Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #112 - You Did It!

Welcome to another installment of Fantabulous Cricut's Challenge Me Monday!  This week's challenge celebrates graduates by crafting any graduation-themed project.

For the first time in a long time, I don't know anyone who's graduating -- either from high school or college.  How weird, huh?  So I made a simple project that I would have enjoyed if I were a graduate -- a gift card holder in my high school's colors of black and gold:

 

Project Details:

• Papers - cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - gift card holder from Wrap It Up, page 47; cap tag from Wrap It Up, page 67
• Embossing - gift card holder with The Paper Studio's Intricate Swirls; white background on tag with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots
• Other - curling ribbon from stash

I wanted some extra color on both the gift card holder and tag, so I carefully traced both the diploma ribbon and lower background area behind the cap onto gold paper.  I then trimmed, pieced, and adhered behind the cutouts.  I think the third color makes it a little more special.

You can enter your graduation-themed projects all week at Fantabulous Cricut -- come join us!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #110 - Mother's Day

Welcome to another fantabulous Monday!  I can't believe it's already May -- can you?  Mother's Day is quickly approaching, so we're celebrating moms this week at Fantabulous Cricut.  Challenge #110 asks us to make a project for mom or a special lady with her favorite color.

I made a fun, framed photo spread of my son for my mother-in-law's gift.  Hubby didn't actually know his mom's favorite color -- typical for a guy, eh? -- so I picked some bright blues, greens, and rust colors to give it a modern, but eclectic, feel:

 

Project Details:

• Papers - patterns by My Mind's Eye: Bohemia; cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - font and heart bookplate from Doodletype
• Embossing - hearts with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots
• Other - 8x10 frame from Big Lots; thread from stash

My little guy and I had a blast this weekend taking photos in the backyard and then printing them from our computer in sepia tones. I wasn't trying to make an affordable gift, but this framed photo collage was low-cost if you're on a budget for Mother's Day gifts.  Since I didn't send the photos to a photo center for processing, the only expense was the frame -- which was a steal for just $2.50!

So often, I'm not sure what to get my mom-in-law -- someone who has everything -- but what grandma doesn't enjoy photos of her pride and joy?  Especially if it's lovingly made with tender cropping care? :)

Do you have a special lady to honor this Mother's Day?  If so, join the challenge this week at Fantabulous Cricut!

I'm entering this project into the following challenge(s):
Exploring Cricut: Celebrating Mother's Day

Fantabulous Cricut: Save the Earth Cricut Crawl

Welcome to Fantabulous Cricut's Save the Earth Cricut Crawl!

In honor of Earth Day, each FCCB Design Team member is featuring an "up"-cycled project that includes at least one reused/recycled item and a Cricut cut.

If you've come from Jamie's Scrap Queen blog, you're in the right place!  If you've just happened across my blog and would like to play along, you can start from the beginning at Fantabulous Cricut.

Make sure to check out each DT member's blog for some awesome inspiration! There will be prizes along the way and a grand prize for one participant that submits a "Save the Earth" project at FCCB!

Now for my project...!

I have tons of gift bags stashed in my spare closet -- always with the intention of reusing them to wrap a gift, but it rarely happens.  I was inspired by our Cricut crawl to actually use one and make it extra-special.  I added some Cricut cuts and used another recycled item -- a page of text from an old book I no longer wanted.  I even made a matching notecard!  I think the result is super chic:

Here's some close-ups...

Project Details:

• Recycled Items - pink gift bag; book page
• Card Base - DCWV Brights Collection (A2)
• Papers - black cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - butterfly and background from Kate's ABCs, page 62; flower from Kate's ABCs, page 68
• Embossing - butterfly and background with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots
• Other - gemstone and pink paper flower by Recollections

I'm really pleased with the result, and I'll probaby try incorporating book pages into more of my projects.  Another variation would be newspaper -- curious to see how it would cut on a Cricut mat. :)

Who's up for some blog candy?  Me!  Just leave a comment below, and I'll draw a winner on Monday, May 7th with random.org to receive the following cute gemstone flowers (sorry, I can only ship to US addresses):

Now it's your turn...let's see your Upcycled-Themed projects at FCCB! Make sure to include a Cricut Cut somewhere on your project, too.

Your next stop is Judy at Crafty Jar -- go see what she has in store for you today.  And when you're done, make sure to link up your project at Fantabulous Cricut to be entered into the contest.

Happy Crawling!

