Crop Out Diabetes Day 5

On to another challenge in the Crop Out Diabetes Blog Hop. This one is at SweetSassy Diva's blog! The challenge is movies. I can't choose just one, so I went with the award for the movies and created an Oscar statue using my George Cartridge and my Cricut DS. This is my sons first play and he stole the show. Now don't forget the rest of the stops along the hop and be sure to scroll down for all of the links in the Crop Out Diabetes hop! Or use my link to my post here.

Crop Out Diabetes Day 4 Update

Welcome to day four of Crop Out Diabetes! Thanks for joining us in raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Below I will share the specific how to's on joining a challenge along the hop. If you haven't tried an online challenge, you will find it easy and fun and this is for a great cause! And if your like me, snow is headed your way so why not join me in creating something, and avoiding the housework!?
Update on me: surgery went well! Can't wait to have full use of my stairs and craft room again! Thanks for your prayers and well wishes!
So, onto the challenge how to's:
1) Visit all the blogs and decide which one or one's to participate in. I like to choose a challenge that helps me achieve a scraping goal or inspires me. And sometimes, I pick one just because I love the prize! So, I needed to finish the back of my planner for 2011. And I chose the challenge at P.S. I Love You Scrapbooking to with red and grey. I created a fancy frame with some swirls in Cindy Loo and put the frame from Storybook underneath. The paper is Cosmo Cricket. Do you see the grey in the back ground mat?
2) Take a photo of your finished item and upload it to your computer. Save it in a file format for the web.
3) Visit the site with the challenge you wish to enter and follow the instructions on participating. If you have a blog, you may be asked to create a blog post and copy the link for that post and add it to the challenge hosting blog. No blog? Just leave a comment, or email the host blog with a photo!
Prize drawings are random so you just need to enter to qualify! Last year, I won 3 prizes!
Supplies used in the COD and Celebrating Milestone Hop (below)
My Minds Eye Lost & Found Paper
Mrs Grossmans border sticker (around edge of rosette)
Tim Holtz Rosette Die (cream rosette under red flower)
Sizzix Circle Die (used to cut cirlces in flower)
K & Company Glittered letters
Cricut Cartridges Storybook
Clear Art Stamps Sew Special (Scissors)
And don't forget my blog candy drawing in the last post remains open until the February 5, 2011 and you ONLY need to leave a comment to be entered to win the flowers!

COD & Celebrating Our Milestones Blog Hops!

Welcome to the Crop out Diabetes Blog Hop (COD)! This is a fund raiser event hosted by Sara Fink at the Crop Out Diabetes Blog to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. And welcome to the Celebrating our Milestones Hop. This year I am participating In the COD hop by hosting a challenge with a prize for a $25.00 gift certificate for either one of my Etsy stores: www.scrapguild.etsy.com or www.scrapincovers.etsy.com. To be eligible for a prize, a small donation of $5.00; using the gadget to the right, for Crop Out diabetes is required. As you are making a donation, shipping on the prize is free.
So, here is my challenge: Scrap something about a health issue you care about, maybe it is diabetes, or high blood pressure, eating right, exercise or autism. Since this is sometimes an emotional topic for some of us, you can hide your journaling. You don't have to show it for this challenge. Leave me a comment with a link to your blog with the post on your entry. If you don't have a blog, email me a photo of your entry at: cjdempsey9@msn.com
Entries are due by February, 5, 2011, and you will be entered into the grand prize drawing that Sara is hosting at her blog Crop Out Diabetes when you participate in my challenge or the other challenges! So, you have 10 chances to win, if you make a donation and enter the challenges!
Here are the other blogs participating in the hop. Check out their challenges and prizes!

Crop out Diabetes – www.cropoutdiabetes.blogspot.com

Snug as A Bug Designs – www.snugasabugdesigns.blogspot.com

Ink Stains & Cat Hair http://thinkingwithink.blogspot.com/

P.S. I Love You Scrapbooking News

SweetSassyDiva http://sweetsassydiva-gspot.blogspot.com/

The Cozy Craft Closet http://thecozycraftcloset.blogspot.com/

Cricutcraftyclare You Are Here!

Through My "I"s

Amy Chomas-Chomas Creations

Paper Pretties

Crop Out Diabetes Back to the beginning!
For my page I am sharing a page about me and my passions. I meant to scrapbook about a recent health choice I made to have surgery. It was difficult for me to be inspired and I never have pictures of myself as I am the family picture taker! As, I write this post I have surgery scheduled for tomorrow and a huge to do list! So, I am sharing a page about me and celebrating my milestones for the Celebrating Your Milestone Hop (Below)! My creativity has led me to over three hundred followers! What a milestone!
I am also participating in the Celebration Your Milestones Hop with Yolie from Just Yolie. The stops along this hop are:
My Happy Place
Pretty Paper Things
Cricut Crafty Clare: You are here!
Love My Paper
Gaby Creates
365 Days of Cricut
Designs by Robin
Treasured Memories
Just Yolie
For a blog candy drawing for the second hop (Milestone hop) you can leave a comment and I will draw a prize on February 5, 2011 for a dozen flowers like the one's pictured below, in assorted colors (red, black, yellow, cream and maybe more). Sorry for the late drawing, but Dr. says NO stairs, therefore no computer! And you have more time to leave a comment!
Please check my next post for how to's and supplies on the pages above. This is just such a long post!

