• Cricut Projects,  Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects,  Uncategorized

    Holidays Reimagined

    January 11, 2020 /

    Hello and welcome! As part of The Creative Design Team, I was challenged to take any holiday product and turn it into something completely different. I decided to use a Christmas layout from the Complete Creativity Cricut Collection and turn it into a Valentine-themed scrapbook page. And just like that, the holidays have been reimagined!

    Below is a look at the Complete Creativity layout I started with. You can see I incorporated the wreath, scalloped photo mat, scalloped border and the word “Love” ❤️ from the title. Be sure to see all the amazing projects included with the Complete Creativity Cricut collection. The possibilities are endless!

    I have a few tips and tricks to share in my YouTube tutorial. To watch this layout come together check out the video below. To see all the talented ladies in this hop you will have to go visit my Youtube channel

    I had a lot of fun pulling elements from my crafty stash to embellish this layout. The vellum leaves, from the Every Little Thing Collection, added so much presence to the wreath. I love the layered look. I am inspired to pull out my Stazon ink and stamp everything on vellum. It’s such a neat look.

    The title was originally Peace, Love, Joy. By isolating the word Love, I have a whole new title option from the original layout. Since our cardstock is two-toned, I cut the heart image in the title from each side of the paper to add contrast. I then sanded the edges to give it a distressed feel.

    The large red hearts were basic heart shapes added in the design space. I cut them in Ruby Red cardstock then sanded the edges to give them contrast. I wanted to add some additional hearts to my layout using the Stitched Heart Thin-cuts. By adding patterned paper and various sizes of the hearts it really upped the wow factor! All the patterned paper I used to create this layout came from retired Mix-In paper packs. Every catalog features a new mix-in collection to compliment the current paper suites. But really it can be a stand-alone kit!

    Thanks for stopping by. I would love if you left me a comment to say hello!

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  • Card Making,  Inspiration

    Valentine Cards

    January 4, 2020 /

    Hello there! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner so I thought I would get a head start on these fun and loveable cards. I’ve had so much fun creating with the Stitched Heart Dies, I’ve used them on all of today’s projects!

    If you would like to watch the card tutorial you can check out the youtube video below.

    I love utilizing my dies. This heart border packs a lot of interest yet has a clean and simple vibe. You could do this with so many different die-cut shapes.

    To create this clean and simple card I used the two smallest hearts to die-cut the border. I backed the heart windows with patterned paper and die-cut a large heart ❤️ with coordinating cardstock. Here I’ve used heart paper from the Heart Happy workshop (a Valentine-themed kit from 2019) and Ruby cardstock. The stamped sentiment, Love You, I chose from the My Cup of Tea stamp set. For this project you will need:

    • White Daisy cardstock 4 x 5 1/4″
    • Patterned Paper strip 1 3/4 x 5″
    • Ruby Heart is cut with the largest heart die
    • Pop up with dimensional foam adhesive to accentuate the heart windows

    The cards above and below follow the same pattern. I switched up my color palette and sentiment to get a new look. I absolutely love all the stitched detail and layering in these cards. For the card above I used:

    • Black for cardstock base
    • Stitched layer in Ballerina
    • Pattern papers from a retired Mix-in paper pack
    • The Sentiment is from the Bunches of Joy stamp set

    For this card I used:

    • Black cardstock for the base
    • Ruby cardstock for the Stitched layer
    • Black and white patterned papers are from a retired Mix-in kit
    • Black Shimmer Trim
    • The sentiment is from The February SOTM

    I thought it would be easiest to share the measurements for this card in this sketch I created.

    This next card is my favorite. Inspired by a pin on Pinterest from Stampin Pretty, I made this card and added my own flair. I love the more masculine color palette, wood grain, and distressed heart. I incorporated papers from the new Spruced Up collection. This is an awesome paper pack! If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out here.

    To create this card I used:

    • Spruced Up patterned paper and Die-cuts
    • Espresso Cardstock
    • Mink Twine
    • Stitched Bracket Die cut in Vanilla
    • Hearts cut from Espresso and Mink cardstock.

    Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have been inspired to create some Valentine cards yourself! Leave me a comment to say hello and let me know which card you like best. See you soon.

