Graduation Layout for Shelby's Scrapbook

Today I have a quick layout to share with you.  These are the final two pages in Shelby's scrapbook, which will be filled in later with photos from her graduation.  Shelby's school colors are royal blue and white, but as anyone who tries to purchase graduation cardstock knows, most of the scrapping products are black and white, gray and white, or silver and white.  I had a few pieces of graduation paper and cardstock leftover from Ian's senior year scrapbook so I shared with Michelle. 

To the basic gray, black and white graduation colors we added royal blue and white embellishments.  We used two cartridges to cut the Cricut elements on these two pages - Calligraphy for the phrase "Graduation 2011" and Everyday Paper Dolls for the graduation cap.  Both Happy Graduation and grad caps appear on a number of other cartridges, I simply chose these two because I like them.  But if you do not have either of these cartridges do not worry, similar cuts can be found on several other cartridges.

I added floral swirl die cuts to each page - cutting in half a large flower to use half on each page.  The die cut is one that I have had for a while - the last of a series of die cut flowers I purchased a few years ago at Convention.

I added a few rub-ons to the pages - See the "So happy" embellishment above and the phrase "Celebrate You" on the last photo.  I also created a layered blue and white flower to add a bit of girliness to the page!!

Here is a final look a the two pages.  Click on the photos to see them larger.

I will be back tomorrow with one more graduation project to share.  I hope you have a great Friday!

Heart Wrapped Votive with MS Seasonal Art

Happy Valentine's Day!  This week it is my turn to select the weekly "challenge cut" at Bitten by the Bug 2 and in honor of Valentine's Day, I chose the heart border AND a decorative heart from Martha Stewart's Seasonal Art Cake cartridge.  I must tell you, the cake cartridges offer so much more than just cake cuts!  I love paper crafting with this particular MS cake cartridge.

Originally I designed a heart shaped card in design studio using this week's challenge cuts.  However, while looking at the votive candles on my dining table in the wedding vignettes, I decided to return to the Cricut Design Studio drawing board.   

 

I welded four sets of heart borders (the first of the two challenge cuts) together.  I then attached four lacey hearts (the second of the two challenge cuts) to the heart borders.  I completed these welded cuts in a fun, flirty pink cardstock.

I cut the welded shadow border hearts in white cardstock.  And finally I cut four more of the lacey hearts in white, with basic hearts from the Calligraphy cartridge inserted to remove the middle of the hearts.  This created the lacey white accents on the large hearts. 

After attaching all of the pieces together, I added pink accent stones using the I-Rock tool (LOVE my I-Rock).  

The photo below shows more of the details, the the light photographed a bit too yellow. 

If you have not already done so, please do go by BBTB2 and check out the fabulous Valentine's created by my FABULOUS design team sisters!   They are an amazingly talented group of women who manage to "rock it" each week at BBTB2!!!

Graduation Card for Mark

This may not look like a traditional graduation card, but then the graduate is not a traditional kind of guy.  Mark is the son of one of my friends, but more importantly he is a young man that we watched grow from a fourteen year old teen into a more mature twenty-two year old man.    Mark graduated from the College of Charleston last Saturday and I bet it was the best Mother's Day gift that his mom has ever received. 

I have always liked Mark. As a teen he had a mischievous, infectious smile. I have a sneaking suspicion that Mark was always with my older two children back in high school when they were someplace doing something that they should not have been doing. Not that Mark was ever bad. No, he was and is FUN to be around. And he has always been caring and compassionate. He has always been fun to have around and to be around.

I used three cartridges to create Mark's card:  Elegant Cakes, Just Because Cards, and Calligraphy.  I cut the layered scrolling frame on the front of the card from Elegant Cakes.  The lettering all came from Calligraphy.  And the rest of the card was cut using Just Because Cards.  I went with primarily maroon and black papers, the traditional College of Charleston colors.  I did toss in a bit of metallic gold paper to make the front of the card more festive.  I finished the card with two inside borders and the word Congratulations. 

I hope that Mark likes the card.  I was going for "guy elegant" and I think this fits the bill! And even if he hates the card, Mark should like what I plan to put inside!!!  :-)

BBTB2 Love Stamp Cut

I am running a bit late today on getting my BBTB2 project loaded to both the BBTB2 site and to my blog.  The challenge this week was to use the Love Stamp cut from the Sweethearts cartridge.  I made this sweet valentine which includes cuts from five different cartridge:  Sweethearts, Calligraphy, Love Struck, Easter 2010 and Tie the Knot.

I used Bazzill pink bling cardstock, smooth white cardstock, one sheet of Basic Grey Sugared cardstock and two prints from SEI's Juliette line.  I love the shimmer in the SEI paper!!!

I finished off the front of the card with Prima flowers and American Crafts ribbon.  Inside I added the phrase "Be My Valentine" from the Calligraphy cartridge.  I also cut a an extra heart from Sweethearts and sweet border from Easter 2010. 

I love this couple on Love Struck.  Speaking of Love Struck, WHAT A GREAT CARTRIDGE!!!!  I am so enjoying the 2010 seasonal mini carts.  Be sure and get your before they are gone!!