I'm also entering this project into the following challenge(s):

My Craft Spot: Challenge #54 - Mother's Day
Paper Playtime: Challenge #73 - Anything Goes

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #105 - EGG-ceptional Easter

Easter is right around the corner, so it's time to bring out those eggs and celebrate with Fantabulous Cricut!  This week's challenge is to make a project featuring Easter eggs.  I have a super special project for you today -- an Easter layout I recently made for my son's scrapbook:

I had so much fun adding lots of Easter details.  Here's some close-ups:

Project Details:

• Papers - patterned paper by The Paper Studio; cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - "Hoppy Easter" from Celebrate with Flourish; eggs and basket from Doodlecharms, page 30; bunny from Create a Critter, page 26
• Embossing - eggs with Cuttlebug's Perfectly Paisley and Swiss Dots and The Paper Studio's Doodleborders; basket with The Paper Studio's Mesh Texture
• Other - all cuts on pop dots

I love this layout because it's the last time Jonathan agreed to sit with the Easter bunny -- even though it only lasted about three seconds until he burst into tears.  It was stressful at the time, but hilarious now!  He still has an intense fear of "EB" and avoided him like the plague at this year's egg hunt.

Are you ready to show off your egg projects?  Head over to Fantabulous Cricut for Challenge #105 - EGG-ceptional Easter!

I'm entering this project into the following challenges:

Amanda's Crafts and More: Getting Scrappy Challenge - Easter Egg-citement
Carson's Creations: Embossing Blog Hop
Getting Cricky with K Andrew: Simply Sunday Challenge - Easter Blessings
Krafty Girls: Challenge #4 - For Peeps Sake
My Craft Spot: Challenge #50 - Easter

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #103 - Spring Is in the Air

Happy Spring!  It's definitely spring here in Houston -- the trees are getting their leaves, flowers are blooming, and I even have two yellow roses opening in the front yard.  Fantabulous Cricut is celebrating this beautiful season with Challenge #103 - Spring Is in the Air.  The challenge is to make a project featuring at least three flowers.

I had other plans for this challenge until I opened my birthday present from hubby on Saturday -- it was Tags, Bags, Boxes & More 2!  And the scoring tool!  I was so excited -- honestly, I'm still excited! My birthday celebration included some uninterrupted craft time, so I made this cute spring basket from TBBM2:

Project Details:

• Papers - cardstock by Recollections; textured cardstock by Bazzil
• Cricut Cuts - basket from Tags, Bags, Boxes & More 2, page 49; <vine> from Lovely Floral
• Other - handmade flowers, inking rose petals with Stampabilities and Colorbox ink pads

This project was the first time I'd made handmade 3D flowers, too.  I watched this tutorial video by Inna's Creations, and it was super simple and fun to make my own paper rose:

 
The only difference is I didn't use scalloped scissors, but it's definitely something I'll try next time.

Are you ready to make a project with flowers?  Show us your best blooms at Fantabulous Cricut this week!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #101 - Luck of the Irish

Happy Monday! So crazy it's already March, isn't it?  The holiday most people associate with March is St. Patrick's Day -- and I especially like that day because it's my birthday!  Because of my connection to March 17th, I'm excited about this week's Luck of the Irish challenge at Fantabulous Cricut.

Our sponsor this week is Jaded Blossom Stamps, and I got to play with their cute Luck of the Irish stamp set:

I made a shamrock easel card to celebrate the little bit of Irish in all of us this time of year:

 I used Jaded Blossom Stamps for the sentiment and the small shamrock stamp to adorn the message area:

Project Details:

• Card Base - Easel (5x5")
• Papers - cardstock by Bazzil; patterned paper by K&Company
• Cricut Cuts - shamrocks from Celebrate with Flourish
• Embossing - shamrocks with Cuttlebug's Floral Fantasy; background with The Paper Studio's Mesh Texture
• Other - stamps from Jaded Blossom - Luck of the the Irish; white ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon; green ribbon by CelebrateIt Basic Narrows; Colorbox green ink pad; coloring with Le Plume II markers; shamrocks and sentiment on pop dots

How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?   Get in the mood for all things green with this week's Luck of the Irish challenge at Fantabulous Cricut.

One other item of note...St. Patrick's Day is my one-year anniversary of papercrafting with the Cricut!  What a truly awesome birthday present -- the gift that has kept on giving me tons of creative crafting therapy!

