Cricut Circle Weekly #54 and Make it Monday #58

So who doesn't love a good latte from time to time--me!!
Look what I came up with tonight, love it when I can combine two challenges!

Supplies:
Love you a Latte Cricut Cartridge for the donut
Art Noveau Cricut Cartridge for the letters
I used Copic E33 and E37 plus Letraset Walnut inks for the background
The stamping is with the Heart 2 Heart set from Papertrey ink
inks used are Papretrey Pure Poppy, Papertrey Classic Kraft, Ranger Archival ink
embellished with May Arts Jute String and a couple atyouSpica markers


I like how the blending turned out, not sure on the embellishment


Want the details of the challenges?

Cricut Circle
Weekly Challenge #54: Decorative Letter Challenge!

The Challenge: Create a scrapbook page, card, home decor item, or other project where you include a word of your choice. One or more of the letters in your chosen word must be replaced by a Cricut shape. For example, replace the letter “o” in the word LOVE with a heart.

Rules and Guidelines: Circle Blog Challenges are open to Cricut Circle Members only. Your project must be newly created for this challenge and include atleast 2 Cricut Image Cuts. You must submit a project to be entered into the Challenge Prize Drawing. One entry per person, please

And the MIM challenge is:

If you are joining along this week, here are the details concerning the Make It Monday Challenge.

--A new Make It Monday Challenge will go up every Monday morning at 9am EST.

--Create a project utilizing your take on the challenge. Your project must use at least one Papertrey product and some sort of graduated background.

--Post your project on your blog, in your gallery or on any other photo-hosting site(such as photobucket or flickr).

Cooking with Cricut Challenge #72

ANOTHER GREAT COOKING WITH CRICUT CHALLENGE!! 

 (find it here)

THEME-CHALLENGE: Grown-up Valentines theme.  

You must use a brad and the color black on your project. 

This challenge is hosted by three Cooking with Cricut Design Team members:  Kemma (that's me!), Dalis and Michelle !!




I was inspired to do something different for this card.  I had heard of tea bag folding in an iris folding class I took in December at my local library.  I was searching through some of my books and happened to find one showing how to make this design.  It involves taking little squares of paper and folding them up rather intricately and then putting them together to form a pattern.  I used George and Basic Shapes cartridge to cut out 8 2x2 pieces for the center design since I did not have a square punch that size, using the white side of the paper for half, and the design paper for the other half.  That is one of the neat things about having a Cricut, I can make a bunch of the same shape really quick and easy with it.  


Supplies
Cutmates Licorice card stock
AC Cardstock in red
Bazzil white
flower paper is from the DCWV Summer stack
Bard door Ranger distress ink
zig 2way glue
a bow brad I got from a set from HSN.com
George and Basic Shapes Cartridge
heart blocks Cuttlebug texture folder

My first shaker card

It's a shaker card!  Yea that is glitter there in the butterfly.  My boyfriend really likes butterflies so I made this valentine with that in mind.  It has some static in the glitter it looks like, so there is a little sticking but I think you can see the bulk of the glitter at the bottom :)
I got this idea from PaperTrey's Blog and really wanted to make it.  I don't yet have any PaperTrey supplies so I could not enter this there.  I wanted to make something with my Cricut, and for this project I learned that you cannot cut craft foam without a deep cut blade.  I also tried this the first time with zip dry glue, nope you really do need to use the sticker maker as they show in the blog.  Wow, the second one I made was so much better!  That is the one that I used.

This is entered in:
http://www.creativetimeforme.com/2012/01/throwback-thursday-challenge.html
http://fantabulouscricut.blogspot.com/search/label/Challenge%20Me%20Monday
http://reasonableribbon.blogspot.com/2012/01/rrr-challenge-40-valentines-day-theme.html


Supplies
The Paper Co, Kraft Cardstock
Bazzill, Sugar Cream Cardstock
K&Co, Suzy Ultman Lion Sleeps Pink Heart Circles paper
BasicGrey Urban Prairie Weather Vane Cardstock
craft foam
acetate (repurposed from a set of stamps)
atyouSpica, Sand
atyouSpica, Blossom
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Glue Dots
My Creative Time Stamps, This & That
glitter from Walmart
Xyron Sticker Maker
Tim Holtz Distress ink, Broken China
May Arts Jute Burlap, black and natural
Cricut Cartridge, Paper Trimmings

