I'm melting!

Hi all,


Just checking in ... I've been slogging away at some place cards for two weddings being held on 11 Feb and it is hot as hades here right now - a couple of 40+C days does my sense of humour no good ... so I have not gotten any further on the week 4 strut your cuts challenge. Unfortunately when I have not been doing the place cards I have been standing under the aircon duct or cooling off in the pool (I know, harsh life huh?!). I am still going to finish the challenge though, even if it is a little late.


Hope you are all doing well and not too hot/cold/wet


Lisa 

Strut Your Cuts Week 4 - part one

Hi all,


I am a little bit late in posting my week 4 project ... and I hope to have more to post during the week.


This week the cartridges to use are:

1. Love you a Latte
2. Sports Mania
3. Everyday Pop-Up Cards
4. Damask Decor
5. Best of Pixar

I actually have four of the five cartridges this week. The only one I do not have is Love you a Latte. Of course this made things difficult -- too many choices!

I have started with a card from Damask Decor, blinged up a little and plan to get to the rest of the carts later in the week. I am still determined to use all my carts this year, so I will get to it before the week is out.

Do not forget to upload your challenge entries on the Scrappy-Go-Lucky blog or Facebook page 

Card cut at 7". Stampin' Up! paper (old olive and
cherry cobbler), bling from the stash.

Lots of layers again.

Envelope from Damask decor to match the card.
I had to scor the sides to give extra width to
fit the card in as it was extra thick.

Have a good one,
Lisa

Another Wedding Explosion Box

Hi all,


I whipped this one up last week for some relatives going to a wedding. They wanted the ability to put a gift card in the box, thus the envelope. 


I am getting more confident making these explosion boxes --- although I still agonise over colours (cannot help myself) and ribbons.

Lisa

Strut Your Cuts Week 3

Hi all,


Already on to week 3! 


The cartridges for the week are:

1. Inspired Heart (Lite)
2. Pumpkin Carving
3. Shall We Dance
4. Wall Decor and More
5. B is for Boy (Lite)

I only had one cartridge again this week - Wall Decor and More. This is what I came up with:

I used two of the new Stampin' Up! colours - Pool Party and Island Indigo. Went a little crazy with the Crystal Stickles and used cricut Craft Room to hide contours and cut just the inner flower five times. 

I put dimensionals under the word, small flowers and the large flower but I don't think the picture really shows that.

I might try some other projects with this cartridge this week if I get time... I've seen another couple of images I'd love to use.


Do not forget to check out the entries at Scrappy-Go-Lucky and maybe enter the challenge yourself :)

Enjoy your week,

Lisa

Frustrating Male Birthday Card

Hi all,


This is a card I made a little while ago. I had a vision in my head but just could not make it work. I ended up making two cards as I just wasn't all that happy with the first one.

First card - not sure what is wrong with it .... I had a
dozen different images I cut out and tried to use. Changed
the mix of pattern paper and plain paper about a
gazillion times ..... Nothing worked.

Colour and paper work better, but still not uber happy.

Stampin' Up! paper and stamp used, Every Day Paper Dolls the cartridge. 


Is it just me or is there a conspiracy that male cards just have to be that much harder to make?? 


Lisa

Strut Your Cuts Week 2 - finished project

Hi all,


Well I finally stopped socialising long enough to finish my Week 2 project and hang it on the cubbyhouse. 

The word "open" is from Graphically Speaking and
all the food images are from Create a Critter 

The Graphically Speaking cartridge only had the
word "close", so I did a little adjusting.

I am really enjoying these challenges ... I feel like I am finally using all my cricut stuff properly. Miss Jessica now has a list of things she wants me to make - bless her cotton socks.

Enjoy your week,

Lisa

Strut Your Cuts Week 2

Hi all,


Wow! Week 2 and I am still sticking to the challenge of using ALL those cartridges I own. All the people who entered the week 1 challenge did such a fine job. The projects entered are here on Mandy's blog and Facebook page.


So, to week 2 ....


Cartridges are:

1. Cuttin' Up
2. Graphically Speaking
3. Create a Critter
4. hmmm ... drat, cannot find the list, but did not have the last two cartridges anyway.

The sign is on plastic board (will find out the real name of it tomorrow) and I used vinyl for all the images. Graphically speaking gave me the coffee cup and frame and Cuttin' Up was for the words.

I have to admit, though,  that I have only completed the first part of my project. Hubby built Miss J a cubbyhouse a while ago (his own design and handywork)

 

This week Miss J decided she would like to make her cubbyhouse a cafe.... excellent! An opportunity to make something with this weeks carts.... Unfortunately I was distracted this week by a quick trip to Margaret River with the family .... oh woe is me, I had to go to a bunch of wineries and yummy foodie places .... boo hoo :) :) :) and thus my full project did not get finished.


