Cardz TV Mailbox Smiles Challenge #3 A Father's Day Card

Hello Friends! It's time for another Mailbox Smiles Challenge at Cardz TV. As all of Mary's challenges for Mailbox Smiles it's an Anything Goes theme, so the Design Team will have a variety of styles and occasions to show you. I decided to go with a Father's Day card this time around. I used Cardz TV Stamps You're The Man stamp set and I also used Mary's newest sketch (#22) for my card. If you aren't familiar with Mary's Sketches you can find them at the Cardz TV blog by clicking on the "Mary's Kit & Kaboodle Card Sketches" tab at the top of the blog. Sometimes it's fun to have a starting point for a card when you can't think of how to begin and I find these sketches to be a valuable tool in my arsenal. They are free to download by clicking on the sketch and saving them to your computer. I've printed all of mine and keep them in a small inexpensive photo album I found at Michael's for $1.00.

I knew I wanted to use the "King of the Grill" sentiment so I went on the hunt for an appropriate image to use. I found the perfect grill guy on my old cartridge Block Party. I took a little design freedom with the sketch by making my background strips a little longer and instead of using a circle, like in the sketch, I used an oval. The sentiment I used comes in the stamp set stacked. I cut the words apart to place them in a long sentiment banner. I hope you'll play along with this challenge. You can enter your creation over on the Cardz TV blog by linking your card for a chance to win some of Mary's Cardz TV Stamps. Thanks for stopping by today.

Cardz TV Mailbox Smiles Challenge #2

Hello Crafty Friends! It's time for a new Cardz TV Mailbox Smiles Challenge! It's an Anything Goes theme and I needed a graduation card for my grandson. His school colors are blue and white so I wanted to go with that. I made my numbers using the Cricut Varsity Letter cartridge and cut them at 2". Then I used the Something To Celebrate cartridge for the graduation cap. For my sentiment I chose Mary's Cardz TV Stamp set "Bigger Everyday Sentiments" and heat embossed it using WOW Sierra Sunrise Embossing Glitter. I love the elegant look of this card. For the inside sentiment I used Cardz TV More "Encouraging Thoughts" and stamped Follow Your Dreams. I hope you can play along with this challenge and link your card at the Cardz TV Blog for your chance to win some of Mary's fabulous stamps. Thanks for stopping by!

The Cutting Cafe Pop Up Card

This week the Cutting Cafe Design Team has some pop-up card inspiration. I used the Assorted Pop Up Cards SVG cutting file and my Cricut Explore Air to cut all the pieces. This file comes with four assorted and a cupcake image, cake image, flowers and butterfly for the inside. Since I needed a birthday card I decided to use the cake image included with the cutting file for the inside. I also added some die cut balloons and a banner to decorate around the cake. My patterned papers came from DCWV Celebration stack. For more ideas on making pop up cards be sure to check The Cutting Cafe Blog on May 21st for the rest of the Design Team's creations. Thanks for visiting today.

Cardz TV Mailbox Smiles Challenge #1

Hello Friends! It's time for a Cardz TV challenge. Mary has revamped her challenges a little and they're so easy to join with an Anything Goes theme, however you must incorporate any of Mary's Cardz TV Stamps into your project. The hardest kind of cards to make, for me, are those with a manly theme. I have a son, four son-in-laws and seven grandsons so it's always a challenge to produce cards for them. This time around I used Cardz TV You're The Man and Cardz TV Farmyard Funnies for my sentiments. My funny cow image came from the Cricut Birthday Bash cartridge. I'm sure it's just me, but I thought this was hilarious when it all came together. I started with a kraft cardstock base and added two rectangular mats in a dark brown and diamond pattern. Then I cut the mats to sit the cow on from metal dies. I embossed the top mat with an embossing folder from Darice with a similar diamond pattern as the paper. The day I was making this I could not get my Cricut Air to work so I got out my old, original Cricut Expression and did it the old fashioned way by plugging in the cartridge. I, personally, think that the old way is best. I do not like having to connect to my computer and do everything through Cricut Design space. So glad I hung onto my old machine, just for a day like this. After my cow was assembled I diecut a square to stamp my sentiment and placed it in his hooves as though he was holding a sign. Then I stamped the "That's No Bull" sentiment onto an oval diecut and placed it below the cow. I hope this card gives my son a little chuckle for his birthday. I better get busy making cards as we have a lot of family birthdays this month. I need a card for my daughter-in-law, a son-in-law and a grandson.

I hope you'll play along with this Cardz TV challenge and link your card over on the Cardz TV blog for a chance to win some Cardz TV Stamps. You have two weeks to get a card made as the challenge ends on May 19th. Have fun!

The Cutting Cafe Pinwheel Card

Hello Friends! This week at The Cutting Cafe the Design Team is featuring projects using Regina's Pinwheel Files-Pinwheel Treat Cup Template & Cutting Files or the Pinwheel Sentiment Template & Cutting File. I used the second option for my card. I used the PDF file this time around because I was having technical issues with my cutting machine. I simply printed the pinwheel pattern and hand cut the small pinwheel. After assembling it I added a hand cut stick and tied my sentiment on with some twine before attaching it to my card base. I loved the "Play Everyday" sentiment. Who can't use more play time every day!!! Make sure to head over to the Cutting Cafe Blog on May 7th to see the other projects from the Design Team. Thanks for stopping by!