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #50

This is such a simple neat dimensional technique.  Scraplifted from blog.basicgrey.com/?p=1630

Art Nouveau Cartridge Tulip 2 design cut at 5 inches with shift, shift layer 1 and  layer 2 cut 3 times
Bazzill Cardstock in Walnut Cream, Ivy, and Classic YellowGreen
The Paper Company Natural Cartstock (Kraft)
My  Minds Eye So Sophie "Open your heart" Berry Stem two sided card stock
Ranger Distress ink in Tea Dye, Tattered Rose and Wild Honey
atyouSpica Black marker
Cuttlebug Script Texture embossing folder
PK238 Pocket Posies stamp set for the sentiment
October Afternoon Sidewalk twine
Archival Ink in Sepia
ATG gun (new, oh yea! see previous blog post)
Xyron Sticker Maker
Zig 2 way glue
Crop-a-dile Corner Chomper, stub/deco
hole punch

I cut the kraft card stock at 4.25 x 11 and folded for a top fold card of 4.25 x 5.5.  Then I cut the cream cardstock at 4 x 5.25, embossed it and adhered it.  I used my Xyron Sticker maker to adhere the two layers of green.  I then folded each of the top petals of the flower in half and layered them with a very thin line of zig glue in the center and let dry.  Then I could fold up the top two layers, creating the dimensional effect.  I edged the petals with distress ink, one with rose and one with honey.  I stamped the sentiment on a scrap of the kraft and then trimmed it, eyeballing the final size leaving a nice edge all the way around.  Then I punched the edges with the corner chomper and distressed them with the tea dye.  I punched two holes in the bottom and tied a bow with string.  I adhered it with the ATG.

Tim Holtz Distress Ink Collection.

My collection is growing.  Got 4 new ones last night.  I really like using this sheet provided by Tim Holtz.  I wish they had another one for the seasonal ones, but I just put those around the edge.  I wish I would not have missed the one from this past fall, but will just have to keep an eye out for when spring is out and get those.  I am hoping for more purple.

I have organized all my inks and printed out labels for each for the front and then rubbed some of the ink on the label, to give a color, which really makes it easy to use.  I then stuck velcro on the bottom to stick my little ink blending foams to.  Works out great!~

Cooking with Cricut Challenge #67 Something New

For this challenge I needed to use something new. The only crafty thing I got new was some ink blending foam pads (which I did use on this) but Katie got the Give a Hoot cartridge for Christmas so I borrowed that from her.

This card I made using a different type of fold.  To create this card, and so it will fit in the A2 envelope, cut your card base at 11x4.25 and then score it at the 2.75 and the 8.25 marks and it will fold nicely and meet in the middle.

Supplies
Kraft card stock (and envelope)
October afternoon 5&dime striped paper
Bazzill Basics Classic Yellow Green
My Minds Eye So Sophie  Your heart card stock
few scraps from my scrap bin
Ranger Distress inks in tea dye, wild honey, dusty concord and forest moss
Zig 2 way glue
Gelly Roll Clear Star
Birthday stamp from Hero Arts
Cuttlebug bubbles embossing folder

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #48: Creative Resolutions for 2012 Challenge!

The Challenge: Whenever the New Year rolls around, we tend to do a little self-evaluation and decide what we want to do differently in the year to come. For the challenge this week, we want you to think about your CREATIVE resolutions and record them in some way. Do you want to stretch your creativity in new ways? Maybe you want to try a new hobby or learn something new. Maybe you want to simplify. Whatever it is, get those goals down on paper!

