Little Creation Corner

Qualifying Products - Cricut Contest 5th Anniversary

2011-09-05T10:26:00.000-04:00

CELEBRATE CRICUT & WIN!

Provo Craft is currently running a contest "CELEBRATE CIRCUT & WIN!" ... This is The Cricut 5th Anniversary Promotion. There are several Grand Prizes, including Cruises (7), 100 Cartridge Pack (3), and a Craftroom Make Over (3) ... or you could win one of a multitude of prizes instantly.

http://www.cricut5th.com/

The Promotion period is from 9/1/11 through 12/31/11.

How to Enter: Online Entry:

During the Promotion Period, go to http://www.cricut5th.com/, www.cricut5th.com/michaels, www.cricut5th.com/acmoore, www.cricut5th.com/hobbylobby, www.cricut5th.com/hsn, www.cricut5th.com/JoAnn or www.facebook.com/OfficialCricut (collectively, "Websites") and click on the link to locate the official entry form. For entry on Facebook, you will need to "like" Cricut and then accept the Cricut^®5th Anniversary Promotion application. To enter, you can use a product code or serial number from the package of an eligible or participating Cricut^® product purchased within the Promotion Period. One unique code required per entry. Once you have completed the required information, follow the on-screen instructions to play the instant win game. After you have played the instant win game, you will automatically receive one entry into the Grand Prize Drawing. If you receive a winning message, you are a potential winner of the prize indicated, subject to verification by the Judging Agency. Follow the on-screen instructions to claim your prize. You are not a winner until your prize claim is validated and you receive official written notification from the Judging Agency.

LIMIT FIVE (5) ONLINE ENTRIES PER PERSON/E-MAIL ADDRESS PER WEEK AND MAXIMUM OF FORTY (40) ONLINE ENTRIES FOR THE DURATION OF THE PROMOTION. Entries must not be sent in through agents or third parties. Incomplete entries will be disqualified and will not be counted.

For additional information, please go to http://www.cricut5th.com/ and read the official rules.

SPECIAL NOTICE ...

I noticed that the qualifying products do vary, depending on the site you are entering them on. Here is what I am talking about .... If you go to the rewards site ( www.cricutrewards.com ), you will see the contest icon at the top of the home page, and if you click on that icon, you will be on the cricut contest page. If you click on the words "View Eligible Products", which is in the green box directly under the image of the E2 machine, a list of the eligible products, for that site, will appear. However if you then scroll down to the bottom on that page, you will see the icons for Michael's, Joann's, HSN, ACMoore, and Hobby Lobby. Clicking on any one of those icons will take you to each of their respective contest pages ... although the page appears to be the same, it is different. On each of these pages, if you click on the words "View Eligible Products", a DIFFERENT list of products will appear. You can tell which contest page you are on by looking in the upper right hand corner, the store's name will appear there.

I prepared a spreadsheet which shows which qualifying products apply to which stores (BTW, I was unable to get the list of qualifying products from the JoAnn's contest page to show, so they are not included on this spreadsheet. If anyone can get that list and forward me a copy, I would be happy to include it on this spreadsheet ...

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW FULL SIZE

(feel free to copy and paste if you would like this list)

I hope you found this information helpful. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Happy Crafting!

Hugz,

♥Carol♥

Hot News Flash!

2011-05-18T07:10:00.004-04:00

Hot News Flash ....

Cricut has a new official Blog! Here is the announcement ...

News & Events

May 18, 2011

Provo Craft is launching The Official Cricut Blog sponsored by the Cricut Circle. The mission of the Blog is to introduce artists and crafters to the benefits of the Cricut Circle, inspire Provo Craft customers with projects made from the Cricut Circle Design Team and to gain knowledge of events, promotions, product, etc. directly from Provo Craft.

The Official Cricut Blog will have three posts per week—Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The exception will be on Hello Thursday(the third Thursday of the month) when Jinger Adams, Provo Craft’s Spokesperson, will announce the Hello Thursday cartridges and have a giveaway for the Cricut Blog’s followers.

For those wishing to become a follower ... here's the link ... Official Cricut Blog

Happy Crafting Everyone!
Hugz,
♥Carol♥

Cartridge Review - Thanksgiving Seasonal Cartridge - Winter 2010

2010-11-17T08:04:00.006-05:00

CRICUT THANKSGIVING CARTRIDGE REVIEW

Hiya EVERYONE, this is ♥Carol♥ ... WELCOME to my Little Creation Corner! Today, I’d like to share my review of the many creative opportunities found on the Thanksgiving Cricut Seasonal Cartridge. (BTW, this cartridge review can also be seen at the Wildly Whimsical & Creative Crafting Newsletter ... be sure to stop by there to see the wonderful creations posted there monthly.)

(Please click on images to view full size)

This cartridge is part of Provo Crafts limited edition Cricut Cartridge collection for the winter of 2010 and it is filled with 31 Thanksgiving/Fall sentiments and images. In addition, there are also some layering pieces that I’ve found work well even on there own (such as the leaves, acorns, pumpkins, etc.). Since this cart is a Seasonal Mini cartridge, it comes with the cartridge, keypad overlay and a small card that depicts the available images/sentiments … and does NOT come with a handbook.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the images available …

Now that we know what is on this special limited edition cartridge … what can you do with it? There are so many wonderfully creative opportunities? How about invitations for your Thanksgiving dinner or party? Maybe decorate the meals menu … or adding special extras to your Thanksgiving table, like decorating the napkin rings or candles, cutting appliqués out of fabric to make your own place mats, napkins and coasters for your glass ware, or how about adding personalized place cards for each dinner guest? Perhaps you’d like to make a wreath from cut leaves to hang on your door to welcome visitors, or a banner to dress up your home for the holiday? What a great idea to decorate a candy jar or personalize a bottle of wine, or even a gift bag with a small token inside for the hostess if you are visiting others on this special day … and of course, this is a fabulous cartridge for making Thank You notes when the day is over and making beautiful scrapbook pages from all the pictures of this fun occasion. Whatever your choice, you’ll be delighted with the adorable designs available on this cartridge.

Here is a Thanksgiving floral arrangement I made using cuts from this cart, and this was super easy to make (especially since I already had the candle and candle holder). I took a small sheet of gold metallic tissue and covered a 4”x1” Styrofoam circle, and wrapped an orange satin ribbon around the edge … placed the covered Styrofoam on the candle holder with the candle on top, then added some sprigs of autumn leaves. This gave it a nice autumn look … but to make it something special for Thanksgiving I added the Pilgrim silhouette to the face of the candle and an ornate leaf to the base to help balance the colors. Now that it’s done, I can’t help but wonder how it might look if I had used the turkey as the focal image on the candle, or maybe the cornucopia with a picture of our family in the center, or maybe adding the phrase “harvest blessings” around the base.

I will say this, it’s amazing how adding a simple Cricut cut to a floral arrangement can really dress it up and change the whole look … and with this cartridge there are some wonderful options to choose from!

As always ... thank you so much for stopping by for a visit at my Little Creation Corner. If you have an extra moment, please leave a comment ... I love reading what you have to say. Your opinions really make a difference and inspire me to keep creating.

Wishing you and yours a ...

Delightful and Happy THANKSGIVING!!!

Happy Crafting Everyone!
Hugz,
♥Carol♥
Little Creation Corner

The NEW YourStory Photo

2010-11-17T07:46:00.003-05:00

YOURSTORY PHOTO PERSONAL BINDING KIT

Hi Everyone ... This is ♥Carol♥ ... Welcome to my Little Creation Corner!

Today I'd like to share a new produce with you. Provo Craft has just introduced the new YourStory Personal Binding System, available exclusively at HSN (Home Shopping Network) until early 2011. This binding system will allow you to preserve your memories by creating your own books, photo albums, and journals the easy way! You will have everything you need to create photo albums, recipe books, flipbooks, and much more. The YourStory Photo machine can bind albums up to 6 ¼” wide. Whether you want to create unique gifts, memory books, or a host of other paper crafting projects, the YourStory Photo machine is perfect for first time crafters and veterans alike.

• Binds albums up to 6 ¼” wide
• Comes with two 4″ x 6″ covers (Berry and White)
• Comes with two 5″ x 7″ covers (Lime and Charcoal)
• Use to create photo albums, recipe books, and much more

With the Your Story Photo, you can bind approximately 40 pages of regular printer paper, 20 pages of card stock and 24 photos.

You can even add and delete pages to your book once it is bound. Simply place your book back into the YourStory Photo to heat up the glue in the spine. Once you hear the beep, slide the pages out and add the additional page (s) to your book. At this point you’ll need to add a new glue strip (cut to the appropriate length) and rebind your book following the original instructions.

Although covers are available for the YourStory Photo Personal Binding Machine, you can also make your own covers out of paper, chipboard, cloth etc. However, do not use plastic, as the heat that binds will also melt the plastic.

By the way, as a safety precaution, YourStory Photo will automatically turn itself off after approximately 10 minutes if the machine is not in use.

Unlike its big brother, the original YourStory, the YourStory Photo will NOT laminate.

If you are interested in a binding system that will bind books larger than 6 ¼ inches wide and will also laminate, then you may want to consider purchasing the larger YourStory. The Original YourStory bundle is currently available for 64.99 at Cricut.com. You can find it here … http://www.cricut.com/shop/#6/58/729/3/SpecialOffers/YourStory%20Bundle

As always, thanx for stopping by for a visit here at my Little Creation Corner. If you get a chance, please leave a comment ... I love hearing your thoughts!

Happy crafting EVERYONE!

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

Super News for New and Current Gypsy Owners

2010-10-17T01:29:00.001-04:00

Hiya Everyone, this is ♥Carol♥ with some WONDERFUL news. Provo Craft has just announced an incredible new Gypsy promotion that will effect ALL my Gypsy Brothers and Sisters ... and this super amazing offer will have you "doing the happy dance". Here are the details ...

Gypsy Promo including ALL current Gypsy Owners- New Gypsy Owners: If purchased and registered by OCT 31ST

Buy and register a Gypsy by Cricut by October 31 and receive 6 free cartridges downloaded to your Gypsy – including the exclusive, all-new "Smiley Cards" cartridge (and don't forget about Gypsy Wanderings and Gypsy font cartridges that come pre-loaded on the machine). It's a $419 value!

Free cartridges include:
Smiley Cards (new and exclusive to this promotion)
Tags, Bags, Boxes and More (not available in retail)
Christmas (not available in retail)
Blackletter (not available in retail)
Printing Press (not available in retail)
Indie Art (not available in retail)
All current Gypsy owners included! Simply register your Gypsy by October 31, 2010 and get access to all downloads. Register at www.cricut.com/gypsy/

CURRENT GYPSY OWNERS: Downloads will be available through a special update to your Gypsy starting November 1st.

New Gypsy cartridge downloads are easy! Just connect your Gypsy to your computer and you'll automatically be prompted how to start. In just a few steps, you'll be able to download all six cartridges containing thousands of images! And with Gypsy, you'll have all the cartridge artwork and keypad overlays on your Gypsy screen, so there's no actual cartridge, handbook, or packaging.

This is such an amazing offer ... one that I am personally excited about for myself, but also for all my Gypsy Sisters and Brothers too. If you already own a Gypsy, WONDERFUL! If you are considering the purchase of a Gypsy, this would be the time to do it. Just think of the value, and the hours of creativity that you will get with the 6 FREE carts downloaded (linked) to your Gypsy.

