Blast from the Past - 4 Star Movie Card

This was a fun card to make and my sister put them in her son's stockings and they just loved them! They even said they were going to keep the cards because "Aunt Shirley made it".

Jeannie Phillips was the creator of the card and I stole the idea from her. Jeannie is fabulously talented but sadly she isn't making cards anymore. For some odd reason she got hooked on the Knifty Knitter and is now knitting to her hearts content. She even recently got a spinning wheel! If you would like to see some of Jeannie's great work you can go to A PLACE FOR MY CARDS and see what she has been up to lately.

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Originally posted August 29, 2008

I so totally swiped this idea from Jeannie Phillips on the Cricut messageboard! She is one talented lady, let me tell you! If you have a minute go over and check out her work on her blog at A Place For My Cards or you can also check her out at Win a Handcrafted Card and see if you can't win one of her fabulous creations!

When I saw Jeannie's card I fell in love with it and knew I wanted to make some. My sister gives her (grown) sons movie gift cards in their Christmas stockings each year and I thought this card would be great for her to put the gift cards in. I sent Jeannie a message and asked if she minded if I posted a .cut file to the 4 STAR MOVIE CARD on my blog. Being the gracious person she is, she said she didn't mind at all!

I used Plantin for most of the cuts, however I did use Locker Talk for the ticket. If you want to use the file you can just delete the images of the ticket. The file is set to cut 4 at a time. I also just used my trimmer to cut the silver for the back of the film strip. I used a background stamp for the popcorn bucket and then colored in between some of the lines with a Stampin Up marker. I used cat eye ink to do the shading on the bucket, ticket and popcorn. The mats are all labeled for you. There are some extra circles that will cut to help you fill in the popcorn bucket, but you might have to punch or cut a few extra also.





I pop dotted the popcorn and ticket for some added dimension *okie so loves dimension on cards...and layouts...and is glad we live in a 3 dimensional world*. I didn't glue the bucket all the way down so I could slide some "popcorn" in the bucket. I added some stickles to the popcorn just because I thought it might look good and I LOVE STICKLES! Anyone else out there love Stickles? Can I get a HELL YEAH! *okie cracks up laughing at herself knowing that people are rolling their eyes and thinking 'that dang okie ain't got no kinda sense'*. I did use the white Signo pen to do the doodling around the edge of the card.

The saying is generic so it can be used for various occasions. Also the sentiment is completely in one piece so if you want to resize it you can. Just don't forget to resize the stars that go on top also. I used Doodlebug sugar glitter on the stars and then dotted with black diamond Stickles. I also doodled with the white Signo pen on the letters.






The inside envie will hold a gift card. No that is not a movie gift card, it is my Staples Teacher Rewards card! I had to make sure it was the right size and that is the card I pulled out of my purse to use as an example. But it does fit rather nicely with the stars on there now doesn't it. I used some Aileens Tack It Over and Over on the flap of the envie so it will stay close but yet be able to reopen.

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We are heading to Grand Turks today and our plans are to spend some time on the gorgeous beach! I told my BFF Karen that we should order room service before heading to the beach so we can take a picnic lunch. She said something about a bucket of beer so I am not sure we are going to eat today *okie is thinking she should have packed some snacks to sneak on the ship*.

Blast from the Past - Slider/Push Pull Card

Here is a fun card that I posted back in June 2008. The .cut file is included in the post.

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Originally posted June 26th, 2008

Okay guys I am so cheating on this one! I know I usually post instructions and had intended to do so today BUT! My electricity got cut off today! I know I really should pay my bill instead of buy scrapping supplies! *okie gives a huge giggle*

Actually the electrician came today and put in a new breaker box.....with MORE AMPS!! WOOHOO!! I was so tired of having to remember that in the summer time the dryer can't be running while the dishwasher is running, if the bedroom ac's are on then don't use the microwave and all that jazz! So now I have 125 Amps instead of 100 and hopefully I can be cool and still wear dry clothes and have clean dishes!

Anyway I am posting the file for the SLIDER CARD/PUSH PULL CARD. If you want to see directions you can go to this link: SPLITCOAST STAMPERS and follow the directions from there until I am able to post some. I will try to do directions and pictures later, as I found these a little confusing at one point, but I was able to figure it out. The mats are labeled for reference. I have a play date with LGuild tomorrow so not sure if I will get to the directions then or not. She is coming to my house to try out stamping. But we are going to hit the LSS first, OF COURSE!! I mean after all paper is on sale.......and we NEVER have enough paper do we?? *just agree with okie here please*.

