I have two posts today:

Are you excited about the three day weekend with the 4th of July this week?  I have to work the night shift before the 4th, but I plan to be up in time for some BBQ and the fireworks show!  I have two posts today.  For Exploring Cricut, I have a layout for our vacation (including a sign) challenge that I made for pictures of our upcoming vacation to Estes Park, CO.  We are planning to do some hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park!  Scroll down one post for my layout for the BBTB2 4th of July challenge-I'm planning to take some family pics at the fireworks on the 4th!  Hope you have a great week and get to enjoy some extra time off with the holiday!

Take a Hike layout (for Exploring Cricut)

It's a vacation challenge at Exploring Cricut this week, with a twist-include a sign on the project.  I have a hiking/outdoor themed layout for you.  We are going hiking in the beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park on our summer vacation to Estes Park, Colorado.  I am expecting to shoot a few (OK, a lot!) of pictures on the trail!  I used a whole bunch of cartridges to try to capture the outdoors feel for my layout.

I used the Outdoor Man cartridge for the hiking boots, binoculars, compass, and moose.  Then I added the sun from Doodlecharms.  The stand of trees is from the Disney Classics cartridge.  The title font is the Frogs and Snails font from the CM Stork's Delivery cartridge.  And last, trail sign is from Campin' Critters.    The base paper is from a really old Echo Park collection and the print paper is also from Echo Park.  I hand cut the ground strip, using a wave template.

Cricut:
Doodlecharms-sun
CM Stork's Delivery-font
Disney Classics-stand of trees
Campin' Critters-trail sign
Outdoor Man-all other cuts
Paper-Echo Park print and bg paper, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

There are lots of vacation projects to see from the design team at Exploring Cricut-hope you'll link up to our challenge with a project!

Red, White, and Boom! layout (for BBTB2)

Hi guys!  I get to host the BBTB2 challenge this week!  Since the 4th of July is almost here, I thought that should be the challenge theme.  So make a new project related to the holiday in some way, using a cricut cut.  I made a layout for the pics I'll take of us at the fireworks, using the CM This and That cartridge for all the stars and the Type Candy cartridge for the font.  The design team over at BBTB2 has a whole bunch of inspiring projects to get your creativity started!  I hope you'll make something fun and link it up with us!

Cricut:
CM This and That-layered stars, star border
Type Candy-sugar script font
Paper-The Paper Studio blue bg paper, CTMH solids

Cool in the Pool layout (for BBTB2)

It's a Summertime Fun challenge at BBTB2 this week!  We've been enjoying some summer fun time in the pool, so I have a "Cool in the Pool" layout.  I used the H2O cartridge for the sun, beach ball, and sunscreen and the CM Traveler cartridge for the flip flops and sunglasses.  The font is from the Robotz cartridge-I wanted a big fun chunky font for this layout.  The supercool print papers are from the Echo Park Paradise Beach collection from last year-I thought the background paper resembled swirling water perfectly.

Cricut:
H2O-sun, beach ball, and sunscreen all cut at 3 inches
Robotz-font, cut at 1 1/2 inches
CM Traveler-sunglasses cut at 2 inches, flip flops cut at 3 inches
Paper-Echo Park Paradise Beach collection prints/stickers, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

I hope you will check out the DT projects at BBTB2 and link up a project with us!

Summertime Fun layout (for Exploring Cricut)

Today is my day for the daily project at Exploring Cricut!  I have a layout full of sunshine for you to capture that summertime feel for any occasion, using the CM Cheerful Seasons cartridge for all the cuts.  The super fun monogram font, called Cheerful Shapes, is also from this cartridge, which I really like.  I picked some sunshine yellow background paper and put a variety of cricut cuts that sort or screamed "SUMMER" to me.

Cricut:
CM Cheerful Seasons-all cuts
Paper-Colobok Beach House collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Graduation layout (for BBTB2)

Anybody graduating this year?  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is graduation!  My 5th grader just graduated from elementary school so I made a layout for the pictures using the Teddy Bear Parade cartridge for the dapper looking graduate bear and Recess Lite for the diploma and cap.  The cute paper is all from my favorite paper company, Echo Park.  I added a little stamping and stickers from the paper pack and was very happy with how it all turned out!  My 5th grade dude looked almost as cool as the graduate bear at the ceremony-we were so proud of him!  I have to brag-he received the Presidential Academic Excellence Award for making straight As all through 5th grade!!!!  He definitely rocks!

Cricut:
Teddy Bear Parade-graduate bear cut at 4 1/2 inches
Recess Lite-graduation cap cut at 3 inches, diploma cut at 2 1/2 inches
Paper/Stickers-print papers Echo Park School Days collection, stickers Echo Park Paper and Glue collection, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink
Stamps/ink-TPC graduate set, Memento tuxedo black

Wedding bells card (for Exploring Cricut)

Our challenge at Exploring Cricut is to do a wedding project using black and white with a touch of another color.  I made a wedding card to have in the stash, as we don't have any upcoming weddings this summer.  I'm not good under deadlines at coming up with card ideas, so I'm glad to have one in ready to go (I have to have plenty of time to let my ideas sort of gel….)!  I used the CM Divine Wedding cartridge for my wedding bells, but any bells would substitute if you don't have that cartridge.  My card has lots of layers-I put the wedding bells on the oblong shapes from Elegant Edges and used two different embossing folders to add visual interest to the white mats.  I think I could customize this design using one of a couple's wedding colors in place of the pink.  Of course, gold or silver would look pretty awesome too.  I may be making more than one of these, lol!

