I have two posts going up today:

My post for the BBTB2 wedding/anniversary challenge is just below.  Scroll down one post for my  layout for the Pause Dream Enjoy Outdoor Critters challenge.  I hope you have a happy scrappy Monday and some fun this week!  

Sweetheart anniversary card (for the BBTB2)

It's Monday and time for the BBTB2 challenge, which is to make a wedding/anniversary themed project.  My DT sisters have lots of great ideas for inspiration, so check out all their projects at BBTB2!  This challenge was just in time for my wedding anniversary, so I wanted to make a special card for my honey, as  the last sixteen years together have flown by and he is still my sweetheart.

I used three cartridges for this 6x6 card.  I decided to go with a 6x6 size to have plenty of room for my silhouetted couple.  The sentiment is from Paisley and the background heart is from the Sweethearts cartridge.  The silhouetted couple are from my new Suburbia cartridge.  I just recently got it and have so many ideas-there will be more projects with it in the next few months!  It also has two really pretty fonts, although I didn't use them on this card.

Cricut:
Paisley-sentiments
Sweethearts-heart
Suburbia-couple
Paper-print is American Crafts Color Crush, solids are CTMH

We'd love for you to link up your projects at BBTB2 this week!  Spring and summer wedding season is coming up, so make something for your stash!

Love the Earth layout (for PDE Challenges)

Janis has a great challenge to play along with at Pause Dream Enjoy Challenges- Outdoor Critters!  This could be ANY kind of critter, so should be a fun easy one to join in with a project!  Here's the challenge details:

Ch# 9 Outdoor Critters

Begins: Monday, Apr 29

Ends: Sunday, May 12

Prize MFPS "Tweet That"
(must have a USA address)

Winner announced in the WINNERS Page Tab

So, on to MY project.  This gorgeous woodgrain paper from the Simple Stories Vintage Bliss collection made the perfect background for some scenic pictures from the zoo.  I wanted a simple background, so the focus would remain on the pictures.  The title and foxes are from the Give a Hoot cartridge.  The other font and background circles are from Plaintain Schoolbook.  The little strip of accent paper is from a scrap leftover from another project (I believe it is Echo Park paper).  

Cricut:
Give A Hoot-title, foxes
Plaintain Schoolbook-letters, circles
Paper/sticker-Simple Stories Vintage Bliss wood grain paper, solids CTMH and CM
brown chalk ink, pop dots

You Make Me Smile layout (for Exploring Cricut)

I've got a fun daily project for you today for Exploring Cricut!  This layout is for some funny pictures of my boys being silly, although it would work for just about anything.  I found this great title, along with the fun arrows and stars, on the CM This and That cartridge.  The paper is from Echo Park's All About A Boy collection (love that word paper!).   

Cricut:
CM This and That-all cuts
Paper-Echo Park All About a Boy prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

There's a new project every day at Exploring Cricut, so we hope you stop by often to take a look!

I have two posts going up today:

Happy Monday!  My post for Exploring Cricut is just below.  Scroll down one post for my BBTB2 post.  Hope you are able to enjoy some sunshine and lovely weather this week!  

Spring has Sprung Wall Hanging (for Exploring Cricut)

I hope you are enjoying some lovely spring weather!  I've been getting out my spring decorations.  In fact, I made a new wall hanging for the Exploring Cricut challenge this week!  The challenge theme is celebrating spring and including a flower.  I used the CM Cheerful Seasons cartridge to make my "Spring has Sprung" wall hanging.  Don't you love the sweet watering can and flowers?  (I wish my watering can was that pretty...but my daffodils and tulips sure are!)  I popped up some of the cuts with pop dots for some dimension.  The frame was a freebie from CM that I got a long time ago and the black pieces in the corners are magnets (so you can change out the display).

Cricut:
CM Cheerful Seasons-all cuts
Paper-Echo Park Be Happy
brown chalk ink/pop dots

We'd love to see your spring projects with a flower at Exploring Cricut, so link your project up there this week!  The rest of the design team has made some beautiful projects for inspiration, so go check them out :)  Have a great week!

