Becoming Friends Scrapbook Page

Happy Monday!  It is a happy one here.  We survived a hectic but fun weekend with 7 basketball events, the kids are all healthy and in school, and there's no snow falling today.  It's a good day.  Come back tomorrow and Wednesday...two days, two snow storms.  I may not be too happy then!  :-)

Today I'd like to share with you a page I made this morning.  I'm so pleased with it....even more so because it didn't take me DAYS to put together.  This one just sort of fell into place...and it makes me smile when I look at it.  The picture is of my daughter and her cousin at her 1st birthday party.  My daughter is so happy to have a little girl cousin...one who wears dresses, likes to play in her pretend kitchen and loves Elmo.  When my sister announced she was pregnant, my daughter declared to all that this would be her SISTER.  Hmmm...not quite, but she insisted that if her own mommy wouldn't give her a sister (she has 3 brothers), her aunt would.  It took a while (months), but she finally understood that the baby would not be coming to live with us.  Thank goodness!  The girls have lots of fun together...my daughter loves to spend time with her younger cousin.

Recipe

Patterned papers from Crate Paper 'Lillian' collection

Bazzill cardstock

Recollections white gemstones cardstock

Crate Paper glitter die cuts (birds and birdhouse)

American Crafts Patchwork Thickers

Branch cut from Cricut Create A Critter cartridge, embossed with Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes folder

Photo mat embossed with Cuttlebug Spots and Dots folder

'becoming' cut from Gypsy Font Cricut cartridge

EK Success dimensionals

skittle a gift from and dyed by a friend   :-)

I'm entering this scrapbook page into two challenges:

CropStop: Challenge #4 - Make a Good Impression - Use more than one embossing folder or stylus embossing design on your project.

The Paper Variety: Friendship Challenge - Use the given quote about friendship as the theme of your project. 

Have a great Monday!  Guess I should start doing my 'no snow' dance now!

~Sharon C.

Chomping Critter-Shaped Valentine's Day Card

Another Valentine's Day card for one of my children...only one more to go!!  This one is for my 9 yr-old middle son Stephen, who we affectionately call Stephen Beaven or Beav.  (His football teammates call him "Stevie Nightmare", but that's a story for another day!)  What better to make for the Beav than a beaver-shaped card from Create A Critter!

With my Gypsy, I welded the log from Create A Critter to the bottom of the beaver so it appears that the little guy is sitting on it. I then duplicated that shape, flipped it and welded those two pieces together at the top of the head to make the shaped card. I also welded 'I *heart* U' to the top layer of the log...hoping to make it look like the toothy animal had cut the phrase himself. Oh, and I popped up a felt heart in his paws...need a pink heart on there somewhere for Valentine's Day!

Recipe

Beaver & log - welded and cut with my Gypsy to make a shaped card; cut all layers

Cardstock - Recollections; Recollections Kraft

Patterned paper - scrap from my stash

Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes folder on belly

Brown Creative Memories marker for stitching/doodling

White Gelly Roll pen for stitching/doodling

Pink felt heart from local dollar store

EK Success dimensionals

"Happy Valentine's Day" stamp from Michael's dollar bin (sentiment inside card)

I'm sure Stephen will enjoy my card.  He's very crafty and creative.  Just today, he asked me if he could start his own scrapbook to keep his sports pictures.  I'm very excited to have a new scrapping buddy!  :-)



I'm entering this card into two challenges:

More Than Favors: Wacky Wednesday #23: Color Challenge - Create any project using the colors brown, green and pink.

Two Scraptastic Gals: Cricut Cartridge Chaos Challenge #3 - Create A Critter - Make a project with Create A Critter, the cartridge chosen for this week by the blog's followers.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

~Sharon C.

