My First Mini Album

Yesterday I posted the mini album I received in a swap.  Today I want to share the mini album I made for my swap partner.  I took a ton of pictures — I think because after spending so much time making the album, it was hard for me to part with it.  I felt like it was part of the family 🙂

I made several wonderful discoveries along the way while making the album.  First and foremost, I discovered some wonderful mini album tutorials on Etsy.  You can find them in Cathy’s shop, which is called SoMuchScrap.

I have been researching minis on the internet for a long time and knew I wanted to make something with interactive pages.  After finding Cathy’s tutorials, I knew this was the way to go for me.    I purchased her binding tutorial and her Je’ T’ Adore tutorial for a 6″ x 6″ mini.  All I did was change the papers to a fall theme.  The tutorials are excellently written and have step-by-step instructions as well as pictures to guide you through each page.  Another plus about purchasing from Cathy is that she readily answers any questions you might have.  So, with big thanks to Cathy, here is my mini.

Thumb

I used paper from BoBunny’s Forever Fall collection.  The solid cardstock is all from papertemptress.com.  The brown trim and ribbon are from Joann’s.  Another discovery I made was book cloth — I used imitation suede book cloth to cover the spine of the album and a glue specifically designed for bookbinding.  I was amazed at how easy it was to apply the cloth.  I picked up these supplies at Hollander’s.

Front2

The title is from two Spellbinders dies, Labels 4 and Grommet Tags.  I embossed the bottom layer with the Distressed Striped Cuttlebug embossing folder.  I added highlights with a copper ink pad and sponge.  The “Autumn Splendor” is from a Close to My Heart stamp set with the same name, heat embossed with Lindy’s Stamp Gang’s embossing powder.

That is another of my discoveries — Lindy’s Stamp Gang‘s products.  I bought their Autumn Leaves Mega Set and I can’t say enough good things about it.  I love their sprays and embossing powders — they are gorgeous.  Look at the heat embossing close up — their powder not only embosses but also adds a shimmer, which you will see in the second picture.

Title

The dragonfly is from a Martha Stewart punch and I sprayed him with Lindy’s Starburst Spray and dried him with a heat gun.  I added a chocolate pearl to each side of the tag.

TitleEmboss

The rhinestone embellishment is from Michaels, from their Recollections brand.  I made the three flowers on the front, using Spellbinders Jewel Flowers and Flourishes for the sunflower.  The two smaller flowers are cut with my Cricut using the Flower Shoppe cartridge.  I added Stickles to the centers of the small flowers and Flower Soft to the center of the sunflower.

Flowers 

Flowers2

On the spine I hung a charm on a Tim Holtz ring fastener that I made with supplies I picked up at Joann’s. This was my first time making a charm — and I love the way it turned out.

Spine

The pendant is glass and it reminded me of a leaf shape — so I figured it would go well with the album.

Charm

OK, let’s look inside the album.  Here are pages 1 and 2.

1-2

The first page has a pocket and I used a Martha Stewart border punch on it.   There is also ribbon running under the sentiment.

1

The sentiment is a graphic I got from the Internet and cut out with a EK Success punch.  I made the leaves using a Cuttlebug die.  I found this video on making leaves and they were really easy to do.  She uses the Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves die for her leaves, but I found them to be too large for what I wanted.  The Cuttlebug die leaves were just the right size.  The leaf on the right has Crackle Accents on top of it and the leaf on the left has matte medium coating it.

1Verse

I made two tags to sit inside the pocket, using Distress Ink, stamping, heat embossing , and seam binding ribbon to create them.  The ribbon is colored with Lindy’s sprays.  

1Tags

The pumpkin is from a Cuttlebug Cut and Emboss die, the sentiment is computer generated,  and there is another dragonfly from the Martha Stewart punch.  I kept the backs simple.

1TagsBack

Page 2 is an interactive page, folding up and closing with a small magnet.  I used Basic Grey magnetic snaps throughout the mini.   The Scrabble letters are from a Whimsy stamp (Spell It Out), heat embossed with Lindy’s embossing powder.  The sunflower is from a Heartfelt Creations stamp, colored with Copics and cut out.

