My Favorite Christmas gift

My favorite gift came from my 19yr old son. The other night, at about 2 am, I woke up to the sound of my cricut chirping. At first I thought I was hearing things but then figured I better check it out. So i went to my craft room and sure enough Derek was in there. Once he saw me, he was quick to kick me out.....can you believe that, kicked out of my own craft room. But after I saw what he made I told him he could come craft with me anytime and yes I got the eyeroll. Needless to say I was in awe, not only did he figure out the cricut but when he couldn't find the carts he went ahead and used the gypsy!! Mmmm.. college must be paying off??!!!
Anyway, I love love this gift, it's one that truly came from the heart.

Christmas bulbs

I've been seeing these glitter bulbs being made by so many, that I had to give it a try myself.  What a fun and simple project.  I used  the  glitter and white vinyl from my stash and bought the bulbs and the Glitter it All glue from my LSS.

First My Story project

After doing the Your Story blog hop this weekend I  finally got some inspiration to use mine.  My FIL plays alot of Soduku so I thought this would make a good present for him.  I used the 5x7cover and cut 20 pcs of white paper at 4.75 x 6.75 and added a different color paper to each page, using up scrap paper. I went on- line and printed out some Soduku puzzles and added to each page.   I cut a piece of   DCWV paper at 4.50 x 6.50 and added  to the front cover.  I used the French Manor cart for the tag- cut at 4x4.5 and the Mickey font for the letters- cut at 1 in.. I then added some ribbon and some buttons.   The Your Story is pretty easy to use, don't know what took me so long , and can see using it  alot.  Silly me... I spelled Sudoku wrong...thank goodness for repositional adhesive,  oops !

Iron-on Vinyl

Here's a few t-shirts that I made using the iron-on vinyl from expressionsvinyl.com.  I used the flocked vinyl,  the Gypsy Wanderings cart, and welded the letters using the gypsy. I cut the letters and dragonfly  at 3in and by using the I-Rock  I was able to add some bling.

Jolly Holiday Cards

I finally got a chance to play with my Jolly Holiday cart this weekend.  It was really fun to play with. The elves I cut out at 3 inches,I used  Stampin Up Christmas paper, Peachy Keen stamps for the faces and The Pink Cricut stamps for the sentiments.
This is a Cricut Lite cart and can be found at WalMart., very popular and hard to get.  I highly recommend it, so if you come across it, grab it while you can!

Flaunt it Friday- Challenge 1

I found a new challenge blog called Flaunt it Fridays.  Every Friday they will be posting  a new challenge, this is their first week and to celebrate they are having a bloghop with some very talented designers.  The first challenge is to make a project with the Winter Frolic cart using the snowman on pg 29.
My project is a 6x6 wooden tile that I painted with some acrylic paint.  I cut the snowman at 2.5 inches and the tag on the same page at 3.5in.  I added some stickles to the mittens and earmuffs for some added bling and used the Peachy Keen  Small Snow faces for the snowmans face.

Mini Book

This is a mini book that I am putting together  as a Christmas present to an uncle. He has spent alot of time with us at our property up north, so I've put pictures together of time spent together  there.  The book is from a kit I found at  http://pineconepressdesign.com/

Christmas cards

This past weekend was the opener for deer hunting (rifle)  in our area.  My husband, the big hunter that he is,  left me to go find the big bad buck.  So while he was off playing in the woods  I packed my craft stuff up  and went to my sil's to play in her craft room. Not only did we play but we also got some shopping done ( I guess that's playing too), went to a Stampin' Up party, had a little bit of wine and I even got some  Christmas cards done. 

Circle Blog Weekly challenge

This is a layout I did for a challenge on the Circle blog. You had to follow a sketch, had to be birthday themed, needed to use buttons and also use at least 2 different cuts with the cricut.
    This is a layout of my grandson , at his 3rd birthday party.  I used the Mickey Mouse font for the lettering   and cut the cupcake from Doodlecharms. I used  the buttons for the sprinkles  and the cherry on top of the cupcake.

Huge Imaginisce Giveaway!!

Samatha on her blog, Me and the Little Rascals, is having a huge Imaginisce giveaway. This big prize pack is full of lots of Imaginisce goodies, including 22 double sided patterned papers, 4 packs of rub ons, 2 packs of glass stickers, a stamp, bling, flowers and sticker stackers. Her main giveaway ends November 30, with 6 mini prizes (one on each Friday between now and then) Check it out!!

Haunted House

It took me all weekend but I finally got it done... yeah me!! This 3-D house is from The Haunting cartridge. Its cut out of 12X12 paper  using the fit to page option on the cricut which ended up being 7 inches. The characters are from the same cart and were cut at 2.5inches. I think it turned out pretty awesome now all it needs is some cobwebs and some ghosts. I may have to do that tomorrow, I' m pretty burned out .

Iron on Vinyl

I made this for a friend's daughtera, I hope they like.