So to start my project, I thought about what creative things do I want to accomplish this year.  Here is my list

• complete unit 1 of the Frances Forestner Weaving course
• declutter the craft areas
• enter every 2012 Cricut Circle weekly challenge
• plan and save for a possible 2012 Cricut Cruise
• update both weaving and papercraft blogs regularly
• sew at least 1 garb item for myself
• sew at least 1 garb item for Michael
• sew at least 1 garb item for Brian
• organize my paper scraps
• organize my completed projects
• do one project for charity
• start a scrapbook
• take more photos

Then I decided to make something I could track these as well.  And I wanted to be able to hang it up in my craft area.  So I designed something simple, used my Circut with the Art Philosophy cart to create the words (welded in CCR)  then I used some grommets to make holes I could put strings through for the little tags (cut with same cart) and I can move them to each section: To do, Started, and DONE!  I already have one as started even though its not 2012 as this challenge is due Jan 5th, so I think that counts!

 Overall sign, about half a sheet of 12x12 paper

 Close up of the little tags

Close up so you can read the words. There are some empty spaces in this sign, and no real major decorations.  My feeling is to randomly add embellishments to it as I learn new things in 2012.

Supplies

The Paper Company Natural Cardstock (words and tags)

Teresa Collins World Traveler Geometric cardstock (the red paper)

DCWV Green Stack for the blue background

2012 is from the October Afternoon sidewalks schoolroom sheet

CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge

I used a dozen different Tim Holtz Ranger Distress inks that I have

grommets from my stash, chose different ones for each hold, favorites 

twine from Really Reasonable Ribbon

and I just got a Xyron Sticker maker, so I ran the words through that and it was fabulous!

Day 8 of 25 days of Christmas Crafting Fun at Cooking with Cricut

Day 8 April Showers and or Easter Themed

Made with Imagine Enjoy the Seasons Cartridge
DCWV card base
Hello Sunshine patterned paper
Ranger distress ink in Scattered Straw, Barn Door, and Broken China
Really Reasonable Ribbon ribbon and twine
buttons from stash
Pop Dots
Gelly Roll Clear Star Pen

Day 3 of 25 days of Christmas Crafting Fun at Cooking with Cricut

Day 3 Christmas Elf, Santa's Helpers, Workshop, etc

Echo Park Season's Greetings Collection of papers, including their sheet of stickers
Bazzill Basics paper
Gold card stock I was gifted
Really Resonable Ribbon Twine
Liquid Applique
sparkly markers
Ranger Distress ink Tattered Rose
Pop Dots
Peachy Keen faces
i-roc gems
brads, button and paper flowers from my stash

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #46: Flower Fusion Challenge!

For this one I used the new Cricut Craft Room 3d bows and made this lovely little bow.  I printed the paper with my Imagine using Snow Angels cartridge.  The little gift tag is one I made last year in a class and decided to use it!  Flowers are from my stash.  I layered them.  The bottom flower was already inked like that, but I took one of the new Ranger Distress inks for the holidays and inked the top flower.

Weekly Challenge #46: Flower Fusion Challenge!

The Challenge: We all have them in one form or another . . . flowers! Most of the time we buy them in a package, use a few, tuck them away and then forget that we have them. This week’s challenge we want you to shop your stash and incorporate purchased flowers into your project, whether it’s a card, layout, home decor item, etc. Be sure to include atleast 2 Cricut Image Cuts on your project.

Rules and Guidelines: Circle Blog Challenges are open to Cricut Circle Members only. Your project must be newly created for this challenge and include atleast 2 Cricut Image Cuts. You must submit a project to be entered into the Challenge Prize Drawing. One entry per person, please.

How to Enter: Submit your entry using the InLinkz tool found at the bottom of this post. Please post your full name along with your entry. Entries are due by 9:00 pm MST on Thursday, December 8th, 2011.

Prize: We will select one winner to receive $25 in credit added to their Cricut.com account. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery from winner announcement.

Winner: The winners will be selected randomly from qualifying entries using www.random.org and will be announced on the Cricut Circle Blog on Friday, December 9th, 2011.

……………………………………………………

Peachy Keen Sketch Challenge #65

Here is my card for the Peachy Keen Sketch Challenge #65   The elf is made with a stamp and is paper pieced.

