A layout...FINALLY!

I had posted pieces of this layout on the Cricut MB to see if people thought it was too much. Some said yes and most said no. I was just curious how people felt about busy layouts and was gonna do it my way anyway *okie is much like the late great Frank Sinatra* and put all the cuts on there. I would like to tell you all the carts I used, but I honestly don't remember! LOL

You can click the pictures to make them bigger and see more detail if you like.

I know I used the following cartridges:
Paperdoll Dress Up
Stretch Your Imagination
Storybook

The patterned paper is Basic Grey Mellow Collection. The dark green worded paper is something my friend Linda had given me. This was the first time I had actually cut paper dolls...OMG THEY ARE SO STINKIN CUTE!! Now I wonder why I haven't done more! I also used EK Success punches for the maple leaves.

Here are two bigger pictures so you can see the detail better.

Flutterby...

I recently acquired the Hannah Montana cart and just love some of the swirly cuts on this cart. I kept looking at the designs on it and decided I needed to make something with this butterfly so could at least try the cart out.

The sentiment is computer generated. The carts I used were:
Butterfly - Hannah Montana
Bookplate - Fabulous Finds
Flowers - Home Accents

I used Stardream Mica for the butterfly swirls and the flowers. The photo corners are an EK Success punch I picked up at Hobby Lobby.

I "Cherrish" you & me

When Linda and I went to the Swarm we found the cutest stamp there that had cherries on it and said "Cherrish"...OF COURSE WE HAD TO BUY IT! I still don't know why I am cherry crazy but they are just too stinking cute!

Anyway I started this card last night and didn't get to finish since I went to the movies. I went to see Legion and it was really good! But back to the card...I did get to finish it today.

The stamp is a Snag Em stamp and was only $1. The cherry paper is October Afternoon and the polka dot is Bo Bunny. I used a paper piercer to make the stitching look. I have tried the paper piercer before and I kept poking all the way through but I finally got it right! I used a Martha Stewart border punch for the lacy look. The squiggle on the polka dot paper is a Cuttlebug border folder.

The font is Don Juan. The scallop oval is with Alphalicous, but I had to tweak it to fit the stamp.

The ribbon is banana grosgrain and matches better in real life than it does in the picture. I also put the ribbon through the button.

Here is a close up where you can see that I pop dotted the words and scallop oval. I added Frosted Lace Stickles to the words and also used a Stampin Up marker to add stitching on the lettering also. I did use the Signo white gel pen for the zig zag stitching look on the cherry paper.

I guess in my world...life really is a bowl of cherries! HA HA HA

Love card using Heritage

Therese from Paper Patch Crafts posted a card sketch on Facebook tonight and I decided to make a card from her sketch. I wanted to use my new Hannah Montana cart but couldn't find anything that was tickling my fancy *okie loves her fancy tickled* so I started looking at cuts from the Heritage cart.

It is a pretty simple card and didn't take long to make. I used K & Company for the papers, Mica for the elements and some ribbon and Robin's Nest embellies for some little extra pizzazz. I think the card turned out pretty good. The word LOVE might have looked better in black, it is a bit subtle in the gold but sometimes the best love is subtle love don't you think?

Sshhhh...wanna share a giveaway with ya!

A.GO from the Cricut message board has a fantastic give away going on!! He has a blog where he shares some fabulous creations...A.Go's Craftomonium and you will need to go there and leave a comment on the post mentioning the giveaway, titled Let The Games Begin. I would recommend becoming a follower because Mr. A does some fab fab work with paper and you will want to keep up with his projects he posts!

By leaving a comment on the post about the giveaway you have a chance to win Plantin Schoolbook OR a fantastic new Stampin Up stamp set! I mean how stinkin cute is this stamp set? I can even imagine all the possibilities with this set!

This is what he has to say about the stamp set...
"The stamp set is entitled 'Good Neighbors'. Not only is this set not available for individual purchase, but it's one of the new clear-mount rubber stamp sets introduced exclusively for Sale-a-Bration. It consists of ten individual rubber stamps with a new cling-mount foam system packaged in a new DVD style storage case. All you need is a clear acrylic mounting block and you're ready to stamp away."

So hop on over to A.GO'S CRAFTOMONIUM and give his projects a look over and sign up to win!! And while you are there hit the follow button so you can keep up with his creations!

