Exploring Cricut & More Challenge-use at least 2 die cuts

This week the challenge at Exploring Cricut and More is to make a project with at least two die cuts-and you can use your Cricuts, Cuttlebug, Silhouette, Cameo, etc for your projects! Here is mine-

I saw this paper (Pebbles Americana) at a local craft store and knew I wanted my July calendar to be patriotic. The bottle rocket and sparkler were made with Summer Celebrations, and both were cut at 5". The banner was from Celebrations cut at 3"-I just love the stars on the top layer! J*U*L*Y was cut with Chalkboard Fonts at 1 1/2". I tied the blue/white American Crafts twine onto the banner-easy peasy! Red chalkboard marker completes the calendar.

Check out the Design Team projects and join our challenge!

Wonderful Wednesday!

Welcome to Wonderful Wednesday at Exploring Cricut & More! Here is my tray project for July-

This was made with Formal Occasion! It has several scenes towards the back of the booklet, so check it out. The background is a dark teal glitter paper (unknown), the blue, red and brown is from Recollections, green glitter paper is Colorbok and the off white is from American Crafts. The cloud was cut from Artiste, and stamped with a Technique Tuesday sentiment in Martha Stewart Dusk Blue ink.

I wish I was there! Thanks for looking.

FCCB Challenge #218-Summer treats

Welcome to another Challenge Me Monday...

 Happy Monday and welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #218  Summer Treats

This Weeks Sponsor

Winner will receive Silly Shells Stamp Set

~This Weeks Challenge~

Summer Treats

Create a project that represents the tastes of summer

To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and if it's not obvious, let us know what cartridge you used.

I used Simply Charmed for this card, as I love strawberries in the summer! Here is a list of supplies I used:

1. Simply Charmed cartridge, bowl of strawberries cut out of Creative Memories Dotted red paper, green , red and yellow scrap cardstock.
2. Recollections yellow & grey plaid background paper.
3. Cuttlebug Swiss dot embossing folder used on red strawberries.
4. American Crafts flourish rub-on used on yellow bowl, and black CM journaling pen for edge doodles.
5. Paper Smooches sentiment from Fruitastic, Versafine Onyx ink.

Please check out the Design Team projects, and make a Summer treat project for the challenge!

Win a gift certificate to Expressions Vinyl!

Check out this post at Exploring Cricut & More for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Expressions Vinyl! Check out a cool project Diane made for the upcoming 4th of July weekend-

 


 You can cut your vinyl in any die cut machine and start creating some great projects for your home and family!!  To help you get started with this, Expressions Vinyl and Exploring Cricut & More will give a $25.00 gift certificate.  You must leave a comment there and be a follower of Exploring Cricut & More. Winner will be picked from the comments with random.org and you have till Saturday, July 5 to check them out.  She will announce the winner of the certificate at the time she announces the Top 3 Crafters for the challenge on Sunday, July 6.

Exploring Cricut & More Vacation Challenge

Welcome to Exploring Cricut & Mores Vacation Challenge! Create a card, layout or paper craft for a vacation and use a sign of some kind (stop, beach, gas, etc.).  Here is my project:

1. Designer Calendar was used for the Month using Script Font & Script Font Shadow. I made a third "shadow" in CCR to make the month pop off the page.
2. Camping Critters is used for everything else. The signs were cut at 2 1/2", the squirrel at 3 1/2", and the bunny camper at 2 1/4".

Everything was cut with scraps, and I have no idea who the manufacture of the background paper is, but I know I've had this paper for years.

Check out the Design Teams projects for more inspiration, and join us for the challenge!!

Wonderful Wednesday

Welcome to Wonderful Wednesday! My project today for Exploring Cricut & More is another tray layout!
I've been having a lot of fun looking up National _______ Months for different tray backgrounds, and this month is National Great Outdoors Month. What better cartridge than Camping Critters to illustrate it?

All figures were cut out of scraps! And all but the rafting skunk were cut at 4", the skunk was cut at 1 3/4". Plantin Schoolbook was used for the mountain ranges, and the water was embossed with my wavy line Fiskars plate (really old!).

