Baby Boy Card for Everyday Cricut

Happy Saturday readers!  You know that the much tauted Father's Day card I have talked about all week?  Well, it is not going to happen after all.  I had planned to post both my Baby Boy card AND the Father's Day card today, but alas, Cricut Craft Room and my Cricut Imagine were having some communication issues and this card took far longer than I had intended.  And frankly, by the time I finished with the card I still had to write not one but two blog posts.  So yes, the Father's Day card will go in the archive folder for next year!

This cute Welcome Baby card was created for Everyday Cricut using Theresa Collins' F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S Imagine Cartridge - Baby Boutique.  For more details on how this card was created AND more information on Baby Boutique, visit my post at Everyday Cricut.  There are many more photos there also. 

I will not be posting again until Monday, when it is my turn to host the weekly challenge at Bitten by the Bug 2.  In the meantime, I wish the men in your lives a Happy Father's Day!

Damask Floral with Damask Decor Cartridge

It is Thursday and I have a blog candy winner!  The lucky winner of a Custom Crops $20 gift voucher is:

meredemaison (who) said...

Great card and I think that the paper is the best ever! I also am a huge Custom Crops fan, so the candy would be fantastic!  TFS!

Meredemaison, if you could please email me your name, address, and phone number I will arrange for the Custom Crops gift voucher!  Congratulations!!

Last week Cricut updated the Design Studio software fonts and I was finally able to cut with Damask Decor using CDS!!!  Yes, I was doing happy dances!  Though, hold on to your socks!  I have also been using Cricut Craft Room more frequently.  And yesterday I received an email saying that CCR was moving on past the Beta phase.  I need to update my Imagine and my Expression 2 and try cutting with my new machines.  I have a cut file all set to go for the Imagine using Lori's Garden so this is GREAT NEWS!

Anyway, I digress.  Following the CDS update I decided to play with Damask Decor a bit.  I decided to make a card from the cartridge and top the card with cuts from the cartridge.  I loved the shape of this "half tag" card (my name, not Cricut's) because it gave me the opportunity to use the tag shaped floral cut.  I added the icon layer over the tag, along with additional layers. 

I used the Hide Select Contour feature in CDS and created a matching bottom layer tag in rust.  I could have found the tag on another cartridge, but this way the tags matched exactly. 

I recently ran upon a HUGE Prima sale -- 40% off all Prima.  I dug through my newly replenished stash and found brown Prima pearls that match correctly. I used a craft knife and cut the pearls apart into usable strips. 

I finished the card with a length of ribbon and cream and brown Prima flowers.  The little brown roses were also from the sheet of Primas. 

Thank you for stopping by today.  I am hoping to get in some crafting time today but I will starting preparations for an event I am hosting on Saturday.  I am having some girlfriends over for a Girlie Luncheon and a small book make and take.  I have to prep my make and takes.  I will keep you posted on how the event progresses!

You Make My Heart Sing

Wild thing!  You make my heart sing....   I have been reliving the music of my youth as I have played with the Quarter Note cartridge.  This weekend I crafted this fun card using the drum set from QN and the Kidnapped font on my computer. 

The drum set was cut in three layers.  The shadow layer was cut in smooth black cardstock.  The middle layer, with the silver swirls, was cut in silver metallic cardstock.  The top layer was cut in teal blue metallic cardstock.  I glued the layers together and added doodle dots and gem stones to the drum set. 

The base card was cut with Just Because Cards.  I really like all of the sizes and shapes of cards available on this cartridge.  I used my paper trimmer to cut the additional layers on the card front.  I printed the phrase "You make my heart sing.... Thump thump" onto white cardstock and out the individual words and glued them tothe striped cardstock on the front of the card.  I finished the front of the card with black and silver flowers and black and grey demask ribbon.

Inside the card I added a double layer rectangle on which to stamp a sentiment and write a personalized message.  I also welded and cut two music notes.  The music notes were cut in two layers to help them visually pop.

 

Please remember that I am offering fabulous blog candy this week - a $20 gift voucher from CUSTOM CROPS!  Become a follower and leave a comment under MONDAY'S post to be registered for the prize.  The winner will be announced in THURSDAY'S blog post.

Not Your Typical Sympathy Card

Hello everyone. I have to tell you, I have really debated with myself about posting this card. I really like how the card turned out, but I made this sympathy card for a friend and I did not want her to think I was exploiting her card or loss.
My friend Toby is an amazing woman, mother, teacher, wife, friend, and an incredible daughter. Toby's mother became ill and Toby refused to put her into a nursing home, but instead turned her own life upside down in order to care for her beloved mother. Her mother had been a pillar in Toby's life and Toby became a pillar for her mother. Toby is an example of what we should all aspire to become - completely devoted to those whom we love. I know that I have learned greatly from her example.

