My Children are now officially bloggers!

So, my kids were so inspired about blogging when they hopped along on the kids' blog hop hosted by Scrapbookaholic by Abby that they asked to create a blog of their own to showcase their creations.  You can check them here.  The blog name is a spin on "Phineas and Ferb."  Nina's nickname (in addition to Honeybean) is Birdie...and when she was small, she called Phillip "Phobbit."  Check it out and show them some love...they will be jazzed!

Jen

As, promised...the cards!

Here are the six cards I made to put in the box.  These will be a gift for my stepson's girlfriend, whose favorite color is red.  I had fun making these.  All cuts are from Hello Kitty Greetings, cut at 2 1/2"--Decorated with stickles, ribbon, cuttlebug folders, etc. Enjoy!

The crocheted flower on the card in front, on far right, was made by
Scrapbookaholic Abby's grandmother...I received it as a gift
in some happy mail last week.  :0)

Jen

Flaunt It Fridays--Tags, Bags, Boxes and More

Hooray!  I get to design for Flaunt It Fridays AGAIN this week!  Superb, right?  The cut this week is the matchbox two cut from Tags, Bags, Boxes and More.  I have this cart only on my Gypsy, so it was a different experience.

I loaded the base image, then used the window feature to add the top part of the box with the window cutout.  If you select both images BEFORE returning to the mat, they will be compatible sizes.  I put each part of the box on a separate layer.  Then I stretched both sections until the box would fit a set of 4"x6" cards.  Just make sure you look at the measuring tools and keep the measurements the same for both boxes.  I cut the box using DCWV Glitter Stack paper, with the Cricut on max speed and max pressure.  This paper can be a bit rough on blades, so if you have one that is a bit dull, that is the one to use.  Assemble the box by scoring on the score marks and adhering with liquid adhesive (I LOVE Zip Dry by Beacon Adhesives) or with Super Sticky Tape.  I push the corners on the bottom part of the box in a little further than the outer edge and trim the excess.   On the top part of the box, I keep the corners a little wider, so the box will fit together more easily.

I cut a piece of clear acetate at 4x6 and adhered it to the inside of the top.  The flower is from the SU Pretties Kit, colored with Martha Stewart markers.  Stick pin and beads also from the Pretties Kit--red beads were in the stash.

I am working on a set of cards to put in the box.  I will try to get pictures posted this weekend. Thanks for looking!

Enjoy!

Jen

Tacky Tuesdays Challenge--Chick

 Tacky Tuesday's is a Facebook Group...each month Ruth creates a challenge based on a "tacky" cut from one of the Cricut cartridges.  This week's cut is the chick from Simply Charmed.  I don't have that cartridge, BUT I do have Create a Critter--which you all have to know I love, because almost every project lately features it!  Lol...but anyway, I decided to make an Easter card for my cousin, Derek.  He is awesome!  And a famed bachelor.  He is also a single dad to a precocious but precious little girl, Amie.  So this card is for both of them...a smart aleck sentiment for D--and a Shrinky Dink chick magnet for Amie.

Front of Card...sun and eggs from Doodlecharms.  I colored chick with sharpies and then did faux stitching.  Added orange slick paint feet.  I drew the faces on the sun and the chick.  Sentiment is also hand written.

This is the original inside of the card...I cut the chick using the Fit to Page feature on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of Shrinky Dink material.  As I've said before, I use a blade that is too dull to cut paper, and a separate mat that is reserved only for shrinky dink and chipboard.  The cut ended up being 9"--always use the multicut feature set on 4--max pressure and max speed.  I colored the chick with Sharpies.  I drew the face and faux stitching with Sharpies--filled in the White with paint markers.  Then shrink in 275 degree oven for about 5 minutes--till all the curling and warping is flattened out.  I put stickles on the belly and cheeks.  Add magnet tape behind the belly, cheeks, and eyes, so it won't show through.

The inside of the card looked a little plain to me, even after I added the sentiment, so I took a clue from Joy at Obsessed with Scrapbooking and added some strips of paper to the inside.  What a huge difference that made!

I'm really liking it, and I hope you do too!

