Love is in the Air

I love this post-Christmas, pre-Valentines Day time of wintery crafts, snowy days and crisp air. I thought I would take the opportunity to make a wintery all purpose card.

I used the following Cricut Cartridges:

Snow Globe from Doodle Charms
Girl from Winter Frolic
Lace Doily (makes the scalloped border) from Cindy Loo

I like to personalize the cuts offered on my Cricut so on the Girl you will notice I added fringed bangs and changed the ornament in her hand to a mini "love" card. The little girl also has eyes made from a heart cut in half with a tiny circle placed on each eye (I thought these were a bit cuter than the original eye cuts). I added a heart to her Peter Pan Collar, an extra row of ruffles around her coat bottom, and cuffs to her gloves and boots. These cuffs were further embellished with dimensional paint from Viva Decor. She also got a cute pair of earrings to style her up.

The snow globe background is dry embossed with the Cuttlebug snowflakes folder and the patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye. The rub-on, eyelets, and buttons were from my stash.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

My Pink Stamper Blog Hop!

Welcome to the first stop on the My Pink Stamper Blog Hop. I am delighted to introduce myself and to get to know you better.

My name is CarrieAnne, and I am a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. A paper crafting veteran of over 15 years I've stayed up late snipping and gluing in my craft room, edited a magazine, taught tons of classes, and designed CHA booths. An avid scrapbooker and card maker, I also love creating 3D and altered art. From purses to pastries, I love recreating the world around me in paper. My "style" of art is characterized by strong color combinations, crisp clean lines, and lots of paper piecing and piercing. My Cricut helps me meet my eclectic crafting cravings and I am excited to share my projects with you.

For today's blog hop your challenge is to guess what our challenge was as designers. You will get a key word at each stop along the way so be sure to stay with me to the end of this post for your first clue and your next destination.

Birds and bird cages are super trendy right now and I have seen a number of variations on the web. I wanted to make a bird and cage just using my Cricut and I was able to do so with just one cartridge - Cindy Loo!

The Cage:

The base of the cage is made from the cupcake wrapper on page 74. I thought it was perfect because of the bird theme it showcases. In order that the inside and the outside of the cage bottom match, I cut two cupcake liners on "fit to page" on a 12x12 mat. They were then glued to together with Beacon Adhesive's Zip Dry.

The sides of the cage are four 1/4 x 12" strips of patterned paper. If you want the interior and exterior to match you will need to cut double the number of strips and glue them together as I did above. The four strips are held together by a brad at their midpoint. They are attached to the cupcake liner with small pieces of double sided red sticky tape.

The base of the bird cage is a spool of ribbon which I covered in dry embossed brown cardstock. The spool is necessary to stabilize the cage and makes it more durable. Red line tape was used to attach the spool to the cage and I tossed in some pretty pink buttons for fun.

The Bird

The bird is the sparrow from page 65. Two of them were cut out at 2" from white cardstock. I snipped off her wings and the little tuft at the top of her head. Each bird was then dry embossed with the Victorian Cuttlebug embossing folder. A 12" piece of fishing line was then placed between the two birds and they were glued together.

I added wings made from a heart cut in half, pink glitter and the pearl half back for the eye.

Caging the Bird

The fishing line goes through the hold in the bottom of the spool and is secured to the underside with tape. The other end of the line is threaded around the brad securing the strips of the cage's side. I added the glitter to the cage bottom by dipping a thin liner paint brush in white glue and dabbing the cage bottom in the glitter.

This little cage is fairly easy to assemble and would be cute on a wedding table as a decoration or hung up as Valentine's Day decor

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne
KEY WORD: DO
Next blog on the hop: Court's Crafts

Love to You

I love the look of dry embossing on metallic cardstock. This floral background Cuttlebug embossing folder really pops on the 110lb metallic shimmer cardstock. In truth I love dry embossing on everything these days, and all of the new folders available on the market make it all too easy for me to emboss anything that is not bolted down. It's hard to remember that only a few years ago we were shackled to a stylus and brass template to get similar results.