But don't delay, TIME IS RUNNING OUT ... whether you are a new Gypsy owner, or an existing one, your Gypsy must be registered at www.cricut.com/gypsy/ no later than October 31st.

Happy Crafting Everyone!

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

Thoughts About Blogs

2010-07-15T08:52:00.000-04:00

Hiya Everyone, this is ♥Carol♥! Welcome to my Little Creation Corner, and thanx for stopping by. First, my apologies for not having posted here in so long. I have been ill, with many complications that made my recovery a long hard road ... one that also left my creative mojo totally deflated. But I have now recovered (yippeeee!) ... and creative thoughts are slowly returning, so pop back in again soon, as I will be adding new posts in the near future.

In the meantime ... I wanted to take a moment to talk about BLOGS. I originally started this blog because I succumbed to peer pressure ... I didn't really have a great desire to have a blog of my own (I was having too much fun visiting everyone else's blogs), but was told it was something I should do. I don't usually fall victim to peer pressure, but as I joined other blogs as a Design Team member, it really did seem necessary. I have since come to enjoy having a blog and am thrilled beyond words when others visit and leave comments. Please know that I appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time to stop by ... It truly makes the entire creating process so much more rewarding. In fact, I have discovered that having a blog is actually quite fun! (((grin)))

Now, back to my thoughts about Blogs ... Recently, My Friend, OKIE (and yes, I definitely consider OkieLadyBug, aka, Shirley, a "FRIEND"), posted on her blog her own thoughts about blogs that closely mirror mine. Since her thoughts are so very much like my own, I thought I'd share her post right here instead of trying to re-write the entire thing again and using different words ... especially since those different words would really be the same thing! What can I say ... sometimes I am lazy too! (((wink)))

So here is the excerpt from Okie's blog ... which, BTW, if you haven't been to her blog yet, please do stop by ... you won't be disappointed ... her creations are beautiful and inspiring, her DS cut files are fabulous, and her quick wit and humorous personality shines through in every post ... I know that if she is reading this, she is probably laughing at my words ... but still, they are true and heart felt! You can find her blog here ... http://okieladybugsscrapnmore.blogspot.com/ . BRAVO, Okie ... these are very wise words, and very well written ...

My feelings about blogs....
Posted: 14 Jul 2010 08:01 AM PDT
A few years ago when I started my blog I started it for one reason. So people could easily download .cut files without me having to email the files to them. I remember one evening spending over two hours replying to email requests and sending files. I knew there had to be a better way. So I entered the blogging world.

How do I get followers? That is a frequent question on the Cricut messageboard these days. I recently answered as follows "I don't know how ya get followers. I am hateful to my readers sometimes and talk to myself. Personally I wouldn't follow my own blog as mean as I can be sometimes." I was being totally serious too! *okie still is amazed that people wanna read her blog since she is hateful and sometimes threatens her readers* However I am not really talking to myself, the thoughts in my head just sometimes find their way into my posts *okie wishes people would stop reading her thoughts so much and wonders how many mind readers there are in this world*.

I have a love hate relationship with my blog.

I love being able to post what I create where my friends and family can see it without me having to email them pictures. When I tell one of my friends what I have been working on they will say "email it to me". But then I would have to email it to several people I tell them "I don't want to". So then they say "post it on your blog so I can see it". Well okay, that way I don't have to email it to several different people. Believe me there have been times when I didn't want to post something because I thought it looked like crap! But one friend of mine, I won't mention her name *okie thinks ScrapperDelighted gets on her last nerve with this though*, will tell me "I don't care if you think it looks like crap...I want to see it! SO POST IT!"

The hate part comes in because I am lazy! It takes time to take pictures to where they look good and then edit and then write up a post. That is one reason I don't do more video's. It literally takes hours to shoot the video, edit the video, publish the video and then upload the dang thang! *okie cracks up because she loves saying dang thang*

Now days it seems everyone wants to commercialize their blogs. They want a ton of followers and corporate sponsorship and will do giveaways to increase traffic on their blog. While I will do a giveaway every now and then I make it easy. You don't have to link my blog, post my blog, jump through hoops of fire or any of that crap; you just have to leave a comment on that post. Now don't get me wrong here, it does feel good to know people follow my blog and want to see what I make *okie is always amazed that people leave comments to let okie know they have stopped by* but for me I think my blog has now become an outlet for my own creative expression *and okie's thoughts*.

Overall I think blogs can be a good thing. I do like going to blogs of others and seeing how inferior of a crafter I am but it makes me strive to try and be a little better. Although, I don't spend a whole lot of time reading blogs because then it would cut into my time creating.

I guess what it boils down to is that I think blogs can be a good thing. I just dislike people always saying "go to my blog" so I can see a picture of what they made or what they think. Just post at least one picture and then let me decide if I want to see or read more!

And that's all I got to say about that!

And isn't that all that needs to be said really? Thanx Okie, for allowing me to share your thoughts on my Blog too.

As I already said, be sure to stop by her blog and say hello (http://okieladybugsscrapnmore.blogspot.com/). I know you will enjoy your visit there. I first visited her blog about 2 and a half years ago, I loved it then ... I visit often and I love it every bit as much now as I did the first time!

Again, thanx for stopping by for a visit at my Little Creation Corner. I always enjoy your company ... so feel free to stop by any time ... you are always welcome!

HAPPY CRAFTING EVERYONE!
Hugz,
♥Carol♥!

My Grandson Andrew is Graduating... Congrats Andrew!!!

2010-04-12T11:57:00.000-04:00

Greetings Everyone … This is ♥Carol♥ and I am so pleased that you are visiting me here today at my Little Creation Corner … I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful week.

As many of you already know. I have a daughter and a son, between the two of them, they have blessed me with 5 wonderful grandsons! And I love all those rascals to pieces ... all FIVE of them!

This year, my oldest Grandson, Andrew, is graduating from High School ... Hurray for the Class of 2010! Andrew has asked that I make his graduation announcements for him. I've been pondering how to do this for a couple of months now ... but I can not wait much longer ... this announcements need to be mailed ASAP!

Here is my first draft ... I'd love to get some input ... all comments are welcome. But please send your comments as quickly as possible ... I am on a deadline, so time is of the essence.

This is a very rough draft. On the face of the announcement, I plan to make the cap a little larger and do a better tassel, and diploma a little smaller, maybe ink it a bit so it shows up more too. (his school colors are black and orange)

Click on images to see full size

On the inside of the card is his graduation picture with an overlay in vellum with the actual announcement information. On the top of the vellum is a black strip ... in part for color contrast and to give it a finished look, and in part to hide the adhesive underneath. At the bottom of the announcement verbage is Andrew's calling card with a picture of his school's mascot (a tiger) as a watermark behind it.

BTW ... the vellum lifts up to reveal the graduation picture.

(again, click on image to see full size)

I hope you enjoyed your visit here today and liked my Graduation Announcement card ... Don't forget, this is just a rough draft of the card ... so please leave a comment to share your thoughts with me, I'd really love to know your thoughts on this! As always … thank you for stopping by to visit me here at my Little Creation Corner.

Have a great day, and HAPPY CRAFTING!

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

Special Sweet Treat Presentation with a Cake Plate Wrapper

2010-04-01T08:45:00.000-04:00

Greetings Everyone … This is ♥Carol♥ and I am so pleased that you are visiting me here today at my Little Creation Corner … I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful week that extends throughout the Easter week-end.

Over at the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog, the Sweet Treats Thursdays design team are truly celebrating SWEET TREATS with some very special packaging for your delicious goodies. For today’s offering, I decided to make a cake plate wrapper … and in this case, it’s a wrapper custom made to match my cake.

Here is the Cake

(Please click on images to see full size)

To make the wrapper, I combined elements from two separate Cricut Cartridges, the First is the Heritage cart, for the scrolly flourish, and the second is the Paisley cart for the strawberry. The flourishes were cut at 2” and I cut two of them and welded them together in DS. I also used the “hide contour” feature in DS to remove the inner pieces of the ends (you may be able to see the faint lines of the removed sections in the image below). Because the perimeter of the silver cake pedestal cake plate is so long, I was unable to cut this in just one piece … however, I was able to match the flourishes perfectly by placing them end to end and securing them with glue dots.

As luck had it … I was able to cut 3 of the 2 welded pieces, plus one other single, and it measured perfectly to fit around the plate. Note: If you do not have the Cricut Design Studio program, you could also cut 7 of the flourishes and join them end to end (depending, of course, on the size of the cake plate that you are using.)

An Image of the Cuts using the DS Program

The flourishes were cut using a silver metallic paper (to match the silver cake plate). I also cut the strawberries out of metallic papers to keep the same paper theme … in this case, red and green. They were cut at 2 ¼ inches and were attached to the flourish with glue dots. This was actually very easy to do … and of course, I selected to adorn the flourish with those strawberries to compliment the cake.

So, how did I make this decadent chocolate cake? OK, no secrets here, I called on Betty Crocker for some assistance and used her yummy Devil’s Food cake mix … the Cake required 2 cake mixes because there are actually 4 layers. I even called upon Betty Crocker for help with the frosting … using two cans of frosting, one dark chocolate and one chocolate fudge. After the cake was frosted, I drizzled melted dark chocolate across the top. Believe me, this cake will give you a major chocolate rush! *grin*

I then topped off the the cake with little chocolate frosting nests to help hold those HUGE luscious strawberries and poured strawberry glaze over them. The strawberry glaze is easy to make too. Simply heat 1 cup of sugar, one cup of water and 1 tablespoon of strawberry strained strawberry juice until dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, then add in 2 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken and a couple of drops of red food coloring. Spoon the glaze mixture over the strawberries … chill until ready to serve and enjoy!

Here is the cake covered with the crystal dome

(this cake is so tall, it barely fit)

It was actually very simple to make, and isn’t that beautiful? What a wonderful compliment that cake plate wrapper is for my delicious cake! Why not give it a try when you make your next cake? I think your family and friends will be very impressed at the lovely presentation.

Don’t forget to stop by the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog to see the wonderful creations made by the other Sweet Treats Thursday Design Team members … they have truly made some amazing projects!

I hope you enjoyed your visit here today and liked my cake plate wrapper … It was super easy and even fun to make. Please don’t forget to add a comment and share your thoughts, I adore reading what you have to say … I’d really love it if you would sign up to be a follower too, your visits make my blog so much more meaningful. As always … thank you for stopping by to visit me here at my Little Creation Corner.

Have a great day everyone, and HAPPY CRAFTING!

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

Limited Edition Cricut EASTER Cartridge Review for Sweet Treats Thursday

2010-03-11T10:10:00.002-05:00

Hello EVERYONE, this is ♥Carol♥ … Welcome to my Little Creation Corner. As many of you already know, I am a member of the Sweet Treats Thursdays Design Team over on the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog. Today, we are featuring a review of the EASTER Cricut cartridge and it's many creative opportunities.

This cartridge is part of Provo Crafts limited edition Spring Cricut Cartridge collection and it is filled with 29 Easter and Spring images. The beautiful images on this cartridge range from an ornate cross to eggs to lambs and chicks, bunnies, lacy doilies, word images, and shadows and layering pieces of many of the images too. This cartridge also includes 3-dimensional objects (basket, cupcake holder, box) that are great for almost any Easter or Spring project.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the images available (Please remember, you can click on any image to view full size) …

You'll find word phrases and images

(lovely flowers, and look at that beautiful cross)

And BUNNIES!

