Mother's Day card

This is my latest card.  It is my submission for Flutterby Wednesdays and Fantabulous Cricut.  I believe it meets the requirements for both of these challenges.

Why does it take FOREVER to get things just the way you want them, and then once you step back, you say, "Dang, that's a little off right there?"

What I have learned from constructing cards is, it's much faster and easier to make your second card, identical to the first (or at least pretty similar to the first).  And the second one usually has improvements, so it's more attractive.  This is one thing I have learned.

Cricut cartridges used were a tag from Birthday Bash (I think) and the butterfly is from Give a Hoot.

Thanks for looking...enjoy your day :)

Somebunny's losin' it.

This was going to be my submission to a "challenge" a week ago, but I missed the deadline.  Thought I would post the pic, anyway....

 Poor little bunny.  I used a lot of effects so that he could lose his brella.

The green circle border was tweaked using acrylic paint dabbers and distress ink over the top.

If you notice, and it's hard not to, the rain drops are actually staples that I covered with metalic ink beforehand, which I didn't painstakingly adjust so that they were perfectly straight.  And the drops on the "Nooooo" are also metalic ink drops.

The yellow fibers at the bottom added some much needed color and texture.

Cartridges used were Sweethearts and Give a Hoot and Accent Essentials.

New and Improved Craft Room

Here it is, as promised...a picture of what I have done so far.  I think it is fairly complete, although I could use more storage in the form of shelving.  I mean, who couldn't use more storage?!?!

I'm exhausted, so here are the cliff-notes details...

• The curtains in the back hide a lot of junk and make me feel like I'm in a more confined space (I like that).
• The narrow shelves on the concrete block are actually cornices I purchased at at auction.  I spray painted them bright orange and spiced marmalade.
• The dress form, in the form of a stamp, is extremely trendy right now, and I am fortunate to have the real deal.
• Working just a bit in the space a few minutes ago, I think I may be standing a lot.  A rug is in order to keep my tootsies warm.
• Elizabeth told me the ceiling was ugly, but I assured her it was better than the exposed wood, pipe, and electrical wires, covered in yuck.  She admittedly agreed.
• Embellishing with ribbon is not my forte, so I'm keeping mine tucked down below the desk, inside some antique drawers, in the old train suitcase.  I like old, useful things.  If you're reading this, Tim...Hey ;)
• What do you think?  I'm hoping there are no unknown leakages of water coming from the floor joists above all of my precious paper.  I've already discovered two leaks.  I'm a gambler, but am taking precautions.

Goodnight.  It's another big day tomorrow.  I hope to be crafting at least once this week, but spring is here, and the lawn is calling!

Moving My Craft Room

Hello all.  I have supersized this picture in order to highlight the supersized project I had in store for me this week.

This is the space for my new craft room.

As you might be able to tell, it has been used as a shop room, for my hubby for the past 7 years.  Now that he has a new space for his tools, I have claimed this territory as my own.  (Oooh, I should get a flag!)

In the past week, I have vaccummed, wiped and swept every corner -- and ceiling rafters -- of this room multiple times.  The amount of saw dust, lumber, spider eggs, cob webs, random nails, lady beetles, and even an old decayed bat have filled not less than THREE tractor loader buckets.  You folks on the farm know how much that is.  For you city people...that's a New York one-room studio full of trash.

The trash has been burned, many shop tools moved to new shop, a gerry-rigged ceiling has been screwed in place (thank you, hubby), and today is the day I move in.

So, later tonight, I hope to have a picture of my new and hopefully more useful, definitely larger, craft room.  I will make my cards and scrap my picture books together here.

Log on later and see if I have succeeded in meeting my self-imposed deadline...

Spring Dreamin'

Hello ladies (and you wild card gents)!  This is a quick post, as I have to hurry in order to make it to an auction on time.  I love love love auctions.  But I wanted to show my latest card, a "think spring" card, as I know many of us here in the blowy midwest wish that season would come and stay put.

This card was inspired by one that someone else had made.  Only for the bright colors, mind you.  I do not copy!!!  Previously, I had made another bunny card with the flower behind her, and I think it looks like a little thought bubble.  Don't you?  So I called this card "Spring Dreamin', and it is also my entry for the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #53.

Like I said, I have an auction to run to, so here's the quick details...

• the paper is mostly all heavyweight cardstock
• the font was printed from my computer and laboriously scissored and mounted to the backround.  There is string behind all that
• cartridges used are (ironically) Winter Woodland for bunny, the thought bubble and flowers come from Accent Essentials
• the thought bubble flower, and other paper parts were distressed using a Tim Holtz product
• Cuttlebug pressed the polka dots onto the green paper
• Ribbon Boutique is the brand for the ribbon
• the button is a spare that I find here and there, attached with floss
• I couldn't resist putting a little white pom-pom puff on as the bunny cottontail.  I mean, how could he live without it?!?!?

Oh, here's my other original card that was the design inspiration for my spring card.

So, goodbye!  I'm off to bid er' up (whatever that may be)!!!

Happy Birthday Beaver Card

Hello there.  I wanted to share with you a card I made today.   This little guy has skills.  He is confident, colorful, and goofy...all the attributes an animated beaver should possess, I suppose.  Here are some details to the card:

• Cricut Cartridges Used:  Birthday Bash, Wild Card
• Paper:  Walmart brand cardstock
• Patterned Argyle Diamonds:  Cuttlebug mini polka dots
• Juggling Balls & buttons:  Tree House Studio pom-poms
• Outside Orange "stitching":  free-hand using Creative Memories bold tip markers

I love making brightly colored cards, but I can tell you that gluing this one down was not a cinch.  I used Scotch fast-drying glue, some Elmer's spray adhesive, and Elmer's glue dot runner.  In the end, I had to hot glue the balls, as they kept falling off.  So the weight on this card is half glue!

I hope you like my card.  Thanks for looking :)

This Lucky Dog card was made with help from my Cricut, using primarily gold, yellow and green paper on cream parchment. Much time was spent on this card by capitalizing on my sick day, as I'm on the end run of a bad case of ....I Don't Know What that Crud was, But I'm Glad It's Gone.

Anyhoo, the cartridges used were Accent Essentials (the rings and the bottom border) and cute crooked-smile dalmation came from Create a Critter.

The stars come from a pulled-apart fiber string by the Paper Studio. The letters were a great find from an auction, and Color Box ink helped to add some color to this kiddy-bling creation.