Winnie the Pooh Valentine Shaped Card

Happy Friday!  Well, that forecasted 5-10 inches of snow turned into a foot...and I have pictures to prove it!  We haven't had snow like this in years.  I heard that this is the 3rd snowiest January on record in Boston...we KNOW snow!  :-) 

I've had a chance to continue working on Valentine's Day cards for my kids.  My 7 yr-old son ADORES Winnie the Pooh.  My brother gave Daniel a big ol' stuffed Pooh for his 2nd birthday and Pooh has pretty much become the 7th family member in our house.  He frequently joins us at the breakfast table, has to wear a seat belt in the car and somehow flew with us from Boston to DisneyWorld a few years ago.  And Pooh is not small....here he is with my Daniel at age 2...and again last winter at age 6...inseparable!

So it only took me a second to figure out what I'd make for Daniel for Valentine's Day...here it is.  :-)  The red cardstock is very shimmery...perfect for the larger heart.  And the yellow layer of the smaller heart is a felt heart I found in a package at our local dollar store.  The color was a perfect match to Pooh.  I used Glossy Accents on the honey...looks gooey, doesn't it?  The inside is stamped "Happy Valentine's Day".

Recipe

Pooh and honey pot - Disney Pooh & Friends

Scalloped hearts - Gypsy Wanderings; welded to form shaped card with my Gypsy

Smaller hearts - George & Basic Shapes
Cardstock - Recollections
Glossy Accents on the honey
Yellow felt heart - dollar store
EK Success dimensionals
Black, red Creative Memories markers for doodling/stitching
Sentiment printed on computer

I'm entering this card into four challenges:

Cricut Cardz Challenge #59 - Make a Valentine's Day card for a child, using any cartridges or colors.

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday #44 - Neglected Cartridge - Make a project using a Cricut cartridge you haven't used in over 6 months.  I've never used Pooh & Friends before!!

Scrapaholic by Abby: SEI Challenge with Abby #2 - All About Love!! - Any project, just make sure the theme is love.

Scrappy Moms Stamps: Terrific Tuesday Challenge - Sweethearts!! - Any project that uses a cut from the Cricut Sweethearts cartridge - or a similar cut.  Well, I don't have Sweethearts, but I noticed that it has a fantastic scalloped heart on it.  I used a similar scalloped heart from Gypsy Wanderings for my card.

Have a great weekend - and stay warm!

~Sharon C.







My Princess Bike - Layout using 3 Birds, Birthday Bash

Hi again...yup, it's really me...2 days in a row...can you believe it??  :-)  I finished this layout this morning while snow was falling AGAIN.  Just another inch or two, but we're expecting another 5-10 inches tomorrow.  Looks like the kids might have another snow day real soon.  And the college kid who plows our driveway will be taking a nice long vacation on us this year!

The pictures on this page are of my daughter at her 4th birthday party.  My parents gave her the perfect gift - a pink and purple Disney princess bike complete with training wheels.  It doesn't get much better than that!  Oh, I guess the matching helmet does make it a bit better!  :-) 

I've been trying to make more 'girly' layouts.  The 'princess' word art with the crown came from the 3 Birds on Parade cartridge...I was so excited when I found it!  The stickles on the crown are actually pink but they look orange in the photo.  The white and purple felt flowers were from the Michael's dollar bin...I couldn't resist them...just love the texture and dimension they add. 



Recipe

'Princess' word art - 3 Birds on Parade

'my' and 'bike' - Birthday Bash

Scalloped circles - Mini Monograms

Patterned paper - American Girls stack (borrowed from my daughter!)

Cardstock - DCWV Brights stack; Recollections

White & purple felt flowers; purple rhinestones; purple ink - Michael's dollar bin

Pink & green Ranger stickles

Black Creative Memories marker for doodling, journaling

EK Success dimensionals

I'm entering my scrapbook page into three challenges:

CropStop: Challenge #3 - Squares and Die Cuts - Create a square card or layout and use at least one die cut shape on it.

Made by Momo: Tuesday Challenge - Princess Themed - Make any princess-themed project.

The Paper Variety: Week 17 - TPV Sketch Challenge - Use their sketch to create a layout, card or other paper project.  Here's the sketch:

Have a great day...I'm going to put on another pair of socks!

~Sharon C.