2

This is page 2, partially open, revealing a tag inside.  The flowers are Recollection from Michaels, sprayed with Lindy’s Starburst Spray and topped with Stickles in the centers.  The pocket that holds the tag is a label shape from Spellbinders, cut in half.  The rectangle on the mat at the right is attached only at the bottom and right hand side to create a pocket to slip a photo in.

2Open1

I learned so much making this mini — like how to make tabs for tags using the We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board.  I watched this video.

2Tag

I made the backs of all the tags the same — I created a little spot for journaling.  I used the Cricut cartridge Simply Charmed for the notebook paper, using colored pencils and a ruler to go over the score lines.

TagsBack

This is page 2, fully opened.  I created corners by cutting a square in half and embossing them with Darice’s Fall Leaf folder. The stamps I used throughout the album are either Close To My Heart, Inkadinkado, or from Michaels $1 bin.

2Open

Next up are pages 3 and 4.

3-4

The leaf is from a Spellbinders die and the sentiment is heat embossed.  The square the leaf is on is only glued at the bottom and left hand edge to the page — to create another pocket.  There is a mat that pulls out with a ribbon tab.

3

The mat is good sized.  This is the back, which I stamped with a Close To My Heart Stamp.  I used Memento Rich Cocoa Ink for the stamps that aren’t heat embossed.

3Mat2

Page 4 is another interactive page.   The title is from the Simply Scarecrows Cricut cartridge and sprayed with Lindy’s Starburst sprays.  The small leaves are from a Martha Stewart punch.  The ribbon opener features a brad from the BoBunny Forever Fall collection and closes with a magnet.

4

And here’s what it looks like open.

4Open

Now were moving on to pages 5 and 6.

5-6

Page 5 has a mat that pulls out of a pocket and folds over, forming the front.  It is held in place with a magnet.  I kept the front simple, adding a couple of leaves and another dragonfly.

5

This is page 5 open.  There is a tag inside.  The pumpkin on the mat is from the same Cuttlebug Cut and Emboss die that is on the tag in the pocket on page 1, with the leaf cut off.  It is attached only at the bottom and left side, so a photo can slip inside.

5Open

Two pictures of the mat, front and back.

5Mat

 

5Mat2

Page 6 has a waterfall feature.   The BoBunny charm sits on two Spellbinders ovals.  The brad is also from the Forever Fall collection, using dyed seam binding to wrap around it as a closure.

6

Each layer of the waterfall has an embossed trim strip at the bottom and a pocket with a tag at the top.  This is the uppermost layer.

6WF

Here is the tag, partially pulled out.

6WF2

The second layer of the waterfall.

6WF3

This is a close-up of the brad.  I again used the Martha Stewart border punch for the leaf border.

6Brad

This shows how the waterfall closes.  You will also notice two brads in the spine of my album.  Cathy’s binding tutorial shows how to add strength to your binding system by not only taping it to your spine, but by adding brads.

6Closed

We’re getting near the end.  Here are pages 7 and 8.

7-8

Page 7 has a pocket at the bottom.  The label is a Spellbinders die and the sentiment is heat embossed.  There is another pull out mat in the pocket on this page.

7Open

Page 8 features a mat that folds around to the front and is held in place with a magnet.  There is a pocket at the bottom and the curved oval shape (a Spellbinders die) is attached at the bottom to the pocket only.  The embossing is from the Cuttlebug Divine Swirls folder and is highlighted with gold metallic ink.  And there is one more of those little dragonflies on this page.

8

This picture again shows how wonderful Lindy’s Stamp Gang products are — look at all that sparkle.  I used more than one color on the dragonfly.

8Emboss

This is page 8 with the mat partially out.

8Open2

And we’re to the last of the pages, pages 9 and 10.

9-10

Page 9 is a fun interactive page.  It has a brad and seam binding closure.

9

The sentiment is attached at the lower and left edges only, forming a pocket.  The small leaves are the negative cuts from the Martha Stewart border punch, sprayed with Starburst Spray.

9Verse

Page 9 opens to reveal another tag.

9Open

The left side of the page then opens up to reveal two more spots for photos.

