Blog Award!

I feel really special because Ms. Dee at http://dees-specialthings.blogspot.com/ gave me a blog award!!

It seems as though I am supposed to tell 3 things about myself. This one is going to take me a second to think about.

1. I went to college right after high school to be a high school English teacher. After I got my bachelor's degree, I was too scared to get my master's because I would be 22 years old and teaching kids who were only a few years younger than me. After a series of dead end jobs that didn't use my degree, I went back and got my master's in PreK-3 education and I can not wait to get my first permanent job!

2. I started dating the neighbor kid in 1998 when I was a sophomore in high school (and he was a senior). 12 1/2 years later we are still together and have been married for 6 of them!

3. My two favorite things to do--read and craft--fight for my time. Usually crafting wins, but I always read before bed! Both calm me tremendously and keep my anxiety levels at all-time lows!

So, that is that. Just a few things about me! Since this is my first award, I am not sure if I am supposed to pay it forward or not. I will figure this out in time and I hope you enjoy looking at my stuff!

Rainbow

While looking at cards on the message board and on blogs, I noticed a lot of people used this paper that kind of looks like cardboard. I assummed it was a type of cardstock and I needed to have it! While at Joann's yesterday, I found it with the other paper and it was 40% off so, of course, I had to buy it! I had no idea it was called kraft paper and I really don't know why it has that name! However, I love it! I saved a ton of cards to replicate that others have made using it and here is the first.

The rainbow is cut from Once Upon a Princess and I hid the faces on the clouds using Design Studio. I like using that feature because I don't think everything needs to have a smiley face!! The card base is from Sweet Treats, sized at 5.5 x 8--it fits into a standard A2 envelope when folded in half. I used Stickles on the pretty stars and clouds and did the faux stitching all over it!

I love how this one turned out. The brightness of the rainbow contrasts perfectly with the kraft paper and the Stickles just pop on the stars!

Also, thanks to the messageboard, I have an order in for some twine and I can't wait to use it with the kraft paper. I have a big stack of paper that I think will look awesome with those two items and I hope it comes soon!

2 New Projects

First, I have some ABC cards that I made for my (almost) 2 year old niece. She loves to read and she loves animals! I made cards out of heavy, brightly colored cardstock and cut the letters using Base Camp in bright white. Then, I used tons of different cartridges to make images to represent those letters. I used a lot of animals because they are easily recognizable to her. I also laminated them and set eyelets so they would move smoothly on the ring. I wish I had a little bit bigger ring, but I could not find it at any of my local stores. I gave them to her today and she loved them! She looked at them all through the mall and was able to point out a lot of the images on the cards.

And, here is the little Bug herself, reading with her Uncle Travis (my hubby!)

I made another Toy Story card tonight using the Slinky Dog. He was cut at about 5 inches and wasn't too hard to piece together. I used a silver shimmer paper for his slinky so it looked metal and I love how that part turned out! It took me forever to decide the background paper and I think that part turned out pretty good.

Lazy weekend coming up...oh, what to do???

Bullseye Good Luck Card

Real quick post to show a card I made from my newest Ebay purchase. When I was looking through the book and saw this version of Bullseye, I thought that it had to go on a good luck card. Took forever to piece all that brown paper together but I think it was worth it in the end!

After this episode of Gossip Girl, I must go to bed. Get to see that gorgeous niece of mine tomorrow!

Bookmarks

I read everyday...always before bed and often at work. I am a substitute teacher (who is desperately searching for a full-time position) and I always read during my lunch and any free time. I usually just use a post-it note or random scrap of paper for a bookmark. The other day I decided that I needed to make a bookmark and knew that I had to use the worm from Create a Critter! I have been called a bookworm for as long as I can remember so it was fitting.

I used Sweet Treats to make the bookmark--which of course is just a basic rectangle, but I wanted it to be cut perfect, which is not something I always do! I hid the hole in it and then punched my own hole and set an eyelet with my Crop-a-Dile. Ribbon is from Michael's and the letters are from Lyrical Letters.

When I mentioned it to my hubby, I was shocked to here him say that he wanted one too! He usually reads one time a day and often uses a little scrap of paper in his book, too! So I used Sports Mania for the helmet and Varsity Letter for the words on his. Unfortunetly, I had to make his in the very ugly colors of the Cleveland Browns instead of the beautiful colors of MY Super Bowl bound Steelers!

I am pleased with how they turned out--hubby even wants his laminated!

Now, I just have to finish my little Valentine cards for those nephews and I will post them and the mailboxes.

Altered Mailboxes

I have three of the cutest nieces in the entire world and I wanted to give them something special for Valentines Day. Two of them, Jaycie and Kamryn, live in Florida so I rarely get to see them, but I always try to send them something for holidays. The youngest niece, Kira, lives about an hour away so I get to see her more often, but I knew she would enjoy candy and chocolate!

I used the tutorial here to make my mailboxes and it was super easy and they turned out really cute. Only a $1 at Target for each of them and I was able to make an original gift for each of them.

I used paper from a stack that I got at Hobby Lobby during the Black Friday sale, the ribbons are from my every-growing stash and I cut the three adorable animals from Create a Critter.

I am going to put the little notecards in the mailboxes with some candy and chocolate. I can not wait to send them to my nieces in Florida and share them with Kira.



Kamryn is on the left and Jaycie on the right, September 2010





Kira, Christmas 2010



Now, I just need to finish the two for my rotten nephews!

