Do you like Desserts?

Tonite, I met with a group of friends from my scrapbook group to do a circle journal exchange.   This was our final exchange in which we get back our own personal journals and have a chance to look at everyone else's completed journals.  There were 7 of us in this group, so we met at a place that I'd not been to before for dessert called "Something Sweet".  Boy.... were the deserts humongous... but oh so good.  I am stuffed.  I had the Blueberry Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream.  I am definitely going to have to take a walk tomorrow to burn off some of these calories.

Doesn't this look so inviting?

Happy Birthday Card using Forever Young

It's been a busy week for me and I didn't get a chance to get much crafting done, although I have all sorts of ideas floating around in my head waiting to get done.  I'm hoping to get things done this week that I had to put off last week.

Today, was a friends daughter's birthday.... so I made her a card using the Cricut Forever Young Cartridge.  I found some pretty Basic Gray double-sided paper at the LSS and went to work.

I cut Model 14 out at 4.5" , shadow cut and layered with Coredinations paper. Used some ribbon, rhinstones and Prima flower for accents.  The sentiment was cut from the Cricut Beyond Birthdays Cartridge at 1 1/4"  and layered.
I inked the edges with Tsunieko chalk inks.

Recipe:

Cricut Beyond Birthdays Cartridge

Cricut Forever Young Cartridge

Prima Flowers

Rhinestones

Ribbon

Basic Gray Patterned paper

Coredinations Gemstone Cardstock

Tsunieko Chalk Ink

Give a Hoot

Provocraft is coming out with so many new cartridges, that I can't keep up with them.  A recent treat on a new cartridge brought me Give a Hoot .  The owl on it is too cute... along with the other shapes.  I'm a bit behind this past week in creating things and managed to find the time to put this one together.   I can't wait to make more from this cartridge.  It has lots of potential.

The card was cut at 7" x 5" and layered with brown, cream, rust and a pale orange of Bazzill Papers.  The pattern paper was American Crafts.   The ribbon was from my stash.  The Owl was layered and cut out at 3 inches.  I pop dotted the words and the owl off the card.  I used Cricut Makin' the Grade Cartridge for the words, which I welded the shadow layer of the words and cut at 1".

Recipe:

Cricut Give a Hoot Cartridge

Cricut Makin' the Grade Cartridge

American Crafts Patterned Paper

Bazzill cardstock

Ribbon

Pop Dots

Mother's Day is Coming Up Soon

I'm trying to keep ahead of the game by knowing what I need to get done for upcoming holidays and special events.  The next big event is Mother's Day.  Since I've not done any etching in a while, I decided to do a Mother's Day plate for my mom.  Although she's considered legally blind, she appreciates things like this that she can show to her friends when they come over.  You know how mom's need to do a bit of bragging.

Today, I pulled out the vinyl and the etching cream and went to work.  After playing around in design studio, I found a border that I liked well enough to etch.  I used the Cricut Joys of the Season Cartridge for the border, the Mother's Day Seasonal Cartridge  for the words and Cricut Calligraphy Collection Cartridge for the date.  I think it came out quite well.

So it started off with the vinyl looking like this:

To adding the etching cream and looking like this:

And turning it into this:

Recipe:

Vinyl

Etching Cream

Cricut Cartridge - Joys of the Season

Cricut Cartridge - Calligraphy Collection

Cricut Cartridge - Mother's Day Seasonal

Susan G Komen Race for the Cure

Yesterday here in Tucson was the local Susan G Komen Race for the Cure.  For the past 2 yrs, I have volunteered with this magnificent organization.   My mom is a Breast Cancer Survivor of 10 years, so this is very close and dear to my heart.

This past year, my bowling teammate and good friend, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  She found the lump herself.  She has undergone chemotherapy which has done some horrible things to her body .... loss of hair, fingernails that are popping off, swelling of the lymphatic system , and the list goes on.  This past Friday, she finished her last does of Radiation treatment.  Almost her entire family and friends .... me included .... walked with her in this fight against Breast Cancer.   I have done the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer 3-day twice in the past (2007 and 2008) and I'm hoping to do it again this year seeing that I wasn't able to walk it last year.  It is 60 miles in 3 days... and yes, this body has done it twice.  It is the most emotional event that I have ever done and hope to do many times over.

So walking yesterday was an event in itself.  I set both of the alarms on my clock so I could get up in time and get to my friends home.  5am and 5:30 am.  ...... and you guessed it... I didn't hear either one of the alarms at all.  I awoke around 3:30 am and went back to sleep... so I must have been sleeping really hard.  I awoke suddenly ... looked at my clock and saw it was 6:30.  The race starts at 8am.  But that meant I needed to shower and dress and get to the shuttle parking lot , so I could get to the event and register.  I know, I know, I know... I should have registered long time ago... but I procrastinated.  But I made it with minutes to spare.  I had laid my clothes out before I went to bed... but I awoke to finding only one sock.  I know Alexsis nabbed it while I was sleeping.  BAD Dog!!!