Supplies
Peachy Keen Stamp PK_334_Lauri_Loves_Skip_Faceless_Elves
Echo Park Season's Greetings Collection of papers
Bazzill Basics paper
Really Resonable Ribbon Twine
Liquid Applique
sparkly markers
Ranger Distress ink Tattered Rose
Pop Dots
a circle punch I have

SKETCH CHALLENGE w/ a TWIST

Create a card OR layout based on the sketch & use

PAPER PIECING in your project!

Not sure how to paper piece? 

• Using your stamps, stamp individual elements onto different papers and "piece" them together!

Thankful cards

These cards are for Thanksgiving

Here is a little placecard, that can have a name written on it.  I used Art Philosophy and Elegant Edges Cricut cartridges for both these cards.

Supplies used

DCWV card base
Bazzill Paper
Bella Blvd Paper
Club Ruby cardstock
Orange Ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Thankful Stamp from this month's Club Ruby Kit
the little leaves are from Club Ruby also
Ranger Distress Ink
Peachy Keen Faces stamp
Sizzix Triad Leaves embossing folder

These are for the Cricut Weekly and Monthly Challenge and the PKConnection challenge

Giving back at the Holidays

So as some of you may know, I am a Design Team member for Cookingwithcricut.com and have been having a great time with that group of folks.  One of my fellow DT ladies had a request on what to do with holiday cards that are made for challenges
http://funkycards.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-feel-love-novemberdecember.html and I had some cards I had made last year that I thought, why hang on to these, here is a great cause to send them to!  Yea useful! So I mailed those off and they were quite well received.

That got me thinking, hmm what can I do locally.  I have two friends that both have children that have cancer.  One is doing very well, one is having a hard time.  They both have had to be in the hospital on holidays.  And I thought to myself, self, would the hospitals like to have some cards or ornaments?  So even before I found a place to send them I started making them until I filled up a box of them. I got a bug and just had to do it, took me two days to make them. I stopped all other projects-I was inspired.  When they were finished, well, then I had to find a new home for them.  I tried several contacts and could not really find a definite place associated with the children's hospitals locally to send them to.  Then I thought, wait, where else besides the hospital have the kids had to go?   Ronald McDonald House.  One of my friends has had to stay there many times here recently, as they live over an hour away from the children's hospital in Indianapolis.  I searched out their website, emailed someone I thought would be a good contact, she immediately forwarded me to the right person and within a day I had a place who would love to have my box of ornaments and cards - YEA!  So they will be shipped off today, going to the post office now on my lunchtime.  My only goal in this, is if by chance one of these ornaments or cards will brighten at least one person's day.


Ready to be mailed, many ornaments and a few blank inside cards for them to let anyone use.  I made the cards with the Ribbons and Rosettes cart and my Cricut Expression 2 machine

 On each ornament I wrote something for encouragement.

I cut them out with my Cricut Imagine using the Snow Angel cart.  I embelished with glitter pens and stickles and viva decor pens, some little ribbon bows I tied, and punched them and added twine for the hanger.


This is my feel good for the holidays.  I think I will make this an annual thing.

CWC #59 Fruits, Harvest, Cornucopia, etc.

Here is my first foray into doodling.  I may not have it down yet.  Before all I have done is the little lines for false stitching.

Cartridges
Enjoy the Seasons for the Apple
Wild card for the card shape

Supplies used
Bazzill Papers
Ranger distress ink, tea dye
RRR twine
A stamp from Joanns
Sizzix Floral Flourishes embossing
Pine green, black and red twinklette marker
Gelly roll clear star
Viva decor Ruby Glitter Liner

Tacky Tuesday

I used some of my paper scraps for this card, so I dont know the manufacturer for sure.

Cricut Cartridge for the card shape is Wild Card.
Cricut Cartridge for the frog is Spring Fever Holiday.
I free cut the lily pad.
He is textured with the Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles and distressed with Ranger Peeled Paint ink.  I used my twinklette marker and white Galaxy marker for the design around the edges and the lines on the frog.  I used a Gold Vivia Pearl Pen for the little dots.  The bow is twine from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

PK#64 and RRR35

Just got to love challenges, and I really like it when I can incorporate two into one card.  I really like how this one turned out. I had just gotten the new Ribbons and Rosettes Cricut Cart and had to find a way to use it.