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We are at sea today and there are some great Cricut classes scheduled. At least they are telling me they will be great, and hopefully I won't over sleep and miss the classes!

Celebrate a 50th Birthday!

I want to wish my friend Angela, aka TiffysMom, a very HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY!

To celebrate her birthday she is having a blog hop and will be giving away a very appropriate Cricut cartridge.

Okay let me tell you this...Angela tells me she will be 50 but I think that heifer is totally lying! If you do go to her blog look at her profile picture and tell me that woman is 50! *okie shakes her head and wonders why someone would lie about being older*

And being the friend I am *okie is willing to sacrifice so much for her friends*, I have promised to have a nice big drink for her today while I am on the cruise ship to celebrate in my own little way! *okie holds up a big glass and tips it toward Angela* WISHING YOU THE MOST FABULOUS BIRTHDAY EVER MY FRIEND!



We board the Eurodam today at 11:00 am and then head out of port at 5:00 pm. I am sure we will have to take lifeboat and life jacket lessons in case of an emergency. Although I am sure we won't have to use them and even if we do I know for a fact that fat floats to the top so I should be just fine if the boats starts to sink! *okie cracks up laughin*

I LOVE STRING!

That is something I tell people. And it is true I tell you! *okie nods to affirm this declaration*

You guys may remember the tshirt that Jenny sent me, proclaiming once and for all to be a paper ho. Well when Jenny contacted me about my information for mailing and said she had something for me I told her I hoped it was not dirty socks because I did not like dirty socks, but I do love string.

Why the love of string? Well there are many reasons, including String Theory, which while I will admit I do not quite understand but find rather fascinating. But mostly I love string because it is so versatile and necessary in life! You need string to tie your shoes, fly a kite and who knew...to paper craft! I haven't gotten to use the string yet but I can't wait to try it on some projects!!

Thank you so much Jenny!

And as you guys are reading this I am somewhere between Oklahoma and Florida. I will be meeting up with some Cricut friends who live in Florida and are nice enough to want to come and meet us! Then tomorrow we board the cruise ship for our great adventure on the 2011 Cricut Cruise!

Opps!

I had planned on posting a layout for today but I was so busy yesterday that I didn't get around to getting it photographed and edited to post.

I have everything packed and will be going to my sister's today so we can stay the night since she lives about 15 minutes from the airport. Lucy will be staying with her while we are gone. My sister has two dogs and she and her husband are crazy about their furbabies. I am so lucky to have a wonderful place for Lucy to stay. My only concern is that Lucy won't want to come back home with me when we return!

I do have posts scheduled for while I will be away but most are projects that have been done in the past but many of you may not have seen. Feel free to leave comments as I have enlisted the help of a dear friend to approve comments while I am away.

I'll be back in person *okie thinks that is odd to say in person and wonders if she should change that to 'in computer'* in a week. Hope you enjoy the posts I have scheduled.

Daddy & Me - layout

I have been so busy getting ready for my cruise *okie starts to mentally go over her packing list and shakes her head and figures...if it's packed it's going and if it isn't then it's staying* that I haven't had much time to craft. I think in the last two weeks I have done two layouts. *okie almost faints at the lack of crafting time*

This is a layout of my daughter and her father. She was 3 when the picture was taken. It was actually his picture but he let me borrow it and scan it so I could make a layout for my daughter to have.

Supplies Used:
Cricut Expressions
Cricut Cindy Loo cartridge
Little Yellow Bicycle Pattern Paper
Cardstock - various
Making Memories Metal Tag Rim
3/8" Grosgrain Ribbon
Spareparts Brads
Cat Eye Chalk Ink




A lot of people don't like the Making Memories metal tag rims but I still love them! Matter of fact a friend from the Cricut messageboard, Angela aka TiffysMom, sent me a bunch because she said she doesn't use them anymore.

How I used it here is how I usually like to use them. I think they are great to make little picture charms. Sometimes I do just a face or an interesting point of a picture. For this particular layout I thought a tiny version of the picture was the best.

I didn't have a template to cut the picture so I just used a ballpoint pen to trace around the outside of the rim and then cut inside the pen line a little. I did have to trim a little at a time to get what I needed but it was worth the effort.





I wanted the cartridge Cindy Loo for the cute little deer that was on it *okie knows her true green blooded Cricut lover friends will understand wanting a cart for just one cut* but once I saw the font I knew it was a MUST GET CART!

The one thing is that the font doesn't have a shadow but you guys know the routine, cut a base layer then offset it to get a shadow effect *okie knows she is addicted to layering in paper crafting*.