(how about making chocolate bunnies)

More Images

(How fun to make wrappers for your eggs)

More Images

(aren't these adorable)

Fancy Doillies

(lots of creative possibilities with these)

3-D Shapes

(basket, cupcake wrapper, pillow box)

Now that we know what is on this special limited edition cartridge … what can you do with it? There are so many wonderfully creative possibilities … how about making the pillow boxes and filling them with yummy treats, like jellybeans? Or, making cupcakes and decorating them with lovely cupcake wrappers? Perhaps putting egg wrappers around your own brightly colored eggs? Imagine cutting one of the doilies, folding it in a fan shape, adding a few silk or hand-made flowers and adhering it to the face of a greeting card, wouldn’t that make a lovely Mother's Day card? This cartridge would also be great for making baby cards or shower items. Or, perhaps you’d like to make an Easter Tree, like I have? Whatever your choice, you’ll be delighted with the adorable designs available on this cartridge.

Did you know ... The decorating of Easter Trees is a tradition that originated in Germany? When German settlers immigrated to the States, many brought with them their Easter tradition of decorating trees, which symbolizes the rebirth, renewal and resurrection. This tradition slowly caught on in America with its origin dating back to the Civil War, and has become a continuing tradition with many American families today.

When I was a young girl growing up, our home was always decorated with an Easter Tree. What a fun treat it was to help Mom make the decorations for the tree each year … almost as much fun as finding our Easter baskets filled with yummy goodies and stuffed animals on Easter morning.

Following in that same tradition, I’ve created an Easter Tree for our home made from some of the adorable images found on the Easter Cartridge. (Please stop by my blog for details and more Easter creations.) Try making one for your home too, it’s easy and fun … and don’t forget to invite the children to help. I know they would enjoy helping to create an Easter Tree as much as I always did.

Here are some close-up views to show the details ...

This tree stands approximately 18 inches tall. It's decorated 100% using the Cricut EASTER cartridge ... all cuts were made at 1-1/2 inches, including the "Happy Easter". The ornaments are all double sided with an identical image on each side - this is especially great since the ornaments dangle and spin, you never know which side might be showing. (I love that I was able to use the "flip" feature on my Cricut Expressions to make these ... that way I could cut everything at one time.) I added coordinating colored embroidery threads to hang the ornaments. With a little hand doodling to some of the ornaments, my tree was done. Now how easy is that! ***grin***

As always, thank you for visiting me here at my My Little Creation Corner. I hope you enjoyed this review and my creative offering from the Cricut EASTER cartridge as much as I enjoyed creating and sharing it with you. Be sure to stop by the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog to see the many inspiring crafts created by the talented design team members that are posted there daily.

I hope you will take a moment to leave a comment, I love hearing your thoughts … your wonderful words keep me motivated. And, if you are not yet a follower, please consider this a personal invitation to join! Thanks again for stopping by!

HAPPY CRAFTING EVERYONE! ☺

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

Sweet Treats Thursdays - Mardi Gras

2010-02-18T12:24:00.000-05:00

Greetings Everyone … This is ♥Carol♥ and I am so pleased that you are visiting me here today at my Little Creation Corner … I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful week that extends throughout the week-end.

Over at the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog, the Sweet Treats Thursdays design team are celebrating Mardi Gras. By now, you've likely noticed a trend with me and know that I have to make a card … but with a theme like Mardi Gras … I just had to include a mask … in fact, I had to make two of them! These masks are to represent the King and Queen of Mardi Gras. I created them in Design Studio by combining shapes from the new Cricut Paisley Cartridge. I did miniature versions of the masks for the cards.

(Please click on images to see details full size.)

Follow along as I share how I created them …

First is the King’s Mask (Whoops, did you notice a little green feature was stuck to the fleur-de-lis?) …

This was created in by combining two shapes in Design studio, the crown and glasses from the Paisley Cricut Cartridge, and welding them together. I made the eyes by adding little paisleys and tilting and/or flipping them to get them into position at the right angles … it gives it a bit of an Oriental flair, don’t you think? There were several tick marks in these shapes, which I removed using the “hide contour” feature.

The paper I selected is actually a textured gold with bright glittery golden Swirls (Golden Swirl by ANW Crestwood), which was a little thin and would not hold it’s shape when attached to the stick, so I cut 3 additional heavy cardstock masks and glued them all together, one on top of the other, to give it stability. This worked great and gave a thickness similar to thick chipboard.

For the decorations, I cut the fleur-de-lis (found on the Cricut Stamping Cartridge), ran them upside down through my Xyron Sticker Maker, then covered them with purple and green glitter. I added feathers, a large purple one and smaller green ones. Whoa, what a mess … I’ve decided that I do NOT like working with feathers … I had feathers flying EVERYWHERE! I then covered a 12” wooden dowel with gold ribbon and attached it to the right side of the mask along with purple, green and gold ribbons and Mardi Gras beads.

Next is the Queen’s Mask …

This was created much the same way as the King’s mask, except that I used the princess crown and the glasses from the Cricut Paisley Cartridge. There was a slight gap between the bridge of the nose piece on the glasses and the bottom edge, so I welded an apple (from the same cartridge) into the center to cover the gap and give the nose bridge a slightly more curved finish.

With the Queen’s mask, I selected a butterfly and hearts to decorate the face … other than that, the supplies, embellishments and techniques used were identical to those used to make the King’s mask.

Lastly, the Card …

(Don't forget to click on any image to see details full size)

This was actually a very simple card to make … using the same basic steps to create the King and Queen’s masks, I made smaller versions from textured gold foil cardstock. The card is matted with green foil paper card stock and a textured feather paper. The edges are inked with a metallic gold (although it really doesn’t show much in the image). I popped the masks and sentiment, added gold ribbon, and the card was done. It’s not particularly fancy, but it does match the masks pretty well.

Don’t forget to stop by the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog to see the wonderful creations made by the other Sweet Treats Thursday Design Team members … they have truly made some amazing projects!

I hope you enjoyed your visit here today and liked my Mardi Gras projects … They were really fun to make, except for those messy feathers, of course! (*wink*) I hope you will take a moment to leave a comment to share your thoughts, I adore reading what you have to say … I’d also really love it if you would sign up to be a follower too, your visits make my blog so much more meaningful.

As always … thank you for stopping by to visit me here at my Little Creation Corner. Have a great day, and HAPPY CRAFTING!

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

LOVE STRUCK - Cartridge Review

2010-02-11T09:39:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone … This is ♥Carol♥. Thanx for visiting me here at my Little Creation Corner. Today I'd like to share a cartridge review with you on the LOVE STRUCK cartridge. This cartridge is one of the 3 new limited edition mini cartridges released by Provo Craft for the Spring of 2010.

Let's take a close look at what this cart has to offer ...

This cart is filled with amazingly delicate and intricate images. Without question, this is a collection of the MOST intricate images on any cart released by Provo Craft to date. There are a total of 50 different images which include a delightful mix of sentiments, intricate images and shadows, whimsical cards, envelope, 3-D heart, treat box, and even an adorable mail box. Here is a closer view of how intricate "some" of the images are … aren’t they incredibly beautiful …

Because of the intensely intricate nature of these delicate cuts, some people have experienced a little difficulty cutting them. Remember, Anything this intricate will cut better the larger it is cut.

Here are some setting hints that help you improve the quality of your cuts. Set your Cricut speed on Medium, the pressure on Medium, the blade depth on 4, and do a multi-cut of 2. (Note: Because the alignment variation of the individual Cricut machines, these settings may need to be modified for your specific machine. Also, you may need to adjust for the thickness of your cutting material, i.e., paper, fabric, vinyl, etc.)

For those with either the Cricut Expressions or Create machines, there is a multi-cut feature button right on your Cricut. If you are using the original Cricut Baby Bug, you can do a manual multi-cut as follows … after the first cut and WITHOUT removing your mat, hit the “load paper” button. This will take you back to the same starting point on your mat. Now select the “repeat last” button for the 2nd cut. If you are working with either the Design Studio Program or a Gypsy, you have a "multi-cut feature on your program.

Yes, this method takes a little a little extra time, but I think you will be pleased at how much cleaner the cuts are if you reduce your speed, pressure and blade depth a little, and cut your image twice. I’ve had great success with this method.

As you might guess, this cart is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Don’t forget … this cart is great for more than just Valentine’s Day … think first dates, first kiss, engagements, anniversaries, weddings … in fact, this cart is perfect for any romantic occasion in your life. I’ll leave you with a (previously posted) mailbox I created using the LOVE STRUCK cart …

(Note - Click on any image to view full size)

BTW ... Have you heard? The Cuttlebug Challenge Blog is giving away 3 Love Struck limited edition mini carts. To enter is super easy ...

1) Become a follower (for one chance to win)
2) Leave a comment on any, or all, posts this week (you will receive one chance to win for EACH comment).

That's all you have to do ... now how SWEET is that? Hurry over to the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog to see the full details and for your chance/s to win ... and while you are there, take a look at the amazing project and video by Kathy Orta (from Paper Phenomenon) created using her LOVE STRUCK cartridge!

As always … thank you so much for visiting me here today at the my Little Creation Corner. I hope you enjoyed my review of the LOVE STRUCK cartridge as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. Please be sure to leave a comment, I truly love hearing your thoughts ... and, if you are not a follower yet, consider this a Special Invitation to join me!

HAPPY CRAFTING EVERYONE! ☺

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

SHAPED CARDS - TUTORIAL

2010-02-09T14:48:00.007-05:00

Greetings Everyone … This is ♥Carol♥… Thanx for visiting me here at my Little Creation Corner. Today I’d like talk about the various ways to make shaped cards. I’ve always enjoyed making shaped cards … there is something a little whimsical and unique about shaped cards and a nice departure from the standard square or rectangle shaped cards, that just makes them fun to do. I’ve been asked to give a class on making shaped cards and the techniques I use … and I thought you might be interested in learning about these techniques too.

So let’s get started … These are the cards I am going to be talking about … and we’ll go into the details as we go along. Oh, and by the way … click on any image to see the full size and a better view of the details. (I used a different technique to make each card.)

Let’s start with the Dress which uses a partial adhering technique…

BTW … this card is featured this week at the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog where they are making creations utilizing fabric … take a moment to stop by there to check out the fabulous creations made by the other talented members of the Cuttlebug Challenge Design Team.

This dress was cut from the Forever Young Cricut Cartridge … for those with this cartridge, the dress is located on page 28 in the hand book. I cut the basic dress shape 3 times on patterned paper, and flipped one of those shapes. I then cut just the bodice of the dress in the gold metallic paper. To do this, I used my Gypsy (you could use DS too) and placed the lower portion of the dress off the mat so that only the top portion cut. But, you could also cut out the entire dress and simply snip off the lower portion.

I then gathered some material and attached it under the bodice … by the way, this is repurposed fabric that was actually wrapped around a bouquet of boxed roses that I received as a Christmas gift. I then attached the bodice over the top of the bodice on the base dress, wrapped a ribbon around the top and tied a bow … I left the tails of the ribbon long to give the dress more of an elegant “ball gown” look. I then attached the base shape to the flipped image and adhered it down (this was to give a clean finish to the under side).

Because it was difficult to keep the fabric in place, I attached some metallic gold braid to the base of the fabric and attached it to the base of the card. With the shaping flexibility of the metallic braid, I was able to give a rippled shape to the base of the dress (in real life it really looks amazing).

