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Monday, November 29, 2010

I got a pay it forward award awwwshucks!!!!!

Thank you njgramma for putting me first on your pay it forward list of recipients! Yay!! I love being loved in the blogger world! You bring me much inspiration for crafting so thank you very much!




This is a pay-it-forward style award. Here are the rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this
2. Share 8 things about yourself
3. Pay it forward to 8 bloggers that you have recently discovered
4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their awards.

Here are 8 things  about myself
1. I've only been scrapbooking since April 2010 and made my first cricut card in september.
2. It took me 5 scrapbooks just to scrap my sons first year of life.
3. I'm obssesed with the create a critter cartridge (duh)
4. Before I buy anything (scrap related) I watch about 50 youtube tutorials online and blog hop to see what others have done with the product.
5. My husband is also a crafter. He is a professional warmachine miniatures painter. I'm still trying to get him to start a blog for his art work. I think the nerds would come in multitudes to see his work.
6. I would leave my halloween decorations up all year long
7. I love to sing when no one else is listening or looking at me (if they are I make myself sound silly and off key just a nervous habit)
8. I just got my pink stamper stamps....watch out world!!!!

These 8 people might have already had this award because they are all so awesome!!!

1. Meghan- http://scrappingchick-meghan.blogspot.com/
2. Kristen- http://www.haveinkwillstamp.com/
3. Joy- http://joy-purttypaperz.blogspot.com/
4. Courtney- http://keekerzcrafts.blogspot.com/
5. Kimberly- http://craftspotbykimberly.blogspot.com/
6. Tatiana- http://createdbytatiana.blogspot.com/
7. Amanda- http://amandascraftsandmore.blogspot.com/
8. Raquel- http://raqcreations.blogspot.com/

I hope you visit each of the above blogs and let them know how great their blogs are.

Thank you for stopping by!

Portable North Pole

This is off the cricut track...

My bff just showed me the coolest thing ever! A website where you can build your own personal santa video for your child. Here is the link to my sons video! He sat in my lap in front of the computer and was amazed at the whole thing! Soooo cute had to share!!!

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/guest/8IzJHg5gHO6mo5LWjkfpYA

Video for my hubby...

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/guest/9uQ6jh1EE7xhzwPPojy9fQ

Saturday, November 27, 2010

You Made My Day!!!

I made my bff a thank you card using everything that she got me for christmas!


 Here is an angled pic to show the demention the flocking powder. I used the glaze pens to trace the design and then pressed the flocking powder into the design and tap off the excess.
 YAY!!!! I have a cuddlebug! You'd think I got another expression or even the imagine but nope, I'm happy with getting the cuddlebug! I wanted it for the embossing. I'm obssessed with embossing right now. It's soooo easy and fun! I cuddlebugged a piece of blue cardstock and then heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. Oooo look how purdy!!
Just a non flash pic to show the embossing effect on the card.

The Cook Family

I made this card awhile back for my good friend Ashley. The only thing I did today was stamp the sentiment "Naughty or Nice" and heat emboss it with gold embossing powder from A la Mode by Hampton Art. I used paper doll dress up cart to make her 3 kids. Starting from the left Colin is her video gamer, Chloe is her little angel and Tyler is her baseball player. I thought making a very personal card for my friend would be a nice thought for christmas. Merry Christmas Ashley!!!!


My BFF is the bestest ever!!

Last night my bff and I exchanged our x-mas presents that we bought for eachother on black friday. Were crazy and can't keep things from eachother. Who would want to keep scrapbooking supplies from their friend when they can use it at our next get together??!!! She spoiled me rotten with so much stuff. She's so awesome. I'm very lucky to have such a great friend. Thank you Meghan!!!

Here is a pic of all the awesome stuff I got!



Here is a pic of my brand new cuddlebug and the embossing stuff that I got yesterday too!


Here is all my new scrapping supplies all together!! Well.... not all of it I still got to wait on the stuff I ordered off the internet!! hee hee hee!!!

I'm sitting here looking at my post and I just realized derrrr as if I wasn't spoiled enough Meghan also got me a cricut cartridge!! She got me the Wild Card cartridge! So when I get my cricut back prepare for some awesome blogs!! YAY!!!


Friday, November 26, 2010

Black Friday!!!!!

My goal for the day was to get a cuddlebug and I did not succeed.

