Cricut Cardz Challenge #125 Critter Cuties

It's time for a new challenge at Cricut Cardz Challenge, challenge #125 is Critter Cuties.  Make a Valentine card with a critter using any cartridge.  Ever since I got the Create A Critter 2 cartridge I've wanted to make a card with this sweet monkey image.  This is the card I'm going to send to my grandson.  I started with a kraft cardstock base card and added a red mat then a topper embossed with my hearts folder.  I cut the monkey at 4.25".  Another CAS design.  Please join us for the weekly challenge over at Cardz TV Stamps.

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.

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.

Paper Cutz Challenge #77

Now here's a challenge for you!  Mary asked the Paper Cutz Design Team to make a Valentine's card with NO HEARTS.  Gasp and shudder...can you believe it?  When I was making another Valentine's card I came across this cut on the Cricut Sweethearts cartridge.  I thought it was just adorable and perfect for this challenge.  I started out with white for the base card which is 6.5 x 5".  I added a layer of black cardstock cut at 6.25 x 4.75" and then a light blue dp scrap cut at 6 x 4.5".  I wanted to have lots of layers on this card so I cut each piece of the monkey two times at 2.5".  I did decide not to layer the lettering because it was too small, but I did layer the number 4.  The shadow layer is black cardstock, the leaves are cut with a scrap of Heidi Grace, all the other layers are cut from a matstack called Mirabelle that I got from Hobby Lobby.  I thought the monkey needed a banana (since he couldn't have a heart) and I cut that from the Create A Critter cartridge.  I just love the way this card turned out.  Sad thing is I have no one to give it to at the moment.  I've made so many Valentine cards this year already that I don't need another one.  So I'll save this and maybe give it to my husband for our anniversary.  It will be fun to see the entries for this challenge so I hope you can join us with your take on a Valentine card with no heart.

BBTB2 Heart challenge

 This week's challenge at BBTB2 is to use more than one heart and the Lovestruck cartridge.  I don't have this cartridge so I used hearts from the Sweethearts cartridge. The heart I used is on page 72 of the manual.  I made this tri-fold card using my Gypsy and welding a circle and a rectangle together, then folding it in thirds.  My base card is made with a pink cardstock from Colorbok the back is white which allowed me to add my sentiments in red for the inside.  My DP is Cloud 9 Be Loved.  This card when folded is the same size as an A2 card.  My heart on the front is cut at 3".  I used red cardstock for the shadow layer, pink for the top heart layer and white for the doily looking layer.  The cute litte printed heart ribbon is from Michael's.  I embellished the front with pearls centered in each scallop, a heart charm and some doodling with a Sakura 3-D white gel pen.  Next came the first inside layer.

I traced the front flap onto my DP and hand cut it for the left side then added a piece cut 4 x 5 1/2" on the right side.  On top of this I added a scalloped circle cut from Mini Monograms at 5" from white cardstock and trimmed it so it fit under the front flap without showing.  I added the Hugs & Kisses sentiment (found on page 36) which I cut from red cardstock at 2 1/2".  Of course, I couldn't let it sit without adding some doodling using red on the scallops and white on the sentiment.  Now it was time for the inside.

Using my Gypsy I searched for an appropriate I Love You.  I found exactly what I was looking for on the Lyrical Letters cartridge.  I cut this sentiment at 4" from red cardstock and again added some doodling.  Finally I added the Happy Valentine's Day stamp from Inkadinkado that I purchased last year at JoAnn's from the $1 bin.  I stamped with red ink and then traced over the top of it with the 3-D red gel pen.  This may well become my signature shape card, I love it so much.  I suppose someone will come along and tell me there is a cartridge that has a card on it this shape, but since I made this one by welding two shapes together, I kind of feel like it's all mine.  I just love how this one turned out.  Thanks for stopping by.

BBTB2 A Child's Year Valentine w/ Vinyl

The challenge this week at BBTB2 is to use the Valentine (shift) cut from A Child's Year and vinyl. For my project this week I made a Wall/Door hanging. I made a heart using chipboard, for sturdiness, from the Gypsy Font cartridge cut at 8 inches. Then I covered it with Little Yellow Bicycle Sweet Love collection Pink Gingham. I made two hearts cut at 6" from BoBunny Unforgettable and a piece of clear acetate which I edged with lace and mounted on the larger heart. My Valentine cut from A Child's Year is cut in pink vinyl at 4". I had never worked with vinyl before and was a little nervous but it was a breeze to work with, nothing to be afraid of.

I cut out and assembled my own flowers using the flower cut from my Gypsy and cutting them at 1 1/2", 1 1/4" and 1". I again used Little Yellow Bicycle papers for the flowers. I inked the edges with Colorbox Chalk Ink in Maroon. The little hearts that I used for the center came from Hobby Lobby's valentine section.