Practical Scrappers - Border Punches

This week over at Practical Scrappers we are challenging you to dust off some of your unused border punches and get crafty!  Border punches have to be one the least expensive ways to dress up your paper projects.  I mean, you only have to buy them once and you can use them over and over and over and...well, you get the point.  Did I mention how much I love border punches?  I also love the fact that I can cut all sorts of different borders using my Cricut as well...and if you add the Gypsy into the mix, well you can come up with all sorts of groovy ideas...  kinda like this retro-feel card I did for this challenge (see there is a REASON I said that word... "groovy", well, that and I am kinda of stuck in the 70's myself)... hmmm, did we even say "groovy" in the 70's??  Heck I don't know...but here's the card just the same.

To pull this card together I used patterned paper from My Little Shoebox and combined it with matching cardstock from Papertrey Ink.  The pearls are from Hero Arts.  The layered scallops I cut using Plantin schoolbook and the Gypsy and a Fiskars border punch finished off the purple mat.  With my Nestabilities die I cut the tag and stamped it with a Papertrey Ink sentiment.  The butterfly is the Martha Stewart Royal Butterfly punch.

Okay, now that all the deets are out, why not go and visit Practical Scrappers, take a gander at the other Design Team creations and then join us in this week's challenge.

Bitten by the Bug2 Genie Lamp Cut

Who wouldn't be delighted to find a Genie lamp? You know, the kind that you rub and out pops a Genie that gladly grants you three wishes. BBTB2 Designer Julia Moss wants to make that happen for you, so she's lined up a challenge that will put one right in your hand! Although a Genie won't pop out of this particular lamp or grant you three wishes...you will have to use your Cricut to create it, so heck, that's almost as good! The lamp that Julia has selected for this week's Cricut cut is from Paperdoll Dress Up. It is "Accessories 2" located on page 39 of the manual. On the keyboard overlay it is the first button on the second row.


This week, because Julia is out of town, I volunteered to host the BBTB2 blog, in her place for this challenge, which means I'll have the honor of selecting the winner. I can hardly wait to see all of the beautiful Genie lamp creations that you enter over at BBTB2 to play along with us! And don't forget, you have the chance to win a sweet blog button if your project wins the challenge.

I created my own Genie Lamp by welding two of them together with my Gypsy. I cut the card base using white cardstock, and then I cut the Lamp out three times using patterned paper. Two of the lamps I pieced together to make the card front in two different patterns as shown and the third I used to line the inside of the card. The sentiment was cut using the Sweet Treats cartridge. I welded to cuts of the smoke with my Gypsy as well, and folded it to make the smoke stiff enough to not flop over when the card is standing upright.  I ran the smoke through my Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder to give it some texture and then adhered it to the lamp pipe. Wha-lah, a Genie Lamp is born.  Now... I just need to go make myself a Genie! :-)  In the mean time, I hope you join us for this challenge at Bitten by the Bug2!

Supplies Used:
Patterned Paper: Green at Heart (Basic Grey)
Cardstock: White (American Crafts)
Cricut Carts: Paper Doll Dress Up and Sweet Treats
Embellishments: Pearls (Hero Arts)
Tools: Cricut Expression, Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder

Just for Fun Friday

Thank goodness it is Friday....and when it's Friday by golly it is also Color Challenge time over at the Just for Fun Rubber Stamps blog. 

Color Challenge #17 has us working with some very pretty shades and I hope they inspire you to create something fabulous.   Pull out some perfectly pink, gorgeous green and add a touch of cream or white and join us for this week's challenge!

Despite the fact that I have hoards of patterned papers in these pretty colors, I decided to use this stamp right here to create printed paper on pink and green cardstock. Why you ask? Well, because this stamp from Just for Fun Rubber Stamps is just so darn awesome!  I used Spring Moss ink to stamp the image onto the Sweet Blush paper and Sweet Blush ink on the Spring Moss cardstock.  The very pretty and feminine dressform stamp is from this unmounted stamp set right here. Some white pearls from Hero Arts, that I toned down with my E31 Copic Marker and a Prima Flower and a pretty JBS stick pin finished off this ultra-fem card.

