Butterfly Diaper Cake & Card

It must be "baby season", because I have another diaper cake for you today!

 
This confection is for a sweet little girl with a butterfly-themed nursery.  As soon as I saw this paisley ribbon at Hobby Lobby, I knew it was perfect for her pink and green room.  I was still stuck on the topper until a few days ago when she came two weeks early -- uh oh!  Then I found a cute monogram coat hanger on Michael's "fabulous finds" aisle with her initial.

Project Details:

• Papers - My Mind's Eye - Simply Delightful and Bohemia
• Cricut Cuts - butterfly from Create a Critter, page 64
• Cuttlebug Embossing - D'vine Swirls, Kassie's Brocade, Perfectly Paisley, Swiss Dots, Victoria
• Ribbon - pink satin by Robert Stanley Collection; paisley by The Ribbon Boutique
• Floral - pink floral bush from Hobby Lobby
• Other - lots of inking on butterflies with Colorbox petal point pads in green and pinks

I also made a matching card:

Card Details:

• Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
• Papers - green stripes by American Crafts - Everyday paperpack; pink textured and non-textured cardstock by The Paper Studio; black and white cardstock from scraps
• Cricut Cuts - butterfly from Create a Critter, page 64; scalloped background from Elegant Edges, page 23
• Cuttlebug Embossing - inner butterfly wings with D'vine Swirls; scalloped background with Swiss Dots; pink background with Perfectly Paisley
• Other - inking with pink Colorbox petal point ink pads; ribbon by The Ribbon Boutique; gemstones from Michaels dollar bin

I had so much fun making such a girly project!  It made me fall in love with the Perfectly Paisley embossing folder that had been sitting unopened in my Cuttlebug bin for far too long...now I want to use it on everything!

I'm entering this project into the following challenge:

Queen of My Craftroom:  Mojo Monday Challenge - Create a Critter Cartridge

My First Giveaway!

I've got lots to celebrate on my blog from the past week -- joining my first two design teams and reaching 100 followers!  I want to thank you, followers and friends, for making this Cricut crafting journey so fun, so I'm giving away a few of my favorite bargain finds:

To enter my first giveaway, please be a follower of my blog and:

1. Follow the two blogs I design for -- Celebrate the Occasion and Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog.
2. Link up a project at one of these blog's current challenges: 
   CTO: Challenge #23 - Any Occasion (Blue and White), or
   FCCB: Challenge #70 - Melon Time
3. Leave me a comment with your entry number and the blog challenge you entered.

For an extra chance to win, link a project at both CTO and FCCB this week, and leave me a second comment with that entry number.

(Due to shipping costs, I can only mail to recipients in the US and Canada.)

I'll select a winner with random.org at or around 7:30am CST on August 2 -- so get to entering those fun challenges!


(Note:  If you're on the design team for CTO or FCCB and wish to enter, simply remind me in your comment that your project was already featured on the challenge blog's post.)

Celebrate the Occasion: Challenge #23 - Blue and White

Celebrate the Occasion begins another great challenge today, and I'm eager for you to play along -- especially since it's my first week on the design team!  Challenge #23 is to make a project for any occasion -- just as long as you use only blue and white.

In case you haven't noticed, I don't use a lot of blue in my projects.  It's not that I don't like blue -- I just like warm colors like pink and orange and red more.  So I went out of my comfort zone for this card:

Card Details:

• Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
• Papers - patterned and distressed papers by My Mind's Eye: Bohemia; cardstock from scraps
• Cricut Cuts - flower from Florals Embellished, page 23; tag is <dream> from Playtime
• Other - blue satin ribbon from Hobby Lobby, sentiment stamp by The Paper Studio; edges inked with sky blue Le Plume II marker

My parents celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary on Sunday, so I mailed this card to them last week.  Nine more years until I get to plan a huge celebration for them!

Now it's your turn.  Visit Celebrate the Occasion and share your blue and white creations!  The challenge runs through Sunday, July 31.

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #70 - Melon Time

It's Challenge Me Monday at Fantabulous Cricut -- and I'm so excited!  This week's theme promises inspiration for many fantabulously fun projects -- and it's also my first on the design team!

