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

Hopping by with Lots of Love!

Although Ms. Kangaroo and her joey are meant as a birthday card, I think it will work as a Valentine's Day card.  I stamped 'Happy Valentine's Day' on the back just to reinforce the intention!

All the cuts are from the Cricut cart, Birthday Bash.  This, along with Create A Critter are my go-to carts when I want cute images.  Now I have to confess that I am tired of 'cute' and ready for something more sophisticated!  Hmmm.

There are so many challenges out there this week!  I am linking this card with the 'Heart' challenge over at Bitten by the Bug 2

and the 'Seeing Red' Challenge # 196 at FCCB

Both DTs have done a terrific job and I'm totally intrigued by a couple of the projects.  I feel a 'sophisticated' scraplift coming on!    Thanks for visiting with me today.   : )  Christine

Happy Valentine's Day from the DGD!

Our wonderful DGDs came for a visit this weekend.  Such fun!  I dug out our ancient collection of Fisher Price Precious Places houses and they happily assembled the prettiest little village ever.  We taught them a card game we used to play with our DS many years ago and read the silliest story EVER about Arnie the Doughnut.
In the morning, after 'helping' Grandpa with the wood supply for the week, they came inside to make valentine cards.  I cut hearts and embellies with the Cameo and supplied the card bases and mats.   Then they cut and glued and wrote messages for two hours.  (I could not resist joining in. LOL!)   They made a little card for Cocoa that I am going to have to scraplift because it is so pretty!
I told them that I would post some of their cards on my blog - and here they are:-

Thanks for visiting with me today.  : ) Christine

Valentine Treats - Part Deux

There are SO many adorable animal cuts on my Cricut carts and I obviously need more DGKids!  (hint! hint!)  I finally decided on this sweet mama kangaroo and her joey because of the heart shaped balloon.  This cut is from Birthday Bash and I think that I'll use the card key and replicate mama kangaroo on G's Valentine card. Should be a cute card for a cute DGD!

Since my head was full of cute 'holder' ideas, I thought that I would cut the baby from Baby Steps and have him holding a basket of goodies and a gift card for an upcoming baby shower.  Again, the heart border holding the box - all the baskets I have in my stash were too large - is cut from Paper Trimmings and the flowers are from Art Philosophy.  Inconsistent, I know, but somehow I don't mind his huge head!

I am linking my big-headed baby in the Bitten by the Bug 2 Baby Challenge

and this week's Exploring Cricut  Cricut Choice challenge - use the color blue, two Cricut cuts and patterned paper.


Now I'm off to pick up Master J for the afternoon.  Hope you have a fun day, too!   Thanks for visiting with me.  : ) Christine

Valentine Treats Part 1!

 I was wandering around the aisles at Freddy's looking for Valentine candy for the DGKids.  There were the CUTEST heart shaped boxes of candy attached to the CUTEST stuffed animals and I was so tempted to buy them!  But, really, S and G and even J,  have bedrooms full of stuffies and have no room for any more.  Then it occurred to me that I could create a paper animal that would look just as cute since I have a gazillion carts!

My first thought was Teddy Bear Parade and the way Nadia morphed them into other animals - here
but I really, really, really don't like the bear's big head.

Her paws are holding a heart border cut from Paper Trimmings and the flowers are from Art Philosophy.   Back to the drawing board, as they say!

 I found this panda on Animal Antics and cut her out after 'hiding' the vacuum cleaner.  I DO like this one. 
I used three different patterned papers for the flowers so that I could enter my panda in the FCCB  Challenge # 195  Mix and Match

Again, I apologize for the quality of the photos since I took the pictures this evening and my DD, who was lending me her Lightbox to see if I like it, has not brought it up yet!!!!!

I'll be back with Part 2, tomorrow!  Thanks for visiting with me.  : ) Christine

Get Well Soon!

Both DGDs have been sick this week.  : (  This sparked some reminiscing between DH and myself about being sick when we were children.  It soon took on the tone of "three miles to school and back, through the snow, in bare feet" and we had to laugh!   Children were relegated to bed to rest and recuperate on spoonfuls of broth and glasses and glasses of Robinson's Lemon Barley water!   If you were lucky, you were permitted to read a book.   No TV, games, or apps to entertain and distract as you suffered!  

This image from the Imagine cart 'The Good Old Days!'  (Uh, right!)  popped in my head and I set out to make a get well card for the Bitten by the Bug 2 -  Get Well challenge.   You can see the DT's fabulous designs here.

I am not too comfortable with creating 'vintage' although I love the look.  Hopefully,  paper from MME and lots of inking helped with the look and feel.  (I seem to be on a yellow kick, don't I?)
The book comes from another image on the cart, and I played with the colors a bit as the original  was just too pink!  I had fun making this card and thank you for visiting with me today.   : ) Christine

Think Spring!

Around February 1st,  my sister calls me so that we can reassure each other that yes indeed,  Winter is on its way out,  and Spring is just around the corner!  It's a tradition.  : )

I thought that I'd send her a 'Think Spring!' card this year and use the opportunity to try out the pinwheel card from the Cricut Wild Card cartridge.   I remembered this cute image from the Imagine Enjoy the Seasons cart (one of my all time favorites) and by cutting away the snow from the windows, I was able to place a snowman looking in the windows so that I could enter the

FCCB Challenge # 194 Use a snowman

(Visit the FCCB blog here.  I was amazed at all the creative ways paper-crafters can use snowmen! )

Here's the front:-

And the inside.

Here's the pinwheel mechanism.  I think that next time I use this card, I will add a liner to conceal the brad.

Here's another one of the Spring images that appear in the thought bubble when you turn the pinwheel.  I have NO idea why the tree looks so yellow; it really is light green!

Thanks for visiting with me today.  : )  And the card is in the mail, Sister!