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

BBTB2 - Shamrock Challenge
Jaded Blossom - Green Challenge
My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #80 - Happy St. Patrick's Day

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #99 - Fancy Trims

Hooray for Monday and the start of another challenge at Fantabulous Cricut!  This week is all about using fancy trims on our projects -- fabric, lace, or any other type of trim.  Yes, friends, it's the perfect reason to get frilly!

I love ribbon, but as a new crafter, I don't have an extensive assortment of colors and styles.  I was super excited to learn about our sponsor, Really Reasonable Ribbon, and how they supply assortments of ribbon at...well, really reasonable...prices!  I received some great free product from them and made this fun card with three types of ribbon they supplied:

Card Details:

• Card Base - Recollections (A7)
• Papers - patterns from Recollections' Charming paper pack; cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - owl from Create a Critter, page 25
• Embossing - wings with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirls
• Other - trims from Really Reasonable Ribbon

The wide, ruffled turquoise ribbon that Really Reasonable Ribbon sent me was a perfect match to this paper pack I'd been neglecting for awhile.  I added a lace trim on top of the turquoise and also used white ric-rac around the owl's frame to add interest.  I'm really pleased at the result!

I also got to use some of my new K Andrew Designs Art Stamps, too!  The inside sentiment is from the Crafty Friends set I won from Paper Playtime awhile back.

Do you like trims?  If so, go show off all your best ribbons at Fantabulous Cricut this week for our Fancy Trims challenge!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #97 - Love Is in the Air

Today I get to share with you a very special card -- my hubby's valentine!  He promised not to check my blog so I can post it before Valentine's Day and for Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #97 - Love Is in the Air.  (So, hubby, you better not be reading!)

Our sponsor this week is K Andrew Designs Art Stamps, and she shared with the design team some awesome stamps to complete our "love" projects.  I received this Mini Heart set with both sentiments and images:

And here's what I created:

Card Details:

• Card Base - Paisley, page 28 (Card Function) @ 4.5 inches
• Papers - pattern by K&Company; cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - hearts from Doodlecharms, page 26; tag, frame, and "heart" sentiment from Lovely Floral
• Embossing - frame with Cuttlebug's Kassie's Brocade
• Other - stamped sentiment by K Andrew Designs; key by Recollections; inking with red Colorbox ink pad, and brown and pink Stampabilities ink pads; ribbon and glitter from stash; tag and hearts on pop dots

I'm so proud of this card -- it's my first shaker card!  The photo doesn't capture it well, but the heart has a piece of recessed plastic that encloses both the key and lots of red glitter.  My inspiration -- and tutorial -- for making a shaker card with the Paisley cartridge came from a video at Above Rubies Studios.

Would you like a chance to win some K Andrew stamps?  Join us at Fantabulous Cricut with your "love" projects this week for a chance to win!

I'm also submitting this project to the following challenge(s):

CardzTV: Cricut Cardz Challenge #101 - Valentine's Day
Die Cuttin' Divas: Challenge #50 - Anything Goes
My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #78 - Love Is in the Air
Paper Playtime: Challenge #67 - Hearts or Love Theme

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #95 - Label It

This week's Fantabulous Cricut challenge is "Label It" -- create a project using a scalloped or other label shape.  So I pulled out my stash of scalloped circle card bases and Kate's ABCs (a Christmas gift from hubby) to make this notecard for my friend Kathy:

Card Details:

• Card Base - Studio G (5-inch diameter) scalloped circle
• Papers - florals from My Mind's Eye; cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - flowers/vase from Kate's ABCs, page 54; "K" font and background from Kate's ABCs
• Other - ribbon from stash; vase on pop-dots

I'd used my mom's Kate's ABCs cartridge once before, but I was so excited to receive it for my very own.  I have lots of kid-themed and boyish cartridges to scrapbook for my son, but having something so girly is fabulous!

Do you have something you need to label?  Or just love making projects with scallops?  Come join us at Fantabulous Circut for this week's challenge.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

My Sheri Crafts: Challenge #77 - New Things

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #93 - Man Time

Happy 2012!  I hope you've had a wonderful holiday.  My family's Christmas and New Year were very relaxing -- but now that I've had a crafting break, I'm ready to jump in for a whole new year of Cricut creations!