I will be posting another layout for tomorrow and after that since I will be reposting some of my old posts that some of you guys might not have seen. I likely won't be able to publish comments until I get back but I will read them when I get home.

Cuttlebug Storage Folders

This was originally posted in March of 2009 I do believe. People have been interested in it again and since I have been super busy I thought I would repost this information....


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I knew I would do it. I should have done it in the first place. Why I didn't I shall never know *okie thinks her mind is a mystery to her sometimes and causes her too much work*. But this morning I did it. I made a .cut file for the Cuttlebug A2 folders.

I made the CUTTLEBUG A2 PLANTIN version and the CUTTLEBUG A2 GEORGE version. Yes you heard right. I did one for the Expressions and one for the baby bug. I couldn't forget those that don't have the E *it wasn't that long ago that okie only had the baby bug*

I haven't gotten around to do the ones for the combo sets, borders or 2x2 squares. But I likely will eventually.

The assembly should be the same for both versions.

I inked this version just to decorate it more. I hand wrote the name of the folder on the tab. And YES....I will likely be redoing all the folders I made yesterday *okie needs serious help...mentally that is*. I want to make them colored coded. Ya know like orange for Fall, green for Christmas, red for Valentines, etc.

Here is the cut. The PS version will cut two to a 12x12 sheet of cardstock and the George will cut one on the baby bug. In the pictures I only did the first tab version but there are mats to make graduated tabs. The mats are all labeled. I also made a divider if you want to divide by theme and such.

There is a first tab, middle tab and last tab. So 3 tabs in all. I can't really but them in alphabetical order this way....but come on folks I am not that anal!! NO COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY!! *okie gets a stick to bonk anyone on the head that wants to comment on that*


This is where you score. The score lines will cut for you so no measuring if you don't want to measure. And if you do...well I don't remember the measurements. If they dont seem to line up right just score 1/8" of an inch away from the first score line. I have them lined up correctly on the .cut file but as you know sometimes these machines have their own ideas about things!

I did score one and then pretty much lined up with the second set of score lines, and it was 1/8" of an inch *okay okie is that anal, she will admit*.

I used a ruler and an embossing stylus to do my embossing, but use what you wish. This was just the method I used because it gives me a smaller score line than my Crafters Companion does.

Here is a side view of how the cuttlebug embossing folder will look in it's new home *okie thinks her little cuttlebug folder even smiled in it's new home*.

Due to this version being specific for the width of the A2 folders. Like I said I will try to get ones done for the borders, combo dies and the 2x2 folders. Maybe I will work on those files today and maybe I won't.

I still gotta get that dang Tinkberbell card done before the child turns 5! HA HA HA *okie so cracks herself up*

To emboss the front you will need to put the NONE tabbed side of the folder in the cuttlebug folder.

You will also have to emboss it sideways. But of course if you want to turn it the other way you can. It is totally up to you.

Don't worry you won't break your cuttlebug, I have embossed this way quite a few times and it works just fine. But if you are afraid then just do it the othe way.


This is how it looks after embossed *okie makes oohh and ahh sounds to herself*. Now once you have done this you can make labels for the tabs if you wish, in the edges and or the embossed image, the sky is the limit on how you want to decorate them.

I think this gives you a quick reference to what the folder looks like embossed and I truly do like this method. Just wish I would have done this yesterday and saved me all the measuring, cutting, corner rounding etc. *okie sighs* but ya know sometimes it is better to reinvent the wheel!

SUPER CRAZY WOW!

That is all I can say about yesterday evening and night!

I noticed on one of my facebook posts there were two people that reconnected from the old Cricut Messageboard. Neither knew the other was on Facebook until commenting on a post I made and they seemed excited to see each other. That got me to thinking...YA'LL SHUT UP! I DO THINK SOMETIMES! *okie knows thinking is a dangerous game for her but loves living on the edge*...anyway, it got me to thinking of how many others on my friends list were wondering about old friends from the messageboard. I set up a group called OLD CRICUT COMMUNITY and sent out some invites. I figured I would have at least 20 and maybe even 30 people interested in being in the group. Here is where the SUPER CRAZY WOW comes in...by approximately midnight my time there were 200 people in the group!

Everyone seemed so excited to see each other. There were a few problems. Some people had their mailboxes and phones get full really fast with the posts that were going on, but luckily I think everyone was able to get the notifications turned off. It was really kind of heart warming to read some of the postings going on where people were catching up with old friends.

There were a few other problems, like people's browsers crashing due to too much activity in the group. Even my own browser fell victim!

