Cricut Craft Room - First Project

If you read my blog last Saturday you may remember that I was having a difficult time with printing and cutting on my Imagine in the Cricut Craft Room.  Well... now having actually READ the information on the Craft Room, I discovered that it was a ID-10-T error (idiot) - the Imagine is not yet linked to the Craft Room.  Duhh.  So sheepishly I went back to the CR and selected Cricut Expression as my machine and VOILA! It worked wonderfully well!  I cannot wait to link up my Imagine also.

I used Lacy Labels exclusively to create this card.  The base card was created by welding two of the same shape together and was then cut in a double sided cardstock.  I then cut two toppers, in the same shape, in a dark brown cardstock and a reverse of the base card cardstock.  Finally I cut the branch with bird cut and the word Bliss.

After using my ATG gun to assemble all of the large pieces I got out some Copic markers and attacked the foliage branch and the word Bliss.  First I added two different greens to the leaves and then tan to the branches.  I finished the branch with a thin brown marker, adding dots and dashes to highlight random stem areas and leaves.  I used both green and blue markers on the work Bliss, and finished the word with white ink dots.  I chose to leave the bird solid cream so that the stark simplicity would pop off of the card. 

Before I affixed the branch to the base card I found a little bag of goodies that I received in the goody bag swap at the Cricut Circle Crop in Atlanta.  The package contained the great aqua colored trim and two coordinating buttons.  I attached the trim to the branch and then, adding two brown flowers, I sewed the buttons onto the branch sides.

I finished the card by adding an aqua-ish flower behind the bird to frame him.

I think you are all going to love the Cricut Craft Room when it goes public later in the month.  To me it takes the best parts of Gypsy and Design Studio and combines them into a great piece of software.  Oh, and for those like me that love DS but HATE the tiny images - the images are bigger too!!!  Woo-hoo!!!

Mother's Day 2010 Phrase Challenge

Happy Bitten by the Bug 2 Monday!  This week we are jumping ahead into mid spring with the Mother's Day 2010 Cartridge.  My sweet Design Team sister, Lori, chose this week's challenge cut - any phrase from the MD2010 cartridge.  I selected the word "Mom" as that is what I call my mother.

Using Cricut Design Studio, I cut "Mom" in two layers - the icon cut and the shadow.  The top layer (icon) was cut in a subtle print pretty pink; the shadow was cut in an aqua blue cardstock (though in the photo above the cardstock appears more blue than aqua).  I glued the cuts on a Bo Bunny oval, also cut with MD2010, and the corresponding base layer.

I used a dark cream cardstock and cut the top layer of matting, added scallops and tiny circles to create a semi-lace edge.  This was matted on an aqua blue rectangle, which was then matted on a lime green rectangle.  And finally all of the layers were matted on a smooth white cardstock card.

I embellished the card with white and brown pen dots and something new - Cuttlebug Quill Daisies.  When I attended the Cricut Circle Crop in Atlanta a month ago one of the two purchases I made was this great set of Cuttlebug plates to create daisies.  Provo Craft has come out with three sets:  Daisy, Chrysanthemum, and Carnation.  I trusted my table mate, Madge, to select a set for me.  And she chose well as I love this Daisy set.

The quill sets are very easy to use - I may do a video later to show you how wonderfully easy this flowers cut and go together.  You cut the pieces using the dies in your Cuttlebug.  Then using the quilling tool you wrap the three layers one at a time, smallest to largest, to create this awesome flowers!!  Easy - easy!

I completed my card by adding a rectangle of the dark cream cardstock and a rectangle of the lime green cardstock to the inside of the card, along with a pink strip.  I used two different circle punches and punched four flowers from the Bo Bunny print used on the front to create flower embellishments.  I the used dark brown ink and stamped a Mother's Day sentiment.  I colored the flower and edge of the oval with Copic markers.

I will back with some fun new projects this week - cards, a layout and hopefully I will find time to make a video using the Cuttlebug Quill flowers.

