Simple Thank You Cards and More Awards?

So sorry for the delay in posting!  My husband and I decided to take a spontaneous trip :)  He asked where I wanted to go and (being the animal lover I am) I said the zoo.  So instead of going to our local zoo, we ventured to the one in Columbus, OH.  With only one week left until school starts again, it was fun to get away! Now I bring to you some simple thank you cards I made.  You won't see a whole lot of sparkle here because these weren't cards for my own collection. I made them for someone else to use and let's face it not everyone loves sparkle as much as I do :)  

Materials for this card:

Card Base - 4.25" x 5.5"

Smaller Paper Strip - 1"

Larger Paper Strip - 1.25"

Blue Ribbon

3 Gems from The Paper Studio

Spots and Dots Embossing Folder

"Heartfelt Thanks" from Inkadoo Thank You Words

Chocolate brown Ink

All of the paper is from The Paper Studio

The Cut:

Bird - Create-a-Critter - 3.75"

I am honored to once again receive some amazing awards!  I am so thankful to have so many wonderful blog friends and I appreciate each and everyone of you :)  

 

I want to sincerely thank:

Lisa at A Mermaid's Crafts for: Thing of Beauty Award, Best Friend Blogger Award, Cricut-tastic Award, Stinkin' Cute Award & Stylish Blogger Award, Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award.

Karen at Kaleidoscope Sparkles for: Thing of Beauty Award, Best Friend Blogger Award, Cricut-tastic Award, Stinkin' Cute Award, Stylish Blogger Award (I posted some of these last time, but still haven't had the time to update them).  

Please visit both of these wonderful ladies.  They are both incredibly sweet and make beautiful projects.  I promise you won't be disappointed!  I will update this post with the rules for these amazing awards and the blogs I am passing them on to in a few days.  I'm still working on a baby card too.  So be sure to check back!  *~*Thanks for stopping by*~*

I'm linking this up to:

A winner and more awards!

Thank you so much to all of those who participated in Christmas in July the hop! It was so much fun and I can't wait to get started on the rest of my Christmas cards.  I'm so excited to have so many new followers as well as those wonderful blog friends who follow me daily! I received 51 sparkly comments (but some of them were duplicated commenters). Lucky for me random.org does the choosing :)

and the winner is...

Shirley from Look at My Cute Stuff said, "Thanks for saying my blog 

has cute stuff!! lol Your card is really cute, I love the sparkle!! 

I am having so much fun with this blog hop!!"

Shirley - you've got mail! Please contact me back with your info and I will get your goodies in the mail.  If I don't hear from you within one week I will sadly have to chose someone else :( Also, if you haven't been to visit Shirley be sure to drop by her blog and leave her some love.  She really does make cute stuff and you wont be disappointed!

I also have been honored with some more amazing awards.  One of my sweetest blog friends Karen at Kaleidoscope Sparkles, has kindly given me the following three awards:

Thank you so much Karen!  Please also visit Karen and see all of her sparkly creations :) I'll update this post in a few days with the rules and bloggers I am passing them on to.  I'm  also working on some thank you cards and an adorable baby card that I will be posting soon.  So be sure to check back!  *~*Thanks for stopping by*~*

Christmas in July Blog Hop

Welcome to the Christmas in July Blog Hop - where we are celebrating Christmas a little bit early . You should have come here from Shirley at Look at My Cute Stuff  (she really does have cute stuff don't you think?). If you were just visiting my blog today, make sure that you go back to the beginning at Expressions by Elaine.  You don't want to miss any of the amazing projects or blog candy!  

I love Chirstmas so this project was so much fun for me (plus it really helped me keep my mind off the super hot weather here) :) I also used this card as a fair project in our local county fair.  This was my first time entering projects and this one won champion!  My other projects both got blue star ribbons (first place with consideration for champion).  Anyway back to my project...

For this card I cut a dark green piece of cardstock to 8.5" x 5.5" and scored it at 4.25". The pattern paper (from DCWV - The Christmas Combo Stack) is 4" x 5.25" with a red piece of cardstock cut at 2.5" ( I think) x 4" glued to the bottom half.  The ribbon is from my scraps.  I used Hero Arts - Joy to All stamps and silver heat embossing powder to create the sentiment. I added googly eyes and a pink pom pom for his nose for a more realistic look. I embosses his beard with my D'vine Swirls Cuttlebug folder. Then I finished him off with a bit of sparkle (ok maybe more than a bit) to this mustache, beard and hat.

The Cut:

* Santa - Doodlecharms - 3"

Thank you so much for hopping with us today.  Next up is Georgianna from Carson’s Creations.  She is one of my favorites and I'm sure she has something spectacular for you.  Before you go don't forget to check out my blog candy at the bottom of this post :) Also, make sure you go back to Elaine when you have hopped to and followed all of the blogs to enter into her fabulous Grand Prize!