So, I am also planning on using my Create a Critter cart and the Graphically speaking cart for an open/closed sign with flair. Stay tuned. .... for a little while longer ... as we are having Christmas number 2 today. My husband and my brother-in-law both got promotions in December, unfortunately it meant they both had to work Christmas, so this is our second go around at the turkey and ham, champagne etc... ohhhhh yummmmmmy!


I will get back to you shortly. Hope you are all having a great January so far.


Lisa

2012 Weekly Cricut Cartridge Challenge - Week 1

Hi all,


OK, to start off I think I will need to find a snazzier title for my weekly challenge!


Oh, yes --- and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all.


The idea for this challenge began when I mentioned to Mandy that I have an excessive number of cartridges and that I really need to use them all to justify the expense to myself. I own about 130 carts (including imagine ones). I thought I'd use three carts a week but Mandy encouraged me to challenge others as well and use the entire cart list.


The challenge is going to go like this:
Over the course of 2012 Mandy will randomly select five cartridges each week from the 268 cricut cartridges available right now (excluding the imagine carts). From that list of five you use the ones you own (or can borrow) in a project. Challenge starts on Sundays, and concludes on Saturdays.


If you would like to join please link your project to mandy's blog or facebook page. Details will be refined as we go along.


The week 1 cartridges are:

1. New Arrival
2. Songbird
3. Jasmine
4. Sweet Treats
5. Sweet Shop (lite)

My project for week 1 .....
I only own two of the five carts for this week. New Arrival and Jasmine. It actually helped me as I had less images to ponder/fuss/faff over and it made for quite a quick decision.

I cut out the words "many thanks", the card shape and two layers of oval surround from the Jasmine cartridge. Clouds, plane and sign are from New Arrival. I went to town on the 3D foam/dimensionals and there are a number of levels. 
I used Stampin' Up! cardstock - basic black, real red and pacific blue, and SU! Celebrations designer series paper. The silver paper is from my stash.
The card is 7" long even without the plane sticking out, so I will have to hand-make an envelope when I end up giving this to someone.

Then ... as I had a whole bunch of cut outs left over I thought I'd make another card while I was at it.

More SU! paper, same designer series paper, and a Happy Birthday stamp (from the Happiest Birthday Wishes Hostess stamp set). Glitter paper from my stash.... and more, more, more dimensionals!

I also inked the edges of the paper on both cards and inked the edges of the 3D foam on the first card, just so it would blend in. I am learning that all these little fiddly extras you can do really make the cards work so much better.

So, now I challenge you. Get those cartridges out and dust them off. Let's use all of them this year!

Both cards together ... yay, I have completed the first challenge!

Have fun,


Lisa

Wedding Invitations

Hi all,


I have been fortunate recently to have a few wedding invitation jobs come my way. I made the silver invitation for the client then decided to make myself a couple of prototypes to show next time I do a wedding expo ... names and dates changed to protect the client.


Yet again the client chose the idea from the Cristina Re Wedding book. It is a very lovely wedding invitation ideas book with lots of very classy examples.


I have one more lot of invitations to do in the next week and then I have a little bit of time on my hands before the next job.

Actual copy of invitation

Variation for show

I am actually very excited about tomorrow's blog entry. As I mentioned before I am going to challenge myself to use all my cricut cartridges in 2012. I have already completed challenge No. 1 and I really think this idea is going to work ... I'll look back at the end of the year and see if I really stuck to it!

See you then,

Lisa

Teacher and Student Christmas Presents

Hi all,

Just catching up on my posts .... I've still got a few crafty things to show you from before Christmas. 

For the teachers

I made these boxes for Jessica's teacher and her assistants. I used the Sweet Tooth Boxes cartridge for the box and Mr Frosty Imagine cartridge for the pattern. I used stickles for the "snow' on the windows. Even though it is summer here at Christmas time I cannot help but ocassionally do a few winter-ish Christmas things.

I made some white christmas and coconut ice to put in the boxes.... yummm.

For the students

I made 24 of them

I made smaller items for Jessica's friends -- and I used all Stampin' Up! items: 

My Big Shot  

Bigz XL Fancy Favour Die

Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive paper

Delightful Decorations stamp

1/4" grosgrain ribbon - Old Olive and Chocolate Chip

Ornament punch

We filled them with assorted lollies. 

One of the Mums from the other Kindy class made the teachers a flower pot. Each of the "flowers" had a picture of a child or teacher on it. What a wonderful teacher's gift. Must remember that one for future years.

Lisa

Toilet Roll Carol Singers

Hi all,

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! 

