Wednesday Challenge

Hey... wassup?!?! :) Over on the Cricut Circle message boards one of the members posted a challenge to the other members. It was simply to use a circle in a project. I should have went more exciting but I just wanted to do a simple card using scraps. Sometimes, although I haven't posted anything to prove it, I want to do something extraordinary but I think sometimes the simple things can be beautiful (attractive/cute/sweet/whatever) and I am really trying to embrace that. What I'm trying to say is it is easy for me to go overboard and I'm trying to really contain myself.

As far as the card goes. I used the same products that I used in the butterfly card I made. It has a similar look. I used card stock from Stampin Up, Mini Monograms Cricut cartridge, cheap yellow ribbon from Joann's, a black glaze pen, a Hero Arts stamp set called Happy Hello, white craft stamp pad from Stampin' Up, Spots and Dots Cuddlebug embossing folder, Stampin' Up dimensionals and of course my LOVELY pink ATG! :)

Scraproom

Some of my most favorite posts of all time are when people let me into their space and show me where they create. Mine is a work in progress. It hasn't been very long that I have had my own room so I'm still trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. I have seen some very beautiful rooms and although I wouldn't say mine is ugly or anything it's just more simple and hodge podged together, for now. So welcome into my space...

If after you walk in and look to the right you see this wall of 2 book cases. I know the picture is small but on there I have many of my beloved pictures plus storage for what I have to scrap (on the bottom shelf), project kits (on the top shelf), my old Sizzix dies and machine that I gave to my sister (on the top shelf), my paper scraps and 8.5X11 paper, my albums, and some of my embellishments in the white drawers. Off to the right, you can see the "vanity room" of a Jack and Jill bathroom that the room shares with my boys' room.

Following is the view from my "vanity room". The table I use is our old kitchen room table. I like that it is counter height. It's not what I would have picked if I was were decorating the room but since I didn't have to buy anything special because we were replacing our kitchen room table I figured it was fine. :) Also, if you look closely, on the wall are my stamps. I don't have a lot, but I try to only keep what I use and pass the rest on. I have unmounted all my stamps and put them in clear DVD cases from Stampin' Up. I have used wall DVD storage from IKEA. I have two shown, they were only $6 a piece!

In this picture, to the left I have my Original Cricut machine which is on my 12X12 paper storage unit. Just to the right of that I have 2 3X3 cube storage units. I am in the process of replacing the really red boxes with the burgundy. On these cube units is where I tend to store almost everything. I have my Cuddle bug and supplies, my Sidekick and supplies, I have my radio, I have my Stampin' Up Stamps, embellishments, my ribbons and fibers, my Prima flowers, my circle cutter and much much more.

This is where I sit! I have my light sweatshirt draped over my chair when I get cold. It doesn't happen too often but when I'm crafting in the middle of the night I get chillier as I get more and more tired. I have my trash can to the left. Next to that I have a 3 drawer unit thing -- I love this. I got it at Walmart for $20! In the top drawer I keep miscellaneous supplies. Middle drawer I keep all my adhesives. I haven't assigned anything to the bottom drawer yet. :) On the top I have my two Tote-ally Cool pink and brown totes. I have one of the minis. It is too cute! :) I also have other odds and ends up there and a small sewing machine I got from HSN which I haven't used yet. On top of my table I have two mats, two little garbage cans and two red lights and now another desk light in black. Notice I have two of everything so that I can easily have guest over.

This is the view from where I sit. I get to see all who enter... muhahaha! :) Actually, I adore visitors into my space! My 9 year old son comes to craft and play on my Cricut quite often. And as you can see my beloved companion (my Mac) is never too far away.

From where I sit, if I look to the right I see my cube storage. From the left there is a white drawer storage (want to get black... see a theme here? lol) in there I have my Stampin Up wheels, my embossing tools, extra envelops, stickers and other embellishments, my acrylic blocks for my stamps, and I think that's it. I have already told you what is in the rest of the picture, I think.

So there you have it, a peek into my world. :) I'm glad you could join me! I loved having you! If you have any specific questions, don't be afraid to ask. Can't wait to share more with you next time!!!

Oh, and PS -- sorry about the glare in the photos, I don't know how that happened! I tried to fix it but it wouldn't fix right and I didn't want to retake the pictures because I wanted to get this posted and move on to more crafting. Have a fantastic day!

Finally Creative!

On the Circut Circle Message boards someone posted a Thursday Challenge... The challenge was to use Swirls! So this is what I came up with.

And this was the aftermath:

Birthday Party Decorations

Today has been a TON of fun! This is what I did all day. My friend told me she was having a birthday party for her 5 year old. I offered to make cupcake wrappers for her because they were too cute not to. She then asked me today if I could make letters for a sign. As I was digging through my cartridges for a font I found my Life's A Beach cartridge and I was so excited because she is having a beach themed party!

I couldn't pass up the cute little flower. I thought I would make a flower and leave it at that! HA!!! Then I saw the lizard, it was too cute to pass up. And of course since it's a beach themed party we need flip flops. Which I added cute little Prima Flowers and Stickles too. By this time, I was in for the long haul. I couldn't stop!!! I made a beach ball! Some small word signs that said Play, Happy Birthday and Fun in the Sun!

I made all of these items using Stampin Up card stock. I love how well it cuts on the Cricut, it's like butter!!! Since this was for a little girl, I added Stickls and Flowers! It was SO MUCH FUN!!!

Of course, I couldn't stop playing with this cartridge, I also made two cards!

Cupcakes!

For the last few years I have had this love for cupcakes! I love that they are just petite little cakes! I love that I don't have to cut cake when I serve it (less mess)! I love how cute they can be decorated. I love that you can easily have many different flavors for one event. The list of reasons to love cupcakes goes on and on. Well, a few short months ago, Cricut gave me one more reason to love cupcakes (and my Cricut) with the Cricut Lite cartridge, Cupcake Wrappers!

I offered to make some for my friend for her daughter's and brother-in-law's birthday party that she's hosting. I am making her brother-in-law's in Tempting Turquoise by Stampin' Up. Her daughter's I'm making Pink Passion by Stampin' Up. I am going to put a circle on the front of the turquoise ones with a monogrammed S in an orange color, I haven't decided which yet. And a scalloped circle with a C stamped in yellow on the pink.

I have included a picture of the start of the cupcake wrappers. When I get them done I will post another. The wrappers are super easy to make. The sizing is a little hard to figure out but that's what scraps are for. I have read on the Cricut forums that if you have the Expression it is WAY easier because you just have it fit to page. I just have the original Cricut at this point, therefore no fit to page button. :( Luckily I have enough scrap paper.

One of those days

Do you ever have one of those days where you just want to sit down and craft. Not you have anything particular in mind, you just want to be creative. Then you start and you are so uninspired and everything you do turns out kind of... well, not cute! That is the day I am having. I know I do better in a clean space and my craft room is still messy and unorganized. So I'm blaming it on the craft room. Guess I should organize rather than craft today.

Luckily, I did have one of those Simply Sent kits from Stampin' Up to finish. But even those looked so uninspired. When I get a Simply Sent kit I try to tweak them and make them my own using only the supplies they include. It is sort of my own little challenge. The kit I was working with today had three different cards. The first two I played with, ended up with nothing good. So with the last one I didn't stray too far and came up with something kind of cute.

---The inspiration from Stampin' Up---

--- The end result--

I kind of like my cute little monogramed card. The colors on here are Stampin' Up's Kraft, Ruby Red, Bashful Blue and Chocolate Chip. I used everything that came in the kit, pretty much as is except I added the monogram with my George Cricut Cartridge.