Cricut:
CM Divine Wedding-bells cut at 3 1/2 inches
Elegant Edges-oblong-shift and shadow (on p. 63) cut at 4 1/4 inches
Paper-CTMH pink, white and black card stock from Hobby Lobby
embossing folders
Stamp-Ink-a doo

On the Lake layout

I've made a summer layout for some pictures of us waterskiing and tubing to share with you today.  I used several cartridges for this one.  The title is from the Outdoor Man cartridge.  The circles with the life vest and paddles are from Campin' Critters.  The boat, sun, tubes, and wakeboard are all from Everyday Paperdolls.  I hand cut the waves with an old wave template in my stash.  The pretty blue background paper is from Carta Bella and the striped paper (which I fell in LOVE with) is from the Echo Park Paradise Beach collection.

Cricut:
Outdoor Man-title
Campin Critters-vest, paddles
Everyday Paperdolls-sun, boat, tubes, wakeboard
Paper-Carta Bella bg paper, Echo Park Paradise Beach collection stripe, CTMH solids

I'm going to link this up to the Stuck On You Sketches circle challenge.

Happy Father's Day layout (for BBTB2)

It's Monday and that means we have a new challenge over at BBTB2!  Since Father's Day is next weekend, our challenge is make something to celebrate the holiday.  We are having a big extended family gathering and barbecue to celebrate, so I made a layout for my pictures of the event.  I used the Create A Critter 2 cartridge for the shirt and title and some papers from an older Echo Park collection called A Walk in the Park that I had still left.  I kept it simple, since the pics will be busy!

Cricut:
Create A Critter 2-shirt cut at 3 inches, title cut at 3 inches
Paper-Echo Park A Walk in the Park collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

So if you have a Dad or someone who fills that role in your life, this is the perfect opportunity to make a special card for them and link it up with our challenge.  Check out the DT projects for some inspiration over at BBTB2!

You're a Vintage Model card

The Fantabulous Cricut blog is having a replenish your card stash challenge this week.  I'm barely squeezing this in before the deadline, but finally got some crafty time today to work on it!  My Dad is having a birthday later this month and I wanted to make a funny card for him.  I used the truck on the Just Because Cards cartridge, popping the bumpers up with pop dots for some extra dimension and made my sentiment from some mini letters I had in the stash from the Echo Park Paradise Beach collection.  The truck is extra personalized because I made it the same color as the beat up old truck we had when I was a kid.  I think he'll laugh at the sentiment, since there are going to be A LOT of candles on his cake!

Cricut:
Just Because Cards-truck, cut at 3 1/2 inches
Paper-CTMH solids, Echo Park stickers/letters/print papers
brown chalk ink
pop dots

Dolphin and Sea Lion Show layout (for Exploring Cricut)

TGIF!  Are you super glad it's Friday and the weekend is near?  I am!!!  I get to share the daily project today at Exploring Cricut and I have a Seaworld/Aquarium type layout for you.  While my pictures are from the show at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, the layout would be perfect for Seaworld pictures.  I cut my leaping dolphin from the Pack Your Bags cartridge.  The seal/sea lion is from Animal Kingdom and the water droplets are from the CM Cheerful Seasons cartridge.  The diamond border across the top is some old stickers that I had lying around.  The font is the Mickey Font (one of my most favorite fonts ever!).

Cricut:
Pack Your Bags-dolphin scene, cut at 5 1/2 inches
Animal Kingdom-seal, cut at 3 1/2 inches
CM Cheerful Seasons-water droplets, cut at 2 inches
Mickey Font-title font, cut at 1 1/2 inches
Paper-CTMH solids
Yellow Sticker strips-from an Echo Park paper collection

Check out our latest challenge and the new daily project each day at Exploring Cricut!

I have two posts today:

Happy Monday!  We have enjoyed the first official weekend of summer vacation from school by swimming in our pool for the first time this year!  And by doing lots of yard work, which was not so fun….I'm so sore from trimming and planting that I can barely move today!  I have two crafty posts for you though.  Just below is my Father's Day card for Exploring Cricut, using the Celebrate with a Flourish cartridge.  Scroll down one post for my BBTB2 layout featuring lots of stickle and the Pack Your Bags cartridge.  Hope you have a great week with some crafty time for yourself!

Father's day card (for Exploring Cricut)

Father's Day is coming up this month and our Exploring Cricut challenge is to make a project for dad.  I  made my dad a Father's Day card, using the Celebrate with a Flourish cartridge.  The snazzy striped paper from My Mind's Eye inspired the colors and hopeful feels masculine with the navy mat.

Cricut:
Celebrate with a Flourish-#1 Dad cut at 3 1/2 inches
Paper-My Mind's Eye Moments 6x6 pad for the print paper, CTMH solids
Versamagic jumbo java and night sky chalk ink

You can join the challenge with any cricut or SVG cut, so get that card made early and check out the design team projects!

Under Sea Life aquarium layout (for BBTB2)

It's an altered cricut cut challenge at BBTB2 this week-alter the cut with paint, mod-podge, ink, or whatever you like.  I was making a layout for some pictures from the Shedd aquarium in Chicago, so I jazzed up my undersea critters from the Pack Your Bags cartridge with stickle here and there, plus mr. jellyfish is covered with liquid pearl to make him look all shiny and jelly-like.  I also cut some coral and other critters from Life as a Beach to add to my marine scene (and had to add some more stickle…can there ever be too much….?).  The title font is the sugar script font from Type Candy, my newest font obsession.  Do you ever get on a kick with a font and then can't stop using it?  That's me and Type Candy!

Cricut:
Pack Your Bags-aquarium, turtle, lobster, octopus
Life as a Beach-coral
Type Candy-sugar script font
Paper-CTMH solids
jumbo java and night sky Versamagic chalk ink for the edges
lots and lots of stickle plus white liquid pearl

There are a million ways to alter your cricut cuts and the design team over at BBTB2 have some to show you!  We hope you will link up a project and fun playing along!