Imagine Card with Easter 2010 and Audrey

I am so happy it is the weekend!  We had a dreary week with lots of rain and thunderstorms and cool weather.  It went from the mid 70s to the mid 40s and made me wonder WHERE spring was hiding.  But as of Friday, spring  (with sunshine and warmer weather) made a return to SC.  And today is even warmer!  So to get past the dreary rain and to reclaim spring, I decided to make a simple Easter card.

I had not used my Cricut Imagine for literally several months!  I have dusted it and stacked items on top of it, but I had not cut with it.  So last night I changed that!  First I tried to use the Cricut Craft Room to create my design and then cut... But alas I could not get it to cut for me.  I will have to call Joy, Melanie or Diane for a tutorial.  In the meantime, I made the elements for this card with the Imagine old school! 

I inserted Audrey into my Imagine and also Easter 2010.  I placed the scallop edged circle on the mat and colored it pink.  I then printed and cut the circle.  Next I placed the four cuts for the hatching chickie on Celebrate with Flourish onto the mat.  I colored each element with colors/patterns from Audrey and then cut and printed those.

Using mono adhesive and pop dots, I assembled the chick and placed it on the pink circle.  I placed the circle onto a white circle shaped welded card I cut with the cricut expression and design studio.    Next I outlined the chickie elements with a brown micro-tipped pen, as well as added dots to the edge of the card.

I ran a ribbon through two the holes in the card, circled around the top of the card, and tied a bow on the front.  I topped the bow with a clear pink button.  I took crochet flowers and using floss, I sewed pink buttons on the flowers.  The flowers were attached to  the card with glue dots. 

I finished the card with a Happy Easter arched stamp, in brown. 

I have decided that I must use my Imagine regularly AND learn to use the Cricut Craft Room.  The craft room works like Design Studio plus Gypsy - combining the best elements of each.  I thought it was VERY easy to use, except for that whole cutting thing!!  I recently purchased three new Imagine cartridges so hopefully I will be Imagining more in the near future!

For Japan, with love

I won't be in Austin this weekend, but my cookies will be.  Kathryn of The Austin Gastronomist has put together an incredible bake sale this Saturday (4-2-11) called Austin Bakes for Japan. There are going to be 5, yes FIVE, locations for the bake sale all throughout Austin, so if you live there, or in the area, please stop by.  (Here is the list of locations.)

To say that the images and stories coming out if Japan are heart-breaking is such an understatement, but I can't think of a better way to descibe it.  My mind keeps going back to those children waiting for days at their school for their parents to pick them up.  And it goes to the mothers who must lie awake at night worrying about the impact radiation will have on their children, and their food, and their country.

This may sound silly, but I remember getting my issue of Martha Stewart Living after September 11th.  (Yes, I looked to Martha for comfort.)  She had been in Japan during the attacks and her letter from the editor described that day there.  It touched me so deeply...I saved that letter.  Here's an excerpt:

"As we walked somberly toward the temple, the bells in the bell tower....pealed the melody of Parke W. Hewins's 'America the Beautiful.'  How wonderful, how inspiring and how utterly devastating."

~Martha Stewart, 2001

The people of Japan grieved with us, and now we grieve with them.


I hope if you're in the area, you'll come by the bake sale. Sweet and lovely Nina from Salt: a baking journal is transporting my cookies to Austin from Houston.  Thank you, Nina....such a pleasure to meet you!

My heart is in Japan, my cookies are in Austin...and I'll be sweating it out in Houston at kiddo's track meet.  Wish I could be there to help with the sale!

***update: The bake sale was a huge success!  To date, over $11,000 dollars was raised and donations are still coming in...yay!***

Gluten-Free Pineapple Coconut Muffins

Warm and tender pineapple muffins with toasted coconut.

