Diaper Cake Cuteness

I love creating gifts for dear co-workers, especially when they have little ones on the way.  Today I wanted to feature three diaper cakes that I've made for some special people at TechSolve.

Sweet Sarah's Diaper Cake

This diaper cake was inspired by Sarah's decor for Audrey's room (pictured below - isn't it gorgeous?!).

 

 

The second diaper cake was for Amit and Niru.  Their little one's nursery is a jungle theme - aren't the animals precious?!

 

Amit and Niru's Diaper Cake

 

The third diaper cake was the first one I ever created - went just a wee bit crazy with the gifts that "matched" the colors and nursery theme; but when it comes to baby gifts, you have to go big or go home!

 

Jennifer's Diaper Cake

 

 

 

I created the paper embellishments with my Cricut Expression and utilized coordinating ribbons and jewels.  If anyone needs tips or tricks to create these gifts, just contact me - I'd love to help you with your projects!

 





New Beginnings Squared

I couldn't have asked for more today; but I got it!  Not only did I log onto my blog at midnight this morning to see my awesome new header and background created by my dear friend Sarah Beeman; but I also came home to find my other new beginning...

...the Cricut Explore http://us.cricut.com/home/learn/machines/explore!  I can't wait to share my journey with you and hopefully make some cool creations with this new cutting and design system.  I am a big Cricut fan and have been using one of their machines since they came out in 2010.  First, I had the original bug, then I bought the Cricut Expression coupled with a Gypsy, and now I've finally upgraded to the Cricut Explore.

I'm working on a huge grant for work, so I haven't even opened the box.  But when I do, I'll share the experience, give my honest opinion, and hopefully inspire you to make some paper perfection!

Paris "Thank You" Card Bundle...In Process

I was lucky enough to spend two weeks in Paris recently at the Paris Air Show for my job helping 6 small companies from the State of Ohio! What a great experience!

I worked with so many incredible people on this trip; however one of the greatest ladies is Amanda Wright Lane who is the great grand niece of Orville and Wilbur Wright! She is a generous, smart, incredible woman - such an incredibly creative person and passionate about the aerospace industry and its importance to our state economy.

Anyway, she gave me so many gifts and so much time and passion for our state booth...I just had to make her something! Pictured here are some blank cards I am making for her using my Cricut Circle Exclusive cartridge French Manor. I never in a million years thought I would get to use this cartridge - I reallly, really like it! I am going to incorporate some of the pictures I took into some the cards I work on tonight, pictured are cards just using images and tags from this cartridge! Thanks for looking!

3Birds on Parade will be on sale at HSN July 19th - Cannot Wait!

Well, we finally know when the cartridge will be available! Just found out at the "Straight from the Nest" blogspot that the highly anticipated (by me at least) new Cricut cartridge 3Birds on Parade will be on sale July 19th!

See the post below for the amazing images from this cartridge - I can't wait to make some awesome card sets with this cartridge!! 3Birds products are just awesome - check out their blog at http://3birdsdesign.blogspot.com/!

3 Birds on Parade Cricut Cartridge - Flying In Soon!

I am so excited about the new Cricut cartridge that will be available through HSN! It's so new, I don't even know when it will be available. Here is a picture of the images - photo by Provocraft. It not only has these awesome shapes; but it also has coordinating phrases and a font!!

I absolutely love birds! They are so beautiful and smart and fun. My husband, son, and I have several bird feeders near our back deck. We watch them for hours - each one has a personality of its own. Can't wait to use this cart to make some fun cards and gifts!

100 New Cricut Cartridges/5 New Machines in 2010

The Craft & Hobby Association semi-annual event just took place last week! I can't wait to be able to buy all the beautiful retro paper, new Tim Holtz products, and awesome bling and accessories I've seen from different people's pictures from CHA.

However, I'm really blown away by the news I just read - ProvoCraft will be releasing at least 100 new Cricut Cartridges just this year!! Additionally, they will release 5 new Cricut cutting systems. The latest is the Cricut Cake that is the size of the Cricut Expression that cuts gum paste and frosting sheets using any Cricut cartridge already out there in addition to a selection of cartridges geared toward cake decorating.