Supplies:

Bazzill Basics Great Tea  paper
Bazzill Basics white Prismatic
The Paper Company Black cardstock
EchoPark plaid (used both sides)
Ranger Distress ink Forest Moss
Glue Glider Pro
Zig 2way glue
Really Reasonable Ribbon's twine in three colors
i-roc gems
Zots
gold and silver Stickles
and a stamp that I found in my stash for the sentiment.


Cricut Cartridges
Ribbon and Rosettes
Winter Wonderland

The challenges:

SKETCH CHALLENGE-----------------------------

Create a card OR layout based on the sketch provided

 Peachy Keen Stamps are not required for this challenge, 

but if you've got them, we looooove seeing how you create with them!

• Project must include basic elements and layout from the sketch (feel free to flip anything!)
• Project must be new, created for this challenge
• Link up by November 14th {the collection closes at 11:59 pm Central on 11/14}

The theme for Challenge #35 is Christmas.

Create a card, layout, multi media piece, tag, ATC, hair bow, you name it. Just be sure to follow the theme above and use ribbon/lace or trim somewhere on your project.  

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• 
  

My Creative Time's FIRST Design Team Call!

How exciting to be able to submit a project for My Creative Times' Design Team call!  At the bottom under my supply list is a quote from My Creative Times with the info.  It would be terrific to work with the great talent of Emma and her team.  I am having a lot of fun as a member of the Cooking with Cricut Design team, which is not a sentiment based stamp company.  They are really a great bunch of folks and I enjoy every moment. I would really appreciate an opportunity to design for My Creative Times.

There are so many different projects I would love to create to submit for this, so many choices on what to do.  I wish I had some of My Creative Time's stamps, there are several sets that interest me.  Since I don't have any, I thought I would find something I have that is close to the ones that My Creative Time's offers, and I have to say I do not have many that can even compare.  The one I chose, I think, is at least close, and thought it was really nicely themed with the card idea and layout I planned.  I hope you all like it!

I created the snowflake paper by embossing on white card stock, with white snowflakes randomly stamped all over.  Then I used several Ranger inks in shades of blue and inked the card stock.  I think it really turned out nicely.  I created my lovely snow lady with my Cricut Expression 2 machine.  I used my alcohol markers to put a subtle shading on the left side of the snow lady.  I distressed the hat and scarf and then added a little sparkle with the gelly roll pen.  She is raised with pop dots.  My sentiment is stamped and embossed in navy and then decorated with little dots around the edge with my white Galaxy marker.  I used a punch I had for the shape.  I added a ribbon with a knot and then used an old snowflake punch I had to make a few snowflakes, which I distressed with a faint color and then used small zots to pop them up.


My supply list for the card:
Cricut Cartridge Winter Woodland.  Snow woman cut at 4.75 with shift, blackout, shadow and layers
Bazzill and CutMates paper
Echo Park Dots and Stripes paper
Ranger Distress Inks in Tea Dye, Broken China, Faded Jeans, Weathered Wood, and Fired Brick
Glue Glider Pro
Zig 2 way glue
Ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
CTMH Sentiment Stamp
several snowflake stamps I have that have no label on them
Versamark ink
White and Navy embossing powder (no name)
Galaxy white marker
atyouSpica Black sparkly marker
Letraset Pro Sky Blue and Arctic Blue, plus blender alcohol markers
Clear Star Gelly Roll pen
pop dots
Zots



http://www.creativetimeforme.com/
And though I WISH I could have each and every one of you on my Design Team - that would be A LOT of members to keep track of (and I already have 3 boys to keep track of at home. Yes, that includes my DH)! Therefore, I have to choose a select few to showcase my stamp line and really bring out its best features. Because of this, I'm requesting that should you be chosen as a member of my DT, you not join or currently be serving as a Design Team member for any other "Sentiment-Based" stamp companies during your term. Thanks so much for understanding! Also, you would need to have a blog to participate!
Please create ONE project for this call. It can either be a card, layout, home decor item or a 3-D item! It would be nice to see my stamps used in your projects, but if you do NOT own any, please feel free to use what you have!
It would be a 3 month term, you will be required to do 1 to 2 blog hops a month & complete approx 8 (this is including sneak peek week)  projects a month!


