Another Birthday Card

Hi!
This is definitely a time for birthdays.  I've had a number of requests for cards.  This one is supposed to be in honor of the many times friends sip wine together.

Inside it says "You know, in wine years you would be vintage (but a very fine one).

I'm entering this in Bitten by the Bug 2, Birthday, and Cardz TV, Anything goes.
I used the Cricut cartridges, Simply Charmed and Create a Critter for the cuts.

Don't forget to visit these blogs and thanks for stopping by.
Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

A Sparkling Birthday Challenge at Exploring Cricut and More

Welcome to our challenge week.  Create a birthday card, layout, or paper project that contains sparkle or glistter.
Here's what I did.

'Sparkly' made me think fancy so I decided a formal occasion would be the way to go.  I used a pre-cut center stem card that I bought at the Paper Cut booth at a show.  It makes it so easy.  I used my Cricut and several cartridges to make this.
Paper lace 2 -- the phrase 'Happy Birthday', cut at 1 1/2 inches;
Paper Doll Dress Up -- the top hat, cut at real size 1 1/2 inches and the gloves, cut at real size 1 inch.
Simply Charmed --the champagne bottle, cut at 2 1/2 inches; the glasses cut at 1 1/4 inches; balloons cut at 1 1/2 and 2 inches; and a bunch of confetti, cut at 2 inches.

Materials used included a glittery paper from the DCWV Safari Kids pack, and Ranger's Diamond Glitter Glue pn the balloons and confetti.  For my solid papers I like to use the Recollection brand papers from Michael's.  A couple of rhinestones finish it off.

It took a while because I had to re-cut things to get sizes I liked, but I had fun making it.

Please, add your sparkly project to our challenge at Exploring Cricut and More.  We love to see the variety of responses to our theme.

Thsnks for stopping by.
Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

It's A Spring Thing Challenge at Exploring Cricut and More

I hope everyone enjoyed this weekend.  Today we are celebrating the arrival of spring with an "It's a Spring Thing" Challenge.  Make a card, layout, or paper project that celebrates spring and contains at  least one flower.
I used the Cricut and the Freshly Picked  cartridge to design this step card.

The fencing was a leftover cut that I hadn't used from the Pagoda cartridge.  The words were modified from the Simply Charmed cartridge.  I cut out the phrases, "welcome little one" and "happy thanksgiving".  I used the welcome but contructed the word "spring" from the other phrase.

The tulip row was cut from the flower box in the Freshly Picked cartridge.  I cut it at 2 inches and sliced off most of the box.  The back row is cut from the parsley and sage designs.  They were each in pots, which were sliced off.  I used 3 sage cuts and 1 parsley cut for added greens.

I like how it turned out.  It really makes me think spring.

Please, share your spring project with us at Exploring Cricut and More' we love to see your creativity.

Take care.  Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

Easter's Here at Exploring Cricut and More

Finally, some days that feel like spring.  For today's challenge we are asked to make an Easter card, layout, or paper project that contains at least one frame and one embellishment like a brad, jewel, etc.  I made an Easter card before I read the requirements so that one will be posted next week.  Here's my card for this challenge.

I used the Cricut and the Simply Charmed cartridge to create these adorable chicks.  They were cut at 1 1/2 inches.  I just used a fine tip marker to dot their eyes instead of trying to poke out a circle that small.
That background around the chicks was cut at 2 inches high and the blue behind that was cut at 2 1/2 inches.  The vertical frame was cut 1 1/4 inches wide for the inner strip and 1 3/4 inches for the blue.
The Happy Easter sentiment is from a pack called Greetings Galore which I bought from Impression Obsession at the scrapbooking show that was here recently.  The patterned papers were created with background stamps I bought from them, too. 
They had a great demonstrator showing how to overlap colors and background stamps to do all kinds of great things.  If you're interested, take a look - Go to You Tube and enter Impression Obsession Cover A Card for some demos.    They have over 180 stamp backgrounds that can be mix and matched.  I might not have to buy patterned paper anymore.