I then attached the top portion of the card to the bottom of the card by adhering the two pieces together at the bodice section only, and scored the card right at the ribbon line. Here is how the card looks opened up …

Next is the egg shaped card, which uses a hinge attachment technique …

This was very easy to make and this technique can be utilized on almost ALL shaped cards. I cut 4 eggs from the Easter Limited Edition Mini Cricut Cartridge. Two of the eggs were cut using the flipped feature. I placed two mirrored eggs side by side, lined them up evenly with just a small space between them (approx. 1/16 of an inch). I then placed a small strip (1/2 inch by 3 inches) of the same colored card stock between the two (almost like a little bridge) and adhered it down. Next, I adhered the two remaining eggs over the top of the first two, which covered all but a small portion of the hinge (or bridge piece). Next I scored between the two eggs and folded the card in half. Lastly I added the decorative top piece. Here is the egg open … see where the two pieces are joined together? …

Next is the Heart card, which utilizes a welding technique …

This card was perhaps the easiest card to make, but does require the use of either a Gypsy or Design Studio. For this card, I used the heart from the Calendar Cricut Cartridge, but any heart shape would work just as well. I placed two images of the heart shape, with the shadow feature, on my mat and moved them together so that they were just touching a smidgen, then welded them together so they would cut as one piece … super easy. I then cut two more shapes without the shadow, one in solid white, which I adhered to the inside of the card as a place to add the sentiment, the inside of the card, and one in patterned paper. I then added lace around the boarder of the patterned and adhered it to the top of the card. Here’s what the inside of the card looks like …

Lastly is the Owl card, which uses a swing technique …

This card was actually very easy to make too. I used the owl from the Sentimentals Cricut Cartridge for this card. I cut it out using the shadow feature 2 times, one in black and one in white. I then cut out the owl using a patterned paper without the shadow feature and placed it over the top of the black piece. Next, I cut out the owl’s features in different colored card stock … the outer eye part and the branch are in glittery gold, the inner eye piece and envelope were cut from a cream colored card stock, and the eye center, beak and feet were cut in a glossy black. Each layer of the eye, as well as the beak and feet all were popped with dimensionals. To adhere the top and bottom of the cards together, I used a brad. Since I did not have the proper colored brad, I colored it with gold embossing powder and heat embossed it so that it would match the rest of the owl … I really love the way this turned out … Isn’t he cute? *wink* Here’s a look at the card as it swings open …

(Remember ... Click on any image to see details in full size)

I hope you enjoy these cards as much as I did making them and sharing them with you. As you can see, making shaped cards is really easy to do and can be made different ways. Give it a try, I think you’ll have fun making a shaped card too. Please take a moment to leave a comment, I’d really love to hear your thoughts on this brief tutorial ... and if you are not yet a follower, I'd sure love you to join me. As always, thanx for visiting me here at my Little Creation Corner!

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

DINNER INVITATIONS for CHA

2010-01-26T09:20:00.002-05:00

Greetings everyone … This is ♥Carol♥, I hope you are all having a great week, and for those that are feeling the effects of the winter weather, I hope you are staying safe and warm. Thanx for visiting me here in My Little Creation Corner.

I was honored to be invited to make samples for the 2010 Winter CHA Craft Super Show in Anaheim, California. Today I’d like to share those dinner invitation cards with you. These cards were on display at the Provo Craft/Cuttlebug area at the 2010 Winter CHA Craft Super Show in Anaheim, California. Both cards were made to feature the Cuttlebug, the Cricut Expressions and Cosmo Cricket, Farmers Market Patterned Papers (which BTW is an excellent quality double-sided printed paper). My assignment was to make Dinner invitation samples.

The first card is a dinner invitation with a formal or informal theme:

The Card Front:

(Note: Please click on any image to see details full size)

The Card Center:

The verse is my own and reads:

Things are ready

We’ve set your plate

We’re going to have

A time that’s great

So set your clock

And mark the date

You’re expected

Don’t be late

Supplies Used are as follows:

Cricut Cartridges From My Kitchen and Sentimentals
Cuttlebug embossing folder Swiss Dots
Cosmo Cricket, Farmers Market patterned paper
Misc. Solid colored card stock and Foil Card stock
Misc. Gold Ribbon and pre-made bow
Brown Ink
Adhesives: Glue Glider Pro, glue dots, Zig 2-way fine tip glue pen and dimensionals

The Second card is for an informal Barbeque Dinner

The front of the card

Another front view

(This shows the red foil in the Grill to represent hot coals)

The inside of the card

(Remember: Click on any image to view details in full size)

The inside verse is my own and reads:

We’re going to have a Barbeque

A feast for everyone

With lots of food and fun to share

Sure hope that you will come

The supplies used on this card are as follows:

Cricut Cartridges From My Kitchen
Cuttlebug embossing folder Swiss Dots
Cosmo Cricket, Farmers Market patterned paper
Misc. Solid colored card stock and Foil Card stock
Yellow Satin Ribbon
Black and White Signo UniBall gel pens
Martha Stewart Boarder Punch
Adhesives: Glue Glider Pro, glue dots, Zig 2-way fine tip glue pen and dimensionals

Just a side note: although I did receive 3 sheets of patterned papers from the Cosmo Cricket Farmers Market line, which were used to make these cards, I did not receive any additional papers for my own personal use, nor was I paid to make these samples. All other products used, including solid colored papers and foils, ribbons, bows, boarder punches, markers, Cricut Cartridges, Cuttlebug embossing folders, etc., were my own and purchased by me.

I invite you to stop by the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog to see additional fabulous projects made by other incredibly talented designers on display at the 2010 Winter CHA Craft Super Show.
I hope you enjoy these invitational cards as much as I did making them and sharing them with you … feel free to leave comments, I would love to hear what you think. As always, thank you for visiting me here at my Little Creation Corner. HAPPY CRAFTING EVERYONE!

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

LOVE STRUCK Projects Using the Cricut Cartridge Doodle Charms

2010-01-21T08:49:00.001-05:00

Greetings everyone … This is ♥Carol♥, I hope you are all having a spectacular week. Thanx for visiting me here in My Little Creation Corner. Today I am sharing the details of my “LOVE NOTES” creations which were designed for the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog.

As most of you know by now, I am a Design Team member on the SWEET TREATS THURSDAY Team at the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog. This special team of designers will tantalize your taste buds with a delicious selection of yummie creations using their favorite crafting tools (Cricut and Cricut Cartridges, Cuttlebug, YourStory, YuDu and the Gypsy). I’m very pleased to be included with this wonderful team of talented crafters as a Design Team Member. I hope you’ll pop over and take a look … and be sure to check back every Thursday as the SWEET TREATS THURSDAY Design Team will be presenting fun new crafts, tutorials and/or other helpful hints and tricks to help keep you inspired.

This Week’s assignment was to use our Cricuts and the Doodle Charms cartridge to create a set of projects. We were instructed to use not less than 2 cuts from the DC cart, but were allowed to use as many as we liked. I selected to use the Mail Box, Hearts, and the Dragon Fly … but as you will see here … I also used cuts from the new Limited Edition Mini Cricut Cartridge, Love Struck.

My “LOVE NOTES” projects …

The Card

(Please click on any image to see Full Size)

The Envelope

The Card and Envelope Set

The Mail Box

The Project Trio

Supplies Used:

Cricut Expressions

Doodle Charms Cricut Cartridge
Love Struck Limited Edition Mini Cricut Cartridge
Patterned Paper and Card Stock from S.E.I. Chacolat Paper Pack
Metallic Silver card stock
Pink Lace & Pearls Ribbon from Wrights Creative Classics
Textile Texture Cuttlebug A2 Embossing Folder
Jumbo Java Dew Drop Chalk Ink
Adhesives (Glue Glider Pro, Zig 2-way Glue Pen, Dimensionals, Glue Dots)

The Card - measures 4.25x5.25 inches and fits beautifully in the envelope. I Made the base card out a wine colored colored card stock, placed a pink card stock mat on top (4x5 inches) on top and inked the edges in brown and added another mat of patterned paper (3.75x4.75 inches) on top and again inked the edges in brown. I then ran the entire card face thru the cuttlebug ... the size was a perfect fit to do this and gives the card a beautifully embossed surface. The mailbox was cut at 2.5 inches. The dragon flies were cut at one inch and have three layers, one of card stock, then patterned paper, and then the dragon fly body ... I folded the wings up to give the card some extra dimension. The letters were computer generated and matted to the wine card stock. All embellishments, except the lace and pearl ribbon, were placed on the card using dimensionals to add extra visual interest.

The Envelope - was cut from the Love Struck cartridge and was cut "fit to page" which was a perfect fit for the card. It's cut from the same patterned paper as the card face. I added a strip of card behind the heart cut outs to give it extra interest ... but added the strip of lace and pearl ribbon, which helped coordinate the card and envelope together beautifully.

The Mail Box - was cut out of patterned paper and was cut at 11.25 inches. Again, I used the Love Struck cartridge for the mail box. I added a silver mail box flag and attached it with a mauve heart brad, then added a small mauve colored bow, and a heart from the Doodle Charms cart. I also added the same lace and pearl ribbon around the mailbox that I used on the card and envelope. The letters and dragon fly were both cut at 1.75 inches.

WOW, was I ever amazed at how easy both the mailbox and envelope were to cut out and put together. If you do not yet have the Love Struck cart, I highly recommend it ... there are so many beautiful and intricate cuts on this cart. Here's a look at all that this cart has to offer ...

(Click on Image to view full size)

I hope you enjoy these projects as much as I did making them and sharing them with you … feel free to leave comments, I would love to hear what you think. As always, thank you for visiting me here at my Little Creation Corner and don’t forget to stop by and check out the creations made by the other talented Sweet Treats Thursdays Design Team members at the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

Sweet Treats Thursday - Review, Cricut Cartridge PAGODA

2010-01-14T06:00:00.003-05:00

Greetings Everyone … this is ♥Carol♥ … Welcome to My Little Creation Corner.

As a Design Team Member on the the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog, Sweet Treats Thursday Team, I was asked to do a review of the new Cricut Cartridges, PAGODA. (Please visit the Cuttlebug Challenge blog to see the initial review). I'd like to share a more detailed review of that cartridge for you here as well.

(NOTE: Please click on this, and all images, to see in their FULL size)

This cart is filled with a wonderful selection of images, with the key features on the cartridge being as follows...

Base Feature Images (characters like lanterns, dolls, kites, dragons, birds, trees, dragon flies, fish, flowers bridges, fans, umbrellas, teapot and cup, chopsticks, kimonos, and much more)

Base Shift Feature (layering pieces for the base images)

Kanji Feature (images of each of the Kanji characters)

Kanji Shift Feature (shadows for the Kanji characters)

Kanji Tag Feature (the Kanji character in various tag shapes)
Kanji Tag Shift Feature (which are the backgrounds for the Kanji Tags)

Kanji Word Feature (which is the English translation of the respective Kanji character on it’s respective key in a rectangular tag style)
Kanji Word Shift Feature (which is the respective Kanji character that will fit nicely in the word tag)

Kanji Tag Feature (which are the various images in a variety of tag shapes)
Kanji Tag Shift (background pieces for the tags)

Card Feature (rectangular shaped cards with the images in them)
Card Shift Feature (circular cards with the images in them)

Shadow Feature (shadows for the images)
Shadow Shift Feature (shadows for the Kanji characters, this shadows the shadow of the Kanji Character Shift shadow – virtually a 2nd shadow for the Kanji characters).

