World Thinking Day

Do your brains hurt from using them SO much this past weekend? Well, if they don't, maybe you didn't know this past Sunday was World Thinking Day. Each year on February 22, Girl Scouts participate in activities, games and projects with global themes to honor their sister Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in other countries. The theme for World Thinking Day 2009 was girls worldwide said "we can stop the spread of AIDS, malaria and other diseases." Gwendolen is a first-year Daisy, so we didn't provide a project, but we eagerly got to participate. This layout features a picture of Gwendolen (in the middle) participating in her first friendship circle with fellow troop sisters. If you look closely, towards the top of the picture, you'll see the legs and feet of the other participants in the circle. There was quite a big turnout, at least for our county--over 100 Girl Scouts. For the layout, I used the Hello Kitty Font, cut from a couple of layers of chipboard and multi-colored cardstock, with black Cricut pen. I also used Going Places for the globe. Again, I just had to use that Cuttlebug butterfly die/embossing combination, using ink to get that double-color look. If you're interested in the cutfile to see how this layout was put together, here's the mediafire link--enjoy!: http://www.mediafire.com/?nznyyzqzwtw

Kindergarten Cutie

Isn't she cute? Here's a layout featuring pictures of my youngest daughter, Gwendolen, when I helped her class put together some projects (Cricut, of course) at her school last Halloween. That was a lot of fun AND a lot of work! Hello Kitty is also pretty cute herself. On this layout, I used the Cricut Hello Kitty Font--such a versatile font. The title was cut from a couple of layers of chipboard and cardstock and then embossed using the Houndstooth Cuttlebug folder. Kitty was also cut from a couple of layers of chipboard (the shadow) and then put together using cardstock, Stickles, and Making Memories brads. Again, I used the Cuttlebug buttons embossing folder with ink to help achieve a double-colored image. I then cut them out which made the border at the bottom and up the right side of the photo collage--it might be a little hard to see, but it's such a fun technique! Again, I utilized that typewriter for the journaling. If you're interested in this cutfile to see how it's put together, here's the mediafire link--enjoy!: http://www.mediafire.com/?kyiewmyax1z

Brandi & Max Relax

I guess we take a lot of couch pictures. As I was reviewing the past few months' photos, that's about all I could see--either in the background or our family on it. This picture sums our couch up pretty well. Notice the my-size Barbie kickin' it? It must be tough being Barbie. Anyway, this picture is a favorite "couch" picture of mine. Look from the left--it starts with the dollhouse next to the couch, pillows and Barbie follow, and then you come around to the two of them, Max and Brandi. It's rare you see her feet up anymore--she's been so busy with school, work, and taking care of all the little things. When I do see her, though, she's with Max. They are practically inseparable. Love is in the air.

For this layout, I used the Cricut Calligraphy cartridge and Cricut DesignStudio Software to weld the white decorative background. I then employed the basic blue Cricut pen to draw that decorative background on the aqua-colored cardstock and then placed the white mesh on top of it. (If interested in that cutfile, which includes two other welded backgrounds from that cartridge, please follow the mediafire link below). The butterflies were cut (one felt and a few chipboard) using the Cuttlebug and then embossed using the Cuttlebug with different inks/glimmer mist to enhance the embossed image. The curly border is a Sizzix border die--so cute and fun! For the little journaling I have, I employed that typewriter again.

Mediafire link for cutfile--enjoy! http://www.mediafire.com/?d1mydyyml2z

His First Dance & A Little Peace in My Heart

It finally happened. Jake went to a school dance, and he allowed me to take pictures before he and his pretty girlfriend, Richelle, left for Winter Formal. This is of particular importance because, if you notice my gallery, there are very few, if any, layouts with Jake. He is my teenage boy who detests being in front of my camera, EVER. So here are a couple of shots of the happy couple and a layout featuring the two of them before leaving for the dance.

For the layout, I used the new Cricut Calligraphy Cartridge. With the help of Cricut DesignStudio, I welded the decorative tag to help make the two borders. Also, I used the basic black Cricut pen to draw "Jake and Richelle" on the large tag, and then used a red Galaxy Pen to fill the names in. The basic black Cricut pen was also used to draw around the leafy-type decoration on either sides of the large tag before finally cutting them out. Remember the typewriter I found at a local thrift store a couple of posts ago? I used it to type some journaling on the tag located just below their names.

I made a cut file that includes small, medium, and large borders using the decorative tag from the Calligraphy Cricut Cartridge. Here is the mediafire link--enjoy: http://www.mediafire.com/?zg4dyfvgmgd


Finally, a little peace in my heart. That's what I must be feeling. The other day, I wanted to create a bag that would hold all of my things. I'm a pocket freak! There are 12 found in this bag. Out of necessity and in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I created this bag using fabric found locally at my favorite thrift store and some of my scrapbook supplies--my older Sizzix dies created the felt heart with peace sign located on the front.

Sweet & Recycled

Today I played--thanks to Alisa Burke's Cloth Paper Scissors article entitled Paper & Plastic. Here are the pictures to prove it. Basically, I fused these plastic bags together by turning them inside out, placing them between two pieces of paper, ensuring the pieces of paper were larger than the bags to avoid a melting mess on my iron, and fusing them with my iron on a medium-heat setting.
Once they were fused together, I cut the fused plastic down to a 12-x-12-inch piece. Then I was like a kid again--I got to play with my acrylic paints, foam stamps, rubber stamps, Cuttlebug/Cuttlebug dies, Sizzix dies, black staz-on ink, glimmer mists, heat tool, embroidery thread/needle, and sewing machine. I even got to use my favorite buttons! It was a blast and a project I was jazzed about--I just couldn't stop until it was completed. Then I got out some black/white polkadot material for the lining, cut it to about the size of the piece of fused plastic, and sewed the wrong sides of the fabric and fused plastic together. Then I just had to fold the fabric into three panels, like a letter, and stitch up the sides of the lower panel. It was actually pretty easy. I think I got ALL of my tools dirty on that one, and my hands, and my desk . . .
















Here's a card I made last Sunday just before the Super Bowl. My daughter's BFF, Katie, was turning 19 on Tuesday, and I was inspired by a card I had recently seen in Paper Crafts' Card Creations, Quick & Easy, Volume 2, designed by Courtney Kelley. Here's my take using the Cricut with Indie Art Solutions Cartridge, some chipboard, the Cuttlebug with Houndstooth Embossing Folder, and October Afternoon pattered papers I had recently got in a Scrapbookloversdream.com kit.



















If you're interested in the cut file, here's the mediafire link--enjoy: http://www.mediafire.com/?wn0mqmzjmnm