4th of July layout

 Happy Thursday!  Are you looking forward to the 4th of July?  I am planning our traditional BBQ/pool party with the family and friends.  We've started watching the musical Hamilton together on the 4th for the last few years, which has been a really fun addition.  I know I'll be taking some photos, so I made a quick layout ahead of time mainly using images from the Artbooking collection, with the addition of a title from Create A Critter.  I hope you all get to enjoy some festivities over the 3 day weekend!  

Cricut:

Artbooking-overlays, photo frames, rockets

Create A Critter-title

female birthday

Happy Monday!  We finished off the summer with a bang, spending a few days in St. Louis with the kids plus a couple of extras.  Take away:  the Arch is very tall and shiny and St. Louis also has good barbecue.  We sort of did a barbecue tour of Missouri, lol.  While we all voted we prefer the KC style BBQ, it was fun trying out St. Louis' best.  It's been quite a week when we got back, as we sent Son#2 off to his freshman year of college.  Leaving kids at college is REALLY hard....the hardest part of parenting so far, I think.  I have a few more weeks before Son#1 leaves, thank goodness.  Son#3 started back to high school last week as well.  The quiet is so strange after a full house all summer plus extra kids staying with us.

Our BBTB2 challenge theme for this next two weeks is birthdays for the ladies and girls in our lives.  I made a birthday card for one of my nieces, featuring one of the adorable cats from Create A Critter.  I had a fun stamp from Lawn Fawn that says "Happy Purrrrthday" that I used for the sentiment.  Punny cards are my favorite kind!  She's a knitter, so she will like the cat with the ball of yarn stamped on the inside.  I hope you will join us over at BBTB2 with some birthday cards and you can see the design team projects for inspiration!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-cat
Paper-Doodlebug Hello Sunshine 6x6 prints, CTMH solids
Stamps-Lawn Fawn Meow You Doin'
brown chalk ink for edging

Sunny Days layout

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is an "anything goes" spring theme.  I don't know where spring is, but it is NOT anywhere near my house.  It snowed (again) yesterday!!!!  We miss you, spring-come soon!  So, I guess I will have to get my spring fix from my layout for sunny days and kite flying.  The happy cloud background paper from Doodlebug just made me want to be frolicking outside on a sunny spring afternoon in the yard (reality would be yard work, not frolicking, but I'd be smiling in the sunshine at least while I planted flowers).  I used the Create A Critter cartridge for all the cricut cuts, including the title.  The design team over at BBTB2 has some sweet springy projects to excite you and you can link up yours there too.

Cricut:
Create A Critter-sun, cloud, title, kite, heart houses
Paper-CTMH solids, Doodlebug prints
brown chalk ink for edging

Butterflies Scrapbook layout

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use a butterfly on a project.  There are so many different cricut butterflies to choose from that I had a hard time narrowing down which one I wanted to use.  I finally did rock paper scissors and ended up with the one from Create A Critter, lol!  Who knew crafting decisions could be so hard, right?  On our vacay to San Francisco recently, we went to the California Academy of Sciences Museum, which had a very cool rainforest full of butterflies and other things under a 4 story bio-dome.  My layout has pics of some of the butterflies, flowers, and other rainforest animals we saw.  You can see cool projects from the rest of the design team and link up a project over at BBTB2 this week, so go take a peek!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-butterflies and frog
Type Candy-font
Paper-Doodlebug Spring Thing prints, CTMH solids  

Lorikeet Feeding layout

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is birds.  I had some pictures from a zoo trip last year to scrap and used my favorite cricut bird from Create A Critter on the layout.  There are so many cricut birds to choose from but that one has remained my favorite!  There is a whole flock of bird projects to see over at BBTB2 from the design team and you can link your project up there as well.

Cricut:
Create A Critter-bird, word cloud
Artbooking-photo frames, title font
Paper-Echo Park Jungle Safari

friends forever

Happy Monday!  Hope you are enjoying the Memorial Day weekend!  Our BBTB2 challenge theme this week is friends.  I had pictures to scrapbook of Son#2 with friends at the jazz band dance, so my layout used the word friends from the Create A Critter cartridge and flowers from Artistry.  The rest of the design team has some friendly projects over at BBTB2 to see and you can link one up too.
Sorry my pic is so dark-it was rainy and gloomy when I took it so the lighting was not great.

Cricut:
Artistry-flowers
Plaintain Schoolbook-big circle
Create A Critter-friends
Paper-CTMH Hello Lovely prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Silly Pop Up birthday card

Happy Monday!  It's looking a little sunnier at my house-the teens have survived finals and only have two more days of school!  I'm hoping life will slow down a bit and leave more time for crafting, lol!

