Anything Goes but with a Twist

  It's another Wednesday challenge for all of you Crafts with Cutters gals (CWC - get it?).    This week's challenge is a fun one.  It's Anything Goes, but you must use something that you've had in your stash for a really looooooooong time.  You know, those embellies you had to have or that paper or ribbon - whatever, as long as you dig something out and finally put it to creative use - along with a Cricut cut, of course.   I'm such a sucker for K&Company stickers, especially when they're on sale.  Then, there they sit because I'm using die cuts or coloring a digi.  I should know better.  Anyway, I dug out these dimensional stickers and put them to use.  The papers are also from my stash of last year's fall stacks.  I used Elegant Edges for the mats and frame and my Cuttlebug for the embossing - those two things I use ALL the time.  

 

So now it's time for you to dig into your stash of goodies (you can make room for new holiday products!!) and join in the fun. 

Visit My Paper Crafting to see more ideas from the CWC designers and then link up your own

Anything Goes project. 

 

Copic Fun for my Ladies

Thursday night was Copic class for my gals in Lodi.  Wow! I can't believe that I've been teaching this class since June 2011 and these wonderful gals have stuck with me.   They asked for Christmas projects so here's what I created for them to do.  Our darling little store offers lots of card classes so I try to add a little more for them. I also include a lesson each month since learning to be proficient with their markers is the goal.

We used this cute image from Great Impressions.

 

The stamp is from a Darcie's set and the sentiment is from the My Creative Time gift card sentiments.  This is a mini composition book.  I thought it would make a cute notebook to carry in a purse to jot down holiday ideas.

 

And finally, a gift card holder.  I patterned it after Emma's die cut and used her My Creative Time gift card sentiment set, but I created the holder on my Gyspy using George and Elegant Edges so that I could cut several at once.  The penguin is also a Darcie's stamp (the set that has the cute little button faces that you can add).

 

The gals had fun with their projects and got to practice coloring black, white, and red - some tricky colors for Copic users but my gals are doing so well.

 

Have a fabulously creative weekend!

 

Let's See Some Texture

It's Cricut Wednesday at Cooking with Cricut.  For this challenge we'd like to see some texture on your project.   I designed this card using my Gypsy and the Elegant Edges cartridge.  I selected a feature cut, used hide contour to remove the inner square, copied the remaining scalloped square and welded the two to create the base card.  For the outside, I used the scalloped window as it appears and popped it up on the base.  I added an embossed mat to highlight the layered and embossed butterfly and here it is:  

 

I invite you to visit Cooking with Cricut to see more fantastic texture projects.

Be sure to link up your own project which shows texture and must include a Cricut cut.

Maybe you'll be chosen as one of our "Top Chefs."

 

It's a "Thank You" Surprise Blog Hop

I am SO glad you stopped by today.  It's design team day for Cooking with Cricut, but we're doing something special!  Instead of our regular design team post and challenge, all of the design team members are having a special "Surprise" blog hop to say THANKS to our wonderful leader, Melinda Beltran. Not only do we want to thank Melin for being a wonderful leader, designer, and amazing person, we also want to celebrate Cooking with Cricut's 100th challenge!!!!   Melin started the Cooking with Cricut challenges in October 2010 to encourage crafters to use their Cricut machine and cartridges.  She has given so many crafters a chance on her design teams.  The teams have turned into a crafting community of women who truly care about and support each other and share their hearts and talent with each another and with their followers.  I am so honored to be a part of this amazing group.   So, this is our surprise "Thank You" to our wonderful Melin!  If you came from Michelle's blog, Michelle's Crafty Creations, you're in the right spot.  If you just dropped to visit my blog, I encourage you to start at the beginning so you won't miss a thing.  

  I used the Elegant Edges cartridge to create the shape card (welded on the Gypsy) and mats for this card.  The sentiment is from MS Elegant Cakes and the flower and leaf is from Flower Shoppe.  The brown mat was embossed with the Swiss Dots folder along with yellow petals.  The leaf was embossed with Musical Swirls. Finally, the ribbon is American Crafts.    I can't wait to get this card in the mail to personally thank Melin for all she has done for the crafting community and for me.   Thanks so much for stopping by and hopping with us.  We all hope you'll join us and leave your own "Thank You" for Melin in the comment section at Cooking with Cricut.   Now it's time for you to visit the very talented Charlotte at A Little Bit of Detail. She's your next stop on this surprise party train!

Anniversary Rewind

Sometimes you create a design that just bears repeating.  I designed an anniversary card a number of months ago using Elegant Edges.  Today, when I needed another anniversary card, I decided to use the design again.  I changed the color scheme but stuck with same layout.

 Here is my anniversary card rewind:

The patterned paper is DCWV (The Chateau Lavendar).  I embossed the gold Recollections paper.

The stamped sentiment and heart are from K Andrew Designs "Amazing You" and "Splash-tastic Summer" sets. The die cut sentiment is from Beyond Birthdays.   I chose this color scheme because it was for a 40th (Ruby) Anniversary.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn



Celebrate Mother's Day

We're celebrating Mother's Day at Delightful Challenges this week.  I used one of Wendy's delightful sets for my project.  The Flower Pot face and sentiment is from a set that has 3 different flower pot faces and several sentiments to choose from. 

You can find the entire set at Digital Delights by Louby Loo.

I used Elegant Edges for the mats. The patterned paper is a K&Company stack.  Of course I used Copics - did you notice the new badge at the top of my sidebar?  Some fun Crinkle Ribbon and pearls finished the project.

