Cricut Banner Contest Entry #2 (My Favorite But Don't Tell #1)

I had originally planned to wait to share my Cricut Banner Contest entry until closer to the contest date, but it seems many of us are sharing on the Cricut Message Boards.  So once I shared this project on the MB on Tuesday, I decided I should post it here also. 

I used two Cricut machines and five cartridges to complete this banner:  Cricut Imagine and the Imagine Black & White cartridge, Cricut Expression with Straight From the Nest, Elegant Cakes, Calligraphy, and Everyday Cricut.

I had such a good time making this banner; it just seemed to all come together for me.  I began by printing sheets of cardstock in my Imagine machine.  Using the Black and White cartridge I printed the cardstock for the back layer using white cardstock with black print.  Next I printed the pink and black cardstock by printing on pink cardstock. 

I had previously created a cut file in Cricut Design Studio.  I used Calligraphy to cut the base pennant layer using the black and white I cardstock I printed.  Next I cut the solid pink pennant layer.  And finally I cut the black and pink pennant layer.  I used my ATG and adhered all three layers together.  

Next I cut the white scalloped pennant tops.  At this point I moved on to the Elegant Cake cartridge cuts.  I started with the elegant scroll cut at the top of the pennant pieces.  I used a Xyron to apply adhesive to the scrolls and then attached the scrolls to the pennants. 

I cut the two piece elegant scroll frames with the Elegant Cakes cartridge.  I used solid black and solid white cardstocks for these cuts.  Again I used the Xyron to apply adhesive to the scrolls before attaching them to the white base layers.

Using bright pink cardstock and the Everyday Cricut cartridge I cut the word "Cricut".  I also cut to green, white, and black Cricut logos.  Using liquid glue, I glued the Cricut Logo pieces together and glued them onto two of the scroll pieces.  I glued the Cricut letters to the remaining scroll pieces.  I used pop dots to affix the scroll pieces to the pennant sections.

Using diamond bling, I added highlight of bling to the letters and scroll pieces.  I did not want to over do with diamond bling as I planned to add the pink crystals.

I am going to admit that I had to go on-line to find the pink crystals.  I knew what I wanted to do with this pennant, but had trouble finding the right crystals.  Finally I got lucky and found the pink crystals on ebay!! 

The crystals came with gold tone hardware to attach them to the pennant.  Sadly, gold tone did not work with my color scheme.  Then I remembered that I had a silver leafing pen!! Woo-hoo for the silver leafing pen.  It completely covered the gold as simply as coloring with a marker.  I will use this technique again!!  After the coloring, I pierced the pennant tips and attached the crystals.

The last step of the project was to add ribbons.  I used 1.5 inch wide white organza ribbon to tie the pennant pieces together.  I then added solid black ribbon as well as pink and white ribbons to the pennant.

I will admit that I am quite pleased with this pennant.  I viewed some fabulous banners on the Cricut MB, but I still like this one.  And while it may not win the contest, it made me happy to create it!!

Fence Challenge using Heritage

She said yes - - Everyday Cricut Project

Happy Saturday everyone.  Sorry to have been MIA all week - I was dismantling my Christmas decor and working on some Spellbinders projects.

To make up to you for being gone all week I am the Saturday designer at Everyday Cricut.  Okay.  Really.  It is just my normal Saturday at the Everyday Cricut blog but I AM sharing!

This week's project is called, She said yes!  My older son proposed to his girlfriend during the Christmas holidays and Crissie said yes to marrying Aaron!  As you might have guessed, my husband and I are thrilled. This layout is one that I will actually use in their scrapbook, but the photos were quickie computer printouts.  The real photos are still being printed. 

For all of the details on creating this layout, including cartridges, please head over to Everyday Cricut.  There are also additional photos on the EC blog.

I will be back on Monday morning with a fun Bitten by the Bug 2 challenge project.   Have a wonderful long weekend!