Lost?  Don't worry - Here's the whole line up: 

* Elaine - Expressions by Elaine

* Jessica - Jessica’s Craft Shaque

* Sylvia - Bella’s Scrapbook Design

* Lisa - A Mermaid’s Crafts

* Amber - Pixichick Creations

* Rochelle - Two Tears in my Bucket

* Jen - Jens’s Craft Corner

* Cely - Hawaii Paper Party

* Chris - Get Inspired with Chatterscene

* Kimberli - Kimberli’s Creations

* Pat - Pat’s Scraps

* Shirley - Look at My Cute Stuff

* Tiffany - Sparkled Memories  (You Are Here!)

* Georgiana - Carson’s Creations (Next Stop!)

* Candace -  Scrappin’ 2 Little Princesses

What's a blog hop with out some magnificent blog candy?  I'm offering this blog candy to one lucky commenter.  As usual, I tried to match our theme and find some wonderful holiday things. I couldn't forget to add some sparkle too! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post.  You don't have to be a follower, but of course I would love it if you were :)  Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you, in case you win! I will use random.org to choose a winner on Monday, July 25th.  *~* Thanks for stopping by*~*

I'm linking this project up to:

 Paper Cutz Challenges

 

Fabulous Birthday Cards!

When I first got my Forever Young cartridge I knew I had to use the sunglasses, but I didn't have anyone/anything to use them for.  Lucky for me two of my most fabulous friends have birthdays this time of year and the cut was perfect for them.  So after I glittered my entire house green I came up with these:

 

Here's what I did: The card base was cut at 5.5" x 8.5" and scored at 4.25".  The purple mat is 4" x 5.25" and the patterned paper is 3.75" x 5".  I used my gypsy to figure out the size for the glasses and words (from the cartridge I won from Sherrie Scraps with Passion).  I also hid the bow cut that came with the saying and added the dots with a white gel pen. Of course I had to add some sparkle and I decided on lime green glitter from Oriental Trading.  I also added Glossy Accents to the lens to make them look real.  Here is a tip I have learned about glittering and glossy accents:  Glue your pieces together. Use the glossy accents first and allow it plenty of time to dry. Then add your glitter.  This way you don't end up with glitter in your glossy accents (which is what happen when I did it the other way around on my High Heels Thank You Card)! The purple ribbon is from Hobby Lobby. On the inside I cut I piece of pattern paper ( I think 1.75") and same pink cardstock (2" I think) to make the gift card holder. I glued them together. Then added adhesive to the bottom and sides to make a pocket that the gift card could slide inside.  All of my papers and the the "Happy Birthday" are from The Paper Studio.

My Cricut Cuts:

* Sunglasses - Forever Young - 1.25"

* "It's Your Birthday" - Birthday Bash - 2.50"

I think they turned out super cute, but of course I'd love to hear what you think!  Be sure to come back on Friday for the Christmas in July blog hop hosted by Elaine at Expressions by Elaine. There will be some amazing inspiration and not to mention spectacular blog candy!  *~*Thanks for stopping by*~*

I'm Linking This Up At:

Sweet Thank You's & Congrats Cards

For the last several years I have joined my home ec. group in hosting the pie contest at our local county fair.  It is always to amazing to see all of the wonderful pies that are submitted.  This year I made these sweet cards (6 altogether) to thank the judges of the pie contest and also to congratulate the winners.  I took the pictures at the last minute - sorry they aren't spectacular.  The first picture really captures the card well, but it also blends into the background so much :(

 This is an A2 sized shape card (welded at the top) and the inside is pink.  The pie itself is from simply charmed, but I modified it with my Gypsy.  The original cut comes with a face on it - I hid it.  Then I felt like it was missing something - so I found some raindrops on Create-a-Critter and added them the the shell.   I put a ribbon under the shell at the top of the pan.  The pattern paper is from the dollar spot at Target! Our group has aprons that are pink with black writing - that was the inspiration for the colors.  All of the cardstock is from the paper studio (including the textured for the shell).  The stamps are both from the Hero Arts - Everyday Sayings.  Of course I couldn't forget the sparkle - the glitter is also from the dollar spot at Target.

The Cut:

* Pie (welded) - Simply Charmed - Cut at 4"

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.  I'll be back in a couple of days with a fabulous birthday card for a fabulous friend!  Also, don't forget about the Christmas in July hop July 22nd-24th.  There will some amazing projects and not to mention blog candy!  *~*Thanks for stopping by*~*

I'm linking this card to:

Another Amazing Award!

Happy Friday :) I have so honored to have so many wonderful blog friends and followers!  I have been award with another amazing award! I have received this award from Amy at Readheaded Crafter and Laura at Laura's Crafts & More. If you haven't visited these wonderful ladies you definitely should - they make super cute projects!

