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

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!

On the Go at Universal layout

Happy New Year's!  I've been reflecting on all the fun things we did this last year-vacation trips to Disney and Universal, going to Estes Park and exploring Rocky Mountain National Park were the two standouts but there were many fun smaller moments like day trips to the lake and zoo and just hanging in our pool with my boys last summer.  One of my favorite things about scrapbooking is that it vividly reminds me of all the highlights and special moments of the past when I browse through my albums.  It also reminds that experiences, not stuff, are what makes the year special.

I'm excited for 2015!  We have already planned our next vacation, because having something fun to look forward to increases my happiness factor (seriously, I read somewhere that anticipation makes an experience even better).  But I'm also looking forward to the good things about winter (ignoring the cold, ignoring the cold, ignoring the cold…), like throwing snowballs, reading while drinking hot chocolate, and movie night in the basement with a nice toasty fire!  I also am trying to remember to enjoy the little things that make life sweet each day, like hearing my cat purr, having my boys snuggling up with me, and holding hands with my hubby.  I'm not really one to make resolutions for New Year's, but I AM going to strive for daily doses of happy, whether it comes big or small!

My layout I'm sharing today is from our trip to Universal Studios last February (when it was cold and gray in Kansas City and we ran away to Florida for three days of happy therapy on the spur of the moment).  I used the Boys Will Be Boys cartridge for the titles, big circles, and all the fun arrows.  The cute bg paper is from Carta Bella, but I don't remember the line.  Love all the crazy arrows to choose from on this cartridge!  This design would work with pictures from almost any big event, just change up the title at the bottom to reflect where you are at.

May 2015 bring some wonderful things for all of you!!!!

Cricut:
Boys Will Be Boys-all cuts
Paper-Carta Bella prints, CTMH solids

Miles Above the Rest layout plus Watching the World Go By layout

Are you recovering from the holidays?  We had a wonderful Christmas with all our family but I'll confess I'm enjoying a relaxing week with home with the kids over the rest of the holiday break from school, with no music lessons or school events.  It's bitterly cold outside, so perfect weather to for me curl up in the basement and have crafty fun!  And while I swore I was done baking after my Christmas baking marathon, the kids are begging for cookies, so I believe some cookie baking is in store today.

 I have two layouts today, both using the Echo Park We Are Family collection.  Over Thanksgiving, I attended a huge family reunion for my uncle's 90th birthday. This paper collection has been perfect for scrapping some the multigenerational family pictures I took.  Layout #1 was inspired by the hot air balloon paper and I found the perfect title on the Wild Card 2 cartridge (along with the hot air balloons), to reflect that our awesome extended family, spread all over the country, is "Miles Above the Rest".   Lots of pics of family groups hanging out and talking will go on here.

Cricut for layout #1-
Wild Card 2-title, hot air balloons, font
Paper-Echo Park We Are Family collection prints/stickers, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Layout #2 was also inspired by the paper, in this case the globe with the heart paper.  I found the title on 3 Birds on Parade-Watching the World Go By.  The journal box says "making memories".  I have lots of pics of all of us looking at the memorabilia celebrating my uncle's life that were displayed that will go on here.  The  sticker strips on the top and bottom were from the paper collection.

Cricut-
3 Birds on Parade-title
Paper-Echo Park We Are Family collection prints/stickers, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Holly Jolly Christmas layout (for BBTB2)

Merry Christmas week everyone!  The kids are out of school this week and my husband is off too, so we are going to be doing lots of baking and gift wrapping, while wearing our PJs all day!  (I already tried to bake Christmas cookies last week to freeze for Christmas day, but the kids mowed them down like a flock of locusts-not even any crumbs left!!!!)   Now I can hardly wait until Christmas Eve-we are having a huge extended family party and then all going to Christmas Eve services together to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Always so special!  And I still love watching my teens run downstairs Christmas morning to see what appeared in their stockings.  

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is anything Christmas.  My Holly Jolly layout is all from the CM Cheerful Seasons cartridge for Christmas pics (OK I'll confess they are for Christmas pics from LAST year…).  It's been rather dark and snowy here for days, so my lighting is not the best for this layout photo, but I was really happy with how it turned out (the layout, not the lighting).  I was singing Have a Holly Jolly Christmas along with my Bing Crosby Christmas CD while I made this until my hubby threatened to shoot either me or the stereo!  Perhaps he needs some Christmas cookies, lol!  Emergency Russian teacakes to the rescue.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and get to spend some time with the people you love.

Cricut:
CM Cheerful Seasons-all cuts
Paper-Echo Park Reflections collection prints, CTMH solids