Since camping is such a fun Summer Fun thing to do, I'm entering this at BBTB2 Summer Fun Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by!

FCCB Challenge #216-Yellow, Purple, Gray

 Happy Monday and welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #216 Color Challenge

This Weeks Sponsor

FCCB DT Member and CTMH Consultant

AMY HODGSON-SMITH
is giving away a $20.00 CTMH Gift Certificate

Be sure to visit her
CTMH Website

~This Weeks Challenge~

Color Challenge

Create a project that uses the colors purple, yellow and gray

To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and if it's not obvious, let us know what cartridge you used.

This card was made with the Creative Card cartridge. The papers are: Creative Memories (purple), Michaels Recollection (yellow/gray plaid), Scraps (white, gray, yellow, lavender). Gray/white twine is from AC Crafts, Michaels (pearls), Unity Stamp Co. (sentiment), Colorbox chalk ink (Wisteria).

Visit my DT sisters to see more fabulous projects, then enter yours for a chance at a great prize!

Exploring Cricut & More Wedding Challenge

Welcome to Exploring Cricut & More Wedding Challenge! The challenge is to use black, white, and one other color for your projects, and here is my card-

I had a hard time deciding which one to show, so I did both! This was cut with my Expression (using Scal2) from a file from Bird's SVGs. I cut this at 5" out of white cardstock with the overlay of wedding vellum.
The first card had a black underlayment with the vellum decorated with lavender shimmer paper and pearls.
The second card I stamped black flourishes on the card base, and covered it with the same vellum & pearls.

Thanks for looking and make sure to check out the Design Teams projects at Exploring Cricut & More!

FCCB Sketch Challenge #215

 Happy Monday and welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #215 Sketch Challenge

This Weeks Sponsor

Online Card Classes

~This Weeks Challenge~

Sketch Challenge

Create a project inspired by the sketch below:

To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and if it's not obvious, let us know what cartridge you used.

The cartridge I used is Suburbia. This woman is found on page 51, and I used the flip feature to have her looking to the right. She was cut at 3" out of scrap black and red paper. The sentiment on the front page is from an old PSX stamp set using Memento Ink. The inside sentiment from Unity Stamp Co. and was stamped with Versamark and embossed in white.
The card base and flap are from DCWV's Foiled Elegance 6 x 6 stack. The hexagon "hinges" are Creative Memories punches out of scrap red glitter paper.

Give this sketch a try!

FCCB Challenge #214-Father's Day

 Happy Monday and welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #214 Celebrate Dad
Create a project for dad OR a masculine project

This Weeks Sponsor

$50.00 Giftcard to SVG Cuts and a BIG SHOT!

While you may use stamps, SVG cuts and die cuts, you must use at least 1 Cricut cut to qualify for the prize, please list the cut used in your description. 

 

Here is my project:

 

This was made with SVGcuts.com Cliff's Clubhouse set. I used a dark brown, medium brown, white cardstock along with an blue green foil (Wal-Mart clearance!) for the card. SVGcuts.com has the easiest projects to put together! I used Art Philosophy to cut the label and Create a Critter 2 for the sentiment out of  scrap cardstock. I hand wrote the inside sentiment (now I wish I knew where my old journaling templates are!).

Check out the Design Teams projects, and make your Dad/Husband a Father's Day card. You can't win the $50 gift Card and new Big Shot from SVGcuts.com if you don't try!

Exploring Cricut & More Father's Day Challenge

Welcome to Exploring Cricut & More Father's Day Challenge! Dad's need their day of relaxation too, and my card reflects the desire to enjoy an adult beverage and relax by a pool or beach!

The image is from the Fun in The Sun cartridge, cut out at 4". All these pieces are cardstock scraps from my stash. I did use the Charles Chevron Embossing folder on the red tank top, and Swiss Dots on the beach. The sentiment is from Artiste, cut at 1 1/2". The background paper is from a 6 x 6 Crate Paper Pad called DIY Shop.

I'm entering this at CardzTV Father's Day Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to make something special for your Dad and enter it into our challenge this week!

Wonderful Wednesday at Exploring Cricut and More!