However... my knight in shining black hoody a.k.a. my hubby did!! He called a store about an hour away from our house just to make sure they had it in stock. They wouldn't hold it on the side for him but he got in the car and drove up about an hour into wisconsin and sure enough he did get my bug for me. I love him. He's the bestest ever!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Got my pick me up!!!

So I'm still bummed that I won't have my machine for awhile but ding dong the fedex man came a day early and brought my brand new CGull expressions bag!! I'm soooo excited!!! No more lugging around that ugly all black and grey suitcase and getting slammed in the door at the mall. Well no promise on NOT getting slammed in the doors those handi capped doors only have like a 2 second timer on them. Anways... this bag fits my machine, my making memories paper trimmer, 8 cartridges (maybe more haven't tried) and has 2 pockets on the front for more goodies. I got it from cricutmachine.com for there early black friday sale. Normally this bag goes for $119.00 but it was on sale for $38.00. I little piece of happy for me yay!



Answering some blogger questions.....

Hey ya'll I'm sad to report that I have to get a replacement machine. At this time of year it totally blows but I'd rather face it now than have to pay for a whole new machine because the warranty is up.

While I was on the phone with provocraft I asked them some questions of things that have been bugging me that I've seen posted on other blogs and such. This might put some other people at ease like it did me...

I asked, "Are you discontinuing the cuttlebug" and they said "we just came out with the second version of the cuttlebug so we have no plans to discontinue the cuttlebug." Thank Goodness!! This still doesn't really answer the question if the first cuttlebug is gonna be discontinued but at least we know they will probably continue to make embossing folders and the second version of the cuttlebug. That last part is just me thinking (or typing) out loud....not sound advice.

I'm also always reading blogs and watching videos on youtube and I thought they were coming out with a new gypsy. So I asked if they had plans to make a new gypsy because I don't want to buy the current version and then find out 2 months later that it's being replaced by a cooler user friendly version and now the one I have is obsolete. They said, "No there is no plans here to make a new gypsy at this time." I'm still kinda leary about this. This is totally me going off track but I don't want to get this gyspy and even a year from now find out a better version is coming out. Anyone who has a gypsy and reads my blog can you tell me the pro's and con's to having one? I'm just afraid I'm gonna get it and it'll be like looking at a foriegn language.

Alrighty. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving. Surround yourself with people who love you and respect you and support everything that you do and have fun pigging out on all those fixin's!!! I know I will!!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Made a card with Desinger Calendar Cartridge from Cricut

Ever have one of those days were you want to scrap something really really ridiculously good looking but your brain is going in so many different directions that you really can't put all your focus on the craft? Yup that's what happened with me today and here is the result. Blah..... my brain is mooooosh!!! I do love the desinger calendar cart and the storybook font cart (that's where I got the swively doohicky thingy on the bottom hahaha I'm soooo professional!!) The background pattern paper is from me and my big ideas. I inked the edges of everything I cut from the circut with close to my heart ink pads. The cut paper is DCWV neutrals white core.



Saturday, November 20, 2010

Challenge #36 Achoo! Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog

This is my very first time entering a cricut blog contest!! Whoo hoo!!!! I'm super excited about it!! I blogged hopped all day yesterday and found http://fantabulouscricut.blogspot.com/ where a bunch of wonderful ladies like myself are all great with the cricut and do challenges and inspire eachother to create such great things. So this weeks challenge is making a feel better soon card. I am getting into the holiday spirit and my son watches shrek all the time so I busted out my Stretch your Imagination cart and went to town! I altered Gingy's legs a little to look more like the one from the movie. I also used Storybook for the background of the sentiment and then computer generated the sentiment. I hope everyone get's a laugh out of this like I did. I think if I use this card for someone the inside will say, "Hey it could be worse...just look at Gingy!" hahaha!!!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Ideas......Dreams.....Saving Pennies......

I have so many great ideas going thru my head right now!!! I made myself a santa list of all the cricut carts I want. I got my eyes on that new Cricut Lite Jolly Holidays I might brave the crowds on black friday and go get it for myself. While I'm out I'm also going to stop by Michaels and Joanns and check out everything they have. I got there ads in the mail today with a bunch of great coupons so I'm really excited about it!!  I'm also looking forward to black friday online deals. I'm hoping that peachy keen stamps or my pink stamper stamps will have some sort of black friday sale going on.

