Cutting Cafe Easter Wreath

This week the Cutting Cafe Design Team is showcasing Easter projects. I chose this adorable printable image, Egg Wreath. At first, I was planning on paper piecing the eggs, but decided to color them in instead using Copics. I did, however, paper piece the bow to match my background paper. If you're looking to make some quick Easter cards, this is a great printable to use. The coloring took just minutes to complete because the images are small. I used some stitched rectangle dies to cut the matted layers so that was quick and easy, too. Does this ever happen to you, you want a certain stamped sentiment but then you can't find it? I knew I had a stamp that says "Some bunny loves you". Do you think I could find it? I wanted that sentiment because I was planning on sending this card to one of my granddaughters. Instead, I found this cute friend sentiment so my card will go to a friend in Michigan. Of course, right after adding the sentiment I went to put my stamping tool back in my Ikea Raskog cart and found my stamp sitting there right on the top of the cart for another project I have to do. Oh well, since this is such an easy image to work with I'll whip up a couple more for the grandkids. Thanks for stopping by and make sure to head over to the Cutting Cafe Blog for more design team inspiration.

Cardz TV Spring Sketch Challenge

Hello, my crafty friends! Spring is my favorite time of year. I love to see all the flowering trees blooming. The first spring we spent in Florida after moving from Michigan, I didn't really see much difference in the weather. Now that we've been here for a few years I can definitely see Spring all around me. The days are warm, but the nights are still cool so we can sleep with the windows open. I know when I go out I'll see the flowering trees in all their glory. Though I have only seen robins here one time, I know that in the northern regions you're all watching for that harbinger of Spring. The day we saw robins here, I'm sure they were just on a layover from their trip north. There was a huge flock of them in a field eating on the ground. Anyway, I digress! This week's sketch challenge at Cardz TV is calling for a spring theme. We don't really get April showers to bring May flowers here. We have rainy season during the summer. This image I used, from Hero Arts, made me think of my daughters when they were young and splashing around in puddles. I used Mary's Card Sketch #3 and the Cardz TV Stamps Think Spring stamp set. I hope you'll join us for this week's challenge and link your card over on the Cardz TV blog for your chance to win some of Mary's fabulous stamp sets.

The Cutting Cafe Mason Jar Shaker

It's the first project of the month for The Cutting Cafe Design Team and this time around we're working with jar card files. I used the Mason Jar Shaped Card Template and made a shaker card. I love shaker cards. This cutting file come with one Mason jar shaped card, ten sentiments, and assorted accessories to decorate with (balloons, hearts and flowers). All my patterned papers are from Amy Tangerine. I cut all my pieces with the SVG file on my Cricut Explore Air. Since my background paper had grey and black in it I decided to go with a black frame and flower stems. I really like the touches of black to set off the patterned papers. I hope this card brings a mid-winter smile to a good friend back in Michigan. It's spring time here in Florida, but they still have a ways to go up in the north. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out all the Design Team projects over on The Cutting Cafe Blog on March 7th.

Cardz TV Sketch Challenge Thank You Card

It's time for a new Sketch Challenge at Cardz TV. This week the Design Team is making cards with a Thank You theme using any of Mary's Card Sketches. I decided to use Sketch #4. Most of the time when I choose the sketch I have a design in mind already and choose a sketch that will fit with my idea. But sometimes, I have no clue where I want to go and that's when these sketches really come in handy. If you haven't downloaded all of Mary's *FREE* sketches I highly recommend them. For this card I knew I wanted to use the thanks die so I wanted a background that it would fit on, hence the sketch with the oval. I used a patterned paper scrap I found in my scrap bin for the background mat. Next I cut a pretty floral die cut to fit in the oval. I really wanted my thanks to pop from the card so I decided to use black cardstock. To finish the card off I used a sentiment from Cardz TV Stamps "Heartfelt Wishes" stamp set. Yes, I've been cutting my stamps apart again. This sentiment comes stacked in two lines, but I wanted it to stretch across my banner. I simply cut it apart and put it end to end. I heat embossed it with white embossing powder to make it really stand out on the black paper. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll play along in the Sketch Challenge at Cardz TV.

