There's Snowman Like You layout

Happy Monday!  Santa brought me a Cricut Explore Air 2 (I guess I was good this year!), so I'm having fun learning how to use the cricut design space!  It's a little more complicated than the basic Expression I have been using for years, so I think I'm going to be spending some serious time watching YouTube tutorials.

Our BBTB2 challenge theme this week is snow, and boy did we get some snow here in KC this weekend!  Well over eight inches at my house!  And it was the kind of wet heavy snow good for making a snowman.  Despite being teenagers, my boys still love to go play in the snow, and constructed an enormous snowman in our front yard after romping around with their sleds.  I already had this layout designed before the weather came, using the Winter Wonderland, Artbooking, and Winter Frolic cartridges and now I have the pictures to go on it too.  I REALLY loved how the snowflake came out with all the pretty layers!  The design team at BBTB2 has some great projects and you have two weeks to link one up as well.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-title
Winter Wonderland-snowflake
Artbooking-snowman
Paper-DCWV Holiday stack-The Christmas collection

Deck the Halls layout

Happy Monday!  Can you believe it's December already?  I managed to get my holiday decorations up over Thanksgiving weekend, so it's feeling festive around my house!  My hubby is already over listening to Mannheim Steamroller Christmas tunes while I'm crafting, lol!  And he's got a whole month to go!!!  This week is full of school related Christmas concerts, so he better get onboard with the Christmas tunes!

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is Christmas trees.  I love the piney smell of a fresh Christmas tree!  We got ours last weekend, so I already have tree pictures to put on the layout I made, just need to get them printed.  I used the Winter Frolic cartridge for the trees and title.  The design team has some awesome tree projects for you over at BBTB2 and you can link your project up this week as usual.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-trees, title
Paper-CTMH Beary Christmas prints and CTMH solids

Snow Much Fun

Happy MLK Monday!  Is it cold and possibly snowy where you live (or recovering from an ice storm like KC)?  I am hosting the BBTB2 challenge this week and I selected snow fun as the theme for the week.  Projects celebrating any kind of snowy fun fit the bill for our challenge.  My teens still like to sled and build a snowman when we get a big snow and I used the Winter Frolic cartridge for my Frosty layout.  The design team has some super snowy projects over at BBTB2 and you can link up a new snowy cricut project there.  Don't forget, every project entry is entered at BBTB2 into a drawing for a pack of prizes donated by Cricut at the end of January!

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-all cuts
Paper-Bo Bunny prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

There's Snowman Like You layout

Happy Monday and welcome to 2016!  My family is getting back to the normal routine today after a relaxing holiday break.  I am hosting the first cricut challenge of the year for BBTB2 this week and it is to use a cricut snowman.  We had our first snow over the Christmas break here in the Kansas City area, although it wasn't quite enough to build a snowman.  The kids have their fingers crossed hoping for some snow days in January though!  They were deeply disappointed that all the snow last year came over the weekends and they didn't miss any school at all.

I used one of the adorable snowmen from the Winter Frolic cartridge and my title is also from Winter Frolic for my scrapbook layout.  The papers are from the cute Carta Bella All Bundled Up collection.  The design team at BBTB2 has some very cute snowmen for you to see, so check them out and link up your project this week!

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-snowman cut at 4 1/2 inches, title cut at 3 1/2 inches
Paper-Carta Bella All Bundled Up bg print, CTMH solids
brown and navy chalk ink
square punch for photo corners

The Stockings Were Hung layout (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  Last week has been a very busy at my house between school holiday concerts, birthday parties for Son#2, and getting the Christmas tree!  Things are looking festive now though, with all the holiday decorations up.  Speaking of Christmas decorations, our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use a Christmas stocking on a project.  I've made a layout using the Winter Frolic cartridge for the title, border of stockings, and tag.  I fell in love with this tartan plaid background paper I found at Hobby Lobby-it looks just like my Christmas tree skirt!  Take a look at all the fabulous projects at BBTB2 and link up your Christmas stocking project with us this week.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-all cuts
Swiss dots embossing folder
Paper-TLC studios prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Dear Santa layout (for BBTB2)

It's an anything goes challenge this week at BBTB2, so I'm sharing a Christmas layout!  Winter has arrived here in KC with cold and snow this weekend and I'm starting to make Christmas cards and scrapbook last year's Christmas pictures.  I'm not allowed by the hubs to start playing any Christmas music until after Thanksgiving though, so I have to play carols on the down low (because you've gotta have some Bing Crosby White Christmas and Mannheim Steamroller Xmas music to do Christmas projects) and make my Christmas stuff while he's not home, lol!  I used the Winter Frolic cartridge for all the cuts on this layout.  The reindeer with the Christmas lights tangled in his antlers is one of my favorite cricut cuts-it always makes me laugh for some reason.  There is a variety of cool projects to see over at BBTB2 and we hope you will link up an anything goes project of your own this week!