This week's challenge at Fantabulous Cricut is Man Time.  Our challenge sponsor, Boys Rule Scrapbook Kits, provided the design team some awesome papers and chipboard accents.  I used the goodies to make a football-themed bookmark for my hubby in his favorite team's colors:

 

Project Details:

• Papers - football field by Boys Rule; cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - football from Boys Will Be Boys, page 31; "Go Team" sentiment from 3 Birds on Parade, page 46
• Embossing - football with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots
• Other - chipboard arrow by Boys Rule

Now it's your turn -- go showcase a male-inspired project at Fantabulous Cricut for your chance to win some awesome supplies from Boys Rule!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #91 - Trimming with a Tag

It's almost Christmas..!!  Are you just as excited as me...?!  Our family has been busy with our favorite holiday outings and traditions -- and also nursing my little guy through a four-day fever -- but I did have time to make a few tags for this week's Trimming with a Tag challenge at Fantabulous Cricut.

I made these Baby Jesus gift tags to decorate the wrapping for my son's Sunday School teachers' gifts.  It's hard to find gift wrap and trimmings that relate the holiday back to Christ, so I enjoyed making my own packaging to acknowledge God's Perfect Gift.  (Jesus, that is -- not Bath & Body Works.)

Here's a closeup of a tag:

Project Details:

• Paper - cardstock by Recollections; green patterned paper by Me & My Big Ideas
• Cricut Cuts - baby Jesus and star from Winter Folic, page 71; tag from Winter Frolic, page 70
• Embossing - manger with The Paper Studio's Wood Grain; swaddling clothes with Cuttlebug's Distressed Stripes
• Other - inking with yellow and light green Colorbox ink pads; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; baby Jesus and star on pop dots

I'm totally loving how they turned out -- and now wishing that I'd made tags for all the gifts under the tree.  Oh well, maybe next year. :)  Yes, along with 50+ handmade Christmas cards.  (I have very high hopes for 2012, eh?)

Have you made a fun tag this season?  Or used a tag on a scrapbook page?  Go share at Fantabulous Cricut this week for our final challenge of the year.  Happy crafting!

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

BBTB2: Challenge - Winter Frolic Tag
CardzTV: Cricut Cardz Challenge #98 - Tag, You're It
Die Cuttin' Divas - Tags, Tags, & More Tags
Whimsical Designs: Whimsical Wednesday Challenge - Tags

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #89 - Present Time

Christmastime is finally here!  Once Thanksgiving is over, I finally give myself permission to put on my favorite holiday music and bring out the decorations. So I'm excited to bring out a Christmas layout today for Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #89.  This week's theme is present-time, so my layout features my little guy opening his presents on Christmas morning 2009:

I love so many of the cuts on the Winter Frolic cartridge, especially the Christmas tree and stack of presents!  Here's close-ups:

Project Details:

• Papers - patterns by ATD: Wisterberry; textured cardstock by Bazzil Basics; non-textured cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - tree from Winter Frolic, page 48; presents from Winter Frolic, page
• Embossing - tree with Cuttlebug's Musical Flourish; presents with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirls and Swiss Dots and The Paper Studio's Mesh Texture and Doodleborders
• Other - tag and stickers by ATD: Wisterberry; inking with light green Colorbox ink pad and brown Stampabilities ink pad; tree and presents on pop dots; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen

Head on over to Fantabulous Cricut to see the other "Present Time" projects by the design team.  There's cards, tags, and even gifts -- all beautiful creations to inspire you this week!

I'm entering this project in the following challenge(s):
Amanda's Crafts and More: Getting Scrappy Challenge #22 - A Wonderful Christmas Time
Stuck on You Sketches: Die Cut Challenge - Christmas Trees

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #87 - Thank You

Happy Monday!  It's time for another challenge at Fantabulous Cricut!  The theme for Challenge #87 is Thank You -- your card or project must include the words "thank you" somewhere on it.

I'm looking forward to a great Thanksgiving with family this week, so I had to use this opportunity to make just one more turkey card:

 

Card Details:

• Card Base - Recollections (A6)
• Papers - patterns by The Paper Studio; cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - turkey from Create a Critter, page 70
• Embossing - feathers with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirls and Swiss Dots
• Other - brad by 7 Gypsys - Angelo; "Thank You" stamp from Michaels $1 bin; yarn from stash; turkey on pop dots

What are you thankful for?  Show us with a Thank You project at Fantabulous Cricut -- I can't wait to see what you create!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cooking with Cricut: Challenge #60 - Let's Talk Turkey
Die Cuttin' Divas: Challenge #41 - Turkey Time
Exploring Cricut: Challenge #4 - Turkey
Paper Cutz Challenge #117 - Let's Talk Turkey
The Cuttlebug Spot: Challenge - Gobble, Gobble Turkey

Fantabulous Cricut: Harvest Blessings Cricut Crawl

Welcome to Cricut After Dark and the Fantabulous Cricut Harvest Blessings Crawl -- Fantabulous Cricut's version of a blog hop!

