My Teeth are Mithing

This is actually an old project, done back in 2009 - before I had a blog.  I had posted it on the Cricut Message Board (and even got a mention in the Chirp for it).  However, my friend, Tara, at Homemade Happiness, is giving away a Jubilee cartridge to celebrate her 100+ followers, so I thought that I would add this layout to my blog to demonstrate the fun that can be had with Jubilee!  It's not on my blog and I want to have a Jubilee link to it - so here it is!

I made this layout to treasure my youngest's toothless smile.  I used Jublilee for the "my teeth are mithing" lettering and then created a frame for it using Zooballoo.  I simply removed the snow in DS.  The teeth were from a file shared by OkieLadyBug.  I used Mickey Font for Egad, Paper Pups for the dog (and used DS to remove his two front teeth!!).  I also did some embossing with my Cuttlebug.

If you are interested in Jubilee, head over to visit Tara at Homemade Happiness!  

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Ladybird Card

This is such a crazy time for me.  My semester ends next week, so there are lots of things to finish up before then - including my big seminar which I will present tomorrow.  I'm all set to go at this point though.  I'm just looking forward to next Thursday as I'll have 3 weeks of no classes!  I LOVE learning, but a break is always nice too and these past few weeks have been much busier than usual.

I did decide that I needed a break today and made a card to enter in a few challenges.  At My Craft Spot, Kimberly has challenged us to "Tie a Bow" and at BugBites,  Barb is challenging us to create a project with a Cricut bug cut. There is also a spring theme at Creative Cutter Room.

I cut the card using George and Basic Shapes.  I've been loving some of the stamp-shaped cards that I've been seeing but don't have Birthday Bash so I just designed one myself using George and Basic Shapes.  The tree stump and ladybird were cut from Create a Critter and I used Zooballoo for the grass layers.  I also punched some little flowers with an EK Success punch and another little punch that I found in a bargain bin at Michaels.  The background mat was embossed with a Crafts-Too butterfly embossing folder.  To finish things off, I added some ribbon, a button and some gems.

My ribbon is Buttercup Crinkle Ribbon from My Craft Spot.  It's part of the Springtime package.  I just LOVE this ribbon!  The ribbon has a hint more yellow to it than my picture shows.  (My Craft Spot sells both ribbon and baker's twine - and both have FREE shipping to Canada and the US!!) 

I've been passed a few awards in the past day or two:  the Versatile Blogger Award from Barb at BugBites, the Best Friend Blogger Award from Rae at Wahoo Crafts, and the Liebster Award from Mistyrose at Sweet Magnolia Rose.  Thank you so much, ladies, for thinking of me and honouring me with these awards.  To accept the awards, I must share 7 things about myself:
1. When I was in high school, I went on two French exchanges.
2. I love cats.
3. I used to get up early to be at the pool by 6am.  I don't anymore though - and it shows!
4. I was painfully shy growing up and read self-help books to overcome my shyness.  Now I'm just a bit quiet (except at home).
5. There are some songs that I listen to over and over and over.
6. I spend far more time on my homework than I should.
7. When I coached the school soccer team, I had far more students on my team than any other school as I didn't have the heart to cut anybody.  (Which brings me to my next point...)

I know that I am to pass the awards along, but I always find this such a difficult and stressful task.  I simply cannot choose... So, if you comment on this post, I hereby pass this award along to you!!

Finally, I will be involved in a few blog hops next month.  Make sure to come back and visit often for your chance to win some wonderful prizes - starting with the Autism Awareness Blog Hop this Saturday, April 2.

Now, off to My Craft Spot, BugBites and Creative Cutter Room to enter my card.  Then, it's back to work!

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Locker Talk Thank You Card

I am so excited to be the lucky winner of Locker Talk from Serenity Scrappers.   Locker Talk is a cartridge I've wanted for ages but just never got around to purchasing - which turned out to be a good thing now that I've won it!  As soon as it arrived, I decided that it would be fitting for my first creation to be a thank you card for Laurie and Kel at Serenity Scrappers to thank them for the cartridge.  And of course, I used Locker Talk to create the card!