The Cutting Cafe Paper Beads Bookmark

Hello Friends! It's time for a new Cutting Cafe project. This week, our fearless leader Regina, asked the Design Team to make projects using her Paper Beads Set. Who knew you could make beads with paper? I never wear jewelry, so I wanted to make a different type of project using the paper beads. I do read a lot, so decided to make a bookmark. The top portion of the bookmark is one I recycled. I used some wire and a loop to hang my charm on at the bottom. I cut my paper beads by using the PDF file and then hand cut the pieces. Since I only used three beads on this project it was no big deal to cut them by hand. If I needed more beads, I think it would be wiser to use the SVG file and a cutting machine. Basically, the file cuts out strips of paper in different shapes that you roll up and glue at the ends to secure. You can make the beads fatter or skinnier depending on how tight you roll them up. I definitely suggest using a thinner paper cardstock for these beads. (More the thickness of copy paper). Regular cardstock is too thick and doesn't roll well. I used a wooden skewer to start the bead roll at the ends, then removed the skewer and continued rolling to the end of the strip. I used a seven inch piece of wire and made a loop at the end with some needle nose pliers to attach the loop to hold my charm at the bottom. The loop I used kind of opened like a safety pin. I put on two small pink pony beads, then the charm and two more pink beads then closed it up. At the top of the loop I added two small pink pony beads, a paper bead, another small bead, a paper bead in a different shape, small bead, a second paper bead like the first one, then lastly two more small beads. I then attached the beads to the bookmark with the wire. Easy peasy! This was so easy to put together, didn't take long and would make a great gift. Make sure you head over to The Cutting Cafe Blog on February 21st to see the other great projects from the Design Team. Thanks for stopping by.

Cardz TV Valentine's Sketch Challenge

Hello Sketch Challenge Friends! This week at Cardz TV the Design Team is featuring cards with a Valentine theme using any of Mary's Card Sketches. I chose to work with Sketch #17 (Mary's newest sketch). I love to make interactive cards for my grandkids so when I saw this sketch I knew it would be perfect for using one of my little window flap dies. I cut three flap windows that open to reveal a sweet little piggy, perfect to go with the Hogs & Kisses sentiment from Cardz TV Stamps Critter Punnies and Farmyard Funnies.

I often cut apart my stamps to make custom sentiments for my cards. In this case, I took the "Sending You" from Critter Captions and the "Hogs & Kisses" from Farmyard Funnies and put them together to make a whole new sentiment.

This year, in an effort to be more organized with my cards, I've been making envelopes to go along with my cards and storing them together in a container. It makes it a whole lot easier when I need a card in a hurry to have them together and ready to pull out and mail or give to someone on the spur of the moment. I got an awesome envelope liner die from Simon Says Stamp to help me with this process. So glad you came by today and I hope you'll play along with this week's Sketch Challenge at Cardz TV Stamps.

Cutting Cafe Happy Word Window Card

I'm so excited to be back from my little hiatus for a new Cutting Cafe file. Today I'm using the Everyday Word Window card in the circle shape with the word happy. I had a great time making this into a shaker card. Everyone loves a good shaker card! I used my Cricut Explore and the SVG file to cut the card out. I filled it up with some sparkling sequins and added a few die cut hearts that just happened to be sitting on my desk from another project. Since I needed to add to my Valentine card stash I added a tiny tag with the Valentine's Day sentiment that I took from The Cutting Cafe stamp set Animal & Bug Love. This might have been the quickest shaker card I've ever put together. That's what I love about Regina's cutting files. So quick and easy to use.

Thanks for stopping by today and make sure you head to The Cutting Cafe blog on February 7th to see the rest of the Design Team inspiration. You won't be disappointed.