Color Clear Dew Drops for the Perfect Match

When I saw this weeks Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World:  Man-tastic, I knew I wanted to try this trigger with Dew Drops from The Robin's Nest.  But, despite having a large collection of Dew Drops, I had no brown and no grey one's.

So, I got out my Copic markers and tried coloring clear Dew Drops.  It works!  And I think it works best with dark colors.  I love the brown one's!  The stamps are Nicole Croy SOI Designs 4131 (tape measure) and Clear Art Stamps Sew Special (sentiment).

So Thankful for My New Expression!

Today I am sharing my thank you note made for Provocraft.  I won a new Cricut Expression from the Cricut Blog!  Be sure to follow the blog for more wonderful giveaways!  Thanks so much Provocraft!
I was inspired to make this card by Becca, over at Amazing Paper Grace.  She used a die to make her beautiful card and you can see it here.  I knew that Damask Decor would be perfect for this look!  To create this card, I cut the flower petals with Damask Decor in the Silhouette mode, and glued them together.  I tried to shape them a bit and added some bling.  The Thank You was created with my Cricut Imagine, Audrey, Sophisticated, and Elegant Edges and the Cricut Craft Room software.  This is my newest obsession:  creating sentiment labels with my Cricut Imagine.  I love the professional quality, that I can match what ever I am working with and never have to worry that I will miss stamp them.  The polka dot stripe is also from Audrey.

And before you go today I want to remind you about some important happening at The Robin's Nest:  the Design Team Call and the May Challenge.  I have been on the design team for two terms and love their product!  You can see more of their products at their online store HERE.

Above is the sketch for the May Page Map Challenge.  There is a $25.00 gift certificate given to the challenge winner!  I love to use challenges to get a project finished.  Maybe you need to scrapbook a special photo, so use this challenge to get it done and maybe win some beautiful supplies!  You can visit this link to enter your project to the challenge.

Delightful Doily

I love to use paper doilies on my scrapbook pages!  I have found the best way to highlight their beauty is to use them in a single photo page.  Now, you might find this alarming if you have always scrapped multiple photos, but I would encourage you to try this and spend sometime playing with paper on your page!
For this page, I wanted to use the Cricut Sophie Cartridge for the doily and I wanted to use the color combo of grey, pink and teal.  So I got out a collection of pretty papers from The Robin's Nest and a few pieces of paper ribbon from Creative Memories and made a stripe of striped paper to get the colors I wanted in the piece on the left.
I made a paper bow by cutting two strips of The Robin's Nest paper 1 1/4" wide and 12" long.  I made a mark on the wrong side of one piece in the middle and folded the ends in to create the loops.  I created the ends by notching the ends and pleating the bit below the bow.  I cut the loop of the remains of the paper and trimmed the center of the looped piece a bit.  I added Dew Drops to the doily and fussy cut some of The Robin's Nest Glitter Pink Swirl to create an embellishment to match the circle cut in the same paper on top of the doily.
Supply List
The Robin's Nest Glitter Pink on Pink Swirl Paper
The Robin's Nest Red on Rope Paper
The Robin's Nest Lovebirds Dew Drops
The Robin's Nest Glitter Awning Paper
The Robin's Nest Water Border
The Robin's Nest Red Sorbet Glitter Card stock
The Robin's Nest Glitter Numbers Card stock
The Robin's Nest Glitter Black and White Pinetree Cardstock (grey side is background paper)
Creative Memories Paper Tape
White Card stock
Cricut Sophie Cartridge

Delightful Doily Card with Moxie Fab

We all have tools we haven't used in our stash, and sometimes the best way to get them out and make sure they are not neglected is to try a challenge.  So, this week I am using the Moxie Fab World Card Creations Doilies and Lace Challenge to get out my last Stampin' Up purchase and put it to use.  I think I purchased it in January and it is now May, so I am using Moxie to get going.  Be sure to check out all the entries to this challenge, they are so fabulous!
Stamp is Close to My Heart, and paper is DCWV.
I apologize for the poor picture, my digital camera is no longer showing my picture preview.  I will have to add a new camera to the top of the wish list!