Here is the list of the rest of the carts I want (I know it's only in my dreams)
Cricut Lite - Lacy Labels
Cricut Lite - Feeling Groovy Font
Cricut Solutions Cartridge - Stamping
Cricut Seasonal Cartridge - Cricut Snow Friends
Shape Cartridges:
Joys of the Season
New Arrival
Ashlyns Alphabet (Font)
George and Basic Shapes (Font)
Superman
Boys will be boys
Disney Mickey and Friends
Disney Mickey and Friends Font
Classmate Cartridge - Speaking of Winter

I woke up this morning and totally forgot to mention that somewhere in this big dream of mine I'm hoping for a cuddlebug this year too!! I know I can't get all these carts for christmas that would be nuts!!! It is weird though for me to be on the list making side of the christmas season. For the first 28 years of my life I never asked for anything around this time. But now I'm really only asking myself cause I'm still the one shopping!! hahaha!!! So I shouldn't feel so bad!! It feels good to have a hobby.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Making the old school.... New School!!!

Well I guess my old school really isn't that old school if you really think about it. I just started getting my scrap on this last april!! I busted out my sons baby scrapbooks and they are all "pre" cricut and you can totally tell. All I did was cut up such beautiful paper, photo mat the photo with very blunt corners and maybe put a 1 inch border with some patterned paper on one side. They do look nice but there not me anymore. So I'm dusting them off and pulling the pages out and adding some cricutbling to them! This is gonna take me a long time. But so far the benefits are looking amazing. Check out my first page! I revamped my sons very first easter by using the create a critter cart and the storybook cart. Materials used were Stampin Up cardstock and DCVW glitter pack. Thank you for taking a peek.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Ladies and Gentleladies

Archivers in Gurnee is offering a beginner stamping class the weekend after thanksgiving. Most of my work has been self taught or learned from online turtorials or the cricut community but I'm gonna go take this class so I can get a hands on look at how to heat emboss. I've heard that alot of people stamp their sentiments and then heat emboss them to make them look nicer. Ooooh Amy... what are you getting yourself into???!!!! hahaha I say that because if you knew me you would never think we'll the people around me would never think that I'd be clever enough to craft. Ok enough with the negative nancy talking... sorry if your name is nancy! Ooopsy!! OK So I'm really excited about this class!! I hope they teach a bunch of cool techinques that I can start using. Yay!!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Ahoy Matey!!!

This card was made for my totally awesome cousin Doug. I made his wife (she is my blood relative) a card first the purple squirrel card my first post and then I made his kids cards so I couldn't leave Doug stranded without a card man!!! I picked this cute mini monster because I'm hoping when he opens it he laughs. If I can get a smile then I'm happy.

I used the mini monsters, plantin schoolbook, and storybook carts on this card. Cardstock was stampinup and dcwv glitterstock, I also used some other cardstock that was left over from my sons baby album but I can't remember the brand name. I pop dotted the sentiment on the front and the monster. Now let's get to the pictures!!! muwahahaha!!!

This pic was taken with the flash on. It shows the glittery goodness as I would call it.

I removed the flash for this picture to show the shadowed effect of the pop dots.

Another non flash picture. I think they turned out pretty darn cute!!

Very simple inside but I like it. Viola and it's done!!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Sending Cards to my cousins

I made these cute little cards for my son to send to his cousins up north. I used my all time favorite cart create a critter!! I used my box of scrap paper it has stampin up, dcwv, k&company, me&my big ideas, generic micheals and hobby lobby cardstock and the list goes on. I also used pop dots and my two favorite glues are the blue stick (that's what I call it) and my pink atg gun. They are the best (for me) glues to get the cleanest cricut characters. I also inked a sentiment and inked the edges around the shape of the sentiment. I really enjoy making cards for my family and friends.








It's official my favorite cart is....

You've probably already guessed it from all the fun I've been having but silly me I like to think that I'm so
versatile with all my cricut cartridges. Here is a look back at my very first card I made with the create a critter cart. I made this one for my good friend Ashley when her family moved. I was so proud of my creative way of using the sentiment "Home Tweat Home" hardy har har get it??!!! Side note: I am still so new to all this card making stuff that I don't know any of the card vocabulary, like what is an A2 card? This card that you see here is like 6X9 hahaha!!! I had to go to michaels and buy there biggest envelopes and of course they didn't have anything less than a 10 pack. So now sometime in the future there will be more blogs with more big cards cause you can't waste big envelopes!



