Sketch Challenge #2

Welcome to our Sketch Challenge.  

This is Amy from Amy's Digi Scraps and welcome to the another Sketch Challenge! On the 20th of each month, I will post a sketch for you to enjoy!  I posted a card variation but you can make it a layout as well.  Please visit the Sketch Challenge link for more information about our monthly Sketch Challenges.

This time I designed a page sketch and then I created a card to work with it.  This shows how you can take any sketch and make it work with your project.  You don't have to use every element in a sketch, and you can move the elements around.  Don't stress over it.  A sketch is really just a jumping point to get your creative juices flowing so you can start creating.  Many times I will start with a sketch and my finished project will look Nothing like the sketch!  lol

 

I am a CTMH consultant and I love their products, so this contains almost all CTMH items.  I started with a blank white card stock and stamped my own pattern onto it using Holiday Red ink (retired) so that I would have matching paper for my design.  Then I layered a patterned paper over the middle and stamped the larger version of the flower onto an extra piece of card stock and trimmed it out.  A single green brad from my stash in the center helps it to pop.  The "Title" element was tilted at an angle for a quirky vibe to go with the whimsical feel of this card.  I did use a yellow patterned paper there to help pull out the yellows in the patterned paper also.  Inking using the same red color around each of the elements helps to make them pop as well as give them a cohesive feel.  I didn't need the journaling spot, and using the printed paper helped to keep that area from being visual

 

We would love to see what you can do with this Sketch.  Please create a card or layout and upload the image to this post in the InLinkz!  Remember that you must use your Cricut in creating your project for the Sketch Challenge.

Happy Halloween!

Hi Everyone! This is Kim from imlosingitonceandforall again. Hope you all are enjoying your October so far. It's amazing that we are already half way through the month! I was really undecided on what to do for this month's post but decided to go with the Halloween theme since this is the month and all. :o) So without further adieu here it is!

I had a lot of fun creating this and used several of my crafty items that I've either long forgot about or just recently purchased and didn't bother to use yet. Signing up for this blog was one of the best things for me because I really have been using things from my stash. The only thing I had to buy for this was the vellum  I could have swore I had some but had no luck in locating it and really wanted the effect it would bring. 

It really was super easy. I started out with a $2 unfinished frame that I purchased from Michael's some time back and painted it with an Adirondack Citrus paint dabber. I was a bit impatient for it to dry so I went ahead and used my heat gun to dry it. I actually hoped that it would age it a bit but no luck. No worries though because to get the darkened edges I just swiped my Black Soot distress stain from Tim Holtz all around.

As for the cuts I used a couple cartridges for this. The web was cut twice once in vellum and then again in black cardstock (all of the measurements are from my Gypsy so they are not in normal inch format) and are 4.93 for the width and 4.71 for the height. The bat was from Paper Doll Dress Up in purple cardstock and measured at 5.02 for width and 6.29 for the height. Lastly I cut the Boo! from Mini Monsters in orange cardstock at 3.59 for the width and 4.00 for the height.

After cutting everything out I cut the black spider from the web and glued it to the top of the vellum spider. I then found some mismatched googly eyes and glued those on. 

For the bat I really wanted him to have some dimension so I scored his wings and did a little accordion fold. He also needed some googly eyes so I found a couple more and stuck them on. I also outlined the cricut cut lines to give a mouth and define his wings.

Lastly I had the Boo! to deal with. The orange was a bit bright for my taste on this project so I wanted to rough it up a bit. I recently purchased some Faber Castell Gelatos so I snagged the purple one and outlined all of the edges. I then just took my finger and smeared it everywhere to rough it up. I really liked how it turned out. 

I then glued all my pieces on but I still felt that it could use something else so I pulled out my Goosebumps Shimmer Texture Spray and misted the entire project. Unfortunately the picture just won't turn out of the entire frame coated in it but you can see some of it in the other pictures I've posted. This was the first time that I've altered or dolled up a frame and I'm quite pleased. I do wish though that the picture I have in it printed out better but that's our home printer for you! I'll be looking to have one printed at the local store I think LOL

Hope you've enjoyed my project and I look forward to posting again for you next month! 

