Cricut Cut Swap = Cute Card

This month's Cricut Cut Swap on my FB group was your favorite cut. So, while this cute cat is maybe not my favorite cut I do like it. I just got Happy Hauntings so I just had to do something from it. On the left is the finished swap item...cricut cut cat and stamped sentiment. I cut the cat from Raven card stock and used scraps of green and purple for the layers. Once all adhered together, I added green lime stickles. The sentiment is one from the $1 bin...I stamped in black and matted with another scrap of green.

The right is what I created with my cuts...I used a scrap of BoBunny paper from my scrap bin. Layered the card background and the sentiment on Raven card stock. I colored in the stamped image with orange. I added a pumpkin sticker, pop dotted and accented with yellow stickles on the features. Cute & Simple!

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers. ~Edgar W. Howe

Oh, how true. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my son and look forward to our summers together. Because he is the only one home now, and DH is a work, we tend to have a lot of together time. We enjoy each other's company...most of the time. I cherish this time with him now because I do realize it is limited. He will be away at college or on his own in no time. But the reality is that too much of even a good thing is, just that, too much. About the second week of August our summer honeymoon seems to start wearing thin. He begins to test me, and I annoy him. He is ready to have his time away, even if it is at school. At least there he will have the sympathy of his friends who have annoying mothers as well.

So...it is about this time every year that I remember my favorite Staples...or was it Office Depot...commercial. You know, the one where the parent are gleefully filling the shopping cart with school supplies while "It's the most wonderful time of the year...." plays in the background...and they are followed by two very forlorn children. Love it!

On a more serious note, Jarek made it onto the bus this morning with no drama...his room was actually clean! No hundreds of tops and bottoms all over from the hurried morning fashion frenzy...he actually wore the outfit he laid out the night before! And he made his bed! Wow...does this mean he is growing up??? Maybe I should just appreciate it quietly so as not to jinx myself:) He only groaned a little when I insisted on walking to the bus stop to take a picture of the kids...I was not the only mother there. I just love looking back at the pictures from each year and seeing how they all have grown and changed. I promise I will not do it in High School...or at least if I do, I will sneak it :)


So, now what to do...what to do...no one to play chauffeur for, to worry about leaving home too long, plan activities for, etc. I think I am going to go craft...at least until 4. Then, I have to be at the bus stop again...have to get that "after" pic, but more importantly I have to take the M&M ice creams up...it is tradition. This is one tradition even Jarek is not ready to give up. I am sure I will not be met with groans as long as I have ice cream.

and ice cream makes everything better!

Candy corn...

and another challenge card. I knew I wanted to do the Pixie Dust Challenge this week, but was having a little bit of a time getting started, so I decided to use the Sketch Challenge for Dutch Dare Card Challenges. So, now I knew how my card was going to be laid out, but what image...what papers??? I started browsing all of Pixie's images that would be appropriate for teen boys (the theme was: Teen/Tween ) When I saw this image (Frankie BOY) I knew he was the one. I then pulled papers from my scrap file and....here is is...my finished card. I colored the image with Stampin' Up pencils and then used the sketch from Dutch Dare. Rather simplistic, but I think teen boys would like that. I did add the black rhinestones....my son (13 years old) says that is "cool".

I entered this card in two challenges:

Pixie Dust Studio - http://pixiedustpixiechallenge.blogspot.com

Dutch Dare Card Challenges - http://dutchdare-cardchallenges.blogspot.com

Cards!

I made this card for one of my fellow divas. She has been asking for one of my book cards, so...here it is :) I knew I had to use black, it is her favorite color, but I had to lighten it up to go with the verse so I added white, pink and green. I used a Spellbinder to cut the book and pages. All papers are from my scrap basket...Raven card stock, glossy black card stock, hand made paper...I added charms, paper flowers, rhinestone brads, ribbon, glitter stickers and sequin butterflies. I think it turned out pretty.

This card is for another fellow Diva...for our birthday swap. Again I used scraps of card stock and Basic Grey patterned paper. The image is a digi stamp from Fred She Said. I colored it with Stampin'Up pencils and blended with Gamsol. I then cut the images out and covered with Glossy Accents. I used Dew Drops for the pearl like accents on the scalloped circle. When I put it all together I used pop dots on the cut outs for added dimension. I think she is going to like it!

Bed of Flowers card

Here is my entry for Pixie Dust Studio's Challenge (http://pixieduststudioixiechallenge.blogspot.com ) this week. The theme was "Anything Goes", but you had to use a pixie image. This is one of my favorite images, Bed of Flowers. I colored the image with my Stampin' Up pencils & used gamsol to blend. I embellished the image with Stickles. I matted the image on Raven cardstock. I used some BoBunny scraps for the background. I then added a bow and three punched flowers with jewel centers. Cute! I love her!

Cards I hate to make...

Sympathy or condolence cards...but they are needed now and then, so...

here is one I made last night for a lady at DH work who just lost her father. I kept it simple...handmade, velvet embossed papers, jewels, flowers & ribbon. I found the sentiment online & printed it on card stock. I think it turned out pretty.

Back to Reality....and a Christmas ATC

I am always amazed at all the things you have to do after taking a vacation...mail, yard work, bills, laundry, etc. You would not think 8 days would create so much pile of chores...and the e-mails, facebook, etc. are chores unto themselves. So many messages, so little time:) I think i finally weeded through my FB account messages, game requests, etc, got the two e-mail accounts all cleaned up, laundry in the washer, groceries in the fridge, mail sorted, bills paid, yard mowed, weeds pulled, plants watered....ahhhh, time for another vacation!

It was a wonderful, busy trip. We went to Key West for 8 days of sun, water and fun. We all came back a little tired and a little sunburned. We did it all...snorkeling, jet skiing, sailing, sunning, shopping, sight seeing, etc. It was a GREAT trip.

Now on to something a little craftier....my latest ATC. This month's swap on FB group was "Christmas Memories". I thought about this for several days and here is what I came up with...

A FIREPLACE! Let me explain...

When I was little we lived in an apartment...so there was always the dilemma of where to put stockings & how would Santa get in. One year, my father decided to make me a fireplace. He used colored paper & markers to turn a little bookshelf into a fireplace. So....a fireplace it was.

I used handmade paper to make the base for the fireplace. I then free handed liquid applique for the mortar. I added a mantle out of handmade papers. I free handed the stockings out of a velvet paper and added a candy cane sticker. I used a brad for the "nail" to hold the stocking on the fireplace. I used real twigs for the logs and the stickles for the flames.