Cooking with Cricut #100

Welcome to Cooking With Cricut’s very special SURPRISE “Thank You” Blog Hop. Why is it so special? There are a couple of reasons! The first reason -- it is our 100th Cooking With Cricut challenge and the second (and most important) is to thank our wonderful leader and “Executive Chef” Melinda Beltran.

Melin started the Cooking With Cricut challenges in October 2010 to encourage crafters to find new and different ways to use their Cricut cartridges. And she has accomplished that and so much more! She has given scores of crafters a place on her Design Teams which quickly turned into a sisterhood of women, who care for each other; who encourage each other; who lift each other and their families up in prayer; and who have shared their hearts and their art through many outreach projects.

So this is our SURPRISE “Thank You” tribute to our beloved Melin! If you came from Jenny J’s blog, you’re in the right place! If you’ve joined us in mid-hop and would like to start at the beginning, please 

head back to Cooking With Cricut – you won’t want to miss any of these awesome cards!!

Today's my last post as a Designer for Cooking with Cricut.  My paper crafting is shifting focus away from Cricut and I felt it was time to pass on the reins.   It has been a lot of fun this past year and I have really enjoyed everyone on the team.  Please continue to follow me, and see where my crafting goes next.

Today's challenge is:
Black & White – use black and white and a small amount of kraft/neutral paper.

For today's card, I used a kraft base, and a black background.  I cut out the little cloud type shapes with CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge.  The bird is a die from Papertrey Ink with matching stamps called Tweet Talk which I cut out of craft and stamped with True Black and raised with a pop dot.  Inside the card it says "it's your birthday" in black.  Simple but fun!   I donated this card to Madison's I feel the love campaign.  

Thanks so much for hopping with us. We hope you’ll join us and leave your own “thank you” in the comment section for Melin at CWC! Now it’s time to head on over to Court – she’s the next stop on this party train!

Thanks for baking with me!  
Kemma

Cooking with Cricut #95

Today's Cooking with Cricut Challenge asks for you to use buttons and/or brads on your project.  I cut out the sentiment from the Wild Cards Cricut Cartridge.  I took a Tim Holtz Distress Marker and tried to add a little shading to the sentiment, not too bad, but could be better.  I punched the butterfly with a punch I had.  Then I added some white twine and three fancy flower brads to the sides.  I put the brads on the flower paper before I adhered it to the base, which I distressed just a tiny bit with Tim Holtz

Thanks for baking with me!
Kemma

Cooking with Cricut #94

This week's Cooking with Cricut challenge is for Madison's Feel the Love project.

For today's card, I had this lovely butterfly that I had cut out for another project and didn't use from the Paper Trimmings Cricut cartridge.  I decided I wanted to use this butterfly and then looked at what I already had-you know, you probably have one too, a box or folder of things cut out that you decided not to use and saved.  That is what I used to get this one started.

For the card  I used a white card base.  I stamped butterflies with Beautiful Butterflies (Papertrey Ink) using Terracotta Tile, Summer Sunrise and Harvest Gold (Papertrey Ink) inks.  I had a cut out hexagon grid also in my extras box made with a hexagon die (Papertrey Ink) so I sprayed it with glimmer mist.  I cut out a few of the hexagons to make a little place for the sentiment which is from Happy Hexagons (Papertrey Ink) stamps and inked with the Terracotta Tile.  On the butterfly I used some multicolored stickles on the body and inked around the edges with Harvest Gold.  


I will be sending this (along with an envelope) to Madison this week!

Thanks for baking with me!
Kemma

Cooking with Cricut #87

Challenge #87

Pinkalicious - use your favorite shade of pink and add satin -- either flowers, ribbon or fabric.
Here is my take on this fun challenge!

I used Mini Monsters Cricut Cartridge for the fun little 'stinky' guy, and the under layer, which is hard to see here, is printed with Blast Off pattern on the Imagine. On the top layer, originally I had it white, then decided to get out several of my Papretrey Inks and smudge him up! I drew stinky lines around him with a sparkly gelly roll pen. Then I used a pretty satin ribbon to finish this card off.

Thanks for baking with me!

Kemma

Cooking with Cricut Blog Hop

Welcome to PaperCraftingWorld.com & CookingWithCricut.com's Love Song Blog Hop! Love is in the air and our Designers have come up with some great Valentine's Day projects inspired by their favorite love songs.  I am so glad you stopped by!  This is my first blog hop and I am SO excited to share with you today.

If you arrived here from visiting Jenny J. @ Crazy About Cricut  you're in the right place. If you're joining us mid-hop and would like to start at the beginning click  here to go to Paper Crafting World’s Cooking With Cricut blog to start from the beginning!

I was inspired by a famous love song, can you guess what it is? Keep reading to find out!

Here is the card I created:

Song name and artist revealed at the end so keep reading!

