Graduation Cards

Welcome, again.

The theme at Bitten by the Bug 2 is graduation.  I decided to use the cute people on the Create a Friend cartridge for this challenge.  I made the guy and decided to do the girl, too.

The bodies were cut at 3 1/4" but with the shadow they end up being 4" high.  I used the George and Basic Shapes cartridge to cut stars at 1" and 1/2".  I do love the Create a Friend characters.

Make sure you visit Bitten by the Bug 2 to see the efforts of the design team and participants.

I appreciate your visit.
Happy Creating!
Rae Ann

A Grad Tag With Fabric

Hi!  As my title suggests, I'll be entering several challenges today.

I cut the tag at 3" (double thickness) from the Cricut Picturesque cartridge.  The grad cap came from the Cricut Create a Friend cartridge (I set the cap and gown at 4" and was able to stop the cut because the cap was cut first).  The yellow stars were cut at 1/2" from the George and Basic Shapes cartridge.  I just rolled a piece of paper and made the scroll.  I hand-made the rosette.

You can't see it here but I fringed the top and bottom of the blue fabric with the big star on it.  The challenge at Shopping Our Stash is to include fabric and I've had this piece around for ages.

The challenge at Bitten by the Bug 2 is Graduation.  The challenge at Die Cuttin' Divas is tags.
I started with the fabric and designed the rest so I could enter all three.

A happy side comment--I won the Cricut Air machine prize in the Fantabulous Cricut #300 Blog Hop.  I am thrilled!!!

Be sure to visit each of these blogs to see what everyone has done.  It takes a lot of work and coordinating to keep these challenges going and they need to be appreciated.

Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Creating!
Rae Ann

Some Tree Cards for Exploring Cricut

Hello, again.  As I've shown in recent posts, I really enjoy making cards for people's preferences.  It's a fun challenge for me.  One of my friends told me she loves trees and she wished she could find more cards with trees on them.  Here's what I came up with, and they were so easy to do.

The tree cut came from the Tinker Bell and Friends cartridge.  I only did 2 cuts and used a different shade of green marker around the edges of the foliage cuts.  A background stamp with script worked very well behind the tree.  On the 2nd card, "Thinking of You" is a cut I love from George & Basic Shapes.  I thnk I cut it at one-and-a-quarter inches.

These cards can be adapted to so many needs depending on the sentiment and so many looks are possible with a change of paper or stamp.  (My friend loved them.)

Please, continue to visit Exploring Cricut each day to see the great ideas our design team continues to produce.  Keep an eye out for our challenges, too.

Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

My Day at Exploring Cricut and my blog hop winner

Hello everyone.  I have so many great Cricut cartridges that I don't really need any more but when I see them at a great price, I can't resist.  One of my newest purchases is the Country Life cartridge.  I thought the pitcher of flowers would be a great focus for a card so I tried it out in 2 versions.  On the first one I used the George and Basic Shapes cartridge for the word.

This card goes together quickly and makes a lovely card for many sentiments. I'll be making more of these.
(Sorry for the delay.  Trying a new prescription was disastrous and had me sick for several days so I'm a little late with posting the winner)

Now, for the winner of my blog candy from the Exploring Cricut Mother's Day Blog Hop.  My winner is:  Mary Ann (#14)

Please contact me at raeannoh@aol.com with your full address info. so I can get the stamps and embossing folder in the mail to you.

Please visit Exploring Cricut each day to see your daily dose of inspiration from our design team.
Thanks for stopping by. 
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

Goin' Fishin'

Hello everyone.  I won this Paper Crafting World digi at My Paper Crafting and I'm so glad I have a chance to use it so soon.

I just got this watermark from Digital Delights by loobylou.  I really like it but I struggle to put it in the phote each time; I'll get the hang of it soon.
I colored in the digi with distress markers used like watercolors on watercolor paper.  The cattails and grass, and the fish, were cut out from the cricut Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge.  The oval behind the fish was cut from the George and Basic Shapes cartridge.  I just used my Brother labelmaker for the words.
I am entering this in 2 challenges: Digi Desserts Fridaze at My Paper Crafting and My Sheri Crafts where the theme is Time to Go Fishing.

