Turkey Tails!

Two of my favorite Cricut carts are Create a Critter and Create a Critter 2.  Besides being cute, the images are very, very easy to piece together by building upwards from the shadow base layer.  (Not all systems work this way!)   I used the shadow layer from the Thanksgiving turkey image in CAC 2 to create a little pocket on the November treats for the OHM children.

After much experimentation and a new appreciation for my tendency to collect adhesives, I used a combination of glue dots and Scor tape to keep the candy in place. 

The treats are so, so cute but... since my estimation skills are non existent despite having taught this skill in Kindergarten, I now have a giant bag of left-over Jolly Ranchers!  Any ideas?   Thanks for visiting with me today.  : )  Christine

Thank You Veterans

Like most Brits of certain age (!!!) both my parents served in WW2.  I grew up appreciating how different my life would have been had it not been for the service of those who fought.  I grew up witnessing the terrible physical and psychological effects of that service.

In many countries around the world, we will honor Veterans for their valor, their patriotism and the sacrifices they have made for all of us.   In Britain and other Commonwealth countries, the poppy symbolizes the service of our Veterans and people will proudly wear poppies on their coats and hang poppy wreaths on their doors.

So, today I am sharing a home decor piece which uses the poppy from the Cricut 3D Floral Home Decor cart on a simple frame from the Simply Sweet cart.

This particular flower has very few components and is easily put together.

 I am a firm believer in softening the fibers of the card stock petals with the ball roller on an old mouse mat.  I do this on the underside of the petals because I think it makes a more natural, softer flower.   I like to ink the edges and gently darken the center edge.  A nice 'blob' of liquid adhesive holds the rolled center in place and I have a plastic clamp that holds the pieces together until they are set.  Then I roll the petals around the barrel of the ball roller to add more dimension.

I embossed the cream card stock with one of my favorite embossing folders - the Anna Griffin Poppy folder.   I cut the frame twice and sandwiched the embossed card stock between the two frames for added strength.  The sentiment was written with the Explore using Soiree Lettering, Grace Script font.

This was such a lovely project to work on and I appreciate the opportunity to share with you. Remember to thank a Vet!  : )  Christine

Sweet Treats for the DGDs

Like many crafters out there, I have svg files sitting on my computer that I just HAD to have.  A couple of weeks ago, I actually unzipped the SVG Cuts Toil and Trouble file from its resting place and made the witch shoes.  Here they are: -

The lovely, glittery, sturdy cardstock from Recollections at Michaels whispered my name as I was wandering the aisles looking for crackle texture paste and I popped it in my cart totally forgetting that I had discovered no easy way of gluing it together.  

Eight million glue dots later, I was semi satisfied although, as you can see, after I took the photos, I had to go back in with my markers and fill in white spots on the edges!  I have to say that the shoes are very easy to put together and while I think about it, I do have some white faux leather cardstock that would make great bridal shoes for wedding favors.  Hmmm!

Thanks for visiting with me today. I'd better go see what damage the first frost has wrought on my plants.  : )  Christine

I am linking my shoes with the Sweet and Yummy challenge at Craftin' Desert Divas.  Lots of inspiration here for next year's Halloween treat holders.  : ) 

Thanksgiving Table Place Name Holders

Several years ago, I made place name holders from the newly released Thanksgiving cart.  They were much admired and a couple even disappeared!   It's way past time for an update to my Thanksgiving table and so I went looking for ideas on Pinterest.   I found some very cute teepee holders and was reminded of the teepee cards I made last year.  Aha!  I had seen an easy peasy teepee card on Collette's Digi-re-doo-dah blog that I was sure I could create in Design Space and here it is: -

It's basically a 6 inches wide by 3 inches deep rectangle with a 1 inch triangle welded on the bottom edge.  There are score lines from the center of the top edge of the rectangle to the triangle point, to one of the bottom angles of the triangle and to both bottom corners of the rectangle.  The panels are triangles welded together and you need two large and two small panels.  I glued the 2 small panels and one of the large ones in between the score lines as shown.

The next step is to apply glue to the top edges and fold into a pyramid shape. The second large panel was adhered on the glued side to conceal the join.

After pushing in the score line between the two small panels, the teepee will fold flat (well, flatish!) for mailing or storage.   Easy peasy!


 

Now the fun part - embellishing!  The "Give Thanks" sentiment comes from Artbooking, and the wheat and feather cuts come from the Thanksgiving cart.  I left the tips of the feathers unglued so that I could insert the place card.  The leaves are cut with dies from Sunny Studios because I just love the added definition to the edge that you get from a little steel die.

