Just Buggin Challenge #20: "On Horseback" Layout

This week's Just Buggin Challenge #20 is called "About Pets": make a project featuring a pet (and of course use at least one Cricut die cut on your page!). Though the Mess Maker doesn't actually own a horse, I figured this layout still met the "pet" criteria, since some people actually do have pet horses! :)

This photo was taken at our local petting zoo last October when her cousins were in town. Up until that point, this normally timid and fearful (of EVERYTHING, especially large animals!) little girl wouldn't have had anything to do with horseback riding. But this day, she said, "I want to ride the horse", completely unprompted! So she did (three times) and had a blast. This is a moment I definitely wanted to capture!

For this layout, I used Geroge to cut the large background circle and the recently released Paisley cartridge for the horse die cut. How cute is this little horsie?!? It's actually a unicorn, but I just cut the horn off and ta-da! I layered the Chocolate and Colonial White cardstock (CTMH) for the main part of the horse and used black cs for the shadow. I used the Magic Moments patterned papers (CTMH) for the saddle and cut one of the little circle designs from one of the sheets to decorate the saddle (I also inserted a glitter brad in the middle).

I also used the Opposites Attract cartridge for the title. Using the "opposite" feautre, I cut the letters out of Colonial White, then used the "opposite shadow" feature to cut the shadows from black cs. I didn't like the stark look of the plain white letters so I decided to use one of my favorite stamping techniques to give them some detail: after cutting the letters with the Cricut, but BEFORE removing them from the sticky mat, randomly stamp over the letters using a coordinating stamp and ink. Then when you remove them, they have a perfectly coordinated random stamp pattern that complements the other patterns in the layout!

Supplies used for this layout: (all CTMH unless stated otherwise)

Magic Moments Level 2 Paper Packet

My Acrylix Stamp Set: "Dream Big"

My Acrylix Stamp Set: "Connections"

Adhesive Backed Rhinestone Frames

Ricrac in Hollyhock

Organdy Ribbon in Hollyhock

Twinkle Brads Jolly Assortment

Foam adhesive dots (Craft Supply)

black cardstock (Craft Supply)

Thank You Cards (CTMH Boom Di Ada Collection)

I made these thank you cards using the Boom Di Ada patterned paper collection from CTMH.  To make the "thank you" stamped square, I combined several "thank you sentiments" from different CTMH stamp sets and randomly covered a 4x4 acrylic block with them!  Using Olive ink, I stamped the sentiment onto Colonial White cardstock and then rounded the corners.

I wrapped coordinating ribbon around the square, adhered a green flower (craft supply) and then layered a circular "thank you" sentiment in the center.  Then I matted the square with Boom Di Ada paper and adhered it to the card base.

Thanks for looking!!!  :)

Valentine Mail Boxes

These plain white mailboxes are from the dollar bins at Target...aren't they fun?  I bought one for the Mess Maker and one for the Noise Maker for Valentine's Day to put some treats in.  Now that I think about it, what kind of "treats" can a 9-month-old really have???  Hmmm...

I covered the body of the mailboxes with this cute paper from Three Bugs in a Rug.  I used my Cricut for everything else.  The frog, turtle and "xoxo" are from the Paisley cartridge, and the names are from Plantin Schoolbook.  I added some white swirls (hard to see in the photo) to the pink part of each animal with a white opaque pen.  To finish, I tied a red ribbon on the flag.

Thanks for looking!  :)

Just Buggin Challenge #19: "Treasure Life" Card

This week's challenge (#19) over at Just Buggin is called Stamping Fun: stamp on our project (and of course use our Cricut!). 

For this card, I used the Home Accents cartridge to cut the brown decorative frame from Chocolate cardstock (CTMH) and George to cut the circles from Felicity patterned papers (CTMH) and Chocolate cardstock.  For the stamping, I used the new "A Tweet" My Acrylix stamp set, which will be introduced in the new CTMH Idea Book, due out Jan. 1.  I used the birdie, branch and sentiment from this set. 

I cut out the birdie, inked the edges and adhered him to the square with foam dots for dimension.  I accented the stamped tree branch with mini Chocolate flowers and mini brads (craft supply).  I also added a mini brad for the birdie's eye.  I matted the design with Twilight cardstock and added a Desert Sand cardstock strip, both inked on the edges.  Before adhering the frame with birdie and sentiment, I tied some thin brown and tan ribbon (craft supply) around the front of the card and tied a bow.  Then I attached the frame with adhesive dots for extra dimension.