Happy Halloween!

Cricut Info & Supplies Used:

Designed By: Kim

Cricut Machines Used: E2, Gypsy

Cricut Cartridges Used:  Paper Trimmings, Paper Doll Dress Up, Mini Monsters

Supplies Used: Purple, Black, and Orange cardstock, vellum. Random googly eyes, wooden frame from Michael's, Goosebumps Shimmer Texture Spray, Adirondack Citrus Paint Dabber, Tim Holtz Black Soot Distress stain and Fiber Castell dark purple gelato stick.

Halloween Zombie Layout

Hey there, it's Freda of CannCreate Designs. It's an honor to be here sharing my favorite hobby with you again. I've got a Halloween Layout I made for my grandson's Halloween costume this year. He has decided to be a Zombie again this year. Not one of those cutesy little ones, he and his dad go all out - complete with fake bloody wounds with glow in the dark maggots...Gross!!! Obviously, I had to make a layout fit for their gory get-ups...no cutesy layout again this year...lol I have included a link to the CCR cut file for this project since I manipulated the height/width ratios on 3 of the cuts which can't be done outside of the software.

Zombies:

Zombies Title and Shadow @ 1.75" (I wanted an additional layer so I glued the top layer to black cardstock and hand trimmed a thin border before adhering to the cream shadow

Cricut Craft Room Basics:

2012 @ .625" out of black cardstock (if using craft room place these letters over the gate sign, do not

weld so they cut out of the sign.

Happy Hauntings:

Frames - Page 43-Cut 2 <Frame6> @ 5"

Hands - Page 47-Cut 3<Fram10-s> Layer 1 @ 2.5"

Hands - Page 47-Cut 3<Fram10-s> Layer 1-Flipped @ 2.5"

Hands - Page 47-Cut 1<Fram10-s> Layer 1-Adjust height to 5" and width to 2.75

Hands - Page 47-Cut1 <Fram10-s> Layer 1-Flipped-Adjust height to 5" and width to 2.75

Moon - Page 60-Cut 1 <Grave1> Layer 1 - Hide grass make moon 10.5" Or any 10.5" Circle

Gate - Page 60-Cut 1 <Graveyrd> @ 5.75"

Headstones - Page 60-Cut 1 <Grvyrd-s> @ 5.75" leave height the same, change width to 11.25

Grass Mound - Page 60-Cut 1 <Graveyrd-s> @ 5.75" leave height the same, change width to 11.25

Gate Sign - Page 60-Cut 1 <Grvyrd-s> Layer 1 at 5.75" I hid the brad holes in Craft Room and added the 2012 to make a single layer sign

Assembly Directions:

Step 1 - Start with a dark blue 12 x 12 piece of carstock for a base, sponge with white ink/chalk to make it look like a night sky with faint clouds.

Step 2 - Sponge areas of black and white on the Moon cut to give it a little texture.

Step 3 - Have your orange gate sign, a post it note (use the adhesive part of the post it to cover the 2012 letters-including the center of the "0" in the correct position), some black glitter and a glitter tray. Spray the front of the gate with spray adhesive, move gate to glitter tray, quickly place the gate sign in place-remove post it then cover gate in black glitter. Shake off excess glitter and remove the post-it. Set aside to dry.

Step 4 - Using black ink or chalk, sponge around the hands, grass, tombstones, frames.

Step 5 - Overlap the cuffs on the hands and glue as seen in the pictures. Take a black marker and create "fingernails" on the fingers of each of the hands. Using a Sakura glitter gel pen of your color choice color over the black fingernails. Let dry and apply a second layer of gel pen.

Step 6 - Adhere the tombstone layer even with the bottom of the page leaving a spot at the top of the mound to slide the moon behind.

Step 7 - Adhere the moon with the bottom slightly behind the tombstone layer.

Step 8 - Next adhere the bottom only of the grass lined up with the tombstone layer. arrange the 3 small pairs of hands between the grass and tombstone layers in front of each tombstone. Place adhesive on the back and front of the cuff on the hands so the grass layer is secured.

