Celebrate with Flourish Scarecrow

Here in SC our weather finally cooled down a bit - the temperature finally dropped below ninety degrees and the humidity has also decreased.  This is what is called early fall in the south.  At this time of year I miss Michigan.... I liked the change of colors, Indian Summer, apple cider being made at the orchard.... Big sigh....   My Michigan State Spartans were playing in 60 degree weather on Saturday... I had quite the longing for "real fall." To help me through my "real fall." longings, I decided to make a fall-esque card.   

I used the scare crow from Cricut's Celebrate with Flourish Lite cartridge.  I did enhance the layers a bit with Copic markers - he was designed to be more of a silhouette, but I wanted more detail.   I cut some beige fringe and used that as hay.  His face was created using a circle punch for the face and small Peachy Keen stamps for the features.  I cut a matting out using my nesties - I think this is label nine, but don't quote me on that.

I used a circle punch and a scalloped circle punch to create the pumpkin circle embellishment.  The pumpkin is from one of the background papers. 

I have two sets of small fall and Halloween stamps that I really like.  I stamped a large greeting inside the card and I used the smaller pumpkin patch phrase stamp to embellish the corners of the card.  In the end I had fun making the card, but the desire for fall is still there.  And before any of you remind me, I am honest enough to admit that come January I will perfectly happy to live in SC.  We get all of two or three weeks of winter.... So really the trade off is not bad.

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing

Happy BBTB2 Monday!  I feel like dancing today, how about you?  This week the challenge cut at BBTB2 is the flamingo from Cricut's Life's a Beach cartridge.  I chose to use the triple flamingo cut on my card.  After all, if one flamingo is good, three must be even better, right?  And three dancing flamingos just take the prize!

I used two cartridges to create this card:  Life's a Beach and Happy Hauntings.  I am loving the frames on Happy Hauntings!  I also used long nestabilities, plain and scalloped edge, as well as my I-Rock.  I added silver beads to the flamingos and to the sentiment statement.  I finished the card with a black and white striped ribbon, keeping with the formal feel of the card.

I wanted the background to be white, but not just flat white.  I used a herringbone embossing folder and created a background insert for the frame.  I am so happy that I remembered to emboss.  I am not sure why, but I almost never remember to use embossing folders with my BBTB2 projects.  I believe I get so involved in using the Cricut that I forget about embossing.  I remembered today AFTER I used the nesties.

If you have not already done so, please stop by BBTB2 and check out the FABULOUS projects.  My design team sisters WOW me every single week!

Make and Take - or - Take and Make

There were many, many make & takes at CHA's Super Show and though I may be slightly partial, I thought the CUSTOM CROPS make and take was one of the most unique.  This cute little card utilizes Cricut cuts, border punches, pop-up features, stamps (which I did not have when assembling), pop dots, and double layer base card.  Wow.

The little bird and flower cuts were cut with the Cricut using the Create A Critter cartridge.  At the make and take area we used Martha Stewart border punches (I used a stampin' up punch).  Also in the make and take area were assorted adorable "You're so Tweet" phrase stamps. 

I made this card after I arrived home.  I believe the kit was mixed in with items in my apron pocket that I just threw into my rolling bag as I was leaving.  I realized once I looked at the make and take kit that this was the kit I was using for replacement parts for crafters who had an"oops".  That is why my bird was missing her wing and my inside middle flower was missing the tulip.  I raided may scraps and tried to hand cut replacements.  I did better with the flower than the wing, lol. The lower right front of the card should have the phrase stamped.

I decided that whoever originally designed the pop up mechanism was a simple genius.  The mechanism is so simple but works so well. I did copy the pieces before I assembling the card.  I also took the liberty of adding a bit of ribbon.

As a final note, several customers asked for the full card instructions to be added to the Custom Crops web site.  Check there later this week and you may find the card instructions.

Mother's Day Cards By Andrea

Oh Hello!  Guess who entered her photos  but forgot to type in the text??  Yes, that would be me!

This is a lovely card designed by my neighbor, Andrea.  Andrea had the scrapping ladies over to make Mother's Day cards.  Andrea has a plethora of stamps and ink pads; the woman could easily start her own store!  Or maybe start giving stamping lessons!

I only made one change on Andrea's design, I added doodle dots.  But even then Andrea made suggestions.  I am so lucky to have such a talented and super-nice neighbor!!

Homemade Gift for my Secret Sister

Several weeks ago I made a gift box of handmade cards for my work Secret Sister.  My Secret Sister figured out mid-year that I was her secret gifter, so I had no issues with making her a matching box and card set.  The set included several cards:  Chirstmas cards, Birthday cards, and a couple of note cards.  I felt certain that my Secret Sister would like the cards as she has had me make cards for her in the past.  (Photo at the top is, of course, the box).

I used Graphic45's Fashionista line of paper to craft the box and cards.  Here are two the Chirstmas cards:

The birthday cards:

And finally another of the note cards:

A mutual friend told me that my Secret Sister really liked her box of cards... so think about this if you need a special, yet inexpensive gift for someone.