Cookie Box and Bear Swing Card - Cuttlebug Challenge

I had a great time designing the projects for this weeks Sweet Treat Thursday on Cuttlebug Challenge featuring the Cricut! Make sure to visit and sign up for the prizes on the Cuttlebug Challenge for the month of January. They are giving away Everyday Paper Dolls and Sweet Treats cartridges for your Cricut!

I chose the bear from Doodlecharms for the theme of my projects this week. I used Plantin Schoolbook for the box cut, Mini Monograms for the circle cut and scallop circle and the rest of the cuts are from the fabulous and oh so versatile Doodlecharms!

It's getting closer to Valentine's day and I know many of you still have kids in school and are always looking for the extra special way to deliver treats so for this week's project over at I made a COOKIE BOX and BEAR SWING CARD set. The cookie box will fit the Lofthouse from Walmart.



Card instructions -














These are the cuts you end up with for the card. The mats are all labeled for you. If you wish to use the same words as I have used then you can download the BEARY SWEET MSWORD file. I used a 1.5" punch for the You're so Beary Sweet and a 1.75" punch for the Be My Valentine. Of course I think they would look darling with stamped sentiments as well!




To assemble the card first assemble your scallop cirlce to your circle tag cut. Then apply your sentiment circle on top of the scallop circle. Put your finished tag on top of the card and see where you want to place it, making sure not to cover up the bear cut out at the bottom. Apply with a brad so the tag will swing over. Next take your 1.75" circle and place it under where the tag will be when straight down.



Next apply your card top to your card base using adhesive or glue. If you do it this way then the brad prongs won't be visible and it makes for a neater looking card. Embellish your bear as you wish. Since it was such a small cut I used a fine point marker to do the face with. I dotted the small heart with a white gel pen and used a piece of mounting foam to add it on top of the bear. I then glued the bear into the area of the cut out on the card.

That's it...your card is done!




Assembling the envelope is easy. Just score from corner to corner and then fold the larger side in. Add adhesive to the short side along the length and then the bottom flap and press down.









I inked the edges of the little envelop and added some white stitching with a white gel pen. I applied some ribbon across the front and topped it with the bear cut out from the card front. A heart brad was added to his belly.











COOKIE BOX instructions - I used Plantin Schoolbook for the box, Mini Monograms for the circle cut out and scallop circle ring and Doodlecharms for the bears and hearts












Here are the cuts you will end up with. I already have my bears and hearts embellished. I drew on the bears faces, using a white gel pen for the eyes. I did cut the nose out and glued it on and then added some Glossy Accents. I also used a white gel pen to write "You're" "Beary" "Sweet" on the hearts.









The scoring is done from V cut to V cut and then along the length of the box as shown in the picture. I did add the score lines in the picture to give you a better idea of where to score. You will also need to cut a 3" square of acetate and cover the circle cut out with it. I just used my ATG gun and did the edges and then placed over the hole. Make sure you apply this to the inside of the box.




Now apply the scallop circle ring to the outside of the box, lining up with the circle cut out. I used the Scotch quick dry glue to apply the scallop ring. I inked my scallop ring and added Stickles to the humps.








I used my ATG gun to add tape to each of the tabs on the box, making sure to apply the tape on what would be the outside print side. Fold the sides of the box over the tabs, the tabs will be on the inside of the box. The top of the box will just close over the bottom as seen in the last picture.



















And now your project is all done! I hope you guys enjoy this project!

How can Cropper Hoppers cause so much trouble?

I got some Cropper Hopper vertical storage units on clearance at Hobby Lobby this weekend. I wanted them for my Expedit unit so I could move my paper from the wire racks to the Expedit. Well they were too tall so I had to cut them down about a quarter of an inch. When I finished cutting them all down and filling them with paper I moved them to the Expedit unit.....and then it started....

I couldn't decide what to do with my wire storage! And then what was I going to do with my Snap-N-Store cases. And what about my jars and bottles of flowers, ribbons and brads? I started moving thing around. Just to get things out of the way, and of course it lasted 5 hours! But I did get it done, for now anyway! LOL

Here is a bit of an overall view of the room. I still haven't decided what to do about the other side of the room yet. Well I have but I haven't started on it yet LOL. I still can't believe how much brighter it is in the room since the painting and new lino this summer! I am still lovin it!

