A Sweet Pastel Birthday

There are a couple of challenges this week that I wanted to participate in.  Both of these challenges have inspiration to use to complete the project.

First there is the sketch to follow at Mojo Monday.

 And there is a photo for inspiration at The Shabby Tea Room.

Aren't these colors just dreamy!  The moment I saw this photo, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the challenge.  

The base mat on my card is white and inked with pale pink.  The top mat was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and then inked in pale pink, yellow, and green.  I then added some lace.  This yellow and whit lace I got a few years ago in a lot from an estate sale.  It is something I would never sew with.  But I just love using it on paper crafting projects.

The rectangle labels are cuts from the Spellbinders Classic Scallop Rectangle Large set.  The base label is white, inked in pink and the top label is green, inked in green and stamped with the Just Rite Ticking Background Stamp.  Oh, I just love, love love this stamp.  It can be used in just so many ways.  The little flowers are cut from the Cricut cartridge PICTURESQUE.  They were cut with white card stock and then inked with pale pink, yellow, and green.  

The little floral labels are cuts from Spellbinders Dahlia Nestabilities set.  They are inked in pale yellow and pink.  A little sheer pink bow enhances the sentiment label.

The sentiment is a stamp from Just Rite Stamps. I added a little epoxy sticker to the top of the sentiment.  The sticker is from Studio 112  There is also an epoxy sticker of Love added to the lower corner of the rectangle label.  

I so enjoy making this card suing these soft sweet colors.  Though it is simple, I think it is lovely.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you will return real soon.

Please Vote for Mike

This is Mike

As you all know my sweet little Ruby and I are in training to be a Pet Therapy
Team with HAND IN PAW. Well, one of the HAND IN PAW dogs, MIKE has been
nominated by The American Humane Association for the 2012 Hero Dog Awards. This
is a big event and will be held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in October.
Here is a link about the awards and where you can vote for MIKE.

http://www.herodogawards.org/vote/?nominee=74762729

Mike was a feature story last night on the local news. Here is the link for you to
see the story of MIKE. He was born deaf and rescued to a great home. The
breeder wanted to put him down due to him being deaf. He understands American
Sign Language and serves in several HAND IN PAW programs. The news story is
about his service to cancer patients at the Children's Hospital of Alabama. It
is a short news clip,but certainly worth watching.

http://www2.alabamas13.com/news/2012/jun/26/spirit-alabama-mike-dog-ar-4042046/

There are several categories and MIKE has been nominated in the THERAPY DOG
CATEGORY. He could win or place there. He could also win the top award. So I
need you to VOTE FOR MIKE. The cash awards will go directly to HAND IN PAW.
HAND IN PAW is a non profit organization using pet therapy teams to help
children through adults. Here is a link to HAND IN PAW.

http://www.handinpaw.org/

So, I am asking you to please help HAND IN PAW by voting for MIKE.
If you are on Facebook, you can also vote for him there.

Thanks so much.
Charlotte

It's Hot Outside

As much as I love being out of school in  the summer, I can't stand hot weather.  And here I am living in the deep south.  The temperature her is in the high 90s and by weeks end we will be looking at 100 degrees. YUCK!  Well, how fitting that the challenge this week at Cooking With Cricut is  IT IS HOT OUTSIDE, Celebrate the fun things to do in and around water.

As much as I dislike hot weather, I love the beach.  I love playing in the water, sitting and watching people, and playing in the sand.  So I made a beach scene card for the challenge.

The glittered paper I used for the sand and sand castle is from DCWV. The paper used for the surf is also DCWV.  It is a textured paper.  I tore the paper to reveal the white core.  I thought it looked like the  white caps on the waves.  I added aqua glitter glue to the water.  All other paper is from Recollections. 

The sand castle is cut from the LIFE'S A BEACH cartridge.  I used a little gold ink on the edges of the sand and sand castle.  

 

The sand bucket and shovel is also cut from the LIFE'S A BEACH cartridge.  I really love the colors of the bucket and shovel.  I think the colors look authentic.

I wanted flowers on the card and when I began to think about flowers, I wanted bright tropical colors.  I had planned to cut the flowers out with my Cricut.  But,  I first looked in my flower stash and found these lovely ones.  They are some of the first flowers I purchased when I started making cards.  I got the at Michael's.  but I do not  know the brad.  I attached them to the card with little brads.  I wanted the flowers to sparkle, so I added some glitter glue to them.  

I found these little flip flops in my stash and could not resist adding them to the card.  It is as if they were especially made for this card.