9Flap

Page 10 is the inside of the back cover.  It has a pocket at the right hand side with a folded photo mat tucked inside.

10

I again used some Recollection brand rhinestones on the pocket.

10Rhinestones

The photo mat features a hexagon made with the BoBunny paper using an Epiphany Crafts tool and  bubble cap.

10Mat3

How cool is that hexagon?

10Epiphany

This is the inside of the mat.

10MatInside

And, finally, we are to the back cover of the album.

Back

Thank you for taking a “tour” of my mini album.  And I want to share my last discovery — I discovered that I love to make mini albums.  I am already planning my next one.

Front

 

  • BoBunny Forever Fall Collection
  • Cricut cartridges:  Flower Shoppe, Simply Charmed, Simply Scarecrows
  • Cuttlebug:  Divine Swirls folder, Distressed Stripes folder,  Fall Leaves die, Cut and Emboss Pumpkin Spice
  • Spellbinders:  Labels Four, Grommet Tags, Jewel Flowers and Flourishes
  • Lindy’s Stamp Gang embossing powder and Starburst Sprays
  • We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board
  • Martha Stewart punches
  • Recollections rhinestones
  • Stickles
  • Flower Soft

Cricut Candy Corn Box and Totes

 

My goal this weekend was to make a candy corn box, but then I had an idea and soon had candy corn boxes all over my craft room.  I wanted to participate in two challenges, the 3D Halloween Treat Container challenge at Bitten by the Bug 2, and the 3D Treats challenge at Cooking with Cricut.

I have seen several versions of Cricut candy corn boxes using a cake box cut on the internet.  Using Cricut Craft Room, I chose the triangle box cut from Sweet Tooths cartridge.  I liked that it is a 2-piece box, with a separate top and bottom.  The paper is Michael’s Recollection brand.

I cut the bottom at 6″, from orange cardstock and cut the top from white cardstock.  Using George and Basic Shapes, I put a triangle on my mat and sized it to match the triangle on the top of the box.  I then cut that from white cardstock.

I laid out two more triangles in CCR, one in yellow and one in orange.  Using ovals from George and Basic Shapes to intersect the triangles, I got the shapes I wanted for the corresponding pieces.  I then glued the orange and yellow layers onto the white triangle.

Using my Cuttlebug and the spider web folder, I embossed the entire front piece after it was glued together.  I then adhered the piece onto the top of my box.

I sometimes forget about all the dies I have for my Cuttlebug, opting to cut with my Cricut instead.  But this time I remembered I had some cute Halloween dies and that is what I used for my spider and the tiny candy corns on the front of the box.  I used the 3″x3″ Cuttlebug Halloween die.

I painted the eyes on the spider and colored the candy corns using Copics.  Then then applied Glossy Accents on the candy corn to give them some shine.  I added pop-dots to the spider and candy corns and attached them on the top of the box.

The tags I used on all my candy corn boxes is a free printable I found on a website called HelloCuteness.com.  The printable is from their old website, but you can get to their new site with the link I am sharing.

I hand cut around the tags, glued them onto some orange cardstock and again hand cut around the orange cardstock. For the cake box candy corn, I tied some twine through the hole on the tag and pop-dotted it onto the top.

While I was working on the cake box version, I got an idea to create a different type of candy corn box —  one that is more like a tote.  Using CCR and George and Basic Shapes, I started laying out triangles and rectangles to get what I wanted.  It took a little time and several attempts, but I finally got it worked out.

Here is my final version, along with two of my better attempts.  They look pretty much the same — the main difference is in the tabs where they attach together and how I assembled them.  The base shape is cut from orange cardstock and then there is a yellow and white piece that attaches to the front and back.

I used a Peachy Keen face stamp, stamping just one side.  I thought about stamping both sides of the tote but decided I didn’t want any two-faced candy corns!  I used a black pen to add the stitch marks to the fronts and backs.

For the first tote, I put it all together and then realized it would be much easier to attach the white & yellow pieces, stamp the face, and punch the holes for the ribbon handle if the tote was still flat.  The next two totes were done flat and it was a lot easier.  I used Terrifically Tacky Tape to assemble the totes.

