Luminaries

Don't you just love them!!! I do. I found this fabulous cardstock that already had heat embossing Christmas designs so I decided to make these luminaries. They are about 5 - 6" tall but you can make them smaller or larger if you wish. I had some vellum that I recently got for a great price and attached the pieces using Scor tape. I tried using Scotch Quick Dry glue but it didn't work very well and you could see every glob. I used some small battery operated tea lights to light up the project. Because you can see everything when looking in from the top, I cut some small pieces of glittered garland and stuffed some into the tops of each one to hide the inner workings. To finish off, I cut some snowflakes using my Martha Stewart punch - it does such a great job!. I just love the way they turned out. I am giving them to a friend for her Christmas dinner table.

If you want to know how to make lumunaries, I found a tutorial on the Splitcoaststampers website. They were pretty easy to make. Good luck with your own projects.

Christmas Cheer, CCC Challenge #55

Well it's almost Christmas so why not join us for a Cricut Cardz Challenge. The challenge for this week, starting on Wednesday, December 15th, is to make a Christmas card with a mini banner on the front using any cartridge or colour.

I started with plain white A2 card and mounting a backdrop of cranberry cardstock. I found a scrap of paper from last year's Christmas collection that is green, pink and red plaid. I placed it at the bottom of the card and took some co-ordinating plain green cardstock and passing it through my Cuttlebug to add the Swiss dot embossed pattern. I cut the "JOY" mini banner from the Christmas Cheer Cricut cartridge. I had some green satin ribbon with white polka dots and Merry Christmas printed on it so I added it to cover the seam between the two papers. The final touch was to add a white snowflake that I punched out using my Martha Stewart snowflake punch.

Let's see what you can come up with given the requirements above and post it for all to see at Cricut Cardz Challenge. Bye for now.

Cards for the Senses

Recently, my adult son asked me to make 5 cards for him that represented the senses and 1 extra card. He was going to give the cards to his girlfriend for her birthday but only one card on each day before her birthday. With each card was a hint as to what her present was going to be. The extra card was called the Wild Card and she could trade in her the gift represented by the 5 cards for the Wild Card gift. Because she is from the West, my son was going to take her on a sightseeing adventure around Toronto but she didn't know this. She could trade all that in and take the Wild Card gift which was a weekend trip to a couples spa/resort out of town. Unfortunately it was very late and I was unable to take a photo of the Wild Card but I took hot pink glittered letters and glued that onto a 5"x5" black card. I then cut out a large bird cage from white cardstock using my Cricut Home Decor cartridge. The custom envelope I made was really interesting too. It looked sensational if I do say so myself.

This was a different kind of project which turned out to be a lot of work for both my son and I but I was glad to help. He put a lot of thought into making her birthday truly special. His girlfriend is a lovely young lady and I really like her. They have been together for over a year so we'll see what transpires. They are planning on going to visit her family for Christmas and also take a few days to go skiing at Whistler/Blackcombe.

Christmas Gift Tabs

This post is a few days late but I've been soooo busy. I made these 3"x3" gift cards for Cricut Cardz Challenge #53 which is currently underway. I used the Christmas Cheers Cricut cartridge to cut the stocking and sleigh. The snowflake was made with a Martha Stewart punch which has really come in handy as I don't have to pull out my Cricut every time I need a snowflake for a project or for cards. I added a frame to the stocking card which I pop dotted in place to give the stocking a portrait feel. Ribbons were added along with Stickles glitter to complete these gift cards..

Kimono Card

My son's girlfriend is from the west coast and she is half Japanese. Given her heritage, I made this kimono card for her upcoming birthday. I chose this paper because it had such a vibrant graphic. I went on Youtube and found some videos on how to make a card in the shape of a kimono. I ended up by modifying what I saw to give this card its clean lines. I found this fabulous organza sheer fushia ribbon and I think it really works well here. You will see on the back view of the card that I used a simple soft knot to tie the ribbon and hope that it resembles the traditional kimono belt or obi. I then outlined the card with black marker and added a bit of bling to the front. I will add my personal birthday message in white gel pen on the black cardstock liner with instructions to pull it up to read the message.

