Babies First Scrapbook with Cricut Imagine!

Just finished making a baby scrapbook for my son's teacher's baby and had to share it! I was so excited to try printing on fabric with my Cricut Imagine! I used the Imagine More Card cartridges along with Songbird (babies name on front cover). Below are more details.

I started by ironing heat and bond to the back of some cotton canvas fabric. I then adhered the paper back of the heat and bond to my Cricut mat with the fabric face up. I used white blocks to fill the dead space and then the font from Song bird to write the babies name: Esme. I filled it with the pink from Imagine More Art to match the images in the next step.

Once that was printed, I pieced some scrap calicos together for the back of the cover and fused some batting to that. I sewed the front cover, and pieced calicos with right sides together in a square, leaving an opening to turn it right side out. I clipped excess fabric in the corners and turned it right side out. To highlight my Imagine More image, I zig zagged around it. Because the heat and bond, the machine skipped some zig zags, but I love the look. I also stitched "look" and and wrote "in."

For the inside pages, I used a Close to My Heat 6" page protector, and cut the back side off of the page protector, to make it safer for the baby. I would like to add here, that babies should never be left alone with albums with page protectors!!! These were then sewn to the quilted pages. I added some tabs also printed on canvas using my Imagine.

The heart image on the back cover was also from Imagine More Cards, and I trimmed the edge with my pinking shears and zig zagged it one. To bind the album, I knew buttons, grommets, etc were choking hazards, so I purchased a toy for dangling on the car seat and threaded it through button holes in the covers and pages. The pink bird on it so so sweet and their is a gentle bell in the toy too!

A Graduation Card To Share

Just a quick graduation card to share today. I made this with my Cricut Imagine, using one of the pre-loaded images (yellow marquee), and my Wild Card Cartridge (For the Graduate quote). I love that I can make up a graduation card for anyone with their school colors on the Imagine, even if I don't have the right color cardstock on hand! To get the quote inside my marquee on the Imagine, I printed my marquee first. Then I used white boxes to place my quote in the marquee and reloaded the paper with the marquee on it. I then printed the quote. It is a bit of a estimation game, but it works!

The black paper is embossed with Tim Holtz's Notebook folder. I added some measuring tape ribbon (not sure whose as it has been in the stash for sooo long), a flower, a chip board hart and a few buttons.

More Moxie Fab Inspiration from Tuesday's Trigger

This weekend I took a look at the Crafts Meow blog hop/release and saw the most fabulous flower at a blog called Note to Self, by Lindsay! Such a beautiful card and such a simple technique, I had to give it a try! Now, I don't have a lot of Copic markers, just enough to color skin and one lonely orange marker. So, I pulled out my Chrome Orange marker and checked my cardstock to see if I had an orange piece. I used a Stampin' Up set called Fifth Avenue Floral that I got at a garage sale for $4.00, with my Close to My Heart White Daisy Die Ink. The sentiment is Close to My Heat as well, For Every Occasion. It wasn't' showing up well, so I went over it with my Uniball pen.

And since my card had orange in it, I decided to add some red to this fabulous look and post it to the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger! I am just a wee bit obsessed.

And speaking of fab, you have to see my yellow tree peony! It has the scent of lemons! Wish I could create the beauty mother nature does! This tree peony is supposed to get as big as a lilac bush!

Guest Designer at Art Glitter

This is my last post as guest designer for Art Glitter. I had so much fun playing with Art Glitter and really loved the different types of glitter they carry. I am also a fan of their Ultra fine tip and glue.

This time I scrapped a shaddow box to retire my sons lovey. You can find the details at the Art Glitter blog here.

More Imagine Covers with Michael Miller

I love the colors and pattern in the Michael Miller Fabric! When I first started making Cricut dust covers, I tried to include a little Cricut green in every cover so I was drawn to this fabric. I also added a bit of the micro pom pom trim to the ruffle. Fun! Find it at my Scrapguild.etsy.com shop.

This Week's Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World

I'm jumping back into the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger. This week the theme is the Pyrex Effect and their inspiration photo is above! I made my Card with my new Cricut Imagine. Now, you might be asking yourself, why use the Imagine for a solid image? But, one of the beauties of the Imagine is that I can print card stock in any color I need and even match an RGB code of one of my CTMH or SU stamp pads! I also love that I can use small fonts in the print mode only like I did with Soar! I then cut the Bird and the shapes all with my Songbird cartridge. I added three small seed beads for the center of the flowers. I chose this marquee shape because the curved corners reminded me of the handles in the Pyrex bowls. I will use this as a Graduation card.