Toby's mother recently passed on to her eternal life and I wanted a pretty card for Toby. Toby loves dimension on cards - she is very tactile and likes touching the layers. I chose this card cut from the Cricut Circle exclusive French Manor cartridge especially for Toby. I knew she would be able to touch the flower cut over and over again. I cut the base card, then resized and cut the top layer to add dimension. I added foldered flowers over the cut flower, again for dimension as well as for additional color.

Inside the card I used an old-school wooden stamp to add a verse of scripture..... Toby lives her faith better than anyone I know so I thought she might I appreciate this reminder from Isaiah.

I know that most sympathy cards are not rosy pink with flowers and a bow, but for this lovely friend, "pretty" was perfect.

Soaring with Florals Embellished & BBTB2

Happy Monday!  I hope this Monday morning finds all of our Midwestern Cricut friends safe and sound.... The weather channel and news channels covered some horrid storms and tornadoes though the middle of the US last night.  That is especially horrid in those areas already suffering though flooding.  I hope that everyone is well.

My friend and design team sister, the incomparable Donna Mundinger, selected the challenge cut this week at Bitten by the Bug 2.  Donna selected this lovely bird from the new-ish Florals Embellished cartridge.  I must say, Hello Kitty and the Disney cartridges have nothing on this bird!  There were A LOT of cuts to assemble for this bird!

First, I have a story to share with you about the Florals Embellished cartridge.  Back in March when I attended the Cricut Circle Crop in Atlanta I actually won this cartridge.  Madge, the fabulous crafter sitting to my right, won a screen for the Yudu Card Shop, but did not have a card shop machine.  Later in the crop I won a Yudu Card Shop.  Madge was a honey and gave me her screen.  I, of course, immediately gave her my Florals Embellished cartridge so that we both had prizes.  I did not tell Madge, until now(!) , that I really coveted that cartridge. 

A few weeks ago when I found out that Donna had selected to use the Florals Embellished cartridge, I immediately searched my usual cartridge sources for the best price on FE.  I found a good price and purchased the cartridge - and I am quite pleased that I did so.  I think this cartridge is going to be fun.

I used four cartridge to create this card: Just Because Cards (base card), Florals Embellished (bird and medallion), Plantin Schoolbook (a welded rectangle), and Martha Stewart Elegant Art (the border on the lower front of the card).  Using design studio I welded a rectangle to one end of my base card and a MS border to the other end.  I made sure that the rectangle and border were the same height/width, that way the center score line on the card remained the same.  I cut the base card in white cardstock, and then I cut the card front only in Basic Grey cardstock. 

I think I am going to love my MS Elegant Cake Art cartridge.  The cartridge has a lot of MS border cuts and different shaped edged mats.  Using your Gypsy, Cricut Craft Room, or DS you can resize and weld the border cuts to your cards or layouts.  Think of all of the MS border possibilities that this cartridge provides.  I feel like even though I may have paid $40 for the cartridge, I saved a mint in MS punch costs!

I layered the bird onto the medallion with pop dot, and I also layered the medallion onto the card with pop dots.  I used Stampin' Up ribbon without a bow.  I like the texture and the color of the ribbon, but a bow would have distracted from the bird.

I finished the card by adding doodle dots to the bird and medallion.  I also added the "post card" scrap and the thin strip of cardstock to the lower front of the card.

My goal for this week is to learn to use my new E2 Cricut machine with both regular and Imagine cartridges.  I will keep you posted on my progress!

Please do take a few minutes and pop over to BBTB2 and check out the teams' projects.   And remember, we would love it if you should decide to play along with us!!

Blessings Card with Ornamental Iron & Cindy Loo

I have been spending my days at home lately so I have no reason to feel like "Thank Goodness It's Friday" (TGIF), but I do!  This has just been one of those weeks where no less than three mornings I was convinced it was Saturday... Then I fully woke up!  Seriously. 

I made this Blessings card back on Monday, but I am just now getting it posted.  I used three cartridges - Just Because Cards, Cindy Loo (for the word Blessings) and Ornamental Iron (the frame).  I had intended this to be a sympathy card, but I realized given my color choices it would be a wonderful first communion card, Christening card, etc. 

