I have two posts today:

It's a brand new Monday-ready for the week?  Not me!  I'm still trying to recover from my vacation week-which was very fun, but extremely action-packed!   The summer feels like it's flying by, but we have a fun Christmas in July challenge to keep you cool over at BBTB2.  My post for that is just below.  Exploring Cricut is having an On the Farm Challenge this week!  Scroll down one post to see my layout for it.  Hope you guys have a great week!  

All Spruced Up layout (for BBTB2)

It's Christmas in July at BBTB2 this week!  Here's another chance to get ahead on some Christmas cards or projects-even though it's hard to even imagine Christmas when it's hot outside...so I'm thinking myself cool and making my hubby listen to Christmas carols (he thinks I'm insane, lol!).  I made a layout for pictures of us working on the Christmas tree last year.  The title All Spruced Up is from the Winter Frolic cartridge.  The image of the children carrying the Christmas tree is from one of my favorite cartridges, A Child's Year.  The print paper is from the Echo Park This and That Christmas collection.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-title
A Child's Year-children with tree
Paper-Echo Park This & That Christmas collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

We'd love to see you get started early on some Christmas cards or projects and link up with us at BBTB2 to share them!  The design team has made some great things to help you get started!

Fresh and Tasty layout (for Exploring Cricut)

Our challenge theme for Exploring Cricut this week is Down on the Farm-use a farm animal on a project.  I made a layout for pictures of a family BBQ and added in some animals to represent the food.   We had a huge feast of barbecued ribs and honey wings -it was delicious, in case you are wondering!  I used the cow and barn from Create a Critter, along with the cute postage stamp shape for the journal box.  The chicken is actually a layer from the weather vane on County Fair.  The paper is from a collection called Farm Fresh by The Paper Studio.

Cricut:
County Fair-chicken
Create A Critter-cow, barn, postage stamp journal box
Paper-Farm Fresh collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Go check out the rest of the Design Team projects at Exploring Cricut and play along with us with a farm animal on your project!

Sun and Sand layout (for BBTB2)

My Design Team sister Caroline has chosen the beach as our challenge theme at BBTB2 this week!  Makes me just want to go dig my toes in some sand, although that's in short supply here in the Midwest!  I did find some pictures of us with our toes in the sand, however, from a trip to Florida a few years ago that I hadn't gotten around to putting in an album.

I used a couple of different cartridges for this layout.  The font is from Life as a Beach, which does NOT have a shadow, so I cut the letters a second time in dark brown and offset them slightly to give a shadow effect.   The sand castle is from Doodlecharms and the seahorse and shells are from Create a Critter.

Cricut:
Life As A Beach-font
Paper-Tahitian Beach Stack print, solids CM
brown chalk ink

There are great projects to look at over at BBTB2, so pretend you are sitting in the sand with some waves breaking over your toes and enjoy!  We'd love to see your beachy themed project too :)

U R 2 Cool Dude! layout (for Exploring Cricut)

Today is my day for the daily project at Exploring Cricut!  I took some great pictures of my guys gaming with some of their friends, which inspired my U R 2 Cool Dude layout.  They have been having so much fun this summer playing!  (We are kind of addicted to Lego Rock Band and the Wii Sports!)  I used the Robotz font for the title and the game controller is from Boys Will Be Boys (it kind of looked like the Wii game controller...).  The paper and stickers are some leftovers from the awesome My Mind's Eye Boy Crazy collection.

Cricut:
Robotz-font
Boys Will Be Boys-game controller
Paper-My Mind's Eye Boy Crazy collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Hope you check out all the great stuff at Exploring Cricut every day and get inspired to create!  Diane has also created an Exploring Cricut Facebook page, so you can see the daily projects there as well.

I have two posts today:

It's Monday on a brand new week and I have two posts today!  To see my post for the BBTB2 ice cream challenge, scroll down one post.  My post for the Exploring Cricut Christmas in July blog hop is just below.   We are heading off to the big city of Chicago for vacation tomorrow for a week, so I am super excited for this week to get rolling!   There are museums to see and shopping to be done!!!!!  Hope you have time for some summertime and crafty fun this week too :)

Noel card for Christmas in July (for Exploring Cricut)

It's Christmas in July at Exploring Cricut and we are having a blog hop!  Don't you want to get a few of those Christmas cards or gifts made ahead of time?  Our blog hop has some ideas for you!  You should have arrived here from Kathy's wonderful blog (I have the hop list at the bottom, in case you get lost.).