I gotta get my curtains made for the room also. I got some denim to make the curtain and have some ladybug material for the trim but I am thinking I might get something else instead of denim. I just can't decide so that is why the shutters are up there for now.

Here is a picture of some of the embellies. I do like the little Jet Max 6 cube unit for my embellies. I need to find a better way to organize some of the stuff. The peg board is really nice for being able to see embellies that can be hung up. If you will click and look at the top two cubes in the 6 cube unit you will see Starbucks Frap bottles. I have them on the 3 tier spice racks you can get at Walmart. I think the racks are only a few bucks each and it makes it so much easier to see what I have and easier to grab!

Here is a closer picture of the Expedit unit. I have 4 empty slots now!! *okie is thinking maybe she needs to buy more paper...ha ha ha*. The black storage containers are Snap-N-Store CD and DVD cases. I keep a variety of things in them so I love the little area for the label. I do keep my cards that I make in two of the DVD size and envelopes the another two. The CD ones have a variety of items in them. They are in the wire storage unit. I did remove some racks I had in there from when I was keeping paper in the wire system.

I am lovin the Cropper Hopper vertical storage! They are in the top middle two cube areas. the other cube of paper is stacks from various companies. The paper sitting in the 3 drawer units are sorted by theme.

Table And here is where I work. Well not real work, but craft work. The Bygel bars are great for the punches! Thank you to whoever told me about those! *okie believes it was Softbrn...and then remembers for sure because okie had to call Soft when okie was at Ikea and ask where to find them*. I did take the top tier of my spinner off but I might need to add it back...if I can remember where it is!

I still like having my carts this way so they are ready available. I do need to cut some more little cart boxes and print off some labels. Most of my tools are located in that cube above the chair so they are very handy! I keep scissors in the first drawer there so I can grab them easily.

So that is pretty much it for now...once again I am gonna fall asleep at the computer I think! Hopefully I will be able to create tomorrow now that I have everything all organized.......AGAIN!

Swarming is fun!!

Oh my goodness I had a blast at the Swarm today! Robin did a great job of hosting and she had the best door prizes!! I got two sets of stamps *okie just remembers she forgot to take a picture of them* as a door prize. Everyone also got a little chipboard album and word as goodies.

I was able to get some pictures but while going through them to post on here I realized I didn't get one of Robin and she sat straight across from me! *okie frowns at her incompetence and hopes someone has one to share*.

I did get a video done but I am too pooped to upload, edit and post tonight.

But I do want to share some pictures with you guys!!

Here is a picture of Robyn, aka Pink Stamper, and I. We didn't think Robyn was going to be able to make it since she and her kids have been sick for most of the week but luckily she has recovered! She and one of her son's stopped in for a little while. She brought her DVD for a door prize and the winners were super excited!! Linda took the picture and had fun taking one picture that showed my big fat belly really well *okie reaches over, grabs her Christmas card list and marks Linda's name off...remembers that Linda's husband Fred gave okie some of his famous smoked cheese when we got home and then pencils in Fred's name on the Christmas card list*.

I know you guys remember me posting about my friend Linda all the time...well yep, this is the one and only LGuild from the Cricut message board. Linda said she got twenty something cards done. I don't know how since she was busy all morning harping on me about working on the same layout for half the day! But remember she is a card maker and not a scrapbooker so she just does NOT get it! *okie cracks up laughin*. Oh yes...and it was HER fault we were late! I got to her house and she was still in bed! She thought the Swarm started at 10...I told her it started at 9!! But I have to admit she did get ready really really fast and we were only a little late.....fashionably late really.

This is Shelby, she was my Secret Sister! She got me some Basic Grey Boxer paper, some bling and cut the cutest little card with ladybugs on it, which will go on my wall in craft room! *okie wonders if Shelby has a hidden camera in her craft room to know that okie didn't have any of the Boxer line but has been looking at it*. Shelby's mom was working on a "learning to drive" layout during the video and I don't think Shelby was too excited about it since it was about her LOL.


Here is Melissa B doing a little shopping. She and I talked about her coming and spending a weekend with me to get away and scrap. I think we also might have mentioned something about the swimming pool, fajita's and margarita's....but I could be mistaken *but okie clearly remembers Melissa does NOT like wine.....but okie isn't a wine drinker either*. So hopefully some weekend soon I will be having a guest and we can just stay in our PJ's and scrap all weekend!

