December 2010 Challenge

Hello fellow scrappers! Obviously I didn't get a camera for Christmas.  Hopefully, I will get one for my birthday!  We'll see.  That's in March!

Well, on to December's Challenge.  I created an explosion box with a giftcard pocket in the bottom.  I always feel bad when I give someone a giftcard.  There is no present to open.  My project solves that problem and it is a great way to give family pictures to a loved one.  If I was doing this for a birthday present, I might take pictures of the recipient through out the year and include them in the box too.  It is really many gifts in one.

I had so much fun with this little box.  I actually cut the box and lid out on my Expression using a Gypsy file I created.  I just had to snip the corners where the E didn't cut and I had a perfect set of layers for my box.  The lid was cut at 5.125 inches.  I scored an inch all the way around, cut tabs at each of the corners and folded and glued the tabs down. Piece of cake.  The little cuts inside the box were made using my new favorite holiday cart -- Jolly Holidays.  It is soooo cute!!

So, let's see did I meet the requirements?

• Use atleast 2 Cricut Cuts - I sure did! and more!!
• Use a tag made with a cartridge (there are so many great tags on so many cartridges!) I cut a basic tag from George I think!
• Use the color red somewhere. Tons of red on this little project
• Use ribbon. Got ribbon on the lid and the bow on top of the box!!
• Use a phrase from one of the cartridges. Used Happy Holidays from Jolly Holidays!!

Yeah!!  I did it!! Well, I am so glad I got this one done.  Actually, I've had it done and I gave it away already, but I'm just getting to posting it. Better late than ever!

Happy New Year!!

Jodie

Christmas T shirts

Hello friends.  I just wanted to share a t shirt design I made for my fellow co workers for our holiday party last Thursday.  I used my new FAVORITE cartridge called Paper Lace and a 2009 seasonal cartridge called Very Merry Tags. Using my Gypsy, I welded the phrase on the front using PL and then I added the Ho Ho Ho tag from VMT. The font is oh so cool! It fits together beautifully.

Then I did our names on the sleeves.  I used Siser Iron Vinyl and cut it at a blade depth of 3 and medium pressure.  It was a piece of cake.

Of course I couldn't have done it without my dear friend Marcus and his sweet wife Monica!  Thanks guys! Marc guided me through every step.  He commandeered Monica's E several months ago and now makes all his own tshirts for his homeless ministry God Within.  Don't worry about Monica not having a machine now.  He got her a beautiful green one on Black Friday!  Yeah!

Thanks for looking! Remember, we only have 13 days 'til Santa gets here!

Cicle Magazine Challenge.

Wow, its been a while since I posted. I've been thinking about this project ever since they posted it, but I am just getting in before the deadline!  This was a challenge real for me. I wanted to do something no one else was doing.  I found some thin pieces of paper backed wood venere at Michaels and started playing.  The first cuts were perfect, but when I finally cut it the final time, the wood didn't cut smoothly. I used cherrywood and a white wood. It's still really cute. The flower on the top is embossed with the music Cuttlebug emossing folder.  The box is cut from TBBM, the tree is from CC and the snowflake is from JOTS, I believe.  It is decorated on all 4 sides and hangs from invisible sewing thread attached at the center of the red flower at the top.

So I ended up redoing it and this is what I finished with.

 I ended up cutting it out of metalic paper and glitter paper. I embossed the silver metalic paper with the music Cuttlebug embossing folder.   I like this ornament because it can serve a dual purpose.  It is an ornament, but you can hide a little treat for someone special too.

Again, I wish the pictures were better, but we can't have everything! Thanks for looking!

Jodie

October Monthly Circle Challenge Entry

First of all, I can't tell you how awesome the Circle has been for me.  I LOVE scraping and crafting, but I have a really hard time sharing my projects with others.  I guess I just don't think my work is something worth showing off. I know that isn't true, but I have discovered that isn't really the point of these challenges. To me, it is about dusting off my Cricut and making a point of creating something different each week that isn't tied to some project I'm already working on.  Like cooking, we tend to use the same recipes in crafting too.  These challenges make us think outside our normal "recipe box."

For the montly challenge, it really wasn't about a scrapbook page, which is generally what I work on.  We had to do something around being creative or in my entry's case, encouraging creativity.  My mother, who had more creativity in her little finger than most people have in their whole body, nurtured her creativity every day.  She had so many little projects going all the time and she was constantly thinking of ways to do more.  She read magazines, took classes, talked to other crafters constantly and, most importantly, she showed her work to everyone.  I never realized what she was doing until I started doing the challenges.  The way she shared her crafts was a challenge to find what pleased other people.  She really wanted to get good enough to start selling jewelry, but sadly, she passed away before she had a chance to fully develop that craft. She did however, spend many years selling handmade leather and knitted items. 

I never want to make a business selling crafts, but I do want to continue nurture my creativity.  Thus, the new sign that will hang over my craft desk.  I made it with butterflies from Serenade and the frame is also from Serenade, I believe.  The letters are from Calligraphy and the little crocheted flowers are from SEI.  I purposely didn't line up the letters perfectly because I wanted that handmade look.

At least one shadow feature - the letters are shadowed in cream cardstock

Embellishments to enhance one of the cuts - the butterflies have been glittered and decorated with rhinestones.

Patterned paper - background paper has a faint script pattern that is very hard to see in this picture.

So, thank you for looking and I love your sweet comments.  You all really make my day!

Jodie

Check out Wee Memories blog for some cool stuff!

 Hi everyone.  I just wanted to let you know about the cool drawing Jenny at Wee Memories is having.  http://www.suchins.blogspot.com/  The prize is amazing and her blog is too cute for words.

Thanks,

Jodie

Autumn Splendor Challenge

Dear Santa, I really want a good camera and all the carts Provo Craft announced today. I don't think that is too much to ask! LOL! Oh, and tickets to the Texas Swarm for my birthday. I promise I will be good the rest of the year!

OK, my wish list is done -- for now! Here is my challenge entry. I used my idea of all four colors. For the background, I used a dictionary page which gave the definitions of Faithful to Fall.

Come on Santa. Just a few more pixels would do it!

First Post and First Circle Challenge Entry (Week 2) Think Pink

Hello and welcome to my little blog.  For right now, I am just using it to post for challenges, but you never know.  Stranger things have happened.

This is my entry for the Cricut Circle Week #2 Think Pink Challenge.

For this Challenge, I used Pink papers, glitter on my embellishments, scalloped circles for the flowers and a flourish  in the corner.  I also embellished the title with glitter.  My sweet dog decided to check it out and messed up the flower on the lower right side.  He now has a sparkly nose too.

On the flowers, I also channeled Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and did some doodling on the flowers.  I loved how they came out.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it.

Thanks for Looking,

Jodie