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-all cuts.  Title cut at 3 1/2 in, reindeer&Santa at 4 in, tree at 4 1/2 in, border at 3/4 in.
Paper-The Paper Studio prints (from Hobby Lobby), CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Dude, Chill card (for Exploring Cricut)

Hi guys!  Today is my day for the daily project at Exploring Cricut and I have a wintery card that one of the kids is using for holiday thank yous.  He wanted something "funny", so this was the result.  This is my favorite snowman on the Winter Frolic cartridge and he looked pretty chill and cool!  I've been dying to use this stamp ever since I got this set.  I cut the speech bubble from the Accent Essentials cartridge.  The background snowflake paper is from the Bo Bunny Powder Mountain collection from last year.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-snowman
Accent Essentials-speech bubble
Paper-Bo Bunny Powder Mountain prints, CTMH solids
ink-Stampin Up Night of Navy
Stamps-Paper Smooches Frosty Fellas

Check out all the fun daily projects at Exploring Cricut every day-you will see great stuff from Diane and all my DT sisters!

Baby it's cold outside layout

Since it's cold and snowy, I've been feeling like making another wintery layout!  I used the Winter Frolic cartridge for this one, which will have pics of the kids playing outside and then coming in for some hot chocolate.   The print papers are from the super cute Fancy Pants Timber Grove paper collection.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-all cuts
Paper-Fancy Pants Timber Grove prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink
stamp-My Pink Stamper

The title sentiment is so fun (and baby, it HAS been cold outside!!!) and will fit in with the Fantabulous Cricut challenge to include a sentiment on a project.  I'm also going to link up to the Craftin' Desert Divas winter project challenge.

I love U this much thank you card (for Exploring Cricut)

Happy 2014!  I'm hoping for lots of crafty time this year, curled up in my happy place in the basement! Today is my day to share the daily project at Exploring Cricut and I have a winter thank you card for you.  We've got a lot of thank yous to send out after Christmas!

My snowy themed thank you uses the Winter Frolic for the cute little sledder and Artbooking cartridge for the two snowflakes.   My snowflake embossing folder made a snowy white background.  The sentiment on the front is from the Paper Smooches Frosty Fellas stamp set and the inside sentiment is from a My Pink Stamper set.   I was able to use scraps for the cute little sledder, which always makes me very happy!  I was inspired by a Christmas themed card that used the embossed snowflake background that I saw somewhere on pinterest.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-sledder boy, cut at 3 1/2 inches
Artbooking-snowflakes, cut at 1 1/2 inches
Paper-solids CTMH, inside print Bo Bunny Powder Mountain collection
Stamps-Paper Smooches Frosty Fellas and My Pink Stamper
Swiss Dots and Snowflake Sizzix embossing folders
Scallop punch-Stampin Up
Circle Punch-CM

You can see all the wonderful daily projects at Exploring Cricut this year (also on the Exploring Cricut Facebook page) and play along with our twice monthly challenges.  Hope you join in on one!

Christmas tags (for BBTB2)

We have a fun Christmas gift tag challenge for you at BBTB2 this week.   You are probably starting to wrap some packages, right?  I love to make a few of the gift tags (for those super special gifts) and the ladies at BBTB2 have some beautiful ones to show you!  I used Plaintain Schoolbook to cut my tag-that cartridge has some great tags and this one is my favorite!  The hip and cool snowman on the front of my tag is cut from the Winter Frolic cartridge.  On the back of the tag, I added the to/from with room to write names.  I finished off the whole thing with some ribbon and twine and added it to my package-all done!

Cricut:
Plaintain Schoolbook-tag and shadow tag cut at 3 1/2 inches
Winter Frolic-snowman, cut at 2 1/2 inches
Paper-The Paper Studio prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink
ribbon/twine-Stampin Up Old Olive, CTMH

Jazz up some of your packages with a cute tag-we'd love to see it over at BBTB2!