Here is Phyllis and Debbie. They drove in from Arkansas and got there really late *okie won't mention it was due to okie saying go west off I-35 and them getting lost and hitting a dead end* but they had a blast! They were some fun gals, let me tell ya! Debbie is happilyscrappin1 on the Cricut message board. Phyllis just joined and I can't remember what they told me her name is...something about a Daisy I think, but I could be wrong.






Here is another group of friendly ladies. And since I am noddin off sitting right here my mind and went all muddly *okie doesn't think muddly is a word since it is showing misspelled and decides it should be a word and just leaves it*. I do remember the name on the right hand sides name. On the Cricut MB she goes by kimmer. The one in the middle is SoonerMT on the Cricut MB and she is Shelby's mom. She was doing the cutest learning to drive layout!

Well that is all I have to post right now. I will try to get the video done tomorrow and post it!!

OOHHH! And I was able to get 2 two page layouts done and 1 1 page, so big improvement on my part. I will post pictures of those later also.

Secret Sister Gift for the Swarm

I am not here right now because I am at a Swarm in Norman Oklahoma*okie just loves the post options on blogger*. This post is set to go live at the exact time the Swarm starts. I didn't want to post this last night in case there are people who are attending the Swarm check my blog before going. But, I wanted to share the Secret Sister gift set I made for my Secret Sis. Although it isn't much of a secret since I got the hostess! LOL Our limit was $10 and I did go over a little, but I also was able to take some things from my stash.

The printed paper is double sided from Got Moxxie and is Crop til you drop. I thought it was perfect for the occasion. I just hope my Secret Sister, who isn't really a secret hopes so also! I only used two sheets for all the projects you see. I used scraps I had for the deep red, white and black.


The box is a cigar box that my friend Linda gave me. I put some scrappy items in the box, hence the name on the tag on the front of the box. I just used some paper filler to make it look more festive.

You can click on the picture if you want to see more detail. I added some Prima bling swirls for a little texture. The tag is from Tags, Bags, Boxes and More. The wording is from Printing Press. I really love that cart and I think it is often overlooked.

I added a ribbon loop to the lid so it would be easy to open. As you know sometimes cigar box lids have a tendency to fall "in" the box *okie wonders if people do know that or if she was just assuming people know....and then remembers what assuming does and giggles at herself*. I used the Fiskars Threading Water punch for the eyelet look at the end of the tag.







I used Graphically Speaking for the "FRIEND" on the card. I like the jumbled words on that cartridge and don't use them often enough! The brads are from Basic Grey Wassail collection. The ribbon is just some I got at a sewing store here in town, which has since closed down.

I used a Stampin Up marker for the faux stitching on the card and also the dots on the word friend. The inking is done with a Cat Eye Fluid Ink Chalk Pad - Charcoal. It is just a simple card and probably not one of my best works, but I still think it fits the occasion.




The bag is covered completely with paper I had left over from the box and card. I did use a versamark pad and stamp to add a little something to the deep red paper. It just looked to plain otherwise. I can't remember who made the stamp, but I know I ordered it from Joann's quite awhile ago.

The scallop circle is a 2 inch punch by EK Success.

I was way too lazy to dig into my gift wrapping cabinet and get some tissue paper so I used a large paper bag and tore the edges. The bow is made with raffia.

Well hope you enjoyed peeking at the gift set! I am hoping she likes it! I will be sure to take pictures and post on here later. I do have my Flip with me also so I might do a little video so you guys can see everyone *okie wonders if she needs to have everyone sign a disclosure of some type* if they are willing to be on camera! LOL

Stampout Online Giveaway!

Most of you guys know how I adore Lisa over at Stampout Online. I think her products and customer service is hard to beat. Well Lisa and Alli have joined the blogging world now and to celebrate they are doing a giveaway contest.

In order to win all you have to do is the following:

"Simply sign up to follow our blog at STAMPOUT ONLINE BLOG AND make a comment on this post with your FUNNIEST quote to be made into a stamp. If you are the winner, you will receive your choice of a wood mounted or self-inking stamp with your VERY OWN funny quote on it. Use your imagination and have fun...we can't wait to hear what you come up with.
(We reserve the right to use all quotes submitted to create and sell stamps and/or stationery)
Contest ends at 12 noon on Sunday, January 17, 2010"

Now I gotta go think of something funny!! *okie isn't sure if she even can think of a funny quote but is gonna try*

AND THE WINNER IS....

