happy birthday layout with Artbooking (for BBTB2)

I've started playing with the new Artbooking cartridge (that I got for my birthday) for the BBTB2 challenge, selected by my fabulous DT sister Melanie!   I have a ton of birthday pictures to get scrapped from Son#1's b-day last week (and a few from mine), so I played with the birthday layout ideas.

This cartridge has TONS of overlays!  Artbooking is kind of different in the sizing from the typical cricut cart, so all this (frame, titles, overlays, presents, and cupcake) was cut at the 11 inch size-the handbook tells you the size to cut everything at.  (Very convenient if you are making the layout like theirs, not so much if you are trying to cut individual elements for your project, which I was trying to do for another project.)  The fun print papers are from the Bo Bunny Surprise collection.

Cricut:
Artbooking-all cuts, sized at 11 inches, including star overlay, picture frame, presents, cupcake, titles.
Paper-Bo Bunny Surprise collection prints and journal box, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Check out the DT projects for some overlay inspiration and link up your project with us :)

Gimme a big smile layout

I have a fun and easy boy layout for you today for the Exploring Cricut daily project-using the Phrases cartridge for the title!  The gears  on the layout are cut from the CM This and That cartridge (you can also find gears on some other cartridges if you don't have that one).

It was all inspired by the cool print paper from the Echo Park A Boy's Life collection.   I added some buttons, brads, and stickers from the paper collection to finish it off.  I have a whole bunch of random silly 3x5 photos of my boys taken with my iPhone to go here, so the title is just perfect!  The gear paper is 4x6, so it will show too.  Sorry the colors didn't photograph too well for whatever reason (i.e. photographer errors, lol....).

Cricut:
Phrases-title
CM This and That-gears
Paper-Echo Park A Boy's Life collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink
buttons and brads-Stampin' Up

FYI:  this title would work for so many layouts and you could change the gears to flowers to make it a girl layout very easily.

Keep checking out all our daily projects over at Exploring Cricut-they are sure to wow you and get you using your cricut!

I have two posts today:

Happy Monday!  I've had such a busy weekend that I'm almost glad it's Monday-is that crazy or what? I'm looking forward to this week because my mom and I are going to play hooky from life and scrap all day Tuesday while the kids are at school!  I have two posts today for two fun challenges.  If you scroll down one post, you'll find my layout using Surburbia for the Exploring Cricut "What's Cooking" challenge.  Just below is my Purrr layout using the Meow Lite cartridge for the BBTB2 cat or dog challenge.  Hope you all have a great week with some beautiful fall weather and scrap happiness in your life!

Purrr layout (for BBTB2)

So my fabulous DT sister Shelly's dog or cat challenge this week for BBTB2 really poses a deep philosophical question:  are you a cat or dog person?   I have to admit I am a 100% a cat person.  I cannot imagine my life without a furry cat friend in it.  Our cat keeps us constantly amused with his antics-he is VERY smart and silly too!   I used the Meow Lite cartridge for all the cuts to make my layout (the kids take lots of ridiculous pictures of him...) and cut two of the fun cats for my page.  I especially like the one of the cat tangled up in the yarn-that is SO our cat!

Cricut:
Meow Lite-all cuts
Paper-CTMH solids, bg print DCWV stack, brown print is Bella Blvd
brown chalk ink

I would love to see what you think on this cat or dog issue-so show us your projects over at BBTB2!  The DT has lots of fun ideas to get you started.

Coffee, Tea, and Hot Chocolate layout (for Exploring Cricut)

Ready for a fun challenge?  Our theme this week at Exploring Cricut is "What's Cooking?"  As cooler weather approaches and fall sports season is in full swing, I dug out some pictures of us at an outdoor event where we warmed up with some hot beverages.  Hot chocolate just tastes even better when you're outside on a crisp fall day!  I overlapped some of the photo mats so I could get lots of pictures on there.

I used the Surburbia cartridge for my coffee and teapot and cup.  The pretty font is also from Surburbia.  (I am really liking that cartridge.)  The print paper is from Cosmo Cricket.

Cricut:

Surburia-all cuts

Paper-prints Cosmo Cricket Honky Tonk collection, solids CTMH

brown chalk ink

We'd love for you to cook something up for our challenge!  Link your project up at Exploring Cricut :)

Endless Summer layout

I just got the Artbooking cartridge for my birthday!  This is my first project with it-it will definitely take some getting used to, as the sizing is designed to make whole pages.  I found it difficult to figure out the sizing for the individual elements if they had layers, like the surfboard (because the real dial size does not let you cut the layer properly).   Very different than the other cartridges in that respect!   But on to the layout...

 It still feels like summer here....and I am still working on pictures from summer vacation!  The Bo Bunny Key Lime collection paper did most of the work for me (LOVIN' this paper), but I added the title, wave, and surfboard from Artbooking.  The shapes that I stamped on are also from Artbooking, stamped with the coordinating stamps from CTMH-the stamp set listed what size to cut the image and even included the page number, which was kind of cool.

 

Cricut:
Artbooking-all cuts
Paper-Bo Bunny Key Lime collection prints, CTMH solids
Ink-Stampin Up Close to Cocoa
Stamps-CTMH

I discovered Artbooking does not work like I'm used to.  It has pre-designed layouts to make it easy for scrapbooking, so all the cuts are made at the same indicated size for the layout and cut out proportionally to fit it.  As I was just using some of the cuts and not the entire layout, I found this very annoying, but if you are making the whole pre-designed layout, it probably makes things very simple to never have to change the size dial for any of the cuts.

