Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #15 ... Think Winter

Hello everyone, are you ready for another challange from the Cricut 360° Challenge Blog? This week we're doing 'white-on-white' projects.

For my card, I started with a 5.5" x 5.5" base then added a layer embossed with the Snow Burst embossing folder. To highlight the embossing, I rubbed on a little White Frost shimmer paint. Both the embossing folder and the shimmer paint are from Stampin' Up. Then I tied on some white tulle and satin ribbon. The skates are from the Winter Woodland Cricut cartridge ... cut a 3.25". I sprinkled the blades with Martha Stewart coarse glitter, swiped more of the shimmer paint on the boots and finished them with some pearls and embroidery thread. It still looked a little plain, so I added the ribbon and snowflake charm. All in all, I'm pleased with this one, even though it didn't photograph very well ... it's one of those that looks better 'in real life'.

Now, here's a second card. Actually, I made this card first ... then I re-read the challenge requirements and realized that there isn't supposed to be any 'color' in the project. For this card I used a kraft base, inked all the edges with Tim Holtz Brushed Corduroy distress ink and used a kraft/white bakers twine for the laces. The sentiment is from My Pink Stamper's Winter Punnies set.

I like that you can get two very different cards using the same basic elements!!

So, now it's your turn. Link your project at the Cricut 360°Challenge Blog.  ... I'd love to see your project!!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Blog Candy Winner

Thanks to all who participated in the Cricut 360° Blog Spooky Halloween Blog Hop! First, I need to apologize for being so late in posting my blog candy winner ... this week has been just crazy and this is the first opportunity I've had to post. Now, without further delay, the winner of the blog candy is:

#35 DIANA L. said...

Love this card and the googly eyes are great
DIANA L.

Congratulations Diana ... I'll have your goodies in the mail and on their way to you soon!!

Cricut 360° Blog ... Spooky Blog Hop

Welcome to the Cricut 360° Blog Spooky Blog Hop. If you got here from Sonya's blog, then you're on the right track. If you've just popped in, you might want to start here ... this is where you'll find a list of all the blogs in our Spooky Halloween Blog Hop. And, of course we have some blog candy up for grabs ... a Freshly Picked Cricut cartridge. 

To be entered to win, visit all the blogs and collect the "key" words ... they'll reveal this week's challenge. Then make a challenge project and link it on the Cricut 360° Blog ... how fun is that!!

Now, here's my project:

My card is a 5.5" x 5.5" square. I love the colors in this ... the orange and green papers are from DCWV and the spider web paper is from Echo Park. Of course, it wouldn't be a proper Halloween card without the classic Halloween colors of purple and black, so I added those colors with a big, floppy seam binding bow. My cute little spider was cut using the Doodlecharms Cricut cartridge. I embossed her with several coats of UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel). Before she cooled completely, I bent her legs down so she looks like she's standing. And don't you just love those flirty lashes and googly eyes ... perfect for the My Pink Stamper sentiment.

Now it's time for you to hop on over to Heather's blog. I know she'll have something fabulous to share with you!! But, before you go ... here's a little blog candy I'm offering:

If you would like to be entered for a change to win, just leave a comment with a way to contact you. I will use Random.org to select a winner on Oct 19th and I will ship worldwide.

Finally, my key word is COLORS ... remember to link up your project for a chance to win!! 

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #13 ... Welcome Baby

Happy Friday everyone, it's time for another challenge at the Cricut 360° Blog. This week we're making something for babies.

My card this week is sweet and simple. The image was cut from the Wrap it Up cartridge and embossed with the Love Language embossing folder. I coated the wheels and trim with Glossy Accents and added ribbon, twine and buttons.

I hope you'll join us for this challenge ... I'd love to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #12 ... Native American Inspiration

Happy Friday! Are you ready for another Cricut 360° Challenge? This week, I'm keeping it simple. My image is a digital from Daisy's Digi Doodles. I printed it on kraft paper, colored it with Copics, then used a small paint brush and white craft ink to highlight the feathers. I added a drop of Glossy Accents to each of the beads to give them a little shine and texture. I layered this with papers from Stampin' Up and some twine, and then finished with a sentiment cut from the Graphically Speaking Cricut cartridge.

