God's Blessings Black & Gold Card

This card highlights black and gold.  The background is black with gold vertical stripes, and the gold Christmas ribbon made the card complete.  It will be entered into the following challenges: EPC Challenges (gold) and Card Creations & More (use inspiration from another blogger.  I am sorry I cannot give credit to the original design as I could not locate it). 

Mint Ice Cream Notepad

This notepad has an ice cream cone from the Doodlecharms Cricut Cartridge.  I embossed the ice cream before adding a cherry on top!  It looks delicious and will be entered into the Card Creations Challenge (Doodlecharms Image). 

Watermelon Book

I decorated a composition book for a teacher that was moving to another school.  I also found some matching watermelon stationary and cards in the $1 section at Target, which gave me the inspiration.  She loved the new stationary set.  The watermelons are from the Stretch Your Imagination Cricut Cartridge and the letters are from the Alphalicious cartridge.  Please excuse the terrible photo that my phone took while I was quickly wrapping this gift :)  This book will be entered in the following challenges: Really Reasonable Ribbon (ribbon and picnic theme) and My Time to Craft (food)

Red, White, & Blue Notepad

I have been really far behind on blogging, and I truly apologize.  I have been wrapped up in registering, organizing, and getting things prepared for Baby's arrival.  I started to make a collection of notepads to hand out as thank you gifts for the upcoming year, and I came up with this red, white, and blue floral design.  It also fits the challenge at The Pink Elephant and Paper Issues (use red, white, and blue).  The flowers are layered with two sizes and held together with a star shaped brads.  Both the flowers and letters are from the George Cricut Cartridge.

Spots & Stripes

Crafty Cardmakers is having a challenge to use spots and stripes.  The butterfly is from the Paper Pups Cricut Cartridge.  

Candy Tags

I covered an Andes Bar and added this cute tag accent.  It was the perfect compliment to a thank you card.  This will be entered in the More Than Favors challenge (tags). 

Organizing a Nursery

I've started organizing the nursery!  I have thought of some great, inexpensive ways to organize, so I thought I would share these ideas.  Please feel welcome to post any ideas that you have.  I'd love to hear them!

I printed the basket labels on card stock and mounted them on some paper from my scrap bin.  The baskets are Sterlite brand and can easily be used in other areas of Baby's room as they grow up.  I have a basket for socks, onesies, burp cloths, bibs, towels, and toys. 

I have accumulated clothes faster than I expected.  In order to quickly find the separation in sizes, I colored some clothes pins to help organize the closet.  I thought about different paper options, but decided this would be the most durable option. 

Here is the final tip that I found helpful: Use a lingerie bag to wash and dry those tiny socks so you will not lose any of them!

Card Box

I made tab dividers so I could easily find what I am looking for in my card box.  The bin is part of the Itso collection from Target. 

You can purchase a small crate or basket from the Dollar Store, add cards and dividers, and give it as an inexpensive gift. 

I Miss You

My puppy sent this card to "Grandma" and "Grandpa" (and they loved it!).  The font and image are from the Paper Pups Cricut Cartridge.  This card will be entered in the My Time to Craft Challenge (Pets) and the Paper Cutz Challenge (Anything Goes). 

Sleeping Puppy

Cooking with Cricut posed a challenge to find "Cash in Your Stash".  The star paper and ribbon were from my scrap bin and the star brads were purchased long ago without a purpose.  I was also able to pull out an old Cricut cartridge, Paper Pups.  This was designed to be a thinking of you card.

Purple Bouquet

I used a stamp from the dollar bin at Michael's and colored the flowers in with colored pencils.  The ribbon is wrapped around the bouquet with two punched holes.  This card will be entered in the Really Reasonable Ribbon challenge (Violets, Lilacs, & Plumbs, Oh My!).

Baby Announcement

Here is the inside of my "Love Bug" Valentine's Card that I made for our parents.  I was not able to share it earlier because some of my fellow bloggers are friends.  The mom is from the New Arrival cartridge, and her shirt is embossed with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder.  I am entering this in the Scrappy Moms New Arrival Challenge. 

Announcement!

I am sorry that I have not been posting lately, but I think this card sums it up!  I placed this card next to funfetti cupcakes to announce my news to coworkers.  This card will be entered in the My Time to Craft challenge (spots).

Reading Charts

I created these reading charts to motivate my students.  Every time they pass an assessment level, their animal moves forward a box.  Each star represents a level students need to pass, but the levels and student names are not posted on the chart.  Students will earn an ice cream party if they reach the final star.  This friendly competition has motivated my unmotivated readers!

