Just Be-claws Beach Scene Card

Happy Friday everyone! And not only is it Friday, it's a Friday before a 3-day weekend-YES!

Before I head into the holiday weekend's festivities, I wanted to jump into a few of the fun challenges going on right now with this "Just Be-claws" card:

Supplies used:

• Cricut Life Is A Beach cartridge (crab and palm tree)
• Cricut Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge (clouds)
• Circle punch (sun)
• Red, white, light blue, teal, brown, light brown (sand-like, torn), green, light green & orange-yellow cardstock
• "Just be-claws" sentiment from Scrappy Moms' Furry Friends Clear Stamp Set
• Scrappy Moms' Caribbean Baker's Twine
• Black Versa-Mark ink, Ranger clear embossing powder, Mary-Uchida embossing gun
• Fiskar's wave edge scissors
• Stampin' Up Dimensionals
• Stampin' Up Crystal Effects (glossy effect on crab)
• Wiggle eyes for crab

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Scrappy Mom's Terrific Tuesday Challenge  - Make a project with the Cricut Life Is A Beach cartridge!
2. Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Me Monday # 61 "Blue Skies" - Make a card or project using the colour blue and at least one cloud.
3. Little Red Wagon's Challenge # 81 - Use a tree on your project.

I hope everyone enjoys the Memorial Day holiday! And thank you to all who serve our country to protect our freedom. God bless! 

Happy Birthday . . . And Many More! Cards

After church and shopping with my girls (including a trip to Michael's to use a few of those great coupons going on right now - Woohoo!), I sat down this afternoon to make some general birthday cards to have on hand. The need seems to arise frequently!

I found the design on Splitcoast Stampers, which led me to Ilina Krouse's My Creations blog. She makes some wonderful creations with Stampin' Up products. Check her out!

Here are the cards I made in my own "stamp-a-stack":

Supplies:

• Blue and orange Recollections cardstock from Michael's and white Georgia Pacific cardstock
• Lasting Impressions red dotted and green checked patterned paper
• Stampin' Up Party Hearty Set for banner (handcut) and "...and many more!" sentiment
• Stampin' Up "Happy Birthday to you!" from Birthday Wish stamp set (did not color in "to you" part, though)
• Stampin' Up original Bold Brights markers to ink up all stamps used
• B Is For Boy Cricut cartridge to make "Happy Birthday" frame and "...and many more!" frame (very handy to use the Cricut Expression when you are making multiples - just set that quantity button, Baby!)
• Stampin' Up Dimensionals to pop up the banner and both frames

Challenges entered:

• FCCB # 60 - "Try This Angle" Make a card or project using a rectangle and a triangle on it.
• Card Creations & More by C's So Saturday Challenge # 10 - Create a project that pops, wobbles or shakes.

Now I have a nice stash of birthday cards on hand. Next I need to get crackin' on the many graduation cards that I need for upcoming parties! I also need to assemble the remaining candles for teacher gifts and put together end-of-year gifts for my daughters' chapel buddies at school. Too bad that thing called WORK gets in the way of my crafting! Can't believe tomorrow is Monday already (insert pout face here) . . .

I hope you all have a fabulously crafty week! Can't wait to visit your blogs and see your creations!

In God's Eyes, You SHINE! Baptismal Bday Cards

Happy almost Friday, my fellow crafters!

I must say I am a much happier camper on Thursday and Friday when the weekend is in sight - especially with how busy work has been. I did manage to create the cards I've had in my head and in my Gypsy last night, though, and I'm so excited that they turned out the way I imagined them:

Supplies:

• Two Forever Young hand mirrors welded together on my Gypsy and cut at 7 inches in height to form card base
• Pewter mirror cardstock from JoAnn's individual cardstock sheet racks
• Purple and bright pink cardstock from Butterfly Wings Recollections pack sold at Michael's
• White Georgia-Pacific cardstock from Walmart
• Darice sticky cross and round gems from JoAnn
•  "You Shine" Sentiment from Scrappy Moms' Sweet Somethings Stamp Set (embossed with black Versamark ink and Ranger clear embossing powder)
• 2 Peas Champagne Font for "In God's eyes," and inside wording
• Scrappy Mom's Lilac and Pink Sorbet Baker's Twine 
• Fiskars scalloped scissors for the tag

I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. My girls and even my husband commented on how great they looked - Wow! I'll be sending these off next week with ice cream gift cards for my Goddaughters' upcoming baptismal birthdays. Yes! Another  couple of cards off my list! :)

I linked this project up to You Had Me At Craft's Made It Myself Monday Linking Party:

Come link up, too, and join the fun!

Have a great weekend all! Hopefully I'll be crafting some more during it.

I am so flippin' EXCITED!!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! I entered FCCB's Challenge Me Monday challenge # 59 and was awarded the Top 5 Award by the FCCB Design TEAM!! I know you can't hear me, but I'm screaming right now!!!!!

And thank you, Amber, at My 3 E Scrapbooking for letting me know by leaving a comment! That was a fun way to find out. If you could imagine my eyes popping out and me racing to get onto the FCC Blog, that pretty much describes the scene. Congrats to you, Amber, on earning the Top 5 award, too! If you haven't seen her adorable teacher project, then visit here.

This has definitely surged a desire to join more challenges for me! I am so glad I started a blog and have been able to join the wonderful family of crafty bloggers out there. Thank you all for your encouragement!!

Think I better get crafting, huh? :)

Cherry Candle for Teacher!

WOW! Two posts from me in one day! Guess that's what happens when I get a free day during a weekend! And let me tell you, I am LOVIN' it!!!!

Well, I was busy doing some copying of designs again. This time I copied myself - LOL! Bath & Body Works had their 4 oz candles on sale again, 2 for $10.00, so I purchased a few as teacher gifts. Then I packaged them up like I did for my friend's gift back in November (see post here):

 This is what the candle looked like before I wrapped it . . .

Of course I had to bling up those cute cherries with Stickles!

Voila! A gift ready to give to a special teacher!

Supplies:

• Cupcake holder cut from Real Red Stampin' Up cardstock using Cricut Sweet Treats cartridge at 7 1/2 inches
• Cherry patterned paper from Stampin' Up Summer Picnic Designers Series paper
• Cherries cut from Cricut Country Life cartridge and blinged with Stickles
• Darice red gingham ribbon
• Scrappy Mom's new Honeydew Baker's Twine
• Tag printed from PC using Scrap Baby font and cut with Fiskars Scallop Paper Edgers

I am entering this teacher gift in Fantabulous Cricut's Challenge Me Monday # 59 "Teacher Feature" Challenge. It says "Make a card or project for that special teacher with the color red on it." Woohoo! I'm cruisin' now with these challenges! :)

Also, I wanted to share what I received from my older daughter/crafting buddy for Mother's Day last weekend:

I got one of those yummy smelling Slatkin & Co. Summer Berries candles from Bath & Body Works (which she knew I liked) with a homemade tag, a hand-drawn horse in a frame, AND a homemade horse card using the Cricut and Gypsy!! She made it while I wasn't home, so I was so impressed that she made it and put all of my supplies neatly away without me even suspecting! Pretty awesome, huh?

My younger daughter gave me a sweet handmade card, some Bath & Body Works lip gloss and travel-sized shower gel that I wanted, and a very thoughtful handmade mini-poster of things about me from her perspective. I wanted to keep those equally special gifts a little more private, though. I sure was spoiled this Mother's Day, wasn't I?

I hope to keep my crafting momentum going and make some more things this week. Go, Jen, go!