Cricut Cardz Challenge #103 You Take the Cake

This day (Feb. 29th) won't roll around for another four years.  We get that extra day this year since it's leap year.  One extra challenge for Cricut Cardz Challenge on Cardz TVand Mary asked the Design Team to use any Cricut cartridge to create a birthday card with a birthday cake or cupcake image.  I made a shaped card using the Something to Celebrate cartridge.  It seems I always need another birthday card in my stash.  Having made so many new friends in our winter campground it's always somebody's birthday.  I needed a card for a guy so I didn't want to use any papers that might make it look girlie.  I went with a blue shadow, cream colored cake and a yellow glitter paper for the cake trim.  My sentiment is from Hero Arts.

The Cutting Cafe Number Card

We're making cards with shaped number sets this week at The Cutting Cafe.  I used the Number 1 Shaped Card set to make a birthday card for my grandson's first birthday coming up in a couple months.  I used the SVG file to cut my card from this red checked Pebbles print paper.  My cute little elephant was cut from the Cricut Lite B is for Boy cartridge.  He's cut at 2.5" and attached to the front of the card.  The circle sentiment comes with the card set.  I added it to a scalloped circle and cut the number 1 from Cricut's Mini Monogram cartridge and added it to the center of the sentiment.  I finished off the card by adding some doodling with a white gel pen to the scalloped circle and the elephant's ball, then added some stitching to the elephant with a black marker and a black gingham bow to the number 1. 

BBTB2 Monogram

Our hostess this week at BBTB2 is our fearless co-leader Donna.  She asked us to create a project with a Monogram.  I used Cindy Loo for my monogram.  I just love the font on that cartridge.  I rarely make a project for myself but I decided to treat myself with a pretty little altered composition book.  I carry one of these notebooks with me all the time to jot down design ideas or sketches for layouts.  I used my Basic Grey Utopia paper pad for coordinating papers and punch outs.  I started by covering the notebook with purple cardstock.  I added a punched border piece of white cardstock around the binding of the notebook.  The flowered border is a punch out from the paper pad as well as the printed oval that I placed my monogram on.  The word dream is cut from the Designer's Calendar cartridge.  I'll also be entering this project in the Fantabulous Cricut challenge this week to use the colors of the blog-blue, green and turquoise. 

I hope you can join the BBTB2 challenge this week.  You can use any cartridge you'd like for your monogram, but please make sure it's a new creation for this challenge.  Also, please remember that if you'd like the Design Team to leave a comment on your blog regarding your challenge entry we ask that you turn off word verification from your blog.

Cardz TV Stamps Challenge #6

This week for Cardz TV Stamps Challenge #6 Mary asked the design team to create any project using any of her Cardz TV Stamps.  I used my favorite stamp set Encouraging Thoughts.  You can find all of Mary's Cardz TV Stamps here.  I created this note card set for a friend.  I must apologize for this picture.  We're having a lot of clouds, fog and dampness here and I had a difficult time getting a decent photo.  I went with a black and white color scheme with a splash of yellow.  I used Authentique papers.  These were real simple cards to put together.  I usually use a very basic design when I'm making a set of cards.  I started with white cardstock for my base cards, topped with a black mat and my printed paper.  Sometimes I like to combine different stamp sets on my cards and that was the case with these.  My frame for my sentiments is a stamp from Darcie's.  When I saw it at my local scrapbook store I knew it would be perfect to go with my Cardz TV Stamps.  It's very lacy and feminine.  I stamped the frame using Momento Tuxedo Black then added my Cardz TV Stamps sentiments and fussy cut the frame out.

For my first card I added a lacy butterfly that I cut from the Cricut Home Accents cartridge.  I embellished the butterfly with some black pearls and used dimensional foam to pop the butterfly off the paper.

Two of the cards are embellished with yellow roses and I used yellow ribbone on each card popping the sentiments with the dimensional foam.  The last card has a pretty bird I added that's cut from the Cricut Home Accents cartridge.

Mary will be giving away a set of Cardz TV Stamps to one lucky challenge participant.  The challenge will run through the weekend.  Have fun and good luck.

The Cutting Cafe Party Hat Shaped Card

This week at The Cutting Cafe the Design team is celebrating birthdays.  You'll find projects with party hats and birthday tags.  I used the Shaped Party Hat cutting template and the Birthday Tags printable stamps.  I've got a granddaughter with a birthday coming up so I decided to go girlie with my party hat.  I used green polka dot paper for my party hat and trimmed it up with assorted pink buttons.  Then I simply added the circle sentiment.  Quick, easy and cute. 

