A New Challenge at Exploring Cricut

Welcome to our Easter Challenge.  Make a card, layout, or other paper project for Easter.  Use the Cricut, of course.  I made a very simple banner to put on my apartment door.  I used Create a Critter for the rabbit, chick, and basket, Spring Cottage for the eggs (the large ones were cut using the real size button), and Phrases to cut out the banner shapes.

Sorry that the picture isn't that great.  The hallway lighting isn't that good for pictures.

Please join us at Exploring Cricut with your project.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Happy creating.
Rae Ann

A Class called Pattern Play

Hi, everyone.  I found reference to this class on a blog I was following and the price was very reasonable so I signed on.  It's at Online Card Classes and it is called Pattern Play. It's running Mar. 18 to the 23rd and each day there is a new emphasis on uses for patterned paper.  I've been slow in making my own because some back trouble is slowing me down but here's the one I made for the Day 1 info. - making choices of patterns that will work together.

I've never used the flower rows before because I couldn't think of a way to use them.  I like how this worked out.  I also decided to use the flowers as an embellishment, which was another days topic.

I used the cricut Create a critter cartridge for the bunny, carrots and basket.  The ovals came from cricut's George and Basic Shapes cartridge.  The stamp was a $1 special at Michael's.  Some bling in the 3 flowers and a scrap of edging finished off the card.

Thanks for looking.
Happy creating.
Rae Ann

My day at Exploring Cricut

Hi!  I've been ill this past week so instead of a new project I pulled out one I did over a year ago.
The cartridge, of course, is Everyday Paper Dolls.  It's a card I made for my doctor and his staff.  The front of the card is the holiday it was made for but I wanted the inside to be non-holiday in case they wanted to keep it.  They did.  Right away they said they were going to frame it and put in up in the office.  I got a pretty good match with the clothing styles and hair-dos.  Here is the result.

There is so much in that cartridge I bet it could be adapted for anyone.  Give it a try.  And keep visiting Exploring Cricut.  There will be a new challenge next Monday.
Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

Luck of the Irish Challenge at Exploring Cricut

Hello, everyone.  We have a new challenge startring today at Exploring Cricut.  Make a card, layout, or papercraft using a shamrock for St. Patrick's Day.  Here's what I came up with:

The leprechaun is from Cricut's Paper Doll Dress Up; the shamrock is on that same page.  This is the first time I've used my Peachy Keen face stamps.  Isn't he cute.  The sentiment was cut using the Phrases cartridge; the flourish came from Picturesque.  I used vintage photo distress in to lightly edge the leprechaun.  On the shamrock I used the metallic gold from Ranger.  The papers, lace, and green rhinestones were found in my stash.

I can't wait to see what you do with this theme.  Join us at Exploring Cricut for this week's challenge.

Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

Rainy Day Tag

Thursdays at My Papercrafting are the Totally Tags and ATC's challenges.  I have to make a rainy day tag for a swap later in the month and I planned on using a PCW digi so this was a perfect fit.

The challenge theme is stitching; faux stitching is added along the top and the bottom edge.  The digi was printed on watercolor paper and colored with distress markers.  I glued that onto a piece of blue cardstock that I edged with a punch (don't remember the brand) and used a piece of ribbon (that my cat's been trying to get) to made a border where the white edge ended.  I often think of tags in terms of bookmarks so I don't make them chunky.  That's why the only 3-D item is the ribbon rose near the top where it could stick out over the top of a book, or out of a pocket in an album.

Visit at My Paper Crafting to see the entries.  There is always a lot of inspiration there.

Have a great day and happy creating.
Rae Ann

Kiss Me I'm Irish

This might be my one and only St. Patrick's Day card.  I'm not big on celebrating this day but this idea was too cute to pass up.

The frog prince is taking advantage of the opportunity!  He's cut from cricut's Create a Critter.  The hat and shamrock were found in Paper Doll Dress Up, and the lettering is one of the fonts from Suburbia.  Bling for eyes, lips drawn in for kissing, and a few glittery shamrocks drawn in completed the image.
I'm entering this little guy in the following challenges:
Paper Playtime - Anything goes
Bitten By The Bug2 - Use a shamrock
Scrappy Frog Challenge - Use green
Craft it up and Link it up at Craftin Desert Divas - Anything goes

Click on the name of the challenge to visit and enjoy seeing all the entries .

Happy creating.
Rae Ann

Looking Forward to Sunny Days at Exploring Cricut

Welcome to my day at Exploring Cricut.  The weatherman, today, reported below normal temperatures to continue with heavy cloud coverage over the next few days.  I'm ready for some sunny days so I made this card.

I started out using the circle and scalloped circle idea for the background of a focus image but the combination of these 2 paper made me think of a sunflower and the card took off from there.  The sunflower circles came from cricut's Graphically Speaking cartridge.  The fence was cut from the last page of Paper Doll Dress Up.  The sun and bird both came from Create a Critter.  The bird was cut at 1 inch; isn't it cute.  The bow made of twine was the finishing touch.

Please stop by Exploring Cricut  each day for some great ideas from our design team.  Watch out for our challenges and please join us.

I will also be entering this in the Craft It Up Linky Partry at Craftin Desert Divas where the theme is 'anything goes.'
Have a sunny day.
Rae Ann

Fun with Puns at Fantabulous Cricut

Hello, again.  I really had to strain my brain to get this one to work but I think I did it.  I recently purchased the Suburbia cartridge and I wanted to use it someway for this challenge.  Here it is:

Silly, isn't it?  But that's a pun for you.

Click here to go to the Fantabulous Cricut Blog to see all the entries.

Happy creating.
Rae Ann

Cherry Blossom by Sherri Baldy Art

Hello!  I'm squeezing under the wire with this one.  Since I bought this one I won the gift certificate given by the Hoosier Stamper and was able to get 8 more Sherri Baldy digis.  I'm having fun!!!

The Besties Challenge #7 requires 2 kinds of patterned paper.  Originally there was a patterned paper under Cherry Blossom but she was just the right size to cover it up.  Then, I realized that I used patterned papers in the embellishments, too.  The branches on the sides (I think of them as Japanese maple) are made from a patterned woodgrain paper and the leaves are also from a red pattern I found in my stash.  The Kanji word for Beauty (cut from Cricut's Pagoda cartridge) is also from patterned paper.  I colored her with distress markers.  Here she is:

I think she's a sweetheart.
Go to the Besties Challenge to see all the entries and have fun creating.
Rae Ann