Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, my friends!!  In just 3 hours, we'll be counting down the last minutes of 2010.  Well, here on the East Coast anyway!  I wish everyone a great night...have fun, but be careful!  Can't wait to see what we all create in 2011!  Here's to a GREAT year!  :-)

~Sharon C.

Christmas Treat Bags for My Students...and Other Crafty Goodness!

Hi everyone, it's snowing here in southeastern Massachusetts....looks like we might have a white Christmas after all!  The weather folks forecasted no more than 2 inches of snow for our area, but it's been snowing for 24 hours now with no end in sight.  I'd better look for my kids' winter boots before they get home from school.  I know they'll be itching to get outside with their sleds!  :-)  I posted a picture below....look at all that white stuff!

I wanted to share with you the treat bags I made up for my 3rd grade CCD students.  I love the toppers....all of the images are from Paper Doll Dress Up (one of my all-time favorite Cricut cartridges).



My children and I also made glittered ornaments and angel ornaments.  These will be given to friends, family and my children's CCD teachers.  This was the first year we attempted either of these projects...and I'm pleased to say that they were both quick and easy!  Yea!  The instructions for the glitter ornaments can be found HERE and those for the angel ornaments are HERE.  

This will most likely be my last post until after Christmas.  My to-do list is still quite long (yours too, I'd bet!) so I won't be crafting any more until Santa has come and gone.  But I wish you all the happiest of holidays....may they be merry and bright!

Hugs,

Sharon

2 in 1: A Gift Tag and An Ornament

I made these skates for my sister-in-law who loves handmade, crafty goodies.  She is extremely generous and thoughtful and always gives the most original gifts.  She skated quite a bit as a girl, so I thought these would be perfect for her.  I plan on using these as a gift tag on my gift for her, then she can hang them on her tree if she chooses.  I wrote 'To:' and 'From:' on the back in white gel pen.  I love the look of the glitter on the blades and the bow/laces. 



Recipe

Skates - cut from Winter Woodland; the base image was cut multiple times and layered to create a sturdy die cut

Patterned paper - scraps from my stash

Cardstock - DCWV Textured Neutrals; Recollections

Extra fine glitter

Black Creative Memories marker for stitching

White Gelly Roll pen (not shown; on flip side)

Cording from Michael's

I'm entering this project into a few challenges:

Cooking With Cricut: Challenge #8 - No Red and Green Together - Create a holiday project using red or green but not together...or use neither.

Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #39 - Gifts Galore - Create a handmade gift or gift package.

Gaby Abby Challenge with SEI Week #9: Glitter It Up! - "Create anything, just make sure you GLITTER IT UP!!"

Serenity Scrappers: Christmas Secret Prize Challenge - Create a holiday-themed layout, tag or card.  This FUN challenge is open until 12/17 - the winner will receive a wrapped gift to place under their tree...not to be opened until Christmas!!  :-)  Get your projects in!



An Ornament Shaped Card with a bonus...or two!

Yup, the two little bonuses are my 7 year-old twins.  This picture was taken on Thanksgiving Day...they were very (extremely, really!) happy to spend the day at their grandparents' house.  Nothing like a bit (a LOT, really!) of spoiling!  It didn't matter to them that dinner came with a boat load of vegetables...they were hanging out with their Nana...and nothing beats that! :-)  We're going to send this ornament card to Nana and Papa to thank them for a wonderful Thanksgiving and for inviting the twins to stay over for a few days by themselves to help decorate for Christmas.  I hear there was lots (tons, really! he he he) of chocolate involved!  ;-)

Recipe

Ornaments - from A Child's Year, welded to make the card

Circles - from George & Basic shapes

Patterned paper - DCWV Holiday stack

Cardstock - DCWV Textured Brights

Cuttlebug Snowflakes folder

Ribbon, button - from stash

Silver cord for hanging - Michael's

Pop dots

I'm entering this ornament card into a few challenges:
Always Crafting: Whimsical Wednesday Challenge with Jess - anything goes!
Cooking With Cricut: Challenge #7 - any project that has to do with decking your halls or commemorating the look of the season.
Fantabulous Cricut: Challenge Me Monday #38 - Ribbon Challenge - use ribbon somewhere on your Cricut project.
Getting Cricky with K. Andrew: Simply Charming Cricut Challenge -  anything goes as long as it's charming and cute.
More Than Favors: Wacky Wednesday #17 - anything Christmas-themed, include some embossing.