Two for Tuesday Imagine Ideas

I just received my Imagine on my birthday and have NOT had enough time to play with it yet! So many things to get done before the boys start summer break. But I have played a bit and wanted to share two items I made with my Cricut Imagine.

Now, I must confess that when I first saw the Imagine, I was sure I did not want one. I love layers and texture and thought items made with my Imagine would lack that. But, it's NOT true! Think about using the images in your imagine with your existing dies. I pulled out my My Favorite Things High Tea Doily die and printed out some round images from my Imagine More cartridge. Can you see the pattern in the red scalloped circle? Don't you love it? And the other image is a piece of notebook paper. Wouldn't this make a great journaling block?!

To get the image to print in the middle of the paper, so that I could center it in my die, I used the same technique Linda Kaiser used in her video here. I can't wait to try this idea with my Cricut cartridge doilies. Now if I can just find the time to get the latest version of the Gypsy Sync and Imagine software!

Cricut Imagine Covers Now Available!

Just had to share my design for Cricut Imagine Covers, now available at my Scrapincovers.etsy.com shop! My usual handbag inspired cover did not work with the Imagine machine shape, so I have a new design. I did manage to include a ruffle and a bow.

A Few Quick Cards with MFT

One of my newest favorite product lines is by My Favorite Things. I love their Die-Namics High Tea Doily! I had to make a few cards last week and pulled out the die to make them. The first card uses the High Tea Doily and a Tinkering Ink Stamp set called Simply Spring.

The card with the little girl is made with a My Favorite Things: Pure Innocence stamp called Flower Girl. The sentiment is Close to My Heart Comforting Things. The flower is My Favorite Things Die-Namics Mini Rolled Rose. I used Copic markers to color her face.

Cricut Official Blog is Launched with a Great Give Away!

Did you see that Cricut now has an official blog (NOT just for circle members)?! And, to launch their new blog they are having a great give away: $100.00 store credit at Cricut.com! Find the new Cricut Blog, by clicking HERE.

The new blog is sponsored by the Cricut Circle and will feature the following:

*Inspirational projects using your favorite machines: The Imagine, Expression, Cricut Cake, Cuttlebug, YUDU and more.

*Hello Thursday cartridge announcements.

*Educational videos and tutorials, directly from Provocraft.

*Occasional sneak peaks into the exclusive Circle community.

*Access to the latest Cricut.com deals.

*And much, much more!

To enter the drawing be sure to visit their blog. You will need to add their blinky to your web page, blog or Facebook Page with a link to http://www.cricutblog.org/ and become a follower of the blog!

May Etsy Blogger of the Month: Nanjo Dogs

This month's Etsy blogger of the month is Nanjo Dogs! You can find her shop with jewelry for the dog lover HERE. I found this cute book worm bead at the shop and just had to share it! You can find her blog at this LINK. I can't get over the expression in the dog's eyes on her beads! How does she do it?!

And the Winner of So Much to Celebrate is...

And the winner of the So Much To Celebrate Giveaway is: Maria at Craft Crave! Please look for a note on how to claim your prize!

Also, just wanted to let you know that I have been mia for a bit due to computer problems! Hopefully, all is resolved I will be getting back to posting more regularily! Today I am sharing a layout I scraplifted from either Creating Keepsakes or Tips & Techniques. I cut up my magazines and keep only items that inspire me, techniques to try and pages or cards to scrap lift. This will teach me to note my source in the future! It is a picture of my Dad and his two brothers. I know of no other photos from their childhood as they were very poor (who wasn't during the depression?). So, it is so special to us!

Supplies Used:

Black Dot paper is Graphic 45 Curtain Call Collection: Leading Ladies

Stripe paper is 7 Gypies Venice: Lido

Harlequin/Damask paper (2 sided) is 7 Gypies Venice: Canal

Banner stamp Glitz: Love Games

My in Title is Provocraft Cindy Loo Cartridge

3 Sons in Title are Provocraft Ashyln's Alphabet

Marquee journaling block Provocraft Storybook

So Much to Celebrate: Give Away!

