Congrats!

Hi my crafty friends, Brenda here and this week at Sweet Sassy Diva we are celebrating graduations.  Perfect timing as my 5th son (and his girlfriend) graduated from college that Saturday before Mother's Day.  It was a beautiful day for graduation.  I only wish they could shorten the speeches. lol  Anyway for my son I made a card from Wild Card, the graduation hat.  But to mix it up a little I welded the scroll to the hat.  I also add ribbon to the scroll and a twine tassel along with a metal embellishment (been in my stash forever) that has prongs that punch through the paper and then you push the prongs down.  I think it turned out pretty good, DS loved it anyway. lol  For his girlfriend and soon to be fiance, I made a Hello Kitty card using Art Philosophy for the card base, Hello Kitty Greeting for Hello Kitty in her graduation gown and Gypsy Wanderings for the sentiment.  I pop dotted Hello Kitty's pieces of her gown and hat, then popped them up on the card as well. I used white ink to ink around her graduation gown to make it stand out and it give some depth to the gown.  Using glossy accents I made her eyes shine as well as the sentiment.  I am pretty please with this card as well.  My  future DIL loved it as she loves when I make them their cards. I hope that you have gotten lots of inspiration this week here a Sweet Sassy Diva and will give some graduation cards a try too.

Here is my Gypsy showing that I welded my scroll to the hat as well as welding two if the hats together to make it a shaped card.

Here are some of the cuts, for the white die cuts I used my Spectrum Noir markers to give the cuts some depth.

Here is a close up of the tassel, yeah I know not the greatest tassel but it will do. lol  And a close up of the brad and metal embellishment.

Here is my Gypsy with Hello Kitty layout on the card base.  Nothing fancy here, no welding or anything. Simple, easy peasy!

Both cards together

Creative Teacher Gift!

Lori here from ScrappinMyStressAway with my project for the challenge ~ 3 or more cartridges.

I wanted to make something special for Tanner's kindergarten teacher.  Mrs. Stock is an awesome teacher! I wanted to personalize something for her and kept coming back to a tile.

I started with gold vinyl, but the gold seemed thin and I had some issues with it bubbling and tearing.  I was ready to scrap the whole project and started removing the gold words and decided to leave the apple.  I kept thinking that a golden apple is kind of like an academy award for teachers.....so I kept going.

Here is my screen shot.  I used several words and icons from 15 cartridges:  Cheerful Seasons, Cindy Loo, George, Graphically Speaking, Gypsy Wandering, Hannah Montana, Home Accents, Home Decor, Locker Talk, Lovely Floral, Lyrical Letters, Makin' the Grade, Elegant Cake Art, Nursery Rhyme and Plantin' Schoolbook.

I opened a 12x24 mat and put all of the words and icons on my mat.  I started with Mrs. Stock (used a heart instead of a period) in the center.  I like subway art and wanted to make this look like some.  The words I chose are: discover, create, patience, inspire, transform, direction, explore, #1 Teacher, guide, adventure, learn details energy and 2011-2012.

It took some time to move words around and size them to get my final piece.

I erased the apple from my screen and cut out the rest in black vinyl.  

When you cut vinyl, set your Cricut to 3-3-3 (speed, pressure and blade depth) for a kiss cut.  I use my Cricut pokey tool (dental tool) to weed out the extra vinyl pieces.

I usually use clear contact paper with vinyl, but I was having trouble with the amount of stick and my pieces were tearing and not clinging to the tile.  I was getting frustrated not knowing if it was the gold vinyl or the contact paper or a combination of both.  I bought the ProvoCraft transfer tape and had much better luck!

I use my scraper to burnish the vinyl to the transfer tape.

I used my E2 and set it to cut on Vinyl.  You can see here that the blade did cut through the paper backing in a couple of places.  I honestly have better luck with my E cutting vinyl, but it is a pain to dig it out for one project!!

I bought my 12x12 tile at Home Depot.

  Here is my tile with the gold apple still on it.  I set the transfer tape right over it, burnished the vinyl into the tile and peeled the tape off.

Here is my tile all finished up!  I just need to get an easel so she can display it in her room.

Thanks for having me over today Bobbi Jo!!

