On the Slopes ski layout

 Happy Monday!  I've got a ski layout to share this week.  My hubby and I went skiing in Vail last week for a much needed vacation and it is so very beautiful there!  I took some great pictures!  We had a good time right up until hubby tore his ACL, bringing our trip to an abrupt end...no more snow skiing this year.  Sigh.  At least we got some fantastic days in before the injury!  The Vail ER apparently sees this injury a lot-there were several other people with skiing knee injuries in at the same time as hubby.

I am enjoying scrapping the photos though!  I used an older paper collection from Simple Stories in 2018 called Sub Zero that I've had stashed for just the right project.  All the Cricut cuts (skis, goggles, title) are from the CTMH You Are Here image collection, which is full of travel images for all kinds of trips and is one of my favorites!  Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Cricut:

You Are Here-all cuts

Paper-Simple Stories Sub Zero prints, CTMH solids

Up to Snow Good layout

 Happy Monday!  The BBTB2 challenge for the next two weeks is a snowflake theme.  We got a big snow while my kids were home on winter break and of course I took a few pics as snow forts were constructed!  For my layout, I used an older cricut image collection from Creative Memories that I bought years ago called Tis the Season for my snowflakes and snowman and a font called Just Marsha that I downloaded from da fonts.  Am I the only one who loses track of time browsing fonts?  LOL!!!!  Head over to the BBTB2 site where you can link up a snow themed project for the next two weeks and see the design team projects for inspiration.

Cricut:

CM Tis the Season-snowflakes and snowman

Just Marsha-font downloaded from da fonts

Paper-Echo Park Keeping Cozy collection prints, CTMH solids

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

Penguins

Happy Monday!  It's not such a happy Monday at my house, as the flu has found us.  I knew it was only a matter of time for the kids, as it began circulating around school district....and the hospital I work at has had very high levels of flu activity and been very busy.  At work at least I am protected by mountains of isolation gear.  I haven't got it yet but I can feel the invisible ticking clock of doom as the inevitable germ here at home breaks through my cloud of hand sanitizer, lol!  One news article I read this week said flu levels were high in every state except Hawaii, with the peak level here in Missouri.  I think that means I should go to Hawaii immediately!  For my health, of course.

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is penguins.  Who doesn't love penguins-they always look so cute and adorable at the zoo!  I did a thank you card featuring this guy from Joys of the Season.  Since it's a thank you for one of the teens to use, I thought a little text-speak would be on point (or maybe it's on fleek-I never get the difference), so UR Cool as my teens would say to someone providing an awesome gift.  We have lots of adorable penguin cards over at BBTB2 and hope you will take the opportunity to make something too!

Cricut:
Joys of the Seasons-penguin
Lyrical Letters 2-font
Paper-American Crafts Jack Frost paper pad print, CTMH solids

Snowflake card

Happy Monday!  Since it's been rather cold and frosty in many places all over the US this last week, my pick of a snow theme for the BBTB2 challenge this week seemed very appropriate!  (I even learned a new word- bomb cyclone!).  Anything snow related made with your cricut is perfect for this challenge!  I am in the middle of making some thank you cards for all our Christmas gifts and did a card with one of the snowflakes from the Winter Woodlands cartridge.  It was hard to decide on a single snowflake-I wanted to use ALL the snowflakes, but loved this pretty layered one on Winter Woodlands.  I'm looking forward to doing some crafting and trying to stay warm and toasty inside while it's cold outside!  Stay warm and have some crafting fun!

Cricut:
Winter Woodland-snowflake cut at 3 1/2 in.
Paper-Bo Bunny prints
Ink-Stampin Up Night of Navy
Stamp-so old, I'm not even sure where I got it!

