Purrrrrr...

I was up late last night. Actually, way too late. I get up at 6:30am on weekdays so after midnight just shouldn't happen. Unfortunately, I took a nap after church yesterday, so that messed with my schedule. I was looking for some inspiration and I saw this cat on the Cindy Loo cartridge. Isn't she so "precious?" Hee! I cut the cat at 4" and added pearls to the gray damask paper and the kitty's flower. I am a lover of anything black and white and damask can be seen all over my home. I hope everyone has a fabulously wonderful day!!!

Birthday for my Nephew and Giveaway Update!!

Hey!

Today is my sweet nephew Henry's birthday. His dad, my brother-in-law, is currently in Afghanistan serving our country as an Army Chaplain. Please pray for Joe and his family, especially Henry. This is Joe's first deployment and Henry looks up to his dad so much!! We want him home safe more than anything in he world! He has a wife and four children, one of whom just turned 1 last week. Joe and Henry both LOVE music, so I made this card for Henry's birthday:

Does it blind you? LOL!! It's a really simple card and perfect for him. It's an A2 sized card and I used the Rock Princess cartridge and cut the guitar at 4".  I used My Pink Stamper stamps for the sentiment. No surprise there, huh? Well, the other day, I won my first set of Peachy Keen stamps. I think I'm gonna be in trouble!! I cannot WAIT to get them in the mail. :)

Here's an update on my impending 200 followers giveaway!! I have officially ordered the prize, and you are not going to want to miss it! Let's just say it's one of my favorite cartridges!!!

Thanks to all of you who comment and follow my blog, it really means a lot to me. I may be new to the craft, but you all make me feel as though I've been here all along. Thanks for your support. :)

Happy Valentine's Day, Man!

Hey! I was thinking earlier. And yes, for me, that's saying a lot! I was thinking that it's so hard to make a masculine card. I mean, with all the glitter, bows and pinks out there, it's hard for me to imagine a card outside that realm sometimes. Then I asked myself what kind of card my husband would like and came up with this:

This is a standard A2 sized card. I cut the tree at 4" from the Straight From the Nest cartridge. The stamp is from My Pink Stamper's Lovalicious stamp set. I hope you like it!!

I Caved

I totally did! I went out and bought the Texture Boutique. I couldn't wait any longer. Didn't I tell you my nickname is "Instant Gratification Girl???" OK, so the only person who calls me that is me, LOL. It's true, though. Have you seen this giveaway at Cricutology's blog? Go there and comment to win one of these!! She's also got some fabulous videos and has given me some great tips!I entered a few days ago. If by some miniscule chance I win, I will give it to my stepdaughter. She has become just as obsessed as me with the card-making. My husband and I have already decided she'll get her own small Cricut for her birthday. She was so sweet the other day and said to me, "Shauna, I love doing crafts with you." How sweet is she??

Here's the first card I made with the Texture Boutique. Don't forget that the Cuttlebug folders work with this thing! Right now I only have two folders, so I'm definitely in need of some more. This card was really quick and I used the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge and I can't remember where I got the font for the 'thanks.'


Yes, it's red and yellow again. I didn't do that on purpose, it just worked out that way. :) This card was VERY simple. I added teensy pearls and ribbon to embellish the dress.  I think this would make a really cool set of cards in different colors. 

I am getting closer to 200 followers!! How exciting! When I finally reach 200, I'll be posting a giveaway, so stay tuned! ;)






My Pink Stamper January Design Team Post

Hey! I'm so excited!! This is my first project for the 2011 My Pink Stamper design team!

Our theme is Love and Pink. I decided to stick with making a card and here it is!!







Supplies:

Cardstock
Decorative Paper
Stickles
Ribbon
Glue
3-D glue dots
My Pink Stamper Stamp Set-Happiest Moments
Martha Stewart corner punch-Bubbles
Cricut cartridges Cindy Loo and Lacy Labels

Directions:
1) Cut card to 5-3/4" x 4-1/2."
2) Cut decorative paper to 5-1/2" x 4". I used Heart paper from Hobby Lobby.
3) Cut white and red cardstock to 2-1/2" x 4". To get the corner punch effect, I slid the paper in further than you're supposed to so there's a small border. Punch red cardstock only and place white behind it.
4) Affix ribbon, paper and cardstock to the card.
5) Using colors shown above, cut and assemble 2 birds from the Cindy Loo cartridge at 1"and the birdhouse at 3".
6) Cut a pink heart from the Lacy Labels cartridge at 1-1/2".
7) Affix the birdhouse with glue to the card.
8) Using 3-d glue dots, affix the birds.
9) Stamp "Happy Valentine's Day" onto the heart and affix to card with 3-D glue dots.
10) Stickle the bottoms of the bird wings, the bottom of the birdhouse, and the heart at the top of the birdhouse.

