Thanksgiving Mini Album

(Looking for the Card Cupids Blog Hop? Click HERE)

So my assignment for last week at Cricut Mini Albums was to create a Thanksgiving themed mini. Appropriate for the season, right? Well, I have been dying to make an explosion box and I thought this might be a fun way to make both a mini album and an explosion box.

I didn't have any real directions so I just kind of figured things out in my head as I went along. It didn't turn out "perfect" but I think it was a good first attempt. I think I might make some of these for Christmas presents for the grandparents. The box is a 12x12 paper scored at 4" and 8" across the top and the same along the sides (so you end up with nine 4" squares). Then I folded the corners in the middle so that they folded inside of the box making the box shape. The lid is a 6 3/4" x 6 3/4" square with the sides being 2" (folded in half and glued together so that the visible side is only 1" on the outside).

Here is how it looks when it is open. The tag pockets measure approximately 3 3/4" - I just hand cut and guessed until it looked right.

I didn't think any of the tag cuts on my cartridges looked quite right for this project so I used the rounded corner rectangle on the George and Basic Shapes Cartridge. I cut the tags at 3 1/4" and then I cut the same thing at 3" to make the solid color layer (I did this on both sides so the tags can have something on the front and the back). They are a little short when they are all the way inside the pocket - I should have adjusted them in Design Studio but I was being lazy. LOL The tags still need ribbon but I'll have to go out and buy some because nothing in my stash looked quite right.

I only glued the center of the tag piece into the box because I wanted the tag pocket to lift up so I could put pictures or journaling on the empty spaces. I like that I have that option, it's like having two more pages on each pocket and as you all know, I can be a little wordy so I need lots of space! The corners of the inside box were really simple too. I just cut out a 3" square and cut it in half and glued it on - I think it makes a big difference even though it's just a little embellishment.

The leaf is cut at 3" from Stretch Your Imagination and the swirl is cut at the same size from the same cartridge using the Silhouette feature. I love that swirl pattern! I should have used this on my autumn projects but I totally missed it!

The scallop is from Serenade (I think I mistakenly said it was from Storybook on Cricut Mini Albums - see it pays to visit our blogs for the details LOL) and is actually a flower cut on blackout. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up and I stamped it in brown. I attached it with pop dots to add a little dimension.

All of the paper for this project is from K&Company (Designer Paper Stack).

As an added bonus, the Card Cupid Blog Hop is being extended until the end of day today (11/30). There is a grand prize valued at over $100 so if you would like a chance at winning (the winner will be announced on the Card Cupids blog tomorrow) be sure to click HERE and visit the blog hop!

GREAT NEWS!

You still have time to win an AWESOME prize! We had so much fun on the Card Cupids Blog Hop this weekend that we are extending it! You have until the end of day tomorrow (Tuesday November 30) to visit the blog hop and comment - remember 1 person will receive a grand prize valued at over $100! So click HERE to get started!

If you are re-visiting our Blog Hop, you can see my post for the blog hop HERE!

A New Card, My First Digital Stamp and an AWESOME Gift!

So many fun things to tell you about today! First, I have jumped on the Copics bandwagon! I only own 6 at the moment and one of those is the blender pen but I am definitely hooked. These pens are the coolest and I love them. Now, why did I jump head first into the shallow end of the Copics pool you ask? Well, Some Odd Girl Digital Stamps is sponsoring our first challenge over at Card Cupids and they gave the Design Team some of their digital stamps to work with. So each of us created a card for the challenge and used one of the digital stamps provided by Some Odd Girl. This is the card I made:

I think this kind of card is called a "Gate Fold" - the left side folds under the little girl. Isn't she adorable? Her name is Tia and if you go looking for her at Some Odd Girl the stamp is called "Tiny Tia Bow". Would you like to get Tia for free? Well, be sure to visit Card Cupids to read about our current challenge because one challenge participant will receive 3 free images from Some Odd Girl Digital Stamps! I'm sending this card to Kayla who is one of our Card Cupid recipients. There is still time to get a card in if you would like to send one to her too - just check out Card Cupids for more information.