BBTB2 Bless This Nest Door Hanger - 1st Video

Happy Memorial Day!  And welcome to the BBTB2 blog hop.  I am not hopping today (I forgot to arrange a prize - oops!), but be sure to go by BBTB2 to begin the blog hop when you leave here.  We had to use the Sweethearts cartridge, specifically the Bless This Nest cut.  I used the phrase as well as the bird couple in the nest.

For a really rough idea of how I made this card, I assembled the card in my first ever video.  This may not be the worst video ever made, but neither is it in the top ten!  You will have A LOT of views of my arm and hand - oops.  But the good news is I have finally figured out how to make a craft video.  All I need is to purchase a tripod.  That will happen this week!  I McGyver-ed a the camera for tonight only, hence all of the hand/arm shots!!  I will improve my video skills. 

And finally here are a couple of more photos.  I hope you have a great day.

Last Minute Valentine Card with Cut File

You still have four more days in which to craft a fabulous card for your Valentine(s).  My project at Custom Crops this week, Love Stamp Valentine, will make you a Valentine's Day superstar.  Follow this LINK for complete instructions and the cut file at Custom Crops. This card is actually easy to cut and assemble, but will look like you spent HOURS slaving over the craft table!!

BBTB 2 Heart Card - Yet Another Valentine Moment

Happy Monday!  It is, of course, time for the weekly BBTB2 challenge post.  This week's challenge cut is the Heart card from the Wild Card cartridge.  We could use this heart shaped card anyway we wanted. I went with the seasonal "go to" and created a Valentine card.

I cut the basic Wild Card Heart card in white cardstock.  I then used printed paper in colors of white, pink, green, blue and red and cut the card front only.  I switched cartridges at this point and cut the shadow scalloped heart from the Sweethearts cartridge in pink cardstock.  I affixed the printed heart to the front of the scalloped heart.  I then attached the scalloped card to the Wild Card Heart basic card.

I used red foil paper and cut assorted embellishments from Wild Card and Tie The Knot.  I cut the "Be My Valentine" phrase (from Wild Card) for the inside of the card from the red foil also.  I ran the foil cuts through the Xyron machine to apply adhesive, then I set them aside for later use.

My final Cricut cut was the sweet XOXO cut from Tie The Know.  I cut this is a Pink Paislee gingham, the reverse side of one of their "Cupid" cardstocks.  I cut the XOXO shadow in Core'dination cardstock and attached the two layers together.  I then affixed the cut to the lower third of the card front.

The flower embelishments on the front and inside of the card were made using prima white daisys, prima solid and gingham flowers and paper punches.  I used a 1 1/4 inch circle punch and cut the circle flowers from the opposite side of the gingham paper.  I then used a 3/4 inch circle punch and cut flower centers from the same paper. I hand trimmed a flower stem from the paper and attached it "growing" from the XOXO cut.  I used large glitter brads to affix the four layers of flowers together. I finished the card front by attaching the foil embellishments.

Inside the card is the red foil Valentine phrase, yet another of the layered flowers and a delicate green stamp to represent the stem.  All this card needs is a little note and a signature!

Please come back tomorrow for this week's Gypsy Spot challenge - today's card is part of a matching Valentine set which will be completely revealed tomorrow!! Sneak peek in the final photo in the this post.

Gypsy Spot Challenge - 3M Adhesive Backed Paper

Hello bloggers, happy Tuesday.  This week at the Gypsy Spot we were challenged to use 3M's Post It brand paper, which has adhesive on the back with a peel off cover.   I received three 8.5 x 11 inch sheets of the 3M paper - red, pink and white.  So of course I immediately thought VALENTINE'S project. 

I used my Gypsy and five cricut cartridges to design and cut this card:  Sweethearts, Tie the Knot, George, Graphically Speaking and Winter Woodlands.  Since so much of the nation is experiencing winter weather this Valentine's day, I chose the heart snowflake cut on Tie the Knot as a primary accent cut. The tiny red hearts in the middle of the heart snowflakes were cut from George.  I added small snowflakes from Winter Woodlands to accent the three larger snowflakes.

The layered scalloped hearts are from the Sweethearts cartridge as is the word LOVE in the middle of the top heart.  The word YOU is from Graphically Speaking.  I wanted a plain font so as to not draw attention away from the word LOVE. 