That's it!! You've made a Valentine's card for someone special! I really love this stamp set because it has a sentiment for almost every occassion. This one's going to get a lot of use!! I've already used it for two projects this month! Here's a close-up:



Ok, be sure to check out all of the others designer's projects for this month!! You can start here and get to know them first! Bye for now. :)

Happy Birthday to My Pink Stamper!!!!

Happy happy birthday, Robyn!!! I hope you have an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G birthday and I just want to thank you for all that you do! Some of the MPS Design Team have made Robyn birthday cards to celebrate along with her! Here's mine:



You might be thinking...If her birthday is today, why did you make her a belated birthday card?? Well, I haven't mailed it yet!!!! LOL.

This is a standard A2 size card and I cut the bee at 3" from the Create a Critter cartridge and the inside hat at 2" from the Celebrations cartridge. The sentiment is from the My Pink Stamper stamp line and it's from the Even More Punnylicious set. I love her stamps!!! :) Have a fabulous day, Robyn!!

Stylish Blogger Award




WOW! How cool that Tana, Evie and Lisa all awarded me with the Stylish Blogger Award!! Thank you so much ladies! What an honor. :)

Well, in order to continue the trend, I have to post 8 things about myself that you all don't know.

1) Me and Oprah have a lot in common. Ok, so only our fluctuating weight!! Right now I'm on the higher side of the scale. Gotta get back on track!
2) I have three stepdaughters (11, 15 and 18) The two younger ones live with me and my husband and the oldest just enlisted in the Navy.
3) I really miss Boston. I'm very close to my family but the physical distance I am from them now is very difficult for me.
4) I have a 7 year old half brother whom I adore in addition to two other younger siblings(brother and sister).
5) My 26 year old brother plays professional hockey in California! Not NHL...yet!
6) I met my newest BFF on a knitting web site. (Ravelry)
7) I love playing JUST DANCE on the Wii!!!
8) You can often hear me belting out any old tune in the car. I also sing a lot in church and direct the children's choir.

Well, that's more about me! Now it's my turn to award 8 other bloggers with this award. And here they are:










Thanks again, girls!!! :)

Doorknob Sign

Hey again!

Well, since I've had my Gypsy, I'd had a few technical snags including unlinked cartridges and the Gypsy crashing altogether. I have managed to troubleshoot these problems using google(i *heart* google) and I think it's fixed. Hours and hours later. :)

It's not the best, but here's my first project from the Tags, Bags, Boxes and More cartridge!!  I have three stepdaughters Sarah(15) and Grace(11). (The oldest, Hannah (18), is away in the Navy). Sarah, sometimes naps in the afternoons after a hard day at school and we always seem to knock and wake her up at a bad time. Well, usually dinner time, but if we knew she was sleeping, we'd let her get that rest. ;) (teenagers! haha!) So, I made her this double-sided doorknob sign:



This was cut at 10.53" on the Gypsy, but could easily be cut at 10" with just the Cricut and cartridge. One side says "shhh..." ( I welded the letters together on the Gypsy!) for when she's napping, and the other says "Please knock" for the other times. I am happy with it! Well, you know, she has a little sister who's going to want one too! Off I go!!

ETA: Ok, I'm back and instead of posting again, I figured I'd just add to this one! Here's Gracie's sign:

I added stickles to hers!! Ok, time to take a Cricut break. Hubby and I have a date tonight! :)

A Little Advice and a Gypsy!

The other day, I asked some of the more seasoned paper crafters to give us "newbies" tips and advice.

Here's what some of you said:


Maria said: It's just paper-if you love it, do it!

Monica said: Stock up on great Adhesive and bling! The ATG is great I also love Zip Dry it doesn't crinkel your paper and gives a strong permanent hold. Anything goes with crafting. Let your creativity take flight!