So, moving to non-crafty matters-have you recovered from the holidays?  We went on vacation in San Francisco over the Christmas break, but came home to -12 degree temps the night we returned to KC.  It was a bit of a shock to the system, let me tell you!  San Francisco is supercool and I definitely want to go back again!  Here's a few vacay snaps for those who like travel:

 riding the open top bus for city tour

 Chinatown!

 of course we visited Alcatraz!

 the row of "Painted Ladies" famous from Full House

 the iconic Golden Gate bridge

 city lights of San Francisco at night

 the beach across from our hotel

the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate park

the redwoods in Golden Gate park

Ice Skate thank you card

Happy Monday!  It's been a busy weekend of work and I am so ready to have today off.   Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use ice skates on a project.  It so happens that the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships were in Kansas City last week and I have watched quite a bit of skating on TV.   Makes me wish I knew how to ice skate!  For my project, I made a thank you card, using the skates from the Family Album cartridge.  You can see the other skating projects over at BBTB2 and enter the drawing at the end of the month for some cricut supplies.

Cricut:
Family Album-ice skates
Paper-Bo Bunny , CTMH solids
Ink-Stampin Up Early Espresso, Versamark Jumbo Java chalk ink for edging
Stamp-

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

Winter snowflakes layout

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is snowflakes-if you live on the east coast, I think you have seen a lot of them!  We have had several snows this January in KC also, although not the huge amounts the East Coast received.  It's definitely white and wintery looking for sure!  I've been having fun with the cuts on the Artistry cartridge and I knew I wanted to use ALL the snowflakes on my project because I couldn't pick just one.  I have also included a second bonus snowflake project, (one of the Christmas cards I made this year) featuring the beautiful layered snowflake from the CM Cheerful Seasons cartridge.  Stay warm and go over to BBTB2 to see all the snowflakes from the design team and you can link up a project!

Cricut:
Artistry-snowflakes, each cut at 2 1/2 inches
Paper/Stickers-Echo Park Hello Winter collection prints and stickers, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink
square punch for photo corners

Bonus Project:

Clean and simple for Christmas….or would make a nice winter thank you with a different stamp.

Cricut:
CM Cheerful Seasons-snowflake
Paper-CTMH solids
Stamp-????  can't remember, lol!  that was waaaaay back in December!

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

Sending warm fuzzies card

Happy Monday!  It's been a frosty and cold weekend here in KC and BBTB2 has the perfect winter challenge this week- to use a cricut mittens, a hat, or scarf on a project.  I used my favorite winter hat from the CM Cheerful Seasons cartridge to make a thank you card for some of our Christmas gifts.  I found some snowy mountain background paper that seemed most appropriate.  I am personally trying to pretend I'm at the beach as it's a chilly 17 degrees this morning, but it's not really working so I'm glad I have my hat and mittens!  I hope you will join us in whipping up a warm winter project over at BBTB2 and stay warm this week!

Cricut:
CM Cheerful Seasons-hat cut at 2 1/2 inches
Stamp-
Paper-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

wonderful winter layout (for BBTB2)

Happy Martin Luther King Monday!  We all have the day off from work and school, so it's officially a pajama day at our house today.  I'm not getting out of my PJs except maybe to get takeout!  Son #1 is taking his driver's test this week, so by next week, maybe we'll be able to send HIM out for takeout, lol!  Hope you are set for great week too!

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is use any cricut phrase or letters -should be super easy to play along, right?  I made a winter layout with the "wonderful winter "phrase from the CM Cheerful Seasons cartridge (actually, all the cuts are from Cheerful Seasons).  I've been on a winter roll with this fabulous paper from Carta Bella the last few weeks.  I think I could find a use for that woodgrain paper on everything, lol!  There probably needs to be an intervention, STAT!  So go whip up anything with some letters and link it up with us at BBTB2-we will look forward to seeing projects!  Also, we are having a DT call, so if you've ever wanted to join us in showing your projects at BBTB2, the submission requirements are on the blog.  