Have a great weekend!
~Sharon

Fa La La La La! Caroling Birdie from 3 Birds on Parade

I can't believe that it's been over a week since I posted my Thanksgiving card.  Where has the time gone??  I hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving and found great bargains on Black Friday!!  And I don't want to say it...but...it's DECEMBER!!  Time to post another holiday card.  This one was inspired by this week's challenge at Paper Playtime - make any paper project that is 'Christmas Carol Inspired'. 



Well, that cute little bird from 3 Birds on Parade came to mind again.  So I cut the bird carrying the stack of gifts on page 45 of the handbook (all layers).  But I replaced the gifts with a book cut from Every Day Paper Dolls (page 67 of the handbook) and popped up the musical notes from 3 Birds (page 67 of the handbook).  Then I used one of the negative cuts from the musical notes to turn Miss Birdie's book into a songbook.  Ta da!  My dressed-for-the-weather birdie is now a singing sensation!  :-)  I can almost hear her tweeting, "Fa la la la la, la la la la"!

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 book from Every Day Paper Dolls (p. 67)

Musical notes - from 3 Birds on Parade (p. 67)

Patterned paper - DCWV Holiday Stack

Cardstock - Recollections

Glittered earmuffs

White Gelly Roll pen for doodling, stitching

Black Creative Memories marker for doodling, stitching

Pop dots to pop up bird and musical notes

I'm entering my card into two challenges:

Gaby Abby Challenge #8 with SEI: Anything Christmas - make any Christmas-themed project.
Paper Playtime Challenge #27:  Christmas Carol Inspired - make any paper project that is "Christmas Carol inspired".

3 Birds on Parade - Pilgrim Shape Card!

My 3 Birds on Parade cartridge arrived Wednesday from cricutmachine.com.  Whoo hoo!!  I bought my Gypsy there last November - a great deal - and I couldn't resist their super prices on Cricut carts last week and I caved.  Bet I'm not the only one!!  :-)  I had time to play this morning and couldn't help but cut this cute little pilgrim and turn him into a shaped card.  I'm really lovin' those right now! 

I think this card will be making it's way to our CCD coordinator for Thanksgiving.  She's such a lovely woman...with an incredible spirit and endless energy.  I need to let her know how grateful my kids and I are for her!  Then I may just make a few more of these...one for my mom, one for my mother-in-law...you know what I'll be doing this weekend!  Enjoy!

I'm entering my birdie into Paula's Wacky Wednesday challenge #16 at More Than Favors.  This challenge is to make any fall- or Thanksgiving-related project...check it out!

Recipe

Pilgrim birdie cut from 3 Birds on Parade cartridge, shaped card welded with my Gypsy

Patterned paper - Basic Grey 'Recess' 6x6 stack

Cardstock - Recollections

Distressed stripes folder for embossing

Skittles - handmade by a friend (thanks Nancy!)

Cat's Eye chalk ink

Brown & black Creative Memories markers for stitching, doodling and eyes

Gingerbread Girl Shaped Card - My 1st for the Holidays!

Doesn't she look good enough to eat?  I've been dying to make my little gingerbread girl since I saw Momo's adorable card here made using the cute little gingerbread man from Smiley Cards.  But I wanted to make mine pink and girly, which is strange since I have such a tough time making ANYTHING pink and girly.  Having 3 boys (I do have one daughter too) will do that to you!!  I'm sending this to my sister and her 2 1/2 year-old daughter for the holidays...my sister loves pink and brown and her daughter is often likely to be dressed in those colors!

I'm entering my card into the Holiday Project Challenge at Cooking With Cricut.  Did you hop with them over the weekend?  It was their first holiday blog hop and it was loaded with inspiration!!  The challenge is to make a holiday project using a Cricut or other die cut.  I think my gingerbread gal fits the bill!  :-)

Recipe

Gingerbread girl layer - cut from Smiley Cards in tan cardstock

Gingerbread girl shaped card layer - welded two together with my Gypsy, cut once in patterned paper, once again in tan cardstock for the inside of the card and to give extra support

Bow - enlarged the bow tie and made a shadow layer using my Gypsy

D'vine Swirls folder for embossing

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

Cardstock - Recollections

Brown Creative Memories marker for faux stitching

Making Memories trim for pink pom poms (thanks Paula!)

Glitter

Enjoy the day!

~Sharon