cuttlebug circle challenge

I will be attending a conference soon and wanted a fun folder to keep my papers organized. I used Kates ABCs and Alphalicious and Create a Critter for the cuts and lots of different cuttlebug folders to create the fun texture.

Cricut Circle challenges

I have been busy creating but just not blogging. So what have I been making???
I made window/bulletin board for my library to start the school year.

The students like my large, easy to spot bathroom pass

I made a "Cute As a Button" layout for the recipe challenge:
1) a title - Cute as a button
2) at least 2 cricut cuts - I used my gypsy to weld buttons for a border, Kate's ABC for the title, New Arrival for the circle and footprints, Mini Monograms for the scalloped circle.
3) at least 3 buttons - used real buttons for another border and one button in the center of the flower on the title.

I made page dividers for an inventory book for the exclusive Circle Cart challenge
Exclisive cart used was Cricut Everyday. There is also a little from Alphalicious for some of the letters. Each card in the photo is for a section of my inventory book (6in x 4in) so I can have the information with me when I shop. I have a list of all the cartridges and highlighted the ones I have; a sample of all the cuttlebug folders, cutouts of cuttlebug diecuts; sample of Viva pens, stickles, etc.; samples of ink pads, chalks, embossing powders, flocking material; list and samples of markers - all to be held with the paper rings. After assembling, I even added a bit of ribbon to jaz up the book.

I used a sketch to make a decorative cover for an old popcorn tin - to be used to collect paper scraps! The peacock, feather, V monogram are from Art Nouveau and the flowers from one of the preloaded e-carts on the E2.

Another layout using orange for a monochromatic color challenge. Carts used: Everyday Paper dolls, Accent Essentials, A Garden of Words.

Lesson Plan Book Layout

I like to decorate my lesson plan book each school year and this time around I did a fun playground inspired theme. I couldn't bring myself to make a traditional school playground, I wanted a little taste of home. I grew up around cornfields and I pass some on the way to work so I had to have a field behind a fence. My parents had a tire swing when my children were small and we shared lots of giggles and family time on the swing. When I found the tree and swing on Pop-up Neighborhood I knew the layout for my planning book.

All the cuts are from Pop-up Neighborhood except for the school year numbers and the little dude gliding down the slide. The numbers are from Nifty Fifties cart and the little dude is from Winter Frolic (he's supposed to have some skis!)

I used some real twine salvaged from some rustic packaging and and untwisted the ends to make the hair/fringe on my sliding dude.

The same twine was used for the rope on the tire swing.
The yellow corn stalks are cut from bazzil paper, black and silver slide from my stash and the scarecrow and boy's clothes are from scrap stash.

The rest of the paper was My Minds Eye. I slicked up the tire swing with some Viva decor and added grass tufts with a green viva pearl pen. I get a nice happy feeling when I see the layout and hope it will serve to make me smile during the hectic school days to come!

apartment decor

Two of my children moved into their own rooms/apartment for college this month. My son had no interest in what I could make to decorate his walls but my daughter was delighted to have me make a vinyl cut out.

So I used my trusty Cricut and some black vinyl I bought at Craft's Direct and went to town.

The frames were cut using Ornamental Iron 2 and I did some hide contour with my gypsy.

I think the chandelier is from gypsy wanderings (we did this a couple weeks ago) and I made it a big as I could using a 12 x 24 inch mat. We added some self adhesive bling from creative charms after adhering the vinyl to the wall.
There is even a frame to jazz up her backpack hook.

My DD loves the fancy addition to her apartment bedroom and we even used some scrap vinyl to cut out her name. These we used to identify the cabinet and drawer she is using in the kitchen of the shared apartment!

Volunteering on Saturday

I did some volunteering on Saturday for Provocraft and met some wonderful Cricut friends. A few of us Circle gals ventured to Minneapolis to demo the E2 (love that machine!) at the Creative Memories gathering and had a great time meeting a some terrific folks from Provo. I just had to share a picture of Jinger (a very warm, personable lady/spokesperson for Provo) and me. The experience was very positive and rewarding and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again - it is always a pleasure to share to passion of paper crafting with an awesome die-cut machine and make some new friends!

and yes, Jinger had on some gorgeous shoes but the bummer is the photo doesn't show her Cricut green fabulous footwear.

Special Numbers

I have two crafty numbers I treasure...One is my membership number for the Cricut Circle and the other is my Fiskateer number. I was able to visit the beach while out east in Massachusetts and just had to take advantage of the sand and writing...here I am with a chignon in my hair with my crafty numbers

playing with shrink plastic

I signed up for a charm swap, Christmas themed. I have been having fun with "shrinky dinks" and I think I finally have my charm design. I used two carts, Give a Hoot for the inside triangle (found on the accent creative feature key)and My Community for the Christmas tree. The tree is cut at 2.7" high and the holes were punched with the crop-a-dile. I colored the shrink plastic with a Bic Mark-it permanent marker. Shrunk the plastic with my heat embossing gun and proceeded to use seed beads to give the tree some decoration garland. Now only 25 of these charms to go before mailing them off!