A Mother's Day Card at Fantabulous Cricut

Good Day!
Fantabulous Cricut Challenge has the theme Mother's Day.  Instead of the usual flowery card I decided to make one that thanked Mom for all she's done.  The "Happy Mother's Day" sentiment is inside.
I used the cricut Suburbia cartridge for most of the card: the 2 backgrounds (for bowl and vacuum) were cut from the Formal Occasion cartridge.

Thanks for stopping by.  Make sure you go to Fantabulous Cricut to see the designers offerings (and visit the blog hop) as well as other entries in this challenge.
Have a great day.
Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

A Masculine Birthday Card for Exploring Cricut and More

Hello, again.  Mondays come around so quickly; time is really flying.

For my card today I used Cricut's Small Talk and Frames cartridge and the Suburbia cartridge.

I used the Cover a Card Happy Birthday stamp that I bought from Impression Obsession and thought a frame would add to the look.  I used 5 inches for the frame.  The gentleman from Suburbia (I think I cut him at 3 inches) fits just right leaning in the frame; I think this makes a good-looking masculine card.

Thanks for stopping by. Keep visiting Exporing Cricut and More for inspiration and don't forget- there will be another challenge next Monday.
Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

Mother's Day Challenge at Exploring Cricut and More

Welcome!  This week's challenge is to create a card, layout, or paper project with a Mother's Day theme.  Include at least one ribbon.

For this card I used Cricut''s Suburbia cartridge for the silhouette and the Cindy Loo Cartridge for the curly decorations.  I had cut out an oval for another project using the George and Basic Shapes cartridge and this piece was left, so I used it.  Some glitter gle accents the oval and fills the holes in the edging.  My ribbon is the little bow.
The stamp is part of a set called 'Greeings Galore" which I purchased from Impression Obsession.
I don't recall the brand of edger this is; I cut it too wide so the left-over pink strip broke it up and added just the right visual balance.

Please join our challenge with your Mother's Day creations at Exploring Cricut and More.  We love to see your ideas.  And, drop by everyday for samples from our design team.

Thanks fo atopping by.  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

 

Another Birthday Card for Exploring Cricut

Hi!  Here's a change of pace from this holiday week.  A neighbor asked me to make a birthday card for a man in her family who was turning 60.  I have this quote I love from a book of cards sentiments I bought a few years ago.

With a saying like this inside the card a telephone image is perfect.  So I used the one in Suburbia and a balloon from Create a Critter.

I saw the 'happy birthday' on a card in Pinterest and made one up that was similar. (Sorry I didn't write down the name.)  With a touch of glitter on the number and a coiled paper connecting the phone to the sign, the card is done.

Please continue to visit Exploring Cricut and join us next Monday for another challenge.

I hope you all have a happy, holy, joyful holiday and a year of blessings and peace.
Rae Ann

My Monday for Exploring Cricut - Some Thank You Cards

My birthday is tomorrow.  I won't tell you my age but this joke applies:  seniors should enjoy junk foods - they need all the preservatives they can get. LOL
I noticed my supply of 'thank you' cards was low so I designed a few while watching Halloween movies this week.
This first one came from the Art Deco cartridge; the letters were cut from the Suburbia alphabet.  I had to make this card a 5 x 7 to have room for the 1 inch letters.  This took longer to make because of all the small pieces and layers - but they look so good it's worth the effort.

 

This next one is all from the Cindy Loo cartridge.  The design was cut at 3 inches, the 'Thanks' at 1 1/4 inches.  It's a standard 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 card.

 

 

I really like this one.  The rose is from the Quarter Note cartridge, cut at 2 inches (the width of the flower).  I'm not crazy about the red and black color scheme the patterns use so I cut out an extra base in green, cut off the flower from the dard red cut and glued it on.  Then I just added the lighter red layer.  The word is from the Cindy Loo cartridge.



It was easy to made a couple at a time so I have a good supply now.  I hope these give you some ideas; the last two were definitely quick and easy and look good.
Please continue to visit Exploring Cricut each day to see the great ideas our team comes up with.  And, please join our challenges every other week.  We love to see your work, too.
Happy creating.
Rae Ann

Headstart on Christmas for Exploring Cricut

Hello, again.  Last week I was sharing cartridges with a friend and my cartridge "A Quilted Christmas" came to my attention.  I decided to try some of the cards.  I don't usually like to use a card option because I'm bored if every detail is already planned for me, but I enjoyed these.  I have a Personal Cricut so the maximum cut size is 5 1/2 inches.  That worked out well for standard A2 cards.  Four pictures follow.