The sentiment is from the K Andrew Design Splashtastic Summer stamp set.  This stamp set is so fun.  Don't you just think this is the perfect sentiment for this card!!

And to finish the card, I added a bright shiny orange ribbon and bow.  Looking at this card makes me want to be at the beach.

Now head on over to Cooking With Cricut and see all the wonderful projects from the design team.  And then link up your "Fun Around the Water" during these hot summer days. 

Cooking With Cricut June Blog Hop Day 2

Welcome to the CookingWithCricut.com and PaperCraftingWorld.com Designers June Blog Hop. Get ready for two days of great projects with each day showcasing different designers and projects. If you have come from Hattie's Heaven then you are moving along. If you would like to start from the beginning, please head over to CookingWithCricut.com.

This month our hop theme is all about Birthdays and one special one in mind. Our wonderful DT Coordinator Jen Hudson’s birthday just happened to fall on Saturday so we decided to make birthday inspired projects with a “Jen” theme in mind. Our go to gal is a die-hard Florida Gator Fan. So we decided to use elements on our projects that reflected Our GATOR FOR LIFE Gal’s FANCY;  Florida, The Florida Gators and anything that would make you think of the Sunshine State. Jen is the last on our blog line up so be sure to hop through and leave her some extra special love at the end!

Here is my Birthday card for Jen.

I decided to make a card in the shape of a cake. I used my Gypsy to weld the F to the top of the cake. The cake is cut from the Cricut cartridge SWEET TREATS. And the "F" is cut from the BIRTHDAY BASH cartridge.  

The cake is sitting on a blue cake platter and is trimmed in orange. It was very important that the Florida Gator colors, orange and blue were a part of the cake. 

The trim on the layers of the cake, I cut with yellow paper to represent the SUNSHINE STATE!! I then used yellow and orange glitter glue on the trim of the cake. All of the chipboard pieces are from a set by K&Company. When I saw this set, I knew it would be perfect decoration on my cake card for Jen.

Here is a photo of how the card opens.

I cut the base of the card trwice and scored the back base about 1/3 down from the top. I added score tape and then created the fold for the card to open. Only the back of the card is folded. The front remains flat.

And here you can see the inside of the card.

After I completed the card and realized that I was still living after having made something representing the Florida Gators, I thought I would make Jen one more thing for her favorite team.

I know that Jen is just about the biggest Florida Gator football fan ever, so I made her a Florida, Gator Football Fan.

I used the card cut to cut the football from the AUTUMN CELEBRATIONS cartridge. As you can see, I added the "F" from the BIRTHDAY BASH cartridge to the from of the fan. And to the back of the fan I added this cute little gator that says "Celebrate". I attached an orange craft stick to the center of the fan before gluing the front and back together.

Some folks show their spirit by shaking shakers for their team. But this upcoming season, Jen, you can fan yourself when things get hot and show your spirit at the same time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GATOR NEIGHBOR, from your favorite BAMA FRIEND!!

You say GO GATORS! and I say ROLL TIDE!

But we both say SEC IS THE BEST!!!

I must give credit to my friend and fellow Alabama Crimson Tide fan, Joy, of Joy's Life for the football fan inspiration.

Be sure to head over to Cooking With Cricut and leave a comment for a chance to win some great blog candy! Now on to your next stop, Jen, the birthday girl herself, at http://www.gator-4-life.blogspot.com.

Oh, I Love America

Join in the FUN at MSC

Celebrating the Birth of our Nation is so much fun, and one of my favorite holidays.  I am usually out of town during the week of July 4th. And because of that, I have celebrated the4th of July in many places.  I have watched the fireworks from the riverfront in New Orleans while eating a fabulous dinner in the restaurant on the top floor of the Westin Hotel.   I think this is the perfect place to watch the fireworks in New Orleans because the hotel is located by the hook in the river which is where the "Dueling Barges Extravaganza " is displayed.

I have watched the celebration from a top floor suite at the Hilton on Michigan Ave. overlooking Lake Michigan in Chicago.  The fireworks there are displayed over the lake at Navy Pier.  I am sure being up on the ferris wheel there watching the display would be about the best, but we were not interested in being in such a crowd.  So we just had a party at the hotel eating barbecue and Chicago style pizza.  

Some of the other fun places I have watched the fireworks from are NYC, San Fransisco, San Diego. Los Angeles, Dallas, Orlando, and Miami.  But my two favorite places are Washington DC, where I will be this year, and right here at home.  