Step 9 - Place adhesive on the bottom flat portion of the gate only. Line up with the bottom of the page and adhere. Choose one of the hands that is by the gate and pull it through to the front...( the rest of the gate will be glued down in a later step)

 

Step 10 - Arrange the 2 frames around the gate, leaving room for the title. Place a small dot of glue on the bottom flourish of each frame (leave enough space to add your pictures).

Step 11 - Arrange the large Zombie hands behind the gate sign area and arrange fingers over the photo frame area. Glue cuffs behind the gate sign. Place 1 pop dot in the palm area of each hand, place 2 pop dots stacked on top of each other closer to the finger area of each hand.

 

Step 12 - Glue a few loose edges of the gate down, add a Queen and Company Goosebump Teardrop to the finial of the gate. Place Black pearls on the Gate Sign, the picture frame and skull eyes in the title.

Step 13 -Pop dot the Zombies title in place.

Happy Hauntings!!!!   Happy Halloween.... Freda

 

Cricut Info & Supplies Used:

Designed By: Freda

Cricut Machines Used: E2, Cricut Craft Room

Cricut Cartridges Used:  Craft Room Exclusives Zombie, Cricut Craft Room Basics, Happy Hauntings

Supplies Used: Dk Blue, Gray, Black, Orange Metallic, and Cream Cardstock. Sakura Gel Pen-turqoise colored. Queen & Company Black Pearls and Turquoise teardrop. Martha Stewart's Fine Black Glitter. Adhesive spray, Pop Dots and Scotch Fast Dry Adhesive.

 

Click Here to Download CCR Cut File

Nuts About You

Greetings fellow Cricut FANatics! This is Michele from Scrap-n-Dance.blogspot.com! I have created a fall themed two page layout for you!

I have a few friends that have asked me to create kits for them, and this is one that I finished up not too long ago. I really like how this one turned out. Let me tell you how I created it!

I used my Gypsy to do this, so if you want to copy it exactly, you'll need a Gypsy or Design Studio, mainly because the tree is sized so big that it's trunk is off the mat, and only the Gypsy or Design Studio can cut something sized bigger than the mat.

I loved the title, but I worried that the words might get lost on the busy background paper, and there was no shadow option for it. But, you don't always have to use a shadow of the shape, all you need is something to set it off... and I thought two acorns welded together as a background for the title was perfect. In fact, I liked it more because it was different from the usual phrase shadow.

If you like, before you put all the pieces together, ink the edges of them. "Cutesy" pages like this can seem more "grown up" after inking the edges of everything with dark brown ink. I found this out when one friend, who'd seen these pages in their initial stages before ink, and then saw it later when it was completely done... She didn't want a kit at first, it was too cutesy for her. But the inking changed her mind completely.

The ribbon is seam binding that I had dyed using Distress Stain in Fired Brick color. I laid down a strip of tacky tape adhesive, then as I laid down the ribbon, I pinched pleats in it. This gives the layout texture and dimension, more than even pop dots can! 

Tree:  Create A Critter 2 @ 13.85 inches (with the lower trunk hanging off the mat)
Squirrel:  Create A Critter @ 4 inches (I hid the mouth on my Gypsy, as I don't care for those weird smiles sometimes)
Title:  Just Because Cards @ 13.50 inches
Leaves:  Doodlecharms @ 2 inches
Acorn title background: Create A Critter @ 6.53 inches, TWO welded together
Small Acorns:  Create A Critter @ 2.25 inches

Cricut Info & Supplies used:
Designed by Michele Donner-Ramsey
Cricut Machines used:  Gypsy, Expression
Cricut Cartridges used:  Create A Critter 2, Create A Critter, Just Because Cards, Doodlecharms
Other Supplies:  Bazzill Cardstock, DCWV Autumn Melody Stack, Seam Binding ribbon, Ranger Distress Fired Brick Stain, Ranger Distress Ink Walnut Stain, adhesives

Folded Halloween Mini

Hello everyone!  Doreen here from Polkadotpaperprincess.blogspot.com.  Hope you are having a spooktacular October! 