Honk Honk gift bag (for BBTB2)

My DT sister Jayne has picked an interesting challenge this week at BBTB2-make a masculine themed bag, container, or box.  This was a hard one for me, as I don't have many carts with 3D options (Tags, Bags, Boxes and More 2 is on my wish list!).  Good old Plaintain Schoolbook to the rescue!  I made a bag from Plaintain Schoolbook and decorated it using one of my favorite carts, Boys Will Be Boys.  My bag holds several toy cars, which should make any little boy smile!  In fact, one of my big boys appropriated the bag and cars immediately and filled it with Lego action figures and cars!

Cricut:
Plaintain Schoolbook-bag
Boys Will Be Boys-all other cuts
Paper-Nana's kids stack prints, CM solids

So we'd love for you to join us with a new masculine cricut bag/box/etc. and link up to inspire us with what you've made!

good times layout

I was intrigued by the sketch challenge at SOUS this week-while I'm usually not much of a sketch person, I decided to give this one a try!   I used the Fun in the Sun cartridge for my wakeboarder dude and the Phrases cartridge for the good times title.  The fun arrows are from the CM This and That cart.  Sorry the pics are dark-it won't stop raining!!!!

Cricut:
Fun in the Sun-wakeboarder cut at 5 1/2 in.
Phrases-title cut at 2 1/2 in.
Paper-Echo Park All About a Boy prints, solids CTMH and CM
brown chalk ink

These pics made me long for summer, as spring has not really had much in the warm and sunny weather department.  And yes, that's me and Son#1 wakeboarding and Sons#2 and #3 tubing last summer!  Hubby was driving the boat (and it began to thunder and lightning just as he was set up to hit it on the wakeboard, so he didn't get a picture...maybe he didn't have such a good time, lol!).   Fortunately, they did not get a picture of my spectacular wipeout!

I have two posts going up today:

Hope you had a lovely weekend and are ready for a new week!  I have two posts going up this Monday morning to start off the day:  If you are looking for my post for the BBTB2 baby challenge, it is just below.  If you are looking for my Pause Dream Enjoy challenge post about friends, scroll down one post.  May there be some crafty goodness and sunshine in your week :)

Baby card (for BBTB2)

It is a "Welcome Baby" challenge at Bitten by the Bug 2 this week!  The DT has made some adorable projects for your inspiration-I am always amazed at the beautiful things everyone makes!  I made this sweet little baby moon card for a welcome new baby card.  It's always good to have one of those in the stash and I've always wanted to use this cut on Create A Critter because it's so cute!

I decided on a green and yellow color scheme so it would work for either a boy or girl.  The print papers are from the American Crafts Hip Hip Hooray collection and the stamp is an old favorite from Stampin Up.  We'd love to see what baby goodness you can make with your cricut, so I hope you link up your project at BBTB2 this week!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-moon
Nestabilities dies-scallop and oval
Punches-Stampin Up
Ribbon-Stampin Up
Paper-solid CTMH, prints American Crafts Hip Hip Hooray collection
Cuttlebug Swiss dots embossing folder
brown chalk ink

Friends layout

I have a layout today that I made for the Pause Dream Enjoy challenge theme of "friends".  (Hope you will come and play along too-see details at the bottom of the post!)  I had pics of Son#1 with his friends at the park (they are dressed up for an orchestra concert).  I used the CM Cheerful Seasons cartridge for all the cuts, including the font for "fun".  (Did you know this cartridge has three fonts?)  I especially like the leaf in the circle cut.

The paper is from one of my favorite Echo Park collections ever called This and That Charming, with very boy-friendly colors.  I wrestled with finding paper to work with the green ties in the pictures, but this fairly neutral colored background with some accents of green and blue in the die cuts worked.  But I was ready to pull my hair out before I settled on this-it gave me fits, I tell you!

Cricut:
CM Cheerful Seasons-title, leaf in circle, font for "fun"
Paper-Echo Park This and That Charming
brown chalk ink

So here's the challenge details and prize:

Ch# 8 FRIENDSHIP

Begins: Monday, Apr 15

Ends: Sunday, Apr 28

Winner announced in the WINNERS Page Tab

Prize sponsored by TSQ Royal Castle Shoppe
"Royal Friends" Stamp Set
(must have a USA address)

Be Happy, Cool Dude layout (for Exploring Cricut)

It's my day for the daily project at Exploring Cricut!  Spring is here and so are fun days playing at the park.  My boys are thrilled to be outside more!  I made a layout for some colorful action packed park pictures using Groovy Times.  "Groovy Times?" you say, having never seen me use this cartridge before.  Well, it had been sadly neglected, but no more!  This layout is full of happy fun colors and cuts, all from Groovy Times-guaranteed to put you in a good mood!