Hope you like this project. Another post is coming on Wednesday, November 30th.

Give Thanks

Challenge #51 at Cricut Cardz Challenge this week is to create a Thanksgiving card using any cartridge but with only using blue, brown, orange, yellow and white. I started off with the designer paper that had interesting words that appealed to me such as "share", "live", "laugh" and so on.

I cut a tag from the Tags, Bags, Boxes and More Cricut cartridge and using my new Cri-kit gel pens I added the phrase "give thanks" from the Plantin Schoolbook Cricut cartridge. This card is a modern take on the typical Thanksgiving card. Hope you like it!

I Have a New Look!

I have been working lately to find a new blog design and template that best suits me. I wanted something that was modern, simple and yet chic. This is what I came up with and I hope you like the new format. I really like it better than my last background but I'm still debating on whether I will keep looking for something else. It's like a new pair of shoes...after the initial "Wow - I love it", you have to try it on for size and comfort before you decide to keep it! I'd appreciate your comments on my new look.

Think Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Did you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month? There are numerous fund raising events, marathon races and get togethers to bring this important message to both men and women. Breast cancer is one of the more treatable cancers if detected and treated early. That is why you must discuss your risk factors with your doctor, participaate in sceening programs and make sure that breast self examination is done regularly.

Challenge #47 at Cricut Cardz Challenge that started on October 20th is to make a card with the theme of breast cancer awareness. My "Think Pink" card started off with these words being cut from the Plantin Schoolbook Cricut cartridge. As I didn't have any high heel shoe image on any of my cartridges, I found one in the Make the Cut software files. I cut the lady's shoe using soft pink cardstock then added pink gross grain ribbon and rhinestone. This was added to black cardstock layered onto a pink card.

We'd love to see your own cards for this theme. Come and join us at Cricut Cardz Challenge!

Thanksgiving Card Challenge

Cricut Cardz Challenge #45 that started on Wednesday, October 6th, is to make a card for Thanksgiving, using any cartridge or colour you like. This is just in time for Thanksgiving in Canada on October 11th and early for the U.S. celebration at the end of November.

For my card I scoured my Cricut cartridges for leaves and cut different ones from the Stretch Your Imagination, Designer's Calendar and Plantin Schoolbook cartridges. I used ivory cardstock and very lightly patterned designer paper and then used watercolor pencils to fill in the leaves. By using a blender pen on the leaves I was able to create very muted tones of green, orange and red. After curling the leaves, I glued them on to a cardstock circle and added a chocolate satin bow. It was my intention to use this as a placecard for Thanksgiving after adding the guest's name to the wreath but then I remembered that the Challenge was to make a card. I took the wreath and added it to the front of some kraft cardstock before adding the banner that says, "Happy Thanksgiving".

Hop on over to Cricuts Cardz Challenge and see that other crafters are up to. Bye for now.

Fall Cards

The weather is getting cooler at nights and the leaves are starting to turn. Pumpkins have been harvested and children are excited at getting ready for Halloween. To me, it looks and feels like fall. I found this fabulous paper with large pumpkins so I made this card which I then mounted on kraft card stock. This was a 5"x5" card so I could highlight several pumpkins. I applied gold Stickles to the stems but unfortunately the photo doesn't do justice to the final project. The card looked way more impressive.

The second card was one that I put together from paper scraps. I cut the tree from my Serenade Cricut cartridge from woodgrain pattern paper and added some seasonal stickers from a paper pack that I got from Michaels. Hemp string was used instead of ribbon.

I am currently making some Thanksgiving cards which I will showcase soon.