I did these the way the cartridge cuts them.  The gold paper I used under the cuts is very sparkly so I didn't think it needed anything else on the outside.

With each of these I did a little touch-up to make it more 'mine'.  On the reindeer I added diamond stickles to the design on the banner;  It changed the color of the underlayer and added some contrast.  I also added a stick-on star, also coated with diamond stickles.

 

The little shepherd is also pictured below.  I added a touch of  stickles to the rim of his hat and added the computer printed sentiment.

 

The star looked really plain to me until I outlined each triangle with stickles.  It's not really visible in the photo but in person it is quite majestic looking.

 

The 'merry Chrismas' card beow is made with the poinsetta edge from 'A Quilted Christmas'.  The sentiment was cut from the Phrases cartridge.

 

After all the cut-out cards I wanted to do a  'real' Santa; he's from the same cartridge.  The letters are from Suburbia (I love that font!)

Each card has a computer printed sentiment inside.  I found a book online, "Say It With Style 2" edited by Tnaya Fox.  It is FILLED with sentiments for using in cards, all occasions, and I found some lovely ones to use for Christmas.

 

I hope this inspires you to get a head start for the season.  I hope to sell some at an upcoming sale in our apartment complex.  Have fun.  Keep creating.  And, keep looking in at Exploring Cricut.

 

Have a great week.

Rae Ann



What's Cooking Challenge at Exploring Cricut

Today's Challenge at Exploring Cricut is "What's Cooking"  Create a card, layout or paper craft with something from the kitchen.  It can be a recipe book, cards, or anything kitchen related.

For today's challenge I used Everyday Paper Dolls and the alphabet from Suburbia to create an A2 card (5 1/2 x 4 1/4) that will hold a recipe.

I put small slits in the corners so a recipe card could be slipped in.  I printed out a 3x5 recipe for 'Slow Cooker Pot Pie Stew'.  I got it from Allrecipes.com which is a great place to search.  Check it out.

Join us with your entry at Exploring Cricut.  We love to see what you do with the challenge.  You might be our prize winner.
Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

My Exploring Cricut Day

Monday comes around quickly.  Today I'd like to share a card I made for my sister.  She has an inside joke with her neighbor about gnomes and there are some cute ones on the Freshly Picked cartridge.

I cut the gnome at 4 inches and the potted plant was cut at 3 1/2 inches.  The capital letters inside came from the Suburbia cartidge.

Thanks for stopping by.  Please, continue to visit Exploring Cricut each day to see what our design team members come up with.

Happy Creating.
Rae Ann

My Day at Exploring Cricut

Hello!  It's been a slow week for me; the heat is taking all the 'oomph' out of me but I do have some cards to share.  A neighbor asked me to make some birthday cards for her grandsons, ages 3 and 5.  Here's what I did.
The first one is from Teddy Bear Parade. The letters for 'Hi' came from the Suburbia cartridge and the 'Happy Birthday' came from Create a Critter.

 The second card came from Paper Doll Dress Up.  I accidently cut the female cape but I liked the flowng look of it and kept it.  The 'superhero' sentiment came from the 3 Birds on Parade cartridge.

Cricut makes doing birthday cards so easy.  There are so many themes to pick from.  I hope you like them.
Have fun creating and, please, continue to check out Exploring Cricut each day for inspiration from out design team.
Rae Ann

It's Exploring Cricut Monday again

Hello, everyone.  Is this summer off to a quick start or what?  Time seems to be flying and there never seems to be enough of it.

I'm going to share some cards I made for specific requests.
The first was for a birthday card for someone who had a background in dance.





The cake came from The Best of 2007 Cartridge.

The little Dancer is from the Ole Cartridge and the lettering is from the Suburbia Cartridge.
.

The next request was for a man who just had knee surgery and owns a shop known for trophies, awards, etc.  I knew I had just the thing.

 

The little guy is from Everyday Paper Dolls; the crutches and wheelchair, and the trophy for the inside of the card were in the accessories sections.  "Built Tough" is a cut from the Graphically Speaking Cartridge. The medal came from the All Sports Cartridge.

