WordBook...

One of the things I love, is introducing someone to the world of scrapping. My daughter's friend came over in December for a lesson and was hooked. Last week, she celebrated her 12th Birthday and I jumped at the opportunity to create a special place where she could keep a few pictures from her party. She loved the gift and....... I was surprised to find out today that she didn't take any pictures at the skating rink. She's always taking photos with her phone. Inside the tag are slips of paper for her to write notes from her party on.

Faith's favorite colors are brown, green, blue, and white:

By the way, I binded this project with the Cinch, that I picked up yesterday. After using it for the first time, I wanted to toss the other one (not calling names) out the window!!!!!

Time to Regroup....Page Layouts

I think I have finally re-grouped from the 4-day crop I went to. I was very ambitious in what I wanted to accomplish. Although I didn't get it all done, I am happy with what I actually completed; especially an entire 8X8 album about my daughter's various hairstyles. That will always be a continuous project but I finished every picture I took with me. Maybe I'll share those later in the week.

I haven't done many layouts in a while, so I had to make that a priority on the trip. One of things I'm also working on is redoing a baby album that I gave as a gift. The parents thought they were having a girl, but She turned out to be a He!! Yes, I started doing the entire book over. I have another friend who is having a girl, so I'll be able to give her the book that is already completed. On the bath layout below, I am still trying to find the bottom of the boat on the towel rack as I unpack my stuff. Silly me didn't save the file on my gypsy either (I only have the original from the girl version).

The baby layouts used New Arrival & George & Basic Shapes. Enough words, here are the pictures:

My Mini Scrapper

Before I dive into crop photos, I want to share a card my Daughter completed. I gave her and her friend, a sketch and a little guidance and this is what she did:

Happy New Year!!!! Welcome to 2011!!!

I am so excited to see a New Year.  I promised myself that I would try two new things in the first half of the year:  1) Vinyl and 2) Glass Etching.  I got a head start and tried vinyl 2 weeks ago and I am HOOKED.  Now, I just didn't stumble on this phenomenon.  This future addiction came from my great friend Nicole over at Creative Delights by Nicole.  She is my Vinyl Hero!  Another great friend secretly tricked me too.  She probably doesn't even know it, but NubianCrafterNC makes layering with vinyl look like old news.  I'm still trying to work with those layers.  Sitting on my kitchen table right now, are four clear acrylic tumblers waiting for some attention.

So, let's get to it!  Here is my first *real* vinyl project.

 

 

So, leave me a post letting me know what "NEW" thing you are going to try this year.  Who knows, you may end of swaying me and we can try them together.

SST Christmas and Countdown to the New Year Blog Hop

Christmas is coming and so is the New Year! To get you in the spirit of the season, the divas of Sistas Scrap Too! have come together for a Christmas and Countdown to the New Year Blog Hop! There are 17 blogs in the hop, so make sure you use the links below this post to hop to all of the participating blogs. No worries if you miss one, you can always go back! These 17 divas have a lot in store for you. From exquisite creations to offers of blog candy, you will enjoy hopping your way to all of the blogs involved! Don't forget to leave some blog love for the creators -- they love getting feedback on their designs!

Welcome to Cassie's Corner. Since Thanksgiving Eve, I've been listening to Holiday Music. From Jingle Bells, Santa Baby, Silent Night, Winter Wonderland, and tons more. This year, listening to the music inspired me to start my Christmas Cards, which usually become Happy New Years cards, early. Thank you for stopping by.



Project 1: Blessed Christmas:
A) Recollections large folded card
B) Celebrate It Ribbon
C) Snowflake Embossing Folder
D) Martha Stewart Punch
E) Cricut Carts: George & Basic Shapes and Graphically Speaking







Project 2:  Merry Christmas
A) Recollections small folded card
B) Celebrate It Ribbon / Buttons
C) Swiss Dots Embossing Folder
D) Me & My Big Ideas pattern paper
E) Cricut Carts: George & Basic Shapes, Accent Essentials, & Winter Frolic

Project 3:  Glitter Ornament
This is my first attempt at creating a glitter ornament.  I'm actually practicing, because I volunteered to do this project with my son's 1st Grade Class.  I have my work cut out for me in a room with 25 childen.