Now before I get to the fine print details... let me just remind you to take a moment to check out all the Designers inspiring creations by starting at the Just for Fun Rubber Stamps blog (or go straight to their blog by clicking on their links that are posted on the left sidebar and then, join our challenge along with us and you could win a sweet discount on your purchases at the online store right here! How great is that?!

Okay so now...here's the fine print:

Supplies Used:

Stamps: UMS 7002 Collage and F2944 Typewriter Type (Just for Fun Rubber Stamps)

Cardstock: Sweet Blush, Spring Moss and Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Perfect Match Hybrid Sweet Blush and Spring Moss (Papertrey Ink), Distress Ink in Antique Linen (Tim Holtz)

Ribbon: Ellen Hutson freebie

Embellishments: Flower (Prima), Pearls (Hero Arts). Stick Pin (Jenni Bowlin Studio)

Other Tools: Distress Tool (Tim Holtz), E31 Marker (Copic)

Practical Scrappers Challenge - Flowers

This week at Practical Scrappers the challenge is to use flowers. I love flowers and typically I love making them too, but I've been swamped recently and so I didn't make handmade flowers for this challenge like I originally planned. Instead I used my trusty Cricut and the new Cindi Loo cartridge (the images on that cart are adorable!) to create the cute blossoms in this layout that features my middle daughter with some of our rehabbing raccoons. I also used some really yummy Jillibean Soup patterned paper with flowers and some teeny-tiny chipboard blooms too (perhaps to make up for the fact that I didn't hand-make any flowers!)

Actually for as simple as this layout really is... it took me FOREVER it seemed to finish it! Go figure!

Supplies Used:
Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Cricut Cartridges: Cindi Loo and Give a Hoot
Chipboard and Felt Embellishments: Dear Lizzy and American Crafts
Doiley: Wilton Cake Supplies
Other Tools: Martha Stewart Border Punch

Bitten By the Bug 2 Challenge - Rainbow Cut

This week over at Bitten by the Bug 2, we are challenging you to use the rainbow cut from the Once Upon a Princess cartridge.  You can find the image on page 55 of the booklet and it is the 4th row down, second image over on the keyboard overlay.

I decided to try my hand at what I will simply call a modified gate-fold card.  In other words, I cut the "gate" and taped the bottom 1/3 of the card shut and embellished it instead of leaving the whole card-front open. I'm not sure why I decided to try the gate-fold this way, it just seemed like the thing to do at the time.  It's not the kind of card I would typically make, even so, I didn't really mind the finished product...until I went to take a photograph and realized that it would not stand up on it's own... where's one of those flower frogs when you need them? :-)

At any rate, all and all, this card is one that I would not typically make, even if it wasn't gate-fold as I don't typically select images like this to do my projects.  However, this is kinda what BBTB2 is all about you know, challenging us to use our Cricut... so, mission accomplished. I used it! :-) Not that I need incentive to do so though! LOL... Do you?

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: Raspberry Fizz, Hawaiian Shores, Lemon Tart, Stampers Select (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Raspberry Fizz Mix (Papertrey Ink), Delovely mini deck (Cosmos Cricut)

Fibers: Raspberry Fiz Luxe Satin and Hawaiian Shores Grosgrain (Papertrey Ink)

Cricut Cart: Once Upon a Princess (Provocraft)

Stamps: Happy Day set (Hero Arts)

Ink: Coffee Archival Ink

Embellishments: Brad (Basic Grey), Gems (Hero Arts)

Other Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities

Even the Cats get Cat Hair on Them...