This week's challenge is "Melon Time," and we were asked to create a project featuring a fruit or melon.  I've made a watermelon card already this summer (and...well, I don't really like watermelon...I know, I know!), so I chose a different fruit as my card's star:

Card Details:

• Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
• Papers - patterned paper by American Crafts - Everyday paperpack; textured cardstock by Core'dinations; all other cardstock by The Paper Studio
• Cricut Cuts - cherry/background combo and "cherry" sentiment from Nifty Fifties, page 66
• Other - sentiment printed with Corbel font and formatted with MS Publisher; inking and faux stitching with scarlet Le Plume II marker; more inking on cherry with red petal point ink pad by Colorbox; cherry and its background on pop dots.

These colors sure make my mouth water for a cherry limeade from Sonic!  I tried a little something different with the asymmetrical band of paper stretching across the sentiment area, and I think it turned out cute.  All the cuts on Nifty Fifties have fun, unexpected background shapes that make me want to try different angles and arrangements.

Now it's your turn!  Swing by Fantabulous Cricut to check out the other DT members' creations (there's lots of watermelons -- I promise!), and then share your own melon/fruit project with us.

Happy crafting Monday!

Just for You Popsicle Card

I just can't not touch my Cricut on a lazy Saturday afternoon, you know?  The result was a fun popsicle card to play along with a few challenges:

 

Card Details:

• Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
• Papers - polka dots from My Mind's Eye: Simply Delightful; plaid and dark pink from My Mind's Eye: Magnolia; orange textured cardstock by Bazzil Bling; all other cardstock from scraps
• Cricut Cuts - popsicle from Simply Charmed, page 45
• Cuttlebug Embossing - popsicle stick with Distressed Stripes
• Other - sentiment stamp by Hampton Ink, stamped with Bright Pink Stampabilities ink pad; ribbon by CelebrateIt Basic Narrows; inking with orange Colorbox petal point ink pad and scarlet Le Plume II marker; brad by 7 Gypsies - Angelo; google eyes from Target DollarSpot

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

CardPatterns:  Sketch 125
Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge #69 - I Scream for Ice Cream / Cool Treat (I'm on the DT now, but I still like to play along...)
Paper Cutz Challenge #101 - Anything Goes

Curious George Baby Shower Invitation

My blog has been fairly quiet this week since I've been making cards for design teams; my cards debut next week -- YIPPEE!  But I've also started working on a big project -- a Curious George baby shower.  I'm making invitations, some decorations, and tags for the favors.  Yes, there's a diaper cake, but another hostess -- the gal who made mine -- is putting it together.

Here's the first invitation I produced this morning:

Card Details:

• Card Base - Flat (5x5")
• Papers - Recollections
• Curious George - I found this image online and edited it with Adobe Photoshop to be a pink-blanketed girl with dark hair (it was previously a blue-blanketed blonde boy).
• Ribbon -  The Ribbon Boutique (3/8 inch)
• Text - Candara (sans-serif font; black); Wrexham (serif font; red), created with MS Publisher

Can you believe this invitation is completely Cricut- and Cuttlebug-less...?!  But the card had to be simple since I have 35 of these boogers to make!

Great Deal at Michaels

Michaels has their entire stock of retired Cricut cartridges for $19 today!  I got three new carts this morning -- Old West, Simply Sweet, and Stand & Salute.

If you're going to the sale, you may want to call ahead and check your store's supply.  My two closest Michaels were completely sold out -- one even had people lined up outside before the doors opened!

Update:  I went again tonight and got Forever Young.  I just can't pass up a good buy!

Celebrate the Occasion: New Design Team Member!

I have another piece of exciting news -- I've joined the design team at Celebrate the Occasion!

CTO has inspiring challenges each week to help you celebrate every occasion in your own special way.  This week the new design team members are celebrating birthdays!  It was super timing because I needed a birthday card for a friend's daughter.  She held a princess-themed pool party this past weekend, so I made her card -- very appropriately -- a crown:

Card Details:

• Card Base - crown-shaped card from Birthday Bash, page 47 (card/tag), cut at 5.25 inches
• Papers - polka dot paper by Heidi Grace Designs; all other cardstock from scraps
• Cricut Cuts - all cuts from Birthday Bash; card base (see above); crown, page 56; "4" and "PRINCESS" sentiment with Font and Font Shadow functions; "birthday", page 54 (card/tag)
• Cuttlebug Embossing - "4" with Spots & Dots
• Other - doodling with purple Le Plume II marker; gemstones from Michaels $1 bin

I'm so excited to share this project with you at Celebrate the Occasion -- hop on over and check out the other great projects by the new design team members.  They are an awesome group of talented ladies -- and a gentleman!