Thank you for stopping by.  Please click on the challenge name to see all the entries in these great challenges.

Happy Creating
Rae Ann

Hot Tea Month

Hello!  This is my first individual posting as a member of the Exploring Cricut design team.  I am thrilled to be a part of this team.  To get an idea for something to make I looked up crazy holidays for January.  It turns out that January is hot tea month so that is my theme.

I used the Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge for the tea set and the George & Basic Shapes cartridge for the oval they sit on.  The white piece was edged with a Martha Stewart punch.  The flowers were a great deal one day at the Dollar Tree; the company is Special Moments.  The sentiment is a Papertrey stamp.  All the papers I found in my scrap stash.  I hope you like it.  Now sit and relax with a cup of hot tea and be sure to visit Exploring Cricut again, tomorrow.

Happy creating.
Rae Ann

Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a marvelous holiday.  It's time to look forward to a New Year and great things.  I am now honored to be a part of the Design Team for Exploring Cricut.  The perfect place for me because that's what I love to do - explore cricut and its great potential.  Here's my first card for the New Year.

I used stamps for the chandelier and the timepieces on the side panels.  The dancers are from the cricut Art Deco cartridge.  "Happy New Year" was made from the Phrases cartridge, and the balloons were made from the George and Basic Shapes cartridge.

I wish you all many blessing this New Year and a world filled with more peace and joy.

Happy Creating!

Rae Ann



Christmas Mini-Album for Multiple Challenges

Hello, everyone.  I made a paper bag matchbook album based on the tutorials by Kathy Orta on You Tube.  I made it for my sister who will be spending her first Christmas in her new home in Florida with her 16-month old grandson nearby.

I am entering this album in the following challenges.  Click on the challenge to go to that site and see other entries.
Pile It On - Theme: embellishments.  My album has glitter and ribbon and a poinsetta I made and borders and cricut cut additions ...  I think this fits.
Bugaboo's Catch the Bug Challenges - A Bingo challenge.  I used a flower, red/green, and ribbon.
Little Scrap Pieces - Theme: A Holiday Project.
Come and Get It Chalenges - Theme: Anything Christmas.
Cupcake Inspiration - I focused on the red, green, and white cupcake.

Please visit these sites.

Here comes a number of photos to show different views of the album.

This is the front of the album.  Note the tiny string of light I put around the tree trunk.

This is the first page you see when you open the matchbook flap.

As you flip sections forward you have room for pictures and/or journaling.  Note the tag on the top of the insert.  I cut 2 designs from one of the cardstock papers and glued them back-to-back at the top of the insert.

Another view of inside.

I put the album on its side to show the 6 bags, each with an insert.  The front flap is the red to the right of the picture.  Each section was made from a black bag bought at Michael's.

This shows one of the inserts and the tag I put on each one.  I alternated red and green designs for the inserts.  I placed the tags left, middle, right, left, middle, right in the 6 bags.

I wanted to show the glitter on the flower but it was hard to photograph  Here you see some of the diamond stickles on the flower as well as the green studio g glitter on the curls and as seams in the palm tree.

 

Because of Kathy Orta's tutorial this album went together easily and quickly.  It was the decorating that took the time.

Product info.:  I used Recollections Winter Whimsy collection and PebblesInc. Welcome Christmas for my cardstock.

Cricut cartridges that I used: Flower Shoppe, the flower, of course; Paper Doll Dress Up for the palm tree and little plant next to it; Holiday Cakes for "Christmas" on the cover and "Merry" and "Happy Day" on inner pages.  The numbers came from George and Basic Shapes.  I always seem to use Picturesque for the curls.  The tiny string of lights is in the 3 Birds on Parade cartridge.

