BLOG AWARD!!!

I received my first Blog Award...woo hoo!!!

Thank you so much to CheyenneMarie from EC Design Sudio for this thoughtful award!

"Now with great power comes great responsibility, or so they say, and this award comes with strings:

Say thanks to the one who sent it to you.

Tell us 7 things about you.

Pass it to 15 followers/friends."

Okay, seven things about myself...here goes:

1.  I grew up in Oklahoma and lived there until I got married

2.  I have a Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology

3.  I met my husband of nine years on a college Spring Break trip in Florida!

4.  I've lived in four states in the last 8 years

5.  I LOVE chocolate covered toffee...my absolute FAVE!!!

6.  I consider my scrapbooking hobby a "habit"...seriously  :)

7.  My dream would be to open my own scrapbook store and surround myself with paper and embellishments ALL DAY LONG, 24/7!!! 

The 15 followers/friends I am passing this award onto are:

1.  Laura at "Barnum & Bailey"

2.  Vicki at "Wizard's Hangout"

3.  Karen at "Karen Pederson"

4.  Lisa at "Lisa's Creative Corner"

5.  Jen at "Jen's Jewel Box"

6.  Lori at "Clearly From The Heart"

7.  Kerry at "Kerry's Paper Crafts"

8.  Mel at "Mel Stampz"

9.  Jana at "From My Feathered Nest"

10.  Rose at "Pink Lemonade"

11.  Robin at "Robin's Creative Cottage"

12.  Lea at "Lea's Cupcakes and Sunshine"

13.  "Bug Junkie"

14.  Kathy at "Paper Phenomenon"

15.  Monique at "MonkeyDoodle Cricut"

Whew...LOTS of talented, super-fun ladies and their blogs.  Go check them out!!!  And thanks again for the award...soooooo proud!  :)

Sock Cupcakes!!!

I've been meaning to post these for a while, but I just forgot about them until tonight!  "Rach1" on the Cricut Messageboard was SOOOOOOO kind to send me the DS .cut file for the wrapper.  THANK YOU!!!  You can check out her blog at Rachie's Scrap Spot.

All it takes to make this is your Cricut, a sheet of paper (this is a print by Sandylion) and a pair of fluffy socks (I got these from the M's dollar bins!).  Oh, and a pom pom for the cherry on top.

Simply roll up the sock, toe first, and place inside wrapper.  Gently pull the inner-most part of the sock up and adjust the layers as needed.  Then pop a pom pom on top and ta-da!  What cute, inexpensive gift!

Top view:

I plan to put these individually into some cello bags, wrap a cute ribbon and a tag on them and give them to teachers, friends, etc. when I need a last-minute gift!

Thanks for looking and have a creative day!!!  :)

"First..." Layout

This layout is based on one I saw in the 2006 Scrapbooks, Etc. "Baby" publication, made by Vicki Boutin.  It's the Mess Maker on her "birth" day...isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?!?!?  I wanted to do the red and blue color scheme b/c of the colors in the photos (you know, those hideous newborn hospital blankets?) but I thought it looked a little "boyish".  So I added a TON of flowers and ta-da! 

I used the Cricut Storybook cartridge to cut the circle and petals for the flower.  The sentiments and doodling are my writing.  Try not to look too closely at me...retaining LOTS of water and post C-section...DEFINITELY not my most flattering shots.  :)

Thanks for looking and have a creative day!!! 

"Family" Layout

I went to my first crop in probably 5-6 years last night...man, I've missed those!  I can definitely tell you I'll be going back...super fun girl-time, chocolate and a free Make-n-Take!  Beats cropping alone at home!  :)

While cropping, I came up with this layout.  It's to put in the Mess Maker's baby scrapbook (I know, it's like three years overdue).  I only have 10 pages to go until it's done, though...WOO HOO!!!!!

This layout is mix of products, most of which I've had for a LONG time and don't know who the manufacturers are.  I used the Cricut Storybook cartridge for the marquee frames for the title and journaling.  I used CTMH stamps for the small sentiments and lines on the journaling block.  The brown flourish is a rub-on, the ribbon is from Michael's (I think) and the punch on the border of the cream patterned paper is by EK Success.

Thanks for looking and have a creative day!!!  :)

The Noise Maker's FIRST HAIRCUT!!!

The "kid haircut" thing is new to us.  The Mess Maker's hair just DOES NOT GROW!!!  With the exception of a couple of trims in "Mom's Beautyshop", she's never had a haircut.  Three years, and her hair isn't any longer than her shoulders!!!

We waited as long as we could to get the Noise Maker's hair cut, but I couldn't stand it anymore.  He's just now 11 months, but his hair is OOC!  I've already trimmed it 3-4 times and it still is constantly in his eyes.

Soooooo, we took him to Great Clips.  Must say I wasn't impressed with the job they did, but hey, it's an 11-month-old, right???  :)

P.S.  THANK YOU to the stylist that was so kind to take photos while I sat with the Noise Maker in the chair.  (The CFO was busy trying to keep the Mess Maker occupied and not screaming in horror at the fact that we were getting TNM's hair cut...don't ask.)

