Fun and Sun layout (for Exploring Cricut)

It's my day for the daily project at Exploring Cricut today and I have a summer layout for you using the Artbooking cartridge!  The sun and flowers on the journal box are stickers, but everything else is from Artbooking, including the overlays for the background.  I hand cut a piece to back the word Paradise, since it didn't have a layer to put underneath.  This made for a quick layout for my pool pictures!  Hope you all have a relaxing Labor Day weekend!

Artbooking-all cuts
Paper-CTMH solids, Stickers are Echo Park

Get to know you blog hop

So there are some get to know you blog hops happening right now and I was tagged to participate.  I am a day late posting as life has gotten a bit away from me, but that's just how it goes some weeks!

Acknowledge the person who tagged you:

My bloggy friend Jaren from http://purpleparadisecreations.blogspot.com tagged me to share in this Get to Know You Blog Hop.  I have gotten to know her work through the design team at BBTB2 and love going to see what she makes every week!  Like me, she is a busy mom and I'm super impressed that she finds time to blog!!!!

What you are working on?  

I always have several projects going on at once.  My scrapping area always looks like a disaster!  In addition to weekly design team projects, I am currently working an album for all our summer vacation pictures from our trip to Estes Park, CO and Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as scrapping all the pictures from our regular summer activities.  I am also starting to plan Christmas cards.

How does your work differ from others of its genre?

I am primarily a scrapbooker and enjoy getting our family photos into albums where we can look at them.  I prefer double page layouts with multiple photos and a clean uncluttered design.  I generally work with 4x6 photos that I can easily print on my home printer.   While I occasionally print special sizes, I'm all about speed which means I usually stick with 4x6.  My preferred album size is 12x12, although I also occasionally make mini albums for gifts.  I also stamp and make some cards, but it's not my creative focus.  I am not much for making 3D items because with three active boys and a crazy cat, paper decorative items don't seem to survive around here!  Once in awhile, I'll make a calendar or wall hanging that can't get knocked over by the kids or shredded by the cat.

Why do you write/create what you do?

As I never able to go to crops anymore between work and kids, blogging has given me a chance to share my projects and get inspired by other people's amazing stuff.  My job as a critical care nurse at a large urban trauma hospital is often full of sad, depressing situations and is VERY stressful, so scrapbooking is like my happy therapy.  


How does your writing/creating process work?

I surf my favorite blogs and also use Pinterest to get ideas.  Anything can spark a layout idea, although my final product rarely looks anything like what inspired me-the project usually kind of veers off into unknown territory at some point.  I often sketch ideas while waiting in the car line at school.  I have to snatch my creative moments whenever I can!

I'm kind of a paper addict (LOL!) and love to have paper from my favorite companies like Echo Park, Bo Bunny, and Carta Bella around to work with.  I use my Cricut for almost everything and love being able to make things in whatever size and color I want.  A Cameo or Cricut Explore is on my someday wish list….but for now I'm pretty content with my Cricut.  I don't have a computer in my scrap area so I don't use the Cricut Craft Room, but I get along just fine with just me and my original Cricut Exression.   I'm very visual, so I have to have everything spread out around me where I can see it (hence the giant mess!).  

I'm going to leave you with some links to blogs I like to surf:
http://janaeubank.wordpress.com
http://nannes-creations.blogspot.com
http://www.craftindesertdivas.com

Happy Scrapping!

Happy Birthday layout (for Exploring Cricut)

We've got a birthday challenge (with glitter) over at Exploring Cricut this week.  As we are entering into what I jokingly call "the birthday season" at our house (we all have birthdays in the next four months), I am pleased to have a layout ready to go!  I used the Robotz cartridge for the big chunky font, Sweet Treats for the rocket (which has a little stickle on the tail), and Wild Card for the streamers and stars.  I'll add the name and age onto the bottom strip using the Robotz font when I add the pictures.

Cricut:
Robotz-font, cut at 2 inches
Sweet Treats-rocket
Wild Card-streamers, stars
Paper-Bo Bunny Surprise collection prints/sticker, CTMH solids

the perfect Homecoming dress layout (for BBTB2)

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use a cricut dress or dress form cut.  I had some photos of Son#1 and his girlfriend from  Homecoming last year to scrap.  I used the Formal Occasions cartridge for all the cuts on this layout.  I'm going to put their names in the blue sky space, but left that off for the blog photo.  I love the pretty formal dress and tux jacket cuts and I used blue for the flowers and shirt, since it will match their clothes in the pics.  I have some great pics of them all dressed up!

Cricut:

Formal Occasion-all cuts

Paper-CTMH solids

I'm looking forward to seeing the projects everyone does for this challenge-I thought of several different ways to do this, but really wanted to get these pics in the album.  The design team's ideas are all over at BBTB2 for you to see for inspiration!

Hello Summer layout (for BBTB2)

I've got another summertime layout today, for our BBTB2 challenge to use a cricut sun!  We have been enjoying lots of summer fun in the last few weeks, from swimming to cookouts to waterskiing-I have SO MANY pictures!!!!  So I've got to get going on some more summer layouts before fall arrives!  The cricut cuts on this layout are all from Doodlecharms (except the font), which was the first cartridge I ever bought and it remains one of my favorites still.  This also happens to be my favorite sun of all the cricut suns I have.  The cute font is from the CM Stork's Delivery cartridge-it is the Frogs and Snails font.  The paper is all from Echo Park.  