Hope you like my little card ... now it's your turn. Visit the Cricut 360° Challenge Blog to see the design team's wonderful projects. Then link up your project ... I'd love to see what you create!!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #11 ... For A Hero

Welcome to another Cricut 360° Blog challenge. This week we are commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and making projects to recognize those who serve.

I love dogs, and I'm especially fond of working dogs, so I decided to make a card honoring the search and rescue dogs who worked at ground zero. I used Paper Pups, Stand and Salute, and Plantin Schoolbook (for the little white cross). The sentiment is computer generated and is the motto of Search and Rescue teams worldwide.

I hope you join us this week at the Cricut 360° Blog ... we have a special sponsor! 

Robyn from My Pink Stamper had donated one of her stamp sets, so link up your project for your chance to win "Freedom Rocks". Good luck and ...

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #10 ... Grandparents

Welcome to Challenge #10 for the Cricut 360° Blog. Grandparents' Day is September 11th, so we're making projects just for them.

For my card, I chose designer papers and cardstock from Stampin' Up and a flower from Art Philosophy. I cut the petals three times and layered them using large glue dots. I added some doodling, a big button and a little seam binding. The sentiment is a stamp from Pink By Design. All in all, it's a simple card, but I love the bright colors. Now, head on over to the Cricut 360° Blog to see what my design team sisters have come up with ... their projects are awesome, and be sure to link up your Grandparents' Day creation ... I look forward to seeing it!!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #9 ... Relax

Labor Day is September 5th and over at the Cricut 360° Challenge Blog we think it's time to relax.

For my relaxing card, I chose to use my new favorite cartridge ... Art Philosophy. If you haven't seen this cartridge, I highly recommend that you check it out ... it's amazing!!

The patterned papers are from Stampin' Up, the cardstock and sentiment stamp are from Papertrey Ink, and I added some faux stitching and self-adhesive pearls.

I used some netting to make a hammock. It didn't turn out quite like I imagined, but when I showed my card to a couple of friends, they recognized it as a hammock without any prompting ... so I guess it works!

Be sure to check out all the other 'relaxing' projects at the Cricut 360° Challenge Blog ... I know you'll love them. And I hope you get a chance to play along ... I'd love to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #8 ... Back To School

Happy Friday! Here's my project for this week's Cricut 360° Blog challenge ... where we're headed "Back To School".

For my project, I decided to alter a notebook. I started with an inexpensive composition book and covered it with paper I printed using my Imagine and the Imagine More cartridge. Then I used my Gypsy with George & Basic Shapes to make the chalkboard frame and backed it with black cardstock. The font is from Lyrical Letters ... sized and welded with my Gypsy.

I added some frosted gems (from Martha Stewart), lots of ribbon and a cute little owl charm.

Of course, I needed an apple, so I went with the apple and books from Hello Kitty ... sometimes I forget what a versatile cartridge this is!

So, there you have it! Now it's you're turn ... head on over to the Cricut 360° Blog and show us your "Back To School" stuff!!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #7 ... Old West

It's Friday, and you know what that means ... another Cricut 360° Blog challenge. This week we're headed out west to find our inner cowgirl!

For my card, I chose a digital image from Bombshell Stamps. They have great vintage images and I just love this cowgirl! I used PhotoShop Elements to change the line art color from black to brown, and then used Copics to color the image.  The patterned paper is from K & Company and the cardstock is from Papertrey Ink. The frames are from the Elegant Edges cartridge ... I used my Gypsy to size the frames to fit my card base. To make the tarnished gold frame, I cut the image from a cream colored cardstock, inked it first with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink, then with a bronze color Ink Spot and finished with a spritz of Tattered Leather Glimmer Mist. I then ran it through my crimper to give it a some dimension. My image is pop-dotted and to finish, I added a little crochet thread and a metal star I found in a old jewelry box.

I added a computer generated sentiment to the inside of the card. It's a quote from Dale Evans ... it really brings back memories of watching Roy Rogers and Dale Evans on Saturday afternoon (I'm dating myself here!) and I thought it was perfect for my vintage style card.

Now it's your turn ... mosey on over to the Cricut 360° Blog and see the great projects my design team sisters have created. I hope you're inspired to join us this week.