I am so amazed at how a little ol machine that cuts paper has been able to help people from all over the world form such wonderful friendships!

I LOVE MY CRICUT!!

Are cruises are suppose to be relaxing?

Ya know as the cruise departure approaches stress levels are starting to get high about what to pack, not over pack and how much drinks will be! I thought this was suppose to be relaxing but I am finding it to be rather stressful. My BFF Karen and I were on the phone and yelling and cussing at each other about different issues about the cruise. Of course this is normal conversation for us and we had to laugh at ourselves and wonder what others will think of us on the cruise when we start in our own little conversations.

We have been given our class schedules, dinner times and a few other activities so we can be prepared to spend time with our fellow Cricut lovers. It sounds like they are going to keep us super busy during all 7 days *okie is now thinking being down in the engine room away from everyone else is a good idea because she can go hide and rest*.

WINNER!!

To get a number for a winner I added the comments from the first day and then the second day and I had a total of 164 comments. I then used Random.org to generate a random number and the winning number was...32!!

The winner of the set of 12 ProMarkers is....

craftaholic said...

I love the card, very Cute!! TFS!!!

http://ibecircled.blogspot.com
ilovetonkinese2 at hotmail dot com
Rexann

Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments!! I hope to have a few more ProMarker projects to post next week.

ME?? REALLY??

Well okay it is probably true! But I never thought someone would confirm it like this!

I got a pm on the Cricut MB last week from JennyKozar asking for my mail addy because she had something she wanted to send me. I told her I didn't want dirty socks, but I do like string *okie thinks about how much she hates dirty socks and grimaces, but then thinks about how much she does like strings and smiles*. So yesterday I got my package from Jenny and lo and behold there was a tshirt confirming my status has a paper ho!!! *okie hears the gasps* Oh ya'll stop gasping! Ya'll know almost everyone of you can be labeled as a paper ho as well!!

And evidently there is a vote going on right now as whether this should be my new avatar picture. *okie shrugs and smiles* I am what I am!! HA!

Heart day...

Happy Valentine's day everyone. I don't have anything sweet or neat for you. I think Valentine's day is a big scam anyway. Although, I usually get my daughter something for the occasion I am not this year...she is going on a freakin cruise after all!!

I had stamp club on Saturday so my friend Linda, aka LGuild, was in town. We ran around before and after stamp club. She brought me my ATG tape and I now have 12 rolls of 60 yard tape so I should be set for quite awhile . I HOPE*okie makes a mental note to check on reorders when she gets to her last 3 rolls*! I also gave her the cartridges she ordered from PaperCrafting Pro when I did an order. I got two, she got five! LOL I didn't get much done at stamp club and didn't finish anything. I stamped some images and colored but I did more talking than anything else *okie knows this shocks everyone since okie is such a quiet soul...then moves over before the lightening strikes*.

I got my order from Consumer Crafts on Friday and WOW was that box heavy! I immediately put the cardstock away in the paper holders I already had labeled. I did make a layout last night but didn't get pictures to post for today. I thought I would use some of the new cardstock but I didn't.

I hope you guys enjoyed the blog hop. I have decided I don't think I am going to do anymore blog hops. I don't like the pressure, deadlines and I am lazy. I had agreed to do one in March but got a hold of them and let them know I needed to withdraw. You guys have no idea how much deadlines freak me out. I have been so use to doing things on my own pace in my life and my career that someone giving me a deadline is like putting a huge STOP sign in front of me *okie thinks she is so weird sometimes*. I also don't like having to work with themes. I guess I just wanna do what I wanna do when I wanna do it *okie wonders if that makes her a beech or just a free spirit*.

Not sure how much I will be posting projects before I leave for the cruise. Due to the bad weather we had I am going to have to work my hiney off at work to make up for lost appointments and I might not have time to do much crafting. And with that, guess I better get my butt in gear and get busy seeing my clients for today.

RED HOT BLOG HOP - Treatbag

Welcome back to the second and final day of the Red Hot Blog Hop! Once again if you arrived here from Nana Donna's Card Dreams then you are heading in the right direction! If not then you will need to go to She's A Sassy Lady blog and start the hop.

My project for today is a red hot Valentine's Day treat bag. I used Design Studio to make my base for the treat bag topper and used George to do so. For the heart I used George for the heart and Graphically Speaking for the flames and then welded the flames on the yellow and red layers. The "hot" is on the From My Kitchen cartridge.