Photo Cube & Photo Stand Combo (Boom-Di-Ada)

When I saw the My Creations Cube by CTMH I wanted to come up with something to do to it to "alter" it a bit...to make it more than just a photo cube.  So I decided it'd be super-fun and super-cute to make a photo stand out of it!  This cube ships flat and then you just tie up the corners to make it into the 3D cube. 

To make this photo stand, I inked the edges of each side and then used CTMH's Boom-Di-Ada paper collection to decorate the sides and top.  I added photos and embellishments (CTMH, craft supply) to each side and the top.  Then I used my Soft Set Eyelet Tool (CTMH) to set two small eyelets (accented with inked flowers) into the top panel of the cube (see photo below). 

Before tying the top corners together (with string from Hobby Lobby), I hot glued a piece of styrofoam into the bottom of the cube.  Then I took some 14 gauge wire (Home Depot) and manipulated two pieces of it into swirls (to hold additional photos) and stuck the ends through the eyelets and down into the foam.  Ta-da!  Photo cube/photo holder combo accomplished!!!

Then I just added some flowers and coordinating My Stickease stickers to the stems of the photo holders and that's it!  Here is a view of the other two sides of the cube:

Thanks for looking and have a creative day!!!  :)

"Hoppy" Birthday Card (Sweet Treat Cup)

This card was made using SU! Sweet Treat Cups.  I saw a couple versions of a Sweet Treat frog card HERE and HERE, but both used SU! punches (which I don't own).  So, I went ahead and purchased a 1 3/4" punch from Hobby Lobby (it's really the best way to accurately place the circle cut-out for these treat cups in my opinion) and then cut the rest of the card with my Cricut.

I used George for the body parts on the frog, WIMG for the dragonfly and Storybook for the tab (Marquee diecut).  The dimensions for the body parts are as follows:

Tummy:  circle 2 1/2"

Legs:  skinny oval 2 1/2"

Face:  oval 2 1/2"

Feet:  flower 1" (cut in half)
Eyes:  circle 1"

Eyes (white):  circle 1/2"

Eyes (black):  circle 1/4"

The dragonfly was cut at 1/2" and the tab (marquee) was cute at 1 1/2".

Then, I followed Crystal's (from "Crystal&Akiko) directions for making the slip-out tab for the sweet treat cup:

She has a great video tutorial on how to do this!  To summarize, I cut a hole in a piece of white cardstock in the same location on the piece as I placed it on the card front.  I used Terrifically Tacky Tape to make a sideways "U" around the treat cup, leaving one side open, and then adhered the white cardstock.  Then I slipped the green piece of caerdstock (cut smaller than the width between the pieces of tacky tape) between the card front and the white piece of cardstock to cover the hole.  Now when the recipient pulls on the tab (stamped with a "sweet" sentiment from CTMH), he can gain easy access to the candy (and not have to rip up the card!!!).

P.S. The blue dragonflies on the card front are made by stamping two hearts (CTMH) sideways, layering the points in the middle!  And the yellow dragonfly cut with my Cricut is popped with a foam dot for dimension.

Thanks for looking and have a creative day!  :)

Easter Egg Accordian Album

The orginal idea for this album came from the April 2007 Issue of Scrapbook Trends Magazine and was created by Lisa Pace.

I decided to recreate this little album for the upcoming holiday, so I would have a place to showcase the Mess Maker and the Noise Maker's Easter photos.

I used CTMH's Boom-Di-Ada papers and the My Creations Memory Showcase Accordion Album (6x6).  I used my Cricut to cut the eggs (Doodlecharms) and the grass (Zooballoo).  I inked everything, including the base of the accordion album.

I inked two flowers and added pearl centers.  Then I cut mini flowers from George and added them to the grass.  I stamped two sentiments onto tags and added them to the flowers.  Now I just need to add some photos and journaling!

Thanks for looking and have a creative day!  :)

Flag & Tag Mini Album

This album was made by following a great tutorial by Patti at Creations by Patti.  Her flag card inspired this mini album!

 

Top view:

I used the cutting dimensions Patti gave in her tutorial, using solid colored cardstock as my base rather than patterned paper.  Then I adhered patterned paper (CTMH-Perfect Day) on the front and back covers and for the inside pockets.  When you pull the covers of this book apart, the "flags" pop in opposite directions, making this a super-unique little album!

I stamped on each of the smaller flags, and also on my tags (CTMH) and inserted the tags into the front and back pockets.  These would be great for extra photos or journaling.

Once closed, I added a cardstock strip around the album and adhered a decorative frame (Home Accents cartridge) to the top with foam dots.  Then I inked a flower and added a button to finish.

Thanks for looking and have a creative day!!!  :)

Valentine Goodies!!!

Here are some little cuties I received from my SUPER-talented friend Elizabeth from Animal Scraps!  Can you believe how CUTE these are???

Here is a mini mailbox, just big enough to hold two Hersheys Nuggets stacked on top of each other (which are obviously missing because I couldn't let them sit there anymore and stare me in the face!!!)...made completely out of paper!