I wanted to give you a close up of the Ornamental Iron frame.  This is just one layer of a multi-layer cut, but it works so well well as a decorative frame.  I used a muted color printed cardstock behind the frame and matted both on lime green cardstock. 

I used three different flowers and a brad to create the floral embellishment.

I ran the ribbon under the lime green layer, around the top layer of the card and tied the ends into a simple square knot.  I thought my edges were too small for a bow - though I usually prefer a bow!

I stamped a simple phrase inside the card using my Theresa Collins phrase stamps.  The phase is stamped on white cardstock, matted on a pink print and adhered to the inside of the card. 

I will be back tomorrow with a new project to share - it will be the third Saturday of the month and that means it is my day on Everyday Cricut (love Joy and Melanie and their site)!!

Bonjour Raspberry Card

Bonjour!  This is day three of "Berry Week" here at Busy with the Cricky.  Today's card is going to make all of you non-Cricut Circle members wish that you too had joined the Circle!   I used two cartridges to create this card, Preserves for the raspberries, and French Manor, the first Cricut Circle exclusive cartridge, for the base card and lattice cuts.

French Manor has a lot of lovely European decor cuts, but also a wonderful selection of cards.  I really liked the lattice cut (above in medium pink) and was thrilled to discover that there is a lattice cut card!  I cut the base card in black and gray diamond print cardstock.  I then cut the lattice in medium pink and the lattice border in a pink print.  Using glue, I layered the pieces together.

As I stated above, the raspberries were cut using Preserves (which is perfect for Berry Week).  I cut the base layer in a hot pink cardstock, then used Copic markers to color the stems.  I cut the leaves in a lime green and again used Copics to add detail to the leaves.  And the berry tops were cut in this great pink-on-pink print.  I used a cat's eye ink around the edges of the berries before placing them on the card with pop dots.

The bonjour tag was created by layering an adhesive backed cardstock sticker to a circle of printed cardstock.  I used a hole punch and added ribbon to finish the tag.

I thought you might like to see the side view of the card.  I lined the inside of the card with white cardstock.  If I were to make this same card again, I would probably choose a light pink to line the inside of the card.

I hope you will be back tomorrow for another berry project!

Blueberries - Card and Fabulous Scone Recipe

Welcome to day two of Berry Week here at Busy with the Cricky. Today's card was made using nine different colors/prints of cardstock, but only one cartridge - Preserves. Here at my house we love blueberries - my three bushes usually keep in blueberries for a few weeks midsummer. I have decided that I may need to add another bush or two so that I have enough berries to share and to freeze.

This blueberry card would be perfect for sharing a blueberry recipe with a friend, or as a general note card. As I said above, the whole card was cut with just one cartridge, Preserves. I really like the shape of the base card. I welded this shape together twice to create the shaped card. I also really like the berries. I used to top layer cuts to give my berries more of a 3D effect. The leaves were cut with two different colors of green cardstock - one highly textured and the other embossed.

I added the word blueberry to the bottom of the card, along with a blue ribbon and bow. I finished the card with blue and white flowers and some doodles.

Before I close I thought I should share our favorite Blueberry Scone recipe. I made these several times last summer and my husband can hardly wait for our blueberries to ripen this year!!



Blueberry Scones

Ingredients:

8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen whole
1½ cups (7½ oz.) fresh blueberries
½ cup whole milk
½ cup sour cream
2 cups (10 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat to 425˚ F. Grate the frozen butter on the holes of a large box grater. (I like to use my food processor for this – fast and easy.) Place the blueberries in the freezer until needed.

Whisk together the milk and sour cream in a medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Combine the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until combined. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour, and knead with well floured hands, 6-8 times, just until the dough holds together in a ragged ball. Add small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Roll the dough into a 12-inch square. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter (a dough scraper really helps with these steps). Fold the short ends of the dough into the center in thirds, to form an approximate 4-inch square. Transfer the dough to a plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Return the dough to the floured work surface and roll into an approximately 12-inch square again. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the surface of the dough, and gently press down so that they are slightly embedded in the dough surface. Using a dough scraper, roll the dough up to form a tight log. Lay the log seam side down and press the the log into a 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using a sharp, floured knife, cut the rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.

Brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

These scones are fabulous and I confess, I do not always chill everything as called for in the recipe

Damask Cards - Old School With No Software

I have had the new Damask Decor cartridge for several weeks now, but with all that has been going on at Provo Craft (5th Birthday Celebration, release of the E2, etc) there has not been an update for Cricut Design Studio or for the Cricut Craft Room that include this wonderful new cartridge.  After looking at the cartridge for weeks now, I decided that it was time to crack open the case and play!