Washington DC cannot be beat on the 4th of July.  I love sitting on the steps of the National Archives and watching the parade as it moves down Constitution Ave. 

And then go and sit on the Capital lawn with a packed picnic and watch the fabulous concert of the National Symphony and many celebrities.  There are members of the military who are honored during the performance.  This wonderful celebration is aired on PBS.  At the end of the concert, the fireworks are displayed over the Washington Monument.

Another great place in the DC area to watch the fireworks is in Arlington VA at the National Marine Corp Monument.  It sits up on a hill and you can see the entire mall and fireworks.  

And do you know why I love watching the fireworks from home?  Well because I can see them from my porch as they go off atop Red Mountain over Vulcan.

I live in Homewood AL.  Homewood is one of the most charming cities you could ever visit.  It sits south of Birmingham AL  and the stature  of Vulcan.  Vulcan stands atop Red Mountain, facing the city of Birmingham.  His backside is to the city of Homewood, and he has no pants on. ( Hee Hee!)  Therefore we in Homewood are getting mooned by the biggest man in town and we take pride in it.  The only thing better than being mooned by Vulcan, is watching fireworks over his head while being mooned by him!

Here is the Vulcan facing Birmingham.

And here is Vulcan mooning Homewood.

Now I guess you think I do not have a project to share with you, but I do.   It is time again for another challenge at My Sheri Crafts   The challenge theme is "Oh, I love America".  Use red, white and blue to help make the project.  

My card base and the red mat are cut from the Spellbinders Grand Scallop Square.  The blue mat is cut from a Spellbinder Lacey Square.  The Center frame and USA are cut from the Cricut ART DECO cartridge.  If you have not taken a look at this cartridge, you are missing out on some fabulous cuts that can be used in so many ways.   I inked the base mat with  light blue Col;or Box ink.  The bow is made with a trim from my stash. And I just could not stop working on this card until it had some bling.  So I added the little gem flower.   

I hope you will join us at My Sheri Crafts, and link up your red, white and blue project.  And don't forget to watch those fireworks on July 4th, no matter where you are.

Road Trip: Warhol Style

Hi!  Today is my day to post as a member of the design team over at She's A Sassy Lady.  I just love being a member of my good friend Sheila's design team.  As many of you know, we live in the same area and have started having card making parties together.  Oh, how I wish you all could join us for the fun!
My post on the Sassy Lady blog is inspired by an upcoming event here in our area. This weekend, the Birmingham Museum of Art will open a new exhibition call Warhol and Cars: American Icons.  I am so excited when we have a new exhibition at the museum, and am especially excited about this one.  I find Any Warhol to be so interesting in so many ways.  And I LOVE his art.

 I decided to create a card in the Warhol style and Great American Road Trip.  Growing up, my family always took long road trips to different parts of our country every summer.  And the earlier trips were taken in cars without air condition. (I know, I'm telling my age)  It is hard to believe now that we would travel with the windows down and our hair blowing.  But we did, and we loved it.

I have committed to not buying any paper this summer.  I am just determined to use up this paper that is taking over my life.  I am sure none of you have this problem. LOL!!  So I can tell you that the entire card was made from paper in my scrap drawer.  The cars were cut from the NIFTY FIFTIES cartridge.  I wanted to make sure I used colors of the time period.  I added Glossy Accents  to the cars so they would look like they had a shinny paint job.  Wouldn't it be fun riding around in one of these classic American cards!!

 The Fifties and Sixties were a wonderful time for the American Automobile.  They were truly works of art.  

The sentiment is a cut from the SUMMER CELEBRATIONS cartridge.  I just loved the font used here and thought it matched the time period perfectly.  

If you get a chance, tell me about your favorite road trip. 

First Day Of Summer

Hello Everyone!  The first day of summer is here and Cooking With Cricut is kicking off the season with a Barb B Cue, and, or Picnic theme.

My card was created with paper from my scrap drawer.  I am just determined not to buy any paper  this summer.  So far, so good.  I feel as though it is taking over my life.  

The grill is cut from the Cricut Lite BLOCK PARTY cartridge.  It is hard to tell in the photo, but the charcoal gray paper has a metallic finish.  

Don't you just love food cooked on the grill.  I especially love fresh vegetables when they are grilled.  And I think the best thing about summer are all the fresh vegetables, especially the sweet corn.  It just would not be summer without eating Silver Queen corn.  So I added a little basket of fresh corn to the card.  