Christmas Cheer snowman card (for Exploring Cricut)

We have a great challenge to help you get ready for the holidays- it's a Christmas card challenge!  All you have to do is make a Christmas card with a cut from your cricut on it somewhere.  My card was inspired by the fun Doodlebug snowman background paper (from the North Pole collection), which clearly needed a big snowman accent!  My snowman is from the Winter Frolic cartridge, although I had a hard time making up my mind which cricut snowman to use (there are so many cute ones…).   The red polka dot strip at the bottom is not ribbon, but a scrap of paper from the collection!

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-snowman cut at 3 1/2 inches
Paper-Doodlebug North Pole collection prints, CTMH solids
Stamp-Ali Edwards Christmas collection
Ink-Memento Tuxedo black
jewels-from the stash
Punches for the sentiment-Stampin Up

Check out all the cards that the Exploring Cricut team has put together and then link yours up too!

Merry and Bright Christmas card (for Exploring Cricut)

It's my day for the daily project at Exploring Cricut!  Have you been making any Christmas cards yet?
It's time to get started!   I've been inspired by a 6x6 pack of the Doodlbug North Pole collection paper-it was so cute that I couldn't wait to dive into creating some cards!  I used the Winter Frolic cartridge to make this card and added some stickle to make the ornaments sparkle!

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-all cuts
Paper-Doodlebug North Pole collection prints, CTMH solids, American Crafts glitter paper
brown chalk ink
lime green stickle, xmas red stickle

All Spruced Up layout (for BBTB2)

It's Christmas in July at BBTB2 this week!  Here's another chance to get ahead on some Christmas cards or projects-even though it's hard to even imagine Christmas when it's hot outside...so I'm thinking myself cool and making my hubby listen to Christmas carols (he thinks I'm insane, lol!).  I made a layout for pictures of us working on the Christmas tree last year.  The title All Spruced Up is from the Winter Frolic cartridge.  The image of the children carrying the Christmas tree is from one of my favorite cartridges, A Child's Year.  The print paper is from the Echo Park This and That Christmas collection.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-title
A Child's Year-children with tree
Paper-Echo Park This & That Christmas collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

We'd love to see you get started early on some Christmas cards or projects and link up with us at BBTB2 to share them!  The design team has made some great things to help you get started!

Noel card for Christmas in July (for Exploring Cricut)

It's Christmas in July at Exploring Cricut and we are having a blog hop!  Don't you want to get a few of those Christmas cards or gifts made ahead of time?  Our blog hop has some ideas for you!  You should have arrived here from Kathy's wonderful blog (I have the hop list at the bottom, in case you get lost.).

For my project, I got started on my Christmas cards, using some of my paper left over from last year.  I wanted my Christmas card to look kind of rustic and simple, to go with the woodgrain background paper.  I used the Winter Frolic cartridge for the Noel with the bird and the Swiss dots embossing folder.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-Noel
Paper-woodgrain paper is Echo Park, solids are CTMH
brown chalk ink
sentiment stamp-Stampin' Up

So go ahead and get a head start on Christmas-it's so much easier when the cards are already done before the Christmas rush!  I get together with my mom, nieces, and BFF in late September/early October every year and spend a fun day making Christmas cards.   It's super fun because there is NO STRESS-Christmas is still months away!  The other designers at Exploring Cricut have some great projects to share-the blog hop schedule is posted below!  Go see what crafty goodness Liz has for you on her blog :) from here.

Blog Hop Schedule

Starting at Exploring Cricut

Sharon http://meemeescreations.blogspot.com

Donna  http://wwwkindredkreations.blogspot.com

Georgiana  http://carsonscricutcreations.blogspot.com

Rae Ann   http://joyinart.blogspot.com

Emily  http://emilyqueenofallthingscrafty.blogspot.com

Annette  http://mymindsdustbunnies.blogspot.com

Michelle N  http://justanutterpapercrafter.blogspot.com

Kathy  http://kathy213-kathyscorner.blogspot.com

Michelle S  http://cricutcrazyscrapper.blogspot.com-You are here

Liz  http://unikbyyes.blogspot.com-Go here next

Diane  http://happyscrapperdiane.blogspot.com

B is for Boy baby card

I made a quick baby card for the stash while playing around with the B is for Boy cartridge.  The cute little train seemed perfect for a baby boy card!  The stamps are from one of the My Pink Stamper sets.   The shaped mats are from the Elegant Edges cart, which has proven it's versatility.  I find myself constantly going to it for mats for cards and journal boxes.   The banner is from Winter Frolic and I popped up both the train and the banner for some dimension.

Cricut:
B is for Boy-train
Elegant Edges-mats
Winter Frolic-banner
Stamp-My Pink Stamper set
Ink/Ribbon-Stampin Up Close to Cocoa ink, Stampin Up Bashful Blue ribbon
Paper-DCWV Nana's Kids stack

I'm going to link this to the Cardz TV challenge to make a baby themed card or project.

