Cricut Crawl ... Out with 2012 in with an organised 2013 !! !!

Welcome to my little part in the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog Cricut Crawl ...

...No sleeping off the Christmas pud and gallons of Baileys here lol...

In preperation for the new year the FCCB girls are getting organised !! x !! x !!

Our design remit is to make a project for "Home Organisation",  please come and see our amazing DT projects and enter the fun by posting your own project at FCCB between now and midnight on Sunday 6th January (MST).

We would very much like you to visit all the DT blogs, leaving some comments and love for all the girls!!

There will be prizes up for grabs on some of the blog's and a big prize as always on the FCCB Blog !!

Oh course, you may already be following the crawl and have come here from the lovely Diana's blog, Daisy love Creations


If not here's the line up ... 
...if you get lost at any time head back to the FCCB blog and pick up where you left off !!

Missy - http://www.quickchickdesigns.blogspot.com
Tammy - http://thepurplemuse.blogspot.com
Connie - http://www.conniecancrop.blogspot.com 
Jamie - http://scrapqueen141.blogspot.com
Brianna - http://www.Bloeffelbein.blogspot.com
Arin - http://apieceoflifespie.com
Cicily - http://pinkdalmationscrapper.blogspot.com
Cyndy -  http://arcyscraps.blogspot.com
Diana -  http://daisylovecreations.blogspot.com 
Nikki - http://craftycalamities.blogspot.com (You are here!)
Susie - http://www.susiecrafthappy.com
Janea - http://www.recollectionalley.blogspot.com

So ...

to my own little project ...
... here only by the skin of it's crafty teeth due to an unexpected trip to Sussex over the Christmas period. 

 I have made for my (about to be decorated) kitchen a handy little box to collect those pesky receipts I always lose and and "important" bits of paper !! I will make little folders to go inside in due course and time !!

I cut the recipe box from Tags Bags Boxes and More 2 at its largest possible size in 2 pieces on a 12x24  mat and stuck the pieces together with Cosmic Shimmer Glue. 
OMG !! 
How WOW is that glue ??
My papers came free with the Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine a couple of months ago inside a 2013 Calendar by Pinkpaislee using the gorgeous London Market, which I will be using throughout the year . I also used some Papermania Capsule Collection. 

The ribbons, lace, bobbles, pearls and butterfly all came from my craft stash and as I purchased some Silver Leaf Paint on my way home yesterday  I just had to have a little play !!

 I confess my flowers are Spellbinder dies (My second crafty love lol)

Last ...
...  but by no means least ...
 I have a little give away for someone  who leaves me a comment on my blog during the crawl. 
If you are not already a follower, please join, I'd love you to help me get to my first 100 
woo woo !! 
Happy to post to where ever in the world you may be !! 

 Please leave a way of contacting you (blog etc) so I can send them out looking all wrapped up and pretty lol and guess what ??
ORGANISED !!

The packet covers are all made with the Artiste Cart, I love them so much lol !!

I will announce my winner the same day as I post the Cricut Crawl's winner over at FCCB  on Wednesday 9th January, using random.org.
(Did I ever tell you how much I love doing that post ??)
Please remember to use at least 1 Cricut cut and tell us which cart you used to be in for a chance of top 5 and the big prize!!

Well, that's all for today from me, thank you for visiting...

 ...Next on the Cricut Crawl is the amazing Suzie, please go visit her at Susiecrafthappy and leave her some love !!

Packets of Embellishments for my Gift Exchange

I entered a Christmas gift exchange over at Scrap Happens with Rhonda 

We all made 12 embellishments/toppers etc to send to another person whose address we were given.

Now that I know they have arrived safely I can share the pics ....

I received my Cricut Artiste Cartridge the day before I got my gift recipients name and so I made all my toppers from it along with some flowers made with fabric and my Spellbinder dies.

 Embellishment 1 is a lovely little packet filled with 2 rosettes and a doily cut. I used cello bags and parcel string for decoration with dew drops for a vintage look. 