Before I started writing this review, I wanted to identify exactly what a Kanji was, and which Asian culture it represented, so I called Provo Craft directly and asked the question. I was told that this cartridge is Chinese, however, it is also part Japanese. Are you as confused by that explanation as much as I was? Well, I couldn’t stop with that, so I looked it up on line at Wakipedea, and this is the definition I found …

Kanji (help•info) (漢字?) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (ひらがな, 平仮名), katakana (カタカナ, 片仮名), Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet (also known as Rōmaji). The Japanese term kanji (漢字) literally means "Han characters".

Still confused, I looked it up in the dictionary, and this is the definition I found …

“a Japanese system of writing that utilizes characters borrowed or adapted from Chinese writing, a single character in the kanji system”

Now this I could understand! *grin* But the really important thing to say is the images are absolutely adorable. I love that you can use the images, the Kanji character, and the English translation all together.

One thing I will note is that trying to figure out the meaning of each Kanji character is, was a bit of a challenge. I discovered that they are actually all in the cartridge handbook. To see the English translation, look on the Kanji Word Feature Key. But, just a warning, the image in your handbook is extremely small … so pull out your glasses, or your bi-focals, you just might need them. If you have a Gypsy or the Design Studio program, you can enlarge this image so that you can read it easier.

I really do like the wonderful options on this cart … it offers a delight blend of whimsical images mixed with delicate intricately detailed images as well. Combined with the Kanji characters and the English translations, you have an opportunity for endless creative possibilities to make a wide variety of crafts.

Here’s a sample I made this morning that mixes the Kanji character for “friend” and the English translation … I teamed it together with one of the Cuttlebug embossing folders from the new Asian line to make this greeting card …

another view

To make this card, I used the following supplies ...

Cricut Cartridge Pagoda
Cricut Cartridge George Basics Shapes
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (from the new Asian set)
Cricut Design Studio Program
Ribbon (Offray, pink flora)
Prima Fabric Fancies Flowers
Core'dinations Chocolate Box card stock
S.E.I. Patterned Paper from the Chocolat Paper Stack
Pink card stock
Small Bronze Brads
Sanding block
Pop Dots
Glue Glider Adhesive
Zig 2-way fine tip Glue Pen

This card is similar to a Joy Fold card and to make it, I followed these steps.

1) Cut Patterned paper to size 8.5x11 and fold in half for card base.
2) Emboss the Asian Lady on Coredinations Chocolate Box card stock, then sand lightly to bring out the pink background color.
3) Trim around the embossed image and mat onto pink card stock and trim around the image again.
4) Using Design Studio, place the "friend" Kanji word (from Pagoda) on the mat using a 2x3 inch size, add the Kanji character (size 1.5") inside the rectangle then welded a rectangle (from George) to the right side of the tag and stretched it so that it extended another 3 inches.

5) Scor the tag at 2 inches and adhere the right 3 inches of the tag backwards to the inside right edge of the card. Fold the remaining 2 inches over the front face of the card.
6) Adhere ribbon vertically along the left side of card and attach brads to flowers and adhere top of ribbon.
7) Adhere the Asian Lady, using pop dots, over the ribbon.

Although there is not an image of the inside of the card, the right side of the card is matted with the brown card stock, the pink tag "friends" tag opens up to a pink color to add the sentiment, and I added a pink shadow to the brown Kanji "friend" symbol that was cutout from the front tag and placed it next to the inside sentiment.

I hope you found this review both helpful and informative. Please feel free to leave a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I hope you’ll take a moment and stop by and visit the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog to see this review in it's condensed form as well as all the other wonderful creations to be found there.

As always, thanks for stopping by and visiting me here at my Little Creation Corner.

Happy Crafting Everyone!

Hugz,
Carol

Special Announcement - Sweet Treats Thursday

2010-01-07T07:54:00.002-05:00

Greetings everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR, I hope 2010 is starting off on a happy note for all … This is ♥Carol♥ … and today I’d like to share a special announcement. Over at the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog, a new team of creative designers have come together to form a design team called SWEET TREATS THURSDAY.

This team of designers will tantalize your taste buds with a delicious selection of yummie creations using their favorite crafting tools (Cricut and Cricut Cartridges, Cuttlebug, YourStory, YuDu and the Gypsy). I’m very pleased and excited to be included with this wonderful team of talented crafters as a Design Team Member. I hope you’ll pop over and take a look … and be sure to check back every Thursday as the SWEET TREATS THURSDAY Design Team will be presenting fun new crafts, tutorials and/or other helpful hints and tricks to help keep you inspired.

Our first assignment was to use our Cricuts and the Doodle Charms cartridge to create a set of projects. We were instructed to use not less than 2 cuts from the DC cart, but were allowed to use as many as we liked. I selected to use the teddy bear and the heart … but as you will see here … I used several other cuts as well.

The Teddy Gift Set Trio …

Supplies used for this project were:

Cricut Expressions

Doodle Charms Cricut Cartridge

White and Pink Card Stock

Kiwi Embroidery Paper – Pink Gingham Check

Pink Gingham Ribbon – width sizes 1.25 and .50 inches

Darning Threads – Pink and White

Small Pearls

White Doodle Pen

Adhesives
(Glue Glider Pro, Zig 2-way Glue Pen, Dimensionals, Glue Dots)

Wrapping Paper

The Card and Envelope

The card measures 5”x 6.5”

(REMINDER … Click on any image to see full view)

The Photo Frame

The Photo frame measures 17”X10”, but the little frames on each side of the main picture

measure only 1.5”x2”, so each of the Doodle Charms cuts were made at a 1” size or less.

The cuts are embellished with hand doodling, pearls for eyes on the critters

and small bows on the hearts that are ½” or less across.

I also added small gingham bows to accent the main picture opening and then

tied a nice big bow around the frame.

The Gift Package

When I went to wrap the gift, I discovered that I didn’t have any paper that would

match the set, so I used a solid color wrapping paper that I had and

turned it inside out so that I was using the inside (white) as the wrapping.

To accent the package, I cut little 1” teddy bears and hearts,

embossed them and adhered them down with glue dots.

I actually like the way this turned out and plan to use this trick again in the future

whenever I don’t have the exact wrapping that I need.

Whoops … I see that the teddy bear tag did not make on the package

before the picture was taken.

All three items were super easy to make, and the great thing is, they were actually very inexpensive to make too!

I hope you enjoy these projects as much as I did making them and sharing them with you … feel free to leave comments, I would love to hear what you think. As always, thank you for visiting me here at my Little Creation Corner and don’t forget to stop by and check out the other creations at the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

The Snowman Scoop! (a card and verse)

2009-12-04T15:22:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone ... This is ♥Carol♥ ... Welcome to my Little Creation Corner. I hope everyone is off to a great start with your Holiday crafts. I seem to be running a little slow this year, so I am now working like a little demon trying to get my Christmas cards completed.

Here's one of my first cards for the year ... I struggled trying to find a snowman with the right size tummy, so I made my own by welding two circles from the George cart using Design Studio and added the hat and scarf and carrot nose from the Snow Friends Cartridge. I also added a ribbon, a pompom and wiggly eyes to give the card a little more character and gave him a grin by using my hole punch .. the grin is a little large, next time I will use a smaller hole punch.

BTW, the center of the tummy is a Stampin'Up Treat cup filled with marshmallows. Not that I am trying to give anyone a plug here ... but I purchased my Stampin'Up supplies from Mandy Ferg from the cricut.com message board. If you don't have a Stampin'Up rep yet, I highly recommend her ... besides being a super sweet lady, she also is a wonderful Stampin'Up representative and has great customer service too!

The image inside is from PC Crafters, the verse is one I made special for this card, and the lettering is computer generated.

I hope you like it, and, as always ... thanx for looking

The Outside of the card

The Center of the Card

The Back of the Card

(Remember ... Click on any image to see full size.)

The verse is hard to read ... this is what it says ...

This Snowman’s Special

Here’s the scoop,

His tummy’s really

Filled with poop!

But that’s not the part

That’s so incredible,

This Snowman’s poop

Is really edible!

Just take a bite

And you will see,

His poop is

Yummy as can be!

He also brings

This wish from us

For a Happy New Year

& Merry Christmas!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this card as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. Thanx again for visiting my Little Creation Corner. If you have the time, leave me a comment, I love hearing reading what all of you have to say! HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

♥Carol♥

Thanksgiving Centerpiece and Invitation - Using the Cricut Expressions and the Animal Kingdom and Winter Woodlands Cartridges

2009-11-19T11:08:00.000-05:00

Greetings Everyone and HAPPY THANKSGIVING … This is ♥Carol♥ … Welcome to my Little Creation Corner ... today I’d like to share a couple of simple Thanksgiving projects I made with a little help from my Cricut Expressions and the Animal Kingdom and Winter Woodlands cartridges.

The first is a centerpiece I made for the Thanksgiving table. This project was very easy and inexpensive to make. I purchased a couple of fall floral stems from my local craft store (and as luck would have it, they were on sale for $.79 each). I added some turkeys which were made from scraps of card stock I already had, using the Animal Kingdom cartridge and cut at 5.5 inches. The turkeys were attached to the arrangement using a 3 foot, 1/8 inch dowel I purchased from the same craft store (for $.39) cut into 4 equal pieces. The copper colored pail was purchased for $.99. It’s tied around the center with a bit of raffia I already had. After all the turkeys were made, this centerpiece took less than 20 minutes to put together.

The total cost for this project is as follows …

$0.79 Fall Floral Stem
$0.79 Fall Floral Stem
$0.39 1/8 inch 3 ft. dowel
$0.99 Small Copper Pail
$0.00 Rafia from stash on hand
$0.00 Google Eyes from stash on hand
$0.00 Card Stock from stash on hand
_____

$2.96 (plus tax) Total out of pocket cost
====

Here is the completed centerpiece …

(for details, click on any image to see full size)

To make the turkeys, I used the Animal Kingdom cartridge. Since this cartridge only has minimal layering pieces, I cut 5 turkeys in various colors for each turkey made. I then cut them apart and pieced the various colors together (similar to a jigsaw puzzle) to make them more colorful. By adding wiggly eyes and a small raffia bow tie, it gave them more depth, dimension and character.

Cut turkeys from Animal Kingdom

(Brown is the background piece)

I then made a matching card using the same turkey … in this case, I made an invitation to Thanksgiving Dinner and included the menu and a short verse I wrote. I used scraps of different colored fall papers I had on hand. All words were computer generated and printed on card stock. The little tag on the face of the card was made using the Winter Woodlands cartridge, layered with different colored papers and attached together with brads. Both the turkey and tag are popped up using dimensionals.

Here is the card face …

Here is the card center ….

Supplies used were from stash on hand

(cardstock, patterned scrapbook paper, raffia, wiggly eyes, brads and dimensionals)

REMINDER … You can click on any image to see full view.

Both projects were super easy to make, and the great thing is, they were also very inexpensive too!

I hope you enjoy these projects as much as I did making them and sharing them with you … feel free to leave comments, I love hearing your thoughts. As always, thank you for visiting me here at my Little Creation Corner.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

♥Carol♥

Craft Adhesives

2009-11-02T14:07:00.017-05:00

Hiya Everyone ... This is ♥Carol♥, welcome to my LITTLE CREATION CORNER. I hope you are all having a wonderful day. I've received several questions regarding the types of crafting adhesives I use, so let's take a moment to talk about it.