This is just a quick card, I plan on sending to my grandparents as a note that I am thinking of them. The stamped image is Stampin' UP! colored in with Copics.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

A tiny bit of Paris ...

One of the trade show booths I worked on this year showcased a Parisian Boutique theme and I made two mini Eiffel Towers for it (I shared the other one earlier in the month). The towers stand at about 3 feet. Remember my swooning over Cuttlebug embossing folders in a previous post. This project is a big reason why I shout their merits from the hill tops. Because the pieces to this tower were so large, they could not be run through a Big Shot. So after trying everything I could think of from using a rolling pin to smacking an embossing folder with a meat tenderizer I went old school and used a stylus and a Sizzix texture plate to do the embossing by hand. It took forever and was much like shooting in the dark as I could not see the texture plate and was primarily embossing by feel on very thick metallic cardstock.

The butterflies were cut from metallic vellum with a Stampin' UP! die and the bling is from Michael's Reminisce line.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

A Balancing Act ...

Here is the second set of hat boxes I mentioned in my last post. I actually have these out in my home as Christmas decorations now. I like the incorporation of the pink, as a not so traditional Christmas color.

The top green box is embellished with Quickutz flourish die cuts and a few highlighting bits of bling. The red cardstock on the lid is heavy weight 110lb that comes embossed with columns on it.

The middle pink box incorporates a variety of heart punches in several sizes and shapes. The rows of white pearls and the individual pink pearls are from Michael's Reminisce line.

As in the previous set of stacking boxes the bottom box is my favorite. I once again used the red column embossed cardstock for the lid, but this time added a strip of smooth red embossed with the Cuttlebug Pin dot folder. The flowers were cut with the Cricut and I added different sized red bling bits for the centers. I really liked the contrast of the pink on the red for the flowers.

I am torn as to whether or not to gift these little guys or hang on to them with the rationalization that they could be used for Valentine's Day decor. Choices, choices!

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

Box on top of Box on top of Box

Today and tomorrow I will be sharing with you the last of my trade show projects for this year. This is the first of two stacks of hat boxes that I made. The boxes were your run of the mill paper mache containers from Michaels. Because the larger containers could not be covered in 12x12 sheets I used parent sheet cuts to prevent myself from having to deal with messy seams. Parent sheets are extra large cuts of paper (the size the mills cut before chopping it down to 12x12 for retail) and they are super fun to work with as they expand your options considerably.
The top white box is really a combination of punches that I cut and pieced to make the art deco flourish. I used a scallop punch for the lid border strip and then used the same punch again to get the tiny circles in tan for the flourish embellishment.

The middle mettallic blue box is covered in 3/4 inch ovals I cut with my Cricut and a paper bow I made using two strips of paper.

The bottom pink box is my favorite. I actually used the spiral ornament die from Sizzix to make the rolled flowers. It was a super quick method for making so many and making them somewhat uniform in size. I ran the spirals through the Cuttlebug in a flourish embossing folder and then inked them for a bit of interest. I punched a number of five petal flowers out and cut them apart for the green leaves. The pattern on the pink portion of the box was created by crossing 1/8 pink strips. I used the canvas textured side of the cardstock for the base of the bottom box and the smooth side of the paper for the strips for added contrast. I then glued the pearls on by hand.

On all of the hatboxes I used a combination of red line tape and Beacon Adhesives to get everything to stay together.

Now that the boxes are done their trade show duties I think I will fill them with something yummy and give them to the girls' teachers for holiday gifts with a nice ribbon and bow on top.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

Bigger is Better ...

The only thing I love more than a shaped card, is a jumbo shaped card. I came across some very large envelopes (8x8) and had been wondering what I could do with them. This gift card (pun intended :) is 7 3/4 x 6 1/4 and is perfect for such a large envelope. I traced the shadow layer onto folded black cardstock to create the card with a hinge at the top.