I have chosen 11 of my favorite blogs to visit (it was such a hard decision) and hope that you will stop by and see their fabulous blogs too :)

Courtney - Krafty Keekerz

Jen - Jen's Happy Place

Jillian - JillianBean Crafts

Jessica - Chick-n-Scrap

Stacy - Stacy's Creative Corner

Tami - Tami's Craft Connection

Georgianna - Carson's Creations

Christine - Scrapbooking Technique

Karen- Kaleidoscopic Sparkles

Sherrie - Sherrie Scraps with Passion
Lisa - A Mermaid's Crafts

I will be back in a few days with some super yummy thank you cards and don't forget about the Christmas in July hop July 22-24.  There will be some spectacular projects and some blog candy.  Be sure to check back! *~*Thanks for stopping by*~*

Fair Project - Thank you card - Plus a tip or two :)

I hope that everyone had a safe and happy holiday.  It is almost fair week around here. When I was little we lived on the East Coast - there weren't any fairs there.  Then when I was almost 11 we moved to the Midwest and while we went to the fair I was still adjusting to the change in atmosphere (not to mention lifestyle) and never even considered entering anything.  For the last several years I have helped to host the pie contest with my Home Ec. group at the fair and was able to really experience all of the different kinds of projects that could be entered.  This is the first year I have really investigated it all and lucky for me there are a few different categories I can enter into! The categories I'm entering in are Rubber Stamping - Pop-up cards (an easel card almost identical to this one with love stamped instead of cut), Christmas (you will see it on July 22nd for the Christmas in July blog hop), and Rubber Stamping - Stationary/Cards (that's this one). 

 For this card I used the gate fold (my first time).  I didn't follow a tutorial, I just made my own dimensions (see them below) knowing I wanted it to fit in a 5.5" x 5.5" envelope.  It compliments the card I made for my grandmother's birthday (seen here).  I used the same butterfly cut with the vellum layer on top.  This butterfly is found on my Potpourri Basket cartridge, but was originally found on Home Accents.  For both cards I only used the shadow feature.  After I cut it I made a few modifications by hand as well.  I cut off the antennae and changed the side with all of the bumps on it to make it more smooth (see the original here).  The designer paper is from the dollar spot at Target (I really wish I had gotten more than 1 pack!) and the cardstock is all by The Paper Studio.  The "Thank You" is from TPC Studio - Greetings. I stamped it in purple and traced with a glitter gel pen to give it some sparkle.  The purple gems are also by The Paper Studio.  The ribbon is just from Hobby Lobby.  I used my fabulous Cuttlebug with my swiss dots folder to emboss the paper the butterfly sits on.

Directions for this card:
* Cut a base at 5.25" x 10.5"
* Score it at 2 5/8" & 7 7/8"
* Bottom Rectangle Mat (white) x2 -5 1/8" x 2.5"
* Middle Rectangle Mat (dark purple) x2 - 5" x 2 3/8"
* Top Rectangle Mat (polka dots) x2 - 4.75" x 2 1/8"
* Bottom Square Mat (light purple) - 2 7/8" x 2 x 7/8"
* Top Square Mat (white) - 2 5/8" x 2 5/8"
* Butterfly from Potpourri Basket cut at 2.35" (I used my gypsy)

Now on to a tip or two.  Usually I'm asking for tips not handing them out, but I came across a few that were very helpful to me and wanted to pass them on.  First... to all of my gypsy friends.  Don't you just hate trying to look at your gypsy screen while it is laying flat on a table plugged into your Cricut? It is super hard for me to sit down, hold my gypsy, press the buttons and load the paper at the same time, plus the glare makes it nearly impossible.  I found this easel at Hobby Lobby for the low price of $3 (you could even get it cheaper with a 40% off coupon this week, I just couldn't wait!).  I found them in three different sizes (I found the medium sized one that is linked to be the best) and 3 colors (black, silver, and gold).  They are all along the decorative middle aisles holding plates and signs (I'll admit I removed a plate to get mine :) ).  It has been amazing!  I can set my gypsy on it and see the screen perfectly. My other tip is for the 2 way Zig glue pen.  I use the chisel tip pen to glue any small pieces and add glitter.  I leave them open all of the time, when I run to put dishes in or switch over laundry and come back hours later to find it dried and hard.  I tried taking out the tip and switching it to the other end, but it made a horrible mess. So for the longest time I just gave in and purchased news ones.   Then I decided there had to be another way.  After some thinking, I tried putting just the tip in a mug of hot water to see what would happen (I figured it couldn't get any worse!).  I left it there for 10-15 minutes and game back to find that some of the glue had dissolved.  So I removed the tip, dumped out the water and repeated the process.  After 3 or 4 times (keep in mind it was quite dried up) the glue was gone and the tip was soft again!  Luckily I hadn't throw away the previously dried out pen and I cleaned that one too :) Hopefully these will help someone else out too!

So sorry to have written you guys a book this time, but I was so excited about the tips I had discovered and wanted to share them with all of you! I'll be back with another project in a couple of days.  Also, don't forget the Christmas in July Blog Hop is on July 22-24!  There are some amazing blogs in the line up and not to mention wonderful blog candy.  Be sure to check back :) *~*Thanks for stopping by*~*

I'm linking this up to: