Cricut Cookies

Leave it to a scrapbooker to figure out how to use papercraft tech on Christmas cookies! I'm going to have to try this with my Cricut and my Nana's prize sugar cookie recipe!

Brilliant idea Erin!
Head on over to Erin's Blog Procrastination Station to see how she did it. http://erinlincoln.blogspot.com/2009/12/sugar-cookie-how-to.html

P.S. This is my first time blogging from the car rider line at school. I love my new DROID phone <3 (of course now that I am home I had to add a picture to really let you know what you're missing over at Procrastination Station.) And thanks to Julie Johnson over at Just Our Story for the heads up!

Cricut Creations

There has been a lot of interest lately in Cricut machines, so I'm posting Cricut artwork that hasn't previously been on my blog. Most of these are things I posted to the Cricut Message Board before I had my own blog. I'll give a link to project details on that board when possible.

Click Artwork for Larger view

Harvest Layouts http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=408620

Thanksgiving pages. Made with CTMH True Fit Folios.

Valentine Pillow Box http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=340541

Christmas Tags http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=197746&mpage=1&key=&#197746

Thanks a Latte card - (cuttlebug swirl texture) http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=962366&mpage=1&key=&#962366

Thanks tag http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=175736&mpage=1&key=&#175736

Santa Tag http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=175733&mpage=1&key=&#175733

Sparrow Fan Book - Craft Your Heart Challenge 1

Here is the project I created for my very first blog Challenge. It is a little sparrow fan book.
Click on the photos for a larger view.

The Story:

There are some days that my heart wells up with happiness and I have to open my mouth and express it in singing. There are other days, when I miss my mother and am filled with loneliness or my heart is heavy with worry about my little boy - those days have other kinds of songs, songs of sorrow, songs of care. Even on those days of lament, somehow through the singing, I journey through them into comfort and peace.

On these days - days of music, I have always thought to myself... "I know why birds sing. I know they can not help it, that it is just something that comes burbling up from inside them.

On the inside pages of the book are the words to "His Eye is on the Sparrow" a song which means so much to me because it comes so near to expressing those many singing days.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,

when songs give place to sighing; when hope within me dies;

I draw closer to Him, from care He sets me free:

His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me.

Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come?

Why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven and home?

When Jesus is my portion, a constant friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,

His eye is on the sparrow,

and I know he watches me.

‘Let not your heart be troubled’, His tender word I hear,

and resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;

though by the path He leadeth, but one step can I see:

His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me.

Here is the book fanned out so you can see the pages.
The book is assembled with a Bigger Brad threaded through the eye of the bird.
Here are all the pieces the inner pages, front and back covers, and brad and they eye which I applied to the top of the brad using Liquid Glass

Cardstock and Patterned Papers are from the Perfect Day Level 2 Paper Pack by Close To My Heart. The patterned paper on the two birds are cut from the same paper, the reverse bird used for the back cover used the reverse side of the patterned paper.

The words were printed on vellum, which was then run through a xyron machine, trimmed to fit and adhered to the pages. Font: Constantina.

I cut the pieces using Cricut Design Studio Software and my Cricut machine. The bird image is from the Sleeping Beauty section of the Happily Every After Cartridge. Pieces were cut at 5 1/4" - the largest I could cut with my machine.

This was my first project using the Cricut Design Studio Software. I got a bit frustrated with it from time to time, but in the end I prefer the control that I have using it. I have no desire to go back to "cutting blind" and all the paper wasted with mistakes. I am happy with the software investment.

Click Here to see the challenge.

Craft Your Heart Challenge - 1

I'm trying something new that I think will be a lot of fun if y'all will participate. If this sounds like fun to you too- jump in and take the challenge!
Click Here - to see my project for the challenge.

What is important to you...
Do you have a theme, or a motto... words or an idea to live by or is there something important you have learned lately? Give yourself permission to step away from the traditional celebration of just events and milestones...

Craft something to express what's in your heart. It can be a card, scrapbook page... decor item, paper craft, pillow, bookmark - anything... it doesn't matter... make something to expresses what's in your heart.

When you've created your project post a comment with a link so we can all see what you've made!

Here is a prototype of my project. Click Here to see my final project for the challenge.
Papers and Cardstock are from Close To My Heart Emporium
The bird cut is from the Happily Ever After Cricut Cartridge.


This bird is made using the Emporium Paper Packet by Close To My Heart.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
Today, please enjoy my favorite Christmas song.

Here are some precious memories from the past. This Christmas was so dear, it was the last time I saw my Mom. She passed away the following February after having fought a 20 year battle with cancer.



Click photos for larger view.