Other than a few index cards, the journal cards and tags were found at free sources on the internet; I'm sorry I didn't write down their names.  I just searched for 'journaling tags'.

 

Wow!  This is a long entry for me.  I hope you like it.

Happy creating and Happy Holidays.

 

Rae Ann



A Man Card for Cardz TV Challenge #4 "It's a Guy Thing"

I think 'man cards' are definitely harder to make than for a woman.  It took me so much longer to come up with an idea, to play with the details and to avoid bling and laces. But, here it is:

Do you think the 'King of the Road' inference is telling my age?

To make this I used the following Cricut cartridges:
My Community for the truck;
Everyday Paper Dolls for the road;
Best of 2007 for the trees and the crown-like image over the 'N';
George & Basic Shapes for the lettering.
It took a bit of work with distressing and doodling to take away the 'flat' look of the card.  Finally, I was satisfied.

This is only a 3 day challenge.  To see other entries at Cardz TV, click here.

Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

Holiday Challenges: My Sheri Crafts, Fantabulous Cricut, Cardz TV #96, Robin's Creative Cottage, & Whimsical Designs

When I saw the theme for the My Sheri Crafts Challenge, (click here:), make a decoration, I started thinking of all the ways I would like to decorate in my small apartment.  While scanning the net I found a sample of a tee pee card and I knew that would be perfect to place on display as a decoration.  The video of how to make one is by thenorsugirl; :here is the link:

I had a lot of fun making this.  I used a variety of cartridges:  Forever Young, Graphically Speaking, Simply Charmed and Forever Young.  I have lots of glittery embellishments:(Robin's Creative Cottage theme, Let It Sparkle) paper with shine, glitter ribbon, shiny packages, glitter glue, metal brads, sequins.  And, (Fantabulous Cricut theme, A Holiday Card) the sentiment, of course, is Merry Christmas.  For Cards TV (Say It With 'S') there are stockings on the fireplace.  With all the things on this card it is quite appropriate for the Whimsical Designs theme of layers.

Here are the 3 sides of the card:

I am also entering this card in
the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge click here,
the Cardz TV #96 Challenge click here, 
Robin's Creative Cottage Challenge click here. 
Whimsical Designs Challenge click here.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

Rae Ann

My Craft Spot Challenge #34 - Handmade Flower Power (Also, the Pile It On Challenge)

I'm intrigued with what can be done with paper to make such beautiful flowers.  I wanted to try poinsettias and I'm pleased with the result.

The flowers were made from the 5 petal flower on Cricut cartridge, George and Basic Shapes.  The bowl came from the Pagoda catridge; the leaves are all from the Picturesque cartridge.  I hope you like it.
Rae Ann

To visit the Pile It On Challenge, click here

To visit the My Craft Spot Challenge, click here:

I'm an now a Cricut Lover!

It's been a long time since I've been able to blog.  I've been spending more time making things for my group, Inchies-1x1 and Paperfollies, and now, experimenting with my Cricut.

I love searching online for ideas and tutorials and found the site, Fantabulous Cricut.  They have a Monday Challenge and I've entered in two of them.

The first Fantabulous Cricut Challenge I entered was to make something containing a ghost.  I used elements from Simply Charmed and My Community.  Here's my effort...

My second entry in a Fantabulous Cricut Challenge  was called 'for the birds'.  I used the Pagoda Cartridge to create this...



Having the themes to provide a direction is fun and challenging. 

While experimenting with Cricut cardmaking I realized I have the perfect gift for my sister this year.  She gives a lot of Birthday and Get Well cards during the year so I am making her a collection of cards she can use.  Here are some of the easy designs I've come up with so far...

The words came from George and Basic Shapes.



This is a variaton of the card in Just Because.



The cake and phrase are from Simply Charmed.  One of the flowers is from George and Basic Shapes.

The scalloped background is from Just Because.  The words are from Simply Charmed; I punch a circle out where the little smiley faces are.

These are only a few of the items I've made.  More will be posted later but, as you see, I'm really enjoying my cricut.