So ... What Adhesive do I use???? Ahhh … this question pops up frequently and is more complex to answer than you might think. The reason is, I actually use several different types of adhesives … depending on my need. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of great adhesives on the market, and everyone has their own special favorites. Following is a list of my particular favorites and their uses … these are the ones I use the most …

*** BTW ... I did not intend this to be a commercial or product review, however, I think it's unfair to talk about a product and not show you what the product is ***

Glue Glider Pro – This adhesive gun offers a continuous line of double-sided adhesive strip, and it’s what I use on most of my larger pieces (matting pictures, applying larger pieces to greeting cards, etc.). I generally use the High Tack refills because they work great and are longer than the other refills, so they last longer. The GGP is relatively small, light weight, easy to handle and use, the refill cartridges pop in an out like a breeze, so they are exceptionally easy to change … and they are great size to take to crops, etc. BTW … here’s a helpful hint … Since the GGP does NOT come with a cap, to prevent foreign matter from sticking to the tip, I pull the cartridge out, turn it around, and slide it in backwards. This is a handy tip when storing your GGP and also when taking to crops, etc. I should also note that another great alternative is the ATG Gun. Although I do not have one, I know many who do ... and they all love them.

Glue Runners/Snail Adhesives – These are used the same as the Glue Glider Pro ... they are a double sided tape that come in small dispensers. I don’t use them often but find they are really handy to have around and grab when you have something you want to glue down quickly. They are also great to take to crops because they are so small and won’t take up much of your much needed space in you supply tote. Plus, if you ever run out of your other adhesives, you will be very glad you have one or two of these around. There are hundreds of glue runners (also know as snail adhesives) to choose from. My particular favorite is TomBo Mono Adhesive, however, I've used other types that work well too.

Zig Fine Tip 2-Way Glue Pen – This is one of the FEW wet adhesives I use … but I am using it constantly. It is a wet glue, in a pen-type applicator. It’s perfect for adhering small layering pieces to your project … if you have a Cricut, or other die cutting machine, then you know how small some of the layering pieces can be … this is the perfect tool for that. ALSO … this is a great tool for applying glitter to projects – and the amazing thing is that whether it is wet or dry, the glitter will stick beautifully. Simply draw or color in the areas you wish to glitter, then sprinkle glitter over your project, brush away any excess (I have a very cheap soft bristle paint brush I use for this), and you are left with wonderful bling! The great thing about doing it this way, is that the fine tip allows you to add very fine details and outlines. I also like adding Swarovski Crystals to my project and this adhesive allow me to apply a tiny little dot of glue, the perfect size for adhering these pretty little gems. Helpful hint … This adhesive goes on blue, but turns clear as it dries. For a permanent bond effect, adhere while the glue is wet and allow to dry (this glue dries very quickly) … for a temporary or repositionable bond, allow adhesive to dry first, then adhere to your item.

SCOTCH QUICK DRY GLUE ... I also love the long lasting hold of the Scotch Quick Dry Glue ... it has a super fine nozzel that makes it great for adhering even the tinest layers and thin letters ...

Zig Wide-Tip 2-Way Glue Pen – it’s the same great glue as noted above and works the same way except that the super wide tip makes it near impossible to really do any fine detailed work with this glue pen. HOWEVER, this is definitely my first choice for re-sticking my Cricut mats. To do this, clean any lingering debris off your mats using a scraper tool and wash with a non-alcohol baby wipe or mild soap and water, allow to dry, then apply the adhesive evenly over the cutting surface portion of your mat. Allow to dry thoroughly, and your mat will work as good as new.

Glue Dots and Zots – These little dots of glue are wonderful. Glue Dots are my personal favorite because they come on a paper strip in a single-file style, or roll-type applicator or single use perforated sheets. Although Zots work just as well, they come on a double-wide paper strip with 2 rows of glue dots that are staggered … for some clumsy reason all my own, I find it more difficult to get just one glue dot off at a time with this 2-row staggered dispensing method It seems like I am continuously snagging an extra dot or two where I don’t want it. Please understand that I am not trying to give Zots a negative review, as they really do work as well as the Glue Dots, I am merely speaking of my own personal preference. BTW, both the Glue Dots and Zots work fabulous for adhering bows, buttons, pearls, skittles, rhinestones, and many other items as well. They have a strong hold, and come in a variety of sizes from ¼ inch to ½ inch and even in dimensionals and strips too.

Xyron Sticker Maker – These sure are handy to have around for applying a quick all-over adhesive to the back of your cut pieces. I really love to use them for letters, especially the thin letters with a lot of intricate detailing. Just pop it in the Xyron Sticker Maker (top side up), and roll it through the machine ... it’s just that simple … you have made yourself a little sticker. Another great use is to put it through the Xyron machine once … then, without removing the paper backing, turn it over and run it through again. This will give you adhesive on both sides of your cut piece. This is great for applying all over glitter to the top of your piece or adding embossing powder and then heat embossing for another great look. Hint: to help reduce excess adhesive bit from clinging to your piece, press your cut piece down firmly against the paper backing BEFORE removing the paper, I also like to outline the edge of the cut pieces with a stylus or ball point pen before I remove the paper to ensure the glue bits are not clinging to my pieces. There are several size widths of Xyron machines available and I have most of them. However, the ones I use the most are the small 3” and 5" sizes … I also like the “X”, which is a small hand-held manual sticker maker (great size for taking to crops).

Terrifically Tacky Tape – This is a double-sided tape with a red backing. There are other look-alike brands on the market, I’ve tried some of them and found them to work just as well, however, I tend to buy this brand mainly because it is available at most craft stores (where you can always use a coupon) and at many online vendors as well. This tape has an exceptionally strong hold, which makes it ideal for making paper boxes, bags, shaker boxes, and other items that require a strong adhesive. This tape will even adhere small beads to paper, wood, glass, metal, plastic, etc. Plus, you can heat emboss with this tape too! This tape is available in a wide variety of widths and comes in sheets as well.

Vellum Adhesives – Vellum is so translucent that it is really important to use an adhesive that is totally invisible. You sure don’t want to go thru all the work of making a gorgeous card or LO and have it spoiled by having your adhesive show behind your work. It is really worth the money to keep some special adhesives on hand that are especially designed to work with vellum. Although there are many brands on the market today, and I am sure most of them are excellent … here are the ones I’ve tried that work really well for me …

Ranger’s Glossy Accents and Aleen’s Paper Glaze – These are clear, three-dimensional glossy mediums. I use them to accent, brighten, dimensionalize and magnify distinct areas on my scrapbook pages, album covers, rubber stamped images, greeting cards, paper crafts or home décor projects. These are ideal for decoupage and paper mache projects too. And the great things is that they also work well as an adhesive by placing a small amount under embellishments to make them stick and on top to protect and glossify! Just a warning, the drying time is much longer using these products.

Zip Dry – As a general rule, I do not like working with wet glues or glue sticks. However, I do make a few exceptions, as noted above. This is another exception … but I do caution you to use it sparingly because little goes a long way … and the more you use, the longer it takes to dry. But Zip Dry is the best I’ve found and it really is quicker drying than most other wet glues, plus it does not wrinkle or warp your paper like some wet glues. I especially love using it when I am adhering large areas (but great for small areas too) … like one piece of card stock over another or photos in LOs and also for making boxes, which I hold in place with a paperclip until dry (a minute or so will do it). Also, when I do not have any chip board, I'll cut multiple pieces of the same item and use this adhesive to glue the pieces one on the top of the other for a thicker look. One of the nice things about using this glue is that since it is wet, you will have time to move your piece into the exact position you want before it dries, but move quickly as it is definitely fast drying. BTW, once this adhesive is dry, it has a very strong hold!

Pop Dots and Dimensionals – I would be remiss if I didn’t include these little jewels. Any time I want to have a nice dimensional look on my cards and other crafts … I use pop dots. These are a double-sided adhesive with a layer of soft foam in between. I love them and use them often. There are many different brands on the market, and they come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and thicknesses. Some brands even offer them in both black and white. I am not particularly picky about the brand I use, as they all seem to work pretty much the same … I haven’t found one yet that I didn’t like. In fact, a nice alternative is to use the scotch foam mounting tape … that works great too, and you can cut it to the exact size you need. Just a word of caution … dimensional have a super strong bond … be sure you know where you want the placement to be BEFORE you stick them down, because it’s next to impossible to remove without tearing, or at the very least scaring, your paper. Helpful Hint: The pop dots, and similar brands come on little sheets that you pull the dot off of … but when you’ve used all the dots, don’t throw that sheet away, you can also cut your negative space and use that too … it works just the same.

Scotch Tape and Packing Tape – Yes, I even use plain old scotch tape … any brand is fine. I often use scotch tape to adhere a strip of ribbon around a small piece of paper or card stock on my greeting cards. But you will be amazed at how handy it is to have a roll of scotch tape in your crafting room, and how often you will actually use it! After all, you do not need double sided tape for everything. The same applies to packing tape. You can’t send out a RAK (or other package) without it (((wink))).

I realize this is a rather long and extensive list of adhesives … and you may be wondering if I really have and, more importantly, do I actually use all of them. And the answer is YES! In fact, I use even more adhesives for other crafts (wood, glass, fabric, jewelry, etc.), however, at this time, I am writing about mainly paper crafting. If I had to narrow this selection of adhesives down to just a few, I would select the Glue Glider Pro and the Zig fine-tip glue pen. Luckily, I don’t have to do that, because I truly do use them all! (((grin)))

BTW, I have not been paid to endorse any of these products, nor have I been given free samples from any of the brands listed … this is simply my personal opinion and list of my favorite adhesives … and was posted in response to direct questions from some of you. (However, if there are any manufactures out there that would like to send me free product to try out and write my honest review/opinion on it ... I certainly invite you to do so! *wink*) ** Special note: Since the original writing of this report, I have received adhesives from the following companies ... Zip Dry from Beacon Adhesives and Crop & Glue Vellum Adhesive from Glue Arts. However, receiving these products had no reflection on the writing of this report ... I have been using these products for some time now because I believe them to be the best for my needs in their respective areas of use. I will continue to recommended them just as I did previously.

I hope you found this useful … feel free to leave me a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts ... and please feel free to share your favorite adhesives too ... I'm always open to trying new things.

Have a great week everyone!

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

Provo Craft Sweethearts Cartridge - Review and Card

2009-10-22T11:50:00.004-04:00

Greetings Everyone and WELCOME to my Little Creation Corner … This is ♥Carol♥ … and today I'd like to share my personal review of the new Cricut Sweethearts Cartridge and a card I made with it too!

(NOTE: Click on any image to see full size and detail)

I originally ordered this cartridge because there were a few images that I really wanted to have … the bicycle built for two, the couple sitting at a café table, the adorable little cupid, and several others. However, my excitement over this cartridge increased ten-fold when my girlfriend asked me if I would mind cutting a few images and sending them to her. The list of images she wanted cut ended up being at least two dozen … which gave me the chance to really work with this cartridge and check everything out closely right away. OH MY … This cartridge is loaded with so many wonderful images, and each one was so easy to cut. In fact, I found it was much easier to work with than many others. My mind is swimming with all the creative possibilities.

