M. M. DeZigns...

Getting Organized: Scraps

2012-07-25T07:31:00.000-04:00

So... I have been MIA, but I have been crafting! I came across a pin on Pinterest about organizing scraps and as I skimmed it, I saw a part about sizes for scraps for cardmakers. Then it hit me - I'm a card maker! LOL!

So, I gathered up my organized scraps, plus all the recent ones I had been accumulating & my trimmer and went to work. I decided I would store them in photo boxes (had just picked some up from Michael's or Joann).

I did some quick measuring & discovered my scraps could be up to 4.5x7 which works for most of the cards I make. I didn't keep super small pieces. I also found the when I used 3" or so from a sheet, I put that in my scraps too - those were cut down to 8.5x11 and stored separately.

My old oganization system was sorted by color with metals (copper, bronze, etc.) and vellum in its own group. What I ended up with is the picture - color sorted, organized scraps that I might actually use :-)

When Mini Me Calls, Mommy Answers

2012-06-04T20:38:00.001-04:00

My daughter needed a patriotic tee & even though I believe she has a few, we couldn't find any! So, Mommy to the rescue.

I pulled out my t-shirt supplies, some masking tape, & a foam brush... And viola!

I laid the shirt flat, but not too flat (wasn't trying to be perfect) and used tape to mark off where the blue square for the stars and to hold the place of the white stripes.

After I applied the red paint (Tulip Soft Fabric Paint), I allowed it to dry for a few minutes and reapplied two long strips to create the blue square.

What patriotic tee or flag is complete without stars??? I used Tulip Beads in a Bottle to add a little shimmer & dimension.

Mini Me loves it & I hope you do too!

2012-04-25T15:03:00.001-04:00

http://www.angelafreedesign.com/bedbath/images/1upxmlmx.php
4/25/2012 12:03:40 PM

I've been crafting...

2012-04-10T23:20:00.000-04:00

What have you all been up to???

Still Crafting... Yarn Time!

2012-02-21T20:14:00.003-05:00

How has everyone been? I have been on a papercrafting hiatus, but the crafter in me has not been able to rest. I have picked up my crochet hooks & yarn and have been warming up the winter months. Here are a few pics of my recent crafting projects & I promise there are more to come.

Spiral Scarf

Chocolate Cowl (super warm!)

Birthday Card with Crocheted Flower Barette

I will be back with some of the cards I have made in the past few months & the journals I am working on right now!

Flowery Birthday Card

2011-10-30T23:20:00.001-04:00

Just stopping by to drop off my latest creation - another co-worker's birthday is coming up!
(I'll be back later with the details!)

Pin It

Happy Birthday Scrappin' Sista!

2011-10-29T00:31:00.000-04:00

Pin It

This month, I am one of the special guests over at One Scrappin Sista's blog.

All this month, she has had her crafty friends stopping by to create beautiful projects using her favorite colors.

I chose to create a Beautiful Butterfly Birthday card using turquoise, orange (my favorite color), and purple.

For my project, I made - what else - a birthday card.

I recently picked up an American Girl border punch & a Cuttlebug embossing folder - from the Cricut Companion Once Upon a Princess set - that, both, featured butterflies. I was so anxious to use them on a project together. What better time to create than now?!?! I used turquoise Recollections metallic cardstock from Michael's along with purple & orange cardstock from their seasonal packs.

I used some of my VersaMagic chalk ink in Sea Breeze to ink the edges of the card base & layered pieces. I added some white ribbon from my stack & a few brads and viola!

Hope you all enjoyed my project. Happy Birthday month Christel!

There are some great projects over at her blog & some chances to win some sweet blog candy - be sure to check it out here!

I have a few more birthday cards coming up along with graduation announcements - so stay tuned!

(Hope all of this month's winners received their goodies!!!)

Prizes & a Project

2011-10-23T03:00:00.000-04:00

Well, it i time to announce the last winner (and a bonus winner!)

Random.org chose Bunnyfreak! And I decided to give out one more prize, and it chose Babe as the winner of the bonus prize.

Cathy chose Prize Y - the Designer's Calendar Cricut Cartridge

Leaving Prize X for Bunnyfreak - American Girl Crafts "friends" border punch

And Babe will be receiving a stamper's blog candy pack with stamps & inks - including this!

Thank you all for continuing to drop in & check out my projects! I think the spirit of the season has come over me & I will be giving away many more goodies in the coming weeks - stay tuned.

As promised in the title, there is a project too! I was in a swap over at Scraps of Color this month and the theme was Christmas. I chose to use some paper I picked up at Big Lots and a sentiment I got from PaperCrafts magazine with (my new favorite) kraft cardstock and here is what I came up with:

New Beginnings...