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  • Card Making,  Easy To Embellished

    Easy to Embellished Birthday Greetings

    December 27, 2019 /

    Hello, today I have some fun birthday cards to share with you. This is another Easy to Embellished series where I make three cards getting a bit fancier with each go.

    I often find it easier to do a project after watching it come together. Plus you can pick up some tips and tricks that are difficult to share in a blog post. Below is the YouTube tutorial for your convenience.

    I was having so much fun I just kept on creating. Here are two more versions I came up with. I used the candle to create my own pattern paper. To really pull this look off, I recommend rotating the position of your stamp and also stamping off the edge of the cardstock.

    My first card is simple and came together quickly. It’s cardstock and stamping combined to create a fun look. You can choose any color palette you like! I used a tiny strip of patterned paper leftover from the Mix in Papers from our Fall catalog. I chose the color scheme for my card by selecting tones from the patterned paper.

    Card Details:

    • Trim a piece of Sage cardstock to 4 x 5 1/4”
    • Trim White Daisy to 3 1/4 x 5”
    • Lay White Daisy piece on a sheet of scrap paper and stamp border of candles along the bottom of card staggering candle height each time and alternating ink colors.
    • Using a blending tool, blend Sage ink onto White Daisy to create a colorful spot for your sentiment.
    • Stamp sentiment in Pansy ink directly over your sponged area (if you sponge ink over your sentiment it can smudge your lettering)
    • Adhere layers together as shown and attach to a white A2 card base.
    • Add your coordinating patterned paper strip to the top of your front card panel and this one is complete!

    For card #2 I’ve layered pattern paper with die cuts and embossed cardstock for a card that is sure to delight.

    Card Details:

    • Using the Multi Square Windows Die, cut shape from a piece of Sage cardstock.
    • Trim your background pattern paper slightly smaller than 4 x 5 1/4″. I have chosen this Wisteria dot pattern paper from the Fall Mix in papers.
    • Adhere to your A2 card base, and then add your square windows die cut piece as shown.
    • For the sentiment sponge Sage ink onto a piece of White Daisy and then stamp your sentiment in Pansy. Use the Stitched Bracket Frame, center over your stamped image and die-cut.
    • Take a piece of Wisteria cardstock and emboss using the Celebrate embossing folder. Trim to 1.5 x 4 3/4″, dovetail the bottom end and adhere to the card front as shown.
    • The striped piece is a zip strip from the fall mix-ins as well. Trim this piece to 5″ and dovetail one side
    • Attach your sentiment
    • Stamp 3 candles, fussy cut and adhere to lower corner of Stitched Bracket.
    • Embellish candles with Stickles Silver Glitter Gel, and add 3 silver glitter gems to upper left corner of sentiment to balance and complement your candles.
    • Just like that, you’re done with card # 2

    Now onto Card #3! Card 2 may be a bit more embellished but this next card really highlights the Celebrations embossing folder.

    Card details:

    • Begin with a piece of Julep cardstock cut at 4 x 5 1/4″. Emboss with the Celebrate Embossing folder.
    • Die-cut a Stitched Bracket in Glacier
    • Trim a piece of patterned paper to 4 x 1 3/4″ and a piece of Saffron cardstock to 4 x 2″
    • To see how I stamped the sentiment I recommend you watch the youtube tutorial for some tips.
    • Cut your sentiment with the largest of the Stitched Circles. This one is approx 2 1/4″
    • For my faux ribbon trim behind the sentiment, you’ll need a piece of cardstock trimmed to 1/4 x 9″. Fold back and forth 3 times, dovetail the ends and adhere behind your circle.
    • To stretch my Stitched Square Bracket into a rectangle, I’ve cut it in half and tucked behind the top and bottom of my patterned paper strip.
    • Adhere all the pieces as shown
    • To balance the Saffron color I opted to carry it to the top of my card front with the gold sequins.
    • You are now ready to brighten someone’s day with this fun card!

    Here is an idea for the inside of these cards. I’ve mimicked what I did on the first card to decorate the inside panel. I switched out the sentiment to add interest. You can use the word Celebrate for so many occasions beyond birthdays.