I have made a Halloween mini for you from one folded piece of 12x12 paper!  

Here is the front of the book. 

The tag is made from Chic & Scary and the Rosette is made from Ribbons and Rosettes. 

Here are the inside pages.  The side without the embellishments were left plain to allow placement for pictures.   I intentionally made it look rough to add the the "spookiness".

 There is lots of glitter and washi tape applied to the album.  I also love the ribbon flowers!!!

The image on this page would have been upside down.  So to avoid that look, I  painted it with white paint, then orange. The circle is a large rub-on to which I added a black ribbon flower.  I also added a matt to the opposite page.  The black "spot" is the flower.  I couldn't get it to photo better.  It looks a little spooky! See the cute little kitty bling in the corner!

This back page has a chipboard sticker added to it.  

Here are the tags for the inside.  They are made from Wrap it Up!  The kitty on the fence is a stamp I added to the tag.  I think it's a Technique Tuesday stamp.

Here's how the album was made:

If I have not made the directions clear enough, let me know.  I can easily do a short video or answer questions! 

Score at 3, 6 and 9 inches from the top to the bottom of the 12x12 piece of paper.

Rotate paper 90 degrees and score again at 3, 6 & 9 inches.

 Now cut at the 3" score line starting at the top and going all the way down to the last score mark.  (3" from the bottom - horizontal line.)   Do the same at the 9" score line. 

 Flip the paper in the opposite direction (180degrees) and cut on the 6" score line  from the top down to the 3" horizontal score line.  You will note the paper is sideways.  This is because the design I want to use is the "A" side which has a directional look.  That is to say a "top" and a "bottom".  If it doesn't matter to you which way the design faces, it doesn't matter what way you put the paper.  If you want part of the paper to face upwards (like mine does) you must turn the paper so the design starts sideways!

You will end up with something that looks like a "W" or "M" depending on which way you look.

 Fan fold the paper.  You will then need to either tape, sew, bind or glue the edges.  You will end up with pockets if you like.  I alternated them so I had one pocket on the top followed by a side pocket.  This can be achieved by where you put your adhesive.  You can have no pockets if you choose, just tape all of the edges!

 Practice folding the paper to see which direction you want your favorite image to show up.  If you don't have any directional images (like card stock) it's even faster!

Enjoy!

Designed by:  Doreen

Machines used:  Expression & Gypsy

Project type:  Mini Album

Cartridges used:   Chic & Scary, Wrap it Up, Ribbons & Rosettes

Supplies:  Ribbon flowers, washi tape, glue, glitter, ATG tape, rub-ons, twine, 7Gypsies tape, tulle, bling, scissors or cutting board

The Bewitching Hour

 

 

Hi Friends and Fellow Crafters! It's Colleen from Col's Creative Corner and

I am very excited to be back this month at our Cricut FANatics blog! Thank you Debbie for all the hard work you do to keep this amazing blog running.

 

This month I am sharing an altered canvas with you that was so easy to create! I was looking through the handbook for A Frightful Affair when on page 48, I came across a cat under a streetlight! I love cats, so I found myself on a mission to use that cut! I decided it would be perfect for an altered canvas. There have been many members of the message boards posting wonderful altered canvas artwork. One of my favorites is by Coah's Nana. It's a canvas called Scaredy Cat, if you would like to see it, stop at her Blog. 

I started by tearing some scraps of Halloween paper I had and adding it to the canvas. I smoothed down all the bumps before adding my cuts. I used Martha Stewart Decoupage Glue and Sealer on the canvas and cuts.

I used some ranger paints and stains to add color.

When I cut the image, I decided that I wanted the cat to be more of the main focal point. It is very small in the original sizing and I wanted a bigger kitty! I only wanted to enlarge the cat, but the CCR gave me some trouble cutting my version of the cat with the contours of the streetlight hidden. After arguing with the CCR, I ended up cutting another cat from the RIP cats on page 54. It worked out just fine in the end. LOL!

Here is a pic of the original cat and the larger version that I used.