I'm going to link this to the Fantabulous Cricut ABC/123 challenge this week :)

Natural Beauty layout (for BBTB2)

So are you enjoying any cooler fall temperatures yet where you live?  It finally cooled slightly here just this weekend, after weeks of miserable heat and humidity.  My lovely DT sister Sharon has selected our challenge this week for BBTB2 and the theme is autumn.  This would be my favorite time of year, were it not for the pollen!  (I must remain heavily medicated at all times to be functional!)  But I love it when the leaves start to turn and it's a little cooler after the hot summer!

My layout is for some pictures taken on a fall hike last year, which I have yet to print (the kids keep using up all my printer ink on ridiculous things!!!).  I used the Give A Hoot cartridge for all the cuts, including the charms.  (I love this cartridge and think it is overlooked-it's full of animal and nature cuts.)  The paper is is from the fun and fresh Doodlebug Happy Harvest collection.

Cricut:
Give A Hoot-all cuts
Paper-Doodlebug Happy Harvest collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

You can play along with us easily-just make a new fall themed project with a cricut cut, and link it up at BBTB2!  My DT sisters have some great projects to look at to get you started!

Carnival Rides layout (for Exploring Cricut)

Today is my day for the daily project at Exploring Cricut!  Sorry I'm getting this up a little late!  Did you go to the carnival or county fair this summer?  Or maybe going to a fall festival with some rides?  If so, this layout is for you!  I can't resist snapping pics of my kids on the carnival rides.  It reminds me of carefree days when I was a girl, going to the Missouri State Fair!  My layout uses the Carousel Lite cartridge to document the fun!  The ticket booth, merry-go-round pony, and title are all from Carousel.  I added some embossing with my Swiss dots folder for some texture.  The colorful background paper is from TPC Studios.

Had to add some swiss dots for texture to the title

some more swiss dots on the horse-isn't that bg paper cool?

And the fun ticket booth cut (I should have added a little face peeping out....)

Cricut:
Carousel-all cuts
Paper-TPC studios bg paper, CTMH solids

You could change up the color scheme to adapt this for a fall festival layout very easily, and go with yellow and orange.  Check back to see the daily goodness at Exploring Cricut each day-we want to inspire you to use your Cricut!

I have two posts today:

Hi guys-I'm looking forward to a fun and busy week!  We are getting ready for Son#1 to have a birthday on the weekend, with a big family party and BBQ goodness!  Plus there are lots of school events-we will be hopping all week!!!  I'm hoping to squeeze some crafty time for me in there too, though.  I have two posts today for you.  My layout for the Exploring Cricut Back to School challenge is just below.  Scroll down one post for my birthday card for the BBTB2 Shape Up challenge (for the birthday boy!).  I hope you all have a wonderful week :)

Study and Learn layout (for Exploring Cricut)

It's Back to School week at Exploring Cricut-although my kids have been back to school for a few weeks now already!  It started early this year!  I always take a picture of each of them with their backpack, plus one of all three boys on the first day of school, so I made a layout using the Recess Lite cartridge.

Our challenge included using a school theme with the virtually all the primary colors plus including a ribbon.  My background paper is from the Bo Bunny Learning Curve collection-isn't it just so fun?  The school themed print photo mats are from Kaisercraft's Class Act collection.  The photo mats are sized for 4x6 photos, but I'm printing them at 3x5, since I want some of the cute photo mat paper to show.  All the cuts are from the Recess Lite cart.

Cricut:
Recess Lite-all cuts
Paper-solids CTMH, bg Bo Bunny Learning Curve collection, photo mat Kaisercraft Class Act collection
brown chalk ink
ribbon-Stampin Up

We'd love to see your back to school projects, so link up with us at Exploring Cricut!  You can check for a new project everyday, either on Facebook or on the EC website, to see what the design team has cooked up to get you using all your cartridges.

Birthday Bash card (for BBTB2)

Shape Up (make a shaped card) is the challenge my cool DT sister Jayne has put before us this week.  As Son#1 has an upcoming birthday, I decided to try out one of the many shape card options on the Birthday Bash cartridge and make his card.  This shaped card actually has the birthday bash sentiment as part of the card shape, along with the cute scalloped edge!  I added circles from Plaintain Schoolbook and used the Birthday Bash font to put the age on there too.  The inside happy birthday sentiment is also from Birthday Bash.

Cricut:
Plaintain Schoolbook-circles
Birthday Bash-all other cuts, card cut out at 5 1/4 in.
Paper-solids CTMH, print is from Basic Grey Life of the Party collection
brown chalk ink

This is a great design for a fast card-I cut and put the whole thing together in about 20 minutes!   (That does NOT include the 20 minutes I spent deciding WHICH of the shaped card options on Birthday Bash I wanted to cut out, lol!)  Go check out the huge variety of shaped cards at BBTB2 for ideas, and play along with with us!

Hear the Music layout

The Fantabulous Cricut challenge this week is to create a music themed project.  I have a pile of pictures from various school music events waiting to be scrapped, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to tackle some of them.  I used the Quarter Note cartridge for all the cricut cuts and the music/violin background paper and instrumental photo mat paper are from the DCWV Performance stack.  The stamp on the journal box is from a My Pink Stamper set called Music Speaks.  My pics are 3x5, so some of the instrumental photo mat paper will show, since it's so cool!

Cricut:
Quarter Note-all cuts
Paper-DCWV Performance stack prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink
stamp-My Pink Stamper Music Speaks set
ink-Stampin Up Early Espresso
square punch-for photo corners (cut in half)