PinkBlingCrafter said: use great dimensionals or pop ups, adhesive- one of my favorites is zip dry and good card stock, and have fun

Sounds like I need some Zip Dry!  Thanks for the advice ladies!!

So, here's some news from me. My husband got me a Gypsy and it came in the mail today!!! I am SO excited! I just spent a LONG time trying to get the updates downloaded, but I finally did, and now I have my 7 free cartridges downloaded. I am most excited about Tags, Bags, Boxes and More. It might take me a little while to get used to using the downloaded cartridges without the booklets, but I'm sure I'll figure it out somehow! I wish I wasn't so tired from watching a little baby all day, but I'm exhausted. My experimenting may have to wait until tomorrow.

I hope everyone's having a great week! Tomorrow's Friday, yeeee haw!
 ~Shauna

Get Well Card For a Sweet Girl

Here's the card I made this afternoon to match little Emily's crown. I'll ask again, please, that you say a little prayer for this sweet girl, she's been through a lot in the last couple of years and will be having surgery on Friday.


I told you it matched her zebra crown! LOL. How's that for bright? :) It's a 4-1/4" x 6" card and I used the 2nd butterfly at 3-1/2" from the Rock Princess cartridge and a 2" Get Well Soon from Beyond Birthdays. I blinged it out with some Stickles, zebra paper and iridescent ribbon. It's a big card, but that's because I accidentally stocked up on some 4-3/4" x 6-1/2" envelopes from Walmart. OOPS!

So, I wanted to use this post to ask for a little help!! For those of you who have been papercrafting for a while, what's the best tip or piece of advice you could give to someone new to the craft? I'll post your advice in my next blog post on Thursday to help out some of the newer crafters(eh hem, and myself).

I can't wait to hear what y'all have to say!! I am also so excited to announce that when I reach 200 followers, I'll be having my very first giveaway! Woot! How exciting!!! Ok, maybe I should lay off the exclamation points. ;)

A Few Things

First of all, I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to my new followers and also to those of you that left sweet comments on my last post for the My Pink Stamper blog hop!!! You have no idea how overwhelmed and in awe I am of this whole thing. I feel very blessed to have fallen into this craft. This is such a wonderful community of people. Also, a special SHOUT-OUT to the other Cricut newbies out there!!! I'm so glad to be learning along with you.

                  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!

Moving on. :) Because I'm so new, AND I'm designing for Robyn of My Pink Stamper, I tend to be hard on myself about some of my "in-between" projects. Please bear with me as I learn about the tips and tricks of paper crafting in general!!

Well, on Sunday, after church, I only had a few minutes to throw together a birthday card. I know it's super super simple, but it had to be! I had 15 minutes to make it! LOL.


Then, later that night I went to a friend's house for dinner. She had very politely asked if I would make a quick birthday card for her sister-in-law. She said she liked cycling and had a turtle named Harry, so I whipped this one up using the Create-A-Critter and Heritage cartridges.


Our church secretary's daughter(yes, they still call her a secretary...isn't that so 80s? I would prefer administrative assistant, thank you very much!) Well, her 8 year old daughter will be having minor surgery on Friday. (Please say a prayer for her!)Another woman and I decided we would put together a basket for her and I'd be in charge of the hand-made card. I also decided to make her one of these crowns from the Storybook cartridge. In fact, it is the first project in the beginning of the booklet, only with a few of my own touches. These Louisiana girls LOVE their zebra print, and I happen to know this is the exact style of her bedroom. (You can't see the Stickles or the gems, but they're there!)


And, since my stepdaughter saw it, she just had to have one too!

So, this is what I've been working on yesterday and today. I am just LOVING this craft!!

Until next time!
~Shauna :)

My Pink Stamper Blog Hop!

If you started this blog hop on My Pink Stamper, you're on your way! If you came here first, please hop on over there in order to participate!!

Hey everyone! My name is Shauna and I'm a My Pink Stamper Design Team Member! I'm a 32 year old Preacher's wife and stepmother from Louisiana(originally from Boston). Our family just hit the one year mark! During the day, I take care of a precious 6 month old baby who belongs to one of our church families (7am-5pm, Monday-Friday) and I teach piano lessons and knit as well. I love anything that lets me express my creativity! The strange part is no one can figure out who gave me these creative genes.