    This stamp set is available in the November / December Catalog which is almost over. Never fear, you can always check the online-only or clearance section under the shop tab. Sometimes you can find items available after the catalog cycle ends. Thank you for stopping by. Leave me a comment and let me know which card is your favorite. I would love to hear from you.

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  • Inspiration,  Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects

    Christmas Blessings

    December 20, 2019 /

    I am so happy I was able to escape into my craft room for a little creative time. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season have kept me on the move! When I saw the Cedar and Pine paper collection, I knew I wanted to scrapbook this photo of my husband and I! The classic feel of this collection, with its traditional color palette, is perfect!

    This photo was taken of us at my husband’s holiday work party. Every year we get all dressed up, have a delicious dinner then dance until our feet hurt. The chipboard tag “Christmas Blessings”, made a perfect title. For the two of us to be able to slip away is truly a Christmas blessing! I wanted to add more red to the layout so I opted to create an embellishment cluster centered around the poinsettia. I used the Complete Creativity collection to cut the poinsettia, greenery sprigs and vellum leaves. You will notice I placed three embellishments clusters around my photo in a triangle shape to achieve a sense of balance. This is reinforced with pops of red in each cluster.

    To dress the layout up a bit, I added shimmer to the poinsettia with my red shimmer pen. It’s difficult to see in the photo but trust me there is a ton of sparkle. I also used black shimmer trim to anchor my photo and compliment the sparkle in my dress.

    I felt the vanilla cardstock needed a little something to finish it off. By tapping my Black Shimmer Pen, I added splatter to the background giving it a bit more detail. These gold glitter gems add to the poinsettia nicely. I love the glittery finish and detail they add to the design.

    Above is a closer look at all the gorgeous patterned papers and sticker sheet included in this collection. Pictured below is the coordinating chipboard compliments. These are perfect for titles and creating embellishment clusters.

    To see this layout come together, you can check out the process video below.

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  • Inspiration,  Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects

    Best Friends Furever!

    December 6, 2019 /

    Now, this is something to WOOF about! I am so excited to have this awesome “Best Friends Furever” special available through December. My fur babies are a big part of my life and they need a spot in the family album as well. These cute vibrant patterns and colors are perfect for these photos of my dog Flynn. I had fun whipping up some cute cards as well. To see those, check out the youtube video below.

    There are several versatile options for this kit so be sure to check them all out below. I’ve included photos of all the fun projects you can create. As usual, I opted to come up with my own layout design. I wanted to add some paw prints so I created a stencil with my Cricut. The Black Pigment ink works really well with stencils and gives nice crisp lines.

    The coordinating sticker sheet is full of fun dog and cat-themed elements to embellish your projects. I added a few stamped images as well from the coordinating stamp set. Using my markers, I added black patches to the dog, pictured below, to better resemble my own dog. You can really stretch your stamps by changing up the colors and patterns on the image.

    To add visual interest, I clustered my embellishments in a few areas around the page. I mixed stickers and the acrylic hearts, adding dimensional foam adhesive to a few of the elements to give them some lift and create layers.

    Below is a peek at the Best Friends Furever workshop. The instructions will walk you through creating seven 12 x 12 layouts (3 double pages and one single) plus several cards. I love how one side of the papers is for cats while the opposite features the dog-themed patterns. To watch my layout come together and see the cards I created, you can check out the process video below.

    Just a reminder that this special is available through the month of December while supplies last. You can check the pet lover off your Christmas list with this kit or create an album to gift to a special someone this holiday season.

    If you want your furry friends to have their very own album the Cut Above option might be for you. It provides all the contents to create a 6 x 8 album (album not included). Check out all the beautiful artwork below!

    Thanks for stopping by. Now I can’t wait to get back into my happy place and create a layout for my kitty boy!

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  • Card Making,  Inspiration

    The 12 Days of Christmas Cards Day 12!!!

    November 29, 2019 /

    Day 12 already! It has flown by. The Christmas season is in full swing and my kiddos are busy writing out their list of coveted items. Of course, I say oh that’s nice, where is your list of ideas for others? I’m usually met with silent stares laced with guilt. Back to the card, today’s card features a fun fold design just to switch things up a bit.