Metallic Challenge for Color Week

Yes, I am obsessed with Moxie Fab World! I love their challenges, the artists who enter their challenges and their challenge projects! The color challenges they have up for the Color Inspiration Week looked fun and so I thought I might give it a try. So, here is my entry for the Metallic Challenge.
I love the over the top trend in custom jewelry right now, and clipped this necklace out of my Chicago Tribune this past year.
The description says it is a Miriam Haskell necklace for $2000.00! I knew I wanted to try and make the flower in the lower right hand corner with paper! Here's my paper version with simple circles punched then run through my Cuttlebug, using Swiss Dot folder. I then used a vintage button from my stash and some Queen and Co. pearls.
The label shape is from the Mother's Day Cricut Cartridge, and the Stamp is Close to My Heart: Soul Mates. The ink is Tsukineko. I used a wire ribbon and pleated the ends, I added a stick pin by Jennie Bowlin Studios. Don't you just love these?! The glittered vellum is K & Company, Somerset Swirls. All the ribbon is from Hobby Lobby.

Creative U: S.C.R.A.P. Guild Crop in Dekalb IL March 12, &13

My S.C.R.A.P. Guild friends are holding their yearly crop in March in DeKalb IL on March 12 and 13th, 2011. The crop is held at University Plaza and has shopping! I will have a booth with my covers and scrapbags. Croppers can register for one or two days, or just drop into shop. Vendors include Creative Memories, Close to My Heart, Stampin' Up, The Angel Company and more.

Here is the link to the flyer and registration form.
The S.C.R.A.P. Guild is a non-profit paper crafting guild that meets in Sycamore, IL on the 3rd Thursday of every month except July and December. There is no meeting in July and December's meeting is on the 2nd Thursday, to avoid the holiday crush. The have open crop at every meeting from 6:00pm to 8:45pm. The have make and takes once a quarter, several all day crops a year, speakers, and field trips.

Creating Rhinestone Templates with your Design Studio & Gypsy

I love rhinestones almost as much as I love scallops! And I would love for Provocraft to add the rhinestone tool to my Gypsy! Wouldn't you?! In fact I posted on the messge board, that I would like to start a petition for one! Maybe, you want to add your name? Here is the link.
Doxieluv's comment that I could do so by just adding my own circles got me thinking. Is there an easier way? And how can I get them spaced evenly? My answer; while I wait for the tool on my Gypsy, is use an image that already has scallops! Here are the steps:
1) I took a scalloped swirl from my Cindy Loo cartridge and placed it in Design Studio.
2) I selected my swirl and right clicked, I chose Hide Select Contour in Design Studio. For the Gypsy, I put the image on another layer and place the rhinestones with ease. Don't use the same page or layer as you will have difficulty picking up just your rhinestones and you don't actually want the orginal image to print or cut!

3) I created a circle a little bit smaller than the size of my rhinestone. I went smaller, because I wanted to use my pen and then cover the circle with the rhinestone. If you are cutting a template to use multiple times, then make your circle bigger than your rhinestone.

4) I copied and pasted the circle all along the image, manually placing it so that the center of my circle met the lowest point on my scallop. I place some more circles around the rest of the image too!
5) I loaded my pen in the blad housing clamp
6) Hit my Cut and the pen made circles where I needed my bling
7) Unload your marker before you unload your paper, to prevent more drag lines and then blinged it up!
Here are some fun things to try when applying your bling,
*graduate your bling size along the image. See how I used more than one size of rhinestone?
*cover up your dragging marker with more bling. My machine is old and well loved and sometimes drags when I use the marker. So, why not use this line as a design element?
*run out of bling? Use your Stickles! Can you see where I used stickles? Love this for those late night crafting sessions when I can't run out to shop for more! And what a great look for less!
On a side note, I have not figured out how to make my pictures bigger on Blogger. I would love to make them bigger and if you can tell me how, I would be so grateful!

Another use for your Rhinestone tool: Stitching templates!

So, while visiting Archivers the other day, I kept looking at the stitching templates they had with longing. But there is always so much I want there, that I am always asking myself, "How can I make that?" And here is my idea, use the SCAL2 Rhinestone tool with very small rhinestone, spaced further apart. Draw the rhinestones with your markers on the back of your project with your markers and punch the holes with a needle or paper piercer.
Then just stitch! Here is a picture of my paper from the right side after I have pierced it, and before stitching.
And a close up of the stitching. Sweet!
I am making this card to submit for the Bug Card Challenge, at Enfys' blog, Going Buggy!
Supplies used: Close to My Heart Cranberry Ink, and February Word Puzzle Stamp Set, Red Bandanna paper (maker unknown), ribbon, Recollections rhinestones. The sentiment says, "I followed my heart...and it led me to you!"
And if you are a Cricut Gypsy or DS user, I have an idea of how you can use those for rhinestones and a stitching template too! Just stop back for my next post, coming soon!