I couldn't be more surprised, excited(and nervous, LOL!) to be a part of the My Pink Stamper Design Team. I am new to the Cricut, but have a real passion for it already.  I hope to give you some ideas and can't wait to see what you all create along with us!! Woo hoo!!

Well Wishes Card (click the picture to make it bigger):


Materials:

My Pink Stamper Happiest Moments Stamp Set
Straight from the Nest Cricut Cartridge
Lacy Labels Cricut Cartridge
Cardstock
Decorative Paper
X-ACTO scissors
White gel pen
Stickles
Ribbon
Foam Pop-Up squares
Double-sided adhesive

~Cut the card to 6" x 8-1/2" and fold in half.
~Cut the striped paper 2" x 6" and the pink strip of paper to 1" x 6". I used X-ACTO scissors from   Wal-Mart for the wavy border. 
~Cut 3, 4" Trees from the Straight From the Nest Cricut Cartridge. I used three different decorative papers for the tree tops and brown for the branches/trunks.
~Cut 1,  2" Asian label from Lacy Labels Cartridge.
~Assemble the trees and embellish with white gel pen.
~Affix the striped paper, pink paper and ribbon to the card.
~Next, with the foam squares, affix the left and right trees to the card.
~Place the center tree on top of the other two trees in the center of the card.
~I had to use two foam squares for the bottom of the center tree so the trunk would be adhered to the card since this is double-layered.
~Embellish the label with the white gel pen and stamp "Well Wishes" onto label with white ink. Affix to card.
~Lastly, I used Stickles on the top part of the center tree for a little bling and lined the inside of the card with blue paper so a message can be easily written.

That's it and I hope you like it. Have a fun night!!

Key Word: OR


Your next stop in the hop is Andrea!!

Sympathy Card

It's never fun actually having a reason to make a card like this. Considering the circumstances, and without sounding insensitive, I am pleased with the way this card turned out.

I used the Lacy Labels cartridge and the Straight from the Nest cartridge, the latter of which is quickly moving to the top of my list of favorites.

You can't tell, but I used Stickles on the wing of the bird, and it sparkles a darkish blue. Stickles, by the way, are my new paper crafting BFFs!



I also made a matching envelope and will mail it out tomorrow. I hope everyone has had a blessed day. Kiss your special ones tonight and tell them you love them. :)

~Shauna

One Cartridge Card- Wild Card

Hello! First off, I just wanted to mention that the My Pink Stamper blog hop is this Friday!! I've been working on a little something, so I really hope y'all like it! Also, let me be clear that even though I live in Louisiana, I am from Boston, so my y'all is not as cute out loud as it seems in writing. ;)

Since I'm new to the Cricut, I've been experimenting a lot. And sometimes, with me, experimenting means no finished projects. So, this afternoon, I decided that I would make a simple card using only one Cricut cartridge! For this post, I chose the Wild Card cartridge, which has quickly topped my list of favorites. I especially like the matching envelopes! Oh, and I should mention that I wanted to make a card that I hadn't yet seen on any blogs. This doesn't mean no one has made this card and blogged about it, I just haven't seen it, therefore, I haven't been influenced to do it a certain way.

I thought this would be an adorable Valentine's Day card for a child. Here it is:



 
I basically did this as it is suggested in the cartridge booklet, only with a few additions. All easy though!

1) Cut a 4" Monster card. I chose pink cardstock.
2) Cut 4" Monster card blackout image. I used black cardstock.
3) Cut 4" Monster card liner for the card only. I used this really cute heart paper from Wal-Mart.
4) Cut 4" Monster icon for face. I used green.
5) Cut 4" Monster card in green. This is how I put hands and feet on the monster. You don't have to do with step, I just wanted to accentuate the monster's hands and feet.
6) Cut 3" Heart from the heart card. I just realized that there's also a heart under "frame" for the Monster card. See?? I learn as I'm going!! That would have been easier. LOL.
7) Cut 2" uppercase 'U' from the Circle card.

I glued all of the pieces together and added Stickles to the feet, and on the heart closest to the monster's actual heart(hee hee). I also added Stickles to the left side of the inside heart and the right side of the 'U' on the inside of the card. Can't forget the bow! This monster just wouldn't be as cute without it. I hope you like it! I know my 7 year old half brother will love it for Valentine's Day. :)

And just for some eye candy, here are some other cards I've whipped up. A few of these are very simple using very teensy cuts with the Cricut.. Enjoy!