Whew am I bushed! I finished cooking supper. Waynie and I ate and watched an episode of Bones. I cleaned up the kitchen and then took my bath. I even shaved my legs which is something I don't do often. Being blessed with Native American genes my legs aren't really very hairy, and what hair is there is quite soft *okie sometimes shares way too much information*.

I am trying a new shampoo. It is a generic version of Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo. It really made my head tingle but my hair feels soft and fluffy *okie isnt' sure if she just described her hair or her cat*. I did use the conditioner also.

*okie wonders if anyone is reading this babbling or just skimming and seeing if they won the DVD*

I need to get busy on my Secret Sister gift for the Swarm on Saturday. I was hoping to get a few more page kits done, but it doesn't look like it is going to happen. Do you know how hard it is to get a nice little Secret Sister gift together for under $10? Well it is impossible I tell you.......JUST IMPOSSIBLE. Then you always wonder if your secret sister will like your gift. I bet if my secret's sister name was Lori she would like it. But my gift isn't a DVD. I am still not sure what I will do for the gift...*okie thinks for a minute*....Hempel, I better think about it quick because the Swarm is closing in fast!!









OOHHH YEESSS.....ya'll want to know the winner!!! Well the winner's name is buried in my post, and NO it is NOT Paul Mitchell!!

It is 6pm Monday night so ya know what that means!

I will be announcing the winner of the DVD here shortly. I have to finish fixin supper for me and Waynie and then eat supper and then maybe take a bubble bath before I go to random.org and generate a winner. I have closed the comments now.

Check back in a bit to see who wins the fantastic DVD!!

Don't you hate it when...

You want to make something, you have something you need to work on, but you just don't want to do it? That was me tonight! I needed to work on a project and I did but then I got to a point where I was stumped so then I decided to make a card or something. But I couldn't decide what kinda card. I played around in Design Studio for about an hour trying to figure out a card I wanted to make. But no luck!

Then finally.......FINALLY! I opened Home Accents in Design Studio and started playing with it. I have been wanting to do a wall quote for my craft room for awhile and I finally did!! I will be doing more but at least I got a start!

And here is the wall quote I did! I am including the cut file of LIVE LAUGH LOVE if anyone wants to cut one for themselves. My door way measured approximately 40 inches, so it is larger than a regular doorway. You will need to use Home Accents for this file. It took 2 sheets of 12x12 vinyl.

Look what I have to GIVEAWAY!

As many of you know I am friends with The Pink Stamper, who recently released a fantastic DVD on how to use your Cricut. Robyn contacted me recently to ask if I would like to do a giveaway of one of her DVD's. I thought about it for about a millisecond *okie thinks really fast sometimes* and told her "OF COURSE!"

Here is a picture of the DVD you can win.

And don't forget to check out Robyn's Pink Pajama Party on Friday January 22nd at 9pm! She will be doing a LIVE broadcast from her hotel room with lots of cool giveaways. You can also chat with others and Robyn during the LIVE broadcast! It is a lot of fun to participate!

So here's the dealio...just leave a comment on this post and you will be entered to win! I will draw for a winner on Monday night!

Please enter only once. I have to approve comments so it might take a little while for your comment to appear.

Oh and my dear international friends....I will ship over seas!! *okie grins big*

IT SOLD!

I had several people interested in buying my E and the lady who ended up buying it...get this...works like 3 blocks from where I live! She checks my blog and saw where I was selling it and her Mother In Law was wanting one. We were finally able to meet today and she bought it! I plugged it up and showed her it worked and all.

But the best thing is...I now have someone local that likes to Cricut!! *okie likes making new friends...well okay not really, but this one seems okay...ha ha ha*

Thank you to all of you that were interested in the E, and thank you Wendi for buying it!

Lollipop holder and Card featuring Doodlecharms

Hey everyone! I am so excited to announce my first project as a Design Team member for Sweet Treat Thursday on Cuttlebug Challenge featuring the Cricut. The prizes on the Cuttlebug Challenge for the month of January are Everyday Paper Dolls and Sweet Treats cartridges for your Cricut! Make sure visit Cuttlebug Challenge and leave a comment so you can be entered to win!