2011-10-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

One of my co-workers just welcomed a beautiful baby girl into her life & wow was she showered!

Her family and friends hosted a baby shower for her last month & I had the privilege of creating her invitations.

This invite really simple with just a little matting & some super cute feet punches. I picked up the safety pin embellishments (from the party section) and the safety pin paper from Hobby Lobby.

In the office, we decided to give her a small shower (we were just a little too late - she went into labor & missed our event). For that shower, I made two cards for our entire staff to sign to give to her & the new baby.

Here is the first one:

The second one was a little more creative:

This one is a zig-zag card with two inner panels for people to sign. I had fun with this one & pulled out my Sizzix Texture Boutique and my favorite stickers - Silver Peel Off Stickers. I used the onesie, booties, & bow on pink cardstock and cut around the design... the results are too cute!

This is your last chance to post a comment for a chance to win my last prize. I will choose the winner on Friday evening (after I come home from visiting the new baby :)

Post your comment by Friday, October 21st at 12pm EST. Remember, you get a chance to win for each of this week's posts that you comment on. I'll use random.org to pick the lucky winner!

It's Birthday Season (it always is LOL)

2011-10-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pin It

I feel like I have been making birthday cards all month - and I am not done yet!

So far this month, I have made a few cards that I am including in this post (I will post a few more later).

The first card was made for a co-worker whose sorority colors are pink & green. I figured the bold design of this card would be right up her alley.

I used the Recollections Femme Fatale stack. I am really starting to like using some of the big & bold prints on my printed paper/cardstock to make my cards pop. Because there really wasn't much white in the print, I wanted to minimize the amount of white I used on the outside of the card... I used some fuchsia ribbon from my stash and a few small fuchsia brads to highlight my sentiment.

The second card was for a male co-worker and I always have a hard time creating for men. For this card, I found inspiration in a previous design.

For this one, I used some paper from a kit I won from Scraps Of Color. I cut the circles with my Fiskars Circle Cutter, choosing four different sizes. The first card I made in this design was a few years ago & came from one of my paper crafting magazines (sorry, can't remember which one). Here it is:

Hope you enjoyed the cards! Be sure to comment on this post for an extra chance to win (win what, you ask??? click here for more details)

Cathy is a Winner!

2011-10-18T22:01:00.002-04:00

Random.org chose lucky #2... Cathy is our second winner.

Cathy is picking her prize as we speak & whatever is left will go to someone who leaves a comment on this post - comments on the rest of this week's posts will give you more chances to win!

Congratulations Cathy!

:-(

2011-10-15T21:58:00.003-04:00

I never heard from the second winner :-(

Guess I have to pick two winners then! Comment on this post and I'll do two random draws to pick the winners & hopefully head to the post office this week!

Leave a comment & an email address by Tuesday, October 18th at 12pm EST for your chance to win some sweet blog candy!

Stay tuned for my contribution to the SOC Christmas Card Swap, more October birthday cards, and some simply adorable baby shower cards!

Happy 40th Birthday to My Big Sister!

2011-10-11T07:32:00.000-04:00

Pin It

My sister celebrated her 40th birthday in grand style & I was so happy to be there!

She had a formal dinner & invited her closest family & friends. The "party" was held at the marina & that created an awesome backdrop for the event. She was truly a diva for the day & everyone had a wonderful time.

I couldn't go to the party empty handed, so I whipped up an elegant card to commemorate the event. Her invitations were red, so I figured I would incorporate red into my design... well, red didn't really work out, so I reached for some fuchsia ribbon and viola! a beautiful design!

Well, I got to the party to be surprised that the room was decked out in cream and fuchsia!

I had a great time with my sisters (and just out in general, don't do that much LOL)

And the NEXT prize goes to...

2011-10-09T15:03:00.000-04:00

Our first winner chose PRIZE Z - Spellbinders Nestabilities Large Classic Inverted Scalloped Square (6 Dies)

The next winner is lucky number 6 - KACEE! (MCVIC)

(Kacee, please email me at mycraftz at aol dot com so you can choose your prize)

Be sure to congratulate Kacee... because there is one more prize to be given! Once Kacee chooses her prize, I will head over to random.org one last time to find the winner of the last prize.

And the prize goes to...

2011-10-04T19:30:00.000-04:00

... lucky poster #3 - Rebecca Dunham!

Rebecca is choosing her prize as we speak... stay tuned to see what great goody she has won!

(Tell her congrats & there may be a goody bag in it for you too!)

It Has Been A While!