Baby Giraffe Card

Cricut Cardz Challenge #43 that started on Wednesday, September 22nd is to make a card for a new baby using any cartridge but using green, orange, yellow and white ONLY. Well, I wanted to put a small twist on the usual pastel cards and make something a little different. I started out by selecting the cardstock in olive green which complements the lemon yellow that I used as a plaque on the front and inside the card. I then cut a giraffe from the New Arrival Cricut cartridge in an orange patterned paper and added googly eyes to give the image a bit of whimsy. The adjacent tree is cut from the Serenade cartridge in a green tone on tone paper. I cut an oral shape on the front large enough to accommodate the giraffe's head which now peaks through the hole. The yellow rectangle on the front was stamped with a large "Baby dear" stamp and Momento Tuxedo Black ink. The card was edged with white gel pen as was the yellow sentiment box. A lovely orange/green satin bow really brought the whole card to life.

I hope you like this non-traditional baby card. It goes to show you that with a little thought, cards can be a little different from the usual. Why not join us at Cricut Cardz Challenge and get your Cricut in gear. I know you'll have fun doing it.

Baby on the Way

Good news from my nephew in Richmond, Virginia. He and his wife are expecting their first baby in April, 2011. What great news for my sister who will become a grandmother for the first time. She's going to love her new role.

I made this card using the New Arrivals Cricut cartridge. The background paper, from the K&Company "The Best of Brenda Walton", is absolutely perfect. I love this paper collection which I have used many times. In fact, I have used more from this paper collection than any others that I have bought in the past. Good for you K&Company! Inside the sentiment reads "Coming soon to your neighbourhood." Anyway, congratulations are on their way to their house with my very best wishes!

My Goofy Pumpkins

Cooler weather is right around the corner and so is Halloween. Cricut Cardz Challenge #42 which started on Wednesday, September 15th invites you to make a Halloween card using your choice of cartridge and any color.

I made this card and I call it My Goofy Pumpkins. I started with a linen textured orange Bazzill card stock to which I added some stripped paper from K & Company as well as the large Halloween stamp image in the top left corner. I then cut out different sized pumpkins using my Stretch Your Imagination cartridge. They all look so cute leaning up against each other. I topped the card off by adding a simple bow in polka dots. I hope you like it.

Why not head over to Cricut Cardz Challenge and see what everyone else is making. See you there!

Fall Apples

I always associate apples with Fall. Picking your own apples in an orchard is something that I used to do with my children when they were little and I started that tradition with my grandson. The weather is slowly changing and soon we will be grabbing a sweater or coat as we head out the door.

The Cricuts Cardz Challenge #41 that started September 8th is to make a card for Fall but with a twist - you can't use orange, yellow or brown. Despite that restriction, the design team made some great cards. I made my card using black, red and green. I started by cutting the basket and apples from the Doodlecharms cartridge. Next I cut the curled up leaves also from the Dooblecharms cartridge. The platform on which the basket sits was cut using the Walk in My Garden cartridge. The 'Fall Apples' sign was cut freehand, edged with white Jelly roll gel pen and added to the card with foam dots. I thought the sentiment 'celebrate' really worked well for this card as we enter the harvest season. To finish off, I added red gross grain ribbon with white stitching.

This challenge runs until midnight Tuesday, September 14th. Won't you join us?

Pears and Thanks

When we first moved into our current house 23 years ago, our neighbours planted a dozen fruit trees. Over the years, some of the trees died off or got sick but most of them are still standing and now bearing fruit. With age the fruit has gotten better and better. Each year they would bring over fruit from the trees and I would give her vegetables from our garden. Last year when I received my first large bag of pears, I returned the favor by sending over a pear gingerbread. I came across this fabulous recipe which is like an old fashion upside down cake but the flavor is so mild that you don't even know it's gingerbread.

I just received my first bag of pears from this year's crop and they are the best fruit that these trees have ever produced. I guess that age does improve some things. I just had to thank my neighbour once again for her thoughtfulness.

For the card, I cut the pear using my From My Kitchen Cricut cartridge. I added a lovely satin ribbon the same colour as the K&Company designer paper. Gold Stickles added to the stem added a little fun to the fruit.

