Happy Birthday layout

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week features projects about birthdays.  We all need birthday cards, party favors, and scrapbook layouts for those special birthdays in our lives, right?  I've got a birthday card to share with you.  My card is simple and cute with the giraffe and balloon from the Create a Critter cartridge.  I stamped my birthday sentiment below on a handmade little banner.  Done!  I actually used this card yesterday, as we celebrated all the October and November birthdays in my extended family this weekend.  Go see all the great design team birthday projects over at BBTB2 and link one up with us!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-giraffe and balloon
Stamp-Paper Smooches

Coffee, Tea, and Me cards

Happy Monday!  Can you believe it is October already?  The weather here is finally feeling like fall.  It's been a busy weekend of Homecoming events for my high schoolers, so I have a lot of scrapbooking to do, as I took A LOT of pictures.  I'm looking forward to some cozy evenings in my PJs with some hot tea and my cricut to get started!

Our challenge theme this week of Coffee, Tea, and Me at BBTB2 forces me to confess that I don't like coffee...(all my caffeine comes from mainlining Diet Coke).  I do love hot tea, however, and have an entire cabinet full of any kind of tea anyone could possibly want.  Constant Comment and Earl Grey are my favorite blends, but I'm also partial to a good oolong.  Although really I will drink almost any tea except Lipton.  I'm kind of a diva that way!  But on to the cricut part of this post!  I made this first card below using the Wild Card 2 cartridge for my steaming cup of tea.  The second card uses the CM This and That cartridge for the cute little teapot.  The rest of the design team has some hot steaming cups of goodness to share over at BBTB2 and you can link up a coffee or tea project over at BBTB2 for the next two weeks.

Card #1-Wild Card 2

Card #2-CM This and That

Cricut:

Wild Card 2-tea cup and sentiment

CM This and That-teapot

Stamp-Stampin Up set

football

Happy Labor Day Monday!  I am actually working all weekend  at the hospital since it's a 24/7 kind of place, but I hope some of you are getting to enjoy a 3 day weekend!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is football.  I happen to be going to ALL our high school football games this year, as Son#2 is a drum major for the marching band.  It's so exciting to see him up on the podium directing the band for the half time show!  (It's not so much about the football....).   Of course I'm gonna be that crazy band mom who takes 70 billion pictures on the field!  My football-ish layout uses the Graphically Speaking cartridge for the word cuts and arrow, and the football is from the CM This and That cartridge.  I found this awesome football yard line wash tape from Doodlebug that was just the thing for an accent.  There are lots of football projects at BBTB2 and you can link up a project there this week too.

Cricut:
Graphically Speaking-all cuts except football
CM This and That-football
Paper-CTMH
washi tape-Doodlebug

Football layout

Happy Monday!  We have a football themed challenge over at BBTB2 this week...cue the Friday Night Lights!  I've spent time on the bleachers this fall cheering on our high school team and watching Son#2 perform with the marching band, so I have a lot of pictures to scrap!

My football layout below could be customized for any school or NFL team by changing the colors.  I found this awesome football field background cut on the Sports Mania cartridge to get my layout started.  Our school colors are purple and gold, so my photo mats and lettering use those colors.  The Varsity Letters font gave that "school" feeling font for the high school initials.  And then of course I had to add a football!  While my layout will be of the band marching their half-time show on the field, this would work well for sports pictures if you have an athlete or get to attend an NFL or college game. Hope you will join us with a project and go see the design team projects over at BBTB2!

Edited to add:  The background is the Sports Mania cartridge, not the All Sports.

Cricut:
Sports Mania-background football field cut at fit to page
Varsity Letters-NKC font
CM This and That-font for half time show, football

Disney layout day!

Happy Monday!   Our BBTB2 challenge today is to use an imaginary character-well, I think ANY Disney character would qualify, right?  This makes it a Disney layout day for me, so if you love the Mouse and have a million pictures to scrap, hopefully you will find something fun to scrap lift.  And since I had several Disney projects to share, you are getting all three, although only two have imaginary characters.  These were so much fun to make, although I will admit to a bit of swearing while putting Buzz Lightyear together (DO NOT cut him small….unless you want to lose your mind!).  Please note:  for the BBTB2 challenge, any imaginary character will meet the challenge requirements-it does not have to be Disney related.  Go check out the design team projects over at BBTB2 and link up a project this week!