Fantastic, Fantabulous News!

I've got some truly fantastic, fantabulous news to share -- I've been selected to join the design team at Fantabulous Cricut!  It's my first design team, and I'm beyond overjoyed.  In fact, I'm fantabulously overjoyed!


FCCB was one of the first challenge blogs I found and followed.  I have grown so much from participating in their challenges -- and especially through the inspiration and encouragement their DT ladies provide with their projects and through their comments.  I'm honored that I can now give back to our Cricut community!

Many thanks to Robin, Amy Jo, and everybody at FCCB!  Please come join us for this week's challenge, I Scream for Ice Cream, and visit often for all the tutorials, tips, and reviews.  FCCB has new inspiration daily -- see you there!

Seasons Greetings Mitten Card

I'm loving all the Christmas projects around the Cricut blogosphere this month.  I decided to join in the early celebration with a holiday card project:

Card Details:

• Card Base - shaped card created with <mitten> from Simply Charmed, page 65 (shadow) cut at 5.25 inches
• Papers - patterned papers from K&Company's Yuletide paperpack; solid cardstock from The Paper Studio
• Cricut Cuts - mitten from Simply Charmed, page 65; "Seasons Greetings" sentiment from Winter Woodland, page 63
• Cuttlebug Embossing - mitten cuff with D'vine Swirls; holly leaves with Victoria
• Other - inking with red Colorbox petal point ink pad and leaf green Le Plume II marker; brad by 7 Gypsies - Angelo; yarn from scraps

I love making shaped cards -- even with my antiquated "hold-it-together-with-a-brad" method.  But it actually works well for the mittens.  When fanned out to view the inside message, you get a pair of mittens!  I chose to use a simple piece of yarn as a bow to resemble the little pom-poms and shoe-string bows on mittens from my childhood.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

BBTB2 Challenge:  Mittens from "Joys of the Season"
Celebrate the Occasion:  Challenge #22 - Shaped Christmas Card

Happy Birthday Sherbert Sundae Card

I'm so happy to be back!  I had a great visit with my friend and her son, but I was eager to unpack and reassemble my craft area this morning.  I think I was suffering from papercrafting withdrawal!  My guys slept in, so I had time to make this clean and simple birthday card:

Card Details:

• Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
• Papers - green stripe from American Crafts Play paperpack; textured papers from Bazzil Bling; all others from scraps
• Cricut Cuts - sundae from Birthday bash, page 57
• Cuttlebug Embossing - whipped cream with D'vine Swirls; orange fruit with Spots & Dots
• Other - ribbon by CelebrateIt Basic Narrows; sentiment stamp by Hampton Ink; inking with Colorbox orange and green petal point ink pads; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen

I love these colors -- I can almost taste the orange sherbert and smell the mint leaf!

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Amber's Crafts and Stuff:  Challenge #18 - Embossing
Birthday Sundaes:  Challenge #17 -  Orange, Green & White
CAS-ual Fridays:  Challenge #11 - Sweets & Treats
Cricut Cardz Challenge #83 - Birthday Card for Grandparent

So Thoughtful Circle Card

Please don't be alarmed, but this post will be my last until next weekend.  A dear childhood friend and her three year-old son are coming to visit this week, so I'm in the process of packing up my craft goodies.  (Oh, how I wish for a craft room...)  If we need the guest room for my parents, I typically move everything to the living room since my mom and I would a-Cricut anyway.  But all these papercrafting tools are just too tempting for two little boys -- so into plastic boxes it all will go.

It's actually my first time to store everything since I began papercrafting.  Four months ago, it fit in one flat, under-the-bed container; now, I've got to make a Target run for at least two more boxes.  Wow...