Bitten By The Bug 2 Garden Boots challenge

I am not a last minute kind of person, but I have to admit that I left my BBTB2 project to the last minute this week.  Our most fabulous co-leader, Carole, asked the DT to design something using the garden boots from Nate's ABCs this week.  I don't have that cartridge so I used the garden boots from the Freshly Picked cartridge.  I just had absolutely no idea what to make with garden boots and couldn't come up with any mojo until I was looking through the Sunday sale papers and happened upon the Target circular.  Low and behold there was a picture of some gardening accessories that are on sale this week and suddenly I had my inspiration.  I knew I wanted to use my Kaiser Craft Utopia paper pad because it had some fabulous blue and purple papers with some cute punch out tags.  I cut my boots at 2.25" from a striped paper.  My watering can came from the Chore Chart cartridge and it's cut at 2.5".  The garden tools are from the Walk In My Garden cartridge and cut at 1.5".  I decided to add all my cuts to a box I cut from Tags, Bags, Boxes and More to hold a packet of garden seeds.  I used the crayon box and just cut off the top flap so I could insert my package of seeds.  The box is cut at 6" from kraft cardstock then topped with a coordinating paper.  Then I placed all my accessories onto the box, added a jute bow to the garden tools and pop dotted the top boot and the tag with my "bloom" sentiment from an Inkadinkado stamp set.  I hope you'll join our BBTB2 challenge this week with some garden boots of your own.  Remember you don't have to use the Nate's ABCs for your boots, but you must make a new creation just for this challenge. 

Before I leave I must take a moment to mention something that is really on my mind.  I always try to be upbeat on my blog and never complain, but I must say something about Blogger's new Word Verification policy.  I don't often talk about it but I am visually impaired, legally blind.  Because of my disibility, it is very difficult for me to see my computer and I must enlarge my screen by changing the zoom level to 150%.  I so enjoy visiting everyone's blog and leaving a comment when they enter a challenge for one of the Design Team's I'm part of.  But, last week when I went to some of the entrants blogs I encountered the new double word verification that Blogger has added.  One word was difficult enough for me to see, but the new squiggly word verification that is done in both black and white is literally impossible for me to decipher.  As a result, I will no longer be able to leave comments on blogs that have Word Verification turned on.  Please, please, please turn word verification off on your blog.  It is not a necessary component to prevent spam.  Blogger has spam protection built in.  If you are worried about innappropriate comments then turn on comment moderation so you can look at the comments before they post.  Thanks for visiting my blog where you will find it easy to leave a comment because I do not use word verification.  I appreciate each and every comment that is left for me and want to make it as easy as possible.  I hope you'll do the same.

Cricut Cardz Challenge #102 A Stitch In Time

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!  We made it to the middle of the week and it's time for a new challenge at Cricut Cardz on Cardz TV.  This week Mary asked the DT to create a card using any cartridge and colors but we had to add some real or faux stitching.  I would have loved to add some stitching with my sewing  machine, but alas, it's one of the things I left in storage when we left Michigan in our RV.  I'm going to remedy that come Spring when we head back to Michigan for the summer.  I'm so happy with how my card turned out.  I just love it.  I wanted to go with a whole sewing theme to go with my faux stitching so I designed this cute little card of buttons to take center stage.  The idea came to me when I was looking through my 6 x 6" card stacks and found this adorable button paper in My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Happy Go Lucky stack.  It was the perfect background paper.  After starting my card with a white cardstock base I added a green mat and then the button paper.  I used coordinating papers from the same stack and cute two rectangles with pinked edges from the Elegant Edges cartridge.  I added some faux stitching to each piece then added them to the card.  For my card of buttons I started with a rectangle cut from the Plantin' Schoolbook cartridge.  I put it through my printer to add the sentiment.  Then I cut my buttons from the Paisley cartridge and added some pink and white twine from Doodlebug to the buttonholes.  I cut my word "Buttons" from the Plantin' Schoolbook cartridge and added them to the top of the button card and embellished it with a coordinating strip of green paper and some more pink and white twine.  I added some faux stitching to it for the finishing touch.  Please join our Stitch In Time challenge this week at Cricut Cardz on Cardz TV.  Stitch away!