I Love my Cricut!! Look what he has helped me to make!!

I made this piece of "functional art" to enter it into the challenge on the Circle Blog. This is what the challenge said   " Create a piece of wall art (canvas, art board, sign, vinyl directly on wall, framed art, shadow box, etc.). Use at least three colors."



This is what I started with!! It is magnetic board with hooks that was meant for a child's room.

And here is what I re-purposed it to!! I used my Cricut for adding all the fun shapes to cover the hearts and flowers on the top of the frame as well as on the little box. I love how this turned out!! It is hanging by our back door. It serves as a key hanger as well as a magnet board to put things I don't want to forget to take when I go to town eg: receipts for returns,  perscriptions to be filled etc. I also keep a pen there to write quick notes or reminders on the hidden post-its in the little book. Here it is!!!

 Here are some close-ups of the details.

I love this fish from  and the hibiscus flowers from.

Do you see the paper curl exposing a different pattern underneath?  Fun sea turtle and seahorse!!

These are the magnets.

The hidden post-it notes.

I used these materials and tools to alter this board: Cricut Expession, Gypsy, Tie the Knot, Splish Splash, Dreams Come True, Paper Dolls Dress-Up, Luau, Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue, Tim Holtz distressing tool, Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks (on metal hooks), Tim Holtz metal tag, TH Distress Ink, Pebbles Chalks, Sookwang Tape, Mod Podge, Alene's Quick Dry, Zig glue pen, TH metal corners, hat pin and Swarovski Cystal beads, Your Story paper trimmer, hair elastic, TH Tiny fastener, chipboard, bone folder, ATG adhesive, cricut sissors, Tattered Angels chipboard pieces, hot glue gun and sticks, clear embossing powder, Utee, heat gun, Exacto knife, TH tag and crystal charm., TH jump rings, eyelets, Imaginesce Crop-a-Dial, Glimmer Mist, Hot-fix metal bling, and the I-Rock.

Let's Get Sketchy Challenge #1

Hi everyone, It was a beautiful sunny but cool day here. I saw a few robins in the yard on my way to check the mail, spring must be getting closer!! I was able to complete a layout today for the first official challenge at Let's Get Sketchy I found a picture of the kids in our back yard from 2008. I have always loved this picture, the colors are so vivid.

 Here is the sketch we are to follow.

This was a fun sketch to work with as I was able to use many papers from the collection.

Supplies used -
Pink Paislee Hometown Summer 
Bazzil pale yellow cardstock
Yellow Stickles Cricut,
 Gypsy, Create a Critter, Gypsy Wanderings,Mother's Day Bouquet
  Distress Ink Scattered Straw
ATG
Zig Glue Pen
Tombow pen brown
Cuttle Bug and Embossing folder
Bakers twine

Let's Get Sketchy Spring Challenge

Good Morning Everyone!! It sure feels like this Winter is dragging on and on. I am really looking forward to Spring and to playing in my gardens. It looks like that will be a few weeks away yet as it is pretty soggy out there.... rain, rain, rain! I was happy to participate in this Spring inspired LO challenge over at Let's Get Sketchy. This is a non-sketch challenge where we are asked to use all of these pastel colors.

Fun Colors eh? I loved doing this challenge. I found a perfect set of pictures of my daughter and her cousin when they were both about two years old playing house on a really warm afternoon in June. So cute they were!! And, yes, they are "in the buff"!!

   Materials List Cardstock - Autumn Leaves Printed Paper - DCWV Flowers and Butterfly - Prima ATG adhesive mini brads and buttons from my stash. Computer and printer Cricut Expression, Gypsy, Martha Stewart All Occasion Cakes, Fabulous Finds. Cuttlebug and embossing folders. Cutter and blades.  

                                                                      Have a great Day!    Hugs, Colleen

An old Picture Frame gets a Make-Over!!

Hi Everyone, I am sharing a project I did using an old picture frame . I am entering this in the weekly challenge on the Cricut Circle Blog. The Challenge asked to use negative space from the Cricut cuts as well as a tag. This challenge is titled Thing We Love. I made this frame for my daughter and her favorite things in life right now are her friends. All cuts made on the Cricut expression. Frame is covered in paper to match.

  Materials Used: Paper is the Cottage Collection by Crate Paper Cardstock by American Crafts Glimmer Glam paint Lace (colored with Glimmer glam to match paper) I-Rock bling 10 x 13 square ATG adhesive Sookwang adhesive - Be Creative Cricut Expression and Gypsy Carts Used: Gypsy wanderings - dragonfly tag. MS Seasonal Cake - heart. Elegant Edges - butterfly, grid and squares. Hello Kitty Font - flower.

Let's Get Sketchy Impromptu Challenge

Hi Everyone,

 I have just finished a LO for Let's Get Sketchy Impromptu challenge. Here is  the sketch.

This is my take on it. This is a photo of my dad and daughter in 1999. Grampa loves his girl!!

The paper I used is Daily Junque from Pink Paislee. Cardstock is Colorbok and Core'dinations. I used my Gypsy and Cricut Expression for the following cuts;
Flourish - Straight From The Nest
Square frames -  Elegant Edges
Circles - Elegant Edges
Crest - Elegant Edges
also used in this LO , Momento Black Tuxedo ink, Tim Holtz Artistry Stamp - arrow
Fiskars Family stamp set - love. Stickles, Martha Stewart glass beads , spray adhesive, ATG gun Glue dots.
                Thank You for dropping in on me and have a wonderful day!
                                                                     Hugs, Colleen

 

Week 2 Circle Challenge using Create A Critter

     For week 2 of the Challenge from the Circle message board we were asked to use Create A Critter. I needed to make a gift card holder.
    I chose the snake, with the birthday hat, and the ballon cut at  4".   I  used American Crafts City Park paper and off-white cardstock by Autumn Leaves.  Family Traditions flower punch .  Twinery twine and Basic Grey buttons.  Sentiment from Pink by Design`s Take the Cake.  Black pen and ink by Momento.

   It is hard to see by the picture but this card is shaped as a giftbag.  The flower punch at the side hides a slide-out for holding the gift card.

                    Thanks for looking and have a great day!
                                                                               Hugs,  Colleen

Cricut Circle Community Challenge - Use your carts

I, like many of the die-hard Cricut fans have neglected lonely carts sitting in boxes or on shelves that have never been used.  One of our Circle sisters came up with this challenge... Use a cart a week.  Brilliant idea!!  I'll play!!  This is a card made for week 1 using Sophie.  I love this Circle exclusive cart, one of the best ones IMHO.  


                                       Super fast and easy cards using Sophie.

Card open showing cut-out.

Card closed.

   I used American Crafts's City Park paper and off white Autumn Leaves cardstock for this card. The image from Sophie cut 2 x,  once on cardstock,  second on printed paper @ 4.75".  I stamped,  using Momento black ink,  a Hampton Arts Happy Birthday stamp on the cut-out from the cardstock.  I glued this stamped piece on top of the cut-out from the printed paper.  I lined this up on the card base making sure it was centered in the window, this made up the inside of my card.
 For the front of the card I carefully attatched the printed paper cut out to the cut out window.  I added buttons from Basic Grey and some twine from the Twinery. Voila!!  Easy!!  I think that you could use these instuctions for hundreds of quick and easy cards using most of Cricut`s cut-out type card cuts .  Thank you for droping in on me today.

                                             Have fun crafting!  Big Hugs, Colleen