Welcome to hump day, aka Wonderful Wednesday! Here is a fast little wedding card I made for a June bride whose favorite color is purple!

The card was cut with my Cricut Expression machine using SCAL2 from Bird's Cards. This is called Deep Edge 7, and I used a lavender card stock for it. I used Wausau's Shimmer paper embossed with Plum Blossoms by Cuttlebug, the same paper on a scrap for the sentiment (Memento Ink, Mark's Finest Papers "Lily of the Valley" stamp set). The sentiment was cut out using Spellbinders Twisted Metal dies. Purple Glitter cardstock by Colorbok backs the front to show through the roses. Ribbon & buckle from my stash. On the inside I used Picturesque to cut the Acanthus corners out of the same lavender cardstock as the card itself.

Thanks for stopping by!

FCCB Challenge #212-Graduation

 Happy Monday and welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #212 Class of 2014

This Weeks Sponsor

~This Weeks Challenge~

Class of 2014

Create a graduation project

To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and if it's not obvious, let us know what cartridge you used.

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I used two cartridges for this card. With Wild Card 2, I cut the card base at 5" out of Neenah White cardstock. The rest of the card is scrap paper, which I'm on a mission to reduce! I chose to make the pencil with red lead to coordinate with the sentiment. The sentiment was from Wild Card, cut at 4" with the Fit To Length feature on.

Be sure to check out the other Design Team members projects and submit your own Graduation project!

Exploring Cricut "Here comes Summer"

Welcome to Exploring Cricut & More "Here comes Summer" Challenge! Just make a paper card, layout, or project celebrating summer & you must include the colors red & blue. Here is my project:

Here is a list of the cartridges I used:

1. Create a Friend (BBQ-er)-cut at 5 1/2".
2. Artiste (Clouds)-cut at 2 1/4" & 3 1/4" (sentiment computer generated)
3. Artbooking (Grass)-cut at 11", Fit to Length
4. Summer Celebrations (BBQ)-cut at 5"
5. Fence (Ribbons & Rosettes)-resize in CCR to fit width
6. Paper Pups (Dog) cut at 1 3/4"

To me, BBQ time is the start of Summer! So make a summer project and enter it!

Wonderful Wednesday at Exploring Cricut and More!

This week, my Wonderful Wednesday at Exploring Cricut and More! project is based on an SVG & Artiste.

I used my Cricut Expression & SCAL2 software to make this beautiful Deep Edge Card 3, over at Bird's Cards. She has a TON of gorgeous, FREE SVG's!

Here is a list of ingredients:

1. Yellow Cardstock, white cardstock, Creative Memories Seasons Designer Prints.
2. SVG (see above).
3. Artiste banner and stamp.
4. Heidi Grace glitter sticker strip.
5. Flower from stash (unknown origin).
6. Inside Sentiment from Stampabilities, teal inks Martha Stewart.

I'm just getting into SVG's, and I'm loving them!

FCCB Challenge #210-Celebrate Mom

 Happy Monday and welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #210 Celebrate Mom

This Weeks Sponsor

$50.00 Giftcard to SVG Cuts

~This Weeks Challenge~

Celebrate Mom

Create a project that celebrates mom.

To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and if it's not obvious, let us know what cartridge you used.

Here is my project-

 

This was made with a kit at svgcuts.com called Mother's Garden. I absolutely adore this kit! All the paper came from the DCVW stack French Country, except the brown which was a scrap. I used the Cricut Cartridge Picturesque to cut the pink Acanthus corners @ 1 1/4". The large pearls are from Michaels Recollection (thanks Emily!) and I used Cocoa Stickles on the butterfly. The stamped sentiment is from Technique Tuesday.

I watched several of the how-to videos on svgcuts.com before I started to cut. Everything you need to know is right there on video. Very clear, concise instructions made this so easy for a newbie like me! I had just bought SCAL2 on Etsy (a physical copy) a couple of weeks before we were notified of this challenge, but hadn't worked with it yet. Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can! I am so going nuts with this wonderful sponsor! They have a ton of great "freebies" and the prices on other images are more than reasonable!