Our BBTB2 challenge is a birthday theme this week.  There is a story behind my card-I recently made a pop up birthday card for my niece, who loves to knit.  Her gift was a funny t-shirt with lines from the Dr. Seuss book altered to feature knitting, such as "I will knit on a train, on a boat, on a plane".  It was hilarious!  So for my pop up card to go with the gift, I added things that were mentioned on the shirt, using a couple of cartridges.  It came out really fun and she loved it.  I made my pop up card using this tutorial from split coast stampers.  There are cute birthday projects to see over at BBTB2 and you can link your project up there this week as well.

Cricut:
Create A Critter-animals
Artistry-font, yarn
Boys Will Be Boys-train, boat
Stamp-Cricut bundle with the Flower Market cartridge

Mother's Day card

Happy Monday!  It's a little crazy around my house this week, as finals continue for the teens.  We also have concerts and awards nights every single evening this week, culminating in my senior graduating Friday night!  I am so sure I'm going to cry through the whole graduation ceremony that I have assigned my Dad to take the pictures.  I told him one of us has to be the grown-up and keep it together and I am sure it cannot be me, lol!  My extended family is going to celebrate graduation and Mother's Day with a big BBQ on Mother's Day and heave a big sigh that we got through the week.

Mother's Day is also our BBTB2 challenge theme.  I took that as an opportunity to make my mom's card (STOP READING, MOM!).  I was feeling a happy flower vibe for this card, so I used the smiling Create A Critter flowers to make my little flower bundle with some happy Doodlebug paper.  The cute stamps are from an old set by Paper Smooches.  This is your opportunity to make something special for your mom....and the design team at BBTB2 has some inspo for you to see to get you started.  You can link up your design there too.  Hope you have a wonderful week!!!!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-flowers and leaves
Stamps-Paper Smooches
Paper-Doodlebug and TPC prints
Ink-Stampin Up Lucky Limade

It's a Sweet Life layout

Happy Monday!  Although it's not so happy at my house, as the next two weeks are finals weeks for the high schoolers...stress levels are approaching Defcon 1 with AP and IB exams starting today.  Plus all the end of year concerts/programs are happening.  And we are dealing with the emotional impact of all the last events for my senior.  Gonna need a LOT of Diet Coke to get through the next two weeks!!!!

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is insects-butterflies, bees, etc.  I used some cute little guys from Create A Critter for my layout.  It was inspired by this layout I saw on Pinterest by Michelle Snyder, which I used as a sketch for the basic shape of things.  Can't wait to get some fun spring pictures on here-it will be a sweet life once finals are over, lol!  The rest of the design team projects are up over at BBTB2 and you can link up your designs there too.

Cricut:
Create A Critter-butterfly, bee, caterpillar
Artistry-font
Paper-Doodlebug Spring Time collection prints, CTMH solids
Doodlebug washi tape

Cute animal

Happy President's Day Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge theme this week is cute animals, which inevitably leads me to create with two of my all-time favorite cricut cartridges- Create A Critter and Create A Critter 2.  I have several pieces of Create A Critter goodness to share!  As always, the designers over at BBTB2 have some wonderful projects to see and you can link up a project as well.

Project #1
This birthday layout will feature pics of my teens and their cousins, partying it up with birthday cake and ice cream!

 Cricut:
Create A Critter 2-party pig and party chick
CM Be Young-font
Paper-Echo Park

Project #2
This little card cutie was inspired by the sentiment.Isn't he cute?

Cricut:
Create A Critter-whale
Wild Card-card base
Plaintain Schoolbook-circle
scallop edge for the waves
Stamp-CTMH Animal Greetings
Ink-Tsueinko Memento Black
liquid glass on whale's spout

Project #3

 I made this layout of hiking pictures from last summer with some of the adorable critters.

Cricut:

Create A Critter-animals, stump and log

CM Be Young-font

Paper-Doodlebug

Wild Things layout

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use two of something on a project.  My layout for some zoo pictures has two monkeys, along with lots of other adorable critters from the Create A Critter cartridge.  We took the kids and their cousins to the zoo earlier this month, so I have a bunch of funny zoo pictures to scrap.  Our zoo has "borrowed" some koalas from the San Diego Zoo for the summer, so we had to go see them (and I had to put a koala on my layout)!  Apparently koalas sleep 20 plus hours a day, according to the exhibit info (they certainly slept through our visit!) and I feel like I could also be a koala-it sounds very relaxing, don't you think?  The polaroid style photo frames are from the Artbooking cartridge and the font is from the Stork's Delivery cartridge.  Hope you will check out the rest of the design team projects over at BBTB2 and join us this week with two of something.