I added some Martha Stewart coarse glitter to the streetlight's glow and when it was dry, I used some Tim Holtz Distress Ink , Squeezed Lemonade to give it an evening glow.

 

 

I adhered my cuts to the canvas and used some Queen & Co. Trendy Tape to dress the edges of the canvas. Don't you just love Washi Tape?

 

 

I stapled some ribbon on the sides of the canvas so that I could hang it on the wall. The title is from A Frightful Affair, and the bats are from Chic & Scary and Oct. 31st. That is also some spider web Washi Tape running on the corner of the canvas. The word hour started as black and white paper that I colored with a yellow copic marker and inked it with Tim Holtz Distress ink in Black Soot.

 

I added some Jolee's Crystals to that cat's collar and a spider web from Chic and Scary.

 

 

I went back and I added glossy accents to the cat and bats. It was very damp here today, so the Glossy Accents isn't fully dried in the 1st picture. I sealed the canvas with Liquitex Matte Finish.

 

Here is one final look at the canvas.

 

 

When I received my Expression in 2008, I would have never imagined that I would be creating altered art with my cartridges. I thought it was just for scrapbooking. Silly me!

 

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today! Happy Crafting!

 

Cricut Info & Supplies Used:

Designed By: Colleen McCauley

Cricut Machines Used: CCR, Cricut Anniversary Expression 2

Project Type: Home Decor

Project Theme: Halloween

Cricut Cartridges Used: A Frightful Affair, Teresa Collins Chic & Scary, October 31st

Supplies Used: Artist Canvas (8x10), Cardstock and Halloween Papers from my stash, Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers, Time Holtz Distress Inks, Tim Holtz Distress Stain, Copic Markers, Jolee's Crystals, Trendy Tape, Ribbon, Martha Stewart Decoupage Glue, Ranger Glossy Accents and Liquitex Matte Gel to seal the canvas.



October Special Guest Designer - Cindy Royal

Please give a big welcome to our October Special Guest Designer - Cindy Royal.

Cindy was a former Circle Blog DT member and also taught classes at some of the Cricut Events. We have missed seeing her work and so pleased to have her on Cricut FANatics Blog today.

Hello Cricut Fans.   Cindy here to share a really quick Halloween Wreath for your door.   There’s so many great Halloween cartridges to work with, but my all time favorite spider web is from the Teresa Collins Chic and Scary cartridge. 

 

I cut my Spider Web and then, because I wanted it to be wreath-like, I cut the center out.  I actually cut three webs and adhered them together to give it a little more stability, offsetting the top most one just a little for more depth.  Of course, you could cut one from chipboard for the same effect, but I’m not a big fan of cutting chipboard.  Once I glued the webs together, I sprayed them with a gold glimmer mist spray.  I usually quickly wipe off excess spray, but this time I let it stay, wanting the usually despised warping of my paper to give it a little more character. Once it was dried, I adhered gems to it along the inside and outer spokes.

 

Spiders!  This is my favorite spider, from the October 31st cartridge.  I cut several and then applied brown flocking to the heads and bodies.  All there’s left to do is glue them to the web. I used Helmar Liquid Scrap dots to allow them a little lift. 

 

I found this grey webbing at Dollar Tree and decided to drape it behind my web.  

This is just a starting point.  You can use your favorite web and your favorite spiders.  You can put anything you want on your wreath and you don’t really have to cut out the center, it’ll still be a nice door piece or wall hanging.  Try it in other colors... oranges, purples, black.

Cricut Info and Supplies Used:

Designed by:  Cindy Royal

Cricut Cartridges:  Teresa Collins Chic and Scary (spider web cut @ 11”)

                                  October 31st cartridge (spiders but @ 2.5”)

Other Supplies Used: cardstock, gems, brown flocking, glimmer spray

40th Birthday Banner

Hi everyone. Sorry I'm late posting today. Yesterday was my 40th birthday and I was up till 3 this morning. I had an old fashioned slumber party with some of my girlfriends. We had a blast! :) Anyway, I made a 40th Birthday Banner for my party that I would like to share with you. I cut the pennants at 7" from Birthday Bash. The letters are cut at 4 1/2" from the Sophisticated cartridge. I hope you enjoy. :) Edited to add: I was in such a hurry to get my blog post up that I didn't scroll down first and haven't been on the blog in a couple of days since I was getting ready for the party. Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU to Sis and Nadia! I Adore both my cards and can't wait to get them. :) You've sure made an old girl feel special today! lol

Boxed Birthday Card

Hello!  This is Nadia from the my blog, With Glittering Eyes.  Today, I have a boxed birthday card to share!