    Look at those gorgeous poinsettias! I love how they turned out. The Tricolor Spectrum Noir markers are perfect for adding depth and shading to these stamped images. I am liking these markers more and more. The poinsettia is from the Traditional Holiday, and for the sentiments, the Whimsical Holiday stamp set. I stamped them in black pigment ink and then finished them with clear embossing powder. They are lovely to the touch with all that texture!

    You open the card to reveal another sentiment hidden behind the first! This is a very simple fold. To see how I folded the card I suggest watching the YouTube tutorial below. To add color, I trimmed some rectangles from the Holly Jolly paper collection and I wanted to give the poinsettias a little more presence so I tucked in some greenery sprigs. These I borrowed from the Complete Creativity Collection.

    Below I added some splatters with my Red Shimmer Pen to the card on the left. I like them both so you can add those splatters or not 😊.

    In the video, along with the card tutorial, I take a quick walk down memory lane showing each of the cards I created for this series. I have my favorite and I’d love to know which one is yours! Leave me a comment here or on my video to share your vote! Thank you for visiting and as always happy crafting!

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  • Card Making,  Inspiration

    The 12 Days of Christmas Cards Day 11

    November 28, 2019 /

    Hello and welcome to day eleven of the 12 Days of Christmas Cards! Today’s card combines stamping with die cuts to create a beautiful card with a vintage vibe.

    For the gorgeous Christmas tree, I’ve used the “Merry Christmas Tree” stamp set. If you’ve been following this series day 7’s card featured this same stamp. For today’s project, I combined Evergreen and Sage ink. Stamping the layers in different colors really highlights the detail in this image. It gives an added depth layered stamps capture so well.

    I wanted a traditional color palette so the green plaid patterned background paper, from the Cedar and Pine collection, was perfect! From there I stamped my Christmas tree on Vanilla cardstock and then added a stitched rectangle frame cut from gold glitter paper. For the ornaments, I chose the Stickles Christmas Red Glitter gel. To finish it all off I added a red ribbon, a bow and a sentiment from the Traditional Holidays Stamp set. To see this project come to life, check out the YouTube tutorial below.

    Thank you so much for stopping by! Happy crafting my friends!

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  • Card Making

    The 12 Days of Christmas Cards Day 10

    November 25, 2019 /

    Hello and welcome to day ten of the 12 Days of Christmas Cards! I can’t believe how fast the time is flying by. Today’s card is a fun whimsical holiday forest featuring the Holly Jolly paper collection.

    When I saw all the fun bright Holly Jolly patterns I knew I wanted to create something to incorporate them all. This Christmas tree card was the perfect option! I began by cutting a rectangle for each tree and then turned them into simple triangles using my paper trimmer. For the tree trunks, I snipped a few small rectangles from a scrap of chocolate brown paper.

    I arranged them on the card front to balance the color and patterns. You will notice there is green and red on both sides of my card. Since there was only one glacier tree, he took front and center stage. I matted them on a piece of White Daisy cardstock cut from the large stitched rectangle die. This gives such lovely finished detail to the edge. Then the whole project is adhered to a piece of the Green Apple cardstock that I cut into a top folding card.

    The sentiment needed to be as fun and bright as the trees in the background. I thought it would be good to incorporate both red and green ink. My sentiment is from the “From Candyland” stamp set. I used Clover ink for the green and Cranberry for the red. (Cranberry is retired so I’d recommend Candy Apple Red). Be sure to watch the video tutorial below to see this project come to life.

    Thank you so much for stopping by. Give this card a try and let me know how it turns out! Happy crafting and I will see you next time!

    Project details:

    • Green Apple card base cut at 4 1/4 x 11 and scored in half to create a top folding card.
    • Use large stitched rectangle to create white Daisy mat
    • Trim a rectangle from each patterned paper featured in the Holly Jolly collection & a convert to a triangle.
      • red stripe 2 x 4
      • green checked 2 x 4
      • green polka dot 2 x 4 (after creating a triangle trim to 1 3/4 tall)
      • red/pink stripes 1.5 x 3.5
      • glacier 1.5 x 3
    • Arrange trees on white Daisy mat as shown. (You may have to trim the bottoms of a few to get them to fit correctly)
    • use brown cardstock to make trunks for the 3 trees in the foreground
    • stamp sentiment as shown and attach with dimensional foam tape.
    • finish your trees by adding red sequin stars to the tops with micro glue dots.
    • enjoy your project!