Organization

Although I have only recently gone crazy with craft supplies, including cartridges and Cuttlebug folders, I have changed how I store my stuff several times. When I had five cartridges it was easy to locate them, now I have almost 40 and I had to have a new solution. I was keeping them in a little plastic container without a lid. After dropping it several times I knew I needed a better solution. Of course, I didn't want to spend a lot of money so I went to my favorite fishing section at Walmart and picked up a plastic tackle box with dividers.

I organized my cartridges into four basic categories: full content shape cartridges, lite cartridges, licensed cartridges and font cartridges. I alphabetized each category and put them in the box that way, starting in the bottom left and going up. There is one big compartment only the right, which is where I put my font cartridges. I will be able to stack them 3 high if necessary and then I will label them on the lid. I don't want to create the labels now because I want to keep them in ABC order as long as possible.

Here is a picture of the inside:

Not counting the spot where I keep the font cartridges, it will hold 54 cartridges. It works really well for me and I am able to quickly access my cartridges.


I also recently went on a Cuttlebug folder buying frenzy and needed a way to store them. I found Okieladybug's folders (A2 Cuttlebug Folders) and wanted to use her file, but I don't have either of the cartridges she used. So, using her measurements, I made my own file using the Opposites Attract cartridge and this is what my new Cuttlebug storage looks like.

And finally, the cartridge handbooks were driving me crazy! I couldn't find a way to store them neatly and organized for quick access. The solution was so easy! I bought a photo box with paper dividers and arranged them in the same way as the cartridges were in the box. It was so simple and didn't take any time at all to complete!

Tomorrow (today I guess!) I am going to Michael's to get two more Jetmax cubes to finish up my teeny, tiny corner of the living room so I should be organized completely this week! 

The Day of Paisley

It seems like I get into a zone and I end up using the same cartridge for a bunch of cards in one day. I wanted to use this stamp I got in the cheapy bin that says "peace.love.happiness." so I decided to use the mushrooms from Paisley; therefore today became Paisley day!

Here is the first card:
Stamp: Dollar bin at Michael's
Mushrooms: Paisley (except the peace sign, which came from Cars); All made from random scraps
Ribbon: Celebrate It (Michael's)
Paper: Recollections All Girl

Next, I made a crazy bright owl.
Owl and Sentiment: Paisley, Made from more scraps
Cuttlebug: D'Vine Swirls
Ribbon: Celebrate It (Michael's)
Paper: All Girl Stack and Me and My Big Ideas Sunshine (the pink swirly paper)

And last one for the night (even though this will post as Jan 22, this all occured on Jan 21) is a nesting doll.
Nesting Doll and Sentiment: Paisley, more scraps
Ribbon: Celebrate It (Michael's)
Paper: All Girl and Sunshine
Buttons: Assorted pack I got at Walmart (can't remember the brand.)

And the day of Paisley has concluded. Now, if I could only think of a good card for my mom's birthday!

Crafting Tools??

So I think that the people who create crafting tools inflate the prices on things because they know that crafters will buy them, especially if it makes their life easier, prettier or more organized. I don't like to spend extra money on tools or organization items than I have to, so I try to find items around the house that are benefical in my crafting.

For example, I use the clamps that my husband and I bought at Sears for wood working to hold on my buttons while the glue dries. I can just clamp that on and work on something else while it dries.

I also bought my containers for eyelets and brads in the fishing department. The same thing in the craft department was nearly twice as much. I also bought a large one to store my cartridges in and I couldn't be happier. I also buy any plastic containers at Walmart, as opposed to the "craft" ones at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Today, I saw one at Joann's for nearly $7 that was only $3 at Walmart.

I'd rather save my money on the organizing so I can spend my money on cartridges, paper and ribbon! Like my newest cartridge, Disney Classics, which I used last night to make two cards.

(Ignore the non-editted pictures, I didn't feel like doing them tonight.)

Cards for Soldiers

Until I got my Cricut in April, I had never really made cards. I was purely a scrapbooker who started a lot of projects and lost my spirit to finish them. Or I would make the books for other people and usually not for myself. I do have a few nice books for myself, but that was all pre-Cricut. I have yet to make a complete book using my Cricut, but I am starting an All About Me book that I hope to actually finish.

But once I started looking at everyone's beautiful cards on the message board, I thought I should start doing it too. I also joined the Cards for Soldiers group and I have to say, I love making cards. The instant gratification is amazing and I can finish a project in no time! I am also able to use so many cuts from my cartridges that I may not get to use very often in a scrapbook, especially if it has a particular theme.

I wanted to post a few of my favorite cards that I made for the last batch that I sent. I don't have cut sizes or anything because I made them before I started blogging!

I especially like these cards because the licensed characters can be amazingly hard to make. Abby, Cookie and Elmo are from Sesame Street Friends and Zoe is from Sesame Street Seasons.

So I usually use a lot of bright colors, so these are a bit of a departure for me. I free-handed the stems on the one with the buttons and I wish I had better artist skills because I love the concept. I guess I will need to practice! The flower pitcher is from Country Life and the owl is one of my favorite cuts from Create a Critter.

Finally, here are some birthday cards I made. Back to the bright colors! I think the little cupcake is from Sweet Treats, but I can't remember. The cake saying is a pure scraplift and I love how it turned out; also from Sweet Treats, I think. Hippo is from Create a Critter and turtle is from Birthday Bash.

I hope you enjoyed my cards because I know I had a great time making them. I love the feeling I get when I send them off, knowing that a soldier and his/her family are enjoying them!

A Good Day for a Blog

Because of two recent blog hops that I did from the Cricut messageboard, I decided I needed a blog too!! Everyone posts such amazing projects and stories, so I wanted the creative outlet to share my stuff. I hope you enjoy looking at my cards, layouts and other crafty projects.