Let the enabling begin!

My First Diaper Cake

It's been so long since I've posted; but I hope this great project makes up for the lapse in my posting! I made my first diaper cake for my friend and co-worker Jennifer! Her nursery colors for her baby girl are brown and pink and the pattern of the blanket, Love Bug, is brown and pink polka dots with pink and brown ladybugs, butterflies, and flowers!

The first pic is the diaper cake with just ribbons and cuts from my Cricut.



The next pics show the front and back of the cake after I added requested baby items and fun toys and accessories that we bought for the little sweetie! I hope you enjoy these pictures!

Awareness Ribbon Artist Trading Cards (ATC)

It's been over six months since I've been involved in a swap on the Cricut Message Board, so I thought it was about time I got my creative "groove" back on! This is the first Artist Trading Card I have ever made. They are small (2.5" x 3.5") pieces of art that are made to share. I think this would be really cute to add to the front of a card and share with someone you love and want to remind to have their annual breast exam done. I intend to make more of these and make some notecard sets for the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Kick-off/Breakfast that is scheduled in August.

I'm pretty happy with my first ATC - hope you enjoy!

We will miss you Benji!

Our dear friends lost their 19 year old terrier, Benji, last Saturday! It is so hard to lose a pet, especially one that you have had that long. My family definitely shed tears for this tough little terrier - what a gift to have this sweet furbaby 19 years!

Here's the card I created for my friends. I really love the Paper Pup cartridge that is one of the original Cricut cartridges from a few years back. The angel dog image is perfect. I used the circle feature on the cartridge, for the first time, and I used the border feature for the angel dogs in the clouds. Now Benji is in heaven with his "brother" Buster running through the beautiful meadows.

Willy Wonka!!

My son was just in the Springboro Junior High Schools' Show Choir presentation of Willy Wonka Junior. Zach was Grandpa Joe! What a delight it was to see my son sing and dance and act in this hour and 20 minute production! I was amazed how well all of the kids did!

Here is a picture of a scrapbook page I did for all 41 of the cast members - it's simple, but the kids really seemed to like the pages when I handed them out at the cast party after Saturday's performance.

Valentine's Day Cards

I recently participated in a swap where we created several Valentine's Day cards, a mailbox, Cricut cuts, title cuts, and some other fun "stuff" to swap with a partner. Here are some of the Valentine's Day cards I created for Christina!!










Here's the mailbox I "altered" to put her Valentine's Day cards in - I just love the paper!! It's sparkly and textured - looks like Victorian wallpaper!!

Valentine Card Swap

Sorry I haven't been posting lately - lots of health problems with the hubby!

Here's a Valentine's Day Card that I did for the Cricut Message Board swap.

Christmas ABC 6"x6" Swap

Hello - I am so excited to work on my second large Christmas project!

Below is picture of the page that I created for the ABC Christmas swap that is based on the anonymous poem The ABC's of Christmas. Obviously, I made the letter "G" page for everyone and it will be incorporated into each of their books. I got to use my Cricut, my Cricut Markers, my new EK Success Snowflake Border Punch, and the Cuttlebug die that looks like a postage stamp!! Gramma T from the Cricut Message Board is hosting the swap and making the cover, back, and several pages - what a peach!

The swap pages were due on the 15th of November and everyone got them done and mailed in a day ahead of time so they are already on the way!! If you want to see pictures of all the pages, go to: http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=3160631&mpage=1 .



The ABC's of Christmas

A is for Angels
With halos so bright
Whose carols were heard
On that first Christmas Night

B is for Bells
So merrily ringing
Joy to the world
Is the message they're bringing

C is for Candles
That so brightly shine
To give a warm welcome
To your friends and mine

D is for Doorway
With garlands of green
To make Christmas merry
As far as they're seen

E is for Evergreens
With fragrance so rare
So plentiful at Christmas
Their scent fills the air

F is for Fun
The whole season long
From trimming the tree
To singing a song

G is for Greetings
A merry "hello"
With a heart full of love
For people we know

H is for Holly
With berries so red
To make into wreaths
To hang overhead

I is for Ice
On snow covered hills
Where sledding is fun
Along with the spills

J is for Jesus
The Christ child so dear
We honor his birth
On Christmas each year