CTMH supply list:
Colonial White cardstock (card base)
Twilight cardstock (card mat)
Desert Sand cardstock (strip)
Felicity Patterned Papers (circles)
Chocolate cardstock (circles, decorative frame)
A Tweet My Acrylix Stamp Set
Exclusive Inks: Twilight, Chocolate, Desert Sand
Chocolate Mini Blooms
Other:  mini brads, narrow ribbon (craft supply)

Thanks for looking!  :)

Quick Project: Crochet Flower Butterfuly Mini Card

This is just a quick little 3x3 mini card I made up yesterday.  I saw a card with a crochet butterfly and I decided I could make a butterfly out of one of my CTMH crochet flowers!  I folded the top two petals behind and adhered them down with glue dots.  Then to make the butterfly body I added a photo corner/brad and tied a ribbon to the brad for antennae.  I matted it with a pink die cut circle (Storybook cartridge) and lace cardstock and added a sheer pink polka-dot ribbon.

Thanks for looking!  :)

The Noise Maker is FINALLY getting well...

He has seriously had three ear infections in like three months.  ARGH!!!  Not only that, he had all the green guck coming out of anywhere it could, and to top it off...pink eye (which he gave to the Mess Maker...and now potentially me).

That photo was two days ago...poor little man.  But here he is this morning:

Looks to me like someone is feeling a little bit better.  :)

Oh, and I just can't resist posting this one as well...two peas in a pod:

The Mess Maker is 3!!!

I can't believe my little girl is three years old!  Wow, where has the time gone!?!?  As I read her some books last night, I remembered back to three years ago when I was in the hospital, having just delivered her and I was thinking about how different my life was just moments before that event.  And I realized that my life is so much happier, full and blessed now that I have her and the Noise Maker!

Happy Birthday "Bug"!!!  :)

Toilet Paper Roll Mini Album (CTMH Caboodle Collection)

This is another mini album made out of toilet paper rolls.  I just love these!  When people ask me what I do to save the environment, I say I recycle and make toilet paper roll albums.  HAHAHAHA!

This one is made with the new CTMH Caboodle collection which is super-fun and "Spring-y".  I'll be teaching a class on this one later this month.

I used my Cricut to cut the tags (inserted inside the flattened rolls) from TBBM which allows for extra photos/journaling/storage.  I also used WIMG to cut the flowers.

I stamped two journaling blocks (CTMH My Acrylix "Frame Of Mind"), matted them with coordinating cardstock and cut them out, then punched holes in them and added them between the pages of the album.

Thanks for looking!  :)

My Creations Acrylic Album (Topstitch Collection)

This is an album I made for an upcoming class I'm teaching...it's the CTMH My Creations Acrylic Mini Album and the new Topstitch paper collection.  I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this color and pattern combo!  And I'm super-happy with the way this album turned out.  Can't wait to add photos/journaling!

I used the coordinating "Love Is In The Air" My Acrylix stamp set that came with the Topstitch Workshop on the Go as well as the new "Charmed" My Acrylix stamp set. 

I used my Cricut to cut circles from coordinating cardstock to adhere to the tabs.  Then I added stamped images, paper blooms, buttons and die cut flowers to accent them.

I added CTMH "Love Letters" and "Love Story" rub-ons in Chocolate throughout the album and on the cover as well.

I used my Crop-A-Dile to punch holes in the ends of the smaller pages to make "tags" and then tied ribbon through the holes.  These will make great journaling spots.

I added ribbon (craft supply) to the binder rings as well as through the buttons, tags and around the cover.  I also used coordinating Chocolate CTMH brads and buttons in Chocolate and Colonial White.

I think this album is absolutely perfect to hold photos of the Mess Maker and Noise Maker...both pink and blue to represent each of them!  :)

Thanks for looking!

Best Ever Banana Nut Bread!

Photo from http://www.donutstodelirium.com/

Thought I'd take a break from the papercrafting for a moment and share with you a FABULOUS recipe.  I was sitting at the table eating dinner tonight and noticed the extremely over-ripe (i.e. black) bananas in my fruit basket.  It reminded me of my most favorite banana bread recipe which I haven't made in forever!

This recipe is originally from a lady named Margot Ross, who submitted it to the Tulsa Ballet Theatre Guild for an annual cookbook (I suppose for a fundraiser for the ballet) called Nutcracker Sweets in 1983.  My mom had this cookbook and cooked from it occasionally and so did my grandma.  When my grandma passed, this was one of the cookbooks I was given.