This was my first attempt at using  the iron-on  vinyl. I ordered the vinyl from www.vinylexpressions.com. I used the George cart for the lettering and cut   them at 3in.(back) and 2 in. (front).  For her name I used the Gypsy Font cart, welded  the letters with the Gypsy and cut at 1.25 in. then blinged it up a little bit with my I-Rock.  Overall, I'm pretty happy with it . The trick to it is remembering to cut everything backwards and use the flip button on the E.

MyPink Stamper Spooky Challenge

Another Halloween card I made for a challenge at  My Pink Stamper  I used the PaperDoll Dress Up cart for the witch and her cauldron.

Get Well Card

My Dad is having back surgery on Thurs. and I made this with him in mind.  On the inside it says "That's what we wish for You".
I used A Childs Year for the silhouette , the The Cuttin' Up for the lettering  and a Fiskars border punch so I couold weave the  ribbon.  I also used the I-Rock to put some bling on, I'm beginning to really like that tool.

Halloween

It's hard to believe that Halloween is just around the corner.... where did our summer go??  I recently got the Happy Hauntings and Mini Monsters carts and I finally got the chance to play with them.  
When my  son was young  , Halloween was a big deal around our house.  But wouldn't you know it... he grew up... and it just didn't have the same appeal.
So i thought I'd change it up alittle bit this year.  I'm starting with cards and I'll work my way into doing some decorating.  These 2 carts have some fun things to work with  so  I'll have to see what i can all come up with.

9/11 Blog Hop

Come join the blog hop -- www.pinkcricut.com

Today we are celebrating our heroes in honor of 9-11.  This blog hop will go all weekend, so please take a moment to stop by and see what our incredibly talented line up created.  There will be at least 2 cricut carts given away, An Above Rubies Cricut DVD from our blog hop sponsor Craft e Corner, a $25 gift certificate from Pink by Design, and many other great giveaways.  Don't MISS OUT!

 

Christmas tag Swap

I joined a Christmas Tag swap on the Cricut Circle. I have to make 5 tags and this is the first one made.  I used the PaperDoll Dress-up cart for the manger scene, the people are cut sat 1.25 in., the stable is 2x3 in. and the tag is 3x 4 in.  Took me all evening to make just one... only 4 more to go ??!!

Toy Story

My grandsons 5th birthday is today, and yes, we are late, so I made this card for him.   I just received the  Toy Story cart, so being he loves all the characters from there I thought it'd be a great opportunity to try it out.  I first attempted Buzz Lightyear and there was so many little pieces, I got frustrated and gave up. So I went onto a different character and being I was running short on time, I went with an easier one with less pieces, so we got T-Rex.   I made him at 4 inches, I thought he turned out pretty cute.  I used the Celebrations cart for the number 5 and scalloped square, both cut at 1.5 in. The cupcake border punch is a Martha Stewart punch.

The Paper Variety Giveaway

Suzanne & Abby from The Paper Variety Blog are giving away a Echo Park "Life is Good" paper kit. Head on over and check it out!

Calling Cards

Some Cricut Circle members have started making calling  cards.  What are they??  They are 3x3 cards that you make, anyway you like, and  put your personal info such as - full name, email & home address, phone # and your MB name, on the back. Then when you go to a circle event you could hand them out.  It would be one way to connect with others , stengthen those connections, and create friendships. I thought it sounded like an awesome idea, so I thought I'd give it a try.  This is what I came up with. The upper left is a box in which to hold the cards.

The Cricut Challenge

I went to a Cricut Swarm this weekend  that was sponsored by Crafts Direct, my local LSS.  It was a 3 day eventso there was plenty of chattting, snacking, shopping and of course crafting. I got  a few layouts, cards, Circle calling cards, and was able to knock a few carts off my list.  The funny thing is, with some of the shopping, a few more got added.   What can I say... they were on sale....  I had to do it ?!

Boys will  be Boys cart

Forever Young cart

Land of Dreams

Our dream was to own some land and a year ago we purchased 20acres in Northern Mn.  These are a few pictures that I had taken and then had framed.   The phrase I cut out of vinyl, using the Gypsy Font cart, and used my Gypsy to weld the letters together.

It's Here!!

It's official ...  I am a member of the Cricut Circle.... I am Circlet #3338.


My husband called me at work and told me that there was a green box, full of bugs, on our doorstep trying to get in.  Needless to  say I left work early, raced home ( good thing I only live 3 blocks away)
and checked out the contents. Even though I knew what was going to be in there, I was still soooo excited.  And yea , my hubby just sat back and laughed at me. : )

The Cricut Challenge

Today i made invitations for a  Labor Day  get together we are having. For the barbeque sign I used the Old West cart and and  for the man and his grill I  used EveryDay Paper Dolls.

The Cricut Challenge

My first project of my challenge comes from the JUST BECAUSE CARDS cartridge. I've made 3 different cards, this is one of my favorite carts.

