HAPPY CANADA DAY! Blog Hop

I am so excited to be included in a Canada Day blog hop! Our family loves Canada Day so I am always trying to think of layout ideas. I always take pictures of my kids dressed in Canada clothing with their flags. I shopped around last week to find "Canada" scrapbooking things. I even convinced my LSS to order in more paper for July 1st.



I love this Create A Critter beaver. He looks so Canadian to me. I added the flag by hand cutting the red stripes. The maple leaf is from Create A Critter as well. The title is cut from the Cuttin Up cartridge. This title is the first time I have shadowed a welded word with the Gypsy. (I think I still need to practice that creative feature.) The paper is by Far and Away Scrapbooks. It's called In Our Words Canada. I love it! If you look super close it even has the word Canuck on it!




This layout is my "in case your LSS doesn't have Canada paper layout". For the paper, I used red Core'dinations paper. I cut out maple leaves from Gypsy Wanderings and then placed them beneath the paper. I then sanded the spot with the leaf until the shape was revealed in the lighter core color. Tada maple leaf paper!

The title is cut from Mickey Font also with sanded Core'dinations paper. The paper in the photo mats is by Around the Block and it's called Canadian Pride. Yes, the layout is dated 2009 because I haven't scrapped the pictures from last year yet.




We like to take an annual picture of the children in front of their maple trees. Yes, they have their own maples they planted years ago in the backyard. For this layout, I used my new favorite Gypsy feature, the hide contour. Since I have never used Design Studio, I am thrilled to have this power with the Gypsy. The trees are from the Sweethearts Cartridge. I hid all those leaves and the hearts as well. I then took the maple leaf from Create A Critter and placed it on the new bare tree. I figured I would have the leaves cut out of the tree rather than having to place the tiny pieces.

The font is from my brand new Opposites Attract cartridge won from Fantabulous Cricut! The grass is from Plantin Schoolbook.

I am stop number #3 on the Canada Day blog hop. Here are all the other participating blogs.

1. Heather www.princesspaperprojects.blogspot.com

2. Nicole www.canadiannickelscrapn.blogspot.com

3. Tracey www.thecroppingcanuck.blogspot.com  That's me.

4. Holly www.kricutkween.blogspot.com

5. Kate www.smallbitsofpaper.blogspot.com

6. Kerry www.mommakcrafts.blogspot.com

7. Amanda www.bellascraftycreations.blogspot.com

Please try and visit all the ladies! There should also be some prizes along the way!

Speaking of prizes, my prize is a scrapping t-shirt. If you would like to be entered to win this shirt, please leave me a comment telling me if you would like a size large or medium. I will use random org on Monday morning to find a winner. You do not have to be a follower (followers are always welcome though) but make sure I can reach you if you win.




Thank you so much for stopping/hopping by!

Cuttlebug blog challenge #5

Look what I found when I uploaded my camera? It's my entry for the Cuttlebug Blog.



Unfortunately, you can barely see the de-embossing on the golf ball with the Swiss Dots folder. I also used the background feature on the Sports Mania cartridge to make the green paper covered in little golf tees.

Graduation centerpieces

Well, Grade 4 graduation that is. My son starts Middle School in the fall and today was his grad lunch. I made 10 centerpieces and a banner to decorate the gym. I tried to use images that represented their schooling. These were fun to make. Another Mom even came over to help me glue them together.




The pots I bought for 50 cents each and the only other thing I bought was florist foam also from the dollar store.

My children go to French Immersion school. The pots say, "Good bye Graduate".

Layouts

The challenge this week at Frosted Designs is to use something from around the home on a layout. I used a shoelace on this layout of my daughter tying her shoes for the first time.



The running shoe is from the Pink Journey cartridge. I cut off the paper laces and added eyelets. I attempted to hand cut a Nike swoosh to match my daughter's shoes. I used glue dots to secure the lace with a nice, neat bow.

This layout is of my son's homemade Plinko game. He decided one day he wanted to make this with a board and some nails. It took him a long time and a little help from his friend to get it complete. The finished game actually works well.


The hammer from this layout is from the Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge. The brads are from the dollar store.

Super quick card for Dad

This card is for my Dad. (My DH's card was posted in May.) I am entering this card at Fantabulous Cricut. The challenge this week is a project for Dad.