Hollywood Studios layout:

Cricut:
CM Traveler -Beach Bum font
Mickey and Friends-Disney and Mickey Mouse
Artbooking-vertical photo frames
Paper/chipboard piece/sticker-Simple Stories Say Cheese II collection prints, CTMH solids
square punch for photo corners
brown chalk ink

Epcot layout:

Cricut:
CM This and That-globe
Mickey Font-font
Paper/Chipboard-Simple Stories Say Cheese II collection
brown chalk ink

Buzz Lightyear layout:

Cricut:
Plaintain Schoolbook-stars
Toy Story:  Buzz Lightyear and title
Paper-CTMH solids

Friends layout

Happy Monday!  Hope it's a beautiful day in your neck of the woods!  I got a little much needed crafty downtime here and there this weekend, which was super fun.  We also went to see the Kansas City Airshow to watch the Navy Blue Angels perform, which was amazing!  Those jet pilots are something else!  You will be amused to know we also came home with a complete set of Blue Angel toy airplanes that the boys and their father just HAD to have, lol!

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is all about celebrating friends.  My layout uses the CTMH This and That cartridge for the Friends title and journaling spot.  The fun little swirly accent and stars are from the CM Be Young cartridge.  I wanted bright happy colors and paper to go with my happy pictures!  Our design team at BBTB2 has some projects to inspire you with whatever you create.

Cricut:
CM This and That-title, journal box
CM Be Young-swirly star, extra stars
Paper/Sticker-Doodlebug Hip Hip Hooray prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

orange you sweet fruit stand card, love you to the core fruit stand card,

Happy Monday!  School is in full swing after starting last week and I think all of us are in shock….homework and school evening events already!  I've gotta get my stash for the carpool line all set up (insulated beverage cup for me, e-reader, pens, emergency kleenex, and emergency snacks/H2O for the teens).  You never know who's going to practically pass out from having forgotten lunch or has a nosebleed before you get home!!!  Or announces that there are three forms you MUST sign TODAY right as you pull up to the school.  And have no pen.  Of course that has never happened to ME…haha.  It's certainly not going to happen this year because I will be PREPARED!  

So, on to crafty business.  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is summer fruits and I have some delicious fruity cards to share.  I made these as a set, so I will show all three of them (although I posted the last one on the blog awhile back).  The fun Doodlebug Fruit Stand paper inspired all three cards.  Card #1 is full of orangey goodness with the orange slice from the CM This and That cartridge.

Cricut:
CM This and That-orange slice cut at 2 inches
Paper-Doodlebug Fruit Stand 6x6 pad prints
brown chalk ink, Stampin Up Early Espresso ink for sentiments
ribbon-American Crafts


Card #2 has an apple from the Doodlecharms cartridge at 3 inches and I used the cute apple paper for the background.

Cricut:
Doodlecharms-apple cut at 3 inches
Paper-Doodlebug fruit stand 6x6 collection prints
Jumbo Java Versamark chalk ink for edging, Stampin Up Early Espresso ink for sentiments
Punches-Stampin Up oval and scallop oval punches
Ribbon-Stampin Up real red 1/4 inch grosgrain

Card #3 I have already shown on the blog before, but thought I'd put it here with the others also, since they go together!  The watermelon is from my beloved Doodlecharms cartridge.

Cricut:
Doodlecharms-watermelon
Paper-Doodlebug Fruit Stand collection prints, CTMH solids
Ink-Stampin Up Early Espresso
Ribbon-American Crafts

The rest of the BBTB2 team has put together some summery delicious goodness, so take a look over there and link up a project.

Cruise scrapbook for the BBTB2 "Cool Down at Sea" challenge

Happy Monday!  I hope the sun is shining and you're ready for an awesome week!  I am trying to cram the doctor, dentist, and orthodontist visits for all the kids into this week before school starts and squeeze in some last minute summer swimming fun.  Even though it's the beginning of August, it feels like summer is over with school starting next week for the kids!

 I've been putting together layouts for my cruise pictures from our two cruises this year and thought I'd show you some of them, since our BBTB2 challenge this week is "cool down at sea".  Each layout has the cartridges used above it and the picture spots are for 4x6 pictures unless otherwise noted and they are not in any particular order.  While I usually include the paper line, I didn't here, since this is a long post.  If you are interested in a particular layout's paper line, ask in the comments and I'll be happy to share.  I scrap lifted two of the layouts and I have the original blog listed where I saw the layout.  The rest of the design team at BBTB2 have some amazing projects to cool you off and make you feel that ocean breeze, so go take a look!

Pack Your Bags, CM Traveler (font)
first page

Pack Your Bags
(scrap lifted from the fabulous Obesessed With Scrapbooking blog)
has 2 5x7s and 3 4x6 pics

 Pack Your Bags
I showed this a few weeks ago for the lobster challenge.