Ziggy is my middle daughter's Maine Coon mix (a rescue from the local animal shelter when he was just a wee laddie)... now he is a very big boy, and almost always a wee pain in the buttocks... except when he is sleeping.  So naturally, as I was getting ready to mop the floor (for the second time yesterday), I was delighted to find Ziggy fast asleep.... it was however, WHERE he had chosen to nap that I questioned.  I mean under the breakfast bar, stuffed between the chair legs and the wall... how can this be even remotely comfortable?  I don't get it.... and what's with his little fangs sticking out... never mind the clump of cat fur stuck to his paw... at least I now have living proof that around here...even the cats get cat hair on them!  LOL.

Just for Fun Friday

Wow...it's Friday already (whew!) and time for yet another Color Challenge at the Just for Fun Rubber Stamps blog. Color Challenge #16 has us pulling out some of our primary colors (or hues in these color families), Green, Blue and Yellow. 

A little October Afternoon Thrift Store paper got me going in the right direction when I started crafting this card.  Not to mention the fact that I've been looking for a reason to use this too-cute Cat stamp from Just For Fun Rubber Stamps too... (as if seven cats isn't enough, I gotta go and actually stamp and color another one... bahahahahaha). Ah well, I'm in touch with my Crazy Cat Lady side and proud of it too.

Actually, I wasn't totally convinced that the patterned paper and the cat went together...but I was determined to use both on this project... so I threw caution to the wind and whipped this baby up despite those feelings.

Okay...so before I go any further ... have you joined us in a challenge over at Just for Fun Rubber Stamps yet?  If not, I want you to promise me that this is the WEEK you will! ... In fact, here's what I'm gonna do to get you to play along.  If you do a project and link it up over at Just for Fun Rubber Stamps... you'll not only have a chance to win a 25% discount at the online store... I'll also visit your blog or gallery and leave you a comment... how's that for incentive to play along...  bahahaha.  Okay, so even if that isn't much of an incentive... I still want you to play...so run (don't walk) to your craft room, roll up your sleeves and join the challenge!!

AND....Don't forget to check out all of our other Just for Fun Rubber Stamps Design Team creations for this challenge. Their links are listed in the sidebar at the left!

Ah geez, now, before I go ... let me fill you in on the fine print details...

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper: Thrift Shop "Still in the Box" (October Afternoon)

Cardstock: Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)

Stamp: UMS 7017 Cats & Stuff (Just for Fun Rubber Stamps)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Fibers: New Leaf Ribbon (Papertrey Ink), Yellow (Dear Lizzy/American Crafts) Rustic Cream Button Twine (Papertrey Ink)

Embellishments: Hawaiian Shores button (Papertrey Ink) Mini Market Ledger Stickers (October Afternoon) Memo Pin (Tim Holtz)

Other Tools: Copic Markers, Nestabilities

You're My Mr. Right

Just in Time for Father's Day.... all colored up with some yummy Copic Markers! :-)

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink, True Black and Softstone
Patterned paper: Sassafras Apple Jack Wee Bundle
Embellishments: Jenni Bowlin Studio Mini-Black Bingo Cards and Inkssentials Glossy Aceents
Ribbon: Papertrey Ink, True Black
Stamps: My Favorite Things: Maid for MTG
Misc. Supplies: Copic Markers, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Cricut Expression with Fabulous Finds cartridge, Foam Tape

Trio of Mini Cards

Here's a little set of little cards... a trio of mini cards to be exact.  And this is my mini post to go with the mini cards.