Cricut:
Groovy Times-all cuts
Paper-The Paper Studio prints and CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Don't forget to stop by and check out the great daily projects every day at Exploring Cricut!  (Don't you just want a smiley t-shirt now?)

I've got two posts going up today:

Ready to face a Monday?  Me neither!  But it's spring at least and I have two posts celebrating spring going up today.  Scroll down one post if you're looking for my BBTB2 April Showers post.  My post for the Exploring Cricut Spring Thing challenge is just below.   Hopefully, the rest of your week will be full of sunshine :)

Backyard Playtime layout (for Exploring Cricut)

It's finally feeling like spring!  My daffodils are blooming and I just want to be able to plant my flower garden (not quite warm enough for that just yet, but soon)!  My layout today is for the Exploring Cricut challenge Spring Thing-include at least 1 button, 2 cricut cuts, and 3 different papers.  It is all about being outside playing in the back yard.  My boys are ready to roam and dig in the dirt!  (At least until it's time to mow the grass, lol!  Then it will be a different story!)

I used Nate's ABCs for everything on this layout and I absolutely love how it turned out!  Such great spring cuts on this cartridge! The background paper and photo mats are from the Echo Park All About a Boy collection.

Cricut:
Nate's ABCs-all cuts
Paper-Echo Park All About a Boy prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink/pop dots

There are lots of great spring projects to inspire you on Exploring Cricut and we hope you will link up with a spring project of your own!

I'm going to link this up to the button challenge at Craftin Desert Divas!

Rainy Day Play Time layout (for the BBTB2)

April showers mean umbrellas, which is the theme for the BBTB2 challenge this week!  I got out one of my favorite cartridges, 3 Birds on Parade, and made my Rainy Day layout, for pics of the kids playing on a rainy day.  I love the bird in his cheery rain boots with his colorful umbrella-he's so darn cute!  I also have a ridiculous fondness for the font on this cart with the bird foot on each letter!!!

The background paper is from The Paper Studio and gave me that rainy day feel, but my bird has his happy umbrella and rain boots to perk him up (the rain also has helped the spring flowers bloom for Mr. Bird).  Plus, stomping in the puddles is very satisfying!  My kids still feel compelled to stomp in puddles, even as big as they are!

Cricut:
3 Birds on Parade-all cuts except puddle and flowers
Paisley-flowers
Everyday Paperdolls-rain puddle
Paper-background is The Paper Studio, CTMH for the solids
brown chalk ink, white gel pen

My DT sisters have some marvelous umbrella projects at the BBTB2, so check them out!  We'd love to see any new projects with a cricut umbrella-so link up :)

Grin and Bear It card (for the BBTB2)

Happy April Fool's Day!  I am planning to be happy and hoping to avoid the fool part.... we'll see how well that works out for me!  But on to the more interesting scrapbooking stuff- the challenge this week at the BBTB2 is to use the cricut teddy bear clown.

My clown bear is from the Teddy Bear Parade cart and I added the circus tent from Create A Critter to give him some atmosphere, as the striped background paper kind of gave me a circus vibe.  This circus needs to have pizzazz, like a good circus should, so I added some bling with orange stickle.  The teddy bear's little balloon dog is on the inside of the card, along with another sentiment, both from Mary of Cardz TV's bear stamp set.   So make somebody in your life smile with a funny clown card this week and join us!

Cricut:
Teddy Bear Parade-clown bear
Create A Critter-circus tent
Paper-American Crafts Color Crush Pad prints, CM and CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Don't you just want to grin at the sentiment on my card?  (unless you are rolling your eyes like my spouse, lol)  It just went with my little teddy bear clown-I couldn't resist, as I love a good pun!  So have some fun with a clown and join us at the BBTB2 this week (remember, it must be new and cut with the cricut)!