Blessed!

Good Morning! This is Jen from 3 Cats and a Bug. This week at Sweetsassydiva's the DT is creating something we are wild about. Today I'm also using a Boy's Rule sketch. {More info on my personal blog, 3 Cats and a Bug.}

I started out with a double sided patterned paper from K & Company. I created a layout on the other side and didn't want to waste this page.

I added a 3 x 12 strip of patterned paper with a darker shadow paper.

Next came a 8.75 x 10 blue, with a brighter blue shadow.

Next came a green patterned paper cut at 7.75 x 9 with a bright green shadow.

I added a blue grey strip at .75 x 10. I also took a strip of patterned paper and used my MS punch to create a heart border at 1.25 x 9.25 and glued them down.

Next I took 3 pictures of my Grandson and trimmed two of them to 3 x 4 and one at 3.25 x 4 and matted them all in light blue and glued them down.

Next I cut out three arrows from Gypsy Wanderings at 1.6 x 5.25, 1.5 x 3.32 and 1.10 x 2.39. I ran two of them through my big shot with a cuddlebug folder.

and glued them down.

I cut out two green star shapes at 2 x 2 from Gypsy Wanderings and glued them down.

From Cindy Lou I cut out the word Boys in blue and green at 1.3 and glued that down. I added some gems, some stickles and used my white gel pen.

Just some detail shots...

Thanks for looking!

Happy Birthday!

This week for the Sweetsassydiva design team we were given a sketch to follow for our design. I'm usually not very good following sketches but this one I really liked and had an idea right away....and then it changed.

I chose colors that reminded me of the beach. (I'm homesick for warmth.) I made the base a 4 1/2 x 6 1/4 card out of a light green cardstock. I then cut another rectangle out of "sandy" beige that was 4 1/4 x 6. On top of that I layered a "sky" blue strip. A small yellowish strip, and a green strip that can be my beach towel. I inked all of the edges in a blue to make them stand out just a bit. Using the cricut and my gypsy I cut out a scallop cicle at 3 1/4 in (gypsy wanderings) a 3 in circle (also gypsy wanderings) 2 rounded rectangles to form the tag one at 3 in the other at 2 3/4 (from george and basic shapes) a 1 1/2 in flower (paisley) and "leaves" which were paisleys at 1 in (also from paisley)

I inked the edges of the "sun" in orange and the flower in orange as well. I stamped the happy birthday and beach ball on the tag. I colored in the beach ball using le plume markers. I then stamped the umbrellas on the beach towel/ribbon strip and colored them in. I affixed them all into place and added a center self stick dot to the flower...and called it beachy!!

I hope that this finds you with a warm and sunny week ahead.

*recipe* green, yellows, beige, and blues...misc. cardstock cricut cartridges: gypsy wanderings, paisely, george and basic shapes blue ink pad le plume markers self stick gem stamps: beach ball, umbrellas, happy birthday

Thank You!

I made this Thank You card by welding images from Gypsy Wanderings, Gypsy Font and Tags, Bags, Boxes and more.  I outlined the front of the card by replacing the blade housing with the cricut markers.  It gives more emphasis on the butterfly, flower and Thank you.  In addition, I used Graphic 45 paper, Dew Drops, ribbon and a beautiful antique button pre-WWII.  There is so much detail in the button that just is not captured in the picture.  It has 4 delicate pressed flowers in the center which you cannot begin to even see in this photo.

I used the Color Box Paintbox Ocean breeze in a chalk ink to help the card pop. 

Inside the card is a beautiful coordinating print.  You can leave it or add a coordinating solid cardstock to write your personalized message.  The pictures do not do this justice!  It looks beautiful in hand!

I did need to use the little dental pick to get the small little pieces out.  Some of them wanted to stay for the delivery of the message.  I do not blame them because it makes it hard with all its beauty to send this thank you to another home. 

I hope that this inspires you to create something unique and all you! And as always, please comment on this post and let me know how this inspires you. 

Thank you!

