Hapbee Belated Birthday Card

One of my on-going projects since the arrival of my Explore, has been the recreation of the basic cards I had on my Gypsy.  I had been playing with this bee-lated birthday design for a while before realizing, last week, that I desperately, immediately, positively, needed it right then!

I had added the hexagon overlay from CTMH Artbooking and as you can see, I had welded it to a  square to make a shaped mat for the front of the card.  Well, nope!  That did not work, so back I went into Design Space and started again.  This time I created a 5 inch by 10 inch rectangle and sized the hexagon overlay to fit within the front edge of the rectangle.

Decision Time!  Do I WELD it to the front edge, or use the SLICE tool to cut away the interior hexagons?   I have to say that both cards looked pretty cool.

I chose to weld, but first, I had to use the contour button to remove the four interior pieces along the edge.

Of course, once the two pieces were welded, it was no longer 10 inches long, and as I discovered,  resizing distorted the hexagon shape and the original hexagon overlay would no longer fit nicely.  Thank goodness for the UNDO button!


The card was now 10.41 inches wide, so, I created a .41 inch wide rectangle and positioned it at the left side of the card, I used the SLICE button to restore the card base to 10 inches wide.  (Seems like a lot of extra effort, doesn't it, when I could have removed .41 inches with my trimmer? LOL!  However, this is a card I will make several times, so I wanted it to be properly designed.)

And here is the finished card:-

and the interior: -

Now this card is on Design Space, I can change the way it looks with different papers and embellishments.  Lets hope that I don't have to use it too often!   Thanks for visiting with me today.  : ) Christine

Happy Birthday Shaped Card

I am having so much fun with the BBTB2 shaped card challenge!  I learned, with this one, to make sure that ALL the pieces of the shadow are welded together!  The sentiment comes, once again, from Wild Card 2.

I have to say that the new Design Space is amazing.  I wanted to cut the pieces of the card first and then the embellishments - the candle, gift, balloon and hat.  It was SO easy to select the mats I wanted to cut first without the tedious scrolling I had to do with the previous version.  DS marked with a check mark all the mats I had cut and revisited the ones I had skipped so that all the mats were cut without me worrying about them!  Thank you Cricut!

Here's another view on the window sill so that you can see the glitter.  (Thank you Miss E!) 

Thanks for visiting with me today and don't forget to check out the BBTB2 challenge.  : )  Christine

The file for this card can be found at https://us.cricut.com/design/#/canvas/25199486

Robotz Birthday

We have a lovely tradition here along the Columbia River at this time of year - the Christmas Ships!  People decorate their boats with thousands of lights and cruise up and down the river delighting the watchers on the banks.

We accompanied Master J. and our DD, and his 'other' Grandpa, to the ships last night and had such fun.  He loved the "noman" and Santa on his sleigh, but his out and out favorite was the Fire Department boat decked out as a fire truck complete with turning wheels, ladder and smiley face.  Now that was quite a concept for a 2 year old - a boat that looked and sounded like a fire truck!

A little chilly, and very hungry, we went to one of our favorite restaurants to celebrate Grandpa M's birthday.  Yum!

I think that every guy in my family has had a card from me featuring the Robotz cart!   It is so darn cute and I was very happy to have an excuse to use it again for Grandpa M's birthday.   I love this cut and have always thought that he needed a guitar in his hands!   I used lots of shimmer paper and the Herringbone embossing folder for texture.  The robot, of course is on an action wobble so that he really rocks it out! 

 

And inside 

Sorry about the rotten picture.  : (   The phrase "Rock On!" is sideways to send the message that it's all downhill from here!   Well, he laughed!   Thanks for visiting with me today.  : )  Christine

Happy 40th Birthday!

My nephew turns 40 in October and since we will be in the UK at the time and hopefully, able to celebrate / commiserate with him, I browsed through Design Space looking for a suitable card to make. 

I found this one in 'Simple Cards' and cut it in black for an 'over the hill' feel.  It reminds me of a wrought iron graveyard gate.   LOL!  Just to emphasize his great age, I used this wonderful paper that resembles newsprint from the '50s, as a liner.

I added the '40' and the inside sentiments (from 'Life's a Party' and 'Smiley Cards') in bright orange.   O.K!  I'll admit that I had way too much fun making this card!  Hope he likes it.  : )

This week, the BBTB2 challenge is "Celebrating Cricut" and this week we Explore owners have a lot to celebrate with the announcement of the Print Then Cut feature going live on September 22nd.  And, since I have a registered Imagine machine, all the images from the I carts will be available for PTC.   Woo Hoo!  Thank you Provo Craft.

