This cake's for you!

Time to make a birthday card!  I used the From My Kitchen Cricut Cartridge to create this slice of cake.  I wanted it to look like a slice of German chocolate cake, so chose a lighter brown paper and a chocolate brown for the middle.  I used the Sizzix Big Shot to cut out and emboss the white paper in the background that says, "Happy Birthday!" I used a scrap of blue paper with brown little flowers to pick up the chocolate in the cake and the blue in the brightly colored, patterned card stock.  I popped the cake up with foam tape to give it some dimension.  To tie it all together, I used a sheer ribbon at the top. Ta-da a cute little birthday card!

More fun with Create a Critter

This shape card was inspired by a friend who has an alligator collection.  Her birthday was coming up and I knew I wanted to make her a special card.  I used my Cricut Create a Critter Cartridge to cut out all of the layers of the alligator and an additional background layer.  The additional background layer became the card base to write on.  I used foam tape to really make the layers pop! She was amazed at all the layers and just kept looking at the card.  I also distressed as much as possible to try to tone down the bright green coloring and make it a little more alligator like. I ran a few of the layers through my Big Shot to add some texture.  I moved it from a layered alligator to a card by using the additional back layer and brad.  I hid the brad behind one of the ridges on the back. It was a fun little project to put together!

This card is DinoMite!

I have to admit when I think of purple dinosaurs, I think of Barney.  So, I wanted to be really careful with how I designed this loveable dinosaur.  Living in Colorado, everyone knows another purple dinosaur...Digger! In case you don't know, Digger is the mascot for the Colorado Rockies.  Slightly more masculine than Barney, I decided I could get away with a big purple dinosaur. 

Trying to use up some scrap paper, I chose a purple gingham print for the background. I used foam tape to layer my dinosaur that I cut out from Create a Critter on my Cricut cartridge. I ran one of the layers of the dinosaur through my Big Shot and a Cuddle Bug folder. I like that it gave the skin a little texture! I went around the edges with some ink to distress and added purple stickles to dress up the card.  I also used a light green cardstock to mount the dinosaur on, so he didn't just blend in to all the purple paper.  On the light green paper, I ran it through the Big Shot with a nesting set I had.  That created a natural frame.  I think the card turned out really well.  I gave it away for Father's Day and wrote, "I hope you have a dino-mite father's day!"  Lots of fun and it brought a big smile to the face of a special dad.

Hip Hip Hooray

I have been crazy busy with work and only had small amounts of time to make cards in the past year.  I have in those small moments found time to make some fun cards. I also just finished my Master's degree and realized I might have time again in my life to do some of the things I love, like take pictures and make cards!  I even spent some time in my craft room cleaning the other day! Anyway, enough with the chit chat, here is a sweet little card I made.

I used my Cricut and the Create a Critter Cartridge to cut out the Hip Hip Hooray and the Hippo.  Rather than keep a plain old "o" I added a flower with a teal bling in the middle.  I also used foam tape between every single layer of the hippo, which made it really stand out and added some life to this little critter.  What I love about this card is that it has endless possibilities! I gave it to my niece for her first birthday and wrote, "Hip, hip hooray it's your first birthday today!"  Really, you can hip, hip hooray anything.

An Apple A Day

I love challenges because they make me think outside of the box and often use shapes I wouldn't have otherwise thought of. For example, an apple! Out of all my Cricut cartridges I have several apples to choose from. I haven't ever played with any of them, until today! Jitterbuggin' had a challenge requiring the use of a red, yellow, and green color scheme; to add something black; use an apple; and of course to use their sketch and a Cricut! Here is the sketch:

I played with my color scheme and some fun argyle papers I have had on hand.  I started with a yellow cardstock base.  I added a rectangle piece of plaid print paper, a red and off white checkered ribbon, a yellow oval cut out of the Plantin Schoolbook Cartridge and an apple cut out on a green argyle paper from the same cartridge.  I bumped the yellow oval up with some foam adhesive. My touch of black was three tiny buttons.  To make some additional borders and make everything pop, I distressed all of the edges with dark brown ink. Here is my card:

I like how the card turned out and am hoping I remember to give it to someone for either fall or Johnny Appleseed Day!

Happy Birthday Sister!!!

I made this card for my sister's birthday on August 17!!! She is all things beautiful, cheery, and classy. Happy Birthday Naomi!

Time to use some Scraps

One of my very dear friends came to visit this week. She happens to love to craft like I do, so we spent a few hours making cards. Since this was a spontaneous endeavor, I suggested we use scraps, since I have tons. We each filtered through the scraps and picked enough out to make a couple cards. Below are my cards!

This is my Father-in-Law's Birthday Card. His birthday is the end of August. I always find it challenging to make cards a little more masculine!

Just a super simple, any occasion card. I love cards like this that I can just keep on hand. Eventually, I'd like to get a portfolio and label it to keep all my finished cards in! Then I'm not looking around my craft room for them or quickly remember if they are on hand!


This just worked out perfect! I had one sticker left on this sheet and brown and green paper. Voila! It was a match made in Heaven.




I had quite a few scraps of white cardstock in random sizes and some of that white with blue patterned paper I loved! I wanted to keep the cards pretty simple and make a mixed set. I used some rub ons I had bought a while back, added some ribbon, bling and distressed the edges. I made a few in a matter of minutes!

I had been MIA a little, because I have been cleaning and reorganizing my craft room. It's almost done now!! I will probably enter a few challenges again soon!