I also want to share this too cute coffee cozie that I received this past week.

Is it not beautiful (my pictures really do not do it justice)? I received this from my friend Lacey at Creative Living. She gave away some blog candy and I was the lucky recipient! I just love it and I used it as soon as I got it! Now, don't be jealous - Lacey has a wonderful Etsy store and I am sure you will find the perfect cozie for yourself or for that special someone!

Card Cupid Blog Hop

Welcome to the first ever Card Cupids Blog Hop! I am so glad you decided to join us today! We have some AWESOME things in store for you. If you started at Card Cupids and have been following our blog hop you should have arrived here from Christy’s blog Hobby Hopping. If you did not start at Card Cupids then definitely click HERE to start at the beginning – you really do not want to miss anything!

This blog hop is being put on by the Design Team members at Card Cupids because we wanted to do something fun for our followers and to help raise awareness about Card Cupids. Card Cupids is an organization that provides encouragement and joy in the form of card and cuddle card packages sent to children who are facing or who have faced difficult challenges in their young lives. What this means is that we make and collect cards (homemade, store bought, post cards etc.) and send those cards along with a stuffed animal to kids who need a little cheering up. It is such an easy and rewarding way to spread joy and you can help too! Just visit Card Cupids to learn about the kids we are working with now and how you can help by donating a card or two.

Now, on to the blog hop! The theme of our Card Cupids Blog Hop is X-Mas Cheer so I created this Christmas Easel Card. 

The green paper is Old Olive from Stampin’ Up, the brown decorative paper is from Peebles, the Merry Christmas stamp is from Inkadinkadoo and the ink is Old Olive from Stampin’ Up. I typed up the sentiment on the computer and added the jeweled brad (American Crafts) so that the Easel Top would have something to rest on. I cut the brown scallop using my Cricut Expression and the Storybook cartridge. This card was amazingly simple to put together but I think it makes a big impact! I am donating this card to Card Cupids for the Children at Legacy Emanuel Hospital.

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps was kind enough to sponsor our blog hop (you know they are donating a $10 gift certificate to the blog hop grand prize, right?) and they sent over some amazing images for our team to use. I couldn't resist making a second card showing one of their images.

Is this snowman not the cutest? They call him the Smiley Snowman and it's not hard to see why. I just love him! The blue and green paper is from DCWV, I colored the snowman with Copic Sketch B05, Copic colorless blender and Zig Writer Pure Red. The background of the card was embossed with the Swirls Cuttlebug folder, the sentiment is from Stampin' Up (ink is Brilliant Blue from Stampin' Up) and the ribbon is from Ribbon Trends. I'll be donating this card to Card Cupids too.

I hope you liked my cards, they were a lot of fun to make. Oh, you want to know if there is blog candy? Well, what kind of blog hop doesn’t offer blog candy? As I am sure you know by now, we are giving away one HUGE blog candy to one lucky blog hop visitor. Each of our Design Team members has donated something to the blog hop grand prize. You can find out what each person is donating by visiting their blog. Want to know what I am giving you? Here it is:  

It is the entire line of BoBunny Learning Curve papers! That’s 10 double sided pages plus a double sided sheet of journaling cards! Want to win this and all of the other prizes offered up by the Design Team? Here is how you can win.

1). Become a Follower of Card Cupids

2). Leave a Comment on Card Cupids under the Blog Hop post

That’s it – we’ll pick a random winner to win everything and announce the winner on Card Cupids on Wednesday December 1st! Want a few extra chances at winning? Here are some things you can do to get extra entries into the random drawing.

1). You can receive 1 extra entry into the drawing for each of the Design Team blogs you become a follower of (that’s a total of 9 extra chances).

2). You can receive 1 extra entry into the drawing for each of the Design Team blogs you leave a comment on (that’s a total of 9 extra chances).