I used a Crop-A-Dile to punch the holes in the side and 12″ of ribbon for the handle.  After threading the ribbon through the hole, I tied a knot and used some hot glue to glue the ends down inside.  The tags are hung using 1/8″ ribbon and I threaded it through the same hole as the handle before using the hot glue.  Again, I did this on the first tote after it was assembled.  For the next totes I added the ribbon before assembling the them.

  • Cricut Craft Room
  • Cricut cartrideges:  George and Basic Shapes, Sweet Tooth Boxes
  • Copics
  • Glossy Accents
  • Ribbon

Cricut Art Nouveau Hummingbird Birthday Card

 

I wanted to make a card to enter in a couple of challenges and this is what I came up with.  The first challenge is Things that Fly in Nature over at Bitten by the Bug 2. The second challenge is Texture at Cooking with Cricut.

I made a 5″ x 5″ card and the patterned paper was all printed on the Imagine using the Country Carnival cartridge.  I love the paper selection on this cartridge and have been wanting to use the design that is on the background of my card for some time.  The reason I bought this cartridge is because of the paper — and the very cool font that it has.

 I cut the hummingbird (at 3″) from watercolor paper using the Art Nouveau cartridge and colored him with Copics.  This is only my second time trying to color with Copics, and I have lots to learn.  I discovered I don’t have enough green markers — I didn’t have enough in the same color group to do any blending.

After I colored the hummingbird, I used a crystal glaze (something I got years ago) to go over sections of his body to try and simulate the iridescence you see in their feathers.

Oh, dear — after looking at the close-up I’m not too sure I should be posting it.  My coloring definitely leaves a lot to be desired!  The circle behind the hummingbird was embossed using the Forest Branches folder.

I recently got the Art Philosophy cartridge, mainly because of the flowers I have seen so many crafters make with it. The roses on this card represent my first time using this cartridge.  I cut them at 2″ and 2.5″ using some Recollections paper from Michaels.  I inked the edges with Tim Holtz Fired Brick Distress Ink.  I used a quilling tool from one of my Cuttlebug quilling kits to roll up the flowers.  I was surprised at how quickly they went together.  The greenery behind the roses is also from Art Philosophy.

I wanted the sentiment to be subtle, so I stamped it in the upper right hand corner (using distress ink) trying to make it look like it is part of the print on the paper.  I added a couple of pieces of lace across two corners and used my sewing machine to stitch around the card.

For the inside of the card, the white area is a shape cut using Art Philosophy.  The corners are a 2″ square of vellum, cut diagonally, embossed with the Swiss Dots folder, and trimmed with lace sewn across the top edges.  I then secured them to the card by stitching around the entire piece.

I originally planned on using the vellum corners on the front of the card, but when I laid everything out, I thought they hid too much of the paper on the front.  So they got moved inside, which worked out fine because I had no plans yet for the inside of the card.

  • Cricut cartridges:  Art Nouveau, Art Philosophy, Imagine Country Carnival
  • Cuttlebug embossing folders:  Forest Branches, Swiss Dots
  • Copics
  • Vellum, scraps of lace

Showering Thanks Elephant Card

 

This week I was able to make a card to enter into two challenges.  The first is over at Bitten by the Bug 2 for their Elephantly Speaking challenge. The requirement is to use an elephant from any Cricut cartridge — we can chose any theme we want.

The second challenge is at Cooking With Cricut, and this week it’s pretty special because they are celebrating their 100th challenge.  They are doing a surprise thank you for their leader, Melin, and ask that you submit a thank you card to enter the challenge.

My card is approximately 4″ x 9″, made to fit inside a #10 envelope.  All the paper and images for this card were printed and cut on the Imagine, using the Hey Diddle Diddle cartridge.  The only piece I did not cut on the Imagine is the scalloped border across the top, which I cut on my Expression.  I laid that piece out in Design Studio, welding together three scalloped pieces from Accent Essentials to form the border.

My card features an elephant from Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge.  I colored all the detail on my elephant with Copics. The eye is actually printed and then I hand cut it out.  I got the free file for the eyes from My Scrap Chick and was able to resize it small enough to fit.