Bridal Shower

I am invited to a bridal shower in Michigan this coming weekend for a couple who now live in Ireland. She is from Michigan and he is from Ireland. They met when they were both veterinary residents specializing in equine medicine. What an accomplished couple who have travelled all over the world to help with fowling season in the U.S. and Australia and with special surgeries for horses. Anyway, the wedding is in July, 2010 on the southern coast of Ireland and it is sure to be a fabulous event.

Now back to my project, the paper certainly makes this card what it is. The two birds which I thought resembled love birds are perched on a wild rose bush in front of a pastel background. I cut the image from a 12x12" paper pad made by K&Company called The Best of Brenda Walton. If you have read earlier blogs, I have used this paper successfully in several projects. I just love it. Some of the papers are very nostalgic and others complement the designs. In any event, I used another part of the paper for the inside where I printed a short verse that I found on the internet. The simple organza bow at the top adds a softness to the front of the card. I didn't know what type of sentiment to put on the card so I just cut a shower umbrella using my Cricut New Arrivals cartridge and wrote the date and the location of the shower. I think it works.

Cricut Cardz Challenge Design Team

I am thrilled to announce that I was chosen from many skilled crafters to join Design Team #2 at Cricut Cardz Challenge. I am really looking forward to working with some amazing crafters on both of the Cricut Cardz Challenge teams. Check out this blog that encourages crafters to test their creativity and use their Cricut machines to create cards. The results are amazing. Let's get in gear and make some fun cards. I love seeing what other crafters come up with. Come and join us each Wednesday when a new challenge is announced.

Olivia the Owl

I named this owl, Olivia. She is so cute with her yellow ribbon in her fur beside the sentiment that reads, Thinking of You. I started this card with a lovely designer paper in an orange houndstooth pattern from K&Company. The card was cut using the Wild Card Cricut Cartridge. What a wonderful image! I curled the paper up to give more dimension to the card. Then I gave her some big blue eyes. I think she turned out well.

I made this card to enter into the Cricut Cardz Challenge which was a color challenge to make a card using only orange, yellow, black, blue and white. However, I missed the deadline - silly me - so it's going into the next challenge #38 which is "Anything Goes".

Really Cute Card

Is this not the cutest card EVER??? K&Company has a designer paper in the The Best of Brenda Walton collection that has little girl's dresses. I used twine to resemble a clothes line and hung the dress on the line with simulated clothes pegs. I cut the cloud from paper that had several glossy cloud shapes on it. I think the scene is clean, simple and brings back memories of times gone by. The only sentiment that I thought suited the card was, "just for fun".

Back to School - soon

I just love this card!!! I started it by making my own stack of books. I started with linear patterned paper and then glued my own handcut deep U shape out of plain cardstock for the book covers. I stacked the books onto kraft colored cardstock to resemble a desk. I cut out the apple from the Plantin Schoolbook Cricut Cartridge which I think had the best apple image of all my catrdiges. The background black cardstock was used to resemble a blackboard and by adding lines and the words 'back to school' my white gel pen, I think I created a cute card that I know my counsin will appreciate receiving. She is in her second year at teaching and in few weeks, will resume teaching her grade 2 class at a new school.

I entered this card in the following Back to School challenges:
1. Paper Cutz Challenge
2. Our Creative Corner
3. The Sisterhood of Crafts
4. CCMC #111 (Create with Mary and Connie)
5. Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge #44
6. My Creative Time, Throwback Thursday Challenge #9
7. Catch the Bug - Use Primary Colors.

Argyle Anyone?