Thank you for participating in the Sistas Scrap Too! first ever blog hop! Remember to visit all of the blogs and leave blog love -- you never know where you'll find candy!! Here is a linked list of all the participating blogs:

1. Treva's Craft Corner
2. Stampin' Dymonz Creative Space
3. Nubian Crafter NC
4. My {Life}, My {Blog}
5. Step Into Nita's World
6. Sweet Lil Scrapper
7. P-Kaysunshine Creations
8. Sharing My Stuff
9. Yaya Philly Craft World
10. Cassie's Crop Corner
11. M. M. DeZigns
12. Made By Dee
13. Riley's Custom Creations
14. It's A Family Affair!
15. Cuttin' Up
16. Stamping On The Road

17. In Shelly's World

What Are You Thankful For

It's that yummy time of year again, THANKSGIVING. I can smell my plate just days away. I am looking forward to the arrival of my brothers and just hanging out with my family. I love this time of year. What are you thankful for this year? Over at Platinum Scraps this week, our challenge was to list 5 reasons why we are thankful. Here are mine:

Here Comes Baby...

I have been tucked away in my corner for a few weeks now, working on a baby shower gift for a special First Time Mom. Nothing like celebrating the arrival of a precious bundle of joy. And all those who know me, know how BIG I am about taking pictures, especially during the first year of a child's life. So, there's no reason I shouldn't pass that same madness on to my friends. To get them started, I began scrapping a list of firsts. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Christening, Birthday, Crawling, etc. Here are a few pages from the book. The baby's color scheme is pink, purple, and lime green, so I tried to use that as much as possible.

I Give Myself Away

Last week, we celebrated a Special Occasion in my world. A very good friend was Ordained as a Youth Minister. As we ministered in dance to William McDowell's, "I Give Myself Away", you can't help but wonder what are you holding back on. What is keeping you from drawing nearer to God? The young lady singing at the end is the new International Church of Christ Youth Minister. Think about and let the song speak to your heart. So, are you wondering where the craft portion is? It's the program that was designed for the service. A FAN! Of course, it's my most used cricut cart to the rescue, George and Basic Shapes. Add some wire ribbon and a popsicle stick and tadaaaa!!! By the way, my cricut expression died while I was in the process of making these and I had to cut the remaining squares with a 12X12 trimmer.



Here's the video:
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Our First Home

Good Morning All,

As I celebrate the start of a new school year, I'm reminded of how far behind I am on School Scrapbook page layouts. I've only made it to Preschool graduation for my now 3rd grader and the 1st Preschool Graduation of my 1st grader. (Long story but he had 2). So in my head, I'm gearing up to get those pages done by the end of the year. Yes, it's ambitious but I'm aiming high.

This week over at Platinum Scraps, we are celebrating Our Homes. Whether your first home, childhood home, or any in between, we want you to scrap about it. Here is our first Home. We just celebrated one year of home ownership!

Brown Butterfly

We are back from vacation and boy have I missed having internet access. It was so hard and a struggle. By day 2, the withdrawal was tapering off. We spent some great time with family in Arkansas and was able to visit a friend in Mississippi. Oh yes, I stepped into Hobby Lobby for the first time and fell in love. That store is great and I found 3 albums that I need in multiples. My great friend Nicole of Creative Delights by Nicole offered to pick up some for me and send them once they go on sale.

While I was gone, I missed the deadline over at Platinum Scraps for this weeks Challenge. Please visit Platinum Scraps to see the different interpretations of the above sketch.

Honoring the Hero at Home

Next week we will celebrate the 4th of July and in the spirit of honoring those that serve. I am taking this opportunity to Honor the Hero in my family. My Big Brother!! He spent 8 years in the Navy, traveling all over the world, and serving on the offshores of our current war. Upon leaving the Navy, he signed up as an Air Force Reservist and is in his 3rd year. In between all this time, he never lost sight of the big picture: becoming a FIREMAN!!! He spent years as a volunteer and now, his dream is reality. Thank you for serving your country as a soldier and rescuing those as a firefighter. Now, get your butt back on the East Coast and put fires out here because your family misses you!

Happy 10th Anniversary Honey!!!

I told you all a few days ago, that May was my favorite month. So much to celebrate, so much happiness. Hubby and I will be celebrating our 10th Anniversary in a few weeks. I am thrilled to reach this small milestone because marriage is H-A-R-D but so rewarding. I started working on this design last week when my Summer in Paris cricut cartridge arrived in the mail. I knew what I wanted to do and was excited to pull it off. Here's the invite.



