Cricut Craft Room, Cricut Expression 2 and Happy Valentine’s Day

I am so excited about the new Cricut Craft Room software that was revealed at CHA. The software is currently being beta tested and looks amazing. As I understand, it will be free on-line software that will be similar to Design Studio, but with more functionality. It is also designed to work with the Cricut as well as the Imagine.

Click here for a Facebook link to the Cricut CraftRoom - Official Video and here for a Facebook link to the new Cricut Expression 2 Anniversary Edition . These products are amazing and I can’t wait to use the Cricut Craft Room.



One of my New Year’s resolutions is to make more stamp cards, so I pulled a stamp from my stash to make this cute card. I do not think the stamp is still available since it was from an older House Mouse Design collection, but you might find one on Ebay.

Thanks for visiting and stay tuned for a fun new video.

Tags, Bags, Boxes and More Meets Audrey!

Today I want to share with you my design project for Creative Critterz Imaginations blog.

Tags, Bags, Boxes and More (TBBM) is one of my all-time favorite Cricut cartridges and Audrey is my favorite Imagine paper cartridge, so I just had to use them together.

I made this cute Valentine purse for my friend who loves pink and black. Did I mention she also loves chocolate?

I used the TBBM cartridge to make the purse and sized it using the fit- to-page function on the Imagine. The purse is flood filled with paper from the Audrey cartridge. I then added acetate behind the window, ribbon and rhinestones.

My favorite part, next to using my Imagine and eating some of the chocolate was making the rosette. If you missed my video last Wednesday on how to make rosettes, click here.

Recipe:
Audrey Imagine cartridge
TBBM Cricut cartridge
Acetate to cover window
Kaiser Rhinestones
Ribbon, buttons, and sticker from my stash
Homemade rosette (see video above)

Thanks for visiting and have a great week.

Terrifically Talented Thursday!

Welcome to Terrifically Talented Thursday.

For those of you that are new to this blog, every Thursday, I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy. Here are my weekly picks.



If you are looking for innovative card sketches, be sure to visit Pickled Paper Designs. Amy’s gorgeous card is one of many beautiful designs showcased on her blog.

I love Prima Flowers and their new line is amazing! Check out this post from The Scrap Review to get a sneak preview. CHA should be exciting this year.

This video from Fabulously Artsy shows you how to create a cupcake gift card holder from paper crafting materials. It is truly one of a kind project that you will want to make.

If you are looking for scrapbooking inspiration, you must visit My Scrapbook. Lady Grace Belarmino was just chosen as a new designer for Cosmo Cricket and her blog is filled with beautiful scrapbook ideas.

I watched Anna Griffin on HSN last week and loved her new paper designs. For those of you who missed her on HSN she has posted a number of her cards on her blog. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you are having a terrific Thursday. Stop in tomorrow for a fun new project.

Linda

How to Make and Decorate Paper Rosettes

There are a number of videos on YouTube on how to make paper rosettes, but my technique is a little different so I want to share it with all of you. In this video, I also give you ideas on how to decorate your finished rosettes. They are so fun and easy to make!

Cameos are the newest trend and I just had to use one to decorate my rosette. Hope you enjoy the video!

Stay tuned for another fun project.

Happy Monday! And the Winner Is....

I am so overwhelmed by the number of wonderful comments that I received over the last week. Each and every comment is so special to me and I want to thank you all for your kind words and support. I truly have the best followers and subscribers on the planet!

Now for a drum roll…….

The winner of the giveaway is:

Teresa Ciarleglio who said...
How exciting. Thank you for all of the great projects and videos you have shared. Excited for the chance to win.

Teresa, congratulations and I will be sending you an email to get your mailing address.

Thanks again everyone for your support and stay tuned for a fun new video and project.

Thank You Celebration and Giveaway! (Closed)

Thank you all for following and subscribing to my blog and YouTube channel. I am so grateful and appreciative of your support. I made my first YouTube video last March and now, thanks to all of you, this blog has over 1,750 subscribers and followers and over 115,000 hits! I am so thankful and blessed.