And this is a little envelope that held a Ghiradelli square (also missing...what can I tell you, I have a sweet tooth!):

And last, but definitely not least, this beautiful card:

How sweet!  Thanks so much Elizabeth!!!  Go over and check out her blog...she has some awesome creations to share!  :)

WINNER!!! (Of My Blog Candy) & Reader Inspiration!

I had some AWESOME entries for my blog candy giveaway and I want to announce the winner of the CTMH Stamp Set.......(drum roll, please)......it's PinkDalmations for her SUPER-cute "Family" word book!!!

Inside view (last page):

Isn't that adorable???  Congratulations PinkDalmations!!!  Be sure to email me your mailing address and I'll send your stamp set to you! 

Here are the other super-awesome entries I received and I wanted to highlight their beautiful work...thank you to everyone that entered and submitted a project!  You've inspired me and I'm ready to go create!!!  :)

Here's a beautiful painted canvas by Emily:

Here are two awesome painted/altered wall canvases by Laura:

And here is a nifty cookbook rack by PinkDalmations (her other entry) that folds up under the cabinet when not in use:

*Note:  Entries that did not link to a specific project were not considered for the giveaway, as they did not meet the specific requirements of the contest. 

Thanks again ladies, for the AWESOME and inspirations projects!!! :)

***UPDATE: Since it has been over a month and I have not heard back from my winner (after two attempts at contacting her) I will now choose a NEW WINNER!!!  Drum roll, please...EMILY!!!  Congratulations Emily!  This stamp set is sooooo fun and is just waiting for you to come up with something beautiful to use it on!  Thanks again for entering!!!

Bikini Card :)

I LOVE making cards, but I typically just get one of those store bought generics for my husband for his brithday, Valentine's, etc, mainly because he's a guy and I always think he could probably care less what's on a card.  BUT, then I saw an example of one of these and decided he would DEFINITELY appreciate this kind of handmade card!!!   :)

The base, bra and panty were cut with Design Studio (see below for file details).  I added some red trim to the top of both the bra and panty.  Then I cut the hearts with George and ran them through my printer to get the sentiments.  The heart on the bra is attached with a rhinestone crystal.

The only problem with this card is that it SOOOOOOO is not true to life!  It's amazing how absolutely dissimilar it is to my body.  HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Jen over at Jen's Brain Things was kind enough to send me this Design Studio .cut file for this cutie.  If you would like this file, just head over to her blog and send her a quick note.  She's awesome!  :)

Teapot Tea Gift Box

I saw a gift box made from a chipboard apple by Amy Scheffer at Pickled Paper Designs and thought, wouldn't it be cute to do a teapot and put some tea bags in it for a friend???  :)  I, too, got my chipboard shape (teapot) out of the Dollar Spot at Michael's.  It's a five-page chipboard album but I just took two pages off and used those.

I covered both the back and the front of each piece by tracing the teapot onto the cardstock and cutting it out.  I also inked ech piece.

For the box (between the two teapot pieces) I followed Amy's tutorial, modifying the size a bit...mine is 5 1/4 x 7 and is scored at 2" on each side.  This size fits better between the teapots and is a better size for holding tea bags.

The 3D flowers were cut with George at 1 1/2".  I used three blooms for each flower (nine total).  I cut two petals off of one flower and overlapped two petals to make the inner part of the flower.  Then I cut one petal off of another flower and layered two petals over each other to make the middle layer of the flower.  I snipped the point of each of these pieces and then layered them with a whole flower.  Each flower was inked and then all three pieces were put together with a brad.  To finish, I curled the edges of the petals with my fingers.  I added some leafy ribbon to the top of the teapot and attached the flowers.

The tag was cut with Tags Bags Boxes and More at 1 1/2".  I stamped the sentiment (CTMH) and attached with a foam dot.

Thanks for looking and have a creative day!  :)

Lollipop Flower Bouquets

How cute are these?!?!?  I found a couple of examples of these both on the web and on the Cricut messageboard, but the super-awesome tutorial I went by came from Kathy over at Paper Phenomenon.  She does awesome work and I just loved her video tutorial on this!  Following her step-by-step directions, I made a bouquet of five lollipop flowers in each pot as a gift for the Mess Maker's preschool teachers for V-day!

These are super-easy and inexpensive to make and I think they are the cutest things ever!  The close-up photo above shows a single flower.  I used TootsiePops but you could use any lollipop really.  I've seen some with clear-wrapped lollis and they looked super-cute, too.

To make these little darlings, you'll need the following supplies:

Pink and Red die-cut flowers (I used George and cut them at 2 1/2")

Lollipops

Green ribbon

Tacky Tape and Hot Glue

Flower Pot (I painted mine red)

Trim (optional) to go around pot

Styrofoam ball

Green Easter grass

I inked the edges of each flower petal to make them pop a little.  Then I used Terrifically Tacky Tape to hold the pink flowers closed once I snipped them (see Kathy's video to see what I'm talking about) instead of hot glue.  I didn't hot glue the layers of the flowers together, because I found that I didn't need to once the ribbon was tied on tightly.  I did wrap the grass around the ball like the suggested and hot glued it into the pot.  Then I just inserted these cuties and ta-da!

Have a creative day!  :)