First Birthday card

Hey! Well, I don't know about you but I subscribed to the new Cricut magazine (the online version) and I LOVE it! So much so that I got to the birthday party page and this centerpiece just called out my name! LOL. My husband's cousin's daughter turned 1 yesterday and I needed to make her a card and thought this was the most adorable idea!

I added my own little twist, by using a "stamp" shaped background, different patterned paper, my Imagine (Better Together) for the cupcake and Don Juan for the number 1. I then glittered my number 1 using my Xyron and MS Onyx glitter. I faux stitched the edges and voila! My card was done. I made my own envelope as well using the MS score board *BEST THING EVER!!* and I stamped the cupcake using My Pink Stamper's Simply Sweet (?) stamp set. (I'm sorry, it was one of her first and I don't remember the name specifically.) I've never really gotten into stamping but it truly does add that little cute touch to it! I decided to make a little "seal" using my Imagine. I print and cut the present from Better Together at 1 1/2" and ran it through my Xyron.

Hope you guys liked this! I can go through little "funks" and not care to use my Imagine as much, but then I get into the groove again and all of a sudden I fall in love with it each time I use it...LOL.

**Don't forget to enter my iRock giveaway post here and to vote for my little Julianne if you so choose! I have included both links under the pics!**







**Don't forget- Julianne's link changes each day as she moves up in the ranks so this link is good for Friday 12/31/10**

Giveaway post!

Vote for Julianne here! (Friday's link!)

Friday's link to vote for Julianne!

Here ya go! She moved up to #17! Yay! :-)

Julianne's friday link! Vote here!

Thank you guys SO much who have voted for her! Don't forget to enter the giveaway in the post below!

Giveaway!!! and other stuff!! :-)

Hey guys!! I hope you all had a wonderful and great Holiday! We sure have! I wanted to ask you all a great big favor! My daughter Julianne (who most of you have seen as my little "model" for the onesies I've made her) is entered in the Cute Kid Child of the week contest and I would truly, from the bottom of my heart, appreciate if you could vote for her!! Since her placement can change daily, it's also important to vote every single day to get her to the top! I sincerely appreciate it!

And to show my appreciation and excitement over her advancing daily and the upcoming new year, I'd love to have a New Year's Giveaway!! (Now, don't think this is bribery! lol. All you have to do is leave me a comment under this post with a way to reach you! You DO NOT have to vote for Julianne, but I would very much appreciate it and you do not have to be a follower. This giveaway is open to everyone! :)

The blog candy is: iROCK tool with jewel set!


Like I said- you DO NOT have to vote for Julianne as this giveaway is open to everyone OR be a follower but I sure would appreciate either/or! LOL. Just leave me a comment under this post with a way to reach you and that's that!
As always, if you'd like any extra submissions into the giveaway, just post it on your Facebook or blogs and let me know!

Here is the link to Julianne's page! It changes daily so I will keep "reminding" you all of her new link each day! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Vote for Julianne here! Thursday's link!

Video- How to Glitter :)

How to use your Xyron machine to glitter your cuts :)

Cricut-less layout

Hey guys! Sorry I've been a little MIA...I've been super busy with the kids and school so didn't have much time but I managed to get some time to put together a super easy and super simple layout with no Cricut! lol. I love my Cricuts but sometimes I get burned out so I will create something without a cut. All I did in this layout was use a punch out pad I got on sale at Joann's for $4.97 for the background paper, bracket backgrounds, So Beautiful embellishment and journal tag. The title was made using pink glittered Thickers (I LOVE them!) and that's it! Hope you enjoy :)

Sugar and Spice Layout and some TIPS i've learned along the way...

I am EXHAUSTED. My sister in law took me to a small scrapbook store that she loves (and now I do too) about 2 hours away and let me tell ya, it ain't easy traveling with 2 babies! (She just had my little niece about 6 weeks ago). Luckily, they were happy enough to enjoy the ride there and let us look around and browse. It's such an adorable store and it has so much stuff! They specialize in mini albums which I adore. (I actually made one and bound it on my Your Story...I will try to have that video up tomorrow!)

While I was making this layout, I started thinking of some tips I have found along the way since I have started scrapbooking. The first tip I have for you is DON'T WASTE YOUR PAPER! Seems obvious right? But let me explain really quick. I LOVE background cardstock on my layers. If you notice, I tend to use a lot of borders but my trick is that I actually cut out my borders from the 12x12 and adhere the smaller patterned paper on top of it so that it gives the illusion that there is an entire 12x12 background when in reality there isn't. (DON'T MIND MY GLUEY AND MESSY MAT IN THE PICS!!)

Step1: Cut out by starting your cut at 1"-11" on each side.


Step2: Cut out a second border, this time at 11x11.


Step3: Then you can add your patterned paper (I usually go with a 10x10 as I did on this layout) and you've got a background that looks like it's been matted 3x! ;)





Oh and here is what the back looks like once it's all done:


The squares that you cut out of the middle (since no one would ever suspect they are missing since it would be covered by a different cardstock) can be used for other parts of your layout such as other mats, embellishments, etc :)

That's my tip for today! Save paper and $$...I have to watch my budget now so this helps me get the most out of what would have been wasted paper anyways.

This layout is semi- scraplifted from a layout I saw on the Circle Blog but really has a lot of my own stuff to it. The title is Sugar and Spice from the Once Upon a Princess cart and that little cupcake was colored in by yours truly, then I put some glossy accents over it. The crown is colored in with Stickles and the Sweet sentiment stamp on the bottom is from a $1 stamps :) I used a white gel pen to make some embellishments on my letters and the background quarter note image is from the Imagine Best Friends cartridge. That is by FAR my favorite image ever! =) The pic was chosen for this layout because my little girl can be so sweet, but she has her sassy side already! :)




Hope you enjoy!

Holiday Wishes Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Holiday Wishes blog hop hosted by Kathryn over at Warm Family! If you happened along this hop through my post, make sure you start over atWarm Family so that you don't miss a project! =) If you came from All Things Crafty then you are in the right place!

For my Holiday projects I decided to make a layout of my daughter wearing a Santa hat for the first time ever and a few cookie boxes which will be given as gifts to my sons' teachers and bus drivers.

The layout is 12x12 using DCWV Holiday pack from last year, Hello Kitty Font for the title and Best Friends Imagine layout for the scalloped (?) background cut that my journaling is on and of course, a little 3D Santa Clause sticker :)




I got the idea for the gift boxes from Mary over at Cardz TV and she has a GREAT
tutorial on how to put them together. Click here for Tutorial! They came out perfect size for cookies and that is what we intent to hand them out for! The gingerbread ribbon was purchased at the dollar store (yay!) and for the other box, I had to use my favorite color becuase I still like having a Pink Christmas! =)





Hope you've enjoyed my projects! I absolutely LOVE the holiday season and of course, all the opportunities to be creative!

Now hop on over to Lisa at Cricuting with Lisa!