Embellishment 2 is a packet of rolled Spellbinder flowers cut in white felt and plastic packing material. 

I distressed all the gifts with Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Vintage Photo, Antique Linen, Aged Mahogany and Rusty Hinge.

 Embellishment 3 is another packet, this time with some Rose Spellbinders made with muslin, crinkled fabric, a tumble dryer sheet, lace and some bobbled netting, held together with different brads.

I used the same colours for all the different projects so that Jenny can mix and match and combine them with her own projects. 

 I will share some more of the gifts later in the week

Venetian Birthday Card

I love Christmas but it has been so nice to go back to some Birthday cards this last week lol !!

For this card I combined a beautiful mask topper from a Hunkydory kit with my Venetian Spellbinders.

It was so quick to make, fab for last minute requests.

I love cards with feathers on they always look so elegant.

Happy Birthday Trish x

Here I have a Kanban card made for my daughters fiancée's mum for her 50th Birthday, we went to her Birthday party last night and a good night was had by all. 

I used a sketch from My Sweet Stop with the intention of entering the card into last weeks Saturday Challenge but was so busy making decorations for the party I totally forgot to do it until now !!

I do still have time to enter it into A Gem of a Challenge "Lavender and Lace" the challenge runs until Jan 4th 2013....just as well really lol !!

 

I had to cover the topper as I had the clock angle completely wrong, I used Cricut Artiste for the numbers and letters.

The flowers and lace came from The Ribbon Girl ....so pretty. 

FCCB Challenge #141 Bell's are Ringing

Happy Monday, only 15 sleeps till Santa comes !!!

Here is my card for this weeks FCCB challenge...

Challenge #141 

Bell's are Ringing.

The challenge is open from 0800 Monday until 2400 Sunday (MST).

As always, we need to see at least one cricut cut and ask that you name your cartridge in order to be eligible for the weekly prize and one of the much sort after TOP 5 places. 

Please come and visit us at FCCB to see the Design Teams amazing creations and enter your own.

... WELL ...

I hunted through both the "Craft Room" and "MyCutSearch" for a bell cut on one of  the cartridges that I own and came up with a big fat zero !!

BUT ...

...Not to be beaten, I used a lovely wooden bell embellishment and Cricut George and Basic Shapes for all my background mats and layers

...not very challenging or creative I'm afraid but I tried .... ;-) 

I used some beautiful  freebie papers from Kaisercraft

The bell was another freebie and guess what???

 Freebie card candy too !!!

The lace and ribbon were in my stash and the card blank left over from my recent Christmas card marathon make !!!

I used the left overs to cover the inside too

... SO ...

I may be lacking a bell cut but I do have a thrifty make !!

... TOP TIP ...

I always use mm's when I mat and layer so that they can be cut with a tiny 2mm border.
The expressions "centre point" function is amazing for cutting accurately and centring the focal point.

Jenny's Tag x

I am entering this tag in the Anything Goes Challenge Blog Tags challenge
and
Live and Love Crafts Inspiration Blog Anything but a Card challenge

It's ages since I made a tag and I really enjoyed making this one.

I used my Cricut Artiste Cartridge to make the tag from a 5x7 piece of kraft card stock from Papermania, cut at fit to page.

I started by spritzing the card with some bronze mica spray and embossed a beautiful Barbara Grey butterfly and flourish stamp with Frantage silver vintage powder diagonally across the tag.

I stuck a strip of tacky tape across the tag and stuck the raffia ribbon to it adding black glitter, Frantage elements and silver glitter.

I stuck a tiny mirror onto the raffia and then added 3 rolled flowers, leaves, butterfly and the letters for Jenny's name with more of the glitters. All the cuts are from the Artiste Cartridge.

Some pearls raffia string and white ribbon complete the tag.

Super Cute Penguin Card x

I love the penguin couple from the Simply Charmed cartridge here is another of my Christmas makes !!

This one was made for my daughter to give to her fiancée 

Awww young love !!