But at least I'm going out with a bang.  I made one last card this evening, and I'm loving how it turned out:

Card Details:

• Card Base - scalloped round card by Studio G (5" diameter)
• Papers - all papers from My Mind's Eye: Magnolia; except green cardstock which is from The Paper Studio
• Cricut Cuts - <flower2> cut from Simply Charmed, page 39, only base and layers 1 and 2; circle mats cut with Layer 3 of <flower2>
• Cuttlebug Embossing - green leaves with Victoria
• Other - petal and gemstone embellishments by Recollections; inking with red, orange, and green Colorbox ink pads; sentiment stamp by Studio G

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Cricut360:  Challenge #2 - Circle Thank You Card
Die Cuttin' Divas:  Challenge #22 - Sketch Week
M.A.G. Challenge by the Page:  Challenge #34 - Simply Charmed

Gingerbread Christmas Card

Guess what..?  I made my first Christmas card with the Cricut last night...!!!  Now I want to make handmade cards for everyone on our Christmas card list -- and then I realize I just might be certifiably Cricut crazy.

I used two of my newest cartridges -- Winter Frolic and From My Kitchen -- for this card:

Card Details:

• Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
• Papers - green polka dot paper from K&Company Yuletide paperpack; textured cardstock with shimmer is Bazzil Bling; all other cardstock by The Paper Studio
• Cricut Cuts - gingerbread men and sentiment from Winter Frolic, page 61; spatula from From My Kitchen, page 44; holly leaves from Stretch Your Imagination, page 53
• Cuttlebug Embossing - holly leaves with Victoria embossing folder
• Other - pink gems from Michaels $1 bin; ribbon by Celebrate It! Basic Narrows; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; inking with brown Stampabilities ink pad

I began following Sassy Lil' Card Sketches - July 7th Reveal exactly until I saw those nine gingerbread all in their rows.  I immediately thought they looked fresh out of the oven, so I made a cookie sheet with two layers of gray/silver cardstock and rounded the edges.  A spatula gives adds to the baking theme, and the holly makes it more Christmas-y since I did not use red per Celebrate the Occasion's Christmas in July (No Red) challenge.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Celebrate the Occasion:  Challenge #21 - Christmas in July (No Red)
Sassy Lil' Card Sketches:  July 7th Reveal

Sea Creature Diaper Cake (Guest Crafter for Carson's Creations)

I'm so excited to be featured as guest crafter today at Carson's Creations -- many thanks to Georgiana for such an honor!  If you've come from Georgiana's blog, thanks for visiting!  If not, please visit Georgiana and check out her amazing creations.

I'm sharing one of my favorite craft projects with you today -- a diaper cake decorated with Cricut die cuts!

Diaper cakes are wonderful baby shower gifts.  I was blessed by a diaper cake when my son was born, and I began making them for my expectant friends.  I learned to make diaper cakes from this YouTube video by CreativeBabyShowers:

 

For this diaper cake, I chose a sea creature theme; it's the recipient's nursery theme and colors.  Once you've made your diaper cake base as shown in the video, you'll need the following items:

 

• completed diaper cake base
• ribbons in two widths (Mine are 1.5 and 2.5 inches.)
• die cuts (I used cuts from Create a Critter and Playtime cartridges; see end of entry for more details.)
• floral stems or bush
• double-stick tape
• scissors

STEP 1:  RIBBON
Wrap the wider ribbon around the diaper cake layers to hide rubber bands.  Secure with double-stick tape placed along rubber band line every few inches.  Repeat with the smaller-width ribbon layered on top of the first ribbon, again securing with double-stick tape.

STEP 2:  DIE CUTS
Place your die cuts around the diaper cake as desired; secure to ribbon with double-stick tape.

STEP 3:  FLORAL ACCENTS
Cut small sprigs from your floral stem or bush and use as accents for the cake topper and around the die cuts.  Stems need to be approximately 3 to 4 inches long.  Wedge the stems between or under the rolled diapers; do not use glue, as it will damage the diapers.  I used a greenery bush that reminded me of seaweed to keep with the sea creature theme.

STEP 4:  TOPPER
Secure die cut as topper of the diaper cake.  I used regular transparent tape to fasten the die cut to a wooden skewer and stuck the skewer between diapers.  But don't limit yourself to just die cuts -- I often use a small stuffed animal or teething toy as a topper.

And now you have a super cute diaper cake!  Below are some close-ups of the topper and die-cuts for this sea creature diaper cake:

 

Cricut Cut Details:

• All animals are from Create a Critter; frog, whale, seahorse, jellyfish, and octopus cut at 3.5 inches; turtle and fish cut at 2.5 inches.
• Topper tag is <princess> and <princess_s> from Playtime, cut at 2.25 inches.
• Letters for "LANDON" from Opposites Attract using Opposite font, cut at 1.25 inches.
• Embossing for topper tag is Spots & Dots Cuttlebug folder.
• Textured cardstock is Core'dinations; non-textured cardstock is from The Paper Studio.
• Inking with cyan and green Colorbox petal point ink pads.