I'm entering this at Simon Says Die Cutting Challenge.

Exploring Cricut & More Mother's Day Challenge

Welcome to Exploring Cricut & More's Mother's Day Challenge! My project today is a scrapbook layout that also doubles as my May calendar!

This has been a very trying year for my Mom. In late January, she developed a huge blood clot in her leg that tried to travel up her leg and into the main artery. They got it stopped, but she had been in the hospital and rehab facilities for about 6 weeks, and finally got to go home in March, but only with 24 hour care. It's now down to where I spend about 2-3 hours a day with her, she's doing so much better! This layout/calendar is a tribute to both my Mom & my husbands Mom. I'm going to suprise them with a brunch at my house.

I used Designer Calendar for the month using the script font & script font shadow. The sentiment is from the Mother's Day cartridge, and the flowers are from the Mother's Day Bouquet cartridge. The paper is from the DCWV Cherry Limeade paper pack.

Don't forget to enter the challenge, as the prize this week is a Cuttlebug "Love is in the Air" Embossing collection-

Be sure to check out the design teams projects and make your mother something special for Mother's Day!

I'm also entering this at :  Moxie Fab World NSD Scrapbooking.(It wasn't a top 5, but it got a shout out!)

Exploring Cricut & More Wonderful Wednesday

Welcome to Exploring Cricut & More Wonderful Wednesday! This week is my project is one for Cat Lovers, like my brother!

The cat was made using the Cricut cartridge Pet Shop. This is the Calico, cut at 4" with scraps from my stash. I hope you can tell it's on a TV! I made the TV with scraps also, but tried for a vintage TV where the case was wood, and the tube was trimmed with gold. The stamp is from Viva Las Vegas Stamps, and the inside sentiment is computer generated and says "My life is boring-how's yours?". Background paper is from Adorn It, and I thought it would be perfect as a vintage wall paper!

I hope you enjoyed my strange sense of humor!

FCCB Challenge #208

 Happy Monday and welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #208 April Showers

This Weeks Sponsor

Winner will receive their choice of 3 digital images

~This Weeks Challenge~

April Showers

Create a project using an umbrella

To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and if it's not obvious, let us know what cartridge you used.

Here is my project for the week:

This month's calendar page was made with Designer Calendar, April Showers, and Create a Friend. Here's the steps I did-

1. Using Designer Calendar, I cut the April out of the Script Font & Script Font Shadow using Creative Memories blue gingham & blue paper.  This was cut out at 2 1/2". I made the mats with the same paper.
2. Create a Friend cartridge-both the Rainy Days and Umbrella Girl were made using button 28. All cardstock was out of the scrap stash. Both were cut at 3 1/2".
3. April Showers cartridge-both the umbrella and rubber boots were cut out of the scrap stash, and both were cut at 2 1/2".
4. I found out that the Bistro Markers were on sale at our local craft store, so I picked up 5 more colors! The orange just pops against the blue background. I can't wait to use the other colors.

Thanks for stopping by!

Exploring Cricut & More-It's a Spring Thing

This week at Exploring Cricut & More the challenge is “It’s a Spring Thing”.  Make a card, layout, or paper craft celebrating Spring and include at least one flower. Here is my project-

This card was totally made with a very old cartridge-Accent Essentials! Here is the steps on how I did it-

1. Made card base with orange cardstock (DCWV stack) 5 3/4" square. Adhered square of orange & light blue polka dot (My Minds Eye Antique Dot stack) to card base.
2. Cut light green cardstock (scrap stash) at 4". Cut frame out of light blue cardstock (scrap stash), adhered to light green cut piece.
3. Cut orange flowered paper (DCWV Pocketful of Posies) into strip, adhered into center of green cut piece. Stamped flourishes (Autumn Leaves) with Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade ink.
4. Out of yellow cardstock (scrap stash) cut 2 daisy flowers (pg 55) at 1/2" and another 2 flowers at 1/4". Adhere to flourishes and added Michaels Recollection pearls to center.
5. The big flower was made cutting yellow cardstock the flower on page 63 at 2". The blue flower was made cutting a daisy (pg 55) at 1 3/4". Adhere together, added orange button threaded with Lemondrop twine (The Twinery) and adhered to card as shown. Cut leaves from pages 72 & 73 (one each) from Creative Memories green speckled paper and cut at 1 1/4". Adhere under flower.
6. Stamped sentiment (MFP) onto orange cardstock (scrap stash), round end and adhered as shown.