For my project, I got started on my Christmas cards, using some of my paper left over from last year.  I wanted my Christmas card to look kind of rustic and simple, to go with the woodgrain background paper.  I used the Winter Frolic cartridge for the Noel with the bird and the Swiss dots embossing folder.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-Noel
Paper-woodgrain paper is Echo Park, solids are CTMH
brown chalk ink
sentiment stamp-Stampin' Up

So go ahead and get a head start on Christmas-it's so much easier when the cards are already done before the Christmas rush!  I get together with my mom, nieces, and BFF in late September/early October every year and spend a fun day making Christmas cards.   It's super fun because there is NO STRESS-Christmas is still months away!  The other designers at Exploring Cricut have some great projects to share-the blog hop schedule is posted below!  Go see what crafty goodness Liz has for you on her blog :) from here.

Blog Hop Schedule

Starting at Exploring Cricut

Sharon http://meemeescreations.blogspot.com

Donna  http://wwwkindredkreations.blogspot.com

Georgiana  http://carsonscricutcreations.blogspot.com

Rae Ann   http://joyinart.blogspot.com

Emily  http://emilyqueenofallthingscrafty.blogspot.com

Annette  http://mymindsdustbunnies.blogspot.com

Michelle N  http://justanutterpapercrafter.blogspot.com

Kathy  http://kathy213-kathyscorner.blogspot.com

Michelle S  http://cricutcrazyscrapper.blogspot.com-You are here

Liz  http://unikbyyes.blogspot.com-Go here next

Diane  http://happyscrapperdiane.blogspot.com

On Cloud Nine layout (for BBTB2)

It's national ice cream month (now there's a holiday I can get behind!) and my BBTB2 DT sister Brenda has selected any ice cream cricut die cut for our challenge this week.  I've been playing around with the very nifty Nifty Fifties cartridge and used the ice cream cone for my layout.  I have some great vacation pictures of my family slurping down ice cream cones on a hot day (the ice cream was heavenly cool and wonderful) that will go on my layout.  The title and font are also from Nifty Fifties.  The title was inspired by this super cute cloud background paper from the Carta Bella Cool Summer collection.  The ice cream cone and sandwich stickers are from the collection also.

Cricut:
Nifty Fifties-all cuts
Paper/stickers-Carta Bella Cool Summer collection prints, solids CTMH
brown chalk ink

We would love to have you play along with us at BBTB2 with a cricut ice cream die cut!  The rest of the design team has some delicious projects, so go take a peek :)

Getting Wet layout

I've got a swimming pool layout, inspired by this background paper from Authentique that reminded me of the tiles on the walls of our pool.  My whole layout is in shades of soft blues and yellow, picked up from the bg paper.  I used the Mickey Font for the title and the rest of the cuts are from the Pack Your Bags cartridge.  The kids and I are enjoying lazy days of summer and spending time in the pool every day!  I'm going to link this to the Craftin' Desert Divas Summer themed link party.

Cricut:
Mickey Font-title
Pack Your Bags-all other cuts
Paper-Authentique prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Over the Hill birthday card

We have a friend who is turning 50 this weekend, so I had to make a special birthday card for this event, lol!  I've found lots of inspiration on the Nifty Fifties cartridge recently, and I used the vintage car image for my card.  The sentiment (a quote from Charles Schultz)  is where it gets fun though.  It says "Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed."  It made ME laugh anyway, but we'll see what the birthday guy thinks!

Cricut:
Nifty Fifties-car, cut at 2 1/2 in.
Paper-CTMH solids, polka dot from the stash (card is sized for a business envelope, fyi)
Sentiment stamp-Stampin' Up set
Stamp-quote is also stamp from my stash, but I have no idea where I got it
ink-Memento Tuxedo Black

I'm going to link this to the SOUS Nifty Fifties die cut challenge.  