Mother's Day will soon be here.  Why don't you join in our challenge so you'll have at least one card made.  Just link your project to the Delightful Challenge's blog.

This week's prize sponsor is

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn

Inspired by a Song

Today is my design team day for the Wednesday Challenge at Cooking with Cricut.  Our challenge this week is to create a spring project inspired by a song.  Sound fun?  Well, I can't get the song I selected out of my head.  I find myself singing it throughout the day.  It's definitely a feel-good song.  Do you recognize it?

That's right, it's The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy) by Simon and Garfunkel.

I used Groovy Times for "groovy" and Phrases for "feelin."  The scalloped mat is from Elegant Edges.  I didn't add must more than some doodling dots because the paper is pretty busy.

Be sure to visit Cooking with Cricut to see the fabulous projects posted by our design team members.

I would love to have you link up a project for this challenge.  Just go to Cooking with Cricut and add your project to Mr. Linky.  The winners are announced the Friday after the challenge closes.  We'd love to get more entries, so if you're looking for a weekly challenge, come and join us.

Here are the guidelines to enter:

Must follow the challenge topic.

Must be a NEW project for this challenge, please no back dated posts.

Must have a link back to this post on your blog.

Must link your project through Inlinkz and not just your blog.

Must use your Cricut in some capacity.

Must have fun.

You may gladly combine challenges . . . we love to pile it on TOO!

I'm looking forward to seeing your Spring Song inspired creation. 

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn



Happy Anniversary

If you still want to comment on the Fantabulous Cricut Harvest Blessings Crawl, click HERE.  You'll have until 9:00 pm PST tonight to be a part of my blog candy drawing which will be announced on tomorrow's post.

Today I'm sharing an anniversary card that I designed using the wonderful stamps from K.Andrew Designs.  I have ordered 6 new sets and am waiting anxiously for them to arrive.  I have quite a few Cricut Card Fairy requests just waiting for the perfect card sentiments. 

 For this card, I mixed and matched stamps from the Splashtastic Summer set (sentiment)  and the Amazing You set (heart).

 

The papers are DCWV Formal Affair Stack. The mats are from Elegant Edges and the Happy Anniversary is from Beyond Birthdays.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn

Pumpkins!

What says fall better than pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns?

Sheila at She's a Sassy Lady has a wonderful Gypsy Made Simple tutorial in which she makes an accordian card.  As soon as I watched the video, I knew I wanted to try her idea using a pumpkin cut.  The card base is from Elegant Edges and the pumpkins are from Create a Critter.  Everything was designed on the Gypsy.  I'm going to link this to her Gyspy Made Simple post.  I hope she likes it.

I'm also going to enter this card in Celebrate the Occasion's ribbon challenge,  Paper Playtime's Halloween challenge, and Whimsical Wednesdays' anything goes challenge.

My second pumpkin project was created for Getting Cricky's Simply Sunday challenge which was to make a fall treat.  This card holds a mini candy bar - yum!  The pumpkin was cut from Smiley Cards - first time I've used the cartridge which was a Gyspy download.  The treat holder is a 4 x 7 piece of cardstock scored at 1/2", 2", and 31/2" then folded securing the candy bar on the inside.  I plan to make more since I have a few neighbor kiddos for whom I try to make special Halloween treats.

Well, that's it for now.  I just received Art Nouveau in the mail so I want to get back to the craft table and play with my new toy!!!

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn

#1 Dad and an Announcement

This week we're celebrating Dad at Fantabulous Cricut.

This adorable digital image was provided by WhimsieDoodles.

I used papers from the DCWV Guy Stack and my favorite Bo Bunny Dots.  The card is

an A2 tri-fold.  I colored with Copic markers and added Glossy Accents to the mug.

 Visit FCCB to see more of the design team's inspirations.  Then, be sure to link your creation to the

Challenge Me Monday #63 post.

ANNOUNCEMENT!

I have been chosen as a Design Team member for Delightful Challenges -

the Challenge blog for Digital Delights by LoubyLoo.

I am, once again, honored and "delighted" to be a part of a wonderful design group.

I've only recently begun using digital images and Wendy (aka Louby Loo) has the cutest characters and images.  I hope you'll visit her site and see the wonderful things she has for you.  She also designs custom watermarks and blog layouts.

If you're hesitant to use digital images, they're really easy to download and then size and print from Word.  If you have questions, just leave me a comment and I'll help you in any way I can.

Our design team debut will be this Thursday and then a new design every Thursday after that.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Larelyn

Challenge Me Monday #57

It's time for

at Fantababulous Cricut.

In honor of Mother's Day, Challenge #57 is "Mom's the Word".

Mother's Day is May 8 this year (very early, but it is the 2nd Sunday).

For this week's challenge we're asking you to include the word "mom", "mother",  or any other way you might say it, and a Cricut cut.

I just love the adorable cuts on Nate's ABC's.  Each image is almost a stand-alone.  I welded "mom" using the font from Kate's ABC's (just as cute as Nate, btw), and used Elegant Edges for the frames (shadow feature).  The patterned paper was glittered so I added Stickles to the eggs and momma bird.  I embellished with Pearl Pens and my white Signo Pen.

Why don't you play along with us at FCCB.  Just link your "Mom's the Word" project below the Design Teams' examples.  And, don't forget that there is a new post each day sharing wonderful tips and ideas.

Hugs and Happy Crafting,
Larelyn