Cricut:
CM Stork's Delivery-title font
Doodlecharms-all other cuts
Paper-Echo Park Summer Bliss ice cream print, Echo Park Dots and Stripes other prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

The design team projects are full of sunny goodness, so check them out over at BBTB2 and link up a project with our challenge!

I love summer layout

Today is my day for the daily project at Exploring Cricut!  This tasty summer layout was inspired by the yummy watermelon background paper by Imaginescence, although I think it would look cute on a solid green or red background too.  Doesn't it look delicious?  (Just makes me crave some melon!)  I used the Simply Charmed cartridge for the title and watermelons and Elegant Edges to make the journal box.  This is for my stash of family picnic photos that need a home.

Cricut:
Elegant Edges-journal box
Simply Charmed-all other cuts
Paper-Imaginescence

Check out the projects on Exploring Cricut every day for something new to inspire you!

I have two posts today...

Happy Monday!  It's back to school this week at our house and that is what both my posts are about!  The kids start back Wednesday and then all the car-pool moms I know go out for coffee to catch up after the summer!  I'll admit to actually being kind of sorry it's time to start back, as it's been so fun having all the kids home this summer.  But I'll have a bit more free time for crafting and a chance to get a bit more sleep before my work shifts, so it's all good.  My post for the BBTB2 Back to School apple challenge uses the Artbooking cartridge, just below.  Scroll down one post for my Exploring Cricut Discover layout, using Boys Will Be Boys and Lockertalk.  Have a great week!

Ready Set Go First Day of School layout (for BBTB2)

It's a back to school challenge using a cricut apple at BBTB2 this week.  I used the Artbooking cartridge to make my back to school layout, plus some stickers and paper from the Echo Park Paper and Glue collection.  The picture frames (including the one with the ruler) are from Artbooking and so is the journal box, apple, and titles.  I take pictures of the kids every year with their backpacks before we leave for school on the first day, so I've got my layout ready to go!  Aren't the picture frames just super cool looking and fun?  For the notebook paper one, I actually just added the border cut to the top to make it look like a frame.

Cricut:
Artbooking-all cuts
Paper-Echo Park Paper and Glue collection prints/stickers, CTMH solids

The DT has lots of cute school projects featuring an apple and we'd love it if you link up a project!

Discover layout (for Exploring Cricut)

We have a back to school challenge at Exploring Cricut this week!  I used the Boys Will Be Boys cartridge for my title and the Locker Talk cartridge for the rest of the cricut cuts.  (The glasses are a sticker lying around in my stash.)  This is all ready for some pics of my youngest, who is starting middle school this week-many new things await, including lockers and changing classes every hour.  Fortunately, he's more excited than nervous since his brothers have been full of advice!

Cricut:
Boys Will Be Boys-title
Locker Talk-all other cuts
Paper-CTMH solids
white gel pen, yellow stickle

The Design Team at Exploring Cricut has some wonderful projects to share, so I hope you'll link up to our challenge this week!

nature layout (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  It's been a super busy week with another crazy one coming up-high school registration for Son#1 and doctor/dentist/orthodontist visits for everyone before school starts!  I know there is really lots of hot weather left, it just FEELS like summer is over when school starts.  We are gonna squeeze in some family outdoor fun in this last week and half though, with trips to the amusement park, zoo, and lake for some more waterskiing!

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is also about the outdoors, specifically camping!  I made a layout using the Campin' Critters cartridge, using several of the badge images.  My layout will actually have hiking photos on it from our Estes Park vacation recently, so I went with a more general title from Graphically Speaking instead of a more camping themed title.  I actually found this awesome background paper while shopping on vacation in the Rockies-scrapbooking treasures are truly everywhere!!!!

Cricut:
Campin' Critters-badges, each cut at 2 1/2 inches
Graphically Speaking-nature title, cut at 2 inches
Paper-Best Creations Inc print, CTMH solids

Ticket to Ride layout

Today is my day for the daily project at Exploring Cricut and it's all about roller coasters and summertime fun at the amusement park!  I used the Carousel Lite cartridge to cut the roller coaster and ticket booth.  My teen is from the Paper Doll Teen Scene cartridge and I gave him a cup of soda from Carousel.  (I could add some $$$ for all the concession money, lol-what a ripoff!)  All the tickets are also from Carousel.  I added the word RIDE to the tickets using the Mickey Font, along with the title.  My layout will have some pics on it from Disney and Universal Studios from earlier this year, since we braved all the big coasters (in spite of my better judgement…however, I survived so it's all good!).  My pictures are bright and colorful, so I wanted bright colorful papers-these Echo Park papers hit the spot.

Cricut:
Carousel-coaster cut 6 inches, tickets cut at 1 1/2 inches, ticket booth cut at 8 1/2 inches, cola cut at 1 1/2 inches
Teen Scene Paper Dolls-summer boy cut at 6 1/2 inches
Mickey Font-font
Paper-Echo Park Summer Bliss prints/stickers, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Check out all the unique and creative daily projects at Exploring Cricut each day for a dose of inspiration!