Cricut Layout Tutorial and Recipe Pages

I have been waiting to share this tutorial for awhile now. I made these pages over a month ago and I felt that a mini tutorial might be helpful to show how to get themost use from your Gypsy and your mat. I knew I would be making several copies of these pages so I layout the pages all on one 12x12 mat.

I love how I can take my Gypsy anywhere and work on a design why I am waiting for a kids dental appointment, etc.

I first decided what I was going to cut from assorted carts after placing them on the mat and adjusting my Gypsy looked like this

Following the guides on the side of the mat I trimmed and laid out the paper for the cuts...this picture shows you how the mat looked. it allows me to use a lot of my scrap paper pieces.

Then I attached my Gypsy to my Cricut and cut the mat I had a series of 3 mats loading and cutting so I could cut it out 6 times.

After Cutting the pieces all of the smaller pieces I feed through my Xyron X sticker maker and add adhesive to the backs of all thesmaller pieces....theie were quite a lot of small pieces.

I made the following pages...

They are some of my family favorites

I didnt get a picture of my finished bio page, because at the time I took all the pictures I hadn't finished it yet.

Creating pages for the recipies was pretty simple.

The hardest thing for me to do was write my bio. I sure loved reading everyone elses.

I will take an updated picture of my Bio page and share it soon.

I love my cookbook my friends all did a wonderful job on there pages and I would highly recommend this as a project for any small group of friends. It will really enrich your life and your friendships.

Until Later... Happy Stamping!

Awesome Autumn Antics

During October I participated in an Awesome Antics Rak. I have been waiting to post the following for over a Month now...Since it is Thanksgiving I decided I would do it today.

The requirements required using the favorite fall colors of the recipient..I had a hard time with her colors Purple and Tan. This is what I came up with I hope she liked it.

I masked the Leaves from a Fall Folliage stamp set I got from a friend and stamped them with Timber Brown StazOn..then I colored with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and Water Color pencils. I used Perfect Plum to matte the image and I cant remember the color of the base I think it was Very Vanilla or Sahara Sand. I used Argyle EF in my Cuttlebug to emboss and I used a little Acorn brad I picked up at Target $ spot last fall.

We also needed to make an altered item, so I made 2. One was this gratitude coaster book.

I made it so my Acorn could write down things she cherished or was thankful for this Thanksgiving. I used some Fall papers that had some tan and Purple and bound it with my bind it all I added the Purple tags and scalloped edge for more of her favorite fall colors.

Second I made some vanilla bath salts in light yellow and purple.. I found a bath salt tin at Michaels and discovered the Circle opening was the perfect size for the new SU large Crcle punch. so I wrote Bath Salats on a piece of Paper probably should have used my printer and then punched and slid it up into the opening. I put her initial on the label. I hope she likes it.

I am still frantically working on wedding stuff. I hoep to make another post to show some of that stuff this weekend.

Until Later Have a Great Thankssgiving and may you find Much in your life to be thnaksful for and ...Happy Stamping!

We had a White elephant exchange with our crafting stuff this month gettign rid of those little odds and ends you buy and never use all of... well thats what we exchanged cant wia tfor the big reveal to see what I get. I mailed ny package to my little Ellie yesterday and this is the card I made to go in it..We had to make a White elephant card. I chose to use my cricut and cuttlebug to make the card...I used the Dvine swirl to look like the sky with wind blowing and then

I used Distressed stripes to make the ground in brown, cutting along one edge of ta stripe to make the ground bumpy. I cut he elephant from Animal Kigndom out 3 times and then layered with 1/8" and 1/16" Dimensionals. then I used grey and Pink Chalk to add depth. The one eye really caught the flash, but both eyes are tiny hero arts gemstones...they are the sparkliest. the center of the sun I used the 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 circle punches and then just used dimensionals to attach it to another piece of yellow and free hand trim the sun rays...the stamp set is retired Sentiment set from SU. I hope you enjoyed it...

Until later ...Happy Stamping!

Cricut Recipe Swap

I was willingly coerced into participating in a recipe swap on SCS
..Since I am trying to work on Scraping Techniques for the day when I eventually tackle hundred of photos I will be prepared... so I said yes...YES to making 25 pages... which means I will get 25 delicious recipes back..

I chose to do my Moms Plucket Bread recipe..I love it and the kids love it for snacks after school...

I might have to make some this week... For the swap I opted to call it "Monkey Bread", I have heard of similar breads called that before.... I guess I might have to get the recipe typed*** up for you later but for now here is a picture of the swap... I planned to use a canvas background in Close to Cocoa on the banana background but got a little ahead of myself adding the recipies once they were printed and trimmed. OOPS...
I used Barely Banana, a Chocolate card stock in 8x8 size from Paper Co(Michaels), Tan from a GP assortment at Wal-mart and an Olive from a Botanicals Assortment,Paper Co. (Michaels)...

I used 2 brown brads also which I got from my Cupid last month..so I included a picture of it also, becasue I've been meaning to do that so I can thank "Markies Mom" for the wonderful box of treats... Can you belive this project used all the brown brads...I always love the brown brads they were such a treat...

I cut the Vine and Monkeys with my Zoobaloo cartridge on my Cricut... the "OOH OOH" was from Animal Kingdom, sound for the gorilla, resized smaller using the Design Studio software.
I drew with a brown marker first and then cut with the blade, using the multi-cut feature of the software and a lower blade setting
and pressure since I was Cutting SU Ruby Red cardstock.

Until Later.... Happy Stamping!

***I will try to add the recipe tomorrow afternoon/evening when I have more time...I changed my mind, I checked and you can see the recipe just fine if you enlarge the picture by clicking on it...Enjoy....

My 1st Squash Book

I signed up to do a Squash book Swap (I think there is still room & time to sign Up) at SCS ,and I had a lot of fun making these little gems.

I just forgot to make one for myself. They are meant to have pictures cut and mounted in them like a scrapbook or a mini -brag book. I think any grandma would be happy to show off her Grandbabies in style with one of these.

The cover is made by covering 4" coasters with decorative paper. I got my coasters from Starlit Studios Ebay Store. A very reasonable price if you don't want to order 1000 from american Coaster Co.! I used the Polka Dot stamp sets &Jumbo Wheel from the SU Spring mini Catalog. The paper colors and inks are from Stampin Up also; sage shadow, lovely lilac, ballet blue & a hint of perfect plum, I used various Circle punches and also my Cricut to cut 1" circles of white. For bling, I used one hero arts gemstone, in the center of joy. The ribbon is a 1$ spool from Michaels. I love it when I can find those great deals, and I loved making these fun books.

The blank purple triangles on the inside is for journaling and adding information. Pictures cut as small triangles can be added over the purple and blue so they become the mats the Purple and green Squares are used the same way. You can use these as brag books or for vacation memories, or anything special you want to remember. I hope you enjoy them.

I need to get back to painting so I can get my Room back in order. I want to create some more fun stuff to share.

**** I also wanted to thank Kirsten for the lovely "Nuggets" I won naming her blog candy last week. It was a fun contest. Please visit her site I 'm sure you will love seeing her designs also