Supplies Used:
Cricut Expression
Cricut Design Studio
Cricut George cartridge
Cricut From My Kitchen cartridge
Cricut Graphically Speaking cartridge
ProMarkers
1/4" Satin Ribbon
Red, Turquoise, Yellow, Orange Cardstock
Pinecone Press Sweet Words
Cat Eye Chalk Ink Dark Brown
Small sized treat bag


I used ProMarkers to outline on the Cricut cuts just slightly. And then did a few doodle dots on the "hot" with a Stampin Up Marker. I punched a hole in the top center and tied ribbon.

The bags are just small ones and I folded them over and stapled shut. I used double sided tape to attach the topper to the bag.


You can have another chance to win the ProMarkers as I will be drawing from the comments from yesterday and today. To enter the giveaway on my blog just leave a comment on this post and I will use Random.org to choose a winner. Comments will be closed on Monday morning at 8am.

A winner will be drawn randomly from one of the blogs in the hop so make sure you comment on each one both days of the hop! To continue on the hop just click the button below and don't forget to leave your comments along the way to be eligible to win the prizes.

RED HOT BLOG HOP - Matchbook Card

Welcome to my blog dear hoppers! If you arrived here from Nana Donna's Card Dreams then you are heading in the right direction! If not then you will need to go to She's A Sassy Lady blog and start the hop.

Here is the full list of bloggers that are involved in the RED HOT BLOG HOP

She's A Sassy Lady
Thunderbirdlindy by Design
Nana Donna's Card Dreams
Okielady's Scrap N'More_bug
MelissaMade
Just Yolie, Just Create
Gaby Creates
Daily Grace Creations
The Cricut Diaries
The Cricut Couple



I hope you are enjoying your trip down the RED HOT lane today and enjoy all the projects everyone has made for this hop. I would like to thank Celeste with Thirty OneGifts for sponsoring our hop and making such a fabulous prize available! A winner will be drawn randomly from one of the blogs in the hop so make sure you comment on each one both days of the hop!

I will be offering a prize from my blog and you will have to read to the end to find out how to win and what prize I am giving away.

My project for today is a red hot Valentine's Day card. The image is one that I got from my friend Linda, aka LGuild, last year. She was nice enough to stamp a sheet of them off for me and then scan them. I did enlarge the image a little for my use.

Supplies Used:
Stamped Image
ProMarkers
Heart Brads
Turn Mounts
5/8" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
Heart Embossed paper
Red, Lime Green, Turquoise Cardstock
Pinecone Press Sweet Words
Cat Eye Chalk Ink Dark Brown


I used ProMarkers to color two images. On the flame I started with my red, lightly outlining the edges. I then went in with an orange and the colored the entire area with yellow. I also added some glitter with the Stardust Gelly Roll pen giving the flame a little sparkle.

I cut one of the images so I ended up with just the matches and the bottom of the book of matches. I glued the bottom of the matchbook directly on to the bottom image and then added pop dots to the matches.

To enter the giveaway for the prize of ProMarkers on my blog just leave a comment on this post and I will use Random.org to choose a winner. Comments will be closed on Monday morning at 8am. Don't forget to hop along tomorrow also. I will have another little project that is Red Hot!

To continue on the hop just click the button below and don't forget to leave your comments along the way to be eligible to win the prizes.

Did ya hear the one about...

Okay I don't really have a joke, I just have always wanted to start a post this way! *okie cracks up because she finds her self to be very funny*.

So....Wanna see some organization pictures?? I was surfing around on Scenic Route not long ago and found some papers that I thought would be great for pictures of when I go on the Cricut Cruise. They also had some chipboard embellishments and some stickers *okie hears the gasps*. SHUSH IT! SHUSH IT RIGHT NOW! There are some decent stickers out there!!

Here are the pictures of my paper, embellies and flowers. The flowers I actually used on the layout I posted yesterday, well not all of them, but 3 of them.





















As soon as I took the picture I got busy organizing the papers in one of my vertical paper holders. I use to get the Cropper Hoppers but Hobby Lobby now sells Paper Studio brand and they are cheaper *okie thinks they are made by the same company because they look the same*. i buy them either when they are on sale or I have a 40% off coupon. Here you see the paper all nicely organized. I used the dividers so I could divide the different paper lines.

I had enough room to put the stickers and embellies in the holder along with the paper lines. This should make it easier to find what I need when I start doing layouts with this paper.

If you guys haven't checked out SCENIC ROUTE and need some papers you might want to check them out. I got most of my paper for 15 cents a sheet. Some of it I had before and then when they added more papers for the lines I had I was excited!