Cricut Imagine Spring Summer Blog Hop Winner

The winner of the gift certificate for one of my Etsy stores is: Laura Davidson, who said, "Great cards.. super ideas..."
Laura Davidson please look for an email from me regarding how to claim your prize.
And the winner of the grand prize gift certificate for Erica's Craft Room store is Scrappin Sista.  Please look for an email from Erica or myself on how to claim your prize. Thanks to all of your blog hostesses and thanks so much for stopping and hopping with us!

Cricut Imagine Spring Summer Hop Day 2

Welcome to dya 2 the Cricut Imagine Spring/Summer Blog Hop, You should have arrived here from Laura Davidson's blog, Custom Comforts and you can find all of the stops at the bottom of this post.  There is a grand prize for the hope donated by Erica's Craft Room, a gift certificate for $25.00!  I love her shop and the prices she has for Cricut cartridges!  And I'm offering a prize too:  a $10.00 gift certificate for either of my Etsy stores where you can get a dust cover for any of your Cricuts!  To enter the prize for Erica's shop, please comment on ALL the blogs on the hop!  To enter the prize drawing for my blog, please leave a comment below with a method to reach you, in a safe manner.  For example, ssmith at hotmail dot com will help prevent spam.  I will draw a winner on May 19, 2012.
For today's project I made a card for Mom.  Happy Mother's Day!  I used Yummy and pop dotted the banners.  To high light the pom pom trim, I used some stickles.  Quick, easy and beautiful!

Your next stop on the hop is Chris's blog HERE.
Blog Hop Line Up

custom-comforts Robin F.M.  Jones
LauraLeesDream Laura Davidson -
Cricut Crafty Clare YOU ARE HERE
Scrappin Nanapuddin - Chris Zook
Janet's Creative World - Janet Royer -
LadyLuvBug - Janet M Smith
My Bug & Me Create - Doris Parker
ScrappinMyStressAway - Lori Apgar
Nana's Scrap Spot - Miranda Enclade
Scrappin' With Chriss and Lou -  Chriss Real

Something for Mom & Dad

Have you seen the beautiful frames with hanging tags everyone is making? I love this look, but have found the frames expensive! So while I hunt for a good frame at garage sales this summer, I thought I would try the look for in cards made for Mom and Dad with The Robin's Nest. I used the Cricut Fancy Frames cartridge and cut the Robin's Nest Glitter Chipboard with the Deep cut housing blade on a multi cut of two. I love the Robin's Nest Teal Fleur Paper Clips and used them on my card for Mom. For Dads card, I just used some dew drops to look like pins. On Mom's card I cut the silver flower in half from the Robin's Nest White flowers pack, so that it looked like a star burst. The ribbon is from Paris Bliss Ribbon pack. I love this chenille look and layered it on top of some Anna Griffin trim. The paper is Calamity Jane Diagonal and is matted on some plain brown card stock. I used the teal chipboard for creating bitty banners.

For Dad's card, I used the Robin's Nest Very Black Glitter and Yellow Sunshine Glitter Chip boards. I used the Gold Glitter letters for both Mom and Dad and since I did not have ribbon to match Dad's card, I just used some yellow Stickles. I fussy cut some flames from the Flames paper and covered up the sea shells on the Cricut frame. I thought this flame paper was perfect for the Dad who loves motorcycles or hot rods!
 Supply List 
 The Robin's Nest Glitter Calamity Jane Diagonal Paper
The Robin's Nest Teal Fluer RN Paper Clips
The Robin's Nest Paris Bliss Ribbon
The Robin's Nest Terrific Teal Glitter Chipboard
The Robin's Nest Brilliant Brown Glitter Chipboard
The Robin's Nest White Flowers
The Robin's Nest Terrific Teal Chipboard
The Robin's Nest Wind Flames Paper
The Robin's Nest Abracadabra Dew Drops
The Robin's Nest Yellow Sunshine Glitter Chipboard
The Robin's Nest Very Black Glitter Chipboard
The Robin's Nest Gold Glitter Letters
 The Robin's Nest Flame paper
Brown Card Stock
Anna Griffin Georgette Collection Ribbon
Yellow Stickles
Brown yarn

Cricut Imagine Spring Summer Hop

!