Thank you for stopping by!

I'm also entering this at Cut It Up Birthday Challenge.

Exploring Cricut & More Wonderful Wednesday

 Welcome to Exploring Cricut & More Wonderful Wednesday! Here is a real fast, simple card to make for any occasion that you give money to someone!

I made a pink piggy bank for the girls, and blue for the boys. The pig is from Wild Card, and I cut this at 4" with Real Dial Size-very important step! This was cut with the Creative Feature Frames. The pink pig I embossed with Tim Holtz Damask, and the blue pig was embossed with Diamond Plate by Cuttlebug.

This would be great for a graduate, and do the pig and card in school colors. How about a green or red pig for Christmas? Have fun with it!

And no, I'm not rich. The money is my savings towards taxes!

FCCB Sketch Challenge #206

 Happy Monday and welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #206 Sketch Challenge

This Weeks Sponsor

Winner will receive 3 Digital Images.

~Design Team Inspiration~

~This Weeks Challenge~

Sketch Challenge

Create a project inspired by the following sketch:

Sketch is from Card Positioning Systems

To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and if it's not obvious, let us know what cartridge you used.

This was a fun sketch! Here is my card:

 

 Here is a list of ingredients:

1. Background papers are from DCWV Black Currant stack. Black circle paper was cut using Artiste cartridge (button 40) @ 1 1/2".
2. Using CoOrdinations Brights cardstock, cut three different flowers out of three different patterned teals using button 24, cut @ 2", 2 1/2", and 3". After assembling flowers, put light teal colored rhinestones from Michaels (Thank you DT sister Emily!) in center.
3. Cut sentiment using button 40, cut @ 2", out of light teal cardstock.
4. The frame is from Art Philosophy, altered in CCR from page 55 to fit around sentiment.

  Join us for a great sketch challenge-flip it, turn it, try it!

 

Exploring Cricut Easter Challenge

Thanks for joining me today! Have you ever screwed up a posting for way, way off in the future? Yep, me too! Sorry this is late!

 This week at Exploring Cricut & More, we are having an Easter Challenge! The rules of this challenge is to create a card, layout or paper craft for Easter and include at least one frame and one embellishment (button, brad, jewel etc).
 Here is my project-

I used The Cricut Craft Room to create this card, using Theresa Collins Easter Basket.

1. To make the card base, I used the egg shapes connected with a small rectangle, and hid all the cuts. I used a solid yellow cardstock (unknown manuf.).
2. The front frame was the 5th image in this collection. I wrote down the measurements of my egg base and made the image the same size. This is an old Creative Memories paper I used. I decided to use the negative cuts on the inside of the card.
3. Sentiment stamp is from "Happy Days" from CardzTV, ribbon is Offray 1/8" lavender, and the pearl is from Michaels dollar bin.

Happy Easter!

Exploring Cricut & More Wonderful Wednesday

Welcome to Wonderful Wednesday at Exploring Cricut & More. In my ongoing tray of the month project, this is what I chose for April's design:

I am a big animal lover, and the ASPCA and Dogs for the Deaf are just some of the animal based organizations I support.

The tray is one I found at Crafter's Warehouse, one of our local craft stores. It has a removable back so that you can change your decorations if you wish, and glass insert to protect what you display.

The background paper is by Debbie Mumm. The critters were all cut at 4" from the Cricut cartridge Pet Shop. The sentiment is computer generated and cut out with Spellbinders Labels Nine. I used American Crafts Ivory Damask cardstock for each critter, and except for the guinea pig, I rubbed a light coat of Colorbox Sky Gray ink over the bodies to tone down the ivory a bit. After adhering everything to the background I slipped the finished product into the tray.

Check out the Pet Shop cartridge-it's full of wonderful animals!