Peter Pan's Flight layout (Disney project for BBTB2)

It's my first time to host the challenge at BBTB2 this week!  I love all things Disney, so I picked a Disney theme-use a cut from any Disney cartridge!  But what if you don't (gasp) have any Disney carts?  Then play along with a princess themed cut (since it's all about the princesses for the girls).  My boys are more into the masculine Disney characters however, so I have a Peter Pan themed layout, complete with Peter Pan and Captain Hook.  My guys all want to duel with Captain Hook!

 I used the Disney Classics cart-so many fun cuts on this cart!!!!  So, we've got Captain Hook and his ship, along with Peter Pan hanging out by the Indian teepees with a chest that might possibly contain gold.  John and Michael are flying over to Never Never Land (I really wanted Wendy flying over too, but didn't have enough room).  Note:  I did the eyes with my white gel pen plus a black pen for the pupils, as the pieces were too tiny to work with.  The ship was cut using fit to page, which came out at 11 inches.   The Peter Pan title with the compass is also from Disney Classics ( although I used Nate's ABCs for the word flight).

Cricut:
Nate's ABCs-font for the word Flight
Disney Classics-all other cuts
Paper-CTMH and CM
brown chalk ink

This was one of our favorite rides at the Magic Kingdom.  I hope you have as much fun scrapping your Disney memories as I am having!!!!  Join us with a fun Disney project over at BBTB2 this week and go check out all the REALLY cool stuff the design team has made!

Happy Birthday layout (for Exploring Cricut)

I have a birthday layout today for the daily project for Exploring Cricut!  If your family is anything like ours, there are a LOT of birthdays to celebrate between the kids and all the cousins.  I used the Sweet Treats cartridge for all the cricut cuts on this bright and cheery happy birthday double layout.  The paper is from an old Bo Bunny line called Ad Lib.  I wanted something with fun happy colors!

Cricut:
Sweet Treats-all cuts
Paper/stickers-Bo Bunny Ad Lib prints, CM solids
brown chalk ink, foam tape

Check out the daily projects every day at Exploring Cricut or check out the Facebook page!  There is something fresh and new every single day to get you using all your different cartridges.

I've got two posts today:

Happy 4th of July week!  I hope you have some time for fun and relaxation to celebrate.  I have to work at the hospital on the fourth, but will get done just in time to go see the fireworks with the fam-so it's all good :)  I have two post today and both are 4th of July layouts!  My post for BBTB2 is just below and scroll down one post for my Exploring Cricut post.  Hope you have a wonderful week!

4th of July layout (for BBTB2)

We have a patriotic theme for our BBTB2 challenge this week!  The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays of the year-besides celebrating our wonderful country, it is just more laid back and casual than many of the other holidays.  We always go to see the fireworks show in our city park, which is lots of fun.  Our little suburb of the KC metro usually puts on a great show, complete with band music and hotdog vendors.  We take a cooler, lawn chairs, and a frisbee and have a blast.  It's just a really fun community event.

I've made a layout for my pictures of the event, using A Child's Year for the boy on the rocket and the Phrases cartridge for the title.  I found this fabulous paper from Authentique- the kind of retro looking postcards are from the back side of one of the papers.  I added the Reach for the Stars stamp on my journal box as a little extra fun touch!

Cricut:
A Child's Year-boy on firecracker
Phrases-title
Paper-Authentique prints, CM solids
Stamp-K Andrews
brown chalk ink

Have fun joining us at BBTB2 with a patriotic/4th of July project-I so enjoy browsing blogs to see what you make!  And I hope you have a wonderful 4th, however you may be celebrating it!

I'm also going to link this to the Fantabulous Cricut challenge and the Cut It Up challenge this week, since they are both also doing patriotic themed challenges.

4th of July with a flag layout (for Exploring Cricut)

Our challenge for Exploring Cricut this week is to make something for 4th of July, including a flag!  I am making layouts for my fireworks pictures.  I used the silhouette die cut from the A Child's Year cartridge (love this cart-one of my faves) of the boy driving the car with a flag on the back and some stars!  There are always kids running around with flags and streamers everywhere in the park all evening, before the fireworks show.  I only had a few scraps of my print paper from Authentiqe left, so I had to get creative with it!

Cricut:
A Child's Year-all cuts
Paper-Authentique prints, CTMH and CM solids
brown chalk ink
square punches
The Exploring Cricut challenge lasts for a week, so join us with a project!