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #6 ... Refreshing

It's Friday and time for another Cricut 360° Blog challenge. It's been crazy hot so we're going to try to cool things down with some refreshing projects!

For my project, I tried to recreate one of my favorite things: an Olive Garden Italian Margarita. My, oh my ... they are yummy!

There are martini glasses on a couple of Cricut cartridges, but no margarita glasses, so I used my Gypsy to make my own. I welded an oval from Plantin Schoolbook to the top of the martini glass from Smiley Cards to create the margarita shape. I cut it two times, one from white cardstock and one from frosted Shrinky Dink material. I used a Copic marker to ink the frosted side. It's kind of hard to tell from the picture, but I inked the stem of the glass with a light blue Copic marker. I used Glossy Accents to adhere some clear Martha Stewart micro beads to the rim. Then I used more Glossy Accents (just on the side edges) to adhere the Shrinky Dink layer to the card stock layer.

I like my margaritas 'on the rocks', so I used more the of Shrinky Dink material to make ice cubes. The rounded squares are from George and Basic Shapes. I used my Gypsy to weld three together to form a base. Then I cut three separately. I inked the frosted sides with a light blue Copic marker, and then embossed them with the Tiny Mosaic Cuttlebug folder. I used clear dimensional dots to attach them to the base and slipped them in between the Shrinky Dink material and the cardstock. I like how they look like they're floating. Of course, every margarita needs a straw ... I used a pipe cleaner (slipped behind the white cardstock) to make mine!

The orange slice is from Preserves. It looked a little flat, so I glossed it up with a thin coat of Glossy Accents. For my sentiment, I used Thickers from American Crafts. They're actually yellow, so I inked them with the same Copic marker I used on the margarita.

Oh, and I guess I should tell you my card is a 6" x 6" square and the designer paper is from Stampin' Up. I hope you join us for this week's challenge ... I'd love to see your refreshing ideas!!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #5 ... Transportation

Happy Friday!! Are you ready for another Cricut 360° Blog challenge? This week we're celebrating vacations and all the ways people travel to get to their favorite destinations.

For my project, I made an A2 size card from navy blue cardstock. Then I used one of the built-in shapes on my Imagine, filled with a pattern from the Buccaneer cartridge, to create the mat. The life preserver and the anchor are from the Life's a Beach cartridge ... they were also filled with colors from Buccaneer and cut with my Imagine. I added lots of inking, a spritz of Pearl Glimmer Mist and some doodling.

The sentiment is computer generated. I hand cut the banner, inked the edges and then formed it around a pen to give it a little dimension. 

I hope my little card has inspired you to join our challenge this week ... I'd love to see what you design.


And remember, we always have a weekly give-away.
This week's  prize is a 6" x 6" Basic Grey paper pad.

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360 Blog Challenge #4 ... The Great Outdoors

Wow, it's hard to believe we're already up to Challenge #4 ... time is just flying by. I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's entries ... they are a great source of inspiration for me ... thanks to you all.

 Are you ready for  more? I hope you'll join us this week because we're are going "Outdoors" at the Cricut 360° Challenge Blog.

One of my favorite outdoor activities is gardening, so I made my card with that in mind. I started with this sweet little image from Mo Manning that I colored with Copics. I wanted this image to be the focal point of my card, so I kept the mats and embellishments simple. The tools were cut from the Walk in My Garden Cricut cartridge. I cut the first layers from gray cardstock, inked the edges with Tim Holtz distress ink (Black Soot) and then embossed them with UTEE ... leaving the handle portion un-embossed. I cut the second layers from brown cardstock, spritzed them with Glimmer Mist (Tattered Leather), and then embossed them with the Herringbone Cuttlebug folder. Then I finished with some twine and a sentiment stamp from Pink By Design.

Hope you like this ... can't wait to see what you design!!

And remember, we always have a weekly winner ... up for grabs this week:

Thanks for stopping by ...

Wenching You a Happy Birthday!

Here's a quick and easy card I made 

for my brother-in-law's birthday.

I used black cardstock from Papertrey Ink to make a 5.25" square card base. Then I used my Imagine and the Buccaneer cartridge to print and cut the background paper and the cute little 'wench'. I used pop dots to adhere all her layers, and then more pop dots to attached her to the front of the card.