Ours was lovely ... lots of lovely food and lovely people, some nice bubbly and a few swims in the pool ... cannot ask for anything more!

Thought I'd show you something Jessica and I made as a Christmas decoration... 

I normally do not buy Jessica kiddy magazines but I did buy the "Disney Family Fun Christmas Craft magazine" that Jessica saw in a newsagents ... of course she then begged me to help her make everything in the book. We ended up making these toilet roll carol singers (the angel is a cardboard one from Spotlight coloured in by Jess). I love Jessica's interpretation of their singing faces.

Their hats were supposed to be socks (representing wooly hats), but I did not have any spare to use.

It is rather hot today (38C) so I am off for a swim to cool off.

Have a good one,

Lisa

Christmas Tree

Hi all,

I was lucky enough this year to be part of a three-way Christmas Tree swap. Mandy scored the 9' tree, I got Mandy's 8' tree and Penny got my 6' tree. 

Looks better in real life.

As you can see I love silver and blue --- my life has been a long list of silver and blue events --- 21st birthday, engagement party, wedding ... and so it carries over to my tree.

I have spent probably 12 or so years collecting the baubles and whatnot for my Christmas tree. I have bought a Swarovski crystal snowflake ornament for every year that hubby and I have been married, and I have added a few more crystal ornaments as well.

I am not a fan of tinsel for my tree, though. I just have never been able to make it look nice so I do not bother any more and I have to admit the simple look works for me.

I normally do not wrap presents until basically Christmas Eve but Miss J has been badgering me so we are all up to date with purchasing and wrapping.

The weather this year has been really nice so far (knock on wood) and Christmas Day is predicted to be only 30C ... YAY!!! I hate eating a fully cooked roast when it is 40C+. One day... one day I will experience a cold Christmas.

Have a good one. Cheers,

Lisa

2012 Craft Resolutions!!!!

Hi all,


I hate to call my plans resolutions as I have never achieved any New Year's resolutions.. and I'm pretty sure I don't know anyone else who has either. In fact I quit smoking on Boxing Day in 1993 instead of New Years since I figured I had a better shot ---- and it worked, thank goodness.


Anyway .... I was chatting to Mandy again the other day about how many cartridges I own (ummm, lots ... let's just say more than 100 and the lovely Mandy enables my addiction, bless her heart). Yes, it seems that my hobby is collecting cartridges! I have used a good many cartridges but not all of them and usually only one or two images from each cartridge.


So I have decided to challenge myself to use THREE cartridges each week in 2012. Either all on one project or on a few projects. My daughter goes to full time school next year so I am hoping to get my act together to do some crafting at least one full day a week. Mandy mentioned that we should put together a Facebook page and invite others to join in the challenge - I will update you in the next week as to whether we manage that part of it.


I am optimistic for next year and so I am also challenging myself to make a number of wedding invitation prototypes and do another wedding expo to get my business "out there" in Perth. 


On the list is also actually making and sending those pesky Christmas cards!


I have also been given a huge amount of partly used craft items by a very, very lovely lady and so my last plan is to use one of the mediums I have never used before (modge podge, sprays, paint, string etc...) each week.


I am going to use some of those gazillion cuttlebug folders I own too.... seriously I am... and all those stamps... and papers .... ad infinitum. 


NOT on my list is - keeping my craft room spotless (ha ha ha, never happen), and doing anything in a vintage style (not trying new styles this year, I've put enough on my plate already).


So, that is my list of plans/dreams .... What 2012 craft resolutions plans have you made? 


Lisa

Castle Birthday Card

Hi all,

Gosh, I've been off the grid a while! I found my mojo but have been so busy I've not had five minutes to tell you about it.

I also have to admit that I have not succeeded in sending out any Christmas cards this year. I simply ran out of time. Yikes! Here I am five sleeps until Christmas ---- where the heck did this year go? The last few years I have sent out about 60 or so cards - last year I even went so far as to make them. This year I just lost my plot. New Year's resolution - give up procrastination! I guess there is always next year.

This project is fro November .... I made two of this birthday card - two girl's fifth birthday parties in one weekend. I used the Princess Party cartridge and my imagine machine.They turned out ok, but I would like to make a few more next year and make them better.

I have part-started about 10 blog entries so far, all with pictures of things I have made in the last month or so... plus an idea I have to challenge myself to use all those cartridges that I've got in my cupboard.

Hope you are all having a wonderful December.

Lisa

Having "crafter's block"

Hi all,


Yes, it seems that I am suffering the paper crafting equivalent of writer's block ... I am just not inspired right now.... and it's not good. Christmas is coming and and I have lots of other non-Christmas projects I need to do too. 