Cricut:
Stork's Delivery-Frogs and Snails title font
Artbooking-polaroid photo mats
Create A Critter-all other cuts
Paper-CTMH solids, Echo Park bg paper
brown chalk ink
square punch for photo corners

Butterflies

Happy Monday!  I am hosting our BBTB2 challenge this week!  I am feeling all about spring, so I selected Tiny Winged Things as our challenge theme. This could be butterflies, bees, dragonflies…whatever moves you to create! I used the sweet butterfly from my beloved Doodlecharms cartridge for this birthday card.  The background scalloped circle and circle are from the Create A Critter cartridge.  Because this card will be for a teenage girl, I used the So Social stamp set from Stampin Up for the @birthdaygirl and #awesomeness sentiments.  (It's all about the hashtags and social media with my teens and their friends, lol!)  My card is happy and bright for spring and quick to make!  Join us by linking up a tiny winged project over at BBTB2 and see what goodness the design team has for you!

Cricut:
Doodlecharms-butterfly
Create A Critter-scallop circle and circle
Stampin Up punches for sentiment shapes
Stamps-Stampin Up So Social set
Ink-Stampin Up Early Espresso

Feeling Frosty penguin layout

Happy MLK Monday!  My family is happy to be huddling at home on this super cold holiday (with temps in the negative numbers to start the day!!!).  Apparently we have Canadian arctic air that has moved in, according to the weatherman.  I would really prefer the Canadians keep their arctic air in Canada, however the cold is a good excuse to be crafty in the basement next to my space heater, right?  Because I might freeze if I have to go to the grocery store.  #seriouslynotkidding

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use one of the many cricut penguins on a project.  I had penguin pictures from the Shedd museum in Chicago in the "need to be scrapped" pile, so I made a layout using the Create A Critter igloo and penguin.  Mr. Penguin is hanging out feeling all frosty on top of his igloo!  (I'm feeling a little frosty too, just sayin')  The "just chillin'" phrase is from Artbooking, along with the fun frames.  The title font from the CM Stork's Delivery cartridge is one of my favorites, with it's funky fun feel.  And isn't that penguin paper from Echo Park the bomb?  There is an abundance of adorable penguins over at BBTB2 for you to look at and we hope you link up a project with us!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-igloo, penguin
Artbooking-just chillin' and photo frames
CM Stork's Delivery-title font
Paper/stickers-Echo Park, CTMH solids

Fish Tales layout

Happy Tuesday!  I've got a layout I made for some of the underwater photos I took snorkeling this summer.  My friendly little fishy critters and sea life are all from the Create A Critter cartridge.  The polaroid style photo mats are from the Artbooking cartridge and the title font is from Learning Curve.  I cut my sand border on the bottom with an old template I had lying around.  I'm going to link this up to the animal challenge over at the Cut It Up Challenge Blog.

Cricut:
Artbooking-square photo mats
Learning Curve-title font
Create A Critter-all other cuts
brown chalk ink, square punch for photo corners, CM wavy cutter
Paper-CTMH solids, Echo Park Walking on Sunshine fish print paper

Happy Bird-day card

Happy Monday!  I am still recovering from returning home last night from our cruise vacation…a little sunburned and sore, back to the real world, sigh.  Where no one comes in and tidies up the room every time you leave or brings diet Coke right to the deck chair looking out over the ocean.  I wanted to take our room steward home with me, lol!  So we all know pictures are worth a thousand words, so here's a couple before we get to the scrappy portion of this post...

this is the life

Labadee, Haiti is truly tropical paradise

my boys climbing up Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica

my fellas ready to zipline

swimming with the stingrays in Grand Cayman

snorkeling on the reef in Grand Cayman, where the water is crystal clear

Now to the crafty stuff!  Our weekly challenge at BBTB2 is to make a shaped birthday card.  It's always good for me to have birthday cards in the stash, because I am just not very creative at the last minute.  I used the Birthday Bash cartridge to cut the scalloped card base and my cute chick wishing a happy bird-day is from Create A Critter (which I think might be my all-time favorite cartridge).  This card was SUPER fast to make.  Although in case you're wondering, I made it before the vacation!

