Stacked Animal Card

Have you seen those rustic pictures of a bunch of barnyard animals stacked on top of each other?  I have been wanting to create a "cricut version" of these images for a while now.  When the latest cartridge Folk Art Festival was released, I knew that now was my time:

Material Used:

• Cricut cartridge Folk Art Festival
• BasicGrey Serendipity 12x12 paper pad
• BasicGrey Serendipity button
• American Crafts jute string
• Webster's Pages designer trim
• Stampin' Up! Pool Party 1/2" seam binding
• Ranger distress inks in Vintage Photo, Antique Linen, Worn Lipstick and Fired Brick
• Stampin' Up! Square Lattice embossing folder
• Cuttlebug Swiss Dots and Divine Swirl embossing folders
• Copic Sepia inking pen

CCR file: 
https://www.box.com/s/sb76isfj0orzgt3i7ph2

1. Using the file provided, first cut your card shape and layer.  Using the Square Lattice embossing folder, emboss the layer and add your first ribbon layer before adhering to the card base. 
2. Using an ink pen, create faux stitching around the card layer.  Of course, you could actually sew it if desired. =)  String your second ribbon layer to the top of the card, running it through the openings on the left side and creating a bow on the right.
3. Using different patterns and or colored cardstock for each animal, cut and assemble each animal.  Emboss any animals as desired and ink the edges using coordinating colors.  Begin stacking and adhering to the card base starting with the cow.  Alternate the direction each animal is facing as you add the sheep, hog and rooster.
4. Using jute string, tie a coordinating button to the middle of your seam binding/ribbon bow.

Teddy Bear Parade Sneak Peek

Here is a sneak peek of the the upcoming Teddy Bear Parade Swap I will be sharing later this week:

 

 

Wild & Crazy Bead Swap #2

Here are the swap items I received back during a recent swap entitled "Wild and Crazy Bead Swap 2" hosted by JJewel.  There weren't any guidelines except use your Cricut somewhere and beads. 



CaliforniaRose



Sis O'Snap



Scrapperbecka



Maile Lei



Sara Andrews



Jodie R



JJewel's thank you gift.

The starfish on the bottom jsut ROCKS!



Ohh Snap



Marcjo



TiffysMom



cowgirl1hh



bleedingcricutgreen



I was TURTLE TWISTED!

Thank you Sherry for my award! I LOVE them!

I forgot to take a picture of mine before I sent it in, so hopefully a fellow circlet will take some and send them to me so I can share.  Feel free to visit their blogs and see what other craftiness they are up to.  =)

Children Around The World Sneak Peek

Hello Everyone! Sorry I have been on a hiatus.  I have been super sick, super busy, and super stressed.  Some of the things that I have been busy doing are Swaps on the Circle message board.  Let me see, there was the Crazy Bead Swap 2, the Steam Punk Swap, the Children Around the World Swap, and the Teddy Bear Parade Swap.  I will be sharing photos of all these swaps throughout this week, so please come back often to admire all the creations my Circle sisters have made.  They are AMAZING!!!

Here is a sneak peek of the Children Around the World Swap I hosted:

Be sure to come back to see all 25 creations!

Falling for Halloween Blog Hop Winner

Sorry gang, but me and the kiddos have been under the weather and I haven't done any posting.  I did want to jump in and announce my Falling for Halloween blog Hop Winner:

Congratulations Francine!  You are the winner of the Cricut Lite cartridge Dude!  Thank you again everyone for hopping along with us. 

Falling for Halloween Blog Hop

Welcome to the Falling for Halloween Blog Hop. Thanks for joining us to enjoy all the wonderful crafty inspiration for the fall and Halloween season.

You should have arrived here from Beth's blog. If you missed the beginning of the hop, please go to Maria's blog to start so you don't miss any of the fantastic fall projects we have to share with you.

For my project, I made a trio of cards:

Materials Used:

• Cricut cartridge Elegant Edges
• Imagine cartridge The Good Old Days
• Reminisce Hallowe'en Greetings paper
• Misc patterned cardstock
• Black cardstock
• Black seam binding
• Webster's Pages red ribbon
• Misc hat pins
• American Crafts white twine
• Misc antique buttons
• Martha Stewart course glitter
• Black stitching
• October Afternoon Witch Hazel Miscellany wording

The hat pins I used were traded during the last swap I was in.  All the hat pins used on these cards were made by the talented Caffinee.

I added stitching for added interest and texture.

The phrase "Beware!" is from October Afternoon's Witch Hazel Miscellany kit.

The glitter used is Martha Stewart's course glitter.



The witch on this card is printed from the Imagine cartridge The Good Old Days.

This is the sheet of paper that inspired my creations:

The sheet is by reminisce and is called Hallowe'en Greetings.  I can still make quite a few more cards just from this one sheet of paper! 

Here is my Cricut Craft Room File for easy recreation:  https://www.box.com/s/tlttd8dwmszp6qufw1tv

Thank you so much for joing us today!  As a thank you for visiting my blog today, I am giving away the Cricut Lite Cartridge Dude!:

All you have to do to win is leave a comment on this post.  I will be picking a winner, using Random.org, next Tuesday, October 9, 2012 and post to my blog.  The lucky winner will have until Friday, October 12 to contact me with their mailing information. 

The next blog you will be visiting belongs to the very talented and fun Debbie.  Happy Crafting!!!

And here is the entire Blog Hop list in case you get lost:

Maria stampcutcreate.blogspot.com
Michele scrap-n-dance.blogspot.com

Paulette http://scrapalette.blogspot.com/

Cindy http://www.inlovewithpaper.blogspot.com/

Beth  http://seaswancreations.blogspot.com/

Renee icameisawicreated.blogspot.com  You are HERE

Debbie @ www.debseclecticthoughts.blogspot.com  Go here NEXT

Khrista @ http://creativeandcraftyteacher.blogspot.com/

Angela @ Angie's Paper Passion

Nadia @ http://www.withglitteringeyes.com/

Donna @ http://CarolinasCreativeCropper.blogspot.com/

Diane @ http://dianesdribble.blogspot.com/

Sara @ sarawandrews.com

Michele @ www.michelegreen.com

Shhh... Mums the Word: A Texas Tradition Part II

It's that time again...MUM time:

"Homecoming mums are a Texas tradition that began in the 1920s. Fresh Chrysanthemum Flowers were originally used with a few ribbons and were given to boyfriends and girlfriends. In the 1960s, homecoming mums began being made from silk flowers with additional items added to signify what activities the students were involved in. The Homecoming mums have become a huge tradition in Texas and many girls keep the Homecoming mums to adorn the walls of their room to remember the year."
This year, I got to make the male version.  The males wear a smaller version of the mums on their arms.  Here is what I came up with:

Seniors wear white mums, but my daughter wanted me to add some colored accent pieces.

Go Lonestar!

A closer view of all the braids.

A closer view of the trinkets.

And here is a link to last year's post:

Shhh... Mums the Word: A Texas Tradition

There is a link to tutorials on how to make the different braids.  The military weave is my favorite.  Enjoy!

Good Luck Lonestar!!!