Monkey Birthday Card

I made this card for my nephew's birthday using the monkey from the New Arrival Cartridge and scraps of monkey paper from his invitations.  It will be entered in the following challenges: Crafty Card Makers (Birthdays), Really Reasonable Ribbon (card for boy with ribbon), Tuesday Morning Sketches (keep it simple with a kid theme), Scrappy Moms (smiley faces), Paper Cutz Challenge (any challenge or theme), and Fantabulous Cricut (Happy Birthday).

Bee Mine...

The bee is from the Create a Critter Cricut Cartridge, and the heart is accented with glitter glue.  This card will be entered in the following challenges: The Pink Elephant (Be My Valentine), Paper Issues (bees), More Than Favors (Anything Valentines), Paper Cutz (bees), Die Cuttin Divas (Valentine), and Crazy 4 Challenges (hearts).

Love Bug Card

The image and words came from the Simply Charmed Cricut Cartridge.  The back of the ladybug was embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing folder, and the heart inside the "o" was punched from a small EK Success heart punch.  This card will be entered in the following challenges: Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog (cricut image and love), Crafty Cardmakers (hearts), Really Reasonable Ribbon (pink, red, white, and ribbon), Scrappy Moms (Simply Charmed Cartridge) and ECP Challenges (love).

Birthday Card

I used an old sketch and flopped the colors to make this present card.  I also used the present border punch I found on clearance after Christmas.  The gift is from Doodlecharms, and it was embossed with the D'Vine Swirls embossing folder.  The card will be entered in the Cooking with Cricut challenge (Birthdays).

Spotted Sketch

The sketch is from CPS, and the green paper was embossed with the Spots and Dots Cuttlebug folder.  I love how the different shades of brown, green, and pink (More Than Favors) turned out.

Cards for Chalie Knuth

Angela from Cricut Crafts by Angela posed the following on her blog:

Hi Craft Friends,

I was wondering if any of you would be interested in sending cards to 4 year old Charlie. 

He is battling a rare skin condition called epidermolysis bullosa commonly known as EB, which causes his skin to blister.

Here is a link to his CaringBridge page.  I hope that you will take some time out of your day to read his story.  It's very touching and he is a fighter and will touch your heart. 

To send cards please send it to:

Ronald McDonald House
Attn:  Knuth Family
621 Oak Street SE
Minneapolis, MN  55414

If you can't send a card to Charlie, then would you just take a little time out of your day to pray for him & his family.  They need all the support they can get right now. 
If you need anymore information please contact me!  Thank you all so much! 

___________________________________

I checked Charlie's Caring Bridge post today, and his mother writes, "I showed him all the beautiful hand-made cards that are being sent to him from all over the United States."  Charlie is from WI where I also live, and we have been following his story on the news.  I could not resist the opportunity to make him a card to brighten his day.  Please consider making a card for Charlie and posting his story on your blog.  I mailed this card:

I used the sketch from Jitterbuggin Challenge (yellow, stripes, and a Cricut shape) and used pop dots (Card Cupids) to raise the monkey from Create a Critter.

Love Bug!

The Mojo Monday sketch inspired this Valentine's Day card.  The ladybug is from the Create a Critter Cricut cartridge.  This card was entered in the following challenges: My Time to Craft (embossing), Cricut Cardz (Valentine's Day card for a child),and  Creative Cutter Room (love bug).

Bouquet of Flowers

This flower bouquet is from the Pooh and Friends Cricut Cartridge and was entered in the Crafty Cardmakers floral challenge.  The fold is at the top.

Resource Binder

  

I have been working on this resource binder for weeks, and it is finally finished!  The oval was modified from the Wild Card Cricut Cartridge, and the letters are from Simply Sweet.  This is an Avery binder with a built in pocket on the inside.  I used tab dividers with pockets on the front and back so I can store notes and projects in progress.

The binder is broken up into the following sections:

1.  Supplies

• Each Cricut cartridge has a different colored piece of card stock with a photo from the back of the box (green page above)
• Sample square of Cuttlebug embossing folders (black embossed squares on purple paper above)
• Yellow card stock with stamp images (above)
• Transparency with sample pieces of ribbon (above)
• List of each stamp, cartridge, and embossing folder and the amount paid

2. Card Ideas

• Card images and layouts from magazines and online
• Card wording and Bible verses

3.  Gift Ideas

• Ideas collected from magazines and online

4. Notes

• Photos of past projects and notes on recreating it.
• The tab divider folder has samples and other items to make future projects easier.

5. Lesson Plans

• I have not made any progress yet, but this section has intentions of lesson plans for crafts and cards that I can eventually teach to children or adults. 

New Blog Design!

THANK YOU to Monica at Simply Cricuting for helping me with my cute new blog design!  She was so kind to guide me in this process.  I love how it turned out, and I can't thank her enough.  Thanks, Monica!