This was such fun to make with the Spring Fever Holiday Cricut cartridge and Cricut Craft Room!! I really like the lite cartridges, they give you a little from a bunch of the larger cartridges and you can get such a wide variety of images with them. I replaced the dial part on this design with my own. I created it in Cricut Craft Room using a basic circle shape (a bunch of circles!) to make the 3D effect of a real rotary phone. Each finger hole in the phone is just that circle shape. Took me about 30 minutes total to get them really lined up how I wanted it. Then to get the numbers in the right place I lined up the plain under circle and the top cut dial circle and wrote the numbers in before using a pop dot to raise it up. Here take a closer look:

I was  trying to make the details as I remember my grandmother's phone.  I recall the strange letter/number phone number she used to have in the center of the phone.  No it wasn't BR549 lol.  And then when I was about to cut the mat for the background look what I noticed was written on this fun paper.....

I had to make the Chance Encounter a focal point too :) What fun! So....have you guessed the song yet? Keep reading!


We hope you’ll join us and link up your favorite love song inspired project at CookingWithCricut.com. One lucky entry will be chosen by random.org to win a $10.00 gift certificate provided by PaperCraftingWorld.com! And make sure you leave a comment, too!

AND just for visitors of my blog, I have to give away a little bit of blog candy since this is my first!  In order to win these sweet little folding Fiskars scissors, which are great to take places like crops and classes or to keep in your purse.  You must be a follower of my blog and leave me a comment below by noon EST on 2/14/2012 for your chance to win.  Be sure to leave me your email address.  If I do not have a way to contact you I will chose another winner.  You will have a week to claim your prize.

Well, we are almost to the end, did you guess the song?

My Inspirational song: “I Just Called to Say I Love You” – Stevie Wonder

Thanks so much for hopping with us today. Now head on over and visit Madison @ Funky Cards and see what she has created!

Supplies:

October Afternoon Modern Homemaker stack patterned cardstock

DCWV Mat Stack red cardstock

The Paper Company Natural cardstock

Bazzill Basics black cardstock

Versamark

Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Antique Linen

atyouSpica black pitch marker

GellyRoll clear star marker

Zing emboss powder, silver

i-rock gems

ATG gun

pop dots

Xyron Sticker maker

Cricut :

Spring Fever Holiday

Cricut Craft Room Basic Shapes

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

Cooking with Cricut Challenge #70

THEME-CHALLENGE:  Anything but a card must add Polka-Dots and the color yellow.   This challenge can be found at http://www.cookingwithcricut.com/


I decided to make a book mark for this challenge.  The sentiment looks like it didn't stamp well but actually its a Tim Holtz stamp, which tends to stamp with that distress look he is known for.  It looks better in person :)


Supplies
Walk in my Garden Cricut Cartridge
Floral paper is from scrap bin
DCWV adhesive mat stack, neutrals
Bazzill Basics Classic Yellowgreen
Ranger ink, scattered straw
Versamark ink
yellow embossing powder
RRR ribbon, in yellow with polka dots!
Archival Ink, sepia
Tim Holtz Flights of Fancy stamp

Peachy Keen medium polka dot print stamp

Gelly roll clear star pen
Zig 2 way glue

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 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

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.

Baby Bag

I made this bag for a baby's first birthday present.  What I am making for her present is a little cloth memory type game.  Each square has a dark gray background and then a colored square on top of it.  There are two of each color.  To add to the project, I made each colored square out of a different texture of fabric, fuzzy, stiff, soft, silky, etc.  I will post a photo of that when it is done too.  I liked the idea so much I have another baby and another soon to be here baby I am making these for as well.

Supplies used
Bazzill Paper, Cricut Birthday Bash, Echo Park Paper, Doodlebug Paper, atyouSpica glitter marker, Really Reasonable Ribbon, Zots, Zig 2way glue, ink and stamps from my stash and a brown paper bag from JoAnns

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.  

******************************************

• 
  

Let's Face it Friday - Creepy Cute!

Just love Peachy faces, here is another challenge that I had a lot of fun with
http://peachykeenstampschallenge.blogspot.com/2011/10/lets-face-it-friday-creepy-cute.html

I went to my one and only local scrapbook store, Archiver's, and they did a make and take of a little luminary.  So I decided I wanted to try some at home.  Well, I didnt want to buy that face punch and tried to hand cut out the face with an exacto knife, well, I didnt like that at all.  So I decided to use the little things I mad and redo them with some fun little Peachy faces!

http://www.archiversonline.com/ideas/home-decor-martha-stewart-jack-o-lantern-punch-luminaria-3355
is the basic luminary pattern, without the punch.

The little ghost is from one of the paper dolls Cricut Carts, and the bat is from Doodlecharms.  I distressed them with Ranger distress ink, tried forest moss on the bat and orange marmalade on the ghost.   I used Peachy Keen faces for both.  Added some sparkle with my sparkle gell roll pen.  I did not have any neat little sentiment stamps for halloween, so I printed out these on the computer then punched them.  Added some ribbon to one and then twine for the other.  They can be filled with candy for a nice little treat!

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