2011-10-02T20:11:00.001-04:00

It has been so long since I posted that I am not sure if I still have  followers... are you all still out there???  Let me hear from you (at least 20 of you) and I will give away some goodies!  I haven't given up on crafting though. I made my first explosion box for my  daughter for her birthday. She really liked it - but she hoped a puppy would  have jumped out LOL!  (Leave a comment to be entered in the "drawing" by Tuesday, October 4th at 12pm  EST. If you are chosen as the winner, you may win a Cricut Cartridge, a set of  Nestabilities, or some other wonderful goodie!)

It's Been Too Long - But I'm Back with Projects!!!

2011-07-16T17:50:00.000-04:00

Pin It

I have missed you all so much!

I hope you have been getting your inspiration from somewhere, but haven't given up on me :-)

While I was away, I did a little crafting, but not as much as I would have liked.

I created a save-the-date card, an invitation, & a thank you card for a friend's mother-in-law's 60th birthday.

Her request was green & silver and elegant... I figured I could do that!

Here is what I came up with:

Save The Date Card: Core'Dinations Cardmaker Series Pearls in Silver (base); Georgia Pacific cardstock in white; Celebrate It Basic ribbon in emerald; tools - Tim Holtz Alterations Texture Fades Embossing Folders Damask & Regal Flourishes Set; We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper (measures 5.5" by 4.25")

The Invitation: Core'Dinations Cardmaker Series Pearls in Silver (base); Georgia Pacific cardstock in white; Recollections Jewel Cardstock in Emerald; Celebrate It Basic ribbon in emerald; tools - EK Success Swirl Edger Punch; Tim Holtz Alterations Texture Fades Embossing Folders Damask & Regal Flourishes Set (measures 5" by 6.5")

Thank You Card: Core'Dinations Cardmaker Series Pearls in Silver (base); Georgia Pacific cardstock in white; Celebrate It Basic ribbon in emerald; tools - Tim Holtz Alterations Texture Fades Embossing Folders Damask & Regal Flourishes Set; We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper (measures 5.5" by 4.25")

The invitees loved everything & I was so happy to do it!

Thanks for looking & I hope to be back soon!

Something New Blog Hop - Postponed

2011-05-21T07:55:00.001-04:00

Good Morning!

Due to unexpected circumstances the blog hop has been postponed.

Please send up prayers & positive thoughts for all of the super-talented ladies who had planned to participate in this weekend's event.

The tentative date for the hop will be June 10-11, 2011 - hope you can join us!

It Seems Like Forever...

2011-05-18T21:52:00.000-04:00

... since I have posted. I have missed you all!

My laptop had been stalling out on me for a few weeks & it just got to be too much! I took it in to Staples for the free PC Tuneup & they found that they needed to do a little more... $40 later, my baby is al(most) better LOL!

Anywho, I won!!! Jazzy let me know that I won one of the 3-month memberships to the Cricut Circle! I am so excited & can't wait to see what my membership entails! Thanks Jazmin!

This weekend is the blog hop. Be sure to stop by to see what my crafty friends & I have in store for you!

And a hop's no hop without a sweet treat or two along the way! Be sure to check us out to see what we have in our goodie bags :)

(Oh & I got a great deal on some Cricut Lite cartridges & also picked up Picturesque... stay tuned for new projects using these carts!)

And The Award Goes To... and a Blog Hop!

2011-05-10T12:21:00.000-04:00

So I was reading through my Google reader, enjoying the creativity of all of my virtual friends & I came across Amy's post from Frugal Cricut Scrapper and... She presented me with an award!

Your blog has been deemed Cricut-tastic. Wear this badge proudly on your blog and share it with friends. Share this award with 10 people that you think have Cricut-tastic blogs. You also have to tell 5 cricut related things about yourself.

FIVE CRICUT FACTS ABOUT ME:

I fell in love with Cricut from an infomercial. I then found a friend who had one. And, I was determined to get one once I started researching and watching Youtube videos.
I love, love, love Design Studio (the Gypsy is cool too, but I fell in love with CDS).
I have 4 Cricut machines - 2 baby bugs, my Expression, & a Cake.
I can't wait for the Cricut Craft Room to launch (or at least for my beta group to come up LOL) - see #2.
My favorite Cricut cuts are swirls & butterflies, so most of the cartridges I have have these cuts or sentiments/titles.

I AM AWARDING THIS TO:

Oh, and before I forget! I am hosting a blog hop on May 21-22, 2011. The theme is "Something New" and it's open for interpretation. This is the season for weddings, lots of baby showers, graduates getting out into the world... you can see where I'm going with this. If you are interested in being a part of this hop (I'm thinking May 21-22), send me an email at mycraftz at aol dot com with your name, blog name & blog address. Hope you all can join me! {If you aren't interested in being a part of the hop, be sure to come by that weekend to check us out!}

A New Favorite???