I don't know what the final head count was of all of those walking yesterday, but its a sight to see.  If you've not done one before, I urge you to do so.  My friends hubby has not walked in a long time.  Although we all started off as a family and group, Vickie needed to walk a bit faster so that she could make it to the end of the 5K race.  I lagged behind with Dave to make sure that he did make it with no problems.  I'm a proud member of the "no one left behind club".  He made it to the end (3.1 miles is a long walk for someone that doesn't walk at all) and has vowed to continue to walk to get back into shape.

I'm Beary Sorry

I had decided to take some lessons on coloring with Copics.   I had stumbled upon this blog called Simply Scrapping.  You can find it here.  Since I've invested a lot of money in these, I need to start using them.  Instead of doing my laundry... I'm sitting here coloring.  How much fun is this!!!

I'm behind in getting started with the tutorials since they are now on lesson 5 ... and I'm just doing lesson 1..  Time does seem to fly when you're busy doing other things.
I have lots to learn, but I'll get there.

So, I printed off the image that was given for the first class.  I was able to find 3 colors that were 2 degrees away from each other and went to work.  This lesson was on blending and I've got some practicing to do.  But for a first time in using them this way, I don't think I did a bad job.  Ok... who am I fooling.  LOL!

Turned it into a card.  Cut the bear out and pop-dotted it onto another image.

Recipe:

Copic Sketch markers E55, E57 and E59

Rhinestones

DCWV Indian Summer stack

GP Cardstock 110 lb wt.

Wrights Prestige Ribbon

What is Red Velvet and Silver and You've Got to have it?

Theres some wonderful things going on the Cuttlebug Challenge blogspot.  Go on over to the Cuttlebug Challenge and enter to win a Cricut Cake and othe prizes.

http://cuttlebugchallenge.blogspot.com/2010/04/what-is-red-velvet-and-silver-and-youve.html

A Card to Celebrate

I pulled out some of my favorite rubber stamps today and decided to make a card.  Its for no one in particular, just rev'ing up my card stash.

I've had this stamp for a while and I can't tell you where I got it from, but I believe it was from one of the stamping expos that I went to a few years back.  I wish that vendor would come back so I can get more of these stamps.

I used the Gemstone cardstock from Joann's, some sheer ribbon that I had on hand and colored the image with my pearlescent inks.  I used the Marvy liquid Applique on the hair.  I cut the image out and pop-dotted it ontop of another image.

Recipe:

Rhinestones

Sheer Ribbon

Black Liquid Applique

Studio G Stamp - Celebrate, Series 46

Gemstones cardstock

Gold Lame' Smooch ink

Pearlescent Inks: Silver Moss, Sundown Magenta,, Waterfall Green

A Recipe Book ala Kathy Orta Style

While searching some of my favorite blogs today, I stumbled upon another fine tutorial and videos by Kathy Orta of Paperphenomenon .  She does some great stuff and I draw inspiration from her all the time.  She's been showing how to do mini books of all sorts and I've been intrigued and bitten to do a few.

A few days ago, she did this Cupcake box .   Please check out her blog for detailed instructions and dimensions necessary to make one of your own.  So tonite, I sat down, pulled out my chipboard, some colorful papers and went to work.

I had bought some 12" x 24" from my local hangout, Michael's, a while back.    It's a designer paperpad by K&Company.  It has a glossy finish to it.  I originally bought it so that I can make some larger purses using my Cricut machine, but hadn't gotten around to it.  While watching the video, Kathy pieced together 2 pieces of paper so she'd have the correct length for this box.  But since I had this paper on hand, I decided to give it a go.

I embellished the book with a layered flowered that I cut with my cricut using Plantin Schoolbook.  I used a Velcro Hook and Loop circle and adhered it to the flap for closure.

I then made my own recipe cards to go in the envelopes.  I hand drew the lines on the back of the cardstock and added matching tags.

Here is the box opened with the cards sticking out.

Recipe:

K & Company 12" x 24" Paper Pad

Chipboard

Envelopes from Michaels

Tacky Tape

Scotch Quik-dry Adhesive

Plantin Schoolbook for the flower

Bazzill cardstock for the recipe cards

Miscellaneous Rhinestone (from my stash)

Velcro Hook and Loop Circles

Wacom Bamboo Craft Pen and Touch Pad

Ok.. I confess.  I'm a tool junkie.  No, I don't have one of these yet... but I think it would be fun to have.
A fellow scrapbooker here in Tucson has one to give away on her blog.
Go check out her website.  She comes up with some interesting things.

http://www.confessionsofacropaholic.com/

I'm really feeling special!!

I just received another blog award from a Cricut messageboard member ... Alice.  Thank you so much!
Please take a look at Alice's blog...http://alicebrowncreations.blogspot.com/ ..... for she's been having lots of fun with the newest cricut cartridge.... Once Upon a Princess!

So I'm passing this award on to the following people:
Ms. Dee
Sanurascraps
Yaya
Myra
scrapsation
TraciVee

Please click on their names , which will take you to their blogs and see their fantastic work!