I am ready to get my cardstock I ordered from CONSUMER CRAFTS and get it put away. I have my paper holders ready and dividers labeled, just need to get the paper. Not sure when that is going to happen since my order is stuck in Kansas City due to the snow *okie hopes it isn't spring before she gets her cardstock*. I got an email today from Consumer Crafts and they are offering $1.97 shipping on any orders over $25 through this weekend.

Tomorrow and Saturday I will be posting for the RED HOT BLOG HOP with some talented bloggers. The hop is sponsored by Celeste of Thirty One Gifts and there will be a prize available for one person who comments during the hop. I will be offering a prize on my blog separate from that and I believe some of the other bloggers will be as well.

First page for Makaylah

You guys might remember me posting about my BFF having a baby not long ago. Well, I told my BFF that she needed a baby book so she could start keeping record of her new baby. We looked at Walmart and they didn't have one. I told her I would have to look at Hallmark and she said "Why don't you just make me a scrapbook". Well of course I am going to do it, how can I tell my BFF no?? *okie laughs*.

This is MaKaylah's first page. It now had the picture of her right after she was born on it.

Supplies Used:
Cricut Expression
Cricut New Arrival cart
Cricut Nursery Rhymes cart
Prism Cardstock
K & Company Hopscotch patterned paper and chipboard embellies
Prima Flowers
Cat Eye Chalk Ink
Brads
Liquid Pearls
Pearl Pen



I did the name with Nursery Rhymes and then added Liquid Pearls to add some accent to the letters. I wish the shadow layer didn't have the filled in areas on some of the letters but beside that I absolutely love the font on Nursery Rhymes. I didn't think I wanted this cart but my friend ScrapperDelighted convinced me it was a good deal since she was able to pick it up at Michael's for $9.99 *okie thinks just about any cart is a good deal at that price*.



I didn't think this page would need a lot of journaling and I wasn't sure if my BFF would want to do journaling but I thought this cut from New Arrival would be good to add information that was pertaining to the picture. I did cut off the words "parents" and "name" since I didn't think that needed to be on there.

I added Liquid Pearls, squeezing very very lightly, to dot on the letters and then a few larger dots for the colon's.


I just got some of these Prima's, the large hydrangea's, and I thought they would look good with this paper. I used some of my smaller Prima's to fill in a little. I used the Pearl Pen to add flower centers to the smaller flowers.

The word daughter and the little butterfly are from the Hopscotch collection and I was glad I had them to go on the layout.

Ya'll will be seeing more layouts in the future for this baby scrapbook.

Combining Therapy and Card Making

One day a week I do group counseling at a residential facility for the developmentally delayed. I started doing these groups almost a year a go and I have to say that group day is my favorite day of the week. I always enjoy going to work but group day, well it is just really special to me. A few weeks ago I asked my group members if they would be interested in making Valentine Day cards. They all said they would and I told them I would get all the stuff together so we could do this before Valentine's day. Normally my group day is on Wednesday's but due to bad weather I had group on Monday. My clients were surprised when I showed up on Monday and even more surprised that I remembered to bring the stuff to make cards *okie is kinda surprised herself since schedule changes sometimes causes CRS in okie's mind*.

I made the card bases and had those ready a head of time. I punched out a bunch of hearts. Some I stamped and some I ran through the Cuttlebug. I also had the little sentiments stamped and ready. Since my group time is only an hour I wanted plenty of time for them to be able to choose how to decorate their card and then talk about the activity and effects having positive activities can have on moods *okie can turn anything into therapy thanks to having the privilege of working with Dr. Jan Summers who is one of the most awesomest people that okie knows in the counseling field*. The clients really enjoyed the activity and were even able to share some of their hobbies with each other and how they think it helps to have something to do.

Anyway I thought you guys might enjoy seeing the cards they made.






































Think they every one of the cards are great. Some of my clients went on and on about how much they enjoyed the activity that I told them we would do birthday cards at a later date. A few told me in advance they would be mailing their cards so I made sure I had a book of stamps with me so they would have to try and find one.

I hope you guys enjoyed seeing what they created!

3 Flower Happy Birthday Gift Bag Card Set

So I think this is the last set I have to post for awhile and I believe it is my favorite! I don't know if it is the colors or the flowers, but either way I really love this one!

Supplies used:
Cricut Expressions
Cricut Sweet Treats cartridge
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots
DCWV Spring Stack circa 2008
Various carstock
Stampin Up markers
Signo UM-153 gel pen
Grosgrain ribbon

The sentiment is from Sweet Treats as are the flowers. I layered the sentiment using the same colors as that were used in the large daisy looking flower.

