Rollin'... Rollin'... Rollin'

I'm on a roll!

Two days in a row, things are getting back to normal (still no sign of Mojo or Inspiration, but I have had a visit from the I'd-forgot-All-About-That Fairy).

 

After tidying my little piece of heaven (and boy did it need a clear out!), I found all sorts of forgotten treasures!  As well as things I'd bought on the spur of the moment and not touched at all (I know, I know... been there~done that).

 

After spending time to re-drool over some cardstock I managed to cut into it (not just gaze lovingly at it!).  This little quickie card is made very simply (the cardstock does all the work!).

 

 

BASE CARD - CRICUT CS in pink 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" - scored and folded in half

MAT - HUNKYDORY CS from 'Autumn Dreams' Collection - cut to 5 1/4" x 4"

INSIDE 1ST MAT - HUNKYDORY CS from 'Autumn Dreams' Collection - cut to 5 1/4" x 4" using the same piece as for the front of the card

INSIDE 2ND MAT - CRICUT CS in pink 3 3/4" x 2 1/2"

SENTIMENT - HUNKYDORY 'Autumn Dreams' Collection

EMBELLISHMENTS - pink ribbon, flower and gems from stash

 

 

I was going to use an insert (I found a whole pack of them by HUNKYDORY), but I'd have to cut it down, and I just couldn't seem to be able to cut into it!  One step at a time... right?

 

 

 

Challenges:-

 

LITTLE BLUE BUTTON STAMPS - Ch #10 - 'Fall Inspiration'

 

HECK OF A CHALLENGE - October - 'Autumn Colours'

 

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

 

 

Happy Crafting x

 

 

Blah... blah... blah...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halloween Mojo

I'm having a hard time finding my creative mojo... it seems to have skipped town, heading as fast as it can out of craftsville! Mojo also took along his friend Inspiration, and together they have left me bereft!  What is worse! I have been slaving my b*!!$ off getting their "bower of bliss" (my craftroom) into a reasonably tidy condition! Ungrateful pair!

 

Anyway... I've got a Halloween disco coming up so I decided to make some kind of holders for each table, into these I would put some 'spooky' sweets.  So what kind of container?  Last year I made Halloween boxes into balloon weights, using sweets as the 'ballast' , this year we're not having balloons so I decided to try something different (and easy)...

 

 

 

In America, I believe these are called sour cream containers, here? Not a clue! The only thing I know that is this shape are those little drink containers you put in the freezer, for the kids (because they are cheaper than all the other ice-creams and lollies they want!).

 

 

 I used the last of my very favourite Halloween papers from ECHO PARK 'The Apothecary Emporium'.  I've love, love, loved these papers... all gone now though!

 

So back to the whys and wherefores... (this isn't an Echo Park paper). Start with a piece of paper 5 1/2" x 4 1/4".  This container can be made out of a variety of sizes, but this size suited me as it fitted approx. 8 small sweets in it comfortable (don't want to be too generous, you know!).  It is, however, not the best size if your being frugal!  Next, place double sided tape along the top (or the bottom, as in my case LOL) edge and the two sides.

 

Now roll the paper together and make a cylinder shape (take the tape backing off first, duh)... 

 

And pinch one end together...

 

 

Now you fill it with whatever you want, and then, pinch the other end together... but at an opposite angle, see, told you it was easy!

 

I generated some wording on my computer and then punched them out using a 1" paper punch

 

The flat ends can be 'crimped' using a... crimper (well, duh), which I do not owe, so I used my score board to add three narrow lines along each sealed end.  I then used my CRICUT 'Elegant Edges' cartridge to cut out my scalloped circles.  All at 1 1/2" ( p.59 <Flwer2-s>), I used some foam pads to layer the sentiment onto the black scalloped circle and some more foam pads to adhere the whole thing on to my sweetie container.

 

 

... and hey presto!

 

 

 

But I couldn't leave it there... so, I moved on to making some spooky coasters for the bar, using...

 

Love those spooky eye-balls,

always an added bonus, when you can eat the decorations!

