Baby Scrapbook Album

I'm making a scrapbook for my friend Kathleen who is going to be a grandma next month. Its her first and her daughter is having a girl. I'm so excited for her because shes joining the grandma club and now I have someone to buy girlie clothes for! After 5 years of ruff & tumble little boy blue, I get to venture into the pink side of the store aisle. And honorary Great-Aunts get to buy lots of pink stuff! Here are a few of the pages I made for Kat's 8x8 book.

A couple more Smash Books

I have finally started crafting again. Summer is always hard for me to get motivated to craft. My craft room is upstairs and its way too hot up there. The heat saps my energy and all my brain cells, so no crafting for a couple of months. Also, the One Hour Challenge over on the Cricut MB took a break and they were a big part of my crafting mojo. We are starting up again today and Im ready with some projects. I made 2 smash books last week, one for the daughter of a good friend, she started High School last week. I used Varsity Letter, I love the font, and Indie Art. The 2nd is for my niece, I used Home Decor. 

 

New Crafting Buddy

I haven't been able to get any crafting done this week because Allen and I got a new addition to our empty nester family. Her name is Pepper, as in Chili's. We were having lunch there last Saturday and noticed a woman with some puppies on the corner. After driving by a few times we decided to stop and see what they were and fell in love. Now shes turning our lives upside down which is what we really needed. Shes going to be my walking partner when shes older and hopefully wont tear up my craft room too much. Im going to have to clean it up before she can go in there.

 

Smash Book

Smash Books have become very popular and the newest scrappy craze. They are basically journals, but what I like about them is that they encourage your creative side as well as jotting down your thoughts. I made these books for my sisters. I used a sketching pad that I bought at Michaels, my friend Suzanne shared this idea, thanks Suzanne. I like them because the paper is blank and thicker than a composition book, great for gluing, embellishing & writing. I covered the front, added embellishments and started a few of the pages for them.

 

Recipe Book

I made these Apron recipe books for my sisters and Mom. Ive seen them on-line and at SplitCoastStampers (my thanks to them all). I made the shape myself because I couldn't find one in any of my cricut cartridges. I used chipboard for the outside covers and thicker cardstock for the inside pages. Its 9 x 6 with the arms traced and cut, then all the other pieces traced/cut. Punched holes at the top and used eyelets. I assembled all the pages, made pockets for the recipe cards and decorated them and the cover. Used ribbon to bind them and a long piece at the waist to tie in back to keep it closed. I've seen these bound at the sides with a bind it all or cinch.

 

Another Elegant Edges card

I made this quick card with scraps. I liked this flower cut, it looks like a sunflower, warm & sunny.

Elegant Edges

Its been a while since my last post, I've had computer problems and busy with grandkid end of the year stuff. Hopefully I can get back on track with crafting now that the boys are out of school. I recently got the Elegant Edges cart and it is definitely one of my favorites. It has the best cuts for making a card base, lots of frames and borders too. I made this card for a friends wedding. Fast and easy.

Baby Card

Some very special friends of ours just found out that they are going to be grandparents. I made them a congratulations card using my Simply Charmed cart.  On the inside I attached some advice for new grandparents that I hope will come in handy.

WDW Layouts

I've been MIA for awhile cause I'm trying to get my '06 WDW trip done as I really need to move on to something else. My scraproom has been taken over by an explosion of Disneymania. I'm 2/3 done and I can finally see some progress, I can see the bedspread under all the stuff I piled on the spare bed. I cant believe how much stuff I bought or collected that I thought I would need for this scrapbook and that I'm not using! I'm finding out that simpler is better. I have never been one to fill my pages with fru-fru, to me scrapbooks are about the pictures & memories, journaling, but I'm also finding out that you can have too many pictures. You can't scrap every single picture. So I have added some 12 x 12 photo pages to my book. Meanwhile, here are a couple more pages I finished. It was Halloween when we were there and we decided to pay extra and go to the "Not So Scary Halloween" party at MK. I used Mickey Font for "Mickeys", the other cuts I bought.

 

Easter Cards

Easter always reminds me of my Grandmother. She and my Aunts would make sugar eggs every year just like everyone's grandma did, I think. I loved looking at those eggs with icing like ribbon on the outside and the diorama on the inside. The first is scraplifted from a lovely card that Joy Sikes posted on the MB. The second card is for my beautiful daughter, Jamie. I used the Easter cart for both cards.