Sometimes the card we make is the gift we give.  To make it more gift-like, I have been thinking about creating boxes for cards that are part of the design, where the card peeks through a window.  With this idea in mind, I decided to make a boxed birthday card for my message board friend, Sherry (Octoberbeauty), who is having a milestone birthday this year (yesterday actually).  We share a day as designers on this blog!  

First, I created a box using Cricut Wild Card (page 80), cut at 7".  I used a print and positioned the paper on my mat for cutting with the Expression by placing the top of the print on the right of the mat. I later cut a piece of recycled clamshell for a window at 4-7/16" square.  (Packaging from Cuttlebug folders works great for this!)

Next, I cut a card to insert by cutting an 8-7/8" x 4-7/16" rectangle on the paper trimmer.  I scored at the middle with an Xacto knife to have a card that finishes at 4-7/16" square.  I cut a decorative paper at 4-7/16" and applied to the top.  

I used a brown ink pad and rubbed it over the edges of the box and card to give it a little character... you know, the way aging gives character.  (Get used to the aging jabs, you whippersnapper, you!  Just another service I provide as a person who is older than you, Sherry.)

I created hinges-- more character-- by cutting them from Fabulous Finds (page 118) at 3/4".  I sanded the metallic paper to scuff it up and make it more authentic-looking. I scored the centers with a bone folder to help them bend smoothly.  I attached the hinges to the fold of the card and the top of the box at the opening with Scotch Quick Dry Glue and used a burnishing tool to indent them where screws would be inserted on a real hinge.

For the card insert, I added artwork from the Imagine Yummy cartridge, cutting extra layers to pop up for dimension.  I kept it simple because the box design elements had to work with it. I added a tiny hand-colored butterfly.  These elements were popped up 1/8" to 3/8".

For the front of the box, I printed and cut a 6" figure from the Yummy cartridge twice.  I cropped off her legs, hand-cut off one arm from the second figure and popped it up and inked it for dimension.  I added an extra popped up bow and flower on her hat.  I added a pompom for her party hat and Glossy Accents to her lips.

I applied her to the box with 1/8" pop dots on her upper body and box, but adhered her flush at the bottom.

I hand-cut butterflies from a glittery printed paper for the box front embellishments.

I cut a banner from Artiste (page 58) at 1" in the same plaid used on the card insert and stamped it with the coordinating CTMH stamp.

I adhered the banner after bowing it out.  The butterflies were adhered with pop dots and Scotch Quick Dry Glue.  I added extra packages, popping up one.

When the card is inserted...

It becomes a fun, boxed gift card!

To Sherry:  I hope you had a Happy Birthday yesterday!  (And I hope my card got to you before you saw this post... if not, well, surprises are over-rated anyway and hard on the aged... hahaha)  And I am looking forward to your project later today on this blog!

For everyone else, thank you for checking out my project today!  You can see many of my previous projects by visiting My Project Gallery on my blog.....And be sure you visit my blog November 10 when I will be part of the Holly Jolly Blog Hop!

Cricut Info & Supplies Used:

Designed By: Nadia Herbst-McConnell

Cricut Machines Used: Expression and Imagine

Project Type: card

Project Theme: Birthday

Cricut Cartridges Used: Wild Card, Fabulous Finds, Yummy, Artiste

Suppies Used: Card stock and metallic paper from my scrap bin, ATG tape, Scotch Scrapbookers glue, 1/8" foam squares (pop dots), white and black gel pens, brown and black ink pads, recycled clamshell plastic, Terrifically Tacky Tape, sanding block, Artiste Stamp from CTMH