I need to get caught up!

I have been without internet for the better part of a week - my modem overheated and gave out on me. I finally have a new modem up and running, so now I need to get caught up on some posting!

Look for some new posts to come! I will be posting pictures of 250+ treat bags that I have been working on, blog candy that I won and received, a few cards I created, and more!

Awesome Gypsy News!

If you have a Gypsy or are planning to get one - this latest news from Provo Craft is right up you alley!

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).

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 prior to October 31, 2010 and get access to all downloads. Register at www.cricut.com/gypsy.

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.

OWL right

Here is a cute little card for a friend.

A close up of the image.

Using a $1 stamp from Michael's, I created this card fast. Blue cardstock for the base, stamped with Indian Corn Blue CTMH ink using a Heidi Grace stamp set for the background branch and vine. Then using the CTMH ctamp pad Creme Brulee, I used the entire pad to stamp a strip of white cardstock - achieving a textured look.

The fun part was the Owl stamp. I have been at a weekend crop and we had some Cricut green napkins that looked pretty with the blue cardstock. I had use them at first to test my image and really liked the fuzzy bleed it had around the owl. So - carefully - trimming the napkin, it tears easily, I stamped the image and then cut out the owl and attached it to the card.

Simple. Cute. Fast.

Halloween Treat Bottle

Here is another Treat container idea - this time using the Starbucks Frappucino bottles. Yum! I love that stuff, so I have quite the collection of the empty bottles.

First, drink the whole thing - my favorite part! Clean the bottle, remove the labels and make sure to clean any sticky residue. Using cream cardstock, I stamped (Autumn Leaves)swirls in CTMH Autumn Terracotta ink and then cut a 1 inch strip, inked the edges, and wrapped it around the bottle. I stamped the sentiments on the same cream cardstock and cut it out and inked the edges. The sentiment was attached with popdots. Orange rafia was tied to the lid. I scaled a candy corn treat box down to a mini size and glue it to the rafia. I chose that because I was filling the container with Candy Corn Hershey Kisses - yum again!.

By the way, this smells soooo good!

Dragonfly Card

I don't know about your house, but at mine I have Drangonflies all over at the moment. Seems like the wrong time of year, but I'm not complaining. I think they are fascinating insects.

So since I decided to enter a few quick challenges, and I had "just" bought a new dragonfly stamp(Autumn Leaves again), this is the card I made. I started with a sketch from Sketch and Stash Challenge for the layout, then used the Just Us Girls Technique Challenge for the acetate wings (which you cannot see very well). I am hoping to get selected to be a part of the GDT at Sketch and Stash Challenge as well.




The card is "unusual" looking, don't you think? Initially, I was going for more of a Halloween look, but things don't always turn out as planned. I quite like it though.




A close up of the image in the center. I tried to get a good shot of the wings, but they do NOT like to be photographed! Especiall with all the stickles I put on the wings.



The paper is from a stack pack that I have been working my way through. I don't really care for most of the papers, but I am dedicated to using them. lol
The ovals were cut from TBBM on the blackout setting with my Cricut. I used CTMH Leaf Green and Lilac Mist inks for the green oval and the dragonfly, I also roughed the background edge with my scissors and inked with CTMH Ink. Simple rhinestones from Michael's dollar bin adhered with Tacky glue. The flowers are from Prima - LOVE, LOVE them. Stickles were added to the wings, the flower centers, and a spot or two on the card. I heat embossed the dragonfly and cut out an extra set of wings from acetate. The wings are attached on the dragonfly's back and stickles added for sparkle.

In person, this card is very beautiful and I love the acetate wings

Blog Candy!!

Who doesn't love Blog candy?? Anyone? (put your hand down!!!- of course you love blog candy)

Well, a fellow Cricut Circle Member has started a new blog and she is giving away some GREAT blog candy. So pop over there and check it out: Pixel Layne Studio.

Think Pink

Just a little Winter card I threw together. I am submitting this to the Cricut Circle Blog Weekly Challenge and to The Pink Stamper's Winter Challenge and Alphabet Challenge X for Xmas.






I found this paper at Tuesday Morning. It has beautiful glitter circles all over. I ran it through my Cuttlebug with the Flourish folder. The Blush ink from CTMH wouldn't show up properly, so I had to use some cheap ink that I only use on cards - I think I bought it at Plaids a long time ago. The snowflakes are from the kids craft section of the big box store. I "schmeared schtickles" all over them to give them sparkle and then added a clear acrylic skittle to the center. The sentiment is from Autumn Leaves - LOVE them!! - and then I used popdots to give more dimension. I distressed the edges of the sentiment with the edge of my craft scissors and then inked all the edges with the Blush CTMH ink.

As for meeting some of the rules - the two cuts I used are the two rectangles - I have set a file on my Gypsy of different sized rectangles that will fit my cards. Everything from the base (pink paper) to frames for the base to the sentiment boxes. This just makes it a lot easier. My paper trimmer is not the best and does not always cut straight lines or sometimes tears the paper when the blade starts to dull - I hate that.

Scrapbook/Craft Coupons!

I was preparing to post a list with the Michael's coupons available for this week as I was bloghopping - and came across a blog that had beaten me to the punch - lol. She actually went a step further and listed Roberts, Hobby Lobby, AC Moore, and the MARTHA STEWART 50% coupon!!