K is for Kris Kringle
So merrily he stands
He is who they call Santa
In so many lands

L is for Lanterns
I am sure that their light
Helped Mary and Joseph
That first Christmas Night

M is for Mary
Her heart full of love
For her little son Jesus
Who came from above

N is for Noel
The angels did sing
To herald the birth
of Jesus, our King

O is for Ornaments
So shining and bright
With lights on the tree
To sparkle at night

P is for Packages
With ribbons so gay
All 'round the tree
For our Christmas Day

Q is for Quiet
Christmas Eve Night
With snow covered hills
Glistening so bright

R is for Reindeer
Who pull Santa's sleigh
To your house, to my house
They know the way

S is for Shepherds
Who first saw the star
Over Bethlehem's manger
And followed it far

T is for Trees
We decorate so gay
Then wait for ole Santa
To hurry our way

U is for Universe
Where Christmas brings joy
To all in the world
To each girl and each boy

V is for Visiting
Friends near and far
We travel by plane
Or by bus, or by car

W is for Wise Men
Who brought gifts so rare
And knelt down and worshiped
The child they found there

X is for X-mas
Or Christmas by full name
No matter the language
It all means the same

Y is for Yule Logs
Whose bright sparks fly high
To give a warm welcome
To friends passing by

Z is for Zeal
We show at this time
In giving to others
And loving mankind

Author Unknown

Christmas Cookie & Candy Swap

Here's my first 8"x8" Christmas Swap on the Cricut Message Board. I used sparkle paper from Doodlebug for the snowman - I love the glitter even though I'll be wearing it for a week! I also used Cinnamon Stickles for the arms and Orange Stickles for the nose! I'm not sure who the designer is for the paper, but I love it and hope that I can find more!

Sorry this picture is so fuzzy - I will try to scan it in at work before I mail it.

Fall 12" x 12" Swap

I got to use the Cricut markers for the first time on this layout! I didn't think I'd like them; however I think they gave great detail to the overturned basket of leaves! I was so glad I had the Cricut Design Studio, though, because if you don't, you have to create the marker image and cut the marker image in the "starting position" each time which wastes paper and time. With the Cricut Design Studio, you can create multiple images or letters that you want to outline with your markers, then hit "Load Paper" and then hit your scissor icon on your CDS and it will cut all of the images aligned with your marker lines.

Comment if you have any questions about creating and cutting with the Cricut Markers.

Halloween 12" x 12" Swap

Here's my Halloween page swap that I created for another swap on the Cricut messageboard! I used the Paper Doll cartridge - it's one of my favorites!

Diabetic Recipe Swap on Cricut MB

Here's my latest 8" x 8" recipe swap. There's a group that's swapping diabetic-friendly recipes on the Cricut Message Board. This recipe is suprisingly low in carbs but high in flavor!

12"x12" Summer Fun Page Element Swap

Here's my latest project for a swap on the Cricut Message Board. We traded elements for a 12"x12" page and here's the picture that I sent to help guide the other 24 people on what they could do with my elements. Some of the other themes are a trip to the zoo, a trip to an amusement park, movie night, etc... My theme was ice cream -super summer fun!

SW Ohio SWARM - All About Me Page

I am so excited!! Tomorrow, Saturday August 16th, some ladies from the Cricut Message Board are getting together for a SWARM at Archivers in Mason. I had suggested that it would be fun to do an 8" x 8" swap titled "All About Me" so each of us could have a page about all of the ladies attending. It's a great way to get to know people plus have great momentos from such a fun day. We are also going to take a group shot and make a group page in our scrapbook! One of the ladies, Granny Anne, made an awesome suggestion that we should make paper dolls of ourselves to swap as well. It was the perfect item to incoporate into our pages!

Here's my "All About Me" page!

Salad Recipe Swap

Here's a simple 8" x 8" page that I created for the Salad Recipe Swap using my Cricut, Vellum, and some beautiful metallic paper.