changed the look of the card.    http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2013/08/stamp-a-faire-2013-sweet-sugar-coated-embellishments.html

Well, that concludes my projects for the event.  I had so much fun with some really great ladies and can't wait for next year's event!!

Paper Trey Ink Stamp Affaire Challenges 1 - 5

This is the third year my sister and I have attended a PaperTrey Ink Stamp Affair event.  The first year was a limited ticket event that we attended in Cincinnati.  That was such a huge hit that it was determined the following events would be online where people could do the projects either in groups hosted by someone or just at home in their own crafting environment.  This year my sister hosted an event and it was attended by me and three other ladies from the Dallas Fort Worth area.  The drive for all of us was a little less than two hours one way but we all agreed it was WELL worth the effort.  Kudos to Joy for hosting such a fun time.  There were 10 challenges and I will be posting this in two parts so that it won't be 10 individual posts or one loooonnnnnggg post.  Hope you all enjoy !!

The first challenge was a breakfast make and take where we were given sketches and color schemes and we chose from among those 9.  Here's my take on the challenge.  I stamped and hand cut the "Smile" sentiment and placed at the bottom of the flower stems cos I goofed up on stamping in that area.  Great coverup!  http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2013/08/stamp-a-faire-opening-ceremony-and-breakfast-bake-take.html

The second challenge was to create a tea stained project.  My sister and I decided to do the flower that one of the designers completed and this is my project.  I will be hot gluing a pin on the back and either gift it to someone or wear it myself on a brown sweater that I have.    http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2013/08/stamp-a-faire-2013-tea-staining-techniques.html

The third challenge was to use paper clay.  It's like modeling clay only it dries to have the consistency of coaster board or thin chipboard.  I had a bit of a difficult time with this because I didn't roll the clay thin enough and it wasn't totally dry.  I did salvage enough to make the three buttons on this card.  I stamped them with a PTI stamp and ink and loved the way they turned out.  I will be trying the technique again and now that I have done it once, I'm hoping the second time will be easier.   http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2013/08/stamp-a-faire-2013-rolled-dough-designs.html

The fourth challenge was to use misting inks to make a colored paper.  This is my entry... now I know the embossing was a little goofed up in the middle and I may have sprayed it a little too much but I really like the technique and will definitely be trying it again.   http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2013/08/stamp-a-faire-2013-mixing-mists-to-match.html

The fifth challenge was to use one of two types of salt techniques.  I had never used either but this is yet another technique I will try again.  I used a lot of water on mine but it ended up looking like a plaid and I really liked it.  I use a stamp set that came with our kits to do the sentiment and leaves.    http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2013/08/stamp-a-faire-2013-sprinkle-of-salt.html

 

 

Stay tuned for Part Two!!

Baby card for sweet niece

I made this card for my sweet niece who just had her first baby... a sweet, healthy little girl.  The paper is from Kaiserkraft and is called Bundle of Joy-Baby Girl, using the 6 1/2 x 6 1/2  paper pad.  The shoes were cut from the Cricut cartridge Kate's ABCs.  The sentiment on the inside is computer generated and the rattle is from the Cricut cartridge New Arrival.  I lined the envelope with one of the sheets from the paper pack, too and the little feet stickers are from the 12 x 12 paper pad.

Thank you Angiespaperpassion !!

I would like to thank TiffysMom/Angela for the blog candy she sent me from a recent blog hop where winners were chosen from comments posted during the hop http://angiespaperpassio...crawlred-white-blue.html

My prize was an Anna Griffin embossing folder, which I was very excited to win because I don't have any of the AG embossing folders. But, much to my amazement, Angela also sent a bunch of other wonderful surprises. Thank you Angela/TiffysMom!!

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #171

The bus card won a top five !!!  Wahoo!!!!  http://fantabulouscricut.blogspot.com/2013/08/wednesday-winners-challenge-171-shaped.html.  Thank you!!

Bus Card

I have been following a blog http://www.technomadia.com/ and have really enjoyed the posts from this couple.  Not only are they young, hip and smart (very), they are FUN.  They are doing what so many people wish they could do...live on the road in a bus (or rv).  But recently they ran into a huge challenge with a very $erious engine problem and have been awaiting repairs in Billings, Montana. Sure glad this is summer and not winter!!  So... I've done a card in anticipation of their impending departure and joyous rejoining the road!  I will email them the link to this post once they hit the road again, hopefully by early next week.

The bus was done using Art Deco...I did numerous layers and tried very hard to capture the colors of their bus, Zephyr.  I used Design Studio to place two shadows of the bus shape, flip one and weld them to make the card base. This was very hard to photograph as the silver shiny paper kept reflecting my image and the colors I am wearing!  I also could not get a small enough "GM" to cut out, so I ended up having to use a silver pen.  The sentiment inside the card was computer generated and the "Wahoo!" is from the cartridge Old West.  I'm showing a picture of the card and then a picture of their bus.  I am also entering this into the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #171-Shaped Cards at http://fantabulouscricut.blogspot.com/2013/07/challenge-171-shape-card.html