The title is what lead to the inspiration for this card.  I found it on the Everyday Pop-Up cartridge and when I saw it, I thought of an elephant spraying water.  The style of the lettering reminded me of a circus-type font, so I thought it went well with my little pachyderm.

The spray of water is from the Cake Basics cartridge and the individual drops of water and the water splat are from Everyday Paper Dolls.  I added some Stickles to the water.  I kept the inside of the card simple, using some more water for accents.

  • Cricut cartridges:  Accent Essentials, Cake Basics, Everyday Paper Dolls, Everyday Pop-Up
  • Cricut Imagine:  Hey Diddle Diddle
  • Copics
  • Stickles

Vintage Birthday Card for Cricut Circle Blog’s Monthly Challenge

 

Here I am, getting another project submitted with just a few hours to spare.  I guess I work better with deadlines closing in on me, although I do not care for the stress.  But who can I blame for procrastinating?  Yep, no one but me!

I decided to make a birthday card for my niece and this is my first time trying to make something that looks vintage.  I love the look of vintage but didn’t know how well I would do trying to create it.  I am happy with how it turned out, especially for a first try.

The paper I chose is the reason I went for the vintage look.  I picked up a pad of paper by Bo Bunny when I was shopping last week.  It is the Gabrielle Collection and there are some beautiful designs in it. 

The monthly challenge for May at the Cricut Circle is the Tic Tac Toe Challenge.  The object is to pick three prompts in a row from a tic tac toe grid and to include at least two Cricut cuts.

I chose a diagnoal row, going from the bottom left to the right top — which consisted of:  use a cut of a flower shape, use a ruffle, and use some buttons.

Because the paper is so pretty, I decided to use a frame around one of the designs.  I cut the frame from the Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge.  I made my ruffle from a piece of seam binding and laid down a piece of lace on the paper before adding the ruffle.  The pearls on the ruffle are actually white buttons that I colored with my Copics.  I cut the shanks off the button before gluing them on the ruffle.

The flowers were the most time-consuming part of my card.  I cut them out of plain off-white cardstock using my Accent Essentials cartridge.  I inked all the edges and then formed the cuts into roses.  I sprayed them with Glimmer Mist — sure wish the sparkle showed up in the pictures. 

I cut the leaves from the same off-white cardstock using the Picturesque cartridge, inked them green and then ran them through my Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots folder.  The butterfly is from the Martha Stewart Elegant Cake Art cartridge.  I found a button in my stash that matched the butterfly beautifully.  I added some Memory Thread to the button and glued it on the body of the butterfly.  On the lacy layer of the butterfly, I added some sparkle using Glossy Accents and Diamond Dust.  I also used Distress Stickles on its body.

I cut some tickets using Wall Decor & More and inked them a light coral color.  I cut the tickets at 2″ and they fit the stamp set perfectly.  I then stamped them with a stamp set from Autumn Leaves called Ticketed. 

The inside of the card features a different piece of the Bo Bunny paper and another ticket.

I used lots of foam dots on this card.  Here is a photo showing a side view so you can get an idea of the dimension that this card has.

Since I can’t put this card into a normal envelope, I made a box to hold it.  But I need to take a picture of the box.  I will post the picture once I take it. 

I’m back with some pics of the box.  I ended up adding my niece’s name to the top of the box, which I cut from Storybook.

 

  • Bo Bunny – Gabrielle Collection
  • Cricut cartridges used:  Accent Essentials, Elegant Edges, Martha Stewart Elegant Cake Art, Picturesque, Wall Decor & More
  • Cuttlebug folder – Swiss Dots
  • Glimmer Mist
  • Seam binding
  • Stickles
  • Autumn Leaves stamps – Ticketed
  • DMC Memory Thread
  • Glossy Accents
  • Diamond Dust
  • Buttons from stash

Easter Bunny Inside His Jelly Bean Seed Packet Card

 

This was a fun card to make.  I wanted to make an Easter card so I could enter it in Jitterbuggin’s Spring Fling contest.  We had extra time to complete this challenge, but I waited until the last minute and am getting this in just under the wire.  It took a while for me to take my concept and come up with a finished project.   This time the challenge is open to voting, so that part is new to me. 