I've enjoyed sharing this project with you today.  Thanks again to Georgiana for such a special honor!  I'm really, really proud of how this project turned out, so I'm entering it into a couple challenges, too:

Cooking with Cricut:  Challenge #41 - Anything Goes
Decorate to Celebrate:  Challenge #3 - Adult's Birthday Party - My project doesn't fit the theme, but they allow any decoration to be entered.

And...if you're thinking this project looks familiar, you might recall the coordinating card I made last week:

Cricut After Dark -- "Sea" Baby Soon Card (June 28, 2011)

Birthday Fishes Wishes Card

I hope you all had a great Independence Day!  Our family had a relaxing day at home, and I had a little time tonight for crafting.

This card is for my father-in-law's birthday later this week.  He enjoys tending his aquarium, so I decided to make him a fishbowl card.

Card Details:

• Card Base - fishbowl from Create a Critter, page 43, cut at 4 inches; secured with brad
• Papers - textured cardstock by Bazzil Bling; all other cardstock from scraps; distressed brown paper from My Mind's Eye - Simply Delightful
• Cricut Cuts - from Create a Critter: fishbowl and fish, page 43; starfish, page 41 (accessory)
• Cuttlebug Embossing - water with D'vine Swirls; fish (Layer 1) with Swiss Dots
• Other - brad by 7 Gypsies - Angelo; sentiment printed from my computer; fish and starfish on pop dots; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; inking with Colorbox yellow and cyan ink pads

Without a Gypsy, I can't make shaped cards too easily -- but my solution is making a card held together by brads.  It's different, but I like it. :)

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

BBTB2 Challenge:  Life Is a Beach / Starfish Challenge
Birthday Sundaes:  Challenge #16 - Anything Goes
Fantabulous Cricut:  Challenge #67 - Pool Time

Retro Housewarming Card

Another cut I love from the Nifty Fifties cartridge is the ranch house -- it's just so cute!  We live in a neighborhood built in the late '50s/early '60s with houses just like this cut; in fact, our home is pretty similiar -- just add another garage door and subtract the decorative cinder blocks.

This card is for a couple who just moved into their first home.  We weren't able to attend the housewarming party, so I'm sending this greeting instead.

Card Details:

• Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
• Papers - patterned paper from American Crafts - Play paperpack; cardstock from scraps
• Cricut Cuts - house from Nifty Fifties, page 47; "Congrats!" sentiment from Cricut Classic Font, page 66
• Cuttlebug Embossing - blue background with Spots & Dots
• Other - doodling with white Gelly Roll pen and yellow-green Le Plume II marker

The house has another layer for the white cinder block and window frame accents.  But with the house cut at 2.25 inches, this layer was just too small and delicate.  Instead, I doodled the accents with a white Gelly Roll pen and added shadow with a yellow-green Le Plume II marker.

Okay, no more cards until I do some chores around the house... :)

Trike Twisted Easel Card

I made my first twisted easel card last night -- and it was so easy!  If you haven't tried this fold, I encourage you to give it a shot.

The video below was my guide, but there's tons of tutorials out there.  (Honestly, I chose this tutorial by Christina of Card Making Magic because of her super soothing voice -- it was 9pm and time to "wind down" for the day!  But now I've visited her website and really like the folding templates available there.)

Here's my resulting twisted easel card -- featuring a trike modeled after my son's new "ride" from his grandparents!

Card Details:

• Card Base - twisted easel (5x5")
• Papers - patterns from American Crafts - Play paperpack; cardstock from scraps
• Cricut Cuts - all cuts from Boys Will Be Boys; trike, page 36; "zoom" sentiment, page 63 (Phrase/Phrase Layer)
• Cuttlebug Embossing - blue background with Spots & Dots
• Other - doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; inking with Colorbox orange and blue ink pads

I'm entering this card in Die Cuttin' Divas' Challenge #21: Planes, Trains, & Automobiles.  Yes, a trike isn't technically an automobile, but my toddler sure thinks it is!