Don't you just love the matching envelope that goes with the Wild Card Owl? I do!! Well, I certainly have a lot to learn when it comes to card making, but I'm having a blast getting the creative juices flowing.

Until next time!
~Shauna

I Made it!!!

I made the My Pink Stamper Design Team!! Am I on planet Earth? I can't believe I was chosen. I really can't and I wonder if my husband is sick of me saying that for the millionth time. I logged onto My Pink Stamper Live this evening, and even though I honestly didn't think I would be chosen, my heart was beating a little harder than normal. Then, right at the beginning, as Robyn was speaking about her chosen team, she mentioned that one person "just got her Cricut for Christmas." My first thought was..."Hmmm, I wonder who else got their Cricut for Christmas!" Then my heart was beating harder. "What if she's talking about me?"

After she started listing the first ten, she paused and said something like, "Oh, and this new person I chose started a blog and her first blog post was a submission for my design team." This is when I started really going, "Hmmm. I think she IS talking about me!" I still didn't KNOW it was me, so I stayed on to hear who it was. She called my number, 35, and my name!! My hands were shaking, and even though I found out an hour ago, I've just started breathing regularly, hahaha.

I am so thankful to Robyn for choosing me to be a part of her team.  I am nervous(afterall, I am new to this!) and I only hope that I will make Robyn and her team proud. I also just want to say thank you to the people who left comments on my first post. It was very encouraging to hear your compliments, especially when none of you know me! Here's to hoping we get to know each other a lot better in the coming months!

~Shauna

My Pink Stamper Design Team Challenge & Submission

I may be grasping at straws here, but what the hay!! I just got a Cricut for Christmas. Can you say already obsessed? I especially love the way my husband says "Whoa," a la Joey from Blossom ('memba him?), whenever I finish a card. Maybe he's just being nice. I have to say, after I got my Cricut, I went online and ordered probably around 10 cartidges. I'm still waiting for a good number of them. I cannot stop myself! Now my husband has his new toy(surround sound) and I have mine(Cricut). I have been making cards for about a week and I tend to lean towards more modern looking designs. You would never know it from this submission! This is way more country, and I had my MIL in mind when I made this. She just loves roosters.

So, the My Pink Stamper Design Team Challenge is to earn one of two spots on Robyn's 2011 design team. Details are as follows:

Any Cricut Project using the following colors and your favorite cartridge:
1) Pink
2) Green
3) Brown
4) Other color option of your choice

      Here's my submission:

Project Details below.

Cricut Cartridges:
Just Because Cards (my favorite right now!)
Walk in my Garden

Supplies:
Cardstock and printed paper from Hobby Lobby and Walmart
Ribbon from Hobby Lobby
Studio G Glitter Glue from Michael's
Sharpie Marker
3-D glue dots
Glue pen
Martha Stewart border punch 'Bubbles'

* Cut 6" card from the rooster card button on the Just Because Cards cartridge. The rooster is also cut at 6". I decided to keep the rooster's colors more on the traditional side. That is, in fact, brown on that rooster. It's not red as this picture depicts.

* Cut the black mat at 4-1/2" x 5-1/4" and the pink checkered mat at 5-1/4"x 3-3/4".

* Cut the green paper at 5-1/4" x 1-1/4" and punch a border on one side. I used Martha's Bubbles punch.

* Glue and assemble butterfly and rooster. When assembling the rooster, I used 3-d dots on the wing and on the middle parts of the tail. I kept regular glue on the part of the tail that connects to the body for a fuller layered effect.

* Glue mats on top of eachother and affix the ribbon.  Using a 3-D glue dot, affix the butterfly. Using regular glue, affix the rooster flat against the card.

* I added a little flight trail for the butterfly with a sharpie and also added glitter glue to the pink parts of the butterfly.

Please forgive my photography skills. I know sometimes that makes all the difference, and I'm using and iphone for my pictures. I am having a wonderful time with my new obsession. The last time I was this obsessed with something was when I started playing piano and I haven't give that up in 24 years!

Thanks for stopping by!!
~Shauna