Argyle is really an old fashioned pattern that you usually find in tennis or golf attire or in men's socks. It's popularity has come and gone but I personally find the pattern fascinating I guess because it is so complex. There are really three layers of pattern which you see in my card. The first is a background layer which I chose to be green. The next layer is more visible - mine is the mauve patterned paper and the top layer is the overall grid which in my card is white. When all assembled, the layers form a cohesive pattern that is pleasing to the eye. This card was cut using the Wild Card Cricut cartridge. I also cut the matching envelope which has a green, mauve and white lining. I edged the card with moss green and antique linen ink. I made this card for my great aunt who is 99 years old and until last year had lived in the same house for 55 years. She is still a healthy and vibrant senior in her retirement home, she had all her marbles and goes for walks about the complex 3 or 4 times daily. She is truly a marvel.

Paper Cutz Challenge #53

The Paper Cutz Challenge this week was to make a card that included an image of a monkey, skunk, squirrel or hedgehog. Well, I just love hedgehogs I guess it's because I was born in England and they have them there but I have been in Canada since I was a child. I started with the Penny Black "Critter Party" stamp set and colored my image using copic markers. The little critter turned out well but I noticed that my photo is a little dark. I'm trying to get better at my photography. Anyway, I mounted the image on periwinkle cardstock that I cut using my scalloped circle Spellbinders Nestabilities. I mounted this on some Basic Grey designer paper from their Kioshi Paper Pad collection (just love that paper) and topped it all off with a satin ribbon and simple sentiment stamped onto the same periwinkle cardstock. Hope they like this card at Paper Cutz.

Wedding Congratulations Card

I made this card for an upcoming wedding. I took plain white cardstock and embossed it in my Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dot folder. I then cut a wedding cake using the From My Kitchen Cricut Cartridge by cutting the layer cake image in three different sizes. The paper was so pretty that all I had to do was add colored rhinestones to the blossoms in this designer paper from K&Company. I used pop dots to make the cake the focal point of the card. White ribbon and a simple sentiment completed the card. This is a simple yet elegant card which I really thought turned out well.

Magnolia Shaped Card

There is still a few days to enter an interesting challenge hosted by Totally Tilda. I will enter my card before their deadline the August 14th deadline. They asked crafters to create a card that is not a square or rectangle or an easel. What's left? Well, how about a triangle! Yeah, I know - sounds different doesn't it? I started the card with some lovely designer paper from K&Company in their Best of Brenda Watson collection. It is a lovely pastel plaid that I thought would be great as the main paper. This was edged with co-ordinating paper in pink polka dot which I then scallop punched. I found the sentiment "sweetie pie" in another paper in the same paper pad so I cut it out and tucked it behind the Magnolia image which I colored using my copic markers to complement the plaid paper. Three small blossoms with pearl centres completes the card. I mounted everything onto plain white cardstock so that the card opens at the bottom right corner. Any little girl would love to receive this card for her birthday or just because.

Ribbon Lampshade Project

I saw this project on the American Craft Studio blog and I just had to pass along the image. I thought it was wonderful and certainly something that anyone could make. You could even make a smaller version for a baby's room. You could select colors that would suit the room and make a variety of die cuts. The lampshade can be as elaborate as you want to make it. If there was a little girl or baby in my family, I would certainly make something like this.

"Sweet Friend" Sundae

I survived another very hot week but not until my thoughts turned to ice cream! Now that's dangerous so I put my thoughts into action and made this very simple card. I cut out the sundae using my Cricut From My Kitchen cartridge and then added Stickles to the topping to give is some sparkle. I used my new Martha Stewart border punch (tiny scallops) on the bottom of the card and added a piece of cute pink polka dot paper behind it. I also added Stickles to the scallops to give more sparkle to the card.

By making this card, I kept my focus off ice cream. I call that a success!

Magnolia Hello

When I started my blog and visited sites from crafters worldwide, I couldn't get over the lovely cards and crafts created around the lovely Magnolia images. It seems that Magnolia stamps have a dedicated following. From what I have observed, crafters who use these stamps create images and backgrounds on their cards that are often very detailed and breathtaking. I really didn't know what the hoopla was all about until I got my own Tilda Magnolia stamp. Although the cute Tilda, Edwin or baby Tingla images don't have noses or mouths, the expression of the stamps is captured in the poses as well as from their costumes. While I am not one to create what some might consider fussy or overly embellished cards, I can appreciate the creativity and hard work of others as well as the time it takes to create such projects. There are some of you out there who are very opinionated and have voiced their dislike of Magnolias. While I am not fond on certain stamp lines, I would never go so far as to express my feelings as strongly as some do.