It's fall and everyone at Fantabulous Cricut has decided to create projects to give thanks for our Harvest Blessings!   Each Design Team member will be featuring an original fall project that includes brown, orange and red – along with at least one Cricut cut.

If you've come from visiting Jennie at EarthyScrap, you're in the right place! If you've just happened across my blog and would like to play along with our Fantabulous Cricut Crawl, start HERE .

Make sure to check out each DT member's blog for some awesome inspiration. There will be prizes along the way at some of our DT members' blogs, and there will be a Grand Prize up for grabs for a participant who submits a Harvest Blessings project at FCCB!

My project is a turkey place card/decor, inspired by this winner from Michaels' 24-hour Gypsy Challenge in 2009.  I don't have a Gypsy or the cartridges used, so I improvised with my own -- and I really like the result:

Project Details:

• Papers - stripes by Me & My Big Ideas - Autumn; cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - feathers are <trap1> (Upright) from Opposites Attract, page 62, cut at 3 inches; body is same, cut at 5 inches, rolled and taped; head is <round> (Upright) from Opposites Attract, page 63, cut at 1.75 inches; beak is <yourday1> (Italic) from Cricut Classic Font, page 71, cut at 0.75 inches folded; waddle is <turkey1> (Layer 4) from Simply Charmed, page 61, cut at 1.75 inches (real dial size); tag is <cute> from Playtime, cut at 2.5 inches; "grateful" sentiment is <pilgrim> (Phrase) from 3 Birds on Parade, page 41, cut at 1 inch.
• Embossing - feathers with The Paper Studio's Doodle Borders; tag with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots
• Other - inking with brown Stampabilities ink pad; hand-drawn eyes

Because one of my harvest blessings are you, my crafty friends, I have a little giveaway, too.  It's one of my super bargain finds -- a QuicKutz embossing folder!

To qualify for the giveaway, please leave a comment on this entry.  I'll select a winner with random.org on Monday, November 21, around 7am (Central).  Please note I can only ship to US residents at this time.

Now it's your turn! Let's see your Harvest Blessings projects!  Make sure to include a Cricut cut somewhere on your project and be sure to use the colors Brown, Orange and Red as well.

Next stop is Jewel's blog, My Beautiful, Crazy...Scrappy Life.  Go and see what she has in store for you today.  And when you're done, make sure to link up your project to FCCB's Fantabulous Cricut Crawl post to be entered into the contest!

Happy Crawling!

I'm also submitting this project to the following challenges:

My Sheri Crafts:  Challenge #73 - Be Thankful
Whimsical Designs:  Challenge - Happy Turkey Day

Coming Soon: Harvest Blessings Cricut Crawl @ FCCB

The design team at Fantabulous Cricut has a fun Cricut Crawl (our version of a blog hop) coming November 14.  It will be my first blog hop, so I'm super excited!

Check back here or at FCCB next Monday to follow along with some great autumn and harvest projects!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #84 - For the Birds

Happy Halloween!  It may be the day for ghosts and goblins, but we're looking skyward at Fantabulous Cricut.  The theme for Challenge #84 is For the Birds, and you're encouraged to use a bird, birdhouse, or birdcage on your projects for this week.

It's also a new Design Team term at FCCB, and I'm so honored to be continuing on with this talented group of ladies.  Welcome to the new DT members, and best wishes to those who are moving on to other awesome things!

My project is a layout for my son's scrapbook of his preschool's annual Holiday Celebration last year.  The kids sing both Thanksgiving and Christmas songs, so that's why you see both turkeys and Baby Jesus in the photos!  There's also a photo of the turkey centerpiece he made out of handprints and bath tissue rolls.  Isn't it cute...?!?!

I actually made this page at my retreat in September, and I'm happy it features a turkey so I can share it for this challenge:

 

I'm really proud of the inking on the leaves and other details, so here's some close ups:

 Project Details:

• Papers - patterns by The Paper Studio; cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - turkey from Simply Charmed, page 61; leaves from Creative Memories: Cheerful Seasons, page 56
• Embossing - turkey feathers with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirls
• Other - sentiment sticker by The Paper Studio; inking with red, dark green, orange, and yellow Colorbox ink pads and brown Stampabilities ink pad

Are you ready to make a project for the birds?  If so, head over to Fantabulous Cricut and share your creation!