 

WDW Layout

Our trip to Disney World was a long one, 10 days, because of that we would take some time away from the parks. We would explore some of the other areas of the resort or go hotel hopping. On this day, we had gone to the campgrounds and since we are planning on staying there someday we wanted to check it out. It is on a lake near MK and they rent little speedboats, so we decided to try them. I was very nervous because we were right at the weight limit and when we got in, the water level was at the lip of the boat. We ended up getting soaked but had lots of fun zipping around the lake. I used Campin Critters on both pages.

Another WDW Layout

This is my last layout of the Magic Kingdom until I start on the Not So Scary Halloween layouts. We didn't spend as much time at this park because it was very like Disneyland. MK is basically like DL but there are enough differences that it is new and fun. This layout is of Frontierland and the Thunder Mountain ride. I liked the ride better in WDW because it had a little wobble in it that was fun. You would have to ride it to know what I mean :)

 

Zoo Layout

This is a layout of a trip to the zoo with Jaden. He was 2 when we went and now hes 5. I really, really need to get on track with my scrapbooking, he will be graduating at the rate I'm going. I've decided to dedicate Wednesdays and Fridays to scrapbooking because I don't have the boys those days. I can use the whole day to spread out my stuff with no interruptions and power scrap. Will I stick to this schedule? I doubt it, there's always something or someone that interrupts, but it was a nice thought.  I used Create a Critter and Animal Kingdom carts for this layout with a little memory thread too.

Layout & Card

Memory Thread is a fun new embellishment idea that I learned about from Joy Sikes and Nilda on the MB. Joy makes the most beautiful cards with it and Nilda is the Queen of enablers. Memory Thread is thread wrapped around wire so that it can be shaped. You can thread it on a button then curl it for an added touch to a card or use it as butterfly antenna as Nilda did. When I first saw a few of Joys cards, I had some ideas of how I would like to try it. Luckily Michaels and Hobby Lobby carry it. I used it on the pumpkins on a Disney layout and a fall card. It is a very simple element to add, but I think it takes a project over the top.

Cricut Notebook

I am always learning new things from the ladies on the Cricut MB and its hard to keep track or remember them. I found a notebook at Target on clearance and covered it with some paper. My good friend Brenda sent me a Cricut bughead for the front and I added the title. I attached a flower with a brad to the strap. I chose a spiral because it will handle any bulkiness if I want to paste something inside like pics. And I can tear out a page easier than a composition book.

WDW Tomorrowland layout

I finished some more layouts of our WDW trip. Most of the pages I've finished are very simple, just journaling and pictures. But every few pages I will have a little more fun with the layout. These 2 are of the entrance area of Tomorrowland and Allen on the Buzz Lightyear ride. I used my Lifes a Party cartridge again, so many cute images on it. 

Easter Basket

I made an Easter Basket for Allen to put on his desk at work. He usually has some kind of candy for staff to get a little sweet snack. I think he does it to sweeten them up before growls at them.

These lips have attitude

I love these lips on the Indie Art cartridge, they are so sassy. I am making a set of cards for a friend and this is the last one. I made the sentiment on my computer,  cut a scallop circle using Mini Monograms and center point on my Cricut. Then added a little twine from my MB friend Goobers aka Jessica.

Lemon Cakes for the 1 hour Challenge

I made some more recipe layouts for the 1 hour challenge thread on the Cricut MB. These are 2 of my favorite lemon recipes, very easy ones also. I love anything lemon.  The first one is a recipe from Allens grandmother Bessie. She had actually made a strawberry version of this but it had too many seeds, it was very good tho. I liked this one better,  it reminds me of her and the first time I met Allens Napa family.  

Lemon Jello Cake 
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1/2 cup oil
1 pkg lemon jello, 3 oz size
2/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

Icing
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Juice of 2 lemons

Mix 1st six ingredients together and bake in a 9x13 greased dish at 350* for 40 minutes or until tested done.

Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice. Poke holes in warm cake with fork and pour icing over the top.

 

This next cake recipe is a little weird but does work. After you bake it the pudding is on the bottom. Very yummy.