Cricut:

CM Cheerful Seasons-all cuts

Paper-Carta Bella Warm and Cozy collection prints, sticker, CTMH solids

brown chalk ink-Versamagic Jumbo Java 

Hitting the Slopes layout (for BBTB2)

Hi everyone!  I am hosting the BBTB2 challenge this week and I selected snowflakes for the challenge theme, since it has been ridiculously cold and snowy here.  You can link up any new project with a cricut snowflake over at BBTB2 this week for a chance to get picked as the project of the week.  There are a ton of cricut snowflakes to choose from for your project.  The design team at BBTB2 has some beautiful snowflake projects for some inspiration!

My project is a layout for snow skiing pictures.  It was inspired by this fantastic paper from the Carta Bella Warm and Cozy collection.  I was going for kind of a mountain lodge feeling-like when you are stepping into the ski lodge for some hot chocolate after getting off the lift at the top of the mountain and peeling down to just your sweater.  My snowflake is from the Family Album cartridge, which I just got for Christmas so of course I HAD to try it out!  The fun quirky font is from the CM Stork's Delivery cartridge.   The skis are from Winter Woodlands.

Cricut:
Winter Woodlands-skis
CM Stork's Delivery-Frogs and Snails Font
Family Album-snowflake

Be sure to share your winter snowflake project with us at BBTB2!

Two layouts: Snow and Bushels of Fun (for BBTB2)

Happy first Monday of 2015!  Christmas week was super fun and busy- I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well!  I had some fun scrapbooking cozied up in the basement in the relaxing week after Christmas, which was super nice!  I am bit depressed that the kids and I must stop wearing pajamas all day now that our winter break is over.  We're having to break out the thermals and polar fleece instead, because baby, it's COLD outside right now here in KC!

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use our favorite cricut cut in a project.  Oh my goodness-this was HARD!  I concluded I just can't pick a single favorite cut-it's sort of like trying to pick your favorite child…it's more like I have a group of several favorites for each season.   I'm showing you two layouts featuring one of my favorites-the barrel from Doodlecharms.  I have filled it up with leaves, hearts, snowballs, apples, and more in the past. I like how it can be customized with brads or eyelets and some inking to change the look.

Layout # 1 is a winter layout with my Doodlecharms barrel full of snowballs!  This will be for some winter sled and snow pictures.  (It also features my favorite cricut snowman of all, from CM Tis the Season, plus the stand of trees and sled from there).  The title is from the CM Cheerful Seasons cartridge.

Cricut:
CM Tis the Season-snowman, trees, sled
Doodlecharms-basket, snowballs
CM Cheerful Seasons-title
Paper-Carta Bella Warm and Cozy collection prints, CTMH solids
Versamagic Jumbo Java chalk ink for edging

Layout #2 is a fall layout that also has my Doodlecharms barrel, this time full of apples!  It looks a little different with silver brads and two different colors of brown paper-and of course is filled with apples, also from Doodlecharms.   I spent a day this fall with my sis and nieces picking apples from their neighbor's bountiful apple trees and then making making homemade apple butter and freezing apples for pie this winter!  (We ate the best apple pie EVER that night-from tree to pie in one night!)

Cricut:
Doodlecharms-barrel, apples
A Child's Year-bowl/spoon
Everyday Paperdolls-apron
CM Stork's Delivery-Frogs and Snails font
Paper-Imaginesence apple paper, Doodlebug Happy Harvest bg paper, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

You will find a whole variety of favorite Cricut cuts over at BBTB2, so do go check them out!  I must confess I am quite curious to see what the rest of the team will pick for favorites!

Snow layout (for BBTB2)

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use our favorite cricut cartridge.  Oh, this caused so much angst-WHICH cartridge is really my favorite?  I narrowed it down to about five before I became paralyzed by the decision making.  I did a version of rock paper scissors to come to the final pick, LOL!  This turned out to be my CM Cheerful Seasons cricut cartridge, which I've made 27 projects with that are shown on my blog (plus many more at home)-it's truly been a very versatile cartridge.