A Couple of Gypsy Cards

I found a few minutes last Friday night to further explore and play with my Gypsy. I needed a couple of birthday cards to have on hand just in case they were needed (it was my husband's birthday and I suspected that the kids might forget to grab cards).

I love the cupcake cuts in Gypsy Wanderings, both the solo cupcake and the border. I thought they might make a cute card. I used the Happy Birthday cut from the same cartridge.

The second card used the owl from Gypsy Wanderings as well as letters from Gypsy Font.

Both of these cards were simple as I made them in a bit of a hurry, but both came out cuter than the photos show.

Stamping With My Cricut

After yesterday's wonderful package from Provo Craft for my guest designer spot at Christmas With The Cricut, I just had to play with my new toys. I Love, love, LOVE the Cricut embossing folders; I should have been using these for sometime. I also tried out the Cricut stamp set.

Everything I have read indicated that simple, less detailed cuts should be selected. I decided to try something very simple for my first try. I just adore the boxers and baby-doll pj set on the new Sweethearts cartridge.

Take seriously the advise to use a new cutting mat. After trial and error I switched to a new mat and it worked like a charm.

It took a bit of practice to get the stamped image to come out as nicely as I desired. Then suddenly I realized that I liked the uneven effect. :-) I cut out the stamped images and using pop dots, attached them to the clothesline on my card.

I finished off my card with a phase printed on cardstock using my computer and printer. I cut the phrase and matting using the long rectangle nestabilities and the scalloped long rectangle nestability. All in all, I think I like my first attempt with the Cricut stamps!!

We Have A Winner and Two New Cards

Congratulations to random blogger comment #3, Bonnie! Bonnie is the winner of this week's blog candy. Bonnie I sent you an email so please watch your inbox. Also, I am still waiting to hear back from Karen on my earlier mini-blog candy.

I went to a Stampin' Up open house today and made THE CUTEST make and take card! Steph always has such great ideas to share.

This afternoon I worked on Monday's BBTB challenge... No peeking until Monday so I cannot share yet. I also worked on two cards. This first, the Happy Halloween card was designed using Lyrical Letters and Wild Card. I like the simplicity of the uncluttered design and the black and orange papers.

The second card is a collage of leftovers. Each element on this card was leftover from a previous card or project. I decided to combine them all together and made this leftovers card!

Scrapping & Card-A-Palooza!

I attended a local crop with friends last Friday night and Saturday (thanks Amy!). I must say that as a group we covered A LOT of scrapping ground: layouts, challenges, Christmas tags, and cards.... Lots and lots of cards! Some of us worked on Christmas cards, some of us worked on all purpose cards. It was a card-a-palooza! I personally did a little bit of all of the above. I completed a number of double page layouts, sixteen Christmas cards, and three all purpose cards. I thought I would share a few of my projects with you:

Cozy Cottage Card

The challenge this week at Bitten by the Bug is the house card from the Wild Card cartridge. Have I shared with you just how much I like Wild Card? I use it for all of my base cards these days, no matter what else I do with the card. And the selection of "base cards" is just amazing.

Regina challenged us to use the house card and I immediately thought cottage! I used Stampin' Up card stock to create this cozy cottage. I double-layered the roof, adding lace trim. I also added an additional card stock "back ground" piece behind the door and plants.


The basic house card has a four section round window, which I deleted with the Hide Selected Contour feature. I replaced the window with a decorative cut from the Home Decor cartridge. I also added a crochet trimmed brad to the window center.


Instead of layering the front door, I used one door piece with pop dots only on the right side; the left side I zig-zagged closed. A small brad made a perfect door handle, and a small ring was a perfect door wreath.


The two topiary and the wreath are covered in flower soft. I used markers on the topiary, but decided they need more pop. Then I remembered the flower soft and applied it to the wreath as well.

The entire top edged of the card was straight stitched, as well as doodled.


I finished the card off with an additional rectangle containing the word WELCOME. I have new neighbors in the new house across the street, so I plan to drop by some brownies and this card later this week.

What a Week....

I know it has been over a week since I posted anything new to my blog. I promise I have not been a total slacker!! I have had a VERY busy week.... First there was the post party clean up. Then mom went home. Followed by a crazy deadline week at work. How crazy was work this week? I worked from 8:30 am - 9:30 pm yesterday!! Our deliverable is due on Monday and we are in great shape to deliver Monday morning!

I did get a chance earlier in the week to relax in my scrap room one evening. I played with a new stamp set and my nestibilities and made three cards. I really like my nesties, but feel that I should use them more often.

The first card features a lot of pink.... I stamped my image then colored in with my markers. Next I cut the image with a large oval nestie, matting it on a large scalloped oval nestie. I added flowers, ribbon, brads, and fun rub-ons to create a sassy card.


The second card features a round stamped image, the large round classic and scalloped nesties, ribbon, brads, and the great zig-zag trimmed base sheet.



The final card features the Label 2 nestability, a fabulous bird rub-on, and Prima flowers! I really liked the layers and uniquesness of this card.