Please join us this week at Exploring Cricut and More with your entry to our Easter themed challenge.  I look forward to seeing you there.
Happy Creating,
Rae Ann

Happy St. Patrick's Day / Exploring Cricut

Hello!  Of course I HAD to do a St. Patrick's something since today's the day.  This weekend was the Heirloom rubber stamping and paper arts festival that comes once a year.  They always have an ATC (Artist Trading Card) contest; this time the theme is "Luck of the Irish".  So, that's my project, an ATC - which is a card that is 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches, like a baseball card.  I used Simply Charmed.

Sorry if it's a little fuzzy.  The print is the definition of luck - n. forturne, good.
I cut the rainbow and pot of gold at 2 1/2 inches, then cut off the rainbos and turned it sideways to go where I wanted it to go.  I used the real size 1 inch to make the pot for the end of the rainbos.  The leprachaun was cut at 2 !/2 inches also.
I used a sandcastle stamp I have and cut out just enough of it to create a castle in the background.  I have 3 little pieces of bling to be the gold in the pot.  I had fun making this.

I hope you all enjoy your day.  Please, keep visiting Exploring Cricut and our great design team throughout the week.
Happy creating.
Rae Ann

St. Patrick's Challenge at Exploring Cricut and More

Hi!  I'm back.  It's taken a while.  It really felt good to be creating again.
For this challenge we were asked to create a card, layout, or paper project for St. Patrick's Day, including at least one shamrock.

I didn't want to do a leprechaun again so I started looking for a copy of the Irish Blessing, "May the road...".  Instead, I found this one which I really like.
The rainbow and pot were cut on my Personal Cricut at 2 1/2 inches from Simply Charmed.  The shamrocks are 1 inch and they came from Paper Doll Dress Up.
Please, join our challenge this week and show us your creativity at Exploring Cricut and More.

Have a great week and happy creating.
Rae Ann

Valentine's Day Blog Hop at Exploring Cricut

Welcome to our blog hop and challenge.  You should have arrived here from Faith's blog.  In honor of Valentine's Day, the challenge this week is to make a card, layout, or paper craft with a valentine theme and use at least one jewel.

For my card I used the candy heart cut from Simply Charmed and the young lovers from Suburbia.  This is a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inch card.  The small size doily makes a great bact piece for the silhouette.

Please lease a comment by Sunday, Feb. 16.  I will be giving away some little goody to one of you who stops by.

After enjoying all the ideas our team has come up with, create your own card and enter it in our challenge at Exploring Cricut.

If you arrived from somewhere else and want to join us at the beginning of our hop go to Sharon's blog. Otherwise, your next stop is Emily.

 

Blog Hop Schedule

Sharon http://meemeescreations.blogspot.com

Donna http://wwwkindredkreations.blogspot.com

Faith http://scrapbookerphd.blogspot.com

Rae Ann http://joyinart.blogspot.com

Emily http://emilyqueenofallthingscrafty.blogspot.com

Annette http://mymindsdustbunnies.blogspot.com

Michelle N http://justanutterpapercrafter.blogspot.com

Jen http://javajencreations.blogspot.com

Julie http://mylittlecorner-julie518.blogspot.com

Michelle S http://cricutcrazyscrapper.blogspot.com

Liz http://unikbyyes.blogspot.com

Rosa http://enjoyingthebug.blogspot.com

Diane http://happyscrapperdiane.blogspot.com

 

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Have fun creating and Happy Valentine's Day.

Rae Ann

 

Baby cards for my day at Exploring Cricut

Hello.  I've been able to relax and make a lot of cards once the hustle and bustle settled down.  I realized that I don't have any cards for new babies, soooooooo.

The carriage and sentiment were cut from the Simply Charmed cartridge.  The carriage is cut at 2 inches, the sentiment is cut at 1 1/2 inches.
The ornate frame came from the last page of the Graphically Speaking cartridge and it was cut at 3 1/2 inches.  The sqaure of background within the frame is cut at 3 inches.