I have always loved Damask fabrics and papers, so this cartridge was a given for me as soon as I first spotted it.  I decided to start with something simple so as to not overwhelm my softwareless-self.  And I will admit, I did miss the design software. 

I chose this fabulous shape from the cartridge book and decided to create two versions of this same shape.  Using hot pink, black and white cardstock I cut the shapes above and layered them together.  I cut the black decorative piece for the center, but used leftovers for card two to create the white with black print piece and green with black print piece (a green Copic also played a role here).

For card two I used black cardstock and white paper with black handwriting.  I also the same hot pink from card one and a real piece of green cardstock to create the center cuts.  In the end, I think I like card two best, but it really is tough to pick one.

I created two base cards, also cut from Damask Decor, in medium pink cardstock with a muted print top.  I finished the cards with black ribbon and brads.  I think these two will make nice "all-purpose" cards.  I could ask a nice note or stamp a sweet sentiment inside. 

I cannot wait for the DS or CCR updates to include the latest cartridges.  I have an idea for a layout using Damask Decor, but it will require software manipulation.

Thanks for stopping by today.  With any luck I will be back tomorrow with another new project.  In the mean time, I am working on theme week posts for next week!

Over the Moon with Nursery Rhymes

Hey Diddle Diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon.  The dog laughed to see such a sight and the dish ran away with the spoon!   I always liked that nursery rhyme - the laughing dog and the dish and spoon running away always made smile.  Imagine my excitement when I discovered the Over the Moon cut on the Nursery Rhyme cartridge.

I discovered the images back when I first purchased the cartridge but I waited until I needed a baby card to finally cut this image.  My friend Pat has a new baby granddaughter - in fact Pat is spending time with her right now.  But I still want to send Pat a card to be there when she arrives home. 

The cow over the moon image contains two layers - the top and shadow layers.  I cut the shadow in pink, but I cut the top layer in two colors, yellow and chocolate brown.  I trimmed the cow off of the brown moon and glued him over the yellow moon.  Easy, easy to add extra color to the image.

I used a lot of pink and brown on this card - and I love that large dot background on the front of the card.  Though I have to tell you, on a creepy scale of 1 - 10, I may have to give the spoon a 7!  Seriously, this spoon just bothers me a bit - that is why I stuck him inside the card, LOL.

Here is one last look at the card front.  I just love the moon cut.   I also really like the stars on the phrase cut, Over the Moon.  And let's be honest, my friend Pat is probably over the moon with her new granddaughter!!

Aloha Monday with BBTB2

It's an Aloha Monday with BBTB2!  My very talented design team sister, Karen, selected this week's Bitten by the Bug 2 cut - the pineapple on Wall Decor.  Since I do not own Wall Decor I had to select another pineapple from a different cartridge.  You would be surprised how many pineapples there are on various Cricut cartridges!  I selected this fun pineapple from Serenade!

Because I associate pineapples with "welcome" I decided to make a "Welcome to the neighborhood" card (hoping the house two doors down may sell soon).  I designed the card in Cricut Design Studio utilizing all three layers of the pineapple cut.  The bottom layer is a bright, fun yellow, the middle layer is a medium green, and the top layers are orange and lime green.  

I used the diamond embossing folder on the orange layer (top layer) of the pineapple.  I also used a rust colored Copic marker and did a bit of random coloring on the pineapple.  I added thin lines and amber colored gemstones.  I finished the card with the word "welcome" as well as icicle Stickles accents on the medium green areas.

The embellishment cuts are from Life's a Beach.  I thought my pineapple needed a bit of dressing up.  I layered two paper flowers together and added the lemon cut atop the flowers.  I added a fun circle sticker, mini flowers, and gems to dress up the lemon slice.

The base card was created by welding two mirror images of the base pineapples together at their tops.  I used scissors to snip away a couple of over hanging leaf tips.  Once the card was attached to the back of the pineapple, the card opens at the midpoint.

Today is your last chance to enter the awesome giveaway by The Original Scrapbox.  Go back to last Wednesday's post and read the instructions on entering.  I will be drawing a winner of this fabulous Giant Cutting Mat at midnight tonight.  And that's not all...... 

The winner from my blog will join nine other winners in a final drawing for this FABULOUS SEWING BOX!!!  Rachelle will be announcing the final winner on her blog on Friday!  Go back to THIS POST and enter.  The winner could be YOU!