Thanks Snow Much card

We've got some snow, so a snowman themed thank you card seemed perfect for some of those after-Christmas thank yous we need to get in the mail!  I have been waiting to use this stamp "Thanks Snow Much"!    The paper is from the Bo Bunny Powder Mountain collection and my snowman is one of the adorable snowmen on the Winter Frolic cartridge.   The good news is that the kids LOVED this card and are actually eager to write some thank you goodness on it!

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-snowman cut at 3 1/2 in.
Paper-Bo Bunny Powder Mountain collection
Ribbon/Ink-Stampin Up Bashful Blue ribbon, Stampin Up Night of Navy ink
Stamps-My Pink Stamper Winter Punnies set
Punches-Stampin Up

I'm going to add this to the fun winter challenge at Little Scrap Pieces!

A few more Christmas layouts....

I hope you all had a merry Christmas!  We had much fun with all our extended family, sharing love and celebrating the birth of Jesus together.  We also tried really hard not to share the germs, as the flu unfortunately found my family the week before Christmas.   We'll see how well that went over the next few days....   But on to the layout.  (I'm finishing up last year's Christmas photos.)  The stocking full of gifts and journaling tag are from Winter Frolic.  Love the little candy cane on the tag!  The font is my favorite-the Mickey font.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-tag and stocking
Mickey Font-title
Paper-Making Memories "Believe" collection print, solids CTMH
Ribbon-Stampin Up

Santa's Workshop layout

The elves have just finished loading up the sleigh for Santa and he's got a full load of toys to put under the trees!  Rudolph and the reindeer are ready and waiting....It's Christmas Eve!!!!!  I jazzed up Santa and his chief elf with some liquid pearl and stickles.  They are festive for Christmas!  And Rudolph's nose HAD to have a dot of red stickle, lol!

The fun Santa background papers are from Canvas Corp and I picked them up at Archievers.  The snow is American Crafts glitter paper that I hand cut.  I used the Winter Frolic cart for the title and North Pole sign.   The rest is mostly from Paper Doll Dress Up except for the teddy bear (who is from Everyday Paper Dolls) and the wreath and gift on the sleigh (from Create A Critter 2).

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-title, sign
Paper Doll Dress Up-trees, sleigh, Santa, elf, reindeer
Everyday Paper Dolls-teddy bear
Create A Critter 2-wreath, gift
Paper-Canvas Corp, American crafts glitter paper, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink, pop dots, twine

I'm going to link this to the BBTB2 challenge this week-Santa and me.  

Joy to the World layout

December is always crammed with musical events from the orchestra and choirs the kids are involved in.  I made this layout for some of those pictures, using the Winter Frolic cart.  The title, journal box, and cool swirly borders are all Winter Frolic!  I LOVE the journal box with the music note cutout-isn't it cool?  The print music background paper is from the Making Memories Believe Christmas collection, which I found at Archievers.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-title cut at 3 1/2 in., Journal box cut at 4 in., and borders cut at 1 1/4 inch.
Paper-Making Memories Believe line print, CTMH and CM solid card stock
brown chalk ink and ribbon from the stash

I'm going to link this to the Paper Playtime challenge to use Christmas colors!

Christmas Wishes layout

Ready for a gingerbread house?  This layout is mostly from Stretch Your Imagination, except for the title, which is from Winter Frolic.  I've had this cart forever and never cut the gingerbread man or his house before- soooo cute!  Now I did use ALL the possible layers and cuts for almost everything, which took a bit of thinking to sort out what colors each should be.  I'll list it out below if you're interested.  But I am very happy with how it all came out and now I want to go make some gingerbread with cool whip on top!

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-title
Stretch Your Imagination-all other cuts, including the snowflakes
     gingerbread house-base layer brown, shadow espresso, blackout yellow, layer red, silhouette white
     tree-shadow espresso, base layer green print, silhouette-green
     large holly-shadow espresso, base layer green print, silhouette green, layer red
     gingerbread man-shadow saddle brown, base brown, blackout white, layer red, silhouette espresso
     stretch holly-shadow espresso, base green print, silhouette green, layer red
Paper-prints Echo Park This & That Christmas collection, solids CTMH
brown chalk ink, brads from the stash for the gingerbread man's buttons

I'm going to link this to the Die Cuttin' Divas Holiday Spirit challenge.  Lots of GREAT projects to look at over there-over 100!