Watermelon Card

I did this card after seeing Sheila do one at http://shesasassylady.blogspot.com/2012/06/gypsy-made-simple-making-shape-card.html and I just loved it.  Sheila used her gypsy to make the card base but I used the trusty old Design Studio.  She used some stickers that were a little dimensional and glittery for the watermelon seeds.  I didn't have those and didn't have time to run by Hobby Lobby so I thought about using some of those acrylic tear drops..only had clear ones but they look great if you color the bottom of them with bic markers.  Anyway, that added a lot of bulk to the card and it's going to a crafting friend in Canada (extra postage, don't ya know).  So I ended up cutting rain drops from the Simply Charmed cartridge out of a metallic black paper.  I think it ended up looking pretty good.  Maybe too many seeds but I sometimes overdo the details. :o)

Card for a sick little girl

My sweet friend Melissa Cash mentioned this on her facebook account http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=9176728 and I wanted to do a card for little Emma (that's my granddaughter's name, too, so this kinda got to me).  What little girl doesn't like Hello Kitty?  So I did the balloon card and layers at 5 inches but when it cut out, it looked really small and kind of frail.  So I did two shadow layers...the black one at 5 inches, the white one at 4 1/2 inches (had to trim the white one a little to get it to fit) as backing for the little image.  Here's how it turned out.  It's things like this that make one realize how lucky and  blessed they are to have one's health and to have children and grandchildren who don't have these battles to face.  The "HI" is cut from Sentimentals in Design Studio and shrunk to less than 1" in order to fit on the balloon.  I also stamped "HappyBirthday" on the inside after I took the picture

Maine Mini Album

This may be a long post so I ask for your patience....  I recently saw this cute, cute little, little mini album made using 2 1/4 x 3 1/2 coin envelopes by the fabulous Mary at CardzTv and here are the links to the instructions:  http://cardztv.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-to-itty-bitty-mini-album-part-one.html and http://cardztv.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-to-itty-bitty-mini-album-part-2.html .  I knew I HAD to do one of these for my sweet sister.   I went to Staples to get some coin envelopes but the smallest box they sell was 100 of them.  You only use 2 per mini album so that would be enough for 50??  I might need 8 or 10 but not 50!!  So I went home and went through almost 400 images of envelopes (thank you mycutsearch.com ) and found several that I thought would work well.  There were lots of the right kind of envelope but they sealed on the sides and due to the stress I figured the album might get, I knew it needed to be an envelope that sealed in the middle.  I ended up using the envelope from CTMH Artiste on page 33.  It has a little "dip" on the backside of the envelope and doesn't go straight across like Mary's did so I did not use the little half circle punch on it.  But you will need to use adhesive very close to the edge of the rounded area so that your little tab inserts don't get stuck.  I did a little half-hole on the mat only.  Because of the size, I used Design Studio to manipulate the size to 2 1/4 x 3 1/2 but you wouldn't have to do that... you could just use whatever size you tell your machine to cut.  This is the cut but not taped envelope.  Hope this helps...

This is the outside of the album held together with a small bit of ribbon.  I stuffed it a little more than I should have but I took 1600 pictures on this trip and it was a killer to choose just a few.  I put a small circle of blue beads and a lighthouse charm from my stash on the tie, just to dress it up a little.  I plan on doing one for each of the ladies who went on the trip but will use some of the same pics, some different.  I have Picasa as my web-based photo storage so I just ordered wallet size photos through Wal-Mart.  They have to do two of each (can't do only one due to the size) and I did a lot of cropping to get the pictures to fit but it was so much fun!!  I used white paper to back the photos but since the photos on the inserts of the little pockets were so small, I did not mat those. 

This is the album with the ribbon off

This is the top layer, flipped up with the little inserts in the pocket

 

And this is the album with the little inserts out

These are the inserts for this part--first the front, then the backside

Open up the mini and this is the center.  I used the Don Juan Cricut cartridge for the letters and welded them in Design Studio.   First with the tri fold closed, then with it open:

 

And this is the backside of the mini album

This is the backside flipped up with the inserts and then without the inserts:

 

Here's the inserts front side and then back side: 

 

I used Tags, Bags Boxes and More for the double sided tags.  Mary shows how to do two of these for the coin envelope mini but I had to do three... one is just loose and not inserted into a slot.  These pics are the front side, the middle and the outside.  I broke off the prongs on some seashell brads and attached to the tabs with pop dots to help pull them out easier.  I just had so many favorite pics that I had to do three tabs!!!!

 

I will be entering this mini album on the Fantabulous Cricut blog challenge #169 at http://fantabulouscricut.blogspot.com/2013/07/challenge-169-set-scene.html

 

And here's the box I put it in.  The sentiment is a stamp from Impression Obsession and the Seaglass cutout is the label from a wine bottle.  I scanned it, had a wallet size photo made of it and cut it out.

ADDENDUM:

After submitting my project, I had a "DUH" moment... instead of using a cut out from the scrapbook paper of the state of Maine, I should have used my 50 States Cartridge!  I did the state and shadow at 3 3/4 inches then another shadow at 3 7/8 inches.  I did the Maine at 1" but shrank it in Design Studio to very small (don't even know the size) and also shrank the shadow, too.  I like how this looks so the other two mini albums that I do will have the cricut cut out for the state of Maine and wording.

 

 

THE END!!!   FINALLY!!!!   :o)