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  • Cricut Projects,  Inspiration,  Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects,  Uncategorized

    Snow Fun

    November 24, 2019 /

    Hello there! I took a break from all the Christmas card projects to share this fun winter layout I’ve titled Snow Fun! This layout is part of a collaboration I did with Jayma Malme. The challenge was to create a new project by combining two or more existing projects from the Complete Creativity collection. I got a little carried away and combined elements from five different projects and here is the 12 x 12 layout I came up with.

    I really enjoyed working in the Design Space. It was fun to pull an element from here or there, move things around to my liking and then cut it all out on my Cricut Explore Air 2. From there this layout came together quickly as it was a matter of piecing the parts together.

    To add more color I incorporated a few pieces from the Holly Jolly paper collection. I used some of the patterned paper and a pink pine tree sticker from the coordinating sticker sheet. I used the pink elements on this layout to create a visual triangle that carries your eye around the page and add a pop of color. For a finishing touch, I used the Clear Shimmer Brush to give sparkle and shine to my snowflakes.

    To see this layout come together and the projects in the Complete Creativity I utilized, check out the youtube tutorial below. Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed this project and are inspired to give it a try. Happy crafting!

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  • Card Making,  Inspiration,  Uncategorized

    The 12 Days of Christmas Cards Day 9

    November 22, 2019 /

    Hello and welcome to day nine of The 12 Days of Christmas Cards! I am having such a good time with all this cardmaking. So many of you have shared your cards with me and it is great to see the different versions come to life. I love today’s card because I just can’t get enough of that red buffalo plaid. I used the same Build-A-Plaid stamp set from day 5’s Christmas card but gave this one a completely different look by changing up the embellishments.

    I combined Cricut images from different cartridges to create this fun card. The poinsettias and greenery are from the Complete Creativity Collection while the buck silhouette is from Artistry. It is fun to pull images from different projects and create your own. There are so many creative possibilities! Below is a look at the layout I borrowed the poinsettias from. To see more of the Complete Creativity Collections click here.

    The stitched rectangle die makes a perfect background to highlight the deer silhouette. I chose Vanilla cardstock rather than White Daisy for a softer look. Since I have a layer of Kraft cardstock matting my buffalo plaid, I wanted to repeat that color elsewhere. The second layer of the poinsettias was a good choice to tie the kraft color in. It breaks the color up against the red plaid background helping them to pop. I inked the edges with a black shimmer brush and then used Clear Shimmer to add sparkle and shine to the red layer of the flowers.

    The gold sequins are the perfect embellishment for my flower center! For my sentiment, I chose “Warm Wishes” from the Traditional Holiday stamp set. I really like the scrolly banner element of this particular sentiment. This stamp set is part of the Holiday Cheer promotion and is only available through the month of November. Be sure to check it out.

    Having used black cardstock for my card base, I needed to add a place to write a sentiment. Using the large stitched rectangle die and Vanilla cardstock I mimicked the rectangle on the front. Adding a poinsettia to the inside gives this card a special touch. To see this project come to life check out the youtube tutorial below.

    Thank you for stopping by. Stay tuned for Monday’s Christmas card and as always, happy crafting!

    Project Details:

    • Black cardstock base measures 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 and opens vertically
    • Kraft layer cut at 4 x 5 1/4″
    • Candy Apple Red cut at 3 3/4 x 5
    • Stamp red cardstock as shown in the video with Black Ink using the Build-a-plaid stamp set
    • Use the medium stitched rectangle die to cut a rectangle from Vanilla cardstock
    • Attach Kraft, Candy Apple Red, and Vanilla layers as shown.
    • For embellishments: The deer silhouette is sliced from the Artistry collection. He measures approx 3″ tall and is cut from black cardstock. The poinsettias are 1.2″ squared and cut from both Kraft and Candy Apple Red.
    • Using liquid glue attach embellishments as shown in the video tutorial. I recommend micro glue dots to adhere the sequins.
    • Stamp Warm Wishes sentiment onto Kraft cardstock and trim with your Microtip scissors. Adhere to project with dimensional tape.
    • For a detailed tutorial, you can watch me create this project in the video link.

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