2011-05-06T13:57:00.000-04:00

So I found a new product at Michaels' earlier this week & since I had a coupon on me, I decided to pick it up. Well, let me first say, that I will be going back to get more & that I think it is my new favorite thing (can't really call it a tool, because it's a consumable).

What is it, you wonder? Beads in a Bottle... Am I late, have you heard of this? If you have, why didn't you tell me?!?! LOL. If you haven't, you should definitely check it out!

It's a product by Tulip designed for use on fabric but it works so great on paper!

You simply uncap it, hold it perpendicular to the paper (pretty close to the paper, but not touching it), and gently squeeze until you have it to the size you like it - stop squeezing & pull it straight up & you're all done! {You do have to let it sit for 4 hours, but that's not too bad considering how stinking cute it comes out!}

I was just testing it out on some Mothers' Day cards I was thinking about making (too long a story for today's post) & here is one of them...

I just love them... have to go back & get more colors! I will need more coupons LOL!

Keeping Crafty: Getting Orders Out

2011-05-04T08:40:00.002-04:00

So I have been keeping busy & getting a few orders out. These have been fairly simple, yet elegant at the same time. Both feature my new favorite embossing folder from Tim Holtz's Alterations line. The "save the date" cards are flat and were placed in an envelope for mailing. The "Afternoon of Elegance" invitations are top folded with the details inside & will also be placed in an envelope for mailing.

Both of the customers who ordered these goodies were very excited when they received them!

Don't forget the "Inspired by... Fridays" challenge for this week... There's a Cricut cartridge up for grabs!

Inspired by... Fridays #1

2011-05-02T18:30:00.000-04:00

Hello my bloggy friends!

I promised that I would give you all a chance to win the other cartridge from my follower quest & here is you first chance.

For the month of May, I will host a weekly challenge on my blog. The challenge will be issued on Mondays & all entries must be submitted by 11:59pm on Friday. On the following Monday (or over the weekend if time permits), I will feature a few of my favorite entries, BUT everyone who participates in the challenge will gain an entry into the prize drawing for the Cricut Cartridge!

Simple enough, right?

Well, to get us started, this week's inspiration is...

Using the picture above & your creativity (as well as the theme "Mothers' Day), create a card or project. Post it to your blog (be sure to mention "Inspired by... Fridays" and mmdezigns.blogspot.com in your post) and come back here to submit your post link using the InLinkz thingy below. It's that simple!

I hope we're able to have fun all month & see how one something (this week it's a picture, next week who knows?!?!) can inspire us all in different ways!

(if you share about this challenge on your blog and a friend of yours stops by, becomes a follower, and let's me know you sent them, that will be extra entries for you!)

Birthday Card

2011-04-30T16:00:00.000-04:00

A friend asked me to make a birthday card for her. Her only requirements were to include pink, lime green, & orange and make it girly.

I immediately thought of my Forever Young cartridge! But I wasn't quite sure of the design. I pulled out my January 2011 issue of CardMaker magazine and turned to page 74. There is a winter-themed happy birthday card that was perfect!

I used foam tape to add dimension to the diecut & the end result was great.

"Inspired By... Fridays" coming soon!

Cricut Cartridge Exploration: Nifty Fifties

2011-04-26T01:44:00.000-04:00

Over at Stampin' Dymonz Scrap Shack, there is a group for those of use who love our diecutting machines. In that group, there's a little thing called "Cartridge Exploration" where the members choose one of the Cricut cartridges & create a project to share with the other members. I decided to try my hand at it.

I created the card from the Nifty Fifties cartridge handbook. It is a cute little card & I can see it being given as a mother's day card or just because type of card for anyone especially if they are into fashion or sewing.

I'm not a fan of pink, so I decided to go with purple, black & white. The recipe called for:

cardstock: white, pink {I used purple metallic}, black, pink dotted {purple patterned paper}
ribbon: back patterned
brads: 4 pink {I used purple}
hole punch
paper trimmer
foam squares {I used 3M foam tape}
adhesive

The card measures 6" by 7". I was excited because aside from the card base, I was able to use all scraps!

The dress & dress frame are from the Nifty Fifties cartridge & cut at 4". The dress frame was cut in back. The dress is cut in white, and the layer 1 (dress pieces) were cut in metallic purple.

The card was actually pretty easy to make & even though it is a fifties themed cartridge, I can see plenty of cuts that can be used for a variety of projects!

Let me know what you think!

{a few tips - I used Charcoal ink to ink the edges of my black cuts because my cardstock had a white core; I like foam tape because I can pick the size I need, there a nifty (LOL) video on YouTube with a knot tying trick that I like to use that keeps them neat & tidy everytime - when I find it, I'll come back & share; I think metallic cardstock is the best thing ever gives you subtle bling}