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: Neenah in Solar White(card base and stamped flowers) and Papertrey Ink Vintage Cream (tags)
Patterned paper: Jenni Bowlin Studio Front Porch Mini Papers
Embellishments: Chipboard Buttons - Porch Swing by Jenni Bowlin Studio
Ribbon: Papertrey Ink, Vintage Cream
Twine: Papertrey Ink Rustic Button Twine in Natural
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Blooming Button Bits (flowers) and Garden of Life (sentiments)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Aged Mahogany
Misc. Supplies: Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Provocraft Cricut Expression with Sweet Treats Cartridge (page 24 Tag Feature), Thermoweb 3d Foam Squares, Pop Dots, ATG Gun with Adhesive

Bitten By the Bug 2 Challenge

Something fishy is going on around here...

and it's the curved fish from the Cricut Camp Out cartridge to be exact.  That's the cut we are using for this week's challenge over at Bitten By the Bug 2.  This cut was a Reader's Choice selection and as soon as I heard what it was, I knew exactly what photograph I wanted to scrapbook!  A darling pic of my oldest grandson with his father and the first fish he ever caught on his own rod all by himself (with help from dad... grin).

I bet you have a darling photograph or perhaps even a quirky card brewing in your head right now... don't ya?  If so, get to work and conjure up your own curved fish project and then enter it for this week's challenge at BBTB2.

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: White, Yellow and Black (American Crafts) Spring Mss, Lemon Tart and Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Camped Out (Bella Blvd)
Cricut Carts: Camped Out, Mickey Mouse Font (Provocraft)
Embellishment: Copper Stickles, Journal Card (Bella Blvd.)

I missed you Kristina and other News

For those of you who read my posts now and again, you know that I have a very special Best Blog Friend (BBF) Kristina from Kristina's World.  Over the past five months or so we've developed a relationship that went from mutual blog-stalking to text and phone messages and then finally, a brainstorm and subsequent development of a brand new challenge blog Papercraft Star! At least for the moment, I do believe that we may be the only blog of it's kind right now (read on, you'll find out why)! 

Anywhooooo....during the past week or so (well, until this past Wednesday anyhow)...my Kristina-dear was on VACATION and consequently (through no fault of her own) she left me to run a-muck while she was away (sniff, sniff, I missed her too!)... BUT she also had this photograph taken of herself in honor of me... (if you've seen my profile pic... or read my bio, you will understand why right away)...

Now if that kid isn't just the cutest little thing I don't know what is!!.... oh and that little goat she is holding is pretty darn cute too!  :-)

Okay...okay... enough silliness, I'm actually writing this post for two reasons... one, to post the darling picture of Kristina in case you missed it on her blog....and two, to tell you that the brainchild of Kristina and I... Papercraft Star goes live June 23, 2010... but you can hop on over there during the next week as we introduce each member of our Design Team and right now, you can go there to see a whole bushel full of up-coming challenges listed on the sidebar! We've done this so that you always know what is coming up and have your project ready when it's time to post for that particular challenge!  Then... even cooler (if anything could actually be cooler than knowing what challenges are coming up at a challenge blog weeks and weeks in advance) after participants submit their projects... the entire public gets to VOTE on their favorites!  Yee Haw! This my friends, is what makes us so unique (for the moment anyhow!) :-)

While I'm posting this I also want to personally thank Kristina for being such a good friend, for putting up with my controlling nature and scratterbrained thought processes and just generally being a total joy to work with (unlike myself!!!)... Oh and in more exciting news.... Kristina will leave her humble abode next month to join me on the Crazy Farm (my home) right here in Arm Pit of American (grin)... and I'm thinking in honor of this... she and I will have to cook up something EXTRA special to celebrate our first-ever face-to-face get together (please do keep her in your thoughts and prayers... as she is staying here at my home for the whole week... )... you know... HERE, with my kids, grandkids, dogs, cats, goats and raccoon rehab-thingie going on... whew!!!  Is she a brave girl or what!  :-)

Now what are you waiting for?  Go visit us at Papercraft Star! and get ready to join us in a challenge or two..or three...or four...

you get the picture, right?

Just for Fun Friday

It is Just for Fun Friday and time for Color Challenge #15 at the Just for Fun Rubber Stamps blog!  Look at these great colors!  Doesn't it just inspire you to create something beautiful? 

Before you leave today, don't forget to check out all of our other Just for Fun Rubber Stamps Design Team creations for this challenge. Their links are listed in the sidebar at the left!