So without further adieu, follow me to Scrappin Cricut where she has listed all the great coupons that you can use and made them easy to download and print!

Halloween Blog Hop!!

Welcome to the Haunted Halloween Blog Hop!



You should have arrived here from Bits-n-Pieces blog.

If you are just joining us and want to start at the beginning, visit Cricut Confessions.

This is the full list of the hop participants:
http://www.cricutconfessions.com
http://josyscraftcorner.blogspot.com/
http://scrapaholicjen.blogspot.com/
http://esthrmend.blogspot.com/
http://nonnasscraps.blogspot.com/
http://allthingscrafty3.blogspot.com/
http://craftyscentiments.com/
http://scrappycol.blogspot.com/
http://seaswancreations.blogspot.com/
http://www.suzyssunshinespot.blogspot.com/
http://bitz-n-pieces89.blogspot.com/
http://scrap-pix.blogspot.com/ <-- you are here!
http://www.looneybugdesigns.com/
http://mandys-scrap.blogspot.com/
http://www.scrappidyashy.blogspot.com/
http://www.wamfamily.blogspot.com/
http://www.cricutloft.com/
http://olivejuicestudio.com/
http://www.gypsypaperie.blogspot.com/
http://www.ScrappinCricut.org
http://fantabulouslypink.blogspot.com/
http://dlmbscrapping-time2create.blogspot.com/
http://www.nutsaboutcuts.com/

For my Blog Hop project, I decided to create treat boxes with my children. I had seen something similar online and decided to try my hand at figuring out a way to recreated them since I did not have any instructions. We are making several of these for my children to send to their friends for Halloween.


This project is the perfect for you to create with your child and it does not involve a lot of tools or cutting. All you need is paper, a paper cutter, a paper scorer, and adhesive. You can use your Cricut on parts of this, but it is not a necessary tool.


I apologize for the poor quality of my pictures - I just could not get a great picture at all.




Jack-o-Lantern treat Box





Side view



Candy Corn



To make these treat boxes is actually quite simple. You can get 3 per 12x12 paper or 2 per 8.5x11 paper.



These instruction will teach you how to make a template for your additional pieces to decorate:



Step 1:
For a 12x12, cut the paper into 4x12 strips
For 8.5x11, cut the paper into 4.25x11 strips



This is where you would decorate by adding strips of paper before you begin scoring.



Step 2:
Score each piece at the halfway mark
the 4x12 should be scored at the 6 inch mark and the 4.25x11 at the 5.5 mark



Step 3:
From the middle scored line, score from the side of the paper to the center of the far side. Repeat all the way around. When finished, you will have a diamond shape of score lines with the line down the middle.





Step 4:
Fold at all the score lines and smooth with a bone folder or similar tool.



Step 5:
Fill one side of the box, add glue to the inside side pieces of the other side, close and press to seal.
Punch additional holes at the top and tie with fibers to insure the box will not open.



For decorations:
Jack-o-Lantern
12x12 = green- 4x2.5; hand cut face or use your Cricut
8.5x11 = green - 4.25x2.5



Candy Corn
12x12 = white - 4x1; yellow - 4x2.5
8.5x11 = white - 4.25x1; yellow - 4.25x2.5
Think of all the possible ways you could decorate this box! I plan to make some Christmas Trees, Valentine Hearts, as well as some randomly stamped for seasonal gifts.



I hope you enjoyed my project!


I'll be giving away blog candy when I hit 100 followers - and I'll add in bonus candy if I hit 100 during this blog hop! So make sure to follow and leave a comment somewhere!



From here, head on over to LooneyBug Designs blog for the next project.

Blog Hop Coming Soon!

October 9, 2010
I will be participating in a "Haunted Halloween Blog Hop" where anything goes, but the project must be Halloween related.

Join us!

Confession Time - A Long day

Well, I didn't get much scrapping done today and I hate a post without pictures. But I did pay some bills, make lists of projects to complete, and I also cleaned up my scrap room some more.

You see, until 3 weeks ago all my scrap stuff had to remain in totes because we were laying floor and everything from that room had to go somewhere!! - yep, you guessed it - my scrap room. Why is it when things need to go somewhere they get dumped in my room.?

Does anyone else have this problem?

And to make it worse, I had been in the middle of reworking my room. So all my scrap stuff was EVERYWHERE!!!

So I have been moving things back out of my room and rearranging it to make it a comfortable work environment. The most interesteing thing I have discovered: I have finally learned ot let go of some things.

I have always been something of a packrat - long history as to why - so I don't throw anything away - just in case. Generally, my just in case has been a good thing because I end up needing it, but unfortunately it also leads to clutter - too much clutter.

So,

I am finally taking things out of their packaging and putting them away. Now before you think I threw all the packaging away - no - I am not that good [sigh].

I save the hard plastic packaging and at night, while watching TV I cut out the flat areas and put them in a container just for them. I'll show you what I use them for in a future post. I do toss the remnants though - lol.

I also save certain plastic bags that the stamps come in. They already have adhesive on one end and are sealed around the other three sides. They are great for putting certain trinkets for scrapbooking - especiallt non-archival items.

How does this help me since I'm not actually getting rid of these things? Well, one it allows me to put the actual item in its proper place and saves room and mess; two I have a specific place for those certain packagings; and three YES I am throwing part of it away!

Besides, I'm ORGANIZING! That is important too!

LOL

Tune in tomorrow - I promise to have a project posted!