First, let’s talk about what’s on this cartridge … A wide selection of images, perfect for weddings, engagements, lovers/sweethearts, dating, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day … couples in various poses, hearts, gifts, bouquet, cupid and bow and arrow, shoes, gown and tuxedo, umbrella, bicycle built for two, cake, his and her towels, frog, cat, puppy, man proposing, ring and ring in box, envelope image, bells, church, birds in a nest, champagne glasses, scrolly pieces and design cuts, locks and keys, etc, plus word sentiments like love, sweetheart, bride, groom, I Do, puppy love, smitten kitten, kiss me, you’re invited, bridal shower, happy anniversary … and much more. BTW, you will also find shadow/blackout options, as well as layering features for most of the images. In addition, this cart also has a nice selection of cards, envelopes and tags.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the images on the Sweethearts cartridge …

Following is a glimpse of the other goodies with the special features options …

Keypad with Main Images

(Remember to click on images for full detail)

Layers

Cutting Your Images Into Fun Shapes Using Your Cricut - Tutorial

2009-10-14T10:12:00.001-04:00

Hiya Everyone! This is ♥Carol♥ hope you're all having a wonderful day!

Today I'd like to share a quick tutorial on Using Your Cricut to Cut Images into fun shapes. We all want our scrapbook pages, greeting cards and other crafts to be as unique as possible. We also want to use methods that won’t require hours and hours to complete. One way to achieve a unique look is to cut your images into delightful shapes using your Cricut. However, cutting your images so that they are perfectly centered within a shape cut can be a challenge, even for the most expert crafter.

If you are using the Cricut Expression or Cricut Create, and know the exact center point of your image, you can use the “center point” key by following these steps … 1) Place your image on the mat; 2) Load your mat in the Cricut; 3) Select your desired shape and Size; 4) Using the arrow keys, manually move the blade to the center of the image; and 4) Select the "Center Point" feature key; 5) Cut. I would definitely suggest FIRST trying this technique with a copy of the image you wish to use, as more often than not, finding the exact center is very difficult to do – but keep trying …. You will eventually have success.

Now I’d like to share with you another way to do it. There are few more steps involved, but they are easy, and it will cut the image into your desired shape perfectly every time without any waste. By the way, you can use this technique on ANY Cricut machine, regardless of the machine size. Simply follow these easy steps:

1) Use a piece of scratch paper, any kind at all, it can be typing paper, a page from a magazine, old scrapbook paper … something that you don’t mind cutting up. Place it on your mat and insert it into the machine.

2) Select the shape and size you wish to cut

3) Cut.

4) Remove the mat … but do not remove the paper.

5) Leaving the paper in place, remove only the cut out piece.

You now have a stencil-like cutout of your desired shape that looks something like this …

6) Without removing the paper completely, lift up one side of the paper and slide your image behind the stencil and adjust it so that it is centered and showing only the part of the image you wish to cut.

7) When it is positioned correctly, firmly press it down on the mat and remove your stencil paper.

8) Re-insert the mat into the Cricut

9) Re-cut your image using the same cut and size (Hint: use your “repeat last” button).

Your image will be cut perfectly into your desired shape.

If you would like to cut a mat for your image … increase the size of your desired shape and cut your matting paper. Repeat this same process for a double mat and again for a triple mat.

Your finished cut (with double mats) will look similar to this …

Just a few tips on cutting sizes ...

1) To determine the initial size of your cut, measure your image at it’s widest or highest point (whichever is greater) and add not less than ¼ inch so that you have at least a little boarder all the way around. Be sure to take into account for odd sizes … for example, a heart shape has two humps on the top, is wide in the center section and narrows to a point at the bottom.

2) Cutting your mat size ½ inch larger than your original cut will give you a ¼ inch boarder all the way around. Similarly, cutting your mat size 1 inch larger will give you a ½ inch boarder all the way around. Remember, if you are making a double or triple mat, each mat size must be cut increasingly larger.

Try it … I think you will be very pleased with the way this technique turns out and how easy it is to do. Don't forget to leave me a note and let me know how this technique works for you ... I love hearing your success stories.

HAVE A GREAT DAY and HAPPY CRICUTING EVERYONE!!! ☺

Chicken Soup - Tri Fold Card - FROM MY KITCHEN

2009-10-08T09:09:00.003-04:00

~*~*~

Special Note

Imagine my surprise ... this card was highlighted

in the November 3, 2009 issue of the

Cricut CHIRP ...

you can see the entire newsletter here ... http://www.cricut.com/newsletters/volume.aspx?ID=207

~*~*~

Greetings Everyone … This is ♥Carol♥ …

Today I’d like to share a card I made using the new Cricut Cartridge From My Kitchen. As you know, one of my passions, besides creating crafts with my Cricut, is writing poems and short verses … this has turned out to be a wonderful compliment to my greeting cards. Today’s card combines the two. It’s a simple little verse, but seems to fit perfectly for this card.

This is a tri-fold “Get Well” card. The base of the card was made with double-sided paper, which worked out really well when I folded up the two pocket flaps. BTW, I've also included a diagram with the measurements for making this card. (click on any image to see it larger). All cuts were made using the From My Kitchen Cricut cart. The print is computer generated onto card stock. I also added one wiggly eye and a ribbon for closure. A little hand doodling and the card was done.

Here is the face of the card ...

(just a reminder ... click on any image to view it larger).

This is the card with the first flap open ...

Here is the card fully opened ...

Here is a diagram of the card showing the measurements and score lines ...

(Remember ... Click on any image to enlarge)

I hope you enjoy this card and will give it a try, it's really an easy card to make, and you're welcome to use the verse as well if you'd like. Feel free to leave comments, I love seeing your thoughts!

Have a great day everyone ... and thanx for visiting my Little Creation Corner

Hugz,
♥Carol♥

Sharing More Cards

2009-10-07T10:14:00.000-04:00

Hiya Everyone ...

I thought I'd take a moment and share some previously made cards ... these are so easy and fun to make. Most use computer graphics combined with computer generated text ... plus a few cuts from my Cricut Expressions. I've also added my own special little verses to many of them. I especially like combining my two favorite hobbies together ... creative card making and poetry/verse writing. I hope you enjoy them ...

NOTE: Click on Images for a larger View

I hope you enjoy these simple little cards ... I'll be adding more soon.

THANX FOR STOPPING BY!

Hugz

Carol

SPECIAL REMINDER ... 2 DAYS LEFT TO ENTER THE GYPSY GIVE-AWAY!!!

2009-10-01T12:01:00.010-04:00

SPECIAL REMINDER ... If you haven't already done so... Be sure to enter the Gypsy Give-Away over at the Cutting Above Blog ... There are still 2 days left to enter ... see details below ... or better yet, go now to visit their blog and sign up to be a follower! They have a wonderful selection of talented Design Team members that will be bringing bringing you all the latest industry news, reviews, information, tutorials, videos, project ideas, and much much more. Be sure to visit them today!

Cutting Above Gypsy Giveaway!!

Oh goodness.......have you heard the news????

Cutting Above is THE new place for industry news, review information, tutorials, videos and just about anything else related to scrapbooking and die cut machines!!

AND

have you also heard that

Provo Craft is helping us celebrate! That's right. They have generously donated 2 Gypsies to be given away for our launch as well as to celebrate their Grand Opening on HSN!! Now that's exciting news!

Have you heard all about the Gypsy and what it can do? Wow . . what a kewl machine. If you haven't heard about it yet, let me run down just a few of the advantage to owning this fascinating tool:

Portability . . you can use it anywhere
Your cartridge library is now at your fingertips! This is great for scrapbook getaways and crops!
Hand held device is lightweight at 11 oz.
Ability to store up to 7000 cartridges!!
Comes with 2 full cartridges preloaded (sweeeeet!)
You can now view all your images without being tied to a manual or keypad
Perform a keyword search on all your cartridge images . . even for ones that you haven't uploaded. This is great for cartridge research and planning for that next purchase
Allows you to create templates when designing
Comes with a 12 month warranty from date of purchase
Ability to JAZ up your Gypsy with silicon skins, screen protectors and colored styluses

These are just some of the advantages of purchasing the Gypsy. To read more about this innovative new product and to even take the device for a test drive, visit the Provo Craft Gypsy web site.

BTW ... I already have the Gypsy ... and I have to say, this is one SWEET little gadget. I love the portability and the ability to make creative designs for my Cricut at anytime ... anywhere!!!

Don't forget to visit the Cutting Above Blog and check out all they have to offer, it really is a great place to visit. And while you are there ... don't forget to sign up to become a follower too!

You won't want to miss out on your opportunity to win one of the two Gypsies being given away!!!

Winter Woodlands Card Birthday Card - Made with the Gypsy

2009-09-25T16:33:00.001-04:00

Hello Everyone!

Thanx for stopping by ... hope you are all having a great day.

I did it ... Whewwww ... what a challenge ... I designed my first card using the Gypsy ... It took a while because there were so many cuts in different sizes. I'm proud of myself though because this was a great learning experience. I'm loving my new toy!

This is a birthday card for a MB member's DD who is turning 16 and a half. A long story, but it's a special celebration for them. This is the card I came up with, all cuts were made with the Winter Woodlands cart, including the center cut-out piece. I took the idea from my Ultimate Crafters Companion and designed it with my Gypsy so it could be cut on my "E". Printed paper, card stock, pop dots and a bow ... oh, and of course, one of my silly lil verses . Hope you like it!

This is the front of the card ...

Here's a close up ...

And here is the card Center ...

(Note: Click on any image to view full size)

I'd love to hear your comments ... Thanx for looking.

Have a Great Day Everyone!

Celebrate the 100th Cricut Cartridge - Week #3

2009-09-21T09:13:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder to everyone ...

Be sure to go to the http://www.cricut.com message board and check out the 100th Cricut Cartridge Celebration ... they are having a contest and giving away a Winter Woodlands cartridge to 20 lucky winners each week for five weeks. I was a lucky winner during week #1 ... we are now in week #3, so if you haven't entered yet ... go to the message board in the Cricut Chat Forum and check it out ... following are the particulars ...

Help us celebrate our 100th Cricut cartridge—Winter Woodland! That’s right, we reached 100 cartridges. As a thank you for our great Cricut community members we want you to celebrate with us. So, we’re giving away 100 cartridges over the next five weeks (20 per week).

Here’s how it will work.

Each week we will be posting a thread. When you respond to the thread you will be entered to win. You can enter once by replying and you can enter a second time by posting on your blog about the celebration and linking back to the cartridge product page. Here is the link to include in your blog.
http://www.cricut.com/shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?id=361&s=1&sc=2
Once you’ve posted on your blog with the link back you can post again to this thread.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE ... I HOPE YOU WILL BE A WINNER TOO!

WINNER in the Cricut's 100th Cartridge Celebration Give-Away!

2009-09-17T05:37:00.003-04:00

I WON!!! In Cricut’s 100th Cartridge Celebration! Yippeeee!

OMG … I am sooooo excited. I was just contacted by a member of the Cricut Admin Team that I was one of the winners for week #1 of Cricut's 100th Cartridge Celebration Give-Away! How great is that? Thank you Provo Craft! I’m doing the happy dance. Ü

For those that haven’t entered the contest yet … Don’t Hesitate another minute … go enter NOW. The only way to guarantee that you won’t win … is to not enter at all. With 20 winners selected every week for 5 weeks, a total of 100 winners will receive Cricut’s 100th cartridge, Winter Woodlands … Just like I did … Yippee!!!

Here’s what you could win …

Look at some of the wonderful images this cart has to offer ...

That is just a sampling ... there are other wonderful images, layers, card features, 3 dimensional houses and snowmen and trees, tags, and a fabulous font too!

Look below for additional information on how you could be a winner too!!! And head on over to cricut.com for even more information and your chance to enter now! ( http://www.cricut.com )

THANX AGAIN PROVO CRAFT!