I designed it for The Pink Stamper's challenge this week. We were to use 2 shades of blue, 2 shades of pink, and black in one project. The gift package stack is from the Winter Frolic Cricut Cartridge. I used a combination of piercing, embossing, inking, and punches to create the embellishments. The holly is created by my cutting and grouping individual pearls with leaf punches. The light blue package is dry embossed with the Cuttlebug Victorian folder. The white stripes on the dark blue package were dry embossed with the Cuttlebug Pindot folder. The "Happy Holidays" stamp is from Stampin' UP!

We have been having dreadful weather so I ran outside to snap a photo really quick and noticed a piece of scrap paper in the image! How frustrating and now its pouring again, perhaps I can get a better image later.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

From our House to Yours ...

This is a Christmas Card I made for my uncle. The inside reads "From our House to Yours, Happy Holidays." As the snowman is made with a Martha Stewart punch that I cut apart and embellished, I am entering the card in two challenges that require punches. The challenge at Paper Pretties and the one at Totally Paper Crafts.

The scalloped circle base of the card and the white inner circle were made with Nestabilities. I then used my piercer to create the border around the white circle and a Cuttlebug Embossing folder to add the pindots.

The house is from the Jolly Holidays Cricut Lite Cartridge. I added details like the curtains (I used the Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch and cut the flowers apart) and the door knob which were not on the cartridge. The patterned paper is from Stampin' UP and the chunky glitter I used to replicate snow is JoAnn Essentials. The little snowman is a Martha Stewart punch and I added the hat, buttons, arms and scarf to jazz him up a bit.

Our goal is to get some family photos taken tomorrow so hopefully I will have some new pictures to scrap next week of holiday happiness. Though with 4 kids under 8 there is a strong likelihood the photos could reveal holiday snarkiness as well. Any tips on how to get all four kids to smile with their eyes open at the same time?

Thanks for looking and have a great weekend!

CarrieAnne

And We are Back ....

I know I said I was going to post a layout with our newest addition as my first project "back," but after the wonderful outpouring of love and kindness from our friends and family I thought I should make some thank you cards and post those first.

These are 3x3 cards which are super cute and easy to make, as well as, being perfect for using up the overflowing box of scraps which haunts my workspace. When making a bunch of the same item, I like being able to mix up the color palette and using scraps is perfect for this.

The bird and branch are an adorable Stampin' UP! punch. I used the Spellbinders' Nestabilities long scallop rectangle for the folding card portion and a Stampin' UP! stamp for the "so grateful for" expression. The Victorian Scroll Cuttlebug folder was then used to emboss the blue base. These came together super quick which was nice, because I had over 50 to make.

So my goal for Monday is a layout of Reid in his first few days!

Thanks for looking,
CarrieAnne

Family Traditions

My father was huge on family traditions growing up (enter Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack here). Whether it was having custard pie for breakfast on holidays (which included his birthday :) or hanging up Christmas ornaments in a certain order - tradition was important. As a military family that moved around a lot it centered us and helped us to build strong bonds that my siblings and I still enjoy to this day.

In my married family, the Florida Gators (especially the football team - Tebow we miss you!) are a BIG deal. So each year my husband and I dress ourselves and the kids up in our Gator gear and head to a local park to take a family photo. We than take a nature walk and treat the kids to a special snack.

I love pulling out the photos and comparing them from year to year, especially as we add new family members.

I decided to scrap last year's photo for Harmonie's monthly sketch challenge. The product used is primarily Pebbles, with a bit of Chatterbox and miscellaneous stash thrown in.

The polka dot on the blue mat is done with the Swiss Dot Cuttlebug Embossing folder. I then just sanded the top a bit to get the white core of the patterned paper to show through. For those who don't want to invest in spendy two toned papers - this is a cheap fix, especially when you use remnants from your scrap box.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

Box inside of box, inside of box.