I've made this recipe so many times that the book automatically opens to this page!  The best part about it?  It's E-A-S-Y!!!  I can barely type right now as I'm inhaling the aroma of this heavenly treat...  :)

Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients: 

3 ripe bananas

1 C sugar

1/2 C shortening

2 eggs

1/2 C water

1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 C flour

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 C chopped pecans (I use walnuts)

Mash bananas with sugar and shortening (I use my Kitchenaid mixer).  Mix in all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour in a greased loaf pan (I use three mini-loaf pans).  That's it! 

If you try it, let me know what you think!

Just Buggin Challenge #18: Mickey & Friends Centerpiece (AND a Minnie Mouse Cake, Too!)

This week's Just Buggin Challenge #18 is called "In The Shadows":  use the shadow or blackout feature on your project.

The Mess Maker's third birthday party was this past weekend and she just HAD to have a Mickey theme!  I borrowed the Mickey Font cartridge from my AWESOME and talented friend and got to work on this centerpiece.  I used the shadow feature on the "3"s to add definition, and then punched some holes in white cardstock using a standard hole punch and added those circles to the "3"s.

Then, using the blackout feature, I cut each character's face from black cardstock.  I used the facial details feature for each character's face in the appropriate colors of cardstock.  I also cut an additional blackout of each character's face in black so that when I attached the faces to the lollipop sticks, I could cover up the stick by adhering the additional layer on the back.

I inserted each stick into floral foam inside the red pot and added a silver spray and twisted pipe cleaners (wrapped loosely around a ballpoint pen and then attached to lollipop sticks).  For additional detail, I added large red sequins to the twisted pipe cleaners.  Lastly, I tied a black and white polka dot bow around the pot.

In addition to the centerpiece, I also altered some plain red paper plates by adding a Minnie hat to the edge, and made a Minnie Mouse cake, inspired by this cake I found while doing a Google Images search for Minnie cakes:

The white circles, black Minnie mouse heads, mini red bows, large black circles (ears) and large white bow were all formed out of gumpaste (by hand, not Cricut....though I TRIED and TRIED to get my Cricut to do this for me!!!).  The black balls around both layers of the cake are Sixlets that came in a bag of just black, also available in other colors, at Hobby Lobby.  This project made me realize that I am DEFINITELY not a cake decorator...HAH!  Think I'll just stick to paper projects!!!  :)

Thanks for looking!

CTMH Dry Erase Board (Silhouette Collection)

This project was designed by my fellow CTMH consultant The Goofy Scrapper and I want to make sure she gets full credit for this project!  I've been wanting to make these for a while but couldn't decide exactly how I wanted to do it...until I saw hers!!!  :)

This dry erase board is made with a cheapo 8x10 frame and some GORGEOUS CTMH papers from the Silhouette collection, along with December's Stamp Of The Month (Notice The Details) and the Chocolate Alphabet (small).  It's almost an exact copy, with just a few small differences in the small embellishments.

We'll be making these at this month's Home Decor Club meeting...can't wait!!!

Thanks for looking!  :)

CTMH My Creations 6x6 "You Rock" Accordion Album

Something about the new CTMH "You Rock" paper collection screams "TEENAGER" to me!  It's super-fun, bright but a little grungy...everything a teenager exudes.  :)

This is a class I'll be teaching this month.  The layout for the pages come from the CTMH Reflections IV 6x6 Scrapbook Program.  I've had this template since I started scrapbooking with CTMH about 8 years ago!  I haven't pulled this program out in years and for some reason I decided it'd be perfect for this project.

This program leaves the album pretty open-ended, which is good for those that aren't sure exactly what photos to use and how they want to place them right when they're making the album.

Thanks for looking!

CTMH Veranda Collection Accordion Gift Purse

Here's another accordion purse I made using Close To My Heart's new Veranda collection.  I'll be teaching a class on this one this month!  The original design is by Maria Bell of Stampin Inspirations.

Thanks for looking!  :)

CTMH Calendar/Planner with Boom-Di-Ada

I recently taught a class on this planner, which was based on a design by my upline.  This planner is made with Close To My Heart supplies, including the My Creations 3-Ring Binder, Boom-Di-Ada papers, My Acrylix Chocolate Alphabet (small), My Acrylix The Works Alphabet set and My Acrylix Beautiful Flourish set, along with CTMH Exclusive Inks pads.

I matted each calendar page on some old envelopes I've had laying around for about 8 1/2 years (they're extras from my wedding invitations)!!!  The envelopes can hold receipts, tickets, reminders or anything else you need to keep organized by month.

This binder has 5 sections, so I included sections for birthday/anniversary card reminder lists and shopping lists.  To complete this album, I adhered a notepad to the inside back cover (my upline's idea) which can be removed and replaced when empty!

When the year is up, just add more invitation size evelopes with new calendar pages and it's ready to go for the next year!

Thanks for looking!