I made one card on a blue background with no patterned paper except in the frame and it doesn't look nearly as nice.  The choice of the right papers makes all the difference.

This was a cute and easy card to make.  Hope you like it.
Happy creating.
Rae Ann

Happy New Year with Exploring Cricut

Wow! Is it 2014 already?  The challenge this week is to help bring in the New Year with a card, layout, or paper project that welcomes the New Year.

I wanted to make a card that looked like a celebration so I used this old scrap that reminded me of tiny fireworks.  I used the following cuts:
Happy New Year - Phrases
Champagne Bottle - Simply Charned
Balloons - Create a Critter
Then, I wrote 2014 on the balloons with silver glitter glue and added some sequins.  It has just the feel I wanted it to have.

Please join our challenge with your creation that welcomes in 2014.  Post it at Exploring Cricut and visit each day to see what the design team comes up with.

Have a wonderful New Year filled with joys and blessings.
Happy creating.
Rae Ann

Easter Card for Multiple Challenges

Wow!  It surely is the season.  Everyone is focusing on Spring/Easter.  Here's one of my contributions.

To simplify things I'll name the challenge, what it's theme is, and provide a link.

Die Cuttin Divas - Rosettes, Ribbon, and Rhinestones - click here.

Made Especially For You - Use distress inks (Each part of the bunny baby is edged with distress inks.) - click here.

Krafty Girls - Easter - click here

Anything Goes - Easter - click here.

Top Tip Challenge #73 - Easter and/or animal - (Tip - using distress inks on edges makes a big differnce in the appearance of a cut.) - click here.

Getting Cricky with K Andrews - An Easter Blessing - click here.

Happy Creating.

Rae Ann

St. Patrick's Day Approaches

This little cutie was made with the Cricut Simply Charmed cartridge.  I'm entering him in the Krafty Girls Challenge which can be visited by clicking here.

Happy Creating!

Rae Ann 

Another Valentine - Candy Hearts

This week The Shabby Tea Room has an inspiration photo of popcorn, candy and valentine heart candy.  I decided to use the stripes and , of course, the valentine hearts.  The Cricut Simply Charmed cartridge has a cute version of them that worked perfectly.  Here are the inspiration photo and my card.

I am entering this card in:
The Shabby Tea Room - Candy Hearts
Fantabulous Cricut - Love is in the Air (use a heart)
My Craft Spot - A Valentine
Paper Playtime - Hearts or Love using the Cricut
Creative Cutter Room - A Valentine


Happy creating.
Rae Ann

A Winter Card for Paperfollies

I belong to the Yahoo Group, Paperfollies.  It's a great bunch of people who select up to 10 challenges each month and swap.  The challenges include cards, inchies, thrinchies,etc,, buttonfairies, shaped cards and a variety of other projects along those lines.  One of the swaps this month is a winter card so, using the Cricut cartridge 'Best of 2007' (which I just bought off ebay), I selected the images that were taken from Joy of the Season.  I don't have any winter or Christmas themed cartridges (yet) so this was perfect.

Inside, I cut out the phrase "warm wishes" from the Cricut Simply Charmed cartridge.  I'm pleased with this one.
Happy creating.
Rae Ann

Cupcake Card

I had some fun making cards yesterday.  Although the Die Cuttin' Divas challenge is finished, I used their sketch for this design.

The cupcake was cut from the Cricut Simple Charmed cartridge.  It's covered with glitter glue which can't be seen very well but it makes it look like there really is frosting.  I purposely designed it to resemble the cupcake in the inspirational photo at Cupcake Inspirations.

This card is being entered in:
Cupcake Inspirations http://cupcakeinspirations.blogspot.com/2012/01/challenge-142.html
Simply Crafts http://simply-crafts.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-2012-challenge.html

Happy creating.
Rae Ann

Candle Card Challenge at Bitten by the bug 2

These were made with the Cricut Simply Charmed cartridge.  Glitter on the flames gives them a nice sparkle.  Check out other entries at Bitten by the Bug 2.  Click here.

Happy New Year, everyone.
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

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.