Paper Pups Christmas Tags

I made these tags for my friend, Dwana, who loves dogs.

Cardstock used is Close To My Heart colors are: White Daisy, Clover Meadow, Cranberry.

Rectangular tent tags are cut using Cricut Machine and Paper Pups Cartridge with the "card" creative feature, using "scotty", "bdaydog", and "bllndog" I cut it in various sizes to get as many as I could out of a piece of cardstock. I cut rectangles of white and glued them inside the tags for contrast. I used a hand punch to punch the holes and my markers in matching CTMH colors to draw the eyes on the dogs.

The flat tags are cut using Cricut Machine and Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge using the "scallop top tag" The largest size tags are cut at 5" with the regular tag cut in the colored cardstock and using the "shadow" creative feature in white. I cut the dogs (scotty and bdaydog) in various sizes the outlines (regular cut) out of colored cardstock then glued them onto the same dog cut with the "blackout" creative feature in white. I again drew the eyes with a matching marker. The extra pieces cut from the insides of the large outlines I then mounted on the same dog cut from white with the creative feature "shadow" (to create the red and green dogs.)

I used a Close To My Heart glue pen on the thin outline cuts. I also sometimes used the back side of the dogs so that some of them would face in the other direction.

Paper Pups Evensong Miss You Card

I haven't had my Cricut out in awhile, but playing with it the other night has got me creating again. (Click image for larger view)

This card is made with papers from Close To My Heart's Evensong paper pack, the red patterned paper is the back of the green patterned paper, very nifty. The ribbons are from the Holiday Designer Ribbon Rounds tied onto a clip from the Holiday Mini-Medley Accents Collection. The "i" is dotted with a flower sequin (used to be in the White My Accents Collection), with a sparkle on top. I used the back end of a paint brush and Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint to put dots of pearl over the dots on the green paper and in the center of the sparkle. Buttons are attached with liquid glass and are from the Holiday Craft Buttons Collection. I used 3d foam squares under the dog image to add some dimension to the card.

All supplies are Close To My Heart

The dog and "Miss You" are cut using a Cricut Machine, images are from the Paper Pups cartridge, I was inspired by the Quick Start project in the product handbook.

Cuts are:

LeashDog - Cut at 3" out of Black Cardstock (this is the outline)

LeashDog - Cut at 3" with Blackout Feature from White Daisy Cardstock

Miss You (Shift of leashDog) Cut at 1 1/4" out of Black Cardstock

I used the CTMH Glue Pen to assemble the pieces and adhere the letters, I also sometimes use the Write N Rub pen - it's like a ball point adhesive pen and works wonderfully for very small pieces.

Rather than try to adhere the tiny bits of cardstock for the eyes, I just used the scrap piece that was cut from the center of the outline as a stencil, I placed it back into the outline and used my black marker to color in the holes for the eyes onto the white cardstock.

Paper Pups Snoopy Gift Tags

Last night we celebrated Ethan's birthday. There was very little to choose from in Character paper for boys at the Hallmark Store - it was all "baby stuff" so we opted for winter, Snoopy paper.

I made these over sized tags to decorate the presents. I chose images that I thought resembled Snoopy.
Tags are cut with my Cricut Machine - Images are from Paper Pups Cartridge
All pieces were cut at 5.5" size
Dogtag Solid (white base), Smiledog Circle, and Sundog Circle
Cardstock by Close To My Heart colors are White Daisy and Dutch Blue.

The little cut pieces for the eyes and noses were quite small. Rather than try to stick down the cut-out pieces I just used the cut out face as a stencil and colored in the eyes and nose used my matching dutch blue marker.

Pirate Composition Notebook

Ethan came home with a composition notebook from school His assignment was to "decorate it." Well you can't really very effectively color on the front of one of those things, so we were forced to get creative. He really got into misting and crumpling the card stock and choosing the colors. Click on Images for Larger View

1) Mist Desert Sand Cardstock with water and crumple into a ball, unfold and crumple again until you have achieved the desired amount of wrinkles. Wetting the cardstock makes it softer and more flexible, dry cardstock will tear.
2) place cardstock between 2 thin towels (or inside a pillowcase) Iron on dry setting until cardstock is dry.
3) Rough up with sandpaper to expose the white core, lightly rub dark ink pad onto paper for additional dimension.
4) Cut to size, round corners and glue to composition book using liquid glass.

Pirate Pieces cut with Cuttle Kids Pirate Dies one layer for each color.
Letters cut with Cricut, Base Camp 1 1/2" and 1 1/2" Shadow
Cardstock, Inks and Liquid Glass by Close To My Heart
Assembled pieces were brushed with liquid glass and glued to notebook using liquid glass.