For our premiere were were asked to use Doodlecharms. This cartridge has so many neat cuts that it is hard to decide, but luckily Maggie was sweet enough to narrow it down to a Valentine's Day theme so it did make it easier *okie loves easy*. I decided to make a lollipop holder and matching card for this weeks projects. Both have cut files furnished for you if you would like to make these fun projects!



Supplies for projects are as follows:
Cricut Expressions
Cricut cartridges - Doodlecharms, Plantin Schoolbook
Daisy D's Maybe Baby Collection 12x12 patterned cardstock
Cardstock in the following colors - Red, White, Pink
Printed SOMEBUNNY LOVES YOU from home computer
1/4" grosgrain ribbon, banana
Cuttlebug
Cuttlebug folder D'Vine Swirls
ATG gun and 1/4" adhesive
Signo UM 153 White gel pen
Eyelets

The first project is a 4x5 card. I used a card base that came in a set of 25 with envelopes to make my card. I do have the cut file for the SOMEBUNNY CARD and it requires the Doodlecharms cartridge and is set to cut 4 at a time. I also have the file for the SOMEBUNNY LOVES YOU! PRINTED PAPER that you can print out on MS Word if you would like to use it. One printed sheet will be enough for both projects. For the envelope I used one from the set and decorated the front and the flap to match the card.


Card instructions:
Card base 8 x 5" scored at 4 inches and folded, or cheater method of 4" x 5" to adhere to card base
Card mat cut at 3.5" x 4.5"
Stamp edge strip - cut at 2.75"
Envelope hearts - 2.75"
Heart (layers)- 2.5"
Bunny - 2.5"
See pictures for assembling pieces.

If you have Design Studio you can download the LOLLIPOP HOLDER and it is set to cut 4 at a time. For you baby bug users I do have a LOLLIPOP HOLDER GEO file that you can download. It is the basic holder and doesn’t have the specific cuts for this project but you can download both and then just use the Doodlecharms cuts from the file using the Plantin as the base.

If you need to make cuts without Design Studio, use following guidelines:

Lollipop Holder -
For base:
Cut a 6.5" x 3" rectangle from double sided cardstock
Score at 2 3/4" and 3 1/4" and fold on score lines
Using small home punch, punch hole in center between score lines
Using a slit punch (made by Stampin UP) punch in center on tall side, making sure front will slide under the punched flap.
For mats:
Large mat - cut pink cardstock at 2 3/8" x 2 1/2"
Smaller mat - cut printed word cardstock at 2 1/8" x 2 1/4"
Bunny - cut at 1 3/8"
Heart - Cut at 1 7/8"

See pictures for assembly.

I hope you guys have enjoyed my projects as much as I enjoyed bringing them to you! Again don't forget to visit Cuttlebug Challenge and leave a comment for your chance to win Everyday Paper Dolls or Sweet Treats!

I have a bit of a little announcement!

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the news! *okie so much loves being a tease*

I will be selling my E!!

I know I know it is sad that my poor E must go. But I have to make room for.....MY NEW RED EXPRESSIONS! I couldn't resist. I tried to resist. But I just couldn't. Now I have to sell my beloved E to cover the cost of the red E. I am thinking of black flourishes cut out of vinyl to deck out the new red E.

If you guys know of anyone who wants to buy an E tell them to give me a holler! It will include the following:
Cricut Expressions in original box
New blade
New Mat
Plantin Schoolbook never used
Accent Essentials never used
Tear Drop, used twice
none of the carts have been linked to a Gypsy.

Oh yes the price! $150 + shipping (actually shipping charges to be determined).

My new E comes in on Friday, barring any weather catastrophes, and once I get it hooked up and make sure it works the other E will be ready to go out the door.

J-Krafty, The Original Crafta

Deleted after complaints about inappropriate content.....however I still thought it was a funny video!

How To: Print on cardstock shape

My friend Tracy showed me how to print on cardstock when I had a certain area to work with. Actually what I was working on at the time was a recipe swap and I wanted to print the recipe on a denim pocket I had cut with the Cricut. I didn't know if everyone knew of this little trick so I thought I would make a video tutorial.