Challenge Me Monday #88 Holiday Cards (a tad late)

Hi there,

It's another Fantabulous Challenge Me Monday (okay, it's actually Tuesday, but let's just pretend, shall we? ;0) ) over at FCCB, which means you are invited to join in!  This week's project is easy peasy -- create a holiday card with at least one Cricut cut on it.  We have an awesome sponsor this week who provided some of us with their amazing embellishments.  If you haven't been to the Creative Charms store, OMG, you are totally missing out!!!  They have very unique embellishments at really awesome prices.  Their customer service is just the best, btw!!!  Please stop by their shop and check out their goodies.  Of course they have an amazing blog as well and you can check that out HERE!  They are also our giveaway sponsor this week so be sure to join in our challenge.  I'm sure EVERYONE has a holiday card they can enter right?  Who knows... You might just be the lucky winner!

Alright, onto my project...  I decided to go all crazy and try the new Cricut Craftroom Software, which is FREE, btw!!!  OMG, if you don't have this yet, what are you waiting for???  Especially if you have an Imagine.  You can move your images all over and print them where you want now!!!  However, this is a beta program so they are still working out a few bugs.  When they get it all straightened out, it's going to be absolutely awesome and completely necessary if you own an Imagine or even an Expression and E2.

First I designed my layout on my computer with the CCR software, then I saved the file to my gypsy in order to cut, since one of the cartridges I used came preloaded on my Gypsy and I don't have the actual (Christmas) cartridge, but I do have Elegant Edges, which I used as well.  If you have the actual cartridges, you just put them in whatever machine you're running, hook up your computer to that machine and it will prompt you when to switch your cartridges so you can use multiple cartridges for one layout.  Pretty neat huh?  :0)

This is my 2nd Christmas card of the season.  I know, I'm waaaaayyyy behind as usual... ;p  I really wanted to show off the embellishments from Creative Charms so I used the Joy & Noel Christmas Glitz & Glimmer, Make the Season Shimmer package.  They are multi-layered and are backed with holographic sticker material, topped with chipboard, and accented with rhinestones!!!  These are better than just "stickers"! :0)  Also, if you look at the bottom of the card you'll see this cute little tiny star, which is from their Seasonal Sparkles set.  So cute!

 Joy stickers were placed on ornament backgrounds from the Christmas cartridge.  I used twine from Archivers for the bows.  See how the angel shimmers and the border too?  Details below...

 This sticker from Creative Charms was just perfect for this project.

 The rhinestones in the middle of the stickers are actually made that way!  Leave it to Creative Charms to think of these things.  Wish the picture showed up better, cause they really sparkle, as does the holographic background.

Side view (3 layers on Angel, 2 layers for border)

The background paper is from the Imagine Cartridge - Imagine More (fabby isn't it?), the blue patterned paper is called Brrr, from Fancy Pants, the other beigey-paper is from my stash and the cardstock I used is from Recollections.

I wanted to make this one really layered as so many of our girls do on FCCB.  I haven't really done this technique, but I've received some cards like this from friends and decided it just makes the card really pop and adds so much more to a simple card.  For this technique, I just used small pop dots and larger pop dots.  I inked my edges with some Martha Stewart ink, as well as Studio G ink pads.  The beigy paper, I decided to sparkle up a bit so I added some glue and some Perfect Pearls by Ranger gold shimmer powder.  It was messy, but I like the effect.

Thank you all for stopping by to see me today and just to let you know, I haven't forgotten that I need to do some blog candy drawings and to my girls who won previous drawings, I am so sorry for being soooo late.  I promise I have not forgotten about any of you.  My health has been getting worse and worse in different ways and unfortunately, I spend most of my time sleeping.  Thank you all for your patience and please know that I will never forget about my followers for it is you all who keep me grounded and give me a reason to get out of bed.  I appreciate each and every one of you and I LOVE reading your comments.  There are so many that I want to respond to, but just haven't been able to, so please know that I think of you when you send me comments.  I check out your blogs whenever I can and I do have the goal of eventually getting to every one of you.  Please don't be offended if you don't hear from me right away.  It doesn't mean I didn't read your comment or don't appreciate you, because I do appreciate each and everyone of you!

XO ~ Amy Jo

Awesome Cricut Cartridge - Review

Happy Sunday Sweet Friends!  I just have to share with you a cartridge that I just received (purchased last week) in the mail from Cricut Machine.  It's my favorite site to buy cartridges because they have different sales almost every week and if you're patient, you can often get cartridges for around $12!!!  Yes, they are brand new!  Anyways, I found a cartridge that I think EVERYONE should own.  For new Cricut users, if you don't want to spend a lot of $ on a ton of new cartridges, get this one and you will feel like you own 20 cartridges.  I am so happy with it!  I can't believe all the images on it!  It comes with 6, yes 6!!! bonus overlays.  (No I'm not being compensated in any way for this review, this is just a personal opinion and something I wanted to share with my friends.)  The cartridge is called the Ultimate Creative Series Sampler.  Ever heard of it??? I had not, until I saw it on this site.  You can find it here.  If you get there quickly, it is on sale for $34.95 (which is what I paid) and is worth every penny!  Be sure and check it out and let me know what you think!

Amy Jo

Candy's Candy

Hello my lovely friends and followers!  If anyone is interested in some AWESOME blog candy, be sure to stop over at Candy's Craft Corner for your chance to win one or all three of these Cricut cartridges!!!

Enjoy!

Challenge Me Monday #85 Booklover

Hello Fantabulous Friends and welcome to another Challenge Me Monday over at FCCB!  For those of you who don't know, I am the coordinator over there and we have challenges every Monday where you can win prizes from our sponsors if you enter!  Stop on by to say hello and see what the Design Team has come up with this week.

My project comes from an SVG file that Designs on Cloud 9 so generously provided our DT with.  I have Sure Cuts A Lot Version 2, which is perfect for cutting these files with my Cricut Expression.  The project this week is to make something associated with books so I decided to use the cute little bookworm they sent me to make a bookmark.  You can never have too many bookmarks if you're like me and like to read a ton of different things all at the same time.  Reading is one of my very favorite activities. :0)  Don't forget to check out FCCB to see what the rest of the gals came up with and to link your own project if you so desire.

Isn't he cute?  Designs on Cloud 9 is one of my favorite digi stamp and SVG sites.  They have some of the cutest images!  Please stop by and check out their products.

I know you can't tell by the pics, but I popped the book out and left some space so the bookworm can actually go over the top of the page you're reading and act as a topper.  I used cardstock from my stash, the bookmark paper is from Bo Bunny, Colorbox Cat's Eye inks, a white gelly pen, and a black photo pen for details.  Adhesives were pop dots, Zig 2-way Glue Pen, Tombow liquid glue, and my ATG.  I cut out a little apple with a punch I have and used the cut out for the front of the book.  This would make a great gift for a teacher too!

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Have a Fantabulous day!

XO ~ Amy Jo