The Cutting Cafe DT's Craft Space Tour

Hello Friends and welcome to my little corner of the crafting world. This is going to be a rather long post so I thank you in advance for sticking to the end. This post has been long in coming and I probably would not be doing it now if it wasn't for Regina asking the Cutting Cafe Design Team to do a post on their craft spaces. It's taken me a long time to get my act together and it's a long story getting there. Some of you may be new to my blog and may not know that hubby and I live in what is commonly referred to as a "tiny house". We are coming up to three years of our minimal lifestyle and we love it. When we retired, over five years ago, we sold our big five bedroom home where we raised our five kids. We spent a couple years traveling around the country in an RV (fifth wheel). I loved full time RVing, but I hated the part where we had to hook up the trailer and tow it. I was not a good passenger. After a couple close calls of cars pulling in front of us then slamming on their brakes I decided, if we continued to tow an RV, I was going to have to medicate myself. So we made the decision to buy a small park model RV and place it permanently in a campground in Florida. Hence, my little craft corner in our little space.

When you live in a tiny space you have to make every nook and cranny count. With my hubby's help I converted this china cabinet to a craft supply cabinet. This is one of the few items we kept from our home when we sold it. Hubby's contribution came when he installed a couple of pull out shelves into the cabinet for my stamps and dies. I have to say, this has to be my favorite DIY project he's ever done for me and I'm grateful to be married to a handy guy. Those containers (Inter Design) of stamps and dies weigh a ton and they were really hard to get in and out before the slide out shelves. Because we live in a tiny home it was imperative to me to be able to keep my supplies behind closed doors to keep my little space neat. For the top of the cabinet I bought some decorative storage boxes from Michaels. I store seasonal supplies, seasonal decorations, packaging materials (boxes/bags) and felt/material in them.

Here is a picture of what it looks like behind the closed doors. The first thing I did was have hubby install some frosted cling film (from IKEA) to the top cupboard doors so no one would see the messiness inside. This cabinet sits in the main living area of our home. So when company comes over it's where they will be sitting. My paper storage containers came from IKEA. The left cabinet holds my 12 x 12 paper and the right side has a couple of small drawer units that house my cutting machine blades and miscellaneous tools, my 8.5 x 11 cardstock and specialty papers and my tiny Janome sewing machine. The storage drawers in the top middle cupboard came from the Container Store. I store some paper punches, heat gun, Fuse tool, and other assorted tools in them. In between the two drawer units I have three plastic containers that I store all my sequins in. Each plastic container holds 24 individual jars with a different color sequins in it. I still have room for one more container. I bought them at Walmart in the jewelry making supplies section. I bought one gallon glass storage jars (from Walmart) to store my ribbon, buttons and washi tape on the open shelf. My Cricut Machine sits out for ease of use. When I'm ready to use it I'm able to quickly hook the cords up to my computer because it is so close to my desk and when I'm not using it the cords are hidden away to keep things neat.

In the bottom part of the hutch I have some clear stacking storage drawers that came from The Container Store on the top shelf. The one on the top left holds glitter, embossing powder, adhesives, etc. Bottom shelf has my Copics, cutting mats, case for my happy planner, embellishment box, Martha Stewart Scoreboard and a 12 x 12 plastic container that stores paper scraps.

Here's a close up of my pull out shelves I love so much and the cornerstone of every card maker, the stamps and dies. Hubby special ordered these pull out shelves from Home Depot. You can have them made in any size you specify. They are a little pricey, but I consider them worth every cent, or dollar I should say. They were around $90 each. They honestly look as though they are original to the cabinet and they are very high quality and sturdy enough to hold up to 100 pounds. Originally, hubby was going to construct them himself, but by the time we priced out the supplies and figured how long it would take him we thought it was smarter to order them ready made. The oak on the front of each pull out stained beautifully to match the rest of the cabinet.

The bottom right side top shelf has more of the clear storage drawers from The Container Store. The top drawers hold all my Cricut cartridges, shaker card fillers, twine, and embellishments take up the bottom drawer. Bottom shelf has an Inter Design container with 4 x 6 paper pads and another with assorted sizes and colors of envelopes.

Last, but not least, the drawers of the hutch hold all kinds of goodies. The left drawer holds watercolor paper pads, stencils and Misti stamping tool. Middle drawer has my paper cutter, ATG gun, Gypsy (yes I still use it), mini ink cubes, stamp cleaner, baby wipes, magnetic bowl (for holding small dies while I'm working with them) and paint brushes. Right drawer holds full size ink pads, a mini scoreboard, and assorted stamping blocks. It was a very happy day for me when all the different companies started coming out with the small ink cubes. I would never have space for full sizes of all the different ink brands. I have all the Distress Ink minis, all of the Lawn Fawn minis, and quite a few Hero Arts minis.

My small desk sits in front of a large window which gives me plenty of bright light to work by and I have one more little tool in my arsenal-an IKEA RASKOG cart that sits in a closet, when I'm not working, out of the way. In it I keep my planners, planner stamps, travel journals, journaling bible, faith journal, faith-related stamps, my Cuttlebug and cutting plates and some of the supplies I use for bible journaling. The supplies in here are easily contained to pick up and move around. Sometimes I take my journaling bible or faith journal out to a table on the patio to work and enjoy the fresh air.

I hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse into how I store my craft supplies in my tiny space. Thanks for stopping by. I know you'll want to visit the rest of the Design Team to see their crafting spaces. You can find them all over on The Cutting Cafe Blog on April 21.

Cardz TV Sketch Challenge

Wow, I can hardly believe we're into the first challenge in April. This week the Cardz TV Sketch Designers are making cards with a Mother's Day theme. I wanted to use this cute embroidery hoop die cut from Neat & Tangled and when I saw Mary's Kit & Kaboodle Sketch #6, I knew it was perfect. I also used one of the newest Cardz TV Stamps sets called Mini Messages. As I often do, I cut this sentiment to stack it for the circle. I hope you'll play along with the challenge. You can find the details at the Cardz TV blog as well as all the sketches. Thanks for stopping by today.