The base card was cut from Sweethearts and the rectangle on the top of the card was cut from George.  I used a new Valentine Cuttlebug embossing folder on the background rectangle to add texture.

The flower is a Prima product and can be purchased at Custom Crops. The ribbon was from my stash.  The brads are Stampin' Up brand. I hope that you and you Valentine snuggle up warmly this Valentine's Day!!

Note: The cut file has been added to the list of cut files at the right - 3M Love Valentine Card.

Gypsy Spot Tuesday - Super Bowl Themed Challenge

This week the Gypsy Spot is getting ready for the Super Bowl.  The challenge of the week is to use the Gypsy (or just the Cricut or the Cricut with Design Studio if do not have a Gypsy) and create a Super Bowl party themed project.  I chose to create a center piece with which to cheer on the New Orleans Saints. 

This is the first time in the history of the team that the Saints have made it to the Super Bowl.  If that wasn't reason enough to cheer on the Saints, my husband and I lived in New Orleans the first year we were married (28 years ago).  And that same year, the Saints drafted a friend from college. 

I used three different cartridges on my Gypsy to create this center piece:  Everyday Paper Dolls, George, and Sweathearts.  This was the first project made with my new blue Expression and I have to say, I was having some difficulty with the mat sliding.  If this continues to be an issue, I may have to switch back to the regular Expression.

Before I close I am going to confess that my husband is from Tennessee and Peyton Manning was quarterback for Tenn prior to being a Colt.  So in our home this Super Bowl is truly a win-win.  We will be happy no matter which team wins.  But let's be honest, the Saints made for a better center piece.  Geaux Saints!!!!

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!!

Gypsy Spot Tuesday - Black & Gold Challenge

It's Tuesday and that means the challenges are up at the Gypsy Spot blog. This week Nilda challenged the team to use the colors black and gold to create any project of our choice. Since I had missed the BBTB2 challenge last week where they used the boy and girl Valentine cuts from A Child's Year, I decided to use that cut.

I used three cartridges, A Child's Year, Sweethearts and Winter Woodlands to make this vintage looking Valentine card. I cut the hearts from Sweethearts, including welding two shadow hearts together to form the base card. The base card was cut in a cranberry colored Swiss dot Bazzill cardstock. I cut the top layer of heart, with the eyelet scallops, in a lacey gold paper that my friend Kathy shared with me.

The two layers of silhouettes from ACY were cut in cranberry cardstock for the shadow and texturized core'dination cardstock for the top layer silhouettes. I enhanced the Valentine couple with white gel pen dots and doodles.

I glued ecru vintage looking lace around the inner edges of the scalloped heart and added Prima flowers to the top edge of the heart. I also added a double layer of the word love from Winter Woodlands cartridge to the upper left front of the card. I again used the black cardstock and gold lacey paper to create the two word layers.

I added an additional lacey heart inside the card so it is all set for me to stamp my St. Valentine's message.

Priceless - Knowing Your True Worth

Happy Bitten by the Bug Monday! While I am not participating in the blog hop, I am happy that you hopped by. And speaking of hopping... Do you like my little frog Prince?

This week's BBTB challenge cut is to use the priceless cut from Graphically Speaking. I decided to use the tag with only a minor alteration; I added the word "is". Otherwise I used this adorable frog from the Sweethearts cartridge. And once again, I thought deeper than was necessary for the cut, but truly how many of us know our true worth. How wonderful if we could all appreciate ourselves!

Now on to why I did not participate in the blog hop... Because I am a horrid person and still have not gone to the post office and mailed my blog candy from the last blog hop... nor have I mailed the blog candy from the download guess. I have this big flaw in life.... I HATE going to the Post Office. But I DO PROMISE to get to the Post Office this week!!!!

So with the confessions being finished, I will get back to life... I have a busy week coming up. I will be finishing up the details for my husband's b-day party this Saturday. It is a casual event, but still requires a degree of planning and coordinating. And guess what? I have already designed the scrapbook pages in Design Studio!!!