Pack Your Bags, Zoo Day (font)

for pics of our room

Doodlecharms, Create a Critter
for pics of our beach day (I've got to add the name of the beach on there in the center strip)

 Life As A Beach, Doodlecharms, A Child's Year (hands)
pics of our visit to the Mayan ruins at Tulum
has an 8x10, 2 5x7s, and 2 4x6s

Pack Your Bags, CM This and That (font)
trying out the surf simulator on our ship
1 8x10, 2 4x6s, and a 4x4

 Artbooking
for beach pictures at Tulum

CM Traveler

(scrap lifted from Cooking With the Cricut)
will add the name of the beach on the life preserver

Everyday Paperdolls, CM This and That

for pics we took snorkeling in Grand Cayman

Life Is a Beach, Artbooking
the horizontal pics are 4x6, the 2 vertical photo frames will be for 3 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches
the vertical frames are popped up so I can slide in the pictures

Life Is A Beach, CM Traveler font, handcut banner
Whoops, I reversed the left and right side of the pages for the picture….

Create A Friend, Doodlecharms (journal box)
pictures of the ship/ocean

Create A Friend
I showed this one on the water challenge a few weeks ago.
for pics on the beach and boogie boarding

Pack Your Bags, CM This and That
for underwater pics in Grand Cayman

Music layouts

So we have a music challenge this week at BBTB2.  Since all my kids are very musical, I make a lot of music projects.  I have several musical themed layouts I've done over the last year that I haven't shared on the blog, so this is like a whole concert of layouts, lol!  I have kids in both band and orchestra and I have to say that the Quarter Note cartridge is the one to have if you have musical kiddos!  I use it ALL the time.

Project #1

However, this layout is NOT about the kids!  As a birthday gift last year, my husband got tickets for us to see my favorite band (Maroon 5) in concert when they came to the Sprint Center in Kansas City.  It was so much fun going to see the concert and of course I took some pictures...  My guitar and font are from the CM This and That cartridge-love the funky guitar (it feels rock and roll…).  The music notes are also from the cartridge.

Cricut:
CM This and That-all cuts
Paper-CTMH solids, bg paper unknown

Project #2

As Son#2 is in the marching band, pep band, AND jazz band at his high school, I have taken a lot of band pics this year.  My son plays trombone in the band, but this design could be changed up to include any instrument.  The frames are pop dotted so I can slide a picture underneath.  The high school band and orchestra students "fondly" refer to each other as band geeks and orch dorks, hence the band geeks title.  Guess I need to make an orch dork layout too for Sons#1 and #3!

Cricut:
Quarter Note-trombone, band hat
Artbooking-frames, notes, arrow
Zoo Day-title font
Paper-band bg paper unknown, Echo Park blue paper, CTMH other solids
brown chalk ink

Project #3

Another music layout for band and orchestra pictures from the pops concert last year for pics of all 3 kiddos playing…I wanted bright colorful paper for this fun end of the year concert of pop music.

Cricut:
Quarter Note-clef, notes
Robotz-font
Paper-Echo Park bg paper, CTMH solids

Project #4

Son#2 won the instrumental prize at the school talent show last year on piano (yes, he plays trombone AND piano and sings too), so I made this layout for the pics.  I had to trim some of the flourishes off the piano (from Quarter Note) to make it fit.  

Cricut:
Quarter Note-piano, microphone, keyboards, clef and notes
Nifty Fifties-guitar
Mickey Font-title
Paper-Echo Park prints, CTMH solids

Project #5

This layout is for an orchestra event where Son #1 is wearing a tux, so I wanted a more formal look for the layout with black, white, and cream.  Loved the music paper and the Quarter Note cartridge!

Cricut:

Elegant Edges-journal box

Quarter Note-all other cuts

Paper-bg print is Echo Park, music paper The Paper Studio, CTMH solids

Tea-rific thank you card (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  It is another week of what I've dubbed "May Madness", with end of school events EVERY single night.  Can it just be June already?  But for BBTB2, we have only good things in May, such as our teapot/teacup challenge this week.  I made a "Tea-rific" thank you card, using my favorite  teapot from the CM This and That cartridge.  I have a coffee and tea themed stamp set from Stampin Up that had the "tea-rific" stamp and the cute little stack of cups I stamped inside.  Hope you brew up something cute and join our challenge this week-I know I need to make about half a dozen teacher thank you cards before the end of the school year!

Cricut:
CM This and That-teapot cut at 3 inches
Stamp-Stampin Up
Paper-CTMH solids, Fancy Pants Park Bench 6x6 collection prints
brown chalk ink

Boys Will Be Boys layout

 While I have been busy working on Christmas projects, I needed a little change of pace creatively yesterday.  Since Fantabulous Cricut is having an anything goes challenge, I made a boy themed layout for some pics of my boys using some fun Echo Park paper from the stash in non-Christmas colors!  I was in a creative rut with Christmas red and pine green, so some bright primary colors made me happy!  The adorable dino and rocket are from the CM This and That cartridge and the title from one of my faces, Boys Will Be Boys.