This next card is one of 9 invitations I made for my mother in law. She asked me to make them for the annual family turkey dinner this year. 



On the inside is my very first attempt at inking. I inked the edges of the cream colored card stock to give it some what of a distressed look. I used a paper towel and a 99 cent ink pad from hobby lobby. I think it turned out pretty darn good!

These days I'm using Inkssentials and not the paper towels anymore! hahaha It's a really good tool for inking the sides of your frames or distressing things. It's pretty much the only inking tool I use. If you see ink in any of my projects this is the tool that did it. The tool and my crafty hands!

And last but not least my first try at a Christmas card. Of course I used create a critter!!! This is another size botched card. I'm glad I found the perfect size cards for me now and that I've been creating away! Whoo hoo!!!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Blog Crazzzy

Today is my very first day blogging and I'm on a rolllll. It's probably because I'm uploading all my recent projects from the last month. muwahaha!!!

I hope to blog at least one craft a week. That's my goal. I'm not a professional. I can't promise to put exact sizes of what I did or exactly what I used. Half the time my stuff is second hand from my bff cause she's the coolest and the one that got me into this crazy craft! I just hope I can inspire at a couple people like I get inspired from others everyday. Whoo hoo!!!

Keep on crafting and scrapping people!!

Thank you card

I made this cute little thank you card for my inlaws. I used the create a critter cart from the cricut library. I love that cartridge. The cuts are so easy to assemble! I've seen these stamps called peachy keen stamps and there on the top of my christmas list this year. There stamps for the faces for all the characters on this cart. They also have stamps for the mini monsters cart that I want too. Gotta save my pennies and be good for santa!!! Anyone out there that has these stamps that can give me advice on what sizes are good to get for card making would be greatly appreciated!!!

My Buzz Boys!!!!

Since were still on my favorite holiday topic I thought I'd blog a pic of my two favorite people in the whole entire world!!! I love you both my handsome Buzz Lightyear boys!!!!



We did the Monster Mash!!!

Again a little behind the halloween curve but oh well. I just now decided I totally needed to have a blog of my very own. I like to call myself the queen of halloween on my street. We are the house on the street that goes crazy for the holiday and I love it!!!! This year since I'm into paper crafting I wanted to add my personal touch to the windows.

Here is the Monster Mash banner


This banner was hung in our front window along with some silly but oh so scary monsters from the cricut mini monsters cart. It looked like this:


Here is a pic of the rest of my spooky house!! Actually the spooky part is the fact that I haven't gone out there and taken anything down yet. AAAHHH!!!! Can we say procrastination??? muwahahahahaha


Never to late for Spooky Treats!!

I made this card awhile back in mid october for a cricut challenge on there forums. I love going on there and seeing everyones beautiful work. It gives me motivation to create and the challenges help me think outside of the little box in my head! I've only posted on the forums for one card challenge but I'm sure I will join many more.

I used the mini monsters cart for this card. I can't remember what sizes I cut everything at. Pretty darn small!!! It is a very detailed card! I used stampin up bright cardstock and K&Company Specialty Paper.

Box O Scraps

This is my first post!!! Allthough it's my first atempt at joing the cool world of blogging it's not my first attempt at joing the oh so awesome world of scrapping, card making and the wonderful world of cricut!





I made this card last night or should I say this morning. The whole process ended at about 1:30AM. I got started at about 11:30 with this idea in my head that I need to make a card out of my left over scraps that I have in a 13X15 container. Their kind of just sitting there starring at me saying, "Hey Amy were still pretty play with us!!"

So I made this card for my cousin and totally forgot to take the pics before I wrote the note on the inside. I won't make that mistake again! hahaha!!!

Here is an attempt at the supplies list. I used the create a critter cart (loves it!!) from the cricut library. I cut the squirrel out at 4 3/4 and the nut is cut at 1 3/4. DCWV for the background paper on the front and inside of the card and for the sentiment on the inside of the card. A mixture of cardstock used for the squirrel Stampin Up, Hobby Lobby store brand, Michaels store brand I think it's called Recollections. I also used alot of pop dots! Gotta love em! I hope ya'll enjoy my rambling and my crafts!!! Thank you for checking me out.