To start my project, I had some nifty-keen (yes, I said nifty-keen) plaid paper from My Mind's Eye, Life Stories that lent itself perfecto-ly to this challenge...so I pulled that out along with some of that really swell brand new Basic Grey Kraft paper that I stamped the coffee cup on in coffee ink.  Yum-O!  Then I added some ribbon, more stamps and and ink and by golly, this is what I got...

Now, truth be told, I don't even like coffee...GASP! (it smells great, but I just can't drink the stuff... I'm a Diet Pepsi kinda gal myself)...anywho...just 'cause I don't like coffee doesn't mean that I can't love you all a LATTE'...eh?  And ooo, do I ever... so much so in fact, that I am gonna let you in a little secret... if you pull out these colors (see above if you have forgotten already... I know I have... (grin)...,) dream up a crafty paper project and link it over at the Just for Fun Rubber Stamps blog...you could win a 25% discount at the online store!!  Yee Haww!!!.... well, okay, that wasn't really a secret at all, since I've been telling ya'll about it for WEEKS now... so, I wonder... what is keeping you from joining the challenge?  You don't need JFF stamps to play along...so go now... yes, NOW! :-)   Hmmm on second thought... hold on one second, so I can leave you with the fine print...

Here it is...

Patterned Paper: Basic Kraft (Basic Grey), Life Stories (My Mind's Eye)

Cardstock: Ripe Avocado, Spring Rain, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)

Stamps: UMS7014 Coffee Unmounted Sheet, H2955 Coffee Background (Just for Fun Rubber Stamps)

Fiber: New Leaf Ribbon (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Archival Ink in Coffee

Other Tools: Fiskars Upper Crest Border Punch

Practical Scrappers Weekly Challenge - Eyelets

This week at Practical Scrappers we are challenging you to bust some of that eyelet stash you got hanging around in your supplies.  You know you have it... so pull it out and create something crafty to play along with us for this challenge. 

Way back on May 21, at Practical Scrappers, Lisa designed this really sweet sketch, I especially loved it because I am so totally into banners right now. Unfortunately I didn't get a layout done to play along with that sketch challenge, so I decided to use it for this eyelet challenge.  Lisa's sketch looks like this (see above) (just in case you missed it at the Practical Scrappers blog). Isn't it great!!??!! Yep, I thought so too!

Okay so a lot of metal went into the making of this layout for sure!  I not only pulled out all the eyelets stops, I stapled in some metal too with Tim Holt's tiny attacher.  You can buy one for yourself right here.  I used patterned paper from two of my favorites, The Girls' Paperie and October Afternoon and my Cricut got a work out with the Mickey Mouse font to create my "Puddle Jumper" title and the stars.  And hey, don't forget about those eyelets I put everywhere I could think of to put 'em, they are from We R Memory Keepers Toasty Tin collection.  Add to all that the double-cute photos of my sweet puddle jumping grandson and you got a finished layout that made me oh, so happy.  I mean, cute kid, handmade banner AND banner paper, what more could a banner-loving gal like me what from a layout? :-)

Okay, now it's your turn to create something using eyelets and don't forgot to enter it over at Practical Scrappers so we can all admire your handywork!

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper: On Holiday (The Girls' Paperie), One of Kind (Thrift Shop Collection by October Afternoon)

Cardstock: Red (American Crafts) Vintage Cream and Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)

Cricut Carts: Mickey Mouse Font (sentiment and stars)

Other: Eyelets in Toasy Tin (We R Memory Keepers), Rustic Twine (Papertrey Ink) Distress Ink in Tye Dye and Tiny Attacher with staples (Tim Holtz) Pure Poppy Button (Papertrey Ink), Market Stickers (October Afternoon)

Just for Fun Friday

It's Just for Fun Friday at the Just for Fun Rubber Stamps blog and time to participate in Color Challenge #14! This week I am challenging my faithful followers (that would be YOU)  to play along with this fun Monochromatic color challenge.  Choose any one color you please and create a project using shades of that one color.  You can do it!  Enter your project over at the JFF blog when you are done and make yourself eligible to win a sweet prize. How great is that?