Cricut's 100th Cartridge Celebration - Week 2

2009-09-16T04:33:00.000-04:00

Just a Reminder .... We are now in week 2 of Provo Crafts Celebration of their 100th Cricut Cartridge! As a thank you to the Cricut Community, PC is giving away 100 carts over a five week period (20 carts a week!). We are already in week 2, so if you haven't joined in the celebration yet ... I encourage you to do so ASAP so that your don't miss out on your chance to win.

Here's how it works ...

Each week Provo Craft will be posting a thread on the Cricut Message Board at http://www.cricut.com/. When you respond to the thread you will be entered to win. You can enter once by replying and you can enter a second time by posting on your blog about the celebration and linking back to the cartridge product page. Here is the link to include in your blog ... http://www.cricut.com/shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?id=361&s=1&sc=2 Once you’ve posted on your blog with the link back you can post again to the thread.

Good Luck Everyone!

A New Blog in Town

2009-09-15T08:18:00.001-04:00

Oh goodness.......have you heard the news about the new Blog in Town????

The new blog is Cutting Above, and I am super excited to be joining the collection of other talented and fabulous ladies as a Design Team Member. Check it out at http://www.cuttingabove.blogspot.com/

Cutting Above is THE new place for industry news, review information, tutorials, videos and just about anything else related to scrapbooking and die cut machines!!

Provo Craft is helping us celebrate! That's right. They have generously donated 2 Gypsies to be given away for our launch as well as to celebrate their Grand Opening on HSN!!

Check it out and be sure to enter for your chance to win a new Gypsy!!!

So how can you win? Well it's really easy ....

1) On your blog and 2 other forums (where allowed), create a post about the show on HSN airing September 24th. Please also post about the Cutting Above blog and its debut. (Note: If you do not have a blog, please post to at least 3 places to be eligible)

2) Become a follower of the Cutting Above blog!

3) Put our blinkie on your blog or any other forum/group etc. you belong (again where allowed)

4) Comment to the post with your follower information, links of your 3 posts along with a link to your blog where our blinkie is listed.

Comments should be posted by 12:00 midnight EST on October 2nd

So stop by the Cutting Above Blog ... and GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
http://www.cuttingabove.blogspot.com/

A Simple Card - Playing With Scraps

2009-09-14T10:24:00.007-04:00

My friend Maggie invited me to join her at a crop this week-end ... what a great time I had. Lots of fun conversations ... I met several new friends that enjoy the same passion for scrapping and card crafting that I do, and even met up with old friends that I hadn't seen in a while. What a great group of ladies they are!

Lots of creativity going on all over the place ... I'll share that I was doing more socializing than crafting ... but that's just how I am! (((wink))) We shared tools and techniques ... I had the chance to try out my new Spellbinders shapeabilities and boarderabilities ... which I totally love ... and they were a great hit by many of the other ladies there.

Towards the later part of the evening, I had started putting my things away knowing that the evening would be ending soon and not wanting to start something new that I wouldn't have time to finish. As I sat there and continuted to chat, I started playing with some of my left over scraps. Mostly with the Core'dinations paper. OMG ... I totally love this paper ... if you haven't tried it yet, all I can say is ... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???? This paper is fabulous! Ü

Anyway ... here's the card I made from my scraps ... as you can see, there is almost no cuts on it at all ... just a lot of torn paper, some cuttling and a little sanding to bring out the wonderful colors from the core'dinations paper that I cuttled ... a pair of google eyes (which came from one of the ladies there that was kind enough to share from her stash) and a ribbon ... Oh, and I did use my MS branch punch too. That's it ... waaa laaa, a simple little card.

Yes, I know it looks like a child made it ... hey, what can I say, I was having fun playing with scraps! (((big ole grin)))

(click on images for a larger view)

Provo Craft Celebrates their 100th Cricut Cartridge

2009-09-10T03:09:00.003-04:00

If you are a member of the Cricut Message Board, you have likely already heard the news ... Provo Craft is Celebrating their 100th Cricut Cartridge with a fun contest. If you’re not a member yet … now would be a great time to join the Cricut MB (http://www.cricut.com/default.aspx) … not just for this contest … but because it’s a wonderful place to share your Cricut creations, ask general crafting questions, be inspired by incredibly talented crafters, and develop beautiful new friendships with others that share your same joy of crafting.

To celebrate their 100th Cartridge, Provo Craft has made the following invitation …

“Help us celebrate our 100th Cricut cartridge — Winter Woodland! That’s right, we reached 100 cartridges. As a thank you for our great Cricut community members we want you to celebrate with us. So, we’re giving away 100 cartridges over the next five weeks (20 per week).”

So stop by the Cricut MB to see what it’s all about and join in the fun … and be sure to check out this link too!

http://www.cricut.com/shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?id=361&s=1&sc=2

Good luck to everyone that enters the contest!

$250 Shopping Spree at The Scrapping Cottage

2009-09-01T16:22:00.004-04:00

How would you like to win a $250 shopping spree at the Scrapping Cottage? That's right - the winner will get to choose $250 worth of products at The Scrapping Cottage!

Check it out here ...

http://scrappingcottage.blogspot.com/2009/08/win-250-shopping-spree-at-scrapping.html

Etched Dishes

2009-09-01T15:41:00.000-04:00

Greetings Everyone!

With the Holidays just around the corner ... I know that many of you are looking for gift ideas. Why not try etching something? The process is easy and lots of fun ... and best of all, the end results are beautiful.

Here are some dishes that I etched for my Son and his family. The set includes dinner plates, salad/dessert plates, bowls and cups - service for 8. It was a lot of fun to do and soooooooo easy. I only had a small 3 oz bottle of the etching cream, and amazingly enough, I barely used half of it. The cream really goes a long way.

I used my Cricut to cut out the stencils and with the Joys of the Season cartridge (layer 1) for the birds and heart image and the Storybook cartridge for the lettering.

Following the pics ... are detailed etching directions. (click on image to enlarge)

Here are the basic directions ....

1) Cut a stencil out of vinyl (cuts great on the Cricut) of your desired shapes and/or words - NOTE: Be sure to consider the direction of your cut, this is particularly important for lettering .. in other words, are you putting the lettering on the inside or outside of the item ... invert the cut if necessary (for my glass set, the plates were etched on the inside/bottom and the image shines thru, the cups and bowls were etched on the outside/front and you see a direct view, so I turned the image around when I cut it).

2) Press the reusable transfer paper over the top of your vinyl cut, making sure to work all the bubbles out, and slowly pull the adhesive protector sheet off of the back of your stencil.

3) Apply your stencil to your CLEAN glass item, making sure to work out any kinks or air bubbles, and remove the transfer paper (keep the transfer paper, it's reusable!). The nice thing about the vinyl is that if you don't like where you've placed it, you can still lift it up, move it, and restick it easily.

4) Apply a coat of etching cream - you can be generous, the cream goes a long way, but there is no need to goop it on too thick, you'll just be waisting the product. To apply the cream, use a stencil brush or dauber, or even a small piece of damp sponge. HINT#1: hold it up to the light to be sure you didn't miss any spots. HINT #2: Check to be sure you didn't splatter any excess etching cream in an unwanted area, and remove with cloth or paper towel if you did.

5) Allow to dry for minimum of 5 minutes ... however I recommend waiting 15-30 minutes. I experimented with this a little ... and saw no noticable difference in the etched image if you wait longer than the 15-30 minutes, however, if you leave it on to long the excess etching cream becomes increasingly more difficult to remove.

6) While stencil is still in place, rinse off the excess etching cream using regular tap water. NOTE: I used luke-warm water and a soft sponge and lightly rubbed the excess cream while holding the item under the running water. This method made the removal very quick and easy.

7) Lastly, remove the stencil, rinse again if necessary, and waaaa laaaa, you now have a beautiful piece of etched glass.

I use an assembly line method when I made the dishes ... 1) cut all stencils ... 2) applied stencil to all dish pieces ... 3) applied etching cream to each piece ... 4) waited 15-30 minutes ... 5) washed off excess cream ... 6) removed stencils ... 7) washed and dried glass piece ... 8) package and wrap up gift ... 9) Place package under tree (or in my case, mail off to DS and DIL )

Other Helpful Hints ...

1) Be sure to apply a nice solid coating of the etching cream ... you don't need to "glob" it on super thick ... but you do want to be sure that it is well covered.

2)  Some types of treated glass will not etch well - pyrex brand for example ... some do fine, while others do not. I'm not sure why, but I'm guessing that since the etching cream technique is actually chemically changing the surface of the glass, it conflicts with the chemical changes some glass types have already received to withstand the high baking temperatures (not sure if that's true or not, but in my pea brain, it makes sense).

3)  Textured glass does not take etching well ... nor does the glass that appears to be crackeled. Colored glass is sometimes difficult to etch too.

4)  The etching cream seems to work best with larger (or thicker) images ... it actually looks the same, but it shows up better when more surface is covered. That is why I used the bulky Storybook font opposed to a slender font like Jasmine or Opposites Attract. Did you notice how the birds and heart show up so nicely on the bowl? I struggled trying to get the stencil to adhere to the curve of the bowl when I used the full name, so I decided to just do the birds/heart image, except that I made it extra large (it still fit in with the theme of the set, so I liked it just fine) ... the larger image popped out much nicer than any of the others.

5)  Be sure your surface is extra clean before you start. If there is any oily residue on the glass, it does effect the etching. Washing with soap and water first usually helps ... cleaning with rubbing alcohol and sponge or cotton ball, then wiping dry with a paper towel or cloth works well too.

BTW ... This process is permanent ... Short of breaking the item, your images will never wash off or fade. They will always be there.

Give it a try, and be creative ... try etching on vases, glasses, mirrors, the glass in picture frames ... or any other glass item you can think of!

Walk In My Garden - Layered Flower Card

2009-08-31T16:10:00.000-04:00

Today I thought it was a good idea to try uploading a card. This is for trial purposes only as I am attempting to get this Blog up and running.

This card was was made by me several months ago ... It was made using the Walk In My Garden and Accents Essentials Cricut Carts. Again, this post is for the purpose of checking my skills at downloading an image ... (please click on image for a larger view)

Day Two

2009-08-29T11:18:00.000-04:00

Here it is, day 2 ... Warning! Warning! Warning!  UNDER CONSTRUCTION Hard Hat Area Only!!!

Yes, I am still trying to get this blog up and running. Admittedly, I am no more knowledgable about how to do this than I was yesterday. If you took a peek at this blog yesterday, you must be totally shocked at what you see today ... EVERYTHING looks different. That's my fault ... I can't quite settle on a background that I like.   I have been searching the world wide web and have found thousands and thousands of backgrounds that I could use ... and hundreds and hundreds of those that I liked a lot. But somehow, once I actually had them on my page, they just didn't seem quite right. (Has that ever happened to you?) And just so you won't be too shocked the next time you come back for a visit, I'll let you know right now that I am likely to change this yet again!

Thank you one and all for stopping by ... I am so happy that you found me and stopped in for a visit ... I truly apologize for the state my blog is in ... as you can see. there really isn't anything here to see at all. Eventually that will change and I will be where I want to be (she says wishfully) ... till then, the 'UNDER CONSTRUCTION' sign will remain on the door. I hope you'll come back again for another visit soon and check on my progress.   Oh, and BTW, be sure to leave your hard hat at the door!   (((wink)))

First Opening Post

2009-08-28T15:41:00.001-04:00

Hello Friends ... My Blog, "Little Creation Corner" is brand new ... please have patience with me as the creation of this Blog transforms, hopefully, into a place you'll want to visit again and again.