To celebrate, I thought I would do one large giveaway to be announced Monday January 24, 2011. A special thanks to SVG Cuts for sponsoring a gift card and to The Memory Trail (come visit their brand new store in Helena, MT) for sponsoring a number of terrific items that you will see in the video!

Please watch the video to see all the items for the giveaway, including a Cricut cartridge and more.



To enter you need to be a subscriber/follower of my blog or a subscriber of my YouTube channel. You can sign up over on the left side of this blog if you are not there already. Also be sure to leave a comment on this post or any of the posts this week. Please only comment once per post, but for more chances to win, be sure to comment on every post! The winner will be announced on Monday January 24, 2011.

Thanks again for being the best supporters ever!

Linda

Missing You!

Today I want to share with you my design project for Creative Critterz Imaginations blog.

I love the Best Friends Imagine cartridge and could not wait to share this easy card with all of you!



The background card measures 5 x 5 inches and is cut using digital paper that was flood filled with bright yellow paper from Best Friends (page 46) Next, I used the shape library to cut a 4.6 rounded square that was flood filled with paper from Best Friends (page 37)

I cut the image on page 23 at 4 inches. I did not cut all the layers. I used the compressed image and pop dotted the laptop and cell phone images.

Next I made my own rub-on and I was done! Scroll down to see my video on how to make rub-ons, in case you would like to make your own. Super easy and they turn out perfect!

Recipe:
Best Friends Imagine cartridge
Homemade rub-ons…you just have to try making some!

Thanks for visiting and have a great week.

Terrifically Talented Thursday

Welcome to Terrifically Talented Thursday. This week has been so much fun thanks to all of you! I love hearing from you and be sure to leave a comment under every post for more chances to win the giveaway. For those of you that are new to this blog, every Thursday, I showcase five blogs, websites or posts that I think you will enjoy. Here are my weekly picks. If you came here via email link, be sure to go to my home page and enter my giveaway, which is scheduled for Monday, January 24.

I fell in love with this beautiful video by Samantha and just had to post it for you all to see. Her paper bag book is so adorable and I can’t wait to make one.



CHA is just around the corner and I discovered this fun blog. Donna is mega talented and has designed several new Spellbinder sets and is giving us a sneak preview. Scroll down to see some of her brand new designs and her amazing blog.

Zany Not Crazy is another blog I recently discovered. I love her mini album and think you will too! This week I found so many cute albums that I just had to share!

If you are looking for scrapbooking inspiration, you must visit Vintage Tearoom. Natasha Verbeek, designs for Cosmo Cricket and is featuring her top 12 projects of 2010. Also check out her blog to see the newest Cosmo Cricket papers!

I am a huge fan of Core’dinations ColorCore Cardstock and know a lot of you are too! For those of you that are not familiar with their wonderful papers, be sure to check out their tutorials. Click on their gallery to see tons of great layouts and card ideas. If you go to their home page, you can also check out the new BasicGrey Core Impressions paper. Wow!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you are having a terrific Thursday. Stop in tomorrow for a fun new card and on Monday to see who won the giveaway!
Linda

How to Make Quick and Easy Rub-ons

There are a number of videos on YouTube on how to make rub-ons, but my technique is a little different, so I just had to share. In the past, when I tried to make rub-ons using transparency sheets, my results were less than desirable. A couple of weeks ago, I made a video on how to make printed transparencies using the Imagine. It worked so well that I decided to use the ink jet transparencies to make rub-ons and it worked great!

Hope you enjoy the video and please leave a comment to enter the giveaway.



Thanks for visiting!

Love is in the Air

Today I want to share with you my design project for Creative Critterz Imaginations blog.

I so love Valentine’s Day and continue to be inspired by BasicGrey , one of my favorite paper companies. The Imagine makes it so easy to match papers and make adorable cards. This card could be used for any special occasion and could be made using one of the many Cricut bird cuts. Thanks for looking and be sure to stop back on Monday for a fun celebration! Hint… it involves all of you!!