Warm Lemon Cake

1 pkg yellow cake mix

2 cups cold milk

1 1/4 cups water

2 pkgs 4 servings size, lemon flavored instant pudding & pie filling

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbs powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350*. Prepare cake mix as directed on pkg. Pour batter into greased 9x13 dish. Pour milk and water into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes and sugar. Beat with wire whisk for 2 min or until blended. Pour over cake batter in dish. Place baking dish on baking sheet to catch drippings, as mixture does bubble.

Bake 55 min to 1 hour or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 20 min. Mixture will thicken. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Spoon warm cake into serving dishes

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Pirates of the Caribbean

I finally started working on a scrapbook for our trip to Disney World. Allen and I went for our 25th anniversary in '06 so its long overdue. I just got the Lifes A Party cartridge and made a 2 page layout with it. The cartridge has the perfect cuts for the Pirates ride. 

Recipe Layouts

I finished the CFS cards I was working on. All of them very simple this time, no Cricut. I just need to get them sent out to Linda. I did get more layouts done for the recipes we have been exchanging on the 1 Hour Challenge thread on the Cricut MB. The 1st two are Lindas recipes and the 3rd is Suzannes. I used From My Kitchen cart on all of them even the pumpkin. Its made using 3 ovals, inked the edges, then layered them.

Lessons Learned

We all have lessons we have learned throughout our lives that help us in our daily tasks. Not just the ones from our childhood but life lessons we've learned from experience or from friends and family. From MJ, I have learned to always be prepared; have all your supplies before you start a project: from my friend KathyF I have learned to be organized, make lists; when making lots of cards at once, have everything in place ready to assemble: from my sisters no matter what the mistake they will love what I make: from my husband, Allen, the biggest lesson is to never "Assume" anything AND always measure. I was prepared & organized but I forgot the most important lesson.  Yes Allen, I assumed, forgot to measure and made a mistake. Luckily I had just started on the 50 or so Cards for Soldiers I was working on and didn't ruin them all.  

A2 card set & box

I needed a thank you gift for a friend so I made her a set of note cards and a box to hold them. I felt comfortable making the set because I know that she does love the cards that I have made for her. As any card maker knows, our greatest worry is "Will they really like it?". I worry but I enjoy making my own cards so I will keep sending them. Not to everyone but a certain few. The directions for the box are from SplitCoastStampers and the cards were made from the scraps.

Bow Maker

I was surfing the web one day and found this bow maker. Here is the site http://stampndesign.blogspot.com/2011/01/bow-makers-for-sale-to-benefit-diabetes.html and there are directions on her blog on how to tie a bow. I really suck at tying bows so this was perfect. Allen was able to make it very easily from the picture. We went to Lowes and got a  3/4  x 3.5 x 24 piece of hardwood. The dowel is 3/4 inch but it can be any size. The holes are about 1/2 an inch apart. He was able to make 3 bow makers out of 1 piece of hardwood.

Here is a bow I made with it. Worked great!

I made the Chirp!

How exciting to get the newsletter,  start scrolling through it, and then you do a double take. ?!?!!, "Carmel Apple Card", hey wait a minute, thats Me! My card that I made for a friend made it into the Cricut Newsletter, the Chirp. Woo Hoo! 

Tip Tueaday

Ok, I don't know if I will actually have a tip every Tuesday but I really do like this one. I found this tip on a blog one day and I'm really sorry I don't remember who it was to give her credit. She even had a video. I don't do videos, but this stuff really works for removing sticky residue that's left after you've taken off those annoying price tags. Its called Pure Citrus and its an air freshner that is sold at Home Depot. It smells really good, like fresh squeezed orange juice. No more headaches from goo-gone, which doesn't work. After trying repeatedly to get some glue off an acrylic block with goo-gone, one spritz of Pure Citrus and it wiped right off. If you want to use it as an air freshener spray it in the sink as it is very oily.

Candy Apple Card

Our good friend Diane sent Allen a candy apple for his birthday. It was one of those apples that is covered in carmel, drizzled with chocolate, & sprinkled with nuts. The perfect combo in candy land in my opinion. I needed a thank you card for her and this was perfect. The apple is from the Hello Kitty cart, I cut 2 and used my MS drippy goo punch on the carmel colored one. A popsicle stick, a treat bag leftover from Halloween, a tag and I'm done.