For the inside, I printed more of the background paper and added a computer generated sentiment. So much fun ...

I love my Imagine!!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #3 ... For Parents

Once again, I am absolutely amazed at the reponse we had for Challenge #2 ... are you ready for Challenge #3 from the Cricut 360° Blog? Well, July 24th is Parents' Day and we're making projects in honor of moms and dads everywhere.

For my project, I started with a small, inexpensive frame ... the inside dimensions are about 4" x 11". I removed the glass and covered the backing with some patterned paper from Michael's. Then, using quick dry glue, I added  a crocheted trim to the inside edge.

I then selected word art from several cartridges and used my Imagine to print and cut. All of the papers were printed from the Imagine More cartridge. For each word, I selected a pattern and solid paper. Both printed and then cut at the same size. All the edges were inked using a coordinating Stampin' Up marker. I off-set the solid paper to create a shadow effect. Each word is pop-dotted ... they kind of look like they're floating! I finished by adding self-adhesive pearls to the background and the edge of the frame.

At that point, I thought it needed a little something else, so I decided to add a flower. I used the Mother's Day Bouquet cartridge and Imagine More patterns for the flower petals and leaves. Those were inked, as well, and I added a pearl, some crinkle ribbon, crochet trim and a little copper wire to finish. I'm really happy with this little flower. If you haven't tried making flowers with the Mother's Day Bouquet cartridge ... you're missing out!!

Here are the cartridges I used for the word art:

Family - Gypsy Wanderings cut @ 2.3

Together - Graphically Speaking cut @ 1.8

Forever - Home Decor cut @ 2.4

Love - Beyond Birthdays cut @ 1.4

Oh, I almost forgot ... everything was spritzed with Pearl Glimmer Mist ... for just a little sparkle!

Now it's your turn ... for our random drawing this week we have an Echo Park 'Dots and Stripes' paper pad. Good Luck!!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Pinwheel Birthday Card

Pinwheels are so popular nowadays, 

I thought I see what I could do with one. 

I started with 2.25" square, made the pinwheel, then added a button and some crochet thread. The stem and leaves were cut using the Serenade Cricut cartridge. I cut extra leaves, embossed them by hand, and pop dotted them on top of the original leaves.

The flower pot was cut from the Kate's ABCs Cricut cartridge ... this has become my favorite flower pot!  I inked the edges and pop dotted the layers.

The mat was cut from the Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge ... I inked the edges added a little faux stitching. 

My sentiment is a stamp from Verve Stamps.

The cardstock I used is from Papertrey Ink and the patterned paper is My Mind's Eye ... isn't it lovely!! Hope you like my little pinwheel card ...

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog Challenge #2 ... Thank You

 I am so excited about the response we had to our first Cricut 360° Blog challenge! It was wonderful to see everyone's entry ... you all are seriously talented. After such a great first week, it's appropriate that our next challenge is to create a 'Thank You' card. The only rules: create a circle shaped card and, of course, use your Cricut. Here's what I came up with for this week:

I got my inspiration for this card from Michele Kovack. She is one of the design team members for the Circut Circle blog and she recently did a tutorial on using your Cricut to cut felt. The trick is to stabilize your felt with Heat & Bond or Wonder Under. Then you place it, felt side down, on your mat and cut using a deep cut blade. Two more tricks: tape the edges of the felt to your mat and keep your cuts simple. The felt will shift a little, so intricate cuts won't work well.  

So, to make my card I used my Gypsy and Elegant Edges to create the base out of a cream colored cardstock. Then I cut two mats, one from a peach colored cardstock (using the shadow feature) and one from a patterned paper.  The next layer is a doily that I inked with distress ink and spritzed with Glimmer Mist. The peach is from the Preserves cartridge, cut from three colors of felt. I did some embroidery stitches to dress it up a bit and added a button to the center. My little tag is from Tag, Bag, Boxes & More and my sentiment stamps are from My Pink Stamper (You're a Peach!) and Papertrey Ink (thanks). The felt and cardstock are also from Papertrey Ink.