This week on Sweetsassydiva we were asked to create a card or a layout using a hidden sentiment. This is my first craft back in over a month it seems. I have chosen a "Thank You" card to start...I have a ton of them that need to be made and sent. I do want to thank all of you who had us in thoughts and prayers this month as we went through hubby's surgery and now starting recovery. He still has a long road ahead of him, but he's getting there, he wants to plow the driveway...NOT HAPPENING!!!! So here I go....

First I used my gypsy to weld a coffee mug from Gypsy Wanderings to it's shadow. Then cut it out on cardstock from DCWV Old World stack. I folded it in half and used small pieces of velcro to hold the top down.

I used my cuttlebug swirls embossing folder to emboss the purple layer of the card which the cup sits.

I added some self stick gems, and stamped a sentiment on the inside of the cup as well as inside the card. (I used a coffee cup because everyone I know except me drinks coffee.) It's simple and to the point...but filled with a heartfelt thanks. I couldn't have made it through this time without everyone. *recipe* jewel toned cardstock except for the coffee cup (because my friends have been real gems...in the best way lately) cuttlebug embossing folder and sizzix boutique embosser self stick gems studio g sentiment

Angie

Design Team Challenge: Scene Layout!

Good Morning! This is Jen from 3 Cats and a Bug. This week at SweetSassyDiva's the challenge is to do a scene LO. When I started this project, the LO I did is not what I had in mind. lol It just kind of worked out that way. My youngest son will probably not be real happy with me over posting this, poor kid.



To make a long story short (er), he was having a ton of problems with his car. We decided it was best to get rid of his old car and buy something with less problems. He certainly needs a reliable car with the baby on the way. So my son and husband went car shopping and he came home with a "Competition Orange" Ford Focus SVT. He was happy and it was reliable, so I was happy. Three weeks into owning this car, he was coming home one night about 8:30 after class and hit a deer. Didn't seem to be a lot of damage, so he continues on his way home. 15 minutes later, about 10 miles from home, he hits a huge Raccoon! In the space of 20 minutes two animals totaled his car! It wasn't actually a tow truck who hauled his car away, it was a flatbed, but the meaning is the same. Ok, so on with my LO.



I used Everyday paper dolls for the roads. I cut them out at 5 and instead of using yellow paper for the stripes in the road, I used yellow stickles. The paper is from an old DCWV paper pack.

I used Nates ABC's for the car and cut that at 5. I used Gypsy Wanderings for deer and cut that at 5 also.

The tow truck, from Nates ABC's was cut at 3.

The Raccoon came from Animal Kingdom and was cut at 5.

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Grateful!

We are celebrating Thanksgiving this week at Sweet Sassy Diva's!!!  This is Lori from Scrappin' My Stress Away here with a table centerpiece for my Thanksgiving Party.

I used paper from this DCWV Autumn Splendor paper pad to cover these coasters.

I got these coasters in the dollar bin at Michaels a while ago.  I used the Crop-A-Dile to punch holes in the corners to tie the coasters together.

I found "grateful" on Gypsy Wandering an cut it out at 3.16.  I also found the pumpkin on Gypsy Wandering and cut it out at 3.75.  I wanted a stem for the pumpkin, so I copied the layer and scootched it way down on my mat so it only cut the top of the pumpkin.

I used cardstock for all of these cuts.

I found this turkey on Create A Critter (he is so cute) and I cut him out at 3.75.

I inked up the leaves with some Ranger inks and a sponge.

Here is Mr. Tom Turkey is all dressed and ready for dinner.

I grabbed this cornucopia from Paper Doll Dress Up and cut it (and the layers) out at 6.37 inches.  The layers will cut all of the fruits (in the same color papre) so I coped it two times and used hide contour to hide some of the fruits.

The faded lines are the hidden cuts.  This way I can separate the fruits and put my colored cardstock in the correct place on my mat.

After I cut everything out, I realized that I wanted the cornucopia more dimensial.  I copied one to another layer on my Gypsy and hid all of the inner cuts.  I cut that one out in darker brown.

I cut the opening of the basket with my scissors.  I inked the slits of the basket.

I inked the fruits as well and tucked them inside the basket a bit.

I adhered each decoration to a coaster and tied them together with gold sheer ribbon.

Here is my favorite side ~ Mr. Tom Turkey!!  I am grateful that Bobbi Jo invites me over to play!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Week!!!