The background card measures 5 ¼ x 7 ¼ inches and is cut using BasicGrey paper from my stash. Next, I used the George cartridge to make a piece of digital paper that was flood filled with paper from Lori’s Garden (page43). I trimmed the layer to 5 x7 inches. I then cut a 2 ½ x 5 inch rectangle that was flood filled with paper located on page 39 and punched. The inside strip of paper measures 1 ¼ x 5 inches and is on page 43.

Next, I cut a circle from the image on page 20. I only used the third layer and cut it at 3.5 inches. The orange circle is from the George cartridge and cut at 2.3 and flood filled with paper from page 40. The final green scalloped circle (stock Imagine image) is filled with paper located on page 39 and measures 2 inches.

The bird is cut at 2.3 inches and is on page 6. Finally I added chip board and rhinestones from my stash and was done. I also used tons of pop dots for added dimension.

Recipe:
George Cricut Cartridge
Lori’s Garden Imagine cartridge
BasicGrey card stock for the card
Kaiser Rhinestones
Assorted stickers, dimensional s and chip board from my stash
Fiskars scalloped punch

Thanks for visiting!

Terrifically Talented Thursday!

Welcome to Terrifically Talented Thursday! Since we are getting close to the Winter CHA show, I thought I would share some of my favorite CHA sites. Here are my weekly picks.

I am a huge fan of Stampendous stamps and saw this cute card on the Gingerbread Gallery blog and had to share. I love the stamp and the sentiment is perfect. Rachael designed this card as part of the first ever Stampendous blog hop.



I am so excited to announce that Stampendous has their Valentine and Easter catalog available on their website. For a free pdf catalog and free templates for the cutest spring projects ever, please click here. I so want to make the Froggy pail and you will too!

If you are looking for some great on-line classes, check out BasicGrey TV. There are over thirty free classes including digital scrapbooking and scrapbook inspiration classes. These are a must see!

Now on to CHA. One of my favorite sites to see new CHA products is The Scrap Review. Check out this blog for the latest new products that will be showcased at CHA. Keep scrolling as there are lots of new products!

As you know, Tim Holtz is one of my favorite designers ever and wait until you see his new products that will be at CHA. Click here and remember to keep scrolling as there are tons of new products!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a terrific Thursday. Stop in tomorrow for a fun new card and on Monday for a fun surprise! Hint… it involves all of you!

Linda

Design Box Fun

One of my crafting resolutions for 2011 is to become more organized, so I decided to create what I am calling a design box. I use Design Studio and my Gypsy to do most of my designing, but there are times, when I need to see how other die cuts or punches work with my Cricut designs. I also want to be able to lay out different Cricut design elements on different card shapes and sizes before making final cuts.

Last August, thanks to Okie, I made file folders and a container that I used to store my Cuttlebug folders. I took the folders Okie designed and made them larger to use to store my design cuts.

To see how to make and use a design box, please check out my video. I also included my original post in case you want to make file folders and a container to store your Cuttlebug folders.



Here is my original post from August on how to make a storage container for your Cuttlebug folders

Cuttlebug Fun

I decided it was time to organize my Cuttlebug folders, so I searched for a way to use my Cricut to make file folders. Needless to say, I was excited when I found that Okieladybug’s Scrap N’More had created Cuttlebug folders using the George cartridge and posted them on her blog for everyone to use. She also created a version using Plantin. Thanks Okie for designing and sharing these files. Please check out her blog while you are there….it is amazing!

Next, I decorated a white tin container using left over buttons. For this project, I used the Cosmo Cricket Material Girl paper stack and tons of buttons. Here are a few pictures of the final project.







I love my Cuttlebug and use it frequently. However, when I used it on thinner papers it would always crack the paper. For a quick and easy way to prevent your paper from cracking please check out the video below.



Whew! This is my longest post ever! Hope you enjoyed the videos.