Welcome to the Cricut Imagine Spring/Summer Blog Hop, You should have arrived here from Laura Davidson's blog, Custom Comforts and you can find all of the stops at the bottom of this post.  There is a grand prize for the hope donated by Erica's Craft Room, a gift certificate for $25.00!  I love her shop and the prices she has for Cricut cartridges!  And I'm offering a prize too:  a $10.00 gift certificate for either of my Etsy stores where you can get a dust cover for any of your Cricuts!  ?To enter the prize for Erica's shop, please comment on ALL the blogs on the hop!  To enter the prize drawing for my blog, please leave a comment below with a method to reach you, in a safe manner.  For example, ssmith at hotmail dot com will help prevent spam.  I will draw a winner on May 19, 2012.
I love my Cricut Imagine as much as I love my other Cricuts! Here are some of the reasons: 1) Always a professional result! My Cricut Machines have taken my paper crafting to professional looking level. 2) Always the right color at any time! I can print the color paper or embellishment I want in the middle of the night! 3) Great for multiple copies! I love having the ability to make invitations and thank yous in large numbers! 4) I can use it with all of my standard Cricut Cartridges, and 5)  Works with Cricut Craft Room. I never cut anything or print anything without first getting preview!
 So, for this project I made Thank You notes for my son's 1st Communion. I used Cricut Inspired Heart Lite Cartridge, and Sophisticated and the blue is from the Audrey Imagine cartridge. I just pulled the images of the kneeling boy, and "Thank You" into CCR and flood filled them with the blue from Audrey. I printed them on vellum and it worked beautifully! I love the professional look of printing on vellum and it dried just as quickly as it would on standard card stock! I grouped the two images, and copied and pasted them so that I could print 4 cards per one 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of vellum. I then cut them with my paper trimmer and used a slotted punch with a ribbon to adhere them on top of white card stock. I am not making my thank you cards before events so that they are ready for the children to write them immediately. Why didn't I think of this sooner?

And just for more ideas for those of you who are making 1st Communion invites, take a look at my previous post for my Imagine made cards HERE.  Your next stop on the hop is Chris's blog HERE.
Blog Hop Line Up

custom-comforts Robin F.M.  Jones
LauraLeesDream Laura Davidson -
Cricut Crafty Clare YOU ARE HERE
Scrappin Nanapuddin - Chris Zook
Janet's Creative World - Janet Royer -
LadyLuvBug - Janet M Smith
My Bug & Me Create - Doris Parker
ScrappinMyStressAway - Lori Apgar
Nana's Scrap Spot - Miranda Enclade
Scrappin' With Chriss and Lou -  Chriss Real

Vintage Vogue Tues Trigger Trial

Sometimes I like to use the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger as an excuse to try a new technique.  So, I'm making excuses to neglect the housework today!  One the techniques I have been wanting to try is embossing paste with a template.  I love the look but did not have a template.  And rather than buy a template, I decided to create one with my Cricut!  What a great way to save money and still get a great look!  I used SCAL2 to make a grid of circles and cut them in chipboard with my deep cut blade and housing.  I then used embossing paste and Yellow Art Glitter.  I was trying to get the look of the vintage fabric in Moxies challenge, by embossing on vellum.
The Butterfly is actually an ornament from Michaels, that I glammed up with some dew drops from the Robin's Nest, Creative Charms and some Stickles.  MOM is some old Basic Grey stickers I have had in the stash forever.  The lace paper is Paper Wishes, and a bit of Hobby Lobby.

Me in My Crafty Space

Did you see that PC is giving away an Expression to celebrate NSD?!  All you have to do it take a photo and post the picture via the Linkz tool at the Cricut Blog HERE.  I am just working on Mother's Day cards so the space is a mess, and I don't take good photos.

This Year's Yellow Tree Peony

I just have to share a photo of the blooms on my yellow tree peony! Is this perfect?! I am not much of a gardener, but this is just an easy perennial that you have to consider it, if will grown in your zone! I will tell you that my "purple" tree peony is much heartier, has more blossoms and is bigger. But the yellow blush is smaller, the blooms are perfection and even smell lovely!

Earth Day Blog Hop Winners

The winners of the Robin's Nest Earth Day blog hop have been chosen and they are... The winner for my blog, of the dew drops, is Lyneen! The winner at the Chattering Robin's Blog, of the Leather Binders is Bethany Becker! Please email Terri at Terri@ultimatescrapbookretreat.com on how to claim your prize! And don't forget, you can win even bigger if you enter the Robin's Nest challenge this month! UP for grabs is a gift certificate for their online store in the amount of $25.00!

There is one week left to enter! You can find all the details here.