Something Strange happened to me..

Last week, I opened my door to find a package on my door step. What was it? Another cricut expression 2. I got mine on hsn, and this one had me really scratching my head. I looked at all my accounts and there was no strange purchase or charge for this machine. So I called Cricut customer help to track it down. I was hoping that maybe I won it and never got the notice on it. Which could happen, my spam box is over protective.

Anyway, it took this nice girl on the other end named Ashley some work to figure out where this machine came from. She finally came up with an explaination. It was sent out of their replacement warehouse... But yet I never requested a replacement. Last time I ever called was in September with my imagine arrived missing a cartridge from a box. Anyway, she thanked me over and over for being an honest person and calling. So now I have to print out a prepaid fed ex label and attach it to the cricut then drop off at a fed ex location. So that's on my to do list this week. You know I would have really liked to hear that I won it off of one of the many blogs I entered. But I had to know for sure, I didn't want to be charged for a second machine. I had a person in mind that I was thinking I could sell it to at a great deal. She thought that was a cool plan too. Oh well, so I will say goodbye to this cricut expression 2, that found it's way from Utah to Texas for some odd reason. I love winning things, drives my hubby crazy, he tells me I need to play the lottery more.

Thanks for reading...

My daughter's birthday cake..

Okay, have to show this one off. I tried using that prepackaged fondant last year with no success and besides that the taste was ... I can't say anything nice. So I don't have the cricut cake, but kept reading about others making their fondants from marshmellows. And so I googled and found one to work. I used strawberry marshmellows in the pink fondant and with a touch of food coloring gel to pop the color.

And I made white marshmellow fondant as well. I wish I had taken a picture of the cake after we had cut into it, because I made a checker board cake. One that you use two batters and a insert in the pan, alternating. It turned out great. Strawberry and Vanilla cake on the inside. My inspiration was her theme, Minnie's bow. I think the parents were the ones that really ate up the cake. After the party was over, my daughter took a fork directly to the cake and really enjoyed it. This is the first cake in my house that didn't make it thru the weekend. We are not big cake eaters, especially with three birthdays in June just in my family. But you know, the cricut cake might have to go on my list to have someday. I don't need the big one, but maybe the mini would be perfect.

Love when the cricut helps with those big assignments!

So for busy work, my fourth grader had a book report due two weeks before school ends. He has to make a poster of his favorite book he read this school year, along with a summary that would make his classmates want to ready the book.

Okay, so here is where mommmy gets into trouble. I truly realize that I won't be able to do this much longer. I drew the characters and my son colored them in. We worked out thoughts of how we thought each character might look.

But we used the cricut for the lettering. Taught my son how to remove the letters from the sticky mat. We used one font fromt Happy Hauntings and I believe the other font is the cricut alphabet font built into the Cricut expression 2.

After all was done, my son had a poster to be very excited about. And no I don't know what grade he made on it yet.

Bowling Belated Birthday Card

So my oldest has been invited to a "I got good grades/Belated Birthday Bowling Party." Whew, that was a overload. So we are down to the last two half days of school. This party is great timing. Keeps my son occupied for an afternoon after school gets out at noon. Did you catch all that? Anyway, that have requested no presents. But hey I have to at least send a card.

So I knew it had to be bowling theme. Which means I used Nifty Fifty cartridge. I pulled paper from the Celebration stack from DCWV. And some accent color paper that was in my stack. I actually cut the pin's bands out of white and just colored it a color with my bic markers to match the paper. The card measures 5.25" x 7.25" Since this is for a girl in his class, can't go over board with it.

The inside still from the same cartridge. And again just cut the phrase out of black and white. Where you see color, well you guess it, I colored it in. What a time saver it is, especially for small details. And with the bic 36 colors, its easy to find something that cordinates.

Hope you enjoyed it! I am ready for summer in a few ways, like time to craft, but other ways I am not ready to play referee all summer... Ever feel like that?

Spirit lifter for my father

So, I had to do something with a sense of humor for my dad. He is having his third eye surgery in the last 30 days. He had a cornea transplant that didn't take and now having to go for a second cornea transplant. So I thought a little laugh and a card might lift his spirits, letting him know he is in my thoughts! I truly believe that laughter is the best medicine, really I do.

I believe I found this creature on the Mini monsters cartridge, but I could be wrong. I made this card at a crop on National Scrapbooking weekend. So I have slept since then. I wish I was better about writing down where I used my images from. The stamp is from My Pink Stamper. What can I say?
Have a creative day!

National Scrapbook Day Giveaway, at Cricut Circle Blog

Photo taken by my nine year old.

My craft space for now, the rest is shared with the washer and dryer room.
Thanks!

Challenge #5 for My Pink Stamper, Its National Scrapbooking Day!

Simply yet Elegant, Exploding box.

Alright, Second project with E2

First thing, IT'S NATIONAL SCRAPBOOKING DAY!!!