I can't remember what size I cut all the images because I used Design Studio and I rarely pay attention to the sizes. I am wondering how easy the new Cricut Craftroom software will be to use and can't wait to find out! I am sure there will be some things I don't like about it but as long as I can see the screen I should be in good shape *okie cusses under her breath about the Gypsy*.

I like how the large flower goes off the front of the gift bag. I keep wanting to do more of this method because I think it looks cool but I usually forget while I am designing and then don't want to go back and redo a design...YES IT IS BECAUSE I AM LAZY! *okie rolls her eyes and hates her readers making her be honest*. I used the Swiss Dots folder on the large flower center to give it a little dimension. A stylus was used on the petals and you might remember this method from a post a few days ago on the Half Flower set that I did.

I made the leaves on the stems by looping grosgrain ribbon and then attaching to the back of the "stem" with some ATG tape.

Now what to post tomorrow....hhmm, choices, choices, what shall I choose??

Follow up on Consumer Crafts $3.97 Coredinations packs

I am pleased to announce that I got my shipping notification today from CONSUMER CRAFTS concerning my order of Core'dinations cardstock *okie squeals like a little girl*. Now I want to add that I did order quite a bit of cardstock. My total order was $109. But that included the 20% discount because I ordered over $100 worth of products, and I did get free shipping. Since I got the discount I only paid $3.19 a package for the cardstock. My only regret is that they were out of a few of the colors I was wanting. Oh well, guess I can survive for a little while with what I ordered.

I will post pictures when I get the 34 pounds of cardstock delivered!!

Sprinkled With Fun Gift Bag Card Set

Yep, it's another Sweet Treats cut!

I love this ice cream cone and thought it would make a great gift bag and card set.

Supplies used:
Cricut Expression
Cricut Sweet Treats cartridge
Bazzil Bling cardstock
Imaginisce paper stack
Drippy Goo paper punch
Spare Parts brads
Viva Pearl Pen - Ice White



The middle strip needed something on the card so I added some dots with the Pearl pen and I think it gave it just the little something extra to make the card pop. The sentiment is from Sweet Treats and it does have the layers to cut for it. I thought the words should match the ice cream, even if it isn't in the same order as the scoops on the gift bag *okie wonders if she is the only person that would notice such a thing*. I will admit I meant to punch some Drippy Goo strips for the card but forgot until after I had the cards put together and didn't want to go back and do them and take the card part to add them.

The ice cream cone is such a fun looking cut and I was trying to decide what "flavors" to use and figured the standard chocolate, vanilla and strawberry would be good. I think using the Bazzil bling cardstock gave it a nice sheen of icy goodness *okie cracks herself up sometimes with her dorky comments*.

I think the Drippy Goo punch added a cute touch to the gift bag and I used coordinating colors of the ice cream scoops. Oh and I filled in the areas on the pink scoop with the Pearl Pen.

Tomorrow will be my last gift bag card set, at least I think it will. We shall see!

Ready, Set, Blow Gift bag Card Set

Okay I have to tell you guys that it took a lot of will power not to cut a big "ME" and put on the inside of this card! But I resisted and it can be used for a child if needed *okie still thinks a big "ME" on the inside would be hilarious*.
Supplies Used:
Cricut Expressions
Cricut Sweet Treats cartridge
Stickles
Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls folder
Heat set studs
Signo UM-153 gel pen
MME Everyday Tango stack


I haven't used Sweet Treats in awhile but I have to say it is my go to birthday cartridge! I think I love every cut on there. Now with that said I do have Celebrations and like it but I just think the cuts on Sweet Treats are just so much cuter. I used Red, Orange Peel and Yellow Stickles to make the flame on the candles for the set. I think I got the "blow" too dark but ya live and learn and I am too lazy to go back and change it now. Besides that would be a waste of paper and I don't like to waste paper!



The shadow for the cupcake was actually quite a big bigger and I sized it down using Design Studio because I didn't want a shadow that thick. So if you think the shadow is off a little that would be the reason. For the icing on the cupcake I used Coredinations cardstock and after Cuttlebugging it I sanded it a little and then added Diamond Stickles. You can also see the little heat set studs a little better in this picture *okie wonders where she might find herself a nice heated stud and then suddenly remembers she forgot to put on her tinfoil had and knows her readers just heard her thought* uhhh...yeah a heated stud, like a wood block would be nice right now since my feet are cold *okie glances from side to side wondering if anyone is buying that and makes a mental note not to blog without her tinfoil hat anymore*.

So are you guys tired of the giftbag card sets yet? Hope not because I still have two more to be postin for ya'll to see!