3). You can receive 1 extra entry into the drawing for posting about the Card Cupids Blog Hop on your blog (just leave a comment on the Card Cupids blog with a link to the post on your blog)

That’s a possible extra 19 chances you could get! So, don’t stop now! The next stop on your journey is Luisa so don’t delay!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish each and every one of you a wonderful Turkey Day! I hope you all have a fantastic day and don't forget to come back tomorrow for the Card Cupids Blog Hop!

Let's Get Hoppin'!

I am so excited! I know you all think I have been slacking on my crafting but I swear I haven't! I have been so busy getting things together for my MemoryWorks TeamWorks application (I can't wait to show you the projects I created - I can reveal them in December so stay tuned) as well as getting projects together for the Card Cupids blog hop! This blog hop is going to be my first and it is going to be AWESOME! Would I participate if it wasn't the coolest? Of course not! The blog hop starts at Card Cupids on Friday November 26th at 8:00 AM (EST) and lasts until Saturday November 27th at 11:59 PM (EST). Besides the totally great projects that you will see, you will also have a chance to win a grand prize valued at over $100 which includes a $10 Gift Certificate to Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps! Whoot Whoot! So be sure to visit Card Cupids on Friday or Saturday so participate in our first ever blog hop! See you there!

A New Blog Award!

I don't know that ANYONE has ever called me "Stylish"! Don't get me wrong, I love stylish things, fashion and all of that but I'd rather spend my money on craft stuff so I live in jeans and t-shirts in public and lounge pants and t-shirts at home. So stylish and I do not normally occupy the same space but today is a new day and I have been awarded the "Stylish Blogger Award"! My friend Janet at Paper Hoot gave me this award and I could not be more honored, thank you Janet. You must go and check Janet out, she has some of the cutest projects!

By accepting this award I must complete the following tasks:
1). Thank and link back to the person who awarded me
2). Share 8 things about myself
3). Pay it forward to 8 bloggers that I have recently discovered
4). Contact those bloggers and tell them about their awards


8 Things You Should Know About Me:
1). I am a huge Audrey Hepburn fan 
2). I spent most of my childhood days in antique stores (my mother and grandmother ran an antique business) which I absolutely did not appreciate until it was too late
3). My husband and I met at work and married within 6 months of our first date 
4). I have 3 grandchildren (trying to figure that one out since my daughter is only 22 months old? LOL)
5). My favorite color is pink
6). If given the choice, I would ALWAYS go to Disney World for vacation
7). I love to read but never take the time to do it
8). I have 2 older half sisters and 1 younger brother


8 Fantastic Blogs That You Simply Must Check Out:
1). http://melissahuie.blogspot.com/ - my friend Melissa, she makes the most incredible cards!
2). http://stepstowalk.blogspot.com/ - my new friend Radwa, her creations are so cute and she is just super!
3). http://scrapnspire.blogspot.com/ - Wendy always has such interesting and inspiring things to share!
4). http://tracystreasures-tracy.blogspot.com/ - Tracy always has such cute stuff to share and she always makes me laugh
5). http://www.purplescrapbooker.com/ - always such interesting posts
6). http://myspotofsunshine.blogspot.com/ - so many things I love
7). http://suealthouse.blogspot.com/ - Sue always has so much to share
8). http://hobbyhopping.blogspot.com/ - I love to see what fun and exciting things Christy is working on

I just want you all to know how much I appreciate each of you following me on this crafty journey - I *Heart* you all!

A Card for Kayla

I had such a good time making that pop up card for Nina that I thought I would make another one. I made this card for Kayla (you can read more about Kayla and how to send her a card by clicking HERE).

I used some pink 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock I had in my stash along with some paper from the DCWV Nana's Nursery mat stack. The Owl is from the Storybook Cricut Cartridge and the sentiment on the inside was printed on the computer.

Cricut Mini Albums - Recipe Album and My Eclair Pie Recipe

For our challenge at Cricut Mini Albums we were asked to create a Recipe Album. I'll be honest, I totally struggled with this challenge. I am not a cook and therefore I do not have recipes. I do have a couple of dishes that I make but I don't make them very frequently. So I decided I would make a mini album to carry in my purse that contained the ingredients to make those few dishes. That way if I was at the grocery store and decided on a whim to fix one of them, I would have the ingredient list right there with me!