I was inspired by the movie Hop — I loved it and can’t wait for it to come out on DVD.  But my little bunny has to use seeds for his beans as he does not have the talent EB does when it comes to producing jelly beans.

I was a member of PC Hug Club for many years and received some very cute clip art each month.  Because I have such a large collection and never use it, I decided I was going to print my own paper to make this card.  All the background prints are images that I printed on an inkjet printer.  I really like using the clip art because I can resize it — so a 12″ x 12″ background can be reduced to 6″ x 6″ to make a card.  The size of the print becomes smaller too, so it is perfect for cardmaking. 

Fantabulous Cricut has a challenge called Do the Bunny Hop! this week that I will enter this card in.  You have to create a project using a rabbit or chick.

Also, at Cooking With Cricut, their challenge is called Cash in Your Stash and you are supposed to use things in your stash — items that you have had for at least a year.  My clip art collection certainly qualifies, and I also used scraps that I have had for ages to make the bunny and the grass.

I made the seed packet in Adobe Illustrator.  I am such a beginner using that program and was thrilled when I actually made something with it.  I made it a complete packet so I could slip the bunny inside. 

Making the jelly beans was probably the most time-consuming aspect of the card.  I first did an online search to see if I could find a Cricut cut file for a jelly bean as I was pretty sure there were no jelly beans on any of the Cricut cartridges.  I found a post where someone said they made a jelly bean using the George and Basic Shapes cartridge, using the crescent and heart shapes.    I used the same shapes and laid the beans out in Design Studio.  I cut the jelly beans from white cardstock and then colored them with Copic markers.  I applied two layers of Glossy Accents to give the beans their shine. 

The bunny is from the Paper Doll Dress Up cartridge — he’s the bunny from the magician’s costume.  I made a bow for him from seam binding that I spritzed with Glimmer Mist.  The grass is from Create a Critter.  I cut two layers of the grass for each clump so the jelly beans could be seen growing between the layers.  After I placed the bunny inside the seed packet, I pop dotted the entire piece on the front of the card.

Side view showing some of the dimension of the card.

For the inside of the card, I used a stamp from a clear set that I picked up at a scrapbooking expo several months ago.  It came with the rhinestones that I put inside the stamped flowers.  I added another clump of grass with some more jelly beans.

 

  • Cricut cartridges:  George & Basic Shapes, Create a Critter, Paper Doll Dress Up
  • Cricut Design Studio
  • PC Hug Club clip art
  • Copic markers
  • Glimmer Mist
  • Rayon seam binding

Challenges:

Jitterbuggin — Follow the sketch, make an Easter card and use a Cricut cut somewhere on your card.

Cooking With Cricut — Use stuff in your stash, items that you have had for a year or more.

Fantabulous Cricut — Use a bunny or chick in your project.

Snow Bird

 

Here’s another card that I made for several challenges and I had a lot of fun making it.  Unfortunately it will be my last card for a while.  The next couple of weeks are going to be filled with embroidery and trade shows.  CHA is coming up at the end of the month and Erin is flying home from Taiwan to attend with me. 

There’s lots of sparkle on this card as the little snow bird makes his winter home in a warm mitten.  The solid cardstock is from Bazzill and the patterned paper is called Snowflake Waltz and is from Daisy Bucket Designs.

I wanted to do a cardinal for my bird, but I wanted a chubby little guy and I couldn’t find one on any of my Cricut cartridges.  I found a cute bird on Straight from the Nest and decided to use him.  As I was laying out the card in Design Studio, I kept trying to figure out how to make the bird into a cardinal shape.  My solution was to use a lower case “v” from the Mickey Font cartridge.  I turned it upside down and welded it to the top of the bird’s head.  I used Copic markers to color the dark spot on his face.  I’m pleased with how he came out.

The circles are cut from the George and Basic Shapes cartridge and I used my Cuttlebug to emboss both of them.  The mitten is from Simply Charmed, the large snowflake is from Joys of the Season, “Snow Bird” is from Straight from the Nest, and the bird’s scarf is from 3 Birds on Parade. 