Perhaps it's my love of small bits of paper, but the image I've always liked most on this cartridge IS the piece of paper - so I decided that this would be the focal point of my card.  I cut the shadow and image, hiding all the inner contours before cutting.  Then, I switched my cutting blade to gel pens to create the lines on the paper.  The pencil was also cut using Locker Talk and it's popped for a bit of dimension.  The letters were cut using Mickey Font.  The alphabet paper is from DCWV's Spring Stack. 

Thanks, Laurie and Kel!  I'm so pleased with my new cartridge!

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Spring Card

Although the calendar says it's spring, it doesn't really feel like it is.  We continued to have snow last week and the temperatures are still below freezing.  However, the challenge this week at Fantabulous Cricut is "Looks Like Spring" and we are challenging you to create a spring-themed project.  Please join along and help me convince Mother Nature that is it time to warm things up a bit!

I made this card using the Easter 2010 cartridge for the word art.  I thought that designer patterned paper from DCWV's Spring stack would be just the right choice.  I added some gems to the flower and also covered it with some fine glitter.  Corners were punched with a Stampin' Up Corner Ticket punch and I also used a Martha Stewart border punch for the butterflies at the bottom of the card.  I added some pen dots - with a white Gelly Roll and a Stardust Gelly Roll pen.  A couple more gems were added in the top corners as well.

 Head over to Fantabulous Cricut and enter your spring-themed project.  You have until Sunday to link your post.

I'd also like to say a thank you to Natasha at Crafting with Natasha for thinking of me for the Versatile Blogger Award.  Thanks Natasha!

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Happy Birthday, Robin (FCCB)

It's Robin's birthday - and everybody at Fantabulous Cricut is celebrating!  Robin is the wonderful creator and leader of the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog.  It has been such a delight to get to know Robin over the past number of months and I am blessed to have the opportunity to work with her.  Happy Birthday, Robin!

This week's challenge at Fantabulous Cricut is to make a birthday-themed card or project, such as a banner, centrepiece, layout... You choose!  I opted to make a card.

I made my card using Stretch Your Imagination.  This isn't a cartridge that I have used much but as I was looking for birthday cakes, this one came up in my search and I fell in love with not only the tall cake but the whimsical frame to go with it. (I also noticed a few other fun images in the handbook.  I'm going to have to spend some more time with this cartridge!)

In order to create the white mat for behind the frame, I simply hid the inner contours of the image.  After cutting, I ran the white mat through my Cuttlebug, using the Happy Birthday folder.  I had to run it through twice, turning at a 90 degree angle in order to emboss the bottom portion of the mat.  This folder lends itself quite nicely for that.  I then cut the frame itself in black.  I added pink gemstones all around the frame as well.

I used some chunky glitter crystals for the cake itself and then layered all the other pieces.  I used Pop Dots to adhere the cake to the mat.  I punched some corners to match and finally tied on a pink bow for a final touch.  I love the way this card turned out - and I hope Robin does too!

Head over to Fantabulous Cricut to wish Robin a happy birthday - and to submit your birthday card creation in this week's challenge. 

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Feeling Lucky Card

This week's challenge at Fantabulous Cricut is "Hip to be Square" - create a square card using green and gold (or bright yellow).   As soon as I saw the challenge, I knew exactly what I was going to make:  a race car birthday car for my youngest son's friend, using some green and gold foil paper that I had purchased.  As you can see from the picture below, that plan did NOT work out!!  Instead, I ended up making a St. Patrick's Day card for my husband.