This is the front of the recipe album. It measures 4 1/2" x 4 1/4". The outside base of the book is from a sheet of Stampin' Up cardstock (Cherry Cobbler) that I cut into a 4 1/2" x 8 1/2" rectangle using George and Basic Shapes. Then I scored it in the middle and folded it in half - creating the outside of my book. The decorative paper on the front is from the Basic Grey Curio Theme Set (email me if you would like to order a set) and the red crest shape is the back side of that same Basic Grey paper. I cut the decorative square shape to 4"x4" with George and Basic Shape. I did this for all of the pages you will see on the inside too. The red decorative shape is from Storybook and cut at 3". The font from the Stamped cartridge and I just used some beige paper I had in my stash. The 2 jeweled brads are from American Crafts.

 The pages on the inside are actually only 3 rectangle cuts from George and Basic Shapes cut at 8"x4". I scored and folded each page in half and then glued the backside of the first page to the inside of the book, the back side of the second page to the back side of the second sheet and so on and so forth until I reached the last page and the back of the album. This is a super quick and easy way to create a book! The beige paper on the inside with the same paper I used for the font on the front of the book. Each cut was made with George and Basic Shapes and cut to 3 1/2"x3 1/4". I inked all of the cuts (including the font) with Color Box "Chestnut" ink. Be sure to visit Cricut Mini Albums to see all of the great albums created by our Design Team.

As a special treat for stopping by today, I am giving everyone the recipe for my favorite (and most requested) dessert. I don't make many things but this is one thing I make right! Enjoy!

Jade's Eclair Pie

Ingredients

• 1 box instant vanilla pudding
• 1 box graham crackers
• 1 container whip topping (such as Cool Whip)
• 1 container chocolate cake frosting

Directions

Prepare the instant vanilla pudding according to directions. Allow pudding to fully set before continuing. Once the pudding is fully set, add the container of whip topping. Mix the whip topping into the pudding until fully incorporated (no need to use a blender, a spoon will do). Next you will need a rectangular dish (I usually take this to potlucks so I normally just get one of those disposable aluminum pans with a lid but any Pyrex type baking dish will do). Place a layer of graham crackers on the bottom of the dish (you can leave them in whole sheets and don't worry if they break - no one will ever know). Once you have a layer of graham crackers, spoon in a layer of the pudding and whip topping mixture and smooth out. Next, place another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding and whip topping mixture. Then spoon more pudding and whip topping on. Continue doing this until you are 1" from the top of your pan or until you run out of pudding (whichever comes first). Next, open your cake frosting and remove and aluminum covering. Place the frosting (with no lid) into the microwave and heat at 10 second intervals until the frosting is melted enough to be poured. Pour the frosting on top of the graham cracker, pudding and whip topping. Allow frosting to set before serving. You can serve this as soon as the frosting cools but I recommend allowing it to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours if not over night before serving. 

A Card for Nina

I created this little birthday card for Nina. Nina is turning 11 this month and the Card Cupids team was asked to sending her a little extra joy.

Would you like to learn how to make this cute little pop up card? Well, I'll be doing a short tutorial for it on Tuesday on Card Cupids so be sure to check it out. I also just wanted to mention that Card Cupids is still collecting cards for Riley and Thanksgiving cards for the children at Legacy Emanuel so there is still time if you would like to contribute a card! We are also holding a drawing on November 15th for a Regal Cinemas gift card and a TGI Friday's gift card (you get 1 entry for following Card Cupids, 1 entry for each card you send in and 1 entry for each comment you leave on the Card Cupids blog).