The basket is cut from the DOODLECHARMS cartridge.  I inked it with a little bronze ink to give it a little distress look.  The ears of corn are from the MY WORLD Cricut cartridge.  They too were inked with bronze.   I used foam tape to attach the basket of corn to the card.  

The sentiment is from Scrappy Mom's Stamps.  I stamped it with black in and framed it in black so it would really show up well against the bright colors of the background.  and to complete the card, I added a bright yellow ribbon and bow.  

Come join us at Cooking With Cricut this week and link up your project.  We want to see what you are cooking this summer.  

Aqua, Apricot. and Orange Challenge

The new challenge at Just Rite Stamps this week is photo inspired with the colors Aqua, Apricot, and Orange.  I just love these colors together.  And when I saw the photo, I just knew I had to make something.

All of the paper I used is from Recollections

The stamped label is created with the Just Rite Custom Die, Nested Oval Medallions and stamped with the Just Rite Vintage Rose Medallion.  the stamp was colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers.

The large rectangle mat is stamped with the Just Rite  Harlequin BG stamp.  The little banner was made with cuts from the Cricut Birthday Bash cartridge.  The banner and base mat were embossed with Spellbinder M-bossibilities.  The gems on the card are from Prima and the glittered ribbon and bakers twine were the finishing touches on the card.  

Thanks for dropping by. I hope you will come back and visit soon.

Challenge

Just Rite Challenge    Color Challenge

National Rose Month

June is National Rose Month and I love roses.  My good friend Glenda from Glenda's Cards is hosting the challenge this week over a Bitten By The Bug 2 .  And she decided to have a challenge using a rose cut from any Cricut cartridge in honor of National Rose Month.  Because I love roses so much I definitely wanted to participate in the challenge.

The rose cut I chose is from ROCK PRINCESS.  My favorite color roses are either pale pink or yellow. So today I made  my card with a pretty yellow rose on it.  I used three different shades of yellow paper and inked the rose with pink, peach, and yellow inks.  I did a little inking on the leaves with green and yellow inks.  

The paper I used is from K&Co, DCWV. and ColorBok.  The base oval is cut from the Spellbinders  Floral Ovals Nestabilities.  The blue floral oval is cut from the Spellbinders Beaded Ovals Nestabilities.  This oval mat was inked in blue.  

The floral flourish is a beautiful cut from Cherry Lynn Designs.  It really has so many details to it.  I always enjoy using it.  I added a few little gemstones to it from The Paper Studio.  The yellow ribbon was just the perfect color for the card.  It came from Hobby Lobby.   

The sentiment is from the Scripture Sayings stamp set from K Andrew Designs.  These stamps are so wonderful and a portion of the proceeds go to charity.  

So to all of you my friends, I wish you roses this month.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you will be back real soon.  Have a great day!

Vintage Masculine Card

Here is  a card for my dad.  It has a vintage masculine look,  just like him.

I decided a couple of weeks ago to not buy any new paper all summer long.  I made this card with paper from my scrap drawer.  The background paper is a diagonal stripe from an Oriental Trading Christmas stack.
The phonograph is a cut from the Cricut cartridge BILLIONAIRE.
The shirt and tie are cut using white card stock from the Cricut cartridge SIMPLY CHARMED.

 I inked around the edges of the shirt with charcoal Color Box ink.  I created the pattern on the tie with the Just Rite Vintage Wallpaper Stamp.  I then cut the stripes for the tie from the a piece of the background paper used on this card.  I then layered the shirt and tie on two Spellbinders Labels  # Seventeen.  The labels were inked with bronze.

The word DAD is cut from the Just Rite Stamps Myriad Pro 95 Pt  and layered on Spellbinders Labels #3.  The letters were stamped with brown ink and then the edges of the labels were inked in bronze. 

 This is a wonderful Alphabet stamp set, and can be used in so many different ways.

I stamped the sentiment on a Spellbinders circle cut.  I used brown ink to stamp the sentiment and bronze and brown to ink the label.

The sentiment is from the Just Rite Birthday Sentiment Stamp Set.

This was such a fun card to make.  I had no plan in place when I began this project.  I guess it would be described as a "Fly by the seat of your pants project".  But, by the time I finished it, I loved it.  

Challenges

Just Rite Stamps  Vintage Masculine

My Craft Spot   For that Special Dad

The Cuttlebug Spot   Shades of Blue for Dad

Die Cuttin Divas   Happy Father's Day

More Than Favors   Father's Day

Celebrate The Occasion   Father's Day

Amusing Challenges   Father's Day no digi