Cricut:
CM This and That-dinosaur, stars
Boys Will Be Boys-title, rocket

Paper-Echo Park Little Boy prints, photo mats Echo Park Paper and Glue, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

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

Star Student layout (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  I hope all the moms out there had a wonderful day yesterday!  I got to spend my day with most of my extended family, including my amazing mom!  And my kids made me breakfast served on a silver tray!  But on to crafting….it's a school themed challenge at BBTB2 this week-great for those end of year school events coming up here in May.  I can personally attest to the fact that if you have school age kids, between all the end of year concerts, award banquets, parties, and graduation it gets kind of crazy!!!

For my project, I made a layout for pictures from some of the end of year events we will be attending this month.  Since it will include pictures of all three kids, I went with a general title of Star Student.  The Star Student font is the sugar script font from the Type Candy cartridge.  The stack of books and the layered stars are from the CM This and That cartridge.  I went with bright primary colors to match the cute print papers are from the Echo Park Paper and Glue collection.  Gotta love that book print paper!  I'm going to print my pics 3x5 instead of 4x6 so it will show too.

Cricut:
Type Candy-Sugar Script font cut at 1 1/2 inches
CM This and That-books cut at 4 inches, stars cut at 3 inches
Paper-Echo Park Paper and Glue collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink
square punch (cut in half for the photo corners)

Can't wait to see what you'll come up with for the school themed challenge-I'm looking forward to seeing projects!  Check out the cool design team projects over at BBTB2 for some inspiration!

Enjoy Life layout (for Exploring Cricut)

Today is my day for the daily project at Exploring Cricut!  My "Enjoy Life" layout is for pics of the boys, using paper from Echo Park's All About a Boy collection from last year.  The "Enjoy Life" theme is pretty multipurpose, so this title would work for a variety of pictures.

I used the CM This and That cricut cart and the CM Traveler cart. The star border and the Enjoy Life title are from the This and That cartridge.  The font is from Traveler.  (You could change the star border to anything that suited your layout theme.)   To make the little accent bar at the left bottom of the layout, I cut a 1 3/4 by 4 inch rectangle.  I used a 1 1/2 inch square punch to punch a square out of the corner.  I used a 1 1/4 inch square punch to cut the three orange squares.  You can see how I layered the squares over the rectangle and added some stickers plus one square is accenting my journaling box.  (I was shown this in a CM workshop long ago-it's a good way to use small stickers on a big layout where they might get overwhelmed alone.)

Cricut:
CM This and That-title and star border
CM Traveler-font
Paper/stickers-Echo Park It's All About a Boy collection
brown chalk ink
CM square punches

There is a new daily project every day at Exploring Cricut, so check back there tomorrow to see what is in store for inspiration!  Diane has lots of excellent projects and challenges planned!

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!

Zoo Day layout (for Exploring Cricut)

The challenge this week for Exploring Cricut is fun and easy:  2 cricut die cuts from ANY cartridges on a project!   While trying to tackle a backlog of zoo pictures, I made a layout using the Zoo Day cricut lite cartridge for the titles and the CM This and That cartridge for the paw prints and journal box.   Clean, simple, and yet hopefully fun!

Cricut:
Zoo Day-titles
CM This and That-pawprint cuts, journal box
Paper-BG paper is Color Bok Beach Collection, solids CTMH
brown chalk ink

Have fun checking out the rest of the design team's projects for some cricut inspiration and play along over at Exploring Cricut this week!

Cute as a bug layout (for BBTB2)

Ladybugs are the challenge theme this week at BBTB2!  I couldn't wait to do this one-I've been going through some old baby pictures of the kids and this will be the perfect layout for a few of them.  Ladybugs are the only kind of bugs I really like because they are actually cute!

I used the CM This and That cartridge, as it it had this "cute as a bug" phrase for my title (even including a ladybug!).  I added another ladybug, also from the cartridge,.  It's all in soft candy colors inspired by my background paper from My Mind's Eye (the photo mat paper is from Echo Park).  I added some little dots (also from MME) for the ladybug eyes, just for fun!  Sorry my pics are not ideal-I really struggled with the lighting the day I took these, as there was a serious lack of sunshine.  I tried to lighten them up, which washed out the color!  Suffice to say, it is much prettier in real life!

so here we have my complete layout, which I had to photo edit the heck out of with only so-so results:

the colors are more true to life here:

Cricut:
CM This and That-all cuts
Paper-BG paper is My Mind's Eye The Sweetest Thing collection, Photo mat paper is Echo Park Sweet Day, solids are CTMH, journal box and smile card are Simple Stories Vintage Bliss collection
brown chalk ink/pop dots

The design team has made some adorable and fun ladybug projects for inspiration, so check them out and come play with a ladybug of your own!