I celebrating this week! There really is so much to celebrate, NSD (that's National Scrapbooking Day to all of you who don't scrap), Mother's Day, my birthday, another blog award, 400 followers and more! So why not have a giveaway?! How about a $15.00 gift certificate to one of my Etsy stores: Scrapguild.etsy.com or Scrapincovers.etsy.com? See the end of this post for the how to.

Jamie, over at Life in Words and Pictures nominated me for "The Versatile Blogger Award." Thanks Jamie! I am supposed to tell you eight things about me and then nominate 15 bloggers for "The Versatile Blogger Award." So, here are eight crafty things about me:

1) I just ordered a Cricut Imagine!

2) I am currently obsessed with dies and matching stamps from Heartfelt Creations.

3) I am also obsessing over the stamp sets at Waltzing Mouse that work with the Nestabilities! Still on my wish list!

4) My Favorite Things is one of my new favorite die companies! Just can't get enough of the rolled roses! While I have a Cricut and can cut many things, I love using dies to cut felt and fabric!!!!

5) I can't wait to get me some Want2Scrap Nestabling and matching Nestabilities!

6) One machine still on my wish list is the Zutter Bind it All! Love a mini album for a gift and making a chipboard album!

7) I am hoping to make a canvas scrap book soon, just as soon as I can remember where I stashed that canvas my Mother-In-Law gave me!

8) I dream of a crafty getaway weekend with my sisters! Maybe, I will insist when I turn 50! Sooner than I would like to acknowledge!

Now I would like to nominate these blogs for The Most Versatile Blogger Award:

1) Kimi's Paper Play I just found Kimi's blog while visiting the Cricut MB and I am over the moon inspired and happy about her felties! She has lot of good stuff and I can't believe she hasn't been discovered yet!

2) Sarah Martina's Blog Sarah makes the most wonderful cards, with the most versatile supplies. I am always inspired by her posts and feel a sense of home and family there. As if my Mother, and Grandmother's had given Sarah supplies that held precious memories and beauty.

3) We Will Always Have Paris I love this blog for so many things. If you need party ideas, check out this blog. An I have to say I love her Etsy store and paper crafting kits. We also share a love of reading!

4) My Weblog by Christine Middlecamp. Color, layers, paper crafting, sewing and a few Mom and cat lover adventures.

5) Lolly Chops Talk about versatile! Lolly has me pulling out supplies and mediums I used as a child and trying new one's I once found intimidating. Love her tutorials and videos!

6) Amy Heller's blog I love the embellies Amy creates with just paper glue and thread! She makes even the basics seem versatile!

7) Creations by Christie You like everything you find at Christies blog and lots of home decor and gift ideas. She is also the organization queen!

8) Greenbeans Crafterole I love Carrie's blog! So many handmade gift ideas that look so professional and are easy and inexpensive. And she lover her Cricut too! Hey any girl who orders 4 of my covers has great taste! Nominated blogs, if you wish to pass on the Most Versatile Blogger award, please tell use 8 things about yourself and nominate 8 bloggers! Thanks!

So, now that you have read my long and winding post, just leave a comment and a link to your favorite blog, along with your email addy. Leave your addy in a safe manner with at and dot typed out, for example jsmith at hotmail dot com, is safest. There are so many talented artists out there and I know I haven't visited them all! And yes, you may leave your own blog addy! I will draw a winner on Sunday, May 15, 2011.

I'm the Guest Designer at Art Glitter Today!

Did you watch the royal wedding just to see the dress? How about the Oscars? Well, I love the watch the fashion on the red carpet and any see any wedding dress! But I have already worn my wedding dress, and am not likely to ever walk the red carpet. So, when I saw the paper dresses at CHA in the DCWV booth, I knew I had a reason and a method to make some fashion magic!

This dress was made to fit a children's toy, but you can find small scale dress forms at JoAnn's, Michael's, Pier One and more. See all the details on how to make this dress and more pictures at the Art Glitter Blog HERE.

Winner from My Favorite Cartridge Hop

The winner for the My Favorite Cartridge Blog Hop was selected using Random.org. I usually post a picture of the number as selected, but I had a computer virus this weekend and now my Paint program is not working. So, Random.org picked number 23: Tracy! Tracy said, "Josie0602 said...
I love your covers! They are so cute!!Wonderful layout. Those two cartridges are a couple of my favorites too." Tracy, please watch for an email from me on how to claim your prize.

Thanks to everyone who participated and signed up to follow my blog! And thanks to Erica for setting up the hop!