Anywho... as for my project just let me say this....I know, I know... "natural" really isn't a color... (maybe you would consider my choice brown, or perhaps cream)...but at any rate, here's my card for the JFF challenge... Ta-Da...

I created a topfold 5 x 5 inch card base from Kraft cardstock and then scored the back of the card every 1/4 inch. I then inked the edges of smaller squares of Softstone, Rustic Cream and Vintage Cream cardstocks with some soft brown ink.  I used my trusty little Cuttlebug to crank some texture into the Vintage Cream with an embossing folder and then tied a bow around that square using some cream binding tape. I stamped the Just for Fun Rubber stamp sentiment onto Softstone cardstock and distressed the edges. Then I adhered everything to the base of the card, popped on a few brownish gems and then misted it all with some Old Lace Glimmer Mist...and it was done!

So there you have it folks a clean and simple card... now I suppose I just need to find a couple that's getting married.

Don't forget to check out all of our other Just for Fun Rubber Stamps Design Team creations for this challenge.  Their links are listed in the sidebar at the left!

 Now here's the fine print for you:

Cardstock: Rustic Cream, Vintage Cream, Softstone, Kraft (Papertrey Ink)

Stamp: Sentiment (Just for Fun Rubber Stamps)

Ink: Soft Brown (Hero Arts Shadow Ink)

Other Tools: Distressing Tool (Tim Holtz), Gems (Hero Arts), Cream Binding Tape (My Stash) and Old Lace Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), Scoring Board (Martha Stewart)

Practical Scrappers Weekend Sketch

Practical Scrappers's June sponsor is Squigglefly Stamps and they generously provided the Design Team with a number of digi stamps to test drive.  I decided to combine this week's Practical Scrapper's Sketch (by Sasya) and Squigglefly's Father's Ties stamps to create my project.

Despite the fact that the sketch was suppose to inspire me to create a scrapbook page (I had photos out and everything)... I tossed that idea aside and opted to create a card instead (and just when you thought you had me all figured out... I throw a curve ball... lol).

I used Cosmos Cricut "The Boyfriend" papers, colored up Father's Ties with some Copic markers and even used Gypsy Wanderings with my Cricut (for just a second) to create the swirl on my card. The sentiment is a stamp from Just for Fun Rubber Stamps. I added a button from my stash, some rustic cream button twine, Summer Sunrise and Kraft cardstock from Papertrey Ink.

It was a very overcast day when I took this photograph and oddly enough everything looks gray, try as I might to fix it, I just could not figure out how to do it... all that "gray cardstock" is actually KRAFT...go figure! LOL.

Anywhoooo....here is my oh, so, loose interpretation of the sketch...

Practical Scrappers Challenge - Vellum

This week's Practical Scrappers challenge has us using either vellum, transparencies, acrylic accents, or a combination of the three.  To inspire you to join us for the challenge this week, I created a gift bag with vellum flowers for accents.  This was the first time I used vellum to make flowers and I found it a bit tricky to work with (it's slippery stuff!)... never the less I managed the task and now I'm hoping you create your own project using one of the mediums I listed above, then link it up at our Practical Scrappers blog for the whole world to see! 

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper:  Vintage Findings collection (Making Memories)

Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)

Stamps and Flower Die Cuts: Beautiful Blooms II (Papertrey Ink)

Fibers: Lace (Ellen Hutson), Scarlet Jewel Ribbon (Papertrey Ink)

Other: Copic Marker, Distress Ink in Tea Dye (Tim Holtz), Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (Provocraft), Pearls (Hero Arts) Handmade paper (green) from stash, Brads (American Crafts), Kraft bag from stash, Medium scallop die (Papertrey Ink)