April first has arrived. But you won't find any tricks up my sleeve. Unlike the greater, broader world beyond my kitchen that apparently harbors a few individuals contemptuous of living gluten-free. This was a tough week to be a celiac. Assaults ranged from the merely mean-spirited to the stunningly ill informed. There was the alleged Chef in Colorado (I say alleged, because it turns out this nudnik may have only been a waiter) ridiculing gluten-free diners (the term he favored was "idiots") and crowing on Facebook that he passes off regular pasta as gluten-free (join the lively discussion here). There was the Dr. Oz show calling gluten-free a "fad diet", asking is it "just a myth?" (in full disclosure, I believe he meant as a weight loss tool, as a certain gluten-free celebrity has been claiming in her g-free book- ironically, featured on Dr. Oz last year). And finally, there was a food blogger turned author whose envied blog-to-movie deal has apparently not cultivated much compassion for those of us stricken with gluten sensitivity. She barked on Facebook, "If I have to read one more thing about going gluten free I'm going to stomp on someone's face." And more than one person agreed with her. One of her fans (a food blogger) added, it's "too precious".

Strap on your helmets, Campers. There's not a lot of love out there.

I know this. You know this. Some of you have even shared stories about not only eye-rolling waiters and could-care-less food preparers, but family members sneaking gluten into what they feed you, just to "see what happens". Just to test you. Let me repeat that.

Family. Feeding you gluten. On purpose.

No wonder strangers feel they can openly spout contempt. If we are not respected within the bosom of our own clan, our flesh and blood, how can we expect random strangers to care?

The truth is, they don't.

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And the Winner Is........

The winner of the Custom Crops gift voucher is

Jenny from jennyplace2, who said...

OMG! Your layout is just totally wonderful! I was just in Disney World in Jan. and have so many great pictures from there. Hope I have time to do I layout and join in on the fun. TFS your wonderful talent..you inspire me!

Thank you Jenny.  You will be hearing from me regarding your voucher.
Thank you Custom Crops for sponsoring my participation in the Bitten by the Bug2 blog hop again this month.  Custom Crops is a wonderful on-line retailer for all of your cricut and paper craft needs.  Their prices are amazing - in fact I purchased an Imagine cartridge and new mats for my personal use this week - at great prices!!!  Do take time to go check out the new products and the great SALE at Custom Crops.

Magnolia-licious Design Team Sketch challenge for April

WOOHOO!! Happy Friday and happy April 1st!!! So are you an April Fool prankster?  I like to play small little pranks, especially to the grandkids. LOL!  With today being the first of the month, it's time for a new challenge from the Magnolia-licious Design team, and this month is was my turn to host. I decided to challenge you to make a project using Edwin and Tilda together. Cause after all, Edwin and Tilda are truly Together Forevah!!! For my card today, I used #151 Heartbreaker Edwin (isn't he just the cutest little thing??) along with #341 Mini Tilda Blowing Hearts for the thought bubble, and #450 log.

They're all colored with Copic markers. Edwin and the log are fussy cut and popped up from the Nestabilities circle. The grass is just hand drawn in. A Martha Stewart border punch was used for the heart strip, the twine is from PTI, and I got those cool Tim Holtz pins that the charm is attached to at my LSS. The other stick pin I've had for forever and I can't remember who they're made by. The packaging is long gone. That little tag was cut using a Cuttlebug set of dies and I just ran it through my printer after cutting it. It's attached to the twin with just a simple safety pin. The pearls in the corners were colored with a Copic marker.

Please be sure to visit Magnolia-licious Highlites to see my DT sisters creations using both Tilda and Edwin. And don't forget about the huge Magnolia-licious Easter/Spring Extravaganza challenge! The prizes are unbelievable! There are three different categories and each category is offering a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place price. This is VOTING contest, and you're only allowed one entry per category, so be sure to do your best work! First place prize in each category is a $150.00 shopping spree at Magnolia-licious! WOW! If that's not an eye opener, then I don't know what would be! All the details are on the Magnolia-licious Highlites blog. But don't put it off, cause you only have until April 19th (exact times are in the contest details) and then the contest closes for voting. So what are you waiting for! Get those Easter/Spring projects going! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!