Thanks for visiting with me today.  Christine : )

Secret Garden

I was at my very first CK Scrapbooking Convention on Saturday.  It took considerable restraint... but I was a good girl and only bought paper ('Cause I need more paper! LOL!) including the Graphic 45 Secret Garden stack.  The card I had made for my DD's birthday went into my stash, and I plugged in the Explore and got busy with the Anna Griffin Make and Take Butterfly card.  I love that you can modify the design or enjoy the design just as it comes.  I popped up the butterflies on two layers of foam dots for lots of dimension and wrote the word 'Celebrate' with a Recollections glitter pen inserted in the Explore.

When our DD was little, DH read "The Secret Garden" to her at bedtime and it remains one of her favorite books to this day.  So when she opened her card it brought back many happy memories.  : )

The little gift bag is an SVGCuts file imported into the Explore.  The bottom layer of the butterfly was cut in vellum.   It's SO easy cut different materials with the Ex.  (I am going to try a felt flower on a headband for G next!) The bag is fastened with a rhinestone brad.

Thanks for visiting with me today. : ) Christine     Happy Birthday KJ!  LYM 

Birthday Box

DH graciously allowed himself to be persuaded to go golfing so that I could play with my new Explore without being interrupted with foolish questions like, "What would you like for dinner?"
He is so sweet!

I have tons of left over DCWV pattern paper that is partially glittered.  I did not like using it because I always had to take my micro tip scissors to it to complete the cut - even after double cutting!  So, my goal today was to do a project using this cardstock and figure out the setting on the dial.

When I opened up Design Space to look for a box to make for the Exploring Cricut challenge here, I saw the boxes in the new cart, Box It Up and thought I would try the scalloped box.  I did not think that I needed this cart since I have similar carts, but this baby makes large, useable boxes!  (It's now on my list for when my 3 months trial subscription runs out. That Cricut is so sneaky!)

Here's what I learned:

Setting the dial between Fabric and Poster Board ensures a perfect cut of the DCWV cardstock.

I NEED the score tool!

That you CAN move the elements around on the virtual mat before you cut.   This is going to be a huge time saver.

Here's my box.  I love the detailed 'Happy Birthday' cut on the top, don't you?   Thanks for visiting with me today.  I'm off to M's to see if they have the scoring tool in stock!  : ) Christine

Birthday Card in a Box!

XX years ago today, I received an early Valentine - my DD!  Since she shares my interest in pop -up books, I resolved to make her a Card in a Box which lays flat for mailing, but pops up when taken out of the envelope.  You can see a video on the process here.

I love the idea that both of my DDs have metamorphasized into beautiful young women, both inside and out and therefore, both of them have butterflies on their cards this year!  The background papers come from the Mariposa stack and the flower and butterfly cuts are from Botanicals.

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!  LYM.

Thanks for visiting with me today.  : ) Christine

A Beary Happy Birthday!

Cocoa is NOT happy with me today!   Here in the PNW we have, thankfully, escaped the effects of the Polar Vortex but have endured a typically wet and soggy winter week instead.  I played in my craft room for most of the day supposedly reorganizing my clear stamp collection but actually making this birthday card for a three year old.  Cocoa finds the craft room very boring!

I do like cascade cards.  There are 6 little vignettes contributing to one interesting whole.   KWIM?  Each Bear represents a stage in the life of the three year old and it was fun putting together the baby, and the toddler in her nightgown and bunny slippers, and the little birthday girl with her pink dress and cupcake.  I used the font from A Child's Year for the numbers on the cup cakes.  The 'bear' sentiments come from MCT.

This weeks' challenge over at Fabulous Cricut Challenge Blog is use a sentiment.

Since I have three sentiments on my card, I think I qualify!  

 

Thanks for visiting with me today!   : ) Christine

Town Car(d)

I found time to play with my new CTMH goodies today!  It has been a loooong time since I made a stamped card and there was a lot of trial and error involved in getting the images kinda, sorta the way I wanted them.  Here it is!   Thanks for visiting today.     : )  Christine

WooHoo!  My first challenge!   I  am entering this card in the

Cardz TV Go-To Galz Challenge #33 

“Seeing Red" 

Outside:-

and inside:-

'A Child's Year' birthday card

This is one of my favorite carts since it has SO much on it - images, icons, phrases and a font.   The card is for our DGS' first birthday and I used the phrase "Happy First Birthday" for the inside.  Turtles have to appear on any card for J.  Can you see them on the background paper?  Thanks for visiting today.  :) Christine

'Creative Cards' Birthday card

I'm loving the 'Creative Cards' cart!  Here's a quick guy card.  :) Christine