Jen

FCCB--Challenge Me Monday --About the Weather

The Monday challenge at Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog this week is to create a project about the weather.  Well, I have a very good friend, the Other Jen, who is always saying "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's learning to dance in the rain."  Last week, she had a particularly rough week.  She is the director of Exceptional Student Services at our school, and she works with some of our most challenging learners--and staff--in order to ensure success for our kids with special needs.  She is awesome at it!  But it is tough.  I wanted to make her a card to show her some support.  When I logged on last night to see what the Monday Challenge was, this card came into my head.  The rain drops are from Gypsy wanderings, rotated slightly and laid out on the Gypsy.  I cut out the blue card overlay, adhered it to the top of the card, then added Stampin' Up Crystal Effects to create the water effect.  The Duck, Umbrella,  and Puddle are from Create a Critter.  Cut at 3 1/4 inches.  I also used the rain drop cutouts on the inside of the card to create a splashing water effect.  The best part is, everything except the card base came from the scrap bin!  I adhered the Duck with an Action Wobble Spring, so it would look like she is actually dancing in the puddle.  I just used my computer and some Creative Memories scalloped scissors to cut out the sentiment.  Thanks for looking.  I hope you enjoy my creation.

FIF Design Team--Forever Young Challenge

Hi, there, everybody!  This week's cut is actually from Forever Young, but since I don't have that cartridge, I used Gypsy Wanderings for the silhouette.  I cut my oval card from Wild Card.  The decorative oval filagree also came from Wild Card.  I used Printing Press for the scalloped oval.  I cut the white oval card, and inked up the edges.  I added the scalloped oval, cut from DCWV All Dressed Up stack.  Then I added the vellum layer, the oval filagree.  On top of this, I put the silhouette.  I added stickles and a few flowers from the Stampin Up Pretties Kit...I colored these with SU markers and glued them on.  I'll be sending this card to my Granny for her 92nd birthday in April....can't wait!  Thank you for looking, and I love your comments, so keep them coming!  Have a fabulous Friday, and I can't wait to see what you will create!

Jen

WINNER of FIF PAPER DOLL HOP!!!

And the winner of the PPDU blog candy is:  SHARON!!!!  Yay, Sharon!!!  Sharon is one of my DT sisters over at FIF!  I have been through quite an ordeal lately, and these ladies have sure helped me through it!  PM me you address, Sharon, so I can mail this fun candy to you!

39 

Sharon said...

Love the magnet paper doll! Great idea!!! The layouts are awesome!!! Love how you did the photo
on the first one! :)

February 11, 2011 7:32 PM 

Thank you so much to all my new followers, and to everyone who left such kind comments on my post!  I read every one and appreciate all of you so much!

Jen

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge--Share the Love

I just finished the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog Share the Love Crawl...let me tell you, there are some talented folks out there in blog land.  I decided to  enter the crawl challenge with the Valentine project Nina and I made for her class.

It is a mini-coloring book, with four Create a Critter pictures inside.  My photo didn't turn out too great, but that is okay.  The snail, heart, Love, and Special Delivery are all cut from Create A Critter.  Nina picked the color combo.  We made the book by using our Crikits gel pens to draw the animals, four to an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of plain paper.  Then photo copied them and cut them at 4x5.  We took plain white card stock and cut it in half vertically.  Then folded that over the coloring pages and stapled them at the top.  I used my Gypsy to layer the snail, heart, and 'Love' so they would all fit together, then used the layering feature to fill the mats to cut them out.  We assembled them and adhered them to the front.  Nina loved them, and she is so excited to share them with her classmates tomorrow.  It took quite a while to get these done, but I am really glad we did them....but also glad that Phillip just wanted to take Fun Dip Valentine's!  LOL!!!

Enjoy.  Sorry the picture is so bad!

Jen

Flaunt It Fridays Blog Hop--Plus Blog Candy!

Hey, Everyone!!!  I hope everyone is having a fabulous day so far.  This is our Fifth Friday blog hop at Flaunt It Fridays!  And I am excited because this hop flaunts one of my favorite cartridges, Paper Doll Dress Up!  If you arrived here from Stephanie's Blog, then you are in the right place.  If not, you can start the hop over at Flaunt It Fridays.


For our first project, we were asked to create something using the Raggedy Ann cut.  I decided to make a magnetic paper doll for my daughter.  I used an old calendar magnet, and I cut the doll body at 6 1/2".   Whenever I cut magnet, chipboard, or shrink plastic, I use an old blade that will no longer cut paper without tearing it.  I always use the multicut feature button set at 4.  I also have a mat that is exclusively for shrink plastic, magnet, and/or chipboard.  I find this works more easily for me.  Once I had cut the magnet material, I cut another doll body from white cardstock, then chalked it up into a flesh tone.  I used lots of ATG tape to adhere the body to the magnet piece, magnetic side down.  I then cut the hair and clothes from various cardstock scraps I had in the scrap bin.  I drew on the face with gel pens, added some Stickles to the eyes and stitching to the other pieces, and that part was done.  To adhere the clothes, I put a generous helping of two-way glue pen on the backs of the hair, bow, clothes, and shoes.  I let this dry thoroughly, then Nina was ready to play! 