Big Love - Elephant Valentine's Day Card with Holiday Cakes Cartridge

Happy Monday!  Today I'm sharing a card I made for Stephanie's Whimsical Wednesday challenge at Always Crafting to create a project using a Cricut elephant.  I was very pleased to find an elephant on the Holiday Cakes cartridge which I was lucky enough to receive as a Christmas gift.  I began making this card for my 9 yr-old son, but after I got into it, I thought the colors would be appropriate for my husband.  And it looks like these elephants are in love, doesn't it??  I usually have a difficult time making cards for him...this one just sort of fell into place...phew!  The faux green "ribbon" at the bottom and the "love" word art came from the bottom edge of the My Mind's Eye "be loved" paper...you know, the piece with the company and pattern name that you usually chop off?  Well, it's now part of my card...I just inked the edges...whoo hoo for reusing!  :-)

I must add that I seem to have unintentionally scrap-lifted a bit of Stephanie's elephant card.  I hadn't looked at her posting for a few days...her card must have stayed with me!!  Sorry Stephanie!!  Hope you don't mind!

Recipe

Elephants - Holiday Cakes cartridge, embossed with 'Spots & Dots'

Hearts, X's and O's - George & Basic Shapes

Patterned paper - My Mind's Eye "be loved" 

Cardstock - Recollections; Bazzill Basics

EK Success letter stickers

Cat's Eye chalk ink in Warm Red

EK Success dimensionals

Your Kindness Warmed Our Hearts! - A Thank You Card using 3 Birds

Hello friends!  Do you love your neighbors?  We are lucky to have some kind, friendly, funny and considerate neighbors.  One of our neighbors has two children who mine enjoy immensely, but since they do not attend the same school as my kids, we don't see them as often as we'd like.  Last week, this incredibly thoughtful neighbor brought by a Happy New Year card along with a canister of dark chocolate shavings for hot chocolate from Crate & Barrel.....yum yum yum!  My middle son begged me to make him a cup of hot chocolate right away...and as soon as I turned on the stove, the electricity went out!  It's been very cold and snowy here, so the gift is very much appreciated by our family.  :-)  Oh, and our neighbor mentioned that the shavings make a great topping for ice cream, cupcakes, waffles...we'll be trying those! 

I wanted to make a special thank you card for our neighbor and thought I'd put a twist on a card I created using 3 Birds on Parade early in December. I just adore this little bird.  He's holding a stack of gifts on page 45 of the handbook, but I swapped out the gifts for a warm mug of hot chocolate - appropriate for this occasion - from Gypsy Wanderings.  I stamped the mug with just the smiley, happy face from a ghost in the Peachy Keen stamp set "Nikkity Knack Cat Gang" (I really need to order more of their stamps!!!).  The sentiment "Your Kindness..." is completed inside the card with "Warmed Our Hearts!  Thank You!"  I'm very pleased with the way this card turned out - I hope she likes it too!  :-)

Recipe

Scalloped circle shaped card - from Mini Monograms, welded with my Gypsy

Circle layer - from George and Basic Shapes

Bird - from 3 Birds on Parade (p. 45), replaced stack of gifts with mug from Gypsy Wanderings

Sentiment - Computer-generated on top note shape from Gypsy Wanderings & inked with Cat's Eye chalk ink in warm red

Patterned paper - DCWV Holiday Stack

Cardstock - Recollections; Bazzill textured

Earmuffs glittered with Martha Stewart red glitter

White Gelly Roll pen for doodling

Black Creative Memories marker for doodling, stitching

Pop dots to pop up birdie and mug

Googly eyes

I'm entering this card into three challenges:

Getting Cricky with K. Andrew: Getting Cricky with Memory Miser Challenge - For the Birds! - Create any project with a bird, preferably a bird cut from a Cricut cartridge.

Peachy Keen Stamps "Let's Face It Friday" Challenge - Create a thank you card using Peachy Keen face stamps.

Scrapbookaholic by Abby: Pink by Design Challenge - It's Cold Outside!! - Create any project that has to do with winter/cold.



Have a great day!

~Sharon C.



