Cricut Felt Flowers

I found this great tutorial to make felt dahlia pins a couple of years ago and have been wanting to make them for awhile. But I'm a lazy papercrafter and look for ways to simplify projects. Wouldn't it be easier if I could cut the flowers with my Cricut? Can a Cricut even cut felt? After researching the Internet and getting the right supplies (Heat and Bond and the Cricut Deep Cut Blade and Housing) it was so easy to make these felt flowers shown above. They layer flowers are embellishments for a gift box and the rolled flowers are pins. They were all cut with the Art Philosophy cartridge.

These are the gifts I handed out at Leadershare this weekend. Jolene, Stephanie and I usually exchange gifts at Convention each year. Since Stephanie isn't able to attend we decided to exchange gifts at Leadershare. The My Creations Recipe/Photo Box is decorated with the National Scrapbooking Month Special Dotty for You Paper Packet. Beautiful packaging for Bath and Body Works items. The bags of Hershey kisses with a felt pin were for fellow consultants and roommates.

Another Birthday, Another Cupcake

Last month I made a paper cupcake for my nephew Zack's birthday. My other nephew Ben turned 22 last week. So, I made him this paper cupcake and placed some cash inside. I used the new paper pack called Dotty For You and a chipboard cherry sticker from Basic Gray. The cupcake design is from SVG Cuts. 

  

The Dotty for You paper packet, created specifically for National Scrapbooking Month in May, includes 24 specially designed, coordinating B&T Duos® sheets (2 each of 12 patterns) and an artwork idea insert.

There are three ways to get this exclusive Dotty for You paper packet, valued at $19.95:

• Place an order of $35 or more in products from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book between April 17 and May 31, and add the Dotty for You paper packet for just $5*.
• Host a Gathering with a sales total of $400 or more (excluding tax, shipping/handling, and Operation Smile^® donations) between April 17 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.
• Join Close To My Heart as a new Consultant between April 1 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.

*Taxes and shipping/handling may apply. Offer good during above-specified dates, while supplies last.

Turning 40 Layout

This is the final layout I completed last week using Studio J. I can't wait to receive that actual layouts this weekend at Leadershare. In June I am turning 40 years old. Yikes! A couple of weeks ago I had my friend who is starting a side business in photography take updated photos so I could do this layout. The digital paper kit is Pemberley, but you might have trouble recognizing it because I changed the color palette. I love that feature on Studio J! The technique was all about placing the roses. See how the one rose is on both pages. Cool, isn't it? 

Bingo Layout

Here is the fourth layout I did in Studio J. It uses the digital paper and canvas shapes of the Stella Collection. The layout feature photos taken at a fundraiser for the school I teach at. It was an event that I put months of planning into. It is definitely scrap-worthy! Since I hadn't scrapped with Studio J in months, I was surprised to see some of the features you could do. Since I don't own a sewing machine this is the easiest way for me to add stitching to a layout. It was fun using stitching around the photos and placing stitched flowers with other elements. This week's challenge at the Heart 2 Heart Close To My Heart Challenge Blog is all about stitching.

Graduation Layout

Here is another Studio J layout. It features my niece Shayla.This time I used the digital kit of the Cruisin' Paper Packet. When I look at the catalog I think vacation / travel photos for this paper. However, I think it totally works for graduation too. With this layout I got to work with the stickease images creating the alphabet border, resizing them, and then layering them in groups.

Wrestle Mania Layout

Here is another Studio J Layout I recently completed. The star of this layout is my 14 year old nephew Zack. He's been wrestling for several years. This year his team at Boyertown Junior High East had an excellent season and individually he did very well. The layout features the digital mix of the Superhero paper packet. With this layout I learned the technique of making the argyle pattern paper with stitching. 

My Fascination with Lighthouses Layout

Next weekend I am going to a Close To My Heart event in northern New Jersey. One of the perks of going was getting a Studio J 5-Pack (retail value $55) and directions for completing 5 two-page layouts. YAY! This is the first layout I created using the Florentine digital kit. Florentine is a new paper from the Spring / Summer Idea Book. One of the techniques I learned was to use the same photo in multiple photo wells enlarged to look like a photo pieced together. I think the Cape May Lighthouse looks awesome on the bottom right pieced together.

Springtime Wreath

Edited to add: I just discovered that the challenge at Heart2Heart Challenges is Easter / Spring Theme. So I'm going to enter. If you made it to this post through that link, Welcome!

In the fall I made this wreath. At the time I purchased two foam circles at the store. I used the second one to create this wreath. I started with the Paradise Paper Flowers. I cut additional flowers using the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. The centers of the flowers are a mix of embellishments: Shimmer Brads, Rhinestone Brads, Sparkles Red, Pink, & Purple Assortment, Sparkles Blue & Green Assortment. Check the monthly specials tab to see the special offer I'm having on embellishments this month!

It is a springtime wreath so added some adhesive springs with butterflies from the Color-Ready Garden Shapes with Opaques Licorice Adhesive Gems! 

Finally I've been inspired by consultants that have used shapes cut from the Cricut cartridge to make Easter bunnies. Here is my version. He'll sit in the middle of the wreath greeting all our Easter visitors.

Do you smell carrots?

I love these paper carrots! I made three of these for "gift boxes". They will be going to my niece and nephews on Easter with some cash inside. The carrot is part of the Hippity Hoppoty SVG Kit from svgcuts. If you have an electronic cutting machine and software that cuts svg files I recommend this site. The cupcake I made last month is from the same web site but different SVG Kit.

My blog post title comes from a stamp set I saw on the Cat's Pajamas web site. Their designs are so whimsical. These are the two I'm debating on buying.

I won't have them in time for this year, but wouldn't they make an excellent tag to the carrot boxes? Maybe next year. If you are not familiar with Cat's Pajamas check out their Projects of the Month. For these projects you don't need any special cutters or software just a printer!

I love the My Creations items from Close To My Heart. They come in handy when you want to make a gift for someone. That's what happened last week when I wanted to thank someone. I reached for the My Creations Journal and Stella My Reflections Collection. The Creations Journal is now a retired item but is available for $5.00 on my website along with other discounted goodies. Check them out they're while supplies last.

Embellish Yourself!

April is my anniversary month. I've been a Close To My Heart consultant for five years! To celebrate I'm offering a BOGO free special on the embellishment items on pages 124 - 128 in the Spring / Summer Idea Book and Catalog. Buy one item on these pages and get a second item on these pages of equal or lesser value free through the month of April 2012. This is a special that I am offering and is not valid through Close To My Heart or another Close To My Heart consultant.