 

 

 





Challenges:-

 

FANTABULOUS CRICUT CHALLENGE BLOG - Ch #183 - 'Home Decor' (Halloween Theme)

 

DIE CUTTIN DIVA - Ch #138 - 'Halloween'

 

CARDZ TV GO-TO GALZ - Ch #38 - 'Ghost & Goblin Party' (Halloween Theme)

 

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

 

 

 

Blah... blah... blah...

 

 

 

Not so much M.I.A. as...

... NO ACTION, at all!

 

So sorry folks, I've been a VERY bad blogger, that is... I haven't been blogging!  Life just seems to have been getting in the way lately (how VERY dare it!).

 

I will try harder...

 

It has gone colder and wetter here in Wales, meaning the caravan park is now in 'Winter' mode.  That is - the darts and pool seasons have started and the holiday caravaners are few and far between.

 

When you work in this kind of tourist industry, the work is very much a seasonal thing.  There is ALWAYS work, but it varies SO much.  Now is the time to get the grounds ready for winter (loads of cutting back); make sure the caravans are prepared for the cold (drained down and secure); preparations are underway for our Halloween disco (unwrap those old decorations and organise some more for this years theme of 'red' and 'black') and take a deep breath and enjoy a quieter time!

 

The death of my grandmother, has meant that my mother and father are spending more time in Birmingham, making sure my grandfather is coping as best he can.  Its a blessing that its a quiet time of the year, meaning they are able to visit him more often and not have to worry about the running of the caravan park.

 

I made a card for a VERY dear friend of mine yesterday... and didn't photo it to share with you! Selfish or what?  Sorry about that... it was a nice one too!  My friend is one of those people who doesn't realise (no matter how much you tell her) that she is one of life's true wonders.  She is a mother to four grown up children and LOADS of grandchildren, who is always there for them, no matter what, as well as coping with a husband with cancer and all the rigmarole that goes with it.  AND at the same time, being the most cheerful, happy person going (or at least - putting on a good show!).  She knows she has to be strong for all the people that rely on her, and so she does it with a smile.  If you know someone like that... give them a hug, 'cause there're the one who need it most!

 

I pull out the Cricut 'WILD CARD 2' the other day, and made a 'new home' card... I hope you like it...

 

 

 

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

 

 

I will try harder with the blogging thing, thanks for stopping by... Karen x

 

 

 

 

Blah... blah... blah...

 

 

 

 

Yoo-Hoo

... it's your birthday

I made this pretty little twisted easel card earlier today, I think it turned out pretty well, except for the raggedy edges to my mats (I really must get a new blade for my paper trimmer).  Don't you just love those googlie eyes?

 

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

 

I LOVE MY CRICUT AND I LIVE IN THE UK!

 

 

 

 Here is the card I made for my Grandmother's 90th birthday, sadly, yesterday, she passed away.  I could tell you all about her, and gush over her life, how she bravely fought again her Parkinson's disease for soooo long, but I won't (who needs a downer... right?).  But as anyone knows (and most of us have lost someone we love, at some point)  - "life goes on" and "time is a great healer", two much used platitudes that are so very, very true. Goodnight Gran x

 

 

 

Blah... blah... blah...

 

 

Kanban Kwikie III

Quick (kwik?) post...

 

A variation on the 'Joy' fold theme... I used double sided paper -  ECHO PARK 'Dots & Stripes - Metropolitan (Concrete Large Dot), an oldie but a goodie.  I love these ECHO PARK papers, so so versatile!

 

All the toppers and sentiments are from a KANBAN kit called 'So Macho', this kit seems to go on and on forever, I bought it AGES ago!

 

I added two strips of punched CS to the front, the punch used is from X CUT called 'flowers', in the same grey CS as the base

 

I added three gems, which I coloured using a black promarker and hey presto!

 

 



Challenges...

OLDIE BUT A GOODIE CHALLENGE - 'Spots and Stripes'

613 AVENUE CREATE - Ch #36 - 'Anything Goes'

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

Blah... blah... blah...

 

 

Fancy Fold

I am suffering from tooth ache!  As you are all aware, having suffered yourselves at some point, there really is no greater pain, than that of a rotten tooth.  It is VERY distracting, my creative juices are running decidedly low!

 

However, my toothache has made me realise how VERY lucky I am to have been born in this era of advanced dentistry and high hygiene standards and with the invention of a variety of  pain relieving concoctions at least there is some relief from the agony.

 

My dentist is a very pleasant, young Portuguese lady, who is both kind and knowledgeable, unlike in years go by.  I would, probably, have gone to the local barber, who would have preformed extractions willy-nilly, with no thought to the amount of pain he was inflicting with every yank, pull and twist. 

 

Apparently I need a 'root canal treatment' if I am to save my tooth.  Well since I don't have that many teeth left, I felt I should make an extra effort to save the ones that are left.  And since I was, in fact, nearly crying with the pain I said yes, go ahead.  Now for the tricky bit... a root canal treatment is two appointments, the first of which is for 30 minutes and since I was an emergency my over-worked dentist could not possible do it now!  You can imagine my reaction... this normally laid-back, eager-to-please, doormat - suddenly wasn't.  I can hear me now, whining... "But it HURTS", "You've got to do something NOW", "Please, please, please.".  To be fair to my dentist, she looked at my tear-stained face (twisted in agony) and said she'd get as much of the infection out now, file down the canal and put some kind of super bacteria-fighting agent into the gap, so at least she would be able to kill the nerve and remove the pain before my next appointment (30 minutes) to complete the 'treatment'.  After I had blubbered my thanks, we got started. In goes the needle - do I care? not really, although I was consciously trying to relax (tense muscles cause more pain), out comes her drill - really is there anything more distressing than that drill? I eventually leave the dentist office with half my face smiling and the other half frozen into a mask of horror, but at least for a short while the pain is gone and in a few hours I'll be able to live my life, pain-free. 

 

When I'm not in pain... I don't like the dentist (I don't mean the nice Portuguese lady, I mean the dental practice in general), or at least the thought of having to go there and pay for the privilege of having needles stuck into the most delicate parts of my mouth.  However, actual toothache, makes you re-assess all negative thoughts of the dentist, and suddenly they are the only thing standing between you and permanent anguish.

 

Enough of the horror stories...back to my crafting.  Before the toothache I had made a 'JOY' fold card, this is only my second attempt at this fold, but I really like it, so it could become a favourite!  My previous effort can be found here.

 

CARD BASE - green CS - 4 1/4" x 7 3/4" - scored at 2 1/4"
INSIDE CARD BASE - green CS - 3 1/22 x 7 1/4" - scored at 4"
CARD BASE MATS - patterned paper by 'WILD ROSE STUDIO' called 'BUTTERFLY GARDEN' -  x 1 @ 4" x 5 1/4", x 2 @ 2" x 4"

INSIDE CARD BASE MATS - patterned paper by 'WILD ROSE STUDIO' called 'BUTTERFLY GARDEN' -  x 1 @ 3 1/4" x 3 3/4", x 2 @ 3" x 3 1/4"

EMBELLISHMENT - flowers from 'CREATE AND CRAFT TV'

SENTIMENT - from stash and a peel-off

All the edges have been inked using 'TIM HOLTZ' distressed ink pad 'TEA DYE'

 

For a great video demo of this fold visit 'CARDZ TV'.

 

Challenges...

 

I really can't be bothered!

 

 

Blah... blah... blah...

 

 

If I Were A Robot

... perhaps I wouldn't do such stupid things!  I have had a MAJOR 'senior moment'.  Today is the first of September, and I need to put my new tax disc in the round holder in the car. Simple? You'd have thought so, for a competent person, like me! Ah...

 

I was 'super' organised and I purchased my tax disc early, well I say purchased but my cute, dinky little car is exempt, but I still need to display a tax disc. So all organised, I go to put my tax disc on... and, where is it?  I've lost the blasted thing!  Senior moment, or what! 

 

Just so you know, if you need a duplicate tax disc you will need form V20 from the post office!

 

So I found this really cool group on Facebook called... "I Love My Cricut & I Live In The UK", its been really interesting looking at other people's interests and getting lots of inspiration.  Since I have never made anything with the 'ROBOTZ' Cricut cartridge, I decided today would be the day!

 

 

So, what we have here is... a blue scalloped card blank, and onto this I matted a piece of 'BLACK MAGIC' 'CORE'DINATIONS' cardstock called 'CAULDRON'. Before it was adhered down I embossed it using my CUTTLEBUG and the 'COOLIO' embossing folder, this I then sanded so that the light blue core would show through. The robot is cut from the Cricut 'ROBOTZ' cartridge at 3 1/2" and the sentiment is from the same cartridge (shadow and font) at 2".  With a little bit of faux stitching and a couple of googlie eyes... eh voila!

 

Challenges...

 



NATALIE AND AMY - Ch. #12 - 'Embossing'

 

CRAFTERS CAFE - Ch #26 - 'Embossing Wet or Dry'

 

 

Blah... blah... blah...

 

 

Burnt Toast and Gumdrops...

I burnt my toast this morning... perhaps you don't think this is news-worthy, but I beg to differ!  The smell!  For an extraordinarily amount of time after the burnt toast incident, the acrid smell is STILL lingering!  And worse...

 

Because I live in a flat, and because I'm careless enough to leave my doors open... that awful smell is now permeated into every corner of my dwelling.  I know when I go to bed tonight that smell will be there.  I once heard that if you leave a dish of vinegar out, it will take away the smell... it doesn't!  I would know this -  through the various failed attempts that I have done to rectify this problem in the past.  I have even left my 'usually' wonderful aromatic candles burning for the past 5 hours, and it still smells of burnt toast in here!

 

Any tips on getting rid of the smell of burnt toast will be gratefully received, and yes, I know, DON'T BURN THE TOAST IN THE FIRST PLACE, that doesn't help and your superior attitude is rather annoying!  I didn't MEAN to burn the toast but... yes you've guessed it... I was crafting!

 

I was trying to cut vellum with my Cricut!  I assumed that because it is fairly delicate it would require little blade pressure... how wrong I was.  Eventually, and several slices of bread  later (yes bread not vellum... the toast, remember), I managed to cut the vellum out with my ordinary card stock settings, who knew?

 

 

 

I made this with the Cricut 'JUST BEACAUSE CARDS' cartridge and... there's the vellum!

 

Challenges...

 

HIDING IN MY CRAFTROOM - #113 - 'Freestyle'

 

PUMPKIN SPICE - #35 - 'Anything Goes'

 

CREATIVE CORNER - 'Child's Play'

 

A CARD A DAY BLOGGING

 

 

MAY ALL YOUR CRAFTING BE FREE FROM INTERUPTION

 

 

Bah... blah... blah...

 

 

 

 

 

Pop...

... of yellow

 

My little offering for today is for a CARDZ TV challenge.. the theme? black and white with a 'pop' of yellow, and since I have begun to 'pile it on' this card is also for the MY CRAFT SPOT challenge - 'get well soon/sympathy'.  Both these sites have some BEAUTIFUL stamps, I love sentiment stamps, I think they add a great touch to a card. ~ I want more stamps  ~  I need more stamps  ~  I must HAVE more stamps  ~ 

 

I am (its getting a bit of a habit!) using my Cricut to make the topper, this time using the 'PAPER LACE' cartridge.  This is the first time I've used this one, and I discovered some truly lovely cuts on this cartridge, very detailed and intricate.  Since I'm also going to enter the EXPLORING CRICUT challenge for this month, my two cuts are (p.57) <GetWell1> and (p.67) <GetWell2> (in yellow, I only used the word 'well')

 

 

The 'topper' is mounted onto a piece of white CS, which has been embossed using my CUTTLEBUG, and the 'snowflake2' folder.  I also added some ribbon, glitter and gems.