Your entry MUST BE A NEW PROJECT especially for this DT call!;)
The deadline is Saturday, October 29th @ midnight to link your project up below!
I will announce my new DT on Friday, Nov 4th!
GOOD LUCK MY SWEET CREATIVE FRIENDS!

Thanks so much!!

-Kemma

Cooking with Cricut Challenge #56

I really enjoyed making this card.  I started with the sketch, got an idea and found a wonderful digi-stamp at papercraftingworld.com and then worked the rest around it.

The fun thing about a sketch, is that you do not have to do it "exactly" and can use the general idea and then make it your own.  Here is my interpretation:

Basic Ingredients needed for this card:
Cricut Cartridge and Cricut machine
Blank Card
Two sided paper
Distress inks
Embossing powder
Embossing ink
Heat Gun
Scissors
Twine
Ribbon
glue/tape/pop dots

My recipe starts with the Just Because Cards for the large scalloped background cut from Life of the Party by Basic Grey paper, and distressed around the edges with Tea Dye Ranger distress ink.  I have several types of ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbons and used those for the three strips under the image.  For the square, I grabbed a piece from my scrap bin, and inked the edges of it with Vintage Photo Ranger distress ink.  I used Cricut Essentials for the little sentiment tag, stamped it with a stamp from JoAnns, and embossed it with Zing Metallic embossing powder.   For the focal point of the card, I used the Indiana Jones kitty from Paper Crafting World, and printed it on my printer on matte photo paper.  I embossed the band of the hat with the same metallic embossing power and then colored the blue on the gift with Wet Looks embossing markers and used Ranger superfine clear embossing powder over it.  I used some twine and made a bow and adhered it with a Zots.  I then trimmed all around the cat as best I could and then went around the edge with a black marker.  To really make the cat the focal point of the card I used a bunch of pop dots to raise it up.

Thanks for checking out my blog!
-Kemma

Cooking with Cricut Challenge #55

Hello everyone!!

I am so excited to announce that I have been selected for the Cooking with Cricut design team!  I look forward to working with everyone.

Here is my card for Challenge #55, teddy bear, cake or cupcake.

For this one I used a Bazzill Basics white card stock and embossed it with the Cuttlebug birthday folder.  I then used Dusty Concord Distress ink and lightly rubbed it over the embossing to pick it up.  I used Gypsy Wanderings cart for the star using some scrap paper I had, and drew a white line with a gel pen.  I then used Best of 2006 (which this cut is also on Doodlecharms) for the cupcake using more scrap paper.  For fun, I had some mini cupcake liners that happened to go along with the color theme I was doing and cut one out for the liner on this cupcake!  I added stitching with the white gel pen and then colored in the candle with twinklette markers.  I took three strands of Really Reasonable Ribbon's twine and tied a bow, using colors from the cupcake.  I hope you like it!

Weekly Challenge #41: Interactive Elements Challenge!

Weekly Challenge #41: Interactive Elements Challenge!

   

My supply list:
DCWV card
The Paper Co Natural Tan Cardstock
4 cuts from Cricut Everyday Paperdolls for the faces
Peachy Keen Funshine Face parts stamp
Making Memories Pink Brocade Flutter
Pink Chalk
Tattered Rose Distress Ink
Ranger Archival Black Ink
Zip Dry Glue
Scotch 2 sided tape
Fancy Pants Design Little Sprout sticker sheet, used 1 sticker
Scrap Ribbon
Eyelet from stash
Brads from stash

The Challenge: For this next challenge, we want to see you add an interactive element to your project.  For inspiration and a few ideas, be sure to check out our designer, Charity Hassel’s Interactive Element Blog Post HERE.
Rules and Guidelines: Circle Blog Challenges are open to Cricut Circle Members only. Your project must be newly created for this challenge and include atleast 2 Cricut Image Cuts. You must submit a project to be entered into the Challenge Prize Drawing. One entry per person, please.