Create-A-Critter Cricut Cartridge

This is the first card I made from the Create-A-Critter Cricut cartridge(CAC).  I actually do not own the cartridge, so when I borrow it, I maybe go a little crazy.  This was a card for a child with the gift being a gift card. Someone told me about a great video on YouTube with a gift card slot built into the card by yoliebean.  I wanted to try it and I had borrowed the CAC, so this is what I came up with.

My last post was about Operation Write Home.  They provide home made cards to deployed soldiers to send home to their family and friends.  My husband suggested that I make cards for soldiers to send home to their children, so of course, I thought of CAC.  I made fifteen cards, but I kept some for myself.

This is one of my two favorites.  I can't even tell you why.  Just love that owl, I guess.

This is my other favorite.  I know it is just the hedgehog on this one for me.

And here are some more that are just darn cute.

Mother's Day

I planned on my next blog being about Create-A-Critter, but Mother's Day is upon us.  I made a bunch of cards over the last couple of days.  I was using sketches from the Operation Write Home website.  It was helpful since I had quite a few cards to do in a short period of time. 

I used sketch #6 for several cards, two are shown.

  

 I like that this card looks a lot like a view out of a window.

I have concerns about mailing this card.  It is fairly thick and I just never know if the flowers will still look nice by the time it arrives.  However, I really like the soft colors.  I know it does not look like a Mother's Day card, but there is a Mother's Day sentiment printed inside. 

Then I used sketch #12 for two others.  I really liked the bow with the wide organdy ribbon, but I am never sure how it will arrive when mailed.  I always chicken out and do a simple ribbon with a knot like the second one.  I also wanted to experiment with the much smaller sentiment.

The last two were sketch #42 and #48.  I changed both of those sketches a bit, but stayed with the spirit, I think. 

I think this card is my favorite of all my Mother's Day cards.  It is clean, but feminine.

Operation Write Home

Well, it has been along time since I wrote a blog post, but I have been having a great time making cards. 

Thanks to Mary of Cardz TV, I now know about Operation Write Home.  This non-profit organization has sent hundreds of thousands of cards to deployed soldiers, so that they will have cards to send to their loved ones. 

 

They can be found at operationwritehome.org.  The website includes lots of great tips.  They have challenges on at least a weekly basis.  They also have sketches that have been used in previous blogs and challenges.

The four cards shown are just a little sample of the cards I have sent.  I expect that my next blog will showcase some of my other favorites that I sent that used the Create-A-Critter Cricut cartridge. 

The Lord Bless You and Keep You...

Well here is my latest card. 

Clear Dollar Stamps has a new challenge (Clearly Inspired Challenge #23).  The challenge is to use Soft Mint, Cottonball White and Porcelain Pink on one card. 

I love this argyle paper from Me & My Big Ideas; I am not sure that my colors are an exact match, but they seem pretty similar.  I had very similar cardstock and paper colors on hand for the sentiment and the mats. 

The verse Numbers 6:24-25 is very special in my family.  It is a blessing that my mom prayed over us each night when she tucked us into bed.  Then my brother and I also both had it as a blessing at the end of our weddings. 

I had prepared the card minus the butterflies and was looking for something to add to the card.  I just purchased an embossing heat tool yesterday and I was happy to give it a try.  I stamped the three butterflies on white cardstock and embossed them with clear embossing powder.  I think they really provide the finishing touch.

Challenging Cards

Well, here is my second attempt at the Clear Dollar Stamps challenge for February.  I could not get a very good picture of this card, my dad tried, too, but it is still a bit dark.  Any tips for taking pictures of cards would be greatly appreciated. 

With this card I used the digital image download offered with the challenge.  I hand colored the digital image of the flowers and leaves with ink.  I was not particularly happy with how my glitter turned out on this image.  I don't think that you can see in the picture that the center of the flowers and the veins of the leaves have glitter on them.  I have not used glitter on a card before; I expect that I will need to practice, practice, practice…  The yellow gingham for the background behind the flower and the base overlay on the card were also from the digital image download.  I lightened the color a shade or two to go better with the color scheme that I used on the central flowers.  For the sentiment, I used the “God is So Good” stamp from the “Pretty Little Scriptures” set. 

My previous attempt for this challenge, which is also posted below, was pretty fun. 

It was my first attempt at any card challenge.  I liked trying to use someone else’s vision, but keeping my style.  I had some trouble getting the colors just right.  I was also using clear stamps for the first time.  The flowers and stems are from the Clear Dollar Stamps “Petal Hugs” set.  I love that the stamps for the solid petals nest into the petal stamp with edge stitching.  The sentiment is from the Clear Dollar Stamps “For Our Lord” set.  I am still not thrilled with the color on the sentiment, but I made the stamped hearts in the bottom corner match which helped balance the colors.

An Introduction

Several months ago, I started making cards.  I primarily work with the Cricut Expression to create them.  I am just starting to use stamps, but because of the costs and storage constraints, I am trying not to go too fast. 

I had considered a blog before, but I do not know that I really have that much to say that would be of interest to others.  At this point I will just be posting some pictures of the cards I have made.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask about them.  Any suggestions would be appreciated, too.