I'm going to enter them into the -
  Little Scrap Pieces Friday challenge "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge "I love Christmas"

Merry Christmas Santa card x

I have finally got around to starting my individual Christmas cards....I am way, way, way behind !!

Here is my Paper Dolls Dress Up Father Christmas decorated with white flower soft.

Super simple 5" Santa with matt's and layers on a 8x8" card blank.

Just 19 more sleeps till he comes ...

YIPPEE !!

Cricut Artiste Cartridge ... Instant Love !!! x

Quick share this morning...

...I purchased the Cricut Artiste Cartridge as an early Christmas pressy to me a couple of weeks ago!!

This was my first make with the cart and I just love love love it...

Can you imagine a tiny pair of paper shoes with a card for a new baby ?? !! ??

AMAZING !!

Just 3 cuts and a bit of glue lol, although I did cut a second sole to hide the tabs and edged the shoe with ribbon to hide the joins before adding the gorgeous flower trim and pretty button.

SUPER SIMPLE !!

I have just joined in a Christmas paper craft gift exchange over at Rhonda's blog, (Scrap happens with Rhonda), and made all but 2 of my 12 embellishments/toppers from the Artiste Cartridge (Some fabric spellbinder flowers popped in to make the last 2 lol). Once I know they have arrived safely in Canada at Jenny's house I will share them too, posts are written and waiting to be posted.
Hurry Mr Postman !! x

FCCB Challenge #139 "Holiday Wishes" x

Happy Monday Folks !!

Gosh it seems ages since I did my last Challenge post !!!

Over at FCCB this week our challenge is #138  "Holiday Wishes"

We have a wonderful selection of Christmas Holiday projects to share so please come and join us.
The challenge runs, as always, from 0800 on Monday morning until Midnight on Sunday (MST)

I have used my 2012 family card for the challenge as life is busy busy busy !!!!

My younger daughter and I set up our own little production line lol it was so much fun.

We kept it very basic due to the number needed, they are made on 135mm Kraft card blanks.  

We used my fabulous new Artiste Cartridge for the back ground shape, cut at 97mm and 103mm with Merry Christmas cut at 40mm.

(The snowflake paper is my chosen wrapping paper for this year for total coordination)

We cut the gingerbread man 50mm using the amazing fill the page feature.

I confess to using a spellbinder die for the jar (2 per card 1 acetate and 1 white card) because I really wanted to accent the embossing with Distress Inks.
The snowflakes are a Fiskers punch. 

Mum and her girl time !! x x x

I have had just the most fantastic day, me and my younger daughter have crafted to our hearts content designing and batch making our family Christmas card for 2012. 

I can't share just yet as my plan is to use one as my challenge card next Monday on FCCB Challenge #138

 "Happy Holidays"

So here's just a little sneaky peak lol

Please pop over to FCCB and take a look at my Wednesday Winner's post we had some amazing projects this week as always x

Secret Santa Tags x

Quick make to share today!!

My daughter is organising her work Secret Santa this year and so that the presents are truly secret we made tags to put on each present, all in the same hand writing lol !!

We used a 3" "gift" cut from Tags Bags Boxes and More 2 with 2 papers and a few peel off's 

Easy Peasy but really cute !!

Happy Birthday Jo x

I have just spent a very happy afternoon making my friends birthday card and a box for her birthday present.

They are made with a new Kanban kit and my trusty Cricut ...

... match made in heaven x 

I started with a piece of A4 red Kanban card stock folded and scored slightly smaller on 1 side.

I then used 2 patterned cards and added lace to hide the join.

The topper and butterfly are from the kit with some red gems added.

I cut "celebrate" and the doily and shadow from the Straight from the Nest Cartridge.

The box from more Kanban card with Tags Bags Boxes and More 2 Cartridge - A4 card cut at fit to page.

The tags and sentiment are also Tags Bags Boxes and More 2 

Lastly JO is cut with Cricut Alphabet font 1
I added a little bit of gold embossing and a Barbara Grey stamp to the inside of the card instead of an insert and to the red cut on the card.

I hope she likes it ...