I *heart* U - Bunny Shape Card

Hi everyone!  Are any of you procrastinators??  I fit quite nicely into that category.  :-)  But I'm going to try my best to make some Valentine's Day cards before the actual day arrives.  I have a month to prepare....should be plenty of time.  Right??

Here's my first card.  I made it for my 7 year-old daughter who loves anything cute, soft, cuddly, pink and sparkly.  I guess that describes most 7 yr-old girls!!  I loved this bunny from Birthday Bash, but I thought it needed to hold something in it's outstretched arms.  I had fun making a banner for my last project here, so I decided to make one for the bunny too.  And, since my daughter often scrawls 'I *heart* U' on little notes she leaves for me and her dad, I thought she'd really like the one I made.  I just hope I can hold off giving it to her until Valentine's Day!!  :-)



 



Recipe

Bunny - from Birthday Bash, welded into a shaped card with my Gypsy

Banner (triangle shapes) - from Birthday Bash

Heart shapes for banner - George and Basic Shapes

Heart paper - printed from this website

Pink patterned paper - DCWV Holiday stack

Recollections cardstock

EK Success letter stickers

Ranger Stickles in Cotton Candy on heart and nose

Glitter ribbon from Michael's

Black Creative Memories marker & white Gelly Roll pen for doodling/stitching

EK Success dimensionals

Glue dots

"Happy Valentine's Day" stamp (sentiment inside card) from Michael's dollar bins

I'm entering this card into a few challenges:

Chatterscene.com - create a Valentine's Day card or layout and post it on their board.  Great prize!

Cooking With Cricut: Challenge #12 - Glittermania! - "We want to see you GLITZ IT UP!  Don't hold back on the bling...bling it on!"  I think my glittered ribbon and the stickled pink nose and heart qualifies!

CropStop: Challenge #2 - Add Some Stickles - Use Ranger Stickles or other glitter glue on your project.  I love me some Stickles!!  :-)

The Paper Variety: TPV is Going Pink! - Create a project with pink, black and/or white in honor of their sponsor this week, Robyn, aka My Pink Stamper.  This is such a terrific color combo!

Scrappy Moms Stamps: 1st Ever Terrific Tuesday Challenge - Birthday Bash - use a cut from the Birthday Bash Cricut cartridge.  I guess birthday cartridges aren't only for birthdays!  :-)

Enjoy the weekend!
~Sharon C.

You Always Make Me Smile

Good afternoon!  Is it snowing where you are?  We have a new 10 inches on the ground...and more coming!  It started late last night and school was canceled for today.  My kids are thrilled!!  But it's too windy for them to go out to play at the moment...wind gusts are at 45-50 mph here on the coast.  It should be a bit calmer later...and there's a HUGE pile of snow at the end of our driveway...just waiting to be made into a snowfort!

I finished another scrapbook page this morning.  I scrapped the same picture I used to make the ornament-shaped card HERE.  I LOVE this picture of my twins...and since I gave the ornament with their picture on it to my mom, I had to do something else with it for ME!  :-)  The two of them ALWAYS make me smile...we call them our 'smiley guys'...and their semi-toothless grins in this photo just make me laugh!

Recipe

Background paper - My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow stack

Green floral paper - My Mind's Eye everyday tango stack

Red textured paper - DCWV textured neutrals

White cardstock - Recollections

Pink paper (used for hearts) - DCWV Holiday stack

Banner, 'smile' - from Birthday Bash

Title shape - from Winter Frolic

Journaling shape - from Gypsy Font

Hearts - from George and Basic Shapes, A Child's Year

Red nailhead stickers from a RAK

Glittered heart-shaped brads - Recollections

Martha Stewart glitter marker (on heart)

Martha Stewart border punch

Creative Memories brown marker for journalling

Chestnut roan Cat's Eye chalk ink

EK Success dimensionals

I'm entering this page into a couple of challenges:

CropStop Challenge Blog: Challenge #1 - Sketch - the new blog's first challenge is to follow a sketch.  Check them out...they'll have a new challenge every Thursday.  :-)

Emma at My Creative Time's Throwback Thursday:  Viewer's Choice - any project using any older cartridge, as long as the project has a heart on it.