Cricut:
Birthday Bash-card base, cut at 4 1/4 inches
Create A Critter-chick cut at 3 inches
Stamps-My Pink Stamper set
Paper-Bo Bunny prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Un"frog"ettable layout (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  This is my second try at getting this week's post up-I managed to originally post my project for a later challenge!!!!  Whoops!  My husband and some of the kids are sick, so it's been a LOOONG weekend around here.  So our BBTB2 challenge this week is frogs…I had to ponder that for awhile and decided to incorporate a pun and use the cute frog from Create A Critter for a layout for some family pictures.  Hope you'll play along and join us with a project to link up over at BBTB2 :).

Cricut:
Create A Critter-all cuts
Paper-Echo Park Hello Summer prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

It's a Spring Thing! layout (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  It's back to real life after my cruise, so there is going to have to be A LOT of diet Coke flowing today to keep me chipper.  On the bright side, I now have lots of fun tropical pictures to scrap, as my hubby and I had a fabulous time with many adventures, including rock climbing, riding the surf simulator, seeing Mayan ruins, cave tubing, zip lining, and just plain ol' hanging out in some deck chairs watching the ocean go by!  We kept so busy I didn't even put on any extra pounds, which is saying something after eating the fantastic cruise ship dining room food.

This is what I'm talking about….deck chair bliss!

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use a sun and cloud, so I have a happy spring layout to share, using a couple of cartridges.  The sun, cloud, butterflies, grass, and flowers are from Create A Critter.  The cute little dog, plane, caterpillar, and kite are from Boys will Be Boys.  The font is from the CM Stork's Delivery cartridge.  I LOVE this fun springy paper from Doodlebug-it makes me feel happy and spring-like just looking at it!  Take a look at our sunny projects over at BBTB2 for some inspiration for this week's challenge!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-sun, cloud, butterflies, grass, flowers
Boys Will Be Boys-plane, caterpillar, dog, kite
CM Stork's Delivery-font
Paper-Doodlebug Springtime collection prints, CTMH solids

Hoppy Easter layout (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  I'm looking forward to Easter this weekend-our family is planning a big get-together with BBQ after church!  And on Saturday night, I will have a bunch of teenagers dying Easter eggs in my kitchen.  Apparently you never get too big to dye eggs.

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use a bunny on a project and I am all about the bunnies this week, between my paper and cute little bunny from Create A Critter.  My bunny is collecting carrots for his Easter lunch, so he has a whole basket full.  (I added some of the little spring flowers because my yard is full of daffodils!)  The cute paper is from the Doodlebug Spring Time collection-I couldn't resist the bunnies!  I hope you'll check out all the DT projects over at BBTB2 and link up your project for us to see this week :)!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-bunny, basket, carrots, flower
CM Stork's Deliver-Frogs and Snails Font
Paper-Doodlebug Spring Time collection prints, CTMH solids

Whoooo loves you card (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  Did you have a good Valentine's Day weekend?  I had to work all weekend but I did get ice cream, BBQ, and flowers which cheered me up, even though it's cold and snowy here.  So our BBTB2 challenge this week is to make a shaped card of some sort.  I used Birthday Bash to cut the scallop circle card base and mat.  The rest of the card uses Create A Critter for all the cuts.  I had an owl from CAC left over from a Valentine project and I just started adding things from CAC and got maybe a little carried away with the tulips, lol!  (I think my longing for spring and temperatures higher than 32 degrees are showing with the tulips…)  There is a whole variety of shaped cards to be seen over at BBTB2, so check out what the rest of the design team has done and I hope you have a marvelous week!

Cricut:
Birthday Bash-card cut at 4 1/4 inches
Create A Critter-all other cuts
Paper-CTMH solids
brown chalk ink
Stamp-My Pink Stamper set

Prayers coming your way sympathy card (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to make a sympathy card.  I find this type of card VERY difficult to make on the spur of the moment, so I like to have one or two in the stash for those times when I need one.  I picked my print papers first-something kind of soft, warm, and soothing from the Fancy Pants Park Bench 6x6 collection that I had tucked on the shelf.  I wanted something with wings for my cricut cut since my sentiment stamp said "prayers coming your way", so I used the butterfly from Create A Critter up on some pop dots.   I cut the ovals with my old CM cutting system since it was lying out on the table, but could have used Plaintain Schoolbook for those.  The team at BBTB2 has some beautiful card ideas to inspire your sympathy card-we hope you'll link up what you make this week so we can see it too!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-butterfly cut at 3 inches
Paper-Fancy Pants Park Bench 6x6 stack prints, CTMH solids
Versamagic Jumbo Java chalk ink for edges
Stampin' Up Pool Party ribbon and ink
Stamps-Paper Smooches Spiritual Sampler
CM oval cutters