I designed this shape card with my Gypsy and welded the letters "fore you". I de-embossed the card hoping to make it look like a golf ball.

I'm featured somewhere!!!!

Please check out the papercraftorium. This is my first time and I am very honored so please check out their site showcasing papercrafters.

Bridal Shower projects

I have been busy! I am helping out my MIL to decorate a family bridal shower. Thankfully, the Fantabulous Cricut blog issued a "For the Bride" challenge. I tried to keep these projects simple to do with few steps because this is a large shower. I needed to make 50 invitations, 50 favor bags and 8 centerpieces.

The words Bridal Shower are cut from Sweethearts and the butterfly is from the Pink Journey cartridge. I ended up using this butterfly and the colors navy blue and white as my theme.



The centerpieces were fun to make. The twigs are from my MIL's yard and the pots are from the dollar store. The butterflies are embellished with gems from the dollar store.





The banner was a last minute idea after seeing so many nice grad banners. The triangle and scallop edges are cut from Straight from the Nest.




The only cartridge I have with bags on it is Plantin Schoolbook so that's what I used for the favor bags. The Thank You stamp is from the Michael's dollar bin and the tag shape is cut from Just Because Cards. (There are many pretty shapes on this cartridge.)


I need to give credit where credit is due. My MIL helped a lot!

With a Cricut machine you can decorate a function with a stack of paper and some adhesive. In this case, the stack of paper was one of the ones Costco used to carry.

Thanks for looking.

My first Liz Qualman sketch and Frosted Designs challenge

I was always afraid to try one of her sketches. This is the sketch for this week. I found it on the Amazing Grace blog



This is my layout loosely based on the sketch. My son is always creating things out of cardboard. He uses whatever materials are at hand; paper, elastics, brads, empty plastic containers, Kleenex boxes etc.

I am entering this layout at the Frosted Designs challenge blog. The challenge this week is to incorporate buttons onto your project.

Going wild with Wild Card

Okay... I confess. I borrowed the Wild Card cartridge to make my 50 real estate cards but I can't stop playing with this cartridge! I'm going to have to return it soon... but it's so much fun.

For the mortarboard card, I used Core'dinations paper with a white core and then sanded the edges so they would pop. I braided some embroidery floss to make a tassel and tied it to a brad.



I love the shape of this card and how the branch folds over the front.




I will enter this last card in the Fantabulous Cricut "For the Bride" challenge.



Love this cartridge!

Mission to Create challenge

I made this birthday card for a challenge at the Mission to Create blog.

The challenge was to make a card using 3 circles, an owl, a cupcake, white space and a stamped image using anything but a stamp.




To make this card I used the Create a Critter cartridge for the owl and cupcake. I deleted the smiley face from the cupcake using my gypsy. I stamped the branch using leftover foam sheets from my children's crafting. I thought the foam would stick to my acrylic block but it didn't. I decided to glue it on with glue that is repositional at first and then remove it as soon as I could. It worked and I love how clear the "stamp" appeared. I think the most difficult element was the white space. I was dying to fill up all the empty space on the card and had to stop myself!

Another new challenge site - Sketches in Thyme

I found yet another challenge site yesterday and LOVED the sketch. They can be found here.The sketch is beautiful.

Here is my version. I turned the sketch sideways.

I am also entering this layout for Canadian Nickel Scrapn's summer vacation challenge. The prize for this challenge is the Summer Vacation Seasonal cartridge!!!!



The pictures I have for this layout are from a camping trip last summer. I tried to add all of my children's favorite things including the roasted marshmallows, the Jiffy Pop (Can you tell that's what that is?) and of course the friendly squirrel.

Most cuts are from Create a Critter. The font is from Life is a Beach. The marshmallow stick is from Gypsy Wanderings and the "Jiffy Pop" is a pan and a pie welded together from From my Kitchen.

Everything is inked in brown. This was a lot of inking for me!

Such a fun camping trip and such a fun layout!

Hang in there

I found a new challenge site this week. The blog is called Jitterbuggin' challenge This was the sketch to follow. It is their 3rd sketch called Just Monkeyin' Around. You had to have a monkey as well as 3 patterned papers.



Here is my take on the sketch.



I used jute for the rope and used lots of distressing and pop dots for dimension. All my cuts are from the Create A Critter cartridge and all the patterned paper is from the DCWV Mi Casa pack.