So, there's your challenge ... I'm really looking forward to seeing what you all create ... and remember, we'll use random.org to select our weekly winner. This week the prize is a paper pad from Echo Park. Also, you just might be chosen as one of our weekly Top 3 and be entered in our monthly giveaway. Have fun creating!!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Challenge #1 ... Invitation

Yah, I'm so excited ... it's finally here ... the first challenge for the new Cricut 360° Challenge blog! To get started, we've created invitations to invite you to come and play along with us.

For my card, I used white cardstock from PaperTrey Ink to make a 6"x6" base. The frame was cut using the Elegant Edges Cricut cartridge, embossed using the Polka Dots Cuttlebug folder and then lined with some polka dot paper from Stampin' Up. The balloons and the Cricut head were cut using Cricut Decals, which is one of the 'built-in' cartridges on the Expression 2. I used my computer to print the sentiments and then inked the edges of the balloons and added crochet thread for the strings. All the images on my card are 'pop dotted' to give it some dimension.

I hope you like my little card ... now it's your turn. For more inspiration, hop on over to the Cricut 360° Challenge blog to see what the other design team members have created ... you'll be very impressed. When you get to the blog, be sure to click on the 'Rules' tab at the top of the page. That's where you'll find all you need to know about our challenges.

Wait, there's more: We have a prize this week. We will use random.org to select a winner from this week's participants. Up for grabs ...

a 6"x6" Life of the Party paper pad from Basic Grey.

And even more: each week the Design Team will pick three weekly favorites. Those selected will receive a badge to display on their blog. Then, at the end of each month the Design Team will select a monthly winner from the weekly favorites, and that winner will receive prize, too! How much fun is that!!

So, get busy ... I can't wait to see what you all make!

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cricut 360° Blog ... A Great Beginning

Wow, I can't wait for you all to see what Sonia from Scraps 4 Fun and Nana from Younique Reflection have created! The Cricut 360° Blog is a fresh,  new challenge blog that's sure to be fun and inspiring. The Design Team is  ready to go and excited to get started, and we want you to be excited, too! So, to get the ball rolling, we've got some blog candy ... a Create a Critter Cricut cartridge ... how fun is that! Create a Critter is one of my favorites and is definitely a 'must have'. 

 For your chance to win, visit the Cricut 360° Blog  and have a look around, you'll find all the details there. Then be sure to come back on July 1st and join us for our first challenge ... I know you won't be disappointed!

My Poor Neglected Blog!

June is such a hectic month for me ... I haven't had much time for blogging, but I have gotten some crafting done. I hope to get back to regular posting soon.

Here's a quick little card I made using a digital image from Mo Manning ... isn't it sweet!! I colored this with ProMarkers and then cut it out using Nestibilities. The blue circle is from the George and Basic Shapes Cricut cartridge, and the border was made using a punch from EK Success. I finished this with some pearls, ribbon and a dark gold button. I know it looks like an orange button, but really, it's gold ... that photography/lighting thing is tricky!!

Thanks for stopping by ...



Tic Tac Toe Challenge & Cricut 360 DT Call

This card is doing double-duty ... I'm submitting it for the Tic Tac Toe Challenge on the Cricut Circle blog and also for the Cricut 360 design team call.

For the challenge, there is a Tic Tac Toe board with a design element in each of the squares. You get to choose a row and then incorporate the three elements in your project. I chose the bottom row ... use a flower shape cut, use a Cuttlebug embossing folder, and use the Imagine for your patterned paper. 

For the design team call, the requirements are to create a layout or card using lime green and a bug. Click here to find out more about this new challenge blog.

All the images were printed and cut with my Imagine, using the Blast Off cartridge. The flower pot is from Kate's ABCs, the flowers and leaves are from Mother's Day Bouquet, the butterfly is from Ashlyn's Alphabet, and the mat is one of the stock shapes from the Imagine.

For the butterfly, I printed a pattern on cardstock for the the base and then printed a solid color on vellum for the wings. I attached just the 'body' of the vellum layer to the base to create a little dimension.

I embossed the leaves with the D'Vine Swirl Cuttlebug folder and spritzed the flowers and leaves with Pearl Glimmer mist.

I love how bright and cheerful this is ... hope you like it, too!



Thanks for stopping by ...