Half Flower Gift bag Card Set

Sometimes things don't have to be overcomplicated *okie knows she over complicates things all the time but won't tell her readers that* or over decorated. I think this set is very simple!

My daughter liked this set because orange is her favorite color.

Supplies Used:
Cricut Expressions
Cricut Graphically Speaking cartridge
Cricut Stamping cartridge
MME Everyday Tango stack
White Signo UM-153 gel pen
Grosgrain Ribbon
Circle punches in various sizes.

I cut out the flowers with the Cricut and then cut them in half with my guillotine cutter and then the same method with the centers of the flowers.

I like the sentiments on the Stamping cart because they are simple and have shadows. I haven't made any stamps with them but have used them quite a bit on projects. I believe I cut this sentiment at 1.5 inches. I thought about Cuttlebugging the sentiment but once again I got lazy and just wanted to get this done and move on to something else. Do you guys ever feel that way about a project you are working on? I feel that way all the time!

You can see a bit better where I used a stylus to run a line down the middle of the flower petals and then curved up a bit for a little dimension. I used Stampin Up markers for the faux stitching on the flower and then a white gel pen for the dots. Since the flower on the bag is larger I punched 3 circles for the flower center.

Hmm after seeing the pictures on here I do like the colors but how could I go wrong matching papers when they are from a paper stack! Oh the paper I am using on these sets are paper and not cardstock. I don't like using the thin paper on layouts or cards much but I think it is great stuff for projects like this since it is cheaper and I am not putting mega dollars into something that will be used once and tossed aside.

Core'dinations Cardstock...$3.97 a package!

I got an email from CONSUMER CRAFTS about their sale on Core'dinations cardstock. Being in a rural area the price was great but I had never heard of them before. I quickly posted on the Cricut message board and Facebook asking if anyone has ordered. I wasn't able to find anyone right off so I called the number listed from the website. I talked to a very nice lady named Sharon *okie thinks she needs to brush up on her northern accent translations or understanding* who assured me they are a real company and have been in business for a few years. I kept adding cardstock to my cart still not sure that I was going to order.

Well I finally decided I would give it a shot and ya know what? I had an email order confirmation from them within 1 minute! I went back to post on the Cricut message board and there were a few members who were singing the praises of this company! WHEW! *okie dramatically wipes her brow*. I am so excited now to get this cardstock and will probably order from this company again. Sharon told me they offer shipping specials pretty frequently. I did get free shipping because I ordered over $100 worth of product. I KNOW I KNOW! I need to save money for the cruise but....I used the money from my Google ads that took me like 4 months to earn *okie cracks up about how long it takes to earn money from those little ads*. So you see you guys actually bought the stuff for me and I in turn bought something with the revenue so I could continue to post projects. It's a win win situation don't you think?

They are offering 15% off your order if you order between $50-$99, but if you have never ordered from them you can sign up for the newsletter and get 15% off your order if you don't want to order $50 worth of products.

Oh yeah and guess what.....IT'S STILL FRIKKIN SNOWING!! Yep, right here in Ada Oklahoma! This rarely happens and now it doesn't seem to want to stop.

Cupcake Gift bag Card Set

I have been making some gift bag and matching card sets lately and thought I better get them posted before you guys think I gave up on crafting completely!

This first one is actually the one I made yesterday. Uh...and the day before. The whole Dexter Season 1 and 2 marathon made me a very slow crafter.
Supplies used:
Cricut Expressions
Cricut Celebrations cartridge
MME Everyday Tango Stack
Spare Parts Brads
Stickles
Grosgrain ribbon
Tissue paper
Cat eye Chalk Ink
Gift bag

I will tell you that I am posting a picture of the cutest giftbag. I got lazy and only did tissue paper on two of the large cupcakes. I got to thinking that these will probably be thrown away and I don't want to put that much effort into trash.

On the cupcake for the card I just Stickles to coordinate with the brads I used on the larger cupcake on the gift bag. I didn't write anything in the card thinking people might want to use it for something besides a birthday and they could write their own sentiment on the inside.

I cut the paper wrong for the card, I meant for it to run vertical instead of horizotal, like on the gift bag but once again I was on the phone and screwed up *okie thinks she really needs to stop talking on the phone and crafting because she messes up a lot of chit this way*.

On this larger cupcake I just used gift wrap tissue and folded to match the cupcake holder on the Cricut cut. I know the tissue paper does make it look so much nicer, but it was not an easy feat and I didn't want to do it on all four. Since these will be used as prizes at my Christmas party this year and most of my guests are not paper crafters they will never know that the tissue paper looks so much better.

I will be posting gift bag card sets for the next few days.