Next, we were asked to create another project using any other cut from the same cartridge.  I actually did two.  I created two layouts to finish off my Nina's 2007 scrapbook.  

This album is an 8 1/2 x 11 format.  The background paper is DCWV Nana's Kids stack.  I used my Color Select Studio software to convert the color picture to black and white, then color in Nina and leave the background B&W.  I printed the photo at 5x7 size.  I cut the frame from Accent Essentials on purple Coredinations cardstock.  The title was designed on Sure Cuts A Lot software, then cut on the Cricut.  I added pink stickles for bling.  All of the embellishments are made from shrink plastic and various cuts from Paper Doll Dress Up.  All of them are cut at 2" on Frosted Ruff and Ready Shrinky Dink material, using the multi-cut on setting "4."  Then, they were colored with watercolor pencils, baked in 325 degree oven until shrunk.  Once they were cool, I added some more stickle bling and adhered them to the frame.

For this layout, I also used PPDU.  We went to see Nina's first live play, Cinderella, at our local college theater.  It was a fabulous show, and Nina was absolutely spellbound by the entire experience.  Afterward, she and I got our picture taken with Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother, and Prince Charming.  I used PPDU to create the before and after images of Cinderella, and I hand lettered the title and drew the swirlies.  Simple, simple, but I absolutely love it!

NOW FOR THE CANDY---OH YEAH, YOU KNOW THERE IS CANDY!!!!

I am giving away a package of K&Company Flower Embellishments, and a pack of Sticko sweet stuff stickers.  I love these!  

In order to win the candy, leave a comment on this post, and make sure you are following my blog.  I will draw the winner Sunday night, using Random.org, and you will have till Tuesday at 5 p.m. MST to contact me with an address to mail the candy to!  Thank you for looking at my creations.  I can't wait to see how you flaunt these paper dolls over at Flaunt It Fridays!  Your next stop is Melissa's blog.  Have a great time!

Don't forget to leave a comment on everyone's blog in order to qualify for the GRAND PRIZE!

Here is the Blog Hop Order starting at the Flaunt It Fridays blog:

1.  FLAUNT IT FRIDAY'S www.flauntitfridays.blogspot.com

2. SANDRA www.365daysofcricut.blogspot.com

3. JANIS http://pausedreamenjoy.blogspot.com/

4. SHARON http://meemeescreations.blogspot.com/

5. DENISE http://lalasworldblog.blogspot.com/

6. SAUNDRA www.luvscrappingtogether.blogspot.com

7. VIVI http://vivienpapel.blogspot.com/

8. STEPHANIE http://www.alwayscrafting.com/

9. JEN http://huffinatorshangout.blogspot.com/------>ME

10. MELISSA http://apaperjourney.blogspot.com/

11. HEATHER http://www.princesspaperprojects.blogspot.com/

12. THERESA http://www.thescrapbookingqueen.com/

13. CORRI http://www.buglvr.blogspot.com/

14. CHRISTINA http://cardcreationsbyc.blogspot.com/

15. LISA http://www.crop-and-create.blogspot.com/

16. ELSA http://cricutlvr.blogspot.com/

Flaunt It Fridays--Indie Art Lips

I'm FINALLY getting my entry into the Flaunt It Fridays Challenge done!  Hooray!  I am on the FIF design team, but there are so many of us, we actually have two design teams--I am on team 2, and this week features team 1, so I am playing along!  I love these lips, and this was my first attempt at a shaped card on my Gypsy.  Would you believe me if I told you that I purposefully created the card to open backward because it's fun to mess with my husband?  No?  I wouldn't either, but it was worth a shot.   Actually, it was a major error, but I didn't want to do the whole thing over again, so I will just give it to him like this...He has to like it!  That's why I pay him!  haha!  Enjoy, and thanks for looking!  Don't forget to join me tomorrow for the funnest blog hop EVER!

Jen

Whoa!!

So, here in beautiful southern Colorado, we are in the middle of a raging blizzard...and oh yeah, did I mention that we had school today?  The wind is blowing 50+ miles per hour.  We have received several inches of snow.  I am here at school with the last five students in the middle school.  The Colorado State Patrol has closed the highway, and they have escorted most teachers the 25 miles to the town they live in.  The road to my home, 3 miles away, is drifted closed.  My husband just texted and we are without power, and therefore, heat.  Joy.