I added lots of bling to this card.  I heat embossed the large snowflake on the front using holographic embossing powder.  I put some fine snow on the sentiment using Martha Stewart glitter.  The coarser snow is also from Martha Stewart.  The small snowflake on the mitten is a Martha Stewart punch.  I added rhinestones to the centers of the snowflakes.

While I was working on this card, the song “Snowbird” by Anne Murray kept running through my head.  I printed part of the chorus and put it on the inside of the card.   The snowflake on the inside is from Joys of the Season.

 Here are the challenges I am entering and the requirements for each:

Jitterbuggin – For the Birds Challenge – follow the sketch, add a Cricut bird and use something pink.

Fantabulous Cricut – Challenge #42 Winter Warmies – create a project using some type of winter clothing or accessory.

Cooking With Cricut – Glittermania! – glitz up your project.

The Cuttlebug Spot – Inspired by a Song – find inspiration for your project in a song.

  • Bazzill cardstock
  • Designer paper – Snowflake Waltz from Daisy Bucket Designs
  • Cricut cartridges:  3 Birds on Parade, George and Basic Shapes, Joys of the Season, Mickey Font, Simply Charmed, and Straight from the Nest.
  • Cricut Design Studio
  • Cuttlebug
  • Copic markers
  • Ranger holographic embossing powder
  • Martha Stewart punch
  • Martha Stewart glitter
  • Rhinestones from stash

 

 

Bring It On — 1st Card of 2011!!

 

I haven’t posted in a quite a while.  I’m still busy with the business, so that is a good thing.  I decided to take a little down time and make a card.  The nice thing is that this card fits so many challenges that are starting off the new year. 

I made a whimsical snowman, who is looking up and telling Mother Nature to “bring it on!”  He is all prepared — he has his snow shovel at the ready.

The patterned paper is by Die Cuts With a View (DCWV) — from one of the holiday stacks that I picked up at Jo-Ann’s.  I cut the snowman with my Cricut using the Doodlecharms cartridge.  I used Design Studio to hide his face so I could move his nose to the top in order to have him looking up into the sky.  I sure hope this is what he looks like, and not some strange looking snowman/unicorn creature.

The snow shovel is cut from the Sesame Street Friends cartridge, the snowman’s scarf from 3 Birds on Parade, the large snowflakes from Accent Essentials, and the snow flurry swirls are from Calligraphy.  I printed the sentiment on the computer using a free font that I downloaded.  It has little snowmen faces peeking out of the letters.  I colored the letters using Copics.

I cut the flurry swirls from a transparency sheet (acetate) so they would be clear.  I then took some white paint and dabbed on them to give them a little opacity, but not too much.  I wanted them to remain in the background when I glued on all the small snowflakes, which I made using a Martha Stewart snowflake border punch.  I used the negative cuts (the part that usually gets thrown away).  Gluing those little snowflakes was a tedious job.

The finishing touches include a small metal star charm hanging from the snowman’s scarf and some rhinestones in the centers of the large snowflakes.  The charm was gold but I thought it looked too stark on the card, so I took my Copics and changed the color. 

 

I placed three of the large snowflakes on the inside of the card:

Here are the challenges that I am entering :

Circle Blog Weekly Challenge #15:  Feeling Frosty!  The requirements are to use white paint, a snowflake and something metal.  I think I covered all of those bases with this card.

Jitterbuggin’ Challenge – Sketch 29 – Let It Snow!:  The requirements are to follow the sketch, use blue somewhere on the card, and include something snow related.

Fantabulous Cricut – Challenge Me Monday #41 – Snowy Delights:  The requirements are to create a project using snow or snowflakes.

Cooking With Cricut – Snow Fun!:  The requirement for this challenge is any project with snow or winter-time activities.

Made By Momo:  Make something with a snow theme.

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #39 – Winter:  What winter means to you. 

  • DCWV patterned paper
  • Cricut cartridges used:  Accent Essentials, 3 Birds on Parade, Calligraphy, Doodlecharms, and Sesame Street Friends
  • Clear acetate (transparency)
  • Martha Stewart snowflake border punch
  • Charm from stash
  • Rhinestones
  • Copics