When I was a little girl my dad brought me back a set of stacking dolls from one of his many trips. I still have them to this day, and now my own girls marvel at how fun it is to open the ever tinier little dolls in the set.

Stacking dolls or matryoshkas as I learned they are called in Russian (the things Google can teach you) are also becoming quite the hit in the paper crafting world. Hero Arts, Stampin' UP!, Buzz and Bloom, and Cricut have all come out with nesting doll themed products in the past year or so.

I made this set of cards from a coloring page in one of my girl's craft stash. I simply traced the outline, and then increased or decreased the size to get the three I needed. I then used circle, heart and flower punches to add details or just sketched pieces and cut them out. Cuttlebug folders were used to add depth and interest as was Jenni Bowlin paper, pinking shears, and a paper piercer, which was used to pierce the outline around each doll.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

Whoo Loves You?

Even though my blog has only been up and running for a month or so, it is probably obvious to you by now that I LOVE shaped cards. I have had the two Disney Princess Cartridges in my possession for quite some time now, but had failed to do anything with them (Horrible - I know). So I decided that I would either have to use them or sell them at my semi-annual scrapbooking consignment sale (My personal rule is if it doesn't a least get shuffled around the scrap space once year - out the door it goes).

When I saw this cute little owl in the Sleeping Beauty section it was instant inspiration (and relief - my hoarding instinct was thrilled that I could rationalize holding onto these carts for another year!)

The "Happily Ever After" Cartridge, does not have a card making feature, so I cut the owl once and then traced it onto folded brown cardstock so the card opens from left to right. I then just cut the owl out by hand. I ran the original single layer owl through the Cuttlebug with a herringbone designed folder and cut out different sections to add dimension and depth. The stomach is created from rows of a Stampin' UP! border punch, punched from Basic Grey's "Urban Prairie Paper." The heart was cut from an old school original's Sizzix die and run through the Cuttlebug in the Swiss Dot folder.

The interior of the eyes are blue dew drops that I obtained from the Robin's Nest. Their baubles come in a variety of amazing sizes, shapes, and colors so if you are looking for something a bit different check them out.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

Flutter bye-bye

The warm fragrances and temperatures of Summer are rapidly fading here in Northern Georgia. I have - through no efforts of my own - a beautiful array of hydrangeas and impatiens in my front yard and they attract the most amazing butterflies. I thought I would share this card that celebrates the last visages of spring - before we enter the Fall rainy season.

As a Northerner by birth and heritage, I refer to this time as Monsoon season, I never knew prior to moving here that the South could get so much icky, weather!

This butterfly shaped card is hinged at the top and was cut with my Cricut using the "A Child's Year" cartridge. This is one of my favorite cartridges and I find new uses for it each week. The butterfly was than embossed with a Cuttlebug flourish folder and my Big Shot.

The sentiment is from Crafty Secrets (I love their clear Vintage stamps - their images are amazing), the patterned paper is BoBunny, the pebbles are Stamping Bella and the hat pin and other various items are either embellishments I made myself or from the scrap bin.

The brown flower is actually made from a 5 petal punch in which the petals are overlapped and the bottom snipped off to provide a flat surface to apply a glue dot. I then sprayed the cardstock lightly with water to make the paper malleable and rolled the petals back with a stylus. I repeated the process for the inner flower made of patterned paper, but did not cover as many petals in the overlapping step.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne

Apple for the Teacher

These apple boxes were fun to make. I embossed each one with a different Cuttlebug template and inked the edges to provide depth. The stems are pieces of ribbon looped through a slot in the lid which allows you to remove the top and fill it with goodies. The leaves are flower petals I cut on my Cricut. The cute little caterpillar and lady bugs are from one of the Spring Releases by Jolee. Its rare that I use an embellishment like these, but they were just perfect for this project so I could not resist.

Because of the size of some of the pieces I had to get pretty creative to fit the paper in the Big Shot, but I am happy with the result at the end of the day.

I hope Victoria's and Bella's teachers like them.

Thanks for looking,

CarrieAnne