Scrapbookaholic By Abby: SEI Challenge with Abby #1 - Laughter/Smile - "anything with a smile or even a phrase that contains the words".

Enjoy the day!

~Sharon



Winter Fun Layout using Winter Woodland and 3 Birds on Parade

Hello...and happy Saturday!  I'm so happy to be posting a scrapbook page today!!  I share a resolution with many of you - to get more pages done - and this is my first of the year.  Whoo hoo!  I hope to have another one completed by Tuesday.  The pictures I scrapped are from last February during my kids' school vacation.  We spent a few days at my parents' house in New Hampshire sledding and snowboarding in their yard.  They have a hill behind their house that's perfect for the kids.  It was a beautiful day and the kids all had a blast in the yard.  They made the cutest snowman too.  Do your kids love playing in the snow?  Mine would stay out all day if I let them! 

I used 3 Birds on Parade for the snowball-throwing bird...isn't he a cutie? The snowflakes are favorites of mine from Winter Woodland. I used a fine glitter on them...and added some blue rhinestones...I love the look. :-) The layout came from the January 2010 PageMaps. I often use their layouts...I find them to be a great starting point for me. Getting started is usually the most difficult part!

Recipe

Birdie and title 'Snow Day' - 3 Birds on Parade

Snowflakes - Winter Woodland

Scalloped circles - Mini Monograms

Patterned paper - My Mind's Eye everyday tango 

Cardstock - Bazzill Textured, Recollections

Fine glitter
Jo-Ann's Rhinestones

EK Success Dimensionals

Creative Memories markers in black and blue for stitching, doodling

I'm entering my page into a few challenges:

Cooking With Cricut: Challenge #11 - Snow Fun - any type of project with snow or winter time activities.
Fantabulous Cricut's Challenge Me Monday #41: Snowy Delights - create a project and incorporate snow or snowflakes.
Made by Momo's Tuesday Challenge - make something with snow or a snow theme.
The Paper Variety's Weekly Challenge - include snowflakes on your paper project.

Have a great weekend!

~Sharon C.

Happy Birthday to Moo! ...A Card for My Husband

Oh, it feels SOOOO GOOD to be back to crafting!!  I hope you all had happy holidays...I'm ready for whatever 2011 might bring....and you?  Our 2010 had a messy end...a snowboarding head injury to my daughter, 5 cases of the stomach bug, a choking incident (I actually performed the Heimlich maneuver on my oldest son who was choking on the membrane of a Clementine...I think my heart's still POUNDING!!) and a 10 year-old vehicle that finally bit the dust.  The last one was a blessing....we're now the proud owners of a brand spanking new Honda Pilot...which brings reliability and therefore, peace!  That, PEACE, I mean, is one of my goals for 2011.  I'm going to do whatever it might take to bring a bit more peace to this crazy household!!  Wish me luck!!  So, out with the old, and in with the new!!  :-)

My husband will soon be ushering in his 45th year.  I've known him for 23 years...which seems absolutely crazy to me, but I just did the math on my fingers again and it's true!!  I made a card for him for the occasion and I felt obliged to use one of the cow (or bull?) images from Birthday Bash.  23 years later and my husband still jokes that I'm from "Cow Hampshire" ...New Hampshire...so I thought he'd enjoy the humor of this leaping cow.  :-)  I'm loving the Birthday Bash cartridge...lots of fun stuff on there!!  Enjoy the day!



Recipe

Cow and sentiment cut from Birthday Bash

Balloons cut from Create A Critter

Cardstock - Recollections

Patterned paper - from my stash

Glossy Accents on balloons

Stickles on sentiment

Googly eyes

Dimensionals

Creative Memories marker in black for doodling

Chestnut Roan Cat's Eye chalk ink

Used scraps to dress up the inside of the card (see pic)

I'm entering this birthday card into Paper Playtime's Challenge #32 - Faces - make a paper project with a face...can be a stamped face, a Cricut cut with a face or a drawn on face.