I did use the remnants of the gold foil paper.  (It really does not seem to get along with my Cricut at all!)  I used Paper Doll Dress Up for all the cuts, with the exception of the gold "coins" which I punched with my Crop-A-Dile and the gold on the hat, which was cut by hand.  I ran the large shamrock through my crimper for a bit of added texture.  The hat and pot of gold were cut multiple times and popped in order to give a bit of dimension to the card.  I used a gold gel pen to add a few dots to the images for interest.  The stamp is from My Creative Time and I hand cut the tag.

There are some amazing takes on this challenge created by the Fantabulous Cricut Design Team.  Head on over and check things out - then join the challenge yourself!

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Do You Want a Pilot?

Serenity Scrappers is having another layout challenge!  I don't make many layouts but have challenged myself to do my very best to complete them whenever Serenity Scrappers has a layout challenge.  That way, I do get some pages added to my album through the year!!  I am up to my eyeballs in research and homework, so this was a wonderful excuse to take some time out to preserve some sanity too!!  (I apologize for being behind in my blogging.  I hope to find some time next week to visit more than I have been.)

The challenge this time is to make a 12x12 layout and use inks and punches to create it.  I made this layout using a photo of my father holding me when we lived in Netheravon, Wiltshire.  The computer-generated title of my layout is "Do You Want a Pilot?" which has a double meaning here.  My father was a pilot in the Royal Army Medical Corps (Britain) and he also loved to sing a little song to me, "Do You Want a Pilot?" (which actually refers to a pilot of ship).

I used papers from My Mind's Eye and kraft cardstock.  I inked all my edges with Chocolate Chip ink from Stampin' Up.  The borders, squares, butterflies, layered flowers, hearts and corners were all cut using a variety of punches.  I also added some pink pearls and a bit of hemp to finish things off.

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Memoirs, blog awards and a redraw winner

A number of weeks ago, I was beyond delighted and thrilled to find a package in the mail from my dear friend Rhonda of Scrap Happens with Rhonda.  Rhonda is the Queen of Mini Albums and has to be one of the kindest, most generous people there are in this world.  Rhonda gives away her fabulous albums on her blog.  I've been blessed to have received a few of her albums now - but this latest was not part of her regular giveaways.  She made it specially for me to store family memoirs.  I cried when I opened it as it instantly became one of the most special gifts I have ever received and is a treasure for me and my family.  Everybody who has seen the album is as amazed with it as I am - and it has been a family endeavour to find old photos to put in the album!!

Here are some photos of my favourite pages in the album:

This is the front of the album.  I love the wooden tiled letters and the watch especially.  A wonderful touch on this album is that the white section of the front cover is actually a mini-album of its own!  I've used this section for my dad's running photos.  (You can read the story of his running here.)

I LOVE this page and although it's hard to pick a favourite, I would think this would have to be it.  It's the first of the main part of the album and looks like a little waistcoat when closed.  This section is devoted to my paternal grandparents.  I love all the little extras that Rhonda added, like the stickers and pockets.  With the mini-album, all the photo pockets are fantastic to store extra photos.

 

This page is all about my parents' wedding.  I love that Rhonda added a little African sticker in the top right corner of the left page, as my parents both grew up in parts of Africa.  The left side is open and you can see a picture of my granny (paternal grandmother) on the previous page through the opening.

I've also been delighted to have received a few blog awards over the past month - from Linda at My Creative Playground,  Norma at Pink Bling Crafter, Joyce at Joy of Scrapping, Jenny at @Studioj, Dana at Imagine What You Could Do, Jennifer at Striving for Creativity, and Rhonda at Scrap Happens with Rhonda.  Thanks so much for the awards!  I am touched that you would pass them along to me!  Please be sure to check out the blogs of these wonderful crafters to see their fantastic creations. 

Finally, I did not hear back from the winner of the Share the Love Crawl draw and no contact information was provided.  However, this is good news for Marg0006 of Loving Scrapper 101 as her number came up as the lucky redraw winner.  Congratulations!!  Marg, please send me your contact information (smallbitsofpaper at hotmail dot com) so I can mail you your prize!  (You have one week to claim your prize.)

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