Sweet Treat

The ice cream cone is from the Doodlecharms Cricut Cartridge and embossed with the D'Vine swirls folder.  The pink accent is embossed with the spots and dots folder.  This card fulfills the following challenges: Fantabulous Cricut Challenge (sweet treat using a Cricut cartridge), My Time to Craft (spots and dots), Jitterbuggin Challenge (brown, white, and one other color plus a bow), and the Paper Cutz Challenge (Your Choice).   

Snowman Pooh Sketch

Skipping Stones Designs posted a sketch challenge.  I combined it with elements from the Cricut Cardz Challenge to use a snowman and the Cute Card Thursday challenge to use a 1, 2, 3 combination (1 bow, 2 circles, 3 rectangles).  The image is from the Pooh and Friends Cartridge, and the circles are from the George cartridge.

Card Exchange

I participated in the Holy Cricut birthday and Valentine's Day card exchanges.  Here are my designs:

If you want to join in the fun, the Valentine's Day exchange is still open!  

Tags for You

Paper Cutz Challenge is encouraging tags this week.  I was pleased with how the ribbon complimented the background, but I wish the ribbon would have laid better.  Sometimes you trade beauty for functionality :)  This is another "Thinking of You card for my aunt.  The punch and stamp are from Stampin' Up.

Flowers Galore

My aunt continues to bravely battle cancer.  She said that she looks forward to getting the mail and looks for my cards.  After I heard this, I started sending an extra card a week for a total of 3 or more.  This is another card that I made for her.  The flowers are from the Simply Sweet Cricut cartridge.  It will be entered in the Cooking with Cricut challenge to use three Cricut flowers and the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge to use metal (brads inside flowers).

Lovely Hearts

This cute Valentine's Day card was inspired by the "monochrome" (use one color)challenge at Cute Card Thursday.  It also fulfills the following challenges: Really Reasonable Ribbon (hearts and ribbon), Paper Playtime (use the word love), and Paper Issues (Valentine's Day). 

Valentine's Day Sketch

I started this card before work, let the ideas brew in my head, and came up with this idea tonight.  The inspiration came from the sketches at Card Positioning Systems and Peachy Keen Stamps.  I will also be entering it into the following challenges: Crafty Cardmakers (use colored pencils) and The Pink Elephant (use pink, orange, and aqua)

Birthday Bash

I was inspired by the Skipping Stones Design sketch and Scrappy Mom's Birthday Bash challenge.  The birthday hat is from the Doodlecharms Cricut cartridge, and the white is embossed with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder.  "Happy Day" is from Stampin' Up.  I added some sparkle with glitter in the yellow ribbon, on the hat, and with the five dots under the ribbon to join Cooking with Cricut's "Glitter Mania" challenge.

Snow Fun

Momo's challenge is to make a card with a snow theme.  I used my Cuttlebug to emboss blue paper with snowflakes and paired it with snowflake paper.  The red ribbon also has snowflakes.  You can never have enough snow :)  The snowman is from the Doodlecharms cartridge. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

I found this cute stamp in the $1 bin at Target and the ribbon on clearance at Michael's.  I love finding great deals!  This card was made using the Mojo Monday sketch (my computer didn't cooperate, so I missed the posting time), Crafty Cardmaker challenge to use red and a dicut (hearts), and Cricut Cardz challenge to use only black, white, and red.

Warm Fuzzies

I have been experimenting with various paper folds, and this card features a match boook-type fold.  The penguin (from the Create a Critter cartridge) is attached to the bottom flap that is about 1.5".  This card will be entered into the Fabulous Cricut Challenge: Winter Warmies (scarf).   

Prayer Journal

I made my brother-in-law a prayer journal for Christmas.  He was so excited to receive this gift, as his New Year's resolution is to start a prayer journal.  A little birdie told me this was his goal ;)  The letters are from George Cricut cartridge.  This journal will be entered in the We Have Paper Issues "New Challenge" (new prayer journal).

Spongebob Thank You Card

I received a gift from one of my students, and I wanted to show my appreciation by making a thank you card with his favorite character.  I knew my sister was eyeing up the SpongeBob Cricut cartridge, so I purchased it on eBay for $12.50 for her and had to try it out on this card before passing the cartridge to her.  The background is embossed with the thank you Cuttlebug embossing folder and Bob is from the SpongeBob Cricut cartridge.  I love how this card turned out, and I can't wait to see the look on the third grader's face!  This card was entered in Cute Card Thursday's "Thank You Card" and Really Reasonable Ribbon's "Something New Plus Ribbon" challenge.  I received a Cuttlebug for Christmas from my wonderful husband (something new), and the blue ribbon gave a splash of color while also adding some dimension to the background.