The Cricut Challenge

Like everyone else that owns a cricut, I have accumulated a few cartridges along the way.  I like to think that I use them all , at least that's what I tell my husband, but I do have my favorites and the others... well... are getting a little dusty.  So the challenge is to make a list of all my cartridges , then make a different project with each one and  then post it. As I use a cart I will cross it off my list and continue until I've used them all. So what happens if and when I finish this challenge.. a prize, right?  First off, I'll have the feeling of accomplishment and then maybe,just maybe, I'll have to get another cartridge ?!
                                                             

1. Old West
2. Doodlecharms
3. PaperDoll Dress-up
4. Everyday PaperDolls
5. Simply Sweet
6. Gypsy Font
7. Gypsy Wanderings
8. Jolly Holiday
9. Just Because
10. French Manor
11. Shall we Dance
12. Mickey Font
13. Pooh Font
14. Toy Story
15. StoryBook
16. Christmas Cheer
17. Christmas Noel
18. Very Merry Tags
19. Calligraphy Collectio
20. Accent Essentials
21. Indie Art
22. Blackletter
23. Smiley Face
24. Beyond Birthdays
25. Celebrations
26. Boys will be Boys
27. Botanical
28. HandyMan
29. Home Decor
30. Inspired Hearts
31. Forever Young
32. Tags, Bags and more
33. TearDrop
34. Lyrical Letters
35. LockerTalk
36. Life's a Beach
37. Graphically Speaking
38. Mini Monograms
39. Cricut Sampler
40. A Child's Year
41. Birthday Cakes
42. Camp Out
43. Country Life
44. Cuttin' Up
45. from My Kitchen
46. Nifty Fifty's
47. Give a Hoot
48. Opposites Attract
49. Plantin Schoolbook
50. Stand and Salute
51. Sweethearts
52. Playtime
53. Cricut Classic Font
54. Weddings
55. Winter Wonderland
56. Winter Frolic
57. Easter 
58. Happy Hauntings
59. Mini Monsters
60. Hannah Montana
61. Creative Critter
62. Christmas Village 
63. Cindy Loo
64. Groovy Times
65. Nate's ABC
66. Birthday Bash

My husband's Grandma past away this past week and I did a layout of  her.  She was a very special lady and  loved by many.  We will all miss her dearly.

CHA Rak

Today is the day to pick the winner of my  very first RAK.  Thanks to everyone that participated  and for all the wonderful comments that were made. I had my  Scrubby (scrapbooking husband), Harvey,  pick a number and he chose #2 and that was

 weaveme02 said... WOW Mary nice site and I'm your #14 follower. #14 is one of my lucky numbers....so I'm feeling it...LOL

What a great stash! Getting to win anything is a treat. I love it all. Thanks for the opportunity! 

  Congrats!!  I have your box of goodies all set to go, I just need your name and address so I know where to send it.  You can email me at stockg7@yahoo.com  or notify me through the fiskateer site. THANKS!

RAK

  Head on over to lisascrapsite.blogspot.com , Lisa has some awesome RAK's going on.

CHA

We made it home from CHA, our bags alittle bit heavier, but we made it home safely. It was alot of fun seeing and playing with  all  the  new products.  I met alot of awesome people, learned new techniques and got  lots of FREE stuff !!!!   Alot of vendors are very generous but I guess it's what gets their name and product out there, and I am happy to help them out :)   For example,  Kaiser Craft, all you had to do is spend $20.00 at their booth and you got this bag  full of all  their new lines. It was loaded with stamps, paper,embellishments, tags and stickers. I'm really excited to start using it.

This is another bag full  of free products that I acquired along the way.  There is everything from punches, papers, embellishments, markers, stickers to adhesives. Coming from companys such as Fiskars, Sizzix, ColorBok, Scotch and more. I never expected to come home with all this, its pretty amazing and overwhelming. I may have to come up with something to give some of this away.

We had a great time, would definitey do it again, but it sure is nice to be home.  Now I'm off to clean up the craft room and find room for some off this stuff!!

Cha Roadtrip

Today my sil, Tina, and I started our roadtrip to the CHA in Rosemount,Ill. We  began at  8:30 am with a packed car, our map, and a list of craft stores  to visit along the way. We made it to Rockford, Ill  around 8:30, tired but excited with all our new purchases, it was like Christmas in  July going through all of our bags!!  We found and went to 4 stores and tomorrow morning we are going to hit the Hobby Lobby before heading to SuperShow.  We  are so excited!!!

Fabulous Friday Sketch : July 23

This is a layout I did from  a sketch created by Judy at piecesofmepapercrafts.blogspot.com.  The paper that was used is from Crate Paper,Inc and the lettering and swimming suits were cut from the Life's A Beach cricut cartridge.

My Dad recently purchased and moved into an apartment  complex that has a pool.  For Fathers Day, we had a barbeque, in honor of him, at his new place.  In all of my 44 years I have never seen  my dad in shorts let alone a pair of swimming trunks.  And there he was in a suit AND  in the pool !!!    Most of the family was there, 8 of my 10 siblings, and we had a blast!!!  At 76 yrs of age, I give my Dad  alot of credit. I just LOVE him to pieces!!!