Here is how I did it:
1) My gypsy of course.

2) I welded a square from George & Basic Shapes to the building/bridge (is that what that is??) base from Summer in Paris to make the card base. (Silver 10.25 X 5.5)

3) Then I added the couple from Sweethearts and welded them to the base of the card as well.

4) Next, I cut the very intricate lace portion of the building/bridge. What a task. I ended up switching the blade after cutting out 6. It took a while to cut out all 4 on one sheet of 12X12 paper. I still had to take my pic and poke out several of the pieces. (Royal Blue 5.5 X 4.75)

5) Added silver ribbon across the top (using terrifically tacky tape)

6) I cut another set of the couple (black) to make us look cuter. LOL!!!!! And adhered them to the base.

7) Cut the inside and use Word to print all the details.

Shoes for Momma

Next to Diamonds, I hear Shoes are a Mom's best friend. This shoe idea is courtesy of one of my Scrap Sistas. Check out Alice Brown's blog to see her original design. I figured out how to add the fold portion (using George & Basic Shapes, of course) and tadaaa! Here ya go. Thanks again Alice for the wonderful idea.

Mother's Day

This weekend, we ushered in my favorite month of the year. MAY!!!!! I'll celebrate Mothers, Life, Love, and a New Home. Please share what you are doing for Mother's Day.

We all know a Supermom in our lives. That person may even be you. A Mother who is always on the go. A Mother who is balancing work, children, spouse, and even some quality time for herself. This week's project is dedicated to YOU!!









Here's Another. This was was done using Once Upon A Princess and Storybook. Let's just hope the kids' God-Mommy doesn't scope out the blog this week. LOL!!! It's full of goodies for her to keep in the car. Her car is black and her favorite color is red.




There is a mirror on the left side and the poem on the right reads:

Godmothers aren't fairies in a tale,
Offering a world that cannot be.
Demand of them glass slippers and they fail,
More likely to do favors naturally.
On them you can depend for a relation:
They offer gifts and guidance with a kiss.
Having taken on the obligation,
Each freely out of love gives what she is.
Real godmothers have no wands or wings,
So they must work with wisdom, love, and things.

LADIES NIGHT!!!

I'm all clear from Party Central (My son had a blast) and now I need to shift my focus back to my weekly scrapping. The challenge this week at Platinum Scraps, is to use the Forever Young Cartridge. If you do not have this cart, it is a must have!!! This cart just oozes girlfriend, diva, classy and sassy. You'll be using it for years to come.

What Cricut Cartridges did what:
1) The building scenery was cut from Plantin Schoolbook.

2) The ladies of course, were cut from Forever Young cart. This includes their clothes and accessories. The picture mat is also a purse from FY.

3) Traffic light is from Going Places with a little stickles to make it bling.

4) Street signs and post - George & Basic Shapes (told you I don't have too many layouts that I don't use this cart on).

STRIKE... TURKEY.. and then some.

It's time to celebrate in my house and my new SIX year old is ready to party. Although his birthday was last week, his party is this Saturday. As an added bonus, is Nana and Uncle JJ will be here (from Connecticut) to celebrate with him.

Here is the invite I made for his two classmates. Yes, you read that right. I only made 2 and all the usual party goers got an evite. What can I say, it has been a busy 2 weeks in my life.




The bowling pins were made using the Cricut Paisley Cartridge and I welded the pins to the card using my Gypsy.

SPRING IS HERE!!!

I think it is official that spring is actually here. I almost turned the A/C on, but hid out in the basement instead. Here is a LO I did for Platinum Scraps. Be sure to check out my fellow designers as we feature American Craft Paper.

GOING GREEN

HAPPY MARCH!!!!!!! Now, let's start dreaming of Spring, which is only 18 days away.

It's all about St. Patrick's Day with this layout. While I don't traditionally celebrate the occasion, my Sista's over at Platinum Scraps, put the challenge out there and here is my response.



Here is what I used:
1) My Gypsy. (I had lunch with my gypsy twice last week and finished)
2) Hello Kitty Greetings - Rainbow
3) Paper Doll Dress Up - Pot of Gold
4) Cuttlebug and a sizzix A2 folder to emboss the gold
5) George & Basic Shapes - For all the layered picture mats.
6) Don Juan - Title