Scrappin' Saturdays at Fantabulous Cricut

Hi, crafty friends!  I just wanted to let you know I've started doing the Scrappin' Saturday posts over at Fantabulous Cricut.  Go check out today's post about Halloween mini-albums.

After seeing such wonderful inspiration, I want to make a mini-album of my own.  It may have to wait a few weeks, though, because I'm deep in a tablescape project.  It's a peacock theme with lots of sparkles, feathers, and jewels -- I'm so eager to post about it, but the event isn't until November 7.

Yep, I'm waiting impatiently... :)

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #82 - Purple People Eater

Are you hungry?  Well...the Purple People Eater -- this week's theme at Fantabulous Cricut -- is!

I made a fun Halloween card featuring a purple monster for this challenge -- and it was a challenge for me because this card is completely Cricut-less.  The monster is from this week's FCCB prize sponsor, SVG Attic.  Since I've never worked with these file types before, Amy Jo (my fellow design team member) cut and mailed this cute little guy to me.  Thanks, Amy Jo!

Card Details:

• Card Base - DCWV Brights (A2)
• Papers - ATD - Spookytown Collection
• Cut - monster by SVG Attic - Mommy's Monsters
• Embossing - monster with Cuttlebug's Spots & Dots; orange background with The Paper Studio's Doodle Borders
• Other - sentiment sticker from ATD - Spookytown Collection; googly eye from stash; pompoms by Recollections; doodling with white Gelly Roll pen; monster on pop dots; inking with purple Colorbox ink pad

I just love the sentiment sticker -- perfect for a purple people eater!

Now it's your turn to celebrate Halloween with a hungry, purple monster!  Head on over to FCCB to see more projects for inspiration and then link up your own creation!

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #80 - Pumpkin Time

I'm finally recovering from a flu bug -- or something miserably enough like it -- long enough to show you one of the projects I did on my scrapbooking getaway at Rivendell Ranch.  This two-page layout is also my project for Fantabulous Cricut's Challenge Me Monday #80 - Pumpkin Time.

This time of year, pumpkins make me think...Halloween!  These scrapbook pages feature my son trick-or-treating last October:

 

Here's a few close-ups of my favorite Cricut cuts on the pages:

Project Details:

• Papers - patterned papers by ATD - Spookytown Collection; cardstocks by Recollections and The Paper Studio
• Cricut Cuts - pumpkin from Simply Charmed, page 60; bat from Simply Charmed, page 59; candy from Doodlecharms, page 63; spider from Doodlecharms, page 62; background shield from Elegant Edges, page 25
• Other - inking with Colorbox purple, lime, and orange ink pads; "trick or treat" sticker and "candy please" tag from ATD - Spookytown Collection; Cricut cuts elevated on pop dots

I've been holding onto these ATD Spookytown papers for almost six months -- and I love, love, love them!  They are just perfect for a toddler/kid Halloween layout and match so well with the Simply Charmed cartridge's styling.  I'm really pleased with how these pages turned out, and I hope they'll inspired you to have some "pumpkin time" too!

Remember to check out the other pumpkin creations over at FCCB.  My fellow design team gals have some AMAZING projects this week.  I can't wait to see what you create!

I'm also entering this project in the following challenge:

Paper Playtime: Challenge #57 - Black, Orange, & Purple

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #78 - A Pirate's Life

Happy Monday!  It's Challenge Me Monday at Fantabulous Cricut, and this week's challenge is A Pirate's Life.  YO-HO!

My project is a little different than your typical pirate-themed craft -- it's for a girl.  (Yes, girls can like pirates, too!)  I used pinks and greens for this simple card, as it's for one of my son's toddler playmates.  She loves Jake and the Neverland Pirates on The Disney Channel and any kind of animal, so I chose this cute octopus cut from Create a Critter:

Card Details:

• Card Base - Studio G (5x5")
• Papers - pink polka dots by Heidi Grace Designs; textured cardstock by Bazzil Basics; all other cardstock by Recollections
• Cricut Cuts - pirate octopus from Create a Critter, page 42
• Embossing - Doodle Borders by The Paper Studio
• Other - inking with pink Stampabilities ink pad; octopus on pop dots

Hope you like my clean-and-simple card.  Now, it's your turn to head over to Fantabulous Cricut to share your own pirate creation -- ARRRG! :)