With Love

I am getting tons of inspiration from last year’s Valentine's kit from BasicGrey and just had to make my version of their card. I have not used my Walk in My Garden cartridge forever, so I had to dust it off to make this card. You could use this card for any special occasion, but of course, I am making it for Valentine’s Day!



This card measures 3 ½ inches x 9 inches and all cuts are from Walk in My Garden. The hills at the bottom are cut manually. This card is super easy and fun! I so need to make more tall cards.

Thanks for visiting and stay tuned for a fun new video… Guess what? It is not related to Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day!

Today I want to share with you my design project for Creative Critterz Imaginations blog.

My second favorite craft holiday is Valentine’s Day. Speaking of favorites, BasicGrey is one of my all time favorite paper companies. Last year, I purchased a BasicGrey Valentine’s card kit and it inspired me to make this quick and easy card using the Imagine.



The background card measures 5 x 5 inches and is cut using BasicGrey paper from my stash. You could easily use the Imagine to create matching paper. Next, I used the George cartridge to cut a 4.7 inch square and flood filled with paper from Lori’s Garden (page43). Did I mention how much I love this cart? I then cut a 3.3 inch circle and flood filled with paper located on page 40.
Next, I cut a 3.5 inch circle and flood filled with a matching color from page 46.

I cut two skinny hearts one at 2.5 and one at 2.8 inches from the George cartridge and flood filled using the paper on page 43 and a matching color on page 46. I manually trimmed the hearts to fit.

Finally I added stickers, chip board and two rhinestones from my stash and was done. You could also make the hearts using the George or another cartridge. I love how bright this card looks and how easy it was to make.

Recipe:
George Cricut Cartridge
Lori’s Garden Imagine cartridge
BasicGrey card stock for the card
Kaiser Rhinestones
Assorted stickers and chip board from my stash

Thanks for looking and have a great weekend.

Terrifically Talented Thursdays

Welcome to Terrifically Talented Thursday! Here are my weekly picks.

I am a huge fan of Graphic 45 paper and just discovered their amazing blog. This project is titled A House of Enchantment: Fairy House and is by Jenny Svensson, one of their amazingly talented design members. I am so impressed with this fairy house and just had to share. She is super talented and I so admire her attention to detail!





Made by Momo is one of my favorite blogs and I love this cute box and tag that Mari designed. I am thinking of making this for my niece. Hint… it involves a cat image and is mega adorable!

This next blog is so off topic, but timely. One of my resolutions for 2011 is to eat healthier and the Whole Living website appealed to me, so I just had to share with you all. I saw this on an episode of Martha Stewart. For those of you keeping track, this is only one of my many resolutions for 2011. So far so good.

I found this clever idea using Fimo clay to make cute valentines embellishment at Paper Zone.Com. I so wish we had a store close by. I have not used clay to make embellishments, but this sounds like fun!

Another one of my favorite paper companies is My Little Yellow Bicycle. Their gallery has tons of wonderful scrapbooking layouts and card ideas. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you are having a terrific Thursday! Stop in tomorrow for fun new card.

Linda

How to Make Envelopes Using the Martha Stewart Score Board and the Scor-Pal

I have been fighting with the flu since Christmas, and just when I thought I was well, I lost my voice. Needless to say, I did not make a video this week. I looked over my videos and decided to repost my most viewed video of 2010. Can you believe it? Making envelopes was my most popular video. Hope you enjoy this repeat and I will be back soon with a new video. Click here for the original post including measurements.



Linda

I Love Hero Arts!

I am a big Hero Arts fan and thought I would share a quick Valentine’s Day card that I made last year using their stamps. One of my crafting resolutions for 2011 is to make more stamped cards and I can’t wait to start. I love Hero Art’s new 2011 catalog and if you would like a free color pdf copy, please click here. Sooo many great stamps to choose from. I think it is their best catalog ever!



New! I added a YouTube button on the left panel under the email subscription box so you can go directly to my YouTube channel to view all my videos. Getting more organized is also one of my New Year’s resolutions!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you are having a Happy New Year!


Linda