 

The yellow flowers are punched out using a MARTHA STEWART flower punch (this one also has some stamps stored in the top, but I decided not to use these and to simply shape the flowers before adhering them down.

 

The inside also has an embossed mat, this time using the all-in-one folder 'thank you'.

 

Challenges...

 

CARDZ TV - GO-TO GALZ #34 - 'Colour Pop'

 

MY CRAFT SPOT - #110 - 'Get Well/Sympathy

 

EXPLORING CRICUT - August - 'Cricut Choice'

 

A CARD A DAY

 

 

Blah... blah... blah...

 

 

 



First Day of School

... not as a pupil though... NO, my beautiful daughter starts her new job (teaching assistant) in a couple of days, and since she has also moved away from home, I'm sending her a good luck card.  Love that girl... she's such a little 'scaredy-cat' and yet she's embraced her new life with such purpose, she's made me very, very proud to be her mum!  Anyway, the card...

 

 

The white mat actually started out VERY differently.  I (in my wisdom) decided to make some educational flash cards for my niece, however, I was a little ambitious... and by the time I'd made 'a', 'b' and 'c' my little niece was too old for them!  Yes, I know... but I got distracted! The mat was actually a large 'tag'.

 

Anyway, the topper, (which was a tag), made using Cricut 'PLANTIN SCHOOLBOOK', had a piece of 'TERESA COLLINS' 'Fabrication' 'yellow brocade' adhered to it.  On top if this was a ('JUST BECAUSE') Cricut cut (apple), I have since... sliced off the top of the tag to make a plain white mat.  To make my card more 'schooly' I added a sentiment (computer generated), punched it out (large scallop punch) and gave it some faux stitching. 

 

The apple and it's leaves are created using a 'CREATA' paper pad, which has lovely glossy detailing.

 

 

The other punch used was a 'MARTHA STEWART' deep edge border punch ('DAISY FAN'), which is utterly gorgeous.  This punch makes a beautiful decorative border, and if you cut a piece of cardstock 2 1/2" deep and punch both sides (line it up), it creates an even lovelier border.  I added a button and gem for a little bit of bling.

 

The inside wording is computer generated, although I would have preferred to use the 'SCRAPPYMOMS' school stamp set, but I was limited on money at the time and only bought the 'owl ocassions' set.  And the same happened with 'MY CREATIVE TIME', I ran out of money! So annoying when that happens! But hey ho, I'm pleased was the result and I'm sure my daughter will love it.  Although she's loving ANYTHING from home at the moment!

 

Challenges...

 

MY CREATIVE TIME - Throwback Thursday #363 - 'Altered Item/Old Cartridge'

 

SCRAPPY MOMS - Terrific Tuesday - 'Back to School'

 

 

 

Blah... blah... blah...

 

 

 

 

Just Because Tree

I made this for the 'Die Cutting Diva weekly challenge, the theme being 'Just Because', which was rather appropriate as I needed to send a 'just because' card out to a friend who is going through some nasty medical treatment.

 

So here it is...

 

I love how this turned out...

CARD BASE - white card blank (5 3/4" x 4 1/8")

1ST MAT - 'SIZZIX' paper pad (green leaves) 'EARTH TONES' (5 5/8" x 4")

2ND MAT - 'FIRST EDITION' paper pad 'DREAMCATCHER' (3" x 4")

CRICUT CUT - green mirri cardstock - 'ELEGANT EDGES' p. 29 shadow <leaves -s> (2 1/2")

CRICUT CUT - black cardstock - 'ELEGANT EDGES' p.29 oblong <Leaves -s> (2 1/2")

CRICUT CUT - green scrap - 'CINDY LOO' p.65 <Tree1> (3")

SENTIMENT - from stash

EMBELLISHMENTS - gems (from local pound shop)

 

Inside decorated using up any scraps, as usual.

 

 

 

 

Challenges...

 

DIE CUTTING DIVAS  - #130 - 'Just Because'

 

PILE IT ON  - #34 - 'Designer Papers'

 

 

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