I love the challenge of matching up cuts for the person who will be getting the card or layout.

There is so much available in cricut cartridges that can be used to "spice up" a card.  Many are tiny items that get overlooked so I occasionally look through handbooks just to see what items are included.  I find a lot a little treasures this way.

Have some fun of your own using accessory cuts and keep on visiting Exploring Cricut for lots of inspiration.

Happy Creating.
Rae Ann



Exploring Cricut Challenge

Welcome to another challenge.  This time, create a card, layout, or project that shows something you are looking forward to this summer.  I love going to a pool, relaxing, refreshment nearby, so ...

I made the lounge chair, table, glass and pitcher from the Block Party cartridge.  The bathing beauty is from Suburbia.  I did some strips of grass for a little variety using Everyday Paper Dolls.  The rest I just played around with to appoximate the look of a pool and patio.

What do you look forward to this summer?  Check out other inspiring projects at Exploring Cricut and enter your project to join in the fun.

Happy creating.
Rae Ann

Exploing Cricut's Mother's Day Challenge & Blog Hop

Welcome to our Eploring Cricut Mother's Day Challenge and Blog Hop.  This is the first time I'm participating in one as a member of team and I'm looking forward to it. If you have not arrived here from Georgiana's blog, go to Diana's blog to begin the hop  so you won't miss any of the inspiration and prize possibilites.

My card is a litle different from usual Mother's Day cards.  For my contribution I was thinking of  the old show, 'Queen for a Day' (Am I dating myself or what?)  The retro look of the cut in Suburbia was just right.  I made the crown from the Create a Critter cartridge (the frog's crown) and the phrase came from Holiday Cakes.  The swirls were from a die cut I was trying out. Some red Studio-g glitter gives the impression of flowers.  I love how the silhouette looks against the floral paper.

Please join in this week's challenge by entering your Mother's Day card, layout or paper project at Exploring Cricut.  We look forward to seeing your entry.

I am so glad to have you stop by that I am offering some blog candy: a set of Inkadoo Celtic stamps, a set of clear journaling stamps called memory boxes,, and a Darice embossing folder called Swirls and a Bird.

To win, you do NOT HAVE to become a follower but I would be very happy if you would.  Just leave a comment to let me know you stopped by.  I'll announce the winner of my blog candy next Monday when I have my day at Exporing Cricut.

Here's our blog hop list.  Your next stop is Emily.  Thanks for coming; enjoy the hop!

Diana http://craftypeepdb.blogspot.com -- START HERE
Sharon http://meemeescreations.blogspot.com
Donna  http://wwwkindredkreations.blogspot.com
Georgiana  http://carsonscricutcreations.blogspot.com
Rae Ann   http://joyinart.blogspot.com ---YOU ARE HERE
Emily  http://emilyqueenofallthingscrafty.blogspot.com ---NEXT STOP
Annette  http://mymindsdustbunnies.blogspot.com
Michelle P  http://mumoftwoblog.blogspot.com
Kathy  http://kathy213-kathyscorner.blogspot.com
Michelle S  http://cricutcrazyscrapper.blogspot.com
Liz  http://unikbyyes.blogspot.com
Diane  http://happyscrapperdiane.blogspot.com

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

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

Love Your Pet Challenge at Exploring Cricut

Hello, everyone!  Today exploring cricut invites you to create a card, layout, or papercraft containing your favorite pet or any animal of your choice.  I'll describe my project first before getting carried away telling you about my wonderful cat.

I've been slowly adding to a mini-album I made for family photos.  I saved the inside of the back cover for my guy.  The letters for his name were cut with my new cricut cartridge, Suburbia.  The mouse and the phrase "let's play" were cut from the Create a Critter cartridge.

DeeJay was found and rescued by my doctor's family.  They named him butterscotch.  Since they already had several cats, when my cat died they asked if I would take him.  I quickly found out that he's a 'talker' and I wanted a name that reflected that so he became DeeJay.  His favorite toy is a tiny mouse that he tosses and chases all over the apartment.  When the mice are lost under furniture he does the same with scraps of paper that fell on the floor.  He is very loving and I'm so lucky to have him.

Please, enter you creations and share about your pet in our Love Your Pet challenge at Exploring Cricut.  See you there.
Rae Ann