My project is a winter layout, since there is still plenty of winter going on-we got 5 inches of snow yesterday!  I have lots of pics of the kids playing outside in the snow with their friends to scrap.  All the cuts are from Cheerful Seasons and the paper is from the Fancy Pants Timbergrove collection (love the soft colors of this collection).  The beautiful layered snowflake on the Cheerful Seasons cart is one of my absolute favorites from any cartridge!

Cricut:
CM Cheerful Seasons-all cuts
Paper-Fancy Pants Timber Grove prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

In case inquiring minds want to know, the five carts I was trying to decide between were Doodlecharms, A Child's Year, Create A Critter, Winter Frolic, and Cheerful Seasons.  I've made A LOT of projects with all of them!  Check out all the favorites of the DT at BBTB2 and we would LOVE to see your favorite cart!

The magic of winter layout (for Exploring Cricut)

It's a cricut choice challenge this week at Exploring Cricut!  Here are the details:  use the color blue, at least 2 cricut cuts, and at least one patterned paper.  I've got some snowy pictures from the whole polar vortex snow event from a few weeks ago to scrap, so I made a winter layout with the Winter Woodland cartridge.  I added a little stickle to the snow on the house and the ice skater's dress for some sparkle, although it's really hard to see in the picture.  It's very sparkly in person though!  The bg papers are from an old Echo Park collection called Winter Wishes.

Cricut:
Winter Woodland-house and skater, both cut at 5 1/2 inches, title cut at 3 1/2 inches
Paper/Stickers-Echo Park Winter Wishes collection prints, CTMH solids

As usual, my DT sisters at Exploring Cricut have some amazing projects to share and we hope you will join our challenge!  And stay warm, where ever you are!

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!

Winter Wonderland ski layout (for Exploring Cricut)

Is it cold and snowy where you live?  We've definitely had both (kinda frozen with the whole "polar vortex" -30 degree wind chill thing last week!).  Our challenge at Exploring Cricut this week is winter wonderland, featuring a winter or snow theme!  I have a fun winter layout with Everyday Paperdolls and CM Cheerful Seasons to show you this week.  (I'm using this for some old pictures of us skiing at Vail, but I think it would work for any cute wintertime fun photos.)

Cutting out the winter gear for my two little paper doll people was so much fun and they are staying toasty warm with their boots, gloves, and scarves!  The title is from the CM Cheerful Seasons cartridge, but you could cut it with any font.  The snowflakes are from Accent Essentials.  The print paper is from the Echo Park Winter Wishes collection from last year.

Cricut:
CM Cheerful Seasons-title, cut at 1 1/2 inches
Everyday Paperdolls-people/accessories cut at 5 inches
Accent Essentials-snowflakes, cut at 1 1/2 inches
Paper-Echo Park Winter Wishes collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink, white gel pen
My Mind's Eye twine

Go check out all the cool (get it??? lol!) projects from the Exploring Cricut design team!  We hope you'll make something and link it up to join us this week!

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.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland layout (for BBTB2)

Is it getting cold and wintery yet where you live?  We have snow falling as I write this, with minus zero wind chill!  Brrrr!  Our challenge at BBTB2 this week is to make a winter project, so I made a layout for some snowy pictures.  I used the Artbooking cartridge for all my cuts.  The paper is from the  Echo Park Tis the Season collection that I recently picked up at Archievers.  In real life, you can see the sparkly white elements on this layout, but it's been cloudy and dark this week, which did NOT result in a good photograph of my layout (my camera with the bigger flash died-I'm really hoping Santa is bringing me a new camera for Christmas…I've been really nice this year!).

Cricut:
Artbooking-all cuts
Paper-Echo Park Tis the Season collection prints, CTMH gray solids, American Crafts white glitter paper

We'd love for you to join our challenge at BBTB2 with a winter project of your own!