I have searched other blogs for inspiration but unfortunately most of you are from the US and have been making things for Halloween and Thanksgiving - Halloween is not generally celebrated in Australia and Thanksgiving is a US holiday only, so not so much with help from the "internets". 


Sigh ....


Hope to be back with lots of crafty things to show soon,


Lisa

Home safe

Hi all,


Well, lucky for me the QANTAS shutdown ended 7 hours before I was due to fly (yay!) so my original flight left only one hour later than scheduled. All good. I cancelled my backup flight and now have a credit to use with Virgin within the next year.


Even better I got home in time to spend the day with some family and friends watching the Melbourne Cup day races and drinking some bubbly ... and putting a few bets on (I think we came out about even - nice)


Hubby made the most amazing pink champagne jelly desserts -- they are very strong so it may take me a few days to eat them all... whilst I was in the air coming home he made them and cooked some chooks and made bread, everything well organised for Melb Cup day. He is such a good chappy. I think he would make a better stay at parent than I do, but I am not keen on giving that job up :)


That's it. No more traveling for me until May next year (I hope). So now I can concentrate on Christmas Cards, Wedding invites and those thousand other craft things I've had on my list all year.


Have a great weekend,


Lisa

No plane for you!

Hi all,


All I can think of at the moment is the "soup nazi" on Seinfeld -- "no soup for you!" ... but for me it is "no plane for you!".


I always fly QANTAS because I like the idea of supporting Australian business, but alas I have come unstuck this time. I am due to fly home Monday night so I am hoping that they sort themselves out today. As an alternative I have booked a flight through Virgin for Wednesday.


Ah well, as always --- adapt and overcome!


My hubby thinks I have conspired to make this happen. He was hoping to show me a stack of camper caravan things this week in the hope I will let him buy one ... and now he will also have to play stay at home dad for another couple of days - poor thing!


And of course I am stuck here on the east coast without my craft stuff - drat, all the time in the world and nothing to do! Oh dear I may have to go and look at all the lovely scrapbooking shops in Canberra to fill in my time, what a shame!


Watch this space --- I may get home yet!


Lisa

50th wedding anniversary explosion box

Hi all,

I've not posted for a while -- flew to Adelaide last weekend for my Aunt and Uncle's 50th wedding anniversary and am attending a Navy reunion for female aircraft maintainers on the south coast of NSW this weekend. We had such a lovely dinner last night and I the most wonderful time seeing all the "old gals"!

Here is the anniversary explosion box "card" I made for me Uncle and Aunt. I have to say I love making these. This one did take me a long time to make, but that is because I kept changing my mind on colours and designs etc... I even changed the pearls from white to cream at one stage.

I do not have my craft gear with me, but I am pretty sure the heart is from the Sweethearts cartridge (or Wedding?), and the 50th is from the Heritage cartridge. Butterflies are made with the beautiful wings Stampin' Up! emblosslit die.

Transport for the plane - good old Tupperware,
useful for so many things.

Well, I'd best get ready for the second half of the reunion weekend - a BBQ lunch.


Hope you are all having a great weekend too.


Lisa

Simple 50 with Bling

Hi all,


My sister-in-law turned 50 this week. To celebrate, her daughter organised a girl's wine cruise down the Swan River to the Swan Valley (Perth wine region). There were 10 of us from mid 20's to 50's in age and we had a great time. It was so lovely on the river that day. There was wine tasting, muffins, cheese and biscuits, lunch and a bit more wine tasting.


Big thanks to Allison for arranging it all... oh yeah, and we had cake - yummmm.


Here is my card for Karen. I decided to go simple as Karen is not into fussy frou-frou. I just had to incorporate the gold glitter paper though as it is such an important birthday.


Number 50 is from the Blackletter cartridge.

I am pleased with myself that I have been keeping up the birthdays lately ... a couple I have had to express post so they would get there on time, but still... I have a few more this month and a 50th wedding anniversary card to do too, but I'm pretty sure I can keep on top of it. Finger's crossed.


Have a good week,


Lisa

Niece's Birthday Card

Hi all,

It was my niece Emma's birthday last week and here is the card I made. As you know I was trying to make a different card altogether but I never quite got Cricut Craft Room to do as it was told --- in the end I could not get it to load any of the designs I had made for the Imagine machine (expression designs were fine).

So, back to square one and this is what I came up with. Not as I had first imagined, but a cute card nonetheless. All of the images are from the Birthday Bash cartridge.

I do not seem to have taken a photo of Jessica's card to Emma... oops. It was a very cute flying horse coloured in by Miss Jess (stamp from Stampin' Up!)

It sounds like Emma had a lovely birthday too, which is great. 9 years old already --- yikes, the time is going so fast!


Lisa