Here's just two of the place card holders.  I'm eschewing matchy-matchy this year and making them with different designer papers for the panels.  (I learned the hard way not to use a paper with an obvious one way pattern!!!!)  And, if one or two disappear again, I won't be scrambling to find a piece of paper to match the rest! 

  It was simple to make a larger card sized version of the teepee place name holder and I'm glad to have this easy peasy template in my DS files.  Thank you for visiting with me today.  : )  Christine

Think Pink

This week's challenge over at BBTB2 was, ummm. challenging!  This vintage, British born lady, could not imagine EVER sending a card featuring lingerie, pink or otherwise!  It took me three rejected and dejected designs to come up with a card that I could actually envision sending to someone and here it is: -

I've made word shaped cards before using phrases from the Wild Card cart, but this time I started from scratch and used the 'text' feature to write the words "think" and "pink."  I used the Carousel font since it has a lovely chunky shadow layer.  I ungrouped the shadow letters and manipulated them until they overlapped and then welded them together.  Using small triangle shapes, I covered up the smaller gaps between the letters so that the shape had a more cohesive look and welded again before  duplicating and flipping the image.  Aligning the two shapes one on top of the other, I welded them into one shape.  I added thin rectangles to fill in the fold line and welded again.  Lastly,  I added the shadow layer from the ribbon from the Pink Journey cart and welded all the images together.

I think next time I try this technique, I'll fill in more of the gaps between the letters and see if that gives it a more structured look.   (I want to try this with my grandchildren's names - won't that be fun?)

I wanted to keep the card as uncluttered as possible, but could not resist a rolled rose from the Flower Shoppe card and these tiny bead butterflies that have lived in my embellishment box for years just waiting for the right card!

One last look: -

Do go see here to see what the DT created for this challenge.  Their imaginative projects are part of the reason this card was so challenging! 
I am also linking my card with the BCA awareness Pinky Linky at DL Art.

Thanks for visiting with me today.  : )  Christine

Oooops!   I did not read the rules properly at BBTB2 and since this card doesn't have lingerie OR a lady, I removed it from the link up.  Ah well! This card was a terrific learning process and I loved making it. : )   

A Last Halloween Card

I recently received another HSN shipment of Anna Griffin mix and match embossing plates and I have NO idea how I'll ever use all of them!  However, this shipment did include a "Trick or Treat' sentiment and I was inspired to create a card that is not 'cute.'

I used paper from an old Carta Bella collection and some coordinating stickers and die cuts.  Kinda, sorta different.   Love that black, shiny paper!

Hmmmm!  Think I'd better check out some 'sophisticated' cards on Pinterest.  Thanks for visiting with me.   : ) Christine

Happy Thanksgiving Spinner Card

My DH sighs when another Product Release video from Jennifer McQuire pops in my mailbox and I start "Ooohing and Ahhhhing."  But, my reaction was different this week when I saw the Mama Elephant stamps and dies and the spinner card Jennifer had created.  "I can do THAT with my Explore!" I cried and DH sighed but with relief this time.   Here it is:-

I was so pleased that the Bitten by the Bug 2 challenge blog decided to continue for a while and I was determined to participate in the Turkey and Canadian Thanksgiving challenge.  Coming up with something a little bit different from the inspirational projects offered by the DT was difficult until I saw the spinner card and envisioned a turkey revolving in the card!


I cut the card base from Tags, Bags, Boxes and More 2 but in resizing the card I stretched the circular window.  I used the Hide Contour button to delete it and sliced another circle using the shapes button.  I used the circle that sliced from the card to create two circular frames for inside and outside the card.  These frames hide the knots that attach the thread that spins the turkey.

I cut the turkey from Autumn Celebrations.  One of the images is mirrored in the Edit panel and then adhered together over the thread.   (Who needs two stamps and dies? Haha!)  The pumpkins come from Create a Critter 2 and are contoured and shaded with my markers to add dimension.

The sentiment also comes from Create a Critter and the cooked turkey inside the card comes from Simply Charmed.   I embossed the front of the card with a Darice folder called Fall Leaves because it features lovely maple leaves.

If you'd like to try this card, my file reference number is:-

https://us.cricut.com/design/#/canvas/32314153

Thanks for visiting with me today and I hope all my Canadian friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  : ) Christine