Cricut Cardz Challenge #124 Be My Valentine

I'll be posting lots of Valentine cards for the next couple weeks because I've had quite a few orders for them.  My card I'm showcasing today ties in with this week's Cricut Cardz Challenge.  For challenge #124, Mary asked the Design Team to create using the theme Be My Valentine and to use the card feature from any Cricut cartridge to create a round or square card.  I happen to be partial to round scalloped cards so I used the Birthday Bash cartridge for my base card along with the circle shape for the top of the card.  Then I went to my most favored Create A Critter 2 cartridge for the sweet valentine koala bear.  I thought it would be fun to make my bear from a patterned paper so I used a 6x6 Bazzill Paper collection called Love Story.  I won this paper a couple years ago from Scrapbook and Cards Today's website.  I've made a goal to use up some of the paper that I've accumulated this year.  I know there are lots of you out there that are paper hoarders like me and so in love with your beautiful paper you don't want to use it.  But I live in a very small space now (500 sq. ft.) and don't have a lot of room to store paper, so I'm using what I have.  You can see from the papers I used that they are gray, red, pink, white and black.  When I started this card I thought they would be great colors for a young boys Valentine card, but after I got it made up I decided the cute little bear looked a little too feminine for a boy card.  What do you think?  My bear is cut at 2.5" along with all the layers.  I love how the Create A Critter 2 cartridge cards have four easy layers to images.  On my heart I added a sentiment from the Cardz TV Stamps Sweet Talk set.  For a finishing touch I added a little faux stitching and some googly eyes.  Oh I almost forgot, I put my bear on a Wobble so it would move.  Kids always love that.  Here's another photo so you can see how it wiggles.

I hope you'll be able to play along with the Cricut Cardz Challenge Be My Valentine this week.  You can link your cards up on the Cardz TV blog.  Thanks for stopping by today.

My Creative Time Challenge

I was so excited to see a new challenge posted over at My Creative Time because I was really anxious to use my new products from Emma.  The challenge is to use one bow, two patterned papers and three buttons.  I started with a base card of kraft cardstock.  I added a piece of white cardstock punching each edge with an EK Success Dotted Scallop Punch.  Then I used my new My Creative Time Stitched Scalloped Heart Die to construct my flower.  I used only the middle portion of the heart die to make the flower.  I punched four hearts then placed them with bottom points together to form a flower.  I hand cut the leaves and stem for the flower and added a thin hemp bow to the stem.  My two patterned papers are from a brand new 6x6 stack from American Crafts that I picked up in the scrapbooking section at Target.  Thanks Emma, for the tip off on the products at Target.  The stack is called Dear Lizzy Neopolitan.  My three buttons are American Crafts Embellishments also picked up at Target.  These buttons are so cute, made out of wood and coordinate with the paper stack.  For my sentiment I used My Creative Times All Around Everything stamp set and the Scalloped and Stitched Circle die.  Using a one inch circle punch I punched out a circle from the striped paper and added it to the center of the sentiment for a little more visual interest and to draw the eye to the sentiment.

Cardz TV Stamps Color Challenge (Red, Black, White)

Time for a new challenge over at Cardz TV Stamps.  This week Mary assigned the DT a color challenge.  Color challenges are always tough for me, for some reason.  This one wasn't so bad because it's only three colors (red, black and white) and I happened to have a set of Bazzill Basics paper featuring those colors.  This card is for hubby for Valentine's Day so I didn't want anything flowery or too feminine.  I started with a white cardstock base card then added a red mat and the striped background paper.  Using my EK Success scallop punch on a piece of white cardstock and red cardstock allowed a break to the eye on the striped paper and a place to stamp my Cardz TV Stamps sentiment.  It's from the Happy Everything stamp set.  I added three Recollection self-adhesive red heart buttons for embellishment.  For my frame shape I went to the Elegant Edges cartridge.  I added a heart stamp and the word FOREVER.  This stamp was a freebie Emma from My Creative Time gave away to the first 150 orders of her newest release.  I was so excited to open my order and find it included.  I thought it was the perfect stamp and sentiment for hubby's card. 

I hope you'll be able to join the challenge over at Cardz TV for a chance to win a set of Mary's Cardz TV Stamps.  You can link your card up there until Feb. 7   Thanks so much for coming by today.

Cricut Cardz Challenge #123 Banner Year

It's time for the first Cricut Cardz Challenge of 2013.  The challenge that Mary asked the Design Team to create around is A Banner Year.  Banners are hot in the design world right now and you can find them in all shapes and sizes.  In searching through my Cricut cartridges I found this adorable heart banner on the Jubilee cartridge.  One of my goals for this year (notice I didn't say resolution because I don't believe in the word, puts too much pressure on me) is to try to use some of my neglected cartridges.  I'm not even sure where or when I picked up the Jubilee cartridge.  It must have been on clearance somewhere because I don't typically buy font cartridges.  Anyway, I was surprised to see that it has some banners on it under the flag function key.  I just think this is an adorable cut and would be the perfect element to draw the eye into a clean and simple card.  I started with a base card of red Core'dinations premium smooth textured cardstock from Jo-Ann's.  Then I used my Cuttlebug hearts embossing folder on a piece of white cardstock and cut it to fit on the base card.  I wrapped some red and white twine around it before attaching it to the base card, tied a small bow and added a cute red heart button (Recollections from Michael's).  The banner is cut at 0.8".  I added the sentiment from the Cardz TV Stamps Happy Days set.  Voila, this card was complete in about 15 minutes.  

Cardz TV Stamps Baby Card

Happy New Year and welcome to my first blog post of 2013.  It was wonderful to have a little break from designing over the holidays.  Now it's time to get back to work.  For our first Cardz TV Stamps challenge of the year, Mary asked the Design Team to make a project with a new baby theme.  This couldn't have been more perfect for me.  We are going to be having a new baby join our family this year.  No, not me having a baby.  Too old for that.  LOL  We just found out at Christmas time that we will become great-grandparents this year.  Our oldest granddaughter is expecting a baby.  So with that in mind I created my "New Arrival" card.  Since we don't know the sex of the baby yet, I made the card gender neutral.  I found this adorable image of the sweet little bird ready to deliver a "special" package on the 3 Birds on Parade cartridge.  My papers are from My Mind's Eye Fine and Dandy 6x6 paper stack.  My image is cut at 3.25".  For my sentiment I cut a label from the pre-loaded images on my Cricut Imagine.  The label is cut at 1.2".  I used the Cardz TV Stamps Sweet Talk set for the Sweet Baby sentiment.  Before I placed the elements on the card I added a piece of self-adhesive lace from Recollections to the front of the card.  The elements are popped up with one layer of dimensional foam.  For a finishing touch I added two peach colored bow buttons that I found in my stash.  On the inside of the card I used the sentiment I Wish You Love! from the Cardz TV Stamps More Encouraging Thoughts set.

Come play along at Cardz TV and link your card up there for a chance to win a set of Cardz TV Stamps.