Card Cupids Design Team Announcement

Today over at Card Cupids we are introducing our Design Team members. These are some seriously talented ladies and you are going to want to keep an eye on them and all of their creations. As an added bonus for checking out Card Cupids today, on November 15th we will be doing a random drawing and we will be giving away a Regal Cinema's Gift Card and a TGI Friday Gift Card! Want to know how you can win? You will receive 1 entry for each card you send in to Card Cupids, 1 entry for becoming a follower of Card Cupids and 1 entry for each comment you leave on Card Cupids. Card Cupids is a great organization and definitely worth getting involved in so I encourage you to check it out and make up a quick card or two. It only takes a minute but it will bring so much happiness to a child in need.

Holiday Trend Essentials - Limited Time Only!

I am one HAPPY HAPPY girl tonight! The new MemoryWorks Holiday Trend Essentials is out and it could not be better! If you are looking for winter or Christmas papers you have to check it out! There are some great papers and embellishments from Pink Paislee, Bo Bunny, Cosmo Cricket and more! Plus there is an AMAZING "Do-It-Yourself" calendar from BasicGrey that you simply must check out! So click here to view the current Holiday Trend Essentials. Remember, Trend Essentials are limited in quantity so once they are gone they are gone for good! Don't miss out, email me your order today! As an added bonus, order before November 13th and save 10% on your total order!

A New Design Team and a Worthy Cause

I am so excited to tell you all that I have been selected to be a member of the Card Cupids Design Team! I cannot say enough about this group! Our mission is a simple one but an important one, to brighten the day of a needy child. We will be posting challenges, hosting blog hops and so many other fantastic things! You don't have to be a Design Team member to make a card though! Visit Card Cupids today to learn how you can help brighten a child's day! Be sure to sign up to be a Follower too so you can stay current with card needs, contests, blog hops, challenges and more!

Here are some cards I made recently for Ashlie, Christina and Riley.

My Very First Blog Award

In school were you ever picked first for dodge ball or elected Homecoming Queen? Me neither but I imagine this is what it would have felt like! This is my first ever blog award and I feel so honored - I'm totally unprepared! I don't have a speech ready or anything! Deborah over at Cricut Project of the Day picked me to receive this award! Please go and visit her - she has amazing talent! With great power comes great responsibility - luckily my responsibility isn't too great! As part of this award I must give you three reasons why I am different and nominate 5 blogs for the award.

So why am I different you ask?
1). I love to make 3D paper crafts and I try to think up projects that are not only beautiful but useful! Like the 3 Drawer Organizer - how could you not use that little darling every day?

2). I spread the love around by telling my fantastic blog friends about all of the blog candy I find! We all deserve something special!

3). I try to keep a good balance of all different types of crafting - layouts, cards, 3D art, Cricut and more. I want everyone to find something they like here in my Cyber Home!

Now, for the hardest part! Picking only 5 of my many, many favorite blogs to pass this award on to.

1). The Greenbean's Crafterole - I have to pick Greenbean! Not only is she incredibly generous but she has the most amazing projects! She is one of my crafting super heros!

2). From My Bungalow - such amazing projects! And from the description in her profile I'm fairly certain Lynn is living in one of my dream homes!

3).Scrapstuff and More - this is one of my most recent discoveries and my goodness, it's a good one! Romy has some incredible talent and she's only 17! Keep your eye on this one!

4). The Life of Me - Sasha has great projects and some very inspirational ideas! Check out her 101 in 1001, such a cool idea!

5).Creative Living - Lacey has great style and she is so talented! Be sure to check her out!

Be sure to check out these 5 amazing blogs! I know you will come to love them all as much as I have!

Please display this badge proudly and link it to the Digi's With Attitude! Challenge Blog. To qualify for the $5.00 Digi's With Attitude! Store Gift Certificate please read the guidelines @http://digiswithattitudechallenges.blogspot.com/p/i-got-attitude-blog-award.html

I Did It . . . Did You?

I made my way out to the polls today and cast my vote - I tried desperately to get them to let my 22 month old cast her vote (she's been following the election very closely you know) but alas she was denied. But you won't be turned away so get out there and cast your vote! Every vote counts and every election (despite what the media will tell you) is an important election so get out there and voice your opinion!