Interestingly, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading the Magnolia Ink Magazine which is published in Sweden. There are tutorials on coloring these images, new product descriptions, contests and winners, spotlight on crafters, project instructions and general articles about everything Magnolia. The coloring of these stamps is truly wonderful and flawlessly done. For now, I'll have to be satisfied with having only one Magnolia but I can't help but admire them from afar.

This card was entered into the following challenges:
1. Just Magnolia Challenge Blog - Week #66, Bev's Sketch

Thanks

I don't think enough people receive thank you cards. I had a recent visit from a couple whom I hadn't seen in a while so after they left, I made this quick card. I appreciated that they went out of their way to visit and I acknowledged that I thoroughly enjoyed their company and that they brought a lovely bottle of red wine to dinner. I hope they have an opportunity to visit more often in the future.

This project started with a square 4" x 4" card where I embossed the face of the card using my Cuttlebug folder and then pounced ink over the raised area. The glittered letters that spelled THANKS was placed front and centre with pop dots before I added the satin flower ribbon to the sides of the card.

I liked the way the card turned out.

Patio Door Alert

Recently we had guests staying at our cottage. Being concerned that someone might walk into the patio door between the cottage and the sun room, I cut a bird and branch out of white vinyl using my Cricut Home Decor cartridge. I love the way it came out and it really fits in with the cottage decor.

Pastel Christmas (4 Challenges)

When you hear the word "pastel", you usually think of white, soft pink, baby blue or light yellow. But it doesn't have to be. On a recent trip to my local craft store, I came across a paper pad on sale from K & Company called "Best of Brenda Walton". It had lots of different papers some of which are fun summer prints and others were lovely tone on tone papers that can be used for various summer and winter projects. One of the papers had colored birds so I cut the red one out to become the focal point of the card. The tree branch was cut using my Cricut Home Decor cartridge. I think the black branch adds a little dramatic element to the card. The background paper was mounted on mint green cardstock and then onto black cardstock which actually frames everything nicely. Embossed snowflakes and simple sentiment finishes off this Christmas card.

This card was entered into the following challenges:
1. Cupcake Craft Challenge #101 - Pastel Christmas.
2. Tuesday Taggers - Christmas
3. Tuesday Throwdown #10 - Christmas in July
4. Little Red Wagon Craft Challenge#39 - Christmas in July

Enjoy!

Cupcake Anyone? Cricut Cardz Challenge #34

Who doesn't like a cupcake! I made this birthday card for my niece who is working at her first job after graduating from University and she lives away from home. I love the simplicity of this cupcake which I cut using my Cricut From Your Kitchen cartridge. I think that this is a card that anyone would love to receive.

I entered this card in the Cricut Cardz Challenge #34

Challenges - Wheels

Some time ago, I downloaded a free digital image of a car. Up until now, I haven't had a chance to use it.

The Paper Cutz Challenge asked for a card, layout or other project using something with wheels. The car I used is so cute that I thought it deserved to be front and centre on a small 4" x 4" card. I colored the car with my Copic markers and added bright red buttons as hub caps. I couldn't decide on a sentiment so I used a simple "hello" stamp that I already had in my collection. I must say that I don't have too many sentiment stamps which is something that I need to work on. Papertrey Ink has several collections that I like. Anyway, that's it for today. Wish me luck in the challenge!

My recipe:

Digital Image
Copic Markers
Basic Grey Buttons
Momento Ink - Tuxedo Black
Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Antique Linen
Offray Ribbon - Centre Stitch Red
Michaels - Antique Brass Brad

I entered this card in the following contests:
1. Paper Cutz Challenge #51 - Wheels
2. Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #94 - Wheels