Okay, so after the first disaster of a card. Naw, not really. I can't tell you how many times I accidentally turned off the E2 when making selections on the screen. I would rest my hand and hit the power button. Oh and better yet, first advice about the E2, you have to load the mat before you cut!! Ha, yes you get confused with the Imgaine and expect the E2 to take the mat from you, NOT! Yes, a few adjustments.

Okay onto the card
Yes, these are my mother's day cards this year. My darling daughter, whom is almost 4, loves loves loves monkeys. So Monkey Business it is with the Just a Note preloaded cartridge. And inside, signed "your five lil monkeys!"

Here, I am using the tip I found on another blog. Instead of pulling out a little piece of yellow paper, use white paper and then bic or copic markers to color it! Fabulous!

Okay, So I was trying to conquer the shawdow issue. And now matter every trick I tried. It would not happen in any exact form. But it would close enough and to those that really don't understand my craft form, they won't notice!

However, here I did take on a challenge of changing up the monkey. Here's the deal, cut the card-write down the size. Then hit the monkey on the card layer. Look at the sizing under relative then select the true size. Now once you know the true size. I went back for the layers I wanted of the monkey in the non card feature. Taking that true size measurement and imputing it into the relative size. YEAH, I had the layers I wanted at the right size. One challenge accomplished. I hope that made sense. If not, let me know and I will put a step by step explanation up.

And the Inside of the card...

Creatively Yours!
Denise

My first project with the E2

Okay, this first card. Well not counting the lack of color choice here. I have already discovered some challenges with one of the preinstalled just a note. I love the cards but I have found challenges with this which I will explain. Not real happy with the phrase feature for the cards. It really can't be done to create a blackout or shadow to pop the phrases. And I even tried. I could see more layers that could have been offered to perk this first attempt of a card up. And by the way, this is the only place this card will be seen. It will not be making it out of my house.

Ultimate thrill for me!

Okay, if you really know me. I try not to miss "My Pink Stamper". I love her stamps and her spunk. She inspires me in my creative outlet.
So excited when I saw her when she was scoping out the crop room at the Stampede.

Live Ustream with My Pink Stamper. How cool. I loved the energy from everyone. Here is Monique Griffth, Robyn Cardon, and Karlee!!

Also, hoping today it arrives but will depend on Robyn checking her box. There was a certain item mentioned in this live ustream that I by chance saw in the store with all the Easter candy. Had to pick it up and mail it for the National Scrapbooking Day event with Robyn and Karlee. I think Tammy will also be there too. So, I guess I just have to wait and see if they receive it in time, depending on if she checks her box regularly.

Oh yes, if you don't know. May 7th, Saturday is National Scrapbooking Day. A friend of mine has reserved the community room at her property. So with a bunch of her friends invited, there should be a lot of scrapbooking going on starting Friday night going thru Saturday night. I hope to be there for some amount of time. Just have to figure out if I want to take the new E2.

Exploding boxes for party favors at a Senior Luncheon!

Okay so alot of pictures to view here. Anyway, so this is more of the graduation project I have been swamped with for my niece. Happy to do it but also happy to have mailed off the box with everything in it. I am hoping the girls will like the boxes. We are setting them up with a tape runner in each, with a writing pen, and I included a few embellishments. The concept was to have the girls exchange their senior pictures and I thought the exploding box would be a unique way to display and treasure. So I guess I will have to wait and see in another two weeks. Too bad I can't fly in to help my mother with hosting the luncheon.
Have a great laugh today!
Creatively yours!

Something Arrived this Monday

Okay so my daughter was also escited to help me open it up. She wanted at it first, the box that is. She could care less what was in the box unlike me. She wanted the box for her baby dolls. So the new toy is here. It took a little while to update the firmware. Not sure if the sight was overloaded or my computer was just in a funk.

So I finally got the opportunity to try it out tonight. Only 24 hours later! Watch for next few postings as I am exploring the new E2!

Mother's Day Gift

I have admired these scrapbooked drawers and when I realized that my plan A for mother's day gift was just not going to be finished in time, I moved on to plan b. And the only thing that took awhile on this was waiting for pictures from my in laws so that I could add the cousins.

Really quick concept and yet I used the cricut to make chipboard letters since I didn't own any big enough and it was after store hours. Even my husband commented on how neat it turned out and that his mother will really love it. I am working on something different for my mom and need to finish it so it can also get mailed.

Project from Teresa Collins Class at the Dallas Stampede

Teresa Collins class at the Dallas Stampede with Cricut Circle in March.
We got to see hands on some of the great things on the Imagine Baby Boutique Cartridge. Fabulous is what sums up the images on there.

This is the project from the class along with learning how to bring more interest to flowers cut out on the cricut. There are other pages inside both combined with images from the cartridge and her paper line.

One of my flowers that I worked with in the class. Love the paper and the embellishment.

Enjoy!